Vol 1 Chapter 13 – The World’s Strongest Creature Appears【Vol 1 – When Written in Kanji, It’s Saionji Yumeba】

It goes without saying that the Empire is a nation with strong territorial ambitions.

However, for more than ten years now, no wars of conquest have been waged.

The reason is that the Empire’s territory has expanded too much, and efforts have shifted toward maintaining and managing what they already control.

You could say the current Emperor is dedicating himself to solidifying the foundation, leaving conquest to the next Emperor.

Of course, skirmishes continue along the borders, but no nation dares launch a full-scale war against the Empire.

Even though the current focus is on consolidation, the Empire still possesses the power to retaliate if seriously provoked—that much is obvious.

More importantly, while the Empire won’t initiate invasions for now, if any nation dares invade the Empire, the Empire’s Guardian—House Saionji—won’t stand for it.

With those thoughts about the Empire’s current state running through my mind, I held my breath inside a cramped box.

Yeah. Today was the day the Imperial Guard was departing for their intensive training camp, and I was inside that box Yumeba prepared—well, one box was clearly impossible, so two boxes were placed side by side with a hole cut between them, creating just enough space for me to squeeze into.

The thought of spending the entire journey to our destination inside this box was depressing, but considering the alternative of being separated from Yumeba, I had no choice but to endure.

(Lio, are you okay?)

Yumeba called out to me in a whisper from outside, but…

(…It’s cramped.)

That was the only honest impression I could manage.

(If you need to use the bathroom, just tell me. I’ve prepared a urinal.)

(…)

If I really need to go, I’ll just escape using transfer magic.

The journey to the destination was made by carriage.

That said, the Imperial Guard are knights—they all travel on horseback, so the carriages are packed with cargo and not designed to carry passengers.

And naturally, they moved at speeds incomparable to public carriages—the ride was absolutely terrible.

To make matters worse, I couldn’t move inside the box.

(…Yeah. Time to evacuate.)

I promptly fled using transfer magic and decided to follow the Imperial Guard from above using flight magic while staying hidden.

I left a marker inside the box so I could return anytime.

That said, transfer magic is precision-based, so I couldn’t return while the carriage was moving.

When the destination is a moving object, the difficulty of transfer increases dramatically, and in the worst case, I’d end up “inside a wall.”

To avoid that, I’d need to time my return for the moment the carriage stopped.

(I wanted to tell Yumeba, but… maybe I should develop communication magic or telepathy magic.)

A hotline connecting just Yumeba and me wouldn’t be bad.

While chasing the Imperial Guard from the sky, I began working out the magical structure in my mind.

Unfortunately, communication and telepathy magic couldn’t be completed overnight, so I made direct contact with Yumeba when she was alone and told her I’d escaped from the box.

“Ah, so that’s why you stopped responding halfway through. I was worried.”

“…Sorry.”

Yumeba must have been riding her horse during the journey, but apparently she’d been checking on me frequently.

She seemed genuinely worried, and since I appeared, she’d been clinging to me the entire time.

We obviously couldn’t stay embraced like this forever, but—for a little while, this was fine.

◇◇◇

It took several days for the Imperial Guard to reach their destination, and during that time, I spent my days transferring in and out of the box using magic.

(I shudder to think what would’ve happened if I didn’t have transfer magic.)

Did Yukina-san’s husband go through something similar to this?

When I get back, I have a feeling I could share some good drinks with that man over our shared hardships.

First day of camp.

I was peering at the Imperial Guard’s training from afar using Eagle Eye—no, I’d renamed it to True Eyes.

“…I’m so glad I didn’t have to participate.”

The training was harsh enough just to watch—worthy of making a special trip for a training camp.

The only one with a calm expression was Yumeba, who looked bored as she participated.

My wife is incredible.

And on top of that, she’s hiding a trump card like the holy sword, so if someone introduced Yumeba as the world’s strongest creature, I’d have the confidence not to be surprised.

“Well then. Training won’t be over for a while, so I guess I’ll dedicate myself to magic development again.”

