Rya’s POV
「Grand Hall, The Palace of Arcadia」
“Uncle…what’s this?”
Rya stared at the ten sheets of parchment laid out on the table, her eyes widened in shock. Each parchment was filled from top to bottom with lines of words neatly written using a quill and ink. The formality of the entire affair inundated her slightly.
“Rya…” King Arcadia, her adoptive parent, sat across the table with a pained expression. “Believe me, I want to keep you by my side always and give you a proper home. But, I’m afraid that doing so is no longer possible, for you and me both.”
“B-but…Uncle, didn’t you say that the crop failure will be solved soon?” she said, trying not to let her panic show on her face. “Why…are you shaking your head like that?”
“I’m sorry,” the King whispered, lowering his head such that she could not see his countenance. “That was…a lie. I didn’t want you to worry needlessly when you’re already struggling with…so much…”
Rya fell silent. She was at a loss—ever since she was young, she was taught that she must listen to what people older than herself say. She was taught that no matter what, she must show utmost respect and obedience to her elders.
But right now, what was she supposed to do? Comfort the King? Reassure him? Would that be seen as a disrespectful act? Would he appreciate her concern?
She hesitated and reached out to touch his trembling hand. “Uncle, why…why are you crying as though everything is over? Look, I’m here. I can, no, I want to help you, Uncle.”
“...you don’t get it, Rya.” King Arcadia held her hand and pushed it off his. “It’s not just the crop failure—the Saint has foretold the arrival of the Great Pestilence, and there are reports of the Pacifists’ presence in this Kingdom…”
“But those are vicissitudes that only exist in the present,” she insisted. “Uncle, I believe that you can persevere—”
“No, Rya,” he said, his voice hoarse from tears. “These aren’t mere vicissitudes…this is divine retribution from the Goddess on this filthy Kingdom.”
She frowned. “Divine retribution? Uncle, what are you talking about?”
At her words, the King seemingly snapped out of his trance. “N-nothing…please ignore what I just said.” He shook his head and faced her with a grim look in his eyes. “Rya, you have to understand—this is something that is beyond even your power.”
Rya only nodded her head quietly, unable to utter a single retort.
“These”—he gestured at the ten sheets of parchment on the table—“are the candidates I have selected to be your escort. You are to choose the one who you feel you can trust your life with the most and flee this Kingdom together at once.”
“Flee…this Kingdom?” The painful memories of her life in exile resurfaced in her mind instantly.
King Arcadia must have caught sight of her countenance, because he bit his lip and glanced away. “There’s no other way, Rya. You can’t stay here much longer. This Kingdom…it will soon fall to the Pacifists, just like the Empire…”
She desperately wanted to open her mouth to cry, to scream at the obstinate King for abandoning everything far too easily. But, it was already apparent to her that no words can sway his decision.
“I…understand.” She lowered her eyes and glanced at each of the parchments blankly. Was there any point in choosing between the ten candidates? If the King personally selected them to be her escort, then it was safe to assume that their abilities were already the best the Kingdom had to offer. With that in mind, she didn’t feel like choosing any particular person at all.
Her gaze fell onto the last parchment. Unlike the nine other parchments, this parchment had a sketch of the named candidate drawn on it. She picked it up to take a closer look at the youngish face staring back at her.
Even from just a mere sketch, she immediately felt that there was something different about him that separated him from the rest. Maybe it was because of how his hairstyle, though messy and unkempt by all means, seemingly complimented his face in a unique way. Maybe it was because of the look in his hard and unsmiling eyes which gave her the impression of being stoic and serious, but also kind and caring at the same time.
Rya quickly glanced through the lines of description that accompanied the sketch.
“You are…Shun?”
