Binding Fates

Glittering in a vivid blue color, it was frozen over.

For the life of him, Iska couldn't recall where in the world he'd been in this memory. It

was when the strongest swordsman in the Empire, the Black Steel Gladiator Crossweil,

had brought him along all over the continent, journeying from city to city.

"The Empire isn't the whole world. Pay close attention."

"It might take you a decade or two to realize this, but you need this experience."

Under a certain set of circumstances, Iska and his master had separated partway

through their travels. Iska'd headed toward the distant lights of a neutral city, crossing

the plains at night. As he rode on a train, a group of wandering beasts had assaulted it

for trying to sneak past their territory.

The small sword that he carried for self-defense had snapped in two during the

ensuing commotion, placing him in a bind. That was when someone had saved Iska's

life—and it had been a witch.

A vivid-blue ice wall had shielded Iska, while pebbles of hail had knocked away the

beasts.

…Did a witch just save me?

…Even though I'm from the Empire?

She was an ice witch. He couldn't make out her face, which was hidden in the dark veil

of night, but he'd guessed she was a passenger on the same train.

The witch couldn't have known that this boy was from the Empire, seeing as they were

so far removed from the Imperial capital. Plus, she'd also been attacked by the beasts,

so defeating them was defending herself. She must have just ended up protecting Iska,

too.

Regardless of her reasons, it didn't change the fact that he had been saved by her.

…But the Empire taught me that witches are cruel monsters.

…And yet, she saved me and the others around us, right?

That was the beginning of it. This event marked the moment that Iska started to

rethink his perception of witches.

Maybe witches—or rather, astral mages—weren't bad people. If they could somehow

talk to each other, they might have been able to come to an understanding.

Though Iska was of the Empire, he still believed in his intuition, even at present.

Imperial capital. Sector Three. Training area.

Waves of murderous heat beat down from overhead, and a blistering gale pushed the

limits of 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

They were in the desert field. Just as the name implied, it was a training ground

established for simulating combat in barren lands. The tiny fragments of metals mixed

into the gritty sand absorbed the heat of the sun at a higher rate, meaning the facility

wouldn't drop in temperature lower than one hundred degrees, even in the dead of

winter.

"Huagh… Haaah… Ah ahhhg… W-water…!"

A group of four shot through the outer rim of the field. Mismis was running caboose

with a grim expression, as if it was the end of the world.

"Waaaaaaateeeeeer!" she shrieked in desperation.

"Geez, just drink some. I mean, the purpose of this exercise is to travel by foot with a

supply of water." Jhin turned around as he darted over the sand.

The two of them were carrying backpacks with hydration devices, equipped with a

straw for them to drink from while on the move.

"This activity lets us drink in exchange for carrying all this equipment on our backs.

You've got tons of water on your back."

"It's all gone already. Jhin, please, water—please let me just have a sip!"

"You'll get bloated."

"Jhin, you're a big meeeeeanie!" Even though she claimed to be dead-tired, she seemed

to have enough energy to screech back at him. "There's something wrong with this

training area, I swear! We're being boiled alive by the sun while we run and get blasted

by hot air coming from a ventilator behind us… Like, come on, we aren't laundry!"

"They're both great thermal weapons. I've seen them before." Nene pointed at a giant

ventilator positioned to the rear. "We're able to train in the first place because we can

re-create a desert. The researchers in Sector One can gather data from human

experimentation and make even better weapons. What a great deal!"

"Nene, I'm scared that your mind would even go there!" The captain squealed upon

hearing the term human experimentation. "Uh, ahhh… L-look, Iska… Over there… I can

see an oasis… There's an angel beckoning me ov… er…?"

"Whoa, Captain, wait! You can't go there! I think!" Iska shouted, trying to get Mismis

to stop going into the light. He coaxed her into making the final stretch to the water

supply station.

"I did iiiiit! M-my first victory on the desert field!" She dumped the backpack and

jumped up and down.

"Wow, Captain. Just a little while ago, we would have needed to call for a stretcher for

you halfway through."

"I know, right? I've been working as hard as I can to build up my stamina this past

year!" Mismis pumped her fist, even as she was gushing with sweat from her forehead

and neck like a waterfall.

From the looks of it, she was so happy that her fatigue had been blasted away.

…That's really something.

…Man, Captain, after all's said and done, you've really worked so hard while we were gone.

Iska swiped away the beads of sweat clinging to the ends of his hair as he took a

stealthy glance at Mismis behind him.

Her baby face and petite frame made her seem no older than thirteen or fourteen. On

occasion, her childlike looks caused ordinary soldiers to underestimate her, but

Mismis continued working hard without becoming discouraged. Her tenacity had

revealed itself in this training exercise, too.

"Ugh. Hey, Iska, you're ogling Captain Mismis." Nene puffed her cheeks. "Do you like

that kind of stuff, too?"

"…That kind of stuff?"

"Sexy women."

