I am Ashfon Astra Lionheart, the First King of the Kingdom of Astra.
To put it bluntly, I am the man who defeated the ancient empire that oppressed its own people for generations. I was the one who took a divided land, defeated those who had plunged it into chaos, and finally unified it under a new banner.
Since then I have received many titles.
King Knight.
Conqueror King.
Relentless King.
Founder of Astra.
But, among them all, King Knight is the name that has endured the longest, even among the rulers of other races.
And, although it may sound arrogant to say it this way, I don't think it's unjustified.
In the land I govern, poverty and corruption have been reduced to a minimum. I ascended the throne at the age of twenty-one and have been ruling for five years. Five years during which I have dedicated every day to improving the lives of my people.
I have a natural talent for leading my subjects and managing the kingdom. I also possess a rather peculiar ability: I can detect lies.
I don't read minds.
I cannot look inside a person's heart.
I simply... know when someone is lying.
A very useful skill when you're a king.
Especially when he has to deal with nobles.
If circumstances allowed, I would prefer not to have to resort to summoning beings from another world. I would have solved our problem with my own powers.
However, this situation demands a much more direct and specific solution.
We need the Goddess's Blessing to eradicate our enemies.
And that is something that we, the inhabitants of this land, will never be able to fully understand.
As I pondered these matters, we walked down the long corridor that led to the royal chamber. I placed a hand on my temple and began to massage it.
Then I heard a giggle.
—That's what happens to you for working too much and getting stressed, you stupid king.
—You reap what you sow. Basically, you handled a stack of documents equivalent to four months' work in a single night. Are you stupid?
—Your health worries me a lot. I have to take care of you all the time.
The three voices reached me as we entered the throne room.
Hey, please...
Please bear with me for a little while.
Four months of work completed in a single night means I have four months of peace and quiet ahead.
That's practically paradise!
Oh...!
The headache is coming back.
I definitely need to reconsider my priorities.
Upon arriving in the room, I took a seat on that terribly uncomfortable throne and turned my gaze towards the heroes.
There were thirteen of them.
All different from each other.
And, at the same time, they all had something in common.
They weren't like us.
I could feel it just by looking at them.
There was something strange about their presence. A quality impossible to explain in simple words. They were people who had come from another world.
However, there were still certain factors that prevented her magical energy from manifesting properly.
That's a matter for another time.
And I'm not in a position to talk about it either.
Then Ishtal spoke.
—Your Highness! These are the thirteen valiant heroes summoned! It seems they are seeking knowledge at this time, so, if you will allow me, I invite you to accompany them.
-Pass?
I looked at Violetta, who in turn was looking at the old man Ishtal with a look that seemed to say, "Are you stupid?"
—Ishtal-dono, are you that absentminded, or has age finally made you forget how to count properly?
-That!?
Violetta-san is ruthless.
Hold on, Ishtal.
—There are fourteen presences, you know?
—Huh? I'm so sorry about this mistake, Lady Violetta! But who's the missing hero? I don't see anyone else.
Violetta pointed towards the back.
—Heroes, please make way.
The heroes stepped aside.
And then...
Ah.
It was as if the heavens had opened up.
As if the heavens themselves had split in two.
There it was.
A girl of about nine years old stood there, completely stunned, now exposed by the space left by the others.
She was wearing a simple white shirt that was too big for her.
Her hair was white.
Not just white.
She was dazzlingly beautiful, like snow in the sunlight.
Her blue irises shone with an intensity comparable to the cerulean sky.
She had a small, round face, naturally long eyelashes, and cherry-colored lips that trembled slightly.
Her appearance was so enchanting that, if someone told me she was a little angel lost in another world...
Well.
I would probably believe him.
She was tiny.
It barely reached my waist.
And it remained there, trembling slightly, like a small animal that didn't know whether to approach or run away.
My heart...
¡No!
Calm down, Ashfon!
You're the king!
—A little girl...?
Oh...!
What an adorable little girl!
The little girl let out a shriek when she was suddenly exposed.
Within the group of heroes, he immediately stood out because of his unique white hair.
She was, literally, the black sheep of the group.
Although...
No.
Thinking about it...
He looks a lot like me.
That's a problem.
But I had to maintain my composure in front of these otherworldly beings. That was my duty as king.
"KYAAAAAAA, SO CUTE!!!"
Edelweiss had completely lost her composure.
Lily, for her part, looked quite nervous.
It was no mystery why.
She loved the little things.
Violetta watched the girl with great interest, while Ishtal...
-Ahem.
Ishtal cleared her throat to regain everyone's attention.
I want to...
Clearing your throat like that to get noticed is truly pathetic.
Although, considering your weak personality...
I suppose that's pretty typical of you.
—Girl— Ishtal finally said—. Please step forward and say your name.
The girl obeyed.
He took a small step.
Then another one.
His movements were short and cautious, as if each step required a conscious decision.
She seemed ready to flee at any moment.
Then he gathered his courage and spoke.
—Asagao... Asagao Lionheart.
...
Did I hear right?
Lionheart.
My last name.
The girl had just introduced herself with my same last name.
