Chapter 5: The Role of the “Sword King”

"Your Majesty, the Sword King, please forgive us for making you walk. I understand you must be tired, but the minister insisted on meeting you as soon as possible."

(How did things end up like this…?)

After pulling out the Holy Sword, I was recognized as the "Sword King," and just like that, I was taken into custody by the Swordria Knights and escorted through the royal castle alongside Alicia and Hikari.

With the birth of a king for the first time in 500 years, the entire royal capital was in an uproar. I even overheard that, starting next year, this day would officially become a festival. Give me a break…

The imposing man with dull red hair walking ahead of us introduced himself as the Knight Commander. After rescuing us from that situation, he now intended to bring me to meet the country’s minister immediately—without giving me any time to prepare.

There were plenty of things I wanted to complain about—like how rushed everything was, or whether I was really supposed to meet a minister dressed like this—but considering this was unprecedented even for them, I decided to accept it.

If anything, I should be grateful. Despite me being nothing more than a kid who just happened to pull out the Holy Sword—and one who’s only coming of age this year—they didn’t show even a hint of displeasure. In fact, they even brought Hikari along, clearly out of consideration for me.

"By the way… was there really anything to be that happy about when I became the 'Sword King,' Hikari?"

"Huh? That was obviously just a performance. If you shout that loud, anyone would figure out you’re related to him."

Thank goodness. When she yelled, "I’m so proud as his childhood friend!!!" I seriously thought my vision was going to go black.

Honestly, if my childhood friend’s attitude suddenly changed, that would be tough for me too. The fact that I even worry about something like that just reminds me—I’m really just an ordinary guy at heart.

And someone like me is supposed to be the Sword King? What kind of joke is this?

Even as I drifted into thought while walking, there was no escaping reality. The weight of the Holy Sword at my waist constantly reminded me that this wasn’t a dream—it was real.

"I’d be more worried if you suddenly went off somewhere alone. I need to make sure I can stay with you as much as possible."

"I’m grateful… no, seriously, I’m really grateful… O gods, Buddha, Lady Hikari…"

"Can you stop putting your hands together and praying while walking???"

Overwhelmed by my childhood friend’s kindness, I ended up practically worshipping her from the bottom of my heart.

Is this really the same protagonist who used to be so prideful and incapable of trusting others…?

That thought didn’t really matter anymore, but I couldn’t help it. I knew better than anyone that the life Hikari had lived was completely different from the one Hikaru had in the original story—we had been together all this time, after all.

When I thought about the life the original protagonist went through, I realized I had twisted her fate through my own selfishness. Even so, I didn’t regret it.

Well… as a hardcore shipper, the fact that the original pairing had been completely destroyed made me feel sick. I almost wanted to scream, "Why did this happen?!" and cry my eyes out all night.

Even so, I was glad I hadn’t left her alone.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs, I have brought the Sword King."

"Oh! Come in! I want to see with my own eyes that the Sword King truly exists!!!"

Pretending not to hear our conversation, the Knight Commander led us to a grand door, and we stepped inside.

The owner of the room was a plump, middle-aged man who looked every bit like a corrupt minister.

But in truth, he was the pillar supporting this nation’s diplomacy—the man responsible for its foreign affairs, someone who had endured countless hardships. Among players, he had earned a solid reputation: "His appearance doesn’t match his personality at all," "That’s definitely stress weight," "He’d totally be handsome if he slimmed down."

This man was Depron Astoria, the Foreign Minister of Swordria.

"Oh…!! That at your waist is undoubtedly the Holy Sword…!! So this is not a dream!!!"

"Uh… I’m Toma, the one who ended up pulling out the Holy Sword. I’m just a commoner without even a family name, though…"

"Commoner or not is irrelevant!!! In this country, since its founding, the one who draws the Holy Sword is the king. More importantly, if anyone else were to be made king, interference from other nations would become even worse than it already is…"

Even though I knew it was pointless, I tried to emphasize my status as a commoner. There was no way I could come to terms with becoming the Sword King—and with the collapse of the original pairing—in such a short time.

Especially the latter.

Since Hikari and I had lived together all this time, there was no doubt she was into men.

If anything, whenever a girl approached me while we were together, she would sharpen her already fierce gaze and glare at them like a threat. I wasn’t dense enough to wonder why.

Whether it was romantic interest or just fear of losing a longtime companion, I didn’t know—but she clearly cared about me enough to ward off other girls. And I didn’t have any negative feelings toward her either.

In short, Hikari was completely and utterly heterosexual. She had gotten close to Alicia surprisingly quickly, but there was no way their relationship would ever turn into that.

As for Alicia, even less so. Assuming she was the same as in the game, she was kind and pure-hearted—but because of her past, she was somewhat wary of others and strove to act in a way befitting a saint.

At the very least, in this country, same-sex relationships were seen as unproductive—and were even subject to discrimination.

