And so a couple of days passed...
Saigo dissolved into the dusty roads on his way to Sen-Baz. Linsi, meanwhile, bathing in the rays of his impending triumph, was already at the very gates of the capital. And Akino... endured. He endured hunger, thirst, anger, and humiliation, trudging along a dusty road, but he was used to it.
…
"He's coming! He's coming!" The cry of a guard from the watchtower pierced the morning din, echoing off the stones.
A crowd? No. A horde. No, even more a living sea of human bodies flooded the streets. They sat in trees, crowded on rooftops, thronged on balconies, pressed against the guards' barricades. Everyone longed to see the Hero in the flesh.
And he did not keep them waiting.
At the head of a caravan so rich and long that ballads could be written about it alone, rode Linsi.
In armor shining like a second sun. He sat importantly on a snow-white stallion, waving his hand like a proper triumphator of antiquity.
The crowd applauded, roared with delight. And when the head was revealed giant, terrifying, mounted on a special platform the delight exploded into deafening ovations.
The guards and watchmen, barely holding back the human tide, saluted. Everything exactly as in his sweet dreams.
He rode like this through the entire city, almost suffocating from the stuffiness of pious wishes and the abundance of flower petals that insistently clogged the openings of his armor.
And here it was the palace. Long marble steps. An impeccable line of guards in ceremonial armor on either side. And She — Empress Katarina the Fire Phoenix, standing at the top, like the living embodiment of his triumph, the prize he had earned with blood... well, someone else's blood.
Katarina looked at her future husband with a mixture of deep embarrassment and suppressed disgust. Over a couple of days, she had almost come to terms with the thought: "Well... this man... he killed the monster." But when he appeared before her in all his gilded, obese, self-satisfied glory, a wave of nausea almost turned her inside out.
And this even considering he hadn't removed his helmet! What was going on underneath it? She was afraid to even imagine.
"My beloved Empress!" Linsi's voice, amplified by magic or simply euphoria, boomed across the square. He dismounted with all the grace he could muster and fell to one knee at the foot of the stairs. "I have come to ask for your hand! And as a gift from my devoted heart accept these humble offerings!" He gestured broadly at the caravan, bursting with treasures.
The crowd fell silent and waited, holding its breath. Every heart beat in unison, like a drum.
Katarina slowly, as if forcing herself, began to descend the steps. The long train of her dress trailed behind her, like the train of persistent doubts.
She approached the kneeling fat man closely. Her fingers in thin gloves sharply grabbed his chin, forcing him to raise his head. Their eyes met.
"Linsi von Altshtadt, I..." she began, but her voice trembled.
"STOOOOPPP!"
A cry drawn-out, piercing, like the moan of a wounded seagull tore through the air, drowning out the fanfares and the murmur of the crowd. All heads shot upward.
On the roof of the building opposite the palace gates stood a young man in torn clothes, stained with soot and blood. His face was scratched, with a feverish gleam in his eyes. Akino in person.
How did he get here? It was simple.
Another day of wandering had passed after he woke up in the cave ruins. When he emerged into the light, a ringing emptiness reigned at the entrance.
In the nearest village, he was told the wondrous news: the dragon was killed by Linsi, and he was about to ask for Katarina's hand. His Katarina! The mug of water in his hand shattered into pieces at that moment.
Trading his sword for the first horse he found (without asking permission), he raced to the capital like a madman and arrived just in time, a couple of hours before the "hero."
"To the watch? To the guard? Never! They are pathetic worms, bought by that bastard! He bought everyone! Bought the killer, and bought them too!" he repeated in the nearest tavern, waiting for the moment. And here it was! Linsi, under the guard of four guards, approaching the Empress!
Linsi jumped to his feet, his helmet clattering off his head. A sagging cheek, piggy eyes, greasy sweat on his forehead—Katarina almost had a stroke from the sight. Her face contorted into a grimace of pure disgust.
"What did you want to say, young man?" she asked Akino, and a faint but living thread of hope sounded in her voice.
"He's lying!" Akino screamed, pointing a finger at Linsi. "He didn't kill the dragon!"
"What nonsense?!" Linsi roared, turning purple. "Remove this mad charlatan! He's delirious!"
But the Empress sharply gestured, stopping the guards who had moved toward the roof. Her gaze was fixed on Akino.
"Continue!"
"I... Baron Akino!" the young man shouted, straightening to his full height. "I also went into the cave! And at the moment of my triumph, when I had almost defeated the monster, a man of this... this man's!" the finger stabbed at Linsi again "plunged a knife into my back! I fell! Lost consciousness! And it... wasn't him! The real killer is another! This fat bastard is a thief and a coward!"
"What is he raving about?!" Linsi screamed hysterically. "The ravings of a fevered mind! Remove him!"
"Coward!!!"
"Look who's talking, scoundrel?! You who came with a whole squad and still botched the fight miserably! I'll"
"STOP!" Katarina roared. Her voice, amplified by magic or simply inhuman fury, thundered across the square.
A wave of pure, crushing will forced everyone present—from the guards to the gawkers on the distant balconiesto reflexively crouch or recoil. Even Linsi and Akino fell silent, stunned by her power.
The Empress stood, breathing heavily, her eyes burning with cold fire. She pointed her finger alternately at Linsi and Akino:
"Both of theminto custody! Immediately! Until this... situation is fully clarified!" She held a dramatic pause, looking primarily at Linsi. "The engagement is off. For now!"
Then, without another word, she turned sharply, so that her train flew up like the tail of an angered cat, and stomping her heel, she proudly retreated into the depths of the palace. Her departure was more eloquent than any words.
The guards exchanged glances, shrugging in unison. With Akino, of course, they didn't stand on ceremonythey just grabbed him by the elbows, ignoring his purple face and hoarse protests. They didn't even touch Linsi; he walked confidently by himself.
And this whole "friendly" company the false hero, the half-mad baron, and their escort moved inside the palace to sort things out. The truth was just beginning to emerge, and it promised to be far more terrible and dirty than any dragon's head.
…