“I know that already! Answer me! Can you face all the suffering people of the Holy Kingdom and tell them that help won’t be coming because of you!?”
“No, your servant cannot bear that responsibility.”
“In that case, then why did you just jump in and do that? What on earth were you thinking!?”
Neia raised her head and looked straight at the Captain.
“Should the need arise, I feel you should take my life and offer it to the Sorcerer King as an apology for my actions.”
Remedios’s eyes went wide as she heard that. However, they quickly narrowed in displeasure once more. Beside her, VIce-Captain Gustavo nodded vigorously in what seemed like respect.
“Do you think that’s enough to earn forgiveness? Do you think a life like yours will be enough of an apology?”
“I do not not know, but I am certain you and the others will be able to think of something, Captain.”
“And what will you do if we can’t think of anything!?”
It was as the Captain said. It was likely that even executing Neia would not be enough to earn the Sorcerer King’s forgiveness. However, Neia had still said what she had in the audience chamber because three years was far too long to wait.
Could it be the Captain was willing to accept waiting for three years? Why am I being scolded by someone who didn’t do anything? I know that the lives of the Holy Kingdom’s people hang in the balance, so I shouldn’t act of my own accord. Even so, someone should have done something back then…
Was it not all right as long as there was a good outcome, or was the process more important? She probably could not give an answer like that.
Even so, it was hard for someone who had stepped forward to do something to endure a lecture from someone who had done nothing.
Of course, Neia had a pretty good idea of what would happen if she actually said that. Therefore, she remained quiet and simply lowered her head.
“Captain, that should be enough. Thanks to her efforts, we’ve saved a year of waiting. Rewards and punishment need to be used in balance. Perhaps you ought to be praising her to a similar extent.”
“...Cheh.”
The Captain looked like she had not yet said her fill as she turned and left.
Gustavo sighed, and then turned to face Neia.
“Your resolve is truly admirable. The Captain might look that way, but the truth is, she respects your contributions.”
That was most definitely a lie. That was a lie which nobody could cover up.
Perhaps Gustavo had sensed her thoughts from her expression, but he looked her in the eye and then smiled bitterly.
“In any case, I’ll go talk to the Captain about this. However, if you run into her now, things might get a bit prickly. Could I trouble you to take a walk outside for a bit?”
“I understand. Thank you, Vice-Captain.”
Once outside the inn, Neia wandered aimlessly through the chill of winter.
“I just feel… hahhh…”
While she had been told to go outside, where should she go in this country?
Neia felt around in her pockets and produced a small leather pouch. There was little money inside, just a few copper and silver coins from the Holy Kingdom. If those could not be used, Neia still had a trading gold coin. It would be more than enough to get a meal.
However, this gold coin was the very last piece of pocket money Neia’s parents had given her. Where should she spend this valuable piece of pocket money?
Neia looked at the foreign land before her.
“What a pain… hahh…”
“You seem to be sighing quite heavily.”
The sudden voice from close by made Neia’s shoulders shudder
“Hurry up and go down that road over there. This place is too obvious,”
The owner of this voice was not someone she would forget in a hurry. Neia managed to stop herself from exclaiming reflexively. After that, she walked as directed, and then she heard something moving from behind her. It would seem that it was not just a voice she was hearing, but that there was someone actually behind Neia, although said person had made themselves invisible so Neia could not see them.
After turning down the road as directed, she heard the voice say, “Take the alley on the left.” Neia obeyed silently.
The alley was surprisingly clean, with no passers-by .
After walking several steps, Neia turned and spoke the name of the voice’s owner.
“Your Majesty, dare I ask why you have come here? Am I unable to see you because of magic?”
“I see, so that’s why you were so obedient. You already knew who I was, hm?”
Saying so, the Sorcerer King revealed himself.
He had changed into an unassuming black robe, but even that gleamed like velvet. It would seem it was a very well-made piece of clothing.
Neia immediately genuflected before him.
“Yes, it is as Your Majesty says. Also… may I ask where Your Majesty’s followers are?”
“No, there are none. After all, having followers around would make things troublesome.”
“W-Why is that?”
“Hm, I want to speak with your Captain in private, so please go and get her… no, it would be better to do so in a room… Can you help me open the window of her room? I will enter through there.”
That was a bizarre request. Normally, she would not open the window just like that. However, she was dealing with the king of this country, and a king who had agreed to aid the Holy Kingdom. She could not do anything to ruin his mood.
The word “assassination” flashed through Neia’s mind, but if the Sorcerer King had wanted to do that, he could have done so in the audience chamber.
Of course, this might be someone masquerading as the Sorcerer King. However, the person before her had the form of an imposing ruler, so he was unmistakably the Sorcerer King from back then. Every move he made was something that was only possible by someone who was a born ruler.
Should she trust him? Or not?
Neia pondered this, and chose the former.
“Understood. I shall do so immediately.”
“Umu… come to think of it, were you sent out on a mission? If that was the case, I ought to apologize to your Captain.”
“Eh?”
“...Eh?”
Neia’s eyes met those of the Sorcerer King.
“...If it was not a mission, then this must be your own free time, no? In that case, it is very valuable — mm, I should apologize to you for taking up your precious rest time by making you do things.”
“No, no, it’s not, it’s nothing of the sort in any case, I will go and open the window to the Captain’s room now.”
Neia immediately ran from the Sorcerer King’s side.
Those kind words from a third party were like someone carefully applying a soothing liniment to a palm covered in scrapes and bruises. They seeped into Neia’s heart, and they surprised her.
Neia ran with all her might, and swiftly returned to the inn.
Of course, running was not permitted inside a high end establishment like this, but that was no reason for Neia to slowly walk around. All she could do was move as quickly as she could without causing any offense, but despite all that, she could feel icy glares directed at her by the inn’s staff. In the end, however, Neia finally reached the Captain’s room.
Neia immediately knocked on the door, and then found it was locked when she tried the handle. A chill ran through Neia’s heart as she realized she had been ostracized, but now was not the time to worry about that sort of thing.
“I am Squire Neia Baraja, please open the door.”
The door clicked, and a paladin showed his face from behind it.
“Forgive me,” she said; now was not the time to observe each and every point of etiquette. Neia then turned to Remedios, who was within the room, and said, “The Sorcerer King wishes to speak to you in private, Captain.”