Mismis had taken off her jacket, revealing a more casual outfit. Her arms stretched out

of her white tank top, flushed red from exertion. Slick with sweat, her clothes were

taut around her body, hugging her curves and emphasizing her seductive waistline

and her chest. As she sat drenched in sweat, her voluptuous form was more than

enough to suggest that she was an adult—in sharp contrast to her childlike features.

"…I'm jealous. She might be short, but she's developed in all the right places." Nene

frowned as she gazed at the captain enviously.

"Huh? Nene, what's wrong?"

"Ummm. Iska was looking at you funny, Captain… Mm-guh?"

"I wasn't looking at anything!"

He covered Nene's mouth in a hurry, using all the strength he could muster to shake

his head vigorously from side to side.

"It's a misunderstanding, Nene."

"…Really?"

"Really. I just—"

The heat ventilator had been roaring in the background, pumping out a scorching gale

capable of cooking a raw egg sunny-side up. But before Iska could finish his sentence,

the wind changed to let out the nice, cool breeze of an air conditioner.

"…Whoa. It's cool. It's like a fan." Mismis tilted her head in puzzlement. "Did the machine

break?"

"Come on—there's no way. We set it to the air-conditioning mode just for you, Mismis."

"Ahhh?!" The captain shrieked from the bench as a woman placed a hand on her

shoulder from behind. "O-oh, it's you, Risya."

"Yoo-hoo! Isk, Nens, Jhin-Jhin, it's been a whole year. Do ya remember me?" Risya

saluted them in jest.

Her face was shapely and seemed wise, pairing well with the black-rimmed glasses of

an intellectual. Coupled with her height, she made a normal battle uniform look quite

good. Iska was quite familiar with this woman of extraordinary beauty.

"How could I forget? It's not like there's a single soldier alive who would fail to

recognize an active Saint Disciple."

"Isk, we were colleagues right up until a year ago, right?" She winked over the lenses

of her glasses.

Her name was Risya In Empire.

To summarize her in one phrase, she was the unparalleled genius-of-all-trades—the

Empire's pride and joy. Regardless of the field, she'd displayed prodigal aptitude and

graduated at the top of her class at the military academy, mastering everything from

academics, martial arts, gunmanship, and survival skills to strategic command. After

easily clearing the rigorous combat exam, she had risen through the ranks from

captain to Saint Disciple in no time.

"If I remember correctly, you're currently… the special guest at our defense headquarters.

That's quite a feat."

"C'mon, it's no big deal. I mean, Isk, you were a Saint Disciple, too, just a year ago." Haha-ha. She responded lightly.

Someone started speaking behind her.

"Iska might have been the youngest one to be promoted, but he was still at the bottom

of the barrel in terms of Saint Disciples. In contrast, you're the adviser in the fifth seat

and practically the right-hand woman to the throne. You're on a completely different

level, even among the Disciples." Jhin stood up with an annoyed expression after he'd

cooled down in the shade of a tree. "And? What kind of mess are you trying to push on

us this time?"

"Just a small favor. Which brings me to you, Mismis." Risya stuck out her tongue

jokingly before pointing a finger at the captain. "For your next mission, your unit is

going to be working for me. I've already gotten approval, so I'm counting on you!"

"Wha…?"

"Hmm, are you unhappy?"

"'Cause, like, you're too smart, Risya. I'm not sure I'll be able to follow along with your

strategy."

"It's fiiine. It's you and me, Mismis."

Mismis frowned as she peered up at Risya, who stroked the head of her former

classmate.

"I'll have a handmade tactics pamphlet prepared just for you, Mismis. Just promise you

won't lose it, okay?"

"Really?! Okay, I'm in!"

"All right! Jhin-Jhin, I'm counting on you to make it."

"You're forcing me to make it?"

"I didn't say I'd make it. Anyway, I came by to say hi. I mean, everyone in the unit—

sans captain—is accomplished, right?"

"…Risya?" Mismis pouted.

"Ha-ha-ha, that was a joke. Yup, just a joke. You're great, too, Mismis. Plus, you know

it's got to be true when I'm the one saying it!" Risya gave her another pat on the head.

Did they act this way because they were classmates and friends? It was unusual to see

a Saint Disciple interact so intimately with a captain. After all, the former reported

directly to the throne, and the latter was in charge of commanding only a single unit.

Those were their positions based on the strict doctrine of meritocracy.

For a young captain like Mismis, a Saint Disciple was supposed to be a target she would

eventually conquer. To the Saint Disciples, the rank of captain was called the rank she'd

long since conquered.

…I can't believe Miss Risya and Captain Mismis get along.

…I guess it's because the captain just doesn't have it in her personality to care about

competition or bringing others down.

He remembered a time when Risya had met up with the captain in the past. Back then,

the two of them had gotten excited chatting up a storm about shopping even when it

had nothing to do with mission planning.

That might also have been a testament to Risya's self-confidence. She could take up an

easygoing attitude because she had unwavering conviction in her own genius and

power.

