『 ?? 』━━━???━━━『 ? 』

  [ 39th Aquanis 1749 | Fardin | 23:20 | “Black Swan” Inn ]

  The “Black Swan” Inn greeted us with the familiar aromas of food and incense, expensive furnishings, and other unnecessary human attributes that they so loved. Unlike last time, there were too many people here today, and the gazes of some of them were directed at Evelina. Obviously, many of those present were in one way or another connected to the Traditionalist or Innovator factions and were traveling with the specific purpose of saying goodbye to Conrad Cross or making an appearance before Frederik.

  Evelina wearily surveyed the space and gave us a barely perceptible wave of her hand, directly demanding that we follow her. The hall for noble guests was likely also occupied today, and Evelina headed straight for the stairs leading to the upper floor.

  After climbing several flights, we found ourselves on the third and, concurrently, the top floor of the inn, where an elderly, completely gray-haired, tall, and portly man in an expensive coat of green velvet was waiting for us.

  “Greetings, Your Highness,” the man said, bowing politely and smiling, a spark of deep interest flashing in his brown eyes.

  “Karl Avel Ignikht, spare me the formalities today. Is our room ready?” Evelina asked, a faint note of something akin to irritation in her voice.

  “Of course, everything is ready,” said Karl Ignikht. He was likely the local owner of the establishment and had known Evelina personally for a long time.

  Evelina followed him, and Nova, looking at me, smiled slightly, hinting that she had seen such a person before.

  Karl led us to the farthest room—the Royal Suite—and, turning the key, opened the oak door to let us into a large suite. It was strikingly different from the previous one in its furnishings. There was expensive wooden furniture covered in silver patina, a large table, several large windows, armchairs upholstered in black velvet, gilded candelabras, and magical lamps that gave the room a certain mystery. I also noticed that there were only two bedrooms in this suite, which meant that Nova and I would have to sleep next to each other.

  I stood behind Evelina and silently watched as the owner of the inn showed off the renovated chambers.

  “I deeply apologize that the renovation of this suite took so long. Unfortunately, some details were irretrievably damaged after the incident with Robert…” Karl said, but Evelina interrupted him at the last word.

  “Enough, Karl, I didn’t ask you to tell me the reasons,” Evelina said sternly. “Prepare a modest dinner for three, we will discuss the other details next time. We are here, in case you don’t know, because of my father’s death,” she added in a slightly mournful voice.

  “Oh, I offer my sincere condolences!” Karl said, bowing and placing a hand on his heart. “You wouldn’t mind if my daughter assists with serving dinner? After all, she must prepare for the role of a lady-in-waiting at court,” Karl added politely, hinting at some previous agreements that I could not have known about.

  Evelina nodded, and Karl, pleased with himself, left the suite, carefully closing the door behind him.

  As soon as the door closed, Evelina turned to us.

  “You may sit,” she gestured to the chairs around the large table.

  Nova and I sat down at the table in sync, and then Evelina, smiling slightly, sat opposite us.

  “Karl can be too intrusive sometimes, but he is loyal to me, not to Frederik, so I can trust him at least a little,” Evelina said in a low voice.

  “I apologize for the question, but does the entire royal family stay in these chambers when passing through? Including Frederik?” I asked, not out of curiosity, but to understand if CD could have been here.

  Evelina tensed at my question. “That situation with Robert has nothing to do with who stays here.” She probably didn’t want to tell that story, but it didn’t interest me either.

  “I’m not asking about Robert, but about Frederik, and to be more precise, about Vespera,” I replied coldly, so that she would finally understand that this was not a joke.

  “So that’s what you’re talking about…” Evelina paused. “Yes, she and Frederik could have stayed here,” she replied in a slightly uncertain voice, looking at the door to her bedroom.

  “Then I need to inspect everything here,” I stated, preparing to get up from the table and immediately begin the task.

  “No, Arta, first we’ll have dinner, and then you’ll inspect everything,” she ordered, and I had no choice but to silently agree with her decision.

  “Arta, can I help you with the inspection of the room?” Nova suddenly asked. She probably wanted to observe my working methods, but I was not against it.

