episode_0003

“I heard the news that you have retired from public performances today… I’ve come to pay my respects. How have you been, Father?”

Sena, who walked in briskly like a rabbit, lightly pinched her chin as she spoke.

…She was like a lovely and charming girl with silver hair, as if she had descended from heaven.

Certainly, the second princess of Roen Green was described as a “lady with an ordinary impression compared to her abilities and status.”

“…”

In my opinion, people in this world don’t seem to know what ordinary means.

Or did they all get LASIK surgery together at a clinic?

“I’m fine. So, have you been well?”

When I asked that, Sena replied with a faint smile.

“Yes, Father. Lately, Sena has been tirelessly studying magic. It is to repay the grace bestowed upon me by Father.”

“…You’re admirable.”

My heart just skipped a beat.

On paper, it is an undeniable fact that Sena and I are stepmother and stepdaughter.

But in reality, she is a young lady I’m meeting for the first time today, and it’s a feeling of passionate affection that I’ve never experienced before.

…From side to side.

Sena Enisil von Roen Green, the second daughter of the Grand Duke’s family.

In Kildergue, she was portrayed as a girl with a great interest in magical technology.

To put it in slightly derogatory terms, she could be called an eccentric princess, almost like an Asperger’s child.

If there is nothing special happening, she would spend all day locked up in her atelier, and as long as her research conditions were guaranteed, everything was okay. She didn’t bother to pay attention to Laios.

…However.

How could this cantankerous and stubborn Grand Duke, who overturns everything if it doesn’t go his way, just sit by and watch?

──Did you waste your time on such trivial matters, neglecting your true talent, pure magic?

That scolding and meddling was a given.

First, he forcibly demolished the atelier that Sena had secretly set up in the outskirts of the territory.

And then, he took the liberty of disposing of the magical tools stored inside as he pleased.

And it was none other than the prodigy of this generation, the daughter genius, the daughter Noiman, the daughter Einstein, Laios.

The youngest daughter, who had never uttered a word of complaint in her lifetime, witnessed her father’s absurd behavior and immediately cut off contact with him.

Senah, who ran away from home, ended up in a place that seemed like fate… coincidentally, it was the domain of Count Phirein, who had an intense obsession with tearing apart Rhaeos.

Oh my, just imagining it makes me cringe.

It wasn’t simply an unfortunate incident; it was a disaster, to say the least.

Among the countless factors contributing to Rhaeos’ downfall, this catastrophe was undoubtedly the worst.

Senah’s magical talent is certainly not false.

Although she is currently devoted to studying magitech, her growth is slow, and over time, she naturally becomes an established mage, the Grand Sorceress of World Salvation.

In certain routes, you can even witness the final moments of Rhaeos being annihilated by Senah’s powerful siege magic…

“…”

In short, I reached a simple conclusion.

In order for me to survive, I definitely need the help of my youngest daughter.

“Thank you, Senah.”

“Yes, yes?”

Surprised, Senah responded with a puzzled voice.

It wasn’t because we were unfamiliar with each other as mother and daughter.

I simply couldn’t understand why she would say such strange words to me, and her attitude seemed genuinely unaware of it.

“I know very well that the journey from your atelier to the capital is treacherous. Yet, despite that, you rushed here just to ask about my well-being after a month.”

When I prodded her like that, Senah flinched and raised her hand in surprise.

“Huh? Oh, no! Since Father banned magitech research, I’ve never set foot in the atelier…”

“Is that so?”

“…”

Unable to say anything, Senah simply bowed her head.

There’s no way she hasn’t been there before.

As someone who knows her second daughter’s dedication to magitech better than anyone, I can confidently say that a dog stopping its excrement would be faster.

Of course, unlike the real Rhaeos, I have no intention of criticizing her for that.

“Senah, lift your head.”

“Yes…”

I gently encouraged the slumped youngest daughter.

It sincerely doesn’t make me feel too bad to see her earnestness.

“…Yes?”

“So, if you have any requests, please let me know now.”

As I looked at her like that, Sena pretended not to know and tilted her head.

“W-What do you mean?”

“You don’t have to hide it. Don’t tell me you came all this way just to ask about my well-being.”

“…”

I know very well what kind of person Sena is.

