The carriage lent to them by the Bureau of Order was nothing short of extravagant. Satin guessed they’d probably brought out their best one. Judging by Rita’s unimpressed expression, though, it was likely more about the Bureau’s self-satisfaction than any real consideration for them.
Pushed forward by Rita, Edward boarded the carriage first. Just as Satin was about to follow, the knight—clearly tensed up—misspoke.
“I-it is an honor to be of service to you, L-Lady…”
He must have meant to say Your Highness but quickly changed it to Lady. As he looked over, flustered, Satin pretended not to notice and changed the subject.
“Wow, six horses. That’s a lot.”
Though meant as a diversion, he was genuinely surprised. Horses weren’t exactly small creatures, and seeing six of them lined up like that gave the whole thing a grandeur that put buses to shame.
Satin had never ridden in a six-horse carriage before. He’d seen them on the road a few times, but even that wasn’t often. Most were lavishly adorned, obviously transport for the wealthy—like a limousine, for instance.
‘How many horses did Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage have again?’
That silly thought flitted through his head as he climbed aboard. And again, he was struck with awe. The hired carriages he’d used before barely had room for six people to squeeze in. This one, though, was spacious.
Cain, stepping in after him, read Satin’s expression and threw cold water on his wonderment.
“Doesn’t matter how fancy it is. The ride’s gonna feel the same.”
“Ah… you’re probably right.”
No matter how luxurious the carriage, rough roads meant sore asses. As Satin’s face fell in mild disappointment, Rita boarded last and added:
“The capital isn’t far now, so the roads should be better. Most cities north of Redwood are connected straight to the capital.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Once everyone had boarded, the knight who’d stumbled earlier stepped up to the door. With a solemn face, he declared, “Then we shall depart,” and closed the door.
They would soon learn the reason for his solemn expression. The carriage, departing from Redwood’s north gate, barely slowed down at all. With six horses and minimal rest stops, it felt to Satin more like a car speeding along a highway.
It probably wasn’t just a feeling, either. They had set out in the afternoon and reached another city before midnight. Even accounting for the short distances between cities, the speed was exceptional.
The knights didn’t waste any time sightseeing in the darkened city. Instead, they headed straight for a lodging house that doubled as a restaurant. Considering Rita’s status, the place was pretty nice for a spur-of-the-moment stop.
They took care of both dinner and accommodations in one go. The next day, another forced march began. Though the party spent most of the time inside the carriage and didn’t suffer much, it must have been a grueling schedule for the knights.
After two full days of travel, the six-horse carriage finally passed through the capital’s gate on the third day. As if she had been waiting for this moment, Rita suddenly spoke up.
“There’s actually something I haven’t told you.”
Was she finally going to reveal her identity? Now that they were in the capital, hiding it would be a challenge. Someone here was bound to recognize her, and it was better to come clean herself than have the truth outed by someone else. Not that it was much of a secret anymore, anyway.
“The truth is, I…”
Though Rita was usually straightforward, she hesitated now. No one rushed her.
“I’m…”
Thunk. The carriage came to a sudden stop. Everyone looked toward the window, startled—just in time to hear a loud, booming voice.
“Princess Margarita! I am Katrin! I humbly request an audience with Your Highness!”
***
As for how Rita’s big announcement got ruined, the story goes like this:
Two days earlier, Rita had asked the Redwood Bureau of Order to investigate the suspicious smoke. They had agreed, judging the request to be reasonable.
Thinking things were going well, Rita made one more request: to borrow transportation for a fast journey to the capital. (The knights were included as a complimentary service.)
Not knowing the origin of the strange smoke, Rita had deemed swift action essential. And indeed, the carriage provided by the Bureau turned out to be incredibly useful. (Even if the knights never had to lift a finger.)
Rita had assumed that her connection with the Redwood Bureau ended there—but she was wrong. The Bureau had actually thought one step ahead. If they could get someone to the capital ahead of the carriage, they could pass along information faster.
‘Couriers are quicker than carriages, after all.’
Of course, they wouldn’t call them couriers here, but still.
While Satin and the others were marveling at how fast the carriage was, a knight from the Redwood Bureau had already taken off on horseback—riding faster and reaching the capital first. Not only did he report on the suspicious smoke, but he also announced the return of the princess.
This situation was the result.
“The High Priest is awaiting Your Highness.”
