Bonus Short Stories

Tomoe, Holding Down the Fort

It happened at around the time that Souma and the others were in the

Star Dragon Mountain Range confronting the storm.

Tomoe, who had been left behind in a town bordering the Lunarian

Orthodox Papal State because it was too dangerous to bring her along, was

looking towards the Star Dragon Mountain Range in the northwest and

praying everyone would be okay.

"Big Brother. Big Sister," she prayed. "Everyone... Please, come back

safely."

Inugami, who had been entrusted with the task of guarding her, was

concerned. "Little Sister..."

Today, ever since a large black cloud had been sighted over the Star

Dragon Mountain Range, Tomoe had been looking out her window

towards the Star Dragon Mountain Range and praying for everyone's

safety. Praying was the only thing she could do, so she was doing it with

all her heart.

Unable to bear the sight any long, Inugami tried to cheer her up.

"It's okay. His Majesty and the princess have Madam Aisha, Officer

Halbert, and young Miss Carla, the foremost fighters of our kingdom, with

them. If you add Madam Naden, the dragon, on top of that, no matter what

might happen, I'm sure those fighters will be able to protect the two of

them."

Inugami said that to encourage her, but Tomoe looked down.

"I understand that. I do, but... I worry. I think Aisha would lay down

her life for Big Brother, but that makes me worry she'll get hurt..."

Inugami fell silent.

Because Souma had gone and made all of his bodyguards people they

were close to, Tomoe must be worrying about what would happen if any of

them were to suffer a life-threatening injury. It was easier to imagine the

worst when it involved someone you knew, after all.

It would be easy to tell her things are okay... but even if it would be

easy to say, without any basis for saying it, it wouldn't be enough to

reassure her. It would be better to redirect her attention.

Inugami placed a hand on Tomoe's shoulder. "It's not good for your

health to worry so much. Rather than imagine an unpleasant future, why

not talk about what you'll be doing after this? You can talk with me."

"What I'll be doing after this...?" Tomoe asked, looking up.

Tomoe had taken an interest, so Inugami continued in a bright tone of

voice. "Yes. His Majesty said his trips abroad would continue. He said

quite clearly that he would be bringing you along, too. What do you think

the next country you'll visit is?"

"You mean somewhere other than the Star Dragon Mountain Range,

right?"

Tomoe started trying to predict the next country. A good sign.

"We have good relations with the Empire, and they're too far away,

right? So it'll be one of the neighboring countries..."

"Well, what neighbors does the Kingdom of Friedonia have?"

"We have five. The Union of Eastern Nations, the Republic of Turgis,

the Mercenary State Zem, the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State, and the

Nine-Headed Dragon Union across the sea."

Thanks to taking lessons from Hakuya, Tomoe was now able to rattle

those names off so smoothly that it was hard to think of her as a child.

"Which of those seem like places you wouldn't go to?" Inugami asked.

"I think with the trouble involved in crossing the sea, and with the

dispute over fishing rights, it probably won't be the Nine-Headed Dragon

Union. It's in the opposite direction of the city we're staying in, too. Other

than that, the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State just tried to make Big Brother

into their holy king the other day, so I don't think he'd want to go there."

"I have to concur," Inugami nodded. "In addition, the Union of Eastern

Nations is a collection of small to medium sized states, and the

negotiations for His Majesty to visit each of them individually would be

difficult. Also, many of the requests for marriage that have been flooding

the castle are coming from those countries, so he would likely hesitate to

visit them."

"In that case... will it be the Republic of Turgis or the Mercenary State

Zem?" Tomoe guessed.

Although there had been issues with the eternally neutral Zem during

the war with Amidonia, they weren't openly hostile. As for the Republic, it

wasn't entirely clear whether they were hostile or not.

Tomoe asked, "Do you know about Zem and the republic, Mr.

Inugami?"

"Because the republic is a closed off country, I know that their five

major races control the country through a council, but... that's about it.

However, when it comes to Zem, I have heard things from the

mercenaries."

Though it had been terminated after Souma had been entrusted with the

throne, the Elfrieden Kingdom had previously had a mercenary contract

with Zem. That was why Zemish mercenaries had been in the kingdom.

"It seems that they are a meritocracy... or rather, it seems might makes

right there."

"M-Might does?" Tomoe stammered.

"Yes. It seems that even the right to rule can be claimed by martial

prowess. Once every year, the country comes together to hold a big martial

arts tournament, and they do everything possible to grant one wish to the

winner. If the winner wishes to be king, they will be given the right to

challenge the current king, and if they should emerge victorious, they

become king themselves. That is why Zem's king is always the most

powerful warrior in the country."

"Um, does that work for the country? Having someone be king just

because they're strong..."

"The bureaucracy that handles internal affairs is independent of the

king, so it is probably all right. The king takes responsibility for military

matters, so even if the king's talents are entirely martial in nature, they

should be able to manage as a king. It seems the citizens find it reassuring,

too. Because they claim neutrality, their country won't attack other

countries, and if they are attacked themselves, they'll have the strongest

possible king to defend them. It's a sort of charisma, I suppose."

"Wow... There sure are a lot of ways to run a country." Tomoe let out

an impressed sigh and smiled. "There are so many different countries in

the world. Could this be what my teacher" (Hakuya) "meant when he said

to broaden my horizons?"

"Perhaps."

"I want to learn more about all the other countries. By learning more, I

think I can learn to love this country that Big Brother and the others rule

even more."

"Heh... I will accompany you anywhere you wish, Little Sister."

