Countess Arondenier left with the jewelry she treasured, gifts Count Arondenier had given her when they were young.
Giulio could only watch helplessly as her mother went to trade her jewelry for a dress. A thought suddenly sprang into her mind.
If I were king, Mother wouldn't have to trade her jewelry for clothes!
Then she laughed at herself.
Me, king? How could that happen? This is the Kingdom of Magri. In over ten thousand years, it's never had a queen. Even when King George had only one daughter, she didn't inherit the throne.
Giulio shook her head and quickened her pace toward her room. With no outsiders watching, she didn't have to act like a lady.
Suddenly, a gray canister fell from the sky.
It struck the ground with a bang and broke open. Black liquid spilled out, carrying a pungent smell.
Then countless more impacts rang out. Gray canisters rained down like hail, spraying the pungent black liquid everywhere. Soon it spread into a single slick, and the suffocating smell filled the air.
Is that... Black Oil?
Giulio's expression froze.
If she remembered correctly, the tiniest spark could set Black Oil ablaze—and the resulting fire could not be put out.
"Fireball Spell!"
A soft laugh came from above, followed by a tiny fireball. Its caster seemed to be deliberately controlling its size: it was far smaller than an ordinary fireball created by the Fireball Spell, barely the size of an adult's thumb.
The fireball touched the Black Oil on the ground.
Flames erupted.
Count Arondenier's estate, Sennar Avenue, and even Tarta City were swallowed by fire, becoming an ocean of flames.
The sudden surge of heat made Giulio feel death drawing near. She stood stunned for a moment as the priest's earlier words returned to her.
*...Steam-powered iron