LIGHTNOVELONLINE Book 1: Chapter SS2
Bonus Short Stories
The Little Tanuki Princess of Amidonia
The capital of the Principality of Amidonia, Van.
As might be expected from a nation of warriors, the city was surrounded by high walls and the buildings were ashen gray, free of excessive stylistic flourish. Perhaps because their ruler’s focus leaned so strongly towards the military, the layout of the city was a convoluted mess full of alleyways.
Right now, a young girl was running through those alleyways. She was sixteen years old, perhaps, with a petite, slender physique. Her face had regular features and she tied her hair back in twin braids.
This was the daughter of current Sovereign Prince Gaius VIII, Roroa Amidonia.
She had an air about her that was different from her stern and austere father Gaius or her coldly calculating brother Julius. The way she was curious about anything and everything made her as adorable as a little animal.
When she went out into the city, people were always quick to call out to her.
“Oh my, it’s little Roroa. Hello there,” a woman said, to Roroa, preparing to open up shop.
“Hello, Ma’am. Turnin’ a nice profit?”
“Not at all. The economy’s poor everywhere.”
“I see. Sorry ‘bout that. My stupid old man’s not so good at governin’.”
“...You must be the only one in this country who could say that,” the woman said with a strained smile. As was not uncommon in militaristic states, any criticism of those in power would quickly get a person arrested here. The only reason Roroa could get away with talking the way she did was because she was the first princess of this country.
However, Roroa replied with a smile that didn’t feel at all like it came from a princess.
“Just you wait. I’ll do somethin’ about it.”
“Hahaha, I’ll look forward to that.”
“Sure!”
With a wave to the woman, Roroa ran off again.
On the shopping street in Van, there was a store that dealt in men’s apparel. The little sign out front read “The Silver Deer” in a stylish font. Roroa opened the door to the Silver Deer with great force, calling loudly to the owner.
“Seeeebastiaaaan~? Leeeet’s plaaaay~?”
“...Lady Roroa.”
When she did, a middle-aged man with graying hair who was dressed like a bartender came out. He seemed like the sort of stylish and deep-thinking man who the aroma of black tea would suit well, but he was holding his head, as if suddenly afflicted with a headache.
“Don’t shout people’s names so loudly. What do you mean, let’s play?”
“Geez, you’re no fun, Sebas.”
“It’s Sebastian, and I’m working right now...”
“Hmm? I didn’t get the feelin’ you had any customers.”
Roroa looked around the store, but she didn’t see any customers. The store had a nice atmosphere to it, and many of the items on display were tasteful, so it was strange to see business so dead.
“...Well, the men of Van never were much for fashion,” Sebastian said with a wry laugh.
The Silver Deer had branch stores around Amidonia, but despite the store in Van being the head office, its sales were terrible. Given the austere ruggedness that was the national character, men in Amidonia didn’t concern themselves with what they wore, and this trend was especially pronounced in Van.
“Normally, it’d be women who’d go for stylish stuff like this, though.”
“The day I start to stock stylish clothes for women is the day this store goes under.”
In the patriarchal society of Amidonia, women were looked on with disdain if they were seen walking outside in needlessly showy attire. That was why Amidonian women only wore clothing in subdued colors, so even if this store were to stock stylish clothing for women, it wouldn’t sell at all.
This was another thing that Roroa was dissatisfied about.
“Honestly, it’s stupid. The market is defined by customer demand. Expandin’ the market’s what leads to economic development, but our society’s placin’ limitations on customer demand.”
While Roroa was a princess, she also had a rare sense for economics. Together with people like Colbert, the Minister of Finance, she had been moving around the country’s financial capital to make a profit and enrich the country. However, her father Gaius spent most of that profit almost entirely on expanding the military.
“Really, if I want to rebuild this country, maybe I’ll have to level everythin’ first. That would take the fixed ideas people have got into their heads and blow them all away.”
“Honestly... Could you not say such dangerous sounding things in my establishment?” Sebastian said with a sigh of dismay.
