Chapter 22: Everyday Life in the Ultimate Kingdom Part 1


What's going on ladies and gentlemen; boys and girls; Ultimates of all ages?! It's wesst1 back again, once again and today, oh reader, mine, today, we embark on the Summer Vacation Arc!

I'm happy to say that the Novoselic trip won in the reviews, so we'll be heading there first. I know, Danganronpa S came out recently, as of this author's note and we see all the characters in their swimsuits, I should do something with that. I will, I promise. But I'm kind of glad I'm doing this first.

Now, people have warned me about biting off more than I can chew with the Student Council and how awkward things will get if I include Hiroko. I get that, I really do. That was part of why I didn't want to include them at first. I'm going to see if I can include them naturally as opposed to forcing them in just because.

But this isn't why anyone is here. You're here to read about some harem-y goodness in Novoselic! So, without any further delay…on with the story!

Edited 03/12/2022

A helpful guest reviewer pointed out a grievous error on my part. I forgot to include Monaca in with the Naegi family. So, while not much changes, I hope you will all still re-read the chapter, or at least the beginning parts to see how Monaca is fitting in with her new family. And please feel free to tell me in the reviews that I am a dumbass. I absolutely deserve it this time for forgetting a major part of the story.

Oh, one last note, I realize that this probably doesn't need to be said, I know my readers are the some of the smartest on this site, but just in case, when people are speaking the language of Novosleic, I decided to put those words in brackets.

Anyway, please enjoy.


The sun had just risen on the Naegi home when Naegi Makoto awoke for the day. Finals had ended two weeks ago, and Hope's Peak had let out for summer break. That isn't to say Naegi hadn't been busy looking out for his friends, he had helped move Pekoyama and Kirigiri into an apartment nearby and had to set Owari's family up with meals for the for next couple of days while Owari was at a foreign gymnastics' competition.

Speaking of being out of the country, Sonia-senpai is going to be here this morning to take me to Novoselic, Naegi remembered as he fully woke up. Not just him of course, Tanaka and Souda were going to be honored in Novoselic too.

Not that Naegi's family remembered that part, once they heard an actual princess was coming things had gotten a little crazy. Mr. Naegi had gone overboard buying snacks for when Sonia arrived while Mrs. Naegi had spent so much time cleaning up that even the furniture had begun to sparkle. Komaru meanwhile had secluded herself in her room and had begun making a list to decide whether she wanted an idol or a princess as a big sister. Naegi could still hear her in her room.

"Sayaka-chan is a famous idol, but Princess Sonia is, well, a princess. Instead of being related to someone famous, I could become part of a royal family."

I think they all have the wrong idea about what's happening, Naegi thought.

As for his newest sister, Monaca, well, Monaca wasn't as thrilled.

Since Naegi had told his family about, he had not seen Monaca without her cheeks puffed out in a pout. While Komaru had gotten over the idea of her brother having a, or when she let her imagination run wild, many girlfriends, particularly the famous ones, Monaca had picked favorites early on and she refused to budge.

"Makoto-onii-chan should be spending time with Junko-onee-chan! Or even Hiyoko-onee-chan and Celes-onee-chan! Not running off with some princess who acts like she lives in some fantasy world!" Monaca exclaimed.

"Monaca-chan, we can't live your brother's life for him. If he has his heart set on Princess Sonia, we should support him," Mrs. Naegi told her new daughter.

Yeah, they definitely have the wrong idea, Naegi thought.

Breakfast had done nothing to change Naegi's mind as he saw his family dressed in formal attire.

"Koto-kun, don't you think you're a bit under dressed?" Mrs. Naegi asked.

"Sonia-senpai really wants people to treat her like a normal girl, though. I don't…" Naegi's explanation was interrupted when the whole family heard not just a car, but an entire motorcade pull up and stop outside the house.

*Knock, knock!*

"I'll get it!" Naegi said as the rest of his family panicked.

"She's here. She's here. She's here!" Mr. and Mrs. Naegi repeated while Komaru froze up and Monaca frowned.

Naegi opened the door and saw Sonia with her guards, wearing the same dress and tiara she had worn at the opening of the embassy. So much for my case for keeping this casual. Ah well, that quirkiness is part of Sonia-senpai's charm, Naegi thought. Naegi handled this well though, as he greeted his guests, "Hello Senpai. Hello everyone. Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, please! Make yourselves at home. It might not be much, but we hope you'll be comfortable," Mrs. Naegi called. She and the rest of her family had regained their composure and had joined Naegi at the front door.

"Mother! Father! Komaru-chan! Monaca-chan! I'm so happy to finally meet you!" Sonia said, her voice full of excitement.

"The pleasure is all ours your Highness," Mr. Naegi said before he bowed. Mrs. Naegi and the girls followed his example and curtsied for their guest. Their week of practicing Western greetings had not gone to waste!

"Please, there is no need for formalities. You are, after all, Darling's family, I feel close to you already," Sonia told them, although she gave a deep bow just the same.

"'Darling'?" Mrs. Naegi questioned as she looked at her son.

"Yes! My hero will finally be honored by my people. My parents have been longing to meet Darling, just I have been longing to meet you, Mother," Sonia explained with a dreamy expression.

The Neagi family was not ignorant of what had happened at the Novoselic Embassy, nor were they ignorant of any of Naegi's exploits. Being the "Darling" of the crown princess of Novoselic though, that was news. While Komaru and Mrs. Naegi attempted to invite Sonia in and ask for more details, Mr. Naegi gave his son a proud look and a thumbs up. Naegi was sure he heard his father whisper, "That's my boy!"

"Thank you for having me!" Sonia exclaimed as she and her entourage entered the Naegi home.

"Wait, Senpai, what about the flight?" Naegi asked.

"Fear not my Darling, I came early just to get to know your family. Even so, our flight will not is scheduled to leave several hours from now to compensate for the time difference," Sonia explained.

Naegi understood that, but he hoped that Souda and Tanaka didn't get to the airport too early and have to wait.


Meanwhile

At Tanaka's home, the breeder had been hard at work, tending to his animals. When the escort from Novoselic arrived, he had somehow managed to put them to work when he discover that they still had time to kill.

"Have any of you received a sign from your goddess?" Tanaka would occasionally ask.

