Dawn's Summons from the Capital Guard (1)
Even better than that name, the Capital Guard who arrived early in the morning wore stern expressions. Their armament was far too impressive for a mere patrol around the neighborhood, and an air of intimidation mixed with tension emanated from them.
Lenoir quietly waited for their words. At length, the one who appeared to be the guard captain replied.
"Are you the master of this mansion?"
"If you seek the resident, then I am he. But if you ask whether this is my property, then no."
"That suffices as an answer. One more thing: are you the one operating the unauthorized religion known as the Goddess Church?"
"What a foolish question. Do you believe faith requires your permission?"
"......Please answer."
"I am a follower of the Goddess Church. However, the one the church reveres stands behind me as its true master."
Sara blinked in her pajamas. At Lenoir's subtle glance, she belatedly realized she needed to look the part and straightened her back, lowering her gaze.
"Wh-who might you be......!"
Well, that was something, at least. Lenoir regarded the guards with a satisfaction bordering on compromise.
The guards eyed Sara for a moment before finally swallowing dryly and speaking.
"You must come with us."
"Where to?"
"......The Royal Palace."
It was as expected. Was it not their nature to judge the rightness of faiths, and to see harm to those they approved as a challenge to their authority? The Orin Church had crumbled overnight. Their investigative prowess was not so lacking as to fail to infer the culprit, nor were they so reckless as to ignore chaos in their own domain.
Thus, Lenoir said, "It is early morning; grant us time to prepare. I shall go there on my own feet."
The guard captain's face hardened further at Lenoir's words, but he could not resort to force. It was only natural. To them, Lenoir was a freakish powerhouse who had toppled an entire church without so much as a change in expression, holding his ground.
The unknown bred fear; there was no reason for them to create needless conflict first.
"We shall wait in front of the mansion."
The guard captain bowed deeply and moved to the wall, ordering his men to stand watch. Lenoir closed the door.
To Sara, who gazed up at him with wide, uncomprehending eyes, he said, "We have been summoned to the Royal Palace."
"E-eh!? Are we going to meet our king!?"
"Whether we meet him remains to be seen."
"Uwaaaah......! Hurry and get ready! Sir! What if we keep the king waiting and get in trouble!?"
"That will not happen, so let us first sate our hunger."
Lenoir calmed the suddenly bustling Sara as he finished his tea. It was a hectic morning.
Waking up to a sudden invitation to the Royal Palace—what an unforeseen dilemma in Sara's life. She was so shocked that she pinched her cheek to check if it was a dream. Conclusion: it was not.
From then on, anxiety made her tremble.
"Am I getting arrested......?"
"Why do you think that?"
"W-well, I've done some three-card monte scams...... and yesterday I called in those professional ladies to the mansion......"
"So you know those are crimes."
"Of course......"
She had tried them on a whim, thinking if she didn't get caught, it was fine—but now that she might be, it scared her. She looked crestfallen as she spoke.
But Lenoir promptly dispelled such notions.
"The Royal Palace is not so idle a place; worry not."
"Th-then why are we being summoned?"
"Because we have violated their established standards. Shallow as those standards may be, those who live within them wish confirmation that the new unknown is not their enemy."
"Difficult words......"
"They summoned us to gauge if we, who toppled the Orin Church, are harmful to the kingdom."
"Aha?"
Sara relaxed at that.
"We're obviously on the kingdom's side! Right, sir?"
"I am on your side. Not the kingdom's."
"Hehe, since I'm on the kingdom's side, that makes you on the kingdom's side too!"
"If you parse it that way, it is not wrong."
Why did those casually uttered words—"I am on your side"—stick with her so? Sara suddenly felt cheerful. As she grinned broadly, Lenoir said,
"You must have slept well."
"Yes! Super well! You smelled so nice, sir!"
"......I told you to avoid expressions open to misunderstanding."
"Huh?"
"It is nothing. You mean the room's atmosphere aided your sleep well."
"Yes!"
