Chapter 105

The Kingdom of Palettia was presently in the middle of a great transformation. For the dissemination of the fruits of my magicology research, we would require a much larger volume of spirit resources than the realm had access to until now. As such, it would have been unthinkable to let Viscount Persimmon’s rich and untapped territory continue to fall into decay. On top of that, the viscount himself was of reputable character, and I wanted to believe in his commitment and dedication. Because of all this, I allowed myself to settle in my present position and take on Charnée as my attendant. Given her unfailing work ethic, I considered myself fortunate. “The first item on your agenda today, Your Highness, is a consultation with Lady Tilty just before noon,” she explained. “Ah, right. An examination…,” I said with a sigh. “Yes. Then, as per usual, you will meet everyone in the laboratory this afternoon.” “I suppose we ought to get moving, then. Could you ask the staff to prepare lunch for Tilty as well? She’ll want to take part in the afternoon meeting.” “Understood. I’ll let them know!” Talking with Charnée had a peculiar way of lifting my spirits. She was grateful to us, of course, but I think Ilia’s recommendation came more from her good-natured personality. “I’ll have to keep working hard, too,” I whispered. Yes, it was the start of a new day. “How are you feeling, Anis?” “Good, good. I’m in great health!” “I see. That’s a shame.” “Hey, come on, now!” Shortly after breakfast, Tilty arrived at the detached palace, came into my room, and said terrible things by way of greeting. Really, the years hadn’t changed her one little bit, and her eccentricities stood out even stronger now that I was spending more time with decent people like Charnée. “I’m glad to hear you aren’t having any problems…but that poses a problem for me,” Tilty continued. “It’s no fun observing someone who never changes… In fact, it’s disconcerting.” “You can just say it. I’m boring now,” I shot back. “That’s certainly the word for it. So no obvious, impossible-to-ignore changes? Maybe something like a royal princess morphing into a dragon?” “I told you, I’m still human! All I did was absorb the dragon’s powers!” I said half-jokingly. “…I am seriously worried about that, you know?” Tilty responded with a stern look. She was right; now wasn’t the time for jokes. As gruff as Tilty was, I was in the wrong here, so I apologized. “It’s been a full year since that vampire incident with Lilana,” she continued, “but you’re still humanlike. Sure, I know you can change your nails into claws and your teeth into fangs, but you’re sure you can’t grow a tail or wings or anything else?” “What am I supposed to make of that question from someone who just said she’s worried about me?” “It was merely a question.” “What do you want me to be, Tilty?” I asked. “I don’t want you to be anything. I’m just concerned, seeing as I’m looking at someone who didn’t turn into a vampire after a bite. Is that normal?” That incident resulted from a magic user who transformed himself into a monster with the help of taboo powers, thus becoming the very first vampire in the distant past. Given the overwhelming ferocity of vampires, they were thought to have been eradicated long ago. Unknown to history, though, some had survived the attempts to wipe them out, and they covertly grew in number while masquerading as a neighboring country shrouded in secrecy. During that time, they continued their pursuit of the fundamental truth underlying all magic—and plotted revenge against the Kingdom of Palettia for casting them out. Eventually, the birth of an irregular vampire, the worst possible heretic, was the beginning of the end for their kind. That girl—Lilana—sealed the fate of all vampires. She was an exceptional vampire, and Lilana concluded that her mission was to create an eternal world by assimilating all life and bringing it under her control. …I can still remember her face like it was yesterday. Even a year later, I often looked back on our encounter. After all, she had been the living embodiment of what I very well might have become—a monster unable to share her ideals with anyone, fixated on her belief that magic was a wonderful gift, pursuing that goal with no regard for who she hurt in the process. We understood each other so well—yet in the end, we couldn’t see eye to eye. She was a monster in every sense of the word, yet she possessed a humanity not too different from mine. I couldn’t possibly forget her. During our fraught battle, I had fully absorbed the dragon’s powers in an effort to counter the hold of the strongest of all vampires. As a result, the dragon magicite had coalesced inside my body, turning me into a being that was both human and dragon. Tilty was monitoring me carefully so as not to overlook even the most minute of changes, but if you asked me, this was more a hobby than a job to her. “It’s been quiet this past year, and I’ve been good. No doubt that’s why not much has changed,” I pointed out. “But that doesn’t mean there have been zero changes, no?” Tilty answered. “Well, some of these circumstances were of the vampire kind, so at least Lainie’s records came in handy.” “The difference is I don’t just want magical energy—I want magicite, too. Maybe that means my body is more akin to a monster’s now?” After all, monsters preyed on each other to absorb their magicite and grow in strength and power. The same impulse had started to feel almost instinctive for me. It wasn’t like I couldn’t control it, but if I suppressed it for too long, I would be struck by a gnawing hunger. On top of that, the urge to use my dragon magic through my Impressed Seal was likewise growing stronger. It was unsettling, if I was being perfectly honest with myself. “If we assume that vampire magicite causes vampiric changes to the human body, then it would stand to reason that dragon magicite would trigger dragon-like changes, no?” Tilty pointed out. “Isn’t that the difference?” “And it means I’m having to rely on our ether drug again…” “Aren’t you glad it didn’t get shelved?” “But Euphie doesn’t like it when she catches me drinking it!” The ether drug was supposed to be unnecessary after applying the Impressed Seal to my back, but since it was made from crushed magicite, I was taking it to quell my urges. Basically, I was using it as a stabilizer. But the original effect had been potent, and Euphie still gave me an extremely grumpy scowl each time I took it… “It isn’t as dangerous as it used to be, though,” Tilty pointed out. “Exactly.” I nodded. “The other effects aren’t as bad if I take a weaker version to focus on reducing my impulses.” “In that sense, the fact that there aren’t any