Prologue - The Prince from the Skies

Spring 1, 1612

Xiao Pai has never been the most remarkable person in Selphia. She is clumsy and careless, and things always seem to go exactly how she doesn't want them to. On the night of Spring 1, Xiao Pai reflects on the previous year, which had gone on record as one of her more embarrassing years. The hotel her family runs, Bell Hotel, had seen a record low customers that year, dropping sales considerably. Combine that with her clumsiness and poor luck causing the destruction of a record number of plates, decorations, and other equipment, and she and her mother were suffering from such tight straits it's honestly a miracle Lin Fa didn't outright fire her daughter.

Xiao Pai's pondering leaves her awake at night, thinking of ways to not embarrass herself in the new year. Volkanon's two servants had just gotten married to each other last year, yet Xiao Pai could find no potential suitors amongst the townspeople of Selphia, much to her remorse. If anything, she at least hopes to recuperate the poor sales the hotel was suffering from throughout 1611 in this new year. After pondering what the new year has in store for her, Xiao Pai gets in her bed and starts to drift to sleep.

Suddenly, a loud thud shakes the town from the central castle and wakes our unlikely hero up. Surprised to hear such a noise, Xiao Pai gets up and quickly glances at her clock. 22 hundred hours. Still somewhat early into the night, but at this point, most people would be fast asleep. Worried about what she heard, she heads over to the castle, going in from the entrance like a proper townsperson. Curiously, no one else seems to be awake in spite of the noise earlier.

In the main room, Xiao Pai sees Selphia's patron saint, Divine Wind Dragon Ventuswill, conversing with a young man in white clothes and brown boots. Oddly, Ventuswill is acting very startled and erratic, a stark contrast from her usual formal and prideful presentation.

("Oh no… Could this guy be an intruder!? Ventuswill could be in trouble! I have to save her!") Xiao Pai thinks. She considers grabbing her axe to fend off the intruder, but realizes to her dismay that she left her weapon in her storage trunk. In spite of this, though, she blindly rushes in to intercept the young man, only for a white haired older man to rush in to check on the situation. The two of them end up bumping into each other to Ventuswill and the enigmatic man's surprise.

Though Xiao Pai winds up dizzy for a short while, the old man miraculously parries her entrance none the worse for wear. He immediately gets in contact with Ventuswill, apparently not realizing another villager is currently in her chambers.

"What in the world was that noise I just heard!?" he bombastically asks.

Taking note of the unknown man near the dragon, the older man shouts in surprise. "Egads!? Who is this knave!?" He assumes a battle stance, not wanting to take any risks with this supposed intruder.

("Huh, it seems I wasn't the only one who heard that crash after all. Looks like Volkanon had the same impression I did, yes?") Xiao Pai thinks to herself.

"Wait, Volkanon. We are talking right now," interrupts Ventuswill, back to her more regal state.

"Yes, Ma'am…" Volkanon says, dropping his guard and taking a step back.

"So, who are you?" Ventuswill asks the mystery man.

"Well…" he ponders. After thinking for a bit, he finally gives his response.

"…Lest, I think… Born Autumn 26, 1593…"

("Oh? It seems this man is younger than me…?") Xiao Pai wonders, surprised at the traveler's age.

Lest's response did not seem to fully please Ventuswill, however. "You mustn't give me a vague, noncommittal answer. Say it clearly."

"Well…um…that's the best I can do, I'm afraid," Lest replies. "I can't remember anything else besides my own name…"

("Ha! I knew it! It seems he's just wanting to win pity points now, yes!? No matter, I'll stop him before he is able to-") goes through Xiao Pai's mind, but her thought process is cut off by Volkanon's booming voice.

"Oh my!" he shouts.

"…I see honesty in your eyes," Ventuswill remarks. "But amnesia…!"

Volkanon reciprocates Ventuswill's trust. "I'm so sorry for your loss!" he shouts as rushes over to bear hug Lest. "You must be very confused, losing your memory like this! But rest assured! I-I'll always be on your side!" Volkanon reassures, bursting out his trademark tears in the process.

Lest feels rather discomforted from Volkanon's hug, however, and after realizing this, the old butler lets go of the mysterious man.

