"Look high, to the clouds, and to what lies beyond. Our Empire stretches to the very stars."
(by the First Emperor Vollachia, after the Great Calamity)
Chapter 4: Above the White Clouds
The Peixit domain was a magnificent sight.
The High Count's manor, an ornate blue-white pentagonal building with five stories, sat beside a tower-like structure three stories tall, which opened up at its peak into four square platforms. Less than a block from the manor lay a variety of flat-roofed rectangular buildings, spreading out in five lines and decreasing in size the farther they got from the manor. All of it bore a star-like pattern, with the manor and the tower at the center.
To say Subaru was amazed was an understatement.
"Stop staring like an imbecile." Criff's tone was chastising, but it was clear to see he was as captivated by the High Count's land as Subaru was, if not more. "Compared to Lady Godwin's domain, this is a slum. Hmph…at least it beats the Abellux domain."
He rubbed his eyes - neither of them had gotten much sleep, but for different reasons - and turned to Subaru with a smile.
"Alright," he spoke in a kind voice. "We're almost there, so what do you say we refresh a bit on common etiquette? After all, you've not had the pleasure of working under Lady Godwin. Etiquette was second nature to her."
Subaru nodded. "His name is Gaoran…Pey…pay…p…"
Criff nodded. "Peixit. Close enough. If you forget his family name, use his first name." He raised a finger. "How will you address his title?"
There was a pause as Subaru thought about it. "Hm…Lord…Lord Count?"
"That works, yes. Saying 'Lord High Count' is only appropriate in formal gatherings, which would need someone else of the same rank or higher. I'm glad to see that not everything I taught you has gone ignored."
Subaru huffed and crossed his arms. "I pay attention, you know!"
With a laugh, the soldier asked, "Oh? Then tell me, what town or city is under Lord Count Peixit's jurisdiction?"
"Erm…Far…a…Fara…dawn?"
"Faradar. Do you remember why it's so important?"
"The eye people?"
Criff nodded, though he grimaced a bit. "Yes…the 'eye people,' or the Evil Eye Tribe to be precise. They're nigh extinct, so don't worry about running into any of 'em during our stay." Strangely enough, he made a dry washing motion with his hands. "Can't say I'll miss those freaks."
For a moment, Subaru wanted to ask about the man's apparent disdain for the Evil Eyes, but Criff bounced back almost immediately.
"Another question," he said. "You need to be as prepared as can be. What is the High Count's title? There's two answers for this one."
"Hm…was it…General…? Something…Cloud General?"
"'White-Cloud General.' I suppose that's much easier to remember than 'Lord of the Cumulus.'"
Before he could continue his pop quiz on the Vollachian aristocracy, a voice came from the driver's seat, through a small window. "Fifteen minutes out!" True to her word, Gia Sleis had gotten them to the Peixit domain as fast as she could. "Best have your best suits on, yeah? Don't want the High Count seein' you like ya just escaped the butcher!"
"You have yourself to blame for my appearance," Criff retorted with a snarl. "When I find whoever put that dart in my back…" His words trailed off, but his anger was obvious. Under normal circumstances, Criff would have been passably attractive, but caked in mud and dried blood, with a torn uniform and a crooked nose that had just barely been "mended" with a piece of gauze wrapped around his head, he looked more like a zombie than anything else.
Gia chortled, clearly not intent in accepting his charge. "I'd say whoever that was did ya a favor. Godwin's uniform is unholy, yeah! Awful downright, even. Who walks into battle dressed like an orange? Apart from you, 'course! Ha!"
Suddenly, the sun seemed to vanish from the sky for a heartbeat. Once it returned, as if it had never gone, Criff scowled and peeked out of the carriage as best he could without falling. He motioned for Subaru to remain inside as he scanned the sky.
"Lookit that!" came Gia's laugh. "The High Count's rollin' out his best to greet us, yeah!? Let's not disappoint!"
Criff yelled something that sounded like a curse, but Subaru did not quite catch the words. "Damn! What's that Sky Rider doing here!?" He kept looking around, as if scared that the shadow would come get him. "The Riders don't usually leave the capital, much less to come visit this rickety old place!"
"Maybe he's out sightseein', yeah!? And sit down before ya fall out, because I'm not coming back for you!"
As if spurred by her words, the carriage lurched forward, throwing Criff backward. He hit the floor on his back and yelped, reaching to touch his nose for a moment. Subaru stifled a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand, and Criff looked at him with indignation. "It's not funny!"
"It is!" he answered, chuckling.
"Whatever!" He got up carefully, holding onto his seat for dear life. "This damn woman's going to give the High Count what's left of us!"
Again, the carriage jerked forward, but neither of them fell this time. Gia's cackle cut through the silence that followed. "Aw! Thought I'd get you with that the second time!"
"Curse you! You're trying to kill us!"
"Me? I'd never!"
He got up from his seat to argue, and the carriage jumped again, forcing him back down as he yelled, "Gah! You and your flimsy carriage! You'll be the death of me!"
The carriage continued onward, with its driver's malicious snickering joined by Subaru's laughter, and the Peixit domain grew ever larger in the distance.
Palladio Manesque, son of Drizen Vollachia, stood over his map, tracing it with his fingers.
Despite his lofty title, Palladio did not resemble in any way the Imperial heir he was by birth. He was an unusually tall man with long smoke-colored hair that fell down past his shoulders in a curly mess. As a young man in his mid-twenties, he retained a touch of youth most evident in the proud gleam one could find within his bright yellow eyes. A turquoise silk scarf was wrapped around his neck, a gift from his mother.
