The Sword Flower Strikes Again
“……”
Aegina’s question made the king and the crown prince exchange awkward smiles.
“W-well, let’s all head inside first. We shouldn’t be standing out here like this……”
“What kind of trouble have you caused this time?”
Though her tone was calm, the fact that she remained rooted to the spot even as the king personally took her hand made it clear her question was an ultimatum.
“……”
I could now see King Karman Del Lufilberak, revered as the Holy King of the Ayman Kingdom, breaking into a cold sweat as he looked back at his daughter.
Now I understood why we had come to the detached palace instead of the main gate. There were still plenty of eyes here, but far fewer than at the front entrance.
“N-no, it’s not like that. It wasn’t an accident. Right?”
“Of course not! It can’t be called an accident!”
By now, the sheer number of knights around us no longer seemed to be there merely for courtesy. It was starting to look more like they were guarding the king.
“It’s just that your mother got a little excited, that’s all. Yes. Nothing more than that.”
The king tried to keep a bright expression, but I could guarantee no one present believed a word of it.
After all, Aegina’s mother—the current queen—was famous in that regard. Pelepi Melin Purx, eldest daughter of the prestigious Purx ducal house known for its military lineage, was called the “Flower with a Sword.” She had countless anecdotes, but the proposal incident that earned her that title was truly the stuff of legend.
Decades ago, when the current king was still a prince, he and Pelepi had shared mutual affection since childhood. Yet as the heir to the small Ayman Kingdom, he bore the duty of marrying a foreign princess.
In such cases, the woman would usually step aside or, after he ascended the throne, become his second queen. But Aegina’s mother refused to accept that.
At a ball held in the palace to celebrate the prince’s birthday, she appeared wearing a sword. Before countless nobles and their children, she declared that she had devoted her pure love to the prince and demanded he take responsibility—or cut off her head right there and then, pleading her case before the late king and queen.
Of course, the late king and queen were taken aback by her sudden action, but the one truly shocked was the current king. Though they had shared good feelings and known each other for a long time, he—who had always understood his responsibilities—had only ever held her hand at most, fearing it might burden her. He had done nothing more.
Yet he could not deny her words in that moment. The eldest daughter of an ancient ducal house had openly revealed what could only be seen as a shameful fact in front of the entire royal family and nobility. No one would doubt the truth of her statement, and even if he tried to deny it, only misfortune would await her.
Moreover, the Purx family was an ancient ducal house even the royal family could not treat lightly, and Duke Purx was the commander-in-chief of the border defense forces at the time.
The late king could neither execute her nor ignore her claim of pure devotion. In the end, he announced their engagement on the spot, and less than a month later, the two were married.
According to Aegina, long after the wedding—after the king had inherited the throne and earned the title of Holy King—her father was still treated by the common people and especially noblewomen as a scoundrel who tried to abandon his lover and a coward who put a woman in danger. Every time he spoke of the proposal and marriage, his eyes would grow slightly moist.
In contrast, her mother would laugh innocently, as if celebrating a victory, saying there was no need to worry about rivals thanks to that incident.
Given that this was the kind of person she was, it was certain she had caused some kind of trouble. The question was just how serious it had been for the king and crown prince to be so wary of Aegina’s reaction.
“What exactly did she do?”
The king and crown prince hesitated for a moment before turning to stare at Levlandt, who stood beside them. It seemed they lacked the courage to speak directly.
At this point, I was genuinely curious. What on earth had happened? No matter how you looked at it, she was the queen, and she was of a certain age now. She couldn’t possibly have caused anything too catastrophic. Yet why were they acting this way in front of their own daughter and younger sister? Seeing the two of them unable to answer, Levlandt—who had been quietly standing by and had yet to properly greet his son Rowell—cautiously opened his mouth.
“…Her Majesty the Queen beat the envoys who came from the Empire.”
“……?”
“……?”
At Levlandt’s careful words, we couldn’t help but doubt our ears.
“…Pardon?”
“Father, could you say that one more time?”
“She beat them?”
We looked at Levlandt and the two men, thinking it couldn’t possibly be true. All three nodded silently.
…So she really could cause something catastrophic.
“Levlandt, so you’re saying she didn’t just hit them—she beat them?”
