The Princess' Secret Mission
◇ ◇ ◇
Originally, we were scheduled to leave Dal Ane today to return to Tutril.
Because of that, Selma-san and the others had already begun preparing for the journey back.
As for me, I had wanted to continue my conversation with Fuuka, but as soon as she finished breakfast, she said she had something to do and went outside. With no other choice, I started preparing for the journey while waiting for her to return.
I had a good idea of who Fuuka wanted me to meet.
It was most likely Christopher Downing.
—“Make contact with Christopher Downing, the head of Downing Trading Company.”
That was one of the messages Gary had left behind.
The Downing Trading Company’s headquarters was located in the Principality of Hittia.
And before coming to Tutril, Fuuka had also lived there.
With all these pieces lining up, I couldn’t help but think it was more than just a coincidence.
“Damn it, this headache’s getting worse…”
The more I tried to delve into my past, the more intense the pain became.
Fuuka had hinted that she knew something about my true past.
If what she said was true, then it was almost certain that I had been subjected to [Preception Alteration] by Philly Carpenter.
If that was the case, then this headache was likely a result of questioning the parts of my memory that had been rewritten. It was as if my mind was warning me not to dig any deeper.
“…Thinking about it now is a waste of time and energy. I’ll be meeting someone who knows about my past soon enough. I can think about it then.”
I muttered to myself, as if trying to suppress the pain and convince myself not to dwell on it.
That being said, completely avoiding thoughts about my past was impossible.
No matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting back to it.
Because of that, I had been dealing with a dull headache since this morning.
If this was going to continue for a while, I couldn’t help but sigh at the thought.
As I was lost in these thoughts, Inora, Lady Lucila’s attendant, approached me.
“Good morning, Lord Orn. Do you have a moment?”
“Good morning, Inora. Yes, I do. Is something the matter?”
“Her Highness has requested an audience with you. Would you be able to come to her chambers?”
(Lady Lucila? What could she want?)
To be honest, I had enough on my plate as it was.
However, as an executive of Night Sky Silver Rabbit, I couldn’t afford to ignore the princess—especially while we were still at war with the Empire.
For now, explorers were not being sent to the battlefield.
But that was only for now.
Depending on how the war progressed, we might be forced onto the front lines.
If I could gain Lady Lucila’s favor, she might consider that when making her decisions.
It was a slim chance, but if there was even the slightest possibility that I could keep my comrades from being sent to war, then as a leader, I had to do what I could.
“Understood. I’ll go see Lady Lucila.”
“Thank you. Please, allow me to guide you.”
As I followed Inora, I caught sight of Fuuka, who was supposed to be out running errands.
"Fuuka, you're done with your business already?"
"Yeah, I just finished. Are you on your way to see the princess?"
After answering my question, Fuuka glanced at Inora before asking her own.
"Yeah. Apparently, she has something she wants to discuss with me."
"I see… Hey, mind if I come along?"
Hearing my response, Fuuka turned to Inora and asked if she could accompany us.
"I don’t mind. Her Highness has instructed me to allow your company should you wish to join."
Surprised that Lady Lucila had anticipated this situation, Fuuka and I followed Inora as she led us to the princess.
◇
"Excuse me."
"Good morning, Orn. I apologize for calling you here so suddenly."
As I stepped into the room and greeted Lady Lucila, she turned to me and returned my greeting. However, her expression was not as gentle and serene as usual—rather, she seemed unsettled, as if something weighed heavily on her mind.
"There’s still time before we depart, so I don’t mind. What can I do for you?"
I made a conscious effort to smile, signaling that I wasn’t bothered, and asked her directly.
"Before I get to that, I need to confirm something first. Fuuka, I expected you to come as well, but how much have you told him?"
"Nothing in detail."
"…I see. Understood."
I had no idea what they were talking about.
Had the two of them already discussed this matter without me?
"I called you here, Orn, because I have a request to make."
As expected.
I didn’t know the details yet, but the fact that she had summoned me meant that she had some kind of mission in mind.
"Please, go on."
"I would like you to go to the Principality of Hittia."
(…Again. Everything seems to be leading me to Hittia.)
As that thought crossed my mind, Lady Lucila continued speaking.
"As part of our efforts to rally support from neighboring countries for the Allied Forces, we have also requested cooperation from the Principality of Hittia—"
The Principality of Hittia was renowned as a great nation of magic, wielding significant influence over other countries.
