Surviving a Harsh Fantasy with Cheat Items (WN)

As part of my trip to the Abyss Continent, the first-ever “Abyss Continental Federation Conference” was to be held in Times Square, now the largest port city on the continent. After endless wars, the land here was scarred and barren, and only Times Square or Avana Port on Antil Island, which I had refitted, were suitable locations for such an international meeting.

Since this was a federation conference for the Abyss Continent, the nations of the continent needed to handle it themselves. I was simply an observer.

Leading the conference was Sea Emperor Damons Korang, the new ruler of the new Times, which had lost its royal family. Next was the infant queen of the new Abysspania Queendom, Amorette Abysspania Liliella, who recently celebrated her first birthday, governing from the great port of Sigus-Machinus and ruling over Linmon Province, Baal Province, and Antil Island. Representing her were her nurse maid, Pudding, who held Amorette in her arms, and her husband, Knight Commander Barland.

Joining them were Kaara, who was establishing a Demon Kingdom centered around the ruined city of Laurentite with the Great Demon King Orakeru, and the Holy Mother Ria, who had become queen of the Holy Steriana Queendom, having driven human supremacists to the backlands of Dagon Province. These four nations’ representatives had gathered to determine how they would divide and govern the Abyss Continent.

The fact that half of the federation’s rulers were still infants made for an amusing sight. Beside the adults in the meeting, the human queen Amorette, held by Pudding, and the half-demon Demon King candidate Orakeru, watched over by Oracle, played happily together. It was heartwarming.

Also present were Pudding’s own son, Vermont, and Kaara’s son, Kaaru, making for a lively gathering of children. Unintentionally, it had become a meeting confirming the union between demons and humans.

「Congratulations on the establishment of the Holy Steriana Queendom. I must say, we’re incredibly grateful to you for taking on those stubborn Holy Liliella Church members.」

That was Knight Commander Barland.

The Holy Steriana Queendom’s formation had come as a major relief to Abysspania, which had ceased to be a theocracy.

「Barland, I’ve heard about it, but was it really that bad?」 「I hate to say this, but the fanaticism of the old Liliella Church priests borders on madness. There was a real fear of civil war breaking out.」

The Liliella clergy, having been exiled to the Abyss Continent, had remained staunchly faithful over a thousand years. Even when the demons took Presidio’s capital, subjugated and oppressed them, and even sent them to camps where their lives were at risk, they had never abandoned their faith.

Their dedication was certainly admirable, but this new era of unity between demons and humans was something they could not easily accept. When they heard that the Holy Mother Steriana was establishing a holy city in Dagon’s wastelands, they eagerly took up hoes and left to cultivate the land.

「Better they work fanatically in the wilderness than start a rebellion.」

「Absolutely.」

「Ria, I’m leaving the Liliella followers to you. You’re the best person for the job.」

「Me? Well, if Takeru asks me, I’ll do it by all means.」

It’s best to entrust matters of faith to an expert. Furthermore, the Holy Mother’s Army, led by Nicholas, which is exploring the Abyss Continent’s uncharted lands, will also fall under Ria’s new holy nation.

In short, all the troublesome issues had been assigned to the Holy Steriana Queendom. After all, these problems had persisted for a thousand years.

It would likely take another hundred years to fully resolve this situation, but there’s no harm in taking things slowly.

In truth, Ria could stand to face a bit more hardship. However, I do worry that her successor—likely her daughter Ruana, if bloodline matters—will have a difficult time.

I wouldn’t want my descendants, after all, to be unduly burdened. To ensure the Holy Steriana Queendom receives due support in the future, I should specify a clause in the Abyss Continental Federation’s charter.

「The future of the Abyss Continent…」

If this federation meeting continues to function well and we foster robust exchange between the Yura and Abyss Continents, we may eventually merge the federations and create an international alliance. Ideally, the alliance’s headquarters would be here in Times Square, though the way things are going, it could very well end up in the royal capital, Silesie.

In any case, that’s a long way off.

