Chapter 38
Melissa was completely fine after a full night’s sleep and was ready to go early in the morning.
Nelly had also slept soundly all night and felt refreshed. She and Melissa left Waterwheel Alley, walked through the not-yet-fully-awake streets of the old city, and headed for the high ground in the northeastern corner of Mez. The golden morning light just managed to leak through the rooftops, and every step they took was like walking in a gentle rain of golden sand, soothing and calming.
They soon reached the riverbank.
The morning light fell on the slightly rippling water, and the Frisia River in the morning was quiet and calm. This great river, which flowed from the cold and damp Misty Coast all the way to the inland sea, seemed docile and tame, as if it had also submitted to the sharp and imposing air of the royal capital. The once rushing water flowed gently around the foot of the Red Keep hill, and from a distance, it looked like a soft and beautiful ribbon, setting off the magnificent fortress that stood majestically above it.
After crossing the bridge and walking for a short while in the northern city, Nelly and Melissa arrived at the outer perimeter of the Red Keep.
The guards at the drawbridge were coy and polite. They did not show any contempt for their ordinary attire, and after confirming Melissa’s identity as a hero, they did not show any extra diligence, just conscientiously performed their duties, reporting to the captain of the guard with square steps, who in turn reported to the soldiers on the other side of the drawbridge, passing the message layer by layer, the crisp and clear voices echoing in the high gateway of the Red Keep.
Before long, a black-haired man in an emerald green robe and a tricorn hat appeared at the other end of the drawbridge. The captain of the guard escorted Melissa and Nelly across the drawbridge, which was suspended high above the moat, and bowed respectfully. “Lord Pepin.”
The Lord Chamberlain of the Merloh dynasty, Viscount Pepin, was a slender middle-aged man. His smile was impeccable, and a starlight flickered in his eyes, which were as deep as his hair. “Welcome to Mez, esteemed hero. I hope your journey was a pleasant one?”
Melissa twitched the corner of her mouth, and she stuttered a little from nervousness, even forgetting to use honorifics. “Uh… it was… alright.”
“That’s wonderful.” Pepin smiled and watched her. He clapped his hands and, very cordially, walked side by side with Melissa through the first gate of the Red Keep, leading her through the vast and tidy courtyard toward the western tower. “You must be tired from your journey. Why don’t you rest for a while and have an audience with His Majesty tomorrow?”
Melissa was choked for a moment and said with some uncertainty, “I’ve already rested for a night…”
Pepin still seemed very composed and was not at all displeased by the hero’s objection. He gave a charming smile, and his eyes lowered, showing a hint of appropriate apology. “I understand the Lord Hero’s desire to have an audience with His Majesty as soon as possible, but… there are some rules that must be followed. No matter where a guest comes from, they should be announced by me, and the court should be allowed to make some preparations before meeting His Majesty the next day.”
Seeing that Melissa was a little disappointed, Pepin changed the subject. “But this matter is of great importance. Why don’t you wait for a moment, Lord Hero, and after I have made the arrangements, you can have an audience in the afternoon?”
What else could Melissa say? She seemed to have recovered from her nervousness and anxiety. She performed a very standard court bow, and the way she lowered her head was surprisingly elegant. “I will follow the Lord Chamberlain’s arrangements.”
Seeing this, Pepin smiled again. To Nelly’s eyes, this curve of his lips was somewhat mechanical, more like an act that had been practiced too many times and had become an instinct. But this great man was the Lord Chamberlain, after all, so it was not surprising that he had this ability to be a good person by first suppressing and then praising.
“Then please allow me to take my leave first. This Sir Theon will show you two around the Red Keep.” As Pepin was politely taking his leave, a young man with blond hair and green eyes emerged from behind him.
Nelly trembled slightly at the sound of the newcomer’s name, and when she looked up, her expression froze for a moment.
It really is him.
It was not a new thing to meet a resident she had already met before. For example, the innkeeper of the Oak Tree Inn outside the Demon City—Nelly had to re-establish a good relationship with her each time to get supplies.
But this time, the strange feeling of “meeting but not knowing” was several times stronger than before.
He was, after all, someone whose death she had witnessed with her own eyes. Even though it was in another world, at another point in time, Nelly looked at the young blond man’s gentle smile, and what flashed through her mind was the scene of the knight in the white cloak and the snow eagle falling into the deep valley together. She couldn’t help but shrink back and quickly lowered her head.
Theon was a polite and witty guide. He told anecdotes of the court as they walked and had a very pleasant conversation with Melissa. Nelly simply acted as a moving backdrop, silently following along in a daze, not listening to Theon’s witty explanations at all.
Time flew by, and just as Theon led the two of them back to the courtyard, the person Pepin had sent appeared. He grinned at Theon, his tone a little casual. “Sir Theon.”
“Sir Bernard.” Faced with this condescending knight, Theon’s attitude was clearly a little more distant. He turned to bow to Melissa and Nelly, a sincere smile on his face. “It is my honor to have shown you two a glimpse of the Red Keep. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will definitely show you two more of the Red Keep’s charming places.” He bowed. “May the three goddesses bless you, Lord Hero.”
Sir Bernard watched Theon walk away, and with a barely perceptible pout, he turned to Melissa with a warm smile. “His Majesty the King and the lords of the Privy Council are waiting for you in the audience hall.”
