Genjitsushugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

I sat in my office chair with Liscia and Hakuya standing flanking me as three young children stood in front of me. They were Tomoe, a mystic wolf who was my adorable adopted little sister; Ichiha, a human who was the youngest son of Duke Chima; and Yuriga, a celestial who was the younger sister of Fuuga Haan.

Though they were of mixed national and racial backgrounds, today they all wore the same outfit.

Those uniforms look good on all three of you, Liscia told them with a smile.

Heehee, thank you, Big Sister, Tomoe said with a big smile.

Y-You are too kind, Lady Liscia, Ichiha stammered, bowing his head.

...Thanks, Yuriga muttered, looking away in embarrassment.

These three were wearing the uniform of the Royal Academy. The blazers were indistinguishable in design from the one from the Officers Academy that Liscia wore when we went into town in secret, but were beige instead of red.

The uniforms were provided to each individual student by the academy, free of charge. This was in part because, in addition to the nobility, the Royal Academy actively recruited those students noted for academic excellence, and this prevented differences in clothing being a mark of class. Because some students, like Yuriga, belonged to winged races, their uniforms had to be custom made, and this was done as a way of lifting that financial burden. Though, that did mean that admittance required academic performance worth more than the cost of the uniform.

After watching their innocent reactions, I rose from my chair and said, Liscias right. You all look great. ...Now, can we have a word from your teacher, perhaps?

I turned the conversation over to Hakuya, who had been their instructor up until this point, who said, Well... and walked over to stand in front of the three. When they looked up to him, as his height necessitated, Hakuya calmly said, I expect you three will have no problems academically. You already possess the academic prowess to keep up with classes at the academy. ...You did, at least, receive a passing mark, too, Yuriga.

Why am I the only one you say that to?!

Whoa, Yuriga, Tomoe interjected, sounding like she was trying to get a horse to stop.

Dont treat me like an animal, you little kid!

Ohhkay, ohhkay... Tomoe said through pinched cheeks.

Yuriga and Tomoe started squabbling. Even on the morning of the first day of school, these two were the same as ever. That went for Ichiha, who was trying to stop them, too.

When you see them like this, Yuriga feels more like my little sister, huh? Liscia whispered beside me.

Yeah...she did have the tomboy princess thing going on. They were different races, and Yurigas ash gray hair was pretty far from Liscias platinum blonde, but I felt like they had a lot in common in terms of personality.

As for Tomoe, she was more like Juna, maybe? She could be a little devil at times, too. It was going to be fun seeing what she grew up to be like, but also scary... My feelings about it were complicated.

Ahem, Hakuya cleared his throat to get the three of them to pipe down, and the three stopped talking and stood at attention. In a scolding tone, he said, I certainly see no problems academically, but school is also where you learn to get along with others. You three, in particular, are individuals of status in your respective countries. The academy is a place where no one will be given special treatment, but it is inevitable that others will view you as special. How will you think about your position in the group, and what sort of friendships will you form with whom...? I would like for you to keep these things in mind as you live a valuable school life. Do you understand?

Y-Yes, the three of them responded in unison.

Well, I understand where Hakuya is coming from, I cut in, thinking he was being a bit too strict. But youre going to be spending four precious years of your youth there. Find some friends you get along with, and have a good time.

Understood, Big Brother, Tomoe smiled, as she gave me a salute.

Okay, Ichiha and Yuriga responded in kind.

When the three of them left the room, I turned to look at Hakuya.

You were talking about there being no special treatment, but... I know you. Youve got some sort of protection planned for them, right?

But of course, Hakuya said with a nod, as though it were obvious. I talked it over with Sir Inugami, and weve already placed our observers among the academys staff. If anything happens with your little sister, I will hear of it immediately.

If Inugamis involved...its probably foolproof.

Inugami adored Tomoe as if she were his own daughter. If that doting father was taking part in this, I could expect the security around them to be perfect. As we nodded to one another in relief, Liscia looked at us with exasperation.

Being a little overprotective, arent we?

That may be true, but Tomoes position warrants caution, I replied. Shes a former refugee, now the younger sister of the king. She also gets the credit for setting up the rhinosaurus train. Thats a position that nobles and commoners alike are going take notice of, with both good and ill will. Eventually, shell need to handle all of that herself, but I want to protect her while shes a child, at least.

When I impressed on her that I wasnt just being a doting adoptive brother, Liscia shrugged.

I do understand how you feel, but...I resented having that sort of overprotective environment around me back when I was a student. I dont think you should be too pushy about it.

Well, I could sort of see what Liscia wanted to say. Still, though...

Thats how you felt back then, right? What do you think now? Cian and Kazuha are going to go to school eventually, too, you know?

There are times when you need to be overprotective, Liscia said, easily retracting her earlier statement. Hakuya and I could only smile wryly at how quickly she changed tack. Even if she couldnt understand her parents as a child, now that she had a child she understood how a parent felt. This is how it looks when someone grows and learns... Nah, just kidding.

