What did he mean by that? Shizuku was confused, but Erik just gave her a bittersweet smile. “You put your all into your thoughts. You’re stubborn, but I think that’s one of your good qualities. Next time, just remember to consult with me. Also…you worked really hard.” He patted her on the head with his big hand. His fingers were gentle, and his words were plain and unaffected. While Shizuku kept running on and on, he’d always been there to watch over her and lend a helping hand. Erik had given her the words she hadn’t even realized she needed. How many times had Erik’s warmth been her salvation? In this world where nothing was ever certain, he’d always been there to help her. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you…” “Forget that. You’ve apologized more than enough times in the past fifteen minutes.” Erik shrugged his shoulders and sipped his lukewarm tea. He looked down, watching the work that was being carried out in the plaza. Still, Shizuku didn’t feel that she’d apologized enough. She lowered her head once again. “A-also, thank you for dispelling that magic.” Shizuku heard a choking sound, as though Erik had something stuck in his throat. She looked up in surprise. Erik had choked on his tea—quite badly, it seemed. He coughed violently, apparently struggling to breathe. “Are you okay…?” Shizuku asked. “How…did you know…about that…? I forbade people…from mentioning it…” “Huh? Yura was quite happy to tell me. You broke the spell.” Shizuku had been told that Leuticia was probably the only person who could break the spell, yet Erik had removed all traces of it from inside her body while she was asleep. It wasn’t that she’d lost her chastity and the pattern had become invisible—the spell itself had been completely removed, causing the pattern to disappear. “I would expect nothing less from a mage who Leuticia invited to work for her,” Yura had remarked admiringly after explaining what happened. After a coughing spell helped him clear the tea from his windpipe, Erik awkwardly waved his hand in front of his face. “Well, don’t worry about it. I didn’t really do anything.” “What do you mean? You broke the spell.” “Yes, but that was it.” “Got it. Thank you very much.” Yura had watched the spell being undone, so Shizuku never had any reason to suspect anything untoward had happened. Given the extent of the pattern, it was probably unavoidable that she’d been undressed. She’d already decided not to worry about what had happened, thinking of it like a surgical procedure. If she thought too hard about it, she would have ended up running around the fortress making strange noises, so it was better to push it to the back of her mind. Shizuku expressed her gratitude with a serious look on her face, which seemed to exhaust Erik even more. He stared at the small amount of tea left in his cup. “From now on, all expressions of gratitude are banned,” he stated, before heaving a huge sigh. When Shizuku asked to see Ortea, she was readily granted permission to do so. “I’ll ask His Majesty. He’ll probably let you see her,” Erik had said as he escorted Shizuku to another room inside the fortress. She only had to wait in front of the door for about thirty seconds. Once Erik beckoned her over, Shizuku stepped inside. Ortea seemed to have been engaged in a tense conversation with Lars, and she rose to her feet as soon she saw Shizuku. Her face lit up with joy as she spread her arms out wide. “Shizuku! You really are okay!” “Princess.” “I kept telling you she was fine. Weren’t you listening?” snapped Lars. “Come over here. Did anyone hurt you?” “Don’t ignore me, Ortea. I’ll make you pay compensation.” “You really never change, Your Majesty…” It had been a while since Shizuku had seen him, but Lars seemed just as conceited as ever. “I’d never dream of it,” he asserted. He and Erik left the room, presumably to give the princess and Shizuku some privacy. Ortea and Shizuku sat down next to one another and talked through the chaos that had ensued after the negotiations. As it turned out, the assassination attempt had indeed been carried out by a follower of Beelhurse who’d snuck into the fortress. On her way back from the office, Ortea had heard a thunderous roar and gone to check what was going on—only to find herself surrounded by Beelhurse’s assassins. She tried to fight back, but just as she was beginning to get overwhelmed, Farsas turned up. Lars had dragged her away like a kitten, shoved her into a room, and locked her away. In the meantime, Farsas took back the fortress. While some suspected that Ortea was behind the assassination, Yura’s testimony apparently dispelled these doubts. Shizuku told the princess that Yura