Prologue: Alice’s Apprehension

"Lady Alice, that's your fourteenth sigh of the day."

"…Yes, you're right… Sigh…"

"Make that fifteen."

"I just can't get myself out of this slump. Hey, Rin, is this what you would call a heavy

heart?"

In the Star Spire, Alice sat on a bench in the garden, looking up at the sky, surrounded

by fragrant flowers spotted with dew.

Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX was one of the princesses of the Paradise of Witches, or the

Nebulis Sovereignty—making her a girl who possessed mighty astral power. Her sundrenched golden hair was dazzling, and her ruby eyes were filled with pride. Though

she was still seventeen, her body had bloomed early, boasting mature curves and

charming features that granted her a beauty fit for a princess.

Except Alice kept letting out gloomy sighs, which was putting a damper on everything

else.

"Lady Alice, what's gotten into you recently?" asked her attendant, perched on the

bench next to her.

The serving girl with light-brown hair parted down the middle and tied back on both

sides was Rin Vispose. She was a year younger than Alice. In her housekeeping clothes,

she looked simple in appearance. However, hidden on her person were daggers,

needles, garrotes, and more concealed weapons of all kinds.

Rin acted as Alice's aide—and guard.

"Is there something the matter with your body?"

"I'm in perfect shape."

"Are you feeling peckish?"

"Hey, I just had lunch. With you."

"Then what's the matter? Lady Alice, I am here to lend an ear." Rin placed her hand to

her chest as she spoke, grasping at straws. "As your attendant, it is my duty to

understand your state of mind. Please don't hold anything back! I, Rin Vispose, will

listen to every last one of your worries!"

"My chest feels tight."

"What?"

"My undergarments are too small now. Seems I've outgrown this pair, too… Shame."

"Are you trying to brag?!" Rin yanked her hand away from her flat chest, face flushed.

"Uh-huh. I see. Fine! My chest is as flat as the horizon! I can't possibly relate to you,

Lady Alice, as someone who's perfectly fine in children's sizes!"

"Just kidding. Ha-ha, you're so adorable, Rin." Alice sat upright.

It was as though Alice could regain lost energy whenever she saw Rin fume or become

flustered—though she did feel just a tad guilty about it. Rin was blushing hard, but she

was absolutely full of life.

Alice found that unbearably cute.

The fact that Rin was incredibly composed most of the time only made Alice adore this

childish side of her even more.

…Plus… I feel like Rin would get mad at me again if I said what's really on my mind.

If Rin found out her current mood had nothing to do with the Nebulis Sovereignty but

rather a certain soldier from an enemy nation, she was sure to flash Alice a disapproving

look.

…I wonder if Iska is safe.

…I think he's alive, but there's no real way to know.

Alice's woes had started nearly a week prior.

After the battle in the canyon between the Empire and the Nebulis Sovereignty, Alice

lost sight of her rival, the Imperial swordsman Iska—the vortex had blasted them

away when astral energy surged out from the planet's core.

"This power. The astral spirit is close... Oh no! I don't think I can control it!"

"Alice?!"

Iska was a former Saint Disciple, bound to Alice by fate, and the one who she couldn't

defeat in a full-blown battle. Alice had been impatiently waiting for what seemed to

be an eternity, hoping they would finally settle things…

Except their battle of destiny had been postponed yet again.

Alice felt this invoked the same level of disappointment as if her long-awaited wedding

had been canceled due to an unforeseen storm.

…Oh. Though it may be blowing it out of proportion to compare it to a wedding.

…I mean, we're enemies on the battlefield. Even if it's just a figure of speech, that example

might be…

Right as Alice's fantasies were starting to run wild, Rin peeked at her face. "Lady Alice?"

"I-I'm not thinking about weddings! Iska and I are—"

"Iska?"

"...…Uh-oh."

Oh, geez. Just when she'd attempted to talk her way out of it, she let his name slip.

While Alice smiled painfully at her own blunder, her attendant's face clouded over.

"LADY ALICE?!"

"Wait, Rin! It's not what you think! Listen to me! Please!"

"No! There's no mistaking it! How many times are you going to make me say it? That

soldier is an enemy! And a low-ranking one at that. A princess of our country should

pay no mind to him. A mere Imperial soldier is—" Rin scowled as though she had

suddenly remembered something. "Well… I will acknowledge his skill as a swordsman.

I also suffered defeat at his hands once. I do understand why you might concern

yourself with him, Lady Alice."

"Right? Right ?"

"…Why do you look so happy? We're talking about the enemy here." Her attendant let

out a long sigh. "I understand. If you're going to keep getting so worked up about that

swordsman, then I would rather let you do what you want, Lady Alice."

"Do what?"

"What I mean is, let you go through with your wish to settle things—just between the

two of you."

"Wait… Seriously?" Alice couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all, this was

coming from a girl who had been against her contacting Iska this entire time.

"B-but I wonder how I should go about it…"

"All you can do is patiently wait until you meet again. That boy has made past

appearances in the neutral city of Ain. If you've bumped into him three times there, I

think paying that city a visit will increase your chances of finding him."

"…But my schedule at the royal palace is incredibly packed."

"I'll adjust it. Three days during your next time off. And I will make arrangements so

you may leave the palace, Lady Alice."

"Oh, Rin! Thank you!" She leaped up from her seat and pulled the attendant to her

chest. "I shouldn't have underestimated you as my attendant!"

"P-please! Lady Alice?!… Y-you're squeezing me too hard. Please don't crush me in

your huge chest!"

"O-oh my. I'm sorry." She quickly released the attendant, who was beginning to turn

pale.

"…Ahem. But in exchange, please promise me one thing. Refrain from sighing in the

royal palace and conduct yourself in a manner befitting a princess."

"Why, of course." There was absolutely no trace of her former gloom.

At that moment, Alice could have done a little jig. Never in a million years would she

have guessed she would receive Rin's blessing to openly search for Iska.

"Ah, I'm looking forward to it. Just you wait, Iska!"

"Yes… I'm looking forward to it, too. "

Alice had yet to notice—that as Rin parroted her, her eyes glinted suspiciously.

While Alice was already getting excited for her reunion with Iska, Rin had clearly

prepared entirely different plans for dealing with the swordsman.

It would later become clear that the effects of this attendant's decision would

eventually ripple out and engulf the Empire and the Nebulis Sovereignty.

But for the moment, Alice and Iska were none the wiser.