Now then, I guess I should get ready to head out, too.

Ill help you. Carla and the other maids are looking after Cian and Kazuha.

I was scheduled to give a celebratory address to the new students at the Officers Academy and Royal Academy today. Because of the occasion, I had been told I was to appear in formal wear, which meant my military uniform. It always took so long to put that thing on...

Okay, Hakuya. Well leave you to handle the rest.

Yes, sir. Take care.

Hakuya saw us off with a salute as Liscia and I left the office.

Wow...

Tomoes jaw dropped as she got out of the carriage and saw the building in front of her. The red brick building she could see on the other side of the thick, iron gate was the Royal Academy.

The Royal Academy. Situated in Parnam, it was the highest educational institution in the Kingdom of Friedonia. The other major cities had academies, too, but even among them, the Royal Academy was the top.

In contrast to the Officers Academy, which was also located in the capital, and was responsible for training knights and military officers, the Royal Academy was a place that taught a variety of different fields, as well as provided the necessary education to the children of the kingdoms nobility.

Its so big, Tomoe sighed, seeing the academy for the first time. Its practically a castle.

You literally live in a castle, and youre going to say that? Yuriga, who was standing beside her, said in exasperation.

Now that I think about it, weve all been staying in the royal castle, huh? Ichiha said, a wry smile on his face. Because Sir Souma and so many of the others dont make a big deal out of it, it doesnt usually occur to me.

Hmph. My brother Fuugas name will echo across this world. Someday, Ill live in an even bigger castle!

You sure do love your brother, huh, Yuriga?

This time it was Tomoes turn to look at Yuriga, who was always bragging about her brother, in exasperation. Then...

Well, this is as far as we can take you, so please, continue on by yourselves from here. We will be back to pick you up when the time comes, the servant who had been acting as their chaperone said with a respectful bow.

Thank you. Okay, Yuriga, Ichiha. Lets go. Tomoe thanked the servant, then walked onto the academy grounds hand-in-hand with Yuriga and Ichiha.

Hold on, were not children. We dont have to hold hands.

I-Im getting a little tense...

Tomoe pulled Yuriga and Ichiha through the gate with her.

Thus, the three small children took the first step of their school lives... and yet, immediately, their eyes went wide. At the enthusiasm of the many people there. And the noise.

There were many students who would be entering the academy this year, the same as Tomoe, Yuriga, and Ichiha, on the road from the main entrance to the school building. However, on either side of that road, there were older students carrying flags, signs, and banners in many colors, desperately calling out to the new students.

The Enchantment Magic Club is currently recruiting! Any new students who are interested are welcome!

Hey, all you cute boys and girls! Would you like to come unravel the secrets of dungeon relics with us?!

You there, you look clever! Please, join our society!

Huh? You mean me? But... said the confused student.

O young one, our field of study is certain to make great leaps in the future! I say that because they tell me we have promising new students joining the academy this year...

Our club members register as adventurers and take part in activities off campus...

N-No, I refuse! the student cried.

Command Center, a new student has fled, requesting immediate backup.

This is Command Center. Roger. Dispatching reinforcements immediately.

There were the voices of older students engaged in enthusiastic (and in some cases weird) attempts at recruitment, and the screams of new students running around trying to escape. There was a scene of unexpected chaos playing out in this house of learning. Having witnessed all of the shouting, the three froze up.

Th-This isnt... quite what we were led to expect, huh? Yuriga said, her cheeks twitching a little.

The three thought back to the advance knowledge of the Royal Academy that their teacher, Hakuya, had imparted to them.

The Royal Academy was largely divided into two sections. There was the school, where students learned the basic subjects, as well as the education, manners, and management skills they would require as nobles; and then there was the research academy where students performed further academic research.

If you were to equate this to Soumas original world: the former would have been equivalent to a combined junior and senior high school, while the latter was equivalent to university. When a person graduated from the schools four-year program they were deemed to be able to take care of themselves, but those with excellent grades who wished to continue down the path of a researcher could enter the research academy. Though, in the case of the nobility, the oldest legitimate son would need to manage his domain eventually, so many of those who wanted to join the research academy were people who had been disinherited.

In addition, the research academy was a total meritocracy, so they accepted talented researchers from outside without regard to their identities. Because of that, the research academy was even less hung up on notions of hierarchy than the school. Conversely, though the school was set up so that anyone who had the good grades to get through the entrance exam was able to enroll, it was still a class society, and the nobles acted full of themselves.

The children of the nobility were especially prone to viewing the school as a place to build connections. They looked at the rare commoners in attendance with cold eyes, and spent all their time ignoring their studies and holding tea parties with the children of any house with the slightest influence. Liscia hated this aspect of the academy, which was why she joined the Officers Academy instead, despite being a princess.

This had been their understanding of the Royal Academy before now. However, the school had changed greatly in the past two years or so.

