Chapter 24: The Spear King Candidate

A few days after I made that one-sided promise—no, vow—to Alicia, the day of my first official duty as the Sword King finally arrived. As expected of a carriage used by royalty, the ride was so comfortable it almost felt excessive as we made our way toward the town where the meeting would take place.

The talks were to be held in a town near the border between the Yaranri Kingdom and the Swordria Kingdom. The place even had an arena prepared for a "King’s Battle," meaning that, depending on how things went, a fight could break out immediately.

It was the other side—the representative of the Yaranri Kingdom—who had designated this location. As the Spear King candidate, it was likely he intended to fight right after the meeting concluded.

Why that was… I wouldn’t know until we actually met and spoke.

"Still, this is way too rushed. You become king, jump straight into training, and the moment that’s over, it’s a diplomatic meeting?"

"It can’t be helped. This meeting was scheduled long before—I just happened to become the Sword King afterward."

"Even so, they could’ve shown a little consideration. I’m a complete amateur, you know?"

Hikari, dressed in her maid outfit and riding in the same carriage, seemed to have plenty of complaints about the situation. I understood how she felt, but from experience, I knew it was easier to just go with the flow in cases like this—so I didn’t push back.

It wasn’t worth forcing the issue. And if I objected, it would probably only create more trouble. I’m the type who prefers to avoid unnecessary conflict.

"This will be Lord Touma’s first official duty. Minister Depron likely made use of this pre-arranged meeting so that we could better support you."

Alicia said this with a smile, gently admonishing Hikari—but even knowing what I did about her, that smile looked perfectly natural. If anything, it carried a faint hint of wry amusement.

I’d told myself I would try to see the real her beneath the Saint façade, but maybe my eyes just weren’t good enough—I couldn’t tell the difference at all. Honestly, after keeping up appearances for so many years, her composure felt completely second nature.

The only things I’d managed to notice were… her secret fondness for well-built physiques, her love of sweets that she restrained in public, the way she occasionally disguised herself to sneak into town for desserts, and how she’d even perform small magic tricks on the street for pocket money and donations.

…Yeah. She had more personality than I expected.

But what really surprised me was how she handled Carol. Lately, Carol had been getting more and more out of control alongside Clarisse, yet when Alicia gave her a lecture, she ended up trembling like a frightened animal.

Seeing Carol like that was practically a once-in-a-lifetime event. I was curious what Alicia had said—but I had no intention of poking that hornet’s nest to find out.

"Oh, that must be the meeting place. It has a certain charm… or rather, it feels like the kind of place important people gather. Not quite the capital, though."

"Well, it’s designed with the expectation that multiple dignitaries will visit. And just so you know, Hikari, you’re connected to one of those important people—so act the part, okay?"

"I know, I know. Sebas-sensei has been drilling etiquette into me nonstop lately. There will be no issues. I will fulfill my role properly, Your Majesty."

Halfway through, Hikari straightened her posture and expression, perfectly embodying the demeanor of a capable maid. It caught me off guard, and I quickly looked away so she wouldn’t notice.

The gap between this and her usual self… yeah, I liked it a little too much. Honestly, what’s wrong with me?

"Hehe, Hikari really is talented. You picked up your maid duties so quickly."

"If I put my mind to it, I can handle most things. At the very least, I’ve learned enough etiquette to avoid bringing shame to His Majesty. After all, I am His Majesty’s personal maid."

"Please, just don’t use that tone outside of work… seriously, don’t…"

Her unusually polished smile left me flustered. No, seriously, I couldn’t take it—she was too adorable. I wanted to shower her with praise right then and there, but I knew I’d regret it later, so I held myself back.

As we continued chatting—completely devoid of tension—the carriage rolled on.

The moment marking the true beginning of my life as the Sword King was drawing ever closer.

"I demand custody of Saint Alicia. In exchange, we offer a mining site. The terms remain unchanged from what was previously conveyed."

The one who opened the meeting with that declaration was an androgynous young man with glossy black hair, faintly tinged with blue, flowing down to his waist. Beside him stood a black spear taller than himself—a clear sign of his status as the Spear King candidate.

The representative of the Yaranri Kingdom—"Spear King Candidate" Shion Ace. That was his name.

"Sword King. I don’t know how long you’ve been preparing for this ‘King’s Battle,’ but I will never acknowledge you. I’m not naive enough to believe that absurd story about you being discovered just a month ago."

"Well, that happens to be the truth—but I didn’t expect you to believe it. You’ve already made up your mind, after all."

Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, his conclusion had already been decided. The way he shrugged at my response, as if to say good grief, made that much clear.

