Chapter 17
Following Hasu’s instructions, Ando rode out ahead as their herald. The encampment lay at what might have seemed a prudent distance on the ground—but astride a steedraptor, it was scarcely more than a single flight away.
For a diplomatic mission, the party was a large one—some fifty in number.
The horses sensed him first. Before the men so much as looked up, the animals were already uneasy, stamping and tossing their heads. Not wishing to agitate them further, Andri brought Kito down well short of the camp.
As the party hurried to settle their mounts, Andri stepped forward and sank to one knee.
“My thanks for the long road behind you. I am Andri Chaire, Captain of the First Unit, Royal Guard Heavy Infantry of the Kingdom of Imresia. It is an honor to stand before you, Lord Konstantinos Clatios.”
The man leading the party was a landed military noble—one of middling rank within Imresia.
The moment he saw him, Andri placed him. He called to mind the seating he had drilled into himself during the preparations for the ceremony. At the exhibition bouts in the arena, the man had sat toward the back of the noble stands, just behind the seats reserved for the honored guests. His name had been among those summoned to the winter council at the royal palace as well—near the bottom of the list.
This would be their first exchange face to face. Even so, as a captain of the Royal Guard charged with the defense of the capital, Andri kept track of the realm’s principal figures—their names, their faces, the lands they held, and the factions they leaned toward.
To Konstantinos, Andri was the very thing he had heard whispered about—a living weapon.
He had not forgotten the ceremony: the chaos, the moment the man before him had twisted into something monstrous and run wild. The impression had never quite left him.
For a split second, his footing faltered. Realizing it, he straightened at once, drawing himself up as if to mask the lapse.
“So—you are Captain Chaire, are you? And that attire… from Tatsuno, I presume. A most commanding figure.”
“My Lord is most gracious. Though… among the Dracoserpens, I am counted the smallest of them.”
“Come now, no need for such modesty. You carry yourself with a presence not unlike Her Majesty the Empress herself. His Majesty will be well pleased indeed.”
With a slight nod, Konstantinos gave leave for him to rise.
But the moment Andri stood to his full height, the nobleman’s composure wavered—just for an instant. He covered it with a quiet cough.
Andri, as though he had seen nothing, shifted half a step back so as not to loom, brought his heels together, and stood at attention.
“A messenger of Her Majesty Yuki, second Empress of Tatsuno, bearing a personal letter from the Empress, will be arriving shortly. I humbly ask that Your Lordship grant us a little more time.”
“Oh? I had assumed you carried it yourself. Surely it is not a matter so grave as to warrant troubling Her Majesty’s envoy. Might you not have received it in their stead?”
The words were polite enough, yet the intent beneath them was plain—he wished, above all, to avoid any direct dealing with the dragons.
Andri hesitated only a moment before answering, carefully composed.
“Your Lordship is most reasonable. I beg your pardon for my poor judgment. Yet a letter of such import could hardly be entrusted to one such as myself. Moreover, Her Majesty was greatly pleased by Lord Clatios’s visit, and in her grace has dispatched an envoy in person. It is, if I may say so, a token of goodwill from Tatsuno to Imresia. I humbly ask Your Lordship’s understanding.”
“Yes… yes, of course. A kindness, indeed…”
And yet, even as he spoke, Konstantinos’s gaze refused to settle.
His eyes flicked, unbidden, toward the direction from which the dragons would come—and his shoulders tightened without his noticing.
It was then—
“My Lord, mounted figures have been sighted. The Dracoserpens delegation is now approaching.”
One of the soldiers pointed toward the sky.
At the report, Andri turned sharply—
And the moment he saw the soldier’s face, his breath caught.
He knew that face.
His gaze fixed on him before he could stop himself.
The soldier noticed, gave him a faint, knowing smile, and inclined his head.
A flicker of unease stirred in Andri’s chest. His eyes swept the camp—
And then, in the next instant, something struck deep within him.
Those men—
They were soldiers of the First Unit of the Royal Guard.
His men.
Why are they here?
For a moment, his mind went blank. He could not make sense of it.
“My Lord, ...pray forgive the question—but why are these men here?”
The words came out lower than he had intended.
Konstantinos gave a light chuckle—some of his composure seemed to have returned.
“By His Highness’s arrangement. He saw fit to assign them as my escort. A capable lot. It seems you were well served in your men, Captain Chaire.”
There was praise in the words—yet something sharper lay beneath.
Andri could not answer. Something restless stirred deep in his chest.
His own men, here as Konstantinos’s escort. And it had been His Highness’s doing—Antonius… Crown Prince, and Lord Commander of the Royal Guard.
What was the meaning of this—
The thought had barely formed when—
The sky dimmed.
A vast shadow swept over the camp as a flight of steedraptors descended, alighting just beyond the tents.
The soldiers scrambled at once, seizing reins and struggling to steady their mounts.
Still shaken, Andri forced himself down onto one knee.
With Kiba at their head came Hasu, followed by several Dracoserpens clad in formal attire. They halted before Konstantinos’s party.
Hasu stepped forward and, with measured ceremony, raised her voice.
“All present—stand down. Before you stands Lord Kiba, Chief Chamberlain of the Imperial Court of Tatsuno, bearer of a personal letter from Her Majesty the Empress.”
She bowed deeply to Kiba.
Gone was Kiba’s usual easy warmth. Though a smile rested upon his lips, his presence had taken on a harder edge—like a beast savoring the moment before the kill.
He stepped forward.
When he spoke, his voice was low—yet carried with effortless authority.
“I come bearing the will of Her Majesty. She looks forward, above all else, to the friendship between our nations.”
From within his robe, he drew forth a letter and presented it with both hands.
“I entrust this to you, that it may be delivered safely to the sovereign of Imresia.”
Konstantinos received it, lifting it high in reverence.
Kiba continued.
“In return for the hospitality shown at the recent ceremony—and in hope of the ties between our nations deepening further—we shall hold a feast this evening in Hokurin Village.”
A brief pause.
“Though informal, we extend our invitation to you and your entire party.”
The words were courteous—but left no room for refusal.
Konstantinos maintained his gentle smile, choosing his reply with care.
“Her Majesty’s gracious favor—and the hospitality of Tatsuno—are honors beyond measure. However, we have already received this letter, and must make all haste to return to Imresia—”
At that moment—
Thunder crashed overhead.
The soldiers looked up in alarm. Only moments ago, the sky had been clear.
Kiba did not move.
He held Konstantinos in his gaze—and smiled.
“To send honored guests away in such rain… we might well be struck down by Her Majesty’s lightning.”
Thunder rolled again.
Kiba stepped half aside, indicating the way.
“Hokurin Village lies just ahead. Pray, do not stand on ceremony. All of you—come.”
His voice was calm.
There was no refusing it.
Konstantinos’s smile tightened, just a fraction.
“…We would be delighted… to accept your invitation.”
Meanwhile, Andri remained kneeling in silence.
Not a word passed his lips.
Yet for the briefest instant, his gaze shifted to the side—
subtly assessing the unease among the soldiers at the thunder.
Kiba did not miss it.
His brow knit for a moment—then the expression vanished.
Without a word, he turned, mounted his Raptor, and took the lead.
