The City of Night and Red Roses

“Fine, I was wrong. Just eat your ice cream. Your expression is seriously terrifying right now.”

Disgusted, Elliot yanked the spoon I had stabbed into the ice cream and shoved it toward my mouth. I obediently opened up and took a bite.

“It’s my first time on a train, and it’s not bad. Rumor had it they were awful. I guess that was just nonsense spread by people whose pride is tied to having their family crest emblazoned on a carriage. It’s a shame these only run in the East. If we had trains in the capital, wouldn’t the cost of magic stones drop a bit?”

“Probably. Since it’s been a huge success, they’ll likely add more lines.”

“Anyway, I’m surprised your family let you take the train.”

“I threw a tantrum.”

Elliot let out a snort. Even to my own ears, it sounded ridiculous.

Of course, it had been a struggle, but in the end, Cale was the only one I could count on. Ideally, I would have traveled with Leo, but he wasn’t going on a private trip; he was part of an official procession. Even I wasn’t thick-skinned enough to wedge myself into a military march.

So, I brought Elliot along under the pretext of scouting things out before Leo arrived. Besides, it would be much easier to slip into Luke’s territory without Leo’s watchful eyes.

“What about Sir Spellman? That old man is incredibly strict.”

Declaring a vacation to Spellman was no longer difficult. Even in retirement, he was a man who had served as the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Knights. He hears enough about palace happenings to understand. He likely didn’t want his young disciple drowning in the cracks of a power struggle.

And then there was someone else’s unwanted assistance.

“The Crown Prince gave him an order, so he had to leave his post.”

“Perfectly timed for your trip, I see.”

“Who knows? Maybe His Highness just cherishes me that much.”

Elliot laughed, then his face went blank. “You’re not serious, are you?” His eyes were dead earnest. I just waved him off.

“Where are we going first when we hit the East? I traveled a lot with my mother, but this is my first time in this region. My father has been focusing on the Western ports lately.”

This trip to the East wasn’t meant to be the relaxing vacation Elliot hoped for. But there was no need to crush his dreams so early. I gave him the answer he wanted.

“If it’s the East, it has to be Robenus.”

“I knew it!”

Elliot looked his actual age for once, delighted that I shared his sentiment. Or maybe he looked like a middle-aged man on his first overseas trip. Either way, if this were the modern world, he’d definitely be the guy wearing sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt before the plane even took off.

The Empire was vast. Occupying nearly an entire continent, it was so large that even a merchant who traveled for a living could go their whole life without seeing most of it.

If one were to split the Empire in two, most would draw a vertical line between East and West.

To the West sat the capital, the Holy City of Luvete, said to be founded on divine revelation. Befitting the legend that a dragon stood at the dawn of the Imperial line, it was a central hub that had never once been threatened by enemy invasion in its long history. The Imperial Palace and major institutions were clustered in the West, and since the nobility centered themselves around the capital, most roads were wide and pleasant.

On the other hand, the East was represented by the City of Roses: Robenus.

It was said that all art in the Empire began in Robenus. The city was flamboyant, wealthy, and so steeped in pleasure that even the nights were as bright as day; the parties never seemed to stop. True to its reputation as a sanctuary for music, art, theater, and fashion, countless young artists flocked there with hearts full of dreams, alongside a surplus of nobles and bourgeoisie who treated the patronage of talent like a fashionable accessory.

As soon as we stepped off the train, Elliot and I moved our luggage to the hotel and prepared to start sightseeing. There was plenty for wealthy young lords to enjoy.

The plan was for Elliot and me to arrive first and explore the East’s largest city. Then, Leo—having followed the formal dispatch procedure—would join us. After some sightseeing, Elliot would return home, and I would stay in a villa in Robenus with Leo for a few months. Cale had hesitated since Leo was going to be busy, but he eventually decided that keeping me far away from the capital was safer.

In truth, until the moment we arrived in Robenus, I had been barely suppressing my rage toward Cece—no, Cedric Klein. It wasn’t as if I could storm the Academy and have it out with him right now, so wasting my time thinking about him here was my loss. But once we entered the city properly, I didn’t even have the luxury to think of him. Even the busiest shopping districts in the capital felt like quiet temples compared to this place.

