Chapter 108 - Chapter 11: The Former Royal Couple
After parting with the King and Queen, Paul-san and the Class of 175 were to go to the western cave in Eleanor-sama's bowl with the former royal couple.
"Um, why are we going secretly?"
The two had declared they would stay with us to practice with the bowl.
"We've left the palace affairs to the current generation. We mustn't do anything selfish. That's why we're doing it stealthily."
Is that really okay?
"It's interesting because we're doing something selfish. It's fine. The fact that we're practicing with the bowl isn't a lie, so we won't be found out."
Eleanor-sama was of the same kind. That must be why they got married.
"The current King is serious. He's suited to be King, but I wish he had a bit more of a playful spirit."
"Well, it's fine, isn't it? Thanks to that, we retired early and are playing like this."
"Well, that's true."
"Though even before retirement, you left all the government affairs to him."
"Wahahaha. That's right."
They were troublesome people.
When we arrived at the small hut at the corner of the training grounds, we checked the surroundings, unlocked the door, and sneaked inside. No matter how you looked at it, we seemed like burglars or thieves.
"Umu. Infiltration successful."
"Yes. No one has noticed us."
The two of them were peering outside through a gap.
"Then, Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama. Shall we proceed with the exploration?"
Paul-san was also getting into it.
"Umu. Let us go."
Henry-sama held up a lit lantern and went down the stairs to the basement with a loud voice.
He was enthusiastic, but we reached the destination immediately after going down. There was no exploration to speak of. The basement was slightly longer than the hut above, and we seemed to be at the end of it.
"Is it here?"
"Umu. That's right. There's a stone tablet in the center of the room, right? We have to find the meaning of this."
Indeed, a rectangular stone tablet was standing there. It was pitch black, a bit higher than my waist, and about as wide as my arms spread out. It seemed to be made of obsidian, as the surface was smooth and transparent. It was stuck into a marble base at a slanted angle.
The walls of the basement were made of stone, but only one side was painted white. It was the wall that the slanted stone tablet was facing.
No matter how you looked at it, there seemed to be something there.
"Suspicious, isn't it?"
"Right? It seems to have some history, but no records remain. There's only an oral tradition from the First King to leave it as it is, untouched."
"Can I touch it?"
"I don't mind. We weren't told not to touch it, so we've touched it plenty."
When everyone, led by Beatrix, stroked it, it was indeed obsidian.
"Is it obsidian?"
"Probably so."
"This white wall in front is bothering me."
"Right? That's why we tried shining light on it to see if anything would reflect, but that wasn't the case either."
He was holding up a lamp, but it didn't seem to be a mirror and nothing reflected. Looking at this tablet and the white wall, I felt certain that the tablet was meant to project something onto the white wall, but...
"It's one of the mysteries surrounding the First King."
The First King has various legends. It's not clear how much is true, but regarding spirits, there's a living witness named Dune. The fact that the statue's appearance is identical is also supporting evidence.
Wait, hold on a minute...
"Um, what kind of light have you tried so far?"
"Everything that glows. Fire, lamps, Fireflies—we've even used several mirrors to send sunlight in here."
"Did you use magic?"
"We used [Fire Ball] and [Holy]."
"What happened?"
"Nothing happened."
As I thought. There was a light that only the First King could use.
"[Light]!"
I made a [Light] glow in my right hand.
"W-what, that light?"
"Can you use the [Light] magic?"
"Yes. It was by chance. I was granted it by the Goddess."
"It's a legendary magic. It's the first time I've actually seen it too."
Is it that precious? Even the Headmistress couldn't use it.
"Was there such a rare magic?"
"Yes. Catherine only knew that it existed. Since it only glows, it's true that researchers didn't pay much attention to it. So it was holy magic."
The two of them stared intently at my face.
"Did the First King use this magic?"
"It is passed down that he used it."
Eleanor-sama knew.
"I see. Then, Jeanne. Quickly, hold it over the stone tablet."
"Yes."
I held it high and shone the strong light onto the stone tablet. If it reflected, something should appear.
"Nothing is happening."
Henry-sama was looking at the walls and floor, but there was no change.
"No, Henry. It's over here."
Eleanor-sama was looking at the back of the stone tablet.
"The light is passing through. Jeanne, please bring the light here."
"Ah, yes."
It wasn't reflection, but transmission.
"Shine the light here."
