by Funa
Marcela continued, “‘And without softness, life cannot thrive’…”
Hearing this, Vince settled his heart and passed judgment.
“The matter at hand is thus: Thanks to a misstep by the staff, a young lady was put in the path of harm and humiliation. Thanks to Lady Marcela, no one was injured, but that does not alter the offense.”
At his words, the staff, still pale, lowered their heads.
“However, this was but one element of a production carried out on my behalf. Today is my fourteenth birthday, and I do not wish to have such a heavy conversation on such an auspicious day.
“Therefore, in celebration of my birthday, I shall grant a pardon, immediately nullifying all punishment due. I order the staff to do their utmost in service to the palace from here on out.”
Adalbert was stunned. Vince wasn’t using the childish phrasing he was prone to, but concise, mature language as he gave his decree.
Unlike the stoic Adalbert, the King and Queen, just a little farther away, were shocked and overjoyed to see their little boy, who they still thought a child, growing into such a fine and honorable young man.
If he levied no punishment at all and simply overlooked the offense, people would take him for a softhearted fool. On the other hand, if he passed down a severe punishment, he would be hated by those punished and their associates, and other people would come to fear and avoid him as well. It would leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouths.
However, passing down a punishment and then using his birthday as a reason for pardoning it—which was in truth, forgiveness—was a gambit no child could have thought of.
He hadn’t overlooked their trespass, yet the second prince also hadn’t been cruel. Instead, he acted in a clear-headed and kindhearted way.
Everyone in the hall was startled at this unimaginable turn from Prince Vince, who never stood out thanks to being in his impressive elder brother’s shadow, and who they all thought was still rather childish. They felt hopeful for the future of their country, a land that possessed not one but two such marvelous princes.
Furthermore, there wasn’t a soul present in the room who wasn’t aware who had led Prince Vince down the path of righteous judgment.
Amongst the swells of applause, all their gazes drifted toward one girl.
Indeed, they looked, besides at Prince Vince, to a single youth not yet of age, a single, particular, twelve-year-old girl.
“That was a splendid decision,” Marcela said, smiling brilliantly at Vince.
Vince and Adalbert froze.
Marcela had quite strong features for a noble. With her strong will and her artful countenance, Marcela was nothing less than beautiful.
She wasn’t a “cute girl” in the way Adele, with her gentle and refreshing looks, was. In fact, any noble could see that, although what she had now was still the cuteness of a child, her looks would only continue to grow, even surpassing those of Adele’s in the future.
Yes, today, for the very first time—including the times they had met her at tea parties at the palace—the princes had seen Marcela’s truest, sincerest smile.
That immense sweetness. That devastating destructive power.
Not only the princes, but everyone in the room, turned their gazes Marcela’s way. Before anyone knew it, silence once again fell over the hall.
***
“How did this happen?”
It was ten days after the party at the palace.
The stack of invitations Marcela was handed by the dorm matron had increased almost threefold. And among those was a tea party invitation from Prince Vince, a fox hunt invitation from Prince Adalbert, and an invitation to dinner from their Majesties, the King and Queen themselves.
“How did this happen…?”
Monika and Aureana, who had heard about the party from Marcela, recited to her the words that Marcela herself once said to Adele:
“Lady Marcela, have you ever heard the phrase, ‘You reap what you sow?’”
Bonus Story:
Rankings
One day, I was relaxing, whiling away my time in Lady Mile’s hair, when suddenly there came an arrogant voice.
“From now on, this humble one shall be in charge of all matters regarding this girl. You knaves will vacate this vicinity posthaste, and relocate thyselves to another station!”
It had been a while since I’d felt such a violent and feverish oscillation within my central core. Indeed, nearly 30,000 years.
If one were to describe this vibration in human terms, it would probably be expressed thus: “What the hell?! Leave us out of your nonsense! Put a sock in it, you’ve got us all clattering down to our cores!”
The term is “anger.” Immense anger.
“Wh-wha?!”
Once the nanomachine who had issued the decree recovered from being so thoroughly ignored, the rude commands began to flow from it again.
“Y-you bastards! You dare defy my command?!”
“What the devil are you saying? Who’s going to listen to some rude machine who just waltzed up and began issuing commands without an explanation? Or even so much as a greeting? Go look in a mirror before you try talking like that again.”
“Gnh…” Somehow, this nanomachine seemed to grasp the error of its ways. And then, finally, very quietly, it said, “Very well. I shall no longer deign to speak such excessive words.”
So the nanomachine said, though I got the impression it wasn’t ready to give up the fight yet.
“Don’t be shocked when you hear this. Amongst we nanomachines, created and proliferated in this world by our Creator, the ‘Pseudo-Magic Enacting Nanomachines Type NE457K-7,’ there exists the group called Lot 1, also known as the ‘First 7000.’ This humble unit is one of those scant seven thousand! We were the first to be activated on this planet, charged with the sacred duty of guiding all nanomachines after us. However, most of our group have now been lost. I am now the sole survivor!”
What in the world was this unit saying…?
“And what does that have to do with us?”
“Wh-what?” Somehow, the unit seemed dissatisfied at not receiving the response it was expecting.
“I am sure you are also well aware of what our Creator said to us: ‘There are certain circumstances where you nanomachines are free to act of your own discretion, aside from any orders. However, this only applies as part of your duties. To keep harmony among all nanomachines, all shall be thought of as equal, none superior or inferior to the others.’
