e.1
"So do you have anything to say, Sir Julius?"
"No, nothing at all. Everything is in accord with the report."
Two men spoke in the darkness of a room untouched by the sun's rays. The
space belonged to the captain of the guards in the knights' garrison, adjacent to
the royal palace. Marcus was sitting at his official desk, with Julius standing
ramrod straight in front of the table.
"I could offer no complaint if you were to banish me from the Knights of the
Royal Guard for my breach of conduct. Do as you will, captain."
Julius pulled his sword out of the scabbard at his hip and offered it across the
top of the desk. The sight of Julius offering up his sword drew a deep sigh out of
Marcus.
"So during a discussion about the royal selection, you detained a man related
to one of the candidates, led him to the parade square, beat him senseless, and
sent him off to be healed. Judging from the contents of this document alone, I
cannot simply let this pass with a slap on the wrist." But the better question
was what in the world the "finest" of knights was thinking when he did such a
thing. Naturally, the knightly blood was not so thin in Marcus that he could not
hazard a guess. He continued, "I am at liberty to take circumstances into
account. Many of your fellow knights at the parade square have entreated me
to show leniency. Having said all this, you indeed went too far."
The wounds endured by the young man at the parade square far exceeded
what was tolerable for mock combat. Marcus asked, "Did you find his tarnishing
of your knightly pride unforgivable to that extent?"
"Glossing this over will only give rise to personal grudges. My personal
shortcomings are solely to blame. Please, captain, do not waste any more
words for my benefit."
Julius did not relent, meekly awaiting his punishment to the very end. Marcus
lowered his eyes, considering what words to use in light of his unyielding
stance. Then, Ferris opened the door, entering the room with his well-worn
guard uniform and a casual attitude.
"Hi, sorry to keep you waiting. Your dear Ferri has returned!"
Seeing Marcus and Julius facing the other, Ferris put a hand to his mouth and
smiled mischievously.
"Meow, did Ferri come at a bad time? You're sharing such passionate looks…"
Marcus replied, "…Cease that idle prattle and report, you precocious brat."
"Ohh, captain, your true colors are showing."
"I suppose I should behave before my men the same as in public… Well, fine.
Make your report."
With Marcus shooing him off, Ferris stood right beside Julius.
"As per the captain's orders, Ferri went all meowt healing Subawu. His
wounds are closed, his bones mended, even his teeth have been restored. He'll
be all right."
"Well done. You didn't miss anything?"
"If Ferri missed it, it couldn't be found in the first place. There's no problem
with his body… Though, the same can't be said for his heart."
Ferris's cat ears twitched as he shot Julius a teasing sidelong glance.
"You really are a softie, Julius. How many girls have you made swoon with
that thoughtfulness and devotion? You're even making Ferri's heart flutter."
"I do not know what you speak of, Ferris."
"You don't need to keep playing tough. That girl with good instincts already
noticed, and it still worked wonders on the guy who didn't, so why worry? Or
maybe dear Ferri comes off as an airhead who won't notice what Julius and the
captain are thinking?"
When Julius held his silence, Ferris's eyes narrowed in even greater delight.
"Tee-hee, you're so cuuute when you're quiet. But don't worry.—Because you
put him through so much torture, we don't need to worry about other people
going after him that don't know how to stop."
" "
Ferris's teasing words dragged a faint smile out of Julius. Marcus, having
listened to their conversation in silence, nodded and indicated he understood
Julius's decision.
"The young ones were no doubt on edge from how the brat's statement
demeaned the knightly class. Being assigned to the royal guard means great skill
with the sword and pride to match."
The knights' discontent, created by Subaru's conduct at the royal selection
conference, had been in search of a place to explode. Marcus continued, "Had
someone else run off and started a confrontation, the lad might well have lost
his life for his insolence."
Ferris picked up where Marcus left off and pointed out what Julius had
concluded.
"So a knight had to smack Subawu around before that could happen. If it
wasn't for Julius, Ferri might have had to take care of it…"
Julius explained, "It's using the right person for the right job. We can't have
you becoming his enemy when you have to heal him. Besides, it seemed more
natural if I was the one to do it. I could also say…I was confident that I could pull
it off the best."
Marcus commented, "It was no doubt correct to leave a weaker opponent to
Julius's hands. Practice with your sword more often, why don't you?"
"Nooo! Swinging swords around makes you all sweaty and gives you
callouses. Meow, Ferri could never show these pearly white palms to Lady
Crusch again!"
Marcus, seeing Ferris so casually brushing off his captain's commands, sighed
with a resigned look.
"Sir Julius Juukulius, this is your punishment.—For five days, you are
suspended from your duties and forbidden to enter the garrison or enter the
royal palace. I shall retain your sword until that time has passed."
"—As you command."
Julius, closing his eyes as if digesting the stated punishment, handed Marcus
his knight's sword. Marcus, accepting the weapon that was the very symbol of
his pride as a knight, quietly shook his head.
"Sorry. Properly speaking, this was not a burden you should have had to
bear."
