I Said Make My Abilities Average! (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Goddess Incarnate 

It was several days after the incident in the classroom, and Adele was busy at her job at the bakery. 

Due to the nature of the bu siness, the bakery was open even on rest days, but sales on these days were a fair bit less than during the week. This was to be expected. Most people used rest days to relax, and even working mothers stayed home, preparing all three of the day’s meals. Naturally, there weren’t many people who came in to purchase bread on their lunch breaks. Besides, not everyone needed bread to begin with. Many people baked their own, after all. 

Nevertheless, the baker was the ally of the single person and the tired housewife. For the sake of the small segment of the population who needed bread, he opened his shop. 

And as it happened, this whole problem of selling less bread on rest days was now a thing of the past. 

Ever since Adele had started working, rest day sales began to increase, and now the bakery often sold as much bread on rest days as on weekdays. 

Why was that? 

“U-um, I’d like these ones please!” An apprentice from a nearby shop, a red-cheeked boy of fourteen or fifteen years, pointed at several pieces of bread. 

“That comes to two half-silvers and three copper.” 

Adele smiled as she loaded the bread into the boy’s basket and made change for the three half-silver pieces. As she handed him the coins, the boy’s hand jerked, his fingers trembling. 

“Thanks very much!” she said. 

“U-um, I was wondering… Are you free after the shop closes?” the boy asked. 

“Sorry, but when we close, I have to hurry back, or I won’t make it in time for dinner. I don’t have the money to buy my own food. Besides, the school gates close early, and since the matron was kind enough to allow me to work here, I can’t risk breaking curfew…” 

“I-I see…” The apprentice boy, who had painstakingly worked up the courage to ask Adele out, let his head hang in disappointment. 

“Please come again!” she said. 

“Y-yes, I’ll be back!” 

The boy headed home, his cheeks still burning at the memory of Adele’s smile. 

Adele was a good-looking girl, with a politeness born of her memories of Japanese hospitality. By this world’s standards, she was so incredibly considerate that it was no surprise young boys often mistook her good manners for genuine interest. 

Furthermore, Eckland Academy—though inferior compared to Ardleigh—was, from a commoner’s perspective, a highly prestigious institution. Seeing Adele standing behind the counter of the bakery in her school uniform, most assumed that she must be an extremely gifted commoner, one who had been admitted to the school on scholarship. And as a commoner, boys assumed she just might be within their reach. 

There she was, right in front of them: an intelligent, good-looking girl who would probably be able to make good money in the future. And to top it all off, she always had a smile to spare. There wasn’t a boy around whose heart wouldn’t leap. 

A good many young men began appearing to purchase bread for their rest day meals, as well as the next day’s share. Oddly, they never seemed to pay with exact change. In fact, it seemed that they always made sure to purchase items that would leave their total at an odd number and paid with coins that were too large—for if they did, the chance that their fingers might brush Adele’s was doubled. 

“Hee hee hee. You really are a wicked girl, Miss Adele…” A little old lady from the neighborhood teased her after the apprentice boy left. 

“No, Granny! What are you saying?” 

In her previous life, Adele had few if any fond memories of her grandparents, but in this life she got along well with the elderly. 

The little old lady’s husband chimed in. “Now, now, she’s right indeed! You keep that up and you’ll have your own shop and a man to support you in no time.” 

“Not you too, Grandpa!” Adele protested. 

The elders of the neighborhood had also been dropping by the bakery on rest days. 

With their children grown up and away from home, they were drawn to Adele’s youth, and she was happy to talk to them. They were a nice change of pace from her many would-be suitors, after all. 

When it came to work, there was really only one thing she was unhappy about. 

Lately, the shop had been so busy that they were selling out of most of their bread by the end of the day, which meant that there was very little for her to take home in the evening. 

*** 

On this day, after finishing her duties, Adele headed back toward the dorms, only to suddenly find her path blocked by a flock of people. 

“Um, excuse me. Is there something going on?” she asked. 

An old lady Adele recognized from the shop explained. “Oh yes! The third princess’s carriage is coming through! Everyone’s hoping to catch a glimpse of her. They say if we’re lucky, she might even stop and open her window to wave.” 