“So, Lady Roroa, how may I be of service today?”
“Hm? Oh, right. I wanted to ask you about somethin’.”
As Roroa said this, she edged up to Sebastian like a needy kitten. In these sorts of gestures, she really was like a small animal.
“Listen, are you connected to merchants outside the country, Sebastian?
“Well... Yes, to a degree.”
“So, basically, that means you’ve got information ‘bout a bunch of other countries, then. Well, in that case, there’s somethin’ I was hopin’ ya could tell me about the Kingdom of Elfrieden.”
“About the Kingdom of Elfrieden?”
The Kingdom of Elfrieden was one of the countries that neighbored the Principality of Amidonia. What was more, around fifty years ago the Principality had lost nearly half its territory in a war with the Kingdom and because of that, among other things, they were regarded as a bitter enemy.
“So, what is it you want to ask?”
“Oh, I overheard my old man sayin’ there was a sudden change of kings there, you know.”
“Ahh. You must be talking about how King Albert ceded his throne to Souma Kazuya.”
“Yeah, that was it! I wanted to ask you about Souma!”
When she finished speaking, Roroa crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side.
“I know a bit myself. He’s that hero they summoned from another world, yeah? I don’t get how he ended up becomin’ king, but what I really don’t get is, even though he’s a hero, we ain’t hearin’ any stories about him doin’ anythin’ heroic. Aren’t heroes supposed to, you know, blow away monsters and easily clear dungeons, and stuff like that?”
The way Roroa spoke using little gestures for all of this put a smile on Sebastian’s face.
“True enough, I haven’t heard any stories like that about the king in question.”
“I know, right? My old man thinks some inexperienced young pup’s been put on the throne, and he’s right and ready to take advantage, but... Somethin’ bugs me about it. I’ve heard their last king was a mediocre leader and too nice for his own good, but would he really hand over his throne so easily if this guy was just some kid?”
“...I suppose not.”
Roroa was clever. She had a greater ability to see through to the heart of matters than either her father or brother. If she could have taken the throne, the principality would surely have developed greatly. However, she lacked the cruelty she would need to harm her father and brother and take the throne for herself. While Sebastian thought it regrettable that she would never sit on the throne, he also looked favorably on her for not having a personality that would allow her to do that.
That was why Sebastian gave Roroa the information he had.
“I’ve heard that this Souma is building roads in order to fight a food crisis, or something like that.”
“Huh? Buildin’ roads to fight a food crisis?”
For a moment, Roroa was caught by surprise, but soon she let out a hearty laugh. That laugh, however, wasn’t one for mocking a misguided policy.
“Ahahaha! I see, he wants to build a transportation network to boost their transport capacity and get through the crisis that way. Well now, he’s young, but he’s still comin’ up with better policies than my old man.”
Roroa had accurately seen through to the core of Souma’s policy. By increasing the fluidity of distribution he meant to adjust for surpluses and shortages of supply. Roroa wiped her eyes and caught her breath.
“Yep! This new king Souma’s got my attention. Sebastian, would you mind usin’ your network to get me as much info on Souma as you can?”
Seeing how full of energy Roroa had become, Sebastian shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t mind, but... What’s in it for me?”
“Think of it as an investment in the future. I’m pretty sure...”
We’re gonna make a killin’ on this.
As she spoke those words, Roroa wore a daring smile.
Aisha: Day of Departure
It happened in the vast wooded region in the south of the Elfrieden Kingdom, also known as the God-Protected Forest.
This forest, said to be protected by a god-beast, was also the domain of the dark elves.
With great martial prowess, they took pride in their role as woodland protectors and thought of themselves as a people who lived and died with the forest. They did not socialize with other races, and, while they were a part of the kingdom, that was only because they had determined that, should the kingdom fall, the God-Protected Forest would be in danger.
However, recently, the situation in the forest had changed. Ordinarily, entry into the God-Protected Forest was forbidden to all but those of the dark elf race, but now the members of other races in the kingdom had begun to trespass. The cause of this was the food crisis that had arisen after the appearance of the Demon Lord’s Domain. Other races in the vicinity, struggling to find anything to eat, had begun to enter the forest in search of its natural bounty.
However, the forest’s bounty was not without limit. The dark elves could understand that the food crisis was making life difficult for these people, but they needed the forest’s bounty to sustain themselves. As a result, there were clashes on the outskirts of the forest between dark elves guarding against intrusion and members of other races intent on entering the forest.
If things were left to follow their own course, there was the risk that this could develop into a larger armed conflict. Something had to be done.
Having resolved to do just that, one young woman was about to depart from the forest.
“Goodbye, Father. I will return soon,” said a girl with light brown skin who looked to be 18 or 19, slinging a great sword over her back.
This was Aisha Udgard, the only daughter of Wodan Udgard, chief of the dark elf village.
“I swear that I will emerge victorious in the martial arts tournament and stand before the king,” Aisha added, thumping her chest once with pride.
Recently, it seemed the throne had passed from one king to the next. What was more, they had heard that the new king was now casting a wide net in search of talented people. As part of that process, he would be holding the Best in the Kingdom Martial Arts Tournament, where fighters would compete to demonstrate their gift of martial ability. If she won this tournament, she would be able to attend an award ceremony held by the king himself. In other words, she could meet the king in person. If she had that chance, she could make an appeal to him about the plight of the forest.
The clashes are already beginning to escalate beyond what we can handle ourselves. I must have the new king take steps to prevent intrusions!
That was Aisha’s plan.
“...Must you go?” As he watched her leave, Wodan seemed concerned. “A direct appeal to the king will be seen as an affront. This young man, Souma, he’s just recently taken the throne. There’s no telling what decision he will hand down. There’s no need for one so young as you to go, is there?”
Seeing her father’s concern, Aisha silently shook her head. “Father, you know how capable I am in battle. I am the strongest in our village. It should be possible for me to win the tournament and meet with the king. There, I will appeal to him directly about the plight of our forest.”
“Hmph! A human king will never listen to our requests,” a contemptuous voice said. This was Wodan’s younger brother (Aisha’s uncle), Robthor, who had also come to see her off. Robthor had always been a conservative, but lately, every time there had been a clash, he had taken the warriors with him and headed to the site. This had led him to develop a mistrust of other races.
“Uncle, first we must meet with him and talk,” Aisha said. “Fortunately, I have heard the new king is a wise one.”
“You are too optimistic,” her uncle retorted. “You may find that he is cunning instead.”
“All the same, I must first see for myself what kind of man he is.”
“Hmph! Do as you will.”
With those words, Robthor walked off in a huff. With a bitter smile at his younger brother’s behavior, Wodan placed a hand on Aisha’s shoulder.
“Regardless, I just ask you come home to me safely. No matter what the result, I will not fault you for it. So long as you return safely, that is all I ask.”
“Yes! Absolutely!” Aisha nodded firmly, and Wodan nodded back.
“That said,” he continued, taking on a look of concern, “you’ve never left the forest before, have you? That’s what worries me.”
“What is there to fear? Even among the men of this village, none can match my strength.”
“Not all of the dangers in the outside world come from those hostile to you.” Wodan tried to put it in terms Aisha would understand. “Aisha, you are an excellent warrior. However, you are something of a glutton.”
“A-Am I, really...?”
“If someone in the outside were to treat you to delicious food, might you not carelessly follow them wherever they took you?”
“I-I will not forget my task!” Aisha protested, but Wodan didn’t seem too inclined to believe her.
“Then what of when your task is complete? What if the one offering you food is a man? If a man tames you with food, will you so wish to be with him that you no longer desire to return to the forest?”
Now his complaints had just turned into those of a father worried that his daughter might hang around with bad men, so Aisha responded indignantly, “I will never take a man weaker than myself as my husband! And I will not be tamed with food!”
