How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Volume 9 (Premium)

by Dojyomaru

  “What an upstanding man he is.”

  ...and other compliments.

  Just how serious were they, I wonder?

  After I stepped aside, first place became Fuuga of Malmkhitan, so it seemed Fuuga would be able to attain Madam Mutsumi, whom he desired.

  Fuuga rose to the platform and suddenly swept Madam Mutsumi up in his arms, carrying her like a princess. “I won’t make you do anything bothersome like say I want you as a retainer. Mutsumi, I’ve been in love since I first laid eyes on you. Be my wife.”

  Up on stage, and with central figures from many other countries watching him, he gave her a straightforward proposal.

  It made Madam Mutsumi’s eyes go wide, but she quickly wrapped her lithe arms around Fuuga’s neck.

  “Hee hee, you’re wonderful. I’ll do it. I do like strong people.”

  “Yeah! I swear, if it’s for you, I’ll never lose to anyone!”

  “I believe you, Lord Fuuga.”

  Together with applause for the two of them, there were looks that were half congratulatory and half jealous.

  No, more of them are jealous, I think.

  That was just how many people had been after Madam Mutsumi.

  Fuuga clearly didn’t care in the slightest about any of the looks. I guess that was Fuuga for you. Anyway, I was glad not to have created undue strife with him.

  While I was feeling relieved, I noticed Yuriga staring at me.

  “...Is something wrong?”

  “Why did you turn down first place? You could have been the one to take Mutsumi!”

  That wasn’t just curiosity in her eyes; it looked like she seriously wanted to know.

  “Could it be because my brother was after Mutsumi?” she demanded.

  “It’s like I said before, but... that might be part of it, too. I don’t want to fight Fuuga.”

  “I see. You’re afraid of my brother.”

  When she said that, the look in Yuriga’s eyes was a little sharp. What had brought that on?

  Then, in a quiet voice, Yuriga began to talk.

  “We know how incredible my brother is. But that’s not always true of others. In the Union of Eastern Nations, there are those who underestimate him as a minor king from the steppes.”

  Well, Malmkhitan was still a small country in terms of territory, after all. If I said that, I, the ruler of the Kingdom of Friedonia, was afraid of the king of a small country like Fuuga, they’d laugh that I was being too timid.

  Yuriga, however, never laughed. “But... you aren’t like that, I see. Even though you rule a kingdom that is incomparably larger than the steppes of Malmkhitan, you’re as cautious of my brother as you should be.”

  “No, that’s...”

  “I see why my brother took notice of you now. I understand why you’re protected by so many people, too.” Yuriga smiled faintly.

  When a girl of thirteen smiled as if she saw right through me, it gave me a bit of a shock. Though it was in a different way from her brother, this girl might not be normal, either.

  While we were talking, the distribution of rewards ended.

  “With this, the places my children will be going have been decided,” Duke Chima said. “Everyone, I truly...”

  “Ah! A moment, if I may?”

  With Duke Chima about to give his closing remarks, I decided now was the time to strike and cut him off.

  “Um, are you dissatisfied regarding the matter of the reward, perhaps?” Duke Chima asked, his eyes wide.

  I hurriedly shook my head. “Oh, no, no. This isn’t about the reward. You have another child named Sir Ichiha Chima, yes, Sir Mathew? The youngest one.”

  “Wh-Why, yes. He’s right there, in fact...”

  As Duke Chima said, Ichiha was at my side.

  I put my hand down on Ichiha’s head, and said to Duke Chima, “From the looks of it, he’s become fast friends with my little sister. I also hear that all the boys and girls of the Chima family are excellent, so I believe this boy has potential, too. That being the case, how about it? I’d like you to leave Sir Ichiha in the care of our country so that he can be educated.”

  “M-My word...” The suddenness of the proposal left Duke Chima flummoxed.

  In his head he was probably working out my intent, and weighing the merits and demerits of accepting my proposal. By the way, I had gotten Ichiha’s permission first before proposing this. He already seemed enthusiastic about coming to our country.

