Disclaimer: I don't own Gate or Nihon-koku Shoukan, as they belong to their rightful owners.
A Lost Soul in the Household
It was a fine night indeed.
Like many of the celebrations that preceded it.
To her, it was a vivid description of the opulent grand ball, complete with exquisite decorations, elegant attire, and the grandeur expected at a royal affair.
She could only read it in books...How would the old royals of her world have these kinds of lavish events? From photographs to live events on the news, personally being a part of it was a whole new experience.
The hall was aglow with sparkling Crystal Lights, filling the air with their dazzling brilliance. A sweet, lingering scent wafted through the room, mingling with the sounds of lively musical instruments and the animated conversations of the noble guests, creating a lively and enchanting atmosphere.
The elegant dresses and the outfits worn by these people...as if she was in another time period.
However, when she looked down, and saw her outfit which was not on par with the rest of them.
It was an eye-opener.
Yet, being in a maid's outfit was still better than having a prisoner's clothes which she had also worn before.
She vowed to herself that she would never go back to to the life she had when she first arrived in this world.
The memory is still fresh in her mind.
And She didn't know that time could be this fast.
"Noriko!"
The voice brought her back to her senses.
She blinked and saw an older woman wearing the same outfit as hers and her eyes showed a little annoyance.
"You have to fasten up! We have to serve all of these snacks!"
The young woman then remembered her purpose here.
"Right away, Ma'am!" She took a slight bow as she hastily carried the tray which contained pastries and sweets.
Traversing through the hall as met every eye that instantly observed the food and not long after...more hands reached towards her as the guests flocked for the snacks she had been carrying.
It was like being swarmed by a huge number of piranhas.
Noriko didn't even realize that after just seconds the tray was now empty and she found herself deserted once again in the middle of the lively crowd.
She moved her gaze around and took note of other fellow servants who were still in the middle of accomplishing her task.
Things were still busy and there was no sign of an ending.
Her eyes were already weary as she realized that she had been working throughout the day.
She felt tired for the first time.
The girl had no choice as she had to keep on going.
At the back of her mind, she still longed for home.
"Tou-san!"
"Kaa-san!"
"Get away from them!"
It still haunted her up to this day.
No matter what she did to save them...It was all hopeless.
Whenever her mind went to that place...all she could see was blood and death.
Amidst the dead bodies and suffering of her people was an image of her parents being taken away by them.
Noriko tried to shake her head to clear her mind.
At that same moment, an announcement was finally made.
It started with the sounds of a wine glass clinking.
"Attention to all!" A man's voice echoed across the venue.
Men and women alike looked up in one direction and from the podium, all the attention had shifted to the arrival of the guests of honor or so they say.
In just moments...A familiar man emerged from an entrance escorted by several guards who surrounded him.
Soon, voices were raised as the crowd of nobility cheered for the man, who had restored the dignity and reputation of the kingdom.
"Is it true that he came out of nowhere?"
She heard a remark from a noblewoman.
"And I believe he's not even of Saderan descent."
"Hmph! And to think that such a commoner would directly rule a vast empire." She then added." When is his majesty going to show his face?"
Noriko had been listening to their conversations. She too had been entangled with the mystery itself.
"Your Regent!"
"His Excellency!"
The cheers of the crowd continued as the man grinned and occasionally waved his hand to acknowledge their support.
He was not the only one that came.
Shortly after another figure emerged from the entrance.
A familiar face that caused the young woman's eyes to widen.
"Tyuule-san."
Noriko walked purposefully through the bustling crowd, her heart racing with anticipation. She was filled with an electrifying sense of excitement as she eagerly made her way forward. A longing to meet the one who saved her life during those hard times.
Weeks had passed and she had not seen her for quite some time as if she vanished from the face of the world in those days.
She wanted to at least catch a glimpse of her.
Although, the nearer she got to the front, the more heaviness she felt throughout.
She began to feel nauseous, combined with the fact that the event had caused a small stampede from within.
What she didn't notice was the heavy aura resonating from the people themselves.
With the introduction of the bunny woman most of the people there became curious and fascinated.
Who wouldn't believe that a Demi-Human would be in that position today?
Let alone her colorful background.
"She's royalty!?" Until one nobleman remarked aloud, and yet the latter just ignored whatever these people said about her.
Noriko waved her hand and took the chance to call out her name.
"Tyuule!" Her voice trying to find its way amid the loud cheers and yet her voice wasn't strong enough to catch her attention.
And from that, her situation had taken a turn as she began to get aggressively shoved from left to right. As more people began to move forward and compile themselves into one area.
The girl tried to push back but the second she looked up, she was suddenly taken aback as she saw something unusual and frightening.