Personally, I thought love was love no matter what—but that was just my own values. In this world, where population equals labor force, that kind of thinking was considered completely heretical.

Which meant the Hikari–Alicia pairing was as good as dead. Even if I wanted to revive it like a zombie, there was no corpse left to work with. Thinking about it made me feel like I might black out, so I tried not to dwell on it.

"Now then, Sword King—are you aware of the role that comes with your position? If necessary, I can humbly provide an explanation."

"Well… I have a general idea, but it’s pretty fragmented. I’d appreciate it if you could explain."

If this followed the game, I remembered most of it—but this was reality. I understood it within the scope of this country’s common knowledge, but beyond that, I didn’t know where things might differ.

If those differences led to me suffering, then I’d accept it as my own fault.

But if Hikari—who chose to come with me—ended up suffering because of it, then I absolutely refused.

"Now then, you may be tired, so I’ll keep this brief. The duty of the 'Sword King' is to fight the 'Kings' of the six other nations on this continent—what we call the 'King’s Battle.'"

The "King’s Battle"—a contest between the rulers who represent their respective nations.

Each country had its own method of selecting a "King." There was nowhere else like Swordria, where someone became king simply by drawing the Holy Sword. If there were, this entire system would likely be considered a problem.

"A 'King’s Battle,' huh… Does he really have to do that? You’ve got knights, right? Why not have them fight instead?"

"Hikari, he’s still explaining—let’s at least hear him out. I know you’re worried about me, though."

Hikari didn’t even try to hide her displeasure, but honestly, if I were in her position, I’d probably say the same thing. So I couldn’t exactly act superior here.

"Of course, there is a reason. While it concerns governance, the presence or absence of a 'King' makes a significant difference in diplomacy. For the past 500 years, with no Sword King appearing, this nation has been looked down upon as a 'kingless country.' Without a king, a 'King’s Battle' cannot be held, which in itself places us at a disadvantage."

The Knight Commander, who had been silently listening, furrowed his brow even deeper. It didn’t seem like Hikari’s words had offended him—more likely, he was troubled by the current state of the nation.

He and Depron were close in age, and given their positions, he likely served as the minister’s guard as well.

In other words, the one who understood the Foreign Minister’s hardships best was this Knight Commander. Seeing a comrade-in-arms looked down upon must have been deeply frustrating.

"A 'King’s Battle' is a match between kings. The methods vary widely—from one-on-one duels to battles involving entire armies—but the defining rule is that the king must personally participate."

"They are primarily held when diplomatic conflicts arise," Depron continued. "When negotiations fail and neither side can concede, declaring full-scale war would only wear both nations down. To prevent that, representatives are chosen, and everything is decided by the outcome of their battle. That is the flow of a 'King’s Battle.'"

Alicia’s concise explanation transitioned into Depron’s more detailed one.

Still… thinking about it now, I hadn’t questioned it much while playing the game, but this system was completely insane—and placed an enormous burden on the king.

As I mentioned before, Hikaru—the original protagonist—only cared about becoming stronger. That’s why he could charge headfirst into something like the "King’s Battle," where powerful opponents awaited. But now that I was actually in this position, I couldn’t help but hesitate.

"Oh, of course, that doesn’t mean a 'King’s Battle' will always occur," Depron added, noticing my unease. "In fact, such events are quite rare. This country has long been considered unable to participate due to lacking a king, but simply having the Sword King restores our standing."

He was trying to reassure me, but if the knowledge I had was correct, then a "King’s Battle" would definitely happen. It had to—otherwise, the story wouldn’t progress. And when it did, it wouldn’t just happen once.

Especially since the strongest nation, Draconia, still had its eyes on us. If anything, it would be stranger if nothing happened. That country was literally willing to stake its life on territorial expansion…

Even without Draconia, if a nation that had always been looked down upon suddenly started acting as an equal, it wouldn’t sit well with others. Politics, more than anything, ran on pride. Given the history here, the other side wouldn’t be able to back down either.

In other words—

A "King’s Battle" would happen. Without a doubt.

"...Understood. I’ll accept the role of Sword King. However, I’m not good at fighting, so I’d like a place to train. It would be a problem if I couldn’t move when it matters."

"Your Majesty—the Sword King… no, Your Majesty—should begin by learning swordsmanship with the knights. Sir Richard, is that agreeable?"

"Understood. I will do everything in my power to ensure His Majesty becomes a capable warrior."

The Knight Commander—now addressed as Richard—would be the one to teach me how to fight with a sword and how to properly move my body. Honestly, without that, I didn’t think I’d stand a chance in battle, so this was a huge relief.

As I nodded quietly, it felt like I had just signed up for a full-body overhaul program.

But this was for the sake of the country—and, by extension, for my hometown, my mother, and the familiar faces back in the village.

I might not be motivated to fight for people I had never even met…

But for those whose faces I knew, I felt like I could at least try my best.

Which probably just meant I was a pretty simple guy.