"We still have time. Her Highness has not left for the airport yet, Tanaka-dono," they would answer.

As for Souda, he had left as soon as his escort had arrived, hoping to spend as much time with Sonia as he could and had been waiting on the private plane for hours.

"SONIA-SAN! Did you forget about me!" Souda wailed as tears streamed down his face.

The Novoselic guards were usually patient, but they couldn't help but beg Sonia's personal escort to hurry up so they could hopefully get some quiet.


When Sonia's guards began to push the issue and remind her of proper Novoselic etiquette, Sonia reluctantly said goodbye to the Naegi family, but not before gifting them more Novoselic wine and chocolate than they could ever hope to finish.

"Mother, Father, Komaru-chan, Monaca-chan, I will come back to visit as soon as I can," Sonia said almost tearfully.

"Sonia-onee-chan, come back soon. And please take care of Onii-chan. He can be kind of a pain and a bit of a mother hen at times, but he is my only brother," Komaru said as she hugged Sonia tightly.

"I will return as soon as I am able, Komaru-chan! It will be hard, but thoughts of my precious little sisters shall sustain me," Sonia cried.

"Oh no, don't trouble yourself on our account," Monaca said in a faux sweet tone.

"Our new daughter is so sweet. Girls, learn all you can from your new sister," Mrs. Naegi said.

"Wait, I think we've skipped a few steps here. When did…?" Naegi began, before he felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

"That's my boy!" Mr. Naegi said with pride.

Deciding retreat was his best option, Naegi told himself, Just let them have their fun, Makoto, you're not going to win this one.

The tearful, and strange, if you asked Naegi, good-byes came to an end and soon he and Sonia arrived at the airport. They met up with Tanaka, who, thanks to his Novoselic escorts arrived thirteen minutes earlier, and boarded the private jet. There, they met an irate Souda, who had been waiting for over three hours.

"SONIA-SAAAAN! I've been waiting for hours! Why are you so late?" Souda asked.

"In fairness, Souda-sama Her Highness can't be late for a plane that won't leave without her," one of Sonia's guards pointed out.

As expected, that did not help Souda feel better, in fact, his tears flowed stronger than ever.

From one strange scene to another, that's pretty much what you get as a student of Hope's Peak Academy, Naegi thought as realized his departure and arrival both involved lots of tears for very strange reasons. I at least hope things have calmed down at home, Naegi thought as a stewardess attempted to get Souda to calm down.


Back at the Naegi household, Naegi Monaca still hadn't gotten over the fact that her perfect brother had run off with some gaijin. After screaming into a pillow, she took out her phone and called her favorite big sister candidate.

"Junko-onee-chan, how can you let some airhead princess get ahead of you like this?"" Monaca asked.

"..."

"What's all that noise in the background?"

"..."

"You 'can't talk because' you're where?" Monaca asked.

"..."

"Oh, that changes things! Have a good time then," Monaca said as she hung up. Monaca had a smile on her face for the first time in a week as she said to herself, "I hope Makoto-onii-chan enjoys his surprise."


The flight was much quieter than Naegi had been expecting. Souda spent much of it pouting while Tanaka had spent it reading up about the strange fauna of Novoselic. Sonia and Naegi were the only ones who really spoke to each other.

"My people will love to meet you, Darling! Mother and Father say that the Royal Guard wishes to know your secrets. And stories of your bravery are already being taught to the children of Novoselic," Sonia told Naegi.

"I'm flattered," Naegi said, before thinking, I really hope they aren't too disappointed by the real me.

Just then, the pilot's voice was heard, announcing, "We will be landing shortly. Please return your seats to the upright position and fasten your seatbelts."

Naegi took a deep breath as he thought, Here we go, my first trip outside of Japan. I wish everyone else could have come. At least Sonia-senpai, Tanaka-senpai, and Souda-senpai are here.

It seemed that all of Novoselic was excited for Sonia's return if the crowd at the airport was anything to go by. Even early in the morning, they had come out in force. The banners, guards, and a cheering public left no doubt in the minds of Sonia's guests that she was beloved by her people.

"[Princess Sonia!]"

"[Welcome home!]"

"[You look more beautiful every time we see you, Your Highness!]"

"[Greetings everyone!]" Sonia responded with a wave and a radiant smile. "[As you can see, I have returned with the heroes from our embassy!]"

The crowd's cheers, which had been directed at Sonia were soon directed at Naegi, Tanaka, and Souda. Souda seemed to be enjoying the attention, but Tanaka and Naegi both seemed more than a little uncomfortable. It was over soon enough though as thanks to the Zodiac Generals, the group's next stop was customs.

Thankfully, Tanaka had come prepared for this as he pulled out medical records for all 12 of the Generals. "The blood seal on these documents proves that my familiars are free of curses, hexes, and demonic possession," he told the customs agents.

It took a while, but the translator the agents called was able to make them understand. As the group was leaving, they heard someone yelling, "GIVE ME BACK MY JERKY!"

"That voice sounds familiar," Naegi said.

"OWARI WILL YOU JUST GIVE THE MAN THE DAMN MEAT! YOU CAN GET MORE LATER!" another familiar voice screamed.

"Owari? Then that means…" Sonia began as she opened the door to the office next to the one they had just exited. Sure enough, Owari Akane and Nidai Nekomaru were inside. A customs agent was in the process of trying to confiscate some of Owari's snacks and Nidai was in the process of trying to get Owari to leave the office peacefully. In the middle of this was Owari herself, grabbing onto whatever heavy object was within reach to keep Nidai from separating her from her precious food.

Hoping to resolve the situation, Naegi didn't waste any time. "Owari-senpai, I'll buy you whatever you want later, but the people here are just doing their jobs."

Owari looked and saw who said that. With a shout of, "Naegi-kun!" she wiggled out of Nidai's grasp and tackled the lucky student. "Did you come to cheer me on?" Owari asked happily.

"I didn't expect your competition to be in Novoselic, but I will," Naegi said as he laid flat on his back.

"Owari-san, welcome to my homeland. I had no idea you were going to be here," Sonia said stiffly. She hadn't planned on this. Darling and I were supposed to get closer during this trip! The other girls were not supposed to be here. Calm down. If it is only Owari-san, I can handle it, Sonia told herself.

