4 - The Fourth Day (part one)

(this chapter is especially long, so i’ve split it in half)

Early that morning, Brandon came to deliver the carriage, as scheduled. As I’d asked, it was smallish, and obviously used.

With this, I’d be able to fit into the city without standing out.

I gave the carriage a general inspection, and invited Brandon into my mansion.

I’d sent everyone home, except the servants I’d recommended for work in the royal palace, so I ordered my valet to prepare the tea. I don’t normally have the opportunity to have my valet make tea, but part of his job is to entertain guests, and thanks to his training, it wasn’t a problem. He was quite skilled, by nature. It never takes him very long to absorb anything he’s taught.

I dissolved the milk into the tea, and took a sip. I sighed in relief at the smooth mouthfeel, and after putting the cup back on the saucer, I turned my gaze toward Brandon.

I could at least pass along words of praise to this merchant and his speedy handiwork.

“As expected of you, Brandon.”

“I am honored to be so complimented. I’m glad to have your approval, Lord Ulysses.”

After a polite bow, he suddenly reached his hand towards his inside jacket pocket. What he took out was the box in which the spirit stone lay, the one he’d borrowed the other day.

“I’ll return this as well.”

“Ah, certainly, I’ll take it. Having the whole thing completed without a hitch is what’s most important.”

I accepted the box and opened it with my key to double check its contents. The spirit stone was seated just as it had been before I gave it to him.

“Speaking of spirit stones, apparently there’s a story about them.”

“Hmm?”

A young girl picked up a single stone from a river bank.

There was nothing strange about the stone at first glance, but the young girl could see something quite special in it. She put it in her pocket and went to pray at the church like always. On the way home, she was run over by an aristocrat’s carriage, but somehow managed to escape without a scratch. And so she caught the eye of the aristocrat who’d been riding in the carriage, and became his wife, and lived happily ever after.

The stone she’d put in her pocket that day had shattered, as if in substitution for her.

“I see, that is the usual story, I suppose. A tale the daughter of a commoner would like.”

The same Cinderella story you hear everywhere. In reality, one’s status doesn’t rise as easily as all that, but it’s considered rude here to throw a wet blanket on a person’s story. Brandon likely knew it too, looking at the spirit stone and nodding.

“So then Brandon, what was it you wanted to tell me?”

“Ah yes, there are many tales where a spirit stone becomes a substitute for its owner, such as in the story I just told.”

“That’s true. I understand that my father paid a good price for this stone when he purchased it, as he took those stories to be true.”

The spirit stone that was supposed to become his substitute hadn’t even chipped when his life was in danger. The fact that I still had it in my hands was better proof than anything.

“Indeed, that’s what I’ve been curious about. I do apologize for being so selfish, but I took it upon myself to inquire about the spirit stones with people knowledgeable about them.”

“Oh? And?”

“This certainly is a spirit stone. According to one expert I spoke to, it’s said that they may only trigger under certain conditions.”

Apparently, a spirit stone doesn’t always protect its owner.

What we call a “spirit stone” is something which has a spirit sleeping within the stone. In order to activate it, there must be a shock big enough to awaken the spirit.

For example, being run over by a carriage. For example, falling from a high place. For example, being struck by lightning.

When the stones themselves receive whatever blow, the spirit awakens, and in that moment, the phenomenon we call a “miracle” is generated.

“Oh really? Certainly my father was murdered by the sword. So what you’re saying Brandon, in other words, is that the shock wasn’t enough to awaken the spirit.”

“That’s correct, unfortunately.”

If that was the case, it would explain why the spirit stone didn’t do anything during the conviction event. The spirit stone’s use was extremely limited, but even still, it seemed that under the right circumstances, it could be quite effective for me.

This information may be even more useful than the carriage.

I wet my dry throat with the tea and took a breath.

“I don’t care about what happened with my father. Nevertheless Brandon, you even managed to investigate the spirit stones in this short period of time. It’s the first time I’ve heard of them having a trigger condition.”

“I’m ashamed to say it was the first I’d heard of it too. The expert who was examining it didn’t want to say too much, but… I will say this, harboring a mysterious secret would add to the value of a spirit stone.”

“That’s an awfully straightforward statement.”

“You have entrusted your business to me. I’d like to speak my mind, when I’m not in the public eye.”

“Speak your mind, huh.”

I put my hand to my chin and pretended to think it over.

The spirit stone seemed to have boosted his self-confidence more than I thought. He had strong pride in himself as a merchant, and I thought he had the ability to back it up, too.

He was well-connected and he was great with words. And above all, his judgement was so precise, he could spot anything of value.

“May I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“What did Prince Erik buy? Rather, he did buy something, correct?”

Brandon’s smile stiffened. It seemed this was a question he didn’t want to be asked.

“My guess is, he purchased a few bits of jewelry to use as gifts.”

A present from the First Prince Erik to Ambrose. Surprisingly, the Prince had no interest in jewelry, and the same went for Ambrose, in-game. Expensive gemstones and cheap cut glass were all the same to them.

I wanted to deck myself out and eat delicious meals with the people I loved. I was a boy who thought things like that.

But when the Prince bought jewelry from Brandon, it was nothing more than financial support. No matter what Ambrose did with them, as far as the first prince was concerned, it was outside his interests.

“That must have hurt your pride.”

I knew what type of jewelry Brandon dealt with, because he bought according to my preferences as well. Of course he’d had gems cut in a specifically calculated manner just for a single ring, and even the setting revealed at a glance how devoted the craftsmen were to their delicate workmanship and design.

There was no doubt that as the first prince, he chose the jewelry to suit his beloved – that man. The gifts given were undisputedly first class products.

