Outside the carriage window, the countryside passed by like a slow-moving river. The change was so slow, however, that I soon found myself at the end of my rope. “I’m bored…,” I muttered under my breath. “There’s still a while before our next rest stop,” Priscilla answered mechanically. “I know, I know.” Yes, I understood full well that we weren’t going to stop again anytime soon, but hearing her say that out loud only made me feel even worse. “U-um… What would you like to talk about?” Charnée asked, no doubt trying to be considerate. She was acting almost like an adorable little animal, so I decided to go along with her, hoping that it might liven the air a little. “All right, then, let’s ask about each other. I already know you fairly well, Charnée, after our stay at your family’s estate, but I don’t know a whole lot about you, Priscilla.” “You want to talk about me?” she asked. “We’ve never really spoken about personal things, have we?” Well, given Priscilla’s single-minded devotion to Euphie, it was difficult to get too close to her. I was curious why she admired Euphie so much. “Very well…” She nodded slowly. “Where should I begin?” “What about your background? What’s life like in the Socerror family?” “We’re an ordinary viscount-level family based in the west of the kingdom. We’re neither particularly outstanding nor in danger of decline. We’re simply dull. There isn’t much else to say.” “O-oh…?” She was being awfully harsh. Did Priscilla dislike her family, perhaps? The next moment, she gave me a smile—a grim, frightening kind of smile. “I know what you’re thinking. I’m just not particularly attached to my family. I don’t dislike them, per se.” “Don’t go reading my mind…” “You’re very easy to read, Your Highness. Subtle communication isn’t your strong suit.” “Ugh. I know that. I don’t need you pointing it out to me.” No, I wasn’t particularly adept at the subtleties of polite communication—nor at socializing more generally. So much as I could help it, I would prefer to avoid it altogether. “Let’s get back to the main topic,” Priscilla suggested. “My family has somewhat unique circumstances, you might say.” “I think every noble family has their own problems…” “It’s my fervent hope that my biological father suffers a horrible death.” “Where did that come from?! And you said you didn’t hate them?!” This Priscilla was nothing if not unpredictable! But while I gave her a stern glare, she kept on going as if nothing had happened. “Indeed. As for my father, Queen Euphyllia removed him as head of my family. He fully deserved it. I despise him so much I wish I could tell him he got his just deserts,” she said without a moment’s hesitation. “Whoa, that’s some animosity…” Her demeanor was so calm it only made her more frightening. A cold whirlwind seemed to have filled the carriage, with Priscilla at its center. “U-um… What happened between you and him…?” Charnée asked nervously. Priscilla let out a small breath. Turning to stare out the window, she muttered, “I’m an illegitimate child.” “Ah… I—I didn’t know.” “It’s true. He got my mother pregnant and saw to my education, but he never showed any real interest in me. He wouldn’t even recognize me as his own while I served the family as a maid. I’m sick and tired of him.” All I could do was let out a low groan. Charnée, meanwhile, was paralyzed with shock. Sadly, there were more than a few nobles in the same boat. I hadn’t known Priscilla was the victim of such misfortune. It was partly because of cases like this that Euphie had devoted so much effort into enforcing strict discipline among the aristocracy. Allowing behavior like that to slide would only widen the rift between the nobility and the common folk. “Fortunately, my half brother is the new family head and a decent man. Not only did he take the reins of my family from that man I hesitate to call my father, he guaranteed my position as a young lady of noble birth.” “I see… I’m glad your brother is a good person, at least.” “Yes, I have no complaints there. But my father never once looked me in the eye. He kept me locked up out of fear of causing a scandal and paid no notice whatsoever to the fact that I was serving the family as a maid. Compared to him, my brother is decent enough.” “…To be honest, your father sounds like a scumbag,” I said softly. “I’m pleased to see we’re in agreement.” I wasn’t sure if it was because I had learned from my parents’ mistakes or if it was just my natural predisposition, but hearing about Priscilla’s circumstances only reinforced how grateful I was to have her on my side. She seemed very cold while talking about her father, but when the conversation turned to her brother, she gave off a slightly warmer air. “Huh? But in that case, why did you sign up as a maid at the detached palace?” Charnée asked, tilting her head to one side. “My brother wanted to officially recognize me as his sister, but after everything that happened, I was more interested in dedicating