Chapter 14: The Sword King’s Fury

Right now, I was in the office prepared exclusively for the Sword King—though it was rarely ever used—resting both elbows on the desk, hands clasped in front of my mouth as I listened to a certain report from Minister Depron.

Standing nearby was Hikari, now a week into wearing her maid uniform and already carrying herself with a surprising air of authority. But… was “presence” really something a maid needed?

That trivial thought was immediately blown away by the shock of what I was hearing.

“So, what did you just say????”

“S-so… we have received word from the Spear King’s side that they intend to wager our nation’s Saintess in the next ‘King’s Battle.’”

“Yeah, no matter how many times I hear it, that declaration makes zero sense. First of all, is something like that even allowed under the rules?”

“It is… not impossible. There are records of past ‘King’s Battles’ where individuals were wagered. Every nation desires talented people, after all.”

I knew that much already. In a ‘King’s Battle,’ each country is free to decide what they stake. In return, the opposing side presents something of equivalent “value,” so it’s not without merit.

Still… wanting a Saintess? What exactly did that mean? Was it a show of intent—to keep me, the Sword King, in check now that I had appeared?

More than anything, I didn’t remember anything like this happening. Amazing, my memory—completely useless. With this many irregularities piling up, it was barely good for reference anymore. Even as a reference, over ten years of living in this world had dulled it so much that it often wasn’t helpful. Honestly, it was faster to just ask someone than struggle to remember.

“For now, can we refuse this?”

“Well… Lady Alicia herself seems willing to accept. Additionally, it appears that the one participating in this ‘King’s Battle’ will not be the current king, but a candidate for the next successor.”

“If I fought the current Spear King, I’d lose without question… but against a successor candidate, there’s at least a chance. Is that what she’s thinking?”

If I remembered correctly, the selection of the Spear King wasn’t like the Sword King’s luck-based system. According to Alicia, it was purely merit-based. Children were gathered from a young age, trained as disciples, and the strongest among them would become the next king.

In a way, it was logical.

But from what I’d heard, they gathered those children rather forcefully. Personally, I couldn’t bring myself to approve of that system.

Maybe that was just backlash from how my own life had completely changed after pulling the Holy Sword. I didn’t know.

“What are they offering as their stake?”

“A vast territory containing mining grounds rich in high-purity magic stones. Quite a large area, at that. If we were to win it, research would advance significantly—our head of the Magic Research Lab was beside himself with joy.”

“Faithful to their desires… though I guess I should be grateful those desires end up benefiting commoners like me. What do you think of this proposal, Minister?”

“It is exceptionally generous.”

Minister Depron met my gaze head-on as he said that, even though I was clearly on edge. There was no hesitation—just the calm presence of a politician thinking purely in terms of national interest. It cooled my overheated head, if only a little.

“If we win, there’s no need to elaborate. The land in question would not only stabilize the lives of our people but also become essential for further development. Even if we lose… though it may sound crude, it would only cost us a single ‘Saintess.’ Under the pretense of temporarily lending her for succession purposes, we could buy time until a replacement is chosen.”

Unlike the ‘Sword King,’ the ‘Saintess’ is chosen by her predecessor. In fact, there were already several candidates. Though few in number, losing Alicia wouldn’t be immediately catastrophic.

“But that’s a different matter entirely. Sorry, but I can’t approve of this. I know it’s presumptuous of me to say…”

“No, I agree. While the terms are generous, whether we accept them is a separate issue. Not emotionally—but in terms of practicality.”

“Practicality… meaning long-term consequences?”

“Yes, precisely.”

If you thought about it, the answer was obvious. In the short term, land might seem more valuable than a single individual.

But people aren’t creatures that run purely on logic. They have emotions—and those emotions wouldn’t accept it. I couldn’t accept it either.

If we went through with this, there would undoubtedly be backlash. I’d only been the Sword King for a week, but I’d already seen glimpses of that. And yet, it didn’t seem like those people would act for the sake of national interest.

Still, if we treated human lives so lightly, others would start thinking, “Will I be next?” And that would plant seeds of unrest within the country at a crucial time.

“So we shouldn’t accept this deal.”

“Correct. And I must say, Your Majesty—you’re beginning to carry yourself like a king. Even your speech has improved.”

Says the man who forced me to fix my speech in the first place… Seriously, Minister Depron was something else. Whether you called it skill or manipulation, he was excellent at getting people on board. The more I interacted with him, the more I understood why this country had endured.

“Now then, Your Majesty. You’ll be heading to the ‘Forest of Magic Mist’ starting tomorrow. Are you prepared?”

“You mean physically? Or mentally? If it’s the latter, then unfortunately, I already took everything I had, made sure nothing was left behind, and never came back.”

“That phrasing is terrible. I keep telling you to stop using it—when are you going to fix that???”

With business concluded, Hikari immediately chimed in from beside me. Though honestly, she didn’t have to be that harsh. I do get hurt sometimes.

Still… this kind of distance between us was probably just right.

“For now, I’ll consider the conditions for the ‘King’s Battle’ ahead of the meeting with the Yaranri Kingdom in about a month. In the meantime, Your Majesty—”

“Yeah, I’ll be entering the ‘Forest of Magic Mist.’ I’ve spent this past week focusing solely on building stamina, using magic tools and everything.”

