I did as I was told and went in search of the escort captain.
I flagged down a nearby soldier first. He initially regarded me with a weary, dismissive gaze, but the moment I presented the recommendation letter signed by Sage Nyau, his expression shifted to one of sheer shock. He became the picture of politeness as he guided me through the barracks.
Evidently, Nyau was held in incredible awe in this country. Honestly, given what I knew of her, it felt surreal.
"I’m Garrett, Captain of the Escort. What business do you have with me at such a frantic time?"
The man I was led to was clad in scarred plate armor. True to his title, he possessed a majestic, commanding presence. Up close, I could see the surface of his armor was covered in the nicks and gouges of a thousand skirmishes—the marks of a veteran who had survived countless battlefields.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kiska. I've come because I wish to join Highness Diluecca's escort unit."
I spoke the words through a layer of nervous tension.
Captain Garrett looked me up and down, his brow furrowed. "We aren't looking for additional recruits at the moment," he began, then paused. "If you're asking someone for a favor, shouldn't you take off that hood?"
He made a perfectly reasonable point.
The only reason I wore the hood was to conceal my loathsome silver hair, but I knew I couldn't keep it hidden forever. Steeling myself, I pulled it back.
"This man... he's an Alcusian!" the soldier who had guided me here cried out.
That silver hair—the mark of the Alcusians—was a symbol detested by the entire populace.
"I see. An Alcusian," Captain Garrett said, his expression darkening. "If this were a time of war and we were desperate for blades, I’d take you regardless of your blood. But this is a royal celebration. Having an Alcusian in the party would be an ill omen, to say the least."
I had expected as much. Without a word, I handed him Nyau’s recommendation.
"Th-this is... from Sage Nyau-sama?! B-but why would she...?"
He gave a textbook performance of a man in shock. However, since the letter was a curt, single-sentence command to add me to the unit, the captain was left floundering, unable to grasp her true intentions.
"Yoo-hoo! How are we doing?"
A voice rang out, and the mage Ryune—Nyau’s apprentice—sauntered over. She gave a listless wave.
"Mage Ryune-sama! What is the meaning of this?" Garrett stammered.
"He’s an old friend of Master’s. So, you know, play nice and give him a spot, yeah?"
"I—I see... But regardless of Sage Nyau-sama’s request, I wonder what Highness Diluecca would think of this..."
I watched the exchange like a bystander. It was surprising to see the dignified Captain Garrett acting so submissively toward a young girl.
"Then why don't you just ask the Second Prince yourself?" Ryune suggested.
"Th-that's a bit much, even for me..."
"If the captain's too scared, then I’ll just ask him myself. The Second Prince is just through here, right? Come on, Kiska-cchi, follow me."
"Wait—"
Ryune grabbed me and hauled me through the doors before I could protest. I thought I heard the captain shouting after us, but she didn't care.
The moment I stepped into the inner chambers, the overwhelming, cloying scent of heavy perfume hit me. It only took a second to realize how bizarre this place was.
The room was filled with girls in dresses with plunging necklines. In the center of the chamber, a massive bed sat behind sheer white curtains. Between the silhouettes moving behind the fabric and the sultry moans echoing through the room, there was no mistaking what was happening back there.
"The Second Prince is certainly energetic today," Ryune remarked airily.
I, on the other hand, felt intensely uncomfortable.
"Ryune-sama! You’ve arrived!"
A woman in a maid’s uniform came running toward us. She wore her hair in a ponytail and had a plain yet strikingly handsome face—a sharp contrast to the hedonistic scene around her. She seemed far too grounded for this bizarre environment; she was likely one of the prince's favorites.
"This is Elsie-san, the maid who’s always stuck by the prince’s side. Elsie, this is Kiska, an old friend of Master’s."
"Pleased to meet you, Kiska-san," Elsie said with a polite bow. I lowered my head in return.
"I have a favor to ask the prince regarding him. Go call him out."
"Yes, of course."
Without a hint of hesitation, Elsie ran toward the bed.
The Second Prince was clearly in the middle of something. I felt a surge of anxiety, wondering if he would scream at us for disturbing him, but I had no choice but to trust Ryune. Elsie disappeared behind the curtains, stayed for a moment, then emerged to run back to us.
