Anne-Sophia von Palletia is a world-renowned weirdo.
She is an eccentric oddball and antithesis of what it meant to be royalty and who is dedicating most of her life to research.
However, what if we look at her from a different perspective? What kind of person is Anne-Sophia from those who knew her?
The impression of ‘weirdo’ doesn’t change much from person to person. She was the type of person to frequently visit the town and quietly check the shops, as per her royal duties.
What sold and what didn’t. Who did what and what incidents may have happened? She’d come by to listen then leave.
The only time she ever involved herself with the townspeople’s affairs was when it had anything to do with her research. But even if you were to keep the problem a secret, somehow it would always be resolved in the end thanks to her help.
Could this be a coincidence or was Anne-Sophia enacted the King’s benevolence? Regardless of reasons, Anne-Sophia maintained her reputation as a weirdo who did not act like a royal.
Despite that, she is beloved by all. Despite being royalty, she listens and sympathizes with her people, for better or for worse.
Above all else, the things she creates are new things. No one knows how she comes up with these ideas. She is the weirdo princess who shows us these marvelous ideas, one after another.
Look, there’s something strange in the sky today. It should feel like an ill omen but when I saw that it was the princess, all my fears flew away.
“It’s Princess Anne-Sophia again.” Today as well, the people of the Kingdom of Palletia can enjoy peace.
＊ ＊ ＊
An echoing roar fills the sky. I’m flying through the sky with Airdra. However, the one currently piloting Airdra is my father.
My father usually was dressed as befits a king but currently he is wearing armor like a warrior. Right now, I’m just enjoying the flight with father as I cling to his back.
“So? What do you think, father?”
“Amazing! This is a good one!” father replies excitedly, thoroughly enjoying himself. It seems he liked the idea of skipping his daily duties in favor of flying in the sky.
To say he was like a child once again would be an overstatement, but seeing father having so much fun flying on Airdra was a wonderful sight to behold.
Father usually conducts himself as expected of a good King but often relieves his frustrations by testing my inventions. I have high expectations having him test my inventions because he always gives me useful and honest opinions.
For this invention, father seems to quite enjoy Airdra and was smiling through and through. If there was anything he didn’t like, he’d complain nonstop.
Father begins his descent, lowering his altitude and speed so that he could land in the garden of our distant palace. Learning from last time, I’ve properly attended to the matter of landing. That will probably be the last feature I’ll include with Airdra so there shouldn’t be any problems with me calling this a finished product.
“What do you think of Airdra?”
“It’s pretty good. If we could mass produce this, our dreams could come true.”
“First, we could make a network… one that could connect the capital to every city and village. If we could produce more, we could easily mobilize our knights and possibly allow the people to use it for transportation.”
“Mhm… that’s a wonderful idea. I will commend you, which is something I don’t do often, but that will take a long time. You still haven’t created a flying magic tool that can reliably be mass-produced yet, correct?”
“Aside from personal use, I also have a flying broom… but as you know it’s not safe or stable.”
When you think about flying, it’s impossible not to think about a witch’s broom. Besides, its purpose of creation stemmed from a hobby of mine so I didn’t design it with the intent of having other people use it.
With all the necessary functions decided and finished, it makes more sense to use Airdra’s design, which is more traditionally like a vehicle, for mass production. That said, the biggest problem with mass-producing Airdra is that its initial design was neither born from my hobby or with the intention of producing more. I will need to redesign it with materials that are easy to gather and produce.
“When it comes to mass production, it’s not something I can do by myself.”
“That’s true… and it’ll only further compound your disagreements with the Ministry of Magic.”
“… It’s not like I want to argue with them…”
“I’m sure you have your reasons.”
My lips curl slightly into a smile hearing father’s reply. I dislike those magic elitists; if possible I’d rather they all die out. It’s not like I wanted to be like this.
I guess, in a way, you could call me a magic elitist too. It’s natural to think your way of thinking is correct, but I don’t believe you should look down on people who believe otherwise. But that’s not something I’d admit out loud. In the end, I’m just jealous.
However, these magic tools were born from magicology and can be used by people who don’t have any magical prowess. It may not be clear, but compared to magic, magic tools have both advantages and disadvantages. It’s not my place to impose disadvantages to force opinions.
So, while I may dislike people who can use magic, I don’t dislike that this country was founded upon the reliance of magic. It just doesn’t mean that magic is not without sin.