significant changes may be a sign of good health. But if you do feel anything out of the ordinary, make sure you tell me right away, okay?” “I think Euphie would tell you before I got the chance…” “Oh…? She’s become very protective ever since that encounter of yours, hasn’t she?” Tilty murmured, sounding almost disappointed. I breathed a quiet sigh. “Things have calmed down a lot, but she would have fallen apart if I had made a wrong move back then. I can see why she’s like this now…” During my fight with Lilana, I had almost turned into a vampire myself. I was able to resist it, maintaining my sense of self by drawing on the dragon magicite, but if things had gone wrong, I probably wouldn’t be here today. There wasn’t just myself to consider, either. Euphie had been confronted with the possibility that I might disappear forever, and that fear had been simply unbearable for her. Even in the aftermath of the encounter with Lilana, she had been restless for the longest time, constantly having nightmares and going through bouts of emotional instability whenever I left her side. “She acts so perfect that I often forget, but Euphyllia is a bit younger than I am,” Tilty remarked. “I never wanted to worry her, you know…,” I pointed out. “First dragons, then vampires… I, for one, don’t want to see any more of such dangerous monsters. Either one could have been a national disaster. I’m grateful the past year has been so uneventful.” “Yeah, it really has been peaceful. Especially compared to the one before that…” “The world didn’t stop turning while you were recuperating, Anis,” Tilty noted. “Prince Algard, for instance, was awarded his own barony.” At the mention of my brother, I felt conflicted. Just thinking about him was enough to fill me with joy and regret and a whole range of emotions. “…Everyone thinks Allie was granted his title as a pardon, a way of throwing him a bone after ordering him to develop the frontier. But in truth, it’s because we need him to deal with the aftermath of those vampires…” “Well, the threat they posed to the kingdom is still being kept under wraps.” Indeed, very few individuals knew the truth about Lilana and her vampire clan. The knights and adventurers who had fought together against them should have been awarded medals and commendations, but as the situation was being withheld from the public, that wasn’t possible, either. Instead, Allie had been awarded his own barony, while the knights and adventurers had been welcomed as his new vassals. With their unique knowledge and experience facing vampires, they and Allie had quietly been assigned the task of investigating and developing the kingdom’s border regions. If they proved themselves worthy, there were plans to issue them other awards down the road. “If Allie can develop the frontier into a self-sustaining territory, we could use it as a base to scout out and protect any surviving vampires and demi-humans. It would be the perfect place for keeping those secrets hidden.” “Even if you plan to go public at some point, now isn’t the right moment… Algard must be having a hard time of it, no?” Tilty commented. “He said he’s used to drawing the short end of the stick, but I think he was being sarcastic. Then again, if not for everything that happened, he wouldn’t have his vassals and holdings. I’m not worried, though, seeing as he has Acryl by his side.” “Ah, the Lycant girl. Do you think he’ll marry her someday?” “It’d be a relief if he did.” I chuckled, imagining a bright future for the both of them. I, too, had joined the ranks of nonhuman outcasts, so I couldn’t help but wonder about where their relationship was leading. “If things go well, you mean?” Tilty added. “Because the frontier is just as harsh as it’s ever been.” “That’s true… They have lots of plants and animals there, so they don’t need to worry about food or anything, but you need more than that to live on.” “Supplying the frontier is no easy task, I take it?” “I’ve been thinking if we could make the Airbikes a bit bigger, we might be able to transport supplies by air. But I don’t think we’re quite there yet…” “Speaking of which, those large-scale repair works should be getting underway soon, no? The city is falling apart. They have to do something to shore it up.” “Right, right. All under the guise of preserving historical culture.” “But…we know the real goal, yes?” “…Yeah.” I couldn’t hold back a wry smile. “I always wanted to build an institute for studying magicology even before this plan came up… But it was rejected. I’m sure you know why.” “The Ministry of the Arcane raised objections, yes? Do they still tremble at the mere sight of you?” Tilty joked. “You make it sound like I’m some terrible monster.” Tilty responded with a dismissive snort. “Are you not?” I gritted my teeth in annoyance, but it was certainly true that my relationship with the Ministry of the Arcane was somewhat fraught. “I’m fine with the new plan, you know?” I pointed out. “I think it’s a good thing to keep the royal capital the way it is for the sake of cultural preservation. Which is why I’m not pushing for a magicology institute here anymore.” “How tame of you… You’ve become remarkably diplomatic.” “Why don’t you just say I’ve grown up?!” For years, I had been at odds with the Ministry of the Arcane, but the organization had undergone an internal reorganization during my period of rest and recuperation, and now we had successfully made a new start. We still clashed due to differences in thought and opinion sometimes, but unlike before, we were able to hear each other out and engage in cordial discussion even when we disagreed. Euphie was on my side, but as queen, it was also her job to unify the nobility, so there were times when she asked me to be patient for a while in the interests of the kingdom as a whole. Given how antagonistic the ministry had been until just recently, I didn’t want to have to wait too long, but at least I didn’t feel like they were trying to take advantage of me anymore. Or maybe they were just wary about provoking me too much…? “But are you really okay with it? You say you’re on decent terms with the ministry, but you can’t deny it looks like an effort to drive you out of the capital.” Tilty narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “It’s fine. Euphie approved of the plan, and it’s necessary, all things considered,” I answered without hesitation. I had lain low this past year, but that didn’t mean affairs weren’t moving forward behind the scenes. Although, even I was taken aback when I first heard this proposal. Tilty breathed a deep sigh as she brushed her hair back with a wave. “…I never thought they would actually build an entirely new city to research and promote magicology.”