How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Volume 1

“This is a petition I received from the personnel department,” he informed me. “According to it, ‘When those at the top do not rest, those below them find it difficult to take time off.’ You will find Sir Marx and Ludwin’s names on here, and I, your humble servant, have added my own name, as well.”

Ah… Now that he mentions it, I haven’t taken time off since being summoned here, have I? I thought.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t resting at all. Recently, now that I had gotten used to using Living Poltergeists, I’d sometimes left the paperwork to my ability and gone to do things like make dolls in Liscia’s room. If I let part of my mind work while part of it rested, I could work 24/7 without feeling the slightest bit exhausted. However, according to Hakuya, it seemed that wasn’t the issue here.

“Even if you are resting, you are always in the palace, correct?” he asked me.

“Yeah, just in case anything happens.”

“I am telling you that it does not look like you are resting when you do that. And, because it does not look like you are resting, everyone else finds it difficult to rest themselves. Please, understand that.”

“That’s easy for you to say…” I said.

“Normally, I would want you to take a large block of days off to rest,” he said, “but…”

“Do we have that kind of time?” I asked.

“We do not.”

“I figured…”

As a matter of fact, there was a mountain of things that needed doing. Expanding and strengthening the military, meeting with VIPs, creating documents for external use, pushing forward all sorts of reforms… the list could go on forever. Even Aisha’s request that I go to the God-Protected Forest as soon as possible was on hold at this point. Though I had at least told them how periodic thinning worked. In this country beset by internal and external issues, there was no time we could afford to waste.

“However, if this lowers morale, and as a result work efficiency, I believe your hard work may be self-defeating,” Hakuya explained.

“Well, what do you want me to do, then?” I asked.

“Somehow, I will find time to give you a day off,” he said. “Why not use it for an outing somewhere?”

An outing, huh…

“Since I don’t get many days off, what if I said I want to use it to lie around in my room?” I asked.

“That request is rejected. I must ask you to take your vacation in a way that your subjects can see you enjoying it.”

“…You still call that a vacation?”

In my opinion, it’s only a day off if you’re able to do what you want with it. I gave Hakuya a meaningful glance to try to convey that, but it was met with utter indifference.

“Is this not the perfect opportunity? You can use the time to see the castle town with Princess Liscia.”

“You’re sending me out on a date?” I asked.

“You two are betrothed, so please go out and show the people how close you are.”

“Oh, come on, now this is just turning into part of my official duties,” I protested.

Do you want us to do stuff like they do on the Imperial Family Album TV show?

“…And what’ll we do about guarding me?” I added.

“Is that not what you have Aisha for?” he responded.

“First you tell me to go on a date, now you’re telling me to bring another woman along?!”

“Why, it will be like having a flower in each hand,” Hakuya commented. “I am most jealous.”

“You don’t mean that…”

Sigh… Well, it’s definitely some long awaited time to rest. I guess I can enjoy it with the mindset that I’m going out to have fun with friends. I can go around to all the places in the capital I’ve been interested in. Let’s see… checking out that singing cafe that Juna works at might be nice.

“…Okay. Fine, I’ll take a day off,” I said.

“Your understanding is appreciated.”

As Hakuya bowed reverently, I gave him a cold look.

“Now then, where’s Liscia at?” I wondered.

I wanted to let her know we had a day off, but she wasn’t in her room. Usually, that meant she was somewhere in the palace’s training facility. When I had ascended the throne, Liscia’s position as royalty had gone up in the air. Now all that she was left with was her military rank, so acting as my advisor (which, mind you, was pretty hard work) was the only job she had now. She’d been complaining lately about how she had nothing to do other than join the royal guards for training, hadn’t she?

First I visited the shooting range, then the indoor training grounds. Finally, when I visited the inner garden, I found Liscia in the middle of crossing blades with Aisha.

“Hahhhhhhhhh!”

With a loud cry, Aisha swung a sword that was as tall as she was.