A sharp knock on the door behind cut the heavy conversation short. 

 

King Arcadia sat up immediately and cleared his throat. “State your business.”

 

“This is Chancery Iocus, sire!” A familiar voice came from the other side, although he sounded so nervous his voice became high-pitched. “I just received word from my men that the Pacifists rebels have suddenly appeared outside the city gates. We have reason to believe that they are currently gathering forces.”

 

“What?!” King Arcadia lost his composure briefly upon hearing the news. His lips turned into a grim frown. “Have they made a Declaration?” 

 

“I’m afraid so. Someone in this Palace must have leaked information about this meeting to them, because this is simply too sudden!”

 

“There’s traitors even in this very building right now?” The King slammed his eyes shut and inhaled deeply. “Chancery, I’ll end this meeting in one minute. Please evaluate the current status and decide on an evacuation route immediately.” 

 

“Yes, sire!” Hurried footsteps faded down the passageway.  

 

“It seems like time is no longer on our side,” he muttered in a grave voice and faced Shun.

 

“This is the letter that will allow you to enter the Principality.” He drew a sealed envelope from his sleeve and pushed it across the table. “Shun, do you have any questions for me?” 

 

Shun stared at the envelope in sheer incredulity. Questions for you? Hell, I have doubts about your sanity!

 

No, seriously. I’m definitely not whoever you think I am, old man. Come on, you can’t just ask a loner who only plays console games to play such a high-stakes game without preparation! Old man, why choose me out of everyone else??

 

He desperately wanted to ask that question, but the urgency and precarity of the Kingdom’s current state prevented him from uttering it out loud. 

 

“No, of course not.” Shun eked out a smile and accepted the envelope. “I won’t disappoint you, Your Highness. You can count…on me.”

 

“That’s reassuring to hear.” The King let out a tired but satisfied smile. 

 

Dam*it, you really cannot tell that I’m scared sh*tless here? I can barely look after myself, you know? You are asking someone like me to protect your niece, but what if I get ourselves killed?? Think, old man, think!

 

The somber King turned to Rya next. “...sorry, Rya. You came to this Kingdom to seek refuge, but I still failed you in the end—”

 

“No, it’s alright, Uncle.” She shook her head and stopped him. “I’m indebted to you for your gracious help.” 

 

“Please take care of yourself, Uncle. I’ll be going now.”

 

“I pray for your safety, the both of you.” 

 

Before leaving the empty hall, Shun stole a glance at the solemn figure sitting in the majestic throne at the table. 

 

Sunlight filtered in through the tall stained-glass windows behind the King, highlighting his whitened hair and stalwart physique with a dazzling kaleidoscopic halo. His enigmatic eyes and inscrutable countenance gave little away, but Shun imagined that the old man would not go down without putting up a strong fight. 

 

Even in his final act of desperation, the last King of Arcadia held his head up. To protect his loved one, he could go as far as to place his complete trust in someone he just met. That surreal fact alone impressed Shun deeply. 

 

Those tears in your eyes just now, were they the tears of weakness? Or the tears of someone who has been too strong for too long?

 

And as the doors closed with a hollow thud, he knew he would never get the answer to his question. 

 

***

 

“We have to make haste,” Lord Iocus hissed once they left the King’s personal quarters. “The people are fleeing en masse through every gate of the city right now. At this rate—”

 

A tremendous peal of church bells suddenly echoed throughout the corridor, deafening everyone. Lord Iocus and Rya blanched as the eerie chimes shook the very pillars that supported the Palace. 

 

The look of pure fear in her eyes sent chills down Shun’s spine. “I-Iocus, why are they ringing the bell over and over?” 

 

“...this is seriously bad,” Lord Iocus whispered hoarsely. “It can only mean one thing—the Goddess has forsaken the people of this Kingdom.”

 

Shun struggled to comprehend what they were talking about. “The Goddess forsaking…what?”

 

Lord Iocus shot a glare back at him. “It means that the city defenses have fallen. The Church will ring a warning bell until there’s no one left to do so—”

 

And as if it was a sick joke, the chimes of the Church bell were silenced immediately after Lord Iocus uttered his sentence.

 

The sudden quietness that fell over the Kingdom stunned everyone. 

 

E-EHHHH?!! 

 

Lord Iocus hastily quickened his footsteps down the remainder of the corridor. “We got to move. NOW!”

 

Rya bent down and took off her heels before running after the Lord. “W-where are we going, Iocus?” 

 

“My intel was severely limited, but I believe the South Gate is the most likely to still be under control. I was fortunate enough to be able to contact a coachman willing to take you two to the southern border, but the journey is extremely risky—so please be prepared for the worst.” 

 

Jesus Christ, isn’t this guy basically saying that one wrong move and we are all DEAD? N-no way, screw the King, I want to go home! 

 

Lord Iocus abruptly stopped in front of a small door recessed into the wall. “Outside is your ticket out of this country. Go, now!” He swung the door open and gestured for them to hurry. 

 

Rya frantically held onto his cloak. “W-wait, Iocus, where are you going?” 

 

“...where else?” Lord Iocus smiled melancholically. “Despite my looks, I’m still the King’s closest aide.”

 

“But—”

 

Oi, THIS ISN’T THE TIME TO ACT OUT FAREWELLS LIKE A DRAMA! HELLO?!

 

“Let’s go, he has already made a honorable decision!” Shun grabbed her hand and pulled the stubborn her towards the stationary carriage. The instant they boarded it, the coachman swiftly started the waiting horses and sped out of the palace.

 

Lord Iocus stood still in the doorway, gazing at their backs until they vanished around the corner. His lips moved, seemingly mouthing the words “may the Goddess bless you two”. 

 

***

 

“It was prepared in a hurry, but there’s some stuff in the sack on the floor that may assist you two,” the coachman said over the rumble of the carriage. 

 

“This?” Rya picked up the huge bulging sack nearly half the height of herself and peeked inside. “There’s food, water, clothes…eh, what’s this?” 

 

She reached into the sack and pulled out the thick ancient book. 

 

Huh? Wait, I left it in the barracks, didn’t I? How did it...? 

 

“Oh, that...it’s a book I got from the bookstore. I really have no idea how it ended up inside the bag,” he said, glancing away. “You can toss it out the window. Bringing it along will only add unnecessary weight.”

 

“This is…” She flipped open the book and glanced through the pages. “Isn’t this a divine manuscript?”

 

Divine—sorry, come again?

 

“They’re so rare that they are considered legendary items,” Rya exclaimed. “And what’s more, only the person chosen by the Goddess can read it, so its value if the chosen is still alive increases tenfold! Is this really yours?”

 

Uh, no. Basic math tells you that zero multiplied by anything is still zero. 

 

“I guess? But I didn’t know about its value…” What a troublesome book, honestly. 

 

Rya opened her mouth to say something, but a sudden violent force shook the carriage. “W-what happened?!” 

 

“The road leading to the South Gate has been blocked off!” The coachman frantically shouted from the front. “We’re trapped!” 

 

Author: Eh? Irelena-sama isn't online today? 

Unknown: I heard that Irelena-senpai is busy, so she won't be messaging for a while~

Author: B-b-but, then who am I supposed to talk to? 

Unknown: I don't know if you know this, but some Russian is fan-translating your story on the Internet. Maybe you want to say a word to them?

Author: Oh, really? Uhh, I don't know Russian, but hi, переводчик!