“Really, now...”
“It’s true! I swear, I will not give in to the temptation of food!”
“O-Okay...”
Somehow... this seems like a lost cause, Wodan seemed to be thinking.
“Have a little more faith in me!” Aisha said indignantly. “...Now, I must be going!”
And so, Aisha departed from the God-Protected Forest.
Later, Wodan received a messenger kui (something like a messenger pigeon) from Aisha. In the letter, it said that she had won the tournament, and had been able to make her appeal to the king as planned. It said that the king had given a favorable response, and that she had not been faulted for appealing to him directly. Furthermore, it said that he had offered valuable insight into how to manage the forest.
...It said all of these things, but they only accounted for about two-tenths of what she had written. Of the remaining eight-tenths, two-tenths extolled how marvelous the new king was, five-tenths related how delicious all of the foods she had eaten while staying with His Majesty, and her report on recent happenings made up less than one-tenth of the letter.
While Wodan was relieved his daughter had completed her task successfully, he knew that what he feared had come to pass, and let out a deep sigh as her father.
“Sigh... well, she seems cheerful, I suppose that is good enough,” Wodan muttered, looking towards the capital.
Around that time, Aisha’s voice rang out cheerfully from the Parnam Castle cafeteria: “Your Majesty, seconds please!”
Tomoe’s People-Watching Diary
My name is Tomoe Inui.
I’m a ten-year-old mystic wolf. When the Demon Lord’s Domain showed up, I was chased out of my home in the north and came to the Elfrieden Kingdom as a refugee. My mom and little brother came with me, too.
That’s who I was, but a little while ago, I was adopted by the old king and queen of this country.
They did it because I could talk to animals and monsters, and that caught the eye of the new king, Big Brother Souma. He told me it was a very important ability. They adopted me, but my real mom and my little brother Rou were allowed to live in the castle, too, so I could always see them.
That meant I had two moms now. Mom and the old queen both took good care of me, so I was very happy.
Today, I would like to talk about the people in my life.
First, I’ll start with Big Sister Liscia.
She is the old king and queen’s daughter, and she has an arranged marriage with Big Brother Souma. I am her little sister by adoption, too. She is brave, and strong, and pretty, and cool. She is a great big sister.
“Souma, are you really going to import something like that?”
“Yes. I absolutely need to have it, and I can’t get it in this country, after all.”
“Okay, I understand. But... what are you even going to use volcanic ash for?”
“Well, just you wait and see.”
That’s what Big Sister Liscia is like, but...
“Thanks for all your help, Liscia.”
“Wha...? It’s no big deal... I mean, you’re doing it for the country...”
...she still can’t come out and be honest about her feelings for Big Brother Souma.
“Why, Madam Tomoe. Have you come to eat lunch?” Aisha called out to me in front of the Parnam Castle cafeteria.
Ms. Aisha Udgard is a dark elf, and she is always protecting Big Brother Souma. She is really strong. I’ve heard that even if a whole bunch of men ganged up on her, they still couldn’t beat Aisha. She is pretty, too, and tall, and “busty.” I admire her figure. Will I be like that someday?
That’s what Aisha is like, but...
“Hey, Aisha. Poncho is developing a new sauce for dishes made from flour. There are some samples left over. Do you want to eat them?” Big Brother Souma poked his head out of the cafeteria and called for her.
“I’ll follow you for the rest of my life, Your Majesty!” Aisha ran right to him.
...it’s so weird. Aisha is a dark elf, but when Big Brother Souma and his food are in front of her, she shakes her bottom back and forth. It makes it look like she has a tail.
There is another person I admire. Her name is Juna.
She is a really good singer with pretty blue hair. She has grace and feels like a mature woman, and I admire her, but in a different way than Big Sister Liscia and Aisha.
She looks like she is always taking a step back from where everyone else is and looking at the big picture. She supports everyone from the shadows. She is very mature. I admired her more and more all the time.
