"Today there is a festival in town. I want to go there." Said Prince Cain and surprised me that he suddenly wanted to do something.
Of course I knew there would be a festival in town today. But somehow I didn't expect him to want to go there.
He had spent most of the previous week in his room. I almost thought he was more of an introvert, but that was kind of the opposite of his demeanor.
But with him there seemed to be many opposites anyway.
"Okay, then I'll tell the other guards and sign us in for-"
"No," he interrupted me, "I want to go alone. Only with you."
"But-"
"Don't worry. I won't officially appear there as a prince. And you won't appear as a palace guard either. We're just going to be ordinary citizens tonight." He said while a promising smirk crept onto his lips.
"But your Highness, we can't-"
"Who said we couldn't? We probably shouldn't, that's true... but if we don't get caught there won't be a problem." He let me know with a smug smile.
"..."
I didn't answer, just bit my lip thoughtfully.
Could I really allow this danger? After all, as a guard, I was responsible for him and his safety. If something happened, I would be held accountable.
"Besides, this is an order and you have to obey it. Whether you like it or not." Prince Cain informed me and thus took away any possibility of a contradiction.
As personal bodyguard to the prince, I was under his direct command. The basic orders of the palace guards, on the other hand, were of secondary importance to me. And Prince Cain knew that.
So once again I had no choice but to obey him and do what he wanted.
…
Before long we were on our way out, wrapped in dark coats. I felt like I was part of a conspiracy. Which I probably just was.
It was strange to see Prince Cain dressed so casually. Somehow he still looked like a prince even though he wore normal clothes.
He just had the face of a king's son. Even he couldn't do anything about it.
I had a bad feeling that we could be discovered quickly outside.
But what worried me almost more was that Prince Cain knew so many secret ways out of the palace. Apparently he had escaped a few times before. He skillfully guided us around the guards on the gallery of the palace walls and knew exactly the weaknesses of the palace security.
We escaped unseen as we clambered over a high metal fence towards the woods. Thanks to both our strength and physique, climbing presented no difficulties for us at all. We quickly disappeared into the thicket of the forest and were now out of sight of the other guards.
I wasn't sure if I should be glad that we weren't spotted.
Sure … I probably would have been punished if we were spotted, but my punishment would certainly have been lighter if we had been caught while we were still in the palace.
But now we were outside. So for me there was no other option than to get the whole thing across the stage unseen. Because if we would've been discovered now, only death would await me.
When we got to the capital, the evening was already coming to an end and the red-gold tones of the evening sun were gradually being replaced by a dark blue night sky. It was pleasantly cool. A gentle night breeze swept through the streets.
The atmosphere at the summer festival was exuberant and cheerful music could be heard from somewhere. Lots of people hung around and probably many came from outside not to miss this event. On the large market square there were many different, colorful stands that shone in a wide variety of colors and lit up the night sky with their iridescent colors.
It was wonderful. I couldn't stop being amazed.
"Do you like it here?" Asked the prince when he saw my astonished expression.
"Yes!" I said happily.
The prince smiled warmly in response.
That smile felt different than that malicious grin he'd shown me so many times before.
As if he was finally free from the pressure that only weighed on his shoulders in the palace.
Maybe it was because he finally didn't have to act as the prince. That he was just a completely normal person, like everyone else. At least for tonight.
I could suddenly understand why he often secretly sneaked out of the palace. A small smile beams down my lips as I ran after him.
We had a lot of fun at the festival. We drank a lot of brandy wine and danced with the other citizens in the big plaza. And nobody noticed us.
However, we had always made sure that Prince Cain's hood never fell off. So we could preserve his identity.
But it was a relaxed and exuberant evening. It was very different than with my comrades in the barracks but somehow it also felt the same. I felt this friendly warmth that my comrades always let me feel too. But maybe it was just the alcohol making its way into my head. Still I felt good. As good as it hasn't been for a long time.
Prince Cain and I strolled through the crowded streets and looked at some dubious stands along the way.
We were just stopping at a stall selling jewelry when someone suddenly tapped my shoulder from behind.
