I met my younger brother, but things got complicated. That's the situation for this five-year-old.
But I picked up alchemy as a hobby, and since I don't go outside, the people I meet remain the same, so I turned six without any problems.
"This isn't science, is it?"
I was in the Emerald Room, playing with alchemy with borrowed books as always.
Still, I'd read through them many times and repeated experiments, so I think I'm taking alchemy quite seriously.
Besides, thanks to Wearrel, I have all the equipment, so even as a hobby, it's quite professional.
Now, the problem is that this world contains something called "mana" related to magic, which cannot be explained by science.
"The beaker on this side contains distilled water. This is something I made using a distillation apparatus—the so-called product of science."
It's a familiar method in science experiments: turning liquid into gas and back into liquid to remove impurities.
I picked up an empty beaker of the same shape and concentrated.
"...Water."
With just the word, water overflowed from my fingers as if I'd turned a faucet.
I'd only been taught the basics of magic so far.
Still, I was told that long incantations were necessary to get used to it, so I practiced.
But at the same time, Wearrel the mage evaluated my intelligence as beyond my years and taught me simpler tricks.
Apparently, repetitive practice and incantations are meant to help you recall the phenomenon so that magic occurs as desired.
If the image isn't solid, the water won't manifest in the first place, and if there's doubt or hesitation, it won't last.
In other words, if you have an image of water flowing endlessly and in appropriate amounts from the start, you can handle it without incantations.
"Faucets and plumbing are recent inventions even in my original world, right? Ah, no, did ancient Rome have them?"
When I asked, it turned out this world had things similar to faucets.
But they were simpler in construction than the faucets I knew, closer to water stoppers with knobs.
And then there's the problem of mana.
"Alchemy for Beginners: Let's try using test paper to measure mana levels."
As I spoke, I took out black paper that looked like litmus test paper.
When dipped in distilled water, there was no change, but when placed in magic-created water, the paper turned whitish.
This is proof that despite looking like ordinary water, there are differences in properties.
"First of all, the fact that making this paper is also a type of alchemy... yeah, it's definitely different from the alchemy that connects to the science I know."
The most prominent example is that among the equipment I received from Wearrel, there are items activated by pouring magical power into them.
There were also outrageous experimental methods like generating magic inside sealed containers to cause chemical reactions.
However, for now, I've only just started using magic and am not good at it.
And there are no alchemy textbooks in the Imperial Library.
It's trial and error, but I'm in a state where I don't have enough materials for trial and error.
"It's a waste to just have this distilled water and magic-made water sit here. If there are differences, there should be changes in experimental results too, so there must be some easy-to-understand verification method... Maybe it would be interesting to try making salt crystals with this."
Recalling elementary school science experiments, I considered what I needed.
Sticks instead of disposable chopsticks, string, and though I don't know the amount of salt, I should use a proper balance scale and weights to make sure I have equal amounts.
I left the Emerald Room and headed toward the Red Room.
I thought I'd ask Hartie for help securing experimental equipment at the place provided as a room where he could stay overnight.
But when I headed that way, I ran into Hartie around the Blue Room.
"Hartie, I have a favor to ask. I need salt for an experiment—can you get some?"
"Eh, well... But Lord Asha, no one has arrived yet today."
At his words, I peered into the empty Blue Room.
This is where my tutors Wearrel and Helkov, and my guard Ikut, wait.
They usually come around when I wake up and finish breakfast, but today I'd already finished breakfast and been doing alchemy for a while.
Yet they still hadn't arrived.
Just as I thought that, the door was knocked, and when I went to look, all three of them had arrived.
"You're late. Did something happen?"
"This is inexcusable, Prince Asha. Please accept my apologies for our tardiness."
Ikut apologized first, and Helkov shrugged his thick shoulders.
"Seems like all of us were being investigated about Your Highness."
"Me?"
"We discussed how each of us had been detained on the way here, and it seems that was the case."
Wearrel lowered his beast ears in a troubled manner.
Being investigated doesn't hurt me, and I have no particular ambitions or interest in the imperial throne.
But I have heard there are people who want to use me.
Also, I haven't forgotten how the guard assigned to my younger brother Terry nearly drew his sword on me out of suspicion.
"By the way, from whom? Ikut and Helkov aside, Wearrel, do you have acquaintances here?"
Ikut serves as a palace guard, and Helkov is a former soldier who probably knows military nobles.
But even Wearrel, who doesn't seem to have noble connections, was investigated.
"It's not that I don't have former noble students from when I taught at the academy. But the one who approached me was a court scholar specializing in magic."
Following Wearrel, Helkov and Ikut also described their situations.
"Mine was a military man. Those without noble houses to inherit often join the army."
"I was obstructed when moving here after starting my shift."
"What were they asked? There's nothing to investigate—I haven't done anything."
The retainers exchanged glances.
"We mentioned that you've begun studying magic at age six."
"We said your bones are still flexible, so for swordsmanship you're only practicing movements since it's still too early."
"We spoke of how you are enthusiastic about everything."
It seems they spoke in a praising manner, but that might not be good?
"Did the people who investigated seem to have thoughts of using me?"
What bothers me is that the people who came to investigate professionally have nothing in common.
"The fact that they approached such varied people—if this is all moving at one person's behest, it could be troublesome. Someone who can move that many diverse people must have considerable influence, right?"
I'm fine myself, but the problem is Father.
"Father has been on the throne for three years. He's finally consolidated his position and started making moves, able to reach out in various directions. There are probably people who want to drag him down and are investigating me to make me a rival candidate to Terry."
If that's the case, being praised is problematic.
It would be annoying if people made a fuss about me being more excellent and becoming emperor.
The ducal house of the empress's family seems to have become quite naive.
There might also be an aim to further provoke them and dull the movements of Father, who is my backing.
"""...That intelligence is..."""
The voices of everyone, starting with Hartie, overlapped.
Not just me who was spoken to, but they themselves were surprised and exchanged glances.
"Um... am I doing something conspicuous right now?"
I spend most of my time cooped up in my room, though.
Then Wearrel cleared his throat and raised a concern.
"Library usage is recorded. Looking at those records, it would be obvious to anyone that Lord Asha reads an astonishing number of books even for an adult."
"Ah, I see. ...I'll refrain from using the library."
I declared this with heartbreaking resolve.
Though saying it made me feel down myself.
Still, if it's to avoid holding back my family, I'll endure. Yeah.
I'm the older brother. I have discretion.
"I'll live in a way that doesn't stand out. Please do the same, everyone."
"Is that really alright?"
For some reason, Hartie confirmed this with a terribly sad expression.
I felt embarrassed to put it into words, so I just smiled back.
"Because I don't want to be a hindrance."
The retainers who heard my feelings fell silent.
They seemed to understand, and nothing more was said.
However, the thought that things would work out if only I endured seemed to have been naive.
Because I took it so lightly, I got caught off guard.
"Eh!? Ikut is being reassigned!?"
This sudden news came just a few days after we'd talked about keeping a low profile.
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Next time: The Marquis's Hand 3