"All things considered, you're moving things along too fast." With some discontent, Jhin

turned a defiant smile on the officer—someone who was leagues higher than his own

standing.

"We were dispatched on a military campaign to the Nelka forest just seventeen hours

after Iska's release. That's the only mission we've done in a year. But you're making

the snap judgment that you want us under your command. If I were you, I'd give us

more time."

"Meaning you want me to evaluate your strength a little more? Hmm, well, I'm

planning to do that, of course, but I've basically sized you up already, ya know." Behind

her glasses, the Saint Disciple's eyes squeezed into the shape of crescent moons. "You

did a great job writing up the battle report on the Nelka forest. Accurate and concise.

Not a single error or omission. You wrote it up, right, Jhin-Jhin?"

"Of course."

"When I read that, I could tell none of your instincts have dulled, and that applies to

all of you." Leaving them with a wink, Risya flipped around to face Iska. "So then, Isk,

how about we have a little interview."

"An interview?"

"What's your physical condition like? I heard from Mis that you haven't been able to

sleep since the expedition into the Nelka forest."

"…I guess, sort of."

As a soldier, reporting on his physical readiness was part of his duties. It wasn't

strange that a Saint Disciple would want to check in upon hearing the news from

Mismis. The only problem was that Iska himself didn't know why he couldn't catch

some sleep.

The Ice Calamity Witch Alice. For some reason, her face would cross his mind, and

then he wouldn't be able to rest easy at night.

"Sounds like you're not in tip-top shape. I heard from Mis that you went to the opera

the day before yesterday. Am I correct to guess that hasn't really lifted your spirits?"

"Yeah, but it was fun. Um, it was nice to be in a neutral city for the first time in a while."

He nodded enthusiastically.

…This doesn't seem like a good time to be honest.

…I shouldn't bring up the fact that I ran into Alice there.

"Oh, right. Thank you so much, Captain Mismis. That opera was great."

"I know, right? Oh, a tragic love story really hits the spot sometimes. It makes my chest

seize up, but it leaves me feeling so satisfied." Mismis happily put a hand to her own

chest. "Risya says they're no fun, though."

"I'm the kind of person who simply doesn't grasp high culture. Speaking of which, Isk,

you've always appreciated music and art, right?"

"Yes. Um, have I mentioned my interests to you before?"

"My hobby is gathering intel. I love gossiping and hearing rumors about my

underlings." Risya slipped her fingers into her breast pocket. "Isk, what comes to mind

when I say Vribran Saril?"

"He was an Imperial court painter, I think. It's been… uh, about one hundred and fifty

years since his time, so he was an oil painter before the hundred-year war."

"Bingo. Wouldn't expect any less from you. Well, I guess you can take this off my

hands." The officer mischievously smiled as she pulled out a small ticket. "Apparently,

they've got an exhibition going on."

"…Of Vribran's paintings? Is it in the neutral city?"

"Right-o. I won this thing by gambling with my underlings, but I feel like Vribran would

be happier if you went in my place."

"But I just took a vacation yesterday…"

"It's fine. I'll have you make up for all the time you took off in labor. You're gonna play

an important part in my next plan."

Risya continued to run her fingers through Mismis's hair. At least that's what the

others thought she would do, but it seemed that she'd had enough, and she turned

around.

"In conclusion, Mismis's unit is now happily under my command. We'll start by

assembling next week. Then in a month, we'll begin joint training sessions. You're

welcome to train up until then, or, Jhin-Jhin and Nens, you can take days off, too."

"And what about me? Can I take a break, too?"

"You're a captain, Mismis. No way, no how. We'll be having tactical meetings together."

"You big meanie!" Mismis pouted childishly as Risya happily poked fun at her.

Iska gave the two a sidelong glance. "…Guess I'm going back to Ain."

His reunion with Alice just two days before flashed through his mind. Of course, it

wasn't like he'd serendipitously run into her again.

This time, he would be going to a solo exhibition of the Imperial painter Vribran. Plus,

several days had passed since the incident in question. On top of everything else, there

wasn't a reason for her to return to their last place of contact.

…Oh, I guess Alice ended up keeping my handkerchief in the end.

…Wait, why am I even thinking about this?

As if to clear away his errant thoughts, he gave his head a good shake.

The royal palace of Nebulis.

The estate was located deep within the Sovereignty—the state founded by astral

mages. It was divided into three precipitous towers, and one of them was always open

to the public. The specific tower that was accessible to visitors changed from month

to month. In other words, the general public had the opportunity to see the entire

palace over time.

The royals and the people had established a long history of trust. There was nothing

to hide. They were brethren in their fight against the Empire.

However, there was one part of the palace that was not for the eyes of the populace,

an area that could not be entered by anyone without explicit permission from the

queen herself.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Rin. Did you wait long?"

"No, I just arrived."

Alice jogged over to Rin, who was lit dimly by the flickering light of a candle.

