[User] “How’s it going? I trust you’re not finding anything out of the ordinary?”

[Assistant] Wedge asked, his smile dripping with smug confidence.

[User] “We have learned a great deal,” Rae answered instead of Claire.

[Assistant] “Oh, have you now?” Despite having learned of my Secret Service officer status, Wedge clearly had no intention of being polite to me. That actually made things easier. “For example, the Thompson family has been in dire financial straits for the past few years.”

[User] “Indeed. Our territory’s harvest has been very poor the last few seasons, which left us in quite a strained position.” Wedge shook his head as if to convey what a headache it had been.


[User] "A-and yet s-somehow, you’re able to afford luxurious furniture and purchase expensive desserts…"

[Assistant] "Miss Lilly, you may not understand this, since you live in the Church, but nobles use things like furniture and treats to evaluate each other. If an aristocrat lowers the quality of their lifestyle, they lose respect with their peers."

[User] "I-Is that right?"

[Assistant] "Are you just about finished? I don’t have all day. I would like to ask you to conclude, if you’re done." In other words, he wanted us out. Time for the real show to start.

[User] "Miss Claire."

[Assistant] "Are we really doing this…?"

[User] "Yes. Definitely."

[Assistant] "Hmph. Fine, then." Claire let out a big sigh, but her determination showed through. I stood and produced a pill case decorated with the François insignia.

[User] "Stand down! Stand down! Do you not see this crest? !"

[Assistant] Wedge stared up at me, eyes wide. "Wh-what are you talking about…?"

[User] "Who do you think you’re talking to?! You are in the presence of Claire François, daughter of the Minister of Finance!"

[Assistant] "I am well aware—"

[User] "Yes, she of highest standing! Stand down! Stand down!"

[Assistant] Wedge, utterly bewildered, looked to Lilly for help. "Do you happen to understand what this is?"

[User] "I don’t really get it either…"

[Assistant] I sighed. I supposed none of them had the frame of reference to understand my pitch-perfect Komon Mito impression.

[User] "Miss Claire, is Rae all right?"

[Assistant] "I wasn’t sold on this, to tell you the truth, but Rae insisted…" Alas, even Claire was confused. How disappointing.

[User] "Well, whatever."

[Assistant] "Wedge, you window dressed your accounts, right?"

[User] "Excuse me?"

[Assistant] "I mean you cooked the books to make your financial situation look worse than it really was for reporting purposes."

[User] He looked stunned. "On what basis do you make this accusation? !"

[Assistant] "I have your tax records as previously provided to Master Rod. The numbers in these books entirely differ." Wedge had underestimated us because we were girls. His prior confidence likely stemmed from the assumption that we wouldn’t be able to read his ledger. Unfortunately for him, I’d been a corporate drone in my previous life. In fact, I’d worked in the Financial Auditing Department of a general trading company. In a word, reading ledgers was my specialty. The window dressing going on here was practically cute compared to the rampant corporate evils of Earth. I had no calculator with me, but as it turned out, Lilly could do mental arithmetic in a flash. With her at my side, I’d reviewed the ledger top to bottom. What about Miss Claire, you might ask? What skills did she bring to the table? Why, I couldn’t possibly ask an angel like her to trouble herself with such mundane work.

[User] "Baron Thompson has been evading taxes." He pocketed the unreported revenue; a common method of feathering the nest. I wrote down a number. "This should be about how much he owes. Combined with the underpayment penalty—it’s quite a bit.


[User] "It would ruin you.”

[Assistant] When I showed him the number, Wedge’s face paled.

[User] “H-how can you prove my tax records were not tampered with? !”

[Assistant] “We could always bring Master Rod here.”

[User] “Hah…” That stopped him.

[Assistant] “Now then, Baron Thompson. Would you care to explain?”

[User] “I…admit it…” Wedge hung his head, dejected, and told us everything he’d done.

[Assistant] I recorded his confession with the magical tool the king had provided me.

[User] “What…are you going to do to me?”

[Assistant] “We shall report our findings to the palace, and you will be questioned. Be prepared for the worst.”

[User] “At least, that’s what I would want to say, but there is a chance you will be pardoned, is there not?”

[Assistant] Wedge perked up as soon as Claire said those words.

[User] “Not pardoned, Miss Claire.”

[Assistant] “Offered a plea bargain.”

[User] “Ah, yes. Depending on the circumstances, your sentence may be reduced.”

[Assistant] “I’ll do anything! I’ll tell you anything!” Wedge took the bait hook, line, and sinker.

[User] “Rae, what was it you wanted to ask him?”

[Assistant] “Right. The ledgers include some ambiguous entries that seem to indicate secret payments made to high-ranking nobles. Who were the recipients of these funds?”

[User] Claire nodded and turned to Wedge.

[Assistant] “Who did you funnel money to?”

[User] “Th-that…”

[Assistant] “Do you plan to let the House Thompson fall to ruin on your watch?”

[User] “Count Yale…” Wedge said in tones of utter surrender.

[Assistant] On a completely unrelated note, condescendingly interrogating a powerful man she’d brought to his knees was a good look for Claire. Kind of like an evil queen.

[User] Now then. Our strategy was basically this: We would investigate the minor nobles implicated by what Rod had found, offer them plea bargains in return for information, and use that to find our next leads. Count Yale possessed far more wealth and influence than Baron Thompson, which brought us one step closer to Dole and Salas.

[Assistant] “Thank you for your cooperation.”

[User] “The palace will contact you with further instructions. We will put in a good word for you in the name of reducing your sentence.”

[Assistant] “I am ever so grateful for your generosity, Miss Claire,” Wedge said from where he prostrated himself on the floor before Claire. His arrogant, pompous air had all but disappeared.

[User] “And with that, the case is closed!” Rae said happily as we left.

[Assistant] “What was that charade back there?” Claire demanded.

[User] “That?” How could I explain my pop culture references?

[Assistant] “There are a whole lot of servants in a mansion, right?”

[User] “Indeed.”

[Assistant] “We can’t keep the staff quiet. With someone as important as Miss Claire visiting and all the commotion, people might have gotten the impression something untoward was going on.”

[User] “I see. So you did have a reason then.”

[Assistant] Well, I might have pulled that reason out of my butt—I’d just wanted to play with Claire.


[User] "We still haven’t found any evidence leading to Master Dole or my father…" Lilly mumbled as she organized documents in the private room we’d been provided by the palace.

[Assistant] "That doesn’t necessarily mean that our fathers are innocent." Claire said wryly. As we contemplated that, our spirits flagging for a moment, the door swung open.

[User] "Yo. It looks like you’re working hard."

[Assistant] "Master Rod…"

[User] "Thank you…"

[Assistant] "Whoa. You look like you’re in a bad mood, Claire."

[User] "The investigation has hit a dead end."

[Assistant] "Well, I figured as much."

[User] "What if you just bit the bullet and spoke directly to Dole and Salas?"

[Assistant] "But we have no evidence."

[User] "No definitive evidence, but there’s some circumstantial stuff. Besides, if his own daughter were to confront him, maybe he’d let something slip?"

[Assistant] "Well, I’ll let you guys decide for yourselves. I have my own work to do."

[User] "M-Master Rod, what are you working on?"

[Assistant] "Have you heard the two rumors plaguing the capital right now?"

[User] "Oh, those absurd tales." Claire scoffed at once.

[Assistant] "What rumors, Miss Claire?"

[User] "Rae, how can you be so sharp and also so utterly airheaded?"

[Assistant] "O-one rumor is about angry ghosts. The other is about Thane’s birth."

[User] "People have been saying that the spirits of the mountains are on the prowl, looking for corrupt nobles to punish. Probably spread by the masses in reaction to the scandals we’ve brought to light."

[Assistant] "The other rumor is that Thane isn’t truly King l’Ausseil’s child. Ugh…commoners can be so deluded." Claire said angrily.


[User] "Setting aside the rumors about Thane," Rod said, looking uncharacteristically serious. "There was in fact a documented incident of the mountain spirits lashing out in anger."

[Assistant] "R-really?"

[User] "The Spiritual Church called it the Taboo Flame."

[Assistant] "Oh, you mean from Mt. Sassal—the volcano?"

[User] "That’s right." I mentioned earlier that the Academy baths were connected to a hot spring. The capital was located in an area of volcanic activity, and Mt. Sassal was the volcano closest to the city. "Mt. Sassal erupted several hundred years ago, during a time when the capital suffered from rampant misrule." Apparently, the eruption had wrought devastation upon the city. "Personally, I don’t think we’re in danger of something like that happening again. But it’s made the people anxious, so we’re looking into it.”

[Assistant] "What about the rumors about Master Thane?" Claire inquired.

[User] "I can’t comment on that. If you want to know more, go ask Thane," Rod said, evasively. "That reminds me, Rae. Have you decided to accept my proposal yet?"

[Assistant] "No, not at all."

[User] "Rae!"

[Assistant] "Ah ha ha! That’s fine. I don’t mind you playing hard to get." I wanted to ask him why he was so immature for his age.

[User] "We’re busy right now, Master Rod, and so are you. Please stop messing around."

[Assistant] "Okay, okay. Anyway, regarding the rumors, let me know if you hear anything else of interest. See ya," Rod said, moving to leave.

[User] "Wait a second, Master Rod," I said.

[Assistant] "Huh? What is it?"

[User] "There is a small village at the foot of Mt. Sassal, right?"

[Assistant] "Yeah, there is." I knew he would know. He knew everything about the kingdom’s geography. The village was on the exact opposite side of the mountain from the capital.

[User] "That village should be evacuated."

[Assistant] "Why?"

[User] "If the volcano does erupt, they’re right in the path of the lava," I explained.

[Assistant] Rod stroked his chin. "I see what you’re saying, but I don’t think they’ll consent to being evacuated over a rumor about eruptions and angry spirits."

[User] "I suppose so…"

[Assistant] "Well, I’ll look into it. See ya." With another wave, Rod ducked out of the room.


[User] "Rae, you…"

[Assistant] "Stop, Miss Claire. Remember, we decided to put a pin in the marriage discussion?"

[User] "Yes, we did." Claire looked like she wanted to say more, but she held her tongue, respecting my request. Ahh, true love! I noticed Lilly was silent too.

[Assistant] "What is it, Miss Lilly?" She had a very serious look on her face.

[User] "W-well…it’s nothing."

[Assistant] "It’s clearly not nothing. You’ve gone pale," Claire said.

[User] "Th-the Taboo Flame…worries me. I wonder…if the volcano really will erupt…?"

[Assistant] "There’s no way for us to know. The spirits of the mountain are beyond human understanding."

[User] "W-well…that may be, but…" Lilly said, "In our records, past eruptions did terrible damage. Shouldn’t we prepare, somehow?"

[Assistant] "Cardinal Lilly, the royal family and the nobles have plans in place for such events," Claire pointed out calmly.


[User] “The capital stockpiles grain in case of poor harvests, and we keep troops and disaster relief squadrons ready to deploy in an emergency. Even if the volcano does erupt, quite a lot can and will be done.”

[Assistant] Claire was correct. Yet I knew it wouldn’t be enough. After all… I also knew we didn’t have much time until the volcano erupted.


