Episode 98
‘…What’s going on?’
In a daze, I looked around at the people busily going about their work.
I pulled the hood of my robe down low, wary of the risk that the citizens might recognize me as the princess of Hacardella.
But as I glanced around, I couldn’t help but wonder if this place was truly the land that had been ravaged by war not long ago.
‘…It’s peaceful.’
In the end, my conclusion remained the same. Immersed in a strange feeling, I watched the people quietly living their everyday lives, seemingly indifferent to whether the country was falling apart.
The duchy of Hacardella had met its end, and it was assumed that the princesses were fleeing, narrowly escaping the pursuit of the Nisha Kingdom. Yet, seeing the people so peaceful filled me with a sense of dissonance and…
‘This is strange. It can’t… be like this.’
In history, no nation that had lost a war ever had citizens living so peacefully. This scene, so calm and ordinary, seemed to mask some terrible truth lying underneath… and I couldn’t shake that eerie feeling.
‘But… it’s not something that matters right now.’
I forced myself to ignore the vague unease and set off toward Grishel Pier.
I had no energy to interfere with history. My mission was solely to gather the relics of the Spirit Kings and place them somewhere safe.
***
And that’s how I got here.
“…Just a bit more, just a bit longer.”
Since Rose had lost her life near the border, far from the capital of Hacardella, I had managed to make it this far with relatively little trouble or pursuit.
However, Grishel Pier was the quickest route to the kingdom of Dryas. It was unlikely the Nisha Kingdom hadn’t considered that Rose might attempt to escape through here. Wiping the cold sweat from my brow, I stepped down from the wagon.
Before me was a view of golden reeds and the deep blue river.
“…It feels like I can finally breathe a little.”
[Caaw-!]
The crow let out a soft cry as if in agreement with my whispered words, tilting its head.
And like that I headed toward the pier, walking on the pebbled path.
After exchanging two gold coins, I carefully pocketed the twenty silver coins returned to me and left the exchange office.
There weren’t many ships docked at the pier. No matter how strangely peaceful the citizens’ lives seemed, the state of affairs was still what it was…
I approached the captain of the largest and sturdiest-looking ship, who was sitting nearby, looking weary, and handed him a silver coin. The rough-looking middle-aged man glanced up at me and, with his bearded mouth, asked,
“Are you traveling alone, miss?”
“…Yes.”
I replied with a firm voice, instinctively guarded. The captain, reaching for the silver coin, gave me nine copper coins as change and said,
“No need to worry. It’s just that these are dangerous times, so I was concerned.”
I supposed I could board now. Though I wasn’t completely free of suspicion, I said nothing and stepped onto the path toward the ship.
“Wait a moment, miss.”
“!”
Startled by the deep voice calling after me, I opened my eyes wide but quickly composed myself and turned around to face the captain.
He, who had been watching me, opened a wooden box by his feet and rummaged through it before pulling out a wooden spear with a sharp blade on its end. It was about half my height.
Why would he carry something like that?
As I watched with curiosity, he extended the spear toward me and said,
“There are some rough people aboard that ship. Take this for self-defense.”
“…Excuse me?”
…He’s offering it to me?
“Am I supposed to pay for this?”
I asked with a doubtful tone.
“Think of it as a free loan and just take it. Go on.”
Still unsure why he was simply giving this to me, I hesitated, but the captain practically forced it into my hands, insisting that I take it.
“There isn’t much time before departure, so get on quickly.”
Slightly dazed, I looked back at the captain waving me off dismissively, and with the awkward spear in hand, I climbed aboard the ship.
“Do you… want to wait outside the cabin?”
[Caw?]
The crow perched on my shoulder tilted its head and cawed softly as if puzzled.
I sighed and whispered to it again,
“If I bring you into the cabin, you’ll draw attention. So, either sit outside or… just fly alongside the ship.”
I worried it might not understand me, but fortunately, the crow seemed to get the message, as it flapped its wings and flew off into the air.
It looked like it was planning to follow by flight.
Creak—
I stepped carefully into the cabin, where the damp wood was rotting in places, finding it narrower than I’d expected.
“…****.”
The captain was right about the rough passengers—there were all sorts of shady-looking people scattered around, as well as some ordinary folk sitting quietly, clearly scared.
Among them were around ten young men with an unusually tense atmosphere about them.
“…”
Recalling my current position, I kept my head slightly lowered and quickly found a seat, avoiding drawing attention.
No one seemed to pay me any special notice, but I was so overwhelmed by anxiety that I clung tightly to the spear, my only sense of security, my sweat-soaked hands gripping it firmly.
With a short blast of the ship’s horn, I felt the cabin start to move slowly.
Stay calm. Nothing will happen.
Once this ship reached the Dryas Kingdom, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about being pursued.
Even if the same fate eventually awaits, the Dryas Kingdom did not fall as quickly as the Principality of Hacadella. I looked out a small window, watching the blue waves and the pier gradually fade into the distance.
The land where my ancestors once lived, which would someday be remembered as a fallen nation, was slowly fading into the distance.
I probably wouldn’t return again… With a heavy heart, I bit my lip and bowed my head.
“It’s a relief that the principality has fallen.”
Suddenly, a voice pierced my ears, jolting me as if cold water had been thrown over me.
“That minor country hindered our business so much. It’s a good thing it’s gone.”
One of the rough-looking men in the crowd snickered, raising his hand, which held what appeared to be a crop of some kind.
“If Hacardella hadn’t been the main cultivator of Saklan, there wouldn’t have been any reason to tolerate a country like that all this time, right?”
While I couldn’t understand what plant they were referring to, I overheard two people seated near me whispering.
“Isn’t that… the raw material for Parum? The drug that’s supposed to offer an otherworldly euphoria!”
“Yes, but it’s so toxic that those who get addicted rarely live long. And even so, they’re boasting about it like that.”
As I grasped the meaning behind their words, I couldn’t precisely label the intense feelings boiling within me.
Did their logic imply that weaker nations should simply endure wrongful acts, unable to resist?
That the powerless had no choice but to suppress all emotions and yield to the strong?
“Look at the Nisha Kingdom. They favor the Dark Spirit King, and while there are rumors of their cunning and cruelty, they’ve thrived for thousands of years, haven’t they?”
Their prosperity had been sustained because they focused solely on expanding their power, disregarding any moral code or compassion that one should have as a human.
“…Enough.”
I closed my eyes tightly and leaned my head against the trembling wall.
All I could do was clutch the spear in my hands so tightly that it felt like I’d break it.
“…By the way, doesn’t something seem strange to you too?”
Just then, one of the gang members groaned as though his throat were constricted.
“I feel the same. It’s like the air is… thick.”
“Uaaaah!”
“!”
In the middle of their conversation, the man, who had been responding in a strained voice, suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream, sprang up, and staggered backward.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?!”
He ignored his companions’ questions, his terrified gaze fixed on empty space. Flailing his arms, he collapsed onto the seats where others were sitting.
“Aaaah!”
Thud—
The people, caught off guard, shrieked and frantically tried to flee from the man, who was writhing and contorting uncontrollably.
“No, stay back! It’s not my fault… Ahhh!”
His face had turned so blue that it was almost purple, and he muttered incoherently, pleading to some unseen force as he twisted his arms and legs, struggling as though he were trying to escape from something invisible to the others.
