rode down a street so broad that all kinds of carriages could speed down it comfortably at high velocities. Thanks to the evenly-laid paving stones, the swaying was held more or less to a minimum. Although the trip had already lasted four days, my backside didn't hurt that badly.
When I looked out the window, I could enjoy the landscape. On the seat across from me sat a beautiful woman with platinum blond hair. Even though we had to spend the nights in the carriage, the trip was by and large quite comfortable -- as long as you didn't consider the fact that I was a prisoner.
Flynn Gilbit feared that her Captain Crusoe -- that's me -- could run away and, to avoid that, she'd posted two musclemen to the left and right of me on the cushion-covered seat. Like a chorus line, these guys had linked arms with me. Observed from a distance, I must have looked like some kind of alien being hauled away by NASA.
I called these two my Beefy Seatbelts. Or better yet my Beefy Booster Seat. Because yes, there was a time when I had to sit on one of these guy’s lap.
The Seatbelts didn't deign to look at me at all. Could that be because I hadn't been able to wash for two days?
"They're afraid of you," said Flynn Gilbit with a charming smile. The mask by which she transformed into Prince Norman Gilbit shone silver on her lap. "They're afraid of your black hair and your black eyes, my dear Captain Crusoe," she explained and stretched her hand towards my bangs. It didn't seem like she shared her men’s fears.
"Robinson, your assistant, had a black eye too, all of a sudden, but then the next morning it was blue again. His black was surely not real, right? Your eyes possess a completely different luster."
"That's probably because Mu-- err, Robin's eyes shine with more intelligence than mine."
Ken Murata-Robinson sat in the carriage right behind us. I didn't know the reason, but Flynn didn't like it at all when the two of us were together.
"Whatever the case may be, I find your eyes gorgeous. They have the color of a moonless, gloomy night. There are said to be men who would give up all their worldly possessions to own someone like you. Given this color, who would doubt that you could be a wonder drug for immortality and eternal youth."
In my head I saw myself as foodstuffs at the Sichuan Market -- alongside the baby monkeys, fawns, and insect larvae.
"You, of all people, are gushing about my looks?" I grumbled. "Are you trying to make me angry? Your own face outclasses everyone."
"Well, aren't you a sweet talker?"
Flynn's delicate fingertips approached the stone on my chest. "I'm not afraid of your eyes, but of this stone." She withdrew before her hand touched the stone of a blue deeper and stronger than the sky itself. "I can't help myself. I can't shake the feeling that tremendous power and dark secrets are hidden inside. For the people of Carolia, it has great meaning simply from the Wincott coat of arms it displays."
"If Adalbert is right, the people here were pretty rotten to the Wincotts back then. So it's no wonder they have a guilty conscience and feel lousy every time they see that coat of arms."
"Captain, please don't misunderstand. The Gilbit family first came into existence long afterwards. We have nothing to do with the rulers of that time."
"But then why are you still so keen on descendants of the Wincotts, after all this time?"
"If I were to reveal all my secrets, would you then support me in my plans? Would you then give up the idea of running away?" She bestowed a graceful smile upon me, as if we were taking afternoon tea. Her platinum blond hair sparkled in the weak light of the stray sunbeams that had pushed their way through the early winter clouds.
In the Demon Empire, spring had just begun and it was the height of the rainy season. Yet in the Simaron region, autumn was already drawing to a close. Maybe we found ourselves at the opposite latitude now? By Earth's standards, that would be the simplest explanation for the difference in the weather.
"Don't you think the sky looks creepy?" I asked.
"Why do you say that? It's just a little cloudy."
"You can probably decide whether it's normal or not better than I can. Hopefully there's no earthquake or other catastrophe waiting for us."
--
A conversation about the weather was just what we needed; finally we were able to discuss a less tender subject.
At our first meeting, we had both pretended to be mute. When Flynn Gilbit took off her mask and her real countenance was revealed, a gorgeous woman whose words and behavior were full of confidence suddenly stood before me. But she didn't look strong in the literal sense. Her voice was full of sweetness and there was a mischievous shine to her eyes.
Disguised as her husband, Flynn had been ruling the princedom and was overwhelmed with responsibilities. But perhaps her decisive nature made her the perfect person to stand at the top of the state, I thought.
Human beauty looked different from the demonic beauties like Lady Anissina, Madam Cherie, and Gunter. If demons were the results of a brilliant artist, then Flynn seemed more like an actress.
Although this woman had toyed with me unpleasantly, I was able to keep my anger towards her in check. I felt kind of like an athlete obsessed by his sport whose head has been turned by some female journalist or female star.
But Flynn had imprisoned me for three whole days and condemned me to a starvation diet. That was hard. And to cap it off, there were always these fantastic dishes trotted out to me that made my mouth water. I had no choice but to wait it out. It's too bad that an empty stomach can't save the world -- I'd have been a hero several times over.
All this only because of Gunter's warning: Don't eat any food that a foreigner has offered you -- it might be poisoned!
At one point I threw the bread and meat out the window and in no time at all, a sharp-eyed bird spotted it and started to pick at it. And then came the showstopper! The bird let out an unusual, tortured cry and flopped over on the windowsill unconscious. Its eyes were half closed and its tiny tongue even jutted out a little from its open beak. What a tragedy! I heaped blame upon myself with countless reproaches.
Please forgive me, little bird. I simply didn't think. I will definitely take good care of all your surviving dependents. You can have all my savings! Wait a second, what was that just now?!
All of a sudden the victim I'd thought dead picked himself up and flew off, livelier than ever.
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