"I don't know how many times I've been here, but this place gives me the creeps."

They were in an underground passageway of a natural limestone cave. The air was

tepid and moist, and a wind of no apparent origin circulated through the cave,

caressing and tousling the top of Alice's head. Each time, she couldn't help but feel a

chill, as though she'd been cursed by something.

"…Rin, help meee."

"Lady Alice, please stop latching onto me in fear. You're not a kid anymore."

"B-but what'll we do if we see a ghost…?"

"We'll be fine. Your astral power is stronger than any ghosts. Plus…" Rin continued to

walk next to Alice, speaking to her in a tone that questioned why Alice had even

bothered bringing this up now. "The one who slumbers here isn't dead."

"…I know that." But she still latched onto Rin's hem and refused to let go.

They wordlessly stepped down the uneven slope and noticed a dim golden light

shining ahead.

It was the golden altar.

In front of it, a red carpet was rolled out over the bare rock, and on top of the altar

stone was a brass candelabra for seven candles, a scripture scrawled with old writing,

and countless other sacred vessels—whose names Alice did not know.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Mother."

"You're right on time." A woman in a lavender royal gown turned around.

Illuminated by the candles, her shimmering hair was gold with a hint of brown. Her

ruby eyes were both kind and stern, mixed with a noble haughtiness.

She was beautifully somber.

That was Mirabella Lou Nebulis IIX—Alice's mother and the current queen of Nebulis.

Anyway, it was unusual for the queen to call upon Alice without an audience present.

"Alice, I want to talk to you about the events that transpired several days ago. You said

you fought against an Imperial swordsman—one who wasn't a Saint Disciple, although

he seemed as powerful as one."

"Yes."

They were talking about Iska. Alice had given her report on him right after their battle

in the Nelka forest.

Her mother, Mirabella, was an astral mage with experience in battle, as well. They

shared a history of fighting against Saint Disciples, and she was knowledgeable of the

structure of the Imperial military, meaning there was a chance she would have known

Iska's true identity.

But even she couldn't conclusively determine who the swordsman was.

"…I see."

"Mother? Is something wrong?"

The queen turned to the back of the altar. "See for yourself, both of you."

"Is this… a warning from the Revered Founder herself?!" Rin's shriek echoed through

the limestone cave. Looking up at a black stone pillar in front of her, the attendant

backed away in fear.

It is the Founder Nebulis.

The naked body of the Grand Witch had been crucified on the black pillar.

She had her characteristic tanned copper skin and pearly, wavy locks. She'd not only

been the founder of the Nebulis Sovereignty—a paradise for all astral mages—but also

carried the ultimate astral power in her.

She looked like a young girl no older than thirteen or fourteen.

"One hundred years ago, our Revered Founder was said to have stood up against some

tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers on her own. She's still alive even now."

The current queen continued to say in a humbled voice, "The Revered Founder had a

twin sister—Nebulis I. She was the one who started the bloodline of the royal family—

you and me, Alice. And although the Empire feared the Grand Witch, they did not know

the Revered Founder had a sister. That was why when Nebulis I passed on, the Empire

rejoiced: They had believed the Grand Witch had disappeared."

But the Grand Witch Nebulis lived.

This was a truth that few in the Nebulis Sovereignty knew—other than the royal family

and Rin's family, who had served them for generations.

Known as Nebulis I thereafter, the younger sister had become the queen and given

birth to her children. However, the older twin had gone a separate way: The Revered

Founder Nebulis was host to the world's oldest astral power, capable of changing the

flow of time itself. At that very moment, she continued to lie in wait, constantly seeking

an opportunity to exact revenge on the Empire.

And Rin had raised her voice in alarm because—

"Lady Alice, the ties on the Revered Founder are unbinding!"

The girl's body had been suspended in the air by a series of chain fasteners fixed on

her arms and legs. They were starting to come undone.

"And this change occurred, Alice, at the same time you fought with the Imperial

swordsman in the Nelka forest."

"…What could it mean?"

"Astral power responds when it perceives its host human is in crisis. For example, it

was said that when Imperial troops arrived in the Sovereignty in the past, the astral

power in our country reacted all at once. The same thing is happening to the Revered

Founder."

The queen approached the black monolith that stretched to the roof of the cave. The

Founder was fixed in place ten yards up.

"It's as though it's an omen of her awakening. Wouldn't you agree?"

When they heard the queen's words, Alice and Rin looked at each other silently. Until

that point, nothing had happened when Alice had fought units of the Empire. Did that

mean the Founder had reacted to her fight with Iska?

"We have yet to uncover what conditions caused the Revered Founder's astral power

to react." The queen shook her head. "It's said that one set of astral energy can resonate

with other sets. Perhaps your powers are so strong that you've had an influence on the

Revered Founder—at least, that's what the researchers at the Institute of Astral Power

have hypothesized."

"It's true that was the first time Lady Alice exhibited that much strength," Rin offered.

