Chapter 343 : Side Story (13)

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Somnia asked.

Colombous nodded.

It was right after he had sweated quite a bit, after all.

“The dining hall is close to the library.”

“Is it okay to just go?”

“I go there often, anyway.”

Colombous took the lead confidently.

He is the Emperor’s eldest son.

There was no one in the Great Imperial Palace who would block his path.

Colombous entered the dining hall without hesitation, and the workers immediately bowed their heads to him.

Among them was a man wearing a tall hat.

“Prince Colombous. What brings you here….”

“Head Chef. Why are you outside? You’re always only in the kitchen.”

“Because someone else took charge of the banquet preparations today.”

“Ah? Ah…!”

Colombous nodded.

“Then he must be inside?”

He said with a bright smile.

“Mr. Kifkos!”

“Who is calling while I am cooking— Oh! Your Highness!”

A gold-toothed man dashed out of the kitchen.

Beside him was a man with shaggy sideburns.

Kifkos and Gloriosus.

The chef-cum-businessmen who run the Gold Whale Tavern and have branches all over the empire.

They had a friendship with Emperor Shion, and Shion would occasionally invite them to handle the banquet preparations.

“You’ve grown taller! Were you eleven years old this year?”

“That’s right. I am eleven.”

“The first time we saw His Majesty the Emperor was also when he was eleven. You really look exactly alike.”

Is looking exactly alike a compliment?

Gloriosus tilted his head.

The place where they first met Shion was the Sillemol Free Market.

At age 11, Shion had beaten up Kifkos, who was the top fist of Sillemol.

“The smell is incredible, what were you making?”

“The side dishes may change, but the main dish is always the same.”

Kifkos grinned broadly.

The gold-plated tooth sparkled.

“Isn’t it a special, whole roasted piglet?”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Glorious words!”

The gold-toothed man giggled.

“More importantly, Your Highness, seeing that you came all the way here, you must be feeling peckish.”

“You’re quick-witted.”

“There is some food we made to eat amongst ourselves, would you like to have some?”

Kifkos looked at the Head Chef.

It would seem like the Head Chef had given up his kitchen to outsiders, but the two didn’t look like they were on bad terms.

“The Head Chef’s pumpkin pie is amazing.”

“Pumpkin pie!”

Colombous’s eyes shone.

The imperial palace Head Chef’s pumpkin pie is one of his favorite snacks.

Kifkos gestured as if he knew he would like it.

The Head Chef hummed a tune as he took out the pumpkin pie and began to cut it.

“Will you eat here, Your Highness?”

“No. I’ll take it to go.”

“Understood. I will put in a few other things too, so please enjoy.”

Colombous accepted the bundle containing the pumpkin pie.

“Sorry for interrupting. Keep up the hard work, everyone.”

***

Colombous took a seat in a quiet garden near the dining hall.

Somnia followed behind with quick, short steps.

“Will you eat some pumpkin pie, Somnia?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Somnia answered.

“I’m not particularly hungry.”

“Have some anyway.”

“It’s okay. It looks too….”

She slightly furrowed her brows.

“…Sweet.”

“It is sweet.”

That’s why it’s good.

Colombous took a bite of the pumpkin pie.

Somnia smiled broadly, as if just watching him eat was good enough.

The girl looked inside the bundle, and soon stopped her movements.

“…This is….”

“Ah. He packed this too.”

Colombous picked up a piece of bread.

It wasn’t a pumpkin pie, nor was it Cordis-style bread.

It was a type of chewy bread enjoyed in the West, in the Bururade Peninsula.

“It’s bread with olives in it. They spread fig jam in between. As for who made it….”

“The Imperial Consort.”

Somnia said.

“Her Highness Serena made it, right?”

“How did you know?”

“It’s famous. That she bakes bread herself.”

“Want to try it?”

“Yeah.”

The answer was quick.

After refusing so much earlier saying she was full, Somnia immediately picked up the olive bread.

Since it was baked in the morning, it had already cooled down.

Even so, Somnia felt a very great sense of welcome from this bread.

“It’s delicious.”

The girl who took a bite of the bread smiled widely.

So widely that the corners of her mouth seemed about to touch the corners of her eyes.

