Start From X

The technology in this world was kind of all over the place.

On Earth, technology had moved like this: from man power, to the water

wheel and windmill, to the steam engine, and then on to the combustion

engine. It was a series of incremental advances.

If you wanted to fly freely through the sky, before you could build an

airplane, you would first need to discover the concept of lift, and a

propulsion system (the internal combustion engine) would need to be

created. In order to create that propulsion system, you would need to

understand the system behind how things burn. In the history of Earth, new

technologies had always been built atop other technologies that had laid the

groundwork for them.

However, in this world, there were mysterious creatures and magic. If

you wanted to fly freely through the sky, you could just ride a wyvern.

These people had skipped past the concept of lift and propulsion systems

and just gone flying.

In a world where you can create fire, ice, and more with magic any time

you want to, the difference between what is possible and what is not

becomes extreme.

In this world, they had large tamed beasts that could haul as much as a

four ton truck.

There were steel battleships, only they were drawn by massive sea

dragons.

There was no electricity, yet the nights were bright in this country. The

street lamps had lightmoss in them, which stored light energy during the

day and was phosphorescent at night, keeping the town lit.

They didn't have gas, they used firewood, ovens, and fire magic (or

magic items) to cook.

There were no aqueducts; however, all around town, there were wells

with water elemental spells cast on them that drew water from deep below

the earth... well, that's enough examples to get the point.

In this country, even without science, many things could be done with

magic. Turning that around, if you were to take away their magic and

mysterious creatures, this country's civilization would not be that advanced.

Comparing it to a point in our own world's history, they were probably in

the late Middle Ages or early modern period, at best. The feudal system was

still intact, and the industrial revolution a long ways away.

That was the kind of country I was now king of.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Liscia, agricultural reforms don't happen overnight," Souma told me.

"So, for the time being, I suppose we'll have to increase our imports from

other countries to compensate."

I sat across from Souma, nibbling on my toast as he talked. On the

narrow table, there was a basket of bread, as well as plates with scrambled

eggs, sausage and salad for two on them. It was breakfast time.

"But didn't you say imports are expensive, and that causes a decline in

consumer spending?"

"I did. That's why we'll probably end up having the country buy up

goods, then resell them at domestic prices for a time. We'll take a loss on

the tariffs, but we need to bear it for now. I'd like to make up the shortfall

with exports, but first we'll need to find a replacement for our current

primary export, cotton."

"Sounds hard... Anyway, let's set that aside for a moment." I asked the

question that had been bothering me for a while now. "You're the king, so

why on Earth are you eating in here?!"

This was the castle cafeteria. What's more, it was the general cafeteria

which the soldiers and maids used. What we were eating right now was the

A-Set lunch for this morning. The king of a country was sitting amongst the

guards, eating the same food that they did. There were limits to how little

dignity a king could be allowed to have.

"The constant curious glances from the guards and maids are starting to

hurt, you know!" I protested.

"Don't let it bother you. The whole castle is being frugal right now, so I

can't allow wasteful spending on my meals."

"Didn't you say austerity measures were a bad influence on the

economy?!"

"If you just accumulate the money you're saving, yes," he said. "But if

the extra money is used properly, it makes the economy go 'round."

"Still, that doesn't mean we have to eat here."

"Well, do you want to eat this stuff at the big royal table? It'll feel even

more unsatisfying that way."

"You may be right, but still..."

Even so, it felt wrong eating with all these people watching us. Even if I

was used to it from my days at the officers' academy, I was technically

Souma's fiancée, a person under the scrutiny of the masses, and to their

eyes, here we were having a rendezvous. How could I stay calm like that?

I sighed. "If we're cutting back on food costs, should I speak to my

parents? They're always eating cakes and such at tea time."

"Oh, that's fine. Those are all 'offerings' anyway."

"Gifts, you mean?" I asked in surprise. Could our people afford to do

that?

"Well, they're from large stores and stores owned by the nobility, you

see. Even with a guy like me as king, being a purveyor to the royal family is

prestigious, apparently. Even with the food shortages, we still get sent a lot

of stuff."

"Please, don't speak ill of yourself like that," I said. "You're a king

now."

"A lot of the foods are sweet, but they don't have a long shelf life. Since

I don't have much of a sweet tooth myself, I give them to the former royal

couple or the maids and have them write reviews. Then, for the ones that

are rated highly, I give them a royal warrant of appointment. It's gone

surprisingly well."

"So that's why..." I murmured.

Lately, I'd been hearing "all's not quiet on the weight-loss front" from

the maids. There had even been reports that some of the maids were joining

the guards for training.

...I'd better be careful, myself, I decided.

In contrast to me as I made promises to myself, Souma was looking off

into the distance.

"I-Is something the matter?" I asked.

"No, it's just... If the food budget were tighter, we might be subsisting

on a diet of cake three times daily... Hahaha... I nearly put 'If they have no

bread, let them eat cake' into practice myself."

"If people didn't know the circumstances, there could be a revolution

over those words..." I said.

"You two seem to be enjoying yourselves."

When I turned in the direction of the sudden voice, I saw a young man

in the fluted armor (minus helmet) of the Royal Guard. He was tall, with a

sufficiently sturdy frame, and from behind his long, straight blonde hair

peeked a beautiful face that probably made him popular with the ladies.

"Why, Sir Ludwin," I said.

"It has been too long, my princess. No... perhaps I should call you my

queen now."

"Um, well... I'm not either of those at the moment, actually."

Seeing our exchange, Souma had a look on his face that said "Who is

this guy?"

"Souma, this gentleman is Sir Ludwin Arcs of the Royal Guard," I said,

introducing him.

Despite his youthful age, just under thirty, Sir Ludwin was a genius who

had been made head of the Royal Guard. In times of peace, the head of the

Royal Guard was responsible for security in the capital, Parnam, as well as

at Parnam Castle, but in times of crisis he was also given command of the

king's personal forces, the Forbidden Army. Though, that said, practical

military control of the country lay in the hands of the Three Dukedoms.

"The Three Dukedoms" referred to the two dukes and one duchess who

held control of the land, sea, and air forces.

The current holders of the Three Dukedoms were, as follows:

General of the Elfrieden Kingdom Army, Duke Georg Carmine. A

beastman with a lion's mane. He commanded his troops with the intensity

of a raging fire, striking fear into the hearts of our enemies.

Admiral of the Elfrieden Kingdom Navy, Duchess Excel Walter. A sea

serpent descended from pirates. She was an incredible woman, adept not

only at fleet battles but also in politics.

General of the Elfrieden Kingdom Air Force, Duke Castor Vargas. A

dragonewt. He was king of the skies and leader of the stars of the royal

army, the Wyvern Knights.

In exchange for swearing fealty to the kingdom, their families were

allowed to hold territory (duchies) within the kingdom, where they were

given self-rule.

At the time of the kingdom's founding, this kingdom having been

created by the coming together of many races, this system had been put in

place to protect their races from friction with the others. However, even

now, with all of the races living in harmony, the system still remained in

place. In exchange for territory, their families put their lives on the line to

defend the country they loved. That was the pride of the Three Dukedoms.

However, at present, the Three Dukedoms had taken their forces and

were secluding themselves in their own territories. It seemed these three,

with their great love and respect for the former king, had not yet recognized

Souma, who had ascended the throne in a manner that looked like he was

usurping it, as their liege. That was the source of Souma's current worries.

If you combined the three duchies, they made up a third of the country.

Without their cooperation, Souma's reforms would be difficult to

accomplish.

I myself had written to Duke Carmine, who loved me like a daughter, a

number of times, asking him to meet with Souma directly, but the reply was

always, "As yet, I see no cause to trust him."

He was a man who was resolute in his convictions, but I had never

known him to be so blindly stubborn. So why was he being so stubborn this

time? For my part, I hoped he would accept Souma as soon as possible.

Without any idea how I was feeling, Souma was shaking hands with Sir

Ludwin. "I'm Souma Kazuya. Technically, I'm the king of this country

now."

"I'm Ludwin Arcs. I've heard rumors of your hard work from the civil

servants."

"Well, you tell those civil servants, 'If you have time to gossip, work

harder' for me."

"Hahaha, I'll do that. Would you mind if I joined you for breakfast?"

"It's fine with me."

"Thank you."

