33 - Second Session: "Non-formal Talks"

The next few days.

Helian spent his days holed up in his office, going about his business as king.

For the time being, he is out of the life of staying up all night, but he cannot let his guard down yet. The situation has finally begun to settle down. It will take a few more days to get things back on a stable track.

"Mr. Helian. As for the facilities that were completely destroyed during the recent disturbances, it seems that they have been fully restored. It's not so much restored as almost completely rebuilt.

"Mm. ...... By the way, what happened to those idiots?"

"After restoring the facility, they have returned to their posts. It was a rare sight to see Nogardo at work, and he was a bit of a spectacle."

By "idiots" I mean the two corps commanders who caused a commotion the other day.

I was told that both Gardi and Nogard had been treated and were to be assigned to repairing the destroyed facilities.

Although Helian did not order it, they voluntarily went to work, perhaps because they had learned their lesson from the previous incident, or perhaps because of pressure from an irate corps commander (Liewe).

As for Nogardo, the episode clearly shows how he does not usually work, but it is inevitable because he is a dragon of dragon emperor status. He is dependable on the battlefield, but he is all the same proud and difficult to deal with.

I have known that for a long time, so I don't intend to say anything about it now, but that being said, I can't stand it if he causes unnecessary problems. It's okay if you don't work, but at least don't get in the way.

"If you've finished repairing the facility, ...... that means you've taken care of all the urgent problems, right?"

"Yes. Now we can finally start our pioneering project.

I let out a sigh.

I didn't know whether it was a sigh of relief or concern for the future of this large-scale project, but ...... at any rate, this was a break from the urgent work.

"Virtual Window: Open"

As usual, I start checking the situation surrounded by several virtual windows related to and . We have taken care of all the pressing issues that needed to be taken care of, but there is plenty of work that needs to be done. We should not cut corners.

Fortunately, there seem to be no particular problems with the ongoing domestic affairs (tasks). All of them seem to be progressing well.

"...... hmmm."

I look at the virtual window that lists the work (tasks) I have been doing for the past few days.

I am reminded of the meeting I had a few days ago with the LATESTWOOD delegation to work out the details of the postwar settlement.

At this meeting, we decided to negotiate something that we had not originally planned to do.

The reason for this was that the Alkimaila had already <>, and had already <> and <>.

However, since they succeeded in reviving Rilifa afterwards, Alkimaira had fully fulfilled their original agreement. According to the story, the situation is such that we should ask for the fulfillment of the contract again from the RATESTWOOD side, including the custody of <.

However, Helian has no problem with the custody of Leifa. Therefore, they decided to carry out the plan that they had thought of when they made the contract in the settlement.

--There are two main things that we have requested again from RATESTWOOD.

The first one is the confidential cooperation of the ability to resuscitate.

Since it was easy to foresee that the revelation of his ability to resuscitate would cause a number of problems, I requested that Rattestwood keep Helian's ability to resuscitate a secret.

There would be no problem with this.

The people of RATESTWOOD were given an outward explanation that , and only the core of RATESTWOOD, such as Leifa and Wenli, knew the truth of the matter.

The question is about the second request.

Levee. Regarding the that was agreed upon at the meeting we had in our country the other day, has there been any particular problem?"

"Yes. No problem has occurred. The information operation against Noblewood is going well and the construction of the "large box" is progressing according to schedule. I have been informed."

"...... I see."

Request for cooperation regarding the concealment of the Alkimaira.

That was the second demand, and the one we had originally intended to ask for as a bargaining card.

In the first place, there would be no benefit to the nation of Alkymyra if Leifa was handed over to them as per the agreement reached in the settlement. On the contrary, there were even many disadvantages in the case that Leifa herself sold him to the slavers as she had offered to do.

Therefore, at that time, Helian was going to set up a new negotiating table with Ratestwood, whose queen was the rescued Rilifa, using the obtained as a bargaining chip.

If the negotiation is successful, he will be able to return Leifa to RATESTWOOD amicably.

And if she could be given a position of <> in RATESTWOOD, it would be possible for her to support the inexperienced Rilifa as the new queen.

This would strengthen the political base of the friendly nation (RATESTWOOD), which would eventually benefit Alkymyra. From a short-term strategic point of view, <> is a bad move that will bring no benefits, but from a medium- to long-term strategic point of view, it is a completely different story.

(In a way, Alkimaira is like a savior for RATESTWOOD.)

In reality, they are not saviors, but from an objective point of view, they are. We can be sure that they will behave in a friendly manner toward Alkimaira in the future.

Also, for Alkimaira, who is alone and helpless in this world, Ratestwood will be an important partner. The fact that we have established an unquestionable friendship with a country will bring tangible and intangible benefits to Alkymyra in the future.

