Slayers - Volume 4 - Chapter 1

1: Typical! Wherever We Go, Drama Finds Us

The palace stood silent against the night, backed by the moon and stars. Watchtowers flanked its huge closed gate, illuminated here and there with pale magical lights—probably Lighting spells.

“We’ll sneak in this way,” I whispered, my back pressed against one of the trees along the side of the lane.

“You mean... through the front gate?!” Gourry asked uncertainly, similarly pressed against a tree.

Just to be clear, we’re not burglars or anything. I mean, yeah, we were dressed so suspiciously that passersby would be justified throwing rocks at us... Y’know, your standard body-concealing coats and pants secured in place with leather belts, plus masks that hid our entire faces except for our eyes. And yes, okay, they were all black! We also both had swords hanging off our belts, which sort of clinched the whole “evil assassin” look.

But listen... not to brag or anything, but I, Lina Inverse, would never sink low enough to do that kind of dirty work. If I’m ever short on funds, blowing up bandit hideouts is both way more profitable and way less illegal (I think?).

“It’s the last thing they’ll be expecting!” I assured Gourry.

“Maybe there’s a good reason for that!” he argued.

“Quit complaining and get moving already!” I said, striding for the gate.

“It certainly is more tense here than I expected,” Sylphiel said quietly as she sipped her after-meal tea. Her long, sleek, black hair rustled slightly with the gesture. She was a delicate beauty whose clerical vestments suited her all too well. I figured she was probably a little older than me.

We (me, Sylphiel, and Gourry) were presently in a small restaurant. The food was decent, as was the clientele, but the atmosphere was decidedly dour—and that went for more than just the restaurant. See, we were currently in Saillune City, capital of the Holy Kingdom of Saillune, which was in the grips of a scandal. We weren’t here to rubberneck, however. Gourry and I had met Sylphiel in a separate kerfuffle, and she’d asked us to be her bodyguards on her journey to Saillune to stay with some relatives.

“Still...” Gourry whispered low. Gourry was my traveling companion, a handsome and superlatively skilled swordsman who I sometimes suspected had goo for brains. “Why’s the city so on edge?”

Clunk... I unwittingly dropped my fork. Sylphiel stared in disbelief.

“R-Really, Gourry?” I pressed my fingers to my aching temples. “Are you telling me you have no idea what’s going on here right now?”

“I have absolutely no idea!”

“Guuugh! Sylphiel and I were talking about it nonstop the whole way here!”

“Aw, you little scamp! You really thought I was listening to all that?”

“Don’t act proud of it! Darn it...” I said, mussing my hair in frustration. Meanwhile, Sylphiel remained frozen in shock. “Well, never mind. The simplest way to put it is that the city is deep in the throes of some family drama.”

“Oh?”

“Six months ago, the king collapsed of illness. And though he’s still in his right mind, he’s bedridden. According to rumor, anyway.”

“Huh...”

“Obviously, the situation has led to all kinds of speculation about who the next king should be. And then little incidents began cropping up here and there.”

“Ahh...”

Are you really listening to me, dude? Because if not, I’m gonna get violent. Don’t test me.

I managed to keep my composure and continued explaining, “It started with an attempt on the life of the king’s heir, followed by the assassinations of a few higher-ups. Then the king’s heir went missing from the palace... He’s probably hiding somewhere in town. The result is that soldiers and shady figures have the streets packed day and night. You follow?”

“Can’t say I do.”

“Graaagh! Youuu!”

“Waaah! Calm down, Lina! I was joking! Just joking! I follow! Please! Don’t get violent!”

“Hahh... hahh...” I panted, but managed to catch my breath.

“May I ask, Mistress Lina, why you call him ‘the king’s heir’?” inquired Sylphiel, who had finally regained use of her faculties, with a puzzled furrow of her brow.

I mirrored the expression and asked, “What do you mean? He’s the next in line for the throne, so...”

“I mean... I was just wondering why you refer to him in those specific terms. Most would simply call him the prince, no?”

Twitch! That comment gave me a full-on facial spasm.

“Yeah... I guess,” I admitted reluctantly, finally managing to wrench the words from my throat.

“Ah,” she said with a dreamy gaze. “The prince of Saillune, city of white magic, driven from the palace by assassins, hiding somewhere in town... Surely he must be a wonderful person.”

Crash! I fell over in my chair.

“H-Hey, Lina! What’s wrong with you?!”

“What happened?”

“...Nothing...”

I picked myself up, trying my darndest to look unaffected. The truth was that I’d met the king’s heir before, and... Well, we could save that story for another time. No need to burst Sylphiel’s bubble.

“S-So just to be sure, Sylphiel... you told your relatives when you’d be arriving, right?” I asked, forcing a change in subject.

“Y-Yes. I contacted them via the courier at Kanon City earlier.”

“And you’re gonna work at one of the temples around here now?” I went rapid-fire on the questions to keep her from asking any herself.

“I certainly hope so. The truth is, my uncle serves as both a local priest and magical doctor. But I don’t wish to be a burden, so I’d very much like to find work for myself. Granted, given the state of the city right now, I don’t know how easy that will be...”

“Hey, once things calm down a little, I’m sure you’ll be able to do anything you want.”

Whew! Disaster conversation avoided!

“There. That building with the brown roof,” Sylphiel said, pointing.

We were now in the center of the city, near the palace, on the kind of big avenue that would ordinarily be overflowing with stalls and sightseers, but, owing to the times, was currently only populated by a few odd stragglers. The air was so still we could even smell the little flowers blooming along the lane.