[User] “Hey, isn’t that Master Thane?” When we finally decided to call it a day, we saw Thane on our way back. He lingered alone in the courtyard right by the main palace gates, facing a painting of the royal family.

[Assistant] “Hello, Master Thane. What brings you here?” Claire greeted him on behalf of all of us.

[User] Thane glanced over somberly and then looked back at the painting. “I was just looking at the portrait of my mother.”

[Assistant] I followed his gaze to the portrait of the former Queen Lulu.

[User] "Lady Lulu was beautiful. This painting doesn’t do her justice, though. It doesn’t capture the way her inner beauty shone through,”

[Assistant] She wasn’t just paying Thane lip service; the former queen really was exquisite. Her silver hair shone and her ethereal red eyes captivated. I’d never dare say something so improper out loud, of course, but she made me think of a courtesan—heartbreaking and fragile. The Bauer Kingdom had gained stability when Lulu became queen, and she was remembered as the country’s radiant savior. Unlike Queen Riche, who was tied closely to the Church, Lulu had come from an Alpecian background. She’d helped the Bauer Kingdom establish an alliance with the Alpes that allowed them to successfully drive back the Nur Empire.

[User] “My mother wasn’t just beautiful. She was also kind…” Thane said sadly, not taking his eyes away from the portrait.

[Assistant] “You loved her so deeply,” Claire said. As Dole’s daughter, she’d visited the castle from a young age and shared memories of the former queen.

[User] “Yeah, but I don’t remember her very well…” Thane said in a self-deprecating way. Queen Lulu had been unable to recover from Thane’s birth, leaving her bedridden.

[Assistant] “I wonder…if she hated me?”

[User] “Impossible. What mother could hate her own child?”

[Assistant] “But her life ended prematurely because of me. In her final years, she could barely get out of bed, let alone go to the social events she loved so much.” According to the game’s character guide, Queen Lulu had loved high society life, with its parties and events. She had been right at home in the palace, surrounded by noble schemes and plots. Thane understood being bedridden had deprived her of those joys, and in that sense his sentiment was understandable.

[User] “This may be hard for a man to understand, but a woman’s child is always special to her,” Claire said in an attempt to comfort Thane.

[Assistant] Unfortunately, she was just repeating platitudes. I knew some mothers found themselves unable to love their children—not that I was going to bring up that inconvenient truth in front of Thane.


[User] It wasn’t clear if Claire’s words actually provided Thane any comfort. He continued to stare at the portrait of Lulu with his usual sullen expression, and we fell silent for a moment.

[Assistant] "M-Master Thane, I think what Miss Claire said is correct." Lilly offered a lifeline. Or maybe she just couldn’t stand the silence anymore. "M-my father once told me that Lady Lulu loved the princes in an extraordinary way."

[User] "Salas said that?"

[Assistant] Lilly nodded. "He said Lady Lulu especially doted on Master Thane, because you weren’t born healthy."

[User] "It seems you might not have understood each other."

[Assistant] I felt the same way, but one of the people involved had already passed. The truth was lost forever.

[User] Thane didn’t respond. He was normally a quiet person, but he was especially quiet today.

[Assistant] "Master Thane, are you here because of the rumors spreading around town?"

[User] "Huh? Ah…"

[Assistant] "So, you heard them too, huh?"

[User] "Master Thane, please pay no heed to idle rumors spread by commoners."

[Assistant] "Y-yes that’s right!" Lilly chimed in.

[User] "But…the king is often distant with me. He treats me differently than he does Rod and Yu." Thane’s voice was flat and bitter. "I used to think it was because I was unworthy of my rank, but if the rumors are true, that would explain a lot."

[Assistant] "Master Thane…" Claire said carefully.

[User] "I can’t… It’s not like me to vent like this."

[Assistant] "If you find us suitable confidants, we are happy to listen."

[User] "I appreciate that, but in the end, I am a prince. Someone in line for the throne cannot behave like this."

[Assistant] "It is the duty of a king’s subjects to support him."

[User] "Yes… If I were to become king, I’m sure you would be very helpful, Claire." Thane finally gave us his rare smile. It didn’t happen often, which made it all the more powerful.

[Assistant] "Miss Claire, what are you getting all googly-eyed about? Did you forget you have me?" I said, unfiltered, proving myself again incapable of reading the room.

[User] "G-googly-eyed?! And just what are you suggesting?!"

[Assistant] "Well, you’d look like that at your missing half, right?"

[User] "That’s the first I’ve heard of it!"

[Assistant] "You’re all perverts, the lot of you…"

[User] "Cardinal Lilly, hush!"

[Assistant] "I’m sorry!"

[User] The somber mood evaporated as we squawked at each other again.

[Assistant] "Ha ha… Watching you guys makes my worries feel silly." Thane said. "I’m sorry if I’ve caused you concern. I’ll be fine."

[User] "I wasn’t even that worried." I retorted.

[Assistant] "Rae!" Claire scolded me. "Master Thane, if there is anything we can do, please let us know."

[User] "I-I can’t do much, but I’ll do anything I can!"

[Assistant] "Thanks." Thane said and left.

[User] Was he really all right? I wondered. "He’s really hurting." I murmured.


[User] "You are not authorized to view them.” Ugh. He knew how to corner us—legally speaking, anyway.

[Assistant] “Whatever you’re able to show us is fine, then. Please allow us to examine your ledgers.”

[User] “Of course.” We spent some time examining his books, but no matter how closely we scanned them, we found no discrepancies whatsoever. His accounts were immaculate—disgustingly so. “May we examine that safe?” A solid-looking safe sat next to his desk.

[Assistant] “You may not. It contains confidential information relating to government and foreign policy.”

[User] “You expect us to believe that?”

[Assistant] “If you don’t, feel free to go acquire the necessary permission to view those documents.” He didn’t budge. With no direct evidence to suggest Salas’s guilt, we were out of ammo for the time being.

[User] “Father… I’m hurt. It’s true we have no real evidence, but after all the research we’ve done, we know. We know you’ve conducted yourself corruptly.”

[Assistant] “This is what you might call a false accusation.”

[User] “No matter how you deceive us, you cannot deceive the eyes of the spirits. Eventually, you will be judged. I will pray you are able to confess your crimes before that happens, Father.”

[Assistant] “Lilly…”

[User] “Goodbye.” Lilly started to leave the room, and we followed on her heels.

[Assistant] “Wait. Lilly, I hope you will remember one thing.” She looked back at him, unsure of what to expect.

[User] “Prayer alone gets nothing done. If you wish to succeed, you must get your hands dirty.”

[Assistant] “Is that what you did, Father?”

[User] “Something of the sort. But…” Salas hesitated. “Lilly…you are a pitiful child.” I wouldn’t understand his meaning until it was too late.


[Assistant] “In the end, it turned out exactly how Rod said it would. She was right; it was like cutting the tail off a lizard.” Claire said glumly.

[User] “It’s so frustrating, to get this far and still have no evidence…”

[Assistant] “I-I feel the same.” Claire and Lilly were both earnest people with fathers who were, they were beginning to accept, committing crimes. No wonder they were anxious.

[User] “It’s not like we’re out of leads. I said, and they both looked at me.”

[Assistant] “Do you mean other nobles?”

[User] “No.” We’d never catch Dole and Salas that way. I already knew that for a fact. And I also knew what we needed to do. “I think we should try to reach out to the Resistance.”

[Assistant] “The Resistance?” Claire repeated. Lilly went silent. They both looked at me questioningly.

[User] “The Resistance, or in other words, revolutionaries.” Both of their faces went white as they stared at me, stunned. Claire and Lilly belonged to the privileged class. Any revolutionaries were their natural foe.

[Assistant] “Have you gone mad?! I can’t be involved with those people!” Claire exclaimed.

[User] “I-I agree!”

[Assistant] “Then wait here, both of you. I’ll go alone.”

[User] “You’re part of my household! Do you really think the revolutionaries would meet with you, knowing that? !”

[Assistant] “Yes, I do.”


[User] Claire looked like she wanted more explanation, but I shook my head. “Anyway, leave the rest to me.”

[Assistant] “You can’t! I won’t forgive you!”

[User] “Miss Claire…”

[Assistant] “It’s too dangerous! What if something happens?!”

[User] “I’ll be okay,” I said, but I could tell she wasn’t convinced. What had gotten into her? “Well, how about this? Let’s go to the Resistance with the aim of negotiating ways to avoid violence down the line. We can discuss the corruption amidst the nobility while we’re there.”

[Assistant] “Are those people even capable of civil conversation?”

[User] “I don’t think we need worry about them kidnapping us. They’re still a small organization, and real revolution is still a far-off dream.” Claire didn’t answer, so I went on. “We may be connected to the nobility, but we’re also working to hold corrupt nobles accountable for their crimes. I don’t think the Resistance will flat-out refuse to talk to us.”

[Assistant] "S-so you think those people have proof that our fathers are corrupt?” Lilly, unlike Claire, sounded interested in the plan.

[User] “Cardinal Lilly, we aren’t even sure if our fathers are guilty yet—”

[Assistant] “I will guarantee that. They are definitely involved,” I said.

[User] “How can you be so sure?”

[Assistant] “I’m sorry, Miss Claire. I can’t explain why, not yet.”

[User] “Rae!”

[Assistant] “Miss Claire, let’s trust Rae.”

[User] “Cardinal Lilly…you…”

[Assistant] “My father said it himself. If you want to succeed, you must get your hands dirty,” Lilly said. She let out a forced laugh. “Although I don’t know why he called me pitiful… I want my father to pay for his crimes. If he cannot surrender on his own, then I will find the evidence.” Everyone would be judged for their crimes, eventually.


[User] We found ourselves in a slum a short distance from the capital. Two stout men stood before the entrance of a battered, ramshackle building. Claire, Lilly, and I observed from a distance.

[Assistant] “Are you sure you don’t want to turn back?” Claire asked.

[User] “We’ve already come this far.”

[Assistant] “Y-yes, that’s right. We even have disguises,” said Lilly.

[User] We’d changed out of our school uniforms. We were confident we could defend ourselves if we had to, but we didn’t want the Resistance to be wary of us if we caused a commotion. So, we’d donned peasant clothing—pretty old clothing, at that. We also had hoods covering our eyes to make our age less obvious.

[Assistant] “Okay, let’s go.”

[User] “Wait, Rae… Ugh.”

[Assistant] “L-Let’s go, Miss Claire.” We started to approach the building, determined.

[User] “Excuse me.” I called to the men at the gate, who looked at us suspiciously. Up close, one was tall and brandished a sword on his waist. The other was short and stout, and held something that looked like an axe. They both looked well versed in conflict.

[Assistant] “What is it?”

[User] “No kids allowed in here.”

[Assistant] “We have business with the chief,” I said. “It’s an emergency.”

[User] “I told you, no kids allowed. Go home,” the tall one said threateningly. Hmph.


[User] "How are the Luster siblings?"

[Assistant] "You… Where did you hear that name?!" The guard’s face suddenly went white.

[User] "Are you going to let us see Arla?"

