BSS 83

Chapter 83

I regained consciousness in a lavish room that felt completely unfamiliar, and by then, the sun had already set.

“Warp sickness… it’s proportional to the distance you warp…”

Half dazed, I muttered futilely on the dark bed.

Back when I first came to Elan at the age of ten, we traveled in a group, so we had to use warp facilities that could accommodate large numbers and move in two shifts.

Because of that, the physical shock wasn’t so severe.

I had thrown up a little and couldn’t walk for a few dozen minutes, but I hadn’t felt like I was on the brink of death.

This time, however, I used the King’s privilege to warp directly from Dimitri to Elan in one go. The result? A horrifying sensation as if I had dipped my feet into the River of Death and pulled them back.

I wanted to slap my past self who had thought it would be tolerable if it were just one warp.

[Master, thud! You fainted. Thud!]

Rai, being annoyingly tactless as usual, made me clench my head in frustration.

“Be honest. Isn’t your happiness derived from your master’s suffering? Isn’t it?”

[Wha—? No! Master’s pain is my pain!]

“Your voice sounds excited.”

[You’re misunderstanding. Hehe.]

He just laughed. That brat, after ten years in the human world, had become cunning.

Normally, I wouldn’t have let it slide, but I didn’t even have the energy to get angry.

“Ugh… my head.”

[Well, you fell forward. Thud!]

“I’ll kill you…”

[Kyah, scary.]

“Enough. Just make a mirror.”

Rai crawled forward and skillfully stiffened his midsection.

In the empty round space, a silver surface appeared, and Rai quickly became a perfect mirror.

I looked at my face using the hand-held mirror shaped like a snake, curious if I had bruised my forehead. But it was too dark to see clearly.

“Ador.”

[You need me, Master?]

Ador, the spirit of electricity, had an innate glow similar to the mage’s “Light” spell.

Using Ador’s glow, I confirmed my forehead was fine.

“Good work. You can go back now.”

[What? I haven’t done anything yet!]

Ador was very useful when I didn’t feel like turning on lights.

“No, you’re a good spirit just by existing.”

[…Why are you suddenly being kind? Did I do something wrong?]

Even kindness caused him to fuss.

“What do you guys see me as anyway?”

[Master, your personality is… difficult.]

[What? How rude! Master’s personality is totally difficult! Not just a little!]

“You two, really…”

I seriously considered researching ways to kill spirits, when I sensed a slight movement—someone was knocking at the door.

Knock. Knock.

The room was so vast it was almost embarrassing to call it a room.

[Looks like a maid, Master?]

“Go back, Ador.”

[Next time, call me for something proper!]

“What do you mean by proper?”

[Battle or hunting! Blood splattering! Monsters, monsters, monsters…]

Damn it. I’d have to cut off his mana.

Ador loved being summoned, but always wanted to do something flashy. Simple tasks made him complain. What he considered “proper” was ultimately my trial.

‘What’s so good about meeting monsters?’

Creak.

I hadn’t even told her to come in, yet one side of the double doors opened, and a maid quietly entered.

Her eyes met mine directly as I sat on the bed.

“Oh! I’m sorry!”

“Hm?”

“I thought you were sleeping, so…”

The maid, who looked my age, bowed hurriedly in surprise, apologizing, but I had no energy to be angry.

I wasn’t the type to be strict about servant etiquette, either.

Honestly, having spent so long at the Academy, I’d barely experienced the typical life of a noble, so my knowledge of manners was mostly theoretical.

“What is it?”

“I’ve brought a message sent by His Majesty Dikel III.”

“Let me see.”

With a gesture, the letter on a tray was brought before me.

I glanced at the maid, who was trying to be polite, and opened the envelope.

As I unfolded the letter, I couldn’t help but feel anxious about what the king must think of me.

He must have never seen anyone faint from warping before.

Even thinking back, I couldn’t imagine a more humiliating situation.

A summoned attendant, whose duty was to protect and assist the king, had fainted outright.

Moreover, I had begged to be taken as an attendant without proper training, so this was particularly embarrassing.

