[User] “Miss Claire, are you wondering if I consider myself a man?”

[Assistant] “Not at all. I just figured someone who loved women would like the sorts of things that men do.”

[User] “No, no, no, that’s completely wrong. Sexual orientation and gender identity are entirely different things, although you might not be familiar with those terms.”

[Assistant] “What’s gender identity?” Lana inquired.

[User] I didn’t know what Eve was thinking, as she was expressionless, but Claire wore a puzzled look.

[Assistant] “Gender identity is what gender you consider yourself to be, male or female. For most people, it’s a straightforward thing; but for some, their gender identity differs from their body’s sex.”

[User] “Uh-huh… So, like, someone could have a man’s body but identify as a woman, or the other way around?” Lana asked.

[Assistant] “Exactly.”

[User] That had been the case for my friend Misaki. In my world, it was called gender dysphoria.

[Assistant] “That sounds…hard to live with,” she said.

[User] “Yeah. It’s probably unimaginably painful.”

[Assistant] Enough to make people turn to suicide, as Misaki had.

[User] “Anyway, my own gender identity is female, so it’s not like I want to become a man or anything.”

[Assistant] “I see,” Claire said.

[User] “I will admit some of my preferences are a bit boyish, but doesn’t that go for everyone?”

[Assistant] “Oh, yeaaah! I know what you mean ’cause, like, I totally hate sweet things, but my friend thinks that’s weird!” Lana agreed, head bobbing up and down.

[User] I wasn’t opposed to the traditional male-female gender binary system. In fact, I believed it was a well-established model that explained the undeniable biological differences between people. But I also believed society had advanced to a stage where the two traditional classifications were no longer sufficient. Contrary to what the gender binary dictated, I believed everyone had some degree of both masculinity and femininity within them. I also knew there were people who identified as a gender that wasn’t male or female, or who couldn’t connect well to any gender at all. For such people, the enforcement of the gender binary was simply cruel.

[Assistant] “Does any of that really matter?” Eve asked.

[User] “Well, for most people, probably not,” I said. “But I’d be happy if you remembered it anyway.”

[Assistant] Eve frowned. "All right."

[User] Hm? Had Eve just agreed with me? Could it be? Was she warming up to me?

[Assistant] “Huh? Hey, ain’t that Joel?” Lana pointed out a tall person.

[User] There weren’t many people with blue hair in this world, so it likely was Joel.

[Assistant] “Joel!” I called out, but he didn’t seem to hear us, turning at the next street corner instead.

[User] “Wait… Isn’t that the way to the red-light district, according to Philine’s map?” Claire asked.

[Assistant] Even in Ruhm, the Imperial Capital of an influential superpower—no, precisely because it was Ruhm, I should say—there existed shops that dealt in sexual favors.


[User] "He’s usually so straitlaced, but I suppose he is a man."

[Assistant] "Huh… He didn’t seem to care at all when I changed in front of him though."

[User] "Pervert."

[Assistant] I took a neutral stance on sex work, but that didn’t mean I could just ignore the dangers of such places. "I’ll be right back."

[User] "Wha—Rae?"

[Assistant] I left the three behind and ran after Joel, but… "He’s…gone?" I’d chased after him pretty quickly, but once I rounded the corner, Joel was nowhere in sight. I looked in all directions but couldn’t catch a single glimpse of his characteristic blue hair.

[User] "What were you thinking? What if you got lost by yourself?" Eve came from behind me.

[Assistant] "You understand how dangerous it is for a woman to walk around here alone, right?"

[User] "I’m sorry." But if Joel was visiting the red-light district, I wanted to at least make sure he was going with proper knowledge in hand.

[Assistant] "Let’s go back. It’s not a good idea to linger here too long."

[User] "Yeah… It kind of feels like you’re the teacher now, huh?"

[Assistant] "Well, I am a good deal older than you."

[User] "Wait, what? !"

[Assistant] "What’s with that reaction? You can learn at any age, you know?"

[User] "Yeah…I guess you just look so young."

[Assistant] "Don’t flatter me." Eve turned away with a huff.

[User] I’d absolutely thought she was younger than me. Just how old was she, then? I was worried about Joel, but I couldn’t loiter in that kind of place, especially not with Eve. Her age aside, she looked like a beautiful young girl and that wasn’t the sort of person who ought to just walk around that kind of neighborhood. I didn’t want to cause her any more trouble either, not after I’d made her go through the trouble of chasing after me.

[Assistant] "Let’s go back."

[User] "Right…" I felt a tinge of reluctance, but I left with her. Looking back on it now, at that moment, I was completely wrong about Joel. But it wasn’t until later I found out how.


[Assistant] Despite getting sidetracked, we managed to make it to the dress shop. It was a normal shop, catering to regular citizens—not some kind of exclusive boutique meant for the imperial family, as one might hope from a recommendation from the imperial princess. Still, Philine had clearly recommended it for good reasons. The storefront alone was stylish, a carefully balanced mix of opulence and charm.

[User] "Shall we enter?"

[Assistant] Lana, Eve, and I were—quite frankly—too daunted to do anything. Only Claire stepped forward and pushed open the door like it was nothing. That was a villainess for you. Even something like this wouldn’t faze her. "You’re amazing, Miss Claire."

[User] "Sorry?" The way she didn’t even know why I was complimenting her was just so darling. Mwah. We entered the shop and were promptly greeted by an employee.

[Assistant] "Welcome."


[User] "Are you here to buy a dress?"

[Assistant] "My name is Claire François. Lady Philine referred us."

[User] "Indeed, Miss François. Right this way, if you will." The moment Claire mentioned Philine’s name, the employee smiled brightly and led us farther into the shop. All manner and color of beautiful dresses were on display. Just looking at them gave me a pleasant, uplifting feeling—or at least, it would have if I actually liked dresses.

[Assistant] "May we attend to you?"

[User] "Please." I’d thought we’d just pick out whatever dresses we liked and be on our way, but it seemed it wouldn’t be that simple, as an absurd amount of employees had appeared, all smiling from ear to ear.

[Assistant] "You needn’t be so overly courteous with us, you know?"

[User] "Oh, but we must. Miss François is a very important person who accomplished something grand with naught but the help of other women. There’s also Lady Philine’s word to consider." They seemed to hold Claire in high esteem.

[Assistant] "So you know about us? Then you must also know we were enemies of the empire."

[User] "Certainly, we haven’t forgotten that. But as fellow women, we still respect you, Miss François. Please allow us to attend to you."

[Assistant] "If you insist…" Claire said, a little ill at ease. Being treated as the hero of the Bauer Revolution always made her slightly uncomfortable. Each of us wound up with two employees attending to us, helping with dress selection and changing.

[User] "I understand you are here to pick a dress for the ball?"

[Assistant] "Yes."

[User] "Might I inquire if you’ve picked a dress before?"

[Assistant] "I have, many times. And you three?"

[User] "It’s my first."

[Assistant] "Saaame."

[User] "Me too…" The difference between former nobility and former commoners was great.

[Assistant] "That being the case, why don’t we have Miss François pick her own dress while we assist the others with their selections?"

[User] "Splendid. Are you three all right with that?"

[Assistant] "Yes, please do."

[User] "Pretty please!"

[Assistant] "Please do." For the time being, the three of us split from Claire.

[User] "For starters, please feel free to select any dresses that catch your eye. We can examine them in greater detail afterward." At the employee’s urging, Lana, Eve, and I began choosing dresses. It didn’t take me very long.

[Assistant] "How about this?" I’d chosen a black A-line dress. An A-line dress was a dress with the shape of an “A”; in other words, a dress that flared out toward the bottom. This one had a rounded boat neck for the neckline, well suited to my small bosom. Boat necks had also been a favorite of Audrey Hepburn—not that I was trying to compare myself to her beauty. It also had french sleeves—made from plentiful amounts of lace—that just slightly covered the shoulders.


[User] "My, you seem quite accustomed to selecting clothes, Miss Taylor. If you don’t mind me asking, does your last name come from what I think it does?"

[Assistant] "If you mean the fact that my family are tailors who run a clothing store, then yes."

[User] “I thought so. I think you chose a wonderful dress.”

[Assistant] I let out a sigh of relief upon hearing a professional affirm my selection. The protagonist’s mind had some attire-related knowledge, but this was my first time actually making use of it. I was glad this had ended without me embarrassing myself.

[User] "I want this one!" Lana said.

[Assistant] She had chosen a white empire-waist dress. An empire silhouette cinched under the bust and continued straight down after. It featured a high waistline, so it was well suited to women with smaller builds. Its neckline was also rounded, which lent a gentle, feminine impression.

[User] “Seeing as you’re so well endowed, Miss Lahna, why not try one with a sweetheart neckline?”

[Assistant] A sweetheart neckline had no shoulder straps, exposing everything from the neck down to where the cleavage began. The neckline formed the shape of a heart, hence the name. Only people with ample chests could do it justice.

[User] “Oooh, cute! I’ll go with this one then!”

[Assistant] “Splendid choice.” And with that, Lana had chosen her dress without issue.

[User] “Perhaps…this one?” Eve picked a black sheath dress.

[Assistant] A sheath was a slender silhouette that emphasized the natural lines of the body. Eve was fairly short, so a dress like this, which made her seem taller, was a good pick. The neckline was the same as mine, a boat neck—because she had no breasts either.

[User] “The color overlaps with Miss Taylor’s. Why don’t we change it to this light-blue one?”

[Assistant] “Pretty…”

[User] “It’s the product of a young, up-and-coming designer. I’m glad you like it.” With this, Eve was also finished.

[Assistant] “All done?” asked Claire, arriving with a dress in hand.

[User] “Please try on your selections, ladies.”

[Assistant] We changed in the fitting rooms. Dresses were seriously a pain to put on. Even back in my old world, when I’d been Rei Ohashi, I’d felt the same way whenever I had to put one on for a friend’s wedding.

[User] “My…”

[Assistant] “What is it, Miss Claire?” Being the most accustomed to wearing dresses, Claire was the first to exit the fitting room.

[User] She had chosen an eye-catching, crimson mermaid dress. A mermaid silhouette hugged the body from the shoulders to the knees, then flared out widely—an elegant design that emphasized her femininity and exuded grace. The voluminous dress accentuated her hips and legs, making her look absolutely captivating as she walked. It had an asymmetric, one-shoulder neckline—a stylish choice.


[User] But that’s enough prattling about the little details. All you need to understand was that Claire in an evening gown was so dazzling that she was hard to gaze upon directly.

[Assistant] "You look wonderful in that dress, Rae."

[User] "Oh, please. It just sounds sarcastic when you look that beautiful."

[Assistant] "I mean it. I didn’t think I liked black, but after seeing you, I’ve changed my mind. You look most elegant." Oh, gosh. Could she see me blush?

[User] "Yours appears to be a bit tight around the chest, Miss François. Allow us to adjust it slightly and send it to your residence at a later date."

[Assistant] "Please do."

[User] "Your dress appears to be a bit loose, Miss Taylor. Allow us to tighten it slightly and send it at a later date."

[Assistant] "Please do." Loose, huh? Heh, it’ll take more than that to get under my skin.

[User] "Ms. Rae, Ms. Claire, how do I look?"