  He’d felt awkward as the oddball who did nothing but draw pictures of monsters, and the person who understood him best, Madam Mutsumi, would be leaving, too, so he had nothing tying him down here.

  His mother had long since passed away, so it was just a matter of whether or not Duke Chima gave permission.

  Duke Chima hesitantly said, “Listen... The boy is a little eccentric, and he’s physically quite weak. I don’t know that he can live up to your expectations...”

  “If he’s physically frail, that’s all the more reason he should come to our place,” I said firmly. “Our country is in the middle of a medical revolution, and we have talented doctors. It would be good to have them look at him. Also... I’m more than fine with him being eccentric. I have a weakness for people like that.” I doubled down. “I’m sure we’ll have him study under Prime Minister Hakuya for a while. Then, next spring, I’m planning to have Ichiha and Tomoe go to school together.”

  “M-Me, go to school?!” Tomoe looked surprised.

  I grinned and nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been talking with Hakuya about it. There’s a lot you can learn from living as part of a group. Hakuya wants you to go to school and learn the things you can’t learn with just a private tutor. I’m still debating whether to choose the Academy (for academic subjects) or the Officer’s Academy (for military subjects), though.”

  “I-I’ll... be going to school with Ichiha...” Tomoe was shaken up by the news, but she seemed happy. Her expression was one of confusion, but her wolf tail was wagging away, so it was easy to tell.

  Then, having put his thoughts in order, Duke Chima put on his affable middle-aged man smile. “Ohh, if that’s how it is, then please!”

  It seemed he’d decided it would be a good thing to have a line of contact with our country.

  “You’re fine with this, as well, right, Ichiha?” he asked.

  “Y-Yes, Father!” Ichiha nodded his head.

  Relieved, I extended my right hand. “Good. Well then, Ichiha. It’ll be a pleasure to have you.”

  “Yes. I’ll be in your care.”

  Ichiha and I exchanged a firm handshake.

  The other people gathered here looked at us as if they weren’t sure just what they had witnessed.

  They were likely befuddled by the fact that the King of Friedonia, who they thought had turned down the prize, had obtained the youngest brother, who hadn’t been included in it.

  However, the youngest brother of the Chimas was famous for being an oddball, so no one raised an objection to it. In fact...

  “He led in all those troops, and all he got for it was the youngest brother. It’s hardly worth the bother.”

  There were even those who blatantly mocked Ichiha like that. It was probably in attempt to praise me, but I found it distasteful they felt they had to belittle Ichiha to do it.

  Well, there was no need to explain what made Ichiha so valuable to people like that, so I just gave them a polite smile and left it at that.

  As Ichiha looked down in response to the harsh words, I put a hand on his head and said in a voice only he could hear, “Let them say what they please. You were all I wanted from the very beginning.”

  “Souma...”

  I grinned. “If you had been included in the reward to begin with, I’m sure I’d have chosen you without giving up my position as the greatest contributor. Even if that meant coming into conflict with Fuuga.”

  Ichiha finally smiled a little for me.

  Elfrieden Historical Idiom Lessons: Number 6

  “To
Gain the Youngest Brother of House Chima”

  Type: Proverb

  Meaning:

  To gain little in exchange for a lot of hard work.

  For the thing everyone left behind to actually be an incredible treasure.

  Origin: This idiom has meant different things at different times. At first, it was said with meaning (1). It comes from Souma, who led reinforcements to the Union of Eastern Nations and then brought back Ichiha Chima, who was then thought to be without talent, as his prize. However, as the hidden potential of Ichiha Chima blossomed, it took on meaning (2), which was the opposite.

  Equivalent Expressions:

  “Great pains all in vain.”

  “There is fortune to be found in that which others leave behind.”

  Chapter 6: A Troublesome Present

  About two days had passed since the celebration.

  We had managed to sweep the monsters from this land, but we were going to remain until we learned the current state of the demon wave.

  And so, two days later, the situation in each country became clear.

  According to reports from the Black Cats, with the destruction of the monsters gathered in the Duchy of Chima, the number of monsters attacking all countries had fallen noticeably. They felt that the United Forces of the Union of Eastern Nations could handle the rest, meaning we were no longer needed here.

