Chapter 2 — Manipulator and Manipulatee

Ten days had passed since Prince Francesco and Princess Bona had arrived. In that time, the palace had grown used to their presence to a certain extent. That was the case for not only the hosts but all of Capua and the foreign delegation as well.

Naturally, it wasn’t perfect. The building’s architecture was completely different from the Sharous’ home. The maids, while sufficient in number, did things differently to a certain degree. The chefs the royals had brought with them prepared their food, although the results were slightly different due to the use of local ingredients.

Ten days was far too short of a time to grow accustomed to these fundamental differences in culture. If anything, the homesickness-causing differences grew ever more prominent as the days passed, so the prince and princess’s time in Capua could end up being a bit uncomfortable.

However, there were always the rare few who could spend an age in an alien culture without the slightest pangs. Fortunately, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Francesco was one of them.

“Prince Francesco, these are clothes using the new style of button that I mentioned previously. They are unfortunately just a sample, so they may not be precisely sized to you, but I can create a set with the same design and fabric if you would like to order it.”

Francesco had summoned a merchant to a room in a building on the south side of the palace that the delegation was borrowing, and he was currently enjoying shopping. The fabrics and clothes that the merchant had brought packed the room, lit by the sunlight streaming in through the wide-open shutters.

As the merchant had explained, the items on display were strictly samples, and unlike a modern boutique, he did not have multiple versions of each item in different sizes. So the clothes being presented were all manner of style.

“Right. Still, it is interesting. The clothing originates from the Northern Continent just as ours does back home, yet these are completely different from in my own country. Intriguing, truly intriguing,” Francesco mused, his eyes sparkling as he weaved between the spread-out wares.

Clothing similar to western fashion came from the Northern Continent, so the base components were much the same between Capua and the Twin Kingdoms despite one being in the west and the other being located at the center of the Southern Continent. However, local cultural practices had an influence, and they had diverged in style over time.

“Right, then I’ll take three sets. One with these new ‘four-holed buttons’ and one with what you called ‘the most common in Capua.’ For the final one, I’ll leave it up to your discretion. Bring a set that will fit me well.”

“Aha, very well! I shall do my utmost to produce three sets of clothing worthy of your favor,” the merchant replied excitedly, falling down and not bothering to hide his joy at having secured a client as important as a foreign prince.

In contrast, the knights against the wall had sour looks on their faces. Their charge was in another country buying new clothes, an activity that caused those responsible for his security no small amount of bother.

A tailor was generally considered to be fourth in terms of professions that would allow an assassination if the person won the target over. The highest-risk professional was a doctor (by quite some margin), followed by a cook, and then a hairdresser.

Tailoring clothes inevitably required contact between the tailor and the client, and the tailor would need to be allowed to approach the other with needles to hem up the clothes. It wasn’t as much of an issue as with a hairdresser, who would stand behind the target for a long period with scissors and razors in hand, but it was certainly an occupation that could allow for such opportunities.

That meant that knowing a tailor’s background and personality was more important than the professional’s skill with a needle and thread. For their prince to enlist the services of a tailor in a far-off country, and one employed by the royalty of that country to boot, was nothing short of preposterous to the knights.

Regardless, in spite of suppressing bitter looks, they showed no sign of interfering with Francesco’s actions. The expressions on their faces suggested they had already given up on moderating his behavior.

That said, allowing the fitting to proceed did not mean they could abandon their duties. They had taken all possible precautions, having prepared the needles and checked each piece of fabric before it was placed near the prince, in addition to having sought assurances from Capua as to the merchants’ and tailors’ backgrounds.

Of course, all of that still didn’t completely remove the risk, and the responsibility would fall on them in the unlikely event that anything should happen.

“Sure, I’ll look forward to it. I’ll help as much as I can with any adjustments, so if you need to, don’t hesitate to visit.”

“Thank you very much, Your Highness. I shall devote all my skill to this.”

The knights against the wall held back grimaces and sighs, among other things, as the prince gave another bothersome promise with one of his usual innocent smiles.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Without a doubt, the person whose schedule had become busier than ever since the foreign royals’ arrival was Zenjirou. Of course, that was in relative terms, comparing his daily business before and after their arrival. He was by no means the busiest person in the palace.

Up until then, he had attended functions as Aura’s proxy, but having days that were completely free was not a rarity. That lifestyle had changed entirely after Prince Francesco and Princess Bona’s arrival. After all, they were a prince and princess from the Twin Kingdoms of Sharou-Gilbelle; it required a certain level of status to play host.

Aside from the queen, Zenjirou was the only royal of age within the kingdom. Aura could not abandon her regular responsibilities, so it was natural for him to be tasked with interacting with their guests.

“Sir Zenjirou,” came Fabio’s even voice from across the room, “it is time for the audience with Prince Francesco that I informed you of this morning. He has already arrived in the waiting room; shall I show him in?”

The room had recently become both Zenjirou’s office and his audience chamber.

“Please do,” he replied with a nod as he met the blank gaze of Aura’s secretary.

