Editing Rakuin no Monshou:Volume10 Chapter5 (section)

=== Part 2 ===

“Why do you torment me so relentlessly, O Princess, I who am so weak?”

It was at some six hundred metres above ground that this cry of lamentation could be heard. Anyone would think that a beautiful but unfortunate maiden was being led to an unjust sacrificial ceremony, however it was only Krau who was weeping and wailing as she operated the steering apparatus. Even the crying was fake. It was perfectly clear that she was inwardly lamenting but, unfortunately, her tears were not that accommodating.

“I’m sorry.” Still, Vileena meekly apologised and patted the large, hunched up back. “But it isn’t to torment you. It’s because I rely on you, Krau.”

“The result is the same! I’ll definitely be harshly scolded by His Highness. I’ll be whipped, and have my meals taken away, and I’ll definitely be suffer indignities I can’t even mention.”

“Now, now,” while Krau was wailing tragically, Theresia’s voice was utterly carefree. She was not use to air carriers and, for a while now, she had been gazing entranced at the part of the sky which could be seen from the bridge. “I do not believe that gentleman would do any such thing. An actress as talented as yourself only needs to put on a show; just insist that the princess tricked you and it will be fine.”

“What do you mean, a ‘show’?”

''What the…'' Krau wondered suspiciously while she continued to sob. The lady’s maid, who was always the first to criticise the princess whenever she acted like this, was this time acting like her accomplice.

As she made clear when she flat-out told the princess that she objected, Theresia was, of course, far from whole-heartedly approving of this. However, this time she had been informed beforehand. Which was infinitely preferable to having the princess sneak around in the shadows, like she had the time when she went alone to the west from Apta. Because Theresia wished to allow for Vileena’s personality, she was determined that, this time, she would accompany her to the end.

They had embarked on this air carrier about two hours earlier.It had been the middle of the night when Vileena had sent a messenger to summon Krau to the mansion.

“I would like you to fly a ship to Nedain,” the princess had requested.

She had claimed that it was a visit to encourage the soldiers on the front lines. If they left late at night, they would arrive in the morning. She also asked that a ship capable of covering long distances should be prepared, so that they would not need to stop at any relay-station along the way.

“At this hour?”

Krau had naturally had her doubts, but Vileena had calmly answered that –

“I only just thought of it.”

To act on something she had only just thought of was certainly very like the princess. Besides, she had added that she had the prince’s permission. Although there many points worthy of suspicion, since Theresia was with her, Krau had decided that – ''well, it probably isn’t a lie''.

She chose an air carrier that could carry no more than four or five people. Nor did it have any cabins. The reason why the hull was so large was because it had a large loading capacity for ether. It was not a type built for speed, but it had a long cruising range. It was a ship that was mainly used by garrison guards patrolling around the city’s circumference.

The princess personally negotiated with the airport’s supervisor. Just as with Krau, she claimed to have the crown prince’s permission.

It was already known within Birac that Crown Prince Gil and Vileena always acted decisively. So the fact that his heroic accomplishments had been widely spread about, in this situation, had turned into a handicap for Orba.

And thus, when they had been flying for about two hours, and had travelled far enough that it was too late to turn back, the princess had said confidingly:

“This is a secret from the prince.”

Krau’s lamentations were not purely a show.

Although she kept nervously looking behind them to see if any pursuers had been sent out from Birac, in the end, the ship arrived in sight of their allies’ encampment just as planned, sometime close to dawn.

General Odyne Lorgo’s troops had now increased to about a thousand five hundred, so the camp was spread out. At their back they had Birac’s huge port, so they did not need to worry about replenishing supplies. As though showing off to Nedain, they were ostentatiously staying in position.

Rumour had it that they occasionally summoned the newly re-organised units in Birac to have them practice with swords and guns. This was, in part, to train the new soldiers where they could smell the air from near a battlefield, but it was also to keep Nedain in check.

There was a temporary landing site for air carriers. It was on a level hilltop and all that had been built was a track to allow goods to be transported easily, but Vileena ordered them to land there.

“That’s an unusual ship.” Odyne, who had gotten up early, was intrigued by the ship that landed in a cloud of dust.

Because ships frequently came from Birac carrying messages, supplying provisions, or supplementing soldiers, the camp constantly saw ships land and take off. But even for him, it was his first time seeing a ship of that model.

Not even Odyne could possibly have predicted that the Garberan princess, Vileena Owell, would alight from it.

Confused, he hurriedly rushed over on horseback and scrupulously bowed in greeting to the princess.

Odyne felt as though he still could not believe it even when he saw her up close; but it was not until after the greetings, and once he had heard the princess’ purpose, that he was struck dumb in the real sense of the phrase.

“I will go to Nedain from here.”

“To Nedain? But, Princess… w-why do you wish to go there?” Odyne could not conceal his confusion. He wondered if there had been some kind of communication between Birac and the current enemy, Solon, but there had been no such news.

“Is that somehow improper? I came from Garbera to become the crown prince of Mephius’ wife. There is nothing to be bothered about in my going anywhere within Mephian territory.”

There was no way he could not be bothered by it. From the princess’ manner, Odyne could more or less sense that she did not have Gil Mephius’ permission. He was going to immediately get in touch with Birac when –

“Odyne, even if you dig your heels in the ground, it won’t work,” the princess said with an unusual lack of expression. When the innocence vanished from her expression, her originally clear-cut features gave her a surprisingly adult appearance. “I am still a princess of Garbera. Are you, a mere Mephian general, going to defy me?” She went so far as to say.

Vileena ordered him to send a messenger to Nedain to inform them of her visit.

“I cannot do it.”

“Is that so? In that case, I will fly an airship and enter Nedain alone. It will be your responsibility if the enemy shoots me down in error and I lose my life because of it. There’s no help for it.”

