Beyond Memories

by Yuri Kitayama

  “Has the knight who went out with the message still not returned?” Roanna asked in frustration and looked outside the door.

  “He has just returned with Lady Liselotte, my lady!” the knight on guard outside the door replied. A short while later, Liselotte appeared alongside the messenger knight. Beside her were two attendants, as well as Celia and Aishia.

  “Ugh...” The newcomers looked at the disaster around the room with solemn faces. There was a great hole opened in the wall of the hallway, and the interior was a battletorn mess. Laid to rest in the corner of the room were the corpses of the two knights that had been guarding the door before the attack.

  Celia had a solemn face too, but when she noticed Duke Huguenot and her former students Roanna and Stewart, she readjusted her hood lower in a casual manner.

  “...You two heal the wounded knights,” Liselotte ordered her two accompanying attendants, thinking it best to begin treatment on the knights that appeared to be less wounded.

  “Yes, my lady!” The two attendants nodded, promptly taking action.

  “May I ask what happened here?” Liselotte approached the wounded Duke Huguenot lying down and looked at the idle people for confirmation.

  “M-Monsters came in! Humanoid ones! What was the mansion security doing?! My father was injured because of this!” Stewart cried out, scolding Liselotte in agitation.

  “I apologize for my delay in noticing the monster’s attack...” Liselotte apologized with a shamed expression.

  “S-Stop that, Stewart,” Duke Huguenot said with a grimace. “Roanna, you explain in his place.”

  A bitter expression rose on Stewart’s face.

  “Then I shall heal in her place.” Celia immediately walked over to Roanna and swapped out her healing duty.

  “And you are...?” Roanna looked at Celia with her face hidden under the hood and tilted her head curiously.

  “A helper. Report to Lady Liselotte first,” Celia said before placing her hand over Duke Huguenot’s wound and chanting the spell “Cura.”

  “A swarm of humanoid monsters came surging into this room. We somehow managed to make it through thanks to Sir Hiroaki’s efforts, but Duke Huguenot was wounded severely...” Roanna reported on the situation with a small breath.

  “...Is the hero safe?” Liselotte looked at Hiroaki and asked nervously. Hiroaki had been laid on the floor, still unconscious.

  “Yes, after he drove away the monsters he suddenly passed out, but there’s no particular danger to his life. Also, if I may ask — where is Princess Flora? We managed to get her away from the room, but...” Roanna asked in a panic.

  “I’d like you to listen to this calmly...” Liselotte began, looking at Roanna.

  “...Please, tell me.” Roanna had a bad feeling, but urged her to continue.

  Liselotte gritted her teeth and stated the truth bluntly. “Princess Flora has been kidnapped by someone.”

  “W-What did you say?! Why... How? How could that happen?!” Sure enough, Roanna was extremely upset.

  “The details are unclear. When the monsters were rushing into the garden, a strange man came running out of the mansion with Princess Flora and escaped outside of the grounds in the chaos.”

  “N-No...” Roanna looked like the end of the world had come as she sank to her knees weakly. “...Sir Haruto is currently pursuing the man alone, but we cannot afford to sit idly in the meantime, either. First, there is still the possibility that the man’s accomplices are in the area, so could you tell me the events that took place when Princess Flora was taken out of the room?” There may be a clue there, Liselotte thought as she asked, but Roanna was white as a sheet from the shock.

  “I heard a gentleman’s voice in the confusion when the humanoid monsters were swarming into the room, s-so I told her to... I can’t believe that man was... W-What h-have I done...” Roanna said in a trembling voice. In all probability, that man must have been the culprit that took Flora, which left Roanna feeling like she had the responsibility for entrusting Flora to him.

  “...There’s no point in worrying about what has been done. The only thing we can do now is believe in Sir Haruto. Your judgment was the correct one in that situation, Roanna. Liselotte, you too. The situation here is being handled. You should return to giving directions to everyone else,” Duke Huguenot said with an ashen face.

  “A-Are you really all right, Duke Huguenot? Please don’t push yourself...” Liselotte asked in a fluster.