"Hello everyone!" another familiar, and female, voice called out.

Sonia was glad no one could hear her thoughts at that moment.

"[Is that Junko Enoshima?]" Some of the passersby asked.

"[Yes, it is I! Blessed with an adorable face and a perfect body, I am] Enoshima Junko-chan!" Enoshima said, in perfect Novoselian as she struck a pose.

"Are all of our peers in Novoselic now?" Souda asked.

"No, just a few of us. Muku-nee and I ran into them when earlier. Muku-nee and I took a European vacation for old time's sake, but her past in Fenrir means she's getting questioned right now.

"How many more of our dark army have come to this land?" Tanaka asked.

"There's one with her family behind you," Enoshima pointed out. The group turned and saw…

"Koizumi-senpai!" Naegi shouted with a wave.

"N-naegi-kun!? What is he-? O-oh, right, those three are being honored by the royal family," Koizumi remembered in response to her own question.

"Naegi-kun? Is that him? He is a cutie, Mahiru-chan," Mrs. Koizumi told her daughter. Turning to Naegi, Mrs. Koizumi said, "Hello, I'm Koizumi Ryuko, but please call me 'Mom'! Mahiru-chan talks about you all the time.

"Mahiru-chan, no dating until you're my age," Mr. Koizumi said.

Koizumi turned scarlet and said to her parents, "Mom! Dad! You're embarrassing me!"

"I would advise you not to raise your voice then. It will only draw more attention to you," a calm voice told Koizumi.

"Celes-chan? What are you doing here?" Koizumi asked. As if I didn't already know, the redhead thought as she cast a side glance in Naegi's direction.

"Sonia-senpai would often talk about her castle, I wanted to see it for myself. I'm not sure if I mentioned this to you, but my dream is to have a castle of my own," Celes answered. Although I'm more than happy to replace my vampire butlers for my S-Rank vampire lord, Celes added in her mind.

"I can't picture Naegi-kun with black hair, red eyes, or fangs, Celes-san," a teenage girl in a large hat with dark sunglasses said in what Celes and Koizumi thought was a poorly disguised voice.

"Celes-san and Maizono-san are here too? That's great! Being in a foreign land doesn't seem so bad when you're surrounded by familiar faces," Naegi said, his voice full of relief.

"Is it that obvious it's me?" Maizono asked in her normal voice, although it was tinged with nervousness at being widely recognized.

"We've spent so much time together that I would recognize you in any disguise, Maizono-san. I'm sure it would work on the general public," Naegi said. Realizing he risked Maizono's cover, he sheepishly added, "Provided I don't use your real name, of course. Sorry."

Maizono was busy blushing at the idea of her and Naegi being so close that he could recognize her in any disguise that she didn't really hear him. What she did hear was a question from Koizumi.

"What brings you to Novoselic, Sayak-ah, I mean, Saya-chan. Saya-chan works, right?"

"Oh, well, Sonia-senpai told me that my group has a massive following in Novoselic. So, the girls, Oumi-san, and I figured that it wouldn't hurt to do a show here. Show our appreciation for their support and all," Maizono explained.

"Follow the object of your affections to a European country under the guise of work, that sort of thing," Celes added in a whisper.

Maizono didn't respond in words, she just puffed up her cheeks in a pout. Soon, the group was joined by Sonia, Tanaka, Souda, Nidai, Owari, Ikusaba, and Enoshima. As everyone exchanged pleasantries, they noticed that the focus in the airport had split between Sonia and a new arrival.

"What's going on? Did another princess show up?" Owari asked.

Enoshima put her analytical skills to work and figured out what was happening. "I wouldn't let him hear you say that. Well, I would because it would piss him off, but it's not a princess. Just a teenager with a god complex."

"Togami-kun's here too?" Naegi asked, before feeling ashamed that Togami was his first guess given Enoshima's description.

Enoshima didn't answer. She didn't need to; Togami recognized the group and came over to let them bask in his presence.

"Amazing. I knew I would be dealing with Princess Sonia, but I hadn't expected so many of you commoners to be here too," Togami, sort-of, greeted. It got a rise out of Souda, but the rest brushed it off as Togami being Togami.

Naegi calmly asked, "Expanding the Togami Conglomerate after your acquisition of the Towa Group, Togami-kun?"

"My, you do catch on quickly, Naegi. Are you sure you won't reconsider my offer?" Togami asked.

"I won't say no, but I can't agree to being your secretary just yet," Naegi responded.

"You won't get a better offer anywhere else," Togami told him.

"Is this…banter?" Koizumi asked.

"Weird right? I never could have predicted this. Togami-kun was the last person I would think would have friends," Enoshima answered. I believe the English have a saying involving a pot and a kettle that seems appropriate here, Junko-chan, Ryoko pointed out.

"I can hear you," Togami told them with a glare.

Deciding to take control of the situation, Sonia suggested, "Let us all go and meet my parents. Then I shall give you all a tour of our capital and all of our famous spots."

"Yeah!" the group of teenagers and adults shouted. The sole exception being Togami, he simply gave a dignified nod.


Cobain, Novoselic

The Royal/Togami Motorcade left the airport once the group met up with Maizono's idol group as well as Togami's butler, Aloysius Pennyworth, and his sister/secretary, Togami Shinobu. Most of the students and the adults were awestruck by the treatment they were receiving. The only ones in their element seemed to be Togami's group. The idols, Enoshima, and even Celes weren't exactly strangers to luxury, but this went far beyond anything they'd experienced.

Being treated as VIPs was only part of the reason that so many in the group were so quiet. The other reason was what awaited them at the end of the trip. Attending high school with a princess from Europe was rare enough, but none of the students or adults who came independently of Sonia or Togami's groups ever expected to be invited to meet the king and queen of Novoselic.

The thought of meeting royalty was getting to a few of the guests as Musume Yumi, a young girl with orange hair and a member of Maizono's group began to panic and cried, "You can let me out here, I can find the hotel! I'm not ready for something this huge!"

"Calm down, Yumi-chan! Everything will be fine. Right Sayaka-chan?" Kazumi Eiko, a girl with long brown hair in a ponytail asked Maizono.

