The carriage that once brought me in circles around the capital once again began its trip with the same passengers as before. Through the small window, I caught a glimpse of the main building, shrinking away.

I folded my hands neatly in my lap, trying not to sweat to avoid staining these obviously opulent seats.

The carriage was as extravagant as it had been that day. Even the horses hadn’t lost their majestic-ness.

Across from me sat Princess Munith, sipping a cup of tea with the level of control to keep it steady even through the occasional bumps of the wheels.

She put her cup down on the small area by her seat, her cup clinking with the plate ever so slightly. Aside from the voices of the crowd, the boots of knights guarding the carriage, and the hooves of the horses, silence enveloped the carriage interior.

The tension in the carriage was, as expected, heavy.

Then, without warning and with a bright smile, Munith faced me. She leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, as she cupped her face.

“Feyt!” she said brightly. “It’s been far too long, hasn’t it?”

“…Your Highness,” I greeted stiffly, bowing my head as much as the small space allowed. 

She waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, no need for all that. We’re friends, aren’t we?” 

Much to my shock, yes.

“M-May I ask why I was invited here?”

“Oh, I have the most wonderful of news!”

Wonderful for you or for me?

She straightened in her seat and reached for her bag, sitting carelessly beside her. She carefully retrieved another book and then presented it to me with both hands. 

“Here it is! I finally finished it,” she announced, her eyes basically glowing. “The third volume of A Quiet Love!”

My heart stopped and went on a sabbatical for a second.

“The third… volume?” I parroted.

“Yes!” she beamed. “I stayed up three nights in a row to write the final chapters! Key was worried about me and kept telling me to sleep, but I simply couldn’t wait!”

I stared at the book in her hands. It was as heavy as the other two books, perhaps slightly thinner. Judging from that, I figured this might be a quick read.

The problem was…

I hadn’t finished the first volume.

And the second volume she’d previously entrusted to me was currently sitting untouched on my desk. Not exactly gathering dust, but it wasn’t gathering any fingerprints either.

“So, so! How are your thoughts on the first and second volume~?”

My throat felt dry. If it weren’t for my training, I would’ve trembled in my shoes from the tension.

Should I just come clean?

She looked practically beaming for my reaction and all.

Could I bring up the courage to break that smile by my laziness?

“Your Highness,” I began carefully. “I-If I may…”

“Yes?” she chirped.

“…About your books.”

“What about my books?” She blinked. 

“I haven’t… quite finished the previous volumes yet.”

Silence.

Her smile remained.

Her bright eyes remained.

But the air had gone still.

“…You haven’t?” she repeated.

“W-Well… I’ve been occupied with a certain problem in the academy,” I said, choosing each word carefully like a soldier would a minefield. “I barely had time to sleep, let alone personal training… There wasn’t much time to read, I’m afraid…”

“…Oh.”

That single syllable hurt far more than outrage would have.

Her eyes drooped ever so slightly as she retracted her hands and the book.

She looked down at the third volume in her hands. For a moment, she looked less like a princess and more like a child holding out a gift that no one had opened.

Oh God.

I’m a terrible person.

She took a deep breath, then let it out, as if to calm herself.

And smiled again, softer than before.

“Well,” she said lightly, “that simply means you’ve been very busy, doesn’t it?”

I hesitated. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“That would also mean that, whatever this problem is, it is the only thing holding you back, right?”

I blinked, curious. “Y-Yes…?”

Is she interrogating me?

She leaned back and clasped her hands together. “Alright! Then we just need to solve your problem!”

Wait what?

Is she that eager for my feedback?

Does this mean she believed me?

She tilted her head, studying me with renewed interest.

“What kind of academic matters could possibly strip you of all your free time, I wonder?”

The way she worded it made it sound like she didn’t buy my story at all!

She placed her book gently by her side, right next to her bag. Then, she leaned forward again, cupping her face as she began. “Now, please, tell me your troubles! I might be able to help!”

“U-Uh… Okay…”

And so, I told her everything.

About Ricent. About the duel. About the endless nights in the training yard, repeating shapes and tones until our voices gave out. About how no matter how precisely we followed the instructions, nothing happened. She listened without interrupting, silent the whole time.

When I finished, she let out a soft chuckle and leaned back against the cushioned seat. 

“So that’s what’s been stealing you away from my books,” she said. Her tone was less bright and more… amused.

“I’m still not even sure how to teach him properly,” I muttered, rubbing my chin. “He just… can’t grasp chanting well. I know others need time learning new spells too, but he’s going on a duel soon and not much time to spare either…”

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then… Munith cleared her throat. She looked me in the eyes as she opened her mouth.

Foreign yet familiar words began to echo in the carriage.

