Chapter 47

The first thing that caught my eye was the blue.

The natural walls that adorned the entire room were decorated with translucent blue minerals on all four sides. Of course, the ceiling was also covered. Human hands had been added to depict three skies: morning, noon, and night.

A room of pure blue, where nature and artificial elements harmonized.

It was a breathtaking sight.

—The "Sky Room."

Originally, this was what it was called. The place known as the "Heavenly Paradise" or "Sky Room" today is a replica of this place.

The summer palace of King Usu. Its throne room.

—The sound of clashing swords echoed.

Immediately after opening the double doors, Clifford stepped forward and countered the assailant who had rushed at them. Derek and Rust followed, swinging their swords. The enemies near the door were eliminated.

But—there were still over a dozen enemies in the "Sky Room" at a glance.

Most of them wore hooded cloaks that covered their faces. They held swords, ready to charge at us at any moment.

For a moment, however, the sound of clashing swords stopped.

I swallowed hard. If I was going to act on what I had proposed before entering the "Sky Room," now was the time.

I gripped the handle of the "Black Fan" tightly.

I spoke clearly, so that my words could be heard.

"Good day, everyone."

I wore a smile that seemed out of place for a princess.

"Then—those of the 'Servant'?"

I opened the "Black Fan" and placed it in front of my mouth, feigning a calm demeanor as I called out.

"Do you wish to speak with me, the First Princess of Esfera?"

The key was whether they would respond or not. Each second felt incredibly long. I slightly moved the "Black Fan" higher.

"...First Princess. Are you the real one?"

One of the men in cloaks muttered. His voice was deep, suggesting he might be of a certain age.

Immediately, the assailants stopped and looked at the man as if waiting for his command.

Is this man the leader? I took this as a lead and continued the conversation.

"Are you suggesting I'm a fake? —There are two 'Sky Rooms,' but there is only one princess of Esfera."

"..."

An oppressive silence fell.

Clifford, standing diagonally in front of me, started to move in response to something.

At the same time, a voice of restraint came from the man who seemed to be the leader.

"Stop."

Not at us.

The man used both his voice and hand gestures to restrain the person standing next to him. His words seemed to be effective, as the other assailants did not close in on us.

"First Princess Octavia."

This time, the man called out to me. Even though I couldn't see his face, I could clearly see the color of his eyes. Dark, pitch-black eyes stared directly at me.

"I did not invite you here, did I?"

"That was my mistake. I was searching for someone and ended up in such a place."

"Someone?"

"—Yes. A person named Sil Burks."

Am I still looking calm? I'm trying my best not to show how nervous I am in this tense situation!

What I'm trying to do is to create a buffer before the full-scale battle. Emphasizing my position as a princess and attempting to negotiate.

I am a princess. So, I'm important! Even if I'm not, the power of my status is significant.

That's why it makes sense for me to initiate negotiations as a representative.

Negotiations are more likely to be heard when conducted by someone of high status! I realized this from reading the stories of King Usu and the hero tales of Kangina.

Negotiations before war are crucial. The scale may be different, but the situation is the same.

Even if I read them with a cynical heart—no, because I read them with a cynical heart, the content stuck in my head!

Negotiations without hesitation leading to war are only necessary when there is a clear advantage on our side. In such cases, spending time on negotiations might be a waste.

However, when the situation is unfavorable, negotiations can be useful.

If negotiations go well, it's a win. A peaceful resolution is the best outcome.

Even if they fail, the situation is unlikely to worsen compared to before the negotiations. The battle that was going to happen will happen. Moreover, negotiations provide an opportunity to accurately gauge the enemy's situation.

In a situation like this, negotiations should be attempted! The problem was whether the other party would respond, but that has been cleared!

"First Princess, to come here to search for an individual. ...For what purpose?"

"Sil is my brother—First Prince Serius's lover. A dear person. That alone is reason enough for me to search for him, isn't it?"

While speaking, I scanned the interior of the "Sky Room."

...Where is Sil? He wasn't in any obvious place.

...Not here? No, that can't be.

I carefully scanned the area again.

...I caught sight of the deep blue hair I had missed.

That hair color belongs to Sil.

—There he is!

At the far end of the "Sky Room." He was leaning on something that looked like a platform, face down. Unconscious? Injured?

I focused on the floor near where Sil was. There was no blood, thankfully. To know more, I needed to get closer to Sil...

—Clifford moved slightly, from diagonally in front of me to directly in front.

"...I said to stop. Is this action also by your 'Master's' command?"

Almost simultaneously, the man issued another command to stop. He drew his sword to block the movement of a specific person.

The target was someone who had already been restrained once. Only his eye color was visible through the cloak, which matched the blue of the minerals that adorned the "Sky Room."

To the question of whether it was by the 'Master's' command—this person is a 'Servant.'

But—this person. When we entered the "Sky Room," he was fighting.

His opponent was the man with the dark, pitch-black eyes.

There are nineteen assailants in total. Two were already down when we entered. Clifford and the others countered three more.

Something I saw but didn't realize.

The reason there were fewer enemies approaching us was that a battle was already underway in the "Sky Room"—I think this person took down two of them.

Given the situation, could this be the 'Servant' who didn't kill the elite soldiers of the Saza religion?

If he was opposing the assailants, we could ally with him... I wanted to think that, but this person tried to attack me and was stopped twice. That's why Clifford was trying to deal with him.

Moreover, the person who advised against attacking me was the leader of the assailants targeting Sil...

My head was spinning.

"...It is not by my 'Master's' command."