This was the pretext that Helian was desperately trying to come up with in order to move the country of Alkymyra in the war.

Fortunately, his men readily accepted the policy of rescuing Rattestwood, but if there was any opposition, he would use this pretext to persuade them by force.

And so they demanded <>, using the full fulfillment of the agreement to rescue all the people of RATESTWOOD>> as a bargaining chip instead of the <> card.

"However, I am aware that it was a bit arrogant of me to ask a country, even one that belongs to ...... the Alkimaira, to be a cover for the Alkimaira."

If we exclude Rattestwood, only the Noblewood advance party knows of the existence of the Alkimaira. And that detachment has vanished without a single member, and is now unknown to any force other than RATESTWOOD.

This means that Alkymaira can continue to have the advantage of keeping its existence a secret, as long as they keep their mouths shut.

As I said at the time of the audience, I consider this a great advantage. We cannot expose the Alkimaira to the world yet. The Alkimaira needs time.

However, this is only based on the importance of Alkimaira's situation.

This will be a burden on RATESTWOOD.

"I don't think this is an arrogant request. In fact, the company has announced that it is fully committed to this matter. We have received reports from the Sixth Legion that not only the Queen but also each and every one of the people are cooperating in this matter.

"...... muu."

Rieve says in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, but Helian does not quite understand.

As for the matter of the repulse of the invasion of Noblewood, I intend to make an outward appearance by dispatching the Commander of the Seventh Army (Robin). However, the immediate support for the reconstruction, but the post-reconstruction activities will force LATESTWOOD to help itself.

Depending on one's point of view, it could be taken as an attempt to use RATESTWOOD as a shield for Alkimaira. It seems to me that this is not a very interesting story for RATESTWOOD.

That is why, at the recent meeting in the castle, he said, <>It was a surprise to Helian that the queen (Leifa) gave her answer with such enthusiasm.

"To be honest, I had thought that the negotiations might be difficult. That's why it was a little unexpected that the Ratestwood side accepted so easily. ...... What do you think?

"It is a natural result of the authority of Herian. I think his (her) country understands the greatness of Mr. Helian.

"............ I see."

No. Rieve's opinion is not helpful. It is too complimentary.

...... let's forget about it for now. I don't think I have an answer even if I think about it now.

"Well, okay. --By the way, speaking of RATESTWOOD, I seem to recall that there is an envoy from his country scheduled to visit us today to promote friendship between our two countries."

"Yes. The messenger has already arrived. Everything is ready and ready for the meeting.

"What?　Have they already made preparations?"

There is still some time left before the scheduled meeting time, but do they mean to keep the messenger waiting? How is that for welcoming the emissary of a country?

Yes. They already came to our country last night, so they have been waiting in the castle since early morning. But we are making every effort to accommodate them.

"That's not the point. We will hold our meeting immediately.

He gets up from his chair and leaves the office accompanied by Levee.

Incidentally, the place for this meeting is not the <>, but the >.

The reason for this is that this meeting is unofficial. The official meeting with a delegation of the size of Leifer's representative has already been held the other day. The details of the postwar settlement were also settled on the spot.

Therefore, the current meeting is nothing more than a means to deepen the friendship between the two countries as good partners in the future. This is not the occasion to hold a big meeting in a large audience hall.

Despite some resistance from Levee and Balan, we are making arrangements to hold a one-on-one meeting with no other participants.

While being flanked by living armors on both sides of the corridor, he talks to Levee as he pushes his way through the corridor leading to the simple audience room.

"So, about the representative of the other party..."

Yes. I have been informed that the emissary from RATESTWOOD is Rilifa-Lum-RATESTWOOD as planned."

"I see."

Although he wore a pouty face so as not to let his emotions show through, Helian was looking forward to this day. After all, it had been a long time since he and Lillipha had met again after the incident of the revival of the underlings.

It would be very precious for Helian to be able to talk with someone who was not wearing the mask of a king. And since Lillipha is a child in age, it would not be so strange to talk with her in a casual manner.

For Helian, who was looking for the that is unique to children in his busy life, the fact that the messenger from LATESTWOOD was Lillipha was a godsend.

To make time for this meeting, I had to go through a lot of trouble that I don't want to remember ...... but that's about it.

Shaking off the bad memories, Hélian walked lightly to the simple audience chamber.

+ + +

"Greetings once again. I am the Second Princess Lillipha-Lum-Latestwood, sent as an envoy from the Kingdom of Latestwood.

--Who is this?

These were the words that filled Helian's mind when he was told of the opening greeting in the simple audience chamber.

No, she was Lillipha for sure. It is an undeniable fact that the girl in front of him is Lillipha-Lum-Lattestwood, as he himself had said so himself.

