Ch.220Chapter 220: Departure

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After receiving orders to serve as an escort for the diplomatic delegation.

The five days my sister gave me to prepare flew by in an instant.

It wasn’t because I was busy with tight preparations.

Thanks to these five days of quasi-vacation I was given…

“It feels so nice to walk around with Cal in broad daylight when it’s not even my day off.”

The time passed while spending it with Shizu, who was sticking close to my side.

One might say I’m too carefree without any preparation when I’m supposed to be a knight escorting a diplomatic delegation.

But there was a good reason for this.

I was informed that we would be using transportation incomparably faster than what previous delegations used, so there was no need to pack clothes or other luggage.

“Why did they give us five whole days when we don’t need to prepare that much? Because you need to be in perfect condition through sufficient rest to properly handle the schedule once we get there.”

When I later asked my sister why she gave such a generous rest period, she encouraged my relaxation with words like these.

So I rested without worry.

If resting well means spending leisurely time alone with someone you love, then I did so to the point where “overflowing” would be an appropriate expression.

After thoroughly resting and refreshing both mind and body, the fifth day arrived.

As I set out for the imperial palace to fulfill my role as an escort knight, two main thoughts occupied my mind:

Curiosity about what transportation method could be so much faster than before,

And wondering what business this diplomatic delegation would conduct with the Kingetsu Empire.

While I had some vague idea about the transportation, my guess about the delegation’s mission in the Kingetsu Empire was even hazier than my speculation about our mode of travel.

[I take it such events didn’t happen around this time before you reversed time?]

As I walked through the hazy fog of my thoughts, Fafnir, finding my blocked reasoning interesting, spoke up.

Having spent the last three years together and learned most of my secrets,

He had read my habit of recalling differences from before my regression whenever something happened, which is why he asked so frankly.

At this point, we had nothing to hide from each other except for a few very sensitive matters.

‘No, there wasn’t. Compared to when I reversed time, when they hurriedly dispatched a delegation about 4-5 years from now to try to create a transnational cooperation system, things are moving incredibly fast now.’

I answered his question without hesitation.

[So is that a good thing or a bad thing?]

To him, who was clearly curious about the impact this sudden dialogue between the two countries would have on the world…

‘If I had to say, it’s a good thing. If the delegation goes to Kingetsu to discuss the strengthened forces of the demon realm, it creates an element that allows us to deal more flexibly with the coming calamity. Even if that’s not what they’re discussing, it still establishes a foundation for faster response in case of emergency.’

[You sound quite calm for someone discussing an inevitable calamity.]

‘I have to be calm. It’s much better than panicking and failing to do what needs to be done.’

[That’s true.]

‘Before I reversed time, I did dishonorable things, though they were beyond my control…’

[But…?]

‘Now I’ll do my best to prevent the calamity to the minimum extent without creating such dishonorable situations.’

[That’s a good mindset.]

We continued our conversation without pause.

As I walked and talked with Fafnir about various things, the fog in my mind cleared.

‘So from now on…’

[Hmm, the imperial palace. Then I’ll…]

Just as I was about to revisit the resolution I made every day since my regression…

Our conversation ended as our final destination came into view.

I felt momentarily unsettled by the abrupt end to our talk.

“Caaaal!!”

But that feeling vanished instantly when I saw Shizu waiting for me in the distance, happily calling and waving to me.

Walking toward Shizu with the fastest pace of the day,

“Good morning.”

I was too busy greeting her with an affectionate voice to hold onto such unsettled feelings.

And so, immediately after arriving at work, following my sister’s instructions, I took my position where the diplomatic delegation would receive orders from the Crown Prince, who was acting as regent.

Thus, I began my first duty as an escort knight for the diplomatic delegation.

Contrary to my expectation of seeing mostly seasoned politicians and experienced bureaucrats in foreign affairs,

I witnessed Princess Lucius, who had not yet been publicly announced as a princess, being appointed as the head of the delegation while receiving orders from the Crown Prince, dressed as a man.

[That princess is going? Well, she’ll do fine. Whatever it is.]

As Fafnir’s voice echoed in my head, expressing his complete lack of concern,

I filled my mind with thoughts about what this journey to the Kingetsu Empire might entail.

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“Wow…”

An incomparably deep exclamation quietly echoes in my ears.

As the expression “echoes” suggests,

This exclamation is not coming from me, but…

“The imperial palace… can look this small?”

It’s coming from Shizu, who stands beside me, pressed against the window, gazing at the scenery outside.

Since it’s coming from Shizu, who has an unexpectedly childlike innocence for her age,

There was such cuteness in her exclamation that I couldn’t help but smile crookedly.