I brought the [Light] to what could be called the back of the slanted stone tablet that Eleanor-sama was pointing to, and increased the light intensity to the maximum toward the tablet.
"What, letters are appearing on the wall."
The light that passed through the thick stone tablet projected letters onto the white wall. The stone tablet probably had a double structure, with the letters carved inside.
There were quite a lot of letters written there.
"They're letters that seem readable but aren't..."
"Umu. Each character is recognizable, but... is this a code?"
"But, Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, the letters here are a bit strange."
"Umu, as Paul says, there are unreadable characters here and there."
I see, I've got it. It's because it's transmitted light. It's the opposite side. The First King carved the letters from the front, and we are seeing them projected onto the wall by shining light from the back. Left and right are reversed. The order of reading the letters is also from the opposite side.
"Please look at it in a mirror. Left and right are flipped. The order of reading the letters is also from the opposite side."
"What, is that so? Eleanor, do you have a hand mirror?"
"Yes. It's right here."
With her back to the wall where the letters were projected, Eleanor-sama read the letters while looking in the mirror.
"Let's see... 'I believe that the one who reads these letters is one who can use the magic of light. I wish to entrust this to the one who reads these letters...'"
It was a message from the First King about why he could no longer meet a certain spirit he had become close with.
Apparently, the person he married was quite jealous, and he inadvertently told his wife that the spirit was a beautiful young woman with a good figure. As a result, he was forbidden from going to see her. Eventually, he was even forced to move the capital, so he wrote that he had placed many statues modeled after various women as a form of retaliation. It was, so to speak, the grumbling of a henpecked husband.
"What is this?"
Beatrix was exasperated. This was the message left for posterity by the legendary man who founded a nation, using such a grand mechanism.
Eleanor-sama continued reading.
"'If possible, I want you to apologize to that spirit for suddenly being unable to meet her. And to the one who apologizes, I shall grant a certain thing as a reward. It will be something that only one who has felt a sense of wrongness can receive...' That's the end."
He left a mystery at the end. What on earth...
"Um, what kind of person was the First King?"
I couldn't help but ask. Everyone looked at Henry-sama at once. Somehow, their gazes were cold.
"Well, what kind of person was he..."
"Henry! He's your ancestor, isn't he?"
"I-I don't know much about him either. He's my great-grandfather, but he had already passed away by the time I was old enough to remember."
Pressed by Eleanor-sama, he waved his hands in a hurry. He's a person who left such a thing. He probably doesn't want to be too involved.
"Henry-sama, a new mystery remains."
"Umu. A reward that only one who has felt a sense of wrongness can receive. First, we must identify the spirit the First King could no longer meet."
Henry-sama had been unable to bear the women's gazes, but he regained his composure as if saved by Paul-san's words.
"Isn't that probably the Maiden of the Lake? She's a water spirit, and there's a statue too."
Eleanor-sama also seemed to have given up on pursuing Henry-sama. Well, there's no point in saying this or that about a deceased person.
As Eleanor-sama said, there's no doubt that the spirit he could no longer meet was Dune. It's also supported by Dune's story.
"This is a mystery left by the First King. For now, we've reached this point, but it wasn't so simple that it could be solved just by that, I suppose."
"Umu. Just as Eleanor says. It seems there's still more to come."
For some reason, both of them looked happy.
"In that case, first is the sense of wrongness?"
Paul-san, who had looked fed up after learning the secret of the stone tablet was the First King's grumbling, also became lively.
"We have to find the person who can receive the reward."
"A sense of wrongness. A sense of wrongness about what?"
"The pattern in the pond... the lake?"
"The content of these letters is also full of a sense of wrongness."
The two of them were discussing various things, but the biggest sense of wrongness was definitely that.
"Um, isn't it strange that the Maiden of the Lake is turning her back to the water and looking at the hill?"
After all, this exploration began from there. If Dune had been looking at the pond, I wouldn't have noticed anything.
"Is that so?"
Both of them looked at me.
"Yes. I think it's natural for a water spirit to be looking at the water. I don't think the First King, who was close to the water spirit, would have failed to notice that."
"Hmm. In that case, that statue is indeed the source of the sense of wrongness. And what that statue is looking at is that hill."
"Jeanne. You've noticed a good point."
"Right, let's go immediately. Paul, let's go."
"At your service!"
It turned into a strange story, but there was no point in staying here, so I decided to follow.
"Hey, hey, we're searching for the secrets of the royal family, aren't we?"
Mary's cheeks were flushed. There was another of the same kind.
"The reward will definitely be given to Jeanne, right?"
"I'm looking forward to the share."
There were also two others of the same kind with impure motives whispering to me.
"We don't know yet. Even if it's the hill, it's a place where many people visit. Clues themselves won't be found so easily."
It's a famous spot that general people visit for palace sightseeing. If there were something strange, it would have been discovered long ago.
When we actually went there, it was solved easily.
"It's this."
"Umu. Another secret of the royal family has been solved."
It was nothing. Words are carved on one of the rocks on top of the hill.
"Give thanks to those who must be thanked. But do not mistake the person."
It's like a life lesson. The guide said there are several in the palace. There was one here too.
"What is this?"
Beatrix was exasperated. This wasn't a secret or anything.
"It's one of the First King's instructions. One of the things found here and there in the palace."
"It can be read as being for anyone."
"If you only read this. But what happens when you combine it with the content of the letters hidden in the stone tablet earlier?"
"I see! In other words, give a reward to the person who apologizes to the spirit he could no longer meet."
"That's how it is. The person who read the letters on that stone tablet, felt a sense of wrongness from the spirit statue, and reached this place is the one indicated by these words."
Eleanor-sama said he probably carved letters on other stones too to make this one less noticeable. He was quite a misleading person.
"What is the reward?"
"It's passed down in the royal family in a sealed state. However, the only ones who can break that seal are the current King and the person qualified to receive the reward."
In other words, Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama can't see it.
"In other words, if Jeanne receives the reward, we can see it too."
Eleanor-sama drew closer.
"Eh?"
Suddenly, what...
"You don't have to hide it. That ring is the [Ring of the Water Spirit], isn't it? Jeanne, you must have the protection of the water spirit."
"Umu. That's how it is. If you weren't close to the spirit that was the model for the statue, you wouldn't have felt a sense of wrongness. In fact, until now, there has been no one who felt a sense of wrongness from that statue."
It was completely exposed. Had they known and kept quiet? Well, Jennifer-sensei and Gladys-sama also found out. There's no way I could deceive two heroes. But I can't decide this alone.
"Um, can I be alone for a bit?"
"In that case, shall we go back to that stone tablet? We'll be outside the hut, so Jeanne can just think alone by the stone tablet."
Eleanor-sama was also smiling. The two of them understood. They probably completely saw through the fact that I would call out Dune, and told me to think alone. Moreover, being by the stone tablet meant I could directly show the words left by the First King to Dune.
"Thank you very much."
"Not at all, not at all. We're looking forward to a favorable answer."
Dune gave an OK easily.
"Hmm. So he left an excuse here for not coming to see me because his wife was jealous. How cute."
She was laughing, "Korokoro."
"So there's a statue of me. I want to see it."
"I'll be meeting the former King..."
"It's fine. He's someone Jeanne gave the OK to. Besides, I want to see that man's reward too."
As expected of a great spirit. She has composure. In that case, we went up, and first had her meet the former royals.
"Oh, so you are the water spirit. You look just like that statue. Thank you for appearing before us."
"Don't worry about it. You're someone Jeanne gave the OK to. Also, when I'm in this form, you can call me Dune."
It had become quite an intimidating story. I was the one who felt small.
"In other words, you're that man's descendant."
"Yes, I am the fourth generation. Now my son, the fifth generation, has succeeded me."
It sounded like some shop around there.
"Anyway, I want to see my statue."
"Then let us go."
We went to the statue in the bowl.
"Why am I turning my back to the lake?"
As expected, that was her reaction. I explained this and that.
"I see. In other words, the only ones who understood were that man and Jeanne."
She laughed, "Ufufu," pulled me close, and stroked my head.
"I am sorry. We did not notice."
"It's fine. I've never met you all before."
"Such generous words."
"When Jeanne receives the reward and that man's message is fulfilled, tell the fifth generation to change the direction."
"Wouldn't it be better to tell him directly? I would very much like the fifth generation to meet you as well."
"Me?"
"If you have the time, we will treat you as our most important guest tonight."
When she heard that, she started grinning. Palace cuisine. There's no way it would be bad in quality or quantity.
"Is it okay?"
Dune peered into my face. I could only nod.