Second Princess Tianis

Soldiers flooded into the manor.

Finn and Azu's group pressed themselves against the wall to stay out of the way.

They answered when spoken to but otherwise kept clear.

"Do you think Master called them?"

"This is far too fast no matter what. Armies may be big, but they're slow to move. Either they prepared in advance, or…"

The soldiers who'd stormed in carried evidence outside as they found it.

They hauled away the unconscious men as well.

With so many hands, everything moved at a breathtaking pace.

Once the bulk of the work was done, two figures appeared before the manor.

The instant the soldiers spotted them, every one of them stopped what they were doing and snapped to attention.

A commanding officer, medals pinned to both shoulders, stepped before the pair and saluted.

"Is it finished?"

"Yes, Your Highness. With assistance from our local collaborators, all went smoothly. A separate unit is moving to apprehend the ringleader. We should have good news shortly."

"I see. And those people over there are the ones in question?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

The Second Princess.

An unmistakable member of the royal family, here of all places.

The female attendant standing behind her folded her parasol, and the Second Princess stepped into the manor.

She walked straight toward Azu's group.

"Your heads are too high."

The female attendant spoke just those words.

The pressure behind those words alone was immense.

But if this girl truly was the Second Princess, remaining on their feet would constitute an insult.

They dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.

"Oh, Kanon is always so fussy about etiquette. Good day. You must be the local collaborators?"

She came to stand before them and smiled.

Platinum blonde hair so clear it seemed translucent, and blue eyes.

Skin as white as if it had never once seen the sun.

She was a girl so beautiful that you could tell at a glance she was of noble birth.

"How do you do? I am Tianis Deiancle, Second Princess of the Kingdom."

She lifted the hem of her skirt ever so slightly with both hands.

It was a perfected gesture.

So captivating that Azu couldn't help but gaze in admiration.

"I hear you also served as escorts for my Aunt Anatia? What reliable people you are."

"Yes. Your Highness the Princess, I trust you are in good health," Elza answered on Azu's behalf.

Neither Finn nor Azu had any idea how to address royalty, so they had no choice but to keep quiet.

If only Alexia were here, Azu thought, but she was away with Yohane.

"When the report came up from the governor of Kassad, I was truly surprised. Medicine and potions fall under my jurisdiction. I've been keeping a close eye on things, but it's simply so difficult once you get outside the Royal Capital. That terrible incident… I was still young, but I remember it. My own younger brother was killed by poison, so I simply cannot tolerate such things."

Princess Tianis was rattling on almost entirely one-sidedly.

Elza kept nodding along, careful not to give offense.

"That's why I hold what you've done in very high regard. Preventing incidents before they happen is what truly matters. It's far more complicated after the fact, and there end up being casualties, don't there?"

"Exactly so."

"There are those who take prevention for granted, but… I am not one of them."

For just an instant, Princess Tianis's smile faltered.

But in the very next moment, it was back in place.

Finn and Azu exchanged a glance.

Royalty is terrifying, they both thought.

Behind them, Kanon quietly whispered to Princess Tianis.

"Princess Tianis. It is nearly time to withdraw. The soldiers have completed their preparations."

"Oh, really? Well then, I'll be going. It seems we just missed each other, but I would love to meet this Yohane person sometime. Leave the rest of this matter to me."

Just as quickly as she'd arrived, she was gone.

Along with the evidence and everyone they'd apprehended.

"So that was royalty… She was beautiful."

"Did you see those eyes? For better or worse, she doesn't think of us as fellow human beings. She probably sees us as useful tools or something, don't you think?"

"Now, now. Badmouthing royalty is strictly off-limits. You never know who might be listening. You saw the attendant's face. Imagine what would happen if you said the wrong thing."

Elza admonished them as if trying to scare them straight.

Royal authority trumped legal authority.

If they disregarded public sentiment, executing a commoner or two would be easy.

And Azu and Elza were slaves, at that.

One signature and they could be hanged without anyone batting an eye.

"Eep…"

"Sigh. Dealing with the powerful is always a hassle. At least this time they seem to be on our side."

While they were still exchanging impressions of the Second Princess, Yohane arrived with Alexia in tow.

It seemed he'd been running. He was out of breath.

"Are you all right?! I heard the Second Princess mobilized right after we left. By the time Jacob tried to confirm, her forces had already moved in."

"She came by just now. Took everything with her. Sounds like we're relieved of duty."

"I see…"

"Just take a breather for now."

Alexia prepared water and handed it to Yohane.

He drained it in one gulp, let out a long exhale, and finally seemed to regain his composure.

"In the end, we just got used for their convenience. Though I suppose you could say it saved us the trouble."

"Nobles and royals are always like that. Just make sure you use them right back."

"True enough. There's a part of me that doesn't sit well with it, but… I guess this wraps things up. Iefuda's long gone by now, I'm sure."

There was no point lingering at the manor, so they stepped outside.

The sky was ablaze with a deep red sunset.

Yohane stretched his back.

He'd stuck his neck into this of his own accord, and all he felt was sheer exhaustion.

Whether he'd managed to settle accounts with the past… that was hard to say.

But it was a choice he couldn't have made back then.

He decided to be satisfied with that.

"Well, let's head back to the inn and go home tomorrow."

"Yes. Understood."

Azu's voice sounded just a little bit happy.