While she listened to their conversation, Alice looked up at the Founder.

…You react to my power?

…There's no way that could have happened. Because—

That was because Alice had secretly gone to a deserted arena, far from the Sovereignty,

to experiment with the limits of her astral power many times in the past. There had

been multiple occasions where she'd released the same amount of power as in the

battle with Iska.

And the Founder apparently never reacted to those times.

In other words, she'd basically never reacted before the fight against him. That was

the only possible conclusion.

"…Iska. Just what are you?"

"Did you say something, Alice?"

"N-no! I didn't say anything!"

It seemed that the queen was taking the battle with Iska seriously.

…Then I can't ever say anything.

…I can't tell her that I saw him again the day before at that neutral city.

On top of all that, he'd seen her wailing as she watched the opera, and they'd eaten

together at the same table. It must have been a trick of fate.

…I need to forget about that. I'm going to forget it.

Then why did his face come back to her mind whenever she thought that?

"Regardless"—Nebulis IIX folded her arms together under her chest—"there are many

unknown things about her astral power. We'll have the institute hasten their research,

so, Alice, please refrain from fighting on the front—at least until we know more about

the Imperial swordsman."

"All right. And on that note, I'll be leaving."

Let's go, Rin, Alice said with her eyes and turned her back to the Founder Nebulis, the

Grand Witch, affixed to the black stone pillar modeled after a monolithic sword. It

looked exactly like a black steel sword thrust into the ground.

"Awaken."

"The white astral sword can release whatever the black astral sword intercepted."

"...Did he say 'awaken'?" Alice suddenly spun around on her heel.

The black pillar looked exactly like a sword in the ground. The fact that the pillar's

color bore a striking resemblance to Iska's sword had to be a coincidence.

But the slumbering mage had stirred when Iska had said "Awaken"—when he'd

released his attack with the white sword.

If she took her mother's words as the truth, that meant the Founder's astral power

had reacted at the same exact moment as their battle. The ties that fettered her in

place had started to come undone.

"Lady Alice, is something the matter?"

"…Uh! N-no."

I gotta stop. Alice cleared away her delusions. They were so unrealistic that she

couldn't even call her idea a speculation.

For the time being, she would forget that she'd seen him again. He was the reason why

she hadn't been able to get a proper night's rest. She didn't need her head buried in

yet another problem.

"Oh, I think an art exhibition just opened the other day."

"Lady Alice, you couldn't possibly be thinking of going to the neutral city, right…?" Rin

picked up Alice's mutter with her sharp ears and looked absolutely exasperated.

"What happens if there's another incident…?"

"That was a coincidence. I'll make sure to avoid the opera. I didn't get a chance to really

relax, so this time, I'm planning on taking my time and enjoying myself," she

whispered, keeping her voice low to avoid her mother overhearing them.

They headed to the ground level, walking up the slope of the cave.

"Ain is having an exhibition of the impressionist painter Vribran right now."

"Vribran?"

"…Just talking to myself." If Alice mentioned he was an Imperial court painter, Rin

would be sure to object.

Even though the Empire was an enemy, she couldn't deny that the arts and music had

flourished there, having a huge influence on modern art. That was an unmistakable

fact. In particular, the Imperial painter Vribran used color in the most nuanced ways.

Just looking at his work could soothe the heart. Ever since she'd seen a photo book of

his pieces as a child, she'd wanted to see his real paintings with her own eyes.

"Rin, wait at the estate. The city's close enough, and I should be fine going alone."

Alice would have all the time in the world to relax and appreciate the paintings by

herself until she was satisfied. She could feel her heart springing and dancing in her

chest as she put the holy grounds and the slumbering Founder behind her.

"Yes. I'm sure it'll make any lingering doubts in my mind disappear."

The next day.

"Like! I! Said! What are you doing here?!"

They were in the town square of the neutral city Ain.

Alice had just pointed at the boy who'd coincidentally crossed her path. She yelled as

loudly as she could.

"Iska?!"

"…Alice?! Why are you here?!"

He froze in place, too. And as if that wasn't enough, he held a ticket to the same exhibit

for Vribran as Alice.

"How could w-we want to go to… the exact same exhibitions?! Why are you, an

Imperial soldier, sauntering off to a neutral city so incredibly often? Don't you have a

mission to protect the Empire or something?!"

"Okay, say what you want. But Vribran is an Imperial impressionist painter. It's not

weird for me to see the exhibition. Are you even allowed to look at an Imperial artist's

work?"

"There are no borders when it comes to art."

"And I'm simply going because he's my favorite painter."

Humph. They both glared at each other.

They didn't even notice the lingering stares of those passing by them in the square.

"I can't believe you'd be here to see an Imperial artist's paintings."

"Wh-why can't I?! I like looking at Vribran's foggy evening streets and sunrises. I can't

paint for my life, but I can still appreciate art. Is that so bad?!"

"Huh."

"…What?"

