Final Chapter: In the Snow (part 2)

"And, wait, what did she mean by 'eighteen meters,' anyway?" I added.

"The length of her dress, apparently," said Juna.

The lorelei had come over here because she was the next one going on for

rehearsal after Yaiba. She wasn't wearing her usual easy-to-dance-in outfit. Instead,

she wore a shining blue dress and looked very pretty in it.

"Wait, an eighteen meter long dress?" I asked, startled.

"Roroa was saying she wanted something that would knock the audience's socks

off," Juna said. "She's going to be putting Madam Margarita on stage in a massive,

eighteen meter dress. I hear that the dress is painted with powdered lightmoss, like

the kind we use in the streetlamps, and it lets off a dazzling light."

"Well, that's... gaudy as all hell," I said.

I dunno. Somehow, I could see this becoming an annual event and it getting

gaudier every year.

Margarita... I had thought she was the big boss of the entertainment industry, but

she was apparently the last boss.

What should I do? I wondered. I had planned to have Margarita sing the Japanese

version of "Snake Eater," but maybe I ought to change that to "Kaze to Issho ni."

That was when I noticed another girl standing behind Juna.

She was a simple-looking young girl of fifteen, maybe sixteen years of age. She

was cute, but didn't stand out in any way. It was a sort of natural, girl next door type

of look.

"Juna, who's the girl?" I asked.

"Let me introduce you, sire," Juna said. "This girl is Komari Corda. She was in

training at Lorelei until just recently, but I'm thinking of having her debut in this

song battle."

"I-I'm Komari Corda! It'sh a pleashure to meet you!" the girl gasped.

While tripping over her words spectacularly, Komari bowed her head deeply to

me. While I laughed wryly at how tense she was, Juna explained a little more about

her.

"She has a voice with room for growth, and an enthusiasm for practice that

makes me think she'll transform in the future. I think she may have the hidden talent

to surpass me as a lorelei."

"Well, that is impressive..." I said.

"I-I could never! It's too much of an honor for you to suggest I might surpass you,

Lady Juna!" Komari yelped.

When I saw Komari hurriedly try to act humble, I thought, Oh, I can see it...

Her appeal likely lay in how unpolished she was, unconsciously making you want

to cheer her on. That was a charm that the already-perfected Juna didn't have. When

this girl was finished, she might be a lorelei who could lead the kingdom's singing

world forward.

She was someone whose development I would look forward to seeing.

That was when the current Finance Minister of the Kingdom of Friedonia

appeared.

"Ah, Madam Juna, Madam Komari," said Colbert. "So this is where you two were."

For some reason, Nanna, the cat-eared beastman, was hanging around his

shoulders. Pamille the kobito was standing behind him, too, holding on to Colbert's

sleeve. I don't know what to say... They looked like father and daughter.

"They're awfully fond of you, Colbert," I commented.

"You're the one who pushed them off on me, Your Majesty..."

In addition to his duties as finance minister, I had Colbert handling their finances

(and the paperwork). This country was in the middle of an unprecedented lorelei

boom. For Juna, Nanna, and Pamille, in particular, as the first loreleis, there was far

more money moving around them than they could ever use personally. Setting aside

Juna, who was at the castle as a candidate to become a secondary queen, it was

dangerous for Nanna and Pamille, who were still ordinary citizens, even if they were

loreleis, to be given too much money.

That was why I had the financially talented Colbert handling their assets,

arranging bodyguards (primarily women from the National Defense Force), and

handling other general business for them. In a way, he was like their manager.

I could understand that that was why he spent a lot of time with them, but why

did they love him so much? When I asked them, they said...

"The meals! He treats me! I get to eat lots of fish!" Nanna squealed.

"After meetings, Mr. Colbert often takes me out for dinner," Pamille added.

"When we go, he never treats me like a child. He always treats me like a proper

lady."

...There you have it. He was taming them with food, huh! No, in Pamille's case it

was a little different, but...

"Colbert, if you're going to lay your hands on them, wait for the two of them to

grow up a bit first," I said.

"I'm not going to, okay?!"

"I won't be getting any bigger, though..." Pamille had a sour look on her face.

Uh... um... sorry.

"Th-The four of you have rehearsal now, right?" I asked, hastily covering my

mistake.

"Yes," said Juna. "When Yaiba finish, we're up next."

I looked toward the stage where the three from Yaiba were singing passionately.

It was a song from a male idol group back in the other world. I hadn't been familiar

with what was trendy, but the sort of songs that they played all the time during

commercials had stuck in my head. They were a bunch of cool, young people singing

cool songs with all their heart. I thought that might be enough to capture the hearts

of the ladies of Friedonia.

"Everyone, we've brought food for you!" Serina called.

"I-In order to keep it simple to eat, we decided to go with rice balls and

sandwiches," stammered Poncho. "Of course, there are spaghetti buns, too, yes."

"Big Brother, Big Sister, it's time to eat!" Tomoe called.

While I was watching Yaiba, Serina, Poncho, and Tomoe brought the maids along.

They all had large baskets in their arms. They were probably filled with rice balls

and bread. When they spread them out on a long table, everyone gathered around.

"Oh! That looks good," Hal said. "Can we have some?"

