《Misfortunate Reincarnation ~ Otherworldly Orphan Will Rise in the World ~》 Volume 1 - CH extra 1 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles The tiny visitor, who had suddenly appeared at dusk, was in dire need of help. But Giselle was still suspicious at first. There are a lot of pitiful kids in this neighbourhood. There are a lot of cunning kids who steal from people who take pity on them and let them inside. These tattered kids looked just like those cunning kids. ¡°¡­ Do you have money?¡± ¡°I do!¡± The younger sister, who was carrying her much larger older sister, was shaking, and sure enough, Giselle heard the shaking of money, so she knew that it was a real customer and let them in. Giselle wasn¡¯t a cruel person nor was she a money-grubber. She didn¡¯t care that she had to give up her only bed to a kid with a fever, that they didn¡¯t have enough money or that she was mistaken for a man like always. She also felt sorry for the young sisters. Perhaps because of this, the younger sister¡¯s crazy smooth talking made her believe that she should hire them to at least pay for the medicine even though she couldn¡¯t afford to hire anyone. But then they turned out to be a very peculiar pair of siblings. At first, Giselle had planned to only teach them about medicine that sold out fast and lightly educate them to the point where they could easily answer the medicinal effects when asked by customers, but it all started when the younger sister, Aime, started asking a lot of questions in response to her explanations. She asked about the whereabouts to get the raw materials, the environments in which the herbs grew, the parts that were used, the processing method, the blending methods and other details that weren¡¯t necessary for customer service, so Giselle also explained to them about medicines that weren¡¯t popular. She even taught them how to read and write. Perhaps it was pure curiosity and Aime wasn¡¯t aware of it, but Giselle couldn¡¯t help but feel that she was being taken advantage of. The sisters studied hard and quickly learnt about medicine based on the notes, which increased the efficiency of their work as they were able to take on more tasks. Not only that, but they were also able to attract customers in a way that Giselle never could, thus her sales increased day by day and she even got regular customers, so she lost her reason to kick them out. She knew she had fallen into a trap when she became completely accustomed to being called ¡®Gis-nee¡¯. Before she knew it, she found herself taking care of them as if they were her sisters. It was the younger sister, Aime, who had come up with this cunning idea. She was too clever for a kid, and she was annoying since she was twice as calculating. Ridill, on the other hand, is honest and pure, and had a soft aura that took the edge off people. This made Giselle want to forgive them for setting her up. However, there are times when Giselle felt uneasy watching her since Ridill is too careless. She is strangely optimistic for someone who has been through so much. Aime, however, is a reliable person, but Giselle had to be careful since she sometimes went wild because of her curiosity, which was stronger than most people¡¯s. Aime would start dubious experiments if Giselle wasn¡¯t careful. But no matter what Giselle says, she can¡¯t help but love her sisters. She had let them in at the beginning on a whim. She didn¡¯t expect that her encounter with them, which was supposed to be just a way for her to pass time, would become something so deep. She believed that she would never be able to have a family because she looked so different from most women. In addition, she had been kicked out of the palace because of certain circumstances. Life sure was strange. Giselle sipped the alcohol in her cup as she smiled at the innocent facts of her younger sisters as they slept after having prepared for tomorrow¡¯s departure. She didn¡¯t know what the future held, but if she could be a part of their bright futures, even if just for an instant, then it would be a greater honour than receiving a medal from the King. Volume 1 - CH extra 2.1 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles On an ordinary summer day, a year before us sisters left to go to the capital. ¡°Everyone, do you know the language of flowers?¡± Fabian-sensei asked the students. Today¡¯s lesson was on etiquette. The lesson wasn¡¯t only about bowing and mannerism, but also about the culture of nobles. ¡°What nation does that language belong to?¡± When Theo raised his hand and asked this question, Sensei frowned and smiled awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s not a language, Theo.¡± I was impressed that this kingdom also had the language of flowers, but it doesn¡¯t seem widely spread among the common people. No one else in the classroom had heard of the language of flowers and they seemed curious about it. ¡°What about you, Aime? Do you know the language of flowers?¡± Fabian-sensei asked me after he saw the students¡¯ reactions. The attention of the dozens or so students in the classroom, including Rille-nee, who was sitting next to me, was immediately cast on me. Rille-nee and I, who have already mastered most letters and are well advanced in our studies, are often asked last when no one else can answer. It seemed that today was my day. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¡°Can you explain it to everyone?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, the language of flowers is a language associated with a flower and is the meaning of that flower. I don¡¯t know any specific examples though.¡± I could have answered easily if he had asked me about a plant¡¯s medicinal properties or its toxicity, but I haven¡¯t learnt about the language of flowers in this world. ¡°Wonderful. Did you understand that everyone?¡± Fabian-sensei nodded while smiling happily and looked around at the students. Theo, however, was still puzzled. ¡°The meaning of the flower?¡± ¡°Yes. Flowers can be used instead of words to convey feelings. For example, if someone isn¡¯t feeling well, you can send them a flower that means, ¡®I hope you feel better soon¡¯. Choosing a gift that matches the person¡¯s situation and your own feelings is what makes one a respectable lady and gentleman.¡± ¡°But why would this matter if the person doesn¡¯t understand the meaning of what they¡¯ve been sent~?¡± The kid had a point. Well, there probably wasn¡¯t anyone here in this downtown area that understood the language of flowers. Fabion-sensei faltered for a moment, but immediately recovered with a cough. ¡°We are talking about being considerate. You have to make sure that you¡¯re not being disrespectful to the other person.¡± The kids¡¯ reaction to this was ¡®umm¡¯. They weren¡¯t really interested. ¡°It¡¯s interesting that flowers have meanings.¡± Rille-nee, on the other hand, quietly whispered in my ears. ¡°I wonder if herbs also have meanings.¡± ¡°Maybe? Even plants that don¡¯t bear flowers have meanings.¡± At least they did in the world I was in before I was reincarnated. When I found the name of a mushroom in a book on the language of flowers in my previous life, I thought that anything was possible. Mushrooms aren¡¯t even plants after all. They¡¯re a fungus; they¡¯re the same as mould. ¡°Things that don¡¯t have flowers also have a meaning in the language of flowers. How strange~.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really strange.¡± ¡°Sensei~.¡± Suddenly, Leni, who was seated behind me, raised her hand in class. ¡°Are there flowers that are perfect for confessing to a girl you like~?¡± ¡°Yes. Huh? But Leni. Aren¡¯t you a girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sell them to men.¡± Leni smiled boldly. ¡°I believe it¡¯ll sell better if I use those words to sell them.¡± The little merchant has grasped something that the teacher hadn¡¯t planned on teaching them. There aren¡¯t any romantics in this classroom. ¡°I-I see. There are many flowers that represent love.¡± Slightly puzzled by the evil expressions on the students¡¯ faces, Fabian-sensei opened a large book at the front desk. The kids gathered around the book, including me. The book contained sketches of plants, their names, habitats, and their meaning in the language of flowers. He seemed to have just ordered this book in. I¡¯m grateful. ¡°For example, cresium. This flower is often used by the court nobles. In the language of flowers, it means ¡®faithful love¡¯. Faithful love means ¡®I vow my love to you for all eternity¡¯. It¡¯s a rare flower that has small white petals blooming inside its pink petals.¡± The sketch was black and white, so Fabian-sensei added a description of its colours. I¡¯ve never seen this flower around here. ¡°I want one that¡¯s blossoming nearby.¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t turn the page!¡± Theo pushed Leni as she tried to reach out from behind him. These little fights break out between kids sometimes when lots of them are looking at a book together, but this wasn¡¯t a bad thing. It was a sign that everyone was eager to learn, and I think it¡¯s a good thing. ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t fight. Let¡¯s take turns looking at it.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Ignoring the teacher¡¯s words, Leni stopped flipping the page when she turned to the next page. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen this before.¡± ¡°Which one? Ah, sansalem.¡± I stood on my tippy toes and peeked at the page that Leni was pointing to. It was a plant with round, ball-like flowers and thin leaves. I don¡¯t remember anything about this plant. ¡°This flower means ¡®gratitude¡¯. It can be used as a gift for family and friends and is in bloom at this time of the year. If it blooms around here, then why don¡¯t you try giving it to someone?¡± I immediately turned back to look at Rille-nee. She seemed to have been thinking the same thing as me and nodded several times. There was only one person to whom we wanted to give thanks to. I quickly grabbed Leni after the lesson and before we went back to the apothecary. ¡°Say, where did you see that flower?¡± ¡°Hmm~?¡± I pointed at the illustration in the book and asked Leni, who played stupid. ¡°I wonder where I saw it~.¡± I could tell what she wanted from the way she was glancing at me. ¡°Show us where it is tomorrow since the apothecary is closed, and of course, we¡¯re not asking you to do this for free.¡± ¡°I like you because you¡¯re quick.¡± Leni laughed happily. She¡¯s a cunning girl, but well that¡¯s good too. ¡°Why don¡¯t we celebrate while giving her flowers?¡± I suggested this to Rille-nee when we got back to the apothecary. We were sitting by the side of the apothecary on a spread-out cloth and steadily peeling the shells of pistachio-like nuts that were used in cold medicine. Gis-nee was inside. ¡°It¡¯s been nearly six years since we¡¯ve started living here, hasn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s have a party to thank Gis-nee.¡± It was a pretty half-hearted idea for celebrating our six years here, but there was nothing wrong with having a party. Rille-nee was very supportive of the idea. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. Gis-nee has done a lot for us.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll make her favourite dish. Ah, and we can¡¯t tell her until the day of the party. Let¡¯s surprise her.¡± It was always more fun to surprise someone like this. This thought must have shown on my face since Rille-nee giggled. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s keep it a secret. Gis-nee likes¡­¡± Rille-nee directed her gaze to the sky and pondered while still working. ¡°She loves everything, but I think meat is her favourite.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Gis-nee has a muscular body, so she must need a lot of protein. We usually ate lamb shank at home. It¡¯s tough, but cheap, and it turns out nice and soft if you simmer it for a long time. Sometimes, Gis-nee roasts the lamb shanks and heartily bites into it. Her jaws are really strong. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have a meat dish, and we¡¯ll decide on the rest of the dishes depending on how much money we have on the day.¡± ¡°Alright. Ah, the butcher is supposed to have beef delivered to them tomorrow afternoon.¡± Wah!? Beef?! A lot of farmers around here raise sheep, so that was what we ate most of the time. Cows probably cost valuable labour to raise, so beef was very rare. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go look for flowers in the morning and then go shopping afterwards?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that! ¨D¨D¨D By the way, how did you know we were having beef tomorrow?¡± ¡°Rossi told me.¡± Oh, so he knew about this because he¡¯s the son of the owner of a transport company? Oh yeah, I recall him coming up to Rille-nee this morning when she was drying herbs. I chased him away since he was annoying, but he came bearing good news. ¡°Hey, are you done?¡± Gis-nee peeked out from the window behind us. We quickly shut up. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± She looked down at us suspiciously. It doesn¡¯t seem like she had heard what we were talking about. ¡°Nothing. Yup.¡± I handed Gis-nee the basket of peeled nuts through the window. She frowned lightly but took the basket and went back inside. We also tidied up the nut shells and went inside, then I immediately asked Gis-nee, who was mixing at the counter, about tomorrow. ¡°Say, Gis-nee, what are you doing on your day off tomorrow? ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Will you stay at home? If you are, then Rille-nee and I will go out for a bit.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Gis-nee felt something was off from our short conversation and asked, ¡°Where are you both going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to gather ingredients for an experiment.¡± This explained all of my slightly strange behaviour. ¡°A girl from school told me she was going to show me where some rare plants are growing.¡± You have to mix in some truth when you lie. I heard somewhere that a con artist tells the truth 80% of the time and uses the other 20% to deceive people. I¡¯m not a con artist though. ¡°Where are those plants?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know since she told me she was going to show me where it is tomorrow. They might be growing downtown.¡± ¡°Are you going too, Rille?¡± ¡°Y-yes, I want to see them too.¡± Rille-nee¡¯s response was a little awkward. She wasn¡¯t good at lying because she was an honest person. ¡°¡­ Well, be careful on your way. Don¡¯t go too wild, Aime.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t~!¡± I replied cheerfully and that was the end of the conversation. She probably didn¡¯t suspect anything. That¡¯s good. ¡­ What do you mean ¡°go too wild¡±? Volume 1 - CH extra 2.2 The next morning. I packed my harvesting tools in a small shoulder bag and was all set to go. I talked to Gis-nee before we left. ¡°We¡¯ll pick up ingredients for dinner on the way home, so you can relax for the day.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± Now, we¡¯re going to be busy today! We met Leni at school. We didn¡¯t specify a time to meet, but I heard that she¡¯s been sleeping at the school, so we can meet her there in the mornings. We met the old lady from the fruit and vegetable store when we approached a nearby shopping street, ¡°Oh my, Aime and Ridill.¡± This was Peggy, the owner of the fruit and vegetable store that we frequented when we were living on the streets, and we still brought from her quite often even after moving in with Gis-nee. She was also a neighbour who visited the apothecary, so we had to greet her properly. ¡°Good morning, Peggy-san. How¡¯s your back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all better now. Your medicine works really well.¡± Peggy-san smiled widely. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s feeling better. ¡°I know you must have a lot of work to do, but please be careful when you lift heavy things.¡± ¡°I know. Gis-nee often warns me about lifting heavy objects. Are you two sisters going out today?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going out to do some harvesting today. We¡¯ll come by the store again after lunch.¡± Peggy was a nice person, but she was also very talkative, so it was best to end the conversation early. But when we were about to sleep, she stopped us, ¡°Ah, wait, wait!¡± ¡°I got a rare vegetable from Tilney Kingdom this morning, would you like to try it?¡± Peggy showed us reddish-brown vegetables packed in a bottle about the size of a milk bottle. I wondered what it was for a second, but then I squealed in delight when I realised what the vegetable was. ¡°Dried tomatoes!¡± ¡°Aime, do you know what that is?¡± ¡°Yeah! They¡¯re really good!¡± I¡¯ll have to buy some. I can simmer them with meat or turn it into paste and use it as a sauce. Various recipes flashed and popped up in my mind. It wasn¡¯t that big, so it wouldn¡¯t get in the way if I buy it now. Unlike large supermarkets, shopping in this world was a struggle. I decided to buy it before anyone else can buy it. Fortunately, Peggy was kind enough to let me have it at a reasonable price. People should get along well with their neighbours for times like these. We walked happily through the shopping district and arrived at the school where Leni was sitting outside waiting for us. I saw Fabian-sensei reading to the younger kids inside. Lately, I¡¯ve been wondering when he rests. He looks frail but surprisingly had a lot of energy. I won¡¯t disturb him. ¡°Mornin¡¯, Leni.¡± ¡°Unn.¡± Leni quickly held out her hand without returning my greeting. Yeah, yeah, I know. I handed her money and a bag of beans and bread from my bag. ¡°I¡¯ve received your payment. This way.¡± Leni quickly took a bite of the bread she had received and headed off. A few small kids followed us, perhaps because they sensed that something interesting might happen or perhaps because they weren¡¯t interested in class. Flowers and grass mostly grew in the less crowded areas on side streets in the city. We knew this since we used to sell flowers. But Leni guided us to the back of a merchant¡¯s house in the central district. ¡°Be quiet.¡± We climbed on a wooden box by the wall and peeked over the fence into the merchant¡¯s garden where I saw a red chrysanthemum-like flower. ¡°It¡¯s that, right?¡± Leni pointed at the flower. The flower, the stem and the shape of the leaves were exactly the same as the picture I had seen in the plant illustration book. That was probably sansalem. ¡°Keep watch. I¡¯ll go and pull one out for you.¡± ¡°No, no, no! You can¡¯t!¡± I quickly pulled at Leni¡¯s clothes to stop her. ¡°Someone lives here.¡± ¡°Yeah? And?¡± ¡°The problem is that you don¡¯t see it as a problem. Why are you trying to steal it?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t give it to us if we ask. The people who live in this house are very stingy.¡± I heard a shout from behind me as we were arguing, ¡°What¡¯re you doing?!¡± Oh no, they found us! I ran away. My childish instinct to run away when I hear an adult shouting at me kicked in before I could even think of an excuse. I ran down to another street, made sure no one was chasing after me, then stopped to catch my breath. Hah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve ran this much. Seriously¡­ I glared at Leni, who was also panting next to me. ¡°Is that the only place you¡¯ve seen it bloom?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Leni didn¡¯t seem apologetic, and it made me feel a little less angry. ¡°What should we do?¡± Rille-nee looked troubled. We couldn¡¯t do anything without the flowers that inspired this plan. I wonder if I can ask the people who live in that house for a flower. One of the girls who followed us tugged on my clothes. ¡°I¡¯ve seen those red flowers outside the city walls.¡± ¡°Huh, really?!¡± The girl had seen it outside by chance when she was helping some merchant. She didn¡¯t recognize it from the black and white illustration, but she remembered when she saw the real thing. ¡°Can you show me where it is?¡± ¡°I can!¡± The girl happily agreed and held out her small hands. ¡°Money! Or food!¡± You¡¯re telling me to give you either of those things? ¡°¡­ You didn¡¯t plan this, did you?¡± I asked to check, but Leni and the other kids turned away and didn¡¯t answer. I ended up paying the girl in the end, and also brought food for the other kids who were following us. Though, the only thing I could buy them was some cheap bean soup. I was forced to spend an unexpected amount of money just to pick some flowers, but I¡¯ll let this slide since the kids were happy. I guess I¡¯ll hold back on shopping for a while after today. The girl led us to the east gate, and we found a large river. It was my first time going out of this gate, so I was fascinated by its majestic currents. I also saw several boats floating far upstream. ¡°It¡¯s that way!¡± I looked towards the girl who was leading the way and saw a cluster of flowers among the grass. They were swaying in the wind and there were also round sansalem flowers among them. I quickly ran towards it and crouched down in the middle of the flowers. The reddish scarlet petals which were similar to chrysanthemum petals stacked on top of each other and there was a yellow circle in the middle. It looked like a small sun. Rille-nee gently held the bright flower. ¡°The flower looks like it will cheer you up just from looking at it.¡± ¡°Right? The colours are nice too.¡± While we sisters were chatting warmly, Leni and the other kids were quickly pulling out the flowers and putting them in baskets. They were probably going to sell those flowers. They might even take our flower if we¡¯re not careful. But it would be a shame not to enjoy this beautiful flower field. I took the sansalem and some other flowers and twisted the stems together to make a flower crown. ¡°Kikka, come here.¡± I called the girl who had shown us here and put the crown on her head. ¡°Wah, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Teach me how to make it!¡± ¡°Ok, ok.¡± I showed them how to make a flower crown since they kept asking. It was so easy that everyone could do it straight away and they had fun putting it on their head. ¡°Do you think we should give this to Gis-nee as well?¡± Rill-nee asked as she showed me the flower crown she had made. I couldn¡¯t imagine Gis-nee wearing fancy wildflowers on her head and burst out laughing. ¡°We can if you want. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll smile awkwardly when she receives it.¡± ¡°Fufu, but I think it¡¯ll look surprisingly good on her.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll give her a necklace.¡± I made something that was just a larger version of the flower crown, but with more colourful flowers. The necklace wouldn¡¯t fit in my bag, so I tied it to my bag. But these flowers will probably wilt in the evening. So, I cut some sansalem flowers with a knife, and wrapped the bottom of the stem with paper that had been moistened with water from the river. I also added some small white flowers wrapped in Rille-nee¡¯s patchwork cloth to make a bouquet. The patchwork cloth was secretly sewn by Rille-nee yesterday while I was distracting Gis-nee. This was a decent gift. We played around and achieved our goal, then we decided to head back to town when the sun rose high in the sky. ¡°Thanks a lot!¡± ¡°You helped us too. Thanks for the food.¡± We parted ways with Leni and the kids who were off to sell the flowers they had picked and went to the butcher store next. The butcher store that we frequent was on the main street. ¡°We have beef today~! There¡¯s only a little left! Get it fast before it goes!¡± I heard a young voice selling the beef before we reached the store. Are we too late? I rushed to the front of the butchers and saw that there weren¡¯t many pieces of meat left on the board placed on top of the crate. All that was left were bones and heads which only had a little bit of meat on them. The delivery might have arrived earlier than I had expected. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Hey Ridill!¡± The young man sitting at the table lit up as soon as he saw us, or rather saw Rille-nee. He¡¯s the same as Rossi, huh. ¡°Hello Hank.¡± ¡°Hey! Ah, the younger sister is here too?¡± Hank¡¯s excited face dropped as soon as he spotted me. Of course, I¡¯m here. I¡¯m always with her whenever we come to your store. I restrained my smile and talked to him in a cheerful voice. ¡°Hey Hank. We¡¯re here to buy some beef, are there no good cuts left?¡± ¡°There are. I put some aside for Ridill.¡± Hank went into the back of the butchers and came out with a chunk of red meat wrapped in paper. ¡°It¡¯s from the shank, but it¡¯ll taste nice if you simmer it well.¡± ¡°Woah, thanks!¡± Rille-nee thanked him with genuine happiness which made Hank melt. He put some meat aside for a customer who he didn¡¯t know would be coming. ¡°Did you ask Rossi if we were coming?¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked him and he averted his gaze. ¡°Ah, well, he mentioned you would be coming.¡± ¡°Really? I have to thank Rossi later.¡± Rille-nee is so polite. I heard Hank click his tongue. Seems like they¡¯re both fighting over Rille-nee. It would be more effective to directly confess to the person in question instead of uselessly keeping a check on each other. Well, I won¡¯t easily give you the opportunity to do so! But I¡¯ll thank them both for today, and yay for Rille-nee¡¯s charm. That¡¯s my sister! Volume 1 - CH extra 2.3 ¡°¨D¨D¨D Hey.¡± I felt someone behind me as I finished paying. Hank froze in front of me. I turned back and saw three boorish men glaring at Hank. ¡°You said earlier that this was the last of the meat.¡± Ah, this doesn¡¯t look good. I pulled Rille-nee¡¯s arm and tried to hide around the corner, but one of the men grabbed my shoulder and stopped him before he could leave. ¡°Wait.¡± Like I will! I stretched my arms as far as I could and did a backstroke to get out of his grip. ¡°Ah, this fucking¡­ Give me the meat!¡± ¡°Rille-nee, go over there!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± One of the men tried to grab us to steal the meat, so we climbed up on the crates that were lined up like stairs in front of the store and escaped. Then, we kicked down the middle boxes to prevent the man from climbing up. I had no idea that shopping would turn into a real battle! Everyone loves meat! I guess they were annoyed that Hank said there was no meat left even though there was, and they were probably drunk as well. One of the other men grabbed Hank by the chest and the other one was smashing a board with a cow¡¯s head on it in front of the store. The man who was after our meat hadn¡¯t given up yet. Maybe I should give them the meat and run, but it was rare to find beef in the market, and this was a gift for Gis-nee, so I didn¡¯t want to give it to them. I don¡¯t think these men will reimburse me for the money I had paid. This was a busy street, and the patrolling soldiers will hear the commotion and come rushing over soon. I won¡¯t have to run if I¡¯m patient. I kicked the hands that reached out from underneath us and shouted so that my voice would reach far and wide. ¡°SOLDIERS~!! SOMEONE¡¯S CAUSING TROUBLE HERE!!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Kyaa?!¡± Someone ran out the moment Rille-nee¡¯s skirt was grabbed. ¡°AHHHH!¡± I don¡¯t know why, but Rossi suddenly appeared with a yell. The man was distracted by Rossi, and he let go of Rille-nee¡¯s skirt. Did you come here because you thought you could see Rille-nee? Well, I don¡¯t care why you came here, but are you that free? Anyway, thanks for saving us! ¡°Great, Rossi! Keep it up!¡± I tried to encourage him, but Rossi, who was hugging the man¡¯s waist, was grabbed by the collar and easily thrown off. Ah, Rossi¡¯s no good. He can¡¯t help us. I prepared myself for the man who was coming towards us again. ¨D¨D But¡­ ¡°Gaaaah?!¡± There was a strange scream that didn¡¯t sound like a normal human voice, and Rille-nee and I, as well as the man who was trying to take the meat from us, stopped moving and looked over. There stood a deva king. A corpse was already lying at Gis-nee¡¯s feet, who was several times more reliable than a soldier. Her normally sharp eyes were even sharper as she stabbed the remaining two omen. ¡°What do you want with my kids?!¡± She asked in a low voice, or well more like threatened in a low voice. ¡°Wh-, h-hey!¡± Gis-nee dodged the terrified man¡¯s fist with barely any movement and twisted her hip and punched the man in the stomach. The man flew and slid about five metres across the ground and plunged into the crowd of onlookers that had gathered. What is this, a comic? I was stunned by Gis-nee¡¯s superhuman strength. I wonder if his internal organs are ruptured. Is he going to be alright? I worried, but someone suddenly grabbed my leg and pulled me down. ¡°Aime!!¡± Rille-nee tried to grab me, but she couldn¡¯t reach me in time, and I was held by a filthy hand. ¡°D-don¡¯t move! I¡¯ll kill her!¡± Oh no, I messed up, but I won¡¯t just sit around and let you use me like this! I quickly checked to make sure that he didn¡¯t have any weapons and bit the fat man¡¯s arm as hard as I could. At the same time, I heard an unpleasant crushing sound above my head. ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D Uahmm?¡± When I stopped biting him, his arm around me loosened and he fell backwards. Gis-nee was standing in front of me and Rille-nee was holding a jar of dried tomatoes above me. The fallen man¡¯s nose was weirdly crooked. Apparently, Gis-nee had slammed her fist into the man¡¯s face the moment I bit him, and Rille-nee had hit him on the head with the jar. We worked together to bring him down. But well, it might have been a bit merciless. ¡°Are you alright, Aime?!¡± Rille-nee quickly climbed down from the crate to check if I was hurt. ¡°I¡¯m alright. Thanks.¡± ¡°Are you hurt anywhere, Rille?¡± ¡°Nope, thanks to you, Gis-nee.¡± Then, Gis-nee let out a heavy sigh. ¡°You guys are so¡­¡± Gis-nee patted my head and I could tell she was relieved. The soldiers were late to the scene. They asked Hank and us what had happened, then promptly took the unconscious men away. The case was settled. Rossi and Hank weren¡¯t seriously injured either, and they were happy that Rille-nee treated them and thanked them over and over again. I didn¡¯t ruin their happiness since I was also grateful to them. ¡°Thank you so much, you saved us.¡± ¡°N-no, I can do this much for Ridill.¡± ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t have to thank us!¡± But when they finally got the chance to confess to her, they got carried away and didn¡¯t tell her their feelings, which is why they won¡¯t do. ¡°Speaking of which, what are you doing here Gis-nee?¡± I asked Gis-nee while we were all helping Hank clean up his trashed store. I thought she was going to be at home today. ¡°I had a bad feeling since you two were acting weird, so I was looking for you.¡± Eh, did she notice? I thought we were acting completely normal. ¡°How were we strange?¡± ¡°Aime was talking a bit weirdly and Rille was strangely silent. That¡¯s how you two usually act when you¡¯re up to something. Woah, so she knew we were up to something. ¡°Then, I rushed here because I heard your voice. What the hell were you doing? What¡¯s with that bouquet and the flowers on your bag?¡± Gis-nee¡¯s eyes landed on the gifts that we hadn¡¯t wanted to show to her. Argh, my plans have gone out of the window. I wanted to come home and say, ¡°Thanks, Gis-nee,¡± with the force of a firecracker! Gis-nee entered lecturing mode. She won¡¯t stop asking until I answer her properly. Rille-nee and I looked at each other and sighed deeply. ¡°¨D¨D¨D With Aime!¡± ¡°Ridill¡¯s!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t cook it in three minutes~!¡± I stood in front of the hearth and shouted desperately. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but Aime told me to do it.¡± Gis-nee propped her elbows on the table and stared at us blankly. I forced her to wear the shriveled flower crown and necklace, since I was frustrated that she had found out our plans. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, you know?¡± ¡°We already started! Gis-nee, you just wait quietly!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Well, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± I got hyped up after she said that. What I couldn¡¯t surprise her with, I had to make it up in cooking. The first thing I did was fry onions in a pan with oil until they were golden brown. When they were done, I took them out, cut the shank into smaller pieces with a knife, sprinkle salt on both sides, and put the onions on top. Then, I added the malt liquor, water, dried tomatoes and some herbs. Next, I just had to simmer it until the sauce became thick. We don¡¯t have a pressure cooker, so I had to be patient. It might be too late to mention this now, but this isn¡¯t a summer dish. The main ingredient is shank meat. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as it tastes good. The soup turned red from the tomatoes, and the soup turned into a bright colour like the sansalem flowers. The delicious aroma spread through the house and overpowered the smell of the medicinal herbs on the shelves. I removed the scum, checked the consistency of the meat, and when it looked done, I seasoned the soup with more salt to complete the dish! I managed to make it in time for the usual dinner time since I started cooking early. I put a lot of meat on Gis-nee¡¯s plate and brought it to the table. ¡°Thank you for waiting!¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. That looks amazing.¡± Gis-nee immediately took a bite of the meat, then she took off the flower crown and necklace. ¡°Yummy.¡± Gis-nee was slightly surprised. Yay! After we watched her eat the first bite, we ate our portions as well. I taste tested it while I was cooking, so I knew it was good. The umami and flavours of the dried tomatoes and fried onions made it delicious. ¡°It¡¯s been cooked really well.¡± ¡°Aime came up with the recipe. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s this delicious, you¡¯re amazing Aime.¡± Rille-nee drank the soup and said happily, but Gis-nee stopped eating and looked carefully at her plate as soon as my name was mentioned. ¡°¡­ You didn¡¯t put anything weird in this, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t?! I don¡¯t experiment on people!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gis-nee. I kept my eye on her while she was cooking.¡± ¡°Eh, did you think I was going to put something strange in it, Rille-nee?¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t.¡± Rille-nee quickly waved her hands in a ¡®no¡¯ motion, but she probably did think I was going to put something weird in the soup. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Well, leaving that aside.¡± Let¡¯s leave the trust issues aside and say what we have to say. I stopped eating for a moment, took the banquet that I hadn¡¯t officially given to her yet and walked around to Gis-nee¡¯s side. ¡°Once again. Thank you for letting us into your home, Gis-nee.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± I handed her the bouquet as we said our words of thanks. Gis-nee put down her spoon and accepted the bouquet. She looked a little embarrassed. ¡°You also help me in a lot of ways.¡± ¡°You helped us more. We¡¯ve been unlucky ever since we were born, but that all changed when we met you, Gis-nee.¡± ¡°Our fates changed when you accepted us as your family.¡± Rille-nee continued after I spoke. ¡°You didn¡¯t just give us a place to live. You are the kindest person we have met. You gave us the warmth that we¡¯ve always wanted. So, we are really, really grateful to you.¡± ¡°That sums it up nicely.¡± I casually walked around to the other side, made eye contact with Rille-nee and smiled. ¡°We love you, Gis-nee!¡± We tightly hugged her from both sides. The ex-soldier was caught off guard and couldn¡¯t say anything for a moment. She placed the bouquet on the table and hugged us with her long arms. ¡°¨D¨D¨D I love you guys too.¡± She whispered softly and I felt extremely happy. I was convinced that I hadn¡¯t been born here through someone else¡¯s ill will. Volume 1 - Prologue I don¡¯t regret anything about my life. I was born into a wealthy family. I grew up in comfort along with my father, mother and older brother. From an early age, I wasn¡¯t bad to look at and I was brilliant. I always placed first at one of the most prestigious escalator-style schools in Tokyo. I was also very active in various events thanks to my natural athletic ability. I graduated from primary, intermediate and high school at the top of my class and was recommended to enter the medical school of a certain elite university, but with the recent population explosion, I decided to do something about the world¡¯s food self-sufficiency rate and entered the Agriculture Faculty of the same university at the top of my class. After that, I went on to study abroad and obtained my doctorate. Even though I entered society late, I became a researcher at a national institution and devoted myself to my research for my country and the world. My life had always been busy, but I had a good number of friends and lovers, and my personal life was as fulfilling as my professional life. My brother, who had taken over the family business and was steadily expanding it, had gotten married, and my parents were busy doting on their first grandchild, so I could take it easy since they weren¡¯t rushing me to get married. I never dreamt that I would be struck by lightning¡­ while on my mission to create a world where no one would have to suffer from hunger. I was in the middle of an empty field during a field survey, and I admit that I was careless. But how could I have known that I would be struck as soon as I began to notice that it was etting cloudy? It sounds like a joke, but I¡¯m serious. It killed me instantly. I didn¡¯t feel any pain, but I remember the intense shock. People say that geniuses are loved by the gods and are thus called back to them early. My death might have been inevitable because of my brilliance. It was disappointing that it happened before I accomplished anything, but I would have accepted this fate if it meant that I could live peacefully by God¡¯s side. ¨D¨D¨D However¡­ I was soon awoken by a white light and had somehow become a baby. As I gazed at the completely unfamiliar scenery with my new small body that couldn¡¯t even move freely, foreign faces rudely stared at me and spoke in an unfamiliar language. I gradually realized that I had been reborn into an unknown world. To put it simply, I was reincarnated into another world. I didn¡¯t expect this at all. I was surprised I had a soul in the first place, and I didn¡¯t understand how a baby¡¯s undeveloped brain could think so deeply. I thought I was dreaming at first, but the scenery remained unchanged no matter how many times I slept and woke up, so I eventually believed it. I¡¯m a scientist. No matter how unbelievable something is, if it¡¯s the truth, then I will accept it. As long as I was aware and had memories, I couldn¡¯t deny that this was reincarnation, so I had no choice but to give up and accept it even if I don¡¯t know why this happened. At that moment, I remembered the fantasy novel I had read as an innocent little girl. It was a story where the main character, a girl, died in an unforeseen accident and was reborn as a wealthy noble by a kind god, and she obtained a ¡®cheat¡¯ in the form of tremendous magic and married a prince. The world the main character gets reincarnated to would probably be a paradise for them. According to this rule, this world is my paradise. God must have taken pity on virtuous people who died with regret. I will have a joyous life from now on ¨D¨D¨D or so I thought. But somehow, despite all the flattery I could muster, my new life is¡­ poverty-stricken. Volume 1 - CH 1 I always felt the cold, hard floor for some time after my birth. It was unbelievable that they let a baby sleep on the ground with only a thin sheet of cloth. Give me a crib! I resented them at first, but I soon realized that there wasn¡¯t a single bed in this house. Not a house, but a hut? It was hard to believe that four people, including myself, were living in a place that was so small that we could probably move anywhere in just five steps. The hut was worn-out and draughty, and the wallboards would occasionally come off. Rats with pointed faces would appear out of nowhere from the wallboards. It was probably a brown rat. It was very big. Super big. It looked like fierce beasts over 30cms tall, probably because I¡¯ve become smaller. I don¡¯t know why, but it was coming towards me without hesitation and sniffing at my ears. ¡°No!¡± A hand quickly reached out from the other side and chased the rat away. I thought I felt something hard against my ear for a moment¡­ I think my ear was about to be bitten off. Rats attack people? A sickening feeling ran down my spine, and the hand that had saved me lifted me up and the face of a young girl appeared in my vision. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The tips of her reddish-brown hair brushed against her overly thin shoulders as she tilted her head in concern. Her beautiful dark-green eyes looked unusually large because of how thin she was. Apparently, my eye and hair were the same colour as this girl¡¯s. She asked me this in a cheerful tone. ¡°Ah~, bu~.¡± Thanks~, I¡¯m alright~, was what I wanted to reply. I was learning more and more words, but I still couldn¡¯t get my tongue to form them. ¡°There, there, Aime is a good girl~.¡± Though I guess she knew what I wanted to say anyway. She held me in her lap even though I was almost half her height as she dexterously mended things. She is my big sister. Her name is Ridill. Aime is my new name in this world, which she gave me. The other two people I live with are my father and mother. Both of them are out of the house during the day for work, so it¡¯s just me and my sister. My sister, who is only seven years old, takes care of me, a baby who can barely crawl along the floor, and the house all by herself. This would be unthinkable in modern Japan, but perhaps it wasn¡¯t unusual in this world. Even a quick look around this house showed me that civilization in this world was very far behind the world I had come from. They used a kiln for cooking and lit it with a flint. There was no electricity, gas or running water, and the water seemed to be brought in from outside with a tub. There were no windows, so it was dimly lit even in the daytime, and the smell of garbage or something else was always wafting through with the draught. I don¡¯t bathe and couldn¡¯t even get rid of the smell by wiping my body with a wet rag once in a while. I was horrified to see fleas bouncing around on the floor. One of the most unbearable parts of my life was eating. ¡°Food~.¡± My sister was pushing the translucent soup that she scooped directly from the pot with a wooden spoon towards me while smiling. I was grateful that she worked hard to prepare a home-cooked meal for me, but what was simmering in the pot was a whole rat. My baby food is rats! My baby food is rats! I shouted twice because it was too shocking. I was dazzled by the life of setting up traps and eating rats. There was fur floating in the soup! It¡¯s head, legs and tail were also in one piece! At least chop them up! The soup flowed down into my stomach without question no matter how much I cried or screamed. I couldn¡¯t live without eating it. By the time I understood this, I was able to endure the nausea as I drank it down while crying. God, if you really exist, and decide my fate, then I want to ask you a question. Was there no other place that would accept my soul?! Why has my standard of living gone down with my reincarnation?! The destination of my reincarnation wasn¡¯t paradise, but a new life filled with hardship and pain. But I still didn¡¯t give up hope even after I realised this. I¡¯m fine with being in poverty as long as I have a warm family. Material wealth isn¡¯t everything. Living modestly while supporting each other is also a form of happiness. I know this since I had met many people and had been exposed to many ways of life before my death. So, I¡¯ll be positive for a little while. At night, Father would come home after drinking. I don¡¯t know much about their jobs, but Father is a small man with tanned skin, so I guess he¡¯s a physical labourer. He¡¯s probably a day labourer. ¡°You¡¯re still drinking?!¡± Mother, who had come home earlier than usual, shouted hysterically in the candlelight. She was thin and rather beautiful, but her shadow reflected on the wall looked like a monster. ¡°Where¡¯s the money you made today?!¡± ¡°I drank it away.¡± This answer was not something Father should have said, but this wasn¡¯t the first time he had said something like this. My angry mother would lose her temper at his thoughtless remark. She exploded with rage. Mother was also strangely brave, and she fought back with a door bar that was used instead of a key. As soon as the fierce martial brawl started, my sister quickly took me in her arms and ran outside. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She didn¡¯t go far and went around the back of the hut and sat down on the ground where she hugged me in her lap. ¡°It¡¯s still a bit chilly.¡± She muttered optimistically as our parents¡¯ loud screams didn¡¯t even reach her ears. Spring must have just begun. I remember spending time with her like this even on colder days. It didn¡¯t seem to snow much around here, which was a relief. There weren¡¯t any streetlights and I looked up at the white moon in the sky. Even though it was only a little bigger than a half-moon, it lit up the night brightly enough for me to see the faces of people nearby. My parents were inconsiderate people who didn¡¯t mind getting into fights with each other without thinking that their children might get hurt, and they hardly took care of us on a daily basis. They hadn¡¯t even given me a name. I guess they didn¡¯t want me. I was probably created unexpectedly. It could have been like the virgin conception of Jesus Christ. Well, I don¡¯t have any miraculous powers though. If it weren¡¯t for my sister, I might have died right after my birth, without any time to grieve my misfortune. ¡°When will Aime speak~?¡± My sister was playing with my cheeks under the night sky. It seemed as if she was thinking about something else and trying not to listen to the argument behind her. I wonder if she was suppressing her uneasiness. ¡°Can you say Ridill?¡± She pointed at herself and tried to get me to say her name. It was an unreasonable request for a baby who had just started to crawl, but I had to respond to her. ¡°Ii, uo.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it~.¡± Sister pouted unhappily. I tried, but I couldn¡¯t move my tongue properly. ¡°Ri, dill.¡± I tried to imitate her as she taught me each syllable. ¡°Ri iu.¡± Ah, wasn¡¯t I getting closer? But Sister still wasn¡¯t satisfied. ¡°Ri, dill!¡± ¡°Rii, ru!¡± Dill is hard to say. I couldn¡¯t say it for the life of me and she gave up after the fifth time. ¡°Then, how about Onee-chan?¡± She tried making me say something even longer. ¡°Ri lle ne!¡± I hope you¡¯ll be happy with this. She blinked her big eyes in surprise and repeated what I had said. ¡°Rille-nee?¡± Yes, Rille-ne. If a less than year old baby can say this much, then she¡¯s brilliant. ¡°That¡¯s not quite correct, but alright.¡± She made a satisfied smile. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t fall into the hell of having to repeat myself. My mouth felt tired even though I didn¡¯t use it much. ¡°Say it again.¡± But then she asked me to repeat myself with an innocent smile. ¡°Rille-nee.¡± ¡°More, more!¡± ¡°Ille-nee.¡± ¡°Nope! Again!¡± ¡°Iu-nee!¡± ¡°That¡¯s worse! Again!¡± Ugh, I ended up having to repeat it after all. I wanted her to give me a break, but she laughed happily when I said it correctly, so I went along with her for as long as I could. Me being born had meaning if I could ease her uneasiness. We both fell asleep outside on this day. We went back inside after the morning sun woke us up and found the house in a terrible state. The few pots and pans, wooden tableware and even the ashes from the kiln were scattered all over the place, and since both our parents had gone to work without cleaning up, Rille-nee had to clean up. Even if we had our sisterly bond, this environment made it hard for our parents to raise us with love. I think that being born with my previous life¡¯s memories and already being mentally mature helped me in a family on the verge of collapse. However, that still wasn¡¯t enough. Even though I was able to stand and walk, my small body couldn¡¯t stop Father¡¯s violent outbursts, and I couldn¡¯t intervene in or mediate their quarrels with my lisp. I would spend the night outside with Rille-nee when they argued, and on rainy days, we would sit quietly in the corner of the room until they settled down. It was the same on the nights when Father didn¡¯t come home. Mother would hit us. She was like a naggy sister-in-law who complained about food tasting bad if the house isn¡¯t clean. Then, in the middle of the night, she would make us start cleaning all over again under the moonlight. Mother seemed to be working as a cleaner at some house and she did these things to vent away her frustrations from the day. I no longer wanted to think of either of my parents as parents. As the years went by, they failed to nurture me with love. I didn¡¯t even have a warm family in my new life. God, let me ask you again. What the hell do you have against me?! Was it because I didn¡¯t believe in you?! Who the hell are you to begin with?! Why didn¡¯t you just extinguish my soul if you hate me that much?! All I could do now was hold a broom that was taller than me and dissipate my anger and sleepiness while sweeping away dust. I would only be beaten if I stood up to Mother¡¯s irrationality. Rille-nee would also be beaten up while trying to defend me, so I decided to obey her in silence even though I was frustrated. ¡°You can go back to sleep, Aime.¡± Sister worried about me as I rubbed my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡± I wanted her to rest. The only family I could truly love is Rille-nee. I could do my best even if I¡¯m sleepy or get beaten because of her. But how long could I continue living like this? My patience had already reached its limit after living here for four years. It was also a very bad environment for Rille-nee¡¯s education. Father was rarely seen at home these days and Mother began coming home later too. They are only parents in name. If I had been born ten years earlier than Rille-nee, then I would have taken her and left this house in a heartbeat. A lot of things are out of my control. ¨D¨D It happened suddenly one summer day as I was thinking about such things. ¡°Bye.¡± Mother left the house with only a light goodbye which sounded like a joke. I didn¡¯t understand what she meant at first. She suddenly came home one day when she was supposed to be at work, packed her bag and got into a covered wagon that was parked on the road. She grabbed the arm of the young coachman and was gone. She didn¡¯t give any explanation, but I knew that she wouldn¡¯t be coming back. It turns out my parents were just as fed up with their current life as I was. You¡¯re leaving us for a new man and are planning on living somewhere else? You¡¯re fucking kidding me, the words I shouted didn¡¯t reach her. I wanted to abandon her, but she abandoned us instead. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. After spending the night without our parents, an old man who we didn¡¯t know arrived the next day around dusk. He said he was the owner of this storage shed, and I learnt for the first time that we were renting this house. Then, he suddenly told us to leave. ¡°D-dad will be back.¡± Rille-nee tried her best to argue, but the old man shook his head. ¡°Your dad is dead.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. I hadn¡¯t seen him in a couple of weeks¡­ turns out he drank too much, fell into the canal where gondolas carrying cargo passed through and drowned. They found him this morning and had already cleaned up. The old man said it like Father was rubbish. Oddly enough, Father had died on the same day that Mother left us. I didn¡¯t feel sad. I thought it was rather ridiculous. We were mercilessly kicked out of our house because of the disappearance of our parents, even though they¡¯re useless here or not. Rille-nee was only 11 years old and I was only four. Where and how were we supposed to live now? We didn¡¯t have any money and we were hungry. The dresses we were wearing were so worn-out that they could be mistaken for rags if we took them off, and we weren¡¯t even given any shoes. How can the world throw children like this out on the streets? Sister squeezed my hand as I stood there angry that we had nowhere to go and did not know where to go. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She started walking towards the end of the long, shadowed path. My feet naturally followed her. ¡°Rille-nee.¡± I called out to her, wondering where we were going and if she had a plan. Her dark green eyes, which were like mine, stared straight ahead. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll protect you, Aime.¡± She clearly declared. She had been protecting me since I was born. She gave me a name, took care of me and gave me love in place of our irresponsible parents. She was still doing so. This girl, who had fallen into the depths of misfortune like me, was looking forward without crying for me. Was I just going to be protected by her from now on? ¨D¨D No. If there really is a God and if there really is a reason for me reincarnating here with my memories, then could it all be for her? It doesn¡¯t matter if it isn¡¯t. I¡¯ll decide this for myself. I¡¯ll etch it into my brand-new soul. My new mission is to get out of this hell and make Ridill happy. Volume 1 - CH 2 My second life began once again after various events. It was too hard, but I didn¡¯t have time to complain. Us sisters will have to find a way to survive from now on. I hardly left that hut, so I didn¡¯t know the city where I was born very well, and Rille-nee, who was with me every day, didn¡¯t have a good plan. The area around my former home was full of adults with bad looks, the streets were dirty, the houses were all shabby and small and there were women standing around like prostitutes. It didn¡¯t seem like a good place for children, so we decided to move to a more normal place. I held Rille-nee¡¯s hand as we headed towards the heart of the city. We followed the city walls as much as possible to avoid getting lost. I guess this city was what they called a fortified city. The high stone walls went on forever and it was hard to tell how big the entire city was. The area became dimmer and dimmer as we walked. The torches lit at the watchtowers on the city walls seemed to float in the eerie purplish-red sky. Ugh, I want a place to rest before night falls. It¡¯s summer now, so I can manage to sleep outside, but I can¡¯t sleep outside all the time. I wonder if there are any orphanages or social workers in this world. It was impossible for a child to survive alone. I want to be found by someone with a good heart, but how can I find someone like that? I walked while worrying and we eventually came to a large street. I saw a metal gate towering above me to my left. The gate was tightly shut with large torches burning on both sides and soldiers in armour standing before the gate. ¡°¡­ We¡¯ll be out of the city if we leave from here?¡± I wonder what outside was like. I knew that Rille-nee wouldn¡¯t know even if I asked her, but I couldn¡¯t resist asking. Rille-nee looked up at the gate. ¡°I wonder?¡± ¡°I want to see. Will it open in the morning?¡± As we stood there for a while, a man who seemed to be the gatekeeper, noticed us and glared at us for some reason. Rille-nee was startled by his threatening attitude. She pulled me and ran in the opposite direction. What an extremely unpleasant soldier. The main street was well-maintained which was nice for my bare feet. I could see that stores were slowly closing on the side of the street. This seemed to be a commercial city as well, judging from the number of shops. There were no farmlands in sight and the canal that ran under the bridge on the main street was wide enough for two gondolas to pass each other. We looked around curiously when we were attracted by a delicious smell coming from a nearby shop. The store was a bakery which had its front door wide open, and on the shelves behind the counter were hard, black bread that looked like human fists. The delicious smell in the air didn¡¯t mean that the bread was freshly baked. It was just that our starving noses were sensitive to even dry and hard bread that had been left in the open for a while. It looked like a very precious treasure since we rarely ate bread and only had mice, weeds and occasionally beans at home. I really missed carbs. I suddenly remembered the movie, ¡®A Little Princess¡¯. The wealthy main character¡¯s life took a 180 turn after the death of her father, and she became a servant at the school she attended. When she went on an errand to the bakery, the kind owner gave her an extra loaf of bread. The main character gave the bread to an orphan in front of the bakery even though she was hungry herself. Even though we weren¡¯t little princesses, we tried to see if any of the customers coming out of the bakery would give us some bread, but they just walked past us. It was probably the wrong time of the day as well since there were hardly any customers. Then, the owner of the bakery came out, probably to close the bakery. Rille-nee quickly grabbed the man¡¯s apron strings. When the owner noticed us for the first time and was surprised, Rille-nee asked awkwardly. ¡°Umm, excuse me. Can you give us something?¡± ¡°What?¡± You can¡¯t say ¡®something¡¯, Rille-nee. The owner was puzzled. ¡°Something to eath!¡± I quickly added and bit my tongue. When the owner realised that we were beggars, he didn¡¯t¡­ feel sorry for us to give us some of his unsold bread. ¡°Shhshh, I have nothing for you!¡± It probably took him less than a split second to shake off Rille-nee¡¯s hands. He didn¡¯t even take the time to hesitate; it was like he was following a manual. ¡°Just a little is fine, even if it¡¯s just for her, even if it¡¯s rubbish!¡± Wow, my brave Onee-chan, but I don¡¯t want to eat rubbish if possible. This isn¡¯t the time to be thinking this. I have to cling to him too. ¡°Please! Please give us some of that unsold bread! You¡¯re just going to throw it away, aren¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°Shut up! I have nothing to throw away and nothing to give to you! I¡¯ll hand you over to the soldiers if you keep on being annoying!¡± Harsh! How dare you threaten such young children! I¡¯m sure the soldiers act like police, but why should we be handed to them just because we¡¯re asking for something you don¡¯t need?! I was boiling with anger from his heartless words, so I stepped on his foot as hard as I could, but I was too light for him to notice. Eventually, the owner raised his rolling pin, and we ran away in a panic. We turned into one of the many roads that branched out from the main street, and ran for a while without looking behind us, but the owner wasn¡¯t persistent in his pursuit. I guess getting rid of us from the front of his bakery was good enough for him. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not¡­ chasing us anymore.¡± I reported to Rille-nee who was pulling my hand as hard as she could, and Rille-nee finally stopped after confirming that the owner wasn¡¯t chasing us anymore. Then, she suddenly sat down on the ground. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± I thought she might have hurt her leg while running, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Tears slowly appeared in her big eyes, then she finally covered her face with her hands and cried. We had lost our parents, been kicked out of our house, and were treated poorly when we were hungry. The horror must have triggered the emotions she had been holding back to flow out. I was beyond angry when I saw her like this and started to feel hopelessly sad. I clenched my teeth with what little reason I had and tried not to cry. I would make Rille-nee even more anxious if I cry. I wiped my blurry vision and regained my composure. It was already night. We should give up on trying to get food and find a safe place to sleep. ¡°Rille-nee, let¡¯s go? Let¡¯s find a place to sleep?¡± I rubbed her back and she lifted her teary face. ¡°Let¡¯s find food to eat tomorrow?¡± ¡°¡­ Ok.¡± This time, I walked in front of her. The sky was turning dark blue, and it was already getting quite dark. The people walking along the street looked like black shadows and they looked strangely scary. I want a place where we can sleep in peace. However, we wandered behind stores, warehouses, under bridges and near roadside trees, but I couldn¡¯t find a good place to sleep, because there was always a small group of people in places that looked good to sleep. There were skinny children who were similar to our age everywhere; their eyes were big, and they were hugging their knees. Now I knew why the bakery owner had chased us away. There were many orphans in this city. Other children will hear the rumours and gather around once you give them something. There was no use appealing to the sympathy of someone who has been running a shop here for a long time. Judging from the present situation, there aren¡¯t any orphanages here either. If anything, it was unlikely that anyone would be willing to take us in. I could surmise this from the number of children on the streets. Eventually, we found a place to sleep behind a building and I could finally breathe. Rille-nee fell asleep with me in her arms like always, probably because of her anxiety. As I put my arms around her small back and gently patted it, I secretly shuddered at the fact that the situation was more serious than I had imagined. I was hungry, extremely hungry. We sat down on the street, which had become more crowded in the morning, and waited for charity, but everyone passed us. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t good enough to just wait in silence, but they ran away for some reason when we approached them. We were at a cute age, and I didn¡¯t think we looked suspicious, but apparently, they were wary of children like us in general. ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Rille-nee said weakly as we walked. The delicious smell wafting from the stores on the street tormented us. I was so hungry my stomach felt like it was twisting itself. Ugh, should I just scavenge in the rubbish behind the stores? I actually saw a lot of children doing this. But I didn¡¯t want to do that because it made me strongly feel that I have degenerated, though I can¡¯t be stubborn forever. ¡°Would chu like a flowa?¡± I also saw a girl selling small bouquets of flowers while yelling like this. She was also barefooted and covered in rags similar to us, so she must be an orphan. Her speech was a bit strange because of her lack of front teeth. The small yellow and white flowers that she was trying so hard to sell were weeds that you often see downtown. I wonder if those things sell. Maybe we should do something like that if no one is going to give us anything. The sun was setting again as we walked. We went to a few stores and tried to detain people by their sleeves, but it was useless. Most of them cruelly brushed us off. Us sisters were exhausted from walking all day. Then, when we were passing by a store during sunset, a rough voice called out to us. ¡°Hey, you two over there!¡± At a table outside of a liquor store, a man, who seemed to have finished his work early, gestured to us with his hand as he called out to us. The owner of the voice had a few coins in the palm of his hand. ¡°Come here.¡± He stretched the hand with the coin out in front of him as if he was calling pigeons with food. The two other men who were sitting at the same table as him, also had unpleasant smiles on their faces. Yup, they clearly have bad auras. Rille-nee looked as if she was going to walk over to the men, and I stopped her with all my might. Then, I pulled her hand and rushed away from the store. ¡°Wait, Aime. They look like they want to give us money.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not good.¡± They¡¯re like carnivorous plants. They¡¯ll torment us if we take the money. We have to make the right decisions even if we¡¯re hungry. ¡°It¡¯s usually bad people who give us stuff when we haven¡¯t said anything.¡± ¡°¡­ Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Be careful. The ones who seem nice are the scariest.¡± As usual, there was no tension in my voice since my tongue didn¡¯t move very well, but I wanted to tell her that it was important to know who to rely on. You never know what kind of interests and preferences people have in this world. I have to properly teach Rille-nee about this. But we might end up being taken care of by those bad people if we don¡¯t get something into our stomachs soon. As we turned into a road in search of a place to rest, we saw a group of barefooted children passing us from behind and entering a hut. Rille-nee and I looked at each other and peeked at the entrance of the hut. Inside were the two children who we had just seen and a man with a bandana on his head. Both children were girls, and their brown hair, which had grown to just below their shoulders, were being roughly cut with a knife by the man sitting on the chair, making them have awkward haircuts. When the man finished cutting the girls¡¯ hair, he dropped three or four copper coins into their small hands, and the girls ran out squealing. ¡°Rille-nee, I think this place is for selling your hair.¡± ¡°You can sell hair?¡± ¡°Looks like it.¡± I guess they make it into wigs. I wonder if this kind of business really exists. ¡°Come in if you want.¡± We were whispering to each other as we hid behind the open door and the man inside noticed us. His tone was a little intimidating. He was a little scary but¡­ ¡°Say, Rille-nee, do you think it¡¯s alright for us to sell our hair?¡± Both Rille-nee and I had hair that reached our shoulders. I wasn¡¯t particularly attached to my hair since it was just a bunch of dead cells anyway, but I wonder if Rille-nee was attached to her hair. It wasn¡¯t the time to be worrying about our hair styles, but well she is a girl. ¡°Y-yeah, if we can sell it then of course we¡¯re going to sell it.¡± Rille-nee nodded her head a few times even though she was a little scared. I guess you can¡¯t win against hunger. We boldly stepped inside. The man was gathering the hair that was scattered on the floor and binding it together with a string. He threw the tuft into a wooden box in the corner. There were tufts in brown, black, grey and mixed colours in the box and they were sorted to a certain extent. ¡°You two must be new.¡± The man smiled slightly when he saw us. The young man had a large burn mark on his right cheek and looked a little creepy. By new, do you mean on the streets? He could tell at a glance that we hadn¡¯t been orphans for very long. Maybe he has been working with children for a long time. ¡°Sell hair?¡± I asked, stopping out of the reach of the knife¡¯s edge. The man, perhaps sensing our caution, lowered his knife. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it. Red hair isn¡¯t bad.¡± ¡°Let me borrow that. I¡¯ll cut it myself.¡± I had Rille-nee stand by the entrance and demanded that the man give me his knife. I didn¡¯t want to turn my back on a stranger with a knife. ¡°Hah, you seem mature.¡± The man said as if he was making fun of me, but surprisingly, he handed me his knife. The first thing I did was cut my hair near the root. The knife wasn¡¯t sharp enough and it hurt. Then, I cut Rille-nee¡¯s hair. I tried not to make her haircut awkward. It was difficult but I did my best not to make it zig-zaggy. I handed the man the bunches of hair and knife and in return, he dropped nine copper coins into my palm for the two of us. They were completely rusted 100 Bele coins. Bele is the currency in this nation. My shitty parents used to use me as a gofer, so I knew a thing or two about money. It¡¯s not a lot of money, but it should be enough to buy a meal. This will get us through today! Rille-nee and I looked at the money in our hands and trembled with joy. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll buy your teeth too?¡± The man suddenly pulled out a plier from his pants pocket. ¡°I can¡¯t buy the little sister¡¯s, but I¡¯ll buy the older sister¡¯s teeth.¡± Stop joking, you want to pull out her permanent teeth, Idiot? Rille-nee looked up at the man with hopeful eyes. Oh no, she wants to do it now that she has some money. ¡°No! Teeth are more important than money!¡± I quickly stopped Rille-nee. You won¡¯t be able to talk, and you won¡¯t be able to eat! We want money to eat! Wild animals have no choice but to die if they lose their teeth. Why do you think you¡¯ve been chewing on tree branches in place of a toothbrush for all these years? ¡°You won¡¯t be troubled just because you lose one or two teeth.¡± The man got up from the chair and I had a feeling he might forcefully pull them out, so I quickly grabbed Rille-nee and ran out. Maybe we shouldn¡¯t go there anymore. ¡°Aime! Why did you run away again?!¡± Rille-nee complained when the hut was out of sight. I replied without stopping or letting go of her hand. ¡°There are things more important than money. Rille-nee, you have to take care of yourself, ok? You have to take care of yourself like you take care of Aime.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It hurts to get your teeth pulled out. It¡¯s really painful. And I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t get much for it.¡± At least, I don¡¯t think that man can afford to pay equivalent compensation for losing a tooth. I explained this to Rille-nee in poor language. ¡°¡­ How do you know so much?¡± She asked me a simple question. ¡°How do you know about selling hair, and who you can talk to and who you can¡¯t?¡± She wouldn¡¯t understand me if I said my mental age is over 30 and that I was good at crisis management to a certain degree. I¡¯ll just tell her a suitable lie. ¡°God gave Aime wisdom to save Rille-nee.¡± Sure enough, Rille-nee was puzzled. I¡¯ll tell you the truth if I get the chance. We got money for now, and after a day of observation, I¡¯ve learnt how the orphans live in this city. I¡¯ll put it into practice tomorrow. I¡¯ll try to survive for now. Our situation is hopeless, but it¡¯ll work out somehow if we stay alive. I¡¯m sure the future will become clearer in time. Volume 1 - CH 3 ¡°¨D¨D Hey, the Onii-chan over there!¡± I tried to act as cute as possible, and even jumped up and down to attract the attention of the men walking down the street in the daytime. They put their guards up at first, but then they turn around with a bright smile and stop in their tracks. ¡°Your shoes are dirty. I¡¯ll clean them for you for a cheap price!¡± ¡°What? Shoes?¡± The man was puzzled because, strangely enough, there was no such thing as shoe-shining in this city. Many people wear leather shoes on the streets and if they¡¯re not well cared for, then they will become dull from dust. The same was true for the shoes of the man who was all dressed up. ¡°Fashion starts from the feet! You¡¯ll be dumped if you wear such a dirty pair of shoes.¡± ¡°¡­ R-really?¡± The man, who meekly looked down at his own feet, seemed to be a good person. I can work with this. ¡°You should wear shiny shoes on special days! It¡¯ll be quick! How about a trial?¡± After repeating this sales pitch so many times, I could say it without biting my tongue. The words ¡®special days¡¯ seemed to have caught the man¡¯s attention, and when I told him that he could try first and pay later, he said it was alright for me to clean his shoes. I took the man¡¯s hand and walked him to the end of the street, then Rille-nee appeared with a wooden box for him to put his foot on and some tools. I quickly brushed the mud off his shoe with the brush I had gotten from the rubbish dump, then carefully polished the surface with a cloth that was wrapped around my finger. Finally, I applied a thin coat of wax that I had softened with my hands to make it shiny, then the shabby leather shoe shined like new. When I finished one of his shoes, the man raised his voice in surprise and wonder. ¡°How is it? They¡¯re clean now, aren¡¯t they?¡± If I let him trial one side, then of course he would have to do that other side. It would be strange if he didn¡¯t. I received the money from the customer and finished off his other shoe, then Rille-nee offered him a small bouquet of flowers from her basket (which we also found in the rubbish dump). ¡°How about this for your girlfriend. It¡¯s 100 bele~.¡± By the way, the shoe-shine was 500 bele. A bowl of pea soup can be bought for 100 bele, and a small loaf of bread for 300 bele. It seems that beans are cheaper in this region than wheat for bread since they¡¯re more plentiful. The bouquet was made of wildflowers which we didn¡¯t spend any money on, and it was wrapped with scrap cloth, but it was well presented and looked nice. The good-natured man was fooled. He bought the bouquet and headed off to his date in high spirits. Or maybe he was planning on confessing today. ¡°Yay!¡± I high-fived Rille-nee after the man disappeared. Easy. It has been a year since we became orphans, and my sister and I have managed to survive. I really wondered what was going to happen, especially when winter came. I thought it was over. Even though we lived in an area where it didn¡¯t snow much, that didn¡¯t mean that it didn¡¯t snow at all or get cold. We moved from one merchant¡¯s stable to another every night, thinking that we would surely die if we stayed on the streets. Fortunately, I had some experience with riding horses in my past life during college, and was somewhat familiar with them, so whenever the people at the house would come to check the stables, I was able to tame the horses and hide. Hurrah, agriculture department. However, it only worked a few times, and more often than not, they noticed that something was wrong with the horses and kicked us out. There were no orphanages around no matter where I looked and we had to fend for ourselves, so we followed the example of the other children and started a business. We sold flowers that we had picked at first, but people didn¡¯t need flowers every day, and there was fierce competition between others who were also selling flowers. I thought of other ways to do business on the street and came up with shoe-shining. My grandfather told me that this was common practice in post-war Japan, but the people of this city didn¡¯t think of this, and even though there are stores that only sell leather shoes, almost no one took care of them. I remembered how my father used to take care of his shoes in my previous world, so I picked up some brushes and other tools and decided to use a small piece of beeswax from the chapel instead of shine cream. Beeswax is the most original candle. It was orange in colour and was refined from beehives. It could only be harvested in small quantities so it must be quite valuable. Incidentally, beeswax itself can be eaten, so it can also serve as emergency food. I learnt that beeswax was commonly used by asking the people in town while I was working. I knew about beeswax because a friend of mine in college happened to be a beekeeper. I never thought it would come in handy after my reincarnation. I believed it was a good idea to sell flowers to men who were rather concerned about their appearances before their dates. I decided to make bouquets with the flowers, so I found a tailor and received some scrap cloth and bundled it together. It turned out to be both innovative and beautiful. Sewing was difficult for my five-year-old hands, so I left it to Rille-nee. Thankfully, she was skillful. The simple dresses we are wearing were also sewn by Rille-nee. We, the sellers, also tried our best to keep clean. We frequently washed our clothes in the river and wiped our bodies. We can¡¯t say ¡°I¡¯ll clean it,¡± while looking dirty. By this time, my hair had also grown to the point where the ends were just past my shoulders, but it wasn¡¯t long enough to sell, and I also didn¡¯t really want to sell it when I thought about that creepy hair buyer. We worked until the evening and had an average earning of around 2000 bele, but there were also some days when we didn¡¯t earn anything at all. Most of the money went to food, but we saved the rest. Oh yeah, we went to the bakery to buy some bread when we first got some money. The owner looked like a pigeon who had just been hit by a peashooter. Serves you right. But it still pissed me off, so I never went back. Today, we got food from another store, and I had a small dinner with Rille-nee in the shade of the chapel, where it was less visible to the public. There were chapels all over the large city. Wah, how do I put this, it was a white plastered dome-shaped building dedicated to God and looked a bit like a snow hut. The doors were closed at night, but they were opened during the day and an altar sat at the back. There weren¡¯t any sacred objects inside; there was only a round skylight positioned so that if you stood in front of the altar, it would be right above your head. I heard that if you pray there then your prayer will reach the heavens. The chapel was basically deserted, and the maintenance of the chapel was done by neighbours who had received the order from the feudal lord. The man who was tending the chapel happened to be a gentle old man, so I was able to talk to him about the chapel when he gave me candles. The fact that there was a feudal lord meant that this nation had nobles and a feudal system. The huge mansion with a pointy roof that I glimpsed over the two bridges on the main street was probably the feudal lord¡¯s mansion. It was a disparate society. The more I worked and interacted with people, the more I understood about this city, this nation and this world. It would be nice if we could somehow find a place where we could live stability. ¡°Aime, is this enough?¡± Rille-nee asked in concern as we were eating dinner. My kind and gentle sister tries to give me her portion every time she thinks I don¡¯t have enough. ¡°It¡¯s enough. Do you have enough?¡± It was true that I¡¯ve never had a full stomach and the feeling of hunger was always coiling around me, but Rille-nee was bigger than me and obviously needed more nutrition. But when I cheerfully refused, Rille-nee raised her eyebrows regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m eating more than you.¡± ¡°Rille-nee is bigger, so you have to eat a lot.¡± ¡°But I can eat because of the money you earned.¡± ¡°We both earned it.¡± ¡°Raise the price of the bouquets?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± She had her pride as an older sister. I tried to teach Rille-nee how to polish shoes, but she couldn¡¯t grasp the amount of wax to apply, and it would be a waste if she practiced too much, so we decided to divide the work. We had to share the work since a bouquet cost 100 bele and shoe-shining costs 500 bele, but while I was finally able to catch two or three people a day at most, Rille-nee was working much harder than me, selling bouquets. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you, Rille-nee? I couldn¡¯t have survived on my own. We both do our parts.¡± So, why don¡¯t you cheer up? I tilted my head and looked at my sister. In fact, I don¡¯t know if I would have been strong enough if I were alone. We live by supporting each other. Rille-nee snorted. ¡°Aime is a good girl. You¡¯re smart too,¡± Rille-nee said then patted me on the head. I was embarrassed while feeling very, very happy, and my heart raced like a dog that had just been rewarded and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Rille-nee was a good girl. She was only 12 years old, and she was taking care of her sister. She was kind, and cute; a big sister who I can boast about. I love her so much. ¡°There they are¨D¨D¨D!¡± A young voice echoed through the night, and we bounced up. Small shadows were gathering to our right. I pulled on Rille-nee¡¯s hand as she had frozen in fear, and we left our belongings and ran in the opposite direction, but there were too many of them tonight. There were people chasing us from this direction as well. All of them were children. I guess you could call them a children¡¯s gang. If anyone who wasn¡¯t one of them was caught, then they would go through a horrible experience. ¡°Waaaaah!!¡± I shouted and scattered the children in front of us with only my energy. However, there were some older children who weren¡¯t intimidated by my scream, and we would kick and punch if someone grabbed our clothes or arm. In my previous life, I had visited a Shorinji Kempo [1] dojo owned by a friend of my father¡¯s, and although I can¡¯t use any great techniques, I remembered how to escape when someone grabbed my arm (by freeing my hand, pulling it back and thrusting my elbow towards the opponent) and that poking someone¡¯s eyes during a fight to blind them was effective. You can do a lot of damage just by putting your fingertips near someone¡¯s eyes, just like if you were brushing away a bug. But the gang was tenacious. They were unusually tenacious. They were hot on our heels. I ran out of energy before Rille-nee and she was pulling me along. This isn¡¯t good, we¡¯ll be caught at this rate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rille-nee!¡± After apologising, I scattered our daily earnings behind me. The copper coins made a high-pitched sound as they hit the pebbles on the roadside. When us poor people hear this sound, we reflexively search the ground. ¡°Money! A lot of money fell~!¡± I shouted to make sure they knew there was money on the ground, and our young pursuers were so simple that they became absorbed in picking the money up. While they were doing this, I ran with the last of my stamina and hid behind a merchant¡¯s house that we had set up as a shelter. It was a wealthy merchant¡¯s house and they hired guards. The guards were strong men who patrolled the premises at night, and the children gang didn¡¯t come here because they would be beaten if they were found. ¡°Aime, are you hurt?¡± ¡°Yeah. I got a little scratched up but I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Where?¡± What about you, Rille-nee? She took my arm before I could ask this, and she checked the condition of my small scratch in the moonlight. She was an amazing big sister. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ok. How about you Rille-nee? Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She was probably lying. How could she be fine when she had just been mobbed by the children gang? She was trying not to worry me, but well I guess she wouldn¡¯t have been seriously injured from that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rille-nee. I lost a lot of money.¡± ¡°You did what you had to. Life is more important than money. You did the right thing, Aime.