[Assistant] The guards went quiet for a moment. "Hey, how do they know the chief’s na—"

[User] "Shut up. You make sure these kids stay put. I’ll ask the chief," the tall guard said and then disappeared into the building.

[Assistant] "Hey, Rae, what’s going on? Have you met these people before?"

[User] "No."

[Assistant] "Then how can you just rattle off their names?"

[User] "Miss Claire, sometimes women have secrets."

[Assistant] "This is no time for jokes—"

[User] The guard returned. "The chief will see you. Enter."

[Assistant] "Thank you very much." The moment we were through the gate, it locked behind us.

[User] "Hey!" Claire cried.

[Assistant] "Miss Claire, it’s fine."

[User] "But!"

[Assistant] "Please trust me."

[User] "I…I will." Claire didn’t look happy about any of this, but she listened to me, at least for now. She looked ready to burst at any moment. I had to be careful in more ways than one.


[Assistant] The inside of the building proved cleaner and more organized than anyone could ever have imagined from viewing its exterior. Furnished with only the bare minimum in terms of furniture, it still met the standard of commoner towns. We proceeded to the hallway from the gate and then to the farthest back room.

[User] "Chief, this is them."

[Assistant] "Thanks." A tall woman with drab, loosely pulled-back blonde hair turned to us. Her face—actually her entire body—was covered in burn scars. "There’s much I want to ask you, but first, let’s have you remove your hoods." She said with a thin smile. This burn-riddled woman was Arla Luster. She stared at us with icy eyes, and even Claire, usually uncowed, shrank a bit under the pressure.

[User] "Do you understand where you are?" When we did as we were told and removed our hoods, Arla’s expression changed slightly.

[Assistant] "The right wing of the Commoner Movement."

[User] "We know this is the headquarters of The Resistance."

[Assistant] "Where did you hear that?" Arla asked, amused.

[User] "From nobody. Please rest assured that none of your members betrayed you."

[Assistant] "You expect me to believe that?"

[User] "I need you to believe me, Arla Manuel." The second I said that, I felt a small pain at my throat.

[Assistant] "Rae?!"

[User] "Rae?!" Claire and Lilly cried in unison. They both drew their magic wands, and I held up my hands to stop them. A sword had appeared; its point pressed to my neck. Arla had moved so fast I hadn’t even seen her draw her weapon.

[Assistant] "You… Why do you know my family’s name?" She was unnerved, now. I could tell.

[User] "I cannot tell you that. However, I know almost everything about you.


[User] "I know what you’re doing and what you’re going to do."

[Assistant] "If you know that much, do you think you’re going to get out of here alive? Do you have a death wish?"

[User] "No. We came to propose a transaction."

[Assistant] "A transaction?"

[User] "Can you please lower your sword? It makes it difficult to speak."

[Assistant] At that, Arla stared at me, wary, for some time, but she finally let out a deep sigh and lowered her sword. "I will listen to what you have to say. After that, I’ll decide whether or not to let you live."

[User] "Thank you very much." I’d succeeded in getting Arla to the negotiation table. But the hard part was yet to come. "I know you are lacking in funding for your activities. I will give you two million gold."

[Assistant] "Oh really? And where will you acquire such funds?"

[User] "You needn’t worry about the source. In return, I want you to tell me where I can find proof of infidelity between the late Queen Lulu and Chancellor Salas."

[Assistant] "What are you…? How much do you know?"

[User] "As I said, I know almost everything."

[Assistant] "Infidelity between m-my father and the late queen?! What are you saying, Rae?!" Lilly cried, unable to contain herself.

[User] "Well, well, well. So, you’re Cardinal Lilly? That must mean you’re Rae Taylor, correct?" Arla smirked, as if to say “gotcha.”

[Assistant] "Spare us the poor acting. You knew exactly who we were the moment we removed our hoods."

[User] Arla clicked her tongue as I called her bluff.

[Assistant] "And Miss Lilly, I’m afraid Master Salas had an affair with the late queen. The result of that affair was Master Thane."

[User] "Wh…wh-wha?!"

[Assistant] "You’ve figured that much out without any evidence?"

[User] "Yes. But you know where such evidence is, don’t you, Arla?"

[Assistant] "Why would you think that?"

[User] "Because you started the rumor spreading through the streets about Master Thane. It seems you really do know everything…" Arla chuckled, raising both arms as in surrender.

[Assistant] "Does that mean you also know who I am?"

[User] "Yes."

[Assistant] "Let’s hear it."

[User] "You are Arla Manuel, the firstborn daughter of former Count Manuel, former attendant of Master Salas," I said.

[Assistant] Arla’s only response was ironic laughter.

[User] "Explain yourself, Rae. I-I want to know too." Claire demanded.

[Assistant] "Would you like to explain, Arla?"

[User] "No. I’ll answer any questions you might have, but you do the talking."

[Assistant] "Very well, then. First of all, as I just said, this is Arla Manuel. She’s the daughter of Count Manuel, who was a close confidant of Salas’s."

[User] "You mean the count who went bankrupt about ten years ago?"

[Assistant] "Y-you know about that, Miss Claire?"

[User] "Of course, I’m a noble."


[User] "We make it our business to know the fortunes and powers of other noble families.”

[Assistant] “R-really?” Claire and Lilly both belonged to the nobility, but the difference between purebred aristocrats and ecclesiastical nobility always ended up making itself apparent.

[User] “Count Manuel was well known and well liked,” Claire continued. "My father said he was known for honesty in his dealings.”

[Assistant] “Th-then why did such a person go bankrupt?”

[User] “Much like the people we’ve been investigating, he was found to be using shady accounting practices.”

[Assistant] “You call that shady accounting? !” Arla cried out. Judging by her expression, she immediately regretted it.

[User] Claire looked surprised at Arla’s outburst, but she continued. “When Count Manuel’s corruption came to light, it caused a huge scandal. No one could believe it.”

[Assistant] “In actuality,” I said, “Master Salas framed the Count. Salas made him take the fall to protect himself—made him one of the lizard’s tails, if you will.”

[User] “B-but why is the daughter of a former noble working with, um, the Resistance?”

[Assistant] “Hatred for Salas, and by extension the entire aristocracy, perhaps?” I looked at Arla.

[User] “That’s right,” she answered in a low voice. "My father was a gentle and honest man, and the other nobles knew it. And yet, they abandoned him on Salas’s word. Such a world should not exist.”

[Assistant] “Was that when you made up your mind, Arla?” I asked.

[User] She nodded slowly.

[Assistant] “Revenge won’t solve anything,” Claire said.

[User] “Are you speaking from experience, girl? I don’t care about the revolution. The only thing I want is to see the streets run red with noble blood,” Arla said with a cold chuckle.

[Assistant] “I’m sure I sound naive to you. But I’m not giving up on my ideals,” Claire declared.

[User] Claire and Arla were both right—and they were both wrong. The world wasn’t black and white, only shades of grey. Even so, a thirst for revenge alone wouldn’t propel the Resistance to success. "Where’s Irvine?” I asked.

[Assistant] “You know my brother too? He’s out fundraising today. We need more money.”

[User] Arla’s younger brother, Irvine, oversaw the Resistance’s finances. If Arla gave the movement the heart and soul, Irvine gave it a brain. Together, the siblings would eventually be the spark that set the revolution alight. "Let’s get back on track,” I said. “I think your father told you where to find evidence of Salas’s infidelity, Arla. How about it?” This was the question I’d come here to ask. In one route of the game, the protagonist investigated Salas for proof of corruption, much like we were doing now, but the exact nature of the proof you could acquire was randomized from one run to the next. The variables only locked in after the player had this talk with the Resistance.

[Assistant] “Cash first. I won’t talk until I see the cash.”

[User] “I guarantee you will get the money. I will transfer it from XX in the usual way.”

[Assistant] “You are XX?


[User] "No," I said. “But they’re a friend of mine.”

[Assistant] "If you’re truly a friend of XX… I’ll tell you." Arla sighed. “I believe it’s in the safe in his office. However, no one can open that safe except for Salas.” She laughed, as if to tell us we’d just wasted our time.

[User] "In the safe?" I said. “Thank you very much.”

[Assistant] "W-wait a second! So you know it’s in the safe, but you don’t know how to open it?" Claire objected. “S-so we’re right back where we started?” Lilly added.

[User] "No," I said. “This is all we need.”

[Assistant] "Wait, Rae! Are you sure?"

[User] "It’s okay, Miss Claire. As long as we know the evidence is there, we can figure it out."

[Assistant] "Are you asking me to trust you again?"

[User] "Yes. I hope I’ve given you enough reason to do so." We were done here. Claire looked ready to explode, and Lilly looked frightened, but we needed to bid Arla farewell and take our leave. As we turned to go, however, Arla called out to me. “Rae Taylor, are you not interested in joining the Resistance?”

[Assistant] "Ridiculous! How can you ask such a question? The answer is no!" Claire burst out.

[User] "I was asking Rae Taylor," Arla responded.

[Assistant] "I speak for Rae!"

[User] "Settle down, Miss Claire. Let’s have that argument in a better place and time," I soothed.

[Assistant] "This isn’t a joke!" Claire looked like she had more to say, but I turned to Arla.

[User] "My answer is no."

[Assistant] "And why is that? Did being adopted by nobles make you acquire a taste for luxury?"

[User] "Not at all."

[Assistant] "In that case—" Arla started.

[User] I held up my hand to stop her mid-sentence. "All of me belongs to Miss Claire. If Claire decides to join the revolution, then I will reconsider."

[Assistant] "Rae…" Claire smiled, relieved. I wanted to hug her.

[User] "I see… You may regret this," Arla said.

[Assistant] "I won’t." We said our goodbyes and left the Resistance hideout. Claire and Lilly seemed despondent, probably still viewing this as another dead end, but I knew we had a lot to do. We knew where to find the evidence. Time for the next step. Everything was going according to plan.


[User] "You lot again?" We pushed into the Chancellor’s office to find Salas in a meeting with a subordinate and a man who looked to be a soldier. The room, filled with glass-like sculptures, also included four people in armor, who stood looking at us. The emblems on their armor identified them as belonging not to the imperial army but Salas’s personal guard.

[Assistant] "I’m in a meeting right now. If you have business with me, please make an appointment and return at that time," Salas said, trying to shoo us out.


[User] “We must speak with you about the issue from the other day. You would do well to send these fellows away.” I wasn’t backing down. Claire and Lilly looked on with worried faces.

[Assistant] “We have nothing further to discuss.”

[User] “On the contrary, we’ve received some new evidence from the son of Count Manuel.” Salas’s face changed the moment he heard that name.

[Assistant] “I’ll say it again,” I repeated. “Please clear the room.”

[User] Salas let out a great sigh. He ordered the soldiers to leave, making a big show of being put out, but I wasn’t fooled. I saw the sharp flash in his eyes.


[Assistant] Salas sat, put his elbows on his desk, and clasped his hands together in the classic evil genius pose. "And? What are you going to say this time? That I’m corrupt?”

[User] “You, Master Salas, are suspected of infidelity with the late Queen Lulu.”