had been a spy from Farsas and apologized profusely. Ortea admonished her, whacking her on the head with a sheaf of rolled-up papers. “You trust people too easily,” she said, before adding bitterly, “Still, Farsas and Kisk were both spying on each other. I did expect there to be a spy or two in our midst.” She also mentioned the man who’d been spying on Kisk’s behalf. “He caught Niké, apparently. I asked him not to kill him, though.” “Huh? Was everyone going to be killed?!” “No, just him. He got up to a lot of trouble, after all. That said, he was acting under my orders. I’m the one who should shoulder the blame.” “…Princess.” Ortea had changed, just as Shizuku had suspected. She never would have said anything like that in the past. While she hadn’t quite perfected the skill, she was trying to look out for people. When Shizuku looked at her, she felt a dull ache in her chest. She’d been reminded of the man who’d spent so long protecting her, and his final moments came flooding back. “I heard Faneet died,” Ortea said quietly. It seemed as though Shizuku’s silence had said it all. Her voice sounded raspy and feeble, likely because no one else was in the room. Shizuku looked into Ortea’s opaque amber eyes and gave her a silent nod. “I hear that he fought back until the very end, but was eventually killed by a Farsasian soldier,” Ortea said. “…What an inflexible, foolish man.” That was probably the version of the story that Lars had shared with her, and Shizuku silently thanked him for being considerate enough to conceal the truth. Ortea bit her crimson lip. “You were with him, weren’t you? Did he say anything to you?” Shizuku could hear the last vestiges of Ortea’s childish ways in her shaky voice. She had been raised under the man’s protection and behaved like a spoiled child in his presence, and that immature part of herself had remained constant, even when the rest of her had changed. His death, however, had left her by herself. Perhaps that childish behavior would now vanish into the innermost recesses of her heart, along with his memory. “Faneet…was worried about you. Right up until the very end.” That much was true. She’d always been precious to him—so precious, in fact, that he had always been prepared to sacrifice everything else for her sake. Shizuku kept staring at her lap, refusing to look up. Ortea wouldn’t have wanted Shizuku to see her cry. So she just waited. Although everything Faneet had done had been for Ortea, there was no denying that his thoughtfulness had helped Shizuku, too. He’d helped her for the sake of the princess. He’d tried to kill her for the sake of the princess. That was his truth, but Shizuku was never going to tell anyone. She’d take that secret to the grave. The pair spent some time quietly mourning Faneet’s death, not saying a word. It was Ortea who broke the silence, trying to sound strong. The woman who’d chosen to become queen started mapping out the future in a clear, yet not particularly loud voice. “Despite all the extra interruptions, we still need to do something about these negotiations. We’ve also incurred a debt to Farsas.” “Oh, about Vied. His dad showed up…” “I heard about that. I never expected him to make an appearance.” Unusually, there was a hint of defeat in Ortea’s tone. Shizuku’s eyes widened. “Is he really the king of Rozsark, Princess?” she asked. “Keep your lips sealed, Carrot Girl. He seems to want nothing to do with Farsas.” It was Lars, having returned with Erik, who’d spoken. His simple response made Shizuku frown. “Then Seilené is…” “One of his consorts, yes. An ambitious woman, she disappeared from the castle because she was unhappy with how she was treated,” Lars explained. “Oh…” Shizuku glanced at Ortea, who had a pained expression. Shizuku had plenty of thoughts to share, but since the king of Rozsark had insisted that he wanted no involvement with Farsas, voicing them felt impolite. Shizuku glanced at Lars, confused. “But if you knew that he wasn’t your child, what was all that ranting and raving about…?” “I wouldn’t have minded claiming him as my own. I did tell his father that I’d have the boy if he didn’t want him, but he ended up flying off the handle and making a lunge at me.” “I’m not surprised. It’s not like giving someone a kitten,” said Shizuku. “It’s not my fault. Ortea’s the one to blame.” He might have had a point, but Lars had definitely added fuel to the fire. Shizuku and Erik gave the king angry looks. Ortea was trembling, unable to argue, but at least she had a handle on her temper. Shizuku rubbed her master on the back. Lars sat down on the seat opposite the queen and gave her a malicious grin. “So, Ortea, have you come to