¡± I was relieved to see that Rille-nee wasn¡¯t angry at all. I was really glad that I have a smart sister. The children¡¯s gang were a bunch of orphans just like us. They basically make a living by begging, but they¡¯re territorial and troublesome. You might think we should join them, but there was a big problem. I read an article in my previous world which said that bad adults were forcing poor children to beg and then they would collect the money that the children had earned. The adults would sometimes cut off the limbs of healthy children on purpose to gain more sympathy, and the worst part was that the children got little to no share of the money they had begged for. Some of the children who were chasing us had no arms or legs, so I had a really bad feeling about it. Moreover, it seemed that those children even stole. You should never commit a crime, no matter how hard your life is. From my experience and from observing the people around me, there are times when good deeds go unrewarded, but bad deeds will most likely be rewarded. Even if we forget to thank someone for their kindness, it was surely human nature to hit back when we get hit. That was why we were running away from them and trying not to become one of them. But there was a limit to that. There are many orphans in this city. Inside the large fortress city, there are slums in the nooks and the disparity was too great compared to the central section where the wealthy merchants live. Perhaps there were many parents who abandoned their children in poverty, just as my sister and I had been abandoned. I also saw brothels around the place, and I could imagine that people in such places might have children without planning to and then they would abandon them. Abandoned children would form a gang, and when they grew up, they would use other children; it was an endless cycle. It was impossible for us to become one of them, so we might have to leave this city sooner or later. It would be nice if we can get off the streets before then, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any plans at the moment. The situation hasn¡¯t changed much even though a year has passed. The subordinate thing is tomorrow¡¯s problem. I took off the shoes that I had picked up from the rubbish dump and counted how much money I had hidden inside with Rille-nee. We were well-prepared. ¡°I have 500.¡± ¡°I have 600.¡± Together that makes 1100. I guess we should have hidden more. There were only 1 and 100 bele coins, and no 500 bele coins, so it hurt to put too many coins inside our shoes. Incidentally, I heard that 1000 bele was a silver coin and 10,000 bele was a gold coin. I¡¯ve never seen them before, but a chatty customer told me about this. ¡°I left the tools behind. We¡¯ll have to get them in the morning.¡± ¡°They might be waiting for us there. Or they might have already taken the tools.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°We can look for new tools. We have enough money to eat tomorrow, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡± I cheered up the anxious Rille-nee and slept while being vigilant about my surroundings. However, I discovered a big problem the next day. When we went to the store to buy food like always, the stout bakery owner knitted his eyebrow and trusted the copper coin back at us. ¡°Look at it. If you want to pay with this, then it¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°What?¡± I picked up one of the coins and almost screamed when I checked it. Ah, it¡¯s a bad coin ¨D¨D¨D!! In short, it was counterfeit money. It was accepted because there wasn¡¯t enough money in circulation, but its value was only half of the real thing. I-I didn¡¯t notice. This was the greatest mistake of my life. Wah, I¡¯m really sorry, Rille-nee! In the end, we took out all the money we had and bought enough food for the two of us. We were penniless again. I was speechless and Rille-nee said with a lifeless expression, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Misfortune will come even if you live a good life. Then, should I become a bad person? Volume 1 - CH 4 I¡¯m making my debut as a criminal. I can¡¯t say that. Just like how your heart stops beating when you suddenly step into a cold pool, committing a crime you¡¯re not used to can kill you. Most importantly, I can¡¯t disgrace Rille-nee. However, I was certainly pushed to a point where I had to commit a crime. Since the number of bouquet sellers and shoe-shiners have increased lately. I went to the tailor to get some scraps, but they were already out of stock, and there were unpleasant people hanging around the chapel. They¡¯ve completely eaten up our market share. They were also pushy and even we were wary of them. Nowadays we can barely make 100 bele, and we can¡¯t eat anything for three or four days. I spent most of my waking and sleeping hours thinking about food, and I spent my days miserably searching around restaurants for leftovers. We were back to square one, or maybe even worse. Rotten bits of vegetable, the little meat left on the bone, and mouldy bread that was all sour and bitter, but I could swallow them down from the beginning without a second thought. I cried at my own resilience. But even after eating all that, I couldn¡¯t satisfy my hunger at all. I worked hard to eliminate hunger from the world in my previous life, so I never believed that I would become someone who was suffering from hunger in another world. Back then, I understood the seriousness of the situation in theory, but I hadn¡¯t experienced it personally. I could optimistically say that I was experiencing it well. If only I could go back to my old world. I would meet Rille-nee at our pre-arranged sleeping place at night. To increase our work and food searching efficiency, we would split up during the day and share any gains at night, but on this day, we had nothing for each other since even the leftovers were taken by the other children and all I got was fatigue from walking around. We didn¡¯t even have the energy to talk, so we slumped against the wall of the tailor¡¯s store. We might be able to get some scraps tomorrow if we hide here. We just have to be careful, so that it doesn¡¯t get stolen. For now, I¡¯ll just rest. I thought as I closed my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t sleep because of my hunger. I heard the sound of air rushing into my empty stomach every time I took a deep breath. It sounded like a creepy growl. I tilted my head to my right and hit Rille-nee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­ Are you alright?¡± Rille-nee was still awake and she stroked my cheeks with her fingertips. ¡°Yep¡­¡± I barely managed to answer and Rille-nee¡¯s voice didn¡¯t have any energy at all. Rille-nee¡¯s shoulders have become thinner, and her bone pierced my temple and made it hurt. I pulled my head away from her and looked up at the sky to see the full moon peeking over the city walls. I was jealous of its round and fat shape. We can¡¯t even eat human food and we¡¯re getting thinner and thinner from starving¡­ I even came to hate non-living things. My mind was probably affected by my body. The hunger and lack of sleep were making me emotionally unstable. I began to wonder why we were the only ones who had to suffer such misfortunes. I felt as if I was carrying all the misfortunes of this world. I guess I was still in my right mind seeing as how I can see how ridiculous that thought was. When I was finally dozing off, I felt Rille-nee move next to me. I did my best to bring back my sinking consciousness and finally opened my heavy eyelids. The white moon which had risen to the top of the city, illuminated the empty ground next to me. ¡°¡­ Rille-nee?¡± I received no reply. Rille-nee was gone. My sleepiness was gone in an instant and I quickly looked around. The town was bustling in the daytime, but most of the stores closed their wooden doors at night and it was quiet. However, the liquor stores were still open, and their orange lights lit up the streets at night. Where did Rille-nee go? I didn¡¯t see any signs of a struggle, so I don¡¯t think she was kidnapped¡­ but I told her not to move around alone at night. Even if she was hungry and went to find some food, she wouldn¡¯t have left without saying anything to me first. I frantically ran through the night while feeling worried and anxious. I should have probably woken up sooner. I don¡¯t think she would have gotten very far yet, but I couldn¡¯t find her anywhere in front or behind the alley where we slept. She might have gone into one of the countless alleys connected to this one. I had no choice but to check each one, and I finally found her in the third alley. In front of the hut that was leaking orange light, she handed the young man with the burn on his cheek, who brought hair, cloth, and a slightly dirty old man with a stubble held her shoulders. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s packed inside. So, take this downstairs,¡± the young man said. I didn¡¯t understand the situation right away. I stood still in the darkness and hesitated to speak to Rille-nee, she disappeared in the hut with the man and the young man returned inside after he watched them walk off. I could hear some strange sounds coming from the hut if I listened carefully. This can¡¯t be¡­ My heart pounded because of my bad premonition, and I rushed after Rille-nee. Then, at the end of the road, I saw shadows on top of each other on the ground. ¡°FIREEEEE!!¡± I shouted in desperation. The shadow that had been on top jumped up in surprise. ¡°IT¡¯S RIGHT OVER THERE! IT¡¯S COMING THIS WAY~!¡± People rushed out from the nearby houses at the sound of my voice and the surrounding area became noisy. A fire was a serious matter since there were many wooden buildings in the city. As the man rushed out into the street, I quickly grabbed Rille-nee¡¯s hand as she laid on the ground and ran away. I ran and ran and kept on running. I finally ran out of energy when I couldn¡¯t hear the people anymore and stopped. When I looked back, I saw Rille-nee¡¯s eyes were wet and shining under the moonlight. ¡°A-aime¡­?¡± She was embarrassed. I also teared up as I fixed the cloth that had exposed her bare chest. ¡°Are you alright? He didn¡¯t do anything to you?¡± Rille-nee gasped in surprise. She realised that I knew what she was going to do at that place and crouched down in shame. ¡°Rille-nee, you can¡¯t sell yourself. You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± That hair buyer had even helped her get into prostitution. There were probably a lot of girls around Rille-nee¡¯s age in that hut. I knew we shouldn¡¯t have approached him. ¡°¡­ But that person said he would give me 5,000 bele.¡± Rille-nee said while looking down. With just an amount that can be used up in just a few days¡­ No, the amount wasn¡¯t the problem. ¡°Rille-nee, that isn¡¯t enough money. Who told you about that?¡± ¡°I met a girl selling flowers during the day. She said that¡¯s how all girls earn their money. She said if I ask the hair buyer, then he¡¯ll introduce me to someone who could give me some money¡­ I couldn¡¯t let you do it, Aime. So, I did it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you do it either!¡± I shouted loudly, and Rille-nee looked up in surprise to see me sobbing. ¨D¨D¨D Ah, how helpless. Why didn¡¯t God give me a cheat? If God had given me a cheat, then I would have been able to get rid of all the bastards who did something to her whether they be our father, monsters, or the Great Devil of the 6th Heaven, and let her live a peaceful life. God gave me wisdom? Hmph. The knowledge from my previous life is of no use at all! Everything that I¡¯ve spent my whole life studying is useless! It won¡¯t get us out of this predicament! ¡°Aime¡­¡± Rille-nee hugged me. She rubbed my bony back with her gentle hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Big Sister made a mistake. I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t cry.¡± No, no, Rille-nee. It¡¯s not your fault. I just feel disappointed in myself. I decided to protect you, but in the end, I¡¯m still being comforted and supported by you. ¡°¡­ Haha.¡± I said without realizing while in Rille-nee¡¯s arms. ¡°Aime?¡± I could feel her looking at me questioningly. ¡°Ahaha.¡± I laughed on my own volition this time. I felt pathetic that I couldn¡¯t protect her even if I had to go to such lengths as scavenging through rubbish and begging miserably. Even so, it looked much worse to whimper. ¡°Ahahahahaha!¡± Laugh, laugh it out. Stop crying. ¡°Gah, hahahahaha! Ahahahaha, gaaah.¡± ¡°A-aime?¡± I wanted to vomit a little because of my weak throat. Rille-nee looked a little frightened. I¡¯m not going crazy or anything, you know? ¡°Rille-nee, laugh too.¡± I got out from under her arm and asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never laughed. If you laugh when you¡¯re happy, then you¡¯ll be happy when you laugh.¡± Crying while miserable was boring and common. So, I¡¯ll laugh away my pitifulness, hunger and pain. Good fortune comes to those who laugh. Let¡¯s force ourselves to raise our spirits, which have plummeted to rock bottom, and our luck will rise! It was no use thinking about bad things all the time. Despair was the conclusion of fools. It will be sunny after it rains, and tomorrow the wind will blow! ¡°Hahahahahahaha, guh, ahahahahahah, gah.¡± ¡°A-aime. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡± ¡°Ahyahyahyahyahya!¡± ¡°¡­ Pfft.¡± Rille-nee, who was confused, also laughed when I burst into laughter. ¡°Ahahaahahahaha! Geh.¡± ¡°Kyahahahaha!¡± ¡°SHUT UPP!!¡± Someone came out from a nearby house and yelled at us while we were laughing. We apologised to the young man, who was seething with anger, and ran away. Then, when we collapsed on the side of the road from exhaustion, the tears in Rille-nee and my eyes had already dried up and we were smiling at each other. ¡°Rille-nee.¡± I held Rille-nee¡¯s hand as I laid down on the ground. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop living for just today.¡± Let¡¯s take this opportunity to change our mindset. We¡¯ve been so busy living in the moment that we¡¯ve forgotten about what¡¯s important. ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± ¡°Imagine it. What kind of person do you want to be when you grow up? What kind of person do you want to be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Rille-nee looked troubled. It was certainly difficult to think about ten years from now when you don¡¯t even know if you¡¯ll still be alive tomorrow and it may seem ridiculous. But let¡¯s try to forget about the current situation and imagine it. In other words, this is what it means to have hope. ¡°I want to become a person who can make a lot of money.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By doing something that will make me and everyone else happy. Then, I¡¯ll eat bread every day.¡± ¡°Every day?¡± Rille-nee¡¯s voice sounded lively. ¡°That sounds nice.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it? Then, I¡¯ll build a house, a big one. The rats won¡¯t come in. I¡¯ll keep it clean.¡± ¡°Oh, amazing. ¨D¨D¨D Ah, then why don¡¯t you make a garden? If we grow a lot of beautiful flowers and make a big bouquet, then we can sell it for 500 bele.¡± ¡°That sounds great. Why don¡¯t we build a flower shop? I¡¯m good at growing flowers. If we can make a lot of money from it, then we can buy food, shoes and beautiful clothes.¡± ¡°Like the ones with frills?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll look like nobles.¡± Rille-nee¡¯s giggle voice was soothing to my ears. I¡¯m getting a little sleepy. I was exhausted after running, crying and laughing a lot. ¡°¡­ Rille-nee. Don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be here forever even if we¡¯re here tomorrow and the day after. We¡¯re going to go to many places and meet many people. You have to treasure yourself for when that happens.¡± I put these things into words as a lesson. ¡°Always think about the fun things that lie ahead. Then, you¡¯ll know what to do and what not to do¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Ok.¡± I slowly closed my eyelids after I heard her reply. I was able to dream for the first time in a long time that night. Volume 1 - CH 5 It¡¯s not enough to just live. What was necessary for a stable life? A house, food, clothes and many other things, but first was money. You need a steady job to have a stable income. Some think about how to make some money every day. Also, get rid of the idea of being supported by someone else once and for all. Yes, we need to get regular jobs. We need a job to get out of the lower poor class as quickly as possible and into the middle class. There was no law against child labour in this world anyway. So, I decided to look for a place that needed help while looking for food. The only thing to keep in mind was to make sure it wasn¡¯t an entertainment place. I warned Rille-nee that she couldn¡¯t accept jobs where someone didn¡¯t tell her what she was supposed to do and just took her somewhere. A quick look around town revealed that there were a variety of jobs. There were a lot of retail shops and the most common were cloth shops. I often saw peddlers in wagons trading a large quantity of cloth in front of stores, so that might be this region¡¯s specialty. Other than that, there were many inns and restaurants. There were also a few bars, probably because a lot of people came from outside. There were also a few blacksmiths and other shops around. I saw people washing dishes at the restaurants, workers loading cargo at the carrier services where there were a lot of horses, and employees sweeping the entrance of inns and large merchant shops. We thought we could get jobs at these places, so we tried talking to them, but it wasn¡¯t that easy. It was hard to get a job when people were afraid that we would misbehave when we approached them. Even when I finally got a job washing dishes or cleaning the entrance, they really only gave me enough pocket money for a kid, and they only ask me to do it when they¡¯re busy. But I¡¯ll do anything, so it was fine for me to receive a small amount of money for it. They instantly become reluctant when I ask them to hire me. It wasn¡¯t like I was asking for two days off a week and 300,000 yen for social security benefits, so why won¡¯t you hire me? You tell me you want someone who can do the work straight away, but if I can do that without being taught, then I¡¯d start my own company. No, well, that was the complaint of a friend from my previous life. Honestly, I didn¡¯t have trouble finding a job myself, so I took it lightly. Can¡¯t they hire a motivated five-year-old? I was supposed to meet up with Rille-nee at night even if there was nothing important to talk about. I exchanged the few coins I had earned for pea soup and bread, and I shared it with her before I reported the results of my scouting. ¡°I tried a lot of places, but everywhere turned me down.¡± Rille-nee¡¯s results were the same as mine. Most of the small shops are family run because they can¡¯t afford to hire anyone, and the big stores don¡¯t want to deal with dirty kids. I wanted them to hire both of us if possible¡­ Both Rille-nee and I sighed, then quickly regained our composure. No, no. Stop getting depressed. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Now, don¡¯t give up and let¡¯s look around. I know there are places that will hire us. Let¡¯s look for jobs while earning a little bit of money.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right. We have to try hard.¡± Although she was speaking in a strong voice, her face showed signs of fatigue. I was probably the same. I was spending a lot of energy and not replenishing it in time. I was only managing to move with my willpower. People say that you will die if you don¡¯t have enough energy to be active but have to move around. There is no leisure for the poor. So, I went around town looking for work without rest the next day. I left Rille-nee in the middle of the main street and went into the back alleys. Some of the stores looked suspicious, like the hair seller huts, but there were also ordinary stores. There were also shopping streets with tents to shelter from rain and sun, which sold piles of vegetables, grains and daily necessities on the stands. I set my sights on one of them. ¡°Hello.¡± I smiled at the middle-aged woman who was selling produce and greeted her politely. Even in this world, bending your back and bowing was also a way to ask for a favour or show respect. The woman, whose face was wrinkled like a red bean bun, called out my name in a friendly manner, ¡°Hi Aime.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here again today.¡± ¡°Yup! Do you need help with anything?!¡± I have been coming here every day since I bought some fruit as a customer. I was in the middle of my plan to impress her by showing her that I wasn¡¯t a bad child while shopping, and then gradually gain her trust, and get a job by offering to help her without being pushy. I also took advantage of the shopkeeper¡¯s chatty nature and told her about my life to gain her sympathy. ¡°Then, can you pick the cleanest ones from this box and put them in the front for me?¡± She had usually turned me away politely by saying she didn¡¯t need help, but today, she gave me a job. It was a simple job. I had to put as many blemish-free fruits at the front of the stand as I could and put the ones with insect bites and half-rotten ones at the back (but they still sell, apparently). I was paid with six bags of unsold European pear-like fruits with insect bites on them. Yay! Her guard was definitely down! But well, I don¡¯t think I was anywhere near getting hired, though. I was just glad I got some food. We spent most of our money yesterday, so I was relieved since I was afraid we wouldn¡¯t be able to eat anything today. I still had some time before I had to meet Rille-nee in the evening, so I slowly made my way back to the main street while looking for a new place to work. A peculiar smell hit my nose on the way. The smell was coming from a small, cosy shop. It was probably an apothecary. In a city full of all kinds of scents and odours, the smell of herbs which were similar to Chinese herbs, was different. I¡¯ve walked by this place several times, but the entrance was always closed, and there was an open window which had no glass, through which the smell leaked out from. I didn¡¯t know if it was open for business or not, but there was a sign out front. I can¡¯t read the words of this world yet, but I can guess if a sign says something like ¡®Open¡¯ or ¡®Welcome¡¯. I¡¯ve seen the same words a lot on the signs in front of other stores, so I was pretty sure I was right. However, the tightly shut door didn¡¯t seem to welcome customers at all. The exterior of the shop was also eerie, with ivy crawling on one wall, giving it a dark and gloomy impression. I wondered what kind of medicine they were selling. My instincts were telling me that it was best to avoid this place. I quickly walked past the shop and met up with Rille-nee in the evening without any further success. Rille-nee hadn¡¯t made any money today, so we were both absorbed in biting into the fruit and sipping the dripping juice for a while. ¡°How was it?¡± Needless to say, it wasn¡¯t good, but when I asked Rille-nee how the fruit was, she answered with the fruit still in her mouth, ¡°Hmmm?¡± I waited for a while, but she didn¡¯t continue. ¡°¡­ Rille-nee? Are you alright? Are you tired?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m fine.¡± She smiled. It didn¡¯t seem like she was forcing herself to smile, but it was mildly uncomfortable, and I spoke again. ¡°If possible, it would be nice if we can work and live in the same place.¡± I wanted to say live-in, but my vocabulary was still lacking in this world. I wondered if that kind of work existed in this city. ¡°Hmm~¡­¡± Rille-nee¡¯s response was vague once again. ¡°If we work at a restaurant, I wonder if they¡¯ll give us food to eat. Do you want to look for work in that area?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Huh¡­ oh, now she was ignoring me. ¡°¡­ Rille-nee?¡± Rille-nee¡¯s body collapsed to the ground. ¡°Rille-nee?¡± For a moment, I stupidly thought that the fruit had been poisoned. But Rille-nee¡¯s breath was rough and her body was hot, is this¡­ A cold? No, what if it was something worse than a cold? No, but the common cold was also dangerous! I knew numerous ways in which she could have gotten sick. Her fever was high, so she must have been holding it in this whole time. She had probably been sick for a long time. Argh, how could I not have known?! Even though it was still early autumn, she will die if I leave her on the dirty streets. I quickly put her on my back and dragged my feet since I wasn¡¯t able to lift her up, then I rushed to a certain place. Volume 1 - CH 6 The sun had set. The nearby stores were closed, and the quiet alley still smelled faintly of medicine. There were no hospital-like facilities in town, and I had no way of knowing where a good doctor was, so I had no choice but to rely on this small apothecary. Fortunately, there was a light leaking through the closed door, and I knew that there was someone inside. I shouted at the door while being careful not to drop Rille-nee, ¡°Excuse me!¡± Soon after, the door was unlocked from inside and a well-built owner appeared. From the store¡¯s outward appearance and the occupation, I had imagined a suspicious old woman, but it was a big man who I had to look up to. He seemed twice as tall as me, and his head bumped against the top of the doorway. Half of his face was visible by the candlelight behind him, but the other half was covered in darkness. His long, black almond eyes were sharp and emotionless. Honestly, I was extremely scared. However, I couldn¡¯t stay scared in this situation. ¡°Please examine my older sister! I need medicine!¡± The man with short hair frowned and folded his arms while blocking the entrance. ¡°Quickly!¡± ¡°¡­ Do you have money?¡± ¡°I do!¡± I wasn¡¯t lying. Whether it was enough or not was a different story. The man jerked his chin and silently told me to enter. The intricate smell became even stronger as I stepped inside. There were things stuffed messily on the big shelf, and there was a counter at the back. The man carried Rille-nee further behind this as if she was a small package. There was a living space which wasn¡¯t visible from the store front. There was a bed in the small room and the man laid Rille-nee down on it. I stayed close to Rille-nee and carefully observed his behaviour. I rushed here to ask for help, but I was prepared to immediately run away if I felt like we were in trouble. However, I don¡¯t know how far I can run with Rille-nee on my back. Whether he knew I was on my guard or not, the man quickly checked Rille-nee¡¯s pulse, looked inside her mouth, pressed her stomach, and examined her with experienced hands. After a while, he nodded his head as if understood what was wrong with her, then he scooped some hot water into a bowl from the large pot on the stove, took out a few packages from a drawer on the shelf and dissolved the powder into the hot water. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It warms the body from within and is a nourishing tonic.¡± After a brief explanation, the man picked Rille-nee up and fed her the medicine little by little. Rille-nee was in a daze, so he took his time and slowly fed her the medicine, so that she wouldn¡¯t choke. When Rille-nee had drunk about half of it, the man laid her down again. ¡°She¡¯ll start sweating after a while. Wipe her sweat off and have her eat something when she wakes up and she¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°¡­ Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a cold.¡± ¡­ I guess I can trust him for now. I felt like Rille-nee¡¯s breathing had become clmer. Thank god ¨D¨D¨D. I felt the tension left my body and fell to my knees next to the bed, then the man put his hand on my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re a little hot too.¡± Ah, yeah, I guess I am. The man¡¯s hand felt nice and cold. I¡¯ve been holding back, or rather, I¡¯ve been forcing myself by convincing myself that sickness and health start with the mind. The truth was that my whole body felt sluggish, and I was a little warm. ¡°Drink this.¡± I was offered the half-empty cup of medicine, which I drank obediently. The medicine didn¡¯t have a strong bitter taste to it, but it left a faint sour aftertaste. I didn¡¯t think it tasted good, but it seemed to contain the ingredients that my body was craving right now. I drank it all down, handed the bowl back to the man, then I handed him the bag that I was using as a wallet. ¡°Hmm¡­ I have some money, but not a lot.¡± There wasn¡¯t even 100 beles in the bag. The man received the bag and smiled wryly. ¡°I knew it would turn out like this.¡± It was a nihilistic smile and in the dim light, was plain scary. If this man had expected that we would be short on money, what did he want to ask for? ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to Rille-nee.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± The man was stunned for a moment when I said that first, but then he quickly smiled again. ¡°Do you even know what that means?¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯ll pay you back in other ways. If you refuse, then I¡¯ll riot until I die.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t threaten me without hesitation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also curse you after I¡¯m dead.¡± I tried speaking in a low voice, hoping that it would scare him a little, but he was still smiling. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m actually a woman though.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I heard an unbelievable word and went blank. The woman picked me up and laid me down next to Rille-nee while I was spacing out. ¡°You¡¯re a woman?¡± She grabbed my wrist and pulled it down over her crotch without hesitation. ¡°See.¡± Oh, oooh, how daring of her to suddenly grab my hand and make me touch her crotch. There really wasn¡¯t anything there. If there were, then he would have been a perv. I would have crushed them. ¡°I used to be a soldier, and my build is a remnant of those times.¡± It wasn¡¯t just her body; her face also had manly features, and she also had a low voice. Well, there are all sorts of people in the world. There may be masculine women and vice versa. Anyway, women can become soldiers? Or was she mistaken for a man? Whatever the case, being called a soldier suited her more than being called a pharmacist. ¡°Are you sisters orphans?¡± I figured she was asking about our history with that question, so I told her everything since our parents disappeared. While I was talking, the woman got a clean cloth and wiped the sweat off Rille-nee and I. What should I say¡­? She let us in even though she didn¡¯t know our identities, lent us her bed, gave us medicine while knowing that we didn¡¯t have any money to pay for it, and listened to our life story¡­ Isn¡¯t she the perfect sucker, or even an extremely nice person? It seemed like it would be worth negotiating with her. I boldly grabbed her arm as she laid down. ¡°Please. I¡¯ll do my best to pay you back for the medicine. I¡¯ll work hard. Extremely hard. I will.¡± I begged desperately using all the words I knew and also using the fact that I was sick. If we went back outside, we would get sick again. I couldn¡¯t let Rille-nee die on the streets like this. She still didn¡¯t know how good food is, how warm beds are, how good baths are, how safe it is to live in a house where there aren¡¯t any holes, or what a happy family is like. Nothing. I was desperate to show her. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough money to hire someone either.¡± Her excuse was predictable. It was something that I had been told many times before. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll try a different approach. ¡°¡­ You need money even though you opened a store, right?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± One of her eyebrows shot up to show her interest. ¡°You need to use money in the beginning to make profit. It¡¯s not a waste of money, it¡¯s necessary money. Don¡¯t you think the same about us?¡± ¡°Initial investment?¡± ¡°Yeah. Kids are your future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a funny way of putting it.¡± I¡¯m glad you think it¡¯s funny. I smiled and continued in a more cheerful voice. ¡°Both Rille-nee and I are hard workers. We¡¯ll make this place more profitable. We¡¯re good at business.¡± ¡°Ooh~?¡± ¡°Try us out first. If you don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth it, then you can drive us out. How about trying us for one month?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She cleared the back of her throat. ¡°Well, I guess I should have you work to pay for the medicine you took.¡± Oh? She was joking, but I had managed to convince her. ¡°Really?! Then, I¡¯d like to discuss the details while we¡¯re at it. This will make it easier for you to pay us. I can do anything around the house.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, go to sleep. You¡¯ll never get better if you keep going on like this.¡± I felt like she was just giving me a random reply to put a kid who couldn¡¯t fall asleep to sleep, but I¡¯ll take that as negotiations successful!? Is this the effect of laughing belatedly? I think I¡¯m finally getting lucky! I don¡¯t have any proof that she¡¯ll hire us forever, but there was hope since she had let us in. I wish I had come here sooner. Anyway, I was so relieved to have finally found a temporary shelter that I forgot to ask the name of my employer and fell asleep. Volume 1 - CH 7 We were sold while we were asleep. Nope, that didn¡¯t happen! Yay! I was surprised by how things progressed quickly and leapt up, and surprisingly still found myself on the bed. It was a habit of mine to be suspicious of people. ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± The pharmacist, who was sitting in a chair in front of the table, raised her head at the same time I got up. ¡°How do you feel?¡± She asked as she opened the window behind her to let in the morning sunlight. I wonder if she had just woken up. We used her bed last night, so did she sleep on the chair? Woah, I¡¯m really sorry. Rille-nee was still sleeping next to me and was breathing softly. The medical powder seemed to have helped a lot, and although I still felt a bit tired, I was fine. ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking much better too.¡± She kneeled beside the bed and checked my pulse to make sure my fever had gone down. She didn¡¯t seem as scary as last night now that I was seeing her again up close under the morning light. She looked handsome and her eyes were a bit too sharp, which made her seem dignified. ¡°Hmm, thank you very much.¡± I sat upright on the bed, bowed deeply once, and then quickly raised my head. ¡°I was serious last night. I¡¯ll work better than medicine. What should I do? I¡¯ll do anything.¡± I made sure that last night¡¯s discussion wasn¡¯t forgotten while expressing my gratitude. ¡°Hmm, well¡­¡± She hesitated a little. You didn¡¯t take me seriously, did you? But I¡¯ve already gotten your word for it. ¡°I¡¯m Aime. My sister is Ridill. Please tell me your name, Employer.¡± I emphasized ¡®Employer¡¯. I acted as if everything was set in stone. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s Giselle.¡± Her name sounded feminine. I used my best smile on her while secretly thinking it was cute. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Giselle! I¡¯m relieved, we would have died on the roadside if you had thrown us out. I¡¯ve also recovered.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alright, I won. She must have a righteous personality being an ex-soldier, and she probably doesn¡¯t take human life lightly since she¡¯s a pharmacist. She wouldn¡¯t let kids she had saved die. ¡°¡­ Just to let you know, I¡¯m really poor, okay? I can¡¯t afford to pay you a good salary and I can¡¯t afford to give you good food either. I also only have this small room to sleep in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± Giselle reminded me negatively, but people should be satisfied without desiring more wealth. We can sleep soundly on the floor, and I won¡¯t ask for a high salary since she¡¯s helping us out and letting us stay here. ¡°¡­ Aime?¡± Rille-nee woke up too while we were talking. She rubbed her eyes, looked at me, and then at Giselle. Then she looked around the room and asked a lot of questions about our current situation. ¡°Huh, oh, you¡¯re a woman?¡± First, she was surprised by this fact. Giselle seemed used to this and acted normal instead of getting angry. After that, when Rille-nee heard about the job that had very good conditions, large tears started dripping down her eyes. ¡°Th-th-thank you very much!¡± She was very moved since we finally found jobs after being driven away for so long. It was the first time in our lives that a stranger had shown us kindness, so that also made her more emotional. Rille-nee repeatedly thanked Giselle while crying and I rubbed her back. She seemed to be feeling much better. I glanced at Giselle and saw that she looked like a fawn who had been cornered at the edge of a cliff and had given up. With that being said! I finally got us a job somewhat forcefully! Whether or not we will be hired for a long time will depend on how well we can produce results within the one-month deadline. We were eager to start working on the day we got the job, but Giselle pushed us back on the bed. ¡°Rest today. You can work after you¡¯ve recovered.¡± Then, she made us soup with pieces of bread floating in it for breakfast. It was like porridge. There was only one chair at the table, so Rille-nee and I ate in bed. The bowl that was used for the medicine yesterday was being used again. The soup was blank and tasteless. It wasn¡¯t very tasty, but it was nice to be able to fill my stomach with something warm. I had the luxury of lounging around all day as a sick person. Giselle opened the store and checked up on us from time to time. She cooked us lunch and dinner, so we were full even though we didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°¡­ Is it alright for her to treat us this well?¡± Rille-nee was puzzled the whole time even as we were having dinner. I was feeling strange too. We really haven¡¯t been treated well¡­ The next morning. ¡°We can work now!¡± Rille-nee¡¯s fever had completely gone down and we were feeling much better, so we rushed to Giselle. ¡°I can do all the chores!¡± ¡°I can greet the guests! I can even attract them in!¡± ¡°Al-alright, alright.¡± We were selling ourselves so hard that Giselle pulled away slightly, not because she wanted us to leave her alone, but our enthusiasm made her a little uncomfortable. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re motivated, but we need to do something about your clothes first.¡± ¡°Our clothes?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t have apothecary clerks who are filthy.¡± It was obvious why Giselle said that. Rille-nee and I were wearing dresses that were worn out from living on the streets. This may be fine for shoe-shining or selling bouquets, but it wasn¡¯t good for an apothecary which dealt with things that people ate. So, Giselle took us to a second-hand clothing store in town to get some new clothes. There were a lot of second-hand clothing stores for commoners downtown, and kid¡¯s clothes that get outgrown can be purchased at a reasonable price. We chose simple designs since embroidery would make it more expensive, but the flared skirt made it cuter. Giselle gave us the initial investment. After I washed up, Rille-nee cut my hair, which had grown to my shoulders, to my nape. The next day, on the third day after moving in, we finally started working. Giselle, who had already been forced to spend a lot of money, seemed to have completely changed her attitude. ¡°I¡¯ll work you hard,¡± she declared and began training at the same time as when the store was open for business. ¡°Medicine and poison are the same. Don¡¯t touch them if you don¡¯t have complete knowledge of them.¡± Giselle taught us what pharmacists should know. Naturally, but the same was true for anything that was excessively taken. Even water has a lethal amount, so we needed to be even more careful when it came to medicine. During her free time, Giselle would teach us about the ingredients and benefits of the medicines on the shelf, let us touch and smell the medicines, and helped us remember their characteristics so we don¡¯t get them confused. This store only sold herbal medicine. In Japan, it was called traditional medicine and was the same as Chinese herbal medicine. Therefore, the ingredients were mostly dried plants and mushrooms. Yes, this was my field of expertise as a graduate of the department of agriculture. Of course, I wasn¡¯t a pharmacist, so I don¡¯t know much about pharmaceuticals, but when it came to extracting active ingredients from natural resources, I was in my element. Needless to say, my intellectual curiosity as an ex-researcher was greatly stimulated by all the things I had never seen before. Not only did she tell us what kind of medicine it was and what it did, she also told us in detail about the environment in which the ingredients were harvested and how they were extracted, processed and blended. I was so excited that I forgot to use formal language and made Giselle flinch. But even I can¡¯t remember everything that was being told to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can I borrow this?¡± I raised my hand in the middle of the explanation and asked for a piece of paper and pen, which were placed on the counter. ¡°Huh? Yeah.¡± I dipped the wooden pen with a brush-like tip into the ink pot after Giselle had dubiously given me permission to use it, and wrote down what I heard on the thin, stiff piece of paper that looked like straw paper with rough fibres. Then, Rille-nee, who was peeking at me from the side, shouted in surprise. ¡°You can write?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Oh, by the way, I was writing in Japanese. I don¡¯t know the letters here yet. ¡°I thought of this myself. I¡¯ll teach you later.¡± ¡°Wow, amazing. Teach me, teach me!¡± She was impressed when I said that calmly, Rille-nee was really cute and honest. But Giselle, who was peeking at the paper, gave me a funny look. ¡°So, you understand it?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± ¡°¡­ Give it to me.¡± Giselle quickly wrote on a new piece of paper and pointed out one by one that this was the medicine that she had just explained. ¡°You should at least be able to read the names of the medicines.¡± ¡°Yees!¡± I replied cheerfully. Now I can finally learn to read a little. I studied the letters and medical terminology while helping Giselle with her work. The first day of training went very smoothly. We closed the store before dark and prepared dinner. I used a ladle to transfer water from the water jug to the pot on the stove, and Rille-nee threw in the beans, sheep bones and vegetables into the pot. When the beans swelled and were fully cooked, we seasoned it with salt, and it was done. The chores were taken care of. Cooking, laundry, cleaning, you name it, we can do it. We¡¯re skilled with chores. ¡°It¡¯s ready!¡± We placed the soup in front of Giselle, who was doing the bookkeeping at the table, served ourselves and took our seats facing the store owner. The bowls, spoons, and chairs for the meal were all newly purchased yesterday. We put our mouths around the rim of the bowls and sipped the brothy amber-coloured soup, and it gently flowed down our bodies. ¡°Yup, delicious.¡± Giselle also drank the soup and muttered her thoughts. Today¡¯s dish was also well received. ¡°Rille-nee seasoned it.¡± ¡°Hmm. Rille is a good cook.¡± I called her Rille-nee, so Giselle also started calling her by her nickname. The person who was directly complimented was smiling beside me. ¡°I just sprinkled in some salt.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s better than what I make. I wonder what¡¯s the difference.¡± Giselle asked for another serving while wondering what the difference was. Hmm, we¡¯ve seized her stomach. Everything was going well. We took advantage of this and ate more until the pot was empty. After we finished eating, I pulled the desk to the edge and laid out a cloth next to the bed to make a sleeping spot for Rille-nee and I. It was impossible to put another bed in the living area since it was only as big as four and a half tatami mats[1]. But this was enough. I changed into my old dress that I had used as a nightgown and we were ready for bed, but Giselle was still not sleeping and was working on the bookkeeping and inventory. We couldn¡¯t help her with that, so we decided to lie down on the futon and review the day¡¯s work while looking at my notes. ¡°How do you read this?¡± ¡°Salve. Do you know how to use it?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Rille-nee had a hard time remembering all this because there were too many things to remember in terms of content and letters. I can easily absorb all this information because I had a good foundation, was used to studying and had an interest in it, but Rille-nee was not so lucky. Smoke often blew from her head when Giselle was explaining the medicine during the day, so I thought it was necessary to review what we had learnt, so I held a study session at night. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Hey, it¡¯s time to sleep.¡± I don¡¯t know how much time passed but with Giselle¡¯s words as the signal, the study session came to an end. Rille-nee had reached her limits. ¡°I¡¯m turning it off.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I put away my notes and crawled under the thin summer futon with Rille-nee. Darkness immediately filled the room when Giselle blew the candle, and I felt her step over us and get into bed. ¡°Goodniiight.¡± ¡°Goodnight~.¡± ¡°Night.¡± We said good night to each other, and the day was over. The smell of various medicines mixed in the air was nothing special when you got used to it. The pleasant feeling of fatigue lulled me to a peaceful sleep. It was alright to let it take over. It was fine if it suddenly rained, and no one would attack me from the darkness since I had a roof over my head and walls around me. No matter how shabby or small, a house was important. The sense of security was different. In addition, my stomach was full, and my back and head didn¡¯t hurt because of the thickly laid cloth. I was happy to have something that was normal to have. Volume 1 - CH 8 This was the first stable life I¡¯ve had since my reincarnation. Although we couldn¡¯t live in luxury, we ate every day, studied medicine and gradually learnt how to work. We couldn¡¯t mix the ingredients yet, but we could do simple things like sun-dry the ingredients. Giselle was a wonderful employer, who patiently and carefully taught us, and she was a quiet person, so she didn¡¯t nag us about what we did. My sister and I are content and healthy. I have nothing to complain about. However, on the other hand, I was beginning to have some doubts. ¡°Hmm, I wanted to ask you something.¡± About 20 days after I arrived at the store, I finally asked the owner, who was busy grinding herbs in a mortar at the counter in the afternoon. ¡°Customers don¡¯t come into this store at all, do they?¡± The number of customers that have come to this store since we started working here can be counted on one hand, or even on a finger. It wasn¡¯t thriving at all. But we have been learning smoothly thanks to this store having no customers. ¡°¡­ I told you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Giselle grumbled while still grinding the herbs. ¡°It¡¯s been like this ever since I opened. It¡¯s a good month if I get one customer.¡± ¡°How have you been living?¡± ¡°I¡¯m managing to survive somehow by eating into my savings.¡± Woah, things aren¡¯t looking good~. She was taking this too carefreely. This was a commercial city where stores are constantly being replaced. It wasn¡¯t like she was an old man running a coffee shop as a hobby after retirement. ¡°You¡¯re not working in the underworld or something, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°You have all kinds of drugs. So, there should be medicine that makes you feel good, become addicted, and make your head weird.¡± ¡°Where did you learn that? You know, dangerous drugs like that can¡¯t be sold.¡± Oh, so there are regulations? And you¡¯re complying with them. She really was a good person! I was relieved to hear that, but my worries about the business remained. ¡°Do you advertise? And also, why is the door closed? It¡¯s hard to see that you¡¯re open. It¡¯s also hard to get in.¡± ¡°People passing by will run away when the door is opened. I don¡¯t know why.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I can understand why they would run away when they see someone sitting at the back of the store like an enshrined deity. There was nothing to be afraid of once you knew her personality, but she was big, intimidating, and didn¡¯t talk or even smile, so I guess she wasn¡¯t the right type of person to go into customer service to begin with. But if I don¡¯t do something about this soon, we¡¯ll be back to living on the streets. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Rille-nee! We¡¯re going to make a plan!¡± ¡°H-huh?¡± I called out to Rille-nee, who was arranging the dried medicinal herbs in the store, and immediately thought of a plan. I declared that I would increase the number of customers as a condition for her to hire us. Even if we worked diligently, it would be no use if the store went under. I couldn¡¯t lose the place that I had finally found for us. I¡¯ve discovered something new since my reincarnation. Maybe I was rather good at business. ¡°Welcome! Please try one!¡± In front of the store, I served hot medicinal tea that smelled good to the interested people who came. No one would ignore two cute girls in front of a store, smiling at them and offering them free samples. ¡°Medicinal tea? You don¡¯t have to be sick to drink it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± I mainly stopped the wives who were going to the nearby market to shop. The slender person with a stole wrapped around her face was holding the bowl of medicinal medicine and looking at it in interest. ¡°Medicine has two purposes: those that cure illnesses and those that prevent illnesses.¡± ¡°Please have a try. This one contains zarok leaves and sun nuts. It¡¯s sweet and delicious. It¡¯s good for warming up¡­ and stiff shoulders!¡± Rille-nee¡¯s explanation was perfect. She did her best to remember this. ¡°Oh, it really is delicious. I thought medicine is supposed to be bitter.¡± The woman took a sip and seemed to like it. This had happened the other times as well. I continued to explain, while holding up the packet that contained the ingredients to the medicinal tea for the others to see. ¡°It¡¯s going to get colder from now on. Just mix this powder with hot water and drink it to get warm. See, you¡¯re getting warmer already, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re offering it at a special discounted price right now! You can get 10 packets for 700 beles~.¡± ¡°If you have any other problems with your body, you can ask the owner and she¡¯ll recommend you something good. Right, Rille-nee?!¡± Finally, I called out to the fierce owner sitting at the back of the store which had its doors opened. Then, the people who followed me all looked surprised. ¡°Your sister? This woman?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s our sweet Giselle-neechan!¡± A lot of customers ran away after they saw Giselle, so we told the customers that she was a woman first and called her ¡®Gis-nee¡¯ to show that she wasn¡¯t scary. I¡¯ve already got her approval. ¡°Wow, you three sisters are running a store?¡± Then they¡¯ll think like this. The fierce shopkeeper quickly transformed into an admirable person who was doing her best to survive with her younger sisters. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! She only looks scary. The other day, a kid came to the store and was scared of her, and she panicked.¡± ¡°Aime, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± She immediately said in dissatisfaction. Some people laughed at that. ¡°Anyway, feel free to ask if anything interests you. You can even complain about anything. Look around. Consultations are free!¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Some of them entered the store. Once they knew the owner was a woman, it was easy for them to ask for advice that only someone of the same sex can provide. Gis-nee will prescribe the right medicine for you. Some people just bought the powder for the medicinal tea that we were offering samples of, so I shared my work with Rille-nee and served customers inside and outside of the store. Well, we had a good turnout today. I went to the main street several times a day to sell and advertise the medicine, and we finally started to get some customers. Unlike wildflowers, medicine was a necessity for daily life, and wasn¡¯t something that couldn¡¯t be sold. If you advertise properly and build up a good reputation, you can easily get customers. In addition to advertising, the store¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t look nice, so there were humble efforts behind the scenes such as removing the ivy covering the walls to make it look nicer. And there was something else that I did. ¡°¨D¨D¨D It¡¯s time for me to go.¡± As soon as the customers were mostly gone, Rille-nee and I carried bags filled with medicines for wounds, headaches and stomach-ache, to different merchant houses to replenish their regular medicines. The first thing that came to mind when I heard the word ¡®apothecary¡¯ was a medicine seller in Etchu (former province located in present-day Toyama). It was a nostalgic system where people paid for the amount of medicine they used from the medicine box, and the medicine box was regularly replenished. It was still around when I was a child. But I haven¡¯t seen it since the deregulation happened and medicine became available everywhere. Since many large merchant houses have live-in servants, I tried to recommend medicines to ease their symptoms when they had minor ailments and was able to successfully negotiate with a few of them. Like this, I was able to attract customers who do not come to the store and sales have been steadily increasing. I worked hard during the day and continued to study medicine at night, and time flew by, then before I knew it, the one-month trial period that I had initially proposed had already passed. We had gotten used to Gis-nee and rarely used honorifics nowadays. So, I asked her boldly that night when the store was closed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to throw us out, right?¡± When I asked her the important question straightforwardly, Gis-nee replied in amazement. ¡°I said I got it.¡± ¡°Right?! You can¡¯t run the store without us anymore!¡± She has a regular customer base for her daily medicines such as nourishment tonics, there are always customers coming to her store every day, and it would be hard for her to replenish the medicine boxes at the merchant houses. And most importantly, it was impossible not to feel affection for kids who live with her every day and look up to her as a big sister. Everything went according to plan! Now I have a permanent place to stay! Gis-nee must have known that I was making a victory pose in my mind, because she turned towards me. ¡°¡­ You even took Rille¡¯s cunningness, but you¡¯re a good worker.¡± ¡°Gis-nee is a good person. Right?¡± I looked at Rille-nee and we smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to make this store thrive even more! I¡¯ll make this store bigger and we¡¯ll be able to have a feast every day!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll grow medicinal herbs instead of flowers in the garden?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The florist had turned into an apothecary, but they¡¯re both similar. As we talked about our dreams, the supposed owner of the store just laughed and said, ¡°Just do what you want¡±. Volume 1 - CH 9 I got used to living in the new place and a spring breeze was blowing across the land. Mushrooms grew in a corner of the city. ¡°Wow~.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but exclaim at the spectacular sight. Many large red, yellow, and green parasols were set up in the eastern plaza and looked like a swarm of colourful mushrooms. There were merchants selling various goods on clothes under the parasols. This was the so-called street market. This was apparently held regularly by vendors, who travelled from city to city or kingdom to kingdom, selling goods from various regions and some of the goods were only available here, so many people crowded around the marketplace from early in the morning. We were also here to stock up on medicinal herbs. We were carrying baskets on our backs with the intention of buying as much as we could since we had more customers and thus ran out of stock quickly. I thought I had already walked around inside the city walls quite a bit, but this was the first time I had seen this market. I got excited when I heard the cheerful voices. ¡°Don¡¯t get lost.¡± ¡°Okay~!¡± I replied in a cheerful voice and immediately ran off. ¡°Oi?!¡± ¡°Aime!¡± I heard the two of them stop me, but I wasn¡¯t going to run off so far that I couldn¡¯t see them anymore. My curiosity made me rush, so I went ahead. I saw ceramic plates, carpets with elaborate patterns, cosmetics and ornaments. I can even smell perfume in the air. There was also salted fish, and to my surprise, a whole dismantled cow. It was quite a sight. There were all sorts of things for sale: from expensive items to not-so-expensive items. ¡°Hey, cute girl, welcome!¡± I stopped in my tracks and was greeted by a friendly bearded shopkeeper in green clothes and a hat. In front of him were bags of dried leaves, small nuts and what looked like tree bark. Maybe this was the place we were shopping at. I was grabbed by my head as soon as I stopped and Gis¡¯s scary voice sounded above me. ¡°Don¡¯t run.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes. But I won¡¯t get lost? Since I can use you as a landmark.¡± She stuck out like a sore thumb, so I was sure she would be easy to spot. However, she still reminded me not to get lost. ¡°It¡¯ll be troublesome if something happens to you,¡± she said. ¡°Aime, would you like to hold my hand?¡± ¡°Eh, do I have to?¡± In the end, Rille-nee took my hand and I behaved myself. I wasn¡¯t the kind of kid who gets separated in a crowd. Huh? But kids are the ones who think they can¡¯t be separated and run around. Well, I don¡¯t want to admit that. ¡°Haha, you guys are close.¡± The shopkeeper laughed at our exchange. How embarrassing~. It seemed this was the stall we were looking for and Gis-nee squatted down and started looking at the merchandise. ¡°I¡¯d like some Lanche.¡± It was a herb that had a drastic effect on fevers and pain. It was a rare and hard to find herb, so she was counting on finding it at this market. People tended to get frightened when they first meet Gis-nee, but the cheerful smile of the experienced merchant never faded. ¡°Of course, I do! Do you run an apothecary? We have some spices too!¡± Spices can improve the taste of food and be used for medicine. We have some herbs in stock, but he was selling a variety of unusual herbs here. ¡°Say, can I try this? Just a little.¡± I pointed at the small bag of red powder and asked the shopkeeper. ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes. But it¡¯s spicy, so be careful.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± I picked up the powder with my index finger and thumb and put it on the tip of my tongue. Yup, it was chilli powder. Rille-nee also imitated me and tasted it, then she spat it out. ¡°Hahaha, that woke you up, didn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a stimulant, but it¡¯s not good for pregnant women.¡± ¡°O-oh really? I¡¯ve learnt a lot.¡± Rille-nee was in tears, but she thanked the shopkeeper. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yup¡­ It¡¯s not spicy anymore. Are you alright?¡± ¡°I only tasted a little of it. I should¡¯ve told you first. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. But, yeah, this will definitely wake you up.¡± ¡°Do you want to try another one? Is it alright, Uncle?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just a little bit.¡± I took advantage of the shopkeeper¡¯s kindness and tasted some of the spices. He didn¡¯t just have spicy spices, but also some that were soothing and had unique flavours that were hard to describe. ¡°Where did you get these spices?¡± I was curious, so I took the opportunity to ask about it when the shopkeeper and Gis-nee took a brief break from conversation. ¡°On a small island across the sea, much further south than here. It wasn¡¯t there when Uncle was a kid, but it started growing there about ten years ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the alliance with the Tilney Kingdom has allowed us to sail to the southern waters.¡± Gis-nee added something difficult to the shopkeeper¡¯s explanation. ¡°Tilney?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Kingdom bordering on the south of Traus Kingdom.¡± Traus was the name of the Kingdom we were currently living in. I see, the alliance between these nations has expanded trade. ¡°The alliance was formed ten years ago? What happened before that? Were we at war with them?¡± ¡°No, both nations had a long cease-fire deal. A peace treaty was signed when our King married the Tilney Princess.¡± A political marriage, huh? It really happens. I was born in a place that was far behind the times, but it was a relief to hear that it was peaceful. We selected a few precious herbs, and other small items such as commonly used medicinal herbs and spices while talking and put them in the baskets on our backs. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Alright, the total is 50,000 beles.¡± In response to the shopkeeper¡¯s total, Gis-nee gave him the money she had prepared. Both the shopkeeper and I were surprised by this. ¡°Gis-nee, aren¡¯t you going to bargain?¡± I tugged at her sleeves and asked quietly. As often seen in ordinary stores, merchants usually quote high prices since they are expecting the customer to bargain with them. Most of the chatter around us was half from sale pitches and half from bargaining. But Gis-nee said she wasn¡¯t going to do that. ¡°Peddles travel around more dangerous places than those who have stores. They¡¯re the reason we¡¯re able to do business. We can¡¯t bargain with them.¡± Wow¡­ so righteous. I was beginning to think she was an awkward person. I wondered how she could work as a merchant. While I was wondering if I should intervene, the shopkeeper, who had been given the money, gave some of it back to Gis-nee. ¡°40,000 is fine.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gis-nee was puzzled, but the shopkeeper cheerfully said, ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± as he pushed the money back to her. ¡°I can¡¯t rip you off when you say it like that. Even a merchant who sells anything for money still has a sincere heart.¡± The price was reduced by 10,000 without negotiation. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to rejoice at the shopkeeper¡¯s selflessness or to be angry that the shopkeeper overcharged. Gis-nee tilted her head in confusion at the money that had been returned to her, then just put it away. Rille-nee giggled at Gis-nee and jumped into her arms. ¡°Say, we¡¯ve brought what we needed, so why don¡¯t we take a look around?¡± ¡°Hmm? Okay¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not often that the market opens! Thanks, Uncle!¡± I took Gis-nee¡¯s other hand, and we led her around the bustling market. Brooches, earrings and necklaces. Even though this was a different world, girls are always drawn to the same sparkling things. Rille-nee and I stopped in front of a stall where the parasol was deliberately tilted up so that it would shine in the spring sunshine. Beside us were many women of all ages gathered around, sighing at the beautiful, jewelled ornaments. Apparently, women can identify more colours than men. Their brains were more sensitive to colours. So, it wasn¡¯t surprising that women were attracted to colourful things as they found them beautiful. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so pretty~!¡± Rille-nee picked up a hair ornament in the shape of a maple leaf with a mother-of-pearl inlay and let out a sigh. We probably still couldn¡¯t buy it with our financial situation. Then, Gis-nee, who was standing behind us, said, ¡°Shall I buy you one?¡± and I was startled. ¡°Is it alright?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s for all of your hard work, but I can¡¯t buy you anything expensive.¡± ¡°A-are you sure?¡± Rille-nee was confused rather than happy. ¡°But I feel bad¡­¡± ¡°Now, now, you should let her spoil us right now, Rille-nee.¡± There was no need to hold back. It was important to reward oneself. ¡°We¡¯ll just earn double from now on. Besides, it might be something that you can only get today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Pick one before I change my mind.¡± The two of us urged her to choose and after a moment of consideration, Rille-nee said, ¡°Then¡­¡± as she chose a dark brown ribbon. You can choose something flashier¡­ even if jewels are out of range. I thought, but it would look cute if she tied her hair up in her usual ponytail with that wide ribbon. It was probably better to keep it simple for everyday use. Maybe I¡¯ll braid her hair or something next time. When I thought about it, I felt like we were bothering the other sister a lot too. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Why don¡¯t you buy something too, Gis-nee?¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± She didn¡¯t pretty herself up or use makeup, so she reacted in exasperation. ¡°You want me to wear a ribbon?¡± ¡°A ribbon on Gis-nee? Oh, it might unexpectedly look cute.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± Rille-nee was imagining what Gis-nee would look like, and Gis-nee groaned. Well, ribbons might be a little demanding considering her hair style and age, but there were many other ornaments that grown women can wear. ¡°How about some earrings? I think they¡¯ll suit you.¡± I picked up a pair of blue and clear jewelled earrings and had Gis-nee crouched down to put it by her ears. Then, Rille-nee immediately clapped. ¡°Oh, that looks nice!¡± ¡°Right!? It looks nice!¡± The radiance of the jewel shone well against her black hair. But Gis-nee took the earrings from my hand while smiling wryly and gave them back to the shopkeeper. ¡°Why don¡¯t you dress up more Gis-nee?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me. Choose things for yourself rather than me.¡± ¡°I know what I want. I want this.¡± I said as I took a nearby item and showed her. As expected, both Gis-nee and Rille-nee raised their eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s a kettle.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have one.¡± There was a hardware stall right next to the ornament stall, and the reddish bronze container has been bothering me for a while. The hair ornaments were beautiful, but I don¡¯t really need them right now. I¡¯d rather have something else. ¡°Oh, you have a good eye, Jou-chan. That kettle was made in Galesh Kingdom. It¡¯s a good item.¡± The shopkeeper of the hardware stall started talking to me when I picked up the kettle. I didn¡¯t know the name of that Kingdom. ¡°Galesh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old Kingdom that borders the western border of Traus.¡± Gis-nee explained to me when I looked at her for an explanation and the shopkeeper added. ¡°Galesh is a Kingdom with excellent blacksmiths, and they¡¯re reputed for their fine metalwork. We buy from the best of them. It doesn¡¯t get dented when you hit it or drop it. It¡¯s also thin, light and sturdy.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take this one.¡± ¡°¡­ Are you alright with that?¡± So, Rille-nee and I left the market with a smile on our faces after receiving our rewards. ¡°What are you going to use it for?¡± Rille-nee asked as she pointed at the kettle that I was holding, so I smiled and answered her. ¡°I thought I¡¯d do a little experiment.¡± ¡°Experiment?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± I think it¡¯s human nature to want to start something else when you have enough food and clothing. Volume 1 - CH 10 ¡°¨D¨D¨D Now then, I wonder if I can do it~?¡± I lit up the stove after checking the completed apparatus. On top was the kettle I had bought at the market. There was a metal tube stuck into the spout of the kettle, which passed through a bucket where water was collected and connected to the edge of a cup. ¡°Say, Aime, what the hell is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a distillation device.¡± Today was a day off at the apothecary. I was working hard on making a distillation device while Rille-nee was reviewing what she had learnt this morning. The kettle was filled with barley wine, which Gis-nee sometimes drank at night. I was going to make distilled liquor. Of course, I wasn¡¯t thinking about drinking it or selling it. This was an apothecary. I wanted to use it to extract components from medicinal herbs. At present, the main extraction method used in the apothecary was boiling with water, but with this method, components that don¡¯t dissolve in water can¡¯t be extracted. Therefore, I wanted to try another extraction method, and the one that I can do right now was ethanol extraction. In other words, extraction using alcohol. What was important right now was the ethanol concentration, so to speak, the alcohol content. Alcohol made by fermenting yeast has at most a 20% alcohol content. Extraction on the other hand requires about 40%. After hearing that the barley wine available in this area was brewed, I decided to distill it myself. I had to keep the kettle as tightly sealed as possible, except for the part where the liquid comes out, so I asked a blacksmith I knew to weld a metal tube to the spout of the kettle. The kettle itself was no longer functional, but the distillation seemed to work. As the contents in the kettle boiled, the ethanol, which had a lower boiling point than water, became gas and passed through the tube. The tube, which was bent in two places, passed through the bucket of water in the chair, where the gas was cooled and turned into liquid. Then, the liquid fell drop by drop from the end of the tube into the cup below. ¡°Alright, it looks good.¡± ¡°Is the stuff coming out strong alcohol?¡± Rille-nee crouched down beside me and looked at the dripping liquid in interest. I¡¯ve seen a commercial like this in the past. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ah, don¡¯t touch that. It¡¯ll sting if your skin is delicate.¡± ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t touch it.¡± The distillation process took a long time, so I adjusted the heat while sweating and waited while changing the bucket of water, which was getting warmer by the minute. Then Gis-nee, who had gone somewhere since lunch, came back. And as expected, she raised her eyebrow at the distiller. ¡°What have you started?¡± ¡°Distillation. I told you yesterday that I was going to do this. You also gave me some of your alcohol.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine and all¡­ but don¡¯t start a fire.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s almost done.¡± The cup was almost a third full, so I¡¯ll stop for now. I don¡¯t know if the alcohol content was really more than 40% but I¡¯ll give it a try. ¡°Can you give me some medicinal herbs?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give it to you if you¡¯re using it to play around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not playing around.¡± This was credible research! But this was nothing more than an incomprehensible child¡¯s game in Gis-nee¡¯s eyes. I had explained this to her yesterday, but she didn¡¯t seem to understand much of what I had said. Well, it was a relief that she didn¡¯t get angry. I had no choice but to go and pick up some grass that had grown on the street. This was a good way to experiment. I might be able to make some great discoveries by trying out a new extraction method on something that wasn¡¯t generally considered as a medicinal herb. I.e. developing a new drug! I extracted the components by soaking the grass in the distilled ethanol and mixing it while heating a container with hot water. After a few hours, the tattered remnants of the leaves were filtered out and I obtained the sample. ¡°¡­ So, what are you going to do with that?¡± Gis-nee, who had been watching me from the side, asked. Hmm, what should I do? I couldn¡¯t just drink it even if I had extracted something that was good for the body. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll try it out on a rat?¡± So, I made a trap later and caught a rat. I mixed the extracted sample with flour and hardened them into dumplings, and fed them to the rat, who ate them up like crazy. Not long after it finished eating, it suddenly seized up, started foaming at the mouth and never got up again. Hmm¡­ It worked better than I expected. ¡°Don¡¯t make poison in the house!¡± Even Gis-nee, who rarely yelled at me, got angry at my newly discovered drug. I was surprised. When I was living in the street and even before that, I used to pick up random grass and eat it, but that might have been dangerous. I started to break out in cold sweat now that I knew this. ¡°¡­ Oh, but we might be able to sell it as a drug to get rid of rats?¡± ¡°You want to sell it?!¡± If it was this effective then I can sell it to people by saying it was a silver mine to catch rats [1]. I told the housewives who came to the store about it, and they surprisingly liked it when they tried it, so it was put on the store shelves. When I warned them not to eat the dead rats, they told me that they never ate rats in the first place. Apparently, that was something that was only done in the slums. Also, it was alright as long as they didn¡¯t put the poisoned dumplings in places where kids can accidentally eat them. I also warned them to dispose of the dead rats by burning them instead of throwing them away. ¡°See, I wasn¡¯t playing around.¡± I proudly told Gis-nee that I had contributed to sales, but she seemed worried, ¡°Isn¡¯t this against regulations. Will it really be alright?¡± So, she went to the government office later to make sure it got approved. Having tasted success, I went and harvested some weeds that Gis-nee didn¡¯t know about and tried many extraction methods on them such as ethanol extraction and oil extraction. I tried as many methods as I could with the time I had and recorded the results, such as extracting different parts of the plant and not just the solvents or soaking some for several months or longer to see what would happen. I mostly found poisons, though. Since simple feeding it to rats would reveal only poisons. I can¡¯t get a specimen who has developed a specific disease. It would have been nice if I could get clear results, such as a drastic improvement in health or life expectancy, or a decline in health, but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t. But I believe it was also important to know what was poisonous. It was fun to do experiments with Rille-nee while Gis-nee sometimes tried to stop us in dismay. I wasn¡¯t enjoying making poisons, I just liked experimenting. It was just my luck that I haven¡¯t produced any beneficial medicines. Being able to carry out my experiments like this was proof that my life was stable, and I was able to do them because Gis-nee let me do whatever I wanted. I really found a wonderful place to live. I reflected on my happiness as I stirred the thick, purple liquid. ¡­ I wonder how I should dispose of this. Volume 1 - CH 11 ¡°Aime, did you silk it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I handed Rille-nee a bowl of dried (not silk) broadleaf which I had worked hard to pulverise. She sprinkled some of it in the mortar and used a pestle to mix it evenly with the sticky substance. She was making an ointment to apply on wounds to reduce inflammation. It has been five years since we moved in with Gis-nee. I was ten years old and Rille-nee was 17 now, and nowadays we are able to mix simple medicines. Rille-nee and I both know most of the medicine that is sold in the apothecary, and we are now experienced employees. We mixed medicines while tending to the store while Gis-nee was out stocking up on medicinal herbs. It was fine even if a customer suddenly came in. ¡°Help me, Ridill!¡± A young man appeared while holding onto one of his arms and shouting noisily. I let out a sigh, and Rille-nee honestly looked surprised. ¡°Rossi? What happened this time?¡± ¡°The cart fell over while I was transporting it, and I scraped my arm. Can you apply some medicine to it?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, where?¡± I climbed over the counter and took his arm before Rille-nee could. Rossi looked unhappy when I took his arm, but I smiled back at him, saying that I knew what he was up to. This guy was the son of the owner of a transport company and a regular at the apothecary. Every time he got injured in some way or another, he wanted Rille-nee to nurse it for him. A lot of customers have been acting like this ever since Rille-nee reached a marriageable age. It was good that the apothecary was making money from this, but I didn¡¯t want them to think that they could easily touch Rille-nee. And the problem was that she didn¡¯t even know she was being targeted. Rille-nee has always been extremely cute, but when she got older, she became more attractive since she became cute and ¡®pretty¡¯. Unlike the time when we were living on the streets, her skin was fairer, she was starting to develop more, and she wore her long hair in a bun when she was working, and the nape of her neck was showing, which was coquettish. She was also honest and humble, kind and caring, and she gave off a soothing aura. Everything about her was popular with men. I didn¡¯t want her to tend to the apothecary by herself, no matter how reliable she was. ¡°I was just making medicine for grazes.¡± ¡°Then, will Ridill apply it for me?!¡± I pushed my thumb as hard as I could into his wound when he tried to lean towards Rille-nee, and the adult man looked at me with teary eyes, but I pretended I hadn¡¯t done anything. ¡°I¡¯ll put it into a bottle for you, so you can apply it yourself. We don¡¯t do treatments here. Oh, that¡¯ll be 3000 beles for the bottle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s twice as much as usual!¡± ¡°We¡¯re short on medicinal herbs. Sorry.¡± ¡°Uoah¡­¡± Rille-nee said apologetically and Rossi couldn¡¯t protest anymore. I¡¯m not ripping you off because you annoy me, really. I¡¯m an honest businesswoman. ¡°By the way, what are you doing¡ªouch!?¡± I stepped on Rossi¡¯s foot when he finished shopping and was about to say something disturbing. You¡¯re not even in a relationship with her and you¡¯re asking her out at night. How courageous, you thoughtless asshole. ¡°What are you doing, little sister!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your little sister. Get out if you¡¯re done here. And you¡¯re acting too desperate by getting hurt on purpose, not only do you get wounded, but you also look pathetic.¡± ¡°W-w-w-w-w-w-what?!¡± Did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice? How na?ve. But I was too nervous to leave it to Rille-nee. Just then, Gis-nee came back through the entrance. Then, Rossi suddenly started to panic and said in a slurred voice, ¡°See you later,¡± before rushing out. ¡°Rossi came again?¡± Gis-nee looked at his back while dumbfounded. ¡°He always comes when you¡¯re not around. He must be scared of you.¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s hopeless for him.¡± ¡°Yup, it is.¡± ¡°What¡¯s hopeless?¡± Rille-nee was slow and that part of her was starting to make me really anxious. It was cute when she was puzzled though. ¡°By the way Gis-nee, we¡¯re really running out of herbs.¡± I changed the conversation away from Rossi and talked about the current problem we were facing. ¡°What¡¯s missing?¡± ¡°We¡¯re running out of everything for the ointment.¡± ¡°We¡¯re also out of capts nuts, zarok and unora.¡± ¡°Unora is the herb you use in your experiments, right?¡± ¡°I was hoping we could get some more.¡± The rat poison that I had made during my experiment has always been a best-seller. However, perhaps it was because I kept making strange coloured liquid, but before I knew it, Gis-nee lost confidence in me, and she wouldn¡¯t let me mix ordinary medicines by myself. She told me that I couldn¡¯t mix unless she or Rille-nee were watching. She seemed to think that the medicine would be laced with poison if I were to touch it. I made that poison by accident! ¡°¨D¨D¨D If that¡¯s the case, then it will be faster if we go to harvest them than wait for the peddlers to arrive.¡± Gis-nee said after she checked the herb stock. We harvested the herbs in the forest outside of the castle gate and have been doing so whenever the peddlers were late. However, I was forced to stay at home most of the time due to my young age. But I¡¯ll make them take me with them this time since I was already a teenager. ¡°You need my help too, right? There¡¯s a lot of stuff I want to harvest.¡± I smiled and held out both my hands. I don¡¯t know why Gis-nee sighed as soon as I did. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll take you with me if you listen to what I say.¡± ¡°I will! Has there ever been a time when I didn¡¯t listen to you?¡± ¡°There has.¡± She confirmed. I don¡¯t remember. I have a feeling that being young wasn¡¯t the only reason why she hasn¡¯t taken me with her in the past. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll do if I take you with me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do anything!? Huh?! I haven¡¯t caused you any trouble?!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t cause trouble, but you¡¯ll do something unexpected right away.¡± ¡°I said I won¡¯t! ¨D¨D¨D I got it, I¡¯ll do everything you tell me to do today, Gis-nee. I¡¯ll behave myself, so please, take me with you!¡± ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t forget what you just said.¡± Gis-nee finally gave me permission after I desperately begged. What¡¯s with this lack of trust? Well, it was fine as long as she took me with her. I like experimenting inside, but I also love to do field work. I left the walled city for the first time. The city gates were located on the east, west and south sides of the city and were opened during the day and closed at night. The gatekeeper simply asked people what they wanted to do, as if it was an immigration check, but people were basically free to come and go as they pleased. We left through the south gate. The gatekeeper glared at Rille-nee and I, he used to chase us away a long time ago, but that doesn¡¯t happen now. Gis-nee was here and Rille-nee and I were both dressed nicely. Today, I was wearing pants, a cloak and shoes with firm soles since we were going harvesting, so I didn¡¯t look like a child who was up to no good. I don¡¯t think I have changed at all, but the change in my appearance has made a huge difference in the way I was treated. I felt a bit conflicted about this, but I forgot about it as soon as I walked through the gate. I saw vivid greenery that appeared in early summer. It was a sea of grassland with a breeze blowing over it. It was a complete change from the cramped city scenery of houses and stores lined up tightly together and was a truly refreshing scene. ¡°You can see a big river all the way over there.¡± Gis-nee pointed to the east. I could faintly see a large blue stream of water in the distance. ¡°That¡¯s where the city¡¯s water comes from, and the fishermen catch fish from upstream.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Livestock are raised on the grasslands. Traus is a kingdom that is thriving in the livestock industry, and there are many grasslands where farmers grow beans and other crops while raising livestock. They collect a lot of fur and pelts which are used for trading.