JULIUS, AGE 13: MACHINATIONS
I walk through the familiar halls of the Analeit Kingdom castle.
In other words, my childhood home.
Since becoming the hero, I’ve been primarily staying in the room given to me in the Holy Kingdom of Alleius, so I haven’t been here in a while, but I still think of it as my real home.
Being in this place calms me in a way that the room in Alleius never could.
But that’s just me.
Clinging to my arm as we walk, Yaana looks incredibly nervous.
Instead of her usual saint outfit, which is simple and designed for easy movement, she’s wearing a white dress.
It’s an understated design, as befits a saint, but you can still see at a glance how expensive it must be.
It was made specifically for Yaana, so it looks great on her.
…Or at least, it would if her face wasn’t currently so strained that her tension is plainly obvious.
Her movements are equally stiff, to the point where I’m not sure if she’d be able to walk without falling over if I wasn’t escorting her.
Yaana and I have come here to participate in a certain ceremony.
This is Yaana’s first time in the royal castle, and she was incredibly anxious on the way here about what it would be like.
As with many girls her age, she seemed to have a certain admiration for the romantic idea of a castle.
She didn’t say that in so many words, but Yaana is always easy to read, so I could tell she was excited.
But now that we’re actually here, her nerves seem to have overtaken any other emotions.
Knowing her serious personality, she’s probably putting an absurd amount of pressure on herself, thinking that she can’t do anything to embarrass herself as the saint.
“Yaana.”
At this rate, I feel as though she’s actually even more likely to embarrass herself, so I stop her before we enter the ceremonial hall.
She turns around with an almost audible creak, like a door whose hinges badly need to be oiled.
“Are you nervous?”
“Of…course…not.”
That’s not very convincing when her voice is so hesitant, and so quiet I can barely hear it.
“You are, aren’t you?”
“…Yes, I am. I’m sorry.”
She looks pained, but I think her inability to lie is one of her virtues.
Although she probably wouldn’t survive for long in high society.
“It’s perfectly normal to be nervous,” I assure her.
Yaana may be the saint, but she’s not from a noble family, so she hasn’t participated in many formal ceremonies like this one.
She might have worked on them behind the scenes while she was training as a sainthood candidate, but I’m guessing the only time she’s actually been a part of one is when she was actually appointed as the saint, so she’s still inexperienced.
“I know I mustn’t be nervous, but I can’t help it…” Her voice trembles.
“No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
She seems to feel that it’s wrong to be nervous, but I assure her that the opposite is true.
Yaana blinks at me uncertainly, as if she doesn’t understand.
“If you think you shouldn’t be nervous, you’ll just make it even worse. But it’s normal to be nervous at times like these, so you’re better off not trying to force yourself to be calm.”
“But…”
“There’s a level of nervousness that’s just right. Do you know what I mean?”
During battle and such, it’s better to be a little bit on edge than to be completely at ease.
Of course, if you’re too nervous, you won’t be able to function, like Yaana right now.
But nerves aren’t necessarily a bad thing, even if it’s hard to moderate them in the moment.
If you can keep it at the right level, it helps you focus and stay on your toes.
“I don’t mind being nervous. And there’s no need to be overly focused on not failing. If you do your best in the moment, I think good results will naturally follow. So try to let a little bit of the tension out of your shoulders, okay? It’d be a waste if you’re too nervous to be your best self.”
Yaana nods slowly, as if she’s absorbing what I said.
“You’re amazing, Sir Julius. Your words truly resonate, unlike a certain someone’s.”
I’m sure she’s referring to Hyrince.
He must have been teasing her again, as usual.
“Just remember, that certain someone will be in the hall, too.”
If she stays nervous and stiff throughout the ceremony, I’m sure Hyrince will tease her about it later. As I hint at this gently, Yaana’s eyes widen.
I can’t let that happen! is written all over her face.
Her eyes fill with newfound determination to avoid being teased.
They say that fighting proves the closeness of a friendship, but I’m not sure if that applies to Yaana and Hyrince.
It’s more like Hyrince is toying with Yaana or holding her in the palm of his hand.
At any rate, it looks like that calmed her nerves a little, so hopefully now she won’t make any major mistakes.
