Vol.4 Ch.77 - We Asked for Help

“Passports, please.” The border officer asked.“Here you are.”“Let’s see… Well, everything checks out. Welcome to Centralis, enjoy yourstay!”From here on out, we were officially in the royal country. The country that isconsidered the ‘Capital Country of the Continent’ for lack of a better term.It’s here where the Grys Royal Family resides, and also where we’ll bemeeting up with their youngest prince, Adam Grys.Anna is yet to find this out, though, but Grim and I met Adam back in the NeoUrbana party over at Melgam. I wanted to keep the fact that I’m wellacquainted with a member of the Royal Family a secret from her, mostlybecause I just want to see her honest reaction to her finding that out.Adam was a bit older than us, but he’s a sheltered and tender soul, even bymy standards. Guess it’s just the perks of being raised by nobles, but he’s anextreme pacifist through and through. That doesn’t mean that he wasn’t of anyhelp to us during the fight that broke out there, though, as he saved Grim froma sticky situation, and volunteered to be used as a meat shield by him andCecily (Now that I think about it, so was I…)“So Ed, you gonna tell me who this friend of yours is? Some adventurerbuddy you met during you travels?”“Well, yes and no. You’ll just see when we get there, but before that, let’s gosit down somewhere, the wagon ride here really tickled my motionsickness…”And so, after a quick stroll around the town, Anna and I sat down at a caféthat looked promising. And when I say promising, I mean luxuriouslybeautiful! Like, I can’t even describe how rich it looked, but when weentered the actual place and had the waiters sit us down at our seats, werealized it’s quite a homely little place. The prices seemed quite reasonableas well.“Šta hoćete?”Oh right, I can’t speak Cardinic. Well, based purely on the context, as well ashis tone, I’ll assume he’s asking us what we would like to order. Now theonly question is how I’ll go about ordering anything from this menu written ina language I have yet to learn how to read. It uses the same alphabet asEntropic, but no matter how hard I try to read the words, they always comeout with a strong accent. I just can’t wrap my head around it.While I was fumbling over my words, Anna simply chuckled at me andpointed to the thing she wanted to order. After the waiter wrote her orderdown, Anna turned to ask me what I’d want and I pointed to what I assumewas the Latte.The waiter gave us a warm smile and went to the back to make our orders. Isighed as I slouched back in my seat before noticing Anna’s previouslaughter and jovial nature had ran dry.“Everything alright with you? You seem troubled.”“Of course I am. Honestly, I’m surprised you’re not worried about Lune inthe slightest, aren’t you two best friends?”I see. So she’s still worried about Grim’s wellbeing. Well, can’t say I’m nothappy to hear that, but seriously, worrying isn’t gonna do us any good. I needto somehow convince her into believing wholeheartedly that Grim is, in fact,not dead.“That’s precisely why I’m not worried. Grim’s strong, he won’t die from thecold environment. In fact, he developed a new power to light flames from hishan-”I wanted to mention the fact that he can now use Spark to freely heat himselfup whenever he wanted to (even though he didn’t really like to use it thatmuch after Carter died), but I realized just how crazy that made me seem. Istopped talking for a second, trying to find a suitable way to explain it all toher whilst also making it sound believable and genuine, but then she saidsomething crazy.“…I know.”“What?”As she answered back with this surprising phrase, I sat with my mouth wideopen in sheer shock while the waiter handed me my Latte, and Anna herlemonade.“I know… Lune can do that. It… happened before one time.”“It did?”“Yeah, back when he fought off that Stray Wolf when we were staying at yourUncle’s house. I was unconscious from the fear, so I only remember tidbitsabout it, but he… he was different. He seemed more vicious than the wolf, ifI had to describe it. So hearing that he has that under control makes me veryglad.”“Oh, I see then. Well, apart from that, I have more proof about him beingalive.”“And that is?”