The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 80
EP.80 Mirror Therapy (3)
“……”
There was no way to tell if she was embarrassed about calling a completely different person “Your Highness.” Her expression didn’t change at all.
At least I could rewind time if I wanted to, but she couldn’t.
“Meyer, Meyer……”
Claire wasn’t the one speaking. Instead, the real princess, Alice, was sitting next to me, frowning slightly as she murmured to herself.
“Oh, right. The name of the Commander-in-Chief of the Autonomous State’s military was Felix Meyer.”
As a princess who was well-versed in the affairs of neighboring countries, Alice immediately recognized whose daughter Lena Meyer was.
And only after hearing Alice’s words did the name buried deep in my memory faintly resurface.
It wasn’t from the original story or the game’s reference materials either. In the game, the only named figure from the Autonomous State was the Governor, Maximilian Schmidt.
In the “Chronicles of Aetherna,” if a new character’s name wasn’t explicitly revealed, they were described as “a woman with black hair” or “a rough-looking man.” This applied even across different installments of the series. Characters from earlier works, when reintroduced, were similarly described with generic terms unless formally introduced or met by the main cast.
Honestly, it was kind of amusing sometimes. Even with well-known characters—whose faces were half-visible in the opening sequence—they’d still be referred to as “the red-haired young man” or something similar. It made sense for new players, but for series veterans, it could be a bit humorous.
Well, Felix Meyer was a name I heard only after coming to this world, so it was a slightly different story. Perhaps it was the name of an extra who stood next to the Governor in the original work but didn’t have a dedicated model.
“Yes, I am the only daughter of the Meyer family, a military family from the Autonomous State of Rickland. I look forward to your guidance.”
Though expressionless, anyone could tell she was proud when she said that.
“A transfer student? But Class A is already full.”
“Thanks to the grace of His Majesty the Emperor, I was able to transfer.”
“My father?”
Alice’s brows furrowed slightly.
Lena Meyer didn’t know the relationship between Alice and the Emperor. She might have imagined a typical father-daughter relationship, like in most families.
The truth, however, was that Alice had once stormed into the Emperor’s chamber and argued with him before I even arrived at the Academy.
I wasn’t exactly sure how that argument had played out since I hadn’t seen it myself but based on Alice’s usual expressions whenever the Emperor was mentioned, it was clear she didn’t have the best opinion of him.
Alice’s gaze alternated between me and Lena Meyer.
“We met and talked at the dining hall this morning.”
Though, it was just a brief introduction. After that, we just sat in silence, wearing our expressionless masks.
Thanks to that, I don’t even remember what I ate for breakfast.
“Oh… really?”
Alice, perhaps realizing she wouldn’t get much more from looking at me, turned her gaze back to Lena Meyer.
“So… how do you feel? You’re attending an academy in another country. I heard your homeland also has a few decent academies. Doesn’t it feel strange coming abroad?”
“It does not.”
Lena Meyer promptly replied to Alice’s question.
“The Imperial Runedarium Academy is well-known even in the Autonomous State. Being specially transferred here is an honor.”
“But if you were already attending an academy, you’d have to leave your friends behind, right?”
“I am still a year too young to enter an academy. However, thanks to the high evaluation of my abilities by the Governor and His Majesty the Emperor, I was able to transfer. I will strive not to hold anyone back.”
“Hmm… is that so?”
Hearing that Lena Meyer was a year younger than us, Alice glanced at me.
Though she didn’t look particularly short, Meyer’s face did appear somewhat youthful. Runedarium Academy typically admitted students at fifteen, meaning Lena was likely only fourteen, assuming her birthday had passed this year.
Alice, who had been leaning slightly forward, leaned back in her chair.
“Well, if Father allowed the transfer, he must have his reasons.”
The fact that the Emperor had a reason made Lena Meyer seem even more suspicious.
Despite Alice’s questioning gaze, Lena Meyer’s expression didn’t change at all.
“……How was your meeting with the Sword Saint?”
I attempted to change the subject. There was still a long way to go before we reached the academy. I didn’t want to sit between these girls in awkward silence for that long.
The only fortunate thing was that there were only four people who could sit in this area.
Charlotte and Mia Crowfield were seated in other chairs, and Jake and Leo were also seated elsewhere. Since there were plenty of empty seats, even if they sat two by two, there wouldn’t be a shortage of seats.
Jake and Leo were seated far from us, but Charlotte and Mia Crowfield were seated in the closest seats across the aisle, close enough to hear our conversation. The fact that both were seated on the aisle side rather than by the window indicated their interest in this conversation.
After all, both of them had come to the academy to find ways to check the Emperor power. If they could execute more drastic measures, they’d eagerly do so.
“The Sword Saint…?”
“Oh, right, Sis, the Sword Saint really lives up to the name!”
Just when I thought I saw a flicker of confusion cross Lena Meyer’s face, Claire’s excitement cut in, taking away my chance to observe further.
“Even after just one night of training, it felt like my eyes were opened. He immediately identified the weaknesses in our swordsmanship and corrected them. We practiced almost all night!”
“……Thanks to that, I’m still exhausted.”
Alice said, rubbing her face with a weary expression.
“Come on, but your swordsmanship improved a lot. It will definitely be helpful in the long run. He even asked us to come back.”
Claire added.
“……It’s quite far from the capital, and you have to drive for a long time and then hike up the mountain for several hours to meet him. How could we see him regularly?”
“We can visit during the holidays, right?”
“…That small cabin didn’t look like it had space for people to stay, though.”
“Huh? Then just hike up the mountain every day. It doesn’t take that long anyway.”
If we woke up at four in the morning every day, there would be plenty of time for training even with the hike.
Of course, Alice looked horrified at the idea.
“……If that’s the plan, I’d rather be left out.”
“Really?”
Claire, who had looked a bit disappointed, quickly brightened up and turned her gaze to me.
“……Still, since he’s the Sword Saint, it might be a good idea to visit him if we have the time later.”
Unable to escape the pressure of Claire’s sparkling eyes, I nodded.
“You’ve made a good decision!”
“The Sword Saint… Are you referring to Sir Frederick?”
As soon as Claire answered with a bright smile, Lena Meyer, who had been quietly listening beside her, interjected. It seemed like she had been waiting for the conversation to end before speaking.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Claire answered without hesitation, and Lena Meyer looked a bit dazed.
“The Sword Saint, living so nearby…?”
Though he had retreated from public life, he wasn’t exactly unknown. In fact, among those who trained with swords, his name was more renowned than most royals or nobles. After all, he was the Sword Saint. Even Lucas, before his goal of defeating the Emperor, had set his sights on defeating the Sword Saint as his primary objective. Now, for some reason, his target seemed to have shifted to me.
“If you want to meet him too, why don’t you come with us next time?”
Claire displayed her incredible sociability even to the expressionless girl she had just met.
“Would that be alright?”
…Ah, if she gets any more excited, she might break character.
Though she maintained her expressionless face, I noticed the slightest twitch at the corners of her lips.
“It shouldn’t be a problem. Whether he teaches you or not is up to the Sword Saint, but he wouldn’t mind us visiting.”
“……”
He did seem like that kind of person. If someone he recognized as a disciple brought someone along, he’d probably accept them. Despite his dislike for hassle, he wouldn’t turn away interesting people.
“Thank you!”
Lena Meyer responded loudly.
“……”
And silence fell around me once more.
……Why?
Why do I feel so uneasy?
I thought I was maintaining my facade better.
A creeping sense of unease rose from deep within me.
The problem was, I had no idea what the source of that unease might be.