'Are they saying that this little girl is the one who drew the sword…? What? What?! But she's just a girl! A girl?! Everyone is waiting for the knight who drew the sword… What am I supposed to do if I go back with a little girl instead?!'
Juliet's eyebrow twitched involuntarily as she stared at Sikakama, betraying the tension she was struggling to keep under control.
"There was no need for you to trouble yourself by coming all this way, considering Lady Grace had already sent a letter," Alistair said.
Juliet turned toward Alistair as she explained her assignment.
"I was asked to meet the person in question and make sure she was present on behalf of Lady Grace, so there's no need to worry. This is simply part of my duty as her personal assistant."
She turned her attention back to Sikakama and told herself, 'Well, I'm hardly in a position to question it. I came here for a mission, and that is what I intend to do.'
With her composure restored, she extended a hand toward Sikakama in a gentle gesture, inviting her to come along.
"Well then, Sikakama, it seems I'll be joining with you for a while. Would you grant me the honor of escorting you to the Knights' Academy?" Juliet asked with a smile, the brightness returning to her face.
That hand, covered by a pristine white glove, seemed to Sikakama like the hand of fate itself, reaching out to offer her a chance to shape her future. Her eyes moved between the others, only to find them all watching her in silence, without interrupting or attempting to influence her decision, as though the choice had been placed entirely in her hands. It was as though the heavens themselves had placed an opportunity before her, and there was no reason left for her to refuse. Sikakama finally gave a small, confident nod, her expression brightening as she agreed to go.
---
Sikakama looked down at the sword resting in her hands. Her clear blue eyes were reflected faintly in the polished blade as its edge caught the light and gleamed before her.
These blue eyes lit up brighter than they ever had before.
"I'll become a knight."
Sikakama had been sent back to her room to gather her belongings, but there was hardly anything for her to take with her except her crimson cloak, which she was deeply attached to, and the sword, the only thing she owned that held any real value to her. Even so, the sword had become the most precious thing she owned now.
—
Meridian Railway Terminus was an enormous industrial cathedral of iron and glass. Its vast arched roof soared high overhead, pale sunlight filtering through it in thin shafts, weakened by the heavy layers of soot and grey ash that clung to the glass. And it was alive with a dreadful kind of organized chaos.
Hundreds of footsteps moved across the stone floor at once, blending into a constant murmur of voices and hurried movement. Porters in dark jackets pushed wooden luggage carts through the crowds, their wheels clattering loudly against the stone. The roar of the railway and the overlapping sounds of arriving and departing trains filled the vast hall, while parallel iron tracks stretched away like enormous steel serpents before ending abruptly at heavy iron buffers at the far end of the platforms.
Above the platforms, numbered signs from one to twelve indicated the various destinations served by the railway. Some lines connected the city to its central districts and outskirts, including the southeastern and southwestern routes, with platforms such as 4, 5, 6, and 7 serving these areas. Altham could be reached via Platform Seven. Other lines carried passengers toward the industrial districts and workers' quarters, while additional routes extended toward the ports. Platforms One and Two were reserved for royal and diplomatic destinations, while Platform Twelve led toward the northernmost reaches of the kingdom.
Amid all the noise and movement, Mirelle stood on the platform in her elegant hat and gloves, her long red hair tied back, while Sian stood quietly beside her, yawning softly. His eyes watered slightly, making his pale irises glimmer for a moment. Sikakama stood between them in her crimson cloak, clutching the newly sheathed sword tightly in both hands as they waited for Juliet, who had headed toward the ticket office.
"We had a sheath made for the sword, so carrying it will be much safer now," Mirelle said, glancing at it. "The Knights' Academy lies on the northern border. It's an enormous fortress, and I imagine it must be bustling with activity by now." She clasped her hands together with a warm smile. "Soon, you'll be one of them. Isn't that wonderful?"
She then placed a finger beneath her chin, as though pondering a question that had suddenly occurred to her.
"But since it's a school for knights rather than one specifically for female knights… wouldn't most of the students be boys?"
"I've got them! Two tickets for the north." Just then, Juliet came hurrying back from the ticket counter, holding the two tickets between her fingers and waving them excitedly.
Then she glanced at Mirelle and Sian as they all began walking toward Platform Twelve.
" You really didn't have to come all this way with us," Juliet said, placing a hand over her heart with a sweet, grateful smile.
"I live nearby anyway," Sian said simply.
"It would've been rude not to see you off, and it's not every day I get to see an old friend," Mirelle replied with a smile, waving a hand dismissively as if it were nothing.
Then she linked her arm with Juliet's and leaned closer, as though their formal conversation had ended and it was time for the kind of private talk only the two of them shared.