Odyne was puzzled by the violence of her words. In the end, he obeyed her order. As she herself had said, for all that she was the crown prince’s fiancée, she was still a princess of Garbera. He could not restrain her.

While waiting for the other party’s reply, the princess seated herself in a corner of the encampment.

''What’s she planning to do?''

The soldiers were whispering together close enough for her to be able to hear them.

''Maybe she’s seen that we’re at a disadvantage and wants to run away?''

''Weren’t there Garberan soldiers who’ve invaded Mephian territory? She could be intending on joining up with them and go back to her country…''

''Impossible, the princess is…''

The anecdote of how Vileena Owell had gone alone to the west and thwarted Mephius’ invasion was widely told. And, since that coincided with the purpose of Crown Prince Gil’s war, the general tendency was to hold the princess up as a heroine. So the soldiers were naturally confused. Among them, there were some voices that suggested that –

''Maybe it’s some kind of plan set up by His Highness Prince Gil.''

Vileena waited some distance apart. She sat on a camp stool with her knees pressed together. Behind her, as quiet and still as a shadow, was Theresia.

When the sun was nearly halfway across the sky, an airship arrived from Nedain flying a flag of intersecting white and black. The flag of a messenger. He came with the message that Jairus Abigoal, lord of Nedain, was prepared to receive the Garberan princess.

''Good'' – as soon as she heard it, Vileena rose from her seat.

“Princess, are you really going?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” Vileena curtly responded to Odyne’s final confirmation of her intentions.
 


News of the princess’ visit naturally caused no small amount of confusion within Nedain. The long face-off had exhausted the resources of both the people and the soldiers. Whereupon, Vileena Owell had suddenly requested to come over from the enemy side.

“It might be a trap,” some suggested in a whisper.

Crown Prince Gil was known to make use of all sorts of clever schemes to throw the enemy into disarray. He had done so both against Ryucown and when repelling Taúlia’s surprise attack on Apta.

Those however were the achievements of the “real” Gil, so to speak. The fundamental premise of this war was that the “current” Gil was a different person, yet he too had overcome Folker’s army and gained victory with just a small number of soldiers. Things were complicated in the extreme but, at any rate, they could not afford to be careless. However –

''If this is the real Garberan princess we’ll be receiving…'' Jairus had a faint hope that this stagnant situation might finally start to move again.

Currently, there was also that man, Salamand, who was causing trouble within Mephius in the name of “rescuing the princess”. ''The sooner they get sent back to their own country, the better'' – thought Jairus.

However, although the response he had given was that “we will receive her,” the lord of Nedain would not believe it was real until he saw her with his own eyes.

“It really ''is'' the princess herself.”

The messenger airship was returning. Jairus, who had snatched the binoculars away from a soldier and caught sight of the princess and a woman who looked like a lady’s maid on board the ship, was momentarily speechless. He had met Vileena before when she had come to Nedain. At that time, she had been a guest visiting from Solon. Now, she was coming from Birac, which was opposing that same Solon.

''She sure is busy''.

Jairus was so well pleased that passing and sarcastic thought of his that he repeated when he went to meet her face to face.

“Greetings, Your Royal Highness. I did not hope to ever see you again. Since you have been flying around all over Mephius, you must be terribly busy.”

He spoke from the entrance of the Abigoal mansion.

“I am very obliged to you for meeting me in person, Lord Abigoal.”

“What are you saying? Truly, it seems that our fates are somehow connected, Princess.”

Jairus received her with a smile but was far from bearing no grudges towards Princess Vileena. When she had visited from Solon, he was forced to look after her as a guest; and then she had outmanoeuvred Jairus by pretending to return to Solon but instead going to Apta. A battle had then occurred near the border with a western army and she had gone missing. At the time, Jairus’ head had been spinning so much he thought he was on the verge of collapse; he could not imagine what kind of reprimand he would receive from His Majesty the Emperor.

What had saved Jairus was that Nabarl, despite being in a position of overwhelming superiority, had lost the battle and found himself bearing the full brunt of the blame.

However – ''look at the princess now'' – she stood before him, smiling modestly. In the end, she was just a young girl of fourteen or fifteen. She had probably admired those musty old heroes’ tales and had thrown her weight about valiantly, only to come scuttling back without having accomplished a thing as soon as she realised that she was at a disadvantage. Thinking about it like that, he had the pleasant feeling that she was dancing in the palm of his hand. 

And therefore, he was able to ask without restraint, “were you not pleased with His Highness’ impostor?”

“Lord Abigoal, are you suspecting me of being an impostor?” Vileena asked with an unexpectedly sorrowful appearance.

“Oh my, no indeed. What we have here is the noble-minded Princess Vileena choosing the path of righteousness.”

At which point, Boyce Abigoal appeared. Since the situation was one in which battle might break out at any moment, he was wearing armour. He had a single woman in tow.

“I believe this is your first time meeting my son?” Jairus introduced Boyce to the princess.

After they had exchanged careful greetings, Vileena’s eyes alighted on the woman behind him.

“This person is…”

“My future wife,” Boyce announced triumphantly.

Seeing how Jairus frowned slightly, it appeared that father and son were not entirely in agreement on this matter.

Vileena gave a slight bow of her head and greeted the woman too. She returned the greeting in accordance with proper etiquette and gave her name as Louise, but both her eyes and expression seemed lifeless.

''I see, so she is…''

Vileena kept her hand clasped in hers for so long that the Abigoal father and son found it unnatural.

“Lord Abigoal.”

“What is it?”

Jairus felt startled. Her upturned eyes, that looked as though they were testing him, shone strangely.

“I am sorry to say this when you have come to greet me, but I am thinking of leaving at once. I wish to go to Solon immediately.”