Chapter 741 — Rebecca's Way of Receiving Guests

The music that had been flowing so elegantly through the room had, at some point, quietly faded away.

Rebecca drew a deep breath, feeling her thoughts settle completely.

At this moment she was calm and composed, her spirit fully soothed. She would, with utter preparedness and a cool demeanor, inform her aunt that she had just blown up the largest crystal resonator array in the entire Arcane Technology Research Institute.

"Mmm…"

Rebecca, who had just stood up, could not help but rub her forehead again; her skull ached.

But she did not sit back down (though she very much wanted to), because she had noticed a stranger entering this lounge that in principle was reserved for institute personnel only.

Fendir saw the girl at the piano rise to her feet; he saw her first wear an air of steady, well-assured composure, then suddenly frown and rub her forehead, her expression changing several times in five seconds. He could not help but feel curious, but good breeding kept him from speaking rashly; he merely stood quietly where he was.

Then he saw that princess turn from the piano and glance curiously at the three of them, and a clear, vibrant voice came ringing out: "And who might you be?"

Fendir reacted at once, bowing in greeting with a fitting smile: "What an honor to meet you, Your Highness. Please forgive our unannounced intrusion…"

In the presence of a member of the imperial family, Fendir and Eriwen did not keep up the pretense of concealing their identities; they frankly gave their surnames. And this curious manner of meeting struck even the two ducal heirs themselves as rather amusing—no tedious introduction ceremony, no attendants and masters of protocol loudly reciting titles and honors, not even a steward to hand over documents. They had simply walked in, given their names, and greeted the princess of the Empire…

Everything was so plain and unadorned that it was like… ordinary people.

Yet this utterly ordinary visit was, in the eyes of the two young nobles, a rather novel experience.

Rebecca, for her part, gave it no such thought. She was merely a little surprised, then looked the three strangers up and down. Here, surely no one would be so wildly imaginative as to impersonate the heirs of the Northern and Western Dukes?

"I did hear you were coming—Auntie told me a couple of days ago over dinner," she said, scratching her hair—a gesture that noble etiquette might well describe as "uncouth," and one that left both Fendir and Eriwen somewhat taken aback, the earlier impression of quiet piano-playing swiftly tottering in their memories. "But I never heard anything about someone named Ferm…"

Hearing his own name mentioned, Ferm—who had been so nervous that his mind went blank and his whole body stiff—snapped back to his senses with a jolt. The "solemn procedure for meeting a member of the imperial family" that he had rehearsed countless times in his head was now utterly useless; events had gone entirely beyond his imagining. He could only let his porridge-like brain drive his body to respond—after a somewhat clumsy bow, he lifted the case he had brought.

"Rebecca… Your Highness, I am Ferm, from Barron. I brought… I brought something. Mr. Coad wrote me a letter of recommendation; he said you might be interested in my idea. It's in here… just a moment, it needs to be assembled…"

Ferm's words were somewhat jumbled and stammering, but Rebecca showed not the slightest impatience, for she had already noticed that the case contained arcane components—though all of common, even crude and outdated design, they nonetheless aroused her interest.

Ferm began rapidly assembling the pieces. It looked as though it would take a little time yet; Eriwen, not wishing the atmosphere to cool, took the initiative to break the silence: "Your Highness, though it may be presumptuous of me, your playing just now was truly superb—I nearly lost myself in it… Even the finest court musician could scarcely do better."

Measured flattery of a lady, taking the initiative to keep the mood aloft, conversing with nobles of higher station on music and the arts—these were skills every noble must master, one might even call them a duty. Eriwen kept firmly in mind the role he represented here; he hoped to forge a good relationship with this princess before him—if not friendship, then at least a favorable impression.

Rebecca, however, had no such thoughts at all. Watching Ferm busy himself, she said offhandedly: "Ah, the piano I learned from a teacher—fighting too. Honestly, I don't know whether I play well or not; I just use it to settle my mood. After all, I did just blow something up…"

Eriwen: "Ah…?"

Rebecca paid no mind to his slightly startled expression and simply went on casually (after all, he had spoken up first, and answering questions is basic courtesy): "Speaking of which, you're all here to study, aren't you? At the Imperial College?"

"Yes," Fendir nodded, smiling. "Aunt Victoria thought I ought to learn some things that cannot be learned within a castle. Entering the Imperial College as an ordinary student was the task she gave me. Aunt Victoria also mentioned you—she said you are a most extraordinary and outstanding princess, and that I should learn much from you."

"My father said something similar," Eriwen said, composing his expression and smiling likewise. "So young, and already a 'master' in the arcane field—that is truly admirable. I hope I may learn something from you."

Clearly, now that the age of the arcane industry had arrived, Fendir and Eriwen, that pair of friends who were each the other's "other family's child," had now met a shared "other family's child."

Rebecca gave it little thought. She merely glanced at Fendir and Eriwen and scratched her chin: "Learn from me… that's no problem, but how are your fundamentals?"

"Fundamentals?" The two ducal heirs were simultaneously taken aback, as though unsure what Rebecca meant.

"The basic subjects. Are you any good at mathematics and the sciences?"

"Passable," Fendir replied with dignity, though he had no idea how this polite topic had so suddenly turned so serious. "I have a gift for frost magic, so naturally I have mastered the fundamentals of array construction and calculation…"

Eriwen answered after him: "I have a gift for arcane magic, and likewise a smattering of mathematics."

"'Passable' and 'a smattering' won't do. I'll dig up a few sets of beginner exam papers for you later, but I suspect you won't be able to keep up with the current runic studies courses," Rebecca said, watching as Ferm set the crystal upon the runic base plate. "Have you had any exposure to runic logic?"

"That… we've only heard of it; we haven't actually studied it."

"Can't keep up with that either…" Rebecca scratched at her hair. "Then do you know mechanical principles and mechanics?"

"That…" Fendir's expression was gradually growing awkward. "Do we need to learn those as well?"

"Of course you do! If you don't know mechanical principles and mechanics, you'll fall even further behind in my class!" Rebecca's eyes went wide. "Your foundation in the basic courses is rather lacking. I had assumed you'd have done some catching up before coming… Well, you must at least know a little basic physics?"

Fendir and Eriwen simultaneously wore looks of bewilderment.

One look at their expressions and Rebecca understood everything. Hands on her hips, she could not help but sigh: "If that subject's no good either… then can you take a beating?"

Fendir and Eriwen: "…?"

The conversation had reached a deadlock, and the atmosphere was growing rather strange—but before this exchange, so full of misunderstandings, stubbornness, tact, and bluntness, could continue any further, Ferm finally finished his preparations: "I'm ready, Your Highness. If you would look…"

Rebecca instantly cast aside the half-discussed topic of "forming a study group" and watched with curiosity the holographic image Ferm had set up.