New Year

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The New Year of 1991 in the Holy Calendar had arrived.

Perhaps in the eyes of historians, the past year had seen many significant events: the major rebellion in the Aldor Kingdom, rampant orc raids along the northeastern borders of the kingdom, escalating tensions between the Gabela Empire and its eastern neighbors, and various conspiracies among the countries of Angle Bay against the Church, and so on.

But if measured on a larger scale, these were just the norms of human history.

Society remained rigidly hierarchical, with an impassable gulf between nobles and commoners.

The rich still lived in luxury, plotting how to amass more wealth.

The poor continued to struggle for their daily bread.

At least on the surface, the world had not changed from the countless years before due to the awakening of a foreign soul. It remained as ordinary as ever.

...

In the Crystal Glare military camp, Her Royal Highness Princess Katherine of the Aldor Kingdom was reviewing batches of documents.

Suddenly, someone entered her office without prior notice. Only one person had the authority to do so—Princess Katherine's trusted confidante and close friend, Ophina.

"What is it, Ophina?" Katherine asked.

"Your Highness, we've received letters from our contingent stationed in the Northwest Bay," Ophina replied.

"Oh? Show them to me quickly," Katherine eagerly took the letter from Ophina's hands and began reading it carefully.

A gentle smile appeared on the princess's lips, indicating her current happiness.

As she read the letter, she murmured to herself, "This little girl... she's even taking charge of education now..."

Seeing the princess so happy, Ophina couldn't help but smile too, and softly asked, "Education? What has young Eileen been up to lately?"

Katherine handed the letter to Ophina. "Haha, take a look yourself. It's rare to see her so enthusiastic and dedicated to something."

Ophina quickly scanned through the letter.

The letter reported Eileen's appointment by Paul as the head of the Ministry of Education. This wasn't classified information; personnel changes in the government were usually publicly announced, easily accessible to anyone taking a stroll in the town square of Alden Town.

"Hmph, Paul Grayman probably didn't expect that his so-called 'government office' would include a princess of the realm. Poor Eileen," Ophina commented.

Katherine waved her hand nonchalantly. "Don't say that, Ophina. It's rare for my little sister to be so focused. Consider it an opportunity for her to gain experience outside. Her identity hasn't been exposed, has it?"

"At the moment, there doesn't seem to be any issue. Earl Grayman hasn't shown any suspicion towards her identity; it seems he genuinely regards her as a noble lady exiled from the Gabela Empire. Moreover, due to the backwardness in education and culture in that region, Eileen's identity as a scholar is highly respected."

"That's good to hear."

"However, Earl Grayman has enrolled many commoner children as students. Princess Eileen spends a lot of time at that academy. Is there anything inappropriate about this?"

"It's good for her to have more contact with the common folk. Have our people keep a close watch, and ensure there are no slip-ups."

"Yes, Your Highness. Should we inform our royal commissioner stationed there about Princess Eileen's identity? He was also appointed by Earl Grayman and could be considered a 'colleague' with the princess."

Katherine pondered for a moment, then shook her head slowly. "For now, let's not inform him. The fewer people who know about Eileen's identity, the better."

"Understood, Your Highness."

"Speaking of Earl Grayman, though, some fine things have come from his domain." Katherine took the letter from Ophina's hand and gently stroked it.

"For example, the paper used in this letter is known to be produced in his domain. It's truly excellent material for writing."

Ophina agreed wholeheartedly. "Indeed, this paper is lighter than parchment and, more importantly, quite affordable."

"There's also something very useful for us—canned goods, also from there. Have you tried them?"

"I've only heard the quartermaster talk about them. They're said to be a type of food that can be preserved for a long time, but I haven't tasted them yet."

"I've already approved the quartermaster to procure large quantities of this food. We'll need it for our operations in the south after the spring."

As she spoke, the princess took out a glass jar from her drawer and handed it to Ophina.

"Take it back and taste it. It's actually made from ordinary ingredients, and its taste isn't as good as fresh, but it excels in long-term storage. This was recommended by our commissioner stationed there. Haha, initially, I wanted to send those troublesome noble children away, but unexpectedly, we got some results."

Ophina inspected the canned goods. A note was attached indicating the production date and shelf life—6 months. (Side note: Actually, this shelf life was made up; the first batch of canned goods produced hasn't even reached half a year yet.)

If this stuff can really be preserved as stated, it would be a significant boost to the army's combat capabilities, especially in terms of logistics.

"Your Highness, shouldn't such important items be controlled by the kingdom's government?"

"I've considered that too, but now is a sensitive time for quelling rebellion. Let's not do anything that might arouse suspicions among the local lords."

"Understood."

"Also, arrange to inform the lords along the route from Alden to the capital in the name of the royal family. We'll be procuring a large amount of supplies from Alden, so they should take note."

Ophina nodded. She knew how unsightly those lords could be; without a strong backing, any caravan coming all the way down would be stripped to the bone.

"Your Highness, about His Majesty and the Queen..."

At the mention of this matter by her close friend, Katherine's face darkened.

"Alas... they're still in a cold war."

The king might have overestimated his place in his daughters' hearts. He had only disclosed his intention to marry Duke Vibern to his two daughters—Eileen and his trusted aide Katherine—and planned to ask his wife for help only if he couldn't manage it himself, but he didn't expect his younger daughter to disappear directly.

Of course, after Eileen left home, it was impossible to hide the matter from the queen. As a mother, she naturally couldn't sleep or eat in peace, and she resented her husband for not consulting her beforehand.

If she had known earlier, Eileen might not have disappeared. The queen wasn't opposed to this political marriage; she herself had married in this way and knew that the fate of a princess was not something she could control. But if she had handled it herself, the outcome might have been better than it is now, with her youngest daughter's whereabouts unknown.

Later, Katherine couldn't stand her mother's constant fear and anxiety, so she told her mother about Eileen's whereabouts to ease her mind.

Although she only told her mother, she guessed that her father had already known the news of Eileen's safety...

(End of the Chapter)