Sigrid - 39

Beramund quietly left the room. It was fortunate that Serios at least had Rudinal.

After all, wasn’t he his only blood-related brother?

While fratricide was considered normal for royalty, these two were different. Was it because of their large age gap?

In any case, having an ally in the imperial family full of enemies was a good thing.

There were three princes in the imperial family of the Archaia Empire. Among them, only Serios and Rudinal were born to the former Empress. The remaining one was born to the current Empress.

So it was truly fortunate that the two legitimate princes got along well instead of being hostile to each other.

‘It’s odd that their common enemy is their father, though.’

Beramund thought as he headed towards the Imperial Guard quarters.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

The summer garden was in full bloom with roses.

Even Sigrid, who knew little about gardens, couldn’t help but admire it.

“Understanding nature and handling its flow well is important for magic too.”

Arkana said, but Sigrid thought it wasn’t just that. Aura was also a natural energy, swallowing the flow that existed in the world, but every plant she touched died.

Now that the garden had reached this state, Sigrid thought she should host a second tea party.

‘The last one was too humble.’

This time, she wanted to do it properly.

When she told Arkana about her idea, he readily offered to help.

“Arkana will?”

“I don’t know much about the tea times of high-ranking people either. But if there’s anything I can help with, I will.”

“Can you make ice then?”

“Ice?”

“Yes… Because it’s summer, food spoils quickly, so we need ice… but it’s expensive… Can’t you just make it appear with magic?”

At Sigrid’s words, Arkana shook his head.

“As I said, my magic is sealed.”

“I see. No, I was just asking.”

Sigrid replied bravely.

“We can just buy ice, it’s fine.”

“Do you really need ice? Couldn’t we just cool things in the well?”

“Could we?”

“Yes, I think that would work fine for things like cream. Let’s ask Seria.”

“Seria?”

“She seems to be working hard reading cookbooks these days, right? She probably knows better than us.”

“Ah!”

Sigrid slapped her knee at Arkana’s words. A moment later, Seria entered the inner room with a tense face.

“Did you call for me?”

Her face relaxed slightly when she saw her brother and Sigrid together. Sigrid pointed to a seat and said:

“Sit down for a moment, let’s talk.”

“Yes.”

Seria quickly sat down.

‘What’s going on?’

Even when she tried to ask her brother with her eyes, Arkana just smiled. Sigrid said:

“Seria.”

“Yes!”

Her response came out louder than she intended. Sigrid smiled and said:

“I’d like to invite friends for a tea party in the garden. Well, more like a modest tea time than a party? I’ve always had tea at friends’ houses, you see. But ice is too expensive to prepare, would it be okay to cool things in the well?”

At those words, Seria thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Yes, that would be fine. Last summer when we made cream at home, we did something similar. We kept things cool by submerging containers in the stream, but here the well is deep and cold. It should be fine for half a day easily.”

“I see. That’s a relief.”

“Um, Sigrid.”

Seria gathered her courage and called out to her.

“Yes?”

“Could you entrust the food for the tea time to me? I heard that rustic desserts are trendy these days. I think I could make something like that…”

“Alright.”

Sigrid easily agreed.

“Really?”

The ones who were surprised were Seria, and—

“Will that be okay?”

Arkana. He said seriously:

“You’re inviting your friends. Wouldn’t it be better to buy something from somewhere?”

“Well, that might be true, but… I want to trust Seria this time.”

“I’ll do my best!”

“Okay, so— The budget is about this much…”

Seria swallowed hard at the amount Sigrid mentioned. It was an enormous sum to be spent on just one tea time.

“I’m counting on you.”

Hearing the amount suddenly added weight to the task she had been given, and Seria nodded deeply.

“Yes, I’ll work hard.”

Arkana still looked uneasy. In the end, he followed Seria as she left the room.

“Will it really be okay?”

“Huh? What?”

At Seria’s question, he frowned and said:

“The desserts. All of Siri’s friends are nobles, you know.”

“I’ll make it work somehow.”

“But cooking skills don’t just improve overnight.”

“I’ve been working hard lately. I said I can do it because I think I can handle it.”

“…”

Arkana still looked worried, but soon he reached out and ruffled his younger sister’s hair vigorously as he said:

“Wait, brother!”

“Let me know if you need any help. I’ll help you.”

Pressing down her now messy hair, Seria grumbled:

“Staying out of it is how you can help!”

She shouted and then dashed away, disappearing from sight. Arkana looked at his hand and then smiled.

“When did she grow up so much?”

He had always thought of her as the child hiding behind his legs.

“Arkana?”

When he turned around, Sigrid was standing behind the door, leaning just her upper body out.

“Yes?”

“If you’re done talking, can we chat for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Arkana turned and entered the room.

“What is it?”

At his question, Sigrid asked:

“You know how I said I have memories of up to five years in the future?”

“Yes.”

“Is it okay for me to keep changing the future based on what I know?”

“You’ve already changed it, haven’t you?”

“That’s true, but—”

“Your information will become increasingly useless. Later on, even worrying about it will become meaningless.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. That’s what change is, so don’t worry too much. Why are you suddenly concerned about this?”

“No, getting a clear answer from you makes me feel better. But I still worry sometimes. And really—”

Sigrid cast her gaze through the glass window.

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel real.”

At those words, Arkana reached out and took her hand. She looked up startled, and his green eyes smiled kindly.

“It’s not a dream.”

“Yeah…”

Relieved by the warmth of his hand, Sigrid sighed.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t told you yet, have I? I’m planning to transfer to the Imperial Guard around autumn.”

