An Unexpected Audience with the Princess
Why here...? There was a bit of arguing, but my companions and I managed to enter the engine room. If I'd had my original body, I could've waltzed right in... The suspicious stares left a bitter taste in my mouth. Without Veronica, we probably wouldn't have gotten in at all.
Anyway, to reach the engine room, we had to pass through an entire chartered car, and the security was surprisingly tight. There seemed to be more guards than people actually protecting the engine room itself. ...I had a feeling getting tangled up in this would just wear me out.
Let's just wrap this up quietly and head back.
With that in mind, Veronica and I took a look around the engine room. Externally, there didn't seem to be any major issues. I left the reinforcements to Veronica and turned my attention to the magic circuits. That was where the problem lay.
For some reason, the circuits that distributed power throughout the entire train were damaged. Whether someone had sabotaged them on purpose or it was just neglect during maintenance... I had no idea, but if it was the former, that could spell real trouble.
I glanced back at Claudia, who was perking up her ears and peeking curiously, then focused my mind. I drew the mana floating in the air into my body.
It's cold...
If I'd been taking it in regularly like a proper mage, it might not have been so bad, but this was the path I'd chosen to abandon, so I had to endure it. ...This was exactly why I hadn't wanted to do it.
"Hm?"
Along with a questioning sound from behind, I began manipulating the mana with my fingertips. Little by little, like a stream trickling through rock crevices. ...Somehow, forming the mental image felt easier than expected. I didn't particularly feel like voicing why.
With fingers emitting a faint glow, I connected the broken circuits. If I rushed it, they might shatter again, so I proceeded carefully, slowly. I linked points into lines. The lines formed surfaces, repeating until they wove into complex patterns. At a glance, they resembled letters, embodying accumulation, transmission, and amplification.
A bone-chilling cold coursed through me, but I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead. Honestly, before starting, I'd wondered if my changed body could handle it, but fortunately, it felt just like before. I connected the final line, completing the repair.
Once linked, the high-output magic crystals I'd made through alchemy would maintain the path. I shook off the lingering mana from my body and confirmed the circuits were functioning. Lights began flickering on one by one in the dim engine room.
The officials who'd been watching me skeptically started shedding tears. ...It felt a bit over the top, but whatever. Leaving them behind—insistent on some kind of reward—I returned to the passenger car. The sleepless night before had left me exhausted.
As I entered the room, Claudia opened her mouth with wide eyes.
"You can do magic too?"
"...I just know how to tinker with circuits."
"Impressive."
"Sha'a-nim, I don't know what it was, but it was awesome!"
"Uh, y-yeah. Sure..."
Veronica, who already knew, didn't react with the same surprise as the other two... but she looked a bit unnatural, so she put on an awkward show of astonishment. ...It might've been better if she'd just stayed quiet, but with all eyes on me, it wasn't an issue.
After brushing off their fussing, the train soon started moving again before long. The scenery outside the window, which had been still, began rushing by at high speed. Just that eased the stuffy feeling in my chest, like a tight breath finally loosening.
Then, as if to make up for lost sleep, a huge yawn escaped me.
"You look tired. You seemed off when you woke up too—what happened?"
"...Nothing."
I replied to Veronica's question and was about to close my eyes for a bit when a knock sounded at the door. Claudia went to check and came back scratching her head.
"The conductor wants a quick word... What do you think?"
"Hm..."
...Did something else go wrong?
"Let's go."
I left the room with Claudia. Outside stood two burly men. They looked too rugged to be regular train staff.
Security, maybe? It made sense for their builds.
Following them led us to the chartered car again. The security still looked intense. They even resembled the guys who'd come to fetch me...
"...Sha'a."
Claudia had noticed the oddity too, calling my name with a tense face. My body, which had relaxed, started tensing up again.
...I hadn't brought any potions.
Sensing our wariness, the man in front scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled.
"W-We don't mean anything shady. It's just... the person who wants to meet you is a bit special, so... The conductor's there too."
"...I see."
I swallowed the quip about bad guys never admitting they were bad. True or not, provoking them unnecessarily wasn't smart. Unthinkingly, I'd grabbed Claudia's arm; she chuckled and patted my head reassuringly. I considered pulling away... but since I'd reached out first, I decided to just accept it.
...It was comforting, too.
Soon, an ornately decorated door appeared. In front of it stood another burly man and a woman who gave off a vibe similar to Claudia's, alongside a middle-aged man who seemed to be hesitating. The man and woman wore the same uniforms as our escorts, while the middle-aged one was dressed like the train staff. Kinda familiar?
The middle-aged man spotted me and beamed.
"C-Can I go now?"
The woman replied.
"You're free to leave. Thank you for your service, Conductor."
The conductor walked away with feigned composure, but once he opened the exit door, he bolted with frantic footsteps.
...So that was the conductor... Meaning... they hadn't lied, technically? Just how high up was this person to inspire that? And... why the interest in me?
Well, having talent like mine, it'd be natural to want a meeting... but this seemed excessive...
"If you're here, come in."
A voice I'd heard somewhere before rang out. It was a woman's voice—pleasant tone laced with dignified sternness. It felt vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.
The woman responded to the voice and opened the door. As Claudia and I tried to enter, she blocked us.
"Only the pink-haired girl is permitted entry."
...A strange feeling washed over me. Different from when we'd gone down to the village.
I met Claudia's worried eyes. But the person inside was quicker.
Apparently impatient, a hand seized my wrist. Startled, I whipped around to see... a familiar face.
Ah, right. Fuck.
Recalling that face from memory, I hurriedly bowed my head.
"Oh? You seem to know my face."
...Had I messed up?
"...That is."
"Then this'll be easier. I'd like to speak with you alone—is that alright? Your companion's glaring daggers at me..."
"D-Dia, I'm fine, so wait outside?"
"You sure?"
I nodded frantically, and Claudia retreated with an oddly complex expression. The woman chuckled and led me inside, still gripping my arm. I had no idea what to do as she dragged me into the room.
As expected, the interior was lavish. Almost excessively so.
"A bit much, right? I told them it was fine, but they wouldn't listen."
"..."
"More taciturn than I expected? I cleared everyone out for a private chat, so relax and speak freely."
"...I couldn't possibly. Your Highness."
The woman on the plush sofa smiled with her eyes. Her luxurious golden blonde hair cascaded like fine silk.
"So you do know me."
"...Yes."
Of course... I'd seen her at the academy.
No wonder the voice felt familiar.
"No need for introductions then. Sit."
At her gesture toward the opposite sofa, I hurriedly took a seat. I was thoroughly flustered. The Empire's princess—whom I'd only glimpsed during the freshman representative speech at the academy—was right in front of me.
No wonder the security had been overkill...
Leaning back on the sofa, the princess continued.
"So... may I have your name?"
Her eyelids lifted, and deep blue eyes like the sea fixed on me. A chill ran down my spine, as if she were peering straight into my soul.
...What should I even call myself? Using my original name felt wrong with this body, but a fake one would be a lie. If she found out later, would I be dragged off for lèse-majesté? But giving my real name was problematic too. Cold sweat poured down.
"No need to be so tense."
I wanted to ask the princess, who chuckled softly and popped a chocolate into my mouth, if she wouldn't be tense in my shoes.
...Of course, it was a silent scream I'd never voice aloud. Chewing and swallowing the somehow familiar chocolate, I opened my mouth.