Much like his half-siblings, Palladio appreciated the finer things in life that wealth could grant him. His high-necked, long-sleeved azure coat was one of these finer things, and it sat among his most prized possessions. Its front was decorated with an asymmetrical pattern of golden lines that ran down the coat's arms as well. The pattern was nonsensical to him, but Berstetz Fondalfon once revealed to him that it was an ancient script, seemingly forgotten by the world, from around the First Emperor's time. No one would have been able to decipher what it said in any case. Not that he particularly cared.
What Palladio prized most, however, was the pure-gold amulet he carried tucked into his scarf. Its eye-like shape betrayed his Evil Eye blood, a fact he would much rather keep secret, which was why he hid the amulet as best he could. He would never get rid of it, however: it was the only gift his father had ever given him.
Now, he clutched the amulet tightly, wishing he had his father's cunning, or his mother's ruthlessness. Either one would have served him greatly now. He should have inherited more than a sword and a one-in-twenty chance to become Emperor, but fate was cruel, and the Observers loved mocking him.
Yet now, as he could picture their laughter above him - taunting him, pushing him toward a fight he could not win - the Emperor's son found a solution to his problems. Raising his hand, he beckoned his second-in-command, a petite woman with a doll-like complexion and almost colorless skin, to come closer. She shuffled to his side, staring at the map with pitch-black eyes that showed no emotion and never blinked.
With his finger on the map, right above Faradar, Palladio asked, "And what's this?"
"That is the High Count Peixit's domain," the woman uttered. "He was allied with House Godwin."
"He rules over Faradar? What is he?"
"Huh? He is human, if that is what you refer to."
Palladio's eyes widened, and he slammed his fist against the map. "A human lording over Faradar!? Insulting! I should teach him the error of his ways, by force if necessary!"
"Esteemed Lord," the woman responded in an emotionless voice, "our fighting capabilities were greatly damaged in our last battle. We cannot challenge a High Count."
"Indeed, which is why we won't fight. The High Count must be a reasonable man, I presume, to hold such a station, so we will get him on our side! There'll be plenty of chances to get rid of him on the road to Lupugana."
"That makes no sense. Do you have any idea what you are doing, Esteemed Lord?"
"And what does that matter!? Can you come up with anything better!?"
She crossed her arms and stared into his soul. "Easily."
"Well!" he hissed. "How tragic, then, that I'm the Emperor's son! Order the men to set course for Peixit's land. I wish to speak with him."
For what seemed like minutes, the two looked at one another in silence. Palladio licked his lips nervously. He had heard that her species was servile to whoever proved themselves superior to them, but that did not guarantee absolute loyalty. Had his right hand decided to betray him at last?
After almost a minute in silence, when neither of them moved, Palladio felt the heat of the Yang Sword's grip in his right hand. Better safe than sorry, after all.
"Very well," she said at last. "I will inform them."
The instant she turned her back to him, Palladio let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. The Yang Sword's heat died away, and he resumed looking at the map.
It was time to pay that High Count a visit.
The Peixit manor was massive up close.
It would have dwarfed anyone who stood too close, so - naturally - Subaru felt like an ant next to a mountain. If the sun had been behind the manor, its shadow would have extended for blocks.
The front was almost identical to the rest of the manor, with just a set of large doors atop some stairs to denote that this was the main entrance. Everything seemed conspicuously quiet, as if no one had lived here for years.
Gia stopped the carriage a few steps from the staircase, and Criff and Subaru got out as she remained sitting down on the driver's seat. For the first time, Subaru noticed the horse pulling the carriage. It was covered head-to-hoof in black-red armor, to the point that it looked more like a robot than an animal.
"You two!" Gia called out loudly enough to be heard across the Count's entire domain. "Remember! If the Lord Count doesn't agree to host ya, I'll take you back to Lord Abellux and General Gold! Do let me know if he agrees, yeah!? I can't read his mind!"
Criff pushed Subaru along gently, muttering to himself, "I'll take anything over another carriage ride with that demon…"
Before they got five steps from the carriage, however, the giant doors opened, and a group of four figures emerged, walking in a line.
Two figures, the ones at the edges, were decked in white-gray armor, with spiked helmets that covered their faces under a thin veil of chainmail. The front of the helmets, right above their foreheads, had a small carving of a wolf's head. Both carried short swords at their hips, but one carried a bow in his hands while the other held a spear.
The third individual, standing to the right of the spearman, was an elderly woman in a plain white-gray outfit, similar to that of a maid, that had two red feathers, one on each shoulder. She appeared to analyze them carefully, as her gaze switched between the two of them.
To her right was the unmistakable High Count. Although Subaru had never seen a High Count before, this man looked every bit the part. He was taller than everyone present, and as wide as two men. His face seemed frozen in a thoughtful glower, as his brow furrowed and he held a hand to his bearded chin. Unlike the other three people beside him, he wore regal clothing: a white coat unbuttoned slightly and adorned with the drawing of a silver dragon over his chest.
With a booming voice that sounded amplified by a megaphone, the High Count bellowed, "Would it surprise you to know you're not the first trespassers to try coming in through my front door? Though I would scold your idiocy at coming like this, I must applaud your courage. Most come here with a small army."
Raising his hands, Criff replied, "I fear you're mistaken, Lord Count Peixit. My name is Criff Montier, a First-Class Soldier of House Godwin."
