Audience
Audience
This was the third Save Point to be created without me even dying.
I'd actually been able to predict this Save Point in advance.
Reflecting on the first and second Save Points had given me a decent feel for them, and this time, I'd finally managed to notice one ahead of time.
I couldn't be 100% certain, but since I'd gotten it right this time, I felt I'd be able to anticipate roughly when one would trigger in the future.
My move to a new, distant region seemed to be the main cause, and a Save Point also had to be created somewhere a major incident was about to occur.
Looking back, major incidents really had broken out every single time.
I didn't know who was creating these Save Points, but whoever it was clearly knew what would happen in the future.
Since I couldn't foresee the future myself, there was no way I could guess when a Save Point would appear with 100% accuracy.
Still, strangely enough, I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it.
'Wait! Then if a Save Point was created, doesn't that mean something huge is about to happen in this duchy?!'
Every single time, I ended up dying at least once, too.
'Don't tell me... I'm going to die this time as well?'
That was a thoroughly unpleasant conclusion to reach.
I let out a sigh and looked out the window.
After crossing into the Duchy, I returned to the carriage.
Since royalty from another kingdom was visiting, we had to observe proper decorum.
"Why do you look so bothered? Is it because the scenery outside looks no different from the Kingdom?"
Balea, sitting across from me, noticed my expression, glanced out the window, and tilted her head.
No one else had noticed, but Balea had picked up on the fact that I was in a bad mood.
But she had no way of knowing why I was feeling down.
Putting my unease aside, I had to admit that, just as she'd said, the grand duchy's landscape passing by the carriage was no different from that of the Kingdom's other domains.
Towering mountain ranges and vast open fields.
Perhaps because we'd traveled farther north, the mountains were somewhat taller and the air a little cooler, but the land looked just as prosperous as the other territories.
It wasn't just the scenery.
Even the villages we stopped at along the way were no different from the Kingdom's villages.
"Then again, it hasn't been that long since it became a duchy. And even after becoming a duchy, the borders weren't completely shut down either."
Just as Balea had mentioned, when we crossed into the Duchy, the carriage we were riding in didn't stop for even a moment.
There was something resembling a checkpoint, but the soldiers didn't stop the carriages coming and going.
In fact, as we passed, they stood stiffly at attention and saluted.
"If they don't stop us, does that mean there are no tariffs with the Duchy? If so, the Kingdom must be taking a loss."
The Duchy would collect tariffs on the Empire's side, so if the Kingdom didn't impose its own, only the Duchy would profit.
"I heard that was how it was decided when the grand duchy was first established. If merchants had to pay extra taxes, there would be no reason to travel through the grand duchy."
The Princess explained the reasoning from beside me.
As expected, the Princess was knowledgeable and clever.
Even so, no matter how I looked at it, the agreement seemed immensely disadvantageous to the Kingdom.
What on earth had happened when the Duchy was founded...?
Listening to the terms of the negotiation, it seemed as though the Kingdom had acted like a total sucker, handing everything over to the Duchy.
After passing through wide plains backed by forests and mountain ranges, we finally arrived at Ironwall, the capital of the grand duchy and a magnificent industrial city known as 'Ironwall City'.
"It's a rather strangely shaped city."
Balea tilted her head as she looked at the city walls approaching in the distance.
I looked out the window, too, and couldn't help but agree with Balea.
The city walls, which I was seeing for the first time, looked exceedingly tall and solid.
Built of thick stone and reinforced here and there with iron plating, the walls fully displayed the dignity of a border fortress city.
The problem was that there were gaping holes in the walls here and there.
It wasn't just the side facing the Kingdom; looking through the breached—or rather, demolished—sections, I could see that the side facing the Empire was exactly the same.
They didn't look like gaps left behind by a failure to repair collapsed walls.
It looked as though sections of the wall had been deliberately knocked down to make roads.
"It was originally a fortress city built to defend against the Empire, but as trade became the main focus, the walls proved inconvenient, so they demolished several sections. I heard that's why the city ended up looking a bit odd."
