[Vol. 7] Chapter 240: I Get It Now, You’re That Person!
Counting on her pale fingers, the priestess girl listed things one by one:
“Introducing a completely new technology from Sainz when no one believed in it… Combining it with magic studies to start a full-scale industrial revolution… Spending a huge amount of money to develop [Graeme], turning it from a useless gadget into the Austre Empire’s exclusive war machine…”
“Creating an economic zone, starting a new kind of academy, setting up the Austre Empire’s Intelligence Agency, one thing after another… All of these were bold changes no one would normally even think of at the time. Even now, they’d still be considered way ahead of their era.”
“Princess Carinvega, don’t you think it’s strange that one person came up with all of these amazing ideas and made them real, all on their own? Think back, using that knowledge in your little head from another world, doesn’t it all feel… really familiar?”
The girl with the mismatched eyes nodded a little without thinking.
“Y-Yes… When I read about the founding emperor’s story in books, I did have the same kind of thoughts. But it sounded so crazy... and there was no proof, so I didn’t dare say it out loud. Wait… Miss Violet, could it be you’re not human? Are you some high-level being with a long life? Did you ever… talk to the first emperor face-to-face like this?”
Maybe the shock was too much for her in such a short time, because the princess started to calm down again. Or maybe she realized she had no secrets in front of this mysterious person, so she just gave up trying to hide anything.
Because of that, she quickly noticed another question.
“Eh? Then… how does Miss Violet know so much about the world I remember, my old world? Could it be… you’re also someone who traveled here like we did?”
Violet smiled and gently shook her head.
“I do have some connection with that world, but not in the way you think. If you want to see me as someone from your hometown, that’s fine too. But Princess, now that we’ve come this far, there’s one very important question I must ask you.”
Gulp…
The girl with the mismatched eyes swallowed nervously when she saw the black-haired girl suddenly turn serious, and the way she clearly stressed the words “very important.” She nodded, tense but ready.
“Please go ahead. As long as it’s something I know, I promise I’ll tell you everything, no holding back.”
“Hm... Before you came to this world, did you have any deep connection with a certain ‘game’?”
“Eh... Eh? Oh, oh oh oh!!!”
For some reason, the serious and heavy atmosphere suddenly shifted. It was as if the princess had found a rare friend and someone who understood her. She immediately became excited and worked up, gripping the black-haired girl’s small hand with both of her own across the table. Her mismatched eyes sparkled with an unprecedented, dazzling light!
“I understand! I understand it all!!! It’s a game, right!? So, Miss Violet, you’re a loyal player of [Starlight Concerto], aren’t you!? This is amazing! This is amazing!! Aaaaah!!! I’ve always wanted a friend like you, someone who shares the same interests and can discuss it with me!!! So, that means you’re also... that person, right!!?”
“Huh?”
……………………………………………………
First District, [World Academy Joint Exchange Conference] Final Match location, Frederick Royal Academy audience seats.
Rosie, a young lady with a pure and fresh appearance and long golden hair, looked nervously at her pocket watch. She exchanged a glance with the vice-captain beside her, her expression growing more anxious.
“This is strange. Why hasn’t Her Highness appeared yet? Could something have happened?”
The vice-captain, Shutak, also took out his pocket watch, glancing at it and then tilting his head toward the direction of the audience entrance with a hint of confusion.
“It shouldn’t be. Lord Gladys and most of the guard team are still with Her Highness. We’re in Sainz City, what could possibly happen? Even if the academy city knows about His Majesty’s plans, as long as they’re not crazy enough to want to destroy the empire, they wouldn’t dare make a move against Her Highness, right? In fact, we should be doing everything we can to protect her.”
“After all, Sainz is relatively independent, but it’s still within the empire. The council even has quite a few of our seats…”
Rosie, being Princess Carinvega's trusted right-hand woman and considered one of the “Twin Lotus Stars” with Gladys, would inevitably learn anything the princess knew. So, despite it being a secret Imperial operation, Shutak didn't try too hard to hide things from her.
After all, as he said, even if a few people knew about the empire’s plans, at this point in time, it didn’t have much impact on the overall situation.
“......”
Although her eyes were fixed on the intense match below, it was clear that Rosie’s attention was not on the competition at all. She anxiously fiddled with her staff, neither responding to Shutak’s muttering nor speaking further. It seemed like she was trying to recall something.
Finally, at a certain moment, she suddenly turned around, her youthful and pure face now full of seriousness.
“No, something’s wrong! When I counted the guard team’s list this morning, I noticed that a lot of people were missing. But when I asked, no one could tell me where they went. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but now that I think about it, isn’t that really strange!?”
“The princess’s guard is strict and highly disciplined, how could so many people suddenly be absent? And although Her Highness can sometimes be a little willful, she’s definitely not someone who is irresponsible or careless. She hasn’t come to meet us in such a long time, something must have happened to her!”
The more the blonde girl spoke, the worse her expression became. Clenching her teeth, she immediately turned and headed for the door without looking back, shouting loudly to the vice-captain.
“Lord Shutak, I’m going to find Her Highness. If I don’t make it back in time, please take my place for the closing speech at the ceremony!”
“Wait, Rosie...!”
“Stop, Rosie... you can’t leave yet.”
"!?!"
Before Shutak could stop her, the blonde girl suddenly froze in her tracks.
It turned out that another figure had appeared and blocked her way. Although the person wasn’t holding any weapon and didn’t show any signs of aggression, the simple act of blocking her path and the words that followed were enough to prove their intent.
The suspicions that had been lingering in her mind instantly became clear with this strong evidence. Rosie’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her gaze was filled with shock, a realization that came with confirming her suspicions, and even more so, with pure anger.
“Orluk? Is it really you causing trouble?! Are you insane!? How dare you make a move against Her Highness? Everything that person has done for you these past years, all those promises... did you forget them all!?”