Down the way, I could see the high walls that encircled the palace. The house Sylphiel indicated was to our right. It wasn’t especially large, but it seemed like a nice place. Well built. Needless to say, it was where Sylphiel’s relatives lived.

She glanced back at me, then turned her eyes to Gourry.

“Um... would you please accompany me?” she asked meekly.

“Oh, uh, sure,” Gourry answered, scratching at his cheek as he cast a glance in my direction.

“Yeah, we should go say hi to your relatives,” I said.

Our job was only to make sure she got to the city, and she’d paid us in advance. There would have been no hard feelings if we split ways here. But I knew Sylphiel had to be nervous since she didn’t know these relatives of hers all that well. Besides, it would be better if Gourry and I were there to explain how she’d ended up in this mess in the first place... seeing as we were sorta responsible for it.

And so we passed through the property gate together. Sylphiel rapped the wolf head door knocker a few times, then waited. No answer.

“Could they be out?” she asked, her head cocked to the side as she reached for the knocker again.

It was then we at last heard the sound of someone stirring inside. A few moments later, a middle-aged man cracked the door open and peeked out. Despite the streaks of white in his hair, he didn’t look especially old. His face was keen and wary... but his expression changed the moment he laid eyes on Sylphiel.

“Oh! Sylphiel!” he exclaimed, immediately all smiles as he threw the door open wide.

“It’s been a long time, Uncle Grey,” she responded with a smile.

“It certainly has. My goodness, you were a child the last time I saw you... What a beautiful young lady you’ve become! Anyway, do come in. Let’s not stand around—” His friendly demeanor suddenly turned suspicious when he laid eyes on me and Gourry. “Who are these people?”

Sylphiel looked back at us in turn and replied, “Oh, meet Mistress Lina and Master Gourry. They helped me in Sairaag and protected me on the way here.”

“In that case... thank you.” Master Grey continued to stand there in the entrance, a troubled expression on his face. He didn’t seem particularly happy to see us. Granted, to him, we probably looked like your average mercenary drifters. “I really must compensate you for your trouble.”

“No, she’s given us enough already, honestly,” I said awkwardly.

“They were involved in the incident in Sairaag with me,” Sylphiel interjected. “I thought perhaps they could explain what happened.”

“I... I see.”

With that, Master Grey craned his neck around the inside of the house, looking strangely unsettled.

Hmm... getting some real unwelcoming vibes here...

“Well, I suppose we could go to a local cafe...” he muttered.

“Uncle...” Sylphiel said, almost pleadingly.

She was frowning, clearly displeased with this turn of events. I took the opportunity to step in.

“No, don’t trouble yourself. We just wanted to introduce ourselves, but you seem rather busy. We’ll be taking our leave, then...”

“Mistress Lina!” Sylphiel objected.

“No, nothing of the sort!” Master Grey declared, looking a little panicked. “It’s really nothing, I’m just... Oh, I know! The house is rather messy. If you’ll just wait here a minute...”

Wait, what was with that “Oh, I know”? Probably best not to read too much into it... the man slammed the door in our faces, and I could hear his footsteps dashing away.

“I wonder what could have possessed him,” Sylphiel muttered uncertainly, then rested back against a pillar on the porch.

Some time later, I heard the hasty steps approach again and Master Grey poked his head out of the door once more.

“So sorry for the wait. Do come in,” he said, beckoning us in with a slightly strained smile.

Gourry and I exchanged a glance, then shrugged.

“Welcome to our humble abode. Make yourselves right at home,” the wife said as she served us tea with a strained smile to match her husband’s.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” I said as I took a sip.

The three of us had been shown to their parlor.

“Might I ask, where’s Tran?” Sylphiel asked Master Grey.

“Oh, my son? He got married a while back. He opened up a magical pharmacy a little way from here, though he still comes to visit from time to time. So, what exactly happened in Sairaag?” he asked, blatantly speeding the conversation along.

“Oh, where should I start? I suppose Mistress Lina should explain,” Sylphiel said, suddenly turning the spotlight on me.

Hmm... I guess this went all the way back to how I met Gourry. I’d have to abridge things a little though, or else this was gonna take us all night.

“Let’s see. Me, Gourry, and this other guy—”

But just as I started my story...

“You! You’re that magical girl!” called a loud, gravelly voice.

I whipped around and—Erk!—I could’ve dropped dead on the spot. A grubby old man was leaning out of the halfway open door to the next room. He was big and imposing, with a stout build that made him look like an oversized dwarf. He was about forty, bearded, and wearing clothes that seemed a little too small for his frame. If you handed him a crummy weapon and slapped some rusty armor on him, he’d look like your typical bandit.

And yes, I knew him.

“You’ve met?” Master Grey asked hesitantly.

Sylphiel and her aunt were also looking back and forth between me and the old man repeatedly. Gourry was the only one who seemed completely unfazed by the situation. I knew this wasn’t due to any particular generosity of spirit, however. Obliviousness was just kind of his natural state of being.

“Hrmm... Some time ago, yes.” The old guy nodded calmly. “She’s trustworthy.”

“I see,” Master Grey said with a big sigh of relief as he leaned back in his chair.

“Er... Uncle?” Sylphiel asked warily. “Just who is this man?”

“Oh, that’s... This has to stay quiet, all right?” Master Grey said, righting himself. He then continued in a soft but clear voice, “That is Sir Philionel El Di Saillune, first in line for the throne of the Holy Kingdom of Saillune.”