Sir Ludwin brought over a breakfast tray, and sat down next to me. "So,

how are things going? With these reforms of yours, I mean, Your Majesty."

"...Not so well," Souma complained between bites of toast. "We're

especially suffering from a lack of qualified people. At present, I've

inherited the previous king's advisors. In other words, the people who left

the country alone until it got this bad. Setting aside Prime Minister Marx,

the rest are all useless."

This country was an autocratic state. The will of the king was strongly

reflected in its politics.

There was a Congress of the People which all citizens had the right to

vote for representatives in, but it was merely a place where laws and

policies to "suggest" to the king were drafted, and these laws and policies

would later be "suggested" to the king by the prime minister. In short, it

was a glorified suggestion box, and whether these suggestions would be

implemented or not was entirely up to the king.

Though, that said, if the king were to just do whatever he pleased, he

would lose the hearts of the people, and would likely see himself deposed

by the Three Dukedoms...

Furthermore, when the king wished to consider different policies, he

could summon advisors other than the prime minister. The king would

confer with his advisors, deciding if his policies would be effective or not.

The selection of advisors was left to the king's sole discretion. He could

hire whomever and however many he wanted,

In truth, even before taking the throne (in this kingdom, from the time

one was a prince), a prospective king would begin to gather people who

might become his advisors. But with Souma having ascended the throne so

suddenly, he had none.

"People who can tell me the things I want to know, and who will work

hard at the tasks I set them to," he said. "Those are the sort of personal

retainers I want."

"I understand. All those who stand above others long to have capable

underlings," Sir Ludwin said.

"Is it the same for you in the Forbidden Army?"

"Yes. Most of the graduates from the Officers' Academy request to be

assigned to the armies of the Three Dukedoms. Since, while they call us the

Forbidden Army, we're basically just the capital's defense force. It's not a

popular posting, is it, Princess?"

"Well... I guess not. Most of my classmates went to the armies of the

Three Dukedoms."

I was in the land forces, but that was because there was no point in me

joining the Forbidden Army, since it existed to protect the royal family.

"Well, there you have it. These days, the Forbidden Army has a lot of

misfits and eccentrics in it. We even have a mad scientist who drifted over

to us from the Weapons Development Branch."

"Oh, now that sounds like someone I'd want to meet!" Souma said.

Seeing Souma's enthusiasm, Sir Ludwin replied, "I'll introduce you

sometime." He laughed wryly.

After that, we made small talk for a while and then parted with Sir

Ludwin.

When I get back to my room, I'll send another letter encouraging Duke

Carmine to meet with Souma, I thought to myself.

◇ ◇ ◇

"We really do suffer from a lack of capable people!" I complained.

"I-I suppose..." Liscia said.

I tried to persuade Liscia, but she looked a little bewildered.

Because I had been working my ability so hard, it might have leveled

up. Lately, I could move up to four things at the same time (effectively, I

could do the work of five people), but even with that, it was only the

equivalent of having one extra person. A person who lacked any knowledge

or skills that I myself lacked. What I needed were people with knowledge I

didn't have. People with skills I didn't have. I desperately wanted to have

people like that.

—And so, I decided to gather them.

"So, that being that, I think I'll use a Jewel Voice Broadcast."

"A Jewel Voice Broadcast?"

The Jewel Voice Broadcast was a system for delivering the voice of the

king to all regions of the country. In the Jewel Voice Room in the palace,

there was a floating jewel that must have had a diameter of around two

meters. The jewel was said to be imbued with the magic of the spirits of air,

sylphs, and the spirits of water, undines. It would deliver the king's voice to

all around the country, and in towns with the appropriate setup, it could

even project his image. Past kings had apparently used the Jewel Voice

Broadcast to unveil a new constitution, or to declare war on another nation,

that sort of thing.

"I'll bet you'll be the first to use it to gather capable people," Liscia

said, seemingly impressed.

Was it really such a wild idea? "How do you normally gather them?" I

asked.

"Through personal connections, or holding written exams and hiring

those who pass."

"Aren't those methods pretty biased? What's the literacy rate in this

country?"

"Half the people can read, and three-tenths can write."

"That's no good at all. Only three-tenths of the population can take the

exams."

"Just so you know, that's pretty average in this world..." she said.

Hmm... Guess that's what happens when you don't have compulsory

education.

"Anyone can be taught to read and write," I said. "Surely, the quality of

a candidate shouldn't be decided by his or her ability to afford lessons. It's

seven-tenths of the population. Just how many diamonds are you planning

to leave in the rough?"

"...There's nothing I can say against that," Liscia said, sounding

ashamed.

Though, I suppose she's not the one I need to be telling this, huh? Really,

this country needs to be fixed from the ground up.

"So, what conditions are you going to use in your call?" she asked.

"I'm considering the wording. Though, really, I intend to borrow the

words of a great man I admire."

"A great man?"

"Yeah. A 'crafty hero in a troubled land.'"

◇ ◇ ◇

"If you have a gift, I will put it to use!"

Through capital, city, town, and village alike, Souma's voice echoed.

In the capital, the cities, and even the larger towns, Souma's image was

projected, as well. The receivers in the larger areas released a mist into the

air, then used the refraction of light to recreate the scene taking place inside

the Jewel Voice Room.

To put it in modern terms, they were receiving a video feed from the

filming location and projecting it live onto a mid-air screen. The quality

was grainy, but people were excited to have their first glimpse of the new

king.

Some were bewildered by his youth, others by his plain appearance. The

fault for this lay with Souma, who had felt it too bothersome put on formal

attire or even his crown.

Just seeing Princess Liscia standing at his side without looking

particularly tense reassured the people. Though they had heard he hadn't

forced the king to abdicate and usurped the throne, until they saw him for

themselves, they had still harbored some uncertainty. Especially in the case

of Princess Liscia, whose dignified beauty had made her something of an

idol to the people, some had voiced concern for her wellbeing.

As they went about their business, Souma's speech continued.

"My people, our country is faced with a crisis of heretofore unseen

proportions! The grave matter of the food crisis, the economic downturn

which stems from it, the influx of refugees from lands seized by the Demon

Lord... Any one of these things alone would be a serious malaise which

threatened this country. Yet, there is still more! The Empire has expanded

its influence, and some of our neighbors watch us with eager eyes, ready to

pounce! The former king, recognizing that this situation was beyond his

power to solve, has entrusted this country to my humble self.

"To recognize what one cannot do, and to make way for one who can.

Even when one knows it to be the right thing to do, it is never an easy

choice. In times of peace, the former king would have had the capacity to

be a great ruler."

For a moment, Princess Liscia thought, "That's giving him way too

much credit..." with a bitter smile, but no one noticed.

"However, these are troubled times! In times of turbulence, we seek in

our rulers not a person of saintly virtue, but someone willing to get their

hands dirty, willing to stubbornly do what it takes to survive. Not a ruler

who is above average in all things, but a ruler who will not give up on

survival, and on that one point excels beyond all others. Because,

ultimately, that is what will protect your families and livelihoods! That is

why the former king entrusted this country to me! I am tenacious, and on

this one point I am superior to the former king.

"At present, I am in the process of launching many reforms. However,

we face an overwhelming lack of capable people to aid in their

implementation. Thus, I am putting out a call to the gifted amongst you. I

say to you again: if you have a gift, I will make use of it!

"In these confused times, what we need is not those who are, on

average, better than others. It is those who, in one aspect, stand head and

shoulders above all the rest. It matters not what the form that gift takes. It

matters not if you have any qualifications beyond that gift. If there is one

thing about which you have the pride to say, 'I am better than anyone else at

this,' come to stand before me!

"Schooling, age, class, origin, race, gender... none of these matter to me.

Whether or not you can read, do arithmetic, have money, are of sound mind

and body, are beautiful or ugly, or have a scratch on your shin, it does not

matter! If you can think, 'At this one thing, I am better than others. At this

one thing, I will not lose out to any other person in the country,' then show

yourself before me! If I decide your gift is something the country needs,

you will be welcomed as one of my personal retainers!"

The new king's passionate speech put a shine in the people's eyes.

As they listened, they must all have been wracking their brains for

something they were more gifted at than other people. At the same time,

though, even if they found something, they were probably all thinking they

wouldn't be hired if it wasn't useful in some way. As that feeling of

resignation set in, it became a dam blocking the flood of enthusiasm that

was building from the impassioned speech.

