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

by Dojyomaru

  Ichiha quickly got in between them. “N-Now, now, both of you calm down.”

  These kids were the same as ever.

  Aisha, who had the best vision of anyone here, pointed into the sky and said, “It looks like they’re here.”

  Spinning around to search where Aisha was pointing, I could see a gondola drawn by four wyverns coming toward us.

  There was an escort of wyvern cavalry alongside it, too.

  The gondola slowly approached, and eventually set down in the courtyard.

  Once an attendant opened the door, Liscia in her usual uniform and Carla in her regular maid dress stepped out, each carrying a baby.

  “We’re home, Souma, everyone,” Liscia said to all of us with a smile.

  Her slightly longer than shoulder-length hair blew in the wind and sparkled.

  It was my dear children and a woman I loved. I couldn’t help but stare at this scene, which was like happiness made manifest.

  Eventually I came back to my senses, and rushed over to their side along with my fiancées.

  “Welcome home, Liscia,” I said. “Sorry I couldn’t go pick you up.”

  “Welcome home, Lady Liscia,” Aisha smiled. “I was eagerly awaiting your return.”

  “Hee hee, it looks like the babies are sleeping,” Juna giggled.

  “Ya got that right,” Roroa grinned. “Which of them’s the boy, and which is the girl?”

  “The one Liscia is holding is the girl, and the one Carla is holding is the boy,” said Naden. “I can sort of tell by their magic.”

  All of us were speaking to Liscia at once.

  “Geez,” she said with a troubled smile. “I’m happy for the welcome, but calm down, all of you.”

  Carla walked over to me and handed over the baby she was holding. “I have returned, master. Please take the young prince.”

  “Welcome home, Carla,” I said, reaching out for the boy. “Good work guarding Liscia and keeping her company. But... when you call him the young prince, it suddenly makes me feel old. I mean, it’s not wrong, though.”

  Even as I said that, I took my child, and...

  “Wah...? Ahhhh!”

  He suddenly burst out crying. Huh?! What was this, out of nowhere?!

  I panicked, and tried to calm him with a, “There, there,” but there was no sign he was going to stop crying.

  Even when everyone joined in with a, “What’s the matter,” and a, “Peekaboo!” nothing helped.

  We were at a loss for what to do.

  “Let Carla hold him,” Liscia suggested with a wry smile.

  When I handed him back to Carla like I was told, the boy immediately stopped crying. Then, just like that, he dozed off again.

  With an incredible look of relaxation. Was he that much happier in Carla’s arms than his own father’s?

  “It seems he likes it in Carla’s arms,” Liscia said. “Sometimes he won’t stop crying while I handle him, but when Carla does it, he will.”

  “As a parent, I’m getting jealous of Carla...” I complained.

  “Th-There isn’t anything I can do about it, you know?!” Carla, who was getting flack for something that wasn’t her fault, protested, but she couldn’t blame us.

  Liscia walked over to the three kids who were a little ways away. “You must be Ichiha from the Duchy of Chima, and you must be Yuriga from Malmkhitan. I’ve heard about both of you from Souma. Welcome to the Kingdom of Friedonia.”

  “N-Nice to meet you,” Ichiha said nervously. “I’m the youngest son of the House of Chima, Ichiha Chima.”

  “I’m... Yuriga. It’s... a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

  With Liscia suddenly talking to them, both the kids seemed a little tense.

  With Ichiha, that was only to be expected, but wasn’t Yuriga being a little too tense? Her earlier bravado was gone entirely.

  “What’s wrong, Yuriga?” Tomoe asked. “You’re all stiff.”

  She seemed to find Yuriga’s reaction a mystery, too.

  “Wh-What are you saying?” Yuriga shot back. “I am acting absolutely normal.”

  “Are you?”

  “Of course I am. You little squirt.”

  “H-Hey, shtop thaaaat.”

  Yuriga was stretching Tomoe’s cheeks again.

  Seeing Yuriga like that, Liscia chuckled. “From what I’ve heard from Souma, you’re even more of a tomboy than that.”