[Assistant] “Ridiculous.”

[User] “You manipulated the queen, then used your affair to threaten her.”

[Assistant] “And how do you think I did that?”

[User] “With this.” I pulled out the magic recording tool the king gave me. “You recorded yourselves being intimate with a magical tool exactly like this. Then you used it against her.”

[Assistant] “Why would I ever do something so foolish? I’m not quite that eager to ruin myself.” Salas’s confident smile never wavered.

[User] “At the time, you were a young noble of middling status. The queen risked losing far more than you did. But, more than that…Lady Lulu was in love with you.”

[Assistant] Salas had risen to his current position thanks to the full support of the late queen. There was no doubt that he was up to the task politically, but a mid-level noble didn’t become Chancellor of the entire nation on his own steam. "You really do have an active imagination, don’t you? I’ll ask you the same question I did last time. Do you have evidence?”

[User] “Yes, I do.” This was where I would get him.

[Assistant] “Oh. And where is that?”

[User] “In your safe, right there.”

[Assistant] Salas raised his right eyebrow.

[User] “You threatened the late queen in order to gain your position. But after the queen passed, the blackmail you held became a weapon against yourself. So you kept it hidden in the safe.”

[Assistant] “You’re not making sense. Even if I did have an affair, I would have destroyed the evidence right after Lady Lulu’s death.”

[User] "The magical tool you used to record your blackmail material is extremely rare; they can usually only be procured with government permission. You, on the other hand, got yours on the black market.” A worthy point. However—

[Assistant] “If the tool is contraband, that’s all the more reason to destroy it.”

[User] “No. You used the same magical tool to record multiple political dealings that are important to you personally.


[User] “That’s why you won’t destroy it, despite your relationship with the late queen.” The king had told me the recordings made by the magical tool couldn’t be duplicated or reproduced. This also meant that Salas couldn’t transfer certain recordings onto a different tool.

[Assistant] "False accusations."

[User] "Is that so? In that case, let me investigate your safe."

[Assistant] “How many times are you going to make me say it? This safe contains important secrets regarding the government and foreign policy. If you want to search it, you’ll need permission from the House of Lords.”

[User] “But that’s not going to happen, is it? You have dirt on pretty much every member of the House.”

[Assistant] “They won’t grant your request, it’s true, but not because I have blackmailed them—simply because your accusations are baselessly incoherent.” Salas laughed in triumph.

[User] “That’s why I’ve decided to invoke the Royal Prerogative.”

[Assistant] Salas’s face suddenly went white. “Th-the Royal Prerogative?”

[User] “You know what that is, right? A special power the king can invoke to overrule the House of Lords.” He was silent. "The Royal Prerogative will allow us to open that safe. When that happens, you’re finished.”

[Assistant] Salas’s expression was grim. “The king can’t recklessly invoke something as significant as the Royal Prerogative. Do you really think he’ll risk it with no guarantee of finding anything?”

[User] "I will provide that guarantee.”

[Assistant] “Dare I ask?” Salas no longer had his confident expression, but he wasn’t backing down yet.

[User] “‘Lady Lulu, this is wrong,’” I began to recite. “‘I know, Salas. But I’ll brave hell if it means being with you.’” Claire and Lilly wore dubious expressions. Salas’s face expressed nothing but shock. “‘We are sinners…but we shall be sinners together.’ ‘Ahh, Salas. My love…’ Shall I continue?”

[Assistant] “You…” Salas growled. The intellectual, refined gentleman had disappeared, leaving behind only a cornered criminal.

[User] “I just recited the beginning of the conversation recorded in your magical tool. I would be happy to recite the entire thing. How about it?”

[Assistant] “You…why…?”

[User] “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that this is enough detail to persuade the king. Now, Salas, what would you like to do? I recommend turning yourself in.” The Chancellor said nothing, his face wracked with fear. He was probably running through scenarios in his mind, trying to think of a way to avoid prison. However, I knew what he would do next. Finally, his face distorted. “If my crimes become public, House François will go down with me.”


[Assistant] “Huh?” Claire started at the unexpected mention of her family.

[User] “My tool contains recordings that prove Dole’s corruption. Do you not care what happens to the François name?”

[Assistant] “N-nonsense! My father would never—”

[User] “Sweet, naive girl. He raised you like a princess, blind to his true nature.”

[Assistant] “I will not stand for you insulting my father!” Claire looked about ready to physically attack Salas.

[User] “Miss Claire, please calm down.”

[Assistant] “Calm down?!”


[User] "Are you saying you actually accept what Salas is saying?!"

[Assistant] "I am not accepting it. But Salas is telling the truth."

[User] "Wh-what did you say…?"

[Assistant] "Can you prove it to us?" Lieselotte says to Salas.

[User] "That you have clear evidence of Dole’s corruption?"

[Assistant] "Why not?" Salas says, standing from his desk and moving toward the safe. He unlocked it, hiding the dial from us with his body, and took out a magical tool like mine but more worn with age. He activated the tool with magic power.

[User] "—This is all that splashed over this month?"

[Assistant] "—I’m very sorry, Master Dole. The inspector has been breathing down my neck of late."

[User] "—Heh, of course he has. I know you’re pocketing some yourself."

[Assistant] "—You’re taking a number of bribes from other nobles as well, aren’t you, Master Dole?"

[User] "—Don’t speak so carelessly. I simply receive contributions from those who wish to share."

[Assistant] "—Oh, is that so? In that case, I’d like to stop my donations."

[User] "—Of course. You can stop being a high-ranking noble, while you’re at it."

[Assistant] "—I can’t have that. So, I guess this is a bribe?"

[User] "—Think of it however you want to."

[Assistant] "That’s enough!" Claire screamed.

[User] "Miss Claire…"

[Assistant] "I-I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it… But… But!"

[User] I hugged Claire as grief overcame her. My chest tightened in sympathy.

[Assistant] "Well then, shall we negotiate?" Salas had us where he wanted.

[User] "If you don’t wish for Dole’s crimes to be made public, I’ll need you to hold your tongues."

[Assistant] "Miss Lilly and I are not members of the François family."

[User] "You really shouldn’t try to play dumb. I know exactly what relationship you and Claire share. You’re not going to hang her out to dry."

[Assistant] I didn’t answer. He was right enough. No point in arguing back.

[User] "E-even if they won’t, I can file a complaint against you, Father!"

[Assistant] "No, you can’t. Not you."

[User] "I-I can!"

[Assistant] "No, you can’t." Salas insisted. He was implying something, though I wasn’t sure what.

[User] "Now, what say you?" He looked at us, waiting for an answer.

[Assistant] I started to open my mouth.

[User] "The answer is no!" Claire burst out. I was shocked to my core.

[Assistant] "Miss Claire…"

[User] "If my father is involved in something illegal, I can’t stand by. In fact, I’ll be the one to report his crimes to the king." Claire said. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but they shone clear. This was the true Claire.

[Assistant] "Idiot… You would bring down your own house?"

[User] "An aristocrat must govern herself most strictly. Corrupt nobles are no better than the parasites that the Commoner Movement calls them!" Claire stood undaunted. Salas looked completely taken aback. Although they were both aristocrats, they were as different as night and day.

[Assistant] "Salas Lilium, if you are a true noble, then resign."

[User] "No, I don’t think so." Salas shook his head.

[Assistant] "Do you have any idea what I went through to get here?"


[User] “I will not let my family fall now.” That dangerous gleam had reappeared in his eyes. Claire and Lilly braced themselves. “Okay, fine. Let’s keep it to ourselves.”

[Assistant] “Rae?! What are you saying? !”

[User] “Miss Claire… I’m sorry.” Rae put her finger to her forehead, and she collapsed.

[Assistant] “R-Rae? !” Lilly cried.

[User] “It’s okay. She’s just sleeping.” It was the same spell I had used on her during the Commoner Movement’s invasion of the Academy.

[Assistant] “Hmph. At least you understand how things work,” said Salas.

[User] “I do not agree with you one bit, but my priority is Miss Claire.”

[Assistant] “I wonder.” Salas chuckled, seemingly satisfied with my answer. “So, we agree to mutually hold our tongues?”

[User] “Yes.”

[Assistant] “And you can convince Claire?”

[User] “Leave that to me.”

[Assistant] “Hmph.” Salas looked like he had his doubts, but he didn’t say anything else.

[User] “I’m disappointed in you, Rae!” Lilly scolded me. “Of all people, I never thought that you… I never thought you would say something like that!”

[Assistant] “Ahh, please don’t worry,” Salas said. “Lilly can’t do anything to stop us.”

[User] “What do you mean?”

[Assistant] “You convince Claire. I’ll take care of Lilly.”

[User] Lilly flew out of the room before I had a chance to say another word.

[Assistant] “Are you sure she’s okay?”

[User] “I guarantee it. I promise you that she can’t do anything. I won’t let her.”

[Assistant] I had to trust him for now, much as it made me sick to think of it. “Then, our deal is complete?”

[User] Salas held out his hand.

[Assistant] “I have no intention of colluding with you.”

[User] “Is that so?” He smiled slyly, and my disgust grew.

[Assistant] “I have one piece of advice for you.”

[User] “What is it?”

[Assistant] “Your recording device will disappear from your safe tonight.”

[User] “You’re making no sense again.”

[Assistant] “You’re right. It’s up to you whether you want to believe me or not.”

[User] “Oh, is that so?”

[Assistant] “That’s all. Goodbye.” I picked up the sleeping Claire and left the room. Convince Claire? Impossible.


[User] “What have you done, Rae? !” Claire cried out the second she woke up in her dorm room at the Academy.

[Assistant] “Calm down, Miss Claire.”

[User] “How am I supposed to calm down?! I can’t just let this go! How can you call yourself my partner? !”

[Assistant] “Miss Claire, I’m not letting anything go.


[User] “I intend to make both Salas and Dole pay for their crimes.”

[Assistant] “Huh?” Claire’s tone softened as if she had never even been angry with Raeliana in the first place.

[User] “B-but Salas persuaded you…”

[Assistant] “I was only pretending. I had another objective.”

[User] “Objective?” Claire’s face was full of questions.

[Assistant] “Yes. But more importantly, I need you to help me find Miss Lilly.”

[User] “Cardinal Lilly? What happened to her?”

[Assistant] “It was my fault for not explaining my plans to her beforehand. She thinks I accepted Salas’s terms, just like you did. She ran away.”

[User] “What a mess,” Claire sighed.

[Assistant] “You should have told us what you were planning…”

[User] “Anyway, we need to find her.”

[Assistant] “Fine, then. Let’s split up.”

[User] “No. It’s too dangerous to do that right now.”

[Assistant] “Dangerous?”

[User] “I’m sorry, Claire… I don’t think I have time to explain.” Raeliana grabbed Claire’s arm and pulled her off the bed, putting her body between her and the window.

[Assistant] “Please protect me, Miss Claire.”

[User] “Huh? !” There was a small sound as the window unlocked itself. Finally realizing what was happening, Claire drew her magic wand and prepared herself. The window slid open quietly and six men slipped in.

[Assistant] “Who are they? !”

