A Reliable Backer (1)
"This is the place, right?"
"If the letter is anything to go by, this is it."
A single letter had been delivered to the two of them — once again the Academy's hottest stars, thanks to the potion incident.
To the members of House Evergarden.
We shall meet at 22:00 in Room F on the fifth floor of the Academy.
No sender's name. No courtesies. Just one blunt line of business — a letter that, by any ordinary measure, was thoroughly rude and arrogant. But that depended entirely on who had sent it.
Pressed into the sealing wax was a dragon crest.
The crest of the Imperial House itself.
"Listen carefully, Oppa. The second we walk in, you bow your head. After that, not a single word. If there's actually royalty on the other side of that door, one wrong sentence and your head comes off."
"Eugh?! Is this stricter than a division commander's inspection?"
Felix and Rosaria arrived at the appointed place right on time. Before knocking, Felix caught Rosaria by the shoulders and drilled the warning into her.
The Imperial Family's authority was absolute. The gravest crime in the Empire was lese-majesty against the throne — that alone said everything that needed saying.
"Still, our current standing makes us hard for anyone to touch casually, so that example is pretty extreme. But be careful anyway. I'll do all the talking."
"Then why don't you just go alone?"
"It said 'members of House Evergarden.' That includes you, Oppa."
"Hieeek…!"
I really hate this.
Felix's warning had chilled Rosaria to the bone. She dithered, refusing to go in — but in the end she had no choice but to follow.
"Well then… here we go?"
"*Gulp.*"
Knock, knock—
"…Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
After every possible preparation, a light knock brought permission from the other side of the door. Felix carefully pushed it open.
"I present myself before the sun of the Empire."
"I—I present myself before the s-sun of the Empire."
The moment Felix stepped inside, he dropped to one knee and offered the formal greeting. Rosaria scrambled after him and dropped to her knees as well.
So there's an imperial right in front of me right now? Ugh, I'm so nervous…
Still kneeling, Rosaria swallowed hard, cold sweat running down her back.
"Raise your heads."
Permission came to look up.
And yet—
Huh…? That voice sounds familiar.
Through the door it had been muffled and hard to place, but hearing it this close, Rosaria found the voice strangely familiar. Carrying that sense of wrongness, she rose and looked straight ahead.
And then—
"…Huh?! Y-you…!?"
A familiar face filled Rosaria's vision.
"Rachel!?"
Standing directly in front of her was none other than Rachel Smiren — the same student who had taken the joint exam with her.
Tense one second, staring at a familiar face the next — Rosaria pointed at Rachel and shouted in pure shock.
At which point—
Shiiing—
"You dare address Her Highness the Princess so lightly? Do you truly wish to die?"
"….!?"
A razor-edged blade appeared from nowhere and pressed against her throat.
Holy crap…! There's a sword at my neck right now, isn't there?
The keenly honed edge rested under her jaw as if it would take her head off at any moment, and Rosaria's body locked up. Even allowing for the fact that she'd been caught off guard — more from sheer surprise than carelessness — closing the distance and putting steel to her throat in an instant meant this person was an absolute monster.
"I beg your forgiveness for the discourtesy, Your Highness. My younger sibling is still clumsy and lacking in proper manners."
"It's fine. I never revealed myself either. I understand. Please withdraw the blade."
"Yes."
Shhk—
"…Whew."
Rosaria had been ready, at the slightest wrong move, to shatter the blade at her throat and run for it — but Felix stepped in front of her, bowed his head, and asked for pardon. Rachel waved a hand and dismissed the guard.
"It's been a while since we've met face to face, hasn't it? I hope you'll understand. As of this moment, I stand before you as the Empire's Fifth Princess."
"I—it's fine… Yes…"
Rachel was a princess?! I had no idea!
The blade was gone as quickly as it had appeared, but Rosaria was still reeling from the revelation that Rachel was a princess. She answered while trying to calm her hammering heart.
"Then allow me a brief introduction. I am the Empire's Fifth Princess — Rachel Obina."
"Though… Honorary Professor Felix. Or rather, the eldest son of House Evergarden already seems to have known."
"I was surprised myself. I never expected my sibling would end up in the same exam group as Your Highness."