She couldn't even recognize the people surrounding her as people. Their decaying skin, torn clothes, and bloody eyes as they moved like ghouls. Around the same time, the dark aura radiated above them.
One of them had taken notice as he grinned and attempted to reach out to her.
Horrified but determined to get out, she tried to give one more push but the commotion began to overwhelm her and it wasn't until someone had pulled her out in time before falling to the ground.
"Be careful." It was a calm man's voice.
The girl widened her eyes with surprise upon seeing him.
The young nobleman sighed in relief and released a small smile.
Donning a simple attire, he was able to notice the girl disappear into the crowd before.
"You're putting yourself at risk, Noriko," Darius remarked.
She stared at him, confused at first but then began to realize the situation she had placed herself in.
"I'm so sorry, I don't know what I got myself into...I'm sorry." Her cheeks had reddened in shame.
The nobleman nodded as he raised a hand to calm her.
"It's alright..." He smiled, briefly shifting his eyes toward the main highlights of the event, especially him.
His face slightly showed disgust which the young woman had also noticed.
XXXXXXXXXXX
The man who would come to be known as the Great Regent stood facing the crowd of nobility, members of the royal court, and advisors.
Adem loved this kind of scenario even before he became the kingdom's de facto ruler.
He never forgot his rise to power and he will continue to remind everyone how important it is.
The man grinned widely as he observed the people who continued to support and cheer for him, while a certain bunny woman stood from behind in silence but listening.
"Silence Silence!" One of the escorting guards announced.
The Regent nodded in response to the guard and as all ears were now listening for what he was about to say.
"Before I relay you the good news...I would like to thank you all for attending." He said, eyeing the crowd." Your support never fails to warm my heart."
The crowd responded with applause, anticipating what was expected to be the usual long inspiring, and captivating speeches from him but in less than a second the mood had slowly shifted.
His grin grew widely.
"My fellow Saderans...it's been quite some time and I'm here to address you what has been happening in our kingdom and so has our campaign." He paused for a second to see their reactions and then continued." Let me start with our glorious campaign to reunite the continent under one banner."
"You may have heard of our ongoing conflicts with Qua-Toyne...A conflict, that to me...had not expected to last this long." He paused for a moment, hearing all the boos from them.
"The longer that this conflict continues the more deaths and battles that our fellow knights and soldiers will face."
Adem smiled as he knew he had to take away some of the doubts from the ones who were opposing his goals.
"That is why our brilliant and skilled diplomats had successfully made a deal with their Prime Minister and his Cabinet." He then continued." That both sides will agree to lay down their arms and in turn, Qua-Toyne will join the allied kingdoms and be part of our empire.
The news became a surprise to many as whispers were heard across amongst the guests.
"In doing so we will be able to avoid more bloodshed and focus more on convincing these kingdoms to join our cause and ideals." He then added." But for those who are still daring to resist, they will have no choice but to face the severe consequences!"
The crowd roared as they agreed to his words.
At this point, he was the only one who knew what happened to the supposed invasion of the Noble City.
Now that there are new enemies who have introduced themselves to the game, it helped him realize that fate was not taking any sides.
"Therefore, the time has come to finally take back what was once lost and we will strike back to those that have wronged us!"
"And we are not alone for our Parpaldian brothers and sisters have pledged their support, and soon our lands will be recognized as a great power in this region!"
The dream was still alive and it was now time to claim it before the opportunity closed itself.
"If Italica and Rondel will not accept our opportunities, they will bow down to our might!"
The cheers returned once again as the crowd chanted.
"Long-lived Sadera! Down with the foolish!"
It had been speculation that the Empire would launch a campaign to conquer them and now it has been confirmed to everyone.
The guard raised a hand once again to silence the crowd as the man continued the next part of the message.
At this point, Adem felt a sense of nervousness and his grin slowly devolved into disinterest.
"As you may know, besides the continuous flow and growth of our lives, we are entering a new era."
"In a few months...the long lost throne of the royal bloodline will be finally restored." He announced to the crowd as they responded with cheers.
Adem began glancing at the environment in front of him, looking for a certain someone.
From the crowds, he desperately looked for that person.
Was it the Princess herself?
The fact that he wasn't worried about her presence but a certain someone, who he believed and hoped would not show up.
He had heard of his impending return but he didn't know which day or time it would be.
From the sidelines, Tyuule could sense the man's slight panic. She observed the hesitation which was slowly creeping up to him.
She had not seen him like this before ever since the day she last saw him.
Which also made her wonder.
Was He back?
Then in that very moment, she felt a very familiar presence that had entered the hall.
"He has arrived." She heard the voice of Bouro from a distance.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, Adem had continued his speech, gathering his composure once again.
