I changed my clothes before wandering around the castle, looking for a certain person. A certain librarian I had to punch in the gut (just kidding). The halls of the palace seemed so big, so empty, when walking alone. The guards greeted me as I went by, as did the maids and butlers. Yet, in the dark of an unraveling storm - wind and rain hitting the windows, the many little lanterns and candles twinkling their warmth towards the corners - every little step and breath resonated against the circled arcs that held the ceiling. I brushed the leaves of the many plants I passed by, as if saying hi to them.
The peaceful solitude of the path made my eyes tear up.
As expected, I found him in the library, signing some papers. Mizuen greeted me with a kind smile and fingers dirty with ink.
The library looked equally welcoming and terrifying in the dark of its corridors and the warmth of its lanterns. In the little corner next to the window - where we normally sat to chat - the librarian was curled up in a blanket when I walked towards him. He offered me a seat and some tea from his mug. I kept standing.
- “What is it, Von? It’s rare that you would look for me. How did your class go?”
- “Mizuen, you should have told me.”
- “Straight to the point, huh. I apologize, I didn’t have the time.”
- “Mizuen.”
- “It’s true. I had to do a lot of your paperwork these past few days, and write the reports about the experiments with posporita.”
- “I don’t mean the class. You could have told me that you don’t know how to send me back to my world.”
- “Ah, that, well…”
- “I would have understood. I understood everything else. It wasn’t that hard, was it?”
- “Why don’t you sit down?”
- “Mizuen.”
He took a deep breath. I saw his whole posture melt down as he covered his face with his arms, laying over the table, and all the papers. Mizuen ruffled his own hair in frustration, messing up the papers even more.
- “…I have a lot on the line too. I can’t just tell people that I don’t know how to do something. To this kingdom I’m a genius. I’m Io’s successor. I need to be able to do everything.”
- “That’s not my problem.”
- “I’m being honest here. Opening up a little.”
- “I didn’t come to hear you vent.”
- “Fine, fine. But... it’s true. It’s hard to admit I can’t solve that, of all things. I’ve been trying to find a way, and I still haven’t given up.”
- “I could have helped you if you told me.”
- “You already have too much to do. I didn’t want to add more to the stress.”
- “…Well, that’s true. I would have just gotten stressed. Just like I am now.”
- “Come, sit down.”
I gave in to him this time. I sat down.
- “I didn’t expect you to not have planned that one thing.”
- “I have to admit it was the least of my worries until you actually arrived. It may not look like it, but half the time I’m not sure what I’m doing.”
- “That’s one thing we have in common.” – I laughed. It was muffled by the storm.
- “Sorry for hiding it. I have to be careful of what I say, a lot.”
- “No, no - now that I think about it, it’s not like I could do anything to help anyways. I barely know anything about magic; I would just be a waste of space.”
- “Calling yourself useless again?”
- “But I have proof now!”
- “Like hell you do. Anyways. How is it? You’ve got your license now.”
- “Yeah… Huh… It’s weird. Since I didn’t really work for it, I’m not sure how I should feel. It’s like I don’t deserve it. Impostor syndrome? You know, Renime- She called me a cheater. And, I wouldn’t say she’s wrong. I’m getting way more than I deserve and I’m not even doing anything.”
- “Don’t worry. I also have a special license, since I don’t actually do magic. And I know the feeling of having to prove yourself again and again so that they don’t take away everything you worked for.”
- “It’s… not really like that for me. It’s more of… I want to work hard. I kind of… want to prove that it wasn’t a mistake to trust me. That I’m here for a reason. I don’t want to keep feeling like I’m useless, now that everything has started to move.”
Mizuen gently ruffled my hair, and then pressed my nose.
- “That’s way better. I know you can do it, so don’t hold back. I believe in you.”
- “Wait, let me do one thing.” – I asked. He just looked at me, waiting for it. So, I smacked his head.
- “W-WWWwa-”
- “That’s for being a manipulative asshole.”
- “…Fair.”
The conversation moved along once again. I had it clear in my head that I couldn’t get mad at him at this point. I found out a few surprising things talking about my day with Mizuen. Specifically one.
- “...so that’s what- Oh! Also, I saw that the students didn’t have a teacher with them during practice. Is that normal? You all do self-study?”
- “Practice… Sparring?”
- “Yes, sparring.”
- “Ah… well… Mardiha taught that class… She died some time ago...”
- “In the-”
- “A battle in the border. She insisted on fighting, to not leave her students alone. She was the fourth years’ homeroom teacher - they were put on the frontlines. She was a brilliant duelist.”
- “S-So that’s why.”
