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Chapter 19
“Pirates seek ransom for hostages, not their lives. So the crown prince and princess are likely still alive.”
“And since they have both the hostages and the passenger ship, they’ll probably dock somewhere on a nearby continent.”
“The real issue is where that place is. If it happens to be the Tordi Empire…”
The ministers’ faces stiffened.
“That is why you must prepare for war.”
“Your Majesty.”
At the empress’s appearance, the ministers stood and bowed their heads.
“War?”
“Do you think Emperor Raoul Garcia would let this opportunity pass? Above all else, we must ensure that news of this incident does not reach the Tordi Empire.”
“But it happened at sea. Can we really prevent word from spreading completely?”
“I am telling you not to grow complacent simply because the odds seem uncertain.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Overwhelmed by her sharp charisma, the ministers could not utter a word of protest and bowed once more. When the empress took her seat, they followed suit.
“Is there no way to monitor the Tordi Empire’s movements?”
“That would be difficult. Several spies we sent were discovered and killed.”
Emperor Raoul had personally sent the severed heads of those spies back to the imperial palace. The tragedy occurred only three days after they set foot in the Tordi Empire.
They had once bribed a merchant and tried using trained pigeons to relay information, but that too had been discovered beforehand and failed.
The corpse of the pigeon had been delivered to the crown prince. When Alexei opened the marble box and saw the rotting lump of flesh crawling with maggots, he could not swallow even a sip of water for an entire week.
“Setting foot in the Tordi Empire is impossible.”
Then were they left with no choice but to sit and wait for news?
The empress pressed a hand to her forehead.
Since the pursuit had only begun several days after the kidnapping at sea, the chances of the search party succeeding were slim. Moreover, Jin Blaske was a pirate who had conquered three seas. Though many soldiers had been mobilized, defeating the greatest pirate alive on the open ocean would not be easy.
The only other option was to strike the pirates after receiving a ransom demand.
“Please do not worry too much, Your Majesty. Captain Jin Blaske may be infamous and greedy, but he is not someone who delights in killing. And the crown prince is clever—he will surely find a way to conceal his identity and send word.”
“Yes… I’m sure he will.”
The empress smiled faintly, somewhat reassured.
After the meeting ended, Empress Valerie returned to her chambers.
“I had some food prepared. Please eat something and get some rest. At this rate, you’ll collapse first.”
The empress’s lady-in-waiting, Countess Polan, spoke with deep concern on her face.
“I need to see Cain.”
“I’ll send word as soon as His Majesty wakes.”
“No. Now.”
The countess let out a sigh. Food and sleep would once again be ignored. But after serving beside Valerie for over ten years, she knew better than anyone that changing the empress’s mind was nearly impossible.
Though the countess was the one person in the palace whom Valerie treated most gently and comfortably, even she found it difficult to oppose the empress’s will.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Two hours later, a man leaning on a cane limped into the empress’s chambers.
Cain Steiner.
A mathematician, astronomer, and the astrologer who had advised the fateful wedding ceremony aboard the ship.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
“My apologies for the delay, Your Majesty. I came from home.”
“Tracking the crown prince has proven difficult. I need any clue that may help.”
Cain naturally took a seat on the sofa and pulled a pen and papers filled with strange symbols and circles from his bag. Calmly writing equations, he eventually raised his head.
“Do you… see something?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then speak.”
His expression was not dark, so it did not seem to be a terrible omen. Still, the empress was anxious.
“The crown prince’s star remains within the sign of water, which suggests he has not yet escaped the sea. Moreover, two auspicious stars are watching over him, so the outlook is not bad. However, the angle is distant, meaning it will take time before he returns.”
Valerie Werner finally let out a sigh of relief.
At this point, the only thing she could trust was Cain Steiner’s gift of foresight.
It had been Valerie herself who recognized his talent and appointed him as an imperial advisor. After becoming empress, she had recommended many of her own people for suitable positions, and Cain had been the very first person she petitioned the emperor for.
