Bonus Short Story
Bonus Short Story
Otome Game IV Girls’ Side
Start
“A...morality play?” Mia asked.
That day, Rafina had come to the student council office to consult with her.
“Yes. It’s actually an annual event for the student council. We always put on a morality play during the theater festival to promote moral awareness and ethical behavior in students. However, I suspect it gets boring when put on the same sorts of plays year after year, so I was wondering if you could help me come up with something new. I heard you were quite familiar with such things.”
“I see. Hm...”
Mia hunched over and crossed her arms to mull over the abrupt request. A few seconds later, she looked back up.
“Well, I do have an author under my employment, and this certainly is something I’m personally interested in.”
She had, after all, often suspected herself of possessing latent talent in poetry and writing. That was what motivated her to give her chest a confident thump and declare, “All right, count me in. A request from you is a request I refuse to ignore. I’ll have a play written for you in no time!”
Confidence radiated from Mia as she returned to her room. Driven by an eagerness to see what masterful work she was about to produce, she went straight to her desk and, with the air of someone about to make art, reached deliberately for her instrument of creation—a fine wooden pen. It was a present she’d recently received from her father. It was also in near-mint condition, having scribed little more than her brief diary entries.
“Let’s see now... What kind of story should I write?”
She placed a sheet of parchment on the desk and pondered for a while.
“U-Uh oh... Nothing’s coming to mind! Nothing at all!”
Her reality check came swiftly and mercilessly. Inevitably too; an original script for a play was hardly the kind of thing a total amateur could produce on demand.
“Hnnngh... In that case...”
① “I should take a nap. I can’t help it if the ideas aren’t coming, after all! Hm? My, is it just me or does this bed feel a little different?”
② “I should go out and look for inspiration! I won’t get any ideas just sitting in my room like this!”
③ “I should take a peek at Elise’s drafts, maybe? I might find some hints in there.”
[A-1] Take a Nap!
“...I should take a nap. After all, I can’t help it if the ideas aren’t coming! Hm? My, is it just me or does this bed feel a little different?”
She studied her bed, and soon realized that it had indeed been switched.
“That reminds me, they did say they were going to replace the old bed. Let’s see here...”
With a hop, she threw herself onto it.
“Ooo, I like it. It’s so comfortable. Maybe this is how new beds always are?”
Her expression curious, she tilted her head from side to side a few times.
“It feels...easier to sleep in too, somehow. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Something to do with the way it supports my neck, perhaps...”
The bed’s wooden frame was brand new, still carrying a pleasant whiff of fresh timber.
“I feel like I’m going to have very good dreams sleeping in this.” She giggled. “Maybe I should just make my dream the play...write down what happens and...use that as the draft...zzz...”
Within seconds, she’d plunged into the world of her dreams.
“...My, where am I?”
When she came to, Mia found herself standing in a vast stretch of barren land. Her brow furrowed in confusion at the unfamiliar landscape.
“Hm? I think I see something. What’s that...”
A quick scan of her surroundings revealed a figure moving in the distance. It seemed to be running toward her with heavy, thumping strides. At first, she couldn’t figure out what she was looking at. It was big and rectangular with some sort of shiny metallic thing up top. It was the gleam of that metal she recognized first.
“Wha— Eeeeeek!”
A horrified scream escaped her as she realized that it was a guillotine with arms and legs. A guillotine monster was coming for her!
“A-A walking guillotine is trying to chop my head off! And it’s coming this way!”
She spun on her heels and tried to run, but...
“Wait! Don’t go!”
A pitiful-sounding voice gave her pause.
“Wh-Who’s that?”
Nervously, she turned around again, only to discover the massive bipedal guillotine looming over her. It stood there, tall, motionless, and...sad-looking?
“W-Was that you just now?” she asked, frowning.
The guillotine inclined itself forward. That was, she figured, its version of a nod.
“Please don’t run away.”
Its mournful voice echoed in her ears.
“Why do you look at me like that? Why do you run? You’re the ones who made me like this, aren’t you? So how come you’re scared of me?”
“...Huh? What do you mean? Of course I’m scared of you. I mean, you’re a guillotine.”
Who wouldn’t be scared of the execution apparatus that once lopped off their head? Voicing this perfectly sensible opinion, however, only deepened the grief in the guillotine’s voice.
“I didn’t ask for this. I wanted to be something that makes everyone happy. A wooden table or chair. A bed. A house. I could have been anything. But...I’m this. Why...”
It inclined itself again. That was probably the equivalent of hanging its head. Its sorrow, at least, was evident. Suddenly, Mia’s surroundings dissolved and a different scene rose to take its place. She saw a single tree sprout in a forest. Over time, it slowly grew thicker and taller. Eventually, it was cut down by a lumberjack. Lying on its side, the tree wondered what it would become. On its way to the woodworker, its heart danced as it imagined all the wonderful things it could be. Furniture, perhaps. Part of a home would be nice too. A bridge, even, that helped people go about their daily lives. The tree dreamed about life as a famous bridge, well-trodden and well-loved, that was surrounded by the smiles of townspeople and songs of travelers.
It wasn’t to be. No smiles would grace the tree. Instead, it was turned into a fearsome instrument of death, doomed to be bathed in gazes of terror and abhorrence. The tree—the guillotine—mourned its fate.
“I see... Perhaps you were a victim too.”
Mia placed a hand on the crestfallen guillotine’s shoulder. It was, in all honesty, a very surreal sight.
“I have a request, Mia. Please, don’t let me be turned into this thing. I don’t want to chop your head off. I never did. I want to make you happy.”
“Well, it seems we are in agreement then. I don’t want to have my head chopped off!”
And so, the two of them gripped each other’s hand in a firm shake as guillotine and once-beheaded-princess shared a moment of mutual understanding.