"So, what have you been up to all this time? You hardly ever come to Pendralice anymore. You didn't even attend the Duke's ball."
"This is the time of year when the new batch of trainees arrives, so Lady Grace had a lot of meetings and preparations to deal with. She couldn't attend, and as her assistant, I had to stay with her, so I couldn't go either." Juliet's eyes brightened with excitement. "But tell me everything!"
Mirelle lowered her voice with a suppressed laugh. "You should have seen the Earl's daughter's necklace."
Juliet immediately leaned closer, matching her curiosity and excitement. "What about it?"
"Some letters were leaked by her personal maid. They were between her and the Duke. Then she appeared at the ball wearing that necklace."
"Really?"
"They say it was made especially for her, from gemstones that were supposedly brought back from journeys beyond the kingdom. Apparently, the Duke gave it to her after receiving one of the travelers who had brought those gemstones and other precious treasures to his palace."
"Ah… that alone is enough to start rumors," Juliet whispered.
"And everyone noticed it," Mirelle added with a suppressed laugh.
Juliet's eyes widened. She covered her mouth as though afraid someone might overhear them. "So they're practically admitting their love in front of everyone. What a romantic story… Tell me the whole thing from the beginning."
"All right." Mirelle smiled, clearly enjoying herself now that she had caught Juliet's attention. "The Duke's mother had been trying to arrange a marriage for him for years. She introduced him to all sorts of women, but he always found a way to avoid it. Eventually, people started thinking he would never marry at all."
She paused for effect.
"Then, at one occasion, he saw the Earl's daughter with her mother, the Countess…"
Mirelle and Juliet walked on with their arms linked, occasionally breaking into muffled laughter as their conversation flowed effortlessly from one piece of gossip to another. They seemed determined to make up for all the time they had spent apart, exchanging every bit of news and every little rumor they had missed.
A few steps behind them, Sian and Sikakama walked in silence. Neither interrupted their conversation, though they occasionally glanced toward the two women and their muffled laughter. Mirelle and Juliet had become so absorbed in their own little world that they seemed to have forgotten everything around them.
"Then I suppose this is goodbye," Sikakama began, feeling that she ought to say something now that they had fallen a few steps behind Mirelle and Juliet.
"You found what you were looking for. So you have a path of your own now. So I suppose I should continue on mine as well."
Sikakama looked toward Sian as though waiting for him to say something. Realizing that she was waiting for a farewell, he stammered,
"Uh… I-I should probably…"
Sian paused, seemingly unsure of what to say next. Then, as though an idea had suddenly occurred to him, he leaned down slightly toward her and whispered into her ear, covering his mouth with one hand.
"If anyone bothers you, just kick them in the groin."
Sikakama gave a small nod in response. The two of them stood silently amid the movement around them, and for a moment, neither said a word. The murmurs around them continued—murmur, murmur, murmur—never quite fading.
Mirelle and Juliet finally unlinked their arms.
"Don't forget to finish telling me everything in your letters," Juliet said.
"I won't," Mirelle replied.
Mirelle and Sian stopped beside the train while Juliet looked around for their carriage.
Mirelle's green eyes softened as she realized that the moment of departure had finally arrived. She had also noticed the slight discomfort in Sikakama's movements; every now and then, the girl would blow lightly at the strand of hair falling across her forehead, trying to move it out of her face.
Mirelle untied the red ribbon from her own hair and stepped behind Sikakama. She gathered the girl's hair and tied it back with the ribbon before giving her a gentle smile.
"You can keep it."
Her hair was now tied back in a low ponytail with the red ribbon. Sikakama looked at Mirelle, her heart filled with gratitude for everything she had done for her.
"Thank you."
Mirelle simply smiled, answering in her usual matter-of-fact way.
"I didn't do anything. You earned it."
Sikakama then turned her gaze toward Sian.
Sian, who had been quiet until then, gave a small nod. "You'll do fine."
"Come on, hurry up! We're about to leave!"
Juliet waved to Sikakama from the train door.
A railway porter moved along the platform, calling for the remaining passengers to board. A moment later, the guard raised his hand and gave a sharp whistle, signaling that the train was ready to depart.
Sikakama pulled away and hurried toward Juliet, who was already waiting by the carriage door. Before stepping inside, she cast one last glance back at Mirelle and Sian standing on the platform.
Sian raised a hand and gave her a quiet wave, while Mirelle waved enthusiastically, calling out, "Good luck!"
The whistle sounded again. The engine gave a deep, rumbling chuff, as though it had suddenly awoken from its brief slumber. Then the Northern train began to move, its wheels slowly gathering rhythm against the rails.