Hello.
I am the Conqueror King.
King of the Jidoen Kingdom.
And I am also the High King of the Keilland Region United Kingdom.
Please, feel free to call me High King.
Ah, not in a mocking way, but with genuine respect.
If respect is asking too much, simple deference will do.
All right, let's try calling out all together now.
Your voices are too quiet—!
One more tiiime!
I returned from my journey.
It was a journey that took about a year.
The royal capital was... a newly built place, and since I departed before having lived there for very long, I did not have much attachment to it, but it still felt like a homecoming.
I felt like it had doubled in size compared to before I set out, but I decided not to sweat the small details.
And as for the welcome... Hey, the fact that the guards at the royal capital's city gates didn't recognize my face is a problem.
Can't you station veterans here?
Huh?
You are a veteran?
You just briefly forgot?
Don't go forgetting your King's face after just one year!
Besides, can't you see the group behind me?
No matter how you look at it, this is clearly a king's retinue.
If that's the case, the King shouldn't be riding out in the lead?
He should be stationed squarely in the center of the retinue?
I was just a little excited to be back home, that's all.
Don't be so harsh on me.
So, where is the welcoming party?
Wait a moment?
You're going to gather them right now?
No, no, I gave advance notice that I was returning, didn't I?
Did the letters and messenger not arrive?
They arrived, but you were too busy, so you put it off?
Because I wouldn't be back immediately anyway?
Well, sure, I did arrive later than the schedule I gave in the letters and to the messenger.
Fine, fine.
I'll wait for a little bit.
Hm?
If I'm going to wait, do it a bit farther away?
I'm in the way here?
To treat a King who has fulfilled a great duty as an obstruction...
I understand there are a lot of people entering and leaving the city, but isn't this the gate reserved for royalty and nobility?
Aren't you free right now?
Nobles are mostly selfish, so you have to make all kinds of preparations?
There's no way you're free?
I-I see.
Understood.
Then I'll wait over there in the shade.
That spot shouldn't be a problem.
My welcoming party consisted of three people.
One on the right, two on the left.
Probably just people who happened to be idling nearby.
...
Shouldn't the guards at least join in?
The guards have guard duties to attend to?
Well, I suppose that's true.
Guh.
Is this the best I get at the city gate?
No, this is the royal capital.
The royal capital where I am King.
I feel like they could welcome me a bit more grandly.
Should I get angry?
No, I will not.
Having grown a level or two during my journey, I wouldn't get angry over something like this.
It's fine.
I have mastered the art of staying calm.
Just count the bowls of ramen.
One bowl of soy sauce ramen, two bowls of soy sauce ramen, three bowls of soy sauce ramen, a large serving for four bowls, changing up the flavor makes five bowls of salt ramen...
I've calmed down.
Ramen truly is justice.
I learned this in a kingdom I stopped by during my travels.
Though I was a bit troubled when they told me they wouldn't let me leave the country until I learned how to make ramen.
Hahaha.
As long as I have the ingredients, I can make ramen now.
I can even make the noodles from scratch.
I arrived at the royal castle located in the center of the royal capital.
The gatekeeper here remembered me.
What a relief.
However, the welcoming party was still sparse.
It seemed like local shopkeepers and customers near the royal castle joined in, but a distinct air of "if we really have to" was clearly visible.
Since I had counted up to fifteen bowls of ramen, I remained calm.
As expected, once I entered the castle, I was welcomed.
I was surrounded by my subordinates.
Oh, my apologies.
I made you feel lonely, didn't I?
Don't say things like, "You're finally back."
No, it's not like I was fooling around.
I have a mountain of hardships to tell you about.
There were even times I prepared for death.
Well, first, let me wash off the dust from the journey.
The subordinates who accompanied me are dismissed as well...
Ah, they disbanded before I could even express my gratitude!
And I thought we were comrades who shared hardships together!
And you lot surrounding me, where are you taking me?
Honestly, the building's interior has changed so much that I have no clue at all, but I know for sure this isn't my private chamber.
What is this mountain of documents filling the room?
To leave precious paper scattered so messily...
Eh?
Documents awaiting my approval?
Wait, wait.
For such things, we should first formally announce my return to the populace, hold a banquet to appreciate everyone's hard work, and then starting the following day...
What?
For every day a single approval is delayed, a hundred people suffer?
If it's delayed by two days, two hundred people suffer, you say.