Come to think of it, when Mr. Hakuya was explaining the academy to us, he did say, As for how the school is now... it may be faster for you to see for yourselves, didnt he?

He looked exhausted by it, yeah. So, does that mean...?

With Ichiha and Yuriga both looking to Tomoe, it hit her, too.

This is Big Brothers influence... right? Tomoe concluded with a wry smile. That expression had a strange resemblance to the one her big sister made every time her big brother did something off the wall.

There were two major factors that led to a change in the overall environment at the academy. One must have been that King Soumas If You Have a Gift event caused a change towards valuing talent highly. The way influential nobles ran around gathering personnel, and even competed to recruit slaves if they had some ability, was still fresh in everyones memories. That trend led people to look to the Royal Academy as a place to train talented personnel.

The other factor was the rise of another high school-level educational institution in the capital, Gingers Vocational School. This vocational school, which opened with the sponsorship of King Souma, constantly researched fields of study that no one had paid any heed to before, and had obtained quite successful results in many of them. Those results were then covered in the broadcast program Nameless Heroes, spreading knowledge of them throughout the country.

In addition, at Gingers Vocational School, if you had knowledge of a special field or ability, and a novel idea, they would accept any student there, regardless of wealth or class. That brought prospective students rushing to their doors. The more attention they gained from the people, the more talented personnel gathered there... and the result was that Gingers Vocational School was recognized as an academic center. That made the Royal Academy sit up and take notice of their predicament.

Unlike the Officers Academy, which turned out soldiers, the Royal Academy was tasked with training personnel in cultural fields, so there was overlap in their roles. Of course, the sort of research being undertaken at the vocational school would have been summarily rejected at the Royal Academy, so there was differentiation. Still, the Royal Academy couldnt sit still while talented personnel in cultural fields were drifting to the vocational school, and they were forced to reform their old ways. Now, as for what result that led to...

Instead of a focus on creating personal connections to powerful families, theyve placed a greater emphasis on securing talented personnel. Is that it? Its taken things in a more meritocratic direction, Ichiha plainly stated the impression he got from this.

The children of the nobility wanted to form connections with talented personnel, regardless of their class background. That was because, under King Soumas meritocratic politics, that was the road to fame and glory. Because there was a demand for it, if someone had something they specialized in, they would try to improve at it. The classes that everyone took were not sufficient for that, and, as a result, clubs and societies grew more active.

In order to maintain and expand those clubs, they needed people. What they wanted were talented people. But even if they were untalented, it didnt matter. To even enter this school required a certain level of academic ability, so if someone lacked an area they specialized in, it was possible to train them from nothing into the kind of person that the group wanted.

They set their eyes on talented individuals in both the school and research academy while they were still enrolled, and plotted to have them join their research after graduation. These days, every person of talent in the academy had those sorts of eyes set on them, and even those who had still yet to develop any ability did, too, in their own way. The result was this mad rush to recruit new students.

As they watched the chaos unfold, Yuriga let out a frustrated sigh. Honestly... this country makes no sense.

But I still like this country. The country that my big brother and big sister rule, Tomoe said with a smile, to which Yuriga shrugged in exasperation.

You would. But isnt it about time you realized? The people know your face, right? Theres going to be plenty of people looking for you, arent

Oh! Hey! Isnt that Lady Tomoe over there?! The voice of a female student cut Yuriga off mid-sentence, and the older students who were doing the recruiting all turned to look towards Tomoe.

Despite being a refugee, she was adopted by the former royal couple because of her gift...

That means shes incredibly talented, right?

Wasnt there talk of royalty from another country coming to school with her?

Then, are those two...?

Indeed?! Then, perchance, could the young boy who stands next to Lady Tomoe be Sir Ichiha Chima who our society so admires? He of the Monster Encyclopedia...

I like the leg muscles on that winged girl with the twintails. She must have considerable athletic ability. I really want her for our club.

There were hushed whispers. Then, a sudden gleam in the eyes of the older students. Yes... those were the eyes of hunters who had found their quarry. Their thirst for new blood was almost palpable.

I-It looks like its not just me, Tomoe winced. You two are popular, too, huh?

Wh-What should we do? Ichiha asked in a mild panic.

This is unexpected, Yuriga said, taken aback. ...I dont want any trouble.

...Should we run?

No objection there. The three made an immediate decision to flee, but the school building was on the other side of the older students.

Im starting to want to go home.

You know we cant go home before the entrance ceremony has even started.

While Tomoe and Ichiha were struggling with what to do...

All right, you two, see you later. As the only one with wings, Yuriga jumped up into the air.

Hey! No fair, Yuriga! Leaving a protesting Tomoe behind, Yuriga flapped her wings in an attempt to clear the human wall, but...

Whoa, hate to break it to you, but youre not the only one who can fly, a girl who looked to be a dragonewt rose up to block her.

Urkh!

Now, young lady, why dont you work up a nice, youthful sweat doing some sports with me?

