Mulan had not spent long at the Royal Palace. Once the brief investiture was over, he was escorted out, and of course, the Ring of Light was returned to him as well.
On his way out of the Royal Palace with the attendant, Mulan was still wondering whether the ceremony had been a little too simple. Then again, he had only been granted a knighthood, with no office, duties, power, or influence. Surely the queen could hardly be expected to summon a host of witnesses for a grand ceremony?
"Sir Jonester, Her Majesty thought very highly of you as soon as she learned you were descended from one of those thirteen great families. May fortune favor you in battle!"
"Thank you for your kind wishes!"
Mulan thanked the attendant and said goodbye. He could already see the carriage he had arrived in. Sure enough, Owen and the others were still waiting outside.
Inside the Royal Palace, Nisheriel remained seated in the hall where she had received Mulan, seemingly reflecting on what had just happened.
"What do you think of Sir Jonester?"
"He seems a spirited young man, but times have changed. With so many new things challenging the old ways, even a descendant of one of the Empire's Thirteen Swords may not strictly uphold his family's creed. Your Majesty, there was really no need to bestow such a great honor on him."
One Minister offered this carefully considered remark, and the queen turned to the other Minister, who had remained silent throughout.
The male Minister wore his fringe swept to one side, longer than a woman's. Besides possessing incredible power, he was also an accomplished swordsman.
"His eyes."
The Minister looked at Nisheriel.
"There was respect for you in his eyes, Your Majesty, and he was moved when you bestowed that honor upon him. Given his deeds, I also believe he has a strong sense of responsibility. But those were all he showed toward you as you are now."
"Are you saying he isn't loyal?"
The other Minister asked the question outright, while Nisheriel remained silent.
"No, that would not be fair. Courage, justice, sacrifice, honor... Sir Jonester is undoubtedly an outstanding man, and certainly no scoundrel. Although his glance at Your Majesty was brief, it was not the adoring gaze of someone lowly looking up at someone exalted. It was more like a calm appraisal, though not an impertinent one."
Had Mulan known someone was describing him this way, he would have been astonished. He could tell all that?
Nisheriel finally spoke.
"Perhaps Sir Jonester wanted to know whether I, having only just inherited the throne, am merely a tearful little girl hastily thrust into power, or someone with the courage and perseverance to become a true sovereign."
"Time will prove all of that, Your Majesty."
Mulan, however, had not been thinking nearly as deeply as those in the Royal Palace. He relaxed considerably once he was outside, and Owen smiled at his easy expression.
"Her Majesty is quite captivating, isn't she?"
Mulan smiled without answering. Owen looked out the carriage window at the receding Royal Palace and continued.
"Don't underestimate our new sovereign. Compared with the aged King Charles, Her Majesty Nisheriel is far from ordinary. Otherwise, one of the other princes would have inherited the throne. In that respect, at least, the old king wasn't entirely muddleheaded before he died."
"Hey, Sir Owen, isn't that downright treasonous?"
Dolly cut in with the question, and Owen hurriedly shook his head and apologized.
"Sorry, I said things I shouldn't have. It's only because I trust you all."
"Let's hurry to our real destination."
Mulan said this with a smile as well, leaning against one side of the carriage and watching the Imperial Capital's buildings through the window. Although Valentine was also a major imperial city, it could not compare with the capital in either the variety or scale of its architecture. Even the heights of some landmark buildings far surpassed those in Valentine.
A faint rumbling gradually drew closer. Soon, a machine venting white steam appeared in Mulan's line of sight.
Its boxy frame resembled a carriage compartment stretched longer and somewhat wider, but it had several pairs of wheels and a chimney on top puffing white steam.
"Toot-"
A whistle sounded, and the steam-powered vehicle turned into another entrance. From the moment it appeared until it left, it never moved very fast, yet it left Mulan deeply astonished. Dolly and the two youngsters were just as stunned.
"That's a city steam locomotive. It stops at designated places to pick up passengers, making it easier for people to get where they want to go."
"But there aren't any tracks!"
"There are. They're just embedded in the road, so you didn't see them."
They even had steam trams. Mulan could only say that this truly was the Imperial Capital. Still, he had seen Bach's Steam Tank, which was undoubtedly even more impressive.
After traveling through a little less than half of Digo City, the carriage finally stopped outside a cluster of buildings in a style resembling Gothic architecture. Compared with the rest of Digo City, the place seemed rather deserted, even sinister. Owen was the first to step out of the carriage, introducing it with a hearty smile.
"Welcome to the Black Castle, home of the Imperial Court Department of Magic."
As if answering Owen's welcome, countless wingbeats sounded from the Gothic buildings, accompanied by waves of strange cries.
"Caw~ caw~ caw~"
A host of crows took flight. Some flew off toward different parts of the city, others circled overhead, and still others settled on various parts of the buildings.
Mulan glanced back. The coachman had driven off without a moment's pause as soon as they had stepped down. It was understandable; even the two youngsters could not help shrinking behind Dolly and Mulan.
"Just a little interruption. We like small animals, so the crows like it here too."
Smiling, Owen led them forward. Their surroundings were deathly silent, as though the five of them were the only people in the enormous complex. Yet the closer they came to the nearest building, the stronger Mulan's sense of being watched became.
Gradually, Mulan noticed things lurking in the shadowy corners of many buildings. Some had fully human forms, while others bore tails, claws, and fangs. Most had eerie expressions and pale faces. Some stood motionless, while others paced endlessly.
Belatedly, Mulan raised his head to look at the sky. The rest of Digo, the Imperial Capital, was fairly sunny, but a large expanse around this place lay beneath dark clouds.
"Don't be afraid. They're all Lord Walton's little toys. Normally, they're just here to keep people from wandering in by mistake. They're only allowed to frighten people."
"But their malice is real!"
Owen nodded at Dolly.
"Very perceptive, Miss Dolly. But it makes no difference to them."
Fortunately, once they entered the entrance hall of the outermost building, things seemed much more normal. Of course, Mulan strongly suspected that this was merely a matter of contrast with the outside, but at least they saw a handful of people here and there, and all of them seemed decent enough.
The Black Castle covered a considerable area. Alongside the large buildings, there were plenty of smaller ones, but few people lived there, and many rooms were empty. In addition to his earlier explanation, Owen said that everyone was very busy. Some were carrying out assignments in various places, while others were occupied with studying and improving themselves.
Naturally, newcomers like Mulan and the others would receive some guidance, but they should not expect this place to be a school. They were all merely colleagues. People might offer pointers on publicly available materials, but they would not necessarily share their private resources.
Mulan and Dolly both received exceptionally generous treatment: each could choose a building to own permanently. Guy and Jenny were also given the use of a separate small building.
Besides the fully furnished buildings, complete with gas lamps and every kind of equipment, the Black Castle also had a dining hall and even public baths.
There was even a market in the city just beyond the rear of the Black Castle grounds. But it sold more than fruit, vegetables, pots, bowls, and other everyday goods. Certain unusual shops and stalls offered unusual wares.
The Black Castle also had a dedicated place for handling various government affairs. In theory, everyone had a workstation.
With this deeper understanding, Mulan's impression of the Black Castle improved considerably. At last, he no longer felt as though he might have entered some wicked witch's lair.