**Chapter 78: Pre-War**
After the Sword of Kanli left, I jumped down from the rooftop and headed back to the manor. I sliced up three pounds of deer meat and cooked it, carrying the plates into the living room to eat—originally, I wanted to try making deer meat pies, but I just didn’t have the heart to do that anymore.
I couldn’t stop thinking about what the Sword of Kanli had said to me earlier.
Because I was so distracted, I butchered the deer meat into ugly chunks that made it a chore to eat. I sat cross-legged on the sofa, picked out the biggest piece of cooked deer meat, held it with both hands, and gently tore into it.
The Sword of Kanli mentioned that there were no crows.
No crows meant that I had probably already entered a dream state at that moment. It was around the time I finished off that white bird and before I saw the crow…
I remember… I felt a bit hot, sweating, and then I sprayed myself with ice mist to cool down. Then, there was laughter—I wasn’t really sure about that since I was ecstatic, lost in thought, and the laughter sounded like a distant echo, vague… or maybe I was just secretly enjoying myself.
As for those times I felt the faintest sense of being watched… looking back, it was probably the Sword of Kanli.
Even though that guy said no one would pry into my private matters, I took his word at face value, but who can guarantee they wouldn’t accidentally look over a time or two? After all, both times happened when I was about to head out; it’s normal to glance around, right…?
That must be it.
But beyond that, there’s another possibility.
According to the Sword of Kanli, aside from the Forgiveness Head, no one could sneak around under their noses, but what if… it was some otherworldly being that could cast illusions?
That could be some sort of existence they aren’t even aware of… a creature exceptionally skilled at vanishing without a trace. An intelligent being like a human, fascinated by me and becoming a voyeur, watching me daily, playing pranks, leading me into dreams—perhaps it knows something, and… wants me to know something through those dreams, or to remember something?
Next thing you know, I’ll catch it and end up discovering it’s a beautiful girl, and boom—instant harem material…?
“Chew… chew…”
…The deer meat is tough.
What am I even thinking about…
“Gulp.”
I swallowed the chewy deer meat with difficulty, shook my head lightly, and reached for another piece.
Crows…
I vaguely remember that before last night, I had seen that crow which looked strikingly like goat cheese once.
That was a night I’ve been reluctant to revisit. I had consumed the heretics of the Gate of Truth, sitting alone atop a tall building, watching as houses below erupted into flames, utterly unmoved.
Memories of that evening are hazy, like a movie I watched three years ago—can’t recall the details, nor do I want to. All I can think of is that crow landing on my shoulder, which I mistook for goat cheese, followed by a swarm of crows sweeping overhead, and the moon suddenly turning bl**d red in the night sky, making everything before my eyes burn red too. In a daze, someone whispered in my ear, calling me “sister”… after that, everything’s a blur.
But I do remember there were a lot of people below, and I was the only one who could see that scene.
The red-eyed crow that went unnoticed, the bizarre dream that intruded…
It’s very similar to what happened last night.
In last night’s dream, at the end, there was also a young voice calling me “sister.”
Who is she?
What does she want? What does she want to tell me… If she really exists, why not just come and see me…
My mind is a jumble.
And I’m at a loss.
I can’t make sense of any of this, and I don’t know who to tell. I instinctively lied to the Sword of Kanli earlier because I felt this might relate to my identity… or the time I went missing. That’s just my gut feeling. I can’t casually share these things with strangers; I can only tell the ones I trust the most.
But who can I talk to?
It seems there’s no one…
Maybe Victoria could help.
She’s so smart, she could definitely uncover crucial points, but she’s busy gearing up for war, up against such formidable foes, with so much to do. I don’t want to burden her with my worries and distract her…
…If only Carlos were here.
I don’t even have someone to talk to… perhaps someone like me shouldn’t even exist…
Oh right, Margaret knows about my identity too. Should I talk to her?
But what if she thinks I’m the problem? What then?
The greenery outside the courtyard was lush.
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the curtains. With the glow all around, the dancing dust motes in the living room were on full display.
Curled up on the sofa, the girl sat cross-legged, munching on the deer meat like a squirrel, her delicate face etched with bewilderment.
Summer was in full swing.
By nighttime, I laid hay on the rooftop, grabbed the bedding from my bedroom, and arranged it on the hay. After locking the doors and windows of the manor, I hugged Captain Gray and settled onto the makeshift bed, feeling the warm breeze brush my face, gazing up at the starry night sky, blinking, quietly waiting for the unknown to arrive.
Sleeping in my room felt scary… this is much better.
After waiting for a while with nothing happening, I couldn’t help but glance at the neighboring Number 2 manor, finding its candlelight faint and silent. I knew Victoria wasn’t there tonight; she hadn’t returned.
Even if she did come back, I wouldn’t go over there…
Turning my head back, I gently closed my eyes.
The deep black curtain of night blended with stars and moonlight, clouds swirling, meeting in bizarre shapes. The warm breeze rustled the leaves in the courtyard, “whoosh whoosh,” creating an enchanting symphony.
Before long, the girl on the rooftop began to breathe softly.
No crows tonight, no nightmares.
…………
In the two days following my rest, Victoria didn’t return to the Number 2 manor, and I spent two peaceful nights on my rooftop without a single event. I slept like a log.
The atmosphere in the Royal City was noticeably tense. Patrols on the streets were no longer the usual blue-clad arbiters, but fully armed guards. One day while I was wandering around for food, I even saw many men, women, and older folks dressed in coarse cloth, herding cattle and sheep, some even with their kids in tow, passing through the streets escorted by the guards, all looking utterly bewildered.
Two days later, the streets were no longer bustling and noisy as usual. I occasionally overheard people whispering, hinting that a war was looming…
Some said, “The Fortress of Fleusker is reckless; in their ambition, they’re hastily sending young soldiers to d*e. There’s no way they can conquer the Royal City; this city hasn’t been taken in hundreds of years, even without the Divine Relics, the Royal City is still fortified with walls like iron, and there are forty to fifty thousand guards inside. Queen Elizabeth must prevail.”
Others said, “The saint hasn’t left the Royal City yet; there won’t be a war. The gods haven’t abandoned the Royal City; the great beings are watching here. If they dare to k*ll, they’ll face the most severe punishment; the saint will obliterate them with her divine miracles.”
And amidst such talk, I returned to the Royal Academy on a night of gentle waves.
“Peilo! Look what I brought you~”
“Peilo, is the war chariot you rode last time from the palace? Where have you been…”
Not much had changed at the academy; Sarah was just as enthusiastic and clingy as ever. Daisy, sitting on the edge of the bed, was still as shy as ever, curling her shoulders with a bashful smile when she saw me.
Sophia didn’t spill the beans about my identity to them. She’s smart enough to understand my feelings and knows I don’t like to create unnecessary divides among roommates.
And I was just relieved to enjoy some laughter with them, finishing off the fruit pies Sarah brought from home.
Before heading to bed that night, while Sarah and Daisy went to freshen up and change, Sophia pulled me aside.
“Peilo, do you know about the Iron Guard outside the city?”
Looking at her serious and anxious face, I first nodded, then shook my head: “I don’t know. Where are they?”
I didn’t know where they were, nor when they would come. Having not seen Victoria in the past two days, I didn’t get a chance to ask her.
“You don’t know either…” Sophia pondered for a moment, then asked me seriously, “Peilo, what are your plans?”
Plans?
Of course, I’ll wait and see what happens, see if I can help… but I couldn’t tell her that, so I shook my head again.
“I haven’t figured it out.”
Sophia immediately said, “My father is arranging for someone to escort me out of the city with my brothers. It seems that over the next few days, nobles will be sending their children out of the city to wait out the war before returning. Have you noticed? The academy is missing quite a few people tonight; several dorms are empty, and it will likely be even less in a few days… What about your father? Does Duke Skarlick have any arrangements? It seems your family is heading into battle too, right?”
She paused, “How about I tell my father so you can leave the city with my brothers? Don’t worry, he’ll agree; one more person won’t make a difference.”
Sophia’s sincerity was evident, but she clearly forgot that there are not just two of us here in 1504.
“What about Sarah and Daisy?” I asked her.
At my question, Sophia bit her lip, looking quite troubled.
“If it’s just one person, it’s fine, but three… I’m not sure if it would work out; I can’t guarantee it.”
…Three people?
I immediately caught on to what she meant, biting my finger as I furrowed my brows.
“Sophia, you’re not leaving?”
Sophia shook her head lightly, her bright eyes and dazzling smile radiating beauty.
“Yeah, I want to stay by my father’s side. If the war really breaks out, in the worst-case scenario, my father’s North District will definitely be the first to be conscripted, and I’m worried that when that time comes, he won’t have enough manpower to deal with it. I want to see if there’s anything I can help with.”
When she said that, her eyes lit up, and her chin lifted slightly, revealing a touch of pride and a bit of a showing-off demeanor toward me.
But in that moment, I couldn’t help but admire the girl’s bravery.
So I smiled back, “Sophia, that’s really impressive.”
She beamed at the compliment, giving me a wink, “Enough about me; what about you? Are you going to leave?”
I shook my head, “I’m not going anywhere; I still want to—”
“…You’re too stubborn; you’ve got to learn how to apply knowledge… Wow! What are you two secretly up to behind our backs…?”
Our conversation was abruptly interrupted by Sarah walking out of the washroom.
This night didn’t have much in the way of idle chatter.
