36-53

EP.53 The Nation Needs You! 

“It looks like things are really starting to move now.” 

I sink into a comfortable chair and look at the papers in my hand. 

The pages are filled with news not just from the Lumis Kingdom, but from across the entire continent. 

Summing it all up, there are really only two kinds of news: 

Monsters are running wild everywhere, and there’s a strange tension building between nations. 

“Huu…” 

A deep sigh escapes me. 

Anyone can see this is the work of the Demon King or whatever. 

It doesn’t make sense for monsters to go berserk simultaneously all over the continent. 

“It’s times like these when people should come together.” 

But all the news written on these pages is grim. 

War seems imminent, one country is eyeing another, a coup was actually orchestrated by some nation, and so on. 

There’s even evidence, so it can’t just be dismissed as mere rumors. 

Some kings apparently see this as a chance to seize continental dominance. 

I close my eyes. 

Is there really anything I can do in this situation? 

I’ve decided to oppose the Demon King, but this isn’t my area of expertise. 

I know nothing about schemes or intelligence warfare. 

And if it were possible, someone more diligent than me would have already done it. 

“The answer is already decided.” 

There’s only one answer: 

I’ll just lounge around with beautiful women and build up my strength. 

There’s an old saying about this, isn’t there? 

“If you do nothing, you’ll at least stay in the middle.” 

If I go meddling in other countries and make a fuss, I’ll just be asking for trouble. 

With tensions high between nations, a noble from another country interfering in domestic affairs? 

I’d be the first to be suspected, and if things go wrong, I could get caught and killed. 

Even if I weren’t a noble, the result wouldn’t be much different. 

“Well… if something happens in the Lumis Kingdom, I’ll have to step in.” 

No matter how troublesome, you have to clean up the trash in front of your own house. 

In reality, problems with monsters were slowly surfacing in the Lumis Kingdom too. 

Knock knock- 

I open my eyes at the sound of someone knocking at the door. 

“Master, you have a visitor.” 

“A visitor?” 

Would anyone really come visit a noble like me who basically shot up to the top overnight? 

If it were a peddler, Karin would have chased them off. 

People talk about me being a hero, but that’s just a fancy title. 

“It’s Princess Sylvia.” 

“Oh… let her in.” 

This mansion, granted by the kingdom, is in the capital where the palace is. 

It’s not surprising for the princess to visit. 

A moment later, the door opens and Sylvia enters with a smile. 

“It’s been a while.” 

“Hasn’t it only been three days since the award or appointment ceremony?” 

“It felt long to me.” 

Sylvia approaches with a lovely smile and sits naturally in the chair across from me. 

“But no matter how close we are, is it really okay for you to just drop by like this?” 

We’ve slept together countless times, but that’s our secret. 

From an outsider’s perspective, I’m just a noble who rose to fame through merit, and she’s the princess destined to be queen. 

“Of course. I got permission.” 

Huh…? Permission? 

What’s she talking about? 

Is there someone she’d need permission from… There is. 

The queen’s face from the award ceremony pops into my mind. 

“What reason did you give to get permission from that strict-no, thorough-queen?” 

“I told her everything that happened with you and confidently asked for permission.” 

Suddenly, I feel all the blood drain from my body. 

I’m afraid to ask what exactly “everything that happened” means. 

What could you possibly say to get that strict queen’s permission? 

Ominous thoughts swirl in my head. 

“So… just how much did you tell her?” 

My lips tremble. 

Just a moment ago, I was reading the news in peace, but now I’m sweating nervously. 

What’s the procedure for defecting to another country again? 

Am I going to be arrested the moment I step outside? 

I suppress the urge to check if there are soldiers outside and look at Sylvia. 

She answers brightly with a fresh smile: 

“Everything!” 

“You mean… even about us sleeping together?” 

“Yes.” 

Well… forget the Demon King, I should pack and run right now. 

I might die at the queen’s hands before I ever fight the Demon King. 

“You really don’t have to worry so much.” 

Sylvia, reading my pale face, reassures me confidently. 

Thinking calmly, if it were really the worst-case scenario, she wouldn’t have come here. 

