TPOP 119

Chapter 119

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“Kairam’s Rake.” That was the name of the tavern Walter ran.

Perhaps because their faces, caked in dirt, didn’t exactly look the part of tavern staff, Walter didn’t send Diana and Elliot out on their own. Their main duties were cleaning the guest rooms above the tavern and the stables attached to the first floor, as well as organizing the liquor cellar, from morning until afternoon.

He was confident in their ability to handle odd jobs. After watching Diana and Elliot for a few days, Walter seemed satisfied.

“I didn’t expect it, but you’re quite strong. Right? I was worried you’d be all wimpy. Your hands are very steady, too. You must have been well-loved by your previous owner, huh?”

“Hahaha, I’m a man, after all.”

As if that were possible. Of course, Diana had used the power of the spirits. Perhaps because they were so close to the Balestega Spring, the spirits were moving even more energetically than before.

Lift it, lift it!

We’ll take care of it, Diana!

Leave it to us! Leave it to us!

Drops of water gathered from thin air and swirled around the oak barrels. The barrels floated up into the air and were neatly stacked in the warehouse.

Elliot was in charge of cleaning the guests’ bedrooms. Goodness, the crown prince of a nation was checking on the commoners’ sleeping quarters. Diana felt she had absolutely no face to show to Ianna.

Her guilt was compounded by what Elliot had mentioned the night before, sounding as if he found it strange.

“There was clearly only one guest, but there are two sets of clothes. The same goes for the undergarments. Plus, the bed was left in a pretty messy state. Is this what life is like for ordinary commoners, Diana?”

“No! No, it isn’t!”

If she had her way, she would have taken on the cleaning herself—she was used to being a maid—but since it was impossible for the small, slender Elliott to organize this huge storage room, she had no choice.

‘I’m sorry, Queen Ianna….’

After tidying up the warehouse and loading the barrels onto the cart, it was time to open for business.

‘Kairam’s Rake’ opened at 4:00 PM and closed at 6:00 AM. In the evening, soldiers who had finished their morning shifts would come in groups of two or three and drain the barrels dry. From then on, it was Diana’s free time.

If she sat right up against the warehouse wall and pressed her ear against it, she could hear the chatter from the tables on the other side.

“Man, no other place comes close to the taste of the booze here. I wonder why the Commander doesn’t drink this good stuff?”

“What? Are there actually guys who turn down booze? Any guy with his wits about him wouldn’t turn down booze and women!”

“Well, there are some who only go for the soft, flimsy types, you know.”

“Isn’t that exactly what our Commander is like? Sometimes, when I see the ones he brings back from Kairam, I can’t make heads or tails of them. Their hair colors are all over the place, their genders are different every time, and the only thing they have in common is that they’re all about the same height and build… What? We’re out of booze?”

“Boss, bring us four more glasses. You’ve got some set aside for us to take back to the castle, right? It’s weird—every time we get back to Mepen and open the barrels, the liquor’s gone down.”

Walter flattered the knights, saying, “Oh, come on, that wouldn’t happen. I filled them to the brim. I’ve got a cart packed to the gills so you can haul it off first thing in the morning!”

Diana recalled the carts parked behind the storeroom. She had loaded them with plenty of oak barrels filled with aged wine and beer earlier that day, and it seemed these men were the owners of those very carts.

If things went well, they might even make it into the capital by dawn. Diana’s heart swelled with hope.

***

The knights, who had been drinking well past midnight and were thoroughly intoxicated, went up to the inn above the tavern. They left an order for the alcohol to be delivered to the walls of Mepen as planned.

As if this were a common occurrence, Walter casually called out to Diana.

“Just transport it to the walls of Mepen and bring it back. Just show this order to the guards, hand over the cart, and come back. You know how to ride a horse, right?”

“Of course. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t you dare leave the horse behind! They’re all valuable assets!”

“Oh, come on, what do you take me for, sir?”

She replied with a feigned cheerfulness, but Diana’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst.

“Brother, brother.”

Elliot, who had come down from the inn, approached in quick steps. Diana glanced at the object he had secretly slipped into his coat pocket.

Inside the pocket, a black panther was roaring with its jaws wide open. It was the symbol of Karman, so familiar it had become second nature.

‘Mepen’s Pass.’