¡± As we walked along the grassland path, which was occasionally sloped, Gis-nee taught me about this Kingdom. The grasslands were generally in a poor condition. The reason why beans were the main crop in Traus was probably because they can grow on relatively infertile land compared to wheat. However, there was a large forest a short distance down the road, so I guessed that the grasslands weren¡¯t that infertile. A road wide enough for a carriage ran through the forest. There were farming villages ahead, and I wanted to take a peek at them, but our destination was the forest. We harvested herbs in a place where we couldn¡¯t see the road. We won¡¯t be able to get out if we go in too deep and we don¡¯t know what might be lurking around. Gis-nee brought her sword with her as a precaution, and Rille-nee and I both had daggers on our waist belts. ¡°Don¡¯t disappear from my sight. Especially you, Aime, don¡¯t run off no matter what you find.¡± I received a warning, and even Rille-nee looked worried while standing nearby. I was a little excited and looking around restlessly since it was my first time out of the city. But that was okay. I learnt how to harvest the herbs from Rille-nee, who had already been here before, and put what I had harvested into a basket. I put any interesting plants I found into a separate bag to take home. Wow, this is fun! There were a lot of plants that I couldn¡¯t find in town. I wanted to live in the forest. There were even some rare fungi like red mushrooms. There were some that were dangerous to touch, such as the mushroom that looked like podostroma cornu-damae[1], so I had to wear gloves while I was harvesting. The gloves were for adults, so they were a bit big, but it was fine. When I leaned forward after putting on my gloves, I suddenly felt uneasy. Then, I realised. ¡°Aime, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come here!¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± I held out a hand to stop Rille-nee. The mushroom wasn¡¯t red. It was lying on its side¡­ with blood leaking from its arm. And the owner was nowhere to be found. It looked like it was fake, but it wasn¡¯t, was it? I heard a low growl from the inner part of the forest. My vision suddenly rolled, and I was thrown backwards as Gis-nee drew her sword and slashed at the beast that had suddenly leapt out from behind a tree. ¡°Aime!¡± Rille-nee ran up to me. We stared at Gis-nee¡¯s back in amazement and saw a sabre-tiger-like beast. ¡°Don¡¯t move, you two!¡± Gis-nee sharply commanded. Hmm, I mean, shouldn¡¯t we call for help? The beast looked bigger than the tall Gis-nee. Its well-developed canine teeth that were protruding from the side of its mouth would probably penetrate her stomach if she were to be bitten. No matter how I looked at it, this wasn¡¯t an opponent that can be dealt with by just one person with only a sword. It might be dangerous to move, but there was no one I could just stand here. I grabbed Rille-nee¡¯s hand and immediately ran to call for help. At that moment, Gis-nee¡¯s sword suddenly flashed. What happened afterwards felt as if I was dreaming. Gis-nee swung her sword, which emitted a pale phosphorescent light, and the light flashed through the air like a whip, cutting deep into the beast¡¯s body. A horrible howl followed. The howls stopped when Gis-nee quickly ran to the side of the flinching beast and swung her sword as hard as she could at its neck. ¡°Whew¡­ are you alright?¡± She said considerately. ¡­ Stroong! Is she a cheat?! ¡°G-Gis-nee are you alright?¡± Rille-nee timidly handed her a towel, which Gis-nee took and wiped the blood off her face before replying coolly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°¡­ Why did you quit being a soldier if you¡¯re this strong?¡± ¡°Adults have a lot to deal with.¡± She wiped the blood from her sword while looking distant and sheathed it. Then, she examined the dead body that I had found. I looked around nearby, and found the body hidden under a bush. I also found some scattered luggage. ¡°It¡¯s a peddler. Perhaps this was why the herbs never reached the city.¡± ¡°Wh-what should we do with this body?¡± I asked fearfully from behind Gis-nee. ¡°We have to hold a funeral service for him, but we don¡¯t have the tools right now. I¡¯ll have the soldiers know and leave the rest to them. There are other beasts around, so it¡¯s dangerous. Let¡¯s hurry up and get out of here.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± We were still in the middle of harvesting, but we couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. ¡°Normally, fierce beasts are supposed to be exterminated, but¡­ have they moved here from somewhere else?¡± Gis-nee complained as she carried the beast, which was as tall as she was, on her back. She was carrying it back with her since it would be easier to explain the situation. Isn¡¯t it enough just to tell them? It was a little scary to see the beast¡¯s blood trailing behind her and on her clothes. She wasn¡¯t just a strong, independent woman. She was a superwoman. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Say, what was that sword glowing thing back then?¡± After I had calmed down a bit, I asked Gis-nee about what was on my mind. ¡°You saw it too, didn¡¯t you Rille-nee?¡± ¡°I did. It was amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magic sword.¡± ¡°A magic sword?¡± We looked at the sword on Gis-nee¡¯s waist. It looked like an ordinary double-edge sword, but the important part was the beautiful green jewel embedded in the halt. It wasn¡¯t just an ornamental jewel, but a ¡®magic stone¡¯ with special powers. In other words, it had magic and the light I saw earlier was the effects of that magic. I saw something that looked like it belonged in another world for the first time. So, there was magic in this world. ¡°Do ordinary people have something like that?¡± ¡°No, normally only soldiers have it. Magic stones are natural gems and are valuable, so they¡¯re managed by the state. I forgot to return this when I quit my job as a soldier, so I just kept it.¡± It was like bringing home a uniform from a part-time job. Their management was too sloopy. ¡°Are you a mage, Gis-nee?¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re not a mage, there are artisans who can process magic stones, so that you can use their power.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± That sounded really interesting. I wonder what the logic was behind that power. By the way, I believed in this kind of mysterious power in my old world. Scientists on TV shows often claim that ¡®if science can¡¯t prove something then it doesn¡¯t exist¡¯, but I believed it was strange. Wonders that can be theoretically proven become science, and the fact that something can¡¯t be scientifically proven doesn¡¯t immediately prove that it doesn¡¯t exist. Or perhaps I should say that no one can prove that it doesn¡¯t exist. A true scientist would believe that miraculous things are possible and think of ways to prove it. At first, Newton¡¯s theory of universal gravitation was called a mystical force, and even Galileo was forced to deny Copernican theory. Everything was always considered mystical until it was proven. I believe the world of science expands as we believe in it and investigate it. If I could, I would like to ask about the theory of magic. Magic must be proven with theory in this world and wasn¡¯t mystical since people can use it. I was extremely curious. But Gis-nee didn¡¯t seem to know much about it. Maybe it was the same as modern people who can use computers even if they don¡¯t understand how it works. Volume 1 - CH 12 The soldiers were scared out of their wits when they saw that Gis-nee was carrying the carcass of a fierce beast on her back. ¡°Wh-what happened?¡± ¡°A beast appeared in the forest.¡± The young soldier asked fearfully to which Gis-nee replied bluntly. Then, the head of the beast on Gis-nee¡¯s shoulder rolled back when it was moved. ¡°Hyah!?¡± The two gatekeepers, who had seen the section where the beast¡¯s head had been sliced off, twitched, but Gis-nee didn¡¯t care about their reaction and quickly began to report the situation. ¡°We only saw this one, but there might be others. We have checked the corpse of a person who was attacked and would like you to hold a funeral for him. The location is ¨D¨D¨D.¡± Both gatekeepers stared at Gis-nee as if she was a monster while she was talking. I know how they feel. After Gis-nee made her report, she took the carcass home with her. ¡°We¡¯re having a feast tonight.¡± Gis-nee normally acted cool, but she had a big, cheerful smile on her face. She thought we would also be pleased. It was definitely a huge feast, but this was a beast that ate people. Well, I wasn¡¯t sure if eating a beast that ate people could be considered cannibalism, but I didn¡¯t feel good about it. Gis-nee seemed to be thinking about something entirely different. It was true that it was a cycle of matter, so it was just like when a person dies, their body decomposes into the soil and that soil is absorbed by crops that we eat. I couldn¡¯t just throw it away since it had been brought home, so¡­ I decided that it would be fine if I just got rid of its organs which might still contain something inside. Gis-nee turned the beast on its stomach at the back of the house and opened it up, and it smelled horrible. I have always thought that the meat in this world smelled bad, but the raw meat of wild game was much different. The way she gutted, skinned, deboned, and cut the meat into pieces was beyond gruesome, but Gis-nee was so skilled at this that I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re really good at butchering.¡± ¡°This is normal.¡± Gis-nee said while still working. The normal level was high. The game meat had a strong odour, but it smelled quite good when it was grilled with a lot of herbs. Spices are for carnivores. Nothing else happened that day, but the next day, we had a strange visitor. The apothecary hadn¡¯t opened yet and we were sitting around a small table eating bread stuffed with the fierce beast (it was a heavy meal for breakfast). He knocked on the door first and then called out Gis-nee¡¯s name. ¡°You guys go ahead and eat.¡± Gis-nee left her seat and disappeared into the store. Rille-nee and I looked at each other and, of course, we peeked into the store because we were curious. I saw a middle-aged white man talking to Gis-nee from behind the counter. By white, I mean his clothes. And his hair. He had silver hair which I didn¡¯t often see. He was the best-dressed man I had ever seen in this town, and he had an aura of elegance about him. He was definitely a noble. I can even bet on this. Gis-nee, who was curt to customers, was using formal language. Then, the man noticed that we were peeking since it was a small store. The customer looked important with his beard, but his eyes were gentle, and he blinked like a boy when he spotted us. ¡°You had children?!¡± ¡°I did not.¡± Gis-nee calmly refuted the surprised man and beckoned us over. I was glad that she hadn¡¯t gotten angry. ¡°Their names are Ridill and Aime. They are sisters and we have been living together like a family for the past five years.¡± Gis-nee briefly introduced us, but I wanted to correct her. ¡°It¡¯s not ¡°like¡±! We are family! Right, Rille-nee?¡± ¡°Yeah, we are.¡± Honestly, I felt like I was receiving an allowance instead of a salary. When we confidently declared this, Gis-nee¡¯s eyes widened slightly and she smiled. The man was taken aback by her reaction, and then relaxed. ¡°They¡¯re cute younger sisters. I was worried about you since I hadn¡¯t seen you in a while, but I¡¯m relieved to see that you¡¯re enjoying your life.¡± ¡°They have helped me in many ways. ¨D¨D¨D This is Leonard Hinshelwood, the feudal lord of this land and this kingdom¡¯s Chancellor. Make sure to greet him properly.¡± ¡­ What? ¡°Huh?!¡± Rille-nee reacted late and covered her mouth in a panic. Being a feudal lord was fine. In the feudal system, feudal lords were in charge of fiefs. But this person was the Chancellor? The Chancellor was like the Prime Minister, right? Was it alright for a person like that to come to the downtown area even if it was in his own fief? We didn¡¯t know how to react, and the Chancellor-Feudal Lord said calmly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite. Today, I¡¯m just a man who came to ask a favour from a friend. Your names are Ridill and Aime? I would like to borrow your older sister for a bit.¡± I had no idea what was going on or why the Chancellor and Gis-nee knew each other in the first place. Rille-nee and I tilted our heads in confusion and the Chancellor explained how they knew each other. ¡°I used to talk to Giselle a lot when she was working at the palace.¡± He spoke in a relaxed and nostalgic tone. He was an acquaintance of Gis-nee from her days as a soldier. Gis-nee denied it when the Chancellor of this Kingdom, Leonard, said that it was nice to talk to her. ¡°No, I was often indebted to you. I am very grateful that you introduced me to this fief and helped me open this store even after I quit. Ridill and Aime, it is thanks to Leonard-sama that you can live here.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, um, thank you very much!¡± Rille-nee didn¡¯t understand what Gis-nee had said, but she quickly bowed her head when prompted by Gis-ness and I followed suit. He was a benefactor to Gis-ness and to us. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Chancellor Leonard gently stopped us from bowing. Then, he bent down slightly and looked at us with his amber eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel indebted to me either since it was Giselle who saved you. ¨D¨D¨D It¡¯s always a shame that I can¡¯t directly help children who are in the same situation that you were in.¡± It was as if he knew everything about us even though we hadn¡¯t told him anything. Well, I suppose he can guess our past situation if he knew about the state of affairs in this city. Chancellor Leonard readjusted his posture and looked at Gis-nee. ¡°I¡¯ve finally finished my work in the capital and came back to check on things here, and I was surprised to hear that there was a fierce beast here, and that you had killed it alone, Giselle.¡± ¡°There was only one beast.¡± It was still an amazing feat even if there was only one beast. Giselle, you¡¯re being modest in the wrong way. Chancellor Leonard was probably thinking the same I was since he laughed. ¡°So, I want you to lend me your strong older sister to help me kill any other fierce beasts that may be around. It¡¯s the feudal lord¡¯s duty to protect the safety of his fief.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. Okay.¡± Rille-nee and I couldn¡¯t reply with any other words. We had seen the fierce beast killed in front of our eyes, so we didn¡¯t have to worry. Gis-nee wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse a request from her benefactor, the feudal lord and Chancellor (even though he had said it was a request for ¡®his friend¡¯). She even said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring some back with me if I kill some more.¡± Then, she patted us on the head and rushed off. She seemed as if she was looking forward to having more food to eat rather than ensuring the safety of the people. Just before Chancellor Leonard left, he said, ¡°Do you two like to study?¡± I don¡¯t know why he suddenly asked. I replied that I loved to study when asked this question. What¡¯s up with this man? And more importantly, Gis-nee can¡¯t have been a simple soldier since she knows the Chancellor of this Kingdom. She was strong and young, so why did she quit? ¡­ Maybe she had a dark reason for why she quit. But she¡¯s still my family! ¡°Were you important?¡± In the end, Gis-nee didn¡¯t find any other fierce beasts, but she came back with medicinal herbs instead. That question, which was asked first at dinner, wasn¡¯t asked by me, but by Rille-nee. I guess she couldn¡¯t help herself since we had been talking all day while tending the store. At any rate, I would have asked if Rille-nee hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± Gis-nee answered in between bites. I wonder if she eats fast because it¡¯s a habit from her days as a soldier. ¡°But you¡¯re friends with the Chancellor. Wow, are you a noble too, Gis-nee?¡± ¡°A noble wouldn¡¯t run an apothecary like this. I was a farmer¡¯s kid. I was fortunate enough to be promoted and was in charge of guarding the royal family, so that¡¯s where I got acquainted with Leonard-sama.¡± ¡°The royal family?!¡± So, she was a royal soldier? Isn¡¯t that super elite? I¡¯m not sure, but that was definitely a huge career move. ¡°Why did you quit?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask after hearing all that. ¡°¡­ I had a falling out with someone at work.¡± Oh, that was a realistic reason. Gis-nee slurred her words only at times like this. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me the details.¡± ¡°O-ok.¡± Gis-nee suddenly became unenergetic, so I didn¡¯t feel like pursuing the matter. I¡¯m certain something troublesome happened and she was too tired to talk about it. ¡°Hmm, how come you opened an apothecary after you quit being a soldier? It¡¯s a completely different occupation.¡± ¡°I came from a farming family so I knew a little about plants and I also learnt about medicinal herbs so I can treat injuries on the road when I was a soldier. So, I thought I could run an apothecary. Of course, I also studied under a doctor who I knew. Then, Leonard-sama introduced me to this place and lent me money when I was about to open my apothecary.¡± I¡¯ve been with her for five years, but this was the first time I¡¯ve ever heard this since there were no opportunities to ask her about this before. When I asked her more about this, she told me that she had already opened the apothecary for a year when we first moved in. This meant that the number of years she ran the apothecary by herself was shorter compared to the number of years she ran it together with us. I was surprised by the unexpected visitor, but thanks to him, we were able to hear about her past. Volume 1 - CH 13 A short while after the Chancellor visited, something happened that caused a commotion in the city. A school had been built. However, it wasn¡¯t outrageously large. It was just a modest school with one classroom, but everyone was surprised that the children in the city could attend for free, so they gossiped about it. School was for noble children, and there had never been a public school for the common people before. There are even adults who can¡¯t read. There have been times when I¡¯ve handed out simple instructions on how to use medicine which required a little more caution to people, only to have it given back to me because they can¡¯t read. As a last resort, I drew a four-frame comic of the explanation and handed it to them. I was rather good at drawing, having practiced by sketching plants while observing them. Merchants knew how to read and write to a certain extent because they had to write sales slips and keep registers, but there weren¡¯t many people who could read long sentences. Rille-nee and I are also the same. We don¡¯t have any books around us. We couldn¡¯t read in our spare time, so we did experiments. Yeah, that¡¯s what I do. According to Gis-nee, Chancellor Leonard has always been worried about the low level of education in this kingdom. The monopolisation of knowledge by a few people creates disparity, and those at the bottom will remain at the bottom forever while those at the top sit comfortably in their positions and neglect their hard work. This will lead to a decline in national power. However, there are those who oppose the idea because they believe that the absolute monarchy hierarchy will be threatened if people from lower strata were allowed to gain wisdom. Chancellor Leonard argued that it would be better to educate the people about that as well, so he used his own money to build a school in his fief as a trial. That was why he asked us if we liked to study the other day. I would love to study there if I can read books. I wanted to know more about this world. A low education standard means a low living standard. I agree with Chancellor Leonard. However, there was the matter of the apothecary. Unfortunately, studying wasn¡¯t included in labour. It was the same as playing in the sense that you didn¡¯t earn money while doing it. There was a huge loss of profit. So, I couldn¡¯t go even when the school was finally open. Though, Gis-nee told me that I could go if I wanted to. But still, I didn¡¯t feel like abandoning all of the work I had to do. I forced Gis-nee to take us in and she has taken care of us a lot. My desire to learn grew stronger every day, but I managed to suppress it with my sense of responsibility and reason. However, Gis-nee asked us a favour one day. ¡°Go to school.¡± She didn¡¯t say that we could go. She told us to go. Rille-nee and I looked puzzled. ¡°Apparently there aren¡¯t any students.¡± Half a year has passed since the school had opened, but the results had fallen far from Chancellor Leonard¡¯s expectations. Kids who worked hard like us and those who weren¡¯t showed up at the beginning, but they soon stopped going. They didn¡¯t have the habit of studying in the first place. Apparently, Chancellor Leonard, who was in the capital, knew about the situation and requested Gis-nee¡¯s help. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the apothecary. I can manage while you¡¯re in school.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go, Aime? You¡¯ve always wanted to go.¡± ¡°I do, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be in the apothecary, so it¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t really want to go anyway.¡± Rille-nee, Chancellor Leonard might cry if he hears that. ¡°No, you should go too, Rille. I¡¯ve been asked to send as many kids to school as I can.¡± I guess Gis-nee can¡¯t refuse a request from Chancellor Leonard. In the end, we reluctantly went to school for a while. The school stood silently in a corner of the bustling city centre, and someone who looked like a teacher was sobbing sorrowfully at the teacher¡¯s desk which was in front of the empty desks and chairs. His face was hidden by his long silver hair which reached to the middle of his back, and I could barely tell that he was a man from the width of his shoulders. He was quite slender. Both Rille-nee and I stood frozen when we spotted him from the large, double doors. This feels¡­ troublesome. ¡°Umm¡­ We¡¯re here to learn.¡± Rille-nee resolved herself first and timidly approached the man, and I followed after her. The teacher finally noticed us and after a moment of surprise, a joyful expression appeared on his face. ¡°Welcome! I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Sit down!¡± He brushed away his long, tear-stained hair. He looked androgynous and younger than Gis-nee. He pushed us into seats that were right in front of the teacher¡¯s podium and wiped away the tears in his grey eyes with a white handkerchief from his pocket. ¡°My name is Fabian Eugene, and I¡¯ve come from the capital to help you acquire the same education as nobility. You can call me Fabian-sensei. Now, it¡¯s your turn. Introduce yourselves.¡± ¡­ His words were polite, but he sounded very stuck up. Well, he was probably a noble too. It seemed that nobles have light pigmentation in their hair and skins since Chancellor Leonard¡¯s hair and skin was also light. They looked pretty and white, but they were also elegant and arrogant. He also spoke with a slightly different accent and pronunciation. ¡°I¡¯m Ridill, and this is my sister, Aime.¡± Rille-nee introduced herself and me while feeling pressured by the teacher who was standing between the podium and desk and looking down from us at a very close distance. ¡°Can you both read?¡± ¡°We can read simple things.¡± ¡°Good. Then, try reading this book first.¡± Then, Fabian-sensei placed a thick book in front of each of us. He stood on the podium and opened a book with the same cover without caring that his students were stunned. ¡°Read aloud from the first page, Ridill.¡± Wait, wait, this was too soon. The teaching material was too heavy. She said we can only read simple things! Rille-nee was troubled, so I quickly raised my hand. ¡°We don¡¯t know some of the words and grammar. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re supposed to teach us first? And¡­¡± I pointed at the thing that had been bothering me for a while. ¡°What¡¯s that thing you¡¯re holding, Sensei?¡± ¡°This? It¡¯s a whip. It¡¯s a whip to strike the palms of students who make mistakes.¡± I knew it! I thought it was a whip. I¡¯ve heard about chastising by whipping, but I¡¯ve never seen a teacher with a real whip. If over-demanding parents saw this, they would go through the three stages of anger. ¡°You¡¯re losing students because you¡¯re whipping them!¡± ¡°What?!¡± There might be students who study harder to avoid the pain. But that was only true in situations where they couldn¡¯t escape, like in boarding school or tutoring. They would run away in a place where they were free to leave. I¡¯m sure most students didn¡¯t have motivation to study in the first place. Most of the students who came here would have been those who were curious, and yet he proceeded with the class when they didn¡¯t know anything and whipped them when they made a mistake. Of course, they would never come again! Fabian-sensei looked shocked. He staggered and propped himself up on the blackboard behind him. ¡°No way¡­ Are you saying that it¡¯s my fault that the students aren¡¯t showing up?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any other reasons for why they¡¯re not coming.¡± I don¡¯t think he did it with any ill intentions. He just did it because that was how he was taught. But he needs to learn that this wasn¡¯t a universal method. Teaching has always been a difficult job. ¡°Fabian-sensei, will you listen to what we have to say?¡± Rille-nee asked in a soft tone after I harshly criticised him. The teacher, who was about to fall to his knees, looked up. Rille-nee told him about our past in great detail. She talked about how we used to live without any protection, how we were always afraid, and how we didn¡¯t know if we would survive the next day. The teacher stopped crying and listened quietly. ¡°If you raise your whip against me, then I will think that you hate me and want me to go away even if it isn¡¯t true. A lot of kids in this town think just like us.¡± Rille-nee put a hand on her chest and smiled a little sadly. I remembered the scary adults who came after us with their hands in the air while shouting. ¡°We may not be as smart as nobles. We may not understand what we¡¯re taught right away. We might not remember it. But¨D¨D¨D.¡± She paused and looked at Fabian-sensei pleadingly. ¡°Can you please not hit a kid who is trying hard to listen to the teacher?¡± ¡­ Rille-nee! Oh my! My sister said something nice! That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s not wrong to make mistakes. People can learn from their mistakes. He doesn¡¯t need to go easy on the students, but what he needs is¡­ ¡°In other words, love, Sensei!¡± Scolding is love and complimenting is love. If you love them then you will be able to be considerate and teach in a way that¡¯s easy to understand! ¡°Love¡­¡± The teacher was influenced by my strange excitement. His face became crazy, and his shoulders began to shake. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. I took this job because I wanted to save the oppressed children, but I forgot about that.¡± He also had his own aspirations since he had come to this downtown area. The teacher clenched his fist and shouted, ¡°LET¡¯S MAKE A SCHOOL OF LOVE!¡± It sounded like some kind of crazy religious institution, but that¡¯s the spirit! ¡°First, please prepare a book with simpler phrases! And it¡¯ll be even better if you can teach us examples! And use the blackboard!¡± I gave him some orders while he was fired up. Rille-nee scolded me later for using a commanding tone on him. Volume 1 - CH 14 Fabian-sensei¡¯s enthusiasm and efforts were remarkable after that. He changed the textbook from a lengthy history book to a collection of stories that were easy for kids to understand, extracted the advanced grammar used in the stories and explained them with familiar examples, and he even had the students write their own sentences. He was now able to give a much more understandable lesson while checking the student¡¯s understanding. Well, it was also thanks to Rille-nee and I! It was hard to stop him every time he tried to skip over something. He was a teacher who had the fatal flaw of not knowing what the students didn¡¯t understand. Maybe it was better if the teacher wasn¡¯t too brilliant. The school improved like this, but unfortunately, the students didn¡¯t increase. It was still only the two of us sisters when the new year began. I felt sorry for Fabian-sensei, who was working hard, so I tried to tell the customers who came to the apothecary that it had become a good school, but they didn¡¯t respond much. After all, everyone thought that studying led to nowhere. It certainly didn¡¯t make one a noble, and not all knowledge was immediately useful. Even I, who has received a higher level of education than those in this world, once lamented at the uselessness of it all. But I believe it was good to be able to read. Honestly, the best way to attract students was to serve school lunches. Their appetite for food was bigger than their thirst for knowledge. But there was no space to build such a facility, and there probably weren¡¯t any funds for it either. In the meantime, a new problem arose. ¡°Eh, commoners shouldn¡¯t copy nobles!¡± The bad kids in the neighbourhood jeered at us in jealousy. They were throwing rocks at us from the entrance, which we had left open so that people could enter easily. I had no idea what they wanted to do. Don¡¯t they know that this school was run by the feudal lord? It was like they were throwing rocks at the feudal lord¡¯s mansion. Anyway, I¡¯ll kill you if you hit Rille-nee! The teacher, who had a sheltered upbringing, cried, and the number of kids who enjoyed playing this game increased day by day. This wasn¡¯t the time to be learning. I barricaded myself with the desks to fight them, and they climbed in through the cracks and ripped the textbooks to shreds. I¡¯ll kill you! ¡°I know that your parents abandoned you! It¡¯s cocky of you to want to study when you¡¯re abandoned kids!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be told that by a parasite who has never earned a dime!¡± I had much more vocabulary to insult them since I studied every day. But it will still lead nowhere! I was so angry because the boss was a kid from a wealthy merchant family, so I got out of the barricade and screamed, and a rock hit my head. Rille-nee¡¯s screams echoed in my ears. I felt hot pain and a sickening sensation of liquid running down the side of my face from my temple. Dammit, why was I involved in this mess when I was only studying? Can you be happy in a world that oppresses those who work hard? Rille-nee stopped me as I tried to grab the boss¡¯s neck and the little menaces quickly ran away, without leaving anyone behind. The feudal lord¡¯s soldiers, who were in charge of security, had just come around to patrol. ¡°Idiot! How can you be so reckless?!¡± Rille-nee tore the edge of her own skirt and wrapped it around my head while crying angrily. I hardly saw her cry ever since we got off the streets. Hmmm¡­ I guess I lost my mind for a bit. But I lost my mind because Rille-nee was in danger too. Well, I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Shall we keep watch?¡± The soldier said as we cleaned up the thrashed classroom together, but it wasn¡¯t a good suggestion. ¡°People would stop coming if we had soldiers around here all the time.¡± Fabian-sensei answered. He seemed to understand commoners now. But the current situation wasn¡¯t good. What can we do? ¡°I¡¯m certain that the child leading them came to study at the beginning¡­¡± The teacher was referring to the boss¡¯s kid. ¡°I remember him because he was very energetic. Oh, is he doing this because I hit him with the whip?¡± The teacher¡¯s face turned pale. I see. So, the guy, who skipped classes because he was whipped, was jealous that we were studying nonchalantly every day. He must be frustrated because he feels as if he¡¯s lost since he doesn¡¯t know that the education policy has changed. Hmm, does this mean that he¡¯s still curious about school? He actually wants to go to class, right? Maybe he does. It would be easy to get rid of this problem if I can find an excuse for him to study again. I immediately started preparing when I got back to the apothecary. ¡°Gis-nee, can you give me some alcohol?¡± ¡°You¡¯re experimenting again? Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°Stop talking as if I¡¯m insane. I¡¯m fine.¡± Gis-nee was worried about me since I came home with blood on my face. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± I smiled at the curious Gis-nee. ¡°I¡¯m going to show them magic that will make them more honest. You help too, Rille-nee.¡± I waited outside for the bad kids around noon. There was a metal cup, a homemade paper cup and a lit candle on the ground in front of me. Naturally, the kids stopped in their tracks out of suspicion. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Now watch! I¡¯m going to show you some magic!¡± I shouted like a peddler while holding out my hands and calling them to come closer. Of course, they didn¡¯t come closer, but some of their eyes lit up. ¡°Magic?¡± A small kid who was hiding behind someone repeated my words. Magic seemed to be an intriguing and fascinating word even for kids in this world. ¡°Yes, fire magic!¡± I began the experiment when the eyes of a dozen or so kids lit up. I wiped the inside of the metal cup with a cloth soaked in distilled liquor and placed the paper cup upside down over it. ¡°Here we go. Three, two, one!¡± As soon as I put the candle close to the small hole that I had made with a nail on the side of the metal cup near the bottom. BOOM. The paper cup flew up into the air in an instant, and the kids let out a cheer that almost sounded like a scream. It is really scary when someone suddenly does this when you don¡¯t know the result. It was an alcohol rocket test that I did in my junior high school science class. The structure was simple: igniting volatile alcohol caused a small explosion in the metal cup, sending the paper cup flying. The principle was the same as a real rocket. ¡°Woah!!¡± ¡°Is that really magic?!¡± ¡°Do it one more time!¡± ¡°Ah, you guys!¡± Aite, they took the bait. The circle that had stood far away from me suddenly narrowed. Along with being baited, I was secretly delighted that the kids liked it. ¡°I could do that, but don¡¯t you want to try it yourselves?¡± ¡°We can!?¡± ¡°You can cast this magic even if you¡¯re not a mage. This is the grimoire.¡± I handed out a copy of the experimental procedure which Fabian-sensei had written out for me to the kids who came up to me. Naturally they couldn¡¯t read the instructions which were written with nice grammar. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to read this grimoire and use this magic if you study and learn how to read and write. The class is starting right now, so why don¡¯t you go in and listen?¡± ¡°No!¡± The last obstacle between the kids whose minds were on the verge of wanting to go was the boss kid. You were excited earlier too. I¡¯ve already thought of a plan for him. This is where Fabian-sensei comes in. ¡°Theo, I¡¯m sorry for hitting you last time.¡± Fabian-sensei remembered all the names of the students who had come to his school even if they had only attended once. He squatted in front of the trembling kid and politely apologised. ¡°I¡¯ve learnt a lot since then, so I can give lessons that Theo and the other students can understand. I won¡¯t hit you anymore even if you make a mistake, so won¡¯t you come learn again? What you learn might not help you now, but I¡¯m sure it will help you someday.¡± It was a shocking experience for a kid when an adult apologised to them. They believe that the adult was always right. But as they get closer to being adults, they realise that there¡¯s a thin line between childhood and adulthood, and that we all make mistakes. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Okay, class is about to start. Please take your seats everyone.¡± The interesting science experiment was just to get their attention. In the end, Fabian-sensei¡¯s kindness attracted the kids to become his students. Volume 1 - CH 15 The school finally attracted kids after a lot of hard work. The students weren¡¯t only the kids of merchants, but also a few orphans. Fabian-sensei had approached them on the streets and had invited them to listen to his lessons while resting in a covered area. Recently, I found out that the teacher, who I thought was unreliable, actually had a great personality. With the increase in students, classes are now held twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and kids showed up when it suited them. The teacher¡¯s teaching method was well received, and even the adults come to peek sometimes. It must be his calling since he became livelier the more his work increased. Chancellor Leonard had a good eye for people. He mainly taught language. At first, we studied the alphabet and grammar using a collection of stories. We also learnt about the moral concepts of each tale. Then, when we¡¯re able to read most of the materials, like Rille-nee and I, the textbooks shifted to more difficult material such as history books. Once we learnt the alphabet and vocabulary, it was time to use them to acquire knowledge. ¡°¨D¨D¨D The land to the north of what is now Traus Kingdom was governed by a single ethnic group for hundreds of years.¡± Even if history was a bit complicated and boring, Fabian-sensei tried to break it down as much as possible and kindly taught it as if he was reading a story. I had finished my work in the morning and had come to class with Rille-nee. We were sitting on the couch with a few other children and listening to Fabian-sensei. ¡°They are the Traus people. They are the ancestors of our King.¡± A warm summer breeze came in through the open door. It was a pleasant afternoon. The teacher¡¯s silver hair glistened in the sunlight. ¡°The continent was in the midst of a long war at that time. Many nations and ethnic groups fought and were destroyed, and many people fled for their lives to this land. The reason why everyone¡¯s hair and eyes are different colours is because everyone has a mixture of blood from many different ethnic groups.¡± The teacher pointed at each one of us with his palm as he spoke. We all had different hair and eye colours; red, dark brown, black and grey. I could tell everyone was diverse just by looking at the kids in this room. ¡°The Traus people took in all people who had been defeated in battle, brought them together to form a nation and fought through the war.¡± In conclusion. ¡°That is why the royal family are great and noble.¡± It was a moving tale, but I believe it could be told in another way. They took away the culture and language of the defeated people in exchange for a place to stay, so that they could expand their power by equally subjugating the different ethnic groups. The current royal family belong to the bloodline of the chief who had led the Traus people at that time, and the nobles also have the blood of the other Traus people flowing in them. I wondered if those who were not of the Traus bloodline were treated like low class people, but when I read the history books that had been handed to me, in great detail, I found out that those from different ethnic groups who were active in the war became nobles. However, according to Fabian-sensei, those people mixed with higher ranked nobles later, so the Traus people are in control of this nation today. It didn¡¯t sit well with me that I was taught about worshipping bloodlines, but it wasn¡¯t bad since I was able to learn about history in this way instead of having Gis-nee roughly explain it to me. People should know about the origins and structure of the place where they are living. By the way, my speciality, science, only went as far as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Science was outside of Fabian-sensei¡¯s field of expertise. It seemed that the laws of physics and chemistry were the same here as it was in my previous world, so I don¡¯t need to ask about what I know. I guess the only unique thing about this world was magic. Fabian-sensei put a lot of books on the bookshelves besides textbooks to enrich us with knowledge, but unfortunately there weren¡¯t any books on magic. A variety of lessons were being taught, such as, language, history, morals, and etiquette, and lots of kids began showing up, but a small problem arose. ¡°~~ Shut up!¡± Theo interrupted Fabian-sensei during history class to yell at a kid who was sitting behind him and making a lot of scratching noises. The neighbourhood kid boss had grown quite fond of the teacher and had become a serious student to the point where he tried hard to read history books which he couldn¡¯t read yet, but his temper and naughtiness hadn¡¯t changed. The girl, who was scratching her body, was living on the streets and she seemed to have come here to rest rather than listen to the class. She yawned brazenly even when Theo got angry at her. ¡°Shut up!¡± Theo became even angrier when he repeated the same words to the sleepy girl. Fabian-sensei quickly meditated between the two. ¡°Theo and Leni don¡¯t fight. I told you two to get along.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s noisy! AND SHE STINKS!¡± Theo complained. The street kids don¡¯t bathe much, so the merchant kids bullied them. It was a sign of luxury to have a bathtub at home, so ordinary people didn¡¯t have the habit of taking a bath every day, instead they washed themselves with soft gel soap and a tub. We also do this. That was how we kept ourselves clean to a certain extent. That was why the kids from merchant families were put off by kids who had strong body odour or a head full of lice. There hasn¡¯t been any serious bullying since the students change all the time, but there was a barrier between the kids. Rille-nee and I, who have lived on the streets before, were in a neutral position. Therefore, we often mediated between the two groups. We talked to the girl named Leni while Fabian-sensei was lecturing Theo. ¡°Are you itchy?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Her sepia glazed eyes looked lethargic as she answered. She seemed a little older than Theo and me, but she had the withered aura of an old person. Her skin was tanned, and she looked fatigued and dirty. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t scratch too much. You¡¯ll rip your skin. Shall we wash up?¡± ¡°Wash? I don¡¯t want to use soap. It stinks.¡± Leni frowned at Rille-nee¡¯s suggestion. Soap usually smelled good, but the soap sold in this city stunk. It smelled strongly like oil-based clay, but it does remove dirt. I also thought it was disgusting when I first used it after Gis-nee taught me how. It felt as if I was trying to smear gel and sludge on my body. ¡°Have you used it before, Leni?¡± Leni surprisingly shook her head. I suppose poor families don¡¯t use it just because normal families do. ¡°No, but I smelled it when someone was washing outside. They smelled worse than me.¡± She tried to scratch her back while saying this, but Rille-nee stopped her. It could get infected if she scratches herself in her filthy condition. I don¡¯t know how to feel about Theo pointing out her body odour in front of her but keeping clean would be good for Leni and the other street kids. It would be scary if they were to be crammed up in a small space like this classroom whilst with an infectious disease. Also, if this developed into full-blown bullying, the students will decrease again and then the teacher will cry. I should gather up all the kids who come to this school and have them wash themselves. ¡°It smells a little when you¡¯re using it, but it smells fine after you rinse it off.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡± Leni resisted violently. I have an idea. ¡°Would you be willing to use it if it smells good?¡± Leni¡¯s glazed eyes widened slightly. ¡°Is there one that smells good?¡± ¡°Only if you make it, so let¡¯s make some.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re doing magic again?¡± Theo was half listening to our conversation and joined in. Did Fabian-sensei finish with his lecture? His dark eyes shone with anticipation and the other kids, who had been watching us, walked up to us. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll do it together. Help me gather the ingredients I¡¯m about to list.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Theo and the other kids energetically ran out of the classroom as soon as they heard this. ¡°We¡¯re still in the middle of class~!¡± I realised where we were when I heard Fabian-sensei cry sadly, but it was too late. Well, this was also a part of class. Volume 1 - CH 16 On a sunny and warm day, a special class was held for a science experiment. The topic was quite simply to put fragrance into soap. There were more than 20 people in front of the classroom, including merchant kids and orphans. ¡°Aime! I¡¯ve brought the soap, what do I do with it?¡± Theo showed me a tub full of soft soap which the kids had borrowed from each family. ¡°Put all of it into the pot. Gis-nee can you help with this?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gis-nee put the large pot that she had brought from home on the stove which she had made by assembling stones. I asked Gis-nee for help since it was the apothecary¡¯s regular closing day. I needed someone to do the hard work of setting up the stove. ¡°Rille-nee, is the water boiling?¡± I looked at Rille-nee who was already working on the other pot. She was surrounded by little kids and was softly scolding them for throwing twigs and grasses into the pot and making a racket over the fire sparks. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get too close. ¨D¨D¨D Yeah, it¡¯s boiling, Aime.¡± ¡°Then, move it to this pot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself Fabian-sensei.¡± ¡°Ooh¡­¡± I stopped the teacher, who was standing around idly, before he could reach for the pot, and his shoulders dropped sadly. You¡¯re as delicate as a girl. I¡¯m afraid to let you carry a piping hot pot. I invited Gis-nee for this exact reason. ¡°Can you light this stove for me, Sensei? Can you show him how to light it, Leni?¡± ¡°Sure¡­ but it¡¯ll be faster if I just light it myself.¡± She grumbled as she taught Fabian-sensei how to use a flint. It¡¯s fun for a student to teach a teacher sometimes, right? ¡°Guys, now put the wood in this stove.¡± ¡°Ok~ay!¡± The tiny kids ran up to the stove and tossed flammable materials into it. When the fire was started, I poured hot water into the pot of soap little by little. ¡°First, we have to melt the soap. Put up with the smell, alright?¡± I stuck a stick into the pot and stirred it well. An unpleasant smell spread around the area as the soap simmered, and the kids pinched their noses and shrieked. The hardest part was mixing it, and I was the one who was doing the mixing! If I remember correctly, soap made from animal fats had a strong smell. In my previous life, my mum had a hobby of making soap, so I learnt a little about it alongside her. Soap was made by adding alkaline solvent to fats and oils, and the properties of soap varied greatly depending on the type of oil used. Also, the soap won¡¯t harden properly depending on the type and amount of alkaline solvent used, or even if you used water with high mineral content instead of purified water. I believe the soap sold in this town was made from an alkaline solution made by boiling plant ashes. The word ¡®alkali¡¯ meant ¡®ash¡¯ in Arabic. A solution made from plant ashes can only produce soft soap. I personally feel that hard soap was easier to use than soft soap, so I decided to make hard soap as well as scented soap. ¡°Rille-nee, add the beeswax.¡± There was no need for complex logic. We just simply needed to harden it with wax. ¡°Okay, like this?¡± Rille-nee pinched her nose and threw the beeswax into the pot. I borrowed some of the beeswax from the classroom. ¡°Thanks. Just let it simmer for a little longer.¡± I had the fire put out when the wax had melted and mixed well. After letting it cool slightly, it was time to introduce the main ingredient. ¡°Hey, come here. I¡¯m going to put in a magic ingredient that will make it smell good.¡± I called the kids who were lingering in the distance and showed them the bottle I had brought from the store. This was a homemade incense that I had discovered through my experiments with various plants soaked in ethanol and oil. It was neither good nor bad, but it did smell good. I could smell a strong citrus scent when I opened the lid. It was a refreshing scent despite its black appearance. ¡°It¡¯s made from soaking the yuwa berries that everyone collected the other day. I soaked them in oil for 20 days. I¡¯m going to mix them together to make nice smelling soap.¡± I asked the kids to help me collect the berries that grew on the roadside trees at this time of the year. ¡°I want to put some in!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I handed the bottle to Theo, who had raised his hand, and concentrated on stirring the pot. The milk-white liquid mixed with the strange black liquid looked weird, and everyone around me shrieked again. But the area became enveloped in a refreshing aroma as the volatile fragrance spread from the heat, and even the kids who were peeking from far away came over to take a peek at the pot. ¡°¡­ It smells yummy~.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bitter if you taste it.¡± I laughed and warned the drooling kids. Then, I continued to mix the liquid. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Yup, seems good. Now we just need it to chill and harden.¡± I lined up the kids in a row and scooped the soap into their cups with a ladle. Some of them blew on the soap, and some cooled it down in the canal. When the soap hardened, we cut a slit in the cup with a knife and took it out. It was done! It was dark and a little off-coloured, but the smell of oil-based clay was masked by the citrus scent, and the kids pressed the soap to their noses and cheered. ¡°Will this do, Leni?¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡± Leni sniffed the soap timidly and nodded. ¡°Now, let¡¯s all use this soap to wash ourselves! Cleanest first!¡± So, we made an enclosed areas with wooden sticks and cloth dividers, and had everyone wash themselves, even the merchant kids. After all, the best way to get along is to work together and get to know each other naked! I hope this will help break down the barriers. Rille-nee, Fabian-sensei, and I washed the little kids and Gis-nee boiled water with the leftover firewood. ¡°Is it alright to let a noble teacher do this?¡± Rille-nee looked at Fabian-sensei with concern. It was discourteous to have him help with the experiment, but it was even more discourteous to have him wash a commoner kid, but he firmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do anything for the children.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Gis-nee didn¡¯t say anything to the passionate teacher who was brimming with love. He was a ¡®teacher¡¯ before he was a noble. It was a good thing that he was helping because there were boys and girl students. Their clean white skin was revealed when their grimy skin was scrubbed with soap. It hardly lathered, but it cleaned well. Well, it¡¯s not like the lather of soap had anything to do with its cleaning ability. But if this was used on hair, then it would remove too much oil and dry it out. So, I put a little bit of the perfumed oil from the bottle onto their hair and used it instead of treatment. Their hair became shiny and their whole body smelled good which made the girls very happy. ¡°¡­ This seems like it¡¯ll sell well.¡± A refreshed Leni sat beside me after she had washed her body. She stared at the perfumed oil. Her hair, which I had thought was black, was now a beautiful chestnut colour after a good wash. ¡°Maybe someone is already selling it somewhere. It¡¯s easy to make.¡± I wiped my hands on a towel and handed her a piece of paper from my pouch. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the grimoire, or rather the recipe. You might use it someday.¡± Leni frowned as she looked at the detailed instructions on how to process the berries for its fragrance. I hadn¡¯t done this in front of everyone else. ¡°I can¡¯t read it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to study.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡± She was always sleeping whenever I saw her in class. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°I never return anything I get.¡± She rolled up the paper and put it into her pocket. I smiled at her and went back to washing the kids, but Leni stayed there for a while. Then, I heard her muttering blankly, ¡°¡­ Can I make money if I study?¡± After that, the number of kids coming to school increased again. Kids from different backgrounds were getting to know each other a little better, and the aura in the classroom wasn¡¯t bad. Fabian-sensei was getting more and more energetic. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Is it alright for me to not go anymore?¡± Rille-nee expressed one evening after seeing that the school had stabilised, and the students had increased. We were getting ready for bed after finishing dinner. ¡°The apothecary is also busy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Gis-nee said as she did the ledger at the table. Rille-nee made the bed as she looked at Gis-nee. ¡°I think I¡¯ve learnt all I need to know. I can read now, and I¡¯ve learnt how to greet high-ranking nobles.¡± Rille-nee suddenly corrected her posture, put one leg behind her and slightly bent the leg in front. She greeted me with the noble greeting that Fabian-sensei had taught her. ¡°How do you do, Aime-ojousama?¡± ¡°Oh my, how do you do, Ridill-ojousama? Would you like to join me for some tea?¡± She seemed to be having fun, so I replied in the same way. Gis-nee laughed. ¡°Looks like you can even become a noble tomorrow.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Rille-nee also chuckled and continued. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy learning that I haven¡¯t really thought about this¡­ but after learning different things at school, I think I want to learn more about medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s thanks to Aime.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Rille-nee nodded deeply. ¡°You showed me a lot of interesting things, so I want to learn more and more about different things. But the thing I want to learn about the most is medicinal herbs.¡± She smiled as she said this, and I had nothing else to say to her. I made the decision to live in the apothecary, and Rille-nee just went along with me, and she studied to be allowed to stay here, but now she wanted to study about it more. This was the first time I¡¯ve seen her be proactive in her own affairs. I was happy to see her act this way. ¡°So, please take care of me from now on Gis-nee.¡± She bowed her head again and Gis-nee looked a little embarrassed. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ve already taught you nearly everything I know though.¡± ¡°You have to teach me everything.¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll give my poisonous plant notes to Rille-nee.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Although Gis-nee stopped me, I was proud of my data, which I had collected over the span of several years, so I gave it to Rille-nee anyway. Rille-nee told Fabian-sensei what had happened and stopped going to school. Or rather in this case, I should say that she graduated. Soon after that, I learnt most of what had been taught, and I started to hear the same things over and over again whenever I went to class, so I borrowed books from the teacher and learnt by myself while working in the apothecary. I can easily read any book with difficult words now. Natural history was my favourite at the moment. A little less than a year has passed since I started studying and I am now 12. Volume 1 - CH 17 Winter was coming to an end, and it was almost time for spring. That day, I went to school to return some books, but Fabian-sensei wasn¡¯t there. I came during the break, but he usually played with the kids during break, so it was rare for him not to be here. Did he have to do something? The students are still here even if the teacher wasn¡¯t. It was a good place to rest, especially for kids who didn¡¯t have a home, and there was always someone here keeping themselves warm by the fireplace in winter. The kids¡¯ eyes lit up all at once when they saw me. ¡°It¡¯s the witch!¡± Yeah, you know, isn¡¯t it mean to call me that? ¡°Use magic again!¡± They gave me the nickname ¡®witch¡¯ after I showed them a few experiments including the alcohol rocket and the soap making. It sounded more evil than ¡®magician¡¯. I guess they started using it because it appears in the tales in their textbooks, but is it my imagination that it sounds a little malicious? Well, I¡¯ll let them off the hook since they¡¯re looking at me with such pure eyes. I¡¯m mentally an adult after all. I¡¯ve already got something prepared since they always pester me every time they see me. Today I prepared a handmade firework made of iron powder obtained from sanding nails (it was a lot of work), wrapped in medicine wrap, twisted at both ends and tied to the end of a stick. I went outside and lit it with a candle while keeping the kids away from it. First, a small spark popped out, then a strong light popped out. There was no gunpowder in the candle, so it went out after a short time, but the kids were thrilled. I don¡¯t even know how many grimoires I¡¯ve written at this rate. I¡¯m glad they¡¯re happy though. ¡°Show us more magic!¡± ¡°No can do. The limit is once a day.¡± I don¡¯t have that many experiments. It was easy for them to ask, but I couldn¡¯t get a lot of the materials I needed, and it was quite difficult to prepare an experiment. I gave the grimoire to the babbling kids and chased them away, then someone called out to me. I turned around and saw two white people: Fabian-sensei, and surprisingly the principal¡­ I mean, the Chancellor Leonard. ¡°Hey, Aime. You¡¯ve gotten bigger.¡± The Chancellor was as cheerful and friendly as ever. But he remembered my name even though we¡¯ve only met once two years ago? I was surprised. Did he come to see how the school was going? I guess Fabian-sensei went out to greet his employer. Anyway, I put into practice the etiquette to greet superiors that I had joked about with Rille-nee about before. I straightened my back, tucked my chin, put one leg forward slightly, looked down and slightly bent my knees. ¡°It has been a while, Feudal Lord-sama. It is a pleasure to see you again.¡± ¡°Oh my. You¡¯ve become a fine lady.¡± I acted naivete after his compliment. I don¡¯t need to humble myself that much, do I? ¡°Is magic being taught here as well?¡± Chancellor Leonard had seen the experiment I had done earlier. He asked in a joking tone, so I smiled and handed him the grimoire. I don¡¯t need to explain it to him. He probably knows that burning iron causes sparks to fly if he¡¯s a good adult. This world has the technology to process iron. ¡°Eh¡­ Did you come up with this? Or did you read it from a book?¡± ¡°Leonard-sama, all of Aime¡¯s experiments come from her mind.¡± No, they¡¯re not original ideas even though I have made some adjustments to them. I feel bad for stealing the ideas of pioneers in my previous life since I couldn¡¯t explain this to them. Fabian-sensei continued to compliment me without being aware of my thoughts. ¡°Aime has probably read all the books published in this nation. She recently started studying other languages on her own, so I do not have anything to teach her anymore. In fact, I have learnt a lot from her on how to be a teacher. She is a really smart girl, and she has been helping out by gathering students and sharing her wisdom.¡± Hmmm, I have a pretty high self-esteem, but it was creepy being praised so openly. This is fishy. What is he up to? Chancellor Leonard bent down to look at me and I had a bad feeling. ¡°Aime, I have a proposal for you.¡± The words that followed were so surprising that I accidentally dropped my book on top of the burning candle. Chancellor Leonard came to the apothecary. It was still daytime, but the store was temporarily closed for lunch. The Chancellor and Gis-nee were sitting across from each other at the table in the back while Rille-nee and I stood behind Gis-nee. It was like a home visit, but this was a four-person meeting instead of a three-person meeting to discuss my future schooling in the capital and at a magic school of all places. ¡°The current Aime is capable of passing the exam.¡± Chancellor Leonard looked like an experienced head teacher. Why would the Chancellor of this nation invite a mere street girl to a magic school? First, there are currently 50 magicians in this nation, and they all live in the capital. It was a vague term, but you need the right aptitude to become a magician and not everyone can become one just because they tried hard. This nation wanted more useful and powerful magicians, but unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t a way to measure the aptitudes of a magician beforehand. It would be nice if they had a machine to measure mana, but magic in this world comes from magic stones, so it wasn¡¯t like people had special powers. Still, to find out what kind of people can become magicians, researchers studied the common characteristics of magicians from the past to the present including their appearance, gender, age, place of birth, lineage, behaviour and habits. And the answer they came up with was ¡®intelligence¡¯. ¡­ That¡¯s too vague! Perhaps they couldn¡¯t find anything in common, but using that as reference, they defined that intelligence meant someone who could study, so they built a magic school with an exam system. This was another reason why Chancellor Leonard wanted to raise the education level of the masses. He said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we let the people study to improve their intelligence and then scoop out the best of the best and educate them as magicians?¡± Up until now, only nobles who were able to study were admitted into the magic school, but if they can select magicians from commoners, then they can increase the number of magicians. If I enter magic school and become a magician, then it would show the usefulness of Chancellor Leonard¡¯s plan for educating the masses. That was why he was seriously trying to persuade me because I was just a small girl with no status. He was waiting for his school to produce an outstanding student. ¡°You can unconditionally get a job at the palace if you become a magician. Even if you don¡¯t become a magician, you can use the knowledge you learn to work at the Royal Institute.¡± So, a national civil servant. A dazzling elite life awaited me just by me attending that school. ¡°I don¡¯t think it sounds like a bad deal.¡± Even so! I can get the high salary I¡¯ve always wanted if things work out! And even if it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll be on the same level as in my previous life. It was a great way to learn about magic which I¡¯ve been curious about for a long time, and it was a great way for me to make life easier for Rille-nee and Gis-nee in the future. It was such a great career path that I wanted to rub my head on the floor and beg him to let me go. From being a street kid to working in the palace, it was a hyper success story. ¡°I don¡¯t have any say in this. It¡¯s up to Aime to decide for herself.¡± That was all Gis-nee said after listening to Chancellor Leonard¡¯s explanation. She was no longer my employer; she was more like a guardian, and she respected my decision. ¡°So, Aime, how do you feel about it?¡± Of course, I want to go, but¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t come back here if I go to the capital, can I?¡± I couldn¡¯t answer immediately in the face of my good fortune. Perhaps Chancellor Leonard knew what I had meant, and he nodded mysteriously. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I would like to study magic, and I want a lot of money, but if the price is living apart from my family, then I honestly cannot say that I want to go right now.¡± I was surprised at this feeling. In my previous life, I had thought that my family would eventually go our separate ways. So, I didn¡¯t mind leaving home and flying abroad. Looking back, I realise that it was probably because I believed I wouldn¡¯t lose them even if everyone has their own lives. Experiencing misfortune has made me a little cowardly. There is no absolute protection for us here. We don¡¯t have social security here and people have different morals. It seems to me that life and rights are taken lightly here. There are many kind people here, but I know that there are just as many scary people as there are kind. I was worried that by being away from them, they wouldn¡¯t be able to help me if something happens to me or I¡¯ll be left alone in this world without knowing it. It was hard for me to make up my mind since I should do what would leave me with no regrets instead of doing what I want to do. Volume 1 - CH 18 God¡¯s salvation for the lost lambs. Let Buddha¡¯s mercy be shown to the suffering beings. An older sister¡¯s words to a distressed younger sister. ¡°Will Aime be willing to go to the capital if I go too?¡± I looked next to me and saw that Rille-nee was even smiling at me. I was taken aback by her surprising words. ¡°You¡¯ll go to the capital too? Eh, does that mean Rille-nee will be attending magic school too?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t understand difficult things. I meant that I¡¯ll go to the capital to work, so that I can live with you, Aime.¡± ¡°¡­ Really?¡± I must have looked pretty stupid at that moment. That thought never crossed my mind. ¡°Yeah.¡± Rille-nee gently put her hand on my head. ¡°We¡¯ve always together when we¡¯re anxious or scared, aren¡¯t we?¡± Yeah¡­ She¡¯s right, we were together, so we were okay no matter what happened to us. Oh, I see. I was just scared. Not because of Rille-nee or Gis-nee, but about living in an unknown place by myself. But my anxiety faded away as soon as Rille-nee said she was coming with me. I never knew I was a kid like this. ¡°But, but what about the store?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Ah, how about we all move to the capital?¡± It was quite a bold idea. Everyone smiled wryly. I thought it was a pretty good idea, and I meant it. There will be more people in the capital and if we advertise well, then we can make more money than now. Our medicine has a good reputation. We can borrow money from Chancellor Leonard to cover the cost of moving the store. ¡°I wish I could.¡± I had already started formulating a plan in my head, but Gis-nee didn¡¯t even think about it and quickly replied. ¡°You can¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t go to the capital because of personal reasons.¡± ¡°¡­ You mean from the time when you were a soldier?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seriously, what happened to her there? There must be some dark reason behind this. ¡°Can you make medicine, Ridill?¡± Chancellor Leonard asked to change the topic. I realised that they were completely unwilling to tell me the reason. ¡°For example, can you make salves and patch people up?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just that, then I do it all the time.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Chancellor Leonard looked at Rille-nee and smiled. ¡°You sisters are really talented. I believe you¡¯d be a good educator as well, Giselle.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s all the result of their hard work.¡± Then, the Chancellor turned to the puzzled Rille-nee. ¡°Actually, the palace¡¯s medical department is short of manpower.¡± ¡­ Palace? No way¡­ ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a battle in a long time, but it¡¯s a place where soldiers who are undergoing rigorous training are brought in. One of the women who was assisting the doctor there retired just the other day when she got married. I¡¯m looking for her replacement. I¡¯d be happy for you to take her place if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Yo-you want me to work in the palace?¡± Rille-nee was so surprised that she choked on her words. I see, the job is to take care of the wounded soldiers, a military physician so-to-speak. I guess the patients are all strong guys like Gis-nee. I feel a bit uneasy about it, but I believe it¡¯s a place where Rille-nee can make full use of her abilities. This doesn¡¯t really matter, but how does the Chancellor know about the personnel of another department? Is this normal? ¡°Of course, the medical department will decide whether or not you¡¯ll be hired, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do fine since you studied under Giselle.¡± ¡°Y-yes, thank you very much. B-but¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Gis-nee added to support the Chancellor¡¯s words. ¡°The doctors who work at the palace are much more knowledgeable than I am. There¡¯s no better environment to study medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rille-nee was probably silent because she was fascinated. She can work and study at the same time and she also doesn¡¯t have to separate from me. But¡­ ¡°¨D¨D¨D Say, is it really alright?¡± I want to go to the capital. I want to go, but Rille-nee and I have been too indebted to Gis-nee to prioritise what we want. ¡°We haven¡¯t done much to pay you back for all you¡¯ve done for us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to run a store by yourself, isn¡¯t it Gis-nee?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Gis-nee looked cheerful while our expressions were clouded with anxiety, loneliness and guilt. She suddenly stood up, hugged us both and rubbed our heads with her big hands. ¡°Who cares about that? You¡¯re my family, aren¡¯t you?¡± Rille-nee and I were both at a loss for words, then we heard Gis-nee¡¯s grumbling voice. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re not!¡± ¡°We¡¯re family!¡± Rille-nee and my voice overlapped in panic. ¡°Then, don¡¯t hesitate. I¡¯ll be happy if my sisters become accomplished.¡± Those deep and thoughtful words quietly pushed me on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the store or anything else. You¡¯ve helped me enough and every day has been fun.¡± This person¡¯s past remains a mystery as always, but when she hugged me and said that I felt like everything was fine. Her past doesn¡¯t matter. This person is undoubtedly our family. ¡°¡­ Gis-nee.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can you not go to the capital for your whole life?¡± ¡°¡­ Well, maybe I¡¯ll be able to go when you come of age, Aime.¡± What? That¡¯s not that far away then. ¡°Then, let¡¯s open a store in the capital when that day comes. Rille-nee and I will earn a lot of money and save up for a store. Then, the three of us will live together again.¡± I also put my arms around her to hug her. I couldn¡¯t see her face, but I could hear her laugh. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. ¨D¨D¨D Alright, I¡¯ll do my best. I need to pass the exam first. I¡¯m going to get on the highway to success for the future of my beloved family. Volume 1 - CH 19 Hogwar¡­ *cough cough*. Rille-nee and I will be leaving on the same day as the examinations for the Royal Institute of Magic. We¡¯ll take a horse-drawn carriage service that runs between cities to get to the capital. There are only a few of them, so including the waiting time in each town, it will take about 20 days to get to the capital. We could have asked Chancellor Leonard to take us there by carriage, but we decided not to bother him with things we can manage on our own. When we left, Gis-nee, Fabian-sensei and some of the kids from the school, who always looked forward to doing experiments, came to see us off. Rossi also came to see us off. It was his family that provided the carriage service. ¡°Y-Younger sister, you¡­¡± ¡°Wah, I, I said I was sorry.¡± When he heard that Rille-nee decided to go to the capital because of me, tears streamed down his face as he looked at me accusingly, so I felt bad for him and apologised. He really likes her. ¡°You should also do well and come to the capital, Rossi. I¡¯ll at least let you confess when you do.¡± It¡¯s not like I always block his attempts of confessing. I gave him plenty of chances, but he couldn¡¯t convey his feelings because he has bad timing or he makes mistakes while trying to confess. Even now, he was trying to say something to Rille-nee, but I couldn¡¯t understand him because he was sobbing so much. Rille-nee was laughing. You should gain some experience and try again. The little ones gathered around me while Rossi was talking to Rille-nee. ¡°Why do you have to go to magic school when you¡¯re already a witch~?¡± Some of the kids were innocent and curious, and Leni put her hand on their heads and sleepily explained. ¡°I told you she¡¯s not a witch. She¡¯s a fake witch.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you explain it in a way that makes me sound less shady?¡± I didn¡¯t want to be stuck with another weird nickname when I leave. Leni yawned uninterestedly even when I complained. ¡°But, *yawn*¡­ but you¡¯re going to become a real witch, right? I¡¯m sure you can become one.¡± Leni said as she scratched her head. Her hair was still the same chestnut brown from the time when we washed it. She has been studying since then and seemed to be able to read my grimoires at least. I even saw her gathering her friends in front of the classroom before to make soap. She seemed to be trying to figure out how to make a new product to sell. It would be a good learning experience for them to consider the materials, profitability and other things while making the soaps. As I was thinking this, Theo suddenly appeared from behind Leni and threw something over her head. ¡°Look, your farewell gift!¡± I caught the bag in midair, opened it and smelled the scent of lavender. I took out the milky white soap and looked at Theo. He seemed very proud of himself. ¡°How is it? It doesn¡¯t have a strange colour, does it? Take it with you.¡± ¡°Eh, ah, you¡¯re giving this to me? Wow, thanks. Look, Rille-nee.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± I made Rille-nee, who was still talking to Rossi, turn around and showed her the soap. I was really happy to receive this. I can use it on the trip, and he was very kind to make enough for both of us. ¡°Did you make this especially for us?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a prototype.¡± They should have just honestly agreed, but Leni said something that wasn¡¯t very moving, so Theo added. ¡°I got some perfume from one of our vendors and added it in. The soap kept it¡¯s nice colour when I did this.¡± ¡°But perfume is ridiculously expensive, so we can¡¯t make a profit. We want to make it with cheaper materials and rake in the profits.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve learnt some difficult words, Leni¡­¡± I don¡¯t know whether to be happy or shocked. Leni and Theo are indeed kids of a merchant town. They¡¯re very motivated when they believe they can make money from something. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, then maybe you can make soap from scratch using vegetable oil. If the oil is extracted from beans, seeds or berries then it won¡¯t stink. You can also process the fragrant oil directly into the soap, but it¡¯s a bit difficult.¡± ¡°Huh~?¡± I¡¯ll give you some knowledge as a gift. It¡¯s a thank you for the farewell gift. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try it.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Hey, stop talking about that. When you become a real mage, show me some real magic!¡± Theo said and the other kids looked at me in anticipation. I don¡¯t even know if I have the aptitude to become a mage yet, and it won¡¯t be easy for me to come back if I do become a mage, but I didn¡¯t want to tell them that. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll show everyone some fun magic.¡± It might take some time, but I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ll never see them again. I believe that I¡¯ll be able to fulfil my promise one day, one way or another. ¡°Be careful on your way.¡± Fabian-sensei said to Rille-nee and I as tears welled up in his grey eyes. ¡°I really can¡¯t thank you two enough.¡± Then, he cried as he smiled. ¡°There¡¯ll be many challenges ahead of you, but I¡¯m confident that you two will be able to overcome them. Stay healthy and live a good life. You two are students I¡¯m proud of.¡± He said in an exaggerated way which made me happy but also a bit embarrassed. ¡°Thank you very much. We¡¯re happy to have learnt from you, Fabian-sensei.¡± I apologised to him in my mind for thinking he was annoying at first. He is a very nice teacher who is sensitive and has strong beliefs. ¡°Thank you for teaching us, Sensei.¡± I bent my knees and bowed deeply. Finally, I looked up at Gis-nee who was standing next to him. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± A hand was placed on my head. Rille-nee and I both nodded at her brief words. ¡°Don¡¯t go out of business before you get to the capital, okay?¡± ¡°I know. We¡¯ll be open for business.¡± I jokingly warned, and Gis-nee laughed. Rille-nee also laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think the customers will run away if you make an expression like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. ¨D¨D¨D You two have to make it to the capital safely.¡± ¡°We will!¡± We had a farewell party with Gis-nee last night, so we didn¡¯t have to talk for long again here. We¡¯ll live together again, so we can talk about all the things we missed out on in each other¡¯s lives then. We just shook hands for now, promising to meet again. ¡°Then, we¡¯re off!¡± We climbed onto the back of the covered carriage and waved at Gis-nee and everyone else until I couldn¡¯t see them anymore. We left the city through the west gate and there was no obstacle on the road as far as the eye can see. I looked over the far horizon of the grassland and realised how wide the world was. ¡°The breeze feels nice.¡± ¡°It does.¡± Rille-nee leaned out a little and her hair, which had grown to her back, danced happily in the wind. The loneliness won¡¯t disappear, but the fresh breeze and unobstructed view made my heart light and free and made me look beyond the horizon with anticipation. It felt like the start of a new life. After getting motivated, I took out my homemade notebook from my travel luggage and started studying. The exam has some math questions, but I also have to learn about history, famous poems and writings. Learning history is fine, but why do I have to memorise poems that I don¡¯t like, but well, if I was told to learn them, so I¡¯ll do it. The reference book was valuable, so I borrowed it from Fabian-sensei and copied it. The notebook was only made from shoddy paper, had holes punched through it and threaded together with a string. It smelled so much like a struggling student that I thought it would attract flies. Incidentally, this carriage was also the cheapest, lowest grade freight carriage, and we were squeezed in between boxed luggage. This was basically how we were planning on getting to the capital. We have to book the best inn we could with our budget for safety¡¯s sake, so we chose a cheap transportation method. I heard that the best carriages have proper shock-absorbing suspensions and seats. I¡¯ll ride one of those when I become successful. Ambition makes one diligent. I worked hard even though I was shaking in the carriage for a long time. My life was literally hanging on the line. ¡°You¡¯ll get tired before the exam if you work too hard.¡± Rille-nee stops me if I get too absorbed in studying, so it was fine. Whenever that happens, we would talk while looking at the scenery. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s with me. I¡¯ll get by with the help of Rille-nee even if we have to leave a familiar place and are surrounded by strangers. This hasn¡¯t changed since I was born, that was how we lived. So, Gis-nee, don¡¯t worry and wait for us. I looked up at the sky during my journey and muttered. Volume 1 - CH 20 It is often said that the best part of travelling is meeting people. I believe it¡¯s important to connect with others while travelling since we all feel uncertain when travelling to places that aren¡¯t connected to us. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Cheers to the blessing of the Sky God!¡± Still, I wonder how many times these people have to toast until they¡¯re satisfied. While Rille-nee and I were having dinner in a corner of the inn¡¯s dining room which was packed with round tables, the travellers, who had hit it off, chanted the name of the nation¡¯s God and raised their mugs whenever the conversation got lively. We entered the northern part of the Henshelwood ruled by Chancellor Leonard on the fifth day of our journey and are making good progress to the capital. We were staying overnight at an inn along the way today. There are inns, teahouses, and other resting facilities for travellers along the road, so we don¡¯t have to camp out even if we don¡¯t make it to a town. As expected of a nation of commerce. There were other walled cities on the grassland besides the place where we were born, and we will reach the next city tomorrow if we take the carriage service that brought us here again. The inn we were staying in tonight was a very large two-story building that could accommodate groups of peddlers. Even though it was dirty and not very luxurious, it had a nice dining room and separate bathrooms for men and women. The men and women bathrooms are often combined in smaller lodgings. Rille-nee and I got to the inn early because of the carriage service, we got hot water before it got crowded, then headed to the dining room for dinner. It seemed that there were a lot of guests tonight at the inn. They had already started drinking by the time the sun had set. I thought we would be able to finish our dinner before this happened, but we got seated with people who smelled like alcohol. ¡°The alcohol tastes good when you drink it with young kids.¡± The young man sitting next to me at the small round table said something that sounded fatherly and raised his mug. Then he strummed the small guitar-like stringed instrument and started humming something. ¡°Do you want some too~?¡± A strange Onee-san was bothering Rille-nee by pushing a mug at her. She was wearing a plain, grey cloak, but I could see through the gaps that she had a big chest and was wearing something revealing underneath. I could also smell alcohol from a nearby table. We were sharing our table with a group of high-spirited travelling entertainers. They filled about half of the seats in this large dining room and the people who had been toasting the other guests earlier were also travelling entertainers. ¡°Ah, umm, you don¡¯t have to worry about us¡­¡± Rille-nee refused the drink without hesitation but her words no longer reached the completely drunk Onee-san. I couldn¡¯t ruin the mood since they were drinking so happily, so I introduced myself and went along with the conversation, but it was quite annoying. We were done with our dinner, but they wouldn¡¯t let us leave. ¡°It¡¯s hard to travel with just the two of you, isn¡¯t it? Join our entertainment group~!¡± A bald old man with a slightly strange accent sat in front of us and kept trying to get us to join his group. He was the leader of the entertainment group, and his name is Raj-san. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t heard us when we told him that we were going to the capital, or maybe he had forgotten while he was drinking. ¡°You two sisters can do it! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to attract customers just by standing there and looking pretty. What do you think of the slogan ?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use even if you ask me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry~. The younger sister is pretty too!¡± He tapped me on the shoulder, but I backed away since it hurt. Aren¡¯t you just calling me cute in another way? Well, I¡¯m not going to become an entertainer though. ¡°It¡¯s true that you have beautiful red hair that men would love.¡± ¡°Hya?!¡± The sexy voice was followed by a shriek from Rille-nee. She had just washed her hair and let it down, and the girl sitting next to her was touching her hair. I believe her name is Camilla-san. Her long hair was also red. She seemed to be a singer. She laughed in a low tone and poked Rille-nee¡¯s nose, ¡°C~uteeeee.¡± ¡°That innocent expression will definitely attract them. Hey Leader, why don¡¯t you let me make a trio with these girls~? Isn¡¯t having a captivating and cute trio nice~? It¡¯s like showing the growth from a girl to a woman~.¡± ¡°That sounds interesting!¡± ¡°U-umm¡­¡± ¡°I told you we¡¯re not going to become entertainers.¡± I had a feeling that we might actually join their entertainment group if I didn¡¯t make myself clear, so I said this on behalf of Rille-nee. ¡°But you¡¯re joking about becoming a mage, right~?¡± The Onii-san next to me, Bane-san, was a bit annoying since he played his instrument every time he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m studying hard right now¡± I held the notebook in my hand. I shouldn¡¯t have done this while studying, but I brought it with me since I wanted to learn what I can while eating. They asked about our plans, so I honestly told them about our plans to take the entrance exam for the magic school and working in the palace, but they didn¡¯t believe me for some reason. I explained that you can enter magic school regardless of your status if you can pass the exam and that it isn¡¯t only nobles who work at the palace, but the travelling entertainers thought I was joking. ¡°School? That¡¯s a place that we can never go to~.¡± Bane-san flipped through the notebook and shook his head when Camilla-san asked him if he could read. ¡°You girls are smart.¡± She seemed impressed, but just being able to read isn¡¯t something to be proud of. ¡°There¡¯s nothing difficult written there. It¡¯s just a poem.¡± ¡°A poem?¡± Bane-san had a different look in his eyes. ¡°I have to memorise a poem for the exam.¡± ¡°You have to memorise a poem? Nice, that sounds interesting! Try reciting it to me!¡± He stuck his instrument. I wasn¡¯t good at reciting poetry, so I just read the text out loud, and Bane-san shouted after the first verse, ¡°I know this poem!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a famous poem. Isn¡¯t it Colut¡¯s ?¡± Then, Bane-san played his instrument again and started singing. Camille-san hummed along softly. The chatter in the dining room suddenly quietened down and everyone listened to their song. I wasn¡¯t really interested in abstract and roundabout poems. Seriously, why is the exam about this poem? But when I listened to the poem in this way, I realised the beauty of the words. It was honestly a great poem. The tune was smooth and made me want to sing along. Oh, I might be able to remember the poem easily now! Eventually, all the other travelling entertainers started singing, and I sang along with Rille-nee while looking at my notes. This was a fun way to learn. After the song, Bane-san and the others bowed to the crowd like actors on a stage, and people praised them on their performance. ¡°Thank you very much. I think I can remember the poem now.¡± I sat back down on my chair and thanked Bane-san. The young man, who was drunk on alcohol and praise, waved his hand in the air. ¡°No need to thank me. Just lend us your sister for a night.¡± ¡°I see. So, I can thank you by smashing that instrument.¡± ¡°No, no! I¡¯m sorry!¡± I stood up and he quickly hugged his instrument. I won¡¯t let you get cocky. ¡°Aime, don¡¯t react to every joke.¡± Rille-nee scolded me, but she was probably hoping that things would end well. ¡°Aha, the older sister is strong! This one seems like she¡¯ll become a good woman too. I like them, I want them in the group.¡± The leader of the group, Raj-san, listened to our conversation and said something fishy. It does feel like he was being serious, but I¡¯ll let it slide since he¡¯s drunk. I sat back down and continued with the conversation. ¡°Did you write that beautiful song, Bane-san?¡± ¡°Yes! Or so I¡¯d like to say, but no, I learnt it from my master. Hehe, my master used to work for a noble as a musician and he knew many songs.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ then you probably know other poems that have been turned to songs, right?¡± I actually have a few more poems that I need to memorise for the exam. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t memorise them in the normal way, but it¡¯s kinda hard to remember something that I¡¯m not interested in, and they¡¯re all really long. When I told him the titles of the poems I wanted to memorise, Bane-san knew them all. All of them were poems famous among the educated, and musicians employed by nobles can sing them. ¡°Hehe, do you want to hear them? Of course, you do!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her listen for free.¡± Bane¡¯s companion from the next table tugged his arm when he tried to play his instrument. It was a thin man with bluish-black hair and almond eyes. He came to our table with his chair and smiled at us. ¡°Why don¡¯t you play with me before you listen to Bane¡¯s hum?¡± The man, who called himself Salim, fanned out the cards that were in his hand. ¡­ No, I want to study. Salim-san, a throwing sword performer, invited me to play a card game that is often played among the travellers. I¡¯ve seen people play it many times in the dining room of an inn and in the carriage. Rille-nee and I never played it since people bet food and money while playing instead of just using it to pass time. ¡°I don¡¯t know the rules.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, so play a game with me.¡± I tried to refuse, but he kept insisting. I guess I have to play. ¡°I¡¯ll play if we don¡¯t bet anything.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯ll be boring.¡± ¡°Then, I can¡¯t play. We don¡¯t have money. We¡¯re going to the capital to earn money.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to bet money. If you win, Bane and the others will play whatever you want, but if I win, you two will help me with work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± The leader, Raj-san, answered for some reason. So, you¡¯re trying to get us with this? Drunk people make really bad jokes. Then, before I knew it, Salim was holding a thin scalpel-like throwing knife and pointed the tip at me while it was still in its sheath. ¡°I want to use you as a target. I¡¯m sure people will love it if I aim at a piece of fruit on your little head!¡± His target was me! The sight of an adult throwing a dangerous weapon at a child is just plain disturbing! William Tell is unethical! ¡°Then, can your older sister dance to my song~?¡± ¡°Eh?!¡± Rille-nee, who was being hugged by Camilla-san, panicked. ¡°I, I can¡¯t dance!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ~ alright~. Men love it when young girls flutter their dresses.¡± The entertainers seemed alright with anything as long as it made their performance good. What should I do? It was more troublesome than betting money, but I want to learn the poems for the exam, and I actually want to have a little bit of fun. There isn¡¯t much entertainment in this world. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Can you tell me the rules first? I¡¯ll decide whether I want to play or not after that.¡± I was a traveller myself, so I wanted to enjoy these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But I don¡¯t want to become the target of a throwing sword, so I¡¯ll have to be careful when playing. Volume 1 - CH 21 ¡°¨D¨D¨D There are generally two types of cards. The major cards: the King, the Mage, the Warrior, the Shepherd, and the Sinner, and their corresponding minor cards: the Crown, the Magic Stone, the Sword, the Sheep and the Chain.¡± Salim-san explained as he laid out the cards on the table where the plates had been cleared. The back of the cards, which were made of several sheets of paper laminated together to make them strong, all had intricate patterns drawn on them in dark blue ink, like a Persian carpet. When I turned the ¡®King¡¯ card over, there was a picture of an old man with an imposing beard sitting on the throne. Salim-san showed me three of the same ¡®King¡¯ cards side by side. All three cards had the same design, but the colours of the small circles in the four corners were different. The circles were blue, white and yellow. ¡°We both have five cards in our hands, and we have to exchange the cards to make a stronger hand to win. For example, if you have this ¡®Blue King¡¯ and a ¡®Blue Crown¡¯, then you¡¯ve completed the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯.¡± Salim-san put the ¡®Crown¡¯ card with four blue circles in the corner next to the ¡®Blue King¡¯. Each card had three of the same colours. ¡°You can only complete the role if the cards are of the same colour. By the way, the rank of the role goes down as the number of minor cards decreases. A ¡®Shepherd¡¯s Role¡¯ with three ¡®Sheep¡¯ is stronger than a ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯ with two ¡®Crowns¡¯.¡± So, the more minor cards you have, the stronger you are and if you have the same colour minor cards then the higher the rank of the major card. It seems that the Mage is a higher rank card than the Warrior. But you have to be careful with the card ranks. ¡°You can¡¯t have the ¡®Sinner¡¯ card in your hand if you create the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯, since the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯ won¡¯t be recognised as a role if you do. Also, the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯ will lose to the ¡®Sinner¡¯s Role¡¯.¡± The ¡®Sinner¡¯ resents the ¡®King¡¯, therefore he¡¯s the ¡®Sinner¡¯. He will win against the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯ even if he loses to the other roles. However, the ¡®Sinner¡¯s Role¡¯ is a risky all-or-nothing role, and your role card will lose a rank if you have the ¡®Sinner¡¯ card in your hand, so it¡¯s usually discarded immediately. Also, one of the reasons why it¡¯s so hard to make a ¡®Sinner¡¯s Role¡¯ is because the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯ isn¡¯t the strongest role in the game. The strongest role in the game is the ¡®State Role¡¯ which consists of four major cards of the same colour (except for the ¡®Sinner¡¯) as well as a ¡®Crown¡¯ card of the same colour. This role seems to represent an ideal nation with commoner shepherds as the foundation of the nation, mages and warriors as the protectors of the nation, a crowned king to rule the nation and no sinners. This role isn¡¯t affected by the ¡®Sinner¡¯s Role¡¯, so there¡¯s nothing to fear if you can make it. There is one set of five major roles and three sets of five minor cards each with three blue, white or yellow circles around them, totalling to 60 cards. There are more cards in this game than trump. Five cards on hand and five facing up on the field while the rest are placed in the deck. The player puts the cards he doesn¡¯t need face up on the field and replaces them with cards from the deck or field. When the number of cards on the field reaches ten, the player collects the cards on the field, cuts them, reveals five cards on the field again and places the rest at the bottom of the deck. After everyone has exchanged their cards 10 times (the player can pass if they¡¯ve completed a role card before the 10 turns are over), and no one wants to raise the bet, then everyone shows their cards to each other and the person with the best hand wins. ¡°Sounds fun, right? Don¡¯t you want to give it a try?¡± ¡°¡­ I guess so~.¡± I spread out some cards, looked at them carefully then pondered. ¡°By the way, what happens if there¡¯s a tie?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll play until there¡¯s a clear winner.¡± ¡°We have to get up early. So, if we have to play, then I¡¯d like it if we only play one round.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let you sleep in if you lose.¡± Salim-san let out a strange laugh through the gaps in his teeth. We have to help them perform in a nearby village if we lose which would delay our itinerary. Well, we¡¯ve come this far without a hitch and have plenty of time to spare, so I think we¡¯ll be fine. Besides, maybe they¡¯ll sober up tomorrow and think it was rash to ask amateurs to help. If not, the worst that would happen is that we¡¯ll have to flee. They¡¯ll probably still be dead drunk early in the morning anyway. ¡°Rille-nee, do you want to try?¡± I asked and Rille-nee looked extremely anxious. ¡°Will it be alright?¡± ¡°Yup, umm¡­¡± I pulled Rille-nee under the table and whispered my plan to her. ¡°Eh, wah, you want me to play too?¡± ¡°We have a better chance of winning if we both play.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t understand the rules very well¡­¡± ¡°You just need to do as I say. Well, we don¡¯t have to play if you really don¡¯t want to though.¡± ¡°¡­ Are you sure you can win?¡± ¡°I can unless I have very bad luck. I actually don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for us to win if we play normally.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright, let¡¯s do it. We¡¯re going to play and win, so you can study!¡± Rille-nee motivated herself and clenched her first. Thank you. Let¡¯s give them a surprise! ¡°Have you decided on a plan?¡± Salim-san asked when we looked up. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s play two against two?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not used to this game, so we¡¯d like to play it together. Why don¡¯t we decide the game based on the total score of the roles created by the pair?¡± It was an unusual rule, but the other party accepted since there was no money at stake and it wasn¡¯t a serious game. It was Rille-nee and I vs. Salim-san and the Leader Raj. The beginning of the game was a little strange. In poker, a person called the ¡®dealer¡¯ deals a hand of cards to everyone, but in this game, each player chooses five cards from the cards that were scattered face down on the table. This may be a way to make sure that you don¡¯t hold a grudge against anyone but yourself if your first hand is bad. Following the example of Salim-san and Leader Raj who were picking their own cards, I also chose ten cards at once. I then divided the cards in two for Rille-nee and I and checked the cards while covering the cards tightly with my hand. I asked Camilla and Bane to move away since they were standing next to me. ¡°We can¡¯t see the cards even if you don¡¯t hide them that well~.¡± Salim-san laughed at my obvious caution, but I had to be careful. The order of exchange was: Rille-nee, Salim-san, me then Leader Raj. We took turns since it was two against two, and we were told to go first. When the deck and five cards on the field were set up and ready to go, I whispered my instructions to Rille-nee. ¡°Discard the ¡®Yellow Chain¡¯.¡± Rille-nee put the card on the field like I had said and took a card from the deck. The card turned out to be the ¡®White Warrior¡¯. We were exchanging cards one at a time. Next, Salim-san took the ¡®Blue Shepherd¡¯ card from the field and discarded his ¡®White Chain¡¯. I discarded the ¡®Blue Sword¡¯ and took the ¡®Yellow Mage¡¯ from the field. The next player, Leader Raj, discarded a ¡®Blue Magic Stone¡¯ and picked up a card from the deck. That was the end of one round. No one stated that they had completed a role yet. Since they promised that we only had to play one game, the game will end in a draw if no role is revealed at the end of the ten rounds. But well, I don¡¯t think that will happen though. The game was very nerve-wracking but quiet and ended after the eighth round. Everyone was able to make roles. ¡°Well? Let¡¯s have a look, you can reveal your card first.¡± Salim-san urged with a smirk as if he was sure they had won. ¡°Alright.¡± But we weren¡¯t intimidated by his smirk. We spread our cards on the table. The people around us, who had been watching the game, erupted in laughter immediately. Rille-nee¡¯s cards were a ¡®White King¡¯, a ¡®White Mage¡¯, a ¡®White Warrior¡¯, a ¡®White Shephard¡¯ and a ¡®White Crown¡¯, making her role the ¡®State Role¡¯. She suddenly made the most powerful role even though she was only a beginner. And my cards ¨D¨D¨D¡­ ¡°No way?!¡± Salim-san shouted in surprise. ¡­ were a ¡®Blue Sinner¡¯, three ¡®Blue Chains¡¯ and a ¡®Yellow Mage¡¯. My role was the risky ¡®Sinner¡¯s Role¡¯ which can only beat the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯. ¡°What are your cards?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Both Salim-san and Leader Raj put their cards on the table with their shoulders slumped. Salim-san had a ¡®Blue King¡¯, a ¡®Blue Wizard¡¯, a ¡®Blue Warrior¡¯, a ¡®Blue Shepard¡¯ and a ¡®Blue Crown¡¯. He had the same ¡®State Role¡¯ as Rille-nee, so the scores cancelled each other out. Leader Raj¡¯s hand, which would decide the game¡¯ was the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯ with a ¡®Yellow King¡¯, three ¡®Yellow Crowns¡¯ and a ¡®Yellow Magic Stone¡¯. My ¡®Sinner¡¯s Role¡¯ beat his hand, so Leader Raj doesn¡¯t get any points. Which means! We sisters are victorious! ¡°Yay!¡± Rille-nee and I high-fived in joy. Our strategy was a success! ¡°Why did you have to play the ¡®Sinner¡¯s Role¡­?¡± Salim-san glared at me as if he couldn¡¯t accept this. I¡¯ll reveal how I did this trick. ¡°Because I knew you were going to make the ¡®King¡¯s Role¡¯.¡± ¡°Hah? ¡­ Ah, it can¡¯t be¡­¡± I gave some advice to Salim-san who seemed to have finally understood what had happened. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can fool us just because we¡¯re kids.¡± Mixed in with the intricate patterns on the back of the card are small letters at the corner of the cards indicating which cards they are. But they were letters used in the Galesh Kingdom. Thanks to the books I had borrowed from Fabian-sensei, I could read short words like ¡®King¡¯ and ¡®Sword¡¯. If I hadn¡¯t known how to read those words, then I would have been deceived by the intricate pattern and wouldn¡¯t have understood what they meant. When I was taking my first five cards, I could tell that Salim-san and Leader Raj weren¡¯t going to go easy on us, so I chose my cards accordingly. They didn¡¯t expect that I could read the letters from Galesh, so they fished for the cards they wanted without paying much attention to what I was doing. The rest of the time, I was careful not to let them read my hand while I was reading theirs and completed my deceitful role. At one point, I even saved the ¡®Yellow Mage¡¯ to prevent Leader Raj from making the ¡®State Role¡¯. They couldn¡¯t predict that a beginner would play the difficult ¡®Sinner¡¯s Role¡¯. In addition to cheating, luck was also on our side, and we were able to win. By the way, I wanted to play two against two because I believed that we might all get the ¡®State Role¡¯ if we played one against one which would make the game unwinnable. ¡°Are you all from Galesh?¡± I asked because I was curious and it turned out that I was right. Not many people in Traus can read their own language, and even fewer people are able to read foreign languages. I guess travellers come from everywhere. ¡°Say, can we play again? Ah, we¡¯ll use different cards this time!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t play again.¡± Who would want to play when you might try to cheat again? Even if we did play normally, they had a higher chance of winning since they¡¯ve played this game more and there¡¯s nothing to bet on. ¡°What a shame¡­ you two sisters would definitely be popular¡­¡± I ignored Leader Raj who didn¡¯t know when to give up, and asked Bane to teach me some songs. It was fun learning a lot and surprising some bad adults¡­ but my brain was weirdly tired. We should have dinner earlier next time. Volume 1 - CH 22 ¡°Now then¡­ What¡¯s the name of the first king?¡± ¡°Easy. Cephas Cronolan!¡± I was still studying in the noisy cargo carriage. It was the tenth day of our journey, and today I asked Rille-nee to question me about the information in the notebook to see if there was anything I had missed. ¡°Correct. But isn¡¯t it bad to call a king by his name?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Do I have to use honorifics in the written exam?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you include it, just in case.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Status based societies are so annoying. ¡°Okay, next is¡­¡± I felt the carriage slowing down as Rille-nee was thinking about the next question. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re here.¡± I quickly took my notebook back from Rille-nee and put it in my bag. I got on my knees, looked at the front of the carriage through the crates and saw that the gates to the next city were already in sight. The gatekeeper led the carriage to a stop on the left side of the road. We and several other passengers got out of the carriage and went through the checkpoint in turn. This was always done before entering any city. We passed through two cities before here, but it was unusual for two young girls to travel together, so the gatekeepers usually looked at us with a curious, surprised or puzzled expression. ¡°What¡¯s your purpose for visiting this city?¡± ¡°We want to go to the capital.¡± We presented our permit to the gatekeeper who had high cheekbones and looked like a rock. You can move freely within the fief, but if you want to go beyond the fief, then you have to pay money to the government office to get a permit. We brought out our permit here because this city is the border between two fiefs. The Chancellor¡¯s fief and the Royal fief are separated by a large lake, and one had to take a boat to cross over to the next fief. ¡°There¡¯s a boat going to the capital here, isn¡¯t there?¡± Rille-nee asked the gatekeeper after he had confirmed that the permit was real. By the way, our permit was given to us as a gift by Chancellor Leonard since he was the one who told us to go to the capital. The gatekeeper pointed to the other side of the open gate. ¡°You¡¯ll get to the harbour if you go down this street. There will be another checkpoint there, so show them your permit.¡± He told us that the road ahead was crowded with houses which made it hard to see the harbour, but there were signs along the way, so we won¡¯t get lost. It was part of their job to explain things to travellers. ¡°When does the boat leave?¡± ¡°It leaves twice a day, once in the morning and again at noon. The last boat has just left, so you can look for an inn to stay at on Helbel street to the north.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you very much.¡± We thanked the gatekeeper for his kindness, then went through the gate and down the crowded street. We had already paid for the carriage before we got on. ¡°We¡¯re finally entering the Royal fief.¡± Rille-nee said a little nervously as we walked. ¡°It feels like we¡¯ve been travelling for a long time¡­¡± ¡°It does~.¡± My body felt like it had been much longer than ten days. We met a lot of different people and experienced a lot of things during our journey. ¡°But we¡¯re only halfway there. Let¡¯s eat something delicious when we reach the capital safely. Ah, hey, the guy I met on the carriage the other day said that the capital is famous for its pies. We have to try some.¡± ¡°Okay. ¨D¨D¨D Fufu.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I looked at Rille-nee since she suddenly started laughing, and she smiled back, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Nope. Nothing¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s just that you act the same no matter where you go, Aime. You always look towards the future. Yup, I¡¯ll do that too.¡± She nodded at her own words. Maybe Rille-nee was nervous because we¡¯re about to leave the fief since it¡¯ll be more difficult for us to return once we cross the border. Of course, she was fully aware of this, but it must have been scary to experience it instead of hearing about it. I have those feelings too. But I can always envision things that are so fun that it blows those feelings away, so I can move forward without hesitation. We got a place to stay for the night, but the sun was still high in the sky, so we decided to take our valuables with us and went to confirm our way to the harbour. The roads were windy and complicated. We followed a signboard with a picture of a boat and suddenly our vision cleared to reveal a clear blue lake as big as the ocean. ¡°Woah~!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The people nearby glanced at Rille-nee and I since we had screamed, but quickly looked away and went back to their work. Wooden boats were anchored by the lake. Workers were busily unloading the cargo from the boats and the carriages that were loaded with cargo passed by us. There was a soldier station in front of the bridge. It was probably the checkpoint that we were told about at the gate. We had to pass through there to get on the boat. ¡°Look, Aime, it¡¯s so far away.¡± Rille-nee squinted to look at the hazy shore while holding her hair which was flying in the wind. It really was as big as the sea. How many hours would it take to cross this lake? We stood on the shore with our mouths opened like idiots, then our bodies began shivering. ¡°¨D¨D¨D It¡¯s a bit cold, isn¡¯t it?¡± It¡¯s spring, the season when crops grow, and I rarely felt cold while I was travelling, but I felt a little chilly here even with my cloak on. ¡°It might be even colder tomorrow if we leave in the morning.¡± ¡°Yeah. Should we go buy a thicker cloak?¡± The ironclad rule was to travel lightly. Gis-nee told us that it was better to buy things in the nearest city when we need them. I guess this is how people travel in regions with many commercial cities. Gis-nee has travelled a lot and she taught us that the most important thing was to take care of our body. We shouldn¡¯t be stingy when it comes to clothes if we feel hot or cold, so that we don¡¯t get sick and delay the itinerary. It was cheaper this way too. We returned to the city and started looking for a store but was quickly caught by the cheerful voice of a peddler. ¡°Travelling Ojou-chans! You¡¯ll need a warmer cloak if you want to cross the lake!¡± A lady with her hair pulled up in a bun was smiling at us and holding a poncho at the entrance of a small store. It was a great opportunity, so I decided to ask her a few questions. ¡°I saw you two passing by here a while ago. You probably want to go to the capital, but you¡¯ll freeze in those light clothes. It¡¯s still chilly around here, and it¡¯ll be even colder on the water. Besides, it¡¯ll take half a day to reach the other side.¡± ¡°It takes that long to get to the other side of the lake?¡± I didn¡¯t know that. The lady looked deadly serious as she approached us. ¡°That¡¯s right. The lake¡¯s wind likes women and kids. You¡¯ll be swept away by the Sky God if you¡¯re not careful.¡± ¡°Is it really that cold?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you still need a cloak at this time of the year! Look, this is woven with sheep¡¯s wool and it¡¯s very warm~. Wouldn¡¯t it suit you two Ojou-chans~? It¡¯s cute enough for you to wear in the capital even after your journey is over.¡± All the ponchos that the lady recommended were indeed cute. Many of the ponchos had fluffy hems and nice colours and patterns, making them very cute. The cloth was tightly woven together, and the inside was covered in fluffy sheep¡¯s wool, making it very warm. I knew it was a good poncho. It also wasn¡¯t ridiculously expensive, but it would be a bit tough for us to buy two ponchos. I made eye contact with Rille-nee and confirmed that we both wanted to buy it, then I immediately began haggling. This was an everyday occurrence for us even before we left on our journey and the lady knew that we could afford these ponchos from the way we were dressed. We both drove a hard bargain, and I got the cheapest creamy yellow poncho I could find. It was warm and very cute even though it was cheap. Rille-nee and I got matching ponchos, but there weren¡¯t any ponchos for kids, so we ended up wearing the same size. The hem of the poncho went all the way up to my knees even though Rille-nee¡¯s covered her bottom. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look very cute.¡± I blurted out when we went back to the inn and tried it out. I looked like a teru teru bozu. It wasn¡¯t bad¡­ but it won¡¯t look nice until I grow up. ¡°That¡¯s not true. You look cute.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Really? Well, she wouldn¡¯t think I look like a teru teru bozu since she doesn¡¯t know what they are. I didn¡¯t think it looked good on me, but it¡¯s fine since Rille-nee said I look cute. Volume 1 - CH 23 We woke up early in the morning to get ready to leave like we have been doing since the trip started. We put on the ponchos we had brought and put on trousers underneath. I tucked the bottom of my trousers into my boots to close off any gaps and protected myself against the cold. But it was too hot to wear this outfit while we were having breakfast in the inn¡¯s dining room. I saw many other people on their way to the pier when we left the inn. There were people travelling there on foot and some horse-drawn carriages with cargo on them. Travellers and merchants are early risers. We first went to the checkpoint to present our permits when we arrived at the pier. After passing through a strict soldier check, we paid a sailor standing on the pier to take us on board. Carriages carrying cargo were gathered around the largest boat. I was told that it was a cargo boat, and that people were generally not allowed on board. The boat that people were getting on was like a large-boat and there were no cabins. One boat could fit about 20 people, and the boats that had filled their capacity were the first to unfurl their sails and set sail. Until then, we had to wait for the sailors to help others board the boat. They will leave when it is time to leave even if the boat isn¡¯t at full capacity. The morning sun shone brightly on the surface of the lake which had countless ripples from the rocking of the boat and the wind. I could reach out and touch the shining surface of the lake because of the shallow draft. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± The water was so cold that just dipping my fingertips in was enough to freeze me. I immediately withdrew my hand. The bearded sailor noticed me because I raised my voice. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t lean forward!¡± He yelled angrily. I just wanted to try it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The sailor didn¡¯t actually seem angry when I apologised and smiled with his teeth showing. ¡°Behave yourself if you don¡¯t want to be dragged into the lake by a spirit.¡± He said jokingly, thinking I was a kid. Even in this world, spirits are beings that only exist in legends, and no one knows if they really exist or not. More people came towards the pier as we waited, then finally a young couple ran to the pier and quickly boarded the boat, which had reached its max capacity. The boat unfurled its white sails and left the shore. I turned around to look back at the shore that was getting further away before my neck started to hurt. ¡°Aime, are you cold?¡± The wind was still a little chilly as the boat sailed along the quiet surface of the lake. Rille-nee took off the poncho that she was wearing and spread it over our knees. ¡°Thanks. It feels nice now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I brought it.¡± Rille-nee¡¯s poncho was also rippling like the surface of the lake, probably because she was touching the fluffy wool inside. Wool feels nice on the skin, doesn¡¯t it? The chill in the morning wouldn¡¯t be so bad if it wasn¡¯t cold. I felt like my head was clearing up. I felt completely changed as I inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. Then, I quickly opened my notebook. The wind picked up as the boat reached the middle of the lake. It was spring, but it felt like the cold winter wind. I took off a layer and used it as a lap blanket. ¡°Is it cool around here even in summer?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why the rich people come here to sail.¡± Rille-nee talked to the sailor who had warned me not to put my hand in the water before we left while I was studying. There were five other sailors on board, one near the sails, two at the front and two at the back with oars. Even with their thick clothes on, I could tell that their arms were thick and strong as they had to row the boat when the wind died down. We were first to board the boat, and sat by the bow, so we did talk to the people nearby. I could also hear people talking behind me. I also looked at the scenery to pass time, but I got bored of those things after half a day of travelling. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t join in on conversations, but I studied while half-listening to what they were saying. ¡°Helbel Street is full of cheap lodgings for travellers, but Arad Street, which is located near the lake, has luxury lodgings for rich people who come to visit. Why don¡¯t you marry rich and ask him to take you there?¡± The sailor was a very friendly middle-aged man. Maybe he likes talking to young girls. ¡°I won¡¯t marry someone like that, but I¡¯d like to come back here again sometime.¡± Rille-nee said while laughing. Then, she looked at the lake and muttered. ¡°There must be rare plants here. I¡¯d like to stay here for longer next time and take a walk along the lake.¡± That¡¯s not sightseeing, it¡¯s work! I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good mindset to have for a girl of marriageable age, but I¡¯d love to harvest them with her. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because we¡¯re sisters, but we¡¯re starting to think a lot alike. A gust of wind howled. ¡°Wah, stop!¡± The notebook was about to fly away, and I fell down to guard it. I¡¯ve flipped through the notebook so many times that the holes where the strings went through were battered and tearing apart. I heard a scream behind me. ¡°Roana!? Hey, wake up, Roana!¡± ¡°Captain! One of the guests has fainted!¡± ¡°Hah?! What¡¯d you say?!¡± The Captain was called by the loud voice of his sailor, who was at the stern, and rushed there by passing through the passengers. Rille-nee and I looked at each other before following him with our luggage. We might be able to do something. We passed under the sails and reached the stern to find a young woman wrapped in a cloak, slumped in the arms of her male companion. ¡°Roana! Stay with me!¡± The man lightly tapped her cheek, but the woman¡¯s eyes rolled beneath her thinly opened eyelids. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was still conscious or not. Her face was pale, and her lips were purple. ¡°Was she taken by the wind¡­?¡± The Captain glanced at her and muttered. She¡¯s not dead yet! ¡°Please get out of the way.¡± Rille-nee and I pushed the passengers and sailors out of the way and sat in front of the pale woman. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re herbalists.¡± I answered briefly to the man and touched the woman¡¯s cheek. She felt very cold. She has hypothermia; a condition where the body temperature drops due to being in a cold place for a long time and blood flow slows down and you freeze to death. I knew that hypothermia happens in winter and on mountains, but I also heard from Gis-nee that this can also happen in summer or even in the plains, that¡¯s why she told us to wear the appropriate clothing during our trip. I guess these people didn¡¯t know. The woman was wearing two layers, but her layers weren¡¯t very thick. ¡°She¡¯s stopped shaking¡­ Aime, her life might be in danger.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry, but can you give us some space, so that we can lay her down?¡± I asked the guests to make space and move closer to each other and laid my cloak down as a comforter in the space that was created. Rille-nee put her own poncho on the woman and I took off my own poncho and placed it over her. This would protect her from the wind for a bit. ¡°Captain, please hurry to the shore as fast as you can or else, she won¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°A-alright. Guys, row as fast as you can!¡± The boat moved quickly because the strong men were rowing. ¡°Roana, what¡¯s wrong with Roana?¡± An upset man came up to us as we kneeled by the woman¡¯s side. The man wasn¡¯t wearing a cloak and was looking pale. ¡°She¡¯s okay. Just try not to move her right now.¡± ¡°She was shaking badly earlier. We have to warm her up¡­¡± ¡°Please calm down. She¡¯ll die if you move her.¡± I said clearly so that he wouldn¡¯t come any closer. We¡¯ve learnt how to deal with problems like this from Gis-nee. If the symptoms have progressed to the point where she has stopped shivering, then we shouldn¡¯t try to warm the surface of her body. The blood circulating through her cold hands and feet will cause her body temperature to drop even further. So, we shouldn¡¯t move her. Massaging her hands and feet is also not allowed. First, we had to make sure that the wind wasn¡¯t hitting her and wait until we got off the boat. She can still be saved since she was barely conscious. ¡°May I have your name?¡± Rille-nee spoke to the man who I had threatened to silence. He had blanked out. When he realised that she was speaking to him, he looked at us. ¡°I-it¡¯s Simon.¡± ¡°Simon. I¡¯m Ridill, a herbalist. Is Roana sick or does she have any medical conditions?¡± ¡°N-no, she¡¯s not sick, but she did lose her appetite while we were travelling.¡± ¡°Did she skip breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes, and she only ate a little last night.¡± ¡°That might be the cause. ¨D¨D¨D Am I right, Aime?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± I agreed with Rille-nee¡¯s diagnosis. Your body can¡¯t produce heat if you don¡¯t eat, and you¡¯re more likely to catch hypothermia if you¡¯re tired or don¡¯t get enough sleep. The boat arrived at the shore after a while. By this time, Rille-nee and I were cold and shivering, but we were fine since it was only a mild symptom of hypothermia. Simon and the sailors worked together to gently carry Roana off the boat. ¡°Keep her horizontal and don¡¯t move her arms or legs! Do you have a stretcher?!¡± It would be nice if they have a plank or something to carry people on, but no one provided one for us. The people around us were staring at us and wondering what was going on. There was another checkpoint on this side of the shore, and there was a town beyond it. They also checked people¡¯s permits on this side of the shore and there was a line of people waiting for their permits to be checked. ¡°Please let us through first! We have a sick person!¡± We passed by the soldiers and tried to carry Roana to the inn, but we were stopped. ¡°You can¡¯t enter the city without being screened!¡± The soldier at the checkpoint told us to get in line, and I told him that Roana was close to death. I heard something snap in my head as I was treated with more red tape than a real government office. ¡°You can check it later!¡± It¡¯s a good thing that I didn¡¯t call them idiots. But the stubborn soldiers wouldn¡¯t listen. We couldn¡¯t forcefully remove soldiers who were wearing armour and had a sword at their hips, and even the strong sailors couldn¡¯t resist the soldiers. ¨D¨D¨D There was only one thing left to do then. ¡°Let us borrow a room at the station!¡± I announced before rushing out to open the door of the station that was facing the lake. Inside was a breakroom, with a fireplace, and chairs and tables. A few soldiers who were chatting raised their eyebrows when they saw me, but I ignored them. Luckily, there was a bed against the wall, presumably for them to take a nap. ¡°Everyone, please carry her in here!¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± The soldier from earlier came rushing over to me, so I thrusted my hands out in front of him. He was surprised by my sudden movement. Meanwhile, Rille-nee was ushering the sailors inside. ¡°What¡¯re you complaining about? We¡¯re not in the city.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± ¡°We are loyal to our mission as humans just as you are loyal to your duty. Say nothing if you don¡¯t want an innocent person to die.¡± I glared at him and quickly told him this, then I went inside. As soon as they got her to the bed, I asked the sailors, who probably didn¡¯t want to fight with the soldiers, to leave, and Rille-nee, Simon and I looked after Roana. I drew water from the lake with a pot I got from the station and put it on the fireplace to boil. The pot was probably there so that the soldiers could have tea or hot water while they were resting. ¡°Rille-nee, your flask.¡± ¡°Here you go. You¡¯ll need a towel too.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I poured the hot water into the leather flask and wrapped it with a towel, so that I could put it under Roana¡¯s armpit, neck, and other places where large blood vessels ran. I was improvising. If we do this, then we can gradually raise her internal body temperature. I moved around quickly like it was my own house and the other soldiers didn¡¯t interrupt us. We can take care of the patient as long as we have a bed and a place to boil water, so it was probably better to stop here rather than running around to find a place to stay and moving the patient unnecessarily. When Roana¡¯s consciousness became a little clearer and she started to respond to our calls, I boiled more water and took a small bottle from our luggage. There was honey in the bottle. Gis-nee gave this to us to use as emergency rations or to apply on our wounds. It was expensive, but life was even more so. I dissolved honey in a cup of hot water and handed it to Rille-nee. She gently woke Roana up and gave her some of the honeyed water to drink. She¡¯ll be fine as long as we keep her warm inside while letting her take some sugar. Simon, Rille-nee and I also took a sip between nursing Roana. I lent him my poncho and cloak since it was pretty cold in the latter half of the day. A few hours later, I was relieved to see that colour had returned to Roana¡¯s face. Simon hugged Roana while tearing up. He hasn¡¯t told me anything about them, but I wonder if they¡¯re a couple. At the end of the day, the soldiers at the station helped nurse Roana and were genuinely happy to see that she had recovered. I can also tell that they wanted us to leave. It was almost nightfall by the time we passed through the checkpoint and safely entered the city. I wanted to thank the sailors who helped move Roana to a bed, but they had already returned to the other side of the river. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Thank you very much.¡± Simon and Roana, who felt better, bowed deeply to us on the street in front of the inn. They¡¯ve been thanking us for a while now. They told us they were siblings and that they were on their way to visit some relatives who had opened a store in the capital. ¡°We should repay you for saving her life but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Rille-nee said kindly once again to Simon, and Roana looked at Rille-nee with a strong emotion in her eyes while smiling. ¡°I¡¯m just glad that Roana is feeling better.¡± They probably weren¡¯t wealthy judging from the way they were dressed, and we hadn¡¯t expected them to repay us back in the first place. ¡°Instead of thanking us, you should stay in the inn for at least two days, and you must eat. I mean it.¡± I pointed at them with my finger while advising them and they smiled at me for some reason. I¡¯m being serious here. ¡°Okay. Thank you, brave herbalists.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± We waved each other goodbye, then Rille-nee and I went to search for a place to stay. The place where Roana and Simon were staying only had one spare room, so we gave it to them. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m still nervous.¡± Rille-nee suddenly said while clutching her chest as we walked through the city at night. ¡°I was wondering about what I would do if I can¡¯t save her. We¡¯ve never had a hypothermic person at the apothecary before, have we? I was surprised when you ran into the station.¡± I was a little surprised when I heard that. ¡°Really? You didn¡¯t seem nervous at all, Rille-nee.¡± She acted very quickly and even brought Roana in while I was stopping the soldiers. ¡°I was really scared. I thought we were going to be thrown in jail.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything wrong. There¡¯s no law stating that we can¡¯t nurse someone at a station.¡± ¡°I know, but don¡¯t be too reckless, alright?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I responded cheerfully to the worried Rille-nee. ¡°But you know, I¡¯m sure Rille-nee will be able to get into the medical department at this rate. You were able to diagnose symptoms you saw for the first time. I¡¯ll also do my best.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Our journey to the capital was almost over. The two of us were going to pass the exam together now that we¡¯ve come this far. Volume 1 - CH 24 Nothing like¡­ a drastic change in scenery happened as soon as we entered the capital. I could feel the warmth of spring past the lake, and there were cities and villages with carriages and people passing along the road in the peaceful green land ruled by the great King of Traus. The scenery was exactly the same as the one I saw whilst travelling. The design of the armour worn by the soldiers in the city was a bit different, probably because they were employed by someone else. There was one thing that was different though. I hadn¡¯t seen the vibrant colours of spring along the grasslands we had passed until now. We stayed at an inn in the next town after we left the lake, and the lady at the inn recommended that we travel by foot instead of taking the carriage. Then, we entered a mountain path and saw a cluster of bright yellow flowers. All the branches in the shrubs along the highway, which was about as tall as a man, were covered in small flowers with overlapping petals, and they beautifully decorated the highway. They looked like yellow cherry blossoms. The shrubs were like cherry blossom trees since their flowers blossomed before the leaves grew. It made me feel nostalgic. Flowers are a special product of this season. I was grateful to the lady in the inn who told us about them, and we also played around since we were in nature. We took a few of the blossoming flowers and Rille-nee and I decorated each other¡¯s heads with the flowers, then I took the petals and played them like a glass flute. In my previous life when I was a little kid, I used to catch the beautiful cherry blossom petals in the air before they fell to the ground and blew on them with my friends in spring. I would do this every year and eventually learnt how to blow the different notes. I still remember how to play it now that I¡¯ve been reborn. ¡°Wow, how¡¯d you do that?¡± When I tried to blow on the petal properly, Rille-nee picked up a petal and looked at it with interest. ¡°You pull the petal as flat as you can without tearing it and place it on your lower lips. Then you blow.¡± ¡°Like this?¡¯ Pii, puu. The two of us enjoyed playing a silly ensemble together and making dumb sounds echo through the mountains. I guess this is also one of the best things about travelling. We couldn¡¯t make it to the next town on foot and whilst playing, so we spent a night at an inn on the ridge of the mountain. Of course, we decided to travel by foot because we knew there was an inn here. We were also told about the wagon which passed through here, so we boarded the wagon that came from the previous town before noon and became its only passengers. There wasn¡¯t enough room in the wagon to carry a lot of people because of all the luggage. As always, I opened my notebook on the wagon and read over everything again even though I had already memorised everything that was written in here. Rille-nee was making pressed flowers with yesterday¡¯s flowers by tucking them in her luggage, but the coachman liked to talk. He casually spoke to Rille-nee and then started making small talk. ¡°The most famous thing around here is the hot spring of life that springs from the earth.¡± ¡°Hot springs?!¡± I had been half-listening to their conversation up to that point, but as soon as I heard those words, I closed my notebook and like Rille-nee, leaned towards the coachman. The carriage entered the mountain roads. It was an active volcano which also extended to the area where we had seen the yellow flowers yesterday, and I could smell hydrogen sulphide every now and then. There was a hot spring resort at the foot of the mountain and people could soak in the hot water while looking at the yellow flowers and trees. I was suddenly excited. ¡°The hot springs gush up from the ground?¡± Rille-nee, who had never been to a hot spring before, furrowed her brows in confusion. ¡°Yup. There¡¯s magma under the ground¡­ it¡¯s like a mass of hot fire, which heats up the underground water and makes it gush out from the cracks in the ground.¡± ¡°You can bury fire in the ground?¡± ¡°Yup. When the mass of hot fire cools down and hardens, it becomes rocks or becomes the ground¡¯s surface.¡± I had no proof that the way this world worked in the same way as my old one did, but I explained this to Rille-nee since I assumed it was the same from the hydrogen sulphide. ¡°The water has a lot of stuff mixed in it and it¡¯s really good for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just hot water? It¡¯s like a medical bath, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah something like that.¡± ¡°You sure know a lot, young lady. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s good for you, but I¡¯ve never heard how it works in detail.¡± I didn¡¯t explain much since I¡¯m not an expert in this topic. But, how springs. Ah, it would be nice to soak in the hot springs. ¡°Do normal inns have hot springs too? Even the cheap ones?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what makes it so popular.¡± ¡°Yay! We¡¯ll soak in the hot springs tonight ¨D¨D¨D.¡± BANG. The wagon suddenly tilted to the right, and I fell back and hit my head and bit my tongue. Rille-nee was sitting next to me, so she also fell back and banged the back of her head against a box. ¡°A-are you alright, Aime?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. Are you alright, Rille-nee? I wonder if the wheel flew off.¡± We both sat up while holding our heads, then we heard a large group of voices coming from outside. I could only see the front and back of the wagon since it was covered in a curtain, but I could see a group of people running down the mountainside through the cracks of the curtains. ¡°Bandits!¡± Eh, seriously? The middle-aged coachman shouted and whipped the horses desperately, but the wheels seemed to be stuck in a ditch and the horses couldn¡¯t pull the wagon. Could this have been a trap!? Heeeey! Why would bandits appear so close to the capital?! They must live here since they set up this trap! What¡¯re the soldiers doing?! Dammit, I can¡¯t die after coming all the way here! I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to get me and Rille-nee into the hot springs tonight!¡± ¡°Rille-nee, please cover me!¡± ¡°What¡¯re you going to do?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to push the wagon!¡± I grabbed the stick that I had picked up in the mountains yesterday to use as a walking stick and got out of the wagon. I was scared to death of having a group of people with deadly weapons behind me, but I knew that I would be killed anyway if I kept cowering and shaking. Even a coward would jump off a cliff when chased by a tiger! I inserted the stick under the wheel and leveraged it up. I could get the wagon out of the ditch little by little with the horsepower of the two horses pulling the wagon. But as expected, the bandits quickly caught up to us. ¡°Ouch?!¡± But it was the bandits who screamed first because Rille-nee had thrown thorny gaha nuts at them. Gahas were a wonderful natural weapon, similar to a small version of Iga chestnuts. They were used as painkillers, and it also hurt to step on something that had fallen on the ground. It was super effective! Then, she threw homemade tear gas bombs which were made from eggshells. When these eggshells hit the ground and break, hakto powder is released from the inside, stinging people¡¯s eyes and causing secondary damage. Don¡¯t underestimate us sisters! Though, they¡¯re coming right up to me! I put all my weight into the stick as the bandits¡¯ eyes were glazed over. Just a little more ¨D¨D¨D, then a cracking sound of despair dropped me to the ground. ¡­ Eh, no way, did the stick break? Blood drained from my face as I fell on my ass. The wagon, which had been lifted up half-way, fell into the deepest part of the ditch again. ¡°¨D¨D¨D You fucking brat!¡± A man grabbed me by the collar and pulled me down, and I came face to face with a heinous looking man. The only thing we can do now is to abandon the wagon and flee into the mountains! ¡°Rille-nee! RUN!¡± I jumped up and tried to remove the man¡¯s hand while yelling at Rille-nee but his grip was too strong. The other bandits rushed to the wagon before long. ¡°RILLE-NEE!!¡± Dammit, I made a bad decision. We should have abandoned the wagon earlier and ran away! ¡°AIME!!¡± I heard Rille-nee screaming my name as she was being dragged out of the wagon. I tried desperately to get away from the man, but he was too strong. He pushed me down to the ground with one hand and swung his hatchet. Various memories, including ones from my previous life, rushed through my mind, and the last thing that popped up in my mind was a simple question. ¨D¨D¨D God, why did you reincarnate me if you¡¯re going to kill me here? And as if responding to this¡­ The man collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, and a boy with green eyes appeared before me. Volume 2 - Prologue Beautiful, I thought. I forgot about the urgency of the situation. The green eyes were simply beautiful. Strangely enough, it was right where the boy¡¯s left eye should have been, but unlike most eyes, it had no white part. It had a shine that made it look like a well-polished emerald. As I absentmindedly thought about this while lying on the ground, the back of my collar was suddenly grabbed, and my neck clicked. ¡°Go hide!¡± I listened to the boy¡¯s instructions as he stood behind me. His voice hadn¡¯t cracked yet. I was violently thrown out of the way and stumbled in front of Rille-nee. ¡°AIME!!¡± I fell down and my crying sister hugged me, then I finally remembered our situation. ¡°Rille-nee, are you alright?!¡± But she didn¡¯t answer me and hugged me tightly as if to protect me. There weren¡¯t any blood stains on her clothes, so she didn¡¯t appear to be heavily injured. I managed to move my head and looked around where the sounds of shouting and swords clanging together echoed. We were sitting at the back of the wagon. This place had been packed with bandits earlier, but now all I can see beside us were men in the same armour. They were holding down and tying up the bandits who had attacked the carriage. I looked around for the boy and saw that he was with the other armoured men, chasing after the rest of the bandits. He was smaller than the rest of the men, but he wasn¡¯t inferior to them. He dodged the machete by shifting half of his body and without pause, he jumped closer to the bandit and struck him in the jaw with the hilt of his sword. The bandit¡¯s head flew up with so much force that I thought his head would fly off. His entire body fell backwards, and he became motionless. There were battles like this all around us, and then ¨D¨D¨D All the fighting sounds disappeared and all that was left was the boy and the men in armour. Volume 2 - CH 1 ¡°You guys are really lucky!¡± An old soldier with a beard like a bear was smacking the coachman¡¯s back while laughing heartily. He used so much force that the coachman looked as if he was in pain, but at the same time, he also seemed relieved. It was a group of palace soldiers who happened to be passing by that saved us in the nick of time. They were on their way back to the capital after having gone to support a large-scale bandit suppression mission in a different place. Protecting the safety of roads was top priority in nations with many commercial cities. The bandits who had attacked us were a relatively small group made up of about a dozen people, and they were promptly pulled away. I seriously thought they were going to kill us, but the soldiers defeated them in an instant. I knew this from watching Gis-nee, but I realised that soldiers were dependable once again. Rille-nee and I escaped without serious injuries thanks to them. I couldn¡¯t sit still while waiting for the strong men to push the wagon out of the ditch, so I ran up to the soldier boy who was collecting the scattered luggage. ¡°Hey, thanks for what you did back there! What happened to your eye?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± The boy, who had saved me from the deadly blade in the nick of time, stopped working and stared at me blankly. I think he¡¯s the same age as me. Maybe around 12. He doesn¡¯t look younger than me. He had short brown hair and a toned soldierly body. He was taller than me, but it was hard to tell since he was squatting down right now. The most distinctive feature is his left eye. Or rather, jewel? I looked at it again and found out that I was correct. It wasn¡¯t an eyeball but an emerald-coloured jewel. It might be emerald or maybe¡­ I thought of the jewel that was embedded in Gis-nee¡¯s magic sword. ¡°Is that perhaps a magic stone?¡± I crouched down in front of him, pointed at his left eye and asked. I¡¯m probably right. His right eye is normal and was dark blue. It followed my movements properly. Only his left is a prosthetic, but the jewel didn¡¯t match the shape of an eye at all. It had only been polished and buried into his eye. What was the purpose of doing that? Why go to all the trouble of using a precious magic stone like this? I couldn¡¯t stay still as these questions popped up in my mind. ¡°It¡¯s just a replacement eye that a mage gave to me.¡± It wasn¡¯t the boy himself who had told me, but the hearty old soldier who had just been patting the coachman¡¯s shoulders. Him standing behind me cast a shadow over me. I hadn¡¯t asked this, but he seemed to be the leader of the squad from the day he was giving instructions to the others. ¡°A mage?¡± ¡°A mage is someone who makes magic tools. Now, don¡¯t be surprised, but that jewelled eye can see.¡± ¡°What?!¡± He can see through it?! It was impossible not to be surprised. I don¡¯t understand. It couldn¡¯t possibly be connected to his nerves. ¡°Why? How?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s magic. Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± I was surprised, but the commanding officer was smiling. I don¡¯t have time to deal with him. I immediately covered the boy¡¯s right eye with my hand to confirm this. ¡°Tsk, what the hell are you doing?!¡± ¡°Just play around! How many fingers am I holding up?¡± The boy clicked his tongue before reluctantly answering when I persistently held my finger in front of his left eye. ¡°¡­ One finger.¡± ¡°How about now?!¡± ¡°Three fingers!¡± Wow, really? ¡°Then how about now! If you can¡¯t see it, then you have to tell me!¡± I moved my finger from in front of him to the left, then to his other side, and then to the back but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I told you to tell me if you can¡¯t see it!¡± ¡°I can!¡± Seriously!? The vision in his left eye extended almost directly behind him. His left eye can see as much as a normal eye can and more?! Magic can even do this. Then why do we even need regenerative medicine¡­?! ¡°Hey, stop it.¡± The boy was saying something to me, but I was busy gripping his face with both my hands so that I could look at the magic stone. ¡°Oi?! Hey, let me go!¡± The jewel looked like an emerald. The main metallic elements that make up most ores are silicon and aluminium. Emeralds have beryllium in them. Green is the colour of chromium and vanadium. Whatever it was, it was just an ore. Magic stones can be said to be naturally occurring ores. How can he see just because a jewel was embedded into his eye? Is it connected to his nerves? Oh yeah, I have heard that people in my previous life had developed a technology for the visually impaired. That technology captures an image with a camera, converts that image into electric pulses, then this is transmitted from a person¡¯s tongue to their brain in the form of a black-and-white image. Does this magic stone act like a camera that transmits electric pulses? But how does it see something that isn¡¯t directly in his sight? I don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s super interesting. Magic is amazing. Too amazing. Will I be able to do something like this? Will I be able to make things that are too good to be true if I become a mage? ¡°¨D¨D¨D Wah?!¡± When I looked more closely at the jewel, I saw that there were numerous scratches on the surface of the jewel which was slightly wet with tears. Looking even closer, I could see that they were finely carved, like¡­ letters. They were nearly written in rows along the round shape of the jewel. I couldn¡¯t read them because they were so tiny. What does it say? They might be letters that I don¡¯t know. The boy pushed me away just as I was about to lean in more for an even closer look. ¡°Wah!?¡± I almost fell but managed to hold myself up. I looked at him in dismay and saw that he was covering his face with his arm for some reason. What happened? I wondered and the commanding officer behind me gave a hearty laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve become a man, haven¡¯t you? Saving a beautiful woman and receiving a kiss from her.¡± The commanding officer said to the boy. I looked around and found that even the other soldiers were looking at us with a strange, lewd smile on their faces. ¡­ Hmm, did I get so close that our lips touched? Ugh, sorry! That¡¯s why you pushed me away! I didn¡¯t even notice! The boy turned bright red and stood up to yell at those who were teasing him. ¡°~~~.¡± He didn¡¯t know what to say and just clenched his fists. I¡¯m really sorry. ¡°Sorry? I was caught up in the moment and didn¡¯t notice. Did our lips touch?¡± I asked him just to make sure, since a more sincere apology would be necessary depending on where my lips touched. Then, he denied madly, ¡°It didn¡¯t!¡± Well, I was looking at his left eye, so even if my lips touched him, it would have been on his cheek. I would have just insisted it was a greeting if it only touched his cheek, but people in this kingdom don¡¯t kiss as a greeting unless they have a close relationship, such as being family or lovers. I¡¯ve made a mistake. I bowed as courteously as I could to the boy. ¡°I am really sorry. I know it¡¯s not my place to say this, but it was an accident, so please forget about it. I will thank you in another way.¡± I¡¯ll thank you for saving me and showing me your eye. The commanding officer went behind the boy and patted him on the back. ¡°You¡¯re making the girl uncomfortable. It¡¯s usually the other way around.¡± ¡°She¡¯s weird!¡± It¡¯s fine, you can call me whatever you want. I¡¯m sorry, Kid. Your sacrifice has satisfied my curiosity. Come to think of it, we haven¡¯t introduced ourselves yet. Well, maybe I shouldn¡¯t make more of an impression on the boy, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again since they¡¯re soldiers in the palace, so I¡¯ll introduce myself just in case. ¡°Excuse me, please let me introduce myself. My name is Aime, and this is my sister¡­¡± ¡°Ridill.¡± Rille-nee stood beside me and greeted the commanding officer. ¡°I will be taking an interview at the palace¡¯s medical department. I don¡¯t know whether I will be hired, but please take care of me if I do.¡± ¡°Oh?! Really? Pretty girls are always welcomed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always happy to help!¡± The other soldiers made vulgar jeers after the commanding officer spoke. Ah, I feel uneasy. I¡¯ll give them warnings. ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll check on my sister from time to time!¡± The commanding officer tilted his head. He¡¯s big, but his gestures are cute. ¡°Will you be working at the palace too, Jou-chan?¡± ¡°Aime is going to become a mage.¡± Rille-nee placed a hand on my shoulder and said as if it had already been decided. But I don¡¯t know if I will be a mage yet. As expected, the soldiers widened their eyes in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m going to the capital to take the exam for the magic school.¡± ¡°Liar. You¡¯re not a noble.¡± The boy flared at me for some reason. Don¡¯t get so grumpy over something as simple as a kiss on the check. I¡¯ll get a bit depressed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a noble to take the exam. There isn¡¯t a rule like that. Since long ago, there have been people who aren¡¯t nobles among mages. They were given peerage later.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. It doesn¡¯t matter if you can become a mage or not, you can enter the school if you pass the exam. ¨D¨D¨D Well, just watch if you don¡¯t believe me. I¡¯ll top the sheltered noble kids.¡± I held out an index finger in front of him and declared. Talking a bit big can be a trigger. It raises the tension and motivates you and those around you. ¡°You might even get a medal later for saving my life!¡± ¡°How high are you trying to climb?¡± Then, the grumpy boy finally smiled cruelly. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll expect a lot from you, future great mage.¡± It sounded as if he was making fun of me, but it gave me motivation. ¡°Just you wait. If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me the name of the person who saved my life?¡± ¡°Giedt. Giedt Ackroyd.¡± Him having a last name meant that he must come from a family with a solid background even if he isn¡¯t a noble. In Traus Kingdom, where there are many immigrants, there are people who have inherited the surnames of their ancestors from before they immigrated, even if they aren¡¯t nobles. Since the surname is usually the name of the land where the ancestors once lived, anyone who hears their surnames can tell where their family came from and which ethnic group they belonged to. So, they have ancient and honourable origins. Ok, I won¡¯t ever forget your name. In the meantime, the wagon safely returned to the road and the luggage was loaded back onto the wagon. Rille-nee and I got on the back of the wagon, and we parted ways with the soldiers in the mountains. They were going to clean the place where the bandits used to live before returning to the capital. I guess this means that they¡¯ll seize the bandits¡¯ loot. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see you in the capital if fate allows it!¡± We both waved at each other, and I let out a sigh of relief when they were out of sight. Rille-nee chuckled next to me. ¡°Why¡¯re you laughing?¡± ¡°You were so daring, Aime. It¡¯s so funny.¡± Uoah, you¡¯re bringing it up? I was fine when the soldiers were teasing me, but it¡¯s really embarrassing when my sister does it. ¡°Ah, that was inevitable. I wasn¡¯t planning on kissing him or anything.¡± ¡°I was so excited. You kept getting closer and closer to him.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to kiss him! I wanted to see his jewelled eye. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t be curious about it.¡± ¡°That sure was a surprise.¡± Rille-nee finally stopped laughing and said. ¡°It¡¯s a magic tool like Gis-nee¡¯s sword. I wonder if there are different types of magic tools in the capital.¡± ¡°Maybe? I can¡¯t wait to see them.¡± ¡°We have more to look forward to.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± My heart was already racing. I recalled Giedt¡¯s eye and sighed in amazement. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Can I make something like that too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can since you can even make new medicine.¡± ¡°It was more of a poison than medicine.¡± ¡°But it was useful. It¡¯s okay. You can do anything.¡± Rille-nee declared more confidently than me. No medicine can make up for a lost eye, but he has shown me that magic can. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be just a mage; I want to be a mage technician.¡± It would be a waste to use this wonderful and mysterious power only for myself. I want to be able to help someone, like the mage who created Giedt¡¯s eye. I would love to meet them. Volume 2 - CH 2.1 It took almost 20 days to complete this journey from my hometown. We arrived at the capital on schedule, even though we almost died! At the same time, our butts were at their limits! I don¡¯t want to ride on a carriage for a while! I staggered down from the wagon, then we passed through the magnificent city gates and walked through the streets of the capital, which was truly a different world. The paved brick streets were beautiful. The colourful walls of the houses and stores were dazzling to the eye and the people passing by were all dressed in pretty clothes. There were several shiny, black-coloured carriages running along the street, and I caught a glimpse of someone who looked like she was a noble¡¯s daughter. It was about noon when we arrived at the capital, so we followed the signs to the market to have a quick bite to eat. There, we found countless stalls lined up on both sides of the street. ¡°Woah, what should we eat Rille-nee?¡± Some of the stalls were selling food I had never seen before, and there were scents that I had never smelled before, but they all looked delicious. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the food. ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s so many to choose from. How about you decide, Aime?¡± We¡¯ll be here forever if we can¡¯t decide what to eat, so I decided on the nearest stall that was emitting a savoury aroma. We brought two sandwiches with charcoal roasted lamb dipped in special sweet sauce. The price was 600 beles each. It was a bit expensive. ¡°Is there a festival on today?¡± I asked the man at the stall as I paid, and he laughed. ¡°It¡¯s always like this. Is this your first time in the capital? A lot of things here must amaze you.¡± Rille-nee and I must have looked like complete bumpkins because we were carrying our luggage around with us. The capital was different from my hometown, which had a rough scene behind its bustling streets. The overall aura was bright and chill. It must be a city where every corner of the city is quite well-off. The prices are high. Isn¡¯t the regional disparity too much? Then, we found a place to stay and got comfortable. There were only three days left until my exam. I was on schedule. I decided that I will have fun after I take my exam, so I went back to my room for the final push. Rille-nee¡¯s interview is scheduled on the same day as my exam. Rille-nee was also reviewing her medical knowledge while I studied, so us sisters stayed in the inn until the day of our exam/interview. Then, on the day of the exam. We woke up at sunrise and got ready. We both changed into our formal wear which we had brought with us for this day. A clean flared skirt, a shirt with a collar, and a vest that fastens with strings. The only part of this formal wear that was different from our usual outfits was the white shirt. It was a luxury item that was tailored to fit me for today, so I only have this one shirt. After a hearty breakfast, I packed my shoulder bag with the necessary tools and headed towards the ¡®First Gate¡¯. The capital is protected by a double wall. Through the ¡®Second Gate¡¯ on the outside, there is a town where commoners live and beyond the ¡®First Gate¡¯ live nobles who work in the palace and magic school. The palace is surrounded by another wall, and it is said to be higher than the centre of the palace¡¯s tower. I learnt this in Fabio-sensei¡¯s class. Only authorised people can pass through the First Gate, so the gatekeeper asks people for their pass. It was a different pass from the travel pass. Chancellor Leonard¡¯s messenger delivered ours to us before we left for our trip; mine was from the magic school and Rille-nee¡¯s had been arranged by the royal medical department. They are only temporary passes, so they can only be used for today. The gatekeepers were suspicious of us, especially me. They believed that only nobles could enter the magic school, just like Giedt. They asked me a lot of questions which ended up taking a lot of time. Good thing we left early. Once we passed through the gate, Rille-nee was heading north and I was heading east, so we would soon part. So, we gave each other one last cheer in front of the gate. ¡°Good luck. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in front of the school when you finish.¡± It was expected that Rille-nee would finish faster than me since my exam would take all day. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get hired too, Rille-nee! So have confidence and good luck!¡± ¡°I will. I¡¯m your sister after all, I won¡¯t do something uncool.¡± She put her hands on her hips and reliably said, ¡°You can count on me.¡± That¡¯s the Nee-chan I¡¯m proud of! I¡¯ll do my best not to lose to Rille-nee. We firmly shook hands and wished each other luck under the watchful eye of the morning sun. The place where the exam took place, the Royal Magic School, was built on such a large plot that one would think it was the palace. There were soldiers at the entrance who were as stern and imposing as soldiers who are stationed at a castle gate. Once I passed through the gate, I saw lavish grass along the path to the building and a garden with spring flowers blooming in the distance. The noble kids who followed the signs to the exam hall looked as if they were on their way to a party. The boys were dressed in morning coats (which looked like a suit) and the girls wore dresses that were gathered around the waist and the skirt loosely fell to their ankles. The dresses weren¡¯t ostentatious or overly decorated, and most of the colours were rather unobtrusive, like dark red or navy blue, or light spring colours, so it looked as if they were going to a casual tea party rather than a fancy evening party. Well, either way, I was out of place. The gazes of the nobles behind me stung my back as I walked. ¡°Why is she walking in the same place as us?¡± I felt as if I could hear them say. In times like this, it was better to stand up straight, lift your chin up and act unashamed. You will stand out more and be teased if you¡¯re intimidated by their stares. When I arrived at the huge, castle-like building, I heard someone say, ¡°Ah, where do you think you¡¯re going? Go back to your place.¡± The man working at the reception desk at the entrance mistook me for a servant. I didn¡¯t know this school had servants. But this was within my expectations. I showed the receptionist my exam pass and was allowed to enter the hall. As soon as I entered the door, I found a large space that was wide both vertically and horizontally. It looked as if this large hall was probably used for school events. They had set up the room with chairs and long desks. The seat that was designated to me on the exam pass was the second seat from the back on the last row to the left. I put my bag on the floor and looked around first. Most of the seats were already occupied even though there was still some time before the exam. At a quick glance, there were about 1,000 examinees sitting equally spaced from each other with a seat spared. I honestly don¡¯t know if this is too many or too little. The number was small compared to the number of examinees at a private university, but when I thought about how they were all nobles dressed in elegant outfits, I was surprised that there were this many. Apparently, there are two types of nobles: court nobles like Chancellor Leonard, who have their own fief and work in the palace, and local nobles who only manage their fiefs. So, there must be some local nobles here as well mixed in with those who live in the capital. This was a gateway to success for them too. Most of them were boys but a third were girls. A mage was a position in the palace that even a noblewoman can hold. They all seem to be a couple years older than me. According to Fabio-sensei, it was common for kids of noble families to enter boarding school at the age of 11 to study various aspects of the world, and they graduate at 15. So, the kids here must be in the mid to late teens since students come here to take the exam after they have graduated boarding school. A year is a big difference in the teenage years. I was even more out of place since I was a commoner and young. Well, don¡¯t worry about it and do your best. There was no age limit at this school, and they didn¡¯t have a lower or upper limit of accepted students. No matter how influential your family is, you get rejected without mercy if you don¡¯t meet the passing mark while those who exceed it by just one point are admitted. I heard that there are years when less than 10 students are admitted to the school despite the number of examinees. It was very strict. The exam is held once every six months and I heard that many students retake the exam. This is probably the reason why there are some who look strangely old. They also look out of place. The bell rang when it was time to start the exam. The doors were closed, and the exam questions were given out. Nothing was out of the ordinary. It was an ordinary written test. The questions were about what I had studied while coming to the capital. I filled out the blank on historical timelines, and wrote out long, famous poems and sentences word for word. It was almost like a memory test. I quietly sang the poem that the travelling entertainer, who I had met on the way to the capital, had taught me and wrote it down. I was told that the test is used to determine if someone has the intelligence and aptitude to become a mage, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to memorise the assigned materials. Honestly, I don¡¯t think this has anything to do with intelligence. It was almost the same for the science and math questions in the second half of the questions. It was laughable that it was only asking us to list mathematical problems! The only enemy is a careless mistake! Overall, there were many questions, but it wasn¡¯t all that difficult. There was nothing to be afraid of if you studied the basics well. Some questions were related to biology, and my love for reading natural history books came in handy. There¡¯s no harm in knowing something. Volume 2 - CH 2.2 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles I put my pen down as soon as the bell rang, confident of my success. It was perfect. I was even confident that I had gotten the perfect score. I looked outside the glass window on the side wall and saw that it was already dusk. My shoulders were stiff from taking this exam since it had continued without break from morning until now. Surprisingly, the exam system is unforgiving, even to nobles. I slid the bag on my shoulder and stretched once before standing up. It felt good to stretch my stiff shoulders and back. ¨D¨D¨D Now, I have to meet up with Rille-nee as soon as possible. It would be unpleasant for her to wait alone in the midst of all the nobles. But I stumbled when I stood up, probably because I was hungry. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡± A hand on my back prevented me from falling. Well, there is a chair behind me, so I would have just sat back down again instead of falling. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The person behind me kindly asked how I was feeling. I thought he had just reached out to me reflectively, but he must be a good person judging by how concerned he sounded. The cold gazes that had been directed at me since I entered the school made me believe that everyone here didn¡¯t want to associate with me, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Maybe there might be a lot of nobles who are kind like Fabio-sensei and Chancellor Leonard. ¡°I¡¯m alright. Thanks.¡± I turned around and faced the boy properly. I was surprised. Because he had such a beautiful face. I know it was rude to stare at people, but I was drawn to his sapphire-blue eyes, and soft golden hair. Blondes have thin hair so much so that the German zoologist, Spemann, used it to split salamander embryos. He pulled out his baby boy¡¯s [1] hair for this experiment. I wonder if his baby went bald. I also heard that Asian people¡¯s black hair is the thickest. Ah, I got distracted. I was a little shaken by how beautiful he was. His slightly large eyes and straight, thin bridged nose gave him a slightly feminine impression, but he had a firm jawline, so he is a boy. His face had the golden ratio and didn¡¯t have a single flaw. This was the kind of sculpture that would be good to have. His beautiful blonde hair, blue eyes and stylish appearance made him seem like a¡­ No, this prince-like person can¡¯t be a prince no matter how you twist it. A Prince wouldn¡¯t come here to the exam hall to take the exam in the first place. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He must have wondered why I had suddenly fallen silent. He bent over and gave me a worried look. He was about a head taller than me. ¡°You must be feeling unwell.¡± ¡°¡­ No, I¡¯m okay.¡± I was simply admiring him, but it seems that I¡¯ve made him worry. I apologise. But his expression didn¡¯t change even when I tried to gloss it over with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s natural to be tired after such a long exam. I believe there¡¯s an infirmary here. Why don¡¯t you take a rest there?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, but the person who I¡¯m meeting must already be here.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you there. It would be horrible if you fainted on the way.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He smoothly took my right hand while I was lost. Then, he walked out from the space between the desks and stood next to me. What¡¯s with this position? ¡°Yo¡­?!¡± Another boy who was standing next to the blonde boy suddenly became agitated and started to say something, but the blonde boy immediately silenced him with a wave of his hand¡­ Yo? ¡°Your bag.¡± The boy held out the left hand he was waving in front of me. You want to carry my bag for me? ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t push yourself when you¡¯re feeling unwell.¡± What a gentleman. He must know I¡¯m not a noble from my clothes, but he still treats me as if I¡¯m the daughter of a noble. For a moment, I wondered if he had an ulterior motive, but then quickly reconsidered since he had probably just finished boarding school and is 15, and I¡¯m 12, so it¡¯s unlikely that he has an ulterior motive. He must be a good person. The boy reluctantly gave up when I politely refused three times, then his open left hand naturally came to rest on my waist. He was probably supporting me in case I fell down¡­ but it was embarrassing since I wasn¡¯t used to it. Then, he started walking towards the door. The boy, who had tried to say something earlier, followed us. What is he? An attendant? ¡°Hmm, I really don¡¯t mind if you leave me to go by myself.