“The Imperial Guard? Is that different from the Knight Order?”

Arkana asked, tilting his head. Sigrid said, “Oh.”

“Ah, you don’t know much about it. Well, there are three knight orders directly under the imperial family. The Imperial Knight Order I’m in now, then the Imperial Guard, and the Capital Knight Order.”

As she folded down one finger at a time while explaining, Arkana nodded.

“The Imperial Guard has the longest history. You could say the other two branched off from it. Originally, the Imperial Guard was an organization called the Achtschwietz, a group of imperial bodyguards.”

“I’ve heard that name before. Isn’t that the group mentioned in the empire’s founding history? Something about their swords being able to split mountains when swung?”

At those words, Sigrid laughed.

“That’s right. Achtschwietz itself means ‘eight swords,’ but in fact, only three of its members wielded swords.”

“Suddenly it sounds like a legend, how interesting.”

“I don’t know much either, but anyway, the Achtschwietz continued to maintain its name even after that. Even as people changed. But as their independent power grew too strong, to keep them in check, the imperial family reduced their numbers dramatically and turned the Achtschwietz into the Imperial Guard.”

“Suddenly it becomes a common story.”

At Arkana’s words, which might have been sarcasm, Sigrid smiled faintly and raised a finger.

“Then they created the Imperial Knight Order with the remaining members. And before the Imperial Knight Order grew too large, they split it again, turning some into the Capital Knight Order. They made the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Knight Order, which originally came from the same root, compete like rivals. They even divided the Imperial Guard into smaller units to make them compete with each other.”

“So they divided the Achtschwietz in two and introduced a rival to weaken their power. Then if the knight order you’re in is the 2nd Knight Order, does that mean it’s part of the Imperial Knight Order?”

“Well—”

Sigrid lightly tapped her thigh with her finger and said:

“It’s called the 2nd Imperial Knight Order, but it can’t be considered on the same level as the Imperial Knight Order… It used to be a nominal knight order used during past wars for high nobles to just put their names on, or to grant titles to commoner knights, and it’s still around today.”

“I see.”

Arkana nodded in understanding. For a commoner like Sigrid to enter a knight order, that level would be the starting point. Sigrid quickly continued:

“Among these three, the one closest to the imperial family is the Imperial Guard, and as a result, while it has the smallest number of members, it has become the most powerful. If you had to pick the best among the three imperial knight orders, it would be the Imperial Guard.”

“So it’s the best knight order in the empire, then?”

At those words, Sigrid smiled and said:

“That’s what I think, but the Western Knight Order probably thinks the same about themselves.”

Arkana chuckled at that and nodded.

“I understand what you mean. I see. That’s amazing, Sigrid. This is something to really celebrate, isn’t it? But autumn, you say…”

Arkana let out a groan. Sigrid asked worriedly:

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that I won’t be at the mansion by then…”

“Why? Oh, you’re returning to the tower, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I need to be officially appointed too. That’s why I’m stuck with this annoying seal right now.”

“When will you be back then?”

“Well, I’m not sure exactly, but probably not until next spring?”

As Arkana spoke without much certainty, worry quickly clouded Sigrid’s face. Arkana smiled again as if trying to erase it and said:

“Don’t worry.”

“Okay…”

“There’s still a long time until autumn.”

“There’s only about two months left.”

“That’s quite a while.”

Sigrid could understand Marie-Chez’s feelings. Did she feel this anxious too? Arkana brushed back his red hair, now long enough to cover his ears, and said:

“When I come back, I’ll make you lots of ice.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

As she spoke, Sigrid couldn’t help but laugh.

“By then, just being a magician will make Arkana instantly famous.”

She recalled how he used to be as the court magician. Everyone looked at him with eyes full of fear and curiosity. Moreover, according to rumors, he was said to be an extremely difficult person, but he doesn’t seem that way now.

‘I hope his personality doesn’t change after being appointed as a magician.’

Swallowing a bit of fear, Sigrid shrugged.

“You’ll probably be more famous than me? Lady Sigrid Ankertna, the female knight who uses Aura.”

“Well, there are sixteen other Aura users besides me, you know? But you’re the only magician.”

“What are you talking about? The Ice Tower is teeming with magicians. They just don’t come out.”

“That’s the important part.”

Sigrid said, crossing her arms. Arkana countered:

“Even so, I don’t think sixteen is a large number at all. And there are no women among them, right?”

“…Well, that’s…”

“Then you’ll become famous. I guarantee it.”

She did become famous.

Sigrid recalled the past. The title she liked hearing the most was ‘The Silver Knight.’ But most people called her the Mad Dog. Beramund, in particular, was really good at spitting out that word with contempt.

‘Thinking about it makes me annoyed again…’

Sigrid lightly pressed her temple.

“Well, that’s not what’s important anyway.”

Honor and loyalty were more important to her than fame. Even though she had no one to be loyal to now, her honor was still her own.

Sigrid shook her head as if to shake off the old thoughts and looked at Arkana, saying:

“Then let’s celebrate together when Arkana comes back. Me joining the Imperial Guard, you becoming an official magician. We’ll postpone it until then.”

“Sounds good.”

Arkana nodded.

“Sounds good.”

Sigrid repeated the words.

“Then I should change clothes and head out.”

“To the Knight Order?”

Sigrid was still diligently attending the Knight Order. She shook her head.

“No, today I’m going to meet Morris.”

“Ah, Lord Deforest?”

“Yes.”