<Albion, what are you up to? If they catch you, it might not end with a scolding for goofing off in a place like this.>
"Shut up. I can't hear."
Titania flew around sparkling, but I waved my hand. Right now my interest wasn't in Titania or scrubbing the in-game floor, but in the attendants over there.
It was the second day in game time since the servant had tossed a rag at me and left.
Having suddenly gotten through hard labor that didn't even appear in the quest window, I'd since been secretly following the attendants working in the royal castle.
Since I still didn't have much presence in the castle, tailing them wasn't that hard. To those people, I'd be nothing more or less than the commoner Calhog picked up and forgot.
Thanks to that, I could eavesdrop on them chattering defenselessly like this, which was lucky.
"......So, in the end, since His Majesty says so......"
"But to see a new royal heir, the two of them have to share a bed eventually, don't they?"
"That's what I mean. That's the problem. I overheard that His Majesty doesn't seem to have any intention of doing so, from what I hear."
"Who says?"
"The servant who warms the bed. You know, that one who always puts in the hot leather pouch."
"Then it's almost certain."
What's certain? Leaving Titania to tug at my hair, I strained my ears.
"Isn't it because of the sword Queen Cadwin swung?"
"Maybe. Seeing as he brought an illegitimate child home, there's also a rumor he loved Prince Erman's birth mother. But he needed Queen Cadwin for the throne, so he had no choice."
"Then what about the birth mother? Is she even alive?"
"Since she still hasn't shown up, isn't she dead? If she were alive, His Majesty would've brought her here right away."
"True. They say your eyes get gouged out if the Queen spots you. It happened 2 years ago too. Back then, as many as three women went blind—"
"Shh. Keep it down. It was so hard cleaning up back then, with the blood soaked into the floor."
It seemed Cadwin had carried out a massive purge of Calhog's mistresses at some point. But gouging out eyes too? What the hell is the morality here?
"So in the end, even the Queen can't cast the Prince out. She has no children of her own, and if His Majesty keeps roaming about like this— who knows where another illegitimate child might turn up."
"Better a meek child who walks on eggshells, with no birth mother either. Who knows? If another child comes in, the woman who's its mother would use the child to......"
"Let's stop talking about this, someone might hear."
"Who's going to hear? Anyway, Prince Erman just had to be."
As their voices grew louder, I quietly pulled back.
Hiding in the alcove space, I held my breath until they passed, then slowly let it out.
"Titania. Conversation log."
<Ugh.>
Titania sighed heavily but brought up their log for me.
Copying the conversation just now over separately, I organized what I'd heard about Erman in the castle so far, one item at a time.
Meanwhile, this teeny fairy just sat on my shoulder and grumbled.
<You're not going to do quests?>
"This is more important than that right now."
<Investigating Prince Erman? Does that help your adventure? Can you even get Pennies for it?>
My fingers stopped for a moment. Objectively speaking.
"It doesn't...... help, no."
<Then why do it?>
I couldn't say anything to Titania, who asked as if purely curious.
'Don't you feel sorry for a kid who's only twelve?' I could say, but Titania and Erman were probably the same kind of AI, and artificial intelligence doesn't infer on its own about conditions that weren't input.
In the end, this was a pity only I had. Not Loegria or the AI in the game, only I, from the outside world.
When I couldn't answer promptly, Titania flew up. The fairy, straining to somehow pull down the log window, chattered.
<You said you hate Loegria, so you should hurry up and finish the Story Quest and start your adventure! That's how you get to visit other countries too. You know that, right?>
"I can't leave before finishing the Story Quest?"
<Nope. Albion's story begins in this small country. Only when that's over does adventure become possible. The start of Act 1 of the life of Albion the Archmage, how about that? Wonderful, right? You want to try it soon, right?>
"I get it, so stop flying around. You're making me dizzy."
Leaving Titania clinging to the back of my hand and squealing, I glared at the window.
True, even if I felt sorry for Erman, there was nothing I could do for him right now. Frankly, what could I do, when I hadn't even become an Archmage? I was still struggling to memorize names like Cadwin or Calhog or whoever.
I closed the log window and took a deep breath.
