Chapter 26 – Meeting Princess Mere – part 1

The old Mage smiled, amused by the way Nozomu was talking, "Nothing so drastic. It will be as if a door closed, and when it opens, you will be there. The Guild Master already paid for the voyage, so if you go to that empty space there, I can take care of the transport."

Nozomu looked at the circle marked on the floor in front of the building that he didn’t notice when he arrived, but now it was emitting a slight shine as if it was reacting to the key the old Mage had in his hands. Taisetsuna, the Guild Master and the little Takanari were already there, waiting for him. Nozomu made a slight nod to the old Mage and thanked him before joining the others.

When Nozomu was already holding the hand of the little Cat-kind girl, he saw the old Mage rotating the disks on the column, and when the right images were pointing forward, he placed the key in the hole above. The circle around them increased its shine, and a light blue dome enveloped them, coming from the area in front of the building, and ending on the other extreme as if a circular lid were appearing. Then, the dome opened, starting from their back, and going to the front, and a similar building was now in front of Nozomu, but everything around was different. The street where they were now had a lot more people walking, and only the circle area was empty because everyone knew they couldn’t be in that area when the Magical Circle was being used. As soon as the circle on the ground stopped blinking, Nozomu found himself surrounded by people.

The Guild Master touched Taisetsuna and Nozomu’s arm and guided them to the front of the building, where they stopped to look at the immense crowd that was now walking in the street, crossing the circle area because now it was safe to be stepped upon.

Takanari had her eyes wide open, admiring everything. Enormous buildings all around, of three or four floors. On the large street in front of them, expensive-looking carriages were being pulled by four white horses, adorned with golden horse’s bridle and helmets with feathers, that paired with the helmet on the carriage driver.

Small vegetable push carts were pushed by either a Bovine-kind or a Human, with their wives walking alongside.

Udo Eskola, the muscular Guild Master, took one deep breath and walked along the sidewalk in the hill's direction at their right that had a huge Castle with four pinnacles around it.

At the entrance of the Castle, four Royal Guards were stationed there, with a bright yellow helmet and chest plate, dark trousers and knee-length brown leather boots, holding a big teardrop grey shield, and a three-meter meters spear. Next to them, a scribe was noting the names and purpose of the visit of the handful of people near him. They stood in line, and when their turn was up, Udo Eskola told him they wanted to meet the Princess to sell her the Magical Item that little Takanari had with her.

At a head nod from the Guild Master, Takanari took one wand from her pocket and showed it to the scribe while she was sucking a new chocolate that she put in her mouth the moment the one she was eating, ended.

The scribe made a move to grab the wand, receiving a slap from her tiny little hand, "What …chomp… you think you are doing? ...chomp… For the Princess only! ...chomp..."

"But I must be sure this is safe before you may enter the Castle, little girl. Now, be a good kid and let me see it."

Takanari put the wand in her pocket and tilted her head, "You don’t know how this works …chomp… and you could very well kill everyone around …chomp… or worse, you want to take it from me… chomp… and sell it yourself!"

The scribe jolted in a surprise and faced the Guild Master as if asking for support, and got a shrug, "She is right. You are not a Mage, so you can’t evaluate the use nor the danger level of a Magical Item. You should stick to your job, which is noting down names and the purpose of the visit. I guess you could call a Mage to come and check what little Takanari has, but by doing that, you would break a bunch of rules and disrespect the trust that my position as a Guild Master grants me. Perhaps you should think very well about your next words, boy, because the Royal Guards can’t move a finger the moment I shout that you are disrespecting me, and you will die as soon as you say something I don’t like."

The scribe turned pale and glanced at the Royal Guards that just stared at him as if they were also waiting for his words. He slowly nodded and pointed with his open hand to the gate, "P-please, g-go right through! I will go ahead and announce your visit. Forgive me for-"

Udo Eskola turned his back to him, going to the gate as if he was not even there. The others followed him, with little Takanari pointing two fingers at her eyes and then at the scribe, "I will be ...chomp… watching you ...chomp… you suspicious person!"

The scribe rushed past them and crossed the patio as fast as his legs allowed him, going straight to the main entrance. He reappeared in seconds with an older man dressed in a black-and-white uniform. As the scribe went to his place again at the gates, he made a deep bow to the Guild Master that pretended not to see him, going straight to the older man that made a slight bow, "Greetings, Guild Master Udo Eskola from the City of Ourelona. If you are so kind as to follow me, I shall escort you to the Throne Room where the Princess is receiving her visits for this morning."

