Afterwards, I traveled to Doneiks. I could have just called via transceiver, but it was better to have important conversations in person. However, I was here to meet Woroy, not Ryuunie. While Woroy had retired from both his position on the Commonwealth Council and as Doneiks’s viceroy, his fame and influence hadn’t waned in the slightest. He’d accomplished too much during his tenure for the world to forget him. Besides, he was Empress Eleora’s cousin. Officially, she’d exiled him and Ryuunie, but the two cousins apparently still wrote letters to each other all the time. Dad had told me Woroy was essential for maintaining strong diplomatic ties to Rolmund. I’d thought it would be hard to get a meeting with someone so important, but it turned out to be extremely easy.
“Hey, Friede! You’re starting to look even more like your dad! Of course, you inherited your mom’s beauty. Pretty soon, you’ll be the most beautiful woman on the continent!”
When I asked to set up a meeting, he agreed immediately.
“I-It’s been far too long, Lord Woroy. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to see me.”
“Hahaha, no need to stand on formality. How’s your dad doing? Knowing him, probably great.”
“He’s as lively as ever, but...” At this rate, I’d end up spending the whole time talking about dad, so I quickly jumped into the main topic. “The Demon Lord is pregnant, and she’s been trying to find a successor.”
“Mmm, I heard about that. I can imagine she’s having a tough time.” Woroy nodded seriously, but it was hard to tell if he was genuinely concerned. Like Mao and Professor Kite, Woroy got excited whenever dad’s name came up.
Honestly, it felt like mentioning dad was enough to get any adult to listen. It was useful, but I felt guilty about taking advantage of his fame. Well, I can worry about that later.
“Dad wants Ryuunie to take over as Demon Lord, but Ryuunie seems reluctant,” I said.
“I can’t blame him. He lost most of his family to a political power struggle, so he’s very cautious about accepting positions of power. Frankly, I’m not sure what to tell him either.”
Uh-oh, does this mean he won’t be able to help?
Woroy looked me in the eyes and said calmly, “Friede, before I hear you out, there’s something I want to ask.”
“Wh-What is it?”
“Are you here as the daughter of Veight, the Black Werewolf King, or just as Friede Aindorf?” Before I could reply, Woroy added, “If you’re here on Veight’s behalf, then I’m afraid I can’t help you. I have no intention of persuading my nephew for him. I’m sorry, but I care too much about his well-being and happiness to force him into a role he doesn’t want.”
“I understand.” I nodded, and Woroy smiled gently at me.
“But if this is a request from Friede Aindorf, then I might consider it.”
“Wait, what?! Why?”
“You defeated the dragon that threatened Doneiks. The reason we can sit here in this office right now is thanks to you. You’re the savior of the city, thus I have an obligation to at least hear out your request.”
Oh, is that how it works? Is that why I was able to meet with you so easily?
“That’s not all. You also rescued Micha from kidnappers, solved the mystery of the Windswept Dunes, and helped Veight defeat the Valkaan. You’re a far greater hero than I could ever hope to be.”
“That’s not true! Everyone’s heard about your exploits, Mister Woroy!” I shook my head, and Woroy chuckled.
“Everyone’s heard about your exploits as well. In fact, I’m sure they’ll still be talking about them a century later.”
“Maybe, but...” I trailed off. Was I really a hero? Collecting myself, I said, “I always thought heroes were people like you, Mister Woroy.”
“I got wrapped up in a pointless war for the throne, lost without accomplishing anything, and had my life spared by your dad. I’m hardly someone worthy of being called a hero. But, I guess my life after that was pretty interesting. I get to live how I please now, so it’s not all bad.” As he said that, Woroy let out a long sigh. “If anything, it’s my father and brother who deserve to be called heroes. They were far smarter than I am, and unlike me, they were resolved to protect their people no matter the cost. I don’t deserve to be called a hero until I’ve managed to restore their reputation.”
I remembered from my history lessons that Woroy’s dad had been one of Rolmund’s greatest strategists. His older brother was Prince Ivan, the man who’d assassinated Woroy’s father and started a rebellion. Both were considered traitors in Rolmund, and the Doneiks family had been officially removed as a branch of the imperial family. Despite that, Woroy still claimed his father and brother had been heroes.