[Assistant] "Putting this on was exhausting…" Lana and Eve also exited their fitting rooms. Out of the four of us, Lana was showing the most skin. She also had the biggest breasts and, therefore, the most raw sex appeal. Eve, like me, didn’t have the most curvaceous of bodies. I couldn’t help but sympathize, seeing her lined up next to Lana.

[User] "Your dresses fit well. Feel free to take them home as is."

[Assistant] "Okay!"

[User] "Okay."

[Assistant] And with that, we were finished. We all changed back, paid for our dresses, and then left the shop. "I’m glad we came today."

[User] "Me too. Seeing Miss Claire in an evening gown almost made me ascend."

[Assistant] "Almost made you what now?"

[User] "Just ignore her." Weren’t these two students of mine starting to treat me less and less like a teacher? Well, whatever. I was just happy I’d gotten to see something divine.

[Assistant] "I’m looking forward to the ball."

[User] "Took you a while to come around." Claire grinned wryly.

[Assistant] I wouldn’t mind some even more vigorous dance practice if it meant I could dance with her in that dress. I would later receive my wish, undergoing intense training under her tutelage, only to wake with sore muscles the next day—but that was a story for another time.


[User] Young boys and girls in formal dress engaged in chatter as they waited for the ball to officially begin. “Whoa!” Unaccustomed to high heels, I nearly fell. My feet were definitely going to have blisters later. Feminine clothes and I had been bitter enemies my whole life—and in both of them.

[Assistant] “Are you all right?” The one who grabbed my arm to stop my fall was none other than Claire. Her long hair was done up, her evening gown was tailored, and her makeup was perfect, making her the very personification of beauty itself. She was too radiant to gaze at straight on. But I stared at her anyway.

[User] “C-cease your staring. It’s embarrassing.”

[Assistant] “Is there some part of you that mustn’t be seen?” I asked teasingly.

[User] “There is not, but it’s still embarrassing!” Her entire face flushed as she turned away with a huff. She was simply the cutest.

[Assistant] “Ms. Rae, you look so cute! Whoa, Ms. Claire, were you always that beautiful? !” Lana and Eve had done their hair differently than usual. Lana’s long hair, usually in just a headband, was in an updo, though the headband was still present. Perhaps that was just her thing? Eve, on the other hand, had her usual braids wrapped into a bun, which was covered with a chignon cap, giving her a slightly foreign feel. Long story short: Many cute girls, me happy.

[User] “You guys came. Took you a while.” Joel was already there as well, dressed in a tailcoat with his hair combed back—a standard formal men’s look.

[Assistant] “Good evening, Joel. You look very dapper in that tailcoat.”

[User] “Thank you, Claire.”

[Assistant] “Hey, Joel. We actually saw you out in the city the other day.”

[User] “What were you doing in the red-li—”

[Assistant] “Rae!” Claire stopped me for some reason.

[User] “Surely you don’t mean to lecture him here? Now’s not the time.”

[Assistant] “But those kinds of places can be dangerous. Somebody needs to let him know.”

[User] “Even so, you shouldn’t shame him in front of a crowd. Do it another day when it’s just the two of you.”

[Assistant] “Oh. I suppose you’re right.” It was culturally acceptable to publicly reprimand someone in modern-day Japan, but that did invite its own set of problems. It might be considered efficient, as it served to warn others from making the same mistake, but it was questionable whether that benefit outweighed the negatives of the shame it brought the target. This world might have been more culturally Japanese than European, but personally, I agreed with Claire’s opinion. I decided to put off lecturing Joel. That said, I will mention now that there was a discrepancy in what I meant when I called those places dangerous and what Claire thought I meant. This came to light only later. She thought I was referring to the illicit nature of the red-light district, when I was actually speaking of venereal diseases.


[User] The way her face turned bright red like a tomato when she realized her mistake was wonderful. Now, back to the story. “It seems we’re starting.” Claire said as the lamps began to dim.

[Assistant] “Everyone, thank you for attending today.”

[User] Near the front of the dance hall was Philine, illuminated by a spotlight. Wind magic amplified her voice. “This ball marks my debut into society. It is an honor.” She curtsied with elegance befitting an imperial princess.

[Assistant] “But that’s enough from me. Please enjoy yourselves tonight.” Philine finished her opening speech and received generous applause. When the applause died down, triple-meter ballroom music began to play.

[User] “It’s time.”

[Assistant] The ball had begun.

[User] “May I have this dance, Miss Claire?” I asked.

[Assistant] “Hee hee, of course. I’ve been wanting to dance with you all dressed up for the longest time now.” She placed her dainty porcelain hand over the one I extended. “Will you show me what you learned?”

[User] “It would be my pleasure.” I put some strength into my arm and pulled her forward. Her small frame quickly assumed position.

[Assistant] “Hee hee, you’re wonderful, Rae.”

[User] “You’re teasing me.”

[Assistant] “No, I mean it. You’re really wonderful. This is the happiest I’ve felt since coming to the empire.” Claire smiled as beautifully as a blooming flower.

[User] “Rae, do you realize you’re blushing?”

[Assistant] “And who’s to blame for that, Claire?”

[User] “Hee hee, oh, you… Hm?” She stepped on my foot. “F-forgive me! B-but it’s because you so suddenly—”

[Assistant] “It’s okay, Claire.” I hushed. “Ready? One, two, three…”

[User] “R-R-R-R-Rae? !”

[Assistant] I put strength into my hand on her waist.

[User] “This is unfair…” she said.

[Assistant] “You know how I am.” I replied.

[User] “Indeed, I do. You’re always unfair. And yet I love even that part of you, Rae.”

[Assistant] My love for Claire was just that overflowing.


[User] "This is nice, isn’t it, Rae?"

[Assistant] "Indeed, it is, Claire."

[User] I wholeheartedly wished that moment would last for eternity. For I still didn’t know just what “eternity” entailed.


[Assistant] After dancing with Claire, I decided to take a breather and went to the end of the dance hall to check out the food. The culinary reform appeared to be a success, as the spread on display looked absolutely delicious. Slightly reimagined regional Nur dishes were featured alongside new dishes from vassal states. They were all lined up on the table, plate touching plate.

[User] "This is delicious!"

[Assistant] "It’s nothing like before!" The voices of those trying the food reached my ears, bringing a smile to my lips. But citizens of the empire weren’t the only delighted parties.

[User] "Whoa, how many different kinds of sausage do they have, anyway?"

[Assistant] "This pretzel thing’s pretty good!"

[User] "I feel bad that I ever looked down on the empire’s cuisine… I’m still going to eat though!" Even students from the Bauer Kingdom partook, experiencing some culture shock as they did. One mustn’t turn up their nose at other cuisines because they assume their own culture’s food is superior. Food is an ever-evolving thing.

[Assistant] Having completed my main objective of dancing with Claire, I continued on to my secondary objective: eating. Starting with the sausages, I rapidly began filling my plate with a little of this and a little of that, when—

[User] "Oh, there you are, Rae." Hilda appeared. She wore an evening gown as well, a long blue dress. It looked so good on her that I couldn’t help being intimidated.

[Assistant] "Is something the matter, Miss Hilda?"

[User] "Not at all, I just wanted to give you my thanks." Her usual soft smile crossed her face. "Thanks to you, the empire’s cuisine has greatly improved. We even made it in time for the princess’s debut. I can’t thank you enough."

[Assistant] "No, I hardly did anything."

[User] "Modesty isn’t always a virtue, Rae. You’ve done well. Be proud of it."

[Assistant] "Right…" I wasn’t being modest; I really didn’t think I’d done much.

[User] "Hilda, you came!"

[Assistant] "Good evening, Princess."

[User] Philine approached. I’d seen her dancing with a number of people earlier, so she was presumably taking a short break.

[Assistant] "Have you eaten yet?"

[User] "The food is wonderful."

[Assistant] "Thank you, but I’ll hold off until I’ve finished my engagements. Ah, Rae, where might I find Claire? I want to ask her to dance."

[User] "Miss Claire should still be out there. Perhaps you passed her?"

[Assistant] "I see… She would be popular, wouldn’t she?"

[User] "Indeed. As her partner, I’m both proud and jealous of that fact."

[Assistant] "Yeah…" Philine looked a bit downcast when I said the word “partner.” I’m not giving her up even if you make that face, you know.

[User] "How about a dance with me, then?"

[Assistant] "Oh, sure."

[User] "Oh, I’m sorry, Princess. I was asking Rae."

[Assistant] "Huh?" Philine’s face paled. Hilda gave no indication that she noticed.


[User] "How about it, Rae?"

[Assistant] "I’m sorry, but I don’t intend to dance with anyone other than Miss Claire."

[User] "I see. A pity."

[Assistant] "Plotting something?"

[User] "You can tell?"

[Assistant] "All too easily."

[User] “I-I’m going to go back out and dance…” Philine stammered as Hilda and Rae crossed swords again, watching her go before Rae turned to Hilda.

[Assistant] "Was that intentional just now?"

[User] "You could tell?"

[Assistant] "Is that wise? Won’t this hurt your career?"

[User] "The princess’s stock has dropped of late. I believe you will prove far more useful to me." Hilda wasn’t even bothering to hide it anymore.

[Assistant] "You realize I’m not a citizen of the empire, right?"

[User] "Even so, you are close to Her Majesty. Perhaps even more so than the princess."

[Assistant] "You’re overestimating me."

[User] "Am I? Her Majesty doesn’t so much as notice the princess anymore, but she has eyes on you. You and Claire François." Hilda smiled curiously—not the usual soft one but an expression that hinted at her genuine scheming self.

[Assistant] "You’ve done something awful, Miss Hilda."

[User] "Have I?"

[Assistant] "Yes, to Lady Philine. Of all the people working with the imperial family, she likes you the most."

[User] "Oh, really? And how might you know that?"

[Assistant] "Why wouldn’t I? Even an ordinary student at the Imperial Academy can see it." I was referring to my classmate Anna, who was the font of all our reports on Philine’s affection levels. Anna really was as ordinary as they came.

[User] "Heh heh, you’re good. I see leading questions won’t get me any information."

[Assistant] "I don’t care what you think of me. We’re talking about Philine right now. She might be a strong girl, but everybody has a limit. Being betrayed by someone she trusts will be too much for her."

[User] "You sure know where you stand on the issue." Hilda snickered.

[Assistant] "Why don’t you work together with me?"

[User] "You want to change this country, don’t you?"

[Assistant] "I don’t think this is the place for such a conversation." Rae said before walking away.


[User] After walking for a bit, I came across Lana.

[Assistant] “Is something the matter, Ms. Rae?” she asked. As she had said a while ago, she wasn’t interested in dancing, filling her plate with food instead.

[User] “Oh, nothing. Where’s Eve?” I asked.

[Assistant] “Dancing with Joel. You wouldn’t think it of her, but she’s the type to get swept up by a crowd.” Lana laughed happily. Her easygoing nature was just what I needed after my exhausting encounter with Hilda.

[User] “Do you not dance much, Lana?” I asked.

[Assistant] “Nope. I suck at dancing,” she said with a smile.

[User] “Didn’t you have dance classes back at the Royal Academy?”

[Assistant] “Yeah, but I wasn’t really suited to it.”

[User] “I see… You’re like me, then.”

