Vol 4 Chapter 5 (1/2)

Chapter 5: The Flames of Demise

Part 1

”Vileena-sama, Vileena-sama!”

Theresia called out loudly. Although her mistress often disappeared from sight, the situation was as it was. The princess had been informed of the prince's disappearance. Official notice had not yet been given to the town, but as a large number of soldiers from Apta were performing searches, it was only a matter of time before the populace would find out. And of course, if they raised a fuss, the entire country would also learn about it.

Not to mention that if the prince were to safely be found at some point, naturally his situation would once again take a turn for the worse. Thinking that it was by no means impossible that in order to avoid that, the princess might follow after the prince and go out of Apta, even Theresia went pale.

However,

”Vileena-sama.”

She almost sank down unintentionally. It was somewhat anticlimactic.

Vileena was wandering aimlessly around the military training range within the fortress. As to what she was doing, she was gazing up at every tree, peering in the shade of the stacked up piles of armour, walking to the stable to compare the horses one by one, and appeared for all the world as though she were looking for something that she had lost.

”You surely can't be thinking that the prince will be in this kind of place. This isn't a game of hide-and-seek.”

Against her better judgement, her tone was somewhat biting.

”I don't know,” Vileena answered without so much as turning towards Theresia. ”With that prince, it isn't impossible that he could have dug a hidey-hole. As an experiment, we could try digging where you're standing, Theresia. You never know, he might appear saying 'Boo!'”

Aha! Theresia homed in on Vileena's detached tone of voice. She was angry. And it was no ordinary anger either. Occasionally when her anger got to her head, her mistress would do things that she herself didn't understand.

Back then, had it been when she was seven or eight years old? Her older sister, Princess Luhla had wanted a puppy that had been sold at a street stall during a festival, and so she had begun to keep it in a corner of the inner palace. Vileena also expressed an interest. However, he dog was scared of her and wouldn't go near her, whose training methods were so strict despite her youth that she was almost like a tyrant.

”I've never heard of a dog that won't let humans hold it. It must be a cat. When people aren't looking, I'm sure it goes 'meow'”.

Thus angered, Vileena had taken to watching the dog in the dead of night from near where it slept. Although very young, Vileena of course didn't really believe such a thing. As it was something she had said herself, she couldn't stand down - was an explanation that was also incorrect. Being excessively strong-willed, she would persevere even if brought her no personal satisfaction.

”Won't you come out, Prince? After all, I'm in plain sight.”

She called out, looking as she had when dealing with a dog that might have been a cat. At the same time, having thought about wandering around the training grounds, she walked instead towards the garden. Just as Theresia had surmised, Vileena Owell was angry.

That, that sly, scheming, pretentious, jokster of a princeling!

Getting more and more wound up in her irritation, she unthinkingly stamped her foot.

When she was told that the prince appeared to have left Apta taking Bane with him, Vileena's first thought was Again? Yesterday, as they had pa.s.sed each other, prince Gil had said ”Please wait a little more.” And so she believed that this time too he had some kind of purpose in mind. There surely couldn't be any need to mobilise the soldiers at Apta in a search, since after all the outcome could only be such as to leave everyone amazed.

And yet, in spite of that - or rather because of that, Vileena felt resentful.

Again, again you didn't confide in me.

This was the prince who had revealed all his plans at the time of the war with Taúlia. Vileena had thought that she had come a step closer to his innermost thoughts, so she found it hard to forgive that this time he had once again acted secretively and kept his mouth firmly shut.

At the time of the war with Taúlia, I thought I could place at least a little faith in him. No matter how strange his behaviour might seem on the outside, I was going to stop scolding him, getting angry at him and saying childish things.

Having faith in him was surely important. However Vileena was finding that not being able to do anything but wait was making her thoroughly irritated.

This isn't like me. If the prince decides to seclude himself indoors again, I might need to attack more forcefully.