...

“What...?” Sylphiel squeaked, then turned to me creakily. “That’s... the... prince?”

I replied with a firm, pained, sympathetic nod, “Yup.”

Sylphiel fainted dead away.

Once the introductions were out of the way and I’d finished rehashing what went down in Sairaag, Master Grey’s wife finally came downstairs again.

“Oh, Maria. How’s Sylphiel faring?” Master Grey asked.

“She’s resting peacefully now,” she replied with a small smile. “She spent quite a long time tossing and turning, though...”

“I’m sure her exhaustion just caught up with her now that we’re here safe and sound,” I said.

“Hm, perhaps,” Master Grey mused in a strangely aged tone.

Obviously, that was an excuse. She’d actually fainted from shock trying to reconcile the Prince Charming of her imagination with the grungy forty-year-old dude she was just presented with. Not surprising that it was too much for her to take in. She was at a sensitive age, after all.

I’d run into the guy once while he was traveling in disguise, and we’d teamed up to take care of a certain incident... but good grief he was a lot to deal with. I was of course forced to suffer the same rude awakening Sylphiel was just treated to, but moreover, the guy had a way of sucking the air out of any room he was in.

“All right. Now it’s my turn to share,” Sir Phil said, nodding deeply at nothing before beginning his own story.

He was apparently attacked by assassins but managed to “persuade” them to withdraw... and they retaliated by going and attacking his retainers instead. So, to draw the assassins’ attention, the concerned Sir Phil then slipped the palace and secreted himself away here. As he’d hoped, the assassins had been focused on tracking him down ever since...

This all explained why Master Grey was so reluctant to let us inside. We were total strangers, after all, and he didn’t want us to discover what—or who, rather—he was really hiding here.

“I’m sorry for all the trouble, Grey.”

“Your Highness... you needn’t apologize to me.”

I guess calling him “Your Highness” felt less wrong than outright calling him a prince. Not sure why I was so struck by that, but I was.

“And so, Lina, Gourry,” Sir Phil said, turning to face us again, “I was hoping you might honor my request.”

The two of us exchanged a look. It was unlikely we were going to be able to refuse this so-called request... but it sure sounded like it was gonna be a huge pain in the rear.

“We’ll hear you out, but we can’t promise anything,” I hedged.

“That’s fine. I mentioned before that I slipped out of the palace, but my allies seem to fear I may have met my demise. I want to send them some reassurance. Grey here goes to work at the palace temple once every five days, but leaving the contact to him seems risky.”

“I see...” I whispered, folding my arms.

If you wanted to secretly make contact with someone in the palace, you couldn’t exactly waltz in the front gate. Would we have to wait for these allies to leave the palace first? No, that would never work. Under the current circumstances, no way in hell was anyone leaving the palace without an escort. That meant infiltration was our only option...

Might be fun.

“There are two people I want to reach. You can make contact with either one, and have them pass the message on to the other. Neither leaves the palace very often, however, so you’ll have to sneak in to find them. That is, assuming you take the job. I know it’s rather dangerous...”

“Say,” Gourry piped up with a rare question, “who’s behind all the assassinations? Do you know?”

I was curious myself, of course. But if Sir Phil named the conspirators... we’d already be in too deep. We’d essentially be boxed in to taking the job.

Fortunately, all he said was: “I have an idea. More precisely, there’s really only one person it could be... But I have no proof.”

“So you want us to take him out while we’re in the palace?” I asked, thinking it was a pretty good idea myself.

Yet Sir Phil fell silent for a little while, then rumbled softly, “I believe I’ve told you before, but I am a pacifist. I doubt we can resolve things peacefully after all that’s happened, but however I’m forced to deal with him in the end, I at least want proof that he was responsible first.”

Hmm... that was a big ask. Point me at a bad guy, and I’ll beat him up no problem. But petty little details like “proof”? That wasn’t really my style.

“Now, as for the people I want you to contact... Well, I can tell you all that if you agree. Just to be clear, I know this is dangerous work. You’re free to decline. I won’t force your hand.”

Whew... I let out a sigh, a wry smile on my face, and said, “But it really wouldn’t be right to back out after everything we’ve heard, would it?”

“You have my thanks,” Sir Phil said. No matter who he was talking to, he was never too good for a simple thank you. It was one of his better traits. “In that case, allow me to continue. One of the people I want you to contact is my valet Clophel. The other is Amelia.”

“A woman?” I asked.

Sir Phil showed a hint of uncharacteristic bashfulness and clarified, “Yes, well... My daughter, actually.”

“Daughter?!” Gourry and I exclaimed in unison.

A terrifying vision flashed through my mind. The thought of Sir Phil’s daughter... Would she end up looking just like him? Ooh, or would the twist be that she was a total knockout? Darn. Now that I’d gotten my hopes up, I was gonna be even more heartbroken if she turned out to be a dead ringer for her old man...

“She’s quite pretty,” Master Grey said, apparently having read my mind. He then added in a whisper, “She takes after her mother.”

“Speaking of, where is your wife, if I may ask?” I inquired.

Sir Phil flashed a sad smile and said, “Oh, she passed some time ago.”

Ah...

“S-Sorry to hear that.”

“Think nothing of it.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Leave it to Gourry, however, to finally break it.

“So... who do you think’s behind it all?” he asked.

“Christopher Wil Brogg Saillune, the second in line to the throne,” Sir Phil muttered. “In other words... my younger brother.”

