Genjitsushugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

Bonus Short Stories

Visiting the Doma Family

It was early spring, with my coronation and marriage to Liscia and the others gradually approaching, and I was now visiting a port town near Lagoon City with Juna.

Its been a while since Ive ridden in a traditional carriage. Its a bit hard on the backside, huh? I commented, pressing a hand to my lower back.

Juna giggled. The carriages in the capital and the rhinosaurus trains have been designed to reduce the shaking, after all.

We had flown out of the capital with Naden, but I figured it would cause an uproar if a ryuu landed in a little town like this, so wed asked her to set down in Lagoon City, and we were taking a merchants carriage from there.

Our business being what it was, Naden was waiting back at Lagoon City.

Mmm... This sure is exactly what youd expect a port town to feel like. I yawned, taking a big, deep breath of the sea breeze.

Its a town like any other youd find on the coast, Juna said. If theres one thing we can pride ourselves on, its that you can always eat fresh fish.

I love towns like this.

Hee hee, thank you. Welcome to the town where I was born. Juna extended her hand to me.

I took her hand in mine and started walking with her. In a romantic way, of course.

As we were walking, several people called out to Juna.

Oh, Juna, youre back? one lady asked.

Its been too long, maam, Juna said. Im here to visit my family for a bit.

From the way you two are holding hands, could that man be your...

Hee hee, its a secret.

It seemed, as you might expect from her hometown, a lot of people knew her here.

Well, even if some people seemed to have cottoned on to who I was, no one was prying too deeply. That probably showed just how much everyone in this town loved Juna.

We kept walking until we stood in front of a house. It had a cute red roof that made me think of a doll house. As someone used to the dense neighborhoods of the country Id come from, it seemed reasonably large, but by the standards of this world, it was a normal size.

Your father manages the Lorelei singing cafe, which has a large number of branches, doesnt he? I asked. This place is... Well, its comforting to a former peasant like me.

Hee hee, its tiny, isnt it? Juna giggled. The main branch is in Lagoon City, and this house is just for our family to live in, so its big enough.

I guess youre right. Having a house thats too big can be inconvenient.

The castle was so huge, it was a lot of trouble getting from one side of it to the other. Well, it was generally just my own room and the governmental affairs office I was going in between, and when I got busy, I slept in the office, so it felt less like I lived in a luxurious mansion and more like I was a live-in worker at a company, or something like that. But still.

Id love to live in a little town by the sea like this, I told her.

Would you? Once Prince Cian is all grown up and you can abdicate the throne to him, why dont we live here?

Ha ha ha, that could be a good idea.

If Liscia could have heard us, she would have angrily told me I was getting ahead of myself.

We reached the entrance.

Now then, sire, please, come inside, Juna told me.

As I was shown into the house, Junas family was already waiting in the living room. They greeted us warmly, though they seemed a little tense.

Wh-Why, Your Majesty! How could of you to come to our humble home, her father said nervously.

Oh, no, I should have come to pay my respects as soon as possible. I shook hands with Junas father as I apologized. Im sorry that I used my busyness as an excuse not to come sooner.

I greeted Junas mother and sat down on the sofa at her fathers invitation. Once I was seated, I bowed my head deeply one more time.

Im truly sorry. Im taking Juna... your daughter... as my bride, but it took me far too long to come pay my respects.

In the time since I had gotten engaged to Juna, I had been busy with government work, diplomatic visits, and dispatching reinforcements, so I just hadnt managed to find time to come meet her folks. I was in frequent contact with Junas guardian, Excel, at least, and I had stayed in contact with her parents by exchanging letters, but I had long wanted to come pay my respects in person, like any man ought to.

Her father hurriedly shook his head. No, no! The engagement was something Juna wanted for herself.

But... youre not worried about your daughter becoming a secondary queen? I asked.

I am, but Juna has never been one to back down on something once shes made up her mind, so I always knew shed choose her partner for herself. It seems Excels blood runs thicker in her veins than in mine. I dont know whether to call her devoted, or stubborn...

D-Dad! Juna sounded unusually flustered. Like with a parent-teacher meeting, having a relative tell someone about you had to be embarrassing.

Still, though her father was as beautiful as I would expect from someone of Excels lineage, he seemed surprisingly normal.

I do not think there will be any shortages, but we should acquire large quantities of the ingredients used in any dishes we expect to be popular. I suspect many people will eat Napolitan spaghetti as a main course, not a side, so it might be best if we were to buy more pasta.

You have a point... Oh?

Komain was looking through the papers when she stopped on an item at the bottom of the list of ingredients to add. There were a small number of items there that seemed unlikely to be needed for cooking.

Mead...? she read slowly and looked up.

Serina quickly looked away. From that reaction, it seemed these were items Serina had ordered personally, with her own intentions.

You like mead, Serina? Komain asked.

No... I dont mind it, but Im not especially fond of it, either.

Huh? Then why are you ordering it?

Thats... for Sir Poncho to drink...

Serina was being evasive, so Komain looked at her dubiously.

Does Poncho like mead?

...I couldnt say. I am not aware whether he does or not.

Huh? Youre ordering it even though you dont know if he likes it or not?

Well, I intend to force him to drink it, either way.

Huh? Komain had no idea what Serina was up to. Um... What exactly are you doing...?

