Chapter 5

The Rising Sun Kingdom is fundamentally a nation centered around the queen.

Each generation, the queen bears a daughter, who then inherits the queen's position, ensuring the continuation of the state.

For this reason, the queen forms what is essentially a reverse harem. In addition to the official king, there are many other husbands known as secondary husbands.

However, this system has its problems.

Since only the queen can become pregnant and bear children, the situation is different from that of a male king taking concubines, leading to fewer children for the queen.

As a result, the royal family of the Rising Sun Kingdom is relatively small.

Another problem arises if the queen is unable to bear children.

In such a case, the Rising Sun Kingdom values blood ties and traces the lineage to appoint a princess.

The current queen had been unable to have children for many years.

Furthermore, for some reason, many members of the royal family have died from illness, and if this continues, the queen's position will be inherited by a distant duchess's daughter.

To avoid this, 19 years ago, the king, who was the queen's brother, was made to take the duchess's daughter as a concubine and have a daughter with her.

Thus, the duchess's daughter, who became a concubine, conceived and gave birth to a daughter.

She was named Aria, meaning "the one who will inherit the throne," and was educated from a very young age to be a suitable princess. Her mother, the duchess's daughter, hardly ever saw her.

Since she was not the queen's biological daughter, she faced harsh treatment from the nobles and maids who were close to the queen.

She was restrained and thoroughly educated.

She was a genius.

Though her magical power was inferior, she excelled in the theory of magic, the efficiency of spells, academic studies, political theory, etiquette, and even household chores and sewing.

Despite the adversity, she sometimes laughed cheerfully.

She occasionally offered her opinions on the governance.

She once defeated a squire, the son of a marquis, in a duel.

At such times, she would wear an innocent smile.

However, seven years later, when Aria was 7 and had just been named the first princess, it was thought that there was no hope, but the queen and the king had a child.

It was a daughter.

She was named Amanda, meaning "the one who is loved," and the queen doted on her.

Amanda possessed magical power on par with the queen.

Amanda was treated like a treasure, like a fragile piece of art.

When Amanda began to receive all the necessary education to possess the dignity of a first princess, Aria was educated, or rather brainwashed, to possess the modesty suitable for a second princess.

Her freedom was completely taken away.

When Amanda turned 7 and was named the first princess, Aria was demoted to the second princess.

She was 14, already an adult.

From then on, she was educated to be a suitable wife and a tool for political marriage.

She no longer had any autonomy.

She merely walked the narrow path laid out by those around her.

She had already lost her former smile.

Her demeanor began to be mocked as that of a doll princess.

She was to be married off for political reasons, to a high-ranking individual from another country, but she was not easily accepted.

The Rising Sun Kingdom was the only one with a queen, and in other countries, men held the upper hand, so the choice of marriage was up to the men.

Who would want to marry a princess from a declining country, already an adult, and with special circumstances?

Moreover, her beautiful but uninteresting appearance and her doll-like, eerie behavior were also reasons for her unpopularity.

At 18, she was abandoned by the queen and spent her days in the castle, which was like a cage, as a mere puppet.

Incidentally, the cause of the kingdom's financial crisis was said to be the depletion of magical power.

The kingdom and parts of the castle were maintained by the queen supplying magical power. The queen's job was to supply magical power instead of handling internal affairs, thereby establishing her position.

However, as the succession continued, the blood of the first queen, a magician, became diluted, and the amount of magical power she possessed decreased.

When I see the status of the first princess, I will check.

Thus, the supply of magical power could not keep up with the demand, and the magical mechanisms of the castle stopped. The kingdom fell into a financial crisis due to poor harvests and increased taxes.

The reason we were summoned was probably to receive the reward for the hero summoning from the head country of the national alliance.

Many members of the royal family fell ill, probably because the blood became too concentrated, lowering their immunity.

That's probably the case.

Now that Nara has left, it's still early in the night.

The magic array that can be stored in the "Array Magic Eye" is the magic array of the world of magic eyes. Was the magic array I saw in that world only the mental interference magic array?

Actually, there was another one. The magic array I saw yesterday, though in a different form, many times.