I’d spent several days researching communication and telepathy magic, but completion was still nowhere in sight.

Ideally, I wanted something like a cell phone from Japan, but since I don’t know how cell phones actually work, I have no choice but to fumble through trial and error on my own.

Plus, making it so only Yumeba could hear me, or having Yumeba and me converse using only our thoughts, added to the difficulty.

It was going to take much more time to complete.

The sun set and training ended. After dinner and bathing time finished and bedtime arrived, Yumeba finally joined me.

“…I was lonely.”

The moment Yumeba saw my face, she clung to me, then let out those heartfelt words and refused to let go for quite a while.

This training camp is pointless—even cruel—when you consider the special traits of Saionji House women.

Maybe it’d be fine when unmarried, but for a married woman of House Saionji, separating her from her husband is treatment that’s no exaggeration to call torture.

They have a title like “Guardian of the Empire,” so they could stand to give her a little special treatment.

Well, I suppose this is also consideration to ensure coordination with the Imperial Guard in emergencies, but still, they should at least officially permit me—the man who married into House Saionji—to accompany her.

“Mm♡”

While Yumeba clung to me, I stroked her back with my left hand and caressed her perfectly shaped bottom with my right hand as these thoughts ran through my mind.

Yeah. Yumeba-san’s not just her chest—her bottom has grown too, and it feels amazing to touch.

In other words, her body is becoming more suited for childbearing, so preparations for her to conceive my child might soon be complete.

The baby will definitely be a girl, and I know she won’t get pregnant again after that, so I want her to be in perfect condition.

Yumeba has training tomorrow, but she said she wasn’t particularly tired, so as usual, we engaged in acts that could make children and loved each other thoroughly.

◇◇◇

There’s an expression about sudden ominous developments, and I learned about it one week after the camp began.

Even though it was an Imperial Guard training camp, not all members had left the capital—enough personnel remained to defend the capital and would participate in the camp’s second half on a rotation basis.

And from those remaining members, a swift messenger arrived, bringing news of an incident in the capital.

“”A coup d’état?””

Apparently a coup had erupted in the capital, and this messenger was dispatched to inform us.

“Yes. Currently, a coup has broken out in the capital and the royal palace is surrounded. The ringleader of the coup is…”

“”Second Prince Zigserk.””

Interrupting the report, Yumeba’s and my words overlapped.

First Prince Friedrich is an intellectual royal, called a “bean sprout” by those with loose tongues.

Second Prince Zigserk is a physical royal, called a “muscle-brain” by those with loose tongues.

Well, in reality, the First Prince trains his body properly too, and the Second Prince isn’t actually stupid.

“Um… why is Prince Emilio here?”

“…I’m not a prince anymore.”

Since it seemed like an emergency report, I stopped hiding and listened alongside Yumeba, but now the messenger and the Imperial Guard members’ gazes were stabbing into me.

Yeah. It’s true that after marrying into House Saionji, I’m no longer in a position to be called “prince,” but as excuses go, that’s pretty weak.

“Yumeba-sama, what were you thinking…!”

“I-I couldn’t help it! Separating a Saionji woman from her husband for a whole month is nothing short of torture!”

More precisely, the gazes were focused on Yumeba, who’d smuggled me in.

“How did you even smuggle him in?”

“I-It’s a secret!”

Unfortunately, Yumeba-san is terrible at keeping secrets, so while averting her eyes from the members’ gazes, her eyes drifted toward those side-by-side boxes.

“…Hey.”

And at the squad leader’s instruction, subordinates examined the boxes Yumeba brought in—discovering the hole and space where a person could hide.

“Yumeba-sama, to think you’d go this far…!”

“A-Anyway, let’s continue the report! It’s an emergency in the capital, right?”

Yumeba desperately tried to change the subject, but the gazes directed at her were filled with exasperation.

“I’ll be reporting this incident to the commander and documenting countermeasures for next time, understood?”

“Tch… Do whatever you want.”

As a result, the same trick won’t work next time.