Gaoran motioned with his hand for his entourage to stop, and they froze atop the stairs while he descended alone. "Hm. Now that I see you better, that is a Godwin uniform, is it not? And a rather dirty one, while that Abellux lady on the carriage hasn't a spot of mud on her clothes."
"I can explain, Lord Count." He softly patted Subaru's shoulder. "Just yesterday, Lady Godwin and eleven other Houses besieged the Abellux domain. We…"
As Criff trailed off and went silent, the High Count stopped in his tracks about three steps from where they stood. He eyed the two of them carefully. "You…?"
The First-Class Soldier brought a hand to his broken nose and froze up for a moment before shaking his head. "Betrayal, Lord Count. Ten of those Houses betrayed Lady Godwin! Her reward for her mercy toward them was a knife in the back, and not even a common grave!"
"Then…she is…?" The High Count's tan skin turned pale and his eyes widened, though he barely moved at all.
"Yes…Lord Count. Only two survived…and you're looking at them."
Gaoran gave no reaction, but he looked behind him to where his entourage stood, too far away to hear this conversation. "Is that so? I suppose I shall learn about it soon enough. Until then…what can I do for you?"
Criff lowered his voice to a whisper. "This boy with me, he was Lady Godwin's Stargazer. It's a long story, and I know how it sounds, but you have to believe me. We need a place to stay, and you've always stood with House Godwin. Please. We have no one else to turn to."
For the first time, the High Count lowered his hand from his mouth and smiled kindly. "It's the least I can do, no? Come, then. Ceyda will help you get settled."
Sighing with relief, Criff extended his hand, but the High Count did not take it. Instead, the older man stepped past him, toward the carriage, and began talking with Gia. Criff bit his lip and gently pushed Subaru toward the stairs, saying, "Come on. The sooner we're in there, the sooner we'll get some rest."
Subaru agreed. After spending a whole day cooped up in that carriage and under guard, the offer of having a real room to himself was too tempting to pass up. It would also be his first step toward getting back home, of course. He was already behind schedule on that, but better late than never.
The High Count's residence was just a temporary stop, after all. The Empire as a whole was just a temporary roadblock in his journey home.
Subaru would never call it his home, no matter how long he spent in it.
It was too easy.
Criff was as naturally trusting as any other Vollachian - which was to say, not much - but he knew it was an undisputed fact that High Counts did not just offer to shelter whoever came to their doors with sad tales and bloodied uniforms. Even the one person who was willing to do such a thing made up for it with her attitude and scorching conviction, typical among the High Nobility. There was a reason she was the "Lady Incandescent," a moniker she earned by burning her father to death…or so the rumor went.
It was common in the Empire to doubt the intentions of anyone who so much as glanced at you, because carelessness led to death. The High Nobles knew this, because their whole lives were based around deceit and manipulation. Sure, Gaoran Peixit had risen to nobility through military service, but he was the White-Cloud General, legendary for snatching victory from the skies. He was one of Vollachia's most highly-decorated military officers, not some Lugnican priest with a bleeding heart!
In the Empire, stepping into someone's home was a significant thing. It revealed many things about the visitor, depending on what connection said visitor had with their host. Criff knew Gaoran by hearsay, and by stepping into his home, he was putting his life in the High Count's hands…and he was still unaware what the other man's intentions were.
After all, their shared loyalty to a dead woman was hardly a significant enough connection to build trust between them.
Subaru was taking this new development in stride. He hardly seemed to worry about what the High Count's intentions were as Ceyda, Gaoran's head maid, led them to their rooms. Poor child was too naive to realize the intricacies behind every act, opting to take them at face value. That would get him killed someday.
Thus, it was Criff's job to keep his eyes open, paying as much attention as possible to every detail that could serve as a clue to the High Count's plans. There was a saying in his hometown made for situations like these: "When speaking to a superior, always know more than they tell you, and let slip less than they expect."
As Ceyda and the guards escorted them inside, Criff looked around the manor quickly, so as to not hint at what he was looking for, while paying attention to every detail he could find. The manor's inside was a soft blue, like the clear sky, and the first room at the entrance split in three: there were hallways to both sides and a stairway to the next floor.
Above the stairway was an elegant painting - displayed proudly above an elegant halberd - depicting the High Count Gaoran Peixit himself, though noticeably younger than he was now. Behind him, a great white sky dragon gazed into the distance. In the painting, Gaoran still had his amiable smile and wheat-colored hair, but his face was significantly more youthful and…alive, in a way. Almost brimming with muted enthusiasm. His clothing gave a clue as to what had the young Gaoran so excited. It was an Imperial Army uniform, though one with significant modifications. It was white, for one, and it had a billowing gray cape behind it. A lustrous golden pin depicting a dragon at the end of a spear shone on his chest.
For once in his life, Criff was thankful to the First Emperor Vollachia for the fact that his duty in House Godwin's army was inspecting uniforms, because he recognized Gaoran's attire as that of the Imperial Commodore, master of the Emperor's Sky Riders.
The maid led them down the left hallway, and Criff was mildly surprised at the lack of decorations there. Apart from a few vases, paintings, weapons, and pieces of armor, the hallway was bare. On the left wall were several windows, facing the outside. It was still early in the morning, but the sun could not be seen from here. So, the manor faced west. That was good to know.
Criff was lost in his thoughts, so he almost jumped in fright when the maid, Ceyda, spoke up. "We are almost there."
"The Lord Count's home is most impressive. I suppose he must be very proud," he responded, taking care to analyze her reaction.
