The Princesses of the Orphanage (5)
Late night. Near midnight. I usually rode alone in the carriage my father drove, but today, someone else was with me.
"Naria Princess."
"......."
"No one's around now, so you can speak freely."
"...Ah."
Naria slowly opened her mouth.
"I'll make a clear distinction. Call me Zabes when there's something to hide. Call me Naria Princess when it's safe to talk."
"...Understood."
Naria nodded with a curt reply.
"Get some rest. It won't take long to reach the canyon, but once we join the children there, you'll have to live as Zabes from then on."
"What is Gibraltar plotting?"
"Plotting..."
I knew it. Naria was from the same mold as Queen Carmen. In fact, she showed even stronger tendencies, so I couldn't treat her like some naive child.
However.
"Hold on."
I was a little confused.
How exactly should I treat her?
I'd only confirmed she'd been doing well for the past three years—no more, no less. I hadn't tested what level she'd reached.
I just assumed she was fine, naturally.
From the start, both Father and I figured Naria knew about the secret pact between Gibraltar and Morgania.
The problem is my pre-regression perception is too ingrained. I don't know how to approach her.
The old princess had been, well, utterly tragic. Princess of a fallen kingdom. Leader of the revolutionaries. Her incompetent father the king executed. Her mother Carmen ruling as the empire's governor. With no one's loyalty, she'd sought out the purged loyalists and formed her own rebel army.
As her enemy, I'd tormented that woman for nearly seven years. As head of the traitorous house.
When Governor Carmen couldn't bring herself to execute captured revolutionaries, I'd picked up the musket and done it myself.
Yet the princess of the fallen kingdom saved me. Forcing sacrifices from her rebel lieutenants, she dragged me out of prison.
And to me, who'd lost everything and given up, she'd reignited my will to live—through somewhat coercive means.
Look here, Sir Grey. Your soul may have given up on everything, but your body is honest. See how the blood rushes?
"......."
"Grey?"
"No. Grey is fine. Drop the 'Sir,' please."
Her voice was still that of a child, but hearing the same title from her gave me chills.
"As I said, I pledged my loyalty to you that day."
"Yes. I remember."
The carriage jolted slightly. Loud enough for Father outside to hear.
"The term is seven years. Until you come of age and take the throne."
"......."
"Does that disappoint you?"
"No. I expected as much from the start. Though some things were hard to understand..."
Naria fidgeted with her fingers, clutching the bonnet atop her head.
"A gaze that sees people as both ends and means—it felt familiar."
"...As expected."
Naria had seen through my intentions from our first meeting.
"What do you want to say?"
"Nothing particular. That's why I didn't refuse to come here."
"You trusted me?"
"I'm sorry to Mother, but when I thought of the king lopping off heads and needed a place to flee... the first one that came to mind was..."
Naria stared straight at me.
"...you."
"Just childish words."
"No one else has ever said that to me but you."
"Very well, Naria Princess. Now that we've confirmed a few things, what do you want from me?"
I leaned forward, bringing my face close to hers.
"Answer honestly."
"I'm the one who wants to ask."
"Answering a question with another isn't good form, Naria Princess."
"If I answer, will you answer honestly too?"
Naria extended her hand, raising her pinky.
"Promise."
"Words won't do?"
"If I could draft a contract, I would have."
"So rigid."
I understood.
"Fine. I'll go first, honestly."
And honestly, this kind of talk suited me better.
"I want to dethrone Saint Geo. And put you on the throne in his place."
"I see. Understood."
A conversation stripped of emotion, purely political.
"What I want from you, Grey, is one thing."
Naria wiggled her still-extended pinky.
"In seven years, make me this kingdom's king."
I reached out and hooked my pinky with hers.
"I'll make you this kingdom's queen. As your knight."
"Please take care of me, Sir Grey."
"That's why I said drop the 'Sir.'"
"But you're a knight."
Naria nodded with her usual blank expression, but...