The third princess almost never left the palace, so there were few who had seen her. 

Why not? Adele thought. It wasn’t every day you saw a princess. She might as well try to catch a glimpse of her. There should still be plenty of time. 

Adele took advantage of her short stature to slip through the gaps in the crowd, until she had made it all the way to the front. 

A few moments later, a group appeared on the opposite side of the main road. 

At the front were four soldiers with swords at their hips and spears in their hands. Behind them were three soldiers on horseback, carrying lances. Following them was a gorgeous horse-drawn carriage, flanked at the back by more cavalry and foot soldiers. 

Due to the narrow city streets, the princess’s carriage was unable to move quickly, and the foot soldiers had likely been stationed as a sort of perimeter to deal swiftly with thieves or attackers. 

The carriage and its guards approached, and just as the first soldier passed in front of Adele, a young boy of five or six was thrust into the road by the crowd’s jostling. 

“Impertinent brat!” The guard raised his spear and struck the child away with the blunt stone head. 

The blow landed on the boy’s gut, and he was struck senseless, tumbling to the ground, unable to speak or move. Yet he had been flung forward into the path of the carriage, and to shove him aside, the soldier struck the boy once more. 

He’s going to die! 

By the time Adele realized what she was doing, her body was already moving, jumping out of the crowd and flying toward the fallen boy. 

It felt like déjà vu… 

It was just like before, wasn’t it? Would she die a second time? 

Yet she didn’t stop moving, and as she threw herself over the boy’s body, a thought rang out in her mind. Lattice power, barrier! 

A translucent wall appeared in the air, deflecting the soldier’s heavy spear just before it struck Adele. 

Shing! 

This was lattice energy, the cohesive force that bound atoms, molecules, and ions into a grid when a matter changed from a gas to a solid. 

As she cast her mind about for something to protect her, Adele remembered the barriers she had seen in anime; however, just watching the shows gave her very little idea as to the principles behind the kind of protection she was trying to manifest. If she could imagine it concretely, then the nanomachines would be able to manifest it for her somehow or other, but even as she tried to conjure an appropriate image, it occurred to Adele that her knowledge of defensive energy was sparse. Instead, another term popped into her head: “lattice energy,” something she had read about it in a book once, in her previous life. 

Lattices. Cohesive force. It sounded like something that could form a shield. 

While she didn’t fully comprehend the meaning of these terms, Adele’s instincts sensed that they might be able to help her. 

Indeed, using this notion of a lattice, Adele formed a dazzling image, a barrier that, when it appeared, was not a smooth, solid hemisphere, but a surface of what appeared to be innumerable connected glass plates. 

“Wh…?” 

Startled, the soldier raised his spear again and again to strike through the barrier. However, it did not crack. 

“Move!” 

At some point one of the mounted cavalrymen had descended from his horse. Now, he was approaching. 

From his appearance and demeanor, it was clear that he was of a higher rank than the foot soldiers. He had been on horseback, so he was probably a knight… 

He brandished his own spear, swinging it full force, with the point of his blade pointing straight at Adele. 

Shing! 

“Impossible!” 

Oh God oh God oh God! 

Adele was panicking. 

As if getting into a scuffle with the royal guards wasn’t bad enough, now there was the issue of this lattice barrier, which had formed from her instinct to survive. 

To the best of Adele’s knowledge, magic like this was unheard of in this world. 

There was magic that could be used to dissipate other magic in a duel between magic users. There was also magic that could raise the earth to act as a shield against swords or spears or arrows. There was protection magic that drew on wind and water. However, even in books and legends, there was no such thing as magic that could shield one against physical attacks without the use of another one of the elements. 

Anyone who could conjure such magic would be invincible in battle. With your enemy unable to strike, you could launch a one-sided assault. 

They were definitely going to take her to the palace, where, Adele suddenly realized, she would probably be executed for attempting to assassinate the third princess. 

This was very bad. She had performed unthinkable magic in broad daylight and inadvertently threatened the princess’s life! This was a double whammy. What could she do? 

While still covering the boy, Adele wracked her brain desperately, trying to devise some plan. However, panic began to cloud her brain. She was fresh out of ideas. 