Ceyda was around the same age as the High Count, a fact easily noticed. Her fluffy hair was colorless from age, and her face was wrinkled, but what stood out the most was her sharp teeth when she smiled at his question. For the first time, Criff noticed the two sharp black horns just slightly poking out of her hair. "You are not as sly as you believe yourself to be, soldier," she laughed, causing the two guards at their sides to look at each other and frown. "Lord Peixit is your humble host, and you will treat him with honor, not suspicion."
He grinned as best he could, under the circumstances. "I am thankful to the Lord Count for helping us in these circumstances, but please understand that I have reason to doubt such hospitality."
"Such is the way of the Vollachian Empire. Ours is the only nation in which a man will not drink tea for fear it will be poisoned."
"Would you rather be served a chunk of ice, like in Gusteko, or charged separately for the tea and the cup, like in Kararagi?"
With a half-sneer, she answered, "I would much rather drink my tea." As Criff began to respond, she cut him off and said, "We are here, honored guests. Kindly refrain from causing the Lord Count any undue trouble."
Ceyda pointed at two identical doors, each leading to a separate room, and looked back at him with a hint of amusement and expectation. For a second, Criff wondered what she was waiting for. When he realized it, he sighed and muttered, "Thank you."
"What a polite young man," she snickered. "I was expecting you to promise not to cause trouble, but that works as well. Enjoy your stay."
She offered her hand, but Criff hesitated to take it. It was unlikely that she would try to attack him here, but the possibility existed all the same. In the end, he shook her hand, biting his lip as she nicked his wrist with her sharp reptile-like nails. He silently cursed himself for not having noticed her fingernails earlier.
"Behave," the head maid whispered. "Lest you want me to correct your behavior forcefully."
Letting go of his hand, Ceyda stepped past him, accompanied by the two guards, as Criff rubbed his wrist.
"How far out are we?"
"Esteemed Lord, you asked that minutes ago."
"Oh, forgive me, Lutka, for not having heard you the first time! How far out are we!?"
Palladio almost shivered as Lutka's pitch-black eyes locked with his. Her permanently-emotionless face, combined with her doll-like complexion, were more fitting on a deranged killer than on someone as subservient and fragile-looking as Lutka, but that was what made her so unsettling to look at. Well, she was pretty enough aside from that murderer's face, but Palladio tried to maintain eye contact with whoever he spoke to. Eyes were windows to the soul, and he was adept at figuring out what lay behind such windows.
When it came to Lutka, however, he could never decipher her thoughts.
After what seemed like minutes, she responded, "We are still hours away, and will most likely not arrive before sunset."
Sitting down beside her in the driver's seat of his personal carriage, Palladio sighed and shook his head. "That's no good. If we're caught camping in the middle of nowh-"
"Esteemed Lord, strategy is not your strong suit. Leave the worrying to me."
"Eh!? What are you implying!?"
"I imply nothing. It is a known fact."
Staring at her, mouth agape, Palladio stammered, "Y-you insolent…! I'll take your head for this!"
Lutka continued speaking as if she had not heard him. "By the best estimate, we may be able to reach your domain before sunrise tomorrow. By the worst, we will be caught before that, and forced into a battle we cannot win."
"A grim predicament," the Imperial heir murmured. "Rest assured, however, that I have a way to secure our victory." A self-satisfied smirk grew on his face, and he nodded to himself thoughtfully.
The doll woman remained silent for an awfully long time before saying, "I am sure you do, Esteemed Lord."
He laughed joyfully. "Indeed! Now, you may take back your earlier statement. I am not so cruel as to deny an underling a chance at redemption."
"I stand by it, Esteemed Lord."
"W-wha!? I'll kill you!"
She shook her head calmly. "You will do no such thing, Esteemed Lord."
"And how would you know that, underling?" the Emperor's son asked with a threatening tone in his voice.
Lutka responded as if she were talking about what color the clouds were. "Because I know you, Esteemed Lord."
Palladio's eyes widened, and he found himself unable to respond. To avoid the risk of mumbling some incomprehensible comeback, he looked away and kept his mouth shut.
The Observers must have been laughing at him.
Sitting in his study, Gaoran frowned as he inspected the letter in his hands.
That Abellux woman who brought the two strangers to his home had given it to him, claiming it was from her superior and concerned Gaoran directly. He scrutinized every millimeter of the envelope, but found nothing of note. It bore the House Abellux emblem on its stamp, unbroken still, which he compared to one from a letter he had received months ago prompting him to ally himself to them for the Emperor Selection Ceremony. The seals matched.
He analyzed the envelope once again, turning it each and every way, holding it up to the sunlight, and a thousand other methods he could think of. As a General, he had learned to tell a forged letter from a real one. Luckily, he still remembered how to do that.
What concerned him, however, was that this letter seemed real.
The moment he smoothed the letter against the desk with his palm for the tenth time or so, Ceyda took it from his hands and used one of her nails to cut the seal as cleanly as possible. "Was that too hard for you, Gaoran?"
"You sound impatient," he responded, earning a chuckle from his head maid.
"Of course I am." She handed him the letter and crossed her arms. "I do not like that soldier one bit. At best, he works for Abellux, or Qisuni. At worst…"
Gaoran nodded. "You fear he might be Imperial Hand?"
The maid shrugged. "Do you consider Vigo to be above such tricks?"
"He most definitely is not. We both know the lengths he will go to."
"And yet, you let two potential spies into your home."
Pulling out the letter from its envelope, Gaoran clicked his tongue. "The child intrigues me. If he is knowingly involved in this affair, he may be the most dangerous of them all."
