How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Volume 20 (eBook)

Dojyomaru (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025
250 Seiten
J-Novel Club (Verlag)
978-1-7183-0938-8 (ISBN)

Infos

The era of the great man Fuuga has come to an end, and the world of the south has been reorganized with King Souma at its center. As peace settles across the southern hemisphere, the world of the north enters a new era of excitement and adventure. The lives of Souma and the others who laid the foundation for this new age are now filled with joy and unexpected surprises...!

'Please, marry me!'
'Y-Your Majesty?!'

A major proposal rocks Parnam Castle, and the long-awaited child between Souma and a certain someone is finally born. Yet another peaceful day dawns in the Kingdom of Friedonia! And at last, what one lingering regret remains in the heart of Souma, a man who gained a family after being summoned to another world?

The revolutionary transferred-to-another world fantasy series reaches its bold and heartwarming conclusion in this twentieth volume-packed with happiness, fulfillment, and the rewards of a life well lived!

Textauszug

Chapter 1: Souma’s Secret Child?

—Excerpted from an issue of Weekly Parnam Sports

It has been several years since Lord Souma, the key figure in the founding of the Union of the Southern Continent, abdicated the throne in favor of his son, making Lord Cian the second King of Friedonia.

Today, more and more children grow up without ever having known war, and peace and order reign so completely across the southern continent that even international vacations have become commonplace.

But in these uneventful times, curious rumors have begun to circulate in Lagoon City, the capital of Duchess Excel Walter’s domain. And what kind of rumors, you ask?

Shocking News! Former King Souma Suspected of Having a Secret Child?!

Lord Souma, known for welcoming queens of many races and walks of life, has fathered numerous children. Jealous men have dubbed him the Lecherous King or even the Emperor of the Night, but until now, no accusations of infidelity have ever surfaced.

Even after he stepped down from the throne, his queens have remained active, and his children—including King Cian—have grown up strong and successful. The public believed the royal household to be stable, its marital relations harmonious.

But now, whispers say that Lord Souma has a secret child—one not born of any of his queens—and that this child may be living in Lagoon City.

If true, such a revelation could sow discord between Lord Souma and his wives, with no small impact on national politics.

Determined to uncover the truth behind this unlikely claim, this reporter traveled directly to the heart of the rumor: Lagoon City.

◇ ◇ ◇

On this day, I, an anonymous reporter from ParSpo (short for Weekly Parnam Sports), went undercover in Lagoon City and immediately began asking questions.

“The former king’s secret child? What are you talkin’ ab— Oh! Maybe you mean her.”

It seemed the proprietress of the inn where I was staying knew something. Suppressing my excitement at such a promising lead, I pressed her for more details.

“Nowa-chan, right? Her hair’s black, just like the former king’s. Though...the shape of her face isn’t all that similar.”

Incredible. I already had a name. The alleged secret child was a girl named Nowa.

I asked the proprietress to tell me more, and here’s what she said:

“She’s a good girl. There’s a kind of dignity about her that makes her feel a little hard to approach, but... Well, I threw my back out bringing in some new stock we’d just bought. I was stuck on the side of the road, unable to move, and Nowa-chan found me. She picked me up—along with all the goods—and carried me home.”

She’d carried both a grown woman and heavy cargo? It seemed this girl possessed monstrous strength. The former king, Lord Souma, had always been known more for his intellect than physical prowess—a pen rather than a sword kind of man. There were few, if any, records of him fighting on the battlefield directly.

This reporter clearly remembers that it was Souma’s cunning, not brute strength, that brought down Fuuga Haan.

It was hard to imagine that Lord Souma’s secret child would possess such monstrous strength.

I knew I needed to gather more information. After thanking the proprietress, I headed out into the town to ask the locals about the girl known as Nowa.

“Nowa-chan? She’s got a distinctive look, so you’ll recognize her right away,” said a market stall staff member.

“She’s a good, polite girl. And beautiful too,” said the owner of a flower shop.

And two women chatting by the well commented...

“She was wearing a uniform. From the naval officers’ academy, I think?”

“Yeah, that’s right. She’s probably around fifteen.”

It seemed that this girl, Nowa, was well-known here in Lagoon City—to the point where I could ask random passersby, and they would immediately say, “Oh, you mean that girl, right?”

But whenever I followed up with, “Is she the former king’s secret child?” they would stare at me blankly before awkward looks crept across their faces.

“Oh... Those rumors... Right.”

