The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

By feeling up and probing Lady Ryeini, I have properly grasped the situation at hand.
Now I’m gonna have to be all melodramatic for the big reveal.

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A human with a demon stone inside, with enough power to unconsciously charm others.
If that isn’t dangerous, I don’t know what is.
But I know—just how to deal with such a dangerous monster.
If they really do exist, then they’re a tragic existence.

「Princess… What kind of monster would it be?」

I pause for a few moments before answering, upping the tension in the air.

「……Vampires.
Fairy tale monsters that are known to drink human blood and possess advanced magic.」

「Vampire… is it?」

「The ones from fairy tales?」

Illya and Lady Ryeini asks me, just to make sure.
Setting aside Lady Ryeini, Illya’s face showed a rare hint of confusion.
Their reactions are what’s considered normal.
From what the ordinary person knows, Vampires are nothing more than a fairy tale.

They’re monsters that suck human blood.
If you don’t do what your parents tells you and go outside even when the sun goes down, you’ll meet beautiful people.
People so beautiful that whatever they say, you’d have no choice but to follow—then they will suck out your blood and turn you into a vampire.

Although as far as we know, no one has ever actually seen a vampire and there have been zero reports of vampire attacks.
So it’s just a fairy tale in the end, thought to be made-up just to scare children and make them listen to their parents.

「Yeah, Vampires.
But I’m not saying that fairy tale vampires actually exists.」

「They do not?」

Lady Ryeini and Illya both gave looked at me dubiously because of my phrasing.
Honestly, I don’t want to explain.
The reason is because I have no evidence to support my theory.
But if that theory is correct, then it would mean that Lady Ryeini is a vampire.

I have no definitive proof, but if I don’t explain it to them, we won’t be able to move on with this discussion.
I let out a sigh and begin talking about something serious.

「The vampire I’m talking about is the vampire prototype.」

「Vampire prototype?」

「There is a certain story where the fairy tale vampire is derived from.
There were next-to-none records of that time, it’s a theory I only pieced together from the scant remaining documents and relics so there is no telling whether it’s actually true or not.
Still wanna hear it?」

「…Yes, please.
Tell me.」

After listening to my disclaimer, Lady Ryeini nods with a serious expression.
I guess she’s desperate because it’s about herself.
I nod back and start talking.

「I believe the first vampire was born from the experiments of a certain wizard.」

「A wizard, is it?」

「Yes.
A vampire is said to be the realization of a person who gained a measure of immortality through magic.
A half-dead person, reduced to a monster—a monster possessing longevity and magic energy, that’s what a vampire is.」

Lady Ryeini gasped at my explanation.
The hand that she was holding on her chest is trembling, probably out of nervousness.
I pretend not to notice and continue the story.

「It was a very long time ago.
I don’t know exactly how many generations ago it was.
But it was certainly before the vampire fairy tale started circulating and it was definitely the era when the vampire prototype existed.
Drawing from the remaining research documents that I’ve read; it was a man who dedicated his entire life to the study of magic, when he realized that his death was closely approaching, he despaired and fell into madness.」

It was purely by chance that I came across those documents.
I was surprised that there were beings called “Vampire” in this world so I investigated where they came from.

Being an adventurer, I luckily had the opportunity to take a look at the research papers of the wizard who became the vampire prototype.
That research paper is one of the so-called “forbidden books”—said to contain knowledge that should not be known to the general populace of the country.