Okay. Pity is pity. Reality is reality. It's true I feel bad for Erman, but I'm handling an important tip, so first I should check whether there's anything suspicious in the game......
"Albion?"
"Uwaaargh, fuck!"
"I, I am sorry. It seems I startled you."
At the voice suddenly popping out beside the alcove, my heart nearly jumped out of my mouth.
Erman stood flustered, covering his mouth on his own.
"Are you all right?"
"I, I'm fi...... ne."
"Had I known you would be so startled, I would have made some sound of my presence."
As Erman helped me out of the alcove, I took a quick look down the hallway. Seeing it empty again today, I was sure that, as expected, there were no knights or attendants following him.
So a prince whose strings of support had been cut could look this miserable.
"But what brings you here?"
"I heard His Majesty was calling."
At least the fortunate part was that Erman was favored by Calhog, in his way.
However badly the Queen viewed Erman, wouldn't the King have more power? If anything happened to Erman, Calhog would surely step in.
Thinking that, I asked offhandedly.
"Just passing by?"
"No. I came to find you."
"?...... You just said His Majesty called."
"Yes. His Majesty Calhog did call. For you and me."
Huh?
Erman aside, why would Calhog look for me?
The moment I looked at Erman uneasily, a new quest window popped up before my eyes.
「Albion Story Quest:
Learning the Ogham Script (In Progress)
To awaken the power of an Archmage and fairy half-blood, you must learn the Ogham script. Answer the summons of the King of Loegria and learn about the power of Ogham.」
***
The inner court of the royal castle.
Soldiers and carts pulled by horses, donkeys, and oxen kept streaming in, and it was so crowded that I slipped this way and that to avoid bumping into anyone, and over there, Calhog, who'd been standing before a rough table set outdoors, turned around with his courtiers.
"Your Majesty, I have arrived at your summons."
"Have you come, Erman? With your attendant too, I see. Come here."
A thick white stone tablet lay on the table Calhog pointed to.
Shards with sharp corners, as if just broken, were scattered around it. Some tablet shards were the size of my fist, others as big as a person's face.
Calhog clasped his hands behind his back.
"Albion, this came from your birthplace. A relic the laborers found during the foundation work for laying the walls."
"Yes."
"By rights, a stone like this should be thrown into the sea, but in Tintagel— that village, they say things like fairies and demons run especially rampant. I wish to have assurance beforehand whether this, too, is some kind of prank played by such beings."
Tintagel. So the place I died for the first time was Tintagel.
"If you mean fairies or demons."
"Worthless things that play tricks. They say many have gone into the forests by now. Do you know anything? Legends, rumors you picked up, it makes no difference."
Even if you say that, I know next to nothing.
I might find something if I went into the system and looked, but with Calhog right in front of me, it was a bit much to roll my eyes all over bringing up system windows.
Seeing me troubled, Erman quietly stepped in.
"Your Majesty, have you had the tablet deciphered?"
"Yes. Even when I asked the court scholars, they could not read the meaning of the symbols carved on the tablet. A curious thing."
Judging by Calhog's sneering tone, I'd bet my left hand it was not at all a 'curious' thing.
Seeing several people with their heads bowed, Calhog may already have scolded them for not earning their keep.
Seeing that, I felt awkward saying outright that I didn't know. Having already experienced at the gallows how foul Calhog's temper was, I knew the right move was to humor him as much as possible.
"I'll take a look."
Without the slightest expectation, I picked up a small tablet shard and pretended to examine it. No, I tried to pretend.
-Ding!
「You have discovered the Ogham script!:
Ogham is a language and symbol system used by various beings, including fairies. Those who correctly understand its forms, names, and the power held in each symbol are granted the right to glimpse ancient secrets.」
「Archmage (Druid) Class Bonus:
As a half-blood of the fairies, you achieve 100% understanding of Runes, the language the fairies use.」
「Skill - 'Ogham' learned!」
Below the transparent guide window, the faint scratches carved in each tablet shard rose up. Outlines highlighted in white light flared hot, clearly revealing each symbol.
"Haak."
I dropped the tablet without thinking.
Along with a heavy sound, the gazes of the people around the table all pierced me at once.
