Chapter 9: Breakfast with the Saint

"I see, I see… it seems the Sword King’s magic power is of the dark attribute. Quite a rare one—I don’t know much about it myself."

"If I remember correctly… it lets you manipulate gravity or something? Like… a pulling force?"

"Not exactly pulling, but more like drawing things in. It gathers everything toward a central point—almost like absorbing all matter into the magic itself."

"Hey, you two. It’s great that you’re getting along, but could you stop lecturing me first? My legs are about to hit their limit here."

Out of sheer researcher instinct, the two of them had immediately switched into analysis mode after examining my magic power. I tried calling out to them, but it was like they couldn’t hear me at all.

Or rather, they were pretending not to hear me. I mean, they were clearly breaking out in a cold sweat and avoiding eye contact. Are they really that scared of my childhood friend?

Let me be clear—I am.

"Hey. Were you just thinking something rude?"

"Not at all. I was merely thinking that my childhood friend is a beautiful girl with a wonderful personality and stunning looks, that’s all."

Seeing the girl in front of me turn bright red from that level of praise made me a little concerned. Seriously, is she going to be okay? She’s not the type to just follow some random guy hitting on her… right?

Honestly, Hikari is genuinely cute and cool, and even though her tone can be harsh, you can tell she’s kind deep down. That’s exactly why I worry about her.

"You’ll be fine, right? You won’t just go off with someone if they hit on you?"

"If someone like that shows up, I’d ignore them and go home. My time isn’t infinite. If anything, I’d just punch them somewhere no one can see and run."

…Yeah. That does sound like you.

She’s seriously cold to anyone who isn’t close to her—or a child.

I feel like she should fix that part of herself… but then again, if she did, I’d probably just worry about weird creeps flocking to her instead. So it’s a double-edged sword.

"Your Majesty, I hate to interrupt, but it is about time. Breakfast is prepared. Lady Alicia is also waiting."

"Oh, Alicia’s waiting? Then we’d better get going… Clarisse, Erius, sorry, but it looks like our schedule is packed. We’ll be heading out now. If anything comes up, just let me know."

Sebas stepped in when he saw the situation getting out of hand, and I gladly took the opportunity to escape both the seiza position and the lecture.

Hikari looked dissatisfied, but after hearing Sebas, she didn’t object. It seemed the hierarchy between those two had already been firmly established.

"Very well. I understand. I’ll search for literature on dark attribute magic and have something prepared by the time of the Sword King’s lesson."

"Your Majesty, in the meantime, we’ll be conducting our own research. If there’s anything you’d like to know about the magical tools in the castle, feel free to ask one of the researchers. Most of them should be able to assist you."

These kids aren’t even ten yet, and they’re already this reliable. It seems the original game’s evaluation—that they possess abilities befitting their status—was spot on.

Since we knew practically nothing about magic, staying any longer would only get in the way—and missing breakfast wouldn’t help either—so we headed out.

Still… that was one incredible ship to witness. It feels like all the fatigue from my life just vanished in an instant.

"Man, I feel so good I could start singing."

"Please don’t. Your singing is catastrophically bad. You’ve knocked out middle-aged men at the tavern more than once, remember?"

"That’s my mom’s fault for weaponizing my voice. She even bragged about how it was the perfect way to silence drunk customers without causing any damage."

"Your mom really showed no mercy to rude customers…"

Because of that, I was feared by customers back home and ended up working in the kitchen instead. Apparently, if I handled serving, people got scared.

Chatting about those familiar hometown stories—while Sebas simply smiled quietly behind us—we walked down the wide hallway until we reached the dining hall.

Hikari opened the large doors, revealing exactly what you’d expect from a manga or anime—a long table lined with luxurious chairs that looked incredibly soft.

I assumed I was supposed to sit in one, but they looked so expensive and plush that I hesitated.

"Good morning, Sword King. Breakfast is already prepared."

It was Alicia, standing beside her seat instead of sitting, waiting for us.

Was it because it would be rude to sit before the king? I felt a bit guilty for making her wait, while also thinking she could have just sat down first.

"You don’t know when we’re coming, so wouldn’t it make sense to sit and wait?"

"Hikari, it’s improper to take your seat before the Sword King. I am a Saint, after all—I take etiquette very seriously!"

"Huh… is that so?"

She puffed out her chest proudly, as if you could practically hear a smug little "hmph!" in her expression. It was honestly adorable.

I’m glad to see she’s getting along with Hikari too. Since neither of them seems like the type to have many friends, it’s reassuring.

And selfishly, I’d love to see even more of their bond—let me witness the brilliance of this Hikari-Alicia pairing.

After all, a true shipper doesn’t just get excited over romance—wholesome friendship works just as well.

"Now then, Sword King, please have a seat. The food will be brought shortly."

"Ah, okay. Thanks."

As I sat down, the chair was so soft that I sank right into it. Honestly, it was almost too soft—would I ever get used to this?

"Now then, Sword King, before we begin, allow me to explain your schedule going forward. As the Saint serving at your side, I will do everything I can to support you… but if something happens while I’m not present, it would be troubling if you were left uninformed."

