Prologue
The angel hovered before us with an arrogant look on his face. That arrogant, sadistic look wasn't fitting for his beautiful features, but he was a fallen angel, after all.
His white and black wings were flapping gently as he spread his arms wide.
"Oh? I thought you were getting revenge, little girl? Is that all you can do?"
He was taunting me, not at all worried by our attacks.
"Grr! This arrogant angel is making the Devil mad!"
Komekko-chan was unable to control her temper. She leapt at the angel for an attack.
Like before, the angel deployed a barrier to repel the attack, even when she was using her new devil sword.
"Are you gonna try that again? This is getting boring…"
I pointed my sword at him and said,
"Tell me your name. I want to know the name of the one who killed my parents."
"Nice try, girlie. Once you know my name, you might know about any kind of legend associated with me. An angel's name, even a fallen one, holds a lot of power. I won't tell you anything!"
He created a barrier, but this time, he launched the wall of transparent force at us, pushing us back.
Komekko-chan and I tried to hold our positions, but we couldn't do anything about his powerful barrier.
I finally have a chance to take revenge…
But is there even anything we can do against this monster?
Chapter 1: A New Member For This Harem!
Part 1
When Revi and his council left the room, I noticed that a lot of them had pale faces.
Since Revi rebuilt his council after getting rid of the traitors, most of the new members didn't have any experience with politics.
On the first day of their new job, the king just announced that they were going to war with the Demon King army.
I gave them all a pat on the shoulder as they walked by, giving them looks of understanding.
As someone who became a queen out of nowhere, I understood their pain.
"Oh, Iris, there you are. I'm relying on you to organize our troops."
"That's no problem since I want this war to happen but…"
"Hm? What's the matter? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now after talking so much shit."
He gave a smug smirk.
"That's not it! I'm just surprised, is all. You were never this decisive before… And you were the one who agreed with Claire about running away. I thought you wanted to hide away in Elroad and keep me safe?"
"Things change, Iris. Even if it was a good plan before, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's our best option now. A tactical retreat isn't the same thing as running away. You retreat so you can have better chances in the future, isn't that right?"
I narrowed my eyes at him and said,
"This is exactly what I mean! Since when did you get this competent… Does it have something to do with your devil blood awakening?"
Since that was the only thing that was different from Revi before, that was the closest thing I could imagine.
"...Maybe? I mean, I don't feel like I have any cool powers now or anything like that… But I do feel more confident now than I did before. Like… I feel like I can take on more risks now? Maybe that's what that phrase 'devil may care' refers to…"
As he said this, he took out a cracker and fed it to Poke, who appeared out of nowhere to eat it.
"You know, I used to think that stories where one of the characters unlocks some bullshit bloodline that gives them abilities is lame as hell, but I kind of like this new confidence you have."
"Oh, really now?"
He smirked and wrapped his hands around my waist.
"Nevermind. You somehow got more obnoxious."
"Oh, come on!"
He pouted when I drew away from him. He said,
"Ah, I get it. You want to keep things fresh between us, so you're still playing hard to get even when we're king and queen now, huh?"
"It's nothing like that, punk!"
I pulled on his ear.
"Gah! Sorry! My mistake!"
I let go of his ear once he apologized.
"A-Anyway, as much as I'd like to get bullied by you all day, I have to meet the concubine that Shani oba-san sent over."
Before we left, Shani oba-san let Revi pick a girl to bring as a representative of the desert tribes.
The harem was getting bigger and bigger, and there were still more members incoming.
I didn't know what to feel about sharing Revi with a bunch of girls I barely knew, but a lot of the girls, like the Crimson Demon girls, were fun to hang out with, once I got to know them.
As long as Revi made it clear that I was his main girl, I guess I didn't really mind the whole harem situation.
"Why did it take so long for her to get here? She should have been more familiar with the terrain than us."
"I sent word to have her stay away from the capital once Tiamat attacked. I didn't know if Maouko had more surprises for us, and I didn't want Shani oba-san's representative to get caught up in the battle."
"You thought ahead that much, huh?"
"...This is just basic stuff. Is Belzerg really gonna be alright with this dimwit princess who only knows how to swing a sword around, I wonder?"
I punched him on the shoulder, making him yelp.
"Alright, I deserved that."
He said, while rubbing the place I punched.
"When is the new girl getting here?"
"Around lunch, I think."
"I guess I'll come to greet her."
"...You're the queen, of course you have to greet her. Are you really this clueless? …Ow! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!"
I punched the same spot once he started mocking me again.
