Chapter: 15
If he had not been a prince.
If he had not been born with noble blood flowing through his veins, carrying the mission to lead all the people of the Empire…
Second Prince Irid momentarily entertained such what-ifs.
While inspecting the imperial capital, he heard the cheerful laughter of a family coming from a house. They barely had a handful of possessions, and the only strength they possessed was chopping wood or wringing the necks of chickens. So…
How could they laugh so joyfully? What was happening beyond the wall he couldn’t see? Wasn’t “family” just another name for rivals?
He brushed these thoughts aside as trivial, but the tiny curiosity that bloomed at that moment was lodged in his mind like a stubborn splinter.
And now, he finally understood the answer.
The people beyond the wall were experiencing love.
===============================================================
You were truly enjoying a delightful moment. How could you have ever predicted this? That one hundred years later, you would be living such heartwarming days.
For ‘Beer and Song,’ you and Centra were gradually moving forward with the project. You tweaked the lyrics of the songs for the bards and tucked away fireworks here and there in Crownhall to lift the mood.
“Putting one on the church spire seems like a good idea.”
“Since it’s right in the city center, the view should be nice, huh?”
“Can I join you this time?”
“Of course! Outings with Irid are fun! But you know, you’re getting quite comfortable with holding me, huh?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
You even enjoyed a romantic outing involving a grappling hook gun.
The term “date” was no exaggeration. Though unspoken, a strange atmosphere surrounded you every time your eyes met Centra’s. At one point, you held eye contact for a full ten seconds, enchanted.
“⋯⋯I won the staring contest!”
Centra attempted to pass it off as a joke, but her ears were so red even a fool could notice.
Yet, despite that, you both maintained a respectful distance. Under the guise of using the grappling hook gun, you embraced each other, feeling the echo of your heartbeats resonate in your very souls.
The stamp of time engraved on your wrist was urging you back. The inevitable farewell was fast approaching.
You both kept your distance, knowing the higher you soar, the harder you fall. So, at the very least… you wished to see Centra’s radiant smile again by succeeding in ‘Beer and Song.’ That was the thought you clung to.
You rallied manpower, spreading rumors to subtly spark excitement among the citizens, hinting at something interesting happening during the Founding Festival.
This effort would open the hearts of the citizens. They’d think it was just a clever prank, sipping fine beer and singing along to a relaxing tune.
The more you spread the news, the higher the meager chances of success became. If something changed even a tiny bit after the song ended… that would be enough.
Time flew by as quickly as your happiness.
===============================================================
Key members of the Resistance gathered in the inn for ‘Beer and Song.’
There were mercenaries you’d never seen before, guardsmen, and even beggars. So many still reminisced about the old Empire.
However, their reminiscing styles differed.
Half of the Resistance held a warm glow of mission or goodwill in their eyes, like the gentle light of a sunset. They looked at Centra with hope for the future.
On the other hand, some sported a grim red tint in their eyes, exuding a noxious odor of blood that made your nose wrinkle.
“Colkis, you dumbass! It’s been ages since I saw you!”
“I figured since you’ve been behaving, your temper might’ve died down a bit, but nope, still the same, Ronya! Uhahaha! But are you seriously going to follow through with this stupid plan? Huh?”
“Of course, Centra is the leader, after all.”
“Uhaha! Right, we should obey the chief’s orders!”
Their gazes were not fixed on Centra but on their own group.
The hardliners of the Resistance. Avengers eager to take revenge on the Kingdom Alliance through brute force. Those who lost their families in the conflict. Their movements were unsettling.
You, who had reviewed the documents, understood. As you had sensed earlier, not just everyday supplies but also items usable as weapons were being gathered. Those folks were ready to shed blood at any given moment.
You informed Centra of this reality.
“Nevertheless, they showed up at the strategy meeting. Their intentions are clear. If ‘Beer and Song’ flops, they’ll argue that nothing can be changed through peace. They want to seize control of the Resistance from you.”
“Could that pose a problem for the plan?”
“I never expected them to help actively from the start. Just their passive presence will suffice for the plan. A bit of interference? That’s manageable… and also, this Resistance is greatly influenced by your father. If they want to fully take hold of the Resistance, they won’t show too much hostility toward you.”
“Then that works. I don’t have enough time to persuade them, and… Irid promised to protect us, right?”
“Promised to protect the plan, you mean.”
“Yes, the plan.”
You explained the strategy to the key personnel, distributing roles. You prepared the materials and boosted morale. If the goddess of fate rolls the dice, it’s your efforts that will ultimately add to the totals.
The finale was on the horizon.
===============================================================
30 minutes remaining until ‘Beer and Song.’
The time until your return was also ticking away…. soon.
The tattooed watch’s remaining time wasn’t accurately marked by clear numbers. If your calculations were on point, there was a bit of leeway, but when that time would end was anyone’s guess.
You hoped to stick around until the operation reached its conclusion, but if that wasn’t the case… this could very well be your final moments with her.
Thus, you… mustered a little more courage.
“Centra.”
“……Yes, Irid?”
