Chapter 4
Princess of the Six Flower Fields
Part 1
I woke up the next morning feeling like a new person.
I saw Revi laying beside me, still peacefully sleeping.
…If he just lays there and doesn't talk, he looks like a handsome guy.
I guess I can't help but make handsome men fall in love with me, huh?
It's tough, being the envy of other women.
I went up to the window and opened it. I saw some birds flying around in pairs.
I've become a normie, just like you.
I sighed and shook my head. There were probably other girls waking up from a lewd dream all throughout the kingdom, cursing normies like me who had hot, ikemen boyfriends.
Instead of hating beautiful women like me, maybe you should work on your own attractiveness…
This swell of self-confidence… It feels good to be a normie!
I sensed Revi stirring from his sleep. He opened his eyes and sat up on the bed.
The bed sheets fell down, revealing his toned abs.
…Six pack.
No, there was another set of abs forming underneath… Is that the legendary eight pack?!
You must persevere in your training, Revi! You're almost on your way to becoming my ideal man?!
If you need an intense cardio workout, I'm always available to assist!
I heard those kinds of workouts are most effective during the night!
When Revi was finally awake, he saw me grinning to myself.
I held up my hand,
"Yo."
He stared at me for a while.
"Iris, why are you acting like a kid who just discovered 'it'?"
He gave me a condescending look.
"Huh? Oi, I can already guess that you reacted the same way when you had your first time with Komekko-chan, didn't you? You had the same smug air of superiority after finally ascending the stairs of adulthood!"
"Did you have someone spying on me?! Wait, Iris, did you also come out to the woods half naked and basked in the sunlight while watching animals mate around you and thinking, 'I'm just like you now'?!"
"...I can't outright say no, but… I didn't go that far."
So they did it somewhere in the woods, huh?
Instead of having this stupid conversation, I wanted to wake up and have some lovey dovey pillow talk…
Wah… I really am becoming a normie.
I smiled and hopped back on the bed with him. We were both dressed, but he was only wearing his pants while I put on his shirt, since it was the closest thing I saw lying around.
He seemed to like the look of me wearing his shirt, since he gave me a perverted grin when I joined him on the bed.
"What's this, princess? You want round 2?"
"Round 2? Add a zero after that."
Seriously, he went at it for hours.
Is that normal? Maybe he should see a doctor. I don't think that's normal!
"...Well, I feel like I can still go on for another few hours."
"Seriously?! Oi, are you this backed up?! Is what I'd like to say, but you did it plenty with Komekko-chan recently, I bet. And you also fooled around with unrelated women, too."
"Oi! Arue-sensei and Sylphina-chan are not unrelated women! Wait, why are you writing their names down? Where did you get that pen and notepad?"
I knew their names would come out eventually.
Also Sylphina… I hope it's not the same Sylphina I know!
"...Be honest. Do I need to get a health check up, or what?"
"What do you mean by that?"
He tilted his head at my question.
"Don't play dumb. Do you think those unrelated women might have given you… you know, some kind of disease?"
I didn't want to say it like that, but I didn't want to beat around the bush. This guy did enough of that apparently.
"...Disease? Ah, don't worry. I liked them, but my heart belongs to you and Komekko-chan! I didn't catch the love bug from them!"
How could I forget the old saying? Idiots can't catch colds.
…Well, I'm much more worried about something worse than colds!
Just in case, I casted [Purification] on the both of us.
This guy really is too easy going. He didn't seem concerned at all about anything.
"So, um, Iris… What'd you think?"
He looked a bit bashful while asking me this.
"About what?"
"D-Don't make me say it…"
Eh? He wants me to reaffirm his love for him? So cute!
"D-Did you think I was big? Hehe…"
This idiot.
"Why are you hitting me?!"
"Because you ruin the mood too easily!"
I did think that he was pretty big, though.
"Guys need to hear these kinds of things, OK?! You know how girls get off when the guy tells them things like 'you're so beautiful'... You know, that kind of crap that guys tell girls halfheartedly."
"...I'm pretty sure you fed me that line a few times last night."
"A-Ah… Of course, I mean it when I say it!"
I proceeded to hit him some more.
"Ow! Stop! I'm just saying that guys need that kind of encouragement, too!"
"...Well, I guess you're right. It's only fair. So, what kind of things do you want to hear?"
"I want you to have trouble getting out of bed while weakly saying 'It was too big… It hurts'. Bonus points if you look around in relief and say, 'Thank god I can see. I thought I went blind last night with how hard you did it…'."
What kind of girl is gonna say those unbelievable lines?
Rather, I admit he's big, but he's not packing a mace under there.
"Rejected…"
"Eh… Well, I was just joking anyway."
It's both difficult and easy to have a conversation with this guy.
After I hit him for a third time, he said,
"Seriously, though, I kinda wanna hear about your thoughts. I care about customer satisfaction, you know?"
"Am I supposed to answer a questionnaire, now? And l-lovers don't need to be that formal with each other… You don't need to ask for feedback on how you did…"
I couldn't help but blush while saying that lovey dovey line. Uwa… I'm the perfect maiden!
"Tch. I thought I could get some easy compliments."
He's a scumbag until the end.
"Well, if you want feedback… midway through, I felt like you kind of lost yourself to the pleasure a bit. You just kept going and it was pretty rough. I wish you wouldn't lose yourself like that."
"Eh? I don't remember that happening?"
"What? You even bit me all over! And you said some weird, kinky shit like 'I must devour the princess' in this really scary and dark voice!"
It was kinda hot and pushed me over the edge when he did it, but that's besides the point.
"...I don't remember doing that. Are you sure you didn't have some kind of lewd dream afterwards?"
I pulled his shirt down and showed him all the bite marks he left around my collarbone.
"See?! It's right here!"
"...I knew you guys in Belzerg are technologically behind us in Elroad, but are you telling me you guys don't even have mosquito nets around here?"
"Alright! Cuddle session is over! Get dressed!"
"...I guess I'm not getting some morning fun, huh?"