“Well, it’s no surprise a story like that would catch on.”

“Ah ha ha... I feel sorry for Nowa-chan.”

Their replies were all vague, evasive—even suspicious. It felt as if they were all in on some secret.

A girl suspected of being the former king’s illegitimate child...and a town full of people who clearly knew something, yet refused to say it outright.

There was no doubt in my mind now: This city was hiding something.

Emboldened by that certainty, I pressed on with my investigation.

Before long, I encountered a girl who claimed to be Nowa’s classmate at the naval officers’ academy.

“Nowa-chan? We’re friends,” she said with a cheerful smile.

She seemed friendly and easy to talk to—soft-spoken and sociable. Sensing an opportunity, I invited her to sit with me on a bench in a seaside park, where I began my interview.

As she nibbled at some ice cream she’d bought from a nearby stall, she chatted casually.

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she? And such a good, earnest girl. Even though she’s the former king’s daughter, she never acts stuck up. If anything, she’s kind of...like a commoner? I mean, she always eats in the cafeteria.”

It seemed to be something of an open secret that this girl, Nowa, was the former king’s daughter.

But there was something odd about how her classmate spoke about it. Referring to such a serious and potentially scandalous background so casually—as if it were completely normal—felt off, especially coming from someone who claimed to be a close friend.

Curious, this reporter asked, “Does she stand out at school?”

The girl nodded.

“Well, yeah, she does. Because of her background, and how she looks. She’s not just beautiful; she’s got distinctive traits you don’t forget.”

Distinctive traits? What could those be?

“She’s got little antlers on her head, and a reptilian tail that sticks out from under her skirt.”

Antlers and a tail... Weren’t those characteristics typical of the sea serpent race?

Excel Walter, the former commander in chief of the National Defense Force, was a member of that race. And these features matched perfectly. This reporter had a hunch about what that might imply...but it was still too early to draw any conclusions.

I asked again if Nowa stood out at school.

“Well, yeah... When she first enrolled, everyone kept a respectful distance from her. But Nowa-chan’s a really good girl. Oh, and she’s real strong. When one of the senior students tried to throw his weight around with the younger kids, she sent him flying. Ever since then, she’s kind of been the leader of our year. Not that she wants to be treated like someone special though.”

Oh? Maybe that had something to do with being the former king’s secret child. Had she faced hardships because of it?

“I feel like she’s become more womanly since we moved up a grade,” the girl continued. “But funny enough, she’s more popular with girls than with boys. The younger girls look up to her and call her ‘Big Sister.’”

Hmm? Based on everything I’d heard so far, I would’ve expected her to be a hit with the boys too.

When I voiced my confusion, the girl laughed awkwardly.

“I’d say the issue is her guardian. The boys all know who she lives with, and that makes her feel kind of...off-limits. Like, if they try anything, they’ll be ruined. Nowa-chan even complains about it, like ‘I want to be more popular with the boys, not just the girls!’”

Guardian...? Could she have been referring to Lord Souma?

“Nah, that’s not it... Nowa-chan lives in the house of Duchess Walter. The boys all assume she must be just as experienced in love as the duchess. I mean, they’re both sea serpents, after all.”

So Nowa lived with Duchess Excel Walter. The moment I heard that, my suspicions solidified into certainty.

A suspected secret child of Lord Souma—one with features of the sea serpent race—living under the same roof as the most prominent sea serpent in the kingdom? The connection was too strong to ignore.

There could be no doubt: Nowa was the secret love child of Lord Souma and Duchess Walter.

Though Excel Walter is the grandmother of Juna Doma, Lord Souma’s first secondary queen, she looks no older than a woman in her twenties. If the two of them had made a...misstep one night, it wouldn’t be unthinkable for a child to have resulted from it.

However, at this point, it was all still speculation.

If I published anything now, it would be dismissed as tabloid fantasy—just my own wild delusions. I needed proof. I had to go to the source.

To uncover the truth, I submitted a formal request to interview Duchess Excel Walter herself.

I half expected to be turned away at the gates—or worse, silenced before I got close—but to my surprise, I was granted permission...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 29.12.2025
• Reihe/Serie: How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
• Illustrationen: Fuyuyuki
• Übersetzer: Sean McCann
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• Schlagworte: Comedy • Harem • Hero • Isekai • Light Novel • medieval economics • Politics
• ISBN-10: 1-7183-0938-4 / 1718309384
• ISBN-13: 978-1-7183-0938-8 / 9781718309388