He adjusted himself on the sofa. He’d have loved nothing more than to sprawl out and let out a deep sigh, but he couldn’t show such carelessness in front of his wife’s confidant, who was always all too eager to speak up about his faults.

Aura was entirely right: Fabio was talented and well-acquainted with the workings of the palace, but that was no reason to be fond of a man who would interject with sarcastic and cynical warnings for each mistake Zenjirou made.

Conversely, it was vexing that he had confidence that following the older man’s advice would steer him safely through the minefield of Capuan politics. Fabio was wont to speak with hidden meanings and test Zenjirou subtly, but he would never be so foolish as to do so where it could cause issues or shame him in front of others.

“I shall bring him directly; please wait a few moments.”

Fabio left the room. Approximately ten minutes later, Francesco was seated on the sofa across from the prince consort.

“I see you are more used to the country now. I am glad to hear that,” Zenjirou told him.

“Indeed, the temperature and food aren’t all that different from my own, after all, aha ha ha!” the blond answered, flashing a bright smile with seemingly nothing behind it in contrast to Zenjirou’s own false grin.

However, the prince’s words didn’t quite jibe with the idea of an objective perspective. While Capua was hot and humid with dense forests, the Twin Kingdoms had deserts, so even though they had similar temperatures, the humidity there was much lower, and the feel of the climate was nothing like Capua’s.

Naturally, this led to a difference in the vegetation and animals endemic to the region, which in turn resulted in a difference in the eating habits of the people living there. The staple foods in both countries were lightly fried bread, soups with plenty of spices, and grilled meats, so they were similar on a superficial level. Yet if one were to examine things closely, the specific details of the foods’ preparation were quite different, from the flour used in the breads to the types of spices in the soups. It would be akin to tactlessly lumping French and British cuisine into a single category of “western food.”

That said, it’s entirely possible he’s being serious, considering his personality, Zenjirou thought with a mental grimace, having gotten a rough estimation of the prince’s character over the past few days.

The young man’s actions were inscrutable. He seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve with everything he said and did, and there were often inconsistencies in his actions and words. Whether that was simply his character or a well-constructed facade, taking it too seriously would prove detrimental to Zenjirou’s health.

Regardless, the topic moving to food and drink was a fortunate development as it allowed Zenjirou to employ his prepared statement.

“That reminds me... You seemed rather fond of our distilled spirits the other evening. Would you accept a bottle?”

The question caused the prince’s eyes to gleam as he leaned forward with interest. “Really?! My thanks, Your Majesty!”

It had worked better than Zenjirou had expected, and he had to turn away slightly as he addressed Fabio.

“Y-Yes, really. Fabio, bring it, please.”

“At once, sir.”

Zenjirou watched the secretary out of the corner of his eye as the man bowed and left the room. He had intended to pass the time waiting in silence, but that hope was soon shattered.

“Ahh, I’m so looking forward to this. Really, thank you so much. It was the first time I ever had such strong alcohol, and I fear I may be stuck with it! I always liked a drink, but that was on another level. I hear it can be mixed with many things as well? There are various ideas I want to try out.”

The young man across from him seemed incapable of abiding even a brief period of silence and immediately began chattering away cheerily. Not allowing Zenjirou to get a word in was somewhat ill-mannered when it came to a conversation between equals, but there would be no end to it if he pointed out every little breach in Francesco’s etiquette.

“Then it is well worth giving it to you as a gift if you are so fond of it,” he answered with his own feigned smile just as Fabio returned.

“Here, Sir Zenjirou,” said the secretary, placing a bottle covered in red cloth in front of him without ado.

“Good work.” Zenjirou reached for the cloth and loosened the knot, laying the contents bare.

“Whoa!”

Francesco’s loud exclamation was no exaggeration this time. Even the stone-carved expressions of the knights guarding him broke as they showed genuine surprise.

The bottle was rectangular, colorless, and completely clear. It had a square base and was tall, made of thick and transparent glass. The whole thing had a tortoiseshell-like pattern embossed onto it, so it shone like a jewel in the light from the window.

The bottle had originally contained an amber whiskey, but it was now filled with one of Zenjirou’s almost colorless spirits, making the transparency clear at a glance. The Southern Continent had no glass manufacturing, so the container was more a work of art than just something to hold the drink in.

“Wonderful! I can take it as it is?! You do not want this container returned when I have finished with it?”

“I do not; please keep it,” Zenjirou answered with a shake of his head in the face of the prince’s almost desperate response. He rewrapped the bottle and leaned forward, placing it in front of Francesco. “I would caution you to be careful, though; the container is far more susceptible to impacts than those of wood or metal would be. It will easily shatter if dropped from a height and could break from simply falling over if it is on a hard surface,” he warned, paying close attention to the other man’s reaction.

The gift was not solely Zenjirou’s decision, but a choice made after a conversation with Aura the night before. The people of the Twin Kingdoms had been enamored with the marbles but nowhere near as interested in the beads he had brought from Earth. What, then, would they make of a glass bottle?

The couple had decided on this one to try to gauge their reaction, but the results were at once more than they had expected and less than they had hoped for.