As long as she doesn’t get too jittery and end up going overboard instead.
“Shall we go in, then?”
“Yes!”
We walk toward the ceremonial hall with lighter steps than before.
Soon, we reach the grand doors and walk inside, where there’s already a big crowd.
The ceremony hasn’t started yet, but the room is quiet, even though there are people gathered in the center.
Yaana seems unnerved by the strange atmosphere, but I tug her arm lightly and reassure her with a smile.
We walk deeper into the hall, reaching the far end where the royal family stands.
Everyone else is already there: the true queen; my elder brother, Cylis; the king’s first and second concubines; and my younger brother Leston.
“You’re late,” Cylis informs me, looking displeased.
He never used to be like this, but lately, he always seems to be wearing an irritated scowl.
“I’m very sorry. I was so nervous over my little brother and sister having their big day that I scarcely slept last night, so I’m afraid I’m still a bit tired.”
Yaana shoots me a doubtful glance at my excuse.
Obviously, I’m not really tired. We were late only because I was calming Yaana’s nerves.
I lied because I didn’t want to tell anyone else that, but Yaana’s reaction probably made that a wasted effort.
Since my royal relatives spend their days studying their fellow courtiers for even the subtlest hints of thought or emotion, I imagine they all will have guessed from this exchange that I was covering for Yaana.
“Now, now, dear brother. It’s not as though they’ve missed the start of the ceremony, so there’s no need to glare at them so, is there?”
Leston intervenes with our elder brother on my behalf, but it only has the opposite effect.
“Worry about yourself, Leston. You ought to be calling me Elder Brother during a ceremony like this, not addressing me so casually.”
Cylis’s rage turns on Leston instead, although it’s possible that Leston did that deliberately to draw his attention away from Yaana and me.
Leston might seem easygoing, but he can actually be fairly shrewd.
“That’s quite enough.”
As the argument between my brothers threatens to escalate, a cold, brisk voice interrupts them: the true queen.
“But, Mother…”
“Look around you. Do not bring any further shame on the royal family with your unseemly behavior.”
Her biological son, Cylis, flinches at her scolding.
Realizing that the crowd is watching our interactions, he smooths over his expression.
“Please pardon my son’s lapse in manners.”
The queen apologizes to Yaana, but she doesn’t bow her head.
Nor does she deign to introduce herself.
In the Analeit Kingdom, it’s considered proper for the person of lower social status to introduce themselves first.
Yaana is the saint and comes from the Holy Kingdom of Alleius, so she doesn’t have any particular hierarchical relationship with the queen.
But she’s participating in this ceremony as my partner.
I am the hero, but in the Analeit Kingdom, I rank below the queen.
If the queen introduces herself first, then she’ll indirectly be implying to everyone around us that she is below me in social standing; if Yaana goes first, it might seem as if she’s debasing the Holy Kingdom of Alleius.
It’s difficult to say whether Yaana should introduce herself first.
“Allow me to introduce my companion. This is Lady Yaana the saint, who is here today as my partner.”
The best move is probably for me to introduce her instead.
Yaana must still be nervous; she gives a stiff curtsy without saying a word.
I’m not sure if that was her best option, but in the strange power dynamic this situation has created, it’s not the worst one, either.
“Thank you for looking after our Julius.”
The queen stares at Yaana appraisingly as she responds.
“N-not at all. If anything…Sir Julius is always…l-looking after me…”
…She’s completely tongue-tied.
I guess the nerves I tried to dispel must have come back in full force.
Still, I can’t say I blame her.
Anyone would wither under the true queen’s cold glare if they’re not accustomed to it. She’s a very intimidating person.
“The ceremony will begin shortly. I’m afraid it may be quite dull in the interim, but please wait patiently.”
The queen seems to have lost interest in Yaana, and she faces forward again.
My brothers and the concubines follow her lead, closing their mouths and standing at attention.
Yaana looks like she could burst into tears at any minute, so I whisper “it’s okay” to her and line up next to the rest of the royal family.
Although, truth be told, I’m not sure if it’s really okay or not…
I think the queen may have passed judgment on Yaana in that brief interaction and deemed her a person of no particular importance, someone she can ignore.
The fact that Yaana never got a chance to introduce herself is proof enough of that.
