A general with one arm, a vizier with one eye
Martin Martynovich Gurieva, King of the Volturnine Empire, known as the Ice Lord and feared even by his own entourage, broke his face on his throne.
"Marti?"
The eldest brother Efsei, who had become a ship's arm to protect Martin from the unusual expression on his face, involuntarily raised his voice in a raspy whisper.
"Brother-san, can you pinch my cheek!"
"...Hmm. You don't seem to have a fever."
His second brother, Kondrat, who had also lost an eye protecting Martin, pressed his palm to Martin's forehead.
"Come on!"
Efsei and Kondrat looked at each other and pulled the flesh of his cheek from both sides.
"Oh, no..."
It seemed to hurt even though he was careful.
But Martin still had a big smile on his face.
"What's going on?"
"At any rate, let's change places."
Efsei raised his hand when he saw Martin's -sama-, which was not always the case, and Luka, one of his aides, called a halt to the audience.
For a moment there was a stir, but the subordinates, who had absorbed the horror of the floating Martin into their very bones, quietly withdrew.
"Martin-sama's room will be fine. I'll leave you to it."
Luka bowed deeply and seemed to have gone to prepare tea.
"Let's go, Martine?"
"Hmph! Mmmmmmmm. Mmm-hmm."
"Hurry, let's get her out of here!"
The two of them looked at my brother, who was crumpling the letter in his hand as if he had come to himself, and their eyes were looking at something unknown.
A cup of rose-scented tea is brewed, and Martin exhales in front of a plate neatly arranged with honey-floured honey buns, three kinds of berry mini-tarts, and milk and egg eno.
After taking a sip of rose tea, I could see in Martin's eyes that he had finally returned to the real world.
He stares at Efsei and Konrad and smiles, as if he is truly happy.
"My first love has come true!"
The two stared at Martin with a dazed expression that would have surprised anyone under their command.
"I got a letter from Allen-chan! He's going to be my wife!"
"Huh?"
"I mean, who's Allen-chan?"
"...It's Alexandra Arlesmeier-sama, the first princess and maiden princess of the Mysurian Empire."
They were both stunned by Luka's words.
Although she rarely appeared on the stage, the miko princess, who was renowned as the crown jewel of the Mysurian Empire, must have had a fiancé who was a renowned knight and a childhood friend.
"You're breaking off the engagement, aren't you? She's thinking of a political marriage because she can't stay in the country! So, if you'd like, you could ask me!"
"Well, so?"
"Yes. I met him once a long time ago. It was love at first sight. So I'm really happy!"
"Oh. I heard that."
"Yes, I did."
He said this when he was badly injured and in a dazed state, so I didn't doubt that he was delusional.
"Why don't you come to my country? He said he remembered that I asked him to come to my country!"
"...Is that so?"
"...Could it be, that's why you... Were you planning to invade the Mysurian Empire?"
There were other countries that should have been invaded, other countries that could have been invaded, but Martin had said that the next country to be invaded would be Misuia, and he had been steadily making preparations.
"If I was happy... I was going to put up with it. It seems you've been through a lot. I wanted to show you that you don't have to protect that thing."
Martin, who is often called a bloodthirsty beast, is extremely lenient with those he deems important.
"But if she's willing to abandon her country, I don't think that's necessary."
"Huh? I'm talking about you. I thought you'd condemn her mercilessly for being so unforgiving."
"Are you sure?"
Kondrat, the prime minister of the Voltunyu Empire, who doted on Martin, who adored his brothers, calmly confirmed.
"Yes. No need. She has the blessings of the gods. I'm sure the country will die out naturally."
"Huh?"
"Hmmm. Doesn't that sound good to you, brother-sama? She is. She has the blessings of a much higher god-sama than I do."
Efsei, the general who is touted as the strongest contradiction in the Voltunyu Empire, is blindsided.
Of all the god-blessed men he had met in the course of uniting the country, he had never met one higher than the god who protected Martin.
As his older brother, he feared that the blessings Martin was receiving were beyond human control.
That was why he could not understand the existence of a higher god.
"She's unbreakable. She's been fully regulated and protected."
"You know her so well..."
"My guardian-sama told me. That's why I was so excited at first sight, and why I knew I had to have her as my wife! Maybe that's why I said I must have her as my wife!"
They both looked at each other.