“Truly, this is incredible. How was it made? I have never seen such a faultless crystal. To say nothing of one being formed into such a shape without a single hint of distortion!”

The prince’s expression was one of almost childlike joy as he rejoiced in an exaggerated manner, but Zenjirou couldn’t tell if that joy was due to an artistic appreciation on Francesco’s part or a reaction to seeing materials that would prove immensely useful in creating magic tools.

Damn it. I just can’t tell. I should have had Aura here or set the camera up to record this, he lamented, but he was all too aware of how difficult that would have been. Who knew how long it would take for Aura to be available given the duties dogging her as the country’s queen? And he couldn’t think of a way to take a recording without it seeming suspicious.

The bottle would merely have been trash in Japan, but it was one of the very few whiskey bottles he had brought, and surrendering it without recompense didn’t sit well with him. Francesco seemed to recognize Zenjirou’s concern.

“I can hardly accept such a wondrous item and give you nothing in return. What do you say to a magic tool as a thank-you?” he offered, suggesting the best that Zenjirou could have hoped for. It was a blessing that Francesco had brought up the topic himself.

“That is an attractive proposition,” he answered, once more keeping an eye on his guest’s reactions. “I have heard that their creation takes an exceedingly long time. Are you sure it is possible? I seem to remember that you already have an obligation to create another item during your stay, after all.”

As payment for their lodging, and for allowing their guards to remain partially armed, Francesco and Bona would each be creating a magic tool and presenting them to Capua. The process of making a simple magic tool took months, and something involving bloodline magic could take years. Inevitably, that meant Francesco’s “private thanks” for the whiskey bottle would be provided several years later.

“Yes, that’s true. Hmmm, what to do? One of those transparent jewels would allow me to solve it...”

Zenjirou honestly wanted to praise himself for not reacting unduly to the almost inner monologue that the statement faded into.

Is he for real?! he thought. Isn’t that, like, a state secret?

Clear spheres allowed enchantments to be done in a much shorter time—at least, so went the rumor, but that was all it was: a rumor with little credibility.

Aura was near-certain that it was true due to the contents of her correspondence with the other kingdom, but there was no proof as of yet. It was entirely unexpected that a member of the Twin Kingdoms’ royalty would provide proof so quickly, and even more so that it would be an open admission. Was the prince genuinely an idiot?

As the all-too-convenient thought passed through his mind, a voice interrupted his musings.

“Excuse me, Sir Zenjirou,” said a guard standing by the door.

Zenjirou offered a brief apology to the prince before addressing the guard. “What is it?”

“Sir, Princess Bona has arrived. May I escort her in?”

The question finally made Zenjirou realize, albeit a bit late, that Bona wasn’t with them, and he now wondered why that was. The audience had been requested under Francesco’s name, and his alone, so it hadn’t felt strange for him to be the only one present. Yet their interactions the other evening had made it clear that Bona was there to supervise her companion. Would she, as diligent as she appeared to be, allow such a risky endeavor? A prince that they treated like a problem child meeting a foreign aristocrat on his own?

“Prince Francesco?” Zenjirou said questioningly, having half-seen where this was going.

“Well, I thought it seemed a shame to always make her accompany me. She deserves some time to herself, so I came without informing her. Man, though, she really has a strong sense of responsibility,” the other man replied with a good-natured smile before scratching his head.

“I see. Since she has indeed arrived, however, we should allow her in, no?” he confirmed before raising his voice to be heard through the door, “Did you hear? Show her in.”

Damn...I feel bad for her, he thought, sympathizing with the chestnut-haired princess’s seemingly endless plight.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The first words out of Bona’s mouth were an apology, much as Zenjirou had expected.

“I apologize deeply for arriving without prior notice, and I cannot thank you enough for indulging my selfishness, Your Majesty.”

Certainly, unannounced arrivals were far from courteous, especially for a public figure of the palace like Zenjirou. The two of them were also not close enough that such niceties could be overlooked. But Zenjirou understood her position as the prince’s minder, so he felt no real need to remonstrate her over it.

“I do not mind in the slightest. Of course, that will not always be the case as I have my own responsibilities. Days like today, however, I see no reason to refuse you,” he replied, throwing in a slight warning even as he allowed her current actions.

The “days like today” comment was clearly referring to the fact that Francesco had shaken off his minder to meet Zenjirou alone. In other words, he was telling her that should the prince do so again, Bona was welcome to come and join them after the fact without prior notice.

The subtext seemed to have made it through. “Th-Thank you,” she managed as she bowed her head, her expression one of relief at the narrow escape.

“Yeah, guess that’s good for you, Bona,” Francesco added.

For a moment, she seemed to want to say something else to the source of her trouble but decided this wasn’t the place for it and managed to refrain, merely pausing before she said, “It is, Prince Francesco.”

Zenjirou decided that a change of mood was in order and made a nonchalant suggestion in an apparent tone of realization. “Now that I think of it, this would be a good time to take tea. What do the two of you say? Shall we move to the gazebo in the courtyard?”

The prince and princess had no particular reason to refuse.

“That sounds good; I could do with wetting my lips.”

“Yes, thank you; that would be nice.”