  “No, I can tell the pain has lessened from before. It’s all thanks to your wonderful skill,” Duke Huguenot said, looking up at Celia as she used her healing magic.

  Celia looked at Roanna from under her hood. “...No, my lady over there had already completed all the preliminary treatment with her Cura. All I did was continue that. Once the finishing touches have been applied, you should be good,” she said humbly. She was a little scared that her former students, Roanna and Stewart, would recognize her from her voice, but the two of them seemed to be preoccupied with other things at the moment.

  “F-Father! You have recovered!” Stewart brightened with a smile when he saw Duke Huguenot’s complexion return to normal.

  “...” Duke Huguenot averted his eyes from Stewart awkwardly. The difference in enthusiasm between the two showed their warped father-child relationship.

  “Then I shall excuse myself for now. Sir Haruto may return at some point, so Lady Cecilia and Lady Aishia should come with me. Grace, you continue with Duke Huguenot’s treatment. I’m leaving this place to the rest of you,” Liselotte said.

  “Understood. Please leave this to me, Lady Cecilia,” Grace requested respectfully, approaching Celia to heal Duke Huguenot.

  “Thank you.” Celia removed her hand from the wound and passed the task on to Grace.

  ◇　◇　◇

  Meanwhile, Rio was carrying Flora in his arms as he ran along the rooftops of the noble district at the northwest of the city. His destination was, of course, Liselotte’s estate.

  “...” Flora stared intensely up at Rio’s face from close range. However, Rio didn’t say anything despite noticing Flora’s gaze.

  Sir... Haruto... So close, yet so far. It made Flora feel so sad. She grasped at Rio’s clothes tightly.

  At that, Rio landed on the ramparts surrounding the noble district in the inner city and paused for a moment.

  “The mansion is in view now.”

  “Yes,” Flora whispered with a near inaudible voice.

  “...Are you feeling unwell, by any chance? I held back as much as I could, but all that leaping must have shaken you up and down a lot. If you’re feeling a bit of motion sickness, you can rest here for a moment.” While Rio had a guess as to why Flora was being gloomy, he chose to offer another excuse out of consideration.

  “N-No, I’m fine.” Flora shook her head quickly; she wasn’t feeling bad because of the motion. Rio’s consideration had been seemingly off, but he had purposefully acted considerately in the wrong way. The murky feelings within Flora grew larger when she suspected that.

  “Then, let’s hurry. I’m sure everyone is worried too,” Rio said calmly before leaping once more. This time, Rio’s body floated lightly in the air, as though his feet had sprouted wings. He landed like that on the roof of a nearby building.

  Hop, float, hop, float. Flora felt like she was a flower petal dancing in the wind. Her body felt light, but her heart felt as though it was heavy and being swallowed by the ground below.

  The short but endless silence resumed between them, and the two of them arrived at the mansion roughly a minute later.

  ◇　◇　◇

  Rio leaped over the estate walls he had crossed once in his pursuit of Lucius and returned to Liselotte’s estate grounds. With Flora still in his arms in a princess carry, he headed towards the garden of the estate at a walking pace.

  “Haruto!” Celia noticed Rio’s presence first and came running over in a hurry. Aishia was right beside her, so they probably knew he was
approaching in advance.

  Rio smiled gently in response to Celia and Aishia. “Sorry for worrying the two of you.”

  “It’s okay. Princess Flora, I’m glad you’re safe,” Celia said awkwardly, looking at Flora. She noticed that Flora’s complexion was off, but she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable at the novel sight of Rio holding Flora in a princess carry. It was something she never would have imagined during their academy days.

  “Yes. You’re...” Flora looked at the hood-covered Celia and tilted her head in question. Just then, Liselotte noticed Rio’s return and came running.

  “Sir Haruto! Princess Flora! The two of you are safe!” Liselotte called out excitedly. Her expression was one of utmost relief, as though all of her worries had been eased.

  “I have brought Princess Flora back as promised. Unfortunately, the kidnapper managed to get away...” Rio said with a bitter expression once Liselotte ran over.

