How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Book 8: Chapter 10

It was a night in autumn when the moon was bright.

By the time Souma and his companions finished with their meeting to discuss the plan Excel had brought from Hakuya, it was already late at night.

There were soldiers from both the Kingdom of Lastania and Kingdom of Friedonia resting in the fortress courtyard.

That said, it was a tiny fortress. There was no way for it to hold the entire 50,000-strong army that the Kingdom of Friedonia had sent. Most of the soldiers and officers were camped outside the fortress.

With the strategy meeting finished, Julius went to look around the camp. At which point...

You! Youre Lord Julius?! a soldier cried.

Ohh, theres no doubt about it, its Lord Julius!

He was surrounded by several men wearing Friedonian army uniforms. There were many in the Friedonian forces who had fought against him in the past, so Julius tensed, but the men put their hands together in front of them and bowed to him.

We belonged to the forces of the principality.

We fought under you at Van.

Were so, so glad to see youre all right.

As the two began to shed manly tears of joy at their reunion, Julius relaxed.

I see... Youre Amidonian then.

Yes, one of the soldiers said tearfully. We werent strong enough to protect you then, Lord Julius...

These were likely men who had sworn loyalty to Gaius and Julius. Even in the homeland he thought he had cast away, there were people who thought about him. That alone gave Julius some solace.

Because of that, he put an arm around the shoulder of the man crying manly tears and said, Youve saved me by coming here. I thank you.

Lord Julius...

How are things? Are Souma and Roroa ruling Amidonia well?

The men nodded.

Y-Yes. I think theyve brought stability.

Theyve unified and reorganized the forces of the principality and kingdom, and were making progress with reconciliation.

He held a festival in memory of Lord Gaius the other day too.

A festival to mourn my father... I see. That does sound like something hed do.

Julius properly understood Soumas intent. It was likely a mixture of emotion and practicality.

The common people had feared Gaius, but he had been an object of love and respect for the soldiers. In holding a memorial festival, Souma would be able to reduce resistance from those people. That would be of practical benefit to Souma, who wanted to advance reconciliation between the kingdom and principality.

The emotional part was his feelings for Roroa. Even though Roroas relationship with her father had been frosty, Souma perhaps felt a sense of guilt over being the one to kill him.

Its naive of him, but...I cant see any reason to reject it.

Julius now had a person he would give his own life to protect: Princess Tia, who had remained in Lasta. If it would keep her from crying, and it would make her smile, he would do anything, no matter how inefficient. Even as he complained about doing it.

The image of Tias perfect smile flashing through his mind made Juliuss face soften a little.

Lord Julius? one of the soldiers asked.

...No, its nothing. Julius put a serious look back on and said, Though my father, Gaius, was defeated, I am told he was able to display the pride of Amidonia in his final moments. If I, as his son, were to complain about that result, it would be a stain on my fathers legacy. Therefore, I have no intention of holding a grudge against Souma or Roroa. Id like all of you to keep supporting them.

Ohh, what resolve!

Lord Julius! We swear to support Lady Roroa!

Seeing the crying soldiers act so moved, Julius could only smile wryly.

There was no lie in what he had said, but Julius didnt want to hear, Please, come back to the principality at this point, so he had meant to convey, Im getting along just fine here, so you people take care of yourselves there. He had no lingering attachment to the House of Amidonia.

I couldnt leave Tia to return home, and Ive no desire to bring her back with me, he reflected. I wouldnt want to pull her away from this country where the people love her, and where all the people she loves are.

Julius forced a smile as he put a hand on the soldiers shoulders. I know I was unable to rule my own country, but I want to do what I can to protect this country which took me in. Please, if only for now, lend me your strength.

Thats always been our intent!

We are proud to be able to fight alongside you again!

The soldiers wiped the tears from their eyes.

Julius gave them a firm nod. Then rest now. Ill need you to work your hardest tomorrow.

Y-Yes, sir! Excuse us!

The soldiers saluted and then returned to their posts.

Once he had seen those soldiers go, Julius let out a sigh in the sudden silence that had fallen around him.

Maybe I should rest too...

