How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

The Little Tanuki Princess on the Night Before the Final Battle

— Late in the 9th Month, 1,546th Year, Continental Calendar – Nelva

In the south of the Principality of Amidonia, there was a walled city called Nelva.

The capital of the principality, Van, was positioned to prevent westward invasions from the Elfrieden Kingdom, as well as to serve as a beachhead in attacking the kingdom. Nelva, on the other hand, had been built to defend against the Turgis Republic and its policy of northward expansion.

On top of the walls of Nelva, above the south gate, the old general who was lord here and Prince Gaius VIII’s only daughter, Roroa, stood side by side. By the way, these two were also grandfather and granddaughter. Roroa’s late mother had been Herman’s daughter.

“Grandpa Herman... ya wanted to go with my old man, didn’t ya?” Roroa asked Herman, who was standing beside her.

Roroa’s old man... which was to say Gaius... was marching on the Elfrieden Kingdom with her brother Julius. While he might not have taken it to the same level as Gaius, Herman was a military man, so she thought he might have wanted to participate in the war.

However, Herman laughed at the question. “True, it’s a warrior’s nature to want to jump into every battle he sees. But, you know, staying here to keep the Turgis Republic in check is an important duty for a warrior, too.”

The Turgis Republic which Herman was on guard against was a land of frigid cold. In winter all of their lands were locked in ice, so they were looking to advance north and gain lands that were not buried under snow, as well as ports that wouldn’t freeze.

“...What’s the republic doin’?” Roroa asked.

“It seems their army is near the border,” said Herman. “There’s no telling if they mean to attack us or attack the kingdom. Well, much as they’re eagerly looking to advance north, they’re slow to act on it. They’ll wait and see for a while yet, I’m sure,” Herman added scornfully. The rebublic would wait for the kingdom and principality to both collapse, or for one to end up in a disadvantageous situation before they moved. They were absolute hyenas.

Roroa sighed with dismay. “Truth is... if we lose, we’ll be in a right pickle. But my old man, he ain’t thinkin’ at all about what’ll happen if we lose. Honestly... it’s a real problem.”

“Do you believe Lord Gaius will lose?” Herman asked.

Roroa shrugged. “I dunno war that well. I don’t, but... this Souma guy, their new king, I can tell he’s not just some dumb kid.”

With her incredible financial sense, Roroa had a lot of friends among the merchants. Using their networks, she had begun gathering information on Souma at an early stage.

Herman stroked his beard. “Is this Souma an incredible warrior?”

“I dunno,” she said. “Talk is, he’s some kinda hero summoned from another world, but I haven’t heard any rumors of him doing anything big. It’s just, he’s been rulin’ the country with rational policies as king. He’s been gatherin’ personnel, buildin’ roads, and puttin’ a transportation network in place.”

“Hmm... From what you’ve told me, I can’t tell if he’s strong or not,” said Herman.

“That’s what makes it so hard to get a read on him.” Roroa rested her hand on one of the arrow slits in the wall. “One thing I can say is, the guy’s got a lot of capable people around him. I think a king with an eye for people and an ability to find the right jobs for ’em is more dangerous than a king who’s just strong. If my old man can manage to waste even Mr. Colbert’s talents, he may be gettin’ taken for a ride.”

Herman fell silent. When Roroa sounded so lonely, he didn’t know what to say to her.

As a military man and a business woman, their personalities were too different, and a gulf had formed between Roroa and her father. Roroa had been annoyed that her father had poured every last bit of the funding that her bureaucrats had managed to scrimp and save into the military, and Gaius had felt the same way about Roroa when she reacted badly to his investments in the military. That was why, this time, even now that Roroa had parted ways with Gaius, she accepted it was inevitable.

It was just... he was still her father, so she might have had some thoughts about that.

“Roroa...” Herman began.

“Well, when my old man loses, that’s what we’re here for,” Roroa said, giving the concerned-looking Herman a grin. “When my old man loses, for me... and for this country, we’ll be facin’ the challenge of a lifetime. In order to overcome that challenge, we can’t go lettin’ the republic interfere right now. I’ll be needin’ ya to guard the border real tight, Grandpa Herman,” she added teasingly, to which Herman gave a hearty laugh.

“I can’t say no to a request from my granddaughter! Leave it to me!” Herman thumped a fist on his armored chest. “For as long as I stand, not even one Republican soldier will reach your back. So, Roroa, you do as you see fit.”

“Nyahaha!” she chortled. “I’ll be countin’ on ya for that, Grandpa.”

While they were laughing together, two people came over to them.

One was the former Minister of Finance, Colbert, who was supposed to be under house arrest for angering Gaius. The other was Sebastian, the proprietor of The Silver Deer, a clothing store in Van. For Roroa, these two were reliable comrades who would help her with her plan.

“Princess... it’s about time that we were leaving,” Colbert said, offering Roroa a large overcoat. She could see Colbert and Sebastian were both wearing similar coats themselves.

“Is it...?” Rora asked.

She accepted the coat and put it on. The oversized coat covered the little Roroa completely. Now she could walk the streets without people realizing who she was.

Looking at the three of them, Herman asked, “Where are you going from here?”

“Mr. Colbert and I are gonna hide out in some city with a Jewel Voice Broadcast receiver,” said Roroa. “With all the soldiers here, we can’t walk around outside the way we’d like to. Sebastian’ll be headin’ back to his shop in Van. He’s gonna monitor the situation, then report back to us.”

“...You’re well prepared,” said Herman. “It’s a shame you couldn’t have been born male.”

If Roroa could have inherited the throne, she had great popularity and financial sense, and the principality would have made great strides forward under her, no doubt. Herman couldn’t help but regret that it would never be so.

Roroa herself, however, shook her head vigorously. “Oh, stop. I’m just a cute and feeble little girl, you hear?”

“Gahaha!” Herman laughed. “Surely you meant say cheeky and hardy?” He laughed heartily and put a hand on top of Roroa’s head. “Well then, if you can’t be prince... at the very least, I hope you meet a husband who can put your financial sense to good use.”

“A husband?” Roroa asked. “I’m still only fifteen, y’know?”

“Fifteen is old enough for you to start thinking about marriage,” Herman said. “I want to see my great-grandchild’s face soon.”

“You’re gettin’ ahead of yourself, Grandpa!” Roroa exclaimed.

Then she looked away, her face red. It was a gesture that felt so typical of a girl in adolescence that the three men looked on with smiles.