He could sense his presence approaching.
"I won't make this long enough." He then said." To restore our royal roots is to decide who is worthy of the throne and to represent the Empire as a whole." He explained." With the blessing of the court, there will be an election."
"You, the people who built and cultivated this land will be the one to choose."
In the middle of the crowds, a tall blonde handsome young man slowly headed towards the main stage. He kept a haughty and deadpan expression. The ladies in the hall would soon be captivated by his presence and so as his appearance.
Especially, his golden eyes which many women considered intimidating and hypnotizing.
As he walked, the people began to notice and gave him a small path.
Noriko, who was now in a less chaotic area, had taken notice as she widened her eyes in surprise.
She had seen this person before.
"Isn't that..." She trailed off only to be finished by the nobleman.
"Yes...the Emperor's Eldest Son."
"Prince Zorzal."
Noriko slowly nodded as she kept her eyes on the man. There was something about him that she couldn't figure out and soon she felt tense and became dizzy when the latter had stopped near the podium and in front of the Regent himself.
"Are you alright?" A concerned Darius then asked, and much to the struggling girl, He didn't waste a second as he immediately assisted her in leaving the vicinity.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
As Adem approached the end of his speech, he noticed the audience's attention slowly shifting toward the newcomer standing near the podium.
When he finally saw him, his overall mood changed from the inside and out.
His frustration mounted as he gritted his teeth, his growing doubts now solidified into certainty.
As the cheers gradually diminished, he couldn't shake the feeling of resentment towards him for ruining the moment. He felt the pressure to maintain the momentum despite the setback.
He took a deep breath again.
"Therefore, I hereby announce an Election to be held, and be rest assured that this will be fair and benefit our future."
Some of the crowd almost dropped their jaws.
Are the people of Sadera choosing a king or queen to rule over them? What an absurd idea.
When reached the last line his eyes focused on him yet again and to find out that he was listening to him the whole time.
"For the ones who will participate in this historic event...May the odds be in your favor!"
The entire hall was filled with noise as the crowd erupted in cheers and applause again.
"For the Glory of our Kingdom!"
This was Adem's first experience of feeling utterly drained after delivering a brief speech. Despite this, he chose to keep his weariness to himself and maintained his usual composed demeanor. Deep down, he was relieved that it was all over, and he was content that the atmosphere in the room remained unchanged, just as he liked it.
The people still loved him in any situation.
Among the crowd, consisting of prominent figures and elegant women, a group of individuals gravitated toward the man who had nearly stolen the spotlight.
While the men showed their admiration, the women showed their affection to him.
Tyuule, on the other hand, had been observing him. Still trying to process the man's surprise appearance at this event.
She didn't know what to feel or think right now.
Amid the current event, a young woman with flowing brown hair observed everything that had transpired. In a twist of fate, she found herself standing in for her childhood friend at the event, as her friend was in desperate need of some much-deserved rest. Knowing the importance of the information she had gathered, she felt an urgent need to convey it to her.
The sooner... the better.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
She had to get away from all of this.
It was too much for her to handle at that point.
Fortunately, the head maid was understanding and kind enough to allow her to take a break.
The wind grew stronger as she found herself in the nearest garden just outside of the main venue.
Silence had become her therapy at this point.
Alongside her was Darius, who willingly assisted her out of concern for her well-being as he waited for the girl to say a word.
Noriko looked as if she was in a trance.
She had been staring at a blank space while her mind was still processing what she had witnessed a while back.
"Noriko, you've been in a daze for how long now." The young noble said." Is there something the matter?"
He only received silence, so he tried once again.
"Maybe I could help you with whatever troubles you are facing."
The man's words seemed sincere, but there was a hidden story behind them.
Noriko sighed giving him a look." Thank you for your concern Darius-san, but you don't have to be that extremely worried for me."
The young man was a bit taken aback by her response but decided to put this in a much lighter way.
"You know, if something happens to you...I'll be the one taking full responsibility and she will probably butcher or poison me to death in return." He slightly chuckled and explained his side, referring to a certain bunny woman.
"Tyuule-san isn't like that..." She slightly frowned at him." I know she has the right reasons to act like what you describe but..." She then let out a smile." She just wants me to return safely back to my world."
Darius raised both eyebrows." You mean that place in Alnus Hill?"
"Yes."
"Where Adem's armies have a difficult time getting into nowadays?"
He recalled his fellow knights talking about it and how She repeatedly emphasized the point so often that he lost track of how many times she mentioned it.
Could it be really true?
The girl only nodded in return as she could feel a slight guilt from within.
"Is that why you refuse to go with them and even in the recent expedition that I secretly arranged for you in the first place?"
Another moment of silence went by as the girl didn't reply back.
