46. Oracle (3)
46. Oracle (3)
Everything in the 1st Princess Palace was new to Cassiela, commander of the <Dawn Revolutionary Group>.
And what surprised her most of all was that everyone became kind the moment the name 'Yuma' was mentioned.
It was practically a magic spell...!
The moment she combined the identity guarantee stamped with the seal of Marquis Tornel, the guardian of the Empire's southern front, with the statement that she had come on Yuma's orders, every door of the Princess Palace swung open.
Every knight showed her courtesy, even though she clearly looked far removed from nobility or knighthood.
"Enter."
"Yes, thank you."
Cassiela nodded vaguely and walked deeper into the 1st Princess Palace. She was clad in black armor.
Step, step-
She halted abruptly in front of the 1st Princess Palace's office.
Michael, the Princess's personal escort knight clad in thin white armor that contrasted with Cassiela's, opened the door.
Even at a glance, an extraordinary presence emanated from him.
The Emperor's bloodline.
There was that peculiar aura exuded by those who were noble from the very beginning.
Cassiela swiftly bent her right knee.
"I meet Her Highness, the 1st Princess Brigitte."
Thud-
"I am Cassiela, commander of the <Dawn Revolutionary Group>."
The 1st Princess Brigitte stared at the red-haired revolutionary commander, Cassiela, who had shown proper respect.
"Rise, Cassiela. I have heard of you from Marquis Tornel."
Cassiela had led the <Dawn Revolutionary Group> to the capital's Princess Palace under Yuma's orders, to assist the 1st Princess Brigitte.
"You came to aid me at Yuma's request?"
Cassiela felt a supreme loftiness in Brigitte's words. The same kind of aloofness Yuma possessed.
"Yes, that is correct."
"You are welcome. If my knight called for you, it is certain you must be a useful knight."
Brigitte trusted her own judgement, which recognized Yuma's existence. And since she trusted Yuma's judgement as well, she felt no suspicion toward Cassiela.
"The oath of loyalty...."
Brigitte tilted her head at Cassiela's words.
"Revolutionary Commander Cassiela. Is your loyalty not directed toward Yuma?"
Cassiela's eyes widened at Princess Brigitte's direct words.
As Cassiela remained silent, unable to say anything, Brigitte chuckled and continued.
"Then you should swear your loyalty to Yuma. Why are you trying to give it to me? You need only move as Yuma has ordered you."
Brigitte had no intention of extracting false loyalty from anyone.
It was because she knew very well how futile that was.
"Understood, Your Highness."
Cassiela felt Brigitte somehow resembled Yuma. Perhaps it was because of their strikingly similar dark blue eyes.
"The knight's oath will also be postponed for a while. Once Yuma returns, I will bestow upon him the rank of Grand Duke as soon as he does. It would be best for him to receive it directly. Ah, of course, I will notify the entire Imperial Household that the <Dawn Revolutionary Group> is to be treated equally to the 1st Knight Order. It is only your formal rank that will be received later."
Even the nobles who held the rank of Count dared not treat the knights belonging to the Imperial 1st Knight Order with disrespect.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Once the businesslike conversation concluded, Brigitte's expression relaxed slightly.
"More than that, I would like to hear the stories of when Yuma fought on the southern front."
The solemnity that had existed just moments ago slowly faded. Brigitte's face looked like that of a child just before hearing a fairy tale.
So Cassiela was able to comfortably recite Yuma's tales of bravery.
With every word of the story, Brigitte marveled and exclaimed in admiration.
***
Having left the Land of White Night and immediately after exiting the Gelpiel Forest, Yuma's party was heading toward none other than the royal palace of Pyneton.
The picture of the very person who killed Kamet, Pyneton's greatest Conqueror King, voluntarily entering the royal palace was a little strange, but there was a need to clearly forewarn them about the existence of the <White Night Clan>.
He had gained subordinates called the White Night Clan.
Therefore, as their captain, he had a duty and responsibility to take advance measures so that his subordinates would not get caught in unnecessary conflict.
The royal palace was not far.
This was because it was not the official royal palace located in the kingdom's capital, but the 'temporary royal palace' established right here near the front line.
Why had a temporary royal palace sprung up in a town right in front of the front line?
Martes.
After taking on the role of negotiation officer, he had now ascended as the new king of the barbarian nation Pyneton.
Yuma, who had stopped by the information guild to ask about Martes' current location, was considerably surprised. He was now a king, not just a great warrior.
'That guy, he's moved up in the world.'
A third of the ten great warriors were dead. And the legions under their command were annihilated to the same degree, but nonetheless, the barbarian nation Pyneton was still a powerful country.
Even a tiger with missing teeth is still a tiger.
It was just that this tiger had become a very docile cat solely regarding Yuma and the Asthes Empire.
Growl...!
A very primal sound came from somewhere.
The culprit was a sound that came from the stomach of Hestia, the Cat Tribe swordswoman who was pressing down her robe in case attention gathered on her.
"H-Hiek...!"
Hestia, as if aware of her embarrassment, flushed bright red.
It was a little past lunch time.
The temporary royal palace was two blocks away.
He was planning to spend the day here in Langels after meeting with Martes anyway, so his time was loose.
"This time, you're not smelling something?"
