Royal Capital Gallia (5)
The grounds stretched wide, the garden impeccably manicured. The luxurious building had been constructed in a refined architectural style. Despite the winter season, the mansion didn’t feel barren or skeletal; it remained lush and vibrant. Ashtain stood alone before that grand estate.
With a long creak, two servants pulled open the mansion’s outer doors. Waiting directly ahead was a middle-aged man whose long, drooping mustache immediately caught the eye. His spotless formal attire and perfectly composed posture revealed years of practiced service.
Ashtain and the senior servant exchanged brief, silent bows, then walked on without a word between them. By the time they had crossed the garden and reached the mansion’s main entrance, Ashtain let out a long, weary yawn. To him, meetings with nobles were always tedious and irritating. At least the man he was about to see could actually hold a decent conversation.
The latch clicked. The two men stepped inside.
The interior was exactly what one expected of a noble’s residence. Its owners had clearly tried to add distinctive touches in the finer details, but from the perspective of someone who had lived as a commoner, those tiny differences were hard to notice—and even harder to care about. Ashtain had neither the patience nor the desire to rack his brain over them. He headed straight for the drawing room. He didn’t want to waste a single second.
Rather than squander time admiring some worthless mansion, he would much rather be hunting monsters or spending quiet moments with Aria.
If I didn’t have a purpose, I wouldn’t have come here at all.
Knock, knock. The middle-aged servant beside Ashtain rapped on the drawing-room door.
“Your Highness, Sir Ashtain has arrived.”
The title “Your Highness” made the visitor’s identity obvious. The man he was about to meet was no minor noble. He went by many names: the pure-blooded knight, the Golden Lion of the royal family, the pride of all knights. But the title most people knew him by was the Second Prince of the Gallia Kingdom—Leon de Gallia. A man rumored to be quite the eccentric.
“……Let him in.”
Ashtain frowned. The voice was supposed to be deep and robust, yet today it sounded drained. Had something unpleasant happened? Regardless, the moment permission was granted, he grasped the handle and pushed the door open. Normally a servant would have done it, but Ashtain had never been one to bother with petty etiquette.
Inside, a handsome man with golden hair and blue eyes sat in a velvet chair. He greeted Ashtain with a gentle smile.
“Sir Ashtain, I welcome your visit with all sincerity.”
The senior servant quietly closed the door and withdrew. Only the prince and the hero remained in the drawing room.
Ashtain dropped heavily into the chair opposite Leon.
“Skip the empty formalities.”
“It wounds me a little that you would dismiss my true feelings as mere pleasantries.”
Leon spoke without the slightest trace of actual offense. Ashtain glanced at the glass in the prince’s hand.
“Drinking in the middle of the day?”
The remark could have earned him a charge of lèse-majesté with no room for defense. Yet neither man in the room cared about such rudeness. Leon swirled the amber liquid in his glass, a sly smile playing on his lips.
“When life grows heavy, there is no better companion than this.”
“Having a guest watch you wallow in drink—how very princely.”
Only recently had Aria become something of a restraint on him, softening his behavior. The hero was still a man whose personality could be difficult to handle.
“You only call me ‘prince’ at times like these? You’re surprisingly selective yourself.”
“That’s how people are.”
Despite the near-insolent attitude, Leon seemed pleased as he lifted his glass again.
“Care for a drink?”
At Leon’s invitation Ashtain drew his brows together in a scowl and waved a hand.
“Not interested.”
“How cold.”
“If your subordinates saw you like this, they’d be delighted.”
Even the biting sarcasm only made the prince laugh.
“Haha! They just might. But do you know something? I rather like that blunt rudeness of yours. It’s something you’d never see from those scheming snakes at court.”
“Is it fun to call me an idiot who can’t tell front from back in such a roundabout way?”
Leon answered with perfect nonchalance.
“When did I ever say that?”
“Didn’t you?”
He neither confirmed nor denied it, simply shrugging.
“We call that kind of unyielding integrity in the face of injustice conviction.”
“Nice packaging.”
“Spend a few years at court and you’ll end up the same.”
Ashtain shuddered in visible disgust.
“……What a horrible curse.”
“I think it would be nice to have you by my side.”
“Your lady knight wouldn’t allow it.”
“True. Isn’t that why I’m not trying to drag you into the palace?”
“Even if you invited me, I wouldn’t come.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why ask?”
“Why do you always act so surprised? Between us, of all people.”
Ashtain’s face crumpled into deep wrinkles as he clicked his tongue.
“This is exactly why people call you an eccentric.”
The prince gave a small snort of laughter.
“Are you saying you’re any different?”
Ashtain shut his mouth.
……At least I’m normal, aren’t I?
If Aria or Azazel had heard that thought, they would have fainted on the spot.
Leon tossed back the liquor in his glass. The drink was strong enough to sting the nose with its sharp alcoholic scent, yet his expression never changed. A brief silence fell.
