Three weeks had now passed since Alicia moved in with me. The tower was sparkling thanks to her hard work, making it a lot more comfortable to live in. I’d also managed to finish building the shelf, even if it ended up a bit crooked.
“Alicia!” I called. “Brew me some tea, please.”
“Right away!”
Alicia brought out the teaware shortly after, then stiffly made the brew.
“Here’s some Bellean tea,” she said once it was done.
“Sorry to say, but you’re wrong. These are Dimble tea leaves.”
“Huh? Oh no… I’m sorry.”
“You have such a good memory. Why do you keep mixing up the blends?”
“To be honest, Your Highness, I can’t bring myself to be interested in tea. It all tastes the same to me, and I never got the opportunity to sit and enjoy it when I was living out there.”
I can see that. She did mention she needed money to live, so I’m sure she couldn’t afford the luxury of choosing her preferred teas and whatnot. Still, she’s serving the future queen here—she needs to learn.
Mind made up, I gave her a light jab with my elbow. “C’mon, now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I just need to introduce you to the wonderful world of tea! Tea can taste completely different depending on the variety. For example… Hmm. Get me all three cans on the second shelf, please.”
“Y-yes, Your Highness.”
I took out tea leaves from the cans she gave me and slowly brewed each one.
“For example, this is Dimble tea,” I said. “Over here is the tea you mixed it up with, the Bellean tea. Try them both.”
Since they were very similar in color, it was difficult to tell them apart by looks alone. However, you could really smell the difference if you brought it closer to your face.
“Hm… Now that you mention it, they are quite different. Bellean tea is a bit milder, maybe?”
“Yup! Okay, take a sip of this next. It’s Wilson tea.”
“Wow, it’s completely different!” Alicia said. “How should I put this…? It has a very delicate flavor!”
“Right? See, there is a lot to learn about tea. And since tea blends are so different, isn’t it natural that preferences can greatly vary from person to person?”
“Well…yes.”
“If you’re here to serve me, you’ll have to learn about tea,” I said with a grin.
Alicia’s face stiffened. She hadn’t flinched when I told her about my mind manipulation magic, yet she was afraid of tea.
“Your Highness, there are too many things for me to learn. I can’t remember them all!”
“Oh, you’ll be fine. With that impeccable memory of yours, I’m sure you’ll remember everything. You’ve got to make good use of it! Now, shall we get started on our language studies? I’ll have you accompany me.”
“Eeeek!”
I grabbed her before she could run away and sat her down to study. Since we didn’t have a teacher, we had no choice but to study by ourselves. Fortunately, the palace regularly sent us textbooks, worksheets, and so on. We even had a system in place where they gave me homework to assess my progress. I simply sent it back to the palace when I finished, and they would grade and return it to me.
When we first started these sessions, I thought, Wow, it’s like taking an online class.
Alicia looked unsteady on her feet after we finished. “Ah, my head feels so heavy… I’m so dizzy!”
As I instructed, she’d been working on language studies. She was currently learning how to read and write. Later, she would move on to proper pronunciation—the sort we’d use around the palace.
“Are you okay? Do you feel sick?” I asked her.
“No, not at all. My head just got so heavy from all the stuff I learned.”
“Oh. Um, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“By the way, Your Highness, could I please ask you a question?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“You mentioned that in this country, the firstborn inherits the throne, regardless of their gender. That means you’re the next ruler. Why is that?”
“I understand… You’re no doubt wondering how someone stuck in a tower is going to be the next queen.”
“N-no, it’s just that when I was reading stories, I noticed that it’s usually boys who take the throne. It’s like that in this book you gave me. This one, too.”
On top of making her learn how to read and write, I also gave Alicia a few storybooks. Unlike Japan, this place did not have any picture books written for children, so I had to give her a dense novel. But Alicia turned out to be a fast learner, and a quick reader to boot. Her pronunciation still needed work, though. Anyway, it was just as she said: all the books I gave her had a king. Not a single one of them featured a queen.
“True, none of our neighboring countries have a ruling queen. Only here can an eldest son or daughter take the throne.”
