**11th Volume Release Celebration**
The sun shines in the azure sky, conveying warmth, and the wind carries the scent of spring far and wide.
Today, as always, people engage in their work, expecting to spend another peaceful day without incident.
Even if the dynasty changes and the ruler is replaced, it doesn’t significantly impact the common folk.
At most, the tax rates might go up or down.
And usually, they go up.
Many grumble about the unfairness, but none possess the courage to defy those who have seized state power.
To ensure their grievances don’t reach the ears of those in power, they speak only in hushed tones among family and friends.
Kings called tyrants or despots do not tolerate ill talk and even encourage informants.
Thus, rain of blood falls, and an era where screams echo through the land more than the wind arrives.
“And so, depending on the King, the lives of many people change.”
“Oh?”
Nergal responds noncommittally to the teacher’s explanation.
Her reaction is clearly uninterested, but the troublesome thing about this young girl is that she listens carefully and understands everything, despite her demeanor.
“What kind of King do you wish to be, Nergal-sama?”
“Huh? You’re going to be King, Onii-sama, right? Ner will protect Onii-sama and everyone else!”
The girl tilts her head charmingly, looking bewildered.
As expected of someone with Auraniess’s blood, she possesses unparalleled beauty, but one mustn’t be deceived, the teacher tells herself.
“This is just in case, but if something were to happen to your brothers, Nergal-sama, you would succeed Marius-sama.”
“Nothing will happen, okay? And if something *did* happen, I think I’d run away from Father, too.”
Nergal voices her blind faith in her father.
The teacher inwardly agrees, understanding perfectly.
With Marius and Auraniess together, any disaster would surely flee.
“We simply wish for you to learn the principles of kingship. For if your brothers stray from the path, it is Nergal-sama who can guide them back.”
As the teacher patiently explains, Nergal nods with a serious expression.
“That’s right. If Onii-sama become bad boys, Nergal will be responsible for their punishment. … I’ll have to be careful not to accidentally kill them.”
She adds this last part in a murmur, and the teacher pretends not to have heard it.
Nergal’s strength is already said to be the third strongest in the world, after Marius and Auraniess.
For Sieg and the Ordinary People, who are not in the same league, it might be harder to punch without killing them than to actually kill them.
“I am glad you understand. Now, let us discuss the principles of a ruler.”
“A King is one who protects his people. They guarantee a peaceful life for their subjects and defeat external enemies in times of crisis. Therefore, a King stands above the people. They bring happiness to the people, possess the ability to overcome all obstacles, and fulfill their responsibilities. Is that right?”
Nergal states this casually and looks up at the teacher for confirmation.
“…Is that your path to kingship? You are quite like Marius-sama.”
“Yep, I’m going to copy Father!”
Hearing her utterance with a beaming smile, the teacher lets out a quiet sigh of admiration.
An overly great father can often become a curse to his children.
No matter what they do, the shadow and authority of their father lingers, and history is replete with those who struggled to escape it, only to meet ruin.
This Nergal, in a good way, seems to be completely unburdened by such things.
“Perhaps it is as expected of the daughter of that hero.”
Her sons, perhaps seeing their exceptionally talented younger sister, seem to have reached a state of resignation early on.
Though it seems perhaps too soon, considering the comparison to Nergal, one could argue it’s commendable to have simply resigned themselves.
“Huh? Does that mean Father is amazing? Father *is* amazing, right? He’s the best, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
Nergal is generally in a good mood when her father is praised.
“When in doubt, praise Marius” is one of the little jokes whispered among the castle staff.
(Marius-sama is amazing is the strongest magic… I wonder if that’s it.)
The teacher vividly experiences its power.
“Please become a great person like Marius-sama, Nergal-sama.”
When she says this, Nergal makes a troubled face.
“Can Ner become like Father? If I try really hard, I think I could become like Mother.”
Becoming like Auraniess would be more than enough, but it seems to be different in the girl’s mind.
The teacher muses that the evaluation of her father and mother is again too disparate, but she decides to accept it as a sign of her deep love for her father.