"Of course, it will girls," Maizono said simply. If she was honest, she didn't know what to expect. What would this mean for her and her group? How did the royal family feel about idols? Would they cancel the show if Maizono and the girls made a bad impression?

The other members of Maizono's group must have possessed intuition similar to Maizono's because Aoba Satomi asked, "Sayaka-chan, are you nervous too?"

Haneyama Ayaka, the final member of Maizono's group said, "We didn't have to come to Novoselic right away. We could have done this whenever we wanted during summer break. Sayaka-chan is the one who wanted come the same time as her bo-mmph!"

"Now, now, Ayaka-chan, it's not nice to make up stories," Maizono said in a faux sweet voice.

Oumi just massaged her temples and said to herself, "Next time, don't listen to the girls about scheduling.

Meanwhile, in Togami's limo, Togami himself was busy discussing business with his sister.

"Shinobu, I hear watermelon and curry are rare in this country, look into any spice and agricultural companies we own and see which one is best suited to get a foothold here!"

"Yes, Byakuya-sama," Shinobu responded.

"This country wants to host the Olympic Games, we must be sure one of our construction companies is contracted to build the facilities!"

"Yes, Byakuya-sama."

"There are not amusement parks in this country, it's an untapped market that the Togami Conglomerate will be the first to tap!"

"Yes, Byakuya-sama."

While this was going on, Souda was complaining to Tanaka about the travel arrangements, specifically, the fact that Naegi got to ride with the girls, and they didn't.

"I don't get it! What has he got that I don't?" Souda asked.

Tanaka and the Generals just looked uncomfortable, while Togami shot an annoyed look in Souda's direction.

"Is he going to be like this the whole trip?" Byakuya asked.

With a serious look on both of their faces, Shinobu and Aloysius said, "Yes, Byakuya-sama."

While that was going on in Byakuya's limo, Sonia's was about to receive good news.

"[Princess, we have arrived at the castle,]" the driver announced after a rather lengthy trip.

"[Excellent!]" Sonia replied, confusing her guests. While some of them, mostly the other students, had studied the language of Novoselic, none of them considered themselves fluent.

"The driver said that we've arrived at the castle," Naegi translated.

"That is correct, Darling! Our late nights of studying languages have 'totes' paid off," Sonia said happily.

Mrs. Koizumi leaned over to her daughter and whispered, "You have some competition, Mahiru-chan."

"Mom, you have no idea," Koizumi replied, confusing her mother. To answer he mother's unasked question, Koizumi pointed at the other girls, each one shooting an annoyed look in Sonia's direction.


The royal castle was small, and it definitely showed its age in spots, but it was clearly well maintained and still managed to exude a mixture of elegance and authority, much like the princess who called it home.

The inside was modernized but the aura of the building remained the same. The entrance way had all of the servants lined up in two rows and all bowed and exclaimed, "[Welcome home, Princess Sonia!]"

[I'm home, everyone!]" Sonia responded with equal enthusiasm.

Sonia had not been actively trying to impress anyone, but between the servants and the castle, her guests were impressed all the same.

"Thank you for welcoming us into your beautiful home, Princess Sonia," Mr. Koizumi said nervously.

"I thank all of you for coming to my home country," Sonia replied with a smile.

A male servant came forward and said, "[My apologies for interrupting, Your Highness, but the King and Queen are waiting.]

"[Thank you, Fyodor]," Sonia said with a nod. Turning to her guests, Sonia said, "Come everyone, my parents will be delighted to meet all of you."

Once the group arrived at the throne room, Sonia entered first, leaving the others waiting for permission to enter. While they were waiting, some of the others felt it would be a good idea to remind two particular members of their group about their manners.

"Owari-senpai, when we get in there, follow our lead. If we bow, you bow. If we kneel, you kneel," Celes said.

"Be respectful. Speaking out of turn can lead to trouble," Ikusaba added.

"Let's just be glad that she's not showing any cleavage," Maizono said.

"And Nidai-kun, please, don't swear or mention bowel movements," Koizumi begged.

"I think you have the wrong impression of me, Koizumi-san," Nidai said, sounding slightly insulted.

"You don't need to remind me of any of that, I know I'm dumb, but I'm not that dumb," Owari said in annoyance.

"No one thinks you're dumb, Senpai, I know I don't," Naegi said as he gave Owari's shoulder a reassuring squeeze eliciting a blush from the athletic girl. "Having said that, we do need to be on our best behavior, if we make a bad first impression then the King and Queen might not let Sonia-senpai come back to Japan," Naegi added.

The girls were, to their shame, tempted by that idea, but quickly pushed it aside. Removing a rival sounded appealing, but their competitive sides realized it would be a hollow victory.

Togami, however, had his own reasons for not upsetting the royal family. "That's all well and good, but I came to discuss expanding the Togami Conglomerate into Novoselic. As we're all students of Hope's Peak, I trust that none of you will do anything that will reflect poorly on me and sabotage my chances to network here," Togami said.

Before anyone could respond, the doors to the throne room opened again and someone who looked to be an attendant said, "Their majesties shall see you now."


Upon entering the throne room, the students and adults saw Sonia standing in front of people who were clearly her parents. Both had the same blonde hair and blue eyes, and given the regal aura of the man and the beauty and elegance of the woman, there was no room for doubt, they were now in the presence of King and Queen Nevermind.

King Nevermind was a large man whose beard when coupled with his hair made it look like he had a lion's mane. His eyes were serious, but his face showed little to no signs of the stress that must come with his station.

Queen Nevermind looked like an older version of her daughter. From her hair to her eyes to how she carried herself, the similarities were numerous. There was one thing she possessed that her daughter lacked, there was a look of the experience of life in her eyes that her more naïve daughter lacked.

As soon as the group was directly behind her, Sonia said, "[Mother, Father, I present my friends from school in Japan and a few of their families]."

King Nevermind stood up, and action he had somehow managed to make look imposing, before he rushed toward his daughter's peers and greeted them all with vigorous handshakes. "Hello honored guests from Japan! My name is Levushka Nevermind! The vision on the other throne is my wife, Queen Tonya Nevermind. As the king, I welcome you to our homeland and I hope to one day visit your beautiful land myself!" King Levushka exclaimed happily.

The guests weren't expecting that. The lion of a king now seemed more like a pussycat. Not that the guests minded, if anything it helped the more nervous among them relax.

"Dear, I believe Sonia would like to introduce her friends before anything else," Queen Tonya suggested.

"Right you are, Dearest, as always. Sonia, my daughter, please proceed," King Levushka said as he calmed down.

"Yes. I have shown you their pictures before, so I believe that you already recognize Nidai Nekomaru, Owari Akane, Koizumi Mahiru, Tanaka Gundham, and Souda Kazuichi," Sonia began as she pointed to each of her friends, who each gave a respectful bow. "The adults with Koizumi-san are her parents Ryuko and Kota." Again, those introduced bowed.

"Yes, Sonia has told us about her classmates, she speaks so highly of all of you," King Levushka said.

"Oh, I must not forget the Twelve Zodiac Generals," Sonia mentioned as twelve hamsters popped out of Tanaka's coat.

"Aren't they just the most adorable little creatures," Queen Tonya commented, causing the Generals to blush.

Sonia then pointed to each of her underclassmen in turn while introducing them, "My underclassmen and new friends are Ludenberg Celestia, Ikusaba Mukuro, and Enoshima Junko."

"Ah yes, you've mentioned these three as well. A pleasure to meet all of you," the king said as the girls bowed or in Celes's case, curtseyed.

"Maizono Sayaka is here with her idol group as well as their manager," Sonia said.

This time it was Queen Tonya who spoke. "I'm looking forward to your show, girls. I know our people will love it!"

The idols looked both flattered and nervous to hear that, none more than their manager, Oumi.

"Togami Byakuya, his sister Shinobu and his butler Aloysius Pennyworth are here on business, but when we met at the airport, I couldn't help but invite them," Sonia explained.

"Ah yes. Our meeting is later today, but I am glad that we've met now," the king said.

"The pleasure is all ours, Your Majesty. I do hope this is the beginning of a beautiful and profitable relationship," Togami said.

"Yes, but there will be time for that later. And who is this young man?" King Levushka asked.

"This is Naegi Makoto, Novoselic's newest hero," Sonia introduced with pride.

"Naegi Makoto! Do you prefer Naegi-kun or may I call you Makoto?" King Levushka asked as he smothered the young boy in a bone-crushing hug, clearly still grateful for Naegi's actions at the embassy.

"Makoto is fine, Your Majesty. Thank you for having us!" Naegi's said with a slightly muffled voice.

"Levushka, I think you should let Young Makoto go now, he seems to be changing colors," Queen Tonya pointed out. It was true, King Levushka's was holding Naegi so tightly, that the boy was bent at an unnatural angle and struggling to breathe.

"Oh, yes, of course. So sorry, my boy. Never quite knew my own strength," the King apologized.

"*huff* No apology needed, Your Majesty, *puff*" Naegi wheezed.

"Well now, on behalf of the Kingdom of Novoselic, we bid all of you 'Welcome!" We hope that you will all…" King Levushka began.

"[Your Majesty, a word?]" a new voice asked. A man who resembled King Levushka walked into the throne room followed by a boy who looked to be in junior high.

"[Mavra, my dear brother, we have guests,]" King Levushka pointed out.

The man turned to the guests allowing them to get a better look at him. He still resembled King Levushka, but he seemed…darker, somehow. Dark circles under his eyes, darker blonde hair, and a more serious aura gave the impression of a man not to be trifled with. "Greetings, I am Duke Mavra Nevermind. With me is my son, Manic," the man said.

If he hadn't been introduced as Sonia's cousin and the son of a duke, none of the guests would have believed Manic had a drop of royal blood in him from his appearance. He seemed slightly bored, his posture wasn't like that of his royal relatives, and he must have inherited his looks from his mother. His eyes were black, and his hair was a bright green. The guests wondered if he had dyed it, but Naegi and some of the others knew that naturally green hair was a possibility. "Hey, how's it going? You all go to school with my cousin, huh? Thanks for looking out for her," Manic said.

"Manic, we are acting in an official capacity," Duke Mavra reminded his son.

"C'mon Dad, they're Sonia's guests, I think they're sufficiently impressed at this point," Manic said.

"Well, duty calls. Sonia, why not show our guests around the city. Take your cousin with you. I expect all of you to join us for dinner and to stay with us for the duration of your trip," King Levushka announced.

"Th-that's very generous of you, Your Majesty, but many of us have reservations at…" Mrs. Koizumi began.

"I shall take care of it, you will all be refunded or reimbursed. It is rare for us to have guests and many of you are in school with my daughter. I will not take no for an answer," the King said as his regal aura flared.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the guests exclaimed in unison.


The first stop on the tour of Cobain was a sight a few of the Japanese students were familiar with, but they never expected to see it in Novoselic.

"It's Akihabara!" Souda gasped.

"It's not official, but most people call it "Euro-Akihabara", to be exact. As Japanese pop culture gained popularity in Novoselic, we saw a lot off manga and anime shops opening up. Coincidentally, all those shops opened up in an area that also had a large number of electronics stores, and a good portion of the stores now devoted to anime and manga were devoted to Betamax, until Betamax was discontinued in 2002," Manic explained.

"It was the superior format, dammit!" Souda cried.

"Once cosplaying gained a foothold, maid cafes started to open and the area has been considered Euro-Akihabara ever since," Sonia finished for her cousin.

"What's that over there?" Kazumi asked as she pointed to an unfinished dome-like structure surrounded by construction equipment in the middle of the nearby plaza.

"Looks like a stadium of some kind," Haneyama said.

"Exactly!" Sonia confirmed, brightly. "We want to expand on athletics in Novoselic, but we would also like more reasons to attract live entertainment, as such we have constructed our own Cobain Dome to host both sporting and music events. I would be honored if your group would be the first to perform there when it is finished!"

The idols were flattered by the suggestion and Maizono said, "We'll definitely try, Senpai. I'm sure Oumi-san will be happy to give you the contact info for our agency."

While the idols were discussing their potential performance, Togami turned to his butler and said, "Find out who was contracted to build that, we need to scope out the competition if we want our construction firms to gain a hold here."