It was the tacit law of this kingdom. If not for that, I never would’ve had a chance.
“May I ask why that is?”
“Well, I don’t know why other kingdoms can’t have a queen regnant. As for our country, firstborns rule because they’re the only ones capable of inheriting the royal family’s heirloom, the Sacred Swords.”
“The Sacred Swords…?”
“Yep. There are five in total, and each one holds a different meaning: love, wisdom, honor, sincerity, and eternity.”
Panicking, Alicia asked, “Where are they kept?! They must be maintained! This tower is so humid, they’ll rust!”
I giggled. That’s what she’s worried about?
“Don’t worry, I didn’t bring my sword to the tower. The sword is… Hmm, how do I explain this? They dwell inside the ruler’s body.”
“That’s terrible!” she cried. “Doesn’t it hurt?!”
I tilted my head in confusion. “What? Why would it hurt?”
“I mean, to have a sword inside your body!”
Her response cracked me up. It was my fault for giving such a confusing explanation.
“Sorry, that was just a metaphor. Let me rephrase: the sword doesn’t exist physically until it’s called upon by the ruler.”
Though the swords did not typically have physical form, they manifested when the ruling king—or queen—desired it. More accurately, it existed in a different dimension when not in use.
“I don’t really get it,” Alicia said.
“Mm… Yeah, it is hard to understand. I’ve never summoned a sword myself, so I’m not entirely sure how it works. But Father showed me a while back. He made two swords appear out of thin air! I was so shocked. It was like they wanted him to wield them.”
“Only two? Aren’t there five swords?”
“Apparently, the number of swords differs between rulers. They can usually summon two, but people with more mana can summon three. According to the records I’ve seen, only the first king was capable of summoning all five.”
“I see…”
“We got a bit off track there, but to answer your question, I’m next in line for the throne because the power to summon the Sacred Swords is passed down to the firstborn child. After my father, I’m the only one who will be able to do so.”
Because those swords held such tremendous power, they had become revered symbols both within and outside of the kingdom. Their strength unified our nation, and they served as part of our line of defense. That was why I, the sole heir who could summon them, would take the throne.
“I see. It makes sense now,” she said. “I s’pose that’s why it’s so vital that you learn to control your magic!”
“Right you are. That’s also why we’re studying together.”
“Isn’t this less efficient, though? We’re learning completely different things.”
She really is sharp. “Yes, speaking solely in terms of efficiency, it would definitely go faster if I studied alone—but there’s more to it than that.”
“Hm?”
“Since you’re working here, I want you to learn as much as you can through experience and instruction. Knowledge is vital. Even if you don’t need the information now, you might find it useful later on. For example, when you grow up and take on another job. It might seem burdensome at first, but with your memory, it won’t be hard to keep the knowledge with you. If there’s a chance for you to learn, I don’t want you to miss out on it.”
“You’re very kind, Your Highness.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Just…everything you’ve done. I’m a commoner’s child. No one of noble birth would ever try to teach someone like me…and definitely not my own mistress!”
“I told you to stop calling me ‘mistress.’ And, well…you’re the first.”
“The first what?”
“The first person to stay. You didn’t run away from me, not even after hearing about my magic.”
“But that’s because—”
“I know, you’re here to make a living. Still, it’s impressive that you chose to remain here despite the risks.”
“It is?”
“Absolutely. That’s why I wanted to give you something worthy of your bravery.”
I wasn’t lying, but I also wasn’t telling the whole truth. Yes, our lessons would arm her with knowledge. If and when she left the tower, she would be better for it. Frankly, however, I didn’t think of her as my maid. She was my first friend in this world, and she felt a bit like my younger sister. I wanted her to gain as much from this experience as possible.
Not that I could ever tell her all that out loud. It would be far too embarrassing.
She smiled shyly. “Thank you.”
“It’s fine, no need to thank me,” I replied. “I’m sorry to ask this of you since you’re tired, but could you please fetch us some food? I’m sure our meal will taste better than usual because we’ve used so much brainpower.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
As I suspected, dinner that evening was delicious.