Chapter 126
“I didn’t have any friends my age. But now I have one. Her name is Yuri, and she’s my best friend. She’s so, so precious to me.”
Yuri, who was standing behind Isabel, felt her spirits lift involuntarily.
The sunlight streaming in through the window happened to illuminate her, warming her body and heart.
‘Me too. You’re precious to me too, Princess.’
She mouthed the words without making a sound.
Isabel wouldn’t be able to hear her, but for now, that was enough.
Meanwhile, Isabel and Asellia had exchanged a few back-and-forths.
“How can I possibly accept something so precious?”
“It’s precious, so I want to give it to someone precious.”
Isabel finally said,
“This is an order from the Princess. Take it.”
“……I’ll obey your command.”
“It’s not like I’m giving you poison, so why do you look so gloomy?”
“That’s……”
“Because you’re sorry?”
“Because I’m sorry.”
Isabel spoke at the exact same time as Asellia.
Asellia’s eyes widened.
“How……”
“How……”
Even that was the same.
Asellia blinked.
It felt like Isabel had somehow entered her mind and then come back out.
“In this situation, you should say ‘thank you,’ not ‘I’m sorry.'”
“……Thank you.”
“Good. Try it on quickly. I hope it suits you.”
Asellia hesitated for a moment before putting on the wig with trembling hands.
It was a much higher-quality wig than the one Armitel, who had little aesthetic sense, had made for her.
Even Yuri, who had made the wig herself, clenched her hands nervously.
Apart from a certain kind of jealousy she felt towards Asellia, Yuri also hoped that the wig would look good on her.
Seeing Asellia wearing the wig, a gasp escaped her lips.
‘It looks good!’
But that wasn’t the end of it.
‘This is strange?’
Something was happening that Yuri, who wasn’t a mage, couldn’t understand.
‘Why is her hair……?’
The color was changing from the roots.
It looked as if Isabel’s hair and Asellia’s hair were mixing together.
Like paint.
Just as the roots seemed to be dyed black, a mysterious, multicolored aura appeared.
A soft light emanated from it, and then the hair color changed completely.
Isabel couldn’t help but admire it.
“It’s beautiful.”
She had put on a wig, but real hair had grown.
There was no time to logically analyze this bizarre phenomenon.
The emerald color that had suddenly appeared was truly beautiful.
「Arun let out a deep sigh, “Ah-” without realizing it.」
So did Isabel.
A sigh escaped her lips involuntarily.
Asellia’s atmosphere had changed significantly, just from the change in her hair color.
Her eyes were still black, but her hair was definitely the ’emerald hair’ described in the novel.
Isabel was shocked.
‘She definitely looked similar to me before……’
The only thing that had changed was her hair.
‘But she’s so beautiful.’
Her skin was still dry and her complexion was pale.
Nevertheless, she seemed much prettier.
‘Even though she looks so much like my old face.’
It was almost as if she had been misremembering her own face.
Isabel finally came to a conclusion.
That she had been beautiful all along, even if she hadn’t been able to love herself.
Meanwhile, Asellia was touching her hair hesitantly.
“What’s going on?”
Armitel was also surprised.
“Your Highness, what is this phenomenon……!”
“I don’t know either. It seems like some kind of reaction occurred while copying and applying the magic formula……”
Perhaps there had been a minor mistake.
She couldn’t figure it out right now.
Even the original formula engraved on ‘Libel,’ which was the only clue she could use to find the cause, had been destroyed.
“I don’t know, but it’s pretty. I’m a little concerned that your hair color has changed, but…… I hope Lia likes it. What do you think?”
Asellia pulled back the covers and got out of bed.
She was the same age as Isabel, but much shorter and thinner.
Asellia approached Isabel and hugged her tightly.
“How could I not like it?”
“Huh, huh?”
Like Honey Badger, Asellia buried her face in Isabel’s chest.
“Can I love you?”
“…… ……”
“No, I will love you. Please let me love you. Thank you, Princess. I feel like I’ve received the world as a gift.”
The way she spoke, each word filled with sincerity, was incredibly lovely.
Perhaps because her hair color had changed, she felt different from her old self.
It felt like she had a cute little sister.
Isabel remembered something she had forgotten.
