Chapter 19 - Epilogue: The Soldier of the Frontier
The King, alongside the Queen, left through a designated door.
The First Prince, the Lady from the Grand Ducal House, and the members of the semi-royal Grand Ducal families followed closely behind. The high-ranking noble houses all followed suit, exiting through a separate door. The heads of each family, along with the young ladies who were to marry into those families, and their respective families, all departed as well. He too, quietly joined the procession.
I could imagine that person, feeling the weight of the recent proclamation, must have been overwhelmed by pressure, to the point of feeling nauseous. His fiancée, too, must have been caught off guard, suddenly brought to a place where their future would be decided. This situation... it would surely cause a conflict. A big one, no doubt. But, knowing that person, despite showing a light-hearted side, they would likely manage to resolve it in the best possible way.
I was the only one left in a place that felt like the aftermath of a storm.
Although the matter at hand was of great importance, as a third son of a minor family, even though I had been invited as a related party, there was no reason to be angry. The only one in a hurry was the Chief Lady-in-Waiting of the Harem. With the important people gone, only the attendants remained in the corridor. How long would I be expected to stay here?
Without thinking, I glanced at the Chief Lady-in-Waiting of the Harem, silently seeking confirmation.
"I-I’ll make an inquiry now! I’ll pass on your message!"
"Don’t overdo it, Chief Lady-in-Waiting. There must be many matters to attend to. It’s best to leave here now. By the way, may I entrust you with this item on my waist? I don’t know who gave me this sword. It would be appreciated if you could express my thanks for allowing me to uphold the dignity of the knight assigned to this task.”
"Th-This sword... to me?"
"Given your position, I believe this is appropriate. There are no royal attendants visible here, nor are there any knights of the Royal Guard. Therefore, I am entrusting it to you, as the highest-ranking person present. Is that acceptable?”
"Yes... I understand. I will certainly pass it to the appropriate person."
"Thank you. There is one more thing I wish to ask."
"Of course."
"I have some concerns about returning to the grand hall of the royal castle. Could you kindly show me the quickest way to exit this building?”
"...Understood."
The Chief Lady-in-Waiting of the Harem nodded, understanding the situation. I, too, had no intention of returning to the place where I had been wrongly accused of abandoning my fiancée. Let them gossip as they please. It would be best to leave the castle swiftly and return to the dormitory of the Magic Academy.
Perhaps understanding my intentions, the Chief Lady-in-Waiting of the Harem kindly showed me a way to avoid being seen by other new noble adults, ensuring I wouldn’t be exposed. I was grateful for her thoughtfulness.
After handing over the sword, I turned on my heel. The Chief Lady-in-Waiting of the Harem seemed like she had something to say, but I had no need for further conversation. For someone with such a high rank, she must have held a significant title, so it was out of the question for someone like me to speak on equal terms. Well, I had spoken due to the urgency of the situation, but this was the end of it.
--- § ---
Following the route suggested by the Chief Lady-in-Waiting of the Harem, I hurriedly made my way through.
I passed near the kitchen. Hm? What’s this...? It looked like light refreshments from the grand hall—items that had been set aside because they were either too old or not consumed much. I came across a place with a large quantity of food that could still be eaten.
When I called out to one of the nearby kitchen staff, they must have mistaken my formal attire for that of a royal palace official, as they responded with proper courtesy.
"What will happen to... these?"
"Normally, it would be discarded. However, tonight, there is a large amount, and it has been prepared by first-class chefs. The servers, waitresses, and ladies-in-waiting will likely take some home as a reference for future events."
“I see, so others can take it home as a reference?”
"Of course, anyone may do so."
"Then, may I take some as well?"
"Please use this box. It has been prepared for that purpose."
"Then, I’ll take a few. Thank you."
"It's nothing."
I had learned something useful. I hadn’t eaten anything since morning, and my stomach was growling. More than that, I would soon be returning to the dormitory to prepare, and then head back to my homeland. If I could have something to eat on the way, that would be ideal. I grabbed a few boxes and began filling them with the leftovers that had been offered.
Hmhm, not bad. I could even see bottles of liquor. There were what appeared to be flat sparkling wine with their corks removed, as well as opened bottles of wine that the attendees hadn’t touched, all left on the table. Hmm, since the corks were left beside them, I guess these could be taken as well.
Then, I thought of taking a bottle for my alcohol-loving father... no, perhaps a few bottles, so we could all drink together as a family. Wine from the royal capital, the royal castle itself, would make for a fine souvenir.
Once I made up my mind, I quickly gathered the bottles. I wrapped them in the large cloth I always carried with me, tying it up to make a makeshift bag. This was... well, part of my memories from my past life. As I had no attendants, a furoshiki (*A traditional Japanese wrapping cloth) had been immensely useful. So, I always carried a large piece of cloth similar to furoshiki with me.
With the wrapped items in hand, I followed the route the Chief Lady-in-Waiting of the Harem had shown me. I see, if I follow the servants' passageway, I won’t encounter any nobility. At a gratitude banquet where those with internal mana of at least the rank of count and their families attended, no participants would pass this way. The Chief Lady-in-Waiting of the Harem had thought this through carefully.
I successfully avoided the attending nobles and managed to leave the building. From there, I walked swiftly along the road I had come. I had no trouble passing through the castle gates. It’s true that while entry was strictly guarded, leaving wasn’t scrutinized as much.
Well, this was convenient for me. As I noticed the guards taking an interest in the furoshiki bag I was carrying, I reluctantly decided to offer one of the bottles of wine to the guards.
"Thank you for your hard work in guarding the royal castle. Though it’s just one bottle, I would like to offer it as a token of gratitude for your dedication at the gratitude banquet."
As I handed it over with a polite remark, the stern-looking guards' eyes softened. It reminded me of my father, and perhaps my brothers as well... After passing through the towering walls of the royal castle, I made my way to the Magic Academy dormitory. There weren’t many people walking through the noble district. At this hour, the only ones walking were probably maids on errands. By now, it was already evening. The streets were quiet, and even though I walked quickly, I blended in with the people heading home for the night.
Even though I was dressed in such formal attire, I figured people would just see me as someone with a reason to be in such clothes, probably not giving me a second thought. Once I returned to the dorm, I immediately changed. I had already returned the clothes provided by the Magic Academy, so I put on the hand-me-downs from my older brother that I had brought with me from the frontier.
I had grown a bit taller, so my brother’s clothes fit perfectly, and it was the ideal look for a long journey.
I had already arranged for all my books, papers, and bulky items to be sent to the frontier by a merchant caravan leaving yesterday. Now, my belongings consisted of a high-quality leather garment bag, a small travel suitcase, and the furoshiki.
The dorm room was quiet. After making the bed one last time, it was as it had been when I first arrived. Well, thank you for the past four years. It had been a comfortable stay.
The night had already fallen, and the darkness of evening was settling in.
It seemed like I would make it in time for the long-distance stagecoach night service, which would be running through the night. I had food with me and had saved up for travel expenses. I returned the key to my room to the dorm manager, who accepted it and signed off on the return. With that, I knew I would never be coming back to this dorm.
I bowed deeply, showing my respect for the manager’s work. With a warm smile, the manager sent me off.
"I wish you a good life."
"Your work was always flawless. My utmost respect for your dedication. May your life be filled with light."
After exchanging blessings, I left the dorm. The first few stars began to appear in the sky, which was growing darker. With a feeling of clarity, I made my way toward the long-distance stagecoach station. Would there be a coach I could catch?
With the great vow in my heart, along with the pride and honor of being from a knightly family...
As a soldier of the frontier...
--- I pressed forward on my journey home. ---
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