"I was just thinking you're like me." Iska looked at the ticket in his hand and pointed

at the large road right off the square. "I think the art museum is on this road. Want to

head over?"

"Sure… I mean, wait, we can't!"

If anyone found out that the princess of the Nebulis Sovereignty was accompanied by

an Imperial swordsman, there was sure to be an uproar—neutral city or not.

…And the royal family of Nebulis isn't exactly a united front.

…If I cause a problem, it'll also cause issues for my mother, the queen.

The queen wasn't unfamiliar with conflict. Even within the royal family, it was normal

for them to plot and scheme against one another: Threats and groundless rumors

were commonplace. Alice couldn't even remember how often she herself had

previously been the target of unjust scorn for offenses she had no memory of

committing. And the kicker was that those rumors had originated from her younger

and elder sisters.

…The truth is, I was having trouble figuring out where the art museum was.

…No. You can't. Show him you aren't someone who can be pushed around, Alice!

She didn't have Rin with her, either. If someone saw her alone with Iska, they could

start an unfounded rumor that a princess and swordsman of conflicting nations were

having a tryst.

"You can go using this main road. I… I-I'll use this one!" Alice pointed at a small road

her eyes just happened to spot.

"You're taking that little path over there?"

"Th-that's right."

"I hate to tell you this, but that road definitely only leads into an alley from the looks

of it. You're gonna get lost if you go that way."

"I won't. Just you watch!"

"Hey, wait, Alice—"

She turned her back on him before waiting for a reply, even as she heard him continue

to call out something behind her. But Alice marched forward and followed a small

road—which veered ninety degrees off the main road that Iska had pointed out at the

beginning of their conversation.

She strode down the path for a good few minutes.

"…Where am I…?"

Alice was in the mood to whimper out loud.

First things first, it was super-dark.

It was in the middle of the afternoon, when the sunlight should have been shining

down on her relentlessly. But this little alley wasn't so much a path as it was a narrow

gap between buildings, which blocked off the light and made it seem as dark as night.

"Plus, why the heck is it so gross? There's trash everywhere, which is really unsanitary

and smelly…"

Something was encrusted on the wall, undoubtedly ghastly. It looked like a faded

bloodstain, maybe traces of a drunken fight.

"Unbelievable. If I were a princess of this city, I'd order every single citizen to clean the

whole place up… I mean, I get that it's a creative hub, but that doesn't mean people

should only keep the main streets clean to maintain appearances."

She stumbled through the alley without a clue as to where she was at the moment,

relying exclusively on her intuition to head to the art museum.

Several more minutes later, Alice came to a sudden realization.

"…Rin, please help me."

She was hopelessly lost.

Alice had tried her best to skirt away from the paths stewed in raw garbage and any

particularly dark alleys, which could only mean one thing: She couldn't even figure out

the way back to the spot where she'd run into Iska.

"I even asked for directions to the museum partway…"

Maybe she'd phrased the question badly or they'd misheard her. Regardless, Alice

wound up at a completely different town square.

"Wh-what's with this city…? At the very least, make navigating your streets easier on

the tourists…"

Alice squatted down at an open bench facing away from a water fountain. She was far

from finding the museum, and her legs were heavy from wandering through the filthy

alleys.

By then, the sky was beginning to grow dark. A gray curtain began to close on the

horizon far ahead, and the other tourists gathered at the square were gradually

returning to their lodgings.

"…"

The mist from the fountain scattered the light of sunset and glittered with an amber

glow. Through the screen of water, Alice could see two kids were holding hands and

running around happily.

"…It's not like I'm lonely," she muttered in a raspy voice. "Once I get back to the palace,

I'll have Rin. It's totally fine if I spend a day alone every once in a while…"

"Alice?"

She heard a familiar voice approaching her from behind the bench.

"I knew it was you, Alice."

"Huh? Uhhh, who could you…? Wait, Iska?!" Alice leaped up and yelled upon seeing

him.

She hadn't been expecting him at all—making her heart pound painfully against her

chest in surprise.

"Why are you here? What happened to the museum?"

"I already saw the exhibition. But I didn't see you there, so I thought that you really

might have gotten lost. Especially 'cause, like, you chose to go down some random

alley in the complete opposite direction of the museum."

"Ack…"

When he put it so bluntly, she didn't have any room to argue.

"Want me to take you there?"

"Huh?"

"It's already late. The visiting hours at the museum are going to end soon, so we gotta

hurry," Iska suggested smoothly.

"B-but we can't. We're supposed to be enemies! I'm the princess of the Nebulis

Sovereignty, and you're a swordsman from the Empire!"

"Oh, you're a princess?"

"Ah…" Alice froze in place when he pointed out that she'd revealed her own secret

identity.

In their previous interactions, she'd told him she had a right to succeed the throne,

sans details. Now he knew that the Ice Calamity Witch was the daughter of Queen

Nebulis IIX.

"Well, I already expected as much anyway."

"…See! I knew there was no reason to hide that from you." Alice had a wide-brimmed

hat pulled low over her eyes, which she took off, exposing her face to the sunset. "We're

enemies. We can't go to the museum together."

"We're enemies, but…" Iska looked serious as he cocked his head to the side. "You're

the one who said there are no borders to art, Alice."

"…" She was silent despite herself.

Leave all conflict at the door and enjoy culture: That was the philosophy of the neutral

cities.

Besides, Alice had come to see paintings by an Imperial painter. There wouldn't be

anything strange about her coincidentally running into tourists from the Empire.

"…Yes. I did say that." She put the hat back on her head, but instead of pulling it down,

she let it perch lightly on her locks of hair. "Please show me the way."

"In that case, follow me."

She chased after Iska. Ahhh, I have to walk again…

But Iska came to a halt as soon as she thought that—whether he could tell how she

was feeling or not.

"We're here," he announced.

"Um, is it possible…?"

He pointed to the museum sign for the exhibition on Vribran. Alice looked at it and

back to the town square immediately behind it.

"Was I lost right behind the museum?"

"Yup. The only reason I ran into you was because you were right there. Anyway, let's

get a move on. We only have half an hour before it closes." Iska looked up at the wall

clock beside the entrance. "I think it might be hard to see it all. Is there anything in

particular you want to see, Alice?"

"Uh, um… uhhh… In that case, I'd like to see The City in the Colors of Twilight. It's a

landscape painting of a city right before the sun sets in the winter from the perspective

of a tall church rooftop!"

"In that case, it's over here." Iska quickly dived into the throngs going in and out of the

building.

The tourists streamed past them. They went against the flow of people heading

toward the exit and walked farther into the back of the building.

"This one, right? This is the one you wanted to see." Iska stopped and turned around.

Just past him was a painting that she'd swept her eyes over and over in her small photo

book as a child.

It was the original, several times larger than the one in the book.

"…Oh…"

Her throat choked as her voice tried to rush forward, but she couldn't form it into

words. What came pouring out wasn't the manifestation of thought but something

born of emotion.

"…This is what I wanted to see." Alice took one step and then another toward the

gigantic canvas that was as tall as she was.

A winter city blanketed in snow. The painting depicted the veil of night coming down

on it. The colors weren't vibrant in the slightest, and the muted gray tones were chilly

even to onlookers. But warm light flooded out of the windows of the houses into the

night.

It was cold but warm.

When she was young, this curious scene had fascinated her. She'd been taught that the

Imperial cityscape was a place that was filled with loathsome enemies, but she

couldn't help feeling that the sight of it had the power to make her rage ebb away.

"Iska."

"What is it?"

"Why do you like this painter?"

"—This part." They were the same height, and he'd been looking up at the canvas next

to her. With that, he pointed to somewhere around the middle. "The paint is thicker

here."

"What about that?"

"This may be all a part of my imagination, but I like to think he rethought his next

stroke just as he laid some paint down with his palette knife. It's like the moment he

tried to put the scene in his head onto the canvas, he thought of something even better.

So then he stopped and thought about it."

"…I see."

"And right there. He blotted out the original color with a completely different one. I

feel like the scene in his head was constantly changing as he painted—more intense

colors, more passion."

In the midst of his explanation, the footsteps of the patrons heading to the exit echoed

throughout the gallery, but Alice had ears only for the boy standing beside her.

"I think you know this, too, Alice, but the painter Vribran would only paint landscapes

of places like city streets and roads or harbors. There was never a single person in any

of them. His subjects would always be inanimate and his colors dark, but—"

"It was still incredibly passionate?"

"Right. I feel like he must have been a quiet person on the outside, suppressing intense

feelings on the inside. His paintings show you his true personality, and I think that's

why I like them so much."

"I completely get that. I also—" Alice started to speak, but the princess of the Nebulis

Sovereignty suddenly realized something.

She realized that she'd been enthralled—not by the painting but by the profile of the

boy standing next to her.

She'd been taught the foundations of art by painters in the Sovereignty, but none of

them had understood how Alice had felt. It was because Vribran was a painter from

the Empire. The painters of Nebulis thought themselves to be better. That was all they

were occupied by.

This was the first time someone had humored her and tried so hard to put to words

their impressions about her favorite painter.

"Alice, what's wrong?"

"…It's nothing," Alice answered quietly.

She needed to feign composure. Otherwise, she had a suspicion that a part of her

would become unrecognizable.

It was sunset.

They were the last guests at the museum, lingering until it closed. Alice and Iska left

the exhibitions together, heading to the square behind the museum.

When they got to the bench where she'd gotten lost earlier, Alice tossed him a glass

bottle glistening with droplets.

"…Here. To thank you for showing me the way. You must be thirsty after talking so

much."

"You really didn't need to." Iska caught the bottle of fruit juice in the air.

Alice turned to him and held up her own drink. "I don't want to be indebted, especially

to you."