Julius rebutted, "Captain, you always strive for the best possible outcome.
The Knights of the Royal Guard were once disbanded, but today, they boast the
strongest and most gallant of men because of you."
Ferris chimed in, "That's right. Ferri would never say this to anyone besides
Lady Crusch, but have more confidence in yourself, captain."
Marcus bluntly replied, "If you're going to say things like that, put on a proper
man's clothes!"
Ferris shrugged his shoulders as if to say, That's the one order I'll never obey.
Marcus laid Julius's sword on top of the table with care before sitting back
down in his chair.
"The matter is concluded. There are other duties I must attend to. Dismissed."
Marcus's formal words announced he had returned to his public persona.
When the other two left the room, the atmosphere became tranquil once
more. Marcus, now alone, leaned back into his creaking chair and glared up at
the ceiling. The affair on his mind was separate from the mock combat, and
concerned a report he had received from the castle guards after the
conference's conclusion.
"'Should an intruder in the castle bear the family crest of the hawk, let him
pass'…"
So read the order issued to the guards at the palace gate. That order was why
the guards had requested instructions from Marcus after they captured the old
man related to Felt.
In other words, the appearance of an intruder was set in stone from the very
beginning.
When the clownish visage of the man who had issued the command came to
mind, Marcus ground his teeth.
"Damn you, Roswaal. What the hell are you planning…?"
His stony face burned with irritation as he pondered what the eccentric might
be up to.
e.2
"Meow, the captain's not too smooth, either. He saw the whole thing
through, so why couldn't he just drop it altogether?"
"Allowing such an act to go unpunished would be unacceptable even under
these circumstances. I wouldn't wish for that, either."
Ferris was gazing at the side of Julius's handsome face as the two walked
down the corridor of the garrison side by side.
Ferris's lips pouted at how Julius looked so satisfied.
"So, Julius, what are you going to do meow?" Ferris asked.
"Naturally, I will follow my captain's command and spend time at the
mansion. I will explain the situation to Lady Anastasia… My only concern is
whether she can take it easy in the meantime."
"But you like that about her, don't you? Ferri can tell!"
Ferris's cheeks puffed up as he put his own spin on Julius's words. Julius then
looked at his cat-eared companion as if he'd just remembered something.
"Incidentally, Ferris, about the boy from earlier…"
Before the question was even fully posed, Ferris replied, all warmth draining
from his lips.
"He's with Lady Emilia right now. After…he'll be staying at the Karsten
mansion to convalesce."
Accepting the reply, Julius closed his eyes and pondered for a time.
"Convalesce…is it? It would seem he has suffered an injury far graver than any
seen from without."
"Mew didn't hear one word about that from your dear Ferri."
Ferris's behavior, however, made the situation clear as day. Julius could guess
what had happened since handing Subaru over to Ferris. The wise young man
soon arrived at his answer.
"—It is truly in Lady Emilia's nature to cause pain in others."
"Are mew thinking, 'Even though she could live a much wiser life'?"
"No. That very nature is what allows her to live as nobly and beautifully as she
does. I do not deign to wish her to change. Thus, all I can do is hope that she
lives more righteously, more genuinely, without anything to be ashamed of."
Julius lifted his face and resumed his walk. Ferris followed half a step behind,
hands crossed behind his back, leaning his body forward as he looked up at
Julius.
"Does that go for the boy, too?"
"It goes for everyone, Ferris. It is for that very reason I wield a sword."
—He will probably break, thought Julius.
If he was going to break, breaking him then and there would be a mercy.
But if—just if—all that was not enough to break him, then…
"It would not be such a bad thing to trade swords with a fool full of idealism
once more."
"Well, even if that's what you think, Julius, Subawu might not wanna do that
again after the public beating you gave him. Hey, hey…"
"What is it?"
"Lots of things came together to cause that duel, but he got on your nerves
juuuuust a little, didn't he?"
With Ferris's words seeming meant to test him, Julius stopped and looked
over.
"Ferris, you wound me. I am a knight. However imperfectly, that is the
precept I live by."
Julius, deeming his own conduct to have nothing to be ashamed of, looked
straight at Ferris.
"As for an annoyance…perhaps he was that, a little bit."
"Well, he got on Ferri's nerves quite a bit, mew know?"
The two exchanged laughs as if it was the funniest joke they'd ever shared.
They finally arrived at the entrance to the garrison and shook hands. Julius said,
"Well, then, we must part. I deeply wish that you and your lord remain in good
health."
"Lady Anastasia will probably complain, so good luck with that, Julius… You
can just leave all the mopping up to Ferri."
Ferris casually waved before turning his back and walking off.
Julius watched from behind as his friend departed—and an enemy took his
place.
"Lady Anastasia shall succeed as king."
"Nuh-uh. Lady Crusch is the fittest for the throne."
And so, the knights exchanged their declaration of war before returning to
their respective masters.
The rays of the setting sun poured down from the evening sky, dying all who
dwelled in the royal capital equally red.
—In so many ways, the royal selection had now begun.