「For the sake of convenience, let’s assume that the vampire prototype was a man.
That man was an excellent wizard, trying to pursue the truth of the world by studying magic.
But in his pursuit, he eventually encountered a roadblock.」

「A roadblock… is it?」

「It’s his lifespan.
No matter how much of a talented wizard that man is, he can’t win against old age.
That man was afraid of death, he didn’t want to stop dead in the middle of the road.
In a fit of talent and desperation, he completed his research.
The research matter was “stealing from others.”」

「…Stealing?」

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「If you’re old, you’d yearn for youth.
If your youth runs out, simply take from someone else and make it your own.
Steal from “others” to get back what you yourself lost.
That man developed that kind of magic.
He tried to extend his lifespan and surpass his limitations by taking the blood of others into himself as a catalyst.
Is what happened… I think.」

「You think?」

Illya asks if there was more to the story and looks at me dubiously; probably because I sounded really unreliable right at the end, even though I acted so melodramatic earlier.
This is why I didn’t want to explain.
Honestly…

「After all, that story is only from the research papers that I’ve read.
Beyond that, I filled in the missing scenes with my imagination.
As you’d probably expect, I don’t know the details of that magic; because it’s just a guess in the first place, so I might be wrong on that.
But if my line of thought was correct, then that wizard somehow discovered a way to delay his death by taking in other people’s blood.」

「…Does magic like that really exist?」

「It’s not impossible, I believe.
It’s just that, the idea of actually doing it is so outrageous that it goes against my code of ethics as a person.
If I hadn’t figured it out right here, I never would have thought that kind of magic actually exists.
Luckily, I had a hint.」

「A hint, is it?」

「The demon stone, of course.
Yeah, just create a demon stone.
If you can’t do something using only magic, then you just need to create a demon stone that has the ability to do the thing you wanted to do.
Then embed it inside your body.」

Maybe the words I just said was too shocking, Ryeini covered her mouth with her hands.
Illya’s gasped, her eyes unusually wide.

I said it nonchalantly, but it was undoubtedly an act of moral bankruptcy.
What’s more, what that man wanted was immortality.
To get it, he would have to prey on other people.
That makes him more of a monster than a person.

「A body approaching death means that it doesn’t have enough life force left to sustain itself.
So, just take some from someone else.
To do that, you’d have to produce the necessary demon stone that has the ability to take life force from others through their blood.
That’s how the monster “Vampire,” its fairy tale and its prototype, came to be.」

「Does such a being really exist?」

「I had my doubts before I met Lady Ryeini, but my intuition was telling me that it might be true.
This is because vampires are monsters born from people, they don’t appear naturally.
They had to be a “person” originally, otherwise, vampirism wouldn’t manifest.
Just like being infected, the person who gets bitten by a vampire will also become a vampire.」

The created demon stone has the ability to transform a person and the demon stone can also increase in numbers.
If both are true, then it would be in line with the fairy tale saying that the people who get bitten will turn into vampires.

「If vampires do exist, I don’t know if they’re moving by their own will or if they’re being manipulated by their demon stone… Whatever the case, no matter how good you are at magic, even if you can surpass everyone else, there’s still a limit to what one person can do.
Lady Ryeini! If you were in his shoes what would you do?」

「Eh!? Uhm… That’s… I don’t know.」

「The answer is… to increase your kind.
Now that he turned into a vampire, he must have thought like this: Just embed this demon stone into everyone else.
Then eventually, we will all become the same creature.」

Lady Ryeini was taken aback.
Maybe because she imagined what the world would have looked like.
I’d be horrified too if I try to imagine it.

If the victim becomes a follower after you embed the demon stone, then all you have to do is to wait for the demon stone to absorb your victim’s magic energy.
It can be done if you disregard ethics and throw away your humanity.
In fact, I have something similar… my tattoos.

「That might be the reason why vampires were categorized as monsters and hunted down.
But people are creatures that can learn.
The people who transformed into vampires must have figured that; if they can’t move about in broad daylight, then they could just cloak themselves in darkness.
Biding their time.」

And so, vampires disappeared from the annals of history.
But that doesn’t mean that their threat disappeared along with their records.
It’s possible that fairy tales were left behind as a lesson for people to live by, they merely change forms with the passage of time.

But that’s just a guess.
Between the fact and the theory, the remaining data are so few and far between that it’s next to impossible to fill in the blanks.