"Hal, you have to wipe your hands first, you know," Kaede scolded.

"Carla, please prepare tea for everyone," Serina ordered.

"R-Roger that, Head Maid!"

As the area started to grow more lively with conversation, I stared off absently.

"Things sure have grown..."

"They have," Liscia agreed.

It looked like Liscia had overheard the thought I'd let slip. I felt awkward, but

Liscia gave me a big smile. "You've gathered people, people have gathered around

you, and before we knew it, we've become surrounded by this huge crowd."

"It's reassuring, but it also makes me nervous," I confessed. "It means I have that

much more that I want to protect, after all."

"What are you saying?" Liscia put her left hand on her hip, pointing her right

index finger at my nose. "The people you want to protect, they want to protect your

reign, too. That's why... those that you want to protect will surely protect you."

When Liscia firmly declared that, mysteriously, it made me feel like she was right.

"They will, huh?" I asked.

"Yes, they will."

"I see... Well, Liscia, could I ask you to hold down the fort here for a while?"

"I can, but... where are you going?" she asked.

"It turns out there are some people I have to meet. Look, Hakuya's here for me

now."

When I looked to the entrance, Hakuya had just come in.

"Bye," I said. "I'll be back soon."

"Sure. Leave things here to me."

With Liscia seeing me off, I left the great hall. Then, together with Hakuya, I

walked down the hall.

We didn't talk along the way. It was already pitch black outside the windows.

It was around eight o'clock. I thought back to how things were now in the great

hall. If that was how far along they were at this time... we were in for an all-nighter,

for sure.

I needed to make sure to send the performers home early to get some rest. It was

going to be broadcast live, so if we made them stay with us, and then they went and

collapsed on us during the main event... it would be a total disaster.

While I was thinking about that, we arrived at the room which was our

destination.

In front of the door, Hakuya stepped aside to make way for me, standing with his

back to the window across from the door. He probably meant to wait here. I hadn't

forbidden him from entering the room, but Hakuya had decided to refrain from

doing so on his own. Then, crossing his arms in front of himself, he gave me a

respectful nod.

"I have the Black Cats patrolling the area," he said. "Take as long as you need to

talk."

"Got it."

I nodded, then opened the door and entered through it.

When I closed the door, the room suddenly became dim. In the room with

flickering candlelight, what caught my eye was the king-size bed, and the moonlit

terrace beyond it. The people I was looking for were drinking tea at the glass table

by the windowsill. When I approached, those people put down their teacups and

rose.

"Why, Sir Souma, it's been some time."

"It's good to see you again, Your Majesty."

I greeted the two who had welcomed me here. "It has been a while, Sir Albert and

Lady Elisha."

The ones waiting for me were Liscia's parents, the former king, Sir Albert, and his

queen, Lady Elisha.

"Have some," Elisha said.

"Thank you," I said.

When I took the proffered cup of tea, former queen Elisha gave me a broad smile.

Lady Elisha was like Liscia, only calmer, with a more womanly sexiness. Would

Liscia eventually become like her? If so, I had a lot to look forward to as we grew

older.

I was sitting at the glass table, with Sir Albert across from me.

Having finished making us tea, Lady Elisha stood in waiting behind Sir Albert. It

seemed she intended to stick to the role of server.

...When I thought about it, I hadn't spoken much with Lady Elisha, had I? She was

my mother-in-law to be, but she was a woman of few words, always just standing at

Sir Albert's side with a warm smile. From what Liscia had told me, she had always

been a quiet person who never said much.

While I was thinking that, Sir Albert opened his mouth to speak.

"I am glad that you have come here today," Sir Albert greeted me and then smiled

gently. "I would also like to congratulate you on your victory in the war with the

Principality of Amidonia and subsequent annexation of the principality. It has only

been half a year since I passed you the crown, and yet your deeds are great. I believe,

with your accomplishments, you needn't be embarrassed if people call you 'Souma

the Great.'"

"No... It was only possible with Liscia and everyone else's help." I took a sip of tea

and looked Sir Albert straight in the face. "Finally, we're able to meet."

"I am sorry for making you wait so long," the former king said and bowed his

head to me.

I had sought to meet with Sir Albert a number of times before today: when I

hadn't known anything, when I'd wanted to have him convince the three dukes to

cooperate, and when I'd requested his help in convincing Castor not to rebel against

the sudden change of power. Then, once I'd understood everything, I had asked for

an audience a number of times to seek an explanation.

However, each time I'd asked, he'd said:

In the earlier instances, "This country is yours now. It is not my place to do

anything."

In the later instances, "I will reveal everything to you soon. Please, wait until

then."

And that was all I could get out of him.

Once he'd started saying, "I will tell you soon," all I could do was wait for him to

do so. Because, if I pressed him, there would be no way to be sure he was telling me

the truth.

At last, today, I was here because he'd said he would tell me everything.

"You're going to tell me everything, right?" I asked.

"If that is what you wish," Albert said.

"I think it's time you finally cleared some things up for me. Like what you were

thinking."

He'd said he would tell me everything. I figured I might as well go down the list.

"I have three things I want to ask you. The first is about when you ceded the

throne to me. At that point, when I had just been summoned to this world, we were

meeting for the first time.