The World I Belong To

I had a dream.

A dream of my very first day at work.

I’m certain of it because I was wearing a newly bought suit. I had spent a fortune on it, thinking I was finally a member of society, but I only ever wore it once. My supervisor, dressed in work clothes, had clutched his stomach laughing, teasing me by saying, “It’s my first time seeing a field worker show up in a suit!” Excuse me, sir. Wasn’t I hired for an office job? I never got the chance to ask. I was immediately dragged away to haul steel frames off a truck.

I sent the suit, ruined by cement, to the dry cleaners and never picked it up. Is it still hanging in a corner of that shop? What a foolish thought. Ten years have passed; they would have discarded it long ago. Anyway, I dreamt of that day.

I left the house thinking I had overdone it a bit and walked quickly through the market alley I had crossed since elementary school. Back when I wore a school uniform, I used to sprint through with my hand covering my nose and mouth, but as an adult, I just held my breath without making it obvious. I passed the vinyl-covered stalls and restaurants that opened early. At the end of the alley was an old woman who sold gimbap wrapped in foil, brought in a large brown plastic basin.

[■■, take this with you.]

[What, again? It’s fine. I’m not hungry.]

[Fine, my foot. Just take it. Are you going to work?]

The bus stop next to the market was crowded. I checked the time on my phone and accepted the gimbap and two boiled eggs she gave me. Bus 137 arrived. I said a hurried goodbye and stood at the end of the line. Inside the bus, squeezed among the swarming crowd, I stuffed the gimbap and eggs into my pocket. I held the bus handle with one hand and took out my phone. I opened the web novel app and looked for the latest chapter of “The Dragon’s Empire”…

Wait. I think that was before “The Dragon’s Empire” started serialization?

Well, it was a dream.

In the latest chapter of “The Dragon’s Empire,” Lamier and Kallios were fighting. A duel between a mage specialized in water magic and a swordsman who conjures flames. It was written urgently with grand sentences, but I couldn’t really visualize it. I’ve never seen a massive tsunami or a firestorm, after all.

By the way, the setting was a battlefield; is it okay to use such big techniques? You’re going to kill all your allies, guys.

I skimmed through the pages. I was curious who won.

But what waited for me was:

[Lamier!]

A scream from Lamier’s companion, and the Author’s Note.

[Author’s Note] Hmm… I’m debating how I should “handle(?)” this fellow Kallios -_-a

I woke up with a start, fuming.

“You brat!”

I saw my room, filled with the dim blue light of dawn. My room in the spire where I had lived for ten years. I stared blankly at the bookshelf filled with books I took out whenever I was bored and wiped my face with my hands.

“Wow. Seriously. I almost left a hate comment.”

Even if he’s a villain, he’s a character the author created—how can he talk about “handling” him? And what’s with the question mark? It sounds like he’s preparing a “brutal death” ending. Even if it was just a dream. And in that dream, he might be your character, but here, he’s my kid, you know? How dare you try to “handle(?)” someone else’s kid… I’m getting angry even though it was just a dream, seriously.

“Are you awake?”

A voice came from behind the door. Today’s guard has sharp ears, even though I didn’t make that much noise. I replied that I was up and immediately got out of bed. I don’t usually dream, but since the dream I did have was so unpleasant, I didn’t want to lie down anymore.

I washed my face with the water they brought and had a light breakfast. Thanks to waking up earlier than usual, my already leisurely morning became even more so. Thanks to Ilios having organized everything, the paperwork for the Kaian Duchy—which only required my signature—was finished in thirty minutes. I truly, truly had nothing to do.

That was why I took out a blank sheet of paper.

Kallios VS Lamier.

I stared at the “VS” written between their names—looking more like a drawing than letters—and then drew a black circle over it. It looked a bit childish.

But “VS” is a time-honored game. When I was young, I used to get heated over Charizrd VS Wargremon. I preferred fire types, so I cheered for Charizrd, but after a long keyboard battle, I had to accept that Wargremon would inevitably win. …But what if Mega Chariz*rd Y appeared?

