Listy wore a teasing smirk as she looked at Chris, yet her eyes held the gentle concern of a mother as she continued.
"If you ask me, Chris-chan is far too serious. Well, given the state of the world when she ascended the throne, I suppose it was unavoidable to a degree."
"The state of things, you say?" I asked.
"As for Chris-chan’s father, the former emperor... I only picked him because I wanted to see what it was like to have a child, and I prioritized a handsome face. To be blunt, his personality was hardly to my liking. Still, even for a piece of work chosen by a Succubus like me, he was quite the self-serving bit of trash. He was a timid, small-fry villain, really; he never did anything as grand as establishing a proper tyranny, instead spending his time cunningly lining his own pockets."
Come to think of it, I seemed to remember Alice telling me something similar when we first met—that Chris had become Empress out of a genuine desire to save her failing nation.
"I didn't think you took any interest in politics, Mother," Chris remarked.
"I don't. This much is just basic knowledge."
Listy gave a brief shrug in response to Chris’s bitter smile, then took a sip of her tea and reached for a pastry. Whether she took that as her cue or had intended to do so from the start, Chris took over the conversation from there.
"It isn't a topic I particularly enjoy dwelling on given my position... but the truth is, among the three nations of the Human Realm, the Arclesia Empire possesses the least national power."
"Really? Is that true?"
"Yes. While the gap isn't insurmountable, an objective assessment places us at the bottom."
I never assumed the three powers were perfectly balanced, but this was the first time I had heard the specifics.
"First, the nation with the most power in the Human Realm is the Hydra Kingdom. That country is perfectly united thanks to the presence of His Majesty Laguna, who serves as their symbol—the great pillar of the state. Although she herself claims to want to retire, the fact that she has reigned for a millennium without any significant disputes regarding the throne is proof of her exceptional capability."
"That makes sense," I noted. "Even while she grumbles about wanting to quit, she’s always starting new projects, like those recent tourist destinations."
"Indeed. The Hydra Kingdom has an innovative, adventurous spirit... but the freedom to take such risks is only possible because the nation is so profoundly stable."
Laguna was a world-famous hero and a master stateswoman. Even if she complained about her duties, she faithfully attended every assembly and event, leading with a mix of tolerance and undeniable charisma. When I thought about it like that, she really did stand a head or two above the other monarchs.
"The next most powerful is the Kingdom of Sinfonia. Their strength lies largely in a blessed climate and abundant resources; they are arguably the wealthiest of the three. On top of that, they’ve recently gained enough momentum to rival the Hydra Kingdom. A large part of that, of course, is due to Miyama-sama’s influence."
My influence? Ah, right... things like Shiro-san visiting or the gift of the Sky Castle. Seeing Sinfonia’s sudden rise, Laguna must have invited my lovers and me to the beach as a strategic move to maintain her own country's relevance.
"Is that why Laguna invited us to the beach recently?"
"I have no doubt," Chris replied. "Because Sinfonia had such tremendous momentum in terms of public interest, she moved quickly to play a hand in response. At the very least, I was left far behind in that regard."
Laguna really was a professional. She had likely been planning that new resort during the year and eight months I was gone, then extended the invitation the moment I returned. She had even managed to be honest about wanting the publicity to avoid my suspicion while successfully burying her deeper nationalistic motives. She was incredibly shrewd.
As I sat there impressed by Laguna's handiwork, Listy chimed back in with a light tone.
"In comparison, Arclesia doesn't have much to call its own. On top of that, the nobles hold an unnecessary amount of power, so there’s constant internal friction. What’s more, when Chris-chan took the throne, the empire was already heading toward decline thanks to mountains of accumulated debt."
"It was simply the timing," Chris said. "Arclesia required transformation, and I happened to be the one on the throne at the time. That is all."
"And so, our devoted, serious Chris-chan sacrificed her entire being for the state. She sharpened her resolve and acted with cold efficiency as Empress... but she had no room to breathe. It was quite boring. Well, those hardships are part of growing up, so as long as things don't go in a bad direction, I think it’s fine."
Though Listy spoke with a teasing laugh, I could still feel the underlying affection. I suspected that despite her claims of having no interest in politics, she kept a close eye on everything so she could step in if Chris ever truly stumbled.
Then, Listy suddenly clenched her fist, looking genuinely annoyed.
"However, I made sure to lodge a fierce protest when Shaltier-sama called Chris-chan a 'Single Copper Coin'!"
"Mother, what are you doing? Or rather, how do you even know about that exchange?"
"I was peeping on the conversation through magic. Shaltier-sama just brushed me off, though. She told me that if I had time to be peeping, I should hurry up and submit my periodic reports."
"Well, she has a point..." Chris muttered.
She watched her mother with an expression of pure, weary exasperation.