  “N-No, not at all...”

  “They called me a tomboy princess, too, so I can relate,” Liscia said with a big smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Yuriga nodded quickly.

  Oh, I got it. Because they were so similar, Yuriga might have gotten tense when she’d sensed the same sort of air she herself gave off.

  It had felt like a bigger version of herself had shown up, the way you feel when an older cousin suddenly addresses you.

  “Hey, Darlin’? I had a question,” Roroa said while pulling on the cheeks of the baby Carla was holding. “Do they have names already? I feel bad if you’re just gonna keep callin’ them ‘the boy’ and ‘the girl’ forever, ya know?”

  “Hm? Ohh, I hadn’t told you yet. We did name them. Right, Liscia?”

  “Yes. We decided Souma would name the boy, and I would name the girl.”

  As Liscia, Carla and I stood in a line, we announced the children’s names to everyone.

  First, the boy Carla was holding.

  “This is Cian,” I said. “It seems like a lot of people use names that are close to their parents in this country, and he’s likely to rule this country as a blood relative of the Elfrieden royal family someday, so I gave him a name that established his link to Liscia.”

  “Hee hee, Cian, is it? Well, that’s close to cyan, which means blue, so I can relate,” the blue-haired Juna said happily.

  It seemed everyone liked the name, so... honestly, I was relieved.

  Liscia showed the girl she was holding to everyone and said, “And for this girl’s name, I chose Kazuha.”

  “Kazuha? Hey, you ended up choosin’ a name that sounds kinda like Tomoe or Kaede’s, huh?” Roroa asked.

  “She’s right, it does have the same sort of sound as my name,” Tomoe said, giggling.

  Yeah, but why did she choose that name? I wondered.

  Liscia, with a soft smile, explained the origin of it.

  “You know, because of a mistake early on, he ended up being called Souma, but Souma’s actual first name is Kazuya, right? When we’re married and he inherits the names of Amidonia and Elfrieden, he’ll be Souma A. Elfrieden, right?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “That’s what we decided on, right.”

  “I felt sad knowing the name Kazuya would just disappear like that, so I gave this girl the name Kazuha. I thought I’d leave some proof that the name Kazuya did once exist,” Liscia said with a smile.

  She’d chosen the name Kazuha out of consideration for me? Oh, crap. I was getting misty eyes.

  If I burst into tears here, it’d be lame, so I held it in as well as I could.

  “Kazuha, you say?” Aisha asked. “I think that’s a cute name.”

  “I think it’s great,” Naden agreed. “It feels like a name from Souma’s world.”

  It was kind of them to say that.

  In the end, I had given a boy a name like Liscia’s, and Liscia had given a girl a name like mine.

  It might seem too simple, but... you could feel a definite bond there, so we liked it. Hopefully the kids would like their names, too.

  And so, turning around and pointing to the castle for the twins, I said, “Cian, Kazuha, can you see it? This is your home starting today.”

  “They’re both asleep, so of course they can’t,” Liscia teased me.

  Everyone laughed.

  As I scratched my head in embarrassment, Liscia walked over to stand beside me.

  “I was away for a while, but I see the castle’s more lively than ever.”

  “We’ve got more family, and you’re
back now, too, Liscia,” I smiled.

  “Hee hee. And there are going to be even more new members after this, right?”

  “I’m happy to have more kids, but I think I’ve got enough fiancées,” I said.

  “I don’t know about that. Knowing you, you might just go with the flow again, right?”

  “I can’t... deny that.”

  I had a record here, after all. Like with Roroa, or with Naden.

  While we were talking about that, Liscia leaned her head onto my shoulder. “No matter what happens after this, I’m sure we can overcome it.”

  “You’re right.” I nodded. “If everyone’s with us, we definitely can.”

  We smiled together, listening to the happy voices of our companions.

  The spring, which would mark two years after I had been given the crown, was almost upon us.

  Bonus Short Stories

  The “S”s Ride Together

  “She got me,” Excel groused. Well done outwitting me, Juna.”