“Wh-what are you, fiend?! Are you a monster or a demon?!” the guards shouted, fear on their faces as they edged away from Adele’s shield. 

…A demon? Like an evil spirit? Wait a minute! 

At this flash of brilliance, Adele dispelled the barrier. 

With a sound like shattering glass, the lattice exploded into shards, which dissipated into thin air. There was no danger in dropping her shield now. Even if one of the soldiers attempted an attack, Adele was confident that she could grab a spear in time to stop it. 

She stood slowly and turned to the soldiers, her expression blank. 

“What impudence is this, to visit harm upon an avatar of the divine?!” she said. 

“Huh?” 

“How dare you attempt to cause injury to my vessel?!” 

“Huh?” 

Uncertain as to what was unfolding before them, the assembled crowd of soldiers and onlookers appeared taken aback. 

The knight was enraged at Adele’s sudden hubris. 

“Y-you’re speaking nonsense! Oi, you lot—seize her!” 

At the knight’s command, the soldiers approached Adele with some trepidation. 

“Lightning! Visit your wrath upon these fools who dare to raise their blades against a god!” 

KABOOM! 

Four lightning bolts crashed down, striking the tips of the soldier’s spears. 

“Waaaaaaaaaaaahh!!” 

The soldiers dropped their spears in agony, falling on their behinds. 

“Wh-what just…” 

It had not been flame magic. It was honest-to-goodness lightning, straight from the heavens. 

It was a power unlike magic at all. 

“Was that…the power of God…?” 

The soldiers huddled in fright. Suddenly, they were no longer soldiers who fought for a living—they were human lightning rods. 

What had really happened was that Adele had gathered negative electrical charges below the clouds and positive charges above, inducing a lightning strike by drawing the positive charges to the tips of the soldiers’ spears. 

She had collected a low, secondary current that ran from the spear handles to the ground, so as to form an insulating membrane around the soldier’s hands and not accidentally shock the life out of them. 

Next, she began a silent spell. 

Refract and diffuse the light! Gather moisture into ice! Neutralize gravity and maintain formation… 

Adele solidified the image in her mind and released her creation in a wave. 

Shining particles of light began to float and swirl around Adele’s body and ice crystals gathered at her back. 

“It’s… a goddess…” the knight whispered weakly. 

Indeed, a young girl now stood before the soldiers, her body bathed in light and platinum wings sprouting from her back. 

“What divine punishment shall I visit upon you? Shall I level your palace? Or shall I eradicate the nobles, the royals, and the soldiers as well? Better yet, perhaps the entire Kingdom…” 

“Please wait!” 

A girl flew out from the ostentatious carriage and ran desperately toward Adele, pushing past the two knights at the door. 

She was golden-haired, fourteen or fifteen years of age—undoubtedly, this was the third princess. 

When she reached the knight’s side, she fell to her knees, her head bowed. 

“Oh, Goddess, please forgive them! This carriage before you is mine. So please, level all your punishments at me and spare the others!” 

“Y-your highness, what are you doing? As captain of the guard, this is my responsibility. I should be the one to take the fall! Your highness is entirely innocent.” 

“No! It is only natural that the person in the highest position should take the punishment, is it not?!” 

Hmm , Adele thought. Rather than fighting to pin the blame on each other, these two were scrambling to take it. Perhaps they weren’t such bad people, after all… 

The crowd was beginning to grow restless, and Adele’s original purpose had been simply to distract everyone for long enough to save the boy. She needed this over with. 

She was already treating the boy’s wounds with silent healing magic. She made certain to ensure that any injuries to his bones or internal organs were healed, and there was no damage or internal bleeding around his skull. 

“Silence! I detest such blabbering! Very well. Thanks to the generosity of your princess, I shall spare this place. However, I’ll show no such kindness next time. Do you understand?!” 

“We understand! We offer the utmost gratitude for your forgiveness.” 

What a humble speech from a princess! 

If Adele was found out, she would most certainly be beheaded. 

It was time for the finishing touch. 

Adele turned and faced the soldier who had struck the boy. The man was still on the ground. 

