The Second Day of the Imperial Gala
It was the second day of the imperial gala. I headed straight to Franche's room.
“You’re preparing quite early in the morning,” I remarked.
“Unlike yesterday, today starts early,” Franche replied.
“Doesn't it start late in the evening like yesterday?”
“The second day of the imperial gala is a bit different.”
In the game, I only had to enter the quest area, so I didn't know the schedule in detail. Franche kindly explained the itinerary for the second day to me.
Since the Emperor and Empress would be attending in person, every noble with even a shred of influence in the Empire would be there. Guests from other nations were also arriving, which was why it started so early. Apparently, the Crown Prince was expected to host the party until the Emperor made his grand entrance.
'A true superpower really is on another level,' I thought.
The elites dispatched from various nations were gathering just to catch a glimpse of the imperial couple, hoping to catch whatever crumbs might fall from their table.
“The Empire's influence is formidable indeed,” I murmured.
Franche smiled and nodded.
“Naturally. Not only do they possess the vastest territory on the continent, but they are also blessed with abundant resources and incredibly fertile soil.”
They had every prerequisite to be a superpower. A naturally booming population, which in turn produced a constant stream of brilliant talents. In short, it was the America of this fantasy world.
'Then how powerful was Barenberg, which sat right next to it?'
I decided to look into it the next time I visited a library or historical archive. After all, I was technically royalty now; it would be embarrassing if I couldn't even answer basic questions about my own fallen homeland. Well, that was a matter for later.
“Lady Franche, there is one thing I would like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“It's about the party schedule.”
“Ah, you want to know what counts as arriving late?”
She was quick on the uptake. It made things easy.
“Precisely. We must arrive before His Imperial Majesty enters.”
“Hmm. Hold on. Let me think.”
Franche fell into deep thought, likely calculating based on her past experiences.
“It starts at noon, so I think entering about an hour late would be perfect. His Majesty usually doesn't arrive until at least two hours after the start.”
Hmm. That sounded reasonable. No matter how much we wanted to make a dramatic entrance and steal the spotlight, arriving after the Emperor and Empress was out of the question. That would be a grave breach of basic etiquette...
“Sounds good. It takes about thirty minutes to get to the party hall from here, correct?”
“Yes. Normally it would be faster, but with so many nobles gathering, the carriage traffic will be congested.”
We needed to budget some extra time, then.
“Alright, let's set off around one o'clock.”
“Very well, let's do that.”
Franche gazed out the window, enjoying a brief moment of leisure. It felt like a waste to let this time slip by idly, though.
“Lady Franche, how has your progress in magic been lately?”
“Magic? I've just been practicing exactly as Kazar taught me.”
“What level of spells are you able to cast now?”
“Hmm...”
Franche looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. After blinking a few times, she spoke.
“Basic telekinesis, a dark magic spell to obscure vision, and a curse that slows down an opponent's movements?”
Franche gasped softly as if remembering something, then continued.
“Oh, and I can also absorb ambient mana or drain an opponent's life force.”
Whoa. She had already grown that much? That was a terrifying arsenal for her current level.
'If she keeps growing like this without any setbacks...'
The potency of her curses would skyrocket, and she'd eventually be able to summon and command undead or demons. On top of that, she'd be spamming beams of life-draining energy.
'Because that was exactly how Franche's attack patterns looked in the game.'
Even after I eventually left her side, she would be more than capable of protecting herself. She was a boss-tier character, after all; no one short of the absolute strongest in this world would be able to easily oppose her.
'Besides, dark magic is notoriously tricky to deal with.'
This took a huge weight off my shoulders.
“How many basic spells have you learned?”
“Kazar said they were useless, so I only learned telekinesis.”
“Did she explain why?”
“She said that since I'm using rare dark magic, standard spells are a waste of time.”
Is that so? Still, it would be convenient to pick up some utility or auxiliary magic.
'But since Kazar made the call, it should be fine.'
Utility magic was simple enough that she could probably self-study it later anyway.
“Did Kazar happen to teach you flight magic?”
“Ah, I did ask her about that, but...”
“But?”
“She said deciphering the magic formula is impossible at my current level.”
Flight magic must be incredibly difficult. Come to think of it, I had never seen a flying mage in the game either. In this timeline, it was only possible because of Kazar—who remained female after I transmigrated into this world.
'The only mage stronger than Kazar would be the Transcendental Mage.'
In the game, Kazar had been severely nerfed, yet she still proved incredibly helpful, showcasing immense skill with just her support magic. In this timeline, she might even surpass the Transcendental Mage...
'Building a magic tower around her should go smoothly.'
Gather all the mages in the world. Place Kazar at the absolute pinnacle of those mages, and have Franche be the one pulling Kazar's strings.
'With just this, the imperial family won't be able to interfere with her at all.'
But one must always prepare for the worst. I had plenty of other things to leave behind for Franche besides this.
'Until then...'
I would have to remain by her side.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“Ah, it's nothing. I was just thinking about your future, Lady Franche.”
“Hmm, my future? Won't you tell me what you were imagining?”
“I felt a swell of pride imagining you reigning at the very pinnacle of the Empire.”
Franche flinched in surprise at the word 'pinnacle.'
“...That sounds like you want me to become the Empress. Just what are you planning to turn me into?”
“One does not need to be the Emperor to reign at the pinnacle.”
As my plan neared its final stages, Franche would essentially become the true power behind the Empire. Far from being kept in check by the imperial family, she would be the one keeping them in check.
“Reigning at the pinnacle without being the Emperor... I can't even imagine it. Just what are you planning to do?”