- “Mister Uncaín too... He was a medic. He was the best stave artisan in the kingdom too. The one who taught at the Academy. You know? He never hurt a soul. But that didn’t matter. They cut down the bridge when our troops were retreating. Thirty people died that day, six because they cut down that bridge.”
- “A-Ah… I see. Uh…”
- “Yeah. And even then, those idiots at the Court want to surrender. They somehow believe the Doctrine isn’t going to murder all of us.”
- “Mizuen…”
He quickly changed the topic back to his research, telling me about the new findings - the many uses of the explosives they were working on. With new ideas coming to mind thanks to it, I convinced him to make me a copy of the report he was preparing for the Queen. I thanked his willingness to share such information.
While he was teaching me about the wonders of alchemy, someone knocked on the door.
- “Yes?” – The librarian called out, hiding some papers. However, the person was already inside by the time he answered.
- “Mirri, dinner is about to start so- Oh- Sir Von, you were here too-”
I stared at them for a moment. Mizuen jumped from his chair after a few seconds.
- “L-Loe-! I- Ah! A-Alright, I’ll get going…”
- “Ah, yes! I’ll go back to- I mean-! See you later! I-If you excuse me.” – She bowed and walked out just as quickly as she entered.
Mizuen stayed standing, his foot tapping the floor. It wasn’t, of course, visible, but I could feel his eyes turning around every corner of the room - just not knowing what to do, for once.
So, having the upper hand for the first time, I smiled.
- “Oh? What is that? Are you embarrassed? Are you?”
- “Oh shut up-”
- “So? Are you two dating, then?”
- “Y-Yeah. What about it?”
- “Nothing. It makes me happy to know you have someone like that.”
- “W-Whatever.”
- “Don’t be embarrassed, Mizuen! Loving someone is truly one of the best things you could do. You love your sister, you love your friends, and you love your partner. Own it like it’s something to be proud of, because it is!” – I patted his back, laughing.
- “Since when are you a wise old man, Von?”
- “You seem to forget I’m older than you!”
- “Of course I’d forget, it never shows.”
- “Ah- No need to get aggressive. Let’s go get dinner before Arsamira disowns me.”
After a chuckle, he put his papers back wherever they were supposed to be - and with that, we headed towards the dining hall.
Illuminated by ghostly flames, the nature-filled room had the strange gloom of a fairy tale. I immediately found Kio sitting amongst the guards that weren’t on duty. He wasn’t a guard, but my retainer – yet, in this world, I found these terms to be rather vague. To say that I’m not able to translate certain things is one thing, but many titles worked completely differently despite being the equivalent.
Sitting above the servants were the Queen, the second princess, Arsamira, Mizuen, Daien, Renime – and the ominous, empty seat reserved for the King. I wasn’t one to stop and stare in such awkward places, but the delicate carvings and ornaments that were unique to this chair called the sight towards themselves.
Being the chair I was usually offered, I had sat on it multiple times before without thinking. During prayer, all I managed was trying to keep myself from shaking from the sheer thought of taking the King’s seat.
The delicious meal in front of me didn’t make it easier to bear. Well, it did – just a little.
Boiled eggs, warm milk with tea, fresh bagels, a little salad with tiny tomato-ish berries – and the main dish, a sort of meat pie with fruit and rice inside. Well, a type of rice. Some sort of rice.
The rice was filled with the meat’s juices, absorbing the flavor of the spices. The crust was slightly crunchy, with a taste of almond, and the sweet fruits combined with the savory flavor of the sauce made specifically for it gave it a depth and complexity that helped the meat’s saltiness overlap with the crust’s rich texture.
Okay, I did get distracted by the food.
While I was enjoying a bagel dipped in honey, Arsamira called out my name.
- “Y-Yes?”
- “Thank you for coming.” – That gentle smile of his, it wasn’t fair how easily it got me.
- “…Sorry for causing so much trouble.”
- “It’s no-“– Before Arsamira could finish, the princess scolded him.
- “Arsa, have you been pestering sir Von?”
- “Not at all- I just told him about the rumors going around-” – The princess glared at Arsamira, and that was enough to shut him up.
- “I was happy to know sir Von was coming to dine with us, but knowing that this is the reason, I- I sincerely apologize for my brother’s actions.” – The Princess, the youngest member of the Court and probably one of the most capable. Even with such skills, it was noticeable how she was still a child around her family. She pouted as the Prince laughed at her apology, and even more when the Queen let out a chuckle. They truly loved each other – and they opened their arms to those like me, who yearned for that light.
I stared at Kio from the table, watching him eat exuberating amounts - as he normally does. I couldn’t stop my smile from appearing, so I just hid my mouth behind a hand. But the grin got bigger when I caught Mizuen staring at the crowd – at Loe. There were so many little things I hadn’t noticed before. So many little things I previously tried to ignore.
Comments (0)
See all