Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

The four great nations control two-thirds of the continent. In terms of land area, Livitium Imperial Kingdom ranks second to last among the four, but even so, its territory is roughly equivalent to Russia plus a portion of Europe on Earth.
On top of that, half of the country is mountainous, and of the remaining half, much of it is frigid, making for a harsh environment.
Because of this, even within the same country, traveling back from the Eunice Theocracy to Cilento Central Capital would normally take half a year to a full year, depending on the season. Fortunately, we had Luke, now an Ancient Dragon Knight, and Sechs, an Ancient Dragon, so we were able to carry everyone on their backs and reach Cilento in just a single day.

“Ah, at last I can sever ties with that troublesome life! From now on, I’ll live as an ordinary girl anyone could be, enjoying a modest and typical life!”

Facing the approaching streets of Cilento, I felt a mixture of relief and joy at finally being back, and with thoughts of the everyday life ahead, I proclaimed my future intentions.

“ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “No, no, no, no, no way!” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ”

The moment I said that, a torrent of merciless remarks erupted from everyone around me.

“…Well, I know it’s probably impossible, but can’t I dream a little at a time like this?”

I sighed and looked around at my companions, who waved their hands and muttered “Nope, no way.”

Looking back, a year ago, I battled the No-Life King Igoronak and was flung thirty years into the past. For some reason, I became Clara the Shrine Maiden Princess, and after managing to break free of that role and return to the present, I was once again burdened with the cross of the title Shrine Maiden Princess Clärchen (=Clara) due to my unfortunate birth, and received grand hospitality in the Holy Capital.

“Please continue to stay at the holy site and guide the church!”

So the sages and nobles persistently asked, to which I responded:

“I’m still a student, so I’ll be living in Cilento! Once I graduated? I plan to retire through marriage, so I’m afraid I can’t meet your expectations.”

So I said to placate them, brushing off their half-forcible attempts to detain me. Still, since they know I’m staying in Cilento Central Capital, it’s only a matter of time before the church extends its reach after me.

I suppose the academy and Luke will act as a buffer for me for the time being, but more than that, I have to be responsible for myself. I mean, yes, I understand that much, but at least when facing my beloved old home, isn’t it okay to dream a little?

I like to imagine that all the whirlwind of events of the past year were just a dream, and when I wake up, a calm and peaceful everyday life will be waiting… I don’t think it would be a sin to indulge in such a dream.

♦♢♦♢

That day, the Cilento Central Capital in the Cilento Central Kingdom trembled with almost boiling excitement.

The waves of people lining the streets seemed endless, cheering and clapping, stamping their feet, regardless of age, gender, status, or race.
From the second floors and balconies of buildings, colorful petals rained down, while fireworks shot into the sky by magic. Dancers twirled, clowns performed, free food and sake were offered, and children’s songs filled the air.

Through this festival chaos, an open-top carriage with a luxuriously pure white body adorned with golden decorations slowly made its way down the main street.
Pigeons danced in the sky above, and the crowd tossed their bouquets and confetti evenly toward the main figures, matching the carriage’s extremely slow pace—barely faster than walking.

The protagonists sat in the carriage, smiling and waving happily, receiving the blessings of the people.

On one side was Prince Lucas, the continent’s first Ancient Dragon Knight and heir to the imperial throne.
On the other side, after a year-long adventure, was the reunited Shrine Maiden Princess Clärchen.
And in the following carriages sat their reliable companions.

It was reminiscent of heroes and princesses from stories or myths—no, to the townspeople, it was exactly that in real time, visible before their eyes. The waves of people gathered along the roads were there just to catch a glimpse of the pair.

A massive crowd, as if everyone in the Central Capital had gathered, cheered loudly.
Amid this, we paraded along in five carriages, two per carriage.
…Well, to be honest, this feels nothing short of public humiliation.

“―And so. That was the dream I had.”

Saying so, the Shrine Maiden Princess, one of the protagonists, mechanically waved to the surrounding cheers with a smile plastered on her face, in a half-out-of-body, soul-escaping state… responding, that is, to the crowd. …sniffle, sniffle…

“Wahahahahahaha! Fools! Praise Lady Clara and me! How delightful, how exhilarating! Wahahahahahaha!”
“All-Solutions Firm! All-Solutions Firm is here for you, nya! From morning to night, supporting everyone’s daily lives, that’s All-Solutions Firm for you, nya!”
“Indeed. Everyone, well done. Let us wholeheartedly celebrate the triumphant return of the magnificent hero and the beautiful Shrine Maiden Princess!”

On the following carriages, Copelia stood proudly, waving with a beaming smile; Chaton handed out an overwhelming amount of flyers, no telling where she had stored them; and Lady Lieselotte, dressed as a princess, led the chants.

Watching them go all out like that, I couldn’t help but think that if one could really let loose like that, life must be much easier in a way.

“…quite the vivid dream this is. Could this be what they call a lucid dream?”