「There have been zero reports of vampire attacks.
We’ve seen no signs of them, maybe because they’ve all been hunted down or maybe because they’re all holing up somewhere.
What’s scary is that we have no idea.」

「So um… How did Princess Anne-Sophia guess that I was a vampire?」

「Details from the vampire fairy tale.
Your case matches the ability I expected from vampires, assuming my theory is correct.
Charm, a strong mental interference bordering on brainwashing.
That’s what vampires need to increase their numbers and blend into society.」

It’s believed that “brainwashing” is reason why people attacked by vampires turn into vampires and become followers.
There’s also the fairy tale about vampires using their astoundingly beautiful appearance to lure in their victims, I theorized that this was because of either charm or shape shifting.

「As for whether or not Lady Ryeini is actually a vampire… Sure, that’s a valid concern but more importantly… we’ve got plenty of other things to worry about.」

「…Then let’s take this one step at a time.
First, Lady Ryeini is presumably a vampire and also a half-monster… is she really a half-monster?」

「Was Lady Ryeini a subject of a magical experiment which embedded a demon stone inside her? I wonder if that’s the case, but it doesn’t look like her mind was negatively affected by the demon stone.
Maybe she happens to have a peculiar inborn trait which allowed a demon stone to form inside her body.
Either way, her body would be a prime target for dissection, wouldn’t it?」

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「D-Dissection!?」

Lady Ryeini paled.
I feel bad for saying it, but her body being a case for dissection is strongly possible.
It’ll be the first known case after all.
Even if the dissection goes overboard, it’s very likely that she’ll be forcibly kept alive for as long as possible.

「Whether or not Lady Ryeini is a vampire… is problematic, but kinda not the problem.
The main problem is her power.
She radiates her charm without even realizing it.
And the effect is strong enough to bewitch influential people such as a son of a royalty, isn’t that right?」

「It will only end in tragedy, no matter how I think about it.
Whether she likes it or not, it will cause chaos in the country.
That kind of existence cannot go unchecked.」

Illya muttered with a frown.
Well, the chaos would actually be caused by the people who were unknowingly charmed.

「And if Lady Ryeini is really a vampire, it would confirm the fact that vampires exists and have survived until the present day.
It’s possible that she will be subjected to human experimentation in order to develop counter measures against them.
Though he’s a nobleman, a Baron’s influence is way too weak to protect Lady Ryeini.」

「Worst of all is that Lady Ryeini can be kidnapped and used.」

「And we’ll never see what’s coming to us if we let this get leaked to other countries.」

If we list down all the problems this might cause, it would be pointless, because there’s no end to it.

One, Lady Ryeini’s charm can turn a whole country upside down.

Two, if that power really came from vampires, it would confirm their existence.
Lady Ryeini might become a guinea pig for the sake of research.

Three, it would be real bad if this information reaches other countries.
Lady Ryeini might get abducted.

These three alone are enough to give me a headache.
There’s a whole heap of other issues, these are just the ones that are easy to understand but the most critical.

「The fact that she can’t control it is also what makes it extremely dangerous.」

「…Come to think of it, how did the Princess ward off the charm?」

「Demon stones repel each other if they aren’t compatible, it’s the reason why I suspected Lady Ryeini of being a vampire.」

「…Ah, so that’s why.
It’s your tattoo isn’t it?」

「Yeah.
That’s how I noticed the unease, so I was able to resist it.」

My tattoo is made out of a dragon’s demon stone, it’s melded unto my body.
It’s practically the same as a demon stone.
Furthermore, I’m already receiving mental interference from my curse.
Which is how I noticed the repulsion between the two demon stones.

Seriously, you never know what will turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Only a heretic like me can resist Lady Ryeini’s indiscriminate charm.

「…I guess I’ll have to take her in.」

「…Yes, yes you do.」

First and foremost, she shouldn’t be left unattended.
It’s true that Lady Ryeini is dangerous, but it’s not her fault.
Also, she’s an interesting subject.
If I could study Lady Ryeini more, I might be able to apply the results in my future research.

Having talked to Lady Ryeini, I don’t get the impression that she’s a bad person.
She’s just getting pushed around by her power.
And yet, she might unreasonably be sentenced to death or be dissected, her life depends on the country’s chosen course of action.
It’s a harsh reality.

I wouldn’t be able to sleep well if I overlook her situation, but then I’d be losing a lot of sleep if want to keep her safe.

「Ah~ It’s no use.
Thinking about this alone is no use.
Taking in Lady Ryeini will definitely be a whole heap of trouble.
Al-kun, his cronies, and the Ministry of Magic; all of them will definitely raise hell!」

「They would definitely cause a racket, wouldn’t they…」

These problems kept popping up, I’m getting a headache.
I absolutely can’t do this alone.
Ei! So if you’re in trouble, you can always run back to your parents!

「I’ll be upfront and talk to Mother and Father.
I’ll also have to hear from Baron Cyan about Lady Ryeini’s mother.」

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「It’s also possible that person is a vampire.」

I don’t have enough information to decide what to do next.
But in the first place, this isn’t a problem that I need to solve alone.
After all, my parents are human resources that I can take advantage of!

After finalizing my thoughts, I told Illya to call for Father and Mother.
I need to talk to both of them first, then Father can relay his own decisions to his subordinates.
Right now, the people meeting Lady Ryeini should be kept to the minimum.

Illya stepped out of the room and I was left alone with Lady Ryeini.
She was shaking and hugging herself despite looking so worn out.

…That’s understandable.
I’m also having a headache right now.
I know that I’m pretty weird but, Lady Ryeini is a normal girl.
To be honest, if I were in her shoes, I don’t think I’ll be able to take it.

Not minding Lady Ryeini’s condition, I held her head on my arms and stroked her back.
I watched her reaction, bobbing up and down in surprise.

「It’s alright.
Everything’s going to be alright.
I won’t let anything bad happen to you, I promise.
Even if I’m like this, I’m still a princess.
I have a duty to protect the country and its people.
So I won’t abandon you either, Lady Ryeini.」

She didn’t say anything back.
Just a muffled sound and a clinging hand that held on to my dress.

Illya came into the room with Father and Mother while I was stroking Lady Ryeini’s back trying to soothe her.
Seeing us, their eyes widened for a moment but they quickly stiffened their expressions.

「Anise, I heard there’s an emergency.
What’s going on?」

「Father, please stay calm and listen to me.」

I told Father and Mother about Lady Ryeini’s circumstances, speaking in way that’s easy to understand.
I told them about her charm and my suspicions of her being a vampire.

Father’s expression became more and more sour as he listened to me explain, he ended up placing his hand over his forehead.

And as always, Mother kept her sharp gaze and serious expression.

「Unbelievable… Such a story.」

「But these are the facts.
The whole truth is still uncertain, but we can investigate that later.
The question is how to deal with this situation.
I think it would be for the best if I take her in, given her power…」

「…If you take away Lady Ryeini, Algard wouldn’t stand idly by.」

Father grumbled with a sour voice.
That’s exactly it, Father!

「That’s the part that gives me the biggest headache… We can’t tell the world the truth behind Lady Ryeini, and more importantly, we can’t predict he’ll do if we let Al-kun know about this.
He’s the one most affected by charm.
Ah, and about putting Lady Ryeini underground, sure that’s a solution but I’m against it.
She’s a citizen of this country after all.」

「Alright, I understand.
What else can I say…」

I said in a roundabout way that if Lady Ryeini gets executed, then that would be the end of it, but Father didn’t even seem consider killing her.
That’s a relief, but the problem starts here…

「…Anise.
You will personally take responsibility for looking after Lady Ryeini, that was what you meant was it not?」

「Mother? Yes, I mean it.
And I’m confident that I’m the right person for the job.」

「And Algard is a hindrance, is that right?」

「Eh? Ma~ That’s right.」

「Then, I shall take Algard along with me, for international business.」

「Eeeeh~!?」

T-then, you’ll take Al-kun out of the country, Mother!? Her sudden suggestion made my eyes wide as saucers.

