“Some say that the walls and buildings of the Lustre dukedom capital are so bright and dazzling because the original Duke Lustre liked it nice and bright in his city.” Risti pointed at the dazzling palace that was coated with gold and had jewels embedded within. “Of course, the true reason was because paint and colour supplies were actually being sold at a premium in the wake of the Third Godsfall, and so Duke Lustre covered up the dull exterior with molten gold and implanted a few jewels.”

“Gold was cheaper than paint back then?” Farah asked, intrigued.

“After most of the world’s gold was used to decorate palaces and to make up for the loss of the paint and textile industry, the cost of gold shot up,” Risti replied.

“Uh, what.”

“Yeah. I’m not pulling your leg. The reason why platinum and gold are in such short supply right now is because they were mostly used by the nobles to decorate their estates. It also didn’t help that mana-soaked gold and platinum were very sturdy and helped to make sure that the last thing that was destroyed was the palace during a siege.”

“Daybreak’s palace felt quite flimsy, though.”

“He’s a new count,” Risti replied. “The newer nobles never got to experience the age in which gold and platinum were used to cover up just about every single flaw in a palace’s walls.”

“Oh.”

Schwarz and Farah continued to gawk as Risti moved on to talk about the history of the Lustre dukedom.

“See this birdshop? It’s said that on the day of the princess’ birth, all the birds here unlocked their cages and flew towards the castle, circling around the towers and singing a vast, majestic song.”

“…What?” Dia looked at Risti. “Are you serious? I do not recall such an incident at all, and we’re around the same age.”

“Legend. I don’t know if it’s true, but if a lie is repeated enough times, it becomes the truth anyway,” Risti replied. “Anyhow, this is apparently the princess’ favourite street. Whenever Duke Lustre found out that the princess was moving around in the city incognito without permission, he would search this street first…of course, since I was monitoring the place, I also helped to telling the duke where the princess was. Her safety was paramount, after all.”

“You helped Duke Lustre look for the princess?” Farah asked.

“Yeah. It was quite easy, really. Just needed someone to pass the message on, you know. I was living in Lustre for quite some time, and it wasn’t hard for me to strike a weird alliance with the dukedom soldiers.”

Dia blinked. “Wait, so the reason why Princess Dia was caught an hour or two after she went out was you?”

“I’m dedicated to her protection, yes.”

Dia didn’t quite know what kind of words she should use, but after making a mental note to scare Risti very thoroughly later, she shook her head and thought back to her childhood. Now that she thought about it, shortly after she became a bit more famous, her father’s soldiers would always find her just an hour or two after she painstakingly escaped from the palace. She hadn’t given it much thought before then, but…

It really is you, huh? Huh?

Risti returned to her historical recitation as Dia sulked for a while. Fortunately, Risti at least had the heart to not talk about how she left the palace to begin with, or else her childhood would have been a lot darker. And if she thought about it a bit harder, it was true that Risti was protecting her from kidnappers and other criminals…

Hmph! I’ll be magnanimous for once and forgive you, seeing as how you had my best interests…but to think that you were watching me this closely. It’s a bit scary…actually, very scary.

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She rubbed her nose and looked at Risti. Risti was definitely a one-of-a-kind stalker, but…

“Say, are you going to stalk the princess after she returns?” Dia asked.

“..Well, I’m ashamed to say it, but I don’t think I would,” Risti muttered.

Schwarz raised an eyebrow. “That’s a first.”

“Well, it’s creepy. I’ve come around to that realisation. Rather than pinning all sorts of ideals and aspirations onto her, I would rather like to interact with her as her true self. To see her as who she is, rather than through my rose-tinted glasses…” Risti sighed, and then turned to Dia. “I bet the princess would be horrified if she learned about me. I’d prefer if she doesn’t…”

“Uh…” Dia rubbed her nose. “Well, she kinda knows. But she’s long forgiven you. And is quite appreciative. I’d say she really, really wants you as a close friend.”

“You told her? Well, I suppose you would.”

