The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 326
Spring, with petals dancing in the wind.
After finishing my administrative duties, I unknowingly let out a sigh.
“Despite finally achieving peace….”
I was so busy that I couldn’t even enjoy this peace.
Olaf approached me, holding numerous documents, just as I was looking forward to leaving work.
“Oops! Today, we just need to handle these.”
“Just these? It looks like we’ll be working until evening.”
“Haha, what can we do? You’re in a position governing all continents. Even after selecting the most important matters, this is inevitable.”
“Oh my.”
“Still, from tomorrow, you’ll be able to rest.”
“Of course, I hope you’ll let me enjoy the first founding festival.”
“Well, I’d prefer if you could keep sitting in the office.”
“Enough, let’s handle this quickly together.”
Olaf chuckled and nodded his head. He began processing the work while humming.
When the Liande Empire was founded, Olaf rose to the position of prime minister alongside Sophia. He was renowned for his fair and clean governance without any lingering complications.
Especially, he implemented policies for those who migrated to the eastern continent and gained respect from various races, including the subhumans.
Three hours later.
“It’s finally done.”
Olaf whistled and slumped into his chair. Outside, the sun was setting, creating a twilight scene.
At that moment, with a light knock, my sister Julia peeked her head in.
“Little brother, I brought some tea…. Are you done with work?”
“Sister, when will you stop calling me the little brother?”
Even after becoming emperor, this hadn’t changed.
Julia heard the work was finished and burst into laughter, then linked arms with Olaf. A while later, Meissen, pregnant with her second child, appeared with refreshments.
She smiled warmly at me.
“Would Your Majesty like to join us?”
“I’ll decline. I don’t want to interrupt your couple’s time.”
I decided to leave them in the office, leaving the remaining cleanup to Olaf.
Cheerful laughter followed behind me.
Olaf, Meissen, and my sister Julia.
Having multiple children and creating a happy family, they were becoming a model for other couples.
Excluding them, the other couples… Well, their family structures were far from ordinary.
Looking at Olaf’s family, it seemed they could spend peaceful days together until their old age.
“Whew! Still, from tomorrow, I have a week’s vacation…. My mind feels at ease.”
Even during the vacation, it wasn’t truly a rest. The founding festival schedule was already fully booked.
Ash, who was to accompany that schedule, approached me looking exhausted.
“Oh, oh…. Are you done with work?”
“Why do you look more tired than me?”
“Ugh…!”
“Well, I can guess the circumstances.”
Ash was spending his days as the captain of the guard. After unification, we had been converting adventurers into guard members. The goal was to incorporate them into the state rather than keeping them as free individuals.
Because the turbulent period with periodic dungeon appearances wasn’t completely over, there was a necessity for this.
With his mercenary background and familiarity with adventurers, Ash was the perfect talent for this role. Hence, he was traveling across the continent, spending busy days.
Of course, his fatigue wasn’t because of that.
“Did you flirt with women again?”
“No! I was just collecting information by talking! Even so, Luc and Lysithea….”
Ash trembled as if remembering something.
While I sometimes felt sympathy seeing him tormented by fierce wives, looking at them recently giving birth to their second children side by side, their relationship seemed good somehow.
Ash, despite his complaints, seemed internally happy and soon regained his smile.
“Hey, are only us men going out tomorrow during the founding festival?”
“So what?”
“Nothing, just want to relive the old days a bit. Have some drinks!”
“You’re really….”
It seemed he would need more time to mature.
***
First day of the founding festival.
The capital of Platon was bustling from the morning, with red flower petals dancing in the wind.
My bedroom was no different.
“Daddy!”
Children bursting in with a commotion.
Ryuna was at the forefront.
Ryuna, now five years old, was leading the children.
Behind Ryuna were children who had just started walking and those still crawling. Their number was an impressive nine.
With four more newborn babies added, I honestly thought it was too much.
“Daddy, today is a festival!”
“Uh, yes.”
“Let’s play together!”
In the past, when I used to play with four children, the fatigue was less, but now it was truly a war.
Just a moment of being dazed, and the children were running wild in an uncontrollable situation.
My room had turned into a battlefield.
Fortunately, reinforcements arrived quickly.
“Ryuna! Didn’t I tell you not to bother your father!”
It was Yumir, Eo, Erina, and Estelle.
They each picked up their children.
Yumir had one, Eonia had two. Erina and Estelle had three each.
