Chapter 28: The Dream of That Day—and the Ambush

──The Imperial Citadel, the Royal Family Floor.

“Sirius-niisama, over here—this way!”

“Haha. You don’t have to rush so much. I’m not going anywhere, Rain.”

“But you always disappear the moment we take our eyes off you! Magic training, sword practice—always something. If I don’t grab you when you’re free, the four of us never get to play together!”

“…That’s true. I really should reflect on that.”

Pulled along by the hand of the Second Prince, Rain, Sirius was led toward the courtyard that lay between the Royal Family Floor and the Inner Palace. Sunlight poured down from above, illuminating the space in a gentle cascade, while flowers in full bloom reflected countless hues of color, creating a dreamlike, almost unreal scene.

There, seated amid the flowers, were the First Princess, Liriane, and the Second Princess, Isabella, happily weaving flower crowns together.

Liriane gently placed a finished crown atop her younger sister’s head.

“Oh my, it actually suits you quite well, Isabella.”

“O-Oneesama… this is a little embarrassing…”

“But you’re cuter than I am, you know! You should dress up more often!”

The two princesses finally noticed Sirius’s presence.

“Ah—Onii-sama!”

“S-Sirius, Onii-sama…!”

“Hello, both of you. You’ve been making flower crowns, I see… Yes, you’ve done a wonderful job. And Isabella, it really does suit you.”

“Right?! And yet Isabella keeps saying she doesn’t like it~!”

Isabella shyly pressed her index fingers together in front of her chest, her gaze wavering.

“I just… prefer magic to things like this…”

“Then next time, I’ll teach you magic myself. A special spell passed down directly from the court magician I respect most.”

“R-Really?! Are you sure?!”

“Of course.”

“…I’m so happy.”

As Isabella’s eyes sparkled with excitement, Rain refused to be left behind.

“Then I’ll train in swordsmanship with you too, Onii-sama!”

“That’s fine, but… wouldn’t training against the Royal Guards be far more beneficial?”

“I want to train with you!”

“Hahaha. If you insist that much, how could I say no?”

Liriane, too, spoke up, unwilling to lose.

“I-I want to study with you as well, Onii-sama!”

“For studying, a private tutor would surely have far more knowledge than I—”

“But you’re much better at explaining things!”

“That’s flattering to hear. Then I’ll visit your room when I have some time.”

“Yes!”

Because all four were children of the Empress—and had been born earlier than the others—they shared an especially close bond among the imperial princes and princesses. Whenever they had even a moment of free time, they would gather like this, laughing and playing together.

The First Princess, Liriane, who immersed herself in every field of learning and aspired to become a scholar of the highest order.

The Second Princess, Isabella, captivated by the mysteries of magic and dreaming of becoming a court magician.

The Second Prince, Rain, gifted in swordsmanship and determined to rise as Commander of the Imperial Knights.

And at the center of them all stood the First Prince, Sirius—praised as a genius, the one who guided them, and who surpassed them in every path they sought to walk.

Not only these three, but the Emperor, the Empress, and all other members of the imperial family firmly believed that Sirius was destined to become the next Emperor. Sirius himself believed the same.

“Leave the Empire’s scholarship to me. I’ll turn this continent—no, the entire world—into a superpower that rules all.”

“I will become the Chief Court Magician and lead all the mages of this nation.”

“And I’ll become Commander of the Imperial Knights and protect this country!”

“Hahaha. How reassuring. I suppose I must work even harder myself.”

──These four were the very embodiment of the Empire’s future.

◇◇◇

…That was the dream Sirius had been seeing.

“Sirius, wake up!! We’re under attack!!”

“—What?!”

“The Royal Guards and Al are already fighting outside!! I’ll provide support from inside the carriage—stay low and keep yourself hidden!!”

“Understood!”

From outside the carriage came the sharp voice of Squad Leader Orise.

“Don’t break formation!! Our job is to protect!! As long as we don’t let them through, the court magicians will wipe them out!!”

“I’m counting on you, Al!!”

“Got it.”

Crouching low, Sirius let out a powerless, bitter smile.

(We were so close back then. They adored me so openly. And now… they hate me enough to send assassins after me. Hahaha. I was prepared for it—but to see it become reality like this… it hurts more than I imagined.)

Soft, white, fluffy feathers brushed gently against his cheek.

“Pii.”

“Ah, Haku… are you trying to comfort me?”

“Pii?”

“Hahaha. You probably have no idea what I’m talking about. Sorry.”