“So what about this coup?”

“Ah, yes. As you may know, several days ago, First Prince Friedrich-sama won the imperial succession struggle and was appointed Crown Prince, but…”

“Huh? Really?”

Having had nothing to do with the imperial family recently, this was the first I’d heard that the succession struggle had ended.

“…Yumeba-sama?”

“W-Well, talking about Lio and the imperial family’s squabbles would be boring! That stuff doesn’t concern Lio anymore!”

“””””…””””””

All the members’ exasperated gazes stabbed into Yumeba.

Yeah. Apparently she was so absorbed in enjoying married life that she forgot to mention it.

“So the First Prince became Crown Prince, and the Second Prince, dissatisfied with that, staged a coup—is that it?”

“As additional information, First Princess Cassandra-sama and Second Princess Cardia-sama also appear to be participating in the coup.”

“…It’s pretty obvious who incited them.”

“Still as underhanded as ever.”

Yeah. Even if he’s called a muscle-brain, Second Prince Zigserk shouldn’t have been this stupid.

Yet he took such reckless action this time, and two more royals joined him—which means there’s someone who manipulated these three.

They’re probably trying to make the newly appointed Crown Prince and the other royals who participated in the succession struggle destroy each other, then reap the benefits.

“Yunix really can’t see reality, can he?”

“That guy’s still sheltered in the end.”

Yeah. The instigator is definitely Yunix.

And the sheltered Yunix’s schemes, unable to see reality, will fail 100%.

“A coup in the capital is the height of recklessness.”

“Yeah. After all, in the capital… that person is there.”

I have the confidence not to be surprised if Yumeba were called the world’s strongest creature, but that’s only in the future.

If asked who the world’s strongest creature is right now, there’s only one person.

And she’s still in the capital.

Not a single person—including the Imperial Guard who knew her—believed this childish plan could succeed.

◇◆◇

“Y-You monster!”

Second Prince Zigserk, who had been surrounding the royal palace, reflexively shouted at the scene before his eyes.

First Prince Friedrich had spent much of his childhood accompanying chancellors and ministers, developing into someone excellent primarily in political matters, but Second Prince Zigserk had spent his childhood with the Imperial Army, developing into someone excellent in military matters.

For him to feel dread watching a woman leisurely stroll as if taking a walk while single-handedly routing the Imperial Army’s elite forces surrounding the palace—that was understandable.

After all, she’s too far beyond standard specifications.

Yukina = Reio = Saionji, current head of House Saionji.

Though Yumeba is growing rapidly, she’s still in the process of transforming into a body optimized for bearing Emilio’s children.

Yukina, who has already finished bearing children and whose body has been perfected specifically for wielding a sword to protect her beloved husband, is still far beyond her.

Therefore, the being called the world’s strongest creature at this moment was undoubtedly her.

House Saionji holds no territory within the Empire, nor does it possess standing armies like other nobles take for granted.

Because they don’t need them.

No matter how large the opposing army, deploying her alone ends the war.

Even commoners who know House Saionji is the Empire’s Guardian understand this, and among the Imperial Guard who know her true abilities, it’s understood that picking a fight with her is synonymous with suicide—yet the royals themselves didn’t understand.

They didn’t realize that staging a coup in the Empire would obviously draw House Saionji’s intervention.

And without a single member of the Imperial Army’s elite able to even slow her down, she easily reached the three royals led by the Second Prince—and without any questions, knocked all three unconscious and ended the coup.

(A-A monster!)

And Yunix, observing from afar, turned deathly pale.

He himself thought he held House Saionji—called the Empire’s Guardian—in high regard, but he finally realized he’d still vastly underestimated them.

Even though the holy sword had already been passed to the next generation, she still possessed overwhelmingly excessive power.

Simultaneously, he understood why even the Emperor showed excessive consideration toward House Saionji.

(If that woman decided to, she could assassinate the Emperor anytime… no, forget assassination—she could storm the castle head-on and devastate it. The moment you make her an enemy, your defeat is guaranteed!)