Julius went inside the building and stood in front of the room he was now using as his own. He was kind of exhausted today. He opened the door, thinking it was about time he rested in preparation for tomorrow.

Welcome back, Lord Julius! a voice said.

Yeah... Huh?! He gave a natural response, but then realizing there should be no one there to say that to him, Juliuss head snapped up.

There stood Tia, who was supposed to have been left behind in Lasta.

Princess Tia?! Why are you here?! he exclaimed.

Eheheh. I came.

But how...?

Lady Roroa and some others were heading to the fortress in a gondola, so I stowed away with their luggage.

A stowaway?! How could you...? There must be an uproar in Lasta by now.

Oh, thats not a problem. I left a note saying Id be coming here.

Thats not the problem!

Julius grasped the temples of his now-throbbing head. This was a level of decisiveness comparable to Roroas.

Seeing the troubled look on his face, Tia hesitantly spoke up. Um, Im sorry. But I just couldnt help but worry...

Julius let out a sigh of resignation. ...Did anyone see you on your way to this room?

No, I snuck here with a cloth over my head, so no one should have seen me. It seemed everyone was busy moving around and doing other things.

Well, I guess there would be even more of an uproar if you had been found.

Julius directed Tia to sit down on his bed, and then sat next to her.

Princess. Please dont leave this room until everything is settled. It would distract the soldiers of Lastania if they were to discover you are in this fortress.

O-Okay. Ill keep quiet here so that I dont cause trouble for you. Tia nodded, but soon looked at him with upturned eyes and asked, Um... Does my being here distract you too, Lord Julius?

The hesitant question made Julius shrug his shoulders as if exasperated. No, if anything, its made me more focused. I absolutely cant allow myself to lose now.

You will win, Lord Julius. Absolutely.

Heh. When you say that, Princess, I mysteriously cant help but believe it... Maybe it was the exhaustion from days of continuous fighting, or the preparations for tomorrows battle, but Julius let out a yawn. Fwah... Excuse me.

Tia stared blankly for a moment, but then something seemed to come to her, and she patted her lap. Lord Julius, if youre tired, please use my lap as your pillow.

Ah! No, that would be a bit much...

Are my thighs not meaty enough to be a good pillow? she asked, pouting.

Seeing Tia so blatantly disappointed, Julius gave in and lay down, resting his head on her lap. ...Okay.

Tia seemed satisfied as she stroked Juliuss head. I will pray for your good fortune in battle, Lord Julius.

Princess Tia... he murmured. Then, as they do in the stories of knights, let me dedicate this victory to you.

They spent a time together that was so peaceful, it would be hard to believe it was the night before the final battle.

In the fortress kitchen, Poncho and Serina were doing prep work for cooking.

They would need to prepare a large amount of food tomorrow. In addition to providing nutrition before the decisive battle, there would need to be a banquet for the victory afterward.

It might seem presumptuous to say that when they hadnt won yet, but if they didnt prepare for a feast, it would give the impression they expected to lose. That was why, in anticipation of victory, Poncho and his team were making the necessary preparations.

Um... Ill help, Komain offered, watching Poncho stir a large pot. When you and Serina are both working, I cant be the only one to relax.

I-Its okay. We have enough help here, yes, Poncho said with a troubled smile.

It was true, there were several other chefs in the kitchen helping with the preparations. However, they all looked very busy.

But...

Youll be going into battle tomorrow, wont you? Rest for today and get what little sleep you can.

Komain tried to belabor the point, but Serina shut her down completely. Komain had volunteered to fight in tomorrows battle, in order to fight alongside her brother Jirukoma. Given that, she needed to be fresh for tomorrow.

Poncho wiped his hands on his apron, then plopped one of them down on top of Komains head. I cant fight on the battlefield like Sir Jirukoma. Its embarrassing, but in terms of strength, Im not even a match for Madam Serina, yes.

A maid is expected to be able to manage a bare minimum level of self-defense after all, Serina said coolly, with a look on her face that said it was nothing special.

