Earlier that morning, after having gotten up and finished a light breakfast, Vileena had gone to the desk in her room.

She was back in good health. Following Theresia's advice, she had rested earlier than normal, and the medicine that Layla had brought back from the market had done its job.

She opened a book and started reading poetry out loud. It was a recent habit of hers. When she had previously welcomed Taúlia's princess, Esmena Bazgan, in Apta, she had realised that she truly was nothing more than an ignorant little girl. Even now, she still felt mortified by the conviction that if Ineli Mephius had not happened to be present to help, Esmena would have spent a tedious trip.

Because of that, she became driven by the idea that she needed to rapidly acquire culture. No sooner was it said than done. She asked Theresia to go buy books of Mephian verse, which was what she was now reading aloud.

According to her, "I become too engrossed and forget about reality when I read in silence."

Or so she said but, going by what Theresia had witnessed more than once, it was actually only because she would otherwise fall asleep.

Well, in a sense, that was also "forgetting about reality".

This morning too she started reading poetry in a brisk voice.

It's strange how everything sounds like a war poem when the princess is the one reading it - Theresia thought while listening as she sorted the clothes on the shelves.

They had only been scheduled to be away for a few days when they left Solon. And somehow or another, here they were going to Nedain, Apta, Birac and all over Mephius. Theresia was flawless in her duties and prepared clothes for the princess for every possible environment, but now that she had no leeway to do so, she had no choice but to make do with what she had. Normally, as there were tailors and dressmakers catering exclusively to aristocrats wherever one went, Theresia only had to see a sample of their work, choose who to place an order with, take delivery of the clothes she had purchased, and give instructions about how to adjust them.

After less than ten minutes, she could no longer hear the princess' voice. She turned around to look, thinking that today it had been exceptionally fast, but, contrary to her expectations, Vileena's eyes were wide open. Her gaze was not however directed at her book but outside the window.

It was not a case of her concentration becoming unfocused and drifting away. On the contrary, her expression was rapt. It was a scene of such ethereal beauty that it seemed on the verge of dissolving in the morning sun.

Although caught in a feeling of wanting to admire it a little longer, Theresia nevertheless called out -

"Princess."

"…O Mighty Winds, artless children of Minel! Bridle sorcery's rampage, banish to the ruins of time the sparks of these senseless ceremonies of steel. Thou who now brushes against my cheeks will cross the pale, snow-capped summits and to the ends of the world soon..."

"Princess."

"I was just getting into it. Don't interrupt!"

Vileena turned around, looking thoroughly displeased, but Theresia had a suggestion -

"Studying hard is excellent. But staying locked away in your room is stuffy, isn't it? Why not go for a little walk?"

Bathed in sunlight for the first time in several days, Vileena left the mansion. She had been secluding herself in her room not only because she had been thinking about something, but also because she judged that while Salamand continued to cause trouble in Mephius, a Garberan princess walking around as she pleased would simply stir things up unnecessarily among the people and soldiers of Birac.

Her intentions were admirable but, unfortunately, her personality made it impossible for her emotions to settle down when she had to stay still in one place.

"If you say so, Theresia, then... well, I suppose I have no choice," she had said casually while putting on her cloak; but actually, she was feeling embarra.s.sed at having had Theresia see through her.

Now then…

Trying to look as serious as possible, she firmly set her expression and, walking like the guards on patrol did, first went on a round of the mansion's surroundings.

Vileena's steps were light. Nor was it only today; she always walked at a fast pace, which made things hard for Theresia, who followed behind her. Today however she simply did her best to keep up and did not particularly make any comment.

And so, just like that, they circled around the entire mansion in no time at all. Following which, it suddenly occurred to Vileena to go and see Krau.

She should also have arrived in Birac recently along with the fleet. She would almost certainly have found a discreet corner of the air carrier dock and would be lazing around, her large body imposingly stretched out. Contrary to expectation however, as soon as she reached the docks with its characteristic smell of oil and heated engines, she heard Krau's voice.

"Hey, hurry up! Guys who sleepwalk their way through work don't get to eat, you know. Over there too! Have you finished checking the engines? What do you mean, you're starting now? Uh-huh, you're going to be in for a really long day. Hurry up and get it done before the sun sets."

Her usually lethargic figure was running around faster than seemed possible given her plump body while she continued to hurl instructions about servicing and a.s.sembling the carriers. She must have been at it for a while since she was drenched in sweat from head to toe.

Upon asking about it, it appeared that Zaj Haman would be visiting the mansion that afternoon.

Zaj being Zaj, there was no question that he would come to see the air carriers. If nothing else, because he had only just donated three new-model air carriers in celebration of the prince's return. Krau was conscious of the fact that if the s.h.i.+ps were poorly maintained, or even if they were noticeably dirty, she was the one he would get angry at.

Because Krau had once been a slave working for Zaj, she was steeped to the bones in the awareness that he was particularly strict when it came to air carriers. Taken another way, however, it showed that Zaj was no longer her master. Nonetheless, since he was her mentor when it came to s.h.i.+ps, she was now working so hard on maintenance that she looked like a different person. Their relations.h.i.+p was not one that could be severed even if the master and slave were to switch places.

