I had considered myself a person with common sense, but when everyone looked at me strangely, I started to feel uneasy.
“If it’s a currency used worldwide, wouldn’t the country responsible for minting make quite a profit?”
I tried to shift the focus of the conversation from my common sense to the minting situation. In response, Court shrugged with a troubled expression.
“The minting of the common currency is done by the royal families of each country. There’s apparently a special magical imprint, and it’s managed and manufactured only by the five countries: the Verted Kingdom, Gransanz Kingdom, Carvan Kingdom, Maple Leaf Holy Empire, and Bushmills Empire.”
Among the familiar names mentioned, one major country was not called.
“Is Court-Highland not involved in minting?”
When I asked this, Court’s expression became even more troubled.
“Since Court-Highland elects representatives, there’s a possibility of information leakage in minting with special imprints, they say.”
“I see. For me, a country that elects representatives through voting would be more trustworthy than hereditary royalty, in terms of preventing collusion and corruption.”
As I said this, I turned to Liz and Belle.
“Come to think of it, I’m getting hungry. Since we’re here, shall we buy baked bread for all of us? I’ll go too.”
“Sensei Aoi too?”
“Ah, then I’ll go as well!”
“Shall I join you in buying?”
As I took out my wallet and started walking, Aile, Shenley, and Eliza also came along, and before we knew it, all the women in our group were heading towards the food stall.
“Sensei Aoi, what flavor would you like?”
“I’d prefer something sweet if possible.”
“Then, this berry one would be good!”
“Ah, I think this maple one would be better…”
In the blink of an eye, I found myself part of the girls’ circle.
Amidst the excitement of Aile and the others making a fuss over a single food stall, I found myself smiling and biting into the bread without even realizing it, feeling like I was on a school trip after a long time. I remember how enjoyable it was to eat unfamiliar foods during the school trip I went on in Japan.
Savoring the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread and the surprisingly complex flavored sauce, we enjoyed our tour of the Holy City.
As we were happily exploring the town under Crown’s guidance, we encountered a group dressed in white robes embroidered with crosses. They were in all white attire, from white shoes to white gloves.
Upon seeing this group, Crown subtly tried to change our route by turning his toes in a different direction.
“Now then, everyone. Let’s go this way. Further ahead, there’s a magic academy representing the Maple Leaf Holy Empire, and we might even be able to observe a lecture…”
Crown spoke a bit hastily, trying to change our direction, but the man at the front of the white-robed group called out to him.
“Oh, isn’t that Lord Crown-Windsor? Who are you guiding?”
Hearing this voice, Crown turned around with an obvious look of displeasure on his face. As I wondered what was going on, Crown responded in a stiff voice.
“…Vice Archmage Gem-Westmeath. I’m currently attending to important guests, so…”
Crown’s tone implied that he wanted to avoid any interaction. Frowning at this, the man called Gem approached us. As he came closer, I realized he was surprisingly old. Probably in his early fifties, with dark brown hair and reddish eyes.
“Crown! What’s with that tone!? Someone who can’t even fully handle basic magic has no right to speak like that…!”
Gem shouted as he confronted Crown. But as Crown refused to engage, Gem’s eyes turned to us.
“…Foreigners, are you? If Crown is acting as a guide, you must be magicians?”
“Lord Gem! It’s your manner of speaking that’s the problem! These people are guests of His Imperial Majesty!”
Crown raised his voice, his face slightly flushed at Gem’s way of speaking. In response, Gem furrowed his brow in irritation.
Not wanting this to become too troublesome, I rolled up my sleeve to reveal the bracelet I had borrowed from the Emperor. It was a gold bracelet with a design that looked like multiple lines layered on top of each other. Seeing this, Gem’s face contorted into a smile.
