A large and luxurious boat, capable of carrying two dozen horse-drawn carriages, floated on the surface of the lake. Anne looked up at the massive vessel and scratched her head.
"Huh... How come they don't just build a bridge to the island, Princess Mia? I mean, I get using a boat to carry people, but I feel like they don't have to carry the carriages too..."
"Apparently, they used a bridge in the past, but there were too many disputes over checking enrollment documents and confirming accompanying attendants."
Bridges, no matter how big or numerous they were, would always slow down traffic. They were fundamentally bottlenecks. Add to that the fact that the academy's students all arrived by horse carriage on the same day, and it was easy to see that congestion was inevitable. Furthermore, riding in those carriages were all sons and daughters of aristocrats for whom the concept of "waiting" was entirely foreign. A dispute between such people could easily result in some poor supervisor losing their head. But at the same time, increasing the width and quantity of bridges to the point where congestion wouldn't occur was also entirely unfeasible given how infrequently they were used.
"I heard that even after they started using boats to ferry the students, there was still an occasion when an argument broke out over the location of their assigned cabins."
The children of nobility and royalty were, in general, very proud people. They would not allow for those who came from families of lower or equal standing to occupy a cabin above their own. And it'd better not be bigger, either. The sheer number of preconditions that had to be considered when assigning cabins turned the whole process into a nightmare for whoever was in charge.
"How terribly asinine to be squabbling over such matters... Hmph."
Mia conspicuously ended her statement with a scoff and a shrug to drive home the point that she would never even think of doing such a thing. The fact that she distinctly recalled a separate timeline where someone who looked and sounded exactly like her made a huge scene over whose carriage got loaded first was, in this case, completely beside the point. Also, her cheek definitely wasn't twitching.
Anne, of course, was oblivious to these details. Her mind was currently filled with thoughts such as Wow, Princess Mia is so awesome and She's such a role model, which only served to strengthen her loyalty toward her princess.
Eventually, they reached the harbor. Upon disembarking, they bade farewell to the carriage driver and the retinue of imperial guards who had accompanied them on their journey.
"Dear knights, your diligent escort has been greatly appreciated. You may return. I pray that you have a safe journey home."
The captain of the imperial guards bowed his head.
"Yes, Your Highness. We, and the whole of the Empire, wish you well. May God be with you in your new life at the academy."
Mia thanked him once again as memories of the past resurfaced. During the revolution, with most of the imperial army either fleeing or defecting, one group of knights had stayed firm in their duty. The imperial guards — the ones she was looking at right now — fought to the bitter end to protect her. In the end, not a single one chose life over loyalty.
In other words, they were exactly the kind of useful friends she needed to stay on good terms with. Therefore, she made sure to treat them with the utmost respect.
"Her Highness..."
"Did she just..."
Some of the guards shifted a little. A few had quivering lips. There was the sound of a sniffle. It wasn't their fault, really. Everyone got a little emotional the first time. After all, none of these knights had ever heard a word of appreciation from their princess.
Tasked with guarding the royal family, these were knights of exceptional skill. At times, they had to sniff out threats — assassination attempts, for example — before they'd even occurred. However, no matter how faithfully they performed their task, at the end of the day, it was still a job. Though they might risk life and limb in the line of duty, their deaths and injuries were of no concern to the people they guarded. It was their purpose. They were doing their job. Nothing was wrong with that. Such was simply the way of things...
And yet, this young princess before them had expressed concern for their well-being. She said she would pray for their safe return. It wasn't much, but it moved them all the same. As they set off for the capital, Mia's words resounded brightly in their hearts, cementing their loyalty toward their tiny master.
"Now then... Let us head off as well," said Mia, turning her gaze toward the climactic stage that would decide her fate, Saint-Noel Academy.
The island in the lake where Saint-Noel Academy was situated contained all the facilities necessary to function as an independent town. It was, in effect, a college town. A multitude of stores lined the streets, offering everything from clothes and shoes to smithies, jewelry, and stationery. There was also no shortage of restaurants. Furthermore, in order to ensure the satisfaction of the island's high-class population, they were all of the highest quality. Which meant that for Anne, they all gave off an aura that was the opposite of welcoming.
"Woweee..." she said in a tone that was a mix between awe and aversion. "There's so many stores that look too scary to walk into..."
Mia giggled a little at her reaction.
"I agree, but that's only true for the main street. There are plenty of cheaper stores that are meant for the regular folks living on the island. The academy also runs its own store, which carries most daily necessities at very reasonable prices."
Oh, what a relief. I can go there to buy the things that I need for myself...
"As such, starting tomorrow, I'd like you to conduct a thorough survey of every store in this area."
"...Huh?"
"In particular, I want you to make a list of all the stores that carry items of decent quality at reasonable prices," Mia said as though it were the most normal request in the world.
"B-But, Princess Mia, what about your allowance? I thought you said you'll be sent more than enough to cover everything you might need..."
"I will be. And you're right. Some amount of expenses are indeed necessary to maintain the Empire's image. However..." Mia glanced at all the fancy stores around her and frowned. "There is a time and place for such spending, and this is not it. My allowance is derived from taxes, and I'd rather not squander something that comes from sweat and blood..."
"Princess Mia..."
Anne's voice trembled with emotion as she watched Mia softly whisper to herself.
"Sweat and blood must not go to waste. They absolutely must not..."
For Mia, it wasn't a metaphor; how she used tax money had a direct effect on her sweat and blood — specifically, how much she'd end up shedding. Every coin wasted was another step toward the guillotine, and she had no intention of ever seeing that damn thing again.
"I'll have half my allowance sent to Ludwig. I'm sure he'll make good use of it."
Just then, Mia stopped in her tracks.
"Princess Mia?"
"My... That's..." she whispered, her gaze fixed on a figure in the distance.