How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Book 6: Epilogue2

Epilogue 2: On To Yet Another Country

Having formed our contracts with Naden and Ruby in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, we returned to the kingdom.

Like Id told Tomoe, the castle was still being swamped with marriage proposals, so I planned to continue my trip abroad. Though, we had some items like the Little Susumu Mark V and Little Musashibo which were bulky and ill-suited to our trip, so we came back to drop them off.

When Naden, the black ryuu, and Ruby, the red dragon, set down in Parnam Castle, the castle guards started panicking. Even if they already knew about Naden, they hardly could have anticipated that Ruby would be joining us, too...

Come to think of it, I had totally forgotten to report that.

Regardless, I dismounted from Naden and headed over to the gondola Ruby had been carrying. Naden carried the gondola on the way there, but she was going to be my queen. If she carried it and Hals wife arrived empty-handed, it would have reflected poorly on Ruby, so we decided Ruby would carry it.

Ruby, Naden said. You carried it without any shaking, I hope?

Shove off, Naden. I carried it just fine.

Naden and Ruby started bickering the moment they changed back into human form.

There was supposed to be a hierarchical relationship between them now, as the wives of a king and one of his retainers, but it seemed like neither of them cared, and they were having a good time sniping at each other. This sort of relationship must have been easier for them.

Then the door to the gondola opened and Liscia came out. Urgh...

Liscia?! I exclaimed.

The moment she got onto the ground, Liscia stumbled, so I hurried to catch her. With Liscia in my arms, I looked at her to find she was looking pale, and covering her mouth.

A-Are you okay?! Whats wrong?!

Sorry... Im a little unsteady on my feet... Is it motion sickness?

Motion sickness from the gondola... Was that it? Seeing Liscia like that, Naden blamed Ruby.

You said you didnt let it shake! Naden yelled.

I-I dont think it did, okay?!

Calm down, please, said Aisha, disembarking. I dont think it shook that much.

Liscia laughed weakly, and added, I dont think its Rubys fault, to cover for her. I think the fatigue from the long trip finally got to me. I must have failed to manage my health properly.

Are you really okay? I asked.

Yeah... But Im going on ahead to rest in my room. Carla, would you come with me?

O-Okay. You can lean on me.

Should I come with you, too? I asked.

You have to give Hakuya a report on what happened, dont you, Souma? You need to make living arrangements for Naden and Ruby, too. Ill be fine, so go do your job.

Urkh... When she said it like that, there was nothing I could say back to her.

In the end, all I could do was watch as Liscia left for her room, leaning on Carlas shoulder for support. If I acted too worried, she would probably get mad, so I decided to focus on what needed to get done for now.

Now that we have everyone gathered together...

By the time I returned to the governmental affairs office, discussed with Haakuya the events that had transpired, took care of the various procedures that had to be handled for Naden and Ruby, and sent out an order to the research institute regarding an investigation into overscience relics, the date had changed. Now that the work was all handled, I summoned the members of my traveling entourage once more.

In the room were the six who returned with us: Aisha, Naden, Carla, Halbert, Kaede, and Ruby; plus three more, Hakuya, Juna, and Roroa, who had been holding down the fort. Liscia still wasnt feeling well, so she was in her room resting.

Is it still a good idea for me to be away from the castle? I asked with a glance to Hakuya.

He nodded in confirmation. Yes... The number of marriage proposals coming to the castle still hasnt dropped off.

That figures. The situation in the Star Dragon Mountain Range went by so quickly that it took fewer days than Id been expecting, after all. No, with all that happened, I should be happy it had been resolved so quickly.

...Well, that being the case, I think Ill go on a diplomatic mission to another country. Liscias health worries me, but she herself told me to go.

I was actually thinking of staying in the castle until Liscia fully recovered, but she said, I dont want my poor health to stop you from taking this important opportunity to visit other countries. She strongly stressed that Contact with other cultures will help to fuel you. So I want you to go and see the world.

If she was going to say it like that, I had no choice but to go.

