Seeing Amy stubbornly holding her ground, Reina sighed in resignation and gave the coachman the order.
"Let's go."
Emotions aside, Amy joining them was far from a loss. Having a friend by Shirone's side would be a great help. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of being pushed back from the very start.
Reina rested her chin on her hand and pouted as she stared out the window.
She could practically see Amy's smug smile in her mind.
The carriage was headed toward the Thornlight Mine, located halfway up the Origin Mountains where Shirone's home was. During the ride, Reina briefed them on the general situation.
Tormia, Kazura, and Yakma were once a unified nation. But as the nobles grew more powerful, factional disputes arose, eventually leading to their separation. Now, they maintained a tripartite alliance.
"In a way, you could call them newborn nations. Kazura hasn't even been independent for a hundred years. The Republic of Yakma, in particular, refused to recognize Kazura's independence until recently. War never broke out, but it came dangerously close—eighteen years ago, to be exact. In short, when Kazura's internal affairs became unstable, they secretly sent away the first prince—Shirone."
Shirone felt a slight comfort knowing that he hadn't been abandoned out of hatred. The fate of the kingdom had been at stake, so there must have been no other choice.
Of course, that didn't erase the lingering sadness. But since nothing was certain yet, he forced himself to ignore the rising emotions.
"I've heard about it too. They say it was on the brink of civil war. Yakma had even finished mobilizing their troops. But…"
Amy trailed off. It wasn't something she could bring himself to say in front of Shirone.
Reina felt the same, but as the person in charge, she couldn't avoid the topic.
"Right. King Orcamp IV of Kazura married Empress Teraze of the Kashan Empire, and all internal conflicts ended."
Shirone had read about the event in history books. He just never imagined it would involve him.
The Kashan Empire controlled a third of the human realm's territory—an absolute superpower.
Moreover, the empire's rulers had always been women.
Empress Teraze was said to be so beautiful that no man could resist her.
Yet, she was also a cold-blooded strategist who would sacrifice anything for victory.
And this woman had proposed to King Orcamp of Kazura.
"King Orcamp IV had no choice. His country was on the verge of collapse. Plus, accepting Teraze meant gaining an incredible connection. In fact, after marrying her, Kazura's politics stabilized rapidly, and its finances grew strong."
It was an unprecedented event, detailed even in history books.
Most notably, Orcamp already had a wife, and Teraze also had a husband.
"Political marriages among royalty and nobility aren't unusual, but this case was special. Teraze—no, the rulers of Kashan—have always been women, and marriage was their most common strategy for expanding influence. Besides Orcamp, Teraze has three other husbands—all kings of different nations. After marrying Orcamp, she occasionally visited Kazura and bore him two children."
"So, the original queen of Kazura—Queen Orcamp Elisa—has no other children besides Shirone?"
"Unfortunately, no. Right after sending her newborn child to another country during the civil war, Teraze intervened. There must have been an agreement—that she wouldn't bear any more children. Teraze wanted her own children to inherit the throne."
Amy let out a sigh.
No matter how royal they were, using human reproduction as a political tool was chilling.
Effectively, Shirone was the only blood-related heir of Queen Elisa. Below him were his half-siblings, born of Teraze.
Realizing this, Amy suddenly understood the source of his unease before they'd even left.
"Wait. So if Shirone becomes the first prince of Kazura…"
Reina nodded gravely, as if confirming the crux of the matter.
"Exactly. Teraze's children would be pushed down the line of succession. Conversely, Queen Elisa's influence would grow. That's why the kingdom's envoy made such a grand announcement at the magic academy."
Amy frowned.
Come to think of it, Kazura's internal stability had been achieved a decade ago. They could have easily found Shirone much sooner if they'd tried.
Clearly, there were political motives behind their sudden interest in him now.
Even if they were his birth parents… they hadn't summoned him out of pure longing.
'Ugh, why is everything so complicated? I'll never understand the minds of those in power.'
Teraze became Orcamp's concubine, and Orcamp became Teraze's consort.
It was an absurd, illogical arrangement—one that couldn't even be drawn on a family tree.
Lost in thought, they barely noticed the carriage speeding along until it entered the Thornlight Mine.
Once a coal-mining area, it was named for the sharp stalactites in its caves. Now abandoned, the air still carried a faint metallic sting—but to Shirone, it was the nostalgic scent of home.
Seeing Shirone's stiff expression soften slightly, Amy also took a deep breath of the pungent air.
Upon arriving at Shirone's house, Amy straightened her posture before stepping out of the carriage.
This was her first time visiting Shirone's home—and meeting his parents, no less. She couldn't help but be cautious.
Of course, she wouldn't make any mistakes, but the situation was awkward.
Shirone's parents were commoners, so Amy wasn't sure how to act. Being too formal might make them uncomfortable, but acting casually could come off as arrogant.
Unlike Amy, Reina opened the door and stepped out the moment they arrived.
Vincent and Olina stood ready, having prepared for their departure.
While the steward Temuran inspected the carriage, Reina led Shirone to his parents.
"Hello. I hope you've been well?"
"Yes, thanks to your care, we've been comfortable."
Vincent and Olina bowed as politely as they could.
Reina smoothly moved on to the schedule without fuss.