But what’s important isn’t Shizu’s exclamation but the sight she’s looking at.

Seeing Shizu exclaim in wonder that the imperial palace looks very small,

Many would question where we could possibly be that makes the imperial palace, officially recognized as the largest building in the Central Continent, look small.

But they would quickly understand if they knew what vehicle is currently transporting me, Shizu, and the rest of the diplomatic delegation.

An airship.

Yes, a large airship that has been in test operation throughout the Central Continent for the past two years and has finally been confirmed safe for official operation is what we’re riding.

Taking off from the imperial palace and gaining altitude, the majestic Imperial Palace that seemed so towering when viewed from the ground now looks so small from the sky.

And as time passes, the palace and the entire Solarium City where it’s located become nothing more than a dot.

Unless you were among those who had boarded airships during test operations to check their performance and safety…

“…The ride is smooth enough to make luxury trains seem shabby by comparison.”

Like Excel, who quickly shares her impressions after Shizu,

It’s only natural that our diplomatic delegation continuously expresses their first impressions of the airship.

This isn’t just limited to the three of us serving as escorts.

“It took about 10 years from planning to design, manufacturing, and testing to complete this airship. It was a project that Brother… enthusiastically pushed forward right after being appointed as Crown Prince.”

Even the First Princess… no, since she’s currently disguised as a man, I should call her the Third Prince Luca, who is leading this diplomatic delegation,

Is expressing her impressions in a voice filled with emotion, with her shadow attendant by her side, separate from us escort knights.

The delegation members accompanying her were equally amazed by the airship.

Me? How do I feel?

For “me,” this is also my first time boarding a flying vessel.

But having seen something even more astonishing before my regression, I wasn’t quite as shocked.

Having seen an entire city lifted into the air by human power, I couldn’t be too amazed by merely boarding an airship.

In the time before my regression, thanks to the awakened demon god Desire,

Who swept through the Central Continent with forces reminiscent of the Great Holy War a thousand years ago,

The Empire gathered and deployed all its talented individuals against the Obsidian Palace.

Among the various figures who helped the Empire,

Under the guidance of a living historical figure who had experienced the great war a thousand years ago,

I had witnessed with my own eyes the heroic feat of a great hero who, sparing no effort, lifted the entire cradle region into the air to strike the demon god’s stronghold from above.

So naturally, I couldn’t get too excited about merely flying through the sky.

[Well, living for a thousand years as a human, one should at least have the power to lift a city into the air if they want to boast about being a hero.]

…But here’s Fafnir, showing an even more indifferent reaction than me.

‘Isn’t lifting an entire city into the sky an extraordinary achievement even by the standards of a thousand years ago?’

So I cautiously questioned Fafnir, who seemed to have strangely strict criteria for what constitutes an achievement.

[Hmph, that fellow chose to live like an old tree for the sake of future generations, despite being able to live over a thousand years without issue, unlike me or that damned woman. It’s sad that when he finally abandoned that tree-like existence and exerted his power, it was merely to lift a city into the sky.]

What came back was Fafnir’s voice, mixed with a curious ratio of regret, melancholy, and mockery for his old comrade who was still alive.

Looking at this, I could see the stark temperature difference in how Fafnir reminisced about his old comrades.

I didn’t need to look far—just compare how he spoke about my ancestor, Lord Lumen Lanos,

And though less prominently, Lady Agrinne Proxian, Shizu’s ancestor who was busy sightseeing out the window beside me, with nothing but fondness and longing.

Yet when mentioning his thousand-year friends who were still alive and well, Director Belpheus and Professor Grace Rabin, he always spoke in a grumbling voice.

What could have happened to make Fafnir react so coldly toward a great hero who had used all his accumulated power to stop the resurrected demon god in the time before my regression?

It was a growing curiosity that couldn’t be answered through the epic poems transmitted by minstrels or the historical materials I had studied extensively.

[If I had the chance to exert such power…]

…But rather than dwelling on that, I needed to calm down Fafnir, who had suddenly slipped into reminiscence.

‘If you’re saying you would have ripped out the demon god’s neck on the spot, this must be the hundredth time you’ve mentioned it. My ears are getting calloused.’

[Ugh…]

With a skilled voice, I stopped Fafnir from becoming like an old man lost in memories and drunk on nostalgia.

‘I’ll need to talk with the people around us a lot, so please stay quiet for a while.’

[…Understood.]

After ending our conversation at an appropriate point,

I turned my head and focused on diligently observing the members of the diplomatic delegation heading to the Kingetsu Empire.

Since most faces were unfamiliar except for the Princess,

I made this judgment believing that if not now, while we had leisure time aboard the airship, there would be no time to memorize them.