Given the distance between the bed and where we stood, I felt guilty for making her sprint back and forth.
"His Highness says he will come over once he is dressed. Please wait a moment."
I felt a wave of relief. Was the Second Prince unexpectedly reasonable? Or was Ryune’s influence—and Nyau’s by extension—simply that immense?
True to Elsie’s word, the Second Prince eventually made his appearance. He was a dumpy, slovenly man who looked as though he had been plucked straight from a caricature of a decadent noble.
"Ryune, is it? What business do you have with me at such a busy time?" he asked, looking thoroughly displeased.
"Oh, please. You were clearly just idling away, you perverted filth of a prince."
"Hey! I am the Second Prince of the Kingdom of Lastana! How dare you call a prince 'filth'! Filth?!"
The prince’s face reddened as he shouted. I steeled myself, looking at Ryune with alarm. What are you doing, provoking him like that?!
But Ryune didn't look worried. She was actually smirking at him.
"But... oh, that’s the stuff!"
Suddenly, the prince’s expression shifted from rage to one of pure ecstasy.
"To think a woman would actually treat me like dirt... Ryune, become mine. I’ll give you as much gold as you can carry!"
"Ugh, gross. Drop dead, drop dead, drop dead, drop dead, drop dead."
"Ah...! Ah...! Yes! More!"
What in the world was I being forced to watch? I looked toward Elsie to see if she would intervene, but she was merely smiling. How could she stand there smiling while her master acted like a complete degenerate?
"Anyway, Shit Prince, I want to finish our business."
"I told you not to call me 'shit'... Ungh! But... please, continue!"
"I want to add him to the escort unit for this trip. That's fine, right?"
Ryune gestured toward me. I held my breath, my heart pounding as I waited for the prince’s reaction.
"The escort unit?"
The Second Prince squinted at me. I prepared to bow and introduce myself properly to show my sincerity, but before I could speak, he looked away in boredom.
"How trivial. Why do I need to give permission for this guy to join the unit? I’ve left all of those dull decisions to the captain."
"The captain was worried about how you’d react, Highness. You see... he’s an Alcusian."
In response to Ryune’s remark, the Second Prince let out a confused grunt.
"Alcusian? What’s that?"
"Kiska-cchi, that’s great! You’re officially in the escort unit."
After leaving the prince’s chambers and reporting the approval to a baffled Captain Garrett, Ryune beamed at me.
"Thank you. It’s all thanks to you, Ryune-san."
"Why are you being so polite with me?"
"Well, Captain Garrett was using formal speech with you, so I thought it was the proper protocol."
She threw her head back and laughed.
"Ahahaha! No way! You speak casually to my Master, so it’s weird to be formal with me."
When she put it like that, I suppose it was strange. Still, seeing her talk to a prince with such utter lack of hesitation made me wonder if she held some incredible status I didn't know about.
"You speak so frankly to the Second Prince that I thought you might be someone very high-ranking. Honestly, I’ve been amazed this whole time that you could maintain such an attitude toward royalty."
"Eh? Everyone treats that idiot prince like that."
"Idiot?! Keep your voice down! You never know who's listening!"
I looked around frantically. A comment like that was a one-way ticket to a dungeon for lese-majesty.
"Ahahaha, Kiska-cchi, you’re such a worrywart. No one cares about that. Everyone calls him the 'stupid, perverted, slow Second Prince' behind his back."
"I... I see."
Indeed, we passed several soldiers in the hallway, but not one of them seemed to pay our conversation any mind. I recalled hearing similar rumors back in Kataroff Village—that the Royal Capital had a serious, capable First Prince and a completely worthless Second Prince.
"The Second Prince has a terrible reputation, as you can see," Ryune continued. "He just chases women and ignores his duties. The citizens despise him. Apparently, the King forced him to handle this event personally to try and salvage his reputation. He's a fool, though—showing a guy like that to the public will only make things worse."
"I see..."
I was taken aback by Ryune’s bluntness, but it seemed to reflect the true sentiment of the kingdom.
I thought back to the Seven Prophecies. One of them stated: 'Let Second Prince Diluecca die.'
Looking at the man we had just met, I realized that letting someone that wretched perish wouldn't weigh on my conscience nearly as much as a competent leader would.