With that, Inugami patted Tomoe on the head, and...

"Ah! Pardon me!"

He hurriedly drew back his hand. Seeing Tomoe so enthused, he had

patted her head despite himself, but that was clearly not proper for him to

be doing to the adopted sister of his liege.

Tomoe had a blank look on her face, but she quickly shook her head

when she saw Inugami bowing to her. "Oh, no! Don't worry about it! I

didn't mind!"

"But..."

"Um... It kind of reminded me of Dad. It brought back fond memories."

Tomoe's father had passed away soon after her little brother was born.

That must be why Inugami, who was of a similar race, reminded her of

him.

Tomoe took Inugami's hand. "So... I want you to keep teaching me,

praising me, and patting me on the head."

"Little Sister... understood."

When Tomoe asked for that with upturned eyes, Inugami couldn't deny

her.

Incidentally, Inugami wasn't the only member of the Black Cats

present, and his compatriots would continue to bring up the indescribable

expression he made at his point over drinks for a good long time.

Naden and the Royal Capital 

My name is Naden Delal.

I am a black ryuu from the Star Dragon Mountain Range, and just the

other day, I formed a dragon knight contract with King Souma of

Friedonia, and then came to this country to become his bride.

Mind you, even if it is a dragon knight contract, Souma's a king, and

I'm a ryuu, so we're kind of an exception to the norm.

Now, the night we returned to Parnam Castle, Souma called me into the

governmental affairs office.

"Hey, Naden, they gave you an education on how to act like a proper

lady in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "Lady Tiamat taught me everything I'd need to know so

that I would be ready to become a knight's wife."

"Judging from how well you dance, the level of education in the Star

Dragon Mountain Range seems to be high. I don't think you need any new

lessons on how to become a queen."

According to Souma, unlike a primary queen, a secondary queen gave

up the right of her children to inherit the throne in exchange for not being

restrained by all the strict rules of etiquette. If she always supported the

primary queens in public, and maintained a certain base level of etiquette,

that was apparently enough.

Because a woman could become a secondary queen regardless of her

social status, and because, as long as she reported she was going, she could

head out to the castle town with relative freedom, many women aspired to

become secondary queens.

Souma scratched his cheek as he said, "Well, even if you'll be a

secondary queen, you're still royalty, so normally you'd need a guard

when you went outside, but... I doubt there's going to be much that poses a

risk to a ryuu. If you take on ryuu form, no one can lay a hand on you, and

if it really gets risky, you can fly away."

"I think you're right, but... what are you trying to get at?" I wasn't sure

why he was being so roundabout about this.

Souma smiled wryly and told me, "I'll be heading to the Republic of

Turgis soon, but you can't come with us because it's so cold there, right,

Naden? So, while I'm gone, your schedule's going to be empty."

He was right—ryuus, dragons, and dragonewts didn't stand up well to

the cold. If I insisted against my better judgment on accompanying him to

a land of freezing cold like Turgis, it might ruin my health and cause

trouble for Souma. That was why I couldn't accompany Souma on his trip

to the Republic of Turgis. It frustrated me to not be able to help.

"Don't make that face." Souma rose from his chair and patted me on

the head. "I have a request for you. Something only you can handle. Once

we come back from the republic, I want to have a meeting with you about

it."

"Souma..."

"That's why, well, I wanted to say it would be good for you to look

around the capital to your heart's content until then. The security inside the

capital is solid, after all. I like the way you're free and uninhibited. I don't

want to tie you down to the castle." Souma smiled. "So you can go around

the castle town freely. That's what I wanted to tell you."

"Souma... Um, thanks."

Souma was thinking about my needs. I was grateful for that.

"Ha ha..." he chuckled. "Oh, also, take care of Liscia for me, too."

"Yeah, she was looking a bit under the weather."

She'd said it was exhaustion catching up with her, but I was a little

worried.

"Roger that. I'll look after Liscia." I pounded my chest with one hand

as I promised him that.

"Though, even if he tells me I can come and go freely..."

Some days after Souma and the others had left for the Republic of

Turgis, I went down to the castle town.

As for Liscia, who'd been feeling unwell, she might not have made a

full recovery yet, but she'd stabilized. She had no fever, and had an

appetite. But, to stay on the safe side, she would be taking it easy and

letting her body relax for a while. There would be a good doctor coming to

see her tomorrow, so there was nothing for me to do.

That being the case, I'd come down to the castle town, but I had no

idea what to do. It was an unfamiliar land to me, after all. I could see the

castle from anywhere in town, so there was no risk of me getting lost, but

where was I going to go? While I was thinking that...

"Hm?"

Suddenly, I felt a tug on my skirt, and when I looked down there was a

little girl who only came up to my waist, crying and clinging to the hem of

my skirt.

"Huh, who are you? No, what's wrong?"

"I came here... with my friend, but... I dunno the way back..." the little

girl told me through her sobs.

Yikes, she was lost, huh?

I crouched down to get on the same level as her, patting the girl on the

head. "Erm... You came with your friend, right? Where were you going?"

"The... the plaza... with the fountain..."

A plaza with a fountain, huh. I remembered seeing that from the air.

Maybe, rather than hand her over to the guards, it'd be faster for me to

take her there myself. I picked the little girl up in my arms.

"Huh?"

"It's okay. I'll take you there."

I jumped, kicked off of a wall, and landed on one of the orange roofs.

Even in my human form, I could do this much. I headed along the roofs

towards the fountain plaza.

"Y-You're so fast..." The little girl I was carrying blinked in surprise.