“You there. I understand that you thought merely to fulfill your duties, but you were foolish and rash. The blood you would have spilled would have been on the Princess’s hands! Would you wish for a rumor to spread throughout the lands that this country’s third princess was a cruel tyrant who murdered children standing in the way of her carriage? Could you live with that on your shoulders?” 

At these words, the soldier was overwhelmed with the gravity of what he had nearly done. 

“And now, I must depart,” Adele said, then added, “But just one thing before I do! This vessel I am inhabiting knows not of my presence. You must not speak of it to her. Understood?! You must never speak of this incident to anyone!” 

Everyone, the crowd and soldiers alike, gazed intently at Adele. 

They nodded emphatically, faces pale. 

“M-my Goddess, I have a favor to ask!” the captain of the guards said. 

“What is it?” 

“At the very least, permit me to speak of this to the king…” 

For some time, Adele mulled over this request from the captain of the guards, before finally nodding slowly. 

With so many soldiers aware of the incident, it would be unthinkable not to tell their king. 

“I suppose I must. You may. However, you may speak only to the king and no one else. This must be kept secret from the other nobles.” 

“Y-yes. Yes, we will be sure.” 

Just then, a bright idea popped into Adele’s head. 

She turned to the captain of the guards, making something of a troubled face. 

“Hmm. This girl—my vessel. She is impoverished and somewhat lacking in nutrition. Perhaps you will spare her a bit from your coin purse? Call it a ‘commendation for her bravery,’ or whatever you will.” 

“Ah! Yes, of course, your Greatness!” 

The captain’s reply was immediate. He could not possibly refuse. 

Excellent , Adele thought. The captain’s money would be some consolation. Now, to end this charade! 

Keeping her face stern, Adele fanned her hands over the boy. 

“Light of healing, ease his wounds!” 

The boy’s body was surrounded by particles of light—though this, of course, was just for show, as his wounds had already been mended. 

Once the light and brilliant wings vanished, Adele returned to her position on top of the boy, where she had been when the shield had first risen. 

“Hmm, yes, I believe it was just here. Now, each and every one of you had better keep your promises!” 

Taking one last look over the nodding soldiers and the crowd, Adele closed her eyes, then opened them, blinking to feign shock. 

“H-huh? What? I’m not hurt? What happened to the soldier with the spear?” 

She looked around as she spoke. 

Apparently, her acting skills had improved somewhat over the past year. 

“Mmm… Huh? Who are you, miss?” 

The boy had finally awoken. Thanks to the magic, he showed not even the slightest sign of pain. 

The crowds who witnessed the scene muttered among themselves, but they didn’t want to risk saying something careless. 

The captain of the guards called out. “U-um… No, uh, you there! Girl!” 

“Hmm? Do you mean me?” Adele clasped both hands under her chin conspicuously, her eyes wide. 

This time, at least, her surprise was artificial. 

“Y-yes. I must commend you for standing up to my subordinate’s in order to protect that boy. It was courageous, and so, I would like to offer you this reward.” 

The guard pulled a coin purse from his breast pocket. 

Yes! It was all going perfectly according to her plan. 

Adele fought fiercely to hold back her grin as the guard handed her the purse. 

She was surprised at the weight of it. 

It was then that she realized that everyone was looking—at her and the impoverished boy. 

However you looked at it, the boy appeared far poorer than Adele, who was wearing an academy uniform. 

How would it look if she took the money and ran? 

Another problem. 

“Y-you take this!” 

“Huh?” 

“That knight over there—he said it was an apology, for frightening you!” 

“Really? Thank you!” 

Adele groaned inwardly. There went her escape funds. 

Still, she handed over the coin purse. Her hands trembled softly. 

Seeing this, the captain of the guard bristled. 

All the color drained from his face, but there was nothing he could do to stop the purse from changing hands. He could not violate the goddess’s orders by speaking of what had come before. 

Just then, a voice rang out to save the captain, who was by now dripping with sweat. 

“Allow me, as deputy captain, to reward this brave young girl in the captain’s stead.” 

Thank goodness! the captain thought and reminded himself to thanks his deputy. He had seen his life flashing before his eyes. 

Adele was equally relieved. What luck! Now I should be able to add to my escape fund! 