“Well then, this was a worthwhile experience. It’s about time I head back. Keep up the good work, Anise.”
“Yes, father. Please don’t overwork yourself.”
“Heh. I mean this from the bottom of my heart; continue as you are.”
Father wore a look of sour sadness as he departs as if sincerely apologizing for before.
After seeing off father with his personal guards, I put Airdra back into storage and let out a sigh.
“Good work today, Lady Anise.”
“Euphie.”
It’s been a while since Euphie officially became my assistant. During this time, we’ve learned each other’s routines.
Euphie sleeps here in the palace but returns to her parents during the weekend holidays. Since she began to frequently stay over, she’s become more relaxed with her environment.
“Would you like to take a break for a cup of tea?”
“Would you like to join me, milady?”
“Please don’t make fun of me.”
We mutually giggled as we joke around with each other.
I call Illya for tea but before I knew it, she is already preparing a fresh pot. I didn’t sense her coming— I think if someone asked Illya to assassinate me I may die.
It’s unlikely Illya would be tasked with something like that. She’d likely harass me before trying to kill me.
“Hm~! Now that I’ve shown father Airdra, I think I’m gonna take it easy for a while. Well, as long as something like a stampede doesn’t happen.”
“Stampedes aren’t something that frequently happens. Besides, we can’t have you jump onto every stampede, right? You are, after all, a potential heir to the throne.”
“Eeeeeh…”
“Don’t ‘eeeeeh’ me. Pardon me, but It’s my job to remind you of your duties.”
“You’re too stiff, Euphie.”
“And Lady Anise is too flexible.”
“No way.”
I stick out my tongue as I sip the tea, to which Illya nudges me at my side. Euphie also gives me a weird look, so I retract my tongue and drink it normally.
Relaxing like this makes my body and mind feel like they’re slowly degrading. Well, it’s not like I wasn’t hoping to spend time like this as I intend to enjoy it to the fullest, so long as another stampede doesn’t occur.
“Hmm… I’d like to do some basic research… and since Euphie is here—"
“Basic research?”
“I was thinking of adding attributes to the Mana Blade. Currently, I believe we’re only scratching the surface of this technology and that attributes will be the next big step.”
“So affixing attributes? Why not stick to just using the user’s magic affinity?”
“There are people, like me, that cannot use certain types of magic, so I figure it’d be good to work around that. It might not be necessary for when we mass produce it but it’s something that I want to be able to utilize.”
It’s very difficult to affix an attribute to the Mana Blade’s blade, at least with the current technology available. To be honest, I don’t think it’s necessary to include this feature for when it gets mass-produced…
Really, I want to go through with it only because it’s within my interests. Thus, I don’t think putting in the effort can be considered a waste, but for the longest time I couldn’t make any progress, so I’ve left it alone. Until now.
“With Euphie’s Arc en Ciel, attributes can be granted to the blade but is dependant on the user’s capabilities. If we can study how it works, we can figure out how to build a technology…”
“Ah right… if we study how the blade’s attribute is constructed, then Lady Anise could develop technology that could replicate it.”
“Yes, that! As expected of an honor student. You understand quickly!”
“I’m happy to be of use.”
Seeing Euphie’s smile warms my heart. I’m so happy to have someone to share the joys and pain of researching together. Although I’ve tried my best not to have magic influence everything, it feels like a waste not to utilize its luxury.
I’ve asked Euphie to train with Arc en Ciel for a while so that she can explain the techniques and what she feels when forming elemental blades. That said, I wonder what I can do in the meantime. Since there isn’t anything else I can do to expand the design of the Mana Blade, I should look into reducing the cost of the materials.
But it’s difficult to make any progress now. I want to give Euphie a bit of time before moving on. Her life has drastically changed, and I don’t want her to feel like she needs to be in a rush to get acclimated.
“Hey, Euphie. How’s life going?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You don’t feel troubled? I mean, there’s your little brother…”
“Ah…”
At the mention of her little brother, an awkward smile forms on her lips. Every weekend she returns home, so it’s unavoidable that she’d come face to face with her brother, Kind.
Kind was very angry at the royal family’s treatment of Euphie. He thinks there was some foul play to force Euphie to stay here in the palace, so I’ve always been curious about what happens whenever she returns to her estate.