The king was seeking capable people who could solve this country's

problems. Everyone found it hard to imagine that their own gifts would be

of any use to the country.

"I am sure that, among you, there are some who are hesitant to believe

their gifts can be of use," Souma said, as if aware of the people's hesitation.

"However, that is not something for you to decide on your own! I, the

king, will decide whether the country needs your gift! I care not if others

deride your gift as worthless! I will be the judge of that! So have no

hesitation! Come and unveil your gift before me!"

Souma paused for a breath to calm himself.

"If you are still hesitant, then here is what we shall do. If your gift is

proven to be without compare in this country, in the name of the Kingdom

of Elfrieden, I will issue you a Certificate of Peerlessness, and you will

receive a cash prize. How's that for a little motivation, people?!" The image

of Souma pumped his fist into the air.

At that moment, a great cheer rose up in every city worth calling a city

across the country. The dam inside the people's hearts had broken. It was

the same in the capital.

"Oh...! I can hear the cheering in the castle town from here. Glad you're

all fired up," Souma said, breaking into more casual speech.

Standing by his side, Liscia wanted to hold her head in her hands, but no

one seemed to mind.

"You can nominate yourself or someone else," Souma said. "If the

nomination is for someone else, three-tenths of the award go to the

nominator. If there are people locking themselves away and playing hermit

when this country is in crisis, I want all of you go and drag them out. Also,

for gifts like 'I'm stronger than others' or 'I'm good at singing' where there

is room for competition, we will have the candidates compete amongst

themselves in advance to choose a single representative for that gift, so be

ready for that. Now, then... I think I've said everything I need to."

Finally, Souma closed out his Jewel Voice Broadcast with the following

words: "Now then, O gifted ones, come shake my hand in the capital,

Parnam."

Liscia glared reproachfully at him after the broadcast ended. "What was

with that last line?" she demanded.

"Just going with the flow," Souma said with a laugh.

Now, how will the people react? Will the people he wants come? she

wondered. Here's hoping lots of people come...

◇ ◇ ◇

In history, there are some scenes which are easily dramatized by later

generations. There are some conditions for this:

First, it must be the turning point of an era.

Second, it must have a certain flair when dramatized.

These are the two conditions.

In the Sengoku Period, it would be the scene where Oda Nobunaga

performs part of the Noh play Atsumori before the Battle of Okehazama.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it would be the scene where Liu Bei

recruits Zhuge Liang after paying three personal visits to him.

In Roman history, it would be the scene where Caesar says "The die is

cast," as he crosses the Rubicon.

Then, if one were to ask which scene from the era in which the throne

was abdicated to Souma was most often dramatized in later years, the

answer would likely be this gathering of capable people.

Before Souma, who had sought those with gifts, five gifted young

people were summoned. Of them, the king would welcome just one with

wholehearted joy.

Seen from Souma's perspective, this was one of his greatest

accomplishments. From one other person's perspective, it was the turning

point in the Cinderella story of their life. And from the perspective of "one

who watched that scene through eyes unlike those of others," it was to

become "the turning point of an era."

Yes. In this scene, there were three main characters.

◇ ◇ ◇

I had worried about how many people would come, but the response was

far greater than I had anticipated. Not placing any limits on the type of gift

and offering a cash prize had probably helped.

Now the capital was packed so full of people, we'd had to place

restrictions on the number of people allowed access to the palace. The

situation was so overwhelming that the officials, including Marx, had been

running around like mad since morning.

It felt to me like way too many people had turned up, but apparently,

since I had put out such a wide call, the masses had rushed to the capital to

see what kind of people would catch the king's attention.

When people move, things move, too.

Merchants who sensed a business opportunity had gathered to set up

shop, so the castle town looked like there was a festival going on. It was an

unexpected shot in the arm for our economy, but, at the same time, it also

meant more work for the officials.

Now, as for the all-important recruitment drive, the response to that was

massive, as well.

A multitude of diverse gifts, some immediately useful, some of no

apparent use at all upon first glance, were on display at the judging station.

There, five officials judged whether the participants' gifts were unique. If

they were acknowledged to be, prize money was awarded, no matter what

that gift was. Liscia and I were in a separate room, reading the reports from

the judges and picking out any people we liked.

There really were a lot of applicants, but that also meant a considerable

amount of overlap in their gifts. The competition was particularly fierce for

the "Gift of Martial Ability," "Gift of Talent," and "Gift of Beauty," so they

were deciding on a number one for each category at another site.

At each of these sites, named "Best in the Kingdom Martial Arts

Tournament," "Kingdom of Talent," and "Elfrieden Pretty Girl Grand Prix,"

spectators enjoyed watching the proceedings.

...By the way, after this, by request of the merchant's guild, these

tournaments became a yearly event in the capital Parnam and attracted a

large number of tourists.

Also, the Elfrieden Pretty Girl Grand Prix invited rumors that it was

actually being held by the king to choose his mistresses. As a result, all of

the nobles who wanted to tie their own lines to the royal family sent their

relatives to participate, but that's not relevant at the moment, so I'll skip

over it. Though, when Liscia heard the rumors, I did get some cold looks

for it later...

The judging process had originally been planned to last for one day, but

instead it lasted for three. Those with gifts that made me think, "This is

what I'm looking for" were brought before me on the fourth day.

I was seated on the throne, with Liscia standing at my side. (Technically,

while we were betrothed, the marriage hadn't been held yet, so she wasn't

allowed to touch the queen's throne.) One step down from us, Prime

Minister Marx stood to the right of us, Captain of the Royal Guard Ludwin

to the left.

By the way, we had hauled the jewel from the Jewel Voice Room into

the throne room, so this scene was being broadcast around the kingdom.

Five young people were brought before us:

One had silver hair and elven ears, a girl who looked like a warrior with

some muscle showing through her brown skin.

One wore a black robe which covered his whole body, a thin young man

with a somehow listless look on his face.

One looked distinguished, but in a different way from Liscia, a beautiful

blue-haired girl with a gentle air about her.

One had little fox ears sprouting from her head, a rustic-looking girl of

around ten.

And, finally, one was a fat middle-aged man drenched in sweat.

"Your Majesty. The many gifted people of this country who came in

response to your summons have been recorded in a ledger. These people

here are those possessed of especially rare gifts."

When Marx said this, the fat man prostrated himself before me, jumping

to do so with the speed of a grasshopper. The blue-haired pretty girl did the

same, her every move filled with grace, and the fox-eared little girl

awkwardly followed suit. The black-robed young man watched them all

sleepily, prostrating himself before me last.

The elf-eared girl remained standing. Everyone present was shocked.

"You are before the king. Will you not prostrate yourself?" Ludwin

cautioned her in a quiet but forceful voice.

The elf-eared girl seemed not to care. More than that, she looked me in

the eye and said this:

"I ask your forbearance, as this is the custom of my tribe. The warriors

of my tribe do not lower their head before any but their master. And, for our

women, to not lower your head before any but your husband is proof of

your chastity."

"Still..." Ludwin argued.

"I don't mind." I held up a hand to stop Ludwin from arguing with her.

"We're the ones asking them to help the country. There's no need to be so

uptight."

"...As you wish, Your Majesty," Ludwin said, backing down easily.

...He did that knowing what would happen, I'll bet. He acted in a way

that keeps people from taking us lightly, while still showing how tolerant the

king is. He's an impressive actor. In that case, I'll have to live up to

expectations and play the tolerant king.

I rose from the throne and turned to face them.

"Please, do not prostrate yourselves before me. It is I who am in the

position of asking you for a favor. Do not stand on ceremony. Go ahead and

be at ease."

The four of them rose quietly. I looked to Marx, indicating that he

should continue.

Marx nodded, beginning to read from some sort of scroll. "We will now

announce the gifts held by these individuals and carry out the awarding of

prizes! Madam Aisha Udgard, dark elf from the God-Protected Forest, step

forward!"

"Yes, sir!"

This time, the elf-eared girl meekly obeyed.

She looked less than twenty years old, but I had heard dark elves

remained youthful for a long time, so their appearance and age didn't

match. She had brown skin and an attractive silver ponytail. Wearing chest

armor and gauntlets, she was dressed like a warrior. Her slender legs peeked

out through the slit in her waist cloth. They were moderately muscular and

looked quite healthy.