However...
...The documents here have been waiting for several dozen days?
Depending on the document, there are some that have been waiting since the very day I set out on my journey.
...
A-All right.
Bring them to me starting with the highest priority.
Also, I was away for nearly a year.
I need someone to assist my judgment.
I can't sign off on things without understanding them, right?
Don't look so surprised.
Don't praise me.
It is only natural.
Well then, while you're sorting out the highest-priority ones, I'll go see Lady Tiselle and the others...
Why are you grabbing me?
With such strong force, too.
Could you let go?
...
The ones in this room are the highest priority, the priority ones are in the next room, and the ones that can wait a little longer are in the room beyond that, you say.
Hahahahahahaha.
You're joking, right?
It wasn't a joke.
Furthermore, Lady Tiselle was leading the army on peacekeeping operations across various regions and was absent.
Instructor Erika-teze was apparently inspecting fields throughout the country.
What about Lady Isree?
She is ruling over the royal capital's underworld?
What on earth is that girl doing?
No, just let them know I've returned.
More than a report, I'm holding letters for them.
I promised to hand them over in person.
I'm counting on you to make it top priority.
It was ten days later when I was finally liberated from the room of documents.
To have guards accompany me even to the outhouse... did they think I was a prisoner or something?
I actually escaped about twice, though.
The reason I didn't attempt a third time was that an iron ball and chain had been attached to my leg.
Good grief.
They really don't understand how to treat a king.
If I hadn't mastered adding variations—counting fried rice and gyoza on the side in addition to counting ramen—it would have been dangerous.
However, that civil official who struck me with a bundle of documents while I was counting ramen...
I won't forget his face.
Well, the documents placed before me were all filled with important matters, though.
Having been freed, I went straight to my own room and... while it felt a bit unfamiliar since it had been so long, I had a good night's sleep.
The following day, I was able to meet Lady Tiselle and the others in the throne room.
It had been a long time.
All three of them had... well, hadn't they gotten a bit sturdier?
Did they just grow taller?
They looked almost completely transformed.
Hahaha.
Umm, I safely met with Lady Tiselle's father.
We talked, too.
I think we became good friends.
On my end, at least.
I don't know what he thinks.
It might be written in the letters entrusted to me for Lady Tiselle and the others.
The souvenirs and gifts from over there are scheduled to arrive in a separate shipment.
Eh?
They've already arrived?
Around thirty days before I returned?
Umm, and yet, why did I arrive thirty days later, you ask?
Well, ah, that is, you know.
As expected, riding a dragon is terrifying.
Yeah.
In the Six Dragon God Kingdom, they asked if they should give me a lift, but I declined and returned by ship.
Still, the ship ride back was fast, you know!
Because the Sea Race guarded and guided us.
In the blink of an eye, we arrived at a familiar port.
The outbound journey was long, though.
Since we dropped anchor at all kinds of ports along the way.
I think even human kingdoms should hire the Sea Race for escorts and navigation.
Hahahaha.
"High King."
What is it, Lady Tiselle?
"There were people we sent out after the High King, but for some reason, they accomplished their objective and returned earlier than the King.
I wonder why?"
...
"Their objective was the same as the High King's—to meet my father in Village Five.
How strange."
............
"Could it be that the High King was slacking off?"
I apologize for being late.
However, it was by no means because I was slacking off...
"You weren't slacking off?"
I wasn't slacking off!
"Then why did you end up so late?"
I was captured by ramen for training!
Also, I was captured by the Demon King for greeting practice!
That is why I was delayed!
Using the throne as a shield, I apologized with all my might.
Ah, please stop trying to shatter the throne.
Tiselle: "Captured by ramen? The Ramen Queen?"
Conqueror King: "Her disciple. He became a king and was putting his efforts into popularizing ramen."
Tiselle: "Couldn't you escape?"
Conqueror King: "It was a major power, so I didn't want to make an enemy of them. I was also asked to pass messages to the Ramen Queen and the Grandmaster."
Ekaterize: "The reason why most of the gifts that arrived ahead of time were ramen ingredients has now been clarified."
Isree: "I'd like to eat it for the first time in a while, so tonkotsu flavor for me, please."
Ekaterize: "The same for me. Ah, make the noodles firm."
Isree: "Standard firmness for mine."
Conqueror King: "Ah, tonkotsu takes time to simmer, though? How about soy sauce... no, miso instead?"