The Coming-of-Age Ceremony
Well, we’d killed enough time with an interesting story. And I’d already given her a gift. Time to get down to business.
“Princess Amelia.”
“……Mm.”
Setting her teacup down, I looked at Princess Amelia. She, too, reined in her slightly excited mood to match my serious tone. We’d already built some rapport. From here on, it was time for Blue Blood matters.
“We’ve kept the information under control, but there are limits.”
“……I understand. It’s surprising there hasn’t been any talk until now. You must have been managing your tails thoroughly.”
“It’s because the people of Franz are competent.”
It wasn’t anything I’d done. The Franz retainers who usually kept watch on suspicious individuals were simply capable. And Father, who had maintained that system.
Still, the real problem was the sea mana Princess Amelia had unleashed. We’d tried to hide it, but there was a limit. The incident that occurred in the middle of the city had drenched the surrounding area in seawater thanks to her power. The ground was soaked as if submerged, and the buildings were coated in salt. Even commoners who couldn’t sense mana had noticed something abnormal had happened. Naturally, every mage—from adventurers to nobles—had picked up on it.
We’d temporarily blocked all contacts within the territory, both legal and illegal, from other domains that were usually under surveillance, but this was as far as we could go. Of course, now that I was acting as head of the house, I could forcibly keep blocking them… but the information had already spread to neighboring territories. The reason I’d finished my recent work so quickly was all for this.
“Letters have started arriving. It’s also time for us to contact the capital.”
“……Understood.”
A foreign royal had suddenly appeared in a count’s domain. We had an obligation to inform the capital of the Brahms Kingdom, which ruled this country. If she had come in secret, it might have been different.
I met her black eyes as she looked at me.
“We must provide an explanation.”
“I understand.”
Explaining ourselves meant telling the story that a member of the Bachnia royal family of the Bachn Kingdom had been kidnapped by the Red Bloods and that we had rescued her. Princess Amelia had written letters, but we had no idea how the Bachn Kingdom would respond. This was a matter of nations. A princess held an important position, but she could be discarded if it served the kingdom’s interests. The only issue was that the princess was currently on Franz land.
“I……”
Princess Amelia paused, took a breath, and met my gaze clearly.
“I’m fine. Causing any more trouble for you would only tarnish the honor of the Bachnia family.”
“Hmm.”
A crack appeared in the expressionless face she usually maintained. A small smile formed on lips that normally spoke in a soft, whispering voice. Looking like a girl her age, Princess Amelia gazed at me and said,
“I cannot trouble Franz any further…… my savior, you. Leoric Franz.”
“I see.”
I’d heard her opinion. Normally, this would be Father’s decision from here, but now I had to decide as acting head. For Franz’s sake, we needed to suitably edit the events so far and explain the sudden appearance of a Bachn royal. We also had to contact the capital and inform them of what had happened in Franz. No matter how powerful Franz was as the greatest force in the south, it would be difficult to handle if all neighboring territories turned against us—especially if they had a just cause.
However.
“If we do that, Princess Amelia’s position as heir will be revoked.”
“……So it will. You knew?”
I looked into her slightly widened eyes. Regardless of the circumstances, if word got out that a Bachnia princess had been kidnapped and rescued in Franz, it would damage the kingdom’s honor. It was inevitable that Princess Amelia, the cause of it, would find her position in jeopardy. Unless there were no other heirs.
“The current public evaluation of the active prince isn’t bad.”
In other words, if things continued this way, her heir status would be stripped. It meant Princess Amelia’s only remaining role would be a political marriage.
“That said, what about the First Princess? I heard she’s already married.”
“She ran away.”
Huh? Ran away? I’d heard she got married.
At my surprised expression, Princess Amelia gave a wry smile.
“Strictly speaking, it was an escape. She fled the palace after finding a handsome man to her taste. Officially, it was announced as a marriage.”
That’s wild.
“They’ve done some damage control. Since she’s staying in the Bachn Kingdom…… Mother begged her to at least return to the palace while she’s pregnant. Even as a child, I was pushed around by her several times. My brother also used to run away from her.”
From the tired look on her face as she spoke, it was clear the First Princess was no ordinary person. Still, the smile on her lips suggested their relationship wasn’t bad. They competed for the succession, but the family bond itself wasn’t hostile. After all, in a world where every drop of blood was a source of power, they avoided relationships so barren that lives were at risk. A fair competition, perhaps? Of course, there were plenty of ugly places too. Müller was a prime example, and in Brahms, there was the rebellion from Father’s generation……
“Ahem. The conversation drifted, but if we proceed as is, Princess, your position as heir will be in danger, and we’re already receiving constant inquiries from the surrounding territories.”
“Mm.”
In the end, for Franz, announcing the current situation was the right move. It was right, but……
“That’s where the issue lies.”