Dark elves, I thought. One of the minority races of Elfrieden, they are a

race with a high-level of combat ability. Instead of cities, they reside in the

God-Protected Forest and are granted autonomy as protectors of the forest.

They have a strong sense of racial unity and reject outsiders... huh.

While acting like nothing was out of the ordinary, I manipulated the

gloves I had left imbued with my consciousness in the other room to flip

through the Elfrieden Children's Encyclopedia (since it was aimed at

children, the entries were short, which made it useful when looking up

information quickly) to read the article on dark elves.

The dark elves in this country weren't fallen elves that had lost the

blessing of the gods, like you might see in a lot of fantasy settings. It

seemed it was just that the pale-skinned blonde elves were called "light

elves," and the brown-skinned, silver-haired elves were called "dark elves"

to distinguish between the two.

"This one has shown herself to be remarkably gifted with martial ability.

She was the winner of the Best in the Kingdom Martial Arts Tournament.

That achievement shows she truly is fit to be called the greatest in this

kingdom, and for this, we praise her!" Marx declared.

Huh, so she's the winner of that martial arts tournament. She must be

pretty tough, then. There was just one thing that concerned me. "I put out a

call for capable people who will help the kingdom, but will you help me

when the time comes? I've read that dark elves are loyal only to their own

kind."

"...It is no longer an era where we can survive just by protecting our

forests. If this country falls, the forest will be threatened. Some feel that we

dark elves need to change. I am one of them," Aisha said clearly.

"Well... That's a rather liberal statement for one from such a

conservative race," I said.

"True, I am seen as a heretic. However, if we don't do something... King

Souma?"

"Yes?"

"I do not need the prize money. Instead, I ask you to allow me to address

you directly."

The hall was abuzz. Aisha was trying to make a direct appeal to the

king. Even in Japan, there was a time when that would have been a capital

crime. It seemed this country was no different.

Liscia and Ludwin's hands went to their swords, but I motioned for them

to stop.

"I will allow it. Say what you will."

"Souma?! That's not—!"

"She was ready to risk a lot to say this to me. As king, I should hear her

out."

"Thank you. I will speak, then." Aisha puffed out her chest with pride

and spoke. "Recently, there have been a large number of incursions into the

God-Protected Forest by other races. They harvest mushrooms and other

edible wild plants, hunting down the forest beasts. I understand that you

have a food crisis; however, if you steal these things from us, we will be the

ones who starve! We have had no choice but to take up arms against the

intruders. Even now, there are clashes taking place throughout the forest.

King Souma, please, crack down on the offenders!"

"I see..."

Basically, she wants me to forbid the people who are going without food

from hunting or harvesting wild plants in the forest. When there's a food

crisis, if you go to an area where distribution is limited, the crisis is even

deeper there. If there just so happens to be a forest with plentiful resources

nearby, I guess they might enter it even in the face of dark elf attacks.

"Sure, you've got it. In regards to the God-Protected Forest, there are

already laws restricting entrance, so I can't issue a new ban, but I'll see to it

that food aid reaches the people in the vicinity at once. If, even after that,

there are still those trying to enter the God-Protected Forest, we will

recognize them as poachers and prosecute them."

"Thank you. You have my gratitude."

With those words, in place of bowing, Aisha brought her hand to her

chest and closed her eyes. I wasn't sure if that was a gesture of gratitude or

just a pose showing relief at accomplishing her task.

"Still, Aisha, poaching is an unspeakable crime, but if we think about

the future, would it not be wise to consider trade with those outside the

forest? Aren't there things in the outside world that draw your interest?" I

asked.

"Well, yes, but... We have no likely trade goods."

"Hmm... What about lumber? Don't you have some from periodic

thinning?"

Living in a forest, they must have had more wood than they knew what

to do with. In the outside world, on the other hand, demand for it was high.

It ought to make a decent trade good... That was what I thought, but...

"Periodic thinning... What might that be?" Aisha asked with a serious

look on her face, and I couldn't help but be dumbstruck for a moment.

Huh? Don't tell me they don't do periodic forest thinning in this world?

"I'm referring to the periodic felling of a set number of trees in order to

maintain the forest..."

As I said this, I glanced to Liscia, Marx and Ludwin, but all of them

shook their heads. Apparently, this was the first they'd ever heard of it. It

was the same with Aisha.

"To protect the forest... you cut down trees?"

"Of course. If you leave trees alone, they just keep getting bigger, and

their leaves and branches spread out. If they block out the sunlight, young

trees can't grow. Besides, if they're growing too densely, it impacts their

lifespan, so you end up with with nothing but old trees that are thin and

weak, like beansprouts. That sort of beansprout forest is easily be destroyed

by snow and wind. On top of that, if the sun doesn't reach the undergrowth,

it all dries up. That causes the land to lose its ability to hold water, which

can be a cause of landslides. This is all common knowledge... right?"

Looking around me, it was like seeing a collection of bobbleheads that

could only shake their heads left and right.

Aisha suddenly prostrated herself before me. "King Souma... no, Your

Majesty!"

"Wh-What?!"

"I humbly beg your forgiveness for my earlier rudeness!"

"Uh, I didn't even care, but... Wait, is it okay for you to lower your head

like that?"

"I do not mind! Because, from this very moment, I pledge to serve you

loyally for the rest of my life!"

Whoa, whoa, hold on. What's going on here...?

"Use my life however you will! My body, my heart, my chastity, I offer

to you! If you tell me to fight, I will fight! If you tell me to love you, I will

love you! If you tell me to become your concubine or slave, I will do it! If

you tell me to die, I will die!"

"Where did this crazy loyalty come from?! What happened in the last

few minutes?!"

"However, before you order me to die, I ask you heed my final request!"

"Huh? You're ignoring me?! You're totally ignoring me?!"

"Please, as soon as possible, come to the God-Protected Forest!" Then

she slammed her head firmly against the floor once more.

At this point, even Liscia was thoroughly taken aback.

...That self-harming kowtow is practically a threat...

"Okay, let's hear your story," I said. "Basically, you want to bring me to

the God-Protected Forest, right?"

"That is precisely it! And, at the God-Protected Forest, please teach us

this 'periodic thinning'! In recent years, the God-Protected Forest has been

facing exactly the issues you just spoke of, sire! Where the trees are dense,

they become thin and weak, young trees don't grow, the water is muddy,

and when wind or heavy storms come through, they strip the land bare.

With your words, I have at last learned the cause!"

"The God-Protected Forest has a history stretching back thousands of

years, doesn't it? Nobody noticed this before?" I asked, only for Liscia and

Aisha to ashamedly nod.

"The trees in the God-Protected Forest are long-lived to begin with,"

Aisha said. "That is why, up until now when they're reaching the end of

their life cycle, nobody noticed..."

"That's right..." Liscia said. "This isn't just their problem. We don't do

periodic thinning in Elfrieden's mountains either, so the situation may be

the same everywhere."

"Well, anywhere they don't rely too heavily on the forest should be fine.

When the old trees fall, new ones grow in anyway. Even if a natural disaster

wipes out a beansprout forest, it will recover in ten years or so. Nature

works in cycles like that, after all."

"Wouldn't that be devastating to the dark elves of the God-Protected

Forest?" Liscia asked.

...I'll bet it probably would. They live in the forest itself, after all. If the

forest disappears, we'll have ourselves an instant set of refugees. I don't

need any more refugees, so I'd better act quickly.

"I understand. Let's head to the God-Protected Forest at some point in

the near future."

"Ohhhh! Thank you, sire!" Aisha cried.

"However, when I come, you'll have to permit the entry of a certain

number of people. It looks like forestry management is going to be a task

for the entire country. I'll take this opportunity to hold some classes on how

to establish the forest industry."

"As you wish, sire," she said.

"Good. Ludwin."

"Sir."

"It sounds like she wants to serve me, so I'd like you to see what Aisha

is capable of. We know her martial prowess as an individual, but whether

she can become a general and lead troops remains an open question. If she

has the potential, I will make her the general of an army. If not, I will hire

her as my personal bodyguard."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

Much later, after testing her, Ludwin would tell me, "She does have

potential as a general. However, her ability as an individual fighter is

greater, and it would be a waste to use her as a general." She was the

convenient Lu Bu type, apparently, the kind of fighter who could act as a

general, but could also be sent in alone to wreak havoc. From then on, I

would keep Aisha at my side as a bodyguard.