"But being carried like this... is a little scary. Can you give me a piggyback

ride instead...?"

"No can do."

"Why not?"

"Because the only one I let ride on my back is my husband," I said

teasingly.

The little girl gave me a blank look.

Once I saw the girl to the fountain plaza where her friend was, I ended

up playing with them, too, and I was covered in mud by the time I got back

to the castle.

When she heard about it, I was summoned by Liscia, who gave me an

earful.

"Naden... you played around too much," she scolded.

"Yeah..."

It had been maybe fifteen minutes since I'd been made to sit in front of

the bed Liscia was sitting in.

"Take more care about the way people see you, even if you're a

secondary queen, show some understanding of your position, and, really,

should a woman be going and getting covered in mud like that to begin

with...?" It seemed to me, from the lecture I'd gotten, that she was plenty

healthy.

"Naden," Liscia said and looked straight at me.

W-Was I in for more? I tensed myself, expecting that, but Liscia put on

a smile.

"Have you taken a liking to this country?"

I smiled and gave her a firm answer. "Yup!"

Poncho Becomes a Governor

It happened just before Souma departed for the Star Dragon Mountain

Range.

On this day, Souma summoned the Kingdom of Friedonia's Minister of

Agriculture and Forestry, Poncho, to the governmental affairs office.

When Poncho entered the room, Souma was seated in his chair, and for

some reason the head maid Serina was standing in the corner of the room.

The presence of Serina, who stood there with a composed look on her

face, seemed to catch his attention, but Poncho first addressed the

provisional king.

"I-I have come at your behest, yes."

"It's good to have you here," Souma answered. "I have a job for you."

"A job, is it?"

Souma unfurled a map of the country on top of the desk. "You know

we built the new city, Venetinova, as a key point for the distribution of

goods, right? In consideration of the city's importance, I decided that,

instead of a magistrate, I would create a new 'governor' post and have that

person manage the city. I plan to entrust it to Weist, who distinguished

himself during the war, but it seems he's preoccupied with the procedures

for changing his domain. That's why, for the time being, I need someone

else to serve as the governor in his place. I want you to do the job,

Poncho."

"Me, manage such an important city?!"

"It's because it's an important city. That, and also because the city has

taken in a large number of former refugees as citizens. If I made the

mistake of leaving it to a prideful noble, there's the risk they would cause

unneeded friction. I want someone with a mild personality, and one who

has ample support from the populace."

"B-But... I lack the experience..." Poncho looked uncertain.

But Souma smiled wryly and gave him his seal of approval. "It should

be fine. I've asked Serina to serve as your assistant. Besides, Komain, who

was formerly the assistant leader of the refugees, is in Venetinova, too.

You know her, right?"

"Y-Yes... Yes. We met a number of times while I was distributing food

support..."

Komain was the young woman who had been the assistant leader of the

refugee camp, and she was the one who'd brought together the former

refugees who'd chosen to cast aside their homelands to become citizens of

the kingdom. Her personality was never timid, even when dealing with

men, and that made her popular. With her help, the citizens would easily

accept Poncho.

"You can consult with the two of them while you work," Souma said.

"I'm counting on you."

Now that the provisional king had told him that, Poncho was unable to

say he didn't want to do it. "Y-Yes. I understand. I'll be counting on your

support, too, Madam Serina."

"If it is my master's order, it would seem I have no choice," Serina said

with a composed look on her face, then bowed. "I will support you to the

best of my abilities."

The fact of the matter was, when Souma had told Serina, "I want you to

go to Venetinova as Poncho's assistant," she had accepted immediately. It

seemed she didn't want to be unable to eat Poncho's food while he was

away from the castle. Knowing that fact, all Souma could do was smile

wryly.

"Well, do your best. Oh, also, I think all the marriage proposals that

have been coming to the castle for you will start to go to that city, so good

luck sorting through all of those."

"C-Come again?" The sudden mention of marriage proposals made

Poncho's eyes go wide and his voice to sound funny. "Th-There've been

proposals for me?"

"Yeah. So, you know one of the reasons for my trip abroad is to

provide an excuse to decline all the requests to meet young women with an

eye to marriage that have been swamping the castle, right? Well, we've

had a number of the same sort of requests for you. For the sake of the

castle, I'd like to have you go elsewhere, too."

"Th-Then, the reason I was chosen to be magistrate of Venetinova was

also..."

"That's part of it, too. I've given you Serina as an assistant, so do your

best."

Having been told that, all Poncho could do was stand there, as if in a

daze.

Some days later, in the office in the governor's mansion in

Venetinova...

"Now then, I'll make a roster of the refugees who've joined us," said

Komain.

"Please do that, yes."

Poncho watched as the girl who had formerly been the assistant leader

of the refugees left the room, papers in hand. This was the last thing he had

needed to give his approval for as governor today.

"Your government duties for the day are finished, but there are still

things that need doing," his assistant, Serina, said.

Poncho, who understood what Serina meant, hesitantly asked, "...So,

how many will there be today? Yes?"

"Five people. A relatively low number," Serina said plainly, causing

Poncho's shoulders to slump.

Whenever his duties were finished, it was time to meet prospective

marriage candidates. The daughters of nobles and powerful merchants who

wanted to marry him were apparently already standing by in the waiting

room. It was a regular work day, so he was getting off with just five, but

on his days off, he was swamped with so many applicants that they had to

form a line.

That was Poncho, the man revered as Lord Ishizuka the God of Food,

for you. He was so popular that he couldn't rest even on his days off. If he

would just marry one of them already, things might settle down a little, but

unfortunately, even with all these offers coming in, not one came to

fruition.

