At the very center of the royal palace was an office set aside for government affairs. Its heavy doors swung open to reveal Wein and his attendant as they stepped inside the room. It was strictly reserved for the king under normal circumstances. But things were far from that, and now Wein was using this room to conduct royal business.
He came to rest in front of a desk stacked with documents and papers. “Ninym, confirm my schedule for today.”
His aide was an inconceivably beautiful girl around the same age as Wein, with near-transparent white hair and blazing-red eyes.
“In the morning, you are to check these reports and resolve any submitted disputes. In the afternoon, you are scheduled to attend a luncheon meeting and then three conferences, before paying His Royal Majesty a visit.”
“That means no one will come in here all morning?”
“Correct.”
Ah, very good. Wein nodded to himself, and then—he screamed at the top of his lungs.
“LET’S JUST SELL THIS COUNTRY OFF AND GET THE HELL OUTTA HEEEEEEEEEEERE! All that stuff about ‘joining hands’? Yeah, total BS! This country’s mess ain’t so easy to fix! Not. A. Chance! We’re. Totally. Screwed!”
“There you go again,” Ninym chided, unfazed by this sudden outburst. She let go of her stiflingly formal tone. “Joking or not, you really shouldn’t say those things out loud, Wein.”
“It’s no joke, Ninym! I’m totally serious!”
“That’s even worse,” she said with a sigh.
Here was the successor of the Kingdom of Natra, the boy expected to save them all—Wein Salema Arbalest.
In reality, he was actually a no-good slacker. In fact, his least favorite words were duty, responsibility, and effort.
“Ugh, you’re always like this when you’re out of the public eye… At least try being a little more professional, please,” she lamented.
Ninym Ralei had been at his side since childhood, and as his chief aide, she was one of the few blessed with knowing his true personality. Some would say it went against common sense to assign a young girl as the aide of an equally adolescent crown prince turned regent. Doubly so because he was dealing with national politics.
However, no one in the kingdom’s royal court would ever dare say that was the case—half out of fear of displeasing the crown prince who’d appointed her, half due to her personal achievements and displays of skill.
Wein was able to speak so openly with her because they’d established a relationship with each other, founded on mutual trust and cooperation. This also made them brutally honest when no one else was around. Nonetheless, there was a reason Wein was spitting out these absurd complaints, something that went beyond his own disposition.
“Hmm? C’mon, what’s with the Little Miss Perfect attitude?! Ninym, you do realize this country’s dirt-poor, right?!”
“‘Dirt-poor’ is an exaggeration… We simply have severe shortages of labor, resources, and capital. That’s all.”
“Yeah, that’s what the rest of the world calls dirt-poor!”
To backtrack, the Kingdom of Natra was one of the many countries on the continent of Varno. With a population just under five hundred thousand, it was considered a relatively small country.
Located at the northernmost tip of the continent, the kingdom experienced short springs and long winters. Not only that, but the majority of the country’s land was made up of barren rock and mountains.
Even though it boasted a long history, the country possessed limited resources and hardly any industry. In fact, the only thing it was really known for was its snowy landscapes, which brought in a handful of curious travelers every year. But to the average citizen, the bitter cold was more of a curse than a blessing.
Natra was a historic kingdom, but this was mostly due to its being such an unappealing target that other countries rarely looked its way, never mind actually invading. It’s all thanks to wise and sensible rulers of the past that it’s managed to maintain any semblance of a proper country up until now.
All in all, it was a small, vulnerable nation with more than enough potential to be swept away at any moment.
And that was putting it lightly.
“Our administration has no funds. And we don’t have any industries to make any cash. We don’t even have the military power to steal any from someone else. And anyone with half a brain ends up leaving the country in pursuit of better opportunities elsewhere! Now that Father’s ill and that storm’s brewin’ across the continent, I’m stuck running the whole freakin’ countryyyy!!”
Given all this, his complaining wasn’t totally uncalled for. It was clearly a burden too heavy for a boy, especially one halfway through adolescence.
Not that there was anyone who could replace him.
“Agh, why’d I have to be born a prince of this country? If only I’d been born in a place with more resources, manpower, and funds… You know what? It’s hopeless! We’re totally gonna get invaded. Maybe we can cut back on our resources… Oh, but if we involve too much manpower, we might incite a coup…”
“Oh, all right, enough with that doom and gloom. Here, get some work done.” Ninym pressed a fat stack of documents under his nose as he continued to mutter his wild delusions.
“Agh,” he moaned in a haunting tone, giving the papers a quick glance before passing them back immediately. “Looks good. Next.”
“…Did you read through them? Properly?”
“Yeah, yeah, I read ’em. Every last word. It said you gained weight, and— Ow!! You—! I’m pretty sure it’s considered improper to step on the prince’s foot!”
“Take your work more seriously if you want me to properly respect you. Also, I haven’t gained weight. Thank. You. Very. Much.”