Those martial arts of Serinas, which make it feel like youre being glared at by a great wolf, are the bare minimum, are they? Komain felt like she was losing her grasp on what the job of a maid really was, but she knew Serina would just dodge the question if she brought it up, so she held her tongue.

Poncho gave Komain an awkward smile and said, B-Because of how I am, I cant help you on the battlefield. In exchange, Ill be waiting with delicious food, so make sure you come back safe, yes. Lets eat together, all three of us.

Poncho...

Ponchos kind words slipped into Komains heart.

That line sounds like its coming from a wife sending her husband off to war, Serina said with exasperation.

I-I guess it does. I need to get my act together, yes. Poncho smiled shyly.

Having been touched by the warm atmosphere between them, Komain smiled happily too. Yes, Ill definitely come back safe. Because the Ishizuka family table is where I belong.

Tomoe and Inugami were bringing supplies to the large room where injured soldiers were carried.

Looking around, most of the bandaged soldiers were sitting. The only ones lying down were those with serious injuries, and they had light magic casters next to them providing treatment.

Amid what could have easily been a dark scene, Tomoe deliberately chose to act cheerful. I brought more bandages and three-eyedine!

The medic handling the wounded saluted her. Good work, Lady Tomoe!

You medics all look so tired, Tomoe said. Are there a lot of people wounded?

No, the people here all have comparatively light wounds. Those with major external wounds are given priority for treatment with light magic, and those with the most serious cases are carried back to Lasta. These are all people wholl get better with some bandages and medicine.

Oh, they are? Tomoe said happily. Well, please keep doing your best for them.

Tomoe and Inugami turned over the supplies they brought to the medics.

Once the handover was complete, Inugami whispered to Tomoe, Would it not be best for you to get some rest now, Little Sister?

He was saying that out of concern, but Tomoe shook her head.

I want to do whatever I can. I want to be helpful.

What are you saying? During the battle at Lasta, we were able to learn about the lives of lizardmen and find a solution.

Still...I want to help more.

Ookyakya, how admirable! a voice laughed.

When Tomoe looked up in the direction of that cheerful voice, Kuu and Leporina had just come in.

Inugami stepped forward, putting himself between the two of them and Tomoe.

Seeing the look on Inugamis face, Kuu was confused. Hold on, hold on, what kind of look is that? Did I do something to upset you?

Maybe hes Tomoes guardian? Leporina said. Remember, Young Master, you did hit on her once.

Kuu clapped his hands. Oh, yeah, they are kind of similar. Ookyakya, its fine! Im not gonna hit on Bros little sister when Tarus not around.

Normally you ought to restrain yourself more when she is around, though... Leporina murmured, looking exasperated.

Inugami remained silent.

I wonder what kind of face hes making... Tomoe couldnt see Inugamis face from her position.

Why are you two here, by the way? Tomoe asked. Did you get hurt somewhere?

Leporina let out a troubled laugh. Oh, no. We were looking for any spare cloth that might be around.

Spare cloth?

My cudgel got all dirty during the battle today. Kuu extended his cudgel, which was splattered with what was presumably lizardman blood. It had already dried and turned dark, but there were signs he had rubbed at it too. The cloth I was using to clean it tore. Ive gotten a lot of the blood off, but theres a lot of intricate design work, so I couldnt get it all. Making sure my weapons properly maintained can be a matter of life and death after all.

You were the one who insisted on cool engraving, even after Taru told you it would just make maintaining it more of a pain, Young Master.

Ookya? Did I do that?

As Kuu laughed and tried to dodge the issue, Leporina put a hand on her hip and sighed.

Watching the two of them, Tomoe mumbled, If I just had the strength to fight, I could do more...

Ookya? Having caught that, Kuu cocked his head to the side. What is it, little girl? You want to fight?

Um... I was thinking if I did, I could help Big Brother more.

Ohh, thats not gonna happen. Kuu shot her right down. This is one of those things where its a question of potential. Youre too nice to stand on the battlefield. Even if its for Bro, if youre up against a fierce beast, youre not going to be able to kill, are you? Besides, no matter how hard you train, youll never be more than a single soldier. You cant help much like that.