"Ah, look! That stuff there is in the way so you can't see the crest of the Haman firm. Why is it that you don't do anything unless you're told to? Can't you use your heads to think!?"

Hearing Krau's shrill voice as she earnestly bustled around, Vileena smiled and, not wanting to interrupt, she left hastily.

Anyway - she would soon need to discuss something face-to-face with Krau. But that conversation was not so urgent that she couldn't wait for Krau to calm down.

Next, Vileena went to find Hou Ran. As with Krau, she did not need to search to know where to go. Even so…

"Oh my!" Theresia exclaimed in surprise, and Vileena was equally taken aback.

Just as expected, Hou Ran was in the dragon pen. She was, additionally, inside a cage where medium-sized dragons were kept. Terrified-looking slaves were standing nearby, holding a three-metre tall whetting board while Ran guided the dragon to sharpen its claws.

Again, just like Krau, she moved as nimbly as could be. She was still covered in bandages, but she did not seem to be suffering from any after-effects of her injuries. According to what Vileena had heard, Ran had s.h.i.+elded a dragon from armed soldiers by standing in front of their guns.

Amazing - Vileena was openly admirative. Besides which, she was also happy to see Ran safely taking care of the dragons as usual.

"Is that you, Vileena?" Ran suddenly called out, despite the fact that they were still far away and that she could not see what was outside the cage.

"It is incredible that you can tell."

"These children have finally learnt to remember the princess' face," said Ran.

That really did not explain anything, but Vileena decided to just go along with it for now. She knew that if she asked about it, the answer would just leave her even more confused.

Ran still had her back turned towards the princess and continued working. From what Vileena could see, the dragons were just like dogs. Be it the Baians, the one-horned Yunions, or the Golls with their reddish-brown scales, all of them happily followed Ran's instructions. No matter how many times she saw it, it was still a startling scene.

Garbera, the princess' native country, also had dragoon units. It could not, however, be said to be as proficient at handling them as Mephius or the west were. And so every single one of Ran's movements appeared to her to be a miracle of skill.

"Ran, you really understand the dragons' feelings very clearly, don't you?"

"Who knows," Ran answered curtly. "The 'voice' that I hear is limited to what I can make out of it. I can't read these children's feelings without ever making any mistakes. That's why I try to look at it in different ways and spend a lot of time with them, so that I can maybe understand their feelings just a little bit more."

"I see," deeply impressed by the words, Vileena nodded profoundly.

At the same time, Theresia had, for a while now, been holding her handkerchief to her nose and had her eyes turned away from the dragons. In truth, she was impatient to get away from them as quickly as possible.

A short while elapsed.

"Is there something with my face?" Ran asked abruptly.

"Eh?"

"Orba's been staring at my face recently."

"I-Is that so?" Vileena blushed in embarra.s.sment.

"Has something changed about me without my noticing?"

"There is nothing particularly different from usual."

Perhaps exasperated by that far from insightful answer, Theresia stepped in to help.

"You are so beautiful, Miss Ran, that I'm sure there are many gentlemen who admire you."

"Do you think so?" Ran tilted her head while still giving the slaves instructions about the sharpening board.

Theresia seemed somewhat amused. "Could it be you cannot read men's feelings either?"

"Orba isn't complicated," said Ran. "I can usually tell what he's thinking just by looking at his face. But sometimes, very rarely, his feelings are even harder to understand than those of these children are. He really is a nuisance."

"Doesn't he wear a mask though…"

"Oh, that's just for show. What's a nuisance about him is that it's not just a mask, it's like he's got something concealing his entire body."

"Not just Sir Orba, aren't people often like that? Miss Ran, just like you try your utmost to spend time with the dragons so as to understand them, humans also put in a lot effort to understand one another; they use time, consideration, and a lot of seemingly idle conversations to do so. And in that way, they strip away the mask and the pieces of armour one by one."

"I see."

In Ran's own way, it looked as though she had acknowledged something from Theresia's words. She nodded ever so slightly.

That was when Vileena noticed something at Ran's waist. She was sure that she did not remember Ran wearing any kind of ornament before.

"Ran, you have a flute?"

"Orba gave it to me," Ran answered immediately. She had casually stuck the foreign-looking flute in her belt. Orba had gone with the prince to fight in the west, so it was probably something like a souvenir.

"How thoughtful. So different from the prince," Theresia muttered as an aside. Vileena pretended not to hear her.

"A western flute? I've heard about them. They say that they have a very expressive sound."

"I can't play it. But Krau plays beautifully."

"She does?" Although aware that it was a little rude, Vileena could not hide the surprise on her face.

For some reason, Ran gave a faint smile, "Krau can do anything. She's good at singing, dancing, and gambling. She said that she'd teach me one of these days, but I doubt if I can learn to play like her."

Thinking about it, Vileena and Ran had a strange connection. They had both ridden in the mountains after dark to go searching for the prince. They had travelled together by s.h.i.+p from Nedain to Apta. Vileena had heard that she had been seized by Apta's soldiers shortly afterwards and that, at around the same time as...o...b.. had saved Vileena from that mysterious attack, the prince had returned, rescuing Ran.