The gazebo was a tiled roof supported by four pillars, with trees planted carefully to direct the breeze from a nearby water fountain, making it significantly cooler than the palace. So the suggestion to spend the afternoon in the gazebo was a natural one.

However, Zenjirou’s goal was not to escape from the heat. The fountain offered a constant noise of rushing water, meaning that if they didn’t raise their voices, the conversation would not be heard by the guards or secretary. It was the best he could do for Bona to both report the earlier gaffe to her and get confirmation of the information he had gleaned from the prince.

“We shall have chilled tea, then,” Zenjirou said to the man behind him once they had relocated, purposefully not raising his voice as he sat in a wicker chair from the southern countries.

Fabio raised his voice to reply. “Excuse me, sir? Did you say something?”

“Oh, I suppose you couldn’t hear me,” Zenjirou answered, louder this time. “I said I will have chilled tea.”

The performance was to show the visiting royals that they could speak without fear of being overheard, but he couldn’t tell from their expressions whether they had picked up on it.

“I’ll have the same,” Francesco said with a bright smile. “Something cold is just perfect for hot days, even if they say it’s better to drink hot things and wash off the sweat.”

He’d expected not to get anything from the prince’s expression, but Bona’s face was almost laughably easy to read.

“Eh? Ah! Huh? Ahh! I-I’ll have chilled tea as well, please...”

If put into words, her expression would have been questioning, followed by understanding, then puzzlement before finally settling on shock.

The princess spent a few seconds looking at him blankly, not quite catching what was going on. Then her face broke into a comprehending smile as she understood, transitioning soon after into confusion over why he would change the location to one suitable for a private conversation, and then finally surmising that Francesco must have said something inappropriate before her arrival, which caused her face to morph into one of despair.

He sympathized but couldn’t allow himself to act on that sympathy. In fact, he had to take advantage of the slip.

Still, I can’t overstep and earn the Twin Kingdoms’ displeasure either, and considering my position, I should avoid any major breakthroughs as well. This is really annoying.

While those thoughts occupied his mind, a maid took the orders from Fabio and brought silver goblets and a wooden plate of snacks to the table. The goblets were, of course, fine items, but so was the plate, with tightly packed grain and a fine design etched into it.

Once he had put the goblet to his lips and eased the dryness of his throat, Zenjirou looked at the two of them and began to speak.

“Prince Francesco, earlier you stated that the time to create a magic tool would not be an issue if you had a transparent jewel. What exactly did you mean by that? Might I hear the details?”

He had decided to strike right at the heart of the matter, but the words had a dramatic effect on Bona. She sputtered, and her shock was visible not only on her face but in her whole body. The one silver lining was that she hadn’t had a drink in her mouth at the time.

Zenjirou, of course, had chosen his moment carefully, making sure that she had swallowed before speaking, and it had been worth it. It was likely little consolation to the sputtering woman before him, though.

Even so, questioning the cause of that reaction was more important to her than reacting improperly before a foreign royal.

“P-Prince Francesco, did you truly say that?!”

The fact that she didn’t raise her voice was a sign of the last bit of calm she possessed. But her skin was pale, and her lips had gone a pallid blue as the blood rushed from her face, the words clawing their way past her lips more like death throes than a mere cry.

“Yeah, I guess I did,” the prince answered, unconcerned by her reaction. “I said it pretty quietly, but I guess His Majesty heard, aha ha.”

“This is no laughing matter, Prince Francesco; it is a Sharou family secret!” Bona managed after a moment.

“Oh, yeah, it is. So, Your Majesty, could you keep it a secret, please?” the other asked quietly, his expression indicating that he’d only just realized his blunder as he laid an index finger over his lips, exasperating the princess even further.

“And just what is that supposed to solve?! It was over the moment His Majesty learned of it!”

“Princess Bona, please calm down,” Zenjirou said. “It may sound trite coming from me, but his murmurings were exceedingly quiet. I doubt anyone other than myself heard him. Let us speak more constructively.”

As he soothed her, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of wry amusement at her youthful response. If he had merely been fishing for information, her reaction itself would have been the true blunder, but she didn’t seem to realize that.

Still, she was only sixteen. In Japan, she would have only been in high school. She might have been royalty, but there were few who could maintain a poker face and talk around a topic at her age. Expecting as much from an already diligent young woman would be too much.

“Ah, yes, my apologies. I regret showing you such unsightly behavior...”

The blood returned to her face as she thought back on what she’d just done and lowered her head.

Francesco, on the other hand, reacted differently. “That’s right. You can’t undo what’s been done, so we should focus on moving on from where we are. What do you say, Your Majesty? If you can provide one of those jewels, I can greatly shorten the required time,” he offered with a wide smile, as if this were already an established routine.

Right...maybe he’s not just an idiot?

“I see. Well, I understand the gist of it all, but the one thing I do not comprehend is why it needs to be a marble—one of those jewels. I have heard that the Twin Kingdoms are the foremost experts in shaping gems. Could you not use those techniques and refine a crystal into a sphere?” Zenjirou asked as nonchalantly as he could, keeping a smile on his face to avoid showing his naturally heightened wariness.

