‘The former crown prince, Aslan, suddenly interrupted the conversation between Syria and me.
From his reaction, it seemed he hadn’t overheard what we were discussing.
Well, if he had been eavesdropping, I would have noticed.
“As I hear it, you’re the one who captured Zerato in the dungeon this time, Olivia. Isn’t that right?”
“Ah, yes. Well, it just sort of happened.”
“It wasn’t anything significant.”
“I just caught him without knowing it was Zerato.”
“My mother has praised you greatly. She even awarded you the title of Taesa. Isn’t that quite an honor for Ashtar and the imperial family?”
“It is, I suppose. But is there something you need?”
‘I feel uneasy whenever you come to me. Please don’t make another confession.’
“As a matter of fact, we will be embarking on a provincial tour this time.”
“What?”
“The student council is hosting it. And, as a saintess, Taesa, and Ashtar’s daughter, we’d like you to join us.”
Syria snickered behind me, barely holding back laughter.
“What?”
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I’m not thinking of anything else. I’ve already decided to break off our engagement, and I’m in discussions with Yuria.”
‘So, Yuria has taken the position of fiancée after all.’
I figured many noble families would vie for a connection with the prince, but Aslan chose Yuria.
‘Well, the emperor is notoriously laissez-faire, so he must have allowed it.’
‘And Aslan isn’t a fool.’
‘He probably realized that marrying a commoner would help pacify public sentiment.’
There were likely whispers about this behind the scenes.
‘In the end, Yuria is the ultimate winner, isn’t she?’
‘She’s no fool, either.’
‘Perhaps she was influenced a bit by Lily.’
‘Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to live under the control of the nobility and endure such absurdity.’
“So, Yuria is your new fiancée?”
“Not officially yet, but we’ve reached an understanding. In fact, I’m grateful to Yuria. Marrying into the imperial family is a risk that could change one’s life completely.”
“What an idiot.”
“Hmm?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
‘Is this guy just naturally like this? Does he not realize why Yuria works so hard to support him?’
“Anyway, don’t worry about that. This is simply about recent unrest and the need to inspect the surrounding regions after the demon king’s subjugation. It’s a goodwill mission to care for the people.”
“And to work your way back into the position of crown prince, right?”
‘I get that royals might aspire to the emperor’s throne, but would anyone genuinely want a position so powerless?’
“Raising a princess to the throne doesn’t sound like a bad idea, either. Many of the remaining noble factions were damaged by the Lily incident.”
“So, will you join? I won’t force you, but I think it would be a good experience for someone like you, who has mostly stayed in the capital. Besides, there’s not much left for you to learn at the academy, is there?”
“That’s not untrue.”
‘This is a good opportunity.’
‘I’ve been wanting to leave the capital for a while now.’
‘After Clanis used Zerato to attack the empire and Bertha Fortress fell, if Pector withdrew its forces, they might target the empire next.’
‘If that’s the case, stepping outside the capital wouldn’t be a bad idea.’
“My mother has already granted her permission. Even if you don’t visit her after the academy ends, it won’t be an issue.”
“Who else is going?”
“From the student council, there’s me, Yuria, and students Balen Rivelt, you, and Sharial from the elves.”
‘Wow, they picked only the core members. Well, that’s better than taking random nobodies. Besides, Rivelt is from a famous family in the empire. If their young master accompanies the prince, it’ll leave a good impression. As for Sharial, I’ve never heard of her before.’
“Who is Sharial?”
“She’s an exchange student from the elves. Apparently, she’s the younger sister of Ella from the hero’s party.”
“Ah, I see.”
‘If she’s anything like her sister, she’ll have a terrible personality. But hopefully, she won’t be. There’s no reason they have to be alike, right?’
“She takes pride in her race but lacks the superiority complex typical of elves. She doesn’t seem like a bad companion. Personally, I see her as a potential future elder for her people.”
“What’s her personality like?”
‘Personality matters.
I mean, this isn’t a matchmaking session, but after frequently clashing with Ella, I hate even hearing about the hero’s party. If Sharial is anything like Ella, I want no part of her. Spending even a day in the same room as someone like that would make my blood pressure spike. The reason I impulsively decided to fight the demon king was largely their fault.’
“You might want to decide who else to bring with you.”
‘Claire is my top priority.’
“Then Claire and—”
“Olivia, ma’am!”
“Who else should I bring?”
“Olivia, ma’am! Please, take me!”
The bear enthusiast beside me was making a ruckus, clinging to me and crying hysterically.
“Well, Syria should be fine. She’s from the magic tower, so she could serve as a combat asset if needed.”
“Syria?”
‘Aslan, you don’t know anything.’
“Olivia, ma’am, how could you treat our bond so indifferently? You’re too much.”
“All right, stop whining already.”
‘You’re making me want to punch you.’
“Since the prince was going on a tour, I needed to prepare.”
***
“I made arrangements with Claire for everything necessary for the journey.”
For someone like me, who had been confined to the capital due to my saintess duties, this was a welcome opportunity.
“Going on a tour, huh? It seems the prince is trying to win public favor this time,” Claire muttered as she packed.
“Most of the central noble families have fallen. He has to win over the commoners.”