Ashtain leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.
“Something eating at you?”
“To some extent.”
The bitter tone made Ashtain’s face twist even more. It felt strangely wrong to see a man who usually radiated cheer, refreshment, and satisfaction looking so gloomy.
“What’s the problem?”
“It’s nothing serious.”
“It is serious.”
“You noticed?”
“It’s written all over your face—‘I’m miserable, please listen to my troubles.’ Only an idiot would miss it. I don’t have much time, so keep it short. I came because I have a favor to ask of you too.”
“………Hahaha.”
A dry laugh escaped him.
“She left my side.”
Ashtain’s expression hardened for a split second.
“She died?”
“Not in some metaphorical sense. I mean she physically moved away.”
“……Don’t phrase it in a way that confuses people. No wonder I haven’t seen her around. Did you two fight?”
Leon nodded gloomily.
“Something like that.”
“You always said disagreements were common between you.”
“They are common, but that doesn’t make them trivial.”
This didn’t look good. Ashtain scratched his forehead with his index finger.
“Want me to look for her?”
“No need. This is my problem.”
“Then why mention it if you’re just going to draw a line?”
“I couldn’t bear it unless I told someone.”
“And that someone had to be me?”
“At least you won’t spout comforting lies.”
“Twisted bastard.”
Glug, glug. Leon poured more liquor over the ice with a brighter expression than before. The high-proof alcohol sent a sharp wave of scent into the air.
“On another note, I heard the news. You eradicated the monsters on Mount Ascendio, correct?”
“It was pointless.”
“How can you call it pointless when you single-handedly cleared out the monsters stationed in the rear?”
Ashtain gave a bitter smile.
“What’s the use if you cut away flesh and it just grows back?”
“Even wounded beasts take time to rest.”
“They usually bare their fangs before they rest. Anyway, how’s the front line?”
“Tight as always.”
“I figured.”
The square ice cubes clinked inside the glass.
“Do you plan to return to the front?”
“I was going to.”
“Am I to take that as meaning you no longer intend to?”
“That’s right.”
Ashtain answered readily.
“Why?”
“I need to meet the king.”
“His Majesty?”
“There’s something I need permission for.”
“Something you can’t tell me?”
Ashtain recalled the previous hero, the one who had worn the same face as him. That man had only spoken in vague terms about some truth hidden inside the palace. There was no telling what variables might arise. It might be a truth he wasn’t allowed to know.
“I’ll tell you when the time comes, but that time isn’t now.”
“……I see. I’ll put in a word with His Majesty for you.”
“Thanks.”
Ashtain rose from his seat.
“Leaving already?”
“You squeezed out time from your own busy schedule to come out here. Staring at each other any longer would just be a waste.”
“We rarely meet, yet you refuse to share a drink and simply leave. How heartless.”
“Someone’s waiting for me.”
“……Waiting? Have you acquired a wife?”
At Leon’s words, Ashtain smiled faintly.
“Yeah. I have.”
“You—with a lover? What a terribly unfunny joke!”
Despite calling it unfunny, the prince laughed loudly. When the laughter finally subsided and he looked at Ashtain again, the hero wore a sullen expression. Leon’s eyes widened in shock.
“…………You’re serious?”
“I’m leaving, idiot.”
Bang. Ashtain slammed the door shut behind him. The prince stood up, utterly bewildered. The alcohol’s effect had vanished. That Ashtain had a lover?
“Wait! Who is she? At least tell me the lady’s name!”
Ashtain ignored Leon, who tried to catch him in a hurry, and left the mansion. Now that his business was finished, the thought of spending quiet time with Aria made him unusually excited. Lately Aria had become even more adorable. The way she smiled so freshly, the way the tips of her ears turned red when he held her hand. The way she froze up when he whispered that he loved her, then melted into his arms. When he held her tightly she seemed so fragile that he restrained himself, simply stroking her back. Seeing her eyes curve with pleasure made him think foolish things—like maybe monsters and Demon Kings didn’t matter after all.
He couldn’t allow that. Letting himself grow lax always led to regret. That was how the world worked. Because he had let his guard down, he had lost his sister. If he relaxed again, he might lose Aria too. If he had sworn to protect her, he needed the power to eliminate every possible threat.
I have to get stronger.
He couldn’t afford to be at a level where he would lose to the previous hero’s replica. When that bastard had cut Aria, how furious had he been? How much rage had surged through him? He had to use that emotion as fertilizer and chew on it constantly.
……Still, Aria. I don’t want to show you this ugly side of me. I want to remain calm like always. I want to be the man you can trust and rely on.
It was a modest hope.
Shaking his head, he opened the door to their lodging and spoke gently toward the woman who should be waiting inside.
“Sorry, Aria. I’m late, aren’t I? It took longer than expected. Even though it’s late, shall we go out and see the sights—”
He stopped.
Aria was not in the room.
Ashtain tilted his head.
Where did she go?