Project Lorelei

5th day, 10th month, 1,546th year, Continental Calendar — Princely

Capital Van.

Several days had passed since the opening of hostilities with the

Principality of Amidonia.

In the war room of the castle in the now-occupied Van, five people had

gathered. They were: Liscia, Royal Guard Captain Ludwin, Acting General

of the Army Glaive, Prime Minister Hakuya, who had returned after

finishing up his work in Red Dragon City, and me. We were standing

around a table with a big map of the area spread out over it.

When you looked at it on the map, you could see that we had only

occupied the capital city, Van, and a small area around it, shifting the border

only ever-so-slightly to the northwest. Everything beyond that was still

Amidonian territory.

I asked Ludwin, "Is there any sign of a counteroffensive from the

Amidonian side?"

"No, they aren't making any obvious moves." Ludwin laid out little

pawns surrounding Van to represent the cities of the principality. He was

indicating how the forces of the principality were currently deployed. "As

you can see, they have focused entirely on hardening their defenses in the

cities around Van. Most likely, they are severely exhausted from the battle

the other day. They've given up on retaking the city themselves, and..."

"They're waiting for the Imperial Army to arrive, huh?" I finished.

The Gran Chaos Empire. It was the largest realm on this continent,

excluding the Demon Lord's Domain. We expected they would be coming

to intervene in the conflict as a mediator, at the request of Amidonia.

I asked Hakuya, "For reference, what's the difference in strength

between our kingdom and the Empire?"

"The Empire is superior to us in terms of national power, population,

troops, technology, and wealth," he replied. "If you were only asking about

the number of troops, we are outnumbered five-to-one. If you factor in

equipment and other things that have an effect on our war potential, their

advantage is double that."

"More than ten times as much power as us, huh... We're no match for

them right now."

If we wanted to deal with the Empire on equal terms, we needed to get

stronger. We had been able to get by with the things we'd already had up

until now, but from here on, we were going to need to create new things.

"It's unfortunate," Glaive said, his voice full of regret and his shoulders

slumping. "The way things stand, we would have been able to seize the rest

of Amidonia."

However, I felt differently.

"Yeah? We don't really want it," I said, sitting down in a chair, resting

my elbows on the table and my cheeks on the palms of my hands. "Their

mineral resources are appealing, but the country is way too poor. We just

got out of a food crisis ourselves. While providing for this city and the area

around it is one thing, we can't afford to feed all of Amidonia. And if we

only seized the profitable mines, we would inspire them to hate us more."

"When you say it like that..." Glaive said, "there really isn't much

appeal to it."

"I know, right?"

Well, it would all be the same once the Empire put in an appearance. No

matter how hard we worked and how much land we seized, when the

Empire came, we would be forced to return it. That applied to Van, too.

"Besides, the Amidonians are a vengeful people," I said. "It looks like

they've been indoctrinated for generations. If we tried to maintain the

occupation, I doubt we could establish stable rule here."

"You're right," said Liscia. "With just Van, we're fine for now because

we have a massive force here, but if you were to try to install a magistrate, I

doubt the people would obey him."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah. That's why I want to 'tame' their

resentment."

"You want to tame it?" Liscia asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I've already called in the perfect person for the job."

There was a knock at the door to the war room. When I said "Come in,"

the door opened and a blue-haired beauty entered with a bow and a "Pardon

me."

"I am Juna Doma, serving under Navy Admiral Excel," she added. "I

have come at your command." Then she stood before me and greeted me

not with a salute, but with an elegant bow.

Today she wasn't in the usual outfit she wore as a songstress of the

singing cafe, Lorelei, but in the dignified white uniform of the Navy.

"Thank you for coming," I said. "I see you look stunning in uniform,

too."

"I'm deeply embarrassed to let you see me dressed like this, Your

Majesty," said Juna.

"You shouldn't be," I said. "I think you cut a dashing and beautiful

figure like that..."

"...Soumaaaa?" Liscia butted in, trying to stop us from bantering.

"We're in a meeting now. Could you save the flirting for later?"

Liscia had a smile on her face, but the words had a strange intensity

behind them. She was starting to give off an extraordinarily unsettling vibe,

so I decided it was about time to move the discussion along. I mean, it

wasn't as if I'd called Juna all the way from the southern border just so I

could banter with her like this.

The mature Juna was watching Liscia and me with a smile. Anyway,

moving on.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat. "There is one reason why I have called

Juna here. That would be..."

"...because you like that she's easy on the eyes?" Liscia finished.

"...Come on, don't be like that," I said. "You know that's not the

reason."

"Hmph." Liscia turned her head to the side peevishly.

I thought it was cute when she did girly things like that, but... as Liscia

herself had just said, we were in a meeting. When I looked around,

everyone else in the room besides Juna was wearing a strained smile. I

decided I'd try to appease Liscia later, but for now, I needed to move along.

"Ahem... Let's get back on track," I said. "There is one reason why I

have called Juna here. That is to put a plan I've been refining for quite some

time into motion."

"Plan?" Liscia asked, tilting her head to the side questioningly.

I answered her, brimming with confidence, "Yes. I call it Project

Lorelei."

By the time we moved from the war room to the audience chamber,

there were already three girls waiting there, prostrated before the throne.

The girls were each of different races, appearances, and ages. One was a

light elf with dark brown hair. One looked like an adorable elementary

schooler. The last was a slender beastman girl with cat ears. All three could

have fairly been called beauties.

When I seated myself on the throne, Juna saluted me with her hand at

her chest. "I have brought the individuals you requested, Your Majesty."

"There's no need to make this formal," I said. "At ease, all of you."

When I said that, the three women rose to their feet, saying, """It's a

pleasure to meet you""" in unison.

Yep, they're full of energy and they're in sync, I thought to myself. As I

gave a satisfied nod, Liscia was standing at my side, looking at me with

another "lovely smile" on her face.

"Heeeey, Souma?" she asked.

"Wh-What?"

"I hope you haven't gotten so full of yourself now that you've captured

Van that you're planning to keep these girls by your side to wait on you

hand and foot. Have you?"

Ah, yeah, her face is smiling, but she's definitely not smiling in her

heart, I thought to myself.

"You've got it all wrong!" I said quickly. "I called these girls here

because they're a vital part of my plan!"

"Hmm..." Liscia sounded dubious.

"It's the truth, okay?" I said. "And, wait, didn't you say you'd let me

take up to eight wives?"

"Well, yes, I did," said Liscia. "But, while I can tolerate it with someone

I know, like Aisha, or if you're forced to do it for diplomatic reasons, I'm

not going to be happy if you abuse your power to round up some pretty

faces for yourself."

"I'm telling you, that's not it, okay?" I said peevishly. "Remember when

I was gathering personnel before?"

During my big recruitment event, Aisha and the other four had been

hired with a great deal of fanfare, but I had hired a lot more people quietly,

or had them added to a list of personnel being put together by the country.

For instance, those who were talented at arithmetic had been hired as

bureaucrats, while one turtle man (estimated age: eight hundred years old)

who'd said "I've been reading books for hundreds of years. I won't lose to

any young whipper-snapper when it comes to my knowledge of books," had

been appointed as the chief librarian in the new city that was under

construction.

Furthermore, when those with the same gift had competed, I had still

hired the ones who'd lost if I could be sure of their talent.

Aisha had been the winner of the Best in the Kingdom Martial Arts

Tournament, but those who lost to Aisha had still been invited to join the

forces that reported directly to me in the Forbidden Army if their skills were

up to snuff. Though, my directly-controlled forces had been seen as a purely

decorative force at the time, so few had taken me up on the offer...

Now, as for these girls gathered here, they might have lost to Juna in the

Kingdom of Talent competition, where contestants had competed on talents

like singing. And they might have lost to her in the Elfrieden Pretty Girl

Grand Prix, where contestants had competed on beauty. But they had still

demonstrated their beauty and singing ability in both of those tournaments.

"After the recruitment was finished, I had Juna scout these girls for me,"

I explained. "Come on, I've told you about how I wanted to make

entertainment programs for the Jewel Voice Broadcast before, haven't I?"