"How did you know…? I was certain I'd kept my identity thoroughly concealed."
"Believe me, I only just learned of it myself."
Even so, Felix wore an easy expression, as if he had already known Rachel was a princess all along.
Of course I already knew. It comes up in the original story.
Having thoroughly read the original work, Felix could hardly have failed to know her true identity.
But why is Rachel revealing herself at this point in time?
He kept his face carefully blank, but inside he was deeply unsettled.
Rachel Obina. The Empire's Fifth Princess — a character who appeared in the original as well. Among the nine imperial heirs, she ranked fifth in the line of succession, and she was fundamentally a person with no hunger for power. She genuinely loved magic and took joy in accumulating knowledge — a pure academic at heart. That was why, even in the original, she had entered the Academy under a false identity: she wanted to pursue research freely, without the crushing pressure of her title as princess.
Which made it all the more shocking that someone like her would contact them first — and even go so far as to reveal her identity.
"I truly am astonished, Honorary Professor Felix. Barely half a year ago, your reputation was the absolute worst."
"I would call it the result of my efforts to correct my failings and reform myself."
"Indeed… No matter how I look at it, it only seems as though you were acting all this time specifically to build that terrible reputation…"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"We'll set that aside. Do you have any idea why I've called the two of you here?"
"I understand to a certain degree."
Their light exchange of looks ended, and Rachel moved into the real business.
"You truly created something extraordinary. I've already commissioned the Magic Tower, and yet they still haven't identified so much as the ingredients — let alone the manufacturing method or the ratios."
"It's a family secret, I'm afraid. Difficult to disclose."
"How far do you think the repercussions will spread? For now it has only reached the capital and its surroundings, but it won't be long before the name of House Evergarden is being cried out across the entire Empire."
"It wasn't intentional… but if my family's standing rises as a result, I can only welcome it."
"However — you do understand that when someone with no backing whatsoever displays exceptional ability, they tend to attract the wrong kind of attention?"
"Of course."
"Which is why I have a proposal. Honorary Professor Felix… no. Eldest son of Count Evergarden — Felix Evergarden."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I will be that backing for you."
"….!?"
"Backing…?"
Now this is genuinely surprising.
Felix flinched at Rachel's next words. Given the potion's performance, he had expected some attempt to cultivate a connection — but he had not expected her to try this openly to pull them onto her side.
Given Rachel's personality, she isn't the type to go this far.
So is she a transmigrator? No — if she were, she's been acting far too faithfully to the original up until now. And if she were a transmigrator, she'd know we are too, so she wouldn't probe us like this.
In that case…
"Your Highness. Might the atmosphere in the Imperial Family currently be… rather threatening?"
"…!?"
There's only one conclusion.
Right now, Rachel's life is in danger.
In the brief span of those thoughts, Felix finished his reasoning and asked the question. Rachel's face went cold in an instant.
There were only two reasons a cautious, power-averse Rachel would take such sudden action: either she was a transmigrator, or leaving things as they were would lead to disaster. And just as Felix had predicted, she seemed to fall into the latter category.
"I didn't expect that, Felix Evergarden."
"Forgive me. It was merely my humble speculation."
"…Would everyone please clear the room?"
"But, Your Highness—"
"It's fine. What follows will require strict confidentiality."
"…Understood."
Shhk— shhk—
The presence that filled this room until a moment ago just vanished. Fast.
Rachel dismissed the guards who had been inside. Rosaria felt the presences she had been sensing all along disappear in an instant — a clear sign that what came next was critically important, and that absolute secrecy was required.
"…Felix Evergarden. Are you aware of the news regarding the Ninth Prince?"
"The Ninth Prince, Your Highness? I believe he turned twelve this year…"
"He is currently missing."
"…Pardon?"
"'Missing' is only the official word. Among my siblings, his death is already treated as confirmed fact. The news will hit the papers in about two weeks."
"…That sounds as though someone deliberately killed His Highness the Ninth Prince."
"That's right. And I know who the culprit is."
"The culprit…?"
"My older brother. The Third Prince is the one responsible."
"Huk."
At Rachel's bombshell declaration, Rosaria couldn't keep her mouth shut and let out a sound. After that statement, the path ahead looked as though it was about to change completely.