.｡.:✧ Chapter 5 ✧:.｡.

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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It was a suddenly scheduled visit by Princess Elena to the fief. Although the purpose was probably to see me, the pretext she put forward was that as a member of the imperial family, she would inspect the territory of the lord who had made a vassal contract. From the lord’s perspective, this was like having fire fall on his feet.

It might have been called an “inspection,” but the lords, who were like gods and invincible within their own territories, could not freely violate their authority. In most cases, the pretext was just sightseeing, even if the reality was simple tourism.

In any case, whether it was then or now, a high-ranking person coming to the site made many subordinates tired.

“It’s already this late…”

A scene unfolded where the narrow dining room was hastily converted into a banquet hall, and Mother herself took the lead and fretted at the site.

I didn’t have to lift a finger, but I was wearing a ceremonial suit that I couldn’t remember the last time I had worn, simply observing.

After all, my role was just to be a face, and Mother and Father would handle the hospitality for the imperial family and such.

It was the mindset of a dutiful son of fire, but wouldn’t it cause more problems if I, who knew nothing, tried to get involved, especially when we didn’t know when the inspection team would arrive?

Come to think of it, this was also thanks to the lesson I had experienced firsthand in the military about how subordinates get tired when superiors make a fuss.

Just great! K-military!

“Rudrick, the Princess said she’s coming by teleportation circle… so where will she arrive?”

“Well, since our territory doesn’t have a fixed magic circle, I guess her mage will roughly mark the coordinates and temporarily open a one-way teleportation circle.”

While I was lost in pointless thoughts, Mother asked me anxiously.

Thanks to the lamentable reality that the only mage in the territory was the lord’s son, I, none other than myself, was the highest authority on magic in the Weiss County at the moment.

When I answered as I understood it, Mother’s gaze anxiously turned outside the window, and my gaze followed suit, looking out the window of the mansion. The scenery of the estate visible outside the mansion window was truly a quintessential medieval rural scene.

In a corner of the estate was a mill that ground the wheat produced in the territory, and instead of a large road, dozens of houses were huddled together in that quaint scenery.

And then, a flash of light appeared amidst that scenery.

“Oh, they’re here.”
“Oh my!”

Amidst the dazzling flash of light, I could feel the flow of mana to the degree that I could perceive it. The fluctuating mana was undoubtedly a sign of magic manifesting.

Seeing the large-scale teleportation being deployed, I felt a professional’s sympathy for how many imperial mages they must have crammed in. But that was only for a moment. Before I knew it, Mother hurried out of the mansion with a startled look.

Although it was an inspection team that included the Second Princess, the ones to greet them were the lord of the territory, Arin Weiss, her son, and a few poorly armed guards.

Included in that small group, I followed behind Mother at a leisurely pace toward the flashing light.

The estate’s residents came out and scattered hastily prepared flowers, but their number was so small that the scene looked rather unsightly.

“…Rudrick, does teleportation magic usually take this long?”

“Normally, they might try to disrupt the other party’s teleportation magic by calculating the coordinates in reverse, but that’s not the case this time. It’s simply because there are a lot of people. And our territory doesn’t have a magic circle installed.”

“…Ahem. I don’t think I’ve been this tense even when my grandmother scolded me.”

Tension hung thick in the air.

From Mother’s perspective, it must have felt like an eternity passed before the flashing light finally faded, revealing dozens of figures amidst the fading light.

“Is this Weiss County?”
“Indeed, Your Highness.”

From within the fading brilliance appeared a woman dressed in luxurious ceremonial robes of indeterminate material, accompanied by knights, mages, and maids who bowed their heads around her.

Her shimmering blond hair cascaded down to her waist in long strands. In contrast, her ruby-red eyes and a look of detachment as if she had no interest in worldly matters.

And the woman’s gaze turned toward Mother.

“Are you Arin Weiss?”

Her voice, exuding grace, came across as naturally haughty. As if she had been born that way.

Even I, who was just watching, unconsciously felt overpowered by the atmosphere, as she seemed to advertise with her entire being, “I am a noble person.” Unless one was a fool, one could discern the woman’s identity.

Elena, the Second Princess.

The Second Princess of the Esgelant Empire, and according to the newspaper article I had read, she had defeated all her formidable competitors and won the equestrian tournament held in the capital. She was probably the one who had regressed with her past memories intact, while I was the only one who truly did not know.

“I greet you, Your Highness the Second Princess. I am Arin Weiss.”
“Very well. Raise your head.”
“…Yes.”

At first, I bowed my head as well when the imperial princess appeared, but when I glanced sideways, I saw that Mother was visibly tense, contrary to her usual relaxed demeanor, except when caught by Father.

The Second Princess, Elena, spoke in a rather straightforward manner, seemingly flustering Mother with just a few words. Elena’s gaze then turned to me.

It had come to this.