Katrin, who had come to greet Rita, appeared to be someone affiliated with the royal household. Though Satin wasn’t well-versed in the local hierarchy, he could make a decent guess based on her attire and the number of attendants she had brought with her.
‘Thank goodness this isn’t the kind of world where you get executed for looking at a noble the wrong way.’
Though Katrin didn’t seem entirely pleased with Rita’s appearance, she made no comment. Likewise, when she looked over Rita’s companions, she merely furrowed her brows slightly without picking a fight. She was someone who stuck to her duties.
“Your friends may accompany you as well.”
Even with a look that said she’d rather not, her tone remained perfectly polite.
As Satin hesitated, unsure why they had to come along, Edward stepped forward and asked:
“Why must we accompany you? If it’s just to extend hospitality as part of Her Highness’s entourage, we respectfully decline—”
“That’s not the reason. The High Priest has requested your presence as well.”
As she said ‘your’, Katrin directed her gaze toward Edward, then Satin, then Cain—as though she already knew exactly how many were in Rita’s group.
‘Did the knight who came ahead mention even that?’
Rita, who had been silently hiding her face with both hands in embarrassment, gave an awkward laugh and said,
“Well… it’s ended up like this, so would you mind coming along?”
It was phrased as a request, but realistically, no one there could say no. Even Cain didn’t complain.
Soon after, the group—minus Rita—got back into the carriage. Rita rode separately with Katrin, in a carriage so ostentatious it made their previous one look modest in comparison. They’d thought the last one was extravagant, but it didn’t even come close to this true royal transport.
As soon as the door shut, Satin turned to Cain, wide-eyed.
“Did you see that? That was gold leaf, right?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s the point of putting gold on a carriage? Does it keep it cooler in summer or warmer in winter…?”
“It’s just for show. You think it actually does something?”
Cain looked utterly disinterested. Neither the revelation that Rita was a princess nor the gold-coated carriage seemed to make the slightest impression on him.
Edward, on the other hand, looked visibly flustered. He already knew Rita was a princess, so why was he acting like this? The reason soon became clear when he spoke up.
“To think I’ll be meeting the High Priest… I can’t remember the last time I felt this nervous.”
Satin, who still hadn’t chosen a religion and was firmly agnostic despite having supposedly met an angel, couldn’t quite relate.
‘Is this how Catholics felt when the Pope visited their country?’
“I can guess why he summoned us, though I’m not certain.”
“Probably to talk about the current situation? Maybe something really is happening…”
“If that were all, he wouldn’t have summoned all of us. He could’ve just made a public statement. With visible phenomena already occurring, no one would dismiss it as temple propaganda.”
“You think so?”
As Satin and Edward chatted, the carriage began to move.
The sun had just passed its zenith. It was peak time for foot traffic, and the streets were bustling. Satin felt deeply self-conscious riding in such a luxurious carriage in the middle of all those people.
‘Thank goodness this is traditional fantasy. If this were some idol-themed urban fantasy, I’d be screwed.’
He pictured himself smiling and singing in front of tens of thousands, and the thought alone gave him stage fright.
Cain, unlike Satin, was calmly watching the world go by outside. He looked lost in thought.
“What’re you thinking about?”
“Wondering when I’ll get to go back to Cloverland.”
“You want to go back that badly?”
Surprised, Satin’s eyes widened. Cain gave a dry laugh and cleared up the misunderstanding.
“It’s not that I miss Cloverland.”
“Oh, you just wanna go home, huh?”
“Exactly. I finally got myself a place, and now I’m not even using it. Wasteful, don’t you think?”
“Not so much wasteful as… I’m more worried about the garden.”
“The neighbor’s probably looking after it fine.”
“Whether they are or aren’t, I’m still worried…”
Satin hadn’t expected this journey to drag on so long. He couldn’t help worrying about the neighbor who was probably tending his garden all this time. If they’d already given up, it might be a relief—but what if they were still doing it out of obligation?
Cain shrugged.
“Why borrow trouble? They’ll manage.”
“Yeah… I hope so.”
Hearing the two of them talk, Edward frowned. Satin glanced at him, puzzled.
“What?”
“Do you two live together?”
“Oh, something came up. I’ve been staying at Cain’s place for a while.”
“Something came up, huh…”
For some reason, Edward trailed off and stared at Cain intently. Cain lifted one corner of his mouth in a sly smile. Usually curt with Edward, he responded this time with a surprisingly gentle tone.
“Hard to believe, I know. But it’s true.”