That’s what Juna is like, but...
“...”
“Um... Juna?”
“Oh, what is it, Tomoe?”
“...No, it’s nothing.”
“Hm?”
...there are times Juna looks a little lonely when she watches Big Brother Souma with Big Sister Liscia or Aisha. But when Big Brother Souma turns to look at her, she always puts on a gentle smile to hide it.
I think if she feels lonely, she should say so, but Juna never lets Big Brother Souma see her like that. I don’t understand adults.
There is a certain room I always go to visit.
It belongs to this country’s prime minister, Mr. Hakuya Kwongmin.
When I knocked and went in, Hakuya was staring at a pile of papers. Big Brother Souma seemed busy, but Hakuya was always just as busy. Even though he is always so busy, Hakuya makes time for me.
When Hakuya noticed me come in, he said, “Oh, Little Sister. Is it that time already?” He said it with a little smile.
I gave a short bow. “Thank you for your time again today, teacher.”
“Okay,” he said. “Well then, let us start by reviewing this country’s history today.”
“Okay!”
Ever since I came to this castle, Hakuya has been teaching me. Reading, writing, math, and even this country’s history. Hakuya knows a lot, and he is a good teacher. I’m not being forced to study; I had asked him to teach me.
Even if it was because of my ability, I am grateful that Big Brother Souma and Big Sister Liscia adopted me as their honorary little sister, so I want to be a smart little sister that they can be proud of.
When I told Hakuya that, he said, “I’m sure His Majesty and Lady Liscia want you to have fun like a child your age...” with a strained smile.
Still, I want to be able to help my big brother and sister as soon as possible. I want to make it so we can all walk together in this country. That’s why I’m going to study hard!
Knock, knock.
“Your Majesty, may I have a moment?”
“Hm?”
“I have brought your little sister.”
“Zzz...”
“Ah, she fell asleep again, huh?”
“Yes. She works hard at her reading, writing and math, but this always happens when we get to history. ...Do you suppose my history lectures are boring?”
“Don’t let it get you down. She’s ten, so you can’t really blame her. I’ll take her over to her mother later. Lie her down in the bed over there for me.”
“Yes, sire.”
“Honestly... There’s no need for her to try to grow up so fast...”
“She’s at the age where she wants to act mature. You must have had a time in your life like that, too, didn’t you?”
“...You’re right. But, for now...”
Good night, Tomoe.
Juna - Better Days Are Coming
The royal capital of the Elfrieden Kingdom, Parnam.
The singing cafe Lorelei stood on one corner of the shopping street in this castle town.
This business, with its headquarters in Duchess Excel Walter’s Lagoon City, was a popular one which allowed its customers to enjoy tea and snacks by day and alcohol in a stylish atmosphere by night as they listened to the beautiful singing voices of the songstresses who worked there.
There was one songstress whose popularity was top class even by their standards; a blue-haired diva said to be descended from loreleis, Juna Doma.
Her beautiful face ensnared all who gazed upon it, her every gesture carried a quiet elegance, and her singing voice was strong and beautiful.
In the event held just the other day to seek those who were gifted, she had won in the categories for “Beauty” and “Talent,” and even during her audience with the king, it was said that her voice had stolen his heart.
That top songstress, Juna, was singing at Lorelei again today.
The song was “Better Days are Coming.”
It was one of the songs Souma had taught her.
Closing her eyes, she sung with power. In her mind, envisioning that young king.
He’s truly... A mysterious gentleman...
As Juna sang, she thought back to her memories with King Souma.
“Well then, it’s a pleasure to be working with you, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, yes... It’s a pleasure...”
In a room in the castle, Souma and Juna were seated facing one another.
Aside from these two, the only ones in the room were two maids standing by at the doors. On Souma’s side there was only a chair, but on Juna’s there was a desk with paper and writing implements. Compared to the bold Juna, Souma seemed a bit nervous and fidgety.
“...You know, I just can’t seem to get used to doing this.”