“He’s still very angry. He’s worried how I’d do in the academy… but he also hasn’t talked to me much recently…”
“Hmm, that will make it difficult for me to personally meet them.”
“We’ll have to wait for better timing. Father and Mother also have a lot weighing on them…”
Ah. It’s unfortunate that the royal family’s response to the situation was a bit late and lacking. I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused the Magneta family.
One day I’d like to talk to Kind, but it’s difficult to guess when the opportunity might arise. Oh, Al… you’ve really made things troublesome for us all, haven’t you?
Speaking of, I wonder how things are at the academy…?
Initially, I didn’t intend to get too involved with the academy, but the way things are going I may have to. Now that I’m in contention for succeeding the throne, I’ll have to diversify what I’m doing for the sake of the future.
It’s possible that Al may no longer be recognized as the heir to the throne, and while I’m not comfortable about it, I may need to talk to people about his reputation.
I want to continue living my life dedicating myself to my research, but I can’t help but sigh as the reality no longer allows me to say that anymore.
＊ ＊ ＊
I’ve discussed with Illya that if we were to get another staff member at the palace, I’d want them to be someone who doesn’t have any previous bias towards me and have a strong sense of humor. However, the chance of finding such a person seems impossible.
That’s why I’m having Illya take care of Euphie for the time being. I’m not too sure if the two of them are compatible with one another but so far they’ve been getting along fine. Knowing that is giving me peace of mind.
“Now then…” I mutter out loud as I prepare myself. The purpose of my solo adventure is to gather information.
However, when it comes to gathering information, I’m not good at talking with the aristocrats, partially because I’ve distanced myself from these types of people. I thought that if I tried to socialize with people with influence in the court, I’d sway influence away from Al.
Because I’ve been known to visit the towns and the adventurer guilds, I can deal with talking with commoners better. Occasionally, I’d even talk to the townsfolk on behalf of my father—it’s important to hear from the people directly!
However, this time the information I’m looking for is not readily available in a town. Thus, I will have to seek information elsewhere. I head towards a spot in the castle. It is here that I could hear a heroic sounding voice. Peering inside, I see knights in-training.
That’s right, my objective are the knights. Both commoners and nobles can enter the knight order. Because of the frequent threat of demons, fellow knights tend to get along and mingle with each other, despite societal ranks. I figure this place would be the best spot to gather information.
“Sorry for the intrusion!” I announce myself loudly, shouting as to grab the knights’ attentions. All the knights within sight stop what they were doing then look at me with a startled expression.
“P-Princess Anne-Sophia!?”
“I got something to ask you—ah. Sorry, am I interrupting your training? Could I just talk to your commander?
“N-now… wait just a second!” the fledgling knights call out as they follow me in a hurry. In hindsight, I probably should have scheduled a meeting ahead of time.
But there’s no point in dwelling on that—the time for action is now! Don’t tell Illya I said that, though, she’d tell me to act calm.
“A-ahem. Sorry to keep you waiting. The Knight Commander will see you now.”
“Thanks. Take care with your training.”
I wave to the knights who helped me as they left before heading towards the Knight Commander.
After knocking on the door a few times, I walk in and see a relatively good-looking man waiting inside. His warm features coupled with his dark green hair and pale green eyes greet me.
The man before me is Commander Matthew Sprought, in charge of the Knight Order here in the kingdom. He is also a man I respect.
I’ve known Knight Commander Sprought for a long time; he was one of the few people to acknowledge the good in my inventions. He taught me how to fight, I run away from him whenever I cause trouble in the royal castle—there are many occasions where I’ve had encounters with the Knight Commander.
He’s a good man who has been teaching the maid attendants self-defense with the Mana Blade. Also, despite being married, he still seems to be quite popular with the ladies.
“Good day, Princess Anne-Sophia.”
“It’s good to see you too, Knight Commander Sprought.”
“It’s been a while since your last unexpected visit,” Commander Sprought replies with an awkward chuckle. In my defense, I’ve tried to reduce the amount of times I come in unannounced. It’s much less than how I used to arrive! In any rate, the commander has gotten used to dealing with me now.
“I’d just like to take a few minutes of your time. Sorry, am I interrupting your work?”
“Not at all. It is a knight’s duty to serve the princess. Please, come in.”
The commander leads me into his office as standard procedure dictates.
I sit at the guest table as the commander prepares us for some tea. Despite being a knight and a noble, there is an allure to how the knight commander conducts himself. After preparing the tea, Commander Sprought takes a seat facing me.
