The Crown Prince In Hiding

The day of history had arrived.

Kingdom of Snowhaven; Crystal Palace

Princess Nora Ophilis stood in her formal black attire on the far side of the bedchamber, hands clasped behind her back, her face carrying the stoic composure typical of Snowhaven's people.

Before her, a document report had been set down by a person of greater authority.

"How curious... when did you become so close with someone from the Saint Pauli family?"

Empress Ophilis XIV, Nora's mother, posed the question in a voice as cold as ice.

"We share many things in common, Your Majesty."

The Empress's eyes rolled toward her. It was plain to see that the gaze carried displeasure at Nora standing there so aloof, beyond her control.

The death of Iskaryx had been confirmed as Nora's doing, but how she had weakened the fearsome dragon remained unknown. No evidence could be found, leaving only suspicion.

The Empress shifted to a more serious matter.

"As you are aware, the Demon King has sent you a personal invitation in his own hand. It is not unprecedented for the Demon King to write to someone, but this is the first time he has written to a person he has never met."

This matter was still being kept under wraps within Snowhaven: the fact that Nora had received a personal invitation from the Demon King himself.

"Diablo has taken an interest in you. They are likely inviting you in order to gauge your disposition. You understand how you should conduct yourself, yes?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Do not greet anyone beyond what is appropriate. Do not mingle unnecessarily. And under no circumstances are you to involve yourself with Prince Fury. This is an order."

"Why should I not?"

Nora asked for an explanation.

"If Prince Fury greets me, would you have me ignore that gesture of friendship?"

"A courteous greeting is permissible. But should he overstep, you are to decline gracefully, in accordance with the etiquette you have been trained in."

"I don't understand. Why must I refuse him?"

"You do not truly grasp what he is."

Her mother rose to her feet, her tone stern and absolute, and walked toward her.

"Therefore, you will follow these guidelines to the letter. This is an order."

Seeing that resolve,

"...Yes, Mother."

But Princess Nora asked one more question.

"And what if Prince Fury insists, Mother?"

"I believe you know what you should do."

".....Yes."

Black boots and fresh, clean new clothes. It was rare to see someone like Rafinya dressed this way outside of special occasions.

Just then, the guest room door swung open.

Princess Nora Ophilis walked in carrying an air of displeasure that Rafinya could sense immediately.

"What happened?"

Rafinya asked while standing before the mirror, fastening the button at her collar.

Nora was quiet for a moment before answering.

"I probably won't be able to move around freely in Diablo."

"I thought you said no one could order you around?"

"A royal decree."

Meaning a proclamation issued for all to acknowledge. Violation carried severe punishment. It was not something invoked often unless the justification was sufficient. And this time, the justification happened to be more than sufficient.

Nora was more upset about not being able to spend time with Fury at Diablo than anything else.

"How many chances do you think we'll get to visit Mr. Fury's home?"

"...."

Rafinya turned.

"Not many."

"Exactly."

If they waited until the post-war era, until the world had time to grow accustomed, until political tensions faded... add another twenty years to that.

"I am not going to wait until I'm forty."

Nora's eyes gazed out at the snowy landscape of her kingdom through the black window frame.

The view slowly zoomed outward until the mountains faded into ocean, bridging into the journey of the Snowhaven delegation bound for the Diablo Empire.

Beneath sunlight pouring down from the heavens,

the great and mighty naval fleet of Snowhaven pressed across the ocean from the far north to the far south.

Snowhaven's journey to Diablo took the longest of any nation, as they sat on opposite ends of the globe. Even with ships powered by enormous amounts of mana crystal energy driving their propellers at high speed.

Saturday, the 28th of the Fifth Month

Set sail for Diablo... the air has grown noticeably warmer. Its warmth cannot even compare to Artheris. I envy those in the south, who enjoy weather that allows year-round cultivation.

Princess Nora wrote in her journal in her quarters, glancing now and then through the circular porthole at the waters outside and the sea breeze drifting in.

She finished her personal entry, closed the journal, locked it, and tucked it into her bag. Then she turned to look at the hourglass that had been measuring their travel time since they departed Snowhaven.

Today was the day they would reach Diablo.

She rose and walked out, heading above deck, passing Snowhaven soldiers who saluted and servants who bowed.

She went to find Rafinya, who was practicing her fire-lit sword forms on the upper deck.

Rafinya sheathed her blade the moment she noticed Nora's arrival.

"Is the weather in Luminus about this warm?"

Rafinya turned.

"A little hotter than this in summer."

Nora came to stand beside her, leaning her arms against the railing, gazing out at the ocean stretching endlessly to the horizon. She let out a long, slow breath.

