Vol 1 Chapter 19.1 – Epilogue: “A Clan of the World’s Strongest Creatures”【Vol 1 – When Written in Kanji, It’s Saionji Yumeba】

A volcano erupted near the town where we had come for our trip.

We could escape if we wanted to, but since we possessed power that seemed capable of doing something about it, I decided to solve it quickly.

“H-Hey, Lio. Is this really something we can handle?”

Perhaps because she could grasp the reality of the situation correctly since we were flying in the sky with flight magic, Yumeba, whom I was holding in a princess carry, was unusually timid.

The eruption energy of the volcano reached far into the sky, and if things went poorly, it was said it could even breach the atmosphere and reach outer space.

The initial eruption had already subsided, but seeing the black smoke filling the sky above the volcano was ominous enough, and magma was still spewing out and flowing down from the mountain.

“As expected, doing something about this with a sword is incompatible…”

Just as I started to say it was impossible, the world’s strongest creature crossed my mind.

“…I think it would be difficult, but with magic, we can deal with it in various ways.”

Yeah. I ended up thinking that for that person, it might not be impossible.

“Like what?”

“Let’s see. A pinnacle of physical phenomena first reached by using magic. How about this?”

While holding Yumeba in a princess carry, I struggled a bit to snap my fingers, creating a white sphere.

“What is that?”

“An object I couldn’t reproduce back when I was just a sorcerer, even though I knew the theory…”

Immediately after creating that white sphere, even the surrounding air froze solid and began to fall.

“Absolute Zero. It’s an object that uses magic to reproduce minus 273.15 degrees Celsius—the temperature at which all matter freezes. I’ll try… throwing this in.”

Without hesitation, I threw it straight into the volcano’s crater—and in an instant, the surface froze over, dyed white.

“Amazing.”

Yeah. I was confident too, but…

“…No good, huh.”

“Eh?”

Since it effectively capped the volcano, it couldn’t withstand the internal pressure, shattered, and magma began to overflow again.

“Rather than forcibly capping it to stop it, it’s more certain to let the excess flow out and solidify it.”

“Let it flow out? When will that magma stop?”

“…Who knows?”

Given that it’s currently spewing out with force, it’s unknown when it will finish expelling the excess.

For now, I’ll build walls to prevent the magma from flowing into the town.

It’s obvious, but building walls with ordinary rock or soil would be meaningless since they’d melt from the magma’s heat.

So, with no other choice, I cooled the magma with magic to solidify it and tried building walls to surround the volcano, but…

“Wow…”

“This is terrible.”

The amount of magma was beyond imagination. It nearly overflowed the walls surrounding the volcano, so I raised them higher. Then, when they looked like they would collapse, I reinforced them—and as I steadily made the walls thicker and higher, I ended up with walls as high as the volcano itself.

Moreover, despite doing all this, magma was still spewing out.

“W-What are we going to do about this?”

“…Since it can’t be helped, let’s reduce the magma.”

“You can do something like that?”

“…I didn’t want to if possible.”

I decided to store the overflowing magma in my Dimension Storage [Item Box] to reduce its volume.

Since it has infinite capacity, you could say there’s no problem, but what exactly am I supposed to do with this stored stuff?

It’s stored in a completely isolated space, but since time is stopped inside, the temperature won’t drop. If I dump it in a bad location, it’s a nuisance that will cause secondary disasters.

Furthermore, even though I’m storing it rapidly, there’s no sign of the eruption subsiding.

“I never want to deal with a volcano again.”

“It truly is a natural catastrophe, isn’t it?”

Yeah. This isn’t something humans are meant to handle.

“I’m starting to want to give up and go home soon.”

“…If you stop here, the town disappears.”

“I-It was more troublesome than I imagined.”

“Ahaha. Do your best, Lio.”

Cheered on by Yumeba, I decided to do my best, however reluctantly.

◇◇◇

It took two full days for the momentum of the spewing lava to drop.

Of course, I wasn’t stuck there the whole time, but repeating the cycle of waiting for it to accumulate, putting it in Dimension Storage [Item Box], waiting for it to accumulate, and putting it in again made me incredibly tired.