Anyway.

I didn’t want them to fight, but I was curious about the outcome. Well, it was a “VS” for which I knew the answer. If it were the middle of the serialization, Kallios would win; if it were right before the conclusion, Lamier would win. As Kallios’s older brother, it was a pity, but the protagonist buff is unavoidable.

I drew a circle surrounding Kallios’s name.

The ill fate between the two has been severed. Kallios won’t mercilessly kill people in front of Lamier, and Lamier has become an Imperial special trainee instead of an impoverished Academy student from a Baron’s family. Since everything is completely different from the novel that led to their conflict, there’s no reason to fight.

I added rounded petals to the circle. An ugly Kallios-flower was complete. While I was at it, I drew a stem and leaves and decorated Lamier’s name with a flower as well. Since two flowers felt lonely, I added a Sierra-flower, an Isaac-flower, and an Ilios-flower. The paper was half full. Since you’re all here, I can’t be left out. At the very bottom, I wrote Kaian—my name.

While I was busy doodling, Ilios arrived. Since I was bored, I welcomed him excitedly, but it seemed Ilios—no, His Excellency Marquis Ilios Inferno—hadn’t come to play. His expression was quite serious.

“Hmm.”

I glanced at the documents placed before me and then quietly closed them.

“Your Highness.”

Ilios usually feels like a kind grandfather, but with an expressionless face, he was overflowing with charisma. After clearing my throat once, I opened the last page of the documents. I had been so bored while signing that I had doodled on a few pages. It was exactly that document. The ink on the drawing of an ugly Chariz*rd breathing fire was slightly smudged.

Even if I am publicly known to be uneducated, the drawing was a bit much. I’m sorry.

“I believe you need to bring in someone new.”

“Pardon?”

“If you look at the part I’ve marked…”

Ilios opened a middle page of the document. There were a few sentences underlined with a red pen. So the doodles weren’t the problem? Feeling a bit embarrassed, I quietly read that section.

“It says they can’t pay taxes because the war damage was too great. What about it?”

“His Majesty the Emperor entered Rostion Castle without shedding blood. The discipline of the army this time, comprised mainly of northeastern nobles, was the highest in history.”

“Ah. I see.”

In other words, they were trying to avoid paying taxes by taking advantage of the fact that I, the Grand Duke, don’t know much about Apellion. I pulled the document closer and read the rest of the checked part. Claiming they ruined the harvest because they met the army during the farming season—that is absolute bullsh*t.

The reason Kallios raised an army as soon as he rose from his sickbed was to start and end the war before spring, when farming begins. The result was a massive success. Unlike the original, domestic opposition was minimal, so they moved in an instant and swept through the Republic of Apellion, which had been idling, thinking, ‘There’s no way they’re coming already.’ While battles in a few regions that resisted fiercely lasted a bit longer, as far as I know, the region called “Rostion” is not on that list.

“Ilios.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do you know someone named Baron Batman?”

Ilios’s stiff expression softened into a gentle one.

“He is capable.”

“Do you think he’d do a good job if I left it to him?”

“He would be better than me.”

Does he know him? Since I told him we should have a meal sometime, I should invite Ilios too when Baron Batman comes. I should have written “soon” instead of “sometime.”

“What would he need?”

“I will request troops from His Majesty.”

“How about merging his territory with the Batman fief altogether?”

Ilios contemplated for a moment and then shook his head.

“The distance is too great. It would be better to change his surname to Rostion.”

Is it okay to change a surname given by parents so easily? Well, for titled nobles, a surname represents their affiliation—their castle and fief—rather than just a family name, so it might not matter.

When I agreed to that, Ilios immediately took two sheets of paper from his chest. They were appointment letters decorated with gold foil borders. This old gentleman had intended to take the head of the Count of Rostion from the moment he arrived. When our eyes met, Ilios laughed like a good-natured grandfather. I laughed along and wrote the name in the blank space.

