Farah and Schwarz’s words were probably the reason why Dia stopped feeling too guilty, but there was no helping the sorrow she felt whenever she looked at the uncovered bodies. Count Nightfall was offering those affected help in the form of food and shelter, but there were some people who were unlucky enough to have never made it out.

The bodies of such people were still being unearthed, even three days after the disaster. It wasn’t just her either; the others had also lost the spring in their step as they neared the town square, which was full of bodies laid out in neat lines. These bodies were covered by blue sheets with three emblazoned moons on them; it was said that the light of the three moons would appease and calm the souls of the vengeful dead.

After all, having died in such a fashion, what could those people be if not vengeful?

The town square, which was also home to centralised medical and administrative services, was crowded by both the living and the dead. The former stood in lines, hoping to gain some form of reimbursement or aid to continue their shattered lives. The latter laid in lines, their family and friends grieving their eternal departure and seeking closure.

Forcing herself to take in a deep breath — which stank of both death and decay — Dia followed the others in forging onwards. She, like Risti, Farah and Schwarz, did not look around more than necessary. Whether they felt pained or not Dia had no idea, but she could tell that they too didn’t want to confront the aftermath of the happenings three nights ago.

Guards posted to keep order stared at Dia and the others as they soldiered on to the Nightfall Palace, which was now in view. Dia herself had never seen it up close, and this was a rare opportunity to observe the place up close.

The Nightfall Palace was a typical castle. Walls connected four towers, creating a medium-sized compound in which a mansion was built in. These towers were manned by soldiers standing around the battlements at their roof, and Dia could faintly see huge ballistae installed there. The mansion, like those towers, were painted with a coat of azure paint, one just pale enough to not seem obtrusive.

Right now, in the backdrop of this disaster made by the Shadows of Grandis, the colour scheme of the Nightfall Palace seemed rather appropriate.

“Alright, we’re almost here,” said Schwarz. “Remember what to say and what not to say. In doubt, let me or Farah handle it.”

His gaze was directed at Dia for some reason, and she bristled inside. However, instead of proving his point by questioning his words, Dia let it slide and nodded along with the others. After all, the bartender didn’t know who she was; a person who had been trained to be a body double wasn’t supposed to know how to approach something as delicate as this.

Schwarz was probably thinking something along those lines when he looked at her. Dia wasn’t quite sure, but for him to be thinking of something this sweeping, it could only mean that he was very much on edge.

Normally, the bartender was a lot more nuanced.

“We shouldn’t linger around the front gates for too long,” said Farah. “His guards are beginning to feel uneasy. Let’s go report our arrival to them, lest they — and their master — get the wrong impression from us.”

After saying those words, she took the lead, Schwarz beside her. Farah, in her Dia disguise, was quite a striking person, and the guards around the gate seemed to wobble slightly as she closed in on them.

“P-purpose?” said one of the guards, who was sporting a helmet that was slightly more embellished than his fellows.

“We’re from the Moon Lords,” Farah replied. “Invited here at the behest of Count Nightfall.”

“Do you have a document to that effect?” the guard asked.

Schwarz reached into his pocket and took out a piece of paper that had been neatly folded. The guard took it with both hands and unfurled it gingerly, and his pupils turned into blurs as he looked through the paper. Seconds later, he folded it back and returned it to Schwarz with both hands, before turning to the others.

“You lot open the gate and then stand guard. I must escort the count’s important guests into the castle. Don’t let anyone pass unless they’re also valued guests,” said the guard.

“Yes, sir!”

Turning to Schwarz and Farah, he dipped his head and said, “Please, follow me. The count is expecting your presence.”

Dia liked how the guard wasn’t the sycophantic type, unlike some of the flattery-prone guards she’d seen guarding the entrances of other nobles. Interestingly enough, the latter kind of guards were most prominent among the unlanded nobles — gentries, knights and baronets liked those kinds of guards the most. It was an observation she had made during her incognito travels around the Lustre Dukedom, which was definitely for official purposes and not to try out snacks and confectionaries.

It did hint at Count Nightfall’s nature and the type of person he was. One’s personality was very much separate from their mana circuits; just because the count was a tri-folder didn’t automatically mean that he was a good person.

“Lords and ladies,” the guard abruptly said, “thank you for saving my liege’s citizens.”

“You know what we did?” Schwarz asked.

“Who doesn’t?” the guard replied. “Everyone knows how the Moon Lords, despite the illegalities surrounding the installation of siege weapons in civilian zones, chose to step up and shoot down the person threatening the lives of everyone in Licencia.”

Dia froze. The assortment of messy, disordered flowers around them — they were in an enormous garden — seemed to mock them for a second or two.

“The…illegalities?” Schwarz asked. His body jerked once or twice, before turning to look at the others in fright. “Right, I forgot about that. It was a tense moment, after all, and we were just thinking about how to help.”

“Ah!” The guard waved his hands frantically. “Don’t get me wrong, my liege has no intention of pursuing this incident! The fact that you chose to expose the siege weapon to save his people has touched Count Nightfall greatly, and he is prepared to thank you the best he can!”

“Well,” Risti murmured at Dia’s side, “this does account for the very excessive reception we got from the count.”

Dia nodded. It didn’t seem like a ploy, if they operated by this logic, but they were making a rather bold assumption that the count was indeed using such a line of thinking. Although it did account for the count’s broad and thorough support of the Moon Lords, such a line of thought was not necessarily exclusive to other reasons too.

More importantly, it was possible that this guard had been placed here precisely to mislead them.

“I see,” said Schwarz. His neutral tone — which, to Dia and the others, implied that he was guarded against the little guard’s words — was reassuring, and she could see the others relax somewhat. From what she heard about the count, Dia knew that he was a crafty one; she, along with the others, didn’t really believe that Count Nightfall was going to be sincere in his dealings with a bunch of one-folders.

Of course, he could very well be sincere too, regarding his citizens, so the general consensus was that they weren’t going to go in with too much of a pre-conceived notion.

Leading them past another set of gates, the guard led them over to a gazebo, where a rectangular table made of rich oak had been set out for them. Drinks and food, each a treat in its own right, were laid out on both sides on the table, with one more set at the end.

The servants that were standing around the table pulled out the chairs in a single coordinated movement, and then retreated ten steps away from the gazebo. Only one of them remained, the one who was standing behind the chair at the head of the table, and she bowed slightly a moment later.

“Members of the Moon Lords, my lord bids you welcome, hospitality and safe passage.” Her dark red hair fluttered in the windless afternoon as she spoke, her eyes a pool of placid darkness. “Count Nightfall will be arriving soon. Some…unpleasant matters pertaining to the battle a few days ago have tied him up.”

Was that a hint? Dia didn’t quite know, and judging from the looks the others were sporting, neither did they.

“No matter,” Schwarz eventually replied. “It is our honour to be here in the first place. And Count Nightfall is a busy person. For him to be late is very natural.”

That reply elicited a little smile from the woman.

“Your words are very kind, Sir Schwarz.” A voice came from above. As it echoed into the surroundings, a subtle pressure began to weigh down on Dia’s shoulders.

A seemingly young man, clad in a cloak and uniform that seemed to be cut out from the twilight sky, took the seat at the head of the table. His lips twitched as he looked at Dia and Risti, but he didn’t comment on how they looked very much like a certain princess.

“Welcome, Moon Lords, to my Nightfall Palace.” Count Nightfall smiled. “Shall we dig in?”