"We'll take the carriage north and cross the border. We should arrive by midnight—please bear with us until then. From there, the Kazura Kingdom's escort will take over, so you won't face any discomfort."
"Don't worry about us. We're just sorry to cause you trouble over our son."
Reina smiled sympathetically. It was clear from their faces that Vincent and Olina hadn't slept all night.
Temuran must have explained everything multiple times, but this wasn't something they could easily accept.
How could they comprehend that the child they'd raised for eighteen years—found abandoned in a stable—suddenly had royal parents?
Even if it was good news for Shirone, as humans, they couldn't help but feel a pang of loss.
And with the king as the opposing party, they had no legal grounds to keep him.
"Don't worry too much. Nothing's confirmed yet, and even if his birth parents are real, Shirone won't waver. Remember how it was with the Ozent family?"
Vincent flusteredly waved his hands, realizing his thoughts had been read.
"Worry? Not at all! This is truly a blessing for Shirone. Still, thank you for your concern."
Just then, Amy's bright voice called out from the carriage.
"Hello!"
All eyes turned to her, and Amy's face flushed. Seeing Reina and Shirone's parents deep in conversation, she'd rushed in at an awkward moment.
"And this young lady is…?"
Olina's eyes sparkled with interest. This was the first time Shirone had brought a girl his age home.
Pretty, with honest eyes—she seemed like a lovely girl.
"Ah, yes. This is Carmis Amy, Shirone's friend. She'll be accompanying us to Kazura. Please take care of her."
Without realizing it, Amy bowed stiffly. Her usual composure had shattered.
Of course, it was all in his head—Vincent and Olina exchanged pleased whispers about what a nice girl she was.
Shirone remained silent. Honestly, he didn't know how to face his parents.
When the Ozent family had wanted to adopt him, he could refuse without hesitation. But this time, it was his birth parents—and royalty, at that.
He had no choice in the matter, and it felt like he was betraying them.
Vincent, sensing his son's turmoil, approached.
"Are you okay, Shirone? You must be shocked."
"I'm fine. Dad… I'm sorry."
"Hahaha! What's there to apologize for? Just don't embarrass yourself at the palace. Temuran taught you well, but this is a whole different level."
Shirone forced a smile.
"Same here. But don't worry. Amy's with me, so it'll be fine."
Seizing the moment, Amy pointed at herself with a thumbs-up.
"Of course! I'll take care of him, so don't you worry."
Olina smiled warmly.
"Thank you. Now I remember your name. Shirone has told us how much you've helped him."
Amy puffed up slightly. As his nerves eased, her stiff lips finally moved as she intended.
"I've been helped by Shirone too. Please treat me comfortably from now on."
Reina clapped her hands to refocus everyone.
As much as she wanted to let the good mood continue, they truly had no time to waste.
If they wanted to reach the border by midnight, they had to move quickly.
"Alright, let's depart. Steward, please wait at the estate. The moment you receive word from Louis, be ready to move."
"Understood. Please travel safely."
The carriage carrying Shirone's group set off for Kazura.
It was a forced march.
Six hours in a rattling carriage left their whole bodies aching. With only five-minute breaks every hour, there was no time to soothe their throbbing backs.
Yet no one complained.
As they neared the border, the pain faded, replaced by tension.
For Shirone, this was an incredible adventure.
Given the complicated circumstances of the Kazura royalty, even with an escort waiting, he couldn't relax. If Teraze's faction acted rashly, assassins could be sent at any moment.
Shirone opened the window to survey their surroundings.
They were deep in the forest, with only the torch on the coachman's seat illuminating the path ahead. The eerie shadows of trees raced past in the opposite direction. The full moon was a blessing—until clouds rolled in and swallowed it whole.
Shirone's unease deepened.
At some point, the carriage slowed before coming to a complete stop.
The horses' restless snorts broke the silent night air.
The coachman opened the door and whispered,
"Lady Reina, we've arrived at the rendezvous point."
Reina draped a hooded cloak over herself. The others did the same, covering their faces as they stepped out.
They had arrived at a vast wasteland where the horizon stretched endlessly. From the maps in his head, Shirone guessed they were somewhere in the Dawn Plains north of Tormia.
The thoroughness of their planning was impressive. An open wasteland like this made assassination attempts extremely difficult.
Of course, if someone was determined, they could dig tunnels—but that way lay endless paranoia.
The meeting point was 300 meters ahead, where the silhouettes of Kazura's escort party stood waiting.
Louis, the head butler of the Ozent family, signaled with his hands.
Reina responded with an exchange of coded gestures, and only then did the two groups meet at the midpoint.
Louis approached with a torch and bowed.
"Welcome. We've been expecting you."
"You've worked hard. I hear the entry procedures are proceeding smoothly."
"Yes. No signs of disturbance so far. But we can't let our guard down. Please board. I'll explain on the way."
Shirone's group followed Louis. A massive carriage, like the ones at Alpheas Magic Academy, stood waiting.
A man introduced himself as Captain Godin of the guard.
"I am Rozen Godin, tasked with escorting the first prince candidate, Sir Shirone. I understand the situation is delicate, but rest assured—we've assembled the kingdom's finest guards. You'll reach the royal castle safely. Now, please board."