The selection ceremony, officially announced to each kingdom, and one at which the crown princess of the Krosen Empire would be chosen,
being postponed so suddenly like this was something that defied common sense. Considering the nation’s image,
it was even more so.
But now that it had become reality, there was nothing to be done. They said they had already sent notice through magical communication,
so the fault of not receiving it because they had come on foot also lay with them. Perhaps feeling some measure of responsibility,
the official bowed his head again and again.
“I am truly sorry. Due to unavoidable circumstances, there was no other choice. In compensation, we have prepared your travel expenses for the return journey……”
At those words, Yuliana flared up. It seemed she had firmly resolved to vent her anger on the official.
“Do you think money is the issue right now?”
As her voice rose, gazes gathered on them once more. Most of them were mocking looks from the princesses, as if they had known this would happen. Sensing them, Kasim silently tried to calm Yuliana.
“Please stop, Your Highness. In any case, it is not his fault, is it? He is merely following the orders of his superiors.”
At those words, Yuliana felt the strength drain from her. At the very least, she could not treat Kasim carelessly. It was partly because she owed him many times over, but also because, among their party, Kasim had the best judgment. After undergoing many trials and errors, Yuliana had come to trust Kasim’s judgment firmly.
“Fine.”
With her shoulders drooping, Yuliana slowly rose. Seeing that, the official hurriedly unfolded some documents and called out to her.
“P-please take the travel expenses.”
“I don’t need them.”
Yuliana flatly refused and turned away without regret. Feeling the gazes focused on her, anger surged up once again, but she silently moved her feet.
‘If I ever come to a place like this again, I’ll change my surname.’
The mercenaries quietly followed behind her. They had arrived after all sorts of twists and turns, only to meet an utterly empty conclusion. Kasim gently soothed her.
“First, let us get rooms at an inn and discuss what to do afterward.”
“……All right.”
“You need not worry about the journey back. I have made sufficient arrangements.”
Yuliana said neither yes nor no. It seemed the futile end of their journey had come as quite a shock. In that state, Yuliana walked on without looking back—until a loud voice burst out behind her.
“What in the world is the meaning of this?”
A great shout of protest erupted from where the desk stood. The reason was easy enough to guess, but the voice was so loud that the gazes of everyone gathered there turned toward the desk all at once.
Yuliana and the mercenaries, who had been about to leave, also stopped and looked back. There, a slender knight was vigorously berating the official.
“You think it’s enough to say you sent a notice? We have come a long way, over no small distance, and now that we’ve arrived, you say the ceremony has been postponed? Does that make any sense at all?”
The man, glaring with his eyes wide in fury, was a handsome man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He wore ornate armor over his entire body, and at his waist hung a high-quality longsword that appeared extraordinary at a glance. Since he was not wearing a helmet, his refined face was fully revealed.
His features were flawless, as if carved from stone, and surprisingly, his hair was white. It was not the rough white hair of the elderly, but lustrous, beautiful white hair that flowed down to around his waist. Since it was a hair color not easily found, every gaze in the hall focused on him at once. A little later, exclamations burst from the princesses.
“Oh my! He’s truly handsome.”
“I wonder whose escort knight he is. How in the world did they find someone so splendid?”
The eyes of several princesses had already grown dreamy. The white-haired knight’s appearance was that striking.
“Hah. Good grief.”
The official in charge of the consultation looked extremely troubled. The princess he had escorted showed little reaction when told that the ceremony had been postponed, but the escort knight she had brought with her was the one making a greater fuss.
In any case, since the fault lay on their side, he had maintained courtesy and apologized repeatedly, but the white-haired escort knight was unreasonable. So much so that anger rose in him even as he listened in silence.
‘Damn it. Earlier, some country bumpkin girl was about to make a scene, and now it’s some reckless fool?’
Nor was he an escort knight from a great power whom one could not take lightly. He was a knight from Terenbeti, a northern kingdom with a population of just over one hundred thousand and not particularly strong. The official shook his head as if he could not understand.
‘I simply don’t understand.’
Most of the reasonably powerful nations, after receiving the communication that the selection ceremony would be postponed, had not sent out their princesses. Because they had enough mages, the princesses’ parties had not yet departed, and thus there had been no need for a wasted journey.
The problem, however, lay with the small kingdoms. Kingdoms of that level did not possess mages skilled enough to send dozens, or even a hundred, people off at the same time. Because of that, such kingdoms either teleported a few people each day or sent them off by means such as carriages.
For that reason, even after receiving the magical communication, they had been unable to do anything about it. As a result, quite a number of princesses from various kingdoms had only learned that the ceremony had been postponed after coming all the way here.
Of course, there were princesses dissatisfied with the postponement, but in most cases, they had no choice but to accept it. Since it was something decided by the superpower, the Krosen Empire, they could not openly protest. Even if they were displeased, at most they merely vented their anger at the official who had delivered the notice. And yet here was someone behaving outside that common sense……
And not even the princess herself, but merely the escort knight who had escorted her. Even now, he was making absurd demands.
