How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Volume 8 (Premium)

by Dojyomaru

  “You can come out now, Roroa.”

  Roroa poked her face out from the shadow of a piece of furniture. “What, darlin’, ya noticed?”

  “I spotted someone sneaking in out of the corner of my eye.”

  I hadn’t seen who exactly, but assuming it was someone that Aisha, who was guarding outside, would let through without a fuss, and someone who would sneak into a place like this, there really wasn’t anyone other than her.

  “Nyahaha! Ya got me.” With an awkward smile on her face, Roroa came over to me.

  Once Hakuya finished cleaning up after the broadcast conference, bowed, and left the room, Roroa and I were the only ones left.

  Once we were alone, Roroa dropped the smile. “Are ya sendin’ troops to the Kingdom of Lastania?”

  “Yeah. I just decided to now.”

  “Is it my fault ya ended up havin’ to go north? It was me showin’ you this that made you want to go up there, wasn’t it, darlin’?”

  Roroa pulled a single sealed letter from her pocket.

  The wax seal I caught a glimpse of bore the crest of the princely family of Amidonia. I had already read the contents of that sealed letter.

  Knowing what it said, I shook my head. “This was decided between the Empire and me beforehand. That I would support the Union of Eastern Nations if it looked like they might collapse, I mean. Even if that letter hadn’t come, I’m sure I’d have sent in the military. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  I’d said it to cheer her up, but Roroa didn’t respond as she opened the envelope, removed the letter, and whispered while holding it so tight it crumpled.

  “Big Brother...”

  I was silent.

  The sender was Julius Amidonia. He was the son of Gaius VIII, who had been the sovereign prince of Amidonia, as well as Roroa’s elder brother. He was also a person who, together with his father Gaius, had been stirring up revanchist sentiment against the Elfrieden Kingdom, and had worked behind the scenes to foment rebellion inside the kingdom.

  In the period of confusion following my assuming the throne, Gaius had invaded the kingdom to take advantage of discord between me and the General of the Army at that time, Georg Carmine. However, this had been a trap set by Hakuya and me making use of Georg’s fake mutiny, and the principality had fallen right into it.

  Later, Gaius would die in a battle near the principality’s capital Van, and Van would end up under control of the kingdom.

  With Gaius fallen in battle, Julius had taken the reins and assumed his title as Prince of Amidonia, then brought in the lead signatory of the Mankind Declaration, the Gran Chaos Empire, to negotiate for the return of Van and its surrounding area. While that had resulted in the return of Van, Julius had also been forced to pay reparations and put a heavy burden on the people of the principality, thereby inviting resistance from the people and giving the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State an opening to take advantage of. Which they had, inciting the adherents of Lunarian Orthodoxy in the principality to revolt. In putting them down, Julius had lost even more of the support of his people.

  Ultimately driven out by Roroa, the one bringing the country together through a network of merchants, he had gone into exile in the Empire. That was all we had known of Julius up until this point.

  However, it seemed after that, he had left the Empire and wandered to various countries and was currently finding shelter in the Kingdom of Lastania.

  The Kingdom of Lastania, which was now facing a heavy impact from the demon wave.

  “Why’d ya go and do that?” Roroa gripped the letter she was holding tighter.

  In the letter were words of concern for Roroa’s well-being, along with a description of his actions so far. Then, together with an apology for his misdeeds up to this point, he politely asked Roroa, who was slated to become my third primary queen, to encourage me, as the King of Friedonia, to send reinforcements to the Kingdom of Lastania. At the very end, it even said, “If King Souma wishes my head in exchange for this, I do not mind. So, please, can you find it in yourself to save the House of Lastania, who have done so much for me?”

  To save the royal family of a petty kingdom, he was casting aside his shame and reputation to ask me, his father Gaius’s killer, and Roroa, the one who had exiled him, for aid. I couldn’t connect this behavior to the Julius he had been while acting as the Prince of Amidonia.