At the moment however, that was not what had left a deep impression on Vileena.

Right, a flute.

Enthusiasm flared up within her. She did not believe that she would become a person of refined culture simply from continuing to recite poetry. Or rather, she did not feel that she had any affinity for that.

Being able to play a musical instrument was definitely befitting of the status of a lady.

Alright, next up is the flute. I'll stop with poetry and start studying that instead.

Theresia had gone to the kitchens for awhile to prepare for the midday meal. As with clothes, she would need to try out all sorts to find something that suited the princess' tastes.

Once she was alone, Vileena was seized with the desire to go and watch the airs.h.i.+ps. As it happened, units were performing flight training. When she headed over that way, she happened to catch sight of Orba, the Imperial Guard. Seeing his back turned towards her, she stood still for a moment. With perfect timing, a stick rolled underfoot. And as for why the princess thought it was "perfect timing"… well anyway, Vileena picked it up.

The plan was to creep up quietly then yell "Prepare yourself!" as she swung towards the mask. Naturally, she did not actually intend to hit him. She only wanted to surprise the young man who was praised as a hero in both Mephius and the west, but he easily noticed her presence and she ended screaming like a girl.

Although she was, of course, feeling embarra.s.sed; instead of going away from Orba, who was standing quite still, she brazened it out and instead sat down and spoke -

"You seem to be as busy as ever."

"Well, more or less."

Orba's answer was vague. Vileena would have feigned displeasure, but his response suddenly reminded her of her earlier conversation with Ran, and she unintentionally burst out laughing.

"What is it?"

"No nothing. Ran said that your feelings are sometimes even harder to read than those of the dragons, is all."

"Is that so?"

Orba looked as though he did not know how to answer, but Vileena's next words made him gulp.

"Thinking about it, the way that Ran and the dragons understand each other without words is a lot like you and Prince Gil. Even though I have hardly ever seen you in the same place together, and even less talking together, you always seem to share the same understanding. Put plainly, you are very close, aren't you?"

"No, that… There's a lot about His Highness that even I don't understand. And since I don't have any room to ask questions, I really just follow orders without understanding them."

"In the west too?"

"Eh?"

The story of how Orba had played an active part in the west as a hero in an iron mask had started to spread in Apta and in Birac, and Vileena spoke of what she had heard.

"…That was naturally only because I had His Highness' instructions."

Vileena nodded along as though in admiration, but ended up giving a long sigh.

"There is no denying that His Highness is very skilled when it comes to warfare. Still, he really seems to believe in fooling his friends to deceive his enemies. Even now, does he have a plan, does he not, who knows?"

"But, although it wasn't what Ran was talking about, I've come to understand just a little bit more. These are also Ran's words, but I think that he is fundamentally uncomplicated. It's just that the way he presents himself is baffling and… oh?"

"Is something wrong?"

At Orba's words, Vileena looked puzzled. For a moment, her thoughts had become entangled and she no longer knew who she was talking about; was it about Orba or Prince Gil? Ran's a.s.sessment of "fundamentally uncomplicated but sometimes impossible to understand" perfectly applied to both of them. Orba of course, had no idea of what she was thinking.

"Since we're talking of understanding, Princess, how do you see His Highness now?" Orba enquired, impelled by curiosity. "Do you think there is a way to break the current deadlock?"

"That's…" Vileena started to speak then stopped.

Airs.h.i.+ps were revolving overhead. The units were all those of Winged Dragon officers, so naturally, it was very different from the half-baked training she had watched before. As she looked towards it, she said -

"For now, let's keep it a secret." She put a finger to her lips and winked.

"W-Why?"

"I'm imitating His Highness. Oh, speaking of imitating, could I ask you to pa.s.s on a message to him?"

Vileena stood up as she spoke and straightened the hem of her skirt. The gaze she turned towards...o...b.. was oddly clear. It somehow reminded him of the radiance of Lake Soma which he had briefly seen in the west.

"If it pleases you but… what on earth…?"

"Please tell him that Princess Vileena of Garbera is a 'liar'." Vileena smiled lightly.

Orba could not read her meaning. Borrowing Ran's words again, a realisation suddenly dawned on him: Women… Every last one of them is a nuisance and harder to understand than dragons.

Vileena did not intend to commit the same indiscretions again. Well, actually, what she was going to do from there on was probably indiscretion incarnate, but at any rate, she did not plan to betray again those who were close to her. And so, she explained things frankly to Theresia and Layla.

She held nothing back about the plan she had secretly been pondering these past few days and about what her movements would be in the close - or rather, the immediate - future.

"I object."

"Theresia…"

The lady's maid who had been by her side since Vileena was born quietly shook her head.

"Do not worry, I will not say anything about my position on this matter. Thank you for having told us Princess, however, you will soon be fifteen years old. I will not interfere with what you have thought of and decided on by yourself."

"Thank you, Theresia."

The princess' face suddenly brightened. On the other hand, Layla's expression clouded with unease. She was just about to say something but Vileena seized the initiative.

"Layla, please remain in Birac."

