Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: A Smooth Ride for the Princess
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Princess Isolde's eastern inspection procession was peculiar.
The princess and her escort knights had already arrived at the first destination, Rose Garden County.
However, the rest of the secretariat and attendants still hadn't shown up.
The Rose Garden Countess, spotting the princess's carriage in the distance, muttered to herself.
"The estimated arrival time from the crystal ball was... half a day from now, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was."
"Damn it."
He didn't know why they'd arrived so early.
But she had to show her face as quickly as possible.
Rose Garden, which led fashion, etiquette, and culture, couldn't afford any breach of protocol.
The countess hurriedly boarded her carriage and rushed toward the princess.
Bump!
The carriage jolted.
"Ugh!"
"Are you all right, Your Excellency?!"
"No!"
"..."
"What the hell... it's like a boil on my ass..."
Inside the rattling carriage, the countess gritted her teeth against the pain.
Finally reaching the princess, she offered her respects.
"I... I'm sorry for being late, Your Highness!"
"No need. It was my mistake arriving earlier than expected."
Isolde smiled gracefully, deftly changing the subject.
"We should normally discuss business now, but with the secretariat not here yet, that's impossible."
"Then perhaps retire to the castle for some rest..."
"I hear the lake view just outside the territory is quite beautiful."
"..."
No way...
Sweat beaded on the countess's cheek and trickled down.
"While waiting for the others, how about a ride around in the carriage together?"
"...It would be an honor, Your Highness!"
An honor? Right.
With a boil on her butt, climbing into a shaking carriage was nothing short of torture.
But defying the princess's command? Impossible.
"Come now, hurry up."
With grim resolve, she boarded the princess's carriage.
Clop clop.
As the carriage began to move...
She was stunned.
'The carriage's shaking... it's gone...?'
The carriage was clearly rolling along the dirt path by the lake.
And yet...
Rumble.
This vibration felt just like traveling over the capital's cobblestone streets.
Her boil still stung, but it was bearable now.
Clop clop.
The horses' hooves rang out louder than the wheels.
"My goodness..."
She'd ridden the finest modern carriages before, but nothing like this.
'What in the world...?'
As she questioned her own senses, Princess Isolde casually lifted her teacup.
She took a sip.
Slurp.
"..."
"..."
Their eyes met.
The princess spoke.
"Forgive me. I've been feeling frail lately, so this is tea prescribed by my physician... It feels awkward drinking alone. Would the countess care for a cup?"
"N-no, Your Highness!"
The countess's eyes went wide.
It wasn't about the tea. Simply...
'Drinking tea inside a moving carriage?'
The princess's odd behavior fascinated her.
Not a single drop spilled from the cup.
Not even around corners.
The countess asked the princess.
"If I may humbly inquire... where was this exquisite carriage crafted?"
"It's just the one I normally use."
"...I see."
As if.
'She just doesn't want to tell me.'
Several hours after that dreamlike carriage ride ended, the princess's secretariat finally arrived.
Now it was time to get down to business with the staff...
"Then for this matter, Rose Garden will handle..."
"..."
The countess couldn't focus at all.
Her mind was still filled with the princess's carriage.
'The one she normally uses...? No way.'
That carriage made every other one look like junk.
The Rose Garden family revered beauty, true to their name.
And that carriage was beautiful.
Silent wheels.
Gentle vibrations.
A plush ride.
'Ride comfort?'
The countess savored the unfamiliar term.
'Have I ever even thought about that before?'
Surprisingly, no.
Piling on more cushions didn't count as "ride comfort improvement."
At that moment, one of the princess's secretaries called to her.
"Your Excellency, is something the matter?"
"Ahem... Apologies. I was lost in thought... No, just fatigue making me zone out."
The moment business wrapped up, the countess cornered the princess's secretary.
"That... by any chance, do you know if something's been modified on Her Highness's carriage?"
The secretary vented as if personally aggrieved.
"Ugh... Yeah... We're suffering too, Count. That's why our secretariat ran late today."
"Really?"
"Yes. Her Highness added something to the carriage, and after that, we couldn't keep up no matter what!"
"Added something... Any idea where from?"
"We'd be failures as secretaries if we didn't. Parts from 'Uphills Workshop,' she said."
Uphills Workshop.
A name she'd never heard before.
Weren't the empire's finest carriages from "Wingless Steed"?
Had the capital's trends shifted while she nursed her boil?
Impossible.
Rose Garden couldn't fall behind in fashion.
The instant the princess departed for the next city, the countess commanded her retainers.
"Investigate 'Uphills Workshop' at once."
Yes!
Her retainers responded.
'Cost be damned. I must... I must...'
The countess intended to outfit her own carriage with parts from Uphills Workshop.
Afterward...
"I'll host a banquet by the lake."
Position a few carriages circling it, and done.
The princess had shown her the perfect staging; she just had to follow suit.
Meanwhile, inside the princess's carriage.
"As Your Highness predicted, after business, the Rose Garden Countess asked me about the 'suspension'."
"Right on plan."
Isolde smiled with satisfaction.
Everything was firmly in her grasp.
She knew the countess was suffering from a boil.
That was precisely why she'd invited her aboard.
The countess would never go back to her old carriage now. Guaranteed.
Clink.
The princess set her teacup in the carriage corner.
There had never been any physician's prescription.
It was pure theater from start to finish.
Yet the world runs on faith, not facts.
"Teatime inside a carriage ought to make for fine publicity."
Hoping it helped Isaac, even just a little.
The princess gazed toward the capital through the carriage window.
"He should have arrived by now, shouldn't he?"
The finest secretary she'd handpicked.
