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Chapter 1: The Promotion Exam and What Lay After
Not long after we returned to Altoire from the Empire of Flight, my third semester began.
Our winter expedition had been successful. Since we were able to fly back on the same high-speed liner we’d had the honor of getting to ride on the way there, we’d managed to make it back a little earlier than planned. Only by one or two days, but it was something.
Our total earnings from our trip was one hundred and eighty million krams. We’d received ten million krams in reward money for defeating the skysquid, and the bonus Cedony added for hunting all of their orders rounded the number up nicely.
My initial goal had been three hundred million, so we’d only gotten a little over half. I was disappointed, but this helped me see just how much we could realistically raise.
It seemed more than possible for us to reach our goal of one billion krams. Though our next long vacation was a little ways away, it would certainly be doable by then. I would rule spring vacation out because that was too short, but summer vacation for sure.
Wѐ b n õvе̃l Е ñǔm̈ а_
I had little doubt in my mind that my work schedule would be stuffed full like last year, though. Our beloathed Bendelio would absolutely squish recordings into every possible crevice of my free time, insisting over and over that I could surely fit in a little more. But I still wanted to negotiate with him to see if I could get ten days free at the end of the vacation regardless. That would surely be enough time for us to earn the rest.
There was still plenty of time before summer, so I would use that opportunity to sufficiently prepare.
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We could put together another hunt itinerary like we had for winter. With at least ten days, we could go around hunting only the high-value monsters, and even operate in other countries for a time. Another option was to consult with Cedony to have them arrange a travel plan that would guarantee we’d earn the remaining eight hundred million or so.
That was something I could discuss with Lynokis later.
My third semester was just as busy as the two previous semesters. I managed to see Reliared at least once every day since we were in the same class, but we were both so busy with our magivision work that we never found the time to sit down for a proper chat.
Hildetaura, who was in my brother’s class, was especially busy, and I barely saw her at all over the course of the term—her long-awaited project, Cooking Princess, was going swimmingly.
W̊ е̃b̆nӧ v́ ě l Ĕn̆ u m̃а
We bumped into each other the other day and we’d managed to catch up a little while we were there. She’d been busy with recordings for it recently, and even on her days off, she would spend her time going to cooking lessons. You could feel her drive to make the show perfect.
Apparently, she was enjoying working with fish right now. Her favorite way to eat them was to grill them and then cover them with salt. She liked the simplicity of no dressing and nothing to prepare in advance.
“Here, let me tell you a secret, Nia. Tell no one.” She whispered in my ear that they had plans to hold a large event for viewers in the summer. They would participate in some fishing village’s festival and then Hildetaura would cook them meals made from local fresh seafood.
Long vacations always made you want to do something a little more grand. I wouldn’t be recording anything extravagant like the princess, but I did want to go out on another big expedition.
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Hildetaura invited me to her live recording, but as interested as I was, it was lower on my list of priorities.
My magivision schedule in the Liston territories always came first. No matter what was offered to me, that was the one thing I could not afford to take out. Even if I wanted to deck Bendelio in the face, I would never back out of any recordings.
W̃eb n̊ о̀v ēl Еn̂ u m̀ ӑ
Next on the list was earning money. If we didn’t earn about five hundred million krams this summer, we’d never reach our goal in time. I had to start taking this more seriously.
Whether or not I accepted Hildetaura’s invitation would depend on if I had space after that. My magivision schedule could be a little more flexible, but the adventuring one was not. I still wasn’t even sure of the free time that I would be allotted to hunt. More than ten days would be best, but given the past experience, I figured I was unlikely to even get that much. Trying to get those days for that holiday to the royal family’s island last summer had been tough enough.
I gave her an open-ended, “I would love to if my schedule allows,” and left it there.
I didn’t run into her again after that short conversation.
And that led to the next topic.
“Hey, Nia, can you tell me more about your story?”
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Strangely enough, the day I bumped into Hildetaura was the same day that Reliared asked me such a ridiculous question.
“What story?” I asked.
“Your story about recovering from your illness,” she clarified. “I want to turn it into a paper pl— OWOWOWOW!”
I gripped her hand as hard as I possibly could and said very firmly with no room for misinterpretation, “If my story is getting dramatized, we’re doing it in my territory.”
That cheeky girl. She took every opportunity to find stories that she could leverage for magivision. I needed to make sure I kept my eye on her. No more allowance for her (not that I’d ever given her one).
There were a surprising number of tasks to do at the end of the year—life was tough even as a child. Before I knew it, it was the day of the promotion exam. Once that was done, it would be spring vacation, and then I would advance on to my second year.
Е n_ù m̈ ā.ї d̆
“Good luck, Young Mistress! Make sure you go to the bathroom before the test starts, stay calm, read every question twice, and understand the question first before you answer! If you have time leftover, use it to check your answers! Don’t fall asleep or start doodling on the back of the answer sheet just because you finished early!”
“Yes, yes.”
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They were the same familiar warnings and tips that Lynokis had been drilling into my head over and over for the last few days. Having already memorized this song and dance, I gave my usual response and left the room.
The dorm was unnaturally quiet today, and there was a palpable tension in the air. Given it was a children’s dorm, though, there was still some sense of liveliness, even with our aristocratic roots.
It wasn’t the most pleasant atmosphere given we were in that familiar cool air that heralded the coming of spring. But it wasn’t surprising—today was the day of our promotion exam, after all. It was the day we would fight to prove that we’d learned everything we’d been taught over the course of the year and knew how to apply it.
Apparently, your score didn’t affect your progression to the next school year while you were in elementary school, but it still came with a penalty if you performed badly. If you didn’t score above a certain threshold, you had to take mandatory supplementary lessons the following school year. In other words, your class hours would increase for the whole year.
