The Silford Kingdom, born from the remnants of a once-great nation, stood as a beacon of resilience, its walls a testament to the strength of those who rebuilt it.
The royal family, a line steeped in centuries of prestige, carried the weight of history, tradition, and expectation. The Silfords were not merely rulers, but symbols of endurance and power.
At its helm, Ambrosius Luthar Silford, the current king. A man in his fifties, his gray hair a testament to the years and trials he had endured, each strand a symbol of wisdom earned through countless challenges. He was a cut above the rest, his cunning whispered about across the continent. Not just a ruler, but a master of strategy, capable of navigating even the most treacherous of political waters. His decisions were never made hastily; they were always calculated, his mind sharp and unyielding.
King Ambrosius sat upon his throne, his eyes distant, as though he were already anticipating the arrival of someone important. The quiet murmur of his chambers surrounded him, but his focus was fixed on something only he could see. Time, for him, always seemed to move differently, slower, measured. He knew what awaited, and he was ready.
Then, the soft creak of the door broke the stillness. One of his most loyal retainers, Pascal, entered, bowing low before his king. The man waited, as was customary, for permission to speak.
Ambrosius's gaze lifted, meeting Pascal's with quiet expectation.
"Pascal," he said, his voice smooth yet carrying a weight. "Don't you think today is a special day?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. It certainly is," Pascal replied, his tone respectful.
Ambrosius leaned slightly forward, studying his retainer with a subtle smile. "So, what is it that you came here for?"
Pascal paused, taking a breath before responding, his expression now serious. "The honored guests have arrived."
The words seemed to echo in the chamber, hanging heavy in the air for a moment. Chatter builds up in the room, they know nothing about the said guest, and they weren't told about this. And yet, it seems like the King himself is the one that invited these guests.
As Pascal's words settled, King Ambrosius rose from his throne, his posture as regal as ever. His movements were deliberate, and slow, as though his body, too, understood the significance of the moment.
"I see," he said, his voice steady and measured, a hint of a smile curling on his lips. "It would be rude to make them wait any longer." The words were soft but held an authority that carried across the room.
He stood and made his way toward the door, his cloak sweeping behind him like the shadow of a great predator. Every step he took exuded command, and the air in the room seemed to grow heavier as if even the walls themselves awaited his next move.
...
As we entered through the back entrance, we were guided by knights whose armor resembled the one Sylvia wore. I could guess that they, too, were knights directly serving the king. As I observed them, I was tempted to ask what Sylvia was like here, but I stopped myself. They looked serious, their movements sharp and deliberate. It was a bit intimidating, to say the least.
We walked for about a minute, passing many rooms and maids who stepped aside and bowed as we passed. Finally, we arrived at a door, heavy and sturdy. It wasn't ornate, just a plain wooden door. One of the knights opened it with a creak as he pushed it open, then gestured for us to enter.
Reno went in first, and we followed.
"Everyone, please make yourselves comfortable," Reno said, gesturing for us to sit. He clapped his hands, and three maids entered, pushing a cart laden with snacks and tea. "Please, help yourselves. I'd love to stay, but I need to report our arrival. Please wait for a moment."
With that, Reno excused himself.
I sat at the table with Evangeline and Sena. The atmosphere was surprisingly serene. The room itself was simple, nothing particularly valuable or extravagant, but everything was made of wood, giving it a humble charm. The serene vibe was further enhanced by the fragrant scent of tea that filled the air. The snacks, as good as they looked, were just as tasty.
"Hey servant No. 1, hand me one of the cakes." From the opposite side of me sits Sena, she wasn't exactly tall or had a long reach so perhaps she can't reach them, and she asked me to hand her one. Honestly, I have no problem with that, but...
"Can you stop calling me servant No. 1? Here," I said to her as I handed her a cake. It's not exactly a bad thing or anything, but if my memory serves me right, she was the one who was supposed to work with me, not the other way around.
"Tsk..." She clicked her tongue as she took the cake from me. "It's so good!" however, just like a breeze her mood changed so fast, as she excitedly exclaimed as she took a spoonful from the cake.