“Whaaat? Hey now, this won’t do, Ninym! No, not at all. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t notice your footsteps getting heavier? I know your body hardly ever changes, but I know for a fact you’ve gained more than a pound since last week, and— Hey, quit it, stupid! Cut that out! Don’t twist my ar— GWAAAAAAA?!”
“Would you like to explore just how far your joints bend? Or will you do your work?”
“I—I would very much like to work, please!”
“Very well, then. And for the record, I haven’t gained any weight. Am I clear?”
“Yes’m.” He caved.
Ninym was the only one in the kingdom who could kick his butt into shape.
“Agh! I can’t take this anymore. All I want is to be left alone with my mountain of gold coins, tease you, and live the easy life. Is that so much to ask?”
Just as Wein stretched out across his desk to grumble further, a knock came from the office door. He bolted upright in a start as the door opened with a heavy clack.
It was a young girl.
“Are you in here, Wein?”
She certainly looked a bit younger than Ninym and Wein. As she flitted around the room, her summery dress and black hair danced around her. She embodied loveliness.
Certain parts of her face bore a striking resemblance to Wein’s. Well, that much was to be expected. After all, she was Falanya Elk Arbalest, the younger sister of Wein Salema Arbalest…
In other words, the princess.
“—Oh, it’s you, Falanya. What’s up?” Making it seem as if he’d just finished a long bout of work, Wein casually straightened up and lifted his face out of the papers before him.
“Um, it’s not anything important really. It’s just… You’ve just been so busy lately, Wein. We’ve hardly had the chance to talk,” confessed Falanya, looking up at him with hope in her glistening eyes. “…Am I bothering you?”
“As if.” Wein smiled. “Any big brother who thinks that is a failure of a sibling. Come over here.”
Her face lit up as she rushed over to Wein and hopped onto his knee.
“G-geez… Falanya, I know I said ‘come over here,’ but this is hardly proper.”
“I don’t see how that could be. This has been my spot since forever.” She giggled, rubbing her cheek against his chest like an affectionate little pet.
Wein found his mouth relaxing into a goofy grin, but he reined it in whenever Falanya looked up at him. Meanwhile, Ninym scribbled something on a piece of paper for his eyes only: Sister complex.
Drop it, he scrawled.
Falanya tilted her head at him curiously. “Is there something wrong, Wein?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I was just thinking you’re so light compared with a certain someone.”
“Now, now. It’s not very nice to compare people’s weights.”
“Ha-ha, you’re right. I’m sorry,” Wein said with a laugh, looking straight at Ninym.
I’m gonna kill you.
…Aaaaand he was just gonna pretend he didn’t see that last one.
“I’m so relieved,” Falanya said with a sigh. “I was afraid you’d be upset with me for getting in the way.”
“……”
“Wein?”
“Oh, well, yeah, I’ve been at it nonstop. Right, Ninym?”
“Why, yes. Of course… In fact, just before Your Highness’s arrival, Wein said he was displeased with the amount of work I’d given him. I think he insisted I give him more.” Without missing a beat, Ninym whipped out a mountain of paperwork from an undisclosed location and dropped it on his desk. “I, Ninym Ralei, am in awe of Your Highness’s tireless dedication to his duties as a regent.”
“Oh my. Well, that’s Wein for you.”
“…Right?! It’s only natural as a prince!” Wein chuckled with confidence while shooting Ninym the most damning glare.
She feigned ignorance.
“But you won’t have much free time for a while, will you, Wein?”
“Yeah. The vassals have helped keep the royal court under control for the most part, but there are still problems in the kingdom. I’ll be busy until we can find a solution… I’m sorry. The truth is, I’d really love to play with you.”
“There’s no reason to apologize,” consoled Falanya, shaking her head. Her voice grew anxious. “But promise you won’t push yourself too hard. If you collapsed like Father… Oh, I don’t know what I’d do…”
“Don’t worry. I may look scrawny, but I won’t go down easy. And you’re wrong if you think you can’t help out.”
“…What can I do?”
“It’s not difficult: Just keep on smiling.” He poked at her full cheeks. “As long as you keep that up, Falanya, Father and I will be just fine. This is your special power.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I never lie to you… Mostly… Usually… Yeah, well, I’m telling the truth now.”
“So…is this good?” She gave him a small smile, and he nodded sincerely with satisfaction.
“Wow, yeah, I’m feeling better already. But I think a hug would make it even better.”
“Hee-hee-hee. Oh, you’re so silly. Whee!” She giggled, jumping into his arms. “How’s this?”
“Wow, that’s perfect. I think I can power right through my work this afternoon. Today’s a big day, so you’re really helping me out.”
“Oh, that makes me so happy… But what’s so important about today?” Falanya tilted her face to look up at him as she continued to hold on to him tightly.
“I have a meeting with the Imperial ambassador.”