myself to Queen Euphyllia than in living as a noblewoman.” “So that’s why you adore Euphie so much…” In essence, Priscilla regarded Euphie as her savior. No wonder she was so loyal… “My mother was of common blood, and hers was a hard life. I admire you, too, Princess Anisphia, for all the work you’ve done trying to improve the lot of everyday people.” “Are you just saying that to cheer me up?” “In terms of beauty and devotion, Queen Euphyllia is indeed one step ahead. But if she is to have a favorable impression of me, it’s important that I earn your favor, too, Your Highness. Which is why I want to serve you with all my heart. Please keep me by your side.” “…How am I supposed to respond to that?” What exactly was I supposed to say when she sat there openly saying she preferred Euphie over me and was getting along with me only to get on Euphie’s good side?! Was it Priscilla’s peculiar upbringing that had lent her such a dubious character? I was kind of curious to see what her supposedly normal brother was like… “I know it’s shameful of me, failing to hide my true intentions for seeking to gain your trust.” “You should have listed your openness as one of your special talents…” “I’m honored!” “That wasn’t a compliment…” Priscilla’s attitude, I hadn’t failed to notice, was a lot like Ilia’s—and like with Ilia, I was at a loss for how to respond to her. I didn’t sense any malice in her, and so long as I overlooked her comments, she was an extremely capable secretary. But when it came to that strong personality of hers, all I could do was breathe a tired sigh. “May I ask you a question of my own?” Priscilla said next. “Me?” “Yes. I would appreciate any guidance you could give on how to meet Queen Euphyllia’s expectations.” “…Euphie likes people who take their jobs seriously.” “Then as my first step toward serving Her Majesty, I shall support you wholeheartedly.” “Oh, okay… Good luck, I guess?” “Do you have any questions for Her Highness, Charnée?” Priscilla asked. “Eeep! M-me?! N-not really…!” “That won’t do. You won’t win Princess Anisphia’s heart with such a modest attitude. She may seem approachable, but she keeps high walls around her emotions, so you need to work to gradually lower her guard through casual opportunities like this.” “Hey. You don’t discuss your strategy for attacking someone when they can hear you.” “Ugh… I slipped up…!” “You’re not acting like you slipped up…” “…Pfft! Ha-ha-ha! You’re so weird, Priscilla!” Unable to help herself any longer, Charnée burst out laughing. Priscilla’s eyes warmed at this—and when her gaze met mine, she raised a finger to her lips and winked. Maybe she was trying to help relieve Charnée’s anxieties. She had a strange way of showing she cared, but Priscilla was attentive to those around her in her own way. Before I knew it, I was smiling, too. Yes, I could see why Ilia had chosen them both to accompany me. When we returned to the capital, I would have to give her a sign of my appreciation. At any rate, this lively chat had helped to relieve the tedium of our long carriage ride. “Hmm… We’re here!” After finally arriving at the planned site for the new city, I moved to stretch my stiff body. “Watch your manners, Your Highness,” Priscilla cautioned me. “We’ve been cooped up in here for so long! I’m aching all over. Come on, let me stretch a little.” “I’m afraid there are people around.” “…Fine, fine. I know,” I said vaguely, gazing out at the ongoing construction efforts. The planned construction site was on a gentle hill located next to a wide river. With the help of our magic users, the walls were rapidly taking shape, formed by piles of neatly stacked rocks. “All right! I’m going to pull up the earthen wall, so step back, everyone!” someone called. A mud wall began to bulge up, slowly taking form like a piece of massive clay. That mound was meant as the foundation and would soon be covered in stone. While watching the workers carrying out their tasks, I called out to Navre, who was standing nearby at the head of our escort. “Navre! That’s the advance group of knights, right?” “It is. I believe they’ve divided into groups, one working to erect the houses and walls, another guarding the perimeter, and another thinning out nearby monster hordes.” “I’m surprised the walls have come so far so quickly.” “The knights who received the strongest recommendations from their ministry instructors were sent out first. If anyone needed proof we can achieve considerable results in a short period of time with the help of magic, this is it.” “I’ll have to thank Lang when we’re back in the capital.” I was confident in my own knowledge of magic, but when it came to its practical application, I was no match for the Ministry of the Arcane. All the more so if I had to educate others on its usage. There had been some doubt back in the capital over the use of magic in construction, but once we reported our progress here, no doubt those voices would sing a different tune. While