My eyes widened in shock.
However, there was no additional mention of Princess Eva in the letter.
This wouldn’t do—I needed to solve this puzzle quickly and follow Aurora.
‘This time, it’s a humanities quiz, Seraphina. It’s for you!
Since it’s your first time, I’ll make it easy.’
“A humanities quiz?”
What kind of quiz is she planning to give us?
‘Which of the following books is the most different in nature?
1. Plato’s Republic: ‘The creation of our state is not a mere dream. If we execute everything as we have discussed, it will no longer be impossible. Select true philosophers to rule, ensuring they are not swayed by fleeting honor or fame, and act according to justice. It is far from unachievable.’
2. George Orwell’s 1984: ‘Do you realize the kind of world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the foolish hedonistic utopias imagined by earlier reformers.’
3. Thomas More’s Utopia: ‘If you could see that place for yourself, you would be convinced there is no better-governed country in the world.’
4. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World: ‘People are happy, they get what they want, and they never want what they cannot have. They are all well-off, safe, never sick, unafraid of death, ignorant of old age and passion, and delightfully content.’
5. Hermann Hesse’s Demian: ‘You said that humans do not possess free will, yet you also claimed that by focusing their will, they can achieve their goals.’
“That’s easy.”
Arkhangelo confidently declared in a loud voice.
“The others are literature books, but number 1 is a philosophy book. Therefore, the answer must be number 1.”
“Um, Arkhangelo, that’s not correct.”
“Seraphina, do you know the answer?”
“Yes, I do. Simone, don’t you agree?”
“It’s not a difficult question.”
Simone smiled faintly and began explaining.
“The other books all discuss building or maintaining societies, but number 5 does not. So, the answer is number 5.”
“That’s right.”
I nodded in agreement with Simone’s explanation.
“Plato’s Republic and Thomas More’s Utopia are both utopian works. George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World fall into the dystopian category.”
“So they’re opposites, then?”
“Either way, since they all discuss building an ideal state, they share similar characteristics. On the other hand, number 5 isn’t about utopias or dystopias, so the answer is number 5.”
Without hesitation, I entered the answer.
‘5’
As if confirming it was correct, the box opened instantly!
“Ugh, why does Aurora even give us these kinds of quizzes?”
“Well, how would we know….”
“Forget it. Let’s just read Aurora’s letter.”
We picked up the paper inside the box to read its contents.
‘Thank you, everyone, for solving my quiz! Thanks to you, it feels worth it to keep making them! XD
Now I’m heading to Saint-Ruvain! Follow me, everyone!’
What? There’s still no mention of Princess Eva?
I guess we’ll have to meet Aurora in person….
“Saint-Ruvain….”
“That’s in the northern region of the Cassan Empire.”
Our peaceful stay at the Lithman estate had come to an end.
It was time for us to leave and continue chasing Aurora.
***
“Duchess, we’ve decided to leave tomorrow.”
“Oh, Lady Viviana….”
At my words, Princess Angela approached me with teary eyes and took my hands in hers.
“So, it’s already time. I understand. You can’t stay still while there’s so much to do….”
“I think it’s right to gather our strength and fight against her. We can’t keep running away forever. To be honest, I feel like we can fight her now, but who knows how I’ll feel once her true identity is revealed.”
“Still, I think you’re brave, Lady Viviana. I’ve learned a lot from you.”
Princess Angela clenched her fists and gave me an encouraging smile.
“So… I’ll try to find courage too.”
“Duchess….”
“If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to ask. Whether it’s financial, academic, or military support, I’ll do my best to assist you.”
“Thank you so much for saying that, Duchess.”
“This is all I can offer you.”
“By the way, did you discuss the malfunctioning automaton with the prince?”
“Yes, but he’s already started distributing automatons, so it’s become complicated. If other automatons in the Cassan Empire also malfunction, it could be disastrous.”
“Hmm….”
I thought of Princess Alice.
I could only hope she remembered what I had said and managed to utilize the automatons appropriately.
“Anyway, thank you for your concern, Lady Viviana.”
A warm atmosphere lingered between Princess Angela and me.
Afterward, she mentioned that she would monitor the situation in the Kingdom of Boleno and left the study.
I turned to Ghieuspe and asked,
“Ghieuspe, have you heard from the Tower Master recently? It seemed like the Tower Master was also researching humanoids, so they might have some useful data.”
“Well, I haven’t heard from them, but….”
Ghieuspe pulled out a communication device from his pocket.
“I suppose I’ll just contact them first.”
“Are you perhaps not scared of the Tower Master anymore?”
“I’ve started to believe I could win if I fought them.”
“What?”
“That was a joke. I meant I’m not scared anymore.”
What? Ghieuspe just made a joke? This was a huge step forward!
Even Raffaelo seemed moved and clapped, while Simone exaggeratedly pretended to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes.
“By the way, Ghieuspe, is the rumor about you defeating 27 opponents in the magic tower true?”
“Oh, that.”
When I brought up an anecdote from the novel, Ghieuspe blinked and replied,
“It’s not true.”
“Oh, I knew it was exaggerated….”
“It was 37 opponents.”
“………..”
As expected, Ghieuspe’s prowess as a mage was overwhelming. I resolved once again to maintain a close relationship with him.
“Well, wouldn’t magic be the answer?”
Raffaelo spoke with confidence.
“Princess Eva is an outstanding magical engineer, but as a mage, she isn’t particularly strong. Her actual combat ability isn’t exceptional.”
“But everyone here is strong. Even the Tower Master was defeated before.”
“I agree. It doesn’t seem impossible to fight Princess Eva.”
Hmm, maybe Princess Eva isn’t as formidable an opponent as I had thought?
While things seemed to be progressing surprisingly smoothly, I reminded myself that I still needed to find that ‘dimension traveler’ for added security.
Yes, I had to capture Aurora and locate the dimension traveler at all costs!
***
That evening, during our final dinner together at the Lithman estate, Duke Lithman joined us.
As always, he sat before us with the dignified air of a northern grand duke.
Beside him was Princess Angela, smiling radiantly like sunshine. They looked like a perfectly matched couple.
While I was absentmindedly cutting my meat, the Duke unexpectedly spoke up.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to all of you.”
“What?”
Gratitude? His words caught me off guard, and I wasn’t the only one surprised—everyone else seemed equally startled.
“It seems my wife has gained courage because of you.”
“Oh, dear….”
Ah, of course, this was about Princess Angela.
“When my wife first came here after our engagement, she would visibly tremble whenever the royal family of the Kingdom of Boleno was mentioned. I only learned about the strange events she had experienced after she opened up to me. While I understood her feelings, I hadn’t witnessed those events myself, so she must have felt isolated.”
The Duke continued in a calm voice,
“My wife would always seem frightened whenever Boleno was brought up. She seemed to miss it but couldn’t bring herself to return. But ever since you all arrived here, my Angela no longer appears afraid.”
“Oh, darling….”
“And so, I am indebted to all of you. If you ever need help, I will repay this favor.”