"Sir Grey. Sir Grey. Can I call you Sir Grey even as Zabes?"
She was talking more than usual, so Gibraltar must feel a bit more comfortable now.
"...I haven't been knighted yet, so normally it'd be 'Young Master Grey' when I'm Zabes."
"Got it. Sir Grey."
"......."
* * *
On the road from Gate 2 to Gate 1, after opening the gate. While Naria rested in the carriage, Father summoned me.
"You really have no feelings for Naria Princess at all?"
"Father?"
"First time in my life I've heard such a suffocating conversation from a thirteen-year-old."
Father glanced between me and the carriage a short distance away.
"Setting aside that she's Saint Geo's daughter, Naria Princess seems like a fine woman."
"She'd make a fine queen."
"You don't see her as a woman at all?"
"As a woman."
I'd certainly thought about it.
"She craved love for three years, but given that, who'd accept her?"
"...Did you send secret letters behind my back or something?"
"No. Just pondered it in my head. It's been exactly three years since we met."
Coincidentally.
"I thought hard for three years, but even if I liked Naria Princess, she wouldn't like me back."
"You haven't seen her in three years. Wasn't today your first meeting?"
"Both she and I are people who let reason lead over emotion."
Back in my academy days, I might've believed the saying about persistence wearing down any tree.
"It's a symbiotic contract of aligned interests."
For now, future sovereign and subject were enough.
"Son. Ever heard that men and women can't just be friends?"
"If king and subject become friends, the kingdom falls."
"...Why did it have to be Naria Princess?"
"There's no Nostrum without Naria Princess."
Obvious, but pre-regression favors and current loyalty were separate matters.
"She sees me as her knight for rebellion. I see her as the one to dethrone the incompetent king. That's enough, Father."
"Who knows what woman you'll end up cherishing."
Father clicked his tongue in exasperation.
"I thought you'd be the type to give up everything for the woman you love."
"......."
"Grey?"
"Do I seem that way to you, Father?"
"Of course."
Father stared at me with a calm voice.
"You're more than I ever was. If the woman you love is in danger, you might even give up loving her—for what you think is her sake."
"......."
"Why? Think I'm wrong?"
"No. That's... spot on."
A chill ran down my spine for a moment.
"Do Sword Masters gain foresight or something?"
"Feels like prophecy? Sorry, then. I've cursed your future."
"Yes. Sounds like a terrifying curse."
Thwack.
"Think of it as a warning, not a curse."
Father placed a hand on my head.
"What would you do in that situation, Father?"
"Me? Obviously."
Father lightly flicked the sword at his waist.
"I'd just cut down any such danger with my blade."
"Brute force method."
"Overwhelm with power so no danger ever arises."
To some, it might sound like bravado, but it wasn't wrong.
"True. If I know danger looms, I just nip it in the bud before it arrives. Thank you for the lesson."
"...Right. But if such a girl appears, tell me ahead of time. I'll support whatever you do, but your mother and I need time to prepare ourselves."
"Haha. Father. How drastic do you think I'd get saving a loved one from peril?"
Nothing major.
"At most, if someone tries to kill her, I'd go all out and behead them."
"You plan to kill Saint Geo Nostrum like that?"
"Father, no."
"Just asking. That guy..."
Father patted my back and placed a hand on the canyon gate.
"He's my share—no handing him over to you."
Creeeak.
The canyon gate opened.
"Ah, it finally opened!"
At the same time, someone waiting right in front of the gate lit up and waved at us.
"Long time no see~~"
Her voice brimmed with energy as always. Erwin Chairwoman's tone carried unmistakable hope.
"The children?"
"Right here, in the container!"
"...Container?"
The translator couldn't handle registered proper nouns.
"Yes! It looks like a carriage, but, uh, how do I explain...?"
Erwin knocked on the massive iron box beside her.
"Ah! Grey! Can you explain it?"
"You think I know, Chairwoman?"
"Uh, yeah, right? Of course..."