“There's no point in telling you right now. I'll explain as each step of the plan unfolds.”
If I revealed the ultimate goal now, she might succumb to fear or grow impatient. In consulting, it was crucial to take things one step at a time.
“By the way, what time is it now?”
Franche pulled a pocket watch from her breast pocket to check the time.
“Oh dear. It's already slightly past one.”
“We must depart immediately.”
“Is Helena here?”
“She should be.”
“Please call her in.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I quickly stepped out of the room. After asking the Head Butler for Helena's whereabouts, I found her and spoke.
“The Lady is calling for you. We're short on time.”
“Y-Yes!”
Helena dropped what she was doing in a panic and scurried toward Franche's room. I figured I should wait by the carriage.
I left the annex and stood before the carriage. The knights sent from the ducal estate were waiting in rigid, disciplined postures.
'Have they seriously been standing like this the entire time?'
I felt a slight pang of guilt. Fortunately, the weather wasn't too hot.
“Hey, slave.”
“What is it?”
“Look at you, speaking so informally.”
The knight who addressed me muttered something about not bothering to argue, shook his head, and continued.
“When does the Lady intend to depart? By now, she should have entered the hall long ago.”
“It is all part of the Lady's plan. She asked me to convey her apologies for keeping you waiting.”
“I see,” the knight muttered, nodding. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have any other complaints.
“But how long are you going to keep speaking to us like that? No matter if you were once royalty, you're nothing but a slave now.”
“I am the slave of Lady Franche Decartes. The only person who can command me is the Lady herself.”
“Hah, your loyalty to the lady of your enemy nation is quite something. Anyone looking at you would think you're her actual personal guard.”
I was loyal because she was the only person who treated me well. And because she was a deeply pitiful person.
“Mind your own business.”
“Ha, still clinging to your pride just because you're of royal blood, I see.”
With that, the conversation with the knight ended. He had likely realized I wasn't someone he could get through to with words.
Just then, the door of the annex opened, and Franche stepped out. She was wearing the dress designed by Andrea. Now that all the finishing touches had been applied, its quality was on an entirely different level compared to when I first saw it.
'Incredible.'
Aside from being a tad revealing, it was absolutely perfect.
'But won't the other nobles be staring at her?'
For some reason, the thought irritated me. Was it because I felt like I had raised her like my own daughter...?
“Let us go,” she said.
“Yes, my lady.”
As we always did, we boarded the carriage while the knights mounted their horses.
“We are setting off!”
With a rattle, the carriage began to move.
“Now, the plan finally begins,” Franche murmured.
“It's the final stage. Let's make sure we wrap it up perfectly.”
“Yes, we must. We didn't come all this way for nothing.”
We had faced so many obstacles just preparing this single business. If it hadn't been for Eden and Rein, we would have launched it ages ago.
'Well, we ended up using the imperial gala to our advantage, so I suppose it doesn't matter.'
Things had worked out for the best, anyway.
“Don't be nervous. Just act as you always do.”
“I know. But my heart won't stop racing.”
“Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if there's a mistake, I will handle it.”
“Yes, with you here, what do I have to fear? That puts my mind at ease.”
Only then did the tension melt from Franche's face. She looked much better now.
“Then let's go. It's time to announce the grand debut of France Corporation.”
Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace Party Hall, we immediately disembarked from the carriage and headed toward the entrance. The venue was entirely different from yesterday. The scale was far grander, and the number of knights guarding the perimeter had multiplied.
“The atmosphere among the knights is incredibly tense. I suppose it's because His Imperial Majesty is attending.”
“Indeed. If any incident were to occur today, the entire Empire would be shaken to its core.”
So these were the elite knights of the imperial family. Even a passing glance was enough to tell they were of an exceptionally high caliber.
As my synchronization with Jin's body deepened, I had grown increasingly accustomed to wielding his power. I had reached a level where I could gauge an opponent's strength just by looking at them.
While each and every one of them was undoubtedly strong, not a single one of them was an Aura User.
'Well, just as mages are rare in this world, Aura Users are equally scarce.'
Though they were relatively more common than mages, those possessing the overwhelming martial might to alter the course of a battlefield were few and far between. Simply knowing how to manifest Aura didn't automatically make one a monster.
'Perhaps because this was a soul-like game, it differed from typical fantasy settings.'
It was a world where individual power was relatively modest. The fact that one could dodge attacks and skills simply by rolling said it all.
'Though Jin, the final boss, was an exception to that rule.'
Anyway, enough admiring the knights. I followed closely behind Franche.
“Lady Decartes, your identity is confirmed. You may enter.”
With a crisp salute, a knight clad in golden armor threw open the doors.
With a heavy thud, the massive arched doors parted. Instantly, the gaze of every noble in the hall converged upon us.
It was currently two o'clock in the afternoon. They likely assumed the Emperor and Empress had arrived.
The hushed whispers of the nobles drifted over from afar.
“Ah, the doors opened so silently, I wondered who it was... It's Lady Decartes.”
“Indeed. I thought it was His Imperial Majesty. But wait, that dress...”
“Could that be the dress she mentioned yesterday?”
“She certainly had every reason to be confident...”
Everyone stared at Franche's dress, utterly spellbound. It was mesmerizingly beautiful, on an entirely different plane of existence compared to the gowns worn by the other noblewomen and young ladies in the hall.
“Take a deep breath. It's time to show off.”
“Yes. It's time to bring them down a peg.”
“And to herald the downfall of Frida.”
Behold, the dress crafted by the greatest artisan in this world. Just wait until they see the actual building—their jaws will hit the floor. It was time to enjoy the show.