Prologue

// Heimdallr, The Vermillion Capital | July 7, S. 1205//

Olivert Reise Arnor watched as water poured down on the capital as if heaven's crying was a terrible omen. His normally carefree smile was nowhere to be found on his countenance; a grim expression had taken its place. Something was wrong, yet the prince didn't know what it was. His gut, his instincts, and his heart were all telling him that trouble was coming.

He was no fool, but he wasn't certain what move his enemies would make, what Osborne would make today. How will he proceed today? What will he do, or who will he interact with? Those took up the majority of his concerns.

How troublesome, he sighed. There were already a few concerns plaguing his mind, not even including the Chancellor, but he supposed he could put them in the backseat for now. He needed to deal with the uncomfortable feeling stirring in his stomach for now.

The Debaucherous Prince needed to relax.

He glanced over his shoulder as the eyes of his most trusted companion met his.

"I would like to go to Etoile for a drink, my dear Mueller. Would you like to accompany me on this rainy afternoon?" Olivert offered with a playful smile.

His bodyguard lifted a brow with his arms crossed. "You don't need to go to a cafe, Olivier. If you want a drink, just tell me what you want, and I will ask someone to take care of it."

"It's not just a cafe. It is one where the music strums my heartstrings! And I believe they have Amber Amour in their selection of music as well." The prince smiled brightly. "I must go to relax my soul and mind!"

"You seriously won't reconsider, despite the weather?" Mueller sighed when Olivert simply widened his smile. There was no use persuading him. "Fine. It's better to agree and watch over you than let you wander the capital on your own."

"I knew you'd come around!"

"Whatever... I have you know what happens if you dare try to roam free."

Letting out a carefree chuckle, Olivert ignored his best friend's stern glare and switched from his prince attire to something he was more comfortable with: his wandering bard getup!

As he adjusted his collar, he turned to the Vander, who changed out of his Imperial Army uniform and wore his usual bodyguard outfit with sunglasses.

"I'm all set."

"And as am I."

"Then let us be off!"

With haste, the pair left Valflame Palace together. Per the Debaucherous Prince's request, the two went to Alto Street without using any orbal vehicles. Despite the heavy rain cast upon the Vermillion Capital, the blonde-haired bard wanted to walk.

Mueller obviously disapproved of walking outside in such harsh weather conditions. But as the man's closest friend, he couldn't shoot down his idea to walk to the area, especially when the usually cheerful and carefree prince looked troubled.

Eventually, the two arrived at their destination.

The wind chimes rang as Olivier opened the door to the cafe. A smile graced the young bard's face, his favorite tune playing through the stereo.

Amber Amour.

Olivier hummed the melody of the song to himself before subconsciously taking out his lute, his nerves slowly easing into a state of relaxation. His peaceful humming, however, gathered the attention of everyone in the cafe. A few folks gasped in recognization, prompting Mueller to put a finger on his lips, requesting them to stay silent about the bard's identity. Of course, they complied.

As the blonde finished his little performance, applause erupted from the audience of customers. Olivier heartily laughed and bowed with grace.

"I'm pleasantly surprised to see this charming cafe filled with customers. I must say that I didn't expect there to be a lot considering the weather."

"The majority of them must live around here. And it's most likely because having a warm drink in this rain sounds appealing." Mueller opined as he scanned for a free table. "It doesn't look like there are any free tables left."

"Ah, I don't mind sitting in front of the counter. There are two seats just waiting to be sat upon!"

Mueller shook his head and sighed as the bard sat down on one of the stools. The Vander took the seat between the prince and another customer.

The elderly cafe owner, Heming, gave them a welcoming smile. "What would you two like to have today?"

"I'll have the Darjeeling tea, please," Olivier ordered. "Oh, and I'd like to add some Madeleines as well."

"Of course. And you, sir?" He turned to Mueller.

"A cup of black coffee will suffice. Thank you."

Nodding, Heming started to work on their order as the blonde-haired bard, heaved a soft sigh.

This was just what he needed. The atmosphere, the scent of freshly brewed tea and coffee, and the lovely songs being played. They all helped the prince relax his nerves and worried mind to a certain degree.

"Thank you for that lovely performance. I never expected to hear a live lute performance of Amber Amour on my first visit to the Vermillion Capital." A voice coming from Mueller's right commented.

The voice belonged to a young man with unkempt steel-grey hair and piercing emerald eyes. The man wore a black vest over a white collared shirt paired with a black fedora on his head. His lower half was covered by grey slacks and loafers. His air of grace and elegance could peg him as a noble.

"Don't judge a book by its cover" is right. Olivier wasn't sure whether he was a noble or not, but he was certain of one thing.