Francesco smiled plainly and answered with an exaggerated shake of his head. “Not at all; that’s an overestimation of our techniques. We do indeed have the best jewelers on the Southern Continent, but it is impossible to take clear materials and grind them into a sphere. Right, Bona?”

The princess seemed conflicted for a few moments as the conversation moved back to her, but eventually she sighed deeply and answered. “Yes. To be more precise, there are no craftsmen in the kingdom who can do so at present. The polishing is dependent on their skill level, so there have been those who were capable of such accomplishments in the past. Of course, even they had a relatively low success rate, and the time required meant that they could only produce three or four such gems during their careers. And such high-caliber craftsmen could hardly be expected to dedicate their lives to creating them.”

“I see,” Zenjirou answered with an impressed nod. Even on Earth, grinding mineral deposits into spheres was a relatively modern advancement. He didn’t know the details, but it was a terribly difficult technique. Marbles, in comparison, were much simpler. Unlike crystal balls, they weren’t ground into shape; they were made spherical.

Put roughly, if the molten liquid glass was allowed to roll down a helical slope into a pool, and timed so that it was solid when it reached the bottom, it would be spherical. Of course, most of the products would end up warped and not spherical, but you just had to do it in bulk and pick the best of the batch.

While vague memories of a high school trip to a glasshouse and a marble-making demonstration played in the back of his mind, he continued. “That certainly would make them valuable, but how much of an effect does it actually have?”

“Well...” Bona murmured, still reluctant to make everything public.

But the prince next to her had no such scruples. “It’s on another level. With one of the jewels you gave to Princess Isabella, an enchantment of one of the four general magics would take only a day. The color and shape are most important for enchanting. Sounds about right, yeah, Bona?”

Francesco seemed wholly uninterested in stopping his chatter, and Bona’s expression, which was always easy to read, made that clear. If she wanted to shut him up, she’d need to order the guards to do it physically.

With that realization, she composed herself and decided to take charge of the conversation, to turn it from unilaterally offering the information to Zenjirou to more of a mutually beneficial exchange.

She gathered her feeble determination and met Zenjirou’s eyes before nodding with a smoother expression. “Yes, the closer to transparent something is, the more easily the mana flows through it while enchanting. Even if the item isn’t completely clear and colorless, mana will pass through it more easily than something less so. That is why gems are so prized for the process. As for the shape... Ah, my apologies, I got caught up and started lecturing you. Are you interested in such things, Your Majesty?”

Once she had revealed a certain amount of information, she stopped and somewhat blatantly cut herself off. It was obvious enough for Zenjirou to pick up on her ulterior motive.

Ah, I see, she wants me to say that I am. If she can get that admission, then it changes the situation from being something that Prince Francesco spoke out of turn about to being something they discussed because I showed an interest.

Recognizing her goal, he decided there was no need to play by their rules here. Yet cornering them could potentially lead to troubled relations with the Twin Kingdoms. Once his thoughts had raced to that conclusion, he smiled slightly more widely than he normally would have and answered.

“Well, the topic is deeply interesting; however, I fear I am the wrong one to speak with about it. It pains me to say it, but I know very little of magic. I only gained a perception of mana during this past year, so I feel like I would offend you by saying something silly. I’m sure Her Majesty would be a more appropriate choice.”

In other words, he was telling her, “I can’t offer you anything in return for more information. You know that, right? Take that sort of thing to the queen.”

It was rushed, so he was being fairly obvious with the undertones, but it seemed to be the right call as the princess smiled slightly in relief.

“I see, then I shall continue the conversation with Her Majesty in the future. Would that be agreeable?”

“It would. I will convey that to her as well.”

With the conversation finally over, Zenjirou felt that he had been released from roughly the same level of pressure as the chestnut-haired princess. Unlike Bona, however, he was able to keep it off his face due to having a bit more experience.

Francesco’s behavior, meanwhile, was quite different from his earlier chatter as he simply watched their interaction with a carefree smile.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

After parting ways with the Sharou royals at the gazebo, Zenjirou returned to his office. The only other person in the room was Fabio, and while it was considerably warmer inside than by the gazebo, he no longer had the weight of a pending task hanging over him, so it felt more pleasant than before.

He sat on the leather sofa with his knees apart, relaxing and letting out a deep breath. Fabio spared him a glance but said nothing. He must have understood the need to take a moment to relax when one had the time.

Irritatingly, the secretary waited until the exact moment Zenjirou had caught his breath, then spoke up.

“Do you have a moment, Sir Zenjirou? I noticed that you relocated to the gazebo during your meeting. Am I to assume that was due to a conversation not intended for our ears?”

Zenjirou considered for a moment that the man could read how energized he was, but he had to answer the question. He gave a short nod before adjusting his posture and leaning back into the chair. Then he looked up at the secretary.

“That’s right. It involved some state secrets of the Twin Kingdoms. Honestly, I didn’t imagine Prince Francesco would let so much information slip. It pains me to say it, but it isn’t information you can hear from me. I’ll be telling Her Majesty the details, so if you feel you absolutely must know, you’ll need to ask her.”