“…My, I do apologize. You look so young, yet you’re of the second rank… Are you perhaps the daughter of a duke from one of the great nations? I am Gem-Westmeath, Vice Archmage of the Imperial Mage Corps of the Maple Leaf Holy Empire. If you have any troubles during your stay in the Holy City, please don’t hesitate to consult me.”
“…Thank you. However, I’m just a novice without any noble title, so please don’t be so formal. My name is Aoi-Konominato. Like the others, I’ve come from the Verted Kingdom.”
Upon hearing my response, Gem’s brow furrowed, creating deep vertical wrinkles between his eyebrows.
“No noble title, you say… Then, for what reason did His Majesty bestow upon you the highest-ranking ring, second only to the royal family?”
Being asked again, I hesitated to answer.
“…Perhaps because I can use a new type of magic?”
I couldn’t help but ask in return. Crown hurriedly denies it.
“N-no, no, that’s not it. Lady Aoi is a senior faculty member at Fidic Academy, and the others are all excellent teachers and students. Especially Lady Aoi, who was invited as a senior faculty member from the start, a talented woman…”
As Crown explained this, Gem’s eyes sharpened.
“…Fidic Academy… His Majesty’s fondness for new things is troublesome…”
Muttering something under his breath, Gem plasters a forced smile on his face.
“Well, I’ve taken up your time. Please enjoy your tour of the Holy City.”
As if suddenly losing interest, Gem said only that and turned his back on us. Watching the group in white robes walk away, Crown lets out a small sigh of relief.
“Are they difficult people?”
Crown shrugs and shakes his head.
“As you could tell from that brief conversation, that group is part of the extreme primitive magic faction within the court magicians.”
“Primitive magic faction?”
I tilt my head at the unfamiliar term. Crown’s eyes widen, and he blinks several times.
“You’ve never heard of it? Ah, perhaps it’s called something different in Verted. They’re the ones who insist that, given the long history of magic, it’s a waste of time to develop new magic. It’s true that truly useful magic from completely new perspectives is rare. Maybe once in a hundred years, if that. But if we only refine existing magic like the primitive magic faction, we can’t expect significant progress.”
As if I had pressed some switch, Crown began to pour out his explanation and complaints about the primitive magic faction.
“I see. So it’s a way of thinking that favors further enhancing already established magic, right? While that’s necessary, we shouldn’t look down on researchers of new magic.”
When I respond this way, Crown takes my hand with a radiant smile and nods repeatedly.
“Exactly! As expected! In our country, no new magic has been adopted for common use in nearly a hundred years. The ones that have been developed are far from practical, like magic that instantly turns water into white mist or magic that emits light from your hand. It’s truly lamentable. In comparison, the Verted Kingdom has Fidic Academy, with such a wonderful environment where magicians from various countries gather… how envious! If I could, I’d become a student at Fidic Academy right now and learn magic from magicians of different countries!”
And so, the court magician, supposedly at the pinnacle of magic in the Maple Leaf Holy Empire, rattles on at high speed. I take a step back as Crown leans in enthusiastically. Not only us but also the people around us were wide-eyed at his fervor.
Although there were some minor disturbances on the first day of our Holy City tour, the students seemed quite satisfied. We were to stay at the royal castle for the night, and in the guest room with unnecessarily high ceilings, Aisle and the others were talking about the cityscape and the food they had eaten.
Shenley seemed quite nervous, as it was her own country’s royal castle, but the other students didn’t seem too affected.
“…Indeed, staying inside a castle must be nerve-wracking. I understand, as I’m a bit nervous myself.”
“…Are you, nervous?”
“…Aoi-san, you don’t look any different…”
Strauss and Eliza immediately looked puzzled upon hearing my mumbling.
Smiling wryly at their reaction, I stand up from my chair.
“I’m only human, after all… Well, I’ll go for a little walk to calm my nerves.”
Saying just that to the two of them, I left the guest room. Outside the room, two soldiers were standing, and they noticed me as I opened the door.
“Where are you headed?”
“I thought I’d like to get some fresh air.”