I don't remember having children with anyone.
I have no living relatives.
I have no siblings.
I have no parents.
I have no one to call family.
They all died.
I saw them die.
So, if this girl was using my last name to get some favor...
Or worse, to take advantage of me...
I wouldn't forgive her just because she's a child.
Although...
It's too early to draw conclusions.
I shouldn't rule out any possibility.
I've already seen too many noble pigs trying to take advantage of my name.
I beheaded some of them.
They don't call me the Ruthless King for nothing.
...
I'm becoming paranoid.
I'm definitely becoming paranoid.
She's just a child.
So...
-Ahem!
Ishtal-san cleared her throat again.
This time, however, all eyes were on her.
—You said your name is Asagao Lionheart, right, little one?
I stared at the girl.
She raised her head and looked at me with large, curious, and innocent eyes.
Our eyes met.
I smiled at him.
The girl was startled.
Her face turned as red as a tomato.
...
That was sweet.
Very sweet.
But I'm not going to let my guard down.
—Yes... it's like I said...
The little girl swallowed.
—Asagao Lionheart.
Oh...
She's panicking.
His broken words, his nervous movements...
All of that seemed to happen to him completely involuntarily.
I didn't want to make her nervous.
But I couldn't ignore such a coincidence either.
—Let me continue from here, Ishtal
I rose from the throne.
—I have to do my presentations too, you know?
Adopted a grandiose pose.
Everyone was looking at me.
That's how it is!
I am the king!
Well...
I am so sorry to have involved you in the problems of our world.
But we have to keep going.
This does not only concern my kingdom.
It concerns the entire world.
So...
Let's begin!
—First, let me introduce you to my Royal Guards!
I pointed to the woman who was to my right.
—This woman in heavy armor, with stiff movements and a bosom as magnificent as the plains! Her name is Edelweiss!
Edelweiss stared at me.
...
Technically.
Also, I want to get a little revenge for what happened before.
Edelweiss is truly beautiful and possesses an imposing presence.
However, behind that strict appearance is a pretty normal girl.
When he is on a mission, he follows orders to the letter and rarely shows too much of his personality.
But when he's not working...
Well.
That's another story.
—And this girl here...
I turned towards Lily.
—This girl here, with a magnificent backside and a strong personality, wearing that skimpy outfit and a breastplate to cover it, as magnificent as her smooth chest too, her name is Lily!
Lily maintained a perfectly serious expression.
However, a small amount of magical energy began to concentrate in the palm of his hand.
...
Oh.
She's angry.
Very angry.
But he's suppressing the urge to cast a spell on me in front of the heroes.
Excellent.
That means he still retains his dignity.
—This magician here is Violetta-san.
I pointed to the woman who was next to me.
Violetta is the person I least want to mess with.
It's completely out of my reach.
And it doesn't help that it's much bigger than it looks.
It is over one hundred years old.
With the right materials, you can cast spells capable of producing terrible effects.
As...
A headache.
Yeah.
A truly terrible headache.
Violetta is also my right hand and is in charge of overseeing practically everything related to the kingdom.
My magical potential is, to be generous, practically nil.
That is why her mastery of magic and her vast knowledge are indispensable for Astra to continue to prosper.
Finally, I pointed to myself.
—As for me...
I took a deep breath.
—I am the First King of the Kingdom of Astra. The man who founded it. The so-called Knight King. The one who united the nations under a single banner and...
—Despicable man with no sense of direction.
—Idiot king who can't even get a wife.
...
Oh!
That hurt.
Lot.
I felt my heart stop for a moment.
Words are dangerous.
A woman's words can pierce even a king's armor.
Besides...
I should also be careful with what I say.
That comment was spot on!
I need to pull myself together!
After all...
I am the king.
So I raised my head again.
And I continued.
—I am Ashfon Astra Lionheart, the First King of the Kingdom of Astra!
As I already said...
I am the first king of the Kingdom of Astra.
Its founder.
The man who took a land mired in chaos and led it to prosperity.
I took these lands from the hands of a king who had allowed his pride and greed to destroy everything he was supposed to protect.
I am the last survivor of my family.
The Lionhearts.
I have no living relatives.
I saw them all die before my very eyes.
After my ascension to the throne, hundreds of people appeared claiming to be my relatives.
Hundreds.
They were all investigated.
They were all subjected to my skills.
And none of them survived after provoking my anger.
My rage...
It's not a simple matter.
It is precisely from her that I draw my power.
And that power has nothing divine about it.
It's pure evil.
A power born to destroy.
A power incapable of saving anyone.
This is proof that I, Ashfon Astra Lionheart, will never be able to become the savior of this world using this detestable power.
I am a fool of the present.
But I am also a king.
And a king has duties to fulfill.
That's why...
Drastic measures have already been prepared.
Even if it means asking for help from people who should never have been born.
And although, apparently, among those heroes there is a little girl who bears my last name.
...
I definitely need to look into that.
But first...
I need another cup of tea.
And perhaps a medicine for the headache.
Because I have a suspicion that governing this kingdom is going to be much more complicated than I imagined.