“Hmm... I see,” Fabio replied, bringing a hand to his pointed chin and thinking for a while.

It was a rarity for the man to think for a long period of time. Zenjirou wondered if there was a problem with his answer. He waited nervously for the secretary’s response while keeping the concern off his face.

Once Fabio had his thoughts in order, he nodded slightly and spoke almost as if to himself. “They may be outwitting us.”

Zenjirou frowned at the ominous proclamation. “Outwitting? What do you mean? Explain.”

He had no memory of misstepping in a way that could be called into question. If anything, it was a complete diplomatic win, even if it had merely started as a slip on the other royal’s part.

Fabio’s expression didn’t change in the slightest as Zenjirou looked harshly at him.

“Very well. You personally heard classified information from the Sharou family, which is a significant issue. Allow me to confirm: did Prince Francesco ask for your silence afterwards?”

“He did. He asked me to keep it to myself,” Zenjirou answered despite his confusion.

Fabio nodded, almost as if he had expected it. “So whatever their aim, I believe we will have to abide by that. It involves classified information from the Twin Kingdoms. If we take advantage of the information, I do not know how productive the outcome will be, but it will not be an unconditional victory. Of course, your meeting today will be officially recorded. A wonderful diplomatic success; I do believe that it will dramatically increase your renown, Your Majesty.”

“Ah...” Zenjirou ignored the title as he let out a dazed sigh. The secretary’s meaning was clear. If Capua used the information they had obtained today, the greater the benefit, the more it would improve Zenjirou’s renown, whether they liked it or not.

It went without saying that this would be a real inconvenience for them. Capua had a strong patriarchal side to their society, and such achievements would serve as sufficient reason to increase his influence. There were a large number of nobles who saw Aura as a competent stateswoman but had an emotional reaction to answering to a female.

There was, of course, the issue of legitimacy, so no one was foolish enough to suggest that the throne and crown pass straight to Zenjirou, but there was a “logical argument” to be made that he should have the same level of influence as any other accomplished royal.

There were certainly some nobles who made this argument purely out of a sense of courtesy, feeling that it was his right, but others felt that he would be more manageable with greater influence than Aura was.

“So...what? They have the initiative now?” Zenjirou asked uncertainly, still confused.

The secretary gave a short nod. “Indeed. We may gain an advantage if the matter goes public, but it will also create chaos. Therefore, we must keep the information private. We are inevitably on the reacting side.”

“Why are we required to keep the information secret when they’re the ones who leaked it? That feels somewhat unfair.”

Fabio’s assessment seemed correct, but Zenjirou couldn’t contain his displeasure. Eventually, though, his surprise abated and he regained his usual cognitive abilities.

“So, Prince Francesco was aiming to create a bothersome situation? I do admit it seems far too contrived for this whole thing to be a coincidence, caused by someone so easily carried away.”

The older man shrugged slightly. “Who knows? It does seem too much to purely be a matter of chance. Even if his behavior is all an act and he is more intelligent than we believe, I think it would be overestimating him to assume that the entire situation was engineered this way. After all, if you were a man who desired your own achievements, it would be quite another matter, and it would never have allowed for the current situation, if that was their goal,” he answered.

Fabio was quite correct. Zenjirou was an exception to every rule, and almost no other male royal would have kept such information a secret for his wife’s sake. Ordinarily, a prince consort would take immediate advantage of such knowledge, and the Twin Kingdoms would suffer a significant loss.

“Hmm, certainly,” Zenjirou answered, “but it cannot be solely an issue of chance thanks to an idiot. It also can’t be a wise man pretending to be stupid and guiding everything. So, what exactly is going on?” The question was mostly rhetorical.

“I do not know,” the secretary replied. “If it was neither complete coincidence nor intentional, perhaps it is a mix of the two. Perhaps they have a larger goal that is more important than the confidential information he divulged. Regardless, we lack sufficient information to make any assumptions at this time.”

The fact was, nothing that Fabio had said really amounted to an answer.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

As Zenjirou and Fabio’s grave conversation took place, Francesco and Bona had returned to the southern buildings and were in the midst of a now-standard lively conversation as they walked along a lengthy corridor. The discussion was one where they never quite came to an agreement.

“Prince Francesco!” Bona protested. “Please, I beg you to tell me when you are going to be visiting either His Majesty Zenjirou or Her Majesty.”

“Sorry, sorry. You just seemed so busy lately that I didn’t want to disturb you. Guess I ended up causing trouble instead. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

More accurately, Bona was carrying out the lively part of the conversation, and Francesco answered in his typical nonchalant manner, with his usual affable smile.

“Please do.”

Being here as his minder, she had to criticize him, but she hesitated to continually scold a man who was both older and of a higher rank, so she let the matter slide with a torn expression on her face.

As the conversation drew to a close, they arrived at a room. This first building contained Francesco’s living quarters, and Bona’s were next door in the second building. However, here was an urgent discussion they needed to have.

Bona trotted through the door after him, their guards holding it open respectfully. The temperature in the room was cooler, enough so that you noticed it immediately upon entering.

