episode_0275

Northern Knife Franz’s Magic Tower, Tower Master’s Room.

“So, that kid actually became king, huh?”

“Not yet crowned, sir. She’s only been selected as heir and is currently assisting and learning from His Majesty, the current king.”

“It’s all the same in the end, haha! Sooner or later, she’ll be queen.”

Leonardo Price, the current Tower Master, looked out the window and laughed proudly, as if his daughter had accomplished this great feat.

“Then I’ll be Tower Master as well. Sooner or later, I’ll become one.”

“My, your eloquence has improved! Alright… Lulu, you be the Tower Master! All the piled-up work I have—”

“Is long finished. The magic stone mining rights update, the transportation route overhaul, and even the complex spell reconstruction you ran away from the other day, claiming it was troublesome.”

“…Anyway. Why are these young ones so hasty these days.”

It’s true. Leonardo found it difficult to keep up with the rapidly changing times. He poured years into magic research, so the little girl he saw in the morning was already a grown woman by evening.

Amidst that flow of time, Leonardo had a memory that hadn’t faded. It was his life with his eternal teacher, Leah Flora.

‘That Leah Flora’s daughter… is now to become queen.’

These youngsters are truly too hasty. Wasn’t succession to the throne a feat that even Leah Flora, once called the Great Archmage, couldn’t achieve?

A student surpassing their master. Leah Flora’s daughter could even be said to have surpassed her mother. Leonardo Price thought so.

And because of that, his heart swelled with an overwhelming excitement he couldn’t contain. Considering his bond with Leah Flora, he could consider her daughter like his own.

“Really… why are you goofing off so much lately…”

“Consider it expensive experience, yeah. I’m doing this all for you, you know? Still don’t understand my heart?”

“I want to live my whole life without understanding it.”

Lulu retorted as coldly as possible. If she even slightly adjusted her tone, she would be completely swept away by his pace. It’s best to never agree with anything he says.

However, sincerity sometimes mixes with jokes. In Lulu’s case, it was the matter of the Tower Master successor.

Since coming to the Tower, she had barely done the magic research she had dreamed of… but she’s also enjoying her current life. If offered the position of Tower Master, she would gladly accept.

The problem, however, is that the person making the offer is Tower Master Leonardo Price. The reason for her selection as successor seemed to lie somewhere other than her creativity or spell-casting ability.

Lulu’s hunch was largely correct. There were various reasons why Leonardo wanted to hand over the Tower Master’s position to her, but ultimately, his decision was largely influenced by her relationship with Princess Narita.

Something Leah Flora should have passed down to her daughter. In fact, this tower is included in that. Magical knowledge, ideas and thoughts, and countless research materials.

If Princess Narita ever needs them, Lulu is the intended conduit. Not handing them over directly is to ensure a minimum level of autonomy.

“The time… will come soon.”

Princess Narita would soon face a trial, and at that time, she would use these research materials to progress into a new realm.

The otherworldly realm that Leah Flora reached. Her research materials would be meaningless to ordinary people, but the moment Princess Narita sees them, she will awaken to the truth contained within.

Seeing Leonardo’s serious expression, Lulu shook her head as if disgusted.

“I understand, so please go down. It’s lunchtime.”

“…It feels like I’m in a nursing home. Won’t you stop?”

* * *

The king’s work was less spectacular than expected.

Rather, it was boring. The work was largely sedentary, and instead of proactively directing events, it mostly involved listening to others’ opinions and making judgments.

“With the large-scale war preparations, various supplies are running short. Food and lumber, of course, but the consumption of magic stones is exceeding expectations. Most of all, we lack manpower.”

“Hmm, should we… lower the tax rate and open the national treasury?”

“Why are you looking at me? You are the King’s proxy now, Narita. Didn’t I already say I won’t offer any help?”

“But… I don’t know what to do in this situation.”

If I were lacking something, I would immediately work for it and earn money to obtain it. But on a national scale, solutions weren’t readily apparent. If you tell people to eat cake when they have no bread, they will get beheaded.

