And now, I was sitting in the royal reception room, a place only honored
guests could enter. I was even facing the 3rd Princess of the Empire.
"You've really changed a lot."
No, it would be more accurate to say she had evolved.
She had always had an outstanding appearance since childhood, but now
she had blossomed into a sunflower in full bloom. The 3rd Princess sitting
across from me smiled faintly.
"You haven't changed, Teacher. Neither has the Sun Grass."
"I'll quit this only when I die. Or because I died."
"…Die? You shouldn't joke about that."
It was just a joke to me, but Solana's face showed genuine concern. She still
had a kind heart.
"…"
And then a brief silence.
It was quite awkward, probably because it had been so long since we last
met.
I snapped my fingers. An ice cube formed in the air and dropped into
Solana's teacup, just as I opened my mouth.
"Solana, I've often heard about you."
"Really? You've heard about me, Teacher?"
"People call you the face of the Empire."
The 3rd Princess of the Empire, the face of the Empire, Solana Rium.
It was quite reasonable to call her the face of the Empire. Her face itself
was dignified, and she was also the princess who appeared most frequently
in public.
"…The face of the Empire? Me?"
"Yes, I've also heard people calling you the Angel of the Empire."
She was known as both a princess and a saint.
Her holy power was considered supreme. While she couldn't revive the
dead, it was said that no one would die in her presence. It was a well-known
story.
…Such a wonderful woman was once my student.
"I feel undeserving. I reached this level thanks to you, but hearing such
praise makes me feel sorry."
"I only taught you intermediate magic, and you manifested holy power. You
should be proud."
"No, the method of controlling the flow of energy is the same for holy
power. It's all thanks to you. Don't deny it."
Have you ever seen paint slowly spread on a canvas? Solana started to get
excited in a similar way.
"That's not all. You told me stories about the world and taught me
etiquette… It's all thanks to you!"
"…"
Her excitement was quite unexpected, so silence fell. I silently chewed on
my Sun Grass, and we looked at each other in silence.
And then, at some point.
"Pfft…"
"Ahaha…"
"You're still the same."
We both burst into laughter. It was a situation we had often experienced in
the past when we were younger.
"I must have shown my childish side without realizing it, even though I'm
an adult now."
"Not 'childish side,' but 'foolish side.'"
"Ah, 'foolish side.' 'Foolish side'…That's what I said. Hehehe…"
Now, she felt even more like the Solana I knew.
In fact, the nickname "the face of the Empire" for Solana was a tradition
that had been used within the Imperial Palace.
─Princess Solana, isn't she perfect?
─As long as she keeps her mouth shut.
─As long as she doesn't trip occasionally.
─As long as she stays still.
Was her appearance too outstanding? She often heard people say she was
surprisingly clumsy. Of course, never in her presence.
"As expected, no matter how much time passes, I can't help but feel like a
child in front of you. Do I still look like a little kid to you?"
"Not at all, there's a fine princess sitting across from me."
"…Really?"
She blushed and tidied her bangs.
However, there was a somewhat unusual hairpin in Solana's bangs. It stood
out among the luxurious royal ornaments, being quite old. A flaw.
It was a familiar item. I had given it to her as a reward.
"…That hairpin, you still wear it?"
"Hmm? Of course."
Solana looked at me as if I had said something utterly absurd, like 'the
moon rises in the morning.'
"It's so old."
"Not at all. Even if it's old, I'll keep wearing it. Forever."
It seemed she preferred things that had a bit of age to them rather than
overly sophisticated items. If she liked it, there was nothing more I could
say.
Solana spoke with a determined expression.
"Anyway, the achievements of my royal sisters and I are all thanks to you.
It would be troublesome if you didn't know that."
"All of you… Speaking of which, how are the other princesses?"
"They've all become remarkable figures. They're making great names for
themselves in their respective positions. They'll be returning soon."
"They seem to have become quite impressive."
"Yes. You'll be surprised when you reunite with them."
Leading the Demonic Conquest Corps, establishing and managing their
own magic towers, controlling the entire continent's trade networks… They
had become the pillars of the continent. The stories I heard were
astounding.
Solana smiled with a bitter expression.
"They say in an old saying, 'The best trees in the forest are all taken,
leaving only the flawed ones behind.' It seems I was the most flawed tree,
staying alone in the palace."
"Not 'an old saying,' but 'a proverb.'"
"Ah, a proverb. That's what I meant."
"And managing the Imperial Palace is something only you can do."
"You always comforted me like that when I was young. Hearing it after so
long warms my heart. Thank you. So, then…"
Solana nodded and placed her empty teacup down.
"Now that we're more relaxed, shall we get to the main topic?"
Finally, we got to the main point.
"I'm sorry if you were uncomfortable with the rather rough way we brought
you to the palace. If your journey was unpleasant, I apologize on behalf of
the palace."
"It reminded me of old times, and it wasn't too bad."
After all, it was my letter that started this, and the Emperor's orders as well.
It wasn't Solana's fault.
"Uh, well… There are some complicated circumstances, though…"
"Hmm?"
But Solana avoided my gaze. Other circumstances?
"Ahem, anyway. Please give me your hand."
Solana took my hand without asking. After a moment, she closed her eyes
and let her holy power flow, examining me.
'This brings back memories.'
When she had just awakened her holy power, Solana used to take my hand
like this, pretending to play doctor.
…The biggest difference between then and now was her expression.
─All done! Teacher, you're super healthy today too!
She used to shout that with a bright smile.
"…Yes. It's done."
The current Solana only smiled faintly with a rather sad expression.
I had only two years left to live. She, who handled holy power, knew far
better than I did that my body was in a dire state.
"Teacher, don't worry. There will be a way."
"Yeah."
"Alright, then. Let's talk about something else."
She took out a scroll from her bosom. It wasn't a magic scroll, but a
document rolled up neatly.
"You will live long and happily, because I'll make sure of it. But first, let's
talk about the present."
"The present?"
"I've always pondered. How can we repay the time you dedicated to the
royal family? How can we ensure the whole continent praises and follows
your talents?"
Solana tapped the scroll she placed on the table.
"And this is the conclusion I reached."
"What is it?"
"It's an appointment letter. Would you like to check it?"
Appointment letter? What appointment?
[ Appointment Letter ]
[ Appointing Jaekiel Hound as the Imperial Tower Auditor. ]
"…"
I quietly rolled up the scroll.
And then, after a moment, I unrolled it again.
[ Appointment Letter ]
[ Appointing Jaekiel Hound as the Imperial Tower Auditor. ]
"What is this?"
"It's an appointment letter."
"I never applied or registered for this."
"I took care of all the applications and registrations."
When I remained silent, Solana added.
"Do you know how much it pained me to think of you, living in a corner of
the continent, relying only on alcohol and Sun Grass? You can't live like
that anymore."
"No, I mean–"
"No. Your opinion doesn't matter."
Solana firmly interrupted me.
"From this moment on, I will forcibly provide you with immense wealth,
great honor, and tremendous love."
And she gave me the brightest smile I had ever seen.
"…Understood?"