The Riel Coalition (2)
A short while later, in the office of the immigration bureau.
"…"
"…"
Milia and Schwarz sat on the sofa reserved for guests, waiting for someone.
Only the soft ticking of the clock filled the room as roughly ten minutes slipped by.
Knock. Knock.
The door opened at the sound of the knock, and in stepped an elderly man who looked quite advanced in years at a single glance.
His hair was combed straight back, and he wore a splendidly groomed beard. Pale white hair and green eyes reminiscent of emeralds made for a striking appearance.
Judging by the pair of male and female attendants following behind him, he clearly held a position of considerable rank.
Schwarz and Milia rose from their seats and offered a light bow toward the man. He, in turn, inclined his head with a kindly smile.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Valentine. And you as well, Schwarz. I am Andrea Vardi, one of the members of the 8-Man Council, the highest governing body of the Riel Coalition."
"The 8-Man Council…?"
At the introduction of the man who called himself Andrea Vardi, Milia tilted her head as if something were on the tip of her tongue. Then her eyes flew wide with a sharp little gasp.
"The daughter of House Valentine greets Councilor Vardi of the 8-Man Council."
The 8-Man Council.
It was the institution that governed the Riel Coalition, that vast alliance of countless cities. In other words, it stood in a position equivalent to that of a king in a kingdom or an emperor in an empire.
And the Vardi family was one of the eight houses that made up that council.
"There's no need to be so formal. I would never expect such stiffness from the benefactors of my granddaughter."
"Your granddaughter's benefactors?"
Andrea raised a hand as if to wave away her formality. Milia tilted her head again and glanced at Schwarz.
But Schwarz only shook his head, just as lost. No matter how hard he searched his memory, he could not place who the man might mean.
Benefactors of his granddaughter? Who on earth is he talking about?
With that shared thought, both of them looked back at Andrea. He smiled faintly and spoke.
"The princess of the Elianos Kingdom—Elis Nella Elianos—is my granddaughter. I am her maternal grandfather."
"If you are Her Highness's maternal grandfather…"
Milia trailed off, her face draining of color as she swallowed hard.
Elis's maternal grandfather.
In other words, he was Elis's grandfather on her mother's side.
"That child wrote so endlessly about the two of you in her letters… I never imagined we would meet like this."
"H-Her Highness did…?"
How in the world was she supposed to take this situation?
She had simply come on a trip with Schwarz—so why had Elis's grandfather sought them out? On top of that, Milia was only now learning that the late first queen of the Elianos royal family had been a woman of the Riel Coalition.
Honestly, she wanted nothing more than to bolt for the door that very instant, but she lacked the courage to actually do it.
"By the way, what brings the two of you to the Coalition?"
"W-We're traveling!"
"Hmm… traveling, is it?"
Fearing any unnecessary suspicion, Milia answered almost before the question had finished. Andrea narrowed his eyes and let out a low hum.
Cold sweat beaded on Milia's brow at the look on his face—when he spoke again.
"How fortunate, then."
"Fortunate? In what way?"
"Because tomorrow marks the start of the Riel Coalition's Founding Festival. It is the perfect season for travel."
Answering Milia's uneasy question, Andrea drew from his coat a single ornate key that looked more like a work of art than a simple tool, and held it out to her.
"Please accept this."
"This is…?"
"It is the key to a suite at the Aqua Marina, a hotel on Undine Plaza. I hope you will take it without any burden."
"E-Even if you say not to feel burdened…!!"
As Milia tilted her head in confusion, Andrea's words only made her wave her hands in flustered protest.
Saying such a thing did not mean anyone could actually accept it without feeling the weight of the gift.
Yet Andrea seemed to take her reaction for modesty. With a satisfied smile, he rose from his seat.
"This visit was rather sudden, so I cannot spare much more time today, but I shall make time again later. Until then, I hope you both enjoy your stay in our Coalition."
"W-Wait, that's not— I mean…!!"
Milia waved her hands desperately toward Andrea as he bowed politely, but he only offered her another faint smile before turning and leaving the office with his attendants.
