An Unexpected Summons to the Imperial Palace
“……”
Inside the rattling carriage, the atmosphere was pure torture.
Cielian sat beside me, while across from us lounged an elderly man. It would have been better if someone—anyone—had said something, but the old man had pulled out a thick stack of documents and was calmly working through them, and Cielian, for reasons of her own, wore an openly sour expression as she stared off into space, clearly lost in unpleasant thoughts.
Feeling I ought to do something as well, I took out the novel I had brought along and opened it, yet the words refused to register. Both of them were completely absorbed in their own business, utterly indifferent to the mood, while I alone sat there fretting.
“An imperial summons, of all things……”
I cast my mind back, trying to piece together exactly how we had ended up in this situation.
“My lady, I believe you should come at once.”
A servant hurried over and interrupted the conversation Cielian and I had been having. From the urgency in his voice, the strained look on his face, and the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, it was obvious something serious had happened.
“Wait here a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Cielian, reading the same signs of crisis, rose from her seat without even asking what the matter was. Yet even after she stood, the servant still seemed to have more to say.
“Ah…… The guest has specifically requested that your friend join you as well.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I have no idea how he knew Lady Elicia was here, but he named both of you quite clearly—Lady Cielian and Lady Elicia.”
“……Just what is going on? From the sound of it someone has come calling. Who is this guest?”
“Well……”
Under Cielian’s almost commanding question, the servant hesitated, choosing his words with care.
“Someone from the Imperial Palace has arrived.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Cielian’s brow furrowed sharply. I had never seen her look so openly displeased.
Sip.
When we entered the drawing room, we found a white-haired old man calmly drinking tea. Across from him sat Lucas Deretia—Cielian’s father and head of the Deretia family—who had not so much as touched his own cup. He merely rolled his eyes, carefully gauging the old man’s mood.
Even if the visitor was from the Imperial Palace, Lucas was a marquis, a noble among nobles. Seeing him so cautious was puzzling, but I kept the thought to myself and stepped inside.
“I have brought them, my lord.”
“Ah, come in, come in. Have a seat.”
Lucas rose and personally guided us to the sofa. A maid who had been waiting nearby approached and set teacups before Cielian and me. With practiced grace she poured the tea, then quietly withdrew.
“It has been some time, young lady of Deretia.”
Once we were seated, the old man addressed Cielian.
“What is this about? And how did you even know Elicia was here?”
Ignoring the polite greeting entirely, Cielian cut straight to the point in a sharp, biting tone. The irritation that had been simmering since before we entered the drawing room showed no sign of cooling.
Fortunately the old man from the Imperial Palace seemed unbothered by her attitude. Without the slightest change in expression he turned his gaze toward me.
“So this must be Lady Elicia Frentz. A pleasure to meet you. I am Kaiden Bardi.”
“Ah—yes. Hello. I’m Elicia Frentz.”
He offered his hand without ceremony. I took it and shook lightly, introducing myself even though he clearly already knew who I was. The moment our palms met I felt the distinctive calluses that only swordsmen develop.
And in that instant a name flashed through my mind.
“Ka—Kaiden? As in the strongest of the eight Sword Masters……!”
“Haha, just ignore those ridiculous rumors. I simply work for the Imperial Palace, so the gossipmongers like to dress it up to sound impressive.”
Even though I had shouted while still gripping his hand—hardly the height of manners—Kaiden merely answered with an easy, good-natured smile and made no comment. Until the handshake I had not even realized he was a swordsman. His Aura was so perfectly contained that outwardly he looked every bit the mild-mannered scholar.
Where Craig’s Aura had radiated pure knightly presence, this man gave off nothing at all. Even the sword resting beside him had blended so completely into the room’s décor that I had not registered its existence until I knew who he was.
“So what is your business?”
Cielian cut in, her face even more openly scowling than before. Only after Kaiden and I released each other’s hands and put a little distance between us did her brow relax a fraction.
Kaiden paid her attitude no mind whatsoever; it was Lucas, the head of the house, who looked flustered and kept glancing nervously at the old man.
“Nothing particularly serious. I have simply come to escort the two of you. You have received an invitation from the Imperial Palace.”
“You still haven’t explained how you knew Elicia was here.”
“Haha. Originally I went to the Academy, only to learn that Lady Cielian had already returned home, while Lady Elicia had gone with her friend Lady Yuri to the Atilea estate.”
The old man lifted his teacup at a leisurely pace, took a sip, and continued.
“So I headed to the Atilea house, only to discover she had moved on again—this time to the home of another friend, Lady Anne. I changed course once more and made for the Klein estate.”
Another sip.
“Good heavens! When I arrived at the Klein house, they told me she was now at the Deretia estate. Fortunately I reached here today and was informed that Lady Elicia was present. Since I needed to collect both of you anyway, it worked out rather well, don’t you think?”
Wouldn’t it have been simpler just to ask for our location through a communication crystal before setting out……?
“It took a little time, but thanks to that I have been able to enjoy something of an unofficial vacation—and receive such fine hospitality as well.”
Kaiden was now leaning fully back against the sofa, emptying his cup with complete unconcern.
He just wanted to slack off, didn’t he?
A Sword Master playing hooky. I was not sure whether to believe it or not. And if I had not accepted Cielian’s invitation to stay a few extra days, Kaiden would have had to turn the carriage around and head all the way back to the Academy. Talk about a wild-goose chase.
“Haa……”
Cielian let out a short sigh before speaking again.
“Then what is the purpose of this invitation? Surely you were not sent merely to deliver a casual summons. And why would Elicia attract the Imperial Palace’s attention in the first place?”
“Well, for an ordinary invitation I would not have come myself. A few subordinates, a letter, or a crystal message would have sufficed. But what if that ‘subordinate’ is me?”
Kaiden grinned and tossed the question back at her.
He was one of only eight Sword Masters on the entire continent, and the undisputed foremost blade in service to the Emperor. No one could place Kaiden beneath them—save for a single person.
“Exactly so. His Majesty has invited the two of you. The matter itself is an ordinary invitation, but the one extending it is no ordinary person.”
“And we’re supposed to believe that?”
“Haha. Whether you believe it or not is up to you, Lady Cielian, but His Majesty simply wishes to see the two of you.”
Having requested and drained yet another cup of tea, Kaiden rose from his seat.
“The tea was excellent. I shall wait outside; please inform me when you are ready. Personally I would not mind lingering a few more days, but one cannot keep putting off an imperial command forever, so let us depart tomorrow.”
Despite his scholarly appearance, Kaiden remained thoroughly committed to slacking off until the very end. I was beginning to wonder whether this was really the Sword Master of legend.
His business concluded, he stood and left the drawing room under the guidance of a Deretia servant. No doubt he had been assigned a guest room, just as I had, and intended to rest off the fatigue of the long carriage ride.
“Well, there you have it. Going to the Imperial Palace is no small matter for either of you, so go back to your rooms and rest.”
Looking as though he could finally breathe again, Lucas spoke. Yet even as we returned to our chambers—and even after we entered them—Cielian’s expression refused to soften in the slightest.