Chapter 8 A Royal Audience
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Well then, I shall gratefully take you up on that and ask my questions,” the protagonist said.
Having been granted permission to speak, I wasted no time. The Princess listened with a poised smile, while Alisha-san sat beside her, still trying to steady her ragged breathing.
”I was told we were summoned specifically to defeat the Demon King¹, but looking at the soldiers, they don’t seem particularly cornered. If anything, they look quite relaxed. What is the actual situation? Is the kingdom truly so desperate that you had to resort to summoning people from another world?”
”Well, I suppose it’s hard not to notice that after interacting with the officials and soldiers. Very well~desuwa, I shall enlighten you,” the Princess replied.
She responded with a wry, knowing smile. It seemed my observation was well within her expectations.
”It is true that the Demon King has been resurrected, and it is true that you were called to defeat him. However, the situation isn’t especially dire. It’s actually a fairly common occurrence.”
”Common? The Demon King’s resurrection?” I asked.
”Yes, he returns roughly once every twenty or thirty years~desuwa.”
That is an absurdly high frequency for a Demon King to revive. I suppose if it happens that often, one could indeed call it common. That means the soldiers stationed there were likely children when it last happened. If they grew up hearing stories of how he was easily dealt with back then, I guess it makes sense why they’re so relaxed now.
”The Demon King we fight is a manifestation of negative emotions born from the living creatures of this world. Therefore, as long as we humans exist, he will inevitably resurface time and time again. That said, if we simply leave him be, he will accumulate a critical mass of negativity and become uncontrollable, so we make it a point to strike him down as soon as he manifests.”
”Does that mean he’s at his weakest right after resurrecting? If so, couldn’t you defeat him yourselves without summoning us?”
”If only it were that simple. No matter how much we, beings born of this world, attack him, he simply absorbs the emotions of the attackers and uses them to heal himself. Because of that, we require ‘Summoners’—those who do not originate from this world. Unless something truly extraordinary occurs, the Summoner defeats the Demon King, and that is that~desuwa.”
It finally clicked. We weren’t called because the Demon King was an invincible monster, but because the people of this world have a fatal lack of compatibility with him. Since we don’t have our emotions siphoned away, we’re opponents he essentially cannot beat. Moreover, this happens in twenty-year cycles, and a Summoner is brought in every single time. No wonder the soldiers are so used to the routine.
”Our kingdom is the only nation in this world capable of performing the summoning ritual, so we handle it every time. Whenever the Demon King revives, the movements of low-intelligence monsters become more active; we use that surge as our cue to hold the ceremony.”
”In other words, he just revived on schedule this time as well?”
”Exactly. It has been twenty-four years since the last time. We knew it was coming soon. Though, personally, I would have been much happier if he had waited until after I had been married off.”
”If you had already been married off, what would have happened?” I asked.
”Nothing in particular would change. A suitable younger sister would simply step up to take over the role. There are over thirty of us, after all.”
”…Huh? Thirty?”
I thought for sure she was joking, but she nodded with total nonchalance. That’s taking the idea of a large family to a ridiculous extreme.
”Yes, quite a lot, wouldn’t you say? Summoners often desire the bodies of princesses, so our royal line tends to be quite prolific. The King and the Crown Prince² always keep at least ten concubines each, and the number of my younger siblings increases by about five every year.”
”With that many royals, what happens to all those children?”
”The princes generally become knights, soldiers, or government officials. There aren’t enough titles to go around, you see. The princesses are usually married off to nobles, officials, or high-ranking knights. Since we are trained in bedroom techniques from a young age specifically for the sake of the Summoners, and there is a wide variety of ages, personalities, and body types to choose from, we are actually quite popular.”
The Princess explained with a lighthearted laugh that I should view this country as a place that maintains dozens of princesses as hospitality staff in exchange for the benefits provided by the Summoners. She was being incredibly blunt about the whole thing.
”Is it really alright to tell me all of that?”
”All the adults in this country are aware of it, so it’s not a secret. If anything, I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to the members of the subjugation squad³. If our perceived value as princesses drops in their eyes, they might start demanding… inconvenient things.”
”…In other words, since I’d probably hear the rumors in the dining hall eventually, you decided to tell me the truth first to ensure my silence?”
The Princess smiled brilliantly and nodded.
It was true—if I’d been explicitly told to stay quiet, I wouldn’t go out of my way to blab. I had no desire to provoke her. Those guys who used to be my friends looked at me with such pity after the Jobs were assigned; I guess they valued losing their virginity over our friendship. I’m certain that from tomorrow onward, they’ll be looking down on me for being a pathetic virgin (though that might just be my own paranoia talking).
”I understand. I won’t speak a word of it.”
”Yes, please do. Our ability to protect you depends entirely on us maintaining our prestige, after all.”
I suppose she’s warning me that if the princesses lose their standing, her influence will fade, and she won’t be able to shield me anymore… I really need to be careful. I have no intention of getting exiled.
* * *
”Now then, I believe it’s about time, is it not?”
The Princess’s gaze shifted away from me. Following her eyes, I saw Alisha-san finally pushing herself up. It seemed she had recovered enough to at least sit properly.
The Princess spoke again. She looked like she was having the time of her life.
”Well then, Anma-sama⁴, please proceed with checking Alisha’s bust size for me, alright? ♪”
”She might still be a little sensitive, but I suppose that’s just part of the job, isn’t it? ♪” the Princess added.
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Summary:
The protagonist questions the Princess about the Demon King and learns that his resurrection is a routine, manageable event. The real reason for summoning outsiders is that locals’ emotions inadvertently heal the Demon King during battle. The Princess reveals the shocking scale of the royal family, with over thirty princesses trained as ‘hospitality’ for Summoners. The chapter ends with the Princess playfully directing the protagonist to resume his massage duties on Alisha.
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Character Insight:
The Princess reveals a cold, pragmatic side beneath her cheerful exterior. She views her own sisters and herself as political commodities and tools for the Summoners’ satisfaction, emphasizing that maintaining their ‘value’ is essential for political stability. The protagonist begins to realize that his safety is tied to his compliance with the royal family’s unusual social structure.
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Behind the Scene:
The concept of ‘negative emotions healing the boss’ is a common trope in JRPGs and light novels, justifying why a ‘pure’ outsider is the only one who can deal damage. The excessive number of princesses is a meta-commentary on harem tropes where every Summoner gets a royal bride.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Alisha – A maid serving the Princess. She has red hair and a well-endowed chest. She is highly protective and skilled enough to easily restrain an average man.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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