Once again, the Princess's clear, articulate explanation reached my ears.
As we drew closer to the city, the strange sensation grew even stronger.
Aside from the demolished walls, the area around the checkpoint at the city entrance was packed with street vendors instead of soldiers.
Seeing a sight that looked like a bustling market street from my past life, I almost felt nostalgic.
But this checkpoint didn't just let people pass through freely.
Unlike at the border, the checkpoint here conducted strict inspections.
"Keep in mind that if you leave any goods off your declaration form, they'll be confiscated immediately."
"Do you think this is my first time doing business? Go ahead and check everything."
"Fine, then I'll inspect every single item."
"Wait, are you seriously going to inspect it all? There's no need to go that far! Look at the line backed up behind me. How can you inspect every little thing?"
"Then re-declare anything you left out on your own."
"Fine, fine! Why are you guys being so picky today?"
"Some high-and-mighty dignitary from the Kingdom is arriving over there, and the mood on the Empire's side has been strange for a few days now. Everyone's nerves are on edge. At times like this, we have to do everything strictly by the book."
"Tsk, my business is ruined today. Guess there's nothing I can do. I'll just have to lay low for a while."
As we stopped in front of the checkpoint, I listened closely and caught the conversation between the merchant and the soldiers.
They mentioned some interesting things besides our arrival, but unfortunately, neither the soldiers nor the merchant knew the full details.
As I listened to their chatter, the sound of galloping horses reached my ears.
Knights were mounted on the horses.
The knights stopped in front of our—or rather, the Princess's—carriage and saluted.
"We shall escort you to the royal palace."
Since it was a formal greeting, the Princess did not step out herself.
The knights who had been riding beside the carriage pulled back, and the Duchy Knights took their places alongside it to lead the party.
After riding through the noisy streets for quite a while, we arrived at the Duchy's royal palace.
An inner castle wall covered in beautiful carved patterns, towering spires, and a grand, splendid castle.
The Duchy's beautiful royal palace appeared to have been built not too long ago.
After passing through the inner wall, the carriage glided past a magnificent garden and came to a stop in front of the palace's main entrance.
People were standing outside the main entrance, waiting for us.
"Welcome. We of the Julian Duchy extend our warmest welcome to Princess Aisha de Carlos."
A middle-aged man dressed as a butler greeted the Princess as she stepped down from the carriage.
Judging by his demeanor, he seemed to be a noble serving as the chief butler of the royal palace.
The Princess returned his greeting according to proper etiquette, and the chief steward instructed the servants to unload our luggage.
"You must be weary from your journey, so I shall first show you to your quarters."
"Also, Your Highness, the King will spare a moment shortly, so please prepare for your audience."
"I understand. Please convey my gratitude to him for making time."
The Princess entered the palace first, accompanied by her maids.
While the luggage was being unloaded, the rest of us took in the sight of the palace.
The seniors who stepped out of the other carriage were gazing around at the palace with their eyes wide, wide open, just like us.
"Wow, are we really going to stay in a royal palace?"
"I think it was a great idea to follow you, senior."
"Right?"
The two whispered quietly so as not to sound rude to the others, but I wasn't the only one listening in on their conversation.
Before anyone realized it, Viscount Daniel had approached them and crushed their expectations.
"My apologies, but you two have no need to unpack your luggage here at the royal palace."
"Huh?"
"Student Havier's dispatch class will be held at the border outpost, so you are to move directly to the northern border outpost alongside the knights."
At the Viscount's words, Senior Havier's jaw dropped.
"And Student Benjamin, you will head to the southern customs building in charge of customs processing. We have contacted them in advance, so people will be there to greet you."
Senior Benjamin was just as shocked.
Overwhelmed by the news, Havier hurriedly pointed at Miss Balea.
"What about Miss Balea?"
"Student Balea is scheduled to conduct her dispatch class here at the palace, assisting Princess Aisha."
"Then does Alex come with me?"
Unlike when he answered about Balea, the Viscount responded to Havier's question with a thoroughly displeased expression.