That was the end of Aisha's turn, but things had gotten pretty intense

with the very first person. I'd just been planning to hand out awards quickly

then call out to anyone who looked useful...

Please, tell me the other four don't all come with so much baggage,

right?

"Next, Sir Hakuya Kwonmin, step forward," Marx said.

"Yes, sir." With his name having been called, the black-robed young

man leisurely strolled forward.

He was a young man of around twenty wearing a distinctive outfit that

looked like he had combined a pastor's cassock and a kannushi's traditional

kimono and then dyed the resulting outfit black. His shoulder-length black

hair looked unkempt. He was pale and slender, looking like more of an

indoors-y type. He acted listless, but his sleepy eyes were fixed on me.

"This man, though his recommendation came from another, has

demonstrated the gift of wisdom!" Marx announced. "He has memorized

the laws of this country, and his knowledge and memory are believed to be

without peer in this nation!"

That's like being able to recite the entirety of the Six Codes from

memory, I guess. That would be pretty amazing, yeah. If he's here by

someone else's recommendation, he's one of the ones signed up by a

relative, huh. ...I wonder what it is. Something is tugging at the back of my

mind here.

"...Your gift is splendid," I said. "If you wish it, I will recommend you

for a bureaucratic position in the Ministry of Law. How about it?"

"No, just the prize will be enough," Hakuya said immediately, shooting

down my proposed recommendation. "I only came here because my uncle

who looks after me said, 'At your age, you need to stop sitting around doing

nothing but reading books and go do something useful for society,' and sent

in the application without asking me, so I don't need excessive rewards."

"These books you mention, are they all law related?" I asked.

"No. I don't focus on any specific genre. Law, literature, technical

manuals, I'll read anything."

"I see."

I wonder why. There's something bothering me here.

"Hmm... In that case, how about you become the librarian for the

archives in the palace?" I asked. "There are probably books in there that

you won't find on the open market, and with your authority as librarian,

you'll be able to read them."

"Oh, that does sound nice. If that's the case, please, let me do it."

Finally, something I could recognize as a happy expression crossed

Hakuya's face. He seemed satisfied.

Seize every opportunity, as they say. It was probably better for me to

keep an interesting card like him in my hand than to let him go.

"Next, Madam Juna Doma, step forward."

"Yes, sir."

Trading places with Hakuya, the blue-haired pretty girl stepped up.

She looked looked like she was around the same age as me, nineteen,

but the air she had about her made this woman feel more mature than her

age. With her fluffy hair trailing behind her, she was the picture of beauty as

she gracefully bowed her head. While her clothes weren't very revealing,

the top half resembled a dirndl from Austria, while the bottom was

transparent and showed her legs, like you might see in an Indian dancer's

sari. Around her hips was wrapped a frilly piece of clothing.

Were it not for the piercing look I received from Liscia, I might have

admired her beauty for a full hour.

"Yeah. I haven't forgotten my job, so stop glaring," I murmured.

"I don't know about that..." Liscia responded, looking away angrily.

Marx coughed and cleared his throat, saying, "Sire, this one has shown

she is gifted with a rare beauty and singing ability. With those gifts, she

took the crown at both the Elfrieden Pretty Girl Grand Prix with her beauty,

and at Kingdom of Talent with her singing. Truly, she is the most beautiful

songstress of this generation."

A double crown?! Now, that's impressive. "Sometimes the heavens do

bestow two gifts, it seems," I said.

"You are too kind," Juna responded calmly and elegantly to my

somewhat awestruck praise. "I have heard that the Doma family are

descended from loreleis. Singing is in my blood."

Loreleis... They're sea monsters who use their beauty and their songs to

lead sailors to their doom, right? Certainly, her beauty and those flowing

blue tresses did make me think of loreleis. "I'd very much like to hear you

sing."

"If you wish, I can."

"Sure. This scene is being broadcast around Elfrieden right now through

this jewel. Could you sing a little song to cheer up our countrymen?"

"A song to cheer them up... is it?" Juna seemed troubled. "Most of the

lorelei songs passed down in my family are sad love songs, you see..."

"Ohh, if there's some code or something holding you back from singing

one, that's fine."

"No, I just don't know any. If I could hear one, I could learn it right

away, though."

"Hmm... Ah, how about this, then?"

I pulled out my smartphone. It was one of the few things I had had on

me when I'd been summoned to this world. I opened up my music folder,

picked a song that jumped out at me, then walked up to Juna and put the

earbuds in for her.

"What might this be?"

"Something like a machine that plays music, I guess? Anyway, I'm

playing it now."

Juna's eyes widened.

The moment I pressed the button, Juna's body shuddered. She seemed

bewildered at first, but she was getting used to it, as her body gradually got

into the rhythm. Then, five minutes later, she pulled out the earbuds.

"I have it memorized."

"Already? You really can memorize it the first time you hear it?"

"Yes. Now, let me sing it for you."

I returned to my seat and she began to sing.

The song was Masashi Sada's "Ganbaranba." This cheerful song, which

had even had a Minna no Uta short made for it, was distinctive for using

rap in Nagasaki dialect mixed with the Kyushu children's song

"Denderaryuba." Grandpa was a fan, so I had listened to it with him

together a lot.

Still, I was impressed with this lorelei. She was even managing to sing

the rap parts in Nagasaki dialect. These were completely incomprehensible

to people from the Kanto region, but she sung them flawlessly.

By the way, Liscia told me later that she couldn't understand the lyrics. I

could understand the language people in this country speak, and they could

understand my Japanese, but it seemed that was part of my power as a hero.

I could even write in the world's language. What I tried to write in my head

got translated into the language here, so even though I couldn't read it

afterward, I could write it.

So, the Japanese (in Nagasaki dialect) that came out of Juna's mouth

was in an unknown language for the people of this country. Still, even

without knowing the words, if a song is good, you can still get into it.

Everyone listened to that catchy tune and enjoyed it.

A few minutes later, amidst roaring applause, Juna finished her song and

bowed.

"That was a fun song. Thank you."

"No, I should thank you," I said. "Your singing was wonderful."

"If possible, I hope you will teach me more of the songs of your country,

Your Majesty."

"I'd very much like to have you sing them. ...Oh, I know! Hopefully we

can increase the number of jewels, but even if that's not possible, we could

eventually convert the Jewel Voice Room into a recording studio so that the

people can hear your songs all the time."

"My! That would be like a dream come true, sire." Juna wore a smile of

heartfelt bliss. It was a marvelous smile.

"I'll be counting on you when the time comes," I said. "You did a great

job today."

Juna stepped back, and now it was the fox-eared little girl's turn.

"Next, Madam Tomoe Inui of the mystic wolf race, step forward."

"Y-Yesh!"

Her voice breaking, the young girl with animal ears who looked to be

around ten stepped forward with her right arm moving at the same time as

her right leg.

The mystic wolf race... I thought. I guess those aren't fox ears, they're

wolf ears.

She was adorable with her suntanned skin and cute little round eyes. The

clothes she wore were just a little shabby, though. They were torn in places

and, perhaps because she was tense, the fluffy tail that stuck out from her

rump was standing up straight.

Yup, I want to stroke it.

"Young though she may be, this one has the exceptionally rare gift of

being able to talk to birds and beasts. When we brought her to the stables,

she was able to correctly tell us everything from the horses' current state of

health to their history. According to her, the horses told her these things.

Truly, it is a godly ability."

The gift of talking to animals, huh? Looks like we have an astonishing

little beastman on our hands here.

As I thought about it, next to me Liscia quietly whispered, "The country

of the mystic wolves is far to the north. There shouldn't be any in this

country."

"...A refugee, huh," I murmured. Ah, that would explain the beat up

clothes then, wouldn't it?

With the expansion of the Demon Lord's Domain, a number of countries

and villages had been destroyed. Those who had lost their lands had fled

south, becoming refugees in other nations, and they were starting to put

pressure on the economy. Different nations dealt with them in different

ways. Some proactively took them in, while others moved to expel them.

Though, that said, even when it came to the countries taking them in, most

either forced them into hard labor such as mining or sent them out as

additional manpower to fight against the demons, so both types of country

were hell for the refugees.

