The Arrow of Destiny Cuts Through the Night

#70

After traveling for two full days, the carriage finally arrived at Whinicer Forest.

Whoa, whoa!

The sound of the coachman stopping the two horses could be heard. Have we finally arrived? Kain glanced outside from inside the carriage. He was slightly looking forward to seeing Whinicer Forest, which he had only seen on maps before.

“…”

But his expectations were immediately dashed. The view outside was closer to a large pile of bricks than a forest.

As if determined not to let anyone in except those invited, there was a long line of walls so high they seemed to touch the sky. The imperial family’s desire to keep the forest all to themselves was evident there.

…What on earth do humans intend to do with a forest? Kain was inwardly cursing humans when he realized that his partner Jersian was also human, and felt embarrassed.

Having grown up in Fiokhim hearing only unfavorable rumors about humans, this train of thought was all too natural. I should restrain myself now. Kain thought as he looked out the window with the most neutral expression he could muster.

It was then.

Knock knock knock. Someone politely knocked on the carriage door from outside. Soon, an unfamiliar voice called to the two inside the carriage.

“Welcome to Whinicer Forest. If you don’t mind, I’ll open the door for you.”

Creeak- The carriage door opened.

It seemed to be a servant who had come out to greet the guests. After checking the crest on the carriage, he greeted them.

“Lord Jersian Gerold, Lord Kain Starchis. You must be tired from your long journey. I hope your trip was peaceful.”

“Yes. What about the other carriages from the Gerold Marquis’s house?”

At Jersian’s question, the man looked down at the guest list in his hand and said,

“Ah, yes. Most of them arrived safely this afternoon.”

“I see.”

“According to the list, separate accommodations have been prepared for the two of you. Is this correct?”

After getting out of the carriage, Jersian extended his right hand towards Kain and said in an indifferent tone,

“That’s right.”

“Yes, what a pity.”

While the two were conversing, Kain carefully took Jersian’s outstretched hand and stepped out of the carriage. Rustle- The sound of his long robe dragging under the carriage was heard. The sound reminded him of the tailor who had boasted of creating a masterpiece solely for this hunting competition.

Whoosh- Kain’s long platinum hair fluttered in the refreshing outside breeze. Tap, Kain stepped onto the ground, which felt like he hadn’t touched in a while, and looked around.

Several servants were lined up outside the carriage.

“…!”

Their eyes met with Kain’s, except for the man talking to Jersian. They all either startled or widened their eyes in surprise. A gasp could be heard.

What’s with those reactions? …He said it was a masterpiece, could it really be that good?

Kain averted his gaze, blaming the tailor unnecessarily.

The man who was still talking to Jersian and hadn’t yet seen Kain get out of the carriage said,

“The rooms we prepared for you in advance are still vacant, so if you change your mind during the competition, you can always-“

He stopped abruptly. He had finally seen Kain Starchis, who had gotten out of the carriage with Jersian’s escort.

“…?”

Why did he stop talking? Kain, now standing right next to Jersian after getting out of the carriage, tilted his head slightly. The servant who had briefly paused cleared his throat once and continued speaking.

“-feel free to let us know.”

Unlike Kain, Jersian knew exactly why the surrounding servants were reacting this way and answered inwardly smiling,

“Alright. We’ll rest there for tonight.”

The lodgings that Merheim had separately arranged were a bit further from here. Since the schedule was delayed more than expected, staying in the room prepared by the imperial family seemed like a good choice for tonight. At Jersian’s words, the servant replied with a determined expression.

“An excellent choice, sir. We’ll prepare everything to ensure there’s no disruption to your schedule. Tonight, there’s an eve party in the grand banquet hall. We hope you’ll attend and have a pleasant day.”

He bowed his head slightly and slowly stepped back. Soon after, the servants of the Gerold Marquis’s house, who had arrived earlier than Jersian and Kain, began to move luggage from the carriage.

Only then did the servants who had been standing in a line under the walls of Whinicer Forest, staring blankly at them, come to their senses and start moving in unison.

“…”

Amidst the commotion, Kain looked down at the robe he was wearing and frowned slightly. No matter how he thought about it, there was no one to blame but that tailor. It was a dress made of snow-white fabric with gold thread decorations, which the tailor said would match well with his platinum hair.

“…This outfit is strange after all, isn’t it?”

“Not at all.”

Jersian said as if it was nothing.

“They’re just looking because it suits you well.”

Is that all? For that, they all seemed quite surprised.

When Kain’s skeptical face didn’t return, Jersian spoke again.

“You’re just too…”

Jersian trailed off. He seemed shy about expressing his honest appreciation, befitting his fifteen years. Instead, he stood close to Kain’s side and lightly grabbed his arm. The tip of Jersian’s ear was slightly red.

“Just… your appearance is quite eye-catching.”

“Appearance? I think it’s just average.”

Kain narrowed his eyes, looking doubtful of Jersian’s words.

“…”

What nonsense. Jersian pretended not to hear Kain’s words and changed the subject.

“Let’s go to the grand banquet hall first. I want to get the face-showing over with quickly.”

Jersian strode forward, seemingly trying to hide his awkwardness. At his age, he would normally be unfamiliar with social gatherings, but Jersian was already accustomed to such occasions as a child of the Gerold Marquis’s house.

“Are you okay too?”

“Yes, anytime.”

Kain replied calmly. Jersian nodded and moved towards the stairs leading to the banquet hall.

* * *

In fact, the eve party had been going on since yesterday. For the hunting competition held once a year, people gathered from all over the continent, and the amount of alcohol they consumed was enough to empty one of the imperial palace’s wine cellars.

When raising a glass of champagne to celebrate the hunting competition that would start tomorrow and last for two weeks, emptying one cellar was actually nothing.

Sweet instrumental music was added to their laughter.

As soon as they entered the banquet hall, a wave of hot air washed over their faces. Quite a lot of guests, Kain thought as he fidgeted with his engagement ring on his left hand, still feeling awkward.

“…”

There were many people wearing dresses and clothes in styles he had never seen before. While observing his surroundings, Kain noticed a girl in a voluminous dress walking quickly towards them as if she had discovered something.

Who is she? Tap tap tap. The sound of high heels sharply striking the marble floor of the banquet hall was heard. Her gaze was directed at Jersian, who was standing next to Kain and about to pick up two champagne glasses from a tray held by a servant.

“Excuse me…”

The girl in the dress looked up at Jersian with sparkling eyes and said,

“Are you Lord Jersian Gerold?”

She was much shorter than Jersian, and up close, she seemed quite young. She had soft brown hair neatly tied back, adorned with a teal silk ribbon and an emerald necklace.

Hm? Jersian was about to pick up the champagne glasses but put them back on the silver tray and turned around. After checking the face of the girl in the lime green dress, he spoke.

“Princess Teiran?”

Teiran Aglietti. She was the princess of the Tesena Kingdom who was supposed to be engaged to him.

“Yes, that’s right. Hello.”

The girl extended her right hand towards Jersian with a prim expression.

Jersian, who recognized her because she looked exactly like the portrait he had received when the marriage talks first began, politely bowed and kissed the back of her hand. Since this was a hunting competition hosted by the imperial family, guests from the Tesena Kingdom, which had close ties with the Arkner Empire, had also come.

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh my, so you really are Jersian Gerold. It seems the artist who painted your portrait was quite lacking in skill.”

Princess Teiran said admiringly, covering her mouth with a fan. With her small face and bright smile, she seemed like a vivacious young lady well-suited for high society.