Chapter 126

The Princess's Great Escape
Two weeks had passed since the previous escape incident. While the security was tight, noticeable gaps had begun to form.

One major change was the construction of a temple near the castle walls, visible from the office window. It seemed to be a facility for using magical brushes.

“Wouldn’t an unused room have sufficed?” I thought, but the beastfolk had apparently pooled their money to create a grandiose establishment.

The process started in a small temple, where priests conducted prayers. From there, people proceeded to a brushing room. Beastfolk nobles, restless and glancing around, entered the temple and emerged ecstatic after about thirty minutes. Lines had even formed, with families being called in from their territories or homes.

“Those people really are…”

“Well, if they’re satisfied, then it’s fine.”

It seemed some beastfolk nobles had approached Father, demanding preferential treatment in exchange for donations.

As a result, the donation amounts determined the order of service. They had also insisted on specific building designs and involved the Arland Church.

The church, delighted at the opportunity to expand its posts, gladly sent priests. Since the visitors were mostly nobles, it was also a chance to build connections.

Father, exasperated, gazed out the window.

Meanwhile, I was brushing Alicetia as part of my daily routine. With magic, I projected documents onto part of my vision and used telekinesis spells to sign and stamp them. So, technically, I was working.

“This is unacceptable. Needs improvement.”

“Understood.”

“Still ongoing, huh?”

After brushing was done, I tossed the brush to a nearby duplicate, who caught it and disappeared into an elevator along the wall of the office, heading underground. They worked tirelessly.

It’s not that the magical brush was bad. But once you make something good, you start wanting something even better. Improvements never end. The extras could go to that makeshift temple to delight the beastfolk.

The next morning.

Apparently, a secret potion—the result of my research and the experiments conducted by my duplicates—was finally complete.

Yes, a transformation potion. In a magical world, it had to exist. It appeared in old tales, after all. But despite extensive searching, I couldn’t find any actual examples. According to Eibon, it was lost technology. He knew some ingredients but wasn’t interested since it wasn’t practical. After all, transformation magic already existed.

However, transformation magic could be detected, making it easily exposed. A potion, on the other hand, was undetectable. Perfect. Given my escapades, the castle’s security was now the most advanced in the world. Transformation magic or concealment magic would be sensed immediately. In this castle, they were useless.

Now, give me animal ears and a tail! Ideally, something fox-like, like Alicetia’s. Beastfolk were unfair—how could they have such wonderful features? I had long yearned for them.

I woke up an hour earlier than usual for this. Last night, I even went to bed two hours earlier. Failure was not an option.

“It should probably be fine.”

“At last, my dream comes true. I’ll finally become a beastfolk…”

In my hand was a vile ampoule containing a sinister-looking purple potion. I broke the seal and raised it to my lips.

“Princess, it’s morning. Today, we’re starting a bit earlier—wait, what are you drinking?!”

Alicetia, who usually didn’t bother knocking since I wouldn’t wake up, entered earlier than usual. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Why did she come early today?

“Gulp, gulp.”

“No! Spit it out immediately! That color is clearly dangerous!”

Alicetia frantically shook me, but I swallowed it without hesitation. It tasted fruity—perfect.

Ignoring Alicetia’s panic, my body began to glow. When the light subsided, Alicetia appeared much larger. Why?

“Princess, you’ve…”

“Meow! (Alicetia looks huge!) Nyah nyah! (What’s going on?!)”

Alicetia lifted me effortlessly. Puzzled by her strength, I examined my body. The first thing I noticed was a paw. A cat’s paw. My fur was black. I had apparently turned into a black cat.

I had wanted to become a fox. Not a cat. Sure, cats are cute, but I’m a dog person. I longed for a fluffy fox tail. This was a travesty.

“This is strange. The experiments were successful… Oh, I grabbed the failed batch.”

“Meow! (Check before you bring it!)”

“W-what should we do? Will a kiss turn you back? Antidote!”

“I didn’t make one.”

Of course not. I knew it would wear off eventually. There was no way an antidote had been prepared. Also, a kiss wouldn’t work. We’re both women; it likely wouldn’t do anything.

I glanced at a duplicate, who opened the door and motioned with its paw, signaling now was the time. Alicetia, flustered by the unexpected turn of events, didn’t notice. The loyal knights wouldn’t peek in despite the open door.

“Yes! We’ll grab Eibon and make him concoct an antidote!”

I smacked Alicetia’s face with my paw. In the moment of surprise, I squirmed free and dashed out of the room. Freedom at last!

“Here, use this.”

Thinking four-legged running was a hassle, a duplicate handed me something resembling a skateboard. It looked like the one a certain boy detective who turned into a child used, but with a jet engine attached.

“Meow! (Thanks!)”

“No problem. Good luck.”

Stepping on the skateboard’s switch, I shot out of the room at high speed. The knights looked bewildered as I zipped past. When Alicetia shouted, “The princess is escaping! Catch her!” they scrambled to pursue me, but I was faster.

I managed to evade them for a while but couldn’t find a way out of the castle. The entrances were quickly sealed, and barriers descended. The number of pursuers grew. I leaned my body to turn corners, only to encounter a maid. Startled, she screamed, and the sheets she carried flew into the air, covering me. Panicked, I accidentally sped up. Screams erupted from all directions.