In order to save a child’s life, Adele had reflexively used a barrier, a type of magic unknown to this world. On top of that, she had feigned possession by a goddess, tricked a pack of soldiers, and forced everyone to pretend that nothing had happened. 

And thanks to this whole improvised scheme, she had even ended up with some money in her pocket. Adele was filled with an innocent joy. 

But she was naïve, lacking in experience. She knew nothing of the cunning of man. 

Those weaknesses left her wide open. 

*** 

It was the evening following the incident. 

Inside the palace, three individuals gathered in the king’s office for a discussion. 

They were the king, the guard captain, who was called Bergl, and the third princess, Morena. 

“Is this all true?” 

“I would never dream of telling you such a lie.” 

“Father, you must believe him!” 

“Hmm…” 

The king thought for a long time, and then made a decision. 

“Very well. Bring that girl to the palace.” 

“Father!” 

“Your Majesty, we mustn’t!” 

While Bergl and the princess panicked, the king spoke plainly. 

“With so many people having seen the incident, there is no way we can stop the news from spreading. We cannot assume that such an important person would be left unmolested. Though some day she may still catch the attention of some other noble or the ruler of another country, for now, would it not be beneficial to ingratiate ourselves to the goddess? 

“We can say that we are simply giving thanks to the girl who used her own body to shield a child, who prevented the tarnishing of the princess’s image. Is there any fault in that? Is it not a perfectly natural course of action, for a king and a father?” 

“Ah…” 

“Morena, you must give thanks to the one who shielded you from disgrace. You must befriend her, no matter what.” 

“O-of course, I will gladly. That is all I could wish for…” 

“All right, then. Bergl, as you know the girl’s face, I will leave to you the task of tracking her down. Begin your search at once!” 

“Yes, sir!” 

*** 

The search concluded swiftly. 

Adele had been wearing her uniform, and the guards were quite familiar with the uniforms of both of the city’s academies. On top of that, Adele’s splendid silver hair made her stand out even more than she might have otherwise. Finding her was easy. 

Straight away, Guard Captain Bergl met with the dean of Eckland and described Adele’s appearance. 

There was no way that the dean could lie to a royal knight, who had come on the king’s imperial decree. Naturally, he ignored the viscount’s gag order and told the knight Adele’s full name and status. 

The dean did this without ill intention, thinking that it would give the girl a better position. He truly believed that he was setting a young girl on the road to prosperity. 

And so, the guard captain reported the results of his investigation to the king. Soon after, the honorable young daughter of Viscount Ascham received a message, inviting her to come to the palace straight away. 

*** 

“…That is to say, the King would like to extend an invitation to the honorable young daughter of Viscount Ascham. Here is the letter.” 

The messenger, a certain Viscount something-or-other, handed her the envelope. Adele stared down at it, a hand to her head. 

How could this have happened? 

Even with a goddess’s decree, it was impossible to expect that many people to keep a secret—or assume that kings and nobles would be happy to leave a girl who was touched by the goddess alone. Yet this thought had not occurred to Adele, who naively imagined that she would be able to continue living a normal, peaceful life. That all changed the afternoon a teacher called her away during lessons, leaving her to languish alone in the reception room with this messenger. 

If I don’t do something, they’re going to lock me up or restrain me. Or even worse—will they strip me down and dissect me? No goddess is going to come leaping out of my belly! 

What do I do what do I do what do I do? 

I have to think! 

Work, you stupid gray matter! 

Suddenly, something occurred to her. 

This noble messenger before her hadn’t been present at the time of yesterday’s incident, and the guards, who would have recognized her, weren’t present. 

Furthermore, the messenger’s discussion with Adele made no mention of the goddess or of yesterday’s incident. He had merely offered an invitation to the “third princess’s benefactor.” 

Even though he had said nothing of the goddess to Adele, it was still possible that he knew about it. However, given his fairly natural comportment, it was most likely he did not. 

He hadn’t asked her anything about the goddess or the particulars of the incident. He’s just an errand boy! Adele realized. He must not know anything about it. 

Thanks to that fact, she realized she had an out. It was time to test that newfound confidence in her acting skills! 

“Hmm? I am to deliver this to young Miss Ascham?” she asked. 

“Huh?” 