[User] “Salas’s assassins.” Probably some of them were members of the personal guard we’d seen in his office, though now they wore neither armor nor emblems. Their bodies were wrapped in black cloth and white masks covered their faces. Raeliana wasn’t the only one who’d pretended to be convinced. Salas had never intended to buy their silence.

[Assistant] “A real fireteam, huh?”

[User] “A what?”

[Assistant] “I mean they’ll do whatever it takes to silence us.”

[User] “Yes, that’s probably true,” Claire nodded, holding up her wand and facing the men.

[Assistant] “Let’s do this. I am Claire François. I will not run nor will I hi—”

[User] “Aieee! Murderers!” Raeliana screamed, interrupting her monologue. Raeliana knew this scene from playing the game. The main character fights the assassins with her love interest by her side, which always made her wonder why she didn’t just call for help. This was the middle of the Royal Academy. There were people all around us in the dorms. Why fight two-to-six when she could just shout for aid?

[Assistant] “What on earth was that?”

[User] “Who’s screaming? !”

[Assistant] “Are you all right, Miss Claire? !” As Raeliana’d hoped, other students started pouring into the room. In the game, this would have ruined the player character’s chance to bravely fight alongside her interest, but Raeliana wasn’t about to risk Claire getting hurt. She’d learned something from her mistakes during the Commoner Movement, after all. The assassins were clearly caught off guard, but they made no attempt to flee. Perhaps Salas had something to leverage against them too. Money, the lives of their family members—whatever it was, it clearly motivated them to face death. They fought to the end and, when it became clear they stood no chance of victory, took their own lives.


[User] "How horrifying…" Claire muttered as she gazed at their bodies. She obviously meant Salas.

[Assistant] "Ah, it must be nice to be so naive." Said an inappropriately cheerful voice. The door slammed shut on its own. Someone pounded on the other side, but it didn’t open.

[User] In the next moment, all the students trapped in Claire’s room with us started dropping like flies—dead.

[Assistant] "There!" Claire cast a powerful flame spear in the direction of where the last person had fallen. The spear was immediately snuffed out.

[User] "Hey, you two." A figure in a black mask was suddenly visible where the spear had disappeared. "Nice to see you again."

[Assistant] "You, I saw you that night…" The night of the Commoner Movement, this was the assassin who had nearly murdered Thane.

[User] "You did, didn’t you?" "I got a little overconfident back then, but I’m back for my revenge."

[Assistant] I hadn’t foreseen this. Why was this guy showing up again now of all times?

[User] "Rae, think later. We need to take him out now."

[Assistant] "Yes, ma’am."

[User] "Oooh, I’m so scared." The black-masked man chuckled, and he readied a knife.

[Assistant] "Be careful, Claire. He might have cantarella on that blade."

[User] "Got it." Claire kept her eyes focused on the target.

[Assistant] "Hmm… You think so?" The man said vaguely. "If you’re not going to come at me, I’ll come at you!" Claire waved her wand, propelling another flame spear at the masked assassin’s feet.

[User] "Hah. Useless." Right before it struck the assassin, the flame spear disappeared just like the last one had.

[Assistant] What kind of magic was this?

[User] "What’s the point of announcing your attack? If you’re going to strike— Do it like this!" The man disappeared before he finished his sentence. He had closed the distance between himself and Claire in the blink of an eye, and he swung at her.

[Assistant] Claire somehow dodged and drew back, but it was close—far too close for comfort, even for Claire, who was skilled in martial arts. I didn’t think I would have been able to react in time.

[User] "Freeze!" I initiated the Judecca water magic that I had used against Manaria to stop him from moving. If I could just connect it to Earth Spikes and complete Cocytus—

[Assistant] "I told you, it’s useless." For a moment, I thought the masked man had been frozen, but he recovered instantaneously. Was it possible he could use Spellbreaker, like Manaria?

[User] "Hmm," he continued. "Still, two against one is rather inconvenient."

[Assistant] "You’re the one who came after us—"

[User] "Just following orders. I’m not here because I want to be. Ah, now there’s an idea. Let’s wrap up here, shall we?" The masked man suddenly bolted toward the door, not slowing an ounce when he got there but breaking it down with a kick.


[User] The students out in the hall scattered from the shock of the door splintering open, and he used the opportunity to slip between them and run.

[Assistant] “Wait!”

[User] “Miss Claire, no! We need to make sure Lilly is safe!” I stopped her from giving chase. If Salas had sent assassins to kill us, there was no telling what he might do to Lilly. Or so I thought.

[Assistant] “Rae! Miss Claire!” Lilly appeared amidst all the commotion, rushing to us through the crowd that had formed.

[User] “Oh, thank goodness… You’re safe.”

[Assistant] “Miss Lilly… What are you doing here?” I was relieved, but I couldn’t help also being confused.

[User] “I-I just was thinking that Rae wouldn’t give in to my father without good reason… So I wanted to come ask you why you did it, but you were being attacked!” Lilly bawled.

[Assistant] “Don’t worry, Miss Lilly. Miss Claire and I are both safe. I’m so sorry for making you worry.”

[User] “Y-yes, you should be…” Lilly didn’t stop crying.

[Assistant] I patted her head to comfort her.

[User] “Rae, let’s explain what’s going on to the dorm monitor. We also need to get Cardinal Lilly caught up.”

[Assistant] “Yes.” The dorm was a hive of activity the rest of the night and into the next day. We were too busy trying to get things under control to take any real action until the next afternoon. But our counterattack was yet to come.


[User] The next day, we requested an audience with the king and were granted it immediately. These were extreme circumstances. When we made it to the palace and entered the audience chamber, both the king and Salas were already present. The queen was not. Rumor had it that she hadn’t left her bed since Yu gave up her right to succession. A number of royal guards were also in the room.

[Assistant] “You’re late. What are you thinking, making His Majesty wait?” Salas said pompously.

[User] “I’m very sorry. We had an errand to run,” Claire said in measured response to that caustic tone.

[Assistant] “Now, what’s this all about?” the king asked. Of course, we had already explained the situation to him when we requested an audience. Everything to come would be an act.

[User] “Your Majesty, we are here to report the crimes of Chancellor Salas,” Claire said boldly. Salas’s expression did not change.

[Assistant] “And what crimes might those be?” asked the king.

[User] “Your Majesty, these are nothing but false accusations.”

[Assistant] “Th-they are not false,” Lilly objected. It looked like Salas intended to feign ignorance, probably because he knew the king had not yet invoked Royal Prerogative.

[User] “Are you still trying to accuse me of infidelity?” Salas sneered.

[Assistant] “No, we’re not,” Claire replied to Salas’s evident surprise. She went on, “Salas’s crime…is instigation of foreign aggression.”

[User] “Wh-what did you say…?” I saw that sharp flash of light in Salas’s eyes again.

[Assistant] Claire ignored it and continued. “Salas is communicating secretly with the Nur Empire.”

[User] “Don’t be ridiculous.


[User] "That’s completely unfathomable." Salas shook his head, looking annoyed.

[Assistant] The king, meanwhile, leaned forward, listening quietly.

[User] "Your Majesty, the violent fallout of the Commoner Movement is not solely the fault of your policies. Salas has been working with the Nur Empire to instigate conflict."

[Assistant] "Absurd. Your Majesty, please pay no heed to such idle gossip."

[User] "We have proof. Don’t we, Rae?"

[Assistant] "Yes." I pulled the item out of my bag.

[User] "I-Impossible…" Salas was struck dumb as he beheld the item in my hand—an old, time-worn magic recording device. I activated the tool with magic power, and a conversation began to play.

[Assistant] "—If I help foment rebellion in the kingdom, the empire will guarantee me a position of power in the new administration?"

[User] "—Yes, this I promise."

[Assistant] "—How do you wish to go about this?"

[User] "—Use the foolish king’s own policies. Spur the Commoner Movement to acts of violence."

[Assistant] "—Ahh, I see. Simple, really. Commoners are fools, after all."

[User] "That’s enough." The king held up his hand, and I stopped the magical device. Salas stood there, frozen, all the color drained from his face.

[Assistant] "Salas, what have you to say for yourself?"

[User] "You… How did you get that? !" Salas demanded, indignant.

[Assistant] "Why, from the safe in your office, of course."

[User] "Impossible! I’m the only one who knows the combination!"

[Assistant] "Well, that’s where Rae’s genius came in. Right, Rae?"

[User] "Yes. Well, not my genius but hers." I said, turning my bag upside down. A nearly transparent, amorphous being oozed out.

[Assistant] "A m-monster? !" The royal guard drew their weapons at Salas’s scream, but the king motioned for them to stand down.

[User] "She’s a familiar. See? Her core is gold."

[Assistant] "Hmph. I see." The king hadn’t even flinched at the sight of my monstrous friend. He was no coward.

[User] I scooped up Ralaire and showed her to Salas. "Does she remind you of anything?"

[Assistant] "What in the world are you talking about?"

[User] "The ice sculptures in your office."

[Assistant] "Ah…" I’d covertly released Ralaire in Salas’s office on our last visit, where she’d used her mimicry ability, undine, to blend in with the objects in the room. The reason I’d told Salas that his recording tool would disappear was to make him paranoid enough to check it was still there before he left for the night—in other words, to make him use the dial while Ralaire watched. Later, I collected Ralaire, who could now perfectly mimic Salas’s safe-opening movements. No scorn for former monsters. My baby was smart.

[User] "You…deceived me…"

[Assistant] "Mmhm."

[User] "G-give up, Father!" The guards surrounded Salas.

[Assistant] "It is time to pay your debts, Salas."

[User] "Heh heh…" We all stared at him in confusion. "Heh heh… Ha ha ha!" Salas cackled. "Ahhh…you got me.


[User] “Very impressive, Claire François, Rae Taylor.”

[Assistant] “And me.” Lilly shot back.

[User] “No, you really didn’t do much at all. Think about it, Lilly. Did you ever do a single thing that might cause your father harm?”

[Assistant] What was he talking about? It sounded like nonsense, but as I thought back, I realized that Lilly had never taken substantial actions against Salas or any of the nobles.

[User] “What’s your point?” I demanded.

[Assistant] “I just find it amusing, that’s all. What is it like to be betrayed by someone you thought was your ally?”

[User] My eyes went instinctively to Lilly, who looked bewildered, like she didn’t know what her father was talking about. Maybe he was just desperate?

[Assistant] “Lilly,” Salas ordered, “save your father, now.”

[User] “Wh-what are you talking about?! You need to pay for his crimes!”

[Assistant] “Very well, then, In that case, you must pay too. For your own crimes!”

[User] “What are you talking about?! I have no idea what you mean!”

[Assistant] “Lilly…you’re such a pitiful child. Lord, have mercy.”

[User] That final phrase seemed to have been a trigger of some kind—the second it reached Lilly’s ears, she collapsed.

[Assistant] “Cardinal Lilly? !” Claire flew to her side, panicked.

[User] I had a fiercely bad feeling about this. “Get away from her, Claire!” I cried out, forgetting her title. As I pulled Claire away from Lilly, a silver aura pouring off Lilly tugged at the curls of Claire’s blonde hair.