"I'm sorry to put you through this too, Madam Serina," he said.

"This is an order from my master, so don't let it bother you."

Serina accompanied Poncho to all of these marriage meetings. That

was because Souma had asked her to keep a close eye on him and make

sure Poncho didn't fall for a woman or a House that had ulterior motives.

Serina had a cool look on her face as she spoke, and Poncho acted very

obliged to her.

"I'm truly grateful to you, Madam Serina, yes."

"Talk is cheap." Serina turned away, then glanced sideways at Poncho.

"I'd like to see you show your sincerity."

"I understand, yes." With a wry smile, Poncho pulled a certain

something out of his desk drawer. When he placed that long, black thing

on his desk, Serina looked at it intently.

"Is this... seaweed, perhaps?"

"This is a seaside city, after all. I managed to acquire some good

quality kombu. Tonight I'll use the broth from this and eggs to make the

dish called 'chawanmushi' that His Majesty taught me, yes."

"Chawanmushi... What sort of dish might that be?" Her tone was level,

but there was a sparkle in Serina's eyes, and it was clear she was intrigued.

"It's soft like pudding, but it has a taste as deep as the sea, I'm told."

"Ooh... Let's get these meetings out of the way quickly, Sir Poncho."

Serina took Poncho's arm with an entranced look on her face. With

Serina, whose head was no doubt full of chawanmushi, rushing him,

Poncho left the office with a strained smile.

Incidentally, with Serina getting worked up, the bar was about to be

raised for Poncho's meetings with prospective partners, but... that is a

story for another time.

(To be continued in volume 7.)

Juna and Roroa Demand Answers

This happened the night that I temporarily returned from the Star

Dragon Mountain Range to the Kingdom of Friedonia to consult with the

others on whether to form a dragon knight contract, which was essentially

an engagement, with Naden.

When I introduced Naden to Liscia, Juna, and Roroa, the ones who had

remained in the kingdom, Liscia took Naden away (for some reason, she

said they'd be taking a bath together), and I found myself being pulled

away, with Roroa and Juna each holding one arm, and dragged to Roroa's

room.

Roroa's room was filled with lots of girlish little things.

They sat me down in a chair in that room, and Roroa sat down across

from me at a small table. Juna wore a broad smile as she stood at Roroa's

side.

Wh-What was this...? The way things were set up, was this an

interrogation room or something?

"Com on now, darlin'. Out with it." Roroa folded her hands together in

front of her mouth as she said that.

"O-Out with... what exactly?" I asked hesitantly.

"I've gotta mean everythin' about Naden, obviously. It's only been

about half a month since ya left for the Star Dragon Mountain Range,

y'know. What's got her so fond of ya in such a short time?"

"That had caught my attention, too. Oh, have some tea," Juna said,

proffering a cup of black tea that she had prepared at some point. "I sensed

she had a strong desire to be married to you. You two only met just

recently, didn't you? Just what was it that made that time so rich?"

"Rich? I was just doing normal stuff, really..."

""Tell us more.""

"O-Okay..."

The two pressed me, so I gave up and told them about Naden.

About how Naden had been the only ryuu in the land of dragons, and

she had seemed isolated because she'd looked different from those around

her.

How I'd happened to know what ryuus were, and when I'd told Naden

that she was one, she had looked like a great weight was lifted from her

shoulders.

How we'd watched an Imperial-made Jewel Voice Broadcast in her

room, read romance novels, and lazed around.

How I'd stepped in when a red dragon called Ruby had been picking a

fight with her.

How I had been able to teach her to fly...

And so on, and so forth. They asked questions and picked over every

little detail of the time I'd spent with her.

Having heard all I had to say, Roroa's cheeks were bright red. "What's

with that lovely meetin'? Darlin', you're basically a prince on a white

horse."

"I wasn't riding on any white horse, though," I said. "I had a dragon

carry me to the Star Dragon Mountain Range in her mouth."

"Who cares if ya were actually ridin' one! Ya appeared before a young

gal in distress and fixed her problems right quick. That's more than any

girl can ask for!"

Wait, was Roroa really the one to say it'd been a contrived meeting?

But it was true that it felt like we were dancing in the palm of Mother

Dragon's hand.

"I agree with Roroa."

Even you, Juna?

"Hearing your story, I felt like I could understand how you became a

special person to Naden. I would say you're already a person she can't do

without. That must by why she so strongly wants to be together with you."

"Everythin' was dramatic, down to the way you met." Roroa was

nodding in agreement.

But no. "If we're just talking about how we met, wasn't the way I met

both of you plenty dramatic?" I asked. "Juna, you were a spy sent by

Excel, and Roroa, you came to me with your country in tow, right? Heck,

you even came wrapped in a carpet, and surprised me with a dun-da-dadun."

"I directed that myself. I'm jealous of Nadie, who got a dramatic

meetin' without havin' to do anythin' other than be herself."

"That's right," Juna said. "Meeting you as a spy leaves a bad

impression, too..."

Roroa got up from her chair and turned to look away from me, while

Juna looked a little dejected. Their individual reactions... felt really cute,

somehow.

I rose from my chair and hugged both of them together. "Without the

two of you, I'm sure I wouldn't be here doing any of this. Juna, you

brought me my ties to Excel. Roroa, you soothed the hearts of the people

of the principality. Of course, the same thing goes for my meetings with

Liscia and Aisha. No matter how we met, if any one of you had been

missing, I couldn't have built a present as good as the one we have now."