The smile was peculiar.

She also looked like a person feeling a sort of longing.

Colombous was still 11 years old, and he had no way of reading what heart lay within Somnia’s expression.

“Yeah. It’s delicious….”

Still.

***

The boy and the girl walked down the hallway.

They hadn’t really set a destination.

It was a light stroll to digest the stomach filled with bread.

While doing so, there was a man who suddenly jumped down in front of them.

“You startled me!”

There was a faint smell of alcohol.

Colombous recognized that the man who jumped down in front of them was the White Lord, Obro Denoebang.

He was scattering blue demonic energy from his eyes, yet all he held in his hand was a single pen.

“What is this, Sir Obro!”

“Mm?”

Obro Denoebang tilted his head.

He looked alternately at the pen in his hand and Colombous in front of his eyes.

And then he bowed his head.

“…Oh my, it was Your Highness.”

“I thought my heart was going to drop. Suddenly falling from the sky like that….”

“I apologize.”

“Why did you do that?”

Obro scratched his chin.

“Because I felt something suspicious wandering around.”

He sneakily hid the pen in his hand into his pocket.

He had been in the middle of writing a letter.

He would exchange letters with Cheshih in Peniteo Village a few times a year.

Asking if Mano was doing well, if there were any items the village needed, and so on.

“But it seems I’ve gotten old too. The feeling was distinct….”

Obro’s eyes narrowed.

He realized that Colombous was not alone.

It was a strange thing.

Even though he was Obro Denoebang, he was late in realizing the existence of that small girl.

He thought that perhaps the suspiciousness he felt might be because of that girl.

“…Who is this child?”

“Ah.”

Colombous turned his head.

“We met by chance, and I was showing her around the imperial palace. It’s nothing special, and I’m taking responsibility….”

“Your Highness.”

Obro cut him off.

Colombous recalled that Obro Denoebang was the head of security for the Great Imperial Palace.

He would likely not tolerate a situation where an unidentified girl wandered all over the imperial palace.

“I am truly sorry, but may I speak with this girl?”

“…Okay.”

Obro stepped forward.

He stared down intently at Somnia.

His mouth smiled benevolently, but blue sparks flew from his eyes.

“What is your name?”

“…It’s Somnia.”

“Somnia?”

Somnia, Somnia….

Obro repeated her name a few times.

There was a strange awkwardness.

Obro was certain that the name Somnia was an alias.

And then he thought about what Somnia meant in the Ancient Hotus language.

“…Dream, illusion, fantasy …Fantasy?”

And if you say fantasy in the Bururade Peninsula language, it becomes four letters.

Four letters that start with Po, and end with a.

“……!”

Obro opened his eyes wide.

He discovered that Somnia’s hair was amber-colored.

It was beautiful, as if raspberry color and golden color were mixed.

The White Lord ended up realizing the girl’s identity.

“…Oh my god!”

Shh!

Somnia urgently placed her index finger on her lips.

She winked repeatedly.

It was a manner as if asking Obro to keep a secret.

Colombous still did not notice the secret signal passing between them.

“…Right.”

Obro said.

“That could be the case. Your Highness. It doesn’t seem like there will be any particular problem, so I will just let it pass.”

“…Are you going to report it to the Imperial Father?”

“No. I won’t go out of my way to do so.”

Somnia grinned.

So that it wouldn’t be seen by Colombous.

“However, please be careful.”

“Yes. I’ll take responsibility, show her around, and then send her off.”

“…Do not go that way.”

Obro pointed a finger toward one side of the imperial palace.

“Hermai Merhes is there.”

“Got it, Obro!”

Colombous held Somnia’s hand and ran flat out.

Even if he was the Emperor’s eldest son, Obro Denoebang was burdensome.

Watching the disappearing boy and girl, Obro muttered.

“…To think such a thing could happen.”

The White Lord shook his head.

He realized the fact that he had met a girl he could not possibly meet.

“To think such a thing could happen….”

***

“Colombous!”

While they were in the middle of running, Somnia shouted.

“Colombous! Let’s stop for a moment! I have to go to that person!”

“…That person is….”

A woman walking down the hallway was visible.

She had brown skin and wavy hair.

