Prologue: In a Flash – translated by dahlys

If you could return to the day you met, what would the two of you do?

“Ah! Fate is unfathomable like that. Never would anyone be able to guess that such an ordinary encounter could lead to such an extraordinary future. Although our encounter that day contributed to a resplendent future, I sometimes find myself reminiscing about ordinary days. If time could be rewound, would I choose to step foot into that tavern where we met… Ah, no! Even if that tavern had not existed, we would definitely have met anyway, because our encounter was indispensable fate!”

–Bard

“With my blade, I’ll cut the tavern, destiny, and this bastard in half all at the same time.”

–Red Cloak

Dear Holy King…

Do you remember?

The one defending your back,
What was her name again?

When they first met…

The swordsman bravely swung her dual blades,

And the bard sang about their adventures.

Do you remember?

What was her name again?

Ah! Destiny…

A road filled with blood and danger.

Without any need for oath or pledge,

Do you remember?

What was her name again?

Please marry me…

And the companions scattered apart.

On the throne, the Holy King and Queen.

Do you remember?

She was named the Warrior Queen!

Dear Holy King…
May your radiance always shine upon the Kingdom of Holy Light.

The person wearing a red cloak sat quietly at the bar counter of the tavern, a seat specially meant for lonely people who had no acquaintances. Behind him, a wandering bard was singing the story of the Holy King. His voice was rather good, his tone clear and penetrating. His singing skills were also very good, so good that even Red Cloak, a person who had traveled all over the world, didn’t dare to say that he had heard a voice more beautiful than this bard’s.

However, it was obvious that the travelers in the tavern did not appreciate his singing. It was just one song, so it was fine even if it garnered no applause, but it actually attracted many shushing sounds and glares instead.

“Looks like you chose the wrong song…” muttered Red Cloak in a low and somewhat hoarse voice, making it quite impossible to tell whether the voice belonged to a man or woman.

“Is that so? But this is my favorite song, ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen’!”

Red Cloak didn’t seem the least bit surprised to hear that clear and penetrating voice from behind him. Under his hood, the corners of Red Cloak’s mouth merely turned up a little and he plainly said, “To my knowledge, the ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen’ is not sung like this.”

As if it were only natural, the bard said after sitting down next to Red Cloak, “The one that I sang is the real ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen,’ definitely!”

Smiling, Red Cloak shook his head and softly sang.

The Warrior Queen, that is her title.

And was forever entranced by his greatness and blond hair.

For the man she loved, she brandished her weapon.

As she watched the cleric and the knight’s lovely union.

The Warrior Queen raised her weapons and protected the couple,

Together, the Holy King and Queen ruled their peaceful kingdom.

“My mission has been accomplished.

Thus a beautiful silhouette turned into a shooting star,
And flew into the horizon.

After singing in a low voice, Red Cloak smiled and said, “This is the ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen’ that everyone knows, right?”

Unexpectedly, the bard laughed and said, “Ha! She is indeed a good woman. One can send her to war, and then marry another beautiful wife, and she doesn’t even feel jealous. After one has no more use for her, one can just tell her to scram back to heaven. What a perfect woman indeed!”

Red Cloak was stunned for a moment. He had only intended to make a random comment, so he had not even had a good look at the bard’s face. However, he was now extremely curious about this bard who had dared to say something so outrageous, so he could not help but turn to look at him.

Seeing Red Cloak turn to look at him, the bard also turned and smiled charismatically at Red Cloak.

Red Cloak smiled faintly back at him.

The young man in front of Red Cloak looked just like a typical wandering bard. On his back, he carried a lute, the most common instrument for a bard. A fairly pretty bronze bell hung at his waist. The bard himself had a head of beautiful blond hair, which was carelessly draped over his shoulder, and his bright eyes were as blue as the azure sky. Judging by his youthful face, he was at most only slightly over twenty years of age. Also, he gave off the feeling that he was somewhere between a boy and a man. When he smiled, he seemed like a boy who had yet to mature, but if he became serious, even he would probably give off the feeling of a grown man then.

“You are so weird! Aren’t cloaks usually green or brown, so that you can use it to cover your tracks?” The blond bard looked at Red Cloak curiously. Although the cloak was not bright red but rather a darker shade of red, it would still stand out like a sore thumb in both forests and on grasslands.