I turned around, slightly panicked. Prince Cain did the same. I thought we had been spotted, but when I turned around all I saw was the wrinkled face of an elderly woman.
She wore a midnight blue robe and a dark veil. Somehow she seemed like a witch to me.
Were there even witches here in this world?
"You are Prince Cain, am I right?" Said the woman bluntly, causing Prince Cain to back away, startled.
"How do you know that, old lady?" He immediately asked a little more hostilely.
"Oh, I've been expecting you, Your Highness. But I'm even more interested in your handsome companion." She said, suddenly turning her gaze to me, making me jump.
"You're not from around here, am I right, young man?"
"That... that's right. Most people assume that I am originally from Ildrega." I explained curtly.
Somehow I was a bit suspicious of this woman.
"No, I mean that you are not from this world." The woman explained in more detail.
"What does she mean?" The prince asked me curiously. He seemed really confused.
However, my blood already froze in my veins. I tried desperately to suppress a tremor.
How did this witch know that?
"I'm right, aren't I? You know what I'm talking about."
"Chris, what's this gonna be?" Prince Cain asked me.
For the first time he seemed as if he didn't have the upper hand in a conversation. That he's the clueless one. And that seemed to stress him out. But that was just beside the point for me.
"Can you help me? I need to know. Please." I desperately asked the lady, ignoring the prince.
I couldn't believe this random woman knew anything about my situation.
Maybe she was a fortune teller? Maybe she could tell me something about my destiny.
A mischievous smile crept onto the woman's lips.
"Why? Don't you like this world and your current body?"
"No, that's not it. It's just...I don't know what to do here. Do I have any purpose here?" I asked honestly.
I had the feeling that I was doing something fundamentally wrong here. I had no idea if my life here served some higher purpose.
"Did you have a real purpose in your previous world?" The woman asked me the counter question.
"N-no. Not really."
"Then you have your answer."
"…"
I had to admit that this information kind of disappointed me. In all the books I had read, the protagonist somehow always had an important role when they got reincarnated. Most often they were heroes or destined for something greater.
But I... I was still kind of me. Only my appearance had changed. I didn't even have magical abilities or anything like that. I was just... a normal person.
Admittedly... it was also the first time I heard of someone being reincarnated into a different gender. I wasn't aware of this possibility beforehand. But actually it made sense. After all, you couldn't choose which body you were born into.
"Don't be disappointed, young man. You are a planeswalker. There aren't very many of your kind. Your gift is that you can remember your previous lives, unlike the others. For others, it may be at times giving déjà vu, short fragments of old memories of one's own soul. But you... you can remember everything, my boy. And that will be your strength. With this strength you will be able to help people. In your own way."
What strength? What was she talking about? Surely the woman didn't mean my sad high school life, did she?
I was even more confused than before.
"And when I look at you like that, you're already helping the people who really need you. The answer is literally right in front of you. You just don't want to see it yet." She continued.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You'll have to find that out for yourself. Now go."
"Wait-!" I called out, but the older woman had already disappeared in the crowd.
"Chris, how did this woman know you? Do you believe this nonsense she was talking about? She was very old. She was probably just a bit odd."
"No, you don't understand... she... she might really have helped me. We have to find her again! I have more questions for her."
"Chris … you're acting weird. Have you perhaps drunk too much brandy?"
"N-no, I'm quite sober...I think."
"I can hardly believe that. You're kind of weird right now. Maybe we should go back and-"
"No! I'd rather stay here a little longer. It's... nice here. I like it." I admitted with red cheeks.
The prince couldn't help but laugh.
"Okay, if you say so. Then we'll stay a little longer."
"… Thank you."
…
I've been looking for this mysterious old woman all evening, but I couldn't find her anywhere.
Did she just vanish into thin air?
I was still confused. I still had thousands of questions.
But this woman had only spoken in riddles.
Planeswalker? What is that supposed to be? Supposedly I could remember my previous lives. But actually I could only remember my last previous life. Could she have confused me for someone else?
What did it all mean?