episode_0299

Lately, a change has come over me.

The moment I believed Mother had completely left this world, the power to summon my status window vanished.

No more notifications. All my items have moved to my subspace warehouse. The scenario isn’t restarting either.

It seems I’ve completely broken free from the remaining game system.

I’m reminded of the moment I first awakened my status window. Meeting Yuri, bursting from my room, and running blindly to the library that day. By layering over my past life’s memories, I became a ‘Gamer’ again.

An unquenchable thirst for collection. It felt like that’s all I lived for. Cultivating swords and magic, defeating corrupt nobles, even making friends at the academy. The feeling of collecting each scenario in Acasto was a huge motivator for me.

Now, Acasto is over. What lies before me is the beautiful world Acasto left behind. From now on, I must become a hero of this world all on my own, without Mother’s help.

However, just because she’s gone doesn’t mean she’s completely disappeared. Surely, even if her soul completely scattered, she could somehow retain her consciousness somewhere.

She might be watching me right now. If that were the case… she would probably have titled last night’s deed with Nix as a scenario called…

“Really… it was overprotective, wasn’t it?”

A mother who watches her daughter’s every move even after her coming-of-age ceremony and into her twenties… isn’t that a little creepy?

Well, it wasn’t a big deal. What I need to focus on now is how to defeat the Imperial army in the continental war, and how to save Eve.

This kind of war between nations was an event that didn’t exist even in Acasto. To be precise, it did exist. However, the player was a mercenary, not a commander; they just fought according to orders.

Even I’m tense at this first moment. If I get too tense like I did then, I might lose to Eve again. I rack my brains, trying to find a way to win, but I’m just at a loss.

When my brain won’t work, I need to gently knead something cute. I signaled outside my office.

Knock knock-

Soon, Yuri, neatly dressed in a maid uniform, entered. Her clean and demure attire exuded elegance.

“You called, Your Highness?”

“Yes. Come here.”

With a light gesture, Yuri scurried over. The moment the office door closed, she was no longer a maid. She was my first friend, a sister in blood, and a lovely woman.

I sat Yuri on my lap and gently stroked her hair. As I gently squeezed her soft cheeks, my worries seemed to melt away.

Our lips drew closer. Unable to restrain myself, I kissed her once. I held her reddening cheeks and kissed her twice.

The mood ripened.

Thump- Creak-

The sound of the door opening almost made me angry. I looked at the culprit, and Lulu stood awkwardly in the doorway.

“I… I wasn’t trying to peep… I’m sorry…”

“No. What’s wrong?”

“I had something to tell you about the Court Mage Corps’ expedition… next—”

“Hold it right there. Come here too.”

I called Lulu over and seated her on my empty right knee. It felt like I had two cute dolls in my arms. Once again, I stroked their hair, touched their cheeks, and kissed them alternately.

Bang-!

This time, someone burst through the door. Tier, looking furious.

“…What are you doing?”

“Can’t you see? We’re making love.”

“Don’t you see how busy things are outside? Everyone’s heads are about to explode with war preparations…!!”

“Want to join us?”

Tier stood there, dumbfounded, staring at me. Eventually, she came and sat down in front of me. Leaning her body slowly, she offered her lips.

Before I could kiss Tier, Nix appeared from outside the window.

“You’re having all the fun without me again!”

“No. Come here too, Nix.”

“Yes! Hee hee—”

I was suffocating under the weight of them all. I thought I might die of happy death. My consciousness became hazy, my senses heightened, and I sensed someone outside the door.

Aspi, in full armor, was twisting her body.

In the end, I enjoyed a relaxing rest cradled in the arms of five women. I hadn’t intended to do this from the start. I really meant to work. But… sometimes, the flow of the universe works in mysterious ways.

Despite it being the middle of winter, the office was filled with stifling heat.

…

…

…

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

Hurriedly arriving at the meeting room, I wiped the remnants of love from my lips and sat down. Everyone greeted me, their gazes fixed on me.