  That was how I could tell Julius was serious. While wandering various countries, something must have changed inside him.

  “Why...? Ain’t it a bit late for this...?” Tears fell from Roroa’s downcast eyes.

  Roroa and Julius’s relationship was complicated. Though they were brother and sister by blood, there had been an unfillable rift between them. This was caused by Julius’s desire to inherit the quest for revenge against the Elfrieden Kingdom, and Roroa’s desire to stop expanding the military and instead rebuild the economy and make the country prosperous.

  After the death of Gaius, Julius had inherited the Principality of Amidonia and tried to remove Roroa as a potential political rival. This had ended in failure when Roroa disappeared, and Julius had begun to oppress the people until Roroa brought the country together and drove him out instead.

  Though they were brother and sister, they had seen one another as enemies.

  Now she had suddenly received an apology and request for reinforcements from said brother, so Roroa must have still not sorted out her feelings on the matter.

  “What do you think of the letter, Roroa?” I asked. “Is there something else behind it?”

  “That’s not it...I don’t think,” Roroa said, looking up after wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

  “Before...my proud brother’d never’ve thought to send a letter like this. He wasn’t the type to go showin’ his weaknesses to people. Somethin’ major musta happened to bring this on. I don’t think there’re any lies in what he wrote.”

  “It’s in line with the information we gained from Madam Maria too.”

  Whether or not his apology to Roroa was genuine, the fact of the matter was that the Kingdom of Lastania was expected to face a crisis from the demon wave. If Julius was there, it made sense he would seek reinforcements.

  Roroa let out a cry of “unyaaaagh” and scratched at her head hard. “Augh, it’s all makin’ sense, and that’s what makes no sense about it! Why’s my cold, rational brother sendin’ me a letter that sounds so darn human?! He’s so different from before! I’ve gotta suspect he’s a fake!”

  “In my old world, there was a saying: ‘Don’t meet a boy for three days, and watch what happens.’ While he was wandering from country to country, something must have changed Julius, don’t you think?”

  “Ya sure? I don’t see that brother of mine changin’ all that easily though...”

  When Roroa said that and tilted her head to the side, I hugged her close. Her body was so slender that she tucked neatly into my arms. With a body as delicate as this, Roroa had made a decision that decided the fate of the principality, and her own fate as well. I was reminded once again what an amazing girl she was.

  “People change,” I said. “Meeting new people can change us dramatically. I was only a student, but I met Liscia, I met Aisha and Juna, I met you, and the next thing I knew I was a king ruling over two countries. I made a contract with Naden just the other day, and now I’m no dragon knight but a dragon king. The me of two years ago could never have imagined the me of today.”

  “You’re a bit of a special case, don’tcha think, darlin’?”

  Roroa sounded a bit exasperated when she said that, so I laughed.

  “Fair enough. My situation may have been extreme, but we all influence one another to some degree, big or small. There are things that have changed about you since meeting us too, aren’t there, Roroa?”

  “There sure are.” In my arms, Roroa finally smiled a little. “Ever since I met you, darlin’, I’ve been able to think about all the fun things we can do with money. Before that, all I
had time for was how to use it efficiently, or how I could make the people of the principality’s lives easier with it. I feel like it’s been givin’ my love of festivals an extra boost.”

  “Is that a good change?” I asked.

  “I like me bein’ like this.”

  “Well, good then.”

  Then Roroa squeezed, tightening her arms around my waist. “Do ya think my brother met someone like this, and that’s what’s changed him?”

  “Could be. Judging from what he wrote, it’d be someone from the Royal House of Lastania though.”

  “What, did he go and find himself a woman in Lastania or somethin’?”

  “That’s a bit rude.” I butted Roroa in the head lightly. “You didn’t have to put it that way...”

  She let out a giggle.

  Yeah, a smile definitely looked better on Roroa than tears. If possible, I wanted to keep her smiling cheerfully forever.

  For that...I needed to make it so she could.