I relished this feeling of accomplishment, a new figure started walking our way—Baron Cyan in his knight uniform. “You’ve had a long journey, Commander Anisphia,” he said in greeting. “We’ve been awaiting your arrival.” “Baron Cyan… I mean, Lieutenant Commander Dragus. Thank you for overseeing everything here.” We welcomed one another with formal knight bows, then broke out into laughter. Clearly neither of us was used to these fancy titles and positions we had found ourselves saddled with. “Frankly, my title seems too much. I don’t feel I’ve earned the privilege…” “That goes for both of us. We’ll just have to get used to these fancy titles. Anyway, let’s get right to it. I want to check the situation on-site, if we could.” “You should get some rest first. Our scouts will be back by sunset, so we can discuss specifics after dinner. Let me show you to our base of operations.” With that, my second-in-command led us to a rugged fort. The interior was bleak, not at all like what I was expecting from the outside, but it was more than adequate for a fort in a settlement just starting out. After briefly inspecting the building, we arrived at a room somewhat larger than those in other forts I had visited in the past. “These will be your chambers, Commander Anisphia,” Dragus said. “They may not be entirely suitable to your royal station, but it’s the best we could muster at short notice…” “We’ve only just started construction, so you won’t hear any complaints from me. Besides, I’m not here as royalty. I want you all to treat me as one of your own.” “Very well. Nonetheless, you are our leader. We’ll treat you with all the respect that position warrants,” he said with a wry grin. I responded with a wave of my hand in silent agreement. “If you need anything, please let me know. I’ll have someone come and get you when it’s time for dinner.” “Thank you, Lieutenant Commander,” I answered. With one final bow, Dragus turned to leave. After watching him go, I turned my attention to Priscilla and Charnée, who hadn’t left my side since our arrival. “All right. I suppose we should start by organizing the luggage, huh?” “Indeed,” Priscilla answered. “We can’t expect luxury in a pioneer settlement, but we still need to make this room suitable for the Royal Sister.” “So long as it keeps the wind and rain off, I don’t need much, you know?” “As Lieutenant Commander Dragus said, you must be afforded treatment commensurate with your status, Your Highness. Otherwise, you would set a poor example for those below you.” “Ngh. Enough nitpicking. I get it…” “I’m glad you understand. Let’s get started, Charnée.” “Of course!” Charnée answered enthusiastically as the two started organizing my belongings. Just when we had finished unpacking, we received word that dinner was ready, and so we made our way to the dining hall. Dragus had arrived ahead of us. No sooner did I set foot in the room than a servant pulled out a chair for me. “Thank you for waiting. It might not be much, but I hope you enjoy it,” Dragus said. “I don’t mind. So long as there’s meat, I’m happy.” “Well, there’s no shortage of monsters around these parts.” The meal was a distinctive shade of brown—meaning there was meat, and lots of it. Even the soup was loaded with it. This was a meal to fill the stomachs of knights constantly having to rely on physical strength. “Is this monster meat?” I asked. “Yes. No matter how many we hunt, there’s no end to them. There isn’t a dull day round these parts.” “That sounds problematic. Is it affecting construction? Have there been any issues?” “Nothing major. The knights are giving it their all. They were very enthusiastic about today’s meal, seeing as you would be joining us.” “Ah. I had better savor it, then,” I said. I was grateful for the knights’ generosity. First came the meal, then tea—and finally, our discussion. “So, Dragus, exactly how is construction coming along?” “Smoothly, I’m happy to say. As I mentioned earlier, there have been no major problems. That being said, we’re doing a lot of firsts here, so we could run into issues down the road. It’s difficult to predict.” “Well, we won’t run into difficulties without experimenting a little. Tell me about the projects that have already begun.” “As you wish.” Next, Dragus proceeded to provide a detailed progress report on the pioneering work. Given the high frequency of monster attacks, the knights had been divided into teams to patrol the area and thin out the local monster hordes. The meat we had been served with today’s dinner was simply a by-product of such efforts. Fortunately, the magic users assisting with the construction work were highly motivated, and efforts were proceeding ahead of schedule. Morale was high, and the site itself was in good order, Dragus reported calmly. As far as I was concerned, there could be no better proof that everyone’s efforts were bearing fruit. “With the help of magical tools, each individual knight can do more on the battlefield