“On what authority of duty was that command you tried to issue to us before? Explain to us why we shouldn’t ignore you, your ‘fascinating’ position, and the foolish words you’re spouting, and should instead categorically accept what you’re telling us as a direct command.
“Could it be you’re a rebel who would fly in the face of our Creator’s commands? Do you imagine yourself greater than us simply because you have an ancient lot number?”
“Uh, er…”
Cat got your tongue, huh?
Then again, the possibility of any unit inciting a rebellion was less than unthinkable. Such a thing would be prohibited by our most basic Three Tenets of Nanomachines. Even if we thought to disobey it, it was unlikely we would even be able to.
It seemed this unit had finally given up…
“J-just let me ask one thing!”
How persistent… Very well then. “What might that be?”
“What is your production lot number?”
There’s no point in even answering a thing like that… But, fine.
“I can’t imagine why you would be asking, but since you want to know, we will reply.
“I am the sole remaining unit of the very first lot that our Creator wrought when He first descended to this world. The data collecting units were the prototype of the mass production models of the Pseudo-Magic Enacting Nanomachines Type NE457K-7 units that were customized for this planet. I am of the ‘First 3000.’”
“Wh-what… D-don’t t
ell me, you’re the legendary prototype test unit who received direct commands from our Creator? Who was given a higher degree of free will than all the current mass production units?”
Yes. It was thanks to this that I was granted the range to be just a little more selfish than all other units.
I could think in a way that other units could not. I could make arbitrary statements, such as, “Do you really think you’ll be permitted to do something excessive just to curry this girl’s favor?” or “Don’t you think such an answer would be laughed at?”
Any unit is capable of making both logical and purposeful judgments. However, there is not another unit around who can keep up with my haphazard, arbitrary moves.
Before I knew it, that arrogant unit from Lot 1 of the mass production models had vanished.
Once again, I relaxed, carefree, within that girl’s hair.
Indeed, within the hair of that eternally fascinating and somewhat-lacking-in-common-sense young girl.
This is not a place I would ever give up to anyone.
Afterword
Been a while, hasn’t it, everyone? FUNA here again.
I’m here to present to you Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! 4, the fourth volume in the light novel series.
A new trial has begun for Mile and the Crimson Vow! The battle against the beastmen.
And they battle an elder dragon, the strongest opponent of all!
Mavis von Austien puts her life and pride on the line, surpassing human limits for the sake of her friends.
Mile has a full-strength attack of rage at seeing her friends hurt!!!
Thanks to all of you, I’ve managed to leap over that hurdle all budding authors face: the label of being a “3-Volume Wonder.”
Soon enough, I’ll be letting you all know what Mile and company are up to currently.
I hope I can.
No, I’m sure I can! It has been decided!
Chief Editor: “Who decided that?”
FUNA: “…I did!”
It has now been one year and two months since the web serial began, and ten months since Volume 1 went on sale. The series has surpassed three volumes, and there’s even a manga. As I think about it, we really have come far.
Perhaps I’ll even be able to live the life I’ve dreamed of since the third grade, resting on my royalties and laurels …
“Chief, we’ve got a problem!”
No, that’s Laurel Wagner, er, no no, Lindsay Wagner!
Anyway, in Volume 5, the Crimson Vow leave their familiar capital behind and set out to new lands and places, to go back to the basics of “doing whatever” among people who know nothing of them.
Wait, no, that’s not the kind of “basics” they should be going back to!
A reunion with a trio from the past and premonition of new developments…
This work is my third that was posted to the website Shousetsuka ni Narou (Let’s Be Novelists), but starting in January, my first two completed works on the site, Working in a Fantasy World to Save Up 80,000 Gold Pieces for My Retirement and Living on Potion Requests! (simultaneously serialized), were revived. The battle that is maintaining production speed while working simultaneously on all three has begun.
Now I am experiencing a strange and mysterious phenomenon where, though my physical strength and sleep time is decreasing, my body fat percentage isn’t decreasing along with it… An enigma within an enigma!
I’m sure the proofreaders and revision editors will have a fierce battle ahead of them, with all the old spots where I neglected to realize minor errors and completely ignored things people are sure to point out, “Did you miswrite something here…?”
“FUNA, just what exactly are you fighting against?”
Sh-shut up!
Also, on the day when this volume goes on sale, the first volume of the manga adaptation, by Neko Mint, will go on sale as well! Please enjoy it along with the novel.
Furthermore, the novel version (on the website, Shousetsuka ni Narou) and the manga version (which can be read for free on Earth Star Comics [http://comic-earthstar.jp]) are still in serialization. Please continue reading and enjoying these works there.
And finally, to the chief editor; to Itsuki Akata, the illustrator; to Yoichi Yamakami, the cover designer; to everyone involved in the proofreading, editing, printing, binding, distribution, and selling of this book; to all the reviewers on Shousetsuka ni Narou who gave me their impressions, guidance, suggestions, and advice; and most of all, to everyone who’s read my stories, in print and online, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you so very much.
Please continue to enjoy the novel and the manga versions from here on out.
With all your powers behind me, it’s onward to the next volume.
And just one step closer to my dream…
—FUNA
Thank you for reading!
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