"Yes, Byakuya-sama," Aloysius said with a nod.

"I thought your sister was your secretary," Nidai said to Byakuya.

"She is, but she wanted to go shopping. I sent Naegi with her so she doesn't come back with something outrageous," Togami said.

"WHAT?!" Togami heard as he was surrounded by a group of angry girls. The girls didn't know Shinobu that well, but they didn't want Naegi with an attractive girl. "

"Her long, dark blue hair that rivaled Maizono's. Her figure that she is most certainly hiding. Her heterochromia and glasses don't hurt her cute factor. She is very much the cute secretary that is secretly a total knockout," Enoshima listed.

"This is serious. Junko-chan is narrating again," Ikusaba said, sounding worried.

"We're back, Togami-kun!" Naegi suddenly called, quelling the girls' fears.

"Naegi-kun, where did the two of you go?" Owari asked as she grabbed Naegi by the shoulders and shook him.

"S-s-s-s-shinobu-san knew exactly what she wanted f-f-from NCOS," Naegi stuttered out due to the shaking. Owari was shaking Naegi so hard that something fell off from under his bangs.

Koizumi picked up what had fallen off of Naegi and found it to be a sticker that looked like a one-yen coin. "A one-yen sticker? Did she just want stickers?" Koizumi questioned.

"Not exactly," Naegi said as he pointed at a girl in a maid outfit. Well, it was sort of a maid outfit. The girl had red-gold straight long hair. She wore an eyepatch over her left eye, while her right eye has an emerald color and target-mark on the pupil. Her accessories possessed military camouflage patterns and there was a cute sticker attached to a corner of her skirt with '1 yen' written on it. There was also a white gun she had holstered on her waist similar to how one would wear a sword. "Shinobu-san is apparently a fan of CZ2128 Delta," Naegi explained.

"Naegi, you had one job! Don't let her buy anything stupid," Togami yelled as his face turned red, more in annoyance than anger.

"A little on the nose, isn't it, Shinobu-sama?" Aloysius questioned.

Manic looked lost in thought before wondering aloud, "Doesn't CZ Delta put those 1-yen stickers on things she thinks are cute?"

Shinobu felt the multiple pairs of eyes trying to bore holes through her until Byakuya ordered her to change back into her normal clothes.


The next destination looked to be a cross between a school and a…military base? To say the guests were confused would be an understatement.

"Sonia-senpai, what exactly are we looking at? Is this a military school? A former base?" Celes asked.

"It's just a regular elementary school here in Novoselic. Ikusaba-san and Ryuko-san might find this interesting, but as some of you may already know, elementary schools in Novoselic teach a course on warfare, to the point where grade-school children can operate a tank," Sonia explained.

"It's no exaggeration to say that everyone in the country can operate one," Manic added.

"Oh, I think I could teach these kids a thing or two," Ikusaba said, feeling pride in her talent for the first time in a while.

"You wouldn't make children fight in a war would you, Your Highness?" Mrs. Koizumi asked. As a war photographer, she had seen many things she wished she could unsee, and child soldiers were quite high on that particular list.

"Oh no, never. This tradition dates back to when Fortuna and Borginia were regularly invading Novoselic. There are old folk stories that state when their parents were too exhausted or too injured, the children of Novoselic would man catapults to repel the enemy forces. From then on, children were regularly trained in the art of warfare. In recent times and since Novoselic has enjoyed peace for many years, we do this more out of tradition than out of belief that it will be necessary," Sonia explained.

"That's a relief," Mr. Koizumi said quietly.

"Shall we go in? We should be in time for some of the summer supplemental courses today," Sonia suggested.

The offer was too interesting to decline, and soon the royal cousins and their guests were sitting in on a practical lesson in warfare.

"[Today, we will be going over the ins-and-outs of our very own N2000-21 Battle Tank. This behemoth has an automated fire and explosion suppression system; a state-of-the-art computerized fire control system for increased accuracy and rate of fire; and a main gun capable of handling a wide variety of ammunition. It weighs over sixty tons and has a top speed of just over 45 miles per hour]," the instructor said.

As Naegi translated, Ikusaba found herself more engrossed in the lesson.

"I remember that one. Reliable, perfect for whatever you need it for," Ikusaba added quietly.

"You've driven one, Ikusaba-san?" Naegi asked.

"Yes, my last year in Fenrir was when these babies first showed up on the battlefield," Ikusaba explained.

"Excuse me, Miss? I can't help noticing your tattoo, and then I believe I heard you say Fenrir. Would you like to add anything? I'm sure the children would appreciate the perspective of someone who has seen one of these beasts in action," the instructor asked.

"I-I can't really speak your language, Instructor-san," Ikusaba said, shyly. She had wanted to get away from her past as a soldier but being here was making it difficult. She couldn't deny she still found weapons fascinating.

"I'd be more than happy to translate for you," the instructor said.

"Go on, Muku-nee. Get a head start on telling kids war stories," Enoshima joked.

"It would be great to hear more from you Ikusaba-san. I for one would like to hear more about your time in Fenrir," Naegi added.

"Where should I start?" Ikusaba suddenly asked the instructor. If Naegi wanted to hear some of her war stories, who was she to say no?


After a few war stories and after each of them had a turn in the tank, the group went to a restaurant for lunch. The menu was mostly Novoselic with a few twists and while Sonia and Manic swore the food was delicious, some of the menu items still raised a few eyebrows.

"Creamed makango; skong sashimi; makango and dumpling soup, I'm curious, but I know so little about these creatures, I can't really say what sounds good," Maizono said.

"Says you, I'm getting one of everything if I can," Owari told her.

"I recommend the makango alfredo or the makango and skong surf n' sky," Manic suggested.

"Oh, so they're fish and poultry?" Koizumi asked.

Sonia nodded and said, "I can't blame any of you for not knowing. Makangos and skongs were once seen all across Europe, but…"

"Were they overhunted?" Celes asked.

"Quite the opposite really," Manic said.

"You mean, they don't have predators? Human or otherwise?" Mr. Koizumi asked.

"What dark power could cause a contradiction like that?" Tanaka wondered.

"Hopefully, we can show you, it's hard to explain if you can't see it for yourself," Manic explained.

