Chapter 374 – Day 54 – The Princess Asks Zinaida for a Favor
Leaving behind Mana’s funeral, which she was able to complete without any problems with Grace’s help, the princess headed for the huge clock tower near the imperial palace.
“It appears that High Priestess Grace has something to say to the princess.”
“Hmm… I guess it’s because of the church’s problems. Since I also received help, of course I should help Grace. But…”
The princess, who arrived at her clock tower, lifted her head up, sensing her strange sense of deja vu.
“This clock tower. Isn’t it a bit strange?”
“What are you talking about? Stupid princess.”
Hedone is definitely thrilling! She didn’t feel like doing it, so she asked innocently, and Ceres was similar, so she lowered her head in silence.
“Isn’t it similar to the clock tower in Rondonium? That… What should I say, the princess’s intuition? There’s a feeling of coming and going.”
“Hmm…Even if you say that…”
To be honest, Hedone couldn’t understand what the princess was talking about, even if she opened her eyes slightly and looked around. There was a clock tower in Rondonium as well. Hedone herself climbed to the top of the tower and shot Elaine, so she knew better than anyone else.
But, as the princess said, are the towers here and the towers in Rondonium the same? When asked, Hedone could only say, “I don’t know.”
“Didn’t all clock towers originally look the same?”
“Keuk… Well, if Hedone says that, I can’t help it! Even if the exterior looks like that, isn’t the inside too similar? Isn’t the Imperial Palace’s clock tower used as a prison, just like Elaine used it?”
“Since it’s a place that can be used as a prison, wouldn’t it be natural for the Tower of the Imperial Palace and the Tower of Rondonium to be equally used as prisons? Just like the mansions of nobles with prisons underground or towers. “
Hedone spoke from a very general sense of common sense, and the princess was talking on an ‘instinctive’ level that made her hair stand on end. That’s why the more she talked, the more weak her logic was her, and the princess couldn’t speak her argument for longer.
“But isn’t it too complicated? They look very similar and have the same prison inside…”
“Maybe the tower was designed by the same person. Princess. The clock tower of the imperial palace and the clock tower of Rondonium are both old buildings, so they are the same.”
“Hmm… I guess I was too sensitive.”
In fact, even if the two towers were identical, there would be no problem. So what? It was such a fleeting thought that the word came out, so the princess swallowed her dry saliva with a nervous expression.
The princess was so nervous that her trivial stories her hung on.
I didn’t know if I would hear the identity of the traitor from Zinaida Gregorio.
* * * * * *
“I’m sorry. Princess, I don’t remember.”
Zinaida, who was wearing a gray one-piece dress, gave a very cool answer without any worries.
“That… That… Sounds too easy, the future of the empire might be at stake. At the same time, it’s Gina! It might be an opportunity to find out the dark side who played with your life!”
“I know that too. So ever since I was imprisoned in this tower, I’ve been thinking about it. Who the hell is the person who gave me the crown with the demon’s curse on it?”
Jinaada spoke with a very serious expression, but when she briefly glanced at Hedone standing behind the princess, her eyes became slightly surprised.
“Oh my goodness…”
“… As she is a magician, you can recognize her at a glance.”
“The stories about His Majesty’s amazing magic weren’t just rumors. Hmm…”
Zinaida, with a very strange look, scanned Hedone from the tips of her toes to every single strand of her hair. Those eyes seemed to burn her intellectual curiosity her innocently, so the princess hurriedly snapped her thumb and forefinger and made a sound.
“It’s Gina! It’s Gina!”
“Ah, ah. I’m sorry. Princess. It’s the first time I’ve seen a homunculus…”
“That! Isn’t that important! You really don’t remember anything? To be honest, there’s no way that’s the case. It’s the crown you received at your coronation. There’s no way some stupid person would have come and received it. “
The princess was talking in her tantrum her, but she wasn’t talking nonsense. Zinaida did n’t answer right away this time, but she gently placed her hand on her chin. In the meantime, Keres sensibly served a drink for three people on a small table.
“…The item I received at the coronation is correct. I remember that it was a gift from His Majesty the Emperor, but…”
“Oh, oh oh… You remember quite a bit!”
