“Certainly, just because the territory is right next door doesn’t mean we can freely go back and forth when thinking about the past.”
“Yeah…”
In my analysis, Mia nodded and drooped a little. I’m not sure if she genuinely likes Velbur or just wants to eat Velbur’s food, but I guessed it was probably the latter. Still, she had enough sense not to voice that thought.
“There’s no need to worry too much.”
As we entered the student council room, Charlotte, taking a seat at the empty spot, chimed in.
“Many might recognize the name Crowfield in the border area, but we’re going to Royal City Lutetia. Nobles there probably won’t pay much attention to the name Crowfield.”
Or maybe they’re just pretending not to care. Of course, that’s obvious. It’s one thing if you’re Countess Crowfield, but there’s nothing to be gained by blaming her daughter, who doesn’t know anything yet. It’s a relief if they don’t end up calling her unrefined. Nobles usually deal with women through their wives or daughters for a reason. Alice and I are just incredibly unique cases.
“Is that so?”
At Charlotte’s words, Mia seemed to perk up a bit. Nationalism may be budding, but it hasn’t completely blossomed yet. It’s still just spreading among intellectuals and nobles, and honestly, even among those nobles, a solid ideology hasn’t fully formed, except for royalty or nobility. Many countries where medieval feudalism hasn’t ended still exist. Even if they claim to be ‘fellow Velburians,’ those who mobilized armies from their territories just decades ago won’t suddenly hold hands and call themselves the same ethnicity. So Mia should be safe.
“Of course. The customs of hospitality are upheld in every country. Mia, I’ll do my best to ensure you can stay safe in our country. Not just you, but for all the visiting students from the empire.”
Charlotte said that with a smile. Well, if she says that, then I should at least prepare in my own way. All the weapons I’ve prepared will be transported on our train. I don’t plan to rob Velbur, but there are heaps of information I can gather by interrogating the knights at the cathedral in Velbur.
Still, seeing Charlotte’s face makes me feel guilty. Maybe I should turn back time before I see her face. I had such unsettling thoughts while observing Charlotte smiling across from Mia.
*
I felt it again since my last visit; the Empire of Aetherna and the Kingdom of Velbur were really close. There’s nothing blocking the way, like a sea or lake; we could just take the train and go.
Thinking about it, the fact that a perfectly compatible railway connects these two countries, which are on such bad terms, is fascinating. Even Velbur, which is extremely cautious of the empire, demonstrates that it has no real alternative if it’s not imperial weapons or steel technology.
However, no matter how deeply imperial technology has infiltrated Velbur, it’s impossible to completely crush their culture, as Charlotte mentioned. For instance, take Velbur’s musical level.
“Wow….”
I wonder who let that exclamation out. As soon as we got off the train, we were greeted by Velbur’s welcoming committee.
Even if the orchestra wasn’t top-notch, the various instruments Velbur takes pride in and the players lined up were performing welcoming music for us. I already heard this music when I arrived last time. It was the national anthem of Velbur.
They said it was composed by a very popular musician in Velbur. Compared to the somewhat boring national anthems in my world, it was elegant. Although based on France, it wasn’t set after the French Revolution, so the lyrics didn’t seem particularly gruesome.
Colored confetti rained down from above. The buildings weren’t exceedingly tall like in Lindbergh, but about four stories high, where citizens cheered us on while showering us with colorful confetti. It was literally a festive atmosphere.
And thinking that this festive atmosphere arose because we arrived made even me, who knew about Charlotte’s idea, feel a bit giddy. The capital with its blue skies was different from the Imperial Capital. The fresh air was nothing like the stench.
Honestly, I could now understand why Charlotte loved her country so much.
“Welcome!”
In front of the line of us disembarking from the train was an elderly gentleman dressed sharply in formal attire.
“I sincerely welcome the students of the Aetherna Imperial Academy to Lutetia.”
I couldn’t pinpoint his exact status, but as he spoke and courteously bowed, an air of nobility radiated from him, almost dripping. Naturally, the expressions of the students receiving his guidance brightened even further.
*
“Haah…”
After entering the room, Alice let out a long breath. Being invited was a good thing, but of course, Alice had to act as the representative of the students.
Given her status and the fact that she has maintained the top rank from her enrollment until now, she’s always the one representing us during occasions like this. If it included students from other grades, then the student council president would normally be the representative.
“Are you okay?”
As I asked, watching Alice jump onto the bed the moment she took off her shoes, she replied with her face buried in the bedding.
“Why? Are you going to step in for me if I say I’m struggling?”
Alice mumbled in a muffled voice still buried in the bed.
“No, I just wanted to let you know that the next agenda is to meet with the King of Velbur.”
“…Seriously, can’t you step in for me? You have an acquaintance with His Majesty the King.”
Hmm… Well, the last meeting didn’t end on a positive note. Alice used the title ‘Your Majesty’ as he was Charlotte’s father, a close friend, but I had called him ‘Your Highness’ during our previous encounter.
In the empire, my title is Crown Princess ‘Your Highness.’ So, during that last meeting, I had basically brought the king down to my level while speaking.
He might really be offended when we actually meet. Honestly, it was impressive that Charlotte hadn’t openly shown hostility toward me during our first meeting.
But I can’t turn back time. Even if we hypothetically could because a certain someone is back there, it would involve immense suffering. I might even end up being passed out for months after all that effort.
“…”
As I momentarily pondered and didn’t respond, Alice tilted her head and looked at me. With her eyes wide open and resting her chin on the bed, she seemed to find her position uncomfortable, so she lifted her upper body slightly and said,
“You look like you’re thinking of something pretty serious.”
Um… Do I have to answer this? After some brief contemplation, I decided to just say it up front. Well, since Alice will be meeting the King of Velbur soon, knowing in advance would be better for her.
*
And as a result, I succeeded in getting Alice to sit up.
It wasn’t exactly what I intended, but still.
As I looked at her, Alice opened and closed her mouth several times as if searching for words before finally unable to find anything, she started wandering around the room.
Then she looked back at me, touched her forehead, brushed her hair back, sighed, and opened her mouth again…
“What were you thinking when you said that!?”
She shouted.
Oh… Should I say it honestly?
That the mix of rebellion against the Emperor who carelessly sent me to such a meeting and my desire to prank the Papal State was intertwined?
“I thought it was the best course of action at the time.”
Of course, I can’t say that. Regardless of how open I am with Alice, there’s a limit.
“The best—”
Alice opened her mouth to say something but eventually clamped it shut. Her expression could be summed up in a short ‘let’s not talk about it’ look.
“If I apologize, that would be a problem too, right?”
“If you apologize now, it would be a provocation in itself.”
“…”
Alice seemed to cradle her head and then leaped back onto the bed. Now that I noticed, she had completely forgotten to put her shoes back on while running around the room.
“Ah~ I don’t know. Just go. You did it, so you should fix it.”
“Sorry, but the rightful heir to the empire is only you, Crown Princess.”
“…”
As I firmly replied, Alice fell silent for a while again.
…
Should I make a run for it?
Alice hasn’t said a word and didn’t look my way, but for some reason, I could feel a menacing aura radiating from her sprawled-out figure on the bed.
Is this… the life-threatening vibe?
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