A remarkable figure who even grinds time that doesn’t exist into dust, using every resource imaginable.

In the world of the game, where the process has been greatly simplified, it was still a cumbersome and miserable element, but in reality, it was even more demanding.

In other words…

“There must be a reason why you’ve devoted your precious time and insisted on meeting me.”

“…!”

Whether she finally understood the meaning of my words or not, Sena immediately got to the point.

“T-Then, Father, please take a look at this!”

What came out of her second pocket was a crumpled piece of paper, like a rag.

From the completely coated appearance covered in fingerprints, it seemed to hold a deep story.

“What is it?”

When I asked, Sena answered while fidgeting with her fingers.

“It’s, Father. It’s the design blueprint and distribution plan for the ‘Flarelight,’ a magical device that I showed you before!”

“Flarelight.”

“Yes! It was something the girl conceived day and night to protect the people from the harsh environment in the north. I wanted you to reconsider this project once again…”

Once again.

That meant she had been rejected by Laios before.

Sure enough, there were traces of desperate patchwork here and there.

“…”

Damn it.

Such curses swirled inside my throat. Afraid they might slip out, I bit down on my lower lip.

No matter what, it was the result of my daughter’s efforts. Was it necessary to tear it apart like this?

“Father, I know this is very insignificant and impolite, but…”

Sena pleaded earnestly.

“If you just restock it once, Sena will be so happy that she won’t know what to do… No, it was more than just longing. It was desperate. To the point of being criticized as ‘utterly insignificant and rude’ despite the valuable research achievement she had desperately worked for. ‘…’ If Laios were here in this situation, it would be obvious. He probably would have torn it apart without any hesitation. Considering that Sena violated the order not to touch anything related to magical engineering again, it would be a justified response, she thought. And as if to prove that thought… ‘──.’ Suddenly, something began to surge from within her. It was the intense turmoil of emotions embedded in Laios’ physical body, urging her to accept it immediately and kick it away with both hands. …Please stay still, you damn arrogant high-ranking bird-brain. Unlike your household where you freely roamed around, I am sincerely concerned about safety and survival. ‘I’ll show you.’ I took a deep breath and accepted the design proposal calmly. Understanding the concept of ‘magical engineering’ that exists only in this world perfectly is probably an impossible task, but I can pretend to know it somehow. I didn’t just play Kildergue for nothing, and I had enough pre-existing knowledge from researching various wikis. A flare light, for example, was like a high-tech high-performance torch. It was a seal made of magical metal material imbued with an everlasting flame, which had excellent cold resistance to the point of not losing its warmth even in the snowstorms of the north. ‘Hmm.’ Above all, the most appealing point is here. ‘Can manifest special fire attribute magic.’ With this, it is effective in repelling the monsters in the north who are completely immune to fire and does not harm the owner by distinguishing allies. Of course, it’s not without its drawbacks. ‘Estimated production cost, approximately 7.5 million anel per unit.’ ‘…’ As with most magical tools, the unit price is ridiculously expensive. Converted to their world’s currency, it’s about the price of a used car that’s a few years old. However, considering the various terrible conditions in the north… It’s an item that would be worth focusing on and pushing forward right now. Above all, this… I desperately need it.”

To put it bluntly, as the current me, who is just a wrapper but a Lios, I don’t have the confidence to even handle a single minor illness on my own.

…Well, that’s beside the point.

“Sena.”

“Yes, Father!”

“…Once again, you’ve forgotten our promise.”

For now, I decided to lightly brush it off.

Of course, positive confirmation has already been confirmed, but if there is too little resistance, it becomes awkward in itself.

Since a person can’t change overnight, there might be another trick up their sleeve.

“To my recollection, research related to magic engineering was clearly prohibited before.”

“Well, um, yes…”

“At that time, who was it that made a pledge to diligently polish pure magic according to your father’s wishes?”

“The girl…”

“It means swearing not to waste the talent of becoming an extraordinary sorcerer capable of reaching unimaginable heights.”

“…”

Sena lowered her head as if contemplating.

In an instant, she glanced at me.

“…Ugh.”

And soon after, her pitiful eyes began rolling like snowballs.

Completely losing her sense of direction, aimlessly wandering…

For some reason, there was clearly a different atmosphere than what I had expected.