Part 2
The announcer said in a loud voice,
"Presenting Aisha-sama from the desert tribes!"
A girl with tanned skin, wearing the belly dancer outfit that was considered this country's traditional dress, came in.
She had short hair and a big smile. She seemed to have a lively personality.
I was surprised that Revi picked her, since there were some really sexy older girls among the dancers, and he obviously loved those onee-san types. He couldn't keep his hands off Arue, after all.
This Aisha girl was the opposite of that type. She had a petite build, similar to Rori-san's.
"Hello, your majesty! Sorry… I tried to drink a lot of milk on my way here, but the milk got spoiled because of the heat… Ah, that's not the reason why I was late, by the way! It's not because I got an upset stomach from spoiled milk?!"
"Huh? Why were you drinking milk…?"
"I was trying to grow big boobs, of course…"
"You think drinking milk for a day or two will make you grow?!"
After hearing Aisha talk, I understood why Revi picked her.
He really likes weird girls.
For example, he ended up with Komekko-chan, Rori-san and even Regina-sama.
…Of course, there's no way I'm included in this list. I'm the exception.
"Ahem… In any case, thank you for making the journey here, Aisha. Do you understand your purpose here?"
"Of course! I'm here to be your majesty's personal property, right?"
"No! Well… Maybe at night…"
Revi started blushing while checking out Aisha's exposed, toned body.
"I-I meant your official purpose! Listen, just because you're a concubine, it doesn't mean that I'm going to just treat you as a conquest and make you rot away in the concubine quarters. All my concubines will have work to do, one that will make use of their talents and passions."
"Talents and passions? What would that be for me?"
"Huh?! You were a dancer back in your village, weren't you?!"
"Oh, yeah! You're right!"
"Why do I need to be the one to remind you that!"
Revi was starting to lose his cool while talking to this girl. I said,
"Aisha, we're thinking of having you teach us foreigners about your culture's traditions. This includes the traditional dance of your people."
Shani-sama tried to teach us before, but we weren't any good at it. It looked way easier than it actually was. Even the athletically talented Komekko-chan couldn't get the moves right.
"Ohh! Well, that's kind of really difficult…"
"Eh? Is it really that hard?"
Aisha nodded and said,
"We've been taught the steps since we were children, and we're still considered as novices. There's a lot of complicated moves. Since Shani-sama was the one who invented the dance, she's had hundreds of years to perfect and add to the dance. It's not something that one can even begin to master in a normal human's lifespan…"
I didn't know that there was that much history involved with the dance.
"That's true… Shani oba-san's probably the only one who can truly perform those hip movements, with that unnaturally sexy body of hers…"
Revi almost forgot that this was his grandmother he was talking about. Once he realized his mistake, he blushed and shook his head.
"Well, I'm not asking you to help my wives master the dance. Just teach them the basics, so they won't look like laughingstocks during ceremonial events and the like."
"I can do that!"
Aisha said, saluting us.
Revi nodded, happy with her enthusiasm.
"Alright, then I suppose you should, erm… Follow Iris here to the quarters. I'll be right with you to… Erm… 'Initiate' you…"
Since Revi just started this whole harem thing as well, it seemed that he was still a bit awkward talking about it to a girl he just met.
Thankfully, Aisha got the meaning of his words and bowed.
"Please take care of me, your majesty!"
"Y-Yeah."
I gestured for Aisha to follow me to the harem quarters. Since I was the head wife, it was my responsibility to lead the new members of the harem.
I gave her a quick tour of the castle as we went through the common areas.
"This place is huuuge! It's nothing like my village!"
Since Aisha had never stepped foot out of the desert, she was overwhelmed by the sights.
"It can take some getting used to, but if you have any concerns or questions, you can always ask me, the other wives, or even the other concubines."
Speaking of the other concubines, the Crimson Demon girls were hanging around in the harem quarters when we arrived.
I nodded to Shubaru, who was talking to the other Crimson Demon schoolgirls.
Apparently, these girls were all in the same class as Revi, back when he came along with Komekko-chan to the Crimson Demon village.
"Oh! Iris nee-sama is here!"
"Greetings, onee-sama!"
They started bowing to me.
I liked that they were giving me the proper respect, but it also made me feel kind of awkward, since I was only a couple years older than them.
Don't make me feel like some haughty ojou-sama, damnit!
"Hello, girls! Wassup!"
They stared at me after I tried speaking casually to them. They weren't sure how to react.
"...Nevermind. Erm… This is Aisha. She's new here, so I hope you'll get along with her."