Naturally, once the decision had been made that Francesco and Bona would be spending an extended period of time in another country, they had been allowed to bring a certain amount of magic tools to make their lives there easier.

The coolness of the room was the result of one such item. A silver tray incorporated magic that created a mist with wind manipulation. The tray constantly had mist wafting from it like white smoke, which was then circulated around the room by a pleasant breeze.

There was no magic to alter the water’s temperature, so it was not as effective as the air conditioning that Zenjirou had brought with him. But it was enough to be like sitting in the shade on the bank of a stream.

The foreign prince and princess let out sighs of relief as they were released from the unfamiliar heat and humidity before taking seats across from each other. The wicker chairs and wooden table were all Capuan-made. While neither of them would call the furniture uncomfortable, there was a palpable difference from what they were used to.

Francesco shifted in his seat, not feeling entirely comfortable as he began to speak. “Phew, so much cooler. I really am sorry, Bona. I don’t think there’s a need for concern though, is there? I mean, father and grandfather both said that I could talk about anything for those jewels.”

“His Majesty and His Highness said to prioritize obtaining the jewels and that you could offer classified information in the worst case. Not one word was said about tossing such information around in such a reckless strategy,” Bona said firmly, correcting the prince’s conveniently altered recollection.

The blond didn’t falter in the slightest. “That’s naive. You’re underestimating their powers of deduction. If they gave me permission to divulge things, they were prepared for it to be done immediately. After all, they’re both well aware that I’m not smart enough to remember specific conditions.”

While Francesco puffed himself up in pride, Bona slumped. “Your Highness... That is something that should not be said with such pride,” she managed in a low voice, offering the retort despite the dull ache that was building in her head.

The memory of being entrusted with her current duty passed again through her tired mind. When she had been entrusted with the role, she had been given a significant sum of money as compensation. The reward had made her shake with the enormity and importance of her responsibility, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it might have simply been an advance for the bother she was bound to undergo.

Francesco’s smile didn’t dim at all as she gave him a sidelong look while considering that. “Ah, don’t worry about it; it’s all good. More importantly, take a look at this. His Majesty gave it to me. It’s great, isn’t it?”

He unwrapped the red cloth. The transparent whiskey bottle sat inside it, with the spirits Zenjirou had distilled being within the bottle itself. The contents were not the important element, though.

“Wh-What?!”

Perhaps as expected, Bona’s eyes lit up as she leaned over the table. The chair clattered rudely to the floor, but she didn’t seem to notice, let alone care.

“You can pick it up, but be careful. It’s apparently pretty fragile. Bona? You listening?”

Her eyes were blazing, and she offered no reply, simply reaching for the bottle. She used both hands, careful not to knock or drop it, so she had at least heard the warning. Once it was in front of her, she sat back down and stared at it with an intensity that suggested that even blinking would be wasteful.

“Beautiful... It’s wonderfully made. Was it created from the same materials as those transparent jewels? This pattern as well... The size and depth are completely equal along all of the lines. I cannot see even the slightest distortion. How could such a thing be created, I wonder?”

“Um, Bona? You know that His Majesty gave that to me, right? Don’t forget that; it’s not yours,” Francesco told the princess worriedly.

For her part, Bona was cradling the bottle in both hands, intensely enough that one might wonder if she was warming the alcohol within.

“Prince Francesco!” she suddenly declared.

“Y-Yes? What is it?”

“Would you give this to me?”

The request was not a surprising one, but it was far from the impression one would have of Bona as she normally carried herself. She was generally almost vexingly reserved and selfless, but her personality changed completely when there was a hint of a new technique in jewelling on the table.

“I can’t do that. His Majesty gave it to me directly. It would be rude if I immediately gave it to someone else.”

“Th-Then just give me this bit at the end.”

“No can do. If I broke it there, everything would spill out. A hole like that would make it useless.”

“If it ends up being useless, I’ll take the rest as well!”

“No, no, no. I said it’d be useless if it broke, so it will be a real problem if you do that, understand? You do get it, right? Please.”

It was a matter of offense and defense, or maybe more like slapstick. Either way, the exchange—and the rare role reversal—continued until Bona returned to her senses.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

That night, after having eaten and bathed, Zenjirou sat across from his wife in more casual clothing. They were in their air-conditioned room, discussing the events of the day.

“I see... A rather troublesome ‘slip’ from the prince. Certainly something I do not know whether to rejoice or despair over,” Aura remarked once the events of the afternoon had been explained. She leaned back in her seat.

“Then again,” she continued, “you have managed to confirm the marbles’ efficacy regardless of the method used. Well done.”

“Thanks. I can’t exactly take the credit for it, though, and it wasn’t really my own achievement. Still, what do you think? I reckon Fabio’s right and it puts us in an awkward position because I was alone when I heard it first. But was it on purpose?”

“Hmm,” Aura murmured, closing her eyes and thinking for a while. “The situation is a difficult one. Truly, if my husband had been anyone other than you, it would have been a blow to me, albeit not a fatal one.”

“Aura...” he replied, his face breaking into a smile.

