Chapter 12

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While this was an entrance into the castle for Shadows, it wasn’t easy once inside either.

 

It was Right Feet that usually went in and out of the castle.

Left Hands protected. Right Feet delivered messages. And so they knew each other well.

 

However, I was an irregular here. I didn’t know what to do.

So…

 

“…Uh, the Shadow signal, maybe.”

 

There was a signal we Shadows of Her Majesty used to determine if someone was a friend or foe.

For instance, if you saw someone at a tavern and wondered if they were a Shadow as well, you could tap your finger on the table.

 

And so I tapped rhythmically on a thin board that was partially inside of the stone wall.

 

–Taptap, taptap, tatatatap, tap, tap, tatatap, tatatatatap, tatatatata.

 

It should vibrate and alert the Shadow on the other side.

 

“…”

 

If I waited, they would unlock the door.

 

“…”

 

Huh? Nothing happened. Were they asleep?

 

“Surely not. This place was supposed to be guarded at all times.”

 

What did this mean? Was there some kind of trouble?

Hmm. I would have to try it once again.

 

And so I hit the board with the same rhythm.

 

It shouldn’t be wrong.

I had practiced many times and memorized it.

 

I waited a little longer, but still, nothing happened.

Just as I was going to try tapping again, I heard the sound of the door being unbarred from the other side.

 

“One…two…three…four…and five. Five of them.”

 

They sounded very heavy.

And this was just the first entrance. How tight was their security?

 

“Name?”

 

The stone door opened. Two older men stood there menacingly.

 

“Leon. Right Hand of Her Majesty the Queen, based in the town of Sol.”

 

“…”

 

“…Uh…?”

 

“…Enter.”

“Yes.”

 

What was with that silence?

Did I do something wrong?

 

After that point, things were similar to when I had last come with my father.

They did a body search in the next room.

 

If you were carrying anything that you shouldn’t, it would be taken away at this point.

 

I was not surprised when they put a magic sealing bracelet on me in the next stone room.

This was required whether you could use magic or not.

 

After that, we walked down a stone hallway as doors closed behind us.

You couldn’t leave even if you wanted to.

 

We said our names at the end of the hallway, and another door was unbarred for us.

 

This repeated twice before we finally started to climb the stairs.

I was getting very tired.

 

They checked me again at the top of the stairs and then put a second sealing bracelet on my other arm.

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Ryusousha ha Shizukani Kurashitai