The matter of makangos and skongs was put on hold after the orders were taken and didn't start back up again until after the food arrived. Owari was the first to take a bite. Instead of her usual ravenous eating method she stopped and said, "This tastes kind of…"

"We know. But it grows on you," Manic said.

"So, these 'makangos' and 'skongs' range from 'mediocre' to 'it's okay'?" Souda asked as he tried his makango stir-fry.

"If I had not tried the cuisine of other nations, I would take offense to that, but you are correct," Sonia sighed.

So, their meat isn't particularly good, but these animals died out in the rest of Europe. But they weren't hunted? What peculiar creature these must be, Ryoko said to Enoshima.

"As someone who was both homeless and someone who had to live off of military rations, I like it," Ikusaba said as she enjoyed her makango cacciatore.

"I have to agree, I'd like to try makango curry or makango nanban one day," Naegi said as he savored his makango and dumpling soup.

The others, except Enoshima, couldn't know, but Sonia considered that statement from Naegi a small victory. I knew my Darling would learn to love Novoselic cuisine. I am sure it is a sign, Sonia thought as she and the rest finished their meal.


After a few more stops, one of which was the national library, the group arrived at one of the local beaches. So as not to be swarmed by beach go-ers, the royal cousins led the group to a more secluded spot so that they could continue their tour in peace.

"As you can see, and feel, I would imagine, the beaches here in Novoselic have a mild climate and the when the wind blows, it is quite refreshing," Sonia said. As if on cue, the wind picked up and Sonia closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze.

"That's our Sonia-san, even the weather knows to listen to her!" Souda gushed.

"This place of light is pleasant even to a dark one such as myself," Tanaka noted.

Naegi agreed that it was a nice beach: the white sand; the relaxing sound of the waves; the nearby greenery; the weird little ball that came tearing out of the bushes right at him. Wait…what? Naegi thought as something small jumped into his arms. It was a small, chubby bird with an ahoge on its head. It had a large beak and large puffy cheeks and small eyes. The belly was covered in light feathers while the rest of its body was covered in darker feathers. It has two large feet supported by large talons with sharp claws. And at that moment, it was trying to bury itself in Naegi's hoodie.

"It's not often you see a makango act like that," Manic said.

"Oh, is this a makango?" Naegi asked.

"A young one, judging by this," Manic clarified as he pointed to the bird's ahoge.

"[Hey! Get back here you!]" a child's voice yelled. A group of children came running out of the nearby shrubbery. One child was carrying a bird with a very long ahoge, the parent of the one in Naegi's arms if Naegi and the other guests had to guess.

"[What is this about?] Naegi asked.

"[That makango hatched and just ran off,]" one boy explained.

"[We were playing with this one and after it laid its eggs, that one, out of all the ones that hatched, ran away,]" a girl clarified.

"[Playing with it? Hatched and ran off]?" Enoshima asked. Even with all of her analytical talents, she couldn't make sense of that.

Sonia took a break from translating for the others to explain. "Makangos multiply when frightened. One of the games in Novoselic involves scaring a makango and betting on how much it will multiply."

"[P-princess! W-we didn't see you there,]" a second little boy stammered.

"Why are they afraid of Sonia-senpai? Maizono asked.

"My cousin realizes that makango only multiply when scared, but she's made no secret that she finds some of the methods people employ to scare them to be cruel," Manic explained.

"[We were being good. We weren't going to hurt them,]" a second little girl told Sonia.

"[Go on little fella,]" a third little boy said as he put the adult makango down and patted it on the head. It soon ran off back into the bushes.

"Wait! What about your baby!" Naegi called after it.

"I think it imprinted on you, Naegi-kun," Mrs. Koizumi said as the young makango made no signs of wanting to leave or chase the adult.

By this time, Sonia had sent the children on their way and started to explain. "I believe that is part of it. However, makango don't really form bonds the way other birds do. You see, the makango possesses an unnatural reproductive ability, due to having immense number of predators long ago. You see, the makango itself was unable to defend itself from its natural predators. The makango adapted to these harsh environments by boosting its reproductive system in an immense phase through Parthenogenesis, meaning that the makango itself can not only produce eggs at an unnatural speed, but it can also produce an immense number in such a short time meaning that if the parent were to be devoured by a predator, it would already have hundreds, perhaps even millions of eggs laid and that hatch in an instant after being laid. Add to it, makango are ready to live on their own right after they hatch, which is fortunate for the parent bird considering it would be impossible to care for so many offspring."

"How does a bird like this die out in the rest of Europe if it can do that," Naegi asked as he looked the bird right in the eyes.

"You already know, it's because it tastes bad. Makango are so easy to raise and breed, it was known as the "King of all Domesticated Animals" and "The Bird which can be eaten for a 100 Million Years" long ago. However, since nobody, human or otherwise, enjoyed the makango's flavor it eventually died, despite its incredible longevity. As the makango's Parthenogenesis is initially triggered by fear of potential predator, the fact that the makango's taste drove away predators from it most likely caused most, if not all, of the makangos to die out through natural causes throughout the rest of Europe. And, of course, with no predator to trigger their reproductive capabilities, the makango did not reproduce at an unnatural rate, or at all," Manic explained.

"But it survived in Novoselic," Celes pointed out.

"Yes, we continued to eat it when Novoselic was isolated from the rest of the world. The makango is packed with nutrients, so it is an ideal food source, even if the flavor is undesirable. Out of necessity for our own survival, we learned to enjoy the taste. We continue to eat it out of tradition, even though there are options with better flavor," Sonia said.

"I don't necessarily agree, I kind of liked how it tasted. You won't have to worry about that though," Naegi said to the makango. "I doubt I can take you back to Japan, but as long as I'm in Novoselic, I can look after you."

"Miyo, miyo!" the makango called.


Before long, the group, with their new addition, had to return to the castle for Togami's meeting with the king. Rather than join Togami, Aloysius, and Shinobu in the joyous experience of paperwork, zoning permits, and contracts, the royal cousins showed the other guests around the castle.

After seeing the guest rooms, the dining room, and the gardens just to name a few locations, the guests couldn't help but notice something about the castle. It was Mr. Koizumi who voiced this particular thought.

