“We’ve come home,” Tia murmured.
“Yeah, we have,” Julius agreed with a nod, standing beside her.
The couple were in Lasta, the capital of the Old Kingdom of Lastania. By the standards of the Kingdom of Friedonia, it was too small to be called a capital. At best, it could have passed for a regional city. Still, this was Princess Tia’s hometown. Until recently it had been under the occupation of the Great Tiger Kingdom, but now it stood free once more as part of the Reborn Kingdom of Lastania.
When the occupation began, Julius had accepted the futility of resistance and sought refuge in Friedonia early on. He and Tia had departed with about forty others (including some who weren’t from Lasta) and urged those remaining to submit to Great Tiger rule. Fortunately, Fuuga and Hashim had neither destroyed the city nor carried out massacres, and the chaos following Fuuga’s downfall had never reached this border settlement. As a result, Lasta looked almost the same as it had when they left.
Looking out over the city, Julius said quietly, “But sadly, we can’t stay for long. I’m sorry, but this city is too remote to serve as our capital.”
“I understand. From now on, you must be a king who rules over many people, Lord Julius,” Tia replied.
Following the reorganization of the continent, Julius had been granted a third of the former Great Tiger Empire’s land in order to restore the Kingdom of Lastania. Later historians would disagree on terminology—some calling it the New Kingdom of Lastania and others simply the Kingdom of Lastania, referring to the former state as the Old Kingdom to distinguish the two. (For the sake of convenience, we will call it the Reborn Kingdom of Lastania.)
But the old capital of Lasta was too remote and underdeveloped to serve as the heart of the new realm. Establishing it as the capital would have required massive investment, so Julius had resolved to designate another city instead.
The first candidate had been Haan Great Tiger Castle, Fuuga’s former seat of government. However, the castle had been demolished during the recent turmoil, and the city itself was devastated by rebel looting. Rebuilding it would have required enormous effort, and beyond that, the place was still deeply colored by the legacy of the former regime.
That being the case, they had settled on somewhere else...
“From here on, Wedan Castle will be the center of this country.”
“Yeah.” Julius nodded. “I’ve gotten permission from Sir Ichiha.”
The site chosen as the new capital was Wedan Castle, once the residence of the House of Chima. Flanked by larger factions, the Chima family had long relied on their diplomatic skill, aligning with powerful neighbors to preserve their domain. As a result, their territory stood at a strategic crossroads. With Ichiha, the new head of House Chima, having granted his approval, Julius had resolved to develop Wedan into the capital and rule the Reborn Kingdom of Lastania from there.
That being the case, the reason they were in the old capital, Lasta, was...
“Julius... No, Your Majesty. The return of the refugees is complete.”
Julius nodded at Jirukoma’s report. They had come here to oversee the return of those who had fled to Friedonia with him—people who had stood by the royal family in their hour of crisis. Julius was determined to see they were properly rewarded. Still, most of those refugees had chosen to remain in his direct service.
“Thank you, General Jirukoma.”
“General... Hrmm, I still can’t get used to that title.” Jirukoma scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Appointed commander of the Reborn Kingdom of Lastania’s military, Jirukoma had originally insisted his wife Lauren was the better choice as she’d long served the royal family. But with so many children to raise, Lauren had entrusted the role to him instead. Jirukoma swore he would hand the position back the moment she finished raising the children. But since Lauren kept giving birth to new ones, that day seemed nowhere in sight. Thus, he had become something of the “big daddy” of the Reborn Kingdom of Lastania.
At this rate, perhaps one day the pair might even be worshipped as gods of fertility and safe childbirth.
“You’d best get used to it quickly,” Julius told Jirukoma. “I’ve already gotten used to being called ‘Your Majesty.’”
“You used to be a sovereign prince, but I was just a refugee. I still can’t believe I’ve ended up commanding a country’s military.”
“Then find me someone more capable than you. I’ll gladly demote you if you do.”
“Ha ha ha. Now you’re making me want to cling to my post.”
Despite their new positions, the easy banter between the two showed their relationship hadn’t changed. Tia listened with a smile.
“Tia, Your Majesty,” a voice called.
She turned to see her parents, the former king and queen, approaching with contented smiles. The old king took Julius’s hand in a firm shake.
“You’ve done so much for us. Back when we were here, and even when we were in Friedonia. And it’s thanks to you that we’ve been able to return.”
“Father...” Julius said softly.
“I have no doubt now that I can entrust both the country and Tia to you. So, as per our original plans, my wife and I will be staying here.”
“What?! Why, Father, Mother?” Tia gasped.
The former royals only smiled.
“The new kingdom should be led by the young,” her father said. “We’ll stay here in familiar surroundings so we don’t get in the way.”
“Don’t worry, Tia,” her mother added, patting her head. “This isn’t farewell. We’ll visit you often at the castle.”
Julius had urged them many times to come live in Wedan, but the two were firm in their decision. In the end, he had to respect their wishes.
“The royal manor is intact,” Julius told them. “It’s been refurnished, including with the furniture Fuuga sent us during our time in Friedonia. I’ve hired guards and servants as well. Though the people had to submit to Fuuga, they’ve always loved the Royal House of Lastania. You should be able to live here much as you did before.”
“You have our thanks, King Julius... Our beloved son-in-law.”
“Please, come visit us in Wedan whenever you like. Tia and Tius would love that.”
“Yes, of course we will.”
And so Julius, Tia, and Jirukoma returned to Wedan Castle. The former royal couple remained behind in Lasta, standing hand in hand as they watched the wyvern gondola carrying their daughter’s family until it vanished into the distance.
“So, sire, where do you plan to begin?” Jirukoma asked Julius during the gondola ride back.
With the country freshly reborn as the Kingdom of Lastania, he wanted to know what their first steps would be once they returned to Wedan Castle. Tia also looked at Julius with great curiosity.
“Well,” Julius said, stroking his chin in thought. “First, we need to give the people the impression that the Kingdom of Lastania is truly being rebuilt. After that...we should follow Souma’s example and begin recruiting personnel.”
“Will...anyone come?” Tia tilted her head in a gesture so cute and endearing that Julius couldn’t help but smile.
“Oh, I don’t think it will be a problem. In fact, I’ve already accepted a few rather surprising applicants.”
“Surprising...applicants?” Tia echoed.
Julius grinned. “Yes. They’re a little troublesome, but definitely interesting.”