After this, Volkanon and Ventuswill start discussing something, likely what to do with Lest. In the meantime, Lest looks around the room and notices Xiao Pai standing around in front of the others. Curious as to who this girl is, Lest goes over to talk to her. "Oh, and who might you be?" he asks Xiao Pai. This finally catches the attention of Ventuswill and Volkanon, who had mysteriously neglected her until then.

"Ah! Xiao Pai! What are you doing here!?" Ventuswill shouts in surprise. "You should know you have no right to enter this chamber unpermitted!"

"Eep! I'm sorry!" Xiao Pai gasps. "I-I just heard the loud crash and worried you were being attacked, yes…?" she explains.

"Is that so? While I appreciate your concern, you need not worry about me, young girl. I have Volkanon with me to protect myself should the worst happen to me," Ventuswill tells her.

"Indeed, young lass. That was rather reckless of you, trying to fend off something you had no knowledge of," Volkanon adds on, albeit hypocritically.

"It seems I am understanding…" Xiao Pai responds back.

"In any case, you should head back home to your mother. I imagine she must be worried about you if she isn't fast asleep right now," Ventuswill advises.

"Alright, I will," Xiao Pai says.

"Oh, before you go!" Lest speaks up, curious about something.

"What is it you are wanting, yes?" Xiao Pai asks.

"Could I have your name, please?" Lest asks the girl.

"My name… is Xiao Pai," she responds.

"Xiao Pai… Thank you. I'll remember you," Lest says.

With that, Xiao Pai makes her way back to Bell Hotel to catch up on her lost sleep. Though she trips once on her way back, she does not hurt herself too badly, and otherwise makes her way back unharmed. Lin Fa is fast asleep, so she doesn't seem to have noticed her daughter's trip to the palace. With her encounter with the mysterious man behind her, Xiao Pai ponders what other events the new year has in store for her as she drifts away into slumber.

Spring 2, 1612

Xiao Pai wakes up at 6 in the morning and begins her day as normal. There are still four hours before Bell Hotel is supposed to open, but Xiao Pai makes sure to get it prepared for the day, hoping not to break any plates along the way. Around an hour later, Lin Fa asks her daughter to speak for a bit over a walk to Porcoline's Kitchen to the east.

"I heard you entered the castle unpermitted last night," Lin Fa says, concerned about what happened.

"I-I have apologies, mother…" Xiao Pai says. She explains what had happened last night about the amnesiac man, and how Volkanon and Ventuswill were surprised by her presence.

"I actually heard a bit about our mystery figure myself earlier today," Lin Fa notes.

"It appears he had fallen from the sky after being attacked by some rebels and landed on Ventuswill's back when he landed in the castle. The poor guy also seems to be suffering from amnesia… I only hope he'll be alright."

"Oh my! He fell from an airship!?" Xiao Pai spoke in surprise. ("It seems that was the sound I had heard last night, yes?") she thinks to herself.

"That he did. I hear this town will be accepting him as our new prince. I hope Arthur will be up to the task." Lin Fa says.

("Arthur?") Xiao Pai questioned. ("Strange… It seems I thought that man had said his name was Lest, yes…? Where did mom obtain 'Arthur' from? And what is this about becoming a prince? Is it really safe to entrust that role to someone who just showed up like this last night…?")

Eventually, the two finish their meals and speak with Porcoline about some orders for the hotel's customers. The local chef, Porcoline De Sainte-Coquille, has just prepared some meals for the current guests and is speaking with Lin Fa and her daughter to get the entrees delivered. Though Lin Fa ended up asking for more meals than she needed, Porcoline's gluttony led him to eat most of the food he prepared, balancing the order to the correct amount. These sort of lucky accidents are something Xiao Pai envies about her mother. While Lin Fa also finds herself in sticky situations, on top of being embarrassingly forgetful, her misgivings always seem to work out in the end. Lin Fa's serene appearance and cute accidents have made her rather popular with the townspeople, leading to Xiao Pai getting overshadowed and feeling a sense of loneliness. Disregarding that for now, though, Lin Fa and her daughter accompany Porcoline back to Bell Hotel to get the orders squared away.