“Think about it. The ITA are a shady bunch, they like to lie to us a lot of thetime and are genuinely unpleasant people. Also, they like to chalk things up alot too. For all we know, maybe everyone from that party apart from Linus isalive and well.”“So then why wouldn’t they report back to the ITA?”“Like I said, they’re a shady organization. I’ve actually met up with a relativeof one of his party members named Sullivan, and the relative mentioned thathe too was forced to attend the excursion. Another thing to note is that youcan’t leave the ITA, ever. If you try to run away, they’ll label you a deserterand go after you and/or your family.”“Yikes, I remember hearing about it, but it’s still hard to believe that such anorganization exists. So what, you’re saying they faked their own deaths toescape from the ITA?”“Exactly. That’d also explain why they’re not home yet. They’re probablylaying low somewhere while the dust settles, making sure not to contact asingle soul. Remember, if they were to send a letter to us telling us they’resafe, then that letter would pass by hundreds of hands before making its wayto us.”“Right. Heh, that level of discretion and careful thinking is definitely a Lunething to do. But then that begs the question, where are they now?”“…Well, that’s something even I don’t know myself. But knowing Grim, he’lldefinitely be back home someday. But for now, let’s just hope I’m right.”After that, we decided to not worry about him for the time being and chattedabout more lighthearted things. It’s not a matter of us not caring for hiswellbeing, it’s just that he himself would surely not want us to getdisheartened, whether he was alive or not. Back when we were traveling, hewould always tell me the exact same thing over and over again. No matterwhat, don’t make Anna cry. Lie if you have to, just don’t leave her feelingsad, so that’s precisely what I’m doing.***“Halt! You are nearing the Grys Royal Family Estate! State your names andbusiness!”“E-Ed, I think you took a wrong turn or somethng…”“…This lady here is named Anna Grey, and I myself am Edward Saint. Weseek an emergency audience with the prince, Adam Grys.”“That’s interesting, sir, but I sure don’t care!” The guard raised his guard,“Now back off from the premises or I will be forced to resort to violence!”“Hey, hey! Calm down there, I’m a friend of the prince! We met back whenhe was in Great Hiana!”“Phah! Now I know you’re lying! The prince never left the Royal Country ofCentralis!”These words threw me for a complete loop. We’re talking about Adam Gryshere, right? If so, then I’m 100% sure Grim and I met him during the fight inNeo Urbana. Hmm, then this can only mean one thing… The prince is beingheld captive and the guard here was tasked with keeping it a secret from anyand all outsiders! In which case, we now have to find a way to infiltrate thecastle through stealth and skill! Once inside, we-“Oh, sup Ed.” Adam suddenly showed his face, “What’re you doing here?”“M-Milord! You know these people?”…Orrrr the guard just didn’t believe a commoner like me was acquaintedwith the prince.“Geez, didn’t I tell you to first inform me of who was coming to visit mebefore just telling them the ‘I was never in Great Hiana’ lie?”“I-I understand that, Milord, but they didn’t appear to be of noble descent, soI figured-”“You figured? Did I hire you to ‘figure’ if I know these people? Or to standguard in case someone ‘who I personally don’t know’ shows up?”“T-The latter, Milord, I’m sorry, Milord…”Adam turned around towards us and immediately changed from being aterrifying but competent leader to a kind and innocent man with a warmsmile. He certainly matured in the time since we last saw him, but you couldprobably still recognize him from afar if you saw him out in the street (notthat you’d see the prince of the Royal Family out wandering the streets…)The main difference in his appearance (apart from his clothes being a lotmore casual than what we saw at the party) is his beard. It was a full grownbeard that didn’t at all fit his youthful voice. And by the Gods, it’s certainly asizeable one! In any case, it’s no stubble, I’ll tell you that much!“Well, before anything Ed, isn’t it proper manners to introduce me to thelovely lady standing next to you?”