It was a clear statement of her trust in him. Further consideration would lead one to the conclusion that this was akin to her believing that he had no personal ambition or greed. By the metrics of this world, it was far from praise, but that was no concern to Zenjirou. He could make the judgment call that it wasn’t worth aggravating his relationship with his lovely wife by questioning it too deeply.

Aura smiled back at her happy husband as she leaned forward again, resting her arms on the table and continuing. “Currently at least, I am of the same opinion as Fabio. We lack sufficient information, so we cannot rule anything out. We should focus more on verifying the validity of what we do know rather than attempting to divine their intentions. Therefore, I suppose we are left with giving them one item and having them create something with it. While it may be somewhat paranoid, I cannot reject the possibility that they have prepared some sort of sham in advance. Such time reductions in manufacturing would be a real boon to me as well. I can see the advantages in a tool for space-time magic, but the repeated visits necessary during the process take up a lot of time and mana,” she said, all in one breath.

Once she had said her piece, she picked up the red, faceted glass of ice water. The creation of a magic tool required not only the enchanter but also someone to use the magic that was to be enchanted. Aura’s queenly duties restricted her time, so shortening a year of work into less than ten days was invaluable.

“It’d be good for you if they spent less time on the enchanting. Wouldn’t making it faster be an issue in itself though? If the information was leaked, my ‘contribution’ could come to light,” Zenjirou suggested, voicing his worries alongside his approval of her idea.

Aura lowered her glass and placed it back on the table before answering. “The only choice is to do it in secret. We delay the announcement of anything by a year, even if it only takes several days to complete. Fortunately, the only people involved are you and myself, along with Prince Francesco and Princess Bona. With such limited numbers, keeping the secret ought not to be impossible.”

“Are you sure? This would be a pact with Prince Francesco, after all.”

The queen hesitated at her husband’s doubtful look. “Hmm... Well, I do have a certain level of reservation.”

“A certain level?”

There was a pause. “A rather high level. Yet considering the future, we should take the risk now to acquire more information.”

“Hrmm, I’ll leave those decisions to you. Have you already decided what you’ll ask them to make first?” he asked, changing the topic now that he understood her course was set.

If they had decided to hand over a marble and have the Sharou family use their secrets, then the question of what they should commission was an important one.

The topic was of interest to her as well, as Aura leaned even farther forward and began to speak, her position and thin clothing baring her cleavage.

“Indeed, a difficult decision. Creating a tool from strong, versatile magic would certainly be convenient, but it is also exceptionally risky when you consider the chances of it falling into enemy hands. Space-time magic is the foundation of our rule, after all. Creating a tool that uses it will surrender some of that advantage, even if only in a small way. To be safe, a single-use item would be best, but that would limit its utility. A conundrum, truly.”

Zenjirou’s gaze was drawn to her chest as she rested her chin on her hand, supported by the table. Still, he answered evenly.

“Yeah, that’d be an issue. I guess that means our hidden time reversal spell, along with teleportation are no good. The other spells I can think of that would be useful are...maybe grand barrier or efficacy extension?”

“Hm, something along those lines. If it is disposable, perhaps space quake could also work. It is one of the few offensive magics we have. Creating a tool from it and then deploying it at a fort on the border would be a deterrent,” she replied, nodding in satisfaction.

As the name implied, space-time magic concerned magic that could manipulate space and time in a limited fashion. This meant that there were many spells that were of daily utility, but very few that were useful offensively.

“I see... What else? Oh, what about the summoning spell you used on me? That’s not exactly something we’re hiding, is it?”

Zenjirou was fairly sure Aura wanted lots of suggestions that could serve as inspiration rather than a final decision on anything, so he was just suggesting whatever came to mind.

“That would not work so well. There is no point in creating a tool of magic that relies on the stars and can only be used once or twice in thirty years.”

“Yeah, but I had a bit of an idea. There’s time reversal and acceleration, so I wondered if combining them would let you use the spell when you couldn’t normally.”

“Unfortunately not. Time manipulation only works on objects without mana of their own, so such a combination could only summon non-living things, to say nothing of the fact that reversing time on even a tiny object would require me to use future expense for ten days’ worth of my mana. Acceleration is less burdensome, but even that would only allow me to obtain something from the very immediate future. Frankly, it is not worth it.”

“I get it. That’s a shame.”

Slightly chagrined, Zenjirou looked up at the ceiling. He had wanted to use the combination to get an internet connection. He had considered using time reversal or acceleration to move a speck of space to a time where the stars were favorable and then use world transfer to connect it to Earth. At the same time, he would use time reversal on his computer or phone to revert it to its state before he canceled his contract, and then maybe he would have been able to connect, but he had been too naive.

Guess that would be asking too much.

Zenjirou pulled himself together and offered another idea.

“Right, then what about future expense? I know you can use it to borrow your future mana, but you said there was no corresponding spell that let you do the opposite, like retrieve compensation for mana you didn’t use in the past, right? If you made future expense into a tool, though, you might be able to get a similar effect. If you...”

“Oh, that seems workable. We will have to discuss the details with Prince Francesco, but...”

Their conversation continued right up until the phone chimed to let them know it was time to sleep.