Yunix thought that, but in reality, precisely because she could do such things, she accepted the troublesome role of Empire’s Guardian in exchange for a place to belong.

Because of her irregular strength, if she acted lawlessly, people would fear her and she’d lose her place, unable to obtain a beloved partner.

That’s why the day House Saionji would ever “decide to” would never come.

The Empire provides House Saionji with a place to belong, and House Saionji becomes the Empire’s Guardian in times of crisis and fights.

Such a secret pact is exchanged between the Empire and House Saionji.

“That’s why coups are such a nuisance.”

“—!”

And before he realized it, Yunix’s back had been taken.

“The Emperor needs to be someone who’ll properly protect our place to belong, and if harm ever came to Darling… even I don’t know what I’d do.”

“—! —! —!”

While listening to Yukina’s monologue from behind, Yunix couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe.

Even if a dragon took his back, it probably wouldn’t be like this.

Well, comparing her to dragons that even S-rank adventurers can slay would be pitiful for the dragons.

“So if you misbehave too much… I’ll come to punish you, okay?”

“~~~!”

And finally, Yunix’s consciousness faded, and in that fading consciousness, he thought about his twin brother.

(To take a wife from a family of such monsters… you’re not in your right mind.)

Something that would get him beaten to a pulp if Yumeba herself heard it.

◇◇◇

Since Yukina-san is in the capital, there’s no way a coup could succeed, so the atmosphere suggested the camp would continue—but one person strongly objected, so the camp was suspended.

“As the Imperial Guard, we have a duty to protect the capital’s public order!”

Yeah. Yumeba-san, who inwardly wanted to end the camp early and go play with me, lined up various excuses and persuaded the Imperial Guard.

Of course, I’m sure the Imperial Guard members understood her true intentions, but perhaps thinking it inappropriate to leisurely continue camp after a coup, they steered toward returning.

“Now that the succession struggle is over and this incident nipped rebellion in the bud, I hope the Empire becomes a bit more peaceful, but…”

“Impossible, right? Mother can’t kill imperial royals because of the secret pact, and Yunix will aim for the throne using a strategy that doesn’t make an enemy of Mother… or rather, House Saionji after this.”

“…Why do they want to become Emperor so badly?”

From my perspective, being Emperor is nothing but trouble.

Managing vast territory is difficult, people trying to suck up to power for sweet benefits swarm around causing trouble, and above all, you lose free time.

I can’t comprehend at all what about being Emperor appeals to Yunix.

“Ambitious types think too highly of themselves, so they think if they become Emperor, they can create their ideal Empire.”

“Is Yunix really that excellent?”

“Most royals are just self-proclaimed geniuses who are pathetic.”

“OH…”

You haven’t forgotten I’m one of those royals, right?

“Lio’s fine♪”

Yumeba rubbed against me affectionately like a cat.

Incidentally, our current location is inside a carriage returning to the capital.

I could’ve ridden double on the horse Yumeba was steering, but that would’ve only let me tease her from behind, so Yumeba, wanting to get intimate with me, rode in the carriage.

Apparently a week of being unable to touch during daytime training left her pent up.

(Tonight… doesn’t look like she’ll let me sleep.)

Times like these, I’m genuinely glad Yumeba’s the only one.

Handling multiple women all night long—feels like I’d be wrung dry in various ways and my lifespan would shorten.

Well, most other royals typically keep multiple wives or fiancées, but can they really satisfy their women properly like that?

I think about various things every time just to satisfy Yumeba alone.

“~♪”

(Harems really aren’t for me.)

Watching Yumeba happily cuddle against me, I reached that firm conclusion.

Incidentally, when we returned to the capital, it was naturally safe, and the three perpetrators—the Second Prince, First Princess, and Second Princess—had been stripped of their royal status.

“Welcome back. That was fast.”

“” … “”

Yukina-san greeted us looking slightly disappointed, perhaps having been enjoying alone time with her husband, but her face was glowing radiantly.

If satisfying a woman makes her look like that, I thought I needed to work even harder.