“It’s Ms. Shadi?”

“Hello! Nice to meet you!”

Somnia dashed out.

She was someone with no shyness at all, in any case.

Shadi Shandor placed a hand over her mouth while looking at the unfamiliar girl.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course! You are Ms. Shadi Shandor!”

“That’s strange. I don’t know you.”

“We can get to know each other now. Where were you heading?”

“To the Captain.”

Shadi smiled broadly.

“I was on my way to see Captain Ametus.”

“May we go with you?”

“Huh? Sure…. Prince Colombous is here as well. How unusual. There shouldn’t be any problem.”

The boy and the girl followed Shadi Shandor.

Shadi was bewildered, but she continued on her way.

It was in the opposite direction from where Obro had warned, a quiet place near the detached palace where Shion once lived.

“I’m here, Captain.”

Between the trees and grass, there were two stone monuments.

She stroked one of them.

“I’ve brought two peculiar uninvited guests as well.”

[Ametus Aretion.]

[Proud descendant of Arete Island.]

[Emperor Shion’s sharpest sword.]

This stone monument was to commemorate Ametus.

Shion’s gift for the man who perished without leaving behind even a piece of his corpse.

Shadi Shandor would occasionally come here to remember Ametus.

“Ms. Shadi, Ms. Shadi.”

“Hm?”

“Mr. Ametus says he doesn’t really like this inscription.”

“?”

In Somnia’s words, Shadi expressed doubt.

It was natural, since she was delivering the opinion of a dead person.

“He’s asking, if it’s the sharpest sword, it’s the sharpest sword; what is ‘sharpest sword that was’ supposed to mean.”

“……?”

“Oh my. I thought if it was Ms. Shadi, you would know where I came from.”

Somnia stuck out her tongue and laughed.

She was talking about Shadi’s Ars, ‘Rami Labuhr’.

About the eye that penetrates the spiritual world through the spirits of the sand.

Only then did Shadi realize that the girl named Somnia was not an existence of this world.

“There is a letter.”

The postman from that side held out yet another letter.

Shadi opened it with trembling hands.

[To Shadi.]

[I am sorry.]

With just the first eight letters, Shadi ended up realizing who the man that wrote this letter was.

The owner of the blunt jade eyes.

The one she had always missed so painfully….

[I went too early.]

[I did a sorry thing to you.]

[If it is because of me, please stop being lonely.]

[Meet a good person and build a family.]

[From Ametus.]

“Ha!”

Shadi yelled, dumbfounded.

“To think that after sending a letter at best, the words he says are such stupid nonsense!”

“……Are you angry?”

“No. I’m glad.”

Shadi Shandor shook her head.

“Being unable to be honest even there is just like the Captain. Good grief….”

She peered into Somnia.

Even looking with her spiritual eyes, she couldn’t peer inside.

It was because Somnia was an existence that already belonged to that side.

Shadi laughed softly.

“Little one. If you go back, could you pass on my words?”

“…Mm. Originally, that wasn’t allowed.”

Somnia glanced at the sky.

She seemed to share a conversation with someone invisible for a moment.

“…But they say it’s okay because Ms. Shadi is special. If it’s just a short word or so.”

“Am I special?”

“Yes. They said you especially had many storms and waves….”

“…I did have many…?”

Shadi nodded.

Leaving her hometown in her childhood, losing her family, falling into a coma for 7 years, and when she woke up, Ametus died soon after.

Looking back like this, it was somewhat sorrowful.

“Anyway. Tell the Captain.”

She straightened her shoulders confidently.

“Ask him if it isn’t too much to tell me not to wait when the Captain also waited for me for 7 years. Tell him that this Shadi Shandor is living well on her own, so don’t worry!”

“Right. Shadi is living well.”

A voice cut in.

At the same time, an intimidating pressure that seemed to crush all directions was felt.

A girl with a small build had appeared at some point and was glaring at them.

“Currently, she is living with me in Hobel Bay.”

The spirit is fierce.

Half of her face was covered in scars.

The dignifiedly beautiful face glared fiercely at Somnia.

It was because she had branded her as an uninvited guest.

“By the way, just what are you, kid?”

Nana Nereyades, Nine Streams General.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep