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The Familiar Satellite Town of Pond – Part 05

In the royal capital, there was only one place other than the business district that lit up at night—the royal castle, which was illuminated by magic lamps all night long. This not only symbolized the authority of the king but also served the purpose of deterring thieves.

As Queen Kujastria returned from a late-night meeting, she sank onto her bed, letting out a long sigh.

Sensing a presence, she abruptly lifted her head.

“Hmm. I know you’re there, Silver Face. What do you think of my sharp intuition?”

“…”

It wasn’t Silver Face, however—though they shared the same outfit of a hooded cloak and a silver mask.

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”

“Star Face?”

Lavia, donning a silver mask with star markings, gracefully kneeled.

“Did Silver Face tell you about the passage?”

“Yes.”

Hikaru had told Lavia about the secret passage known only to the royal family.

Queen Kujastria momentarily displayed irritation or discomfort, a fleeting emotion that didn’t escape Lavia’s notice.

Kujastria appeared gentle and composed, but she was also a natural performer, as evidenced by her act of masquerading as a seemingly powerless figure since childhood. And she mistakenly showed her emotions to Lavia.

The passage was supposed to be a secret known only to Silver Face and the queen, but Silver Face had told his companion about it, which made the queen understandably upset. Nevertheless, Kujastria should have managed to conceal such discomfort.

She’s attracted to Hikaru, too.

Lavia speculated that the queen’s momentary displeasure stemmed from feeling betrayed by someone she liked.

Good grief! Hikaru, seriously.

Lavia wanted to scream to the heavens.

With his Stealth, Hikaru was unrivaled. He had a sharp mind, he was unselfish, and acted with integrity.

Anyone would fall for him. I need to rein him in a little bit.

The receptionist at Pond’s Guild, Jillarte of Einbiest, Ivy F. Taylor, and Kujastria, the ruler of this kingdom—whether they were aware or not, Lavia knew they were all attracted to Hikaru. There might be others as well, but those were the ones Lavia knew of.

If a competitor appears every time a problem is solved, it will be too much for me, Lavia thought. Still, I can’t help but support him when he’s out there working hard.

Lavia couldn’t stop Hikaru from helping others. In fact, she backed him up. Lavia admired how he would take action irrespective of the person’s gender.

The problem is that Hikaru is too dense about how others feel about him.

Lavia decided that proper education might be beneficial. A queen as a competitor was too much for her to handle. While she didn’t believe Kujastria would go so far as to try to take Silver Face away, it didn’t hurt to be certain.

“What business do you have with me?”

Regaining her regal composure, Kujastria straightened herself, peering down at the kneeling Lavia.

“I, together with Silver Face, am currently guarding House Taylor’s residence.”

“House Taylor’s residence?” Kujastria appeared puzzled, not expecting this kind of matter. “Ah, the Baron with the magical researcher. Isaac, if I remember correctly.”

Lavia was surprised that Kujastria knew the name of the eldest son of one of the hundreds of barons in the kingdom, but perhaps Kujastria only recognized him as a researcher of sorcery.

“Isaac has passed away.” Lavia went straight to the point.

“What did you say?”

“He’s passed on, along with the Baron himself. And now, Ivy, Isaac’s twin sister, has taken over the family by disguising herself as a man.”

“She’s misrepresenting herself? Because there’s no male heir?”

As expected, Queen Kujastria was well-versed in kingdom law, allowing for a swift conversation.

“Exactly, Your Majesty. According to the law, House Taylor faces dissolution, and Isaac—I mean, Ivy, will be homeless.”

“Why are you telling me this? You said you’re guarding the Taylor residence.”

“Silver Face believes Ivy is an exceptional magical researcher.”

“What?!”

“She published papers under Isaac’s name. If Your Majesty knows Isaac’s name, perhaps you’ve seen them?”

“I have,” Kujastria groaned. “Female researchers are rare… so, she used her brother’s name for acknowledgement, I presume?”

“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”

When publishing a paper, being young alone made it difficult to be taken seriously, and being a woman would attract even less attention. There was a stark disparity between men and women in this world.

Venturing beyond the city limits meant braving danger, where battles against monsters and bandits favored physically superior men. This mindset was difficult to change.

Kujastria, faced with this issue, furrowed her brow. Her stern expression indicated an acknowledgment of the problem’s gravity, while also recognizing its roots in societal values, making it difficult to resolve. Her own status as a woman added another layer of complexity.