They were different types of beautiful women, but the surprised expressions on their faces were so similar that it made me realize that they were brothers.
It is not often that the gods talk about anything other than affairs of state.
This was the first time, and probably the last, that he had ever recommended anyone or anything.
"But... when you're the first princess of Mysia, you're naturally going to take her as your rightful wife, right?"
"Of course."
"...and what about her favorites?"
"Don't call me 'darling princess'. I've never given my heart to anyone. I'm on birth control. We've only ever treated them as sex objects, right?"
It was a rant against the pearls in his hands that had been offered to him by the country's overlords and former royalty who had become part of the country, but it was true that Martin had never treated anyone in particular.
"But that doesn't mean... you can't rough them up, okay?"
"I'm sending you all home. I don't want Allen-chan to have a bad experience."
"Send us home"?
"I'm going to ask my guardian-sama to bring the Oracle down. Tomorrow, I'm sure you'll be busy with all the formalities. Oh! Don't worry. I'll make sure there's no fee or anything. After all, there are a dozen of us and we're all guilty of some kind of wrongdoing, right? This country's in a bad way, isn't it?"
Konrad was aware of some of them, but not all.
"Cheating is easy to understand, though. Some of them are quite serious, though they are well hidden, like leaking secrets or embezzlement. When it comes to attempted murder or abetment, it's all of them. I'm going to do my best to keep Allen-chan out of harm's way!"
Efsei, who hadn't noticed at all, slumped his shoulders, but asked what he really wanted to know.
"But, Marti. I've only met her once, are you sure she's okay? I mean, who is she? People change over the years, right?"
"Especially women?"
Martin raises a tight eyebrow.
My two brothers haven't had a good marriage since they lost part of their bodies.
Before the loss, they were so close that everyone envied them.
"It's okay. Even though she's an Imperial Princess, she's been treated poorly for a long time. No matter what we do or say to her, she's still kind, isn't she? I'm sure she'll accept it with the smile of a holy mother. I am, my brothers. I think I have a better sense of who will indulge me than anyone else. They spoil me, don't they?"
"You're no slouch, either."
"Not at all."
"Mm-hmm. Thanks. But... I think she'll spoil me even more than my brother and sisters. After all, she's blessed by a stronger god than me."
I see," Konrad agreed.
The sorrow of being loved by a god is the only thing we can't understand.
It's often surprisingly one-way.
It's frustrating, Evsei bit his lip.
I wanted to understand him more than anyone because he was my precious brother.
"...You might want to think about divorcing your brother-san. If she comes, you'll probably have to take advantage of her to separate, but first. Wouldn't it be better to break up without the help of the boon?"
"I don't want to be in your debt."
Efsei sighs.
"Allen-chan does things out of the blue, so I don't think it's a debt or anything like that."
"It's a blessing to be given, but it's a problem to cling to it."
Konrad quipped.
"...I'm sure Allen-chan will like you and your brother-san. After all, they're my pride and joy!"
While his brothers deeply regret that they were not able to stand up as kings, Martin has a -sama- of guilt for taking the throne from his brothers, who are men of character, with only his face and violence.
Originally a small country, always in danger of assassination, the unity of the royal family, of which there are only three, is much stronger than other countries might think.
The three of them had vowed to believe in and cherish each other no matter what, because they all felt guilty about the other two.
"Can I send you a letter of acceptance?"
"Of course. I'll... go tell them that the Mithyr Empire is no longer advancing."
Efsei swallows his pastry and leaves quickly.
"Then I will begin arranging for the release of the favored princesses."
Konrad sipped his rose tea and sat up slowly.
"I'm going to write a love letter to Allen-chan. Luka! A new cup of tea, please."
"Here you go."
The moment I say this, a new teacup is placed in front of me.
If you look into it, you can see a chunk of rose jam in it.
"Luka's really... my confidant, isn't he... I'll leave the protection of Allen-chan to you, after consulting with my brother Efsei-sama, okay?"
"It would be a great honor, sir."
Luka folded his knees in thanks, prepared his letter set, and strode briskly out of the room.
"Well, well. I wonder what I should start with. I guess my eternal miko princess-sama would be safe. Maybe I'll end with your eternal slave..."
Taking advantage of the fact that he was the only one in the room, Martin was so sweet that if there was a doctor on duty, he would shout at him to lie down right now! He began to move his pen happily, muttering the contents of an overly sweet love letter.
