「Oh. Changing the bride’s dress midway through the ceremony… That sounds quite flashy and excellent.」
He runs his eyes over the perfectly prepared documents and slowly strokes his mustache.
The room is labeled as the king’s office, but he delegates most of the actual governing to the prime minister.
He is merely playing the role of 『king』 in form only. In reality, he is a hopeless man who spends his days chasing women’s skirts.
「The costs will naturally be higher.」
「Yes. We are cutting corners wherever we can on my end too… but shortening the preparation period hurts too much.」
「It cannot be helped. If we take it slow, the Empire will devour us.」
Finishing with the documents, he hands them back to his son and slowly rolls his shoulders.
Lately, perhaps due to age, pains shoot through various parts of his body.
「I do not want to get any older.」
「Father, you play around too much at night. How about holding back a little?」
「Haha… I am already just a worthless king waiting to hand over the throne. That is fine.」
「Oh～ oh～ Scary, scary.」
While the Empire and the Republic expanded their territories to become great powers… he is the rare wise ruler who blocked their advances and thwarted countless schemes.
That is the true nature of the king sitting there so leisurely.
「Halfren.」
「Yes?」
「For Noie’s dresses… send orders to shops all across the country and make them compete. Tell them several of the best ones will be used on the day. Stir them up, and they will surely make them without regard for cost.」
「In exchange for the advertising effect, get the dress expenses for free?」
「Bill Arg for the price of ready-made ones without telling him the details, and divert that money elsewhere.」
「Are you really our father? Swindling money even from your own son.」
「He will not mind, will he? Noie’s earnings have no limit. Even after covering all the expenses, there will be plenty left.」
He laughs heartily and sips his wine.
That cheerful profile looks less like a king and more like simply a father.
「Well, fine. I will arrange that side.」
「What about swaying the generals?」
「Already done. This time it was relatively easy work.」
「Then the problem is the nobles.」
「Yes. The nobles with ties to the Empire are all opposing it en masse. They seem to be buying time until the Empire’s envoy arrives.」
「Foolish nobles wagging their tails at the Empire. It would be so much easier if we could just sweep away idiots like that.」
「A dictator is not bad… but then I could not chase women anymore?」
「That would be trouble. It would make pushing work onto you all meaningless.」
The king bursts into laughter again, rising slowly from his chair.
He is still far too young to be called old. Especially his lower body remains frighteningly youthful. Even so, King Wilmott of Univance pushes all his duties onto his two sons and spends his days in lazy indulgence.
Even when people whisper behind his back that 『he has changed in his old age』… he sticks firmly to that attitude.
That is why his son Halfren always ends up thinking the same thing.
「If Father stepped in and gave the order himself, a problem like this would be over in an instant, would it not?」
No matter how hard they try, they can never match the king who laid the very foundations of this country.
「Something this small would end quickly. But what about next time? And after that? I am no longer young either. Before I die, I must raise someone worthy to inherit the country… or this nation will fall. I do not care if the royal family or nobles die. But the citizens must be protected no matter what. That is the duty of those who rule a country.」
He understands his son’s feelings all too well.
It is true, both of them are doing excellent work. But it is still not enough.
That is why he keeps pushing them off cliffs to temper them, throwing stones if necessary. By forging them this way, he believes a king and his brother capable of protecting the nation will emerge.
「Overcome something like this with just the two of you.」
「Yes, yes. But Father… you are wrong about one thing.」
「What is that?」
「This time it is three. Arg is motivated too.」
「I see. I see.」
He smiles happily and reaches for his wine.
「That one really was a huge win.」
「Yes. His head is not bad, yet he has absolutely no ambition. He will try hard for Noie’s sake, but the moment he thinks she might be 『in even the slightest danger』, he would throw his own life away to protect her completely. He is the ideal marriage partner, you could say.」
「That is true. But… we did something bad.」
「Hm?」
「Summoning him to a place like this and forcing 『marriage』 on him.」
Normally, it would be a terrible thing to do.
Yes. If the “Takanashi Takumi” inside Arg were an ordinary person.
「But that idiot… says he is so happy to be with Noie that he feels like he might die?」
「…Is that true?」
「Yes. For this wedding ceremony, when it came to the declaration of “making Noie his only wife”, he even said things like 『Please make the wording so perfect that no one could possibly complain』.」
「…He cannot add more later, you know? Only one. Is he really fine with that?」
「He says that is what he wants. He is eagerly cooperating just to have Noie as his sole wife.」
「I see…」
It is hard to believe right away, but coming from the person who spends the most time with him every day, it must be true.
「We did something wrong to that boy in his original life. I was thinking of making up for it even a little… but it seems marrying Noie was the greatest reward of all.」
As if a heavy burden has lifted from his heart, the king gulps down his wine.
「Halfren. I command you as king.」
「Yes!」
「Make this wedding ceremony proceed without a single hitch. Remove anyone who would harm the bond between those two, no matter what methods you use. Understood?」
「Royal Knight Captain Halfren. I shall obey the king’s command.」
「Good. I entrust it to you.」
After the salute, his son pauses just as he is about to leave the office.
「By the way, Father.」
「What?」
「It is fine to bring in maids… but do it in the bed.」
「Idiot. If I did that, how could I properly flaunt my womanizing ways? This takes effort in its own way, you know?」
「…It only looks like you are having fun.」
Thinking 『At least put on some clothes』, he averts his eyes from his completely naked father.
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