"S-She's new, huh! Everyone, now's our chance!"
Ah, crap.
I forgot about the Crimson Demon clan's tendency to introduce themselves in that embarrassing way whenever they met someone new.
Before they could all start introducing themselves, I said,
"Oi, don't tire her out already. Revi is gonna initiate her in a bit."
They all started blushing.
"A-Already?! I haven't even gotten initiated yet, you know?!"
"She only just got here, but she's already usurping me?! Sniff…"
I started panicking and trying to get them to calm down.
"Erm… No, wait… It's not because… It's about politics and all!"
"Huh? Politics? What's that? Is it tasty?"
Making the situation even more chaotic was Komekko-chan, who came in wearing her workout clothes, a tanktop and short shorts.
She was sweating from her workout session after coming out of the gym. I noticed Sonia was walking behind her, looking exhausted. After Sonia helped us uncover Lord Rickford's plot, Revi officially announced that she was no longer a prisoner.
She was still confined to the harem quarters for now, though.
As for her status, she wasn't officially a concubine, but if she wanted to earn more freedoms beyond that of a political prisoner, she'd probably have to go that route in the future.
As for Komekko-chan's question about politics, I said,
"...I'm not gonna explain the whole concept of 'politics' to you, but the others should get what I mean, right?"
"...No, not really."
They looked at me dumbfounded.
"Huh?! I thought your clan was full of geniuses and that you all even had formal education?! What did they teach you?!"
"Erm… The blast radius of a fireball?"
"Useless!"
I didn't think that their education only revolved around magic and combat. There was nothing actually practical there, at least, nothing that would help them in society.
"...In any case, the reason Aisha is going first is because she's from the desert tribes. Since we are all foreigners here, her tribe will naturally have priority over us."
By including myself in the group, I managed to prevent them from feeling insecure.
I didn't think that there would be more nuances to my job as the head wife, but I didn't take into account that I'd have to deal with keeping everyone secure about their place in the harem.
I was only worried about my position, I didn't think that these girls would feel insecure since they didn't have wife status.
In the first place, the term 'concubine' had a bunch of negative connotations to it.
I knew for a fact that Revi didn't want that kind of harem. I'll help him make sure that everyone here is happy.
Part 3
After dealing with the girls, I led Aisha to the master bedroom.
"Whoa! What a big bed!"
She was surprised, like the rest of us, when she saw the harem bed.
"...This size… It's meant to hold big orgies, huh?"
"You only look innocent, huh?"
I said, after she made that crass comment.
"To think that this was the same bed Shani-sama used with the first king… It's an honor!"
She started rolling around in the bed, even after saying that it was an honor.
"Erm… It seems you already took a bath before appearing in the throne room, so in terms of preparations, is there anything you need?"
"Ah, yeah, can you get some stuff for me?"
"Yeah, sure. What kind of stuff?"
I was expecting her to request things like perfume or makeup.
"A rope that's good for tying people up… And maybe a cloth gag, too?"
I stared at her for a while.
"Be right back. I'm gonna tell Revi that he got a defective one."
"I think you're having a misunderstanding?!"
"What's there to understand?! There used to be a famous adventurer named Darkness who was famous for all the wrong things, and you're reminding me a lot of her!"
This girl, who was looking like the long lost love child of Lalatina, started saying some ridiculous things.
"You really don't understand! It's part of our custom!"
Since it did seem like she was doing it out of obligation and not some kind of perverted fetish, I lended her my ear.
"You see, the first king didn't just get a harem out of nowhere. In order to unite the many tribes of the desert at the time, he had to personally lead an army to capture them and bring them under his rule."
Back when Elroad was just a place for barbaric tribes, the only way to unite the desert people was to conquer them.
The first king, with the aid of Shani-sama, managed to unite the tribes and form the kingdom known as Elroad.
"Of course, in order to establish himself as the rightful ruler, the first king needed to take on wives from the daughters of the tribe leaders at the time."
"...I'm guessing he had to take them forcefully, huh?"
"Well, Shani-sama says that the girls themselves didn't mind since the first king was really handsome, hehe…"
W-Was he really that handsome?
Maybe I should check out the history books.
The illustrated ones.
"Since our country was formed from the capture of those girls, we recognize their sacrifice and efforts with our custom of subservience."
"Custom of subservience?"
She nodded and sat up on the bed, putting her wrists together behind her head, as if they've been bound.
"Whenever a woman is presenting herself to her husband for the first time, they will make a tribute to those girls and make an act of subservience. This will include things like being bound by a rope on the night of consummation… So it's not some weird play, or anything, it's a custom, alright? A custom!"
I looked at her eyes and sensed that she wasn't just trying to save face for her sick fantasies.
"Alright… I guess I can give you a rope… I don't know about that cloth gag, though."
"It's fine if it's just a rope!"
I went out and looked for a maid. I saw Zoe, Revi's favorite maid, walking by.
"Erm… Can you guys give me a rope? Oi, what's with those eyes?!"
Zoe gave me judging eyes when I asked for a rope after coming out of the harem room.
"...You want to assert your dominance on a cheeky upstart huh? Wah…"
"It's not like that! It's a custom!"
"Will such a thing be customary here from now on? I pity those girls!"
"Just give me that damn rope!"
I didn't feel like explaining things to her and ordered her to get me some rope.
Once I got the rope, I went back to the room.
"Here…"
I held out the rope to Aisha.
"Thanks!"
I felt like I just completed a difficult quest, even though all I did was ask for some rope.
"Alright… I'll leave you to it, then."
"...How do you expect me to tie myself up? You need to tie me up! Please!"
"You've gotta be kidding me?!"
At the end of the super difficult quest, a super powerful hidden boss shows up.
"Can't you just cast [Bind] on yourself, or something?!"
"...That's a thief skill, isn't it? I'm a dancer, you know?!"
"Fine, whatever!"
I took the rope and held it taut. It let out a rather loud snap.
"...T-That's a bit…"
We both blushed at the sound of the rope.
"O-Oi! Why are you looking at me like that! Don't make it weird! I thought you said that this wasn't a weird fetish thing and it's just a custom, huh?!"
"T-The way you made it sound like is what's weird! A-Are you sure you don't have some kind of domination fetish?! You're not gonna wear revealing clothes and tie me up and abuse me?!"
"Lalatina, is that you?! Just shut up and let me tie you up, you cheeky little…!"
I started to tie her hands together.
"...Erm… Actually, most people have their hands bound at their backs or behind their head…"
Just when I started to tie her wrists together, she started to make the situation even more awkward.
"Does it really matter?!"
"Well… It's the custom…"
"Fine, whatever!"
I'm starting to hate the word 'custom'.
I went behind her and tied up her wrists together behind her head.
"Alright… What now…?"
I said, once the task was done.
She laid back on the bed, with her hands tied behind her head.
"Now I'll just wait for his majesty to come here and conquer the captured me!"
"Are you sure this isn't some weird play?!"
I started to get doubts after seeing her flushed, excited face.
Part 4
After dealing with Aisha, I went out and let Revi take care of the rest.
I went out to the communal area in the harem quarters and relaxed with the other girls.
I needed some relaxation time after that stressful rope business.
Some of the girls were kind enough to give me a massage when they noticed how stressed I was.
I'd like to think that they were doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, and that they weren't trying to earn points with me, the head wife.
While I was relaxing, Regina-sama came into the room and started making a commotion.
"I did it! It's complete! The potion is complete!"
She started jumping around the room in celebration while holding a vial filled with a purple liquid.
"Hmm… Do you mean 'that' potion?!"
I said, sitting up from my comfortable position.
"Yes, it's that potion! I've finished making the potion that will return you to your original form!"
I got up and started celebrating with her.
"Alright, well, bottom's up."
I took the vial and opened it.
"Huh…? You're gonna drink it like that? Shouldn't it be a bit more dramatic?"
Regina-sama said, looking surprised.
"Why do you say that?"
"T-This has been in development for a long time. Isn't it anticlimactic if you just drink it like that?"
"...Do you expect me to hold some kind of ceremony before I drink it?"
"What a practical child you are… Alright, go ahead and drink it."
I nodded and held the potion to my lips.
Thankfully, Regina-sama has improved the taste of the potions she makes. It tasted like grape juice when I drank it.
We waited for something to happen. I held a lock of hair and saw that it was still blue.
"...Did something happen?"
"T-That's strange… There should be this big 'poof' of smoke and you're supposed to come out in your original form already… Here, try this one. It's a more potent version of that potion."
"Is this gonna be alright?! This is experimental stuff, and you're giving me a potent potion… If I die, you'll be considered an international criminal, you know?"
"D-Don't say scary stuff like that! And I assure you that these potions are safe…"
I stared at her face, but she didn't seem to be lying. I trusted and drank the second vial.
Nothing happened again.
"It was a failure, huh?"
"No, it can't be a failure! I'm sure that it works!"
"How can you even be sure? This potion is made specifically for me. It's not like you could try this potion on anyone else to see if it worked or not. Revi doesn't have the same problem as me. He can freely switch forms."
"I'm sure this one works! It's not a problem with the potion… I think the problem is with you."
"...What do you mean? And even if you say it works… Where's the proof?"
She took another potion and drank it. There was a 'poof' like she said, and after the smoke cleared, we saw an adult body replacing Regina-sama's loli one.
Before us was a woman with large breasts and beautiful curves. She possessed a beauty that no ordinary human could possess… She was undoubtedly a goddess.
Regina-sama in her big form smiled and did a pose for us. Since the clothes she was wearing were too small for her, they looked extra lewd. The robes she usually wore now exposed a pair of D-cup breasts, as well as full thighs.
"R-Regina-sama, you've returned!"
Serena, who came when she heard the commotion, ran up to Regina-sama and had tears of joy in her eyes.
"Indeed, my follower!"
Regina-sama let out a haughty laugh and patted Serena on the head. She was probably waiting a long time to do that.
If the potion worked on Regina-sama, then there was no doubt that it worked.
If it didn't work on me, the problem didn't lie with the potion, like Regina-sama said.
After a few seconds, Regina-sama returned to her loli form.
"For you, it should be permanent, but I still have to regain my original strength by building my followers."
"If the problem lies with me… What do you think the issue is?"
Regina-sama sighed and gestured for the girls around to give us some privacy.
"I think the issue is that you don't even know what your 'true self' is anymore. This isn't an issue with your body, it's an issue with your self-perception."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Don't get defensive. It's only natural, right? You've essentially lived a different life up to now as the adventurer Alice. For a few months, you ceased to become royalty and became an adventurer like your beloved onii-sama. Back when we returned to Axel, your onii-sama even acknowledged you as an adventurer, didn't he?"
I was living my dream as an adventurer named Alice. During that time, did I really become invested in the persona of Alice, to the extent that it became an integral part of me?
If that was the case, it'd make sense why the potion that returns people to their true selves wouldn't work on me.
I didn't even know what my 'true self' was.
"...How can we fix this?"
I asked, sitting down again and sinking into the chair.
"There's a few options I can think of at the top of my head. The first option is that you abandon your second identity as Alice forever. You'll be acting as a queen from now on, anyway. There's no need for you to become an adventurer anymore, right?"
I was about to protest, but I remembered the discussion I had with Claire.
She saw me as an adult.
I wasn't a kid anymore. I was the Queen of Belzerg.
I shouldn't do things like abandoning my duties to play pretend adventurer. Those days were over.
While I was thinking, Regina-sama said,
"...The second option is… Well, you abandon Iris and embrace a life of freedom as Alice the adventurer."
"Eh…?"
I looked up and saw Regina-sama's conflicted face.
"Think about it. Is this war really such a good idea? You remember Vanir's prophecy, right?"
I nodded.
Vanir… My hachibei claimed that we were living in a doomed timeline.
Quite frankly, I couldn't really understand Revi's plan to go to war.
I was supporting him since he seemed confident, but I couldn't see our side winning at all.
His plan sounds good on paper, but in Belzerg, we have a saying, 'A general who draws up too many plans is bound to fail eventually'.
It means that those who are too confident in their plans underestimate how unpredictable and cruel war can be.
Plans will never go the way you expect them to. The enemy will have plans of their own, and there's also thousands of outside factors that no one can predict, or plan for.
"You're saying that it might be better to just run away, like we originally intended?"
That was the original plan that Claire came up with.
I heard that when Revi proposed his plan to go to war, the rest of the officials back in Belzerg were all for it.
Claire was the only one who opposed it.
She wanted us to stay safe and keep the royal bloodline of Belzerg alive.
If Elroad falls and we'll have to run away to a foreign country, we'd probably have to go undercover.
In that scenario, it'd make sense for me to abandon my identity as Iris, Queen of Belzerg, and keep pretending to be Alice, an adventurer from Axel.
"Those options seem really extreme."
I said, while giving a troubled sigh.
Regina-sama shrugged and said,
"Like I said, those are just the ones I can come up with on the spot. Stay as you are now, or go back to your old form. The choice is yours."
Part 5
I went over to the balcony to get some fresh air. The afternoon sun was beginning to set. The buildings of Elroad were soaked in the orange glow.
While leaning against the railings and enjoying the cool wind blowing past my face, I saw Revi coming in out of the corner of my eye.
"Wah… That was a good one. I made the right choice bringing Aisha here."
