The Returnee Wants Peace

Upon seeing Cassis nod as if urging her to hurry, she hesitantly continued speaking.

It was the first time she had brought up her story, and while she was quite nervous, her voice came out as calm as she had hoped.

She didn’t go into every detail, but compressing 18 years into a story made it quite lengthy. Suddenly being thrown into another world where she could use strange powers, she had gone around handling foes akin to magicians she had seen last night with new comrades she met there.

Not much time had passed since she returned after living like that for 18 years. And yet, similar events were happening in this world as well.

That was where her story ended.

“…”

Fortunately, Cassis took her words seriously rather than dismissing them as nonsense.

Although the conversation had turned into a lament at some point… revealing her story to her family was something Rosha had been contemplating for a long time. Though it was much sooner than anticipated, considering the events of last night, she thought Cassis would understand quite well.

What would he say?

After listening to her story, Cassis, who had been silent for a while, finally organized his thoughts and spoke.

“So… You mean you lived 18 years in a dream?”

“…”

“What, it’s true. No?”

It was a factual event, but it seemed he couldn’t grasp the idea that she had been to another world during that short journey to visit Marquis Lycaon and back.

Well… that wasn’t the important part anyway, so it didn’t matter.

This was what mattered.

“Now I get it. Why you seemed to have changed suddenly.”

There is now an ally who knows her situation.

As Cassis nodded and spoke, it brought a sense of relief throughout her body. Unintentionally she asked:

“Do you believe me?”

“Yes. You don’t seem to be lying. And there’s what I experienced last night… Wait.”

With his unique intuition, easily convinced Cassis nodded, then looked at Rosha with strange eyes. He suddenly realizing the reason why she abruptly declared a divorce upon returning from the Marquis’s residence.

“Why, why?”

“…Just, I struggled alone to protect the family.”

Feeling somewhat awkward under Cassis’s suddenly affectionate gaze, she also felt the remaining tension melt away, as if a huge burden was lifted.

Would he understand this strange and wonderful feeling as if the world had suddenly become beautiful?

But then, his next words, as if he had just remembered something, were totally unexpected.

“Ah. But don’t go around casually mentioning what you just told me. It sounds similar to the princess’s prophecy.”

“…Prophecy?”

“Yeah. There were rumors that the insane princess locked in the imperial palace could actually see the future. Apparently, she speaks it out in a poetic manner in her dreams. Didn’t you know?”

“…I had no idea.”

The gap of the 18 years she spent in another world must have been too large.

With Cassis’s words, the information about the princess, which she had completely forgotten about, slowly came to mind.

Princess Illien Marcia.

She was the only child under the current Emperor, notorious since childhood for cursing those around her and being rude, causing quite a stir.

Eventually, due to a major mishap in front of foreign royalties during an important occasion, she had been disgraced.

‘I think I heard she had been confined in the Summer Palace since she was twelve or thirteen.’

Therefore, having not shown up in official occasions for years, she had naturally become a forgotten existence.

Of course, she had no idea that there were such rumors about the princess.

After the conversation with Cassis, Koko, who had eavesdropped on the entire dialog from the roof of the warehouse, came down and spoke.

“Hmm, the words princess and prophecy connecting like that. It smells fishy.”

“Yes. We should look into the princess.”

Rosha nodded in agreement as well.

The first time she encountered the word prophecy was in a note carried by a pigeon, stating, ‘A sacred relic will appear soon in the Aper County.’

Given the note turned out to be true, the probability of the prophecy being real was high.

It seemed to the princess that she had the ability of prophecy.

Now knowing the possibility, she couldn’t just sit idle.

“Great. It’s good to secure a person with a rare ability like prophecy. Let’s look into it!”

But.

“Are you curious about who the princess is? But baby, even if you ask me, there’s nothing I can tell you. I’ve only seen her a few times, and that was a long time ago. But why are you suddenly curious?”

Marian, who served as the captain of the imperial knights, had retired for some reason.