“Thank you. If that’s what you believe, then I’m sure everything will be fine.” The guillotine suddenly began to glow. “I’ll always be there for you. In a different form, but I’ll be there...as something that will make you happy this time...so please, use me well.”
“Guill!”
Mia shouted as she woke with a start. She shook her head and sat up.
“What a strange dream.”
An engraving on the headboard caught her eye. It was rectangular with the shape of a crescent moon at its inner right side. Turned vertically, it did kind of resemble that guillotine...
“No way...I’m just being silly.”
Mia chuckled to herself. The notion that a tree meant to be made into an beheading instrument had, by some turn of fate, instead been crafted into a bed in Saint-Noel was, frankly, absurd. Still...
“It’d be nice if it were true though. What a wonderful story that would be.”
She nodded, appreciating the thought of the tree finally becoming what it had always dreamed of.
“Oh, that gives me an idea. Maybe I can make the play about that tree...”
She reached for her pen, determined to commit the details to writing before her memory faded.
“How fascinating. It’s the same tree, but its fate changes drastically depending on whether it’s made into furniture or an apparatus for executions. The philosophical ramifications are...compelling, to say the least,” Rafina said in a contemplative tone as she read through Mia’s draft. “The students here in Saint-Noel can go on to become anything they wish. I suspect this will prove to be quite the thought-provoking story for them.”
She turned to Mia with a gentle smile.
“What a wonderful script, Mia. You’ve outdone yourself again.”
So, with Rafina’s blessing, it was decided that the Mia-penned play “The Tree and the Guillotine” would be performed at the theater festival.
And the best part of all? Mia ended up playing the guillotine. In a full body costume, to boot.
The Guillotine Dream
End - Return to Start
[A-2] Look for Inspiration!
“...I should go out and look for inspiration! I won’t get any ideas just sitting in my room like this!”
Her mind made up, Mia promptly left her room.
“Now then... Where should I go? I wonder if there are any special spots where I can just sit down and the script will start writing itself. A writer’s holy ground or something.”
While pondering such lazy fantasies, Mia decided that...
① “I’m sensing a refreshing aura from the water garden!”
② “In situations like these, nothing beats heading to town.”
③ “The library, of course! It’s the perfect place to get some thinking done.”
④ “If I go to the training grounds, I might find Abel and Sion... Maybe they can give me some ideas!”
[B-1] Go to the Water Garden!
“I’m sensing a refreshing aura from the water garden!”
On a whim, Mia strolled toward the courtyard.
“Oh, hello Mia.”
There she found Rafina standing by the fountain. The water rippling gently in the calm autumn wind, coupled with the faint melancholy of Rafina’s lone figure—like some fairy of the fountain—made for an enchanting sight, and Mia stared in spite of herself.
“What brings you here? Looking for a place to rest?”
“Oh, um, no. I need some inspiration for the script, and I’m walking around to see if I get any ideas.”
“I see,” Rafina said with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry to have burdened you with this...”
“I-It’s fine. Don’t worry. Just, uh, leave it to me. I’ll handle it no problem.”
She couldn’t back out now. Not after the supreme confidence she’d displayed when taking on the job.
“Oh, why don’t you have some tea with me then? Maybe an idea will come to you while we chat.”
“Hm... You have a point. I think I will then.”
A vision of Rafina’s exquisite tea time sweets filled Mia’s mind.
The two girls sat down on a bench near the fountain. Just as Mia’s eyes began sparkling with expectation at the tea and sugary pastries that were surely about to appear...
“I suppose a play meant to make the students better people will have to involve an evil noble being taught a lesson.”
Rafina abruptly steered the conversation toward the play.
“An evil noble... Hm...”
“Mm-hm. Maybe something about how if they do bad things, they’ll be put to death. That might work.”
“H-How terribly violent!”
Mia drew back in horror. Her horror was well-deserved, too, considering she was someone who had done bad things and been put to death, something Rafina had played no small part in. The last thing she wanted to do was establish a link between poor behavior and rolling heads. She’d much rather Rafina display copious amounts of tolerance and mercy.
Oh! I know what I should do!
In a moment of miraculous inspiration, Mia’s little gray pulp of vaguely cell-shaped structures stirred with an idea.
“Miss Rafina, what if we had you play the role of a high-born villainess?”
“Gosh, me? But...”
Hearing a hint of reluctance, Mia offered some encouragement.
“I think you should give it a try. Besides, for something like this, the more unexpected the casting, the more interesting it is.”
Encouragement, sweetened further with an enticing hook. Her goal was twofold. First, she wanted Rafina to feel what it was like to be a bad person. In addition...
“Playing a role that’s completely different from who you normally are is a lot of fun, you know? This is a rare chance for you to experience what it’s like to be a villain. You should take it.”
...She saw this as an opportunity for Rafina to vent any pent-up frustrations. Unlike Mia, Rafina was a real saint, which saddled her with all the associated expectations of virtue and propriety in her daily conduct. That sounded suffocating, perfect for breeding dark, bitter thoughts. That was where the play came in. By playing the role of a villain, she would be free to behave as she wished. It would liberate her for a time from the stifling demands of her station. The way Mia saw it, if Rafina could get it all out of her system, then maybe she’d become a more forgiving person. It was all quite calculated.
“Well, if you say so... I suppose I should then.”
After receiving confirmation from Rafina, Mia began her script anew. Not that she’d got much done in the first place, but she now had a fresh perspective that made things much easier. Specifically, she could write from her own perspective, with herself as the main character. Her pen danced effortlessly across the parchment, eventually weaving a story about a young villainess, born to a Duke, who fell in love with a handsome prince, picked on a poor noble girl, and ultimately met her ruin. Though it duly delivered on poetic justice with an overarching theme of rewarding good and punishing evil, the subtle, melancholic nuance of her unrequited romance was surprisingly compelling. Coupled with her sympathetic characterization, the play proved wildly popular. Particularly noteworthy was the role of the villainous protagonist, which Rafina portrayed with great enthusiasm. Her riveting performance kept the students talking for a long time afterward. As for what exactly they were saying, well...