Layla caught her breath. The princess, of course, knew nothing of her circ.u.mstances, however, she supposed that there must have been some significant reason for her family to live in the west despite the fact that it had no diplomatic relations with Mephius. Because of that, she thought that she should not bring Layla with her any further, to where she would now be heading.

"It's alright. You can pretend that you did not hear this conversation, since I have no intention of dragging you into trouble, Layla."

"B-But, Princess… Rather than worrying about someone like me, won't you be putting yourself in considerable danger?"

"That's…" Vileena seemed to want to make some kind of excuse but then, in the next moment, she looked a little embarra.s.sed at her reaction and smiled. "I'm fully aware of that, but I will still do it."

"Is it for that person's sake?" Layla's sudden question was almost a shriek. For a second, the princess looked puzzled.

"That person?"

"His Highness Crown Prince Gil Mephius."

Ah - the princess nodded, her eyes lowered, as though having understood something. Just like a moment earlier, she was about to say something but then shut her lips. From her manner, it seemed that it was not that she was faltering and hesitating, but that she was perplexed as to how to explain her answer to another person. After a moment…

"For my native land, for the land that I decided to live and die in, for His Highness, for all the people… if I was to say that, none of it would be a lie. But, if you were to ask me for one specific person I was doing it for, in the end, it is probably for my own sake. Because I am aware of that, because I do not want to have regrets later, I will follow my decision through."

While the princess was explaining, Layla shook her head like an unruly child saying "no", dishevelling her long hair. Tears trickled from her eyes. Thinking that she was worried for her safety, Vileena's heart, of course, also tightened.

"Afterwards, I will definitely return here." There was no trace of hesitation in her firm promise.

However, Layla still shook her head, and her slender shoulders continued to tremble, but she was unable to say anything further.

"Why do you torment me so relentlessly, O Princess, I who am so weak?"

It was at some six hundred metres above ground that this cry of lamentation could be heard. Anyone would think that a beautiful but unfortunate maiden was being led to an unjust sacrificial ceremony, however it was only Krau who was weeping and wailing as she operated the steering apparatus. Even the crying was fake. It was perfectly clear that she was inwardly lamenting but, unfortunately, her tears were not that accommodating.

"I'm sorry." Still, Vileena meekly apologised and patted the large, hunched up back. "But it isn't to torment you. It's because I rely on you, Krau."

"The result is the same! I'll definitely be harshly scolded by His Highness. I'll be whipped, and have my meals taken away, and I'll definitely be suffer indignities I can't even mention."

"Now, now," while Krau was wailing tragically, Theresia's voice was utterly carefree. She was not use to air carriers and, for a while now, she had been gazing entranced at the part of the sky which could be seen from the bridge. "I do not believe that gentleman would do any such thing. An actress as talented as yourself only needs to put on a show; just insist that the princess tricked you and it will be fine."

"What do you mean, a 'show'?"

What the… Krau wondered suspiciously while she continued to sob. The lady's maid, who was always the first to criticise the princess whenever she acted like this, was this time acting like her accomplice.

As she made clear when she flat-out told the princess that she objected, Theresia was, of course, far from whole-heartedly approving of this. However, this time she had been informed beforehand. Which was infinitely preferable to having the princess sneak around in the shadows, like she had the time when she went alone to the west from Apta. Because Theresia wished to allow for Vileena's personality, she was determined that, this time, she would accompany her to the end.

They had embarked on this air carrier about two hours earlier.It had been the middle of the night when Vileena had sent a messenger to summon Krau to the mansion.

"I would like you to fly a s.h.i.+p to Nedain," the princess had requested.

She had claimed that it was a visit to encourage the soldiers on the front lines. If they left late at night, they would arrive in the morning. She also asked that a s.h.i.+p capable of covering long distances should be prepared, so that they would not need to stop at any relay-station along the way.

"At this hour?"

Krau had naturally had her doubts, but Vileena had calmly answered that -

"I only just thought of it."

To act on something she had only just thought of was certainly very like the princess. Besides, she had added that she had the prince's permission. Although there many points worthy of suspicion, since Theresia was with her, Krau had decided that - well, it probably isn't a lie.

She chose an air carrier that could carry no more than four or five people. Nor did it have any cabins. The reason why the hull was so large was because it had a large loading capacity for ether. It was not a type built for speed, but it had a long cruising range. It was a s.h.i.+p that was mainly used by garrison guards patrolling around the city's circ.u.mference.

The princess personally negotiated with the airport's supervisor. Just as with Krau, she claimed to have the crown prince's permission.

It was already known within Birac that Crown Prince Gil and Vileena always acted decisively. So the fact that his heroic accomplishments had been widely spread about, in this situation, had turned into a handicap for Orba.

And thus, when they had been flying for about two hours, and had travelled far enough that it was too late to turn back, the princess had said confidingly:

"This is a secret from the prince."

Krau's lamentations were not purely a show.

Although she kept nervously looking behind them to see if any pursuers had been sent out from Birac, in the end, the s.h.i.+p arrived in sight of their allies' encampment just as planned, sometime close to dawn.

General Odyne Lorgo's troops had now increased to about a thousand five hundred, so the camp was spread out. At their back they had Birac's huge port, so they did not need to worry about replenis.h.i.+ng supplies. As though showing off to Nedain, they were ostentatiously staying in position.