Perhaps it was Juna’s mature aura, but despite being roughly the same age, and despite the fact he was the king, Souma tended to speak formally around Juna.
That was too gracious for Juna, but even if she asked him not to, it seemed unlikely he would change the way he spoke.
“Well, I really do need you to get used to it. Besides, you were the one to suggest we do this, you know?”
“That was... Well, yes. But still, singing in front of someone else is a bit hard for me...”
“It’s only embarrassing at first. That will change to pleasure once you get used to it.”
“You’re making it sound kind of indecent, you know?! ...Anyway, here goes.”
After saying that, Souma hesitantly began to sing.
Souma sang a song from the world he had come from. Juna wrote the melody down as sheet music. This had all begun with Souma’s wish to share the songs of his world with the people of this one.
At first, Juna had listened to the music files in his smartphone directly. However, because the batteries had died after a little while, they had switched to this format. First Souma would sing, Juna would write down the sheet music, then she would sing it back to him to check that it matched.
Then, when the song was complete, Juna would give it lyrics in this country’s language, doing her best not to change the meaning. Because Souma’s musical sense wasn’t good enough to capture the harmony or the intricacies of the melody, the result always ended up sounding like a cover version, but even so, a good number of Earth’s songs had come to this world through this process.
...Of course, since they were all songs Souma knew, the selection was blatantly biased toward his own tastes, meaning there was inevitably more songs from anime, video games and tokusatsu.
Right now, Souma was singing the opening theme to a certain game.
“Does it go like this...?”
After she finished writing down her sheet music, Juna hummed the melody.
The song was “reset” by Ayaka Hirahara.
At that moment, “Ah!” Souma’s eyes opened wide, and the tears began to stream down his face. When she saw that, the normally calm and composed Juna stopped singing and rushed over to Souma’s side.
“I-Is something the matter?! Have I done something wrong?!”
“No. ...That’s not it... That’s not it at all...”
Having said that, Souma covered his eyes with one hand and faced upwards.
“I loved this song... The melody too, it has a nostalgic feel to it, so... When I heard someone sing it, I just couldn’t help myself... It brought back memories...”
Juna understood. She had heard that this young king had been summoned here from another world.
In other words, he had been forcibly torn away from his homeland.
Juna’s song must have brought on a bout of homesickness.
“Sire...”
“Juna placed her hand atop his. She thought she might be reprimanded for her impertinence, but the maids standing by the door turned a blind eye for her.
Juna spoke to Souma in the gentlest voice she could manage.
“Sire... Please, do not strain yourself.
“Juna?”
“There are more people who care for you than you realize. The princess, Madam Aisha, as well... And myself. I wish to do all I can to support you.”
Having moved his hand away from his eyes, Juna looked straight at him and gave him a smile.
“It’s okay to cry. If that will let you smile again afterward. If you can’t let the princess indulge you because she’s younger, please allow me to do it instead. Women from port cities are broad-minded. Allow me to swallow up your little tears with a compassion as vast as the sea.”
“...That almost sounds like a confession of love.” Souma said, giving a wry smile through his tears.
“Heehee, who knows if it is?”
“Are you teasing me?”
“No, there was no falsehood in my words just now.”
Having said that, Juna pressed Souma’s head to her bosom.
“If the princess brings out your strengths, then I will hide your weakness.”
As she sang, Juna thought back to that day. To the tears Souma had shed.
When I said I wanted to support him... The words came so easily. I’m sure... It was because I was speaking from my heart...
When the song entered the chorus, she saw the door to the cafe open.
Three people came in. A young human man, a girl, and a dark elf. Perhaps because they were in disguise, all of them were wearing uniforms from the Officers’ Academy.
When she saw the young man, an unintended smile came to Juna’s face.
...It’s okay, Your Majesty. No matter how painful things are, as it says in this song, “better days are coming.” We won’t let you ride the “ship of sadness.” (In the original song this had been a “train,” but because those did not exist in this world, Juna had translated it as “ship.”)