Most likely, this vision will only come to fruition once Queen Amorette and Orakeru—currently playing together so innocently—have grown up.

It’s my duty to ensure a brighter future for them.

The responsibility feels heavy.

「With Sawatari Takeru, the King General of the Silesie Kingdom, Arbiter of the Goddess of Chaos, and Champion of the Goddess of Creation, presiding as mediator, the four nations that govern the Abyss Continent hereby declare their union under a federation charter, pledging to work toward the harmony and cooperation between demons and humans, and to achieve everlasting peace!」

Damons, the Sea Emperor, who presided as the host of this federation meeting, signed the charter first.

「As representatives of the newly founded Abysspania Queendom, we have no objections. Though demons and humans have known unfortunate wars in the past, we vow to respect each other’s position for the sake of future generations.」

Barland, the representative of the new Abysspania Queendom, declared, signing the document and shaking hands with Damons.

Following him, the representatives of the remaining two nations, Kaara and Ria, also signed.

Finally, as the mediator, I added my own signature, officially enacting the Abyss Continental Federation Charter.

With that, the Abyss Continent’s affairs had finally been settled.

Afterward, we were scheduled to relax over a meal, mingling freely. Since it had been a while since I’d seen Barland or Damons, I wanted to hear what they’d been up to lately.

But then, things got noisy outside the meeting hall.

「A young woman’s voice?」

I could feel the dread creeping in.

「There he is! Sawatari Takeru-sama himself!」 「Kyaa! Look this way!」

What the heck?

From the doorway, young ladies—both human and demon—dressed in opulent gowns peeked inside.

「They’ve been clamoring for a chance to meet you, Your Majesty King General.」

「Oh dear, the daughters of noble demon families caused quite a stir on my end too… A few noblewomen came along, eager to be introduced to Asama’s Hero.」

Both Damons and Barland sure know how to cause me trouble.

If they keep this up and I end up with more wives, they’ll have a lot to answer for.

「Listen, I appreciate it, but if you look around, you’ll see—I’ve got all the women I can handle already.」

「I sincerely apologize for the disturbance, Your Majesty King General. I understand your reluctance completely, but as you know, my recent position as Sea Emperor following the fall of Times’s royal family is tenuous, and I still struggle to rein in the powerful noble families.」

Damons wore the attire of the Sea Emperor, complete with a golden crown and resplendent robes. The Korang family may have been the second-highest noble house in the former Kingdom of Times, but it was no easy task to gain the compliance of the other powerful demon clans.

I suppose he wants to bring them over to meet me during the gathering to curry favor with them, and I can’t say I don’t understand his reasoning.

Barland probably faces a similar situation.

Such are the ways of a nation bound by nobility.

「I understand your situation, but still…」

To be honest, dealing with young women I don’t know makes me a bit uncomfortable.

While I hesitated to leave the meeting room, Kaara strode over to the door, raised her hand with a swift motion—

And unleashed a powerful shockwave that blew away the terrace, shattering the glass windows. Not only that, the shockwave went even further and detonated with a loud bang.

From the castle, we could see that the great fortress walls surrounding Times Square, the largest in the world, had been destroyed, leaving a gaping hole.

Hey, we just finished restoring those!

「You noisy young ladies! If you think yourselves fit to approach Nation’s Father, then as his highest-ranking mage, I will put you through a trial worthy of that title—one that won’t kill you, of course. So, who’s first?」

The noble girls screamed and fled as Kaara, radiating deadly intent, sent them running.

「Hey, Kaara, that was a bit much.」

Kaara gave a deep, respectful bow.

「My apologies. But I couldn’t just stand idly by. If I let girls like that, driven by greed and social climbing, near you, I would be scolded by Her Majesty Silhouette.」

「Though, if that’s the case, how did Hydra pass the trial?」

Hydra is practically the embodiment of ambition, clearly after status.

「Hydra serves you with her life on the line, Nation’s Father. Any woman with such resolve is acceptable.」

「I see.」

That makes sense somehow. Hydra’s determination is indeed intense, even if it’s fueled by her hunger for power.