The air became decidedly heavier.

And that’s the story of how we ended up sneaking into the palace in the middle of the night like common burglars.

Dressed in clothes as black as the night itself, we began our mission. I used Levitation to slowly pass over the soldiers watching the front gate, then, while hugging the wall like a gecko, I ascended. Surely there would be lookouts atop the gate as well. Maybe I should’ve picked a different way in after all...

But it was a bit too late to look back now, and stressing over the details was a surefire path to self-sabotage. Fortunately, it seemed I was in the clear—there wasn’t a soul stationed on top of the gate. Careless of them; good for me.

I cast a glance over the palace grounds. Obviously, Sir Phil had explained the general layout in advance, but I still needed to get a feel for it myself and evaluate security around the joint.

At the center of the massive lawn stood a fancy-looking temple, apparently used for official functions like coronations. There were small buildings on either side of it—dormitories. The one on the right was for priests, the one on the left for shrine maidens.

Amelia should be in the shrine maiden dorm. Apparently, she was the head shrine maiden around here. The notion conjured images of a lovely young lady in my head... but, I reminded myself, she was still Sir Phil’s daughter. I couldn’t let my guard down.

Beyond the temple stood the main palace, where Sir Phil used to live. That was where we would find his valet Clophel, as well as Christopher the alleged mastermind.

Light pierced the darkness from atop posts set up throughout the garden and all the buildings scattered across the massive lawn, but it couldn’t entirely dispel the black of night. Security in the garden seemed fairly light as well. The royal guard was probably concentrated in the palace and the temple.

Common sense dictated that Amelia would be easier to reach, which was why I’d made the decision to go for Clophel instead. Our enemy knew that Sir Phil was still alive, after all, and that he would likely try and contact his daughter. They would be guarding her strictly—and covertly.

Conversely, the palace was essentially the enemy’s home base. Their ringleader was there, and the place was watched at all hours. You’d have to be downright insane to try to sneak in...

“By the way, Gourry, there’s something I have to tell you,” I whispered softly to my blond companion, who was hiding on top of the gate with me.

“What is it? And why’d you wait until now to bring it up?”

“If things go south at any point, my attack spells aren’t gonna help us much. They’re only going to work at about half power while we’re here.”

Gourry replied softly, almost with a groan in his voice, “Really? That time of the month again?”

...

“N-No!” I said, flailing my arms as I felt my face turning beet red.

Why... Why in the world would you bring that up now?!

I wanted to shout, but worked hard to keep my voice low: “It’s the shape of the city! It reduces the strength of my offensive spells!”

“Wha? How come?”

“Well... a few reasons.”

“Don’t just leave it at that! Explain.”

Oh, yeah? You want me to explain, huh?

“Okay then, first, the city districts are laid out like a magic circle. A big six-pointed star. You know what a six-pointed star is, right?”

“Of course I do. It’s two triangles put together.”

“Oh, wow! You’re so smart, Gourry!”

“...Do you think I’m stupid or something?”

“Always have, buddy. Anyway, this palace lies at the center of that six-pointed star. Still with me?”

“Yeah.”

“In magic, the six-pointed star represents a stable flow of power. In other words, balance. By contrast, an inverted five-pointed star represents imbalance—a flow of power that defies natural order. And an upright five-pointed star, then, represents the purging of that power. Got all that?”

“...Y-Yeah...”

“As long as they’re small and aren’t magically enhanced, these symbols don’t have any effect. But at much larger scales, they can create magical barriers proportionate to their size.”

“...”

“In other words, the city of Saillune itself is a giant barrier and we’re smack dab in the middle of it. Obviously, its effect is huge. But while it amplifies the power of white magic—which is all about balance—it has the opposite effect on black magic, which draws its power from chaos. That said, it doesn’t interfere as much as a pentagram designed specially to banish evil would. I think that’s about everything. Understand?”

“I shouldn’t have asked...” he conceded readily.

Incidentally, the one who laid the city out in such a fashion was a certain white magic specialist who served as an aide to the first king of Saillune. Just FYI.

“Now... let’s get going,” I said, renewing my Levitation spell.

With that, we landed inside the palace grounds and started slinking through the breezy night. We gave a wide berth to the pools of light on the lawn and avoided the eyes of the guards. It was actually pretty exciting. I had to wonder if the bandits of the world out there fell into their way of life seeking out this kind of thrill...

Still, no matter their reasons, I could never approve of stealing from innocent people. It was only open season, in my book, when it came to corrupt leaders and murderous thieves. But since most bandits didn’t similarly limit themselves, I figured they were largely just self-serving cowards.

Anyhoo, getting close to the main palace was easy, but our biggest problem still lay ahead. The place was basically packed with sentries. Not just at the entrances, either. They were everywhere. Apparently Lord Clophel’s room was on the third floor, so I figured we’d probably have to get there via Levitation... but there the building itself was dotted with Lighting torches and there were guards on every veranda. They’d easily spot me and Gourry flying up there.

While I was hiding in the grass at the edge of the light and thinking things over, Gourry, who was crouched beside me, piped up.

“Say, Lina, can’t you use magic to summon a big bird or something to distract them?”

“Nope,” I said plainly. “If they have anyone who can detect magic, that would be like sounding the alarm.”

“But you’ve cast Levitation a bunch of times already...”

“Levitation’s a pretty weak spell. You see all those Lighting spells around the place? With all the magic those puppies put out, a cantrip like Levitation wouldn’t even register. But summoning and attack spells use a whopping load of power. Besides...”