“Oh, this is Anna. Don’t mind her, she’s just a bit shy around new people.She’s a genuine delight once you get to know her, though.”The prince approached her, gestured for her to bring forth her hand, beforegently giving it a peck. I do believe this is just a custom of nobles and thelike, but it still didn’t really sit right with me.“I see. In that case, nice to meet you, Milady.”“Wawawawa-n-nice to meet you too!” She flubbed about for a moment, butfor a moment I could read the thoughts popping out of her head, “[Oh myGod, it’s a real prince! And he kissed my hand!!!]”“Haha! No need to be so tense, Milady! Come, if you two wish to speak withme, then by all means, I’ll have the servants prepare us some tea!”As such, Adam was now happily leading us into the Royal Castle, and Annaand I followed shortly behind. While walking, he called out to a maid.“Mariabelle, would you mind preparing some tea for me and our guests here?We’ll be in my room.”“Of course, Your Highness, I’ll be sure to make it extra tasty!”The maid was certainly an interesting one. She stood out almost immediately,if not for her sizeable breasts, then certainly for her hair color. It wasincredibly eye-catching, in that her long hair was pink, but the accents at thetips of her hair were almost white, as if the color alone was fading outdespite her age being quite similar to our own.“Now now, Mariabelle, no need for you ‘extra tasty tea’. These people arevery dear friends of mine, so I’d prefer it if you didn’t pull such pranks.”The maid’s cheerful tone turned into a disappointed pout after her prank wasdismantled by Adam.“Ah, come on, Your Highness, it’s precisely because they’re your friends thatyou need to pull some pranks!”“Oh? Then do you, pray tell, pull any pranks on Sol?”“Only when we’re in bed, but those pranks aren’t the family-friendly type.”“…”This maid seemed innocent and cute from first glance, but she’s definitely notpure at all! Her mischievous side seemed to have shown itself for just a splitsecond there, but it was enough to embarrass everyone in the room (safe fromherself somehow). Well, at least her husband or whatever is satisfied…“Okay, now that we’ve all been seated (and Mariabelle’s out making the teafor everyone), you should probably first tell me what you need.”“Straight to the point? That isn’t like you at all, Adam.”“Spare me the pleasantries, Ed. If you two traveled from Great Hiana to herejust to see me, then obviously something isn’t right.”Anna was finally starting to catch up on the situation, but she still wasn’tcompletely herself here. At the end of the day, she’s a waitress at a familyrestaurant, of course she’s gonna feel a bit out of place in this giant castle, soit’s to be expected. Either way, she decided to explain the story so far.“A-Ah, actually, I’m from Springwood. My grandfather is suffering from anunknown illness, and while we were researching various ways to cure him,Ed just so happened to pass by to come visit us.”“I see, I see. So, you’re thinking I’m a bit more knowledgeable on thesupposed cure then?”“Actually, Ed already found the cure. It’s a plant called… I forget the name,but basically it only grows in Umoris. The issue is we can’t find anyonewilling to exchange our travel funds from coins into shils, so Ed proposedwe come visit you.”“Oh, that’s all? No problem then, I’ll even set you up with a transport wagonto there, until then you may stay here for as long as you’d like!” He laughs asMariabelle enters the room with the tea, “Oh right, where’s Lune?”In that moment, Mariabelle accidentally tipped my cup of tea while pouringit, spilling the tea on both Anna and me, “A-Ah! So sorry! I had my head inthe clouds!”“Mariabelle! What is wrong with you?!” Adam shouted out, “Sorry about thatguys, I’ll have the servants get you some replacement clothes.”“Oh, no need for that, really! It’s just some tea, it’ll dry out soon, plus theseare our casual clothes, nothing to worry about.”“Nonsense! Mariabelle, take them to the dressing room, and DON’T letsomething like this happen again.”Mariabelle gulped before turning tail and rushing us out of the room to let theprince calm down. Looks like Adam’s quite scary when he’s at home, hard tobelieve this titan of a man was used as a human meatshield by Grim…“Man,” Mariabelle sighed as she guided us to the dressing room, “Sorryabout that, I really don’t know what happened there.”