Still, as a member of the imperial family, I couldn’t raise my head and meet her gaze directly, so I kept my head bowed, but I felt Elena’s gaze linger on my head for a while.

And then, eventually.

“Then let us proceed to your mansion. We cannot stand here forever.”
“…I will lead the way.”

Elena turned her horse toward the mansion as if she was familiar with it.

Had she been here before her regression?

As I was pondering this, Mother and those accompanying Elena began to move as well. All that remained were me and the estate residents who had been called out and were standing in a makeshift formation to greet the esteemed visitor.

Right, I should handle the aftermath.

“Since the Princess has left, you may all return. Sorry for calling you out while you were resting.”

Leaving an apology that was not quite an apology to the dozens of pairs of eyes that only rolled at me, I hurriedly followed behind them.

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For Lady Weiss, it was a great relief that the living room had been converted into a banquet hall by the time the Princess arrived, even if the hasty preparation made it look somewhat crude and rough around the edges.

Although the Princess had said to think of it as mere sightseeing and to remain at ease as usual, how could she possibly do that?

‘If she really thought that way, she wouldn’t have come in the first place…’

It was only natural that Lady Weiss, whose tense expression betrayed her inner turmoil as she sipped tea sitting next to the Princess, would have such an irreverent thought.

And whether the Princess knew of Lady Weiss’s unease or not, she drank her tea with graceful poise.

“It may not be as good as what I drink at the palace, but the aroma is quite nice. Is this herbal tea?”

“…Yes, that’s correct. As you know, our estate’s circumstances are not so affluent, so we could not prepare anything better.”

“I was already aware, so it’s no matter.”

Lady Weiss nodded her head at the Princess’s addendum, which could be interpreted as either criticism or praise. And with an anxious look, she glanced sideways at the kitchen.

The cook was also desperately preparing a banquet to serve the imperial princess, rather than the simple meals they usually had.

Despite making so many people suffer, the Princess looked around, seemingly oblivious, and then opened her mouth in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Then I suppose I should explain why I have come here, since you seem curious.”

“Ah, no… how could I dare to question Your Highness’s actions?”

“Haha. Do not say what is not in your heart. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, you might find it easier to think of it as mere sightseeing.”

“…Sightseeing, you say?”
“Yes.”

The Princess nodded her head as she set down her teacup.

“Your territory was simply chosen as a place far from the capital.”

“I see…”

Lady Weiss replied with a trembling voice, having learned this shocking truth. Despite all the agony she had gone through since receiving the official document, it was merely a whim of the imperial family.

As resentment toward the Princess began to grow in Lady Weiss’s heart, the Princess, familiar with the process, prepared the carrot after the whip.

“And as I understand it, you have two daughters and one son.”

“…Ah, yes. That’s correct. I have two daughters studying at the academy in the capital, and one overaged son.”

“I am acquainted with your eldest daughter.”

“Is that so?”

Lady Weiss’s eyes widened at the Princess’s words.

She had just read a newspaper article a few days ago about how her eldest daughter had ranked second overall at the academy. She knew her eldest daughter’s abilities were superior to her own, but she never expected her to be acquainted with the Second Princess as well.

“Serilla often praised him to me, saying how talented her younger brother is in magic.”

“I see…”

With a brief exclamation, Lady Weiss seemed to realize why the Princess had come to her territory.

It was well known among the imperial citizens that Princess Elena had great ambitions. Naturally, she also craved talented individuals. And having recruited Lady Weiss’s eldest daughter, who ranked second at the academy, into her service, she now sought to bring her son, who possessed the qualities of a mage, under her wing as well, likely upon her eldest daughter’s recommendation.

Lady Weiss was not entirely politically inept, and the picture easily formed in her mind.

And she realized something.

Although she herself, with her limited experience, did not know how remarkable her son’s talents were, others might perceive it differently.

“And having come here today, I can see that Serilla’s words were not mere exaggeration. Would you not agree?”

The Princess’s gaze turned toward Rudrick, who was seated in silence.

And when met with the Princess’s gaze, Rudrick responded with an awkward smile instead of an answer. This time, the Princess’s gaze shifted to one of the mages among the knights and mages standing behind her.

“What does the imperial mage think? Does that boy truly possess such outstanding talent in magic?”

“Indeed, Your Highness.”

The man referred to as the imperial mage bowed his head in response.

“Without a mentor to guide him, through self-study alone, he has already reached a level far more advanced than the novices at the magic tower. If Your Highness takes him under your wing and nurtures him, he will undoubtedly become a great mage in the future.”

“So it seems.”

Upon the imperial mage’s affirmation, Princess Elena nodded her head. And this time, her gaze turned back to Rudrick.

“Since the imperial mage says so, what do you think?”

And when met with the Princess’s gaze, Rudrick remained silent. Or rather, he seemed to be at a loss for how to respond.

Rudrick muttered to himself inwardly, ‘So this is how it turns out?’

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