Trembling Hands

He'd been watching alongside the others the whole time, and at last, the enormous whale that had covered the sky over the Royal Capital departed as if fleeing.

Compared to when it first appeared, it had lost its fins and tail and was somewhat smaller.

Between Evalin-san's magic and Azu's rampage across the whale's back, they'd managed to inflict serious damage.

The two of them were descending from the sky.

Azu was dangling from Evalin's grip, held by the scruff of her neck.

It was probably Evalin's own way of making sure Azu, who had no way to fly, wouldn't fall, but it looked like she was carrying a cat. It was a somewhat funny sight.

"The whale ran off. It probably got spooked after taking that much punishment right after waking up. Serves it right."

"Waking up…?"

"That thing was only dropping magic from above, right? Normally it has many more attack methods, but it wasn't using any of them. That's why my magic and the reinforced barrier were able to mostly suppress it."

"Your magic was incredible. And thanks to the barrier, the Royal Capital didn't take any damage at all. We're truly lucky you were here, Evalin-san."

"Thanks."

… If what Evalin said was true, then that massive Sky Whale hadn't even been fighting at full strength.

He didn't want to think about what full strength would look like.

He looked away and saw Azu, now released from Evalin's grasp, hunching over in embarrassment.

Perhaps from the shock of the battle, her dress had been reduced to little more than scraps of cloth. She was practically half-naked.

He took off his jacket and draped it over her.

The central plaza was clear of spectators at the moment, but soldiers were still posted, so he made sure they couldn't see.

He didn't want any other man seeing Azu like that.

"You did great. The only reason we drove that whale off was because of you."

"I wanted to finish it off, though… And I ended up ruining the nice dress, too."

"A dress? I'll buy you another one. I'm far happier that you came back safe."

"Really?"

He meant it.

To him, Azu and the others mattered more than anything else.

He pulled her into a gentle embrace. He could feel her warmth, her heartbeat.

Azu reached around his back and squeezed tight.

Queen Tianis gave an exaggerated cough.

"Ahem. Hate to interrupt the tender moment, but we should wrap things up. The central plaza needs to be restored, and there's a lot I want to discuss. Evalin-san, you don't mind, do you?"

"No. That's fine."

"Good. You're our savior, so the least we can do is thank you properly. And I'd like to hear more about the barrier… But first, we need to announce that the crisis is over."

Queen Tianis dispatched a messenger with orders to lift the state of emergency.

The danger had passed.

Unlike last time, there were no casualties and no damage to the buildings.

The people of the Royal Capital would surely credit Queen Tianis for that.

He stepped away from Azu and looked around. The soldiers had already begun withdrawing.

It seemed the all-clear had been confirmed.

A few audience members had started drifting back, but Princess Yupe was shooing them away, declaring the concert over.

What an energetic person.

The teardown would be handled by the contracted vendors after the soldiers had left.

He and the others packed up their instruments, then headed back to the castle.

That was when he noticed Anatia still sitting in her chair.

She'd already finished putting her instrument away.

Curious, he went over.

"Anatia-san, is everything alright?"

"… This is embarrassing, but my legs have given out and I can't stand. Would you mind giving me a hand?"

"Of course."

He took her hand and pulled firmly.

Anatia rose to her feet, but her momentum carried her forward and she fell against him. He caught her.

The softness was different from Azu's.

"I'm sorry, my legs aren't cooperating either. Thank you. Would you mind supporting me like this for just a moment longer?"

"Of course. After what just happened, being shaken up is perfectly natural."

"I'm supposed to hold myself together. Compared to Yupe and Tianis, I'm pathetic."

Princess Yupe was brazen, or really just plain gutsy.

Comparing someone as delicate as Anatia to her was unfair to Anatia.

Anatia's hands were trembling.

Pressed close like this, a faint sweetness from her perfume drifted into his nose, making him feel strange.

His heart was pounding as he waited for her to settle down.

"I'm alright now. The trembling's stopped… I don't think I could show this side of me to anyone but you, Yohane-san."

Given her position, Anatia couldn't afford to show weakness.

The structural reforms had cleared out her most prominent political opponents among the royalists, but there were surely still plenty of nobles waiting for her to slip.

The allies she could truly rely on were probably far fewer than anyone imagined.

Knowing that he was one of those few filled him with a quiet sense of pride.

He felt the weight of responsibility to support her.

"Shall we go? Everyone will worry."

"Yes."

Anatia stepped away and picked up her instrument case.

She gave him a small smile, then walked on. Slowly, but with steady, sure steps.

"Are you two mates?"

He'd been about to follow when Evalin murmured from behind him.

Apparently she'd been watching the whole time.

He hadn't noticed at all…

"Mates, Evalin-san? You mean like lovers? No, I'm afraid not. Anatia-san and I are in very different positions."

"Being in different positions means you can't become mates? Humans worry about the strangest things. Here, take this back."

What Evalin held out was the Thorn Staff.

Its appearance had changed slightly.

Had it grown after absorbing Evalin's magical power?

Handling it carelessly was dangerous, but she seemed to have it under perfect control.