¡± I said as we were walking to the exit. I wasn¡¯t being tactful because of his high statues, but because there really wasn¡¯t anything to worry about. The dumbfounded gazes around me were even more uncomfortable than the gazes I received when I was alone. I thought I would embarrass him if I forcefully shook him off me, so I asked him to let me go, but he replied with a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m also going this way.¡± It was a little embarrassing, but I felt like I had no choice but to accept this boy¡¯s kindness in this situation. ¡°By the way, may I ask for your name?¡± I finally introduced myself after I had calmed down. ¡°I¡¯m Aime, and you are?¡± ¡°Alexei.¡± People behind us started whispering to themselves when I asked for his name, but they stopped whispering when Alexei looked in their direction. ¡°Where did you study?¡± I guess he approached me to ask this question. He was brimming with curiosity even though the others kept their distance from me. I told him where I had studied, and he listened in interest. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumours¡­ but what is a commoner school like?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one classroom and the kids from the city come whenever they like to listen to the lessons. The content ranges from reading and writing to history, arithmetic, etiquette and many other subjects.¡± ¡°It seems like a typical school.¡± He hadn¡¯t expected that a commoner school would teach such a wide range of subjects. This was due to, in no small part, Fabio-sensei¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Everyone enjoys learning. The teacher is a noble. He¡¯s a good teacher who treats all the students equally and he helped me a lot with studying for the exam.¡± ¡°I see, then I¡¯m sure you did well in the exam.¡± ¡°I did, it was easy. I think most people would have passed. I highly doubt that was a test of intelligence. Didn¡¯t you think so too?¡± ¡°You must be bright.¡± Alexei just smiled and didn¡¯t answer my question. No but it really was just a memorisation test. ¡°I thought I heard humming in the exam, was that perhaps you?¡± ¡°Huh? ¡­ Ah, probably.¡± This probably happened during the morning when I was humming poems. ¡°Could you hear me from behind? I¡¯m sorry for being loud.¡± ¡°No, it was quiet. I just thought you had a lot of leeway.¡± Alexei let out a small laugh maybe because he found it funny. He must be a really nice person since he didn¡¯t get angry when he heard humming from the seat in front of him during the exam. But I¡¯ll explain it to you just in case you were wondering. ¡°I memorised the poems used in the exam as songs, so I won¡¯t remember it if I don¡¯t sing it. It wasn¡¯t like I had that much leeway.¡± ¡°Really? Did you learn these songs in school too?¡¯ ¡°No, I learnt it from a travelling entertainer who I had met while travelling to the capital.¡± ¡°Travelling entertainer?¡± His blue eyes lit up like the evening glow when he heard a word that caught his interest. He looked like he wanted to hear more about this, but we had arrived at the crowded exit where carriages were waiting to pick up the kids. ¡°Aime!¡± I heard Rille-nee amidst the noise coming from everywhere around me. I could see her waving at me from the other side of the gap between the black carriages. I responded by waving my left hand, which wasn¡¯t held by Alexei. ¡°Is this the person who is picking you up?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my sister.¡± Alexei walked me in that direction. He could just leave now, but he seemed determined to fulfil his duty. How am I going to explain this to Rille-nee? We passed between the carriages, and I saw Chancellor Leonard standing next to Rille-nee for some reason. I had planned on visiting him after I had passed the exam, but had he come all the way here to pick me up? But before smiling at me, Chancellor Leonard blinked as soon as he saw Alexei. Then he approached us and bowed respectfully. Alexei stopped in front of us puzzled sisters and spoke. ¡°Aime is tired. Let her rest well.¡± ¡°Oh my, did your honourable self bring her all the way here? Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was just a coincidence.¡± ¡­ What¡¯s with this conversation? Alexei handed me to Chancellor Leonard, then he smiled and left. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again as school mates. You can tell me the rest of the story then.¡± He slightly raised his hand to say goodbye, then he got into a carriage which was escorted by soldiers and left in the direction of the palace. ¡°You¡¯re quite skilled, Aime. You suddenly become close to His Highness.¡± ¡°Huh? His Highness¡­?!¡± I heard the Chancellor¡¯s strained laughter and Rille-nee¡¯s surprised voice behind me. Having blonde hair and blue eyes as a Prince. What is this, a flag? Volume 2 - CH 3 I had an unexpected incident on my way home, but I heard that Rille-nee had an even tougher day. During her interview, an explosion suddenly occurred in the training grounds where people were practicing their magic swords and injured soldiers were brought in one after the other. I heard that a magic stone had gone out of control. Gis-nee uses magic stones like it was nothing, so I had no idea it was that dangerous. Naturally, there was no time for interviews and Rille-nee was sent out to nurse the soldiers since there weren¡¯t enough nurses. I can only say thank you for your hard work, Rille-nee! But she was able to show her ability and courage thanks to the explosion and was hired on the spot. I knew she could do it. She hasn¡¯t been nursing injured guys every day for nothing. After the commotion was over and when she was about to go pick me up in the evening, Chancellor Leonard came to the medical department and followed her to the school. He then invited us to his mansion that day and treated us to a feast. The Chancellor had manipulated it so that the Prince could casually mingle with the students in the exam hall¡­ What is with this nation? A week later, without any unexpected developments or troubles, my acceptance letter was delivered to the inn as scheduled. We are going to have fun in the capital after the exam! ¡­ Or so I thought, but we didn¡¯t have much time to spare. The entrance ceremony is scheduled to take place a month after I received my acceptance letter and Rille-nee is scheduled to start working around the same time. Our priority was to set up a place to live and buy all the necessary items. We won¡¯t have much money to play in the capital after that. We knew nothing about the stores in the capital, so the kind Chancellor Leonard is giving us a tour. ¡°It is nice to meet you, Ojou-samas! My name is Connie. I am a maid!¡± A cheerful woman with golden brown hair pulled up in a ponytail arrived at the inn just as we were finishing breakfast. She was short and looked young. She was wearing a plain skirt and not a maid uniform, so I wondered which kid had come to visit us until she introduced herself. Anyway, Rille-nee and I, who were only carrying our wallets, quickly followed Connie out of the inn. ¡°I would like to show you to some places I recommend for lodging and shopping, but first let me ask you what you would like to do!¡± Connie-san¡¯s voice was loud. Is it because she¡¯s excited, or is she normally like this? Either way, I could tell she is a cheerful person. ¡°Can you show us where we could stay first? I think that would be the most difficult place to choose.¡± ¡°Okay! Then, please come this way!¡± Connie-san turned east. She spoke to us, who were half a step behind her, as she walked. ¡°I heard that Aime-sama will be living in the dormitory at the Magic School, so are you searching for a place for Ridill-sama?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s basically it.¡± The Magic School is a boarding school. So, I will be parting with Rille-nee for the first time ever, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I won¡¯t be seeing her at all during the two years of Magic School. ¡°I plan to come home during the holidays. If possible, I would like a place where we can live together after I graduate.¡± Eventually, I want to buy a house in the capital, invite Gis-nee to stay with us and the three of us will live there. I will have to endure and be patient until I have enough money saved up. ¡°Would you like adjoining rooms if the two of you will be living together?¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t mind if we share a room either.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer we share. It feels strange to have separate rooms in the same building.¡± Perhaps because she¡¯s been living in cramped spaces since her birth, but Rille-nee doesn¡¯t want to have her own room. ¡°Oh yeah, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever slept in separate rooms, have we Rille-nee?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I wonder if I will be able to sleep alone.¡± ¡°Ah~, me too.¡± It wasn¡¯t because I was too scared to sleep; it was simply a matter of being used to sleeping in the same room as someone else. Connie-san listened to our unsure conversation with amusement. ¡°You sisters sure get along well! If it is just the two of you, then I can show you a good and inexpensive place to stay!¡± ¡°Really? Thank you.¡± Rille-nee suddenly spoke up when our destination was decided. ¡°Hmm, Connie-san, you can drop the suffixes from our names.¡± That was also something that bothered me. Connie-san blinked in surprise, ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I cannot do that! You two are the Master¡¯s guests.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re just commoners, and we¡¯re a bit embarrassed to be addressed with -sama attached to our names¡­¡± Rille-nee was shy. Yup, that¡¯s how she really feels. I also continued. ¡°We¡¯ll stand out downtown if you add -sama to our names. Could you speak to us normally?¡± Connie-san, you talk loudly after all. The sisters, who are dressed like commoners, are being treated in a strangely respectful manner, and people passing us have been looking at us strangely since a while ago. ¡°Really? Hmm, but I cannot call the Master¡¯s guests by their names. How about we compromise? I will call you Ridill-san and Aime-san. Is that alright with you two?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± We compromised for the time being. I think Connie-san is around our age, and I secretly hope that she will be a valuable friend to us in a city full of strangers. Especially for Rille-nee, since I won¡¯t be around much. Perhaps that was why Chancellor Leonard had sent Connie-san to us. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Here we are!¡± Connie-san pointed exaggeratingly in front of a house on the side of a large street near the southeast gate of the capital. It was a plain two-story wooden house that didn¡¯t look like it had many rooms from the outside. ¡°It is a bit old and small, but the area is safe and there is a market nearby, so it is convenient for shopping! Also, the owner is a woman, and she only accepts female lodgers! And the most important thing is that the owner serves very tasty food!¡± Connie exclaimed excitedly. Is it that good? Wait, have you eaten it before? ¡°Connie-san, do you perhaps live here?¡± ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact! I worked at a restaurant around here before I became a maid.¡± ¡°You became the Chancellor¡¯s maid then?¡± ¡°Yes! Master hired me when he visited the restaurant.¡± Why did he show up at a restaurant downtown? And why did he hire a waitress from that restaurant? Connie smiled bitterly when she guessed the questions I had. ¡°Master has a habit of picking up people who are highly capable in some way. In my case, I think it was the fact that I am strong for a woman that caught his eye. I was carrying many plants and bottles of alcohol when he came in.¡± ¡°¡­ Hah?¡± ¡°Most of the people in the mansion were hired by the Master himself. There are many other talents who Master takes care of and helps.¡± What is he, a talent collector? I thought he was a kind man for helping us commoners who had nothing, but if he even hired a waitress from a restaurant, then he must have a hobby of scouting people. ¡°Who¡¯s been screaming outside?¡± At that moment, the door opened, and a person appeared from inside the house. It was a well-dressed middle-aged woman with long, wavy, tied up grey hair. She was not as tall as Gis-nee, but still quite tall. She was wearing an apron and holding a wooden ladle in her right hand. She must have been preparing lunch since there was a nice aroma coming from inside. ¡°Anna-san!¡± Connie screamed the woman¡¯s name. She must be the owner of the boarding house. The moment I realised this I reflexively gave a thumbs up. ¡°Rille-nee, let¡¯s rent a room here!¡± It was an instant decision. I had no complaints about this place from the moment I heard Connie¡¯s explanation, and I felt that I could leave Rille-nee here with this lady who seemed like she could even bounce back a cannon. After that, we properly introduced ourselves and were shown to an available room. There were two beds in the room and a desk. There was no space to move around, but it was large enough to sleep and study in. There was no bathroom, but breakfast and dinner were included in the rent, and the monthly rent is cheap. The only other lodgers were two working girls. We were visiting in the middle of the day, so we couldn¡¯t meet them, but we heard that they are good people. Anna-san raised her son by herself and is a reliable woman over 40. She accepted us with open arms. ¡°You can move in tonight if you want.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I will gladly take her up on her offer since it would save us money on lodging. Anna-san told us that she would have the room ready by nighttime, so we told her that we would bring our luggage around at that time and Connie-san showed us around the nearby market until then. ¡°There are two markets in the capital, one in the west and one in the east! There are stores in other places, but the stalls are concentrated in the market! This is the place to go if you want to shop and eat!¡± We had already entered the market, but I could still hear Connie-san¡¯s explanation clearly even with all the noise. The first market that Rille-nee and I visited was in the west, but the east market was just as lively and festive with endless rows of stalls. ¡°Please tell me if you need anything! I¡¯ll show you where to get it!¡± ¡°Then, can you tell me where to find paper? Oh, and ink too.¡± These are the most necessary consumables for school. ¡°School supplies? Then, this way!¡± The store we were heading for stood in a quiet ally off the side of the market. I chose the cheapest paper; the one with the roughest surface. I want quantity over quality. They sell paper but not notebooks. I¡¯ll have to make my own notebooks. There are stores that make notebooks for a charge, but well, I¡¯ll make it myself. The store also sold ink and pens. I didn¡¯t buy them since I didn¡¯t need them today, but I knew that I could get all the school supplies I needed here. ¡°Is there anywhere you would like to go, Ridill-san?¡± ¡°Well, do you know of any second-hand clothing stores?¡± ¡°Of course! We also have many tailors here! And stores where you can buy reasonably priced ornaments!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯d love to try some of the capital¡¯s famous fruit pies!¡± ¡°Certainly! I know the perfect place!¡± Connie-san knew many stores where we wanted to visit and showed us around the outside and inside of the market. We had a little time on our hands now that we had found a place to stay, but not a lot of money to spare. We ended up gazing at the fruit pies, which were expensive, but that was fun too. ¡°It¡¯ll be dark soon. Do you have any place you want to visit to end the night with?¡± Connie-san asked and Rille-nee and I both pondered about it. Then, I answered first. ¡°Is there any place around here where we can see magic tools?¡± We walked around town all day, but I didn¡¯t see any magic tools. I had heard that the magic stones are controlled by the palace, so I was expecting them to be used for something around town. But Connie-san was surprised. ¡°Magic tools? Only soldiers of the palace have such things.¡± ¡°Only soldiers? You mean like in weapons?¡± ¡°Yes. You are talking about magic swords and things like that, are you not?¡± ¡°I am, but are those the only things that are magic tools?¡± Only weapons? But I knew that I was questioning her too much. I realised that I was troubling her, so I decided to stop talking about it. Hmm, I wonder if I can learn more about this in school. At least in Giedt¡¯s case, his magic tool wasn¡¯t in his weapon. I wonder if it¡¯s just not common knowledge. We couldn¡¯t think of anything else to do in the end, so we returned to the inn, grabbed our stuff and moved. Connie-san showed us around the capital until the entrance ceremony and we got the general layout of the capital in our heads while buying all the things we needed. I learnt that in addition to the market in the west, there was also a racetrack there, a huge temple in the north that was off-limits to everyone who wasn¡¯t royalty, but people were allowed to pray at the entrance, a harbour, and an arena used for festivals in the east near our lodging. There are far more people and stores here than in other cities, so there are also theatres and other entertainment facilities around. All these things overwhelmed me, but led me to the conclusion that this was like any other city. We are going to live here from now on. We were off to a good start thanks to Chancellor Leonard and Connie-san. I feel like we¡¯ll do well here. ¡°It¡¯s finally happening tomorrow.¡± ¡°It is.¡± A month passed by in the blink of an eye while we were hecticly getting ready. Rille-nee and I were lying in our beds on the night before the entrance ceremony. We talked under the tiny candle that Anna-san had given us. ¡°I wonder if I can do my work properly in the palace.¡± Rille-nee will start working the day after tomorrow. I know she must be feeling anxious, but this wasn¡¯t new to me, so I laughed it off. ¡°You¡¯ve already worked there before! You should have more confidence in yourself.¡± Rille-nee¡¯s job title isn¡¯t a doctor, but an assistant doctor. She is going to be something like a nurse. There is no one who could be called a doctor in this nation except for those who work in the palace. The ones in town are called pharmacists [1]. ¡®Doctor¡¯ is an official title given only to men who have passed the exam and are allowed to work in the palace. However, their actual job is to prepare and prescribe medicine, there isn¡¯t much difference between a doctor and a pharmacist. Of course, Rille-nee can do this! ¡°Rille-nee, you¡¯re talented. And the interviewer was a kind old man, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll be assisting someone else. I wonder if I can get along with him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m more afraid of you getting along too well with him. Rille-nee, you fall in love too easily.¡± ¡°I told you, you were misunderstanding things! You think too much.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more self-conscious?¡± ¡°That¡¯s called younger sister¡¯s bias, isn¡¯t it?¡± I was being serious but Rille-nee wasn¡¯t listening. I wonder when she will become more self-aware. ¡°How about you Aime? Are you worried about school? The other students are all nobles.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve already talked to the Prince, after all. I¡¯m not nervous about the other nobles.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Rille-nee put a hand on her mouth and let out a giggle. ¡°You¡¯re more likely to have someone troublesome like you than me.¡± ¡°Eh~? No way. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I have a cute personality.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re pretty cute?¡± ¡°That¡¯s bias.¡± I said and we both laughed. ¨D¨D¨D Yup, it¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll both be fine. I¡¯ll be home on the holidays, and I¡¯ll rush here if something happens. We have people we can rely on too. I¡¯ve been with Rille-nee this whole time, so I¡¯m sad that we¡¯ll be spending a lot of time apart, but I¡¯m not that anxious about it. But I was reluctant to part with her, so we spent the night talking about trivial things until the candle burnt out. Volume 2 - CH 4 ¡°Okay, Rille-nee? You have to contact me right away if something happens.¡± I was saying goodbye to Rille-nee at the entrance of the boarding house with a lady owner. The entrance ceremony is in the afternoon. In the morning, I packed all my belongings into a large shoulder bag, changed into the same formal attire I wore for the exam and now, I¡¯m about ready to leave. ¡°You can use Chancellor Leonard¡¯s name if you meet someone bad. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll help you. Also, don¡¯t be too nice to the soldiers. They¡¯ll misunderstand even if you smile at them a little. I¡¯ve told you this many times Rille-nee, but you must be aware of how cute you are and act accordingly.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Rille-nee was easy-going as always. Please, don¡¯t act cute and be more vigilant. ¡°Anna-san! Please make sure that Rille-nee doesn¡¯t get deceived by a bad person!¡± I called out loudly towards the kitchen that was located behind the counter, and Anna-san replied reliably, ¡°Leave it to me, but you¡¯re also very overprotective, aren¡¯t you?¡± Well, I can¡¯t deny that. It¡¯s Rille-nee¡¯s first time living alone even if she¡¯s staying in a boarding house. Rille-nee looked embarrassed. She pouted and said, ¡°Enough, Aime.¡± I told you to stop acting cute¡­! ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t push yourself and rely on your Onee-chan when things get hard, alright?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know, Onee-chan.¡± But you know, I can easily get over any hurdle as long as you have a smile on your face. Rille-nee¡¯s tight goodbye hug gave me courage and I stepped out into the unknown world in high spirits. I once again passed through the Magic School¡¯s large gate with a large bag in my arms. The path I was guided down led past the gardens that I had seen in the distance during the exam and continued towards the school building in the centre of the grounds. I saw a few noble kids along the way. Their outfits were even more glamorous than before. The girls were dressed in brightly coloured dresses and the boys had bright colours on their scarves and pockets and they were all wearing accessories. They looked as if they were going to a wedding reception instead of a tea party. I was the only one carrying my luggage; they were empty-handed. I eventually reached the school building and saw a group of people carrying large western-style wardrobes. They were carrying the wardrobes to a different place than where I was heading. Movers? Or perhaps servants? Oh yeah, nobles attend this school so it¡¯s quite common for them to use their own servants to carry their belongings to the dormitory before they enter. But I think furniture is too much. I heard that the dormitory is already fully furnished with beds and desks. Why go to all the trouble of moving somewhere you¡¯ll only be living for two years? I was a bit shocked, but it was none of my business. People are people! The entrance ceremony, or rather, the welcome party for the new students was held in the cafeteria. I left my bag in the waiting room next door and the bell rang. The guide came into the room and moved the students who had already gathered next door. There was no time to talk to anyone. There were three tables in a bright room with sunlight coming from the large glass windows. Two long rectangular tables were lined up vertically and a horizontal one was placed at the back. There were adults in white robes welcoming the new students with applause at one of the tables. We were directed to take our respective seats. I was placed at the table on the left, at the far end of the entrance. The lowest seat, huh. The teachers were seated in the seats of honour. ¡°Welcome to the Royal Magic School.¡± The headmaster, who was seated at the middle of the table and had a body like a balance ball, cheerfully delivered the standard speech and the party began. I counted the number of people here during the speech and found that there were a total of 30 students enrolled in the Royal Magic School this term. An unexpectedly low number. I was hoping for that hat [1] would come out at the welcome party, but there weren¡¯t enough people here, and I also heard that there are only two dormitories to begin with, one for boys and one for girls. Eventually what came out were light blue robes and not a hat in sight. It was a very beautiful robe, much like the colour of a slightly pale blue sky on a sunny day. This robe was the school uniform. We only had to wear it on top and were allowed to wear anything we wanted underneath. The students went to the front one by one, and the headmaster asked us to wear the robe. Apprentices apparently wore light blue robes, and the white robes were for those who were qualified. It wasn¡¯t a dark image at all. The speeches were long and tedious but there was something interesting about it. After the explanation of classes and daily life, one of the female teachers performed magic to welcome us to the school. ¡°Finnrum doull.¡± As soon as the words, which I have never heard before, were uttered, the green magic stone that was adorned on her chest shone and many peach-coloured flowers bloomed in the room. The pale, transparent illusion drifted through the air. They landed on the heads of the girls and on held out hands, and finally, they fizzled out in a rainbow. I don¡¯t understand the theory behind that at all! This was the first time I had seen magic used by someone and not a magic tool. I reached out my fingertips to where the illusions had floated earlier and tried to feel any residual material, but I couldn¡¯t feel anything. The scientific experiments I have shown to the kids were like child¡¯s play. This was a terribly fascinating power since it was supernatural, mysterious, illogical and mind-boggling. I really wanted to learn it as soon as possible. The representative of the new students gave a brief thank you speech at the end of the welcome party. The student who scores the highest marks in the entrance exam is usually selected to give the thank you speech, but I wasn¡¯t asked and the one who came forward was a boy with a refined face who I didn¡¯t know. I was pretty confident that I had scored the highest, but I guess I hadn¡¯t ranked first. Well, it¡¯s okay since I was admitted into the school, though I was a bit annoyed that Giedt would act smugly because of this. Or they might have chosen someone from a good family background so there wouldn¡¯t be any complaints since the students here were nobles, but it might not have mattered since the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy was sitting calmly. Yes, Alexei passed the exam too. He even went to the exam like everyone else so he wouldn¡¯t have gotten in through the backdoor. He was sitting at the end of the table on the right, closest to the teachers and not in a special seat. I could see the boy, who was with him at the exam, was also there. I don¡¯t think they were in the waiting room. Perhaps they were treated differently. Alexei¡¯s seat was the furthest away from mine, so I couldn¡¯t say, ¡°Hey, thanks for last time!¡± But he waved at me in a friendly manner when our eyes met in the middle of the ceremony. I wondered how I should react, but then I remembered that he had said that the next time we would meet it would be as school mates. It would only be natural that I wave back if we¡¯re school mates. Although I¡¯m younger than everyone and have a lower status than them, I think I can treat them all as school mates here in school. A senior came and led us to our respective dormitories after the welcome party. I was the only one who took my bag and followed at the end of the line. The dormitory was located on the other side of the entrance. We left the school building and went further back. The boys were clearly separated and didn¡¯t have a view of the girls¡¯ dormitories. The senior walked down the hallway with a list of names and indicated to each person, ¡°You¡¯re in this room, you¡¯re here,¡± and so on. There seemed to be enough room left over so no one had to share. I glanced around and saw that it was quite spacious. It was 27m2 [2] or maybe around 36m2 [3] if you move out all the unnecessary furniture. It reminded me of my parents¡¯ house in my previous life. I used to lead a wealthy life and my room was about this big thanks to my parents. I miss it. But I wonder if this dormitory was a waste of taxpayers¡¯ money. I waited for my name to be called while thinking that it wasn¡¯t fair that Rille-nee was living in a small boarding room while I, who didn¡¯t work, will live in a room like this, but my name was never called. Finally, when no one was around, the senior pointed to a ladder at the end of the hallway. ¡°You¡¯re up here.¡± I could see a square entrance covered in cobwebs at the top of the ladder. ¡­ Hah, I¡¯m in the attic?! I was slow to react since I hadn¡¯t expected this. I¡¯m in the same situation as the little princess [4] after things started going wrong for her. I bet there are still plenty of rooms left! Why is there a disparity at a school where there is no admission or tuition fees?! You bastards! Are you all trying to bully me?! The senior and classmates, who came out of their rooms, were giggling. So as the saying goes, rich people tend to be jerks. The teachers are nobles too. But an attic¡­ It¡¯s kind of interesting, isn¡¯t it? It was like a secret hideout. How exciting. It¡¯s making my heart throb. I climbed up the creaking ladder and found a slanted ceiling that matched the shape of the roof, a small window, a wooden bed, a desk and a chair. Wow, this is exciting. The room made it feel as if I was being oppressed but it wasn¡¯t that small. It was about 9m2 [5]. Honestly, it was probably bigger than when the three of us lived at Gis-nee¡¯s place. This was probably a place for servants to live. All I had to do was sweep, wipe and wash the sheets. Pfft, how childish. Being bullied was minor if I can stay in a place where there¡¯s a roof over my head, food to eat and where I can study. Don¡¯t look down on me! Volume 2 - CH 5 What is magic class like? An ambiguous sense of anticipation welled up within me ever since I was shown magic at the welcome party. It is said that your aptitude is what determines whether you can become a mage, but it shouldn¡¯t be something like you will be able to use magic as soon as you hold a magic stone and chant. If that were the case, it would have been enough to get people to hold magic stones at the exam. They¡¯ll probably teach something special. I greeted the morning of my first day of school with excitement. Classes will begin immediately. I packed my favourite shoulder bag, which I had used to carry my experiment tools, with my handmade notebook, ink, and pens, then I changed into a dress that I had worn at the apothecary and put my light blue robe over it. I finished packing and squatted at the opening on the floor only to find that the ladder was missing. They played a prank on me while I was sleeping. I¡¯ll jump down! I held my bag and landed with no difficulty. It wasn¡¯t that high. The ladder was next to the window at the end of the hall, so I quickly put it back into its place and headed to the dormitory cafeteria. There were several chairs along long tables, and the seniors and juniors were eating together. One of the girls, who came in later, was surprised to see me eating a piece of bread. So, you¡¯re the one who took away the ladder? She looks familiar. Probably a classmate. I won¡¯t take her seriously. She only harassed me a little and confronting her would be more trouble than it¡¯s worth. It¡¯s cute if I compare it to the time when Theo and his friends threw rocks at me. Instead, I¡¯ll save my energy for the day ahead. The meals in the dormitory are surprisingly simple. Baskets of bread were placed on the table and the servants brought everyone one side dish and a bowl of soup. The bread was freshly buttered and delicious, and the side dish was either a meat side dish or a fish side dish. Last night it was meat, and this morning it is sauteed fish. The way Anna-san seasoned her food was better, but I think the ingredients here are higher quality. Well, I feel like my side dishes have smaller fish, tougher meat and soup with less ingredients compared to the others, but it doesn¡¯t matter since I¡¯m not demanding for seconds. ¡°Despicable.¡± A girl sitting one seat away from me muttered with disgust, but I pretended that I didn¡¯t hear her. A school is still a school even though it¡¯s a magic school. The classroom was quite normal with only a few desks with enough space for three or four students to sit at and a blackboard. There were no allocated seats and each student sat down where they wanted. I¡¯m the type who prefers to sit in the front half of a class I¡¯m interested in since it¡¯s easier to ask questions. The seat at the front was still empty, so I sat down and a female student who was next to me immediately started poking me. ¡°Don¡¯t sit there.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s empty.¡± I replied normally which seemed to irritate her even more. The girl, whose forehead was showing, raised her eyebrow and said in a high-pitched tone that pierced my ears, ¡°How rude!¡± Annoying. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m sorry. May I sit here?¡± ¡°Look carefully. There¡¯s no place for you to sit.¡± She said as she spread her notebook and put it on the chair. Her actions were so childish that I lost all interest in getting angry. Well, alright. The classroom is only large enough for 30 students, so I don¡¯t need to be in the very front to hear the lecture. But when I tried to sit behind that desk, the students all did the same thing, one after the other. Even the people sitting next to them were doing their best to open their notebooks. This looks stupid. I was getting tired of dealing with them by now, so I sat down and the student behind me pushed me out of the chair. I don¡¯t know why, but they don¡¯t want me to sit down. They wanted me to stand and listen to the lecture? Fine, I¡¯ll do that. Someone called out my name as I was pondering. ¡°Come here, Aime. There¡¯s an empty seat here.¡± The blonde-haired, blue-eyed gentleman showed me where I could sit. Oh yeah, I had an ally. The most powerful ally. I quickly settled down in the seat next to Alexei in the last row before anyone could complain while they were all whispering to themselves. The attendant boy that always accompanied him was sitting on the other side. He¡¯s always next to Alexei with his pale face which makes him seem like a spirit guide. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Alexei shook his head when I thanked him. ¡°Your Highness, you shouldn¡¯t have such a person¡­¡± The students around me were flustered and the noble boy sitting in front of us was trembling as he cleverly phrased his words, but Alexei silenced him. ¡°I only need enough space to have one book opened, and I¡¯m only a student here. So, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± I wonder how many people wouldn¡¯t worry. Everyone was whispering to each other. If they want to distinguish me, a commoner, then I¡¯m sure they distinguish royalty as well. Alexei is just like me, he¡¯s out of place. Let¡¯s start by making friends with those who are not part of the group. ¡°Can I treat you like another student?¡± I whispered to him. ¡°Can I call your name and talk to you normally?¡± Alexei looked surprised, then he smiled happily. ¡°Of course. I¡¯d rather you did.¡± He joyfully gave me permission. His voice sounded as if it was bouncing. It was as if he was happy that he had made a friend. He may be somewhat of an unusual person in this society with social statuses. By the way, the person on the other side of him was glaring at me intensely. ¡°Hmm, who¡¯s that?¡± I couldn¡¯t ignore him anymore, so I asked who he was. ¡°Roderick Bastide. He¡¯s, well, like a childhood friend.¡± ¡°I am His Highness¡¯s attendant.¡± He may have thought that being called a ¡®childhood friend¡¯ was too friendly because he corrected Alexei. He must have a high status. He was quite handsome and had a good physique, but it was ruined because he was glaring at me the whole time. I know you don¡¯t like me but tone it down. He was also blonde like the few of the other nobles around. His hair was slightly more reddish than Alexei¡¯s. He said he is an attendant, but I wonder if he entered the school to accompany Alexei. He even took the test? I¡¯ll ask him why he wanted to attend Magic School if I get the chance. The bell rang and the teacher came into the classroom. The white-robed mage opened an old book on the podium and stammered as he explained the origins of magic. We have to know what magic is before we can use it. Magic was first discovered about a hundred years ago. That¡¯s surprisingly recent. But that¡¯s only to the people who established this kingdom. Magic has been used by a specific ethnic group for much longer. They were called the ¡®Mitoa people¡¯ or the ¡®demon-kin¡¯. They are not humans. They are a mysterious tribe who lived deep in the forest, and they had their own language and culture. It¡¯s not known how exactly they acquired their magic. It is said to be a blessing of the Sky God Vishvelia (argh, seems like I¡¯ll bite my tongue while saying that) who is still widely believed in many nations, but I don¡¯t think that explains it. But, regardless of if this god actually exists, I honestly don¡¯t know what to think about them calling something given by God ¡®Demon Act¡¯ [1]. Are they saying that demons and saints are the same? A hundred years ago, during a period of warfare, the Mitoa people invaded other nations and thus magic spread throughout the world. Mitoa people, who had their knowledge stolen from them, are now said to have been completely wiped out. The magic stones respond to Mitoan[2] words and the nature of the magic stone changes when their letters are engraved on the magic stone. The spell the teacher chanted at the welcoming ceremony was Mitoan and the words engraved on Giedt¡¯s prosthetic eye was Mitoan. So, what we are here to learn is Mitoan. We can¡¯t cast spells if we don¡¯t understand their language, and if we can¡¯t cast spells then we can¡¯t use magic. Is that all it takes to use magic? Anyone can learn a language if they study it. There must be something else that makes a mage, but the teacher didn¡¯t go into the details and informed us that we would study Mitoan for a year. ¡°Whether you can become mages or not will be determined after that.¡± The only thing that was said to the dumbfounded students were profound words. It was a boring start, completely different from what I had imagined, but I couldn¡¯t continue to think it was boring as soon as language class started. Mitoan is a very complicated language. There were so many vowels. There were sounds that I had no idea how to produce, and I didn¡¯t know the difference between the letter I had just pronounced and the one that was said before that. It was hard to distinguish the sounds. And then there was the vocabulary. Mitoan had words that were difficult to understand since it didn¡¯t have any concept to it and there are thousands of words with mysterious characters. In a metaphorical sense, it was like an English-speaking person trying to learn Kanji. I had to put in double the effort since I had to learn phonetic symbols to assist with the accurate pronunciation. We were also going to learn more about Mitoan culture in order to understand the concepts that we don¡¯t know. I now understand why mages are required to be intelligent, and why the exam was mostly a memorization test. This was all about memory. I wonder if I will be able to learn a language I¡¯ve never heard of before in just a year¡­? But no matter how insecure I was, I knew that I had no choice but to complete this plain and harsh course to open the door to glory. Volume 2 - CH 6 I wake up early in the morning to prepare for the day. After breakfast, classes continue until the afternoon. Then, there were more classes after a short break. After school, students complete their assignments, return to their dormitories at sunset for dinner and review the day¡¯s work before going to bed. This schedule reminded me of the days when I was preparing for my entrance exam. The students had to master Mitoan perfectly within a year, so the classes were hard and there were a lot of assignments. After school, students would gather in the study room at the school building to work on translating texts written in Mitoan. This scene could be seen every day. Groups had formed in the class within a week. Those who knew each other before entering the school and those who came from similar family backgrounds grouped together. Some of the groups included seniors for those who seek knowledge. Well, that was only my guess since I was an outsider and didn¡¯t know the details of their relationships. I guess they all implicitly excluded me from their groups. I¡¯m shoved into a corner when I go to the study room, and I get glared at and eventually ignored if I happen to interrupt their discussion. I could only finish my own assignments and go to the lounge. The lounge is a rest area for students in the school building. This room is often empty when the study room is crowded. It was larger than a classroom with a long, fluffy carpet and small round tables in front of fluffy sofas. On the other side of the inner door was the dining room. It was a ridiculously comfortable place where you could ring a bell and a waiter would bring you tea. Tall bookshelves lined the walls and this room also served as a library. In the corner of the lounge, by a window with the view of the setting sun sat Alexei sipping elegantly on his tea. Roderick was waiting like a long shadow behind the one seated sofa. They also noticed me approaching and our eyes met. ¡°Hello. May I sit down?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Alexei replied friendly and I sat down on the one seated sofa to his left. He rang the bell on the table and asked the waiter to bring me my tea. ¡°Thanks.¡± I thanked him and he shook his head. I guess he wanted to say that he hadn¡¯t done anything to be thanked for. That¡¯s what makes him a gentleman. It just so happened that there were no other students here today. It was so quiet that I could hear the birds flying outside. If there were classical music playing in the background, then it would have been perfect for the evening ambience. ¡°Did you finish your assignment?¡± Alexei asked as he glanced at my bag. ¡°Yup, so I¡¯m taking a break until dinner. I was wondering if you were here.¡± I had found them the other day when I came here to take a break. If they weren¡¯t here, then I would have just relaxed and gone back like normal. There are plenty of books here for me to enjoy. ¡°Is Roderick going to stand there the whole time?¡± I brought him up and he glared at me silently. The boy was standing up straight and hidden in his robe on his waist was a sword. I hadn¡¯t noticed it at first since he put it next to his desk during class. I heard that instead of having soldiers in the school, the escorting attendants carry weapons in case of emergency but since they have a strict screening procedure at the front gate, I don¡¯t think he needs to be so vigilant. ¡°She¡¯s telling you to sit down.¡± ¡°Please do not worry about me.¡± Roderick replied to Alexei, who smiled bitterly, in a firm tone. Hmm. ¡°It¡¯s pretty hard to get close to you if you stand there glaring at me. It¡¯s hard to talk to Alexei too. You won¡¯t make any friends.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good. Sit down Roderick.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let this person deceive you with her smooth talking, Your Highness.¡± Roderick remained unwavering even when I tried to joke with him. That¡¯s admirable loyalty. Alexei smiled wryly again and then looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s just how he is. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I have nothing particular I want to say if they¡¯re alright with it. I just think it¡¯s an odd position to be in. I sipped on the golden herbal tea that had been brought to me. It was fragrant with a slight taste of sourness and bitterness. It was delicious. ¡°They probably used meunier leaves for the base and it tastes like they used some san berries too.¡± ¡°You can tell?¡± I rolled the liquid around on my tongue and muttered which surprised Alexei. ¡°I¡¯m just guessing. We have an apothecary, so I know most of the herbs that are used in our store. I¡¯ve never had such high-quality herbal tea before though.¡± They probably used higher quality herbs that are more fragrant and taste better. The herbs at the store are medicinal herbs so they don¡¯t need to be fragrant. They aren¡¯t used only for tea, but also for grinding and mixing into ointments and are used in a variety of ways, so the ingredients required are different from those for luxury goods. ¡°I sometimes process unsold herbs into tea because it was a waste to throw them away. When I had several kinds of herbs, I would mix them together properly. My sister and I would ponder about what had been mixed with what.¡± ¡°That sounds like fun.¡± ¡°Yes, it was fun because we got better at mixing the herbs together, but the quality of this tea is too high for me to guess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you can guess something like this.¡± Alexei was honestly impressed. I was a little embarrassed by his reaction. ¡°Does this tea have any benefits?¡± ¡°Meunier leaves are good for tired eyes and the san berries are good for stiff shoulders. It¡¯s perfect for people who are tired from studying. It¡¯s very generous of them to serve this even though they cram so much into their lessons.¡± ¡°You seem to have it all under control.¡± ¡°You do too.¡± You were enjoying the elegant sunset earlier than me, but Alexei denied this. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished the assignment. I just couldn¡¯t get the last translation right, so I took a break.¡± ¡°The last translation? ¡®The root of all things in heaven and earth¡­¡¯ that part?¡± ¡°Probably. I¡¯m not sure about the other passages either, but I¡¯m having real trouble understanding the meaning of the last sentence.¡± ¡°The grammar and content of the text is complex. It would be easier to understand if you read the textbook on ideology and understand the basics from that.¡± ¡°Have you already read that textbook?¡± ¡°I wanted to read the new books right away.¡± We were allocated books on magic which I have been curious about for a long time, so how could I not read it? ¡°You¡¯re brilliant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just not good at waiting. Let me know if you need my help. You should do your own assignments as much as possible, but it¡¯s a waste of time to worry about a problem alone if you can¡¯t figure it out. Let¡¯s work it out together. That¡¯s what friends are for.¡± Even I have times when I¡¯m unsure of my answer. It¡¯s more fun to exchange opinions with a friend even though they might not know the answer either than to just check the answer over with a teacher. ¡°¡­ Thanks.¡± ¡°I just want Alexei and everyone else to treat me normally.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®just¡¯? Be careful what you say.¡± I smiled at Alexei who thanked me, but Roderick was furious. ¡°You¡¯re normally in no position to talk so freely to His Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, thanks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just brush it off!¡± ¡°Roderick, this is what I want. Don¡¯t blame Aime.¡± Alexei sighed in exasperation. ¡°I want to talk to everyone more normally¡­ but it seems like they get tense when I¡¯m around. When I went to the study room the other day, all the students there were paying so much attention to me that they didn¡¯t even make a single sound.¡± ¡°Oh, did something like that happen?¡± ¡°Yeah. I felt uncomfortable and left. It became difficult for me to go there after that¡­¡± Alexei¡¯s shoulders drooped sadly. So that¡¯s why I never see them in the study room. I¡¯m sure everyone wanted to avoid disturbing the Prince¡¯s studies, but he wouldn¡¯t have come here in the first place if he was someone who found it troublesome when others studied with him. The dormitory is a private space, and you can study as quietly as you want. Everyone¡¯s being too considerate towards him. ¡°I would have loved to see that. It sounds amusing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being rude.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t half the blame on Roderick? It¡¯s scary to see him standing behind you while glaring with a sword.¡± A small counterblow at Roderick who had been seriously offended by my joke. Alexei looked back at his attendant. ¡°I see, you might be right. I had wondered if that was the case too.¡± The attendant was dismayed by his master¡¯s doubt. ¡°I-I do not always act intimidatingly towards others.¡± ¡°So, you know you¡¯re being intimidating?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing it to keep away rude people like you!¡± ¡°Stop it, Roderick.¡± Alexei wasn¡¯t joking. He seriously wanted Roderick to stop. ¡°I can¡¯t have Aime run away from me as well.¡± Then he looked at me anxiously. I thought this was kind of cute and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m used to seeing a face that¡¯s several times scarier than Roderick¡¯s, so his little glare won¡¯t bother me.¡± Gis-nee¡¯s face was so scary that it would make little kids cry. Roderick is still young and his facial expression lacks intimidation. The same goes for the other nobles. Alexei looked relieved when I said I didn¡¯t think anything of Roderick¡¯s glare while Roderick looked disappointed. The fact that they show their emotions so honestly on their faces shows that they¡¯re still just kids. ¡°Scary-looking adults chased me all the time in the past.¡± ¡°Why did they chase you?¡± I muttered something without thinking and Alexei heard it. ¡°Ah, well, I used to live on the streets, you know.¡± Alexei seemed to understand. He suddenly put on a serious expression and looked down. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologise. I don¡¯t mind being asked about it.¡± I don¡¯t mind being questioned about something I brought up. I only expressed it in a vague way because it¡¯s not fun to listen to the heavy background of someone who you¡¯ve only just met. ¡°You don¡¯t have to mind it. I¡¯m living happily now. I¡¯m allowed to study whatever I want, and my sister is working at the palace.¡± I smiled at him, but Alexei frowned and stayed silent. He opened his mouth to speak after a while as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Aime. Can you tell me about it if it¡¯s not too painful for you? Just tell me what you can, you don¡¯t have to talk about it in detail.¡± ¡°I can, but it¡¯s not all pleasant.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯ve heard that there are people like that here in the capital too. I want to know as much about this kingdom as I can.¡± I felt that there was something desperate in his eyes as he said this than just genuine interest. ¡°Alexei really is a Prince.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± I accidentally let those words slip and he looked at me in confusion. I had never met a Prince before, even in my previous life, but I thought it was an appropriate title for this kind boy. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Then, please listen to my story. Ah, but are you sure you don¡¯t want to do your assignment first?¡± ¡°You gave me a clue about how to translate it. I¡¯ll think more over it at night. I want to hear more about your story, Aime.¡± After he said that, I drank my tea first to moisten my throat. There were some things I couldn¡¯t talk about like Gis-nee, who Chancellor Leonard had forbidden me to talk about, but I can tell him about the problems that exist in this kingdom. I told the Boy Prince, who listened attentively, as much as I could during the short time before sunset. Volume 2 - CH 7 The Magic School has a day off every ten days. But homework was given out mercilessly the day before and only the students who could finish them could take a day off. I have always been organized, so I go to see Rille-nee on my days off and be healed. I think having a reward makes tasks go much smoother. ¡°How¡¯s work? You¡¯re not working too hard, are you?¡± I asked her over a cup of hot tea on the ground floor of Anna¡¯s boarding house. Rille-nee was also quite busy and rarely took a day off when she had patients, so we often talked rather than go out when our schedule matches. ¡°It¡¯s fun every day.¡± Rille-nee seemed to be doing well. But as I would expect, it wasn¡¯t like she wasn¡¯t troubled at all. ¡°Are you getting along with the bigoted superior you told me about?¡± I had been a little worried since I heard that the doctor who Rille-nee assists, her immediate superior so to speak, has a difficult and troublesome personality. But when I asked her about them, she said that she had already solved it. ¡°If you¡¯re referring to Jed-san, then it¡¯s alright now. I¡¯ve recently learnt how to deal with him.¡± Rille-nee giggled as if she remembered something. Seeing her giggle, I realized that she had really learnt how to deal with him and wasn¡¯t just bluffing. I relaxed. ¡°I see, that¡¯s good. ¨D¨D¨D No one has done anything strange to you? There¡¯s no trash who touches you, asks you if you have a guy you like or what kind of guy you like, gives you gifts for no reason, or tries to walk you home even when you refuse?¡± I was just joking about half of those things I listed. I believe there would be no one who would sexually harass my sister in that way. But Rille-nee¡¯s expression changed. ¡°¡­ Rille-nee?¡± Why are you acting suspiciously? Don¡¯t act surprised just because I called your name. ¡°Did the Jed person..?¡± ¡°N-no!¡± Rille-nee shouted in a panic. ¡°Jed-san wouldn¡¯t do things like that.¡± ¡°If not Jed-san, then who?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡± I felt like a detective questioning a suspect. I won¡¯t let her avoid answering my question. I stared at her in silence, then Rille-nee spilled the beans. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. General Owen is kind to everyone.¡± ¡­ General? The person¡¯s status is beyond what I imagined. A general is someone who commands an entire army, right? ¡°How did you two meet?¡± ¡°Do you remember the accident with the magic stones when I was interviewing for my job? It was his unit that caused the accident. I happen to be the person who was looking after them when he came to check up on his men and then he started talking to me after that.¡± Hey, hey, doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s taken a liking to you? Rille-nee is 19 years old and has been getting more beautiful lately. ¡°How old is that General?¡± ¡°What? I wonder how old he is. But he¡¯s still young? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s turned 30 yet.¡± He¡¯s surprisingly young for his position. Almost too young. Does that mean that he¡¯s an upper-class noble who succeeded his father? He must be from a genuine well-off family. ¡°So, did the General ask you to be his girlfriend, give you gifts or hold your hand?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°He must have done something. How can nothing happen?¡± ¡°It just came up naturally while we were talking. He did give me a gift, but it came from his estate, so it didn¡¯t cost a lot of money and isn¡¯t anything special at all. And he caught me when I was absorbed in our conversation and almost tripped.¡± The two of you were talking side by side while walking? Didn¡¯t he give her a flower because she would refuse if he tried to give her something expensive? This happened while they were working? Owen probably showed up at the medical department saying he had errands to run to see Rille-nee. Why don¡¯t you just work!? Wah, will it be alright? Normally, you can gain money and status by marrying a rich and powerful man, but a man who flirts with a woman while on the job? It¡¯s even worse if he just wants to play with fire. I¡¯m worried if I¡¯m not by your side, Rille-nee. It would be nice if they had a guard at the medical department as well, but I can¡¯t beg for something they don¡¯t have. For now, I can only bet on Rille-nee¡¯s godlike skill to ignore everything which has made numerous men cry. If his feelings are only temporary, then he will leave before Rille-nee falls in love with him. The important thing is not to let any blunders happen before then. ¡°Don¡¯t rush things. Run away immediately if he tries to take you to a place without many people. You don¡¯t have to be mindful of his status. Your safety comes first.¡± ¡°You always worry too much, Aime. He has a high position. I¡¯m nobody. He¡¯s just paying attention to me on a whim.¡± ¡°It may be a whim, but you¡¯re not a nobody. Low self-esteem is the same as being overconfident. You must calmly observe yourself and the people you¡¯re talking to and take the initiative when it matters most. It wouldn¡¯t be funny if you find yourself in bed with them.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you talking about¡­?!¡± Rille-nee immediately turned red. Other people won¡¯t tell you this, so your family has to warn you. ¡°Please be careful.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t worry. How about you Aime? How¡¯s school? Did anything happen between you and the Prince?¡± Rille-nee asked to change the topic and I sighed. ¡°Nothing happened. Alexei is king, but everyone else looks at me like I¡¯m an insect.¡± I said casually since it was really nothing, but Rille-nee¡¯s expression clouded over. ¡°¡­ Are you being bullied?¡± ¡°No. No one has time to bully me since we¡¯re all busy with homework. The most they can do to me is ignore me.¡± The first day was annoying, but no one has time to do anything like that anymore. Come to think of it, I¡¯ve heard that there was less bullying in Japan when everyone was fiercely competing to get into university. I still get nasty looks when I sit next to them in class, but they no longer tell me to go away since Alexei will let me sit next to me. I smiled at Rille-nee who looked anxious and told her it was nothing to worry about. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll snap at them if it comes to it. You should also snap at the General if something happens.¡± ¡°I-I already told you that he hasn¡¯t done anything to me.¡± Rille-nee might not be annoyed by his affections. 19¡­ is still too early, but it¡¯s normal to think about marriage at that age here. Even if it isn¡¯t the General, if Rille-nee finds someone she truly loves and marries him then I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with Gis-nee and Rille-nee. It¡¯s sad to think about this, but there¡¯s nothing you can do about time and people¡¯s changing feelings. But I won¡¯t accept them easily! I¡¯ll question the groom like a pig-headed old man! Since things are like this, I¡¯ll start gathering information right away! I headed to the lounge as soon as I returned to school. Alexei was reading a book and Roderick was standing behind home, motionlessly in the usual spot. There were other students in the lounge as well. They had managed to finish their homework by the end of the day and were probably just taking a break. ¡°Hey, are you taking a break Alexei? I have something I want to ask you.¡± Alexei closed his book and put it on the table. ¡°What is it? Was there something you didn¡¯t get?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already finished my homework. Do you know someone named General Owen? Actually¡­¡± ¡°Hey, have some respect.¡± Roderick reproached me in a sharp tone as I continued to talk without sitting down. ¡°You¡¯re being rude, barging into a room where His Highness is relaxing and ranting.¡± ¡°This is a serious matter, Rock!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shout the nickname that I secretly called him in my mind. Well, I was feeling a little rebellious since he¡¯s always loyally standing behind his master. I¡¯m usually careful not to call him this, but I was worried about Rille-nee so I just blurted it out. He was flabbergasted but his master burst into laughter before he could get angry. ¡°Rock? That name reminds me of our childhood.¡± ¡°C-calling me that now would be¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it alright to call you that while we¡¯re attending this school?¡± The attendant was stumped by his master¡¯s teasing. Does this mean I¡¯m allowed to call him Rock? I¡¯d like to get to know him a little better. Everyone has been ignoring me for a month now, and the only people I talk to are Alexei and Roderick. ¡°So, what did you want to know?¡± ¡°Ah, right. I want to know what kind of man General Owen is. My sister, whom I told you about before ¨D¨D¨D.¡± After I explained the situation, Alexei replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about him, but Owen is the heir to the Sauniere House, and they¡¯ve held the General title for generations.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s from an amazing family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s not an irresponsible person.¡± ¡°You mean because of his family? What about his personality?¡± ¡°He seemed like a serious man. I heard that he was superb when he subjugated the bandits.¡± So, he¡¯s capable at doing his job. But this could be an exaggeration. ¡°And the most important question. Is he single?¡± ¡°I believe he is. The Sauniere¡¯s are one of the three great families who have the royal blood in them, so the royal family would have heard about it if there has been talks about the heir¡¯s marriage.¡± ¡­ Alexei said that smoothly but wait¡­ Doesn¡¯t he have the highest social standing? Isn¡¯t this¡­ bad in a lot of ways? ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. There¡¯s no way your sister and the heir of the Sauniere House would have anything going on between them.¡± Rock pointed out calmly, but he was na?ve. ¡°Whether you¡¯re a noble or commoner, a man is a man, and a woman is a woman when they get naked.¡± ¡°W-what¡­?!¡± I ignored Rock as he turned red. I¡¯m troubled. ¡°A troublesome person has their eye on you, Rille-nee.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think we can meddle in something like this.¡± Alexei, that¡¯s a mature opinion. I¡¯d have the same attitude had it been anyone else. ¡°Nothing has happened yet, right? I don¡¯t believe the son of a prestigious family would be careless with a woman. Why don¡¯t you calm down and just let things play out?¡± ¡°¡­ I know. That¡¯s all I can do.¡± I felt calmness return to me at his persuasion. I pray that General Owen is a gentleman like Alexei. But I¡¯d like to observe him in secret. ¡°Thanks, Alexei. I¡¯m sorry for asking your advice about my sister. I¡¯ll help you with your homework if you need me to. You too, Rock.¡± ¡°Are you going to keep calling me that?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll call you Roderick-sama properly when we¡¯re not in school.¡± ¡°¡­ You better prepare yourself when we graduate.¡± Why are you acting like that? Scary. Don¡¯t grind your teeth. It¡¯s normal to call people by their nickname. I don¡¯t have a nickname since my name is too short. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair.¡± Alexei suddenly said. He was sulking for some reason. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you call me by a nickname too? It¡¯s not fair that only Rock gets one.¡± That¡¯s what you¡¯re sulking about? He always acts so mature, but then he suddenly starts acting like a child. Did he think he was being left out? ¡°Your Highness! Don¡¯t let her get carried away any further!¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous that you¡¯re the only one getting close to her.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! I didn¡¯t allow her to call me that!¡± ¡°Only for now.¡± Alexei begged, smiling at his attendant while looking up at me (since he was sitting down). ¡°No?¡± How can I say no to a face like that? You¡¯re good at pleading. I¡¯ll call you by a nickname even if you don¡¯t give me those puppy eyes. Please stop since this it¡¯s getting weird. ¡°Alexei, I can call you, Alec, Alex, or Rex. Which name do you prefer?¡± ¡°You can call me whatever one you like.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call you Alec since it¡¯s the shortest one [1].¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Thanks.¡± Alec smiled happily. There¡¯s probably no one who calls him by a nickname since he¡¯s a prince. He¡¯s in a position where even his attendant respects him. His wish to talk normally with everyone won¡¯t come true easily. It¡¯s quite sad. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Oh yeah, can I ask you one more question while I¡¯m being rude?¡± I held out my index finger and Alexei nodded. ¡°Why did you apply for the Magic School Alec?¡± ¡°I wanted to learn more about magic, the kingdom¡¯s ace. And if possible, I wanted to become a mage and add to our military strength.¡± ¡°Military strength you say¡­ But Alec, couldn¡¯t you be taught this in the palace instead of having to come all the way here?¡± ¡°If I had failed the exam, then I would have stayed in my room and studied. But fortunately, I passed.¡± He was satisfied. Didn¡¯t you just want to go to school? ¡°Did you enter the school to accompany Alec, Rock?¡± ¡°I told him he didn¡¯t need to. It¡¯s rare for something to happen in a palace-run facility.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s always one cheeky insect.¡± Are you talking about me? How can you call me an insect? You¡¯re the one who should watch his back when we graduate. But I¡¯m more interested in what Alec just said. ¡°Hey Alec, I believe magic is something that can be used for more wonderful things.¡± He said that magic can be used for military strength because a high-level mage can use attack magic that is equivalent to a thousand soldiers. This was probably the main reason why the palace wanted to increase the number of mages in the kingdom. But what¡¯s the point of that magic? ¡°It¡¯s foolish to use it for war.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going too far! Fighting for your nation isn¡¯t foolish.¡± Rock started releasing his bloodthirst, but I wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°There will be nothing left after the destruction.¡± ¡°The victor will be rewarded. Even magic is a power that was acquired through battle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Mitoans perished and the mysteries of magic may have been lost forever, and the beautiful forests where they lived are gone.¡± I don¡¯t know what magic the Mitoans used in their fierce resistance, but it is said that even now, a hundred years later, the area where the battlefield was is barren. ¡°We may suffer from that someday. We must think carefully about how we use power. There are things you can never take back. There are things that will be regretted even if that regret happens a hundred years in the future. Alec, please don¡¯t do anything that your descendants will hate you for if you¡¯re going to lead this nation. I believe that it isn¡¯t those who boast of overwhelming strength who will prosper until the end, but those who are able to coexist with others.¡± A worldly person is always strong in any world. You will be unbeatable if you get along with everyone. But I know that it doesn¡¯t work out like that. The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, applies even among people. But we must not lose our ideals. ¡°Keep this at the back of your mind. Magic should be used for more meaningful things.¡± ¡°¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Alec silenced Rock and nodded. He will probably make a very good king. I decided that it was time to go back to my room and study after we chatted for a while, so I left the lounge while Alec and Rock stayed. At that time, I passed a male student who was standing near the door. I looked up at him and saw his purple eyes glare at me threateningly, but I didn¡¯t stop, and it was over in a moment. After that day, I realised that I should have thought about the peace around me first before discussing world peace. Volume 2 - CH 8 They were too busy to give me any attention. Or at least they were supposed to be. ¡°Hmm.¡± The reason why I¡¯ve been groaning since this morning is below me. The ladder was broken in half. It must have broken when it was thrown down from the window. It took a lot of effort for the ladies to lift the big ladder. They¡¯ve gotten a lot harsher since they haven¡¯t bullied me in a long time. I picked up the broken ladder, gathered it to the side and cleaned up the splinters. I went to class and left the repairs for after classes. If only the dormitory servants looked after me as well, then I wouldn¡¯t have to do all the work. The bullying which had ceased began to increase a little every day. ¡°I heard you were shining shoes on the streets.¡± I was suddenly approached by a group of students after school on my way back to the dormitory. They were probably my classmates. Their lips were pursed, and their aura was unpleasant, but I couldn¡¯t ignore them when they were standing in front of me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show us how you did it?¡± One of the boys put one of his feet in front of the other. He didn¡¯t seem like he was raised well from his words and actions. ¡°I can show you how it¡¯s done, but I¡¯ll charge you for it?¡± I don¡¯t know where they heard this from, but I was doing business. They had no reason to treat me like a fool. But the way I replied to them wasn¡¯t good. Instead, they were happy and turned sour. ¡°Crawling on the ground and begging for money? How low can you get?!¡± ¡°Pitiful. Alright, here.¡± Another student threw a copper coin on the floor. I picked it up as it rolled to my feet, and they started laughing. They have the wrong idea. I flicked the copper coin back at them with my thumb. ¡°You should at least throw a gold coin.¡± I slipped between them as their eyes followed the trajectory of the coin through the air and returned to the dormitory. But the trouble continued after that. After dinner, I was quietly preparing for tomorrow¡¯s lesson in the attic when I suddenly felt something hit the back of my chair. I turned around and saw someone¡¯s head at the entrance for a moment. Underneath the chair was a fish bone with some meat left on it. They threw leftovers at me! Rather than being angry, I was amazed that the daughter of a noble would commit such an act. Their bullying has become crude. I looked down and saw girls by the ladder with their dinner plates. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked in a fed-up tone. ¡°I¡¯m giving you food. Isn¡¯t garbage a treat for you?¡± A student with a red ribbon who I had met in the corridor after dinner replied. Hmm, where did they get this information? I had only told Alec about my past in detail, but I know he won¡¯t tell anyone about it. It probably isn¡¯t the loyal Rock either. Come to think of it, there was a waiter at the corner of the room at that time. If it had leaked from anyone then it would have been from him. ¡°We had dinner together earlier. I don¡¯t need your leftovers.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. There¡¯s still plenty left, so why don¡¯t you have some? I prepared this just for you.¡± All of her friends took their plates and stepped on the ladder. I quickly ran back, and they took turns throwing their leftover food at me. Don¡¯t waste food! It¡¯s time you stop being picky! I had no choice but to use the bed sheets to block the entrance because I didn¡¯t want my textbooks and notebooks to get dirty and they finally stopped. I wish they had put a wooden door on the floor. The messy sheet will have to be washed tomorrow. I had to collect the rubbish that had hit the floor and walls and use a rag to clean up the juices. It had gotten late by the time I had finished cleaning and I didn¡¯t study as much as I had planned to. Seriously, they¡¯re really annoying. The boys and girls continued to bully me regardless of location and they only stopped during class. They still let me sit next to them in class. They don¡¯t do anything to me when Alec is around, and their bullying isn¡¯t always in person. ¡°Alec, I¡¯m sorry but can you let me share your textbook?¡± I asked Alec who was sitting next to me before class started. ¡°Sure, did you forget yours?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t in my room~.¡± Last night when I came back to my room after dinner, the textbook I was going to use today was missing from my bag. They were now thieves. I want a wooden door and key at the entrance of my attic. ¡°Did you lose it? ¡° ¡°Yup, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll turn up.¡± I¡¯ll search the school building later since it wasn¡¯t at the dormitory. It¡¯s definitely in a place where I can find it. Somewhere where they can show their ill will towards me. I¡¯m slowly grasping their true nature. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Well, I¡¯m going to look for my textbook. Thanks for sharing your book today.¡± After school, I quickly gathered my things and left my seat. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m sure Rock will be angry if I ask you to help me search for my textbook.¡± It would be fine if he was free, but we had homework assigned to us today as well. I don¡¯t want to take up any of his valuable study time. ¡°¡­ Did something happen?¡± Alec seemed to have sensed that something was wrong. He looked up at me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± I smiled and waved my hand, then I left the class. Now then, where could it be? I came to a corridor overlooking the courtyard as I walked around. There was no wall on one side of the corridor, so I could feel the refreshing early summer breeze on my skin. But my ears heard a not-so-refreshing commotion. A small boy was picking up scattered papers while two boys were standing beside him in a corridor on the other side of the courtyard. Their feet were stepping over the paper. Huh? Are they bullying him? Only the crouching boy looked familiar to me. I often saw his brown hair in the seat in front of me in class. The other two boys are seniors. They had green gems on their chests. Those must be the magic stones that the school gives out to students who have already started their magic classes. From the sound of their conversation and the occasional laughter, it seemed that the boy was being bullied for his less than noble appearance. They were asking him if he was the son of a concubine. Even though most nobles have blonde or silver hair, there were some who had different coloured hair. The boy was picking up the scattered paper, but he wasn¡¯t able to remove the ones that had been stepped on and was constantly rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. Well, what should I do? I feel like helping him would have the opposite effect, but I don¡¯t know if I should turn a blind eye to this. I guess other students are being bullied too. Isn¡¯t everyone just too stressed? Hmm¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll help him. I stormed through the courtyard determined to help the bullied boy. They finally noticed me when I stepped into the corridor. ¡°If you¡¯re bullying him because you¡¯re bored, then why don¡¯t you play with me?¡± The senpai¡¯s were puzzled, then they smiled unpleasantly again. ¡°What would you like to play?¡± If I had Rille-nee¡¯s strength, then I might beat them up. But since I can¡¯t do that and it would be pointless to do so, what I proposed was a game. ¡°Well, I suppose I can show you some magic.¡± I looked at the courtyard and said and the senpais were puzzled again. ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°Nonsense. You don¡¯t even have a magic stone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need magic stones for the magic I¡¯m using. How about it? Aren¡¯t you curious?¡± Theo and the others were easily lured by this. But the students at the Magic School, who are more mature than Theo and his friends, aren¡¯t as simple. ¡°Magic is like this.¡± One of them said something with a smirk on his face, then the magic stone on his chest shone. ¡°Egress Sifa!¡± Clear water appeared in the space beyond his outstretched hand as soon as he started shouting. I looked up in surprise and the mass of water grew larger and larger. Then he swung his hand down and the mass of water fell on me and the boy. A loud splash resounded in the area. I felt a smack on my face. Cold drops ran down my skin, all the way to my clothes. I stared blankly at the boys, who were laughing hysterically, ¨D¨D¨D then I couldn¡¯t help myself but grab the collar of the boy who had just used magic. ¡°Do it again!¡± I couldn¡¯t control my excitement. Water just suddenly appeared in an empty space! ¡°How did you do that?! What¡¯s the theory behind it?! Where did the water come from!?¡± ¡°Teach me the incantation you just said!¡± The boy, who was also soaked to the bones, approached the boy who had cast magic. ¡°Heat? Water? Didn¡¯t you use those words? Let me take notes since I want to decipher it!¡± ¡°Oh, I see, so spells have meaning! Maybe I can learn about the principle if I can decipher it. Let me take notes too, please!¡± I quickly searched my bag for a pen and paper. Fortunately, my bag wasn¡¯t that wet inside. ¡°What¡¯s with you two?¡± I let go of his collar and he backed away. ¡°Wait! Show me the spell one more time!¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t come any closer. You¡¯re getting the water on me!¡± You¡¯re the one who poured the water on us! They ran away. Tsk. My curiosity wasn¡¯t satisfied but I¡¯m glad I got rid of them. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll learn about this in class anyway. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I called out to the boy next to me and he shivered. He fidgeted as he returned to his senses and turned his freckled aace towards me. ¡°Ah, hmm, umm¡­¡± ¡°Are you hurt?¡± He timidly shook his head. I picked up the rest of the scattered paper and handed them to him. The ink had been splashed with water and the text on the paper was no longer illegible. ¡°Th-tha-thanks¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Hey, can you decipher the spell he used?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, un, no¡­¡± The boy was jumpy whenever I talked to him. He was taller than me, but he looked small because he cowered himself and took a defensive pose, and he quickly turned away when our eyes met. What happened to the courage he had when he questioned the senpai just now? Perhaps, is he scared of me? I¡¯m here to help you though. ¡°Matty!¡± At that moment, a silver-haired female student came rushing from the other side of the corridor where the boys had run off. She had her hair back and showed her nice forehead, and I remembered that she had stopped me from sitting next to her on the first day. ¡°Merry.¡± The boy called out the girl¡¯s name in relief. She walked over in a long stride, raised her eyebrow at the soaking boy and shouted in a high-pitched voice. ¡°What happened!? I rushed over because I heard a weird noise.¡± Then, she glared at me for some reason. ¡°What did you do to Matty? Don¡¯t tell me you bullied Matty even though you¡¯re just a commoner?¡± ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯m wet as well.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t do it Merry. Umm¡­¡± The boy tried to defend me, but his voice was quiet, and he didn¡¯t speak well. ¡°Don¡¯t approach Matty! He¡¯ll get bullied if he¡¯s around you!¡± The girl snorted, then she pulled the boy¡¯s hand and they both left. I hope the boy will clear up this misunderstanding later. I thought it would be better to get changed even though I was in the middle of looking for my textbook, so I headed to the dormitory and met Alec and Rock just as I was leaving the school building. I called out to them, and they turned around. They looked dumbfounded at first. I wonder why they¡¯re walking on the road leading to the girls¡¯ dormitory. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I would like to ask you that.¡± Alec pulled out a white handkerchief and whipped my wet head. ¡°Thanks. I just had someone show me some magic.¡± ¡°Magic?¡± ¡°Yeah, water magic.¡± Alec¡¯s expression immediately turned grim. ¡°¡­ You mean they hit you with magic?¡± ¡°It was interesting! Water appeared out of nowhere. I don¡¯t understand how the water just appeared! I asked him to show me it again, but he ran away.¡± ¡°Did you ask him to use it?¡± Alec was once again dumbfounded. ¡°I guess I incited him at first. I¡¯m not afraid of water. My textbooks and notebooks are fine.¡± ¡°¡­ About the book you lost¡­¡± I looked at Alec and Rock held out my textbook. ¡°Ah, my textbook.¡± ¡°Rock found it on top of a tree.¡± ¡°Oh, so it was on top of a tree. I guess they thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it since I¡¯m small.¡± I smiled wryly. I can climb trees though. ¡°Thanks Rock. You too Alec, thanks for coming all this way to deliver my book to me.¡± So, this was why they were heading towards the girls¡¯ dormitory. Boys aren¡¯t allowed to enter the girls¡¯ dormitory, but they can call the servant at the entrance or leave their package there. But I¡¯m glad I meant them while they were walking there since I¡¯m not sure if I would get this back if they did the above. ¡°When did the bullying get worse?¡± Alec¡¯s expression was cloudy. He already realised what was going on. I wasn¡¯t trying to hide it. It just wasn¡¯t a big deal, so I didn¡¯t bother telling him. I smiled cheerly at him to let him know that I was fine. ¡°Don¡¯t make that expression. I¡¯m alright, it¡¯s like an endurance contest.¡± ¡°An endurance contest?¡± ¡°Yeah. They think they¡¯re being bullied by me just like how they¡¯re bullying me¡­ probably.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Alec is really a magnanimous person and, in some ways, a person with common sense. I¡¯m sure the bullies find my attitude intolerable. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be bullied. So don¡¯t worry about it, Alec.¡± ¡°¡­ Is there anything I can do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already helped me.¡± I held up the book and thanked him. But the gentle boy was still frustrated and worried. Hmm, what can I do to relieve his worry? ¡°¨D¨D¨D Say, Alec. Actually, I can use magic.¡± I tried saying and Alec¡¯s expression changed immediately. ¡°I was called a witch at my old school, so I¡¯m not afraid of being bullied in the first place.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Have you already learnt magic?¡± ¡°I made it. My magic doesn¡¯t need magic stones. Do you want to see it?¡± I asked him like I had done earlier with the two boys. Alec was puzzled but he eventually nodded. I guess you can¡¯t win over curiosity. ¡°Wait in the lounge. I¡¯ll get it ready.¡± I quickly gathered the materials I needed after changing. There were still students in the lounge. We were at our usual spot. On a small round table were three teacups and a teapot with warm water in it. This was all I needed for experiments. ¡°Are we going to drink tea?¡± Like Alec had asked, it looked as if we were going to have a tea party, but I had already prepared something for that. ¡°This is my magic tea. Watch.¡± I poured the tea into the cup on the far left. The two boys were surprised to see a bright blue liquid, that was a similar colour to Alec¡¯s eyes, coming out of the teapots. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen blue tea before.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll do another colour you¡¯ve never seen before. Hmm¡­¡± I held one hand over the pot because it wouldn¡¯t give off the right atmosphere if I held it in a normal way. ¡°Rutoe.¡± I chanted ¡®change¡¯ in Mitoan and poured tea into the cup in the middle. ¡°It changed to green!¡± Alec¡¯s sudden shout attracted the attention of all the students around us. It wasn¡¯t just him. Even Rock leaned forward to look at the cup which instantly changed to a dark green colour. It¡¯s interesting to see changes in an experiment, isn¡¯t it? ¡°How did you do that?¡± ¡°I tried changing the colour with magic.¡± I said nonchalantly. Rock snatched the teacup from me and examined it, but the water inside was still blue. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t this changed colour?¡± ¡°I made it so it only changes when you pour it into the cup. I¡¯ll do it again.¡± I took the teacup back from Rock and poured into the third cup. This time, it turned bright purplish red. ¡°¡­ Wow.¡± Alec picked up the third cup and looked at it in admiration. This was a happy reaction. ¡°Is this really magic?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± I put my hands on my hips and puffed out my chest. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s amazing. What kind of magic is this?¡± Alec¡¯s innocent question reminded me of the little kids in the downtown school and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This isn¡¯t magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± ¡°The secret is in the herbs and the cup. The herb I used for this tea is silk that grows in the courtyard. It doesn¡¯t taste good. But you can use it in ointments.¡± I pulled a herb out of my pocket and placed it on the table. The leaves are flat and purple. The colour comes from anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is a pigment found in many plants including eggplants and blueberries and is often found in super foods. ¡°This herb can change colours when you extract it and mix it with something else. The first cup has nothing in it, the second has baking soda and the third has lemon juice. I put it in the cups beforehand.¡± The baking soda was for stomach-aches and Gis-nee had some left over. I borrowed the lemon juice from the kitchen. The extract is acidic, making it reddish and alkaline, making it greenish. The intensity of the colour can be adjusted by changing the amount of baking soda and or other ingredients. In primary school, I used to make gradations using purple cabbage. It was fun. It¡¯s still quite fun to do it now. ¡°Don¡¯t tell such foolish lies.¡± Rocked seemed a little angry by the trick. This meant that he enjoyed it. ¡°Were you surprised? I can do a lot of magic like this. So, I¡¯m fine, Alec.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know how to do a lot of things. I have a lot of ways to fight.¡± I pointed at my head and smiled. ¡°This is what I meant by ¡®don¡¯t worry.¡¯¡± I¡¯m a scientist. I don¡¯t say things without evidence. Alec finally relaxed. ¡°You want to try an experiment, Alec? You can make seven colours with this if you try hard enough.¡± ¡°That many? Okay, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± The waiter brought us new cups and I spent the rest of the evening experimenting with Alec and Rock. The people around us didn¡¯t dare to approach us and were jealous. They started glaring at me again when I left, but that¡¯s fine. I am clearly provoking them. Volume 2 - CH 9 The bullying continued. In the evening when I was in the study room because the putrid smell of juices that had soaked into the floor of my room was unpleasant, someone took the book I had spread out beside me. The boy sat on the desk, smiled, and several boys who looked like his friends were seated next to us and staring at us. Among them was a boy with purple eyes. He glanced at me once in disgust then looked down at his book. ¡°Give it back.¡± I kept my tone as subdued as possible. My expression was blank, and I quietly held my hand towards the boy in front of me. I¡¯ve recently learnt that I shouldn¡¯t overreact to bullies. It¡¯s more exhausting. ¡°I left mine in my room. You should be glad that someone as lowly as you can be of use to a noble.¡± What the hell is he saying? Why did you come to the study room empty handed? And stop messing with me. ¡°I¡¯m fine with being useless. Give it back.¡± I stood up and stormed over to him, hoping to end this quickly, but he pushed me away as hard as he could. He was a mid-teenage boy with a lot of power. I was still too thin and my body was easily knocked over. Ah, shyt, that hurts. Their laughter is pissing me off. I don¡¯t care if they throw rubbish at me or push me, but I can¡¯t stay quiet when they disturb my studies. My bully was in front of me this time. I was about to attack him almost impulsively when a teacher walked by. The door was opened, so he spotted the commotion inside and came over to tell me off. ¡°What are you doing? Be quiet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet as soon as he gives me back my book.¡± I was quicker than the boy and made it clear that it was his fault, but¡­ ¡°I was only borrowing it for a bit, but she began making a fuss as if I were a thief. I guess she only views others with her lowly standards.¡± The teacher nodded, but only at the words of the noble boy. ¡°Be nice and lend him your book.¡± The teachers here are not educators. They are mages from the royal palace who take turns teaching. They have no enthusiasm, no love and no sense of equality. I knew this, but I couldn¡¯t acknowledge it. ¡°He can just go back to his room. Why should I lend him my book?¡± ¡°You should be aware of your own status.¡± There was no use in arguing. That¡¯s why I hate it. I will never be able to understand someone who isn¡¯t willing to talk. My book was taken and finally thrown into the trash. I picked it up and returned to my room only to find that a dead rat had been put inside my book. I guess they must have asked the servants to do this. *Sigh*. Come to think of it, I used to eat rats a long time ago. On another day while I was away from my seat for a short while to ask questions after class, I found my notebook had disappeared. After searching around, I found the pages floating around in the pond in the courtyard. All I could do was sigh. I took off my shoes and robe, rolled up my skirt and entered the stagnant water. My toes sunk in the mud at the bottom of the pond. It felt disgusting at first, but then felt good once I got used to it. The pond went up to above my knees, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to retrieve the paper, but I couldn¡¯t read what was written on it anymore. ¡°Horrible, horrible.¡± I heard laughter from behind me and thought it was the bullies, but it wasn¡¯t. A dark-haired man in a white robe had his windows propped on the window still as he laughed. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not fed up with this yet.¡± This man is Harold-sensei. He was about 30 years old, tall and lanky with a narrow chin and dirty stubble. He was a strange man who was always grinning as if he was having fun. Teachers rarely try to engage with students outside of the class because of their work at the palace, but this guy talks to me quite often. ¡°You can help if you want.¡± ¡°Ridiculous. Who would help you?¡± Well, he talks to me, but he isn¡¯t very nice. I kept picking up the notebook pages. ¡°What are you going to do with that? You can¡¯t read it anymore, can you?¡± ¡°Littering is strictly prohibited.¡± I can¡¯t help but try to preserve the environment as a graduate of the agriculture department. Or perhaps, this was my attitude as a Japanese person. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly doing a good job at putting up with them. I thought people like you would snap at them right away.¡± What does he know about me? He¡¯s just saying what he wants. I¡¯m a pacifist by nature. Besides, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand where they¡¯re coming from. ¡°It¡¯s the teachers¡¯ fault. They¡¯re putting too much pressure on the students. They¡¯re piling all their frustration and resentment onto me.¡± I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I guess they were probably annoyed that I was acting cocky and didn¡¯t like me because I finish my assignments early, go out to town on my days off and seem to have a good time with the Prince and Rock. The closed environment of the school was also bad. A group of people who are confined in a closed environment always harass the weak. Even if you get rid of the weakest person, they¡¯ll just victimise the next weakest person. Strength and weakness are relative in value, so there¡¯s no end to it. ¡°You¡¯re getting your just desserts. What are you going to do with your notebook?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to copy Alec¡¯s.¡± I answered without looking at him. ¡°See, you¡¯re adding fuel to the fire. You¡¯re being disrespectful.¡± ¡°He gets really happy when I call him by his nickname. He doesn¡¯t want me to use honorifics either. I¡¯m just doing what he wants.¡± ¡°Who would be foolish enough to take them head-on? Those who have nothing act in a clever way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to fawn over them.¡± ¡°Do you consider yourself inferior to them?¡± ¡°What makes me inferior to them?¡± I looked up from the pond and straight at Harold-sensei. He still had that unpleasant smile on his face. If this had been any other teacher, they would tell me not to get cocky. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you something good. You got the perfect score on the entrance exam. No one has ever gotten a perfect score in the past.¡± What he had suddenly said surprised me, but I was satisfied. I was confident that I had gotten the perfect score. ¡°They say you are more intelligent than any of the students here and yet you are inferior to them. Do you understand what I mean?¡± He sounded as if he was teasing me or testing me. I don¡¯t know what he was trying to say. ¡°I don¡¯t. By the way, did you get where you are because you acted in a clever way?¡± It was uncomfortable to get caught up in his pace, so I quickly decided to change the subject. I¡¯ve also heard rumours about him. Harold Bluiett has a noble surname, but his blood is that of a commoner, people say. ¡°Make sure you know who you¡¯re up against and the procedure. It¡¯s not difficult to get ahead if you take small steps. It¡¯s people like you who try to leap ahead who have to suffer unnecessary hardships.¡± ¡°Were you adopted by a noble?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m smart.¡± Ah, I see. That¡¯s what I thought. Normally speaking, you have to be in an environment where you could study to get into Magic School, so if you don¡¯t slip into a noble family, you wouldn¡¯t be able to become a mage. I wonder what kind of dirty tricks this shady person had to use. Some students despise Harold-sensei, but his firm position was already unshakeable even if they hurled a little abuse at him. He had already reached the point of safety and was looking down on me, who is in a similar position as the past him, without any intention of helping. Honestly, this person annoyed me the most. He was still there when I finished collecting my notebook and got myself cleaned up. ¡°What are you going to do? You won¡¯t yell at them, or just let them bully you nor will you cry to the gentle Prince. It¡¯s only going to keep getting worse if you keep acting this way.¡± Then he would say things that made me feel like he was teasing me or stirring me up. It was getting a bit much, so I said. ¡°If you change one word in your surname, then it¡¯ll sound like toilet cleaning liquid. The one you leave on the toilet.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± I rushed away while he was still in a daze. Volume 2 - CH 10 Alec watched me copying notes at the lounge with a mysterious expression on his face in the evening. When I borrowed his notebook, he naturally asked me why. I told him honestly what had happened since there was no point in lying to him, and told him not to worry about it, but well, I guess he¡¯s worried. ¡°Should I talk to them?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I grabbed the glaring Alec¡¯s sleeve to stop him from going to the students who were on the other side of the room. Today was a rare day when there was no homework, so many of the students who had finished their classes were gathered here. But I can see that a part of their attention was on us, so we were talking quietly. ¡°You¡¯ll be troubled if this goes on, won¡¯t you? And you won¡¯t be able to study properly.¡± Alec looked dissatisfied. Alec looked unhappy as if he felt responsible for the fact that nothing had happened in front of him and so he can¡¯t reproach them. He was much kinder than the teachers. But¡­ ¡°Thanks for worrying, but I don¡¯t want you to interfere. It¡¯ll be like having a parent in a child¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll get worse.¡± Ah, he looked down. No, no, I am grateful to you. ¡°You always help me out. Thank you so much for these notes as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough. And you too, Rock. Thanks.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me like I¡¯m just an afterthought.¡± I tried to be considerate since we had been talking mostly without including him. ¡°Don¡¯t rely on His Highness too much.¡± Is he sympathising with me in his own way by adding ¡®too much¡¯ instead of not at all? Rock doesn¡¯t like me, but he doesn¡¯t like to see weak people being bullied. ¡°I¡¯m not being relied on at all. Aime, are you sure it¡¯s alright to ignore it? Let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do.¡± I wonder why Alec looks more desperate than me. He¡¯s definitely a good friend. But like I had said before, I don¡¯t want it to become that serious. I think I should change the subject now to make this place more relaxing. ¡°Ummm, ah, take me to the palace next time!¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°I want to see how Rille-nee is doing. It¡¯ll be a nice change and if I¡¯m lucky, I can observe General Owen. I only need to see the medical department. Can you let me in, Alec?¡± ¡°I can¡­ but that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± ¡°I can only ask you this.¡± Alec looked like he wanted to say something else, but then he let out a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± Well, I haven¡¯t been human twice for no reason. I thought Rock would instantly get angry by my audacious request to be taken to the palace, but before he could be angry, a boy stepped out from near us and the room quietened down. He had vivid purple eyes which contrasted his dull blonde hair. He first apologised to Alec for his rudeness in interrupting our conversation and then glared straight at me. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± His prude face scrunched up and he was really angry. I couldn¡¯t just laugh it off as a joke (even though I was half-serious). ¡°Your current attitude is only allowed by His Highness¡¯s compassion! You forgot this and even forgot to show respect to a valuable person. How dare you speak disrespectfully not only to us, but to His Highness as well! A commoner¡¯s daughter who is no better than a filthy rat crawling in the dark suddenly thinks she can become a royal!? Then let me educate you!¡± His white cheeks were flushed and his voice was as loud as it could be, then I suddenly remembered that he was the boy who had given that splendid speech as the representative of the new students on the day of the entrance ceremony. ¡°Your lowly blood doesn¡¯t change even though you¡¯ve entered this school! Your arrogant behaviour is proof! If you¡¯re smart enough to understand this, then show it on the ground right now! Ask for forgiveness for all the savage acts you¡¯ve committed!¡± In short, get down on my knees. What is normal for me is nothing but an insult to them, who should be respected. Then, my behaviour in their eyes was almost like harassment. He must have reached the end of his patience if he was being this talkative in front of Alec. ¨D¨D¨D I¡¯ve been waiting for this. He demands an apology. Everyone around us was waiting for my apology. Not they will be willing to hear me out. The stage is set. I¡¯ll take you up on it! ¡°What¡¯s your name!?¡± I confirm my opponent¡¯s name before the argument. He seemed startled for a second since I stood up so strongly which caused him to answer honestly. ¡°Clifford Reevis.¡± ¡°Clifford, you must win this argument if you want me to apologise. By the way, my brain works properly and I can understand your words.¡± I set the rules. Now it¡¯s time to get started. ¡°You accused me of disrespect, but I didn¡¯t speak casually because I look down on you all. I was more polite than your attitude towards me. You all are the ones who lack manners.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about us as if we¡¯re your equals! The very idea of placing a lowly person who has no surname on the same level as a noble bloodline is disrespectful!¡± ¡°What is nobility?¡± I finally shouted out the question that I¡¯ve been thinking about ever since I came here. ¡°If the blood that flows through me and the blood that flows through you drops onto the floor right here and now, who would be able to tell who it came from? Our bodies all contain the same structure.¡± DNA, the blueprint of the individual, is made up of several components, common not only to animals, but also to plants and even microorganisms. And if we break it down to the elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and countless other components, then we are the same as any other living being. Since we all live in the same land and eat the same food.¡± ¡°Blood¡­ is not what I meant!¡± Clifford refuted with an undaunted tone. I know. What I said was far-fetched. ¡°The great blood of our ancestors who achieved greatness is innately superior and noble. That is the absolute difference.¡± ¡°I see! The nobleness you possess comes from the greatness of your ancestors, so your opinion is that those who achieve greatness are noble!¡± ¡°What? ¡­ Yes.¡± Clifford was slightly lost as he nodded his head. His response was probably due to the fact that even he has noticed the slight inconsistency. ¡°Then isn¡¯t being noble something that has nothing to do with bloodlines? Do you know what your ancestors did before they moved to this land?¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± Clifford was at a loss for words. ¡°Because one of your ancestors did something great, all of their descendants were considered noble. Then that first ancestor was not a noble before he achieved greatness, because his ancestors before him did not do any great deeds. Then I can say he was like me.¡± ¡°Nonsense! The ancestors are noble no matter how far back they are!¡± If we go back to the very beginning, then we all would have one common ancestor, but there was no point in saying that. ¡°I get it. If you think that someone who has done a great deed is noble, and even those who have done nothing but inherited that blood are noble, then the value of Clifford Reevis is only in the Reevis family name, is that right?¡± ¡°W-what are you¡­?¡± ¡°By your logic, your nobleness and value can only be found in your bloodline. Your personality, your abilities, and will, all of which are to be prized, belong to your House and are denied to you as an individual. Clifford is a meaningless name.¡± ¡°W-wha¡­¡± ¡°You said it yourself, and you have declared that the only value of all the noble kids here and even His Highness Alec is their house. You denied their individuality.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¨C!¡± Even if you didn¡¯t, that¡¯s the way it would sound. Since they were all still kids and have not yet achieved anything that would earn them the respect of others. Clifford also realised this in the middle of the argument and was speechless. There were others who, like him, were pale and staring at their hands. ¡°You all are nothing. You are not noble ¨D¨D¨D.¡± How much despair do these words give these young people, who have yet to fully assimilate into their lineage?? I continued to speak in the depressing atmosphere. ¡°¨D¨D¨D I don¡¯t think that.¡± I smiled brightly. ¡°This is my opinion. ¨D¨D¨D I think a noble person is someone who continues to work hard. You naturally feel a sense of respect when you see someone like that. At least I feel that for all of the people here.¡± I opened my arms wide and looked around me. ¡°You are all standing here on your own feet after studying hard. It has nothing to do with the blood you inherited from your great ancestors, you are here by your own effort and talent. That is something to be proud of.¡± I felt it was demeaning whenever they boasted about their lineage. I thought it was a coercive logic to deny their own efforts and attribute it all to their bloodline. It doesn¡¯t matter what your family background is, we all passed the exams equally on our own and are here. Perhaps they don¡¯t know how to compliment themselves. It¡¯s like when people say, ¡°Ah, as expected of so-and-so¡¯s son/daughter¡±. It¡¯s natural for kids of good families to be able to do everything well. If they fail, then they are disgraced as individuals, but if they do well, then they are only praised by their bloodline. I think this because I was in a similar environment in my previous life. It¡¯s normal for a child who is blessed with an excellent family to be able to do everything. It¡¯s embarrassing to show effort and suffering, and I had to act as if I hadn¡¯t put effort into it. No one complimented me, so I developed the habit of complimenting myself. As I grew older, I travelled from place to place where no one knew of my family, and I finally felt like I knew who I was when I met people who saw me for me. After all, you can only know who you are through the eyes of others. ¡°And you know, living in any position is hard enough in its own way. Hard work is necessary. There is no life without effort. You and I are incomparable, so there¡¯s no need to put others down. Putting others down would be humiliating yourself.¡± Perhaps, a true narcissist would never do anything to belittle and degrade others. Because regardless of external factors, they are self-sufficient, unwavering, and proud, and they do not compare themselves to others because they are not above or below others. They don¡¯t compare themselves to others because they have a different perspective from others. ¡°Clifford, I believe you are a proud person. You have glared at me and abused me verbally, but all of that has been to my face and not behind my back. I¡¯m sure you have your own beliefs. You can remain proud. The others may do the same.¡± I looked around again. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re proud of being a noble. But think about this carefully. What kind of person do you imagine a noble person to be? How do they behave? Please live your lives in an idealistic and cool way.¡± Some people may be inspired by this persuasion while others may not care at all. Some might not even be happy about it. But that doesn¡¯t matter. The important thing is that they listened to me to the end. But I was able to avoid getting down on my knees for the time being. Volume 2 - CH 11 The white morning sun shone through the curtainless window. I closed my eyes tightly against the glare, but then opened them straight after and got up. I quickly got dressed and prepared for class before breakfast. I always did this, but I felt more refreshed than usual. I said all I had to say, perhaps because I was in front of everyone. I don¡¯t know how many people were persuaded by my speech, but I¡¯m sure my speech had some effect on them. I wasn¡¯t attacked last night after I returned to my room and the ladder had not been tampered with when I left my room this morning. They were still keeping their distance from me at breakfast, but I could definitely feel a change in the air. On such a pleasant day, the afternoon class was a slow class with Cleaning Liquid-sensei, I mean, Harold-sensei. When he stood on the podium, he had a languid and annoyed tone, and he wasn¡¯t someone who should be teaching a class during the sleepy period after lunch, but today was a bit different. The three stones held up between Harold-sensei¡¯s slender fingers woke the students from their drowsiness. ¡°The mana contained in magic stones aren¡¯t consistent. You can determine how much mana is in the magic stones by their colour. The magic stone containing the most mana is green, then yellow and lastly red.¡± They looked like emerald, topaz and ruby, but they were all magic stones. They looked like traffic lights. We were given information about the history and current status of mages in this nation and other nations and other things about the mage profession in between the Mitoan language classes. These classes, which do not hand out homework, are regarded by the students as a way to relax. I have a feeling that Harold-sensei teaches these kinds of classes a lot. He must have played his cards well to avoid the language classes, which are hard to teach, and taking charge of the relaxation classes, which are well-liked by the students. If he did, then he really is a skilful person. I take my hat off to him for his effort to win with the easy way out. ¡°Magic stones are green when they are mined, but as it consumes mana, it turns to yellow, then red until it loses its lustre and becomes just a black mass.¡± The fourth stone that sensei pulled out of his pocket looked like a lump of charcoal. It has lost its transparency and thus has lost its colour and lustre. It was like a battery. It turning red before running out of mana was easy to understand. It was like the stone was warning us that it was about to run out, but why does it change colour? The colour of a mineral depended on the elements it contained. For example, corundum becomes a bright red ruby when only one percent of the atoms are replaced by chromium atoms, and iron becomes a blue sapphire when its titanium atoms are replaced by chromium. Without it, corundum is a colourless mineral. What is the value of a gem? Well, anyway, do the elements that make up the magic stone change when mana is used? It¡¯s not radioactive, is it? Elements that are radioactive change their appearance rapidly. But if that were the case, then the colour of the stone would change even without using its mana. There¡¯s no way to stop an element from radiation. If the colour changes only when a mage uses it, then mana must be an unknown power. Hmmm, I still don¡¯t understand it no matter how much I think about it. I want to learn how to use it as soon as possible, but it seems like they won¡¯t teach us that yet. ¡°The mana a magic stone contains depends not only on its colour, but also its size. A red magic stone which is more than twice the size of a green magic stone contains more magic than a small green magic stone. But it isn¡¯t convenient to carry around.¡± In short, the higher the density of mana in the stone, the closer it is to green, and the lower the density, the closer it is to red. Harold-sensei continued his explanation as the students twisted the magic stones that he had passed around, but everyone was excited and couldn¡¯t wait for it to get to them. I was also waiting for it in excitement. But just before it was my turn, the boy next to me turned around and gave it to the person in the back. Hey! Shyt. I sulked, then someone patted my back. When I turned around, I saw the sparkling gem. Clifford handed me the magic stone as if to say, ¡°Here you go.¡± I was startled for a second, but gratefully accepted it. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s the role of nobility to show mercy to those beneath us.¡± Clifford wasn¡¯t an honest person. I can take that as ¡®It¡¯s natural to help those who are troubled¡¯, right? ¡°I admire that part of you.¡± He is someone who can make his own decisions without being swayed by those around him. He didn¡¯t mock me with his classmates, and when it was time to criticise me, he came up to me and did it in front of Alec. That¡¯s the kind of person he was and that was why he was the best person to argue with. I wanted to thank him sincerely, but Clifford looked startled and glared at me for some reason. ¡°I will take your teasing as an insult.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t teasing you. An act of kindness deserves to be respected even if it¡¯s not an achievement that will be recorded in history.¡± ¡°So, thanks,¡± I repeated in a whisper, but his frown remained. He didn¡¯t seem convinced. Then he suddenly thrusted his finger in front of me. ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll bring you to your knees one day.¡± Hey, hey, how nice of you to tell me that. I smiled back at him. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll become important enough so that you can¡¯t make me kneel in front of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also make it so you can¡¯t say such audacious words again.¡± It seems I¡¯ve made a friend who I can have fun arguments with. Now, the magic stone that I was able to touch thanks to him looked nothing more than a beautiful gem. ¡°Aime.¡± Alec stopped me as I was leaving the classroom after school. ¡°Are you free on your next day off?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t have any plans since Rille-nee is working. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for you to go to her workplace. I¡¯ll take you there if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± I was kind of joking, but Alec made the arrangements for me to visit the medical department. I¡¯m glad I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go! Take me with you! Thank you, Alec! You¡¯re amazing! I knew you could get me into the palace!¡± The thought of seeing Rille-nee made my heart sore and my tongue slipped. Alec smiled wryly and Rock, as usual, told me not to get carried away. I¡¯m sorry. I was excited for a moment, then I calmed down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Thanks, but you won¡¯t get scolded for this later, Alec? If you will, then I¡¯ll pass.¡± ¡°I have permission from the medical head. Besides, I¡¯m already a prince who¡¯s treated as eccentric by those around me. They won¡¯t mind if I cause a little fuss now.¡± ¡°¡­ What did you do to deserve such treatment?¡± ¡°The most recent is entering this school.¡± ¡°What did you do in the past?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I did much, but I tried to figure out how to make people fly like birds.¡± Your statement sounds a little dangerous. What exactly did you do? Does this have anything to do with how bitter Rock looks right now? ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t suppose the real reason why you wanted to become a mage was because you wanted to fly?¡± ¡°Ah, maybe.¡± I didn¡¯t know if he was joking or being serious, but I felt that his smile meant that he was half-serious. It seems that mages of this world don¡¯t always make their transport fly, but I wonder if there¡¯s magic to make someone fly. Still, who would think of it? The concept of flying on a broom was only from novels. The mental state of the person who thought that cleaning tools would do the trick is a mystery. ¡°They¡¯re right. You might be a bit eccentric.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honoured that you would say that.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± But he evaded my question by putting his hand on my head. ¡°I¡¯m just inviting a friend over. It¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± That might be true generally speaking, but this is different. But, well, he did get me permission, so I¡¯ll take his word for it this time. Volume 2 - CH 12 A beautiful, white palace rose in the distance. The rounded and pointed roofs were turquoise, perhaps it was the colour of patinaed bronze, but it gave the palace a more calming impression than the original dazzling golden glow and goes well with the white walls. But the palace was huge! I thought there was a whole city beyond the gates! I believed the Magic School was quite large, but this was even larger. A magnificent garden spread out on both sides and on the way to the centre of the palace was a statue of a hero astride a horse with its forefeet raised high to welcome guests. The statue reminded me of a Russian bronze knight. Alec told me that he was the first King of this kingdom. This kind of place will probably become a major tourist attraction in a thousand years or so. I sometimes wonder if the huge buildings built by those in power are not a waste of money if they are considered to be profitable in the future. Or simply put, future generations are good at business. I won¡¯t be going all the way to the white palace today. Or rather, I can¡¯t go all the way to the royal residence. We will fork out into another road to get to the medical department. We rode a horse-drawn carriage all the way from the school and even after passing through the gate, we were still moving inside in the overly spacious carriage. I was surprised to see what looked like a classic pumpkin carriage with elaborate decorations waiting for me at the school gate. I would never be able to ride on a carriage like this no matter how successful I am, but I was able to easily get on because I am Alec¡¯s friend. Rather than feel happy about this however, I felt strangely embarrassed. It was like riding on a merry-go-around at an old age. I put on a light blue robe that shows my status to show that I¡¯m not a suspicious person in case I get separated from Alec. The coat of arms sewn into this robe also served as a pass when I passed through the first gate. Underneath, however, I was wearing my usual vest and skirt. Alec said that would be fine. Even if it¡¯s not, I don¡¯t have any other decent clothes. ¡°You really live in an outrageous place¡­ I mean, um, you live in a spectacular place.¡± I had promised Alec and Rock that I would speak formally to them outside of school. I promised that but I¡¯ll revert back to my normal way of speaking if I¡¯m not careful. I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought it was weird. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to speak formally. It also makes me feel weird.¡± His Royal Highness the Prince, who everyone waits upon, said so but I felt thought it would be impolite. ¡°With all due respect, even I have learnt all the proper etiquette from a proper noble teacher. Is there something wrong with what I am saying? If you are not used to me talking like this, then shall I speak to you like this normally as well? I will do as you wish, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± I teased him a little and Alec stopped me by holding his hand up. Rock let out a small groan. ¡°¡­ Why do you sound even ruder when you¡¯re speaking formally?¡± ¡°What are you saying Roderick-sama?¡± ¡°Stop it, I¡¯m getting goosebumps.¡± You¡¯re the one who told me to be respectful! Is me speaking formally so weird that it gives you the chills? I¡¯m really going to stop if trying my best to talk in a long and roundabout way gives you the creeps. The carriage eventually arrived at its destination. The medical department where Rille-nee works is attached to the military facility in the palace. The royal family doctor is always on standby at the central palace and Alec seemed to have contacted the medical department through them. The garden stopped to reveal a patch of dirt not covered by the green lawn and that was where the military department was located. The soldiers were sweating in the open-air training area when a luxurious carriage arrived much to their dismay. It was really awkward, but we had to get off here. I hid behind Alec and Rock since I was hesitant to stand next to royalty and nobility in front of the soldiers, but I quickly found myself at the centre of attention. ¡°Ah!¡± At almost the same time that I had shouted, the boy soldier with the prosthetic eye, who was wiping his sweat from his face at a nearby well, opened his mouth and eyes wide as we pointed at each other. ¡°Long time no see, Giedt!¡± I still remember him. How can I forget him? The men of his platoon were standing around the well and they all looked well. ¡°Perverted girl!¡± Yup, they really are well. I want to punch him. ¡°Are you still holding a grudge against me for that? You¡¯re really small-minded.¡± ¡°Shut up! Why are you here!?¡± Giedt was confused. It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if he knew what the Prince looks like since he works at the palace. He must have been puzzled since I got off the carriage with the Prince. But calling me a pervert out of the blues was unacceptable. Alec nodded his head at our exchange. ¡°Do you know him, Aime?¡± ¡°He saved my life!¡± I explained what had happened to Alec and then reported to Giedt. ¡°I got into the magic school and in first place as well!¡± ¡°¡­ Hah!?¡± Ah, he¡¯s doubting me. I can¡¯t prove that I did get first place since I only heard it from Harold, but my robe shows that I got into the magic school. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I¡¯m in the same class as His Highness, so I asked His Highness to show me Rille-nee¡¯s workplace.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ So you¡¯re a mage now?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still studying to become one. You¡¯ll have to wait a little longer.¡± I was hoping he¡¯d be a bit more impressed, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. I tried my best since I told you I would get in. ¡°Is that a magic stone?¡± Alec pointed at Giedt¡¯s left eye. He was curious about it as well. ¡°Ah, y-yes. A passing mage engineer put it in my eye when I was a kid.¡± Giedt answered in a puzzled tone when Alec suddenly spoke to him. I¡¯ll refrain from retorting that he is still a kid, but he said something else that bothered me. ¡°A passing mage? I was taught that mages and mage engineers work at the palace.¡± The Royal Institute of Magic is located somewhere on this vast site, and all the nation¡¯s mages work there. Mage engineers were also mages who have mastered the special technique of processing magic stones. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, they didn¡¯t seem like they were from this nation.¡± ¡°They were from another nation?¡± ¡°Probably. He had a different hair colour. He came out of the blue and gave me a substitute eye. He didn¡¯t even take any money for it.¡± What a benevolent person. Was he on a journey to help people? Where did they retire from? We have gone past the warring period and exchanges between nations naturally exist. People and goods come and go freely to a certain extent. Is it possible that a mage from another nation came to save a little boy? ¡°I see, it wasn¡¯t made in Traus.¡± ¡°Magic stones for magic tools are supposed to be used only for weapons.¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± I asked and Alec nodded. ¡°At least, I didn¡¯t know that they could be used like this.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not being researched either?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Hmm, I want to believe that they are being researched. Magic stones can do such amazing things, but there¡¯s no way they only use it to make weapons like magic swords. ¡°¨D¨D¨D I want to thank you for saving Aime as her friend. This kingdom is blessed to have strong soldiers like you.¡± After the explanation, Alec became more prince-like than usual and complimented Giedt in an exaggerated manner. Giedt¡¯s right eye was wandering about, and he was flustered. It was interesting to see him at a loss for words and looking down. It made me want to tease him, so I poked his side with my elbow. ¡°See, it¡¯s just like I predicted. You received a compliment from His Highness even though you haven¡¯t gotten a medal yet.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll be getting a medal later!?¡± ¡°Well, just wait and see.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± The brat muttered, ¡°I only saved a little girl.¡± Rille-nee¡¯s workplace, which wasn¡¯t far from the training grounds where we had left Giedt and the other soldiers, was covered by a thick stone wall which muffled the soldier¡¯s voices. There were a number of beds neatly arranged in a large room with wooden partitions between them. I could see the toes of a few wounded soldiers sleeping at the far end of the room. The doctors, who were starting to gather around, were told to continue their work and we were accompanied by a kind medical chief and a doctor with a large scar on his face. Black J¡­! I almost said the name of an unlicensed doctor. He had the same scar across the bridge of his nose and his hair was a normal dark brown. This is just my own imagination but he looked like a military doctor and he has been frowning for some reason since the beginning. I soon found out why. ¡°This isn¡¯t a school; I didn¡¯t accept any student visits.¡± He flared up before introducing himself. The old man kept smiling kindly as he mercilessly punched the man in the face. We were startled and couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Welcome to this end of the palace, Your Highness, and Ridill¡¯s sister. Ridill will be back shortly, so please wait a moment.¡± I appreciate the polite greeting, but I never expected to see a doctor committing an act of violence. How should we react? The guy beside him is bleeding. How scary! Is Rille-nee really having fun working at a place like this?! And is this scarred man perhaps¡­? ¡°Are you Jed-san?¡± Rille-nee¡¯s superior, who I have only heard of by name. He was the very embodiment of the word ¡®bigoted¡¯. He stared at me with his sanpaku eyes [1] as he wiped the blood with a handkerchief he had pulled out of his pocket. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Aime. My sister told me about you. Umm, she said you were a very nice boss.¡± ¡°Your bad flattery is simply tasteless. Remember this in your little head you greenhorn.¡± I don¡¯t want to be told that by an adult with a nosebleed. If you¡¯re aware I¡¯m making snide remarks, then you should fix your personality. Well, you¡¯re bigoted because you get defensive. Anyway, it seemed that Jed-san was displeased that I had come to his workplace. Though, his attitude was too much, but he was right, so I couldn¡¯t argue back. Alec had arranged everything andI was certainly in their way. I understand, I should check on Rille-nee then go back. ¡°What is Rille-nee doing?¡± ¡°She went to the front to dry some bandages.¡± The old man who answered me, Franz, said in a very kind and friendly tone. I recognised his smiling face and realised that it was the same face that I had seen on my parents in my previous life, who were looking after their first grandchild. Does he like kids or does he have a grandchild who¡¯s around my age? ¡°Can I go see her? I want to see what Rille-nee looks like while she¡¯s working.¡± ¡°Of course. What will you do, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m Aime¡¯s escort today.¡± I really appreciate it. I actually didn¡¯t tell Rille-nee that I was going to visit her today. I thought it would be more interesting this way, so I asked permission through Alec. Just imagining her surprised expression made me smile. I was told that I will eventually come to a courtyard if I walk down the corridor for a while and at the end of the courtyard was where they hung the clean bandages to dry. ¡°Look, over there ¨D¨D¨D.¡± Franz-san pointed at a spot as soon as the courtyard came into view. A man was draped over Rille-nee in the centre of the green grass which was lined with white lines. I quickly ran up to them and kicked the man in the groin. Volume 2 - CH 13 ¡°You¡¯ll really stop right?!¡± I was crying. I was crying like I had way back when. I was glaring at a man who was still a little pale while half delirious and screaming. ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding the situation, Aime. Please, stop crying?¡± Rille-nee has been patting my head for a while but I still wasn¡¯t at ease. It was a terrible surprise! I can¡¯t believe that the General was pinning Rille-nee down in the garden. I remembered the terror of my childhood as soon as I saw them and exploded in all sorts of ways. It had been a very traumatic experience for me. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, really. I fell down on Owen-sama.¡± It¡¯s just like a scene in a typical love story. How did you fall when you were only standing? You might have a brain anomaly if you fall down so much. And why is the General here? Isn¡¯t he WORKING?! ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t fall in front of men, Rille-nee.¡± ¡°Huh? Okay, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± I¡¯ve never given someone this kind of warning before. I¡¯m seriously begging you Rille-nee. You don¡¯t seem to know what I mean. I also don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about either. ¡°Now, apologise to Owen-sama, Aime.¡± Rille-nee said and I bowed my head to him. I didn¡¯t believe I would have been forgiven with just an apology since I could have been thrown into jail, but he forgave me in a strained voice, ¡°I-it¡¯s alright.¡± He must have acted big-hearted because Alec and the others are here. I stared at him some more. He must have done something when they fell, so he was going to do something. Isn¡¯t he forgiving me because of his guilt? Otherwise, how could he keep quiet about the fact that I had kicked him in his private parts because of a misunderstanding? I don¡¯t really know how much it hurts since I was a woman in my past life and I still am one, but I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s beyond imaginable. I remember my brother in my previous life telling me that it was like having your internal organs come out of your body. I almost forgot where I was and was about to hit him again and again when Rock and even Alec came out to stop me. Well, I¡¯m glad he forgave me. I would hate to be arrested for kicking the General in the groin. It would definitely go down in history as a weird fact. ¡°You must be the sister, Aime.¡± General Owen looked at me calmly despite being pale. He¡¯s tall which made it somewhat difficult for me to talk to him. I heard that he¡¯s still young. Perhaps because of his royal blood, he had bright blonde hair, almost amber like Alec¡¯s, and he had good features. He also had a firm body. He wasn¡¯t bad looking, but what about the rest of him? ¡°I heard a lot about you from Ridill. I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you. ¨D¨D¨D You have the same eye and hair colour as your sister. It¡¯s almost like I¡¯m looking at Ridill when she was younger.¡± Of course, we¡¯re sisters, so we do resemble each other a little. But I can¡¯t have you using me as fodder for your fantasies. ¡°I also heard that you¡¯re attending the Magic School, but I had no idea you were on good terms with His Highness. Ridill was right, you¡¯re so talented that you even caught His Highness¡¯s eye.¡± ¡°I also heard a lot about you from my sister, General. I heard that you took care of her a lot, and I am very grateful for that.¡± Thank you for your compliments. I think it¡¯s time for me to attack. ¡°I am sorry for what I did before. My sister, whom I have shared many hardships and joys with since birth, is the most important person in my life, and I am always worried that she would be attacked by a scoundrel. But there are not any scoundrels in the palace. Is there?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, yes, of course not.¡± ¡°And you are someone who has risen to the rank of general and you are an honourable man. I was careless. Please forgive me for my rudeness earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to worry about it anymore.¡± Your eyes are wandering around. You¡¯re too shaken up by this. I don¡¯t think someone who is in a position of authority should show their emotions on their face this easily. ¡°Thank you very much. You are a kind man. I knew this. You always take care of my sister despite your busy schedule. I am glad you were with my sister today. I know how busy you must be!¡± General Owen took a step back as he flinched from my words. I took a step forward. ¡°I will do my best to block you if you are not serious or prepared.¡± I told him in a whisper that only he could hear. General Owen¡¯s expression changed. ¡°I will ask you this first. Are you serious?¡± He should understand what I mean even if I don¡¯t put it into words. The General also replied in a whisper. ¡°¡­ I have never seen a woman as beautiful and pure as her. Her status doesn¡¯t matter. She is almost divine and shouldn¡¯t be violated by ordinary people, but I fell in love with her at first sight and the more I come into contact with her, the deeper I fall.¡± His eyes looked behind me towards Rille-nee as if he was dreaming. So, he is serious and crazy about her. His words were almost like a poem. I feel that most men who fall in love with Rille-nee are in a lot of pain. If this happened gradually then love is terrifying. Apparently, General Owen doesn¡¯t seem to get bored easily. He seemed like a serious person. But he looked like a strange person with a flower blooming on his head right now. He is open-minded and more importantly, he likes her so much that he doesn¡¯t care about her status. That¡¯s why it¡¯s troublesome. The question is whether Rille-nee feels the same about him. Also, how much this General thought about the future and whether he will actually take action will determine how this will move forward. I¡¯ll observe their progress for the time being. I¡¯ll have to pay special attention to this from now on. ¡°¨D¨D¨D By the way, how did it feel?¡± ¡°It was soft. It was a bit bigger than my hand¡­¡± The General, who had been talking like he was dreaming, came back down to earth mid-sentence and turned towards me awkwardly. I looked at him silently. ¡°You tightly groped a maiden¡¯s breasts, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t what I meant.¡± You¡¯re trying to cover it up, but it¡¯s no use. I can already see a little through you. It was probably a coincidence that you touched it. ¡°The second time a coincidence like this happens, I will consider it intentional.¡± I warned him. After General Owen returned to work, Rille-nee asked me what we had whispered about but well I couldn¡¯t tell her. ¡°I was just telling him about how cute my Onee-chan is.¡± Then she flicked my forehead. ¡°You can¡¯t tell the General any weird things!¡± I wanted to tell her the painful things I had said to him since she looked so cute embarrassed, but I didn¡¯t want to help him win her over. I¡¯m sure Rille-nee still believes she¡¯s a nobody and she¡¯s not taking the General¡¯s advances seriously. If Rille-nee doesn¡¯t feel like reaching out to him then I can¡¯t support her yet. But just in case the General¡¯s love for her gets out of hand, I¡¯ll ask Franz-san and Jed-san to be more tenacious towards Rille-nee. Franz-san readily agreed, and Jed-san looked fed up with me. I didn¡¯t ask for details, but it seemed that Jed-san, who works with Rille-nee, has already gone through a lot of trouble. I was relieved that there was a guard here. After chatting with a few people, we quickly ended the tour early before we disturbed their work too much and headed back to the school. I was really tired even though I was only there for a short time. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alec was concerned about the way I was slumped in the carriage, so I told him I was fine. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you cry before.¡± That was a surprise to Alec. Well, I guess I would be surprised if one of my friends started crying suddenly. ¡°Rille-nee is important to me. I will cry, get angry and lash out if something happens to Rille-nee.¡± I returned to how I normally spoke since only Rock was with us. Since they told me I was being creepy before. ¡°I have a sister too. I think I understand why you worry about your sister.¡± ¡°Really? I see. Your sister must be really beautiful.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°She¡¯s very beautiful and she is considered a national treasure.¡± Rock replied in place of Alec who had difficulty rating his relative. If it¡¯s better to have a daughter first, then a son [1] then I guess Alec will be King. This Kingdom has never had a Queen on the throne. ¡°Do you two get along?¡± ¡°Yeah. But we might not be as close as you and your sister.¡± ¡°We had to work together to survive. We led rough lives right after we were born¡­ so I want Rille-nee to be happy. I don¡¯t want her to go through any hardships. Of course, Rille-nee¡¯s feelings come first, but it¡¯s complicated. Putting your feelings first doesn¡¯t always lead to happiness, and one cannot think without regard to one¡¯s position.¡± Ideally, marriage is an event that brings happiness to you and others around you. It¡¯s troublesome since it isn¡¯t just about those involved. Alec agreed with my opinion. ¡°My sister will be used in a political marriage in the near future. It would be best if she could be with whomever her heart chooses¡­ but I feel cursed by my own helplessness since I can¡¯t do anything to help her.¡± Even the royals, who are waited upon, feel the same way as everyone else. We are just people. We are all affected by our circumstances. Living beings adapt and survive without defying their environment, so there will be times when we must give up and accept that there is nothing we could do. ¡°We should pray at the very least. And then, to gain the strength to help them if the time comes, that¡¯s all we can do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Alec agreed. I didn¡¯t realise how much I could relate to him. I had never asked him about his private life since I was being considerate, but today was a good opportunity. ¡°¡­ By the way, Aime. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s alright for me to ask him¡­ but may I ask you something?¡± Alec suddenly asked when the conversation came to a pause. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit curious about what Giedt had shouted at you when he saw you.¡± To Giedt? ¡­ Ah, is he talking about when Giedt called me a perverted girl? I wish he would just have forgotten about it. I only wanted to observe his magic stone, and my mouth accidentally brushed against his cheeks. That¡¯s all. ¡°¡­ I see. So, it was an accident.¡± I see, I see, Alec kept muttering repeatedly in a daze. What¡¯s with him? He¡¯s being a bit scary. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing. If that¡¯s what happened, then it¡¯s alright.¡± What¡¯s alright!? I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, and Rock suddenly twitched as he looked at me. I feel a bit uncomfortable¡­ Volume 2 - CH 14 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles After a turbulent day off, we returned to the school and exams awaited us. It was the mid-term exams. We had to answer a hundred questions about the Mitoan language, the Mitoan culture and decipher texts that we had learnt so far after class. It was Spartan of them to make us do this during class time and after school. Each question was worth one point and no partial points were given. Students who failed to score more than 50 points had their names shamefully posted on the bulletin board and were required to do a follow-up exam later. But the exam wasn¡¯t difficult as long as you took classes seriously and did your homework every day. Recently, my bullying has stopped, and I had nothing to be afraid of as I was able to work hard on my studies. The results came out a week later. ¡°Now, let¡¯s do it. One, two, three!¡± Clifford and I showed each other our test papers at the same time in a classroom right after class. Clifford¡¯s face immediately distorted, ¡°Dammit.¡± His test paper had a single circle on it while mine, on the other hand, had nothing. The circle didn¡¯t mean the answer was ¡®correct¡¯ it meant that the answer ¡®was wrong, so double check it¡¯. The total written down on his test paper was 99 while mine said 100. ¡°I won this time.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ I¡¯ll win next time!¡± Clifford crumpled his test paper and vowed. Hmm, I won¡¯t be careless next time either. It was great having someone compete seriously with me since it brought out my competitive side. But sometimes being too serious can be scary. ¡°You two are amazing.¡± Alec was watching us from the side and looked impressed. Clifford straightened up while still feeling frustrated. ¡°No, I cannot accept your compliment. Being beaten by a commoner is proof that I have not been diligent enough.¡± ¡°Both of you are impressive. It¡¯s amazing that you only made one mistake when there are so many questions. I had many more questions that I didn¡¯t understand.¡± Alec showed me his test paper. Sure, he got a few circles on some of the questions, but there weren¡¯t that many. ¡°You got more than 80% correct. You also did amazing.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll do my best to compete with Aime and Clifford next time.¡± Alec was also getting competitive, though not as blazingly obvious as Clifford. Now then, it¡¯s time to drag him into this conversation even though he doesn¡¯t want to join. ¡°How did you do, Rock?¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s aide quietly looked away. Of course, his master was confused by his action. ¡°Do you have to retake the test!?¡± ¡°No! I do not have to retake the test!¡± Rock unfolded his test paper as evidence in a panic. ¡°Ah, hmm, you barely passed.¡± He had scored exactly 50 points; he would have failed had he gotten one more answer wrong. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you put more effort into being a guard?¡± ¡°Because that is my job. I can¡¯t neglect it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t neglect your studies because of your job.¡± Alec warned his aide in exasperation. ¡°But I¡­¡± ¡°You might be able to use magic. It¡¯s important to do your job, but it¡¯s also important to expand your prospects. That is also for the good of this kingdom. It¡¯s not a waste of time to study.¡± ¡°¡­ Understood.¡± Rock, who was usually the one who admonished his master, was the one being scolded. His position required him to be with Alec as much as possible, so it may be difficult for him to take time off to study. I believed it was fine for him not to be so on guard, but I guess he¡¯s a serious person. In short, it¡¯s fine if he can study while guarding Alec, right? ¡°Say, we don¡¯t have any homework today, so why don¡¯t we have a review session?¡± Our tests were given back to us, and it was up to us to review them on our own. Everything was written in the textbooks, so we can review our answers by ourselves, but it was more fun to do it in a group and we can better understand the questions if we discussed it with others. It¡¯s just like what I¡¯ve been doing with Rille-nee. ¡°Let¡¯s all go to the study room!¡± Alec was the first to agree to my cheerful suggestion. Clifford stared at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but would you mind accompanying us?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, if you are alright with me being there.¡± Clifford paused for a second, then answered promptly. He looked happy that Alec had invited him. I felt like I had done something nice. There were other people in the study room, but it wasn¡¯t quiet since we were discussing the answers with each other. Clifford was so enthusiastic about teaching Rock as if he had been given a mission by the King that he left no room for anyone else to speak, so I helped Alec with the questions he got wrong since he was sitting in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ve made another reliable friend.¡± Alec laughed at Rock who was being lectured by Clifford when we took a break. They were so focused on their work that they couldn¡¯t hear our conversation. ¡°You¡¯ll make a lot more. I¡¯m sure there are plenty of people who would like to be friends with you.¡± Not many people approached him because of his awe-inspiring status and Rock¡¯s glare, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll feel closer to him if they could see him like this. I could feel someone glancing at us. ¡°I believe a lot of people want to talk to you too, Aime.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯m just happy that they¡¯ve stopped bullying me.¡± ¡°Have they stopped completely?¡± ¡°Some have glared at me and said mean things to me, but nothing as bad as before. I think a lot of them were just following the crowd. That¡¯s why I got this score.¡± I picked up the test paper with the perfect score and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I worried you so much, but you don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± Alec nodded calmly this time. ¡°That¡¯s how you create your own path.¡± He muttered to himself. ¡°You¡¯re strong. You¡¯re smart, courageous, gutsy, and most importantly, you¡¯re kind. I admire you for that.¡± He stared straight at me. I was embarrassed by his serious gaze and compliments. ¡°Hmm, umm, thanks.¡± Alec was exaggerating a lot and I wanted to deny that I wasn¡¯t like that, but it made me happy to hear those words, so I just thanked him. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Did your hair grow?¡± After a moment of silence, Alec asked as if he had just noticed. ¡°What? Oh, I haven¡¯t cut it in a while.¡± My hair was above shoulder length when I first entered the school, but it is shoulder-length now. ¡°I guess it¡¯s about time to cut it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to cut it short?¡± ¡°Well, it gets in the way. What? Do you like girls with long hair?¡± I asked, lightly teasing him. He replied with a smile on his face. ¡°Not really? You look cute with short or long hair.¡± I fell silent for a bit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­ You know, Alec. That sounds like you¡¯re flirting with me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I warned which surprised him, but he continued. ¡°Can I not call you cute?¡± ¡°¡­ Well, you can¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± He smiled reassuringly. Ermm¡­ ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say things like that so easily. It will definitely cause trouble later on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I only plan to tell you that for now.¡± Huh? Are you seriously hitting on me? Or are you a natural at this? Are you a natural flirt? Hmm¡­ Well, whatever. I don¡¯t hate being complimented. ¡°Shall we continue?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I decided to resume our review session before the other students notice our conversation and start intimidating me. Volume 2 - CH 15 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles That night after a pleasant review session, I lit a candle in the attic and was reviewing today¡¯s lessons when I suddenly heard someone running up the ladder. Another surprise attack!? I agilely turned to look behind me and saw a girl with waist-length silver hair and a large forehead standing in front of me. ¡°Y-you! Can you show me your test paper!?¡± Those were her first words. ¡°¡­ Hah?¡± I was puzzled. What¡¯s she saying after barging into someone¡¯s room in the middle of the night. Her face turned red in an instant, probably because I had replied to her in a cold manner. It probably wasn¡¯t the effect of the candle shining on her. Her shoulders were shaking and she was unable to produce her next sentence, so I had no choice but to speak to her. ¡°You¡¯re Merry, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Marylee! Marylee Belmandi! Don¡¯t call me Merry!¡± Another long name~. Sometimes I want to shorten Clifford¡¯s name and call him ¡®Cliff¡¯, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get mad at me if I do. ¡°Marylee, I see. I¡¯m Aime. Nice to meet you again. So, what do you want?¡± ¡°I-I said can you show me your test paper.¡± ¡°You mean you want me to teach you? Alright.¡± ¡°No.¡± Marylee was trying to say something, but it seemed difficult for her to speak, so she shut her mouth. I looked at her hands and saw that she was holding her test paper. I could see a bit of the contents too. ¡­ Ah, I get it. I see. ¡°You want to check your answers with mine?¡± I asked her and she nodded since I had hit the mark. ¡°That¡¯s right! I also came here to hear what the commoner has to say! Be grateful!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Thanks.¡± I cleared my desk and invited her to join me. ¡°Put it here.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°You want to check your answers with mine right? I can¡¯t give you thoughts on the answer either if you don¡¯t show your test paper to me.¡± Marylee hesitated, but eventually relented and held out her paper which had most of the questions circled. ¡°I guess you have to retake the exam.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t laugh at me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± She must have felt cornered and had summoned up all her courage to come here. At this time, I was happy that she had asked me for help. I put my books and test paper on the desk, offered her a chair and stood beside her. ¡°Let¡¯s go through them one by one starting from the top.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll memorise the answers if you give me your test paper.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you fail this exam because you tried to memorise your way through?¡± ¡°Uh, guh¡­. T-that¡¯s not true.¡± I was spot on. Marylee is surprisingly cute. As I reviewed her mistakes and showed her the corresponding passages from the textbook, it became clear to me that she had just memorised the textbook without thinking too much about the meaning behind the text. For example, she couldn¡¯t answer the questions even though they used the same grammar as the book just with different wording since she had memorised the sentences without understanding the sentence structure. She also answered questions about the interpretation of Mitoan ideas with muddled sentences that didn¡¯t make sense which suggested that she didn¡¯t understand them at all. But she had correctly answered all the questions which asked for the meanings of words. She wasn¡¯t a bad student, and it looked like she was trying. She¡¯ll do fine as long as I correct her wrong assumptions. The candle started running low after I had explained half of the test paper. The wrinkles on Marylee¡¯s forehead were getting deeper. This was probably all I can teach her for today. ¡°Come back much earlier tomorrow.¡± I closed the book and said instead of announcing the end of our lesson and Marylee looked dumbfounded. ¡°¡­ Tomorrow?¡± ¡°You still need to study more, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be bullied for being seen with me, so you don¡¯t have to sneak up here late at night.¡± I don¡¯t think you were being sneaky at all though since you did make a lot of noise when you came up here. She must have been afraid of something on top of her shy personality. I wanted to take away her fear, so I added those words. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re not mad at me? It might be too late to ask you this, though.¡± Marylee¡¯s question really came a bit late. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. You didn¡¯t really do anything to me except for not letting me sit next to you.¡± ¡°That was because you sat down so suddenly.¡± After quickly arguing back, Marylee stopped talking for a while. ¡°¡­ I felt a little bad about it. I was surprised that other people started doing the same after that. I didn¡¯t know it would turn out like that.¡± Marylee fiddled with her fingers near her chest. She looked like a defensive child who was being scolded by their mother. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of a countryside noble, so I thought I had no power in the capital. I thought behaving in a way which wouldn¡¯t make people look down on me was noble, but a commoner was the first person to talk to me in a friendly manner, so of course I was upset. Besides, that was where Matty was supposed to be sitting¡­¡± Her voice gradually got quieter and quieter the longer she talked. The way she¡¯s acting resembles the timid boy who was covered in water with me before. So, Marylee was mad that I sat down on a seat that she had saved for him. ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry, I should have checked first.¡± There was no malice behind her actions. I had misunderstood her too. Mary looked puzzled for a moment, then she looked away from me. ¡°¡­ I heard you helped Matty the other day.¡± Oh, it looks like the misunderstanding on her end has been cleared up. ¡°G-good job.¡± Perhaps this was the best thank you she could manage. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s being honest or not. I wonder if this attitude is called acting like a tsundere. It went beyond charming and made me laugh a little. ¡°Is Matty your boyfriend or something?¡± ¡°N-no, he¡¯s not! He¡¯s my cousin!¡± ¡°Oh, really? You two don¡¯t look alike at all.¡± It was suspicious since she denied it so quickly with a red face. It isn¡¯t unusual. The light pigmentation in the hair and skin of the upper-class nobles was probably due to repeated intermarriages. ¡°Oh yeah, don¡¯t call him Matty though. It¡¯s disrespectful.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m sorry. What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Matthias Clausen.¡± ¡°So, his name is Matthias. You both have different surnames?¡± ¡°My mum is Matty¡¯s father¡¯s sister, and she married into the Belmandi House.¡± She answered my questions without hesitation, almost as if she was no longer wary of me. I wanted to talk to her some more, but I had to go to bed soon or else I wouldn¡¯t be able to stay awake tomorrow. Besides, what I¡¯ve learnt for the day will stick to me while I sleep. I won¡¯t ask her any more questions. ¡°Introduce me to your cousin properly next time since we weren¡¯t able to introduce ourselves properly last time.¡± ¡°¡­ Well, fine. Matty also wanted to thank you.¡± ¡°The three of us should have tea together when your exam is over. When is it?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow¡­ Will I be alright?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Come here straight after school tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry about it tonight and get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Mary nodded and got up from the chair. Then she said, ¡°Thanks,¡± on her way down the ladder before quickly pulling her head back. It seems like I¡¯ve made my first female friend since coming here. Volume 2 - CH 16 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles The follow up exam was held after school. If you fail this exam as well, then you will have to take another exam, and if you fail that then you may be expelled from the school. The school was ruthless in weird areas. But I wasn¡¯t worried after the two days of one-on-one tutoring sessions. I went to the study room with Alec and Rock to wait for the good news during the follow up exam. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong, Rock?¡± Alec called out to his aide when he noticed his strange attitude as we walked down the corridor while chatting. ¡°Someone has been following us for a few minutes now.¡± Rock was on alert. I always wonder this, but has he been attacked by assassins before? I peeked through them and saw a brown head of hair around the corner. He seemed to have been spooked since we stopped and hid in a haste. ¡°Alec, Rock, can you go ahead?¡± ¡°Someone you know?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s Matthias. Marylee¡¯s cousin.¡± Alec and Rock knew who that was even though they had never spoken directly. ¡°Why is he hiding?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s afraid of Rock.¡± ¡°Rock¡­¡± Rock glared at me since he was flustered by his master¡¯s reproachful gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t blame everything on me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking. Matthias is probably shy around people he doesn¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure he wants to talk to me. I¡¯m just going to have a quick chat with him, so you two go ahead.¡± ¡°Alright. Introduce him to us later.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± I parted with Alec and Rock and then returned to the corner to find Matthias was still there. He had his back against the wall and was holding his chest with both his hands. He jumped in surprise when I suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡°Ah, sorry. Hello Matthias!¡± He jumped even more when I called out his name. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s so scared of, but I tried to smile as friendly as possible so that he wouldn¡¯t run away. ¡°I heard your name from Marylee. I haven¡¯t introduced myself properly, have I? I¡¯m Aime. It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± ¡°¡­ N-nice, to, meet, you.¡± He kept his distance away from me and managed not to run away. Then, he replied while looking down. ¡°U-umm¡­¡± ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± I prompted, but he didn¡¯t say anything straight away. He seemed to be desperately searching for words. ¡°I, I¡¯ve, been, meaning, to, thank, you.¡± ¡°For the other day?¡± Both of us ended up getting drenched, so I¡¯m not sure if I helped him out or not, but he is a very sincere boy. ¡°Not, just that, for Marylee as well.¡± ¡°For Marylee?¡± He continued to mumble. I took a step closer without him realising and stuck out my ear to listen to what he was saying. It was very hard to hear him. ¡°¡­ About the follow up exam. I heard that you helped with her studies¡­ I couldn¡¯t help her, so I¡¯m glad that you, you know, helped her instead¡­¡± Come to think of it, he must have passed the exam since he¡¯s talking to me while the follow up exam is on. Did Marylee not ask her cousin to teach her even though they¡¯re really close? If she had come to me to ask something that she didn¡¯t understand from her cousin¡¯s teachings then I would have understood, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You didn¡¯t teach Marylee?¡± I didn¡¯t mean to accuse him of anything, but he looked up and stiffened. Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll be careful. But he said something with a lonely expression on his face before I could say anything. ¡°¡­ She doesn¡¯t want me to teach her.¡± ¡°Why not? You two are close, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just used to taking care of me, that¡¯s all. She¡¯s not like me, who can¡¯t do anything. If, if I weren¡¯t here, then she¡¯d have more friends¡­¡± A switch flipped within him. A lot of people came off strong, but it was hard to act weak. He wasn¡¯t like a noble at all. He was almost inaudible, and I had to force him to cut off his long list of demeaning words and summarised it. ¡°In short, Marylee wants to act like a big sister in front of you, so she doesn¡¯t want to ask you for help.¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Matthias looked vacant. ¡°It looks that way to someone who doesn¡¯t know you two, and you don¡¯t have to point out all your flaws. A lot of people view you more calmly.¡± There¡¯s no need to put a bad image on yourself in the beginning, especially when you¡¯re not trying to be devious or create a gap later on. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. I had a fun time teaching her and it was also a good review for me. I¡¯ll tell her to count on you properly next time.¡± ¡°Y-you, don¡¯t have to, do that¡­¡± Matthias turned red, and he looked down again. This kid¡¯s cute. Oh yeah, I had some things to ask him. ¡°Say, I want to ask you about the other day. Can you decipher spells?¡± I couldn¡¯t ask him this question before since Marylee had immediately rushed towards us. We¡¯re learning the Mitoan language, not the spells. The textbook we were given didn¡¯t go into many details about spells and I wondered if he had studied it from elsewhere. He quickly shook his head. ¡°N-no way. I¡¯m just, um¡­ I don¡¯t think, I can¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°Ah, no, you don¡¯t need to apologise. We¡¯ll be taught it later anyways. I just wanted to ask you in case you knew.¡± I told him my intention and waited a little. Then, he said in a quiet voice after a few moments of silence. ¡°¡­ I, don¡¯t know, anything special. The books and materials on magic are kept at the royal palace and school. I¡¯m just, umm, interested in becoming a spell developer in the future, that¡¯s all.¡± So that¡¯s why he boldly approached the seniors that day. His swelling curiosity gave his timid self courage and made him proactive. But he was at a loss for words when he stood in front of them. The seniors bullied him for fidgeting and not saying anything even though he had approached them first. Then I came, and they somehow ended up showing us magic, which satisfied Mattias. I was glad that he didn¡¯t resent me for getting him soaked. He¡¯s got quite the big heart. ¡°I see, so you can create new spells as well.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That sounds like fun. I¡¯m at a bit of a loss now.¡± Matthias tilted his head in confusion, and I explained. ¡°I want to become a magic engineer because I think it would be wonderful to be able to use my magic to let non-mages use magic.¡± ¡°Really? That sounds great too. Traus doesn¡¯t process many magic stones yet, so I think there¡¯s a lot we can do¡­ You can do new things when no one has done it.¡± He added something very challenging and positive at the end of his sentence which was out of character for him so far. It¡¯s like he was saying a proverb. ¡°You seem to know a lot of things, Matthias.¡± ¡°N-not really.¡± ¡°I want to talk to you more if it¡¯s alright with you. Would you like to come with me to the study room? Alec also wanted to talk to you.¡± ¡°Huh? Huh? Th-the Crown Prince did?¡± I quickly walked away without hearing Matthias¡¯s squeaky response. ¡°Hurry.¡± ¡°I, I, ah, huh?!¡± He trotted after me, unable to stop or turn back. I did it. I made another friend~. The day after the follow up exam, I was relaxing in the lounge with Alec, Rock, Cliff and Matty when Mary, who had been summoned by a teacher, suddenly rushed in. ¡°Aime?!¡± She shouted my name at the entrance in excitement. What¡¯s going on? I raised my hand to indicate where I was and Mary came rushing up to me (though she was only walking fast enough not to be considered running), but she noticed Alec on her way towards me, and finally slowed down, and stopped beside the sofa where I was sitting. She bowed. ¡°I am very sorry for interrupting your relaxation time, Your Highness. My name is Marylee Belmandi. I have something to talk to Aime about.¡± She caught her breath and greeted him in a lady-like way, but her eyes lit up as if she couldn¡¯t wait to tell me the news. ¡°Did you get your results?¡± Alec asked Mary, who was jumping with excitement, with a slight smile. ¡°Y-you knew about it?¡± ¡°I heard about it from Aime and Matty.¡± Mary looked at her cousin, who was sitting next to me, and Matty¡¯s shoulders shook in surprise before he curled onto himself. ¡°By the way, since when did you become His Highness¡¯s acquaintance, Matty? You didn¡¯t say anything strange, did you?¡± ¡°What?! I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t, really.¡± Mary was suspicious since Matty was panicking, but we really didn¡¯t hear anything significant. The only thing we know is that Mary was never good at studying, so she studied hard for the entrance exam. ¡°Mary, how did the exam go?¡± I asked her to help Matty out. ¡°Ah, right, look!¡± Mary turned away from Matty towards me and proudly held out her test sheet in front of me. ¡°Oh, you passed with 80%.¡± ¡°I even got the question, that they had changed, correct!¡± ¡°Oh~, wow, that¡¯s great.¡± I clapped and she puffed out her chest even more, but Cliff, who was sitting on the sofa across from me, frowned. ¡°How shameless, asking a commoner to teach you.¡± Mary was offended by this and immediately got defensive. ¡°What? You were beaten by a commoner too! I saw it.¡± ¡°What?! Are you insulting me?!¡± ¡°You insulted me first.¡± ¡°Ah, now, now, don¡¯t fight, Cliff and Mary.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s yours!¡± Oh? I tried to stop them, and they turned their anger on me. How outrageous. ¡°Cliff, Aime taught me too.¡± Cliff was at a loss of words when Alec, who couldn¡¯t stand to watch any longer, interrupted. ¡°Your Highness¡­ you are magnanimous. I will help you next time!¡± ¡°Thanks, but Rock looks like he needs your help more than me. Keep up the good work.¡± I didn¡¯t miss when Rock shuddered behind him. He was respectful, but he¡¯s a Spartan. I heard that he tutored Rock even when they returned to the dormitory. ¡°Yes, please leave it to me!¡± Cliff was oblivious to Rock¡¯s state and was energetic after receiving his mission. ¡°Anyway, congrats Mary.¡± Alec congratulated her once again. She smiled, bent awkwardly on one knee and curtsied. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness. I am sorry for behaving disgracefully in front of you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be humble. I don¡¯t consider someone who works hard unsightly. I am glad you passed the exam.¡± Alec settled everything with kind words and a smile. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s here. At that moment, someone pulled my robe lightly and I thought I was imagining things. ¡°Aime, th-thanks.¡± Matty thanked me in a muffled voice in place of his cousin. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Say Mary, you should rely on Matty next time. Your cousin misses you.¡± ¡°What?! Y-you don¡¯t have to say that!¡± Matty raised his voice. Mary was flabbergasted. ¡°Matty got a perfect score on his exam the other day too. He¡¯s very reliable~.¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± Cliff¡¯s reaction was the loudest. He hates to lose. Matty was horrified by the look in Cliff¡¯s eyes. He should be proud of himself since he got a great score. ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t lose next time.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s a coincidence, just a coincidence. S-scary¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t frighten Matty!¡± Mary was protecting Matty, who was about to cry, from Cliff, who was getting competitive. I laughed at their amusing interaction while casually glancing at Alec and Rock. Rock was looking at Mary, Cliff and Matty in amazement, but Alec met my eye. He looked like he was having fun. I guess I can consider them mutual friends since they didn¡¯t even notice when we called them by their nicknames. Volume 2 - CH 17 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles This year has been really eventful for both Rille-nee and I, but the year was coming to an end and the world was about to welcome a new year. I turned 13. There is no concept of birthdays in this kingdom, and everyone just adds one year to their age on the same day that the year changes. This meant a child who was born just before the end of the year has no time to be 0 years old. But well, age was only a rough guide. There were many events happening to celebrate each other¡¯s births by giving gifts to close friends and throwing parties and the atmosphere in the capital was lively just like on New Year¡¯s in Japan. We had never given gifts to each other before I came here. All we did was have a nice meal, but when I saw other people doing it, I wanted to try it out for myself. I wanted to give gifts to my school friends, Rille-nee, and Gis-nee, but that was hard to do since I was always trying to buy school supplies with my meager savings. I don¡¯t have time to work a part-time job. So, I made a birthday card with a simple message and gave it to people. But I had a lot of things to tell Gis-nee, so hers ended up being a long letter. The postage cost wasn¡¯t cheap either, so I thought I¡¯d take this opportunity to tell her about everything. I put a few flowers that are shaped like stars, which are unique to this region and even bloom in winter, into the envelope. Well, only Rille-nee and Alec were pleased with my card. The rest looked at it with an expression that said, ¡°What the heck is this?