The messenger gaped at her unexpected reply. 

“What I am asking is, do you wish for me to deliver this invitation to the daughter of Viscount Ascham, who attends Ardleigh Academy?” 

“What? Huh?” 

Adele continued to press the increasingly confused messenger. “The honorable young daughter of the Ascham household attends the upper-class Ardleigh Academy—on the other side of the city. The Ascham family generously donated money so that I might attend academy, but I do not carry the Ascham family name. If I were to claim otherwise, I would be killed! Someone has made a mistake of some kind.” 

“Wh-what?!” 

“Please do not reveal that you came to me in error. I’ll be in a great deal of trouble if I displease the Viscount and lose my financial support.” 

“I-I understand! Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. I’m so sorry…” 

With that, the noble messenger swiftly departed, no doubt heading for Ardleigh. 

The invitation had been for tomorrow morning, Adele thought. 

I guess this is it… 

It was time for her to escape. 

When she returned to the classroom, Adele was inundated with questions from her curious classmates. She’d caused a fuss by being called away during class, but she quashed the whispers with a simple explanation. “They had the wrong person.” 

Marcela and the girls still looked worried, but they calmed down when Adele whispered, “They were looking for my stepsister.” 

*** 

Upon returning to her dorm at the end of class, Adele quickly began her preparations. 

First, she had letters to write. 

One to her three friends, one to all her classmates, one to the matron, and one to Aaron, the baker. In each, she apologized for her sudden departure, expressed her thanks for their friendship and assistance, and explained that, due to unforeseen circumstances, she was dropping out of school. 

Halfway through, she stopped to eat dinner, and by the time she was finished writing, it was already late at night. 

And now, the next step… At least I don’t have much packing to do. 

In the little more than a year at the academy, Adele hadn’t managed to accumulate any new luggage. Her spare clothing and the wages she’d saved were all stored away in the loot box. Her room appeared as vacant as ever. 

After going back and forth for some time, Adele decided to keep the uniforms and gym clothes she had been lent. They were getting fairly worn, so it was likely that they would be disposed of rather than passed on to another student. She decided it should be fine if she kept them. 

After all—if she didn’t keep them, she would have nothing to wear. As was only natural, Adele had grown in the year since her arrival. The clothing she had brought with her initially was now too small. 

She lined up the letters on her desk and borrowed just one blanket from the bed, which she shoved into the loot box. Then, she looked around the room. 

It was empty. Perfectly empty. 

“Farewell!” 

She uttered a soft goodbye, and then, suddenly remembering, took out from her desk drawer the plate with the bone. 

Cats weren’t fond of humans who fussed over them too much, so Adele, who only scratched behind the cat’s ears or on her neck or face when requested, was the perfect companion. The cat visited often, and Adele let her sleep on her bed as she pleased. 

However, in terms of food, Adele was only able to provide bones, which left the cat dissatisfied. It hadn’t taken Adele long to realize that the cat was wandering to the other girls’ rooms for handouts. 

For some reason, though, it was only the girls’ rooms. She never visited the boys… 

“You were a stray to start, so I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Adele whispered. “Besides, when the other kids mention the name of the cat they’re taking care of—Blackie, Goldeneye, Crooktail, Cricket Eater, and so on—I think they’re all referring to you!” Adele nodded to herself, then said, “Now that’s enough of that. It’s time to escape!” 

*** 

The next morning, Adele didn’t appear in the classroom when the day began, and the worried instructor asked another teacher to go to the girls’ dorm and check for her. Upon arrival, the teacher found only the abandoned room and the four letters that had been left there. Soon, a panic arose. 

Even though she had always hoped to be completely average, no matter how you look at it, Adele was an outstanding pupil, beloved by students and teachers alike. 

Yet upon opening the letters, they found that her disappearance had been of her own free will. Furthermore, because she had expressed her intent to withdraw from the academy, the school had no further recourse. The best they could do was to contact her guardians. 

“What’s the meaning of this?!” Kelvin demanded when he found out, his expression disturbed. 

“Of what?” an unhappy Marcela asked. 

“You know what I’m talking about! Adele! Where did she go?! Why did she leave?!” 