than ever before, and should we suffer any serious injuries, we can quickly ferry the wounded to nearby villages via Airbike,” Dragus remarked. “That’s a relief. It’s easier to survive any injury when it’s treated quickly.” I nodded. “Indeed. We also have the magic users assisting with construction to help if we come under attack. I think it’s safe to say we’re very well prepared.” “I’m relieved to hear things are going smoothly. We had better not get complacent, though. I’d like to hear any concerns you have, even minor ones.” “Well…if there’s one thing on my mind, it would have to be how our knights risk exhaustion. Long hours of work could affect their combat readiness.” “That’s true…” While no time was being wasted erecting the walls with the help of magic, our proximity to the river meant that the risk of coming under attack from monsters remained uncomfortably high. So long as the knights remained on constant alert, they would inevitably tire. The site still wasn’t safe, and the fort was incomplete, so it was natural for Dragus to be concerned. “I believe the situation will improve once the foundations are firmly in place. As you noted, Your Highness, complacency can soon give way to outright carelessness if the work is too easy.” “As the authority here, I’d like to remain focused. But so long as there isn’t any trouble, we also need to recognize our successes and not overwork ourselves. Right?” “Indeed. Be constantly prepared, but not to the point it clouds your judgment.” “Once the work is properly underway, I’d like to make sure we have more entertainment and recreation options available,” Navre remarked. “You can say that again. I don’t have anything against eating meat, but it would be nice to have something else every once in a while…,” Garkie added. “It’s better than not having anything to eat, but we don’t want people getting tired of eating the same thing all the time…” Charnée nodded. She must have felt quite strongly about that last point, seeing as she had suffered through various food shortages in the past. “I wish we could invite a trading company to help get our inventory stocked, but then there’s the question of transportation,” I noted. “In that case, we should work in tandem with a local adventurers guild.” “Oh, you mean to protect the merchants? I guess that would also help stimulate the local economy.” “I’ll compile a report on the surrounding villages and towns so you can work on a more detailed plan,” Priscilla suggested. “Thank you.” “You have an excellent secretary, Commander,” Dragus said. “I myself find paperwork to be a huge chore. I wish I could find an assistant like yours.” “I’d like to work on cultivating new talent, if I can.” “Yes, let’s make this city somewhere they can live with peace of mind,” he added with a chuckle. And so our conversation continued late into the evening. The morning after our arrival, we set out immediately to conduct an on-site inspection. “Starting today, we’ll all be focusing on the development work! Let’s do our best!” I called out to the others. “Yes!” Charnée replied wholeheartedly. “Got it!” Garkie added in a somewhat less formal manner. Navre and Priscilla, meanwhile, remained perfectly composed. The contrast with the other two created a somewhat strange atmosphere. “Charnée, Priscilla, you’ll both be with me as my escorts and help if I need any secretarial work done.” “Right!” “You can count on us.” “Navre, Garkie—your main job is to serve as my bodyguards. Navre, you may need to consult with Lieutenant Commander Dragus on things, so you can go talk to him when you have to.” “As you wish.” “Garkie, I want you to spend some time with the other knights and workers to see how they’re all doing. Poke around and find out what the general attitude is and if there are any problems we should know about. They might not feel comfortable expressing complaints while I’m around. If anything comes up, report back to me.” “Understood!” “Then let’s get going! Time to move out!” Thus we began our tour of the development site. The carpenters and magic users, on noticing my presence, responded with cheerful greetings. “Good morning, Princess Anisphia!” “Morning!” I called back. “How’s it all coming along?” The workers called back with cheer. “Flawlessly! Using magic, we’re making quick progress! We’ll have this city finished in no time!” “I never dreamed I’d have the honor to work on something like this! I’ll give it everything I’ve got, I promise you that!” “Don’t push yourselves too hard, though, okay?” We continued through the site, watching as more earthen walls were pulled out of the ground through magic to serve as the foundations for the perimeter wall and individual residences. “It’s an incredible sight…,” Charnée whispered under her breath. “It sure is… So why do I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach?” Navre looked around restlessly. I peered into his face. “Are you still worried about relying on magic for