“Mm?”
Smiling at Princess Amelia, who was watching me after I paused, I continued.
“We can’t stop the rumors from spreading entirely, but I’ll prepare a plausible excuse for you.”
“……That won’t work well.”
She immediately understood what I meant. In other words, preparing an excuse. But it wouldn’t hold up perfectly. Rumors spread, and rumors breed suspicion.
“What do you gain by going that far?”
There was something. One was Müller.
“We’re currently at war.”
“The Müller territory. I know of it. The domain next to Franz…… I see. It’s closer to Bachn than to Brahms.”
The Müller territory was adjacent to Franz. But looking at a map, the situation was a bit strange. Though it belonged to Brahms, its location near the border made the Bachn capital closer than Brahms’s own capital.
“Afterward, the management of that land will, with very high probability, fall to me.”
“……Why do you look so reluctant when you say that?”
“There are circumstances.”
It’s such a pain, really. After my brother stabilizes the land, I’ll be the one managing it. The border between the Bachn Kingdom and the Brahms Kingdom was drawn along the great river and lakes flowing from the Great Mountain Range—the Rainia. In other words, Müller, being close to the river, could use it for future trade with Bachn. As someone likely to become Müller’s lord in the near future, maintaining a good relationship with Princess Amelia, a Bachn royal, wouldn’t be a bad idea. And if she became queen?
That would be a massive gain. Even if she lost the succession battle, the fact that the Bachn Kingdom owed Franz a debt wouldn’t disappear. That would be worth a lot.
And the second reason was……
“Because I want to do it.”
“What?”
Smiling at the bewildered Princess Amelia, I said,
“Honestly, even if the neighbors complain, there’s no need to listen. We’re Franz, after all.”
If they picked a fight? Perfect, war it is. That was Father’s style. If there was a just cause, he wouldn’t miss it and would sink his teeth in like a hunting dog. If they started trouble first? He could wage war even without a cause. Father would love that. The blood of the Franz family is this dangerous, everyone.
Of course, we’d have to share some information with our allies, including the Boran family. In fact, the letter that had already arrived from Count William Boran requested detailed information about this incident, along with news from other neighboring territories and the capital.
This would be a debt. Though Count William Boran was a good-natured man, he was still a Blue Blood. As the lord of his domain, he moved coldly when there was something to gain. Since it would be difficult to yield more benefits from Müller, we’d have to extract them from Bachn instead.
“For my part, I would simply be grateful if you did so. Then, do you have a suitable excuse?”
“I do.”
If it was this, there was a perfect excuse.
“Lena.”
“Yes.”
When I called, Lena, who had been waiting outside the door, entered.
“How are the preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony going?”
“Yes. Time is short, but we’re doing our best.”
Since that incident, there was one person who hadn’t appeared until now. That’s right—Chief Butler Sven.
“Chief Butler Sven has already completed all preparations.”
“And the invitations?”
“We’ve sent letters to the nobles of the southern territories, including the capital.”
It hadn’t even been a year since I, who had been practically in seclusion, was recognized as an adult and began my activities. I was still a fresh-faced young adult. Holding a coming-of-age ceremony wouldn’t be a problem. It wasn’t something I particularly wanted. I wasn’t fond of external activities. Anyone who knew how troublesome and annoying it was to meet people would understand. But as a noble and a member of the Franz family, there were things that had to be done.
“It’s just that the time is far too short.”
“Don’t worry about the money. As acting head, I’m authorizing a full release from the warehouse.”
“Understood. I’ll inform Chief Butler Sven in advance.”
Lena’s expression changed. She probably didn’t like the idea of rushing preparations for a sudden coming-of-age ceremony. Seeing her demeanor shift at my words, it seemed she had resolved to prepare a ceremony worthy of Franz.
……Father probably wouldn’t say anything.
“Even if it’s a sudden ceremony, there won’t be any issues, right?”
“Of course not.”
After nodding at the reliable Lena, I turned to Princess Amelia, who was looking at us with a bewildered expression, and smiled.
“A coming-of-age ceremony? You haven’t held one yet?”
“We Franz don’t hold separate coming-of-age ceremonies.”
After all, when someone’s birthday came around, gifts would arrive from all around anyway.
“Then……”
“Yes.”
Rising from my seat, I offered a formal greeting.
“Welcome, Princess Amelia. Thank you for making the long journey to attend my sudden coming-of-age ceremony.”
“……This will definitely cause talk.”
“Hahaha.”
I simply laughed at Princess Amelia’s quiet remark. Watching me, she closed her eyes for a moment before standing as well. Lifting the hem of her dress slightly, she curtsied.
“Representing the Bachnia family, I, Amelia Bachnia, the Second Princess and Priestess of the Sea, offer my greetings. Thank you for the invitation, Leoric Franz.”