Rumour had it that they occasionally summoned the newly re-organised units in Birac to have them practice with swords and guns. This was, in part, to train the new soldiers where they could smell the air from near a battlefield, but it was also to keep Nedain in check.

There was a temporary landing site for air carriers. It was on a level hilltop and all that had been built was a track to allow goods to be transported easily, but Vileena ordered them to land there.

"That's an unusual s.h.i.+p." Odyne, who had gotten up early, was intrigued by the s.h.i.+p that landed in a cloud of dust.

Because s.h.i.+ps frequently came from Birac carrying messages, supplying provisions, or supplementing soldiers, the camp constantly saw s.h.i.+ps land and take off. But even for him, it was his first time seeing a s.h.i.+p of that model.

Not even Odyne could possibly have predicted that the Garberan princess, Vileena Owell, would alight from it.

Confused, he hurriedly rushed over on horseback and scrupulously bowed in greeting to the princess.

Odyne felt as though he still could not believe it even when he saw her up close; but it was not until after the greetings, and once he had heard the princess' purpose, that he was struck dumb in the real sense of the phrase.

"I will go to Nedain from here."

"To Nedain? But, Princess… w-why do you wish to go there?" Odyne could not conceal his confusion. He wondered if there had been some kind of communication between Birac and the current enemy, Solon, but there had been no such news.

"Is that somehow improper? I came from Garbera to become the crown prince of Mephius' wife. There is nothing to be bothered about in my going anywhere within Mephian territory."

There was no way he could not be bothered by it. From the princess' manner, Odyne could more or less sense that she did not have Gil Mephius' permission. He was going to immediately get in touch with Birac when -

"Odyne, even if you dig your heels in the ground, it won't work," the princess said with an unusual lack of expression. When the innocence vanished from her expression, her originally clear-cut features gave her a surprisingly adult appearance. "I am still a princess of Garbera. Are you, a mere Mephian general, going to defy me?" She went so far as to say.

Vileena ordered him to send a messenger to Nedain to inform them of her visit.

"I cannot do it."

"Is that so? In that case, I will fly an airs.h.i.+p and enter Nedain alone. It will be your responsibility if the enemy shoots me down in error and I lose my life because of it. There's no help for it."

Odyne was puzzled by the violence of her words. In the end, he obeyed her order. As she herself had said, for all that she was the crown prince's fiancée, she was still a princess of Garbera. He could not restrain her.

While waiting for the other party's reply, the princess seated herself in a corner of the encampment.

What's she planning to do?

The soldiers were whispering together close enough for her to be able to hear them.

Maybe she's seen that we're at a disadvantage and wants to run away?

Weren't there Garberan soldiers who've invaded Mephian territory? She could be intending on joining up with them and go back to her country…

Impossible, the princess is…

The anecdote of how Vileena Owell had gone alone to the west and thwarted Mephius' invasion was widely told. And, since that coincided with the purpose of Crown Prince Gil's war, the general tendency was to hold the princess up as a heroine. So the soldiers were naturally confused. Among them, there were some voices that suggested that -

Maybe it's some kind of plan set up by His Highness Prince Gil.

Vileena waited some distance apart. She sat on a camp stool with her knees pressed together. Behind her, as quiet and still as a shadow, was Theresia.

When the sun was nearly halfway across the sky, an airs.h.i.+p arrived from Nedain flying a flag of intersecting white and black. The flag of a messenger. He came with the message that Jairus Abigoal, lord of Nedain, was prepared to receive the Garberan princess.

Good - as soon as she heard it, Vileena rose from her seat.

"Princess, are you really going?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Vileena curtly responded to Odyne's final confirmation of her intentions.

News of the princess' visit naturally caused no small amount of confusion within Nedain. The long face-off had exhausted the resources of both the people and the soldiers. Whereupon, Vileena Owell had suddenly requested to come over from the enemy side.

"It might be a trap," some suggested in a whisper.

Crown Prince Gil was known to make use of all sorts of clever schemes to throw the enemy into disarray. He had done so both against Ryucown and when repelling Taúlia's surprise attack on Apta.

Those however were the achievements of the "real" Gil, so to speak. The fundamental premise of this war was that the "current" Gil was a different person, yet he too had overcome Folker's army and gained victory with just a small number of soldiers. Things were complicated in the extreme but, at any rate, they could not afford to be careless. However -

If this is the real Garberan princess we'll be receiving… Jairus had a faint hope that this stagnant situation might finally start to move again.

Currently, there was also that man, Salamand, who was causing trouble within Mephius in the name of "rescuing the princess". The sooner they get sent back to their own country, the better - thought Jairus.

However, although the response he had given was that "we will receive her," the lord of Nedain would not believe it was real until he saw her with his own eyes.

"It really is the princess herself."

The messenger airs.h.i.+p was returning. Jairus, who had s.n.a.t.c.hed the binoculars away from a soldier and caught sight of the princess and a woman who looked like a lady's maid on board the s.h.i.+p, was momentarily speechless. He had met Vileena before when she had come to Nedain. At that time, she had been a guest visiting from Solon. Now, she was coming from Birac, which was opposing that same Solon.