On their way back to Bell Hotel, the innkeepers and Porcoline run into the mystery prince again. Recognizing Lest, Xiao Pai runs over to greet him, with her mother and Porcoline following her.

"Oh! You're that girl from last night!" Lest remarks. "Xiao Pai, was it?"

"I heard you and my daughter have already met. Do you two know each other, Arthur?" Lin Fa asks the newly elected prince.

"Ooooh! Are you the new prince of this town, young man?" Porcoline enthusiastically asks. "You are quite the gorgeous looker, if I do say so myself!"

"Well, my name is Lest, for starters. I was going around town to see if any of you recognized me from before," Lest responds.

"Oh, yeah. It seems you have lost your memories… You poor thing…" Xiao Pai notes.

"Yes, that I have. Do any of you have any clues on who I might be?" Lest asks.

"I'm sorry, young man. If you're not Arthur, then I don't have any info on who you might be," Lin Fa sadly tells Lest.

"I know who you are! You are a brand new customer at my magnificent kitchen! Together, you and I will share many meals and delicacies together in our culinary quest! Will you accept my gracious offer?" says Porcoline in a much more optimistic tone.

"Err… Thanks, but that doesn't answer my question…" Lest retorts. "How about you, Xiao Pai? Do you have any leads on me?"

"Sorry, no…" Xiao Pai responds. "Aside from… being in that mess last night, I do not have anything on what you once were. I am admitting, I had thought you were a burglar at first when I saw you…"

"Oh… Did you now…?" Lest asks.

"Oh! I'm sorry if I hurt you! It seems I may not have wanted to say that…" Xiao Pai quickly apologizes.

"No no, that was a fair assumption. I'll admit, I'm surprised you all trust me so much with this title, considering I just came here," Lest says. "Anyways, if you don't have anything that could help me, I'll go speak with the other townspeople then. Thanks for trying at least." With that, Lest walks past the three to go examine the rest of Selphia.

("Lest…") Xiao Pai ponders. ("If there's any way I can help him, I'll do what I can.")

A couple of hours later, back at the hotel, Volkanon arrives to speak with Xiao Pai.

"Greetings, miss. Lady Ventuswill has requested an audience with you," the butler tells her.

Xiao Pai initially doesn't react much to Volkanon's message, but after a moment of silence, she reels back in shock at the gravity of the situation.

"Huh? Ventuswill wants to speak with me!?" she reacts.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble, young lass. She just wants to talk with you to clarify some things regarding last night," Volkanon clarifies.

"O-Oh, I am understanding. I will go talk with her about what she wishes to discuss, yes?" Xiao Pai says. She heads over to the castle grounds, again coming in from the front gate. Despite Volkanon's reassurance that everything is going to be alright, Xiao Pai is still nervous about what she is going to hear. Shaken, she enters the castle to greet the Divine Wind Dragon.

"Greetings, Xiao Pai. If you are worried about what occurred yesterday, you have nothing to fear. I merely wish to speak to you about what is going on with Prince Lest," Ventuswill introduces.

"Okay then. I am giving you my attention, yes?" Xiao Pai responds.

"So, regarding the man from earlier, we had initially assumed he was Prince Arthur D. Lawrence, who had sent an invitation asking to stay at the palace last season," explains the wind dragon.

"Now that you mention it, it seems mother also called the man 'Arthur' earlier today," Xiao Pai comments.

"We told the town that Lest was Prince Arthur, so that's probably where your mother got the mix up from. However, earlier today, the real Prince Arthur had just showed up asking for a room in this castle. Realizing our mistake, we had initially planned to have Lest stay at your hotel, but Arthur insisted that he stay at the castle and take on the prince duties in his place," Ventuswill elaborates. "We do not yet know where Arthur will be staying, but regardless, Lest will be serving as prince of Selphia from now on. His room will be to the right of mine if you wish to visit him."

"Will it be alright, though? I thought I needed permission to enter the castle, yes?' Xiao Pai asks.