“You don’t need to know. It’s natural to not know at first. That’s why there are ministers. You listen to their advice and make appropriate judgments.”

“I, I see. What do you all think we should do?”

“Rashly cutting taxes will create many variables. Therefore, limit the cuts to import tariffs.”

“Additionally, granting exemptions through military service will alleviate manpower shortages.”

As expected. Each of these people had worked for the kingdom. They are smarter and more experienced than me. When gathered together, they become a database surpassing Nix’s on matters of national affairs.

“Good. Let’s do that. Oh, what about putting out a mercenary request to adventurer guilds across the country?”

“In times of war or similar situations, mercenaries are usually recruited in addition to conscripts. Adventurers are a great help.”

“Ah… I see. It would be strange not to use such cheap manpower.”

Many ministers chuckled. Nice shot. I clenched my fist under the table.

In the morning, they process requests from across the kingdom, and in the afternoon, they issue royal decrees. Naturally, they arrange to come themselves; this is good.

This exchange of needs happens twice a day. Sometimes there are meetings, and when something special happens, the king will make a personal appearance.

The rest of the time, not spent on official duties is personal time. Saying it like that makes me feel a bit of PTSD. Free time would be a better term.

My father, the current king, used this spare time to practice magic and swordsmanship. He’s diligent. If I had free time, I would immediately go to my bedroom…

“Uuhp—”

“—!”

“Hmm? Your Majesty, I heard a strange sound from somewhere…”

“I didn’t hear anything. Perhaps you misheard?”

Phew, ten years of experience. I carefully pulled Yuri’s head under the table, out of sight of the other ministers.

Even during work hours, Yuri nodded without hesitation when I requested it. She had already hidden herself under the table waiting, then slipped into the folds of my dress’s skirt.

-Yuri, you almost got caught! -I’m sorry, Your Highness… but it’s Your Highness’s cock that suddenly got bigger. -Yeah, I’ll be careful…

Feeling the soft touch of her tongue, I continued to learn my duties as queen.

It wasn’t that difficult. I didn’t need to use my body or my head; I simply manipulated my ministers as I pleased. The glory and responsibility of being a queen lay in the consequences of those actions.

. . .

My recent dedication to acting as regent had another reason.

『Confirming progress conditions.』 -[Reacquisition of the right to succession] -[Proof] -[???]

The final condition not yet unlocked in this scenario. Judging from past experience, that question mark indicates a high probability of an ‘intrusion scenario.’

Intrusion scenarios are usually caused by entities intruding on the player’s existing scenario, the protagonist’s arch-enemy, Moriarty. As always.

So, what would it be? The main theme of Chapter 6 is “The King’s Qualification.” Like the other conditions, it would probably be the hardships and adversity she must overcome to become queen.

Therefore, I put my best effort into my role as regent. I thought that by gaining practical experience in royal administration, which was sorely lacking compared to other aspects, the problem would naturally resolve itself.

But the answer came from a different place.

“Who… said they were looking for me?”

“Eve Yang. Eve Istar.”

It took me a while to understand the name that came from Yuri’s mouth.

Who? Eve? That person, now, why?

A face I had almost forgotten from lack of contact reappeared in my mind’s eye. Friend, old colleague, a past crush, a memory I wanted to forget, a person I still didn’t understand.

Countless thoughts arose in a chain reaction, creating confusion in my mind.

“…Your Highness?”

“Sorry, Yuri. I’ll be back.”

“I’ll leave the afternoon schedule open. Go and don’t worry.”

Even as I heard Yuri’s words, put on the thick coat and cloak she prepared, and left the room with her seeing me off.

I couldn’t look at Yuri.

『The scenario is being updated.』 『Warning! An intrusion scenario has occurred.』 『The clear condition of [Intrusion Scenario: Confession] is unlocked.』 -[Reunion with Eve Istar] -[Date with Eve Istar] -[Eve Istar’s confession]