Nooooo! The dragonewt girl began chasing Yuriga across the sky.

The realization that even flying was not enough to let them escape left a look of despair on Tomoe and Ichihas faces. Even now, the older students were closing the net around them.

You wont get away. That was what their eyes said.

I-Ichiha.

T-Tomoe...

The two held hands as they trembled.

Please, join our society! As the mob was rushing towards them... it happened.

Suddenly, Tomoe felt herself scooped up by someone, and the next thing she knew she was floating in the air. Had they jumped about ten meters? From where she was, held in someones arms, Tomoe looked down at the green leaves on the branches of the trees. There, beneath them, she saw Ichiha being swept away by a wave of people.

Ichimmph!

Shh! a figure said, covering her mouth. If you shout, the people down there will find us.

They had acted fast, just before the human wave struck, so nobody had noticed Tomoe being spirited away.

I know I was only able to save you, Lady Tomoe, but he is a boy, I am sure he will manage just fine by himself. It was a girls voice that came from behind her. When Tomoe nodded to show her acceptance, they removed the hand covering her mouth.

When Tomoe turned around, behind her stood a girl with dark skin, white hair, and pointy earsall traits that were the same as Aishas. If there was one thing that was different from Aisha, it was that this girls hair was cut short. Tomoes eyes widened with surprise.

Are you a dark elf?!

Yes, Lady Tomoe. I believe we are not yet acquainted, the dark elf girl said, bringing a hand to her breast and bowing her head. I am Velza Norn, daughter of the warrior Sur of the God-Protected Forest. In order to gain the education I will need to, one day, be fit to serve a certain person, I have come here today to enter the same school as you, Lady Tomoe. It is a pleasure to meet you.

Velza smiled at Tomoe, who was clearly taken aback.

About an hour later.

Tomoe and the others were in the Royal Academys auditorium. They were in the middle of the entrance ceremony, and the new students sat in rows of seats, listening (disinterestedly) as the stout, white-bearded principal up on stage gave a congratulatory address. Yuriga and Ichiha were on either side of Tomoe, slouched in their chairs with exhaustion on their faces.

A-Are you okay? Tomoe asked in a worried whisper. The other two weakly waved their hands.

I-I thought I was going to die. That dragonewt, shes too stubborn...

I was forced into the Monster Research Society. I wanted to join a group like that if there was one anyway, and once I was in, my seniors protected me from the other recruiters, so it was fine, but...it still took a lot out of me.

It seemed Yuriga had managed to give her pursuer the slip, but Ichiha had found refuge under the protection of this Monster Research Society. Seeing how exhausted they looked, Tomoe mentally thanked her rescuer, Velza, once again. Speaking of Velza...

Now, new student representative Velza Norn.

Hey, hey, Tomie.

As the first day of lessons came to an end, and Tomoe was preparing to go home, Lucy called out to her while kneeling backwards in her chair. Ichiha, Yuriga, and Velza all came over to see what was up.

Tomoe tilted her head to the side as she asked, What is it, Lu?

I was thinkin, since were all friends now, maybe we ought to go somewhere and have fun?

Somewhere... You mean in the castle town?

Thats right. You come to my place, and Ill hook ya up with a whole lotta sweets.

As Tomoe was considering how shed respond to the pushy Lucy, Velza interjected, Lucy, dont you think thats a bit too much to ask? Tomoe is His Majestys little sister, so I doubt she can go play in the castle town so easily.

Well, it wont be easy without King Soumas permission. In my case, Im allowed to go anywhere in the capital. My big brothers very hands-off, you see.

Setting Yuriga aside, theres a carriage coming for us, too. Oh! I need to report I joined the Monster Research Society. Ill probably be staying late on meeting days.

Youre all no fun, Lucy said, puffing up her cheeks. Hangin out together after school. Stayin together durin the summer break. Aint that the joy of school life? His Majesty said we were supposed to enjoy our school lives, didnt he?

Thats the same king were telling you she needs permission from, Yuriga sighed, but Tomoe tried to mollify her.

Now, now. Lu, I really cant go off without Big Brothers permission. I made everyone worry the last time I snuck off on my own...

Tomoe must have been talking about the time they were in the Chima Duchy. When she slipped out of the room she had been told to stay in out of curiosity, some nasty men had picked on her and almost sparked an international incident.

Nothing happened because Ichiha, who she met that time, protected her, and Souma and the others found them in time, but she didnt want a repeat of what happened there.

At Tomoes words, Lucy came to her senses and sat down normally in her chair.

O-Oh, yeah, she laughed, rubbing her head with her hand. I was so gung-ho on gettin to know ya, I got ahead of myself. I wasnt thinkin about your position at all. Sorry.

Nah. I want to go out and play with everyone just as much as you do. Thats why Ill talk to Big Brother and the others about it. Theyre all really nice, so if I bring it up with them, Im sure theyll work things out for us.