“Uh. Not really. She already had the feeling that someone was spying on her, yeah.” Dia rubbed her nose. “Anyway, you’ll know the rest when we arrive at the palace, okay?”

“Huh?”

“Let’s move on,” Dia urged. “Come on!”

The dukedom capital was divided into three layers. The outermost layers were the Business Sector, where low- to medium-end trade were consolidated at. High-end goods were rare, and only three shops had them near the gate that divided the Business Sector from the Noble Sector, which was where most of the lower nobles had an estate or two in. It was also where the Lustre College for Nobility was located, so many nobles would send their children here to be educated.

“This is the Noble Sector,” Dia introduced. “It’s usually the place where noble scions live in and study at, before they head towards their own fiefdoms at adulthood. If there’s a big event, most noble families would live in their estates here in preparation of said event. This is where most posh entertainment occurs too, so there really isn’t much of a point in having a checkpoint here. Some of the upper-class merchants visit the Noble Sector everyday.”

“I have a house here,” Risti added. “We can live in it after we come back from meeting the princess and seeing Dia off.”

“You have one here?” Dia blinked.

“The Cadenzas are honorary nobles of many, many fiefdoms all over Grandis. It’s natural! It’s a shame I couldn’t attend the Lustre College, though,” Risti replied. “We’re just nobles in name, that’s all…well, my father can’t be bothered to do annoying things too, so that’s part of it.”

“Well, we’re both country bumpkins then.” Farah grinned. “I never did attend the Istrel School for Fine Nobles.”

“You won’t miss much there,” Schwarz replied. “It’s…not a good school.”

“Eh? How did you know?” Farah asked.

“From the Trading Board and from my friends.” Schwarz chuckled. “No, I’m not a secret noble or something. I could buy a position if I wanted to, though…”

The Noble Sector was significantly smaller, and before long, they arrived at the final set of walls.

“This is the Lustre Palace.” Dia stopped in front of the closed gates. Knights in brilliant armour looked back at them in silence, ready to move if she did anything suspicious.

“You guys stay here,” Dia instructed. “I’ll get us in.”

She took a deep breath and walked towards the knights, before stopping at a round imprint of a jewel, which had been marked on the ground. The knights glanced at each other, and one of them broke ranks to join her on the other side of the jewel.

Something clicked, and a faint bubble of energy rose to encapsulate the two of them.

Dia looked at the knight, whose eyes were the only thing visible, and then said, “The minor moon of the Lustre Dukedom requests entry.”

The knight froze, and then touched his chest once. “The guarding star shall verify.”

The knight took a step back, and the bubble vanished. Without saying a single word, he jogged back to the other knights and vanished into the guardhouse, spurred on by the secret code that indicated the return of someone from the Lustre family.

Within seconds, the knight returned with a familiar face. Golden armour, encrusted with jewels, shook soundlessly as the tetra-folder it protected raced towards her. Stepping onto the jewel imprint, the layer of energy rose up once more, and the knight stared at her.

“Uncle Rubia.” Dia stared at her uncle. “It’s me. I’m back.”

“The code,” the middle-aged man replied, his voice trembling.

“The enduring light paves the way ahead, protecting the hearts of all. With our light comes everlasting peace. May Lustre stand forever.”

“May Lustre stand forever.” Uncle Rubia took a deep breath. “You’re back, little Dia. About time. And those must be your friends, your protectors.”

She nodded. “My father…”

“Will be relieved. But don’t let this old sack of bones delay your triumphant return.”

“No, no need for a triumphant return,” Dia replied. “It’s good enough that I can see my father, the Duke.”

“…Very well. I will escort you and your friends in.”

Dia nodded, and then paused. “Um…uncle, can you not tell them who I am yet? Just pretend to be mute for a while. There’s…something I need to tell them. And, well, it’ll be best if I do it myself.”

Her uncle held his head. “You have got to be kidding me. Why do I have such a stupid niece…”

“Uncle?!”

“Yes, yes. I’ll be a mute for now.” He shook his head. “You always like to give people trouble. Never mind. I am the elder here. Go on. I’ll promise to stay mute.”