As they were following the older man, he continued, "Of course you and your companions have to wait for their turn, but it won’t take long, because there are only two groups ahead of you, and one is already talking with the Princess. If I may abuse your kindness, Miss Koyaga Azusake is still at your Guild?"

The Guild Master answered with a slightly raised left eyebrow, "Yes, she is our receptionist, for quite some time. Do you know her?"

"We all know her around here, Guild Master. She was once in the Adventurer’s Academy at the same time that Princess Mere was also a student there. She is, to this day, the only person who ever defeated Princess Mere. Around here, it is a well-known fact that the Princess keeps on training to challenge her again one day."

"Good luck with that! She fights almost every day with our Adventurers who have taken a liking in annoying her!"

The old man made a slight smile and pointed to a big closed door with two Royal Guards at each side, "Wait here, if you please, I shall see if you may enter, considering that the group that was here waiting, went inside."

He opened one side of the double door, closing it with one last nod to the Guild Master. Nozomu was looking up at the high ceiling, admiring the engravings there, and Taisetsuna went to one wall to take a better look at one painting there. Little Takanari went with her and frowned at the young girl drawn, "Looks like a brat ...chomp… if you ask me ...chomp…"

Taisetsuna spoke in a low voice, glancing at the Royal Guards that were frowning, "Don’t say that, Takanari! It says in that tag underneath the painting, it’s Princess Mere when she was six years old! It’s right there, ‘Once seen as an unwanted first child, Princess Mere quickly rose as the best offspring of the Alashth bloodline. With her courage facing dangers while a mere toddler, till her teenager years when she volunteered for our country’s army against the will of her family after graduating from the Adventurer’s Academy. We would soon recognise Princess Mere as the best ruler of the Raluth World. Known for her fairness and wisdom, always favouring the development of her country despite the constant threats of foreign countries.’ She is amazing, you know?"

"Yup, I was right ...chomp… a Royal brat... chomp… worst kind ever!"

Taisetsuna covered Takanari’s mouth to stop her from saying anything more, considering that the Royal Guards kept on staring at them. The door opened again, and the same old man signalled them to follow him.

Udo Eskola went in, followed by Nozomu and Taisetsuna who was holding hands with the little Takanari that frowned at the Royal Guards, "What? ...chomp… You never saw me? ...chomp..."

Taisetsuna quickly pulled Takanari’s hand, and walked faster into the room while whispering, "What’s the matter with you? Stop annoying people!"

"Why do you remain ...chomp… so calm when we are surrounded ...chomp… by stupid people?"

Taisetsuna grabbed the bag of chocolates she was carrying, "Give me that! Now stay quiet! I don’t want to be thrown into the dungeons because of your big mouth!"

"Bah! ...chomp… you are no fun ...chomp… at all!"

Taisetsuna faced forward and gulped. That room was immense. Marble floors and walls, and big stained windows depicting sceneries. The light coming from outside was filtered by the colours in the windows and was making some pretty rays of light of different colours traversing the room, and reflecting on the polished marble all around.

Taisetsuna stretched her hand a bit to her left as she was walking, stopping one ray of light blue colour, and smiled at the blue circle on her palm.

Around them, a big group of Nobles was watching their movements and whispering, with four Royal Guards near the Princess, two on each side of her throne.

Two steps ahead of Taisetsuna, Nozomu was staring at the Princess as he followed the old servant, admiring her white long dress that was shining in different colours because of the sun's rays in that room. She was seated on her throne, that was on an elevated platform, three steps high. That platform stretched to the sides of the throne and to the back as if it was a low stage, and the Princess was the star in the middle of it. She had a simple tiara over her dark curly hair, and her face, with simple features, was shining with a gentle smile.

Nozomu couldn’t stop thinking that despite her calm appearance, she was more dangerous than she looked, especially because her body was surrounded by a light yellow shine, showing Magic waiting to be used as if despite being in her Castle surrounded by Royal Guards, she was in fact, always ready for everything, a true warrior Princess.

The old servant stopped at two meters from the first step and made a deep bow. "My Princess, may I introduce you to the Guild Master Udo Eskola from the City of Ourelona, and his companions."

The Guild Master and Taisetsuna made a deep bow, with the little Takanari looking annoyed, and Nozomu frozen in his spot, unable to stop looking into the hazelnut coloured eyes of the Princess. She wrinkled her upper lip and asked, trying to maintain her smile while looking straight at Nozomu, "Normally, people make a bow in my presence. May I ask why you two are like that? The little girl seems as if she is about to puke, and you… I don’t know what you are doing or thinking, but you are looking at me in a way that is making me feel a bit uncomfortable."

*An interesting character appears that will for sure influence Nozomu and Taisetsuna lives.*