I lost any sense of romance after only a few minutes talking with this guy.
He should have just stayed sleeping for a bit longer, so I could pretend that he was just a well behaved, handsome guy!
Part 2
When we went out to the dining room for breakfast, I saw Rori-san there, but I didn't see Komekko-chan. I assumed that Regina-sama was sleeping in.
"...Something's wrong. Komekko-chan is never late for breakfast. Did she die?!"
That was the only thing I could think of that would stop Komekko-chan from coming down for breakfast.
"Eh? No, she's fine! She's in her room, I think…"
Rori-san gave a sheepish smile. It seemed that she tried to get Komekko-chan to come down.
I looked at Rev but he just glanced away.
I started to get an idea why Komekko-chan didn't come down.
She was avoiding me, likely fearing the reaction I made once I found out that she and Revi did it.
They probably agreed ahead of time that they would tell me the truth.
"I see… Well, I guess I'll go up to talk to her…"
"Go easy on her, Iris! If you must punish her, don't spank her too hard!"
Who said anything about spanking?
While Revi was getting all kinds of weird ideas, I made a plate for Komekko-chan and took it up to her room.
I knocked outside the door and waited for a response.
When I didn't get one, I opened the door and came in, plate in hand.
"I brought food…"
Komekko-chan sat up after smelling the food, but she gasped when she saw me.
She shrunk into herself, showing a nervous face.
This wasn't the spunky Komekko-chan I was used to…
Well, I guess the reason why she's scared of me is because she might have received a bit too much spunk.
"Oi, it's OK. I'm not gonna hurt you. Not like I can, anyway."
"...Just to confirm, you're saying that you won't hurt the devil because we're friends, and not that you think I can endure the pain, right?"
"I brought all your favorites~!"
I avoided the question, putting the plate down in front of her.
I watched her nibble on the food, glancing at me to see my reaction. Even when she was scared of me, she still chose to prioritize the food.
What incredible dedication to her primal instincts.
I waited for her to finish a few strips of bacon before talking.
"...Revi told me about what you two did."
"T-The devil is sorry! It's because the devil's charm is irresistible… Revi couldn't help it after we spent such a long time together in the village!"
"...You only spent less than a week together. Also, I've known him the longest, so is that some kind of shot at me, huh?!"
"I didn't mean to imply that I was able to charm him faster than Iris!"
"You said it! You actually said it!"
I grabbed Komekko-chan by the waist and squeezed it.
"Are you trying to make me regurgitate my food?!"
"I see that my kindness was misplaced! Give it back to me!"
"I'll actually vomit if you keep doing this?! Spare the devil! Mercy! Mercy!"
I let go of her after she tapped out. I placed my hands at my hips and pushed my chest out, happy at my victory.
Only for Komekko-chan to turn around and tackle me down on the bed.
"The devil never surrenders!"
"You just did, though."
If she was feeling this energetic, then I didn't need to worry.
It seemed she finally remembered that she was supposed to be remorseful, since stood up and scooted away from me and started sulking again.
…This meek version of Komekko-chan is kinda refreshing.
"Listen, I'm not mad about it…"
"Really?!"
"...Anymore."
"I-Is that so…"
She went from smiling in relief, to going back to sulking again.
"Well, it means I forgive you now."
"...But that means that you were mad until now, right?"
"Of course I'd get mad if some interloper meddled with my romance…"
"You just called me an interloper! Besides, you two weren't dating!"
"Oi, you're supposed to be trying to appease me, right?!"
"Ah, sorry! I'm not used to pretending to be a spineless woman!"
So she's just pretending.
"Look, we're both headstrong girls. We both know that we won't actually regret it if we steal Revi from one another."
The only thing I'd regret is not getting the guy I want this time. I didn't fight for onii-sama the last time, and I never wanted to make the same mistake again.
And Komekko-chan was the same. She didn't have to experience heartbreak like I did. She was just born to be the type of girl who takes whatever she wants. She was a fighter by nature.
If we were to clash and start fighting over one guy, that would be disastrous.
So, one of us has to be open to compromise. Aren't I such a benevolent angel?
"A-Are you sure you're fine with this? Or rather… Do you just forgive me this one time, or are you saying that you're fine with me having a relationship with Revi?"
"I'm saying I'm fine with you and Revi…"
"You like being cucked? Eh… That's surprising."
"I'm doing you a favor, but you keep blowing it, stupid girl!"
I grabbed her cheeks and started pulling on them.
"Ow! Ow! Sowee!"
Maybe Revi was right about Komekko-chan being surprisingly dumb.
"Besides, I'm not the one getting cucked here! Well, that's the wrong word choice. What I mean to say is that I'm not just giving Revi away. I'm saying that I'm fine with you dating him as well."
"...Are you saying you want to share?"
"You don't have to look so disappointed. Stop pouting!"
She really is too willful. And she's used to getting whatever she wants. She reminded me of when I was younger.
"Listen, I'm older and I met him first. Plus, I started dating him first. You're the one who swooped in like a thieving cat… So even though we're sharing him, I'm the senpai here!"
"...It's true that you met him first, but what's this about you dating him first? We went around on dates, too!"
"You don't need to lie."
Since she was losing the argument, she started to lie, huh?
What a petty girl.
"It's true, it's true! I went around wearing a disguise, because I didn't want any of the townsfolk or onii-chan to find out, but we started dating way earlier than when you made your move!"
They started dating earlier…?
Don't tell me…!
"W-Were you that slutty, long haired Crimson Demon who went out with him to the cafe and the swimsuit store?!"
"What do you mean slutty?! And were you following us?!"
I didn't really get a good look at the face, but I could see the resemblance with their build.
"So it was you, huh?"
"Yeah, I was wearing a wig. Sorry for the confusion…"
I've been hearing that word 'sorry' a lot.
I scratched my hair and let out a groan. This was harder than I thought.
I thought that I'd come to her room and enjoy her groveling a bit. As expected of Komekko-chan, she was putting up quite a fight.