He had a satisfied, lewd grin on his face as he joined me.
"She was that good?"
"Y-Yeah… Erm… It was nice."
"I know about the rope thing. I'm the one who helped her put it on."
"Y-You know about that, huh?!"
He started blushing when I exposed him.
"So you liked the rope play?"
"W-Well… The submissive play she put on was really nice… And well, it did kind of feel like I was a king playing around with the daughter of a defeated tribe…"
"So you like that kinda thing, huh?"
"M-Maybe it's just the blood of a conqueror within me…"
Even though he lectured Tiamat about her warmongering ways, here he was saying that it felt good to play the part of a conqueror.
He stood beside me and looked out at the city.
"I heard about the potion… You OK?"
He said, giving me a concerned look.
I shrugged and said,
"You got any advice? You always seem to know what to say these days."
"...It's not like I have anything figured out, you know? I've never even gone through the problem you have, about dual identities and all that."
"What do you mean? You had your 'Ravi' identity, too. You were also pretending to be an adventurer."
"It's not like I even needed it that much. I already revealed my identity to my R&D staff early on, when I had them make equipment for me, remember? I also used the country's funds to buy a bunch of the things we needed for our adventure."
Now that he mentioned it, he didn't really keep what he was doing a secret for long. He also regained his true form early on, shortly after our fight with Makemake.
"I guess I'm the only one who had this stupid problem, huh?"
I said, groaning as I leaned against his shoulder.
He let out a grin and said,
"Heh, you know, I still can't get over the fact that you're all lovey-dovey with me now."
"...If you mention it, I'll get embarrassed?!"
I took my head off his shoulder.
Since I was already thinking of us as king and queen, I almost forgot how we were like at the start.
This was the same Revi that I considered to be nothing more than an annoying brat.
I almost did it with Makemake before I even thought about doing it with Revi, at one point.
He let out a disappointed sound when I took my head off. He said,
"Remember what I said, about how we'll probably change a lot when we grow older? People don't stay the same. Our tastes will change, our bodies will change, but I'll always be there for you."
"...Yeah, I remember."
Those words of his… Now that I think about it, they might have been the root of my current predicament.
I remembered thinking to myself, 'if we are bound to change eventually, what's even the point of having a personality'?
"It's all your fault!"
"What did I do?!"
I punched him on the shoulder after I recognized where my confusion stemmed from.
"Since it's your fault that I'm in this mess, you fix it."
"Telling me to fix it… I don't even know what's going on with you exactly…"
"...I don't know what's my 'true self' anymore. Based on my decision… My future will diverge."
If I chose to be a queen, would I have to follow Revi to a doomed outcome?
If I chose to remain as an adventurer, not bound by obligations, would I have to force Revi to run away with me?
He sighed and rubbed the back of his head.
"I don't really know what to tell you, but I think something my father once said to me in a dream might help…"
He was talking about that supposed dream vision of his where he saw his father stranded on an island, surrounded by beautiful female elves.
Since it sounded like the typical Revi wet dream, I wasn't sure if I really believed that it came from the old King Elroad or not.
"What did your father tell you?"
"He told me that he once sacrificed many things in order to become the best king he could be. He sacrificed being a father, a friend… He threw away a bunch of his relationships, and even neglected to care for his only son…"
I saw the darkness in Revi's eyes, and I couldn't help but put my arms around him.
He chuckled and said,
"It's fine. I don't really mind it now."
"It must have been tough on you… But he didn't have a choice. He was just fulfilling his duty."
"Well, actually, he said that that whole duty thing was just a lie. It was an excuse. After my father passed away, he didn't want to be reminded of her death. He ran away from his old life in order to become nothing more than a 'king'. He wanted to cease becoming a person entirely and drowned himself in the concept of being a ruler."
"...Did he really say all that?"
Using obligation as an excuse to run away…
For some reason, I felt my stomach drop.
"Yeah, it surprised me, too, but it also let me be at peace with the horrible childhood I had. Well, that's just how it was for him. I don't think it's the same for you."
"...How is it not the same? I think you might be onto something here. The truth is… I don't think going to war is the best idea anymore. I might be using that as an excuse to run away."
"And I'm saying it's not the same for you. You're not some coward. I'm more of a coward than you are, and I'm still willing to fight."
He grinned and went on to say,
"I think your problem is that you don't think that one can exist without the other. You think that in order to be a good queen, you'll have to lose yourself in the process. You think that you have to sacrifice your individuality for the sake of your people."
I glanced away, since I couldn't argue back.
That was the image I had of royalty.
In order to adhere to everyone's expectations of you, you have to hide the part of you that is scared and unsure. Without the crown and the garments, a ruler is just a normal person, just like everybody else. In order to be a successful ruler, you must cease to be a human being and become more like a concept.
"Are you saying that's not the case?"
I said, trying not to show how tired I truly felt in my voice.
"Yeah, I don't think so. If you use our fathers as reference, you'd probably think that way, but you're forgetting something. They were alone. It's not their fault, and it's definitely not our fault, that our mothers died, that their wives died, way too soon."
I lost my mother at a young age. In Revi's case, he never even got to know his mother.
He looked up at the sky, at the orange clouds, and said,
"The difference between us and our fathers is that we have each other to show our ugly, imperfect sides to, the part that commoners would never want to see in their leaders. They didn't have someone like that, not really. That's the difference."
He looked at me again, taking his eyes away from the sky, and smiled.
"The part of you that can't exist without anyone to observe it, it'll always exist in my heart, so don't worry. Whether it's Iris or Alice, Revi, or even Ravi, will always be there for her, alright?"
I chuckled, unable to stop my tears. I held on to his shirt and cried into it. I said,
"See? You always know what to say."
Part 6
I tried to take the potion again. Although I had that talk with Revi, it seemed that I still hadn't regained my inner balance.
To take my mind off things, the next day, I went to the training room and saw Komekko-chan practicing her sword skills with some soldiers.
"Muhaha! None of you can keep up with the devil!"
"S-She's too strong!"
Komekko-chan was wearing a red and black dress, even though she was sparring.
"...Why are you wearing that, Komekko-chan?"
I said, looking at the dress she was wearing.
"Oh, this? Well, since people started calling me the 'Red Queen', I decided to go for an image change!"
"Still… Wearing a dress during combat is…"
"What? You think I should wear armor? What's the point of armor if most powerful individuals can just cut through it like butter."
The armor enthusiasts will crucify you if they hear that.
I picked up a practice sword and said,
"You up for a spar?"
"Sure!"
Since we had been training a lot, Komekko-chan was happy to take me up on my offer for a spar.
She usually liked it when Revi was watching, and performed better since she wanted to show off for him.
This time, Revi wasn't watching, so we were going at a much more casual pace.
I knocked the practice sword out of her hand again with a well-timed disarming move.
"Ugh! That move again! Apparently Revi beat me while I was out of control…"
She said, picking up the sword from the ground. She was really depressed that a near amateur managed to disarm her.
"You focus too much on offense, and your movements are still unrefined."
She pouted and said,
"Is there a way to stop people from disarming me all the time?"
"It's actually harder than you think to disarm someone on the same skill level as you. For example, I don't think I can easily disarm Revi."
"Are you saying I'm weaker than Revi?!"
"No, but he actually had formal training. You're largely self-taught, and, like I said, you only focus on offense. You should actually focus on learning the fundamentals."
"Hmph… As long as I can make my attacks powerful, why do I need to learn a bunch of fancy techniques? Besides, I have that cool magic sword now! It can launch energy beams and stuff!"
I sighed and said,
"What will you do if you go against an enemy who has a magic sword, too? Then you won't be able to overpower them. You'll have to rely on skill to beat them."
Besides, since we were about to fight that angel soon, we'd go against someone who had perfect defense. All we knew about him was that he could create powerful barriers that could withstand anything. Even with just that ability, he could render Komekko-chan's magic sword useless. Same goes for my Calibur.
"Che… Fine, I guess I'll learn some techniques…"
I gave her a nod of approval and taught her some basic stances and moves one could use with a longsword.
I had her focus on catching and trapping a blade, countering by sliding along the blade, things like that.
Since Komekko-chan was a quick learner, but only when it involved physical activities, once she became receptive to learning some sword skills, she was actually able to learn them pretty fast.
The only thing that stopped her from learning was her own desire to learn, huh?
I found myself jealous again of this girl.
I was considered talented by my tutors who taught me sword skills, but I was just an ordinary talented person. Meanwhile, there's people who are true geniuses, who learn things without even working very hard.
I didn't want to admit it, but Revi, who had a perfect memory, was one of those people who just picked things up on the spot.
The only thing that could stop people like Komekko-chan and Revi was their own desire to improve.
After the spar, Komekko-chan and I went to the large bath in the harem quarters. Sonia was there, along with some of Komekko-chan's classmates. I noticed that the newly initiated Aisha was there, too. The girls were surrounding her and asking about her experience with Revi.