¡±. It¡¯s the feelings that count. Rille-nee gave me a ribbon for my hair. She said, ¡°It¡¯s about time you start dressing up, Aime.¡± It was my first hair accessory. So, I decided not to cut my hair and started tying it up in a ponytail. My hair was still only the volume of a small bird¡¯s tail feathers, but it will grow longer with time. Most of the people around me didn¡¯t react to my change in hairstyle, but Alec, the gentleman, said I looked cute. I feel like he¡¯s made of 100% kindness. When I get a job, I¡¯ll buy something for Rille-nee and Gis-nee with my first paycheck. And then, Alec offered to give me a gift in return¡­ ¡°Shall I buy you a dress?¡± I refused without hesitation. He didn¡¯t say this out of the blue. The Magic School also holds an evening party to celebrate the New Year. When I saw the notice, I thought, give us a holiday instead of holding an event. Yes, there was no special holiday. There are classes even on the day of the New Year¡¯s party. Girls need to wear dresses to the evening party, so I grumbled that this was an event that would exclude me, so Alec offered to buy me a dress. That¡¯s way too expensive to gift me in return for a card! You¡¯re not my fairy godmother are you!? I firmly refused and he seemed a little sad about this. I¡¯m grateful that you even considered giving me a dress. The night of the event has arrived. ¡°I¡¯m impressed by your thick skin.¡± Cliff said sarcastically when I came in dressed in my usual robe. We were in the main hall that was used for the exams. The scarlet carpet, chandeliers and countless decorative lamps made this hall look completely different from before. ¡°I only came because I was told that there would be dinner.¡± I countered as I stabbed the roast meat. I didn¡¯t want to break the dress code either, but everyone here is a student, and they all know that I¡¯m poor. I decided that there was no need to miss dinner, so I came here in shame. Surprisingly though, I wasn¡¯t that embarrassed when I arrived. It was a buffet with a sumptuous meal and even an orchestra. The boys were dressed in black tuxedos and the girls in colourful, fluffy dresses. They were dancing elegantly to the music. It wasn¡¯t bad to have dinner while gazing at a scene like this. Cliff and everyone else came up to me while I was admiring this piece of art. ¡°Why are you dressed like that!?¡± Mary looked just like Cinderella¡¯s tormenting stepsister with her eyebrows raised like that. She was wearing a chic dark blue dress that went well with her silver hair, and her hair was styled in a way that showed her nice forehead. She looked really pretty but she looked like a wicked witch. She had an intense look in her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have a single dress!? You¡¯re spurring me on with your vulgarness.¡± ¡°Leave me alone. ¨D¨D¨D Hey Matty.¡± ¡°Ah, uh-hu.¡± I ignored my mean friend and said hi to Matty, who was hiding behind Mary. He was probably Mary¡¯s escort tonight, but he was hiding behind her like always. He was dressed in a handsome outfit though. But why did you guys gather around me? ¡°Did you come here to ask me to dance?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking like that because you can dance, right?¡± ¡°Nope, not at all.¡± I¡¯ve never danced in a situation like this before. I had been invited to parties when I studied abroad, but we danced to pop and the music wasn¡¯t graceful like this. I prefer pop music and easy-going music if I have to dance. I think people can dance however they want as long as they enjoy it. ¡°I¡¯m not dancing with a commoner who can¡¯t even afford a dress.¡± ¡°Then why did you come over here to see me?¡± ¡°To take a break. Then, I saw someone who was dressed like a fool, so I had to come say something.¡± ¡°Me too. You¡¯re being so disgraceful. Why didn¡¯t you at least wear a frilly skirt?¡± I don¡¯t need your advice. And Matty was laughing quietly. I¡¯m going to tell you this, but a uniform is also a formal attire. Hmph, they¡¯re so naggy¡­ Well, I guess I¡¯ve made some friends. This is very emotional for me when I think about how it was in the beginning¡­ They took a break while chatting until the song was over, and then they were invited to return to the centre of the dance floor at the beginning of the next song. It got quiet rather quickly, how lonely. Apparently, both girls and boys can ask partners to dance with them and the one who is being invited can¡¯t refuse. I¡¯m certain of this since Matty, who was shy, was puzzled when a girl asked him to dance but he didn¡¯t refuse her invitation. So, if someone keeps getting asked to dance, then they have to dance the whole time. In fact, Alec was suffering from this problem. A chance to dance with the prince was rare, even for a noble, so there was no harm in upselling yourself to the prince for your future. Their invitations might be pushy, but Alec was only a student here and they were allowed to do this. Perhaps, this was my fault. Noble girls will naturally think that they can treat him friendly if they see a commoner being friendly with him. Especially since Alec has been getting more comfortable with his surroundings. From a distance, I could clearly see that they were aiming to dance with Alec next while they were dancing with others. It was an interesting sight. Sorry, Alec. The Prince¡¯s aide, Rock, was also targeted by the girls. Lock on, I couldn¡¯t help but yell in my mind. Oh, I¡¯m talking nonsense again¡­ Maybe he noticed that I was looking at him while smiling. I noticed that Alec was getting closer and closer to the edge of the dance floor as he danced and as soon as he finished dancing and parted ways with his partner, he turned around and held his hand out to me. ¡°Will you dance with me?¡± Eeh~¡­? What kind of shaming act is this? I¡¯m not wearing a dress, nor do I have glass shoes, but I have a fork in my hand and a plate full of food. I also have food in my mouth. Anyway, I should quickly swallow my food. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to dance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it is. I¡¯m just here to eat, so don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t dance with me? But I wanted to dance with you, Aime.¡± Don¡¯t be sad. I turned him down when he asked me again, huh~. I¡¯ll feel bad if I turn him down a third time. It would be tactless of me not to dance when I¡¯m invited to dance at a dance party. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Then, just one song. Be prepared since I¡¯m going to step on your feet.¡± I put down the plate and took his hand and he smiled. ¡°You¡¯re light, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He really is a gentleman, but it¡¯ll probably hurt if I step on his feet, so I¡¯ll be careful. I don¡¯t know the steps, so I¡¯ll just follow his lead and move according to the mood. The surrounding area was filled with elegant music. We must look pretty funny. I¡¯ve gotten used to being at the centre of attention. ¡°You¡¯re good.¡± Alec whispered as we danced. I didn¡¯t step on his feet thanks to his skilful lead. ¡°I never thought I would get the chance to dance with a prince¡­ if you think about it, this is like a dream.¡± I really feel like the female lead of a fairy tale. I whispered and Alec laughed. ¡°I¡¯m glad I was born a Prince if that makes you happy, Aime.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that happy about it though.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± I laughed when his expression stiffened. ¡°I¡¯m honoured to dance with someone as great as Alec even if you¡¯re not a Prince.¡± He was born as a noble with his generosity and kindness. Someone who knows how precious he is surely knows how to value others. I¡¯m so lucky that I was able to become friends with such a person. ¡°It¡¯s almost been a year.¡± I muttered again in a relaxed tone as if I was being rocked in a cradle. Today was a glamorous and fun evening but it wasn¡¯t all cheerful. It has almost been a year since we entered the school. We are reaching a level where we can converse in Mitoan. It has been a short, but long road. In spring, it will be decided who among us will become mages. I was told that it was unlikely that all of us would become mages. Those who have the aptitude will then begin to train to become mages while those who don¡¯t will either study theory or give up and leave the school. Chancellor Leonard told me that one could still do research at the institute even if they don¡¯t become a mage, but I learnt that only a handful of people can do so. Only those who are so smart that being unable to use magic isn¡¯t a disadvantage can continue to do research. These people work together with the mages to develop new spells and research properties of magic stones. So, those who aren¡¯t willing to take up the challenge will soon leave the school. Do I have what it takes to become a mage? And how many of us will be left come spring? ¡°I hope we can all become mages.¡± Alec uttered his gentle wish. ¡°Me too.¡± They harassed me and there are some who I haven¡¯t been able to reconcile with, but I have been studying with them, eating the same food as them and living side by side with them for nearly a year. I know that everyone has worked hard. It would be nice if we could all become mages. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to learn how to fly?¡± ¡°It would¡­ but I already feel like I¡¯m flying.¡± He replied weirdly to my joke. ¡°I always feel like that when I¡¯m with Aime.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you on about?¡± I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s talking about, but it can¡¯t be anything bad. We finished dancing to the song and bowed to each other. I watched as Alec was dragged off to the dance floor again then sneaked out of the party and returned to my room when my stomach was growling. That was my New Year, and I felt somewhat lonely. Volume 2 - CH 18 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles ¡°Everyone, you will now listen to the ¡®voice¡¯ of the magic stone.¡± This was our first lesson in the spring of the second year; after everyone had passed the final test for the Mitoan language course. Everyone was surprised. But the playful teacher wasn¡¯t joking. A green magic stone the size of a broach was handed to each of us, and we were asked seriously to ¡®listen to the voice of the magic stone¡¯. ¡°You all have learnt that the mana [1] inside of a magic stone never leaks out. The magic stone has a ¡®lock¡¯ on it. To open that lock, you need the . Those who have the aptitude of a mage can hear this spell from the magic stone.¡± That spell was, of course, in Mitoan, and was apparently unique. If you chant the password that the magic stone tells you then the mana in the magic stone is released, and then you can freely use the mana in the magic stone. A must be cast when you want to ¡®lock¡¯ the magic stone again; this could also be learnt by talking to the magic stone. The reason why we learnt Mitoan first was because our brain would recognise the sound that the magic stone created as noise if we didn¡¯t know Mitoan, or we would hear the sound the magic stone created and are unable to recognise what they mean. In other words, it wasn¡¯t like the stone would just sprout a mouth and start talking. Well, duh. The teacher describes it as ¡®a faint echo in your mind¡¯. That was what he said the aptitude of a mage was. We were given half a month to hear the voice of the magic stone. There were no classes or assignments during that time, and we just kept listening to the magic stone. You become a mage when you hear the spell and feel the mana flowing into your body. The magic stones belonged to us as soon as we were given it. Students are allowed to keep the magic stones until graduation but according to what has happened in the past, those who didn¡¯t hear the spell within half a month have almost no chance of becoming a mage. Aptitude ¨D¨D¨D a vague and absurd word. The students who have worked hard to get this far looked as if they had mixed feelings about this. But I¡¯d like to believe that I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought, ¡®Huh? Isn¡¯t this a belated spring break?¡¯ Anyways, I put the magic stone to my ear like I was told to on the first day of my long-awaited break. I fell asleep in no time at all. It was a bad idea to lie in bed since it made me tired. To not have this happen again, I spent time quietly in my room and avoided making any unnecessary noise, but it was hard to relax and stay still. I thought about doing some reading, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I could shift my attention to something other than the magic stone. I was just frustrated because I couldn¡¯t predict when or how the stone would make a sound. ¨D¨D¨D Argh, I hate this kind of thing! It was torture to just sit and wait while doing nothing! What do you mean listen to the voice of the magic stone!? I was so bored that I couldn¡¯t help but think about the theory behind this. I was told that mages have ¡®circuits¡¯. It was an invisible spiritual pathway that connected you to the magic stone. You could hear the magic stone¡¯s voice through that circuit and mana flows through the circuit inside of you. That pathway was the blessing that God gave to mages. It is said that mages are loved by God since magic stones are considered a fragment of God¡¯s power. Our robes are the colour of the sky and the colour of the sun because those colours symbolize Vishvelia, the God who rules the sky, and help us draw mana from the magic stone easier. I¡¯m not denying God¡¯s existence. I do feel that there is something like a God (regardless of whether they favour certain people or not). I often felt that the world moved systematically and seemed to reflect the will of something when I was doing my research in my previous life. I also feel that the same applies to my current life as well. But that didn¡¯t make me want to devote myself to a particular God. Whenever someone talks about God, I instantly feel dubious. Anyway, let¡¯s assume that there is a Sky God in this world, and define him as the creator of the laws of this world. Events that happen in a world with laws should have a logical explanation. Then what is the voice of the magic stone? The voice is sound. Sound is air vibrations. If people can hear different sounds from different stones, then are they referring to the vibrations that the stones emit? Each molecule that makes up an object is constantly vibrating. A mage is someone who has special hearing which can distinguish those vibrations which are inaudible to normal people. Does a ¡®circuit¡¯ refer to their sense of hearing? No, that theory is too far-fetched. The shape of the magic stone and the temperature conditions would change the way it vibrates, so special hearing has nothing to do with it. It¡¯s also impossible to assume that all vibrations sound Mitoan. I couldn¡¯t come up with a good theory even after three days of groaning and mumbling, so I couldn¡¯t figure out how to hear the stone¡¯s voice and my head hurt. I wanted to become a mage since I¡¯ve gotten this far, but I have been frustrated and couldn¡¯t find the solution. I knew this wasn¡¯t good, so I decided to force myself to go for a walk the next day. I need to keep my head and body working at all times. I ran into Mary when I left my room. She had the same gloomy expression on her face. ¡°Did you hear it?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± We both let out a deep sigh. What can we do? ¡°Let¡¯s go see how the others are doing?¡± Mary suggested. She must have gotten sick of holing herself in her room. ¡°Why are we doing that?¡± ¡°If there are people who have heard the voice, then we can ask them how they did it.¡± Mary, surprisingly, wasn¡¯t prideful¡­ She¡¯s an honest girl. First, we found Matty in the study room. He smiled timidly while lightly shaking his head in response to our question. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have what it takes.¡± He was studying like always. He¡¯s young but he¡¯s determined to give up on himself. It¡¯s too soon for that. ¡°Why are you being timid!? There¡¯s still a lot of days left!¡± Mary yelled at her cousin. Matty was extremely insecure, and Mary often got angry at him because of that. Whenever Mary yelled at him, he would lower his eyebrows and cower his shoulders like a scolded puppy. ¡°Sorry¡­ I don¡¯t really need to use magic¡­¡± He had a bad habit of mumbling and muddling the end of his sentences. He seemed reluctant to express his opinion clearly for some reason. Perhaps it¡¯s because he¡¯s kind, but sometimes I feel the urge to pat him on the back and tell him to get a grip. But I don¡¯t have to do that since Mary does that all the time. ¡°You¡¯re all very free.¡± A grumpy Cliff showed up when we made too much noise. He was also having a hard time and was taking a walk to clear his mind. Even so, I¡¯m amazed at how often this group of people meet up without prior plans to meet up. ¡°How do we hear the voice?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t hear anything even if I keep it with me 24/7.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go ask the teacher.¡± Mary was already holding Matty¡¯s arm. He didn¡¯t look like he wanted to go ask a teacher. Well, there¡¯s no way that a group of people who don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about could come up with an answer. We desperately needed someone to give us a hint. There was a place where teachers take their break. It was the staff room. I thought no one would be there since classes were on, but at times like this, the black-haired mage was here for some reason. It¡¯s Harold-sensei¡­ ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction?¡± Because you won¡¯t give us any real advice. His stubble is about to grow into a decent beard, not that it matters. Does he look a little more dignified? I don¡¯t have much hope¡­ but I¡¯ll grasp at the straw. ¡°We have a question. How do we hear the voice of the stone?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, yeah. I knew you would come.¡± Harold-sensei smiled widely as if he had been waiting for this. ¡°There are desperate students like you every year. I can only say one thing to them. Give up.¡± He was blunt. ¡°Do you have any examples of what has been done to hear the voice of the magic stone?¡± Cliff asked in a slightly irritated tone and Harold-sensei beat around the bush, ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°There are a lot of legends of students running a hundred laps around the grounds, standing on their heads until all the blood rushes down, drinking alcohol and spinning continuously. Why don¡¯t you try those things if you have time to idle like this.¡± He said lightly but what the hell!? ¡°I won¡¯t do those things!¡± We left the room since we got mad at this joke. Harold stopped smiling after the students left and sighed. ¡°But I did those things.¡± Even if he knew it was stupid. He knew that a cornered person would do whatever it took. Volume 2 - CH 19 Translator: Blushy Editor: delishnoodles The Magic School was spacious. Just running a lap along the outer walls made me gasp for air. I know. I know. This is ridiculous. But a week has already passed [1] and there was nothing else we could do in our haste to hear the voice. ¡°Are you going to give up just with this, you commoner!¡± Cliff, who was running a few steps ahead of me, gave me a prep talk and I desperately moved my legs which had turned to a pole. ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t give up!¡± We were supposed to be running so that we could hear the voice of the magic stone but before we knew it, a strange switch had flipped, and we were both being competitive. Cliff was the fittest of us all, and strangely enough, I, the youngest, was second. Mary collapsed after five laps and Matty disappeared after I saw him in the middle of the second lap, then I later found him flat on the ground like a crushed toad while I was on my third lap. I passed the corpses of my friends and tried my best to keep running, but I, too, joined the corpses as I approached the 10th lap. Cliff persisted for a while, but he ran out of energy and couldn¡¯t even reach 20 laps. 100 laps was impossible for students who spent all day studying at their desks and didn¡¯t exercise. I tried to do another lap when I had recovered enough. Sufism? The scenery before my eyes became blurry and I felt like I could communicate with God, but my rational mind put a stop to that. I was often tormented by intense nausea. When I recovered again, I changed from my skirt into pants and tried doing a headstand using the wall of an empty study room. It was painful. Blood gathered in my head as time passed and I felt like I was going to explode. Blood was about to gush out from every hole in my face. Mary went down first. Matty went down early on when he failed to do a head stand and jerked his neck. Again, only Cliff and I remained. I was becoming a little lucid thanks to the blood that was gathering there. ¡°Say, weren¡¯t we just being teased by the teacher?¡± ¡°What a coincidence. I was¡­ starting to get¡­ that feeling too.¡± Then we both collapsed at the same time. I¡¯m so tired¡­ ¡°¨D¨D¨D Huh?¡± Mary suddenly got up. She touched the magic stone on her chest with her fingers while looking stunned. ¡°En Luya.¡± ¨D¨D¨D the moment that she muttered that in Mitoan, the magic stone shone brightly. Mary screamed and waved her arms in the air in a panic. She suddenly shouted something rapidly when I didn¡¯t know what to do. The light of the magic stone instantly contracted, and Mary fell to the ground. ¡°Mary?!¡± I immediately turned her on her back to see how she was doing. Mary¡¯s eyes widened as big as they could go, and she began speaking in excitement. ¡°I heard it! I heard it! That must have been mana flowing into me!¡± It seemed that she had beaten me to this. The first word was the Opening Spell and although I couldn¡¯t hear what she had said, the last thing she said must have been the Sealing Spell. ¡°What did it sound like? What kind of voice did it make?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! It was like something was in my head. I don¡¯t know how to explain it, it was neither low nor high! You guys can just hear it for yourselves!¡± She was blunt. ¡°Try doing a headstand again! Matty, how long are you going to sleep for?!¡± Did the head stand really work? I lasted much longer than Mary though. We all tried our best to stay upside down until Matty¡¯s nose started bleeding, but no one heard the voice except for Mary in the end. We all felt exhausted and came to the lounge for a break and to rehydrate. There, we saw Alec gracefully having afternoon tea. He was relaxed even at a time like that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He was surprised to see us all ragged. We sat down on the sofa to rest and told him about how silly we were, and he laughed. ¡°You should have asked me to join.¡± Are you insane? Why do you seem a bit disappointed? ¡°Those methods don¡¯t work though.¡± Cliff said stiffly. His normally pale face was slightly red since the blood hadn¡¯t completely circulated back down his body. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Those methods didn¡¯t guarantee that you would hear the voice, right? Are you alright Matty?¡± Alec asked worriedly since Matty had a cloth stuffed up his nose. ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯m fine. I am sorry for showing you something unsightly.¡± Matty quickly looked down. Your nose will start bleeding again if you move too quickly. ¡°It was pointless to do all that.¡± ¡°But I heard it!¡± Mary retorted to Rock who said that out in disbelief. She had the brightest expression in this room. But Rock wasn¡¯t intimidated. ¡°His Highness heard the voice even without having to do all those foolish things.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Alec, who had become the object of envy from those who have yet to discover their aptitude, looked uncomfortable as he glared at his aide. ¡°Did you hear it too, Rock?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to become a mage.¡± So, you haven¡¯t. Well, he just enrolled in the Magic School to accompany Alec, so maybe it doesn¡¯t matter, but you can¡¯t say that in front of people who are desperate to become one. ¡°What did you hear?¡± ¡°Nothing in particular. I was in a daze and then the voice echoed in my mind.¡± Then, Alec pulled out his magic stone from his pocket. ¡°Schronphecelya.¡± ¨D¨D¨D the magic stone sparkled as he chanted in Mitoan, just like Mary¡¯s magic stone had shone for her. Then he said, ¡°Sari.¡± Then the light subsided when he said . ¡°I heard a voice at first and then another voice when the mana flowed from the magic stone. I answered when asked and that seemed to be the Sealing Spell.¡± Heh¡­ was all I could say. You repeat the words the stone says for the Opening Spell and answer its question for the Sealing Spell? ¡°Me too. I heard , so I answered .¡± I¡¯m amazed she could come up with such a poetic answer even while panicking. But is there a wrong answer to those Zen-like questions? What are magic stones? ¡°Or perhaps it was the voice of God.¡± Alec believed that something divine had used the magic stone as a medium to speak. He said it actually felt that way when he heard the voice. I couldn¡¯t believe it or at least I wasn¡¯t convinced. I folded my arms and thought about this, and he put a hand on my head. ¡°Aime. You can¡¯t hear other voices when your mind is occupied with your own thoughts.¡± I looked up and saw that Alec was patting my head. ¡°You always seem to be thinking about so many things, but sometimes it¡¯s good to forget everything and empty your mind.¡± Empty my mind¡­ I fretted over this and that but I wonder if I was wrong for trying to grasp an unknown power with the logic that I knew. Don¡¯t think, just feel? Human senses are, in fact, outstanding. Perhaps what I lacked was faith in myself and not in God. I went for another run after I parted with Alec and the others because I didn¡¯t know how to stay still and empty my head. I fell to the ground when I reached my limit. The sound of my ragged breathing repeated for a while and when it finally quietened down, the rustling of the wind reached my ears. My whole body felt tired. I was no longer in the mood to think about anything. The blue sky was filled with white clouds that look like they have ripped from cotton plants and the sun was shining brightly. The grass pricked my skin and made it itch. I felt the world that the great God had created without thinking about anything else. ¡°¨D¨D¨D?¡± Then, I faintly heard something. I thought it was the sound of the wind at first, but it became clearer and clearer once I heard it. I heard it in Mitoan. It wasn¡¯t a voice that belonged to a male or a female. But it sounded familiar. My tired mind didn¡¯t have the energy to feel excited. I just repeated the words on reflex. ¡°¡­ Minfe are¡­¡± Something cold immediately flowed into my body. I jumped in a panic and looked at the magic stone in my right hand. There was light swirling inside of it. The invisible force emanating from the magic stone seeped into the crevices of my skin which was touching it and slowly invaded my body. I felt scared. Maybe I was screaming. I was afraid of this force that I didn¡¯t understand and knew that I couldn¡¯t handle it. Quick, quickly. I want to get rid of it quickly. I wished and the voice echoed in my mind again. A dream? Only humans clearly see their dreams when they are sleeping! ¡°¨D¨D¨D Alma!¡± I shouted and the cold stream flowed back into the magic stone in an instant. The paths in my body which were flowing with power was throbbing. That was when I realised that the force was hot, not cold. I looked at the magic stone and saw that it had returned to the same brilliance as an ordinary gem. I realised why people say that magic is God¡¯s power. It was a power that was outside of the logic that I knew. It was no use thinking about it. This was an occult force. ¡­ But anyway. In the end, I became a mage even though I didn¡¯t understand what they are. Volume 2 - CH 20 After the fateful half a month, only about ten of us were able to become mages. Among my friends were Alec, Mary, and Cliff. I heard that he heard the voice while he was relaxing in a bath. I was surprised that he had brought the magic stone with him into the bath even though he had said that he always kept it with him. He really is thorough. All the situations where we heard the voice were different but perhaps the common thread was that we needed to calm our mind. Empty your mind and relax. I guess that was what Harold-sensei meant when he told us to give up. He had given us some surprisingly sound advice but why was what he said so frustrating? Matty and Rock didn¡¯t hear the voice of the magic stone in the end. It was clear that if one didn¡¯t have the aptitude to become a mage then they wouldn¡¯t hear the voice no matter how relaxed they were. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to leave the school. Rock stayed with Alec and Matty wanted to learn spell development and work at the Research Institute in the future. Matty was unusually excited instead of being depressed and spoke endlessly about the person he admired. ¡°Do you know Clemens Cooei? The brains behind Ellis Rain, the Founding Mage.¡± Ellis Rain was one of the heroes who contributed to the founding of this kingdom. He was said to be the most powerful mage in history and was a celebrity whose legacy ranged from the unbelievable to the unimportant such as the fact that he single-handedly wiped out an army of enemies or that he hated women and never married. The former name, however, was new to me. Or maybe I have heard that name in my lectures, but it must have been glossed over since I couldn¡¯t remember it. ¡°Cooei invented most of the magic that Rain used. He wasn¡¯t a mage himself, but he created many of the spells that were lost when the Mitoan people perished from scratch based on what was recorded at that time and his imagination. He made the spells from scratch! Wasn¡¯t he amazing? I want to be a researcher like Cooei.¡± So that¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t mind if he can¡¯t use magic himself. Matty smiled shyly after he spoke so enthusiastically. ¡°I hope that everyone will use the spells I develop someday¡­ even though I know it¡¯s impossible.¡± It would be a difficult task, but his dream was unshakeable, so I¡¯m sure he can make that dream come true. Incidentally, Mary was more depressed than Matty about this. The road to the Research Institute was difficult. Mary was more worried about his future than he was. The dormitory was quickly vacated on the holidays. I slipped past the servants who were carrying large furniture and bags down the corridor and entered a room. ¡°Hi.¡± A schoolgirl with a red ribbon was putting her shoes on the bed and packing her belongings. She, Eunice Rakwell, noticed me and widened her eyes, then she scoffed. ¡°Did you come to make fun of me before I leave?¡± Eunice stayed the same even as the attitudes of those around me gradually softened. She was no longer harassing me, but she glared at me when our eyes met and spoke ill of me when she opened her mouth. But now she was scoffing at herself. I came to apologise to my classmate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you feel bad.¡± I looked up after bowing deeply and saw that Eunice was stunned. She even forgot about her contempt and criticisms. ¡°I know you really didn¡¯t like me. But I still would have liked to be your friend if I could.¡± I tried to talk to her as an equal even while knowing she disliked me, but she kept on rejecting me. I thought that we would eventually come to an understanding and get to know each other if we both stuck to our values. I believed we could have achieved this if we had more time. But I don¡¯t have what I don¡¯t have. I thought I should at least apologise for making her feel bad. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t like that carefree attitude of yours. You pretend to be open-minded while putting everyone down with your clever words.¡± I can¡¯t make excuses and say that I didn¡¯t mean to come off that way. What she feels is true to her. If there is something that she¡¯s misunderstanding, then it¡¯s this. ¡°Nothing I say or do will change your own self-worth.¡± Eunice probably paid more attention to me than anyone else because she despised me. She got defensive as if she was defending herself, but there was essentially no connection between me and her. ¡°Let¡¯s have a cup of tea and chat the next time we meet.¡± ¡°¡­ The next time?!¡± ¡°Your life doesn¡¯t end here. Let¡¯s get along if we meet again. By then, I would have done something that you will acknowledge.¡± As usual, I had the habit of talking big. She snorted a little, probably because she disliked what I had said. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to see you again.¡± Eunice went back to her usual attitude and ended the conversation with a sharp remark. New people entered the school as half of my classmates left the school because they didn¡¯t want to become researchers. Parting with old classmates and meeting new students was bittersweet, but I had no time for feeling sentimental since magic class was about to begin. The easy way to learn how to use magic¡­ Was to first chant the Opening Spell. ¡°Minfeare.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to feel about having to use such an ominous word every time I use magic. In response to my spell, the magic stone attached to my chest unlocked and mana flowed into me. The sensation of being invaded by something foreign sent a shiver down my spine. I can¡¯t get used to this feeling no matter how many times I experience it. I don¡¯t like it. It feels disgusting but I bear with it. I held the power, which hadn¡¯t entered easily, in my body and chanted the spell I had constructed when I had drawn out the required amount of mana. ¡°Ignacifa!¡± I pushed the power all the way out to the tip of my hand at the same time. It was easier to do this if you shout out loud. The mana is converted to heat by the spell, ignites and becomes fire. I concentrated and continued to channel a certain amount of power into the flame to maintain a flame that was large enough to swallow a person¡¯s head. This part depends on the individual¡¯s senses. The position of the flame should be inserted into the spell in advance so that you don¡¯t burn your hands. There were no units for distance in Mitoan, but if you incorporate words like , the power will warp in that position after passing through me. The two basic components of a spell are: what should the mana be converted to and at what position should it activate (there is a limit on how far it can be). Mana wasn¡¯t something that exerted a certain effect. It was a force that can be converted into a variety of energies depending on the spell. The conversion between energies is common in nature, just like how we are powered by the sun¡¯s energy. It was mysterious that that conversion can be done with words alone. It wasn¡¯t difficult to activate the spells, but it took quite a lot of precision to maintain it. If we put too much power into the spell, then it will go out of control and unexpected things will happen, but if we don¡¯t put enough power into the spell then it will dissipate. Apparently, the more complicated the spell, the more difficult it was to control. I have yet to learn a difficult spell though. ¡°Stop.¡± I heard the teacher¡¯s signal and chanted the Sealing Spell. ¡°Alma.¡± The power lost its power source and disconnected, and the flame went out. Ah, that felt disgusting. ¡°You¡¯re slow.¡± The teacher gave me some advice after I had finished. If you¡¯re unlucky enough to be instructed by Harold-sensei in the practical magic class taught by two teachers, then you¡¯ll simply feel as if you¡¯re being bad-mouthed, but you have to endure and listen. ¡°You probably don¡¯t have that much aptitude. Too bad.¡± I really wanted to say, ¡°Don¡¯t smirk.¡± I can activate and control my magic to a certain degree, but I was slower than the average mage at drawing mana from the magic stone; a shortcoming that became apparent after several lessons. It¡¯s just weird. Anyway, the feeling of mana entering my body feels disgusting. Apparently, I have a constitution that doesn¡¯t adapt well to mana. It was similar to electrical resistance. When mana passes through the circuits in the body, those with little resistance have a smooth flow of power while those with high resistance have a lot of friction in those circuits, and that sensation was the cause of the ¡®disgusting¡¯ feeling. And friction means that mana is lost along the way and the amount of mana that one can use is reduced. In other words, it was difficult to use powerful magic, or well, it took a very long time to prepare powerful magic. Even so, it seems that one¡¯s body will adapt as they continue to use magic and mana will pass through the body more easily but that will happen slowly and there is a limit to how much your body can adapt to mana. The conclusion that can be drawn from this was that I wasn¡¯t a mage who was suited for battle. I don¡¯t mind that at all, but I really hope that this disgusting feeling will quickly go away. The only advantage of this constitution was that it was easy to control mana since the power that can be drawn out all at once was small and the flow was slow. It was far away from being out of control. In fact, it was difficult to lose control. In contrast, Mary had the makings of a great mage. ¡°Ignacifa!¡± The flames she created at the exact same time as she chanted the spell became a pillar of fire that scorched the ceiling of the domed atrium. The excessive mana in the spell caused some kind of side-effect which resulted in a small explosion around the pillar. The students immediately evacuated. The teacher yelled loudly for her to restrain it and she quickly casted the Sealing Spell while in a daze. Yup, dangerous! The practical magic lessons were held in an empty stone-walled hall, so the building didn¡¯t burn much but people could. I can¡¯t get close to Mary during the practical classes. I hope she learns how to control her magic soon. ¡°It would be great if we can give half of her power to you.¡± Harold-sensei blurted out while looking at the blackened ceiling. If we could, we would. Cliff was at the perfect position at that moment. The size of his flame was stable and can be made bigger or smaller at his will. He had the hardest time hearing the voice of the magic stone, but he was growing the fastest. Alec went out of control sometimes. But he was calm and seemed to know when he would go out of control. He would say ¡®Ah¡¯, then cast the Sealing Spell to cut off the mana supply, so he doesn¡¯t cause damage like Mary does. Apparently, Mary and Alec didn¡¯t feel disgusted when they used the magic stones. I¡¯m jealous. I¡¯m super jealous. Get used to it, my body. Our daily schedule generally consisted of classroom lectures in the morning and practical lessons in the afternoon. We are taught about the structure and effects of spells that have been used in the classroom lectures and the students practice those spells in the afternoon classes. Practical lessons are self-study time for students who aren¡¯t mages, but they can come observe the practical lessons. Rock was always at the practical lessons to guard Alec and Matty frequently came to the practical lessons to take notes. The classroom lectures are mind-intensive, and the practical lessons are nerve wrecking, and we get assignments too. We need to submit a report about what we analysed from the structure of the spell we are going to learn and what effects it might possibly have before each class. Even though I was exhausted, the assignments were quite interesting. They were like riddles. It was also fun to discuss our predictions with each other. A list of the spells that we will learn, and practice has already been handed out. This meant that the students could study ahead and complete their assignments ahead of time without having to wait for the spells to be taught in class. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there are any flying spells.¡± I haven¡¯t analysed all the spells properly yet, but I didn¡¯t see any spells that would incorporate such words from a quick glance. When I mentioned this to Alec in the lounge, he seemed to have given up on the idea. ¡°It must be hard for us ground people to fly.¡± Well, yeah. It¡¯s hard with our flesh and blood. People are too heavy because of their bones, and they don¡¯t have wings to catch the wind like birds. I don¡¯t know what kind of energy I needed to convert mana to in order to fly freely at this stage. But we¡¯ve finally become mages, why won¡¯t we try to make our dreams come true? ¡°It¡¯s too early to give up.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exhilarating the moment your vision becomes reality. The effort to make that happen is sometimes barren and silly but even failure Is necessary for the world to move forward. It would be a shame for you to give up and waste your past efforts.¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine what a young kid who dreamt of flying like a bird would have done. ¡°Did you put wings on yourself and jump off a building?¡± I asked and Alec nodded while laughing. ¡°I made wings by sticking cloth to a bent stick. That worked best. Wind happened to blow hard from below when I jumped down from the second floor and I was able to float a little. But I crushed Rock when he was trying to catch me.¡± I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t end up getting hurt and I¡¯d like to thank Rock, who was looking grim behind Alec, for his efforts. ¡°I see¡­ The wind, you say? Maybe we can use the wind to our advantage.¡± I¡¯m not an expert in aerodynamics, but I can vaguely picture it now that he had mentioned it. Creating wind wasn¡¯t difficult magic. I could fly if I could use anti-gravity magic¡­ But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. ¡°Do you have any good ideas?¡± ¡°Maybe. Let¡¯s study a bit more and see what we can come up with.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± It was strange that even I, who wasn¡¯t particularly interested in flying, became excited when he said that. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Speaking of which, I heard that there¡¯ll be a big festival coming up soon, is that true?¡± I asked what I overheard during break today. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a festival to celebrate the founding of the kingdom. Oh, it¡¯ll be your first time celebrating here. There will be more stalls and exhibitions than usual and I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be lively and fun.¡± ¡°Really!? Then I¡¯ll take a look around.¡± The royal city was usually lively, so it was hard to imagine it being even livelier than it usually is. The most common way to have fun at a festival was to invite your friends to join you¡­ ¡°By the way, what will you be doing at the festival, Alec?¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­¡± I recalled the white building that was dedicated to the Sky God that I glimpsed at. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s usually off limits to visitors. ¡°Are normal people allowed inside during the festival?¡± ¡°No, only royalty and a limited number of nobles are allowed in there.¡± ¡°Hmph. Do you attend those events the whole time the festival is on? You don¡¯t go around the city?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask the obvious.¡± Rock interrupted. Well, okay. ¡°If I just look around, then I can do that at the parade.¡± Alec smiled bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s a parade?¡± ¡°When we go from the royal palace to the shrine in the north, the royal family and the palace guards circle around the rampart walls of the first gate.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds interesting. I¡¯ll definitely go to see the parade!¡± ¡°Thanks. I feel a bit embarrassed now thinking about how you¡¯ll see me.¡± He touched his ears and looked embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll look great.¡± I wish I had a camera. And ¨D¨D¨D ¡°¨D¨D¨D I think it¡¯ll be really cool if we flew at the parade.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alec hadn¡¯t thought of this, but people usually want to try things they come up with. ¡°But well, I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll make it in time for the festival. We¡¯ll start after the festival finishes¡± Magic is when you can do something that surprises everyone. My mind was still occupied with thinking of ways to fly after that, and it never occurred to me to even ask Alec why he wanted to fly in the first place. Volume 2 - CH 21 The city was filled with lively music. Groups of people in flashy painted costumes danced comically to the lively tunes. Above our heads, strings with light blue and white flags, each resembling the light of the first magnitude star, were strung together with decorative ropes of woven flowers and tied to colourful houses. Everyone, young and old, was rejoicing under the clear sky. Celebrate the wonderful, clear day. ¡°Rille-nee, look! Look what they¡¯re doing over there!¡± ¡°Wah¡ª Wow!¡± I, too, put down my pen today and spent the morning wandering around the bustling city with my beloved sister. The capital was also festive, but it became even more festive once in a decade. It was the 60th anniversary of the founding of Traus Kingdom, and it was also the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. The history of this kingdom, which was founded during the war, is still young, and many people who experienced the war are still alive, which was why everyone was delighted to celebrate the peace. There were no classes during the week-long festival and Rille-nee was also given time off. Franz, the head of the medical department, told Rille-nee that she should have fun since she had never been to a festival before. Although she had been born 10 years earlier, she had no idea whether this festival was celebrated in her hometown. We didn¡¯t have time to enjoy things like festivals. By the way, it seemed General Owen hadn¡¯t invited Rille-nee to the festival. Well, of course he wouldn¡¯t. His job was to act as a guard at the festival. I don¡¯t have to go around the festival alone thanks to that. None of my friends were people who I could casually invite to a festival. I thought about inviting Connie, but she was busy accompanying the Chancellor¡¯s wife who was also enjoying the festival. There seemed to be twice as many stalls than usual. People came from outside the city and perhaps even from other nations. We occasionally passed people who wore different clothes and spoke unfamiliar languages. ¡°Aime, tell me if you want to eat anything. Onee-chan will buy it for you.¡± Rille-nee proudly took out her purse. Don¡¯t put it up in the air like that, someone might steal it. But well, we are at a festival. ¡°Hmm, then I want that!¡± I pointed at the sweet-smelling fruit pie. The stall owner was selling the pies on the large platter to customers by the piece. ¡°700 bele for a slice!¡± I knew it was expensive! I grumbled in my mind at the vendor¡¯s sales pitch. It was more than twice the price of normal bread. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rille-nee. This is too expensive. Let¡¯s get something else.¡± ¡°Wait, Aime.¡± She put her arm out in front of me and ordered two slices from the owner. Oh, how cool! ¡°Here you go.¡± She handed me a pie that was wrapped in a thin sheet of paper after paying stylishly. I could feel the slight warmth of the pie through my fingertips. I bit into the pie from the end that was pointing out of the paper and the melted fruit inside flowed all over my tongue. ¡°~~ Yummmyy~¡± Sweets are a symbol of happiness. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t that hungry, and I thought it was overpriced but I was enjoying the happiness that I felt from buying this without having to bargain. ¡°We¡¯re able to buy sweets now¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I never imagined that a day like this would come. The owner was moved to hear that the pie was so delicious and offered us another slice each. Lucky. ¡°We can afford this luxury thanks to Rille-nee¡¯s hard work.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s thanks to the fact that you are amazing enough to catch the attention of a powerful person.¡± ¡°That was just the start. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal when I get a job, Rille-nee.¡± I¡¯m going to enjoy the next festival with Rille-nee. I can¡¯t wait to stand on my own two feet. The sounds of trumpets suddenly resounded through the area. Then, I heard the loud sound of percussion instruments from the main street and people began walking towards the sound. ¡°It must be the parade. Let¡¯s go, Rille-nee.¡± We put the rest of the pies into our mouths and hurried to the main street. I pulled Rille-nee through the crowd (my small body came in handy at times like this) to see my friend in his finest clothes and forced my way out from the muscle wall of soldiers who were keeping the crowd in check. I saw a band leading the way in the magnificent procession. They were playing a variety of long golden metal instruments which looked like trumpets. Each section of the band played a different part of the song. There were many other percussion instruments being played loudly too. The intensity of the music was amazing. It shook me to the bones. Following the band came an army of high-ranking knights in magnificent armour, riding beautiful horses with long, trimmed manes and long necks. The knights looked imposing and the horses who were not agitated by the noise looked very smart. ¡°Ah!¡± Rille-nee raised her voice. I followed her gaze and saw General Owen astride a white horse before asking her why she had raised her voice. Oh, he¡¯s doing his job properly. He wasn¡¯t wearing a helmet and I could see his handsome face clearly. A high-pitch scream came from behind us as the General passed us. They were women who would shriek when they saw a handsome man even if they didn¡¯t know who he was. ¡°He¡¯s far away.¡± In contrast, Rille-nee was quietly looking at the General¡¯s back. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I see him so often, but this distance between us is the truth.¡± ¡°¡­ Well yeah.¡± It was ridiculous but the difference between them couldn¡¯t be ignored. ¡°Do you feel lonely?¡± I asked her while looking up at her and she looked surprised, then she turned her attention back to the parade. ¡°I guess¡­¡± She tilted her head as if she was wondering if she was. Finally, a large, roofless carriage, decorated with flowers and light silk, arrived behind the knights. The blonde King and his family waved and smiled at the crowd. The King, with his fine beard, and the beautiful Queen sat side by side, and on their left and right was the Princess, who looked like her mother, and Alec, in a formal outfit. They all had bright blonde hair. I know that Alec won¡¯t be able to hear me even if I raise my voice, so I kept quiet and looked up at them from below. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Alec¡¯s mother, the Queen, is from Tilney Kingdom. I couldn¡¯t tell from her facial features since they weren¡¯t much different from people in Traus, but there was something different in her aura. That discrepancy might have accentuated her unparalleled beauty. Alec was also handsome, but I didn¡¯t feel the same thing from him, so he must be like his father. The King seemed like a cool man who is elegant and calm. He looked gentle yet dignified, and his large size made me think of a large tree. You reflexively bow your head when you see him in front of you. The appearance of the King, who was both the ruler and priest of this kingdom, caused people to wave their small flags enthusiastically and cheer even louder. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a spectacle.¡± I looked at the scene for a while then muttered my thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rille-nee looked at me. ¡°People don¡¯t like it when there¡¯s no one below them but they feel insecure if there¡¯s no one above them. The king is a pillar of support for his people.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand. What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that this kingdom still needs an authoritative bloodline.¡± The ideology of worshipping blood doesn¡¯t sit well with me. I had discussed this topic with Cliff, and I couldn¡¯t agree with it because his reasoning was weird. But I believe it¡¯s a necessary ideology in this world when I saw Alec and his family being cheered at by the people while we¡¯re at peace. Status wasn¡¯t just for enjoying preferential treatment. ¡°Commoners, nobles and royals all try desperately to protect their positions because status is only a vague standard determined by people and can be overturned in one day if people change their perception.¡± Stagnation and being constant with the past are the easiest way for peace. Basically, we can¡¯t mix the highs and lows. ¡°¨D¨D¨D But I¡¯m on Rille-nee¡¯s side.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will help you be happy in the end no matter what you want.¡± No matter what it is or who she wants to be with. Rille-nee looked a little troubled when I declared this. ¡°Aime should be thinking about her own happiness, not mine.¡± ¡°Your happiness is my happiness.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be happy if you¡¯re not happy, so think about yourself too, okay?¡± ¡°Of course, I think about myself. I¡¯m not worried about work since I became a mage. But I¡¯m not interested in getting married yet.¡± I admit that I¡¯ve never thought about it in my previous life either. I feel like I¡¯ll never get married. I don¡¯t have the time to find a partner and I don¡¯t have the confidence to maintain a family. I think my partner would say, ¡°Which is more important? Work or me!?¡± But huh? Why am I thinking about this? I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about this during a festival. ¡°¨D¨D¨DWell, let¡¯s put those difficult things aside for today. Don¡¯t worry, life will turn out the way it¡¯s supposed to.¡± Alec and his family had passed us long ago and we were already in line for some unknown bigshot. We wove our way through the crowds and made our way back to the street filled with stalls to see if we could find anything interesting. We had been looking around for an hour. We were looking for a decent meal for lunch instead of sweets, so we went to a delicatessen. Bread with crispy meat in it was good and soup with vegetables wasn¡¯t bad either. The mashed sweet potatoes which were mixed with wheat, baked, and topped with a special sauce was also good. But not all the food was good. What should I choose? I discussed lunch with Rille-nee and we decided on soup with various ingredients that would fill our stomach. We lined up at the shop and heard some yelling going on next door. The owner of the fruit skewer dipped in honey was yelling at a customer who had a scarf wrapped around her head. From what I could hear, the customer had apparently taken a fruit skewer and bitten into it without paying. ¡°I really had money on me. Where did I drop it?¡± ¡­ Huh?! I looked away for a moment, but the faint sound of the customer¡¯s voice compelled me to look back. She was dressed in a plain green skit and a dark-red stole, just like an ordinary person. But her accent clearly belonged to the upper class. I definitely recognized it since I live among nobles. I was even more surprised when I stepped out of the lines and looked at her. She had the same white skin and deep blue eyes as my friend. ¡°Yes, here! I¡¯ll pay!¡± I shoved money from my wallet to the angry owner, pulled the girl¡¯s hand and left. We walked to a place where we could talk. Rille-nee chased after us. Then, I looked at the girl¡¯s face and covered my mouth with my hands. I was tired from imagining what would happen after this and let out a sigh. ¡°Why are you here, Princess¡­?¡± ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡± ¨D¨D¨DWHY?! Why are the bigshots in this kingdom strangely quick to adapt?! Volume 2 - CH 22 There are probably many people in this world who could be called beautiful. The criteria for being beautiful is broad and vague and when you see one, you may think, ¡°A beautiful¡­ Girl?¡± People have many different tastes but in general, a well-proportioned face is said to be beautiful. People are classified as beautiful if their eyes, nose, and mouth are balanced. Interestingly, a computer-generated image created from mixing various faces together resulted in a beautiful woman or handsome man. So, a beautiful person is the average of the masses. Their faces have no characteristics other than being well-proportioned and are not memorable. That might be the reason why all idols look the same. This wasn¡¯t because your brain was deteriorating, but they actually do all look alike. But the girl who was biting a meat wrapped oyaki in front of my eyes, is not a mediocre beauty. She is an eye-catching beauty. Cliched, I know, but what else can I say? She was roughly the same age as Rille-nee. Her large, blue eyes which were framed by her long eyelashes seemed to suck you in. Her sharp chin and straight nose symbolised the strength of her will. Her cheeks and lips are a beautiful peach colour, but she didn¡¯t appear to be wearing any makeup. Her face wasn¡¯t just well-proportioned. Every detail on her face was strikingly beautiful and full of life. ¡°I can¡¯t get enough of this cheap grease.¡± Princess Philia, the greatest treasure in Traus Kingdom, enjoyed eating the commoner people¡¯s food like it was junk food. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely pay you back later.¡± ¡°It is alright. Please do not worry about it.¡± I declined her offer to pay me back at first since I felt it would be more trouble than it was worth. Why was Alec¡¯s sister, who is supposed to be participating in the ceremony at the ritual hall, here alone dressed as a commoner? I decided to sit down at a round table which was specifically set up for the festival and have lunch to calm down and ask her about the situation. Princess Philia panicked at first, but fortunately, I was in my robe again today and was able to quickly prove my identity. It was a good thing that I had put the robe on just in case, but I didn¡¯t expect to run into the Princess. I told her I was Alec¡¯s classmate, and she trusted me completely. The Princess had heard about me from Alec, and she even remembered my name. ¡°Aime is a very nice name, it¡¯s short and easy to remember.¡± Was what she said. This person doesn¡¯t know how to compliment people. The Princess was here to enjoy the festival. She had sneaked out. ¡°I decided that I would look around the city one day. People around me tried to lock me in my room and said that everything outside the palace is dangerous, but I believe that¡¯s weird. Isn¡¯t that a roundabout way of saying that the King¡¯s reign is inadequate because everything under him is dangerous?¡± She was waiting for an opportunity to sneak out of the palace since she believed that her outstanding father wasn¡¯t incompetent. ¡°It¡¯s extremely difficult to get past the gate on my own.¡± I was tempted to retort, ¡®You can pass it if you try hard enough¡¯, but I held back. Princess Philia told everyone that she had felt sick during the ceremony, retreated to the room at the back, then changed into an outfit that she had hidden under her skirt when the opportunity arose, and sneaked out through the window. She succeeded because they weren¡¯t at the palace and everyone was unfamiliar with the place, so the surveillance was somewhat lax. She proudly explained in detail that she had sneaked out successfully because she had procured the clothes she would wear and obtained a floor plan of the ritual hall. I understood that it was dangerous when a tomboy thoughtlessly uses their wits. ¡°Are you really by yourself? There is no one else here with you?¡± ¡°Oh my, you don¡¯t know, do you Aime? You always begin your adventures alone. You find your companions throughout your adventure.¡± Have you read adventure novels? Are Rille-nee and I a part of your party? I was right. ¡°It was fate that we met here. Why don¡¯t we look around together?¡± Even if you ask¡­ Us sisters looked at each other. We can¡¯t take responsibility if something were to happen to her. Honestly, I want to hand her over to the soldiers as soon as possible. The ritual hall was probably in an uproar right now. Princess Philia looked at me as if she was begging. ¡°Please. I¡¯ll be leaving the kingdom soon. Can¡¯t you let me enjoy my last festival to my heart¡¯s content? You two won¡¯t do anything bad so, please, I beg you.¡± It was announced to the public that Princess Philia will be marrying into the Galesh Kingdom. The Traus, Tilney and Galesh Kingdoms had only signed a cease-fire agreement, not a peace treaty, so strictly speaking, war wasn¡¯t over yet. But there have been no signs of war starting up again in the last 50 years. All three nations began trading with each other to heal their people and land and an era of peace arrived. When the current King of Traus welcomed the Princess of Tilney, that is, when Alec¡¯s father and his mother got married, a peace alliance formed between these two kingdoms. And now, when Princess Philia, who has the blood of the Traus and Tilney royal families, marries the young Galesh King, who has recently ascended to the throne, the three nations will be united by a blood bond. The war will truly be over and peace will reign. Everyone in the three nations have been waiting for this moment for many years and there was no way to change this marriage regardless of the Princess¡¯s feelings. I heard that she won¡¯t actually get married until a year or two from now since alliance terms are still being discussed and the marriage still needs to be planned, but she will never see this festival again. I can understand why she wants to enjoy it to the fullest. But¡­ ¡°Say, Aime, can¡¯t we do something to help her?¡± My kind Rille-nee quickly surrendered but I couldn¡¯t answer. I couldn¡¯t say no outright because of her pitiful eyes which looked like a chihuahua¡¯s eyes. It was hard to say no when she looked at me like that. ¡°Can¡¯t we go back once to get a guard then explore?¡± ¡°No! I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if they¡¯re with us! I didn¡¯t get permission to go to the festival.¡± Well, she¡¯s not wrong. She¡¯s the most important person on the continent right now. ¡°But it will be dangerous if something happens.¡± ¡°What would happen? Who would cause trouble on this fine day? Everyone is enjoying the festival, but I can¡¯t?¡± ¡­ Ah, I can¡¯t argue with her. Because I also think the same way as she does. And I wanted to fulfil the wish of a Princess who will be marrying into another nation for the sake of peace. I¡¯m sure the royal family will be extremely pissed about this. But who cares. What is today for? It is for having no regrets even if you die tomorrow. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Okay. Let¡¯s have fun together!¡± Princess Philia jumped for joy and grabbed my hands when I said that. ¡°Thanks!¡± I felt like I was doing something good. I was worried because there were no fighters in this party. I can¡¯t rely on my magic. I hope we don¡¯t get entangled in something weird. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they find me, so let¡¯s have a lot of fun before then!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± But as soon as I stood up from my seat. ¡°¡°Ah.¡±¡± The boy soldier who happened to be passing by and I, who saw him, shouted at the same time. His light armour protecting his torso and the sword at his waist suggested that he was on duty. He was wearing an eyepatch on his left eye and his right eye widened in surprise when he saw Princess Philia. I quickly put my arms around his since he had stiffened with his mouth wide open and was disrespectfully pointing his finger at Princess Philia. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go Giedt.¡± ¡°¡­ Hah?!¡± It was too early to end the adventure here, so he should come along with us. A party consisting of a healer, a mage and a warrior will probably be able to handle anything, right? Volume 2 - CH 23 Blue water was flying through the air in the square where the chapel stood. ¡°Kyaah!¡± ¡°Ahahahaha!¡± Screams and cheers resounded at the same time. We were in the middle of an unexplainable festival event where people pour blue dye all over each other in hopes of receiving the blessing of the Sky God. We happened to be passing by as this event started, so Princess Philia insisted on participating. Adults and kids alike were holding ladles, scooping up blue water from the large jars placed around the square, and pouring it over everything in sight: the sky, the ground, the people and objects. It was impossible to pass by without getting any on your clothes. ¡°You put your guard down!¡± ¡°Woah!?¡± Princess Philia hit me directly with the blue water. Now you¡¯ve done it! It was a truly useless event but that was why it was fun. I no longer cared about status or courtesy. I will get her back in a magnificent way, but this isn¡¯t me being disrespectful, since the more you get hit with this blue water the happier you¡¯ll be. My clothes were a mess, but I couldn¡¯t care less since I was having so much fun. I also poured a lot on Rille-nee too. Giedt, on the other hand, thought it was disrespectful to dirty the Princess, so he took the role of her shield at first, but when the person he was guarding poured water on his head and he turned blue, he lost all motivation and backed down. He immediately tried to take the Princess back to where she belonged at first since he was on patrol, but Rille-nee and I took him to the back alley and blackmailed him, or rather, made him succumb to the puppy eyes (plus her upturned eyes) of the beautiful Princess Philia. It was too simple, though I can¡¯t say much since it also worked on me. The dye eventually ran out and the event concluded. Princess Philia had a big smile on her face. ¡°I haven¡¯t had this much fun in years!¡± She was out of breath but still seemed excited. I could see her cheeks were flushed as she wiped off the dye on her face with a towel that was provided by a kind person. No one would believe that this person, who was covered from head to toe in blue dye and playing around like a kid, is the Princess. We didn¡¯t have a change of clothes but the early summer breeze should dry our clothes quickly. I wrung the water out of my clothes and put on the robe that I had taken off to avoid dirtying it, then I noticed a steady stream of people walking in a certain direction. They were mainly men who were waiting with great enthusiasm. They hadn¡¯t taken the towels that were offered to them, so they were still covered in blue dye. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Princess Philia caught an appropriate person and asked, and the man told her, ¡°It¡¯s carriage racing,¡± with a lovestruck expression on his face. A carriage version of horse-racing. Of course, gambling is also involved. I knew that there was a racetrack in the capital and that it was usually open for business. The men were trying to bring themselves good luck by wearing the colour of God all over their body before the race. I don¡¯t think the Sky God will get involved in your life that much. Princess Philia seemed interested, so the man started asking her if she wanted to go see it with him, but Giedt chased him away, then we headed to the racetracks. ¡°Oh yeah, why are you wearing an eyepatch today?¡± I asked Giedt who was next to me as we walked, and he answered without taking his eyes off the Princess, who was walking in front of us. ¡°It¡¯s annoying when people get scared all the time when I¡¯m in town.¡± Well, it does look a bit peculiar. His prosthetic eye has wonderful features, but I guess it must come with a lot of hardships as well. It would be better if they resembled the shape of an eye a little more. ¡°Can you still see?¡± ¡°More or less.¡± Apparently, he could see through the eye patch. Incredible. ¡°Let me take a close look at it later. I won¡¯t act like last time.¡± ¡°I refuse. I don¡¯t want anything to do with you.¡± ¡°Nothing good will come out from getting involved with you,¡± Giedt said, but it isn¡¯t my fault that the Princess is here with you. Your bad luck is to blame for you being there at that time. When we arrived at racetracks the race had already started, and the area was filled with a strange feverish atmosphere. The oval track where the carriages were running on weren¡¯t bricked up and the dust created by the wheels was horrible. There weren¡¯t any seats for spectators and the guests, and the carriages were only separated by a flimsy rope, and it was scary because the carriages were passing real close to us at high speeds. Rille-nee screamed and Princess Phlia cheered. The carriages used to race are different from those running on the streets. First, they have no seats. There was only space for one drive to stand and they were custom-made and lightweight, so that they could be used for the racing. They came in various colours and shapes, and there were numbers written on them in large white letters. The horses tethered to the carriages had shorter necks and thicker legs than the ones that the soldiers rode at the parade. The horses ran quite close to each other during the race, and it seemed that they needed to be powerful as well as fast. The horses weren¡¯t long and slender, but rather short and stout. A small man on a table beside the spectators was tapping on a wooden board with the names of the competitors on it and asking for wagers for the next race in a high-pitched voice. ¡°Aime and Rille, can you lend me a little bit of money again? I¡¯d like to try this!¡± I would normally stay away from something like this but today is a festival. Princess Philia pestered me about betting, so I decided to try. Well, horse-racing has a higher chance of winning than a lottery ticket. We¡¯re just betting on a single number. ¡°Carriage 5 is good. That¡¯s the most profitable, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but that just shows how unlikely it will win.¡± Giedt said to Princess Philia, who was trying to choose a carriage solely based on its pay-out. ¡°3 seems good. He¡¯s not a favourite, but he was very close in that race. It¡¯s risky to bet on a single carriage, so let¡¯s also bet ¨D¨D¨D.¡± ¡°How often do you go to these races?¡± This time, I retorted. He did seem strangely familiar with this kind of place¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not good to get carried away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making any stupid bets. Ah, don¡¯t tell the Captain.¡± If you¡¯re more worried about him getting mad at you than my warning, then you should stop. ¡°But I think I¡¯ll go with 5.¡± Rille-nee looked back at the paddock instead of the board that showed the bets. ¡°Look, Aime, Princess, you too. That horse has a cute flower pattern on his neck!¡± ¡°Oh, it really does. That carriage is prettier than the others. I think I¡¯ll go with 5 too.¡± Princess Philia agreed with Rille-nee. Giedt kept rambling on and on, ¡°The pretty ones are the ones who lose all the time,¡± but no one listened to him, so he slumped his shoulders in sadness. ¡°Girls¡­¡± ¡°There are 5 carriages, and by my calculations, they all have a 20% chance of winning. I¡¯ll also bet on 5.¡± ¡°If things go the way you calculate then it wouldn¡¯t be a bet.¡± You¡¯re right, but if you¡¯re going to bet, then bet on the dark horse! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re betting a lot of money anyway. It¡¯s just for fun. I made my bet and Giedt looked fed up with us, then the race started shortly after. By the way, Giedt didn¡¯t make a bet since he was still on duty. Carriage 5, which was carrying our hopes, was off to a late start which made Giedt gloat, ¡°See, told you¡±, but the leading carriages unexpectedly crashed at a curve in the latter half of the race. Amidst the yells and screams, carriage 5 came trotting in from behind, passing the overturned carriages, and became first to cross the finish line. ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°We did it!¡± ¡°Whoaa!¡± Princess Philia jumped up and down and high-fived me. Rille-nee was more shocked than happy. She got back the money she spent at the festival! Beginner¡¯s luck is awesome! This is the kind of thing that causes people to become addicted to gambling. ¡°We can go around the festival some more!¡± Fortunately, Princess Philia had other things to see and buy, so we ran to our next destination after we received our money. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this¡­!¡± Giedt clenched his fist in frustration. Data analysis is important but it¡¯s all luck in the end. We then continued to enjoy the festival by going to the theatre, watching a throwing sword performance, and eating food when we got hungry. It¡¯s nice to have money. ¡°My maid would faint if she saw me eating while walking.¡± I know how exciting it is to do something bad without anyone knowing [1]. There¡¯s no one to tell her off and she¡¯s not being observed by strict people. She was free today. But don¡¯t let your guard down! There are patrolling soldiers, like Giedt, at the festival. ¡°Ah, Princess, the soldiers are coming.¡± I spotted the armoured figure in the crowd, so we turned our backs and pretended to look at the stall. Rille-nee and I guarded the Princess¡¯s left and right while pretending to be cheerful town girls. It would have been nice if he had just walked right past us, but the soldier stopped when he spotted Giedt. ¡°Why are you blue?¡± He wasn¡¯t from the platoon I knew but he seemed to be acquainted with Giedt. He was talking to him in a friendly manner. The soldier still hadn¡¯t noticed us yet. I carefully looked behind me, so I could interrupt him if he was going to betray us. ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know how to answer. His right eye looked back at us slightly and our gazes met. I didn¡¯t glare at him, but I conveyed my thoughts to him, and he dropped his shoulders slightly. ¡°¡­ I got hit when I was in the square earlier.¡± He casually moved to the side to hide Princess Philia from the soldier without saying anything else. ¡°Haha. You¡¯re slower than I thought. Be careful.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± The soldier patted Giedt on the shoulder and went back to patrol. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t received word that Princess Philia sneaked away yet. ¡°He¡¯s gone?¡± Princess Philia looked in the direction the soldier had walked off him and laughed when she saw that he had completely disappeared into the crowd. ¡°I was so nervous.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± I said to Giedt, who seemed tired. ¡°Thanks. It was the correct choice to ask you to come with us.¡± ¡°¡­ How angry do you think they¡¯ll be at me after this?¡± Giedt growled in a whisper so that the Princess wouldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°I hope they only get angry at you.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not funny.¡± Well, it certainly isn¡¯t funny since we might get punished. But well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be alright if Princess Philia sticks up for us. ¡°¨D¨D¨D I wish I could have walked around like this at the last festival too.¡± Princess Philia, who had been smiling all day after visiting various places, suddenly stopped smiling and whispered. Her eyes were following a couple who had walked past her for some reason. I wondered what was wrong with her since her aura changed all of a sudden, but I heard the sound of singing before I could ask her anything. A guitar-like string instrument was being accompanied by the low notes of a flute where we had splashed the blue water around, and a tall woman with black hair was standing in the centre of the singing and inviting the crowd to dance with her. A number of people leapt out into the square as if they knew this was going to happen from the beginning. It was a chaotic and messy dance. People in threes and fours were taking each other¡¯s hands, spinning themselves around, and stepping towards each other and stepping away. Anyone could easily dance with them since it was chaotic. I also took Princess Philia and Rille-nee¡¯s hands. ¡°Aime?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s dance. The past can¡¯t be changed, but we can have as much fun as we want right now.¡± Rille-nee took Princess Philia¡¯s other hand. The Princess smiled again. ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± People stomped their feet to the music which was getting faster. I held a stranger¡¯s hands, spun around and stepped away, skipped while clapping and turned to link arms with someone who was passing by. Then I saw a boy who was standing alone. ¡°Come on, Giedt!¡± I quickly grabbed his arm, and he planted his feet firmly on the ground. ¡°Hah?! No, I don¡¯t know how to dance!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either! You can just laugh and spin around!¡± I pulled him to the centre of the square. If you don¡¯t have fun at a time like this then when will you have fun? I smiled at his awkwardness. ¡°Say, I don¡¯t think your left eye is scary at all!¡± I raised my voice so that he could hear me through the joyful sounds. ¡°Hah? What¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°But if it really bothers you and is the reason for why you won¡¯t interact with others, then I¡¯ll make you something as good as the real one someday! I wanted to be a magic technician when I looked into your eyes! I¡¯m really grateful to you!¡± Giedt was stunned. It was as if he had been told something he never thought he would hear. I spun him around and let him go. Someone immediately caught him, and he became part of the circle. I caught Princess Philia as she flew by when the tempo got even faster. We held each other¡¯s hands while spinning around and someone¡¯s clothing decoration caught onto the edge of the Princess¡¯s scarf. ¡°Ah ¨D¨D¨D!¡± Her scarf flew off her head, revealing her shiny blonde hair. Both Princess Philia and I cried out at the same time. I quickly reached out to chase after the scarf, but the Princess grabbed my hand and wouldn¡¯t let go. I looked at Princess Philia and saw that she was smiling at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, let¡¯s dance.¡± I couldn¡¯t chase after the scarf that had disappeared in the crowd, so I could only nod. People soon started looking at her. But she continued to dance freely until the song ended. Soon, soldiers heard the commotion and rushed to the square, and Princess Philia was immediately taken out of the circle. ¡°Thanks. I had a good time.¡± The Princess quickly said her goodbyes when we chased after her for a short while. ¡°Can I consider you all as friends?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad. Let¡¯s meet again sometime.¡± That was all she managed to say. We were quickly driven away by the soldiers and Princess Philia left our sights. Giedt followed after them. ¡°That was fun.¡± ¡°It was.¡± Rille-nee whispered and I nodded as we watched them walk away. ¡°I hope we can talk again someday.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I know it¡¯s probably impossible, but it¡¯s nice to have hope. It was already dusk, and the area had already turned red. The festival was still on at night but we felt as if it was already over for us, so we decided to return to Anna¡¯s boarding house. Volume 2 - CH 24 Chancellor Leonard summoned Rille-nee and I after the festival, and as I expected, he scolded us. But he also thanked us for accompanying the Princess and treated us to a meal at his house to celebrate me becoming a mage, so it just felt like a get together. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± Even a small adventure was a scandal. I was ordered not to tell anyone about the Princess¡¯s adventure. Chancellor Leonard also said the same thing to Rille-nee. I asked what had happened to Giedt and Chancellor Leonard told me he wasn¡¯t rebuked for this. Well, just because he didn¡¯t get punished doesn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t scolded. He was probably chewed out more than us. I hope he thought it was a small price to pay for Princess Philia¡¯s smile, but he probably doesn¡¯t. I went to school and Alec thanked me for letting Princess Philia have fun at the festival. He thanked me secretly while we were walking in the garden at lunchtime, and no one was around except for Rock. ¡°She¡¯s been going on and on about the festival ever since she returned.¡± Alec said with a wry smile. I could picture him smiling as he listened to his excited, tomboy-ish older sister. Alec hadn¡¯t been told about Princess Philia¡¯s plan at all. He had to play his sister¡¯s role in the ceremony as well since she had disappeared and had suffered a lot, but he said, ¡°I¡¯m glad my older sister had a good time.¡± He¡¯s a considerate little brother. ¡°But¡­¡± Alec added later. ¡°I was jealous when I heard about it. I want to go to the next festival with you.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± Alec laughed at Rock, who told him off. Will Alec be King when the next festival is held in ten years¡¯ time? Maybe not, but he will have government affairs to take care of. I will be someone who will serve him and won¡¯t be able to be with him like this. I¡¯ll get told off if I say we¡¯re friends. We aren¡¯t equals. ¡­ Hmmm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alec looked at me questioningly since I had stared at his face while thinking, and I smiled back at him. ¡°Say, you don¡¯t have to be jealous of Princess Philia, since you¡¯ll experience something much more fun than exploring the capital.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you forget?¡± Or did you believe it would never happen? The bell rang, and I briefly said. ¡°We¡¯re going to fly over the capital!¡± I should use my brain and move my body after resting. Thinking and attempting are the only ways to make dreams come true. ¡°Zerua!¡± I tried to create wind at my feet with magic. My vision immediately flipped over. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± I was writhing in pain from hitting my head on the floor and Alec rushed to help me up. Rock also lent me a hand in shock, and Matty, who happened to be observing nearby, peeked out from behind them with a worried expression on his face. By the way, I¡¯m wearing pants, so I don¡¯t have to worry about my underwear showing. We¡¯re in the middle of practical class right now, but I had already passed today¡¯s magic test, so I was doing my own personal research in the corner while the others were trying to pass their tests. It¡¯s boring to wait around. ¡°This won¡¯t do. It¡¯s hard to keep balancing while flying with wind on your feet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Say, do you have any better ideas, Matty?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Well, do you want to fly?¡± Matty had no idea what was going on and asked in confusion, so I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want to just float. I want to be able to adjust where I¡¯m moving.