episode_0014

Wangdorutetia is a beautiful city.

In fact, I already had a rough idea of what the atmosphere was like from playing the game. Compared to the modernized system of Dariyum, it was quite charming in many ways.

Of course, even though they call it “modernized,” most of the buildings were quaint brick houses, not quite as advanced as the modern buildings on Earth. The electrical and internet lines weren’t properly installed either. Well, in this world, there was no electricity or internet yet.

Still, there were telephone lines installed, and the water and sewage systems were built underground. Most importantly, there was a huge gas pipeline system that covered the entire city, so when night fell, the streetlights would all come on uniformly. Of course, there was no electricity-based system, so when the time came, nearby government workers would go around lighting the streetlights. But still, compared to carrying around a torch, being able to light them with a lighter and having the gas keep the lights on as long as it wasn’t shut off was considered state-of-the-art in this world.

…Honestly, coming from a world where electricity was mainly used, it looked incredibly dangerous to me… Well, they did light streetlights like that in a similar era.

On the other hand, aside from the train station area, Rutetia, which had not yet fully modernized, still had people carrying torches to light the streetlights, and water and sewage construction was just beginning. The railway was also expanding nationwide.

Unlike the gradual spread of cars, there were only a few generations of officially introduced cars. And even those were mostly domestically produced. Since all the parts had to be imported, unless you were royalty, you couldn’t really use them. It was said that by the time the main story started next year, a few companies would have entered the market and improved the situation, but it was still quite lacking compared to the modernized system.

But that’s why the sky in Rutetia was so blue.

While there were as many buildings crowded around the central palace as there were around the central system, there were no skyscrapers, and the sparse number of people bustling around, along with the absence of factory smoke in the distance, gave it a strangely rural vibe.

“It’s quite peaceful compared to the central system.”

Alice, who was riding in the same carriage as me, seemed to feel the same way.

“But… the sky is beautiful. It’s a sky I’ve never seen in the central system.”

Surely the sky in the central system was also blue, but with boiler smoke billowing from all directions, the blue sky stretching far into the distance was rarely visible. It was always partially obscured by black smoke.

By the way, in the empire, they took pride in that smoke. It was a symbol of modernization itself.

The productivity of the factories emitting that smoke was the mainstay of the empire’s survival.

“The variety of colors in the clothes is amazing here. Do the people of this country just love to decorate?”

No, it’s just that there are no alternatives.

Mass production of accessories.

With the tremendous advancement of weaving technology due to the Industrial Revolution, everyone in the empire wore similar factory-made clothes. Those who wore clothes made by hand were usually nobles or the wealthy upper class.

But there aren’t that many factories in the kingdom yet. They’re just starting out, so it will probably take a long time before they start producing goods in earnest and distributing them to the people.

That’s why handmade clothes are still popular in the kingdom. Of course, sewing machines are somewhat common, so making clothes with a sewing machine is much faster and more efficient, but there are still differences in the fabric and design. It was the unique individuality of clothing that hadn’t been unified by industrialization.

That too will probably disappear in the next few years.

“I’ve never been outside the palace before,” Alice said, gazing out of the carriage.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

I hesitated for a moment on what to say. The princess, who had never been outside the palace before, was now asking for my thoughts on seeing a different country. I decided to respond as positively as possible.

“Then it must be lucky for you to have come to Lutetia. Since it’s a country that hasn’t industrialized yet, there’s a lot to see.”

Well, in reality, if you go out to the imperial meadows, you can see much more beautiful nature than this.

“…Have you been to Lutetia?”

“…No.”

Hmm.

It feels like I’ve been there in spirit, though.

What I saw was the world in the game. And not even a AAA game company made it, but rather a graphic background created by a small to medium-sized Japanese company, with graphics that seemed a few generations behind.

But even so, they captured the design features well, and at least the level design from the train station to the bustling town was detailed enough that I felt strangely familiar with my surroundings.

Those people really did their best. That’s what I thought.

“This is my first time in Lutetia as well.”

Although I had been outside the palace due to the attempted assassination of the Marquis, this was my first time going abroad. And it’s not like I came back from sightseeing in the Marquis’s territory.

“Then you’re not the one to talk, right?”

“….”

That’s true too.

