How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Volume 1

That’s like being able to recite the entirety of the Six Codes from memory, I guess. That would be pretty amazing, yeah. If he’s here by someone else’s recommendation, he’s one of the ones signed up by a relative, huh…I wonder what it is. Something is tugging at the back of my mind here.

“…Your gift is splendid,” I said. “If you wish it, I will recommend you for a bureaucratic position in the Ministry of Law. How about it?”

“No, just the prize will be enough,” Hakuya said immediately, shooting down my proposed recommendation. “I only came here because my uncle who looks after me said, ‘At your age, you need to stop sitting around doing nothing but reading books and go do something useful for society,’ and sent in the application without asking me, so I don’t need excessive rewards.”

“These books you mention, are they all law related?” I asked.

“No. I don’t focus on any specific genre. Law, literature, technical manuals, I’ll read anything.”

“I see.”

I wonder why. There’s something bothering me here.

“Hmm… In that case, how about you become the librarian for the archives in the palace?” I asked. “There are probably books in there that you won’t find on the open market, and with your authority as librarian, you’ll be able to read them.”

“Oh, that does sound nice. If that’s the case, please, let me do it.” Finally, something I could recognize as a happy expression crossed Hakuya’s face. He seemed satisfied.

Seize every opportunity, as they say. It was probably better for me to keep an interesting card like him in my hand than to let him go.

“Next, Madam Juna Doma, step forward.”

“Yes, sir.”

Trading places with Hakuya, the blue-haired pretty girl stepped up.

She looked looked like she was around the same age as me, nineteen, but the air she had about her made this woman feel more mature than her age. With her fluffy hair trailing behind her, she was the picture of beauty as she gracefully bowed her head. While her clothes weren’t very revealing, the top half resembled a dirndl from Austria, while the bottom was transparent and showed her legs, like you might see in an Indian dancer’s sari. Around her hips was wrapped a frilly piece of clothing.

Were it not for the piercing look I received from Liscia, I might have admired her beauty for a full hour.

“Yeah. I haven’t forgotten my job, so stop glaring,” I murmured.

“I don’t know about that…” Liscia responded, looking away angrily.

Marx coughed and cleared his throat, saying, “Sire, this one has shown she is gifted with a rare beauty and singing ability. With those gifts, she took the crown at both the Elfrieden Pretty Girl Grand Prix with her beauty, and at Kingdom of Talent with her singing. Truly, she is the most beautiful songstress of this generation.”

A double crown?! Now, that’s impressive. “Sometimes the heavens do bestow two gifts, it seems,” I said.

“You are too kind,” Juna responded calmly and elegantly to my somewhat awestruck praise. “I have heard that the Doma family are descended from loreleis. Singing is in my blood.”

Loreleis… They’re sea monsters who use their beauty and their songs to lead sailors to their doom, right? Certainly, her beauty and those flowing blue tresses did make me think of loreleis. “I’d very much like to hear you sing.”

“If you wish, I can.”

“Sure. This scene is being broadcast around Elfrieden right now through this jewel. Could you sing a little song to cheer up our countrymen?”

“A song to cheer them up… is it?” Juna seemed troubled. “Most of the lorelei songs passed down in my family are sad love songs, you see…”

“Ohh, if there’s some code or something holding you back from singing one, that’s fine.”

“No, I just don’t know any. If I could hear one, I could learn it right away, though.”

“Hmm… Ah, how about this, then?”

I pulled out my smartphone. It was one of the few things I had had on me when I’d been summoned to this world. I opened up my music folder, picked a song that jumped out at me, then walked up to Juna and put the earbuds in for her.

“What might this be?”

“Something like a machine that plays music, I guess? Anyway, I’m playing it now.”

Juna’s eyes widened.

The moment I pressed the button, Juna’s body shuddered. She seemed bewildered at first, but she was getting used to it, as her body gradually got into the rhythm. Then, five minutes later, she pulled out the earbuds.

“I have it memorized.”

“Already? You really can memorize it the first time you hear it?”

“Yes. Now, let me sing it for you.”

I returned to my seat and she began to sing.