Seeing Damons, who stood dumbfounded at the destruction of his castle and beloved walls, Kaara offered him a polite apology.

「My apologies, Sea Emperor Damons. I’ll restore what I’ve destroyed with magic.」

I scolded Kaara in front of Damons and the others, but secretly, I wanted to thank her. If my harem expanded any further, I’d be in real trouble…

「Oh? I see there are still a few ladies remaining. Are you not afraid of me?」

Kaara’s voice held a note of curiosity. After the noble girls had fled, two women remained seated, looking shaken.

One was a gentle-looking human woman, slightly older, while the other was a young girl with dark purple hair and two horns. Judging by her grayish skin, she seemed to be half-demon.

「Ano… we just wanted to say a word of thanks to King General-sama…」

The girl with purple hair began, trembling under Kaara’s intense glare, but at that moment, Sea Emperor Damons dashed over to the pair, panic-stricken.

「Seira! Cecily! Why are you here? Please, hold on—these are my family!」

He pleaded with Kaara, practically begging her not to kill them.

Given Kaara’s display, his desperation was understandable.

Quickly introducing them, Damons explained that the human woman with light brown hair was his wife, Seira Korang, and the girl with dark purple hair was their daughter, Cecily Korang.

「So, this is the first time we’ve met, but these are Damons’ family members.」

Because of his beloved human wife, Damons had been willing to cooperate with me. In a way, these two were benefactors of mine as well.

After the introduction, I shook hands with both Seira and Cecily, who each expressed their gratitude.

「Not only my father but also we owe you our lives. Thank you so much!」

Both women were beautiful, with deep blue eyes reminiscent of the vast ocean. It was clear why Damons was so devoted to them.

「Well, you both helped me out, too, so let’s just say we’re even.」

When I said that, the mother and daughter exchanged puzzled looks.

Without Damons’ human wife and his half-demon daughter, I might never have secured his cooperation.

By helping Damons’ family, I’d gained a powerful ally. There’s truth in the saying, ‘An act of kindness is never wasted.’

「These two show promise. Why not invite them to Nation’s Father’s harem?」

Kaara proposed, quite shockingly.

She was talking about the both of them, which would surely anger Damons, especially with his wife included.

Though even if it was only his daughter, Damons would still object; he’s deeply devoted to his family.

「It would be an honor if you were to accept my daughter.」

Seira, the mother, said, looking pleased.

「What are you saying, Seira? It’s too soon! Cecily is still a child!」

「Oh, she’ll be fifteen soon. She won’t be a child forever, you know.」

「Wait… just hold on a moment…」

Just as things veered sharply into a marriage proposal, Pudding, Amorette’s nurse maid, suddenly entered, carrying Queen Amorette.

「Well, if Damons’ family is going to join the Hero’s harem, could I also put forth someone from our side?」

「Pudding, what are you saying all of a sudden?」

Pudding’s abrupt suggestion even left Knight Commander Barland visibly baffled. Who exactly was she talking about?

「Fufufu, I believe you know them, Hero-sama. Our ladies-in-waiting.」

Blonde Miya, blue-haired Meya, and black-haired Neya. The trio of young attendants who serve Queen Amorette.

They’d been present at the meeting all along, remaining silent and unnoticeable in the background, though their silence had actually made them all the more conspicuous.

Of course, I know them. We’ve even bathed together before. But is she really suggesting sending these three my way?

「They’re Queen Amorette’s attendants, aren’t they?」

「Yes. But they aren’t ordinary maids. Each has noble Abysspania lineage and has mastered the etiquette, education, and combat skills necessary to serve closely beside Her Majesty.」

「If that’s the case, wouldn’t they be better off staying with the Queen?」

Their loyalty lay with the Queen, after all. It might be against their wishes to leave her and join me.

「I am here to serve Her Majesty, and we do have many other attendants for the palace. Ladies, wouldn’t you like to be with the Hero-sama?」

At Pudding’s prompting, the three ladies-in-waiting answered in unison,

「「「Yes, Pudding-sama.」」」

「Well, but…」

They’d naturally say that, especially with Pudding, their head nurse maid, asking them, but I wonder how they actually feel about it. I shot a pleading look at Barland, urging him to intervene. He responded with a wide-eyed expression as if asking, ‘Me?’ and nervously glanced around.

Yes, you’re the only one here, Barland! Always under the heel of your young wife, as usual.

「Hero, Miya and the others are of age now. Ideally, we should have considered their futures sooner, but the war delayed us. It would be a shame for them to miss out on the joys of womanhood and let their youth pass unfulfilled.」

「Are you suggesting I should be the one to show them those ‘joys’?」

Teaching these maids, who’ve known only duty, about the ‘joys of womanhood’ seems like an impossibly high hurdle. Pudding took my hand in her soft grasp, imploring me earnestly.

Ah, this pushiness…

No wonder even a veteran knight-captain like Barland’s under her thumb.

Incidentally, Miya, with blonde hair, was twenty-three, Meya, the blue-haired one, was twenty-four, and Neya, the black-haired one, was twenty-five. They’re still young to me, but in this harsh fantasy world, adulthood starts at fifteen, so apparently, they’re feeling a bit pressured.

「Well, how about a compromise, then? Perhaps they could serve as the Hero-sama’s palace attendants. They’ve been dedicated to Her Majesty for a long time, and a change of scenery might be good for them.」

Not sure where she’s finding compromise in that, but it sounds like we’re calling this ‘exchange of personnel’. I suppose a little outside exposure could be good for them.

「Alright, fine, that sounds reasonable.」

「Fufufu……Besides, they could also make some playmates for Her Majesty.」

Did I hear that right? I’ll just pretend I didn’t.

「Would it be possible to send my daughter Cecily to the King General-sama as well?」

Seira, Damons’ wife, asked hopefully. Meanwhile, Damons, next to her, was waving his fist and yelling, ‘No! Absolutely not! I won’t allow it!’

「Well, Nation’s Father, why don’t we invite Cecily-sama as an honored guest? If we’re inviting Abysspanian ladies-in-waiting, that would keep things balanced.」

That was Kaara’s suggestion, but it ultimately depended on Cecily’s wishes. When I glanced over, Cecily clasped her hands and knelt before me, smiling.

「I would love to visit Silesie Kingdom. I want to express my gratitude to you, as well.」

「There’s no need to be so formal. Think of it as a little sightseeing trip.」

「Thank you so much!」

「It’s too soon! Cecily’s not ready for marriage!」

「Dear… just come with me for a moment.」

The fuming Damons was then pulled aside by his wife, Seira.

「Hero-sama, the banquet preparations are ready in the next room.」

The three ladies-in-waiting had been as diligent as ever; they’d set up the banquet table in the room adjacent to the council chamber. This town by the great port boasts some delicious fish dishes, and the spread looked tantalizing.

「This is a joyous celebration, Hero-sama.」

「Ah, let me pour you a drink!」

Cecily offered, reaching to pour me a drink.

Taking the cup Cecily filled, I drank it down. This local specialty from the port of Times Square was fermented from citrus fruits.

It had a hint of tartness with a refreshing, fruity flavor. And thankfully, it wasn’t too strong.

「One more thing: as I’ve said multiple times, Cecily is coming as a guest, and Miya and the others are part of a personnel exchange with the royal palace, alright?」

「Yes, yes, of course, we understand. Here, Hero-sama, let me feed you some fish.」

The fish stew’s gelatinous texture was delightfully tender. Though I missed having sashimi, this wasn’t bad at all.

「Oh, Hero-sama, you’re doing so well! Now try some of my fish.」

Meya said, and before I knew it, the other attendants and Cecily were taking turns serving me food and pouring me drinks.

Surrounded by the three ladies-in-waiting and Cecily, I eventually found myself eating and drinking far more than intended.