第433話~子供達~
「退位します」
「駄目です。というか顔を見るなりの第一声がそれか、我が息子よ」
メリネスブルグの王城へと登城し、もはや見慣れた王の執務室で我が子、イクスと顔を合わせるなりマジトーンで退位を宣言された。まぁ、元より城に籠もって政務をしているよりも山野や森で冒険者みたいな生活――というか冒険者そのものとして活動するのを好む子なので、今のように玉座に縛り付けられているというのは文字通り拷問も同然なのだろう。
「親父殿達ばかりズルいでしょう。何故我々だけ玉座に縛り付けられなければならぬのか」
「結局五人で持ち回りになってるんだから負担は五分の一だろ? 自分の手番じゃない時はお前だってかなり好き勝手してるじゃないか」
「玉座と王位から完全に解放されるわけではないし......」
「後継者がちゃんと育ってから譲位するんだな。俺達だってそうしたんだし」
「その発言には大いに異議があります」
知らんな。ちゃんと国の基盤はしっかりと整備したし、後継者としてイクス達にはしっかりと教育もした。最終的には絶対に玉座を譲りたい俺達vs絶対に玉座に座りたくない息子、娘達の間で殴り合いの喧嘩になったが、俺達が勝ったので話は終わりです。
ちなみに五人で持ち回りになっているというのは、シルフィ、セラフィータ、ドリアーダ、イフリータ、アクアウィルの間に生まれた子供達が十年単位で順番に玉座に座り、自分が玉座に座っていない時には王をサポートするという政治体制を採ったからだ。これは最終的に俺達と息子、娘達との間で話し合いによって決められた。今のところは上手く回っているようなので、特に是正の必要は感じていない。
まぁ、こんな事ができるのは全員が長命種だからなのだろうな。あとは数十年から百年ほどをかけて地方領主の力を削ぎ、必要とあれば血の雨を降らせてでも中央集権化を押し進めたのも功を奏したか。独裁? いいえ、地方領主の専横の芽を摘み取っただけです。こちらの出した条件を飲んでくれた領主達に関しては手厚く扱ったしね。
「というか、退位して誰に後を継がせるんだよ?」
「それはもちろんセリスに」
「まだ十五だろ......確かにセリスはよく出来た子だが、早すぎるわ。というか、お前ですら跡を継いだのは五十くらいだったろうが」
「ぐぬぬ」
「あと三十五年と考えれば次は回ってこないだろ? 何もなければ。我慢しろ。あ、ちゃんと教育はしろよ。メルティにチェックさせるからな」
「はい......」
ミスリルと金で出来た王冠を頭に嵌めたままイクスが項垂れる。
「他の四人は?」
「レイシスとミトラは城にいると思います。イグニアは帝国に、レオナルドはガイアスと一緒にドラゴニス山岳王国ですね」
レイシスはセラフィータと俺との間に生まれた息子、ミトラはドリアーダと俺との間に生まれた娘、イグニアはイフリータと俺との間に生まれた娘で、レオナルドはアクアウィルと俺との間に生まれた息子である。ちなみにガイアスは俺とグランデとの間に生まれた息子だ。
「それぞれ忙しそうにしているようで何よりだ」
「そういう親父殿は最近どうなんです?」
「向こうの開拓というか復興というか発掘というか......まぁ忙しくやってるよ。ああ、先日アイラが無事出産したぞ。可愛い女の子だ」
「ああ、元気だよ。まだまだ現役だな」
「親父殿は向こうでまた何人手籠にしたんです?」
「人聞きの悪い事を......ノーコメントだ」
「親父殿は相変わらずのようで。男として尊敬しますよ。逆に」
イクスがそう言ってニヤニヤする。正直この方面に関しては俺はもう何も言えない。俺の名はシルフィを支えた無二の王配として、そして多くの女を囲い、子を産ませたハーレムの王として有名になってしまったからな。イクスが生まれた時点でも俺と関係を持っていた女性の数はハーピィさん達を除いても両手の指では足りない数だったし、その後も増えたからな......ちゃんと全員養ったよ。責任は取ったよ。俺の身体は一つしか無いから大変だったが、女性達にも子供達にも最大限の愛情を注いだと俺は自負している。
まぁ、父親が俺だからとちょっと目に余るやんちゃをするような子は徹底的に躾けたけど。何せ俺の周りにはそういうのが得意な人が沢山いたからね。それはもう丁寧に根性を叩き直しましたとも。俺自身も色々やったし。
俺の子供達はメリナード王国で様々に活躍している。アイラと俺との間に生まれた子供達は魔道士や錬金術師、薬師として活躍している子達が多いし、メルティとの間に生まれた子供達は役人や聖職者になっている子達が多い。エレンやアマーリエ、ベルタとの間に生まれた子供達は主に聖職者や役人として身を立てている子達が多かった。今はもう曾孫とか玄孫とかの更にその後の世代だったりするけど。
ハーピィさん達は相変わらずだ。航空兵や偵察兵として働いたり、配達業を興したり、珍しいところだと詩人や歌手になった子もいる。シュメルやベラ、トズメとの間に生まれた子供達は王族の身辺を守る近衛兵となった子もいるし、母親達と同じく冒険者として身を立てている子もいる。まぁ、実は冒険者として身を立てている子達は結構多い。シュメル達の子供達の他にもね。
ゲルダやビャク達獣人メイド達との間に生まれた子供達は母親達と同じくメイドになったり、兵士になったり、役人になったり商人として身を立てたりと実は一番色々な方面に進出している。彼女達との子供達も今は曾孫や玄孫の世代の子達が多い。変わり種だが、狐耳獣人のビャクとの間にできた子供のうちの一人はメルティと同じ魔神種として生まれた。同じ魔神種であるメルティと仲が良く、シルフィ達と一緒にオミクルで行動している。
