Surviving a Harsh Fantasy with Cheat Items (WN)

We had been delayed for a while, waiting for emergency repairs on the Black Cedar fleet, but at last, the Silesien fleet was ready to set sail.

The repairs were only temporary, and since we’d be making more adjustments during the journey, the crew would be kept busy.

Meanwhile, we’d been tracking the movements of the Great Demon God, and it seemed it was heading straight for the temple of Asama to the east southeast.

Thankfully, the capital of Times appeared to be safe for now.

「We’ll offer all the support we can.」

Said Damons—no, the newly crowned King Damons Korang I of the reborn Times Kingdom.

Lyle-sensei requested that as many powerful mages as possible be gathered to accompany us.

I didn’t fully grasp her intention, but knowing Lyle-sensei, she had some kind of plan in mind.

So, with reinforcements from the Timesian mage corps on board, we set our course southward.

Our destination was the city of Presidio in Linmon Province. Since we were heading back to the Eura Continent, it was time to reunite with Louise and the others. ※※※

Upon arriving in Presidio, the first order of business was the coronation of the newly reborn Abysspania Queendom. The nation had undergone a dramatic shift in policy, moving away from its former holy doctrine, which rejected the demons, to embrace a new republic aimed at uniting humans and demons.

The founding queen Liliella, had enforced a harsh set of laws known as the ‘Old Covenant’. Now, they were attempting to shift public consciousness by referring to my teachings on coexistence with demons as the ‘New Covenant’ marking a significant change in direction. However, the road ahead would not be easy. The war had left the country in ruins, and while some church officials had survived, many of them still adhered to the Old Covenant.

Rebuilding Abysspania and reforming its government would undoubtedly be a difficult task.

For now, the nation would restart with the crowning of its new queen, a mere infant.

Amorette Abysspania Liliella, just one year old, had safely returned from the Antil Island, and with her bright, curious eyes, she would become the ruler of this ivory palace with its tall spires.

Of course, she was still just a baby, so for now, she was more of a figurehead.

The real leadership would likely fall to Barland, who had been named Knight Commander, Head of the Royal Knights, Chancellor, and Supreme General. Standing beside the young queen, he was supported by only a few remaining ministers, as most of the previous officials and nobles had perished in the war. Abysspania, in its rebirth, faced a dire shortage of capable people.

For now, Barland would have to lead, relying on his limited but determined cadre of young knights.

It wouldn’t be surprising if much of the actual power rested with the queen’s wet nurse, who also happened to be Barland’s young wife, Pudding. After all, without her to carry the queen, little Amorette wouldn’t even be able to leave the palace.

「And now, Takeru-dono, if you would do the honor of crowning Queen Amorette Abysspania Liliella.」

At Lyle-sensei’s request, I placed a tiny tiara on Amorette’s head. At only a year old, she probably didn’t understand what was happening.

Still, I couldn’t resist asking, thinking perhaps her bright eyes might indicate some spark of understanding.

「Do you know what this is? It’s a crown.」

「Daah.」

She responded, grabbing the silver tiara off her head and putting it in her mouth.

I guess not.

With a soft laugh, Pudding, who was holding her, took the tiara out of her mouth and placed it back on her head. In the end, it felt more like Pudding was the one crowning the queen rather than me.

When our eyes met, Pudding smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

With a solemn cough, Barland stepped forward and declared in a commanding voice:

「As of this moment, Queen Amorette Abysspania Liliella has been officially crowned as the 27th ruler of the newly reborn Abysspania Queendom!」

Nobles, bureaucrats, and senior knights lining the red carpet in the Queen’s Hall began clapping and cheering, filling the room with a joyous ‘Whoahhh!’ at Barland’s announcement.

Thanks to him, the ceremony had come together in a rather fitting way.

I turned to Lyle-sensei, who was watching with a smile, and asked,

「Sensei, do we have to hold a coronation ceremony like this every time a new country is formed?」

「Since we’re rebuilding the nation, it’s important to have these kinds of ceremonies. It helps make things clearer for the people of the newly reborn Abysspania.」

Lyle-sensei was talking about the power dynamics between nations.

This ceremony was likely meant to show that it was thanks to the support of the Silesie Kingdom that we were able to retake Presidio and restore the country.

Only a select few bureaucrats, surviving nobles, and senior knights were able to attend the Queen’s coronation. However, artists were commissioned to paint large depictions of the ceremony, which would be shared with the people across the land.

Paintings are a powerful way to communicate, especially to those who can’t read. As expected, Lyle-sensei had thought of everything.

Apparently, similar measures were being taken in the Times Kingdom as well. I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for dragging Barland and his people into our plans.

「Sorry for all the trouble, Barland.」

「Hero-sama, please don’t worry. This country was originally a branch of Queen Liliella’s realm on the Eura Continent. Showing that the main house is now represented by the new Hero of Asama, Takeru Sawatari, will benefit our people as well.」

「I respect the autonomy of each nation. I don’t plan to create the kind of hierarchical structure Queen Liliella enforced. If I’m a king in this situation, then you, Barland, are also a leader of your nation. Let’s treat each other as equals from now on.」

I offered my hand to Barland, and he shook it firmly. Both of us were in the position of supporting our respective queens.