“Oh, it’s just like Mia said. I gave it a go, and it turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected! What a wonderful experience that was.”
...It never reached Rafina’s ears.
Mia, Rafina, and the Villainess
End - Return to Start
[B-2] Go to Town
“In situations like these, nothing beats heading to town.”
Converting mental momentum into physical, Mia immediately got to her feet, called Anne, and headed out.
“Where are we going today?” Anne asked as they walked through the town.
“Good question. I’m not headed anywhere in particular, so... Oh?”
Mia stopped, a curious frown on her face.
① “The person in front of that jewelry store is...”
② “The person watching the boats over there is...”
[B-3] Go to the Library
“The library, of course. It’s the perfect place to get some thinking done.”
Mia arrived at the library and began walking. She walked from one end to the other, then back. Needless to say, she did not run into any ideas along the way.
“Hm, this isn’t doing the trick. If only I had a starting point. Something to work off...” she mumbled as she wandered through the stacks.
Just then, a figure leapt into view, and she stopped short.
“My... Isn’t that Keithwood?”
She found him standing in an aisle, book in hand and eyes on its pages.
“Hm... Maybe he’ll have some ideas for me,” she pondered out loud before changing her mind. “Actually, never mind. It’s a morality play I’m writing. I doubt Keithwood will have anything useful to offer. He’s too popular with the girls.”
With that deeply injurious thought, she turned toward the back of the library, where the entrance to the underground archives lay.
“Maybe they’re hiding some sort of secret script writing manual down there...”
She proceeded down the steps hoping, in classic Mia fashion, to find an effortless solution to her problem...
① “...My, I think I feel some kind of mystical aura radiating from that bookshelf.”
② “...Hm, I see a lot of ancient tomes over in that area. I should go take a look.”
③ “There’s a dark spot behind those bookshelves... How intriguing!”
[B-4] Go to the Training Grounds!
“If I go to the training grounds, I might find Abel and Sion... Maybe they can give me some ideas!”
One might assume she just wanted to flirt with a pair of handsome princes, but that would be doing her a grave disservice, for she only had the best interests of her script in mind. She swears it! Honest!
So she trekked down to the training grounds, whereupon...
“My, there’s no sign of them...”
...She found not the princes but a pair of girls, Tiona Rudolvon and Liora Lulu.
“I wonder what the two of them are doing here.”
Just as she was about to get their attention, she witnessed something that made her gape.
① “Huh, Tiona. Impressive. With skills like that, I bet she could even fight off a bandit or two.”
② “Wow, what a shot! Liora’s aim is absolutely flawless!”
[C-1] Chat at the Jewelry Store
“The person in front of that jewelry store is...”
Standing at the entrance of a well-known jewelry store on the main street was a girl with whom Mia was very well acquainted.
“Esmeralda, what are you doing here?”
“Miss Mia! What a pleasant surprise it is to meet you here!” Her longtime friend Esmeralda Etoile Greenmoon beamed in her direction. “Since you’re here, would you like to look at jewels with me?”
“Jewels, you say?”
“Your birthday is coming up in the winter, right? This will help me figure out what to get you.”
“It’s still autumn at the moment. Isn’t it a bit early to be thinking about that?”
“Certainly not. The value of a present lies not only in its inherent quality but also the time and effort that went into choosing it. And since this is your present, I will spare no expense. Because we’re best friends!”
A declaration like that would give anyone a bout of the warm fuzzies. Mia could hardly walk away after such an earnest display of friendship. Besides, it might make for a good mental refresher. So she walked into the store.
“This one’s very nice,” said Esmeralda once they’d begun browsing. “But it’s a tad pricey.”
She held up a necklace with a gem the size of an egg. Mia glanced at its price.
A-A tad?! This is ridiculously expensive! During the famine you could buy a third of a bag of wheat with that money!
So shocking was the price that she almost blurted these thoughts aloud. The old Mia wouldn’t have bothered to even look at the prices of accessories. The present Mia, after living through the empire’s downfall, was far more prudent with her spending, purchasing little more than daily essentials. There was a damn famine coming, after all. Wasting money was out of the question.
Preferably, I’d get Esmeralda to stop squandering her wealth too, but she’s not exactly the type to listen to advice like that. If only there was a clever way to persuade her...
A small box leapt into view as she browsed. She stopped to take a closer look.
“My... These are much less expensive.”
Inside the box was a jumble of small gems. The sloppy presentation certainly stood out, but even more eye-catching was their price, which was far lower than their exquisitely arranged neighbors.
“Ah, that’s an assortment of small, miscellaneous gems we sell for cheap,” explained the shop owner. “I heard that there are students in Saint-Noel who use these to craft handmade accessories.”
“I see. That explains a lot. Interesting...”
Mia turned toward her friend.
“Look, Esmeralda, this is the kind of thing that I like.”
“...This? What exactly do you mean?”
Mia grinned at the perplexed Esmeralda.
“Well, you wanted to know what I’d like for a present, right? This is it. Something that you carefully and lovingly crafted from a box of small gems.”
“Huh? You mean...you want me to make it myself?”
Esmeralda blinked in bewilderment.
“Absolutely. A handmade present. One of a kind. I mean, if it’s time and effort that matters, making a present would be worth far more than choosing one, right? And a gift made for me by my best friend would be something I’d wear with pride.”
“Best friend...”
Esmeralda’s expression brightened the instant she heard those two words.
“Consider it done, Miss Mia! I’ll deliver you a masterpiece that puts even the work of professional craftsmen to shame.”