"Oh, yeah... You did mention that," Liscia said as if she'd suddenly

remembered.

I continued on, relieved that she had now mellowed out a bit. "Now,

when it comes to entertainment programs, I was thinking we'd start with a

singing program. There's no one who dislikes hearing a beautiful singing

voice, after all. These girls are the candidates to become singers on that

program. From the day we scouted them up until today, they've been

training to improve their singing and dancing at Lorelei, the singing cafe

where Juna works."

Though, really, the order of things had been mixed up a bit.

Honestly, I'd wanted to start with a program like Nodo Jiman, the

amateur singing contest, to get the people used to the idea of a singing

program, then have these girls debut as idols.

By the way, when I use the word "idol" here, I mean it in the sense of

"A pretty woman who sings well." The sort you would have seen a few

decades ago in the Showa Era. If I tried to introduce a modern-style idol

group to a country that didn't even have the concept of an idol, they weren't

going to understand.

If I went with a single singer format, however, they would likely

recognize it as an extension of the traveling minstrel, the busker on the

street corner, or the songstress in a singing cafe or bar.

"I see, so that's Project Lorelei, huh," Liscia said. "But is that something

you really ought to be doing now? When there's trouble over the fact that

we're occupying Van?"

Liscia looked perplexed. She probably didn't see the point in starting an

entertainment program now, right after we had just seized the capital of

Amidonia. However, she was wrong.

"This is precisely the time for it," I said. "Now then, Juna, could you do

the introductions?"

"Yes, sir," Juna said with a bow, then began to introduce the girls.

She began with the one standing furthest to the right, the light elf girl

who wore her hair up.

In this world, fair-skinned elves like her were called light elves, while

brown-skinned elves like Aisha were called dark elves. In the country I

came from, elves were usually imagined as blonde-haired, but now that I

thought about it, I had seen elves with hair like hers in foreign films. She

had pale skin and orange eyes. Judging by her appearance, she looked to be

in her mid-twenties, perhaps. She held herself with a certain dignity, like a

career woman.

"This is Chris Tachyon," Juna said. "She's a light elf, as you can see."

"Hello, Your Majesty. I'm Chris Tachyon."

Chris put her hand in front of her belly, bowing to me at a forty five

degree angle. That gesture and the mature vibe she gave off made me think

of an airplane cabin attendant from my old world.

Juna went on to explain Chris's talents. "She is a former minstrel and

has a beautiful singing voice, but her poetry reciting is especially

marvelous. She has a pleasant voice and is able to read smoothly, so her

poems are as vivid as if she had cut out a piece of the scenery. In my

personal opinion, rather than have her debut as a singer, she would be better

suited to a program for disseminating information like the one we broadcast

before."

"I see," I said. "You want her as an announcer, not a singer."

It was true that, from what I could hear, she seemed to have a clear voice

and speak smoothly. A female announcer could have an idol-like presence

on a news program, and there was no problem with the way she looked. I

had Hakuya prepare a pen and paper, then I had him write down a certain

short statement and hand it to Chris.

"Could you try reading that for me?" I asked.

"This? Let's see... 'This story is a work of fiction. The people,

organizations, places, and events depicted have no connection to anything

in reality.'"

"Yep, sounds good to me," I said. "Let's have you work on a news

program like Juna suggested."

"Thank you very much," Chris said with a smile, bowing once again.

Liscia asked me in a whisper, "What was that statement you just had her

read?"

"Some magic words from my old world," I said. "If you say them, you

can get away with practically anything."

When I told her that, Liscia cocked her head to the side, looking like she

didn't get it at all.

While we were talking about that, Juna moved on to introducing the next

person. This time, it was the adorable girl who looked not much older than

Tomoe. That frilly lolita-style outfit she wore suited her well.

"Her name is Pamille Carol," said Juna. "She is a kobito."

"I'm Pamille. Nice to meet you." Pamille bobbed her head. It was a cute

gesture, but...

"What's a kobito?" I asked. "A little person?"

"No, she isn't a hobbit, she's one of the ever-young," said Juna. "Not

many races stop aging like the elves, but that trait is especially pronounced

in the kobitos. Even once they reach full maturity, they only look like

twelve-year-old children. Pamille may not look it, but she's far older than I

am."

"Seriously?!" I exclaimed. "To think there's a race like that in this

world..."

It's like the ultimate race of lolis and shotas, I thought. I dunno... I feel

very concerned for their entire race. Maybe I should create a protected

district for them, put up a sign that says "Yes, loli-shota. No, touch,"

outside it, in order to protect them from a certain type of gentlemen and

ladies out there.

Also, I nearly missed it, but I guess there are hobbits in this world, I

thought. Here's hoping there aren't any strange rings out there, too...

As I was thinking about that, Juna continued her explanation. "She has a

voice as clear as a bell. She's especially good at singing cutesy songs in a

way that makes them even more adorable. ...People always see me as being

older than I am, so I'm ill-suited to singing songs like that myself. I envy

that gift of hers a little."

"Well, I envy you, too, Juna," said Pamille. "When I heard we would be

appearing before His Majesty today, I wanted to wear a sleeveless dress, but

I have nothing for it to hang on, so I was told I couldn't."

Juna and Pamille both seemed to be staring off into the distance.

It makes sense for Pamille to feel that way, but is Juna bothered by the

fact she seems older than she actually is, too? Setting her appearance

aside, with the mature way she acts, it's hard to believe she's nineteen years

old, after all.

Now that I thought about it, I remembered a line in a movie I had

watched a long time ago that said, "Treat an older woman like she's

younger than you, and a younger woman like she's older than you."

Juna's a year older than me, so rather than having her indulge me all

the time, I need to find ways to let her rely on me once in a while, I thought.

Juna cleared her throat in an attempt to get us back on track, then

continued with the introductions. "Now, last but not least, this is Nanna

Kamizuki. As you can see, she's a beastman."

"Heeeey! ♪ I'm Nanna! ♪" the cat-eared girl cried with a toothy grin.

She looked to be around fifteen or sixteen. Compared to the other two,

she had dressed up less, wearing a simple tube-like outfit. On her face she

wore face paint, like a soccer fan. If I were to judge solely on her

appearance, she looked like a girl from a tribe that made their living fishing.

Glaive was about to tell her off for the simple and innocent way she was

behaving while before the king, but I gestured for him to stop. That was

because I detected an odd accent.

"Is she not used to the speaking the language of this continent, maybe?"

I asked.

Juna rushed to cover for her. "That's exactly it. It seems she immigrated

to Elfrieden from the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago and has been living

with a group of hardy fishermen in a seaside village ever since. So, if she

acts a little rude at times, please forgive her."

I see... So she's an immigrant from the Nine-Headed Dragon

Archipelago, huh?

Many of the countries on this continent used a common language in

addition to their national languages, but there were isolationist countries

too, like the ones in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, which only used

their national language.

"I understand her situation, but... can she sing like that?" I asked.

"Have no worries on that front," Juna assured me. "She's been singing

sea shanties while out fishing, so she has a powerful voice, one that's both

feminine and masculine, and if you give her a cool song to sing, she can

easily outdo me. I believe she's a good match for those 'anisongs' you

taught me, sire."

"Oh... Can she sing something?" I asked wistfully.

"Yes," said Juna. "As a test, I taught her one. Nanna, could you sing for

us?"

"Sure! ♪ Just leave it to Nanna."

At Juna's request, Nanna enthusiastically burst out singing. The song

was the opening to a mecha anime sung by a female vocalist. Setting aside

the choice of song, the stirring melody was a good match for Nanna's voice.

"By the way, Liscia, do you understand what the lyrics mean?" I asked.

"I don't," she said. "It's like listening to a song in a language I don't

understand. But I can tell that it's a cool song."

"Well, as long as that comes across, it's fine... I guess?" I said.

I can have Juna come up with lyrics for it in this world's language later,

I guess.

When she finished the song, Nanna looked to me with a broad smile.

"Your Majesty! ♪ How was I?"

"...Yeah," I said. "You were amazing."

"Glad to hear it! ♪"

Nanna waved her hand as if to say, "My turn's over now, right?" and

then quickly went back to her position.

She's a unique girl... She isn't timid, she's not like anything they'll have

seen, and the way she moves in broad motions is bound to look impressive

on screen. She might just be the most suited to being an idol of everyone

here.

With the introductions now finished, I thanked Juna. "You've brought in

a good group of people. Thank you."

"You're too kind," she said.

"Okay, all the actors have gathered now," I went on. "With these three,

as well as Juna who can handle the soft, mature songs, we're going to create

Elfrieden's first entertainment program. We won't just be broadcasting to

Elfrieden, though, we'll broadcast to the Principality of Amidonia, too."

"To Amidonia, too?" Liscia asked.

In response to the questioning look on Liscia's face, I nodded. "Yeah. I

mean, we did manage to get our hands on Amidonia's jewel, after all."

Of all the things that had fallen into our hands when we'd taken Van, the

one that had pleased me the most had been a jewel for the Jewel Voice

Broadcast. This was the only broadcast jewel Amidonia had, and it could be

used to deliver a signal to every receiver in this country.

The broadcast jewels were apparently artifacts from an ancient

civilization. While they still couldn't be manufactured, there were a good

number of them out there. With the exception of the small countries, like

the ones that made up the Union of Eastern Nations, and the self-ruling

territory of the wise dragons in the Star Dragon Mountain Range, most

countries had them.

However, fundamentally, you couldn't receive transmissions from

another country. Of course, that made sense, otherwise information

intended for a domestic audience would leak outside the country's borders.

Although technically, if you changed the wavelength settings on the

receiver or jewel, it was possible, so maybe it was a little like radio

frequency in that way.

In other words, now that we had obtained Amidonia's only jewel, that

meant that we had a monopoly on broadcasting rights to every receiver in

Amidonia.

If we used a jewel brought from Elfrieden, too, we would be able to

simulcast Elfrieden's first entertainment program in two countries. What

sort of changes would this broadcast bring to Amidonia? Or would it have

no effect at all?

We would have to wait until the actual broadcast to find out.

◇ ◇ ◇

The capital of the principality, Van, lacked a fountain plaza with viewing

equipment for the Jewel Voice Broadcast like the one in the royal capital

Parnam.

The receiver was on the edge of Van, in an open field that was a plaza in

name only. That was because, in this country, the Jewel Voice Broadcast

was only used once at the beginning of each year when the Prince would

say, "We must never forget our resentment towards Elfrieden. The retaking

of our stolen lands is a national priority," or something like that, stating the

general direction of the country.

Because those who failed to attend the broadcast at the opening of the

year could be charged with the crime of disrespecting the state, even if they

were sick, even if they were old and bedridden, everyone needed to view

that broadcast even if it meant they had to be strapped to a chair and carried

there. And so, today, the young king of Elfrieden who had captured Van

said he would be using the Jewel Voice Broadcast.

Most of the people, having undergone decades of indoctrination, did not

have a favorable impression of the kingdom. However, now, many of those

same people were gathered in the field to watch the broadcast. They likely

believed that if they didn't watch, they would be charged with a crime, as

years of custom had dictated. There were even some who tried to carry in

their sick, only to be told by the guards, "Don't push yourselves so hard,"

and be turned away.

In the evening light, with the sun low on the horizon, the gathered

people of Van wore expressions half of apprehension and half of

indignation. Because those of the knighthood and nobility had all pulled out

of Van, only the general populace who had nowhere else to go remained.

Here and there throughout the crowd, the masses could be heard

whispering to one another about their worries for what was to come.

"Damn the King of Elfrieden... What does he plan to do, making us all

gather here?"

"I caught a glimpse of him when he was entering the castle, but he

didn't look very strong..."

"Don't be deceived by appearances. This is the man who made Prince

Gaius dance in the palm of his hand."

"He's using the Jewel Voice Broadcast, right? What the hell does he

want to say to us?"

With no proper information to go off of, their speculation took

increasingly wild turns.

"No... Don't tell me he's planning to conquer all of Amidonia, so all of

us men will be conscripted and sent to the front lines..."

"No! Without me here as the breadwinner, what'll my family do?!"

"We're an occupied people. We can't be surprised if that's what

happens."

"No, that's not even the worst thing that could happen. He might

demand we hand over our women and children as slaves. Or that we hand

over every beautiful woman in this domain."

"I've heard strong guys tend to have strong urges like that, after all."

"Seriously? I shoulda hid my wife before coming here."

"You dolt. Nobody's ever gonna want your wife."

"What'd you say?! ...Ah! Hey, it's starting."

Suddenly, the receiver in the middle of the field began displaying an

image.

The people thought they would see the uniform-clad image of that

young king, but contrary to their expectations, they saw a beautiful woman

with dark brown hair and elven features sitting in a chair. She rested her

crossed arms on the long table in front of her, and, for some reason, the

broadcast showed her not straight-on, but from an angle to her left.

Naturally, this meant that her head was turned at an angle.

Her pose, which was like that of the Mona Lisa, brought out her alluring

beauty and was especially effective at capturing the hearts of the men of

Van. It felt to them as if they were sitting at a bar and this woman, who had

been sitting next to them, had turned to them to talk. Now she spoke.

"Good evening, everyone. I am Chris Tachyon."

◇ ◇ ◇

"This is News Elfrieden. In this information program, we will be

bringing the latest news from Elfrieden and its surrounding countries to

you, the people. Now, for our first story..."

Chris began reading her script in the impromptu news studio that had

been set up in Van Castle's governmental affairs office. I call it a news

studio, but we had really just gotten together a long table and a chair. Still,

with the other furnishings already in place, it looked the part.

Aisha and I were watching Chris from the corner of the room where we

wouldn't be picked up by the jewel.

Aisha pulled on my sleeve. "Um... Why is Chris being broadcast at an

angle?"

"Uhh... Stylistic beauty?" I said.

I remembered a female newscaster from my world who had delivered

the news in this position, so I had tried to include it. However, during

rehearsal, Chris had complained to me, saying, "I feel like I'm going to get

a kink in my neck," so this was probably going to be the first and last time

we would shoot the program from an angle.

The news Chris was reading out now was a report on the events of the

war up to this point.

She explained in a neutral tone that, as a punitive action against Gaius

VIII and his son Julius, who had taken advantage of instability in the

kingdom to invade, King Souma of Elfrieden had launched a counterinvasion and struck down Gaius VIII.

Aisha tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Wouldn't it have been

better to deliver this information in a speech of your own, sire? You might

have been able to raise your profile in this country, like you did with that

program on ingredient gathering."

"The situation is different this time," I said. "We aren't only

broadcasting to the occupied territories around Van, we're broadcasting to

the rest of Amidonia, as well. No matter what the king of an enemy state

says, the people of the principality aren't going to listen to a word of it. It's

better that they hear it from a third party."

Though, when I had discussed the script for this news with Hakuya,

there had been the idea of using, "For all of us, His Majesty, our Dear

King..." and exaggerating the details, but it had made me sound like some

tin-pot dictator, so I'd rejected it.

Well, anyway, as we were talking, Chris continued reading out the news

with those smooth reading skills and pleasant voice of hers that had come

with Juna's seal of approval. "The armies of the kingdom are presently

occupying the capital of the principality, Van, but hostilities have, for the

moment, ceased. In regards to this state of affairs, His Majesty, King Souma

of Elfrieden, has released the following statement:

"'This has been a war of subjugation against Gaius VIII, who invaded

my country. It is not my wish to spread the fires of war further or to harm

the citizens of the principality. We will provide support to the people living

in the area around Van to allow them to get on with their lives. Furthermore,

as Van has been annexed as a territory of the kingdom, I promise that the

same food aid and infrastructure spending will be carried out here.'

"In advance of that, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr.

Poncho Ishizuka Panacotta, will be distributing foodstuffs in Van starting

tomorrow. He asks that everyone in Van invite their family and neighbors to

come with them."

◇ ◇ ◇

"How dare they do this?!"

In a city close to Van, the crown prince of Amidonia, Julius Amidonia,

shouted out angrily.

Having escaped from the earlier battle, Julius was in a city near Van,

waiting with the remnants of the principality's forces for the Gran Chaos

Empire's armies to arrive. Julius smashed the receiver with a swing of his

sword, then immediately gave an order to his subordinates.

"Dispatch messages to every city with orders not to watch this ridiculous

broadcast."

"""Yes, sir!"""

His subordinates all ran off to dispatch the messengers at once. Once he

saw that they had all left, Julius turned to glare in the direction of Van. He

hopes to win over not just the people of Van, but of all Amidonia, with his

honeyed words, does he? I must not let him!

Julius firmed up his resolve.

Still, even though he'd dispatched messengers, it wasn't as if they could

reach every city instantly. Furthermore, with his defeat in battle, Julius had

lost much of his influence and so his orders were only carried out in the city

he was presently in and those which were very close to it.

In other words, most of the cities in Amidonia were watching Souma's

broadcast.

The reactions of the Amidonian citizens who saw it could be broadly

divided into two categories.

First, there were the people in Van, who were relieved to hear that they

would not be conscripted and sent to fight on the front lines, or to have it

demanded that they turn over their assets, wives, or daughters.

In the cities and farming villages outside of Van, what caught the

people's attention was not the death of Gaius VIII, or Souma's righteous

cause, it was the fact that those areas which had become a territory of the

kingdom of Elfrieden would receive the same support as cities within the

kingdom.

Of course, the people of Amidonia scarcely believed these words. After

all, they were the words of the enemy king. Everyone thought he was

simply trying to buy their loyalty.

...However, it was also true that Souma's words deeply ate into the

hearts of the Amidonian people, who were currently struggling through an

even deeper food crisis than the one in the kingdom. The harsher their

current situation, the more deeply the words ate into them.

◇ ◇ ◇

"...And so, at present, medicine in our country is..."

It had been about ten minutes or so since the beginning of Chris's

informational program.

The section she was reading out now was the last piece of information to

be disseminated. Once this information program was over, the music

program would begin at last.

As she stood at my side, visibly anxious, Aisha grabbed my arm. Today,

Aisha wasn't dressed in her usual light armor; instead, she wore a cocktail

dress. I myself was wearing a tuxedo.

Aisha turned to me with a look in her eyes like an abandoned puppy

dog. "Wh-What do I do, sire? I can't stop shaking."

"Just calm down, okay?" I said. "This is your second time on the

broadcast, isn't it?"

"Last time, I was all right because I just had to eat..."

It had been decided that I would be the host for the music program with

Aisha as my assistant.

I, of course, hadn't planned on being the host of a music program, but

Poncho, who I had intended to push the job off onto, was busy with

distributing food, and Hakuya had refused because it didn't suit him.

It was my first time, too, so if my partner Aisha was going to be

petrified with stage fright, that was a problem.

"Where did the bravado you show on the battlefield go?" I asked.

When I said that in an exasperated tone, Aisha groaned pathetically and

her shoulders slumped. "I am confident that no one is a match for me in

martial arts. However, at a showy event like this, I have no such confidence.

There are a lot of people out there who are prettier that I am, you know. The

princess and Madam Juna are both slender and fair-skinned, like lovely

young maidens. Meanwhile my skin is dark, and I have some muscle on

me, too..."

"Really?" I asked. "I think you've got a nice healthy look."

Even if she did have some muscle, she wasn't ripped like a body builder.

In fact, she had such a shapely body that I had to wonder how she managed

to swing around that giant sword with so little muscle. On top of that, she

was tall enough to be a model, and, though it was hard to tell when she was

wearing armor, her above-average figure was good enough that Liscia was

the one more likely to be jealous.

"Yeah," I said. "You're pretty, Aisha."

"I-I am?!"

The compliment had Aisha ecstatic. However, she quickly came back to

her senses.

"B-But, really, Madam Juna or the princess would make a better host..."

"Juna is one of the singers, so she'd have to run all over the place if we

made her be the host, too," I said. "As for making Liscia my assistant... I

thought it would be best not to do that this time."

"Hm? Why is that?" she asked.

"Oh. There's a little thing I'm worried about now that I've ended up

being the host," I said. "To be brutally honest, I chose you less because I

think you'll be a good assistant and more because I'm counting on your

skills as my bodyguard. If anything happens, you'll be able to protect me if

you're at my side, right?"

"Of course I will, but... Huh?! Is something dangerous going to be

happening?!" she asked.

Aisha seemed concerned, so I put a hand on her forehead and laughed.

"It'll be fine, in all likelihood. But, as pathetic as it is for me to have to

ask this as a man, will you protect me if something happens?"

"Your Majesty... Yes! Even if it should cost me my life, I will mmmph."

I hurriedly covered Aisha's mouth. "You're being too loud. We're

broadcasting now."

"Mmph... I-I'm sorry."

...At times like this, she really might have been a disappointing dark elf.

"...is what they said. That is all for News Elfrieden. Now then, after this

program, we will be broadcasting Elfrieden's first entertainment program. If

you have no prior engagements or are not otherwise in a hurry, I hope you

will continue watching this broadcast."

Whoa, it looks like Chris's program is finished, I thought. Okay, now it's

our turn.

The set for the music program wasn't here: it was an atrium that had

most likely been used to hold balls. We had lined up tables in there,

bringing in some of the soldiers to sit at them and listen, in the style of the

Japan Cable Awards. That was because having an audience makes a huge

difference to the level of excitement.

I took my assistant by the hand. "Come on, let's go, Aisha."

"Sire, I will follow you anywhere!"

◇ ◇ ◇

With Chris Tachyon's information program finished, there was a short

break. Then the receiver in Van's plaza showed a young man and woman.

They were a young man in a black tuxedo and a dark elf girl wearing an

extravagant red party dress. While the young man was confident, the girl

seemed a little tense.

Then a person in the crowd said, "Hey, wait, isn't that guy Elfrieden's

king, Souma?"

When people around the man heard him, those who had seen the

Elfrieden Kingdom's army march in through the city gates cried out one

after another, "Yeah! I saw him when they came in through the gate,"

"That's Elfrieden's King Souma," "There's no doubt about it," confirming

the first man's suspicions.

With no way of knowing what they were saying about him, Souma wore

a relaxed expression as he held an object that was twenty centimeters or so

long with a rounded end (no doubt intended to be a mic, but since the Jewel

Voice Broadcast was picking up the sound, it was really just a prop) up to

his mouth and greeted them all with a "Hello."

"Songs change with the times and the times change with songs," he said.

"These are the songs we want to see handed down across the ages."

"Wh-What, where did that line come from?! You didn't say that during

rehearsal, did you?!" the dark elf girl exclaimed.

It seemed that his last line had been ad-libbed, as the girl was now

confused.

"I will be your host for this program, Souma Kazuya."

"I-I am Aisha Udgard!"

"Come on now, Aisha, your expression is looking stiff," said the king.

"Smile, smile."

"Wh-What about you, sire? Why are you speaking so politely?!" she

exclaimed.

"Well, I'm the host, y'know," he said. "Even if I'm the king, I can't go

acting too self-important."

"You say that, but you're already back to talking like normal!"

"Whoops, pardon me."

Souma was throwing in a bit of playful humor while Aisha could only

react to him.

The people of the Elfrieden Kingdom looked on at their banter with

smiles. However, the people of the Principality of Amidonia wore looks of

bewilderment.

The rumors about King Souma said he was a man who had made a fool

of the great warrior Gaius VIII using his strategic ingenuity, then struck him

down in a display of his own valor. The king of the rumors, blessed with

both wisdom and martial ability, simply didn't mesh with the young man

poking fun at and playing around with the dark elf girl in this broadcast.

In actual fact, his strategy had been put together with help from Hakuya,

while the ones to strike down Gaius VIII had been a late-arriving unit of

archers, but the people had no way of knowing these things.

"Did our prince lose to these people?" one of the members of the crowd

wondered.

"I know—this must all be an act to make us drop our guards!"

"What for? Van's already fallen, you know?"

"Well, it's so they can... Yeah, what is it for?"

While the people of Van reacted with confusion, Souma continued

hosting the program.

"Now then, this broadcast is Elfrieden's first music program. For this

broadcast, we've gathered girls with different types of voices. Each of these

three is wonderfully gifted, truly, deserving to be called 'lorelei.'"

The moment Souma spoke those words, this world's equivalent to an

idol, the concept of a "lorelei," was born.

"I hope this will be a program that helps to soothe the hearts of those

exhausted by their daily toil," said the king. "Please, listen to these loreleis'

songs and enjoy them to the very end."

"Er... There are just three here today, but we will always be looking for

those who take pride in their singing voice in the Elfrieden Kingdom," said

Aisha. "M-Meninwimin..."

"You're slurring it, Aisha."

"P-Please, be quiet," said Aisha. "Um... Men and women of all ages,

self-nominated or nominated by another, all are welcome to apply."

"Yeah, I'd like to have male singers on here, too," said Souma. "Though,

for the guys, it'd be weird to call them loreleis. Well, what'll we call them,

then? Mermen, or something?"

"Then they would just be ordinary sea monsters," said Aisha. "Can't you

choose something from outside the sea? Ah! Erm... To those of you proud

of your singing, or who just like to sing, I'm told you should go to the

Lorelei singing cafe in your nearest city to audition."

"Wait, Lorelei has branch stores now?!" Souma exclaimed.

"Why are you sounding surprised, sire?!"

"Well, I left the auditions entirely up to Juna, after all..."

"By the way, I'm told the one in Lagoon City is their headquarters," said

Aisha.

"What, Parnam's was a branch store?!"

When Souma dropped that last line, one of the viewers in Van let out a

chuckle, then hurriedly covered his mouth. If anyone took fault with him

for laughing while watching the broadcast, he could be lynched by the rest

of the viewers. Because of that, Van's plaza had a strange air of tension

hanging over it.

Without so much as an inkling of what was going on, Souma continued

hosting.

"Now then, let's get this show on the road. Our first lorelei has the body

of a child and the spirit of an adult. She's a legal loli from the kobito race,

Pamille Carol."

"Madam Pamille's greatest pleasure is taking an afternoon nap," added

Aisha. "However, recently, we've had such pleasantly sunny days that she's

been sleeping through until morning, and then sleeping in on top of that.

...Um, sire? Is this information really necessary?"

"Now, let's hear her sing," said Souma. "Here is Pamille Carol."

When Souma said that, the lights dimmed and a relaxed tune began to

play.

The next thing to appear on the projection was a balcony in an atrium.

There, wrapped in a frilly dress, was a girl who looked for all appearances

to be around twelve years old. This was Pamille Carol. Pamille clasped her

hands in front of her chest, then began to sing with a voice that, as befitted

her appearance, was as adorable as a ringing bell.

There was a cute girl singing a cute song. When they saw that scene, the

people of Amidonia thought she was cute. However, rather than debate the

quality of the song, they were simply at a loss for what to make of it. What

to make of the fact that the Jewel Voice Broadcast was being used to show a

little girl singing, that is.

"Who is that girl? She's absolutely adorable."

"Well, yeah, sure, she's cute, but... is it really okay to use the Jewel

Voice Broadcast for this?"

"Don't ask me. It's not like I know."

"Lord Gaius barely ever used it, you know."

"Maybe this is normal in Elfrieden?"

Conversations like this one were springing up all over. Was this the

difference between Amidonia and Elfrieden? Were broadcasts like this what

defined the Elfrieden Kingdom? they asked. The people of Van, under

occupation by the soldiers of the Elfrieden Kingdom, were strongly

impacted by what they saw.

"I see... Is this place part of Elfrieden now, then?" one of the viewers in

Van whispered.

That off-handed comment seeped into the crowd, like water poured into

a vast dry plain.

"Has Van become part of the Elfrieden Kingdom?"

"Well, we are under occupation, after all."

"So, then, this isn't part of the Principality of Amidonia anymore?"

"Well, then does that means it's okay to broadcast this sort of video?"

Even as the people of Van reacted with confusion, the broadcast

continued. When Pamille finished singing the song with lots of charm,

Souma and Aisha came back on screen.

"That was Pamille Carol," said Souma. "My, isn't music a wonderful

thing?"

"Why is it, do you suppose?" Aisha asked. "Hearing it made me think,

'That can't possibly be music.'"

"Now for a change of tune, we'll have an energetic song sung by this

person here," said Souma. "Having trained her singing voice in a fishing

village with nothing but men, the power of her voice is incredible. She's a

simple and innocent cat-eared girl from the Nine-Headed Dragon

Archipelago. Nanna Kamizuki."

"Madam Nanna's favorite fish is the giant spearfish, and her dream is to

eat one whole someday, but because they're worried she'll snack on the

day's catch, the fishermen won't let her on the ocean-going ships..." Aisha

began. "Um, again, was this information really necessary?"

"Now then, let's hear her sing," Souma announced. "Here's Nanna

Kamizuki!"

"...You're just ignoring me, aren't you."

The next person to appear on screen wore a lightly punk outfit. She was

the energetic cat-eared girl, Nanna Kamizuki. Her sleeveless top and short

pants left her healthy arms and legs exposed, while the way her bellybutton

would occasionally peek out helped accentuate the appeal of the cuteness

she had not lost even with her androgynous appearance.

Then, as Nanna started to sing, she leapt off the balcony.

"Wha?!" someone in the crowd shouted.

"H-Hey..."

The viewing masses gulped when they saw that scene. It must not have

been in the program plan.

They could see the staff were rushing to move the fixed jewel. They

could still hear her singing, so they knew she must be all right, but Nanna

didn't appear on screen again for a little while. When she finally

reappeared, Nanna was having a great time dancing by the stairs on the

floor below. Even as the crowd sighed in relief, they were gradually being

drawn into the rhythm of her song and dance.

"You go, girl! Keep it up!"

"The song's nice, too. It really cheers you up."

With this being the second time, perhaps they were getting used to it,

because voices like that could be heard even from the tense crowd in Van.

There was a cute girl enjoying herself singing and dancing. No man

wouldn't enjoy watching that. And, surprisingly, it had an even stronger

impact on the women of Amidonia than it did the men.

What drew the women's attention was Nanna's fashion.

"Isn't she cold dressed like that?"

"She's indoors, so it's probably fine."

"But, if she dresses like that... won't they get upset with her because it

distracts and seduces men?"

Amidonia was, more than anything, a militaristic country. Men were

expected to be strong first and foremost, while women were there to support

them, and the greatest virtue sought from them was modesty.

As a result, in the Principality of Amidonia, except on special occasions,

public opinion would not allow women to dress up. This stemmed from the

idea that it would be a problem if they tempted men, making them become

weak. To say nothing of the fact that if they wore an outfit that showed so

much flesh (even an outfit that showed the shoulders or thighs was seen as

showing too much here) in a public place, they ran the risk of being arrested

for offending public morals.

"Do they not get angry about that in the kingdom?" one woman

wondered.

"Well, it is another country. Their king seems gentle, too."

"...I'm so jealous."

In the minds of the women who wanted to dress up and be pretty,

borders and race did not exist.

Pamille's frilly dress had been cute, and they admired the more liberal

outfit that Nanna was wearing now, too. If they could do it, they wanted to

try wearing those outfits and dancing. The outfits those two wore began to

kindle a fire in the hearts of the women living in the principality. Especially

for the women in Van.

"This isn't Amidonia anymore, right?" one woman asked.

"Then, can we dress up if we want to?"

"I guess? All the soldiers who would have gotten mad have left now."

And, well, they even started saying things like that.

By the time Nanna's energetic song came to an end, the people of Van

gave a round of applause. None of them cared if Souma was just trying to

buy their loyalty anymore.

When Nanna finished singing, the video cut out for a while. The jewel

must be being moved back to its original position. When the screen came

back up, it showed Souma and Aisha with wry smiles on their faces.

"...We were underestimating just how much energy Nanna has," Souma

said.

"...Indeed," Aisha agreed.

"To think she'd go out of frame on a fixed-camera... Nanna, what a

terrifying girl!"

"Why did you say that line like an old woman...?" Aisha asked.

"Now then, let's get things back on track," said Souma. "Now, now,

we've kept you all waiting. Next up, the pride of our country, the Prima

Lorelei, makes her appearance!"

"Madam Juna is incredibly popular even in this first broadcast, isn't

she?" asked Aisha.

As the two of them had just said, Juna had already secured the position

of Elfrieden's top lorelei for herself during the last Jewel Voice Broadcasts.

Her popularity had surprised and confused even Juna herself.

"When the Congress of the People, which collects petitions, issued me a

request saying, 'Broadcast programs more often and let us hear Juna's

singing,' even I was a bit weirded out," said Souma.

"Wow... err, Madam Juna has been looking for a good herb tea to help

with stiff shoulders lately..." said Aisha. "It's not easy when they're so big,

it seems."

"...Anyway, let's hear her sing," said Souma. "Here's Juna Doma."

"What was that pause for?" Aisha demanded.

"...I wasn't imagining anything, really."

"You inadvertently let that slip, I see."

The adorable image of Souma turning to look away and Aisha staring at

him as he did so faded out, and now the blue-haired Juna Doma appeared

on screen.

On her upper half, she wore an outfit that looked like she had just

wrapped a piece of fabric around herself, while on her bottom she wore

loose white pants that tightened around her ankles. Wearing a thin, veil-like

piece of silk on top of her head, she looked like a dancer girl who had

escaped from the world of One Thousand and One Nights.

Her beauty captivated every last member of the audience, man and

woman alike, while her singing voice would indiscriminately intoxicate the

peoples of both Elfrieden and Amidonia.

The viewing masses were made to see why Souma had called her the

Prima Lorelei. Juna's voice didn't have a unique character to it like

Pamille's did. However, her expressive control of her pitch was carved even

deeper into people's memories than Pamille was. Juna's voice also lacked

the power that Nanna's had from training with the fishermen. However,

thanks to that, her gentle timbre was able to seep deeper into the hearts of

people than Nanna's had.

The viewing public were certain of it. Certain that Juna Doma was the

lorelei who stood above all loreleis, the Prima Lorelei.

The viewers in Amidonia had all been completely charmed by the three

singers. They were surprised to find out that the Jewel Voice Broadcast

could be such an enjoyable experience. At this point, none of them were

concerned if this broadcast was Souma's way of trying to win them to his

side anymore.

In Japanese, the word "music" was written "to enjoy sound." They were

enjoying it for its sound. That was why no one noticed Souma's true aim.

—With one exception.

◇ ◇ ◇

"That king, he sure pulled a nasty trick..."

In Nelva, a fortress city in the southwest of Amidonia, one individual

who had mixed in with the viewers to watch the broadcast muttered. This

person wore a hooded cloak which covered their entire body, making it

impossible to read their expression. All that it was possible to discern was

that, compared to those around the person, this person had a small build,

and a voice that was most likely female.

A similarly hooded man standing beside her asked the girl in the hooded

cloak a question. "A nasty trick?"

"It's nasty," said the girl. "After all, he's takin' all the things my old man

deliberately kept away from the people and then suddenly givin' 'em to

them all in one go. There ain't any hope of my brother gettin' himself

reinstated after this. ...Well, for the people, that may be for the best."

With those words said, the hooded girl shrugged as if to add, "Good

grief."

The hooded man beside her looked at her with confusion. "Um,

princess, what are you saying Lord Gaius stole from the people?"

"Freedom, that's what, Mr. Colbert," said the hooded girl.

The hooded girl was Gaius VIII's daughter, Roroa Amidonia. The man

beside her was the former Minister of Finance, Colbert.

Roroa pointed at the video. "Usin' the Jewel Voice Broadcast like that,

women dressin' up fancy, and men lustin' after cute young girls in broad

daylight, none of that woulda been allowed in the principality before now,

yeah? That was because neither the prince or the people wanted the

ideologies of weaklings to spread. But that king, he's showin' them with

this broadcast that all of that stuff is allowed in the kingdom."

"In other words... showing off their 'freedom,'" Colbert said.

Roroa nodded. "That's right. That's what makes it nasty. Freedom is

'free.' Givin' it away doesn't cost Souma anythin'. Now, if ya try to take it

away, there'll be resistance. Even if he borrows the Empire's power and

manages to get Van back, do ya see my brother bein' able to let them keep

that 'freedom'? ...I don't. Under my brother, it'll be a rehash of how my old

man was rulin' the place. There'll be chaos, no two ways about it."

"No... do you mean to say Souma calculated all of that before making

this broadcast?!" Colbert exclaimed.

"That's what it's lookin' like to me."

Colbert's eyes went wide. He was shocked that this girl, who when she

pulled back her hood had adorable beady little eyes like a tanuki, had seen

through the designs of King Souma, the man who had played Gaius VIII for

a fool.

If the ruler of Amidonia had been not Gaius or Julius, but Roroa instead,

the world might be a very different place right now. No, there was no doubt

it would have been. When he thought about that, Colbert couldn't help but

feel a deep sense of regret.

However, it seemed Roroa herself wasn't even thinking about that. "It

just means my old man was no match for him. That old man was hopeless

when it came to anythin' off the battlefield, after all. Honestly... I told him

if he didn't stimulate the eagerness to spend and get the economy movin'

again, this economic slump was gonna last forever, but he didn't hear a

word I said."

Hearing her speaking so bitterly, Colbert hurried to respond. "Um,

princess... about your father..."

"Oh, don't you worry about that none," she said. "I ain't too bothered by

it myself."

In the recent battle, the forces of Amidonia had suffered a major defeat

at the hands of the forces of Elfrieden, and Roroa's father Gaius VIII had

been struck down by the Royal Army under the command of Souma

Kazuya.

When Colbert tried to show her some sympathy for her loss, Roroa just

waved for him to stop. "I wondered why it is? I heard my old man's dead

now, but I don't feel sad about it one bit. I guess in the end, I never did get

along with my old man or my brother..."

"Princess..." murmured Colbert.

"If anythin'... I'm shocked that I ain't more shocked by it," said Roroa.

"I oughta want revenge against Souma, but all I'm feelin' towards him is

curiosity. The way he rebuilt that old country and the strange way he uses

the Jewel Voice Broadcast, I wonder what kinda world he must've lived in

to learn to do all that. I'd like to meet him and talk about it. Hey, Mr.

Colbert. Do ya think I'm heartless, maybe?"

For the first time, her uncertain eyes peeked out from behind the hood.

Her moist eyes were like those of an abandoned puppy. When Colbert saw

her like that, he hurriedly said "No!" and shook his head.

"You were trying to save this country in a different way from Lord

Gaius!" he declared. "That's why you never got along with Gaius or Julius,

who put ideology before the people, and you feel a kinship with King

Souma who always looks at things through the eyes of his people! That is

the true proof you are the princess of this country!"

When Colbert said that, Roroa, who had just moments before had the

look of an abandoned puppy, said, "Y'sure? Well, good," then started

chuckling to herself.

W-Were those crocodile tears?!

Even the mild-mannered Colbert was ready to snap at her for that, but he

reconsidered. Roroa was capable of pretending to be sad, but she was also

capable of pretending to be pretending to be sad. Only Roroa knew what

she truly felt. So... Colbert said nothing.

Then, suddenly, Roroa pulled back her hood. With her two ponytails

hanging forward in front of her, Roroa's adorable face came into view.

Colbert's eyes opened wide with surprise.

"Princess, what do you think you're doing?! We are in hiding, you

realize?! What if someone sees you?!" he exclaimed.

"Everyone's busy watchin' the music program," she said. "They ain't

gonna be lookin' at either of us. But, before we talk about that, as the man

I'm gonna be up against, I was thinkin' I should burn the image of Souma's

face into my eyes now."

In Roroa's eyes, Souma was a plain, ordinary young man, the kind you

could find anywhere. However, she was also well aware that there was

more to him than met the eye. A normal person couldn't restore a declining

kingdom, or defeat the three dukes and the principality. He was a difficult

opponent to gauge precisely because he looked so normal.

Roroa put her hood back on, pulling Colbert by the arm as she walked

away. "Now then, we've got some preparin' of our own to do. Souma

moves faster than I thought."

"...Ah! Yes, ma'am!" Colbert said.

Thinking that this was where things would begin in earnest, Colbert

wore a serious expression on his face. As she walked, Roroa turned back,

looking at the image of Souma projected by the receiver, and giggled.

Now that you've gotten us in the mood, don't go thinkin' we'll let you

run off while you're ahead, she thought. You're gonna have to take

responsibility for it. Oh, yes, you are. Better get yourself ready, Souma! ♪

◇ ◇ ◇

With Juna's song finished, it was Pamille's turn again. We didn't have

enough loreleis yet, so for today's broadcast, each of them was going to

sing two songs.

When Pamille's turn ended, I waited for Nanna to begin her second

song, and then dragged Aisha off to somewhere out of sight, where we

wouldn't show up in the broadcast.

"Wh-What is it, sire?" she asked. "We're still live, you know?"

"I told you there was something I was worried about during this

broadcast, yeah?" I said. "It's what comes up after Nanna."

When she heard those words, Aisha took on a serious expression.

I quietly told her, "When the next act begins, I'm counting on you as my

bodyguard."

"Wha?! You don't mean to say Madam Juna would do somethi—

mmmph."

Even though we were still in the middle of the broadcast, Aisha had

started to raise her voice, so I'd covered her mouth with my hand.

Once she'd calmed down, I silently shook my head. "It's not Juna. In

between Nanna and Juna's second songs, we have a singer who jumped in

to participate at the last minute."

"Mmph... I-I never heard about that!" Aisha cried.

"Like I said, she jumped in at the last minute," I said. "We decided on it

suddenly, right before we went live. Besides, if I'd warned you in advance,

I figured you'd be too busy thinking about it and you'd flub your lines."

"Murrgh... I can't deny it," she said.

Oh, come on... I thought.

Still, I clapped her on the shoulder. "So, there you have it. I'm counting

on you if it comes to that. You're one of the hosts, so you can't carry your

greatsword, but do you want to keep a smaller weapon on you?"

"No, in that case, I'm better off bare-handed... Wait, is this person that

dangerous?!" Aisha exclaimed.

"Nah... I think, probably, it won't be an issue," I said. "I'm just taking

out some insurance."

"Insurance, I see... Understood. I will protect you to the death, sire."

Aisha thumped her chest once. It usually made a metallic clang because

of her armor, but today Aisha was in a cocktail dress. The ample bosom that

was usually hidden beneath her armor swayed, so I turned away in

embarrassment because I didn't know where to look.

Now, then... Let's see how this goes.

◇ ◇ ◇

"This music program sure is nice..." someone in the crowd said.

By the time they had finished listening to Nanna's second song, an air of

relaxation had set in for the Amidonian viewers. They were sincerely

enjoying the music program. Judging by the order of things so far, Juna

Doma was up next. They were even excited to hear her singing again.

However, that air was all but blown away in the next instant.

A woman appeared on the screen. She looked to be somewhere between

thirty and forty years old. She stood nearly two meters tall, with a build so

muscular that it was apparent even through the military uniform she wore.

There was a sharp glint in her eye, and she wore her hair slicked back, so it

was hard to tell what her gender was.

In fact, the only ones who knew that she was female were the viewers in

the principality. It turned out viewers in the kingdom thought she was a guy

in drag.

Souma and Aisha appeared on the screen next to the woman. Souma still

had his forced smile on, but Aisha was looking at the woman warily.

"Now, we have a surprise guest participant," said Souma. "It's the

Amidonian commander, Margarita Wonder. While the troops garrisoned in

Van were withdrawing, Ms. Wonder remained here to monitor whether we

were respecting the agreement and not harming the people."

The people of Van nodded. That sounds exactly like Madam Wonder,

they thought.

Despite living in the Principality of Amidonia, where it was hard for

women to make a successful career for themselves, her extraordinary

martial prowess and ability to lead had let her rise to the rank of general,

and she was now an experienced warrior. Her martial ability and stern

appearance made her feared by the people, but she had also gained their

trust for her reputation as a fair and upright individual.

Still, that made it all the harder for them to understand. What was

Madam Wonder doing here, next to Souma?

"Ms. Wonder was a prisoner of war, but the reason for her capture being

what it was, we had her under house arrest," said Souma. "However, when

she heard about this broadcast, she said, 'I'd like you to let me sing, too,'

and volunteered to participate."

Souma was talking in a cheery tone, but Margarita herself was silent.

That difference in enthusiasm between the two of them was palpable, and it

sent a chill running down the spines of the residents of Van.

"Hey... is something about to happen?" someone in the crowd wondered.

"You don't think Madam Wonder would use this as a chance to try and

kill Souma, do you?"

"No, Madam Wonder would never stoop to doing something so

underhanded..."

"But look at that dark elf's expression. She's on guard."

"Souma's smiling, but you can tell he's on edge, too."

Even though the events were actually unfolding in the castle, the people

in Van could pick up on the uneasy air and it frightened them. In that

atmosphere, Souma kept on talking with a smile.

"Now, let's hear her sing. Ms. Margarita Wonder's song will be...

'Through the Valley of Goldoa.'"

When they heard the song title, the air flowing around the audience

seemed to freeze.

The announced song, "Through the Valley of Goldoa," was the national

anthem of Amidonia. She was going to sing the anthem in occupied Van,

right in front of Souma, the occupying power's king.

The people of Amidonia understood the significance of that in an

instant.

Madam Wonder was prepared to face death.

Once Souma and Aisha had gone off-screen, a solemn piece of music in

a minor key began to play. Then, at last, Margarita started to sing.

"In the land beyond the mountains, where Ursula will be born tomorrow,

♪ Is the land that birthed our forefathers, the land to which we will return. ♪

Press on, O horses, climbing over the hill of our fallen comrades. ♪ Press

on, O brave warriors, to become the earth of the land beyond. ♪"

It was a powerful song sung in a husky voice. The people of the

principality naturally stood tall with pride.

Margarita's singing forcibly reminded the people of the principality that

they were citizens of Amidonia, including the ones in Van.

They had been feeling a budding admiration for the "freedom" enjoyed

by the people of the kingdom, but her song was like a frost that caused

those buds to close.

◇ ◇ ◇

It's an intense song...

I was off in a corner, listening to it.

While there had been a slight commotion from the soldiers in the

audience when she started to sing, because they had strict orders to

"Remain seated no matter what happens, and listen to the music quietly," no

one made a scene over it.

However, it was hard to blame them for being unsettled.

After all, this song was about an invasion of the Elfrieden Kingdom.

The lyrics "In the land beyond the mountains, where Ursula will be born

tomorrow," referred to the lands east of the Ursula Mountains which were

once part of Amidonia but were now part of Elfrieden.

It called for their horses and brave warriors to press forward towards

there.

In other words, their national anthem was a song about crossing the

Goldoa Valley to invade the Elfrieden Kingdom.

I dunno... It felt like, did they really have to take it that far? It showed

just how vindictive a militaristic state could be that even their national

anthem was trying to incite the people.

While I was thinking about that, Aisha asked me in a hushed voice, "Is

this all right? Do you want to let her sing like this?"

"...Well, it's about what I expected," I responded in a whisper, with my

arms crossed. "Someone who was a general of the opposing army suddenly

said she wanted to participate in my music program. About the only reasons

I could come up with were 'to stir up the patriotism of the viewers,' or 'to

wait for a chance to get close to me and then strike.' After a cursory

investigation into what sort of person she was, I expected it to be the

former. That's why I asked you to protect me, Aisha."

"You knew this would happen?!" Aisha exclaimed. "In that case,

wouldn't it have been better not to let her sing?"

"...Well, just watch," I said. "I'm going to turn her plans around on her."

While I was saying that, Margarita finished her song. As soon as she

finished singing, Margarita sat herself down on the spot.

When we walked over to her, she said, "I've shown you the pride of the

Amidonian people. Now, lop off my head."