"...It must be a matter of heritage, I suppose."

Rafinya leaned against the railing as well.

Looking toward other parts of the ship, she noticed Nora's attendants glancing their way at intervals. Paul and the others were no exception, though they kept their distance, leaving the two of them space.

Nora shifted her gaze back to the open sea.

"You never stop practicing."

"I need to improve as fast as I can. Otherwise, when the day comes to fight Mr. Fury, I'll walk away with nothing."

"What did you agree on with Mr. Fury?"

"I asked Mr. Fury for another bout. He said yes."

Nora paused.

"...He agreed?"

"Why?"

"He said he wouldn't transform at Artheris anymore."

"Well, it might not happen at Artheris."

Rafinya shrugged, smiling faintly with the implication that she was the favorite.

"Or maybe it will... it's up to Mr. Fury. He must have seen something. I heard bits and pieces."

The expression that surfaced on Nora's face was a hard stare. Rafinya smiled gently.

"Did you think you were the only one Mr. Fury took a liking to?"

"I may have come later, and my start wasn't exactly graceful, but I happened to overhear it. Yes. He told Mrs. Casca as much."

"Then before you go fight Mr. Fury, how about a round with me first? A little warm-up before we reach Diablo."

"That's probably not the best idea in a place full of Snowhaven people. And their sovereign."

"What makes you think my attendants would come rushing in to save me?"

"Statistics."

Princess Nora knew exactly what Rafinya meant. She smiled back, and frost began forming across her body.

"One data set doesn't count as statistics."

Likewise, red fire flickered to life at Rafinya's fingertips.

"Want a rematch, Nora? Or are you just unhappy that you're not the favorite?"

"I don't like lording things over anyone, but I want you to know that the gap between us is still wide. I have my own special arrangement with him too."

"I'd love to know what that arrangement is."

And the "warm-up" between Nora and Rafinya began.

Some time later.

"Hah.... hah.... hah...."

Paul was no longer certain what kind of relationship he was witnessing.

Princess Nora and Rafinya were both battered and bruised, surrounded by white steam billowing in every direction, born from scorching fire meeting freezing ice.

"So what's the arrangement?"

Rafinya coughed and choked on steam as she asked, while the other, coughing just as badly, answered.

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"You can't even tell me this much?"

"Mr. Fury asked you to follow him around in Diablo the whole time. That's still not enough for you?"

"So that's what this is about."

"It's not."

"Really?"

At that moment, the attendant Paul stepped in to interrupt.

"Princess Nora, we are nearly there. You should go prepare."

Nora and Rafinya turned toward the sound of the ship's horn. They made their way to the bow and looked out ahead.

Roughly one nautical mile away and visible to the naked eye, the image of a vast "landmass" appeared before them. The very same landmass they had seen in the books they once read.

Rafinya stretched her arm out fully and held up her thumb to compare. The landmass appeared about the thickness of a fingernail at that distance.

And at that very moment,

both young women felt it. Movement beneath the water.

The movement of "something" sending waves from below.

They weren't imagining it. Looking down at the surface, they could see ripples spreading in a pattern as though something large had swum past.

"They've come to escort us."

The Raven, one of the Heroes, appeared beside them, his gaze fixed on the water just as theirs was.

"We've entered Diablo waters."

Nora and Rafinya exchanged a glance, knowing full well that whatever was swimming alongside them had to be Diablo. But they had no idea how many there were, or how large.

When they looked at The Raven, he seemed wholly accustomed to this. His eyes watched the sky more than they tried to search for anything in the water.

When Nora followed his gaze, she caught a shadow streaking past the sunlight overhead. A silhouette resembling some kind of bird.

"It's already passed us."

"Who is that, Mr. Raven?"

"His name is Dominic."

The Raven's eyes never missed a thing, no matter how high or how far the distance.

"A Diablo with a terrifying gift of sight."

"There are demons with vision like yours?"

The Raven watched the shadow pull further ahead, narrowing his eyes.

"During the war, he was quite the nuisance."

The fleet sounded its horn, signaling the approach to port. Before they knew it, the Diablo continent filled the entire view.

A colossal harbor and an official welcoming party from Diablo.

It was, without question, a sight that made both of them deeply nervous. This was not the kind of reception they were used to, especially knowing that on that shore, there was not a single human being.

But there was one thing that brought comfort. Even from here, they could feel it. The Raven could feel it. Everyone, even the Empress of Snowhaven and her people, could see it.

There, among the Diablo officials who had gathered to receive them,

stood a tall figure in black and red, watching them.

Prince Fury.

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