Chapter 464: Chapter 464

Here upon the road to the Royal Villa, summer smiled upon a kingdom in bloom.

The earthen aroma of wheat and hay mingled with the fragrance of wildflowers and ripening berries. The butterflies waltzed from petal to petal, inviting sunlight with every brush of their wings. The song of bluebirds drifted lazily in the breeze, filling the air until Apple managed to frighten them away.

Apple snorted as he trotted at a leisurely pace.

Then he snorted again … and then again some more, his nose tickled by the relentless pollen.

Indeed, having now almost returned to the provincial town of Rolstein, it was clear why a certain alchemist in racy garments had chosen this region to ply her trade.

Here in the heart of the lowlands, every corner brimmed with reagents.

Nourished by the rivers flowing from far-off mountain peaks, thickets sprouted like verdant gardens between the crops and pastures, filled with all the things I chose not to know about.

But everywhere else I looked, I saw summer hard at work.

After all–my farmers certainly were not.

“Oh, sorry miss, didn’t see you there.”

“Goodness. What a wonderful horse. Beautiful mane.”

“Lovely clouds. Very very lovely. Fluffy and white. I couldn’t ask for any better.”

“Ah, apologies, young lady. Wasn’t paying attention.”

One by one, the farmers looked up, seemingly surprised that a maiden as innocent as me was speaking to them. And while that reaction was normally justified, today it was entirely unwarranted.

They were blocking my path.

Seemingly just woken from a brief 4 hour nap, my subjects each wore the same dazed smile.

Some did it while standing gormlessly. Some searched for their bearings without urgency. Some blinked while deciding whether or not the sun was real. And all of them did it while crowding the road.

“E-Excuse me!” I said, leaning forwards to shoo the farmers away. “Please do not loiter on the road! … In fact, you’re not allowed to loiter at all! Excuse me! Excuse me!”

I waved with increasing exaggeration.

Frankly, it was like cajoling cats to shuffle out of the way. They eventually did so. But only after monopolising every moment of lounging available to them.

Only Apple’s snorting was enough to remind the farmers of the fields right beside them, and yet even that came slowly, as each of them smiled while lost in a daydream.

Or more accurately … while drunk in broad daylight.

I recognised this at once!

The wild stumbling! The slurred speech! The eyes devoid of seething resentment over their lot in life!

Far from waking up from any nap, they were still in the midst of a drunken stupour!

“I … I can scarcely believe this,” I said, simply letting Apple snort everyone out of the way. “To think that my farmers would begin the season by drowning in their sorrows. Why, that’s something to do after they’ve finished, not before! … Just how will they get any work done?”

Coppelia let out a generous giggle.

She plucked a sheaf of wheat, then tickled a farmer’s nose until he sneezed. The motion helped startle him awake, his head shaking as the drunken stupor left him.

Her daring act of public service complete, my loyal handmaiden resumed skipping beside me.

“Oh, is that weird? I figured it was normal.”

“That cannot possibly be normal. Only adventurers are this slovenly.”

“Sure! But even non-adventurers like to get drunk to celebrate things. And surviving to summer is definitely a valid reason. You know, what with the amount of calamities that happen in your kingdom every 5 minutes.”

I gasped at the insinuation.

“Coppelia! It’s not every 5 minutes … at most, it’s each time I blink.”

“Oooh, is this why you look like you’ve been wincing a lot lately?”

“Yes. I’ve been trying to keep my eyes open as much as possible.”

“... And how’s that going?

“Difficult,” I admitted. “I can scowl for 336 consecutive hours, but keeping my eyes unblinking in a fixed gaze is something only my mother can do well.”

“Really? What’s her record?”

“It’s still ongoing. As far as I’m aware, she last closed her eyes 2 years ago to sneeze.”

Coppelia wore a look of sparkling admiration.

That was good. Perhaps she could relay this to her dragon. If my family were ever betrayed and revolutionaries seized the throne, she would make an excellent substitute dragon herself.

“... In any event, the only calamity worth mentioning is the demise of public decorum. Whatever their reasons, for my farmers to fall prey to such rampant hooliganism is awful. The only time it’s even remotely acceptable is during the Summer Solstice Festival.”

Coppelia hummed to herself.

“I think you talk about that festival every now and again. Is it that big a day?”

I brightened up as soon as I thought about it.

The Summer Solstice Festival was indeed the event of the season. From the moment it had finished, the plans for next year were already in motion.

If there was a time I could truly impress Coppelia with the dignity of my kingdom, it would be with that most formal of functions, where even the most treasonous of nobility came to kowtow to my family.

But that wasn’t all it boasted.

“The summers in my kingdom are special,” I said with a smile. “While little knowledge survives the founding of this realm, the fact that the first stone was laid during this season is one of them. The festival is both a celebration of our founding and the blessing of life, where all can gather to pay homage to our history while also reaffirming our commitment to the bonds of togetherness.”

“... And the real reason is … ?”

I clapped my hands in joy.

“The stalls are marvellous,” I said excitedly. “Merchants from all across the continent come to offer their sweets, snacks and desserts, and while I have never once secretly slipped away from my guards to stuff myself with things I have never eaten, the sight of the royal capital flush with so many colours is truly a sight to behold … enough that even the greatest of dignitaries will visit.”

“Oh. Like the Grand Duchess?”

“I said the greatest. Not the lowest. If we wanted her to visit, all we’d need to do is leave out a carcass none of the blood vultures will touch.”

I shook my head, then smiled at a plan long in the making.

“... No, I refer to the greatest dignitaries of the world of literature. During the festival, the Royal Arc Theatre becomes an exhibition hall for writers of great renown to personally sell their works. And I believe the woman behind A Court Lady’s Indiscretion is known to visit different kingdoms during their summer events. This time, surely it will be my turn!”

“Ooooh, you want to get all your books signed?”

“Yes … and maybe ask for 103 minor fixes and adjustments, possibly with every border closed until all my needs are satisfied.”

“Uwaah~ that’s gonna leave a great impression.”

Indeed, I expected this year’s festival to be an exceptional gala.

Of course, I’d need to do more preparation work in order to maximise my enjoyment. But I was confident in the knowledge I could do it in the peace and comfort of my bedroom.

After all, as well as walls, I would shortly have my knights to help ensure any trouble was kept away.

… Just maybe not the one in front of me.

My smile faded like a falling rock as I saw a man different from the rest.

Armour polished to a silver sheen. A shield slung around his back bearing a floral crest. Hair waxed to the individual strand. A chin so smooth that grease simply bounced away. And also a horse nudging him unsuccessfully to recover from his dazed stupor.

Indeed, only the way he teetered was the same as everyone else. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩•𝗳𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝕟𝕖𝕥

To drink during the day was slovenly enough … but while peasants could be excused, my knights could not. They held themselves to a standard as befitting those who represented the kingdom.

A drunk knight was a worse sight than a common brigand.

And here one was, careening as though on a capsizing ship.

I tugged Apple to a halt just before him.

“Excuse me!” I said, my words barely a gasp. “What do you think you’re doing?”

It took him several moments before he discerned that Apple was not speaking to him.

His eyes slowly rose … and yet whatever he saw, it was not me.

Otherwise, he’d immediately prostrate himself.

“Ah,” he said, offering an instinctive smile. “Greetings, fair lady. Have you in need of a horse?”

I sighed into my palms.

It was going to be one of those sorts of conversations, wasn’t it?

“I do not need a horse, thank you.”

“Are you certain? I’ve several.”

“The only thing you have are apologies and explanations. Nothing else interests me. You are disgracing yourself in public. And while this is not something new or exciting, to do it as a drunkard on the open road is a lowering of standards your peers do not require assistance with. Why are you drunk?”

The knight raised his arms, staggering despite balancing himself.

“Guilty as charged, yet I wish to say that all I am drunk on is beauty. An angel has descended, lifting the pains of my heart and blessing me with the resolve to strive ever onwards.”

I rolled my eyes. And then rolled them again, just in case.

“Yes, but flattery will not allow you to evade answers, truthful as it is. This is unacceptable. You are a knight of the realm. To sully your reputation is to sully the entire kingdom, let alone your order.”

A pause came in answer.

“... My apologies, my lady, but the angel I am referring to is not yourself.”

“You are a fair maiden, but no maiden is as fair as a true angel of the heavens, gifted with wings of purest and a heart of warming gold.”

My mouth widened in horror.

It grew wider still as he pointed to a roadside chapel in the distance.

A modest thing with barely a steeple to it. It was no different to the many shrines, small temples and other chapels for pilgrims and wayfarers to find a roof and solace for the night.

However, as I narrowed my eyes, I saw to my horror the largest congregation of my drunken farmers, most barely standing as they loitered outside the wooden entrance.

Then, I watched the most bizarre thing to happen today.

The wooden door opened, revealing the sight of a beautiful woman with wavy hair the colour of the wheat, her slender figure adorned with flowing robes made scandalous by the revealing cut down the centre.

Even so, it was barely noticeable compared to the white wings exuding from her back.

And also the fact she was pushing a wheelbarrow occupied by a farmer.

With an idle smile, she tipped the wheelbarrow over, dumping one of my peasants onto the doorstep of the chapel where he slowly slid his way down.

He rose after several moments, looking around himself in confusion before falling over again.

The winged woman wasn’t there to see it.

She’d already closed the door, taking her wheelbarrow back inside with her.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I gave this a moment’s consideration.

Then, I tugged on Apple’s reins.

“I see,” I said to the knight with a nod. “Thank you. I will deal with this at once.”

Coppelia had already skipped ahead, her eyes filled with excitement as she turned to me.

“Ooh, ooh! Are we going to beat up an angel?”

“Of course not. A chapel is a house of healing. A public sanctuary of worship and prayer. I would never see such a sacred place despoiled with violence.”

I waited until the knight was no longer in earshot.

Then, I rolled up my sleeves.