She sat up straight. As I thought, she had come prepared for this. Being

cut down here was probably part of her plan. In fact, if I laid a hand on

Margarita here, this entire broadcast would be a wasted effort.

That's why I smiled, and said, "Why? I thought you sang well."

Perhaps because it wasn't the expected response, Margarita's eyes went

wide.

I felt bad doing this to her when she'd had such strong resolve, but I

wasn't about to go along with her plans.

"You have a good voice, one that would work well for R&B, maybe," I

said. "I have lots of songs I'd like to hear in your voice. I'm sure the people

feel the same way."

When I said that in an off-handed manner, Margarita glared at me. "...I

sang the Amidonian national anthem, you realize. If you let this outrage

stand, people will question your authority as the King of Elfrieden."

"Don't call it an outrage yourself... and so what?" I asked. "There's no

law in Elfrieden saying you can't sing another country's national anthem.

This isn't Amidonia."

I looked away from Margarita, turning towards the Jewel Voice

Broadcast jewel and saying, "What makes for a good country? It's not a

simple question to answer. However, if nothing else, I think a country that

lets its people sing freely is a good one. If a country lets you sing happy

songs, sad songs, love songs, local songs, foreign songs, military songs, and

anti-war songs freely, I think that's the mark of a good country."

Then, reaching out towards the jewel with my right hand, I asked, "What

do you, the viewers, think?"

◇ ◇ ◇

There was a tower on the west side of Van Castle.

That moss-covered tower with its bizarre and imposing presence was

home to a jail, and it was used to confine criminals of high status (nobility,

knights, and higher). While it was a jail for those of high status, it wasn't a

luxury suite by any means. Inside it was a typical dingy jail.

Under Amidonian rule, it had primarily been political prisoners who'd

been confined in this tower. Those people who were said to have plotted to

overthrow the state, or to oppose the direction of the country.

While they may have been said to have done those things, whether they

actually had was another matter. Sometimes these sorts of political crimes

were used to take down a political rival.

Underground there was a torture chamber used to extract confessions. It

seems that the nobles who were falsely accused would be forced to confess

there, then sent to the execution block along with their families. If you

approached this tower at night, you could hear the moaning of the prisoners

who were being tortured during the day, so at some point it had come to be

known as the Moaning Tower.

In one of the jail cells of the Moaning Tower, Liscia and Carla were

sitting on the floor looking at one another across a set of iron bars. Carla,

who was being kept as a hostage against the Air Force, was currently

imprisoned in this tower.

Liscia had brought in a simple Jewel Voice Broadcast receiver, and she

was watching Souma's program with Carla. They had taken it for a simple

entertainment program at first, but when that Amidonian general had

suddenly appeared, the two of them had realized Souma's true aim.

"Had he calculated that that female general would use the broadcast to

stir up patriotism..." Carla wondered.

"...so he showed off the freedom and magnanimity that would allow him

to accept that patriotism?" Liscia finished.

The two of them sighed in admiration.

Liscia traced the edge of the simple receiver with her finger. "Souma

taught the people of Amidonia that in Elfrieden people are free to sing

whatever songs they want. No, it's not just songs. Music, literature,

paintings, sculptures... He showed that every form of artistic self-expression

is allowed."

"Self-expression, huh..." Carla said. "I can't think of anything the

principality hates more."

In a militaristic state like the Principality of Amidonia, it was easier to

rule if the people were all the same. That way they could gain the support of

the people just by calling for the downfall of Elfrieden. If they allowed for a

diverse political discourse, people might start suggesting, "We should make

peace with Elfrieden, trade with them, and coexist." That was the most

frightening idea for the members of the princely house, so anyone who

espoused those sorts of ideas was thoroughly suppressed.

However, with their defeat in the war and the death of Gaius VIII, the

princely house had lost their authority. Souma had chosen a time like this to

make his broadcast, teaching the people of the principality about the

existence of something called "freedom of expression."

They could sing whatever songs they wanted to, draw whatever pictures

they wanted to, and write whatever stories they wanted to.

He had shown the people of Van that the people restricting them from

doing those things were already gone.

"From here on... even if their crown prince, Julius, manages to regain

power, I doubt he can rule like they did before," said Liscia. "The people of

Van have now tasted the bliss of expressing themselves. If he wants to take

that from them, he'll have to crack down on it."

"If he does that, he'll only alienate his people more... huh." Carla

sighed, resting her back against the bars. "I think I finally get what Souma

meant when he said, 'There's only work for a king before and after the

war.' For him... he's still fighting right now."

"Fighting..." Liscia murmured. "I see, so that's why Souma chose Aisha

as his partner." Liscia let out a sigh, leaning back against the bars. The two

of them were now back-to-back with the bars in between them. "I'm happy

that he doesn't want me to get hurt, but I get a little jealous. I'd like him to

rely on me more..."

"Ha ha ha..." Carla laughed. "It just shows how much he cares for you."

"Does it?"

"It does," Carla assured her. "When he was whining to me on the

battlefield, he said he couldn't let you and the others hear him like that.

Grandmother once said that the more a man cares about someone, the more

prideful he is around them."

"Y-You think...? Oh, wait, Carla, he was whining to you?" Liscia asked.

"It's because I mean nothing to him, I'll bet. I did oppose him, after all."

"Carla, Souma is...!"

When Liscia turned around and looked at Carla's face, she was at a loss

for words. Her expression showed none of her usual defiance; it was lonely

somehow, with an air of peaceful resignation.

"I know, Liscia," said Carla. "On the battlefield, he forced me to see the

weight he's carrying on his shoulders. He's no phony. He's a splendid king.

You and King Albert were right in your judgment of him. We were the ones

who lacked your clarity of vision."

"Huh?!" Liscia exclaimed. "If you've figured that out, then..."

"It's why I can't let you intercede on my behalf."

Liscia stood up and slammed on the bars. "Carla! Do you have any idea

what Duchess Walter and I are going through to..."

"No," said Carla. "That's not it, Liscia." She shook her head silently.

Then, folding her hands on her lap, she forced herself to say, "We made a

mistake. That's why I don't want to cause any more trouble for you. If you

try to help us survive, you'll be putting Souma in a bind. He's already

pushing himself too hard to be king, so I don't want to increase the burden

on him anymore."

"Carla..." Liscia looked as if she were in pain.

Carla smiled weakly. "I don't want to be a burden on you and the one

you love any longer."

◇ ◇ ◇

"Now then, everyone, I think we'll have this person here close out the

program for us," I said. "Here's the number one singer, the Prima Lorelei,

Juna Doma!"

Having finished with the lead-in to the last song, I moved off-stage to

somewhere the jewel wouldn't pick me up. When I got there, I found

Margarita kneeling and Aisha looking at her with a grim look on her face.

"...King of Elfrieden," snarled Margarita. "Did you know what I was

going to do?" She looked extremely frustrated as I approached.

"Yeah, kinda," I said. "Someone tried the same thing in the world I came

from."

Although that had been in a movie. It was an old musical, but my

grandpa had loved it, so I had seen it a bunch of times.

Margarita hung her head. "I see... If someone has tried it before, it's little

wonder I failed."

I placed a hand on Margarita's shoulder. "Despite being from the

Amidonian military, you didn't rely on brute force, and you had a

wonderful singing voice. How about it? Why not try becoming a singer in

our country for real? An R&B singer, maybe."

"...You put me to shame with such kind words for a defeated soldier,"

she said bitterly. "I'm not sure what this... arr and bee is, but given I have

failed as a soldier, perhaps that would be fine."

"Yeah, we can never have too many singers," I said. "You'd be more

than welcome."

A troubled smile formed on Margarita's tough-looking face. "...Let me

think about it."

◇ ◇ ◇

Margarita Wonder was hesitant at this point, but not long afterwards, she

did make her debut as an R&B singer from Amidonia. Her powerful singing

with that husky voice of hers mostly found support with middle-aged

people.

Furthermore, with the larger-than-life personality she had cultivated on

the battlefield, and the courage to rival any man's, she took over hosting the

program, eventually becoming a mainstay of the kingdom's entertainment

industry.

Regardless, the curtain now fell on the highly-eventful first broadcast of

the music program.