Vileena was growing enthusiastic about the idea that there were different ways of believing in people. Since waiting silently went against her nature, she should support, if necessary forcibly, the prince who moved at his own accord.

At that moment, the horses in the stable suddenly grew restless. Instead of drawing near the fence, they were hurriedly shying away from it.

”P-Princess!” Theresia let out a small scream.

As Vileena watched a medium-sized Baian dragon came lumbering near. It wore neither chains nor reins. As the not-unnaturally astonished Vileena was unconsciously about to jump out of the way, from the other side of it, Hou Ran's figure, sitting astride a small-sized Tengo, came into view.

She wondered whether she was chasing after an escaped dragon, but Ran didn't appear to be in a hurry. She seemed instead to be slowing down the Tengo in order to let the Baian take the lead. Forgetting her fear, Vileena drew her eyebrows together slightly; the training and exercise ground for the dragons was in the opposite direction.

”Ran!”

”The princess?”

Ran brought the Tengo to a standstill. The Baian turned its head in her direction and, understanding that she wasn't moving on, also stopped. Theresia appeared to have lost her ability to speak and could only wave her hands at the princess as though to tell her to run away.

”Where are you bound?”

To Vileena's question, Ran answered as though it were perfectly obvious,

”To where... the prince is.”

Vileena couldn't understand why Ran had faltered before saying 'prince'. Or rather, she didn't realise that she had.

”Did he inform you before leaving?”

”No”, the girl from the borderlands had eyes reminiscent of a deep lake and in those eyes, Vileena's figure was reflected. ”It's simply that that child knows. Once its heart has connected with a human, it can feel them no matter how far apart they are. It's what humans call being guided by ether.”

'That child' no doubt referred to the Baian that was standing quietly a little in front of her.

”I've never heard anyone say something like that before.”

”Is that so?”

Ran didn't seem inclined to argue. Nonetheless, Vileena judged her to be extremely knowledgeable when it came to dragons.

Come to think of it...

The ancient Magic King Zodias was said to have discovered the existence of ether as well as the means for manipulating it from the ruins of the Dragon G.o.ds. Zodias had later expressed his belief that the Dragon G.o.ds had once freely manipulated ether and that they had built a great civilisation on this planet.

In Garbera, those kinds of legends were given little credence. They even doubted that Zodias had actually existed. But since having been sent to Mephius, Vileena had remembered the theory that modern-day dragons were the degenerated form of the ancient Dragon G.o.ds.

”So then, if you follow that child, you will find out where the prince is?”

”If it's nearby.”

”But... why do you need to go to the prince now? Weren't you the one who said to leave that person be?”

”I don't remember saying any such thing. Personally, I can't bear for that child to feel lonely. So I'm going.”

”That child...”

Vileena carefully scrutinised the Baian's face. Its forked tongue was flicking in and out of its mouth. Occasionally when it opened its mouth, tusks as sharp as blades would peek out.

Within her chest, Vileena's feelings were stirring noisily. She herself didn't understand what was going on. And while she didn't understand, it was with a feeling of desperate hurry that she spoke,

”Is it only that child?”

”What do you mean?”

”What I'm asking is if it is only that child who is feeling lonely and who is worried about the prince.”

”I don't need to tell Vileena.”

”Vileena.” While repeating her own name, Garbera's third princess let out a chuckle. From 'she' to 'Vileena'. It probably marked an elevation in status.

”I see. You are as difficult as a dragon. Well, I probably am too. I was only looking for a pretext to convince myself.”

”....?”

Atop of her saddle, a slightly troubled Hou Ran frowned. Without realising that that kind of behaviour was unusual for her, Vileena said,

”Very well. In that case, I will go too.”

”P-Princess!” Theresia exclaimed, horrified.

”I need to get ready. I will be done at once, so could you please wait.”

”The limit is how long that child can wait. I won't wait beyond that.”

”You make things clear. Understood, I will hurry.”

”Princess, you cannot!”