“…That’s all.”
“Shut up”
The princess, who let out a painful moan that made her shoulders shake, brought the ice cup with her ice floating in it to her mouth her and tilted it to calm her burning heart.
“But you made it easy for me to tell the story of the traitor. Princess Venus.”
“Well, according to common sense, you can’t be a traitor.”
“It’s a cruel word, but Jinaida-san was taken advantage of. He was used like a piece on the game board… Ah, of course, there is a possibility that the other party moved assuming that part as well.”
“As long as you’re trapped inside the clock tower, if you’re really a traitor… It’s easy to deal with.”
Jinaida sighed and laughed at the princess’s words to her. She didn’t feel bad. Still, at least she’s a brainy person, and even as I thought about that, thinking about how Gregorio slapped his cock in her mouth her at the last moment made me laugh out loud.
“I’m sorry. But… There’s something strange about hearing Princess Venus’ story of her and trying to keep recalling her memories of her.”
“Phew, there’s a ‘weird part’ as well. Anything is fine, so tell me!
“It’s that I have no memory.”
“…Yes?”
Hedone and the princess furrowed their eyebrows for a moment. Are all humans called wizards like this? It would be nice if Arisa was here with her— the princess regretted inwardly.
“Ah, I’m not kidding. Princess and Hedone. Think about it. Isn’t it strange that you don’t have memories?”
“Hmm…?”
“As the princess said, it happened not on another day, but at the ‘Coronation of Zinaida Gregorio’. It can be said to be the most sparkling moment in my life. I’m ashamed to say it, but it was the day I became Gregorio’s queen, whom I promised to protect. It’s the day I received a new crown as a gift from His Majesty the Emperor…”
“…Certainly, it’s strange to remember that you were given the crown as a gift and not to remember who exactly gave it to you.”
“Only the memory of the character is cut like scissors.”
Zinaida spoke up to that point and exhaled a very long breath.
“I… I can’t do any magical action because I’m trapped inside this tower, but I can tell you one thing for sure.”
“Tell me.”
“It’s highly likely that my memory was manipulated by the traitor. And there’s a high probability that he used magic.”
“…So you mean a traitor is someone who uses magic?”
“Yes, he must be quite talented. I’ve never felt a sense of incongruity in my entire life.”
Although it was a very small clue, the princess smiled at the thought that she had finally found something.
“Thank you. This is Gina. Certainly … Considering Diana’s reaction to her, I think it would be more correct to think that she is someone who knows how to use strange magic related to memories. Hmm …”
The story was very easy if it was limited to those who could use ‘magic’ among the numerous nobles.
“Well, I guess Hedone and Ceres couldn’t be traitors like I first thought.”
“That’s right. Mr. Hedone has magic, but he can’t use magic, and the maid-san here has such terrible magic. It’s not surprising that he’s a commoner.”
Zinaida didn’t mean anything bad, so she gave Ceres a small smile.
“Yes, even at the academy, Ceres was embarrassed because he couldn’t help me with the assignments I had to give in my magic class.”
“I bet Arisa-san did all of that, right? Foolish princess.”
“…How did you know?”
When the princess was surprised, Hedone let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
“Ah, anyway… It seems to have helped find the traitor.”
Jinaida gave a small smile at her princess’ words to her, and she only slightly bowed her waist to greet her. Although she was sitting here as a criminal, and a high treason at that, she could n’t refuse to talk to her princess her.
“And so. I guess I’ll have to tell Zinaida something pretty important soon.”
“…What’s going on? Are you finally going to execute me? Or are you trying to make the pregnancy story you joked about come true?”
Haha, it seems like you’ve already heard Aunt Elaine’s story while you’re in prison. There are still many people helping you.”
The moment the princess laughed at what she said, she didn’t say anything. However, Venus didn’t start her words to open her mind in this situation, so she didn’t drag her words out ugly.
“Let me ask you a favor.”
“Are you asking me again? Princess?”
“Rule the kingdom of Magicka.”
“…Yes?”
The princess looked at Zinaida with a very serious look at Zinaida, who asked in pure surprise.