"Yeah, I understand. To be honest, I was pretty confused after pulling out the holy sword and suddenly being called the Sword King… but what’s done is done. I’ve already made up my mind."

There’s nothing admirable about endlessly brooding and saying, “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

I have people supporting me—and a hometown I want to protect.

More importantly, there’s a girl in front of me fulfilling her duty as a Saint to support me, and my childhood friend who even became a maid—something she’s not used to—just because she was worried about me.

There’s no way I can move forward without resolve now. Nor do I want to.

"Thank you very much. Whether or not you would accept this so suddenly was our greatest concern. Minister Depron was also relieved to see you taking it positively."

"Once I can properly handle things, I want that guy to take a long vacation. Maybe go on a trip with his wife or something."

Seriously, if stress made him gain that much weight, it’s not good for his health. I’ll be relying on him a lot going forward, so I need him to stick around.

Even if I have memories from a past life, they’re already fading—and it’s not like I ever had experience dealing with politics. When it comes to becoming king, my biggest concern is governance.

"Ah, but if possible, I’d like to deal with my mom sooner rather than later… If I don’t keep sending letters, she might get angry and come all the way here."

"Yeah, I can totally see that happening. Absolutely. Your mom’s a walking force of action…"

I already asked the village chief to send her a letter on my behalf, but she’s not the type to be satisfied with just that. In the worst-case scenario, she might storm the castle alone to drag me and Hikari back home.

I’m grateful she cares that much, but if it comes to that, it’ll cause trouble for everyone here. I need to prevent that.

"She sounds like a very loving mother."

"She’s a strong, respectable woman you could introduce anywhere without shame. But seriously, if you make her mad, it’s terrifying—so I’d rather avoid that."

"Hey, we’re getting off track here. Not that I’m innocent either for going along with it."

Right. Now’s not the time to reminisce about my mom. I need to focus on Alicia’s explanation of what lies ahead.

Now that I’ve pulled the holy sword, I don’t think I should just follow the original protagonist’s path. I’m not him, and this world isn’t a game.

I’ll use it as a reference—but nothing more.

"Ahem. Now then, I will explain the schedule moving forward. First, Sword King, you will need to prepare for a meeting with the Kingdom of Yaranli, which will take place in one month. As things stand, you are expected to meet the leading candidate for the next Spear King."

"I see… so learning proper etiquette should be the top priority?"

"No. The other side is already aware that you come from a commoner background. Of course, you will need to learn the basics, but if anyone were to point that out despite knowing, they would not be tolerated by their own side."

"Ah, so if someone nitpicks over trivial details, it just exposes their own lack of class. It’d only make them look bad."

At the very least, it seems I can relax a bit about etiquette.

The real issue lies elsewhere.

"So then, what should I be focusing on?"

"Yes. In Swordria, the common language is used, so there is no need for you to learn a new one. Though, to be fair, that applies to most countries on this continent, so it’s not something unique to Swordria."

"Being able to understand each other really is important…"

Even in my past life, I was terrible at learning languages like English. My brain just isn’t built for juggling multiple languages. If anything, I’d rather use that space to store data about my favorite ships.

"Therefore, Sword King, you must quickly learn how to wield a sword and use magic. Our relationship with the Kingdom of Yaranli is friendly, so it is unlikely that you will suddenly be challenged to a ‘King’s Battle’…"

"But since it’s bound to happen eventually, I need to build up my strength as soon as possible…"

If I remember correctly, the first ‘King’s Battle’ took place during that very meeting—and it was against the boy known as the top candidate for the next Spear King.

I don’t dislike him—or his aide—but if it comes to fighting them, it’ll be a serious problem. Strengthening myself now is a matter of survival, so my resolve is on a completely different level.

Though back then… he was quite the womanizer.

"By the way, I don’t really know much about other countries. Have there been any places without a king for a long time like ours?"

"The method of selecting a king varies by country. In our nation, the one who draws the holy sword becomes the Sword King…"

In the country of Draconia, there is a royal family, and the strongest among them becomes king. In the current generation, someone hailed as their greatest prodigy was born around our age—which already makes me uneasy.

I know her weakness—but she’s not someone who would let me exploit it so easily.

"In the Kingdom of Yaranli, the previous Spear King took on many disciples, and the one chosen from among them becomes the next Spear King. Like most nations, it’s a rather martial method of selection."

"When you put it like that, choosing a king based on who pulls out a sword sounds pretty sloppy, doesn’t it?"

"Come on, you can’t just say that. Look—Alicia’s already forcing a smile."

"Ahaha…"

She scratched her cheek with a nervous smile, a bit of sweat forming. It was honestly a picture-perfect scene, but I’m not the type to enjoy making people uncomfortable, so I stepped in.

Still, beautiful girls really do seem to benefit no matter what they do. I’m sure there are downsides too, but from where I’m standing, it feels like a net positive.

Being surrounded by two beautiful girls like this… am I actually winning in life?

"Well, no matter what, it’s clear I need to get stronger. I’ll do everything I can."

If I want to protect their friendship, then losing isn’t an option. With that resolve, I steeled myself for the training ahead.