However, she appeared with a dignified expression that I have never seen before, dressed in official attire, and after the aforementioned introduction, she began to solemnly give her season's greeting. It was a perfect princess-like appearance that would not embarrass her in any way, but at the same time, it was an appearance that was significantly different from the image of Rilifa that Helian had in his mind.

Helian could not react quickly enough to this image of Rilifa, and his eyes became black and white.

"First of all, I would like to apologize for the delay in thanking you for the incident the other day. I deeply apologize."

Lillipha then bowed her head at the most respectful angle, mentioning that Helian had revived her in .

"...... No, no, don't worry about it. The reason we haven't been able to take this much time is due to our own reasons."

"Thank you very much. I also ask for your forgiveness for the many rude words and deeds that I have done to His Majesty the King of a great nation, even though I did not know it."

"The same goes for that matter. It is not necessary for you to bow down to us, since it was our circumstances that led us to disguise our identity as travelers in the first place."

I managed to regain my composure and responded, but I felt an indescribable itch.

This is not the kind of conversation I wanted to have.

I tried to talk to him to see if I could somehow change the course of the conversation.

"Anyway, how are you feeling physically?　If my abilities were working properly, you should have been revived in perfect physical condition. ...... Is there anything wrong with your condition?　If you feel any discomfort, I will have Ertina examine you again."

No, I have no physical problems. Your Majesty's kindness has allowed me to live a long life and I am enjoying the peace and tranquility brought by your country. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving our country in one case or another."

...... No.

Instead of changing course, I feel like I've deepened the depth of the conversation while keeping the same direction.

(Or maybe I was naive to begin with...)

The woman in front of me is a princess of a country.

And her behavior in the village was only an act to dispel the people's fears. Come to think of it, I have never seen Rilifa without acting.

(......)

I tell myself in my heart.

This is an informal meeting, but it is still a meeting. Then it is Rilifa who is right here. Since this is an exchange between countries, Rilifa is right as far as possible in this awe-inspiring attitude.

Instead, it is he who is wrong. No matter how much I was looking for a break from my busy life, and even though this was the only way I could think of to make contact with Rilifa after revealing my true identity, it was undeniably me who chose to have this meeting with her.

In such a situation, it is wrong to ask for a conversation as an individual.

At the very least, it is not the way a king should behave.

--But...,

"A courtesy is a courtesy. But this is not an official meeting. This is an informal meeting, and you and I are the only ones in this room. There's no need to act like a princess, is there?"

I guess I am a weak man after all.

I found myself saying such words.

(Well, they will probably reject me anyway. ......)

Still, it's free to try. There is nothing wrong with trying.

The weak part of me whispered such sweet words to me.

I am disgusted with myself for not even trying to resist them.

"What?　...... Oh, no, I'm afraid I have done no such thing to Your Majesty. ......"

As expected, Lillipha looked puzzled.

"It doesn't matter. You may treat me with the same ease as you did the other day in the village.

When Lillipha looked at him as if she wanted to know his intentions, Helian made a soft expression and replied in this way.

But the result was obvious.

I am the king of the Confederacy and she is the princess of the Kingdom. It was probably a mistake to think of our relationship as it had always been.

Therefore, Helian was ready to accept Lillipha's polite refusal with grace.

".................. Um, are you sure you want to do this?"

But Lillipha looked up in surprise and spoke those words.

"I'm not sure... ....... Yes, that's fine.

Helian looked at Rilifa with a little hope that she might have a pulse.

Then Rilifa looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded her head as if she had made up her mind. And then..,

"--Okay!　Then I will, Miss Helian!"

With that, he tossed the princess's mask aside.

It seemed as if the aura of the princess that she had been wearing just a moment ago had vanished.

......Eh, is it possible to switch so easily?　I wonder if it's OK that I was accepted unexpectedly (or not) so easily.

But is it really OK?　Are you going to continue to be like this?"

As if to make a final confirmation, Rilifa looks up at me and makes eye contact with me.

"Ah, yes. "Oh, yeah. I really don't mind. I don't care if it's in a formal setting, but this is an informal one. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have any problem with it.

"...... Hmmm. So, from here on out, I guess I'm in a ?"

"Hmm, yes. That's the way I understand it."

Lillipha summed it up clearly.

Originally, I had wanted to talk to an individual named Lillipha, not to the Princess of Latticewood. That is just what I wanted to talk about.

"Excuse me. Your tea is ready."

After a knock on the door, Lieve announced this and brought in a cup of tea.

Two small, elegant cups are placed on the table. As Lieve poured the tea in a familiar way, a faint aroma permeated the room.

"Thank you, sir. It is a great honor for me to be served by you, Mr. Levee.

Lillipha, wearing the princess's mask once again, spoke polite words of thanks.

I must say that the way she switched not only her ...... tone but also the air she wears in an instant is as expected.