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a difficult request¡­ I assume that one cannot fly alone. I, I don¡¯t know much about this topic, but you¡¯ll need at least two spells; one to levitate you and one to control your direction¡­ right?¡± ¡°Thought so.¡± People can only use one spell at a time. I can¡¯t ride the wind, and after learning a few spells as well as preparing for the ones that I will learn, the only magic I could find that could be used to fly was wind magic. Anti-gravity was a dream within a dream. ¡°The human body can¡¯t equally distribute the wind.¡± That¡¯s why we fly in strange directions. Then, Matty suggested. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lie down? If you do that on water, then you float¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that will increase the surface that hits the wind. I¡¯ll give it a try. But I don¡¯t think I have enough mana, so Alec, please help!¡± ¡°You want me to do it?¡± I asked Alec to help since he has the best mana output. He was obviously worried, but I got down on the floor and waited for him to cast his magic. ¡°Can you float Aime?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the lightest, so I¡¯m the best person to try out this experiment. I still trust you more than Mary. Just increase the wind pressure slowly. Come on, we¡¯re not going to make any progress until we give this a try.¡± ¡°A-alright. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Alec chanted his spell with determination. He kept saying, ¡°More, stronger,¡± after he cast the first gentle breeze and my body floated and blew off in the wrong direction when the wind became a gust. I thought this might happen. But just before I hit the floor from a high drop, I bounced off a wind cushion and landed safely. I was ready to save myself, but it was Harold-sensei who actually saved me. He had only half his body facing me and was holding his hand out. ¡°Stop doing unnecessary things. I¡¯m the one who will take the blame if something happens~.¡± ¡°Y~es. I¡¯m sorr~y.¡± I apologized and rushed to Alec whose face was turning blue. He didn¡¯t go out of control. I just couldn¡¯t ride the wind well. Matty saw that Alec was panicking which caused him to panic and apologise. ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry. This happened because I said something carelessly!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Anyway, I¡¯ve concluded that it would be difficult to fly with a human body. It¡¯s hard to control the wind when it hits you.¡± The wind pressure hurt my stomach and joints, and I can¡¯t seem to adjust my direction. It¡¯s difficult to fly alone. ¡°If you need more people to use magic, then you¡¯ll need something that several people can ride on, so a carpet would be better than a broom.¡± ¡°Why a carpet?¡± Rock immediately interjected. Well, riding a carpet is an innovative idea, isn¡¯t it? ¡°But¡­¡± I muttered and thought of something. ¡°I see, a carpet, or rather something flat might be able to catch the wind evenly. Cloth would be too unstable, but maybe ¨D¨D¨D a plank. Yeah, say, can we float planks in the air like planks float on water?¡± ¡°Float a plank?¡± ¡°Oh, what about a boat?! A flying boat that can hold several people! Well, it would be more like a raft? With a mast in the centre. Don¡¯t you think that we can control where we go just like a boat on water if there are sails?¡± I did think of different ways to fly, but I would love to fly in a fantasy way. ¡°Ah¡­ ah, I see!¡± Matty understood me immediately and continued. ¡°Then, using wind magic to push the board up from below and wind magic to make a tailwind would work? You could adjust the power to rise higher or lower, and you can adjust the direction with magic and the sail¡­ it could work!¡± ¡°Right?! Let¡¯s give it a try. We can make a raft out of scrap wood.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to make it ourselves?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fun because we¡¯re making it ourselves.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to gather the materials first?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll need more mages to power it. We should invite Cliff and Mary to join us . Then we can figure out what spells to use.¡± ¡°Ah, I, I see, we¡¯ll be making the spells.¡± Matty¡¯s cheeks flushed. He was getting really into this project. ¡°We can change the spells we¡¯ve learnt a little. I hope we can fly before winter.¡± ¡°Hey, are you sure this isn¡¯t dangerous?¡± Rock asked anxiously, so I put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You know, people feel different things, so someone might feel it is dangerous while someone won¡¯t. It¡¯s the same with strength and weaknesses. It depends on where you set your standards.¡± ¡°Are you trying to deceive me?¡± He found out. Of course, I¡¯ll take measures to ensure safety, but I can¡¯t say that flying will be completely safe. ¡°Well, let¡¯s think about that together. We¡¯re going to need a lot of help from Rock and Matty too.¡± The idea sounds good. We won¡¯t know if we can do it or not until we try. I asked Mary and Cliff to help us after class, but they replied snidely. ¡°Your disrespect finally extends to the Sky God.¡± Mary muttered and Cliff agreed. ¡°How?¡± ¡°The sky is God¡¯s domain.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to fly higher than a bird for him to be offended, right?¡± ¡°I was the one who suggested this in the first place.¡± Alec added to which they both replied, ¡°Don¡¯t get involved in this, Your Highness.¡± This is favouritism! ¡°So, will you two help or not?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave His Highness to you.¡± ¡°¡­ So, you¡¯ll help? Then, brace yourselves!¡± ¡°¡­ Brace ourselves?¡± The eyes of the boy and girl shook with anxiety. ¡°Mary, you have to practice control first! I¡¯ll get the materials we need, so help me carry them to school, Cliff, Rock and Alec! Matty, you watch over Mary while I figure out how to build the raft. Mary is the key to this plan.¡± Everyone reacted differently to what I Had said. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t agree to this type of labour. Let the servants do the heavy lifting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s lazy to stay still when you can move.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making His Highness do this too?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no fun if we don¡¯t do this together. Do you want Alec to be left out, Rock?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°H-hey, don¡¯t rely on my magic too much.¡± ¡°I will rely on it a lot. You can cast more powerful magic than the teacher, Mary.¡± I quickly dismissed their protests and got Matty and Alec to agree to my plan. I started this project to make my friend¡¯s wish come true but I must admit, I¡¯m the one enjoying this the most. Volume 2 - CH 25 ¡°Hngh! Is this enough?¡± A tanned young carpenter loaded the last of the scrap wood onto the cart. ¡°Yes, thank you very much.¡± ¡°No problem. It was going to be thrown away anyway.¡± This nice man was Anna¡¯s son, Tosh. When I told her that I was looking for scrap wood for a raft when I returned to the boarding house on my day off, she introduced me to her son, a strong man who looked like her. He was now working at a building firm and through him, I was able to get scrap wood from recently demolished houses, and he also lent me a cart. ¡°Come again if you need more.¡± ¡°I will, thank you very much. Let¡¯s go, Cliff!¡± Cliff was also with me in front of the building firm. He pulled on the handle of the cart while I pushed it from behind. I asked him to come with me since it would be tiring to pull a cart to school by myself. ¡°Why do I have to work like a horse?!¡± Cliff was angry as he pulled the cart desperately. ¡°It¡¯s good for you to know how it feels to be put to work sometimes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember the way you treated me today.¡± ¡°This is all for Alec.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have helped you if it wasn¡¯t. Why didn¡¯t you ask Matthias or Marylee?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t bring someone who isn¡¯t as strong as me. Oh my, you¡¯re so reliable, Cliff.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± We arrived at the school after I managed to calm down an irate Cliff and were joined by Alec and Rock. I could have asked Rock to help but it was a big problem for Alec to leave the school gates, so I asked them to wait. ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­¡± The muscles in my arms and legs ached from pushing a heavy cart through the long road leading from downtown to the school. But I will probably have to do this again. So, I took a little break between the cart and the handle. ¡°Where do you want this?¡± Alec asked, as he pushed me along, next to the spot where I was sitting. He didn¡¯t mention how heavy it was. He pulled the cart in front of the two angry guys. ¡°Probably behind the dorms. I don¡¯t think the Sensei¡¯s will find it there.¡± The sensei¡¯s, who work at the royal palace, don¡¯t come to school on their days off. The school is completely under the rule of the schools, though there were a few servants around. ¡°The girl¡¯s dormitory is less crowded and easier to sneak around but you guys might feel uncomfortable there, so let¡¯s go to the boy¡¯s dormitory.¡± ¡°I guess. I would prefer it if we did.¡± The girls¡¯ will get anxious if they see boys around the girls¡¯ dormitory. The dorm parent and the boys can be silenced if Alec orders them. Let¡¯s take full advantage of his authority. It wasn¡¯t only the raft that needed to be assembled. The safety of air travel was largely determined by the spells cast. ¡°Hmm, umm, I think the difficult part of this plan is the up and down movements and the right and left movements.¡± Matty told us what he had come up with while we were waiting for practical class. ¡°If the raft gets stuck in a strange position when the wind pushes it up from below, then the raft will fall when you try to move it right or left.¡± ¡°True.¡± The activation position of a spell was basically determined based on the caster¡¯s position, but this time, that would be difficult. ¡°For example, the raft may become unbalanced if the caster¡¯s standing position on the raft shifts, and the place where the wind hits the raft shifts because of that.¡± ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t the caster be placed where they can¡¯t move, or should the place where the spell hits be adjusted?¡± ¡°Both are good ideas, but I¡¯ve already thought up a few spells for this problem.¡± Matty rushed to get his notes out of his bag and scattered them on the floor. Calm down. ¡°Let¡¯s make models and experiment with them and improve as we go.¡± He read the notes which were jammed packed with ideas, and I thought about what we should try first. ¡°The mages seem to have a big problem though.¡± Rock interrupted ,sounding somewhat astounded. His gaze fell on Mary who was creating a tornado. I believe she was aiming for one of the wooden targets that were lined on the floor, but they all wound up on the ceiling. Some of them veered off their trajectory and flew around at a high speed. Some even flew towards us who were watching from far away. Rock struck them down with his scabbard. This was what had been going on for the past few minutes. ¡°~~Marylee! How many times do I have to tell you?!¡± ¡°Stop yelling at me all the time!¡± Cliff, who had been teaching Mary, was blown away in the aftermath and was quite angry. Well, he¡¯s been blown away five times already. Mary, on the other hand, was so angry that she was almost crying but Cliff remained relentless. ¡°Don¡¯t put too much power into your spells because you stop being able to aim!¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re helping?!¡± ¡°Calm down you two.¡± I intervened when I saw that they were about to blow. We¡¯ve been taking turns teaching Mary since she lacked control, but it hasn¡¯t been going well because of our difference in aptitude and feeling. ¡°We¡¯re not getting anywhere with this.¡± Cliff cursed at her while fixing his messy hair and clothes and Mary retaliated, ¡°Then don¡¯t teach me anymore!¡± But we couldn¡¯t do this without her. ¡°Mary, do you feel the flow of magic through your body?¡± I asked her after we had fixed all the targets and when she had calmed down, and she looked at me with an unclear expression. ¡°¡­ Subtly¡­¡± ¡°What? You can¡¯t?¡± ¡°It was a bit uncomfortable at first but now I can barely feel it. It¡¯s as if the magic just flows right out of me as I exhale.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m jealous of you.¡± So, you can use magic as naturally as breathing. That¡¯s so nice. ¡°Does it feel like that for you too, Alec?¡± He was second only to Mary in terms of output, but I was surprised when he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not that familiar with my magic. Mary probably has amazing talent.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe I do.¡± ¡°Y-you do!¡± Matty interrupted loudly at his cousin¡¯s humble words. ¡°That sounds just like what Ellis Rain felt!¡± Then, he excitedly approached Mary just like when he talks about magic. ¡°He said that you can¡¯t be a true mage if you feel that magic is a foreign force. Mary, you have a great gift!¡± It was extremely rare for Matty to declare something so confidently. Mary, who was compared to the most powerful mage in history, gradually turned red from her ears. Matty looked up at his cousin, who was slightly taller than him, and desperately appealed without knowing how she felt. ¡°Please, don¡¯t give up and do your best. I¡¯ll also do my best to come up with a spell that you can use.¡± Mary had no choice but to comply since her usually timid cousin was being this forceful. I¡¯ll ask Matty to calm her down and persuade her if she gets upset in the future. ¡°Say, if you don¡¯t understand how the magic flows in your body, then why don¡¯t you try to feel it like how you breathe?¡± ¡°What?¡± I pondered over this while they were talking. ¡°It comes out at the same time as when you exhale, right? So, why don¡¯t you try to breathe slowly while whispering the spell instead of shouting it?¡± Breathing is an important aspect of martial arts as well. Alec added, ¡°I feel like I can control my magic better when I try to calm down.¡± ¡°Calm down¡­ Ok. I¡¯ll try.¡± Mary¡¯s motivation returned after everyone said some encouraging words to her. Then, I looked at the boy next to me. ¡°Now that that¡¯s established, you can¡¯t yell all the time, Cliff. Having a short temper isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He seemed to have regretted his actions now that he has calmed down. After that, he refrained from yelling at Mary to keep her calm even though he frowned. ¡°Who cares about that? Don¡¯t forget we¡¯re in the middle of class.¡± ¡°We¡¯re practicing.¡± I responded appropriately to Harold-sensei¡¯s advice since he had no intention of nagging us about it. Volume 2 - CH 26 We were incredibly busy for a while. In between class and assignments, we often discussed and assembled the raft and spells while arguing, and of course, the juniors and dorm caretakers found out about our project, so we either made them keep quiet about it or made them help with the project. Some of them agreed easily while others didn¡¯t, but the latter was silenced with a word from Alec. We practiced magic during this time. Mary¡¯s control was getting better by the time summer passed. She was more conscious of her breathing and seemed to have gotten the hang of casting magic. Even so, there were times when things didn¡¯t go well and we felt like giving up, but each time this happened, we all encouraged each other to keep going. I also practiced magic and could channel more power. It felt gross, but I couldn¡¯t let Mary do all the hard work and slack off. It was late autumn when we finally carried out our plan after repeated trial and error and experimentation. We took the raft out of the garden and unfurled the sail made of sheets on a day off. The top of the mast was decorated with a bird feather (which we picked up from the area) to pray for a safe flight. Each member of the crew tied a rope around their waist and fastened the other end to the mast. None of us would be thrown overboard this way. The juniors who helped us were standing around and observing our project. They were the ones who helped us carry the raft. Let me introduce the crew before we set out. First, Alec and Mary are responsible for the important engine that keeps the raft afloat. The raft was quite heavy, so I assigned two people to the engine; both of whom have more mana than the others. The two in charge of steering the raft are Rock and I. I will magically make the wind blow and Rock will control the direction of the sail. We learnt how to operate the sails and set up the mast from a shipwright in the capital introduced to us by Tosh. We did a lot of inspections and operational checks. Cliff was in charge of the safety. He could activate his magic quickly and had perfect control, so we asked him to quickly deal with any malfunctions, and to rescue anyone who fell. And Matty was tied to the mast and wasn¡¯t able to move. ¡°H-hey, why am I the only one who¡¯s tied up like this?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯ll be sad if you fall.¡± I feel like Matty is going to fall off the raft no matter how tightly we tie him up. He was clumsy and unlucky. He didn¡¯t have any role, but he worked hard to get this project to this point. ¡°Now, are we ready? You know the spell for when someone falls right?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be alright,¡± Alec said on Cliff¡¯s behalf. I nodded in agreement and so, allow me to take the lead with your permission. ¡°Then, let¡¯s set sail!¡± Mary and Alec responded to my words and cast their spells. ¡°Zerua, unmelt!¡± The raft was pushed up to the sky in an instant and the juniors screamed and cheered. ¡°Hyaaah!¡± I also let out a funny scream and got down onto my hands and knees. The raft continued to float in the air, swaying a little as it soared above the roof of the school. The first stage was a success! ¡°Can you see it, Alec?! The capital is below us!¡± ¡°Yeah, I can see it.¡± Alec gazed at the colourful cityscape below with a flushed face while maintaining his magic. Everyone else was gawking at the sight too. ¡°Rock, hold onto the sails tightly! Let¡¯s take to the skies!¡± I prepared my magic too and chanted the spell to depart. ¡°Ze, yui, touille.¡± The wind blew from behind the sail, gliding the raft through the air. The wind magic that was pushing us up from below was fixed under the board, so that the raft wouldn¡¯t be unbalanced by the wind and fall. The spell was completed with the help of everyone¡¯s wisdom. We left the grounds of the magic school and the raft moved forward under the blue sky. How do we look to the people down below? Imagining how the people in the capital felt made this more fun. The wind, which felt different from when I was on the ground, brushed against my cheeks. A small bird overtook us. I want to fly faster. I want to fly as fast as them. ¡°I¡¯m picking up the speed! Rock, just keep controlling the sail as you are.¡± ¡°Huh? H-hey!¡± I¡¯ve also grown in the past six months. I was able to use more powerful magic than before even though I wasn¡¯t anywhere close to Alec and Mary¡¯s level. When I increased the power output, the raft moved much faster and shook a lot. ¡°Stop it! We won¡¯t be able to control the raft anymore!¡± ¡°Do your best! Let¡¯s go beyond the castle walls.¡± We¡¯ve already crossed the first gate. I want us to go beyond the second gate, where the horizon meets the blue sky. ¡°We can go anywhere like this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea!¡± Cliff panicked and casted a spell to change the direction of the wind and Rock quickly tilted the sail to reverse our direction. Tsk. But I saw the harbour just as we were turning around. ¡°It¡¯s the sea.¡± Alec leaned forward and gazed ahead. ¡°You want to go there? On top of the sea!¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Just for a little while!¡± Alec insisted and Rock reluctantly steered the sail towards the sea. ¡°Alec and Mary, lower the altitude!¡± I requested as we crossed the harbour. As we dropped just above the sea level, the wind splashed the sea water up, sending glistening droplets around us. This is so much fun! I laughed with my mouth wide open, so some sea water got into my mouth. ¡°Should we go to the other side of the sea?!¡± ¡°¡°¡°No!!¡±¡±¡± Rock, Cliff, and Mary all got mad at me. Ahahaha, ah, this is fun. I never knew that flying could be so much fun. It¡¯s so much better than flying in an aeroplane. It was so nice that I could even forget about the gross feeling I get when I use magic. This feeling wasn¡¯t just because of the wonderful scenery but also because I¡¯m with like-minded people. ¡°It¡¯s fun, isn¡¯t it Alec?¡± ¡°It is.¡± I peeked at him from the side and saw that he was smiling, then I continued. ¡°Do you know the difference between saying one¡¯s true feelings and just saying something to save face?¡± Alec glanced at me this time and I looked onto the scene below us. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to call you Alec anymore in six months. I will look at you from afar and call you Your Highness the Prince and speak to you using honorifics, no matter how strange it feels. But we¡¯ll still be friends.¡± That was how I really felt. That lord and retainer relationship will just be a pretext. ¡°Today we flew together as equals even though we will no longer talk casually or stand next to each other in the future. The days we¡¯ve spent here happily will never disappear. Even though our position may change, our unchanging past will be proof that we are friends.¡± So, please, don¡¯t look lonely. I want to tell you that. I said it loudly so Cliff, Mary, Matty and Rock could hear me. Friends from school are friends for life. I smiled at Alec, and he laughed back in surprise. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Thanks.¡± Alec looked around at all of us. ¡°I was able to make my dreams come true thanks to you all. I¡¯m glad that I came to this school. I consider you all my friends too, always.¡± No one said that those words were too much for someone like them. This was a conversation for here and now. We all became friends before we knew it. After flying around the capital to our heart¡¯s content, we returned to the ground and shook hands with each other to celebrate our success. People may scoff and say that royals, nobles and commoners can¡¯t be friends, but we are all people even if we are divided by status. We can connect as people. Later, the teachers returned from the palace while we were giving the curious juniors a ride. They must have seen us flying in the sky. We didn¡¯t regret a thing even though the raft was taken from us and we were banned from going out on our days off for a while as punishment for our dangerous behaviour. We had done what no one else had ever done before. I was filled with pride. Volume 2 - Epilogue I was reading at my usual spot in the lounge on my day off when Alec and Rock came in. ¡°What are you reading?¡± Alec asked as he sat down on the sofa next to me. Rock stood like a shadow behind his master and quietly listened to our conversation like usual. ¡°I¡¯ve been researching how to process magic stones. I heard this topic isn¡¯t covered in school.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I asked sensei about it earlier. They told me that only specialised craftsmen know how to process magic stones and that ordinary mages aren¡¯t taught how to process them. Even the books don¡¯t give specific instructions on how to do it.¡± I pointed at the stack of books on the table and frowned a little. ¡°I heard that processing magic stones isn¡¯t popular in Traus, but there are too few books on this topic. This might be because the technique was introduced here too late. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much research going on about this topic.¡± ¡°You want to be a mage engineer, right Aime?¡± ¡°Yeah, because it sounds interesting. Look.¡± I leaned my upper body towards Alec and showed him what I was reading. ¡°Magic tools can activate multiple spells at the same time. So, flying would be possible with one magic tool. So, it might be possible for people who can¡¯t use magic to fly.¡± For example, what if I could really make a flying carpet, so people won¡¯t get sore butts when they make long trips? What if we could fly over mountains, oceans and go anywhere we wanted to go? The world would be a much more enjoyable place. ¡°It would be easier to get around. We can regain body parts that we¡¯ve lost, just like with Giedt¡¯s artificial eye. Maybe we could solve other inconveniences in the world too. I¡¯d like to learn how to process magic stones.¡± I believe there are many dreams buried in the unknown. ¡°That¡¯s just like you.¡± ¡°Will you support my dreams?¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯s no one who doesn¡¯t want to support you. You always want to make people happy, so people will help you if you ask.¡± Alec said with conviction in his blue eyes. ¡°¨D¨D¨D I¡¯ll do my best to help those who help me.¡± There are less than six months left until graduation. After learning as much as I can and getting stronger, I intend to use everything that I have gained so far and everything that I will gain in the future to open up new areas that have yet to be explored. There are many things I want to do. I am sure I will be able to move forward even on the road less traveled with my great curiosity and friends who are willing to go along with me in my reckless pursuits. Volume 3 - Prologue The sky was a dark grey. Winter had come this year and the capital was immersed in daily doses of shivering cold. Some living beings were sleeping or dying, and even those who were still awake spent more time in silence during winter than any other season, perhaps because of the heavy clouds that hung in the sky. There was no difference in the commoners¡¯ district or the nobles¡¯ district, which are separated by gates. Students attending the Royal Magic School inside the first gate usually wrapped a scarf around their necks and rushed off to the study room or lounge after class since they had large fireplaces. But unlike the others, I was outside in the school¡¯s vast garden, the pride of the school, where grass was green, and flowers bloomed in spring and summer. A place where life was dominated by the silence of winter just a few moments ago. It was transformed into a lively battlefield by energetic young people. ¡°Behind you, Aime!¡± I quickly lay down at that warning and a small round object flew past just above my head. It fell soundlessly onto the snowfield a few meters away. I couldn¡¯t launch a counterattack since I was still lying on the ground. Instead, Alec twisted his back halfway and quickly fired a shot to cover me. I could see the enemy retreating when I regained my footing. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Alec¡¯s blue eyes narrowed gently between the endless battle. But the peaceful moment only lasted a moment. He and I both grasped new snowballs in our hands. There were two enemies in front of us. ¡°Zelwo!¡± Cliff shouted an incarnation and a mass of wind rushed past in a straight line along his outstretched arm. I was flung aside like a leaf as it passed by me and swirled outward from its core. My robe and undergarments were covered in white after it rotated a couple more times. A bit of snow went onto my back, and I felt a chill, and Rock was coming towards me with one arm out ready to attack just as I got up. ¡°Shanna!¡± Alec protected me with a wall of fire just before the snowball hit me. Nice! I waited for the magic to die down before throwing a snowball at Rock. It hit him right in the face since he couldn¡¯t escape in time. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± I was in a bit of a hurry and lost control of my throw. It must have hurt a lot even though the snow was fresh and soft. Rock shook his head to shake off the broken pieces of the snowball and looked at me angrily. Run! It was quite strenuous to run in ankle-deep snow and even more so when it came to having a snowball fight with magic. The capital had a record snowfall in the winter of my second year before graduation even though snow was rare in this area. Even Alec and the others who have lived in the capital for a long time have never experienced such a heavy snowfall. It had been snowing constantly since dawn and had finally stopped just after classes ended. I stopped by the garden and grabbed a handful of snow on my way to the study room. I whispered about how it might be easy to make snowballs with this snow and Alec wanted to know what that was. Rock and Cliff were with us at the time, and of course they were against the barbaric snowball game, but we coaxed them into it by saying it would help us practice magic. It wasn¡¯t fun to have a simple snowball fight with mages. But it was dangerous to hit people with magic, so direct attacks were limited to snowballs. The game didn¡¯t end with just one hit. It was a death match in which the team who loses all their energy due to the cold and pain loses. This game trains our control and the ability to channel only the necessary amount of mana. It really does! We divided into teams of two; it was Alec and I vs Rock and Cliff. The teams were decided based on our skill and physical abilities. As we all know, I was the weakest, so it was only right that I should be teamed up with Alec, who had the best magic in our class. Rock and Cliff would also hesitate to attack because of Alec¡¯s status. But it was still a tough match. I ran away from the angry Rock when I ended up back where I was before, but this time, Cliff was waiting for me with a snowball. You guys are picking on me too much! I¡¯m still a girl even if I¡¯m not the Prince! I look younger than you two! ¡°Give up!¡± Cliff triumphantly shook his snowball. ¡°You¡¯re looking down on me too much!¡± ¡°Zelshifa!¡± I faced my palms down to the ground like I was falling down, chanted my spell and a breeze of wind whipped up the snowball with so much force that it sprayed all over Cliff from below. Although my magic was weak and I was extremely slow at activating my magic, I can use magic instantly like everyone else if I accumulate and preserve mana in my body beforehand. Cliff was defeated by the force of the snow and fell backwards helplessly. ¡°Prepare yourself!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not going to let you beat me!¡± I happily laughed at Cliff who was shaking the snowflakes and trying to get back up. Then¡­ ¡°Zelshifa!¡± A snowslide hit us. ¡°What happened?!¡± The snow piled up in the garden was pushed up from the bottom and fell on top of our heads like a tidal wave. There was no time to escape. Our entire field of vision was covered in white and snow was getting into our mouth and clothes as we screamed. My whole body was buried in the snow. I managed to pull my arms out, stick my head out, and crawl out to find a girl with long silver hair standing with her hands on her hips on the grassy ground where the snow had cleared. She looked like a snow queen as she sent snow flying around her. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for playing around!¡± Merry shouted at us with a raised eyebrow. But I was the one who wanted to yell at her. ¡°¡°Are you trying to kill us?!¡± Cliff, who had crawled out of the snow, said at the same time as me. We were almost buried alive! More than half the snow in the garden was instantly pushed away by the magical storm and formed a rather impressive pile thanks to Merry, who had more magic than Alec, and arguably had the most mana in the school. Are you a human snowblower?! But Merry didn¡¯t feel bad. She stopped her foot on the ground in anger. ¡°Who cares?!¡¯ ¡°We do! His Highness and Roderick are buried under this snow too!¡± ¡°Wait, they are?! His Highness and Roderick are here too!?¡± You didn¡¯t see them? Merry grew anxious but they soon crawled out of the snow mountain on their own. Thank god the snow was soft. ¡°I-I am sorry¡­¡± Rock simply sighed at Merry who had shrank back and apologised while Alec smiled reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s nice to feel the snow with my whole body.¡± ¡°I-I am really, really sorry. I will definitely make sure you two aren¡¯t here next time before I use my magic.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use it while I¡¯m around either.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Cliff and I agreed with each other for once. I¡¯ve been treated like this since I first entered school because I was a commoner but Merry treated Cliff badly as well. Unless it¡¯s someone she has to pay respect to, there may be only one person who she cares about. ¡°How can you two be so carefree at a time like this?!¡± Merry pointed her index finger at me, and completely ignored Cliff who said seriously, ¡°We¡¯re not playing around, we¡¯re training.¡± ¡°Matty¡¯s exam is coming up in a month!¡± Merry stopped her foot and screeched in anger. Our non-mage friend will take an exam to become a researcher at the palace¡¯s magic research institute. These exams were held in the early spring, close to the graduation ceremony. While a mage would have been accepted into the institute without a second thought, Matty¡¯s life would change drastically depending on whether he passes the exam or not. He often stays in his room to study after morning classes these days. He used to always come and observe our afternoon practical classes, but he has been doing this much less frequently lately. From what I can see, Matty liked to study quietly by himself, so I¡¯m not particularly worried about his absence. He was smart and always got a perfect score in his regular exams. ¡°Matty will be fine.¡± But, his cousin, Merry, was overprotective and worried about him. She couldn¡¯t stay calm when it came to Matty. My consolation apparently made her angry. ¡°What¡¯d you say?! Don¡¯t act like he¡¯s not your friend!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to do. It¡¯s important to believe in him.¡± ¡°What if he fails?!¡± Don¡¯t say such an unlucky thing¡­ I smiled wryly at her since she was freaking out. Well, it is quite heartless of us as his friends not to do anything for him. ¡°Then, how about we invite Matty for tea for a change of pace? We can ask him if he needs help with anything then.¡± A break is important. He should take time to talk to those around him and have fun even if studying alone is easy for him. ¡°Merry and I will set everything up. Alec and the others can get Matty.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come too, Your Highness.¡± Cliff stopped Alec, who had immediately agreed, and glared at me. ¡°You should fix your habit of ordering nobles around before we graduate.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± I half-heartedly took my stubborn friend¡¯s advice. Cliff doesn¡¯t like it when I act overly friendly even though we¡¯re friends who have snowball fights together. He¡¯s friends with those around him, including me, in his own way. Alec understood his principles. He gave up his role as errand¡¯s boy without saying a word. Cliff immediately headed for the dorms. ¡°Here.¡± Merry conjured a fireball for us as we cleared the snow from the corridor. ¡°Thanks.¡± We held out both hands and the snow that had stuck to our clothes, and was difficult to brush off, was melted by the heat. The hot air dried up the moisture and we were dried in no time at all. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± My voice came out involuntarily as a thought flashed through my mind as I stared at the small sun-like ball of flame. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Alec stared at me curiously. ¡°Oh, hmm, I was just thinking about how convenient it would be if anyone could warm up quickly like this. It¡¯s cold because of the snow and it¡¯s hard to sleep at night.¡± I can play happily in the snow since I have a warm roof over my head. I would have cursed the heavens for screwing around if this had been ten years ago when I was living in the streets. ¡°Magic is so nice. This is surely the power that can make many dreams come true.¡± I smiled at Alec, who had a mysterious look on his face, and went back inside. Volume 3 - CH 1 We were setting up for a tea party but it wasn¡¯t that much. All we had to do was arrange cups for several people at the usual table in the lounge and pour golden herbal tea from a pot. We didn¡¯t even prepare any snacks or sweets. Dinner will be served in a few hours. Matty, who followed Cliff, took his seat while looking down and sipped his tea. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry about me¡­¡± Matty looked really apologetic even though he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Alec said to our timid friend, ¡°I was just thinking about tea. I hope we didn¡¯t force you into having tea with us.¡± ¡°Y-you didn¡¯t. Not at all. I always forget to take breaks. Thank you for worrying about me.¡± Matty quickly bowed his head. His gentle, cute, round eyes were more hidden by his eyelids than usual. ¡°Just relax.¡± Merry quickly grabbed the pot and filled up Matty¡¯s cup that had barely gone down. ¡°Ah, ah, you¡¯ll spill your tea.¡± Matty quickly grabbed the cup and put the rim to his mouth when he exclaimed, ¡°Hot,¡± and of course the tea ended up on the floor. Aaaah, seriously. ¡°Calm down, especially you, Merry.¡± I wiped their wet clothes and the floor with napkins brought by the waiter and made them sit down properly. They both get anxious too easily. ¡°Matty, are you having trouble studying for the exam?¡± Matty looked dumbfounded when I broached the subject. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯d be happy to help you if you¡¯re having trouble studying for the exam. It¡¯s a written exam, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s what I heard, but¡­¡± Matty was slurring his words. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I mean it is a written exam but I don¡¯t know what kind of questions will be asked on the exam. Will it be like our school exams, or will it be different¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. So, you need to see the past exam questions.¡± The exam will be about magic, but the way one studies for the exam will probably change depending on the type of questions that show up on the exam. It will also help to prepare your mind to not panic on the day of the exam due to the unfamiliar question format. ¡°Are you saying that he should find previous exam questions?¡± Cliff was exaggerating somewhat. This isn¡¯t a spy mission or anything. ¡°Let¡¯s ask a teacher about the question format, frequently asked topics and other things related to the exam. You¡¯ll feel less stress if you know those things, right?¡± Maybe, we could get our hands on some past exam papers. But if we don¡¯t do this soon then the teachers will go back to the palace. They don¡¯t live at the school and rarely work overtime. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Merry grabbed Matty¡¯s arm and quickly stood up. She wasn¡¯t running but she did walk in big strides. Those who remained in our seats all smiled wryly, then we followed after them with our cups. The teachers use the staff room during their breaks. I knocked on the bright door and soon heard a voice from inside giving us permission to enter. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Merry entered first followed by me. I saw a dark-haired mage sitting curled up on the sofa in front of the red-hot fireplace. We let out sighs when she saw him turn back and look at us with his unshaven face. ¡°Why are you always the only one here?¡± ¡°Am I not allowed to be at work?¡± Harold-sensei said, somewhat less cheerful than usual. He had a blanket on his shoulder which was clipped in front of his chest. ¡°You are, but aren¡¯t you going back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold in the government building. If you have questions, then you can ask someone tomorrow.¡± He stayed near the fireplace while saying this. You live in a government building? You live at work? I was getting information I wasn¡¯t interested in. He then proceeded to address Alec after a curt nod in my direction. ¡°You are here too, Your Highness? It must be cold in the corridor.¡± He pointed to the one-person sofa in front of the fireplace. His words and tone sounded polite, but he was being rude. Rock looked displeased. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m alright.¡± Alec also had a difficult expression on his face and declined the offer. ¡°I¡¯d rather you help Matthias.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°He would like to learn more about the research institute exam.¡± Merry continued; she couldn¡¯t wait for Alec to answer. She decided to ask Harold-sensei about the exam. Harold-sensei stared at Merry, then glanced at Matty who was behind her. Then he laughed. ¡°I see, if that¡¯s the question then I¡¯ll help.¡± I have a bad feeling about this. This person doesn¡¯t usually laugh at good things. He must have thought it was funny, or he was making fun of Matty, or he thought he could benefit from this. Harold-sensei stood up, leaned against the sofa, smiled then opened his arms. ¡°So, how much are you willing to pay?¡± He asked for money straight away! The inexperienced boys and girl raised their eyebrows in confusion and only I shuddered at his bold statement. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you can talk about cheating in front of the Prince.¡± He was saying that he would sell the exam paper. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be a past exam either. Cliff, in particular, began to look at Harold-sensei as if he was filth, but Harold-sensei acted as if it wasn¡¯t a big problem. ¡°I¡¯m sure His Highness would find this to be a good lesson,¡± he shamelessly said. Filth! He¡¯s filth! ¡°Don¡¯t incite innocent youths to do bad things!¡± ¡°People always lose their innocence in their youth. You¡¯re the ones who came to ask me about the exam.¡± ¡°We only came to ask you the format of the questions, and if there are any past exams around then Matty would like to use them as reference.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Unfortunately, there is no such thing.¡± Really? I can¡¯t trust this shrewd person. ¡°I don¡¯t care if this boy fails. I won¡¯t force him into anything. He can just stay scared until the day of the exam.¡± He said in an unpleasant tone, but we will lose if we give into temptation here. I saw someone staggering forward beside me. ¡°¡­ How much?¡± ¡°Merry, stop!¡± I quickly threw out my arms to stop her. Her eyes were shaking with anxiety and she looked as if she was a mother preparing to make way for her child¡¯s future. ¡°Calm down! You¡¯ll be blackmailed for the rest of your life if you succumb here.¡± There was no guarantee that the money would be paid only once. It was the same as seizing someone¡¯s weakness. ¡°You¡¯re making me out to be a very bad person.¡± Harold-sensei smiled wryly. Does he believe he¡¯s a good person after all the bad things he has said? ¡°You would do it too if you could.¡± ¡°Who knows. I¡¯ve never been offered this choice before.¡± He played dumb. I believe he¡¯s taken a bribe or two though. ¡°Don¡¯t think about doing dumb things, Marylee.¡± Cliff snapped as he glared down at Matty. ¡°Matthias, do you want to be honoured by cheating?¡± Matty shook his head. Why was he being accused and frightened when he himself never asked how much Harold-sensei wanted. Stop it, I feel bad for him. Although Cliff is a fresh breath of air right now since he never changed. He held back the swaying Merry [1] and firmly warned the filthy adult. ¡°Your Highness. I suggest you dismiss this teacher for the sake of order.¡± Alec turned towards the corrupt teacher with a complicated expression on his face. ¡°Harold-sensei, if you do this kind of stuff on a daily basis then¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t just say that you do~.¡± ¡°Idiot. If I was really doing this on a daily basis then I wouldn¡¯t be negotiating in such a roundabout way.¡± Well, he¡¯s probably right. He was probably half joking, half-teasing when he made the offer. This man was good at conducting himself, so he would have made this offer in a more unobtrusive place. In a way, I trusted him. But I can¡¯t let my guard down. I can¡¯t be sure that he won¡¯t secretly go to Matty later to make him an offer. Perhaps he sensed my doubt since he held up his hands as if to indicate his surrender. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll prepare some questions for you like any respectable teacher would.¡± He wrote something in a memo on his poor excuse of a desk near the window and held it out, ¡°Here.¡± Merry snatched the memo and we all peeked at it from behind her. There was only one sentence on the memo. ¡ºThe spell for flying is¡­¡» ¡­ What? We built a raft and flew. Why are you asking us this question? ¡°I heard a question like that is asked every exam.¡± Harold-sensei had already returned to the sofa in front of the fireplace by the time we looked up. ¡°The exam questions are created by the researchers when they have free time. They aren¡¯t questions that require detailed knowledge like the ones teachers make.¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s more than one answer for the questions?¡± Harold-sensei answered Merry¡¯s question without looking back at us. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no right answer. They want newcomers who can give them a breakthrough on the research they¡¯re struggling with.¡± So, it¡¯s a few times harder than the school exams. But I personally find it interesting. As a former researcher, I¡¯m motivated by questions that test my wisdom instead of just questions that just require memorization. Although I wouldn¡¯t be asked those questions, I kind of wanted to take the test. But not everyone feels the same way as me. ¡°Really?! Th-then how is he supposed to study for it?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The teacher wasn¡¯t interested in paying attention to the panicking Merry. ¡°Merry, that¡¯s enough.¡± Matty pulled on his cousin¡¯s sleeve but Merry shook him off. ¡°It¡¯s not! You won¡¯t be able to answer the question if you don¡¯t ask him what it is!¡± We¡¯re back at square one even though we all tried to convince her that it was a bad idea to buy the question. Merry was unable to think calmly right now. The timid Matty was calmer in this situation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t tell you that I¡¯ll be alright, but¡­¡± Matty fiddled with his fingers in front of his chest and said timidly. ¡°¡­ But- but this exam is something that I want to do.¡± His voice may have been quiet, but his intentions were clear. His widened eyes had determination in them. ¡°I know the format of the question now thanks to you all. That¡¯s enough for me. I¡¯ll do the rest on my own.¡± It felt as if he was saying, ¡°I want to do my best.¡± I¡¯m sure Merry heard it too. Merry was taken aback. She turned around and looked down. ¡°¡­ What if you fail?¡± Ah, why would you say that? Matty, on the other hand, smiled. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know, but I just have to give it a try.¡± Matty had already made up his mind. The person in the situation is usually the one who is calm. Merry pursed her lips and unhappily stared at Matty for a while. Then, she sighed. ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t forgive you if you fail.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Matty unconfidently nodded quietly. ¡°If you¡¯ve reached an agreement, then can you get out of here? It¡¯s already cold, so take your cold conversation outside.¡± It was amusing to see him say that then put the blanket on himself again. ¡°Is it poison to someone who has lost their innocence?¡± ¡°Yes, so go away.¡± With his back towards us, he waved his hand as if to brush dust off his shoulder. We bowed our head towards the teacher who had given us the advice we needed even though he had said some unnecessary things as well and left the room. ¡°You aren¡¯t as unreliable as Merry makes you out to be.¡± I whispered to Matty who was next to me in the dark corridor on our walk back. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, Merry worried about him too excessively for no reason. Although Matty sometimes entered a menial state with no way out, he was surprisingly strong and wasn¡¯t swayed by others. ¡°T-that¡¯s not true. I can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t have made it to this school if Merry hadn¡¯t helped me. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could get in and even if I could, I wasn¡¯t sure I could live with others.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m like this,¡± Matty touched his brown hair which wasn¡¯t a hair colour that was common among nobles. ¡°But when I look at you and His Highness, I¡¯m starting to think that maybe I don¡¯t have to think too much.¡± ¡°You mean that in a good way, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yeah, I do. Of course, I meant it in a good way. You both are so unconcerned about everything, so I¡¯m starting to believe that I shouldn¡¯t be so concerned about what others think.¡± We don¡¯t care about anything¡­ The way he said that makes me feel uneasy but I guess he¡¯s talking about our status and attitude. Neither Alec or I would be at the magic school if things went by custom. ¡°I¡¯ve never known what I could do¡­ but I¡¯ve learnt in the past two years that it¡¯s not about what you can do, but what you try to do that counts. I¡¯m trying desperately to do what I want to do like you¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be cool to be dragged around by Merry all the time, right?¡± Matty deliberately lowered his voice towards the end and muttered, ¡°But I was also dragged around by her too.¡± ¡°First¡­ I have to be able to do things by myself.¡± It was a charming desire. The two of them don¡¯t clearly express their feelings to each other but they will eventually have the confidence to tell the other how they feel as they grow up. I smiled as I imagined such a future. ¡°You can be anything you want. I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯ll even help you study for your exams.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I smiled and immediately asked him. ¡°What kind of magic do you think you need to be able to breathe in the ocean?¡± ¡°Is it possible to walk on water?¡± ¡°¡­ Hmm¡­¡± ¡°It would be nice if magic could heal wounds straight away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cliff, Alec, Marry and even Rock started asking Matty impossible questions after me. ¡°Can you come up with a magic spell that can instantly wipe out an enemy without leaving a single speck of dust?¡± ¡°Matty, do you think you can control the weather with magic?¡± ¡°I want to know if there¡¯s magic that can read a book to you in your head without having you to read it.¡± ¡°Think of a spell that would silence a rude person.¡± Matty was troubled. ¡°¡­ I need time to think about all that.¡± It was my fault that Matty became more reclusiv as a result of our magic demands every time we saw him. Volume 3 - CH 2.1 The heavy snowfall which seemed like a whim of the heavens didn¡¯t last long and quickly disappeared. Then like the year before, the rays of the sun softened and spring was in the air. I was getting ready at the boarding house on a morning when I could see the budding greenery on the street outside my window. I had returned last night and had to go to school today. It was still early but I would be late if I left at the same time I did when I stayed in the dormitory. ¡°Wait, Aime.¡± I quickly finished getting dressed and was about to tie up my hair when Rille-nee stopped me. I turned around with a ribbon in my mouth and she quickly snatched the ribbon from my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you sure?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t have a hair out of place today.¡± Rille-nee refused to hand me the ribbon. She sat me down on the chair and stood behind me holding a brush. Umm, I can tie my hair up however I want though. My hair reached down to my shoulders. Rille-nee carefully combed my hair which had been trimmed every once in a while, so that it wouldn¡¯t grow too long. The gentle touch of her fingers tickled my scalp. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get ready, Rille-nee?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already dressed.¡± Hmm, I shouldn¡¯t have asked. Rille-nee was especially quick at getting ready, but well, I¡¯m the same too. We have been merchants since young and time is money. It was enough for a worker to be well-groomed to a certain extent. ¡°What kind of hairstyle do you want?¡± Rille-nee asked me how I wanted my hair while combing. ¡°In a ponytail like always.¡± My standard hairstyle was to tie my hair in a high ponytail. It was quick and easy to do on busy mornings and looked reasonably decent and it didn¡¯t get in the way. But Rille-nee wasn¡¯t happy with my response. ¡°Are you sure you want your hair in a ponytail?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to a party and it¡¯s better to have my hair in my usual hairstyle at a time like this.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright, then why don¡¯t I braid your hair into two braids?¡± She wanted to take her time with my hair. I smiled. ¡°I like ponytails because they¡¯re simple.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your big day. You can¡¯t put your hair up in a simple ponytail on your big day. Just sit there and let me do your hair.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave it to you, Rille-nee.¡± So, Rille-nee braided my hair into two braids and put some oil that she received from Sonia-san to make my hair look shinier. I could smell flowers whenever I moved my head. The scent wasn¡¯t sweet, but rather refreshing like lily of the valley. I was impressed that Rille-nee had mastered how to make someone pretty without my knowledge. I will thank Sonia-san tonight. She doesn¡¯t get up often in the mornings. ¡°Thanks.¡± Rille-nee smiled after she adjusted the position of the ribbon. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I put on my robe once my hair was done and was off. I went downstairs with Rille-nee and Anna-san, the strong landlady, noticed us and yelled at us from the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re already off?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare a feast for you tonight, so come back early.¡± ¡°Ok~ay, yay!¡± A feast prepared by Anna-san! Everything she made tasted superb, so I couldn¡¯t help but be excited. ¡°Did you forget anything?¡± Rille-nee asked me at the entrance. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± I would normally leave the house with a shoulder bag stuffed full of books, notebooks, and a change of clothes but I wasn¡¯t leaving with any of those things this morning. I didn¡¯t need to carry anything with me today. I saw the white morning sun and the pale blue sky outside. There was a slightly chilly wind blowing, indicating that the night wasn¡¯t over. ¡°Have a good day.¡± I turned around to look at Rille-nee and waved my hand at her. ¡°I¡¯m off.¡± I visited the palace again when spring arrived at the capital. I was in the white central palace with my classmates from school even though I never thought I would ever step foot in here. Once we had assembled at school, the teacher took us through the halls of the palace. The sound of shoes echoed in the halls. The carefully polished floor reflected the soft sunlight. In a hollow in the wall in front of us stood three plaster statues. The bearded Santa look-a-like figure in the centre was Cephas Cronoran, the first king. The royal family¡¯s surname was taken from the Cronoran Palace. It was like the Imperial surname in Japan. To his left was a slightly smaller status of a thin man without a beard, the great Founding Mage, Ellis Rain. He was said to have been given most of the Sky God¡¯s favour. He was clad in a long robe that reached down to his feet and was looking up at the sky. And to his right was the statue of a great warrior in armour. Aldus Sonnier, a general who, like Rain, contributed to the founding of the nation and whose name was as famous as the roar of thunder. His sharp, stern gaze was looking at his feet as if he was keeping close watch to see if any of us would harm the king. This was General Owen¡¯s ancestor even though he didn¡¯t look like him. I remembered later that I had heard the name Sonnier in class. He¡¯s really a troublesome man¡­ Well, he¡¯s alright for now though. I gazed at the three artistic statues and then it was finally time for the king, who wasn¡¯t a statue, to appear. Everyone dropped to one knee once the silent signal was given, bowed their heads and looked to the floor. A lowly noble or commoner would normally not be granted an audience with the king, but today was special. And because we were in a special position in the hierarchy ¨D¨D¨D to be precise, we were granted an audience today to receive proof of our special status. ¡°Lift your faces.¡± I never imagined that I would hear this line in real life. We remained on our knees and only raised our faces after the King spoke. The King, who looked kind and dignified, stood with his back to the statue and looked at each student¡¯s face. He called our names one by one, and we stepped forward in front of him, then he put a white robe over each student¡¯s shoulders. This was the Magic School¡¯s graduation ceremony. Those who have mastered all the spells assigned to them, mastered the theory behind magic and were recognised as mages received personal blessings from the King. It was clear from this ceremony that mages are held in high esteem in this kingdom and on this continent. King Victorin, the current ruler of the Traus Kingdom, smiled at me as I came before him. His smile was kind just like Alec¡¯s. ¡°I owe you a great deal.¡± He whispered as he put the robe on me. He was probably referring to what had happened with his son and daughter. I was prepared for their parents to be mad at me for helping her sneak around and helping Alec fly but their parents didn¡¯t seem angry. I had a strange connection with the royal family. I would have met all the royal family members once I meet the Queen, but that doesn¡¯t really matter. I couldn¡¯t speak to the King without his permission. I kept my eyes down, received his quiet appreciation, and quickly stepped back, so that I wouldn¡¯t get in the way of anyone else. Alec, the Prince, was also a student until today, and he received a white robe from his father to show that he was a full-fledged mage. When everyone had received their robes, the King addressed the whole group. ¡°You all have overcome every obstacle thrown your way and made it this far. The path you are on is a special one that no one else can follow. I hope that you will continue onward and that one day you will lead the people into happiness instead of God.¡± The busy King Victorin left after his brief speech. The audience was short, but it was enough to move the young people. I was a little moved too but not by the King¡¯s encouragement. I shouted the moment I left the white palace. ¡°I did itttt!!¡± After working hard for 10 years after becoming an orphan, I finally became a high salary earner like I dreamt. There was no job interview. There will be an information session after this at the Magic Research Institute after this and then I have to write down which department I want to go to and submit it. A stable government employee. I don¡¯t have to worry about being on the street anymore as long as the nation doesn¡¯t perish. The pure white robe that shone in the sun symbolised everything I have accumulated in my second life. So, isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s okay to get a little excited. ¡°Don¡¯t yell, you moron.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± ¡°Where the heck do you think you are?!¡± Rock, Cliff, and Mary as well as the teacher and other alumnus glared at me. ¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯re really that upset. I know you¡¯re not supposed to make a fuss in front of the palace where the king is. Alec was the only one to congratulate me afterwards. ¡°Are you going to the information session as well, Alec?¡± I asked him and Rock as we walked to the institute together. Of course, there was no way the Prince would be working at the institute. It would be pointless for him to attend the information session, but he seemed interested in it. ¡°And this is the last day I can spend with my friends. Wouldn¡¯t it be a shame if I left already?¡± We had all moved out of the dormitory already and he won¡¯t be returning to the school. It was really goodbye. It was weird since we are living in the same place. ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to be rude to you and Rock one last time.¡± ¡°Remember that tomorrow.¡± Rock warned in a low voice. I was joking. He always threatened me like this, but I wanted him to stop since it was a real threat now. Matty, who was the one who worried the most about finding a job, passed the exam¡­ with flying colours! He was also here in his white robes. He was a mage even though he couldn¡¯t use magic. I guess he¡¯s similar to me since I¡¯m a mage who isn¡¯t good at magic. The exam consisted of questions on projects that were on-going as well as new projects and was in the same format that Harold-sensei had told us. Matty said that the questions given to everyone else were more difficult. I was feeling a little guilty since I asked him to come up with a lot of spells for me to help him study for his exam, but I made things difficult for him by contradicting his opinions. I enjoyed debating with him so much that I couldn¡¯t help myself. Well, he passed the exam, so things turned out alright in the end! Matty had already been notified that he will be working at the Magic Research Institute and will also attend the information session. The Royal Magic Research Institute was built on the west side of the palace, in the opposite direction of the military department that I visited before. The building was also very bright and open with a lot of white and blue ornaments, and the new recruits who came to visit were welcomed with applause by the people who were there. Some of the people who were clapping were teachers and some were complete strangers. ¡°This is where we do most of our research.¡± Theobold Rain, the head of the research institute, showed us around. He was related to Ellis Rain, the most powerful mage of the Founding Age, just as his name suggested. But I heard that he wasn¡¯t a direct descendant. The eccentric hero who helped found this nation had no children, but he did have a younger brother and Director Theobold was a descendant of his brother. He looked around 40 years old. The wrinkles between his browns and his stern boss expression made me think that he didn¡¯t get to his position solely because of his connections. His appearance was a contrast to the friendly aura in the institute. He didn¡¯t raise an eyebrow at Alec¡¯s presence and after a polite greeting, explained the facilities in a lively way without paying any more attention to Alec. His behaviour was more military-like than mage-like. The research institute was divided into sections with low partitions placed in each section and the sections were easily divided like offices. Even though they were researching different things, they had magic in common, so they should be able to freely visit each other and exchange ideas. Research cannot be done alone, so those who didn¡¯t like cooperating with others weren¡¯t suited to be researchers. I looked around the office and found that the spell development department occupied the largest space. I overheard a group of people discussing various offensive spells written on a blackboard in front of them. I guess developing spells for military use was top priority. We learnt not only to create wind and fire at school but also how to direct them at an opponent, but I would like to avoid using magic on people if possible. There was also a section that was quietly researching the characteristics of magic stones and a department was a combination of school education and researching the Mitoan people. There was also a large training facility built of stone for testing and practicing new magic as well as a government housing where researchers can sleep. They didn¡¯t just do research here; sometimes the senior mages were sent out on escort missions like a soldier would. Although, research was their main occupation nowadays since the world was at peace, but if we were at war then mages would be counted as one of the assets. My goal was to work in the magic tool development section where mage engineers work. They were the only ones who didn¡¯t have an office. The school doesn¡¯t offer classes on magic stone processing. The specialised artisans know how to process magic stones and it was said that normal mages cannot learn the technique. So I waited with anticipation, but Director Theobald only pointed out that the artisan workshop was ahead but didn¡¯t proceed any further. WHY!? Volume 3 - CH 2.2 ¡°Can¡¯t you show us inside?!¡± I quickly raised my hand and asked before he pointed at me, but the Director simply said, ¡°We¡¯re under a time constraint.¡± No one else protested besides me and the group followed the Director. It seemed that no one was really interested in it. I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯m going to be a magic engineer anyway, but you can¡¯t just skip them out on the tour! A mage who can control their own mana may not be interested in finding ways to let others use that power. After we looked around, I was handed a piece of paper and asked to write down my preferred department and submit it. It was best for everyone that they went to the departments they were interested in and wanted to research, and it was possible to change departments later too. Most of a mage¡¯s work was magic research so it didn¡¯t make a big difference which department they were in. ¡°I¡¯m going to the magic tool development department. What about you Merry? Where are you going?¡± Merry, who was filling out her form on a round desk like me, shook her head tiredly. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the education department. The others seem difficult.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be assigned to be an escort. Maybe you¡¯ll accompany Alec somewhere.¡± ¡°I believe His Highness can handle any situation himself.¡± ¡°He could.¡± He was a powerful mage too. He would be completely fine if a scoundrel attacked him. He was listening to our conversation and laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ll be relying on you if you are assigned as my escort.¡± ¡°I will do my best to fulfil my duty when the time comes.¡± Merry stood up tall and said in a voice full of confidence. ¡°I probably won¡¯t be assigned on escort duty~. Ah, what did you put down Cliff?¡± I asked him when he came back from turning in his paper. ¡°The spell development department. That¡¯s where you can learn the most magic.¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re skilled, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to use new magic really quickly. Do your best along with Matty.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I will be in the same group as him¡­¡± Matty gave Cliff a timid smile as he said this. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. I look forward to working with you if we get put in the same group.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the same building anyway even if we¡¯re in different departments. We¡¯ll have many chances to see each other even if we don¡¯t want to.¡± You don¡¯t want to? You¡¯re not being honest Cliff. You¡¯re supposed to cherish your classmates. I submitted my completed form while complaining to him and the briefing ended when all the participants gathered together again. ¡°Thank you very much for the past two years, Your Highness.¡± Merry bowed to Alec after we left the institute. Regional nobles like Merry and Matty don¡¯t have homes in the capital and will be housed in the palace today. By the way, Cliff was a court noble, i.e., a noble who was involved with domestic affairs, so his family has a home in the capital. It seemed that there were various types of nobles. I could have stayed in the government housing, but I decided not to because I wanted to live with Rille-nee. We looked for a place that could house the two of us when we moved to the capital because I wanted to live with her. The government housing was located at the back of the institute, so this was where I would bid Merry and Matty goodbye. ¡°Please let me know if you ever need my help. I will definitely show you that I can be useful with the power I hold.¡± Merry touched the magic stone on her chest, and looked as dependable as she could. I was deeply moved when I thought back on how she was in tears because she couldn¡¯t study for the tests or control her magic. Alec smiled gently because he also knew about the effort she had put in to graduate. ¡°I will. I¡¯ll be relying on you a lot. You too, Matty.¡± ¡°O-okay!¡± Matty snapped his back straight. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you develop new spells and I hope your dreams come true.¡± ¡°¡­ T-thank you. I will do my best! I will give it my all!¡± His dream was to become like Clemens Cooei, an accomplished researcher in the past who had developed many of the spells that are still in use today. Matty smiled and bowed many times as Alec cheered him on. Then, they gave one final deep bow and left with the others who had entered the government housing. ¡°I will also be taking my leave now.¡± Cliff suddenly said. I was surprised since I thought he would walk with me until we left the palace. ¡°Why? You¡¯re not living in the government housing, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to report to my father and brother who are in the palace.¡± ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t you do that at home?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Yes¡­ you can. I didn¡¯t get it. Cliff continued and began addressing Alec. ¡°There have been many times in the past two years when I have been unintentionally rude to you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t.¡± Alec shook his head as Cliff bowed. ¡°You and Rock have helped me a lot in the past two years.¡± ¡°I am not worthy of those words. I will continue to devote myself to helping you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Thanks. I will do my best to live up to your expectations.¡± Cliff then bowed at Rock. ¡°It must have been very stressful for you to work as a guard at school.¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡± Both of them glanced over at me for some reason. What? ¡°Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can help you with.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember that. Thanks for the past two years.¡± The two of them understood each other better than others since they were both stubborn and serious, especially when it came to giving me warnings. Oddly enough, I wanted them to be a little grateful to me if I did play a part in their friendship, but they would probably get angry at me if I said that to them. ¡°Then, if you please excuse me.¡± Cliff kept his manners until the very end and left. We watched him leave, then Alec turned towards me. ¡°We should get going too. I¡¯ll walk you to the gate.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Please let me see you off.¡± I couldn¡¯t refuse when he said that. I mean, there was no reason for me to refuse. Rock followed behind us without a single word of complaint, which was rare. ¡°I remember you walked me to the gate after the exam as well.¡± That was at the Magic School, but it happened roughly around this season and time of the year. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a prince back then and was surprised when I was told. You should have told me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought it would be difficult for you to talk to me if you knew who I was, but now I know that I worried for no reason.¡± Alec laughed. ¡°Hey, I might have been a bit more polite.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alec exaggerated his surprise as if he knew what I was saying was a lie. He knew me well. ¡°Sorry, I lied. I would have probably acted the same.¡± I probably wouldn¡¯t act formal. ¡°That¡¯s what makes you, you.¡± ¡°Are you complimenting me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Then, fine. Well, it¡¯s not good for me to act like this in society though. He doesn¡¯t mind, so just let me act like myself in private. ¡°Do you have any plans to celebrate graduation tonight, Alec?¡± The topic changed and the conversation continued. ¡°You¡¯re not going to throw a big party at the palace?¡± ¡°No. I refused when they brought it up.¡± Alec looked as if he thought that idea was preposterous. He was so humble even though he was the prince of this kingdom. ¡°There won¡¯t be a party, but my sister is preparing something for me.¡± ¡°Ah, that seems like something she would do.¡± Princess Philia¡¯s excited smile immediately flashed through my mind, and I smiled. In contrast, her brother had a slightly clouded expression on his face. ¡°I appreciate her feelings, but I¡¯m worried since my sister does unexpected things.¡± She¡¯s someone who snuck out to enjoy the festival, so who knows what she would do. But I just want her to enjoy herself since I wasn¡¯t invited. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It sounds like it¡¯ll be fun. Tell me about it later.¡± I said light-heartedly. Alec looked surprised for a moment, then he smiled softly. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Okay, I will.¡± He nodded deeply as if he was swallowing the words he wanted to say. ¡°Are you celebrating tonight at home?¡± ¡°Yeah. Anna, the owner of the boarding house, made a feast for us. We¡¯re going to have a women-only party with Rille-nee, Connie-san and the other two people who live at the boarding house.¡± ¡°That sounds fun.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going to be fun.¡± Then tomorrow, I have to go to Chancellor Leonard¡¯s mansion to report my graduation and write a letter to Gis-nee and send it to her. I¡¯m going to start working soon, so I need to prepare for that too. I finally had free time, but I had so many things I needed to do. Time just flies. This will never change no matter where you are. We eventually arrived at the front gate of the palace while we were talking. ¡°¨D¨D¨D Then, see you.¡± I stopped in front of the gate and turned towards Alec and Rock. I never know what to say when I have to say goodbye to people. I don¡¯t like dragging out farewells either. I¡¯ve already said all I¡¯ve wanted to say. But I held out my right hand. If this isn¡¯t our final farewell, then a handshake was enough. Alec immediately shook my hand. His hand had already fully developed and was warmer and bigger than mine. After we finished shaking hands, I also kind of forced a bewildered Rock to shake my hand. He uses swords, so his skin was hard and calloused. Let¡¯s meet again. You¡¯ll always be my friend. I wanted to let them know this without having to say it out loud. I let go of Rock¡¯s hand and looked each of them in the eye, then I turned around. ¡°Aime.¡± Alec immediately called out to me. I turned around and Alec was bowing. ¡°I had fun these past couple years thanks to you.¡± He looked slightly red when he raised his head but that could have been from the setting sun. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve my dream or make a friend if I hadn¡¯t met you. I wouldn¡¯t be satisfied either. ¨D¨D¨D Do you realise how much you¡¯ve contributed to everyone¡¯s futures in the past two years?¡± Alec said passionately. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll continue to influence many people in the future and I¡¯m proud to be your friend.¡± ¡°¨D¨D¨D¡± Alec exaggerates like always. I haven¡¯t done much. I was simply enjoying my school life with a group of like-minded people. He said that he was proud to be my friend even though I¡¯ve only been his friend for two years. How could I not be happy about that? ¡°Me too. Thanks!¡± The words flew out of my mouth, pushed by the emotions that were coursing through my body. ¡°Me too! I wouldn¡¯t have been able to have this much fun or have made friends if you weren¡¯t there. You were always by my side. I¡¯m really grateful to you, and Rock too.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to include me like an afterthought.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not an afterthought!¡± I took both their hands again in my happiness and shook it up and down. ¡°Watch me! I won¡¯t make you embarrassed to call me a friend!¡± I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m the person Alec says I am, but if I want to become that person then I have to make myself into that person. Actions determine who you are. I will make my name known. Our parting words became a pledge to the future. Volume 3 - CH 3 It was my first day at work after the graduation ceremony, a fun night of partying and a short break. I quickly walked down the corridor in my brand-new robes early in the morning. I didn¡¯t pass anyone and there were no obstacles to the old wooden doors that stood at the end of the path. I reached the door, knocked on it four times and then opened the door without waiting for a reply. ¡°Good morning! My name is Aime and I¡¯ve been assigned to the Magic Tool Development Department!¡± I was going to continue with, ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± but I held my tongue since no one was here. My cheerful voice reverberated off the stone wall and echoed. ¡­ Hmm, was I too early? There weren¡¯t many people in the lab either. I just couldn¡¯t wait. I barely slept last night since I was so excited. I closed the door and went inside. The first thing that caught my eye in the square room was the pile of swords near the wall. I took one and examined it before anyone else could come in. There was a round hole near the end of the hilt. Maybe that was where the magic stone was placed. It reminded me of Gis-nee¡¯s sword. I pulled the sword out of the scabbard and found that the sword wasn¡¯t new and had nicks on it. Do they repair swords here too? I don¡¯t know how to repair swords, but I¡¯m sure blacksmiths repair katanas by thrusting them into hearths. I looked around the room but there was no hearth. There was a fireplace, but I don¡¯t think they used that to repair swords. It wouldn¡¯t seem out of place even if this room had a large blacksmith-like hearth. The other mage labs are carpeted and filled with desks and chairs giving off the impression of an office, but this room was bare. The floors and walls were made of stone and gave the impression of an artisan¡¯s workshop. It was a bit cold, but I didn¡¯t dislike this cold and quiet space. The only drawback of this room was that it was a bit too cluttered. There were tools and notepads scattered all over the dirty floor and it was dusty. The personality of the people working in this room was questionable. Maybe they didn¡¯t show us this room during our briefing because they didn¡¯t want us to see how dirty it was. I put the sword back onto the pile and peeked over at the wide workbench attached to the wall with the window. Countless papers were scattered on the table, and there was a red magic stone next to a pen. You can¡¯t handle precious magic stones like this. You should at least clean the workbench. I complained in my mind, but those things stopped mattering once I saw what was written on the paper. It looked like a magic circle. One of the sheets of paper I picked up had Mitoan letters written along lines in the gaps between the quadruple circle, and in the small circle at the centre of the magic circle was a single letter that indicated the nature of what this magic circle was used for. The other pieces of papers also had circles on them, some had more circles, some with less. These shapes looked familiar to me. I¡¯m certain I saw something similar engraved in Giedt¡¯s eye. Will anyone be able to use magic if this magic circle is engraved onto magic stones? Though, I don¡¯t think Gis-nee¡¯s sword had anything like this on it. Well, it might have letters on it but I don¡¯t remember seeing any. I might have missed it. Anyways, let¡¯s continue. I picked up the red magic circle lying on the bench with my left hand. It was large enough to fit into the palm of my hand; the surface was polished flat and there were already letters carved on it. It looked like the same magic circle as the one that was written on the paper in my right hand. I looked at the letter and it looked like a ¡®fire¡¯ spell. The letter in the centre represented , and the string of letters near it specify the position where it should be activated and the direction; both common elements that mages incorporate into their spells. That was all I could figure out. I didn¡¯t know what the rest meant. There were lots of words mixed in there that weren¡¯t used in normal spells, and I could read the string of letters near the edge, but I didn¡¯t know what they meant. How the heck is this supposed to be activated? I couldn¡¯t feel mana from the magic stone, so I knew it was still closed. When a magic stone is opened, the mana in the stone emanates into the air. Mages can feel this mana on their skin, and it flows into their body when they touch an opened magic stone. I was curious to see what would happen if I opened the magic stone, but I shouldn¡¯t. By the way, even a magic stone owned by one person can be opened by another if they just listen to the opening spell. But you have to ask the owner of the magic stone for the sealing spell. The magic stone will only ask the person who first opened it the ¡®zen-like¡¯ question. So, if someone uses a magic stone without knowing the sealing spell and goes out of control, then they won¡¯t be able to stop the spell until the magic stone runs out of mana. It felt like a malicious system. You can listen to the opening spell, but you shouldn¡¯t carelessly use someone else¡¯s magic stone. So, I shouldn¡¯t carelessly open this magic stone either. Argh, I really want to know what it does! At that moment, the bell signalling the start of work rang. It was about time for someone to come in. I couldn¡¯t wait to meet them. Come on! Or I¡¯ll look around some more. I saw another door in front of me. I didn¡¯t notice it earlier because of the protruding wall but it was right behind me when I stood facing the window. I assumed that no one would be inside and opened the door without knocking. The strong smell of alcohol immediately hit my nose. It¡¯s so strong! Why does the workplace smell like this? There was a bed at the corner of the small room with a small old man sleeping on it. He was clutching a bottle of alcohol in his bony hand and was wearing a white robe, the proof of a mage, as a blanket. There were numerous bottles, identical to the one he was holding, lying on the floor. A little snore would escape from him every now and then. Erm¡­. ¡°Go~od mor~ning~?¡± I heard a voice behind me while I was trying to decide what to do. The way the voice went up at the end of the greeting was probably because they saw me. I turned around and just ahead of me was a man with one leg hooked on the windowsill. He looked as if he had just entered. We both froze and time seemed to have stopped for a moment. The old man¡¯s snoring echoed in my ears. Hmm¡­. Oh yeah, I want to scream. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS?!