The true queen’s steely gaze is difficult to read, so to be honest, I rarely know what she’s thinking.
My father has two faces, that of a politician and that of a parent, but the queen only ever seems to show the former.
She’s a model politician, in a different way from the pontiff.
The pontiff is always working on several schemes behind his gentle smile, but the queen simply masks everything with a cold glare.
That’s always been my experience, at least.
So I don’t know exactly what she really thought of Yaana.
But no matter what she might think deep down, I’m sure her attitude will never change.
As long as Yaana is the saint, she should at least have a modicum of respect for that position.
I’m just not sure if the same thing applies to Yaana herself.
“His Majesty has arrived.”
After several more minutes of that same strange tension, the ceremony finally begins.
My father enters the room and stands behind a pedestal near the back.
“Prince Schlain and Princess Suresia have arrived.”
Next, the names of my youngest siblings are announced.
A door opens opposite the pedestal, and Schlain and Sue enter.
They walk slowly and deliberately along the red carpet in the center of the room.
You could even describe their strides as dignified, despite their young age.
They don’t seem nervous at all; they carry themselves with pride, as if it’s only natural that everyone in the room is looking at them, and murmurs of admiration ripple through the crowd.
Finally, Schlain and Sue reach the pedestal and kneel.
“The Appraisal ceremony will now begin,” our father announces.
Today is Schlain and Sue’s Appraisal ceremony.
I took a leave of absence from the task force to be here for it.
The rest of the unit is still working without us, which pains me a little, but Mr. Tiva kindly encouraged me to bear witness to my young siblings’ day in the spotlight.
Since we defeated the branch of the human-trafficking organization that had settled in the deserted village, the commanders have stopped complaining about my actions, in keeping with their promise to Mr. Tiva.
Thus, I’ve been able to take a more prominent role on the front lines, while Mr. Tiva gives orders from the rear.
Knowing that Tiva is supporting me from behind, I can focus on fighting without reserve.
And he’s continued to help me along the way, admonishing the commanders when necessary.
As a result, the commanders are slowly starting to acknowledge me, all thanks to Mr. Tiva’s efforts.
I can’t thank him enough for all that he’s done for me.
“Now, Schlain Zagan Analeit. You may rise.”
“Yes, sir.”
I wasn’t sure whether I should participate in this ceremony, but now I’m glad I came.
My younger brother Schlain was already mature for his age, but he’s grown even more than I expected.
I wish our mother could’ve watched him grow up as well, but I’ll just have to pay even closer attention for her sake.
But my emotional moment quickly passes.
When Schlain’s Appraisal results magically project onto the wall, the silence in the ceremonial hall shatters.
<Human Status:
LV 1 Name
Schlain Zagan Analeit
HP: 35/35 (green)
MP: 348/348 (blue)
SP: 35/35 (yellow)
: 35/35 (red)
Average Offensive Ability: 20 (details)
Average Defensive Ability: 20 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 314 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 299 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 20 (details)
Skills:
Skill Points: 100,000
Titles: None
[Magic Perception LV 8]
[Magic Operation LV 8]
[Magic Warfare LV 6]
[Magic Conferment LV 5]
[Magic Attack LV 3]
[MP Recovery Speed LV 7]
[MP Lessened Consumption LV 2]
[Swordsmanship LV 3]
[Destruction Enhancement LV 2]
[Mental Warfare LV 2]
[Energy Conferment LV 1]
[Concentration LV 5]
[Hit LV 1]
[Evasion LV 1]
[Vision Enhancement LV 4]
[Auditory Enhancement LV 7]
[Olfactory Enhancement LV 2]
[Taste Enhancement LV 1]
[Tactile Enhancement LV 1]
[Life LV 5]
[Magic Mass LV 8]
[Instantaneous LV 5]
[Persistent LV 5]
[Strength LV 5]
[Solidity LV 5]
[Technique User LV 8]
[Protection LV 7]
[Running LV 5]
[Divine Protection]
[n% I = W]
>
His stats and skills are leagues beyond any normal child participating in their first Appraisal ceremony.
That’s all well and good; Schlain has always been exceptional.
Even without my personal bias, he’s objectively a child prodigy.
I’m not too surprised by his stats.