She thought Marian would likely know about the princess, so she casually asked, but it was a futile attempt.

Disguising it as mere curiosity, Rosha looked for someone else to ask.

‘Cassis only heard a rumor about the princess somewhere, and asking Cedric… let’s leave it to the very end.’

Cedric is one of the few imperial aides who report directly to the Emperor once a month. Moreover, he was suspected to be the recipient of the note mentioning ‘prophecy’.

Of course, he would know about the princess, but…

‘…The moment I ask Cedric, he will find out that I have a special ability.’

Judging by the events so far, Cedric was her first brother who loved her, but there were many suspicious aspects about him. He knew about the surreal phenomena of this world all by himself.

His mind works very fast, so the moment Rosha casually asks about the princess, he will start discovering suspicious circumstances one by one.

It was troublesome as she still didn’t know Cedric’s thoughts precisely.

“…”

Suddenly, she thought of Duke Echerzen.

‘He… knows that I am a possessor of a special ability.’

So, it was relatively comfortable to ask. Cedric had warned her that the Duke was a dangerous person, but having met him, she didn’t think so.

Should she ask the Duke? He seemed to know something.

But there was one problem.

“Ha… I have no way to contact him. No mobile phone, and it’s too much to send a letter to his residence.”

“In the previous world, you always had your phone off, and now you regret it?”

“That’s because there were guys tracking me… oh.”

Suddenly, Rosha, who had a good idea, glanced at Koko.

If it’s Koko, he can find the Duke and convey our intentions. He’s quick-witted so he won’t get the note snatched in the middle.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Koko responded with an ‘Eh?’ face as he stared back.

You’re not going to make me carry a trivial piece of paper, are you? That seemed to be the implication…

He catches on really fast.

Well, of course, Koko was the last resort. It seemed like it would have to be used soon.

Suddenly,

Tuk-

A letter appeared in front of her as she was absorbed in thought while making potions.

Should she say it was created? But it truly fell out of the clear blue sky with a thump.

Rosha picked it up and unfolded it. Inside, in a slightly slanted and very elegant handwriting, it read,

[On the first day of the banquet to be held in the Imperial Palace soon, meet me at the second terrace]

Neither the sender’s nor the recipient’s name was written, but she had a guess who sent it. Considering how this letter arrived, the answer was obvious.

“…The handwriting suits him well.”

She folded the note and tucked it into her bosom, recalling his appearance.

The well-preserved cultural heritage-like elegant face, and the long, delicate fingers matched very well.

But what banquet is he talking about?

The answer to Rosha’s question came from Berri, who knocked at that moment.

“Miss, may I come in?”

Upon her reply, Berri entered the room, sighed at the mess made from making potions, but instead of commenting on it, she excitedly spoke.

“Miss, a public document arrived saying that the Month of Abundance Banquet in the Imperial Palace is being held a bit earlier this year! Oh, it was really wise to have prepared the dress in advance.”

The Month of Abundance Banquet is a grand three-day feast held to thank for the harvest of that year, along with the New Year’s ceremony and the Emperor’s birthday celebration, it’s an annual event.

Ah… is it already that time? Rosha pondered the contents of the letter she just received and asked:

“Really? When is it?”

“In 3 weeks! Faster than expected, right? It’s said that His Majesty suddenly moved up the date. Anyway, it’s been a while since you’ve been to the capital, so it will surely be a refreshing change for you.”

“…Huh?”

‘This banquet, when I’m already extremely busy?’ was the initial thought. Considering the trial that is soon approaching, how hard she have been preparing…

Suddenly, an unsettling feeling came over. Huh?

Rosha opened the blue window with an uneasy heart.

Warning! A trial that will plunge this world into chaos is approaching. You must complete ample preparation for the upcoming trial. 

Time left until the first trial: 24 days

Despite numerous events, there were still 24 days left until the trial. But the banquet is in 3 weeks and continues for three days? Suddenly realizing something, Rosha frowned.

Is this really a coincidence?

…Well, probably not.