“Then, please follow me. I’ll guide you.”
Saying that, one of the soldiers started walking, leading the way. I had hoped they would just tell me where to go so I could walk alone, but it seems difficult to walk freely within the royal castle.
Thinking this, I reluctantly agreed to be guided.
Walking through unnecessarily spacious corridors, we open a large double door on the first floor of the castle. This leads to what appears to be a lush courtyard. There’s a fountain in the center, and low green hedges form walls around the area.
It’s exactly the image of a courtyard you’d find in a noble’s mansion.
In this courtyard, there was a young woman wearing a beautiful dress. Dressed in pure white attire reminiscent of a wedding dress, she was walking near the fountain, her wavy blonde hair swaying. She looked to be in her late teens. Two soldiers in silver armor stood nearby, and there was also a woman who appeared to be a maid.
As I was observing the scene, the woman in the dress noticed us and turned around.
“Princess Rose,”
the soldier guiding me immediately whispered the name and knelt on the spot. Apparently, she’s a member of the royal family.
I straighten my posture and give a slight bow. The woman called Rose slightly furrows her brow.
“…Who are you?”
Asked in a low voice, I raise my face to answer.
“I’m a faculty member at a magic academy in the Verted Kingdom. My name is Aoi Konominato.”
After I state my title and name, Rose begins to observe me with interest.
“…The Verted Kingdom, so that’s the Fidic Academy? You must be quite talented. Though you look quite young.”
Muttering such things, Rose walks towards me. The soldier who had been kneeling in front of me raises his face in a panicked manner.
“P-Princess Rose. Lady Aoi is one of the few senior faculty members at Fidic Academy, and she’s an honored guest who has come to further elevate the magical standards of the Maple Leaf Holy Empire…”
The soldier began explaining as if to protect me, but his attitude changed the moment he made eye contact with Rose. He became increasingly flustered and finally lowered his head again.
Rose narrows her eyes as if finding this uninteresting and lets out a small snort.
“…Senior faculty. If I recall correctly, one of our country’s magicians is also enrolled as a senior faculty member. Well, it doesn’t matter. More importantly…”
Rose mumbles something as if trying to remember, while walking towards me.
Then, she looks down at the head of the kneeling soldier.
“You. What were you trying to say to me? Because she’s a guest, what? Were you going to tell me to kneel to her?”
“N-no, nothing of the sort…!”
Rose, not hiding her irritation, continues to question the man as if scolding him. The man just keeps trembling. Just like with Rocks, it seems royalty tends to become tyrannical easily.
Feeling sorry for the trembling man and wondering if there’s anything I can do, Rose suddenly begins to chant. After a brief chant, she points one hand towards the man’s head.
“…Know your place. Ice Sculpture Frozen.”
As Rose casts her magic, the area around the kneeling, trembling man begins to freeze. Seeing this, I immediately cast a counter-spell.
“Fire Circle Red Circle.”
As I mutter this, red lines race around the man, forming a small circle. From there, an extremely thin wall of flame shoots out like a laser beam, instantly melting the ice.
It seems Rose had tried to use magic to encase the target in a block of ice, but fortunately, the man escaped unharmed.
As the man looks around in surprise, Rose raises her face. Then, with an expressionless face, she looks at me.
“…Was that just now without incantation? Or do you have a magical tool equivalent to the royal family’s treasures?”
“It was without incantation.”
I answer while maintaining eye contact. Rose tilts her head slightly and raises the corner of her mouth.
“…I see. Without incantation… without incantation, huh.”
As if ruminating on the same words, Rose repeats them before turning her back to me.
“…That was interesting. Make sure to visit the academy in the Holy City as well.”
Saying only that, Rose quietly walked away. I thought she might take offense, seeming like an overbearing noble, but it seems she saw me more as an interesting toy rather than a disrespectful opponent. In any case, it appears I’ve avoided punishment.
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