by Dojyomaru
“...You’re saying that to me?” I asked.
For Liscia and me, our betrothal had been totally forced on us. Even with Aisha and Juna, they’d both initially approached me with other motives because of their positions; and when it came to Roroa, she had brought her whole country with her so that she could protect the people of the principality through marrying me. I hadn’t met a single one of them in an ordinary way.
When I pointed that out, Hakuya bowed his head to me, more flustered than I would have expected from him. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to speak ill of your betrothals, sire...”
“It’s fine. I mean, in my world, the majority of people thought the way that you do.”
In Japan, marriages were generally for love and with the consent of both parties.
In this world which hadn’t managed to throw off the feudal system, the higher their position in society, the less freedom people had in that regard. In particular, when it came to the marriages of the knights and nobles, their meaning as a bond between houses was majorly important. Like with Ludwin and Genia, or Hal and Kaede, there were cases where the houses were already associated with one another, but those were rare exceptions. In most cases, the higher up you went on the social ladder, the more the house’s expectations determined one’s marriage choices.
Though, that said, if someone had enough authority, like I did, it was an issue that could be dealt with. It had come up with my betrothal to Juna, but if we had arranged to have her adopted into a noble family, it would have been possible to adjust the status difference between us.
In Hakuya’s case, he was the Prime Minister of this country, so he could do something like that. So, in this case, it was an issue with Hakuya’s views on marriage.
Well, if there was one thing I could say, it was that no matter how it got started in the first place, love was love. My bond with Liscia and the others was so deep now that I couldn’t imagine parting with them.
“Hey, some loves have started in a relationship that was forced on people, you know?” I asked, speaking fondly of my own loved ones.
Hakuya looked taken aback, then smiled a little. “...I suppose you’re right. When I see you and your family, sire, I start to think that maybe it would be all right.”
“But for now, you still have no intention of marrying anyone?”
“I apologize.”
Hmm... Well, if he wanted to wait for his ideal woman to appear, I supposed that was an option. Maybe he had already met someone like that, and was engaged in a one-sided love right now.
“But as your king, let me say, you had better start training your heir in case the worst should happen,” I said. “I’m sure you’d like to be able to settle into an easy retirement nice and early, too, right?”
“That’s true. I think I’ll look for a good time to take on an apprentice.”
“Oh, I guess an apprentice works, too. Come to think of it, you’ve been teaching Tomoe, haven’t you?”
Tomoe was my little sister by adoption, and I loved her dearly. Recently she had been learning reading, writing, and arithmetic from Hakuya, and he was apparently teaching her this country’s history, too. I’d heard that she was an enthusiastic learner, and Hakuya was responding to her by becoming an enthusiastic instructor.
When I brought it up, Hakuya smiled wryly. “I gave in to your little sister’s drive to be of help to her big sister. Though she is not especially clever, she does have passion, so I believe she may become an accomplished individual given time. Though, that said, I have no desire to place my heavy burden on your little sister’s shoulders.”
“Haven’t you already turned into a doting teacher?” I asked.
“My opinion is based on a calm evaluation.”
Hmm... Well, if Hakuya was thinking about this stuff in his own way, that was good enough, I guess.
“Hey, wait! How did we get onto this topic again?” I asked.
“From talking about how we’re swamped with marriage proposals for you, sire,” Hakuya said. “And on that note, I want you to get out of the castle for a while. If you are not present in the castle, it is easy to refuse the nobles who insist on you ‘just meeting them once.’”
Oh, right. If I wasn’t present, I couldn’t meet them even if I wanted to. His plan was to be evasive and avoid giving any straight answers while we waited for this wave to subside, no doubt.
“But what about my government work in the meantime?”
“Fortunately, there are no pressing concerns, and the country is stable right now. For your ordinary government work, you can use that creepy ‘Factory Arm’ machine of yours and it will handle the job just fine, won’t it?”
“Don’t call it creepy,” I said. “Well... I guess you’re right.”
He was talking about the human arm-type manipulator that Genia had developed: the Factory Arm #1. By attaching the Factory Arm #1, which could move like a real human arm, to a mannequin, I was able to perform my government work from a distance. It was creepy to look at, so it wasn’t popular with those who had to visit the room, like the bureaucrats or the chamberlain, but it was a very handy thing to have.
It was true that, so long as I had it, there was no need for me to stay in the castle.
“So, once I’m out of the castle, what are you expecting me to do?” I asked.
“Well, in order to provide an environment where it’s easy to shut out nobles who want to meet with you, while also being closed off and easy to secure, I was considering a short-term enrollment in the Royal Academy or Royal Officer’s Academy for you, but...” Hakuya pulled out a single letter. “Now that something like this has arrived, I believe I will send you abroad.”
“Abroad?” I inquired, looking at the letter. There was a dragon crest on the wax seal.
Hakuya bowed his head. “I took the liberty of opening it and perusing the contents. It is a letter of invitation to the Contract Ceremony in the Star Dragon Mountain Range.”
