The Girl Who Hacked The Magic System

"Ugh, that was exhausting."

I plop down on the sofa as soon as we're back to the palace.

"You can say that again. I've never seen that many people together at once."

"And the buildings... human cities are so different from what I've imagined."

"Right? The homes here are so big... It feels like a completely different world."

I completely forgot that while Yaci had already seen human cities, albeit only in the dead of night and during high-risk missions, it was the first time Kwarah and Yawarete had been outside.

For someone who spent their whole life in the beastkin camps in the Barren Wilds, the sight of the buildings of the capital must've been astonishing.

"Well, now beastkin aren't under the threat of slavery anymore, in this kingdom, we can do a walk later."

"Aurea, we have no time for that. There's a war coming."

"It's coming, but it's not here yet. We could use this little time we have, but I see your point, Kwarah."

"Even if we could, it wouldn't sit right with me to go have fun while everyone else is on standby."

"You're completely right, Kwarah. I'm sorry."

Yaci sits at my side and hugs me, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"We'll have a lot of time after the war ends."

What what what what?????

Did Yaci just kiss me?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

What do I do? What should I do?

"And even if there wasn't a war, you have a lot of responsibilities now, Duchess."

Kwarah is sitting on a chair in front of us, while Yawarete chose a sofa to our left. And both are barely containing their laughter.

At least Kwarah's comment gave me a way to say anything that's not related to the fact that Yaci is still hugging me.

Mother didn't come with us to the palace. Instead, she and Levy went to the building that is now officially the seat of her new institution, and she is already at work with the implementation of the new law.

King Halinard and Crown Prince Jyllian are probably already in the throne room dealing with all the complaints that will come from the nobility and big merchants.

Meanwhile, I, the newly appointed Duchess of Altenfeld, am here plumped on a sofa as if nothing in the world mattered.

"I know. I just have no idea of what I'm supposed to do right now as a duchess. I mean, I know what I need to do as the commander of our army. But I'm not prepared for governing a province."

"In a normal situation, the recommended procedure would be to visit your domains and meet the local governors and then go to your new manor and survey all the documentation about the province."

Grandma Thieda to the rescue! Thanks!

"Yeah, I don't know if I would be able to do that right now..."

"I know, Aurea. That's why I said 'in a normal situation.' But, right now, we're just waiting for the news on a war declaration. So I would suggest you focus on the army right now. The man who's governing the province during all the time we had no Duke can stay on the job for a bit longer."

"It would be nice to notify him about it, though?"

"Don't worry about that. My husband and my son will be handling the army, you will be handling your own army as well, and Lily will be too busy being a saint, as she always is. I'll handle the domestic issues myself."

"Thank you, grandma. Thank you so much, really."

"Oh, it's nothing, my dear aurea. And Yaci, Kwarah, Yawarete. Thank you so much for always being there for my granddaughter."

"It's no problem at all, Your Majesty."

Kwarah stood up and answered my grandmother with a solemn bow, to which the other two followed suit.

"Oh, there's no need for such formality. Here I am merely a woman like you and the grandmother of that little one, and you are our guests. Also, if we would take those titles in earnest, you have the same position as I do within your own tribes."

"Except me, I'm just someone the head elder put to lead the fox kin in battle, but I'm not an elder myself."

The atmosphere of the room got a bit more relaxed, and the three sat back, with the queen joining us and asking a maid to bring some pastries.

"This moment is a small moment for celebration. The four of you have been working relentlessly for some time, so let's just relax a bit before we receive the inevitable news."

"Is there a chance for the war not to be triggered? I know it's weird to ask it right now, after discussing the war so many times for so long. But seeing that crowd today got me thinking..."

"I don't think there is, Yaci. It's Yaci, right? Did I say it right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Great. Well, coming back to the matter at hand. What you saw today is not the full picture. The ones who came to watch the king and the saint speak publicly were their supporters."

"So, our enemies weren't there?"

"Did you notice anything, Aurea?"

The queen switched the conversation to me, deftly trying to seize my understanding of today's happenings.

"The event was thoroughly advertised in the whole kingdom, not only the capital. On top of that, formal invitations were sent to the Church and the nobles. And yet, not a single representative of the Church or the conservative nobles was present."

"Very good. Is that all?"

Is it, though?

I don't remember noticing anything else. What am I missing?

The crowd was mostly commoners, with the occasional lower-ranking noble. There were some merchants on the balcony of an inn. The event started at ten o'clock...

Oh.

"The Church didn't ring the bell that marks the hours."

"That's exactly it. A bell that rang for a thousand years suddenly stopped working exactly at the time that we advertised that the speech would begin. Why?"

"It was already a silent declaration. A declaration that the Church withdrew their support for the royal family."

"A silent declaration of war."

Suddenly, the door of the room opens and a knight enters.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness. I have a message from the king to princess Aurea."

I do a gesture for him to continue, and he brings a folded letter to me and waits in a respectful poise.

I break the royal seal of the letter and read through the contents. It is really short in word count but huge in meaning.

I sigh and look at the cake I had just started eating before answering.

"Tell the king that I received it and that I'll be acting as previously instructed."

The knight bows and excuses himself from the room.

"Well, grandma. Sadly we won't be able to finish eating our cakes. We'll have to head off right now."

"It's okay. I was hoping we had at least one hour more to chat."

I stand up and look at the three beastkin, who are also standing with a determined look in their faces.

"It has begun."

"Let's do this."

There is an office in which a portal is open at all times, for ease of communication between the palace and the arena, but I simply open a new portal right where we are, and the four of us traverse it.