‘Your Royal Highness.’
I showed the Imperial Crown Prince the piece of paper and shared my honest thoughts. I didn’t even know this child and I couldn’t tell her situation based on this pamphlet alone, but I still wanted to be helpful. If that was too hard, I wanted to at least know the situation.
‘We can’t just overlook children who are in difficult situations.’
– Squeeeee.
It was an extremely obvious logic. The missing child was only ten years old, and the person looking for her was also not an adult guardian but a fellow child. They needed the help of adults in such a case.
Crown prince Cédric looked discontent, but he did not say no. He just clicked his tongue like his mother usually does and went to wash up.
Sand, who was the last of us to get up, saw the paper and worried a lot about the children. Sir Johann walked out looking perfectly dressed for work-
‘I knew you would be holding that, your highness. I thought it would make you worry.’ He then smiled as handsomely as a masterpiece painting. He looked as if he had figured out the whole situation already.
‘What time does Gerrit’s daddy usually wake up?’
“……Oh dear, how terrible.”
A moment later… Viscount Clément Rambouillet commented at the breakfast table. He had a spoon in his right hand while he had the pamphlet about the missing ten year old archaeologist, India, in his left hand.
I heard that a pamphlet was dropped off in their room as well. Although their guards were not as thorough as the Imperial Guard, they were still skilled guards. But the girl managed to shove this in the door of a VIP’s room. The child must have some connections with the staff at the caravanserai.
“The child named Marian is eleven, honey. She is India’s older sister. Apparently the old man at the pawn shop looks after them……” Lady Marise Rambouillet worriedly added on.
If this couple did not know about the children despite their frequent travels to the desert, they weren’t usually girls who stood out. I listened to the two of their conversation and filled my stomach. You needed to be full in order to do anything. This was my first meal in the desert caravanserai. Christelle’s icicle was playing a significant role on top of my head as usual. ‘This feels so nice.’
“Wow, this is so delicious.” I first finished three plates of boiling chicken tagine. The well-cooked meat melted in my mouth. The lemon peel on the surface added a refreshing flavor while the thick tomato soup smelled strongly of saffron.
‘I think there are some coriander in there too.’
“Ah, how refreshing.” I mumbled about it being refreshing despite eating something hot, making the crown prince punk look at me like I was crazy. I had no way to explain so I just ignored him and attacked the next menu item.
“Oh.”
“That.”
I noticed a dish that resembled fried rice and both Christelle and I charged for it at the same time. I chuckled as it was clear we had the same thought. I got a big spoonful and placed it on her plate and Joanne’s plate (“I can’t believe I’m being served like this.”), then some for Sand and myself as well (“It is an honor, your highness!”). The crown prince was staring at me so I provided the service to him as well.
‘He was born with a golden hand, what can I do? I need to help attend to his meals since I am four years older.’
“Mm! This is not rice, your highness. The texture is so fun.”
“You’re right. I wonder if it is millet?”
“It is called couscous, your highness. You rub flour like millet to create it. This is a salad made of couscous.” Our encyclopedia, Sir Johann, informed us.
It wasn’t a warm dish as we had expected, but the tomato puree and the colorful vegetables made it healthy and refreshing. I thought it might be good with a meat dish as well. Overall, it was a magnificent breakfast. I had not expected much because of our surroundings, but apparently they were able to do small amounts of farming because Zaum Village, right next to the lodging, had an oasis. The Unité River flowed into it as well, so it was never lacking in water. They also didn’t struggle with gathering materials because of the caravans and the trades they made. Each family had at least one animal and they made a lot of cheese and ham as well. I was the foolish one for thinking it would be desolate because it was the desert.
“……Then let’s ask the soldiers for help since we are sending a message to the Vatican anyway. We can send some of our guards to the ruins to search as well if they need the help.”
“Yes. We are not strangers, so let’s offer them some help until we leave. We need to put our stuff down and make some deals for a day.” The elegantly eating Viscount and his wife came to a conclusion. Based on the mood, it looked as if the two of them would happily help us find the missing India.
I smiled brightly and mumbled ‘thank you very much.’
Isabelle, who was drinking mint tea, smiled warmly. “It is just what we needed to do, your highness.”
“But still, thank you very much. I hope the child is still safe.”