“Madam Mother Dragon sure works fast, huh.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
Hakuya looked at me questioningly, so I explained to him what had happened last night. When Hakuya heard I had spoken to Mother Dragon in my dreams, he had an excited look on his face that I didn’t often see from him.
“What an honor that must have been!”
“You seem awfully high strung. Hakuya, are you one of those Mother Dragon worshipers?”
“Oh, no... It’s true that my family were Mother Dragon worshipers, but I’m not that pious myself.”
“Okay, then what has you so excited?” I asked.
Hakuya shrugged his shoulder exasperatedly. “The only nation the Star Dragon Mountain Range has formed diplomatic relations with is the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom, but there are rare occasions when Mother Dragon will make an exception and invite a specific individual to have them form a riding contract with a dragon. From what I’ve heard, the first king of this country was also invited to form a contract with a dragon.”
Oh, the first king, who’d been summoned from another world like me.
Bringing together the various races, founding the Elfrieden Kingdom, forming a contract with a dragon... he’d sure acted a lot more like a hero than I ever had. Excel probably knew all about those times, so maybe it would be good to talk to her about his achievements at length sometime.
“Well, unusual as it is, is it really something we should be in such a rush to go do?” I asked.
“There is something in common between you and the first king, sire. You were both summoned from another world. That’s why, for some, you remind them of the first king. If you manage to form a contract with a dragon there like the first king did, the number of people who view you and the first king in the same light will increase. If the people respect you more, the country will become even more stable.”
“I’d be borrowing the authority of the first king, then,” I mused. “That sounds like it’d lead to inflated expectations, and I don’t like it.”
“Be willing to put up with that much, please. You are doing your job as a ‘king,’ but your title as ‘hero’ is being left to rot. In order to avoid losing to the Empire or the Orthodox Papal State in terms of dignity, considering that both of them have saints, I’ve been thinking we need something prestigious.”
“I get what you want to say, but... don’t get your hopes up too high, okay?” I hedged. “It’s not guaranteed that I’ll be forming a contract with a dragon. I mean, I might only have been called there as a guest of honor.”
Having warned Hakuya, I rested my cheeks on my palms and thought about it. For a start, if I were to assume it was already decided I would be going to the Star Dragon Mountain Range... then the next thing to decide was who I would take with me.
“...So, there you have it, it’s been decided I’m going to the Star Dragon Mountain Range.”
It was a few hours later. I had gathered my companions in the conference room for the announcement.
Present were my four fiancées, Liscia, Aisha, Juna, and Roroa, as well as Prime Minister Hakuya, Captain of the Royal Guard Ludwin, Finance Minister Colbert, my honorary little sister Tomoe, and the maids Serina and Carla, for a total of eleven people, including myself.
“You’ll be going out of the country, right? Are you going to be okay?” Liscia asked, sounding concerned, so I nodded.
“I’ll have the Black Cats watching over me from the shadows along the way. Mind you, I really can’t have them enter the territory of the Star Dragon Mountain Range with me. Still, once we’re in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, there probably isn’t anyone who’d try to mess with us. Besides, I’ve been given permission to bring a few companions with me into the Star Dragon Mountain Range. Hakuya, how many was the limit again?”
“Up to five was what the letter said.”
Nodding in response to Hakuya’s answer, I turned to face the rest. “That being the case, I want to bring about five people. We’re going incognito, so I don’t want to stand out, but it’s outside the country, and we don’t know what might happen. That’s why, as much as possible, I want people who are capable warriors. Aisha, I definitely want you with me.”
“Yes, sir. I will protect you with my life, Your Majesty.”
“That’s no good,” I said. “You’re already recognized by the people as a candidate to become my future second primary queen. I know it’s weird for me to say this when I’m the one who needs protecting, but don’t say you’ll give your life for me. Make sure you protect yourself properly, too.”
“Y-Yes! Understood!” Aisha bobbed her head up and down, nodding.
Next I looked to Liscia. “On the other hand, the one person I can’t take with me this time is Liscia.”
“...Can you give me a reason?” Liscia asked with a look of discontent on her face. She clearly wasn’t satisfied, but she was willing to hear me out first.
“If I’m the top authority in this country, you’re number two,” I said. “We estimate the trip abroad will last about a month. We can’t have the top authority and his number two both away for that long. I’m sure there’s no risk to our lives, but think what would happen if something delayed our return. In the event that happens, I need to have left behind someone who can run the country for me.”
“...You’re right. It’s unfortunate, but... I can accept that,” Liscia said with a sigh.
I regretted it, too. She was a reliable girl, and I really did want to bring her.
Liscia brought a hand to her chest, as if trying to shift her mindset. “I’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone. In exchange, can you try not to be too reckless?”
“Yeah. I’ll be relying on you.”
With Liscia having accepted it, I turned to Juna next.
“As for Juna, who can handle both fighting and intelligence gathering, I’d really like to have you along, but we can’t take you off the educational program for too long, now can we?”
“...That’s right. It’s a shame.”
“Oh, oh! Me! Me! I wanna go!” Roroa raised her hand and started hopping up and down trying to get my attention.