Even in my kingdom, refugee camps had sprung up outside the capital

Parnam. At the moment, the decision on what to do with them was still "on

hold." If we helped the refugees when we didn't even have enough food to

feed our own people, riots might well break out. If we expelled them or

forced them into hard labor, we would have to deal with the refugees'

resentment. If they went into hiding and turned terrorist on us, that would

be terrible. As things stood, they were causing a decline in public safety, but

we had no choice but to maintain the status quo.

In order to offer a helping hand to others, we need to be in a good place

to help ourselves first, I thought.

"I said if they had a gift, I would put it to use, and I don't intend to twist

those words," I said out loud. "If she has a gift, it doesn't matter if she's a

foreigner or a refugee. We're in no position to be particular about such

things, after all."

"You're right."

When I said that, the mystic wolf girl who had just been introduced

hesitantly opened her mouth to speak. "Uh... Um... King Souma..."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Um... Well... Uh, I also... have something I'd like to say..."

Because she was extremely tense, she spoke as if forcing the words out.

It was hard to make out what she was saying.

"Did you have something you wanted to say? I don't mind. Please go

ahead."

"Yesh... Um... Actually..."

"Hm? What? You need to speak up, or I won't be able to hear you..."

"Um... I..." Tomoe had tears in her eyes. She was still young enough to

be called a little girl, so it was painful to see her with a face like that.

"...I understand. I'll come over to you, so don't cry anymore," I said.

"Awoo..."

I walked over to the girl's side and crouched down next to her, putting

my ear next to her mouth. As the one in charge of guarding me, Ludwin had

a disapproving look on his face, but I ignored him.

"Now I should be able to hear you," I said. "Say whatever you like."

"Yep. The truth is..."

What she whispered to me next made me doubt my ears. I stood up and

stared at Tomoe's face.

"...You're certain of this?"

"Y-Yep."

"Have you told this to anyone else?"

"N-No... Nobody but my mom..."

"I see..."

I breathed a sigh. It was half of relief and half of worry when I thought

about what was to come. This was more than just some rare gift. This girl

had the potential to be a "bombshell" to this world.

...Calm down. Breathe. Don't let anyone here notice how agitated you

are.

"Whew... I'm a little exhausted. I'd like to take a little break here."

"Souma?"

When I said that, looking around, Liscia looked at me dubiously. The

others had about the same reaction, but I ignored them, boldly raising my

voice.

"I would now like to take a thirty minute break. The presentation of

awards to the remaining two, this girl included, will take place after that.

Madam Juna."

"What is it, Sire?" When I called her name, the lorelei songstress

stepped forward.

"Right now, our countrymen are watching us over the Jewel Voice

Broadcast. It would pain me to make the people just wait during our break.

So, could I ask you to keep them entertained with your singing for half an

hour or so?"

"Of course, sire. Our songs are the pride of my family. I will sing my

heart out for them."

With those words, Juna gave an elegant bow.

Our eyes met for just a moment. It felt as if she were checking with me:

There's a reason for this, isn't there? But, even so, she chose not to ask,

doing as I had requested.

Even without her beauty and singing, I would want a considerate person

like her among my subordinates.

While Juna was buying time for me, I gathered those I could trust in the

governmental affairs office. This included myself, Liscia, Marx, Ludwin,

and Tomoe. That was all. As for Aisha, who didn't want to be separated

from me now that she had sworn her loyalty, I had her stand outside the

door to ensure no one was listening in.

"Is all of this caution really necessary?" Liscia asked in bewilderment,

to which I responded with a nod.

"We are in a very bad situation. Did anyone hear what Tomoe said

earlier?" I checked with the other three, but all of them shook their heads.

"...I didn't hear. Her voice was so quiet."

"Neither did I."

"Me either."

"...Then, is there any risk people heard her over the Jewel Voice

Broadcast?"

"That should probably be fine," Liscia said. "It's not that sensitive."

As soon as I heard that, I felt as if a great weight had been lifted from

my shoulders.

"Is it that bad?" she asked.

"Yes. It was literally a bombshell statement."

Everyone's focus narrowed on Tomoe, causing her to shrink into herself

even more. It seemed like it would be hard to get her to talk, so I answered

on her behalf.

"She can converse with animals. You all heard that, right?"

"Yes. It's an incredible gift, isn't it?"

"She used that power to talk to a demon, apparently."

The moment I said that, the room went cold. Everyone was speechless,

just mouthing voicelessly like a bunch of goldfish. Before I go into detail

about it, there are some things you need to know first.

What people in this world thought of when they talked about demons or

monsters and what people in the world I came from thought of when they

talked about demons or monsters were slightly different. In the world I

came from, monsters were not "people" or "plants and animals," they were

seen as aberrations.

However, in this world, the words "person" and "animal" were defined

very broadly.

To be more specific, humans, elves, beastmen, and dragonewts were all

"people" and fell under the category of "mankind."

In the categories of "plants and animals," even at four meters tall, a red

grizzly was still a mammal. Even if it looked like a dinosaur, a monitor

lizard was still a reptile. Even if it was as big as a person, a giant ant was

still an insect. And even if it ate people, a maneater was a plant.

Furthermore, gelins, the slime creatures that did things like merge together,

split apart, melt, and more, also fell under the "plants and animals"

category, for some reason.

By the way, dragons and the like were called "god-beasts," and they

were categorized separately.

The reason none of these creatures were called monsters was because

they were native to this world. Because they have been part of the ecology

of this world all along, each of them had their own habitats away from

where humans lived. As a matter of fact, the eight-legged horses in this

country would all be Sleipnir by the standards of the world I came from,

and the livestock such as cows and chickens all looked like they had been

designed to look more monstrous.

However, if you asked what monsters were, the term referred to things

like chimeras, which were a mishmash of different animals fused together,

zombies, skeletons and other undead types, as well as goblins, orcs, and

ogres, which looked almost like people, but no one would mistake them for

sentient beings.

Ever since the Demon World had appeared, there had been a large

outbreak of these monsters in the north of the continent, but even before the

Demon World's appearance, they had inhabited areas known as dungeons

that were all around the continent.

Dungeons were underground spaces with a mysterious ecology. I was

used to seeing them in games, but they actually existed in this world.

Incidentally, I had heard that in this world there were people called

"adventurers" who explored these sorts of dungeons, protected merchants,

eliminated dangerous beasts that tore up the fields, and slayed monsters that

come out of the dungeons as their way of making a living.

Before the Demon World appeared, monsters had been thought to lack

intelligence. As a matter of fact, the monsters in dungeons, even the almost

humanoid ones like goblins, only possessed intelligence on the level of

animals.

However, among the monsters in the Demon Lord's Domain, there were

those that behaved as if they were intelligent.

These monsters acted in groups, used weapons and magic, and could put

together strategies. These acted almost like "people" do. When mankind

had failed in its invasion of the Demon Lord's Domain, their lack of fuller

knowledge about the existence of these monsters was the biggest factor in

their defeat. Mankind had chosen to call these intelligent monsters

"demons" to distinguish them from more animalistic monsters.

Now, let's get back to the story. Basically, Tomoe said she had spoken

with one of these demons.

Apparently, up until now, no one had ever succeeded in talking to a

demon. With the sudden appearance of an army that spoke a foreign

language, and with hostilities ongoing no less, understanding one another

just wasn't going to happen.

Liscia drew in closer to Tomoe.

"Just what did you talk to, and what did you talk about?!"

"W-With Mr. Kobold. They're different from us... They're short, and

their whole faces, not just their ears, are doglike... On the day before our

village was attacked, he said, 'I can't bear to see those with the same scent

as me attacked. Hurry and flee.' It was a miracle I could understand what

Mr. Kobold said, but... thanks to him, we were able to avoid trouble..."

"So, to sum it up... Demons have a clear will of their own, is that it?"

Ludwin said, as if groaning.

The people of this world only thought of demons as slightly smarter

monsters. Like locusts swarming over the land, or barbarians that delighted

in slaughter. From what I had heard, that wasn't a mistaken impression

when it came to monsters. However... For demons, perhaps another

viewpoint was going to be necessary.

If demons had their own will, like Tomoe was suggesting, mankind

might have been fighting a "war" against the demon race without realizing

it. A war with no channels of diplomacy, at that. With their families being

killed, their houses razed, and their countries stolen, mankind held great

resentment towards the monsters and demons. If this was a war, it was

possible that the demons resented mankind in the same way.

"If this knowledge spread to all of the other countries..." I began.

"...there would be chaos," Liscia finished.

