“Wait, an eighteen meter long dress?” I asked, startled.
“Roroa was saying she wanted something that would knock the audience’s socks off,” Juna said. “She’s going to be putting Madam Margarita on stage in a massive, eighteen meter dress. I hear that the dress is painted with powdered lightmoss, like the kind we use in the streetlamps, and it lets off a dazzling light.”
“Well, that’s… gaudy as all hell,” I said.
I dunno. Somehow, I could see this becoming an annual event and it getting gaudier every year.
Margarita… I had thought she was the big boss of the entertainment industry, but she was apparently the last boss.
What should I do? I wondered. I had planned to have Margarita sing the Japanese version of “Snake Eater,” but maybe I ought to change that to “Kaze to Issho ni.”
That was when I noticed another girl standing behind Juna.
She was a simple-looking young girl of fifteen, maybe sixteen years of age. She was cute, but didn’t stand out in any way. It was a sort of natural, girl next door type of look.
“Juna, who’s the girl?” I asked.
“Let me introduce you, sire,” Juna said. “This girl is Komari Corda. She was in training at Lorelei until just recently, but I’m thinking of having her debut in this song battle.”
“I–I’m Komari Corda! It’sh a pleashure to meet you!” the girl gasped.
While tripping over her words spectacularly, Komari bowed her head deeply to me. While I laughed wryly at how tense she was, Juna explained a little more about her.
“She has a voice with room for growth, and an enthusiasm for practice that makes me think she’ll transform in the future. I think she may have the hidden talent to surpass me as a lorelei.”
“Well, that is impressive…” I said.
“I–I could never! It’s too much of an honor for you to suggest I might surpass you, Lady Juna!” Komari yelped.
When I saw Komari hurriedly try to act humble, I thought, Oh, I can see it…
Her appeal likely lay in how unpolished she was, unconsciously making you want to cheer her on. That was a charm that the already-perfected Juna didn’t have. When this girl was finished, she might be a lorelei who could lead the kingdom’s singing world forward.
She was someone whose development I would look forward to seeing.
That was when the current Finance Minister of the Kingdom of Friedonia appeared.
“Ah, Madam Juna, Madam Komari,” said Colbert. “So this is where you two were.”
For some reason, Nanna, the cat-eared beastman, was hanging around his shoulders. Pamille the kobito was standing behind him, too, holding on to Colbert’s sleeve. I don’t know what to say… They looked like father and daughter.
“They’re awfully fond of you, Colbert,” I commented.
“You’re the one who pushed them off on me, Your Majesty…”
In addition to his duties as finance minister, I had Colbert handling their finances (and the paperwork). This country was in the middle of an unprecedented lorelei boom. For Juna, Nanna, and Pamille, in particular, as the first loreleis, there was far more money moving around them than they could ever use personally. Setting aside Juna, who was at the castle as a candidate to become a secondary queen, it was dangerous for Nanna and Pamille, who were still ordinary citizens, even if they were loreleis, to be given too much money.
That was why I had the financially talented Colbert handling their assets, arranging bodyguards (primarily women from the National Defense Force), and handling other general business for them. In a way, he was like their manager.
I could understand that that was why he spent a lot of time with them, but why did they love him so much? When I asked them, they said…
“The meals! He treats me! I get to eat lots of fish!” Nanna squealed.
“After meetings, Mr. Colbert often takes me out for dinner,” Pamille added. “When we go, he never treats me like a child. He always treats me like a proper lady.”
…There you have it. He was taming them with food, huh! No, in Pamille’s case it was a little different, but…
“Colbert, if you’re going to lay your hands on them, wait for the two of them to grow up a bit first,” I said.
“I’m not going to, okay?!”
“I won’t be getting any bigger, though…” Pamille had a sour look on her face.
Uh… um… sorry.
“Th-The four of you have rehearsal now, right?” I asked, hastily covering my mistake.
“Yes,” said Juna. “When Yaiba finish, we’re up next.”
I looked toward the stage where the three from Yaiba were singing passionately. It was a song from a male idol group back in the other world. I hadn’t been familiar with what was trendy, but the sort of songs that they played all the time during commercials had stuck in my head. They were a bunch of cool, young people singing cool songs with all their heart. I thought that might be enough to capture the hearts of the ladies of Friedonia.
“Everyone, we’ve brought food for you!” Serina called.
“I–In order to keep it simple to eat, we decided to go with rice balls and sandwiches,” stammered Poncho. “Of course, there are spaghetti buns, too, yes.”
“Big Brother, Big Sister, it’s time to eat!” Tomoe called.
While I was watching Yaiba, Serina, Poncho, and Tomoe brought the maids along. They all had large baskets in their arms. They were probably filled with rice balls and bread. When they spread them out on a long table, everyone gathered around.
“Oh! That looks good,” Hal said. “Can we have some?”
“Hal, you have to wipe your hands first, you know,” Kaede scolded.
“Carla, please prepare tea for everyone,” Serina ordered.
“R-Roger that, Head Maid!”
As the area started to grow more lively with conversation, I stared off absently. “Things sure have grown…”
“They have,” Liscia agreed.
It looked like Liscia had overheard the thought I’d let slip. I felt awkward, but Liscia gave me a big smile. “You’ve gathered people, people have gathered around you, and before we knew it, we’ve become surrounded by this huge crowd.”
“It’s reassuring, but it also makes me nervous,” I confessed. “It means I have that much more that I want to protect, after all.”
“What are you saying?” Liscia put her left hand on her hip, pointing her right index finger at my nose. “The people you want to protect, they want to protect your reign, too. That’s why… those that you want to protect will surely protect you.”
When Liscia firmly declared that, mysteriously, it made me feel like she was right.
“They will, huh?” I asked.
“Yes, they will.”
“I see… Well, Liscia, could I ask you to hold down the fort here for a while?”
“I can, but… where are you going?” she asked.
“It turns out there are some people I have to meet. Look, Hakuya’s here for me now.”
When I looked to the entrance, Hakuya had just come in.
“Bye,” I said. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Sure. Leave things here to me.”
With Liscia seeing me off, I left the great hall. Then, together with Hakuya, I walked down the hall.
We didn’t talk along the way. It was already pitch black outside the windows.
It was around eight o’clock. I thought back to how things were now in the great hall. If that was how far along they were at this time… we were in for an all-nighter, for sure.
I needed to make sure to send the performers home early to get some rest. It was going to be broadcast live, so if we made them stay with us, and then they went and collapsed on us during the main event… it would be a total disaster.