“If the nobles are no longer an option, then securing the people’s hearts makes sense. He’s diligently working on it.”
“Still, I feel uneasy.”
“Why?”
“The fallen nobles are too quiet.
While His Majesty executed those with minimal power, the rest…”
‘Now that she mentions it, it’s suspicious.’
“They’re lying low for now?”
“Yes. Even if their children were at fault, it’s still far too quiet. You need to be cautious.”
It was suspiciously quiet, indeed.
“Could they retaliate?”
“Yes. Regardless of the reason, they were ultimately ruined because of you, after all, Miss.”
“Lily was an Ashtar too.”
Ashtar set the trap, and Ashtar caused their downfall.
In the end, Ashtar benefited from producing a saintess.
Naturally, they must be seething with rage.
“From the perspective of those nobles, Ashtar must feel like the principal reason for their ruin.”
“So, if I leave the capital, I could be killed.”
‘I don’t plan on dying, but nobles often take their frustrations out on the wrong people. And I’m a perfect target. Even the prince, the central figure who was deceived by Lily, is leaving the capital.
It’s an opportunity for them to strike.’
Come to think of it, this journey might not be as simple as I thought.
“Yes. So, please be careful.”
“There’s no helping it. For now, the most immediate threat is Syria.”
‘If Syria stays by my side during the journey?’
‘How dreadful. I can’t imagine how clingy she’ll be. Just thinking about it is unbearable.’
“Miss, do you have any interest in the Tower’s mages?”
“Not entirely uninterested.”
‘I’m sure Ashtar already knows. They must’ve done some digging about me.’
“Hmm. I heard you’re quite skilled in magic. What about Ashtar’s Mage Corps?”
‘I knew this would come up.’
“It’s not bad, but it feels unnecessary.”
“You don’t like the Mage Corps?”
“It’s not about liking or disliking them. The problem is that I can’t join right now.”
“More than anything, I’m a saintess.”
“Being a saintess doesn’t mean it’s impossible. There are several ways to manage it.”
“Really?”
‘Can a saintess even become a mage?’
“Take the saintess from the hero’s party, for example. Isn’t she essentially outside the temple?”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
‘No matter the justification, Syria, the saintess from the hero’s party, is out there in the field.’
“Also, the title of Taesa won’t be something His Majesty will hold onto forever. As for the Tower, that might be difficult. This is more about lineage.”
‘Is this because of the Ashtar bloodline?’
“Why?”
“There was some conflict between the Tower and Ashtar’s Mage Corps. In such a situation, sending Ashtar’s daughter to the Tower would be challenging. Even if Ashtar agrees, the Tower’s reaction is unpredictable.”
“Did they fight over who’s better at magic?”
“It started simply. The Tower severely underestimated Ashtar’s magic capabilities. Since Ashtar isn’t traditionally a magic family, the Tower belittled them heavily. As you guessed, there was a magic duel between Ashtar’s Mage Corps and the Tower. In the end, the Ashtar family head and the Tower elders made a pact of non-aggression.”
‘What a mess. A mere noble family making a pact with the Tower?’
“That’s unfortunate. Graduating from the Tower would make it easier to gain recognition as a mage.”
“Joining the Mage Corps is still a viable path to becoming a mage.”
‘That’s just because Claire is Ashtar’s servant. You can’t deny the Tower’s legitimacy. A figure once called a sage founded the Tower, and it has stood the test of time. It even predates the Kart Confederation.’
“If it can’t be avoided, then fine. It’s still an option.”
“Do they have field missions?”
“Ashtar’s Mage Corps is more flexible than the Tower. While the Tower is full of rigid old mages, Ashtar’s Mage Corps mostly consists of younger ones. Some even double as adventurers.”
“That doesn’t sound bad.”
‘It’s something to consider. Heading to the Mage Corps after the storm in Atlerina could be worthwhile. But then there’s Rivelt, that elf, and Syria to deal with.’
“Miss, graduating from Atlerina is fine, but they’ve implemented something new after this incident.”
“What is it?”
“Atlerina has shifted most of its classes to practical training. Swordsmanship, archery, and magic lessons now revolve around hunts and dungeons, with professors teaching in real-time. However, they’ve added another change.”
“What’s that?”
“Led by Galeido, Atlerina now allows certain certifications to count as attendance. For example, if a student attains a certain adventurer rank, joins the Tower, or earns another skill-based qualification, it will be recognized as practical training.”
“They’ve switched to a skill-focused approach because of the recent events.”
“Yes. Now, adventuring, the Tower, or similar activities are considered part of the curriculum. It’s being referred to as a field training period. And this change is largely because of you, Miss.”
“Why is it my fault?”
‘I didn’t do anything wrong!’
“At the start of your second year, you cleared everything so thoroughly.
The dean likely decided there was no point in keeping talented students tied to regular classes.”
“Does this include Ashtar’s Mage Corps?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll think about it during the tour.”
‘If there’s no alternative, it’s not a bad option.
In the worst case, I could register with a local mage guild.’
“Oh, by the way, Miss—”
“What is it?”
“Ashtar and Rivelt don’t get along very well.
You should be careful with Balen.”
‘I’ve heard of noble families clashing, but for Ashtar, it’s Rivelt? What could possibly go wrong?’