“Besides?”

“While I can use a few summoning spells, they’re not really my cup of tea.”

“How come?”

“Why do you think?” I said, firmly. “They take the focus off of me.”

In the end, we chose the most mundane of plans: Levitating as high as we could out of sight, then coming in for a touchdown on the palace roof. The main building was five stories, so we’d have to make it down two floors to reach Lord Clophel’s room. The task was easier said than done, but it was the only option we had.

Once we landed on the roof, we took a peek in through several of the skylights. There was one room that seemed deserted, which felt like a trap to me. So instead, we picked out a room where a rotund older woman—presumably a maid—was out cold sawing logs.

I pulled some thin steel plates and a pin from my pants pocket, and proceeded to unlock the window.

“Hey... are you a cat burglar on the sly or something?” Gourry asked, more suspicious of than impressed by my lockpicking.

“Oh, c’mon. Such skills are a necessity for modern ladies.”

“You liar.”

“Whatever. We’re going in,” I said, cracking open the skylight and slipping into the room below.

The plush carpet helped us hit the ground quietly. The old lady remained fast asleep. I approached the door, listened outside, then slowly opened it.

A long hallway stretched out to either side of us, illuminated here and there with Lighting. And seated in a chair just outside the door to the empty room we’d spotted before was a napping soldier. I knew it was a trap! Buuut I also knew that bucko here wasn’t supposed to be sleeping on the job. I cast a Sleeping spell on him to make sure he stayed down for the count, and then we snuck by.

We made it to the stairway, which appeared to be just as unguarded as most of the hall. I cast a look down it, sensing a group of presences pretty far below us. The mastermind, Christopher, must be down on the first floor...

Still, the place seemed strangely defenseless. Maybe the baddies hadn’t really thought all this through, but wouldn’t common sense demand a little more in the way of caution? Either way, Gourry and I continued to creep along, putting several soldiers to sleep as we went. We ultimately reached the third floor without much ado.

I was liking this less and less. Could it be...?

“What do you think, Gourry?” I asked while walking down the perfectly straight, deserted hallway.

“I don’t like it. It feels like a trap, but I can’t quite get my head around it.”

“I guess we’ll just have to see it through. We’ll sneak into Lord Clophel’s room, and then we need to make sure it’s really him. So just stay quiet and let me handle that part.”

“Got it. I’ll leave the strategizing stuff to you.”

If our enemy was clever, they would have moved Lord Clophel to another room and replaced him with a double to intercept any messengers from Sir Phil—in other words, us—in an attempt to discover his whereabouts.

I unlocked the door to Lord Clophel’s quarters the same way I had the skylight, cracked it open, and slipped inside. I closed it for good measure behind us, just for the record.

We found ourselves in a two-room chamber. In the further room was an old man asleep in a bed painted by the moonlight streaming through the windows. He matched Sir Phil’s description of his valet, but we’d never met the guy before, so we couldn’t be sure it was him. To confirm, I quietly unsheathed my sword and placed my left hand over his mouth.

He jerked awake in a flash. I held my sword right to his throat and hissed at him to keep his voice down. Then, slowly, I removed my hand from his mouth.

“Clophel?” I asked.

At that, he loudly cleared his throat. He then gasped, both his eyes open wide, “Are you... assassins from Christopher?!”

All right, he was the real deal after all. A fake would’ve tried to tell me I had the wrong guy. I nodded to Gourry, then sheathed my sword. Lord Clophel looked between us, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Sorry about that. We had to make sure it was really you,” I explained.

“Just who are you people?” he asked.

“We have a message from Sir Philionel,” Gourry said.

“His Highness?!” Lord Clophel exclaimed, quickly sitting up.

“Hush! Keep it down! He just wanted to tell you he’s safe.”

“Ohh...” he exhaled joyously. He then said, nearly on the verge of tears, “I see... So he’s all right? I’m so, so very glad... Where is he— No, no. I’d better not ask his location.”

“Smart thinking. Could you please pass word along to Lady Amelia too? I think it would be too risky for us to go see her.”

“It would be indeed... and you really should be going now. You mustn’t linger too long here. I’ll let Lady Amelia know. And please tell His Highness to be careful. We’ll hold out just fine in his absence.”

“Got it. See you, then,” I said, making a quick exit with Gourry.

Obviously, we were still on our guard. We carefully retraced our steps, and just as we hit the stairs...

Bwoom!

There was a huge explosion outside. Panic immediately swept the palace. I could hear soldiers all around us sounding the alarm...

“What was that?!”

“What happened?”

“Don’t panic! Back to your posts! Leave this to the guards outside!”

But I wasn’t about to sit back and listen to the details. Gourry and I dashed up the stairs and rushed into the original room we’d dropped down into. Despite all the commotion, the old lady was still snoring away.

I was definitely curious about what was going on outside, but getting to safety was our first priority. I grabbed hold of Gourry and used Levitation to get us up through the skylight, then landed on the roof and closed it behind us. Of course, I couldn’t exactly lock it again.

Now, all we have to do is float our way to—

Before I could finish that thought, Gourry clicked his tongue and drew his sword. His eyes were fixed on a man... high in the air above us.

A sorcerer?!

“Finished with your business?” the mystery man asked in a mocking tone.