  While we were packing up the Friedonian National Defense Force’s camps to withdraw, I heard a voice.

  “Hey! Souma. Heading home already?” Fuuga suddenly rode up to us on Durga the flying tiger.

  “Fuuga?” I asked, surprised.

  His sudden appearance made Aisha wary, but the man had Mutsumi behind him and Yuriga in front of his saddle, so he probably wasn’t here to stir up trouble.

  “You look like you’re in a hurry,” Fuuga commented, looking at the soldiers busily running around. With an easy jump down from Durga’s back, he helped Mutsumi and Yuriga down as well, and asked, “Couldn’t you have taken things a little slower?”

  “Not an option, I’m afraid. We can’t be away from the country for too long. Just keeping a force this large here incurs massive expenses, and with the demon wave handled, I want to hurry back home.”

  The Union of Eastern Nations didn’t have as many paved roads as the kingdom, so we couldn’t use methods like the rhinosaurus train for shipping. We would have to take the long, slow way home, so I wanted to set off quickly.

  Hakuya had told me to hurry back as soon as our business was done, for one thing. Besides, Liscia was due soon, so I had personal reasons to hurry back, as well.

  Madam Mutsumi walked forward and bowed her head to me. “Sir Souma, thank you very much for the reinforcements you brought us.”

  “I already said this last night, but all we did was show up at the end to wipe out the remaining enemies. There’s no need for excessive thanks.”

  “Even so, it’s a fact that you saved this country.” Mutsumi raised her face and smiled. “I’d also like to ask you to take good care of Ichiha. He’s mature for his age, but he’s weak and timid, so I’m a little worried about him.”

  “Ha ha, I’m sure he’ll be fine. I know how mature he is from talking to him, and he seems to be on good terms with my little sister, too, so I think he’ll be fine.”

  With that, I looked in the direction of the three kids, Tomoe, Ichiha, and Yuriga, who were saying their goodbyes.

  “Bye now, Yuriga,” said Tomoe.

  “Take care, Yuriga,” Ichiha added.

  “Oh... Yeah...”

  Huh? Tomoe and Ichiha were acting normal, but Yuriga seemed a little quiet. She didn’t have her usual strong personality.

  Even so, she crossed her arms and arched her back so her chest stuck out, as if she were trying to put on a show of being the older one despite that.

  “Well... It wasn’t so bad being with you two. It felt like I’d gained a little brother and sister. You keep doing your best when you get back to the kingdom.”

  “A little brother...?” Ichiha murmured.

  “Could it be you’re feeling lonely, Yuriga?” Tomoe asked straight-out.

  Yuriga’s face turned a bright red. “Wh-Who’s lonely?! You’re acting too cheeky, kid!” (Pinch.)

  “I shaid, don’t pinsh my cheeksh like that!”

  “Yuriga, the way you’re acting is like a lonely kid throwing a tantrum, you know?” Ichiha pointed out.

  “Shove off! I’ll pinch yours, too!”

  “Ow... Let’s run, Ichiha!”

  “R-Right!”

  Breaking free from Yuriga’s hands, Tomoe took Ichiha’s hand and ran off.

  Yuriga chased after them, shouting, “Wait!”

  The three shouted and made a ruckus as they ran around inside the main camp. If they’d been fighting, I would have stopped it, but Tomoe seemed to be laughing and having fun, so it was probably fine.

  ...Hold on, was Tomoe having fun by teasing Yuriga about being so direct with her emotions?

  Maybe when Tomoe grew up she was going to be the same sort of devilish beauty that Juna was. I felt like I could see hints of it already.

  While I was feeling newfound worry for our beloved younger sister’s future (though I questioned whether it was fair to look at it like that), Fuuga suddenly clapped his hands as if he’d just remembered something.

  “Ohh, Yuriga just reminded me. Hey, Souma.”

  “What is it?”

  “I wanted to ask, can I leave Yuriga with you in the kingdom?”

  ““Huh?!”” Yuriga and I cried out in simultaneous surprise.

  What was this guy saying, out of nowhere?