“Now the Magicka Kingdom has become a land ruled by no one as Mana died. She wants you to be her queen her and rule the Magicka Kingdom.”
“That… It’s not that she didn’t understand that…”
“The princess is very worried and she is asking Ginaida-san. She’s not joking.”
When Hedone put her words to rest, Zinaida shut her mouth and quietly began to listen to the princess’s explanation of her.
“The biggest problem in the Magicka Kingdom… I heard from Arisa that there are still many problems that Mana has solved even at the cost of her own life. Also, I don’t know much about magic, and it doesn’t look very good for me to rule the kingdom. Probably not.”
“Hmm…”
“That’s why I’m asking you. You have enough magical knowledge and power to rule the Magicka Kingdom, and don’t you have the wisdom to rule a country as much as you governed Gregorio?”
“You treated me with nice words, but Princess. I’m the woman who tried to make Gregorio independent from the Empire. No matter how much she was manipulated by the demon’s crown…”
“Nobles won’t acknowledge you? What does that have to do with it? Magicka Kingdom was an uninhabitable land full of undead until a few days ago. I have to hold you and take care of it, but what kind of noble would point a finger at you? If you sit still, delicious honey will fall.”
In the first place, if Zinaida becomes the Queen of the Kingdom of Magicka, she cannot rule that vast land by herself. This wasn’t a bad story for the greedy nobles, who would naturally need nobles to rule numerous counties and barons.
What they wanted was a land of money and power, not a land of nuisance from which unknown undead popped out at any time. In addition, once the owner of the Magicka Kingdom became Inaida, the issue of the distribution of her land was left in the hands of the princess, so there was no need to receive unsolicited requests from nobles for an audience.
From the princess’ point of view, it was to rebuild her precious friend’s hometown her, and from Jinaida’s point of view, it was a sweet proposal to escape from the stuffy clock tower.
“You don’t think I’m going to rebel again.”
Haha! If you rebel again, this time I can cut off that beautiful head without anyone noticing. There’s no need to worry.”
“..Didn’t you think of rejecting it?”
“If you don’t rule the Magicka Realm, you’ll be imprisoned in this prison tower and really have to get my seed and conceive and give birth to children. Do you want to do that?”
When the princess smiled and said this, Jinaida sighed and laughed. It’s not that I hate Venus, but I like it. She wasn’t a woman without thoughts that she was Gina to the point where she said, “I’ll just get pregnant.”
In order for her to get out of this tower, she would either have to give birth to her princess’s children… Or be forced to undertake the rebuilding of the Magicka Kingdom starting from zero. Which one would be a little more free? What should I choose so that a person called Zinaida can live comfortably?
“Even if she becomes Queen of Magicka, her condition will be no different from being in this prison.”
“I can’t do that! Don’t get me wrong! I’m making this proposal because I can’t force you to become pregnant! Even if I run away, I have nothing to say…”
“Don’t worry about that. It’s not as much as Mana Magicka-sama, but I didn’t neglect to study magic because I wanted to protect my hometown.”
Ginny Ida let out a long breath and clenched her fists.
“…Is this even the Emperor’s permission?”
The princess replied with a node of her head instead. The emperor accepted this proposal of the princess, who was a bit bewildered, as if he was very interested.
‘From Obama’s point of view… It would be better if the land of the empire that is not properly managed is reduced by even one.’
Thinking so, the princess held out her hands.
“This is Zina. I did those things in Gregorio to save you. I definitely want to rebuild Magicka Kingdom, the hometown of my precious friend Mana. I believe you will know how I feel.”
“…I don’t think I even had a choice from the beginning, but Princess Venus. As you wish, I’ll take over the role of ruling the Magicka Kingdom.”
After her words her, Zinaida lifted the corners of her mouth and gave a small smile.
“If I can repay, even a little bit, the grace of Gregorio for saving so many people, and the gratitude for saving my life to the end, then I, Zinaida Gregorio, would only be honored.”
“Haha, you humble yourself too much! Please take good care of me, Jina!”
The pocket watch hanging from the neck of the princess, who smiled brightly, emitted a strange light.
