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NIGEL immediately set off for Egdiel Castle with Foreign Minister Crowne to inform King James of the latest developments.
…What if Alicia was not allowed to return to Heilland after this? The question remained unspoken, but both the chief adviser and princess were thinking about it. That was why they had a political hostage and knights.
“…I have to come back at any cost to protect everyone,” she murmured as she watched the knights hurry about her.
She was ready to go and was waiting for the carriage to be prepared for the trip. Robert, who stood next to her, shrugged and threw her a wink.
“Of course. My sword will always be ready to aid you,” the silver-haired knight teased as he placed a hand on the weapon at his hip. Alicia gave a wry smile.
“I hope it won’t have to come to that.”
Robert and a few other knights would escort Alicia into Erdal. While she had no qualms about her decision, her heart ached at the thought of putting those knights in harm’s way.
“I’m sorry for dragging all of you into this,” she said solemnly.
“My, I was just joking. A knight’s sword has the sole purpose of protecting their master… And it’s not just the knights. I think you fail to recognize how beloved you are, princess. Many would beg for the opportunity to serve you.” He chuckled. “Besides, if he found out that I let you go alone, he’ll probably kill me. You may not know this, but he’s very scary when he’s angry.”
“…Oh, I know it well.”
Alicia giggled, too, as she imagined the reaction her beloved adviser and lover would have to her decision. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but she didn’t know if he would accept it or even forgive her. Despite it all, she had a duty to fulfill.
Looking up at the sky, Alicia called out to him in her heart and made a promise.
She would return to Heilland, no matter what.
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“CLO?”
Princess Adviser Clovis was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of his name. Turning away from the sky, he saw Jude Nicol, Marquis of Rozen, looking at him curiously.
“What’s the matter? Did you see something in the sky?”
“…No.” Clovis shook his head. In fact, he’d thought he heard a certain someone calling his name, but she was far away, in the town of Viola. There was no way he could have heard her.
Taking a breath to clear his mind, Clovis looked up again at the towering ship before his eyes. Its white sails stood out against the clear skies magnificently, and he was sure the sails billowing in the wind as they sailed across the sea would be a beautiful sight to behold.
“Isn’t it wonderful? This beautiful ship can carry us anywhere we wish to go. Beyond the ocean and into unknown lands, that’s how free we are!”
“Yes, it is very exciting.”
Jude nodded in satisfaction at Clovis’s words. Nearby, sailors loaded the ship with cargo such as a day’s worth of food, water, and more, enough for a trip to Erdal.
They were in Held, the port town in the Marquisate of Rozen. The ship belonged to the Mercurius Company and was preparing to set sail for Sampston, carrying a precious souvenir for Ist Trading Company.
“Oh, I can’t wait to see the surprise on Dudley’s face,” Jude said. “He’ll surely, definitely, love this.”
“Yes. I’m just a layman, but even I can appreciate its beauty.”
“And that’s very important. Having a discerning eye is good, but there is no logic behind beauty that captures the heart.” The Marquis of Rozen shrugged. “I think the best thing is to be drawn to something, even if you don’t really understand it.”
Clovis smiled at that.
News came from the Nicol Research Facility that the porcelain had been fired during the founding day festivities. The workers had pushed themselves so they could present a good product for Jude’s inspection once he returned home. As such, Clovis also brought his scheduled visit forward to check on the goods before they were shipped to Ist.
The quality of the white porcelain turned out excellent and should be enough to capture Ist’s interest. With that confirmed, they set about preparing the ship for their trip to Erdal to meet with Dudley Hopkins, Ist’s president.
“Since you’re already here, why don’t you come with us, Clo? A cruise will be nice, especially with good winds, as long as you don’t mind the swaying.”
“Well, it might be fun to take a trip like that once in a while.”
“Ooh, how rare!” Jude exclaimed, arms crossed. “I was so sure you’d reject my offer because Princess Alicia is waiting for you! …So, what’s the story?”
“What do you mean?”
Clovis blinked at Jude’s sudden change in tone, but the marquis just smiled and looked at him with bright green eyes.
“You may not realize it, but your expression stiffens every time the princess’s name is brought up. You can talk to me if there’s been any trouble.”
“No, there’s nothing of—”
“Nothing? That won’t fool me…” Jude’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You were so happy during the festivities, so what happened after that?”
“Huh?”
Clovis panicked, unsure of what to say. After a moment, he reined in his shock. But before he could question Jude about his intentions, a knight appeared at the end of the port.
Clovis frowned. The man was dressed like a member of the imperial guard, not someone from the northern knight division like Robert.
The knight quickly spotted Clovis, deftly dodging the crowds of people to hurry towards them.
“Adviser Clovis Cromwell, I bear an urgent message from Chief Adviser Nigel Otto from the castle.”
Clovis’s frown deepened at these words. Nigel should have been in Sheraford on an inspection, so why had the message come from Egdiel? Suspicious, he broke the seal and read through the letter, his violet eyes widening in surprise.
“It can’t be…”
Jude glanced at the adviser with concern, but Clovis ignored the marquis as he read the letter again. His hands started to tremble.
Riddhe Sutherland had been arrested, and war was imminent. Princess Alicia was on her way to Erdal to diffuse the situation.
That was all the letter contained, without any instructions for Clovis.
“…I need to leave for the capital now,” he said darkly.
“No! Please wait, Adviser Cromwell!”
Clovis stopped and turned back impatiently to the knight and saw that the man was holding two more letters.
“This letter bears the message from His Majesty that Adviser Cromwell does not need to return to the castle immediately… And the other is from Her Highness.”
“…From Her Highness.” Clovis gulped as he took the two letters. Looking down at them, he opened the one from King James.
--You must be shocked and worried after learning that Cia is heading to Erdal, but you are not needed back at the castle right now. I have another task for you.
Clovis read on in all seriousness, then couldn’t help but gasp when he read the next section.
--By the way, Clovis, I’m aware of what’s going on, but I won’t spell it out here. I will just say that, yes, isn’t my treasure so lovely and charming?
“Wh-Wh-What…?!” Clovis sputtered.
“Hey, are you all right?”
Jude shook the stunned Clovis lightly by the shoulder, which helped him break out of his shock. King James’s bombshell confession had buried his heart with confusion, but there was no time to waste on that now.
--So, Cia has headed into Erdal from Viola, which, as you know, is a land trading post. By coincidence or luck, you are in Held, a port town a day away from Sampston, if you happen to be on a large sailing ship.
The wind blew hard, spraying his cheeks with the salty tang of the waves. The king’s letter then issued his command.
--Sail to Erdal, Clovis. Save Cia and Heilland. If you can do that, then I’ll bestow my treasure to you.
Clovis was silent, his expression blank, as he unrolled Alicia’s letter. Unlike the king’s, this one only contained a single sentence, written in a familiar hand.
…However, that one sentence completely repainted his world.
“…Hahaha!”
“C-Clo?”
“Adviser Cromwell?”
Jude and the knight looked at each other, confused, as Clovis burst into laughter, wondering if he’d gone mad from all the shocking news. Jude reached out, ready to comfort him, but Clovis quickly turned to him.
“I have a request, Jude.”
“Whoa?!”
The marquis leaned back instinctively, surprised by the strong light shining in Clovis’s violet gaze. He gulped, trying to grasp the situation, as Clovis continued calmly.
“Please, let us set sail immediately for Sampston. We’re going to save Heilland…and her.”