PAGE 1

“But I wonder why there have been so many incidents involving failed magicians recently.”

“It’s because it’s one of the lands touching Ruain’s borders… I think.”

According to the game, this was the protagonist’s starting point. It was a location that needed to fall, as it was in the way of the invading Ruain army. And it was the place that the prince would be.

 

“But, if Ruain were considering an invasion, they could just as easily have chosen Elendol to the south.”

“It’s because Reggie will be…no, Reggie will be sent there?”

 

It would be difficult to lure out the prince unless it was a matter of negotiations between countries. Even in the game, tensions had arisen with Salehard, which was the reason that Reggie had visited.

And also, this was a land where he had close friends. This land was much easier to justify using Reggie as a negotiator than Elendol.

That must be why Margrave Everal’s lands would be targeted by the enemy as well.

 

However, neither Salehard or Faruzia seemed to be preparing for war. There were no such indications. And so I had believed that there was still time. Surely Reggie had taken certain measures at the palace. I had been waiting patiently without pursuing magic.

 

–But, what if the narrative was changing gradually?

 

There was no scene of the wind wolves becoming mad in the game, there were no constant appearances of failed magicians.

But what if it had become difficult for the enemy to act as they did in the game, and it became necessary for them to change their policy.

 

“For all we know, failed magicians might be the cause of incidents around Salehard at this very moment…”

Perhaps I was thinking about it too frantically. I was standing right in front of Alan, but I was barely aware of what was pouring from my mouth.

 

“Kiara. What did you mean by that? Why do you think similar things are happening near Salehard as well!? What do you know? Tell me.”

That brought me back, just as the blood drained from my face.

 

W-what should I do? How could I explain it?

But it was only for a few seconds that I was frantic. It was possible that war would be upon us. Much earlier than expected. And I had only told Reggie that it was to be two years in the future.

It would be better to take this opportunity to tell Alan now and quicken the Margrave’s preparations.

 

“Um, I have told this to Reggie before.”

I began and then told Alan everything that I had said to Reggie.

With the excuse of it being a dream.

 

But my anxiety caused me to go into more detail than I had intended.

That they would fall into a situation where negotiations with Faruzia and the Kingdom of Salehard would become inevitable. In my dream, Ruain had manipulated this into happening behind the scenes. They had made it look like men of Faruzia had crossed the border and acted as bandits and burned the mountains.

Reggie would have to come to Everal Castle in order to negotiate with Salehard, then the castle would be attacked. I told him also that Madame Beatrice did appear during this incident, and that I thought it was due to her injury.

If my dream was true, then it was possible that Ruain would attack before Madame Beatrice was completely healed…

 

“It may just be a dream, but I am sick with worry. And so I told Reggie, and he advised Margrave Vain to prepare for an attack from Ruain. But the situation is starting to differ from my dream now…”

Maybe Reggie would visit within a month or two, and Ruain would attack during that time.

We must hurry, I think. We must hurry and prepare to meet them, or we will not be able to stand against them when the invasion begins. And so I told him all this as if I was being urged on.

 

Once I was finished, I had the naive hope that in spite of his troubled face, Alan would consider what I had just said. Perhaps it was because this was only the second time I had said it, and Reggie had believed me without any doubt.

 

And so when I looked up to see Alan’s face, his fierce glare made me swallow back what I was about to say.

 

“A dream. You’re lying are you not?”

“Um…why…”

I could say nothing else at this unexpected reaction. Alan continued.

 

“You spoke too confidently. Something so clear could not have been a dream. And you know too much about things over a long span of time. How many continuations of dreams would you have to see for that to be possible?”

Alan had stabbed right into places that Reggie didn’t even poke.

I think, even if Reggie thought it was strange, he had seen that I didn’t want to talk about it and so left me alone.

But more than that, Reggie believed what he saw. Whether a person was lying or not. Whether it was something I said truly thinking about his well being, whether my self-sacrifice was really necessary or not.

 

But Alan would not allow any uncertain elements. He wanted everything to be laid bare before him so he could make a decision.

 

But, I can’t tell him. I think with sadness.

It would seem like even more of a joke than when I said it was a dream. He would believe me even less.

But we were headed for dangerous times, I couldn’t allow that.

As troubled as I was, I attempt to persuade him.

---

 

Translator’s note:

I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I really don’t like the name ‘Vain.’ It doesn’t fit the character or seem at all like a name.

I would like your input on the possibility of changing it to one of the below:

 

Vane

Veyne

Vayne