“For the tides shall be our spear.

For the tides shall be our shield.

From scattered drops, it waits to rise.

United as one, it shall strike.”

I froze. 

This familiar feeling. It was the feeling of hearing a chant. Although the chant itself was new to my ears, it was nonetheless familiar in rhythm and words.

I stared at her.

“Is that… a chant?”

“Indeed, it is.” Munith nodded gently. “I believe you’re teaching your friend the most basic of water spells, [Piercing Water], wasn’t it? That chant earlier is for that spell.”

“You… you know the chant?”

Was she a water mage, too?

She smiled faintly. “I know many chants.”

She leaned on her armrest, staring past the carriage windows at the distant silhouette of the academy’s main building.

“For an institution so proud of teaching mages,” she said lightly, “it is rather fond of reducing chants to shapes and tones, don’t they?”

For the first time ever, her tone wasn’t cheerful. It was almost mocking.

“But… isn’t that how chants are normally made?”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes, it is the standard… But there’s more to it than meets the eye, you know?”

She turned her gaze back to me.

“Tell me, Feyt. When you recite a Samonian chant, or rather, steps… do you actually know what you are saying?”

I hesitated.

I remembered the times I tried to recreate a chant myself, following the book’s instructions as closely as I could. But just like the mage students learning a new spell, I could only spell out gibberish.

“…No.”

“Precisely.” 

Her eyes opened again, staring at me softly. 

“Without understanding the meaning behind a chant, you’d struggle to cast it properly. If you just mimicked sounds and followed steps, you’d merely let out random sounds with no effect.”

So… gibberish.

“There is a rumor going on in my kingdom,” she went on, almost casually, “Some say that seeing a spell performed before attempting the chant yourself helps you grasp it faster. But that wasn’t just a rumor… It’s a fact. Because they’ve seen the spell before, because they’ve experienced it before… they hold more meaning in their chants than those who don’t.”

“So… it wasn’t just the accuracy of the steps?”

“Mmhmm.”

I remembered the instructions in the spell book. Those weird lines telling us to imagine things.

Imagine you are a fish.

Imagine you are mud.

Suddenly, I began to understand why they were there. But why those imaginations specifically? It was almost like a crude attempt to force understanding of a system they themselves don’t understand.

But then I  realized something.

If accuracy wasn’t the problem, and understanding of it was…

“If someone knows what the chant actually means…” I murmured slowly, the pieces falling into place.

So Ricent didn’t need stricter repetition.

He needed to know what he was actually saying.

Munith leaned forward slightly, her smile returning, this time bright and playful again.

“What do you say? Teaching him will be easier now, right?”

I looked up at her fully now.

“T-Thank you… I wouldn’t have gotten all that myself…”

She clapped her hands slightly with a bright smile. “Well then, your problem is solved, isn’t it?”

The carriage slowed.

The gentle rocking stilled as the wheels rolled to a smooth stop. Outside, I could hear the distant murmur of academy students again.

Munith reached beside her seat and retrieved the third volume. She placed it carefully into my hands.

“Once you’re free, please dedicate some proper time to my books, alright?” she said, leaning forward slightly, eyes sparkling. “I expect some feedback when you’re done!”

She raised a finger.

“And do not skip to the ending, okay? I worked very hard on it!”

She even pouted.

“I, uhh…”

She clasped her hands together, visibly restraining her excitement.

“I truly cannot wait to hear what you think,” she continued brightly. “Whenever you are ready, or if you want to talk more about other things, you may contact my attendant. Rene will arrange a meeting.”

Her smile widened just a fraction.

“And I’m sure that would be preferable to me appearing at the academy unannounced again, wouldn’t it?”

“…Yes. That would be preferable.”

Seeing her appear in the academy so suddenly nearly gave me a heart attack.

Before I could gather a more proper response, the carriage door swung open. Cool evening air poured inside.

Rene stood outside, posture immaculate as ever, and extended a gloved hand to help me down.

I stepped onto the academy grounds.

Just as I thought I was free, Rene extended another hand, this time holding a neatly folded slip of paper.

“This is my address,” they said calmly. “If you ever need to contact Her Highness, please send a letter here. I shall respond as soon as it arrives.”

I feel like I just got a massive privilege with this paper…

I reluctantly accepted the paper.

Behind me, the carriage door shut.

Moments later, the carriage rattled to life and left the premises. I passed through the academy gates, eyes glued to the paper I held before pocketing it carefully.

Students stared at me as I passed them by, as expected.

But this time, I barely noticed them.

I looked down at the book in my hands.

I repeated the chant’s meaning in my mind.

For the first time since I began my impromptu teaching career. I felt like I had something to actually teach now.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep