Looking out the carriage window, the night view of Ulm felt somehow different than usual. Dimly illuminated by the streetlamps, the faces of the people passing by seemed almost part of a dream.
"Um... It was Mr. Baltzer, right?"
"Is something the matter?"
"The final exam is quite sudden, isn't it?"
"It is due to His Majesty's busy schedule. Tonight was the only possible date to hold it."
"I see."
"Furthermore, scheduling it in advance causes inconveniences instead."
Conny's words sounded laden with meaning. Perhaps catching the examinees off guard was itself part of the test. Either way, being bundled into a carriage like this already made me feel as if I had been outmaneuvered.
"What about the other examinees?"
"Carriages have been sent to fetch them, just as with you, Master Bauer."
"Does that mean we'll be meeting at the royal court?"
"That is correct."
So a dinner banquet would be held with His Majesty the King and the ten examinees. Conny had told me to just eat as I normally would, but there was no mistaking that the King intended to assess the candidates in person.
"...I was born in the countryside. I don't know the proper manners for dining before His Majesty..."
"Which is precisely why I believe it best that you dine just as you normally do."
"No, but still..."
"His Majesty is eager to meet all of you, so please do not worry yourself overmuch."
It was impossible not to worry when told not to. I had read countless grimoires, but I had never so much as opened a book on etiquette. This part of the exam felt far more daunting than solving two hundred written questions or sniping targets with magic...
"Master Bauer, here is the seating chart. Please look it over when you have a moment."
"Ah, thank you."
Looking at the small slip of paper Conny handed me, numbers were marked along the perimeter of a rectangle representing a long table. Elena was number 2, and Hermann was number 31, if I remembered correctly... Both of their numbers were there. Thank goodness—they had both made it to the final exam.
No... wait. Right in the middle of the rectangle, directly across from number 1, the space was blank. It made no sense for such a central seat to remain unoccupied, which meant someone had to be sitting there....Could it be?
"Mr. Baltzer. Is the seat across from me empty?"
"No, that is where His Majesty the King shall be seated."
"...Really?"
"He expressed a desire to speak with the examinees from as close a vantage as possible. We attendants shall also be excusing ourselves during the meal."
Excusing themselves meant they would be leaving the room entirely. The King dining with examinees without a single attendant or guard by his side... It was utterly unthinkable.
"May I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"What kind of person is His Majesty? I know it might be insolent of me, but I know next to nothing about the King..."
When I asked, Conny fell completely silent. Even if it was framed as a dinner banquet, this was still an exam, so perhaps he was not at liberty to offer hints... Just as I began to worry, Conny finally broke the silence.
"He is a wise ruler. However..."
"However?"
"No, it is not my place to say anything more."
What had Conny been about to say? I desperately wanted to know what followed that 'however.'
"Master Bauer. I ask that you take great care to conduct yourself just as you usually do."
"Even if you tell me that..."
"Standing on your tiptoes will not make you any taller, after all."
Perhaps Conny's main point was that there was no use fretting at this late stage. It wasn't as though I could master court etiquette now anyway.
Harboring a faint sense of unease about meeting His Majesty the King, I continued to sway along with the carriage.
Passing alongside Ulm Cathedral and ascending a gentle hill, we arrived at the royal court. We passed through several castle gates, delving deeper and deeper inside. I had always imagined a king's castle to be a lavish place, but surprisingly, it consisted mostly of austere stone buildings, leaving me feeling somewhat underwhelmed.
"We have arrived."
The scenery drifting past the window ground to a halt, and when I surveyed our surroundings, several other carriages were already parked. Just as Conny had said, the other examinees were apparently being brought in one after another.
"Please step down. Watch your footing."
"Ah, right."
Following Conny's instructions, I stepped onto the ground. Was this... a plaza of some sort? It seemed like a space designed for multiple purposes. Near the modest palace stood several cylindrical towers, atop of which sentries stood guard.
There hadn't been any wars in the royal capital of Ulm for decades. Even so, the fact that they maintained their military readiness surely carried some significance....It truly was a stark contrast to the magnificent Ulm Cathedral.
Still, it was clearly too small to be the seat where all state affairs were conducted. In all likelihood, the actual workplace of the court mages was elsewhere. This was merely His Majesty the King's personal residence.
"Master Bauer, allow me to guide you. Right this way, please."
"Ah, yes..."
"Is something the matter?"
The tower with the sentries had caught my attention. Back when I had first arrived in Ulm, I had climbed a tower on the outer wall. I wondered what the cityscape of the royal capital looked like from up there.
"Mr. Baltzer, have you ever climbed that tower?"
"No, not I. I have little fondness for heights."
"I see. Sorry, I was just curious."
That was a bit disappointing. Had he been up there, I would have loved to hear about the view.
"...You share the same curiosity as His Majesty the King, it seems."
"Huh?"
"His Majesty also climbs that tower from time to time. Much as we would prefer he refrain from doing so."
"Does he look out over the city of Ulm?"
"No. In all likelihood, His Majesty..."
Conny gazed fixedly into the distance, his eyes narrowing. Then, in a solemn voice, he added:
"...is looking at what lies beyond Ulm."
Hearing those words, I felt as though I had caught a fleeting glimpse into the true nature of His Majesty the King.