Dawn.
The Imperial Magic Tower was in an uproar from early in the morning.
“Th-the Empire’s angel…?”
“The 3rd Princess has visited the tower again, hasn’t she?”
“You idiots, instead of panicking, show some manners! How dare you in the presence of Her Highness!”
The reason was simple.
Solana had visited the tower unannounced once again.
“It’s alright. Just act like usual. Just like usual.”
Of course, the 3rd Princess was merely smiling benevolently, soothing the mages. Initially, she had come to the Magic Tower for a different reason.
The Inspector of the Magic Tower, Ezekiel, naturally.
“…Solana?”
At that moment, Ezekiel emerged in the corridor. He had a schedule to head to the Imperial Palace today.
“Aha, found you!”
The eyes of the 3rd Princess lit up instantly.
After facing Ezekiel, Solana brightened and held up a basket in one hand.
“Breakfast, you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
Clank— Clank—
Inside the carriage heading to the palace.
It was a carriage that prioritized comfort over speed. In fact, the interior was almost like a parlor.
Ezekiel and Solana.
The two faced each other, an unexpected companion for the journey, with Solana’s homemade lunchboxes spread across the desk between them.
“I hope it suits your taste.”
“Tasty. You’ve always been good at cooking, whether in the past or now.”
Solana smiled at Ezekiel’s compliment.
“Really? You aren’t just saying that, are you? I’m so happy!”
“Sure.”
Breakfast with a princess in a carriage heading to the palace, Ezekiel quietly realized how much his life had changed compared to just a while ago.
For a while, they ate in silence.
While munching on her food quietly, Solana suddenly stopped and blinked her eyes like a rabbit.
“…Why are you staring so intently? Did I get something on my face?”
“No, just.”
Ezekiel shook his head.
“I didn’t expect to ride with you on the way to the palace.”
“Aha, it wasn’t planned, but I prepared on short notice.”
Solana wore a slight smile.
“I heard that the 2nd Princess hurriedly went up to the palace, so I made the lunchboxes. It’d be a shame to miss the chance to ride alone with you, right?”
She placed a finger on her lips, pondering her words.
“But if we meet in a public place, it might be a nuisance… I came up with an idea. Cultured people call it a secret meeting, a secret meeting.”
“It’s not a secret meeting, it’s a secret rendezvous.”
“Ah, secret rendezvous, right… it’s morning, so I’m still a bit sleepy…”
Solana covered her mouth and smiled, looking away. Just like her, even today.
Ezekiel took out some Sunweed from his pocket. Habitually bringing it to his mouth, he paused upon seeing Solana.
But Solana waved her hand instead.
“It’s fine. I understand your circumstances well.”
“…Excuse me, but if it gets too strong, just tell me.”
Crunch, the Sunweed popped lightly in his mouth.
“So, why did Hedera hurry up?”
“I heard she had something to prepare quickly. It’s probably about the Ascension Ceremony, right? Even if it wasn’t about that, she’s always busy. The 2nd Princess.”
“The Imperial Treasury should have been well prepared too.”
“Ho ho ho, I heard you won the bet?”
Solana smiled with satisfaction and pulled something out.
“Tada! But I have something for you too.”
Ezekiel received a piece of paper from her.
A small piece, but it was lavishly decorated.
[ Ezekiel ]
[ You must show your face at least once a month. ]
[ Five conditions, I will check the progress. ]
The sender didn’t need to be written for Ezekiel to know who it was.
It was a letter from the Emperor.
Solana’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“What does it say? What is it about?”
“He wishes to see my face. Periodically.”
“Well, he likes fruit. It might help.”
That guy? Ezekiel barely swallowed what he almost said. Anyway, it was quite a surprising fact.
“…Noted.”
Exhale—
As he breathed out Sunweed smoke, Solana quietly turned her palm upward toward the ceiling.
“Teacher, me too.”
“What about?”
“You must show me your hand regularly. We used to do that often when we were kids, remember? Infirmary play.”
Indeed.
They had done it countless times, but the roles had never changed. I was the patient, Solana was the Saintess. It still was.
A moment later.
Solana’s expression turned complicated as she examined his condition.
“Teacher.”
“I’m listening.”