  “Of course, I see no problem with that. We’ll deal with this matter right after dinner,” I replied, looking her in the eye and allowing myself a slight smile.

  “Thank you,” Nova said, smiling back at me.

  We spent the next fifteen minutes in silence, and Nova and Evelina were probably thinking about completely different things, while I just observed their silence.

  Soon, there was a knock on the door, and several waiters with metal trays and a young, approximately fifteen-year-old girl entered the room.

  “Good evening, Your Highness!” she said in a skillfully executed curtsy, while the waiters placed trays of food in front of us.

  Evelina smiled gently at the girl and gestured for her to sit at the table, adding a polite, “Greetings, Agnessa, it seems we haven’t seen each other for a whole year.”

  “Yes, Your Highness! I’ve already started to miss you,” Agnessa replied, carefully sitting down in the indicated place and smiling almost from ear to ear.

  “Oh, Agnessa, you are as irresistible as ever,” Evelina said, smiling back at her. “And yes, you already know Lady Nova, but you are seeing Lady Arta for the first time, she is my mage-guardian.”

  Nova blinked slightly when the phrase “mage-guardian” was mentioned again, but did not let on that this issue bothered her, and the waiters in the meantime left the suite, closing the door behind them.

  “Your Highness, wasn’t Lady Nova supposed to become the mage-guardian?” Agnessa asked in a slightly uneven voice, despite the fact that she was sitting as straight as a string, not even moving her fingers.

  Nova blinked again, apparently, she did not like the trend of the conversation, although she tried to look detached and uninterested.

  “Agnessa, circumstances have a way of changing,” Evelina replied dryly, letting me and Nova know that she was not going to be frank with her.

  Agnessa, hearing the answer, grew slightly sad and lowered her eyes.

  “Does that mean I might not become a lady-in-waiting either?” she asked uncertainly.

  Evelina smiled gently and, crossing her palms on the table, looked her straight in the eye. “Circumstances can change, Agnessa, that’s normal. But, unlike a mage-guardian, there can be several ladies-in-waiting, and if you really want to become one, you must trust me absolutely.”

  “A-absolutely?” Agnessa repeated, she was clearly in a slight confusion.

  “Of course, absolutely. I don’t want to scare you, but you must always make even the most difficult choice in my favor,” Evelina said softly and with a smile.

  “I understand!” Agnessa replied, slightly cheering up. “Soon I plan to enter the Academy of Duality. I’m so happy that I’ll get to study next to you for at least a year!” she said with enthusiasm.

  “That’s wonderful, at the same time, you’ll perform the duties of a lady-in-waiting in your free time, albeit unofficially for now,” Evelina said with a smile.

  “R-really? Is that allowed?!” she asked uncertainly but enthusiastically.

  “Of course, it’s allowed. And if you serve well, in the future I will find you a more interesting job than being a lady-in-waiting,” Evelina replied, and then, smiling, added. “And now, Agnessa, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to leave us. We will definitely see each other again.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness!” Agnessa gracefully stood up from the chair and, with a polite bow first to Evelina, and then to me and Nova, left the room, closing the door behind her without a single creak.

  While Agnessa was leaving, I lifted the metal tray lids and carefully checked the food for poison.

  “Everything is clean, you can start eating,” I replied, looking at Evelina.

  “Alright, enjoy your meal,” Evelina replied, and we began to have dinner.

  『 ?? 』━━━???━━━『 ? 』

  [ 39th Aquanis 1749 | Fardin | 23:44 | “Black Swan” Inn ]

  As was my habit, I ate slowly, chewing my food thoroughly. The dishes, despite their “modesty” as Evelina had described them, did not look modest at all. There was red meat, vegetables, some fruit, and even a crystal carafe for the wine, which I, unlike Evelina and Nova, preferred not to drink, limiting my diet to plain water.

  Nova watched me and Evelina attentively, and while I was cutting the beef tenderloin into small pieces, she asked a question that was probably bothering her.

  “Arta, forgive my rudeness, I’ve always been curious, why do you eat so slowly? Sometimes I get the feeling that you’re completely indifferent to what’s served at the table, and you never have an appetite.”

  Evelina tore herself away from her wine glass and carefully observed the reaction I would give. But the question was too predictable, and Catherine, during her time living with me in the same room, had already asked it many times in different interpretations.

  I put down my knife and fork next to my plate and looked Nova in the eye, after which I politely replied:

  “You know, I was taught that food should be chewed carefully so that it is better absorbed by the body.”

  Evelina smiled slightly, and Nova nodded.

  “But does that explain why you eat without an appetite?” Nova asked, a sincere interest in her gaze.

  “Appetite usually comes with hunger. I’m not hungry, so I’m just eating without much appetite,” I replied, trying to look as sincere as possible.

  “Artalis, and why do you avoid wine when your elders are drinking it?” Evelina asked with a smirk.

  “As a mage-guardian, I must be on guard. Besides, I’m not a big fan of alcohol. If it’s so necessary to maintain team spirit, I can drink a little, but no more than that,” I replied politely, smiling at Evelina.

  “And if I order you to drink a little more than a little?” Evelina asked with a smile that never left her face. “I would like to see you drunk, Arta.”

  An expected reaction. Evelina was once again looking for my vulnerabilities to understand where exactly she could manipulate me.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “If you order, of course, I’ll have to get drunk,” I replied, shrugging ironically.

  Nova, noticing my reaction, added on her own, looking at Evelina:

  “Evelina, let’s just postpone this question until my birthday.”

  “How surprisingly sweet of you to make such suggestions,” Evelina said with a slight smirk. “So you want to see Arta in such a vulnerable state specifically on your birthday? And have you already invited her to it? Or will Reina, as usual, be against it?”

  Nova sighed before continuing. The conversation was clearly taking a turn for her that she did not want.

  “No, I haven’t invited Arta. And I was thinking, since we’re staying in Sumerenn, maybe we could celebrate with a small gathering?” Nova paused. “After my uncle’s death, I don’t want any big celebrations, but if you and Arta would keep me company in some quiet restaurant, I would be very grateful.”

  “Nova, but is that how you invite someone to a birthday?” Evelina looked at me. “Arta, do you know when Nova’s birthday is?” she asked with a certain amount of hidden amusement.

  Despite the fact that I knew perfectly well when Nova’s birthday was, no one had officially told me about it, so I was cast in the role of a confused student.

  “No, no, I’m not aware, I’m sorry.” I looked at Nova with eyes full of slight sadness and added, “Although we are friends, I really haven’t been interested in when your birthday is.”

  “Don’t worry about it, it’s a small thing,” Nova waved her hand. “I haven’t said anything about it myself, so I’ll say it now. My birthday is on the 11th of Lumiran.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I gave a slight nod. “My birthday is the 33rd of Ordonis. I mention it only to reciprocate your candour,” I replied, allowing myself to smile.

  “Now you’re real friends!” Evelina smiled. “Well, and you both know my birthday, so I won’t repeat myself.”

  Nova smiled back at Evelina and continued her meal, and for a while, silence reigned in the room again.

  When dinner was coming to an end, Evelina looked at me and Nova attentively and said:

  “There is something else you both should know before we arrive in Sumerenn,” Evelina said in a low voice. “The reason I want to stay there longer is to meet with key representatives of the Traditionalist faction.”

  Nova closed her eyes, as if she had initially understood this plan of action. I, on the other hand, understood that in her father’s death she saw not only a tragedy but also an opportunity to strengthen her position among the key figures who supported her.

  “Is anything required of us in this event, besides our presence?” I asked, watching as she set aside her empty glass.

  “Perhaps it will be required. It all depends on how my father’s funeral unfolds,” Evelina replied in the same low voice.

  “In that case, Arta and I are always ready to help you,” Nova replied politely for me, though there was no logical sense in objecting.

  “I have no doubt, girls,” she replied, smiling and allowing for such a liberal interpretation. “Alright, and now you can begin inspecting the premises. If you need me, I’m here and ready to answer any of your questions.”

  Nova and I stood up from our chairs and first headed to Evelina’s bedroom, where there was a large double bed, two nightstands, a chest of drawers, and a wardrobe. All the furniture was made of high-quality wood, covered with patina, and even the black velvet curtains gave the room a feeling that those who were not of royal blood never slept here.

  “Start with the wardrobe, while I inspect the chest of drawers and nightstands,” I said, understanding that Nova would hardly be able to find traces of CD’s magic if they were really here.

  Nova nodded her head and went to inspect the wardrobe using the spell “Reveal the Hidden.” This was a typical light magic spell that was supposed to reveal hidden magic, but it was unlikely that Nova would be able to find what I was looking for.

  After inspecting the chest of drawers and nightstands without interest and finding nothing in them, I glanced out the window, through which I could see carriages passing by and the spring rain that had started as soon as I looked out the window. By this time, Nova had finished looking at the wardrobe.

  “I have nothing,” she said calmly, not surprising me.

  “All that’s left is to look under the bed,” I stated, turning to face her.

  I went to the left side of the bed and got on all fours to carefully check the space under the bed. There was not a single speck of dust on the floor, but there were also no traces of CD’s magic here.

  “Apparently, there are no magical dangers here,” I said, getting to my feet.

  “Maybe I should look too?” Nova said with interest, while I went to the wardrobe to make sure that there was really no CD magic here.

  “Of course, you can look too,” I replied, approaching the open wardrobe, in which hung several pairs of silk women’s nightclothes.

  Having made sure that there was nothing in the wardrobe either, I closed it, when suddenly Nova said loudly:

  “Arta, look what’s here!”

  I came closer to the almost lying Nova and got on all fours in the free space.

  “You’ll have to move closer to me to see this,” Nova said, seeing as I got next to her.

  Understanding that I would have to lie on the floor next to her, I did so and put my head under the bed.

  “Look what’s here,” Nova pointed with her finger at a symbol whose shallow scratches looked as if they’d been made by a fingernail. This symbol was a copy of the tattoo on Vespera’s neck, an ancient sign of chaos, but there was no magic in it. “This is the same one that was on Vespera’s neck, right?” Nova asked, as if confirming her theory.

  “Yes, that’s the one. Do you know what it is?” I asked her, to understand how far she had thought about what she was seeing.

  “A sign of power? Magic?” Nova asked. “To be honest, I always thought it was just Vespera’s signature.”

  “No, this is a symbol of Chaos. I saw these signs back in my childhood in Tarvar. They say that on the ‘Night of Desecrated Blades,’ every dagger was decorated with this symbol.” In any case, what I said was only a half-truth, because this symbol was invented by CD after she learned to create demons, shortly before the destruction of the second world.

  “A symbol of Chaos…” Nova whispered. “I’ve never heard of what you’re talking about, Arta, but if that’s the case, then it turns out that this symbol could have been left by anyone, not Vespera?”

  “I don’t think Vespera would prefer to polish the floor with her expensive outfits, as we are doing,” I replied ironically. “Most likely, it was done by one of the service staff.”

  Nova frowned.

  “And why would they do that, Arta? Does this symbol have some hidden magic?”

  “No, there isn’t even a drop of magic in this symbol,” I said, looking her in the eye.

  “Then it turns out there’s nothing more for us to do here,” Nova said, starting to get out from under the bed.

  I followed her example, and soon we were standing next to the bed and looking each other in the eye.

  “So how do others use this symbol, if it’s not magical?” Nova asked me.

  I scratched the back of my head, feigning thoughtfulness. I knew perfectly well that CD was hardly interested in secret marks and cults, but in reality, it meant only one thing: there was another cult that operated autonomously and pursued its own goals, but I could not logically prove that CD was not connected with this organization, because the knowledge that I had was inaccessible to mere mortals.

  “Probably, this is another cult that acts based on its own goals,” I stated. “Perhaps Vespera is somehow connected with it.”

  “Perhaps she’s even one of the most important cultists?” Nova asked in a very serious tone. She was probably very concerned about this fact.