‘That’s right. Asellia was the original female lead.’
The famous sunshine female lead, at that.
And that sunshine female lead was now nestled in Isabel’s arms.
Like a hamster.
‘Ah…… I liked the sunshine female lead.’
Honey Badger crossed his arms and snorted.
『Slightly threatening.』
『Correction.』
『Very threatening.』
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Recently, the Magic Federation has been keeping a close eye on the movements of the Bilotian Sword Empire.
The Magic Federation was in the process of expanding its power, increasing the number of ‘Creation Mages’ from the original five to twelve. (One of them, Wilhelm, was currently missing, so it was effectively eleven.)
Krias, one of the elder Creation Mages, received a welcome report.
“You’re saying Viaton isn’t with the Princess right now?”
Krias was the Creation Mage who had attended the Sky Island Public Debate as a VIP and mediator for the Magic Federation.
At that time, Krias had tried to sound out Viaton and figure out what the Bilotian Empire’s true intentions were.
However, given who his opponent was, he didn’t gain much.
‘Still a nuisance, Viaton.’
‘Still old, Sir Krias.’
‘It’s a wonder your tongue hasn’t been cut off, having learned magic under Grand Duke Rovena.’
‘My tongue is quite strong.’
Their conversation had been something like that.
‘Is the use of the TeyIsabel Transfer Gate the will of the Bilotian Empire or the will of the Grand Duke?’
When he asked that, he only received the absurd answer that it was the Princess’s will.
He didn’t gain much, but he did learn one thing.
The Bilotian Imperial Family was undoubtedly plotting some sinister scheme using the Princess.
They, who had never been interested in public opinion warfare, were participating in it and building up the Princess’s image as a ray of sunshine.
They, who had not actively participated in politics, were now putting effort into it and infiltrating the lives of countless people with ramen and the TeyIsabel Transfer Gate.
It was something the Magic Federation had to be extremely wary of.
“Are you sure? Viaton isn’t by her side?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I’ve confirmed it multiple times.”
“Where did that bastard go?”
“He’s been heading to Lake Barcalt frequently lately.”
“That far away?”
“It seems he’s actively using the TeyIsabel Transfer Gate.”
“Is there any chance that Beksa might directly intervene in the world?”
“I don’t think so. She’s someone who realized the immense power she possessed and chose to seclude herself. Didn’t she declare that she wouldn’t exert influence on the world? I don’t think she’ll break that principle.”
Beksa, Viaton’s mother.
She was an unparalleled genius, the kind that appears only once in a thousand years.
If Beksa, who was called the Creation Mage above all Creation Mages, were to help Viaton, things would become very troublesome.
No, it wouldn’t just be troublesome, it would be dangerous.
“Don’t worry. Lady Beksa has barely met Viaton for over a decade. They’re practically strangers. She won’t suddenly lend her support to the Bilotian Empire now.”
“Right. That’s what you’re saying.”
Isabel had greatly humiliated the Magic Federation and the Cooking Association at the debate.
It was no different from insulting all the Creation Mages who led the Magic Federation.
“Was it Calfoa? What about her escort?”
“A Lieutenant General, whose identity is classified, is accompanying her. A commoner named Armitel. We believe she’s the commander in charge of the Jirdel Base Camp.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. I hear there are vicious murderers in Calfoa, and wicked villagers hiding them, right? Let’s see, we’ve identified their location to be roughly…… around here.”
He pointed to a spot on the map.
It was the location of Lieutenant General Armitel’s house.
“…… ……”
Of course, there were no vicious murderers or villagers hiding them.
But if they didn’t exist, they could be created.
“Pick a few from the underground prison and send them. And issue a 3rd Grade Buster.”
“A, are you serious?”
‘Buster’ meant indiscriminate bombardment.
Pouring a wide-ranging magical bombardment over a vast area.
That was a Buster.
It was divided into a total of five stages, and a 3rd Grade Buster was on the level used in small wars.
It was also the highest intensity Buster that could be used without a declaration of war.
Many innocent people would be sacrificed.
“A 3, 3rd Grade Buster, sir?”
“Yes. It needs to be that strong to ensure no troublesome evidence remains. Move quickly. Before Viaton returns.”