In the face of Kuus reasonable argument, Tomoe could say nothing. She just tugged at the hem of her outfit.

Inugami tried to say something to stand up for her, but there was nothing wrong about what Kuu was saying, so he couldnt find the words to.

Not caring one bit about the heavy atmosphere, Kuu continued. Besides, you have a more special power anyway, dont you? The ability to talk to animals, was it? I hear you used that power of yours to get more rhinosaurus trains going.

Huh? Oh, yeah...

If you ask me, thats a whole lot more useful than being able to fight. In my country, we use numoths to get around in winter, but we have a hard time getting more of them, you know. If we had your ability, I feel like we could set things up for them to breed more easily... Kuu trailed off, getting a thoughtful look on his face. Hm? Maybe we ought to borrow your power...have you talk to the numoths for us...

Um, pardon me, but Little Sister is the adopted daughter of the former king and queen, and is therefore royalty, Inugami said stiffly. Even with a bodyguard, sending Lady Tomoe to the republic alone is simply not an option...

Kuu just waved his hand. Thatll be fine. No need for her to leave the country. Well arrange the numoth, and if she can come to a town or city near the border, they can talk there.

Even for that, youd need His Majestys permission.

Bro wanted some numoths. I turned down his request because we need them for defense, but if sharing information between the kingdom and republic will make it easier to breed them, I dont mind letting him have a few. The south of the kingdom is cold too, so he should be able to raise them. Well...Ill need my old mans permission too, so itll take a while, Im sure, but Ill have to try talking to Bro about it later.

Kuu grinned at Tomoe.

When the time comes, little girl, Ill be counting on you. Ookyakya!

...Okay! Ill do my best! Tome said, clenching her hands into fists.

She must have been happy to know there was something she could do.

Inugami and Leporina looked on with smiles.

Meanwhile, around that same time, Ludwin, the commander-in-chief of the reinforcements from the Kingdom of Friedonia, and Kaede, his staff officer, were performing their final checks. In tomorrows operation, Ludwin would be in the main camp, while Kaede would take command from close to the front line.

I prefer commanding on the front line, though, Ludwin sighed.

We cant have the commander-in-chief saying that, Kaede told him. Please, stay put this time.

Ahaha... All right.

Once their final checks were finished, the two left the war room.

Ill be counting on you tomorrow, then, Ludwin said.

Yes. May fortune favor you in battle, Sir Ludwin.

Parting with Ludwin, Kaede walked a short distance, and ran into Halbert and Ruby standing at a corner.

Seeing them, Kaede cocked her head to the side and stared blankly. Did you stay up to wait for me?

Couldnt get to sleep, thats all, Halbert said.

He says that, but he just wanted to see your face, Ruby grinned.

At Rubys spilling of the beans, Halbert turned a bright shade of red. Wha?! Ruby! Now listen, you!

Hehe! Im happy to see the two of you too, you know, Kaede said with a giggle. Youll be fighting in the air while Im fighting on land. Hal, its going to be more dangerous for you, so you must be careful, you know. And you cant push Ruby too hard.

Yeah, I know, he said. Dont screw up and get hurt or anything. If you end up in trouble, well definitely come save you. Right, Ruby?

Hehe! Kaede giggled. Thats right. Ill protect you and Ruby too.

With both sides having acted like they were better than the other, the three of them cracked up laughing.

While they were laughing...

Oh, my, you all seem to get along well.

The three turned to see who had addressed them, and Excel was standing there with a smile.

The sudden appearance of the commander-in-chief of the National Defense Force made them all reflexively salute as members of the military.

Wh-Why, its Duchess Walter! Im sorry we didnt notice you sooner, Hal said hastily.

Ohh, its already late at night, so lets have none of that. Excel waved her hand at his apology on behalf of the group.

In place of a speechless Halbert, Kaede asked, Um, what are you doing here, Duchess Walter? I thought you would be asleep by now.

Hmm... I was concerned about His Majesty, and went to his room, but Aisha turned me away at the door. They just love him so much. Excel put a finger to her lips, as if troubled.