I muttered to myself, for what must have been the umpteenth time today.

“Um, Jill… uh, I know I’ve said this many times, but this isn’t a dream. It’s reality.”

As an imperial prince, Luke seems to be used to triumphal parades like this. While the others—aside from the few who are going overboard—awkwardly wave with embarrassed smiles, Luke remains completely natural, repeatedly whispering to me as if trying to make me understand.

“No, it’s a dream. There’s no way that as soon as I step through the main gate, a whole contingent of honor guards would be waiting, with Lady Lieselotte at the front, parading all the way to the palace.”

See? It’s a dream.
The real me would have just paid the town entrance fee like anyone else, hailed a passing carriage, and headed straight back to Letindüte.
Monika and Curtiss would have scolded me for worrying them, but still would have been happy to see me again. Then I’d return to my room and meet Vier.
From what Eren said, ever since that incident a year ago, Vier has been in almost hibernation, barely leaving her bed. I should be there saying “I’m home” to her, not standing here.

“Or maybe it’s a prank. Surely some staff will pop out holding a sign that says ‘Gotcha!’”

“…Well, I didn’t expect them to be quite this thorough either, but it’s been eight days since you became a Shrine Maiden Princess, Jill. And if it’s only about sending messengers, four or five days is enough to get a message across the continent, so it’s actually possible.”

By the way, about the messengers—whether it’s true or not, I’m not sure—but apparently, each royal family and some guilds have secret, Superempire-made magic crystals for communication.

If they really wanted to, they could talk while seeing each other’s faces in real time. The only drawback is that they can only contact people pre-registered in the system. So sending messages from point A straight to point B is fine, but if you try to go via point C to reach point D, it often turns into a game of “telephone.” In the worst case, a friendly message could accidentally become a declaration of war, so most countries avoid using them unless necessary.

Whether that system was used this time is unclear, but our arrival was known in advance. What was supposed to be a quiet return home turned into a whirlwind: Lady Lieselotte and her party had everything ready in no time. We were split into pairs, forced into prepared carriages, and now find ourselves in this utterly baffling situation.

“Even so, isn’t it strange to welcome an unaccomplished Shrine Maiden Princess so extravagantly?”
“You might not realize it, Jill, but over the past year, the story of the resurrected No-Life King and Shrine Maiden Princess Clara spread all across Livitium during our search for you. So naturally, when the person involved actually appears, this kind of commotion is expected.”
“…And on top of that, I’m accompanied by the continent’s first-ever ‘Ancient Dragon Knight.’ Of course, we would draw attention.”

I tried to say it without sounding too snide, but apparently my tone still carried some resentment. Immediately, Luke bowed his head almost to the ground, apologizing with utmost humility.

“…Ah, uh. I-I’m sorry.”
“Oh, no, it’s actually my fault. That was completely taking my frustration out on you, Luke. No matter how much I thank you, it will never be enough…”

Though I didn’t say it aloud, I realized I was getting emotional out of concern for Vier.

“No, it was my lack of foresight. If we had at least acted separately, Jill could have gone to Letindüte…and checked on Vier without worry.”

Luke slumped his shoulders in despair.
Even without speaking it aloud, he immediately voiced exactly what I was worried about. How is it possible for you to be this ridiculously good-looking and perceptive at the same time!?

“It’s all right. I don’t think it’s a problem that will be solved overnight, and it’s not like the royal palace will hold a non-stop three-day, three-night banquet. We’ll just make a brief stop to greet the King and some of the prominent nobles of Livitium, and that will be it. So please, a man like you shouldn’t bow your head easily.
“—Y-you’re right, Jill. Since this happened so suddenly, no foreign dignitaries are likely invited. At most, it’ll just be greetings to influential figures within the Imperial Kingdom.”

When I deliberately voiced an optimistic outlook, Luke matched it in a relaxed tone.

Still, royal-hosted parties do sound like a hassle. Well, I think I can handle the etiquette, and I have the Robe of Sant’Angelo (La Pucelle) and the Crown of Starflowers (Starlight Tiara)—both crafted entirely from mythril and orichalcum fibers as gear against the No-Life King—so I should make a strong impression. But those kinds of gatherings are tricky because of factions and complicated human relationships.

For that, I’ll just have to rely on Luke, who’s received guest-of-honor treatment and has met many of this country’s nobles before.

Livitium is a conglomerate of multiple nations, so it’s naturally complicated. In fact, my birth family, Aulathia, is counted among the empire’s three major noble houses, and my biological father is the head of the princely lords… Which means, no matter how I look at it, the end point of this parade—the royal palace—will have the King and the Frontier Count of Aulanthia, aka my Father!

“What’s wrong, Jill? You suddenly have this strained smile and are breaking out in a cold sweat…”
“Ah… ahahaha…”

All I could do in response to Luke peering at me with concern was give a dry, meaningless laugh.