Chapter 56
The area around the count's mansion was an upscale residential district, so incredibly long walls stretched on and on. However, it wasn't quite what you would call the "center of the Holy Capital."
At the center of the Holy Capital stood the "Holy King's Palace," which included the "One Heaven Altar," and that was where the Holy King lived.
Only a very small number of people were permitted to enter the Holy King's Palace, and Count Slyries had said he entered only a few times a year. (Even so, apparently that was quite frequent by noble standards.)
Walls divided the city in concentric rings like the rings of a tree, from the "First Wall" through the "Eighth Wall." The "Eighth Wall" was, of course, a defensive rampart meant to keep out invaders, but since the Holy Capital attracted so many people, many houses had been built outside the "Eighth Wall" as well.
The "First Wall" surrounded the Holy King's Palace, and outside it were the "Assembly Hall" where the Kurvaan Holy Kingdom's government was conducted, various "central government offices," and the "Privy Church." This was where the count usually went, and it was called the "First Holy District." It was the first district outward from the Holy King's Palace at the center, hence the name "First Holy District."
(It's Kasumigaseki, in Japanese terms.)
Outside the "Second Wall" stood the "Holy Capital Central Church," said to be the largest and most revered place in the Holy Capital. The "Privy Church" was exclusively for nobles and apparently wasn't very large—well, in a country where Talent Jewels popped out of an altar (as I've said many times, I have no idea whether there was actually a sound effect for it), praying to God wouldn't do much good. The altar everyone wanted to pray at was strictly guarded because it was used to pop out Talent Jewels, which meant no one could get near it.
Today's destination was the banquet venue between the "Second Wall" and "Third Wall," in the "Second Holy District," near the Holy Capital Central Church. Since the count's residence was in the same area, we didn't need to pass through any "walls." Incidentally, the Holy King's Knights' barracks and training grounds were in the "Third Holy District," where even wealthy commoners could live. Beyond this point, the name changed to the "Fourth City District," which gave some insight into the nobles' sense of superiority.
I had rescued Count Slyries in the Fourth City District, too. The count had probably been on his way home, but why had he been in the Fourth City District of all places? Well, he did work that seemed dangerous enough to earn people's resentment, so I wasn't particularly eager to ask why...
"Reiji, what's wrong? You look kind of lost in thought."
"Lost in thought...? No, not at all."
"What were you thinking about?"
I had all sorts of things on my mind, but the honest answer was that I had been looking outside because I didn't want to stare directly at Lady Eva as she was now. Lady Eva and I sat facing each other in a space that was reasonably wide, but far narrower than a proper room. Even though her Magic Eye wouldn't activate unless she channeled magic into it, the Slyries family's eyes were still bewitching. Looking at them made my heart pound. How strange. It wasn't as though I had a thing for little girls.
"Oh! I know."
"Wrong."
"You haven't even said anything yet!?"
"You're going to say, 'I was thinking about the old days,' aren't you?"
"..."
"I was right."
"You cheated!"
"If there were some cheat that let me read people's minds, I'd want it too."
Well, the count did possess a Magic Eye that came close to that.
I continued making idle conversation with Lady Eva. I had noticed that she was feeling a little on edge.
The mansion was restless with excitement, and her father had offered praise he normally never did. Even when people told you that today was "special," you couldn't understand what that truly meant until you experienced it yourself.
If talking with me helped put her at ease, then that was enough.
(...I don't even know how much longer I'll be able to stay with her.)
The contract magic was another reason Count Slyries was conducting a thorough search for the people I was looking for. I didn't know whether information about Lark or about Lulusha-san would turn up first, but once I learned the whereabouts of either one, I would have to leave Lady Eva's side and go meet them.
"Reiji, have you looked at today's list of attendees?"
"Oh, right. I did receive something like that."
I glanced at the smooth sheet of plant paper in my hand. There were twenty-two names in all... There really were that many. Lady Eva's name was sixth from the top.
(Let's see, above her...)
I decided to check the names above Lady Eva's, just in case there were any troublesome ones.
★Holy Prince Kurvshrat
★Ducal House: Louis=Rosier
★Ducal House: Etan=Ebene
☆Marquess's House: Charlotte=Fraise
☆Margrave's House: Mira=Mule
Apparently, black stars were for boys and white stars for girls.
"...I see."
"What do you mean, 'I see'?"
"Just from their names, I can tell I don't have the slightest interest in any of them."
To be frank, Lady Eva blinked in surprise for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"My lady...?"
"Ahahahaha! Aha, oh, Reiji, you mustn't say things like that out loud even if you think them!"
"Um... Is that really so funny?"
"Of course it is! These are the children of the nobles at the heart of this great nation, Kurvaan, and at the very top of the list is the Holy Prince-sama—"
"The Holy Prince-sama...?"
"..."
"?"
"...No, never mind. I won't look at it anymore, either."
Lady Eva waved a hand and looked out the window.
I couldn't quite tell what had prompted her reaction or made her change her mind.
"Hey, Reiji. Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"My father praised me today."
"...I know that, though?"
"I'm so happy!"
The smile Lady Eva showed me was neither alluring nor lit by the eerie glow of her Magic Eye—it was simply pure, childlike sparkle.
Strangely, that kind of smile touched my heart more deeply.
"...Yes, I'm well aware. I'm glad, my lady."
"Yes!"
The carriage carrying Lady Eva and me headed toward the banquet venue at a leisurely pace—
＊ Eva=Slyries ＊
Our guard is strange. Absolutely strange.
For starters, he's young. Even the knights Knight-Captain Maxim praises by saying, 'He's young, but he's got real promise,' are all at least twenty, and eighteen is about as young as they get.
Yet my guard is fourteen.
And he was only thirteen when he first took the post.
On top of that, he actually defeated the knight-captain in a sparring match.
Our guard is strange. Absolutely strange.
He possesses knowledge I know nothing about. Of course, being two years older, he should have that much more experience, but even so, despite having received no education as a noble, he asks my tutor questions about society, economics, and politics, and leaves her astonished.
Is he lying about his age?
No, he really is exactly as old as he looks.
Our guard is strange. Absolutely strange.
Normally, anyone attending a banquet where the Holy Kingdom's high-ranking nobles would gather ought to be nervous, but he shows no sign of it at all. It makes me feel foolish for being nervous. He even delivers embarrassingly saccharine lines to me with a perfectly straight face.
And what's more... even though a Holy Prince-sama is attending—the Holy King's own son, a Holy Prince-sama, is attending!—he doesn't look honored at all! I've never even had an audience with His Majesty the Holy King, and as for the Holy Prince-sama, the one attending this time, Kurvshrat-sama, is the third child, while I've only had the honor of meeting the First Holy Prince-sama and First Holy Princess-sama once.
An honor like this should move any citizen of this country to tears!
And yet!
My guard!
He has the expression of someone saying, "I'm just running a quick errand"! If anything, he was more nervous when I asked him to secretly take me out into town!
But you know what?
That's when I suddenly realized.
I had wanted to create a society where citizens like Reiji didn't bow and scrape just because "a noble is present," where everyone could live equally and fairly.
Without realizing it, I myself had become bound by the "common sense" of noble society...
Reiji had noticed that, and shown it through his attitude.
Then I, as his master, had to respond in kind—
"My lady, it looks like we've arrived. I'll get out first and escort you."
"Yes, please do."
Reiji stepped down from the carriage so lightly that you would think he weighed nothing. See? Even when the soles of his shoes touched the ground, they made no sound. How strange.
Only a sliver of twilight remained in the sky, and stars were twinkling. It was a new moon tonight, so the darkness was deeper than usual.
Outside the carriage lay the banquet venue—a whole mansion had been set aside for it.
Candles had been placed here and there throughout the carriage forecourt, emitting a warmer light than magic lamps, yet one that glittered sharply to the eye.
Many carriages had already arrived, and the escorting knights had dismounted and were waiting for me to emerge.
I drew a deep breath.
Now, this was the first step.
My first step as a noble—as a noble striving for a just and equal society.
"My lady, please."
My strange, utterly dependable guard, Reiji, held out his hand.
I took it.
Without knowing that everything would change on this night.