The only one who didn’t understand their value was Ambrose, the one to whom they were given. Because he was a commoner, because he wasn’t interested in jewelry.

“I’m… I’m a merchant. I sell according to what the customer wants. But I can’t let the value of those goods be diminished. He…”

“He sold the gifts.”

“Ah! That’s true.”

In the game’s First Prince Route, Ambrose did such wonders as going out to distribute food in the slums, and contributing large sums to the temple. Where the money came from had never been explicitly stated, but now I knew.

He’d sold the jewelry he’d gotten from the first prince. The first prince didn’t care about it. As far as he was concerned, the important thing was that he’d given them.

Ambrose had chosen “good deeds” over decorating himself with things that were of higher value than he deserved.

I don’t think he did wrong.

As a commoner, he had no money. Even if he’d wanted to give alms, he’d had no way of doing so. He was probably reluctant to ask the first prince for money, as it was something personal he wanted to do. So he exchanged the jewelry for cash, in order to earn money to do what he wanted. That’s it.

No doubt Brandon understood that too. I’m sure he didn’t care if things he’d sold were resold. Once the deal was done, it was done.

“I’m confident in my judgement. That wasn’t something you haggle over, and certainly not at a price like that!”

His problem was that the transaction hadn’t reflected the item’s actual value.

I hadn’t seen the item in question, but the prince wouldn’t give anything cheap to a beloved partner. Whatever he’d given Ambrose, it must have been of the highest class.

However, the merchant who’d conducted the transaction had purchased it more cheaply than he should have because Ambrose didn’t understand its value. If all he wanted to do was distribute food and make donations, he could have sold just one of them and gotten more than enough.

“It is a great honor to be able to do business with the royal family. But I can’t take this any more.”

“I do think you’re an excellent merchant, Brandon. I’d like to continue this relationship if at all possible.”

“Sure. Yeah. I’d like to as well.”

“But it won’t happen.”

Brandon froze. After putting his hand to his eyebrows as if examining the words, he shut his eyes tight, opened them again, and stared at me.

“That’s… because His Highness Erik is involved?”

If the conviction event actually occurred, I’d probably be exiled and have all my titles taken from me. Who knew if I’d be sent to a mine, or perhaps to some unfathomably distant countryside.

What I did understand was that someone who traded with royalty and titled nobility wouldn’t be coming around to wherever I was going.

But I was certainly not going to tell anyone about that future.

“Indeed. Prince Erik likely intends to install Lord Ambrose as his queen.”

Brandon must have expected it to some extent. He flashed a pained expression, like he was bearing up under a headache, but he didn’t seem to be upset.

“Lord Ulysses, frankly they do say there’s a realistic possibility he could set you aside and install the commoner as queen.”

“Normally it’d be impossible, if you think about it. At best, he ought to be a consort.”

Brandon’s point was correct.

But what if the basic premise itself was wrong? We shouldn’t be thinking “realistically.”

I didn’t know how much of a compelling force this game world would have on me, now that I’d regained my memories.

But what I did know was that the first prince, who was in love with Ambrose, would likely never forgive me for wounding him.

“But you have to know, too, what Prince Erik thinks of me. And how strong his affection for Ambrose is.”

“That’s…”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. I am his fiancé, but perhaps it will end without me becoming his queen. But I do hope that I can continue my good relationship with you.”

I flashed a self-deprecating smile, and Brandon’s eyes wavered in concern.

His cooperation was indispensable for the story line I was writing. But he was a merchant who catered to the royal family – his name didn’t come so cheaply as to be able to continue working with me after I’d lost everything. When it came to having his pride as a merchant disdained, for example, there was Ambrose, who would personally receive the prince’s favor, and Ulysses, who would likely lose everything, even his value as a noble.

Comparing the two options, it was clear as day which one he’d be inclined to. That was precisely why those scales had to be removed, at least temporarily.

“Just a joke… At any rate, I was sure we’ll have something to do with each other again. I’m not so free as to be able to idle away the hours in a place such as this.”

“That’s some joke. And no time with you is wasted, not even a single second.”

“I don’t need the lipservice of a merchant. I’d like to spend my time with you productively.”

I got up from the sofa, and turned to my valet, who’d been standing in reserve behind me. He seemed to correctly guess the meaning of my look, and brought Brandon’s jacket from the rack where it had been hanging. Brandon accepted it, and after a moment’s hesitation, turned back to me.

“Lord Ulysses, this joke you mentioned… I’d like a little time to give my answer.”

I quietly nodded, to match his somber expression.

I saw him off and sat back down on the sofa again.

Knowing full well it was bad manners, I leaned back against the soft cushions of the sofa’s back. Looking up, I could see the ceiling’s delicate designs. This room was only for visitors, so it was built more extravagantly than any other in the house. The decor hindered my thoughts, and I found them somewhat unpleasant. I shut my eyes, trying to run away.

I was reminded of my previous life.

I was an ordinary college student, in a peaceful country known as Japan. I was close to my family, and had friends at just the right distance. I was in the photography club, along with a few others. My most recent memory must have been… Preparing for the school festival? It was that season where you see more and more students in long sleeves, and the air was getting just a bit colder.

We’d decided to sell crepes at the school festival, and we were going to decorate the walls with the photographs the club members had worked so hard on.

That day, the club members had been practicing making crepes, and the hour was getting late. I was getting heartburn from all the sweet cream, and I was joking that I didn’t want to eat anything else sweet for a good long while as we crossed the intersection in the crosswalk.

It was a small pedestrian crossing, with no traffic lights.

Suddenly I heard a shout and the sound of a car’s brakes. My memory cuts off there.