“She should be back soon with someone so important as yourself being concerned, your highness,” he answered kindly. I was relieved knowing the Viscount’s family was made of good people.
While I was happily wrapping some kofta in a naan, Sand was passing a rose-shaped cookie platter to the side. Isabelle’s pretty eyes curled up as she said, ‘This is called chebakia. It is one of my favorite desserts.’ She explained the dish to us. It was a fried chip that had sweet honey and the scent of roses that tickled our noses. She placed some chebakia on her daughter’s plate as well.
“No, thank you.” Christelle immediately declined. Isabelle’s face stiffened for a moment before it quickly relaxed.
I stopped chewing in shock and watched the two of them. Christelle was slightly frowning and just licking her lips without saying anything. I quickly looked toward the Viscount couple as well, but the two of them seemed too occupied talking about the spices wholesale today that they didn’t see it. Joanne and Sand were busy chatting as well.
“Mm.”
I slowly swallowed the meat in my mouth. ‘There really seems to be an issue. Her tone wasn’t sharp, but I’m pretty intuitive.’
– Clack.
The crown prince finished his meal and put his fork down, allowing me to quickly exchange glances with him. I then motioned to him with my eyes and nose.
‘You saw that too, right? Didn’t the mood between our friend and her mother feel cold just now?’
“……”
‘Did he eat his brain while eating the food?’ That was the kind of gaze the punk was sending me. He then used refined movements to point toward Christelle and Isabelle. His sculpture-like chin moved so little that I barely managed to catch it. ‘I was right!’
*
“Woah, ha!”
“Hut!”
– Clack, clack……!
I stood at the window watching the disappearing knights of the Vatican and the guards of the caravan. Sand flew up like smoke every time the horses took a step.
“Say have a nice trip. Please find India.”
– Squeeeee.
– Cruuu.
– Squeeeee
The little troublemakers were good and said goodbye. The search squad for our ten year old girl, India, was now as small as a dot. I rubbed the little guys on the necks before telling them only to play on the floor with our room and put them down. The red pandas ran off as if they had been waiting and stuck to our friends in the living room. I scoffed, seeing that they had no interest in getting far away.
As expected of skilled merchant nobles, the Viscount and his wife quickly took care of things. The two of them called over the manager of the Zaum caravanserai, Monica, as soon as they finished breakfast. She already knew about the situation.
‘I apologize for our child causing an issue early in the morning. I have scolded Marian, so we ask our esteemed guests to please forgive her.’
‘That is okay, we understand how desperate she is to do something like that. Please don’t scold her too much.’ I put on some magic stone glasses (designed by that man, created by that man, Turns your eyes the color of the ‘Duhem rose’) and requested.
Monica deeply bowed her head and promised to do that. She then calmly explained the whole story.
‘The siblings, Marian and India, are orphans the old man at the pawn shop looks after as if they are his biological grandchildren. They are young but extremely intelligent, so even we hire them to run errands for us when we are lacking manpower. But last week……’
The problem happened during the Grand Celebration of the Advent of the Almighty God. As the closest lodging to the Riester Empire, the Zaum caravanserai did not accept booking from tomb raiders or thugs. They felt like they needed to keep some decorum as a lot of nobles visited their location. The mood might be off if tomb infiltrators were here, and the villagers at Zaum Village felt uncomfortable with them around as well. Most of those criminals knew about how strong Monica was and did not come this far.
But it was different last week. They were already extremely busy because it was Holy Week, but a group posing as archaeologists placed their name in the ledger.
Monica accepted them as guests. She had seen criminals frequently disguised as merchants or circus troupes, but she had never seen any tomb raiders disguised as scholars. Their Holy Kingdom-styled clothes and their words and actions were all lofty as well. It was rare for a noble from the Holy Kingdom to come this far, but she didn’t think too much about it because all sorts of people passed through the neutral region during the Grand Celebration.
‘India’s dream is to become an archaeologist. She uses the money we pay her as well as her allowance to buy books from the caravans passing by. Her sister, Marian, studies just as much. So for archaeologists to come here as guests……’
‘Did she leave with them?’
‘Yes sir. She left a note for Marian and the old man and left early in the morning. She said that she was heading for the Zaum ruins.’
The voice answering me was slightly shaking. She looked concerned and anxious. Marian found India’s letter late in the morning and realized that the terrible guests left with her sister as their guide.