I’m sorry, Queen Ianna. To make His Royal Highness the Crown Prince resort to theft.

The pass, resembling a square nameplate, bore the knight’s name: Senz Rossi. It matched the name on the order.

She carefully checked for any traces of wheat-colored hair and applied layers of dirt to her entire face, letting it harden firmly. She layered on several thick garments to conceal her build and make herself look bulkier. She even practiced scratching her vocal cords to produce a hoarse voice.

With that, all preparations were complete.

Diana gave Elliott a nod and quickly left the tavern. She fastened her coat tightly before mounting her horse.

“Giddyup!”

The horse, which had been idling for a moment, set off slowly. Only after she gave its flank a light kick did it pick up speed and begin to gallop.

The chilly dawn breeze seeped through the gap in her tightly buttoned collar. Diana rode along the path Walter had shown her. She was the only one on the road stretching straight toward Mepen.

Like Kairam, Mepen was surrounded by sturdy city walls. As she drew closer, the silhouette of the castle towering over the city center grew clearer.

The castle walls were drenched in a deep gray from the light drizzle that had fallen the night before. Enveloped in thorn vines, the castle exuded an eerie atmosphere, resembling a ruin straight out of legend.

“Halt! State your purpose for visiting.”

“I am a messenger for Lord Senz. I have brought the wine ordered from Kairam.”

The soldier at the Mepen checkpoint inspected the order form and the cart Diana presented. As he opened the lid of the oak barrel, the aroma of richly aged wine filled the air. The sentry’s nostrils flared.

“Hmm, hmm. Just leave it here. Like always.”

“I’m sorry, but this time we were ordered to deliver it to the knights’ quarters.”

“What? There’s nothing about that on the order form.”

“The lord suspected us, saying the amount of wine seemed less than what was ordered. He told us to take a look inside the cart ourselves and handed us a pass. Here.”

Diana pulled the pass that Elliot had stolen from her pocket and held it out. The sentry, giving her a suspicious look, checked the pass. It was undoubtedly genuine.

“Hmm, it seems Lord Senz has some kind of misunderstanding… Just go inside and leave it behind the barracks.”

“Acting so petty now that he’s a sergeant…” Ignoring the sentry’s grumbling complaints, Diana carefully guided her horse forward. The tightly shut city gates creaked as they slid upward. The sight of the sealed-off capital unfolded before her eyes.

Diana swallowed a heart-wrenching groan.

Kairam had been a city brimming with vitality. Compared to Mepen.

The city was practically deserted.

Tents bearing the imperial flag were pitched around the castle, which rose majestically in the center of the city. The nearby buildings with lights on appeared to serve as quarters for lower-ranking soldiers under the command of the headquarters and their attendants. Not a single civilian was in sight. It was a desolate and gloomy city.

Diana slowed her horse and quickly scanned the area near the castle from under her hat.

The castle, which had seemed to tower over the city center from a distance, was actually built on a low hill when viewed up close. From about halfway up the hill, gravestones scattered here and there caught her eye. The graves of soldiers and civilians who had defended Dortes to the very end now surrounded the castle, as if guarding it.

The spirits clinging to Diana’s limbs flew through the air, singing a song with a strange melody. It sounded like a march celebrating her homecoming, yet also like a funeral dirge for the dead city. The drizzle, which had subsided, once again began to soak the ground.

“Who is it? I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m a messenger for Lord Senz. He told me to deliver some items inside the castle. I also brought this pass.”

Mepen’s pass held absolute authority, precisely because it was so difficult to obtain. As long as one possessed it, no questions were asked about identity or purpose. Though, of course, perhaps there was simply no need to ask.

The knights guarding the gate lowered their lances and cleared a path.

“Leave it in the front courtyard for now.”

A large fountain and sculptures stood before the entrance to the castle interior. Diana leaped down from her horse. The gaze of the knight watching her was intense. His presence was entirely different from that of the sentries at the gates of Kairam or Mepen.

“Hurry up and get down. Don’t let the Commander catch sight of you!”

She had thought he was only a figure of terror to the citizens of Kairam, but it seemed the Commander-in-Chief’s presence was formidable even within the headquarters. Diana lowered the wine barrel and pricked up her ears to listen to their conversation.