Tomoe is waiting at that village, so I want to set out tomorrow, I said. Now, as for our next destination... I think Id like to go to the Republic of Turgis.

The Republic of Turgis was a land of frigid cold in the southernmost reaches of the continent. It was an inaccessible country, covered in snow and ice during the winter, and the skies there were disrupted by warm air currents, making it so wyverns couldnt fly. They had a national policy of northward expansionism, and they recently showed signs of making a move north during the war with the Principality of Amidonia, hadnt they?

I looked to each of my companions and then said, I dont really understand the moves that country is making. Its a country I dont understand very well in general, so Id like to see what things are like there for myself. Whether were going to have hostile or cordial relations with them in the future, I think knowing more about that country will let me make more appropriate decisions.

The battle with the Principality of Amidonia happened because they had already firmed up their will to oppose us, so there was no room for me to investigate their domestic situation. It could also be said that that was why Roroa had gotten the drop on me in the end. In order to prevent that from happening next time, I wanted to thoroughly investigate things in advance.

Th-The Republic of Turgis? Naden asked.

...Thats not exactly a place I care to go, Ruby added.

Both of them wore unpleasant looks on their faces.

I knew wyverns hated cold places, but it looked like that went for ryuus and dragons, too.

It was mid-May, and the Kingdom had already warmed up. Apparently in the Republic however, the temperature had only risen to around ten degrees Celsius. That climate would be harsh on Naden and Ruby.

Its a cold land, after all. I dont think Ill be of much use as a bodyguard, either, said Carla, who, as dragonewt, also had trouble dealing with the cold.

If she wore thick clothes, she could come, but she apparently wanted to say that if that slowed her down, that made bringing her as a bodyguard pointless.

Not being able to bring those three would be a huge cut to our overall firepower, but they couldnt help it if their races made them ill-suited to the task at hand. If they forced themselves to do things they couldnt reasonably be expected to, and they ruined their health as a result, it would trouble me. Id have to give up on them this time.

Naden, Ruby, Carla: please stay in the kingdom, I said. Ill have Liscia rest and recover this time, too. Aisha, Hal, and Kaede, Id like the three of you to continue on as my bodyguards. Well bring Tomoe and Inugami, too.

Leave it to me. Aisha pounded a fist against her chest.

Y-Yes, sir. Hal and Kaede saluted.

Also... Roroa.

Hm? Me? Roroa had a blank look on her face.

Id like you to come along, too. I want you to look into goods we could trade with the republic. You own a company, so Im sure youre familiar with trade goods.

Roroas face burst into a beaming smile. Oh! You dont mind me comin with you? Yippee! Mweheheh, just you leave it to me, darlin. Ill find ya some nice trade goods. She wrapped herself around my arm.

While patting her on the head, I turned to Juna next. If Im bringing Roroa, that leaves me less than confident in the amount of firepower we have on hand. So, Juna...

Yes?

Juna, Id like you to come, too. Can you work that into your schedule?

As the Prima Lorelei, Juna was the face of the Jewel Voice Broadcast. She was the host of the educational program, and she needed to appear on the singing program, too. That was why there were no openings in her schedule, and the question was really, Is it possible for you to adjust your schedule?

Juna gave me a broad smile. Hee hee. Its fine. Or more like Ill make it so its fine, she said definitively, bringing a hand to her chest and bowing. If I have Komari and Siena cover for me on the educational program, it should be no trouble. The younger loreleis are growing up, and I think they should be fine without me for a little while.

They will? That helps.

No, just like Roroa, I want to travel with you, sire. Juna gave me a teasing wink. Yeah, she was very charming.

For now, the members of the group were chosen.

Hakuya, could I get you to try putting in a request for talks with the Republic of Turgis? I asked. I basically intend to go incognito, but I may need to request a meeting on the spot. Set things up for me, would you?

Understood. Hakuya bowed and accepted the task.

Okay, that was everything more or less ready.

Well then, everyone, I said. shall we be on our way?

And so we left for the frozen country of the south: the Republic of Turgis.