“Don’t worry about it, like I said, it’s nothing too serious.”“Right!” Anna added, “It can happen to anyone!”“Ah, you two’re too kind. No wonder you’re friends with my Master.”Oh, looks like her matter of speaking is way more casual when she’s not infront of Adam. That at least makes it easier to talk to her. Which remindsme…“Miss Mariabelle, how come you speak Entropic so fluently? Barely anyonespeaks it in Cardina, so I was thinking you might originally be from Entropaas well.”She glanced back before chuckling to herself a bit.“Nah, I just talk with Master a lot. He just can’t seem to let go of thelanguage, it appears.”“Hey, hey!” Anna ran up next to her, “What’s it like working for a prince?”The maid was caught a bit off guard from the sudden change in topics, but shewas certainly happy after having found another female to talk to in this bigcastle of theirs, so she answered Anna in an instant.“Well, I’d like to say it’s amazing, but really it’s just a job like any other.”“What? How come? I mean, you’re in a castle all day long, that’s supercool!”“Eh, I’m basically a janitor here. The only productive thing I do all day iscount the seconds before I can go back home.”“Home? You don’t live here in the castle?” I asked.“No, I live nearby in a house with Sol.”At these words, Anna immediately entered ‘Gossip mode’.“Sol? Is that your husband? You mentioned him before! Err, nevermind...WWhat an eccentric name! What does he do for a living?”Mariabelle looked on at her new friend with a dumbfounded expressionbefore bursting out in a fit of laughter.“Phahaha! We’re not like that! Honest! It’s just easier on our wallets to sharea house instead of both of us renting out separate ones is all.”“Wait, you’re not together? But didn’t you say…” Anna recalled what themaid said back in the hallways about ‘pulling pranks in bed’ with this Solperson.“Eh, it’s not that serious of a relationship. We just do the deed to relievesome stress, no biggie. In any case, here’s your clothes, go change over inthat room there.”After she pointed us to the right room, both Anna and I came out through thedoors looking like completely different people. I was wearing a noble’s suit,tailored to fit me to a T, meanwhile Anna looked stunning in her dress.“Holy crap, it fits you guys better than I expected! I should call up Master assoon as possible and have him see you for himself! I’m sure he’ll be just asthrilled!”“Ah, no need for that, it’s quite late, so if you don’t mind, could you show usto the guest rooms?”At this denial, she made a bit of a disappointed face before turning that frowninto a mischievous smile. She must be planning another prank again likeAdam warned us about…“Ah, apologies again, kind guests, but it appears we only have one vacantroom left, and it’s a one bed room at that. If you wish to stay here, you’llhave to share, will that be alright?”Since I Beheld a Brown Iro, I could all too easily read her mind and tell youexactly what she was plotting. She was expecting us to get all flustered, and Ireally wanted to wipe that smug aura off her face, so without thinking I went:“No problem.”“EH?!” Anna turned to face me with astonishment in her eyes.“We sleep in the same room all the time.” I added to the maid with a strikingdose of seriousness, “No biggie.”“ED??!?” Anna once again didn’t follow my lead in trying to diffuse themaid’s tease.“Heheh, looks like there’s nothing to worry about then. Good luck with himtonight, dear.” Mariabelle laughed.“ED YOU IDIOT! SHE’S MISUNDERSTANDING SOMETHING!”I was now too far gone into the plan. If I backed out now, then this annoyingmaid would continue to tease me about it for the entire duration of our stay.So I had no other choice but to double down.“Anna, get in the room.” I said before whispering to Mariabelle, ”(Oh, andanother thing.)”“(Yes?)”“(You’d best get some clean sheets ready for the morning. Anna might be abit hesitant to use the guest rooms of my friend, but I’m planning on going allnight long.)”Mariabelle’s face went a bit red while she commented with an Oh my! Yep,needless to say, my counterplan went smoothly! Thanks to my little lie there,I’m sure she won’t be messing with us again!