  “We don’t have any clear confirmation of this yet, but yes, the mark is the same,” I replied, not wanting to develop an incorrect theory.

  “So, more cultists…” Nova mumbled under her breath. “This is becoming very dangerous.”

  “Exactly, we need to go and tell Evelina everything,” I paused. “Maybe we should split up? I could check for magical traps while you tell her our guesses.”

  Nova nodded.

  “Yes, that would be more rational. You’re right as always, Arta,” Nova replied with a smile, and we left the room together.

  『 ?? 』━━━???━━━『 ? 』

  [ 40th Aquanis 1749 | Yuvel | 00:19 | “Black Swan” Inn ]

  Inspecting the rest of the suite didn’t take me long. Even if there were signs of this “Cult of Chaos” here, they shouldn’t have had any impact on security. Nevertheless, there was a risk of someone breaking into the room, which meant that I, at least, would have to be on guard tonight.

  I approached Evelina and Nova, who were discussing the new cult, and sat down on the same chair as I had at dinner.

  “So Vespera has her own cult with fanatics,” Evelina said, tapping her fingers on the table. “In that case, if we get irrefutable evidence of this, we can officially remove her from my brother.”

  The conversation was clearly going in the wrong direction again. Evelina literally did not understand simple truths: that CD did not engage in such foolishness as creating cults, and that eliminating her with state mechanisms was even greater foolishness.

  “I suppose it would be too illogical for Vespera to so expose herself in connections with a cult,” I replied, looking at Evelina.

  “And why do you think so, Arta? Everyone makes mistakes, Vespera is no exception,” Evelina replied in a cold tone. She was clearly displeased that I was trying to nullify the value of her idea.

  “I’ll give you a simple example: if two people got a tattoo of the Valtheim coat of arms on their necks, could they be considered members of some secret society?” I said, employing a simple analogy.

  “Of course not, but, Arta, don’t mix such public things as the country’s coat of arms with some strange cult mark,” Evelina replied, a slight disappointment in her gaze.

  “Alright, if they had a tattoo in the shape of a ladle on their bodies, would that mean they were necessarily in the same cult?” I countered. “The Night of Desecrated Blades happened a very long time ago, and the whole of Illumora is still experiencing the consequences of this due to the loss of the Veytra of Order. So couldn’t Vespera have been inspired by this symbol? It very much symbolizes her methods of work.” I looked at Evelina. There were notes of uncertainty in her gaze about her previous assumptions.

  “Alright, maybe you’re right. But you made the assumption about the cult yourself, didn’t you? So why can’t it just be some crazy fanatic who has studied history well?” Evelina asked skeptically, shifting her gaze to Nova, who was sitting silently and carefully listening to our conversation.

  Evelina’s logic was almost flawless. She was trying to lead me to a level of meta-knowledge about Vespera’s true nature and why I was denying her participation in the cult. However, my logic was inaccessible to her.

  “As I told Nova, I believe that Vespera may be connected to the cult, but I sincerely believe that it is very foolish to display one’s affiliation with a secret organization in a prominent place,” I replied, understanding that they would not accept another truth now.

  “Or one must be brazen enough to display it to everyone,” Evelina concluded. “In any case, Arta, you’re right about one thing: without direct and irrefutable evidence, we won’t be able to make a full conclusion.” Evelina clapped her hands. “And now let’s go to sleep, we need to get up early in the morning to continue our journey.”

  I bowed politely, stood up from my chair, closed the door on the latch, and did the same with the shutters on the windows. Nova followed my example and closed the shutters in the bedrooms.

  “Your Highness, lock the door to the room from the inside. If someone knocks on the door three times with pauses,” I knocked on the table, showing the required sound, “then it’s me or Nova. In other cases, do not open the door.” I looked at the windows. “As for the windows, if we hear the sound of breaking glass…”

  “Enough, Arta,” Evelina interrupted me. “A couple more words in this direction, and you’ll be sleeping on the floor next to my bed.”

  I bowed politely, understanding that I might have instilled unnecessary fear in her, but forewarned is forearmed.