Seriously, what is this person up to?! Halbert and the others thought as they looked at her with cold eyes, but Excel was legitimately concerned for Souma.

She was thinking, During the meeting, it felt like His Majesty was pushing himself a little hard, but, well, it seemed Roroa and Naden were in the room with him... I suppose hell be fine.

In order to switch into a new frame of mind, Excel clapped her hands. By the way, you three were on Castors carrier, werent you? From your perspective, is that idiot son-in-law of mine doing a proper job as captain?

Huh? You mean Captain Castor? Halbert looked to Kaede and Ruby. Uhh...yeah. I think hes a reliable captain.

He swabs the deck even now that hes captain, so the crew all respect him, Kaede said.

He said, Hey, as a red dragon and a dragonewt, were kind of similar, huh, and struck up a casual conversation with me, Ruby added.

Hearing their opinions, Excel grinned. I see. So hes doing all right then.

Oh, yeah. Of course he is.

Well, I do hear he went to a place he shouldnt have with those crewmen who respect him so much, though. Hehe...

It felt to Halbert and the others like the temperature had just dropped ten degrees.

Then Excel looked to Kaede and Ruby. You two are engaged to Sir Halbert, right?

Y-Yes, said Kaede.

Thats right.

Excel nodded at their response, then took on a lecturing tone. Men have been known to get carried away easily. That is why, as women, we must hold their reins. Complimenting, encouraging, and lifting them up at times, while reprimanding and slapping them in the butt at others. We cant lean too much to one side. The secret to familial happiness is keeping your partner in control without upsetting him. Do I make myself clear?

Y-Yes! Kaede and Ruby saluted in unison.

Halbert was alone in clutching his head. What kind of face am I supposed to make while listening to that sort of talk...?

With a satisfied smile at the three of them, Excel drew a fan from her chest and opened it. Then, covering her mouth with the fan, she let out a jolly laugh. Well, my daughter Accela, who is Castors wife, is not a woman who will just wait around. That is something Castor will learn for himself shortly, Im sure.

As Excel let out a laugh that seemed to imply something, Halbert felt a cold chill run down his spine.

If I get married, are Kaede and Ruby going to act like that...?

As soon as the thought occurred to Halbert, he swore to himself he would never defy them.

While everyone was spending their time in their own way, I was in my room looking over some documents.

Though the Living Poltergeists I had left in the castle were still doing paperwork, I had brought some non-urgent work for my main body to do whenever my hands were free.

I faced my desk in silence, signing off on the documents I had looked through.

Hey, hey, Darlin, Roroa broke in. Do you have to do that right now?

Seriously, Naden added. You come all this way, and then you still bury yourself in work?

When I turned around, Roroa and Naden were sitting on the single bed and looking at me.

They were both in one-piece pajama outfits, and Naden had the mitten-like covers on her antlers that she wore while sleeping.

Naden mentioned that her antlers poked holes in her pillow while sleeping in human form, so I had sewed those for her. They had no proper name, but I was calling them horn covers.

...Wait, those two looked like they were totally planning to sleep here.

Aisha, by the way, was standing guard outside the door. It sounded like shed just chased off Excel who was trying to come in and tease us. Good job!

I looked over a document as I told them, Theres always work to do. If I dont get as much done as I can, it piles up.

The consciousness ya left at the castles workin, aint it? Roroa said.

Shouldnt you rest up before the battle tomorrow? Naden asked.

Well...I know that, but...

Then the two of them started whispering to each other.

Im thinkin this is a case of that, Nadie.

Yeah. Ill bet thats what it is.

What exactly was this that that they were talking about?

The two of them stood up, and then each firmly grabbed one of my arms.

Big Sis Cia was tellin us, When Souma works more than he needs to at night...

...its because the stress is keeping him awake, so be careful.

Urgh...

Theyd nailed it. Liscia, Aisha, and Juna all knew what I was like when pushed to the edge psychologically. But Roroa and Naden werent supposed to know, so the fact that they did meant there was a sharing of information between my fiances.

Nadie, you hold that end, Roroa said.

Roger that. One, two...

