How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Bonus Short Stories

Aisha and Juna’s Secret Pact

—The end of the 10th month, 1,546th year, Continental Calendar — Parnam Castle

“Aisha, could I get you to put that dresser over here, please?” Juna called.

“Understood.”

Aisha tenderly placed the chest of drawers that was taller than she was down in the corner of the room. Even after single-handedly carrying a dresser that was heavy enough to make the room shake when she put it down, Aisha wasn’t even slightly winded.

Juna gave Aisha an apologetic smile. “Thank you. Also... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be making you, who will be His Majesty’s second primary queen, help me with my move...”

Aisha laughed. “Ahaha, this isn’t enough luggage to present me any real trouble. Besides, Madam Juna, you will be His Majesty’s wife too one day, so our positions are equal.”

It had happened a few days ago. The two of them had become betrothed to King Souma Kazuya of Elfrieden. Currently, only his betrothal to Aisha had been made public, but it had been decided that his betrothal to Juna would be announced when her work as an idol was at a good stopping point.

However, announced or not, it was a fact that they were betrothed, and so a room had been made at Parnam Castle for Juna. Still, if he had taken on extra attendants to help, there would have been risk of the details of their engagement leaking to the public, so Aisha was using her strength to help with the move.

“That’s everything, I think. Let’s take a break,” suggested Juna.

“Okay,” said Aisha.

The two sat at the table and asked one of the servants waiting out in the hall to go fetch some boiling water. Juna transferred the water the servant brought into a glass pot with tea leaves in it, then waited a little while before pouring two cups of tea.

“I received some herbal tea at Lorelei, the singing cafe where I was lodging before, as a parting gift,” she said. “Though it’s not like I’m going to be leaving Parnam.”

“Will you be living at the castle from now on, Madam Juna?” Aisha asked.

“Yes.” Juna nodded. “It’s close to the Jewel Voice Broadcast studio, and besides that... if I am going to act as a go-between for His Majesty and Grandmother, it would seem to me best were I at His Majesty’s side as often as possible.”

“Hmm... Is that really all there is to it?” Aisha asked with a meaningful smile as she sipped her tea.

Juna gave up and confessed with a wry laugh, “Of course, even if I didn’t have that reason, I would want to be at His Majesty’s side.”

“Hear, hear!” Aisha grinned, having heard exactly what she wanted to hear.

Juna laid down her teacup, resting her elbows on the table as she looked at Aisha. “You really do love His Majesty, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Aisha said. “On the day we first met, I swore my body and soul to His Majesty.”

“But that was an oath of loyalty as a dark elf warrior, wasn’t it? When did you first start to think of him as a man?”

“That would have to be... when the disaster struck the God-Protected Forest,” Aisha answered with a look of fond recollection. “I am quite confident in my own strength. I wouldn’t lose out to just any man.”

“Yes. I’m well aware,” Juna nodded. It would have been fair to call Aisha the strongest in the kingdom. It wasn’t just that she wouldn’t lose in a contest of strength to just any man; in single combat, Aisha could overwhelm even battle-hardened veterans.

Aisha shook her head silently. “Yet, there, my strength meant almost nothing. While my martial abilities would let me cut my way through any bloodbath, I was powerless before the might of nature. When word came from the village, I stood there not knowing what to do. That was when His Majesty said ‘Leave this to me,’” Aisha said with a broad smile. “He said ‘I have no power, but I’m in a position to make many people move,’ and ‘If there are lives that can be saved, I’ll save as many as I can.’ The man I thought was weaker than me, who needed my protection, instead was the one who protected me. He made me so happy, and he was so reliable... I just clung to His Majesty’s chest and cried.”

“Yes... I can see why you would have fallen for him.” Juna was satisfied. Someone’d she thought was weaker than her had shown that he was strong in another way, and had been able to protect her. That was what had won Aisha over.

“If anything, I want to ask you the same question, Madam Juna,” Aisha said. “You were sent by Duchess Walter as a liaison, right? You were interacting with His Majesty as part of your mission, so when was it that you came to long for him?”

“That’s a fair question,” Juna said. “I think in my case, I was drawn to His Majesty’s weakness.”

“His... ‘weakness’?”

“Yes. Just before issuing the ultimatum, His Majesty was straining himself pretty hard,” Juna said.

Aisha had been staying in the God-Protected Forest during that time, so she had only heard about it from the others, but she knew that Souma had been feeling worn down by the coming conflict with the three dukes and the Principality of Amidonia.

“Despite that, he was putting up a strong front for Princess Liscia’s benefit,” Juna continued. “He must not have wanted to show her his weakness. Watching His Majesty work to carry the heavy burden of ruling the country, even with that frailty... I came to think, whether or not it was as a liaison, I wanted to be there to support him.”

“I see... That is very like you, Madam Juna.” Aisha gave a satisfied nod and popped a tea biscuit into her mouth. “Mmf, when I fing ob it fat way...”

“I can’t understand a thing you’re trying to say, so please continue when your mouth is empty.”

“...Excuse me,” Aisha said. “But, when I think about it that way, it is quite mysterious. We both love the same man, and yet I fell in love with him for his strength, while you fell in love with him for his weakness.”

“That’s only natural,” Juna said. “People have as many faces as the moon in the night sky. A strong face, a weak face, a gentle face, a cruel face... I’m sure if we were to ask Liscia, there’s a good chance she fell in love with yet another face of his.”

“Hee hee. I am sure you are right,” Aisha said with a smile. However, then she suddenly took on a serious expression, leaning in close and whispering to Juna, “By the way, since we are already alone together, I would like to talk about that matter.”

“’That matter’? What do you mean?” Juna asked. Nothing came to her mind, but she responded in a whisper, caught up in the conspiratorial atmosphere.

Aisha’s eyes opened wide, as if to say ”Have you forgotten?!”

“It was when I went into Parnam with His Majesty!” she said. “That time, when we went to Lorelei, you said it to me, remember? When I asked, ‘If there were eight of us, do you think we could only have His Majesty to ourselves one day a week?’ you said, ‘If we invite each other on our days, we can both have more time with him.’”

“Ah...”

Now that you mention it, I did say that, didn’t I, Juna recalled. That was something she had said for Souma to hear, a little joke to make his heart race, but apparently Aisha had been taking the proposition seriously.

“But, even including me, he only has three fiancées, you know?” Juna said. “You’ll have more than one day a week...”

“No. His Majesty is the king, so I am sure he will end up taking other wives for political reasons,” Aisha said. “It hurts neither of us to start thinking about it now.”

“...I suppose you’re right,” Juna said.

Juna agreed that the more days she could spend with Souma the better. Rather than be optimistic about the future, she would be best advised to always be looking for cards she could play. That was something she had learned from the man who would be her husband.

“But you’ll want days where you can have him to yourself, won’t you, Madam Juna?” Aisha asked.

“Yes. Well then, how about we take our own physical condition into consideration and plan out a schedule together...”

These secret talks continued late into the night.