Still, even if it’s not the worst, my head is spinning. 

“What exactly happened?” 

I can’t even imagine what kind of conversation they had. 

No-just imagining it is scary. 

I can’t make sense of this situation at all. 

“Mother was happy about it too.” 

Happy? 

Her unexpected answer makes my head spin even more. 

“She said she has high hopes for you.” 

“Isn’t she saying that without knowing about my private life?” 

“I told her everything, even that.” 

Ugh… my head hurts. 

And she still gave permission? 

“It’s written all over your face.” 

“I’d like to see anyone who could hide their feelings in this situation.” 

“My mother had several spouses, so she’s more open-minded than you think.” 

A polyandrous queen, huh. 

She must have been beautiful when she was young, but this is beyond what I imagined. 

“Still, I’ll only look at you, Yujin.” 

Now I get why there are rumors about me being a hero. 

The sly queen must see this as a chance to strengthen royal power. 

She knows I’m not interested in power, and my humble origins can be resolved by making me a noble for my achievements. 

If she promotes me as the hero who fights the Demon King and marries me to the princess, who would dare challenge the throne? 

“Huu… this feels strange.” 

“Does it? I’m happy because it feels like our relationship is officially recognized.” 

Sylvia grins mischievously. 

She probably anticipated this and guided the conversation that way. 

She’s smart, so it wouldn’t have been hard for her. 

“If there’s ever a problem, we can just run away together.” 

“Then I’ll have to beat up anyone who tries to mess with us.” 

“I’ll trust you, Yujin.” 

Her expression is hard to read, but there’s real trust in her eyes. 

“I have plans today, so I’ll be going.” 

“I guess we’ll be seeing each other often from now on.” 

Well, I might as well accept it. 

Honestly, it’s not a bad thing. 

Having a beauty like Sylvia visit often will be a real pleasure. 

And it probably won’t just end with a simple greeting most of the time. 

“I’ll sneak by from time to time.” 

“Secretly?” 

“Did you really think there was only one secret passage we used before?” 

“Don’t tell me there’s one in this mansion too…” 

Sylvia’s enchanting laughter rings in my ears. 

Was this all planned from the start? 

“Oh! My mother asked me to give you a letter.” 

Sylvia leaves a letter with the queen’s seal and heads out the door. 

“This won’t explode when I open it, will it?” 

“Hehe… that’s a funny thought. I’ll come again later.” 

After seeing her off, I open the letter. 

It’s filled with elegant handwriting in a long message. 

The introduction is as positive as Sylvia said, expressing high expectations for me. 

But as I read on, the tone subtly changes. 

“Ah… tsk…” 

By the time I finish, I can only sigh. 

The queen’s message can be summed up simply: 

She thinks highly of me, but if I’m not confident I can achieve more, I should join the military. 

“The military, huh…” 

If I were a native of this world, I’d probably be happy to enlist. 

With the queen’s recommendation, a military career would be a guaranteed success. 

But I don’t want that. 

I’d rather lounge around my mansion with beautiful women than deal with reports and training in a sweaty barracks. 

“Damn. Isn’t there some way I can rack up achievements quickly?” 

I pick up the news sheets I was reading earlier and go through them again. 

After carefully going through dozens of pages, I finally find news about the Lumis Kingdom. 

[Dangerous Orc Nest] 

A horde of orcs is rapidly multiplying in a cave in the mountains near the capital. 

They are causing massive damage to nearby villages, and if not quickly exterminated, they could inflict great harm on the kingdom. 

This is it! 

I took down a giant wolf, so orcs should be easy. 

Even the strict queen can’t complain about this. 

A hero who exterminates orcs and helps people-perfect for publicity. 

“Looks like I’ll get to use this sooner than I thought.” 

I look at the ornately decorated sword. 

My previous sword broke in the fight with Lilith, so the royal family gave me this one. 

It’s a famous blade called “Hrunting,” so it shouldn’t break. 

As a swordsman, I’m excited to try out a legendary sword. 

“Let’s hope nothing unlucky happens this time, too.”