Prologue
With the birth of a new family member, my life changed.
At 3 a.m., I wake up.
After shaking my head vigorously, stretching, and changing clothes, I head to the office.
“Oh my, you’re early again today, Princess.”
“… Prime Minister, do you even sleep?”
The Prime Minister was already in the office. In Arland’s royal palace, there is only one office for royalty. The king and the crown prince work in the same room.
This is partly for security reasons, but also for efficiency in information sharing. If you work in the same room, discrepancies in information are much less likely to happen.
Naturally, the Prime Minister’s workplace is also here.
And even though the sun hadn’t yet risen, the Prime Minister was already working.
“Of course, I do rest. Just yesterday, I took about thirty minutes.”
Isn’t thirty minutes just a nap?
Also, the civil official assisting him looks like he’s about to die.
“Ah, looks like you’re at your limit. You may go rest.”
“Yes.”
The civil official leaves the room. The moment the door closes, I hear something collapse outside. Clearly, he had reached his limit.
“I think you’re working your subordinates too hard.”
“My apologies. Even so, the work keeps piling up. Well, I’ve trained a mountain of capable subordinates, so there are always replacements while one is down. Until he recovers, someone else will carry the load.”
The Black Prime Minister. No wonder Father runs away from him.
I averted my eyes from this darkness of the kingdom I shouldn’t get involved in and set about processing the documents that piled up yesterday.
The documents had piled up to an absurd degree.
Since they didn’t even fit on the desk, several piles were stacked on the floor nearly up to the ceiling.
First, I split my thoughts and began parallel processing. This was a skill I had since my previous life. I once wondered, “Can’t I think of multiple things at once?” and when I tried, I could. At present, I can handle about ten matters in parallel. I could probably push more, but my brain might crash, and the more I add, the slower each process gets. So normally, I keep it at ten.
On top of that, I use magic to divide my field of vision and read documents simultaneously.
That’s not all. I levitate papers and pens with magic to sign them simultaneously. When mistakes or typos appear, I correct them with a red pen and magically send them into the box for returned documents.
Furthermore, documents that don’t require me personally are secretly shifted into the piles for Father and my brother — a little cheat to reduce my workload.
“Ho-ho-ho, as expected of you, Princess. Your processing speed rivals my own.”
“You being able to match me without magic is what’s abnormal, Prime Minister.”
“Recently, His Highness has also begun managing it.”
To my eyes, the Prime Minister’s hands look like a blur. His processing speed is on par with mine. He must really love his work. He looks so full of life doing it.
By the time the sun rose and breakfast came, I had already finished a full day’s worth of paperwork.
“Alice, lately you’ve been waking up way too early.”
“Ahem. Today’s work is done. I’m going to play with Lily, so you and Brother can enjoy working all alone.”
“Grrr…”
Father and Brother are even busier than me, often working until late at night. Waking up early to finish all their tasks is impossible for them.
For me, though, it’s easier. In the air force, my role is setting policy and securing budget. Policy has long since been issued, and for budget I just tell the finance minister, “Give me the funds,” and he grants it in full. He always looks like he’s dying inside, but I have no idea why. I-don’t-get-it.
After breakfast, I head over to Lily.
“Lily, your great big sister has come to play.”
“Uwaaaah!”
Today, my little sister is cranky. But I am the great elder sister. Even her tantrums don’t faze me. I use toys to suppress her outburst.
It took about ten minutes, but Lily finally calmed down and happily squeezed her toys.
She’s really adorable. I played with her, making her giggle.
How much time passed, I wonder? The sun was already high overhead.
“Princess, it’s time for lunch. Young Lady Lily as well.”
Ever since Lily was born, Arland now had two princesses, but people still called only me “Princess.”
Apparently, when people say “Princess,” they mean me. For Lily, everyone always use her name with the title— “Princess Lilliana” or “Her Highness Lilliana.”
After lunch, I continued playing with lively Lily, who was well-fed from Mother’s milk.
Sometimes Father or Brother, reaching their limits, would smash through the door and interrupt our time together. But such barbarians aren’t welcome — what if the debris hit Lily? Out the window with them.
Well, I’m a genius. I already placed over a hundred protective wards on Lily. Even the Demon King’s strike wouldn’t harm her. Right now, she could take a meteor head-on and remain unscathed. Not that I’d ever let that happen — I’d erase the Demon King myself, and meteors I’d blow up outside the atmosphere.
