The Princess of Liberin Kingdom
The Liberin Kingdom felt more otherworldly than exotic when viewed from Earth. Thanks to exchanges with Earth, the capital Liblan had large buildings rising throughout the city, yet the kingdom's distinctive fantasy-style architecture still stood out. It resembled the imagined fantasy worlds far more than any European royal palace. In fact, not only in Liblan but across major regions of the Liberin Kingdom, enormous towers resembling magic spires had been erected. Inside those towers, under ironclad security, mana awakeners capable of manufacturing artifacts carried out their work.
The Liberin Kingdom also possessed unique flora and fauna unseen on Earth. Decades of scientific research had confirmed that none of the local viruses posed any threat to Earthlings. Crops similar yet subtly different from rice, wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes grew there as well. Since the basic diet was not so different from Earth's, Liberin Kingdom cuisine had developed through cultural exchange and was now recognized worldwide as a distinctive culinary tradition.
"Hmm."
I stood in front of a long-established confectionery shop in the Liberin Kingdom, tasting one of their traditional sweets.
A little too sweet.
I did not dislike sweets in general, but this particular treat was overly sugary for someone like me who did not go crazy over them.
Min-hye would love it.
She definitely would. Although we only met in ways the Seo family would never notice, I still saw my younger sister more than three times a week. I often gave her small gifts, and since I was already in the Liberin Kingdom, I had wanted to bring her some local snacks. That was why I was tasting them myself.
"Your Highness does not particularly care for sweet things, does he?"
"Too sweet is a bit much. That said, I do not hate them either. I like them when they are moderately sweet."
"Even so, you never seemed fond of chocolate ice cream."
"That is because it is far too sweet. If something else were mixed in to balance it, maybe… but plain chocolate ice cream is just too much."
I enjoyed chocolate on occasion, yet after two or three pieces I would stop. The same applied to cake; I never ate more than a single slice of chocolate cake. Even after gaining overwhelming power, my taste buds had remained unchanged.
"Your Highness usually gives the young lady gifts of the confectionery variety. Would it not be better to choose a souvenir from the Liberin Kingdom that she could keep for a long time?"
"If I did that, the Seo family would immediately interrogate Min-hye about where it came from. They already find it suspicious that she disappears from time to time and are actively trying to uncover the reason. I cannot afford to hand them unnecessary clues."
The mere existence of such an item would serve as a clue. Once the Seo family knew where it had been sold, discovering when it was purchased and by whom would not be difficult for them. Among mana awakeners, there were even those capable of tracing an object's past location.
"I suppose you are right."
Leviathan seemed to understand the problem and fell silent. After buying the snacks, I stored them in my pocket space. I had already cast a perception-interference spell so that no one else could clearly hear or remember our conversation, so there was no risk of eavesdropping. Especially since Leviathan was a well-known figure in the Liberin Kingdom under the name Levia, she had disguised herself as a slender beauty with sky-blue hair instead of her usual dark-blue locks. Still, I remained cautious with her voice just in case.
Until I enter the academy, I will have to keep worrying about prying eyes. Tsk.
If anything appeared on social media, information would spread across the world in an instant. Yucheon Group was one of the largest corporations on the planet, with a market capitalization exceeding three thousand trillion won. In the reality I once knew, even Saudi Aramco's market cap had competed for first or second place as an energy company. Here, Yucheon Group dominated not only the awakener-weapon industry but also the energy sector. Its position as one of the world's greatest conglomerates was no exaggeration. The Liberin Kingdom's interest in us was not without reason.
"It is about time we left. Let us go."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The brief moment of leisure I had enjoyed upon visiting the Liberin Kingdom after several months had come to an end. With Min-hye's gift secured, the only thing left was to answer the royal family's invitation.
* * *
The Liberin royal palace was normally sealed off as private royal property, yet the area outside its gates was packed with people.
"The president of Yucheon Artifact is visiting together with the heir of Yucheon Group!"
"This is a major scoop!"
Reporters swarmed with cameras in hand. Royal guards, assisted by police, struggled to maintain order.
"Do not cross this line!"
"Please remain calm and keep your distance! Important guests are about to arrive!"
"Crossing the line may result in criminal charges in severe cases."
The guards and officers repeatedly warned the crowd and press not to step over the marked boundary, emphasizing possible criminal penalties.
"They are here!"
"It is President Levia!"
A figure carefully concealed beneath a mask and pulled-up hood walked alongside a woman with dark-blue hair. The woman was Levia, one of the Liberin Kingdom's reclusive celebrities and president of Yucheon Artifact, the company that had taken the world by storm.
"Hehe, it is good to see everyone~"
Levia waved energetically with a bright laugh toward the gathered crowd.
"President Levia! RBS here! Could we have a brief interview?"
"President Levia! MTNC speaking. Is the person beside you the heir?"
The reporters pressed forward, desperate for any scrap of information. The fact that Levia had been invited by the royal family was already headline material, but the presence of Yucheon Group's heir alongside her was far bigger news. As the next in line to one of the world's largest conglomerates, his relationship with the current chairman and CEO, Baalzebul, was a subject of intense speculation. Rumors that Yucheon Group had a separate true owner only fueled further curiosity about the masked heir.
"We will not be giving interviews at this time. Excuse us~"
While the guards and police held the reporters back, Levia clearly refused. The moment she finished speaking, both she and the heir vanished from the crowd's sight, reappearing instantly before the palace gates. Like Levia, the heir—presumed to be an awakener—had used their own power to cross the distance in a single step.
"Welcome."
The royal chamberlain standing at the gates offered a courteous greeting.
* * *
The Liberin royal family had originally ruled under an absolute monarchy, yet after their entire nation dimensionally shifted to Earth seventy years ago, they had adopted a constitutional monarchy to align with Earth's major powers. Exchanges with Earth had led some citizens to question absolute rule, and with educational fervor already rising even before the shift, a large intellectual class had formed in a relatively short time. King Royus currently delegated real authority to the cabinet and prime minister, yet the royal family still retained considerable influence. The Liberin Royal Guild they operated was one example. Separate from the guild, they also maintained the Royal Knight Order, every member of which was a mana awakener. Having incorporated Earth's weaponry and technology, the island nation had built a respectable navy and air force through exchanges with Western powers. Nevertheless, the kingdom's core industry remained items for mana awakeners, with artifacts forming a significant portion of that market. Today's invitation extended to Levia, president of Yucheon Artifact, was directly related to this.
"President Levia, and the heir of Yucheon Group. Welcome. As King of the Liberin Kingdom, I extend my greetings to you, our honored guests."
After a brief identity verification, Levia and the man presumed to be Yucheon Group's heir entered the hall. Inside, King Royus, Princess Arian—who would turn eighteen this year—and other members of the royal family waited under the ironclad protection of the Royal Knight Order.
"May glory shine upon His Majesty the King of the Liberin Kingdom. Levia, president of Yucheon Artifact, offers her respects."
Standing beside Levia, who had clasped both hands and bowed respectfully, the hooded and masked man spoke.
"As the representative of Yucheon Group, I offer my greetings to His Majesty the King of the Liberin Kingdom."
At the word "representative," King Royus unconsciously glanced at Levia. Her calm expression confirmed that she had already known he would say this.
"This is… unexpected. As the heir, you already speak as the representative of Yucheon Group?"
Unlike the long-winded monarchs of Earth, King Royus asked the question with blunt directness. The masked man nodded.
"That is correct. It may appear discourteous to Your Majesty, but I hope you will understand that I cannot remove my mask at this moment."