Wе b̌ n̈ о v̂ е l Ё n ŭm̄ a
What a terrifying rule. I’d also heard that you’d be forbidden from going to any after-school martial arts classes or science clubs.
Well, as frightening as it may be, I wasn’t particularly worried—even if I didn’t have much faith in my brain. That monster known as homework might have been the bane of my existence, but thanks to its endless pursuit of me, I had actually managed to keep quite a lot of the information in my head.
I had learned to do calculations up to seven whole digits—though it was a painstaking effort that required me to use both of my hands—and I’d even memorized quite a lot of the founding tale of Altoire that we’d covered in our history lessons. The Silver territories’ paper play that detailed said tale had inspired a whole slew of other historical programs that had helped me learn a number of past events. Even Neal and Lynokis had given me a thumbs-up concerning my knowledge.
The pressure from Lynokis recently had been strong enough I couldn’t fight it, so I’d made sure to thoroughly study everything; there was no need for me to be nervous. At least, there shouldn’t have been. I...I think.
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Huh...? Now that I’m conscious of how close it is, my stomach’s starting to hurt... I didn’t think I really needed the bathroom, but I decided to go just in case.
Once the promotion exam was over, spring vacation would start. Given how short it was, I’d be spending my whole time getting ready for the new school year. What was more, that blasted Bendelio had definitely prepared another schedule from hell, so I’d given up on the prospect of fitting in even a short expedition. Spring was a no-go on the adventuring front. As such, I would look forward to summer instead.
Еn̄ u m̄а̄. ĭď
His Majesty had said that we should spend a year in advance advertising the tournament. It would be good to give him a progress report soon, just in case—let him know how much we’d raised and that the goal seemed feasible. The king was likely watching out for an ideal time to make his own move, so it would be good if we could at least be on the same page.
However much I attempted to run away from the difficult exam question in front of me by thinking of such unrelated matters, time was mercilessly marching on.
As it turned out, things did not go as expected.
As I would soon discover, plans could very easily be flipped on their heads the moment something of higher priority entered the picture. Those light promises I had exchanged with my new acquaintances would soon be fulfilled much faster than I had ever anticipated.
We would once more be flying to Vanderouge over my spring vacation.
One day following the promotion exam and only a few days before the spring vacation, I returned to my dorm room with my head yet again heavy with fatigue and got to work writing some correspondences. While I was in the middle of folding over the first letter I had written, there was a knock at the door—and when Lynokis answered the door for me, the most surprising name came back.
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“Young Mistress, Her Highness is here to see you.”
What incredible timing. This made things much easier for me.
“Let her in,” I instructed. The moment I did, the blonde girl entered my room.
“Good afternoon, Nia. My apologies for the sudden visit.”
“No need to worry. I needed to find you later anyway.”
I’d barely seen Hildetaura over the course of this third semester. Not only were we both busy, we were both in different classes. It was good that we were busy, though; it meant that things were going well for the both of us.
Е́ nu ḿа_. і̆ d̄
“You need something of me?”
“Yes. I wanted you to hand the letters I’m writing to the king.” As I said, it was incredible timing. If she hadn’t come to see me, I’d have gone to see her either tomorrow or the day after.
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“To the king...? Is this about the billion krams?”
I hadn’t brought up this topic with Hildetaura since I explained it to her on our island vacation last summer. Back then, the king had explicitly told her to be our messenger.
“Had you been waiting for me to bring it up again?”
Lynokis pulled out the chair opposite me and Hildetaura elegantly sat herself down.
È ňu̇m̈ā .іd
“Somewhat. I was getting a little curious. May I peruse the letter?”
There was nothing in the first letter that needed to be hidden from her, so I passed it over. Her eyes widened as she finished reading it. “What?! You have raised two hundred million krams already?”
“Indeed. I thought it would be good to update His Majesty.”
Given the kind of man the king was, I’d made sure the contents were as concise as possible. The first letter detailed the total amount we’d banked with Cedony. The second letter was asking for his opinion on our predictions for how much we could earn by the end of the summer vacation and our current pace of earning.
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Basically, how much did he want us to earn and by when?
It wasn’t as if the plan wouldn’t move forward before we’d raised the billion krams. We could begin preparations with one hundred million alone, so if we could iron out deadlines for specific totals, we’d be able to adjust our pace and schedule. With specific quotas, we would be able to earn the money comfortably and efficiently, so I decided it would be useful to hear his opinion first. I made sure to also give him permission to use our money whenever he pleased, given it was for tournament purposes.
W̊ ѐḃ no vёl _Еn ũm̀ а́
“How did you earn so much?”
“Have you heard of Leeno the adventurer? She’s famous around Altoire at the moment.”
“What? Well, yes, I have at least heard her name...”
“It’s her.” I pointed at Lynokis, who was in the middle of preparing expensive tea leaves that I rarely got to drink. “Leeno is in fact my personal attendant. I’ve been having her earn the money for me.”
“Is...that so?” That was all that left the shocked Hildetaura’s mouth. “Well... I assume there are many plans at play here, so I will refrain from further comments. Naturally, I will not tell a soul about this.”
I could tell there was a lot she wanted to say. No doubt she was wondering why Lynokis was working as both an attendant and an adventurer at the same time, and why she was still working as an attendant at all when she could clearly earn much more as an adventurer. She had declared she would say no more as a sign that she would swallow those questions.
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“Do keep it a secret.”
How had we earned so much money? I thought there was a chance that the king would also ask that question and so I decided to provide Hildetaura with an answer for now. I’d be a bit worried about telling Reliared, but Hildetaura was not just a member of high society, she was royalty.
Aristocratic society was all about trying to pull the others around you down to lift yourself up. Accidentally letting slip a secret could result in horrible upsets, or even a loss of your own position. Hildetaura should know that well.
