Interlude:
The Three Royal Brothers
TO THE ROYAL FAMILY, the birth of a baby boy who would one day inherit the throne was of utmost importance. As such, there was elation when the first prince, Vega, was born shortly after the king’s marriage, followed two years later by the second prince, Capella, and the third prince, Rigel, just a year after that.
With three potential heirs so close in age, many believed that this would foster friendly competition among the brothers, ultimately producing a worthy future king and his closest advisors.
Almost two decades had passed since the first prince’s birth. Vega was nineteen, Capella was seventeen, and Rigel was sixteen. Within that span, the first and second princess were also born: the first princess, Shaula, who was twelve, and the second princess, Serafina, who was six. The royal family had become a very lively one indeed.
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As young boys, each prince was assigned his own tutor and raised in completely distinct ways. However, all three princes exhibited jealous tendencies, causing them to envy each other.
“Vega’s fencing instructor is the highest-ranking swordsman in the country! Of course he’s getting good with a blade!!”
“All of Capella’s tutors shower him with compliments—he’s not really that talented at everything!”
“Rigel gets to do anything he wants! That’s why he’s always good at whatever he does!”
The three of them also hated to put forth any effort and took the easy way out whenever possible. But thanks to their dedicated and competent tutors, they were able to achieve decent grades and acquire a certain level of skill. Still, not a single one of them was able to cross the threshold into greatness. And unfortunately, all three of them believed they were stuck in place due to being assigned the least skilled tutors, unlike the “exceptional instruction” their other two brothers had received.
One day, the commander of the knight brigade they belonged to asked them to complete a task.
“Lord Vega, Lord Capella, Lord Rigel, the other day there were sightings of a dark-colored fenrir in Starfall Forest,” he explained to the princes. “If true, it’s said that the creature is still a juvenile, so I’d like to find and dispose of it while we still can. Would you mind taking some of the knights with you to carry out reconnaissance?”
As expected, the three brothers moaned and groaned, Why does it have to be us? But Commander Wezen merely replied with a blank expression, “Rumor has it this is a black fenrir we’re dealing with. I thought that if Your Highnesses were the first to uncover this impending threat, news of your bravery would spread among the people.”
“That…would be really nice,” Vega mused.
“Maybe it’s actually a pretty sweet deal,” Capella agreed.
“All right, we’ll do it!” Rigel said, closing the deal.
After agreeing to take on the request, the three princes set off for Starfall Forest with a troop of knights and saints in tow.
Since the princes were also knights, they were decently skilled with a blade. As such, the group moved smoothly through the forest. While they did encounter some monsters along the way, they weren’t very strong and it wasn’t too difficult to drive them away.
After a few hours, the princes arrived at a circular clearing surrounded by steep cliffs. Upon closer inspection, they noticed numerous holes at the base—fenrir nests.
“So, the purpose of our mission is to confirm that a black fenrir is inhabiting one of those nests?” Vega asked the knights.
“That’s correct, Your Highness. However, if we venture too deep within, our only escape route will be a narrow path back. Even though we’re a bit far, let’s keep watch from here for a while. If we happen to be spotted by the monsters, we should be able to run away from this vantage point without being pursued too closely.”
The princes followed the knight’s advice at first, but they soon grew bored. Throwing caution to the wind, they approached the openings on the cliffside…
“Eeeek! Hey, stop right there! Don’t you come any closer!!”
“Hey! Give me that shield!”
“Gaaah! They’re attacking us!”
The princes were spotted by the monsters as they encroached on their territory. Perceiving them as threats, the fenrirs immediately turned aggressive.
Though the knights and saints they’d brought along as their guard put up a valiant effort, more fenrirs kept joining the battle.
“We’ll secure an escape route, so please get out of here, Your Highnesses!”
“All saints must prioritize healing the princes’ wounds first!”
“There are too many of them! Please step back, Your Highnesses!”
Ultimately, the knights and saints ended up fighting desperately to protect the three princes, who were cowering in fear behind the group, as the fenrirs proceeded to surround them.
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There were two figures on the cliff observing the princes and their entourage. One of them cocked his head to the side and asked, “What in the blazes is going on? I’ve sparred with the princes before, and they weren’t that unskilled. But today, the lot of them appear to be in abysmal condition. The situation is so tense they’ve gone catatonic. Their lack of practical experience is painfully obvious. They must have participated in monster hunts several times by now, but have they engaged in real combat? If not, we need to reevaluate our training methods moving forward.”
Once Commander Wezen had finished venting, the other figure spoke in a voice that was entirely calm and composed.
“Fear isn’t something that can be adequately described to someone who hasn’t experienced it firsthand. That’s why we’re here today,” Vice-Commander Sirius’s frosty tone perfectly matched his icy visage as he responded to the commander. “Perhaps a near brush with death will make them rethink how they want to conduct themselves in the future.”
“Damn, it sure would take over ninety thousand years for your icy personality to thaw out…” Commander Wezen muttered under his breath.
“What was that?” Sirius asked casually, despite there being no doubt he’d overheard exactly what was said.
Though it seemed he was seeking confirmation because he was displeased with that offhand remark, Commander Wezen responded breezily, as if he was entirely unfazed.
“Nothing. I just so happened to recall people saying such things about you. I was impressed that being around the princess had somewhat humanized you lately, but it’s clear you revert to your original self as soon as you’re away from her.”
“You don’t need to pay such close attention to me. And…well, speak of the devil. Look who’s showed up.”
“What? Don’t tell me you arranged for Princess Serafina to come here as well.”
The conversation between the commander and vice-commander abruptly stopped when they looked down and noticed Serafina’s fiery red hair and the five knights accompanying her appear on the scene. From that point on, they remained fixated on the princess.