Pleased by her friend’s eager response, Mia nodded with satisfaction.
Once she returned to her room, Mia promptly picked up her pen.
“Why don’t I write a story about an arrogant noble who’s obsessed with gems?” she murmured, reflecting on her noontime encounter. “The noble keeps buying fancier and fancier jewelry, but no matter how expensive it is, she nevers feels satisfied. One day, she receives a handmade accessory from a friend, and it touches her heart... My! I like where this is going!”
Then, after enduring the inevitable head-holding, hair-chewing, pillow-punching grind that accompanied all creative output, she managed to produce a workable draft. Fortunately, its quality was sufficient to garner Rafina’s approval, allowing Mia to breathe a sigh of relief.
Mission accomplished!
“You know,” she said to herself with a pensive smile after her draft was accepted, “the inspiration you gave me for my script, Esmeralda, might actually be the best present of all.”
As a further tidbit, the present that Esmeralda eventually delivered turned out to be a necklace. Mia didn’t wear it all the time, but every so often, she’d put it on and admire it for a while before heading out. It was, in fact, something of a favorite of hers.
Mia’s “The Melancholy of the Gem-Loving Lady”
End - Return to Start
[C-2] Chat at the Dock
“The person watching the boats over there is...”
Mia recognized the girl gazing at the boats from the dock.
“Rania, what brings you here of all places?”
“Ah, Princess Mia.”
The girl was Rania Tafrif Perujin, Princess of Perujin Agricultural Country and something of a zookeeper to Mia. Why zookeeper you ask? Well, whenever she visited, she’d bring an assortment of delicacies, which she’d arrange on the table. Not long after, Mia would show up, figurative tail wagging. See? Zookeeper.
“Greetings.”
“Greetings to you as well.”
Mia curtsied before asking again.
“So, what are you doing?”
“I’m looking at the boats.”
“Ah, the boats... They certainly are interesting to look at, aren’t they? I sometimes partake in a little boat watching myself.”
Having cut her teeth on the boredom of an underground dungeon cell, Mia could kill time by counting the number of rocks or leaves in her immediate vicinity. Boats, in comparison, were a veritable circus. She could stare at them all day long.
“Actually, I was thinking, if only Perujin had sea access... We’d be able to establish ties with so many more countries.”
Turns out, Rania’s interest in boats was a lot less...flaneur.
“Sea access, huh... I get what you mean, but...” Mia consulted a mental map of the surrounding geography. “Are you planning to dig a canal to the Galilea Sea then?”
“That’s probably the most realistic option. It’s an inland sea though, so I also have ambitions in the opposite direction,” Rania said with a bright smile. “I want to see Perujin dominate all the surrounding waterways with its produce. That’s my ultimate vision.”
“My, that’s quite the expansive vision you have.”
“If it were up to me, I’d be on those boats myself, sailing to other countries and negotiating with them.”
Rania huffed out a frustrated breath with her hands on her hips, as though it took every fiber of restraint in her not to hop onto a vessel right then and there. Mia chuckled.
“It seems like you’re more of an adventurer than a princess. I must admit though, it was a lot of fun to be on a boat... Hm?”
The sign of a dockside stall caught her eye. It read “Pirate Porras.” They were selling long strips of some sort of fried dough made to look like cutlasses. Pirate-themed churros, basically. The look on the faces of nearby customers as they bit into the things informed Mia that she was beholding something tasty.
“My, look at that... What do you say? How about we try one for ourselves? If Perujin wants to dominate the sea trade, then I suspect researching popular products like those will be crucial.”
“Mmm, good idea. I’ve been wondering about those things, actually. Maybe we can make them back in Perujin too...” Rania said with an eager smile.
After loading up on her internal sugar reserves with Rania, Mia returned to her room and began writing her draft.
“Those pirate porras tasted so good. Hm... How about a pirate story then? A courageous lady pirate who dominates the seas... Ooo, I like the sound of that. She’ll travel from island to island— Oh, but ‘pirate’ doesn’t have a very nice ring to it. Maybe...an intrepid outlaw? A Robin Hood of the high seas?” she wondered aloud as she recalled the conversation she’d had with Rania. “The adventures of a lady pirate who gives delicious pastries to poor children...and her hideout is an island with lots of fertile farmland...”
Thus, a story filled with Mia’s personal hopes and dreams was born. It was approved by Rafina, albeit with some revisions, and the play was duly staged. Interestingly, on the day of the theater festival, Rania could be seen sneaking around the venue. What was she doing, you ask?
Well, let’s just say that a couple of curious showgoers became inaugural taste testers for the first-ever Perujin-made pirate porras. The Perujin princess, as it turns out, could be quite the go-getter.
Rania the Lady Pirate and Her Dream of Pirate Porras
End - Return to Start
[C-3] Investigate the Bookshelf
“...My, I think I feel some kind of mystical aura radiating from that bookshelf.”
Driven by pure instinct, Mia approached the shelf, whereupon she discovered...
“Hm? Chloe?”
...Her friend, Chloe Forkroad, standing there absorbed in a book.
“Princess Mia?” Chloe said, looking up in surprise. “What are you here for?”
“That’s my question. Well, then again...” Mia glanced behind her at the staircase. “Maybe not. Did you finish reading all the books upstairs and come down here to find more?”
Chloe chuckled at the ludicrous suggestion and shook her head.
“No, there’s something I want to figure out, so I’m doing some research. What about you, Princess Mia?”
Mia briefly explained her situation.
“I see. A play for the student council...” said Chloe, crossing her arms in thought.
“Do you know of any books that might be useful for me?”
Mia figured that Chloe, a professional reader of books, had to be more knowledgeable about such things than herself. She even briefly entertained the thought of offloading the job to her entirely before deciding that she’d made too confident a promise to Rafina to back out now. There were times in one’s life where one’s back was against the wall, and the only way backward was to climb it. This was one of those times.