While once again playing tag with Theresia, Vileena felt her body grow light.

Elsewhere.

Although the prince's whereabouts were unknown, Oubary Bilan didn't much feel like joining the search.

”That prince delights in entertaining us with his bizarre behaviour.”

Having said that, and after sending soldiers to search in all directions by way of an excuse, the man himself went back to drinking and to going out hunting in the forest.

He was not in the least bit concerned about where the prince may have gone, but since Oubary was at Apta, the imperial family might hold him responsible for the disappearance, and thus he couldn't simply leave things be.

How troublesome, such were his real thoughts.

However he remembered somewhat uneasily that his own subordinate, Bane, was rumoured to have gone with the prince. When he had asked around, he was told that he had been on surprisingly close terms with the prince at Apta.

That b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Just because the prince is highly praised doesn't mean he should change his allegiance.

Remembering the captain's puffed-up face, Oubary, who had gone out hunting, tossed back a large mouthful of wine from his flask. Hunting gun in hand, he took aim at a wild boar that had was cornered nearby. He felt like that splendid kill completely refreshed his spirits.

He couldn't stand Bane's personality and if the prince particularly wanted that man as his subordinate, it would be no great loss for the Black Armoured Division. Or rather, if that man would do for the prince, Oubary would give him over immediately.

He's a poor judge of character, Oubary sneered as he walked towards his next prey.

That evening, just as he arrived back at the fortress, a soldier knelt before him. Upon enquiring, he learned that Bane had returned.

”Why hasn't he come here in person?”

Oubary's angry words were accompanied by the stench of liquor on his breath.

”Yes. That is, the captain can't move but there is something he wishes to tell the general no matter what and...”

He explained that Bane was waiting for the general at a shop in the fortress' town. Moreover, he did not want his return to be publicly known and the soldier appeared to have more to convey.

”What's going on?”

Oubary glared at the soldier with eyes clouded from drinking, but when Bane's message was whispered in his ear, his opened wider and wider as he stared at the man. ”What! Is this true?”

”Yes, it's what captain Bane said...”

All at once, the liquor-induced colour faded from Oubary's face and, taking a number of attendants with him, he descended to the town.

Bane was waiting for him at a cheap ale-house that stood away from the town's hustle and bustle. Not touching a drop of drink, he sat in a corner seat, quivering. When he saw Oubary's figure, he shot upright, forcefully kicking his chair back in the process.

”Gen-General!”

”Is what you said true?”

Oubary cut in without any form of notice. Bane nodded earnestly.

According to what Oubary had heard, Bane and the prince had been captured by bandits while out on a long ride. Bane was separated from the prince and imprisoned in an underground. dungeon but, through a gap in the thieves' vigilance, the prince had hurried to him and untied his ropes.

”There's no guard on watch right now. If we're going to escape, now is the time to do it.” The prince had said to Bane. It seemed however that they wouldn't be able to escape together. ”I'll deliberately make it look like I'm escaping in a different direction. I'll be more likely to attract their attention. I'll buy time as a decoy, whatever happens go and inform the general. Right, be sure to let general Oubary know by the end of the day.”

Sent off by the prince, Bane had jumped onto a horse tied to a tree and had galloped back to Apta.

Oubary pondered. Most of the prince's imperial troops having been sent to Garbera as reinforcements, Apta's current military strength was no more than the five hundred from the Black Armoured Division. No doubt that was why the prince had said to inform him specifically.

”Should we inform the Imperial Guards?” Asked one of his attendants.

”No”, Oubary answered however, running his tongue over his lips. ”The prince's life is at stake. Not only is there not a moment to lose, but if soldiers charged out of Apta in large numbers, those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds would probably realise it and escape. I'll go with a hundred and fifty from the Black Armoured Division. Sarne.”

”Yes.”

Oubary entrusted the task of choosing the hundred and fifty soldiers to his adjutant, Sarne. After that, while making sure that the soldiers were hurrying about, the general of the Black Armoured Division's face seemed to be wreathed in smiles.

That the princeling was stupid enough to go out for fun and to get caught by bandits means that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to pull off a great feat. Even such foolishness can sometimes have its uses.

To save the life of royalty, and moreover of the heir to the throne, would be an achievement that would more than wipe out his disgrace in Solon. It was an added bonus that the one whose grat.i.tude he would earn for having himself saved him from a.s.sa.s.sination was the prince who had appointed slaves as his Imperial Guards. He would surely return the favour done him by Oubary Bilan, no matter how extravagant the reward,

”I'm getting tired of hunting beasts. Slaves would be next after beasts, and treating myself to some bandits might not be bad either.”

Best of all was the feeling of his blood boiling. For Oubary, life was meaningless without fighting.

Part 2

Guided by Bane, Oubary Bilan and the hundred and fifty from the Black Armoured Division drew near the bandits' hideout just before daylight faded.

Naturally they lit neither fire nor lamps. As they marched, they were careful to make as little noise as possible. There was only the snorting and clip-clopping footsteps of the horses, as well as the clanging of armour and helmets, as they slowly weaved their way through the trees. A while ago, several people had been sent out on reconnaissance. Lights shone from every house in the village and a number of men and women seemed to be drinking and dancing. There were people who appeared to be lookouts carrying guns but by going along the old beaten track that was the route chosen for their march, they should avoid running into them.

Stylishly dressed in dignified light armour, as he jolted along atop of his horse, Oubary's eyes shone with excitement as they drew nearer to battle and to its reward.

They started down a narrow path hedged in by cliffs. On Oubary's instructions, they all dismounted. With Bane as their guide, they advanced inwards while hiding themselves behind trees. Oubary beckoned them then gave the command to draw their swords.

”Right, go.”

When soldiers had destroyed the fence with mallets, the gun corps, lined up side-by-side, opened fire all at once. The plan was to lure the villagers and to seize the advantage through further gunfire and arrows. Some of the soldiers had been sent on a roundabout route, taking a mountain trail that led behind the village; when they judged the timing to be right, the arrangement was for both sides to attack at the same time. However,

”Wait!”

Oubary temporarily halted the shooting. There was absolutely no reaction from within the village.

Don't tell me they were able to flee.

Oubary bit the edge of his thin lips. They must have abandoned their hideout when they noticed that Bane had disappeared. And yet, a little while earlier when they had sent out scouts, they had seen the shapes of people. That being the case, there hadn't been enough time for them to escape. Or it was also possible that they had gotten rid of the prince who had become nothing but a burden.

”Search every house. Don't miss even a single one.”

Oubary ordered as he crossed through the wrecked fence. As each lit flames for their torches, the area was illuminated by the hazy light of fire. There were a number of the sod-thatched huts standing in rows. The vestiges of evening meals still wafted from smoke-filled pits. There were also traces of open-air fires here and there, which clearly hinted at there having been people there until just a while ago.

Oubary considered the situation while soldiers investigated the environs, when:

”General!”

A soldier called out loudly. His face was flushed with excitement.

”We found the prince!”

”What?”

Oubary's face brightened with greedy delight. It was a shame that he hadn't gotten to fight but at least he would have achieved his outstanding feat.

Near a vacant plot of land with a well, there was a building that looked as though it could house several tens of people. It was probably used to hold gatherings.

Accompanied by soldiers to his right and to his left, Oubary entered the building. ”Oh ho”, he narrowed his eyes.

Deep inside the wide hall, there was definitely the shape of a person. He seemed to be tied to a chair. His head was drooping as though he were asleep.

”Prince, Prince Gil!”

Oubary took a torch and strode towards the figure, raising it as he went.

The person who was tied up slowly lifted his head. The light from the flames fell upon his face and there was no mistaking it. It was Gil Mephius.

”It's very quiet.”

