Confrontation

I needed to figure out a way to transmit more detailed information.

That was the thought occupying my mind as I hurried toward the castle gate. For example, a magic tool that could transmit voices, much like a telephone... Since teleportation magic existed in this world, sending nothing but a voice seemed like it should be easy enough.

In my previous world, voices were converted into electrical signals for transmission. If I could successfully substitute those signals with magic power...

Lost in thought, I began subconsciously crafting magic stones. Fee, walking beside me, shot me a look of pure suspicion. However, she’d already told me that doing this now was “better than doing it in front of the royal family,” so she let it slide for the moment.

This was my only chance.

I threw myself into creating the magic tool, but the results were underwhelming. I managed to produce something that allowed communication between two magic stones, similar to a transceiver, but that was the extent of it. Since the stones were paired, I would need a separate stone for every single person I wanted to reach.

At that rate, I’d have to build a dedicated communication magic stone room just to manage the connections. I had no choice but to label the project a failure.

“What’s this?” Fee asked.

“A magic tool that lets people speak to one another even when they’re far apart.”

“I want it!”

For some reason, Fee was practically beaming with desire. Since I had been planning to scrap the prototypes anyway, I handed them to her without a second thought.

“Are you sure? It’s a pretty useless invention.”

“Of course I’m sure!”

Fee happily accepted the two telephone tools. Then, she immediately tried to hand one back to me.

“...What’s wrong? You need both for them to work.”

“I know that.”

Did she want to test them? It was a brand-new concept, so it stood to reason she might not understand the mechanics.

“All right. Let me explain how to use—”

“I already know. I was watching you, Yuri-sama.”

Fee’s voice drifted out from the magic tool in my hand.

“If you’ve got the hang of it, then there’s no problem. Just keep in mind that using it drains a lot of magic power, so you’ll need to replenish the stones frequently.”

I tried to hand the device back to her again, but she refused to take it.

“I want you to keep that one, Yuri-sama. That way, I can contact you whenever I want.”

Fee is my personal attendant; she’s almost always at my side. When exactly is she planning on ‘contacting’ me? Despite the logical flaw, seeing the sheer joy on her face made me decide to just let it go. It didn't really matter.

◇　◇　◇

We eventually reached the spot where the luxurious carriage had come to a halt.

It was every bit as gaudy as reported—a Goldie carriage that was a masterclass in terrible taste. My heart sank as I spotted the crest emblazoned on the side. It was unmistakably that of the royal family.

Coming all the way to a frontier region in a carriage this conspicuous was practically an invitation to be ambushed. What were they thinking?

However, that wasn't the only carriage there. A second one sat nearby—a plain white model that looked ordinary enough, save for the familiar-looking boxes stacked in the back.

Are those... refrigerators?

It seemed Marina had returned. The recognizable cargo was a relief, but it raised a new question: why had they stopped here? A deep sense of dread began to churn in my gut.

I tried to tell myself I was overthinking it, but that hope was shattered the moment I saw the group.

Marina was there, standing next to an elderly man. They were currently locked in a heated argument with a man who appeared to be Second Prince Noris. I had a vague memory of him from a game cutscene, but since he hadn't been a capture target, my recollection of his face was fuzzy at best.

“Why is Duke Ames here?!” the Prince demanded.

“Because we are old acquaintances of Yuri-dono,” the Duke replied coolly.

Wait, since when? Marina was a customer who had stayed in town for a few days to buy some magic tools. As for the man beside her—presumably the Duke—I’d never even met him.

“And what about you?” the Duke countered. “What are you plotting, coming all the way to a frontier region like this? Surely you aren’t planning to invade the Holy Principality of Ames?”

His tone was incredibly provocative for someone speaking to a foreign prince. Since it didn't involve me directly, I wasn't too worried about the breach in etiquette, but I desperately wanted them to stop causing a scene in my territory. If this kept up, my lands were going to become the epicenter of a diplomatic disaster.

Plastering a polite smile on my face, I stepped between the two parties.

“You’ve all come a long way. It’s hardly proper to stand around talking in a place like this, so why don't we head inside the estate for now?”

I hoped my intervention would give them both a chance to cool their heads. The elderly man finally noticed my presence, his eyes widening in shock. In the next heartbeat, he grabbed my hands, tears streaming down his face.

“Oh... Are you God...?”

“No. No, I am not.”

I gave a flat, calm rebuttal to the man’s sudden lunacy. Marina offered a weary smile.

“Father, please compose yourself. Yuri-sama is a human being.”

“O-Oh, right. Of course. My apologies. I suppose I jumped to conclusions a bit too quickly.”

“N-No, it’s fine. I was just... a little surprised.”

This group was as pushy as ever. Fortunately, they seemed focused on the refrigerator magic tools for now, so they probably wouldn't pester me further today.

I turned my attention toward Second Prince Noris. He looked stunned by the apparent friendship between Marina and me. From his perspective, the daughter of a foreign Duke was on intimate terms with the son of a minor lord in the middle of nowhere. It was a situation that defied all social logic.

“We can discuss the details later,” I said. “For now, please, come inside and rest after your long journey.”

“A-Ah... Yes, let’s do that,” Noris managed to stammer out.