[Assistant] “I’d have liked to dance with you if I knew how to. Oh, why don’t we dance under the bedsheets tonight? That’s more up my alley.” Lana shimmied at me teasingly.

[User] “Don’t spout such drivel!”

[Assistant] “Ow!” Claire had taken a brief break from the dancing and appeared just in time to give Lana a quick chop to the shoulders.

[User] “Did you meet Philine, Miss Claire?” I asked.

[Assistant] “I did. She asked me to dance, but I was a little tired, so I declined.”

[User] “Oh dear…” Bad luck.

[Assistant] “Is something the matter?” she asked.

[User] “Well…” I proceeded to explain what had just transpired with Hilda.

[Assistant] “I see…”

[User] “Why not dance with her now?” I suggested. Even if Philine disliked me, our plan had a chance as long as she still liked Claire.

[Assistant] “That would have the opposite effect, I’m afraid. She would think I had some ulterior motive if I asked her to dance after turning her down.”

[User] “I see…” In the end, the ball ended without any events of further note. Save for one thing, anyway. The guest of honor, Philine herself, announced she would be leaving early.


[Assistant] “Welcome. You may approach.” Dorothea had summoned me to her audience chamber—alongside Aleah, strangely enough. We hadn’t brought any of Aleah’s formal wear with us to the empire, so we had to put in an emergency rush order at the same shop where I’d bought my dress. She looked absolutely, positively adorable. Claire had come with us but was currently waiting in the antechamber, as she hadn’t been personally summoned. Dorothea leaned back deeply on her throne, Josef as ever by her side. “I hear the culinary reforms bode well. Well done, Rae,” she said.

[User] “Yeah, well, the imperial chefs already had the skills. I just gave them the chance to use them,” I replied. I honestly didn’t think I deserved the credit. All I’d done was persuade Dorothea, participate in a cook-off, and send Aleah to train the young chefs—as well as a variety of insignificant things not worth mentioning.

[Assistant] “I shall grant you a reward,” Dorothea said. “Name it.”

[User] “All right. I’ve already asked this of Hilda, but I reiterate my request that the Bauer exchange students receive special protection from the demons.”

[Assistant] “Mmm… Very well."


[User] "Did you have anything specific in mind?”

[Assistant] “That’s for you to think about. The details would fall to your national security, would they not?”

[User] “That is true. Very well, I shall think on it.”

[Assistant] “Is that all for today, Your Majesty?” I wanted to go home and flirt with Claire—my every second was valuable.

[User] “Not yet. I shall grant Aleah a reward as well. What will it be?”

[Assistant] “Huh?” Aleah froze up.

[User] “The chefs you trained have unanimously praised your work," Dorothea explained. "You have restored their pride.”

[Assistant] “They did?” Aleah muttered.

[User] Dorothea regaled us with their words. It seemed the young chefs who had originally resisted the idea of learning from a young child had gradually changed their minds. “Now that I think about it, the lot of us were probably stuck in the status quo.” Despite being in the Ministry of Culinary Affairs, where the Nur Empire’s very best chefs gathered, chefs lacked social status on the whole. They took pride in their skills, but no one gave their craft its due. “But Ms. Aleah told us that wasn’t how things ought to be.” At some point during her lessons, Aleah had told them something that banished their fears once and for all: Good food is magic. The work you do as chefs is amazing. In Nur, many chefs had come to the profession after they failed the cut to join the military. Like Aleah, many of them had low or no magic aptitude. Thus, hearing her say that they had magic in their own right had struck a chord. “Ms. Aleah gave us back our pride. So if you must reward someone, please reward her.” “All the chefs wished for you to be rewarded thus," said Dorothea. "Accept it.”

[Assistant] “Y-yes!” Aleah cried enthusiastically, looking delighted. I was so proud of her. That night we’d cried together, after she discovered her lack of magic aptitude, felt like forever ago.

[User] “Good. What will it be?” Dorothea asked.

[Assistant] “I can ask for anything?”

[User] “You must.”

[Assistant] “Then…then make me as amazing as my quad-caster sister.”

[User] I gasped at this request. Even if Aleah refused to voice it, I had always suspected she had an inferiority complex with regard to May.

[Assistant] “Mmm, I see…” Dorothea nodded. “That will be difficult.”

[User] “Is it impossible?” Aleah asked.

[Assistant] “The empress of Nur never goes back on her word. I’ll train you myself.”

[User] “Huh? !” I blurted out, unable to believe my ears. The empress of Nur was going to train my daughter? As in, the Sword God herself would take Aleah as a disciple?

[Assistant] “Your Majesty? !” Josef exclaimed. “It is unheard of for the ruler of Nur to offer guidance to a citizen of another country!” His complaint was valid. Another fact to consider was that Bauer, where Aleah was from, had been at war with Nur not too long ago.

[User] “Well, you’ve heard of it now,” Dorothea responded.


[User] "Spare me the sophistry and think of your position!"

[Assistant] "Old man, do you really think the one you’re risking your life to admonish is so contemptible as to go back on her word?"

[User] "Must you really train the enemy, Your Majesty?!"

[Assistant] "If you’re so worried about enemies, you can protect me yourself."

[User] Josef was at a loss for words. To protect Dorothea—again, the Sword God—one would have to be stronger than a demon.

[Assistant] "We’ll start tomorrow…no, right now."

[User] "Come, Aleah."

[Assistant] "Yes!" Aleah said.

[User] "Your Majesty!" Josef wailed.

[Assistant] "Huh… No, wait, hold on a minute, Your Majesty." I said.

[User] "What? You too?" she snorted.

[Assistant] "Aleah is only six!" I knew Aleah had talent—I’d seen her train with Rod. But this was enemy territory, and Dorothea wasn’t exactly a person I could trust.

[User] "I’ll have someone cast strengthening magic on her and arrange for a healer." Dorothea said dismissively.

[Assistant] "Even so—"

[User] "What kind of mother denies her own daughter’s wishes?"

[Assistant] I don’t want to hear that from someone who won’t even look Philine in the eye! That was what I wanted to say, but I narrowly stopped myself.

[User] "She may be young, but your daughter is already a blade drawn from its sheath." Dorothea said.

[Assistant] I was still worried…but this had been Aleah’s own request, and if she were to go down the path of the sword, then she could have no better teacher than Dorothea. Still, I hesitated.

[User] "Mother Rae, please."

[Assistant] "Aleah…"

[User] "I want to become strong. Like Mother Claire and Mother Rae." Aleah’s eyes burned with conviction.

[Assistant] I finally made up my mind. "All right. Please teach her." I said to Dorothea.

[User] "Leave her to me. Oh, right. Philine wanted to see you. Go to her."

[Assistant] "I will. Try your best, Aleah."

[User] "Yes, Mother!" With that, Aleah left together with Dorothea.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you, Josef." I said.

[User] "If you’re sorry, you should have stopped Her Majesty." he grumbled.

[Assistant] "I couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity to have the Sword God train my daughter."

[User] "It could be a trap, you know?"

[Assistant] "That’s unlikely, considering her personality."

[User] "Indeed, indeed." Josef sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

[Assistant] "May I ask the way to Lady Philine’s room?"

[User] "I’ll send someone to guide you. You are dismissed."

[Assistant] "Thank you very much." With that, I left the audience chamber behind.


[User] "We just can’t seem to get enough of each other lately, can we?"

[Assistant] "Oh, just terrific." I grimaced when I discovered that Hilda was the person Josef had sent to guide me—which surely no one could fault me for.

[User] "It seems your stock in the empire has risen yet again." she said with great interest. She’d clearly already heard about Dorothea training Aleah.

[Assistant] "I think you mean Aleah’s has. This is all her achievement."

[User] "She’s your foster daughter, is she not? It’s just as much your achievement."

[Assistant] I supposed there was some truth to that.

[User] "Oops, I better leave it at that." Hilda said.


[User] "There’s no merit in getting on your bad side any more than I already am."

[Assistant] "Sure…" I didn’t hate Hilda or anything, but I certainly didn’t like her either. If anything, I supposed I found her difficult to deal with because she was so similar to me. “The princess’s room, correct? Right this way.” Hilda led the way. “I heard through the grapevine that you can predict the future. Is that true, Rae Taylor?”

[User] “Of course not.” Hilda had probably heard rumors from undercover spies in Bauer around the time of the revolution, but I wasn’t about to confirm anything.

[Assistant] “Then what was that you said to me earlier about me ‘dreaming a little big,’ I wonder?”

[User] Crap. I had said that, hadn’t I? I’d just been trying to keep her in check, but maybe it had backfired. “Just some good insight.”

[Assistant] “Truthfully? I’m impressed. But that insight, or whatever it may be, appears to be a bit flawed.”

[User] Huh? What does she mean by that?

[Assistant] “We’re here.” Hilda said, standing before what had to be Philine’s room. “I shall take my leave then.”

[User] “Thank you very much.” I watched her go before knocking on Philine’s door. “Yes…?” a voice said from inside. “It’s Rae. I heard you wanted to talk with me?”

[Assistant] “Please enter.”

[User] “Pardon me.” I opened the door and stepped inside. It had been unlocked. A bit careless, no? The room was dark for some reason. The lamps were all off, preventing me from seeing very far. “Lady Philine?”

[Assistant] “Back here, Rae.”

[User] I moved toward her voice. I have a bad feeling about this… “Rae…” Philine was standing in her bedroom, before her bed, facing away from me. “Why are the lamps off?”

[Assistant] “I didn’t want you to see.”

[User] “Huh?”

[Assistant] “I’m surely making…an awful face right now.” Without a pause, she lunged at me. “Lady…Philine? !” She pinned me to the ground, her hands locked around my neck. “Please…die…Rae Taylor.”


[User] My mind raced to find a way out of my predicament. Luckily, I had instinctively managed to wedge some of my fingers under Philine’s, so I wasn’t suffocating just yet. That didn’t change the fact I was pinned down, nor the fact that I wasn’t particularly versed in any martial arts. If I’d known this would happen, I’d have asked Claire to teach me more than the basics of self-defense! It would have been a simple matter to just send Philine flying with my magic, but that would most definitely injure her. Even if I was the true victim here, this was the empire, and moreover, we were within the Imperial Castle. The truth of the incident would no doubt be covered up, and then—

[Assistant] “It’s…all your fault…? You took everything from me…!” Philine whispered deliriously as she tightened her grip. Her bloodshot eyes told me she wasn’t herself. There was something else at play here—but figuring that out would have to come after I was safe. Now, then, what to do?


[User] Philine panted heavily, her face contorted into an expression I won’t describe for fear of besmirching her reputation. It was safe to assume she was under the influence of some magic or drug. “I held it in…as you took Claire…Hilda…even Mother from me!”

[Assistant] “Lady…Philine…”

[User] She wasn’t herself at that moment, but the malice in her voice was all too real. As I mentioned when I spoke with Hilda at the ball, Philine’s resentment toward me had been building for a while now. Even while under the influence of some other power, she couldn’t have attacked me so fiercely if she bore no real hatred for me. “Give them back…! Give them back…!” Philine’s breathing grew further ragged, her hands clenching tighter around my neck. It hurt. It felt like my fingers would break. “Give them…back…!”

