Chapter 3 – It’s Clarice.

TL: Eevee

Ed: Hungry Panda

Having been asked if he was mad and kicked out of his son’s room, the king left the Rien Palace and went to look for the hero Minwoo. Minwoo wasn’t hard to find. In the middle of the training grounds. Amidst the soldiers and the confusion, the helmetless man stood out with his unusual black hair and delicate features.

More than anything else the unique aura Minwoo emitted basically screamed ‘I’m here.’

The sudden appearance of the king threw the training grounds into an uproar. Both the soldiers still bashing away at each other and the ones spreadeagled on the ground in exhaustion immediately jumped to attention as if their feet were on fire. Meanwhile there was one person who still carried himself casually.

“Your Majesty?”

Listening to Minwoo’s matured voice, the king was reminded of the rampant brat that was Minwoo when he was first summoned.

‘His voice was still reedy like a boy then, how time’s flown.’

“Thank you, hero. It seems like you were teaching the soldiers the sword.”

“No, no. I simply did what I had to.”

“Had to?”

Minwoo looked towards the training dummy at the corner of the training grounds.

“When I first came here, there were people that taught me the sword when I knew absolutely nothing. I wanted to repay the favour.”

Favour. The king dipped his head while stroking his beard. Body and mind he was most certainly a hero. The soldiers that pretty much surrounded them were looking at Minwoo with inspired faces. Likewise, the king too, was moved.

‘To think that that rampant brat could grow like this. Just where did that idiot who shouted light novel or isekai high schooler shitstorm or I’m a main character went to.’

The past of when he treated him like an imbecile came up and poked at the king’s conscience. When he thought about what he was going to do, he’d have to pray he wouldn’t get stabbed.

“And Your Majesty.”

The hero stood to attention and said,

“I’m no longer a hero. You don’t have to be formal with me.”

Since the demon king was no more that meant he was a civilian. The king could only smile and think,

Oi, how the hell am I supposed be cozy with a civilian that can beat the demon king.

“Since that’s what you say I guess it can’t be helped. I have something to talk to you about in private, so let’s be elsewhere. Minwoo.”

The king looked past Minwoo to the soldiers behind him.

“Since everyone else looks uncomfortable to be here.”

***

In a separate meeting room, the king started talking.

“Minwoo, do you have a woman you’re seeing right now?”

“A woman I’m seeing?”

Minwoo turned his gaze away and sadly answered.

“N, no I don’t….”

Very sadly for him there wasn’t.

Although not to the extent of forming a harem in another world, he was kinda hoping for a sweet loving relationship with a girl that loved him. There was no such thing.

Even when he was beating the crap out of the demon king, there was no such, thing….

“Hm. Then do you have a woman you fancy?”

“Woman I fancy?”

Minwoo lowered his head and answered depressingly.

“N, not even that….”

Very sadly for him there wasn’t.

He had a lot of women in his surroundings. But there was no normal woman that could stir his heart.

The mage? A hopeless woman who would go my prince my prince every other day.

The vice-captain of the knights? The pervert who went around stripping calling it womb power was nothing short of an embarrassment.

The priestess? Aiya. She was no holy maiden (聖女) but a lewd maiden(性女).(1) She was totally out of his strike zone. To the point he wouldn’t touch her even if they were the last humans alive.

Even though he had thought of the possibility of a light novel situation with the demon king, (something like “Be mine! Hero!” while shaking a gigantic pair of breasts(2)) but when he saw the demon king in person she was a fujoshi beyond help.

“That’s a relief.”

“R, relief?”

The king took a sip of tea and smiled.

“I was actually thinking setting up an engagement for you.”

Minwoo was horrified.

“Engagement?”

“Hm? What’s the matter?”

“N, nothing. It just reminded me of some bad memories…”

A clearly fearful reaction. The king clicked his tongue.

“Do you not want it?”

“O, of course not! Yes I do! But just who is that person….”

Minwoo gulped. An engagement on the recommendation of the king. Unlike his harmless uncle appearance he was more akin to a snake so even if on one hand he had a bad feeling about this, on the other he was happy at the thought that he’d finally have a light novel-like love comedy in this other world.

He was 18 years old. A very passionate age. Even though he was a hero he was still a (former) healthy high school student. Although it had been a long time since he had faced reality and overcome his ‘I’m the protagonist!’ chuunibyou, his otaku nature embedded to his bones hadn’t been lost.

And didn’t some light novels start after beating the demon king?

“Clarice.”

“Really. A beautiful name…”

Minwoo immediately stopped talking.

“Who?”

“It’s Clarice.”

The king answered brightly. Minwoo’s face gradually morphed into a strange expression.

“By Clarice, you mean, Your Majesty’s son, him, the Fifth Prince, him, the one that was kidnapped by the demon king, him, the one I rescued, him….”

“It’s Clarice.”

Seeing as he couldn’t finish his sentence the king smiled brightly and finished it for him.

“You’re right. My son, the Fifth Prince of the kingdom, kidnapped by the demon king, rescued by you, the treasure of the kingdom who’s beautiful down to his name.”

The king smiled brightly and hammered the final nail in the coffin.

“It’s Clarice.”

Minwoo was reminded of something.

That BL was also a thing in light novels.

Author’s Note

But at that time Minwoo didn’t know of something.

That gender bender was also a thing in light novels.

(1) Both pronounced the same (??) but the corresponding hanja character representing them are different, leading two VERY different meanings. A pun.

(2) 99.99% sure this is a Maoyuu reference, but that demon king and this one are 100% different types of demon kings so…