We were in the Royal Capital of Valschein in the basement of the Royal Palace. The first king was in the Kingdom of Twilight, where my deceased left half was. We had come to the forbidden archives, hoping to find something that would help us rescue Left Yumiella.
Even after reading the entries in the black notebook, we still couldn’t figure out what it was. There was no record of it being there in the first place, so the owner and the time period it was from were both a mystery. The natural conclusion would be that it had somehow slipped into the archives, but it was unclear who would’ve brought it and how they would’ve infiltrated the palace to get in here.
After reading the entries, all we could deduce was that they had likely been written by a young woman. All we could do was tilt our heads in confusion. Eleanora was the only one fervently reading through the entries.
“I can really relate to this person! I wonder what became of their romance...”
The owner seemingly had unrequited feelings for someone, so I could see why their thoughts would resonate with Eleanora, who was a professional when it came to one-sided feelings that would never go anywhere.
It was decided that an audit would be done on the archive catalog at a later date, so Ronald kept the notebook for now.
We’d taken a bit of a detour after finding the mysterious object, but we could now get back to what we’d come here for.
It was said that back when the land was in a state of warring, the first king of Valschein founded the kingdom and brought peace to the world...but I had no idea what he was really like as a person. I asked Ronald if there were any documents that could give insight on his personality, and he carefully pulled out a stack of papers.
“I think these will tell you what kind of person the first king was.”
With gloved hands, Patrick accepted the papers, which had yellowed with age. Since I couldn’t move the left half of my body, Patrick flipped through the pages as I read the text. Though the writing seemed to be scribbled, it was quite legible.
“Is this...a diary?”
“Yup. They’re written by a close advisor of the first king. I was shocked the first time I read them.”
“Is there that much of a difference from what you knew?”
“Yeah. The first king was much more”—Ronald hesitated before he continued—“awful than I’d thought.”
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Month: X Day: Y
I’ve always thought that it was terrible, but the way the king carries himself is truly awful.
The battles he’s been instigating have calmed for now, and in my previous entry I wrote that we could finally settle down and focus on our internal administration. Well, it’s true when they say that your biggest enemy is someone close to you.
This afternoon, we received an urgent report about an armed group causing a commotion. They could have been thieves, and there was a good chance they were the remnants of our opponent’s army. The king had conveniently just set out to that same area with a handful of soldiers after hearing that our enemy’s surviving troops were possibly hiding out there.
It wouldn’t be right for the king to have won all his actual battles only to die in a fight that was a chance occurrence.
After reporting this to the lieutenant, he immediately left with a vanguard unit. Depending on the number of opponent forces, a rearguard unit could be needed as well.
The king was running around, trying to build a formation with his troops, when the lieutenant found him and brought him back.
We were only able to enjoy the king’s safe return for a moment. The group that we’d received a report on were actually members of the king’s faction. The king fumed that whoever reported the group was a scoundrel, but I didn’t see a need to punish a subject who had just made a mistake.
When the orderly troops from the lieutenant’s unit brought the king back, all I could see was a bandit being arrested by the army. He had stubble and was clad in simple armor that prioritized mobility. He had a machete-like sword that was suited for chopping. He was yelling as he spoke, and he had an excessive laugh that sounded like someone going, “Gah hah hah!”
Each aspect of him on its own was unbelievable behavior for someone who’d become the leader of a large kingdom. He seemed like a thief or a mercenary—at best, he was the chief of a barbarian tribe.
It was quite pathetic for our king to be like this.
When I thanked the lieutenant for the unnecessary work he had to do, he gave me a small smile and said he was just glad that the king was safe. It doesn’t feel right that the lieutenant, who is incredibly loyal, is hated for being cold and cruel.
Month: Q Day: S
I’ve always thought it was terrible, but the king’s lack of intelligence is truly awful.
The negotiations that have been going on for quite some time are finally showing results, and tomorrow we will finally be able to meet Lord Ashbatten face-to-face. It’s clear to anyone that the results of our meeting tomorrow will greatly sway the future of the Kingdom of Valschein, but...the king doesn’t seem to understand anything.
The Kingdom of Valschein expanded its territory with tremendous momentum, which left the Ashbattens highly guarded towards us. Naturally, we have no intention of invading the Ashbatten land, which could turn into a complete fortress where every citizen is a soldier at any moment.
At this rate, we’re going to end up in a never-ending staring contest where both sides are inviolable. That would be a form of peace, but there would be many concerns remaining. We would have no guarantee that Lord Ashbatten would stay cooped up in his own territory, and in the future there could be calls from Valschein for the takedown of the Ashbattens. To avoid that, it’s imperative that we build a relationship with Lord Ashbatten.
At minimum, we want an alliance with him so the kingdom will be on friendly terms with his territory. Ideally, we’d like for the Ashbattens to join the Kingdom of Valschein. Considering they would be a defensive force on our border, there would be many advantages to the Ashbatten territory becoming a part of the kingdom, even if it means we have to beg them and give them incentives in the form of taxes and material goods.
I explained all of that to the king, but it didn’t seem like he really understood.
“I’m kinda stupid, so I don’t really get it. Why don’t we just attack ’em like we always do?” These were his words. The fact that he was grouping Lord Ashbatten together with any old powerful family showed that he truly did not understand.
I was quite busy with my preparations for tomorrow, but I exercised ingenuity and explained the situation to him using dolls and performing two roles on my own.
“This Ashbatten place, was it? Let’s just attack ’em like usual.”
“No, no. There are four reasons that won’t fly, so let me explain ’em to you in order.”
“Tell me, tell me!”
I carefully and thoroughly explained the situation, but the king still seemed like he wasn’t understanding.
I’m incredibly worried for tomorrow.
Month: Q Day: T
I’ve always thought it was terrible, but the king’s attitude is truly awful.
Today was the day of our meeting. My worries from yesterday were completely warranted.
Lord Ashbatten’s castle is the embodiment of simplicity and solidity. Comfort is secondary—it is a castle with the sole priority of keeping enemies out.
They were probably completely prepared for any intruders as well. If our meeting didn’t go well, it was possible that our lives would be in danger.
Our plan was to show our sincerity and gain the Ashbattens’ trust by sending in the king himself to such a dangerous place, but...we shouldn’t have brought the king with us. Sure, we might’ve made a terrible impression on Lord Ashbatten if the king weren’t present, but that would’ve been better than that idiot being there.
Lord Ashbatten treated us graciously and welcomed us as guests, but the king’s attitude was horrible. Throughout the entire meeting, from start to finish, he shot Lord Ashbatten suspicious looks, and repeatedly said something to the effect of “Are you lying about being strong?”
Because I’d spent yesterday going on about what an incredible man Lord Ashbatten is, it seemed that I had hurt the king’s pride. In that case, I could be at fault for his attitude, but I believe the king would’ve been just as rude even if I hadn’t tried to explain who the Ashbattens were to him.
Eventually, he started blatantly challenging Lord Ashbatten with inflammatory statements like “The truth will be clear if we just fight. Take me down, if you even can.” I don’t know what I would’ve done if the lieutenant hadn’t kept him in check.
In head-to-head combat, the king would probably win. There couldn’t possibly be any individual who is stronger than the king. But Lord Ashbatten has a greatness that could make up for the difference in their levels. As the lord chuckled about how the king was an interesting young man, I, the lieutenant, and of course the king were all intimidated.
After the lieutenant brought the king outside, I apologized, ready to trade my life for his forgiveness... Perhaps he understood that we have no intention of opposing the Ashbattens. Our meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow, but it’s possible that we’ll be killed tonight. If that’s the case, this record will become my will.
Everything about the king is unbelievably awful, but he’s not actually a bad person. He has a kind heart that is pained whenever his people suffer as a result of war, but his short temper overrides it. The slightest provocation would send him into a rage and turn what could’ve been a small squabble into a full-on war.
I’m glad to have been by the side of such a... No, this might be my last will and testament. I’ll write how I truly feel.
I wish I had served someone a bit more sensible. He may be my king, but there are too many aspects about him that are just awful.