Wednesday.
At long last, the curtain rose on the social season hosted by the imperial family.
“……Good heavens.”
Even though I was normally left clicking my tongue at the sheer scale and splendor of the imperial capital, the sight of the palace and the capital today far surpassed any category I had ever imagined.
Along the endlessly broad avenue leading to the imperial palace, thousands of splendid noble carriages from all across the continent stood in line.
The nobles who stepped down from those carriages streamed endlessly into the vast palace courtyard, each flaunting attire adorned with blindingly brilliant jewels, the finest silk, and rare magical beast pelts, as if to show off the power of their houses.
Amber, standing beside me, was also dressed differently today. Instead of her usual comfortable activewear or light armor, she wore the formal uniform of the Imperial Guard Knights—a magnificent outfit of blood-red fabric, intricately embroidered with gold thread.
Even the longsword at her waist was not her usual practical blade, but a splendid ceremonial sword set densely with jewels.
I, too, was wearing a luxurious dark navy tailcoat that the imperial family had specially tailored for me for this day.
I had been granted permission to attend in the traditional attire of the Sterling Kingdom, as a royal of a defeated nation, but I had no particular affection for Sterling to begin with, and realistically, there had been no time to have such clothes made, so I chose this instead.
“There really are an incredible number of people, Dame Amber. Are social gatherings like this held all year round in the Empire?”
At my question, Amber adjusted the collar of her red uniform and answered.
“Social parties and banquets, large and small, are held here and there without cease, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. But a large-scale social gathering officially hosted by the imperial family, where every noble on the continent is obligated to show their face, takes place only once a year, in early winter. It is held in conjunction with the Empire’s grandest holiday, the Founding Festival.”
“The Founding Festival…… But aren’t major events like founding anniversaries or harvest festivals usually held in late autumn, when grain is abundant? Why early winter, of all times, when it’s chilly?”
“Normally, yes. But you know that the Empire began as a nomadic people, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know that well.”
“That is the reason. For settled peoples, autumn is when the harvest is over and they are at their most prosperous. That is when the nomads begin their invasion in earnest and reap what the others have gathered. By the time the nomads’ harvest is over, it is late autumn. Once they have finished preparing for winter as well, it is early winter. If they are going to hold a festival, that is the proper time.”
“……Aha.”
“There is that, and also because Great Emperor Ujarat proclaimed the founding of the nation in early winter. That, too, was right after he had plundered an agricultural kingdom and obtained abundant supplies.”
Honestly, holding a party after stealing the crops someone else had spent an entire year growing and calling it a Founding Festival made me think they really were nomads to the bone.
As I chatted with Amber and moved toward the vast plaza of the imperial palace, the solemn Founding Festival ceremony announcing the beginning of the social gathering finally commenced.
“U-jarat! U-jarat!!”
I flinched at the strange yet overwhelming sound of music filling the plaza.
On one side, a Western-style orchestra was performing a grand orchestral piece with dozens of violins, cellos, and brass instruments.
But over those refined melodies, a male choir of several hundred voices endlessly chanted the name of the great progenitor Ujarat in a khöömei throat-singing style, as if scraping their throats raw, creating an uncanny harmony.
Western classical music and the shamanistic singing style of an eastern nomadic people were mixed together, and strangely enough, when I actually listened to it, it was surprisingly majestic.
“His Majesty the Emperor arrives!!!”
Amid that bizarre sacrificial music shaking the plaza, the Emperor appeared atop a massive altar.
He was not wearing his usual refined black imperial attire, but the traditional garb of a nomadic khan: splendid silk layered with thick magical beast fur and rough leather armor studded with metal fittings.
Neigh—!
The Emperor personally drew a sharpened sword and, with a single stroke each, severed the necks of the enormous black horse and white sheep offered upon the altar, presenting their blood to his ancestors.
“Wow……”
The stench of animal blood mingled with incense and spread on the wind.
Tens of thousands gathered in the plaza all knelt on one knee at once and bowed their heads.
Amber and I, too, bent our knees at a suitable distance and watched the imperial rite to the very end.
When the long Founding Festival ceremony ended, the Emperor set down the bloodstained sword, offered a few light words of welcome from the dais, and finally declared the official opening of the social gathering.
“From this moment forth, this year’s official Founding Festival shall begin. Subjects of the Empire, enjoy the grand banquet for the next week!”
“Waaaaaaaah—!!”
The moment the Emperor’s declaration fell, the entire capital plunged into an explosive festive mood and a crucible of enthusiasm.
The sounds of splendid fireworks bursting and champagne corks popping could be heard from every direction.
“Now then, Your Highness. My duty ends here.”
Amber stood up and gave me a light salute.
“I must now join the banquet seats for the Imperial Army’s high command and the knightly orders. You know where you need to go, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Well, I trust Your Highness, so I do not think it will happen, but please do not do anything suspicious by taking advantage of this confusion. A surveillance team from the Intelligence Department will be watching from afar. I will see you again later.”
“Understood, Dame White. Thank you for your work. See you next time.”
After parting with Amber, I followed a servant’s guidance and headed toward the seat assigned to me.
“Welcome, Prince Ian of Sterling. I shall guide you to your seat.”
The splendid main hall inside the imperial palace was occupied by the Empire’s great nobles, and the seats assigned to hostages like me were outside the main hall, at a table for hostages set up in one corner of the palace’s vast outdoor garden.
Well, even if it was in the garden, the treatment was not exactly poor.
The buffet-style food was piled up like mountains, and all sorts of precious liquor, fruit, and dishes were constantly replenished.
‘Well, it’s not as if I’m the only one here. There should be quite a few other royals dragged here from other countries, so I’ll just exchange names, eat quietly, and leave.’
Imagining myself building a little camaraderie with fellow hostages in the same position, sharing some information, and tipping back a glass or two, I approached the table.
However, what I witnessed when I reached the table in the corner of the garden was a scene I had never imagined at all.
“……Huh?”
Around the large round table sat roughly a dozen foreigners.
All of them must once have been noble royals of their respective countries, but now, not even a speck of royal dignity or etiquette could be found in them.
“……”
Munch, munch.
Smack, smack, sluuurp—!
Without meeting one another’s eyes or exchanging a single word, they were madly shoving food into their mouths like beasts that had starved for days.
A young prince tearing ravenously into meat held in both hands, a princess lifting a bowl of soup and drinking from it while it dribbled down her chin, and even someone who had bitten their tongue while eating and was bleeding from the mouth, yet continued to eat.
It looked less like a banquet hall and more like a herd of refugees.
‘What on earth is this?’
As I stood blankly beside the table, at a loss for words before this shocking sight, the dozen or so hostages who had been eating ravenously all stopped at once and turned their heads to glare at me.
“……A famous person has deigned to arrive.”
“Was it the prince of Sterling? I heard you became the Empire’s dog. You certainly look well-groomed.”
Just as I froze, flustered by hostility whose reason I could not understand, unsure of what to do—
“Well now, it seems the newcomer is quite taken aback.”
At the table right beside me, a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties and had at least been eating normally leisurely wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and rose.
Though plainly dressed, he had not lost his upright bearing. He approached me very naturally and offered a greeting.
“Pleased to meet you. I heard you are Prince Ian of Sterling?”
“Ah, yes…… That is correct.”
“You may not know it yourself, but you are rather famous, so many people know your name. So follow me for a moment.”
The man very naturally took my arm lightly and, slipping me away from the table of hostages growling like beasts, whispered quietly.
“May we talk for a moment?”
“I have no reason not to, but may I ask who you are?”
“I am Prince Nguyen of the Nuoc Mam Kingdom. I look forward to your acquaintance.”
The man grinned broadly, revealing white teeth that shone like rice noodles.