  In the gondola on the way back to the Kingdom of Friedonia from the Kingdom of Lastania, Excel was muttering to herself. That was because Juna hadn’t gotten aboard the gondola that had come to fetch her. Instead, Juna had snuck back to Souma’s side.

  “Well, Big Sis Juna musta been upset about havin’ to hold down the fort the whole time, don’t ya think?” Roroa offered, trying to mollify her. She was aboard the same gondola. “I’m sure she was beside herself with worry, waitin’ alone for all of us to come back.”

  Excel turned her head to the side peevishly. If that were all, I could have gone, too. But that girl, she drives me off, and then stays herself! It’s not fair!”

  “Wait, what are you upset about, Duchess Walter? You’ve been makin’ passes at Darlin’ ’cause you enjoy seein’ our reactions, but you’re not plannin’ on actually makin’ him yours, right?”

  Silently, Roroa added, If you are actually plannin’ that, we’re gonna have to consider some measures on our side...

  But Excel let out a sigh of resignation. Well, you’re right about that. Your responses are just so delightfully innocent, I can’t help myself.”

  “Is it all right for me to get angry now?” Roroa shot back.

  Excel chuckled. Sorry. For us long-lived races, the thing we hate most is boredom. In order to avoid getting tired of our long lives, the key is to enjoy every day the best we can, but in spending every day feeling compelled to enjoy it, we can get tired of life, too.”

  “Is that how you ended up with such a hedonistic personality?” Roroa asked suspiciously.

  Excel gave her the most lovely smile. Yes. On that point, you reactions are always so innocent, and so much fun.”

  “We ain’t exactly doin’ it for your amusement...”

  “Hmm. I think I can understand that,” said a sudden voice from beside them.

  “Uwah?!”

  Roroa jumped in startlement.

  The one butting into the conversation was the castle’s super sadistic head maid, Serina. She was aboard this gondola to return to the kingdom, too, along with Poncho and Komain.

  “Making earnest girls like Liscia or Carla wear the most humiliating outfits, then watching them squirm, is so much fun,” Serina said pleasantly.

  “What’re you sayin’, out of nowhere like that?!” oroa exclaimed, but Serina was unabashed.

  “It’s the gap I like. The gap.”

  “Oh, my, you really seem to get it.” erina was saying outrageous things, but Excel seemed impressed. The more serious the girl, the better the response she’ll give you.”

  “Yes. The expression they make when caught between their ideal and their current situation is simply exquisite.”

  “When they want to act strong, but they can’t... is that it?”

  The two beauties shared a laugh.

  Roroa was completely put off by the two of them, and retreated closer to the other two passengers.

  “Hey, hey, your name’s Komain, right?” Roroa asked.

  At being addressed by the candidate to become the third primary queen, Komain replied in a tiny voice. Oh, yes. What is it, Lady Roroa?”

  “You’re with that head maid all the time, right? You’re not bein’ bullied, are you?”

  Komain looked at her blankly, cocking her head to the side. Bullied... is it? I’ve experienced no such thing.”

  Roroa’s eyes went wide. Huh? She’s not makin’ you wear frilly maid dresses or nothin’?”

  “Oh, the cute clothes, you mean? I didn’t think they suited me, but Sir Poncho said they were cute, so I do wear them from time to time.”

  “So you’re just honest with your feelings!” oroa retorted despite herself.

  That made sense. Going by what Serina said, seeing serious girls act embarrassed was what tickled her sadistic little heart. Komain was serious, but she wore the costume without resisting, which wouldn’t be satisfying to Serina.

  Komain clapped her hands. Oh, but when I do wear them, I ask Serina to wear them with me.”

  “Huh?! That head maid, wearin’ a frilly maid dress?!”

  Serina, who always wore long skirts that covered her up, in a frilly maid dress? Roroa’s jaw dropped as she was unable to imagine the scene.

  “When we do, Serina has her usual cool expression, but it’s cute the way her cheeks are just a little red,” Komain said gleefully.

  A sudden thought occurred to Roroa. Maybe this girl’s the strongest S of all? And she’s a natural who’s unaware of it, at that?

