Chapter 59: The King in Bed

"...Hey, I’m kind of getting bored of just lying in bed. Can I at least do some light practice swings?"

"Stay in bed. If you won’t stay there willingly, I’ll make you stay by force."

"Understood. I’m sorry."

The moment the “King’s War” ended and I handed Julia over to Leila, I blacked out. When I came to, I had become a permanent resident of a bed. Even though two days have passed since then, I still haven’t been granted permission to move. Alicia is in an unusually furious, full-on tantrum mode, and honestly… she’s terrifying. But it’s kind of amazing how she can be scary and cute at the same time.

"You lost that much blood, and all they did was emergency treatment for the bleeding and internal injuries… and you still went out and fought like that. Do you even realize how worried we were?"

"Yes, I’m sorry. It was my fault. I regret it."

"Really? Do you really regret it? Can you promise you’ll never do it again?"

"……………No can do."

"Waaaaah!! Toma is an idiot!"

She starts slamming a pillow into me over and over. I wish she’d stop. She’s too cute like that, so I can’t help but laugh—and when she sees that, she gets even more heated. "What are you laughing at!!" she yells, escalating even further.

Still, I’ve never really spent time like this before—doing absolutely nothing—so I genuinely don’t know what I’m supposed to do. The only thing I can manage right now is watching the birds’ nest outside the window. A bird couple is working hard to raise their chicks, and I find myself quietly writing observation notes while feeling oddly warm inside. That alone is enough to kill infinite time.

"Hey, did you know? People call a loving married couple ‘lovebirds,’ but those birds aren’t actually that affectionate."

"Hey, Hikari-san. Why would you say that right now?"

While I’m lost in my hobby, Hikari—who’s been silently peeling an apple while watching me and Alicia—drops that bombshell. I didn’t want to know that. I quietly shed tears in bed. “Lovebirds” is supposed to mean the perfect couple… I wish I’d never learned the truth.

"Shut up. You can’t even go back to the capital until your injuries are mostly healed. Seriously, at least try to reflect a little."

"I know… Next time I’ll do it better."

"That’s exactly your problem."

Even so, this is just the kind of person I am. I can’t change that easily. It’s easy to say “I won’t do it again,” but I don’t want to lie to them if I can help it. So this is all I can say.

“Well, it’s not like this time is completely wasted. There’s a lot to think about. The mysterious beasts that appeared around the forest where the King’s War was held…”

“They apparently vanished the moment the King’s War ended. No doubt they weren’t normal creatures.”

“Thankfully, there were no casualties. No one was caught up in it either, and the injured are all within a treatable range.”

“I know what happens when things like this are left alone. That’s going to come back and bite us… Even if there’s not much I can do right now.”

If we examine the remains, we might learn something. But their appearance coinciding almost exactly with the emergence of the “Spear King” is suspicious—too suspicious to call a coincidence.

This time, it was fine because trained knights could handle it. But that level of safety won’t last forever. There’s no guarantee these things won’t appear again. The more I think about it, the more my head hurts.

At some point, I may need to visit the Marajik Empire, said to contain the accumulated history of the world. I absolutely hate writing formal letters… but it has to be done.

"Alright, enough. Stop thinking about work. Richard already went back to the capital to report and discuss countermeasures. You just wait for the after-report."

"This is recovery time, Toma-kun."

"Y-yes… understood."

Being pressured by both of them, I have no choice but to comply. Even when they’re angry, both of them are still undeniably beautiful girls… and that only makes their presence more overwhelming.

With no other options, I give up and lie back down again.

The bed in my private room in the royal castle isn’t exactly the same, but it’s soft enough that my body sinks into it. Hikari hands me a peeled apple, and I open my mouth to eat it. Ah… this is the height of luxury.

"Hey… so, uh… what happened with those two in the end?"

“…? Who are you referring to?”

“You’re not being clear enough. Probably Shion and Ciel.”

“Yeah. I mean… it felt like they reconciled, but it was all under extreme circumstances. Maybe things got awkward afterward… I was too scared to ask earlier.”

I don’t know what became of Shion and Ciel. It probably didn’t end badly, but continuing their relationship as it was might be difficult.

They chose to step toward each other. I want them to keep walking forward together—but that’s just my wish. Only they can decide what comes next.

Still… worrying is probably allowed.

“You don’t need to worry. It’s not exactly the same as before, but…”

“Both of them are finally saying things they couldn’t say before. Ciel taking care of Shion… and Ciel being alone doing it… that’s part of it.”