"Right," I said in agreement with her. Well at the very least we can agree with that.
"By the way, what do you think the content of this meeting will be, Evangeline?" I asked. Then, pausing, I added, "Wait, before that, can I call you something else? Like a nickname or something?"
To be honest, "Evangeline" felt a bit tiring to say all the time. If I could, I'd prefer calling her "Eva" or even better "Linne", something shorter than "Evangeline". Most importantly, using a nickname would make it feel like we were closer than we really were.
She looked at me, a small smile tugging at her lips. For some reason, my heart skipped a beat.
Shit, I think I might have actually fallen for her.
"Then, should I call you Peanut too?" she teased, her tone light. "I heard that's what Silica calls you... Peanut."
"Pfft..." Sena stifled a laugh as she took another bite of her cake.
"At least not that," I said, pretending to sound annoyed. "My name's already short, why make it longer?"
Truthfully, though, I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't love it if she called me that. It sounded... surprisingly good coming from her.
"Well, considering the current situation I can only think of one thing." Linne completely ignored my protest and continued speaking, also I already decided to call her Linne since she was not against the idea.
As for what she's saying, it probably involves the invasion of Agatha. From what Silica told me, the kingdom won't just sit around after what happened, they will make a move, that would probably involve Linne and Sena, as for me, I am not quite sure.
A few minutes passed before the door creaked open. A man in his fifties stepped inside, his presence immediately filling the room. His gaze was steady and authoritative. His eyes scanned the room, as he looked right through us and he greeted us with a respectful nod.
"I apologize for making you wait," he said, his voice smooth but commanding, carrying the weight of someone used to being obeyed. "First let me say one thing, welcome to the Moonvale, make yourself feel at home."
He must be the King, Silica's father.
But something felt off. Am I expecting something else? I couldn't quite put a finger to it, but, it is different from my expectation. Yes, he looks intimidating, but that's it. Is it my gut feeling? I don't know, but he doesn't feel like any different.
Is what I am thinking, but...
Perhaps the other two felt different than me.
Sena's face darkened the moment he entered, her body stiffening and I could practically feel the hostility radiating off of her.
I looked at her quietly, I didn't understand her reaction. "Sena?" I muttered confused.
Before I could say more, Evangeline's voice cut through the air. It was calm, but with an undeniable sharpness that sent a chill through the room.
"Are you mocking us?" Her words hit with precision, her gaze unflinching, and the tension in the room seemed to build with every passing second. This is the first time I saw her act this way, and I have no idea what is going on.
The man hesitated, clearly taken aback. For a split second, his composure faltered, and I saw him take a small step back as if the weight of the moment was too much for him to bear. But just as quickly, he regained his stance, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I don't understand what you're insinuating," he said, his voice betraying a faint trace of panic.
I was still trying to process what was happening when, suddenly, a new figure emerged from the shadows in the corner of the room. He looked identical to the man who had just entered, like a perfect doppelganger. For a moment, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. The resemblance was uncanny.
Now, I see it. I was caught off guard, but now I understand what's happening.
He chuckled, a soft sound that didn't quite match the atmosphere in the room, and began walking toward the table, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"Ah, my apologies," he said with a low laugh, reaching out to tap the first man on the shoulder. "You're dismissed. Go on, leave us," he said authoritatively.
The first man blinked, confusion flashing across his face. He seemed caught off guard but bowed slightly before backing out of the room.
The second man, this new one, turned back to face us, his presence far more relaxed, his demeanor far more approachable than the first. He smiled as he settled into the chair, his voice warm and light.
But just looking at this man...
A lump tightened in my throat.
Before we left for the capital, Silica had warned me, to be careful with what I say. Her words had lingered in my mind, but now, standing here, they weighed heavier than ever.
Now I understand exactly what she meant.
This man...
King Ambrosius Luthar Silford...
In a completely different sense, this man is more dangerous than the two people I came with.