"...Fine, for now, I guess we can agree on an equal relationship. Let's just agree to share that lucky bastard without fighting. Agreed?"
"Agreed! Although, I think the lucky one here is you… I feel like you just got a free last minute ticket… I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
This relationship is gonna give me constant headaches. I can feel it.
Part 3
After talking to Komekko-chan and laying out some ground rules, we went down to the dining room to join the others for breakfast.
I noticed that Regina-sama was there, but she looked sleepy, with dark rings under her eyes.
"...What happened to you?"
I said, taking a seat. Her head wobbled as she turned to face me, since I was sitting beside her.
"...Sleep and progress don't go together, I guess."
I wondered if she was getting any kind of sleep while she was doing her research.
"...If you're working this hard, I assume you have something to show for it?"
She nodded, but seemed to regret the action, since she held her head after a wave of nausea came over her.
"I think I made an elixir that can return you to your original form…"
"Wow! Good job!"
"...For a few seconds."
Since I had such an excited reaction, I didn't want to give away my disappointment, since I felt a bit bad for her.
"W-Wow! G-Good job…?"
"You don't need to pretend like you're impressed."
She tried giving me a blank eyed look, but when she lowered her eyelids, they got too heavy and she started to nod off.
She looked like a kid who was trying to stay up.
I was a bit disappointed, but at least she was making some kind of progress.
I gave her a chance to close her eyes for a bit, taking away the plate of unfinished food underneath her, so she wouldn't faceplant on it.
After letting her rest her head on the table, I saw Revi looking at me anxiously.
"S-So… It seems you two had a good talk?"
Komekko-chan was sitting beside him, at his left, with Rori-san at his right. It seemed that Komekko-chan told him about our conversation.
"Yeah… We agreed on a compromise. Congratulations."
"Yes! Wait, why are you looking at Rori-san when you said that?"
Rori-san giggled, but didn't elaborate.
After all, she was the mastermind behind all this.
"Fufu… To think that the day would finally arrive. I, Revi Elroad, have become the proud owner of a harem…"
"To be clear, we have joined possession of you."
"Y-Yis, ma'am."
If anything, this is my harem.
Well, Komekko-chan would probably like to say otherwise.
"Hehe… Still, I can't help but be happy. After all, I'm living every guy's dream!"
"...Is it really such a big deal?"
With anything, two is always better than one, but was there really a need to be this happy about getting two girlfriends?
Is it a status thing? An ego thing?
Or does it have to do with that classic image of a playboy with two girls in each of his arms that all boys growing up aspire to be?
"Of course it's a big deal! I don't know about girls, but everytime a guy sees an attractive girl, they have a desire to bed that girl! We can't help it! If every pretty girl I've ever seen in my life offered to sleep with me, I'd accept all their offers!"
What an ambitious guy.
Rather, how does he expect to live through such an ordeal?
"A-Amazing! The Devil is impressed by Revi's manliness?!"
Isn't he just being a typical scumbag?
It's actually amazing that he can say such despicable things aloud, though.
Sure, there's probably a lot of guys who think the same way, but would they actually say it outside of their own little circle of guys?
"...How about you girls? Don't you have a desire to have a harem of pretty boys? Ah, never mind, forget I asked. The answer will just depress me and make me nervous…"
What's with this double standard?
"Hmm… Not really? When the devil sees an attractive guy… I kind of just notice that they're attractive, but I don't lust after them…"
"That's reassuring! Komekko-chan, you're a good girl! For the sake of my image of girls everywhere, let's skip over Iris's answer and leave it at that!"
"Hold on, let me say my piece!"
"And there she goes…"
He resigned himself and slumped against his seat.
"...Look, I'm not gonna say that I start drooling after I see some hot guy walking down the street. Rather, the sheer lack of hot guys in the first place makes that impossible!"
"Ah, I kinda get what you mean!"
Rori-san nodded, agreeing with what I said.
"Eh? What do you mean? Aren't there a lot of handsome guys everywhere? No, it's a bit strange for me to say that… I'm talking from a girl's perspective!"
He started getting defensive even though we knew what he meant.
"What I mean is that, in general, don't you agree that the average girl is way cuter than the average guy?"
"Well… Of course I'd agree, as a guy, but to think that even girls think that way…"
"...That hardly sounds scientific. Besides, there were lots of hot studs back in my day."
For some reason, Regina-sama woke up and started participating in the conversation.
"I disagree. I believe there's a scientific reason behind this!"
"Explain, child. As an expert on hot guys, I will judge what you have to say!"
Where did your sleepiness go, Regina-sama?
"...This might be a hard truth to swallow, but in this society that's still dominated by men, the requirement for men to get a beautiful wife isn't that high, right?"
I thought about all those ugly noblemen who had beautiful wives and concubines. There were even laborers who managed to get pretty wives only because they had good land to farm on.
"In short… Looks are not a factor for guys to be successful in society! Even an ugly, fat nobleman can still be successful and inherit wealth… Whereas, a girl who is not gifted with good looks will have a hard time marrying!"
"I-I see! Is that why I want to sleep with every girl I see walking around the street?!"
"No, that just makes you an irredeemable horndog."
"Perhaps you're right… Woof…"
Regina-sama shook her head in disappointment.
"Is that how it is in this accursed modern society? Back in my day, being a hot guy was a requirement to be in a position of power!"
That's because you were a tyrant who was eventually, rightfully overthrown.
Of course, I didn't say that aloud.
Because I'd probably make a similar policy if I was in her position.
"Fufu… The fact that there's a lot of beautiful girls who alight the passions of young men means there's always work for us succubi!"
As always, Rori-san put a positive spin on things.
"A pretty face won't get you that far! You also need drive… and power!"
And Komekko-chan always had some random things to say.
Part 4
After my laborious night with Revi, I felt like I needed to take a nap in the middle of the day.
I just came back from my spying mission, too, so I felt like I deserved to slack off for a bit.
While I was taking a nap, I had a dream that I didn't have in a while.