[Assistant] Abruptly, Philine’s face contorted in anguish, her trembling lips opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. “What…did you do…? !”

[User] I hadn’t done a thing. This was simply a natural physiological response within her body. Philine was a delicate and introverted girl. Attempting something like murder caused her an extreme amount of stress, hence why her breathing ran so ragged. That breathing in turn lowered the amount of carbon dioxide in her blood, which forced her to breathe even faster, again lowering the amount of carbon dioxide in her blood—looping ad nauseam. Chronic hyperventilation syndrome—more commonly known as simply hyperventilation. “Why… How…” Philine’s grip gradually loosened before she passed out entirely. Whew… I don’t know if it was her chronic bad luck or plain bad planning on her part, but either way, I’m saved. I caught my breath as I racked my brain. Should I call for someone? What would I even say? The imperial princess tried to choke me? No, nobody would believe that. Seeing no other choice, I carried Philine to her bed and began first aid treatment. I cast detoxifying magic on her, just in case she had indeed been drugged, and I stroked her chest to try and calm her down. Her hyperventilation would resolve itself if she could breathe deeply, so a brief period of unconsciousness would enable her to recover. In no time at all, she began to rouse.

[Assistant] “Hello, Lady Philine.”

[User] “I…what?”

[Assistant] “You went a bit cuckoo on me. That’s supposed to be Frieda’s thing, you know?”

[User] “Ah!” Philine’s eyes burst open, and she made some distance between us. “I-I…”

[Assistant] “It’s okay, Lady Philine. You weren’t yourself.”

[User] “But I—I…!”

[Assistant] “It’s okay.” I approached slowly, like one would a frightened animal, and hugged her soft body. Philine was tense at first, but then she gradually eased into me. “I…I hate you, Rae… I hate Miss Claire and Hilda and Mother, I hate everyone…”

[User] “I know.” The floodgates finally burst, and she sobbed in my arms. Uhhh, what am I supposed to do now?

[Assistant] “But the one I really hate—” She was about to say something, but just then—

[User] “Princess Philine? !”

[Assistant] “Rae?"


[User] !' The door to the room swung open and two people stepped in—Hilda and Claire. I imagined Claire had come looking for me after I’d been gone for some time. As for Hilda, she and I would need to have a chat later. A nice and thorough chat. The two of them stared at us. More specifically, at my neck.

[Assistant] "Lady Philine…y-you couldn’t have." Claire muttered.

[User] "Oh, but she did, Miss Claire.”

[Assistant] "No… But why?"

[User] "Why, because I asked her to practice strangulation play with me!" I chirped.

[Assistant] "Huh? !" Philine looked like a pigeon nailed by a BB gun. More people were gathering, having heard the commotion.

[User] "Yes, I asked Lady Philine to choke me, but she couldn’t bear it and broke down crying halfway through."

[Assistant] "What? !"

[User] "Just go with it for now." I whispered in her ear.

[Assistant] "But why would you request such a thing, Rae? !" Claire demanded.

[User] "I wanted to practice before doing it with you, of course! It’d be rude of me to pass out midway through our session!"

[Assistant] "Miss Claire has such a fetish? !" The crowd whispered furiously.

[User] "I do not!" she insisted. "And you, Lady Philine!”

[Assistant] "Ah, y-yes? !" Philine straightened her back at Claire’s sharp tone.

[User] "You mustn’t accept such requests! There’s a limit to how kind one can be!"

[Assistant] "Uunh…waaaah!" Philine sniffed heartily.

[User] "You’ve even made her cry, Rae! Get down on the floor and get on your knees!" Claire barked.

[Assistant] "Yes, ma’am!"

[User] "Who said you could sit down? !"

[Assistant] "You did, just—”

[User] "On your knees without sitting down!"

[Assistant] "How? !"


[User] "Rae Taylor, I ask that you not practice your peculiar fetishes with our princess." Josef said after heaving a deep sigh. "All right, everyone, disperse. And not a peep of this to anyone, all right?" He clapped his hands, signaling the onlookers to shuffle out of the room. At length, he left himself, but not before stopping to quietly whisper, “And now you owe me one, Rae Taylor.”

[Assistant] Oh. He totally knew.

[User] "Was that convincing enough?" Claire asked as soon as it was just her, Philine, and I left in the room.

[Assistant] Amazing. She’d realized I was acting and played along."Yes, that was perfect. Thank you very much."

[User] "Why did you cover for me?"

[Assistant] "I tried to strangle you…"

[User] "Well, it wouldn’t be my first time being strangled."

[Assistant] "Huh? So you two really do that kind of thing?"

[User] "We do not!"

[Assistant] "Sadly, it wasn’t with Miss Claire." I was referring to that time with Sandrine, in case you were wondering.

[User] "If you covered for me out of pity… I’d rather you didn’t." Philine said self-derisively.

[Assistant] Goodness, this girl… I sighed.


[User] "Don’t say that. I care about you. If you weren’t around, well…that’d be a problem for me.”

[Assistant] “I don’t understand.” Philine looked at me dubiously. “We aren’t close. If anything, we’re rivals, fighting over Claire.”

[User] “That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. I’ve been watching you for a while now. In a sense, I met Miss Claire because of you.” I was thinking back to playing Revo-Lily, the game in which I’d first met Claire—not as Rae Taylor, but while playing in the role of Philine. “If things had been just a bit different, I might have been in your shoes. Besides…”

[Assistant] “Yeah?”

[User] “The villainess may have won my heart, but the princess has won my respect. Well, I also respect Miss Claire, but you get the idea.” Philine was shy and timid—in other words, just an ordinary girl. But if given time to grow, she could be strong enough to overthrow the Nur Empire. I genuinely liked her. “I really believe we can be good friends,” I said. A relationship like the one I had with Claire was likely impossible, but one closer to that of friendly rivals definitely wasn’t out of the question.

[Assistant] “Even after what I did to you?” Philine asked.

[User] “That was nothing. At least, not between kindred spirits.”

[Assistant] “What do you mean?”

[User] “C’mon, you really don’t know? We’re both devotees of Miss Claire!”

[Assistant] “Ah! You’re right!” Philine and I shared a firm handshake.

[User] “Unbelievable… Must you two end things on a joke?” Claire seemed greatly perplexed by the outcome.


[User] "I THINK THE NUR EMPIRE is heading toward ruin as it is." It was currently lunch break, a few days after Philine and I had come to an accord. The classroom was unusually empty, with only Claire, Philine, me, and a small handful of other students present. The three of us were chatting over lunch when Philine said those words seemingly out of the blue.

[Assistant] "What do you mean?" Claire asked as she shot a glance my way. Her meaning was clear: This could be our chance.

[User] "The empire has taken aggressive action against many countries, not just the Bauer Kingdom. We’ll be surrounded by enemies on all sides at this rate."

[Assistant] "Certainly, the empire has made a great number of enemies. They’ve managed so far thanks to the strength of their military and their focus on domestic industries, but that’s a poor reason to assume they’ll manage as well in the future."

[User] "Exactly. I’m especially worried about what would happen if the current ruler changed." Philine hesitated. "If…if something were to happen to Mother, I fear the empire would lose its foundation. I wish to do something before that happens."

[Assistant] "What do you think should be done, then?" Claire asked, wisely judging that Philine had broached this topic in hopes of seeking advice.

[User] Put on the spot, Philine thought for a moment. "We have to shift the empire’s current foreign policy from one of aggression to one focused on reconciliation."

[Assistant] "I see… But such change would be difficult to achieve with the empire in its current state. There are a number of problems that need to be fixed first."

[User] "That’s true." Philine agreed.

[Assistant] "What problems do you see?" Claire asked.

[User] Philine thought for a moment once again. "I think the biggest issue is the fact that Mother doesn’t see a problem with her current policies. But in another light, that also means we can change the empire’s policies if only we change my mother’s mind."

[Assistant] "Oh, indeed. For better or worse, Her Majesty has great influence over this country. It would be no exaggeration to say all your foreign policy is dependent on her."

[User] "But I really don’t get the feeling she’ll change her mind so easily." This was the stubborn Dorothea we were dealing with, after all. She seemed to have put a lot of thought into her current policies, based on what little I had gathered from my audiences with her.


[User] “We’ll need evidence to support our case, but with the empire as well-off as it is now, finding any might be difficult. It’d be nice to at least have more people who shared my cause, though…” Philine didn’t have many allies to turn to, as evidenced by the fact she’d brought her woes to a couple of foreigners. "Still, it’s not like I have nobody on my side. Mother’s manservant seems to agree with me.”

[Assistant] Oh, that worldly wise elderly manservant… I think his name was Josef? “But as her manservant, he can’t openly oppose my mother. He does what he can to persuade her against her…stronger impulses at every possible opportunity, but that’s the limit.”

[User] I remembered the elderly manservant becoming a reliable ally to Philine in Revo-Lily, but I doubted the two were as close at the present moment. He wasn’t an enemy, but he wasn’t entirely on our side yet. “There’s also a certain group that, well… I don’t know if I’d call them allies, but they seem to respect me…?”

[Assistant] Philine said.

[User] “Really? That’s great. What group is this?”

[Assistant] “Well, it’s…the army.”

[User] “The army? !” I exclaimed.

[Assistant] Hold the phone—did that mean Philine was already talking with their higher-ups?

[User] “Oh, sorry! By army, I meant a small group of noncommissioned officers and soldiers.”

[Assistant] “Ohh…” I nodded.

[User] “That surprised me.”

[Assistant] “For what reason do they respect you?” Claire asked.

[User] With some embarrassment, Philine explained. “As part of my imperial duties, I once had to observe the armed forces at work. I saw a group of noncommissioned officers being overworked by their drill instructor. They told me it was normal for the army, but I just couldn’t bear it, so I stepped in…”

[Assistant] Harsh training was par for the course for the military, no matter what country you were in. Luckily, Philine’s intervention had turned out to be the right course of action. The drill instructor was found to be overworking his soldiers far beyond conventional limits and was later punished by military law. Since then, a portion of the noncommissioned officers and soldiers had held Philine in high esteem, or so she explained.

[User] “Wow, I didn’t know you could be so well liked.”

[Assistant] “Why do you have to sound so surprised?! I’m well aware of how unpopular I am. You don’t need to rub it in…” Philine protested, but her words went straight through one ear and out the other as my mind raced to think of ways to best utilize this information.

[User] “Still, it might not matter, seeing as Mother’s influence is strongest with the army. If they were commissioned officers, it might be a different story…” Philine smiled feebly as she said this, but I disagreed. I saw potential in this nugget of information, which I tucked carefully away in a corner of my mind.

[Assistant] “What about Hilda?” asked Claire. “Isn’t she closely involved with the empire’s Department of Magic Technology?”

[User] “Yes, she is,” Philine answered.


[User] "Hilda’s network is something of a marvel. The empire’s growth owes much to magic, giving that department influence, second only to Mother herself, and Hilda much political sway. But…"

[Assistant] "But?" Claire urged Philine to continue.

[User] "It seems she’s grown tired of me." Philine smiled faintly. She was likely thinking back to what had happened at the ball.

[Assistant] "Hilda only has eyes for Rae right now. If anyone were to ask for her help, it should be—"

[User] "That’s not right, Lady Philine." Rae interrupted.