Lucy smiled as Tomoe gripped both her hands. No need to push it too hard, ya hear? Thiss just a selfish request of mine.

Sure. Ill do what I can to get that selfish request granted.

Tomoe felt highly motivated.

After school that day.

So, weve come to Rent-a-Cycle! Please clap!

Yaaaay!

...Why are you all so high-strung? Yuriga said, exasperated by the way Lucy looked like she was ready to play a fanfare, and how Tomoe, Ichiha, and Velza were so willing to go along with her.

After school, the five kids had set out with the wooden token Souma had given Tomoe in hand, and stood in front of a business whose sign simply said Rent-a-Cycle. Naturally, the Black Cats were watching them from the shadows, but anyone else watching would only have seen five children getting along.

This is... Rent-a-Cycle, Tomoe mumbled as she looked at the shop.

The business was not on the shopping street, but on a main road. Looking at it from the outside, it was plain to see what kind of place it was... There were several of the same thing lined up out front.

Lucy pointed to one of them with a grin. Thats right. Rent-a-Cycle rents out these here tricycles.

Tricycles... Ah, they do have three wheels, yes, Velza said as she stared at one of the tricycles.

As per the name, Rent-a-Cycle was a business that rented out cycles, these three-wheeled tricycles in particular. Naturally, these werent the kind a child might ride, with the pedals attached directly to the wheels. These had a proper chain, and the two wheels in the rear turned as it went around.

Wheels, a seat... and a basket in back. It looks like this is a vehicle, huh. Could it be that spinning the things down here makes the wheels go around?

Ohh, ya got it! Lucy clapped, impressed that Ichiha had managed to discern the function of the thing from its form. If ya sit in the seat and pedal, I hear itll go forward. You put stuff in the basket, and it makes carryin it easy, even if ya dont have a horse. His Majesty Soumas the one who invented it, yknow?

...Yeah. I sort of guessed, Tomoe said with a slightly troubled smile.

Off-the-wall ideas like this generally came from either Souma or Genia. If it were Genia, itd be even more crazy, so she assumed that, because this still showed some semblance of common sense, it must have been Soumas idea. Tomoe had come to understand how her big brother was over the past two years.

I can just imagine the look on Big Sisters face when he came up with this. As Tomoe thought that, she looked to the castle where the two of them were.

Meanwhile.

Go, go, Darlin!

Right, right...

In the courtyard of the castle Tomoe was looking at, Souma was pedaling a cycle with Roroa sitting behind him. Instead of a tricycle, like they used at the Rent-a-Cycle, they were riding a more standard mountain bike.

Im seein everythin from a higher vantage point, and the speed is refreshin, Roroa said, having fun behind him.

She was standing on bars that came out of either side of the rear wheel, and had her hands on Soumas shoulders for balance. If a police officer saw them, theyd have received a warning for this behavior, but there were no such laws governing bicycles in this world yet, so give them a break.

Mweheheh, Darlin.

Roroa took her hands off his shoulders, wrapped them around his neck, and pushed herself up against his back. The impact made the bike wobble a bit, but Souma managed to keep his balance.

Hey, thats dangerous.

I was just thinkin. I can play all the tricks I want on ya right now.

If I go down, youre going down, too. Behave.

Dont be like that. The truth is, youre enjoyin this, arent ya, Darlin? The way you can feel my breasts on your back. Roroa snickered, but her cheeks were just a bit red. Even she must have found that line a bit embarrassing.

Souma couldnt see her face because he was driving, but having lived with her so long, he could pick up on it from the way she was laughing.

Thats why Souma started feeling a bit mischievous himself.

They are touching me, yeah. Just a little, though.

Unyah?! That direct response made Roroas face turn bright red. Wh-Whatre you sayin, Darlin! You idiot! You pervert!

This coming from the person who touched me...

Im not pressin them against you, I wanted to get you flustered.

Thats a novel comeback.

It wasnt that old, Im making them touch you, line.

When they finished one lap of the larger-than-you-might-expect courtyard flirting like that, Liscia was waiting at the central terrace with a look of exasperation on her face.

Soumas gone and made something weird again...

Its a fascinating vehicle, though...

Beside Liscia was Soumas personal trainer and sounding board, the old commander Owen.

Hmm, I think riding with someone will help increase muscle mass in the thigh area. How does ten laps with me riding in the back sound as part of your daily training menu?

Riding double with you, Owen?! Give me a break... Souma groaned. Riding double with an old macho man was nothing but a punishment.

Whew, that was fun, Darlin, Roroa said cheerily as she hopped off the bike.

Liscia looked at the bike Souma was riding and said, Still, its strange. How does it stay upright when theres only one wheel in front and back?

Itll be a long explanation, okay? First, lets start with the gyroscopic effect...

Ahh, if its going to take that long, I dont need it. I doubt Id understand anyway.

When Liscia smiled wryly, scratching her cheek, Souma let out a sigh.