*“The day has been busy, so I only now inquire after your health. I hope you are feeling better. Today’s schedule was handled with the other attendants, so rest assured.
You won’t lack company until tomorrow morning, so first, take a good rest. If accompanying me to tomorrow afternoon’s party proves difficult, send a message in advance.

Wishing J a speedy recovery,
D”*

“And this was sent along with it.”

The maid presented a small box of chocolates.

I felt a surge of patriotic pride.

Our king really is thoughtful. So considerate.

He had always openly cared for me. To the extent that rumors spread through the Academy that Dikel III had affections for me as a woman.

He had given me a personal training room, established the Spirit Department for me, maintained it for years with no students, and provided every support I wanted.

But I’m sure he saw me as a valuable talent, not just a person.

‘A kind of investment, perhaps? To cultivate patriotism…’

It was exciting to say, but I was a rare genius, not just in Dimitri, but across the continent.

A genius in the unpopular field of spirit magic, with hardly any fame like Robenin Pedri.

In any case, Dikel III was a person who unreservedly supported me so I could focus solely on training.

There was no reason for me to dislike him.

To me, he was a wonderful patron and an indispensable king of the country where I was born and raised.

“Hmm.”

As I folded the letter, I became slightly serious.

Having fainted, I had hardly done my attendant duties, so I felt a mental burden to properly assist at the party.

Perfection is boring; I wasn’t a particularly talented lady.

I got up and stepped down from the bed, rifling through my neatly packed luggage.

Was it in here? No, over here.

I proudly took out the book I had prepared for tomorrow. With this, I’d be ready!

“You Too, Lady! Complete Mastery of Party Etiquette”

I had borrowed it from the library.

Seeing this, I realized I wasn’t the only one struggling with party manners.

I had picked the thinnest, smallest one, yet it was full of text and illustrations.

Flipping through the book quickly, I heard a voice behind me.

“Um… if you have no instructions, may I take my leave?”

Ah, right. The maid.

I wasn’t accustomed to her presence, so I expected her to leave on her own.

When I finally looked back from my world, she lifted her skirt and bent her knees in acknowledgment of my gaze.

“I apologize for my late introduction. I am Chelsea, the maid assigned to Crowell, from Topaz Palace.”

“Topaz Palace…?”

“One of the seventeen palaces that host guests in the royal palace. It’s for the accommodation of visitors.”

“So being assigned to me means you are my personal maid?”

“Yes.”

The scale of the royal palace was indeed extraordinary. A personal maid for an attendant. Impressive.

I doubted there were only one or two such guests at the foundation party.

“Then are all guests assigned personal maids?”

“Yes, all state guests staying at the palace are assigned one.”

“So His Majesty Dikel III must be at Topaz Palace too.”

“He is staying at the central hall inside. If you need to send a reply, I can deliver it anytime.”

I nodded, examining Chelsea more closely.

Being a palace maid, her uniform seemed luxurious.

Graceful. Quite different from the attendants at the Academy.

“Did you braid my hair as well…?”

“That was me.”

When I regained consciousness in bed, someone had neatly braided my hair.

The ends were adorned with a blue silk ribbon, cascading modestly over one shoulder. I had changed into pajamas from my luggage, and it was very comfortable.

All her doing, then.

“I will also help you prepare for tomorrow night’s party. If you need anything else, please instruct me. I will serve you faithfully during your stay.”

“Party preparation? Is there anything to help with?”

“Of course! Preparing a lady for a party takes time. It would be impossible to do alone. You have to do your hair, put on a dress, makeup, and…”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

I finally understood what party preparation entailed.

I had indeed brought dresses and jewelry, thinking I just had to wear them.

“I’m glad you’ll help. As you can see, I’m not familiar with parties.”

“Really? You don’t seem that way at all.”

Chelsea’s eyes went wide in disbelief, so I quietly shook the book I had brought.

“You Too, Lady! Complete Mastery of Party Etiquette”

I was serious. Chelsea’s pupils trembled wildly.

“Well, I’ll be counting on you.”

“Eh?”