Chapter 10

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I'll post it randomly after writing. Please take a peek when it's updated.

"Next, let's see. It's probably Frou Frou. Prince Marcello has transferred to the Frontier Noble Academy."

It seems he had already graduated, but he had visited for about two years as a study abroad student.

Because the Malt Forest had endured, he came to believe in the revival of magic and transferred to learn the principles that form its foundation.

He studied with great enthusiasm, and since Frontier is under the influence of the Golden Ring, he seems to have gained a small amount of magical power, enough to use simple life magic, which moved him deeply.

"It was heartwarming. Including his attendants, they probably all learned basic magic."

"Hmm."

The little person couldn't help but lean in.

No, wait? Isn't that unfair? Even I can't use it.

In his previous life, he was the Golden King and couldn't use any other magic. How about this life?

He should receive an attribute after baptism and gain basic life magic.

Those with high magical power are born with it; it doesn't increase or decrease through effort but is a natural gift.

He learned that the amount of magical power is mostly determined by hair and eye color.

By that standard, Chiharu's appearance doesn't indicate high magical power.

However...

Chiharu stared intently at his own hands.

He could release magical power because he had learned it in his previous life.

With a soft popping sound, glowing ribbons entangled his hands in layers.

The people around him couldn't help but gape in amazement.

"Remarkable. If you can control your magical power like that, you must have a considerable amount."

Probably more than the royal Romelle, and it even seems like he already has an attribute despite not having received baptism.

But the base is likely golden magical power. It's warm and soft, seeping into the heart and evoking a nostalgic feeling of something forgotten.

In the cozy room,

Ah, this is it. The space with the little person. The life. The leisurely flow of time that had been long forgotten.

Romelle narrowed his eyes with a deep sense of nostalgia.

"Then there's Kilfan. There was a bit of a commotion, but have you heard from the dragons?"

The little person shook his head vigorously.

"Probably around the time you were born. The main nobles of Kilfan approached Sakura about her ascension to the throne."

The newly established Kingdom of Kilfan.

It took about two years for it to stabilize.

Then, a meeting was held to establish a new royal family, and they remembered that a direct descendant of the imperial family lived in a neighboring country.

The most legitimate banner.

Moreover, there's Kosei now. He's an excellent candidate as a son-in-law.

The revival of the royal family wasn't just a dream, so the nobles of Kilfan approached Frontier, only to be surprised that Sakura was already married.

They were even more surprised to hear that she was pregnant and then proposed to her child if not her.

But they were rudely turned away by the dragon, who valued his family, and gave up.

Some still haven't given up and are still eyeing the opportunity.

It was the first time Chiharu had heard this.

Smiling at this, Romelle sipped the tea offered to him.

"That loving dragon. He would never hand you over. Frontier wouldn't either. Well, there's a possibility that your children or grandchildren might marry into the royal family."

That's why the Jourge family is both a noble family in Frontier and a royal family in Kilfan, Romelle explained.

As long as Sakura is the mother, that won't change.

If a new royal family is established in Kilfan in the future, it will swear allegiance to Sakura's lineage.

In a sense, the new Kilfan is a vassal state of Frontier, or more accurately, of the Jourge family.

Wow... This is getting complicated.

The little person couldn't help but show his gums.

There's also the ongoing soil improvement in Frontier, reforestation, and the improvement of agriculture and livestock.

Diplomacy with other countries is also somewhat difficult, mostly because Frontier can no longer export food as it used to.

"If we don't increase production, ... at worst, it could lead to war."

The little person couldn't help but look up at the sky.

Sigh... It's the same everywhere.

Most of the wars in Earth's past were wars of conquest.

They might be dressed up with noble causes, but at their core, they were about securing resources and labor.

About 70% of the wars were like this, and most of the rest involved religion.

Well, to be honest, more blood has been spilled in the name of religion, but Arcadia has only one creation god, so there's no problem there.

The little person folded his arms and frowned.

Food is important. Just being hungry can make you sad, and if you add cold or illness, you might even want to die.

Such despair usually robs most people of their sound judgment and leads them to the worst possible outcome.

Now is an era of precarious tightrope walking due to the food crisis.

Looking at the silent young girl, Romelle felt a distance in his heart.

The little person's heart, which had been at a distance, was now rapidly approaching the world of politics, with Romelle at the forefront.

I didn't want this.

I wanted you to grow up laughing and playing innocently.

The impending crisis is unavoidable.

For now, it's just a glimpse, but if it continues, it will undoubtedly cast a dark shadow over the little person's era.

To avoid this, the problems must be solved while they are still small.

The contradiction of needing the little person's power to protect the little person's future.

Romelle was tormented by his own inadequacy.

But in fact, the little person had noticed Romelle's struggles.

Romelle, who was trying to resolve the situation, would never ask Chiharu for help, even if his mouth were to split.

Romelle wanted Chiharu to live a peaceful life.

Understanding this, Chiharu was allowed to do what he liked.

Because Romelle didn't want it, Chiharu didn't get involved with the palace, but he was happy that the adults around him were trying to protect him.

However, after hearing about the internal situation of Frontier from Kosei, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing, so he rushed to the scene.

Sitting and waiting is not Chiharu's style.

The future is something you have to struggle and grasp. It's not something given or that falls from the sky.

There's nothing you can get without effort.

Things obtained easily often lead to trouble later.

The world is set up to balance out in the end.

Well, I'll cooperate, Romelle. You're an adult, so please handle the troublesome matters.

Though he didn't say it out loud, the little person was plotting with a sly smile.

Romelle sighed at his devious grin.

You can't win, can you? You really are that kind of creature.

A rare wry smile.

It was a nostalgic and comfortable feeling for Romelle.

The civil servants, consulting with the little person and taking his advice, worked hard on diplomacy.

As Frontier became accustomed to tightrope walking diplomacy, the little person, lending his head to Romelle, worked hard on daily training.

Years passed, and the twins transformed into fine children.

"Ha-ha!"

The object spinning in the air.

It was the two young children, lightly descending the nearly vertical cliff.

Using slight protrusions as footholds, they slid down the slope accurately.

Occasionally, they would jump and use distant trees as intermediaries.

Catching branches and spinning, they would land on other footholds without losing speed.

Their movements were as light and graceful as a dance.

The knights watching from below stood dumbfounded with their mouths open.

Freerunning and parkour.

The little person knew these as knowledge from Japan.

The twins, who had learned acrobatics, naturally began using them for movement.

It was closer to parkour.

They moved quickly without unnecessary movements.

During training.

As soon as it ended and they were dismissed, the twins went wild.

They bounced around the cliffs and forests, starting a game of tag.

It was an outdoor training session. The twins, who usually couldn't leave the castle, returned to their wild nature in the new environment.

"Hero, that's cheating!"

Chihaya, trying to jump to a distant branch, was knocked down by Chiharu during the brief moment in the air.

"You lose if your feet touch the ground, big brother."

Chihaya, thrown by the impact of hitting Chiharu, flew out of the forest in an arc but managed to catch the edge of a cliff with her fingers at the last moment.

"I'm not touching, here I come!"

Chihaya climbed the cliff with agility, maintained her height, and then, gathering strength in her legs, rushed into the forest at bullet speed.

The twins, leaping and bounding through the air like monkeys.

"What is that?"

"...Baby monkeys?"

"...Living life to the fullest, aren't they?"

At this, the knights, who had just finished training, burst out laughing.

"Absolutely!"

The twins' game of tag continued until Dolfen stopped them, their heads tilted in confusion at the sudden laughter.

"Your bodies have developed quite a bit, haven't they?"

While running home, the little person spun and did a cartwheel, then a backflip, and finally a moonsault.

It took about a year to master these.

In parallel, they continued training with weapons, and in two years, they completed all the courses for knight apprentices and dark operatives.

Of course, there was still a mountain of things to do, such as application, theory, and proficiency.

The twins were turning seven this fall.

The age when they would receive baptism and be recognized as citizens.

"Finally, we can go outside the castle."

"I'm looking forward to it, Hero."

Chihaya, running with a mix of running and acrobatics, smiled happily.

Unlike the Golden King, the little person, as a noble, couldn't leave the castle grounds until the baptism at age seven.

Typically, nobles don't let their children leave the estate until the baptism at age seven.

It's rare to take young children, who can't even use life magic, outside.

In the palace, they don't let them leave the harem.

Frontier is a country that values children. The higher the status, the more excessive the care.

They are always with adults, and going out is only in a carriage.

For commoners, it might be different, but the twins, as nobles, had to follow this rule.

This was a special case in his previous life as the Golden King.

"I want to register as adventurers and travel around."

The little person smiled, and in his mind, he saw the orphanage and the forest lords.

It had been nearly ten years since then.

Though they had grown from toddlers to children, the little person's inner self remained unchanged.

Laughing and squinting at the sight of home, the little person sniffed the air, wondering what was for dinner.

Chiharu, loyal to his desires, had forgotten something important.

At seven, he would have to enroll in the noble academy.

His parents and Romelle were already making the necessary preparations.

The pitfall in Chiharu's path, which she didn't suspect.

She would remember it when fitting the baptismal clothes.

"Ughhh?"

The familiar, nostalgic cry will rise in the near future. The little person doesn't know this yet.

Clasping hands for the twins' bright future, which is about to begin.

Despite the various events, the twins will turn seven. The academy where they will start their real journey.

I can already picture the little person's flustered face when he realizes this.