“Well, actually...” Chloe hesitantly produced a book. “I read this book recently, and...”
Mia glanced at it, finding it familiar. It was a book she’d seen Chloe reading before. The title, “Hyakumonogatari” didn’t mean much, but the subtitle, “One Hundred Supernatural Tales” told her all she needed to know!
Uh oh. This is one of those scary books. I know it is. It’s going to keep me up for nights on end if I read it!
Mia’s spookiness sensors promptly raised the alarm, and she drew back, giving Chloe a dubious look. Chloe, for her part, didn’t notice and continued talking about her book.
“This is a collection of scary stories from a country in the east. Many of them are about karma and people getting their just deserts, where monsters appear to punish the wicked for their evil deeds. If you look through it, I think you’ll find some that fit Miss Rafina’s tastes.”
“B-But they’re... spoopy— I mean, spooky stories, right?” she said, fear causing her tongue to trip over itself.
“Oh, don’t worry, Princess Mia. It won’t be scary because you’ll be the one writing the story.”
That got a gasp out of Mia, who realized that Chloe was right. She’d be writing a scary story, yes, but it’d be her scary story. She couldn’t possibly scare herself with her own writing. Impressed by this profound insight, Mia nodded with appreciation.
“Also, when you’re reading something for research,” Chloe added, “you tend to be more objective. I find it’s hard to get scared by a story when you’re analyzing it and taking notes.”
“Yes, yes. What you say makes perfect sense. If I read it as research for my script, it probably won’t be all that scary.”
Convinced by this logic, Mia agreed to borrow the book from Chloe. Upon returning to her room, she promptly flipped it open...only to discover that logic had thoroughly failed her. Needless to say, scary things are scary, no matter your reasons for reading about them. What might surprise you, however, is the fact that she did not stop right then and there. Despite her fear, she placed her finger at the corner of the page, preparing to flip to the next one. What drove her to this incredible feat, you ask?
Well, it was neither a morbid curiosity of the supernatural nor an unshakable sense of duty to keep her word and produce a script. It was the good old sunk cost fallacy. Having already spooked herself with the first few pages, she refused to close the book there and then, for doing so would mean all the terror she’d endured would have been for naught! If she was going to be frightened, then she was going to get her fright’s worth in story ideas. Again, there were times in one’s life when one’s back was against the wall, and the only way backward was to climb it. So climb it she would. With the wide-eyed mania of a desperate gambler trying to recoup her losses, she flipped the page and—
“...M-Maybe I should just ask Chloe to help.”
The ensuing page included an illustration of a terribly scary monster, and her determination promptly wilted. Instead, she begged her book-loving friend for help.
Which resulted in said friend reading a ton more stories to her, all of the spooky sort. Ultimately, she did manage to write up a script, but it came at the cost of many nights spent in Anne’s bed.
Mia and Chloe’s Scary Tales From the East
End - Return to Start
[C-4] Investigate the Ancient Tomes
“...Hm, I see a lot of ancient tomes over in that area. I should go take a look.”
It’s not like she had any better ideas anyway. When she went over, however, she happened upon a familiar girl with red hair.
“My, Ruby, what are you doing here in the archives?”
Ruby, apparently engrossed in a book, looked up with a start at Mia’s voice.
“O-Oh, Your Highness... Greetings.”
“Greetings indeed. Coming to a place like this to read though? You must be a more avid reader than I thought.”
“Uh, well... There are some books here you can’t find anywhere else.”
“I see. What exactly are you reading, by the way?”
“Ah—”
Ruby stiffened, the implications of answering that question suddenly dawning on her. Mia gave her a puzzled frown.
“Is something the matter? Oh, let me guess. You’re going to be joining the Princess Guard, so you wanted to do preparation in private beforehand. I assume you’re studying up on small-scale squad-based tactics or something?”
“No, I— Uh, well... I-It’s something like that, I guess. Nothing you’d be interested in, I promise.”
She tried to hide the book behind her, but her flustered motion caused it to slip from her fingers.
“Ah—”
It fell to the ground, landing at her feet with its cover up. On it was the title, “Romance Handbook: Cooking.”
A long silence ensued. As awkwardness filled the musty air, Ruby cracked first.
“...Okay, let me just say one thing, Your Highness.” She straightened, speaking in a sober, dignified tone. “I have no need for books when it comes to strategy and tactics. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been trained in the art of command. Even now, I keep up with all the latest research. Never in my life have I stopped studying military theory, and I never will, because I am a Redmoon.”
“I see. That certainly stands to reason.”
“I go to books for things I don’t know. To seek new knowledge. That’s why I’m holed up here in the archives.”
“To learn how to be a girlfriend?”
“What?! You got a problem with that?!” she snapped, erasing any pretense of dignity.
Perhaps her inner warrior got the best of her. Sensing that she was being backed into a corner, she immediately went on the offensive. After all, no self-respecting Redmoon would go down without a fight. This reaction amused Mia, who broke into a laugh.
“My, Ruby, we haven’t talked much before, but I must say... You’re surprisingly adorable.”
“Wha—”
Red-faced and at a loss for words, Ruby could only stare.
“Oh, I should mention that I’m quite interested in such things as well. Once you’re done reading, perhaps we can sit down and discuss? I’ll invite Esmeralda too. What do you say, hm?”
Slowly, Ruby’s expression softened, bewilderment giving way to a meek smile.
“I...would love that, Your Highness.”
Back in her room, Mia promptly began writing her script. The encounter with Ruby had given her a great idea.
“When it comes to stories, nothing beats good old romance. The deeper the better. In fact, I think the theme will be pure love. The really sweet, sentimental kind. The main character will be a noble girl. She’s a bit of a tomboy, but deep down, she’s an innocent young soul who’s enamored with the very thought of love...”