  “Hey, Roroa,” I said. “If it concerns you, why don’t you come along? If you do, you can see for yourself how Julius is now.”

  My sudden suggestion made Roroa’s eyes go wide.

  “I can come along too? I’m not gonna be any good to ya out on the battlefield, you know?”

  “If that’s the standard we’re going by, I’m basically useless too, but...we’ll likely be sending tens of thousands of troops this time. There are negotiations to be done with the Union of Eastern Nations too, so I plan to take along several bureaucrats. Also...I’m thinking I’ll bring Tomoe.”

  “Whuh?! You’re takin’ Tomoe with you too?!” Roroa reacted with surprise.

  I was taking Tomoe, who was only eleven years old, to a country bordering the Demon Lord’s Domain, so I could hardly blame her. Still, it was absolutely necessary.

  “We’re dispatching troops to the countries bordering the Demon Lord’s Domain,” I explained. “We never know when we might encounter the demons, and, if we do, I don’t want to miss the chance to establish communication. To do that, Tomoe’s ability is essential. It may be a harsh journey for a little one like her, but I intend to have her along.”

  I plopped my hand down on Roroa’s head.

  “So bringing you along too is no big deal. I’m never putting you on the front line, of course, so I’m sure you’ll be sitting in the rear and staying put until we can ensure things are safe. Taking you will put more strain on Minister of Finance Colbert, but, the situation being as it is, I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. I hear he and Julius were friends after all.”

  “You’re sure...I can come?” Roroa asked me with upturned eyes.

  I gave her a big nod. “If that’s what you want, Roroa.”

  “Nyahaha! Sure, if my brother’s really gone and changed, I wanna see him.” Roroa took my hand from on top of her head and pressed it against her cheek. “Thanks, darlin’. I love ya lots.”

  “I love you too, Roroa. Now then, it looks like we’re going to be busy.” I pulled my hand away from Roroa’s cheek and let out a big yawn. “It’s our first big movement of troops in a while after all. We can’t take much time, but we need to prepare appropriately for it. Deciding who to take, where to position the ones we leave behind, and preparing the provisions and logistics too. I’m sure I’ll have to call in all the main members of the National Defense Force.”

  “Well, sounds like things’ll be gettin’ lively around here then, huh,” Roroa said with a pleased smile.

  It looked like she was back to being the usual Roroa.

  I felt relieved, but there was one thing that still worried me.

  “We’ll...have to tell Liscia about this, won’t we?”

  “Oh... That’s right...”

  Maybe because she sensed my reluctance, Roroa had an awkward look on her face too.

  Chapter 2: For the Future

  —Beginning of the 10th month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar—

  There was a little domain in the mountains of the kingdom. It was the former domain of Liscia’s father, the former king, Sir Albert. He had been the petty noble who ruled this domain, but, one day, he’d met Liscia’s mother, Lady Elisha.

  At the time, the royals had been engaged in a succession crisis over who would take the throne after the death of the previous king. Even now, his personality was, in favorable terms, gentle and without a hunger for power; in less favorable terms, banal and unambitious. He avoided creating enemies where he didn’t need them. Thus, by supporting the then-young Lady Elisha with his good-natured personality, Sir Albert had unintentionally created a situation where it was hard for the other royals to turn their hatred toward Lady Elisha.

  Thus, the succession crisis had ended with the elimination of all the royals but Lady Elisha, the throne going to her as the sole survivor. In recognition for his continuous support, Sir Albert had been allowed to marry Lady Elisha, thereby becoming king.

  Now Sir Albert’s former lands had become part of the crown demesne, but since he had chosen to retire to them, he was essentially the lord there again.

  I was now over Sir Albert’s domain, looking down from the back of Naden in her ryuu form.

  The scenery was the embodiment of the countryside, in a way that made it feel like old folk songs would suit it well. There were mountains, streams, fields, and pastures, along with farmhouses dotted around.

  For someone used to dealing with a murderous workload every day in the capital, it felt like time moved slower here. There was no place better for someone who wanted to live the quiet life.