Melissa nodded solemnly. She first lowered her head and carefully checked if the famous sword, the Heart of the Hero, was properly worn. Then, she held her head high and followed Bernard toward the main hall.
The interior of the entire Red Keep could be described as simple. Even the audience hall was not overly decorated. Tapestries depicting the glorious history of the Merloh dynasty hung on the pillars supporting the two-story gallery. The glass in the window frames on both sides was not colored, and the transparent sunlight poured in unhindered onto the plain white floor. The mosaic on the roof was very simple, and at a glance, only the throne at the end of the long rectangular hall and the colorful canopy above it seemed relatively luxurious.
A burly middle-aged man sat on the stone-carved throne. He wore a heavy golden crown, and a long cloak fell from the chair to the ground. A longsword rested on his lap. The throne was far from the hall entrance, and one had to get closer to see his face clearly. But due to the dozens of knights and nobles standing behind him, Melissa only took a cursory glance before humbly lowering her gaze. “Your Majesty.”
Nelly, on the other hand, was not surprised. As she knelt down to bow, she secretly looked up and sized up the third king of the Merloh dynasty, Clovis II.
Clovis II had a standard king’s face, with square features and a serious expression. His long, brown hair was braided behind his back, and the fingers resting on the throne were strong and powerful, with the rough marks of martial arts practice.
“Rise.” Clovis replied solemnly, a hint of a smile on his face.
Melissa thanked him and stood up straight, immediately presenting the letter from the Marquis of Nafaray. Pepin, who was standing on Clovis’s left, stepped forward to take it and read it aloud. Clovis listened quietly, then nodded solemnly. “The Demon King is rampant. As the lord of the continent, I will immediately summon the best knights from all countries to support Nafaray.”
“May the three goddesses be with you, fated hero. I, Clovis II, hereby ask you to set off for the now-Demon’s-Lair, Upper Lotharingia. The mounts, weapons, manpower, and all the supplies you need, everything you can think of, I will provide, only hoping that you can eliminate the evil Demon King as soon as possible and let the glory of the goddess shine on the northern lands again.”
“I am willing to serve you, the continent, and the goddess with my life.” Melissa bowed deeply, her right hand on her heart.
Nelly grew impatient with the familiar plot. Perhaps Theon’s appearance had once again stirred a fragile nerve, and an invisible, scorching flame wandered back and forth in her heart. She couldn’t put as much effort into each playthrough’s plot as she had the last time, and the time before that. She felt in a daze that every minute and every second before reaching the Demon’s Lair was an agony.
She had changed, after all.
She was surprised by her own impatience. Her gaze unconsciously swept past the string of nobles behind the throne, past the many upper-class people watching from the galleries on both sides, and settled on the place where the ladies were seated on the right.
A young girl wearing a veil and a headscarf was the most eye-catching. The eyes she revealed were like pure, flawless turquoise, and a strand of brown hair peeked out from the end of her meticulously wrapped headscarf, soft and shiny. She wore the most magnificent and expensive clothes, a pure white dress with layers of folds, and a rose pattern inlaid with pearls and gems bloomed among the folds, shining brightly. Such a dazzling outfit did not look dull on the young girl, but rather complemented her.
She was the rose of the Red Keep, the pearl of Mez, the muse of the continent’s bards, the princess that the knights of the eleven countries were willing to protect with their blood, Clovis II’s youngest daughter, Rosalia.
The morning light shone through the high windows at the end of the audience hall of the Red Keep, warm and bright.
But Nelly, standing in this warm light, felt a little cold. She couldn’t help but think of the coldness of wearing that magnificent robe called Moonlight Rose, with shackles on her hands.
It was as if in the next moment, that black-haired, red-eyed young man would emerge from behind the countless pillars.
Nelly forced herself to look away and looked toward the gallery on the left. Unintentionally, she met Theon’s gaze, who was standing in the front row. He gave a polite smile, and Nelly stiffly returned a smile in greeting.
Clovis and Melissa were still talking, discussing the current situation on the continent. Pepin would interject a few words from time to time, while the other ministers of the Privy Council just honestly acted as escorts, with no intention of speaking at all.
Nelly vaguely felt that something was strange, but she quickly pushed the thought aside. Her gaze wandered unconsciously, and in a glance, she saw Theon staring at the opposite gallery, his emerald green eyes mixed with the sunlight, the fine light and shadow dazzling, but it couldn’t distract his focused gaze at all.
Who was this knight looking at?
Nelly was a little curious. Following his gaze to the right, it was indeed the place where the ladies were seated. Looking at Theon again, he had already withdrawn his gaze, but she didn’t know which lucky lady had been so affectionately watched by this knight.
At that moment, the long audience plot finally came to an end.
Just as Clovis II had stood up to help the once-again-kneeling Melissa up, the sound of hurried hoofbeats suddenly came from outside the hall. The crowd of spectators immediately broke into low murmurs.
The main gate was suddenly thrown open, and a knight strode in, his armor clanking.
Pepin’s face changed, and he went forward without regard for etiquette, trying to pull the knight to the side to ask him questions. But the other person had already spoken, and although his voice was hoarse, it was clearly audible.
“The Burgundy border has fallen! The demon army has crossed the Moz River!”