Even though I never met my mother, sometimes I dreamt about her.
I dreamt as if she were alive, and we were walking around in a field of Iris flowers, my namesake. It was a place I subconsciously associated with my mother, since that is where her real burial place is.
All members of royalty have two places where they're supposed to be buried after they die, you see. One is the public burial ground where a lavish funeral service is held. The real body isn't buried there. It's supposed to be purely symbolic. Instead of the body, you'll find the belongings and royal garments of the deceased in the casket.
The second burial ground is where the real body rests. This place is for their surviving family members to visit.
I suppose it's fitting that royalty have two burial grounds, since they essentially live two separate lives.
My mother chose to be buried in her favorite place in the kingdom, a quiet field of Irises.
I was told that she specifically chose that place as her burial ground, during her last moments of life, because she wanted to be buried in a place that was my namesake. She wanted to be close to her daughter, even after death.
It was a nice sentiment, but to me, it was a grim reminder that she died while giving birth to me.
The endless field of Irises looked to me like an infinite expanse of all the things I regret in life, each flower and petal a visual representation of them, floral gravestones of violet ruin.
Still, in my dreams, the field was a happy place.
I didn't know what kind of things my mother talked about, while she was alive, but in my dreams she was quite chatty.
When I was feeling down because I was struggling with my lessons when I was younger, the dream version of my mother told me,
"If you aim for an impossible dream and put your all into pursuing it, even if you fail, your stopping point should still be a place far beyond than most people will ever reach."
I didn't know where those words came from, if they came from a novel I read but forgot about, or if they were some kind of spooky message from beyond the grave, sent to me by my dead mother.
Nonetheless, I always carried those words with me and remembered them when things got tough.
This time, while I was napping and dreaming about the field of Irises, my mother wasn't talking at all, even though she usually liked to yap on and on. In fact, she had a sad smile.
She was always bright and cheery in my dreams, and I was surprised to see her acting this way for the first time.
After a few moments, I noticed that she wasn't looking at me, and she was looking at a specific spot on the field. I tracked her line of sight and found her grave.
Her grave was marked by a single tombstone… Or at least, that was how it was supposed to be.
This time, there were two tombstones beside her.
They belonged to my father and brother.
…
…
I woke up with a startled gasp and found my body covered in cold sweat.
A surprised Rain backed away from me. It looked like she was about to wake me up.
"...Are you alright, Iris-sama?"
She asked, with a concerned look.
"Yeah… I'm fine. Just had a bad dream. What is it?"
"Your father, his majesty, is holding a meeting. I thought that maybe you'd want to be in attendance…"
That meant that they were holding a meeting without me, and Rain didn't want me to miss out on it, even if it was clear that they thought my presence wasn't needed.
"...I'll get dressed."
I didn't have time for a bath, since she said that the meeting was already going on.
I quickly put on a presentable dress and sprayed some strong perfume on.
I considered asking Rain to bring Revi and the others, but I didn't want to drag them into my kingdom's affairs. Besides, there might be some perceived conflict of interest if Revi, the prince of Elroad, were to butt into another nation's meeting.
I rushed to the meeting room, and entered quietly, in a way that wouldn't disturb those in attendance.
Those in attendance included my father, my brother and my father's circle of advisors.
"...This is a one in a lifetime chance! We have to strike!"
"This is the first time in decades that the barrier around the Demon King castle has fallen!"
"If we don't seize this chance now… The other countries will lose their respect for us as a military nation! This can affect our position on the continent!"
The meeting was already getting heated. No one noticed me entering, since they were busy shouting at each other. Of course, none of those shouts were directed at the king or the prince, even if the contents of what they were saying was meant for them.
You can't yell at the king, but you can yell at the advisor sitting across from the king while trying to influence the king's decisions with your yelling.
"...It seems that the majority of the advisors want the same thing. How about you, my son?"
My father turned to his side, looking at my brother questioningly.
"Well… It kind of seems shady, even if our intel is telling us that the one who maintains the barrier decided to quit the Demon King army, due to the Demon King's daughter and her incompetence. But the advisors are right… If we don't invade now, the other countries will question why they are paying tributes to us. We might as well defeat the Demon King army in one go and establish our reputation as the strongest military nation in the continent…"
"Well said, Prince Jatis!"
"As expected of the wise king's son!"
"What an excellent protege!"
The advisors were quick to kiss up to my brother.
"That said, I don't think we should bring all of our forces to the Demon King castle… Jatis, I trust that you can command half of our army to take the Demon King castle?"
"Eh? Does that mean that father will stay here?"
"That's right. I will stay in the capital just in case. It wouldn't do to send all of our forces if this is all just some kind of trap…"
I sighed in relief, seeing that my father wasn't planning to risk it all for the chance to beat the Demon King army once and for all.
Even if this was a trap, if my father stayed in the capital with half of our forces, we could still cut our losses if things went wrong.
It was only after the meeting was concluded when my father noticed my presence.
"...Iris, would you like to give us any kind of intelligence again?"
The advisors chuckled, most likely hearing about how I hyped up Maouko's invasion, only for our side to wind by a landslide.
"N-No, father… Good luck on this mission…"
I had no choice but to simply bow my head and act the part of an obedient princess.
Having decisions made for me, sitting in meetings and getting used to being invisible… I was used to this kind of treatment.
I didn't expect it to change anytime soon.
I left the room, followed by Rain, being the last to leave.
The castle was abuzz with war prep. Since it wasn't that long ago until the last skirmish with Maouko's army, there wasn't much need to gather the troops and arm everyone.
The more you looked at it, the more it seemed like we were bound for certain victory.
That just made me a little bit suspicious.
Rain had to excuse herself, as she had to help with planning for the invasion.
Meanwhile, I went down to the dungeons, where Sonia was.
I wanted to make sure that she was being treated well as a political prisoner, and I had some questions I wanted to ask her, too.
I found her in her cell, with two guards keeping watch over her. Since she was a tricky one, I asked that there were at least two armed guards watching her at all times.
I also made sure to get female guards, so Sonia wouldn't be able to seduce them.
She easily seduced Revi last time, so I was wary of that.
Well, it doesn't take much to seduce Revi, anyway.
"...Hm? Oh, the princess is here. How was your mission? Did you get a lot of good intel?"
She was making herself comfortable on her bed, reading a book. Since she gave us information, she was allowed to keep items like books and jigsaw puzzles to keep herself entertained.
"...We got intel, alright, but it didn't really help us much in the end."
"Why's that? I led you to a major supply cache, you know?"
"...Supply cache, you say? It was an entire invisible fortress, you know?!"
"Ah, really? Well, I do remember that being part of a few backup plans… That Maouko-sama had a lot of backup plans and stuff, you see."
I sighed and leaned my arm against the bars, resting my head on my arm.
"Who cares if she has backup plans? She completely choked during her invasion. Her leadership was incompetent and she couldn't even sing properly, so her troops couldn't get any of her Bardic buffs."
Sonia immediately stood up when she said that.
"What?! Maouko-sama is not that incompetent! It's a ruse! I know it's a trap because I remember this fake out being part of her backup plans!"
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Let me guess, the barrier to the Demon King castle is down now, because the one keeping the barrier suddenly decided to quit the Demon King army, right?"
My heart sank when I heard Sonia accurately predicting what was going on.
I looked at the two guards watching over her.
"D-Did you two say anything to her about what's going on?"
"Um… We heard about the troops mobilizing, so we whispered about it to each other…"
"Perhaps she might have heard it…?"
Sonia rolled her eyes.
"Oi, I know I'm awesome and all, but do you think I'm a bat, or something? How can I hear you two whispering from over there?"
"Well… There is such a thing as the [Lip Reading] skill!"
"What kind of idiot wastes skill points on useless skills like that!"
"Hah?! The Masked Thief uses that skill, what do you mean it's useless!"
"You're a thief but you don't even know that much?! The Masked Thief is way better than you, huh?!"
The guards suddenly got really defensive.
I didn't know onii-sama had that many fans among the female guards.
He must have left quite an impression on them when he raided the castle.
"Geez… I'm just telling you guys the truth! Don't blame me if you guys get wiped out by that sneaky Maouko-sama! It'll end up better for me if I'm rescued by her anyway… Oi, can't you get some better smut literature here?! The only ones you keep giving me are about mysterious masked thieves seducing female guards!"
"If you have any problems with high literature, then you're just a moron, aren't you?!"
"You don't appreciate great art, you barbarian!"
Sonia pointed to a page and said,
"First of all, I don't even know the heroine's name because you crossed it out and wrote your damn name over all instances of it!"
The female guards got all defensive again.
…Also, I'll have to check those books out some other time.
I left the dungeon feeling conflicted. I didn't know what to do about what Sonia told me.
I was already being treated as a laughing stock after the false information I gave.
No one would take me seriously if I screwed up this important operation, just because I got tricked by Sonia.
Sonia said it herself. It would be in her best interest if the Demon King army won and freed her. If I stopped my brother from seizing the chance to take over the Demon King army, when he had a chance, that would give Sonia another opportunity to escape while she still had allies.
But it would also be disastrous if Sonia was telling the truth.
Even if she was telling a half-truth, the lie detecting bell won't catch it.
Unsure of what to do, I decided to stay quiet.
That would end up being the worst decision I could have made.
…
…
"Damn it! How could this have happened!"
I had never seen my father this angry.
Half of the troops were deployed with my brother leading them. At first, it seemed like they weren't meeting much resistance.
That was until the barrier reformed again, trapping our army inside the Demon King castle.
Since they were last seen in enemy territory, we didn't know what happened to my brother, Prince Jatis.
He was last seen charging inside the Demon King's castle once the gates were sieged.
"What should we do now? We have to send reinforcements! We can't just leave half of our army behind, trapped in enemy territory! They're as good as dead!"
"Idiot! If we send our remaining forces, we'll open up the capital for attack!"
"The Demon King army will split their forces to meet our two advance groups! It's better than doing nothing and losing all of our manpower! Not to mention, we'll also lose the prince, who is worth a military unit by himself! Not to mention, he's the heir to the throne!"
I only stayed seated on my chair, with my head down.
I didn't tell anyone about what Sonia said.
Even if I said anything now, they would just direct their anger at me.
I doubted that anyone would listen even if I did warn them.
Rain was beside me, noticing my unease. She placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me.
"Enough!"
My father yelled, getting everyone's attention with his booming voice.
"...We can't leave the capital undefended. I will lead a special group of elite fighters to come as reinforcements to the first advance unit. The Demon King army must have their hands full with my son if he managed to get inside the castle. And our troops are still fighting strong within the barrier. We will wait for my son and the men that came with him to defeat the one maintaining the barrier, then we will charge in once the barrier is down."
The advisors all looked at each other.
"I-It's true that we still have the advantage."
"Yes… I suppose we should have considered that the Demon King army would try to trick us like this. We shouldn't panic."
"Considering how weak they were in our last skirmish, I doubt they'll last long if the prince managed to infiltrate the castle."
At this point, I couldn't stay silent anymore.
"W-Wait! Actually… I received intelligence from our captured prisoner!"
An advisor chuckled at me.
"Please, Iris-sama, we already know how trustworthy that prisoner of yours is."
"Why are we even keeping that prisoner alive? Have her executed to raise morale!"
"Or better yet… Bring her to my room and I can have fun with her… Hehe…"
I ignored them and looked directly at my father.
"Please! You have to trust me! I think I'm right this time! She told me about how the Demon King's daughter was planning to lure our army in… I just didn't say anything because I wasn't sure if she's telling the truth or not!"
"...And what if she's playing mind games with you, because she knows we will hesitate in sending reinforcements if you tell us that?"
I opened my mouth, but I didn't know how to respond.
The advisors were all shaking their heads and sighing, clearly not interested in what I was saying.
And my father was giving me an impatient look, something I had seen on his face more than once when he was dealing with a nuisance.
"...N-Nevermind. Perhaps I was mistaken."
I sat back down, letting the meeting resume.
…In about an hour, my father, King Belzerg, left with a group of three hundred elite soldiers to provide reinforcements to Prince Jatis.
Both King Belzerg and Prince Jatis were never seen again.
Part 5
I found myself in the meeting room again, but this time, I was sitting in the place my father usually sat at.
The advisors that normally didn't pay attention to me were all looking at me.
"N-Now that the king and prince are gone… We look to Iris-sama's guidance!"
"I-I've always thought that Iris-sama had leadership qualities!"
"M-My family has always supported Iris-sama!"
They were shamelessly trying to appeal to me.
I was barely listening to what they were saying. I still couldn't accept the fact that my father and brother were gone, just like that.
I was never particularly close to them, but they were still family. Since my mother died soon after I was born, this was the first time I experienced death so close to me.
I thought that I'd be sad, or that I'd cry, but I could only feel empty inside.
Or rather, I couldn't decide what kind of emotion I even wanted to feel.
Normally, emotions come naturally, but when you're in a state where your whole world has come crashing down, you have to spend effort trying to pick what emotion you want to feel.
"...We need to decide what to do!"
"Please decide our next course of action, Iris-sama!"
"...Iris-sama!"
Seeing that I wasn't in a state to respond to the advisors, Rain stood up and said,
"...Ahem. Iris-sama has gone through a lot today. Perhaps we should let her rest for now. We can decide what to do tomorrow."
"...Very well."
The advisors finally noticed my faraway gaze and agreed with Rain. They said some words of condolence and left the meeting room one by one.
"...Please go to your room now, Iris-sama. I'm sorry for making you do this."
I nodded and stood up, making my way over to my room.
I found Revi and everyone else standing outside, looks of concern on their faces.
I was rushed to the meeting room for an emergency meeting after the news returned to us. I didn't have a chance to talk to the others.
"Iris… I'm sorry about what happened."
Revi said, coming over to hold my hand.
I gave him a small smile.
"This is the first time I've seen you so serious. It doesn't suit you."
"Oh, come on… Is this really the time to be joking?"
It probably wasn't, but I really couldn't decide what was right or wrong anymore.
Even simple acts like breathing and talking took a great deal of effort.
"...Perhaps she needs to rest for now, boya."
Regina-sama said, pulling on Revi's sleeves.
"Y-Yeah, I guess…"
Revi reluctantly backed away. I wanted to talk to him some more, but I wouldn't even know what to talk about. Besides, I didn't want Revi to have to awkwardly apologize for something he didn't do. I decided to save our talk for later.
"T-The Devil is always here for you! If you need to talk, we can talk! If you need to go for a few rounds sparring in the ring to get your mind off things, I can do that too!"
Komekko-chan started punching the air.
…Unlike Komekko-chan, I couldn't just exercise and forget about my problems.
"Human life is fragile, but that just makes it all the more precious. Please take your time in mourning."
Rori-san said, coming over to give my hand a comforting squeeze.
Are we sure she's not actually an angel instead of a devil?
After talking to them, I went to my room.
I slumped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
I did that for a while, just staring at the ceiling and not thinking about anything.
I didn't even know that I could spend such a long period of time without thinking about anything in particular.
Ever since I was a child, I was always busy with academics or sword training. I was encouraged to always keep my mind and body active.
My time was always occupied, and when I had time to myself, I spent it reading or asking adventurers who visit the castle to tell me stories about their quests and acts of heroism.
I rarely had moments where I didn't do anything.
Even when I ran away from the castle and became an adventurer for Regina-sama's sake, I was always busy with a quest, or trying to figure out my confusing feelings for Revi. I was always caught up in something.
I guess that's what it means to grow up. Each day is a monumental step forward. You keep on pushing and pushing towards personal growth.
And then you get one of those days when you can't push anymore.
…Maybe this is what adulthood feels like?
Facing this big wall in front of you that you can't see, realizing that no amount of pushing or shoving can topple it over.
Maybe maturity starts with a setback, a moment where you see your own powerlessness, and then you start retreating backwards, retracing your own steps, until you find a comfortable stopping point.
It was a shame, then, that it was a fatal tragedy that gave me the last push forward.
…
…
After a while, I heard a knock on my door.
"...Come in."
Claire came in, looking beat up and exhausted. She had her arm in a sling.
"...Claire, what are you doing here? You should be resting."
Claire went out with my father, joining his group of elite units. She was one of the few who made it back.
"They tried to keep me locked in my room to rest, but I had to see Iris-sama! They can't hold me back!"
"Listen to them, damnit."
This girl is too stubborn.
"...T-That's a new feeling."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I think it's the first time I got seriously admonished by Iris-sama. What can I say… It makes me feel a bit proud, but also lonely."
"...I do remember admonishing you quite a lot, and publicly, too, when you put onii-sama and his party through that debacle when you found out I was missing…"
"Well, that was for somebody else's sake. I feel like you're admonishing me for my sake… which makes me feel a bit childish. It makes me feel lonely because… well, I guess I see that you've grown up now, Iris-sama."
So it wasn't just me. Even Claire could see it.
I remembered what Revi said, about me not being the same person as I was in the past, how people always change. I might hate the taste of black coffee now, but grow dependent on it in the future. He even said something about my boobs getting saggy.
…Hopefully that never happens.
If people are always bound to change, then what's really the point of having a personality? Does that change, too?
If people end up dying anyway, then it makes it all kind of silly, when you look at the grand scheme of things.
Your likes, dislikes, the things that make you mad, the things that make you happy, what's the point to it all?
"Hey, Claire… What do you think is even the point of living?"
"Eh?! Iris-sama, please don't let what happened make you do something hasty?! It's my fault! I failed to protect the king and the prince! It's my fault!"
She bowed deeply to me.
I quickly corrected her.
"Oi, I'm not talking about that! I'm just asking you a question most people wonder about at some point in their lives, aren't I?!"
"Ah… Well… I suppose I did give it some thought while I was Iris-sama's age…"
I guess even Claire was young once.
"...Iris-sama, you know what happens after death, right?"
"Yeah, I do. We go to heaven when we die."
Since I literally died before and met Eris-sama, I knew very well what happens to humans when they die.
"Well, more specifically, we have a choice if we want to be reborn as babies in this world or another world. But we also have the choice to 'retire' our souls in heaven, where we can see our deceased loved ones."
I always imagined myself in heaven, with my mother. Now that my father and brother died, I would be seeing them there, too.
My family would only be complete after death, huh?
"...So I was thinking… If the gods intended to give us eternal life after we die, why do you think they made us come down here to live limited, mortal lives?"
I thought about it for a bit.
"Isn't it because we have a different type of soul? I don't know, that's what the Eris-order priests say."
"Well, I'm not really sure myself. I'm not exactly the smart type, haha… But I think that Iris-sama's answer depends on this mystery. If you can find your own answer to that, then maybe life's mysteries will make more sense."
"So you answered my question with another question, huh? How useless."
"So mean! Well, if Iris-sama is insulting me like this, then maybe you're feeling better."
In a weird way, talking like this to Claire did make me feel better.
She was always there for me. Even if we had our share of disagreements, Claire was always there looking out for me.
"Thanks, Claire."
"You're welcome, Iris-sama."
"Now go back to your room, or I'll call the guards and tell them you came in here to sniff my panties again."
"I didn't sniff them, I just pressed my nose close to the fabric and accidentally breathed in the scent!"
She'll never admit it, but Claire was more similar to onii-sama than she'd like to admit.
Part 6
Even though they encouraged me to rest, there weren't a whole lot of rest days available after the kingdom faced the worst defeat in its history.
We were down a king and a prince, lost about half of our army, and an inexperienced princess had to take over the throne.
No one, not even myself, expected that I'd be granted the power to run the whole kingdom.
The coronation ceremony was done in haste and without much preparation. It was more of a formality, than anything.
The ceremony was barely finished before I was dragged to another emergency meeting.
The advisors lost all semblance of decorum while they argued about the direction the kingdom needed to head to, after the disaster.
"We need to let Iris-sama avenge the king and prince! If we don't do something, forget the Demon King army, the neighboring countries might swoop in and annex us! We need to show the might of our new leader!"
"Idiot! We only have one remaining person with royal blood, and you're going to make her fight the same army that killed the king and prince?! We need to have Iris-sama focus on maintaining morale and ensuring that we can survive a counter attack from the Demon King army! Focus on a defensive approach!"
"Both scenarios are too extreme! Well, I don't have any ideas, so don't look at me."
What's the point of raising your voice if you don't have any ideas?
I found out quickly that these advisors would rather yell and say some stupid point that didn't contribute to the conversation, in order to make their presence known.
In short, they were more interested in promoting themselves as useful individuals, rather than actually giving me good advice, like they were supposed to.
They did occasionally raise some valid points, but most of it was drowned out by the yelling and constant interruptions.
This was the case even when my father was alive, but it got worse now that they had a new leader to impress.
In the midst of the yelling, Claire, who recovered enough to participate in the meeting, raised her good hand. The other arm was still recovering. She got hit by some curse magic, which made it difficult to completely heal her arm with healing magic. It would heal eventually, but it'd take more time, even with the use of healing magic.
"...I have a proposal."
"...What is it, Claire-dono?"
The room got quiet with Claire speaking. Since Claire actually had experience running the kingdom whenever my father was away, she had the advisors' respect.
I wondered how long it'd take for me to command that kind of respect, where the room would go quiet when I raised my hand.
If I raised my hand, they'd probably assume I wanted to take a bathroom break.
"Iris-sama is much too important to risk deploying to the battlegrounds, and I'd argue that it's a risk even keeping her here, in the capital."
"...You're too cautious, Claire-dono. Even if our forces are severely weakened, we can at least manage to protect Iris-sama here."
"You didn't see what I saw. The one keeping control of the barrier… It's a fallen angel. That's how the Demon King army was able to defeat the king."
"A-A fallen angel…"
"I thought that some random mage was the one keeping the barrier up…"
"If that's true… Then isn't the capital in danger?"
Even the ones who were suggesting that I lead the army to attack the Demon King army started getting worried.
"I-If they have a fallen angel, then why aren't they attacking us right now?"
"It's clear that the Demon King's daughter only faked her incompetence in the first skirmish, in order to lower our guards. Now that we're aware of what they're capable of, the next battle won't be so one-sided. There's a chance that they might lose if they attack right now, even if we're kingless. We also dealt some damage to them during our invasion. They should be regrouping right now, or looking for other ways to cripple us."
"...So what are you suggesting we do with Iris-sama?"
An advisor said, wondering what Claire meant earlier.
"It's not safe to keep her here, since she's the last of the royal bloodline. Even if Belzerg is annexed by the Demon King army, we still have some hope if Iris-sama is alive. I suggest that we have her retreat to Elroad."
I stood up, feeling angry that Claire would even suggest that I run away.
What was that whole speech about me growing up? She was still treating me like a kid.
Before I could open my mouth, however, Claire raised a finger to stop me.
"...Hold on. I'm not saying this because I'm treating you like a kid. It's the opposite. Iris-sama, we need you to hurry up and make babies in Elroad, with Prince Revi, of course."
"E-Eh…?"
I couldn't help but blush. One advisor who was taking a sip of coffee spit it out.
"That's…"
"Erm… That's a bit…"
"S-Should we be here for this talk?"
Oi, I'm not getting 'The Talk' for the first time.
"It makes sense, doesn't it? You're the only one with royal blood alive, Iris-sama. Our main priority is for you to give birth to heirs. You need to fulfill your duty as a royal woman of the Belzerg clan… No, even if you were a man, I would ask you to do the same thing. Your place is not in the battlefield, or as a prize for the Demon King army to take after they claim the capital. You need to survive for our sake."