"Sire..."

"Darlin'..."

I gave Roroa and Juna a big smile. "It's thanks to all of you that I'm

somehow managing to get by as king. I'm grateful."

"Hee hee! You're too kind," Juna giggled.

"Ha ha ha! If ya wanna say that, I'm certainly not gonna complain."

The two of them smiled. While I was feeling relieved...

"But still, darlin'. I'm thinkin' you oughta show some more

appreciation," Roroa went and said.

Huh? Show it?

Roroa grabbed my arm and started swinging it around. "So, with that

bein' the case, Darlin's sleepin' in my bed today."

"Ro-Roroa?!" Juna's eyes went wide.

"How does that follow?!" I exclaimed.

"I can't have you go layin' a hand on me yet 'cause of the whole

succession issue, but if ya keep your hands to yourself, it oughta be fine,

right? I've heard ya already slept next to Bid Sister Cia and Big Sister Ai,

so why don'tcha sleep with me and Juna, too?"

"Oh, if that's all... I'll go get the pillows." Juna, seemingly satisfied

with that explanation, left the room.

Huh? This was already decided?

"Ha ha ha! I'm gonna be dreamin' sweet dreams tonight," Roroa

snickered.

"...Okay, I get it," I said.

And so, that day, the three of us slept together.

Roroa was more clingy than necessary, and Juna's wonderful scent

made me feel a little lightheaded, but I felt tired from moving, so I quickly

fell asleep.

As for what I dreamed... that's embarrassing, so I'd rather not say.

Ruby Goes to Hal's Family Home

I'm Ruby, a dragon who formed a dragon knight contract with Halbert,

an officer of the Kingdom of Friedonia.

It's unusual for a dragon of the Star Dragon Mountain Range to marry

into any country other than the Nothung Dragon Knight Kingdom, but

when it came to being an exception, that black girl who'd married the king

had me beat.

Now, as for today, I had come to Hal's family home, the House of

Magna, but...

"You big idiot!" a man shouted.

"Gwah!"

The moment the door to the mansion opened, Hal was suddenly sent

flying. In front of me, fist outstretched, there was a dapper old man who

looked a lot like Hal. The old man had a red beard, and his macho body

made him look like an experienced warrior.

"Owww, what do you think you're doing, out of nowhere, Dad?" Hal

cried, rubbing his cheek.

Did this mean the elderly gentleman was Hal's father?

Hal's father... whose name I was later told was Glaive... pointed his

clenched fist towards Hal as he said, "I've heard the reports. About

everything you did in the Star Dragon Mountain Range. I'll recognize it

was a time of crisis, and even that you were vital to solving the problem

there. That said, don't you feel bad for what you did to Kaede? You two

were engaged to be married! The same goes for this girl, too. Your

thoughtless actions decided her future for her!"

"Guh..."

Hal got unsteadily to his feet, but he must have had something on his

mind, because he didn't say anything in return. This was terrible, seeing

Hal chastised for forming a contract with me.

"Stop this! I'm the one who was wrong!" I hurriedly interposed myself

between them. "I imposed on them because I wanted to be able to do

something. Hal and Kaede simply accepted that! So, please, punish me

instead!"

When I appealed to him like that, Glaive blinked. It was as if he was

surprised by something he hadn't expected to happen.

Huh? Why was that his reaction? Wasn't he upset about us forming a

contract?

There was an awkward silence, and then...

"Okay, okay. You come over here."

There was a sudden pull on my arm, moving me out from between the

two of them. When I turned back, there was a lady with a gentle look on

her face. The lady let go of my arm, then placed her index finger on my

lips.

"No getting in their way. That's how those two communicate as father

and son."

"C-Communicate?" I stuttered. "Like that?"

It looked to me like Hal got punched, though!

The lady placed a hand on her cheek and made a troubled smile. "Oh,

men are such idiots. When he heard his son had become the first dragon

knight in this country since the first hero king, he was happy, saying, 'That

idiot's a dragon knight, huh!'"

"That's what he says when he's happy?!"

"But if he were only to act happy, that wouldn't be fair to Kaede, who

Hal had just gotten engaged to, or to the people of the House of Foxia,

now would it? The situation being what it was, Kaede and the House of

Foxia won't blame Hal for what he did. That's why he's getting angry on

their behalf."

"Wh-What an awkward father and son..." I said in exasperation, and

the lady giggled.

"They're going to be your family now. By the way, I'm Hal's mother

Elba."

"Y-You're his mother?!"

"Oh, my, how lovely. Your red hair looks just like my husband's and

Hal's, so it will be like having a real daughter," Lady Elba said with a

nonchalant smile. It was relieving to see that she seemed like a very warm

person.

Meanwhile, now that Lady Elba had spilled his true feelings for all to

hear, Sir Glaive turned red with embarrassment.

"You lucky man!" Glaive exclaimed, beating his son.

"Gwah...! Wait, I'm not going to accept getting punched for that, you

jerk!"

Oh, this time Hal was hitting back.

"Ngh... Kaede wasn't enough for you, so you went and seduced a nice

girl like this, too!"

"Urgh... I didn't seduce anyone!"

The red-haired father and son started a slugging match. On a closer

look, they both seemed full of life, so Lady Elba must have been right, and

this was just how the Magnas communicated.

By the way, their communication ended with a victory for Sir Glaive.

That was because Hal, who probably did feel a little guilty, couldn't help

but pull his punches. While dragging the bloodied Hal behind him, Sir

Glaive said to Lady Elba, "Sorry, we're going to go apologize to the

House of Foxia."