  “Not to worry! I can’t thank you enough for bringing Princess Flora back,” Liselotte vehemently denied his words. The situation had been on the brink of utter despair, but they somehow managed to avoid the worst possible outcome with this. Just having Flora return unharmed was the most fortuitous stroke of luck she could have asked for.

  “Then, may I leave Princess Flora to you?” Having completed his duty, Rio wanted to entrust Flora’s safety to Liselotte.

  “Of course. For now, let us move inside the mansion. You can tell me the details on the way,” said Liselotte.

  “Understood. Then, Princess Flora, I’ll let you down here,” Rio said, moving to set Flora to the ground. However, Flora suddenly grabbed at Rio’s clothes in clear refusal to get down on the ground. Celia and Liselotte both looked wide-eyed at Flora with surprised expressions.

  “U-Umm, my legs still feel numb... I’m sorry.” Flora realized she had done something awkward and made an uncomfortable face, explaining herself with a barely audible voice.

  “...I understand. Then if it isn’t too presumptuous of me, I shall escort you to the mansion like this,” Rio stated without batting an eye.

  “Thank you for your assistance, Sir Haruto.” Liselotte bowed her head apologetically to Rio. She had the mistaken idea that Flora was still frightened from being kidnapped.

  Celia had the same thought as Liselotte and spoke to Rio softly, “Umm, thank you, Haruto.”

  “Yes, of course.” Rio turned a gentle smile to Celia and walked forward immediately.

  “Uh...” When Flora witnessed the smile Rio directed at Celia, she frowned at the difference in treatment she could feel compared to herself, but Celia and Liselotte began walking along with them to the mansion none the wiser. For the record, most of Liselotte’s attendant girls were occupied by the cleanup efforts after all the commotion inside and outside the mansion, inevitably leaving Liselotte the role of guiding them to the mansion.

  Liselotte explained the situation to an attendant nearby before inviting Rio and the others to follow her. “Now, Sir Haruto. There’s just one thing to address before I ask you about the kidnapper. Earlier, a black dragon-like creature near the northwest area released a breath. The one who forced that breath back was...”

  “...It was me. I don’t know whether it was coincidental or not, but just as the kidnapper was pushed back into a corner, that breath came down. I used my enchanted sword to counter it immediately, but the culprit got away...” Rio’s face stiffened and he spoke in a flat tone.

  “So it was you...” Liselotte must have expected that, as she didn’t seem all that surprised at his reply. That being said, there were many thoughts she had about it...

  “I have an idea of the kidnapper’s background. Rather, I knew of the man in question... The moment he appeared in the garden, I realized I had heard that voice before. That’s why I tried to chase after him. Of course, with the intention to rescue Princess Flora as well.” Rio didn’t go too deep into the irregular and unpredictable actions of the dragon-like creature, but spoke of Lucius instead.

  “Is that... true?” Celia asked Rio in a daze.

  “...Yes,” Rio confirmed, ashamed.

  “Do you know the man’s name?” Liselotte asked nervously.

  “Yes. The man’s name is Lucius. I believe him to be the same person as the leader of the mercenary squad, The Heavenly Lions — also known as The Griffins,” Rio revealed in a sharp tone.

  By gathering information in the Strahl region whenever possible, Rio had learned that Lucius was the name of the man that led The Griffins. He also found that descriptions of that man’s appearance aligned with what Rio knew of Lucius as well.

  “I’ve heard of that. It’s the veteran mercenary squad comprised of a small number of elite warriors, right? They haven’t shown themselves in public recently, so there were rumors they had disbanded...” Liselotte nodded in contemplation.

  “You’re as knowledgeable as I expected,” Rio said, turning to her.

  “That’s how renowned The Griffins are in this line of business, so it was more like necessary knowledge for me... But how did you know that man, Sir Haruto?” Liselotte asked while examining Rio’s expression.

  “...He’s someone I have a bit of a past with,” Rio answered evasively, an awkward look on his face.

  ...Someone Rio has a past with? Celia cocked her head and looked at Rio curiously. As far as pasts went, Rio had attended the royal academy from age seven to twelve. He shouldn’t have had many opportunities to interact with the outside world, either. This meant that this man named Lucius must have had something to do with Rio either before he turned seven, or after he left the academy.

