Under Laguna-san's guidance, we began our trek toward the Hydra Kingdom’s royal castle. It was only as we were moving that it occurred to me—this would be my very first time visiting the place.
"Now that I think about it, I've never actually been to your castle before. I can’t even see it from here, though."
"Ah, I know what you mean," Falce-san said, sensing my confusion. "You’re expecting to see a towering structure from a distance, like the ones in Symphonia or the Arclesia Empire, right? The reason is simple: the Hydra Kingdom’s royal castle isn’t particularly tall; it’s more of a sprawling estate. Well, it’s still a royal castle, so it’s much larger than a regular house. Look—there it is, just coming into view."
I followed the direction Falce-san pointed and spotted the roof of a building emerging in the distance.
That silhouette... it didn't look like a traditional castle. It felt more like an Arabian or Middle Eastern palace. I see; it was a sprawling, primarily single-story complex, just as Falce-san had described.
"The heart of the Hydra Kingdom’s capital is the Assembly Hall, not the castle," Laguna-san explained. "At the end of the day, the castle is just a symbol, a formality... and a base of operations for the military and the Order of Knights. Personally, I don't see why we even need to call it a castle, nor do I think this country needs a king... but everyone flatly refuses to listen when I say so."
"Doesn't that just prove how much your people love you, Laguna-san?"
"I mean, it is an honor, but... truly, when will I finally be allowed to quit being King?"
"Isn't that impossible?" Falce-san interjected. "Have you ever actually calculated your own approval ratings? They’re overwhelming. If you stepped down, the Hydra Kingdom would undoubtedly descend into chaos. I can only imagine how quickly your successor would suffer a mental breakdown from the constant comparison to you. Furthermore, as long as this nation exists in its current form, it will need a representative. If you abolish the monarchy, you'd just end up sitting in a different chair with the same responsibilities. Unless you caused some massive scandal, things won't change—and we both know your personality makes it impossible for you to do something wicked just to force a resignation. There is no future where you stop being King."
Falce-san delivered these lines with a detached, clinical air, systematically dismantling every one of Laguna-san's faint hopes. Her logic was so sound that Laguna-san couldn't find a single word to argue back. She just stood there with a pained expression, looking like she’d just swallowed something incredibly bitter.
"...N-No, but... we hold King Elections and everything..."
"And you win those by a landslide, don't you? To the citizens, those are just another festival—a fun event you started on a whim. It’s a fixed race. During the last King Election, they set up stalls everywhere and turned it into a massive party, didn't they? To them, it’s not a political transition; it’s just a celebration to reconfirm how much they like you. It’s an election in name only."
"Ugh... I mean, I know... I know it's probably not realistic, but... surely a girl can dream..."
Laguna-san let out a dejected sigh, staring off into the distance with a look of pure melancholy. To be honest, I was inclined to agree with Falce-san. Despite her constant complaining, Laguna-san was incredibly diligent as a monarch.
She was always quick on her feet, taking immediate, decisive action whenever it benefited her country. In that regard, she was an undeniably excellent ruler.
Even this Founding Anniversary Festival was a testament to her skill. By bringing out items related to the First Hero—a move only she could pull off—she had generated an incredible amount of hype before the event had even begun. Her talent for leadership was the real deal.
"Besides, what would you even do if you quit?" Falce-san continued. "You're not the type to just sit around and be lazy. You'd be bored to tears within a day. I can only see you doing one of two things: training for twenty-four hours straight, or sitting by the ocean eating senbei while you fish. Being King gives your life the structure it needs. Even a shut-in researcher like me only manages to stay sane because I have these occasional reasons to step outside."
"Mmm... When you put it that way, I suppose... I would probably find myself with too much free time."
Truthfully, Laguna-san seemed to just want to lose the title of "King." Even if she did quit, she’d probably still attend the Assembly and find some way to involve herself in the country's management.
Like Falce-san said, if she resigned as King, she’d just end up as a "Representative" or something similar, and the work itself wouldn't change.
Serious-senpai: "In fact, even now she is naturally fulfilling her duties to the state by hosting a member of the First Hero's party and the World's Singularity at the royal castle. Yeah, there’s no future where she's allowed to quit."