Chapter 5
“Adel. I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”
Every time her shimmering pale pink hair fluttered, I had the illusion that a gentle spring breeze was blowing.
Add to that her pale, almost porcelain skin and her elegant features.
It seemed she had been blessed far more than I had—both in face and in status.
“What brings you here, Brother?”
Adolf’s voice sounded dazed. Then, as if realizing his mistake, he turned to me.
“Oh, Adel. This is my older brother.”
I recognized him immediately. After all, there was only one person in the entire empire who could call Adolf “little brother.”
Kienne Wington Di Douglas.
The Crown Prince had been a fairly important character even in the original story.
His face alone was far too handsome to be dismissed as a mere extra.
Moreover, unlike the typical nobles who only had status to boast of, he was no fool.
Kienne, who had shown exceptional intelligence from a young age, had taken over state affairs early on in place of the emperor, whose condition had deteriorated after the empress’s death.
And from that point on, the Douglas Empire began to grow at an astonishing pace.
While the nobles prattled on about dignity and bloodlines, Kienne unhesitatingly allied with the Magic Tower.
He laid railways across the empire, built magical tool factories, and laid the foundation for national industry.
Thanks to that, within just seven years, the empire had experienced an unprecedented revival.
Which is precisely why I can live here somewhat like a modern person.
As my mind grew complicated, he casually took a step closer.
His blue eyes studied me intently.
“How strange. Even though we’ve just met, I feel somehow familiar.”
…Rather sharp. Did he sense something the moment he saw me?
In truth, in the original story, we were destined to meet as researcher and patron and, together, merrily bring about the end of the world.
Because he would take a great interest in research on “spacetime distortion” and begin full-scale sponsorship.
Of course, the original protagonist, Heon, would notice the danger of the research too late and come to warn the Crown Prince—but.
The Crown Prince would dismiss it entirely.
Because he was, by nature, a dopamine chaser.
In fact, upon hearing that this research might destroy the world, he became even more intrigued.
…And unlike the Crown Prince, the one who took the lead in trying to stop it was Adolf. Even going so far as to sacrifice his own body in the end.
Though he seemed simple, Adolf was someone who clearly distinguished right from wrong.
Therefore, Adolf was priority number one—the person to keep closest to prevent the destruction.
Kienne was priority number one to keep at a distance.
So there’s no need to exchange long words with the Crown Prince.
Having reached that conclusion, I answered calmly.
“I suppose it’s because I have a rather common face.”
“…Hm, is that so?”
He looked at my face and readily agreed.
At least pretend to think about it for a moment.
The Crown Prince stroked his chin and continued.
“Come to think of it, I believe I heard from Adolf that a friend named Adel works as a researcher at the Magic Tower.”
“…”
“As you may know, I have quite an interest in that field myself. So, what kind of research do you do, coming from the Magic Tower?”
At his voice laced with curiosity, I hesitated for a moment.
If I answered in detail, it was obvious where his interest would head.
Better to brush it off vaguely, right?
“Well, it’s a rather complex research topic to explain here on the spot.”
I continued calmly.
“As you know, most of the research conducted at the Magic Tower is confidential… and I recently left my research position, so I’m cautious about discussing it.”
“…What?”
The one startled by my words was Adolf, standing beside me.
“Y-You came from the Magic Tower?”
I immediately nodded.
“Well, it’s only been a few days.”
I’d been wondering how to bring this up, so this actually worked out well.
I’d send the Crown Prince off quickly and then bring up business with Adolf.
“Why?”
…The problem was that Kienne’s interest in a Magic Tower–trained researcher showed no signs of fading.
“What made you change your mind and leave the Magic Tower? You must have studied quite a long time to become a researcher.”
The implication was clear: why leave a job that was so hard to get into and offered such good conditions?
In truth, even though I’d complained that it was no better than slavery, the salary I earned as a Magic Tower researcher rivaled that of any major corporation.
In a way, it’s like getting into a big company through their open recruitment and then suddenly quitting to start your own business.
“Brother. Why are you prying so much into my friend’s personal affairs? I haven’t even had a proper chance to talk with them yet.”
Adolf quickly interjected, and a brief silence followed.
Only then did Kienne shift his gaze from me to his younger brother.
“Is that so?”
He gave a light shrug.
“My apologies.”
The Crown Prince continued placidly, without a trace of regret on his face.
“I’d like to have a longer conversation if we get the chance next time.”
“Yes, if you wish.”
I pulled my lips into a wide smile and put on my best professional manners.
After all, such pleasantries rarely materialize.
The Crown Prince smiled deeply and offered his hand for a handshake.
I extended mine instinctively, and a peculiar pressure came through our clasped hands.
“Nice to meet you.”
Unlike his smoothly lifted lips, his eyes weren’t smiling at all.
Fortunately, the head chamberlain standing behind him approached and reported quietly.
“Someone from the Meiters family has arrived. They request an audience now.”
“Yes, I’ll go now.”
After answering, Kienne looked back at the two of us.
More precisely, he fixed his gaze on me and said:
“See you next time.”
That was just a formality too, right?
Crown Prince Kienne left behind an enigmatic smile and leisurely departed.
Only then did I release the tension from my stiff shoulders.
As I relaxed, a sigh escaped me first.
“Hah…”
“That was a bit overwhelming earlier, right? Haha, my brother’s a bit peculiar.”
Adolf laughed sheepishly. Yet somehow, his expression seemed slightly strained.
He quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, what’s this about you leaving the Magic Tower all of a sudden?”
“Oh, I handed my resignation right in front of the professor—”
“…This sounds like it’ll be a long story. Let’s go to the parlor first.”
Adolf led me to his quarters.
As soon as we entered the parlor, maids brought out expensive refreshments.
Sipping the warm tea, I finally felt like I’d regained some of the composure I’d nearly lost.
“Alright, now tell me. What on earth made you quit the Magic Tower?”
“Well, nothing major. Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit disillusioned with my life.”
“Suddenly? You’ve been there for five years.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t fancy becoming a six-year slave. Besides, even if I produced research results, what came back to me was negligible compared to the professor, right?”
I said this with a shrug. Beating around the bush with long-winded explanations wasn’t really my style.
“So I’m trying something new. I actually came today because I have a favor to ask.”
At my words, Adolf tilted his head.
“A favor?”
I pulled out the new business project development report I’d been diligently working on and placed it on the table.
“What’s this?”
“The business I’m going to do from now on.”
Adolf’s eyes widened slightly.
“Business?”
“It’s a blueprint. I don’t have a prototype yet, but I plan to make and sell magical tools based on this.”
I slid one page of the report toward Adolf.
It was filled with detailed notes on the principles behind developing the magical tool, the prototype model design, and the estimated development timeline.
Adolf, being more skilled in swordsmanship than magic, wouldn’t understand any of it, but it was important to look prepared.
So I added an intuitive explanation to help him understand.
“In short, it’s a subspace pouch.”
“A sub… what?”
“Hmm, think of it as a practical product made by distorting spacetime. It looks like a small pouch on the outside, but…”
I continued, gesturing animatedly.
“It can hold anything from a small table to a whole house. I haven’t figured out how to fit a house in yet, though.”