She sure is busy.

Jairus was so well pleased that pa.s.sing and sarcastic thought of his that he repeated when he went to meet her face to face.

"Greetings, Your Royal Highness. I did not hope to ever see you again. Since you have been flying around all over Mephius, you must be terribly busy."

He spoke from the entrance of the Abigoal mansion.

"I am very obliged to you for meeting me in person, Lord Abigoal."

"What are you saying? Truly, it seems that our fates are somehow connected, Princess."

Jairus received her with a smile but was far from bearing no grudges towards Princess Vileena. When she had visited from Solon, he was forced to look after her as a guest; and then she had outmanoeuvred Jairus by pretending to return to Solon but instead going to Apta. A battle had then occurred near the border with a western army and she had gone missing. At the time, Jairus' head had been spinning so much he thought he was on the verge of collapse; he could not imagine what kind of reprimand he would receive from His Majesty the Emperor.

What had saved Jairus was that Nabarl, despite being in a position of overwhelming superiority, had lost the battle and found himself bearing the full brunt of the blame.

However - look at the princess now - she stood before him, smiling modestly. In the end, she was just a young girl of fourteen or fifteen. She had probably admired those musty old heroes' tales and had thrown her weight about valiantly, only to come scuttling back without having accomplished a thing as soon as she realised that she was at a disadvantage. Thinking about it like that, he had the pleasant feeling that she was dancing in the palm of his hand.

And therefore, he was able to ask without restraint, "were you not pleased with His Highness' impostor?"

"Lord Abigoal, are you suspecting me of being an impostor?" Vileena asked with an unexpectedly sorrowful appearance.

"Oh my, no indeed. What we have here is the n.o.ble-minded Princess Vileena choosing the path of righteousness."

At which point, Boyce Abigoal appeared. Since the situation was one in which battle might break out at any moment, he was wearing armour. He had a single woman in tow.

"I believe this is your first time meeting my son?" Jairus introduced Boyce to the princess.

After they had exchanged careful greetings, Vileena's eyes alighted on the woman behind him.

"This person is…"

"My future wife," Boyce announced triumphantly.

Seeing how Jairus frowned slightly, it appeared that father and son were not entirely in agreement on this matter.

Vileena gave a slight bow of her head and greeted the woman too. She returned the greeting in accordance with proper etiquette and gave her name as Louise, but both her eyes and expression seemed lifeless.

I see, so she is…

Vileena kept her hand clasped in hers for so long that the Abigoal father and son found it unnatural.

"Lord Abigoal."

"What is it?"

Jairus felt startled. Her upturned eyes, that looked as though they were testing him, shone strangely.

"I am sorry to say this when you have come to greet me, but I am thinking of leaving at once. I wish to go to Solon immediately."

It was after dawn when news of Vileena's flight reached Orba's ears. At first, he could not understand what had happened. He even wondered if an enemy spy hadn't sneaked in and kidnapped the princess.

However, as his surroundings grew brighter, his sight became correspondingly clearer and, bit-by-bit, he received more accurate inform and was able to digest it. Vileena Owell, along with her lady's maid, Theresia, had boarded a s.h.i.+p and, with Krau at the helm, they had flown in the direction of Nedain. Given that it was a s.h.i.+p with a long cruising range, they had almost certainly reached the Nedain area without needing to replenish their ether. Their destination was, of course, obvious.

"Shall we give chase?" Asked the air force commander from Rogue's division.

Orba's feeling however was that it was - already too late.

And, as expected, an airs.h.i.+p arrived in the afternoon from the direction of Nedain, carrying on board a messenger from Odyne's camp. He said that the princess, having alighted at the encampment, had shaken off any attempts from Odyne and the others to restrain her and, after both parties had sent messengers to one another, had entered Nedain.

When Orba heard about this, there were a few other people in the room, Gowen included.

What's she up to? Since having been informed about it at dawn, Orba had felt sick at heart and helpless.

He had constantly had the impression that what with Salamand, Ende, and Allion, the net was slowly but visibly tightening around him and leaving him isolated.

And on top of that, Vileena, who should have been an ally, had gone and acted on her own. Didn't you say that you were leaving this war to me? His temper flared up unbidden.

Orba - On receiving a glance from Gowen, he realised that his inner feelings were showing in his expression. The former overseer of slaves had given him advice previously: since from here on, he would have to thoroughly deceive not only those around him but also the entire country and every person who had anything to do with Mephius, Orba's 'face' as a private individual would be nothing but a hindrance.

In other words, he could not act on his thoughts alone. The burden he shouldered was too heavy, so much so that even taking a single step was cause for hesitation.

Although he understood that, his feelings were not so easy to curb.

Even calling someone a liar and a coward…

Actually, "liar" and "coward" were Orba's own words about himself when he had been second-guessing the princess' evaluation of him, but leaving that aside for now…

"Liar."

"What?"

With Orba abruptly blurting out something nonsensical, Gowen reverted back to his expression "from the old days".

No, nothing - Orba shook his head while continuing his train of thought.