Ceyda narrowed her eyes. "I wish I could disagree, but I know how dangerous some of them can be. Blue Lightning and Spirit-Eater, for example."
He made a sound of assent and opened the letter. The handwriting matched the one from his other letter, at least on the surface. He began to read.
"To the High Count Gaoran Peixit,"
"May this missive reach you hastily, for there is news to be shared. House Godwin has been destroyed in battle, and Lamia Godwin is dead. We cannot offer you condolences, so allow us to offer you an opportunity."
"By now, your association with House Godwin is no secret to us. It is no exaggeration to say your life hands in the balance now that Godwin is no more. However, House Abellux will overlook your actions during the Ceremony in return for your cooperation in a sensitive matter."
"Two individuals, Criff Montier and Subaru Natsuki, have requested to be hosted by you for the next five months, after which they will be brought to Lupugana. Treat them as you would treat valued guests, and when their time is up, House Abellux will honor its promise to you."
"Do not fail, High Count. Your Emperor is counting on you."
Silently, he reread the letter again. And again. And again.
After going over it countless times, he handed the letter to Ceyda, who skimmed it. "They appear to be putting some effort into this deception, if it is one," she commented.
Gaoran pinched the bridge of his nose. "Abellux will lie about anything and spend as much as necessary to cover it up."
"If need be, I am willing to dispose of our guests."
"No, no, leave them be," he commanded, stroking his beard. "Getting rid of them would only provoke Abellux into coming up with a new plan. Let them feel confident in this one, and we can take them by surprise."
Although she appeared opposed to the plan, the head maid asked, "And for how long will we keep up this false impression?"
"Until they make their move. We will deal with them in due time."
Ceyda did not respond, opting to return the letter to him in silence. As he took it, Gaoran considered his course of action. Those two "guests" in his home were most likely Abellux agents, and if he eliminated them, Abellux would retaliate in some other way, one he would not see coming. It would be for the best if he held off for the moment and lulled his opponents into a false sense of safety. Two spies would hardly be a memorable loss for House Abellux, but if he caught their spymaster, they would be hurting for months.
Yes, that was the plan. He would root out these enemy agents and eradicate them in one fell swoop. With a single strike, he would cripple House Abellux's covert operations.
Carefully, he folded the letter and locked it away in his desk drawer.
It was not every day that Nolan Bluhart received a direct visit from anyone of lesser status than him.
That sounds wrong…
To put it bluntly, he was a rather lonely man, with only his staff for company. His younger brother was off somewhere, and his only visitors were nobles who had some business on his land and needed to consult him about it. Usually, said nobles outranked him. It really scared him when he had to puff his chest out and act all proud in front of his Imperial counterpart, an imposing High Countess who could have used his ribs as toothpicks if she wanted to, and it bored him half to death when he had to explain to some Lugnican Duke that no, they could not just come into his land and do whatever they wanted, because this was Bluhart land and the Bluharts were the only ones standing between a Vollachian private army and the rest of Lugnica.
Technically, it was just him and his private army, but until his brother came to his senses, he would have to uphold the Bluharts' ancient duty as best he could by himself.
It was a monotonous life, which was why Nolan was so surprised to see that some person he had never heard of before had requested an audience with him. His secretary said the petitioner was a merchant from this territory, which was not unusual. Lugnicans living by the Vollachian border often chose to become soldiers and fight or merchants and flee. Nolan would not judge them for that.
Besides, the petitioner could have been an unhinged criminal out for blood and he still would have accepted to speak with them. It was not as if the Count had anything better to do, apart from sifting through documents for hours.
He took one last look at himself. As was the Bluhart way, he dressed to impress, opting for a fine yellow coat with scarlet engravings along the chest, depicting the Divine Dragon. A bit awkward to wear, given his belief that the Dragon held Lugnica back from its truest potential, but who was he to complain about fashion?
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into his manor's main hall.
The servants curtsied as they saw him, resuming their work as soon as he nodded at them. The main hall was a rather large and elegant corridor, and servants were present here at all times of the day. It required constant maintenance due to all the paintings and artifacts displayed there.
At the end of the main hall was the front entrance to the manor, which was surrounded by a small but cozy waiting area with a few couches and chairs. It had been a long time since Nolan saw anyone use them, but now, two people sat on them. They stood when he approached.
The first, a man in his mid twenties, gave him a small nod and a guileless smile. His copper hair and sharp chin made him look like one of those elegant warriors from the books, but his rather plain clothes - with just a hint of extravagance, as denoted by their high quality - marked him as one of the lower class.
To his right, a young girl who could not have been a day over sixteen bowed to Nolan before stammering some incomprehensible greeting. She shared the man's copper hair, but that was where the resemblance ended.
Seeing how the girl was still bowing, Nolan chuckled and spoke, "Get up, come now. No need to treat me like some deity. We're too far south to play at being Gustekans."
She did as he asked, but still avoided looking at him. Her brother - at least, Nolan thought the man was her brother - slapped her back and said, "Thank you for takin' the time to see us, Count."
"Please," the Count interrupted, "Nolan is just fine. I'd prefer not to be reminded of the mountain of paperwork on my desk right now."
"Sure thin'...Nolan!"
Nolan crossed his fingers. "So, which one of you is Heiko?"
The man raised his hand. "That'd be me. This is my sister, er…I'll let her introduce herself."
The girl looked at the floor and muttered something. Nolan was about to ask her to repeat herself when she said, "I…I'm Linneke, sir."