...Well, just assume anyone can ride one with practice. In fact, using the technique my grandfather taught me, every member of the Hiryuus crew learned to ride a bike. Do you want to try it later, Liscia?

Hmm. Whats the technique?

First, you use really shallow, short strokes to...

Souma taught Liscia and the others his grandfathers technique for riding a bike.

In fact, Roroa learned to ride the bike using this technique (Liscia declined), but because there was no guarantee of safety, they decided to put off doing it in public for now.

When she had heard the full explanation, Liscia cocked her head to the side as she touched the bicycle. So, why did you make this thing?

I received a report that there was a lot of trouble moving around our carrier, the Hiryuu. Given that we already carry wyverns, there really wasnt space left for mounts like horses, too. Thats why I thought bicycles would be a faster, easier way to get around than walking.

Now that they had access to a rubber-like material, we were able to make tires. Souma remembered how bicycles were put together, and if he gave Genia and the other researchers a rough outline, he figured they could have a bicycle developed in no time. But it wasnt that easy.

I never expected making the chain and gears to be so difficult...

Not once did it cross his mind while riding a bike in his former world, but it was an incredible feat of engineering to make the chain and gears mesh perfectly. The technology was already established, and there was no room for improving it, so not even a genius idea from Genia was going to solve things. In the end, hard work was the only option available to them.

I asked Kuu to get Taru to help us, and we somehow managed to get to a finished product, but it ended up being incredibly expensive. I had to give up on spreading the technology far and wide.

Th-This thing was that expensive? Liscia asked in shock.

Nyahaha, almost as much as one of the royal familys ornamental carriages, Roroa told Liscia with a wry smile, making her eyes go wide.

You... cant mass produce them then, huh.

Right? I wanted them to be available to the common folk who cant afford horses one day, but this is out of their reach. Still, I cant see the nobles and knights buying them, either. The nobles would never think to pedal a vehicle on their own, and the knights generally have horses of their own. Basically, theres no demand for it.

The only place to ride a bike in this world was inside the cities, where the roads were paved. There were roads outside the city too, of course, but in a world full of dangerous monsters, it would be unsafe to keep your hands occupied riding a bike.

Souma had said himself that no matter how excellent a policy or system might be, if it was out of step with the times, it wouldnt be accepted. That applied to inventions, too. It might have been too soon for this country to have bicycles.

Huh? But theres a Rent-a-Cycle business in town, right? Doesnt that place deal in cycles?

Some ten minutes later...

Whew... Im beat...

Yuriga was sitting with her head down at a table on the balcony, exhausted from pedaling a cycle with Lucy and Velza on it all the way here.

As she lay there, Lucy brought a spoon to Yurigas mouth with a smile.

Here, Yurie. Say ahh.

Ahh?

Unable to think straight, possibly due to exhaustion, Yuriga just opened her mouth, and Lucy put a spoonful of something inside. To her surprise, Yuriga remarked, ...Its sweet.

Isnt it, though? I hear when youre exhausted, eatin somethin sweetll do you good.

Youre saying that when youre the one who tired me out?

Here, say ahh.

...Ahh.

It must have tasted really good. Yuriga did as she was told, opening her mouth wide like a baby chick, and let Lucy feed her.

Tomoe, Ichiha, and Velza watched the two of them with wry smiles.

The five had come to the fruit parlor run by Lucys parents, The Cats Tree. It was a trendy main street shop with, as the name suggested, a cat on the sign. It was two floors, with a quarter of the floor space taken up by fresh fruit they were selling, and the remaining space being a cafe which served sweets made using that fruit.

Tomoe and the others were The Cats Trees main street balcony, trying out the sweets Lucy was so proud of. There were two plates of them laid out on the table.

Tomoe took a spoonful of the treat in front of her, put it in her mouth, and smiled.

This pudding is really delicious.

Glad to hear it. Thats our best sellin item, the Special Pudding a la Mode. We pride ourselves on the fact that the pudding, fruit, and cream are all delivered fresh through our own routes.

Lucy puffed her chest out with pride when her product was complimented. It was that sort of gesture that made her look like Roroa. Then Ichiha, who was also enjoying the pudding, tilted his head to the side. Whats a la mode mean?

Dunno.

Huh?

Couldnt tell ya why, but thats what they call puddin in Soumas world when its bein served with fruit and whipped cream like this. Feels kinda fancy, doesnt it?

I-I guess...

Ichiha worried whether it might be a strange word, but even if it was, no one from this world would know it, so he decided it was still fine. A la mode means something like modern style, so there was no issue, but Ichiha couldnt have known that.

Lucy also seemed to like it, so it would probably have been rude to say anything, too. While Ichiha was thinking about that, Lucy continued to pile the pudding into Yurigas mouth.

Here. Say ahh.

Ahh... Wait, how long are we going to do this?! Thats enough! Dont make me eat any more! Yuriga said, moving her head away.

Aww, I was havin such fun, I couldnt help myself.