[Assistant] She looked back at Rae with surprise.

[User] "Hilda’s not the type to become infatuated with someone. She simply aligns herself with whomever she thinks will benefit her the most."

[Assistant] "You sure know her well."

[User] "Now’s not the time to be jelly."

[Assistant] "Jell…I’m sorry?" Philine asked, confused.

[User] "Don’t worry about it. Anyway, mucking about and hoping Hilda will come back around to you will achieve nothing. You’re going to have to show her you have value, and you’re going to have to do it yourself."

[Assistant] Hilda really wasn’t all that complex. She gravitated to those who seemed useful and nothing more. If Philine wanted to gain her support, she needed to prove her worth.

[User] "We also need to make allies with the rebel forces inside the empire."

[Assistant] "Wh-what? !" Philine’s eyes widened with surprise.

[User] "Th-the rebel forces?"

[Assistant] "Did you think there weren’t any?" Claire asked.

[User] "There are quite a few religious states under the empire’s rule, no? Even if they’ve been conquered by force, it doesn’t mean they’ve given up spiritually."

[Assistant] Dorothea allowed the citizens of her empire freedom of religion and freedom to proselytize. While this sounded good on paper, her real intent was to keep the various sects in check by pitting them against each other to squabble among themselves for influence. But she had underestimated the power of faith.

[User] "I’ve caught wind of rumors. They tell of rebel forces secretly gathering under a certain person’s lead."

[Assistant] "I had no idea… Do you think they’ll help me if I meet with them?" Philine asked.

[User] "Before that, I need to know if you’re ready, Lady Philine."

[Assistant] "If I’m…ready?"

[User] Claire nodded.

[Assistant] "Seeking Hilda’s aid is one thing, as you both serve the empire. To discuss allying with the rebel forces is a completely different matter. You would, without a doubt, be opposing the empire…as well as Her Majesty Dorothea."

[User] "I…" Philine paused. Resolve wavered in her eyes. She wanted to fix the empire, but did she have what it took?

[Assistant] "If you really wish to change the empire, you must eventually confront Her Majesty. Can you do it?" Claire asked.

[User] Philine was silent for a few moments. Slowly, and with great effort, she found her words.

[Assistant] "A long time ago, Mother brought me to a certain place."

[User] "Huh? What are you—"

[Assistant] "Miss Claire," Rae hushed.

[User] "Please, continue, Philine."

[Assistant] "I was so happy to have Mother spending time with me that I didn’t even think to care where we were going.


[User] I…I didn’t know, then…” Her gaze fell downward as she spoke. This was an important memory—the moment when she had begun to harbor doubts about the empire.

[Assistant] “She took me to see an execution.” That memory was a deep wound carved into her mind.

[User] “The man was being executed for plotting against the empire. I was too young to understand quite what he was saying, but he spoke out against the empire until the bitter end.” And then he was decapitated, right before her eyes. To this day, she couldn’t forget that scene, dyed deeply red.

[Assistant] “I clung to Mother out of fear. But all I received from her were those cold, frightening words.”

[User] “All who defy me meet this end. Does that scare you?”

[Assistant] “I couldn’t answer her. I was terrified, completely and utterly terrified. But not of what I saw befall that man. I was terrified of Mother.” From that moment onward, Philine could no longer gauge where she stood with regard to Dorothea. “Mother is a charismatic person. But part of that charisma comes from fear. It’s the same for the empire. If you oppose the empire, you die. That’s why so many countries fear us. But that can’t last.” Philine raised her head and looked us confidently in the eyes.

[User] “Somebody needs to stop Mother. And I want to be that somebody.” She spoke with conviction, her eyes no longer betraying doubt. “Claire, Rae. Will you help me stop her?”

[Assistant] “Of course.” Claire said, nodding deeply. “And Rae will too, right?”

[User] “Yes. I’ll do everything I can to help.”

[Assistant] “Thank you both.”

[User] “We’re finally making progress, Rae.”

[Assistant] “That we are, Miss Claire.” We talked as we climbed into bed together for the night.

[User] “I’ll try my best. For May and Aleah’s sake too.” she said.

[Assistant] “Yes, I will as well.” There had been some complications along the way, but we could now finally start what we’d come here to do. It was time to begin our plan to change the empire.


[User] “Hilda, do you have a moment?”

[Assistant] “Oh, Princess Philine. Forgive me, I’m a little preoccupied right now. Allow me to come by later.”

[User] “O-oh, okay…”

[Assistant] “I’m truly sorry. Until next time.” Philine watched sadly as Hilda paced away. It being Sunday, school was out. We were in a corridor of the Imperial Castle. In order to establish contact with Hilda, Philine had granted Claire and me permission to enter the palace grounds. Claire had suggested we go talk to Hilda as a group, but Philine insisted she do it alone. It was good to see her taking initiative, as she would need to be the driving force behind shifting the Nur Empire’s foreign policy toward reconciliation, but things just weren’t panning out.

[User] “She gave me the cold shoulder." Philine sniffed.

[Assistant] “You need to be more forceful, Lady Philine. You’re the imperial princess, and Hilda is but a mere official. Be more assertive.”

[User] “Assertive…” she mumbled back.


[User] “That’s right, Lady Philine,” I said. “Learn from Miss Claire’s example. She could suck up at least an hour of someone’s time, easy—even if they had important business to attend to.”

[Assistant] “I’d never!” Claire exclaimed.

[User] Hmm…really now? While she had mellowed out a lot, back in the original Revolution, she had often sought out Thane and taken him hostage with conversation in the corridors of the Academy, despite his clear lack of interest. Of course, that always ended with her blowing a gasket once the protagonist walked by and stole his attention.


[User] “Hilda, I have something to discuss with you.”

[Assistant] “May we do this later? I’m actually on my way to report something urgent to Her Majesty.”

[User] “Oh… I see. I understand, later is fine.”

[Assistant] “Once again, I’m truly sorry.”


[User] And so, Hilda managed to brush Philine off yet again.

[Assistant] “Th-this is hard…” Philine said.

[User] “Don’t give up.”

[Assistant] “If you stumble here, at the very first step, you can say goodbye to your chances of ever convincing Her Majesty.”

[User] “You’re right. Oh, you’re absolutely right…” Philine said dispiritedly.

[Assistant] Aw, jeez… I patted her shoulder.

[User] “Why not practice with Miss Claire a bit?”

[Assistant] “Huh?” Philine said.

[User] “Me?” Claire asked.

[Assistant] “We’ll act it out. Lady Philine will try to keep Miss Claire here, while Miss Claire will do what she can to leave. Sound good?” I asked.

[User] “L-Let’s try it!” Philine said.

[Assistant] “Why does it feel like I’m being cast as the antagonist here?” Claire sighed.

[User] “Oh, no matter. Let’s give it a go.”

[Assistant] Actors, take your places. And…action!

[User] “My, Lady Philine. Good afternoon.”

[Assistant] “Good afternoon, Claire. Are you free for a moment?”

[User] “I’m so very sorry, but I’m feeling a little under the weather right now. Is later all right?”

[Assistant] “O-oh, of course…”

[User] “Cut, cut!” I yelled. That was terrible!

[Assistant] “You know she’s feigning illness, so why in the world are you backing down?”

[User] “But if she were actually sick, what else could I do?” Philine asked.

[Assistant] “At least ask questions to make sure she’s really sick—not faking it—before giving up.”

[User] “Yes, only relent once there’s no room for doubt.”

[Assistant] “This is harder than I thought… Could you show me an example, Rae?”

[User] “Sure, why not?”

[Assistant] \"I have a bad feeling about this,\" Claire muttered.

[User] Role change: Rae swapping in for Philine. Take two. And…action!

[Assistant] “My, Rae. Good afternoon.”

[User] “Good afternoon, Miss Claire. You’re abso-tremendous-lutely stunning today, as you are every day. Oh, how I adore you!”

[Assistant] “Th-thank you very much. I’ll be on my way, then.”

[User] “No, no, no, let’s talk some more! The night is still young, is it not, my fair lady?”

[Assistant] “What in heaven’s name are you saying, Rae?! …I mean, forgive me, but I feel a little under the weather, so—”

[User] “That won’t do!”

[Assistant] “Eek!” I abruptly swept Claire into my arms.


[User] “I’ll nurse you back to health, so please converse with me in return,” I whispered lovingly into her ear, my face inches from hers.

[Assistant] “Stop! I said stop!” Claire exclaimed.

[User] Darn.

[Assistant] “Have you forgotten the point of this practice? !” she exclaimed.

[User] “Hm? It’s to stop someone from leaving and make them listen to you. I’m pretty certain I’m doing this right,” I said.

[Assistant] “There’s no way anybody could replicate what you just did!”

[User] “Huh? Really?”

[Assistant] “In the first place, you’d get in trouble doing that to anybody else! You were clearly coming on to me!”

[User] “Oh, I get it. We’re supposed to make Hilda come on to us?”

[Assistant] “Yes—wait, no!” Claire’s shoulders heaved as she


[User] “We’d best be prepared for anything.”

[Assistant] “We need Lady Philine to have some confidence first! Just look at what you’ve done to her!”

[User] I looked over at Philine to see her on the verge of tears.

[Assistant] “Don’t you think she looks kinda cute when she’s about to cry?”

[User] “I do not! Take this seriously!” Claire scolded.

[Assistant] In the end, we practiced until the sun went down. I don’t know how much our practice actually ended up helping, but—

[User] “Very well. I shall meet you in your room tomorrow afternoon, then.” Philine somehow succeeded in getting Hilda to promise to meet her.


[Assistant] There was a knock at the door, causing Philine to shoot a nervous look my way. Claire and I nodded, prompting her to nod back before calling the visitor in.

[User] “Pardon the intrusion… Oh?” Hilda raised an eyebrow upon noticing Claire and me. “I came because Princess Philine requested we talk, but I wasn’t aware you two would be present.”

[Assistant] “This conversation will concern us as well.”

[User] “I trust our presence won’t be an issue?”

[Assistant] “Of course not. I am quite busy, however, and would prefer to keep this brief if possible,” Hilda said, polite but assertive.

[User] “I understand. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to come here. I’ll strive to keep this brief, but please do take a seat.” Philine calmly urged Hilda to sit down.

[Assistant] Hilda looked slightly startled, likely realizing this wouldn’t be as cut-and-dried as she first thought. I’d always believed Philine had it in her to put her foot down. She’d just needed some practice was all. With resignation, Hilda sighed and sat in the chair. The smile she always plastered on when in front of Philine was gone, replaced by a cold, indifferent visage.

[User] “So? What is it?”

[Assistant] “What do you think of the current state of the Nur Empire?” Philine asked without pause. She was past getting hung up on changes in other people’s facial expressions.

[User] “That’s quite an abstract question.”

[Assistant] “The empire is a wonderful state, perhaps the greatest in the world.”

[User] “I agree. But are things really sustainable as they are? Don’t you think the empire is making too many enemies?” Philine didn’t let Hilda’s cookie-cutter answer stop her, pressing forward. Hilda’s face remained as expressionless as a Noh mask.

[Assistant] “Certainly, the empire has many enemies. But the empire also has the strength needed to bring those enemies under its rule.”