I am sorry, sir. I will be waiting outside the room, if you need anything else, please do not hesitate.

With these words, Levee quietly leaves the room. As soon as the door closed, Lillipha threw off the princess's mask again.

"Wow, it smells so good! I didn't know that Helian drinks this stuff every day. I love it."

Lilliputian is like a cat, tipping her tongue feverishly.

It's somewhat strange that she is so serious in front of her subordinate (Levee), but shows her true self in front of the king (me). Well, I have no complaints at all since it's what I wanted, but I'm impressed by the way she can adapt herself to such a situation.

"If you like, ...... I can wrap some up for you on the way home."

"No!　Thank you, Lady Helian!"

Lillipha raised her hands in the air to express her joy.

She let out an involuntary giggle and nodded her head in satisfaction.

After all, it is more like Rilifa to look like that.

"Oh, and ......, you can call me normal at this time. You don't have to go out of your way to call me 'sir'.

"What?　Really?　Isn't this a bad idea?"

"No problem. You can call me whatever you want."

When I told her this, she looked as if she was thinking "hmmm" for a moment.

Then, perhaps coming to some kind of conclusion in her mind, Rilifa smiled broadly,

"Well, let's call him 'big brother'."

Why?

"--Okay, let's wait a bit, Rilifa. What could possibly make you make that choice?"

"?"

"No, I don't like it when you tilt your head in such a curious way. ......"

He unintentionally snaps at Lillipha, who tilts her head back with a "koten".

It's hard to tell if I'm being cute or not, but at least I think my reaction is quite natural. Why should I suddenly make a sister in a different world?

And why big brother?

I don't mind if you call me brother, but since Leifa is my sister, shouldn't you call me brother?

"Because Helian told me to call you whatever I want."

"I did say that, but ......"

What a reaction. What's with the look of wonder on his face? Maybe I'm the one who's crazy?

I meant to say that you can call me the way you used to call me ......, or was that not the way the conversation was going?

I was just asking if there was any other way to call it.　Like before, < or or something like that."

"But Herian is not a traveler, he is His Majesty the King of Alkimaira, isn't he?"

Well, yes.

"So, like, the king?"

...... what about it.

It sounds too dumb. It's kind of disarming.

"The other one is ...... King Helian. Your Majesty. The Demon King."

"I refuse to accept the last one. I've already explained to Leiffer that I'm not the same person as the legendary Demon Lord or whatever his name is. I'm not going to stop being human. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop the others if you can."

"Well, I guess I'll call you 'big brother' after all."

"So that's where we'll end up: ......"

I don't care anymore about ...... .

"Uh, ...... but not in an official setting, okay?　If you do, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to call me something."

"Of course. I'll be a proper princess in that case, no problem.

"...... princesses can do or not do things."

I have gained another useless piece of knowledge.

I wonder if the royal family has such a mode switch as a standard feature. If so, I would love to have such a switch. I really want it.

I can do it. I mean, don't you play the king too much?"

"I've been told that ......."

"You can't get good results if you're always working.　It's important to take a break, right?"

"Mmm......"

You have a point.

Although I called it useless knowledge earlier, I think that the skill to switch between official and private life is an important thing if you think about it carefully.

I was first taken aback by the fact that Rilifa used this skill so brilliantly, but it is a high skill if you think about it calmly. It also seems to be an indispensable skill for the future king.

And although I am now able to do my job with a tension boost, I do not think I will be able to keep my nerves taut forever. A taut bow will break someday. He needs to take a breather at some point, but the dilemma is that he has to play the king in front of his men.

Considering this, the time I spent talking with Lillipha seemed to me to be very precious.

(Come to think of it, the professor said something similar. (Come to think of it, a professor of mine said something similar: "You can't do great work if you live a life without play" or something like that. ......)

And "Therefore, it is not surprising that my laboratory is littered with journals that have nothing to do with my field of research. You know what I mean, don't you, gentlemen?　Oh, and be careful when you touch those models. They cost over 100,000 yen. We had a hard time to get it off the budget." He was looked at with a white eye by the students of the seminar. ...... Nevertheless, the professor was strangely well-liked by the people. And his uselessly presented strength of knowledge often made me groan. We should not dismiss it as a delusion of a bad professor.

"Indeed, I think it is important to take a break.

Right?　So let's try "big brother" instead of "king."

"...... is what an older brother is supposed to do."

He's not the brother I know.

But that's about as far as I got. It's also in the name of strengthening relations between our two countries.

It's just an idea, but that's what distractions are for, isn't it? Besides, it's not really a job, but it's just as well, since I'll be finishing up that I've been meaning to do in the near future.

"Well, let's go for a little picnic."

Helian stood up from his seat, thinking that the event was somewhat like a family reunion.