He had an aura of a musician!

The blonde-haired bard chuckled and shot him a smile. "You flatter me, friend. Are you not from the Empire, by any chance?"

"That is correct. I've been traveling around Zemuria for some time now, and I just arrived in the Empire this week. I'm what some might call a drifter of sorts." The stranger replied.

Mueller quirked a brow, intrigued but on guard. "I see. You're not one to stay in one place, huh?"

"Yes. Despite my occupation... I'm earning enough to travel around the continent through musical performances."

Olivier perked up as he mentally pumped a fist. He was right! And this young man sounded like a wandering bard himself!

"Oh? What kind of instrument do you play?"

The grey-haired man smiled. "I play the piano and violin. And if I may be honest without sounding arrogant, I'm very skilled at them."

"That's wonderful! We should get together and play a piece sometime!" Olivier suggested with a cheerful laugh, much to Mueller's annoyance as he sighed.

"Olivier..."

The major in disguise glared at his best friend. Don't bother a guy you just met...

"Urk..."

The young man in a fedora chuckled. He elegantly picked up his black tea and downed its remains. "If I'm around the area, why not, Sir...?"

The blonde bard brightened as he offered a hand to his fellow musician. "I am Olivier Lenheim, the wandering bard. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance!" Olivier then gestured towards Mueller with his head. "And the man beside you is my dearest companion and somewhat of my bodyguard."

He nodded and took the offered hand, giving it a firm handshake. "Tristan. Tristan Salieri. The pleasure is all mine."

"It's nice to know the name of another wandering bard! I hope we get to play music together when the opportunity arises!"

"I'd like that very much."

As Olivier and Mueller's order arrived, the two musicians conversed with each other for a good while about music before the steel-grey-haired man stood up from his seat, putting down the payment for his drink.

"Your black tea was fantastic, Master Heming. I'll be sure to stop by again when I get the chance."

"Thank you. And you're very much welcome to come again." Heming bowed at Tristan as he waved it off.

"You're going already?" Olivier asked with a slight disappointment in his tone.

A shame. He wanted to talk more about ballads and poetry with the young man. It was rare for the prince to find and talk to someone who shared his intense passion for those subjects.

Tristan flashed an apologetic smile as he rubbed his neck. "Yes. I have some business to take care of."

The blonde nodded in understanding, smiling. "I see. Very well. I hope to see you around the capital then, Tristan."

"Likewise."

The young man gave both Olivier and Mueller a nod before heading for the door. As Tristan left the cafe, the bard heard the echoey voice of the very same person who just left the establishment.

(Oh, and before I forget, I suggest you return to the palace posthaste if you want to prevent misfortune to come to your brother.)

Olivier's eyes grew wide as physically possible as he shot up from his seat, startling Mueller.

"W-What's wrong, Olivier?"

"Mueller. We must return home, at once."

Sensing the graveness in the prince's tone, the Vander narrowed his eyes and nodded. He slammed the payment for their snack on the counter as the two left the Etoile in a hurry, leaving behind perplexed customers.

Olivier looked around for the grey-haired musician but to no avail. He left just a few minutes ago, yet he was already gone! That man wasn't an ordinary drifter...

Gritting his teeth, Olivier sprinted to Dreichels Plaza as fast as his legs could go.

"H-Hey! What's seriously going on, Olivier?!" Mueller questioned, easily catching up to his friend.

"I'm not exactly sure either, Mueller. But we need to hurry before something happens to Cedric!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"I'll explain everything later! For now, let's make haste!"

"Agh... Fine!"

<--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

After gaining approval for a visit, Giliath Osborne made his way to the crowned prince's room. It was finally time. The vile darkness that plagued the man continued to order him to "influence" Cedric Reise Arnor to accept his new role in his story. It was an unnecessary reminder since he already planned on doing it.

He walked through the hallway, his imposing figure unsettling the servants that passed by him. Even when a smile was on his face, he still unnerved those around him.

The Blood and Iron Chancellor arrived in front of Prince Cedric's room, knocking on the doorframe.

"Your Highness? This is Chancellor Osborne. I've come to pay you a visit."

"O-Oh! Please, come in!"

With a soft grunt, the chancellor opened the door, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

"Good afternoon, Chancellor Osborne. I appreciate you visiting my younger brother considering the weather."

Smiling, Olivert Reise Arnor sat on a chair beside the bedridden crowned prince, his Imperial bodyguard standing beside him.

Osborne narrowed his eyes. Why did the Debacherous Prince return so soon? He calculated that it would have at least been out of the palace for an hour. Another thing that was odd was the gaze Olivert had. It was as if the prince was expecting his visit.

