MDL | Chapter 2.5

The prince’s party followed the servant in silence. Though the surroundings glittered warmly with gold, the atmosphere among the group was frigid.

Out of consideration for the lady, the middle-aged servant first escorted Rose to her room.

“Well then, everyone, see you at dinner.”

With a cold farewell, she slipped into her room. The group continued down the corridor in silence. The quick-witted wizard, and even Zig, who was usually as talkative as the wizard, hesitated to speak, keeping an eye on the prince’s mood.

The prince seemed deep in thought. As they walked, the furrow between his brows deepened, and his lips tightened. Suddenly, the prince stopped. His gaze swept across the ceiling, walls, and floor of the palace corridor.

“What’s the matter?” the servant asked.

“I thought the entire palace was made of gold, but there are parts that aren’t. I was just looking around, curious.”

The prince replied.

The wizard and Zig exchanged identical expressions, wide-eyed and slack-jawed like fools. They quickly composed themselves and scanned the corridor.

The prince was right.

While the ceiling and floor were gold-plated, and the decorations were all gold, the walls and pillars were not. Some parts glittered, while others didn’t. Ordinary stone pillars, ordinary wooden doors… remnants of the palace before it was covered in gold.

“It’s true! That small door on the wall isn’t gold, just as the prince said.”

The wizard exclaimed. The exterior and the path to the audience chamber were all gold-plated, so they had assumed the rest of the palace was the same. To make excuses, both had been too busy gauging the prince and Rose’s moods to notice their surroundings until now.

Haha, isn’t it ridiculous? Humans are such foolish creatures. They often miss what’s right in front of them. The belief that they know everything, in other words, prejudice… it blinds them to the world as it truly is.

Believing what they want to believe, seeing what they want to see—that’s humanity.

By that logic, even straw could become gold. And conversely, gold could become straw.

“Ah, everyone. About that…”

The servant smiled faintly and explained.

“The spaces where His Majesty conducts state affairs, the living quarters of the noble families, and the areas for guests like yourselves were all gold-plated a few years ago. It’s all thanks to the diligence of Her Majesty the Queen, a model for the women of this kingdom, and the grace of His Majesty the King. Since these spaces represent the face of the kingdom, it’s only fitting to elevate their status with gold plating. But there’s no need to do so for unseen areas. That would be wasteful. The ordinary pillars and doors you see are for the servants. Guests like yourselves won’t need to use those plain doors.”

“The gold plating was done only a few years ago?”

The wizard asked, surprised.

“Yes. Counting the years, it would be… hmm, four years ago.”

The servant replied.

“The plating began during the winter of Their Majesties’ wedding.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. What a way to commemorate their blessed union!”

The wizard clapped his hands, but the servant’s face darkened.

“Yes, yes. It was indeed a beautiful wedding, but…”

The servant trailed off.

“The gods are fair. They always balance the scales in some way.”

His voice carried a hint of bitterness.

“Does that mean the wedding wasn’t blessed?”

At the prince’s question, the servant quickly shook his head.

“No, no. I’ve spoken out of turn in front of guests. Now, let’s move on. I’ll continue guiding you. You’ll need time to prepare for dinner. Come along.”

The servant hurried ahead. Feeling he had misspoken, he quickened his pace, forcing the prince’s party to keep up.

After the prince was shown to his room, the wizard and Zig entered theirs. Their rooms, as attendants, were across the corridor from the prince’s.

Once the servant who had guided them left, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Especially Zig, who had been on edge the entire time they were in the palace, constantly gauging the mood of those around him. When he saw the plush bed and the pristine white sheets, he looked moved, took off his dusty cloak, and immediately flopped onto the mattress.

“Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve seen a bed like this!”

“Why don’t you take off your sword, Zig? And maybe shake off your shoes and take a bath first. If you roll around like that, the clean sheets will turn black in no time.”

“Later.”

“There’s no time to put it off.”

“Later.”

“You’re filthy, Zig.”

Did Zig take the wizard’s scolding as a joke? He laughed heartily and buried his face in the feather pillow. Honestly, it’s ridiculous…

While Zig wriggled around excitedly on the bed, the wizard thought about the prince.

The prince, who had been intently examining the golden palace. The prince, who had dropped the glass vase in front of the king. The prince, who had looked at him while saying they were heading to Omphalos. The prince, who had declared that lies and silence were no better alternatives. At the same time, the image of a pitiful prophet, cursed to deliver prophecies no one believed because he had rejected the advances of the gods, came to mind¹.

Well, everyone…

I don’t really understand why the prince always chooses to speak the truth and ends up hated.

Why… even without his memories…

…No, forget it, everyone. I’ve said something unnecessary. Please forget what I just said.

…

…

…

Shall we return to the story?

While Zig was busy staining the bedsheets with five days’ worth of dirt, the wizard suddenly asked him:

“What do you think, Zig?”