construction?” “Yes, but it’s more a question of familiarity. I’m sure I’ll get used to it in time.” “Precisely,” Priscilla interjected. “You were brought up as a proper nobleman, Navre. My family, on the other hand, always treated me as a nuisance. I had to work as a maid—and I always used magic to help me do the laundry.” “You used magic to wash clothes?!” “Thanks to that, my hands are as beautiful as ever,” she said expressionlessly, wiggling her fingers. Her face, her words, and her tone of voice were completely at odds. “Ah, I see… You do have nice hands…” Navre sounded discouraged. “On the frontier, we used to solve problems with magic, too,” Garkie added. “Maintaining one’s dignity is important as a noble, but you do need to spare a thought for the creature comforts…,” Charnée observed. That was the finishing blow, and Navre cast his eyes to the ground. “…Hearing stories like yours makes me realize how blessed I’ve been…” “Depending on their particular skills, adventurers who can use magic have been treated as simple jacks-of-all-trades. I guess the deciding factor is ultimately your environment and situation,” I remarked. “I wouldn’t know what to do with too much freedom…” “Indeed. We can rely on the instructors from the Ministry of the Arcane to provide an education, so we need to think about what it really means to be a magic user and promote new ideas.” Magic was useful, but we couldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that it was the right answer for every issue—or worse, abuse it. If people started believing that magic was everything, they would end up repeating the same tragedies that had taken place in the kingdom’s history. We certainly didn’t want to see any new factions emerge that felt they had the right to use magic however they pleased. Magic was a reflection of people’s desires and wishes—which was why it was absolutely necessary for us to forge a society in which it wasn’t used for evil. “Maybe one day cities built with magic will be perfectly normal… I think that would be my wish…,” I whispered. “Did you say something, Lady Anis?” Garkie asked. “Ahem. No, nothing,” I said, brushing his question aside before proceeding to our next location. We were heading for the knights’ quarters, set aside for off-duty knights to catch some time away from work. That being said, we had informed them in advance that I would be dropping by, so they were all lined up to welcome me. “Commander Anisphia!” “Good work, everyone. How is the work going? If any issues come up, feel free to talk to me about them. Even small ones.” “No major problems here! We’ve come under a few monster attacks, but they’ve been decreasing in frequency since we started thinning out their numbers.” “Would you say they’ve attacked you frequently?” “Well… We encounter them often enough, but so far they haven’t formed any large groups, and we haven’t come across any particularly strong ones. You might say some of us are a little disappointed.” “You didn’t have any trouble subduing them?” “Not with the magical tools you provided for us, Commander!” “Yes, we’re not scared of monsters anymore!” The knights were in high spirits, clamoring over each other to show off their strength and bravery. I couldn’t have been any happier to see how much my inventions were improving people’s lives and well-being. “That sounds great. You don’t have any concerns after using them?” “Well… Ever since I started using magical tools, I’ve become more aware of the limits of my own mana.” “And it isn’t easy wielding them as well as you do, Commander.” “Magical energy and the difficulty operating them… Those would vary from person to person, I suppose…,” I murmured. I could manipulate the shape of a Mana Blade at will, but I knew that most people found it much more difficult than I did. But even so, that was a difficult problem to resolve. Ultimately, the individual in question would simply have to work hard to master the weapon. “I think we need more practice to truly understand these magical tools.” “We train with them, but there’s no substitute for actual combat experience. Some of the men ran out of magical energy in the heat of battle and couldn’t keep their Mana Blades working.” “…I see. That would be a problem…” “Without magical energy, Mana Blades aren’t all that useful.” “In the end, it’s your skill with a sword that matters!” As the knights bantered among themselves, I sank deep into thought—the Mana Blade was one of my most adopted and reliable inventions. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat the dragon, nor would the Arc-en-Ciel or the Celestial have ever been born. But it didn’t work perfectly for everyone, and while those issues might’ve seemed trivial at first, that didn’t mean they would never lead to fatalities. “…Now that I know it’s a problem, there’s got to be something I can do about it…,” I murmured so softly that no one could overhear. I made up my mind to find a solution.
Chapter 114
22 min read