"Mm. Frankly, I do not understand it, but by the Princess's orders, he will remain at the palace."
Whether the Viscount liked it or not, I was staying at the palace, while the two seniors departed, leaving the royal palace behind after Balea's tearful send-off.
Regrettably, Havier's determination to protect the Princess was no match for the Academy's curriculum.
"Sadly, it seems the only student capable of pulling strings for the 'dispatch class' is Young Lord Alex, who has the Princess backing him."
"You stayed behind too, Balea."
"Well, Your Grace is my backing, after all."
As Balea and I exchanged light banter on our way to our lodging, Viscount Daniel headed elsewhere alongside the chief steward.
They were going in the same direction the Princess had gone.
Since the Viscount had also come to the grand duchy on official business, it couldn't be helped that we went our separate ways.
Thus, we unpacked our luggage at our quarters, while the Princess went to meet separately with the Grand Prince.
A door that looked even larger than the one to the Kingdom's main council chamber swung open, revealing a magnificent room.
Deep inside the room, atop a raised dais, sat a middle-aged man wearing a crown.
A massive physique, a stern face, and an aura of natural charisma radiating from him.
No matter who entered the room, it seemed impossible to deny that the middle-aged man was the Grand Prince.
The Princess cautiously stepped into the room.
Walking to the center of the chamber, she offered the Grand Prince a greeting.
"I am Aisha. It is an honor to meet you."
At her greeting, the Grand Prince nodded.
"Welcome. You have grown quite a lot."
The Grand Prince looked intently at the Princess.
"Is this the second time I've seen you? You probably don't remember. You were so young back then."
But the Princess did remember.
She remembered the moment she first saw the Grand Prince and her cousin, as well as how her cousin had held her hand tightly when they first met—she remembered it all.
Even so, this was hardly the time to bring up the fact that she remembered. The Princess simply bowed her head at the Grand Prince's words.
"Right. It must have been an exhausting journey getting here, so there is no need to tie down someone as young as you in a place like this. I heard you came to see Frida. Meet with her to your heart's content before returning."
After the awkward audience came to an end, the Princess exited the chamber.
After the Princess departed, the Grand Prince tapped his fingers against the armrest and muttered softly under his breath.
"Doing this to young children is terrible indeed. Still, if one is of royal blood, it is something one must be prepared for."
The Grand Prince gestured toward the door.
Although the room appeared empty, a voice responded to his hand signal.
"It is Viscount Daniel."
With those words, the door opened, and the Viscount entered.
Lowering his head, the Viscount walked up to the Grand Prince and bowed deeply.
The Grand Prince looked with amusement at the Viscount who had approached.
Cutting straight to the chase, the Grand Prince questioned the Viscount immediately.
"So, Duardo has something to say to me?"
"Yes, I have brought secret orders from the Second Prince."
Though the question came suddenly, the Viscount answered without hesitation.
"Good. Let us hear it. He is better than the first boy, at least. That one hasn't even bothered to contact me."
At the Grand Prince's words, the Viscount, who was bowing his head, offered a subtle smile.
Fortunately, he had arrived one step ahead of the First Prince.
Now that things had turned out like this, the likelihood of securing a favorable outcome had increased immensely.
But the Viscount did not lower his guard.
The Grand Prince before his eyes was a man who had long ago tried to push aside his elder brother and swallow the Kingdom whole.
Thanks to the late king, the Grand Prince's father, barely managing to hush it up, the matter had ended peacefully, but there was no telling whether that ambition still lingered within him.
He had to proceed cautiously, step by step, to deliver the result desired by the Second Prince.
And so, the Viscount conversed with the Grand Prince.
A long while later, the Viscount left the chamber with a satisfied look on his face, while the Grand Prince, remaining in the room, wore a peculiar smirk as he stared at the closed door.
Then, he sent another signal.
For there was still an audience remaining.
The door opened, and a voice sounded from outside.
"It is the Imperial Envoy."
The Grand Prince straightened his slouched posture.
Unlike everything up to this point, this audience was profoundly important.