a decision? Come to Farsas—you’ll get to experience my teasing all the time!” “That’s not going to happen. Without me, the castle will fall into chaos.” “Would you prefer I just annexed Kisk?” “Y-you’re the worst…” In reality, that would be no different from a full-on conquest. But if things continued this way, the negotiations could collapse, potentially leading to all-out war. Shizuku laid out some papers she’d taken out partway through the discussion and showed Lars a line she’d put an asterisk by. “We’ll give you this if you back down,” she offered. “What is it?” Lars asked. “A crystal cave owned by the Kisk royal family. It’s in Rosta.” “Shizuku, that’s—” Shizuku knew what Ortea wanted to say. It was a territory under direct royal ownership and had been given to Shizuku to negotiate with, so handing it over to Farsas wouldn’t be an issue. However, some said the cave had already been mostly depleted of crystals when it was gifted to the royal family. With Ortea about to point out that handing it over to Farsas would be of no value, Shizuku clarified her suggestion, speaking to both Ortea and the man they were negotiating with. “The claim that there are no crystals left is a lie intended to stop overmining. The previous king ordered that fabrication to be written down. In reality, the cave is largely untouched, offering plenty of high-quality materials for making magic implements.” At one point, there had been a boom in demand for crystals, leading to overconsumption, but there were still more than enough natural resources in this crystal cave. The asset had simply been hidden away in case it was needed in the future. It was a shame to hand it over to another country, but if they didn’t make use of it, the country could crumble. Nobody in the present royal family knew the truth, and there couldn’t have been any records of it, yet before she knew it, Shizuku had obtained that knowledge. She stared at the two royals. Lars rested his cheek on his hand and gazed at the map. Then he nodded thoughtfully. “Crystals, huh…? Maybe that’ll cheer Lettie up a little.” “Then please don’t take the princess away.” “All right. You can come instead.” “Huh?” Why was it so hard to predict what he would say? The color drained from Ortea’s face as Shizuku’s eyes widened in astonishment. “That would never happen! Don’t be absurd!” said Ortea. “Which one of us is being absurd? I’m making a major concession by leaving the queen-at-large in exchange for some crystals and this troublesome girl.” “Stay away from her! Why couldn’t you just demand more compensation?” Shizuku held her head in her hands as the arguing resumed, while Erik, waiting behind Lars, was perfectly composed. It was impossible to tell whether he was even listening. Leuticia might have put a stop to the king’s stupidity, but it was absurd to expect Erik to do the same. Ortea stood up to shield Shizuku, her face bright red. “You’re planning on killing Shizuku once you’ve taken her away, aren’t you?! I heard about your schemes!” “I heard you tried to kill her, too.” “That doesn’t matter!” “Yes, it does…” Shizuku wished somebody would help her—she didn’t care who. Why did peace negotiations between monarchs have to devolve into childish squabbles? From Shizuku’s perspective, Lars’s demand wasn’t unreasonable. If going to Farsas was all it took, perhaps it was best to just go along with it. Shizuku was about to persuade her enraged master to give in when a cool voice interrupted the quarrel. “Your Majesty the Queen. Do you know where Shizuku originally comes from?” Erik asked Ortea in a calm, comforting voice. He’d been quiet up until now, and Ortea looked up. She glanced at the mage she’d never met before, then turned to Shizuku. Shizuku responded to her master’s questioning gaze with a nod. Having received her permission, the princess spoke. “…I heard that she was from another world.” “That’s right,” said Erik. “She’s not someone who should be dragged into disputes between nations or put in harm’s way. She had a peaceful life. She was supposed to stay with her family and complete her studies.” Erik’s words made Shizuku reflect on what felt like a very distant past. She was hit by a pang of nostalgia, feeling slightly homesick. “I understand that you care deeply for her. However, she won’t be here forever. She’s been searching for a way back to her old world, enduring countless hardships in the process. If you ask her to stay by your side forever, she might comply. That’s just the kind of person she is. However, that will mean she has to give up on returning to her world and seeing her family again. Are you really okay with that?” Erik asked dispassionately. Ortea fell