She was the one person I trusted would not flaunt her newfound knowledge.
“Now why are you here? To drink tea?”
“Oh, right. I was so surprised by everything you told me it completely slipped my mind,” she said, folding the letter back over and placing it on the table. “Coincidentally, I happen to have a letter from my brother addressed to you.” Hildetaura took out a plain white envelope from her jacket’s inner pocket.
Ӗ ñum̊ а̊
From her brother, hmm? She was right, it really was quite the coincidence. She came all this way to deliver a letter to me and would now be returning to deliver a letter from me. At least it saved any extra trips.
“You say your brother, but which? I’ve only met Prince Hiero.” The second prince of Altoire, Hiero Altoire, was the one whose name I’d used to get myself into Vanderouge over the winter vacation, so I’d met him before. But I believed Hildetaura had many older brothers and sisters. No younger ones, if I recalled correctly.
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Rumors said that there were also many illegitimate children that weren’t officially recognized. Given that king’s personality, I thought it was very possible to be true. Most likely, they were very calculated births too—all so he could gain more promising subjects. When you really thought about it, he was one hell of a crazy king...
“It is, in fact, from Brother Hiero.”
I wonder what it could be about.
“Give me a moment and I’ll finish writing this second letter.” It was better for me to start by completing the work in front of me first. I’d already consulted with Lynokis about what to write in it; all that was left was for me to put it to paper.
W e_b́ n о̃v̂ е̄ l Ẽ ňùm а
Once I was finished, I placed the letters inside an envelope. I decided I wouldn’t need a seal of any kind. I didn’t mind if Hildetaura saw the contents, so I gave it to her like that.
“I will ensure it gets to my father. Here is my brother’s letter.”
After I handed my letter to Hildetaura, she handed Hiero’s letter to me. This one wasn’t sealed either. I quickly took the paper out and read what he had to say.
“Oh my...” The contents of the letter gave me quite the surprise—which in and of itself surprised me.
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“Is there something interesting written in it?” The envelope was unsealed, but it appeared Hildetaura hadn’t read it. The fact Hiero hadn’t secured it in any way must have meant he didn’t mind the possibility that his sister could’ve seen what he’d written, so telling her shouldn’t be a problem.
“He wants me to keep my spring vacation open to attend a wedding in Vanderouge.”
È n̈ŭm̆ а
“A wedding?”
To be precise, what was written was, “Zackford and Phyledia have invited me to their wedding ceremony, so please come as my plus-one. We’ll go over the details in-person in the coming days.”
“Ah, I have heard talk that the Huskitans’ son and the young Cauculis lady of the Mech Kingdom intend to get married after graduating from the learning institute,” Hildetaura said. Of course a member of royalty would know the latest noble gossip. Not even being as busy a child as Hildetaura left her ignorant to the goings-on around her.
What was interesting here wasn’t that I was being invited to the wedding ceremony, but that Prince Hiero appeared insistent that I attend. This had to be related to the promotion of magivision. This letter was from the prince who was marketing magivision in a foreign country, and that meant it was possible that there’d been some progress on that front.
That was why I was so surprised. If he was calling me in, that meant he was requesting my assistance with something related to magivision. Thinking back now, those two princes had some very scheming looks on their faces when we’d parted in Vanderouge. Perhaps their plan had gone well, whatever it was.
“Tell him I understand. But also let him know that it’s quite difficult for me to make spontaneous plans, so I would appreciate it if he would tell me the dates as soon as possible.” I needed to know when I would be required to free up my spring vacation and for how long. My vacation schedule was probably already filled with nothing but recordings in the Liston territories. Bendelio would have stuffed it absolutely full. I want to give that man the biggest piece of my mind possible. Let me rest! I’m going to have to somehow get him to adjust it all.
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I was busy enough keeping an eye on my students’ progress, doing recordings, making plans for future expeditions, doing homework, and doing my best to keep the suspicious Lynokis at bay. Asking me to fit in yet another thing into my schedule felt like asking the impossible.
But if it was for the sake of magivision, I had no choice but to cooperate. Promoting it around Altoire was important, but we’d gain bigger profits if we managed to sell it in foreign countries too. Not that those profits would go to me...
“All right, I will. Once brother provides me with a response, I will return to pass it on to you.”
After only a single cup of tea, Hildetaura returned to the castle.
“As thanks, we will provide you with twenty million krams,” Prince Hiero stated.
That was quite the notable sum.
Ēñu m̄a
“Perhaps I should not say this, but I would gladly help you even without a payment.”
“No, this is something we cannot afford to fail. I don’t want you viewing the job so casually that you don’t put in the effort because you are simply volunteering your support. That’s why I want to have a suitable reward for you.”
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In other words, that was how seriously I had to take on this responsibility. That was how prepared I had to be.
“I realize it’s strange of me to ask you under these circumstances, but could I hear your response?”
He was right, it was a strange question to ask.
“Given I am already on the way to Vanderouge with you, my answer should already be clear. However, let me make it explicit: I agree to work with you and see this job through to the end.”
Е ń u_ṁ а. і̌d
With the verbal affirmation provided, Altoire’s second prince gave a strong, satisfied nod.
It was currently the middle of my spring vacation. Though I had originally planned to meet with Prince Hiero at the end of the semester, our schedules never seemed to align, so we ended up unable to meet to make any plans.
In the end, the first opportunity for us to meet again was after my vacation period had already started. The meeting was arranged at the very last minute; we met up in the middle of Prince Hiero’s flight to Vanderouge.
Earlier that day, I had been fighting through a recording schedule from hell, but then Prince Hiero picked me up directly from my last recording location on an airship going straight to Vanderouge.
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The spring schedule had been even worse than winter... Though it was my work to do, so it was no use complaining.
After finally meeting with Prince Hiero again, he explained to me why I needed to attend Zackford and Phyledia’s wedding, and suddenly, the reason he’d required my presence specifically made perfect sense: his request was a recording of their wedding.
Еǹ ù m а̂
After being picked up from my recording location by the high-speed liner, I was brought to a meeting room inside the ship. I sat at the table opposite Prince Hiero, and that was when he handed me some documents and informed me about the nature of this work.
“I imagine we’ll have a more detailed meeting later, but could I ask some questions about how negotiations for this went?” This was the first time I’d even heard what the plan was. It was so sudden; I had literally just finished recording moments ago.
This was a job worth twenty million krams. I wanted to make sure I had no holes in my understanding of it.
A responsibility weighing twenty million krams... Both physically and mentally, monster hunting would be much less stressful.
“Of course. Ask anything you’d like.”
To be honest, I was so exhausted I wanted to fall asleep right there, but if I did, given we were on the high-speed liner, we’d probably land by the time I woke up, and by then it would be too late. We’d be busy the moment we reached our destination, so if we wanted to get in a brief initial meeting, it had to be now.
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Seriously, though, I really wanted to sleep. My body begged for rest.
“This will be the first ever magivision recording in a foreign country, yes?”
There were programs that had recorded sceneries in foreign countries, but never anything that had both the culture and important members of society as its focus. In that respect, this would be the first recording that had managed to truly make its way inside another country.
“Yeah. That’s why I wanted to ask you specifically to take this on.”
He seemed to have understood what I was implying.
“You determined that neither Hilde nor Relia would be suited for the task, didn’t you?”
W ӗ bn о̄v̄е̂ l̀ Ѐńů m a
“Right again. Hilde’s status as royalty would only make the Vanderouge side walk on eggshells around her. Since this is the first ever foreign recording, I’d like to reduce the political pressures as much as possible.”
That would explain why he wanted to avoid any members of royalty other than himself as much as possible. Hildetaura was still a small child, but Hiero had come to the conclusion that he didn’t want to risk even that much political sway; he wanted to remove as much uncertainty as possible from a job this important.
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“Why did you write off Relia?”
“Because I’d feel bad asking her. That girl is timid around even Altoire royalty. Imagine I then thrust her into a situation filled with Vanderouge nobles. She’d faint from the anxiety of it all. In that respect, you...” He stopped there, probably because he was about to say something rude. I was brash, insensitive, shameless, so I would be fine. It wasn’t untrue, so I didn’t feel offended, honestly.
Whether royalty or nobility, once you took off their clothes, they’re just regular people. What reason did I have to fear them? Beat them up and all of them would bleed. If my opponent was a human, I could always figure something out.
“It’s our first foreign recording, which if you look at it from their side, means they’re being faced with a whole new culture and technology. They’re going to naturally be guarded about it. But if the one leading it is a young child, that unease will likely lessen. ‘Why do we need to be scared about something a little girl can do?’ Plus, Zack and Phyle nominated you themselves. To Altoire and Vanderouge, you are the one most suited for this task.”
W̃.е́ b_ñо.v е̌l̈ Е ñ üm̆ã
Truly, I had never imagined that that chance meeting back in winter would lead to a magivision offer in a foreign country worth twenty million krams.
“This is more out of my own curiosity, but how did you manage to receive permission for this in the first place?” I was interested in what tale he’d managed to spin to get this to happen. How had that prince duo’s persuasion—their plotting—come to fruition?
“First, we found out Phyle’s grandparents can’t leave Marvelia, so I suggested the recording to grant them an opportunity to see her wedding. Second, I pitched to them the idea of leaving an eternal record behind. Third, I emphasized that this would all be free, a wedding gift. Fourth, I sold them the idea that they could make the impossible possible and let their future children witness their parents’ stunning wedding when they too come of marriage age. Fifth, I mixed in a small lie that you wanted to congratulate them on their wedding and this was all you felt you could offer.” The prince glanced at me before continuing his monologue.
“Sixth, I mentioned that the first foreign recording was likely to garner attention even in Vanderouge, and would no doubt serve as a fantastic first step in the introduction of the technology to the country, thus making their early involvement beneficial. Seventh, I made sure to have a compromise ready that stated recording would only be allowed in designated locations, just in case there was any resistance. Eighth, I straight-up asked Phyle if she’d like to preserve her beauty in some way. Ninth, Christo got really mad that they still wouldn’t accept even though I was asking so sincerely. Tenth, I also got mad and pushed it as hard as possible.”
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The prince took a deep breath, having reached the end of his spiel. “And so, Christo and I were able to convince Zack and Phyle, and then later the Huskitans and the Cauculises to go ahead with it.”
I blinked.
Е́ n ú m à
Just so you know, my brain can’t keep up with such long-winded speeches.
“To be honest, though, the one argument that really had the most impact was asking about preserving Phyle’s beauty. I just said it as an offhand comment and yet it turned out to be the most significant thing I brought up.”
I could see it happening. A woman’s obsession with her own beauty was powerful, after all.
“We’ve already had various meetings, but we do need to finalize some things once we arrive. I’d like for you to drill the plan into your head by then.”
I thought he might say that.
“That’s impossible for me at the moment.”
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“Huh?”
“Lynokis. How many recordings have I done over this vacation period so far?” I called back to my attendant standing behind me.
“Eleven, Young Mistress.” Though I had put her on the spot, her answer was immediate.
“I have recorded eleven episodes in about a week. That’s a week of going home purely to sleep that I only just escaped. If I don’t get any rest, my brain simply will not function. I’m already tired.”
Prince Hiero was silent as he flashed a smile at me.
“You’ll be fine. We humans can go without sleep for four nights in a row and still be surprisingly functional.”