“Would you… care to share a cup of tea with me?”
“……Pfft!”
Yes, you gathered just a tiny, minuscule bit more courage. Instead of a last kiss or a goodbye hug, you opted for tea time. Still, it seemed to have brought joy to Centra.
After all, didn’t that delightful smile bloom on her face?
“Heh, heheh, oh, I shouldn’t laugh…”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“I’m not making fun of you. It’s just that, uh… you’re so adorable. Is it inappropriate to feel this way?”
“It is.”
“I’m sorry, um… I’ll invite you to my room, so please forgive my rudeness?”
You readily forgave her. When with Centra, you found yourself ten times more generous than usual.
Just like the moment you first met…
Centra took your hand and led you. Once again, you were drawn to her warmth.
Her room was quaint; tiny, with a bed taking up one corner, a small desk, and squared manuscript paper. Books titled ‘How to Become a Leader’ and ‘The Leader Speaks: Eleven Ways to Persuade Subordinates’ adorned the space. A small vase graced a single sprig of rosemary.
Her scent was thickly intertwined in everything around.
“I’ll brew it quickly!”
Thump-thump. Your heart fluttered as if shaking all over. You fidgeted, shaking your legs until Centra returned with two cups of black tea. You should have long abandoned this habit of leg-shaking since the age of seven, when the strict head maid spanked you for it.
With no space for a table, you both sat side by side on the bed, close enough that your shoulders brushed against each other every time one of you moved.
Then, Centra laid her head on your shoulder. A delightful weight settled there. It was amazing how something so simple could bring such happiness.
Silence enveloped you.
It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Instead, it was a dialogue spoken through warmth, weight, atmosphere, scent, and soul. Words were unnecessary.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The sound of the clock’s hands moving echoed in your ears. Your heart dropped. You sensed it instinctively. You… had to return.
Just as you were about to vocalize your final goodbye…
Knock knock knock.
Someone knocked at the door.
“Yes, I’m coming!”
Centra rose from the bed. She took five steps to the door, slowly placing her fingers on the doorknob. The scene unfolded in slow motion in your mind.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
When Centra opened the door, there was no one there. She peered outside, glancing down the corridor.
You shivered with an inexplicable sense of dread.
Something… you were missing something.
“I’m against it.”
“Hey, you’re under suspicion right now, you know? Who would trust documents to a suspicious g—…”
=> Doubts swirling around a stranger. While it seemed natural, Ronya’s demeanor seemed to yearn for ‘no one to be near Centra.’
“After the Founding Festival, it will be tough to see Centra. We’re moving on to a new era, you see.”
=> Ronya didn’t know you were a time traveler. So why claim it would be tough to see Centra?
“I figured since you’ve been calm lately, your temper had eased a bit, but nope, still the same, Ronya! Uhahaha! But are you really going through with this ridiculous plan? Huh?”
“Of course, Centra is the leader, after all.”
=> She clearly held a negative view of ‘Beer and Song.’ It seemed she had a dim outlook on success. Then what did she mean by a ‘new era’?
“Naturally, the era of beer and bellows. Now go and return.”
=> If not a mix-up of operation names, what could ‘Beer and Bellows’ signify?
Resistance. The young leader who inherited her father’s influence. To kill her and seize leadership would merely turn half of the Resistance against them.
But what if… she were to die at the hands of the ‘Kingdom Alliance’?
If the young leader, who called for peace and love, were to meet a tragic end due to the ‘Kingdom Alliance,’ even those sympathetic to her peaceful cause in the Resistance would draw their swords.
And that… was exactly the outcome the radical faction of the Resistance was hoping for.
You must not go out.
Your lips parted slowly. You yelled dozens, hundreds of times, but the plea to not venture outside only echoed hollowly in your mind.
Centra turned left. At the end of the left hallway was a window. She appeared to notice something and walked that way. Step. Step. Her figure vanished from view.
Please, let this be an overreaction. A delusion. The mutterings of a paranoid person. You desperately begged within the standstill of time.
Tick-tock.
And then…
BOOOOOM-!!
An explosion. Debris scattered, and a thick black smoke surged in the aftershock.
You pursued the lingering scent of rosemary through the smoke, even as visibility vanished.
And then…
Flash.
===============================================================
“You’ve awakened, Prince. Did you enjoy…”
Second Prince Irid seized the wizard by the collar and slammed him against the wall. Unrefined mana rippled through the Prince’s body, and blood wept from his eyes due to the excessive use of magic.
At the same time, the Purple Magic Tower Master and the boy knight sprang into action.
The boy knight drew his sword. Just the resulting force tore apart the walls of the Magic Tower, revealing the gloomy rain-soaked sky.
The Purple Magic Tower Master conjured droplets of water at her fingertips. The resonating droplets deceived the world, causing space to twist and contort, losing all sense of meaning.
Yet Second Prince Irid didn’t bat an eye. That wasn’t what mattered. Unconcerned with the world dissolving into an illusion while fragmented by his attack, Irid desperately demanded of the Dimensional Wizard.
“Send me back to that world, now──!!”
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