The young man sighed.
Every time he tried to arrange trips through trusted merchants, the girl would automatically decline the chance and it was due to one reason.
"She is indeed serious about it." He thought to himself, still amused yet weary of that certain subject.
How many times he had told her that escaping with the former queen of the warrior bunny tribes wasn't an easy task?
During her time as a slave, there may have been a small possibility of influencing outcomes, depending on the specific circumstances. However, now that she holds a position of power within the Saderan court, the idea of escaping and thus avoiding responsibility is incredibly unlikely.
Still, her curiousity piqued by what she saw during the event.
"So what did you see there?"
The girl turned to him once more.
"I mean...the root cause that made you feel this way."
The strong wind passed by them once more and the sounds of the leaves rustling could be heard.
Noriko closed her eyes as she recalled those details.
"There was this dark aura that appeared out of nowhere and it somehow turned everybody into decaying corpses before you pulled me out." She was indeed uncomfortable revisiting it.
"And when Adem was in the middle of his speech, the same dark aura or presence appeared above him." She explained while the man widened his eyes in surprise.
"A dark aura?"
She nodded as she continued." And it wasn't just him and like I told you...some of those people had it." She paused for a moment."When Prince Zorzal arrived...it grew even stronger."
Darius sat there, looking puzzled and confused. He was completely in the dark about this situation. It was entirely unexpected and unlike anything he had experienced before.
He wasn't that superstitious to begin with.
"That's what happened back there." She then took a deep breath." And it's okay if you don't want to believe."
Did she even care about this?
She found herself grappling with the challenge of deciding whom to trust in a world where only a few would truly have faith in her.
The young man nodded in understanding.
"Look, what you just said caught me by surprise and..." He trailed off for a second, a bit struggling with what to say next." Just remember...whatever happens, I'll make sure you and Tyuule are safe from any harm."
He then placed a hand on her shoulder.
Noriko remained silent once more as she didn't know what to say or what to do next. For the first time, she never felt this overwhelmed.
Soon enough, tears began to fall as the emotions finally came out.
As exhaustion finally caught up with her, she sought solace by leaning on her friend's shoulder for support.
She didn't say a word this time as she just simply wanted to let out her pressures which had been building up for quite a while.
She was at a lost.
Darius could only watch her cry.
Even though, He had the status of an elite knight, he found himself still unsure and not knowing how to act properly in this scenario.
What could he do to help her at this moment?
One could only imagine what the girl had been going through.
He sighed but smiled being the understanding friend was the only thing he could be right now as he gave the girl a slight embrace.
His eyes observed the majestic view of the capital amid a beautiful but eerie Sunset.
Darius couldn't help but dwell on his thoughts at this point.
He just couldn't believe that he had been stuck in this complex situation. A person with principles and a vow to serve the Empire through integrity and fairness had been exposed to the unfair realities of life in this land.
Which side would he choose?
"It doesn't matter what is right or wrong, do what you have to do to survive this madness."
He remembered the words of a friend.
His focus then went towards Noriko and then the bunny woman herself.
He genuinely sympathized with them, but the circumstances continued to grow increasingly convoluted.
In his perception, they are both wandering souls, searching for their paths in this world. It still puzzles him that one of them had drifted unexpectedly to an uncertain situation, without any apparent reason.
He didn't want to feel disappointed by her recent actions.
"Is that why you chose to remain with them Tyuule?" He remarked to himself, with a sad tone." Despite how they almost destroyed your life that you still find a reason to assist them in fulfilling their desires?"
"Is that what you really want?"
CHAPTER END
AN: Hey there! It's been a while since the conclusion of volume 1. So this short one-shot was supposed to be part of the epilogue but I decided to cut it as didn't go smoothly with the flow of the last chapters.
So it was shelved and brought it up again when I was browsing some unreleased drafts, and I thought that this could be well as a stand-alone shot or possibly add more perspectives to tell that connects Volume 1 to the next phase of the series.
This part was more of a personal perspective in the eyes of Noriko and what she is currently experiencing being part of the Royal Palace.
For Zorzal, I added a little mystery surrounding his character and since I'm still planning for his character, So for the meantime it's up to the readers to imagine what he could be.
Major characters from the Saderan side are being introduced will have their spotlight and especially Tyuule. Right now, I'm trying to see which will be a good representation of her in the story. We have the TFWC version, the God of Cookery version, and the Manga version.
And all of them had her in different situations which will cause different results of her character development.
Hopefully, I could create a version Tyuule that could fit in the plot and story.
With that said, Thank you for reading the chapter and I appreciate your time!
P.S.
For those who are confused...You may read the first main story which is "Gate: Journey in The New World" to better understand the lore and situation of the characters.