*

The treatment towards Alice and me is the same. Of course, it’s natural, but even Lucas and Jaden are treated like the emperor’s sons. In fact, it’s amusing that the two of them follow us as ‘escorts.’

The fact that the emperor’s children are treated differently from Princess Alice within the empire is just the way things are. The emperor, not the other nobles, treated us as equals within the empire, so it was only natural for them to treat us that way overseas as well.

It wouldn’t make sense to compare them like that just because they were guests from a foreign country. If we didn’t do that, who knows how things could get twisted.

Thanks to that, chaos ensued in the kingdom.

“I apologize. We didn’t expect that the princess would be accompanied by another person….”

The kingdom’s diplomat said, sweating profusely. In reality, deep down, he probably wanted to say, ‘Why didn’t you do as we said?’ and point out the mistake.

It costs a fortune just to accommodate such important people, and then another person suddenly shows up.

“I’m sorr…”

Only then did Alice realize her mistake and started to apologize to the diplomat, so I quickly raised my hand to stop her apology.

I’ve never been a diplomat. I’ve never worked in that field, and I don’t have the ability to do so.

But even so, I had some basic knowledge in that area.

Although Alice hadn’t officially received the title of princess yet, she was the one who would eventually ascend to the emperor’s throne. No matter how she’s treated now, she’s in a position far nobler than mine. So, she shouldn’t apologize to a mere foreign diplomat who is far below her. Of course, it’s difficult to just brush off a mistake, but if she wants to apologize, it’s better to do so through formal channels to an equal or higher-ranking individual, personally, and have that person accept it personally.

Because even in our position, even ‘personal matters’ can act as ‘official matters.’

Moreover, the empire is a hegemonic power. When you see the emperor himself, not even a high-ranking official, sending his daughter as a representative to a trilateral summit of the heads of state, it can be seen as a formal declaration that ‘I am not on the same level as you.’

Therefore, as representatives of a “hegemonic nation” according to the Emperor’s wishes, it is correct to show an arrogant attitude. As a figure who will become the Emperor in the future, it is only natural not to bow down.

And what if I refuse? If you don’t like it, don’t send me away, come yourself.

After gesturing to the Princess with a look that seemed to ask why, I quietly told the diplomat, “Do you have a room of the same standard as the prepared room?”

“Yes, we have rooms as we rented the entire hotel.”

“Then please prepare a vacant room immediately. Make sure the security forces are provided equally to me. Quality and quantity. Everything.”

“Ah, understood. I will inform them to prepare immediately…!”

Normally, this would be considered rude. It was almost like an abuse of power.

However, if the Emperor did not want this, he would not have sent me.

And, once again, if you don’t like it, you should have come yourself.

*

While Alice’s room was being prepared, she was temporarily staying in a room similar to mine.

As she often did, Alice sat on the front edge of the sofa in the spacious room.

And she stared at me intently.

“….”

“….”

Silence.

Honestly, her gaze was a bit uncomfortable.

Was it because the way I appeared earlier seemed a bit excessive?

Certainly, Alice was a typical character with a strong exterior but a soft interior. Initially, she was a character who looked down on others with pride like the original Claire, but gradually opened up to the protagonist and their group. She also always thought seriously about the future of the empire and its people.

Alice’s personal narrative involved opposing her father, who was trying to take over the world by sacrificing many lives… probably leading to eventual victory.

The reason I added “probably” is that I did not finish the game to the end before coming here. Of course, the ending was likely to be royalistic, considering the company’s preferences… but then, did I really need to be here if that was the case?

The world would have been fine without me.

The only thing I could try to do was to save characters who might die, and I’m not sure how that would ultimately help the world.

There was no god saying, “Hello, I’m a god,” and no status screen neatly organizing my abilities. I don’t know what they expect me to do.

“How can you be so confident?”

Alice asked me, and I looked up from the book I was reading, gazing at her.

“You always act so confidently, as if you can never be wrong. What if the people of the kingdom had objected to what you said earlier?”

Hmm.

The reason I could be so confident was that I had the confidence to correct myself if I was wrong.

And honestly, it didn’t matter if I was wrong a little while ago.

I pondered for a moment. I couldn’t talk about my abilities right now, and I couldn’t give a reason why I wasn’t suitable because Alice wouldn’t understand.

I decided to push through with an answer that anyone could give.

“Your Highness, who is your father?”

“Huh?”