No, it was more like he was expecting some tragedy to occur. Well, he isn't exactly wrong.

His lips curled into a thin smile. Whether it was intentional or not, Osborne had to admit that his timing was perfect.

"Yes. I came to see how Prince Cedric is doing." He said, turning his attention to the crowned prince. "How are you feeling, Your Highness?"

"I'm still feeling a little weak and fatigued, but I'm slowly starting to regain my strength." The younger prince laughed sheepishly as he scratched his cheek.

"That is good to hear."

"Do you have something important to discuss with Cedric, Chancellor?" Olivier asked with his never-fading smile. "If so, I'll take my leave. Mueller will, however, remain by my brother's side as his bodyguard for today due to my request to Father."

"Oliveeeert, Chancellor Osborne's just paying me a visit!" Cedric whined" I don't need a bodyguard! N-No offense, Major Vander!" He quickly added as Mueller chuckled.

"None taken, Your Highness."

The chancellor's lips twitched for a moment. Well played, Olivert. He doesn't know if it was planned, but he made certain that his brother wasn't left alone with him. How intriguing.

"No. I just merely came back to check Prince Cedric's health conditions. I'm not one to spoil brotherly bonding." The Blood and Iron Chancellor chuckled, closing his eyes as Cedric's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I'm glad to know that you're steadily recovering, Your Highness. I will be taking my leave now."

Putting a hand to his chest, the chancellor bowed to the royals before departing from the room.

As Olivert watched his departing figure exit the room, he sighed inwardly.

'I don't know how you knew of this, but I feel like I avoided giving my brother a cruel fate thanks to your warning, Tristan.' The older prince mentally gave the musician his thanks.

He soon turned to his brother, who was sulking with his arms crossed.

"I don't need a bodyguard right now, okay? It's not like I'm going to be leaving my room."

"Yes, yes, I know. Mueller staying with you the whole time is merely a jest."

"Then—"

"But Mueller will still come by to check on you from time to time today."

"Bah..."

The Vander huffed in amusement at the two brothers' antics. Olivert let out a cheerful laugh as he ruffled his brother's hair.

"Get lots of rest, okay, Cedric? You need to recover all your strength. You want to start training so you can attend Thors as soon as you can, right?"

"O-Of course!"

Nodding in approval, Olivert got up and patted his brother's shoulder, soon taking his leave after wishing him a swift recovery.

"To make things less awkward for you, I will be standing in front of your room. If you need something, do not hesitate to call out my name, Your Highness." Mueller stated.

"T-Thank you! I appreciate your consideration." Cedric smiled sheepishly as the man nodded before leaving the room as well.

Cedric sighed and leaned against his bedframe, closing his eyes. He hadn't talked that much with Olivert for a while, but he enjoyed it. Talking for a certain length of time left the boy feeling exhausted, though.

He knew the older prince was busy with his own things, so he didn't want to bother him. Still, he was glad to have casual and lighthearted conversations with his older brother.

"It seems like Prince Olivert managed to drive away the pest."

"H-Huh?!"

Cedric's eyes snapped open as he saw a man wearing a fedora in front of his bed, his back facing him.

"W-Where did you come from? Who are you?!" Cedric exclaimed before he noticed something odd. 'W-Why isn't Mueller coming in?! I'm pretty sure I'm screaming right now!"

"Scream or yell as much as you want. I put up a barrier that blocks out all sounds coming from this room." The man explained as he turned around to face the prince. Emerald optics stared down at aquamarine. "As for me, you can call me the friendly neighborhood magus."

"A-A mag-what...?"

"Don't need to ingrain it to your memory. You will not be remembering much of this encounter. I'm just here to take precautions because of my orders."

The fedora-wearing man held out a hand as a grey magic circle appeared before his palm.

"W-Wha...?"

"Now, sleep well. You will never be bothered by that vile shadow any longer."

Cedric saw the man's lips move to say something he could not comprehend. Suddenly, light flashed before his eyes as a wave of sleepiness came crashing down on him, eyelids gradually becoming heavy.

"W-What... did... you... do... zzzz..."

The boy's head fell onto his pillow as he was sent off to dreamland with a smile on his face. The fedora-wearing man stretched as he pulled out an ARCUS unit.

"Now that that's taken care of, I should probably call her about that offer."

The young man dialed in a number before bringing his orbment close to his ear.

Bzzzzz...

Bzzzzz...

CLICK

<Salieri. I was wondering when you would call back.>

"My apologies, Aurelia. I had some urgent matters to take care of."

<I assume that since you're calling me, you have dealt with it?>

"For the time being." The man shrugged with a chuckle. "I think you know why I called, right?"

<Of course... So, will you accept my offer in becoming an instructor?>