Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Ah, I Want Stats
-----------------------------------------------------------------
By the time night had fallen late, I was making my way to the Empress's palace.
Even though I'd decided on marriage all by myself at such a young age, as her child, shouldn't I at least tell my mother...?
Standing before the door, I hesitated over knocking several times.
Time passed, and I steeled my heavy heart.
-Knock knock!
-Come in, Prince.
With permission granted, I entered the room. Mother sat upright on the sofa, sipping tea.
Yet there was a palpable air of sorrow about her.
"Prince... no, my son... come sit here."
Mother called me as her son.
"Yes, Mother..."
As I sat across from her, Mother gazed at me with complicated eyes.
This was what scared me. A beating from Father would be preferable to those eyes stabbing at my conscience.
Mother took another sip of tea with trembling hands before speaking.
"My son... I heard you've decided to get engaged to the daughter of Duke Ardell. Is what I heard true?"
"...Yes, it is."
My confirmation made Mother's eyes droop heavily.
"You've been clever since childhood, so you must have your reasons. But couldn't you have at least told this mother before deciding such a major imperial affair on your own?"
"No, that's not it..."
"Or did you think this mother wouldn't trust you?"
"No..."
"Or perhaps you wanted your mother to lose sleep worrying over her son?"
'Uwaaaah!'
The barrage of guilt trips finally broke me.
I jumped up from my seat, knelt before Mother, and begged forgiveness.
"M-Mother! I was wrong! Please, just punish me instead!"
Mother set down her teacup and patted the seat beside her.
I quickly stood and sat right next to her.
Mother gave me one sad look before gently pulling me into an embrace.
"How could this mother ever strike her own son...?"
"I'm sorry..."
"I've heard everything from His Majesty, including what happened at the banquet hall."
"Yes..."
I knew that. The position of Empress meant every event in the palace reached her ears.
"Some might call it romantic... But the world doesn't turn on romance alone. Someone is bound to nitpick and drag it out."
"I know."
"They'll invoke fairness and pressure us from other ducal houses."
"I'll endure it."
Mother released me from her embrace and peered deeply into my eyes.
Then, with trembling hands, she stroked my cheek and let out a small chuckle.
"At least you can say the right words. It keeps you from being entirely hateful. You sure you don't need this mother's help?"
"Yes, Mother, I'm fine."
Mother's hand, which had been stroking my cheek, moved gently to my head and caressed it slowly.
"You've grown so much that this mother can no longer cradle you in her arms.
Yes, that's what becoming a ruler means... But it makes me a little sad that my son has matured so quickly."
I felt the warmth of her caressing hand.
The anxiety on Mother's face had vanished, leaving only a faint bitterness.
"Will you introduce me to that girl tomorrow?"
Her tone had changed.
Rather than as Empress, she wanted to meet my partner as a mother.
With her tacit approval, I smiled softly and replied.
"Yes, Mother..."
And so, this tumultuous day came to an end.
Dragging my weary body back to my room, I changed clothes and dove undignified onto the bed.
A fairy fluttered over to me, bobbing along.
[Master... You're not using light magic today?]
"I'm tired today... Let's do it tomorrow..."
The fairy wore her usual blank expression, but she seemed somehow sulky.
[Master... What am I?]
"What? What do you mean...? What you are."
[I don't know either...]
I had no idea where this fairy came from. When I asked, she said she couldn't remember.
Ever since I first saw her, she seemed deeply traumatized—shuddering at any mention of heretics.
Probably some kind of light spirit, I guessed.
As I pondered, the fairy—rarely—spoke a long sentence.
[When I was trapped in darkness, pushing it back, I thought I was the only one sparkling in the world... When I opened my eyes, the humans around me were buried in darkness.]
The fairy, struggling to speak, was recalling her kidnapping by the heretics.
[So while I was in there, I thought I should kill all humans. They torment people with darkness. But Master's brilliant light saved me.]
A chilling remark from the fairy.
The heretics must have used mental attacks on her too.
I listened as she continued.
[That's when I first learned humans could shine too... So I thought I was human, but no.]
Living in the imperial palace and recovering with mana must have stirred all sorts of thoughts. This fairy, unable to remember her origins, looked terribly lonely.
"I don't really know either. I'm clueless about this stuff."
Her bittersweet expression deepened.
That look seemed so forlorn that...
"How about Lumie?"
[Huh?]
"For your name. You sparkle so brightly, like Lumie."
The fairy's face went blank.
"You don't know what you are, so forget fairy or spirit—just live as 'Lumie.' From now on, if anyone asks your identity, say Lumie. Don't worry about your race; we'll figure it out together slowly."
The dazed fairy murmured 'Lumie,' then smiled faintly.
[Okay, from now on, I'm Lumie.]
At that moment, the yellow line between Lumie and me thickened, vines wrapping around it like growth.
Brilliant light poured from Lumie's body, and my vision turned white.
In the illusion of time stopping, voices echoed.
-Oh? You're not supposed to come up yet; your rank is too low.
-Tsk tsk, barging into the upper realms without permission—you can't even breathe. Go on back, little one.
-Boop!
Someone flicked my forehead, sending a falling sensation, and I fell straight asleep.
"Slurrrrp!"
When I opened my eyes, morning light filled the room, and the fairy sprawled asleep by my head.
It was the first time—the assassin hadn't come for her morning greeting.
Sensing something off, I wiped the drool from my mouth and recalled yesterday.
'The line with Lumie thickened, light flashed... and then... I slept... right?'
Something felt wrong. I couldn't remember, yet it felt like more had happened. The nagging feeling made me circulate mana through my body to probe my memories...
'Huh?'
In my mindscape, five thick circles sat firmly.
