442 – The Reason I Want to Be King -1-

Another peaceful day in the capital’s sewers.

“Hmm, the air is so thick, seems like someone could die and no one would notice,”

I said, smiling at those following me as I walked through the moss-covered sewer with a light step.

“Everyone.”

“…”

“Isn’t this a lovely place for a stroll?”

“…”

The man, stifling the choking stench, raised his voice at my grinning face.

“…Shut it!”

“Shut it, you say?”

“Why should I even be following you!”

They say you shouldn’t spit on a smiling face, but Nokjo, more than anyone, spat quite well, leaving me feeling glum. People can be so hurtful.

“Why are you angry? Isn’t it nice to take a walk together, everyone, after so long?”

“You think this is nice?”

“Yes.”

“…”

The capital’s sewers harbored familiar faces.

“Quiet down and just walk, will you!”

Shuen, who had shone brilliantly in the last lesson.

“That’s right. Plug your nose and stand still, it’s practically a scenic stroll.”

Hanna, the queen of boundless optimism, and.

“I even dressed up to meet Ricardo.”

“You did well to wrap yourself in bandages.”

Yuria and Mikhail accompanied them.

After class ended, the reason they’d gathered again was one. Shartia’s request.

I turned to Shartia, standing behind me, and flashed a bright smile.

“Everyone’s here, Your Highness.”

“…Mm.”

*

Three days after the Grand Noble Assembly ended, Shartia had found me strolling through the Hamel Mountains.

-Hick!

-Why are you so startled?

-I’m no looter! It just so happened there was a corpse attacked by monsters lying in the street, and I was merely scavenging it.

-…For something a monster did, there are a lot of sword marks on that corpse.

-Must have had sharp claws.

Shartia had said to me, to my heart purer than the purest white sun.

-Ricardo, is it alright if I ask you a favor? A somewhat difficult one?

-I prefer to avoid difficult favors.

-The Crown Prince’s trust is wavering.

-Ooh… good news.

-I asked Taeo a difficult question during an official event. About his thoughts on this incident.

-Was there some kind of incident in the Empire?

-…The person you killed, right now.

-…I have no knowledge of such a thing.

-Anyway…this is the chance. The only chance to gain Father’s support is now, at the moment Taeo’s trust is shaken.

“Just how is that my concern? I’m merely a humble butler who loves freedom and peace.”

“You said you’d push me through, didn’t you?”

“…You remember?”

“Help me this once, and when I become Emperor, I’ll grant you a single favor.”

“Hmm…”

“If you don’t help, I’ll abolish polygamy.”

“I will assist you.”

And that’s how I came to agree to Sharutia’s request. Not at all to protect some law steeped in the yearning for polygamy, of course, but because a man must stand by his word. To speak with two tongues is no virtue for a butler, thus I resolved to help Sharutia.

“Ahem.”

It also served as a chance to let the students, who had toiled so hard during the break, experience just how much they’d grown.

Originally, I’d intended for them to realize their growth during the episode where the heretics attack the Academy after the opening ceremony, but Sharutia’s offer was one I couldn’t refuse. I could only nod and accept.

Frankly, I couldn’t stand the sight of the Crown Prince.

And so, here I am in the capital.

In this gloomy place, where sewage flows.

Nodding in response to Sharutia, I turned around, looking back at those following behind, and declared, “I’ve come all the way from distant Hamel to meet you all.”

“…”

“Aren’t you delighted?”

“…”

“There’s still some vacation left, wouldn’t you like to roll around and get filthy?”

“Woooaaah!!!”

“Excellent.”

Only I knew the secret of how wounded I was by the students’ preference for rolling around in a sewer over my light guidance in the beautiful mountains.

Even so, I never drove them that hard in the mountains compared to being in a sewer.

“…I hate spider caves.”

I decided to hold my tongue upon seeing Hannah trembling.

“So.”

Ruien, arms crossed, glared at me with hostile eyes, asking the most crucial question.

“Why did you call us here?”

“Well, you see…”

“There was a reason I summoned you here, you know.”

“Can’t I just say I missed you?”

“You?”

“…”

“Me?”

“Truthfully, even *I* dislike seeing more green algae in a place already choked with it.”

“…You little shit.”

Soothing a flinching Ruin, I turned my gaze to Chartia and asked,

“Your Highness.”

“Huh?”

“What should we do now?”

“Eh?”

“Now that everyone is gathered, I think it would be good if you gave us our orders.”

