“Is Watt around? Ah, perfect—there’s Anna with him too.”
“Master! Anna! Good to see the two of you! Oh man, that looks amazing! Mind if I have some too?”
“Why, if it isn’t Meddié and Otto! Everyone, please, right this way!” Anna urged.
First it was his bed and now his breakfast. Was Watt fated to never enjoy anything in peace? After making their sudden appearance, the Socom father-and-daughter duo nonchalantly took their seats at the table. For a second, he considered shooing them off, but since the breakfast was a bit too big for two, he decided to hold his tongue and have them help.
“Look, I decided I’d take the day off today, so—”
“And what sort of carefree remark is that?” Otto asked. “Watt, you’re Anna’s top knight—you’ve no time to be resting.”
“You must be terribly busy yourself as the leader of the nobles in the queen’s faction, Your Lordship Baron Socom,” Watt replied.
“Busy’s hardly the word for it—I’ve hardly a moment to breathe.”
“Heh heh!” Meddié chuckled. “Thanks to you, our business is gonna be plenty busy too! After all, we got the personal approval of the royal star in the spotlight—none other than Her Majesty the Queen!”
Meddié happily took a big bite out of her bread, leaving Otto’s sighs to grow even heavier.
Baron Otto Socom had been the very first to announce his support of Anna at the coronation, and in turn, he found himself recognized as the leader of the queen’s faction. While there were other nobles of a higher pedigree within the faction, it had been Otto who’d taken a stand then. More than anything, such boundlessly deep trust from the queen herself had made it difficult for anyone to come forward afterward. Still, the good thing about the ragtag team that made up the queen’s faction was that it was newly emerged. Otto had no shortage of toil at its helm—so much so that he only hoped they might find a suitable individual to take his place so he could waste no time in handing over the reins.
Further weighing on Otto’s shoulders was Socom Co.’s business. It had always been strong thanks to the Kingdom’s Trail, but now that the company carried the queen’s own approval, it was now all but certain that business would only pick up even more. As talented as Otto was, he was ultimately just one person—even for him, operating both the faction and his company at the same time would be too much to handle. Thus, it was decided that Meddié would take over the company in his place.
He had originally planned for just that. But that plan was to be enacted after Otto had already grown old, and now that it had been thrust upon him so suddenly, Otto, quite honestly, found himself with no shortage of worries. Even then, however, Meddié was no longer a child, and she was practically bursting with enthusiasm. All Otto could do now was pray that his talented subordinates would support her.
“At the very least, I must say I’d like to share the leadership of the faction with someone else, though... Sir Watt, Top Knight of the Kingdom.”
“Ngh, look, I said I’d go back to the Royal Knights, but I don’t need any of this Top Knight of the Kingdom business! Let Caro or somebody have all that mess!”
After Watt’s feats in making his electrifying return and triumphing over a Diviner in the ensuing duel, he once more found himself recommended for Top Knight of the Kingdom. That was yet another source of distress for him, however. If he’d been ten years younger, he might’ve leaped to accept the offer, but now it felt like nothing but a needless title.
And speaking of the person who’d recommended Watt for the post...
“Really? I can’t say I have any use for a title like that myself, so I’ll just give it right back to you, Watt. Good luck with the rest!”
“Caro, you were in on it too?!”
“I must say, the tea in the palace is just as exceptional as you’d imagine. It almost seems a waste for someone like Watt,” Carome cheerfully declared.
Carome had made her appearance and taken it upon herself to begin pouring tea for everyone before Watt could even notice.
“Excuse me?” he replied. “More importantly, I’ve been all sorts of busy lately. Lend me a helpin’ hand here!”
“I’m sorry to say that the Royal Knights’ sole duty is to keep Her Majesty safe. We can’t involve ourselves in matters of government. I’ll be watching over everyone’s hard work.”
Watt glared at Carome, who was lifting her cup to her lips with a straight face.
“Look at all the hell you raised back in Guillé Prison! Little late to be pullin’ the Royal Knight card now!”
Carome coughed. “Ahem! Th-That was because we had the necessary basis to act! It wasn’t as if we acted out of our own biases! ...I don’t think we did, at least.”
“Look, I hear ya, okay? Ya really helped me out back there.”