"A pleasure to meet you both. What can I do for you two upstanding Bluhart citizens?"
Heiko's smile fell as he rubbed the back of his head. "This is…probably ol' news to you by now, but…somebody stole a shipment bound to Vollachia a while ago, in Barielle territory."
It was old news indeed. The incident had happened over two weeks ago by now. "Indeed. Has there been any development on that case? Anything I should be made aware of?" Such a topic was a strange thing to bring up, which caused Nolan to frown as he looked at the two visitors.
"There's…news about it," was Heiko's reply. The merchant nudged his sister with his elbow, and she glared at him.
"The shipment was made up of v-various crates of…weaponry," Linneke added, before pausing. There was an awkward silence until Nolan took the hint.
"Who approved sending several crates of weapons to the Vollachian Empire?"
It was Linneke who answered, "That's…the p-problem, sir. It wasn't Baron Leip."
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Nolan spoke, "And so, who was it? Carriages cannot just cross the border without approval from the local noble!" This was a disaster. He was going to have to bring this up with the Council of Wisemen in their next meeting, and that would make for an awful conversation, made even worse if Baron Barielle was there.
"It wasn't the Baron, sir," Heiko repeated. "It was…you."
Silence.
Nolan stared at them, completely stupefied. He waited for either of them to elaborate on that claim, and when neither did so, he cleared his throat and - calmly, mind you - asked, "And what could possibly have taken you to that conclusion?"
Linneke reached into her pocket slowly and retrieved a letter, then handed it to him. He recognized the letter. It was more of a pass than anything else, proving that Count Bluhart had authorized the bearer to cross the border. "T-this was found in the abandoned carriage," she explained.
"They found the carriage?"
"Yes, s-sir…"
"Help me understand this," the Count ordered, pocketing the border pass. "A carriage leaves Barielle lands, filled with weapons. It comes to my land, somehow gets this letter to cross the border, and escapes. There's dozens of weapons loose in Vollachia now, and whoever took them there is still at large." A pause. "Did I get it right? Am I the only one who thinks this is all absolutely insane?"
Linneke stammered, holding up her hands. "W-we aren't accusing you, Count! We wanted to l-let you know!"
On top of that, Heiko added, "As for the thief…someone in the Baron's land described a strange fella who was near the stables during the time o' the theft." He retrieved a thin paper and handed it to Nolan, who looked it over. A wanted poster, depicting a human man with braided hair and a flower-shaped hairpin. What stood out the most was a rather inconspicuous detail: the suspect's eyes had triangular pupils, which pointed downward.
With a sigh, Nolan rubbed his eyes and said, "Look, I know this sounds insane, but please don't breathe a word about this to anyone. I'll bring this information to the Council, and they'll deal with it." He pointed at them with two fingers. "Pay attention. Do not say anything about this to anyone. I'll handle it all."
"Sir Count," Linneke began to say, but he turned around and walked away, his hurried footsteps echoing through the otherwise silent main hall.
He was going to find this triangular-eyed thief and wring his neck personally.
Subaru lay sprawled on his room's bed, looking up at the ceiling.
Gaoran had obviously just stuck him and Criff in the first guest rooms he could find, because this room felt a little claustrophobic. It was only a few meters long and wide. At most, two people could fit in here at once, and they would be pretty cramped. It also had nothing more than a bed, a bookshelf, a closet, and a desk.
It was a very far cry from Subaru's real room, but he could at least sleep normally in it, so that was a point in its favor.
If he closed his eyes and tried his hardest to ignore the mattress's unfamiliar texture, he could almost pretend he was home. He could just almost convince himself that this Empire was just a nightmare.
And yet, he could not escape the Empire that easily.
A knock on the door called his attention, and before he could respond, Criff entered, holding a small pile of books. He looked at Subaru and scowled, placing the books on the desk, beside a quill and a few sheets of paper.
Subaru looked at him, confused. "What's all that for?"
"Seriously?" the soldier retorted. "You don't even know what the Vollachian Empire is. How will you be a Stargazer if you don't even know where you are?"
"I thought that star thing was a lie."
"It is, but we need to make it convincing. Besides…I'm not going to run away with someone who can't tell right from left."
Subaru pouted as Criff chuckled and held up a book. It was all scarlet, with a drawing of a rose in the front cover. What stood out the most was the set of hieroglyphs that resembled Japanese if he squinted and rearranged a few of them. No, scratch that. They looked like Japanese written by an illiterate drunk.
"Do you know what this is?" Criff asked. His expression was completely neutral, but Subaru could tell he was expecting a certain answer.
Which was why he replied proudly by saying, "It's a book."
Criff glared at him, looking as if he was tempted to throw the book at him as hard he could. "Yes. It's a book." He stepped closer to the bed and all but shoved the book in Subaru's face. "Do you know which book it is?"
Putting on his best smile, Subaru muttered, "Erm…"
"Am I not showing you the title?"
"I think so."
"And…?" Criff pointed at the book's title, as if that would settle the matter. When Subaru did not respond, Criff's eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief. "No. No, don't you dare tell me you can't read."
Subaru shrugged and stuck his tongue out. "Oops."
For almost half a minute, neither said anything. It was Criff who broke the silence by asking, "W-where do you even come from?"
"Ah! That's easy!" Subaru crossed his arms proudly. "I'm from Japan!"
"That's not a real place!"
"Yes it is! It's to the east!"
The soldier cringed visibly. "You're Lugnican?"
"No! Japanese! I don't know what a Lugnican is!"