"Hehe… It was really good! It tired me out, though… We went at it for hours…"
"I'm surprised you even survived! I heard that Regina-sama went into a coma after…"
Since Aisha was a dancer, she probably had a lot more stamina than Regina-sama, who spent most of her time in the lab.
Komekko-chan went over to join the others in asking Aisha questions about her first time with Revi.
In the meantime, I went over to Sonia and sat down with her.
"So, how's life as a free woman?"
She shrugged and said,
"Not bad. I was treated well, even when I was under house arrest, but it's nice to be able to move around."
"What are your plans for the future? Revi said he'll give you a full pardon if you help us in the war."
"...I'd rather stay as a political prisoner with some freedom than risk my life in a war! Besides, there's other ways to earn freedom…"
I stared at her and said,
"Are you actually considering being a concubine for Revi?"
She grinned and said,
"And why not? I keep hearing about how awesome he is in bed, plus I'll be treated like royalty if I stay here. It's better than earning my freedom fighting in a war I don't care about."
"You're really practical, huh?"
She was like a proper mercenary with the way she weighed out the pros and cons of every situation.
Which is strange, since she decided to join the Demon King army based on a random whim to 'play as the bad guy for once'.
I suppose that now, since she was aware that her circumstances were real and that she wasn't stuck in a 'game', she was able to have a proper perspective on things.
"Boo… Another girl is gonna be on the waiting list?"
A Crimson Demon girl named Funifura went up to us, apparently overhearing our conversation.
She wasn't a part of Revi and Komekko-chan's class, but she ended up getting a crush on Revi during his stay there.
What a sinful boy that Revi is.
"Everyone's gonna get their turn eventually."
I said, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.
"A part of me just wants him to take all of us at once, just to get it over with."
"...Well, if you guys are fine with that, but…"
The other girls overheard and said,
"No way! I want my own personal time with Revi-sama!"
"Yeah, I want my own lovey-dovey private moment with him~!"
I sighed and said to Funifura,
"Well, there you have it."
"I guess I'll just have to be patient, then… Still… Why the hell did you come here with me, mom?!"
She pointed to her mother, who had just entered the bath and was washing herself before taking a dip.
"Hm? What are you mad about, Funifura-chan?"
Sakunori-san, Funifura's mother, smiled as her daughter pointed an accusatory finger at her.
"Huh?! Do you know how weird it is for me to have my mother join the same harem as me?! That's embarrassing, you know?!"
"Ara… But your mother wants to find love, too, you know? I'm single, so what's wrong with me wanting to mingle~!"
"Gah! This is so embarrassing! And why'd you go after Revi-kun?! Why didn't you go after someone your own age?!"
"Hm? I have an opportunity to become intimate with a king, and you think I'll pass up on that?"
"M-My mother is unexpectedly cunning…"
Funifura said, while Sakunori-san finished washing up and joined us in the bath.
Aside from Regina-sama, Sakunori-san was the oldest member of the harem.
She didn't look her age, though, as she looked like she was still in her early twenties. That's the Crimson Demon genes at play, I guess.
She was also part of the three heavenly queens, which included Arue, Serena and herself. I suppose that now Regina-sama could access her true form, that would make them the four heavenly queens.
Of course, I'm referring to the members with the biggest breasts.
"...I don't get it. Do you girls even know Revi that well? It surprises me that you're all willing to be concubines for him so easily…"
Shubaru, one of the Crimson Demon school girls, said,
"Ehe… When are we ever gonna meet a dreamy boy like Revi, who is also royalty? That's a rare chance, you know? Of course we'll go for it!"
One of the other classmates spoke up and said,
"Yeah, if you knew how hard it was to find suitable guys in our village, you'd know why Revi-sama is such a treasure for us!"
I did remember that there was a bunch of thirsty Crimson Demon girls who went to Axel, hoping to find a boyfriend.
"Well… I guess I can understand that…"
I understood it a bit more once I learned that they give the decision some thought.
They didn't just jump at the opportunity to become Revi's concubines, just because they developed a crush on him during his stay at the village.
They took into consideration the social benefits of being a king's concubine as well.
At least, that seemed to be a recurring theme in their reasonings.
Since they didn't provide Revi with much political power… Well, I guess what they offered him was their charm and their beautiful bodies.
It seemed kind of superficial if viewed in that light, but it made sense.
I also knew that Revi didn't accept them just for their bodies, he does seem to care about them individually in some manner.
I guess it's true what they say about great men having multiple lovers.
…Not that Revi is a great man, or anything.