“Good work. You worked hard, Lio.”

“…Yeah.”

I’m confident that if Yumeba hadn’t been there, my spirit would have absolutely broken halfway through, and I would have abandoned it.

Half the credit for saving the town belongs to Yumeba.

And so, when we returned to the town after two days—we were welcomed with massive cheers.

Well, thinking about it, I stood out because I was flying in the sky holding Yumeba in a princess carry, and if I was working on building walls around the volcano, someone would surely have come to check.

I didn’t particularly desire it, but I ended up being thanked by the town residents as the hero who saved the town.

“Being thanked by people feels kind of weird.”

“You did enough to deserve it, Lio. It’s natural.”

In my previous life, because I attracted misfortune, I was falsely accused but never thanked. In this life, I was looked down upon as the “Discarded Prince” but never thanked.

So, I don’t know how to react.

“…I really only need Yumeba after all.”

“Nn. I only need Lio too.”

Once again, I realized that as long as I have Yumeba, I don’t need anything else, and Yumeba was saying something similar.

Though I feel like the weight of those words is completely different between Yumeba and me.

“In the first place, I think working while on a honeymoon is wrong.”

“Really? I was happy to see Lio looking cool, though ♪”

“……”

This is what I mean.

Yumeba doesn’t get happy seeing me work hard for someone else or striving toward a goal.

What makes Yumeba happy is seeing me look cool strictly according to the values she holds as a standard.

She doesn’t encourage helping people out of goodwill like Tortellas, nor does she seek accumulating good deeds according to society’s values.

Yumeba assessed me with only her own values, chose me, and loved me.

What Yumeba seeks is strictly me as an individual, and there is no room for anyone else’s values to mix in.

That’s why being by Yumeba’s side is comforting.

It makes me think that as long as I have Yumeba, I don’t need anything else.

Should I say, terrifying indeed is the Saionji Ducal House?

Having escaped the cheers of the town residents, while walking and consulting Yumeba about our future plans…

“Thank you for your hard work.”

We encountered Tortellas again.

That said, this time it didn’t seem to be a chance meeting; he seemed to have been lying in wait for us.

“Did you need something?”

“No. I never thought that natural catastrophe could be solved by human hands, so… who exactly are you two?”

“I have no obligation to tell a complete stranger.”

There’s no particular need to hide our identities, but I don’t feel the need to speak honestly either.

“Certainly, to you two, I am likely a stranger, and as B-Class adventurer Tortellas, I have no right to forcibly extract information. However…”

When Tortellas raised one hand, numerous men dressed in black appeared from the surroundings and surrounded us.

“As the Third Holy Son of the Yurg Holy Kingdom, I cannot simply overlook you two.”

And then Tortellas revealed his true identity.

“What is the Yurg Holy Kingdom?”

“If I recall, it’s a religious state that controls the surrounding region, including this town. I’ve heard the capital is called the Holy City, and all the residents are believers.”

When I asked, Yumeba told me the information she knew.

“You bastards… being rude in front of His Highness! Kneel!”

Perhaps displeased by our attitude, one of the men in black surrounding us shouted in rage.

“That’s not an attitude to take toward heroes who saved the town.”

“I’m sorry. But from the perspective of a nation, your power is nothing but a threat. As a member of the Holy Family, I cannot simply thank you without knowing your identities.”

“I see~”

Understanding his point, I glanced at Yumeba, who shrugged her shoulders.

The Empire’s attitude toward the Saionji Ducal House was similar; they probably can’t leave us unchecked when, from a national perspective, we can only be described as a threat.

“What do we do?”

“There’s no particular need to forcibly hide it. It looks like sightseeing in this town is impossible now anyway.”

Leaving aside us being welcomed as heroes, now that a volcano has erupted nearby, there probably won’t be any businesses cheerfully catering to tourists.

Either way, if we can’t sightsee, we need to find another place, so we have to go home once regardless.

“I am the former Fourth Prince of the Alcian Empire, Emilio = Orteando = Alcian… or I was. Now I am Emilio = Geio = Saionji.”

