第２９４堀：火の粉舞い上がる (Part2)
The summons seemed to be of an urgent nature; a carriage was already waiting in front of the gate, and as soon as Feigel boarded, it sped away.
"A summons like this is rare. I don't recall it ever happening before."
"It really seems like something has occurred."
"Indeed. Perhaps there have been some developments on the guys' side as well. Let’s try calling them."
Ratz made sure no one was around, cast a concealment spell, and initiated the call.
"Hello, Jessica. Are you free right now?"
"Oh, yes. I was actually just about to contact you."
"You were?"
"Yes. Princess Inis has been recalled to the royal castle. Did you encounter any issues on your end?"
Princess Inis was recalled as well? Should we interpret this as a sign that something quite significant is happening?
"On our end, Feigel was recalled to the royal castle. They even went out of their way to use a carriage to get him there as quickly as possible."
"That, too? ...In that case, the story about the Prince’s sudden illness sounds suspicious."
"Is the reason for the Princess being recalled a sudden illness of the Prince?"
"Yes. I suppose they thought she wouldn't return if they didn't provide a compelling reason, didn't they?"
"Ah, that sounds plausible."
Indeed, Princess Inis had a very straightforward and honest personality. She would never willingly abandon the guided tour she had initiated without a solid reason.
"By the way, is everyone at the library? Or are you heading back together?"
"They are still at the library. We have a soldier assigned to guide us, so there are no issues with returning. Princess Inis also seemed to feel bad about us cutting our research short, so it feels like they are staying behind to continue researching, gathering information, and making contact."
"Then we’ll head to the library and meet up with you."
"Yes, please do."
After ending the call, we headed toward the library, guided by Cleena.
"Still, to summon the Princess and the Court Mage Advisor... something truly serious must have happened."
"Hmm, it must be a grave situation. Perhaps the Prince was seriously injured."
"That is a possibility. If it’s a serious injury rather than a sudden illness, they would have to deal with the aftermath of an accident or an incident, in addition to making various decisions. Wait, isn't that Vixen?"
Ratz pointed in that direction. Sure enough, a man who appeared to be Vixen was rushing toward the royal castle in a panic.
"Was Vixen summoned as well?"
"I don't know. But since he’s the Vice Captain of the Royal Guard, it’s not impossible."
"There’s no point in overthinking it here. Milly and the others are gathering information in the city, so let’s just hurry to the library and join up with Yuki and the others."
Something feels off. For now, it might be best to meet up with Yuki and the others and try to grasp the situation.
Thanks to Cleena’s guidance, we didn't get lost and were able to pay the entrance fee and enter the library. All that remained was to find Yuki and the others inside...
"Oh, Eris. Over here."
Before I could even look around, Jessica and Deryu seemed to have been waiting for us, and they called out immediately. However, there was no group of people nearby that looked like them.
"Since we came with the Princess, for better or worse, we were granted a private room," Deryu explained.
"I see," we all nodded in unison.
It would be a nuisance for both the library staff and the general public if a Princess were just sitting in the common area.
"In a way, it's convenient. Thanks to this, the accompanying soldiers are waiting outside the room. It makes it easier for us to have secret conversations."
As Deryu said this, she headed toward a reading room in the back of the library and spoke to the soldier guarding the door.
"My companions have arrived safely. I appreciate your consideration."
"Yes, ma'am! I am relieved to hear you are safe!"
"I’ve already asked for a chair to be brought in, so once it arrives, please take a seat and keep watch."
Jessica seemed to be showing consideration for the soldier who had been left to guard us while standing at attention. While it was likely that he was also there to keep an eye on us, it wasn't as if he were achieving anything by standing, and it would be pitiful to leave him standing for several hours.
"No, there is no need for such consideration..."
"Not at all. I’ve already requested it, and I am well aware that you are performing your duties admirably. Our research won't be finished immediately, so you are welcome to wait inside with us."