Chapter 110

Ever since the project to build the new magicology city began in earnest, I had been swamped with work. The first step was to secure the right personnel for our magicology research. Thankfully, Lang had introduced several individuals from the Ministry of the Arcane who were interested in joining us, and Halphys helped me to interview each of them in turn. We were also busy screening the knights who had volunteered to join our new order, though with Baron Cyan’s assistance, that was proceeding smoothly, too. At the same time, I was officially appointed to my new roles. The first was as head of the Magicology Laboratory, a new research institute under the direct control of the crown. The second was as commander of the Magicology Guard, which was affiliated with the new laboratory. In other words, as the Royal Sister, I was simultaneously in charge of both the Magicology Laboratory and the Magicology Guard. What awaits you after assuming a position of leadership? Why, paperwork, of course. And so I was in the detached palace, in a room I had set up to use as an office, collapsed over my desk and sighing with exhaustion. In front of me was a mountain of documents from which I wanted nothing more than to escape. “Why do I have to sign so many forms…?” I muttered with a heavy heart. “This is one part of your duties, Your Highness… Or should I call you Commander Anisphia…?” Navre remarked casually. Now that my position had changed, so had his—Navre was now my official assistant. With his own father being commander of the Royal Guard, he drew on his knowledge and experience to advise me whenever necessary. Incidentally, Baron Cyan had been named lieutenant commander of the Magicology Guard, but he was currently away from the royal capital on a preliminary inspection of the development site. After a polite knock at the door, Halphys stepped into the room with another bundle of papers. “Princess Anisphia? I have some documents for you to review…but you seem busy?” she said with an apologetic smile. “Thank you, Halphys. It’s Commander Anisphia now, but I’ve complained enough, so there’s no need to worry about it.” “Oh, but there is! The details are important!” said Navre. “I know you’re busy, but you have to take care of yourself, Your Highness.” “Hmm. That goes for you, too, Halphys. You seem a bit tired.” “Well, yes. But Marion is helping me out,” she answered happily. Seeing her reaction, I gave her a smile of my own. Amid all these changes, Halphys was undergoing her own transformation. In the past, she wouldn’t have let her enjoyment show so readily. “Married life must be wonderful,” I remarked. At this, Halphys’s face turned bright red, and she averted her gaze as she fiddled with her bangs. “I—I’m sorry to bother you with my private life when you’re so busy yourself…!” “None of us could have seen this coming. There’s nothing to apologize for, Halphys. No, this is on Euphie and me.” “…It did come out of left field, I must admit.” “Tell me about it. I thought Marion was going to marry into your family, but in the end, you married into his.” “Ah-ha-ha…” Yes, Halphys had tied the knot with her fiancé Marion during the initial stages of the planning for the new city. Their wedding was a sudden arrangement and put together in quite a hurry. As a result, Halphys had been constantly on her feet. How did their sudden marriage come about? Because of a family feud in her then fiancé’s home. Originally, the plan had been for Marion to marry into Halphys’s family, the viscomital House of Nebels. However, those arrangements were changed at the behest of Marion’s parents. As a result, Halphys married into the comital Antti family. The reason for this change was that the family of the woman engaged to Marion’s older brother, who had been expected to inherit his family’s titles and holdings, had been brought to ruin. It all began when the head of their noble house committed a grave blunder. “I certainly hadn’t expected it. To think that he would suggest Queen Euphyllia take a royal consort… It’s little wonder he incurred her displeasure.” “I understand wanting to be her partner, but what he said definitely crossed a line.” The noble at the center of this commotion was a strict adherent of the spiritualist faith with deep connections at the Ministry of the Arcane. On top of that, he was on good terms with Count Antti and his family, which was what had led to the engagement in the first place. He was one of those nobles I had clashed with during my more eccentric years, and I knew for a fact that he didn’t like me. No doubt that was because of his beliefs, but in any event, that dislike spurred him into action. In short, he publicly implored Euphie to take a royal consort. “Euphie was already keeping close tabs on him, but with that, his luck well and truly ran out…,” I observed. “Her Majesty was keeping an eye on him? Because of his past disrespectful conduct toward you?” Halphys asked.