One of the key reasons for its influence was its history—it was founded by a legendary hero, the [King of Abilities].
Originally a kingdom, Hittia became a principality after the [King of Abilities] passed away. Rather than appointing a new monarch, the highest-ranking nobles took turns governing the country.
Summarizing Lady Lucila’s explanation, she had requested Hittia to provide magitek weaponry to aid in the war effort, and they had agreed. However, they imposed one condition: the transfer had to be conducted in person.
Considering that these were state-of-the-art magitek weapons, they likely wanted to minimize the risk of them being lost or intercepted in transit.
The original plan had been for Lady Lucila to travel to Hitia herself, accompanied by Jade Gale as her escort, while the neighboring countries gathered their forces.
However, war had broken out sooner than she had anticipated.
Although the Hero had yet to appear on the battlefield, the Empire had deployed an overwhelming number of troops right from the start.
As a result, Lady Lucila was forced to abandon her trip and instead join the Allied Forces at the frontlines immediately.
And so, the task of traveling to Hittia fell to me.
"I fully understand that this is a heavy burden to place on you. But given the current situation, you are the only one I can entrust this mission to. Please, Orn, will you accept it?"
"I understand the request. But just to confirm… this mission is only for appearance’s sake… correct?"
When I asked that, Lady Lucila merely deepened her smile without saying a word.
But that silence was an answer in itself.
Based on her earlier exchange with Fuuka, it was clear that the two of them had already discussed something outside of my knowledge.
Furthermore, if the person Fuuka wanted me to meet wasn’t in Hitia, she would have interrupted Lady Lucila’s request.
Her serious demeanor this morning made that much evident.
"Inora, leave us."
Lady Lucila turned to her attendant and instructed her to step outside.
"However, Your Highness—"
"That was an order. I will not allow any objections."
"…As you command."
With a tone that left no room for argument, Lady Lucila dismissed Inora. Without another word, Inora bowed and left the room.
"Now then, let’s speak frankly."
Once it was just the three of us—Lucila, Fuuka, and myself—Lucila broke the silence.
"As you suspected, this request is only a formality. The claim that the Principality of Hittia is offering support is true. However, the condition they set for their cooperation was to accept Fuuka’s request."
"And that request… was to take me to Hittia, wasn’t it?"
Lucila nodded at my words.
"Yes, exactly. I must admit, I didn’t expect you to piece everything together so quickly."
"Fuuka, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Why go through all this trouble to create such a grand pretense?"
"It’s simple. We don’t know where the enemy might be hiding."
"…The enemy?"
"Yes. Orn, your journey to Hittia is far more significant than you realize. We need to be cautious. That’s why we’ve made Lucila’s request a classified mission—its details must remain a secret from everyone. If we’re not careful, everything could end… before it even begins."
Fuuka’s serious tone sent a chill down my spine.
Gary had warned me before—if the cult learns of this, it’s all over.
So when Fuuka said enemy, she must have meant the Cyclamen Cult.
"I understand. I won’t deny that I’m afraid of what might be waiting for me… but I’ll keep that in mind."
"Good. But you don’t have to carry the burden alone. After all, I am your sword."
…My sword?
Now that I thought about it, Fuuka had said something similar last year, during the martial arts tournament at the Harvest Festival.
She had also said that I would become the enemy of the world.
At the time, I was too exhausted to think much of it, but… what did she really mean?
"…What do you mean by my sword?"
"You don’t need to worry about that right now. You’ll understand soon enough. Sooner than you think."
With that, Fuuka turned to Lucila and handed her a bag embedded with a magic stone.
"This is…"
"Yes. The supplies from the Principality of Hittia. Consider them officially delivered."
"I didn’t expect to receive them this soon… Thank you."
Lucila’s eyes widened in surprise.
So this was what Fuuka had been doing earlier in the morning? Was this the errand she had gone out for?
◇
“Well then, Orn-san, we’ll be heading back to Tutril first!”
With Selma-san now part of their ranks, the five members of Twilight Moonbow had finished their preparations to depart. As I saw them off, Sophia stepped forward to speak on behalf of the group.
“Sorry I can’t go back with you all. I know you’ll be fine, but still—be careful on the way.”
