Volume 9 - CH 7.3

Cast of Characters Arc 3: The Drill Princess of the Empire 

Roughly ten minutes later...

Looking like a picture of an alien being dragged off by men in black, a girl of about fifteen was hauled in by the royal guards. 

She had the same beautiful blonde hair as Maria and Jeanne, and she had cute, girlish looks, but her wrinkled white coat and the way her hair stuck up spoke to her slovenly nature. 

One defining feature was her hairstyle. Her long hair was tied into a spiral on her right side. 

When the captive girl was brought before Jeanne, who was giving off an aura of wrath, she greeted her timidly. 

“G-Good day to you, Big Sister Maria, Big Sister Jeanne.” 

“Does it look like we’re having a good day, Trill?” Jeanne asked with a glare. 

“Eek?! I-I’m sorry!” Trill cowered like a kitten curling up in the cold, and bowed her head repeatedly as Jeanne lectured her. 

All three of them bore the blood of the royal family, yet when you saw them like this, they were like any normal sisters. 

Seeing Piltory bewildered and unable to follow the situation, Maria spoke up with a troubled smile on her face. 

“Let me introduce you, Sir Piltory. This is our youngest sister, Trill.” 

“I... I am Trill Euphoria.” Having been freed from the lecture, Trill was quick to introduce herself and try to keep up appearances. “I am not aware as to who you might be, but is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

“P-Pardon me. I was sent here by the Kingdom of Friedonia. My name is Piltory.” 

“The Kingdom of Friedonia?!” Trill’s eyes went wide. “When you say the Kingdom of Friedonia, you mean the one that used to be the Elfrieden Kingdom?! They have the Genia of the House of Maxwell!” 

“W-Well... I don’t know this Madam Genia... whoever she is, but I have heard of the House of Maxwell. They’ve made a name for themselves researching the ruins of a dungeon or something like that, I believe.” 

For a military man like Piltory, he was not tied in to the details of who all the different bureaucrats were. However, the House of Maxwell was so infamous as a family of oddballs that even he had heard of them. 

“Um... Why would Madam Maria’s younger sister be interested in the House of Maxwell?” he ventured. 

“Because I am a huge fan of the Maxwells!” Trill declared, her eyes sparkling. “When I read their publication, The Conversion and Accumulation of Magical Energies, I was amazed! I could tell that this would be what made my ambition come true...!” 

“Trill! We are not done yet!” Jeanne shouted at her. 

A heavy atmosphere hung over the room. Having suddenly been swept up into their family troubles, Piltory was nervously wondering what to do with himself. 

As if to bring a breath of fresh air into the room, Maria clapped her hands. “If we can’t handle her, why not leave her to someone who can?” she said in an easygoing voice. 

Jeanne’s eyes went wide. “What is this, out of nowhere?” 

“I just had a little idea. You know, ever since we formed an alliance with the Kingdom of Friedonia, Piltory has been here as resident ambassador to the Empire, but we haven’t sent anyone in return, have we?” 

“You’re right. It’s a secret alliance, so choosing someone has been difficult... Wait, Sister, you can’t mean...” 

Jeanne had a bad feeling. Maria smiled wide and said, “Yes, I do. Let’s send Trill to the kingdom as our resident ambassador.” 

“...So, there you have it, Sir Souma. Please take good care of our sister.” 

“‘There you have it’?” I repeated. “There I have what...?” 

Let me tell you what happened. I came back from the Union of Eastern Nations, was present for Liscia giving birth, was forced back to the castle when twins were born, and three days after that, I had a troublemaker from the Empire pushed on me. You... You guys think I don’t know what I’m talking about. You’re right, I don’t know what’s going on at all... 

“Trill, you mustn’t cause trouble for Sir Souma, all right? Take care of yourself,” Maria said. 

“I know, Big Sister Maria.” 

Right now, a young girl of about fifteen with her blonde hair in rolls, who had been sent here from the Empire, was beside me, waving to Maria through the Jewel Voice Broadcast. 

Her name was Trill Euphoria. 

Their faces might be similar, but their personalities weren’t. It seemed Maria’s little sister was a researcher. 

Her repeated massive failures had apparently made it difficult for her to remain in the Empire, so she was being sent off to my kingdom as their previously-yet-unchosen ambassador. 

I had been briefed on this by Piltory, who returned to the Empire after returning home for a brief time. 

Honestly... Gouran leaves Kuu with me, then Fuuga saddles me with Yuriga, and now this. Aren’t these people a little too quick to leave their VIPs in my country? 

“I know our castle has a day care, but we only handle infants, you know,” I said.