The Strike (Part One)

The next morning, Romon received another invitation from the prince.

"My lord, should I come with you?" Lusenpei asked.

"You can come, but I hear the king of this country died under unusual circumstances, so the crown prince takes security seriously. You won't be allowed inside," Romon replied.

With that, Romon rose and headed for the door. A carriage waited outside.

The carriage had been sent by the Royal House. It was not especially luxurious: it was made of pine, painted red, and fitted with glass-paneled doors.

Once Romon climbed in, the carriage rolled away, soon disappearing down the street.

He had not noticed it on his last visit, but this time he saw carriages lining both sides of the avenue by the central square. Nobles in splendid clothes came and went.

Royal guards stood alert. Royal servants in handsome formal attire welcomed guests at the entrance, holding a register in which they recorded each person's arrival and departure.

It was Romon's first time seeing anything on this scale. Back where he came from, the highest-ranking noble was a Viscount, and nothing had been nearly so grand.

He left Lusenpei outside and followed an attendant across a broad lawn to a garden.

Though it was autumn, magic kept the grounds warm, and the flowers looked especially beautiful.

Along the way, he saw quite a few people who were clearly of high standing.

He had learned the day before that this palace had originally been one of the retreats built by the country's sixth king.

That king had been remarkably talented and fond of luxury.

After his death, the retreat had gradually fallen out of favor.

Only after the Demon Calamity, when the king died in battle and the crown prince made it his palace, had it regained some of its