“You want to come with me to the imperial palace party?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Pernoa refused outright, as if the very idea were absurd.
The Declair Empire was vast.
Naturally, the capital was vast as well, and even nobles who lived within the city proper needed more than two hours by carriage just to reach the imperial palace gates.
The Arachrene family’s estate, meanwhile, was situated in the western reaches of the empire — a region celebrated as the most pleasant place to live in the entire nation.
With their path to the central court blocked, there had never been any reason to take up residence in the capital.
Which meant the journey there took at least a full day, if not more.
Pernoa looked down at Riersha and made his assessment.
“That small body of yours wouldn’t survive the trip, Riersha.”
“…I want to see the imperial palace.”
“And who do you even know there that would make the visit worthwhile?”
“…Does Papa have friends at the imperial palace?”
Riersha’s sudden question made Pernoa go quiet.
Someone he was close to at the palace? That was hardly likely.
He’d never really had friends to speak of —
One face surfaced in his mind, unbidden. He dismissed it.
“Even so. The answer is no. I’m going for work.”
“…”
“This isn’t a pleasure trip.”
In the end, Pernoa settled on a reason that was, admittedly, a little petty. Fortunately, it worked on Riersha rather well.
Right. He’s going for work. If I tag along and end up ruining everything, what then.
When it came to matters tied to the family’s future, Riersha was far more careful than she seemed.
And yet she still hadn’t moved from the study doorway.
But what if Risideon oppa refuses to come home?
A few days earlier, Riersha had overheard something the servants were saying — that Risideon would be accompanying Pernoa to the party. That he was already preparing to depart for the imperial capital.
I’m going to bring Risideon oppa home. No matter what.
She intended to stay glued to Pernoa’s side the entire time.
As Riersha stood her ground with her cheeks puffed out in silent protest, Pernoa gave a small smile.
He had no idea the child was burning with urgency inside. He simply assumed she was curious about what the imperial palace looked like — the way any girl her age would be, having grown up on fairy tales.
“So you’re that curious about the palace, are you?”
“Yes.”
“But here’s the thing. The Arachrene heir is not permitted to leave the grounds until she can properly use her ability. Those are the rules.”
Crack.
It felt like lightning had split the sky inside Riersha’s head.
She hadn’t known. Not even a little.
Then again, the ducal estate was so sprawling that she had never once felt the need to leave it. She hadn’t even thought to want to go outside.
The condition she hadn’t seen coming left her gaping like a fish out of water.
“Well? Do you think you can manage?”
Pernoa rested his chin on one hand and tilted his head, waiting. His silver hair caught the sunlight streaming through the window and gleamed. He poked at Riersha’s stunned cheeks once, twice, and waited for her answer.
“Wh— when do I have to use my ability by?”
Pernoa glanced briefly at the calendar.
“Three days from now.”
“…”
“Three days, Riersha.”
⁂
And so Riersha trudged back to the annex, shoulders heavy.
But before long, her small fist clenched with renewed resolve.
Alright. This is my chance to catch both rabbits at once.
She would show them something brilliant. She would master her ability, and she would do it with flair.
Riersha worked through the exercises Carden had assigned her one by one, her eyes bright with fighting spirit.
“Sona.”
“Yes, my lady. Is there something you need?”
“What’s your ability, Sona?”
“Mine is transformation. I can change my appearance into anything I wish.”
“Really? That’s so cool!”
“You’re very kind to say so, my lady.”
Sona smiled, open and warm.
Riersha had no idea just how many enemy soldiers that ability had neutralized, deceived, and been used to extract information from over the years.
And at present, that highly capable intelligence operative was devoting herself wholeheartedly to tending to one small girl. With complete and utter sincerity.
“How did you figure out your ability, Sona?”
“It was something I’d always been rather fond of, even as a child. Catching people off guard and getting information out of them… I mean.”
“Hm?”
“Abilities tend to manifest in forms that resemble one’s personality.”
“…Personality?”
“Yes! Or sometimes a powerful wish.”