But the Divine Protection skill…that’s far more alarming.
It’s practically a declaration that Schlain is a special person, loved and favored by the gods.
I glance sideways at the true queen.
But her expression is as rigid as ever, revealing nothing of her thoughts.
After the ceremony, we move on to the next phase: a celebratory party.
But unfortunately, my feelings are too conflicted to properly celebrate.
“Yo. Should the great hero really be hiding out in a corner over here?”
Hyrince quickly spots Yaana and me taking refuge against the wall.
“Schlain and Sue are the stars today, so I figured it’s better if we don’t stand out too much.”
“I guess.” Hyrince shrugs.
Normally, Yaana would have some choice words for Hyrince’s casual attitude, but today she’s quiet as a mouse.
Hyrince, in turn, refrains from teasing her like he usually would.
He’s capable of being considerate when it’s really important, although I wish he’d do it all the time.
“What about you, Hyrince? Shouldn’t you be congratulating Schlain and Sue, too?”
Hyrince is actually the second son of Duke Quarto, though it’s easy to forget that at times.
As a member of a high-ranking noble family that’s close to the royal family, he should really pay his respects to the stars of the day.
“Well, I figured, since I’m connected to you, I’ll have a chance to talk to them soon enough. For now, I’d rather not stand around in that line.”
Hyrince nods toward the long line in the center of the ballroom with a dry smile, where people are waiting for the chance to greet my siblings.
Only the highest-ranking nobles were allowed to attend the Appraisal ceremony, but this after-party includes a certain amount of lesser nobles as well.
Specifically, the ones who have children close in age to Schlain and Sue.
So now, the nobles are lining up in the hopes of getting their children close to the pair and potentially forming a connection to the royal family.
Although, considering the results of the Appraisal ceremony, I’m worried that there might be more to their motivations than just that.
“This is going to be a problem,” Hyrince observes.
“…Yeah.”
“What?”
Yaana looks between us in confusion.
Instead of explaining, I offer her the cake I grabbed from one of the waiters, since I’d noticed her glancing at it repeatedly.
Immediately, her eyes sparkle.
Oh, Yaana. Never change.
“So what should we do?”
“Nothing. Unfortunately, there’s not really anything we can do.”
Since I’m working with the special task force, there’s not much I can do about the internal affairs of my kingdom.
Even my influence as the hero doesn’t have much effect here.
The true queen’s influence is too strong.
She has most of the nobles under her thumb, too.
And as far as this current incident goes, I have to be even more cautious of those who aren’t affiliated with her.
“I guess we just have to hope that His Majesty and the queen will keep the idiots in check.”
“Yeah.”
Yaana still seems intrigued by our exchange, but she can’t resist taking a bite of the cake.
Though she doesn’t seem to understand, Hyrince and I are concerned that there might be movements to position Schlain as the next king.
Power struggles exist to some extent in most any nation, I think.
The Analeit Kingdom is no exception, with nobles conspiring behind the scenes day in and day out.
And in the past few years, there have been whispers of whether Prince Cylis is truly suited for the throne.
Cylis is the true queen’s only son, and while I would never say this aloud, he’s fairly ordinary.
His grades, combat skills, and everything else about him are all average.
My elder brother is making every effort to be worthy of inheriting the throne. It’s just not yielding the results he wants.
But he’s not below average in any way, either.
With the proper support, he’d make a perfectly acceptable king.
So the fact that Cylis is the only heir has never been a problem.
But frankly, my existence has complicated things.
I’m the hero—the only person in the world to receive this special title.
And I’m a prince of this kingdom, too.
However, that doesn’t mean I’m in the running to be the next king.
The hero has never been the leader of a kingdom.
In fact, considering the hero’s role, I don’t think that would be possible—because the hero has to constantly fight against demons.
The only possible exception I can think of is the sword-king of the Renxandt Empire, which is humanity’s bulwark that sits on the border we share with the demon realm.
The sword-king’s job might overlap with that of the hero enough for it to work.
But aside from that exception, though there have been heroes born to royal families in the past, they’ve never become king. And I have no intention of trying to do so, either.
But what if the hero had an exceptional younger brother?
A prince who’s related to the hero already has considerable appeal.