Right, a "liar" was it? He inwardly realised. That was what Princess Vileena had told the masked Imperial Guard Orba less than a few days ago. It had been a message to Crown Prince Gil Mephius. Huh, now I remember it. Orba was supposed to pa.s.s it on to the prince.

He felt like a fool. He should have noticed at the time. When it came to carefully observing hostile opponents, Orba demonstrated unparalleled powers of concentration; as he took note of every one of their actions, even down to their words and unplanned gestures, in order to see through their weaknesses and intentions. But when the opponent was a fourteen-year-old girl, he was completely lacking.

If he had to deceive a mult.i.tude of people, then Vileena was undoubtedly one of them.

I forgot all about it.

In a way, it could be seen as the princess' revenge. She had deserted Orba just as he had once fled from all that had been burdening him.

But in Vileena's case, she wouldn't have run away. Even if he held nothing but hatred towards her, that was still the one thing he could a.s.serted with certainty. When she moved, it was to fight.

Since things had come to this, he wanted to be able to understand what she would do next.

"It couldn't be that…" He wondered.

Eei - the wave of his emotions rippled out in different directions and he found it impossible to calm down. He was seized with the impulse to slam his fist hard against a wall.

"Gowen."

"Aye."

"It's already too late to hide the fact that Princess Vileena has gone, isn't it?"

"Since she went through General Odyne's camp, it will be impossible to stop all of the soldiers from talking."

"Then have it been known that when I - when Gil Mephius heard of her departure, his only reaction was to say 'Is that so?'"

It was a ridiculous order.

However, if it were known that the princess had selfishly taken action and that the prince had lost his composure because of it, the soldiers' morale would plummet to rock bottom. He had to let it be believed, to the very end, that the princess' flight had not had a great effect on him, or else that she had acted with his approval.

Once everyone had left the room though…

"s.h.i.+t!"

… Orba was finally able to slam his fist into the wall to his heart's content.

He felt cold and numb to the bone. It was no longer only hatred that filled his heart. It was nothing so simple. He bitterly regretted that his own impatience at the current situation had been seen through. He even felt some sympathy for the princess' position as, had it been him, he might well have done the same thing.

Still, calmly a.n.a.lysing things and coolly observing what happened from here on was a completely different matter.

His heart was chilled. The warmth he had felt at his side had already vanished and gone far away. It had only been fleeting.

Who could even say for sure that it was still anywhere in this world?

Roan, his mother, Alice, and even s.h.i.+que - the people who had been breathing by his side as though it were the most natural thing in the world had, in an instant, lost their warmth and been lain to rest, cold.

Orba ground his teeth hard.

Recently, she had constantly been having the same dream.

It was shrouded in shadows and there was a beast-like smell.

She screamed and struggled to escape. But the shadow tirelessly flew towards her.

It was undoubtedly a beast.

Its blazing eyes gleamed with desire and, from within its open maw, fangs glistening with saliva waited to tear through her tender skin.

In the end, her hands and feet could no longer move.

All she could do was scream endlessly.

Overwhelmed by the omens of death and destruction, her very mind lost the freedom of thought. She knew that soon, her flesh would be destroyed.

Just before it happened, a fierce crash of thunder roared.

It was a gunshot.

She did not know who had shot the bullet but the shadowy beast staggered and fell, and soon, it had disappeared.

The terror that had utterly filled her body and mind also gradually faded away, like the ebbing of the tide.

Before she realised it, the sun was s.h.i.+ning brightly down from above her.

It was like a completely different world from earlier. A cool breeze brought the sound of a ringing temple bell to her ears.

Men and women that she was acquainted with were lined up on either side of her. All of them were smiling. And whenever their eyes met, they called out their blessings to her.

"Congratulations."

"Congratulations, Layla."

Oh right - Layla realised - today was her wedding ceremony.

Thank you - she answered in return to each smiling face, happy and proud as she walked by in her pure white wedding dress.

At the point she was walking towards, amidst the shower of petals, her bridegroom was waiting. He was an honest and sincere young man. To amuse Layla, he would sometimes tell her jokes - something he was not used to - but immediately afterwards, he would always turn bright red. When it came to work, he closely resembled her obstinate father. She did not think that was why she was attracted to him. It was simply because she was convinced that they could become a couple that was just like her parents, who were always so affectionate with each other.

Her bridegroom was also smiling. Layla's fingers brushed against his outstretched hand.

But, just before she could take it, the bridegroom's expression suddenly turned dark and the arm that Layla's hand should have wrapped around was instead used to thrust the bride away.

She staggered back. It was so abrupt that she was left dumbfounded.

"Why?" She asked, staring at her bridegroom whose smile had vanished without a trace.

Or at least, that was what she tried to do, but her voice would not come out. Instead -

"Why?" She was asked in return. "Why are your clothes torn to shreds? Your wedding dress should be as white as snow, why is it filthy with blood instead?"

Startled, Layla looked down at herself.

It was just as he had said. Her clothes were ripped all over, exposing her skin. And the area around her chest was stained a deep red. Although it must have been clinging to her until just now, as soon as Layla laid eyes on the blood, it reverted back to liquid and slowly dripped down her wedding dress; before long, it was trickling to the ground from between her legs.

