"What do you mean by that...?"

"To be honest, teacher, I've already been sidelined in the power struggle."

"The princess has?"

I deliberately pretended to be surprised to avoid repeating my earlier mistake.

It wasn’t exactly news to me, so there wasn’t much to be surprised about.

"Yes. The royal family is currently divided over who will be the next emperor. I’ve lost count of how many blood relatives have already died."

Stella sighed, blaming her father's excessive lust for causing this mess.

"It would have been better if he had at least designated a successor before losing his mind. But back then, everyone was too young to make such judgments."

"And so you were sent to the Academy?"

"As you’ve guessed. They might have said it was for world experience, but in reality, I was driven out."

This is one of the questions players of the game often have early on.

No matter how much the Academy is a higher education institution, does it make sense for a princess to take the same classes as others? Even if she were among nobles, but also among commoners, regardless of her talents?

Frankly, if they really wanted to, the royal family could have just hired a single royal magician and assigned them as a private tutor.

I could guess why Stella was suddenly bringing up this topic.

She’s not the type to get anxious unless she genuinely feels her life is in danger.

It’s probably because her main quest has begun.

"Let’s set that aside for now. I contacted the royal family to investigate the recent terrorist incident."

"Judging by the fact that you came to seek advice, it didn’t go well, did it?"

"Right. They told me to handle it on my own. Damn it, does that make any sense? That the royal family is short on manpower?"

Given the current precarious situation of the royal family, it’s certainly true that they are short on manpower.

But even with a shortage of personnel, there are still matters that must be prioritized.

No matter what, an act of terrorism targeting a princess should be thoroughly investigated.

But the royal family didn’t move.

If a new emperor is chosen, they would have to deal with the blood relatives who didn’t become emperor.

It’s obvious they would welcome a terrorist attack that could remove her from the equation.

Moreover, the person who was attacked alongside her was the observer, a symbolic figure opposing the current royal family.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the royal family welcomed this with open arms. There was no reason for them to act.

...And it seemed that Stella found this situation to be too convenient.

"They say they’re short on manpower. Sure, I suppose so. It just means there’s no one to spare for someone like me."

"It seems you find the royal family suspicious."

"Suspicious? Of course. How could such a conveniently favorable situation arise? The terrorists went into hiding without even issuing a statement, and the only ones benefiting are the royal family? ...Hah."

Orca’s main quest revolves around cleaning up the messes she created.

But Stella’s situation is different.

Due to her status as a princess, her quests typically involve surviving the events that unfold.

"The current power behind the throne is my brother."

"You mean the first prince."

"Yes. We don’t get along at all. I believe he’s the one who sent the letter. ...What do you think of this situation?"

"Hmm..."

She doesn’t have any close friends.

Or rather, while she might have friends, they wouldn’t be able to help her solve this problem.

No matter how influential her friend might be as a duke’s daughter, she wouldn’t be able to resolve an internal royal family issue.

So she came to me, probably grasping at straws.

I looked into Stella’s eyes, which were filled with a mix of anxiety and hope.

"It’s a dead end."

"...As I thought?"

"If you stay idle like this... You might find yourself in an accident in some back alley."

"..."

I knew her brother well.

He wasn’t a bad person at his core, but he was obsessed with power.

He wouldn’t hesitate to kill his own sister if it meant securing more power.

He had already eliminated several people, and if Stella isn’t chosen as a playable character or if she doesn’t develop quickly enough, she too would meet a grim fate.

Given the situation, there wasn’t much I could say to her.

"So, Princess Stella, the only advice I can give you is simple: Become the emperor."

"What?"

"I’m telling you to rise to the top of the world."

"Did you not hear what I just said? That’s impossible. I’ve been ousted from the royal family."

"That’s exactly why it’s a good thing."

"...What do you mean?"

Stella understood her predicament well.

She knew she had been exiled from the royal family, and despite that, she was painfully aware that her life was still in danger.

Because of this, she couldn’t view her situation objectively.

...Well, who really can see themselves objectively? Even I can’t.

"You’re alone, Stella. Left to fend for yourself."

"Yes, and you’re telling me to become the emperor? How could that possibly...?"

"So what? Are you blind? Have you lost the ability to hear?"

"..."

"On the contrary, I think your being here is an opportunity, Princess."

"...An opportunity?"

Stella, who took pride in being a princess, was well aware that she had been driven out and that her life was in danger.

That’s why, when she felt threatened, she didn’t even think to resist and instead came to me, desperately trying to find a way to survive.

But as indicated by her being a playable character, this situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed.

In fact, it might actually be an advantage.

"I’m sure you were constantly restrained by the many eyes on you in the royal family. No matter what you wanted to do, you were repeatedly blocked."

"How did you...?"

"But what about here? The royal family doesn’t really care about what happens here, do they?"

The royal family tends to underestimate the Academy.

But the Academy is full of talented people.

After all, many of those who ended up working for the royal family were once students of the Academy.

"You’re forgetting what you have, Stella. This place isn’t your grave; it’s a cradle. A cradle where you can grow."

"But how? Even though the teachers here are talented, they’re no match for the royal family."

"Hmm, alright. Could you look at this glass for a moment?"

I picked up a glass full of water from the table and poured some of the water onto the floor.

When the glass was about half full, I placed it back on the table and asked Stella.

"So, what do you think of this glass?"

"...What are you trying to say? Are you going to tell me to be grateful that the glass is half full instead of focusing on it being half empty?"

"Haha... You’re quick, but that’s not what I’m getting at."

"Not that?"

Sure, that could be a valid point, but that wasn’t what I wanted to convey.

"Whether the glass is half full or half empty... Is that really what matters?"

Whether you view the same situation positively or negatively.

That wasn’t what was important.

What was important was that there was still water in the glass.

"Regardless of which perspective you choose, you can still quench your thirst."

"..."

I handed the glass to Stella, who was staring at it blankly.

"Instead of focusing only on the disadvantages, why don’t we try to find some positives?"

Certainly, being exiled from the royal family and having limited access to inside information were disadvantages.

These were the empty spaces in the glass.

But there were definitely advantages as well.

"There are many talented people here. This is the Academy, after all."

"...What do you mean?"

"It means there’s boundless potential."

While it’s true that the royal family holds overwhelming power, except for the Church, that doesn’t mean they know everything.

Even though the Academy gathers the best talent from all over the country, only a few of them succeed in the end.

The royal family doesn’t go through the trouble of sifting through sand for hidden gold.

They prefer to buy already refined gold if they can.

"Make friends here, build connections, and establish your own power base."

"My own... power base."

"In comparison to the royal family’s golden talents, the people here may be like gold hidden in sand. It will be difficult to extract."

But whether it’s gold hidden in sand or already refined gold, they are both still gold.

Even if it takes some time, it can eventually become pure gold.

"You have everything, Stella. A vast amount of sand and a bit of gold hidden within."

"..."

"I understand that you’re feeling overwhelmed by the pressure around you. But you have more than you realize."

I whispered.

In a small but clear voice that Stella, who was now fully focused, could hear.

"You will claim the crown."

If it’s the Stella I know, it’s possible.

She overcame every adversity and challenge and stood alone at the pinnacle of the world.

If she works with others, it will be even easier.

"Clear away everything that’s clouding your mind, and set aside your weaknesses. What do you see?"

Stella was still staring at the glass, but I could sense it.

Her gaze had changed.

"Trust me, Stella. You have more than you think."

I spoke to Stella as she took a sip from the glass.

"You will become the emperor."

As she stared at the glass for a while, I teased her.

"So, are you still thirsty?"