  However, contrary to Celia’s pondering, Flora — who had been listening to the words exchanged in the earlier battle — had a very sad face.

  Liselotte read the situation and apologized in shame. “Forgive me, I have pried too far in my questioning.”

  Rio dismissed this and changed the topic to the core of the matter. “Not at all. But the more important question here should be which force is trying to kidnap Princess Flora, would you agree? Both the appearance of the monsters and dragon-like creature was timed too conveniently for the series of events that occurred.”

  “...I’ve never heard of a technique that could control monsters, so I do admit I am curious. By force, do you think that someone has hired this mercenary named Lucius?”

  “Yes. During his escape, another man assisted Lucius. His name was Reiss.”

  “Reiss...”

  “Does it ring a bell?” Rio asked.

  “...No,” Liselotte shook her head.

  “While he managed to get away, Lucius suffered heavy wounds. At the very least, he won’t be able to appear again anytime soon. If you’re going to search, then you should look around the northwest wall.”

  “Understood. Thank you for the information. Oh, we’ve been chatting for a while now. Here, come this way. We’re almost there.” Liselotte directed them to a T-intersection down the corridor they were walking.

  There wasn’t a sign of a single monster left inside the mansion, but just in case, small numbers of attendant girls were patrolling every area with knights in tow, strengthening the security in the area. And so, they passed many people on their way.

  Liselotte stopped at the corner before they turned to the destination room and spoke to Flora in Rio’s arms. “Most regrettably, two knights have passed away. However, the hero, Lady Roanna, and Duke Huguenot are all safe. Please show them that you are as well.”

  “Two... knights... I-I understand.” Two people had died because of her — Flora frowned in shame at that truth, but her dignity as a princess made her nod while biting her lip (incidentally, Flora was yet to be informed by Duke Huguenot that Alphonse and the knights dispatched to the forest had gone missing). Then, somewhat unconsciously, she tightened her clinging grip around Rio.

  “...” A slightly uncomfortable expression showed on Rio’s face. Celia glanced at his side profile.

  “Then please, come this w
ay.” Liselotte began to move once more. She turned the corner and walked out into the corridor with the room where Roanna and the others were waiting.

  The two knights guarding the outside of the open door immediately noticed Liselotte’s appearance. When they spotted Rio carrying Flora, they yelled into the living room in a hurry. “P-Princess Flora has returned!”

  “I-Is that true?! Princess Flora? Princess Flora?!” Roanna came rushing out of the door in a panic. The normally-calm girl was terribly shaken at the moment, leaping through the door and looking around the corridor wildly. Then, when she spotted Flora being carried in Rio’s arms, she approached Flora on shaky legs.

  “Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness you’re safe...!”

  “Roanna...” Flora called Roanna’s name weakly.

  “Are you... are you hurt anywhere, Princess Flora?! Please accept my utmost apologies. My thoughtless action led to Your Highness being placed in such terrible danger. Oh, however will I repent for this...” Roanna kneeled as soon as she reached Flora, lamenting with deep regret.

  Flora shook her head with a fleeting smile. “It’s not your fault, Roanna. Sir Haruto saved me, so I’m fine. Are you all right yourself? You kept protecting me...”

  “Of course! I am unscathed. Duke Huguenot suffered a deep wound, but his life is no longer in danger after healing. The hero is safe too.”

  Flora smiled weakly. “I’m glad. But I heard there were knights that had passed away too...” she said, frowning regretfully.

  “...Yes. The two who were originally guarding the outside of the door were killed... Umm, I understand how you must be feeling to a painful degree, but they died for the just cause of protecting Your Highness. If possible, please praise them as brave heroes.” Roanna chose her words carefully, as though to encourage Flora.

  “...Right,” Flora bit her lip and nodded.

  “But I’m truly, truly glad to see you’re safe, Princess Flora. If something unforgivable had been done to you, I... I... Oh, Sir Haruto, thank you. Thank you so much. I simply cannot thank you enough.” Roanna shuddered at the thought of what could have gone wrong and thanked Rio imploringly.