silent. With the princess standing in front of her, Shizuku couldn’t see Ortea’s face from where she was. Just her trembling pale fingers. In all honesty, Shizuku had considered the idea of living out the rest of her life here. She did want to go home and see her family, but on the other hand, she also had a strong desire to support the queen. It didn’t stem from hypocrisy or pity, or because she hated losing. She was simply happy that Ortea was gradually opening up to her. It made her want to stay by her side, trying her best and dedicating her time to fulfilling Ortea’s needs. Shizuku wouldn’t have minded pursuing that kind of a life. Still…was it really enough for her? Could she really abandon the idea of finding a way to return home? Shizuku closed her eyes. In the darkness, she tried to figure out what she really wanted. As Shizuku was sitting there with nothing else to do, she heard her master let out a quiet sigh. Then Ortea asked Lars something. “You won’t kill her, will you?” “Not for the time being, at least. I won’t hurt her, either. It’d go against the contract.” “…Fine. You can have her.” The princess’s despondent tone made Shizuku’s head jolt upward. She met Ortea’s amber gaze. How many times had they looked into one another’s eyes? In most of those scenarios, they’d been fighting to get their conflicting points across. Now things were different. Although their eyes were different colors, they reflected the same emotions. “Princess.” “I’ve had enough. You complain too much. You never shut up, and I can hardly get a word in. Ever since I became queen, more and more people have started nagging me about things. If I don’t cut that number down, it’ll become oppressive.” With that, Ortea turned her face away and left the room. Shizuku could see the guards who’d been in the hallway hurry after her. Having been left behind, Shizuku looked around like a lost child, then met Erik’s gaze. She hesitated, thinking she should say something, but a moment later, Lars stepped over the table and hoisted her up. The brazen king laughed as he held her in his arms like a child. “All right. You’re mine now.” “This sucks…” Shizuku complained. “So now I’ll give her to you.” With those words, he tossed Shizuku into the air. She was too startled to react, but Erik managed to catch her. He lowered her to the floor with a pained expression on his face and scolded the king, who seemed to be on a deadline. “Please don’t treat her like an object.” “I kept my word. I promised to give her to you in one piece, and that’s what I’ve done.” “Huh?” Shizuku, who’d been tossed around from place to place, had no idea what was going on. As she held onto her head and hair—both equally disheveled and chaotic—Lars turned to her. “Erik agreed to go to the battleground on the condition that he would get you back. You’re our spoils of war,” he declared unapologetically. Nobody contacted him to say his plan had failed. However, the lack of any communication meant that it probably had. Beelhurse bit his nails inside the dark, closed room. “Ortea… That damn girl…” If things had gone well, it would have been a miraculous comeback, but since his scheme had failed, he’d have to come up with another plan. He genuinely believed that if he didn’t act quickly, Ortea would bring the country to ruin. The former king stood up and paced around the room. “What should I do…? What should I—” “I don’t think you have to do anything.” The light-hearted response sounded like it came from a young boy. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone else in the room. Beelhurse looked around in a panic. “Who’s there?! Where are you?!” “I’m here. This castle’s a real maze, huh?” The boy emerged from the darkness, the weapon in his hand emitting a dull light. Knowing what it meant, Beelhurse started to tremble. “W-wait!” “Even I feel restless when a job doesn’t go according to plan,” the boy continued. “Things need to be done properly.” He didn’t listen to what anyone had to say. Even if he did, he wouldn’t understand them. He simply thrived on killing people with a beautiful smile on his face. Beelhurse looked into the boy’s eyes—deadly weapons in themselves—and screamed. He clung to the iron bars of the window, trying to escape the blade. “Please! Is anybody out there?!” “There’s nobody around,” replied the boy. “No one’s going to find you here.” “Let me out! I’m begging you! Let me out of this place!” Beelhurse’s cries echoed around the dark room, cut off from the rest of the world. His pleas for help turned to screams—but eventually, even those ceased. After that, all that could be heard in the darkness was someone clicking their tongue in disgust. With