“I see...”
“But, well, that’s all in the past now,” Woroy said with a sad smile.
As someone who hadn’t been alive during those events, I didn’t know what to say. However, I could at least answer his question honestly.
“I’m here as Friede Aindorf today. Of course, I’m still Veight and Airia’s daughter, but that’s not important right now.”
“Good.” Woroy’s expression brightened as he nodded. “So, what does the savior of Doneiks wish to ask me?”
“The truth is, I didn’t come here to ask you to persuade Ryuunie.” It would have been simple if Woroy had been willing to persuade Ryuunie for me. But I knew that wasn’t something to hope for. “Besides, if Ryuunie were the kind of person who’d change his mind just because you asked him to, he wouldn’t be fit to be Demon Lord. People would think he was too easily influenced by his family.”
“Hahaha, true that! The leader of a nation can’t afford to base his opinions on what his family says, after all. Or they’ll end up like my uncle.” Woroy’s uncle had been the previous emperor of Rolmund, Bahazoff the Fourth. He was known as the most mediocre emperor in Rolmund’s history. During his reign, the Doneiks family had held most of the real power in the country.
Feeling a little nervous, I said, “In truth, I did come to see you about Ryuunie, Mister Woroy.”
“Oho. Well, ask away, and if it’s something I can do, I’ll do it,” Woroy said with a nod.
“Do you know what would help Ryuunie steel his resolve and agree to become the next Demon Lord?” I asked.
“I see, so that’s the angle you’re coming at.” Grinning, Woroy folded his arms. “As his uncle, I don’t really want to push another heavy burden onto my nephew, but at the same time, I want to see how far the Doneiks family can rise. Very well, I will share what wisdom I can.”
Thank goodness I didn’t have to convince him. If anything, Woroy seemed eager to discuss Ryuunie.
“Th-Thank you very much.”
“Sorry for rambling earlier. When you get to my age, you just like to talk. Anyway, there are a couple of things Ryuunie’s worried about. How many of them do you know about?”
I held up my fingers and started listing, “Um, for starters, he’s concerned he doesn’t have enough influence as a non-native of Meraldia. He also lost his family to a power struggle, so he’s scared of accepting a position of power. I’m sure there are others, but those are the main two, right?”
“Correct. He’s also worried he won’t be able to live up to his predecessor’s reputation. When he first came here, Airia was like a mother to him.”
I didn’t know that... At the time, Mom must have just turned twenty or so, while Ryuunie would have been...twelve?
“Frankly, I don’t think there’s any point in worrying about measuring up to those who came before you. I want to convince him of that, so you can leave that part to me. But I have no intention of addressing his other two worries. After all, I went through the same thing in Rolmund, so I understand how he feels. And it’s a fact that he has fewer connections with the other viceroys than the leaders of all the other cities.”
By the time I was a kid, Doneiks had already become an established city, so it didn’t seem like a newcomer to Meraldia. To me, Meraldia had always been a commonwealth of eighteen cities.
But I didn’t doubt Woroy either, so I nodded and said, “That’s why Ryuunie really wants dad to stay on as vice-commander.”
“Exactly. If he has the Black Werewolf King backing him, he’ll be able to draw on all the support Veight has. Besides, Veight’s the one who beat Eleora in battle, captured her, and then set her up as the next Empress of Rolmund. Everyone knows that while Veight may not be a king, he is definitely the kingmaker.”
Dang, that’s such a cool title for dad—the Kingmaker. Unfortunately, this wasn’t helping because I completely understood where Ryuunie was coming from now. If I were in his shoes, I’d ask Dad for the same thing.
“I see. I think Ryuunie might have a point.”
“Hahaha, so you agree with him, then?” Woroy looked me in the eyes and said, “So, Friede, what do you think we should do?”
Hmm, I might have an idea... I realized there was one way out of this conundrum. It was a scary path to take, but I couldn’t back out now.
With my mind made up, I said, “Dad wants to retire, so I can’t accept a solution where he stays as vice-commander. So...”—I met Woroy’s gaze—“what if I become the Aindorf family head and then Ryuunie’s vice-commander?”
“Good answer,” Woroy said with a grin.