— — — — — —
Glug, glug, glug~
La Folia tipped back the glass, downing the clear, colorless liquor chilled with ice in one go.
"Hah…"
She let out a long breath, her expression unchanged as she set the glass back on the table. The ice clinked softly.
"Ah… the alcohol over here is just too light. Fine once in a while, but if you really want something that goes down right, it has to be vodka."
"'Goes down right,' huh… as long as you're happy," Ryo thought flatly, though curiosity still got the better of him.
"Do you drink often in Aldegyr?"
"Of course not."
She smiled, unmistakable pride flickering across her face.
"But you know how it is. The palace is heavily guarded, sure, but if you really want to sneak some alcohol in, it's not hard. You just need to borrow the help of a few spirits skilled in spatial techniques."
Not bad at all. Kind of like Jin Russell's Genie Contractor.
Ryo leaned back, crossing his left leg, and said with a faint chuckle, "You're a lot more relaxed than you used to be."
This woman seemed to show her true colors in private.
Hearing that, La Folia muttered, "One day, I'm going to abolish Aldegian royal marriage laws. One man, one wife is boring."
So… should I take that as a hint that you want a reverse harem?
Ryo's smile froze for a split second, "That's certainly an… interesting idea."
Keeping his smile, he steered the conversation back on track.
"Let me ask you directly. What kind of future does the Kingdom of Aldegyr intend to choose?"
La Folia looked at him, thought for a moment, then asked, "Allow me to be direct as well."
"Have you formed an alliance with the Lost Warlord?"
The Lost Warlord. The ruler whose Warlord's Dominion had been locked in a thousand-year standoff with Aldegyr, yet who himself had never personally taken the field.
With that thought in mind, Ryo answered plainly, "He has not pledged himself to me."
'Not yet pledged himself.'
La Folia rolled those words over in her mind. Without realizing it, her clothes were damp with sweat beneath.
So the Warlord hadn't… yet. Meaning the Fall Gazer and the Chaos Bride already had.
Since when did the world become this insane?
Just what kind of existence was the man in front of her?
La Folia exhaled deeply, steadying herself. Then her smile returned.
"In that case, things become much simpler."
As she spoke, she reached into her collar and pulled out a stack of documents from a place that looked far too cramped to hold them. Over a dozen sheets, each the size of A4 paper, brownish in color, covered with intricate patterns symbolizing a certain existence.
Demonic sigils.
Demon contracts.
Ryo glanced up at La Folia, then briefly at where she had produced the documents. Knowing it was the result of spatial spirit manipulation, he quickly looked away.
"This is a treaty of selling out one's country," La Folia said, shaking the papers with a self-mocking smile.
"The terms are simple. The Kingdom of Aldegyr will be yours to rule, a part of the Dawn Empire. Everything is yours."
She paused, then added in a soft, playful voice, "Including me~"
This time, Ryo's reaction was calm. "The price."
La Folia relaxed slightly and explained, "Autonomy unless directly commanded, and the continued existence of the nation, with the ruling bloodline remaining the royal house of Rihavein."
"..."
"Perfectly reasonable."
Ryo nodded lightly, then his gaze turned sharp, almost amused, as it settled on her delicate face. "But are you sure you have the authority to decide this? And are you sure a demon contract can bind me?"
"I can't be certain that a demon contract could restrain you."
She shook her head, then smiled. "As for whether I have the authority, you don't need to worry."
"I wield the Holy Sword of the Völundr System and stand first in line for the throne as Aldegyr's crown princess. Unless my mother is willing to forsake that and leave Aldegyr defenseless before the Warlord's Dominion, my place is secure."
"Of course, the trade-off is that you'll have to wait until I formally ascend the throne before fully controlling Aldegyr."
"In my opinion, it's a deal that suits you perfectly. Power and people, both in hand."
She smiled sweetly at him. "Though before I take the throne, you won't be able to claim the country yet. The person, however, is already available~"
Ryo raised an eyebrow and studied her carefully before laughing softly.
"Not enough."
"There are loopholes. For example, you could voluntarily give up the throne and let one of your sisters inherit instead."
"You really want to try tricks like that in front of me?"
La Folia froze for an instant.
"I knew I couldn't fool you."
She exhaled in relief and pulled the bottom two contracts from the stack, placing them on top.
"These are Londe's and Pascalia's contracts. That way, all three possible heirs are under your control."
"Assuming the royal family doesn't have any new children in the next ten years."
Ryo glanced over the contracts and clapped his hands once, "Decisive."
"You flatter me."
La Folia finally let herself relax.
Originally, she hadn't planned to reveal those two contracts so easily. But upon learning that two Primogenitors had pledged their allegiance, she realized the balance of the world itself had been shattered. And anyone capable of commanding such loyalty was never just another Primogenitor in her eyes.
"Hmm..."
Leaning back against the sofa, Ryo said casually, "To be honest, Aldegyr itself is worth less to me than your bloodline."
La Folia's eyes widened in shock.
Ryo continued as if talking to himself, "A body that can host higher-dimensional beings and pass on stably to the next generation… that kind of body is perfect as a vessel for divine descent. The kind those three-digit beings would love."
He didn't bother explaining further. Right now, he had no interest in doing so.
La Folia's true value lay in the future, when his community ascended to the three-digit level and he was forced to move into the upper layers of Little Garden.
Before that, her worth, while present, wasn't especially high. That was purely a cold, utilitarian assessment.
"Bring me a pen."
He gestured toward her.
La Folia immediately produced a pen she had prepared in advance and handed it over.
Taking it, Ryo picked up the contracts and signed his name in a swift, flowing hand.
Pinching the edge of the papers, he lifted them slightly so only the signature line showed, signing twelve in a row. On the thirteenth, his intuition flared, warning him of something off, and he suddenly stopped.
"Hm?"
La Folia tilted her head, pretending she hadn't noticed a thing.
Ryo pulled out the last document, glanced at it, and read aloud, "A marriage application?"
He looked up at her.
"Oh, that must be a mistake. Justina probably grabbed the wrong file," La Folia said, sounding puzzled.
Ryo tapped the paper with his pen, pointing at the already-filled-in bride's name, and raised an eyebrow.
"And the wrong file just happened to have your name filled in?"
La Folia smiled serenely. "Your Majesty, a man who nitpicks like this is terribly unattractive."
Ryo shrugged and signed his name anyway.
"I'll give you this legally invalid document as a gift."
La Folia snatched the paper instantly, stashing it away in a pocket of subspace, then smiled brightly.
"How do you know it's invalid? Perhaps it might produce some… special effects."
Ryo paused, giving her a meaningful look. "Then should I try testing it out?"
"…"
La Folia kept smiling. Completely still.
Like a woman frozen in time, unable to resist at all.
Noticing this, Ryo fell silent for a moment, then finally said with heartfelt admiration, "You really know how to play the game."
— — —
Itogami Island, at the newly constructed Amusement Park—
A woman stepped off a speedboat, a violin case on her back. She wore a black sailor uniform, long jet-black hair flowing down her back, her legs clad in black stockings.
Standing on the pier, she gazed toward the amusement park, eyes lingering on the long roller coaster tracks and the Ferris wheel.
"Protecting the World's Strongest Nightmare, Lilith, on Itogami Island…"
She muttered to herself.
"Those bald old men up at the Bureau really know how to make life difficult."
.
.
.