Clarisse Burn—she was the real deal. A genuine genius. There were a lot of things I lacked, but above all, my physical endurance was severely lacking. Working at a tavern or hauling water from a well didn’t even come close to what knights could handle.

At first, well… there was the bait of a super cute girl’s lap pillow. And as a man, biting that bait was only natural.

Anyway, back to the point—she started by restricting my breathing to improve my cardiopulmonary function. She gave me a mask that adjusted air density, keeping me constantly on the brink of losing consciousness.

Apparently, by getting my body used to such conditions in advance, it could be reproduced even within the dreams of the ‘Forest of Magic Mist.’

On top of that, I’d gone through muscle training and combat drills to the point of exhaustion. Yeah… I wanted to run away. I actually tried to run away—but that would’ve left Hikari behind.

If she’d been assigned as a maid just to trap me like this, then I had to admit—Clarisse really knew how to manipulate people. Of course, I meant that in the worst way possible.

“Dreams reflecting reality, huh… That sounds incredibly effective. Why doesn’t everyone use it?”

“I’ve heard that dreams within the ‘Forest of Magic Mist’ are nearly indistinguishable from reality. If dying in a dream means dying in real life, then it’s only natural people would avoid such high risks.”

The greatest advantage of the ‘Forest of Magic Mist’ was its ability to “stretch time.” In other words, it was like a mental training chamber. It was effective when time was limited—but if used for too long, there was no telling what might happen.

Apparently, Clarisse had also prepared a way to partially control dreams—but even that wasn’t perfect. It just went to show how complex the human mind really was.

“So basically, it’s dangerous. If you’ve got the time, it’s better to just train normally. If you keep rushing and reaching for the sky, you’ll eventually slip and fall when you least expect it.”

“Ahh… so it reduces the chances of trouble happening. Yeah, that makes sense.”

It was better to manage risk through ordinary training than to end up with casualties. The ‘Forest of Magic Mist’ really was a place meant only for when time was truly running out.

“Also, I’ll say this now—I’m coming with you. I’ll train with you too.”

“No.”

I answered reflexively, before even fully processing what Hikari had said. I tried to think it through again, but my answer didn’t change.

“No. I get that you’re worried, but stay here. I don’t want even the slightest chance of something happening to you.”

“Nope. I don’t like seeing you make that serious face any longer, especially when you’re really just a joke-bound childhood friend who doesn’t even suit it.”

“How could you say that??? I think it suits me perfectly!!!”

“Anyone who suits a serious expression doesn’t sprint themselves to the brink of passing out just for a lap pillow from their childhood friend.”

“I mean, whether you’re cool, hot-blooded, or a clown, I think any guy would go that far for a cute girl’s lap pillow.”

Men are creatures driven by desire. If someone claims otherwise, they’re just hiding it. Honestly, isn’t it better to be straightforward about it?

If you keep it out in the open instead of hiding it, the other person probably won’t feel as guarded. Probably.

“You know, lately people have been calling you ‘the king who appears whenever there’s a man and a woman together’ in the royal castle. They even say that if you have business with him, just chat happily with someone of the opposite sex and he’ll show up eventually.”

“Who started that rumor???”

S-so that’s why…!! That’s why my supply of pairing content has increased so much lately!!! I mean, I’m grateful since it’s sharpened my mind like never before, but still!!!

The awkward dynamic between the Knight Commander and his adjutant is precious, and so is the easygoing, mutually understanding relationship between Clarisse and Erius—something that only comes from growing up together.

Lately, even the butlers and maids have been giving off that kind of vibe here and there, and I can’t help being drawn in. I mean, workplace romance is great, right? As a pairing enthusiast, the phase before a couple gets together is just as important. The journey itself shines, and reaching the result only makes it shine even brighter.

I get why some people say romance stories are most interesting before the couple gets together. Focusing on the process allows for more dramatic storytelling.

Ah—but personally, I want to see what happens after they get together too. Watching them finally do things they couldn’t before as a couple—that’s just pure joy.

The process matters, sure, but the result matters too. And becoming a couple isn’t the end—it’s the starting line for everything that comes after.

Even after reaching the goal, there’s still a path ahead. It’s kind of like life itself…

“By the way, those maids and butlers here? Apparently, they already have lovers outside. They said acting was enough to lure you out.”

“So I’m just the kind of guy who gets baited by mass-produced fakes…!?”

M-my head’s about to explode…!! I—I’ve grown weak!!! I can’t forgive myself for falling into such a trap, and I’m furious at my own inability to see through it.

I couldn’t see through them at all!!! For someone who prides himself on being a pairing enthusiast, this is the ultimate humiliation. I—I…!!!

“I have no choice but to retrain. To remain myself. Even if it means killing off this pathetic version of me. And I’ll forget all about that rude successor from the Spear King’s side for now!!!!”

“Yeah, that’s the angriest you’ve been all day. That face suits you way better.”

Just wait, ‘Forest of Magic Mist.’ I’m going there—and I’ll get myself back…!!