I seemed to have climbed a staircase at some point, but the sheets obscured my view, so I wasn’t sure how. When the sheets finally snagged and came off, I was hurtling toward a balcony on the third floor. How did I even get here?

I thought briefly before leaping off the balcony into the air.

A feeling of weightlessness enveloped me. Seizing the moment, I activated the booster. While the castle’s barriers inhibited flight magic, the jet engine relied on fire magic, which wasn’t affected. Anti-magic systems had loopholes.

However, as soon as I activated the booster, I realized something. There was no safety mechanism. Nor was there anything securing me to the skateboard.

“Meoooooow!”

That day, a black cat clinging desperately to a skateboard soared through the sky.

Gilbert's Point of View

"Indeed, tea after training is quite a treat."

My mornings start early. I rise at 5 a.m. to begin my training. As a member of the royal family, free time is a luxury I cannot afford. My Father rises around the same time to train, and more often than not, I join him.

Currently, I am in the garden located directly below the balcony, away from the training grounds. The season is shifting into October, and the cold has grown harsher in Arland. Normally, it would be chilly, but I have contracts with spirits. The Fire Spirit warms the air, and the Wind Spirit ensures the heat doesn't escape, making it feel as pleasant as a spring day.

I am taking a brief rest after enduring Gramps’ grueling training regimen. Unlike Alicia, whom Gramps serves with kindness, he is exceedingly strict with me. As a member of the royal family, I was raised under harsher conditions than Alice.

"Your Highness, your sword swings are still lacking precision. Your weapon specializes in slashing, so you must focus on speed when you swing."

"I understand. It's just a matter of getting used to it. Still, it was a productive session, Gramps. I can feel there's room for improvement."

"Very well. Then we shall make it even harsher starting tomorrow."

"Of course."

I lack the robust physique of my Father and the immense talent for magic of Alice. If I remain as I am, I will inevitably fade into Alice's shadow.

Of course, I harbor no jealousy. Each of us has our unique strengths. My only wish is to remain a brother that Alice can take pride in.

In politics, I am confident I will not lose to Alice. In martial arts and close combat, I am also superior. However, Alice has recently been improving in close combat as well. On this front, I cannot afford to lose. As her elder brother, I must maintain my dignity. Magic may be beyond my reach, but to lose in close combat would be an affront to my manhood.

"By the way, Gramps, isn't it about time you told me about your past? I know nothing about you."

"Heh, I abandoned my past long ago. There's nothing to tell."

I know little of Gramps's past. Apparently, he came to serve as my caretaker when I was born. Occasionally, older knights bow their heads to him, so I suspect he was once in the military. But he refuses to divulge anything.

All he says is that he wishes to serve the royal family. I sometimes wonder why he doesn't serve my Father instead, but he shows no intention of doing so. Truly an enigmatic old man.

"You haven't changed a bit, Gramps... Hm?"

"Meowwwww!"

As I sipped tea to soothe my exhaustion from training, a commotion arose within the castle. Suddenly, something flew out from the balcony. I pride myself on my keen eyesight. I saw a black cat clinging to a small, wheeled board. Could it be one of Alice's magic beasts? Neither Alice nor I can keep track of all of them. The board, however, was spewing flames as it flew through the air.

I saw it clearly—the same emblem as Alice's inscribed in the cat's eyes. For some reason, I have a knack for spotting Alice. Even when she's hiding, I can always tell—it must be a sibling thing.

"Phfft—!"

I spit out my tea. The situation became clear to me immediately. For the past few weeks, I had raised the castle's security level to prevent Alice from sneaking into the slums, which had recently caught her interest. Without escorts, she couldn't even leave the castle gates. We also searched the castle, sealing off secret passageways and hideouts Alice had crafted.

Even if she managed to leave the castle, knights and soldiers were stationed along every path, making it impossible for her to reach the slums unnoticed. We even secured the cooperation of the capital's residents.

On top of that, teleportation and flight magic were disabled with anti-magic barriers. I thought these measures would be enough to make her give up.

Alice could likely force her way out of the castle if she wanted to. But causing injuries would mean violating her own principles, as Alice despises harm to her people. I believed she wouldn’t take such measures as long as knights were nearby. Yet it seems she still had tricks up her sleeve. Just how many cards does she hold?

"... Your Highness... I taught you to remain calm under any circumstance."

"No, that was clearly Alice."

"The princess won't be awake for another 45 minutes. It's just a cat flying through the air!"

Gramps checked the time on a pocket watch. True, Alice is not a morning person. True, cats don’t fly. But Alice’s pets defy all norms, so I couldn’t dismiss the possibility. After all, one of her pets clings to trees like a cicada to sleep.

Could I have been mistaken? Just as I thought so, a tearful knight and Alicia emerged from within the castle.

"Your Highness, the princess turned into a cat and escaped the castle!"

"So it *was* Alice! Deploy all my guards immediately and bring her back at once. No, reduce the castle's security to the minimum and focus entirely on searching for Alice. Above all, ensure she isn’t kidnapped."

"Understood."

"Princesssss~~~!"

Alicia ran tearfully toward the castle gates. She truly has her hands full. I must also take charge of the search team. That area is far too dangerous.