[Assistant] “Now, now. There’s no need for this.” In the next instant, a familiar, uncannily cheerful voice spoke to us.

[User] “Hey, Rae, Miss Claire. It’s been quite the day.” The voice and expression were unmistakable. The voice, in particular. It belonged to the assassin—the man in the black mask.

[Assistant] “Salas! What have you done to Cardinal Lilly? !” Claire demanded.

[User] Salas ignored her. “That commoner was a dual-caster, right?”

[Assistant] “Answer my question!”

[User] “I am. My specialty in my Academy days was suggestion. And my area of interest? Artificially reproducing the abilities of a multi-caster,” Salas explained with a dark smile.

[Assistant] “Guards, apprehend Salas and Lilly,” the king ordered, and the guards moved to surround them.

[User] “You think this riffraff can stop me?”

[Assistant] I don’t know where she’d been hiding it, but Lilly flashed a small knife and the guards nearest to her went down in the blink of an eye. Only the most formidable warriors were selected for the King’s Guard, the very best of the best. Few could hope to take any of them on one-on-one. Neither Claire nor I would stand a chance. In other words, to fell such guards in an instant…Lilly was extraordinary.

[User] “Cardinal Lilly, stop!”

[Assistant] “It’s useless. That’s Lilly, but it’s not her," Salas chuckled. "I was trying to artificially create a dual-caster. I was only partially successful, though.”

[User] “What do you mean?” I asked.

[Assistant] Salas continued lecturing like he was explaining things to a failing student.


[User] “I originally intended to imbue individuals with a second attribute—but in the end I could only do so by embedding a second personality within that person. You see, the new personality naturally came with a new magical attribute.”

[Assistant] “So the masked assassin was Miss Lilly all along?”

[User] “Correct. And she relayed everything your little investigation uncovered to me!” This explained why the ledger we’d examined the first time we visited Salas’s office had been so eerily perfect. Lilly had told him just what to expect.

[Assistant] “But she looks completely different!”

[User] “How—”

[Assistant] “It’s probably a magical tool. Remember the one Lilly lent us so I could switch places with Yu?” I’d wondered at the time why she happened to possess such a convenient thing.

[User] “Does the original Lilly know about this?”

[Assistant] “No, she doesn’t. If she did, I imagine she would try to take her own life.” He was a monster. A cruel, cruel monster who’d turned sweet, gentle Lilly into an assassin he could deploy to do his dirty work.

[User] “Now, Lilly.”

[Assistant] “It’s time to kill all these people.”

[User] “That’s quite an ask. Claire and Rae won’t go down easily.” The transformed Cardinal retorted.

[Assistant] “I’m sure you’re up to the task.”

[User] “Of course I am. But I can’t guarantee your safety while I do it.”

[Assistant] “Hmph…” Lilly sounded like a completely different person when she spoke to Salas like this. Something about her tone reminded me of the swear words she sometimes involuntarily let slip—maybe those too, were a by-product of the artificial dual-caster embedded within her.

[User] “In that case, Lilly, let’s make escaping the priority.”

[Assistant] “I will not let you escape!” Claire snarled. To my surprise, Claire already had the François family crests floating in the air. She was ready to fire her Magic Ray.

[User] “Salas, Cardinal Lilly. I cannot modulate the effects of this spell. Surrender, if you want to live.” Claire warned as she moved into a position where they were both in her line of vision.

[Assistant] “Well, what now?” Lilly asked Salas.

[User] “Cardinal Lilly, stop! If you make one more move, I will fire!”

[Assistant] “Go ahead and try.” Lilly kept moving, and she felled another guard with her knife.

[User] “I’m so sorry!” Claire hesitated for a moment. Then she took a breath. She cast Magic Ray—but the spell didn’t touch Lilly.

[Assistant] “Wh-what? !” Somehow, Magic Ray fizzled and disappeared like a mirage. Negating a flame spear was one thing, but if Lilly could render even Magic Ray useless… She had to be using Spellbreaker.

[User] “Lilly here is my masterpiece.”

[Assistant] “She wouldn’t stand a chance against Lady Manaria, but her magic is in no way inferior.”

[User] “Is that Spellbreaker?”

[Assistant] “Nothing quite so eccentric. In this form, Lilly merely has a high-aptitude wind attribute. Her specialty is manipulating time.” Time manipulation! Of course. When we first encountered the masked man during the Commoner Movement’s assault on the Academy, he had restored a magical bell that I’d destroyed.


[User] So he’d turned back time to do it. “You called her your masterpiece. Does that mean there are others?”

[Assistant] “Of course. What parent would test an unverified process on their own child? I didn’t start on Lilly until I’d perfected my technique. Let’s see, how many orphans did I break before I got here? Ten? Twenty? No, many more.” Salas confessed to this horrendous truth with utter calm.

[User] “You fiend!” Claire glared at Salas and unleashed her Magic Ray at him.

[Assistant] “Oof.” Lilly, who’d finished off the last of the guards, deactivated the spell once more, dispersing it.

[User] “Rae! You get Salas! Rapid fire!”

[Assistant] “Got it!” I conjured twenty ice spears and surrounded Salas with them.

[User] “Whoa. You’ve done this before, huh?”

[Assistant] On and on, Claire and I continued to rain spells down on them, and Lilly continued to counter every single one. It might have looked like a stalemate, but that wasn’t the case.

[User] “Give up, Cardinal Lilly!”

[Assistant] “Why?”

[User] “You’ll run out of magic before we do.”

[Assistant] It was true. Lilly was alone. Claire and I had each other, and we were casting elemental spears, the most basic of combat spells. I didn’t know how much magic power time manipulation used, but it had to be more than magic spears.

[User] “Miss Lilly, please stop.”

[Assistant] “Tsk. I’m not doing this because I want to.”

[User] “That’s all the more reason!”

[Assistant] “But—” Lilly stopped.

[User] “I may not be perfect, but I am her father.” Salas said, pulling out a bottle of potion from his breast pocket.

[Assistant] “Is that cantarella? !” For a moment, I feared we were about to reenact our awful battle with Louie. I was wrong.

[User] “Of course not. It’s quite a potent draught, and it allows an individual to fully recover their magical power.” Salas said, handing the bottle to Lilly.

[Assistant] “Sounds rare—you can’t have another.”

[User] “Maybe not, but I’ve got this.”

[Assistant] Lilly downed the potion and then stared hard at the empty bottle, which refilled before our eyes.

[User] “Voila—just gotta think outside the box.”

[Assistant] This was bad. Very bad. With an unlimited supply of potions replenishing Lilly’s magic, we didn’t stand a chance. Claire continued to keep her eyes on Lilly, not letting her guard down for a second. And then the ground shook with a terrible violence.


[User] Sassal was erupting, just as Rod and Lilly had feared.

[Assistant] “What in the world…” Claire whispers in confusion.

[User] I raised an earth magic barrier to protect us from the flames and debris, and we waited long minutes for the quake to run its course. Fire and rock continued to rain down upon us, but eventually, the ground grew still again. “I think it’s okay now.” The premature timing of the eruption worried me, but this particular earthquake wouldn’t have any aftershocks—if things were still on course. I moved off Claire and stood up to survey the situation. The once-beautiful audience room was in ruins. The furnishings were smashed to pieces, and burning cinders littered the floor.

[Assistant] “Your Majesty!” The guard cries, drawing our attention to King l’Ausseil, who had fallen from his throne. He lay collapsed on the floor, bleeding from a head wound.

[User] “Rae, heal him!”

[Assistant] Before she even said the words, I was on the floor next to the king, trying to use healing magic. “I can’t… He has already passed.”

[User] “What…? !”

[Assistant] This part was in line with the game. The king died at this point in fiction too. “Where are Salas and Cardinal Lilly? !” Claire exclaimed. They were nowhere to be seen. I knew from playing the game that Salas used the commotion to escape, though Lilly had never showed up in this moment, not even as the masked assassin. And yet. I was trying to avoid this… Mt. Sassal wasn’t supposed to erupt for a few more days. If we hadn’t had to battle Lilly, and I’d been at full power, I could have used protective magic on the entire room. Was King l’Ausseil fated to die, no matter what I did? Was there no changing that part of the game? And why had the eruption happened so fast…?

[User] “Rae… Rae! Get it together.”

[Assistant] I realized I was looking up at Claire. When had I ended up on my knees?

[User] “Forget about Salas and Cardinal Lilly for a minute. We have quite a lot to do.”

[Assistant] “Miss Claire…”

[User] “The last time Mt. Sassal erupted, it caused a massive famine and water shortage. The kingdom will soon be in crisis, and King l’Ausseil isn’t here to see us through it.”

[Assistant] That was right—the damage done by the eruption itself would be nothing compared to the aftermath. Volcanic ash had by now covered the entire capital, and it would ruin the crops in the middle of harvest season. What I knew from playing the game, Claire had learned by studying history. Clever, capable King l’Ausseil was gone. We had to choose a new sovereign.

[User] “Guards, contact the head of the House of Lords. Call an emergency meeting. Then ensure the safety of Master Rod and Master Thane.” Dazed, I watched Claire issue perfect rapid-fire instructions to the guards. Suddenly, I felt my cheek burn with pain. "Get it together!"


[User] “You said you would support me—was that a lie? !” Claire stared me in the eye. The dainty little hand she’d used to slap me was red from impact. This fragile girl and her brittle soul were fully ready to bear the brunt of dealing with this crisis.

[Assistant] Who would aid her? There was only one answer. “I’m so sorry.”

[User] “I’m fine—I’m here.”

[Assistant] “Good.” Claire said, and she hugged me for just a moment. I realized she was shaking and hugged her back, holding her close. “We shall overcome this.”

[User] “Yes!” We threw ourselves into the work posthaste. Claire’s quick thinking saved us time, marshalling the kingdom’s resources at once. We did, however, receive one piece of news that stopped us in our tracks. Prince Rod could not be found.


[Assistant] We were back in the dorms at the Academy. Claire sat in a chair, her brow furrowed as she read the newspaper. “Honestly…what is my father thinking?”

[User] Printing technology had progressed quite a ways in the kingdom, and while the habit hadn’t yet spread to the working class, aristocrats commonly purchased newspapers. Claire had wanted to keep pursuing the issue of Dole’s crimes, but I had convinced her to hold off for now. For better or worse, Dole was an effective politician. We needed him.

[Assistant] “What does it say?”

[User] I hesitated to say anything, but Claire looked like she might explode if she didn’t get a chance to vent.

[Assistant] “Thane was passed over for the throne.” Claire spat, tossing the paper aside.

[User] I picked it up to take a look.

[Assistant] Just as Claire said, Thane’s succession had been stalled before he could take the throne. The article said that noble supporters of Rod, including Dole, would temporarily run the government instead.

[User] “The ruler of a kingdom is the king. The only thing the aristocrats should be doing is working to select the next king as quickly as possible.” Claire said, grinding her teeth.

[Assistant] The article seemed to share her disapproval. Some people were even accusing the aristocrats of staging a coup d’état. It didn’t help that most of the House of Lords members who had been killed in the eruption had supported Thane and Yu. Although, when Yu surrendered her claim on the throne, most of her supporters had switched over to Rod. Thane had always been the least popular prince.