「Algard can give me all the excuses he can think of, but if I were to tell him that I’m going to retrain him because of this incident, he will have no choice but to follow.
Besides, he needs to earn some achievements, and those achievements must be on par with your Magicology.
As aside, he couldn’t take in Euphilia as his betrothed.
If Euphilia were to stand beside you Anise, then being a man would be Algard’s only advantage over you.」

「Uwa~ Al-kun’s getting absolutely ousted!」

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Al-kun’s stock is so low, the only thing he wins at is being a boy.
Well, that’s what he gets.
You reap what you sow, Al-kun…

「I’ll take care of Algard.
About his charmed cronies, Orfans will be able handle the rest of them.」

「Umu.
That is my job.
I can’t control Algard by myself, but if Sylphine is willing to take him out, it will make it easier for me to move.」

Father’s reign is brilliant, but his influence alone isn’t strong enough.
He’s considered a king that thrives in harmony above all else, but in times like these, having a great woman beside him allows him more leeway.

I think that this kind of power dynamic is ideal, as Father is usually the one who keeps Mother’s fierceness in line.
This power couple sure is great, my parents truly are.

「However, the time I can keep Algard out of the country will not be long.
It is possible to prolong it with another appropriate reason, but only to a limited extent.
Is that fine, Anise?」

「Yes, Mother.」

「In the meantime, you must work on improving Lady Ryeini’s condition.
If she hasn’t improved by the time Algard returns, I will take matters into my own hands and tuck her away.」

「Wai–.
Mother!?」

T-that means, she just declared that she’ll get rid of her personally!? Father is in shock and did Illya’s shoulders trembled in fear just now!? Lady Ryeini’s face lost all its color, why did she put away herself even though she hasn’t done anything!?

「If you can’t prevent this disaster then I will take responsibility.
If we bring ruin to this country even though we are the ones who are supposed to protect it, then we can’t all be buried under the rubble.
When that time comes, you must be prepared.
Lady Ryeini, you will be prepared, will you not?」

She’s serious.
Mother is completely serious.
This liability is absolutely serious…

「So, who do we talk to and how much? Since we can’t let this information leak outside, we need to carefully select people, don’t we?」

「Umu.
I will have to give Baron Cyan an appropriate excuse.
Even if I were to place Lady Ryeini under our care, I can’t state that publicly.
It would be better to pretend that she had to be away for medical treatment, then we secretly keep her inside the palace.」

「I’ve heard that the son of Knight Commander Sprought also joined in on in the denunciation.
Since he joined in, let‘s get him involved too.
We need to remain vigilant with the palace security as well, don’t we? Orfans and I are here, we will be able to take care of it.」

I can’t be doing any political maneuvering around so I’ll leave it to them.
My detached mansion is the ideal place for holing up, since there are only very few people coming and going.
Those people include the Royal Palace maids, but most of them have pretty tight lips.
That mansion is the perfect hiding spot for Lady Ryeini.

I also have to look into Lady Ryeini and develop counter measures against her powers.
I was planning to try something fresh, but it turned into an official business, so I really can’t take it easy like that.
Pretty heavy stuff, but no use whining about it.

「Anise, I know it will be difficult for you too but… Do it well.」

「Of course.
She’s a very interesting research subject but, this is this and that is that!」

「We are truly not on the same page.」

“Ha~” Mother sighed in what seems to be exasperation.
Did I not get what she meant?

「If you invite Lady Ryeini to your mansion right now, you’re going to face a huge problem.」

「What problem?」

「Who are you living with in that mansion?」

「Ah–.」

Oh right, isn’t Euphie in the mansion right now!?

This is official business straight from the state, so it can’t be helped.
But, am I really going to have to live in the same place as Euphie and Lady Ryeini!?

「How awkward is that!?」

W-what should I do… How did this even happen!?