"It wasn't a big deal or anything. I have the money to… Huh?" Iska dug through his

pockets and froze.

"What's wrong?"

"…I might have forgotten my wallet."

"You forgot to bring money?"

"Well, um… I was preoccupied trying to not forget the museum ticket…"

"Then how did you get here from the Empire?"

"I had a pack of tickets for the loop bus."

"Meaning you forgot it because you didn't need to use any money."

Yeah. The boy seemed apologetic as he slumped down. He looked back and forth

between the bottle of juice in his hand and Alice's face before opening his mouth in a

hurry. "Oh, but I can definitely pay you back…"

"You silly goose." The faintest of smiles broke out over her face.

This was the first time Alice had let herself smile naturally at an Imperial soldier, even

if it was a small one.

"I just said I was giving it to you. Don't worry about it."

The water fountain lit up under the sunset. They were too embarrassed to sit next to

each other on a bench and chose to rest by the water's edge a short distance apart.

"…Come to think of it…" Alice held the now empty bottle in her hands as she turned

her eyes to him. "How old are you?"

" I'm sixteen. Seventeen this year."

"…Oh? Then that means I'm a year older than you."

They were nearly the same age. She'd had a hunch that was the case, but she'd never

imagined he was the younger one.

"So you're younger, huh. You could speak a little more politely to your senior, you

know."

"I don't wanna hear it from a senior who was lost not too long ago."

"Y-you've got that all wrong! I was merely sightseeing around the city!"

Their conversation veered off to other trivial topics: They talked about painters other

than Vribran and a bit more about pasta again. And then they reached an unexpected

lull without either of them intending to stop talking—because they'd dozed off.

When Alice realized that she'd fallen asleep for a moment, she saw that the sun was

on the verge of sinking into the horizon.

"Uh, wh-what am I…?!"

She hadn't been able to fall asleep for an inexplicable reason for days, and yet, she'd

fallen asleep without a worry in front of an Imperial swordsman. It was a foolish act.

She looked reflexively to her side.

"…Iska?"

He was sitting on the edge of the fountain and nodding off, his head bobbing as though

he was on a boat. His eyes were still closed, and she could hear him breathing softly in

his sleep.

"Are you asleep?"

He was probably pretending. Alice tried moving away to check, causing him to shift.

"…" The boy let out a gentle snore and fell right over on her.

He buried his face in her chest.

"Aaah?!" Without thinking, she froze up all over. "Wh-what do you think you're doing?!"

"…"

"…Seriously, how are you sleeping so comfortably? You're such a kid… I mean, well, I

guess I was nodding off a bit, too."

But he was a little too defenseless.

She started to think that maybe he hadn't been able to sleep for a long time, either, as

she listened to his gentle breaths.

"Aren't we supposed to be enemies? I know we're in a neutral city, but do you really

think you can let your guard down? I… I… If I wanted to, I could finish you off in one

blow…"

No response.

She glanced down on his peaceful expression for a moment then tilted her face toward

sky and sighed deeply. "If you sleep in a place like this, you'll catch a cold, silly."

She carefully held Iska in her arms as he leaned toward her and laid him down. She

checked that he was still asleep.

"Excuse me." Alice stopped a taxi driving by the road. "Please take him to the Empire,

up to the capital's entrance."

"Come on." The driver didn't even try to hide his scowl behind the windowpane. "You

can't be serious. At this hour? It'll take me six hours to get to Imperial territory, even

if I step on it. Plus, the capital? I won't make it till late into the night or early tomorrow

morning. How much do you think that'll cost? Add in the long distance and overtime,

and it's gonna make it stupid expensive."

"I'll pay the fare up front."

"What? Up front? Do you even know how much—?"

"Please take this." Alice pulled out a round bundle of bills and tossed it toward the

driver before he could launch into another tirade.

It was a stack of the common currency used in this world. It was enough to buy a new

taxi outright and then some, much less cover the fare.

"And keep the change."

"…Thank you for your business."

"Make sure you take care of him."

"Yes, ma'am!" The driver dashed over to the fountain and hauled Iska onto his back

before carrying him to the passenger seat. He gently laid Iska down. After he got into

the driver's seat, he peeled away toward the city walls.

"Don't get the wrong idea. This is just to say thanks for taking me to the museum.

That's all." Alice watched him leave until she couldn't see the taxi anymore and then

once again turned her back to the square.

Time to go home.

…But why would I fall asleep?

…I haven't drifted off on any other day except today.

After all, she'd been awake since the day of their battle in the forest, unable to get a

wink of sleep because Iska's face had been burned into her mind.

According to Rin's theory, the tension from the battle hadn't completely dissipated yet.

But if that was the case, there was no way she would have dozed off right next to Iska

himself.

"Seriously! What's going on?!"

The haze over her brain was far from disappearing; in fact, she felt as though it had

gotten even denser.

Alice punted a pebble on the road with all her might.