“…Surprisingly, you’ve gotten stronger.”
To an ordinary person, it would be excellent news, but for him, it was somewhat different. It meant that the chill he couldn’t handle had intensified.
“Really? Guess I’m closer to death then.”
“That’s not true. I will find a way somehow. His Majesty will change his mind as well.”
Solana beamed a bright smile.
“Don’t worry about that part, let’s talk about something else. How’s life as an inspector? Are you satisfied?”
“If I’m not satisfied, I have to do it anyway. It’s something I chose.”
“That shouldn’t be the case! You have to be satisfied!”
Solana puffed her cheek.
“Do you remember the content of the letter you sent me? You remember every single word, right?”
“Of course.”
“What was the last word?”
“….”
The jaw of the man chewing the Sunweed momentarily stopped.
There was no way he would remember. He had sent it in a drunken haze.
He couldn’t avoid answering, and he quickly came up with a plausible deduction. If it were him, he’d likely have written sentences ending in ‘-da’ (“to be”) a lot. Not certain, though.
“Da.”
“…Da?”
The warm Holy Power came down like sunflowers.
It turned slightly chilly.
“….”
An awkward silence fell.
—We have arrived!
The coachman announced their arrival.
“Let’s talk more later, when we have time.”
“Alright. But then, I’ll be asking you the last line completely. If that’s okay, you may go.”
“….”
From one letter to one line. An outrageous price.
“Of course that’s fine.”
Ezekiel completed his words and left the carriage.
Inside the carriage that had been left alone.
Solana elegantly sipped her tea.
Sigh.
And finally, she let out a long breath, relaxing. No matter how many times she repeated it, she always ended up excited or nervous in front of her teacher. It was really always like this.
“…You remember, don’t you? Teacher.”
Solana smiled softly.
“Ends with ‘da.'”
That was correct.
The last letter of that letter ended with ‘da.’
The 3rd Princess slowly started to recall past events.
—Solana, I have nothing left to teach you.
—Holy Power is something you must understand on your own.
Hearing those words felt like being struck by lightning.
For Solana, who wanted to be close to her teacher for a long time, there could hardly be a more despairing remark. She had cried, clung, and employed all means, but it was useless.
—Teacher, the power you guided me with…!
—Your Holy Power is incredible.
—You could perhaps become the best.
Best.
When she heard that word, Solana secretly thought.
Best means it’s about the teacher, right?
Since that day, Solana had harbored only one goal and plan, and she moved fervently for it.
—Incredible Holy Power…!
—You might become a Saintess.
Is this all that’s incredible?
No, our teacher was much more amazing.
—3rd Princess, this time in the Krati region…!
—We need the power of the 3rd Princess!
The events that shook the continent.
Nothing was remarkable. Nothing compared to the teacher. At least, that’s how it felt to Solana.
—Look at her beauty! Truly the Face of the Empire!
—An angel! An angel! The Empire’s angel!
—Ah, Saintess…!
The fame I should have received is not mine.
Teacher.
It’s the fame you should receive.
—Solana. I acknowledge your ability.
—As the Emperor, I grant you this authority.
And so, she kept moving and eventually gained it.
For Solana’s plan, she first needed authority.
Ezekiel needed to gain his deserved fame.
Ezekiel needed to achieve the happiness he ought to have.
Ezekiel finally finding a place he truly belonged.
Yes, that was Solana’s plan.
—Teacher, am I being too arrogant?
But Solana wasn’t as pious as people thought. Since stepping on the path of the Saintess, she hadn’t once prayed to the Sun God.
—Teacher, please make sure he finds his rightful place.
Ezekiel.
Only that prayer was directed toward him. All of it.
The current world was far too irrational.
So, she would create a stage for Ezekiel.
That was Solana’s mission deep within her heart.
Still, recently there had been continuous good news. Already a ripple was being created in the Imperial Magic Tower, and this time she had even won in a performance contest against knights.
Suddenly, Solana retrieved the letter from her pocket.
She read the last line, again and again.
[ Sometimes, I think. ]
[ I want to be the best, known far and wide. ]
“Yes, teacher.”
Solana quietly nodded her head.
“It will soon be so. Far and wide, indeed.”
Inside the carriage, a blossoming smile was present.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.