“Perhaps it’s because I have no need to cover my tracks,” said Red Cloak plainly, without much explanation.

“Weirdo.” The bard wasn’t really bothered by this, and he simply grinned like a little boy.

After Red Cloak had finished admiring that innocent little boy smile, he did not speak any further. He just lowered his head and began to eat the food on his plate.

“How about treating me to a drink?” said the bard suddenly, although he did not really expect to get what he wanted. After all, every time he sang the “Ballad of the Warrior Queen,” the visitors in the tavern never appreciated it. Never mind throwing him some bronze ducats, if they didn’t chase him out of the tavern, it would already be considered an above average day.

This was because the Holy King and Queen’s excellent reputation was known far and wide, and many loved them. This “Ballad of the Warrior Queen,” with its defamatory nature, was not a song that could be arbitrarily sung. Thus, he only dared to sing it in small taverns located in remote areas. If he actually sang this song in the capital, it wouldn’t be strange even if he were killed, right?

Red Cloak raised his head slightly and asked, “Is ale and a bowl of minced meat noodles okay?”

“I wouldn’t mind an extra bowl of minced meat noodles.” The bard beamed. Today is my lucky day!

“With your voice, if you sang some normal ballads, getting enough food to eat wouldn’t be a problem,” said Red Cloak simply. Although the content of this statement seemed like advice, Red Cloak’s tone made it sound like a simple statement of fact.

“I do sing normal ballads.” The bard blinked, swallowed the minced meat noodles in his mouth, and said resolutely, “However, it is my self-imposed rule to sing the ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen’ for three days after arriving at a city. Only then can I sing normal ballads.”

“If that is the case, then why is getting food to eat a problem?” Red Cloak was extremely puzzled about this. Although he was also curious as to why the bard must first sing the “Ballad of the Warrior Queen” for three days, he did not want to get too close to the bard, so he simply avoided asking about that.

A little embarrassed, the bard twirled a lock of his blond hair around a finger and said, “Well, I haven’t entered a large city in a long time, and it just so happened that I ran out of my favorite rose fragrance hair oil, so I decided to buy a little more of that. I spent all my money buying the hair oil, forgetting that I still had to sing the ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen’ for three days…”

“After starving for three days, I bet that you would even drink hair oil,” replied Red Cloak in an annoyed tone after hearing the bard give such an explanation.

“How about this, if you let me stay with you in your room for three days, and buy me a tankard of ale and a bowl of minced meat noodles a day, I will sing the ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen’ for you every single day, okay?” asked the bard, having made the decision to “freeload off this person for three days even if he got scolded for being shameless.” After all, being called shameless is much better than being hungry enough to drink hair oil!

“Just who wants to listen to the ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen’?” Red Cloak secretly rolled his eyes.

“You!” As if the answer were obvious, the bard said, “If you didn’t like listening to the ‘Ballad of the Warrior Queen,’ would you have treated me to minced meat noodles?”

On hearing this, Red Cloak fell silent.

“How about this then, I’ll sing whatever song you want to hear! Don’t you like listening to my voice?” The bard really didn’t know what he had said wrong, to have caused Red Cloak to become so quiet. Afraid that he would have to drink hair oil for the next three days, the bard had no choice but to change his offer as a last resort.

“Just when have I said that I liked listening to your voice, huh?” Red Cloak secretly rolled his eyes again. This bard seems to have a hobby of “guessing other people’s thoughts.”

Feeling extremely wounded, the bard said, “But not too long ago, you said, ‘With your voice, if you sang some normal ballads, getting enough food to eat wouldn’t be a problem.’ Doesn’t that mean that you like listening to my voice?”

Annoyed, Red Cloak said, “No.”

After speaking, and not wanting to get himself further involved with the bard, Red Cloak left enough money to pay for two people’s food and beverages and turned to leave… when a corner of his cloak was grabbed.

A little angry, Red Cloak turned and was about to make the bard let go, but instead saw him pathetically tugging on his cloak, his large, watery, blue eyes looking like they were about to burst into tears. The bard begged softly, “Please! You really can’t bear to see me become hungry enough to drink hair oil, right? Just take care of me for three days! Pretty please?”

“…”