The Zaum ruins were about thirty minutes away by horse from the village. Marian could even go there by herself if she borrowed a pony. However, nobody in the neutral region would enter the ruins without preparation. This was like a survival instinct for them, so Marian did not act alone either.
She explained the situation to the old man at the pawn shop and went to look for Monica, the strongest adult she knew. Monica asked the knights from the Vatican to look for Monica after hearing about the dreadful situation, but……
‘I cannot leave the caravanserai without orders from my superiors. It would be bad to mess with the safety of the lodging and the entire village for one commoner child.’
‘Monica, you are to blame for this as well. You didn’t notice your guests sneaking out early in the morning. Their group was not just one or two people.’ They only responded with cold but logical answers.
In the end, Monica decided to send some of the caravanserai’s mercenaries to the ruins.
‘And what happened?’
‘Empty handed…… They returned empty handed. That happened two days ago. Apparently it looked like they went underground, but the cries of the ghosts underground were so dreadful that they did not go down.’
‘Holy Almighty God. How are they putting such a child in front of them to raid a tomb?’
‘The knights from the Vatican don’t know the Knight’s Creed! They are still acting like this. Ahem!’ The Viscount’s family turned pale and gasped. Christelle also grinded her teeth saying that people who use children like this deserve to die.
That was how we ended up in our current situation. The Viscount and his wife pressured the Vatican’s troops. They demanded to know how knights could be so insensitive to the safety of the residents and threatened to write a letter to Vicarius Generalis Rupert about this.
‘……I understand, Viscount Rambouillet. We will look for her.’
Something that Monica spent all day asking for without a positive response was resolved in ten minutes. The authority of a noble with the Empress’s affection was amazing. It was like that despite this not being the Empire. That was surprising but sad at the same time.
“Our first impression of the knights of the Vatican is terrible. ‘Just one commoner child’? Maybe we should sew up their lips.” Christelle petted the sleeping Percy as she grumbled.
In one hand was the chebakia she did not eat this morning. Right now, she was eating it quite well. I debated asking her what happened before just sitting down.
The crown prince was reading the reference text regarding the neutral region that I was telling everybody we should study yesterday.
‘What a good boy. He looks like a good little couch model.’
“At least grandpa Viscount wrote a letter to the Vatican. Who knows? They may get in trouble soon.”
“Baroness, that letter was about his Royal Highness and his highness heading to the temple. The Vicarius Generalis needs to prepare for their arrival to ensure their safety.” Sir Johann, who had been looking at a map, gently corrected Joanne.
‘Really? I had no idea. I made fun of them yesterday saying that they were all in big trouble now.’ Joanne, who was drawing a tomb on parchment, shrugged and picked up a date palm.
I chuckled and petted Tithé who was sprawled out next to me. They may be low-grade, but a trained mage and a swordsman making up the search party should mean that they should find India this time. They shouldn’t be attacked if they didn’t touch the ruins either. The smart girl apparently took snacks and water with her, so she should be able to survive at least three days. The area underground should be cooler than up here, so it should be bearable.
“I hope that is the case-”
– Baaaaang!
I gasped and jumped up. The loud noise was close to an explosion. I twisted my head so fast that it cracked when I noticed a Holy Knight already jumping out the window!
“Sir Johann!”
– Booboboboooooooooom……!
“Aaaaaaaaaak!”
The entire building started shaking. I could hear the guests inside screaming. Clang clang! I could also hear flower pots breaking outside. Everything happened so suddenly. I couldn’t tell whether that loud noise happened near the lodging or at the distant ruins. I grabbed as many of the divine beasts as I could find. The little guys dangled on me as they were used to this by now.
“Your Royal Highness, please look after his highness and our friends. I will go protect my family!” Christelle urgently shouted to the crown prince. The young man immediately nodded his head with a spirited look on his face.
The two of their noses looked as if it was about to touch before it became distant. I was struck dumb as I watched the MC run out.
Sand and Joanne came up to me and curled their bodies.
“What is this-”
– Ring ring, ring ring……!
The bell in my pocket started to ring. I couldn’t help but gasp.
– Clang!
The young man who pulled out a black sword stood in front of us. A black cloud was charging toward us outside the window.
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing……!
—
Translator’s Comments
Well we know what it is thanks to the bell.