I waved enthusiastically at my father, who sat tall and proud on his horse.
At that, my father, who had been glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, reluctantly raised one arm slowly. Then, very awkwardly, he gave a few small waves.
I quickly covered my mouth. The knights around us had long since fallen into a stunned silence.
“Hi-His Grace…!”
“He waved…”
My father, who had been watching me with an embarrassed expression, adjusted his grip on the reins.
Soon, his horse began to move forward, followed by the orderly procession of knights.
I watched them go with a swirl of emotions.
“They’re only going to be gone for five days… but it feels sadder than I thought.”
“Don’t worry, Lady Selenea! His Grace will return safely!”
I turned my head slowly toward the cheerful voice.
The knight my father had left behind to guard me was smiling brightly with a face full of sunshine.
“Um, what was your name again?”
I looked at him, his face so pure it almost seemed dim-witted, and asked.
“Cassian!”
“Ah, Cassian…”
Was he around my age? He looked so young—too young. I nodded awkwardly at his boyish face.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, he straightened up and said proudly,
“I may not look it, but I’m the youngest knight to ever join the elite forces of Tigris! I’ll stake my life to protect you, my lady—!”
I shook my head, and Cassian trailed off mid-sentence, staring at me in confusion.
I looked at him with a firm expression and said,
“Don’t say things like ‘I’ll stake my life.’ If we’re both in danger, make sure you save yourself first.”
Cassian’s jaw dropped.
“P-Please don’t say that! A knight’s duty is to protect the lady—no, I mean, the young lady—!”
“No, no. Everyone puts their own safety first. When it comes down to life and death, people instinctively try to save themselves. Isn’t that human nature? Or does that not apply to knights…?”
Cassian looked at me in bewilderment. As he floundered for words, I raised a finger and declared,
“Anyway, I’ll be holed up in the inn for the next five days. So, Sir Cassian, just think of this as a short vacation and take it easy.”
Of course, I had a reason for saying all this—I didn’t want him tagging along while I searched for the prince.
“B-But His Grace told me to stay close to you at all times…”
“Sir Cassian, are you planning to follow me into the bathroom too?”
Cassian’s face turned bright red. He flailed his arms in protest.
“T-That’s not what I meant—!”
I chuckled and walked past his tomato-red face toward the entrance of the inn. Glancing back, I asked,
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“Y-Yes, ma’am! I’m coming!”
Cassian followed behind me like a robot, flailing both arms stiffly.
Inside the inn, I was scribbling absentmindedly on a worn-out piece of paper.
Rubel. Flau. The Prince.
Three roughly scrawled words were connected by a web of messy lines.
“…Maybe I worked at a private investigator’s office in my past life.”
I muttered and let out a small sigh.
I had somehow managed to arrive at the place where the prince was supposed to be, but I had no idea where to begin looking.
“They said it was a rural village… Why is it so big?”
Seriously.
Flau was definitely a countryside area, but it wasn’t as small as I had imagined. With bad luck, I might spend all five days searching and still never find him.
[Child, can you hear me? Child?]
Just then, I heard a desperate voice calling me from behind.
I had been trying to ignore Adam’s voice coming from somewhere in the luggage pile for a while now.
[…Child. I swear I’ll be quiet from now on. I promise. I’m very good at keeping promises.]
I sighed deeply and slowly got up.
Then I walked over to the bed and rummaged through the pile of belongings thrown carelessly on top. Soon, I found a small box.
When I opened the lid and held the pendant in my hand, a soft light filled the room, and Adam appeared.
[Ahh… I finally feel alive again!]
He looked absolutely thrilled, wearing an expression of pure bliss.
I shook my head in exasperation.
“I told you. If you keep making noise, next time I’ll bury you at the very bottom of the luggage.”
Adam’s face turned pale. He flailed his hands desperately.
[O-Oh no! I-I understand! I’ll be really quiet from now on.]
I left him and returned to the table. Between the messy doodles on the paper, the three earlier words caught my eye again.
“…I’m so lost. Where should I even start?”
I twirled my quill.
“The marketplace? That’s usually where the most people gather.”
No.
I had seen the market earlier. It was bustling with people. I might end up wasting time for nothing.
[Um… child?]
I glared at Adam with narrowed eyes.
“You’re talking again! I told you, if you keep bothering me—”
[N-No! I just had a good idea. Something that might help you…]
My expression softened.
“…What idea?”
[Do you remember when I said I could help you?]
I thought back to when I first met Adam and nodded slowly.
[Then do you also remember what I said at the end?]
I thought for a moment, then my eyes lit up.
“You said you could show me what I wanted to see…?”
[Exactly! That’s it!]
With a brightened face, I jumped up from my seat—then slowly frowned.
“But you never told me what the price would be.”
Adam’s eyes widened.
[The price?]
“Yes, the price. I can’t just borrow your power freely without knowing the cost. I was so anxious the other day when I showed my power to Father and Walter…”
Adam shook his head firmly.
[Child, I swear. The price will be nothing serious for you.]
“What do you mean?”
[I’m a very reasonable spirit. You’re the only person who can communicate with me like this. So what good would it do me to demand a huge price from you?]
“Then?”
[I can’t tell you yet, but the price will be something very small and simple. There’s no need to be afraid of using my power.]
I looked at him suspiciously, then slowly nodded.
“You’re not going to ask for the rest of my lifespan or the death of someone I love, right?”
Adam burst into laughter.
[Absolutely not. The price will just be a small favor.]
At last, I dropped my suspicion and smiled brightly.
“If that’s really all, I want to borrow your eyes to find Rubel!”
Adam nodded.
[It’s definitely possible. But…]
He approached with a cautious expression.
[Letting you borrow my eyes takes a lot of energy. It’s a different type of power than usual.]
“In that case…”
[Yes, I can only show you a glimpse. And afterward, you won’t be able to use any of my other abilities for a while. Are you okay with that?]
I hesitated.
If I borrowed Adam’s eyes now, I could get a clue to Rubel’s location. But then I wouldn’t be able to use his other powers.
‘I wouldn’t be able to use his protective powers…’
I frowned slightly.
‘But I’m staying in this village for five days anyway, and after that, I’ll be with Father. Would I really need Adam’s powers?’
Come to think of it, I’d managed fine without him so far…
…Except for when I was helpless against Meyer.
My mind spun quickly. After a moment of intense thinking, I whispered,
“…In the long run, capturing the prince is way more important.”
I turned to Adam.
“Lend me your eyes.”
[If that’s what you wish.]
Smiling, Adam approached and held out his hand.
His softly glowing hand touched my forehead, and my vision turned white. Then a new, unfamiliar scene unfolded.
“This is…”
I was looking at the world through someone else’s eyes.
First, I saw wide hills and a flock of sheep grazing.
Turning my head, I saw leafless trees and a vast field of reeds swaying in the wind.
“This place is…”
As I mumbled blankly, the clear blue sky spread before me.
Flocks of migratory birds were flying between the scattered clouds.
Suddenly, the vision began to shake.
The owner of the eyes had stood up and started walking somewhere.
At the end of the gaze, an old cabin stood alone on a hilltop.
“Ah…”
The next moment, I let out a sigh of disappointment.
The vision went dark, and the scenery of the inn room returned.
“That’s it…?”
I squinted at Adam, and he scratched his head awkwardly.
[Haha, this was my first time lending my vision to someone…]
I glared at him for a second, then smiled.
“I’m just joking. It helped a lot. I have a good feeling now.”
[That’s a relief.]
“Then, the person I just saw through… was…”
[…Yes. It was the one you’ve been looking for.]
I nodded slowly and stood up.