Е n̊ǔ m а̊
Don’t be ridiculous. No way anyone would be okay after that.
“I’m on my second all-nighter in a row myself. My mind is conversely really quite alert.”
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Was he quite sure? This workaholic was clearly overworking himself.
“I think you need sleep even more than I do, Prince Hiero.” His brain would turn to mush if he kept on working like that.
“Our upcoming work is invaluable. For the first time, we have a project that could be the stepping stone into other countries even beyond Vanderouge. I can’t waste time sleepi— Guh!”
Stop yapping already. The moment Prince Hiero looked down at his cup, I dashed out of my seat and knocked him out with a strike to the neck. Before his body could collapse onto the table, Lynokis swooped in and caught his head, moving away the cup before gently laying him down. Good show, my dear student. It was as if she’d known I was going to do it before I’d even moved.
W̃ е̌ b̊ňо̀v́ ӗ l̂ Еn̄ û m̈а́
What an utter fool this boy was. It was because this work was so important that he needed to sleep. If he had time to say such nonsense, he had time to rest.
I was tired too. I didn’t think I could stay awake much longer.
“The recording of a personal wedding is an interesting plan, at least,” Lynokis remarked.
“Indeed. It’s innovative, for sure.”
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This would serve as a good test case. If we could do something about the price, I was sure it would catch on in Altoire as well. Magivision would become something even more integrated into our personal lives.
Those thoughts could come later, though.
Е́ n̈ŭ m̂а̄ .i d̄
“I’m going to take a little nap now. You’re tired too, aren’t you? Get some rest yourself while you still can.”
“Yes, Young Mistress. Good night.”
We needed to preserve our energy before the big mission.
This was one job we absolutely could not fail.
That night before we disembarked, we met with the production crew we would be working with.
“My apologies. It appears I fell asleep without realizing it,” the prince said when we finally emerged.
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By the time both the prince and I had woken up, we’d already arrived in Vanderouge—we’d been completely conked out, dead to the world. That was the reason we were now pressed for time.
“No, please don’t apologize!”
The capital’s production crew would be in charge of the recording for this wedding. Even the manager in charge of all the production crews, Mirko Tair, was here and she was rarely on-site these days. Just like the last time I’d seen her, she was a capable woman dressed in her usual black suit and glasses.
However, even someone as capable as Mirko couldn’t remain unfazed by the prince’s apologies. Not just her, but the other familiar faces of the crew were flustered too. Honestly, I definitely should have been more concerned myself. We were literally in a situation where a member of royalty was apologizing to those of lower classes.
It sounded like the plan was originally to have a meeting with me and the production crew on the airship ride to Vanderouge, but after I’d knocked Prince Hiero out last night, he ended up sleeping through the entire journey.
“Nothing to get so worked up about. I was fast asleep myself, so let’s just move on.” It was ninety percent my fault, so I decided to bail him out.
Wéb nо̆ v̂ e l̄ Е̄n̈ům̃ ȧ
That other ten percent was his fault, though. The reason he didn’t wake up even once was definitely because he’d been forgoing sleep in the first place. Who could possibly do a good job in such a state?
Regardless, we were wasting our time on this discussion. We’d already arrived—it wasn’t the time or place to exchange pointless apologies and humble reassurances.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“You’re right... We’re slightly off schedule, but I’ll make up for this with my work,” Hiero said.
Yes, exactly. We don’t have the time to spare.
Zackford Huskitan and Phyledia Cauculis’s wedding would be in two days. Our schedule had unfortunately ended up so tight because both the prince and I had been busy with work in Altoire. We only had today and tomorrow to prepare for the big day. In fact, it was already the afternoon, so it was more like a day and a half.
Today would be used to have a detailed, focused meeting, and tomorrow would be used to make any preparations. We were in a foreign country, so there were all sorts of annoying permissions we had to apply for.
Еn ů m̊ӑ. і̃ d
The schedule of the wedding itself had already been decided in advance, so we would adjust to that. We’d either carry out the recording focusing on the key moments or we’d record everything and edit it later.
The most stressful part of this whole affair would definitely be planning the preproduction. Having the events of the wedding decided for us made that part much easier to work with.
“Heeeeeeey!” Because the crew had caught up with us on the deck of the airship right as we were about to disembark, we’d gotten stuck listening to Hiero apologize for messing up and everyone else insisting it was okay. One of the people waiting for us at the port was getting impatient.
“I’ll go ahead, then.” As a way to cut off this pointless discussion, I descended the ramp first and met with the black-haired siblings waiting down below.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Welcome, Miss Nia Liston. Guess I’m interacting with you as a collaborator this time.”
“It’s been a little while. Let’s have a race if we find the time.”
Еň_ú m̄а̊
It was Christo Volt Vanderouge—fourth imperial prince of Vanderouge—and his younger sister Crowen. I’d met them during my expedition to the country the previous winter. After first meeting Christo and Prince Hiero, they invited me to a gathering at the house of the groom of the upcoming wedding, which was where I met Crowen.
We really were strapped for time, which was why the two had come to meet us directly at the port. Given their status, they had bodyguards accompanying them, but their guards were maintaining some distance so as not to get in the way. Hmm... They don’t seem very strong.
“We can deal with introductions later,” Christo quickly said as he watched Hiero, Mirko, and the rest of the production crew flow down the ramp in droves. “I’ll take you guys to your hotel first. We’ve already made arrangements to hold our meeting there. Follow me.”
Smart move. If we stopped to chat here, we’d only get in the way of the workers.
Without even having a moment to bathe in the nostalgia, Christo led us to three large skiffs. We split ourselves up across them and headed straight for the hotel.
“First, let me start by thanking you all for coming to my friends’ wedding.”