The bridegroom pointed at the puddle of blood pooling at her feet.

"You've been defiled," he said. "Leave, this is no place for you to be. Leave, defiled bride. Leave, filthy wh.o.r.e!"

There was another scream.

It was so very loud that she wanted to cover her ears, and did not notice that it was coming from her until her surroundings suddenly changed again.

People were running around all over. All of them seemed to be shrieking, but Layla could not hear anything except her own screams. The friends who had been at the wedding ceremony moments ago were there. The kind neighbours she had met in that foreign land were also there.

All of them were being chased. It was as though the blood that had run down Layla's body had given birth to slaughterers clad in the red of gore and flames.

Steel glistened. A woman who had been her childhood friend was pierced from behind with a spear. A foreign boy who had given Layla flowers had his arm sliced off with a sword and sent flying in the air.

Layla screamed all the more. Not out of fear for her own life. She knew what would happen next. She had already witnessed it time and time again.

Right on cue, a shadow rushed between her and the slaughterer. Layla's father, the former officer of the imperial guards, Rone Jayce.

Her father stood before her and spread his arms out wide and, just like that, he was pierced through his abdomen. As though encountering no resistance from sinew and skin, the spear pierced her father's gut through to his back, its tip emerging before Layla's eyes. Her father's body lurched to one side.

Layla's gaze unconsciously travelled from her father's collapsed form, to the spearhead, and up to the man who was grasping the spear.

A man whose entire body was drenched in fresh blood -

Gil Mephius.

When he laughed, even his teeth were dyed red.

Layla could no longer even hear herself screaming.

"Good." In its place, a solemn voice resounded. "Be at ease, Layla. There's nothing to be afraid of. For now."

This man was not her father, nor her lover.... not even someone she would normally have been acquainted with; yet at his voice, Layla's feelings calmed down shockingly quick.

She quietly closed her eyes and bent her head backwards as though in sleep.

In reality, Layla had been asleep all along. All that she had just experienced, with such vivid fear, was no more than a dream built from the dregs of her memory. The flesh-and-blood Layla was currently alone in a darkened room.

No - there was one other person there: the sorcerer Zafar, clad in robes so black they seemed to melt into the shadows.

He was the man who had arrived a few days ago in Birac and set up a medicine stall. Of course, it was not merely on a whim that the sorcerer had disguised himself as one of the common folk. It was to gather information.

Even if what he caught hold of was only vague, he had intended to learn from the soldiers serving at the mansion, as well as from the maids who heard of his stall through them, about the movements and att.i.tudes of the man who claimed to be Crown Prince Gil Mephius and who was currently residing in Birac.

Spies sent from Solon had no doubt also arrived in Birac by now and were probably collecting the same information.

Zafar's objective was to support their actions and help them achieve their purpose. However, he was not to let them know that he was a sorcerer serving the Dragon G.o.ds' faith, nor was he allowed to make direct use of his magic powers.

To the very end, everything had to be accomplished by human hands.

Thereupon, a person more suitable than he could ever have hoped for appeared before him.

A lady's maid serving the Garberan princess - Layla. Guessing from her position that she could be made use of, Zafar had brought her to that deserted house; by applying drugs and suggestion, he had then ensnared her into a deeply hypnotised state. As a result of which, he successfully managed to pick up fragments of her memories.

Thanks to them, he inferred that she held a deep-seated hatred towards the prince. It was she herself who had wished to serve the Garberan princess as a lady's maid, and that was probably not unrelated to that hatred.

Zafar worked hard in order to sound out the depths of her consciousness with greater precision. He got her to visit him once every two days.

"Hmm, I see, so that's what the princess is doing."

He listened as Layla, sitting on a chair, gave her report. The sorcerer's invisible "hands" were probing through the depths of her consciousness and, by cutting away scenes in her mind and manipulating them, he was able to alter the deep consciousness. However, that was not the same as saying that he could make her do whatever he wished.

Exactly as had been the case for Reizus, the sorcerer who had once appeared in the western lands claiming to be Garda, it was necessary to spend a lot of time in understanding the heart and mind of the targeted person. Moreover, it was impossible to force them to do something that greatly differed from their own intentions. All that could be done was to guide the person's feelings until they became convinced that those intentions were their own.

When Zafar had heard that the princess had left Birac, he had wondered - might there be a way to take her hostage and lure the prince out?

However, in order to do so, a great many procedures would need to be put into place. Making important changes to a situation was bothersome since a lot needed to be taken into consideration.

Anyway, according to the plan, it should be about the time when I get in touch with the spies.

Just as with Layla, their meeting would have to appear completely coincidental. With that in mind, he would pull in Layla, whose interests coincided with theirs; and, with her cooperation, he would guide the plan to its conclusion.

And for that… It was essential to destroy Layla's doubts, ethics, and feelings as much as possible.

Just as when Reizus had once ordered Princess Lima of Kadyne to "die," making a person under hypnotism act against their own instincts was extremely difficult. Which was why Zafar was taking the time to summon Layla and have her relive again and again the memories of her past. Where and when it was convenient to make a change, he planted feelings within her that overrode her instincts.

Feelings of wanting to kill Crown Prince Gil Mephius.