It was a space with only the sound of Lenoir turning pages, but that made it all the more satisfying. With nothing but reassuring things around, all tension melted away. The ominous thoughts that had plagued her when trying to sleep alone did not come at all.
"Can I come sleep there again next time?"
"It is ever possible for you. But if you tell me in advance, it would be ideal."
"Of course! Showing up without a word would be rude!"
She answered energetically. Thus ended their morning meal.
Sara donned white robes interwoven with golden threads. They were clothes Lenoir had ordered himself, and he had insisted she wear them whenever appearing as the goddess.
She then perched Orin on her shoulder.
[Going out...! So exciting...!]
"Right. You've never roamed outside freely, have you, Orin?"
[Yeah...!]
Tickling its ominous flame with her index finger made Orin giggle. Though they'd only been together two days, Sara felt utterly familiar with it. Naturally, as the goddess's soul regarded the lantern familiarly—but she would not realize that herself.
Brimming with vigor, Sara stood before Lenoir with shoulders proudly squared.
"How do I look! Goddess-like yet!?"
"If your demeanor were a touch more serene, yes. Relax your shoulders."
"Like this?"
"Yes, well done."
Lenoir stroked her head, and courage welled up within Sara. A giggle escaped her.
"Then let us go."
Lenoir opened the front door. Sara's confidence vanished in an instant.
Snap! The guards straightened to attention. The instinct of a back-alley girl made her shrink from their gleaming silver armor.
"Ahem......"
Hiding slyly behind Lenoir, Sara whispered, "They're all so intimidating. That armor's too shiny......"
"Little Sara, no one threatens you, so there is no need to fear prematurely."
Lenoir sighed.
Since the mythic era ended, much had changed. The shift Lenoir felt most acutely was in the structure of societies. In the past, there were only the gods' domains and the divine subjects beneath them. But after the gods entered eternal slumber, all structures collapsed into chaos.
The human nation-state was a seed Lenoir had sown in those desperate times, hoping they might band together for protection. The result was this: weeds overgrown, vines strangling rather than shielding, where only those basking in the brightest sun could lift their heads.
As he and Sara rode in the carriage, he murmured reflections on it. Sara replied,
"So non-human races don't have nations?"
What a curious child. She inferred from words, awakening unspoken new knowledge and taking interest. Pleased by her nature, Lenoir answered.
"Take the most famous: elves form matriarchal bloodline societies in vast forests. My brother, the Innocent Daughter of Abundance, pitied them and gathered them himself. The dwarves' underworld is a clan society my brother, the Son of Utter Craftsmanship, took them into."
"G-gasp! Those are living demigods!?"
"Whether they still do, I cannot say. I have not seen the Son of Utter Craftsmanship since the myths. The last I met the Innocent Daughter of Abundance was four hundred years ago."
"......Sir, your age never quite sinks in."
"To you, it may seem eternity."
He stroked Sara's head, knowing she especially liked it. And said,
"No need to dwell on it. My centuries without you were worthless. I could recalibrate my time from our meeting onward."
"......Eek."
"What is it?"
"N-nothing. My stomach just tickled suddenly."
Lenoir tilted his head. Clutching her chest, Sara fidgeted her lips, her face flushing. She seemed flustered by her own reaction, eyes spinning wildly.
"Carsick? You were fine before."
"If your stomach troubles you, say so. It may be the driver's fault."
"Y-yes......!"
Sara could not collect herself. Breathing deeply, then leaking an odd "ehehe......" giggle, she finally asked,
"Sir, could you say that once more?"
"What?"
"The thing about time earlier."
"......I would rather not."
"Whyyyy!!!"
Disappointment soured her mood. Refusing to the end, deep despair and betrayal filled Sara's eyes.
Yesterday and today alike.
"I simply cannot comprehend your world."
"Urk......! It feels like my heart's tearing!"
"Hearts do not tear so easily; worry not."
Lenoir appropriately ignored Sara's dramatics. Before long, they had arrived at the Royal Palace.