  The things she imagined made Roroa shudder.

  Incidentally, Poncho was unable to keep up with the conversation, and just spent the time wiping the sweat from his brow.

  I’m Coming to See You Now (Smiles)

  — At the end of the 12th month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar —

  When Hakuya and I entered the audience hall, there was a woman bowing at the bottom of the steps.

  “Sorry for the wait,” I said from the throne. “Please, raise your head.”

  She raised her face and spoke. I will. It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”

  When I saw her face like this, she certainly resembled Excel or Juna. Her glossy blue hair and glamorous figure spoke to her blood ties to Excel. If there was a difference, it was the single horn growing out of her forehead, and the blue dragon wings on her back.

  “Have you been well, Accela Walter?” I asked.

  “Yes. I’m living well with my son Carl in Red Dragon City.” he woman gave a soft smile.

  Her name was Accela Walter. She was Excel’s daughter with a dragonewt man, the former General of the Army Castor’s wife, and mother to Carla and Carl. Ever since Castor had broken ties with her before rebelling against me, she had been using Excel’s family name. Her son, Carl, had inherited the House of Vargas, but Accela was remaining divorced.

  “Don’t you resent me?” I began. “...Wait, no, what am I asking?”

  Even if I asked her, there was no way she would say she did to my face. It was just that Accela’s smile was so peaceful I couldn’t help but ask.

  Accela giggled at how flustered I was. Not in the least. Castor and Carla made their choice. I’m also aware that you worked hard to spare their lives. Carla made sure to tell me that, so, please, relax.”

  “O-Oh... It’s good to have you say that.”

  What an excellent wife. I could tell she was Excel’s daughter.

  “Now then, sire. I am told you had some business with me today?” she asked.

  I nodded in response. Yes. It’s about the meeting with Castor you requested.”

  She was silent.

  Even after their ties were cut, Accela remained concerned about Castor and Carla. Carla worked in the castle, so when Accela came to the castle in Carl’s place, she might accidentally, yes, just accidentally, meet her. However, for Castor, who was in Excel’s custody, that didn’t work.

  Though there was some room to sympathize with his complicated situation, Castor was a t
raitor who had rebelled against me. Though I had already punished him, it would be poor form for him to meet with Accela and Carl, who had been spared from punishment by association because of his cutting ties with them.

  That was why I hadn’t allowed them to meet... before now.

  “I obviously can’t let Carl meet him, but if it’s just you, I’ll allow it,” I said.

  “You mean it?!”

  “Yeah. Hakuya, explain please.”

  “Very well.” akuya bowed and took a step forward to speak. The other day, Sir Castor’s efforts succeeded in capturing an armed ship from the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union. We were, as a result, able to receive valuable information about the situation inside the archipelago from the captured crew. In recognition of this deed, we will allow Sir Castor and you to meet.”

  It was less that I’d just decided to accept it, and more that the justification I had been waiting for had arrived. Castor swore loyalty to me now, but he had rebelled once. In order to have the lower retainers accept him being permitted to see his family, I absolutely needed to stress that it was happening only at my grace.

  It seemed Accela understood that, and she knelt down and bowed her head deeply. Thank you. I will never forget the favor you do us.”

  This was to display her understanding that it was a favor, to show admiration, and to demonstrate that she harbored no ill will.

  Now then, that was enough formalities. I had Accela stand. I’ll look into Castor’s days off and let you know. You should go on one of those days.”

  “Oh, about that, I had a request,” ccela, who was now standing, said.

  A request?

  “What might that be?” I asked.

  “Could you not tell Castor I’ve been allowed to meet him? I want to surprise him with a sudden visit.”

  I see, a surprise, huh? What a charming wife.

  “Very well. I’m sure Castor will be surprised.”

  “Hee hee, I’m sure. The more he has to feel guilty about, the more he will.”

  Accela had a very serene smile as she said that... I don’t know, it was supposed to be a smile, but it was strangely intense. Juna made that face sometimes, too.

  “To feel guilty about...?” I repeated. “Has Castor done something?”