「Hero-sama, I am deeply honored. While our nations are equal, I will never forget the great debt we owe you for saving this country. If ever an emergency arises, I will personally ride to your aid, sword in hand.」

「I appreciate that.」

Although we had resolved the immediate threats on the Abyss Continent, a new danger was looming over the Eura Continent.

Barland and his people were still unaware of the Great Demon God’s rise. Lyle-sensei began explaining the situation to him.

「Barland, I’m afraid that emergency may already be approaching.」

「What!? If that’s the case, then I’ll lead our forces myself to assist you!」

「We don’t need you to come personally. What we need is a battalion of mages as reinforcements.」

「The conflicts here have finally settled, so I can send those with magical abilities. But will that be enough?」

Barland asked, his expression puzzled.

Lyle-sensei clearly had some plan in mind, but it was a mystery to me as well.

We convinced Barland to focus on sending reinforcements and to have his scouts keep an eye on the movements of the Great Demon God.

-0-

After the coronation ceremony, the palace hosted a grand celebration. As part of the festivities, wine flowed freely.

It probably wasn’t the same high-quality wine we were drinking, but in the city’s squares, people were also enjoying food and drink in a three-day, three-night celebration. In this land, any excuse for a festival would do, especially since they had all been working so hard since the city’s liberation.

I figured they deserved a bit of relaxation, though I personally had attended quite a few celebrations lately and had maybe indulged in a bit too much wine.

The alcohol in Abysspania was especially strong, so I decided to focus on the food. I grabbed a plate of meat, savoring the taste, when Louise rushed toward me.

Unlike her usual armor, today she was dressed in an elegant party gown. Louise had done a fantastic job acting as the decoy hero and had contributed greatly to our success here. This would probably mark the end of her role in that capacity.

「Hey, Louise.」

「Takeru!」

Without warning, she ran up and hugged me tightly.

「Whoa, what’s this all of a sudden?」

「Just stay still for a minute.」

Without warning, Louise kissed me.

Her cheeks were flushed.

If she’s embarrassed, she doesn’t have to do it, yet it was a surprisingly passionate kiss. Though startled, I instinctively accepted it.

「Mmm…」

As I tried to process what was happening, I heard groans of disappointment from the surrounding knights.

「Did you see that?」

Louise smiled triumphantly, striking a pose as if she had just pulled off some grand performance.

「…Louise, what’s going on?」

「Well, you see, I’ve been looking after some of the younger knights around here, and somehow ended up getting quite popular. Some of the youngsters even proposed to me, and it was getting a bit troublesome. They wouldn’t believe me when I said I already had a husband, so I figured showing them proof was quicker than explaining.」

「Ah, I get it now.」

Louise, having been a key figure in the Abysspania Liberation War as a heroic female warrior, naturally attracted attention. Since she had taken on the role of the decoy hero during the diversion, our relationship had remained a secret.

Though public displays of affection aren’t really my thing, given the circumstances, I suppose it was necessary. After all, Louise is my precious wife, and it’s good to remind everyone she’s with me.

Meanwhile, the young knights who had been chasing after Louise started turning their attention toward Berenice and Clementine, the knights assigned to protect me.

Since they fought alongside us during the war, they weren’t strangers.

Seems like if Louise is off-limits, they’re now trying their luck with Berenice and Clementine. I couldn’t help but chuckle at their persistence.

Louise shot me a look.

「Aren’t you going to do something about that?」

「They’re not my wives, and I can’t stop them from falling in love. Besides, if knights from Silesie and Abysspania start forming relationships, it might actually be good for strengthening ties between our nations.」

Just as I was thinking this could be a good development, Berenice and Clementine effortlessly broke free from the crowd of young knights and came straight toward me.

「What’s going on with you two—Whoa!」

Before I knew it, they had both grabbed me from either side and kissed me on the cheeks.

「What are you two doing?」 I asked, perplexed.

Berenice, clinging to my arm, answered,

「We told them King-sama’s our fiancé, too.」

「No, you’re not.」

I responded, sighing.

Clementine, her face turning pink, chimed in softly,

「Actually, I already have someone special in my heart…」

「Well, in that case, I guess you have no choice. If you tell them the Hero of Asama is your partner, they won’t be able to argue with that.」

Clementine nodded happily.

「….Yes!」

「By the way, if you want, we could also kiss you properly.」

Don’t push your luck. I said, pinching Berenice’s long ears, which were her weak spot. She let out a giggle, clearly ticklish.

Watching us playfully bicker, the young Abysspanian knights let out another round of disappointed groans.

I had initially thought the idea of knights from different nations getting closer wasn’t bad, but it seems Berenice and Clementine already had their hearts set on someone. Nothing to be done about that.

I felt a little bad for the young Abysspanian knights who had now been rejected by not just Louise but also my two guardian knights. But, I figured I’d take the blame and smooth things over.