Since I’d only just recovered from my war injuries, I gave the excuse that I was exhausted and fled the party for the lounge.
“Rotten piece of garbage!” I shrieked once I was outside the chamber doors. “Roland and his ugly, grinning mug… I hate his guts!”
The jerk had some nerve. He’d made various jabs, like “How do you enjoy this, Your Majesty?” and “How’s it feel being king now? What’s it like? I genuinely want to know.”
At this point, it made sense that he’d acted so serious before we set out for battle. He’d already known that I would take up the king’s mantle. He’d been restraining his usual childish antics entirely for this moment.
“Roland, you rat bastard. I swear I’ll make you suffer for this.”
As I stewed in regret, Elysium watched curiously. “What a wonderful day, Master. You’re now king of an entire nation.”
“How can you watch me suffer like this and act so happy?” I demanded.
I couldn’t understand him. Maybe it had something to do with the factory reset, and a lack of lived experience, but his reaction didn’t seem to fit the situation.
“Oh, I see. You’re dissatisfied.”
I nodded. He finally got it. “Exactly.”
“I recognize why. You are too great to preside over only one kingdom. We shall eventually need to subjugate neighboring nations to grow our dominion until we conquer the entire world!”
“Would you quit putting words in my mouth?! I never said anything about world domination! How’d you even make that connection?!”
I was telling my new partner that I didn’t want to be a king at all, but he didn’t get it. Maybe that was inevitable; he’d only just awoken. I’d have to teach him a lot, a prospect that felt incredibly daunting.
A knock sounded on the lounge door. When I invited whoever it was to enter, Angie and the other girls flew in with dark expressions.
“Leon, there’s something we need to talk about,” Angie said tersely.
Livia was smiling, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Both were obviously furious. “We’d like the truth from you, Mr. Leon.”
The sudden interrogation took me aback.
Noelle charged toward me, thrusting several papers forward. “Do you remember signing these? You don’t, right? Tell me you don’t.”
Whatever these papers were, my signature was at the bottom of each sheet. The three girls recognized it, of course, so why had they sped here to ask me what they already knew? Had something happened? Studying the pages, I realized this was the contract Miss Hertrude had me agree to before the war began.
“Yeah, I signed this.” I swallowed and asked tentatively, “Something wrong?”
Their faces fell.
“Why would you make vague promises?” Angie demanded.
“Vague promises?”
“You signed these documents without thinking properly about what they might ask of you. You’ve essentially agreed to take Clarice and the other three into your care.”
“I’ve what?!” The pages crinkled in my hands as I studied them again. I’d promised compensation without clarifying what it would be. I just said I pledged to compensate their aid in battle as fully as I could.
Livia smiled thinly at me. “Houses Fanoss, Atlee, and Roseblade will each send women to marry you and strengthen relations between their house and the crown. The Alzer Republic will do likewise.”
“B-but I was thinking I’d pay them platinum or something,” I babbled, trying to cover my ass.
It was a safe bet that “strengthen relations” meant they wanted me to welcome the women they sent as concubines.
“You big idiot!” Noelle shrieked, tears in her eyes. “You should’ve made it clear how you’d repay them to begin with! Since you already signed this contract promising them basically anything, we’ve got no choice but to honor it!”
I realized now that I shouldn’t have signed so easily, but it was already too late.
Angie seemed to read the emotions on my face. She leaned in closer, putting pressure on me. “You’d better not tell me you heedlessly signed this only because you didn’t think you’d survive long enough to make good on it.”
“No, uh—actually, yeah.” She was glaring daggers at me, so the truth just slipped out.
Livia’s smile became strained. “Is that why you agreed to so many things so easily? You thought you wouldn’t come back either way, so you’d never have to see them through?”
“Yeah,” I said reluctantly.
Noelle gave me a cold glare. “You never meant to become king either?”
“No, actually. That kind of caught me off guard. I didn’t ever think I’d be the one crowned.”
Noelle burst into dry laughter that echoed painfully through the room. “But everything worked out just perfectly for you, didn’t it? From your point of view, you came back and got pushed into the position without warning.” Her lips pursed into a flat line. “You were reckless because you planned to die.” Her face was blank, which only happened when she was absolutely livid.
“I’m so sorry. I just thought I had to be willing to put my life completely on the line, or we wouldn’t be able to win,” I said.
Yes, I’d been reckless. I figured if I survived and had to make good on my promises, I’d cross that bridge then. There were no guarantees I’d make it out alive! But I wasn’t going to say that to them. I’d already dug my grave deep enough.
Angie and the others exchanged looks. All three sighed, seeming to resign themselves. Being angry with me for any longer wouldn’t serve any purpose.
Angie jabbed a finger in my direction. “At any rate, you’d better never sign something so vague again! Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Crestfallen, Livia dropped her gaze to her feet. “I didn’t expect Mr. Leon to take so many wives so quickly.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Noelle narrowed her eyes at me. “You didn’t agree to anything else, did you? You’d better spill your guts right now, while you have the chance.”
“No, I didn’t.” I hesitated. “Uh, I don’t think.”
“You don’t think?”
I couldn’t remember. At the time, I’d abandoned all hope of surviving, so it was anyone’s guess.
The girls had formed a circle around me. I was sweating bullets by this point. “Save me, Luxion,” I whined.
Elysium was hovering at my left shoulder. He shot out in front of me, then turned back around to face me squarely. “I’m right here, Master. Please let me help you.”
“Yeah? What’re you going to do to get me out of this mess?” I asked.
“Simple. Based on everything I heard up to this point, the main issue is the concubines’ arrival, is it not? Well, there is no need for you to worry. I am more than in favor of you having more offspring, Master.” He spun back around to face the girls. “In fact, I recommend expanding Master’s harem further. Surely you wouldn’t mind doing that if it’s for his benefit. I can prepare a list of adequate candidates. Please have them summoned to the palace.”
He was only interested in spreading my genes, but his worst offense was putting that duty on Angie, Livia, and Noelle’s shoulders. Their faces tensed with indignation. They looked like demons ready to come at me for the kill.
“I’m suddenly not so sure I can teach Elysium right from wrong,” I muttered.
It hadn’t been long since Luxion and I said goodbye to each other, but I sorely missed him. What would he say if he were here right now? The future was looking grim.