The Weight of the Crown
I never slept in much, even in my original life. But ever since I began living in this body, that tendency has grown far worse. No, it would be more accurate to say that my overall sleep time itself has drastically decreased. This body doesn't feel tired at all even after just four hours of rest. I couldn't decide whether to call it a blessing or a cursed vessel that demanded effort even for something as basic as sleep. Since going back to bed wouldn't conserve any real energy, I simply moistened my dry mouth with the water left by my bedside, rose from the bed, and stretched. That's when several knocks sounded from beyond the door.
"Who is it? Come in."
Because of what happened yesterday, the fleeting thought that it might be Anima again crossed my mind. But I quickly dismissed it, certain that couldn't be the case. Anima would enter other rooms after a single knock with my permission, but she treated the bedroom as absolute sacred ground. She would never dare intrude upon it. That meant whoever had come in was someone else. Yet there shouldn't be anyone else who would...
"E-excuse me for a moment!"
"...Huh?"
The one who answered me was a petite girl with hair the color of a deep blue sea. Her eyes, an even richer oceanic blue, sparkled with a vivid charm that accentuated her considerable beauty.
"H-hello! I'm Trivia! Should I call you... Cezar?"
"Ah... Yeah. That's fine. Call me that."
"P-please take good care of me! I'm Trivi... Ah, I already said that just now, didn't I? Hehe..."
She had introduced herself with such bold confidence that I found it almost absurd. The situation was so ridiculous that any urge to get angry or interrogate her simply vanished. I vaguely recalled telling Anima yesterday to assign her as my personal attendant. Perhaps that was why she had come so early.
"Whatever... It's fine. But you're here earlier than I expected. The sun hasn't even properly risen yet. Didn't you get enough sleep?"
"S-Secretary Anima said I absolutely, positively couldn't be late... I-I'm sorry!"
"No, you didn't do anything wrong... Have you eaten?"
"I have!"
Gurgle—
A truly cheerful sound echoed between the two of us. In an instant, an awkward silence fell over us both as we froze, unable to even breathe. I was the one who finally broke it.
"If you haven't had breakfast, want to eat together?"
"I-I'm sooo sorryyyy!"
Her face flushed bright red as she spun around and fled. I understood how she felt, but... it wasn't my fault, was it? This made it seem like I was the villain here. And she even left the door wide open. It's cold outside...
You have recruited two individuals.
Information has been acquired.
What will you do next?
"Anima."
"Yes, Cezar."
"Will this... ever actually get done?"
"Yes. Probably."
"I'd appreciate a more precise timeline."
"It should take roughly half a year of your investment."
"And in the meantime, won't more work just keep piling up?"
"It most certainly will."
"Damn it. It's piling up like a bastard."
The life of a ruler is a difficult one. I never imagined the weight of the crown would feel heavier than a mountain of paperwork.
"I can't just abandon what Anima is already handling..."
"If you wish to rest, you may do so at any time. I can handle the work in your stead."
"...Forget it. My conscience would kill me. Just how little did the previous Cezar actually work?"
"He was born from the essence of Sloth, after all. That nature does not easily disappear."
"That son of a bitch. Leaving all this baggage behind for me."
Instead of frowning at my curses, Anima let out a small chuckle and gave me a look of agreement. It made sense. She too had been buried under the workload left by the previous Cezar, overworked to the bone.
"C-Cezar! Shall I prepare another drink for you?"
"No more coffee or tea. Something cold would be nice. Plum tea would be perfect. I've got a craving for something sweet. What about you, Anima? Anything you want?"
"I will prepare it myself."
"No need. You've got enough on your plate, don't you?"
"Then... I will have plum tea as well, please."
"Understood! I'll be right ba—ah?!"
CRASH!!!
The sudden loud noise made both me and Anima turn our heads. It was Trivia. The sound had come from her.
"...Are you okay?"
"I-I'm f-fine... Hic..."
"Don't cry, for heaven's sake."
"I-I'm s-sorry... Hic, I'm sorryyyy..."
Trivia had tripped over nothing and knocked over a massive stack of documents. I caught a glimpse of anger flicker across Anima's face, so I quickly stepped in to mediate before anything could explode. Only then did Anima let out a long sigh and turn her head away.
"Trivia, could you go make those drinks? We'll take care of the mess ourselves."
"B-but I couldn't possibly..."
"It's fine. I can handle this much. Just bring the plum tea with some ice."
"Y-yes...!"
Whenever I saw how Anima acted toward other women, I couldn't help but wonder. No matter how I looked at it, that was clearly jealousy. Still, I had no desire to ruin the mood by asking something like, 'Are you jealous, Anima?' so I kept my mouth shut. Even so, I couldn't deny that she looked rather adorable like this.
"She certainly makes a lot of mistakes."
"Her training is not yet complete. For someone who was once the hero Miriam, her behavior is remarkably clumsy."
"Go easy on her. It's not like we can just throw her away."
"If that is your will, Cezar, I shall obey."
"Thank you for understanding."
After neatly restacking the scattered papers, we returned to our work. Budget requests from each legion, construction permits for various buildings... I couldn't help but wonder if I really had to handle all of this myself.
"By the way, Anima, I have a real question."
"Yes, please speak."
"Do we really have to deal with all these trivial matters? Can't the lower ranks handle approvals on their own?"
"There is no one capable of doing so."
"...What?"