Yes, the summoning magic array.

When I was summoned to that world, I saw the magic array at my feet with my "Sight Magic Eye."

So I remember it. It was much more complex than the mental interference magic array I just used.

I can't write it on paper at its original size, but that can't be helped for now.

There are various concerns about testing the magic array, such as whether I have enough magical power or whether I will be taken back to that white space, but I really want to try it.

I write the summoning magic array on paper.

It's quite complex and took a considerable amount of time to complete.

I overwrite it with the "Array Magic Eye." I felt the same sensation as before. It worked.

I gather my courage, align my viewpoint with the floor, and activate the "Array Magic Eye."

A magic array emitting yellow light spreads from my viewpoint and the floor beneath my feet.

My vision is enveloped in yellow light, and when the light clears and my vision opens, I find myself in the same place as before.

It feels like a short-distance teleportation without going to the white world.

Isn't teleportation usually the first cheat or a power gained in the later part of the story? Why do I have it so early?

Moreover, I felt a significant amount of magical power being drained.

When I check my status, 2000 MP is gone.

This means the original magical power required was 20,000 MP. In other words, the magical power of 200 average people. It's a lot of work.

Now that I have the power to teleport, I want to try something. Honestly, I want to defeat monsters and level up quickly. Let's go to the forest surrounding the capital.

I overwrite the "Array Magic Eye" with the mental interference magic array and ring the bell to call Nara.

Nara, looking sleepy, enters the room. It's the middle of the night, after all.

I perform hypnosis on Nara for the second time tonight.

Nara is made to think I didn't go out. This mental interference magic is quite versatile and allows detailed commands.

Incidentally, it's an advanced magic. I blocked it, so it gave me the impression of a minor magic.

Now, I am in the forest surrounding the capital.

I used the "Sight Magic Eye" for long-distance viewing and the "Array Magic Eye" for viewpoint transfer.

The "Sight Magic Eye" allows long-distance viewing, but the "Array Magic Eye" does not. However, as long as the viewpoints align, it works.

When I use long-distance viewing with both eyes open, my left eye tries to align with my right eye, allowing me to teleport with an accuracy of about one meter.

Since I'm in a forest full of monsters, I'll defeat a monster and level up right away.

I use the "Dark Eye" of the "Sight Magic Eye" to explore the dark forest.

The first monster I encounter is a small ostrich-like, bipedal bird.

It looks like a minor character from the first dungeon.

However, it's not wise to underestimate it. I'll appraise it just to be safe.

No name

Bird-type monster Ketchyo

HP 750/765

MP 132/132

STR 778

VIT 593

DEX 376

AGI 1087

INT 42

Blessings

None

Titles

None

What? Isn't it strong?

Is it in the middle of the food chain in this forest?

Is it a beginner killer? No, it seems to be strong enough to easily kill intermediate players. I don't understand the standards of strength in this world.

Is it the master of this forest?

No, it's called "Ketchyo." The down from its chicks is used for the highest-grade down comforters.

This means it can be hunted in large quantities to be a specialty product.

In terms of status, it's equivalent to seven adult men. I don't think there are many people who can easily hunt it in a world without level-ups.

Thinking it might just be too strong, I appraised other minor monsters, but they all had average values of 500-600, except for INT.

Moreover, the slightly stronger monsters had statuses that exceeded mine.

It seems that 500-600 status monsters are at the bottom of the food chain in this forest.

In other words, the monsters in the forest are much stronger than expected.

To reiterate, the average adult male has a status of 100. This means that even three ordinary people can't handle a minor monster.

I might be able to defeat a minor monster one-on-one, but there's no guarantee I won't be injured. If my clothes tear, it will be a bit of a hassle.

Incidentally, the clothes are knight's uniforms lent by the castle. Since they are borrowed, I have to return them, so if I damage or tear them, it will be noticed.

I can't repair clothes with my "Weapon Creation." Even if I could, it would turn into armor or something.

Furthermore, since this is a forest, I have felt the presence of about three things around me since I arrived. If I attack a minor monster and hear its cry, I might be surrounded.

I can't take that risk.