Having made up her mind, Juna put all her strength into singing.
What They Wanted to Be
Liscia: Souma, was there something you wanted to become?
Souma: What’s this, all of a sudden?
Liscia: Well, we forced you to become the king for our own sakes, right? That’s why I thought I’d at least ask. Well?
Souma: Hmm... a public servant. Basically, I was aiming for a bureaucratic job. Though, if you ask if I actually wanted to become one, maybe not so much. I just wanted the stable employment... Ah! But when I was little, I wanted to become a nursery school teacher. You know, like what Tomoe’s mother does at the castle.
Liscia: Wow, I didn’t expect that. Do you like kids?
Souma: It just makes me smile seeing the things little kids will do and say, you know? Though teachers look after other people’s children, so I’m sure it would have been a hard job... What did you want to be when you were little, Liscia? Did you want to be a soldier instead of a princess?
Liscia: Me? When I was little, I wanted to be... a bride.
Souma: R-Right...
Souma & Liscia: ...W-Well, this got strangely embarrassing...
Liscia: Picking an Outfit
“Augh! What should I wear?!”
In a room in the castle in Parnam, capital of the Elfrieden Kingdom, Liscia was going over the contents of her dresser while muttering to herself.
This was Liscia’s bedroom. Because of her long years in officers’ school and military service, along with her own strong-willed and too-serious personality, it didn’t look anything like what you would expect from the room of a seventeen-year-old girl.
Technically, she had once been this country’s princess, and so she did have gorgeous dresses, and because she tended to take good care of her possessions, the dolls her parents had given her long ago were safely stored in her dresser, but it was very true to Liscia’s personality that she didn’t leave such things out in the open.
Yet Liscia, with her level-headed personality, was now scattering her clothes all over the room. The cause of this lay in the words from the man who was the (provisional) current king of this country, as well as Liscia’s betrothed, Souma.
“We’ve got a day off. How about we go on a date in the castle town?”
Ever since Souma had been given the throne by her father, Albert, he had been grinding his bones to dust, working his very hardest. She knew that was why Prime Minister Hakuya had to force him to take a day off. Even from what she had seen herself, Liscia knew Souma was working too hard.
But, still... suddenly being asked on a date had left Liscia in a state of confusion and disarray.
Liscia had never had any serious romantic prospects before. In her years at the Officers’ Academy, there had been many sons of the nobility who had cosied up to her because of her status, but their ulterior motives had been plain to see, and so none of them had ever measured up to the straight-laced Liscia’s expectations. Before she knew it, she had become more popular with the girls than the boys, and her status as an unattainable romantic conquest had earned her the nickname “The Golden Ice Palace.”
Honestly, Liscia thought that reputation was overblown. She wasn’t pushing the boys away. There were just no worthwhile boys. As proof of that, now that she had been asked out on a date by a boy she was starting to develop feelings for, she was losing her head over it.
“Hey, Serina, Tomoe, what outfit do you think would look good on me?”
Liscia held up two outfits for the two of them to examine. Tomoe was a mystic wolf girl who had recently become her adopted sister, and Serina, her personal maid, was like a big sister to Liscia. The two of them had been watching Liscia, and Serina had found the scene half-heartwarming and half-exasperating to see.
“Um... Everything looks good on you, Big Sister,” Tomoe ventured. “And I think... no matter which you wear, Big Brother Souma will say you look good in it.”
Tomoe had offered some harmless and inoffensive words of encouragement. Serina, on the other hand...
“If you are clinging to a ten-year-old girl for support, that is truly pitiful.”
...her words were blunt.
“Urkh...” Liscia muttered. “Fine, you choose for me, Serina.”
“What are you saying? You choosing the clothes for yourself is what gives them meaning. Your feelings for the man in your heart, and how you wish to be seen by him, will make themselves evident in the clothing you select.”
“Th-The man in my heart... Souma’s not like that, not yet...”