"Civil servants... I believe that's what they're called in the human world. We have no such system. It is different from how humans operate."
"Why...?"
"Because whenever someone is appointed, they end up fighting and dying, leaving the position vacant again. There is also no one qualified to train them. A few generations ago, a previous Cezar attempted such reforms, but even the person in charge of education was dragged into a conflict and killed. No Cezar has tried to innovate since."
"These insane demon bastards..."
Demons were inherently belligerent by nature. They refused to solve even the simplest problems with words. They were truly a mad bunch.
"Still, this is something we should think about. It's excessive."
"Do you have any ideas in mind?"
"Not really, but... Is there no one you can recommend?"
"Hmm..."
"There is?"
"There is one person, but I am unsure whether he will be to your liking, Cezar."
"As long as he does the job well. There shouldn't be anyone bold enough to attempt a coup anyway."
"Then I shall summon him this afternoon so he may greet you."
"I'd appreciate that."
After that, nothing particularly eventful happened. We processed documents, I frowned at the bland plum tea Trivia brought, and then comforted her when she looked like she was about to cry. Just those small, trivial things. It was only after we finished a simple lunch that a new development arose.
"Cezar, the person I called has arrived."
"Trivia, let him in."
"Understood!"
The man Trivia ushered in through the open door had a face that could only be described as sly. Even though it didn't particularly irritate me, the moment I saw that face, I couldn't help but pinch the bridge of my nose.
"Anima."
"Yes, Cezar."
"So this is what you meant by 'not to my liking'?"
"Yes."
"Sigh..."
"C-Cezar?! Have I committed some offense?!"
"No. Intri. Since you're here, want to have a cup of tea before you go? We've got some bland plum tea."
"If it is something bestowed by Cezar, I am prepared to drink even lye!"
"No, if you die from drinking something like that, it'll be a pain in the ass for me. So please don't."
His name was Intri. He was one of the three faces I had seen when I first awakened in this body. He was the current second-in-command of the 3rd Legion and its only strategist—the tactician Intri.
"Anima, I actually like Intri."
"Is that so? That is unexpected."
"...You don't like him?"
"His face is not to my taste."
"...You were judging by his face?"
"It was a joke."
"Then make your jokes easier to understand..."
It was often said that the 3rd Legion couldn't function without him, and his competence was acknowledged by all. But that was precisely the problem.
"Without Intri... would the 3rd Legion even operate?"
"It would not."
"That's pretty blunt."
"It is blunt, but without the two of us, the 3rd Legion would have been nothing but a brainless mass of muscle."
"They're still your former subordinates..."
"Which is why I can view them more coldly."
"Then why did you recommend him?"
"Even in my absence, Intri has been leading the 3rd Legion without incident. The fact that those madmen—no, that the 3rd Legion has not caused any conflicts with other legions is proof of that. While it may be too much to ask him to provide the same level of support as I do, offering strategic advice at your side should not be too difficult for him."
"I see. He's even better than I thought. That's what you're saying."
A talented subordinate. For a monarch, such a person was more valuable than any peerless beauty.
"U-um... May I say something?"
"Ah, right. I left you out. What is it, Intri?"
"The truth is... it is impossible. It is not that there were no incidents, but rather that whenever someone tried to cause trouble, Legion Commander Fade beat them into submission with his fists. Moreover, the memory of your prowess, Cezar, has not faded from their minds. The moment your gaze and Commander Fade's leave them, there will be more than a few who will immediately stir up trouble. Honestly, it is completely beyond my capacity..."
"Sounds like Intri has been struggling."
"T-that is not entirely..."
"He says that, Anima?"
"Haa..."
Anima's sigh seemed to carry a different meaning for Intri than it did for me. His face instantly turned deathly pale.
"I-I will do it! I will! Please let me do it! With the resolve of a disposable clone, I shall carry out Cezar's commands with all my being!"
"No, it's fine. Anima, you don't need to scare him that much. If he burns out, it'll be a loss for us."
"...Understood."
"Intri, you may leave now. Just take today's events as us thinking very highly of you. I'd appreciate it if you saw it that way."
"T-this humble one shall never forget Cezar's grace even in death!"
"Yeah, yeah. Off you go."
After sending Intri away, an awkward silence settled over the office, now occupied by only the three of us. Our hands kept moving, but our eyes kept darting toward each other. The atmosphere was so stifling it felt like we might die from the discomfort. I couldn't take it anymore and finally spoke.
"So... is there really no other solution?"
"There is... one possibility."
"Oh, there is?"
"However, it will not be easy, so I hesitate to recommend it lightly."
"I doubt anything could be more difficult than our current situation..."
"Then I shall speak. It would be best to seek the assistance of the 7th Legion Commander, Della Objet."
"The Legion of Sloth...? Wasn't the previous Cezar from that side the problem? And aren't they all people who hate working?"
"That is correct... but while they hate working, they are not incapable of it."
"I see..."
"However, that is not why I said it would not be easy."
"Ah, you mentioned contact with the 1st Legion Commander?"
"Yes. Because we lack information on that matter, we cannot clearly determine their current stance. That is the problem."
"This is tricky..."
"Which is why I could not easily recommend it."
"Well, I understand. Let's think about this later. Trivia? Could you bring us another round of plum tea?"
"Y-yes! I'll bring it right away...!"
Truly, headaches never seem to go away easily.