“I see… I see… that’s… good…”

Strength drains out of me. The feeling that the future I wanted has actually been achieved finally settles in.

It was hard. Painful. But I’m glad I did it.

The “Spear King” probably never understood that feeling. A man consumed by love, exhausted by it… what was he thinking in the end? I’ll never know now.

My thoughts keep multiplying. One problem solved doesn’t mean the rest disappear—

Then, a knock sounds at the door.

“Come in.”

“…………………………Excuse me.”

After a long pause, the visitor finally enters.

It’s Julia—the one who had been possessed by the “Spear King” just days ago—and behind her stand twin sisters.

Leila looks at Julia with concern, while Layla’s sleepy eyes remain half-lidded as always. Even among twins, their personalities are clearly different.

Julia’s aura is softer than when I first met her. Her glossy brown hair still contains faint traces of dulled gold from the Spear King’s influence, but only in small streaks. It seems she’s finally free of him.

“Ah… you look okay. That’s good.”

“…Yes. Thanks to you all.”

For some reason, Julia keeps looking away. Even slower than Layla, who is famously laid-back. It’s honestly surprising—she used to speak so confidently.

“Ahem! I… I’ll say it properly. I’m grateful. If you hadn’t helped me, I would’ve stayed possessed or died. Thanks to you getting rid of that scum, I won’t have to worry about being taken over anymore.”

“I’m sure everyone back home feels the same. We sent a letter and got nothing but relief in return.”

“…No popularity.”

Just how hated was the Spear King?

“By the way… the Spear King is gone, right?”

“Yeah. Definitely. With that feeling and disappearance… I’m sure he’s been sent to the afterlife.”

“So what happens to the next king of Yaranri Kingdom?”

“…Ah.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!!

We were so focused on everything else that we completely forgot. If a country loses its ruler… that’s a huge problem. Isn’t this an international incident?!

“No problem. I’ll become the next Spear King.”

As she speaks, a spear appears in her hand.

The same phenomenon she used during the battle. It’s probably her magic—creating an illusion through fire magic control, making the weapon appear and disappear at will. If you didn’t know, you’d be impaled before you even realized it.

It’s so shocking I almost dissociate.

“Originally, only the wielder of the Royal Spear can be king here. After the Spear King’s possession, I’m the only one who can properly use it now. For others, it’s just an impossibly heavy spear.”

“…Even I can hold it, but swinging it is impossible.”

“Wha—… even Layla can’t manage it?”

“……That wording is very disrespectful. I demand an apology.”

Just how heavy is that thing…?

“It’s only like that for others. In my hands, it’s normal weight, and it boosts magic. The authority just stayed with me after being temporarily transferred.”

“So Julia ended up meeting the conditions to become the Spear King. With Shion Ace gone, she was the most suitable candidate anyway.”

“I don’t think anyone would accept that so easily. Choosing a king based on a weapon is insane.”

“I completely agree.”

A sword king and a spear king. Two rulers chosen through weapons—only they would understand how absurd that is.

“But now I can achieve my goal. It was supposed to be different, but I can reform the country. Destroy the exploitative system… and clean out the scum…”

“Careful. If you go too far, it might count as foreign interference. And since we’re neighbors, any collapse on your side will spill over to us.”

“I know. I’m not going to rush it. I’ll do it step by step. Finding those fattened pigs won’t be hard anyway.”

While she speaks, Julia turns her face away. Her cheeks are slightly red.

Behind her, Leila whispers, “Go on, go on…!!” cheering her like a mother. I can’t help but smile at that.

“…I’m truly grateful. Especially to you. Without you, I’d either still be possessed or dead. You fought for me. That’s why I’m here. So… thank you.”

“Alright!! She said it all the way through!! Good job, Julia!!”

“Shut up, Leila!! Are you my mother or something!!”

“…My sister has been like this since she woke up. Even I think her sense of distance is broken.”

“Hahaha.”

I can’t help but laugh at their uneven, chaotic relationship. But it’s warm. Something the Spear King never allowed to exist.

Everything I did… it wasn’t wrong.

The future will surely be difficult. But they’ll manage.

I believe that.

“As the Sword King of a neighboring country… I look forward to your future, Julia.”

“I’ll show you something beyond your expectations. Don’t blink, Toma Swordria.”

We shake hands, laughing.

The distance that once existed between us is gone now.

And I know—without a doubt—that we’ve built a connection that will carry into the future.