Taken aback by my sudden question, Alice hesitated for a moment before replying, “Um, well, he is the Emperor of the Empire!”

“And who is my father?”

“Um, well, that… ”

She didn’t want to admit it.

Because she was the only legitimate child of the Emperor, Alice didn’t want to admit it.

However, even so, I was the emperor’s daughter in name. Although not everyone thought so, and I knew that blood did not connect us, still, technically I was his daughter, and the emperor treated me as such. He even sent me in his place like now.

But who would dare to blatantly say to me, “You are not the emperor’s daughter”?

Even the blood-related princess cannot deny it in front of me right now.

“Regardless of how the princess feels, I am the daughter of the emperor. It doesn’t matter if someone thinks otherwise. I have the same power as the princess. Even if denied, it is a power that will never disappear.”

“….”

To Alice, who was biting her lip, I said, “Boldly borrow the power of the emperor. If someone says something, reveal and prove yourself as the princess. No one will ever look down on the princess. Anyone in this world.”

“But, still….”

Alice stammered a little more and asked, “What if I make a mistake….”

“Mistake? Just do it confidently. Anyway, no one will say anything. The emperor is not the only one leading the country. If you make a mistake, there will be someone to correct it, and if the princess wants to do something, there will be someone to execute it. The more the princess bows her head, the more people will see the princess, and even the empire, as formidable.”

Alice raised her head and looked at me with a slightly dazed expression.

“Even if the princess makes a mistake, she is still the princess and will eventually become the emperor. Who dares to scold her? If it’s cautious advice, I’m not sure.”

“But, what if I become the emperor someday….”

“If the princess becomes the emperor, she will be at the pinnacle of the empire, who can say anything at that point?”

“….”

I looked at Alice quietly and said, “Of course, you must become the best in the empire. No, not just the best, but outstanding in every aspect. The emperor’s power permeates every corner of the empire, and if anything is lacking, someone may raise their head to betray. But in that process, if necessary, wield your power freely. That is the princess’s greatest weapon.”

I gathered words that could be empowering and appropriate as they came to mind.

Feeling a bit proud at Alice’s slightly admiring expression as she looked at me, I thought, well, when I go to the academy, I’ll meet much better friends than when I was by her side, and I’ll learn many more important things.

“….Okay. So, I just have to act like that?”

“Yes. If there’s something you don’t know, you can learn it when the time comes. The truly embarrassing behavior is not being confident when you don’t know something, but refusing to learn. No one knows everything in the world. So—”

“You too?”

“Me?”

When Alice suddenly interjected with the statement that no one knows everything in the world, I inadvertently blurted out, “Do you?”

Fortunately, Alice, who was looking at me quietly, didn’t seem to pay much attention to my attitude.

“Do you also not know everything in the world?”

“….I think that’s a natural thing.”

Trying not to show any awkward emotions on my face, I answered like that, and Alice looked at me with a somewhat curious expression.

“But you handle everything effortlessly, as if you already knew what was going to happen. It’s not something you can do because you already knew, right?”

“That’s because of a combination of my knowledge, skills, and luck. I’m not a prophet, after all.”

“Is that so?”

Alice had a slightly ambiguous expression, but I quickly continued with my explanation, as I felt that delving further into this topic would lead to various other discussions.

“—Anyway, if there are those who sneer at the princess because she doesn’t know something, then it is actually they who should be ashamed. They are the ones who think they know everything in the world. When faced with something they don’t know, they get angry. The princess, on the other hand, doesn’t feel ashamed. So, there’s no need to envy or feel inferior to them. In fact, the princess can be confident in admitting her mistakes.”

In truth, I’ve experienced this myself.

Playing the game multiple times, memorizing every detail, and encountering those who constantly argue with me about game settings that have never been officially translated. Each time, I would counter their arguments with parts of the setting book that had not been translated, and if they still persisted, I would shoot them down with evidence. It became a hobby of mine.

…Of course, there were times when I was proven wrong and had to admit defeat. But what can you do? There’s no one else who translates every minor detail and summarizes it for you. If you don’t like it, then do the translation yourself.

Although now that I’ve entered the world of summarizing, I can’t even do that anymore.

“I see…”

Alice seemed impressed by my words and nodded her head.

And seeing that expression on Alice’s face, I felt proud.

Of course, I had to exert all my effort to not show it on my face.