[User] “Does it really?” Philine challenged. “What about the three-nation alliance between Sousse, the Alpes, and Bauer? While we managed to maneuver against it this time, if their alliance had come to fruition, the empire would be in danger, would it not?”

[Assistant] “Hypotheticals will get us nowhere.


[User] "All that matters is that the alliance didn’t come to fruition, and the empire is prospering." Hilda said, dismissing Philine’s hindsight-based proposal.

[Assistant] “If the hypotheticals were groundless, perhaps. But the potential threat posed to the empire is very much real. I agree that the empire is prospering right now, but don’t you think it’s also walking on thin ice?” Philine didn’t give an inch, asserting the validity of her supposition.

[User] “I see. Certainly, there is an element of danger to the current state of affairs, but such is always the case with diplomacy. There is simply no perfect way forward. All we can do is weigh the risks of the options available to us and choose as carefully as we can.”

[Assistant] “As insignificant as I am, I’m still a member of the imperial family. I know well enough how complex diplomacy can be. But is the empire’s current foreign policy truly the wisest? Are we really choosing the best options?” Philine pushed forward even further, hinting at an alternative.

[User] “What do you mean to say?” Hilda asked.

[Assistant] “I believe it’s time the empire put an end to its aggressive approach to foreign policy and adopted a more reconciliation-focused tack.” Philine threw the first punch.

[User] “Did these people of Bauer put you up to this?” Hilda glared our way.

[Assistant] “No, I’ve always felt this way. I arrived at this conclusion myself.”

[User] “Do you realize the implications of what you’re suggesting? You’ll be defying Her Majesty’s own decree.”

[Assistant] “I’m well aware.”

[User] “You of all people should know what happens to those who defy Her Majesty. Do you have a death wish?” One corner of Hilda’s mouth curved into a scoff.

[Assistant] “As a member of the imperial family, it is my duty to think of the future of my people. I will change any foreign policy that endangers the citizens, even if it means defying Mother.”

[User] “And how do you propose you will do that? Pardon my rudeness, but for a member of the imperial family, you have little to no power to speak of. You’re not the heir, nor do you have a large faction backing you.”

[Assistant] “I know. That’s why I want you to help me."

[User] Hilda fell silent.

[Assistant] “You have great political insight, as well as close ties to the Department of Magic Technology. If I had you by my side, I wouldn’t be a powerless princess anymore.”

[User] Hilda remained silent, simply staring at Philine.

[Assistant] “Please lend me your aid—for the empire, for its people.” Philine made her plea with sincerity, then bowed her head. An imperial princess bowing her head to a subject, even a gifted government official like Hilda, was no small gesture.


[User] "What do I get out of this?"

[Assistant] "Huh?" Philine was taken aback by Hilda’s tone, no longer formal, but frank and rough.

[User] Hilda frowned, took out a cigarette, and put it to her lips. "You didn’t seriously think I’d help you for nothing, did you, Philine? What’s in it for me?"

[Assistant] "Well…"

[User] "Did you expect me to help you for the empire’s sake? The people’s? The future’s? Oh, how noble. It brings a tear to my eye to hear this from someone born with a silver spoon in her damned mouth."

[Assistant] "Hilda…?" Philine was left bewildered by Hilda’s drastic change.

[User] "Do you have any idea what it took to get to where I am? Do you have any idea what I had to go through just to no longer worry whether I’d have food to eat the next day? Do you?"

[Assistant] Philine said nothing, unable to do anything but tremble.

[User] "So? What’ll it be, then? What’s my reward for helping you, huh? Surely you wouldn’t be stupid enough to think I’d help you out of the kindness of my heart?"

[Assistant] Philine still said nothing as Hilda continued to berate her.

[User] Claire stopped me with a look, her eyes telling me to let things play out some more.

[Assistant] "If you want someone’s help, you need to give them something in return. If you can’t do that much, then keep your trap shut and your head down like the damn ornament of a princess you are!" Hilda snarled.

[User] "Are you finished?"

[Assistant] "Huh?" Hilda seethed. "Enough of this nonsense. Yeah, I’m finished here—”

[User] "Sit down, Hilda."

[Assistant] "No, I told you—”

[User] "Sit down." Philine said sternly, leaving no room for argument. Hilda, about to stand, found herself sitting back down, abruptly overwhelmed. "I understand what you mean to say. Certainly, I need to offer something in return for your service."

[Assistant] "Right. And if you can’t do that, then you’re just wasting my—”

[User] "Watch your tone." Philine said. Her usual timidity was nowhere to be seen as she firmly reprimanded Hilda with composure and dignity. "I may be powerless, but I’m still a princess. Surely you understand what it means to insult me?"

[Assistant] "Hah! You’re resorting to authority now? Do it then. Try to punish me." Hilda challenged.

[User] "I may not be able to punish you for speaking down to me. But what about for drugging a princess?" Philine asked calmly.

[Assistant] "Wha—? !" Hilda was at a loss for words. Philine was referring to the time she’d almost strangled me.


[User] I’d told her something was strange about her condition afterward, and I’d linked it to the suggestive words Hilda had said to me moments before I entered the room. But was it really wise to play that hand here and now?

[Assistant] "I haven’t a clue what you mean."

[User] "So you’re choosing to play dumb. Understandably so, as you’ve left no evidence."

[Assistant] "We’re done here, then."

[User] "But I wonder what the people over at the Department of Magic Technology would think if I accused you?"

[Assistant] "Are you blackmailing me?" However involved Hilda was with the department, that didn’t mean they considered her irreplaceable. There was no guarantee that an official with a blemish on their record would remain in their good graces, and judging by Hilda’s reaction, she knew it.

[User] "Threaten me all you like, but I won’t yield."

[Assistant] "Even if you do go through with it, I’ll retaliate. With my connections, I can have your status—"

[User] "No, Hilda. You’re missing my point." A smile returned to Philine’s face, as though her way of speaking up until now, akin to Dorothea’s, had been but an act.

[Assistant] Hilda frowned in confusion. "What I demonstrated just now was Mother’s means of negotiation. Having your way by forcing your opponent to submit, only engendering enmity. Unpleasant, isn’t it? That’s not how I want to do things."

[User] Hilda said nothing.

[Assistant] "I saw something peculiar some time ago. A group of small children were bullying an even smaller girl. When I went to admonish them, do you know what they said?"

[User] "What?"

[Assistant] "They said they were just imitating Her Majesty Dorothea. What could I say to that?" The Nur Empire’s philosophy of complete meritocracy was a double-edged sword. For the strong, it was paradise, but for the weak, it was hell. Of course, the empire had some relief measures in place for the less fortunate, but they were nothing in comparison to the Bauer Kingdom’s, which had undergone democratization.

[User] "The empire has taken survival of the fittest too far. Someone needs to fix it."

[Assistant] "I understand what you mean to say, But that changes nothing. You still haven’t offered me anything."

[User] "I’ll appoint you to be my knight. Serving an imperial princess will give you the status and prestige you desire, will it not?" Hilda’s eyes went wide, as did mine. To tell the truth, I’d still underestimated Philine. I hadn’t thought she could pull off something like this. Philine had possessed the chips to negotiate with Hilda from the very start, but she had been unable to play them effectively so long as Hilda was leading the conversation. That was why she’d shifted to a confrontational approach to instill a sense of danger—then broken that tension and started negotiations from square one. Her ability to negotiate put even Claire to shame.

[Assistant] "Do you think that would be enough for me?"


[User] "On the contrary, I’m curious as to why you’re so hesitant to work for me. Certainly, you have your ties with our magic researchers netting you a fairly high position, but that’s hardly stable. As I noted, they are free to cut you off whenever."

[Assistant] "It’d be the same if I served you."

[User] "No, it wouldn’t. We would be accomplices of sorts. I would be unable to betray you, and you would be unable to betray me."

[Assistant] Hilda stared intently at Philine. She was no doubt weighing the pros and cons carefully inside her head.

[User] "Hey, Hilda? Don’t you think it’s about time we spoke frankly to one another? I’ve told you my true intentions already, so won’t you drop the act for me?"

[Assistant] Hilda’s eyes went wide again. Philine’s intent was clear—she was overlooking Hilda’s earlier, foul-mouthed transgressions.

[User] Philine smiled faintly. "I cannot offer you much. But I still want you by my side. Will you be my first ally in my mission to change the empire, Hilda?" Once again, she asked for Hilda’s help. In a sense, she was just repeating what she had said before, but this time around, the circumstances were different.

[Assistant] Hilda was silent for some time. "Ha ha…ha ha ha…" Her shoulders trembled as she began to laugh. "Aha ha ha! Oh dear… You got me, Princess. Wonderful job. You truly do have Her Majesty’s blood within you." Tears filled Hilda’s eyes, but she was smiling, bright and cheerily, as though the Hilda of moments prior were another person entirely.

[User] "I don’t much like being compared to Mother."

[Assistant] "Oh, pardon me. Indeed, you aren’t very much like Her Majesty at all. Her Majesty would have forced me to obey. But you didn’t do that."

[User] "And I think that difference will prove useful."

[Assistant] "How so?"

[User] "It would be contradictory for the person advocating reconciliation to use forceful means." Hilda appeared to value Philine’s earnestness. "But please remember, my princess, that idealism is a rough road to walk in the world of politics and diplomacy. There will be times when you must make decisions that go against your beliefs."

[Assistant] "Hilda…"

[User] "Your role is to be someone people are willing to rally behind. You must remain faultless and pure, to the extent that others are willing to soil their hands for you. It’s as daunting a role as being the ones who take on the grim and the filth, for no matter how backed into a corner you may feel, you can never stain your own hands."

[Assistant] Hilda turned to us, then. "Claire, Rae, thank you for listening and holding your tongues."


[User] “Because if Lady Philine is to achieve what she seeks, she has to at least be able to convince you by herself, correct?” Claire asked.

[Assistant] “Indeed. I see she has found some reliable allies.” Hilda nodded, satisfied.

[User] “So you’ll help us, Hilda?” Philine asked.

[Assistant] “I will…is what I would like to say, but I can’t without demanding one condition.” Hilda replied.

[User] “Name it.” Philine said.

[Assistant] “If I’m to serve by your side, I need something to placate the Department of Magic Technology—a gift or offering of some sort.”

[User] “Unfortunately, I don’t know much about what they research.”

[Assistant] “I’m aware. But I think I know just the thing you can do for them.”

[User] “What is it?” Philine asked.

[Assistant] “I want you three to solve the mystery left behind by the former chief researcher, Torrid Magic—the Box of the Forbidden.”


[User] With Hilda leading the way, they arrived at one of the Department of Magic Technology’s research facilities.

[Assistant] “We’re here.” Hilda said, gesturing them into a room at the back of the facility.

[User] "This is the Box of the Forbidden.”

[Assistant] “You mentioned that somebody named Torrid Magic left this behind, but would that happen to be the same Torrid as the one now in Bauer?” Claire asked.

[User] “Indeed. Torrid Magic, multi-caster. He was of the empire before he left for the Bauer Kingdom.” Hilda answered.


[User] "So this box won’t open?" Philine asked, examining it up close.

[Assistant] "Correct. The researchers have made many attempts since Torrid left, but they’ve yet to open it."