Baron Batman, whose face I haven’t even seen yet, was promoted to Count Rostion. He’ll be very grateful to me, right? Be loyal with that heart. If you take good care of my land, I’ll support you for life. After signing the bottom of the appointment letter, I wrote another note.

Let’s eat. Definitely.

Ilios, who took the appointment letter from me and checked it, laughed loudly, “Uhoho!” I told him if he liked it that much, he should come and eat with us then, and he emphasized three times that he would “definitely, certainly, absolutely” come.

After that were miscellaneous reports. They weren’t very interesting, but listening while cracking jokes kept me from getting sleepy. And after finishing the final report, Ilios told me that if I didn’t want to sign, I should just use a seal instead.

So it wasn’t allowed after all. But those flowery signatures are hard to draw properly.

In the evening, Lamier came. I don’t know how much he was worked at the Academy, but the kid who used to be as fresh as spring greens had become withered. Feeling sorry for him, I quickly invited him to sit opposite me and asked for a meal for him as well.

“I don’t have much of an appetite… Could I just have a cup of tea?”

“Sure. I’ll give you some snacks too.”

Lamier, who nodded weakly, slumped into the chair.

The tea came out quickly. I began my meal after seeing Lamier pick up his teacup.

Lamier, who said he’d just have tea because he had no appetite, ended up getting two refills of the cookies and cakes served with the tea. The sight was so funny yet absurd that I stopped eating to watch.

“I had time to eat, but I didn’t have time for snacks.”

So you were worked the whole time except for eating and sleeping. Poor Lamier Weaver. I asked the maid bringing new cake to pack a whole one for him. Lamier put half a slice of cake into his mouth at once, with an expression as if he had received a royal blessing.

“The Academy.”

After finishing the meal and the cleanup. I started to ask about his recent status but then shut my mouth. Lamier, who had regained some vitality after recharging with sugar, developed dead eyes as soon as he heard the word “Academy.”

“You must have had a hard time.”

Lamier wiped his face. I looked at him closely, wondering if he was being bullied. Although I gave him the background of being an Imperial special trainee, the Imperial Academy was a place where even Kallios, the Crown Prince, had suffered.

Lamier, who had been groaning as if he were truly suffering, confessed as if letting out a sigh.

“The mages affiliated with the Academy are all monsters…”

“Is that so?”

“Those people—no, monsters. They don’t sleep. They don’t eat. They are only obsessed with books. And… they chew and eat the books they’ve finished reading. That’s why their lips are black.”

“…”

“And, Your Highness. Last time, Professor Temi kept chasing me, saying she wanted to dissect me…”

Lamier, who was tearing at his bangs as if even recalling it was painful, suddenly lifted his gaze to look at me and grinned.

“It is a bit hard, but it’s fun. They’re all eccentrics, but there’s a lot to learn.”

Lamier took his hands off his head. Looking at his messy curly hair, I reached out. Lamier approached me, knelt on one knee beside me, and tucked his head under my hand. I don’t think I’ve ever done this for this kid, so why is the installation so natural? Well, since this was why I reached out my hand, I stroked his head without saying much.

“I’m glad.”

“Yes. Thank you for sending me, Your Highness.”

Don’t mention it. It’s where you were supposed to go anyway. Though under original circumstances, I wouldn’t have thought it was a good thing to go. I combed through his tangled hair to tidy it up. Lamier blinked slowly and then closed his eyes completely.

“If anyone bullies you, let me know.”

“Will Your Highness scold them for me?”

I laughed quietly at the lively question that followed immediately.

“What power do I have?”

“Then why do you tell me to let you know?”

“You like talking, don’t you?”

“When you say it like that, it makes me sound like a chatterbox.”

“Weren’t you?”

Lamier, who rubbed his head against my palm like he was acting spoiled, opened his eyes.

“You’re right. So please listen to a lot of my stories today.”

I stared into those sparkling green eyes and then nodded.