This isnt solely for my sake. I am doing it for yours, as well.

Huh?

Its nothing. Now, let us get back to work. Serina clapped her hands.

Komain wasnt satisfied with her answers, but she remembered she had left the laundry out, so, even as she cocked her head to the side in confusion, she gathered up the laundry and left the room.

Left alone in the room, Serina looked down at the list Komain had left. Thinking of the purpose of the mead...

Incidentally, though Serina did not know this, the word honeymoon in Soumas original world came from a tradition where the groom would drink mead for the first month after marriage, in order to increase his sexual fortitude, while the newlywed couple stayed cooped up in the home and worked hard at procreating. It seemed this familys honeymoon would be an intense one.

The Drill Princess Wants Out

While Soumas marriage was in progress, the third princess of the Gran Chaos Empire, Trill, stood in front of Souma and the others, her hands together on her chest and her head lowered.

To King Souma, and all his queens, congratulations. In place of my elder sister, Empress Maria, I pray for your great happiness and the continued friendship and development of our two nations.

This was a day of celebration, so she wasnt in her usual outfit for working on machinery but instead a dress befitting a princess of the Empire. Because of that, her impressive portions, which contrasted with her short stature and were normally covered up by a blacksmiths apron, stood out all the more. Basically, she stuck out in all the right places. Like they say, clothes make the man. Or the woman, in this case. Dressed like this, she looked the part of a princess for sure.

When Trills remarks were finished, Souma stood up.

Thank you, Madam Trill. We, too, would like to continue our friendship with the Empire. Please, communicate that to Madam Maria.

I most assuredly will.

With her respects paid, Trill retreated to the seats for foreign guests. She sat and maintained her composed expression, but internally she was impatient.

Urgh, I want to get out of here, fast!

Trill had been thinking that the entire ceremony. It wasnt that she didnt respect Souma and his queens, and it wasnt that she didnt care about relations between the kingdom and the Empire either. It was because the kingdom and the Empire were engaged in a joint research project together that Trill had been able to come to this country where the people who were the object of her admiration, the House of Maxwell, were. She was grateful to Souma for proposing the idea, and that was why she was attending this ceremony.

However, while this ceremony was happening, the sole heir of the House of Maxwell, Genia, was getting married to Ludwin. Trill called Genia her big sister out of respect, and she wanted more than anything to be at her wedding.

I have complicated feelings about it being a wedding to Lord Arcs, who wants to monopolize Big Sister, but Merula and Taru will both be attending, and Id hate to be the only one left out. Maybe I should just slip out...? But if I did that, who knows what Big Sister Jeanne would say later...

Jeanne, who was Marias younger sister and Trills elder sister, had acridly told her not to let loose once she went to the kingdom. Because of the joint development project for the drill, there was probably no chance she would be suddenly hauled back to the Empire, but if she went too far, she would likely be forbidden further contact with Genia. The reasoning being that, as long as she was in the kingdom, she could give orders to others for the joint development project.

I would hate that! Not being able to meet with Big Sister Genia!

While she was looking around furtively, wondering what was happening with Genia, Trill noticed something. She saw Kuu, who was sitting next to her, give Leporina, who was sitting across from him, an order. Leporina made an unpleasant face, but got up and left the room immediately.

Umm... Sir Kuu? Trill whispered. Where did Leporina go?

Kuu smirked. Ookyakya! Oh, shes making a little trip to Genia and Lord Arcss wedding. I ordered her to go snatch the bouquet when the bride throws it.

Big Sister Genias bouquet?! Trills eyes went wide. Thats not fair! I want it, too!

Ookya? No, no, youre not going to be getting married anytime soon, right? Me, Taru, and Leporina will probably be next, so its a perfect fit.

Thats not! ...the issue here. Her voice rose for an instant, but Trill returned to a whisper and continued. Then give me the bouquet after shes caught it. You only need to be the ones who caught the bouquet. After that, you should be done with it.

Thats, well... I guess youre right. What Kuu wanted was the superstition, not the flowers themselves.

Right? Trill pursued. If the bouquet is just going to wither, Ill make it into dried or pressed flowers and keep it as a family treasure.

A family treasure...? Kuu repeated. Could the wedding bouquet of the kingdoms foremost researcher really become a family treasure for the imperial royal family? He looked a bit exasperated. Youre, uh... not much better than me, huh.

Trill had managed to make Kuu, who was always recklessly causing trouble for Taru and Leporina, this exasperated. In a way, she might be someone really special.

Well, when the wedding ceremonys over, Im planning to slip out, though, Kuu added.

Huh?! No fair! I want out, too!

Hm? You want me to carry you on my back? Its fast if we cut across the rooftops.

...No, I think Ill call a carriage.

This was a conversation that took place in one corner of Soumas wedding ceremony.

Kuu Joins In

And Im here.

Having slipped out once the coronation and wedding at the castle were over and all that remained was the party, Kuu was now landing at the site of Ludwin and Genias wedding.

He was landing because he had taken a shortcut across the rooftops between the castle and here. In the same formal attire hed worn for the coronation, at that.

Ah! Its Master Kuu! Leporina cried.

Noticing Kuus arrival, Leporina and Taru rushed over.

Hey, Leporina, Kuu said. Did you catch the bouquet like I told you to?