"This castle is bigger on the inside," Mr. Koizumi noted.

"Everyone says that, unfortunately there's no time and relative dimensions in space involved. Just a matter of perspective. Wait until we show you the subterranean labyrinth, you'd be amazed at how large that is," Manic responded.

"A labyrinth?" Celes asked.

"Sounds a-maze-ing," a new voice attempted to joke.

"Hmm? Shinobu-san, is the meeting over?" Naegi asked.

"It just finished, Byakuya-sama wanted to go back to his room, so I have some free time. And the best way to spend free time is with my new best friend," Shinobu said as she placed a hand on Naegi's shoulder and flashed a peace sign.

The girls in the group said nothing but the sound of their teeth grinding in annoyance was heard by all those present. Meanwhile, somewhere in Japan, a peppy, happy, Ultimate Musician shuddered when Shinobu declared Naegi her best friend.

Attempting to diffuse the situation and steer the conversation back to its original topic, Mrs. Koizumi asked, "Was this labyrinth part of the dungeons?"

"Yes. King Eric the Depraved was a fan of tormenting…just about anyone, really. When the Nevermind family began to rule Novoselic it was used only for the worst criminals. Later on, it became a useful tool for fleeing our enemies. These days, we have been trying to make it a tourist attraction, but its location under the castle and with how easy it is to get lost have made that slightly difficult," Manic explained.

"I imagine the castle guards wouldn't appreciate the public getting this far in the castle. It's too easy for threats to get in," Ikusaba noted.

"There is plenty of time before dinner, shall we do through the labyrinth?" Sonia asked.

"Miyo!" the makango cawed.

"Coco wants to go, so I'll go," Naegi said.

"I agree bestie!" Shinobu cheered.

After the rest agreed, the royal cousins led the way through the labyrinth. A few hours later and the group was safely out the other side of the labyrinth, with only Nidai, Owari, Ikusaba, Enoshima, Shinobu, Naegi, and the cousins not feeling exhausted.

"Huff, puff, I didn't think it would take that long," Celes said.

"I like to think I'm in good shape but that was a little much," Maizono agreed.

"The first time is always like that," Sonia admitted.

"Still, it's a good way to work up an appetite. Let's get cleaned up and then see what's for dinner," Manic suggested.

"Miyo!" Coco enthusiastically voiced for the group.


Dinner started out uneventfully. No surprise really, as the guests were exhausted after a full day of sightseeing combined with jetlag. That didn't mean that they didn't enjoy it. The food was good, the atmosphere of the royal dining room was pleasant, and the Novoselic Royal Family was excellent company.

"Makoto, my boy, Sonia tells me you have befriended a makango?" King Levushka questioned.

"Well, for some reason, Coco ran right to me while fleeing some local children," Naegi explained.

"Makango are interesting creatures. They do not really register humans as a threat unless the human is actively attempting to scare them," Queen Tonya said.

"[You must have quite a way with animals, my learned friend,]" Duke Mavra said to Naegi.

"Mavra, please be considerate of our guests," King Levushka told his brother.

"Apologies, my learned friend. My command of the Nipponese language has grown rusty from disuse," the Duke apologized in a stiff tone.

"No apologies necessary, your Grace. We appreciate that you're all using our own language," Naegi said as the other guests nodded.

"You're Cousin Sonia's guests, we're glad to accommodate you," Manic replied.

"Your hospitality has been as wonderful as your country," Celes said.

"It means so much that you all think so! We hope that you will enjoy the rest of your stay here and make many wonderful memories!" Sonia exclaimed happily.

"And I look forward to a bright and profitable future shared by the Kingdom of Novoselic and the Togami Conglomerate," Togami said as he raised a glass. Aloysius and Shinobu soon did the same.

"To 'what tomorrow brings' then," King Levushka said as he raised his glass. The rest of the table soon copied this action.

None seated at the table knew for sure, but they hoped that the future would be bright. The light would eventually shine on their future. It should be remembered that the light lives in all places, in all things. You can block it, even try to trap it, but the light will find its way. That is true, that is absolutely true, but those at that table would learn, the darkness of the world, specifically in Novoselic, was going to put up a fight.


And that is it for now my dear readers! I know it's short, but it was either make it short or put in unsatisfying filler and padding.

Sorry for how long this took, a lot has been going on. Plus, I get distracted really easily. *cough* Witch Queen *cough*

First things first, I checked, and "Nipponese" does not seem to be considered rude or a slur, but it does make you seem pretentious if you use it. It's just a dated way of saying Japanese. I'm sure most, if not all of you, knew that, but I still felt it was worth pointing out.

Cobain comes from a band member of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain. For those who didn't know, just in case, Nirvana is where we get Novoselic and the name "Nevermind".

We saw some new characters this time around:

Queen Tonya Nevermind- Sonia's mother and the source of Sonia's looks and elegance. Chose her name because it means "Praiseworthy".

King Levushka Nevermind- Sonia's father. Name means "Lion". Source of Sonia's regal aura.

Duke Mavra Nevermind- Name means "a dark individual". Sonia's uncle on her father's side.

Manic Nevermind-Sonia's cousin and tertiary heir. Mavra's son. I'm not sure if many may get why I chose the name Manic, but those that do might enjoy it.

That Betamax thing, I thought that format went extinct back in the late 70s early 80s but apparently, they hung in there for a while.

For those wondering, I'm basing Shinobu Togami off of the work of two artists. They are Notpistol's Shinobu for when Byakuya is around, and Vergilsama92's Shinobu for when Byakuya is absent. For the purposes of this story, we'll call them Restrained Shinobu (Notpistol) and Unrestrained Shinobu (Vergilsama92). While we're on the subject, show Notpistol and Vergilsama92 some love over on Pixiv, I'm sure they will appreciate it.

For those who noticed, yes, the makango is the Billion Bird from Toriko. Both multiply when scared and that was too good to pass up.

CZ2128 Delta is from Overlord, a robot maid isn't that much of a stretch from a cyborg secretary, is it?

Not really sure what I was thinking with Euro-Akihabara, but I don't think it was a bad idea.

Keep Kyoko and Peko's new apartment in mind, it will be important later.

Anyway, read and review and I will see you again next time! Until then, stay frosty.