“About what?”

Zig’s voice was drowsy, as if sleep was creeping up on him.

“About the argument between those two earlier.”

“Hmm, well…”

Wait, weren’t you fidgeting nervously and gauging their moods when the prince and Rose were arguing…? Do you really have no thoughts at all, Zig? Is it really okay to have no thoughts of your own, Zig? You volunteered for this journey because of Rose, didn’t you? Aren’t you even considering the possibility that Rose might fall in love with the prince after all their arguments?

While scolding Zig for lying on the bed without washing, the wizard also climbed onto the bed. It was soft and comfortable. As the tension left his body, his limbs felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. Beside him, Zig’s breathing grew slower and deeper, and the wizard felt his own eyelids growing heavy as well.

Huh? You’re saying the wizard’s body is a magically created shell that can regenerate even if its head is cut off? So how can it feel fatigue and sleep?

…Hmm, sharp observation, everyone. I didn’t expect you to remember that…

Well, but even the wizard in the story feels fatigue. Of course, he sleeps too. We don’t just rest our bodies with sleep, do we? Sleep is also essential for resting the mind. Sleep is important. Make sure you get enough sleep, everyone. Otherwise, you’ll regret it when you’re old like me.

Ugh… I can hear the criticisms about this being too convenient of a plot development… I know, I know. You’re saying I’m just slapping on explanations after the fact… But there’s nothing I can do. Let’s move on, please.

…

…

Once again, the wizard felt his eyelids growing heavy. But with the path to Omphalos blocked, this wasn’t the time to lazily sprawl out and sleep.

The wizard…

Had to… think…

He had to…

Think…

Somehow…

So, to chase away sleep, he started talking to Zig. He wasn’t really expecting an answer. He just needed to organize his thoughts.

“Rose has a point, you know. The king of this country has completely lost his mind over his child. It’s understandable, since it’s his only son, his only heir… But what if the kidnapper isn’t caught? He might go mad, just like our prince’s father. That’s what curses do… Provoking a king like that, we were really lucky this time. There’s no guarantee luck will be on our side the next time something like this happens. But ten days? Haha, ten days? We can’t waste ten days here just to appease the king. The rifts are chasing us even as we speak. No matter how fast we run, it won’t be enough. We need to buy time. We need to get as close to Omphalos as we can while we can still move during both day and night. If we reach Omphalos… if we just get there, all the world’s problems will be solved… We need to hurry… Before the whole world collapses… The shadow monsters… Ah, what should we do? What’s the best way? I… the prince… I don’t know. Do you have any good ideas?”

“Wizard.”

Zig called out to him.

Startled, the wizard flinched. He had thought Zig had already fallen asleep. Turning his head, he saw Zig sitting upright. His expression was unusually serious. Yes, like a real knight.

“Can I be honest?”

“Yes, please, Zig.”

“I have no thoughts.”

…Of course. After all that serious talk, his big revelation is “I have no thoughts.” The wizard let out a small sigh.

“Thinking isn’t my role.”

But Zig continued.

“I’m just a knight. If I were a knight commander, it might be different, but I’m just a low-ranking knight. I don’t make judgments.”

The wizard’s eyes widened.

“Rose’s realistic words have merit, and the prince’s stubbornness might put his life in danger. That might be true, but it’s not my concern. If enemies come, I’ll draw my sword and die for the princess and the prince, as my duty demands. Wizard, of course, I’ll protect you too. That’s all.”

After saying this, Zig pulled his facial muscles into a wide grin.

“And the wizard will find a way, won’t you?”

Hmm… Just a little… as much as dirt under a fingernail… but that was kind of cool. I take it back, Zig.

The wizard looked at Zig with newfound respect. Zig’s features, which had seemed as plain as any passerby’s, now seemed to have a distinct color to them.

“I see, Zig. Now I understand.”

The wizard nodded.

“Huh?”

Zig asked, clearly confused about what the wizard was talking about. He was back to being the usual Zig—not the serious, impressive knight, but the bumbling, easy-to-tease Zig.

“You’re this kind of person.”

“…What kind of person am I?”

“…This kind.”

The wizard replied and then flopped onto his side.

Even though Zig had said a lot of cool things, the conclusion was the same, wasn’t it? “I have no thoughts, I don’t think about anything…” He just dressed it up in fancy words, didn’t he?

In the end, it didn’t help the wizard solve his dilemma at all…

The palace banquet hall… Haha, by now, you can probably imagine what it was like, right? Yes! You guessed it! It was completely covered in gold plating, glittering everywhere!

A room so blindingly golden it could make your eyes go numb. Golden tables, golden chairs, golden plates, golden knives, golden forks, golden spoons… And the king and queen, dressed in golden-threaded robes. The nobles, though not wearing golden-threaded clothes, strutted around in shoes embroidered with golden thread.