He was probably around thirty, and stood in the air against a starlit backdrop with his long cape fluttering in the night wind. I suppose you could say he was handsome, but the long scar trailing down his right cheek—and more importantly, the icy expression on his face—squandered his looks. Given his appearance and the way he’d shown up, I pegged him for an enemy right away. (That’s right. I judge books by their covers.)

Ah, this must be the guy responsible for the explosion out here...

He’d probably spotted us entering the palace and was waiting to ambush us here. The explosion was just a diversion to cause panic and keep us from noticing him. Whatever he was up to, however, our best move was to flee. I grabbed Gourry by the hand and incanted my high-speed flight spell.

“Lei Wing!”

With that, we’d be too fast for the sorcerer to catch with Levitation. Its natural barrier would also protect us from simple spells like Flare Arrow.

But the moment our feet left the roof...

Fwoom!

We were hit by a jolt—from above! I nearly blacked out, but I barely managed to keep control of my spell. Still, the impact had forced me into a quick deceleration and an emergency landing in the middle of the lawn... smack in the middle of all the soldiers.

A second shockwave hit us, so powerful that it would have crushed us if not for Lei Wing’s wind barrier. For this guy to be able to cast a spell that powerful while using Levitation... He was really something else.

The sight of people falling out of the sky, however, understandably rattled the guards.

“What now?!”

“Intruders!”

They moved to surround us, keeping a fairly wide berth.

“Ow, ow, ow...”

“Whew...”

Gourry and I managed to pick ourselves up.

“Who are you people?!” one of the soldiers, apparently the captain, asked us.

Gourry frantically waved one hand and assured the man, “Oh, no need to worry. We don’t mean you any harm.”

It was hardly convincing, given the naked blade in his other hand. This guy, I swear...

“Could you leave them to me, Captain Lazeth?” asked a voice from on high.

The whole lot of us looked up. It was the sorcerer from before, descending to the ground with a cold smile on his face.

“Kanzel, eh?” the captain said with an open scowl. They seemed to know each other, and not in an exceptionally fond capacity. “This is a job for the captain of the royal guard.”

“Let him, Lazeth,” came a voice from another direction.

Two figures were now approaching from the main palace building. The first was a good-looking guy about forty. He was rather on the scrawny side with a bit of an effeminate air, but handsome nonetheless (just not my type). Behind him was what looked like a younger version of the same guy—presumably his son. Not surprisingly, it was the older of the two who’d called out to the captain.

“Ah... b-but...”

“Lazeth, as you reminded us all before, you are the captain of the royal guard. That means you follow my royal commands, does it not?”

At that, the captain fell silent. This told me two things about the handsome older gent. One, he was a handsome older jerk. And two, he was probably Christopher.

“Now, if you’ll allow me...” Kanzel said, extending his right hand out toward us in preparation to cast a spell. “I shall kill them.”

Say whaaaaaaaat?! I was expecting a “capture them and get them to tell us where Sir Phil is” sort of deal, but no! We’re jumping straight to the death penalty?! That surprised even me. Prince Handsome seemed pretty shocked too.

“W-Wait a minute! Kanzel! What are you—”

Light was already coalescing in the sorcerer’s right hand. Damn, he finished that spell awfully quick!

“Die!” he shouted.

The instant the light shot from his hand... Gourry and I took to the air once more! I wasn’t just sitting there while they plotted our fate, I’ll have you know! I’d spent their talky-time on another Lei Wing, then waited for the opportunity to unleash it...

Kanzel wouldn’t be able to launch a second blast in time. We were already on our way to the western gate! But then...

Vrrm! A red light streaked through the night sky.

“Gwuh!” Gourry let out a muffled scream.

“What happened?!”

“My leg... It’s just a scratch, though. Don’t worry,” he said reassuringly.

For that red light to have pierced my barrier, though... Whoever fired it was one nasty strong sorcerer. I could tell Gourry was hurting way worse than he let on, but go figure. That was one powerful attack.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you home soon,” I said as I hurried onward.

“...And that’s basically how it went.” I finished my story as I set my teacup on the table the next morning. After escaping from the palace, we’d spent the night at Master Grey’s house, where he patched up Gourry’s leg. “We fled in a random direction to throw them off, and I made sure Gourry wasn’t leaving a trail of blood for them to follow.”

“I’ve caused you so much trouble. I’m sorry. You were even injured for my sake...” Sir Phil apologized sincerely.

“It’s nothing, really,” Gourry responded breezily.

But in truth, it was a bit of an ordeal. That magic beam only grazed Gourry’s leg... but it had cut him to the bone. I was glad Master Grey was a powerful magical doctor, because there was no way my Recovery spell alone could’ve fixed that up.

Incidentally, it was just the four of us in the house right now. Sylphiel was still asleep, and Master Grey’s wife had gone shopping in town.

“So that middle-aged prettyboy was Christopher, right?” I asked.

“Yes,” Sir Phil replied with a firm nod. “I’m sure you can see the resemblance.”

Not at all, actually, but...

“What about the young man who looked just like him?”

“Chris’s son, Alfred. But the real problem is that Kanzel fellow... Chris said he was an old friend, but I know he was lying. It was when Chris invited him to stay at the palace that all this started.”

“You think he’s the one giving the orders to the assassins?” Gourry asked.

“Most likely. But while I can believe Chris would bring such a man into the palace to further his ambitions, and even try to kill me... to assassinate my friends and colleagues?! I don’t care if he’s my brother— No, it’s because he’s my brother that I can’t forgive him!”