All the key figures of Naifrantz were gathered here. My father, the current king; Evan, the second prince and commander-in-chief of the Royal Army; Aspi, the Knight Commander; and Johannes, the head of the Court Mage Corps.

Many were also gathered from outside. Lulu, the next Master of the Magic Tower; Tier, the saintess from the Holy Saithood who provided military support; and the guild master of the Naifrantz Adventurers’ Guild who gathered mercenaries. Even nobles who wished to support the war, including the Marquis of Flanders.

With this many people, it could be called a dream team. For some reason, I don’t feel like we’re going to lose.

“We’ve already reported on the intelligence gathered regarding the Empire’s military strength. I’ve added a few lines of my own observations.”

“We’ve conducted training based on that information. However… Your Highness did mention that it’s not the whole picture, right?”

“Yes. Black magic, curses and potent poisons, soldier-transformed beasts… all the information I provided before, that’s all Moriarty’s handiwork. The Empire’s also very advanced in magitech.”

Surely, no one here wouldn’t know. No matter how far apart the kingdom and empire were, people with positions like those gathered here would naturally hear news from other countries.

If I think back to my visit as an adventurer, even the cultural level of the people I saw on the streets was a little different. The well-dressed gentlemen often seen in the city, mechanized carriages, and most surprisingly, airships.

“Even though the battleground is inland, we can’t just assume the Imperial army only has cavalry and infantry. We need to consider the possibility of warships or airships appearing.”

“Ordinary Royal Army soldiers won’t stand a chance. Ships that fly in the sky…”

“There’s no need to worry. If the Empire has gained the power to fly in the sky, we have the power to bring them down from the sky.”

Everyone’s eyes followed mine to the head of the Court Mage Corps and Lulu. I gave a light wink and Lulu’s face flushed.

“Well, if it’s just suppressive fire, all the magical soldiers should be able to do it. The average range of magic is slightly less than the Imperial bombardment range.”

“Direct engagement is also possible for our Knights. We can defeat enemies in the sky.”

Aspi declared confidently. I gave a light smile, and her face turned red.

I brought everyone’s attention back.

“Our military strength is definitely comparable. Thanks to the peaceful past, we’ve accumulated a lot of power and capital. We’re not afraid of a prolonged war.”

“The problem is…”

“Yes. There are monsters beyond human comprehension. Ability users who transcend physical limits, and defectors who wear the guise of humans but have discarded human hearts.”

Moriarty. From each high-ranking officer, the , to Darius, the Duke who leads them all. And… Eve, who is still searching only for Adam.

Pfft-

Amidst the serious atmosphere, someone chuckled. It was my father, sitting relatively far back.

“…Your Majesty?”

“You speak as though you aren’t a monster. In my opinion, even all those monsters combined are less terrifying than you.”

“Your Majesty…”

For a moment, my old habit nearly slipped, and I almost called him ‘Dad.’ I held it back, just in time.

Regardless of what I was thinking, those around me were completely charmed by his lighthearted joke. They had each encountered me before. They had seen my power, and those who remembered Lea Flora even more so.

“I have no confidence, I fear losing.”

“With Your Highness by our side, we can vanquish even the gods themselves.”

“It’s an honor to be able to participate in the birth of a new hero.”

Suddenly, everyone started praising me. That’s not something Nix would say. Do they think I like this kind of thing?

Nevertheless, even though it’s unexpected, my face got slightly hot.

“Ah, anyway, Nix has compiled the estimated figures for enemy weapons. We will distribute them shortly. Let’s end here for today…!”

At times like these, theoretical discussions are meaningless. I felt that it would be better to manage the field a little more directly.

After the meeting dispersed, I and the others headed towards the training ground.

It’s better than endless talking. I decided to conduct the final intensive training by personally facing each one.

“I’ll go first…”

Aspi was the first to step forward.