  “Wh-What are you saying so suddenly, Big Brother?!” Yuriga exclaimed. “Sending me to the kingdom...!”

  It seemed Yuriga shared my opinion...

  Wait, even Yuriga, the one most affected, was only hearing this now?

  Seriously, what was he thinking?

  “What are your intentions?” I asked slowly.

  “You were talking about sticking your pipsqueak and the pipsqueak who’s going to be my brother-in-law in school, right? When I heard that, it made me want to put Yuriga in a large school, too. We don’t have those sorts of facilities in Malmkhitan, you see.”

  “Big Brother! I can read, write, and do arithmetic! If you say you want me to study more at this point, I would rather it be at your side learning to become a commander who can help you!”

  Fuuga put a hand down on her head. “Your potential as a commander isn’t bad. But that’s all it is, and you’ll reach your limits quickly if you only learn to be a warrior. Fortunately, your head isn’t half bad, either. If you amass knowledge and become a wise general, or an internal administrator, I think you can be a great success.”

  “B-But...”

  “Besides, I’m going to be getting busy. I’ll be welcoming Mutsumi as my bride, after all. Even if you stayed in Malmkhitan, I wouldn’t have the same time for you as before. So, why not go to the Kingdom of Friedonia with your fighting buddies? Come back to me someday as someone who can help realize my dream.”

  Yuriga glanced toward Tomoe and Ichiha.

  She must have been wondering whether to stay with Fuuga, who she would have less time with, or go to the kingdom and attend school with Tomoe and Ichiha.

  Yuriga thought about it in silence for a while, but ultimately she nodded. “I understand. I will learn in the kingdom, and make sure I become a person who can help you!”

  Then she clenched her fists in determination.

  Wait, hold on! Why were they moving this discussion along without any input from us?!

  “I haven’t said we’ll take her yet, you realize?” I pointed out.

  “Well, do me a favor,” Fuuga said, throwing his arm around my shoulder.

  This position... it was scary because, with Fuuga’s strength, he could easily strangle me to death.

  Even Fuuga was unlikely to do anything to me with the strongest warriors in the kingdom all her
e, mind you, but...

  I mean, he wouldn’t, right?

  It was a bit scary, so I wanted him to let go.

  When I looked, Aisha had her hand on the hilt of her greatsword, and Juna already had a throwing knife in hand ready to go, while Naden’s hair was standing on end.

  They were expressing that if he did anything funny, they would slash, or throw at, or shock him.

  Fuuga whispered in my ear, “Well, obviously... this isn’t just about Yuriga studying.”

  I whispered back, “She’s your precious sister, right? What are you thinking, leaving her with us?”

  “I’m doing it because she’s my precious sister.” Fuuga gave a crooked smile that showed off his fang-like teeth. “There’s about to be a lot of movement in my country. Internally, I plan to exterminate the hostile races remaining in Malmkhitan, while externally I intend to head into the Demon Lord’s Domain with support from the countries of the Union of Eastern Nations. In that process, I expect things to get wild, if only temporarily.”

  “...You’re serious about that.”

  “Of course. I don’t say things I’m not prepared to make a reality.”

  With the understanding that the demons were only deep inside the Demon Lord’s Domain, he would march in there with only the people from his own country. Was he truly trying to carry out what he had spoken of that day?

  Then Fuuga suddenly smiled. “There’s a risk of my relatives being targeted at that point. Mutsumi has the wits and power to defend herself, but Yuriga is still little. There could be people who’d try to abduct her to use as a hostage. When I consider the worst outcomes, I think it would be best to leave her far away, in the Kingdom of Friedonia.”

  “I see... Does Madam Mutsumi know about this?”

  “Sure. Mutsumi agreed with me.”

  When I looked in Madam Mutsumi’s direction, she gave me a slight nod.

  Take care of my sister-in-law, Yuriga. Was that what it was supposed to mean?

  If she approved of what Fuuga was doing here, that meant she knew he was about to embark on a huge gamble. Even knowing she faced danger herself, she was choosing to follow Fuuga down his path of conquest. I saw something that overlapped with Liscia in her eyes.