A few days after the incident in the classroom, Adele was diligently working at her part-time job at the bakery.
This bakery, out of a sense of professional duty, even sold bread on rest days, but sales on those days were lower than on weekdays. This was to be expected. On rest days, most people were off, and working mothers had the time to cook all three meals themselves. Even when the main dish was bought bread, it was often the case that bread was not needed. Some even baked their own bread...
Naturally, there were also fewer people buying bread for lunch at work.
However, the bakery remained open for those who still needed bread. It was a boon to single people and lazy housewives.
And, of course, "sales on rest days were lower than on weekdays" is in the past tense.
Since Adele started her part-time job, for some reason, sales on rest days gradually increased and now match those of weekdays. Why was this?
"Ah, um, I'll take this one!"
A young apprentice from a nearby store, his cheeks flushed, held out a loaf of bread.
Adele was not only cute in appearance but also very polite in her customer service, which was rare in this world. Boys who were not used to girls mistook her politeness for interest. Moreover, while Ecland Academy was looked down upon compared to higher-level schools, it was still a school that commoners aspired to. Wearing the school uniform while working at the bakery meant that she was a very talented commoner who had received a scholarship to attend. This made her seem attainable to commoners. A smart, cute girl with a promising future, who always smiled at them—no boy could resist.
"Hehehe, Adele, you're a wicked girl..."
After the apprentice left, a nearby old woman teased Adele.
"Stop it, grandma, what are you saying..."
Adele, who had no good memories of her grandparents in her previous life, had become close to the elderly here.
"No, no, it's true. At this rate, you might even get a man to support you and open a shop."
"Stop it! Even you, grandpa!"
The bakery on rest days had become a gathering place for the elderly in the neighborhood. The old people, who had become lonely after their grandchildren grew up and moved out, had taken a liking to Adele. She was happy to have someone to talk to, and it was helpful to have them as a buffer against the boys who were pursuing her.
Adele had only one complaint: recently, the bread often sold out before closing time, and when that happened, she couldn't take home the unsold bread.
After finishing her shift and on her way back to the dormitory, Adele noticed a crowd forming along the main street ahead.
"Excuse me, is something happening?"
"Yes, the carriage of the Third Princess is passing by. There's a chance you might see her, so that's why there's all this commotion. If you're lucky, she might even open the window and wave. There's a possibility," the old woman explained to Adele.
Apparently, the Third Princess rarely left the palace, and few had seen her.
(Since I'm here, I might as well try to see her. I have plenty of time...)
Adele, taking advantage of her small stature, slipped through the gaps in the crowd and managed to reach the front row.
After a while, a group that looked like the princess's entourage appeared at the other end of the main street. At the front were four soldiers, each with a sword at their waist and a spear in hand. Next were three soldiers on horseback, each equipped with a lance. Following them was a luxurious carriage, with more soldiers on horseback and on foot visible behind it.
Since the princess's carriage did not travel at high speeds within the capital, foot soldiers were likely positioned at the front and back to clear the way and deal with any threats.
As the group of the carriage and its guards approached, and the lead soldiers were about to pass in front of Adele, a boy of about five or six years old was pushed out onto the main street by the crowd.
"Rude!"
The lead guard, whose path was blocked by the boy, raised his spear and thrust the blunt end, the butt, at the boy. Struck hard in the stomach, the boy was thrown back, unable to make a sound, and lay motionless on the ground. His body, having been pushed forward, now blocked the path of the carriage. The guard, intending to push the boy out of the way, advanced with his spear.
(If this continues, he'll die!)
By the time she realized it, Adele's body was already moving, and she had rushed out of the crowd toward the fallen boy.
(Something feels familiar...
This has happened before. Am I going to die again...?)
Despite these thoughts, her body kept moving. Covering the boy's body, Adele focused her mind.
(Lattice force, barrier!)
Clang!
The guard's spear, swung with all his might, was deflected by a semi-transparent wall that appeared in the air, stopping just before Adele.
Lattice force. It referred to lattice energy, the energy required to form a solid crystal from its constituent atoms, molecules, or ions in a gaseous state.
Thinking of some form of defense, Adele had imagined a barrier from an anime, but she had no idea of the underlying principle. She had vaguely thought that maybe nanomachines were involved, but to be safe, she wanted to have some image in mind. In her previous life, she had read a book for entertainment that mentioned "lattice energy," and this term came to mind.
Lattice. Cohesive energy. Words that sounded square and blocky.
She didn't know what they truly meant, but Adele felt that they might provide some form of protection. From the word "lattice," she imagined a jagged shape, and thus the barrier that appeared was not a smooth, hemispherical dome but rather a structure that looked like glass panels joined together.
"What...?"
The guard, shocked, tried to break through the barrier with the butt of his spear, but it wouldn't budge.
"Move!"
Suddenly, one of the mounted soldiers had dismounted and approached. From his equipment and demeanor, he seemed to be of a higher rank than the foot soldiers. He was likely a knight, having been on horseback. Observing everything from his mount, he raised his spear and thrust it at Adele with all his might, this time with the blade leading.
Clang!
"Impossible..."
(Oh no, oh no, oh no!)
Adele was in a panic. Not only had she provoked the royal guard, but she had also inadvertently used a "lattice force barrier," which was a problem. Such magic was unknown in this world, at least to Adele's knowledge. There were defensive magics to counter magical attacks and physical defenses using earth, water, or wind, but nothing that could completely block powerful physical attacks without a medium. If such magic could be activated instantly, it would make one invincible in battle, rendering all attacks ineffective while allowing for one-sided attacks.
She would undoubtedly be taken to the palace. Worse, she might be executed as an attacker of the princess.
(Oh no! Exposed magic and an insult to the princess, a double bind!
What can I do...?)
Still covering the boy, Adele desperately tried to think of a solution, but her panic only grew, and no ideas came to mind.
"Who are you? A demon, or a fiend!"
The knight, who had taken a few steps back, shouted in fear.
(A demon? Fiends are one thing, but... Yes!)
Adele had an idea and dispelled the barrier. It shattered with a sound like breaking glass, the fragments dissipating into the air. If she were attacked suddenly, Adele could grab the spear, so she wasn't in immediate danger. She slowly stood up, her expression blank, and turned to face the knight.
"To harm the vessel of a god is the height of rudeness!"
"Wh-what?"
"What do you mean by trying to harm the vessel in which I reside?"
(What?)
No one, not the knight, the guards, or the crowd, understood what was happening. Everyone was taken aback.
---
I'm back.
I managed to return home in time and spent three days with my mother.
I fulfilled my duties as the head of the household, and although there are still many things to do, I'm resuming updates.
I won't be updating every day, but I hope you will continue to follow along.