"…"
"…"
Once more, only the ticking of the clock filled the office.
"Somehow this feels familiar… Don't you think so too?"
"Yes…"
Milia stared blankly in the direction Andrea had gone, then turned to Schwarz with the question. He nodded.
So Elis's headstrong streak came from her mother's side of the family.
With that thought, the two of them let out a short sigh together.
And so their first day in the Riel Coalition drew to a close.
Once the little episode at the immigration bureau was behind them, Milia and Schwarz passed through the gate that separated the harbor from the city and entered Bianca Arca, the capital of the Riel Coalition.
The first thing to greet them beyond the gate was a fountain so vast and grand it could easily have been mistaken for a swimming pool.
Carved into its form were fish of every unknown variety, along with sharks, dolphins, and even great whales. There was simply no word for it but impressive.
"Then I'll go on ahead and unload the luggage!"
"Please do."
The carriage halted before the fountain. The moment the two of them stepped down, Ban spoke those words and set off toward the hotel on Undine Plaza that Andrea had mentioned.
They watched the carriage grow smaller and smaller until it vanished completely from sight.
"It feels completely different from Barenberg, doesn't it?"
"It really does feel like we've come to another country."
Milia looked around at the streets as she spoke, and Schwarz nodded in agreement.
The overall color palette called Barenberg to mind, yet where that city favored angular buildings, the structures of the Riel Coalition were dominated by soft curves.
Even the clothing people wore was far lighter and more practical than what one saw in Barenberg—no doubt because the city had been built upon the sea and the humidity ran high.
"Wow… everything is something I've never seen before."
"I suppose it would be."
Faced with sights she had never encountered in her life, Milia kept letting out soft exclamations of wonder.
Unlike the inland Elianos Kingdom, the Riel Coalition sat upon the ocean itself; everything, beginning with the culture, was bound to be different.
Like a child who had wandered into a shop filled with toys, Milia drank in the foreign scenery with sparkling eyes.
"Well then… where should we start?"
Leaving her to her delight for a moment, Schwarz pulled out the travel pamphlet he had picked up at the office and began considering their plans for the day.
Just then—
"Um… Schwarz."
"Yes? What is it, My Lady?"
At the hesitant voice he answered—and felt something wrap around his arm. He turned his head.
What met his eyes was Milia, her arm linked through his.
"M-My Lady?"
"No one's watching us here… so it's all right, isn't it?"
Schwarz's face filled with flustered surprise at the sudden closeness. Milia, cheeks flushed, turned her head away as if to hide the color and spoke.
Perhaps it was because, unlike in Barenberg or the Valentine Countship, there was no need to worry about watching eyes.
Her unusually bold manner set Schwarz's heart pounding hard in his chest.
But it did not last long.
Grrrroowl.
The next instant, a mysterious sound rose from his stomach—the cry of an empty stomach demanding food.
"…"
"…"
Silence settled between them at once.
"N-No, I mean, this is just…!!"
Desperate to salvage the awkward atmosphere, Schwarz waved his hands in panic.
If one thought about it, there was nothing strange about the sound. He had emptied everything in his stomach during the voyage; of course an empty belly would demand a meal. The only problem was the timing—which could not have been worse.
"Pfft… Pwahahaha!!"
Watching him flounder for words, Milia first let out a series of stifled giggles, then burst into full, ringing laughter.
Passersby turned to look, but she paid them no mind and simply kept laughing at the top of her voice.
"Ahahahaha! Do you have any idea how funny that was just now? Ahahaha!"
"Urgh…"
Schwarz could only make a low, embarrassed sound. After laughing for a long while, Milia finally caught her breath and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
She had laughed so hard her face was bright red.
"Pfft… If you were hungry, you should have said so sooner."
"No… that isn't…"
"Let's start by eating something. Even a journey is better after a meal, right?"
Schwarz opened his mouth as if to make excuses, but Milia cut him off and began scanning the surroundings for a suitable shop.
"Haa…"
To start a trip looking like this… and of all timings…
Feeling a vague, helpless melancholy, Schwarz let out a short sigh and a wry little laugh.