Chapter 49
"I am always amazed by how vast the Cardion Imperial Palace is."
Primavera's quiet voice cut through the quiet back garden. It was as clear and
elegant as the ringing of a bell. Without a word, Elisha matched her steps to
Primavera's. She had no idea for how many minutes they had walked like this.
A short while later, the banquet hall was reduced to a point on the horizon, yet
Primavera continued having passing conversations like, "the Imperial Palace is
very large." With teleportation magic, this distance was nothing—less than one
step—but the problem was that as Lucy Forte, she could not use it recklessly
within the Imperial Palace.
"...Your Highness."
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Elisha spoke hesitantly. At that,
Primavera stopped walking and turned to face Elisha.
"Finally you're talking to me. My legs were just starting to ache."
"......"
"You have that look in your eyes, the one that asks why in heaven's name I
brought you all this way."
I love that look so much. Having finished her words, Primavera burst into a loud
laugh. At the same time, her laughter echoed in the quiet garden. Elisha
immediately frowned. There was something about this woman she didn't like.
"I was asked a request. By the Emperor of Cardion."
"What request?"
"'Take Lucy Forte away as far as possible.' So I was intending to keep walking
until you spoke to me first."
We were about to end up outside the palace gates, though. She smiled as she
dusted the edge of her dress with her hand. Elisha tilted her head slightly,
studying Primavera as if observing her. The royalty of any nation learn, as a
basic skill, how to control their facial expressions. Even Eric, who never hid
his feelings, learned how to appear with a majestic look when he became Crown
Prince. Therefore, it was impossible to distinguish the truth from her
expression and gaze alone.
"You don't seem to believe me."
Primavera smiled lightly, having read Elisha's thoughts.
Seeing her like this, I could almost understand why Eric von Cardion keeps her
by his side. Who can resist the adoration of such a cat?
"But I truly am telling you only the truth. There's no reason for me to lie,
right?"
"......"
"Shall I be a bit more specific then? I've already told you that Nox values
information highly, haven't I?"
Then Primavera tapped the edge of her lips with the fan in her hand. Elisha
nodded calmly.
"I gather information wherever I am. Info about you, about the Emperor, about
the Allied nations. Even down to what a maid staying here ate."
And from that, I filter out the useless information.
"Among the info I gathered, there was something very interesting."
Primavera's black hair blew in the gentle breeze. Without any thought of tidying
it, she continued speaking.
"Regarding the missing Dixion survivor. His location and identity."
"......"
"So I decided to hand over the information I had to the Emperor of Cardion. His
partnering in this party was a sort of price I asked for in exchange for that
information."
His Majesty is a very fine dancer, too. Primavera's pink eyes curved into a
crescent shape. But her gaze wasn't retrieving a memory of a moment past; it was
fixed entirely on Elisha. Again, Elisha didn't respond recklessly, and frowned
instead. What were the chances that a princess from another country could gather
information worthy of trade with the Emperor within the Cardion Imperial Palace?
"...It wouldn't be impossible."
She was someone who saw through what happened at the Shilan Plains, after all.
Perhaps Princess Primavera possessed an ability related to that. Just as she
herself possessed immense mana, or Eric had a talent for invention. Or like the
man she ran into that day...
"Shh, you should focus."
At that moment, Primavera leaned toward Elisha and whispered. Elisha immediately
frowned and opened her mouth.
"I don't understand why, holding such information, you only want a small price
like being his partner."
"What would be an appropriate price then? Should I have asked for the vacant
Empress seat?"
"......"
"Negotiations only succeed when you propose terms the other party can accept.
That was the only price I could ask."
Primavera again pulled the corners of her lips into a soft smile. At that
moment, Elisha could read the emotions in Primavera's eyes. Amusement, mirth.
"That wasn't all, was it."
Primavera had said that to hold a deal, "one must propose terms the other party
can accept." Meaning Primavera too had to receive a price proportional to the
info she provided. Would a princess of a country that values trade highly truly
accept a loss?
"Of course, I didn't give him all the information. So it was an equivalent
deal."
"......"
"It seems the Emperor of Cardion believes this is something he can handle
alone."
Primavera let out a small laugh, like that of a predator before its miserable
prey. Even that was done elegantly.
"Kyaa!"
At the same time, a sharp scream echoed from afar. It was from the direction of
the banquet hall exactly. Elisha's face immediately twisted. For something to
happen in the banquet hall meant Eric was in trouble. Besides, hadn't Primavera
just spoken of the Emperor in a clearly mocking tone? As if she were certain he
couldn't resolve the problem alone.
"You, now..."
"I am a person from Nox. I am busy enough tending to my own country, so why
would I offer favors to another?"
"......"
"Anyway, you'd better go."
Primavera finally tied back her flying hair as she spoke. Without hesitation,
Elisha bit her lip as a teleportation magic circle appeared under her feet.