"After talk of wagering the Saint surfaced, suddenly a Sword King appears and enters the ‘King’s Battle’? As if such a coincidence exists. Unable to defeat me in a knight-led duel, you finally chose to act? You seem quite obsessed with the Saint."

"Mm, I’ll have to correct you there. I’m not obsessed with ‘the Saint’—I’m obsessed with Alicia. If you want the title of Saint, feel free to take it."

Trading barbs like this was dangerous—if I lost ground here, I’d lose control of the flow entirely. More importantly, if I didn’t push back, the silver-haired maid—my childhood friend—standing behind me might actually explode.

I didn’t even need to turn around to know. She was definitely glaring at him with a blank expression, barely holding herself back. The moment she reached her limit, she’d attack without hesitation—I could practically feel that resolve.

"Hmph. If it’s true you were just a commoner from the countryside a month ago, you shouldn’t be capable of speaking like that. That only proves you’ve been the Sword King all along and have been avoiding the ‘King’s Battle.’ Did you at least bother studying diplomacy beforehand?"

"Hahaha, why would I run from the ‘King’s Battle’? There’s no reason to run from someone rude—and weaker—like you, right? Ignoring national interests just to avoid someone like you would be pointless."

Whether he was serious or not, my words were pure provocation—not fact. In reality, if we fought, the difference in experience and years of training would put me at a clear disadvantage.

I had managed to win a few bouts against the knight commander, but that was only because I was used to him. When he began pitting me against the strong opponents he had faced in the past, I was completely overwhelmed. I couldn’t even win one out of ten matches.

Still, if he intended to approach this aggressively, I had no choice but to respond in kind. Though honestly, why weren’t his attendants stopping him? Suspicious or not, this was a foreign king he was addressing—he was crossing every possible line.

"...I understand what kind of man you are now. Very well. In addition to the mining site, I will wager myself. If you win, you may do with me as you please."

…Wait, what? Why would he go that far?

Even Minister Depron, seated beside me, looked completely stunned. He definitely hadn’t anticipated this. But I couldn’t consult him now—not in front of them. That meant I had to decide on my own.

But the stakes didn’t balance at all. Deals like this were supposed to be even—and yet they kept piling more onto their side.

Setting aside my personal feelings, we were offering Alicia—a valuable asset, yes, but also someone whose loss could create future complications. Meanwhile, they were offering a mining site rich in magical resources and the most likely candidate for the next Spear King—their future ruler. It didn’t add up.

There had to be some ulterior motive. But without enough information, I couldn’t identify it. And I wasn’t skilled enough to draw that information out of him.

Honestly, the moment Alicia was placed on the table, I had wanted to walk out. The only reason I didn’t was because Hikari, standing behind me, was even angrier than I was. Knowing she would vent that anger for me helped me maintain my composure.

"You say you’ve seen through me, but someone like you couldn’t possibly grasp my depths. People aren’t that simple—you can’t understand someone at a glance."

"Not everyone in this world is so deep. Many are shallow, driven by desire. Like you."

…This felt personal. I had never met him before. I had never done anything to him—not before becoming the Sword King, not after. And yet, he clearly despised me. The way he glared made that obvious.

"Well, no matter how much you raise the stakes, I’m not wagering Alicia. Do you have any other demands?"

"So you run from a challenge? And you call yourself a king?"

"I think a king who fails to protect what is valuable—what must be nurtured—is far worse. Do you have any idea how much it costs to maintain the kind of lifestyle we enjoy? If you did, you wouldn’t say something like that."

Granted, I was mostly bluffing—I didn’t know the exact figures. But I had started helping with Minister Depron’s paperwork, and the numbers I’d seen were enough to make me shudder.

Still, I was starting to understand. He wanted a ‘King’s Battle’ with me—no matter what. Whether that was his own will or someone else’s, I didn’t know.

Was it to gauge the strength of the new Sword King? Were they really willing to risk losing their future Spear King for that? It seemed excessive… but in a world with limited communication, information itself might be worth that much.

At this point, there wasn’t enough information. Any further speculation would be meaningless, so I cut my thoughts short.

One thing was clear: Shion Ace wanted to fight me.

"‘King’s Battle’ is meant to be a last resort. If things can be settled through discussion, that would be preferable, wouldn’t it? I do want the mining site, but not desperately. You would be taking too great a loss. This is my first official duty—couldn’t you go a little easier on me?"

"...This decision was not mine, but that of His Majesty, the Spear King. I do not have the authority to change it."

Now I was even more confused. Why would the Spear King create a situation like this? This had all been set in motion even before I became the Sword King.

Did they really need Alicia that badly? If so, why hadn’t the Spear King come personally?

"I see… very well. I accept."

Ignoring my hesitation, the one who spoke was Alicia herself—the very person being wagered.