“If you dawdle too long, your position as his first queen will be snatched away by another wife he takes later,” Serina said briskly. “I know... perhaps I should present myself before His Majesty? Dressed up in an outfit that I selected myself?”
“Y-You can’t!” Liscia exclaimed.
“Hee hee, I was joking. Look how flustered you are. It’s simply adorable.”
“Geez!”
Serina was a capable maid, but she had a bad habit of bullying cute girls. In other words, she was a total sadist. But rather than inflict physical pain, she preferred to toy with them psychologically and embarrass them with her words. These days, the one who received the most of her “affection” was Liscia.
“H-How does this outfit look?” Liscia asked, holding up a brightly colored women’s military uniform. It was something that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a theatrical production about the French Revolution.
Serina buried her face in her palm. “Why... Why is it a military uniform?”
“B-Because Souma said... I look good in them, maybe?”
The embarrassed way Liscia said that was full of maidenly charm, and a feast for Serina’s eyes, but...
“A military uniform simply will not do,” Serina said with a sigh. “It is true that you look good in them, but that’s no outfit to be wearing on a romantic tryst. Besides which, on a special day like this, rather than let him see you the way you usually are, do you not think it would be better to show him a different side of yourself?”
“A different... side of myself...” Liscia murmured.
“Tomoe. How does the princess look from your perspective?”
“She’s brave and cool,“ Tomoe said, her eyes sparkling.
Serina nodded in agreement. “Yes. That is how other people see you, princess. Now, if the cool, brave princess were to show a side of herself that was different from usual, do you not think that might seize His Majesty Souma’s heart?”
“A side of myself that’s different from usual...” Liscia murmured.
“For instance, I know... Why not go with something more sensuous?” With those words, Serina pulled out a red cocktail dress. It had an open back, and had quite the risque neckline, as well.
While she owned dresses like these for social events, Liscia couldn’t imagine that they suited her, and she had never once worn it. “Y-You want me to wear this?!”
“Normally, you have yourself wrapped up so tightly,” Serina said. “That does make it fun to get you undressed later, but why not try keeping his eyes glued to you by showing off some of that sexiness you normally wouldn’t?”
“I’m sensing an indecent aura from every word you say! And, hold on, I’m worrying about what to wear on a date here! I couldn’t wear a thing like this around town!”
“Well, true enough, they would mistake you for a lady of the night, I’m sure,” Serina nodded.
“You recommended it knowing that?!”
“In that case... What do you think of this one?”
Ignoring Liscia’s protestations, Serina pulled out another outfit. It was a pink one-piece dress with lots of white frills.
“Th-That’s...”
That one-piece had been something her mother had practically forced her to accept as a present about half a year ago. Probably, she had been worried for the masculine Liscia, and “Become a girl who will look good in this” had been the message she had wanted to give her out of motherly concern. However, because it wasn’t to Liscia’s taste, she had buried it in the back of the closet without so much as trying it on.
“It’s cutesy, I suppose you could call it,” Serina said. “This could help to develop a whole new side to yourself, princess.”
“I don’t want to let it do that! All those frills are absolutely dreadful!”
“I think you would look adorable in it, like a doll...”
“No! Never!”
After that, they pulled out many outfits, arguing back and forth over them. At last, Tomoe, who was hesitantly watching from the sidelines, raised a hand to speak.
“Um...”
“Ah, what is it, Tomoe?” Liscia asked.
“Um... You two are both very famous. If you’re going to the castle town, don’t you need to wear clothes that won’t stand out too much?”
Liscia was silent.
Now that she mentioned it, she was right. Hakuya had been saying something about showing off how close they were to the people, but if the future king and queen were just walking around in broad daylight, it would cause a stir. In other words, she shouldn’t have been picking out a suitable outfit for a date, she should have been picking out clothes that wouldn’t make it obvious who she was. Liscia’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to a floor that was littered with clothing.
As she looked on, Serina, who had realized this the entire time, wore a beaming smile.