He was as insufferable as ever, but Marcela could tell that, unlike before, his blood was boiling out of genuine concern for Adele, so she had no choice but to acknowledge him. 

The letter addressed to the students contained only an apology for not saying goodbye and a thank you for all their kindness up until that point. Without any other explanation, it was more than natural that he would come to Marcela and the other girls, who had received their own, separate letter. 

“Family problems. A conflict of succession. It’s not such a rare thing among noble families.” 

“She was the successor?” 

“No, she was in the successor’s way. They would’ve made her disappear, so she vanished herself first.” 

“Wh…” 

Kelvin was lost for words, but Marcela simply sighed. 

“What are you so worried about? Whether that girl will make it out there? You should be happy that she’ll be living freely, without the burden of her meddlesome family. Just what have you seen in her all this time?” 

“I just…. I never got to apologize, or to thank her…” 

“She was always saying that she wanted to ‘live normally,’ but do you really think that’s possible for someone like her?” Marcela said. “Somehow or other she’s going to slip and end up center stage. Wouldn’t it be best for you to work hard to become a man who can proudly show his face in front of her, when that time comes?” 

“………” 

As Kelvin silently walked away, Marcela watched with a tender gaze. 

Seeing this, the other boys began to whisper among themselves. 

“Marcela… She’s a nice girl, isn’t she?” 

All the boys nodded in agreement. 

*** 

In the palace’s audience room, the king, the third princess Morena, and a number of nobles gathered. Other matters of the day had been dispensed with, leaving only the girl. Morena sat beside the king, prepared for the meeting. 

Initially, she had thought they would meet privately, just the two of them, but this girl was to become an important acquaintance of hers. Therefore, it was determined they would wait until the end of the daily audiences, then bring the girl forward, so that everyone could see the princess with her. 

“Presenting Viscount Ascham and the honorable young Miss Ascham!” 

At the herald’s announcement, the Viscount and his daughter Prissy, promenaded into the audience room. They proceeded forward, dropping to one knee before the throne, their heads bowed. 

They were both utterly delighted. 

Yesterday, an agent of the palace had suddenly arrived, telling them, “The third princess most sincerely wishes to welcome the honorable young Miss Ascham to the palace, so that the two of them may become friends, if it so pleases her.” 

A friend to the princess! 

Having a friend in the palace was an extraordinarily valuable connection, and the princess herself would have a direct line to the princes and even His Majesty. There was a strong possibility that Prissy might even catch a prince’s eye. 

She didn’t know what had caused them to seek her out, but perhaps the fourth prince, who had just entered the academy this year, had already come to desire her… 

With these possibilities in mind, Prissy’s fancies flourished wildly, and the Viscount’s were not far behind. 

“Show your faces.” 

At the king’s order, the Viscount and Prissy lifted their heads, eyes sparkling. 

The king looked to the third princess, Morena. 

However, Morena only stared blankly, not speaking. 

“Hm? What’s wrong?” 

“Ah, well, um… Who might these two people be?” 

“What? Is this not young Miss Ascham here before you?” 

“I don’t know this person…” 

Overhearing the king and the princess’s conversation, the people assembled began to whisper. There had been some sort of mistake. Viscount and daughter, not understanding the situation, were dumbfounded. 

“Where is Bergl?” asked the king. 

A royal guard answered, looking troubled. “Ah, well, he went to the audience waiting chambers not long ago and then left in something of a hurry.” 

A voice was raised from amidst the assembly. “Your Majesty, might I be granted permission to speak…?” 

“Hm? Oh, Count Bornham. Yes, you may speak.” Perhaps this man would know something. The king gestured for him to stand. 

“Thank you very much!” Count Bornham said, then turned to Prissy, the young Miss Ascham, and inquired, “Young lady, where might your mother be at this moment?” 

“Mother? Why she should be at the Ascham estate here in the capital right now…” 

“Hmm… Well then, your beautiful golden hair—I presume it was inherited from her?” 

“Y-yes, that’s true…” Prissy answered, without understanding precisely why she was being asked such a thing. 

Count Bornham now turned and addressed the king. 

“My wife was close friends with the Lady Ascham during their time at Ardleigh Academy. Twelve years ago, we received word that she had given birth to a daughter, and my wife and I paid a visit to the Ascham home. 