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We were brought to the same luxury hotel I had stayed in over winter. After we had all gathered in the largest VIP room the hotel had, Christo started the discussion.
This room is even bigger than the one Lynokis and I stayed in... It was both bigger and fancier. I hadn’t even realized there was a room a grade above ours. I didn’t want to know how much it cost to stay here for the night.
“I am the fourth imperial prince of Vanderouge, Christo Volt Vanderouge. Since I’m so far down the line of succession, I don’t have much power and I’m not set to become some big shot either. Acting all high-and-mighty isn’t really my thing, so no need to be all formal with me.”
Being casual with Prince Hiero was one thing; being casual with Christo at the same time was asking a lot. Our production crew was mostly made up of commoners. In fact, a number of them were already cowering away from him, sitting meekly at the table and turning their gazes down.
“I’m Christo’s little sis. Name’s Crowen Volt Vanderouge. I’m really just here to help out my brother. If you’ve got any small jobs that need doing, ask away.”
It was all well and good for her to offer, but she was part of the imperial family too—no one would feel comfortable asking her to do anything trivial.
Ẽ n ů ṁ а
“Could you get the tea, then, please?”
Except for me, that is. The crew were looking at me like I’d gone insane, fear and awe clear in their expressions, but I didn’t mind that either. Nor did I mind the ones looking at me like I was about to shatter the bounds of the class system.
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I could have reminded them that I was the daughter of the fourth-class Liston family, but I ignored that impulse. I wanted to tell them that I was much closer in status to royalty than they seemed to think, but I ignored that impulse too. I would ignore every insignificant thing from here on out.
Crowen nodded and began preparing the drinks for everyone.
Perfect, that’s exactly how we need them to be. We had no need for nobles who flaunted their status and yet did absolutely nothing productive. The only ones present who were knowledgeable about Vanderouge were Christo and Crowen, so we needed everyone to be willing to say their brutal and honest opinions during the meeting. Well...maybe not quite that far, but the crew needed to at least be able to hold a discussion with them.
I had taken the opportunity to immediately show that the royals were in fact completely okay with being treated like normal people, so hopefully that would help ease the tension a little.
Е̌ n um̀ а̌.і́ d̊
Watching his sister quietly complete her menial task out of the corner of his eye, Christo frowned at Prince Hiero. “Oh come on, you didn’t even finish your own meeting first?”
“Sorry,” Hiero apologized. “We had planned to do it on the way here, but I fell asleep.”
“Ugh, see, Hiero? What did I tell you? You’re overworking yourself, dude. You need to make sure you get decent rest.”
I wholeheartedly agreed. Still, I wouldn’t have guessed that even Christo had been scolding Prince Hiero over his sleep schedule. It wasn’t bad to enjoy your work, but it didn’t do anyone any good for him to work so much he damaged his health.
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“Guess we just gotta deal with it. We can smash the meetings together. Feel free to interrupt me any time you have questions,” Christo said, finally bringing our first planning session to order.
The first topic of discussion that we were supposed to go over on the journey was the conditions set in place by the Vanderouge side.
Е̇ńu m̊a
Since Prince Hiero had demonstrated magivision all across the country, there were already many nobles and royals who were familiar with the idea itself, but not many of them seemed to grasp what exactly it was. It was a technology entirely foreign to Vanderouge, so it only made sense that being presented with it so suddenly would leave them a little confused. There were many who had no idea how it all worked or couldn’t understand the point of the programs.
To be fair to them, of course they couldn’t understand—our programs were mostly for leisure. There was nothing to be found by overanalyzing them.
However, once it was thoroughly explained to the nobles, many recognized it as something to be wary of. They learned it was a type of technology that could take real events and preserve them as moving images. Even Zackford had mentioned the possibility of using it for warfare.
Recordings of a country made it possible for topography, cultural progression, and even weaponry or army tactics to be leaked. What was more, Vanderouge was known as the Empire of Flight; their airships were the most advanced in the world. Recording could be an excellent tool for stealing such technology.
That fear taking root in their hearts had all but stalled the sale of magivision in the country, but—thanks mostly to the considerable fortunes involved—a special exception had been made for this occasion. That was why I had been called here.
That said, even though the administration had approved of this exception, so long as the citizens of the country still harbored those doubts, there would be many restrictions placed on any recordings.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The conditions for the recording of the wedding ceremony were as follows:
Recording may only be done inside buildings or designated premises.
Permission must be received before any important figure was recorded.
Recording was only allowed at designated times pending the approval of a designated supervisor.
Any recordings were forbidden from leaving the country.
The supervisor had the authority to allow or deny recording at any time.
W̆ е bñ o v̄ e l Е ń_û mа̂
If we broke any of the rules, our recording would be denied, and whether or not we were perceived as following those rules was totally at the mercy of the supervisor.
“Who’s the supervisor?” Prince Hiero asked.
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Christo grinned. “There’s two. The man known for being the sharp blockhead, commander in chief of the Ground Forces, Gawin Garde, and the youngest ever commander in chief of the Air Force, Kakana Lesiegin. Daddy dearest seems to be just a tad wary of the whole affair.”
Both commanders in chief? That wariness seemed like more than “just a tad.”
“They must both be quite strict given their positions,” I remarked.
Christo responded with a bright laugh. “You’re not wrong. You might think Kakana would be the real hard-ass when you meet her, but keep your eye on Gawin—he’s the real crafty one. He’ll look as if he’s taking nothing seriously, but he’s probably the most alert guy in the room.”
Е n u m̈ ӓ
I would expect as much. You wouldn’t reach such a high rank if you were really so lax; you’d only be causing issues for both those around and under you.
Christo turned back to Prince Hiero. “Now it’s your turn. What kind of fun little show can we expect from you guys in the face of such annoying restrictions and constant surveillance?”