Raising a hand, Criff remarked, "You can't read. You know nothing about the world. You claim to be from a land that doesn't exist." He stepped back to the desk. "Either you're a complete idiot, a liar, or from beyond the Great Cascade. I refuse to believe the last one, and if you're any of the first two, I refuse to help you out."
The Great Cascade, huh? Cecilus had mentioned that earlier. "How can you know that Japan isn't beyond the Cascade?"
"Because no one crosses over. Ever. Everyone who claims they're from beyond is looking for attention and lying. Crossing the Cascade is a myth, like Stargazing."
In Criff's defense, Subaru had no recollection of crossing a cascade to get here, but that was the only way he could justify his arrival without outright saying he was summoned from another world. If Criff was not going to believe it, there was no point in arguing.
Still, despite his claims, Criff took the chair from the desk and sat down, before explaining, "This book was the first book I ever read. It's a Vollachian classic, centuries old. It even got adapted into a play." He opened the book and flipped through the pages. For a moment, he looked wistful. "It's called Iris and the King of Thorns. Definitely not something a child like you should be reading, but…never mind."
Slowly, he placed the book at the top of the pile he had brought. "These are all classics," he continued. "The Crimson Castle. The Guillotine of Magrizza. Every Imperial knows these by name, at the least."
He turned back to Subaru, and in a determined tone, said, "One day, you will too."
Grabbing a sheet of paper and the quill from the desk, Criff scribbled something before showing it to Subaru. It was a surprisingly well-drawn map, showing what looked to be four countries. After he put the quill back in its inkwell, Criff pointed to the southernmost country. "This is the Empire. To the west is Kararagi. Up north is Gusteko. The east is Lugnica, though we don't like Lugnica."
"Why not?" Subaru inquired.
"I'll get to that soon. Vollachia has existed for more than a thousand years, but it only became an Empire a few centuries ago." He pointed at the area around the map itself. "Four hundred years ago, there was something called the Great Calamity. A demon known as the Witch of Envy destroyed half the world before being sealed away in the world's easternmost point." Pointing at said point, he continued, "This is it. Augria." Then, he looked away from the map and met Subaru's gaze. "Do you know what's here, in Augria?"
The way he asked that was just a little unsettling. "N-no," Subaru mumbled.
Criff remained quiet for a heartbeat before saying, "Here lies an ancient structure that once belonged to a wise sage. It's called the Pleiades Watchtower." Before Subaru could say anything, he kept going. "Pleiades. Sound familiar? It should, since you just so happen to be named after it, no? That's what you said."
Subaru gave a silent "Oh" as Criff kept talking.
"I genuinely don't care what your reason for saying that is, or if it's even true," he explained. "Now, back onto this. During the Calamity, the newly-formed Empire remained stable…or at least tried to. People from all around the world flocked to the First Emperor's land seeking protection. It's why Vollachia is now the largest nation."
"What was the First Emperor like?"
Criff turned the paper around and drew something with the quill. It was a man with a short beard and hair tied into a bun atop his head. "Records from that era are scarce, but he's reputed to have been the greatest ruler to have ever lived, and not just in Vollachia. Crime was nonexistent under his rule, and the Empire became a beacon of power to which all other nations knelt." He drew something beside the man: a wolf's head with three swords sticking out from it. "The Imperial Swordwolf became synonymous with power, and it still is."
He drew lines under the Emperor, each connecting to a crossed-out circle except one, which led to a crown. "When the First Emperor passed, his children created the Rite of Imperial Selection, more commonly known as the Emperor Selection Ceremony. Every child of the former Emperor fought in a civil war to slay the others, and the winner became the monarch."
"That's awful!" Subaru exclaimed. "How can they do that!?"
"It's only awful if you're on the losing side," Criff responded sadly. "Lamia Godwin, my master…she was one of the former Emperor's children. Prisca Benedict, Vincent Abellux, and a few others…they're all still in the running to become the 77th Emperor. Or Empress. It doesn't matter so long as they don't destroy the Empire as a whole."
Subaru blanched. This was most definitely not what he had expected from such a place. Well, sure, his introduction to the Empire was by getting captured by the two strangest people he had ever met - who were his age! - but he thought it would get better from there! "Are all countries like that?" he asked.
Criff flipped the paper and pointed at the map. "No, they're all rather…I don't know what word to use. But! The Empire is better! Always remember that."
Again, Subaru asked, "How?"
Criff readily began praising the Empire, and his lecture about history went on until they were called for lunch.
The sunset was a sight to behold.
As Gaoran stood outside his manor, he gazed into the west, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon. The sky had a yellowish hue to it, but sometimes, it turned blood-red. It was quite the spectacle.
From the sky came a shrill call, and Gaoran smiled. Just a few moments afterward, a massive reptilian figure landed behind him, and he turned with a smile on his face.
Just as the High Count towered over normal men, his sky dragon towered over him. It was an all-white beauty, with two horns sprouting above its blue eyes. Anyone else would have cowered in fear or begged for mercy, but as a Sky Rider, Gaoran knew this creature like he knew himself.
"You are quite late, Feyron," he chuckled, reaching out to pat the beast's head. It made a sound in response to his comment.
In Vollachia, few individuals mastered the art of Dragon Taming, and fewer still used it on Sky Dragons. They were ferocious and proud, and all except the Dragonkin considered them a nightmare to handle.
Gaoran had first encountered Feyron during a mission to Mezoreia, the City in the Clouds. The two had been much younger back then. Well, Feyron could hardly be called young. He would most likely outlive the High Count, if not felled in battle.
