Thirst

“What do you mean…?”

“Let me be honest, Teacher. I’ve already been pushed out of the power struggle.”

“Your Highness?”

I deliberately feigned surprise to avoid repeating my earlier mistake.

It wasn’t particularly shocking news since I already knew about it anyway.

“Yes. The Imperial Family has split into factions over determining the next emperor. I’ve lost count of how many relatives have already died.”

Stella sighed, blaming her father’s excessively vigorous libido for this mess.

“If only he’d named a successor before losing his mind. But we were all too young back then to make such judgments.”

“So that’s why you came to the Academy?”

“Exactly as you guessed. Officially, it’s for worldly experience or some such nonsense, but truthfully, I’ve been exiled.”

This was one of the early questions players had in the game.

Even if the Academy was a higher education institution, why would a princess attend classes alongside commoners? Nobles might be understandable, but commoners?

Honestly, the Imperial Family could’ve just hired a dedicated tutor from their court mages instead.

I could roughly guess why Stella suddenly brought this up.

She wasn’t the type to feel anxious unless she genuinely perceived her life to be in danger.

This must be the start of the Main Quest.

“Let’s discuss that later. I contacted the Imperial Family to investigate the recent terror incident.”

“Since you came seeking advice, I assume it didn’t go well.”

“Right. They told me to handle it myself. Damn it, does that make sense? Claiming the Imperial Family lacks manpower?”

It was undeniable that the Imperial Family was currently in a precarious situation with limited resources.

But there are priorities even when resources are scarce.

No matter what, a terror attack targeting a princess should be thoroughly investigated.

Yet the Imperial Family remained inactive.

Once the next emperor was decided, they’d have to deal with disposing of unsuccessful claimants anyway.

If terrorists eliminated her, they’d probably consider it convenient.

Moreover, the other attack victim was the Watcher – a symbolic figure of the Church currently opposing the Imperial Family?

The Imperial Family might actually welcome this situation. No wonder they won’t act.

…And Stella seemed to think this situation was orchestrated.

“Lacking manpower. Yes, I’m sure. Meaning they have no personnel to spare for someone like me.”

“You suspect the Imperial Family, it seems.”

“Suspect? Of course. Such a conveniently favorable situation wouldn’t happen naturally. Terrorists vanish without claiming responsibility while only the Imperial Family benefits? …Hah.”

Orca’s Main Quest involved her cleaning up her own mess alone.

But Stella was different.

Her status as princess meant her storyline involved overcoming events caused by her position.

“The real power in the Imperial Family lies with my older brother.”

“You mean the First Prince-nim.”

“Yes. My relationship with him isn’t exactly bad. I suspect he sent that letter too. …What do you think of this situation?”

“Hmm…”

She had no friends.

Or more accurately, she had friends but none capable of resolving this crisis.

Even if her friend was a duke’s daughter, she’d be inadequate for solving internal Imperial Family matters.

So she came to me clutching at straws.

I spoke to Stella, who was watching me with anxious eyes.

“You’re stuck.”

“…As expected?”

“If you remain passive like this… You might meet with an ‘accident’ in some alleyway.”

“…”

I knew her brother well too.

Not inherently evil, but power-mad.

The type who wouldn’t hesitate to kill his own sister for power.

He’d already eliminated several siblings, and Stella would die too if not chosen as a Playable Character or if her growth was delayed.

In this situation, I didn’t have much advice to offer.

“Therefore, Princess Stella, my advice is simple. Become emperor.”

“What?”

“Claim your place at the world’s summit.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said? Impossible. I’m exiled from the Imperial Family.”

“That’s precisely what’s good about it.”

“…What do you mean?”

Stella understood her circumstances well.

Exiled from the Imperial Family, yet terrifyingly aware her life remained in danger despite that exile.

Thus she couldn’t view her situation objectively.

…Well, how many people can view themselves objectively? I can’t either.

“You’re alone, Stella. Abandoned.”

“Yes. And you tell that isolated person to become emperor? How could…”

“So what? Have you gone blind? Lost your hearing?”

“…”

“I see the opposite, Your Highness. Your coming here was seizing an opportunity.”

“…Opportunity?”

Stella’s strong pride as princess made her acutely aware she’d been pushed out of the power struggle and come here.

Thus when realizing her life was in danger, she came to me seeking survival rather than considering resistance.

But being selected as a Playable Character indicated this situation wasn’t entirely bad.

If anything, it might be advantageous.

“In the Imperial Family, many eyes restricted your actions. Your every move was constantly blocked.”

“How did you…”

“But what about here? The Imperial Family doesn’t pay close attention to this place, do they?”

The Imperial Family tended to severely underestimate the Academy.

But the Academy had many capable people.

Many Imperial Family employees were Academy graduates anyway.

“You’ve forgotten what you possess, Stella. This isn’t your grave – it’s your cradle. A cradle where you can grow.”

“But how? The teachers here are competent, but they can’t compare to the Imperial Family.”

“Hmm, fine. Could you look at this glass for a moment?”

I picked up the water-filled glass from the table and poured some onto the floor.

When half the water remained, I placed it back and asked Stella:

“Now, what do you think about this glass?”

“…What’s this sudden question? Are you saying I should be grateful it’s half full rather than complaining it’s half empty?”

“Ahaha… Sharp as ever. But no.”

“No?”

Though that interpretation would work, I meant something else.

“Half full, half empty… Does that distinction truly matter?”

Whether interpreting the situation positively or negatively…

That wasn’t important.

What mattered was the simple fact that half the water remained.

“Whichever you choose, it can still quench your thirst.”

“…”

I handed the glass to Stella, who stared at it blankly.

“Instead of focusing on disadvantages, try finding the positives.”

Being exiled here and losing touch with Imperial Family affairs were clear disadvantages.

The empty part of the glass.

But advantages existed too.

“This place has abundant talent. It’s the Academy, after all.”

“…Meaning what?”

“Meaning limitless potential lies here.”

While the Imperial Family held overwhelming power (excluding the Church), that didn’t mean they knew everything.

Even if the Academy gathered nationwide talent, only a minority succeeded.

The Imperial Family wouldn’t bother panning for gold dust in sand.

Unless someone else had already mined and refined the gold.

“Make friends here. Build connections. Establish your own faction.”

“My own… faction…”

“Compared to the Imperial Family’s golden talents, people here are mere gold dust in sand. Difficult to harvest.”

But gold dust and gold bullion were ultimately the same metal.

Melt down collected dust and you get identical gold.

It might take time, but would become true gold nonetheless.

“You have everything, Stella. Countless grains of sand and the sparse gold dust between them.”

“…”

“I understand how external pressures make you feel overwhelmed. But you possess far more than you realize.”

I whispered.

Softly yet clearly, so the intensely focused Stella could hear.

“You will claim the crown.”

The Stella I knew could do it.

She’d overcome all adversity to stand alone at the world’s peak.

With allies, it would be easier.

“Clear the chaos from your mind. Set down all your shortcomings. What do you see?”

Stella still stared at the glass, but I could sense it.

The change in her eyes.

“Believe me, Stella. You possess far more than you think.”

As she drank from the glass, I declared:

“You will become emperor.”

I joked to Stella, who kept gazing at the glass.

“Well? Still thirsty?”