Judging from the continuous screams, it was unlikely any attention would be
focused on her because of the teleportation. No, in an emergency of this level,
restrictions on all mages in the Imperial Palace will be lifted. Eric wasn't
stupid enough to leave the restrictions in place at a time like this.
"But why, then."
Why did Eric try to distance me to this extent?
"Goodbye, Lucy."
While the teleportation magic was being activated, Primavera waved slightly at
her. Then, her pink eyes were fixed on Elisha.
"If I had to choose, I'm on your side."
With that, her eyes wrinkled as she smiled.
What appeared before Elisha moments later was inside a banquet hall thrown into
chaos. Countless people, panicking, were busy retreating or pushing each other
to escape, and some even pushed Elisha. Elisha paid them no attention and
assessed the situation quickly. The first thing to catch her attention was a
low-level monster jumping on the chandelier. A Goblin—not particularly strong,
but fast enough that mages themselves find difficulty in dealing with them.
Exactly as expected, the Imperial Palace mages were also failing to catch the
Goblin, wasting their energy attacking the innocent ceiling.
Even if they can't use wide-area magic due to so many people being present. For
people who call themselves Imperial mages to look this pathetic. While Elisha
frowned and summoned a fire arrow.
- Kiek!
Suddenly, a fire arrow flew beside her and pierced the Goblin's heart. Elisha
turned her head to look at the source of the magic.
"Dante Renard."
"I was about to cry, thinking you wouldn't come."
Dante muttered with a face that didn't look like he was crying at all. His
attitude was strangely relaxed. Elisha entrusted her back to Dante and scanned
her surroundings slowly once more. The area was certainly chaotic and noisy, but
there was a significant distance between the people and the monsters' locations.
As if there were an invisible barrier around them.
"People are just panicked, so it's unorganized, but the situation isn't this
critical."
Eric had made his own preparations. He shrugged, remembering what happened a
moment ago. It was immediately after Elisha's departure from the banquet hall.
"Something will appear soon."
The moment she vanished from sight, Eric stopped him. his tone was as if he was
waiting for something.
"Of all times, exactly when Elisha leaves?"
To him, that seemed a strange decision. There was no way a monster would appear
in the Imperial Palace, but what if a high-level monster like the Hyde appeared?
"I think it would be best to summon Elisha."
"No."
But Eric stopped him and said this.
"It will only appear once Elisha leaves. I've finished preparing for it."
"Then can't you just not send Elisha and end the banquet safely?"
"It won't be that easy."
If I don't show a vulnerability like this first, they will attack at a
completely unexpected moment. It's better for it to appear now, and I'm ready.
"...Preparations?"
Listening to Dante's story, Elisha raised an eyebrow as she disposed of a
low-level monster from a distance. Dante followed her footsteps, finishing off
another monster, then indicated with his chin. Elisha immediately turned her
head to look where he was pointing. There stood Eric, completely surrounded by
the Royal Guard, running a hand through his hair with an annoyed expression. He
didn't seem to like being in a position of having to be protected. Being annoyed
for such a trivial reason meant he was truly at ease.
"It's a barrier that only allows physical attacks to pass from outside in. It
seems Eric installed artifacts throughout the banquet hall before the party
started."
They looked like marble sculptures, so the people who installed them must have
thought they were just decorations. Who would have known they were barrier
artifacts?
"In any case, it wasn't the chaos it appeared to be."
Although getting people out first was difficult. Dante continued as he fired
spells.
"There's one small problem, though."
"A problem?"
"At first, I thought this would be enough to handle the matter, but monsters
keep appearing. It's strange. Fortunately, it seems they're only summoned within
the banquet hall."
"And what about outside the hall?"
"Gabrielle is taking command there. Safety of the attendees is the priority, so
all the elite knights are stationed outside."
At Dante's words, Elisha cast a glance outside the banquet hall. In the
meantime, Dante continued his report.
"I thought I'd be enough to handle things here, so aside from the knights
guarding Eric, most of them are just rookies."
I thought this would be enough. Elisha frowned slightly at Dante's words. If the
matter could be resolved this easily, then why in heaven's name had Primavera
said what she said? At this rate, even if a bit slow, Eric should definitely be
able to handle the matter alone...
"Wait."
A sudden thought made Elisha blink several times. The fact that monsters
continued to appear meant someone was summoning them intentionally. In this
case, could that "someone's" target be...
"Huh? What th—"
At that moment, Dante's eyes widened as he muttered in a daze. But his gaze
wasn't on Elisha. It was further, in the direction he just indicated with his
chin.
"Eric!"
At the same time, Dante Renard shouted urgently. Elisha immediately turned her
head to look at Eric. The Royal Guard, who were swept away helplessly by
mid-level monsters, and Eric standing before them. His blue eyes. Met Elisha's
gaze exactly.
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