She giggled. "Come back soon."

Glaive set off in high spirits, dragging Hal with him, and Lady Elba

watched them go with a gentle smile on her face. When I asked her about

it, I was told Hal had disrespected the king once before and received that

sort of punishment before being dragged to the castle to apologize. Was

this how apologies were done in the House of Magna?

...Was I going to be able to make it in this house?

While I was worrying about that...

"I told this to Kaede, too, but the most important thing in married life is

'getting used to it,' okay?" said Lady Elba.

"...I'll take that to heart, Mother Elba."

All I could do was nod.

Some days later, Hal and Kaede accompanied the king south to the

Republic of Turgis.

However, I ended up staying behind and watching the home front at the

House of Magna. Dragons and ryuus were weak against the cold, and I

would just be in the way if I accompanied the to the frigid lands of the

republic.

And so, for the time being, I was enjoying the first family I had ever

had.

"What do you think, Father Glaive?" I asked, giving him a shoulder

rub.

"U-Ungh... Not bad."

Glaive had a gruff face, and he could be curt, but his ears were turning

red, so I could easily tell he felt embarrassed. I'd thought he was a dapper

old man, but he had a pretty cute side to him, too.

"Ruby, dear, I'm going to be getting dinner ready," said Lady Elba.

"Could you help?"

"Yes, Mother Elba!"

And I cheerily went over to the kitchen.

The What-If Known as Discarded Setting Elements

*Note: This story has nothing to do with the main story. Sorry.

"...There sure are a lot of them," Liscia said. "Far more than predicted."

"That's just how serious the principality is."

As Liscia and I stood on the walls of Altomura, we could see the

advancing forces of the Principality of Amidonia coming our way. The

30,000 soldiers of the principality's army, which had moved into Elfrieden

to take advantage of discord between the three dukes and me, were

advancing from the south towards the fertile grain-producing region of

Altomura.

We had only just put down the three dukes, and our main force, the

Forbidden Army, was in the middle of absorbing the Army in the Carmine

Duchy and being reorganized as the National Defense Force. The newly

reorganized National Defense Force wouldn't be coming here, and would

instead launch a counter-invasion to the north and take the capital of the

principality, Van.

That was why Altomura had only the local garrison of five hundred

soldiers and a force of two thousand marines under the command of

Admiral Excel of the Navy. We had to stop the principality's force of

30,000 with only 2,500 soldiers, and to buy time until the main force could

begin their counter-invasion.

"It's going to be a hard battle," Liscia said.

"We knew that. That's why we brought that thing, isn't it?"

We turned around to look at the shining, metallic silver of a massive

mechanical dragon. Created by the pride of our kingdom, the overscientist

Genia Maxwell, this was Mechadra. It was a weapon with armor that was

impervious to cannons, and it had a built in Type-10 which deflected

magic attacks, but no functions that would make it move. It had been a

white elephant, with no purpose but to maybe act as a giant scarecrow.

However, my ability, Living Poltergeists, was able to move it.

"Your Majesty, things are ready on my end," Aisha called.

"The marines are ready to go anytime," Juna added.

The greatest warrior in the kingdom, Aisha, and the songstress who

was also the commander of the marines, Juna, came along. They both

reported in like that. If we sent Mechadra out, it was guaranteed to sow

confusion in the principality's ranks. In that time, Aisha and the marines

would sally from the back gate, then make a big loop around to cut off the

enemy's supply lines from the rear.

I nodded to the two of them. "Okay. Well, let's get started."

""Yes, sir!""

Watching Aisha and Juna run off, I tried to get into Mechadra's

"cockpit." That was when it happened. Suddenly...

"Souma!" Liscia shouted my name and got me to stop.

I turned back to look, and Liscia threw herself at me and hugged me.

"L-Liscia?"

After I caught her, stumbling slightly, Liscia said in a strained voice,

"Um, listen... I'm sorry. For getting you caught in a battle like this."

There were tears in her eyes. Her moistened eyes were bleary with the

guilt of having torn me from my homeland, but still having made me fight

on behalf of this country. She must have had it eating at her all this time.

I didn't want Liscia to look at me like that, so I put a hand on top of her

head. "Don't make that face. I'm the king now, and there are things I must

do."

Liscia kept acting worried. "But if anything were to happen to you... I...

Eek!"

I hugged her tight. As I embraced her body, which despite all her

strength was quite delicate, I gently patted the back of her head.

"It's okay. Mechadra and I won't lose."

"Souma..."

"So, wait for me. I'll send them packing, and then I'll come right back

to your side."

"...Right!"

I released Liscia and got in the cockpit. Then, as I sat in my seat, I

pressed my hands to the sides of the cockpit, transferring one of my

consciousnesses into Mechadra.

In the next instant, Mechadra began to move like it had a will of its

own, and let out a mechanical roar.

Okay... Let's go, Mechadra.

"This is Souma Kazuya in Mechadra, launching."

◇ ◇ ◇

"...Wait, huh?"

When I opened my eyes, I was in the governmental affairs office in

Parnam.

In front of me was a mountain of paperwork to look through. Yep... the

usual.

It looked like I'd dozed off while doing paperwork. I felt like I'd been

watching a pretty realistic dream for a rather long time, but... I couldn't

remember the details.

Well, that's just how dreams are.

When I stretched, Liscia, who had been doing paperwork with me,

looked over at me with a mystified look on her face.

"Are you okay? If you're tired, you should rest, you know?"

