Chapter 5

After my audience with His Majesty, I was invited to a tea party by Her Highness the Queen.

I was led to the private quarters of the royal family, deep within the castle, and ushered into a room where Her Highness was waiting. In the cozy, compact room, the Queen and a single maid were preparing tea.

"Yumiera, thank you for coming. I actually wanted to talk to you with His Majesty present, but he is very busy."

The Queen exuded a calm, mature presence, yet there was a youthful quality about her.

"Yumiera Dorkness. Thank you for inviting me, Your Highness."

"This is an informal setting, so you don't need to be so formal."

The Queen smiled softly and nodded to the maid. The maid, who had just finished pouring my tea, left the room.

"Nothing said in this room will leak out. We will be discussing matters that are not for public ears."

What is this? It smells like trouble. I want to go home.

"Hehe, don't be so wary. Both His Majesty and I like you. Your responses during the audience were impressive. I feel reassured that someone like you has acquired such great power."

"Thank you, I'm surprised by such high praise."

"I imagine you find holding power to be a hassle, and you're also quite intelligent. The thought of you being ambitious or empty-headed is terrifying."

"Um, why do you trust me so much?"

"Many nobles pretend to have no desires to get close to the royal family. I've learned to spot the difference. I assume you prefer to avoid involvement with the royal family. Unfortunately, it's people like you that I can trust."

I couldn't possibly say that I don't want to be involved with the royal family in front of the Queen, so I remained silent as she continued.

"Let's get to the main topic. This is information known only to the royal family and a select few nobles: the Demon King will be resurrected in two years."

I was very surprised by what the Queen casually mentioned, but not because the Demon King would be resurrected. It was because they had predicted it accurately. In the game, the Demon King had suddenly resurrected when the heroine became a third-year student, which was in two years. This means the royal family has information about the Demon King that wasn't revealed in the game.

"The Demon King...?"

"Yes, I need your help to defeat the Demon King. The army will be preoccupied with the monster forces, so a small, elite team will be needed to take down the Demon King."

"I understand. Given the crisis facing the kingdom, of course I will help."

I had already planned to defeat the Demon King myself if necessary, so I agreed without hesitation.

"Thank you, Yumiera. However, it's not right for the kingdom if you defeat the Demon King."

If I defeat the Demon King, it would be inconvenient for the kingdom? I considered the implications of her statement and came to a conclusion.

"Would it undermine the legitimacy of the royal family?"

The Balshain Kingdom was founded by the hero and the holy maiden who sealed the Demon King, and the royal family are their descendants. The king rules the country because he is a descendant of the hero. If someone unrelated to the royal family defeats the Demon King, the legitimacy of the royal family would be questioned.

"You understand well. That's exactly right. The hero's lineage is just a public reason, but it is important for the king to have this justification."

The Queen seemed surprised. I had noticed this because the prince participated in the Demon King's defeat in the game, which was a bit of a cheat.

"Edwin is expected to lead the Demon King's defeat. I would be delighted if you could participate as the holy maiden."

The Queen said this, but if I were to be elevated as the holy maiden, I would have to marry Prince Edwin. I don't want to be involved with the royal family at all.

"I think Alicia, who uses light magic, is more suitable for the role of the holy maiden. She seems to get along well with Prince Edwin at the academy."

I'm sacrificing the heroine.

"Of course, I understand. If you don't want to, you can say so clearly. If you don't like Edwin, how about marrying Maurice?"

"I don't want to."

I immediately declined the suggestion of the first prince. The Queen had said I could say no if I didn't want to.

"Hehehe, I won't force you. If you run away, it would be a problem. Still, it would be interesting to see my sons' reactions to your clear refusal."

The Queen laughed, seemingly amused by my firm rejection of marriage to the princes.

After her laughter subsided, the Queen returned to a serious expression and changed the topic.

"Let's discuss the Demon King in more detail later. The immediate issue is the nobles trying to recruit you into their factions. Since it's known that you are level 99, I expect recruitment efforts to start tomorrow."

"Wouldn't it be fine if I joined the faction of His Majesty or Your Highness?"

"Both His Majesty and I are part of the mainstream faction, but it's not a monolithic group. There will likely be a competition for you within the mainstream faction. However, the mainstream faction is moderate, so there shouldn't be many problems. I think you can handle it well."

The Queen continued her lecture on the noble factions, which I was not familiar with.

"Be wary of the radical faction led by the Duke of Hillrose. They advocate for wars of aggression against other countries, so avoid them. Also, be cautious of contact from foreign spies. If they make attractive offers, report them to me or His Majesty. We can promise you something better."

Hearing about such thorough measures, I felt like I had become a human strategic weapon.

I suddenly realized I didn't know which faction the Dorkness family belonged to and asked. The Queen answered hesitantly.

"The Dorkness family, or rather, the nobles who are considered pseudo-central, are part of the radical faction. This is the result of the Duke of Hillrose's desire to expand his faction and the Dorkness family's wish to join the central faction."

I was surprised to learn that the Dorkness family was part of the radical faction. My family is probably under the Duke of Hillrose's control.

"If my family suggests that I become a foster child or fiancé of the Duke of Hillrose, what should I do?"

"I will issue a royal decree to prevent the Dorkness family from transferring your registration to another household. However, there will be criticism from other nobles, so the deadline will be until your graduation from the academy."

"Thank you. That's sufficient."

I will try to resolve my family issues by graduation.

"Yumiera, what do you think of your parents?"

As I was pondering my relationship with my family, the Queen asked about it.

"I have never met them, so I can't say much. They don't seem to be good people, and if I could, I would cut ties with them."

The Queen seemed taken aback and saddened by the fact that I had never met my parents.

"I see... If you don't mind, would you consider becoming my foster child? No, you would decline. But you can think of me as a mother. If you ever need to lean on someone, feel free to visit me."

I was in my thirties, so I was a bit confused by this offer.

"Thank you. I will take your offer to heart."

We then talked about my life in the Dorkness territory. As I shared my experiences, the Queen's expression grew increasingly somber. By the time I reached the dungeon leveling part, she was even in tears.

"A royal agent will be sent to the academy. If you have any problems, report them to him."

For some reason, the Queen seemed to have developed a protective instinct towards me. I left the castle with a large amount of sweets.