ch21-ch40 · 037-ch36

Second Act: 'What That Sword Protects'

Chapter 36: The Princess and the Knight

　Among the nations of the other world Ceylo, the Ceylo Kingdom stood as the one with the longest history.

　Though it had originally been a presence that commanded respect from other countries, after producing the Seven Knights who defeated the Demon King, it came to be regarded as a nation of a completely higher rank.

　The Ceylo Kingdom's capital, Pareto, had now become a city where people, goods, and the latest technology from all over Ceylo gathered, and in the past dozen or so years, it had achieved remarkable development.

　Several high-rise buildings stood in rows, and there were even skywalks connecting building to building.

　On the roadways, locomotives powered by eiyōso ran, creating a flow of people.

　In the northern part of the capital Pareto stood the most massive and high tower, which was the royal castle.

　The royal castle was like a great tree, with branches extending here and there, and flat surfaces built upon them.

　Though the Ceylo Kingdom was a constitutional monarchy where parliament conducted politics, the parliament building itself was built upon one of those branches. When you consider that a parliament hall that could seat over a hundred members at once was built upon it, you can understand just how large those branches were.

　Even higher than the parliament building, there was a branch that held a garden for the royal family, near the highest floor.

　In that spacious garden thick with trees, a single young woman sitting on a bench let out a troubled sigh.

　She was this kingdom's princess, Sian=Ceylo=Uotermeer. Currently, she was the king's only direct descendant, the princess with first-in-line succession rights to the throne.

　"...haa..."

　While her beautiful hair, said to be bluer than the sea, fluttered in the wind, Sian let out another sigh.

　What was making her depressed was talk of her own marriage prospects.

　Though called a young woman, Sian was 22 years old. For royalty, this was already an age where she would normally be married.

　Sian too understood that her marriage was necessary for the royal family and for the country's sake. That was the duty of royalty.

　Fortunately, as the first in line for succession, she didn't have to worry about being married off to another country. But because of that, the appeals from sons of powerful domestic figures were strong, and this had become particularly prominent recently, leaving Sian completely fed up.

　'A 9-year-old boy I could still manage... but a 56-year-old gentleman, that's just too much, even for me'

　No matter how much it was for the country's sake, there were limits. For Sian, the upper limit was 40, and the lower limit was 16.

　Even so, she couldn't rudely turn them down, and had to face each one without being disrespectful. Even as a princess, she couldn't just haughtily reject them from the start.

　And among them were candidates who were excellent in every way—family background, status, age... In particular, there were about three suitors who would even make her father king happy, and turning them down was difficult.

　Probably, she would end up marrying one of those top three candidates.... But there would be no love there.

　"Love, huh..."

　Sian recalled that there had once been someone who had chosen love over the royal family, and she envied that person who had found such profound love that they would go that far.

　"Princess, Lady Chartreuse has arrived."

　Hearing the words of a lady-in-waiting who appeared from nowhere, Sian's face lit up with a smile.

　"Please show her in here."

　"Yes, Your Highness."

　After the lady-in-waiting, who had bowed respectfully, disappeared among the trees, she was replaced by a beautiful woman in men's clothing.

　Her slender, tall build, with long arms and legs to match. Her soft platinum blonde hair, woven into a braid, shone in the sunlight, and her emerald eyes captured the hearts of those who saw her and wouldn't let go.

　Her predominantly green attire was the formal dress of a knight, indicating that she was a member of the knight order.

　"Charles, come on in!"

　Before the standing Sian who called out to her, the female knight Chartreuse knelt on one knee and bowed.

　"Princess, I apologize for requesting a sudden audience."

　"It's alright. With how close we are, it's fine."

　To Sian, Chartreuse was, while technically a master-servant relationship, one of the few friends she could open her heart to.

　"I want to hear stories about the Seven Knights again. Not legendary tales told by others, but the stories from you, who saw them up close, are the most interesting."

　"But I was just an apprentice back then, so they wouldn't even take me to the front lines, you know?"

　At the princess whose eyes sparkled like a young girl's, Chartreuse gave a wry smile.

　"That's fine, just like that. I don't particularly want to hear stories about battle, you see.... Besides, there's no one else who can tell me about that person besides you."

　Sian tilted her head slightly and smiled a lonely smile.

　Memories from her childhood. Among the gruff knights, there was one who always wore a gentle smile, a lanky, un-knightlike knight.

　Realizing who Sian was thinking of, Chartreuse bowed her head once more.

　"Princess, I am truly sorry. The truth is, today I came only to greet you.... I have received orders from the Prime Minister, and I must leave the royal castle for a while."

　"Eh? For someone of your caliber as a knight to be mobilized..."

　Though the world had its petty squabbles between small nations in the provinces, it was mostly peaceful.

　It was hard to imagine a situation arising where a capable knight like Chartreuse would need to be dispatched on a mission.... However, wars were also things that gradually began beneath the surface.

　"...Is some great conflict going to happen?"

　"Please do not worry. There is no danger of war reaching this Ceylo. But... it is also true that this is not a simple matter where I can return right away."

　Even for a princess, she couldn't be told the contents of the Prime Minister's orders. Sian understood this too, so she couldn't ask any further.

　"I understand, Charles... no, Lady Chartreuse=Lime. I'll pray for your safety. Until the day we can talk here again."

　"Thank you, Princess. I will definitely complete my mission and return."

　To Sian, who saw her off with the dignity befitting a princess, Chartreuse too responded according to ceremonial protocol.

　For just an instant, a stern air flowed between them, and Sian understood that the mission Chartreuse was undertaking was truly a difficult one.

　However, Sian had not yet noticed that the difficulty Chartreuse felt wasn't merely about the mission's difficulty level, but largely stemmed from her own feelings as well.