Fortunately, the momentum just kept building as she wrote, and it wasn’t long before she handed a completed draft to Rafina. The story told of a tragic love between a star-crossed pair whose romance crossed class boundaries. Through their travails emerged an exploration of what it meant to truly love someone... Upon reaching the end, Rafina found herself nodding in admiration.
“...This is incredible, Mia. There’s so much depth to the romance. I can only imagine you drew upon a wealth of personal experience.”
The potential birth of a grave misunderstanding aside, it was a job well done for Mia the budding playwright. Later on, Ruby would watch the performance and almost have an aneurysm, but that’s a story for another day.
Princess Mia... Ends Up Writing a Love Story!
End - Return to Start
[C-5] Investigate the Dark Spot
“There’s a dark spot behind those bookshelves... How intriguing!”
Mia narrowed her eyes at the backmost part of the archives, where haphazardly arranged bookshelves threw a veil of darkness over an area.
“I wonder if it’s hiding anything interesting. Maybe I’ll find a book on the ground that gives me some ideas. I mean, it’s certainly wishful thinking, but...” she said to herself as she approached.
“Eeek!”
She jumped as a small shadow popped out of the darkness. Her legs failed her as she landed, forcing her to shuffle backward on her bum while whimpering in terror. Then, the shadow spoke.
“Huh? Miss Mia?”
“...Eh?”
She stopped her gluteal retreat and looked up to find a perplexed Bel standing over her.
“What are you doing here?” asked the young girl.
“Th-That’s my question!” exclaimed Mia, her voice cracking.
“Mmm...” Bel adopted a pensive pose. “It’s supposed to be a secret, but since you’re special, I’ll let you in on it. There’s actually a hidden passage here.”
“...What hidden passage?”
Mia followed Bel into the dark spot where, true to the young girl’s word, she found a hole in the wall. The opening was small, and she’d have to crouch down to fit through.
“Huh, who would have thought there’d be a passage in a place like this? Where does it lead?”
She poked her head in but couldn’t see the exit. The darkness certainly made it hard to see, but it was also long, extending past the limit of her vision.
“Lots of places,” answered Bel. “It leads to rooms in the girls’ dormitory. You can also get to the boys’ dormitory. There was even this one time when I got out in a place I’d never seen before.”
“My... What a fascinating passage. That explains a lot. So this is how you managed to hide for so long without anyone finding you,” said Mia before she frowned. “But why is it here? A secret escape route during emergencies, maybe?”
“It’s a mystery to me too. Oh, I should mention that while I was hiding in here, I felt something weird...”
“Oh? What was weird?”
“I felt someone’s eyes on me...like I was being watched. Of course, whenever I turned around, I’d never find anyone, and judging by the amount of dust that had built up, it didn’t seem like anyone else was around, but...” Suddenly, Bel looked up at Mia. “Maybe there’s a creepy monster that lives down here by itself, and when night falls, it crawls out of the passage and roams the academy...”
Bel’s attempt at an intimidating voice made Mia burst into laughter.
“Oh please, save it for the campfire. What, is that the latest fad in your class or something? The Subterranean Stalker of Saint-Noel? And you actually believed it? Ah, you’re such a baby, Bel.”
After chuckling to herself in amusement, Mia rubbed her chin.
“I must say though, for a plot idea, it’s not half bad. A mysterious monster hiding under Saint-Noel... For example, the story could be about a student who’s an outcast in her class. She meets the monster, and it tries to help her by stopping all the people from tormenting her...except it does so through a series of murders. In order to make it function as a morality play, I can work in a message about the meaning of true love or something...”
Having found inspiration in the unlikeliest of places, Mia promptly set pen to parchment. Fortunately, her brain juices flowed freely, filling the pages with her fantasies. Before long, she held a completed draft. However, when she brought it to Rafina, she was met with an unexpected response.
“I see. So you know...about the monster...”
Mia froze for a second, blinking blankly.
“...Eh?”
“...Hm?”
Rafina blinked back at her, seemingly confused as well. They stared at each other for a while. After an awkward silence, Rafina burst into a short giggle.
“Oh, Mia. It’s a joke. I was joking.”
“A-Ah, I see. It was just a joke. Haha.”
“Yes, of course. Just a joke.”
Rafina smiled, but Mia couldn’t help but think that her eyes looked uncomfortably serious.
That night, Anne just so happened to have some work to do, leaving Mia alone with Bel in her room. She looked at Bel, who was sitting in bed combing her hair, and said, “Uh, Bel, why don’t we sleep in the same bed tonight?”
“Huh? Why?”
Bel tilted her head, puzzled.
“W-Well,” said Mia with a nervous laugh. “I feel like it’s been too long since we’ve had a good chat and, uh, as grandmother and granddaughter, I think it’s good for us to catch up every now and then.”
Mia, Bel, and the Monster of Saint-Noel
End - Return to Start
[C-6] Talk to Tiona
“Huh, Tiona. Impressive. With skills like that, I bet she could even fight off a bandit or two.”
Mia watched as Tiona swung her wooden practice sword downward, the motion blending into a horizontal swipe before she spun her body around to slash at an imagined foe behind her. Her movements were basic but she performed them smoothly, turning a sequence of fundamentals into an elegant sword dance. Only after she’d sheathed her sword did Mia approach her.
“Greetings, Tiona.”
“Ah, Your Highness!”
She hastily began to curtsy, but Mia stopped her with a smile.
“No need for formalities. I must say though, I’d heard you knew how to wield a sword, but I had no idea you practiced so seriously. You really put your back into it, don’t you? Do you do this every day?”
“Yes, I’ve been practicing like this ever since I was young. It’s just become a habit by now, honestly...”
“My, you must be very strong then.”
A thought occurred to Mia.
