Chapter Eight: I’ve Come to Understand Beauty
I thought we’d lost a fair amount of time because of the dragon, yet we still managed to return to the capital ahead of schedule.
After passing through the second set of gates, we bumped into one of the household servants, who appeared pale and terrified. Piecing together the story from his incoherent babbling, we left our horses with him and sprinted homeward, employing body fortification magic to boost our speed.
The moment I caught sight of the half-frozen people in front of our gates, my mind nearly imploded. None of the servants is skilled enough to wield that amount of magic.
Abigail has always been indifferent to what happens to her. She is no longer the Monster King, but that apathy remains. And yet…
What has made my dear wife do this?
✦ ✦ ✦
🎂🎂🎂
ABGAIL’S emotions have slowly developed in complexity, weaving together like various colored threads to create a carpet of increasingly intricate design. Sometimes, she asks questions about things that puzzle her, then stews over my answer as though slowly digesting it.
Despite her growth, Abigail’s worldview remains frighteningly simple. Only recently have I felt that she was finally beginning to understand that love and affection come in different forms and intensities.
And now! Now!
“Master! Maaaster! Come on! You need to get ready to head to the palace! Come on!” nags Rodney, again.
Prince Dominic’s personal knights arrived and, after a simple explanation from Ethan, arrested Brianna and her men. Apprehension of criminals isn’t typically part of the knights’ duties, but since Longhurst is currently His Highness’s responsibility, I suppose they can make an exception. Of course, I’ll have to leave soon to give him a personal account, but…
“Just a little more.”
“We’ve waited long enough! Please continue later! Laaater!”
I ignore him and bury my face in Abigail’s shoulder as emotion overwhelms me once more.
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She said she loves me! Loves! Just let me bask in this a little longer!
I feel her slender arms wrap around my neck and… Wait, why is she inhaling so deeply?! “Wait, A-Abby! I must stink! Wait! Wait, wait!”
I’ve been camping outdoors for a while, I realize, and after riding back to the capital, I ran through the city—I definitely smell bad! I hurry to place her down, and she simply grips me tighter. Why is she suddenly so strong?!
Rodney’s shoulders tremble as he pulls a can from our bags. He hands it to Tabitha, who approaches quietly.
“My lady? Master has a souvenir for you.”
“Souvenir!” Just like that, Abigail jumps lightly to the ground, and I feel somewhat disappointed despite my dirtiness.
I use the opportunity to change, then depart for the palace. Abigail followed me around the house as I prepared, clutching the can. I want to conclude my errand quickly so I can return to her.
We are led not to the royals’ wing but to the barracks so we can enter without too much fuss. Before long, Prince Dominic arrives with McGregor and Rickman.
Rodney and I didn’t gather many survey documents from the small country, but what we did find is bound in leather string. He passes the stack to McGregor.
“Hello, sir,” says the prince. “I wasn’t expecting you to arrive so early after the incident, but I’m glad you’re safe. New intelligence also just came in: there seems to have been no casualties.”
“Yes, I stopped by headquarters before coming here. They have a team that specializes in debris clearance, so there shouldn’t be any issues. His Excellency will be there to supervise as well.”
“Ah, yes. General Whittington has always been a fan of the unexpected. I can just picture him leading the team with enthusiasm.”
“It’ll be great practical training for them, even if it wasn’t purely caused by nature…”
“It wasn’t? Goodness, what do you mean?”
Abigail explained what had happened in the gorge as I got ready, gesturing wildly with her hands, waving the can to and fro.
The canyon is deep, the road along its floor just wide enough for our troops to pass through. Closer to the checkpoint, the towering walls on either side close in like a trap, casting a shadow on the road and allowing but a small sliver of a glimpse of the sky and dangling foliage above. The reports say the cliff collapsed across a gap in the column of soldiers.
Just coincidence or intentional? Perhaps they merely hoped to scare my servants into relinquishing Abigail. Then again, the people of Longhurst have always exuded a strange air of entitlement and are prone to reckless action. I first sensed it in Longhurst, when the locals tried to kill me with hoes and sickles. That thoughtless attitude has ultimately led them to attack the military. Did they really think they could get away with something like that? Not that it matters, since a monster killed their man at the gorge.
On my way to the palace, I sent a messenger bird to General Whittington, informing him of Brianna’s plan. According to Abigail, the boss of the area, a monster called a python ape, had found the hidden human, killed him, and beat a hasty retreat. It may have left evidence of its killing, and while the soldiers may not be aware of the monster, they would certainly have heard something moving in the forest along the cliff, which would have alerted them to its location. Knowing the general, he’ll surely be able to find proof linking Brianna and her men to the rockfall incident.
I update Prince Dominic on the situation as well, leaving out the python ape. “The summoning blooms used by Longhurst’s eldest daughter must have been from the unmarked village, Brianna’s hometown. We found records alluding to that in the documents we brought back.”
“So that’s why they kept the village hidden. Same with the mirror birds. That means they could have staged a revolt at any time… Wait, how many people have they disposed of over the years to keep this a secret, do you think?”
“I reckon quite a number of locals are aware of their potential arsenal, including those from the village and the people from the city too.”
Though really, they couldn’t have been that close to revolution. Nothing indicated that they’d successfully tamed the mirror birds, and all they’d managed so far was to sneak the creatures’ eggs into places. And a single blunder with the summoning blooms could very well have caused the monsters to turn on them.
It didn’t make sense. They owned some of the most fertile land in the kingdom. Why would they risk it all by attempting an uprising? And now their crimes can be construed as treason.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes, yes, I know, sir. I’ll do my best to spare the lady. I don’t need you or the Drewetts as enemies, thank you. Not at all.”
“My wife was only ever involved in paperwork related to the management of fields and harvests. Since birth, she has had almost no contact with her family, much less the outside world.”
“I know, but this will blow up, and it’ll be out of my hands. But I can promise to remind Father that the lady has been part of the Noel household for over a year now. I’ve always been his favorite; that’s why he entrusted Longhurst to me in the first place, and look what’s happened… Whatever, just leave it to me.”
My own father, the marquis of Drewett, will also pull some strings, so there’s a high chance Abigail will not be charged for Longhurst’s treachery and face execution.
“As for the incident with the troops, I have no say over what the military decides, but you’ll think of something, right, sir?”
That’s right. Longhurst’s offenses include the rockfall. Punishment is inevitable, regardless of the truth, because Abigail is Earl Longhurst’s daughter. I’m certain the general will do whatever he can to help her, yet we’ll definitely face some kind of penalty in the end.
“Of course. My preference is the port town of Orta in Drewett, though the tropical countries sound nice too.”
“You’re gonna ask for a demotion?!”
I’ll be fine. Abigail has always enjoyed village life, after all.