The 'Servant' replied. His voice was that of a young man.

"I see."

Ignoring the exchange between the 'Servant' and the man, Derek moved to my side from the left diagonal.

He whispered.

"There is an ally among them."

Among the assailants, right? An ally?

"A slender man with red hair."

After saying that, Derek moved away.

Slender, red hair... At first, I was looking in the direction of Derek's gaze, but he was in a completely different direction. He wasn't wearing a cloak. He must have infiltrated the guests, dressed in formal attire.

He looked like a young man in his late teens. I didn't recognize him.

His build, hairstyle, and clothing... If he wore a mask, wouldn't he be the person who asked Clifford to dance at the banquet?

He was also my second partner when I danced the court dance. He seemed more predatory than his appearance suggested.

Since Derek stated it so confidently, he must be someone close to the Duke of Knightfellow? One of the Duke's subordinates, perhaps.

"I can understand your feelings. Stay calm until the conversation ends."

The man lowered his sword and told the 'Servant.'

I refocused my attention on them.

"—Well, I apologize. First Princess. What do you want from us?"

The man turned to the back of the "Sky Room"—he must have known I had found Sil and deliberately looked back.

"I want you to release Sil and surrender."

"Surrender? Us?"

The man seemed to be on the verge of a derisive laugh.

"Leave, Princess. I have no interest in the royal family. If you don't interfere, I have no reason to take your life."

"—Your target is only Sil?"

"Yes."

"Why are you targeting Sil? And what have you done to him?"

"...He is still alive."

The response was vague, but he must still be unconscious.

"You have no intention of harming Sil?"

"...First Princess. It would be wise for you to return to where you belong."

"You should consider why I am here. As the First Princess, would I come to enemy territory with a small group and no preparation?"

"..."

I came with a small group and no preparation!

"In a short while, a large number of soldiers will flood this 'Sky Room.' Can you, even as a 'Servant,' withstand the power of numbers? —I am here to offer you a chance to surrender out of goodwill."

"Ridiculous. A princess has no authority to command soldiers."

That's true!

My eyes were about to dart around. I forced myself to look forward, and in my field of vision, the red-haired young man Derek had identified as an ally was conveniently there.

An idea came to me. If I said it was a different group of soldiers...

"Who said they are the castle's soldiers? If they are the private army of a noble I am close to, I can command them."

The man's dark, pitch-black eyes turned to Derek.

"...The private army of Knightfellow?"

Yes. No need to deny it.

"Do you understand?"

"...I understand. First Princess."

The man nodded quietly. He seemed to believe the private army of the Duke of Knightfellow was coming. If he breaks, then...

"Be cautious."

But then he added a foreboding statement.

"—There was arrogance in being a 'Servant.' I underestimated you."

The man himself is a 'Servant.' That much is clear, but the situation is getting dicey.

"Help me."

The man said to another 'Servant.' Seeing the other nod, the man continued.

"We will not surrender. We will not release that person. However, you do not seem to be backing down. Then, before the private army of Knightfellow arrives, we will use our full strength to eliminate you, First Princess."

A declaration that there was no need to hide anymore. The man shed his cloak.

Our gazes met, his dark, pitch-black eyes like those of a bird of prey. I met his gaze, determined.

—The battle began.

The 'Servants' and the assailants charged at me.

"...They are coming."

"I promise to serve the future Duke as I have been given Tahren weapons."

"I hope so."

Derek and Rust took a stance to intercept.

...The negotiations have failed. My legs felt weak.

But—fortunately, the area where Sil was located was now open.

"—Clifford. I'm going to Sil."

"Leave it to me."

Clifford moved silently and deflected the initial attack of the young 'Servant' in a cloak. The sound of clashing swords was intense.

"You...?"

As I started to run, I heard the young 'Servant' mutter.

I ran toward Sil, focusing only on that.

There was a golden throne here too.

—Behind it.

A sword was lying nearby. I touched Sil, who was leaning on the platform.

He was warm. "He is still alive," he had said, but he was breathing. I could feel his pulse. He had no injuries. He seemed to be unconscious, as if he were just sleeping.

A sigh of relief escaped me.

I pulled Sil's body and laid him on the floor.

"......?"

At that moment, I realized that what Sil was leaning on was not just a platform.

...It was a tombstone. Made of the blue minerals that composed the "Sky Room." It had the shape used for the burial of the royal family of Esfera.

Most importantly, the name carved into the stone.

I traced the letters with my fingertips.

—Idelaria Esfera.

The royal family of Esfera does not use their surname. If I were to use it, I would be Octavia Esfera. However, it is not allowed for just any royal to use the surname. Therefore, it might be more accurate to say that the royal family does not have a surname.

The only person who can use the surname Esfera is the one who wears the crown. Currently, it is my father, Enoch Esfera.

Only the kings of the past can use the country's name as their surname. ...Even after death.

Idelaria is a female name. And the surname Esfera indicates that she once held the throne.

"...Queen Idelaria."

This room, which was used as a throne room during the time of the summer palace.

But, is this "Sky Room" meant to mourn her?

My father said her name had been erased.

The queen, killed by her brother—King Usu?

Hidden by King Usu—yet something he wanted to preserve.

—Something moved at the edge of my vision. I turned to look. Sil was stirring. He opened his eyes slightly and stood up. Without a word, he picked up the fallen sword.

"Sil, are you—"

I couldn't finish my sentence.

The distance between Sil and me widened suddenly.

Clifford, who had appeared between us, held me in his left arm and leaped back.

The sword sliced through the air.

The sword Sil had aimed at me.