Colbert immediately pinned her arms behind her back. “Y-You can’t, Princess! We’ve expanded to so many different enterprises, I need you here to help manage them all! Besides, you have to appear with Juna on the educational program, don’t you?”
Roroa’s shoulders slumped. “Aw... but I wanted to go on vacation with Darlin’, too.”
“It’s a trip abroad, okay?” I said. “We’ll all go on a family vacation together eventually.”
“We’d better, darlin’!”
Of the remaining members, I looked to Carla.
“Carla, I want you to come as a bodyguard, too.”
“M-Me?!”
“Out of everyone here, I’m looking for someone with martial ability and nothing important to do, so you’re the most appropriate choice.”
“U-Understood, Master!” Carla cried.
“Carla, take care of Souma for me, would you?” Liscia walked over to her and took her hand gently.
Carla let go, took a step back, and saluted her. “Leave it to me, Liscia. I swear my master will come back unharmed!”
While watching that exchange between two friends out of the corner of my eye, I addressed the group.
“For the rest, they’re not here, but I think I’ll take Hal and Kaede. Hal’s martial prowess comes guaranteed, and I know him well. Kaede’s a powerful earth mage, too, after all. For now, I think I’ll take those four as my companions. Everyone, work on that assumption and...”
“U-Um! Big Brother.” Tomoe hesitantly, but using a clearly audible voice, raised her hand.
“Tomoe? What is it?” I asked.
“T-Take me with you, please!”
“““Whaa?!””” everyone cried out in surprise.
The timid Tomoe, who did everything she could to stay out of the way of the adults in the castle, was suddenly acting aggressive. Maybe the only one who wasn’t surprised was her teacher, Hakuya.
“Um... it’s outside the country, you know?” I said. “It could be dangerous, too...”
“I-I want to see more of the world! Not just the castle. I want to see more of everything, and to eventually be someone who can support my big brother and sister!” Tomoe clenched her fists tight as she made her appeal.
We had been protecting Tomoe up until now, but she’d said she wanted to be able to support us. Tomoe was eleven years old now. If she’d been a boy, it’d be a period in her life where she’d still be doing stupid stuff; and as a girl, she was about to hit a sensitive period. I was happy to see this change in her as a member of the family, and also concerned.
“Sire...” Hakuya said. “If possible, I would like you to take your little sister along.”
I was still at a loss for words.
“During this period, I have judged that broadening her horizons will help her to grow,” he continued.
“Well sure, even in my world there was a saying, ‘If you love your child, let them go on a journey,’ but still.” I crossed my arms and thought about what to do.
“Please, Big Brother...” Tomoe pleaded with teary eyes.
When she asked me with those cute puppy dog eyes that reminded me of this old commercial with a chihuahua, I really struggled to come up with my answer.
We had things covered in terms of martial ability. With Aisha and Halbert there, we could respond to almost any situation.
But still... it could be dangerous...
I was conflicted between my concern for her as as her big brother, and my desire to grant her wish as her big brother. After nearly two minutes of agonizing over it... in the end, I gave in to the earnest look in Tomoe’s eyes and raised the white flag.
“Okay... I’ll allow it. But only after you’ve gotten permission from Tomoko.” That was Tomoe’s mother. “If you can’t get her permission, I can’t take you with me. Also, none of us will be talking to her about this matter. You need
to convince your mother on your own. Is that still okay?”
“Yes!” Tomoe energetically nodded.
I don’t know what happened between Tomoe and Tomoko after that. However, in the end, Tomoe managed to convince her.
When Tomoko appeared alongside Tomoe later, she must have been worried deep down. “Your Majesty, please take care of my daughter,” she said, and bowed her head to me resolutely.
It seemed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I meant that in a good way, of course.
Well, my companions for the trip were decided.
Off we would go.
Onward to the country of dragons, the Star Dragon Mountain Range.
Afterword
Thank you for purchasing the fifth volume of Realist Hero.
This is Dojyomaru. Because of the generation I come from, Zyuranger is the sentai hero team that I’m most attached to. I wanted a Zyusouken...
Now then, in the web version, this was where the title changed to How a Realist Hero Redeveloped the Kingdom and a new chapter began. From here on, the number of supporting characters in the cast fills out, the number of stories focused on supporting characters increases, and the story turns into an ensemble cast piece. There are an awful lot of characters, and I’m sure I will be causing Fuyu a lot of trouble to come up with designs for all of them, but I hope to continue working together in the future.
It was right just around this point in writing the web novel that illustrator Mizuka Sasa sent a drawing to support me, and I received an incredible map from a person called Tofu-chan-san. It made me aware that all sorts of people were reading my work. There are people who point out typos, missing words, and inconsistencies, too. I’m grateful to everyone.
Now then, a teaser for the next book.
Souma departs for the Star Dragon Mountain Range, but then it turns into a tale of boy-meets-girl that’s unusual for this story. That black girl will be making an appearance, too.
...What am I going to do about the Ensemble Arc? I’ll need to think of a good way to work it in.
Now, I give my thanks to Fuyuyuki for the wonderful illustrations, my editor, the designers, the proofreaders, and everyone who now holds this book in their hands.