Liscia and I both slumped our shoulders.

I didn't think dialogue would be possible with each and every demon or

monster from the Demon Lord's Domain. Those we could talk to, like the

kobold who had let the mystic wolves escape, might only be a small portion

of them. However, if people were to find out that even some of the demons

are like that, the demon race would stop being the common enemy of all

mankind.

Right now, even if it was only on the surface, all of the other countries

were united against the Demon Lord's Domain. If this information were to

spread, what would happen to that? If it meant they tried to sue for peace

with the demons, that would be great, but it would be completely

unsurprising if some of them put their own country's interests first, siding

with the demons in order to invade other countries. If that were to happen,

mankind would fall to pieces.

"Do you think the Empire knows?" I asked.

"...I'm not sure," Liscia said. "It was only with Tomoe's unique gift that

someone was finally able to communicate with them. Even if they do

realize it, they'd have no way to verify it."

"So, basically, our country has a monopoly on this information for the

time being. Good grief..." This was one hell of a thing to have fall in my

lap.

She's like a bomb. I can use her as a trump card, but if I mishandle her,

it could all blow up in my face.

"I-I'm sorry..." Tomoe was wincing, so Liscia poked me.

"Oh, no, we aren't blaming you," I said quickly. "Actually, I'm glad you

came to this country. It chills me when I think what might have happened if

you had gone to another country instead."

"Still, are you going to conceal this information?" Ludwin asked. "If

people find out we hid such vital information, isn't it possible we would be

condemned as an enemy of all mankind?"

"...You have a point." I wanted to clutch my head when Ludwin pointed

that out. "Doing a bad job of hiding it and then having people think we're

harboring ambitions as a result isn't a great plan. Besides, if this is a war,

the current situation where both sides are fighting a war of extermination is

not good. In order to make sure the war doesn't continue until one sided is

wiped out, we need to leak the information out little by little."

I need to resolve myself. I continued to speak, looking at those around

me. "'Maybe there are those among the demons we could talk with.' We'll

leak something that sounds like nothing more than a hypothesis to the other

countries. If we do that, they should be a little more cautious. At the very

least, they should try to discover if there's any truth to the rumors."

"As part of that process, isn't it possible they will reach the same

information that we have? Wouldn't that eliminate the value of concealing

it?"

"You're wrong, Marx. Our trump card is Tomoe herself."

"M-Me?!" she squeaked.

I nodded firmly to Tomoe, whose eyes were darting about in

bewilderment. "Even if the demons do have a will of their own, there needs

to be some means of communication to negotiate with them. For instance,

while the other countries are still searching for a way to negotiate with the

demons, we can talk to them using Tomoe as a mediator. That is a huge

advantage."

I didn't know how much our kingdom would be able to negotiate for on

its own. However, by having our own independent line of communication,

we could prevent a situation where another country monopolized the right

to negotiate and refused us any opportunity for dialogue. In exchange, we

would be taking a burden on ourselves, but that was far preferable to

leaving our kingdom's fate in the hands of another country.

"So, Tomoe, our country needs to do everything it can to protect you," I

said.

"P-Protect me...?!"

"Yes. It's no exaggeration to say that, right now, you're far more

important than some guy like me. Honestly, if this information leaks out,

the moment you get abducted, this country is ruined."

"No way... you're making that up... right?" Tomoe looked around

restlessly, but no one denied it.

It was no exaggeration to say that Tomoe held this country's fate in her

hands. While I would never do it myself, another country might have

pretended they had never heard any of this and "disposed of" her. That was

just how important Tomoe's existence was.

"So, in order to keep you under the highest level of guard we can, I want

you to live here in the palace. If it comes down to it, we might not be able

to protect you in the refugee camp."

"Awoo..." Tomoe moaned.

"Hold on a moment," Marx raised his hand. "If we have someone not of

royal blood living at the palace, might that not draw unwanted scrutiny?"

"Hmm. Well, tell me how we can welcome her as royalty, then."

"You say that like it's so easy... There are a number of ways a common

person can become royalty. One would be for you to adopt her, sire.

However, as the wedding has not been held yet, this is not possible. Your

wedding ceremony will take more than a year to prepare, after all."

"You heard him, Liscia," I said.

"Hey, don't throw this over to me." Liscia quickly looked away.

Living with Liscia as my wife and Tomoe, who's already around ten, as

my daughter, huh... Yeah, I just can't imagine it.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"You could take her as a secondary wife, sire."

"That's... all kinds of messed up."

She's young enough to be in elementary school, pal. It brings to mind

that image of Backbeard saying, "You damn lolicon."

Marx cleared his throat. "She is just barely within the acceptable age

range for a political marriage, I believe."

"Souma... Ten years old is a little young..."

"Why are you blaming me, here?!"

Now Liscia's looking at me coldly. I'm not into that stuff, okay?!

"Hey, wait, the former royal couple can just adopt her."

"Hmm. I believe that would be acceptable." Marx was snickering.

That bastard, he said all that stuff when he already knew that was

possible!

"That sounds good! I've always wanted a little sister!" Liscia said.

"Whuwhuh!" Tomoe cried in confusion.

Liscia hugged Tomoe tight, causing her to sputter and panic. As for

Liscia herself, she had a more relaxed look than I had ever seen on her face

before.

Come to think of it, since Liscia's my fiancée, Tomoe's going to be my

sister-in-law. A wolf-eared loli sister-in-law... That's too many character

attributes.

"But, but... I have a family. My mom and little brother are waiting for

me in the camp," Tomoe said, breaking free from her (prospective) big

sister's excessively touchy-feely embrace.

"Ohh, the adoption is only for appearances' sake, so you don't have to

worry about that. If you become my sister-in-law, your mother and brother

will be family, too, so I don't mind if they live at the palace, as well. We'll

provide some funds for them to live on, and if they want to work, we'll give

them something to do in the palace."

"Well... in that case... okay," Tomoe accepted somewhat timidly.

Good. That doesn't quite wrap everything up nicely, but I think I've done

what I can for the moment. I've somehow gained a sister-in-law in the

process, but, hey, she's cute, so it's all good.

"Now then, let's get back to the hall," I said. "We're keeping Madam

Juna waiting."

It's been almost thirty minutes, after all. She probably can't draw things

out much longer.

"For now, we'll only give Tomoe the prize money as her reward. If the

former royal couple were to suddenly announce they were adopting her, that

would be like telling everyone that something's up. We'll let some time

pass and then announce it another day. I'd like you all to act with that in

mind, got it?"

""""Yes, sir!""""

◇ ◇ ◇

Thirty minutes after King Souma called for a break, the award ceremony

resumed. Right now, the mystic wolf girl was being praised.

As that scene unfolded, I stood with the other prize winners watching.

"Your gift is remarkable," he told the wolf girl. "I hope you will put it to

use for our country."

"Y-Yesh! I undershtand!"

...She's stuttering all over the place, I thought. How adorable.

What could that adorable little girl have said to alarm the king so badly

that he had called for a break? What's more, that little girl was the only one

who had been called aside during the break. It was clear that it had been

something important, but there was no way for me to know what it was at

the moment.

From the time I came here, I had been observing the king in question.

He looked ordinary. I had heard he'd been summoned as a hero, but he

looked exactly like any of the common townsfolk. He didn't wear a crown,

carried no scepter, wore no cape, and though their design was unusual,

when he stood there in those casual clothes, he didn't look like a king even

while standing in front of the throne.

If I looked for it, once in a while his eyes took on a statesman-like

appearance. He was a very hard man to pin down. From the way he had

acted so far, you might say he was a passable king, I suppose.

With the dark elf warrior's direct appeal, he had shown magnanimity

and, even without intending to, he'd found a solution to her problem. From

what had happened with the mystic wolf girl, it seemed he could ad-lib

where necessary, too. It had been a little awkward, but, well, I'd give it a

passing grade.

However, his real trial would start here.

The fat man beside me was sweating profusely, though I couldn't tell if

it was cold sweat or greasy sweat. I turned to look at him. It was his turn to

receive his award next.

On the way here, he had told me himself what his gift was. And, as far

as I was concerned, his was "the gift this country needs most right now."

When he sees him, what will that young king's judgment be?

Will he look down on the man's appearance (a big round belly and a

pudgy face), which no one would call attractive, even as empty flattery?

Will he make a laughingstock of him in front of the entire country?

