Book 14: Chapter 36
It took three days to reach the Imperial Palace in the North from the Galadriel Tribe’s second home. Three days was considered fast; however, if you choose to abandon your horse’s life and can stand it, you’d be able to reach the Imperial Palace in the North in a day. The sight of the Imperial City’s walls was already within Nier’s sight, since she set out the day before. Actually, it’d be more accurate to say she saw the massive star at the top of the Imperial Palace.
The sky behind the star was still dark. However, the star above the mountains was already emitting a bright light just as though it was the sun in the darkness. Only the Imperial Palace of the North shone when the entire world was dark. Wherever the King was, there’d be sunlight. The King was the only light in the dark world.
Nier tapped the White Deer King. It raised its head up to look at the star before lowering its head. From the White Deer King’s perspective, it wasn’t that far away, and it wasn’t going at top speed, for the reason that it was accommodating Tanya’s pace. So accordingly, it wasn’t out of the norm. Elizabeth was slightly slow, since she wasn’t riding a White Deer King.
Nier and Tanya went to the city walls. Under normal circumstances, entry into the city was prohibited at night, because the North had yet to completely settle down. The reason for the prohibition was to circumvent vandalism and to protect the King. When she entered through a small door, Nier anxiously asked the guard, “Has His Majesty returned?”
“He has. He came back on the back of a huge fox. He is now resting in the Imperial Palace.”
The guard respectfully extended forth his hand to take the reins of the White Deer King; however, the White Deer King whipped its head, and then grumpily stomped the ground, giving the guard a fright. As a result, he lunged far away as if he was electrocuted. Nier gave the guard a nod, and then ran off to the Imperial Palace without saying anything further.
==============
Lucia curled up and hugged my arm. In a slightly concerned voice, she asked, “Your Highness… Is it okay… for you to do this…?”
Lucia and Nier weren’t the same. Lucia couldn’t stand much with her smaller body. She begged for mercy after just two rounds. I rubbed her small head and, with a smile, said, “It’s all right, Lucia. I can still hang in there for a day or two. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to last a few more days… If there’s still a mana source, I may be able to last another two days.”