"I'm terribly sorry for the unnecessary charade, I thought that would at least fool you," he said, his tone completely different from the man who had greeted us earlier. "I'm Ambrosius Luthar Silford, King of this land. Please, make yourselves comfortable."
His eyes scanned the room. No... his eyes locked onto me as if I were the only one in the room. There was something unsettling in the way he looked at me like he was seeing right through me, calculating.
This can't be good.
...
"Don't you think today's such a special day?" He spoke as sit in front of us. The earlier tense atmosphere was already gone. Linne and Sena's hostility also subsided. "To think there will come a day that I will be meeting face to face with a demon lord. It didn't cross my mind back in my early days." he continued his eyes on the window as if reminiscing something.
"I see... It seems like the same can be said for me, in one room with a King from a human country. It seems like the world does change." Linne replied
"Hearing you say that, makes me feel honored, truly, this day is very special, don't you think so? Ran Misaki." he looked at me, it's not like he's very intense or anything, but it looks to me like he studying me.
"I don't know much about this world," I replied carefully, "but given your positions, I suppose I could agree."
"HAHAHA..." the king laughed at my words, I don't think there's something funny with what I said, but he's laughing. "I suppose, I suppose... Of course..." he continued
"I see, being from another world, you're not familiar with how this world works. Say, can you tell me about your world?"
"I don't know what you want to hear, and frankly, I'm just like your average civilian here. I'm not particularly interested in what goes on outside of my reach." like what Silica told me, I want to play it more carefully with what I say.
To be honest, I could easily shut down his curiosity, but doing so would be outright rude, especially to a king
"I see... How about Gods and stuff like that?"
I looked at Linne, I was seeking approval if it was ok, but she didn't say anything, in fact, there was not even any reaction at all.
So it is up to me, huh?
"Gods huh... well, there were a lot of them, but unlike in this world. Who knows which of them is a real god? So I couldn't really care much about them."
"Hou... I see I see... Don't they interact with your people, give blessings, or send divine oracles?" I don't know what got into him but he looks pretty excited, far from what my impression of him.
"Regarding that, I don't really know. There were claims of such, but who's to say it's anything but hoaxes aimed to reach more people and spread their words."
"Were you not fond of these kinds of stuff? Understanding what the Gods want us to see."
Fond of them? I couldn't even imagine such a thing.
A man works hard and achieves something great, and people praise the gods as if everything good happens because of them. But if something bad happens, they turn to blame everything but the gods. Was it the gods' fault? Who knows. But I despise people who act like that.
So I don't really care whether there's a truth to them. The world itself is already rotten to the core, why not save it if they truly are all-powerful?
"Not really."
"I see..."
For some reason he looks down, his earlier excitement was already spent.
"So what purpose did we come here?" Linne asked as she sipped on her tea.
"I apologize, I completely forgot about that."
Don't forget something like that. You're talking to a demon lord alright.
"Then, can we go about it?"
"Yes, sure do. You are more impatient than what Silica told me, I see."
"Not really, but your earlier antic told me more than what I wanted to know."
"I suppose, then again, I apologize." he sure has been apologizing a lot since we began talking. "We want to formally announce our alliance... not just to this kingdom's citizens but for the whole continent to witness."
"Is that it?" Linne asked, perhaps looking for more words
"That it is. Caldris has become too bold in attacking us, and it's not just that. You saw it with your own eyes. Surely you know what I am saying. Silica would not want to go to war directly, but how about you?"
The mention of Silica's name and war together, her face flashes in my mind, something was not right with her.
"Devourer..."
Sena's voice interrupted, her tone now filled with intensity. She had been silent until now, but something in her had clearly shifted. The air around her had grown thick with hostility.
"Devourer?" I asked, if my guess was right, then they were referring to that beast that suddenly showed up that night. We couldn't do much damage to it, and it keeps getting bigger and powerful as time goes by.
"A beast born from malice," Linne answered my query with much intensity, more than what she had shown earlier.
Is there something that prompts them to react this way?
At that time, it was just a mere question that wanted an answer. Perhaps that should have just stayed like that... a mere unanswered question.
Something I would have preferred not to have found out.