[User] “We must face this crisis as a united front.”


[User] "Their feuding will only frighten the citizenry." Volcanic ash and projectiles had destroyed the crops around the capital. People were hoarding goods in anticipation of product shortages, and prices were skyrocketing. Dole’s provisional government—at least, that’s what he called it—was distributing supplies, but there was no telling how long they would last. Rae remembers preparing for the eruption, purchasing nonperishable food in bulk through Tulle Trading Company and storing those supplies. She also experimented with cultivating potatoes and buckwheat She’d even tried to use Broumet to introduce a trend of seaweed salads. Rae had also been the one spreading rumors about the volcanic eruption being caused by angry spirits.

[Assistant] But in the end, this was all she could do. A volcanic eruption is an unfathomable disaster, and it affirms or negates a nation’s collective efforts. Even 21st-century Japan would be hard-pressed to deal with a disaster of this magnitude, and I wasn’t a whole nation, just one young girl with foreknowledge of the future. Rae's done everything she could to prepare, but there was much work ahead.

[User] "I’m going to go see Thane."

[Assistant] "Rae, go ahead and send word."

[User] "I don’t know if that’s possible."

[Assistant] "Why?!" Claire snarled back at Rae.

[User] "Miss Claire, you are the daughter of the man blocking Thane’s ascension to the throne. Thane’s supporters see you as their sworn enemy."

[Assistant] "Argh…"

[User] Normally, Claire would have realized this without me pointing it out to her. She wasn’t herself.

[Assistant] "Miss Claire, please go easy on yourself. Ever since the eruption, you’ve been working too hard." It was thanks to Claire’s swift orders at the palace in the immediate aftermath of the eruption that the nation hadn’t spiraled into complete chaos. Between the volcanic eruption, disappearance of Salas, death of King l’Ausseil, lost members of the House of Lords, and inflation of agricultural products, the country was on the brink of collapse, and Claire was helping to avert disaster. This was partially because she had her father’s backing, but no one could doubt that she made excellent decisions under pressure.

[User] "I only did what needed to be done. My father’s the one not fulfilling his duty!"

[Assistant] The newspapers were rife with speculation that Dole planned to take the throne himself. Claire, who still held to her shining ideals of an aristocrat’s obligation to the people, couldn’t sit by as her father flouted that responsibility.

[User] "Miss Claire, you have done everything you possibly can. You need to take a break. You’ve barely slept at all these past few days." Rae could see fatigue starting to show on Claire’s lovely face.


[User] Claire's skin was breaking out, and she had circles under her eyes. She was working so hard, dismissing all chances to rest, and was even skipping her beloved baths.

[Assistant] "I’m fine. I’m absolutely fine, but—" Claire moved in closer and leaned against my shoulder. "I’m…just a little tired. May I sit here for a little while?"

[User] “Uh, Miss Claire? !”

[Assistant] “I’m glad you’re here, Rae. I wouldn’t have been able to do this alone.”

[User] “Miss Claire, are you all right? You just complimented me. Is something wro—”

[Assistant] “I’m showing affection. Isn’t that what you call it?”

[User] “Umm, I suppose…”

[Assistant] “Lene used to let me do this.”

[User] “Oh…I see.” So she was just seeking comfort as a friend. I was a tiny bit disappointed, but I couldn’t complain. "I’m proud of my noble lineage, but sometimes…really, only sometimes…I dream of being freed from this sense of duty.”

[Assistant] “That’s an understandable desire. You could quit, you know. From being an aristocrat.”

[User] “I can’t do that. I’ve lived in the lap of luxury my entire life. That means I have a duty to serve the people as best as I can, especially in this time of emergency.”

[Assistant] “You’re such an earnest person, Miss Claire.” That was one of the things I liked about her. “Okay, tell me this. I don’t care if it’s nonsensical, just tell me… Is there something you would want to do if you weren’t a noble?”

[User] “Well…” Claire thought for a long moment. “I should like to learn how to cook and sew.”

[Assistant] “That’s hardly what I expected. You want to do peasant things?”

[User] “You’ve taken such care of me. If I were no longer an aristocrat, such tasks would be the only way I could repay you.”

[Assistant] I was so surprised that my eyes bulged a bit. "What does that look mean? Oh, I haven’t taken a bath in days. Do I smell?”

[User] “No, not at all. You actually smell nice.” I was just taken aback by her unexpected words.

[Assistant] “Liar. This is perfect timing, actually. Let’s take a bath.”

[User] “As you wish.” We headed toward the Academy’s baths. Unfortunately, it turned out the hot spring’s waters had been disrupted by the eruption, so the baths were nonfunctional.

[Assistant] “Oh, curses!”

[User] “Settle down. Settle down, Miss Claire.” To talk Claire down her from her temper, I ended up fetching a tub of hot water and towels to her room. We ended the night with me giving her a sponge bath, just like we’d done when we visited my home.


[Assistant] The bad news kept rolling in.

[User] “My father has lost his mind!” Claire blurted out after reading the morning paper.

[Assistant] “What happened?”

[User] “It says he’s raising taxes.” Claire handed me the paper in disbelief.

[Assistant] I took it and ran my eyes over the article. It said that the provisional government was raising taxes as a post-eruption measure. They declared they needed a larger budget to deal with the damages suffered in the eruption.


[User] “The people are already suffering from price gouging! And now they’re raising taxes? !” Even someone as uninterested in politics as I was could see this was a horrible plan.

[Assistant] To Claire, who had studied statecraft since childhood, Dole’s decision looked like the ultimate folly. “This won’t end well."

[User] “What does that mean?”

[Assistant] “The citizens will protest.” Claire didn’t know it, but her prediction was spot-on. If things went like they did in the game, the protests would start next week. “Hopefully that will make my father and the provisional government realize they’re looking at a complete civil uprising. It happened after the last eruption too.” And it wasn’t going to end with riots either. If things progressed as they did in the game… A terrible fate awaited Claire and the other aristocrats.

[User] “Do you remember the word Lilly used?”

[Assistant] “Revolution?”

[User] “Yes…”

[Assistant] “I think that’s what’s coming.”

[User] Claire laughed self-deprecatingly. “It wouldn’t surprise me. Especially if the aristocrats keep making these foolish decisions.”

[Assistant] “Miss Claire, what do you plan to do?”

[User] “What do you mean? I’ve already done everything I can—”

[Assistant] “Miss Claire.” I held a small notebook out to her.

[User] “What’s this?”

[Assistant] “It’s a list of my assets, maintained through the Trade Guild.”

[User] “When did you…?” Claire flipped through the ledger, seeing herself listed as the next of kin—and the staggeringly large balance. “Where did you get all this money?! You couldn’t have saved this much from being my maid!”

[Assistant] “I had some other jobs.”

[User] “How?! You’re by my side every day and night!”

[Assistant] “Yes, but the jobs I had didn’t require my physical presence.” Claire looked unconvinced. I pushed on, regardless. “What do you think we should do with all this money?”

[User] “What should…we do?”

[Assistant] “How about distributing food and supplies?” I asked.

[User] Claire scrunched up her face at my suggestion. “The provisional government is already doing as much. It would be more efficient to give them the money and let them allocate it as they will.”

[Assistant] “Do you trust the provisional government that much, Miss Claire?”

[User] “Well…” Claire’s expression turned grim. “Besides, Miss Claire, you should be the one handing out the supplies.”

[Assistant] “Me?”

[User] “Yes. To show the people that not all nobles are corrupt.” Claire fell silent, clearly thinking deeply about my words. What I said was, oh, about half-true. The real reason I wanted Claire to be seen handing out rations was to buy her goodwill in the people’s eyes. It was the same reason I’d accepted King l’Ausseil’s request to investigate corruption among the nobility—so the people could see Claire bringing retribution to the guilty. She’d come a long way from the selfish villainess she used to be, but at the rate Dole was going, Claire was at risk of going down with her father’s ship. She didn’t believe in the same things Dole did, and I needed the people to see that.


[User] “I used to think it hypocritical for aristocrats to bestow charity on the poor." Claire said, laughing at herself in that same self-deprecating way. "But it isn’t. Not if it’s for the people. Are you really all right with this? You must have worked terribly hard to save up this much money.”

[Assistant] “I have no use for it, except to be useful for you.”

[User] “I’m afraid I’m starting to believe that you mean such things.” Claire chuckled. “Let’s use my personal assets too. If we put them together, we should be able to procure quite a significant amount.”

[Assistant] “That sounds perfect. I wonder if we could get Yu to help us as well?”

[User] “Yu? Isn’t she confined to a convent right now?”

[Assistant] “She’s still an important figure for them, and she was formerly in line for the throne. Without a king, I don’t think the provisional government can stop us from seeing her.”

[User] “I see what you’re saying. The Church already has systems in place for distributing aid to the needy. They can help us do more than you and I could alone.”

[Assistant] “Exactly.” I’d factored this into my calculations too. I didn’t just want to paint a picture of Claire opposing Dole—I wanted the Church to come across as opposing the aristocracy. “Fine. Let’s get going, then. If I write a letter, will you deliver it for me?” It looked like Claire was back to herself.

[User] “Of course, Miss Claire.”


[Assistant] We observed the demonstration in detail from the school dorms, which faced the main street of the capital. People held signs and proceeded toward the assembly hall of the House of Lords. So far, no one seemed to be carrying weapons. The movement was still at the protest phase and hadn’t yet developed into a riot.

[User] “I’ll stop them!” Claire started to rush out of the room.

[Assistant] I stopped her. “No. It’s pointless, and the timing is terrible.”

[User] “Why?! As of now, I hold the people’s favor. My words have far greater impact than those of any other aristocrat!”

[Assistant] “It’s true that if you go out there now, you may be able to calm things down this once.”

[User] “Yes, you see? !”

[Assistant] “But after that one time, if you keep defending the provisional government, the people will just think you were on the aristocrats’ side all along. Their trust in you will crumble.”

[User] Claire’s face twisted in frustration. She slammed her hand on the desk—a pretty extreme move for someone with her upbringing. “They’ll think I’m on the aristocrats’ side? I am a purebred aristocrat!”

[Assistant] “Is that what’s most important to you, Miss Claire? Or is it helping the people?”

[User] “Argh!” Claire was a smart person. Her temper flared easily, but she grabbed hold of herself quickly, listening to my rational argument. “Yes, you’re right. You are right, Rae. I don’t care nearly as much about my status as I do about setting an example.”

[Assistant] “And in order to do that, you can’t make your move yet. We need to watch and see. It’s still possible the provisional government will change their minds.”

[User] “I hope so,” Claire said, gazing anxiously at the crowd she could see from the window. “But where is this coming from all of a sudden? I’ve been reading the papers, but nothing in them called for a protest.”

[Assistant] “I’m not sure, but it’s possible someone’s instigating things.”

[User] “The Resistance!”

[Assistant] “On the surface, yes. But it goes deeper than that. Salas, and perhaps even the Nur Empire are pulling some strings.” These protests were strange. A few small, spontaneous demonstrations were one thing, but looking out the window, I saw at least a thousand people in the crowd today. It was hard to believe that a protest of this size had arisen with no meetings or advance preparations.

