Caging a Bird Is Also for Its Protection

On the ride back, Princess Yupe had been chattering nonstop at first, but she gradually ran out of things to say and fell quiet.

He'd been giving the occasional response, but keeping a conversation going wasn't his strong suit.

Most of her topics had been about Luido, where they'd just been, along with bits and pieces about life in the royal castle.

The experience in Luido must have been genuinely enjoyable for her.

Maybe she'd even turn part of the castle gardens into a field.

Her life in the castle was more or less what he'd expected.

They saw each other often enough during official business, and Queen Tianis's attitude told him plenty.

She wanted for nothing, fundamentally, but only within the castle walls.

If it hadn't been for the concert, she probably still wouldn't have been allowed outside.

"It's like a birdcage, really. From Tianis's perspective, she's worried I'll cause another incident, so I can't blame her."

"That's the biggest reason, yes, but I think it's also to protect you. The castle has doctors and priests who can heal. If that bleeding from your neck had happened somewhere with no one around, who knows what would have happened."

There was no guarantee the Church of the Sun God wouldn't target her again, and being kept in a state of soft confinement for her own safety seemed accurate.

Queen Tianis's position wasn't yet secure enough to let Princess Yupe roam free.

"So she won't let me go anywhere she can't reach? … That might actually be part of it. She can be quite possessive. If she only allowed the outing because someone she trusts was with me, then I can't exactly go out on my own anymore, can I?"

"Don't you have personal guards? If you take them along…"

"No good. The Royal Shadows are too loyal to me. Tianis doesn't trust them. It has to be someone under her control."

In other words, someone who would prioritize Queen Tianis over Princess Yupe if push came to shove.

If that was the criterion, then yes, they fit the bill.

… He'd probably be roped into this again.

Well, she was an enjoyable person to be around, so that was fine.

The sound of the mule's hooves and the turning of the wheels filled the air.

There was no rocking at all.

With Alexia driving, she was using magic to level the road ahead of the mule as they went.

The carriage itself was solidly built, too, making for an exceptionally comfortable ride.

A cheap carriage on a rough road would leave your backside in agony even with cushions, enough that you couldn't sit properly for a whole day afterward.

There probably weren't many carriages in existence with a smoother ride than theirs.

The comfort could have been marketed as a passenger transport service, but that would mean constant travel, putting strain on the mule, and the fact that only Alexia could use the road-smoothing magic was a drawback.

Every time he thought of starting something new, it always came back to relying on Alexia…

Azu, bored and fidgety, started swinging her legs back and forth.

Elza was gazing absently out the window.

Finn had woken up but had nothing to do, and Orleans sat perfectly still, not moving a muscle.

Princess Yupe hid a large yawn behind her hand.

In short, they were bored.

Maybe he should have brought something to pass the time.

"Oh, that's right. I didn't take it out on the way here since it was too cramped, but I brought something good."

Princess Yupe rummaged through her pockets.

Out came a deck of playing cards.

"With this much space and no rocking, there shouldn't be any problems. A few games and we'll be there before you know it. Have you played before?"

"I have, a few times."

"I've handled them, at least…"

Elza and Yohane had some experience, but the other three had never played.

Given where they'd grown up, that wasn't surprising.

They wouldn't have had the chance or the time.

"I know the rules. I watched people play cards while waiting for a target to be alone."

"What a morbid way to learn. Well, I'm sure Finn will pick it up fast."

"Little cards with pictures on them?"

Azu peeked over curiously.

Orleans followed as well, seemingly interested.

"That's right. All you need is enough people and a deck of these, and you can play right away. That's what makes them popular as entertainment. We sell them at the shop, too. Adventurers apparently play during camp on the road."

"… I don't think that's a good idea. If they get too absorbed in the game, they'll be slow to notice monsters. And leaving just the lookout out of the fun seems like a recipe for bad feelings."

"C-come on, don't be like that."

Azu was nothing if not earnest, come to think of it.

He gave a quick explanation of the rules.

The rest they'd learn by playing.

He dealt the cards evenly to everyone, and they started with Old Maid, easy enough to understand.

This kind of game tended to bring out people's personalities.

Azu, quick to decide and easy to read, lost a lot.

Her trademark speed was no use here, after all.

Orleans, perpetually calm and expressionless, was extremely strong.

Finn was strong too. Her expressions did change, but she threw in feints.

Elza smiled throughout, making her hard to read, but unfortunately had no luck.

If luck had been on her side, she'd have won handily.

Princess Yupe was even more transparent than Azu.

Card games weren't exactly suited for someone who couldn't sit still.

Yet no matter how many times she lost, she kept having a blast.

As if even the frustration of losing was part of the fun.

Yohane won some and lost some.

More than anything, Orleans was just too strong.

She cut through even Finn's feints to claim crushing victories.

"Ahhh, I lost again. Good thing we didn't bet on anything."

"Betting on cards gets people too worked up. If you'd suggested stakes, I'd have said no."

"True. A casual game is just right. It's not about what you play, it's about who you play with."

They put the cards away.

They'd be at the Royal Capital soon.

"I can see my beloved castle."

"They prioritized its reconstruction, so it looks just like it did before. Every time I saw that damaged outer wall, it put me in a sour mood."

"The bird that flew out returns to its cage. Haah. Good times always end too quickly."

"I'll try to arrange another outing with Her Majesty."

"Promise me!"

She hugged her knees and peered up at him.

It was a charming gesture.

Once they entered the Royal Capital, he bought freshly squeezed fruit juice from a street stall as payment for the harvest bet, and they took a short break.

"Here, Alexia."

"Thank you, I'll take it."

She downed it in one gulp.

Driving a carriage was tiring work, so he appreciated her taking on the role.

Then they headed to the castle to drop off Princess Yupe.

Since the audience hours had already ended, they were shown to Queen Tianis's office without any wait.

Inside, Queen Tianis sat in her chair, bundling a stack of papers together in both hands.

The moment she saw their faces, visible relief washed over her.

"Welcome back. It seems you made it safely."