As the carriage continued on its way to the palace, Inoue's mind was still stuck on the idea that Roman might be dead and couldn't help but feel hopeless. She leaned back on her seat, staring at the carriage's ceiling and took a deep breath before speaking once more, her voice shaky.
"This is unbelievable. You're telling me that there might be a chance all I did was for nothing?" Reinhardt, feeling sympathy for the poor girl, said, "All hope is not lost, your Highness, think of it this way. With your new title, you will have access to more resources to help you find your friend."
Inoue took a deep breath before slowly straightening up in her seat, her palms sweaty from stress and anxiety.
"How long until we arrive at that royal palace?"
"We are arriving in about seven minutes, your Majesty," said Reinhardt.
Inoue then promptly replied in a slightly irritated tone.
"Reinhardt, please stop with the whole 'your Majesty' thing, we have known each other for a while now. Just use my name."
Reinhardt, clearly taken aback by this, had a confused look on his face.
"Forgive me, your Highness, but it would feel improper to address you without your title."
Inoue sighed, and upon seeing that Reinhardt had no intention of calling her by her name, turned her head, stared out of the carriage window, observing the beautiful lavender hills. Their smell reminds her of when she first left the orphanage to start her journey. A few minutes later they reached the palace, where the king awaited to meet his long lost daughter.
The carriage door opens revealing a serene palace garden adorned with cornflowers and blue orchids, each flower blossoming as beautifully as the morning sun breaking through the mist. Inoue, mesmerised by the beauty of the well-kept garden, couldn't notice the butler standing next to the carriage as she walked out of it.
The Butler bows deeply and loudly announces Inoue's arrival, startling her as she steps out of her carriage into the palace courtyard.
"Your Highness, welcome to the royal palace. It is an honor to have you grace these halls. May I escort you to your chambers, or shall I announce your arrival to His Majesty?"
Reinhardt comes out of the carriage and gives the old butler a nod revealing his name " William glad to see you're doing well." William smiles and greets Reinhardt warmly before turning back to Inoue.
"Your excellency, I will escort you to your chambers where the maids will help you settle and… freshen up. As for you, Sir Reinhardt, you may enjoy leisure activities within the members of the court."
Inoue scowls at the comment and looks the butler up and down. As Reinhardt leaves she walks past him and into the palace.
Back in the city Guil paced back and forth in the dimly lit stable, his fists clenched and his jaw tight. Bramble let out a soft whinny, nudging his shoulder as if sensing his turmoil. Guil paused, running a hand along the horse's mane to calm himself. He felt like a caged animal, powerless to stop the carriage that had taken Inoue away.
The image of her turning her back on him, climbing into that gilded prison, burned in his mind. "She didn't even look at me," he muttered under his breath, the bitterness heavy in his voice.
Lea stood nearby, leaning against a wooden beam with her arms crossed, her expression a mixture of concern and frustration. "You can't blame her, Guil. She's probably just as confused as we are."
Guil spun to face her, his eyes fierce. "And what do we do now? Wait for the royals to decide what's best for her? For us? No. If they think I'm letting them whisk her off without a fight, they don't know me." He grabbed Bramble's reins, determination hardening his features. "We find out what's really going on, and we don't stop until we bring her back."
Lea, frustrated, lashes out "And what do we do after we find her ?! " She yelled, approaching Guil. "You want us to fight off the whole royal guard and Reinhardt? If thats your plan Guil im telling you right now that is suicide. "
He faltered, his voice shaking with frustration. "Well, we can't just abandon her. We have to do something." He met her glare, his fists clenching. "If you have any bright ideas, I'm open to hear them."
Lea exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair as she paced a few steps away. "Yeah, I've got an idea. How about we think for a second? Maybe figure out why they took her and what they want with her instead of running straight to our deaths?"
Guil's grip on Bramble's reins tightened, then loosened as he sighed. He stepped away from the horse and leaned against the stable wall, scratching the back of his head. "You're right... I got carried away." He glanced at Lea, then at the stable doors, where the faint sound of distant chatter drifted in. "But where do we even start?"
Lea stopped pacing, her expression softening as an idea struck her. "The Broken Dagger," she said firmly. "That bartender knows things—he always does. If anyone's heard whispers about cult activity or royal business, it's him."
Guil straightened, nodding slowly as determination returned to his gaze. "The Broken Dagger, then. Let's go.
Guil and Lea pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the Broken Dagger, the scent of ale and damp wood greeting them as they stepped inside. The tavern was dimly lit, filled with murmuring patrons and the occasional burst of laughter. At the far end of the room, behind the bar, stood the bartender.
Guil approached the bar, leaning against it as the bartender wiped a tankard clean. "We're looking for information," he said, keeping his voice low. "About the royal family... and the cult of the eighth god."
The bartender's hands didn't pause, but his gaze flickered to them for the briefest moment before he shook his head. "You're better off not asking about that. The royals keep their business locked up tight, and the cult—" He let out a dry chuckle. "They kill anyone who pries too deep. Best advice I can give you? Stop asking about them if you value your life."
Lea and Guil exchanged glances. That wasn't going to stop them.
Guil leaned in slightly. "What about Dia's Hand? I heard they made a fortune selling slaves in Cascadia a few years ago. Got anything on that?"
The bartender finally set the tankard down, turning his gaze fully on Guil, his expression unreadable. He picked up another cup, wiping it slowly as a grin crept onto his face. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't."
Lea exhaled sharply, clearly running out of patience. She reached into her pouch and slapped two gold coins onto the counter. "Just spit it out already."
he eyed the coins for a moment before swiping them off the counter and tucking them into his apron. "Alright, alright. The deal in Cascadia was one of Dia's Hand's biggest successes. They moved a lot of slaves through the Scara Demon market—it's legal there, after all. But the real money? That came from one buyer. Lucian Ordo, Cascadia's strongest mage. Paid a fortune for two kids."
Guil and Lea stiffened. They didn't need to ask who those two kids were.
Lea frowned, her voice cautious. "Do you know anything about them? Names? Where are they now?"
The bartender shook his head. "No details. Just that they were sold for a lot. That's all I know."
Guil and Lea exchanged another glance before stepping away from the bar. They had a lead.
Just as they were about to leave, the bartender's voice turned serious. "Stay away from anything related to the cult," he warned. "It's not worth your lives, trust me."
Neither of them replied. They simply nodded and walked out, the weight of what they had learned pressing down on them.
As they made their way back to the inn, Guil broke the silence. "Do you think one of those kids was Roman?"
Lea sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't know… but that's all we've got."
Guil looked straight ahead, his expression hardening. "The most we can do for Inoue is find Roman. Or at least find out what happened to him."
Lea nodded, glancing at him. "So we're heading to Cascadia now?"
Guil exhaled, considering. "Yeah. In three or four days, we leave."
As they walked through the quiet streets, the weight of their mission settled heavily between them. The uncertainty ahead was daunting, but the thought of Inoue, alone in a foreign palace, kept them moving forward. They knew the road to Cascadia wouldn't be easy, and with each passing hour, the stakes grew higher. The truth about Roman, the cult, and the royal family's involvement was still shrouded in mystery, but they couldn't afford to stop now. With determination in their eyes and the echoes of the bartender's warning still lingering in their minds, they set their course. No matter what dangers lay ahead, they would face them together, unwilling to turn back until they uncovered the truth.