She, too, would be meeting Isaac right about then.
"Come on, say hello, Anna."
"Thanks as always, Oppa."
Anna bowed her head and stepped out of the lab.
I waved cheerfully until the very end.
Only once Anna and the orphanage director had left did I...
Sloooomp.
...melt into the lab sofa.
If a liquid is defined solely by taking the shape of its container, then right now? I'm a liquid.
"It's vacation. Why is there so much work?"
Reviewing the revised "Sound-Wave Theory Textbook" requested by Magic University.
Prepping for Anna's Magic University entrance exam right around the corner.
Managing Uphills Workshop.
Establishing the Uphills Endowment with funds from Winterheart.
Each one fun on its own, but pile them up? Exhausting.
...Especially since I'd started them all myself. No one to whine to.
'If Liam were here, I'd drown my woes in hangover soup...'
No Liam.
The Magic Tower was practically deserted.
Only "Master" Ellara was around.
"The rest is coming together somewhat... but this foundation setup? Miles to go."
Foundations meant endless paperwork.
Noble guarantor lists.
Territory ownership proofs.
A slew of imperial approvals.
Normally I'd ask Giuseppe, but vacation? No dice.
Should've handled it while he was here...
"Why do the bureaucrats make procedures so pointlessly convoluted?"
...Wait, is this legislation or administration?
Who knows. Science guy.
At least Tower paperwork sorts into "money" and "tasks." Not this mess.
As I yanked at my hair and grumbled...
Knock knock knock.
A knock at the door.
Perfectly rhythmic. Not Anna's style.
Who?
I cracked the door.
A woman in a suit stood there.
Heavy dark circles. Papers clutched in hand.
...Work vibes incoming.
The suit lady spoke.
"Pardon me, are you Isaac Uphills?"
Already swamped. No more.
"No, I'm Howard Wallowitz."
"I see. My apologies."
Zero hesitation. She bowed and turned away.
Click.
I shut the door.
"...What was that?"
Vacation. Not Tower staff. No commissions accepted.
A wave of unprecedented dread hit me.
Hours later, another knock.
'Her again?'
Didn't open. Just called out.
"Wallowitz here. Yes?"
"Huh? Isaac, that you?"
"Master" Ellara's voice.
Sigh of relief. Opened up.
"Floor Manager, you won't believe the weirdo I saw earlier... know... any...?"
"Ahaha..."
Ellara's awkward laugh.
The suit lady from before stood right behind her.
"...How much for me?"
"No money involved."
"What?"
This madwoman.
Thought we were buddies, and she sold me out for free?
Ellara explained.
"Sorry, Isaac. She's director of Anna's orphanage. Sounded urgent, so..."
"Oh."
Of course. I'd pegged Ellara as the money-grubbing type.
...My bad.
"Anyway, you two sort it out!"
"..."
"..."
Ellara vanished.
Leaving me alone with Dark Circles Suit Lady.
Shockingly, she was the princess's secretary.
Laura, her name.
Ally. Whew.
'Damn, had no clue...'
Pulling the Wallowitz crap. Moron.
"Sorry. No idea you were from Her Highness."
"No, my oversight. She ordered secrecy... Should've shown a decree at least."
Sorry.
Apologies.
My fault more.
No, my fault even more.
Her waist snapped to ninety degrees. Textbook etiquette.
Instinct screamed: No winning this etiquette battle.
My crash course from Gwendolyn? Outclassed.
"So, what do you need from me?"
Laura cut straight to business.
I dumped all my headaches on her.
Anna's exams. Workshop ops.
Foundation setup.
She responded the instant I finished.
"First, Anna's exams: no worries. I'll line up the top tutors by subject."
"Ooh. Impressive."
"..."
She flinched.
Moment later, she continued.
"Workshop? No rush. Orders'll flood in post-tour. Prioritize the rest."
"Agreed."
"..."
I'd expected competence from the princess's pick.
But she exceeded even that.
Laura cocked her head.
"You catch all that? Questions? Issues?"
"You're the expert. Gotta trust you."
"...Just like that?"
"Who else?"
"..."
Laura went silent.
I followed up.
"Ah, one favor. For Anna's tutoring, skip natural sciences and magic teachers. I'll cover those."
"...Got it."
Two problems down.
Refreshing.
Only foundation setup left.
Laura asked.
"What's the Uphills Foundation's vision, specifically?"
"Hmm..."
Anna's casual remark resurfaced.
-'Before the crazy mage grabbed me... I made bricks up north.'
-'How long?'
-'Two years. Nonstop, except eating and sleeping.'
Even in a world where human rights were fuzzy, that was too far.
I answered.
"A world where kids don't have to work."
The empire offered war orphans minimal aid... pitifully so.
Anna got two loaves of bread a month from the office.
Laura tilted her head at my words.
"Pardon? If kids don't work... how do orphans without backing survive?"
Yup.
Fundamentally different mindset from mine and this world's.
"Children who must be protected"? Barely a concept here.
Violent, barbaric era or not, kids deserved better.
I told her.
"That's what the foundation's for."
'Kids working? Why?'
Let 'em play and grow.
Adults get plenty of work, like me...
"Shelter and food."
"Vocational training."
"Schools and scholarships."
"Protection from outside threats."
This'd douse the immediate flames.
Laura asked.
"...All that? For every young imperial?"
"Endgame goal. Starting with the Uphills kids."
"..."
"Living quarters and schools first."
Tick tock.
The clock echoed as sunset bathed the lab.
Laura said.
"Drew a weird boss."
"Not to your taste?"
"No. It's the first mission in ages that fires me up."
She added.
"I'll support you with everything I've got."