Even if he doesn't go that far, will he miss the importance of the man's

gift?

If he does any of those things, I...

"Next, Poncho Panacotta of Potte Village, step forward!"

"Y-Yes, I'll do that, yes!

When Prime Minister Marx called his name, the fat man named Poncho

walked forward with heavy steps, his round belly wobbling. The comical

way he walked drew laughs from all around. Even Princess Liscia was

struggling to suppress a smile.

When I looked to see the king's reaction, his face was serious. Not

smiling, not displeased, just looking at Sir Poncho with a serious

expression.

"This one's gift, as you may have guessed from the look of him, is for

eating," Marx said. "During the application process, a number of people

claimed to have the 'gift of being a big eater,' but none could defeat him.

Furthermore, his stance towards his pursuit of food is unusual. He has

traveled the world, eating the famous and bizarre dishes of each region. In

his own words, 'If it was edible, I ate it.' However, it seems he has spent his

entire fortune on traveling and eating, so he is not as well off as he might

appear... Ahem. Regardless, it can be said that he has a gift that is unique in

our country, so..."

"I've been waiting for you!" The king was moving before Marx could

even finish reading the explanation. When he reached Poncho, he took his

hand with both hands, not hiding his elation in the slightest. "I'm so glad

you responded to my call! You're the sort of person I've been waiting for!"

"Huh... uh... What?" Sir Poncho's eyes darted around. His brain couldn't

keep up with the situation.

Eventually, his mind caught up, and his face stiffened.

"M-Me, Your Majesty?"

"Exactly! You're the one this country has been waiting for! More than

any of these other gifted people, I'm glad that you came! I always thought

that if someone like you was among the civil officials, it would be worth

recommending they apply!"

"D-Do you feel that strongly about me, yes?"

"Yeah. Your knowledge from wandering around eating famous and

bizarre foods will be the key to saving this country!"

When the king said that, Sir Poncho cried a flood of tears. "I-I...

Everyone's always called me a fatty... An idiot wasting his money on food...

As for me, I only went around eating because I wanted to eat, so I thought

they were right... Can even my gluttony be of service to this country?"

The king tapped the crying Sir Poncho on the shoulder. "Let them say

what they want about you. No matter how trivial something is, if you

master it, it's a gift. Be proud! The appetite you didn't hesitate to spend

your fortune on will save this country! Please, share your wisdom with

me!"

Hearing his king's earnest request, Poncho wiped away his tears with his

sleeve. "Y-Yes! If my knowledge can be of help, please use it, yes!" he

responded cheerfully.

When I looked around, most of the audience were standing there,

mouths agape, unable to digest the situation. In the midst of that, King

Souma returned to the throne, then turned to Marx and said, "In this

country, there is a tradition of the king rewarding meritorious servants, or

those for whom he has high hopes, with a new name, isn't there?"

"...Ah, yes. That is correct, sire."

"In that case, Poncho, I bestow upon you the name Ishizuka. In my

homeland, this was the name of an 'insatiable seeker and evangelist of

food.' Work hard, so as not to bring shame upon that name."

"Ye... Yes, sir! Thank you, yes!"

This was the explosive moment in which Poncho Ishizuka Panacotta

was born. The first person King Souma had personally welcomed as one of

his retainers was the rotund man with the vigorous appetite, Sir Poncho.

I wanted to cry out for joy. Splendid! This was a king who had his

priorities straight!

Whether he would hire Poncho or not had been a touchstone for this

king. I had thought that if he failed to recognize the man's value, but hired

him on the potential he might someday be of use, that would be a pass. If he

had chosen not to hire him solely based on his appearance, that would be a

failure. I never dared to imagine he would welcome him so enthusiastically.

This was a happy miscalculation for me.

This man may well save this country.

I felt something welling up from within me.

...It looks like I won't be able to just watch any longer.

"King Souma, a word with you, if I may," I said.

◇ ◇ ◇

"King Souma, a word with you, if I may."

With the awards all handed out, just as I was about to declare an end to

the ceremony, the young man in black robes, Hakuya Kwonmin, stepped

forward and took a knee. Now his sleepy eyes were wide open. Just by

doing that, he mysteriously had an entirely different air about him now.

Feeling something like a slight premonition, I turned to Hakuya and

asked, "Do you have something to say?"

"Indeed. Though I stand here on the recommendation of another, it is

now my wish to recommend myself."

A self-recommendation. Does he want to sell me on his merits himself,

then?

"Hmm... I've already promised you the position of librarian to the

palace archives. If you want to make a self-recommendation, does that

mean you're dissatisfied with the post? What is it you seek?"

"Should it be at all possible, I wish to place myself in your service, Your

Majesty."

"But not as a librarian?"

"Correct. With my wisdom, I seek to support your supremacy."

"M-My supremacy?"

Supremacy is a bold thing to claim, I thought. If he means to support

that with his wisdom, what does he plan to become? A general, handling

military and foreign affairs, or a prime minister handling internal affairs...?

I looked straight at Hakuya. "Amusing, but do you have a gift great

enough to accomplish that?"

"I humbly submit that I do."

"You can do more than recite the law from memory, then?"

"With all due respect, I believe I have told you as much. 'Law, literature,

technical manuals, I'll read anything,' I said. I have information on every

field of study stored inside my head."

"I see..." Now I knew what had been bothering me before. Though he

could recite the law from memory, he had said he read all sorts of books.

That meant his knowledge wasn't limited to just law. For him, the laws he'd

memorized were just one small fragment of the diverse knowledge he

possessed. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I sought to judge whether you were a ruler worthy of my service."

"Then, does this mean I'm worthy?"

"You receive a passing mark, I suppose."

What insolence, I thought. Still... He's amusing. Is he boasting, or does

he have the skill to back it up...? Either way, there's no way to know just yet,

I guess.

"I'll leave you to Marx!" I said. "Judge this one's gift and give him a

position suited to it."

"Very well, sire."

"Thank you very much."

Marx and Hakuya both bowed.

A few days later, Marx would rush into the governmental affairs office,

crying, "Sire, would you ask me to teach a wyvern to fly?!" It was an

idiomatic expression from this world for trying to teach someone who

knows more than you.

At this time, I had no way of knowing that this had been my first

meeting with the man who would come to be known as the Black-robed

Prime Minister.

◇ ◇ ◇

In history, there are some scenes which are easily dramatized by later

generations. There are some conditions for this:

First, it must be the turning point of an era.

Second, it must have a certain flair when dramatized.

These are the two conditions.

In Elfrieden history, the scene most dramatized in later years was "King

Souma's Gathering of Personnel." It is said that there are three main

characters in this scene.

Seen from Souma's perspective, this was one of his great

accomplishments. From the perspective of the man who would come to be

called the Black-robed Prime Minister, Hakuya Kwonmin, it was to become

"the turning point of an era." And from the perspective of a certain other

person, it was the turning point in the Cinderella story of their life.

However, there are different theories on who that third person is.

Some say it was the Warrior of the Eastern Wind, Aisha Udgard, who,

despite being a dark elf who lived in the forest, swore her loyalty the king,

and from that point on was always at his side serving him.

Some say it was the Prima Lorelei, Juna Doma, who was recognized by

the king, learned the songs of his country, gave birth to the concept of a

lorelei, which was the word that came to mean an idol singer in Elfrieden,

and was loved by king and people alike.

Some say it was the Wise Wolf Princess, Tomoe Inui, who, despite being

a refugee, was instantly adored by King Souma and Queen Liscia, and

taken in as the queen's adopted sister.

However, the one most featured in dramatizations was Poncho Ishizuka

Panacotta.

Mocked by all around him for his weight, this unspectacular glutton of a

man was, through "The King's Gathering of Personnel," able to turn his life

around. For the people exhausted with their daily lives, this true story

moved them and gave them energy, and so it came to be dramatized many

times.

It seems odd to call the tale of a rotund man a Cinderella story. Yet,

despite being a little scatterbrained, he was hard not to like. He was loved

by all, and so they said it suited him perfectly.

In addition, because the King's emotional welcoming of Poncho was

broadcast throughout the kingdom, it had the unexpected side effect of

many gifted people gathering in Elfrieden, thinking, "If even a guy like that

can become important, so can I..." From this event, in later years, a new

proverb meaning "start with small things" was created.

"Start from Ishizuka.