“Of course. I’ll send it to you today.”

“Good. I pay you handsomely.”

The secret method the emperor mentioned referred to a secretive way to curse and kill his half-brother, Roshan Vistius. It was amusing that the high priest would provide such a malicious curse, something that only those who believed in superstitions would do. However, the transaction between the emperor and the high priest was quite old.

“Take care, Your Majesty.”

The emperor disappeared, dragging his long clothes. The high priest remained bent at the waist until the emperor left the prayer hall, then straightened up and grumbled, slapping his sleeve as soon as the door closed.

“That madman!”

Gone was the benevolent smile he wore when meeting as high priest and believer, gone was the loyal face when seen as emperor and citizen. What remained was just an irritable old man covered in greed. The old man glared at the closed door with contempt and muttered.

“Still, that idiot is much more convenient compared to Roshan Vistius. I wish he would just die on his way back. Tsk!”

* * *

‘……Will I ever walk this path again?’

The carriage heading to the Empire was so spacious it resembled a small room. Moreover, it was so comfortable that the shaking was barely noticeable. But Yerena, sitting in the carriage, felt as if she had been thrown into a sea with countless waves the size of houses crashing.

“Princess. Would you like some water? Are you not thirsty?”

The only person with the gloomy Yerena was an imperial woman assigned by the imperial army. Her name was Jane, and when she introduced herself to Yerena before boarding the carriage, she deliberately added details like having dark brown hair and a round face. It was a considerate action for Yerena, who was blind.

‘I look forward to serving you, Princess.’

‘……’

Despite Jane’s friendliness, Yerena treated her coldly from the start. This was because she felt an emotional aversion, even though Jane and the other imperial women who had attended to her in the palace were kind.

“Even though we’re in the middle of a summer forest, the weather is a bit dry. But maybe that makes it less stuffy.”

“……”

“Usually around this time, apples should be thinly sliced and put on a pie to taste right. The apples from my hometown are slightly sour, which makes them much tastier when eaten that way.”

Despite the princess not even responding to her greeting, Jane kept talking incessantly, though she was mindful of Yerena’s mood. With her gentle and affectionate speech, Yerena found herself unconsciously listening to Jane’s voice. And after quite some time of listening to her words, Yerena opened her mouth without realizing it, noticing something she hadn’t known.

“Ah! My hometown is Abea. Like the apples, perhaps due to the soil, the fruits there generally have a slightly sour taste……”

“Abea? But that place was more than 10 years ago……”

“……Yes. It was a small country destroyed by the Empire. Now that place is called the Dalang region and is divided into several territories. But people who have lived there for a long time still use the name Abea. Of course, we can’t call it the Abea Kingdom, just the Abea region.”

“……”

“Even within the Empire, few people remember the name Abea, yet you know it well, Princess.”

“……”

“When I was very young, I remember walking for a long time on a path similar to the one we’re traveling now, holding my parents’ hands. I, knowing nothing, threw a tantrum about the sudden move, but my mother, who would normally scold me, just pulled me along while crying, which I found strange. Looking back, I was really childish and foolish.”

“……”

“Actually, I have almost no memories of living in the kingdom. But I can embroider the emblem of the Abea Kingdom with my eyes closed, which my mother secretly kept. So I’m always oddly happy to meet someone who remembers the name of Abea.”

Jane spoke matter-of-factly, but Yerena could feel the bitterness permeating her voice. The fall of a country. What disappears is erased, and a fallen country will eventually be remembered in history by just a few lines as time passes. But for those living through that history, the extinction of a country was a lifelong burden and pain.

‘……What will happen to Sedas? It has kept its name for now, but who knows when it will become like Abea. Come to think of it, we’ve been too complacent. We couldn’t avoid war forever. Why did I think my country would always be safe?’

Yerena bit her lip. She resented herself for not doubting at all that happiness would continue within the shelter of her family in the past.

Five hundred years ago, in a continent where gods and legends had disappeared, only humans remained, continuing endless wars. Wars occurred almost daily, with the rise and fall of countless countries. Minstrels called this the Age of Barbarism. Especially about 200 years ago, the situation was so severe that except for very unusual cases like the Sedas Kingdom, small countries repeatedly faced extinction.

Even powerful nations were no exception. During the Age of Barbarism, large countries were repeatedly divided into individual small countries and then reunited. And in that process, some collapsed.