[User] “You think the empire is involved?” Claire demanded.

[Assistant] “Yes.”

[User] She thought that over for a moment and then narrowed her eyes.


[User] "I’ve been going along with it so far, but I seem to have reached my limit. Rae, where are you getting this information?”

[Assistant] “I just overhear things here and there.”

[User] “Stop lying to me. You don’t just stumble onto information as important as this.” Claire’s questioning switched to a gentler tone. “Rae, I trust you. Will you please just finally come out with it? How do you always know things that you shouldn’t?” She was being sincere. If I kept deceiving her now, she might lose that trust in me. It was time. I prepared myself.

[Assistant] “I don’t know if you’ll believe me…”

[User] “Just try and tell me.”

[Assistant] “Okay, then. I am not from this world.”

[User] Claire frowned. “What do you mean?”

[Assistant] “I came from another world, from a country called Japan.”

[User] “Japan…”

[Assistant] “Yes. I lived there, for a time, and I think I may have died there as well. Regardless, I somehow found myself in this world.” Claire looked like she was absorbing this, so I continued. “I can predict, to a certain extent, what will happen in this world because I learned about it in my former life.”

[User] “This world…and in your former life?”

[Assistant] “Yes. In my last life, there was a book of something like…like prophecies, predicting what would happen in this world.” I left out the part about it being a game. I’d been a bit careless with Misha, and I worried about what might happen to Claire if she were told she was a character in a story.

[User] “So, you can predict what will happen next?”

[Assistant] “Yes.”

[User] “Then what will?” Claire inquired fearfully. Her anxiety told me that she accepted what I was saying—at least to an extent.

[Assistant] “I can’t tell you.”

[User] “Why?”

[Assistant] “Knowing the future inevitably means tampering with it. I can’t say more than I have. If you know what’s coming, your actions may alter the future I expect. I’ve done everything I can to change our future for the better without changing too much and thereby losing that advantage.” I was going to change the course of fate. I was going to ensure Claire’s survival. “That’s all I have to say.”

[User] “I see…” Claire nodded slightly. “Do you accept it?”

[Assistant] “That’s all I can do. I’ve witnessed the results of your foresight with my own eyes time and time again.”

[User] “Ahh, trusting me is all you can do? This must be love…”

[Assistant] “Are you even listening to me?” Claire flicked me on the forehead. Ow!

[User] “So you were a lost spirit, Rae?”

[Assistant] “I suppose so.” Misha had brought up the same story when I’d told her everything—the legend of mysterious children who appeared out of nowhere, bearing strange powers.

[User] “I wonder if all lost spirits are visitors from your world, Rae?”

[Assistant] “I don’t know. But the world I used to live in had no magic.”

[User] “Is that so? But your magic is so potent.”

[Assistant] “I don’t really know how that works.


[User] "Maybe it’s one of those things that only God knows.”

[Assistant] “Perhaps so. In any case, if the empire is involved in these protests, we must intervene.”

[User] “What did you have in mind?”

[Assistant] “I’m going to advise my father. If the Nur Empire is behind these protests—”

[User] “Then the provisional government will declare that these protestors are colluding with an enemy nation.”

[Assistant] There was literally nothing we could do. The Empire was cunning. This was why I hated both politics and family drama; if this weren’t a matter of life or death for Claire, I would have packed up and fled to another country long ago.

[User] “Is there nothing we can do? Don’t you have any bright ideas, Rae?”

[Assistant] “Not just yet. Things need to change a little more.”

[User] “But if we don’t do something, then the revolution—”

[Assistant] “It’s okay, Miss Claire.” I kept my voice calm. “I will protect you. No matter what happens.” It was the truth. Just not all of it.


[User] The peasant protests continued, and the crowd filling the street in front of the assembly hall grew by the day. The voices that criticized the provisional government and called for the return of the monarchy grew stronger and stronger. But the provisional government, especially Dole, showed no shift in attitude.

[Assistant] “Yes, come on. Line up! We have plenty for everyone!” Action: “Don’t rush—there’s enough to go around.”

[User] Despite our anxiety about the protests, we continued to distribute food. More and more people were going hungry due to the increase in taxes, and our lines grew longer. We were still able to accommodate everyone, but if any more people joined the lines, we would soon run out of supplies.

[Assistant] Then, one day…

[User] “There were fewer people today than yesterday, right?” Claire asked, seeing our leftovers.

[Assistant] “Yes.” I brushed it off as a one-time thing, but then it happened again. And again. Every day, the number of people lining up for Claire’s food distribution gradually decreased.

[User] “What is going on?” Claire asked.

[Assistant] It wasn’t long before her question was answered in the newspaper.

[User] The headline read: “Resistance Establishes Revolutionary Government: Abundant Rations Soon to Come.”

[Assistant] Apparently, the revolutionaries had set up their own government in opposition to the provisional government. We’re at this point already… This was still within the parameters of my predictions. Many of Revolution’s routes ended with a tragic love story between the chosen prince and the main character, culminating in the middle of the revolution. But it also had a revolution route, where, rather than hook up with one of the princes, the main character led the revolution herself. What had just happened resembled the revolution route—but led by Claire, not the player character. Unlike in the game, rather than me, Claire had the support of the people. Now I just need to stay on course. It wouldn’t be long before a certain person and I could realize our greatest ambitions.

[User] “Rae, are you listening?”

[Assistant] “Argh?


[User] !” Claire suddenly pulled my ear, making me turn to look at her. She looked pale. “The revolutionary government has put us in a state of crisis. At this rate, our kingdom…”

[Assistant] “It’s okay, Miss Claire. Things are going according to plan.”

[User] “Really?”

[Assistant] “Yes. Please, Miss Claire, continue distributing supplies.”

[User] “I…I understand.” And so, we showed up as usual to distribute food. As it turned out, however, the very next day, almost no one came.

[Assistant] “Doesn’t this mean that the people now support the revolutionary government? !” she demanded.

[User] “Possibly. But that’s not a problem.”

[Assistant] “How is it not a problem? !”

[User] “Excuse me. Is this Miss Claire François’s food drive?” A group of men had showed up together. Their clothes were too expensive to belong to peasants, but they didn’t look like nobles either.

[Assistant] “Yes. Who are you?”

[User] “We are from the revolutionary government,” said the man who seemed to be in charge.

[Assistant] Claire’s expression was suddenly grim. “How may I help you?”

[User] “Miss Claire François, we admire your attempts to aid the people. But from here on out, the revolutionary government will be handling the distribution of food and supplies. We were hoping you would cooperate with us.”

[Assistant] “Cooperate?” Claire sounded suspicious. “You said you’re from the revolutionary government, correct?”

[User] “Yes.”

[Assistant] “I remember seeing you before. You were a subordinate of Chancellor Salas, were you not?”

[User] “Yes.” He did not deny it.

[Assistant] “And you—” She turned her eyes to one of the other men. “You were one of the former Baron Thompson’s guards. And you were in the service of Count Yale. Why are you three in the revolutionary government?”

[User] “They lost their jobs because you brought down their employers, Miss Claire,” I said. “But we made sure to provide new positions for everyone!”

[Assistant] “And we were grateful for that,” said one of the men. “However, we received a much better offer of employment—under former Chancellor Salas.”

[User] “Salas?! Where is he? !” Claire demanded.

[Assistant] But the man shook his head. “I cannot tell you that.”

[User] “He’s working with the Nur Empire!”

[Assistant] “The Nur Empire is aiding the people in taking back this country.”

[User] “No! The Nur Empire doesn’t care for this country at—”

[Assistant] I shushed Claire with my hand. “When you say ‘cooperate,’ what do you mean?”

[User] “We would like to buy your food supplies. We have a decent amount ourselves, but the more, the better.”

[Assistant] “Fine. In return, we have some conditions.”

[User] “Let’s hear them.”

[Assistant] “Please do not involve Miss Claire in whatever the revolutionary government has planned.”

[User] “That might be difficult… Dole is a major member of the wicked provisional government, after all.” The man shook his head.

[Assistant] But I didn’t give up. “I didn’t mention Dole. I only asked that you not involve Miss Claire.”

[User] “Hmm?”

[Assistant] “You know what Miss Claire has been up to, right? Miss Claire loves the people.


[User] "She’s not like Master Dole or the other aristocrats.”

[Assistant] “In other words, you’d like us to simply overlook her?”

[User] “That’s right.”

[Assistant] The man pretended to think it over.

[User] Miss Claire was trying to protest through my hand, which was still over her mouth, but I needed her to be quiet for a bit.

[Assistant] “And just how much stock can you provide?”

[User] “Here.” I showed him our supply list.

[Assistant] He neglected to hide his surprise for a moment but swiftly resumed his poker face. “That’s not much for—”

[User] “Okay, then forget it.”

[Assistant] He went quiet.

[User] If memory served me right, the revolutionary government didn’t have enough in the way of food supplies right now. In order to get the support of the peasants, they put out newspaper ads saying they would provide ample food rations, but they were subsequently overwhelmed by the number of people taking them up on the offer. They needed enough to tide them over until the Nur Empire came in with reinforcements, and I was betting on that shortfall.

[Assistant] “Fine. I promise we will not touch Miss Claire.”

[User] “Thank you very much. If you break that promise, please understand that all support from XX will cease immediately.”

[Assistant] “What on earth is XX?”

[User] “Arla and Irvine Luster will understand what it means.”

[Assistant] “I understand. We will provide instructions for sending the food at a later date.” With that, the soldiers left.

[User] “Puaah. Rae! What do you think you’re doing? !”

[Assistant] “The ends justify the means, Miss Claire,” I said, trying to reassure her.

[User] “The ends?”

[Assistant] “We need to get closer to the revolutionary government if we want to know what they’re thinking and what they intend to do. Providing them with supplies earns us their trust.”

[User] “I will not join the revolutionary government!”

[Assistant] “Of course not. What we need to do is mediate between the provisional and revolutionary governments, trying to find a point of compromise. You’re the only one who can do that, Miss Claire.”

[User] “What? Me?”

[Assistant] “Yes, and it will be a difficult task. Can you do it?”

[User] “Who do you think you’re talking to? I am Claire François, daughter of Dole François, Minister of Finance. I can do that much before even sitting down to breakfast,” she said, laughing bravely.

[Assistant] "Thank you.”

[User] “I…I apologize, Rae. I criticized you without knowing what you were thinking.”

[Assistant] “Don’t mention it.” She really didn’t need to. If anything, I needed to apologize to Claire.


[User] “It’s been a while, Claire. How lovely to see you.” When we entered the revolutionary government’s camp, it was Salas Lilium, former Chancellor of the Bauer Kingdom, who came up to greet us, smirking all the while. Claire and I had come to discuss a potential accord between the revolutionary and the provisional governments. While not a representative of the provisional government, Claire was Dole’s daughter.

[Assistant] “Let’s let the past go, shall we? Water under the bridge. I hope we can reach a mutually beneficial arrangement.” Salas reached out to shake Claire’s hand.