152. The Princess’s Mob Friend

I was carried into a room and laid down on a bed.

The blood from my nose had dried due to the cold air outside, and someone was in the process of wiping it clean.

I took that as an opportunity to wake up.

“Ugh… where am I…?”

I made a show of looking around everywhere confused.

It was another private room. While the dimensions were the same as the room Zack was using, this room was a lot more modest, containing only necessities and no leisure items.

Clara was beside the bed, and one of her faction men was standing at the door giving me the stink eye.

“I’m so glad you’re alright. You were struck hard so try not to move right away.”

“Huh, aren’t you…”

“Oh pardon me, I’ve yet to introduce myself. Though it’s likely you already know, I’m Clara Oriana.”

“M-my name’s Cid Kageno. I, uh, see you took care of me. My utmost thanks…”

I spoke in a shaky voice as if trying my best not to offend the royalty before me.

“It’s all right. In the first place, you were unluckily caught up between our dispute.”

“No, I—”

That was when the man in front of the door clicked his tongue.

“Lady Clara, I believe you’ve done enough. We have no need to concern ourselves with him any longer.”

“Guin… I understand, but he’s still not able to move with his injuries.”

“He might be a ploy to approach you, milady. We do not have time to deal with such minor things. We have a duty to our people, do we not?”

The guy called Guin was looking at me in contempt.

“You’re not wrong, Guin, but that doesn’t make it fine to ignore someone so injured right in front of me.”

“Please under—”

“Enough. Guin, he doesn’t know anything. And to my eyes, he seems no criminal. Is that not so?”

Clara turned her eyes to me.

“I, yes. I accidentally ran into bodies left in alley by OWL. They said I was suspicious and…”

“If I can’t even help a single injured boy, how could I possibly try to protect my country?”

Clara declared and grasped my hand.

“—By your will. I shall be outside.” Guin said and then left the room.

Before the door was fully closed, he gave me one last mean glare. But if I wasn’t seeing it incorrectly, it wasn’t just at me, but also towards Clara.

Once the door was shut, Clara let out a sigh.

“I apologize. He means well for me, it’s just…”

“No, I’m alright.”

“Everyone’s under a lot pressure. Even I… The one who’s supposed to have this role isn’t even me, but…” Clara spoke glumly.

“Um…”

“Don’t worry about that. It’s really none of your concern after all. You’re, not from Oriana, are you?”

“Th-that’s right. I’m a student from the Midgar Magisword Academy…”

“—Eh? The Magisword Academy? Then, do you perhaps know of my sister?”

Clara turned and faced me curiously.

“Er, yes, I do know Miss Rose. I’ve spoken to her before.”

“You have? Then do you know about the incident where she killed my father?”

“… Yes. I was among the spectators when it happened.”

“Are you sure? Was it really her who did it…?”

“Yes, it was definitely Miss Rose.”

“So it was…”

Clara’s shoulders drooped in defeat.

“Father had been strange for some time before, and I knew that she was looking for the cause. Really, why did it have to end up like this… Everyone is calling her a traitor to the nation now. I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t want to…”

I was somewhat at a loss as to what I should say.

I let out a sigh and decided to just speak what’s on my mind.

“The way I saw it, she had an important reason for doing what she did. I don’t know what that reason was, and I can’t say if you’ll be able to accept it even if you knew her reasons. What I do know is that Miss Rose had done it with the utmost of resolve.”

“Resolve… is that how it looked? Haha, thank you, that made me feel somewhat better. You know, I really loved my sister who could do anything and everything. I looked up to her. So when I heard of the tragedy, I couldn’t, I still wanted to believe in her…”

Clara shook her head side to side, as if driving away the negativity.

“You must’ve gotten along with her well.”

“Well actually, I faced her once in the Senbatsu Tournament during the God of War Festival.”

“You have! What happened?”

“I completely lost.”

“Well, you do look terribly weak.”

Clara said with a mischievous grin.

“Cid, may I call you Cid? You can simply call me Clara as well.”

“That’s kind of…”

“Oh, no need to be shy. In here, I’m a prisoner same as you.”

“Uh, well… then sure. But only when in private, please?”

“Right. If Guin were to find out, I’d never hear the end of it. That aside, tell me more about how my sister was at the Academy.”

And that’s what I did for the next few hours.

This might not seem like the thing a mob should be doing, but not to worry. I can fix it. I am simply one of Miss Rose’s many mob friends and because of that fact, I am a mob who Clara can talk to.