Feyron was unique for his white scales, which earned him and Gaoran fame throughout the Empire. In a land so humid and warm like Vollachia, snow was extremely unusual, and Feyron was the closest they got to ever seeing it. It was through his military knowledge that Gaoran became a General, but he became the White-Cloud General thanks to Feyron's unique appearance…and fierce loyalty.
It would not be a stretch to say the two had become comrades in arms.
"I do not doubt you have done well, Feyron," Gaoran commented, earning a sound of approval from the dragon. Feyron had been absent all day due to a visit by the Commodore, Gaoran's successor as leader of the Sky Riders. He had deemed fit to escort the Commodore back to Lupugana, but his new guests made that impossible, so he asked Feyron to do it by himself.
And yet, as he was musing to himself about the Commodore's most-unusual visit, Feyron's head suddenly perked up, looking into the distance, down the main road that led to the manor.
Gaoran cursed to himself. Feyron had keen senses. It was fully possible he had spotted an incoming threat. After all, it had been Feyron who alerted him to the incoming Abellux carriage earlier that day.
House Peixit's armsmen, its private army, was housed in the five buildings that surrounded the manor. It would only take the slightest disturbance to rouse them into action, if the worst came to pass, but Gaoran was a careful man. He remained as he was, watching in the same direction as his Sky Dragon.
After a minute or so, a few carriages appeared in the distance. Most were plain wagons, likely carrying supplies - or troops - but one of them was a noticeably ornate carriage suited for a noble. It was certainly not Vigo's, since his personal carriage was ridiculous and could be spotted half a world away, while this one was a muted shade of blue and gold, and flew a flag above it.
Once the carriages got a bit closer, Gaoran could make out the emblem on the flag. It was the Swordwolf's head, with its eyes drawn as swirling vortices around a snake-like pupil. Not many would have recognized the odd design choice, but Gaoran did, as ruler of Faradar. It was the Evil Eye sigil, which meant the carriage belonged to none other than the ill-reputed Palladio Manesque.
Lamia Godwin had confided in Gaoran about Palladio's heritage and unique power. She had also gone to great lengths to criticize her half-brother as a craven fool who put on grand shows to hide his inadequacies.
It was, perhaps, time to discover if she had been right.
Feyron growled, and Gaoran shushed him. "Easy, now. Let them come closer. I want to hear them out."
The Sky Dragon was most displeased with his command, but obeyed nonetheless, and the two stood their ground as House Manesque approached.
About two blocks away from the manor, the wagon carriages stopped, and Palladio's continued on by itself. Gaoran nodded. It was a show of trust to leave behind one's own guard and wander alone into possibly-hostile territory.
A minute later, the main carriage arrived at the front entrance to the Peixit manor and stopped. Atop the driver's seat, behind the armored gale horse pushing the carriage, were a man and a woman, who descended as soon as the carriage stopped.
The woman unnerved Gaoran. She was short which, coupled with her pure-white skin, made her look like a living doll, and her pitch-black eyes betrayed as little emotion as her impassive face.
The man, on the other hand, stood as tall as Gaoran himself. He was clad in a long blue coat with golden engravings, and wore a turquoise scarf around his neck. He glanced at Gaoran for a few seconds in pure silence before moving closer with his companion.
"Evening, High Count!" the man spoke, standing proudly with his hands on his hips. "Had a lovely day, I presume?"
Gaoran made no move to approach him, so he raised his voice to respond. "A rather busy day."
"No doubt about that, High Count." He took a few steps toward Gaoran, deciding to stand a few meters from the High Count. "I suppose you have heard of Lamia Godwin's passing?"
Frowning, Gaoran said, "Lies."
"Truths. I was there. Prisca Benedict," the man spat at her name, "cut her down personally, after Lamia was betrayed by everyone in her army. Well…everyone except me."
"I take it, then, that you are…"
The man puffed his chest out and grinned. "Palladio Manesque, the Augur! As heir to Emperor Drizen, I wish to request your aid, Lord Count Peixit!"
Gaoran inspected the Imperial heir. His claims of Lamia Godwin's death would have to be investigated further, but as for now, there was a more pressing matter at hand. "What aid would that be?"
"House Abellux is after me," Palladio explained. "If I return to my domain, I will be besieged and promptly killed. Allow me and my men to take shelter here, and in Faradar, and together we will stand a chance at victory." He clapped his hands together, and a ring of fire surrounded them. "I know my beloved father has already given you all you wish, High Count, but Vincent Abellux is no child of Drizen. He is a coward, and a disgrace to our family. If he reigns, you may well lose everything."
"And if I refuse, you will simply attack me." Gaoran shook his head. "Am I wrong, Lord Manesque?"
"Very. I have less than a hundred troops with me, and your House has almost six times that number. I will not kill myself trying to settle a petty wish for vengeance. Help me or ignore me, but know there will be a price to pay."
The High Count thought on it. He did not need Palladio's aid, so helping him out would be a purely altruistic matter. However, he was Lamia's closest "ally," for lack of a better word. And if he was an Evil Eye, as the rumors said, he might be helpful in deciphering the Abellux plot with that soldier and the black-haired child.
Thus, Gaoran met Palladio's gaze and spoke, "To our partnership."
In return, the Augur nodded and answered, "To the end of Abellux."
AN: I sure do not love the Evil Eye tribe and I sure do hope there are none of them in Faradar, a town reputed to have belonged to them in the past, because it would be quite unfortunate if there were any Evil Eyes in there...