But if he also happens to be remarkably talented, and even boasts a skill called Divine Protection?
And currently, the true queen and her entourage stands at the heart of this kingdom.
Nobles who aren’t associated with her party would likely jump at any chance to bring down the queen’s son, my older brother, Cylis, and put someone else in power who’d be more favorable toward them.
Since I’m the hero, it’s difficult for me to stay in the kingdom.
And the third son, my younger brother Leston, has been distancing himself from the nobles to avoid that kind of power struggle, deliberately making himself into a sort of prodigal son.
So it’s only natural that the nobles would set their sights on the remaining son, Schlain.
With all these factors in place, they’re certain to make their move.
“Fortunately, the situation is relatively stable right now. Unless they’re incredibly stupid, nobody would make a move to try and depose Prince Cylis and put Prince Schlain in line for the throne right now.”
“I hope you’re right.”
It’s not just minor nobles who are resistant to the true queen’s party right now.
Some of them are important figures, who could very well cause unexpected chaos.
Even thinking about it causes a sense of unease to rise up from my feet—especially when it’s Schlain who could be at the center of it all.
“Whoa, wait a sec. Your brother’s pretty on the ball, huh? He’s already running off with a girl at his age!”
“What?”
I turn around in a hurry, just in time to see Schlain taking a girl by the hand and running out of the room.
“Who is that?”
“That’s Duke Anabald’s daughter, I think. I want to say her name is Karnatia? Your little bro’s got a good eye.”
“She certainly was cute.”
“What?! Is that the kind of girl you like, Sir Julius?!”
Holding the plate of cake in one hand, Yaana suddenly chimes in to the conversation in a high-pitched voice.
“No, of course not. I wouldn’t look at such a young girl that way.”
“R-right…”
After my speedy denial, Yaana looks somehow relieved and returns to eating her cake.
…She seems to be especially conscious of me lately.
This could be bad.
“Duke Anabald is more moderate than the true queen’s party. He doesn’t get too close to her, but he doesn’t stay too far away, either, putting him in an unusual position. So neither side can really lay a hand on him easily. Schlain’s pretty sharp—he must have invited that girl for exactly that reason.”
“I’m sure that’s just a coincidence. How would Schlain know about those kinds of relationships and power struggles at his age?”
Although in Schlain’s case, I can’t entirely rule it out.
My younger brother sometimes speaks of strange proverbs or fairy tales that even I’ve never heard of; I’ve overheard him telling Sue strange stories, like “Momotarou” and “Issun-Boushi.”
Where in the world did he get such knowledge?
At first I suspected his maid, Anna, but she doesn’t seem to be the source.
Since I still don’t know where he learned these things, I can’t rule out that he might have deliberately chosen Duke Anabald’s daughter.
Even when I asked him, he just told me that it comes from his dreams.
…Did he really dream all those things?
What if that’s actually an effect of his mysterious Divine Protection skill?
If that skill could cause divine revelations of a sort, it would explain a lot.
But whether he approached Anabald’s daughter by coincidence or divine intervention, I guess it wouldn’t change the situation at hand.
“Either way, Schlain’s too young for all that.”
“That’s how royal engagements tend to go, though.”
“Engagements?!”
A few heads turn toward us at Yaana’s loud screech.
She gasps and covers her mouth, but it’s too late.
Yaana looks to me for help, but all I can do is smile weakly.
Even Hyrince is wincing, and for once, it doesn’t seem to be an act.
“…Well, now what? Rumors tend to get blown out of proportion fast. I bet everyone will be saying that Prince Schlain and Lady Karnatia are engaged by tomorrow.”
“I don’t think there’s much we can do, especially when they were holding hands like close friends. It’s probably too late.”
“Huh? What?! Did I do something wrong?!”
“It’s fine.”
I hand Yaana a second plate of cake to calm her down.
Her gaze goes back and forth between my face and the cake but finally settles on the latter.
The moment Schlain and Miss Karnatia did such a conspicuous thing, it was probably inevitable that they’d be the subject of rumors.
Admittedly, Yaana probably added fuel to the fire by shouting about an engagement, but I don’t think what she did was all that bad.
Besides, like Hyrince said, it’s not necessarily bad for Schlain to be linked to Duke Anabald’s family.