"You are welcome to visit the prince if he is alright with inviting you. Given his easy going nature, getting his approval should not be that difficult of a task, so I am sure you will be fine," Ventuswill reassures. "Alternatively, if you do not wish to speak with him directly, there is also a request box just outside the castle where you can mail in tasks for him."

"Thank you, Lady Ventuswill. I will be using this service to the best of my ability. I will be making sure Lest feels welcomed as prince of this town," Xiao Pai says.

"It would seem the fates have decided his course. Rest assured, Lest will not need to worry about anything. He is here because he is meant to be here," Ventuswill declares. "He shall live in this town, and perhaps in doing so, he will find clues leading to his identity."

"I am understanding," Xiao Pai declares. "If there is anything I can do to help, I will."

"Thank you. Your contributions are much appreciated," Ventuswill states. Xiao Pai is about to make her leave, but Ventuswill stops her before she can take a step. "Oh. Before you go, there is one thing I wish to confirm with you…"

"Hm? What are you asking for?" Xiao Pai asks.

"You did not see me acting… strange last night, did you?" Ventuswill nervously asks.

"Strange?" Xiao Pai wonders. She reflects for a moment about last night. "Now that you are thinking about it… You had been acting rather flustered when I first arrived at the castle, yes? Was it from Lest falling on top of your back?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah! That's what it was! I was just surprised at our sudden visitor! That mystery man really must have made me all scared… and… stuff… Hehehe…" Ventuswill blurts out, acting very shaky.

"A-are you being alright, Ventuswill? It seems this isn't what you're usually like, yes?" Xiao Pai asks.

Ventuswill sighs. "Great, another person knows about my true nature…" she utters to herself. Ventuswill then reidirects her attention to Xiao Pai. "Well, if you've also heard the other side of me, I guess I can't do much about it to you either…"

"Erm… Lady Ventuswill?" questions Xiao Pai.

"Please, call me Venti," Ventuswill requests. "At this point, I don't mind if you treat me with respect. That ship has sailed!"

("Is this really what Lady Ventuswill is like? How long has she been acting like this?") Xiao Pai wonders.

"Furthermore, stop speaking so politely. It makes me rather uncomfortable," Venti adds. "Talk to me like we're old friends. All right?"

"Yes, Lady Ventus-" Xiao Pai starts, though Venti glares at her before she can finish.

"Okay, Venti!" Xiao Pai corrects herself.

"Good!" Venti says, back to her more carefree attitude. "Now listen! This is very important! Only you and Lest are aware of this. You must not let anyone else know, alright?"

"About your having carefreeness?" Xiao Pai tries to confirm.

"Yes. I'm not comfortable having people aware that I'm rather… informal by nature," Venti states.

"Oh! It seems you are having it be a se-" Xiao Pai starts.

Ventuswill interrupts her before she can finish again, though. "YOU TELL NOONE. UNDERSTOOD?"

"A-A-Alright, Ventus-Venti…" Xiao Pai sheepishly responds.

"With that, you are dismissed. Thank you for your audience," Ventuswill states, back to her more regal image.

"Alright then. Say, since we're closer now, it seems I can come here whenever I want as well, yes?" asks Xiao Pai.

"Uhh…! Errr… Sure… I guess…" Venti says, all flustered again. "Just… make sure you don't arouse suspicion with the others, okay…?"

"Okay! I'll have carefulness not to attract too much attention!" Xiao Pai enthusiastically boasts. "Oh, I am going to have so much fun wi-"

Venti interrupts Xiao Pai before she can finish, not wanting to risk attracting any more attention. "J-Just go already! Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

With that, Xiao Pai departs from the castle grounds, returning to Bell Hotel to finish up whatever work remains for the day.

What neither of them realize, however, is that yet another individual spied on their conversation, not unlike Xiao Pai's intervention the previous day. Unlike Xiao Pai, however, this man is not here by accident. If anything, his intentions feel very sinister, as if he has a grudge against something or someone.

"So she thinks by being all buddy-buddy with the townspeople, she can win brownie points with them? Ha! What a pathetic ruse!" the man utters to himself. "One day… One day, I'll expose you for the murderer you are! Just you wait, you monster!" Done spying, he leaves the castle grounds to blend back in with the rest of the town.