No time to rejoice at the sudden circles—my head only grew more muddled.
'Why did they appear? Because of Lumie? I didn't feel anything like that before passing out...'
Like forgetting what I'd just been looking for, I circulated mana as usual.
The new circles spun vigorously, activating my brain.
A connection to the world formed, then my vision whitened, breath caught—and a sound rang in my head.
-Pop!
Vision normalized, breath returned.
"Heave-ho! Cough cough!"
[Master... So noisy.]
This was beyond my control now.
My instincts warned: better to forget and live as a fool.
Cold sweat dripping, I flicked the inexplicably annoyed Lumie's forehead.
-Flick!
[Ow! Master, that's mean...]
"Yeah, I slept well too."
Still nagging, but leaping past a wall in an instant chased the unease away.
I washed up quickly with the water servants brought and headed out.
I asked the servants for Jenia's room location and made my way there.
Jenia's room, assigned near mine. I knocked lightly on the door.
-Knock knock!
"Lady Ardell, may I come in?"
"Yes! Come in."
Entering, I saw Lily brushing Jenia's hair.
No wonder Lily hadn't appeared this morning.
'I'm a little sad.'
Shaking off the silly thought, I greeted them.
"Jenia, Lily—sleep well?"
"Yes, Your Highness! So, so well. I... I've never slept in a bed like this before."
"Hehe... Milady, really."
Her sudden bombshell made Lily and me smile bitterly.
Lily must have guessed from Jenia's wounds yesterday.
I masked my expression and lightened the mood.
"Lily, are you taking better care of Jenia than me now?"
"Hehe, she's to be Your Highness's wife—I must serve her well. You told me yesterday to look after Lady Jenia."
"Ah... wife."
Lily smiled warmly at Jenia blushing shyly.
A pleasant sight.
"Lily, step aside."
"Pardon?"
"I want to try something."
Question marks bloomed on their faces.
Heh heh heh heh.
Changed into comfortable clothes, Jenia and I headed to the training grounds.
To keep Jenia by my side, martial prowess was essential.
I'd planned to teach her basic self-defense and stop, but wasting her extraordinary physical gifts was a waste of national strength.
Trained right, she could become a human weapon immune to magic.
'Heh heh heh heh.'
Whether sensing my devious thoughts or not, Jenia beamed, looking around curiously. I murmured low to her.
"Jenia."
"Yes!"
Her head, which had been wandering, turned to me, eyes crinkling sweetly.
Her ponytail swayed beautifully, lips curving up.
Her bare face glowed radiantly.
The sudden assault shattered my focus; the world grayed, leaving only her red eyes vivid.
'Uh... what was I gonna say?'
Forgetting mid-thought, turning dumb in real time—then Jenia's voice.
"Your Highness?"
Snap out of it. I spun the circles slowly again.
"Ah... Ahem! Jenia, from now on, you'll learn swordsmanship. I plan to take you with me. It'll be tough, but stick with me."
"...Sure."
"Huh?"
Blushing, staring at the ground, fingers fidgeting behind her back, she said:
"As long as... I'm with Your Highness... anywhere is fine..."
Focus shattered again, world gray, eyes vivid...
Enough!
Clinging to my reeling mind, we reached the training grounds.
Some back-alley thug line came from somewhere.
"Whew~ Nice view?"
Rumors had spread already.
Less than 12 hours since the incident—tomorrow, it'd blanket the empire.
"Amazing, brother! Seizing love without a care for the nobles' glares—that resolve! As expected, you do what I can't so casually..."
"Yeah yeah, enough."
Cutting off Andrew's rambling, I introduced Jenia.
"Jenia, this is Andrew, Second Prince and my brother. And this is..."
Debating whether to introduce the rascal, since they'd meet often anyway—Lancelot beat me to it.
"Hi, Jenia! I'm Lancelot Verstappen! Liam's friend. Wow~ How'd you snag this guy? Dying to know—spill!"
"Je... Jenia..."
Even as a duke's daughter, the commoner's rude proximity stunned her.
"Pl... Pleased to meet you, Young Master Verstappen..."
"Nah~ Just Lancelot!"
"Right, sister-in-law! Call me Andrew casually too!"
"Pl... Pleased to meet you, Lancelot, Andrew... Your Highness."
"Everyone's gathered, hmm? Who's the lady? Ahh~ That lady?"
Maxim entered with a straw dummy, recognizing Jenia.
Rumors already...
Bitter taste, but business first.
I asked Maxim.
"Sir Maxim, could you train Lady Jenia? You won't regret it."
Maxim set down the dummy and scanned Jenia up and down.
"Gasp!"
Sensing something, Jenia covered her mouth in shock; Maxim's eyes gleamed.
"Ho, Lady—you felt that? Hahaha! No training marks, yet such sharp senses! Fine, I'll check you out. Rest of you—50 laps around the field!"
At Maxim's command, we started running; he drew a wooden sword.
Pressing below the hilt with a finger—buzz, sawdust poured out.
Maxim handed the hollow wooden sword to Jenia.
"Here, this should be manageable."
Doubt crossed Jenia's face holding the sword.
Sensing it, Maxim asked:
"Something wrong, Lady?"
"Oh... No! I just thought it was usually heavier."
"Light, you say?"
"Yes."
Maxim floated a question mark too.
Trusting his judgment, he fetched another wooden sword and handed it over.
"This... still..."
"Pardon?"
Then ebony wooden sword, iron-weighted, and so on—finally, a full-iron greatsword.
"Ah! This has some weight!"
"..."
Faced with the unprecedented phenomenon, Maxim blanked from cognitive dissonance; Jenia flapped happily.
Ah, Maxim—that's what stats are. It shattered even a Sword Master's mental barriers.