ああ、あとグランデとの間に生まれた子供達は自由気ままに世界を放浪している。グランデと同じくらい竜の特徴が現れた子もいれば、普通の人間と変わらないような容姿の子もいる。まぁ、容姿が違ってもグランデの子供達なので基本的な身体能力がドラゴンなんだけども。正直グランデとの子供達が一番手がかかったな......色々と。
なんだかんだで歓待してくれるので、ドラゴニス山岳王国や西方の少国家群の辺りをうろついていることが多い。ただ、恐らく俺がこっちに戻ってきたのを察知しただろうから今日明日中にはメリネスブルグに顔を見せに来るだろう。
その他には......まぁ、うん。色々あったよ。アクアウィルと仲を深める過程でレビエラともそういう関係になったりしたし、帝国を訪れた際にも色々あって何人か嫁にもらうことになったしな。
「急に黙らないで下さい」
「いや、自らの行いを振り返っていたんだ......今もあんまりやってることが変わってないが」
「歳下の異母兄弟が今も増え続けていると」
「セリス達にとっての歳下の大叔母や大叔父やらもな。もうそういうものだと割り切ってくれ」
「もう諦めていますよ。親父殿はなんだかんだでちゃんと面倒は見てくれますしね」
「俺一人じゃ絶対に手がまわらないけどな。皆に感謝だよ。もちろん、イクスにもな」
母親連合というか妻連合というかなんというか、俺と関係を持った女性達の結束は非常に固いからな。俺がこうしていられるのも彼女達が俺を支え、子供達を支え、お互いを支えてくれた結果だ。本当に彼女達には感謝しかない。頭が上がらないよ。本当に。
「そう言うなら退位をですね」
「それは駄目」
互いに真顔でそう言い合い、同時に笑う。それとほぼ同時にズバァン、と勢いよく扉が開かれて俺の子供達が王の執務室へと駆け込んできた。どれ、久しぶりに親子のスキンシップと洒落込みますかね。
434 Lesson 433 - Kids -
"I'm leaving."
"No, my son, that's the first sound you make when you look at your face."
He ascended to the royal castle in Merinnesburg, met my son, Ix, in the office of the king, who was no longer accustomed to seeing him, and he was declared in a magic tone to abdicate. Well, since she prefers to act as an adventurer in the mountains and forests rather than in the castle, being tied to the throne as it is now is literally the same as torture.
"Fathers will be cheating all the time. Why do we have to be tied to the throne alone?"
"In the end, the five of us are carrying around, so the burden is one-fifth, right?" When it's not your turn, you like it pretty much, don't you? "
"I'm not completely free from the throne and throne..."
"After your successor has grown up, you're going to give up." We did that, too. "
"I have a big objection to that statement."
I don't know. The foundations of the country were well established, and Ix and the others were well educated as successors. In the end, we definitely want to transfer the throne, and we definitely don't want to sit on the throne. It became a fight between our sons and daughters, but we won, so we're done.
Incidentally, the five of them are carrying around because the children born between Silphi, Serafita, Doriada, Ifrita, and Aquawill took turns sitting on the throne every ten years, and adopted the political system of supporting the king when they were not sitting on the throne. This was ultimately decided through discussions between us, our son and our daughters. It seems that it is going well so far, so I don't feel the need for correction in particular.