I can use the "Array Magic Eye" for emergency escape, but it consumes a lot of MP. I want to save enough to return to the castle, so I can't use it frequently.

The sky is starting to brighten.

The night sky, which receives no light from the ground, is turning indigo. A deep gradient decorates the night sky, and the edge of the mountain in the east is faintly glowing white.

It's time to go. If the sun rises, I won't be able to use the teleportation.

If I'm left behind in this forest with only one-tenth of my status, it will be a matter of life and death.

I'll come back after planning how to defeat the monsters.

I swear to come back (though nothing has happened to me) and use the long-distance viewing and teleportation combo from a tall tree to return to my room in the castle.

Since my viewpoint was on the wall, I ended up teleporting to the air near the wall. I managed to land without making a sound, but I might need to learn how to stop my viewpoint in the air.

"Stay awake, Inori!"

"Ah!"

Today's physical training.

The three heroes are training in shield techniques, and I am, as usual, doing strength training. Well, I haven't made any progress because I've been sleeping.

And as usual, the captain's hits are painful. My drowsiness, which doesn't go away, is quite something.

I'm so sleepy.

"Get up! Inori!"

"Ah!"

In the middle of my second scolding, a group of people entered the training ground.

The first and second princesses, along with their maids and guards.

Hmm, the first princess clearly has more guards and maids than the teacher. And there seems to be some distance between the two.

The first princess looks down on the three heroes... Ah, she just gave them a clear look of contempt. She's as easy to read as ever. Can she really get along well with the important people?

In contrast, the teacher gives us a loving smile. Well, it's not really a loving smile, but she's as usual.

"Princesses? What brings you to such a dangerous place?"

The captain moves away from me and approaches the two princesses.

"I was curious about the content of the physical training, so I came to observe. Please don't mind, Captain."

"I took the time to come and observe, so be grateful."

"Is that so? Please take a seat over there."

Is it customary for vassals to ignore the first princess's "be grateful"?

The captain returns to me...

"What are you slacking off for! Do it properly!"

"Yes, sir!"

I was scolded for stopping my push-ups because I was listening to the conversation.

The first princess looks at me with a gaze that seems to see something dirty, while the teacher, as usual, smiles at me.

Let's appraise the two princesses.

First Princess

Human race, human

HP 75/75

MP 2995/3000

STR 73

VIT 62

DEX 201

AGI 84

INT 653

Blessings

"Witch's Blood"

Titles

"Princess of the Rising Sun Kingdom" "Collector of Gratitude"

Second Princess

Human race, human

HP 150/150

MP 1048/1048

STR 124

VIT 85

DEX 1235

AGI 156

INT 892

Blessings

"Witch's Blood" "Genius"

Titles

"Princess of the Rising Sun Kingdom" "Tragic Princess" "Doll Princess"

...What does "Collector of Gratitude" mean?

"Inori! Stop looking around!"

"Go to Heaven!!"

I was unjustly hit by the captain and started my push-ups again.

I was sleeping in the middle and got hit by the captain three more times.

Today's magic study is over, and it's night again.

Study? I was mostly sleeping.

I hypnotize Nara as I did yesterday. It's becoming routine. The flag with Nara is solid.

I teleport to the grassland between the forest and the capital.

Here, the view is good, and the range I can detect with "Detection" is wide. It's unlikely that I'll be seen by anyone.

Today, I will try "True Dark Magic" and "Skill Acquisition."

First, let's try dark magic. I pick up a branch and infuse it with dark magic. The branch gradually turns black from the part I'm holding. After a minute, it's completely black. It's more of a burnt brown than pitch black.

This is "Control." It allows the invasion of non-living matter with dark magic. Objects that have been "Controlled" can be remotely manipulated.

I throw the black branch with all my might and stop it in mid-air. I make it do a backflip, a spin, and finally return it to my hand.

"Control" can be canceled, and by absorbing magic, it returns to its original color in about a minute.

You might think that you can attack by remotely manipulating a "Controlled" object, but it doesn't work that way.

You can only remotely manipulate the "Controlled" object and cannot affect other objects.

Let's try it. I