Liscia was showing concern for my well-being, but I told her with a

forced smile, "No, it's nothing. I just dozed off and had a weird dream."

Explanation: This is what the story looks like if all limiters have been

removed, and Souma's abilities, Mechadra's functions, and the reactions

of surrounding countries to both are addressed. In the early stages of

writing Realist Hero, I considered letting Souma really let loose with his

abilities, but it seemed more difficult to set this work apart from others that

way, and it also seemed contrary to what the readers wanted, so I scrapped

the idea.

Liscia in Recovery

I am Liscia Elfrieden. The candidate to become Souma's First Primary

Queen.

With the matter of the Star Dragon Mountain Range sorted, we had all

come back to the kingdom yesterday, but I must have been exhausted from

all the moving around I'd done, because my health gave out. The

symptoms were the dizziness and the lethargy I had felt affecting my

whole body as I was disembarking from the gondola. Also, my appetite

was a little weaker than usual.

Because it was probably just a cold, I was resting and recuperating in

my own bed. There were always people rushing around the castle, but

today was quiet. I was sure they must have been trying not to make too

much noise around this room because I wasn't feeling well.

"It feels like... time's stopped," I murmured.

Ever since Souma arrived, the days had gone by blindingly fast, so it

might have been a while since I'd felt so relaxed. Souma always had some

sort of work, and since I had started helping him, it had been quite a while

since I'd had time where I didn't have to do anything. It was good to be

able to relax, but...

"...But I'm bored."

I always joined the castle guards in their training with Aisha when I

had spare time, but I couldn't do that in my condition. Well, I considered

reading a book, but all I had in this room were manuals on military tactics

and strategy. If I read these now, I was sure to lose my lunch. It hurt to

admit it myself, but I sure had a bland room. The only girly thing in this

room was a doll Souma had made as part of his hobby, so I felt pretty

pathetic. (Souma had way too much girl power.)

While I was sitting there with nothing to do, there was a knock at the

door.

"Come in," I called out, and Roroa came in with Aisha, who was

carrying some large, covered object.

"Heya, Big Sister Cia, how's your health holdin' up?"

"Pardon us... Oof." Aisha laid her large parcel down on the floor.

I blinked. "My health is stabilizing, but... what is that thing?"

Roroa laughed mischievously.

"I figured you'd be gettin' bored, so we went and borrowed this from

Darlin'. Right, Big Sister Ai?"

"Yep. Ta-dah."

Aisha pulled back the cover to reveal a simple Jewel Voice Broadcast

receiver. When Roroa pressed the switch on it, they were right in the

middle of a singing program.

"Went and had one of the royal family's units adjusted to receive

public broadcasts," Roroa said with a smugly confident look. "This oughta

help kill some boredom while ya can't go out, don'tcha think?"

"Is it okay for me to use it? We don't have that many simple

receivers..."

"We've received permission from His Highness. There were no plans

to use it in the immediate future, so he said it's fine," Aisha explained.

If they'd gotten permission, it was probably fine, I guess?

"Thanks, Roroa, Aisha."

"Ha ha ha!" Roroa laughed. "Don't you worry about it."

"Get well soon," Aisha added.

They were concerned that staying to long might be a burden on me, so

the two of them left the room quickly. Having been left by myself, I

absentmindedly watched a music program. Usually I was on the

production side of these things, so I hadn't relaxed and watched it this way

before, but... it was surprisingly good.

While I was thinking that, there was another knock at the door.

"Come in," I called out, and this time Juna and Naden came in.

"Pardon us," said Juna.

"We're coming in."

The two of them, it seemed, had armfuls of books. They lugged them in

and left them at my bedside. From the look of the covers and titles, it

looked like they were adventure and romance novels.

"What's with these books?" I asked.

"They're mine, brought here from the Star Dragon Mountain Range,"

Naden said, puffing up her chest with pride.

Juna smiled wryly and added, "We heard from Lady Roroa that you

were feeling bored, so Naden brought her books to lend you."

"Because I heard you had nothing but military books. These books are

all great."

It seemed Juna and Naden, like Roroa and Aisha before them, had

come with something to help assuage my boredom. I smiled and thanked

them.

"Thanks, Juna, Naden."

"Please, take good care of yourself," Juna told me.

"If you need anything, just call us," Naden added.

The two of them left the room. I waved to them as they reluctantly

closed the door behind themselves, holding one of the books they brought

tight to my chest. I was really grateful for everyone's kindness.

"Ngh..." I murmured.

It looked like, at some point, I had fallen asleep holding Naden's book.

By the time I woke up, the sun was already down. But it was still bright

inside the room. That was because the lanterns were lit. Probably one of

the maids had done that for me while I was asleep.

When I sat up, there was a knock at the door.

"How are you? Liscia."

The one who came in after that knock was Souma. In his hands he held

a tray with a small pot on it. Carla was behind him, too, carrying a soup

dish and more.

"I heard you had no appetite, but I thought you should at least eat

something," Souma told me. "I imposed on the kitchen staff to have this

made."

With that said, Souma lifted the lid on the pot to show me what was

inside.

"Ta-dah. Grandma's special recipe for sick days, 'Tamatama Udon.'"

"Tamatama Udon?"

"You simmer onions in the broth until they're soft, then add in udon

noodles, like the ones Poncho made for me. Once it's boiled to the point

it's soft and easy to digest, you drop in an egg. There's ginger in it, too, so

it'll warm you up, and it's highly nutritious."

