Request from the king

 
 『Magic Revolution of a Young Noblewoman Starting Over』
 Part 2, starts now!!

 
 ☆
 
 
 It’s been some time since that peerage conferment ceremony.
 
 I was in great demand for interviews with all the news companies.
 
 Not just the country’s news media.
 Reporters from neighbouring countries expressly came to me to cover the story, which was unbearable.
 
 Of course I could have refused, but I didn’t want to 『take that one and not this one』.
 
 However———
 
 
 
 “Isn’t it… a bit too much?”
 
 After the reporters had all left the parlour.
 I slumped onto the sofa.
 
 “It’s because Ojou-sama is now 『the man of the times』.”
 
 Anna, standing beside me, smiled wryly.
 
 “Even so. I was up late looking over the documents for the territory transfer… Like this, I won’t have quite enough vitality.”
 
 “Do your best, Ojou-sama. I’ll make you a cup of tea now.”
 
 Saying so with a smile, Anna began tea preparation nearby.
 
 Eagerly waiting for the tea she’d make, I stretched out my arms and legs, while thinking about all that had happened, and all that was to come.
 
 
 
 The days were busy.
 
 To be honest, I didn’t think I’d be awarded a title, let alone a territory.
 
 A 『territory』, in a nutshell, doesn’t just mean a piece of land.
 The people who live there. The right to use the rivers. And also, it includes claims and such to things connected to the land.
 
 In the daytime, I dealt with interviews.
 At night, I look over the documents for territory transfer, but I’m totally unable to keep up.
 
 I’ve found myself estranged from my drawing board for yet another week.
 
 “Once the peerage conferment ceremony was over, I thought I’d be able to leisurely make magic tools… this is different from what I was toooold.”
 
 I shouted so into the air.
 
 Knock knock, a maid came to inform me of a new visitor.
 
 With the tea Anna had expressly prepared for me now definitely put on hold, 『Haah…』, I let out a deep sigh.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 The next day.
 
 I was together with my father in the office of King Conrad the Second of the Heielland Kingdom.
 
 “I know you’re busy, so sorry for calling you out. Marquis, Countess.”
 
 “Don’t mind it. There’s no task more important than a talk with Your Majesty.——— Ah, excluding family, of course.”
 
 In response to His Majesty, who spoke from the sofa, Otou-sama smoothly replied as such.
 
 Pfft, His Majesty burst out.
 
 I also nodded at my father’s words.
 
 “We’ve been aggressively occupied by the press day after day, so we’re grateful to hear from you.”
 
 “Haha, it makes me feel a little better to hear you say that.”
 
 Smiling wryly, His Majesty tried of the tea and then put the cup down, and then looked at us.
 
 “Actually, the reason I called the two of you here, is because I have something I’d like to ask of Lady Ainsworth.”
 
 “From me, you say?”
 
 Tilting my head, His Majesty nodded.
 
 “That’s right. I don’t intend to force you, but if possible, I’d like if you could just hear me out.”
 
 “Of course. What sort of request is it?”
 
 When I asked, His Majesty put his finger on his chin, and then eventually lifted his head.
 
 “Actually… The son of an old friend of mine, he’s been suffering from illness for a long time. I was wondering if the Lady couldn’t examine him for a moment.”
 
 ——— Badump.
 
 At that moment, my heart pounded loudly.
 
 (No way, is this… by any chance, 『him』?!)
 
 Memories of the distant past came rushing back.
 
 
 
 This is actually the second time I’ve had this discussion with His Majesty.
 
 Except, the 『previous time』 I had this discussion, I formally became the Second Prince’s fiance and entered the academy… in other words, it was four years from now.
 
 That time, His Majesty frankly asked me this 『favour』 as a member of the royal family, and I complied.
 
 (Did the change in history push this request forward?)
 
 While I was thinking about that, my father began speaking next to me.
 
 “Your Majesty. My daughter isn’t a doctor. You say it’s an 『illness』, so if there’s the possibility of infection, do you really think I’d agree as a father?”
 
 I was happy that Otou-sama spoke up to protect me.
 
 However, this 『illness』, it isn’t your usual disease.
 His Majesty had a reason for asking this request of me.
 
 His Majesty looked to my father.
 
 “Lord Owleyes’s concerns are valid. ——— from what I can conclude, that 『illness』 isn’t the kind that is infectious. Though if you were to ask me if it were completely safe, I’d honestly only be able to say that 『I do not know』.”
 
 “So what you mean is, it’s an unknown illness?”
 
 Otou-sama asked a question in return.
 
 “Umu. Though I think it’s strange to call it an 『illness』 in the first place…”
 
 I offered a helping hand to His Majesty, who was at a loss as to how to answer.
 
 “By any chance, is it not an 『illness』 suspected of being caused by magic power, spells, or magic tools?”
 
 In response to my words, His Majesty had a startled expression.
 
 But he immediately changed it to a troubled expression, sighed, and smiled wryly.
 
 “My, my. When it comes to our country’s greatest magic-toolsmith, she can see through just about anything.”
 
 “Your Majesty, you’re overestimating me too much. If I, who is not a doctor, am told that you 『want me to examine a patient』, then it’s easy to imagine that it’s related to magic.”
 
 “I see. That’s certainly correct.”
 
 Saying so with a laugh, King Conrad began talking in detail about this time’s request.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 Ten days later.
 
 Anna and I were rocking about in a carriage prepared by the royal family, in a land to the south, far away from the royal capital Sanakia.
 
 “No matter how soft the bed is when you sleep, your back does indeed ache after being jolted around in a carriage every day, huh.”
 
 Saying so with a frown, Anna rubbed her back.
 
 “I feel the same.”
 
 I wholeheartedly agreed.
 
 The carriage I’m riding in now was originally for ambassadors of the royal family to use, and so had extravagant specifications.
 
 The seats had fluffy cushions, and the cabin was supported on the axle by a leaf-spring axle suspension, so the swaying was kept to a minimum.
 
 Even so, a week’s worth of daily carriage rides was quite hard on the body.
 
 
 
 “Say, Anna. I’ve decided on one thing during this trip.”
 
 “What is it?”
 
 “I was thinking of 『making it someday』, but… I’m definitely implementing 『rail transport』. And as soon as possible.”
 
 “『Rail transport』… are they roads made of steel?^[1]”
 
 “Rather than a road, it’s a mode of transportation that runs across two steel rails laid across the ground. It can only run where the rails are laid, but if we’re able to properly make use of the motive power, it can move at twice the speed of a carriage.”
 
 “Twice as fast as a carriage?!”
 
 “That’s right. With a carriage, you can at most travel 10 km in an hour on properly levelled ground, but if we implement what I was thinking of, you can go twice as fast, or several times faster if we do it really well. And with close to a hundred people on board too!”
 
 When I proudly said so, Anna blinked her eyes in surprise for a moment, but soon smiled sweetly at me.
 
 “If that’s what Ojou-sama says, then there’s no doubt about it. If it’s something I can do, please ask anything of me.”
 
 “Thank you for believing in me. That’s why I love you, Anna!”
 
 “Ojou-sama……”
 
 As she said so, we both held each other’s hands.
 
 ““Ah…””
 
 Anna and I locked eyes.
 
 The next instant, we both looked out the window at the same time.
 
 
 
 Continuous gently rolling hills.
 
 Beyond them, glittering in the distance, was ———
 
 
 “The sea!!!!”
 
 
 It was the shining blue sea.