“My lord, you were going to inspect the festival today, weren’t you?”
“Yes, we’re meeting up with the men.”
“I see….”
“Don’t worry, there’s plenty of time. Let’s tour the festival together.”
With the subtle glances from the other wives, my festival schedule was essentially set.
After leaving the bedroom, I finished my meal and headed to the imperial garden with Eonia.
Eo chattered endlessly about this festival.
“Can we really tour the festival without the royal guard’s escort?”
“It’s more of an inspection. We’re hiding our identity, so we can’t bring the royal guard. Don’t worry, Ash and Anton are coming with us.”
“Hmm….”
Although Eonia had become the captain of the royal guard and was praised as a noble knight, she was still the same as always.
Now, she seemed to have no distinction between her duties as a royal guard captain and her personal desire to stay by my side, persistently guarding me under the pretext of protection.
The position of royal guard captain had become nothing more than a formality.
We talked about the festival as we headed to the garden. On the way, Bisketa appeared.
“Oh my, Eo.”
“Your Excellency! You’ve returned.”
Bisketa was enjoying a glamorous old age.
Having developed a scholarly passion late in life, she was deeply immersed in magical research.
Approaching seventy, her eyes were still intellectual, and she had actually achieved results.
Based on her research on Magic Stones and magic, she had become the dean of the Magic Academy in Baien, the capital of the old Ellan Kingdom.
“You look good.”
At my words, Bisketa smiled warmly.
“I’m living enjoyably. I’m glad you look good too. Isn’t state affairs difficult?”
“Of course, it’s tough. Would you like to help? I feel I could trust and entrust you.”
“Sorry, I want to enjoy the remaining years of my life.”
Eo looked dejected at the mention of the few remaining years. She grabbed Bisketa’s arm, seemingly unhappy that someone like a mother to her would say such a thing.
Then, as the conversation turned to the festival, they began to chat happily together.
I left them to their conversation and headed to the garden alone.
There, Anton was maintaining the discipline of the guard troops with a solemn expression.
“During the festival, lawless individuals with malicious intentions are bound to mix in. Everyone, do not let your guard down!”
“Hah!”
Anton was in a position overseeing the capital’s guard troops.
His wife, master Ilya, was in charge of martial arts training for the guard, so it was no exaggeration to say the couple was responsible for the capital’s security.
“Ah, Your Majesty!”
Anton quickly ran to me after spotting me.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to check if the festival security preparations are going well.”
“Do not worry. We are preparing thoroughly.”
“You seem reliable… But have you gained some weight?”
It wasn’t just ‘a little’.
A protruding belly was visible, even through his armor.
After the war ended, Anton had lost his usual dignity.
He seemed well aware of this and smiled with a good-natured grin.
“Hahaha, it might be because I now spend more time playing with the children than training in martial arts.”
“Truly, you’re a model of a good husband. I’d like to follow your example.”
“Please don’t say such things. You are doing important work for peace. I’m just–”
“Don’t belittle yourself. More importantly, you know today’s appointment, right? Meeting up with the men. Aggert is coming too, I heard.”
“Aggert?”
Aggert was active in the Eastern Continent, where different races lived.
He was something like a watchman for Calvern and his escort knight.
The Eastern Continent was still actively clearing dungeons, so he seemed incredibly busy.
Anton gave a bitter smile.
“Now, he might have become stronger than me.”
“Well, isn’t it fine? You have the strongest woman by your side.”
As they say, speak of the tiger and it appears.
Master Ilya appeared with Mirabel.
Their arms were full of Teleportation Scrolls, which they would use to spar all day.
“Well….”
Perhaps because of the past three years, their martial prowess had reached an unimaginable level.
Even Anton in his prime would now seem no match.
Master Ilya raised her eyebrows when she saw me.
“Ars, are you taking a break today?”
“Yes, I decided to rest during the festival period.”
“The kids will surely like it.”
“Haha… A big commotion has already broken out.”
After the war, master became even more passionate about martial arts training.
To carry on her master Guderian’s legacy and perfect the Chester-style sword technique to its ultimate limit.
She intended to pass down this martial art to her eldest son Gawain to continue the lineage.
The ironic point was that Gawain, who was undergoing such harsh training, was being defeated by Ryuna, who showed no motivation whatsoever.
Master Ilya, feeling frustrated, was training Gawain while calling out to defeat Ryuna.
Well, Gawain seemed to have no dislike towards Ryuna and might have even started to like her.