“Imperial Royalty!”

When I told them my identity, not only Tortellas but the surrounding men in black were astonished.

“What’s wrong? You’re holding your head high. You can kneel if you want.”

“T-That is…”

When I said that to the man in black who had told me I was rude and to kneel earlier, his eyes clearly swam.

“I am Yumeba = Reio = Saionji, eldest daughter of the Empire’s Saionji Ducal House and its next successor… and Lio’s wife.”

“A Ducal Daughter! And Saionji… the Guardian of the Empire!”

When Yumeba revealed her identity as well, they were even more surprised.

Yeah. To royalty of other countries, the Saionji Ducal House is more famous and threatening than the Empire’s royalty.

“W-Why are Imperial Royalty and a Ducal Daughter in a place like this…”

“We just came on an incognito honeymoon, but is there some problem?”

“……”

Well, for the Holy Kingdom, having foreign royalty and a ducal daughter enter without permission is likely a problem.

If the upper echelons of the Holy Kingdom learn of this, they might protest to the Empire, but—that doesn’t really matter to Yumeba and me.

As long as the Saionji Ducal House stays quiet, the Empire’s policy is to accept a certain amount of selfishness.

Furthermore, for the Holy Kingdom, it’s like being told they had a bomb inside their stomach.

Setting me aside, holding the Saionji Ducal House in their belly is like holding a bomb that could explode at any moment; handling it requires caution.

“Naturally, handling you two is beyond my hands alone. Would you please come to the Holy City of the Holy Kingdom once?”

“I refuse.”

“Refused.”

Yumeba and I cut down Tortellas’s request instantly.

Being detained in a foreign country during a honeymoon is not a joke.

“…It will become an international incident.”

“So let it. The Empire is in a difficult period, but even so, if it’s for the Saionji Ducal House, they’ll likely give their all.”

“……”

At my answer, Tortellas fell silent for a moment…

“Understood. I did not hear who you two were, and I swear I will not interfere with your actions.”

He seems to have decided to pretend he didn’t see us.

“Your Highness!”

“Even if weakened, the Empire still possesses threatening power. There is nothing for the Holy Kingdom to gain by pointlessly antagonizing them.”

Tortellas admonished the man in black who raised a loud voice.

Well, no matter what country it is, making an enemy of the Saionji Ducal House—of Yukina-san—is nothing but a suicidal act.

Now we just have to go home normally, but…

“Is… is there something else?”

“Isn’t it customary for rude people to kneel and apologize?”

“Guh…!”

For the time being, I decided to be mean to the man in black who told us to kneel.

He sought help from those around him, but since the one who seemed to be the captain signaled him to do it, he bit his lip, endured the humiliation, knelt before us, and bowed his head.

“Lio, you’re so mean ♪”

“Fuhaha. It’s my policy not to show mercy to guys who use authority to act high and mighty.”

I replied laughingly to Yumeba, who sounded like she was enjoying it despite her words.

No. To tell the truth, if I hadn’t done that, Yumeba would have killed him.

It’s unthinkable that a woman of the Saionji Ducal House, possessing bottomless love, would silently overlook her beloved man being insulted. Even setting aside international issues, if it were treated as picking a fight with the Saionji Ducal House, it would have been considered justifiable self-defense/execution for disrespect, and Yumeba would likely have been innocent.

“Hk!”

Perhaps realizing that, Tortellas’s face was twitching grandly.

◇◇◇

“Welcome back. Sounds like it was rough.”

When we returned to the Saionji Ducal House in the Imperial Capital via teleportation, Yukina-san welcomed us.

“Honestly. It was finally a fun honeymoon, but that volcano ruined it.”

Yumeba was fuming in anger.

In reality, we didn’t intend to come back this early, and we planned to enjoy sightseeing more leisurely.

We can’t complain enough about the volcano that caused the interruption.

“Next time, let’s go to the countryside with rich nature or something.”

“That sounds good too. This time there were a lot of tourist spots, but the only thing I was really grateful for was the hot spring, so a place with nothing might be best.”

And so, we immediately started discussing our next travel destination, but…

“Unfortunately, it’s work time.”