If anything, an engagement to Karnatia would probably be a good thing for him—if you didn’t take his feelings into account or one other major problem.
If Schlain really did fall for Karnatia at first sight or something like that, then I’d be happy to cheer them on.
But there’s one other serious issue.
“Uh-oh. Suresia is ignoring His Majesty’s orders and chasing after them.”
“Yeah, looks that way.”
I chuckle dryly as I gaze at the biggest obstacle to Schlain’s potential engagement: his half sister, Sue, flying into a rage as I expected.
“Uh, I just heard a pretty serious crash. Think they’re okay?”
“…Maybe not.”
A loud noise echoes through the room, audible even over the considerable chatter.
I’m sure everyone can hear it.
The knights in charge of guarding the hall hurriedly jump into action, and it looks like they might even start evacuating people.
Since I have an inkling of what might be going on, I can’t help but groan.
“Sorry, Hyrince, but do you mind telling the guards there’s no need to cause a commotion?”
“Got it.”
At times like this, it’s great to have a friend who’ll do what you ask without any further explanation.
Yaana is flailing nervously, holding her second empty plate.
“I’m sorry, Yaana. Can you wait here quietly for a minute?”
Considering the disaster I might need to rein in, it’d be difficult to look after her on top of everything else.
I feel bad leaving her here alone, but she’ll have to manage.
With that, I half walk, half sprint toward the source of the sound.
Then there’s a second crash.
Cold sweat runs down my back as I quicken my pace.
When I arrive at the small room, I see pretty much exactly what I feared: a broken door, a pale Miss Karnatia, and Sue clinging tightly to Schlain.
Schlain’s one massive problem is that his half sister, Sue, is completely in love with him.
Half siblings or not, it’s bad enough for a blood relative to have romantic feelings for him, but the intensity of Sue’s attachment makes it far worse.
According to Schlain, girls who express their love like Sue does are called yandere, whatever that means.
If Schlain gets engaged, Sue is liable to seriously hurt the girl in question.
Fortunately, it doesn’t look like she’s done anything to Karnatia this time, but she’s definitely shooting her a murderous glare.
“Are you hurt?”
“I-I’m fine.”
First, I make sure that Karnatia is safe.
“Sue, you know you shouldn’t do things like that.”
“It’s that harlot’s fault for trying to seduce my brother!”
“Oh, Sue…”
I try to scold her, but she doesn’t seem remotely sorry.
“At any rate, you’ve got to let go of Schlain. Can’t you see he’s having trouble breathing?”
As Sue wraps her arms around him tightly, a faint groan escapes Schlain’s lips.
“My dear brother can surely handle my love.”
“I’m not so sure about that, so please let him go.”
Sue refuses to listen, so I forcibly peel her away from Schlain.
“Thank you.” He coughs.
“Schlain, you should also be careful about indulging Sue too much, okay? If you want her to stop, say so.”
“My dear brother would never reject me.”
“Oof…you’re right. I’ll deal with it.”
Schlain winces, while Sue seems to be bragging for some reason.
I heave a sigh at the whole situation.
Meanwhile, Karnatia looks on, dumbfounded, throughout the whole exchange.
I can’t say I blame her.
It’s extra clear now that Schlain’s going to have some serious struggles with women from here on out.
Just as I’m about to let the knights know things have calmed down, the king and queen appear outside the room.
My father looks worried, while the true queen is expressionless as always.
What is she thinking as she looks at Schlain?
Romance isn’t the only thing that Schlain might have some problems with; there are a lot of difficulties likely waiting for him down the road.
I walk toward the king and queen.
“Everything’s fine now.”
“Oh? I’m glad to hear it.”
My father presses a hand to his chest in relief.
“Could you look after Schlain, please?”
“Of course.”
When I make a request to my father with deeper meaning behind the words, he agrees right away.
The queen, however, says nothing.
As his older brother, I’ll have to do whatever I can to ensure that he has a happy future.
“…What did you just say?”
The day after Schlain and Sue’s Appraisal ceremony, I receive some seemingly impossible news.
“Sir Tiva has fallen in battle.”
The day after celebrating my younger siblings’ triumph, I lose someone incredibly dear to me.
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