“That’s right, Anak. And you can just call me uncle.”
Given Levlandt’s personality, the fact that he used such direct words without softening or sugarcoating them meant that was the most accurate description.
No, but what could possibly make the queen beat envoys from another country? Rowell and I could only exchange blank looks.
“Uh, where is Mother right now? What on earth was she thinking……!”
“Should I go find her?”
Fortunately, Rowell grabbed Bagloros. He shook his head at him and raised a finger to his lips, and Bagloros fell silent once more.
“Now, now, Aegina. Calm down.”
“Yes. Let’s go inside first. We can talk slowly once we’re in. You must be tired from all sorts of things. Isn’t that right, Levlandt?”
“Indeed, Princess. Let’s head inside for now. The other ministers are waiting inside as well.”
At their words, Aegina reluctantly began walking. Come to think of it, the king and crown prince had come out personally, but the queen hadn’t—there was a reason for that too.
We passed behind the detached palace and headed toward the royal temple that enshrined the past kings of the Ayman Kingdom and the god of the stars, Sophdet. Aside from the start of the new year or special royal events, only members of the royal family were permitted entry, but our visit itself seemed to be considered more than just a special occasion.
The temple was relatively modest for a royal shrine, yet beautiful. I had visited several times before—after repelling the Demon King’s army, after the Great War ended, and for Rowell and Aegina’s wedding—but the feeling I got each time was the same.
After walking down a long corridor lined with small portraits of past kings, each with a short epitaph carved beneath, we came to another corridor of nearly identical length and shape, but completely bare.
This was the place where future kings’ portraits would hang, its length carrying the wish that the Ayman Kingdom would endure for just as long. At the end of that corridor stood the sanctuary dedicated to the god Sophdet.
The sanctuary, symbolizing the night sky and somewhat dim inside, was circular in shape. At its center stood a white conical pillar representing the god Sophdet, its surface covered in beautiful patterns symbolizing divinity, with a diamond the size of a fist embedded at its very top.
Furthermore, the ceiling was adorned with five constellations and nebulae representing the god’s lions and retainers, rendered in jewels of various sizes. It could truly be called the most beautiful place in the entire Ayman Kingdom.
“Oh! You’ve arrived!”
“Welcome. Hero Rowell, Princess Aegina.”
“It’s good to have you back!”
Inside the sanctuary, numerous ministers and nobles were already waiting for us. Though they kept their voices low out of respect for the solemn atmosphere, they too seemed quite excited by our visit.
“Yes. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you all.”
Aegina greeted the young noblewomen who approached her warmly. I couldn’t recall exactly who each of them was, but I remembered two or three. They were apparently younger sisters she had been close with since childhood.
“Lord Anak has come as well! And Lord Bagloros too!”
Along with Rowell, those who recognized Bagloros and me also came forward one by one to greet us. Some faces I knew, others I didn’t. A few were so obviously desperate to make an impression that it was almost pitiful to watch.
“Everyone, please be quiet.”
While we were exchanging greetings, high-ranking priests in white robes emerged from the inner part of the sanctuary. They drew everyone’s attention by lightly tapping the floor with their long staffs, and at their appearance, the nobles and ministers stepped back to return to their original positions.
Under the priests’ guidance, a brief yet solemn ceremony and prayer took place. The jewels embedded in the ceiling and the diamond atop the pillar lit up one after another. Though it couldn’t compare to what I had felt at El Nergavil, the Luda Kasia Sect, or Asgard, a sense of holiness filled the entire sanctuary. After bowing along with the others, the king slowly rose and walked toward the pillar.
The ritual for the god Sophdet had ended. Now came the royal protocol.
“Hero of Light, Rowell. And his consort, Princess Aegina of the Ayman Kingdom. And the summoner Anak and Bagloros. In the name of all the people and the late kings, I welcome you once more.”
The king’s demeanor as he spoke was so solemn and dignified that it was impossible to imagine the anxious figure who had been glancing nervously at Aegina just moments before.
Faced with that presence, Aegina, Rowell, and I all offered deep bows. Right now, the king was neither Aegina’s father nor Rowell’s father-in-law. He was not the individual named Karman Del Lufilberak. He was, in every sense, the King of the Ayman Kingdom—the representative of all its people and the proxy of all the late kings.