Well, help yourself! And hold on, Velza, what have you been so quiet about all this time?!

Now that she mentioned it, Velza hadnt said a word. Wondering what was up, the four turned to Velza.

Whew...

She was frozen stiff. A spoon in her mouth, and a look of ecstasy on her face. Her eyes were gazing up and to the right, unmoving, as though her mind had gone elsewhere.

H-Hold on, Velza, are you okay?! Tomoe said as she shook Velza.

Ah! She blinked as though she had just come back to her senses. I-Im sorry. It was so delicious, I lost myself.

Th-That badly? I know its good, but...

Apologies. In the God-Protected Forest, the only sweet food that we have is fruit, so...

Oh...

Aisha did say that, remembered Tomoe. She also remembered Souma watching Aisha with a wry smile and saying, Half of Aishas loyalty might have come from me taming her with food.

Velza held her cheeks in embarrassment. Ohh... Ever since I left the God-Protected Forest, the food has been so good I dont know what to do.

Uh, yeah, I sort of get that from having watched Aisha.

But, even with that in mind, I think this pudding is delicious... I would very much like to share this with them. And Id like to come back here with everyone again...

Huh? Whos them?

Oh, just talking to myself there. Velza smiled and brought an index finger to her lips. It was a soft, mature smile; an expression that implied she would not divulge on this topic any further.

Huh? Is this a kuku berry?

Huh?! Whoa! It is!

When Ichiha scooped up a round, translucent fruit that was next to the pudding, Yuriga looked surprised, too.

Kuku berry? Tomoe asked, tilting her head.

Its a little round berry that comes from the Union of Eastern Nations, and it has a distinctive gummy texture, Ichiha replied as he held up the spoon.

Nom... Munch... Youre right, it does have an unusual texture, Tomoe commented, having snapped up the kuku berry that Ichiha offered her.

This was a scene where there were indirect kisses and lines like, Say ahh, going around, but Tomoe and Ichiha were both still children, so they didnt care.

In fact, in order to return the favor, Tomoe took a different fruit and fed it to Ichiha. Once he had swallowed, Ichiha continued his explanation, Munch... But kuku berries dont last long. They may not spoil immediately, but I never expected to be able to eat them outside the Union of Eastern Nations.

Heheheh. Youd better not go underestimatin the Kingdoms ability to ship things. Theres rhinosaurus trains runnin to and from the border almost every day. Thats why we can put these short-lived fruits on our menu.

Why are you acting so smug about that...? Yuriga said, sounding exasperated at the way Lucy was puffing up her still flat chest.

Lucy stood up, and got so close to Tomoe their cheeks might have been touching. Whatre you sayin, Yurie? The one responsible for gettin that rhinosaurus train set up is our very own Tomie here.

Hm? It is?

I-I only helped out a little.

Tomoe told Yuriga about how she could speak to animals, and how she had used that ability to arrange an area suitable for rhinosaurus mating, securing their help as a means of mass transportation. Naturally, she kept quiet about the top-secret information that she could speak to monsters and demons, too.

I was iffy on it at first, but as I was listening, it started to sound incredibly useful, Yuriga grunted approvingly. If you have that ability, why not join the dairy farming club, or something like that? If I recall, there was a farm with horses and cows on the outskirts of the school, youd be instantly useful to them...

Absolutely not!

Whoa! Tomoes firm refusal made Yuriga bend back in surprise. I-I didnt expect you to be so against it.

...Okay, Yuriga, try imagining it.

Tomoe rounded on Yuriga with a face so serious you could hear the dramatic sound effects. Her threatening attitude made Yuriga sweat as she asked, Imagine... what, exactly?

The voices of livestock that will be made into meat. Of chickens having their eggs taken away.

...Im sorry, Yuriga meekly apologized. It was tough just imagining it.

Tomoe adjusted herself in her chair, then, Whew... she let out a sigh. Obviously, I plan to do whatever I can with my ability if it helps Big Brother and Big Sister, you know? I think I can help with creating an environment that wont stress the animals... But I dont want to get seriously involved in farming livestock. I dont think Id be able to eat the oyakodon that Big Brother makes anymore if I did.

No, seriously... Im sorry.

There was an awkward air in the room. The once sweet pudding had lost all its flavor.

In an attempt to change the atmosphere, Lucy clapped her hands and said, Now, now, lets get back on topic. So, like I was sayin, were able to offer unusual fruits thanks to a distribution network that includes the rhinosaurus train. Its just that, well, products that are subject to shipping fees end up being more expensive. The only ones wholl be orderin this puddin a la mode regularly are the family of nobles, knights, or influential merchants.

Ah... So it is expensive. Velza looked wistfully at the already half-eaten pudding. Lucy smiled and crossed her arms.

Thats right. For my part, I wanna make it cheaper so your average girl can come eat, too. If we had reasonably-priced sweets, thatll make puddin a la mode feel more special. If we can manage that, maybe the gals out therell buy it as a luxury on special days.