(Still… even though I’m acting Emperor, and have two court magicians guarding me, this kind of reckless, straightforward attack doesn’t feel like their style. It doesn’t feel like something those three would plan.)

It wasn’t entirely meaningless—but it was inefficient, a pointless expenditure of effort. Too crude. Too careless. It felt like a foolish act that hinted at something hidden beneath the surface, something that didn’t add up.

◇◇◇

A short time earlier.

The carriage bearing the First Prince had entered a forest beyond the open grasslands when, as if lying in wait, a group clad entirely in black masks launched their ambush.

Without a single shout, the black-clad figures blocked the road and raised their weapons.

…These were no amateurs.

Squad Leader Orise clicked her tongue inwardly.

(Damn. Skilled fighters… more than ten of them. If they were mere bandits, we’d have crushed them instantly and moved on.)

“Form up. Don’t let a single one approach the carriage.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Narrowing her eyes, Orise addressed the enemy in a voice heavy with pressure.

“Still… to send this level of assassins against us… doesn’t your master underestimate the Royal Guards just a bit?”

Faced with her overwhelming presence, even the seasoned attackers unconsciously stepped back half a pace.

Against the Royal Guards, that single movement was a fatal opening.

…Exactly as Orise intended.

“All right. Begin. Don’t kill them all.”

At her command, the formation advanced.

What stood out was not their spear technique—but their masterful horsemanship.

Perfect angles. Perfect distance. Movements that maximized every advantage of fighting from horseback.

Though each guard fought freely, the formation itself never collapsed—a flawless iron wall.

“Don’t break formation!! Our job is to protect!! As long as we don’t let them through, the court magicians will wipe them out!!”

“I’m counting on you, Al!!”

“Got it.”

From the rear, Al finally drew Kurikara.

Thanks to the squad, the enemies had conveniently lined up in a single row.

…At that point, all that remained was to charge straight through.

He deflected the first sword—and severed the man’s head.

He evaded the second—and severed the head.

He shattered the third sword—and severed the head.

A few were left barely alive for interrogation. The rest were simply executed.

This was Orise’s first time witnessing Al’s swordsmanship.

Her only thought—

“…How beautiful.”

Each motion flowed like water, smooth and unbroken, carrying an almost majestic grace.

(See? Our Al is incredible. He’s not just some shut-in freeloader.)

While the guards stared in awe, Seles puffed her chest with pride.

To prevent escape, Estella raised a wall of trees behind the enemies.

“As if I’d let you run.”

(Nice one, Estella.)

Al increased his blade speed.

By the time the Royal Guards snapped out of their daze, every enemy lay collapsed on the ground.

“Squad Leader Orise. The rest is up to you.”

Orise jolted back to herself.

“A-All units! Secure any enemies still breathing!!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As the guards hastily removed the masks, the enemies who had still been breathing moments earlier suddenly coughed up blood—then died one after another.

“Squad Leader… it’s poison. They must have hidden it in their mouths beforehand.”

“As expected of professionals. Their resolve, at least, deserves acknowledgment.”

Wiping the blood from Kurikara, Al muttered,

“Man… if I could’ve used dream magic, this wouldn’t have even turned into a fight.”

The words reached Orise’s ears clearly.

No—perhaps they were meant to.

Seles approached and whispered into Orise’s ear.

“I’m sorry, Squad Leader. Al can’t use dream magic right now. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t ask why.”

“…Understood.”

Orise nodded silently.

Unlike some fool who had once stalked Seles, she was a knight who knew how to read the room.

(A court magician capable of defeating Crow being unable to use his signature magic… there must be some deep reason beyond my understanding. Honestly, with swordsmanship like that, I’d want to reassure him—but that would likely be overstepping. For now, I’ll simply be grateful for the information.)

After helping dispose of the bodies, Al returned to the carriage once more.

“Good work.”

“Thank you. That helped a lot.”

“Pii!”

Haku happily leapt into Al’s chest.

Petting Haku, Al took his seat.

“No, no—it was thanks to Estella’s excellent support.”

“Even without it, you’d have been fine.”

“Hahaha. He is a transcendent, after all.”

“More importantly, I’m sorry. We couldn’t leave anyone alive for interrogation. They’d hidden poison in their mouths…”

“That’s fine. It was probably an assassination unit sent by one of the three anyway.”

After a brief silence, Estella finally asked the question she’d been holding back.

“So… why didn’t you use dream magic?”

“………………”

(As expected, the eyes of a court magician can’t be fooled.)