How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Volume 2
Contents
Prologue: On Your Side
“Liscia, hold these documents for me,” Souma said.
“…Okay. Got it,” I responded.
Lately, Souma had been acting strangely.
As I took the stack of documents from Souma, a thought occurred to me.
Recently, Souma had been working on paperwork with even greater zeal and enthusiasm than before. It was as if we’d returned to that time shortly after my father had abdicated the throne to him. He shouldn’t have been as busy now as he was back then, but it seemed to me as if he was seeking out work and packing in more of it than he reasonably could.
And yet, when he suddenly found himself with free time, he didn’t do anything in particular, just stared vacantly out the window. Before, when he’d had free time, he would have come to my room and worked on dolls, or on cute outfits to dress Tomoe up in, but he didn’t even do that lately.
I watched Souma silently processing documents.
The change was a subtle one, and I was sure that hardly anyone else in the castle would have noticed it.
I started to speak.
“…Hm? Is something the matter?” Having noticed my eyes on him, Souma looked up.
I said, “…No. It’s nothing.” With just those words, I turned around and walked out of the governmental affairs office.
“Ah! Hey, Liscia.”
I could hear Souma’s voice from behind me, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn back. Or, rather, I couldn’t bear to look at Souma as he was now.
That night, Juna Doma came to my room.
“So, Princess, His Majesty’s behavior is strange… that was what you wanted to talk about, right?” she asked, tilting her head to the side questioningly.
I had called out to her as she was preparing for a Jewel Voice Broadcast program, and I had her come back to my room when the broadcast finished. I was grateful that, when I told Juna that there was something strange about the way Souma had been acting, she had come with me, despite the late hour.
“Have a seat, Juna.” I sat on the bed, gesturing for Juna to sit next to me.
“Excuse me,” Juna said, taking her seat next to me.
I got down to business. “I don’t know how to say it… He seems distracted. Sometimes it seems he’s more absorbed in his work than ever, but the next thing I know, his head is off in the clouds and he’s staring vacantly outside.”
“…I see. I think I can understand, if only a little.” Perhaps Juna had some insight as to what was going on, because she nodded with a mysterious look on her face. “I’ve seen the same. When I had a meeting with His Majesty about our broadcast program, his mind seemed to be elsewhere. Though, I couldn’t tell you how long he’s been like this.”
“I think it’s been since we came back from the God-Protected Forest,” I said.
It had been just two weeks ago. A landslide had struck the home of the dark elves, the God-Protected Forest, which was also the homeland of Souma’s bodyguard, Aisha Udgard. Souma had led the unit he was with at the time to carry out a relief effort.
When notice of the disaster arrived, I had been asked to come back to the capital to call in reinforcements, so I hadn’t personally participated in the rescue operation. Souma, however, had been there with Halbert, Kaede, and the other Forbidden Army soldiers, carrying out relief operations in that hellscape of a disaster zone.
I felt like that was the point when Souma had started acting strangely. “Maybe it was after that relief effort that he started to act strangely, after all…”
“But I heard that His Majesty accomplished a great deal while he was there,” Juna said.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I think he did a good job there, too.”
I’d heard that he’d used his ability, Living Poltergeists, to control wooden mice and had had them search under the dirt and sand, helping to find many people who’d been buried alive. However…
“But that’s not how Souma feels about it. Maybe it’s because he saw so many bodies, he thinks, ‘Couldn’t I have handled things better?’”
“I don’t think it’s bad, in and of itself, for him to think that way, though…” Juna had a complicated expression on her face.
It was important to reflect on things. However, excessive reflection could lead to self-hatred, and that would be counterproductive.
“That’s exactly why I want you to encourage him for me.” I took Juna’s hand, placing my own over it.
Juna’s eyes went wide. “Y-You want… me to?”
“You’re about the only person I can ask to do something like this. Aisha’s still in the God-Protected Woods, and Tomoe’s still little. Even so, if I were to ask Mother or Serina, they aren’t close enough with him.”
“But, if that’s the case, wouldn’t you yourself be an even better choice to do it, Princess?” she asked. “The two of you are betrothed, and I can see that you’re concerned for him.”
“I… can’t be the one,” I said, lowering my eyes. “I’m younger than Souma, so he probably thinks, ‘As a man, I don’t want to show her my weaknesses.’ When he’s in front of me, Souma puts up a strong front.”
“…I’m the same age as His Majesty, too, you realize?’
“You may be the same age, but the way you act is more mature,” I said. “I think you would do a fine job of indulging a young boy who’s trying to put up a strong front.”
As I sat up straight, Juna bowed her head.
“That’s why, Juna,” I finished. “That’s why I’m asking you to take care of Souma for me.”
“Princess… I understand. I may not be of much help, but allow me to do all that I can,” Juna said, bringing a hand to her chest and nodding.
After leaving Liscia’s chambers, Juna went to the governmental affairs office, which doubled as Souma’s room. Things were hectic here during the day, with all the bureaucrats coming and going, but late at night, it was quiet enough to make the memory of all that daytime hustle and bustle seem like a lie.
Two guards who were there to protect Souma stood on either side of the door.
Right, Aisha isn’t here, Juna thought. That’s to be expected, considering…
It wasn’t the case that Aisha stayed by Souma’s side 24-7, but she was with him often enough that it felt unnatural to not see her there protecting him.
Juna walked up to the door, giving a slight nod to the guards. Perhaps Liscia had already spoken to the guards, as they made no attempt to stop Juna.
It’s a bit late to bring it up it now, but it’s a rather bold move for the princess to be sending a lady to her betrothed’s chambers late at night…
After leaving a man and woman alone at night, what did she intend to do if “something” were to happen? Did she believe nothing would happen? Or was it that, even if “something” were to happen, she was prepared to accept it if that cheered Souma up?
…Somehow, I get the sense that it’s the latter.
Juna let out a sigh of admiration. Lately, when she looked to Liscia, there were times when she could see a queenly dignity in her. When her sudden betrothal to Souma had first been decided, there had been some awkwardness between the two of them, but now she seemed to have accepted the reality of the situation.
She’s truly a magnificent individual.