"It's a fully automatic cargo carriage powered by a mana stone engine, Father."
I knew it. Better than most.
"Fully automatic cargo carriage?"
"It rolls on wheels via internal mechanisms—no horses needed. This one's a bit extreme, though."
Simply put, a rectangular iron box on wheels. Felt like smuggling kids in a subway freight car through the capital.
"Did you have to bring the children like this?"
"N-No choice! This was the only way past the surveillance net!"
"...Surveillance net?"
Father frowned.
"In case of pursuers..."
"Ah, no! I already shook them off leaving the capital. No worries!"
"Hm..."
"And this container—we're shipping it as-is, so take it! It has clothes for the kids, luggage, and..."
"We're building separate facilities, so no need to worry."
I passed Erwin and headed to the opposite 'entrance.'
"Is there a door here?"
"Y-Yeah! Right there. Hold on?"
Erwin hurried to my side and placed her hand on the container.
"Sorry. The lock uses blood authentication."
"Blood authentication?"
"Yep! Only reacts to blood matching the stored sample in the mana stone. Iferia Industries secret tech?"
I see. So that system on every imperial weapon later—it was Iferia's.
"Will you be coming with us personally, Chairwoman?"
"Mm, no. Just removing the lock here. Needs to be recovered."
"Got it."
Whirr.
The door opened. Red mana stone light flickered inside, then the iron door slid inward.
"Kids! It's the prince~~"
"Who’s a prince."
Erwin waved cheerfully with a bright laugh, but no one inside was visible. The container was pitch black.
Moonlight filtered through the door, illuminating pale faces. Girls aged roughly seven to fifteen, all in black robes, huddled trembling at the far back.
"Pleased to meet you all. Gibraltar will protect you with utmost sincerity."
"Ah..."
As I spoke in imperial tongue, the orphans Erwin brought lit up.
All illegitimate daughters of the crown prince, huh.
Scanning each one—they were all promising beauties. Did these girls know? Father had seeded them all.
And these nine hopeful faces who hadn't been born to privilege—
...Nine?
"...?!"
Suddenly, a presence from behind.
This was killing intent—
"Waaah~~!!"
"......."
...No, mischief.
"Eh?! Not scared? Wait, you are?!"
"...Kid."
Erwin sighed, rubbing her temple.
"This boy isn't just for you—he's the Gibraltar Margrave's eldest son, who'll take responsibility for all of you."
"R-Really?"
Grab.
"Then he's our master?!"
She seized my shoulders from behind, forcibly spinning me around.
"Hi!!"
"......."
"Hi? Hmm, not right? But..."
Backlit by the moon, pale purple-tinged white hair swayed gently.
"You're so pretty!"
With eyes blending purple and sky blue, the girl beamed at me.
"I'm Astasia! Nice to meet you! What's your name?"
"...You're the second person to call me pretty right off the bat."
"What?! Someone besides me?"
"Yes."
Grey Gibraltar, age 17.
"Someone as pretty as you, Astasia, said it to me."
Our first meeting at the capital's academy.
"Word for word."
She had told me.
"Who?! Wow, someone with the same taste as me!"
"In a dream."
"...Ehh? A dream? Then I'm first in reality!"
"Guess so. Hmm..."
If.
If we met, how should I greet her?
I'd agonized over it endlessly these past three years.
"You've crossed into the kingdom via Gibraltar Canyon, so I'll greet you kingdom-style."
But before I could think, my body moved on its own.
An old habit. Or instinct.
"Welcome to Gibraltar, Lady Astasia."
I knelt on one knee before the girl and brushed my lips to the back of her hand.
"It's an honor to meet you like this."
"I'll serve you like a princess."
"......Hic."
I looked up.
"Take care of me, Prince!"
Astasia smiled as brightly as ever.
After my execution.
About a month after the princess of the fallen kingdom rescued me.
Farewell, my prince.
Just like that final moment, executed in the plaza by the emperor.