Her judgment had proven correct. Cain’s sharp and accurate prophecies became renowned even in foreign nations. Valerie sought his counsel for everything from personal matters to decisions of great national importance.
Even ministers and nobles who were once skeptical of him had come to trust him and tried to form personal connections with him.
“I feel somewhat relieved now.”
“I heard you’ve been skipping meals and sleep. Please ease your worries a little.”
The empress nodded at Cain’s thoughtful advice.
After leaving the empress’s chambers, the astrologer climbed the northern tower. Claiming that the stars were easiest to see there, he had asked the empress to arrange his personal quarters within the tower.
Sitting at his desk, Cain immediately spread out a fresh sheet of parchment and began writing.
— To Emperor Raoul Garcia
The astrologer’s letter began that way.
A land where even the sun had breathed its last.
That was the nickname of the Tordi Empire.
There were fewer than thirty days a year when blue skies could be seen there. Despite its vast territory, the land offered little beauty and its people were notoriously cold, causing travelers to turn back in disappointment.
Some scholars even claimed that the empire’s long-standing rivalry with the Latria Empire stemmed from envy toward a continent blessed with mild weather and abundant resources.
…Or so the highly educated future emperor explained at great length, leaving Angelina with no room to feel nervous.
In fact, she was so bored she simply wished they would arrive already.
“You need to be careful.”
“I know. I won’t even mention the word ‘Latria.’”
“There may be pirates there.”
“Pirates in the Tordi Empire?”
“The food stored in the ship’s hold wasn’t meant for a long voyage.”
That was true.
Instead of dried meat, canned food, and stored water, there had been fresh fruits and vegetables, smoked ham, and clean drinking water.
“They set sail solely for the kidnapping. But they failed. They’ll come to Tordi to discuss the matter. They need to meet the person who commissioned the abduction.”
Naomi, who had apparently woken up at some point, suddenly stuck her face between the two of them.
“That’s the Tordi Empire’s flag, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we avoid coming here? The Tordi emperor arranged the kidnapp—”
Angelina quickly clamped a hand over Naomi’s mouth.
“Quiet. If you say the wrong thing, we’ll all die.”
“Naomi, check whether there are any pirate ships docked here.”
“Leave it to me.”
Brimming with confidence, Naomi extended the telescope and swept her gaze across the harbor.
“There aren’t any.”
“Are you sure you looked properly?”
“Then look for yourself.”
Angelina pressed her eye to the telescope lens. Countless ships filled the harbor, but no pirate ship could be seen.
Then maybe they were saf—
“Don’t relax yet. We may have arrived before them.”
Alexei really had a talent for crushing hope.
Angelina stared blankly at the approaching land. After enduring storms and winds, she had longed desperately for solid ground—never imagining that ground would belong to an enemy nation.
This is like a movie.
I don’t know the genre, but the protagonist never dies.
It would be too cruel for my mother in my previous life to hear that her daughter died in the same land where her husband died.
Watching the passenger ship approach the dock, Angelina reignited her will to survive.
“I hope you enjoy your journey.”
The captain smiled encouragingly at the strange group of four travelers.
“I’m sure you’ll discover the unique charm of the Tordi Empire.”
Ignoring the chilling words of encouragement, Angelina stepped off the ship.
The scenery itself was ordinary, yet strangely suffocating. Even the sun that had brightly illuminated the sea had vanished somewhere.
“First, we need to find somewhere quiet to stay.”
Angelina agreed with Alexei. Avoiding attention was the only way to survive.
Even Naomi seemed tense, silently following behind the two of them.
Only one person remained motionless, as if frozen in place.
Franz Boyle.
“I believe this is where we part ways.”
Among the three who turned back, it was Alexei who spoke.
“Do you have somewhere to go?”
“No.”
“Then why not stay with us? If you want what we promised you, wouldn’t that be better?”
“That is a selfish thing to say.”
“Selfish?”
“I know, and so do you, Your Highness, that the situation is different now than it was when we escaped the pirate ship.”
Franz shot back sharply.
“Please, I wish you all a safe journey home.”