Well, I guess that's only possible because everyone is a long-lived species. It took decades to a hundred years to cut off the power of the regional lords, and if necessary, it rained blood, but it also pushed forward the centralization. Dictatorship? No, I just picked the buds of the lords of the region. I treated the lords who drank from my offer with generosity.
Well, who's going to inherit it after you quit?
"Of course, to Celice."
"You're still fifteen... I'm sure Celice is a good girl, but it's too soon." In other words, you did not even inherit the trail until about fifty years ago. "
"Gruuuuuu"
"Thirty-five more years, you won't come around next time, right?" If nothing happens. Hang in there. Oh, you better educate yourself. I'll have Melty check it out. "
"Yes....."
With the crown made of misril and gold in her head, Ix was hung up.
What about the other four?
"I think Reisis and Mitra are in the castle. Ignia is in the Empire, and Leonardo is in the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom with Gaius."
Lacey is the son born between Seraphita and me, Mitra is the daughter born between Doriada and me, Ignia is the daughter born between Ifrita and me, and Leonardo is the son born between Aquawill and me. By the way, Gaius was born between me and Grande.
"I'm glad you're all busy."
How's your father doing these days?
"Whether it's reclamation or reconstruction or excavation... well, I'm busy." Yeah, Ira gave birth safely the other day. She's a cute girl. "
"Oh, I'm fine. You're still active, aren't you?"
How many cages did your father make over there?
"... no comment about what people don't hear."
"As usual, Father," he said. I respect you as a man. On the contrary. "
That's what Ix said and he sniffed. Honestly, I can't say anything about this anymore. My name has made me famous as the unique king's companion who supported Sylphy, and as the king of Harlem who surrounded many women and gave birth to children. Even at the time of Ix's birth, the number of women who had a relationship with me was not enough with both fingers, except for Harpy-san, and since then, I've grown... everyone has been well fed. I took the blame. My body was hard because I had only one body, but I am proud to have put my full love into women and children.
Well, I thoroughly caught a kid making a bit of a mess because his father was me. After all, there were a lot of people around me who were good at that. I've politely reclaimed my guts. I've done a lot myself.
My children are active in various ways in the Kingdom of Merinado. The children born between Aira and me are many who are active as magicians, alchemists, and pharmacists, and the children born between Melty and me are many who have become officials and priests. Many of the children born to Ellen, Amalie, and BelTA were mainly priests and officials. I was already a great-grandchild and a great-grandchild.
Harpy and the others remained the same. Some children have become poets and singers because they work as airmen and scouts, have a delivery business, and in rare places. The children born with Shumel, Bella, and Tozume became guards to protect the royal family, and some children stand as adventurers just like their mothers. Well, actually, there were quite a few children who stood up as adventurers. Besides the children of Schmel.
Children born between Gerda and the Beast Maids are actually advancing in the most various aspects, such as becoming maids, becoming soldiers, becoming officials, and standing as merchants, just like their mothers. The children with them are now generations of great-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Although it was a strange species, one of the children born between the Fox-Eared Beastman and Byaku was born as the same demonic species as Melty. I was close to Melty, the same species of demon god, and I was acting in Omikuru with Sylphy and the others.
Oh, and the children born between Grande and Florence are free to wander the world. Some children had the same dragon characteristics as Grande, while others looked like ordinary humans. Well, even if my appearance is different, my basic physical abilities are dragons because they are Grande's children. To be honest, Grande and her children were the first to take the lead...... a lot.
They are very welcoming, so they often wander around the Dragonis Mountain Kingdom and a small group of countries in the West. However, you may have noticed that I'm back here, so I'll be in Melinesburg today and tomorrow to show my face.
Other than that... well, yeah. There was a lot going on. In the process of deepening my relationship with Aquawill, I also had a relationship with Leviella, and when I visited the Empire, I had a number of daughters-in-law.
"Please don't shut up suddenly."
"No, I was looking back on what I had done... and I haven't changed much."
"That the number of half-brothers who are younger still continues to increase"
"For Celice and the others, my younger aunt and uncle." I need you to cut it off. "
"I'm already giving up." My father will take good care of me. "
"I definitely can't get my hands around it by myself." Thanks to everyone. Of course, to Ix as well. "
The union of mothers and wives, or the union of wives, is a very strong bond between the women with whom I have a relationship. I'm doing this because they've supported me, supported my kids, supported each other. I really can only thank them. I can't get my head up. Really.
If you say so, then you must abdicate.
"That's no good."
They talk to each other like that and laugh at the same time. At about the same time, the door was opened vigorously and my children rushed into the King's office. For the first time in a long time, do you think it will be fashionable with your parents' and children's skincare?
Goshujin-sama to Yuku Isekai Survival!
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