That discussion was interrupted by Yukina-san.

“Work? A ceasefire treaty was signed with the countries surrounding the Empire, so they won’t attack for five years, right?”

“Yes. That’s the promise.”

Since the Saionji Ducal House only moves officially when another country invades, if the surrounding nations don’t move, there’s no work, but…

“When they form a group, there’s always a mischievous brat who can’t read the room.”

Apparently, some country is trying to break the treaty.

“If they move their army in this situation, I think the countries that agreed to the treaty won’t stay silent, even beyond public scandal…”

“They probably think if they conquer the Imperial Capital in a short decisive battle, they can manage somehow.”

“…Even though the Saionji Ducal House is here?”

“They’re a country that preserved their forces last time and didn’t attack as far as the Imperial Capital, so they probably don’t know.”

“…Too stupid.”

Even though a massive army exceeding the alliance couldn’t break through the Saionji Ducal House to reach the Imperial Capital, how can they harbor the fantasy that a single country’s forces could conquer it?

◇◆◇

Soldiers of a certain country were talking in a tavern.

“These guys must be idiots.”

The one who declared this was a captain-rank soldier who heard the plan to attack the Empire with just one country.

“But if by some chance they succeed, won’t it be bad for us? If they conquer the Imperial Capital and claim dominion over the Empire, we won’t be able to touch them, and they’ll be the sole winners.”

The one retorting anxiously was a young new recruit.

“Ha. Impossible.”

The captain laughed off the recruit’s concern and declared.

“But…”

“Listen. If it were just launching a surprise attack on the Empire, maybe, but marching on the Imperial Capital to conquer it is a pipe dream. It can’t be done.”

Against the recruit who continued to argue, the captain affirmed it.

“…How can you say that so definitively?”

“Because the Saionji Ducal House is there, obviously.”

And he stated the decisive reason clearly.

“Does the Saionji Ducal House possess such an amazing army?”

To that, the recruit said something completely off the mark.

“Are you stupid? The Saionji family doesn’t lead armies, and they probably don’t even know how to lead one. In the first place, they don’t have an army of their own.”

“…Then what makes them a threat?”

The new recruit, knowing only common military sense and threats, could not understand.

“The people of the Saionji Ducal House are monsters.”

That a war potential capable of overwhelming an army single-handedly existed.

“They don’t have an army and they don’t lead one. Because… just by charging into ten thousand soldiers alone, they have the power to annihilate the army.”

“No way… Hahaha.”

“…Do you know how many tens of thousands of soldiers the Alliance Army gathered to conquer the Imperial Capital?”

“……”

“To give you the conclusion, the Alliance Army couldn’t even reach the Imperial Capital. Why do you think that is?”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Because the Saionji Ducal House was protecting the Imperial Capital. Apparently, they couldn’t even get close, let alone conquer it.”

“……”

As the captain spoke with a serious face, the recruit’s face went pale.

“Do you understand a little now how unrealistic it is to attack the Imperial Capital protected by the Saionji Ducal House? But the current situation is even more hopeless.”

“There’s still more?”

“Do you know the Empire’s Fourth Prince who married into the Saionji Ducal House?”

“Ah, the rumored Discarded Prince.”

“…He was a hawk hiding his talons.”

“?”

“With a grand magic spell he released at the Alliance Army approaching the Imperial Capital, a ridiculous number of soldiers were turned to ash in an instant.”

“…Could the Discarded Prince use grand magic?”

“He was hiding it. And he revealed his claws at the perfect timing. If anything, his war results might even exceed the Saionji Ducal House’s. Because no one was on guard against him.”

“Wow…”

“With the Saionji Ducal House until now, there was a strategy of attacking from long range outside sword distance, but now that he has married into the Saionji family, they have fewer openings than ever before.”

“……”

“That’s why conquering the Imperial Capital is absolutely impossible. I’d bet 10,000 platinum coins on it.”

“…Doesn’t seem like anyone would take that bet.”

“Because it’s not a realistic conversation.”

Thus, the secret story of the Saionji Ducal House’s invincibility continued to spread.