The steam wafted off of the soup broth before my eyes. I still didn't

have much of an appetite, but it seemed I was hungry. It made me want to

eat really badly.

"Thanks, I'll have some," I said.

"Only as much as you can handle, okay? I'm sure Aisha will eat the

leftovers."

"Hee hee! Maybe I'll eat it all and make Aisha sad... Yep, this is good."

Souma and Carla smiled as they watched me eat the udon. I could feel

everyone's kindness...

It's a secret, but I thought, You know, this isn't so bad, every once in a

while.

But I couldn't have everyone worrying about me forever. Souma and

the rest would be heading off for the Republic, but it sounded like Hilde

the doctor would be coming soon. I'd need her to give me a thorough

examination.

The Former King and Queen are Enjoying the Slow

Life 

The Kingdom of Friedonia had a domain in the mountains that was

under the direct control of the royal family.

It was the former domain of the previous king, Albert, from his days as

a nobleman, and now it served as the place of retirement for the former

royal couple.

It was pastoral, and the people there worked the fields and dairy barns

by day, and then, though they only had sound, they enjoyed the Jewel

Voice Broadcast's music and other programs while drinking at night. It

was a relaxed lifestyle. This was the sticks, but the people were peaceful

and it was a surprisingly easy area to live in.

"La, la, la," Albert sang.

In that tranquil place, at Albert's manor, the former king was currently

pruning the trees in his garden while singing to himself. Though Albert

was remembered by the people as a good man and a mediocre king, there

was actually one talent in which he excelled: horticulture.

Albert was especially good at making beautiful flowers bloom and

neatly trimming the branches of the trees. This was because, in his days as

an impoverished noble, he had done the gardening for the manor himself.

Because it had partly been a hobby for him, his skill at it had quickly

increased. The truth was, even after he'd married Elisha and joined the

royal family, he had still occasionally helped maintain the castle's inner

gardens.

In particular, Albert was skilled at pruning the trees so that their

branches took on the shape of animals (topiary). The leaves and branches

he was pruning now were going to look like a swan cleaning its wings.

There were still some minute details for him to work on, but it was already

high enough quality work that it felt like it had a sense of motion to it.

Then...

"Al, would you take a break and join me for tea?" his wife called.

The former queen, Elisha, was on the terrace adjoining the gardens, a

maid standing at her side with tea already prepared.

Albert wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled at her. "Ohh, Elisha.

I'll be right there."

And so, the two quietly enjoyed afternoon tea on the terrace. The

afternoon went by slowly around them. Elisha enjoyed looking at the

gardens as she sipped her tea.

"The number of flowers and animals has certainly increased. It's like

we're living in a storybook."

"A-Ahahaha... Maybe I got carried away and made too many after our

son-in-law praised me for them," Albert said with an embarrassed laugh.

Albert's horticultural skills were wonderful, and the current provisional

king, Souma, viewed them with deference. Because of that, Souma paid

for Albert's gardening expenses out of his own pocket money. He'd built a

greenhouse in the garden, and whenever he came across unusual flowers,

he would send them to Albert to see if they could be cultivated in this

country. Because of that, the current garden was filled with flowers and

animal-shaped trees of all colors.

When she saw how bashful Albert was, Elisha giggled. "Oh, what's the

harm? This garden is very popular, after all."

There was a sudden pattering of footsteps. It looked like the children

from the nearby village had come to play.

"Kiiiing! Queeeen! Hello."

"""Hello!"""

The children greeted them with flawless smiles.

"Hey, hey, queen," one of the children said. "Can we explore the

garden again?"

"Hee hee! You can."

Having gotten her approval, the children cried out, "Yay!" throwing

their hands up in the air and running off toward the garden.

This garden, overflowing with its many-colored flowers and animalshaped trees, was an alluring place for children to explore, and they often

came here to play. Albert and Elisha didn't really mind this, but the

children's parents, who were aware of their status, were very humble about

it, and they always sent fresh vegetables as a token of appreciation for

letting their children play.

"It does me good to see them so energetic, but we're not king and

queen, or anything else for that matter, anymore," Albert said, feeling

troubled as he touched his mustache.

"Oh, what's the harm?" Elisha said. "Let them call us what they want."

"I understand that, but it makes me feel like I'm doing a disservice to

our son-in-law and Liscia, who work so hard in the castle."

"Hee hee! Those kids wouldn't mind it at all." Having said that, Elisha

watched the children frolicking in the garden. "To think we can spend our

days in peace like this... I never imagined it."

"Indeed. The first half of our lives was especially difficult, after all."

The two of them had supported one another in order to make it through

the succession war that had followed the death of the king before Albert.

At the time, the two of them probably could never have imagined that a

peaceful life like this would come.

Smiling, Elisha placed her hand on top of Albert's. "But that's why I'm

glad I chose you. Because the me of this world chose you, we're able to

live out our days in peace like this."

"Elisha... It was your power that made it possible for me to entrust the

throne to our son-in-law. Thanks to that, I'm able to take it easy and

muddle around in the garden, and to spend time with the people I love."

"I love you, Al."

"I love you, too, Elisha."

The maid could only smile wryly as he watched this well-aged couple

giving off a lovey dovey aura.

Then another maid came up to the two of them and handed a letter to

Albert. "Master Albert, a letter from Liscia addressed to the two of you."

"Hmm. From Liscia? Is she doing well?"

Accepting the letter, the two of them looked through it. And then...

"Oh, dear," said Albert.

"Oh, me. Oh, my," said Elisha.

Its contents made the two of them smile in satisfaction.