A Distant Reverie

Chapter 63

"Reine, are you sure you should be on your feet?" Kobo winced as she watched her lady-in-waiting limp through the frigid corridors of Fort Nyak. The sun had fallen. Night descended upon the castle. The cold, damp air of the dark castle halls reminded her just how far away she was from the comforts of the royal palace.

"I'm fine, Your Highness. It's just mild sprain," Reine said. The top of her head was wrapped in bandages. Her left leg dragged along the floor, still damaged from her fall atop of her golem. Her shoulder drooped from the wound of the gunshot that brought her down. Her face suddenly twisted into a foul sneer, "If anything, this pain is my punishment for failing you. I was supposed to open a path for your escape. Instead, I got myself caught and became a burden."

"Stop it," Kobo placed a hand on Reine's shoulders, "Everything ended up working out. I'm just relieved you're still by my side."

"I guess I have to thank Ms. Houshou again, don't I?" Reine wore a self-deprecating smile, "Discovering that shameless mercenary and her companions might just be my life's best work."

"You're selling yourself short. How about being the right-hand to one of the most incompetent rulers in Sol's history?"

Reine let out a raspy laugh, "It's certainly is a tumultuous time, Your Highness. I only pray that you'll end up on the right side of history."

Tumultuous is an understatement. Kobo sighed. The despair raging inside her stomach had finally grown bearable. Once she accepted the inevitability that Mount Iya might erupt, the only thing left was to find a way out of the impending disaster. The main issue, however, remained Duke Calon's rebellion.

"Reine, do you think we can get a temporary ceasefire from the duke?" she asked.

Reine shrugged, "We can try, but it's unlikely. Maybe if we can somehow convince him that Mount Iya will erupt. Despite his unchecked ambitions, that man is loyal to Sol above all else. The challenge, however, is providing that proof. It's far more likely that he perceives our attempt as a ploy to buy time."

"What if we have the royalist faction with us?"

"It would strengthen our position considerably," Reine sighed, "But the duke isn't a fool. He will definitely aim to attack before then."

Kobo clicked her tongue in frustration. Everything hinged on the timing of Mount Iya's eruption.

Reine suddenly stopped before a metal door at the end of the long corridor. They were in the basement floor of Fort Nyak.

"The late Queen once told me about a hidden room located in the depths of Fort Nyak. Allegedly, it contains knowledge of how your ancestral grandmother stopped the first catastrophe. You could even say that Fort Nyak was built for what lays behind these doors. I was meant to impart this knowledge and the keys to you once you become of age," Reine said while eyeing the iron door.

"So, do you have the key?" Kobo asked. Reine suddenly squirmed, visibly uncomfortable.

"I...erm, I had it, but—" Reine grimaced, "...It must have fallen out of my grasp during the escape from the duke."

"Well, these things happen," Kobo approached the door nonchalantly. She motioned towards the steel lock. Mana surged at her edge of her palms, "Resero."

Something inside the lock popped with a sharp thud. The metallic door awkwardly swayed open. I'm glad I convinced Vesper to give me a list of spells to practice before he left.

"Y-Your Highness?!"

"What?" Kobo shot Reine a glance, "Please don't lecture me on proper procedures. There's a volcano that's about to explode. I'm not going to let a missing key stop me from finding a solution."