They yanked me away from the desk, then sat me down on the bed. Then, as if keeping me from escaping, they held my arms tight.

So, whats got ya so worked up? Roroa asked. Dont ya have a plan for winnin all worked out?

I gave in and confessed my feelings. Its still a heavy burden, the fact that people are going to die on my orders. Were facing merciless monsters this time. They only have the instinct to survive, and in this situation, the damage will only spread if we dont kill them, so we should exterminate the monsters. I dont feel any hesitation about that. Thats why, compared to declaring war on the principality, this is easier on me emotionally.

Souma... Naden patted my head with concern in her voice.

Even so, when I see the corpses of people eaten by the monsters, I cant help but think that if I hadnt brought them here, if I hadnt ordered them into battle, those were lives that wouldnt have been lost. I obviously know that there are those Ive saved by fighting, and even more lives would have been lost if I had chosen not to. Still, I hate myself for playing a numbers game with peoples lives.

But thats what a king does, aint it? Roroa said with a serious look on her face. The man at the top does as much as he can for those supporting him from below. He keeps as many alive as he can, protects as many as he can, and keeps losses as low as he can. Naturally, because hes doin as much as he can, theres gonna be things he cant do. Thats a given, but its the belief that the guy up top is doin everythin he can that makes the people below feel can fight. You know that, dont ya, Darlin? If youre still worryin, then Im sure its because...

Yeah. I nodded.

This was something Id accepted. Id done it like this all along after all. But I couldnt help but stop and think. Because if I didnt...

Im scared of getting used to it, I explained. If I imagine myself not worrying like this and being able to just make the decision...then someday, somehow, I feel like Im going to become something terrible. Then, as a result, Ill lose the things most important to me.

The experience Id had of starting to become nothing more than a system called a king had set off alarm bells for me.

The king, the hero, the man from another world, the one who formed a contract with the black ryuu...those sorts of unique titles would draw people to me. And if I allowed myself to be lifted by those people, a thing that wasnt me would begin to take on a life of its own.

I worried constantly about that.

I dont want to stop agonizing over my decisions, I said. But the more I agonize, the more wearying it is. So I focus on work to avoid thinking. Is that a contradiction?

I think its fine. Just be yourself. Naden hugged my arm tight. I love that un-kingly side of you, Souma.

Thats right. If you started actin too much like a king, Big Sis Ciad get worried, dontcha think? Roroa hugged me tight too, as if not wanting to lose.

Naden giggled. But if youre going to run away to your work, I wish you would run away to us instead. Well listen to your uncertainties, your complaints, anything.

Yeah, yeah, Roroa agreed. Oh, were good for drinkin too, yknow? Well stay with ya until mornin.

I felt my heart lighten a little. If we drink the night away, Lisciall probably scold us later.

We can all get yelled at together.

If you want, we can let Big Sis Cia in on the action too.

Ahaha, thatd be great... I let out a yawn despite myself. The moment my spirits had lightened, I was suddenly stricken with sleepiness. The days of moving around and fighting battles had caught up with me. This is no good... Im tired...

As I lay down on the bed, Naden and Roroa, who were clinging to my arms, came down with me.

Uwah!

Oh... The sudden sleepiness had robbed me of the ability to think.

Roroa was like a child, apparently. When I nuzzled up to her, she had a high body temperature.

Naden had a comparatively low temperature, she was even a little cool. Both of them felt comforting, and I was pulled closer and closer to sleep.

In my hazy state, I heard their voices.

Hey, Nadie. Are we gonna end up sleepin with him like this?

L-Looks like it. Thats an unexpected perk.

Ah! I remember Big Sis Cia and Big Sis Aive slept with Darlin before. It sounds like he was pushed into a corner mentally those times too.

He was? Then this may be effective on Souma!

Im thinkin so. But I dunno about this position. I mean, were all lyin sideways on the bed.

Our legs are sticking out, yeah. Its not that relaxing.

Once Darlins totally out, lets change positions. Help out, will ya?

Roger that. But first...

And that was where my consciousness cut out.

Good night, Darlin.

Good night, Souma.

And the two of them kissed Souma on the cheek in unison.