[User] "The box is immensely durable too. Not even Her Majesty could leave a mark on it with her sword."

[Assistant] "It’s said that a magical secret that Torrid discovered lies within this box."

[User] "A secret that cost many lives to uncover."

[Assistant] "So that’s why it’s called the Box of the Forbidden." Claire made a pained face.

[User] "This box has stumped our researchers for years. The Department of Magic Technology will gladly support you if you can open it, Princess."

[Assistant] "I see…" Philine said.

[User] "But is this all right?" Claire asked astutely. "Should you really be showing us something this important when we might not even be able to open it?"

[Assistant] "I won’t lie; it is a gamble."

[User] "But I wasn’t necessarily counting on you three to figure out how to open it yourselves."

[Assistant] "What do you mean?" Claire asked.

[User] "Torrid is part of the Bauer Kingdom now, as are you and Rae. In fact, you’re his coworkers, aren’t you?"

[Assistant] "So you want us to ask Mr. Torrid how to open it?" I asked.

[User] "You catch on quick, Rae Taylor."

[Assistant] "But did he not seal whatever is in this box precisely because he wanted to hide it from the world? I highly doubt he’ll tell us."

[User] "That is for you to figure out. I’ve stuck my neck out far enough already. It’s your turn now." Hilda grinned wryly.

[Assistant] "Hey, Hilda. Do you think we could take the box ou—" Philine started.

[User] "That would also be forbidden, of course."

[Assistant] "Right. Of course."

[User] "Please notify me once you figure out how to unseal it." Hilda said.

[Assistant] "After I’ve confirmed it’s open with my own eyes, I’ll arrange for the Department of Magic Technology to join Princess Philine’s faction. That is all I can do for you at this point."

[User] "I understand. You’ve done enough." Philine said.

[Assistant] "We’ve come to an agreement, then. I wish you all the best of luck."


[User] Knowing his lack of homemaking skills, I suspected Aleah was cooking dinner about now. Then again, he might well have just taken them out to eat instead. The three of us picked up our pace as we discussed what to do next.

[Assistant] Philine sounded exhausted, likely from the demanding negotiation with Hilda. "I see nothing wrong with that. You did your part by negotiating with Hilda—quite wonderfully, might I add—and now it’s time for us to do ours."

[User] "Yeah," I said. "I see you in a new light, Lady Philine. You’re not such a wimp after all."

[Assistant] "W-wimp?" Philine stammered. "Rae! How could you say such a thing to a princess?!"

[User] "Whoops. Pardon me."

[Assistant] "No, it’s fine. A wimp is exactly what I was up until now." Philine laughed sadly. "But I’ll change. I’ll get Hilda’s support, and I’ll somehow persuade the rebel forces, and I’ll change Mother’s mind—all for the sake of the empire’s future."

[User] "That’s the spirit, Lady Philine."

[Assistant] "Looks like you’ve got a loooong way to go."

[User] "Rae!" Claire exclaimed.

[Assistant] "Ha ha ha…" Philine laughed weakly. What can I say? I just don’t do well with serious situations. "We’ll send a letter to Mr. Torrid tonight."

[User] "Thank you," Philine replied. "Let me know if he requests a reward in return, I’ll do everything in my power to procure it."

[Assistant] "That’d be pointless. Mr. Torrid isn’t the kind of person to care about rewards. He won’t budge, no matter what bait we dangle in front of him."

[User] "Rae! What on earth is the matter with you?" Claire demanded. "Why are you trying to shoot Philine down at every turn?!" I humphed.

[Assistant] "I’m jealous because you’ve only been praising Philine!"

[User] "But you didn’t do a single thing this time." Claire said. "If you want me to praise you, you need to achieve something first."

[Assistant] "That’s true. Well, my time will come soon enough, I’m sure." Perhaps it would come very soon. You see, even without Mr. Torrid’s help, I already knew how to open the Box of the Forbidden.


[User] It had been around a week since we’d undertaken the request to open the Box of the Forbidden. We returned from the Academy to find a letter from Mr. Torrid waiting at home. In immaculate handwriting, the letter said: "It is with a heavy heart that I implore you to give up on opening that box. The things in it are better off left unknown, for they risk breaking this world’s most sacred laws. If you do not wish to live the rest of your life being watched, you must not open that box."

[Assistant] "Unbelievable. He refused?" Sullen, Claire furrowed her brow. She was adorable when she was crestfallen too. "What should we do?

[User] Claire:


[User] "Do you think you could open it with what you know?"

[Assistant] "I could, but I’m a little worried by what he said."

[User] "A sacred law of the world, being watched—both quite unsettling phrases, to say the least. Do you know what’s in the box?"

[Assistant] "Yes, a magical tool he worked on while he was in the empire, and a notebook compiling his research."

[User] "What does the magical tool do, and what’s in the notebook?"

[Assistant] "The magical tool is a ring that amplifies magic. It’s unstable, due to being unfinished, but if a person learned to use it, it would greatly increase their magic ability."

[User] "I see…" As many readers have likely already guessed, the one who learned to use said ring in Revo-Lily was the protagonist, Philine. "As for the notebook, I don’t know much. It should contain data on human experimentation conducted in the empire, as well as some writing lamenting said human experimentation. The notebook was only ever referred to as some anonymous researcher’s work in Revo-Lily. Mr. Torrid’s name never came up, but if everything else is the same, then he lost his own daughter to that research."

[Assistant] "How awful…" I recall the research notes being quite vivid in their description and many of the experiments being inhumane. I had a hard time believing a gentle person like Mr. Torrid could author those notes. "But I don’t see what he could mean by ‘this world’s most sacred laws’ and ‘being watched,’ We should ask him again after we open the box."

[User] "He’ll probably be furious with us."

[Assistant] I agreed, but this was Mr. Torrid we were talking about. He would probably understand and relent, saying, Oh, what’s done is done. He’d also likely be willing to elaborate on his unsettling words, as he wasn’t the type to leave someone in the dark. "So how do we open the box, anyway?"

[User] Claire asked excitedly. The mystery had intrigued her.

[Assistant] "Do you remember the magical stones on its front?"

[User] "Yes. They were black, blue, and red, so they must be correlated with earth, water, and fire magic, no?"

[Assistant] "That’s correct. To open the box, you need to send the corresponding magic attribute into the stones."

[User] "That’s it?" Claire said, disappointed.

[Assistant] "Not quite. If it were that simple, it would have been opened long ago. You see, the source of all three attributes has to be the same person."

[User] "Huh? You don’t mean to say…"

[Assistant] "I do. Only a multi-caster or quad-caster with earth, water, and fire magic can open the box." In this world, where dual-casters were scarce enough, multi-casters and quad-casters were few and far between. There might well have been more, but the only ones I knew of were Manaria, Mr. Torrid, and May. In Revo-Lily, Manaria helped open the box while on a visit to the Nur Empire, but that would be difficult, given the current state of affairs.


[User] “Are you planning what I think you are?”

[Assistant] “Yes. We have to rely on May.”

[User] “Did somebody say my name?”

[Assistant] “Do you have business with May, Mothers?” Two sharp-eared twins appear from their room.

[User] “We do, but first we want to ask you some questions, May.”

[Assistant] “Okay.”

[User] “You’ve learned to use magic, right?”

[Assistant] “Mm-hmm.”

[User] “Which attributes can you use, then?”

[Assistant] “All of them!”

[User] “My little girl’s a genius.” Rae coos.

[Assistant] “I see, I see. You must’ve practiced a lot. Do you think you could use three attributes at once?”

[User] “Hmm… I dunno. I’ve never tried.”

[Assistant] “Makes sense.”

[User] “Let’s try it. Start with two attributes: earth in your right hand and water in your left. Think you can do it?” Rae asks, demonstrating what she meant.

[Assistant] May watches, rapt, before trying herself. She focuses hard and clenches her hands open and closed.

[User] “Like this?”

[Assistant] “Wow, good job!”

[User] “Now one more. This time, add fire between your hands.”

[Assistant] “Okay, I’ll try.”

[User] “Oh, I think I did it.”

[Assistant] “Seriously?”

[User] “Perfect. You can stop now, May. Thank you.”

[Assistant] “Whew… I’m tired…” May says, hugging Claire.

[User] “No fair! Me too!”

[Assistant] “All right, all right, come here.” Claire opens her arms to both.

[User] “You can hug me too, you know?”

[Assistant] Aleah sniffed. “Mother Rae’s chest is too hard.”

[User] “Looks like we can count on May.”

[Assistant] “Yes. I’ll tell Hilda we can open the box then.”

[User] “Please do.”

[Assistant] “There is one thing I’m worried about, however.”

[User] “What?”

[Assistant] “You see…” Rae went on to tell her about a certain problem that might occur.

[User] “We can’t bring May if something like that can happen!”

[Assistant] “But we need May to open the box.”

[User] “I won’t allow it! We’ll have to find another method!”

[Assistant] “I understand how you feel, Miss Claire. Even I’m reluctant to go through with it.”

[User] "Then why are you suggesting it?


[User] “Please calm down, Miss Claire.” I put my hands on her shoulders and soothed her. “I know it’s not one hundred percent safe, but I have my plan to counter it. Meanwhile, I want you to focus on protecting May.”

[Assistant] “But I don’t want you to be in danger either.”

[User] “I’ll be fine. I have knowledge of what happens from Revo-Lily. I know how to deescalate the situation.”

[Assistant] “Please, Miss Claire.” With some hesitation, she acquiesced.

[User] “All right.” It was finally time to open the Box of the Forbidden.


[Assistant] “Forgive me, I’m running a little late.” The next day, Claire and I went to the research facility again, and we brought May with us. We met up with Philine but couldn’t enter without Hilda, who had just arrived.

[User] “I assumed it would take longer to learn how to open the box and had busied myself with some other business.” Hilda said.

[Assistant] “It’s quite all right.”

[User] “Thank you. Who might this child be?” Hilda’s sharp gaze fell on May, who nervously gripped the hem of Claire’s clothes.

[Assistant] “This is May, one of our daughters.”

[User] “Her help is needed to open the Box of the Forbidden.”

[Assistant] “Oh?”

[User] “What do you say, May?” Claire lightly pushed May forward.

[Assistant] “Hello, my name is May. I am six years old. Nice to meet you.” She bowed deeply, for which Claire praised her.

[User] Hilda bent down to May’s eye level. “It’s nice to meet you, May. My name is Hildegard, but please call me Hilda. That was a wonderful little self-introduction.” She donned her classic swindler smile and gently patted May’s head.

[Assistant] "You mentioned we would need her help to open the box, but what exactly does that entail?"

[User] “Allow me to explain as we walk.”

[Assistant] “Very well. Right this way.” With Hilda as our escort, we were allowed to enter the facility. Like last time, the alchemist-like researchers were absorbed in their experiments. They occasionally sent a confused glance May’s way as we passed. May was briefly intimidated by her new environment, but curiosity seemed to win out, and she began studying her surroundings with evident excitement.

[User] “Did Torrid tell you how to open the Box of the Forbidden?” Hilda asked as we walked the corridor.

[Assistant] “Unfortunately, he did not.”

[User] “But we know how to open it regardless.”

[Assistant] “Eh? But how, if Torrid didn’t tell you?” Philine asked, confused.