Like any other teenage boys, Elliot and I basked in our freedom away from the eyes of our guardians. We weren’t doing anything grand or rebellious, but we were giddy with excitement.

However, time flew faster than expected, and as the hour of Leo’s arrival approached, I grew anxious. My original goal was to scout the Robenus back alleys where Luke lived before Leo arrived, but it wasn’t easy. No matter how “freely” we roamed, there was no way our families hadn’t attached shadows to us. If we strayed from the main thoroughfares, there would surely be an intervention.

Even without that, the pressure of diving in blindly was immense. The atmosphere of the so-called “back alleys” was far more hostile than I anticipated. I’d heard the paths were a labyrinth for first-timers and that the locals didn’t harbor particularly warm feelings toward the nobility. If a child who clearly looked like an aristocrat wandered in alone, anything could happen.

I had every reason to be worried; I had nearly been beaten to death even in the relatively secure capital. I didn’t have the nerve to just jump in.

Speaking of which, that man—the one who looked like a weasel—had escaped. I wondered what happened to him. The Knight Commander had been confident they could catch him, but did they? If he was caught, was he executed? Not knowing the ending left a bitter taste in my mouth. He clearly had a grudge against me—or specifically, against Edwill. I couldn’t ask my brothers, and I couldn’t ask the Crown Prince. He never spoke of that night during the festival, acting with shameless indifference as if he hadn’t even been there.

I swallowed my unease and finished my meal. The food helped. The chicken dish with exotic spices was a success, though Elliot’s juice was a disaster. He had tried to be adventurous and ended up gagging.

After the meal, we followed the set pattern of sightseeing. Immersed in the glamor of a foreign city, thoughts of the Crown Prince and the weasel man faded. For my mental health, it was best to forget them quickly.

Strictly speaking, Robenus wasn’t as “perfect” as the capital, but that was precisely its charm. It was a melting pot of cultures due to active foreign trade, and trends shifted much faster here. Not just the dresses, but the menswear was strikingly different.

Unlike the capital, where the trend was to decorate as lavishly as possible with lace, jewels, and embroidery, Robenus favored a minimalist approach. Most skirts were short enough to show the ankles, and many styles bared the shoulders. I was told these were the “modest” versions now that autumn was approaching. “The peak of splendor is spring!” the designer chatted away. I could barely understand half of what he said about fabrics and styles, but Elliot listened intently. Clearly, not everyone is cut out for business; the way he was already scanning for viable items was impressive.

Cale would have loved this. Seeing a mannequin dressed in a teal jacket and grey vest—a combination that’s hard to pull off—made me think of my eldest brother. He had the best taste and the most interest in fashion; he would have been delighted. He probably would have made a scene trying to buy me new clothes. I laughed, imagining him with a serious face shouting, “Everything from here to there!”

We couldn’t be together this time, but I decided the next trip should definitely be a family affair. In a few years, it might become difficult to travel freely.

“I like this place.”

Elliot, having arranged for his mountain of purchases to be delivered to the hotel, had even changed his clothes. A clean, unadorned shirt suited him well. He definitely had a face for sharp suits rather than frills.

He had shown great interest when he heard the hotel was connected to a casino, but was heartbroken to find that minors were prohibited. I had a hard time stopping him as he burned with the resolve to enter the moment he turned eighteen. If you get into gambling the wrong way, you can ruin your life in an instant.

I didn’t think he’d lose his mind over it, but one never knows. There’s a reason people say pawnshops are full of expensive items. Even the educated and wealthy can fall into the addictive thrill of chasing a jackpot.

“Oh my, Elliot?”

Elliot narrowed his eyes for a moment, then seemingly remembered, putting on his business smile as he greeted her. He introduced her to me as the Viscountess Berinon.

The Viscountess, dressed in a sharp, clean Robenus-style gown, smiled at me. She was a relative on his mother’s side; they had met often when they were younger, but it had become rare once she moved East with her husband. She was delighted to see her young relative after so long. Even Elliot, who wasn’t usually the affectionate type, smiled brightly to match her enthusiasm.