  Evelina smiled nervously and, after wishing us good night, went to her room, closing the door behind her.

  Seeing that Evelina had left, Nova approached me and asked what was on her mind, “Do you really think they might make an attempt on her life?” she whispered in a low voice, which was a very rare moment for her.

  “One cannot rule out plausible probabilities, especially when it concerns the life of a person who needs to be protected,” I stated dryly.

  “I agree,” Nova replied sadly. “Have you already chosen a bed?” she tried to change the subject.

  “I’ll leave that choice to you, it doesn’t matter to me,” I replied, allowing myself a slight smile.

  “I see… you’re flattering me…” she replied with a smile.

  “Yes, choosing a bed for one night is undoubtedly an important event,” I replied with a touch of irony, looking her straight in the eye.

  “Perhaps, but the question isn’t that it’s one night…” Nova hesitated. “Alright, will you change first? There are silk robes in the wardrobe, they’re brand new.”

  “Sleeping in just a robe on a bare body is not very comfortable,” I replied, trying to keep the conversation going.

  “But you’re not planning to take off your chemise, are you?” Nova replied with a smile.

  “Of course not,” I replied dryly, understanding that the conversation was going somewhere it shouldn’t. “Alright, I’ll go change, I’ll call you when I’m done.”

  Nova nodded with a smile, and I went to the room, where I changed in a few minutes, putting on a silk robe over my chemise.

  I stepped out of the room. Nova was waiting for me by the door.

  “That was quick. Reina would’ve taken an eternity to change,” Nova commented cheerfully, though in a low voice.

  “I have no doubt it would take me an eternity to match her achievements,” I replied with a slight smile, hinting to Nova’s soul about the thousands of cycles with Reina, which, however, she would only understand after death.

  “Alright, I’ll try to do it as quickly as you,” Nova replied and went into the room.

  While she was changing, I walked around the suite again, but, finding nothing interesting, I stood by the door of the room, waiting for Nova to finish changing.

  A few minutes later, Nova came out of the room in a silk robe. “I’m done, and since you’re such a noble lady, I’ll take the bed by the window.”

  “Alright,” I nodded, after which we entered the room.

  In the room, I sat on my bed near the wardrobe. The day was ending, and I needed to at least lie down for a bit, but this issue with the cult was strange. Why would someone scratch a symbol on a bed on which members of the royal family sleep? Perhaps Frederik and Vespera were once here, and one of the cult members decided to leave this symbol as a memento? Who knows.

  My thoughts were interrupted by Nova, who got into her bed under the covers. “Arta, you know, it’s rather charming that we’re alone in the room, don’t you think?”

  “Rather charming? In what sense?” I asked, getting into my bed and pulling the covers over myself.

  “To be honest, Arta…” she began, “you make me rethink some things.” She paused. “You see, Arta, I don’t know how it works, but I feel more stable when I’m next to you. And it means a great deal because you, even knowing some things about me, don’t judge me for them.”

  “Nova, you’re talking about your relationship with Reina, right?” I asked, just in case, to understand the subject of the conversation.

  “Yeah, I’m talking about Reina,” Nova replied, slightly nervously. “It’s just that I know girls who would run away from me as far as possible just by learning this fact,” she replied with a smile, turning on her side to face me.

  “I am not prone to prejudice regarding such matters,” I replied, after which I added. “And as for Reina, she and I are too different, and it is only natural that you feel more stable with me.”

  Nova swallowed. “Yes, you’re right, Arta, and that’s why I value you so much.” She smiled. “Alright, good night, I hope we can finally get to know each other better on this trip, despite its sad reason.”

  “Good night, Nova, sweet dreams.”

  With those words, silence fell in the room. I listened carefully to the sounds in the room, in the suite as a whole, listened as Nova’s breathing became stable and she began to have sweet dreams. Despite all my fears, no significant incidents occurred, except that I thought I heard footsteps near the door to the suite somewhere in the middle of the night, but there were no attempts to open the door or do anything unusual.

  In the morning, we left the “Black Swan” Inn and continued our journey to Sumerenn, where the events that were the purpose of our visit were to unfold.