Carome’s eyes darted all over. Watt had all sorts of things he could’ve said back, but there was no mistaking the fact that she’d saved him, so he decided against pursuing the matter any further than that.
In the end, their breakfast had grown into a rather large affair, with everyone sharing the meal among themselves. Anna was leisurely enjoying her after-breakfast tea when she quietly began to ponder aloud.
“Come to think of it, I wonder how my stepfather’s doing...?”
“Oh yeah—you’re better off not getting your hopes up.”
Some time had passed since the coronation and the ensuing stir with the duel after Watt had announced his return to knighthood. It had been an earth-shattering turn of events: a showdown between a Crusader and a Diviner, right in the middle of the palace grounds. Even now, their battle still served as fodder for conversations all throughout the palace.
At the conclusion of their duel, Lord Gryphon’s attack had just barely grazed Bahamut Dominion’s cockpit, instead crushing only the center of the Mechsteel’s functions: the monster skull. The moment she confirmed that Bahamut Dominion had ceased to function, Carome had declared victory for Watt and Anna. In accordance with the rules of the duel, Watt and Anna had obtained victory without taking their opponent’s life.
It was true: Lezamer Ogdenn still lived.
I’m not gonna kill you. Even if I did, it wouldn’t bring me any joy anyway. My blade’s meant to protect.
Still, while he had indeed survived, Lezamer had been bedridden ever since the duel. He’d withered up, just like an old man, without even the slightest hint of vitality. He had spent his whole life stealing from others, but after facing true distress and the unabated threat of his own death, his will had snapped like a twig.
Despite originally bearing a distaste for forceful methods, he’d wrestled that same distaste into submission with the power he held, only to have the veritable symbol of that same power—Bahamut Dominion, the Diviner-class Mechsteel—destroyed before his eyes. The nobles who’d been keeping a wary eye on Lezamer’s mood had broken away from him all at once, while a steady stream of his original supporters had turned their backs on him, one after another. Without a single word or action from anyone, the first prince’s faction had quietly collapsed.
While many had abandoned Lezamer, word had it that only his wife, Cullinagemia, remained at his side to support him.
In the end, that had been the last time Watt had spoken with her, but he figured that was just as fine. Even if they didn’t speak, both of them knew that they’d continue down the path they both believed in.
Thus, the fateful ties from seventeen years ago had finally come to an end. Now was the time to look ahead to the future. More than anything, there was someone in need of Watt’s support.
“In the end, cruelty never goes unpunished. Don’t you think so, Your Majesty? Anna Ogdenn...our newly crowned queen!”
After the uproar with the duel, Legalisbelm had started over once more, just as it had been set to. A number of candidates had come forth, prompting a vote from the nobles to determine the results. Gaining an overwhelming amount of support, Anna Ogdenn had taken her place on the throne as the new queen of the Kingdom of Ogdenn.
“It still doesn’t feel real somehow, though...” Anna mused.
“We can’t have that now, Your Majesty,” Otto groaned, crossing his arms. “It’s no exaggeration to say that the true battle still lies ahead.”
While she’d gathered support from a large number of nobles at the time, her standing wasn’t yet so firm as to be called secure. Their support had been something of a pushback against Lezamer’s reckless tactics, and it was clear that the nobles who now gathered beneath her flag would begin to act in pursuit of their own ends sooner or later. While they were her essential supporters and invaluable in running the kingdom, they couldn’t be left to their own devices.
“Otto and I are both here to help,” Watt said. “But this is an issue you have to face yourself, Anna.”
She paused for a moment. “Yes, I know. I was prepared to shoulder these responsibilities from the moment I decided I’d run in Legalisbelm.”
A mountain of challenges awaited her. After all, the queen’s faction hadn’t cultivated the appropriate distance with its nobles at all, given how new they were. She’d have no choice but to navigate her way through the situation while going up against the ranks of seasoned and crafty nobles.
But surprisingly, Watt was confident that it would all turn out just fine. After all, she was bold enough to stand head-on against Lezamer at the height of his power. Nobles who only sought to keep a cautious eye on her reactions were no match for her.
“I’ll...give it my very best to make sure that everyone can live in peace!”
“That’s right. Give it a shot. And hey, even if it gets just a little bit dicey, you’ve got me around. My blade’ll keep you safe.”