It was a question thrown at Hestia, who had smelled risotto around here last time.
"Yeah, I'm tracking it! Sniff!"
It was just something he said offhandedly. But it seemed Hestia already had her food radar running.
"It's the smell of c-curry...! Snuuufff!"
Hestia unhesitatingly turned her feet to the right, then strode off.
"Here!"
At the end of the index finger she pointed with a bright smile was a store bearing a sign with a fairly modern name: <Cube Curry>.
Through the window, a mercenary could be seen with his face stuck in a bowl, inhaling curry and rice.
Bel stared blankly at the scene and said.
"...Look, it's all over his mouth. It must really be good."
"Let's go in."
Yuma's permission fell. Hestia and Bel ducked into Cube Curry, and Yuma and Cloné walked in slowly.
Yuma and Cloné ordered cube steak.
Hestia and Bel ordered curry.
The three women had already gotten quite close.
That was because they had conversed continuously on the way out to Langels.
Bel spoke quietly.
"So Cloné and I are beings destined by the oracle, right?"
Cloné slowly savored the cube steak.
"Yes."
"Taking me and Cloné to the Imperial Princess is the task my lord has taken on."
Yuma nodded.
"Correct."
Yuma did not deliberately stop Cloné from explaining the oracle in detail to Bel. Because cooperation would be faster if Bel were sufficiently aware of it.
Wipe...
Bel, who had tidily finished off a bowl of curry, wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue and then opened her mouth.
"Honestly, I don't care about the Empire or the Princess. I'm only going to listen to Yuma. That's all I need, right?"
Bel's pink eyes stared directly at Yuma.
Yuma smirked.
"Yeah, that's all you need."
Cloné, who was sitting next to Bel, looked at Bel with a dazed face.
'...That was a good line.'
Cloné thought that what Bel just said was good.
But it was something she couldn't say. Because Cloné considered both Yuma and the 1st Princess Brigitte her benefactors.
'I'll think of a better line later...and say it to Yuma-nim.'
Stab!
Cloné made that resolution as she speared the last remaining cube steak with her fork.
"Yuma!"
This time it was Hestia, sitting next to Yuma.
Hestia pointed at something in front of Yuma!
It was none other than the 5 pieces of cube steak left in Yuma's bowl!
"If, if you're not eating that, can I have it?"
"Sure, eat it all."
Yuma pushed the bowl toward Hestia beside him.
Cloné evaluated the line again, this time in her head.
'...I'll never in my life say something like that. Ever.'
Another resolution piled up.
After finishing their meal, Yuma's party came out of Cube Curry and quickened their pace again. Yuma asked Bel, who was next to him.
He intended to ask a fact he had to confirm someday.
"Bel, have you ever killed a person?"
He was asking whether Bel, having been inside the White Night Clan for 20 years, had ever killed a person.
Even a genius of swordsmanship granted by a god could lose her power at the crucial moment if she couldn't bring herself to kill someone.
"Five."
Bel answered without hesitation.
"I've killed five. Because the people who invaded the White Night Clan weren't all just runaways from Pyneton's reach. There were those who dared enter simply to plunder. I killed my first at 15... and there were a few more intruders after that."
Bel, who recounted the story calmly, stopped walking for a moment and stared at Yuma.
"Don't worry, if my lord orders it, I can kill anyone. Because I am my lord's sword."
Yuma's infinitely blue eyes met Bel's pink eyes.
There was not a single trace of hesitation in those pink eyes.
"I believe you."
Having said that, Yuma walked ahead.
"That looks like the place, right?"
"Yes."
Cloné answered Hestia's words.
Among the buildings made of straw and leather, a fairly modern building stood tall alone.
It seemed the finest inn around had been remodeled into a temporary royal palace.
Thud- Thud-
Upon entering, about a dozen guard warriors swiftly approached Yuma's party. One man thrust his long spear at Yuma and approached with a menacing face.
Whoosh─!
"This is the King's temporary residence. Prove your identity...!"
That long spear was quite cold. And the trajectory of the spear blade raised toward Yuma was a little threatening.
A streak of light surged from beside Yuma.
Slice─!
The spear shaft made of iron was instantly cut in two and scattered through the air.
The person who instantly drew her sword and cut the steel spear in half was Bel.
And Bel placed her right hand on the shoulder of the warrior standing next to Yuma.
Crack!
It was a lightning-fast joint lock.
"Kkkeuuuugh!"
The warrior, his shoulder dislocated, dropped the spear shaft and rolled on the ground.
"For a threat, that trajectory was too sharp, Mister."
Bel's eyes turned cold in an instant.
And an overwhelming aura flowed from her body.
A cold aura that weighed down the very space around them.
"Don't move."
The warriors, clearly recognizing the difference in skill, halted dead in their tracks.
Yuma tossed the lion bronze badge he had kept in his pocket onto the floor.
"Tell them that Yuma, Grand Marshal of the Astes Empire, has arrived."
And he patted Bel's shoulder.
"You did very well. Next time, move after I have spoken."
Yuma was quite pleased with the power of the sharp sword that was Bel.
His earlier worry was nothing but needless concern.
Bel smiled brightly.
"Okay! My lord."
The violent aura Bel had unleashed toward the warriors evaporated instantly.