A wish.
Riersha thought back to the moment her ability had awakened — to how desperately she had wanted something in that instant.
The wish to protect everyone. To keep them all safe.
And yet it had been while she was writhing in helplessness that the soap bubbles had appeared.
Something clicked. Riersha felt as though she suddenly understood the condition under which her ability worked, and she sprang to her feet.
“Riersha, my lady — where are you going?!”
“I figured it out!”
Riersha darted outside with quick, light steps.
A startled Sona hurried after her.
Out in the garden, Riersha drew a long, steadying breath and reached inward toward her magic. She closed her eyes. One by one, like waking creatures stirring from sleep, she felt the dormant threads of her power shiver and rise into alertness.
And when she opened her eyes again —
“Good heavens.”
Sona stepped backward, her gaze lifting toward the sky.
The annex was encased in an enormous soap bubble — a shimmering, iridescent dome wrapped around the building like a fortress wall.
⁂
“Papa!”
Riersha hurried to the young duke’s study, brimming with emotion.
Her daughter appearing before him looking thoroughly disheveled, Pernoa — who had been working through his documents — looked up and fixed Sona with a questioning gaze.
She succeeded, my lord, Sona mouthed silently.
The child had already grasped the nature of her own ability. And not even three days had passed.
“…You’ve already succeeded, Lady Riersha?”
Rosinante asked, his expression somewhere between disbelief and reluctant acknowledgment.
Awakening an ability itself was rarely the difficult part — but turning inward to truly see and command one’s innate power was something that took considerable time, even for the direct bloodline. Even those born to it had been known to struggle for long stretches before gaining real control.
Knowing your ability and freely wielding it were entirely different things.
“Look, Papa!”
Riersha hurried over, grabbed Pernoa’s hand without hesitation, and tugged him toward the window. She pointed at the annex.
At the sight of the annex wrapped in a bubble-like barrier — luminous and contained, like something out of a dream — Pernoa’s eyes widened.
“…Is that a defensive barrier?”
But it couldn’t be only that.
From what Arcmund had told him, Riersha’s ability was supposed to —
It absorbed an opponent’s magic, draining it completely until the power was spent.
Don’t tell me she has two abilities.
He looked down at the child radiating pure delight at his side.
Riersha, who had no idea what she had actually accomplished, beamed up at him with the innocent happiness of someone who simply knew she had done something right.
In principle, the Arachrene ability was singular. The ways it could be applied varied from person to person, shaped by one’s effort and ingenuity, but the core power never strayed from a single form.
I’ll need to verify this.
Pernoa pushed open the window. He extended one hand, and sent a current of magic out from his palm, aimed directly at the barrier.
He wanted to test Riersha’s ability.
“My lord?!”
Rosinante startled, calling out in alarm at the abrupt action.
There were other servants inside that annex. Innocent people.
Sona, too, tensed and turned toward Pernoa with wide eyes —
And then it happened.
Riersha’s barrier absorbed the magic Pernoa had launched without hesitation. But it didn’t stop there. The absorbed magic compressed — and then shot back, hurling itself toward Pernoa at speed.
“…That is remarkable.”
Rosinante murmured, staring at Riersha’s barrier.
If this ability could be honed and refined to its fullest potential, it would become an impenetrable fortress unto itself.
“Papa. Did I do well?”
Unaware of the magnitude of what she had just done, Riersha looked up at him with a face full of hopeful expectation.
Pernoa exhaled — a slow, deflated sound, as though the air had been let out of him.
“Ha.”
Did well, she asked.
In that moment, Pernoa understood exactly why Arcmund had been more guarded about this child’s ability than strictly necessary.
If a power like this ever lost control — it would be total annihilation.
A dual ability, capable of both defense and counterattack.
There were records, ancient ones, of those born into the direct bloodline with exceptional magical capacity who had manifested dual abilities.
And it seemed Riersha had done precisely that.
“You did well, Riersha.”
Riersha’s ability was Reflection.