“So, what now?” I asked Sir Phil. “You can’t hole up here forever, and if you want proof of his schemes, it means going back to the palace. We can’t just keep sneaking in there on a nightly basis...”

“Indeed, that’s the problem.” Sir Phil folded his arms thoughtfully. “I know that, at some point, I must return home and confront the situation myself. But if I go back now, he’ll think he has me right where he wants me... and he may resume his attacks on my retainers. That would mean all of my efforts were for nothing. So instead, I need to wait for the right time and opportunity to return.”

Bang! It was then that we heard the door fly open.

“Emergency!” came a shout.

It was the missus of the house, back from shopping in a fluster. She ran inside, as white as a sheet.

“What’s wrong, Maria?!” Master Grey asked hurriedly, exchanging a glance with Sir Phil.

“I was in town and there... there was an announcement from the palace. They said that, last night, Lord Clophel was contacted by suspected assassins... He’s been arrested!”

“What?!” the whole group shouted.

“They’re pinning the recent assassinations on him. Prince Christopher means to punish him severely...”

“Damn that Chris! He was just waiting for me to make a move...” Sir Phil huffed in frustration.

“I’m sorry. If only we hadn’t been caught...” Gourry apologized.

“No, it’s not your fault. This just means...” With an indomitable smile, Sir Phil stood up from his seat. “It’s time to take action!”

“In that case...” Gourry began.

“...I think we’ll join you,” I concluded as we both stood up.

It seemed our actions had played right into the enemy’s hands. This was no time to dust ourselves off and say, “Well, our work here is done! See ya!”

“Thank you,” Sir Phil said with a resolute nod.

“Open the gate! Philionel El Di Saillune has returned!” Sir Phil bellowed.

One of the guards quickly leaped through the sentry door and then, with a creak, the grand palace gate opened inward. Sir Phil strode boldly through, with Gourry and I trailing behind him.

Sir Phil was dressed in layered silk robes that were elegantly decorated with gold embroidery and the royal crest. It was a pretty classy look that, to be honest, didn’t suit its wearer in the slightest. As a parting gift, Master Grey had outfitted Gourry with some loose-fitting hemp clothes, which he was wearing under his usual iron serpent breastplate and longsword.

As for me, I was wearing a new robe I’d picked up here in the city, black pants, and a black cape with some mithril threads woven in. And atop it all, I had new delicately gold-adorned pauldrons made from layers of mithril and shaved-down dragon bones. There was also my staple black bandanna, shortsword, and jeweled amulets in all the important places to complete the look.

“Who are these two?” one of the soldiers asked, clearly staring at us.

“Allies,” Sir Phil said without explanation.

He then continued to stride into the palace. The soldiers all shouted out when they saw him, gathering around in glee.

“His Highness!”

“His Highness has returned!”

Seemed Sir Phil was pretty well liked around here.

“Hmm...?”

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. He’d seen someone coming out of the temple up ahead. It was a shrine maiden.

“Heya, Dad!” she called, a little casually for a heartwarming reunion.

But Gourry and I were stopped in our tracks. Let me be quite clear: this girl was freakin’ adorable.

She was maybe my age, with silky, black hair cut right above her shoulders. She had a baby face with big, round eyes. Her shrine maiden vestments were on the big side for her, but that just added to her childlike charm.

Needless to say, she looked nothing like Sir Phil.

“Oh, Amelia! I’m so glad you’re well!” he said, hailing her.

“’Course I am! I just knew you were okay too, Dad!” she replied as she threw her arms around her father.

“Hey now, weren’t you worried at all?”

“Aw, maybe a little. But I know that justice always prevails!” she proclaimed like a revolutionary, throwing her arms out wide. She then cast a glance my way. “So, who’re these people?”

“Oh! This is Lina, and this is Gourry. They’re my allies.”

Vague, but okay. That was exactly the kind of thing I’d come to expect from this guy...

Sir Phil then turned to us with a light shrug and said, “This is my second daughter, Amelia.”

“Second daughter?” I found myself asking dubiously.

“Yes. I have an older daughter named Gracia, but she’s currently on a sojourn and hasn’t yet returned.”

“Knowing her, she’s probably lost,” Amelia said with a grin.

Gosh, how are these people so chill right now?

Sir Phil ruffled Lady Amelia’s hair and said affectionately, “I know that all fathers think their daughters are, but you’re truly beautiful. Just like your father.”

“Not at all like her father...” Gourry and I muttered in unison.

“Nice ta meetcha!” she said, waving to us cheerfully.

Seriously, where in the hell’s that energy coming from?

“L-Likewise...”

“The pleasure is all ours...”

Once we’d finished up the pleasantries, the girl looked around.

“Uncle is here,” she then said in a meaningful tone.

I looked around too and saw three familiar figures headed our way from the temple entrance. I’m sure I don’t need to spell it out, but it was Christopher, his son Alfred, and the sorcerer Kanzel.

“Are you well, Brother?” Christopher asked.

“Yes,” Sir Phil replied with a pained expression.

“Where have you been? I was terribly worried,” Christopher continued, playing dumb.

Sir Phil knew that he was the one behind all this, and Chris knew that Phil knew. This whole charade was a mockery on Chris’s part.

“And who might these two companions of yours be?”

He probably already knew that, too. We’d kept our faces covered last night, but now Phil was showing up with two mysterious companions... With a little insight and imagination, it wasn’t hard to make the connection. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, it was Lady Amelia who spoke up for us.

“These two? They’re old friends of my dad’s.”

Even Christopher seemed daunted by this. It was a bald-faced lie, but one he’d used himself. He couldn’t exactly object.

“I... I see,” he managed to choke out.

“Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev,” Sir Phil introduced.

“Oh, the Lina Inverse?” the sorcerer Kanzel piped up with interest. He must’ve heard the many rumors about me...

“Remember your place, Kanzel,” Christopher scolded.

“Beg pardon,” he immediately replied, bowing deeply. There was almost something condescending about it.

“Allow me to make the rest of the introductions, then,” Lady Amelia said, turning my way. “This is my beloved uncle, Christopher.”

Christopher’s expression turned sour upon hearing this.

“This is my cousin, Alfred,” Lady Amelia continued. “And this is my uncle’s old friend, Master Kanzel. All this trouble just happened to start right after he came to us. We all feel so bad about the inconvenience.”

Wow, she... was really putting on the thumbscrews, spelling it all out like that with the soldiers standing right freakin’ there. It seemed they already knew what was afoot, however, as several of them openly looked uncomfortable and several more were giving Christopher the old stinkeye.

“Why, it’s such a pleasure to meet you,” I said, playing along with the charade and grinning at the three men.

It would’ve taken impressive nerve to let a bombardment like that roll off your back, and Christopher wasn’t up to the task. He was visibly sweating.

“I’m glad to see you well, Brother, but I have business to attend to,” he announced as he turned away.

But Sir Phil wasn’t gonna let him off that easy.

“Wait, Chris!”

Twitch! A shudder ran through his body, and he begrudgingly looked back over his shoulder.

“Yes?”

“Release Clophel.”

“We can’t do that, I’m afraid,” Christopher said, recovering his smirk. “It seems he was in contact with the intruders who stole into the palace last night. We now believe him to be involved with the recent assassinations.”

“Don’t be absurd. Those were my investigators.”

“Inve—” Sir Phil said it so plainly that Christopher was briefly struck dumb. He probably hadn’t expected him to cop to it like that. (Honestly, I hadn’t either.) “Investigators? What... What do you mean?”

“I can’t reveal that,” Sir Phil declared with a sly grin of his own.

Chris said not a word more. Any further speculation on his part would just cast suspicion back on himself.

“I had my investigators deliver a message to Cloph last night. On their way out, they ran into another suspicious party on the lawn who nearly hit them with a blaze of fire. Perhaps they were the true assassins?”

Chris was still silent.

“Well, you heard me. Release Cloph at once,” Sir Phil reiterated.

“...B-But...”

“Is there more to be said?”

“Is that... true?”

“I have no need to lie to protect Cloph. Unless you think I’m the one behind the assassinations... Is that it?”

“C-Certainly not!” Christopher denied swiftly.

“Then you have no cause for complaint. Let’s go.”

“Oh, I’ll help! I can handle the paperwork!” Amelia volunteered.

Sir Phil then turned to us and said, “I have some rather dry affairs to attend to. I imagine they’d only bore you, so why not do some sightseeing around the palace instead?”

Really, dude? You wanna just go off without us? Granted, he was surrounded by soldiers now, and it was unlikely Chris would try anything in broad daylight. It seemed he had less pull around here than I initially thought.

“Now, I’ll need someone to show you around. Let’s see...” Sir Phil mused, looking around for a candidate.

“I’ll do it, if I may,” said Kanzel, stepping forward.

We were all temporarily at a loss for words. Unlike Christopher, this man had some real cunning.

“Oh, sure! That would be lovely,” I said with a bright smile.

The real fun was just getting started.

We climbed a low staircase made of white augite, passed through a set of grand doors, and found ourselves in a large, vaulted room. Colorful stained glass depicted the story of the kingdom’s founding. Exquisite ornamentation, neither too gaudy nor too plain, made the space feel majestic without being overwhelming. A single band of red carpet led us from the door to the altar.

“This is a temple to Flare Dragon Ceifeed. I’m told they hold coronations here as well,” Kanzel explained, sounding entirely disinterested. “There are dormitories on either side of the building. The shrine maidens are housed to the left, and the little priests to the right. We have no reason to visit either place.”

“Little priests,” huh? You’ve really got some nerve, buddy...

The three of us—me, Gourry, and Kanzel—proceeded further into the temple.

“Ahead of us are the entrances to the residences I told you about. And beyond that you’ll find the breezeway that leads to the main palace,” Kanzel continued.

He was briskly walking along, giving us the quick and dirty on the place. His explanations were so rushed and cursory that we didn’t have room to ask questions, much less time to stop and look at anything.

When he nominated himself for this job, I was prepared for a confrontation... but he was keeping his hostility in check for now. I was a little disappointed, actually. Here I was, looking forward to some “I’m so strong, you should run away while you still can” puffery en route to some good old-fashioned sniping...

Or was this guy just waiting for us to bring the subject up first? While I thought that over, we entered the breezeway that connected to the palace proper.

The weather today was incredibly nice. The sky was bright blue, and the sun was pleasantly warm... If not for all the drama going on around us, it would’ve been a great day to stretch out on the grass. But as I was taking in scenery, I realized that Kanzel was now walking fast enough to leave me behind.

I snapped out of my reverie and picked up the pace, but... How strange. No matter how fast I walked, I couldn’t seem to catch up to Gourry and Kanzel. In fact, they only seemed to get farther and farther away. Their figures pulled away from me, getting smaller and smaller until they looked like ants... then disappeared altogether.

I was under the enemy’s spell.