Maybe I should develop an ultra-long-range spell next. I’ll need it for destroying meteors aimed at my sister. For testing… well, maybe I’ll fire it off toward the Empire.
“Alice, you should rest a little.”
“I’ll nap with Lily this afternoon.”
Dear Father, it’s true my lifestyle has changed. But since I take proper naps, it’s not a problem.
“Grrr, there’s just too much work…”
Right now, Arland is busy resettling the many races that have migrated in, and with the extra budget seized from the Empire, it’s pushing ahead with public works.
I wondered if we’d have a victory festival, but apparently the people insisted on not doing it during the day. Instead, they work until sundown, then throw a festival every night.
The capital became a chaotic mix of work and celebration.
For me, though, public works are a blessing. The construction sector is raking it in. The Viceroy Merchant Union’s sales are skyrocketing.
Work, earn, spend — Arland’s economy is bouncing back to health. That capital boost is no joke.
So, while I holed up in the castle playing with Lily, about a week later the festivals ended. Any longer and it would’ve turned into a permanent daily carnival.
Luckily, the citizens were satisfied, so things wrapped up smoothly.
And of course, what awaited was the rewarding of nobles who had distinguished themselves in battle.
Knighthoods were granted, new nobles created — many people came before the throne.
Me? I don’t need military honors. And really, what could I even ask the kingdom for? Maybe tell Father to shave his prickly beard?
While I was thinking such things, most of the rewards were handed out.
The last was Takuto.
“Takuto Shishido. Will you become a noble of our kingdom and swear to protect its land and people?”
Unusually, Father asked this with heavy dignity — almost intimidation.
“I swear.”
Takuto answered calmly, unfazed by Father’s overwhelming pressure.
“Then, Takuto Shishido. For saving my daughter and for your merits in the Imperial War, I name you Viscount of the Kingdom of Arland.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Well, that’s reasonable. Father and the others had already been told about my Demon King transformation. They’d scolded me plenty, but what did they expect me to do? That was a runaway half of me I’d already cast off. Thanks to Takuto and Alicia’s early suppression, I’ll never become the Demon King again.
I’ve inherited all of Iris — even that anger. And I’ll accept it.
“Now then, Takuto Shishido will be granted a domain.”
Wait — straight to lordship?
The hall stirred in shock. Lords have great authority, but also great responsibility. A fool who thought being a lord meant exploiting peasants and living in luxury would never be entrusted with land, and even if they were, they’d soon be removed.
Being a lord carries benefits for nobles, yes, but also a heap of trouble.
And now Takuto was to be one?
I mean, he’s a hero. Making him a knight might’ve made more sense — though the knights might resent it. I still think he’d be better off stationed in the capital.
Then Father named the land, and I understood.
Ah, so you mean to separate me and Takuto, Father.
It was Arland’s only coastal territory, a crown land because the previous lord’s line had died out.
As a viscountcy, the land was large — a bit on the big side. But it was a minefield.
Its main industry was salt production. That’s it.
Soil was too saline; food self-sufficiency was only around 30%. But it wasn’t worthless — that land produced about 35% of the kingdom’s salt.
As long as you made salt, you wouldn’t starve. But there was nothing else, and it was far from the capital.
Sure enough, Takuto made a sour face.
“Are you dissatisfied?”
Father wore his king’s mask, but inside he was probably gloating.
Well, it’s not terrible. Oh, but the sea’s crawling with krakens, so forget fishing. In this world, the sea is even more of a monster-nest than the land. Fishing is done in rivers, even in other countries. Well, maybe you can still fish a little.
Ah, this malicious ploy — this must be Brother’s idea.
I leaned out from behind Brother and gave Takuto a thumbs-up.
Takuto nodded back. Telepathy through eye contact.
“I understand. I will undertake this duty.”
“Good.”
Father nodded, pleased. Brother was smirking evilly.
But you know… neither of them has read the documents I submitted yet.
I guess it makes sense. They weren’t top priority, so they got pushed back. Before the Imperial War, it was the kind of plan that could wait five or six years.
But I filed them as Director of the Technology Development Bureau… A request for coastal land to launch artificial satellites.
What do you think about this chapter?