“We should be the ones worrying about you,” Selma-san said, her expression clouded with concern. “I know this is a secret mission from Lucila, but… are you certain it’s not dangerous?”
The only ones aware that I was heading to the Principality of Hittia were Lady Lucila, Inora—who had been present for our discussion—Fuuka, and Haruto-san, my traveling companions.
Earlier, Fuuka had warned me to be cautious. So I’d only told Selma-san and the others that I had to take a separate route on Lucila’s orders.
“It’s nothing life-threatening,” I reassured her. “I’ll take care of it quickly and be back in Tutril before you know it. Don’t worry.”
I was about to uncover my past.
I had no idea what awaited me. It was terrifying, in a way. But no matter what I learned, it wouldn’t change who I was.
Right now, I was an explorer of Night Sky Silver Rabbit.
And that—that was my home.
“I see. If anything happens, contact me or the clan immediately. We’ll come running,” Selma said firmly.
“That goes for us too!” Log added enthusiastically. “I have no doubt you’ll handle everything effortlessly, Master, but just in case—if you ever find yourself in trouble, don’t hesitate to rely on us!”
“Thanks, Selma. Log. That means a lot. If anything comes up, I’ll be sure to call for help.”
“Master, make sure you come back soon!” Carol chimed in. “You have to see our winning streak up close!”
By winning streak, she probably meant their progress in conquering the Great Southern Labyrinth.
Twilight Moonbow had reached the lower layers at the start of the year.
Typically, even for a group making steady progress, reaching that point was when the real struggle began. Unlike the tunnels above, the lower layers were vast and open. The stronger magic beasts lurking there caught many explorers off guard, often slowing their momentum considerably.
It had been no different for them. But after everything that had happened recently, Sophia and Carol had grown tremendously—both in skill and in spirit.
With Log and Luna alongside them, I had no doubt Twilight Moonbow could make it even deeper into the labyrinth.
“You’re right,” I said with a grin. “I’d better hurry back before you all leave me in the dust. I’ll do my best to return to Tutril as soon as I can.”
After exchanging farewells with each of them, I watched as the members of Twilight Moonbow and Selma-san climbed into their carriage.
Slowly, the wheels began to turn, carrying them toward Tutril.
As the carriage disappeared into the distance, shrinking smaller and smaller from view, a strange unease stirred within me—growing stronger with each passing moment, as if in contrast to the fading sight before me.
Maybe I was just feeling sentimental about parting ways with my disciples and companions once again.
“…Alright. Let’s head for the Principality of Hittia.”
After confirming that the carriage was no longer in sight, I turned to Fuuka and Haruto-san, who stood beside me.
“Got it. Man, it’s been a while since I last went to Hittia,” Haruto-san replied, his tone relaxed and unhurried, as if he had no concern in the world.
“You and Fuuka lived in Haruto-san before coming to Tutril, right?” I asked.
“Yeah. We fled our homeland, Kyūka, after a civil war broke out a few years back. Then, after a bunch of twists and turns, we ended up living in Hittia for about a year. And after another series of twists and turns, we somehow became explorers in Tutril. Looking back, life really is full of surprises, huh?”
I had asked something a bit personal, but Haruto-san didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. He just answered with his usual carefree attitude.
“Then, since I’ve never been to Hitia before… that means you know the terrain better than I do, right? Should I leave the route planning to you?”
“Yeah, I was already planning on handling it. I’m thinking of taking a bit of an unconventional route, though.”
“An unconventional route?”
“That’s a little surprise for later,” Haruto-san said with a smirk.
“Haruto,” Fuuka suddenly cut in after silently listening to our conversation. “On the way, I want to eat Lauroani Kingdom’s torimotsu stew and Tsahariib Kingdom’s potato gratin. So pick a route that passes through places where I can get them.”
“You never change, do you?” Haruto-san sighed. “Well, it won’t be too much of a detour, so fine.”
With that, we climbed into the carriage that Lady Lucila had arranged for us and set off from Dal ane—heading toward the Principality of Hitia.
At that moment, I never could have imagined the fate that awaited me.
Fuuka once told me—
"There’s no such thing as true peace in this world. The everyday life you take for granted? It’s nothing more than a fragile illusion, balanced atop the thinnest layer of ice, ready to shatter at any moment."
I was about to learn the true weight of those words—firsthand.
——.