I never looked at it this way before, but it’s actually pretty cool to be able to swing a sword around...and there’s always the chance I’ll awaken some latent talent and become a master swordswoman. Imagine if I end up stronger than even Dion. Nothing would ever scare me again.
It wasn’t a smart thought though.
“Say, Tiona, would you mind if I tried using that?”
“Huh? Uh, if you’d like. Go ahead.”
Tiona hesitated for a second before shaking her head and holding out her wooden practice sword.
“Hm, it’s not very heavy,” Mia said as she took it in both hands.
She swung it a few times. Then, she lifted it high above her head, mimicking Abel’s stance, before letting out what was probably supposed to be a battle cry.
“Waaargh!”
Her sword flashed—metaphorically—as she brought it down, brown blade blurring with surprising speed. It was, by all measures, an impressive swing, and she even accomplished it without the crippling twang in her back muscles that often resulted from ill-advised attempts at athletics.
“My...” Her eyes widened at her own feat. “Did I just...”
As it turns out, she’d unknowingly shaped up from all that horse riding she’d been doing lately. Her body was, in fact, now capable of handling intensive exercise.
“I think I have a knack for this.”
There was something very satisfying about a good swing, and Mia was feeling that satisfaction right now.
“Ohoho, with a swing like this, I bet I’ll be able to cut down foes by the dozen.”
She proceeded to imagine herself, sword in hand, carving her way through hordes of faceless enemy mooks. The fantasy then shifted to her defeating Remno’s elite warrior, the Adamantine Spear, in a duel before facing down Dion in a solo bout.
“Hey, Tiona, could you teach me how to use a sword?”
“Huh? Teach Your Highness? You want to learn swordsmanship?”
“Yes. I don’t want to ask one of the Guard because Father might catch wind of it and throw a fit. It’s too much of a headache to deal with him. It’d be a lot better if you taught me. What do you say?” she asked while striking a couple more poses with the wooden sword. “I think I might be a natural, honestly.”
Tiona gave her an appropriately concerned look.
“I...suppose I could. All right. If that’s your wish, then I’ll try my best.”
“My! Really?”
Mia beamed as Tiona meekly nodded.
“The first thing I have to teach you then...is how not to cut your hand.”
“...Really? My own hand? That seems unlikely.”
She frowned, figuring she couldn’t possibly be so clumsy as to run a blade across her own flesh. Tiona, however, continued soberly.
“I mean it. The most dangerous moment is when you sheath your sword. It’s easy to cut your palm by accident,” she said, holding out her own palm to demonstrate. “Right here between the thumb and index finger. You slide the sword in, and it just slices straight through this part.”
“S-Straight through...”
“Yes. A lot of blood gushes out, and it hurts a lot too.”
Mia almost saw the flesh parting before she vigorously shook the image out of her mind, only for Tiona to induce an even more gruesome vision.
“If you’re not careful, the gash can go down to the bone. I’ve heard of people whose fingers just fell right off—”
“Stop! Th-That’s quite enough! I, um, have reconsidered. Swordsmanship seems a tad too difficult for me,” she stammered, face pale.
It occurred to Mia that she hated pain. The business of cutting and being cut were beyond her capabilities.
“I see.” Tiona grinned. “I think that’s for the best. If there’s any fighting to be done, you can just leave it to your guards. Or me. That’s what all this practice I do is for, after all.”
That night...
“Hm... Still, a story about a lady with a sword beating evil foes does sound pretty exciting.”
An idea came to her.
“I know! I’ll make the main character a swordswoman, and I’ll base her off Tiona. In that case, her enemy will have to be...me, I guess? Which means the message would be...”
She wrote and mumbled and mumbled and wrote. Eventually, a completed script lay before her. It told of a noble girl whose father was killed and the tale of her revenge, ultimately delivering a poignant message about the futility of vengeance. Tiona was cast in the lead role, and Mia played the villain. The rehearsals even led to them becoming better friends, but those details will have to be saved for a later occasion.
The Friendship Between the Vengeful Lady Knight and the Guillotine Princess
End - Return to Start
[C-7] Talk to Liora
“Wow, what a shot! Liora’s aim is absolutely flawless!”
Mia let out a whoop of admiration as Liora put on a jaw-dropping show of masterful archery before her very eyes. The arrow sprung from her bow. It flew toward its target and struck it perfectly on...the edge, bouncing backward into the air. At the apex of its curve, a second arrow loosed from her bow snapped it right in half. Liora had purposefully ricocheted her first arrow off the target to strike it with her second. It was, frankly, a ridiculous feat, and even the archery-ignorant Mia could appreciate the sheer mastery on display.
“What terrifying skill... Just the thought of being in her sights sends a chill down my spine.”
“Ah... Your Highness...”
Noticing Mia’s presence, Liora put down her bow and strode over with brisk steps.
“Greetings... Are you looking for Miss Tiona?”
“No, I was just walking around, and I saw you do...that. It was amazing.”
“...Huh? Do what?”
Mia smiled wryly at the genuine confusion on Liora’s face.
“The thing you did with the bow and arrows, of course. I didn’t even know something like that was possible.”
“That was...normal.”
“Hardly. I’ve never seen anything like it. What a sight that was. What a sight you were!.”
Liora fidgeted uncomfortably as Mia showered her with compliments.
“That’s very flattering... But too much... It’s embarrassing...” she said blushing bashfully before adding, “I-I can also... Do things like this.”
She launched an arrow up into the air and hit it with a second one as it came down.
“Wow! That’s incredible! You got it perfectly!”
Encouraged by Mia’s applause, Liora proceeded to unveil a string of trick shots, each more impressive than the last.
You know, thought Mia as she watched, seeing this, it’s a miracle I managed to survive long enough to make it to the guillotine.
