The Garden of Repose
A meal so splendid it could rival a banquet left everyone's eyes wide in astonishment.
The capital's most aristocratic restaurant, renowned for its excellence: the Garden of Repose. It was always packed with nobles regardless of the hour, and even high-ranking aristocrats had to wait a full month for a reservation. Yet there was one exception to those tight bookings—if someone from the imperial family requested a table, they had to clear a spot immediately.
Ashytara knew how to leverage her privileges. She entered the Garden of Repose with the air of someone for whom this was utterly routine, and the staff, spotting her, erupted in a frenzy of welcoming chaos.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go in."
"Uh... yeah. Okay."
The three who had stumbled into this windfall thanks to her privileges couldn't hold back their gasps of awe.
"The Garden of Repose... I never dreamed I'd eat here."
"Whoa, there's so much food."
"Yeah..."
Of the three, Leila Satin—who had lived relatively close to the capital—was the most stunned to realize where they were. Philia and Cletta, from provincial noble families, didn't even know the restaurant's name, but the feast laid out before them made it clear this was no ordinary spread.
Amid their wide-eyed wonder, Ashytara picked up her utensils with the refined grace of someone utterly accustomed to such treatment. She began eating with impeccable poise, her upright posture a perfect embodiment of a princess's dignity. It stirred even a touch of envy in the other three.
As the proper meal got underway, Ashytara—quite at home in places like this—contrasted sharply with the others. Cletta and the rest poked tentatively at their food at first, then took a bite, lit up with delight, and began shoveling it in nonstop.
Once their stomachs were sufficiently filled, the conversation turned to idle chatter. With lunch just wrapping up, they still had plenty of time before their evening shifts.
For Leila, who didn't know Philia, Cletta, or Ashytara well, even this chitchat might have felt daunting. But their thoughtfulness and gentle natures made it easy for her to join in. Having been shy and friendless, Leila's face softened with gratitude, and in her heart, she began to see them as her first true friends.
"Sigh. No matter how I think about it, Professor Calvin is way too merciless. He torments us students."
Philia's pout drew nods from the other three. It had been just over a month since the semester began, but some professors had already earned infamous reputations at Solemnute Adem. Calvin Giod was the prime example.
Every class after the second came with a brutal workload of assignments, so students would practically convulse at the mere sight of his name.
"Right? Sometimes he goes too far. We're not just taking his class, you know."
Even Ashytara, who rivaled Ludenberg Lavante in diligence among the Innocence ranks, couldn't hide her frustration with Calvin's unrelenting demands. She nodded vigorously in agreement with Philia.
"Exactly! Ugh, seriously! We've got theology across six subjects, plus impossibly arcane saint law studies, history and erosion studies that demand memorizing endless details... How does he churn out assignments every single week?!"
Leila clutched her head, wailing as if the mere thought of studying exhausted her.
"Let's drop the school talk. We finally escaped Solemnute Adem—why bring that stress here?"
At Cletta's words, they all shut their mouths in unison, as if on cue. She was right. Why ruin appetites in a place like this by dragging in the academy's grind?
They steered the conversation elsewhere: the upcoming prayer ritual that evening, reflections from yesterday's sparring with the imperial knights, and so on.
As the topics circled, Philia turned to the group. "So, do any of you have a guy you like?"
With spring's full bloom stirring young hearts, thoughts naturally drifted to crushes and admirers. Some students sneaked around in secret romances; others flaunted fresh flings from the semester's start. In the cloistered world of Solemnute Adem, where they rubbed shoulders daily, these budding affections were the juiciest gossip around.
"Uh, no. Never really thought about it. No time or energy for that."
"Same here."
Hearing Leila's answer, Cletta's mind wandered to Ludenberg. Sure, he could be prickly and blunt, but his looks alone were perfection: a lean frame hiding firm muscle, a straight nose, eyes like deep forest green. And when he'd taught her swordsmanship, he'd been surprisingly gentle—wrapping his large hand around hers to show her the proper grip. She remembered it vividly.
"I like Lu—"
Cletta started to say his name but locked eyes with Ashytara. The princess wore her usual warm smile—one that could enchant any boy on sight. Yet for some reason, it sent a chill down Cletta's spine. She swallowed and changed tack.
"—no, I haven't really thought about anyone. What about you, Ashytara?"
"No one for me either."
Ashytara shook her head flatly. The other three's eyes went wide.
"No one?"
"...Yeah."
"What about Ludenberg?"
Ashytara and Ludenberg Lavante's closeness was infamous. And for good reason—the once-hailed top genius, heir to the Lavante duchy, always shadowed by the Second Imperial Princess? It had the whole empire buzzing. Without that unseemly baptism incident, they might have been engaged by now.
"We're not like that."
But Ashytara denied it firmly. Or rather, she couldn't say otherwise—not truthfully.
Truth be told, Ashytara wasn't so oblivious to her own feelings. She liked Ludenberg, plain and simple. No, it was more than that—a sticky, borderline dangerous affection.
If not for that, she wouldn't have spread positive rumors about him or played the fool in front of others for his sake.
But now wasn't the time to indulge it. Love was a brutally heavy emotion. Especially her obsessive brand—it could wear him down instead.
So she couldn't speak of it lightly. If word got out, it'd just burden him more.
"Ludenberg and I are just friends. Nothing romantic."
She stated it definitively. At this stage, such feelings were a luxury she couldn't afford.
Her goal, her intent: revert to their old closeness. Nicknames, praise for achievements, gifts now and then, comfort in tough times.
Only after that could she reveal the clinging desire she harbored. That was her plan.
The other three, however, weren't buying it. They played along, but her mood had darkened visibly in an instant.
She's scary...
Especially Cletta, who vowed never to let any unconscious fondness for Ludenberg slip around Ashytara.
* * *
The sun was dipping low. Realizing his shift was approaching, Ludenberg grabbed his sword—Liberra, wrapped in white cloth—and headed out from the knight barracks.
Location: Solemnute Adem's Zone 10, near the east gate.
"Oh, you're here. Early bird, huh?"
Carmen greeted him warmly at the rendezvous. Apparently, he'd arrived ahead of schedule; she was the only one there so far.
"Yes. Nothing else to do, so I trained a bit."
"Such a hard worker."
"Just average."
"Hmm. Back in the day, everyone goofed off on free time. Me included. No friends, huh?"
"None."
Carmen shot him a pitying look as he answered without blinking.
"Not bored?"
"I'd rather swing my sword one more time."
That's the spirit.
Diligent? No, this bordered on obsession. Even people needed downtime. Carmen admired his work ethic but knew excess could ruin a person.
"Rest when you should. Overworking isn't healthy. You sparred with Sir Martin yesterday—must be brutal on your body."
"Not really."
Ludenberg replied matter-of-factly. Carmen studied him closely and saw no signs of fatigue, just as he said.
"You're handling it fine, then. Sorry for meddling."
"It's fine."
They traded small talk like that until the rest of the team arrived: pale-faced Leb, Cletta eyeing Ludenberg warmly, and Leila buzzing with first-shift excitement.
"Everyone here?"
"Yes!"
Cletta and Leila's eager voices blended with Ludenberg's flat tone and Leb's meek one into a single reply.
"Good. Listen up—I'll explain your duties."
"Understood."
Carmen's briefing was straightforward and brief.
First: Report any suspicious behavior immediately.
Second: Cooperate fully with Terra's priests during the prayer ritual.
Third: No traffic at the gate now since it's evening, but if on day shift, help the guards control crowds.
With that, Ludenberg and the students took position near the east gate and began their watch.