Martin Martynovich Gurieva, King of the Volturnine Empire, known as the Ice Lord and feared even by his own entourage, broke his face on his throne.
"Marti?"
The eldest brother Efsei, who had become a ship's arm to protect Martin from the unusual expression on his face, involuntarily raised his voice in a raspy whisper.
"Brother-san, can you pinch my cheek!"
"...Hmm. You don't seem to have a fever."
His second brother, Kondrat, who had also lost an eye protecting Martin, pressed his palm to Martin's forehead.
"Come on!"
Efsei and Kondrat looked at each other and pulled the flesh of his cheek from both sides.
"Oh, no..."
It seemed to hurt even though he was careful.
But Martin still had a big smile on his face.
"What's going on?"
"At any rate, let's change places."
Efsei raised his hand when he saw Martin's -sama-, which was not always the case, and Luka, one of his aides, called a halt to the audience.
For a moment there was a stir, but the subordinates, who had absorbed the horror of the floating Martin into their very bones, quietly withdrew.
"Martin-sama's room will be fine. I'll leave you to it."
Luka bowed deeply and seemed to have gone to prepare tea.
"Let's go, Martine?"
"Hmph! Mmmmmmmm. Mmm-hmm."
"Hurry, let's get her out of here!"
The two of them looked at my brother, who was crumpling the letter in his hand as if he had come to himself, and their eyes were looking at something unknown.
A cup of rose-scented tea is brewed, and Martin exhales in front of a plate neatly arranged with honey-floured honey buns, three kinds of berry mini-tarts, and milk and egg eno.
After taking a sip of rose tea, I could see in Martin's eyes that he had finally returned to the real world.
He stares at Efsei and Konrad and smiles, as if he is truly happy.
"My first love has come true!"
The two stared at Martin with a dazed expression that would have surprised anyone under their command.
"I got a letter from Allen-chan! He's going to be my wife!"
"Huh?"
"I mean, who's Allen-chan?"
"...It's Alexandra Arlesmeier-sama, the first princess and maiden princess of the Mysurian Empire."
They were both stunned by Luka's words.
Although she rarely appeared on the stage, the miko princess, who was renowned as the crown jewel of the Mysurian Empire, must have had a fiancé who was a renowned knight and a childhood friend.
"You're breaking off the engagement, aren't you? She's thinking of a political marriage because she can't stay in the country! So, if you'd like, you could ask me!"
"Well, so?"
"Yes. I met him once a long time ago. It was love at first sight. So I'm really happy!"
"Oh. I heard that."
"Yes, I did."
He said this when he was badly injured and in a dazed state, so I didn't doubt that he was delusional.
"Why don't you come to my country? He said he remembered that I asked him to come to my country!"
"...Is that so?"
"...Could it be, that's why you... Were you planning to invade the Mysurian Empire?"
There were other countries that should have been invaded, other countries that could have been invaded, but Martin had said that the next country to be invaded would be Misuia, and he had been steadily making preparations.
"If I was happy... I was going to put up with it. It seems you've been through a lot. I wanted to show you that you don't have to protect that thing."
Martin, who is often called a bloodthirsty beast, is extremely lenient with those he deems important.
"But if she's willing to abandon her country, I don't think that's necessary."
"Huh? I'm talking about you. I thought you'd condemn her mercilessly for being so unforgiving."
"Are you sure?"
Kondrat, the prime minister of the Voltunyu Empire, who doted on Martin, who adored his brothers, calmly confirmed.
"Yes. No need. She has the blessings of the gods. I'm sure the country will die out naturally."
"Huh?"
"Hmmm. Doesn't that sound good to you, brother-sama? She is. She has the blessings of a much higher god-sama than I do."
Efsei, the general who is touted as the strongest contradiction in the Voltunyu Empire, is blindsided.
Of all the god-blessed men he had met in the course of uniting the country, he had never met one higher than the god who protected Martin.
As his older brother, he feared that the blessings Martin was receiving were beyond human control.
That was why he could not understand the existence of a higher god.
"She's unbreakable. She's been fully regulated and protected."
"You know her so well..."
"My guardian-sama told me. That's why I was so excited at first sight, and why I knew I had to have her as my wife! Maybe that's why I said I must have her as my wife!"
They both looked at each other.
They were different types of beautiful women, but the surprised expressions on their faces were so similar that it made me realize that they were brothers.