After being thoroughly mesmerized by Liora’s impromptu archery show, Mia returned to her room.
“Hm, What about a story about an archer girl who brings justice to bad people?”
She promptly tried developing the idea.
“The main character belongs to a clan that lives in the forest. They hunt to survive, so they all use bows on a daily basis. Oh, I should make it so they have a secret hideout in the forest. As for the villain... An evil king sounds good, I think? He’ll be making the people suffer by imposing heavy taxes or something...”
As an amateur author, Mia tended to include elements from reality without any embellishment.
“It feels too cruel to have the villain be executed at the guillotine, so let’s tone that down a bit... Actually, if I make myself the main character, then I can keep the execution. As long as I’m not the one getting my head chopped off!”
She wrote and wrote, ultimately pulling her first-ever all-nighter to finish the story. Triumphant but sleep-deprived, she shambled over to Rafina and handed her the completed draft.
“I see. So it’s a story about a young woman trying to make the world a better place.” Rafina gave a pleased nod after reading the script. “A captivating main character like this girl might convince the audience to reflect on their own actions and make sure they don’t become like the evil lord in the story. If she gets people in power thinking about how the masses feel, then the story has certainly done its job. Mmm, I think you’ve written a fine play, Mia!”
So, Mia’s script was successfully turned into a stage production. Initially she’d thought to make herself the main character, but the archery advisor, Liora, turned out to be a nightmarishly strict coach that sent Mia fleeing for the hills on the first day. As for what exactly transpired during their first and only training session... Well, you’ll simply have to use your imagination.
Liora Hood
End - Return to Start
[D-1] Peek at Elise’s Drafts
“I should take a peek at Elise’s drafts, maybe? I might find some inspiration in there.”
When it came to writing scripts, Mia was naturally going to rely on her personally employed author for help. No one enjoyed the worlds Elise crafted more than she did. So, she sought the drafts Elise had sent her, only...
“Augh, I can’t find them. Did I leave them back at the capital?”
...They weren’t there. She’d either left them back home or returned them to Elise already.
“What kind of story was it again? Hmm... Say, Anne, do you have a moment?”
“Sure. What is it?”
She gestured for Anne to join her on her bed before explaining the situation.
“You see, Miss Rafina asked me to write a script for a play, and I agreed, so I’m looking for ideas. Do you remember that story Elise wrote about a pair of sisters?”
“A pair of sisters?”
“Yes. If memory serves, the older sister was gentle and caring while the younger sister was brimming with curiosity, and the story was about the adventures they had.”
Mia wasn’t actually holding out much hope. She knew that Anne sometimes paid very little attention to Elise’s stories, resulting in a spotty grasp of their contents, which was made worse by the fact that she’d then use her dubious memory of the stories as a reference to solve real-life problems. Nevertheless, she still asked.
“Does that ring any bells?”
“Do you mean the story about the merchant sisters? They’d go from town to town and solve the problems they found there.”
“Yes! That’s it! Keep going. Tell me how the story went.”
“Sure.”
Fortunately, Anne seemed to remember all the details of this particular story, allowing her to close her eyes and promptly begin a smooth retelling. Mia laid down on the bed and listened.
The story was about a pair of merchant sisters. They were very close, and they traveled to all sorts of towns and villages. Wherever they stopped, they’d solve the various problems of the townspeople. The story also included narrative flourishes such as the goods purchased from a previous village being used to solve a problem in the next.
In the beginning, Mia simply enjoyed listening to the story.
Yes, yes. That’s how it went.
Events proceeded at a brisk pace as the two sisters tackled one problem after another. The younger one tended to be a bit careless, often forcing the older one to follow up with some quick thinking. The interplay of trouble and resolution kept her on the edge of her proverbial seat. As the story went on, however, her focus began to shift, and the experience gained a newfound poignancy. When Anne finished, Mia let out a nostalgic sigh.
“Listening to you tell me stories like this... It really takes me back.”
She couldn’t help but recall her time in the dungeon. Back then, the only voices she heard were reproachful ones, their words bitter and hurtful. Anne alone was the exception, her voice offered warmth and solace. The stories she told were equally comforting. Once, Mia had fallen asleep in the middle of a story. She’d closed her eyes in the gentle cradle of Anne’s voice, but when she opened them again, Anne was nowhere to be found. She woke alone to the chilly emptiness of her cell. The despair she felt then had etched itself into her soul. From that day on, she’d sworn never to fall asleep when Anne was telling a story.
That worry was now a matter of the past. Her brain knew it for a fact, but her heart still had to ask.
“Tell me, Anne, if I fall asleep right now, will you stay by my side?”
“What kind of question is that?” asked Anne, looking utterly baffled. “Of course I will, milady. Why wouldn’t I? Until you send me away, I’ll always be right beside you!”
The sureness of her voice drew a sigh of relief from Mia.
“Oh, I have one more request, if it’s not too much to ask. From now on, could you tell me Elise’s stories like this every once in a while?” Mia asked, deciding to indulge a little.
“Sure? I can do that.” Anne lifted a puzzled eyebrow before asking with a gentle smile, “So, did you find the story useful?”
“Ah, right. As a matter of fact, I think this story will work as is. I need to ask Elise if I can use it as soon as possible.”
“I’m sure she’ll say yes, milady. If anything she’ll be overjoyed that you want to borrow it.”
The following day, Mia took Elise’s story to Rafina, who okayed it immediately. Soon after, preparations were underway.
And that’s how the first stage play written by Elise Littstein, one of the most distinguished authors in the history of the continent, had its inaugural performance at Saint-Noel Academy.
Anne, Elise, and One Thousand and One Nights
End - Return to Start
Sign up for our mailing list at J-Novel Club to hear about new releases!
And you can read the latest chapters (like Vol. 6 of this series!) by becoming a J-Novel Club Member: