Entering the throne room, Serci and I stopped just a few feet from the stairs to the throne as we had the very first day I arrived. We bow to the Queen till we hear "Raise your head."
Upon making eye contact, she gives a warm smile, "You're leaving us today, Veda Deidura, but please visit again. Though you hadn't begun as a citizen of our country, you're as welcome as any other."
Those words grip my chest, making it impossible to hold back a smile. "Thank you. Everyone has given me much to cherish in this country. The people here have all been welcoming and showed so much worry for my health, I promise to visit again."
Four days have passed since I lost the only person I knew, but since then, I've gotten to meet many others like him, people I would consider family.
It may still hurt every moment I think of him, but if I hadn't moved on, I wouldn't have met everyone here. Including those in Farnom.
Princess Maridia, Knight Commander Harbek, and even the Advisor Galmon, all said their words of farewell.
As Harbek begins giving orders to Serci to see me off, the Queen gave her last few words of farewell. "Be safe and keep your grandmother's book close."
Thanks to my meeting with the Keeper of Enforcers, I fully understood what she meant and can only agree.
'I should never trust others with seeing the contents in this book.'
'Magic is a dangerous power, but one needed for facing monsters.'
With that warning, I give a last, this time more formal bow, that Serci had shown me before leaving the Throne room with Serci.
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"She sure has come a long way since she first arrived," began the Commander of the Knights. "It's rare people adapt to a new environment after a month, much less three days."
Harbek spoke of how quickly Veda has adapted to living in society. She seemingly lived in a forest for almost her entire life yet after only four days, had reached this point.
Galdon also adds to his wonder. "When she first arrived, she only copied Serci, bowing like a Keeper. Yet now she is bowing like a lady of nobility. Where did she even learn to bow like that?"
Princess Maridia keeps quiet about the one and only moment two days ago when Serci showed Veda to bow.
'Her own hard work would be one thing, but she fell unconscious shortly after, remaining asleep till midday yesterday. Did she really practice that hard last night or was it only one moment she needed to...'
She then hears the Queen interject, "That's enough guessing. It could easily be that Uldrei knew he wouldn't live forever and taught his daughter noble manners from his time at the celebration banquets he often tried to avoid."
The Princess shook her head before adding to the Queen's words. "Right, we should be focusing on the coming threat, the hobgoblin army led by the red orc."
With everyone on the topic, the Commander gave his report. "The Keeper of Arms is ready to mobilize a force to Farnom Village. The Keeper of the Hunt is heading East in a few hours. And the Keeper of the Watch is keeping men stationed near the Valley's Southern border as we speak."
The Queen says. "Inform me of any strange movements Harbek, and Galmon, please focus on coming in contact with an S-rank adventurer to combat the Berserker's Staff. If we don't find anyone within the month, then we will ask a favor from Jiiruno...and..." She has a complicated expression before taking a deep breath, "If worse comes to worse... we contact Renon for one of his commanders."
When the Queen mentioned the usurper's name, both men stared in surprise at the Queen's words before giving a resolved nod to leave for their duties.
Her daughter, on the other hand, stared at her mother in disbelief. "What do you mean we may need to ask Renon?! He's the cause of the invasion 15 years ago! They killed so many of our people! Including...!"
"I know!" The Queen raised her voice, overshadowing her daughter's before calming down. "It's a last resort if we don't find someone within two months."
Maridia tried to go back to being proper but was still visibly shaking, "And what demands will we end up being made to accept?"
The Queen shook her head, "They will accept. The artifact in that monster's possession is something they can't afford to let exist in the hands of a monster."
"If you're so worried about that weapon, then why give our enemy the opportunity to retrieve it?"
The Queen didn't look at her, causing the Princess to grimace as she chose to leave.
With the Queen alone, she can only take a few moments to calm herself and organize her thoughts. She doesn't want to ask Renon for help if she can help it. And if she has no choice, returning the holy symbol of their God should be enough to convince them to kill the Orc.
And maybe help open talks for peace.
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Passing the knights and servants of the castle, many bow their heads at my departure till we arrive near the western gate of the castle.
The maids asked to gather my things were waiting with the dress's bag, Uldei's Knapsack, the new backpack of traveling gear, and lastly my other's Counter Blade. Though she offered to help carry my things all the way to the cart, I rejected that offer and I proceed to pick them all up myself.
Or at least tried...
The chainmail and backpack were enough to make me struggle to stand, much less adding the other items. And when Serci had enough of watching me struggle she took the backpack off me, leaving me with the Knapsack and dress bag before leading the way.
'Ugh, I really need to begin Veda's physical training. This body can barely keep itself upright carrying this stuff.'
'I'm sure there's a spell in the book somewhere for enhancing physical strength or make objects you touch lighter. So maybe just keep the physical training to walking in chainmail for the first few days and spend time memorizing useful spells instead.
Serci led me to the western gate of the capital. Merchants are often required to enter the capital through the Southern and Eastern gates, allowing the knights to search for stolen and/or illegal goods much easier but Farmi was given special permission to enter this district due to the current deal made.
Passing through the western district, there are many people looking our way. Their choice of conversation was primarily on Serci but like before, the conversation of the crowds we passed shift to me, not because they were curious of who I was like the other times but because I likely looked tired.
Some people recognize me from the shopping trip with everyone two days ago, and others remember me from the day I arrived with Serci. But all in all, no one knows of my connection to Uldrei or about the incident in the castle.
Despite all the eyes and gossip coming from other people, I don't feel the gaze mentioned in the bath by Serci, but if its anything like the burning sensation I once had while talking with Emeri, it may be for the best that I try not to look for it.
That's when I spot the wagon in the distance, this time full of all the goods that used to be displayed on the stall back in the eastern district. They are all preserved in their crates with a cover providing shelter from the elements.
Though I was caught off guard when I saw some kind of bigger, fluffier, cow attached to the cart instead of a horse or two.
I notice Farmi tapping her foot before she spots me heading their way. Rikon was leaning against the cart while Varita was dozing off.
"There you are!" shouts Farmi. "You should have come earlier! We finished getting clearance for passage an hour ago! So, put your stuff in with the rest and get ready to move!"
Serci and I both shrug at Farmi's complaints as we put everything in the back where it could fit.
'I didn't think I was in the bath for very long.'
'Maybe she was expecting me to be awake much later?'
But with the book by my side, the sword on my back, and the equipment together, I'm finally prepared to head out as I decide to take a seat at the back of the cart while everyone else sat in the coach man's seat up front before giving Farmi confirmation.
"The University is at least a week's travel, so you better of packed up enough food to make it to the next town three days away!"
The cart began to move as I wave to Serci who's waving me off till she turns back to head for the castle. Sitting on the back of the cart, I'm able to watch as we slowly make our way further and further from the Kingdom, it shrinking the further away we go.
As the distance between us and the Kingdom gets further and further away, I can't help but wish I could have gotten to say my farewells to Emeri. She was the person I grew closest to in the shortest amount of time, even more so than with Serci despite her being the first person I met.
'It feels painful not getting to say goodbye to her one last time.'
Just as we reach over a kilometer away from the kingdom, I spot something shimmering in the sky for a second just before it lands next to me on the wagon's end, a "Thump" sound made as I stare in surprise at the arrow before noticing a piece of paper attached to it.
Farmi raises her concern at the sound but I try to reassure her that nothing weird happened as I take off the note and read the two words.
"Farewell. ~Emeri"
Looking back to the Kingdom, I try my best to see the single green speck standing on the edge of the wall turning back to walk away.
"Well, you wanted to impress me. And I am very much impressed with that... Big Sis~."
With that, Veda's stay at the Kingdom had ended, left looking forward to the next time I get to revisit this Kingdom.
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From the twin mountains of the valley staring outside from within a cave half way from the peak, the Red Orc looks out from beyond the opening towards the Kingdom in its view, despite the distance between them being an unknown number of arm length.
He has seen this sight many times before when he was a simple hobgoblin but he never had these thoughts before, the same thoughts that came to the Elder who changed, like him, to the color those hairless monkeys bleed.
To the color of what fell from the sky that day, bathing him in a searing pain that set off this change.
That change gave birth to desires, ambitions, feelings of want...
Of need...
Where once was an instinct as dense as the valley's forests now had a light bleeding through the branches. And what he saw hundreds of times before now felt new as he stares at the white stone structure so far away.
If he can go further, if he can rise to newer heights, will he be able to exit this forest and see beyond the blinding light?
'Even if I lost a pet, even if only I and the Elder change to this color, with this new weapon that fell from the blue above, I will try, to rise higher and eventually see what is beyond this light in my head once blinded by fog.
But not now. Elder tells me to wait, to gather clans and explore out there together with them all. Only then we we match the monkeys that invade our lands, to strike back by invading theirs.
Stone home against stone home.'
Returning back through the tunnels, the red orc continues to wait for the time the elder spoke. Hoping for clarity on these mysteries that appeared in his mind.