NIWA 15

Chapter : 15

“So you were here, Spirit Tamer.”

Sierra sharply turned her head, and I silently stared at Arienne as she approached.

Wearing a white dress and accessories reminiscent of a single lily in bloom, Arienne smiled sweetly at me.

The current Arienne didn’t know that I was “Arien.” She must have approached me to sound out the woman who had officially become the Second Prince’s fiancée.

Hiding my discomfort, I blinked and returned her smile.

“Yes, hello. Excuse me, but who might you be…?”

The spirit tamer “Lien,” who was engaged to the Second Prince, did not know Arienne. We had crossed paths once at a salon not long ago, but neither of us had paid attention to the other—at least on the surface; my nerves had been on edge—so this was no different from meeting for the first time. Fortunately, Sierra seemed to grasp my intent and maintained her silence.

“Ah, my apologies for the late introduction. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Arienne von Eicien, daughter of the duke. Though it’s far more than I deserve, I am engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince. It seems we will become sisters-in-law in the future.”

I felt Arienne’s gaze swiftly scan me up and down.

“I’m Lien, a spirit tamer affiliated with the Spirit Tower. As you know, I announced my engagement to His Highness the Second Prince not long ago.”

I flinched when Arienne suddenly grabbed both of my hands. She looked up at me as if she admired me.

“A spirit tamer—how wonderful! My memories are a bit vague, but… I dimly recall that the person who saved me when I was little was someone from a similar field…!”

“Someone who… saved you, my lady? Did something happen?”

I didn’t know why she was telling me this, but I followed the flow of the conversation and looked at her. In Arienne’s eyes—those playing the role of an innocent woman—I could see nothing but an intent gaze assessing the person named Lien.

Her unchanged acting skills, the very ones that had once driven a life into the abyss, made bile rise in my throat.

“Ah… it’s only natural that you wouldn’t know, Spirit Tamer. I suffered a terrible accident as a child… and only managed to find my family again five or six years ago. It was very hard to adjust, but with the love of my family and the help of His Highness the Crown Prince, I managed. I also came to know many noble ladies. The person who helped me reunite with my family used spirits—or perhaps magic—but because of the aftereffects of the accident, my memories aren’t clear… Still, seeing you reminds me of that time…”

“Oh my, my lady…”

“My lady, please don’t cry. Here, a handkerchief.”

As a single tear slipped down her cheek, Arienne looked like a pitiable heroine from a fairy tale. Naturally, the noble ladies standing behind her fussed and offered handkerchiefs. I simply stood there, replied vaguely that it must have been difficult, and forced my lips into a smile that wouldn’t rise on its own.

Saved by a mage or a spirit tamer. Well, she had said she fell off a cliff along with a carriage. Unless it was a miracle, it would have been impossible to save her without magic or spirits. The Eicien ducal family had taken me in believing Arienne was dead, after all.

Having wiped away her surely fabricated tears, Arienne’s eyes reddened as she approached me again with exaggerated friendliness. I slowly examined her.

“You said this is your first time in the Empire, right? I heard you met His Highness the Second Prince at the Founding Festival banquet. Such a romantic encounter.”

“…Ah, yes.”

“His Highness the Crown Prince is very eager to meet you. Would you perhaps be willing to have tea together later?”

“…His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Was persuasion her goal—or…

“Yes. He says he’s curious about the woman his beloved younger brother fell for at first sight.”

…Was it a warning?

As if she had nothing more to say, Arienne led the noble ladies she’d brought with her and leisurely walked away.

Whatever her purpose was, it had nothing to do with me—but one thing was now certain.

“Sierra, you felt it too, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Arienne von Eicien possessed so little mana that it was almost embarrassing to call her human. Even someone with very little mana would have more than what I sensed from her.

Humans always carry a fixed amount of mana within their bodies.

It’s like water or salt in the body.

As natural living beings, humans always have mana latent within them.

Mages simply possess more of it, and spirit tamers naturally have bodies filled with abundant mana—but everyone has mana. Yet—

Not only was Arienne’s mana barely perceptible, but just as before, she emitted the unpleasant scent of a monster.

It was so similar that one could mistake her for a monster.

But Arienne was the legitimate daughter of the Eicien ducal family. As vile as that family was, they were still human.

“For now, I think we should report this to Jema.”

At Sierra’s words, I nodded. Since something was clearly suspicious, there was no harm in informing Jema.

Clang—

A bell rang, announcing the preparations for the hunting festival.

“Ah, this.”

Sierra took something out of the handbag she’d brought and held it out to me.

It was a bracelet with an ornament shaped like a red stone hanging from it.

“It’s made from a spirit stone, so treasure it. It’s instead of a handkerchief.”

Before I could say anything, Sierra fastened the bracelet around my wrist, grinned, and patted my back.

“Alright, go on! You probably won’t get hurt, but be careful anyway.”

Fiddling with the bracelet, I nodded.

The unpleasant feeling Arienne had left me with eased a little.

In front of the largest tent stood the prince, along with an attendant holding the reins of a pair of jet-black horses.

“How’s your condition?”

“So-so.”

I replied casually and approached the horses the attendant was holding.

One had a slight scar on its torso and a long mane; the other had its mane neatly trimmed and looked gentle.

When I said I would participate in the hunt, he told me he’d prepare the horse himself. I’d wondered how impressive it would be, and sure enough, both were large, glossy-coated beasts.

“Pick whichever you like.”

As soon as the prince spoke, the scarred horse snorted and pawed the ground.

“…I’ll take this one.”

The prince nodded.

“His name is Austin. He fought alongside me on the battlefield.”

I reached out to stroke his mane, then hesitated. The prince’s affectionate gaze was fixed on the horse.

If they’d been together long enough for him to bear such scars, the horse must be precious to him.

Instead of asking whether it was really okay to entrust such a companion to me, I took a handkerchief from my bosom and offered it to him.

It was a purple handkerchief, the same color as his eyes.

“…What’s this?”

The prince stared at it with a puzzled expression, then stiffened as if he understood.

“I’m not very skilled, but… I made it with Lilia. Since we’re engaged, at least formally. If you don’t like it… you can refuse it or throw it away.”

I’d actually spent quite a bit of time making it, so it would hurt a little if he really did—but still.

“……”

When there was no reaction even after waiting, I grew slightly dejected and was about to pull my hand back—

“Thank you. I’ll keep it.”

The prince almost snatched the handkerchief from my hand and tied it around his wrist.

“These are smoke bombs. I’ll be with you, so it shouldn’t be dangerous, but use them if anything happens.”

He tossed three smoke bombs to me, then turned away and walked toward the horse he would ride.

What was that reaction? Did he like it or not? Still, I’d pricked my fingers with the needle while making it, so I hoped he wouldn’t throw it away.

I tucked the smoke bombs into my pouch and stared blankly at the prince when a loud trumpet sounded from the platform.

Only then did I snap out of it and hurriedly mount the horse.

Since my sense of balance isn’t great, when dealing with monsters in the forest I usually prefer walking or running, or asking Jema to use a wind spirit—but riding a horse after so long wasn’t bad either.

Half-listening to the emperor’s speech from the platform, I gently stroked the horse’s mane.

“Please take care of me, Austin.”

As if answering, the gallant black horse gave a soft snort.

The attendant on the platform blew the trumpet loudly once more, and the emperor, using voice-amplification magic, shouted:

“Then—let the hunting festival begin!”

And at that moment, I did not yet know.

That there were eyes watching me with sinister intent as I rode my horse into the forest.