"Do you recognize something?"
"Th, that's."
What am I supposed to say?
But for that, the notification sound kept ringing and translucent windows kept popping up like malicious ad windows.
-Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
「First discovery of Beithe!」
「First discovery of Tinne!」
「First discovery of Ceirt!」
「First discovery of Luis!」
「First discovery of Ailm!」
「First discovery of Idad!」
「First discovery of Fern......」
Fuck! What the hell is all this?! Come out one at a time!
<Wh, what do we do?! Albion! I'll help!>
Titania flailed as she helped close the windows, but the explanations and the auto-popping skill windows came faster.
"Do you know something? Can you read this?"
"Um—"
"Speak truthfully! Do you dare spout nonsense before me?"
-Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding-a-ling!
"No, I mean."
Just before the translucent windows piled up so high I could barely even see the characters.
When Calhog's snorting turned ominous, Erman stepped forward in my place.
"Your Majesty, please do not rush Albion. With your permission, I would like to try reassembling and deciphering the tablet together with Albion."
"-Erman. You?"
"Yes. It appears to me that while Albion can interpret the tablet, he struggles to present it in a manner proper to court etiquette. Moreover, I have heard that he never learned his letters."
Erman! Nice assist!
Taking advantage of the time Erman bought, Titania and I busily closed the windows one by one.
Anyone looking at me would think it strange that I was rolling my eyes like crazy, but is that the problem right now? When Calhog is snorting like a bull in the bullring.
"You are the Prince of Loegria. Can such a thing not be left to the scholars?"
"Albion is young in years, and I fear he may needlessly trouble Your Majesty's precious courtiers. He is a gift Your Majesty bestowed on me, so I wish to teach him myself at my side and lead him to serve Your Majesty with all his heart. Please grant your permission."
It was perfect speech from every angle.
His amiable manner, and even deliberately putting forward our own inexperience so as not to offend Calhog.
Calhog's lips twitched under his beard.
"......I permit it, Erman. There is no breaking that stubbornness of yours."
"I am humbled, Your Majesty."
Erman bowed from the waist.
Just as I was thinking this was far too courteous for how a prince acts toward his father.
-WHACK!
Calhog swung his hand.
A motion as simple as shooing a fly.
But a hand far too large for a twelve-year-old to take.
The moment I finally lowered the last system window, that sight burned into my eyes. My head went cold.
Calhog lowered his hand. The redness had left his face, but his jaw was clenched hard.
"Still, do not be insolent, Erman. We are the King of Loegria, the rightful successor of Ulter. We are not one to be swayed by you."
Sprawled on the floor, Erman staggered but went down on one knee before Calhog.
Beneath his bowed head, a drop of blood fell into his shadow.
"I was foolish."
"There is no being who can command Us. Even were you my heir, it would be no different. Now do you understand what price follows a challenge to Our authority?"
"I thank you for your teaching, Your Majesty."
"I know your loyalty, so I will end it at this. Begin deciphering the tablet as quickly as you can. If damned fairies wrote it, I must cast the divination again on whether Tintagel's walls will stand."
As Calhog turned away, his fur cloak billowed greatly.
The courtiers followed Calhog without even a glance at Erman, and only the two of us were left standing alone before the table.
Only then did I come to my senses and help Erman up. But the corner of Erman's mouth had already split, and even his cheek had begun to swell red.
What the hell just happened?
Didn't Calhog care for Erman in his way?
Didn't he have enough affection to bring him to the royal castle, even as an illegitimate child?
At this unexpected turn, I could neither call for someone nor wipe the blood flowing from Erman's nose.
Erman rubbed his mouth with the back of his own hand. His blue eyes were unruffled. As if it were something that naturally had to happen.
"My prince."
"His Majesty is sensitive about things like this. I was definitely in the wrong. I was only punished because I overstepped, so don't worry."
Erman, spitting blood-mixed saliva on the floor as if it were nothing.
The reason he'd 'overstepped,' knowing this would happen, was, in the end......
「Albion Story Quest:
Learning the Ogham Script (Complete)
Reward → 50 Pennies」
......It was because of me.