Akatsuki Translations

The carriage swayed, causing Sa’salia to lurch to the left. She called out loudly for them to stop.

Shi’shi’Jishi Amai, the captain of the royal guard leading the group, peered through the small window. “It’s Amai, pardon me for addressing you from horseback. Is everything alright, Your Highness?” he inquired.

“Why did we change course?” Sa’salia demanded.

“We’re ascending to the upper levels. It’s already past nightfall,” Amai explained.

His response caused Sa’salia’s heart to tremble. “We should be close to the royal capital. Keep going as we are,” she insisted.

“We’ve already pushed quite hard to get this far. The horses are at their limit. Moreover, I don’t want to expose you to the dangers of the darkness of the Abyss. It’s just a little further, please bear with it a bit longer,” Amai pleaded.

Unable to contain her surging emotions, Sa’salia stomped her foot hard. “You said the same thing yesterday! And the day before, and the day before that! Turn the carriage around, right now!” she shouted.

In the ensuing silence, only Sa’salia’s ragged breathing could be heard. After a moment, Amai spoke gravely, “I made a promise to you, Your Highness, that I would tell you when something was unreasonable. We need rest—all of us, including yourself. If you order it, you have the authority to overrule my decision. However, if you do so, please take my life, for I have no intention of changing my stance.”

In a fit of anger, Sa’salia raised her left hand towards the outside, attempting to conjure the poisonous mist that symbolized the Murakumo royal family. At the last moment, she caught herself, her right hand grasping her raised left. The gruesome image of Canaria Faith, the previous captain of the royal guard, flashed through her mind.

Deflated, Sa’salia spoke in a hollow voice, “But that person might disappear somewhere again…”

Even as a princess of a great nation, she couldn’t have everything her way. The eyes of the civil and military officials were fixed on the long-lived man who had served the country for many years, while few placed their trust in the princess who had spent much of her life idly in the shadows.

Day after day, she was tormented by her powerlessness, unable to keep even the one person she truly desired by her side.

“We… haven’t been… without a plan,” Amai said, his words unclear.

However, Sa’salia desperately searched for Amai’s form dissolving into the darkness, like a drowning person reaching out for one last hope. “Explain,” she demanded.

“I’ve submitted a letter of recommendation for his new assignment, one that will keep him in the royal capital,” Amai revealed.

The anxiety constricting Sa’salia’s chest began to loosen. “Then, is that person in the royal capital?” she asked hopefully.

In the darkness, she could see Amai nod ambiguously. “With the backing of a reliable individual, there’s a high possibility that Lord Gwen will agree,” he said.

“I see… Very well, I’ll allow the rest,” Sa’salia conceded.

Amai’s relief was palpable. “Thank you. Once we reach the inn, please try to eat something, even just a mouthful,” he urged.

Sa’salia hadn’t eaten properly for days. Since hearing that her beloved had achieved glory on a distant battlefield and was being recalled to the royal capital, she had lost her appetite.

“Something cold, perhaps a soup,” she requested.

“Yes, of course!” Amai’s voice was buoyant.

As he informed the halted troops to resume their journey, Sa’salia spoke softly, “Amai.”

“Yes?” he responded.

“If what you said earlier proves false, I’ll relieve you of your position as captain,” she warned.

“…Understood,” Amai acknowledged solemnly.

It was a quiet night, so still that not even the chirping of insects could be heard.

＊

Aise still felt unaccustomed to entering the Gemstone Academy grounds through the main gate. During her long years as a candidate, like many others, she had always commuted from the dormitory within the grounds to the school buildings. Unless there was family business to attend to, she rarely ventured outside.

Her former classmate, now an inseparable companion, leaned against Aise’s back as they rode the same horse, quietly snoring.

It had become Aise’s daily routine to depart from the Mordred manor, head to the Aurele family estate where Shitori currently resided, bow to her father—a man of extremely unpleasant appearance and character—Viscount Aurele, then storm into Shitori’s room where she lay fast asleep, and draw back the curtains to greet her with the morning sun. Without this intervention, Shitori would never leave her bed all day.

“We’ve arrived. It’s high time you woke up,” Aise said, nudging Shitori’s stomach with her elbow as she helped her dismount. This too was part of the daily routine.

Leaving Shitori swaying on her feet, Aise stabled the horse before taking her hand and leading her towards the school buildings of Gemstone Academy.

Along the way, they exchanged greetings with friendly students and familiar underclassmen. As they headed towards the room where the instructors gathered for the morning assembly led by the head teacher, Aise suddenly stopped, struck by an odd feeling.

What caught his attention was the way the students’ gazes were drawn to the right as they flowed into the school building.

As they drew closer, Aise understood what had captured everyone’s attention.

In the entrance hall stood a large man, arms crossed, glaring menacingly at those around him. The man had brown skin, rare for Murakumo, marking him as a southerner. The gemstone on the back of his hand was colored. For a moment, Aise thought he might be someone of importance, but his attire was no different from that of a man who might be found guzzling cheap liquor in a tavern in the middle of the day.

He was clearly a ruffian.

As students passed through the entrance, giving the large man a wide berth, Aise placed her hand on the sword at her waist and called out, “Who goes there?”

The large man returned Aise’s wary shout with a hostile glare. “Who are you?” he growled.

“I’m the one asking for identification!” Aise retorted. “This isn’t a place just anyone can enter. State your name! If you’ve intruded without just cause—”

As Aise began to draw her sword, the large man took a step forward. Despite the fear that shot through her as she was looked down upon with such a menacing gaze, Aise stood her ground without taking a single step back.

“That outfit… You’re a Murakumo Bright, aren’t you?” the large man sneered, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

A bead of sweat trickled down Aise’s forehead.

The surrounding students had stopped, watching the situation unfold with trepidation. At a time like this, where was Shitori, who should have been the first to offer support?

Suddenly, an irritated voice thundered through the silent entrance hall.

“Shiga! I told you to behave yourself!”

At the same moment the voice rang out, the large man clicked his tongue and averted his gaze, as if losing his will to fight.

As Aise stood there, unsure whether to lower his guard, a figure appeared from beside the large man.

Aise dropped the hand that had been resting on her sword and cried out in a choked voice, “Shuou!?”

The young man with exotic gray hair and a black eye patch looked surprised as his gaze met Aise’s, his mouth falling open. “Aise, is that you?”

Shortly after their eyes met, Aise was suddenly shoved from behind. In his upturned field of vision, she saw Shitori embracing Shuou tightly, oblivious to the crowd of watching students.