people preoccupied with the post-armistice process, Beelhurse’s suspicious death was treated as a trivial matter within Kisk Castle. While some suspected that Ortea had killed him out of revenge, the fact that Beelhurse had sent assassins into the fortress and caused chaos made everyone lose any sympathy for him. The terms of the armistice were almost the same as those Ortea had originally proposed. The few changes that were made included Shizuku being handed over to Farsas, the addition of the crystal cave, and the removal of any further reparations. When Leuticia surveyed the crystal cave in person, she decided that it was “more than enough to offset the damages incurred” and chose not to demand any monetary compensation from Kisk. The king’s sister arranged for the extraction of the available resources, then returned to her own country. For the next three years, the crystal cave would be frequented by people from Farsas. Shizuku didn’t have much luggage. She adjusted her grip on the one bag containing all her belongings, then walked down the corridor. As she was strolling along, she remembered the first time she’d arrived in Kisk. Back then, she’d been with Faneet and Niké. A short time later, she’d met Ortea. It all felt like a distant memory. Those few months were filled with hectic memories. She’d been constantly on the move, with almost no downtime in between. She’d been so absorbed in whatever she was dealing with at the time that she’d barely even noticed how exhausted she was. Shizuku left the building she’d been staying in and headed to the place where they’d arranged to meet. The person she was meeting was already waiting in the drafty atrium, which was located in the center of the castle grounds. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” “It’s fine. We still have time.” Erik smiled awkwardly and looked at her bag. “Want me to carry that for you?” he asked. “Thank you, but I’ll be okay,” she replied; there was nothing particularly heavy in it. She looked over his shoulder. “Why is the king here…?” “No idea,” Erik replied. “He said he wanted to see what Kisk Castle was like on the inside.” The King of Farsas was right at the back of the hall, staring intently at a mural. He was the last person Shizuku wanted to join them. She hoped he wouldn’t cause any trouble. She saw him call over a nearby magistrate, seemingly issuing some orders. “Sh-should we go before he causes a scene?” asked Shizuku. “Good idea.” Erik nodded and began to recite an incantation, but then a woman’s voice echoed from above the atrium, interrupting him. “Shizuku!” She looked up to find Ortea running down the stairs, dressed in her royal attire. Shizuku left her bag where she was standing and ran to the bottom of the staircase. The queen had only Niké accompanying her as she stood in front of Shizuku, out of breath. Her amber eyes glared at the woman who was leaving. “Shizuku, you were mine,” she stated. “I was.” “So if you can’t find your way back home, you can return to me whenever you like. I’ll make sure you have plenty to do.” Ortea extended her graceful arms toward Shizuku, who gently wrapped her arms around the queen’s warm body. She bit her lip, reluctant to say good-bye. Shizuku was glad she’d come to Kisk. She was glad that she’d met Ortea. The harder she thought about it, the more she wanted to cry. Shizuku’s own palms were too small to carry much in—but there was still a lot her hands could accomplish. Shizuku slowly let go of Ortea. She took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently, as though she were carefully wrapping up a broken object. “For as long as I’m in this world, I’ll come running at your call. Remember that, Princess.” “…Don’t be in too much of a rush. You’ll trip and fall.” “No need to worry—I’m pretty tough.” Ortea frowned. Then a smile spread across her face. She glanced over Shizuku’s shoulder at the atrium behind her—and her expression suddenly changed. “Wh-what do you think you’re doing?! Stop that!” The queen broke into a run. The man in front of her was about to turn toward the wall, having just received a pot of paint from a bewildered magistrate. It didn’t take long for the two royals to start going at each other’s throats. Shizuku looked back at them, covering her face with her hands, and let out a deep sigh. “Why are they like that…?” “All royals have messed-up personalities to some extent,” Niké replied. Niké appeared unfazed, apparently accustomed to their quarreling. His nonchalant expression made Shizuku shake her head. She looked up at the man who’d been her colleague for the past few months. “I’m glad they didn’t kill you,” she said.
Chapter 39
21 min read