The only people in the room not adorned in gold were the prince’s party.

“At least the food isn’t gold,” Rose whispered. Agreed. Sure, some dishes might have gold dust sprinkled on them, which wouldn’t harm you if eaten, but who would want to eat gold anyway?

Compared to the glittering surroundings and people, the food was surprisingly ordinary. Large beef pudding, roasted duck, roasted turkey, a steaming boiled pig’s leg, onion soup, small white bread, and fish baked with herbs—typical dishes you’d expect at a palace banquet.

When the king and queen at the head table finished tasting a dish, the leftovers were sent to the nobles’ table, and what remained after that went to the attendants’ table. The servants probably ate whatever was left after the attendants.

The prince’s party was seated at the same table as the king and queen, as honored guests from afar. Thanks to this, the wizard and Zig also had the honor of sitting next to the king instead of at the attendants’ table. How grateful we are, hahaha…

Honestly, it wasn’t a great seat. They couldn’t comfortably discuss their plans among themselves, couldn’t gossip about others, and had to laugh the hardest at the king’s unfunny jokes.

The most uncomfortable part was watching the queen.

Poor queen! Poor miller’s daughter!

The poor woman was clearly not in her right mind—in a different way than the king. While the king glowed with health, the queen looked as if she hadn’t eaten properly in months. Dressed in a suffocating gown that went up to her neck and wearing long gloves, she looked like a pile of golden fabric. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t dress this queen in deep yellow! It doesn’t suit her! She’d look much livelier in soft pink!

The queen barely ate. Her anxious, frightened eyes darted around, constantly gauging the reactions of her husband and the nobles. Her thin body fidgeted incessantly, as if she wanted to leave the table immediately. The king shot her sharp looks whenever she took too little food, even though he knew she’d just force it down and later throw it up.

After chewing a few bites while watching the king’s expression, the queen would ask for her baby. The nursemaid would bring the infant, show him to the queen, and then take him away again. Within minutes, the queen would ask for the baby again, and the cycle repeated.

How could anyone eat comfortably in such a situation? It was like sitting on pins and needles.

The uncomfortable banquet, where it was hard to tell if the food was going down their throats or their noses, finally ended, and the prince’s party could return to their rooms.

“Then, rest well, Your Highness,” Zig said, bowing at the prince’s door before turning to leave.

“Your Highness!” the wizard called out.

“Wait a moment!”

He slipped through the door just as it was closing and quickly bolted it from the inside.

“W-Wizard?” Zig stammered from outside the door. He knocked repeatedly, calling, “Wizard? Wizard?”

“Go to bed first, Zig. I want to be alone with the prince.”

“Huh? But…”

“Ugh! Don’t be so clueless!”

At the wizard’s angry tone, Zig had no choice but to shuffle away. Only after Zig’s footsteps faded did the wizard unbolt the door and peek into the hallway. No one was there.

“…What is this about?” the prince asked. The wizard locked the door again and turned to face him.

“That’s what I wanted to ask you,” the wizard said.

“What are you planning?”

The prince, who had been staring directly at the wizard, suddenly lost focus and looked away.

“Nothing…”

Then, trailing off, he walked awkwardly to the table. There, a golden teapot and golden cups had been prepared by the palace servants for the guests. Are you tired of hearing about gold? Honestly, so am I… Anyway, the prince poured himself a cup of clear liquor and began sipping it slowly.

Yes… Surprisingly, the prince was playing dumb! Trying to avoid the wizard’s questioning! The same prince who stubbornly said his piece in front of the king! But the prince’s act of playing dumb wasn’t very convincing. After all, he’s the prince. How many times in his life has he had to gauge others’ moods…?

He’s definitely planning something big. And not in a good way… Really, not in a good way.

“You’re saying you’re not up to anything?”

“I can’t even begin to guess why you’re acting like this.”

The prince seemed determined to feign ignorance. His deliberate avoidance of eye contact left the wizard at a loss.

The wizard stomped over to the prince. Overcome with frustration, he clenched his fists tightly.

He clenched… his fists… but…

What could a timid and frail wizard do? He couldn’t beat the prince, couldn’t snatch the cup from his hand, and couldn’t even slam the table in anger. All he could do was clench his fists.

“Ugh… ugh…”

He let out a frustrated groan. Seeing this, the prince seemed to gain a bit of confidence in his act and shamelessly tilted his chin up.

“Your attitude right now is displeasing me. Wizard, why should I endure this interrogation from you? Barging into someone’s bedroom like this—what is this? Even if we’re traveling together, you should know some manners.”

“Ugh… ugh…”

“If you’re going to apologize, I’ll accept it. If not, get out. It’s late, and I’m too tired to wrestle with you any longer.”

“Ugh… Your Highness!”

Too angry to think straight, the wizard finally managed to call out to the prince.

“Don’t lie to me! I know everything.”