  “If I quit being king, living in a place like this wouldn’t be so bad,” I pondered.

  “You’re way too young to be longing for the countryside.” Naden’s exasperated voice spoke straight into my mind. “I mean, you haven’t even had your coronation yet. Or our wedding. It’s a waste of time to think about what you’ll do when you quit. For one thing, with times being what they are, isn’t it going to be difficult to have an easy retirement? If there were a sudden change in the situation up north, you might not get to live to old age in the first place, you know?”

  Reluctantly, I said, “I guess you have a point there.”

  Naden was right. If the situation in the north—in other words, the Demon Lord’s Domain—were to change, there was no telling when this kingdom may get caught up in it. The kingdom was stable now, but if the Demon Lord’s Domain expanded any further, there would be more refugees, and the chaos from when I’d first taken the throne may well return.

  The west side of the continent had Maria’s Gran Chaos Empire defending it, so I was sure they would be fine, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the Union of Eastern Nations on the east side of the continent was just a loose gathering of small- to medium-sized nations. If they collapsed, it would affect our country too. That was why I had to dispatch reinforcements.

  I sighed. “It’s not easy retiring, huh.”

  “That’s how it goes. Besides...you have to create a good country for the children, don’t you? ‘Dad.’”

  “Ahaha...”

  Dad...huh. It hasn’t really hit home yet, but that’s what I’m going to be, aren’t I ?

  “Oh, I want to hurry and see Liscia,” I said longingly.

  “You’re going to say that while on my back?”

  “If we have a child together, Naden, I’m confident I’ll feel the same way toward you.”

  “Well, that’s fine then. I’ll carry you there, so just be patient.”

  “Roger that.”

  “That’s my line!”

  Naden twisted her body and swam through the sky even faster. She swam through the wind toward Sir Albert’s mansion where Liscia was staying.

  Today was the day I could finally see Liscia. Even after returning from the Republic of Turgis, my free time had been eaten up by all the accumulated work, preventing me from going.

  That was why being able to see Liscia for the first time in a while made me so happy, but...at the same tim
e, it weighed on me a little.

  I have to tell her we’re going to the Union of Eastern Nations after all...

  Just when I’d thought all my work was taken care of, the Empire had issued a request to send reinforcements to the Union of Eastern Nations. I wouldn’t be able to see her again for a while, and it was painful knowing I would worry her.

  I’d really rather not worry Liscia while she’s pregnant.

  Deliberately choosing not to tell her wasn’t an option. I was going to be organizing an army, and there was no way to hide that. That was why I wanted to give Liscia a proper explanation in advance, to minimize her anxiety. But it still weighed on me.

  I wonder if this is how a husband who can’t tell his wife he’s being transferred to a position where he’ll have to live alone somewhere else feels...

  That was what I thought as I stared vaguely up into the clear autumn sky.

  The mansion with the blue roof up on the hill was the former king Sir Albert’s mansion.

  When Naden and I touched down in front of the entrance, the first one to greet us was Carla in her maid dress. While we were away in Turgis, Carla had been serving as Liscia’s personal attendant and bodyguard. There were also people from the Black Cats and National Defense Force dispatched here, protecting Liscia and her family from the shadows as well as out in the sunlight.

  Carla stood in front of us and bowed. “It’s been a while, master.”

  “Long time no see,” I said easily. “Has anything changed with Liscia or her family?”

  “Yes. Madam Hilde says both Liscia and the baby are healthy, but... Well, it would be better for you to hear it from her yourself.”

  “That makes sense... Sorry. I’ve sort of ended up leaving Liscia entirely to you.”

  “No, no. Liscia is my master’s partner, but she is also my irreplaceable friend. If I can help, nothing will make me happier. Besides...”

  “Besides?”

  When I pushed her to say more, Carla gave me a wonderful smile and said, “Unlike the head maid, Lady Elisha doesn’t make me wear embarrassing outfits!”