Urging her horse to advance, Vileena spoke as she considered their surroundings. Low cliffs rose on either side of them.

At the front was the Baian and behind it Hou Ran rode on the Tengo. All around them, it had grown completely dark. As the Baian that was in the lead sometimes stopped as though sniffing a scent to find a way, their progress was slow.

”Are you afraid?”

”Certainly not.”

Vileena said, as though telling Ran not to underestimate her. Ran smiled faintly.

”It's quiet but there are signs of life. This child seems to getting wind of a rather large number of smells.”

”When did you talk with it?”

”Constantly.”

Even though Ran's answer was clear, the meaning was still unintelligible. Somehow or another, Vileena was able to grasp her personality and they had simply reached an understanding without needing to talk.

The road the two of them were following was exactly the same as the one Orba had brought Bane along the previous evening. About an hour earlier, they had stopped to let the dragons and the horse have a drink at the riverside. Although she had spoken in that way for Ran's benefit, Vileena felt vaguely uneasy about the stillness and darkness of their surroundings. However, she silently followed Ran, who was being led by the Baian, without revealing those feelings.

When, carried by the wind, something sounded faintly in Vileena's ears. The sound of a great many people firing guns. The two of them looked at each other and slowed their steeds.

”That was...”

Vileena had immediately halted her horse and signalled to Ran to stop as well. There were a number of armed soldiers along the winding road ahead. Their backs were turned towards them and their attention seemed to be focused on something further down the path.

The flames from the torches they held illuminated their Black Armoureds and armour, and Vileena realised that they were Oubary Bilan's Black Armoured Division.

”Have they also located him?”

”Wait.”

This time it was Ran who stopped the mounts. The Baian that the two had at some point overtaken also stopped when she turned around. Or rather, although it appeared to want to go forward, it pawed at the air with its foreleg without ever advancing. It was behaving as though facing something it absolutely loathed.

”What is the matter?”

”It seems to smell something it hates. There's no doubt that the prince is down there but its instincts are preventing it from doing what it wants. A dragon's instinct isn't only something that is ingrained through experience. Among them and throughout the generations, ether endows them with something like precognition.”

”Precog...” Vileena considered for a short while, then, ”It can't be... Something along the lines of someone having set a trap to capture the prince?”

”It might be. This child is particularly sharp for that sort of thing. - Wait, where are you going?”

”I am going to inform Oubary. Please stay here.”

It was no sooner said than done, and Vileena had already spurred her horse on with a kick to its flank. ”Princess!?” Ran heard the soldiers exclaim in astonishment. Ran was about to follow after the princess when the Tengo stood bolt upright, forcing her to a sudden stop.

Behind her, the Baian turned around. Ran pursed her lips; there were signs that a large number of people were approaching from that direction.

”Oubary?” Gil spoke in a raspy voice. ”Thankfully you came. Bane seems to have done his job.”

”Your safety is more important than anything, Your Highness. Nevertheless, to be outdone by the likes of those bandits is unlike Mephius' heroic and celebrated prince.”

Oubary had long hated the prince. Being thus in a position to look down on him, the general smiled mockingly. Tied to the chair, Gil said weakly,

”I'm sorry. ... However, it seems they weren't originally that kind of group. They said that their village was burned down and they were reduced to banditry out of necessity.”

”That would be at the time when Apta was occupied by those savages from Garbera. Although it may be that your kind heart holds some sympathy for them, I have no interest in the circ.u.mstances surrounding bandits. Now then, which way did they flee? Not a single one of their necks will be sparred, those curs who kidnapped the Crown Prince of our revered imperial dynasty.”

”It was not Garbera that burned down the village.” Gil Mephius raised heavy-looking eyelids and stared Oubary in the eyes. ”I heard all about it, Oubary. What happened in this village was entirely your doing.”

”No, that - What are you talking about?”

For an instant, Oubary could be seen to back away but, in the end, he had nerve. He was confident that here and now, he could certainly overwhelm the prince.