I tried to think of an argument I could make against her.
But any such arguments would just come off as childish. I knew she was right. There was no sense throwing a tantrum about it.
It was the realistic answer, after everything that happened.
"...I-I understand."
It wasn't like the idea of eloping with Revi to make babies was an idea I was opposed to, or anything.
But the thought of abandoning my kingdom in its hour of need left a sour taste in my mouth.
But I guess adulthood is all about adapting to tastes you don't like. You hate the taste as a kid, but you grow to be dependent on it, huh?
The advisors readily agreed with Claire. If Claire and I both agreed on it, there was no sense for them to argue further.
The meeting ended with the advisors giving me their well wishes before they left.
It was just me, Claire and Rain left in the meeting room.
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do, Claire-sama?"
Rain said, looking at Claire and then me, with concerned eyes.
"It's not the right thing to do. It's the correct thing to do. Don't ask me what's the difference, because I don't know myself. Listen, Iris, you have to operate in the blurry areas when you're in a position of power. Got that?"
"Yeah…"
I felt like there was a change in how Claire talked to me. I guess she started to see me as an equal now.
"...My only regret is that I don't get to see Iris-sama in the middle of babymaking…"
"Oi, I started to respect you a little!"
No matter what changes between us, Claire will always be Claire to me.
…
…
The preparations for us leaving for Elroad was being taken care of by Claire and Rain.
This meant that I had time to visit my father and brother's graves.
Their bodies were never recovered, since the Demon King army ensured that we wouldn't be able to resurrect them with an Arch-Priest.
Instead, they held a public funeral and a private funeral.
In the public funeral, I was compelled to cry tears, because it would be in poor taste if the public didn't see me crying.
During the private funeral, I only stared at the empty caskets being lowered in expressionless silence.
I requested them to put their graves in the same burial ground as my mother, the field of endless Irises that stretched out to the horizon.
After the ceremony ended, the others went back to the carriage to give me time to say my goodbyes.
Revi ended up staying, being the nosy guy he is.
"...You doing alright, Iris?"
"Yeah, I guess I am. How do you feel about me eloping with you to Elroad?"
He scratched the back of his head when I gave him a teasing smirk.
"It's not really eloping if you're being asked to do it by your guardians."
"Che. Ruin the romance of it all, why don't you."
"I'm more worried about you, Iris. Are you sure you're alright?"
I sighed and turned to the new gravestones joining my mother's. I imagined my gravestone alongside theirs, but hopefully that wouldn't happen until the far future.
"I think I'm fine. This might be cruel to say, but I was never that close with my father and brother. It's depressing as hell when I think about how I feel closer to my dead mother, who I never met, than my living family."
"...I kinda get what you mean. My father was pretty much absent all the time. He told me recently that losing my mother took a lot out of him, so that's why he couldn't find it in himself to be my father. But that doesn't exactly make me want to forgive him completely, you know?"
"You talked to your father recently? I thought that he was on a trip abroad? Did he send you a letter or something?"
"...Well, he communicated to me in a dream through these elf babes he met after he got marooned on an island full of them. It was a really important moment for me, so I wish you wouldn't give me that look as if you think I'm feeding you bullshit."
I tried to reset my facial expression, but it was damn hard.
"...Wait, so your father is stranded? Is Elroad gonna send a rescue team?"
"He said he didn't want to be rescued. I mean he's on an island full of elf babes wearing almost no clothes. Kind of hard to go back and all."
Only Revi would get that logic.
"...Doesn't that mean that…"
"Y-Yeah. I'm kind of the king of Elroad now. I guess we have one more thing in common!"
This guy only made sure to mention this now.
"Oi, don't give me that look. I already told Claire-san. Do you think she'd send you off to Elroad to produce heirs if she didn't know that I was the king? My old man would be the one to do you if he was still the king, you know?"
…Now that he mentioned it, that would be the case.
I guess Revi just didn't mention it until now, because he thought I could figure it out.
"Sigh… I feel like all my conversations with you end up with some kinda punchline."
I said, while chuckling.
"Oi, my confession was serious 'till the end, right?! I'm not some clown, you know?!"
So he says, while giving a perfect straight man comeback.
We're more like a comedy duo than a couple.
Well, that's interesting in its own way.
"Alright, I'll give you a chance to be serious."
This time, he didn't respond and just nodded.
"I want to help you, Iris. I know you're having a tough time, so tell me what's on your mind."
I thought about my conversation with Claire, our talk about heaven and our limited life span as humans.
"...Why do you think the gods put us on this world, if we're going to end up going to heaven when we die, anyway? Isn't it a waste of time? What's the point of needlessly suffering if we can just enjoy eternal bliss from the start? What's the point of it all?"
He looked away, at the endless rows of Irises swaying in the gentle wind. Then he looked back at me,
"Without a sense of how short and precious our limited lives are, eternity will seem meaningless if we are granted it from the start, right? I guess the gods wanted to give us a little pocket of time within infinity, so we can have an understanding of how crazy the whole concept of infinity actually is. It's like how you loved being an adventurer so much, because you were always stuck behind the castle walls, right? An ordinary adventurer probably just sees it as a job they do to get a paycheck. But you do it 'coz it's fun. If you're trying to ask me what I think the meaning of life is, I guess it's just to have fun when you can, right?"
It was a simple answer, but I felt life slowly returning to me when he said it.
It wasn't hard to breathe anymore. I took in a breath of fresh air, a hint of floral scent mixed in it.
I wondered if my mother had enjoyed this same breeze, when she visited this place before, when she decided to name me after the infinite irises in this place.
"Alright, you're way too serious now. Give me some jokes, or something."
"You're so mean?!"
I grabbed his hand and ran through the irises, back to the carriage where everyone was waiting for us.
Time stolen from us that we'll never get back, moments that stretch on too long, moments that end too fast…
These little pockets of time within infinity is what gives our lives meaning.
We'll meet again, in some place, at some time, within the boundless fields of forever.