Chapter 14

“Illegal smuggling, you say?”

“Hmm. Since they are referred to as illegal smugglers, they must not be Imperial citizens, which means they are likely one of those foreign individuals. I suspect Prince Bellus is leading this operation.”

“So, are you thinking of busting the smuggling operation?”

“Yes. And that might get dangerous, so I’d like your assistance.”

“Understood.”

I didn’t think there would be direct combat, but it was a legitimate concern given the potential risks involved. Nodding, the Princess smiled and took my hand. Surprised by the sudden contact, I looked at her, and she awkwardly cleared her throat, glancing up at me.

“Ahem, hold on tight. You might fall.”

“Ah, yes.”

Though I’m not tall, the Princess was rather short for her age, so I couldn’t help but look down at her. Until now, I had been bending my knees slightly to make eye contact, but with our hands now clasped, I couldn’t do that, so I merely gazed down at her.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Um, where are we going?”

“Where are we going, you ask? Apatem Academy has several buildings, and among them is the oldest one. Do you know it?”

“Um… are you talking about the main building? Where the circles gather?”

“That’s right. You seem to know your stuff. Even students at the Academy don’t know much unless they’re part of a circle.”

The main building, though officially called the “club district,” isn’t referred to as such by most students. However, having studied the history and geography of the Academy recently, I was aware. Though it’s called the main building, it didn’t seem that old, which is one of the reasons people don’t call it that.

Since the establishment of Apatem Academy, most buildings have undergone extensions and renovations, but the main building has remained unchanged. This was due to a resolution to preserve the construction of the legendary architect, Abraham. Thanks to that, the main building has stood in place for 300 years since the Academy was built.

Though I’m uncertain of the building materials used, the main building, having endured for over 500 years without any signs of damage, was a pride of Apatem Academy.

“Smuggling at such a building…”

“More accurately, it’s near there. You know there’s a lake near the main building, right?”

“Yes. It leads outside, doesn’t it?”

Very few students go through that lake, but it’s quite suitable as a passage for smuggling. It’s not too deep, so you wouldn’t drown if you fell in, and in case of a raid, items could be dropped into the water, keeping them hidden at worst.

“Clever thinking.”

“Honestly, these are thoughts that should come to mind naturally. Imperial citizens wouldn’t consider smuggling since they don’t need to.”

As is typical for Apatem Academy, which was originally used to hold hostage the children of foreign royalty and nobles, there’s an excessive tax on the goods foreign nationals bring in. The same law still stands even in this era, where the Academy has transformed into an institution mainly for studying and networking, so foreign students hardly ever bring their goods with them.

It’s only natural for the Empire. If foreign items spread in the Empire without tax, it could lead to serious economic problems, so it’s pretty much a given. The free city where Apatem Academy is located is also quite pro-Empire, so following the Empire’s laws isn’t any surprise.

Having passed by the beautiful white main building, the Princess and I began walking quietly toward the lake, keeping our footsteps light. The lake by the main building is fairly spacious, but for smuggling, there was only one optimal spot to go to—a secluded yet open fishing spot. Though called a fishing spot, the students didn’t really enjoy fishing that much, so it was mostly used by professors. By now, even the professors had no reason to come all the way to the main building just to fish, so it was almost entirely unused now.

This meant it was perfectly optimized for smuggling. Holding tightly onto the Princess’s hand, I followed her slowly from behind. In the forest by the lakeshore, where even the moonlight shunned us, we began to search for the fishing spot, relying strictly on our sense of direction.

Despite the pitch-black woods, we didn’t take long to find the fishing spot, thanks to the Princess’s surprisingly good sense of direction. Once we settled in the bushes near the visible fishing spot, we sat waiting for the smuggler to arrive.

After about 30 minutes of waiting, a figure appeared at the fishing spot. However, the Princess and I remained silent, merely observing the figure. It could very well be a professor here for some fishing, and we needed solid proof that the person was involved in smuggling.

As the moonlight gradually illuminated the scene, the figure’s face came into view. A man wearing glasses, a rarity in this world, appeared to be anxiously biting his lip and pacing back and forth. After about another 10 minutes, a boat began to arrive from the distance. That’s when the man’s face lit up.

The boat touched the lakeshore, and the individual aboard started to unload various items. After several crates were offloaded, the man who had been moving the cargo climbed back onto the boat. That’s when the Princess sprang into action.

“Don’t move!”

“Uh?!

“Huh?”

The bespectacled man stumbled back in surprise, while the man from the boat looked a bit startled as he turned to face the Princess. Upon seeing her violet hair, the man began to carefully step off the boat. The bespectacled man appeared to have lost his glasses and was frantically searching the ground for them.

“A humble maid greets a member of the royal family. What brings you here?”

“Are you trying to play dumb? I’ve received intel that you’re engaged in smuggling!”

“Hmm, smuggling, huh? Well, I suppose that’s accurate.”

“See? If you cooperate now, I won’t harm you.”

By now, the bespectacled man had found his glasses and looked at the Princess with a pale, shocked expression. With somewhat darker skin, he seemed to be from the desert-based Kingdom of Kalain.

“Wait a moment. Arhan, you’re not thinking anything weird, right?”

“Your Highness. The Princess is alone.”

“Haha, but this is Chloe, the princess who would have taken the throne if she were a man.”

“If I were a man? You really don’t think I could handle one girl, do you?”

Arhan, the man presumed to be a prince of Kalain, stared sharply at the bespectacled man. At that, the bespectacled man raised his hands in alarm.

“W-Well, I believe in you, Arhan, but… if it’s the princess, she might have brought knights!”

“No. I don’t sense any presence.”

“Tch, so you’re willing to resort to force, huh? Here, I’m giving you a chance. Come out!”

“…Hah.”

With a sigh, a man called Arhan stepped out from the bushes and looked at me with a slightly surprised expression.

“You’re saying you didn’t sense her presence…?”

“Th-That maid is!”

Unlike Arhan, who seemed slightly surprised, the prince of Kalain’s eyes widened as he took a step back. Their reaction made it seem as if I was someone of great significance.

“What’s the matter, Your Highness?”

“Th-That maid defeated two of Prince Bellus’s knights! Arhan! We need to run!”

“Just how far has that rumor spread?”

As I grumbled, Arhan’s curious gaze fell on me.

“…How interesting.”

“Not the kind of interest I wanted.”

“A maid who took down the knights of Endain? Very well. Let’s have a little showdown.”

Ugh, guess I have no choice.

“…I am Catherine, the maid of the House of Portus. From here on, I will protect Your Highness.”

Grabbing the hem of my dress with both hands to show respect, I began to assume my stance as I watched him charge at me.