“Take responsibility. You people must provide us with a residence for one year, and arrange amusements so that we do not grow bored. Only then can this be accepted.”
Since it was an unreasonable demand, the official had no choice but to boil inside. The other party was someone with whom conversation simply did not work.
“Such a demand is impossible. The only thing we can provide is support for the expenses of your return journey.”
“Hmph. Do you expect to smooth things over with a few coins? Have you ever considered how far it is from Terenbeti to this place?”
In the end, the official shook his head as if he could not deal with him. Seeming to think it would be better to deal with his superior, he turned his head toward the princess.
The princess of Terenbeti was a fairly beautiful woman who looked to have just passed twenty. Like the other princesses, she was lavishly adorned with all manner of jewels and ornaments. What was peculiar was that she seemed extremely uneasy. She kept looking around, and especially in the gaze she cast at the white-haired knight, there was an extreme terror. Astonishingly, it was as if she was frightened of her own subordinate knight. But the official failed to notice that sign.
“Does Your Highness the Princess share the same opinion as your knight?”
“I-I……”
The princess, hesitating, received the knight’s sharp glare and nodded as if there were no need to think.
“Y-yes. His will is precisely my will.”
Hearing her words, the official let out a sigh deep enough to sink the earth.
“It cannot be helped. I will first submit a report to my superiors. One thing is clear: I do not know what decision will be made.”
After uttering those words, which carried more than a little threat, the official turned away. He intended to use the mage waiting behind him to establish magical communication with the capital.
The princesses who had been watching the commotion each said a word.
“Isn’t that demand too unreasonable?”
“Well. In a way, it is justified…… After all, it was the Krosen Empire that broke the agreement first.”
“At any rate, the princess of Terenbeti has remarkable courage. To be able to make such a demand of the Krosen Empire……”
“What is most impressive is her escort knight. How can he present his demands so boldly and without hesitation, with such a dignified attitude?”
“Indeed.”
Astonishingly, most of the princesses were taking the white-haired knight’s side. His handsome appearance and unrestrained eloquence had captured their hearts completely. Yuliana, who had been watching, also said something. Of course, her reaction was completely different from the other princesses’.
“He’s a terribly conceited fellow. To spout such absurd claims without hesitation……”
“Indeed. It is obvious the imperial side will not accept them, and if one considers what comes afterward, he should never be able to act like that……”
Kasim also tilted his head, unable to understand. Quick-witted as he was, he had already grown suspicious of the Terenbeti princess’s dubious behavior.
“But something is a little strange. For some reason, I get the feeling that princess is afraid of her own knight.”
“Surely not. How could a princess be afraid of an escort knight under her command? Unless he is someone like Mitchel……”
Having finished speaking, Yuliana looked at Mitchel with a sulky gaze. Only then had she recalled what had happened in the mountains when she had been separated from the mercenaries. Since he had a guilty conscience, Mitchel could only lower his flushed face. If what had happened then came to light, things would inevitably become troublesome.
‘Surely she won’t reveal that incident?’
The mercenaries, not knowing what was going on, merely tilted their heads. Then Damon’s warning voice rang out.
“All of you, be quiet.”
At those words, the gazes of the party all focused on Damon at once. Astonishingly, his face was now stiff. His eyes looked as though he had discovered something. His gaze was fixed on the white-haired knight. It seemed he had found something strange about him.
Kasim spoke cautiously.
“What is the matter?”
But Damon gave no answer, remaining silent. He simply watched the white-haired knight intently, utterly tense. Perhaps sensing his gaze, the knight also turned his head and looked at Damon.
The moment their eyes met, an expression of surprise appeared on the knight’s face. At that sight, Damon could become certain of his own thoughts.
“There’s no doubt.”
With a grave expression, Damon set down the luggage he had been carrying. Judging by the circumstances, the other party was not human. The strongest race on the continent, capable of changing its form through powerful magic. Damon now suspected that the other party might be a dragon. A dragon polymorphed into human form.
When he first saw him, he had felt nothing particularly strange. His suspicion arose a moment ago, when some kind of aura swept over him. At that moment, Damon had felt a chill run down his spine. That was because it had been the presence of detection magic.
“Surely……”
Damon, fully tense, carefully surveyed his surroundings. He was trying to find the being who had cast detection magic on him. At a glance, he could be certain that the number of rearrangements in the detection magic that had just brushed over him was not on a human level. Even by a rough estimate, it was at a level surpassing the 8th Circle. If it was not a dragon, such a mana arrangement would be impossible.
‘Is he a fellow who crossed over from Truvenia to catch me?’
Damon’s gaze, as he carefully scanned the surroundings, came to rest on the white-haired knight, who had fallen silent after making such a commotion. It was because their eyes happened to meet exactly.
The white-haired knight was already staring intently at Damon. Though he quickly turned his head away, Damon was able to perceive a startled gleam in the knight’s eyes. That meant the other party had realized his identity.
‘It’s him.’
Damon, in turn, cast detection magic on the other party.