“Ars…!”
At that moment, Mirabel looks at me with wary eyes.
“I’m telling you in advance, I’ll check on Ed and Ernie first!”
“Check on first, you mean the festival?”
“That’s right!”
Mirabel shows her enthusiasm about touring the festival with the twins.
Initially, she had planned to self-destruct after the war ended.
She thought that since everything was over, beings like herself were no longer needed.
As she was about to say goodbye and dissolve into magic, the twins cried out for her not to leave, and she miraculously returned to her original state.
According to her, she would stay until the twins become independent, their children become independent, and their descendants become independent.
In other words, she would remain until the very end.
“Oh, okay. I’ll give you Eonia and Elena as a bonus. Enjoy the festival to your heart’s content.”
“Really? Elena came too?”
“Yes, I heard she returned yesterday.”
Elena had settled at the former site of the Kuravel Kingdom, quietly living while guarding her husband’s tomb. She had also gathered people from Kuravel to establish a new settlement.
Upon hearing that Elena had returned, Mirabel looked extremely happy, as if she was planning to gather all her descendants for a party.
* * *
First day of the festival.
I walked through the capital with light disguise alongside the men.
Perhaps because drunkards had gathered, our destination quickly became a tavern.
“Khahaha! How long has it been since we’ve been together like this!”
Gaspar laughed heartily and put the liquor bottle to his mouth.
After the war, he was playing a leadership role in guiding the western prisoners.
Due to various conflicts in the process, Gaspar was still maintaining a sharp edge.
Aggert exclaims.
“As expected of Master Gaspar! Drinking it all at once! You’re still alive!”
“Of course! Come on, drink!”
With Ash, Olaf, and Anton starting to drink without tension, the atmosphere instantly relaxed.
Dorofei was the only one who couldn’t adapt.
“Haha… Everyone is amazing.”
“You don’t need to keep up with those drunkards.”
“It’s okay, I’ve gotten better at drinking now. …Well, it’s still just one bottle.”
“So how are things on your side?”
Dorofei was active as an administrative official, utilizing his history with the Alliance.
He played a crucial role in adjusting food supply and demand.
If Dorofei were to leave, there would be a temporary food shortage.
“It’s very good.”
“Come to think of it, I heard Lynette is pregnant. Congratulations.”
“Hehe, thank you.”
As the drinking session ripens.
Gunther appears late.
“Oh, sorry. I got lost because it was so complicated!”
Gunther, who lost an arm during the war.
However, after the war, he received a magical prosthetic arm with the help of Dragon Olkin.
Initially, it seemed unfamiliar, but now he was using it completely like his own arm.
“Hey, Gunther! Why are you so late!”
“I told you, I got lost! Gaspar rushed out so quickly, even though he wanted to see his granddaughter!”
“Khem!”
Gunther was currently working in the Eastern Continent.
The circumstances were simple.
He settled among the Goldian tribe while going to the Eastern Continent to receive his prosthetic arm.
I naturally turned my gaze towards Rutger.
Since the Goldian tribe was where Rutger had received help during his stay in the Eastern Continent, he remained there.
“Both of them look happy.”
“W-what are you saying?”
“The Goldian tribe is a female-only tribe, right?”
Because of this, they essentially form an extreme form of polygamy.
“I heard Estelle has 20 younger siblings?”
“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding! The Goldian tribe is originally like that… Gunther! Say something too!”
But Gunther didn’t seem to have any intention of refuting.
“It’s not entirely wrong. Hahaha! I am happy. Rutger feels the same, right?”
“W-well, that’s true…”
It’s ironic. Gunther, who was so disconnected from the opposite sex, is now living a life surrounded by women.
“What does it matter! Gunther! Drink quickly! Since you’re late, drink the whole bottle instead of just a glass!”
At Gaspar’s urging, Gunther drank the entire bottle as if he had been waiting, drawing everyone’s attention in the tavern.
Afterwards, complaints about married life continued.
Olaf and Anton, who heard about the spectacular married lives of others including myself, laughed, saying they couldn’t compete.
Olaf and Anton, who had no stimulating topics to share, were continually handed drinks as a result and became drunk the fastest.
The men’s drinking session continued to mature.
“Drink more! Ars, you too!”
“Okay, I’ll go all the way today.”
I felt an incredibly light and comfortable feeling.
Within it, there was only joy and anticipation, without any anxiety or restlessness about the future.
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