“According to the General’s report, the actual perpetrators were the serving staff and the food-taster — two people. From Count Balsa’s manor, they recovered the same poison that was on the glass. On top of that, the man himself confessed to the attempted abduction of Sue. The case is settled.”
The Duke spoke contentedly, seated in a chair in a room of the royal palace.
In the room, besides the Duke, His Majesty, Princess Yumina, Queen Yuelle, and Charlotte-san sat at the table enjoying tea.
“What happens to the count?”
“Attempting to assassinate the king is nothing if not high treason. The man, executed; his house, all assets confiscated and the family abolished; his domain, escheated to the crown.”
Yeah — that’s how it’d go, normally. Strange how I don’t really feel any guilt over it. He brought it on himself. No grounds for sympathy.
“And his family?”
“Mass execution by guilt-by-association… too much. The relatives will be stripped of noble status and exiled. Although — he had no wife or children. And every relative was a beastfolk-discriminator too, so it works out neatly. This should significantly reduce the obstacles to my brother’s policy.”
The Duke looked pleased. I see. So they’d use this case as an example to rein in the other beastfolk-discriminating nobles.
“More to the point — you’ve helped us tremendously. I would like to repay the man who saved my life. Is there anything you wish for?”
The king brought it up to me, but honestly, there was nothing I particularly wanted right now.
“No, please don’t trouble yourself. I just happened to call on the Duke. That worked out fortunate for Your Majesty. Please think of it on that level.”
I really didn’t do much. Even [Recovery] traces back to God’s doing. If I took thanks for this, I’d be cursed. …Hm? Are curses something you get from gods? Lightning at least, please pass.
“Lord Touya is as desire-less as ever.”
The Duke gave a wry smile and set his teacup back on the saucer.
“It’s normal to help an acquaintance in trouble, isn’t it? It’s not like I help expecting payback. I help because I want to help. That’s all.”
True statement. Conversely — if Count Balsa had come to me with help me, would I have helped? I know the Duke’s character, and the man was in trouble — I just lent a hand.
“You really are a curious person. Two Null spells — [Recovery] and [Slip] — at command. There aren’t many people who can use even two Null spells.”
Charlotte-san addressed me with a smile. Being praised for magic by the court mage is a little embarrassing.
“No — Lord Touya can use other Null spells too. He came to the capital today via [Gate]; the poison detection was a Null spell, and I believe he said the shogi was made by Null spell as well.”
“Eh?”
Charlotte-san froze at the Duke’s words. Ahh… should I be honest?
“Uh, yeah. Pretty much. I can use any Null spell. Probably.”
Never failed to acquire one. …Ah, I did fail with Apport once. But got it eventually.
“Any…!? If that’s true… th-this is outrageous! W-wait one moment, please!”
Charlotte-san hurried out of the room in a flurry. …Did I say something bad…?
“You made the shogi too. Aru recommended it to me, and I started playing — fascinating! Got completely absorbed. But what does made by magic mean?”
Ah — His Majesty got hooked too. Brothers do think alike.
I picked up a glass from the table and used [Modeling]. The glass cup changed shape in moments — about thirty seconds — and there stood a stately ten-centimeter figure of the king.
“Like this, basically.”
I handed the completed figure to the king. With the man himself sitting in front of me, I could get the details realistic. Glass, though — it’d shatter if dropped.
“Th-this is incredible… There were people in the empire with similar magic, but… what fine work…”
The king held it up to the sunlight, marveling at the figure that glittered there.
I went on, picking up other glasses, beginning two more. The family’s gotta be together, after all.
A little later, the Queen and the Princess figures were complete. I handed them to each. Both delighted in receiving them, then showed each other their own and lined all three up on the table. Mm — yeah. The three of them together, that’s the picture.
“Truly, you’ve given us a wonderful thing.”
“They were just glasses from here. Sorry for taking your glasses out of service, in fact.”
I dipped my head to the king. As I lifted it I caught the Duke’s I want one face. Easy to read, this guy.
”…I’ll make some of your family next time.”
“Truly!? Oh — sorry to ask!”
Well, if I’m making them, I’ll do them better with Sue and Lady Ellen present.
I was wry-grinning at the Duke’s mercenary turn when bang! — Charlotte-san burst back in, arms full of all sorts of things.
A demon-driven look on her face, she came at me and spread out something written on what looked like parchment.
“C-can you read this!?”
Charlotte-san was looming. Whoa — kinda scary.
Pressed by the obsessive intensity, I ran my eyes over the parchment, but it was in a script I’d never seen. No idea what it meant.
”…Can’t read it. What is this?”
“You can’t, then? Then how about this Null spell — can you use it?”
This time she pointed at a page in a thick book she’d brought. This one I can read. Uh… Null spell [Reading]? Magic that allows decoding of certain languages. But you have to specify the language. I see. With this I could read it.
“I think I can, probably… What language is this?”
“Ancient Spirit Language. Almost no one can decipher it.”
Hmm — well, let’s try.
“Reading: Ancient Spirit Language.”
I activated the spell. Picked up the parchment, ran my eyes over it. …Mm… ngh…
“This is…”
“Y-you can read it!?”
Charlotte-san stared at me with sparkling eyes. I stared back at her with deeply heavy ones.
“Sorry… I can read it, but I don’t understand what it says…”
“Read but don’t… understand? Wh-what does that mean?”
“Uhh… it says ‘A degoment that holds no meaningful spell-formula in mana, when subjected to a mana strike, undergoes an edos transformation under the soma formula…’ — and so on. I don’t follow any of it…”
No clue. “Reading” and “understanding” are two different things. Way too dense for my head.
“You can read it! Wonderful, Touya-san! With this, my research can leap ahead—! Sorry, can you read this one too!?”
“H-h-hold on — please!”
I held off the gangbusters Charlotte-san, leaning back. Hot breaths! Scary!
“Charlotte. Calm down a moment.”
“Eep! S-s-sorry! I just got carried away…!”
Recalled to herself by the king’s words, the court mage flushed bright red and looked down.
“Well — I do know you’ve been studying Ancient Spirit Magic for a long time. The feeling’s understandable.”
“Yes! Up until now, I’d find a single word at a time, dedicate years to deciphering, and then it’d be wrong — and now in an instant, just like that! Touya-san! Please assist with the deciphering!”
Eh? Reading this stuff continuously…? Endlessly?
“By the way — how much is there…?”
“Well, countless texts, but… first of all, those left by the ancient civilization Partheno —”
“Yes — stop right there!”
“Countless” already disqualifies it. Once in a while is fine, but I’m not making a job of it! I don’t want to be a translator.
At my refusal, Charlotte-san’s face was pure end-of-the-world. That look’s a problem in itself…
Ah — right.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty. May I have one more glass?”
“By all means? Making something else?”
Glass is fine for this part — for the metal, silver coin’ll do.
I produced a silver coin and a glass and triggered [Modeling], shaping each. Made a frame from the silver coin, set the glass into it. Done.
A simple build — but: eyeglasses. Lenses are just glass, so they’re decorative.
Charlotte-san, who hadn’t seen me make the glass figures, was the only one startled. But this isn’t the end.
Now — Imbue magical effect with [Enchant].
“Enchant: Reading / Ancient Spirit Language.”
The eyeglasses gave off a faint glow, then it faded. I picked them up and put them on for show. Took them off, handed them to Charlotte-san.
“Try them on the same way.”
“Eh? Ah…”
Charlotte-san obediently slipped on the decorative glasses. Whoa — they suit her better than I expected. Beautiful-with-glasses, born here today.
I handed her the parchment.
“Now read this as is.”
“Eh? …’A degoment that holds no meaningful spell-formula in mana, when mana is…’ I-I can read it! I can read it too!”
Yes — success. Translation glasses, here born.
She ran her eyes over the rest of the parchments she’d brought, and the way she bounced about in pure delight didn’t look like a grown woman — it was outright cute.
“The effect should hold semi-permanently, more or less. Tell me if it stops working.”
“Yes! Um — m-may I really have this!?”
“Please. It’s yours.”
“Thank you so much!”
Whew — saved myself from a job-change to translator.
Charlotte-san — beside herself — declared I want to start research! and breezed out like the wind.
“Sorry about that. The girl, when she gets going, loses sight of everything else… Magically, she’s the genius of our country, but…”
“Oh, but that’s what’s so endearing about her, isn’t it?”
”…Well, glad she’s pleased.”
The king’s what-am-I-going-to-do expression, the Queen chuckling beside him. Watching them, I sat back down and sipped my cooled tea. Even cooled, it’s good — top-grade, then.
Staaare…
Staaaaaare…
Staaaaaaaaaare…
Staaaaaaaaaaaaare…
…Yeah, I’ve been getting stared at this whole time.
By whom? The princess. Those blue-and-green heterochromatic eyes had locked onto me and wouldn’t let go. Target lock-on, basically. Did I do something to upset her…? She also looks vaguely flushed…
The visual assault paused suddenly. I glanced at the princess — she’d risen from her seat and turned her gaze toward the king and queen.
“What is it, Yumina?”
“Father, Mother. I’ve decided.”
Decided what? I wondered, sipping my cooled tea again from the corner of my eye.
Then, face going crimson, she spoke the words:
“I would like — to m-marry — Mister Mochizuki Touya here!”
PFFFFFFFF—!!!
At the princess’s bombshell, my cooled tea went flying through the air.