“Now then, is there anything I can do for you?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, there is. I wanted to ask if you knew anything about the rumors circulating the academy and what the current state is.”
Upon hearing my words, Commander Sprought’s expression twists into a bitter look. I knew bringing this topic up would be something of a sour topic for him.
After all… his son was one of the people that fell for Lady Cyan.
“Regarding that matter… my son deeply apologizes…”
“Ah, no. I didn’t come here because of that. Besides, my foolish brother also played a major part in that, so please don’t worry.”
“Regardless, it is shameful.”
I feel sorry for the commander who is slouching his shoulders dejectedly; the man who has been loyal to the royal family and has done his job diligently without fail.
To me he was like a brother, although with his age he’s more like an uncle, I guess.
“Still, it’s quite rare for Princess Anne-Sophia to concern herself with rumors.”
“It’s partially because I reinstated my claim to the throne, but also because it involves Euphie.”
“That’s right… Is Lady Euphilia doing alright?”
“Yeah, she’s taking it easy for now. She’s also enjoying studying magicology.
“That’s a relief to hear…” Commander Sprought sighs with relief, although his worried expression still lingers. If I were in his situation, I’d also feel worried. Especially as someone in his position felt that they could have stopped the situation from escalating.
It’s hard to speak up against royalty. Well, at least they’re not in the same situation that Al is. With the threat of impeachment looming, the Knight Commander has a part to play in all of this.
“So, let me hear it from you straight. What do you think about the whole situation?”
“In what manner are you asking?”
“The son of an influential family has been misled by some unknown baroness. It’s hard to wrap my head around. Neither am I a fan of people having affairs.”
To sum it up again; the problem at hand begins with Euphie, Al, his cronies: the sons of various influential people, and finally, Lady Cyan.
I don’t know much about Lady Cyan so I can’t comment on her but given what I know, I can’t help but think she had set up a honey trap.
“To start with, the Cyan family’s head was a well-known adventurer granted the status of a baron, correct?”
“Yes. It was also due to a favorable marriage with the daughter of a noble.”
“Is that so? Do you know what kind of person Lady Ryeini is?”
“That is… a complicated topic. Lady Ryeini doesn’t seem to be the child of the baron’s current wife.”
“Huh?” I blurt out. What are you saying?
“I was told that she was born between a love interest from when he was still an adventurer.”
“Baron Cyan didn’t stay with that woman?”
“I’m not too clear on the situation. Everything I know I heard from Navre—my son…”
Navre Sprought… huh. I don’t recall him being a polite or rude type of person. All I know was that he was a member of Al’s groupies and that he is just as soft-spoken as his parents with aspirations to be just like his father. Ah, I’m getting off-topic.
“Well, I guess I don’t blame him for taking her in. Do you know anything else about that woman?”
“Only that she is a woman of many mysteries. We’re still investigating her, but she’s already deceased, so…”
“In that case, how did Baron Cyan come to take in Lady Ryeini?
“Baron Cyan had found Lady Ryeini at an orphanage and saw the visage of his previous lover. She had similar looks and even personal mementos on her person, so he was certain there was no mistake. It was then that he adopted her.
“Anything regarding the orphanage?”
“Nothing. Initial inspection revealed nothing suspicious.”
Sigh. So, either there isn’t a honey trap, or is it expertly hidden? I still find this whole situation baffling.
“What kind of person is Lady Ryeini?”
“I’ve heard that she is a diligent worker, gentle, and modest. She also has exceptional grades for a commoner. It is that reason that she had grabbed the attention of many, good and bad.
“Right.”
I can understand that being a commoner entering aristocratic society, even if you are gentle and modest, can make you look like an enemy.
I wanted to hear more about her from Euphie, but it seemed that Euphie didn’t interact much with Lady Ryeini.
“I don’t know much about Lady Ryeini. Nor do I know why she seemed to only attach herself to sons of influential individuals. I believe she is laying down a honey trap.”
“How indeed…”
It seems both of us have no idea what’s going on.
“Commander, where is your son now?”
“I have him in house arrest so that he may self-reflect on his actions, why…?”
“In that case, let’s go talk to him!”
“I’m sorry?”
“If you don’t know then it’s we should talk to someone who does! Thus, I will go visit the Sprought family today!”
“Eeeeh…?”
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