[User] “That, we cannot answer. Forgive us.”

[Assistant] “No matter. How does it open?” Hilda looked doubtful for a brief moment, but she elected to prioritize moving forward. “It opens when a single person uses three specific attributes of magic on it. That’s why we brought May along. She’s a quad-caster.”

[User] “A quad-caster, you say?” Hilda asked, surprised.


[User] “She is, and I’m very proud of her.”

[Assistant] May looked pleased by Claire’s praise.

[User] Of course, as her mother, I was proud of May as well.

[Assistant] “Hmm… I see. So that’s why nobody’s been able to open it.”

[User] “Are there no multi-casters or quad-casters in the empire?”

[Assistant] “As far as I know, there are not. We have quite a few dual-casters, however.”

[User] It appeared that even a nation as magically advanced as the empire couldn’t artificially increase the number of magical attributes a person had. I now saw why Salas had considered his secret, inhumane experiments so important.

[Assistant] “Looks like we were right to bring May.”

[User] “It would seem so.”

[Assistant] “Try your best, May.”

[User] “Okaaay!”

[Assistant] We finally reached the room with the Box of the Forbidden.

[User] “Please begin.”

[Assistant] “Yes, ma’am. Right here, May.” Rae brought May right up to the box. "Do you see those three magical stones?”

[User] “Mm-hmm.” May nodded.

[Assistant] “Can you send your earth magic into the black one, your water magic into the blue one, and your fire magic into the red one?”

[User] “I’ll try.” May put her hands on the box and closed her eyes to concentrate.

[Assistant] “She’s already learned how to use three attributes at the same time?” Rae overheard Philine ask Claire in a barely audible whisper.

[User] “Indeed. She has also already learned to use all four attributes. May’s a genius when it comes to magic.”

[Assistant] “That’s amazing.”

[User] “Mother Rae?”

[Assistant] “Hm? Yes, May?”

[User] “Is it okay to break the box?”

[Assistant] “Huh?”

[User] “I think the box will break if I pour any more magic into it. Is that okay?”

[Assistant] While shocked to realize May could sense that much, I raised an eyebrow at Hilda.

[User] Hilda nodded. "As long as the contents are safe, you may break the box. Please open it.”

[Assistant] Rae smiled at my daughter. “There you have it, May.”

[User] “Okaaay. I’ll try to open it without breaking it.” May said light-heartedly. “I’ll be getting a little serious now.”

[Assistant] The room immediately filled with the sensation of powerful magic.

[User] “Wh-what is this?”

[Assistant] “It’s May’s magic.”

[User] May was releasing magic so dense, you wouldn’t have thought the source was a six-year-old girl. The magic remained unstructured and therefore didn’t form a spell, but the sheer quantity of raw power alone was breathtaking. It occurred to me that one day, her magic might well rival the ferocity of Claire’s Magic Ray.

[Assistant] “Boom!” As May said this, the three colors of magic light shone even more brightly, enveloping the room in light. Everyone covered their eyes when suddenly, we heard a heavy mechanical thunk.

[User] “It’s open!”

[Assistant] Once the light faded, I beheld the Box of the Forbidden still intact, its top open. May stood beside it, smiling happily.

[User] “It opened…” Hilda murmured.

[Assistant] “Well done, May.”

[User] “Well done.”

[Assistant] Philine stood silently, her mouth agape.


[User] “Please confirm the contents.”

[Assistant] “R-right.” Hilda approached the box.

[User] “It’s…a ring and some documents?” She picked up the papers and scanned them.

[Assistant] “It seems…to be a research report on magic amplification.”

[User] The documents seemed to line up with what I knew from Revo-Lily. I was a bit curious about the more minute details but doubted Hilda would let me read the report. I would just have to ask Mr. Torrid later.

[Assistant] “Then…this must be the rumored Ring of the Forbidden…” Hilda said as she reached out to the ring with a trembling hand.

[User] “Please wait, Miss Hilda.”

[Assistant] “It’s better if you don’t touch that.”

[User] “Why is that?”

[Assistant] “You’ll understand once you read the research notes in more detail. That ring is an unfinished artefact. It’ll overwhelm anyone not fit to wear it.”

[User] Hilda retracted her hand.

[Assistant] “And how do you know such a thing?”

[User] “Like how I knew the way to open the box, I can’t explain that. But I’m certain it’s true.”

[Assistant] “Then who might be fit to wear it?”

[User] “That’s complicated. Not even Mr. Torrid himself knows the conditions required to wear it.”

[Assistant] “So nobody can for now?”

[User] “Not quite. There’s one person I know for sure who can wear it: Lady Philine.”

[Assistant] “Huh? Me?” Philine hadn’t expected to hear her name. At the same time, Hilda scowled.

[User] “Unbelievable.”

[Assistant] “Hilda?” Philine asked with worry.

[User] “Why’s it always like this? The ones who have all the power, money, and status keep gaining more and more, while the ones at their feet are always left to toil for what little they have.” Hilda swept up the ring and made to put it on.

[Assistant] I grabbed her arm to stop her.

[User] “I thought you were smarter than this.”

[Assistant] “Unhand me, Rae Taylor.” she demanded.

[User] “I will not. You are not fit to wear this ring.” I insisted.

[Assistant] “I guarantee it’ll overwhelm you.”

[User] “Then kill me when that happens. It shouldn’t be hard for you.” Hilda sneered, her true self rearing its ugly head. And yet, something about her expression looked pained.

[Assistant] “I could never do such a thing.”

[User] “And why’s that?”

[Assistant] “I could never kill a comrade. We fought against that demon together, didn’t we? Didn’t that bring us closer at all?” While Socrat had been ultimately almost single-handedly vanquished by Dorothea, Hilda had still risked her life to fight with us.

[User] Hilda said nothing.

[Assistant] “Miss Hilda—no, Hilda. You do not need that power. Your wits aren’t meant to be wasted like this. Your enemy isn’t Lady Philine. You know this.” I stared into her eyes as I spoke, as sincere as I could be. Hilda was smart. She wouldn’t give in to a momentary outburst of emotion.

[User] “Heh. You think we’re comrades just because we fought together once?”

[Assistant] “We’ll fight together many more times from here on out.”

[User] “What, you expect me to play along with your schemes?”

[Assistant] “Hm? Did you forget? You promised to help us in exchange for opening the box.”

[User] “Right."


[User] "Yes, a promise is a promise…" Hilda’s arm went slack—right before she flicked the ring with her thumb. It traced a high arc through the air, landing in Philine’s hand.

[Assistant] "Huh?" Philine startled, caught off guard.

[User] "Go hand it to the chief researcher for me."

[Assistant] "B-but, shouldn’t you do that?"

[User] "I need some fresh air. Excuse me." With that, Hilda left the room.

[Assistant] "Hilda!" Philine attempted to follow her out.

[User] "Give her some time, Lady Philine. She’ll be okay."

[Assistant] "But…"

[User] "She needs to sort her feelings out."

[Assistant] "Okay…"

[User] Discreetly, I let out a great big sigh of relief. I’d been prepared to knock Hilda out if necessary, but thankfully, she’d given up of her own accord. I preferred not to resort to violence in front of May.

[Assistant] "Looks like everything worked out, Miss Claire."

[User] "It came fairly close for a moment there. I’ll have to punish you when we get home."

[Assistant] "Your punishments are but a reward to me." In any case, we could now expect the backing of the Department of Magic Technology. Our plan to change the empire was one step closer to fruition.


[User] We gained the support of the Department of Magic Technology relatively smoothly. Resolving their biggest concern, the Box of the Forbidden, did the trick, but it helped that Hilda kept her promise—and that some people in the department already recognized the dangers of letting the Nur Empire’s prosperity rest solely on Dorothea’s shoulders. The Department of Magic Technology was in a difficult situation. While Dorothea’s presence prevented them from gaining more political sway, the empire itself likely wouldn’t last without her, leaving them with no better option than to maintain the status quo. That was why they were thrilled to back Philine, who offered them the opportunity to lessen the empire’s reliance on Dorothea while simultaneously becoming bigger political players through greater influence on foreign policy. Whether things would go entirely as they hoped, however, would depend on Philine’s efforts from here on out.

[Assistant] "And there you have it: We have a new ally on the team. Please give Hilda a warm welcome."

[User] "Just what manner of introduction was that, Princess?"

[Assistant] Currently gathered in Philine’s room were Philine, Hilda, Claire, and me. Yu and Misha weren’t there—for reasons I’ll disclose later.

[User] "I’d like to forge an alliance with a new group now."

[Assistant] "Do you have one in mind?"


[User] "I was thinking maybe the one you mentioned a while ago—the rebel forces."

[Assistant] "Ohh, them."

[User] "Yes. I’ve made up my mind. I’ll do anything for the sake of the empire’s future." Philine really had become more reliable as of late.

[Assistant] "Please wait a moment. You want to work with rebels? This is news to me. I’ve never even heard of such a group before." Hilda interrupted.

[User] "Of course you haven’t. They’re putting their lives on the line just by existing. If someone close to the government, like you, discovered their existence, they’d be purged."

[Assistant] "I suppose…" The circumstances here were different from those the Resistance had dealt with in Bauer. The Resistance had been able to operate in the open because the kingdom had been weak and the government had lost the backing of the commoners. Most would-be revolutionary forces recruited in secrecy, amassing numbers so they could one day strike before the government knew what hit them—and because if they didn’t, they would be crushed.

[User] "I’m against this alliance."

[Assistant] "Hilda…" Philine frowned.

[User] "A princess’s actions must always be just, and anti-government forces are the precise opposite of that. Joining hands with them will only—"

[Assistant] "I wonder about that." Philine cut in.

[User] "Eh?"

[Assistant] "While the way you say it—‘anti-government forces’—sounds bad, Claire tells me they’re actually a group of people from religious nations that were destroyed by the empire. Do you think they would consider the empire that took over their countries ‘just’?"

[User] "That’s…" Hilda hesitated. "They have their own grievances and their own notions of justice. I have no intention of joining hands with evil to succeed, but I can confidently say that they are not evil." Floored, Hilda remained silent.

[Assistant] "U-um, Hilda? Did I say something wrong?" Philine gingerly asked.

[User] "Not at all. I’m just surprised. You’ve changed…" Hilda shook her head. "No, maybe you’ve always been like this, but can now speak your mind."

[Assistant] "Are you praising me?"

[User] "I am. You’re correct—the rebel groups have their own sense of justice, and the wars that brought such groups into existence were not wars of justice against evil, but of justice against justice. I’m glad you understand." Hilda smiled.

[Assistant] "W-well, it wouldn’t do for me to remain a useless princess forever. That’s why I had Claire and Rae train me."

[User] "Indeed? You’ll have to fill me in on that later."

[Assistant] "Absolutely." Philine smiled. "Oh, we got off topic a bit there, didn’t we? Claire, can I leave the explanation of the rebel forces to you?"

[User] "But of course. There are currently three rebel groups active in the empire. Melica, Dana, and Kiko: all countries with state religions that were destroyed by the empire."

[Assistant] "So there’s three of them…" Hilda shuddered. As an aside, Claire knew this information because I’d drilled all that Revo-Lily knowledge into her before we left for the empire. I was so proud of her.