Wow... Thats amazing, Lu. Youve got all of this thought out.

Nyah, nyahaha. Youre makin me blush.

Tomoes compliments made Lucy a little bashful.

Looking at the way she thought about the common folk at the same time as she thought about business, it was little surprise she idolized Roroa.

So, it was just as I was thinkin about that. The God of Food, Lord Ishizuka, released a new recipe. Hold on just a sec.

Lucy rose from her seat, and rushed down the stairs to the first floor. Not long after, she returned carrying a single plate. This plate also had pudding on it, but... this pudding was different somehow. It was glossy, shining, and wobbly.

Lucy laid the dish on the table, and, smiling, she said, Ta-dah! This is our stores future hero product! Its called gel pudding!

Gel pudding?

The other four cocked their heads to the side in unison.

Lucy confidently laughed and said, Its faster just havin you eat some. Go on, try it.

The four dug into the pudding with their spoons as directed, and each took a bite. Instantly, their eyes widened.

How is this so delicious?!

Its wobbly, but smooth on the tongue. It goes down like a drink.

Yuriga responded instinctively, and Ichiha analytically.

Though they expressed it in different words, each was extremely pleased with the taste. Tomoe, meanwhile, was smiling despite herself, and Velza even had tears in the corners of her eyes.

To think there could be something so delicious... Im so glad I left the God-Protected Forest.

Velza, do you need a hankie?

Th-Thank you, Tomoe. Velza took Tomoes handkerchief and wiped her tears.

Lucy was nodding ecstatically at their response. Reactions are lookin good. Looks like weve got a big hit on our hands.

Its like pudding, but not, right? Whats different?

That theres a good question, Tomie. To make it simple, custard puddin is made by boilin it, while this gel puddin is made by chillin it. The base ingredientsre similar, but custard puddin uses the way that eggs harden when heated, while gel puddin uses the power of an ingredient that isnt in custard puddin which hardens when chilled.

An ingredient that hardens when chilled?

Like this. Lucy put a jar filled with a white and slightly greenish-yellow powder on top of the table. Everyone peered at the contents of the container.

Whats this?

Dried, powdered gelin.

Gelin?!

Huh?! I just ate gelin?!

Ichiha and Yuriga both cried out in surprise.

Gelins were invertebrates that lived in the fields, and primarily lived by absorbing the remains of animals. The Union of Eastern Nations had no such culture of consuming gelin, so seeing it came as a shock to them.

The same gelins from gelin udon? Tomoe asked.

We had that sent to us in the God-Protected Forest, too, after the disaster, said Velza. It was called instant gelin udon, and they told us it was developed for military rations, but it was delicious.

Hahaha, looks like shes having fun.

Far to the north, Fuuga Haan, the King of Malmkhitan, grinned as he read Yurigas letter.

What are you reading, Darling? Mutsumi asked as she came into the room.

Fuuga handed her the letter he had been given and replied, Its a letter from Yuriga. It sounds like shes having fun in the Kingdom of Friedonia.

Oh, its from Yuriga? Then, looking through the letter from her sister-in-law, Mutsumi cocked her head to the side. Hmm? It seems to be a report on recent happenings in her life. The writing style is fun, though...

Does something about it bother you?

Oh, no, I thought she might be made to write a letter like this. I wondered if we should really take the pleasant tone at face value...

Youre saying Souma mightve forced Yuriga to write this? Not a chance.

Fuuga blew off Mutsumis concerns with a hearty laugh.

This is unmistakably Yurigas handwriting. Besides, if Yuriga is forced to write letters against her will, shes been taught to deform her writing in a certain way. Well, knowing how overly cautious Souma is, he wouldnt do anything so silly as to harm his relationship with me. There may be some censorship, but Im sure whats written in there is how Yuriga really feels.

Her true feelings... Then the thing she wrote at the end is how she really feels, too?

Yeah, it means thats how she felt. Fuuga grinned.

This is what was written at the end of Yurigas letter:

Brother,

Friedonia is a weird country.

It is fun living here, but I feel something other than just enjoyment from it. My preconceptions are breaking down, and the values inside me that I thought were absolute are colliding with a set of values that are different from them... Its hard to put into words. I havent sorted it out myself yet, either.

You have been cautious of King Souma since the beginning, so I doubt you will let your guard down, but let me say it regardless. By no means should you underestimate him.

Sincerely, Yuriga.

Yuriga believes in me more than anyone, and even shes saying that. Hes one hell of a guy, huh?

...You are enjoying this, Mutsumi said, sounding exasperated.

There was a ferocious sparkle in Fuugas eyes.

Weve only accomplished one so far. From here on, I dont know who, or what, will stand in my way. Not being able to see that excites me. This eras gonna get so hot it makes my blood boil!

Then, resting his feet on the walls of a city he had reclaimed from the monsters, he roared towards the sun which hung high in the northern sky.

In the northern lands, a tiger was about to take flight.