Hero
Hero
The Gate.
Demonfolk pulled insane stunts like moving entire armies through gates in one go, but for humans, that was still a distant dream.
Still, not being able to move hundreds of people at once didn't stop gates from functioning perfectly well as transportation. Thanks to that, in this half-baked fantasy world, gates reigned supreme as an absolute means of travel and shipping that could eat airplanes and trains for breakfast.
Since it was movement that let you leap through space, it was, naturally, fucking expensive.
They claimed it was because of maintenance costs, plus the considerable expense of creating and maintaining a kind of battery that let even a low-level mage open a gate without trouble... but who knows. Personally, once you excluded the initial investment, I suspected gates were actually far cheaper than wyverns, whose feed bills alone cost a fortune.
Anyway, apparently you could either keep a gate permanently fixed to one matching gate on the other side, or connect it to different destinations as needed, like tuning a radio frequency. Ordinary gates naturally used the latter method. It wasn't as if they could dedicate separate gates to fixed routes like subway lines; considering the cost of management and maintenance, that made sense.
The former type of gate was a kind of hotline, so much so that even most nobles never had occasion to use it. It was the privilege of the royal family or those equivalent to them. Using it without the king's permission could get you summarily executed for treason, which was truly bloodcurdling beyond belief.
"It's also the gate we'll be using today."
Unlike when we'd left her residence, Ragnis seemed strangely tense, though she was doing her best to stay calm. Even if she was still rebuilding her strength, Margrave was hardly an insignificant title, yet she looked more nervous than I was used to seeing her.
Of course, I couldn't exactly ask her why she was so tense when she'd even been kidnapped before; this visit to the Empire apparently held a huge amount of meaning for her.
In the end, no matter what anyone said, she was the Margrave of the kingdom's very front line. That wasn't limited to just the kingdom—it was also the front line of the war between Demonfolk and humanity. If the kingdom could hold out like this, she had a duty to one day take to the battlefield with the Hero's help and reclaim her territory. For her to visit the Empire and display her skill while her magical talent had been compared to the Hero's, well, whatever else it might be, it would carry great significance in many ways.
And besides, it's the Hero, right? If things went well, wouldn't he become a huge help?
"If you're too tense, things that should work won't work. Take a deep breath."
"I-is it that noticeable?"
"You're stiff as a wooden doll. You're prettier and more dignified than ever, so relax a little."
"...R-really?"
First impressions ultimately came down to appearance and behavior. It might've sounded shallow, but that was the only thing I could compliment her on right then, so I said it. Her reaction was better than I'd expected.
"Yeah. To that degree, unless only beauties are gathered around the Hero, even the Hero will be smitten, so don't worry..."
"What are you talking about, you crazy bastard!"
-Smack!
Ragnis had been smiling with a blush on her face, but her expression abruptly hardened and then went straight past that into outright fury. Her hand flashed out and smacked the side of my face at lightning speed.
It hurt so fucking much that tears sprang to my eyes for a second, but she looked genuinely furious. I couldn't get angry or argue back, so all I could do was apologize unconditionally and cower.
No, seriously... why...?
◈
By the time the carriage reached the gate, a bright red handprint was still stamped across my cheek, and the inside had become a very, very uncomfortable bed of nails occupied by an enraged Ragnis and a cowering me. I'd wondered whether this special gate was hidden somewhere secret, but it wasn't. It was simply under heavier guard inside the gate hall at the center of the capital.
Even though I'd lived in the capital, I'd never done more than glance at the building from outside whenever I passed it. Actually stepping inside felt strangely novel... though I couldn't show it while I was busy minding Ragnis's foul mood.
When we got out of the carriage, Radnelbandes greeted us. I hadn't seen him in a year, but the huge mage still had the same warrior-like build as ever, though today he wore equipment that looked more refined than what I was used to seeing on him.
"It's been a while! But what happened to your face?"
The fact that it was still throbbing meant it hadn't been my imagination. I wondered if it would swell up later.
"It's been a long time, Sir Radnelbandes. This is... well, things happened."
"...Tsk tsk. I don't know what it is, but you should've been more careful."
Maybe an accomplished battle mage really did possess the superior insight needed to reconstruct an unseen situation from only a few clues. Radnelbandes glanced from me to Ragnis twice, clicked his tongue, and gave my shoulder a couple of pats. The gesture felt like consolation for the unjust violence I'd suffered, and I was just about to be moved when—
Radnelbandes was still taller than me, even if not by much. He leaned down slightly toward my ear and whispered something I hadn't expected at all.
"A man without tact pays for it with his body. When dealing with women, be careful. Very careful."
"What? Weren't you sympathizing with how unfairly I was treated and trying to comfort me?"
The tears of emotion dried up instantly and I reflexively argued back as a surge of indignation rose. Radnelbandes shook his head without a moment's hesitation.
"I guarantee you weren't wronged. Remember what I told you. I don't know what happened, but later, take some time and think back carefully on that moment."
He answered with such firm, resolute eyes that I couldn't bring myself to argue any further.
Ha! Seriously! Me, with a mental age over 30, lacking tact? Ha! I'll think about it, but there's no way that's true.
...Right?
"His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to wish you a safe journey. He said he'd like to see you off personally, but since this invitation didn't come through the kingdom, appearances make that difficult."
Radnelbandes smoothly passed the message on to Ragnis and then seemed to add a few more points.
Of course, I didn't need to know every detail, so I let most of it go in one ear and out the other. From what I caught—the way the invitation had been issued, the Empire's fairly obvious intentions, and the general message that we should make the best of it—I could at least tell Ragnis had plenty to worry about.
"I was so flustered earlier that I didn't get to greet you properly, Sir Ega."
While the two of them were talking, Renisa, who was practically in charge of security, approached and offered a greeting. She'd probably felt bad about just giving a nod earlier.
"Of course. You were busy preparing the Margrave's security. I look forward to working with you for the next few days."
"I received a brief explanation. I hear you'll be serving as both secretary and escort, so I look forward to working with you as well."
I'd heard she originally served House Levien, and her manners and loyalty certainly showed it. It would've been understandable for her to feel awkward about a newcomer like me suddenly taking the secretary role, but I could tell she trusted Ragnis's judgment completely.
"Haha. Don't worry. I learned a thing or two at House Ogatorf, so I won't act in any way that shames the Margrave's name."
"Fufufu. That's most reassuring."
No matter what anyone said, we were colleagues wearing the same uniform for a week, so starting off on friendly terms was a good sign.
"Then I will open the gate."
While Renisa and I exchanged a few friendly words, Radnelbandes and Ragnis finished their conversation and had the party stand by according to the gate administrator's instructions. Ragnis beckoned me over with a displeased look, then narrowed her eyes at me and asked,
"You're not going to embarrass yourself fumbling around with the gate like some country bumpkin, are you?"
For a second, I nearly told her I'd gone through a gate to Demonfolk Territory and back only a few days earlier. The request was supposed to be confidential, and I'd almost blown it in an instant.
"I'm less interested in riding the gate than I am in seeing what the Imperial lands look like."
I barely suppressed the tickle in my throat and shrugged casually as if it were nothing.
"Well, we'll ride it at least twice, so you can look around for a bit."
"Huh? Twice? We're not going in one shot?"
"Long-distance travel like that is still beyond human magical science."
Hoo. I thought they were all-powerful, but there were unexpected limitations. As I found it fascinating to hear that even Demonfolk couldn't make such long-distance moves, the administrator who'd fixed the gate coordinates gave a hand signal and the movement began.
Well, since I'd already ridden one once, it was no big deal. It was just walking, that was all. The only reason it took a little time was because the people riding in the carriage all had to get out and move, just in case.
"Ugh, fuck."
But personally, having my senses thrown into confusion all over again felt pretty damn awful. Most other people didn't ride gates very often either, so it didn't seem to be a simple matter of unfamiliarity. Maybe I was hypersensitive to Magic Power.
"It feels like all my senses are twisted."
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"No. I just got a little dizzy."
We arrived somewhere in Imperial territory, though I had no idea where. While the rest of the procession caught up and the next gate was prepared, I took the opportunity to fiddle with my Magic Power, hoping the sensation might give me some clue about how to control it. I got nothing useful out of it.
Unlike the kingdom gate, the gate in Imperial territory opened faster, perhaps because it had been prepared in advance, and before the people behind us had even all arrived, we rode through to the next gate.
And so, setting foot in the Empire for the first time in my life, I found it far more dazzling than I'd imagined.