Chartia, caught off guard by the unexpected question, widened her eyes, staring at me with a look of utter disbelief as she said,

“You didn’t know?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Is there a need for me to know?”

“…Ha?”

“Yes.”

“Liar, you *do* know.”

“Such things are usually explained by the leader, though.”

“Haa…”

Normally, it should be the one leading who narrates the story.

Having read the novel, I know how this episode should unfold, but I have no intention of directing it myself.

In the first place, I’d imprisoned Pascal long ago, after invading the Black Sanctuary to prevent the Black Saint Domain from being breached, but the appearance of the Apostle had made that impossible.

Before the already twisted episode becomes even more entangled, I needed to foster Chartia, so I fixed everyone’s attention on her, hoping for her leadership.

“Ahem.”

She needed to grow through this opportunity.

Chartia, glancing between me and the other students, wore a heavy expression as she began to speak.

“The reason I’ve gathered you all here is because of the stories appearing in the newspapers these days.”

“That the stocks went up, is it?”

“No.”

“Then I’m not interested, I’m afraid.”

“…”

Shartia, sensing the empire’s darkening future, sighed a long breath before continuing slowly.

“The Black Sanctuary.”

“…”

“Information has come in that criminals who escaped from that place have been sighted in the capital.”

“…So.”

“Correct.”

Shartia spoke with a grave expression.

“We will catch them.”

“…”

“No one else in the empire is stepping forward.”

“…”

“The Histrania family must protect the Imperial Palace, and because the movements of the heretics have been so… bizarre lately, we can’t spare soldiers to send there.”

“…”

“Therefore…”

Ruin, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand. No matter how he thought about it, he felt he had nothing to do with this.

“Your Highness.”

“Oh… you’re using honorifics?”

“…I should start speaking like a proper person now, shouldn’t I?”

“Well done.”

“Don’t praise me!”

Ricardo’s interruption caused Ruin to blurt out a stray thought, then, seemingly embarrassed by the praise, he puffed out a breath and said,

“When Your Highness called us, you used *his* name to get us here.”

“That’s right.”

“I thought this was an extension of our lessons, but now it seems like Your Highness is using us to resolve a personal matter.”

“That’s…”

“I see this as nothing more than Her Highness using us to gain political advantage. To hunt down a dangerous criminal without any compensation or benefit, I don’t believe we have any obligation to comply.”

As Ruin spoke, his words met the princess’s troubled expression. Just as Shertia’s lips sealed shut, I exclaimed in admiration at Ruin’s sharp tongue.

“Ruin…”

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s creepy.”

“Finally…”

It was the first time I truly understood that green algae could speak like a human being.

“You’ve become a person.”

“Hey.”

“So you *can* think.”

“I said, don’t look at me like that, it’s disturbing.”

“Sniff… I thought Green Algae-ssi’s mouth was just there for decoration… but you can actually articulate yourself so logically.”

“Haa… Shut up before I fireball your face. What the hell do you mean, my mouth is just for decoration?”

“Wails… normally you’d say you’d fireball my face… I’m so happy.”

“…God damn.”

Enough with the joking around.

I cleared my throat once, then began to speak on Shertia’s behalf. I was the one who summoned them here, not Shertia.

-I’ll handle the manpower. Your Highness, you just need to use my name to call them.

-…Do you think these guys will listen?

-Yes, they’ll unconditionally say they want to do it.

I began to talk about the benefits they would receive. After all, a job had to have something in return to be worthwhile.

-Clink.

Shuen, whose eyes widened the quickest, brought her face close and sniffed at the pouch in her hand.

“Money-imnida!”

I smiled and said, “You’re all short on cash right now.”

“…Not really.”

“When the semester starts, you’ll need to drink, right?”

“…”

“Ruin senior-nim~ Please buy us drinks.”

“Who would…”

“But, alas, the funds are…lacking.”

I offered a smile as I spoke.

“Three thousand gold, per head.”

A shift rippled through their gazes, a flicker of something new.

“There should be around forty of them. Nearly triple the bounty the Empire offered, you know.”

Knowing some might still find it wanting, I added a little something more.

“And to the one amongst you who brings back the… most *impressive* results…”

This was a significant condition.

One even *I* might envy.

“I shall bestow an ancient grimoire.”

Not ‘Dance of Infinite Light,’ of course.

That was far too precious to part with.

“And to the blade-wielder, a secret text of ancient swordsmanship.”

I flashed a mischievously charming smile and inquired. Was it still not enough?

“Still… disagreeable?”

Naturally, there was no dissent.