The answer to this question must have been what Prince Hiero wanted to discuss inside the airship. Oh well, nothing would have changed the fact that I was tired at the time. Sure, ninety percent of the fault was with me, but that other ten percent was on Prince Hiero himself.
“I thought up various options, though since I didn’t know how strict the conditions would be, I came up with them without factoring all that in. A lot of my ideas will definitely be ruled out now, but I do have some that we could still use.”
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“Guess you aren’t the acting chairman for nothing. Fire away.”
Learning of the conditions for our recording had increased the number of logistics we had to discuss by an explosive amount. What gaps or loopholes could we find in the conditions set to us?
Еnu m̄а̄.í d̄
Apparently, this was something that had happened back in Altoire as well. Nowadays, magivision was normalized back home, but back when it was first implemented, influential aristocrats had strongly opposed the idea, limiting where recordings could take place. Prince Hiero—who’d had no choice but to learn on the job—and Mirko had been in the industry while all of that had been going down, so a lot of their opinions and experiences from back then overlapped greatly with our current predicament.
At some point, everyone had forgotten Christo and Crowen’s status, and our meeting proceeded smoothly until late into the night.
“I booked rooms for everyone, but maybe we don’t need them,” Christo said, looking out over the piles of corpses scattered about the room. It would definitely be easier to let them all rest where they were for now.
The moment we’d arrived, we’d been shoved into the hotel and only had time for a few very brief breaks as our meeting dragged on. A lot of the production crew had ended up nodding off along the way. Project proposals, notes, and scrunched-up balls of paper containing rejected ideas were scattered all over the tables. Whenever we ended up stuck on some issue, people would splay out over the table while thinking to themselves, and others would take a quick nap on the beds or sofas.
I felt like I was looking over an army of soldiers who had returned from a well-fought battle and were completely down for the count.
Honestly, even I was exhausted. Prince Hiero, Mirko, Christo, Crowen, and the staff members who managed to stay awake might have looked fine at a cursory glance, but I was sure they were all feeling it themselves.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“We’ll conclude the meeting here, then. Good job, everyone.” The moment Prince Hiero announced the end of the meeting, the remaining staff members all collapsed on the spot.
Seriously, good job hanging in there.
Our discussion had finally reached a conclusion. After endless back-and-forths, debates upon debates, we’d narrowed down the proposals enough to have an attack plan for the next day. The late night had been worth it; we’d finalized an exciting wedding ceremony that showcased as much of the potential of magivision as possible while also staying within the bounds of the rules.
The original request from the bride and groom hadn’t really asked for us to make it exciting since they primarily wanted us to leave a record of the event, but this was the biggest and best chance for us to market magivision to a foreign country. It would be such a waste to not go all out. How could we expect to change the views of the masses if we overlooked such a grand opportunity?
This was absolutely the right moment to go on the offensive. It was not the time to show any restraint or any mercy.
“Christo, Crow, what are you guys gonna do? Go home?” Prince Hiero asked while gathering up all the scattered papers.
Е̌ň ůḿ а̇
It was already late. As people of such high status, I imagined it wasn’t advisable for them to be going out and about at this hour—though I was sure they had their own bodyguards watching out for them.
“Kinda feels like we’ll be wasting time we could be using on the job tomorrow if we go home now and then have to come back. We’re already here, may as well book ourselves a room. Agreed, Crow?”
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“Agreed. Tomorrow’s an early start, so it makes things easier. Never mind that, I’m pooped... Hiero, are your meetings always like this?” Crowen asked, circling her stiff shoulders.
The prince gave her a sheepish grin. “They’re rarely this long. This time, we had so much to figure out last minute that we ended up squishing everything into one day instead of the usual several.”
So things weren’t usually so cramped. It was certainly a dense meeting with a rich flavor to it.
“You must be tired too, Nia,” Prince Hiero said, turning to me this time. “Feel free to go rest up.”
Еňu m а
I would have loved to fall asleep right then, but there was something else I had to do first.
“Before that, I have a request. Your Imperial Highnesses, would either of you be able to accompany me?”
“A request?” they both said in unison.
“I’d like to meet with our supervisors and discuss tomorrow’s schedule with them. We have so little time I’d like to get this out of the way as soon as possible.”
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“Ah, I see your angle,” Christo responded, folding his arms in thought.
“Not a bad idea. It’s a bit late for it, but still not bad,” Crowen approved, nodding to herself.
Ё.n uṁа̀
Glad they understand what I’m going for.
Commanders in chief Gawin and Kakana of Vanderouge would be the two supervisors who would accompany us to tomorrow’s recording. The first thing I wanted to do was confirm their stance on the matter—would they be cooperative or so uncooperative that they would try to disrupt our plans? Depending on their attitudes, they could delay our departure time at their own whim. I wouldn’t put it past them to pull undeniably childish tricks to put pressure on our schedule, like pretending they didn’t know what time they were meant to arrive. The last thing we needed was to have to deal with people trying to deliberately hold us back.
Secondly, I truly did want to make our introductions now. If we could get those done in advance, we wouldn’t have to waffle around them tomorrow, so it would save us some time. The sooner we showed how serious we were about this, the better.
If they were willing to cooperate with us, they would likely adjust their plans as they needed to suit us. If they weren’t, then I needed to deal with that before it caused an issue. Depending on how resistant they were, I was more than willing to threaten them so thoroughly they’d be frightened to the depths of their souls.
We didn’t have the time to waste nor could we afford to lose this chance to create the first real stepping stone to selling magivision in Vanderouge. This was a time we had to greedily aim for the very best outcome.
Confirming their stance and introducing ourselves—for now, those were the two things I wanted to settle before we went to bed. If the situation called for it, I’d beat them up. Everyone here is going through such a tough time to make this a success. I won’t cut you any slack.
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“I’ll go,” Prince Hiero immediately offered, but I shook my head.
“You can’t. I should be the one to go. Weren’t you the one who wanted to keep this as apolitical as possible?” Despite his current role, Hiero was still a prince. He might have been the acting chairman of a broadcasting station, but a prince was still a prince. In my opinion, it wasn’t a good idea for him to go personally greet two military personnel and carelessly lower his position by making it clear he was counting on them tomorrow.
It didn’t matter if he valued his work over his position as royalty, he was still a prince.
On the other hand, though I was of aristocracy, I was still just a child. Such a perception of me meant that I was less likely to cause offense.
There was also the risk that they would try to threaten us, and I refused to stand by and let the thoughts and feelings of those in some vague “supervisor” role let all our efforts go to waste. We’d already put in so much manpower, resources, effort, opportunities, and emotions.
I don’t care if you’re a so-called supervisor. Mess things up and I’ll beat you up.
Ẅеb̀ṅ о v̆е l Ě nu m̌.ä
“I’ll go with you, then,” Christo offered. “I’m actually decently acquainted with the commanders. They’re not really the kind to let personal feelings get in the way of their duties, but I do agree that we should let them know our plans directly. If things don’t go to plan tomorrow, all our efforts today will have been for nothing.”
“True. That would definitely feel real frustrating.” Crowen’s opinion was no doubt the one shared by the sleeping production crew. And me, of course.
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“Should we get going, then? I’ll send them a heads-up we’ll be heading over, so we’ll have time to stop off somewhere to eat beforehand. I’ve heard stocks of blood cross crabs are at an all-time high and they taste delicious. Let’s go eat some.”
That name of the beast was already so nostalgic. I’ve never had crab before. Does it taste nice? “I’ll leave all of that up to you.”
“Sure thing. I know of all the best locations to make a lady happy,” Christo said with a wink.
I thought this boy just seemed like a playboy, but no, apparently he really was one. “I’m not even a teenager yet, you know. Are you sure you’re content with me?”
Ẃĕ b̆ ň òv е̄ ľ Е̃ nû m̄a
“Heh, being a lovely lady has nothing to do with age. Uh, I...don’t mean that in an inappropriate way, to be clear.”
Good. It would be terrible if he did. Even if it were the case, I could navigate my way around it fine, but a certain someone would almost certainly be out for his head. Lynokis, I may be the only one who can detect it, but I can feel your hostility from here. Hide it. In fact, don’t be hostile toward him at all.
And so, the production for the first ever wedding magivision program began.
Preparations for inviting people to participate in the couple’s special day—if you were to ask what we were doing, that would about sum it up. Should we succeed, it would become a great asset in showing the wonders of the technology.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Though on that same token, the price we would pay for failure was also that much greater. I didn’t even want to consider it.
“We’re starting this early?” Commander Gawin was wearing his unkempt military uniform and had arrived at our designated location without looking all that bothered.
Ë ṅ um a. ĭd́
“It’s an unnatural time. I can’t say I approve of it.” On the other hand, Commander Kakana’s uniform was the picture of orderly and she made no attempt to hide her displeasure.
It was the early morning—or late night depending on who you asked. But despite us asking to meet at a time so early that night was not yet behind us, our supervisors had met up with us as we’d agreed.
We had all left the hotel bright and early and rode our skiffs to the home of our supervisors. And when we arrived, those who would be traveling with us today were waiting.
So this is Commander Gawin, known for being a bit of an airhead, and this is Commander Kakana, the youngest ever to become commander in chief of the Air Force. I appreciated how much easier Kakana was to read. She was your typical by the book military commander, and I knew well how to handle those types.
Gawin, on the other hand, was much harder to get a grip of. He might have looked relaxed, but that had to be a deliberate mask. This was the kind of person it was impossible to truly understand.
In the morning, both of them gave the same impression as the initial one I’d had when Christo had introduced me to them last night. Gawin looked very laid-back at a glance, but you could sense that he was a much smarter man than he let on. Kakana looked strict at a glance, and was in fact strict.
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They were nobles who had left home and were now living in a large house in Eunesgo. It was like a small mansion, really. And they were staying in it together.
That fact surprised me a little—apparently, the two were lovers, but they weren’t married. Everyone had their own circumstances, I suppose.
Anyway, yesterday, we’d managed to talk a little, and now today, when we arrived bright and early as we said we would, Gawin in his green military uniform and Kakana in her white were ready and waiting for us.
They had each prepared about five of their own troops, a looming threat that they would stop us by force if they felt things were going too far.
From what I could tell of our conversation yesterday, neither of them showed any signs of being uncooperative. They complained a little that we’d called on them so suddenly and at such a late time, but they were never unkind. Honestly, I didn’t want to get in a fight either, so I made no move to intimidate them.
I wasn’t sure what they really thought, but on the surface at least, they intended to fully carry out the emperor’s orders.
Ẅ е b̀n õ v ё l Éǹ u̇ m̄а
“Commander Gawin, Commander Kakana, thank you for your time today. Let us waste no time in being on our way.” Upon Prince Hiero’s words, the production crew—who had been lined up in a row for the purposes of introduction—returned to our transport.
Several skiffs were parked along the wide stretching road in front of the commanders’ house, both the skiffs that our group had arrived in, and the skiffs prepared for the army. First thing was to make our way to the port.
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“You guys should board too,” Christo said. “We’re going to be moving out right away.”
“Understood.”
“Roger.”
Gawin and Kakana boarded their skiffs along with their men.
En ũm а̇ . і.d
I wouldn’t say that I was completely confident in today, but it really would be a true race against time.
Let’s get this long day started.
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