If there was a single exception, it would be the Vistius Empire. Though even the Empire had a time in the very distant past when its territory was less than half of what it is now. However, the Empire had ruled as a powerful nation throughout most of history, and now it was called the undisputed hegemon of the continent, having unified many countries centered around the central part of the continent.

“I’m sorry. I’ve made you uncomfortable with my story……”

As Yerena’s expression gradually worsened, Jane watched her nervously and spoke in a crawling voice. Yerena, who had been blaming herself with a dark face, finally realized someone was beside her and shook her head.

“Jane, you don’t need to apologize.”

Jane felt sorry for the princess who forced a smile for her. Her country collapsed in an instant, and the shock blinded her eyes. She had heard that the king and queen of Seda died before the princess’s eyes. From the princess’s perspective, she might feel offended if someone pitied her, so Jane didn’t show it, but she couldn’t help feeling compassion.

‘Such a high-born person, yet she doesn’t get irritated or pinch me……’

Moreover, though she had only seen her briefly, the princess seemed to have a kinder heart compared to the noble lady she had served before. Therefore, Jane opened her mouth, determined to treat this beautiful and pitiful princess as well as possible.

“Please speak comfortably. Unlike you, a noble princess, I’m just a commoner.”

“Princess……”

The smile that Yerena had barely maintained disappeared. Noble princess. Yerena questioned if she was still a noble princess.

Thinking about the future that awaited her, her head involuntarily turned. With a bitter taste in her mouth, Yerena slightly clenched her fist and barely responded to Jane.

“……Don’t worry about it. I’m just doing this because it’s comfortable. But could you open the window a bit?”

“Are you feeling stuffy?”

Yerena nodded at Jane’s question. Jane immediately opened the door. Though summer should rightfully be hot, the wind was fairly cold, if not strong, as they were still in a region close to the north and passing through a forest. Yerena quietly inhaled the forest scent flowing in and spoke.

“Jane. Could you describe the outside a bit? As you know, I can’t see……”

At Yerena’s request, Jane stuck her head out the window. This was possible due to the not-so-fast speed of the carriage.

Frederick, who was staying close to the carriage under the pretext of guarding the princess, calmed his startled horse and glared at Jane who had suddenly appeared. However, upon seeing Yerena’s figure soon after, he changed his expression and glanced at them.

“Um…… We’re still in the forest. Trees fill everything except the road, and I can see a huge tree in the distance. Interestingly, the leaves are already red!”

“If it’s a giant tree with red leaves, it must be the Rubeo sacred tree. It’s a very ancient tree, with a legend saying it first sprouted leaves the year the Sedas Kingdom was founded. It maintains red leaves throughout the year, so it’s also used as a landmark.”

“Throughout the year? That’s amazing. The name ‘sacred tree’ suits it well.”

Jane clapped her hands and continued chattering at Yerena’s explanation. But Yerena was recalling memories alone. She first saw the Rubeo sacred tree when she was about six years old, with her father.

‘The Rubeo sacred tree has trees growing densely at its center, making the path difficult. That’s why it’s also called the gatekeeper of the Sedas Kingdom. They say that in the past, a legendary race with pointed ears called elves formed a small community and lived there.’

‘Really? But why aren’t they here now?’

‘Well. Since elves are just legends…… I don’t know why they disappeared. But when magic existed, many documents say they definitely existed.’

‘The sacred tree remains, but the elves are gone. That’s sad. If they were still around, they could have been good friends.’

Her father had smiled a bit bitterly at Yerena’s words. It was something she learned much later, but in ancient times when it was known that the gods had disappeared, the power of temples across the continent strengthened, and persecution against different races worsened day by day, leading to massacres against them. Not just elves, but even skin color became a subject of discrimination, and in many countries, people with dark skin died after receiving absurd judgments that they were possessed by demons.

‘According to Homer’s epic, all those who were persecuted crossed three deep seas and went to paradise where the gods had moved. A paradise without war, disease, or worry…… A paradise without any pain.’

Yerena felt a strong longing, even though she knew it was just a far-fetched legend. She couldn’t help but wish for such a tale from an old book.

‘I wish I could go there too.’

Just as Yerena was muttering to herself, the carriage, which had been shaking slightly, suddenly stopped, and a shout from someone with a good voice was heard a little ahead.