“Why are you telling me about the Taylor family? Are you suggesting I turn a blind eye because of her talent?”

“No, Your Majesty. I wish for a revision of the law.”

“You mean the laws regarding hereditary succession among the nobility. Allowing direct female inheritance in cases where unforeseen circumstances lead to the loss of the head of the house and there are no direct male heirs?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a difficult one,” Kujastria replied immediately. “Well, to be precise, it’s difficult at the moment. Under normal circumstances, we could take time for deliberation and make amendments. However, right now… you understand, don’t you? The Accursed Toxin still has the capital in turmoil. Nobles and bureaucrats alike are tirelessly working to rebuild this kingdom. Since I ascended the throne, this country has yet to experience stability.”

She let out an uneasy sigh, a sigh that expressed both concern for the current state of the Ponsonia Kingdom and sympathy for Ivy.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, I believe there’s no harm in expediting this law revision. If anything, now might be the opportune moment.”

“Do you know something that I don’t?”

“I do. Even a commoner like me can see it.”

Kujastria did not bat an eye at her inflammatory tone. She truly was a performer.

“Your Majesty yourself ascended the throne after the unfortunate death of the late king.”

“…Oh.”

“While the inheritance of the throne and a noble title carry entirely different weights, it is nonetheless reasonable for Her Majesty the Queen, who has recently ascended to the throne, to advocate for granting the right of inheritance of noble titles to direct female heirs, just as they do for the throne.”

“…”

Lavia found Kujastria’s silence to be a positive thing. Silence implied room for consideration.

After a while, Kujastria spoke. “What would you have done if I ignored you and proceeded to dissolve House Taylor?”

“You wouldn’t do such a thing, Your Majesty.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because Ivy was successful in her experiment of the Four Elementals Fusion Theory.”

“What?!” Kujastria stiffened in astonishment.

I knew it. That theory has such impactful content. Paula and I didn’t really get it, but those involved in magical research should understand.

Lavia had been forthright with Kujastria from the beginning because she possessed this ace up her sleeve. Even without it, Lavia doubted Kujastria would wield her authority recklessly—she knew it would make Hikaru dislike her.

Sigh… even the insurance hinges on Hikaru, huh?

Lavia felt a bit upset about that.

“B-But I’m not sure about giving special treatment by virtue of their intellect.”

“House Taylor won’t last long anyway. They’re drowning in debt.”

“Debt?” Kujastria was taken aback by the plebeian fact.

“If it comes to that, Ivy won’t be able to continue her research—and she’s aware of it.”

“You’re saying something as trivial as a debt will bury the Four Elementals Fusion Theory, known as the dream of every magical researcher, called a dream because it can’t be realized, in darkness again?! I won’t allow it! Absolutely not. I dreamed of it multiple times myself. If that theory is realized, all kinds of magic items will become a reality.”

“Um, Your Majesty?”

She seemed to be getting excited.

“Unacceptable! I will not let the family be dissolved.”

“R-Right. So I propose amending the kingdom’s laws—”

“We’ll do it right away.”

“…”

Lavia was shocked. Hikaru had mentioned a few times that the queen just wanted to do magical research, but she didn’t expect her to be this obsessed. She was a hardcore sorcery nerd.

“I will work on it. I ask that you continue to guard Ivy F. Taylor.”

“Understood. I’ll be taking my leave—”

“Wait.”

“Why… Why are you helping Ivy F. Taylor?”

“…What do you mean?”

“…”

Kujastria narrowed her eyes at Lavia, then shook her head slightly.

“No, forget it. Take care on your way back.”

After saying that, Star Face vanished.

---

Lavia walked alone through the dark secret passage of the royal family.

“Why am I helping Ivy F. Taylor?”

Kujastoria appeared uncertain, so she ended the conversation prematurely.

She probably meant to ask why I was helping a potential competitor.

Given Kujastria’s thorough understanding of the value of the Four Elementals Fusion Theory as a magical researcher herself, she might have wanted to hint at the possibility of Silver Face falling for a woman engaged in such research.

In fact, Lavia also thought Ivy might be a tougher opponent than Jillarte.

So why help her?

Because Hikaru would do the same.

Lavia believed that if there was a man she wanted to save, and they were exceptionally handsome, Hikaru would definitely help.

“There’s no way I won’t do something for Hikaru because of jealousy.”

Lavia’s mind was made up from the start.

“Besides, no matter what happens, I am Hikaru’s number one.”

With a quiet flame burning in her heart, Lavia traversed the dark path.