It is not often that the gods talk about anything other than affairs of state.
This was the first time, and probably the last, that he had ever recommended anyone or anything.
"But... when you're the first princess of Mysia, you're naturally going to take her as your rightful wife, right?"
"Of course."
"...and what about her favorites?"
"Don't call me 'darling princess'. I've never given my heart to anyone. I'm on birth control. We've only ever treated them as sex objects, right?"
It was a rant against the pearls in his hands that had been offered to him by the country's overlords and former royalty who had become part of the country, but it was true that Martin had never treated anyone in particular.
"But that doesn't mean... you can't rough them up, okay?"
"I'm sending you all home. I don't want Allen-chan to have a bad experience."
"Send us home"?
"I'm going to ask my guardian-sama to bring the Oracle down. Tomorrow, I'm sure you'll be busy with all the formalities. Oh! Don't worry. I'll make sure there's no fee or anything. After all, there are a dozen of us and we're all guilty of some kind of wrongdoing, right? This country's in a bad way, isn't it?"
Konrad was aware of some of them, but not all.
"Cheating is easy to understand, though. Some of them are quite serious, though they are well hidden, like leaking secrets or embezzlement. When it comes to attempted murder or abetment, it's all of them. I'm going to do my best to keep Allen-chan out of harm's way!"
Efsei, who hadn't noticed at all, slumped his shoulders, but asked what he really wanted to know.
"But, Marti. I've only met her once, are you sure she's okay? I mean, who is she? People change over the years, right?"
"Especially women?"
Martin raises a tight eyebrow.
My two brothers haven't had a good marriage since they lost part of their bodies.
Before the loss, they were so close that everyone envied them.
"It's okay. Even though she's an Imperial Princess, she's been treated poorly for a long time. No matter what we do or say to her, she's still kind, isn't she? I'm sure she'll accept it with the smile of a holy mother. I am, my brothers. I think I have a better sense of who will indulge me than anyone else. They spoil me, don't they?"
"You're no slouch, either."
"Not at all."
"Mm-hmm. Thanks. But... I think she'll spoil me even more than my brother and sisters. After all, she's blessed by a stronger god than me."
I see," Konrad agreed.
The sorrow of being loved by a god is the only thing we can't understand.
It's often surprisingly one-way.
It's frustrating, Evsei bit his lip.
I wanted to understand him more than anyone because he was my precious brother.
"...You might want to think about divorcing your brother-san. If she comes, you'll probably have to take advantage of her to separate, but first. Wouldn't it be better to break up without the help of the boon?"
"I don't want to be in your debt."
Efsei sighs.
"Allen-chan does things out of the blue, so I don't think it's a debt or anything like that."
"It's a blessing to be given, but it's a problem to cling to it."
Konrad quipped.
"...I'm sure Allen-chan will like you and your brother-san. After all, they're my pride and joy!"
While his brothers deeply regret that they were not able to stand up as kings, Martin has a -sama- of guilt for taking the throne from his brothers, who are men of character, with only his face and violence.
Originally a small country, always in danger of assassination, the unity of the royal family, of which there are only three, is much stronger than other countries might think.
The three of them had vowed to believe in and cherish each other no matter what, because they all felt guilty about the other two.
"Can I send you a letter of acceptance?"
"Of course. I'll... go tell them that the Mithyr Empire is no longer advancing."
Efsei swallows his pastry and leaves quickly.
"Then I will begin arranging for the release of the favored princesses."
Konrad sipped his rose tea and sat up slowly.
"I'm going to write a love letter to Allen-chan. Luka! A new cup of tea, please."
"Here you go."
The moment I say this, a new teacup is placed in front of me.
If you look into it, you can see a chunk of rose jam in it.
"Luka's really... my confidant, isn't he... I'll leave the protection of Allen-chan to you, after consulting with my brother Efsei-sama, okay?"
"It would be a great honor, sir."
Luka folded his knees in thanks, prepared his letter set, and strode briskly out of the room.
"Well, well. I wonder what I should start with. I guess my eternal miko princess-sama would be safe. Maybe I'll end with your eternal slave..."
Taking advantage of the fact that he was the only one in the room, Martin was so sweet that if there was a doctor on duty, he would shout at him to lie down right now! He began to move his pen happily, muttering the contents of an overly sweet love letter.