“The infant we saw at that time had gorgeous silver hair, inherited from her mother… However, that mother lost her life three years ago in an accident. Something peculiar is happening here…” 

“That child has nothing to do with us!” Prissy suddenly exploded. “She was his first wife’s child! We Aschams have no need for her! So we flung her from our home and forbade her to use the family name! She—” 

Viscount Ascham frantically clapped a hand over Prissy’s mouth, but it was too late. 

Count Bornham continued, calmly. “A father has every right to raise his daughter as he pleases, but in this case, there is a bit of a problem with the situation. 

“As I just said, my wife was close friends with the Lady Ascham during their time at Ardleigh Academy. Ergo, the Viscount only married into the Ascham family. The Ascham family blood runs through neither the Viscount who stands here nor this daughter, but through his previous wife’s daughter, who was chased away.” 

“Usurper!” 

“He overthrew the family line! That’s the worst a noble can do!” 

“A crime worthy of the highest punishment!” 

One voice after another cried out from the assembly, now in uproar. 

Viscount Ascham was frozen, his face utterly pale. 

“What say you, Viscount Ascham?” The king’s voice was firm. Everyone grew silent, awaiting the viscount’s confession. 

However, Viscount Ascham remained silent, making no move to reply. 

After some moments of this looming silence, the door of the assembly hall opened, and a single guard entered. 

“Oh, Bergl! Where have you been?” asked the king. 

Bergl drew an envelope from his breast pocket. 

“Well, when I went to the audience waiting room where the girl was to be waiting, I saw a young woman I didn’t recognize standing there. Thinking there must have been a mistake, I rushed to the school attended by the girl we were seeking. However, it seems that she left the school this morning for a destination unknown, leaving only four letters behind… 

“As could be expected, three of the letters were addressed to classmates and teachers and the like. Yet there was one more letter, addressed to a trio of girls who she was close to, which contained a few more clues as to the particulars of the situation. The trio allowed me to borrow this letter on the condition that I return it, thinking that it might be able to help their friend.” 

“Tell us what it says,” the king ordered. Bergl looked over the letter in his hands. 

“Yes, sir. In summary, she was called, by her family name, to come to the palace, despite having been forbidden previously to bear that name. Were she to do so, the girl explained, she would likely be killed, just like her mother and grandfather. She decided to run but told her friends not to worry. She planned to carry on a happy life somewhere out in the country. That is all.” 

The king rumbled. “Killed like her mother and grandfather, you say?” 

Now, Count Bornham responded. 

“The previous Viscount Ascham and his daughter were assailed and killed by bandits. However, theirs was the only case of anyone having been attacked by bandits in that area within a period of quite some years. What, we must ask ourselves, are the chances of this attack falling on the one occasion that the carriage carried not husband and wife, but the rare combination of the old viscount and his daughter…? 

“My wife always had her suspicions, but I did not wish to slander a household without evidence. I have kept my suspicions silent until this day…” 

Viscount Ascham’s face had gone beyond pallid and was now pure white. 

“Throw those two in the dungeon at once!” the king ordered. “Take the necessary agents to the Viscount’s estate and apprehend his current wife. Launch an investigation into all parties who may have been accessory to the murders of the late viscount and his daughter. Consider all those who turned a blind eye or accepted bribes to be an accomplice. 

“Until the rightful heir is prepared to take over the Ascham family estate, their lands will be under the Kingdom’s control. 

“Now, Bergl, you must find her. She is a young girl, so she couldn’t have gotten far in half a day’s time. It should be simple. Use as many men as you require. You must protect her and treat her well. 

“Everyone, move out!” 

With the king’s decree, all directed parties sprang from the room. 

The attending nobles were a tad surprised, as the king was not known for making such hasty judgments. However, they knew that even a gentle king took speedy action when needed, and they graciously accepted their orders. 

However, none of them knew of the rage that boiled in the king’s heart… 

Once the remaining nobles left the audience hall, the third princess spoke. 

“Father,” asked Morena. “That missing girl is…” 

“Don’t say it.” 

The king held his head. 

Bergl had to find her. And fast.