In the carriage on the way to the royal capital Lethem.
　The weather was nice, so we made like a convertible and enjoyed the scenery along the way.

'It's a nice breeze,'

　My sister, who was riding with me, murmured to me as she held a hand in her hair, which was blowing in the wind.
　Her profile as she gazed at the scenery was so beautiful that I couldn't help but look at her and get a thrill out of it.

''More importantly, what are you going to the capital for?''
'What?　Come to think of it, was this your first time with Hermes?
I have a feeling you're going to get in trouble again for talking like that.
''It's all right. It's just that it's an event to ask your brother and father to do their noble duty.
This just got a lot more complicated... what do you mean?
I'm competing in the Princess Kicking Festival.
The Kicking Princess Festival?

　The naming of it made me feel more and more fishy, but the festival of the 'princess' held in the 'royal city', that one word stuck, and I held back from saying anything careless.

'It's not entirely unrelated to the House of Cano, either. It is a festival associated with Queen Selene, the founder of the Middle Ages. In her youth, the queen was very selfish and would kick any of her subjects in the foot if she didn't like what they were doing.
That's where you're coming from?
''Yes. Specifically, the aristocrats get together and compete to kick a pumpkin and see how far they can go.
Why the pumpkin?
It's a little vague on the subject, but the queen's trustworthy friend suggested it. It's a good idea to use the pumpkin and then serve it to children for dessert. There are a lot of theories.
It's funny how the queen's shameful parts are clearly visible and the origin of the festival is vague.
It happens sometimes.
So, do I kick the pumpkin in there?
Yeah. Win, little brother.
I'll do my best.

　I see, the Kicking Princess Festival........

　　　　　☆

　The Summer Palace in the royal city of Rethym.

　It is a palace with a beautiful garden full of water and greenery.
　It is said that the king built this palace hundreds of years ago for his favorite queen.
　When I arrived in the capital, I presented myself here as soon as possible.

"You're here, Hermes.

　As I was admiring the beauty of the garden, Shaw called me from behind and lined me up.

'It's been a while, Your Highness.'
Thank you for coming, I honestly thought you were going to stand up to me.
I wouldn't do that.

　I chuckled.
　It might have been so a while ago, but not now.
　I've changed my policy, and instead of suppressing my abilities more than necessary, I've decided to be as good as the people around me, at least as good as the average.

　It's the least noticeable way to be average, or at least as good as the people around you.
　So...

Your Highness, I just need a favor.
Hmm?　What?
I want my turn to be the last one to go.
Last?　 Alright, let's do that.
Thank you.

　I have no intention of putting on a performance worthy of a true strike, but it helped that Shaw listened.
　Now you can look around and then kick it.

'Yeah, what's your dominant leg?
Is it your dominant leg?
You must have a pumpkin for your dominant foot. It's a magic pumpkin. If you kick it with the right foot, it will fly great, but if you use a different foot, it will give you a tenth of the distance.
Why do you do that?
Since it's a celebration of our great queen, wouldn't it be cool to have a big airborne battle?

　I see.

　No need to lie here.
　I honestly said it was my right foot and Shaw said he understood and walked away.

　That's all we had to do the day before.
　Let's go back to the inn we took in the capital and relax for the day.

　And just as I was about to leave.

''Oh, well, well, well, isn't this Viscount Cano?''
Yeah?

　I turned around at the sound of a voice calling my name.
　There stood a young man about my age, an aristocrat, with a face I didn't recognize, but he seemed to know me.

　I don't recognize the face, but he seems to know me.
　

"Well...
'Ha, you don't know, I suppose you do, because there's no way the Viscount of the moment knows someone like me.
....

　The words were spiky.
　What is this guy trying to say?

'What do you think?　What position did you get by having a woman cry for you?
Crying?
Don't play dumb with me, you're the daughter-in-law of the man you've made your sister into.
Yeah.

　Pong, I clapped my hands.

　If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten all about it.
　No, on the way to the capital, my sister had called me "brother father" even on the way to the capital, but lately I've gotten so used to it that I've completely forgotten the origin of it.

　Originally, there were three older brothers before me.
　As the fourth son, the succession of the head of the family never passed to me, but one day a meteorite fell and all three brothers died in an accident.

　The succession is still in my sister's hands, but the scheming sister made an appeal to the king on the same day and made her daughter-in-law my daughter-in-law, lowering the right of succession and allowing me to take over the family.

　Is that what you're talking about?

'Well, there you go.'

　I understood the story, I also understood that it was an incredibly tedious way to get involved.
　I tried to play along and end the conversation.

'What do you think?　What is the comfort of the head of the family whose seat is blessed by a woman?
There it is.

　I'm going to give him a reasonable pat on the back and walk away.

'Is that how you got the Order of the Cross, too?
...What?

　As I was about to stand, I stopped and turned around at the man's words.

'Four Crosses for the Slime Lord. That's impossible. How did you do it? Did you give it to your daughter?
....

　
　He glared at the man.

　The man snickered and pretended to be frightened.

Oh, scary, scary. You're a proud man who has risen to prominence by using a woman?
Take it back.
You can't shut your mouth, can you?
　Well, okay, you'll be at the festival tomorrow, right?　It's the festival of the great Queen Selene, no politics or deceit at all there. If you don't get the skin off the bucket there, phew, I'll take back what I just said.

　The man said, and finally snickered again and walked away with a good look on his face.

''.........''

　I stared off at the back of him.
　For the first time in a long time, I felt a lingering, simmering anger in the pit of my stomach.

　　　　　☆

　The next day, the festival is in full swing.
　There is a triumphal street that runs through Rethym, used by Queen Selene for the parade when she returned from the war.

　A pumpkin kicking festival was held on the triumphal avenue.
　While the inhabitants of the city cheered and hurriedly kicked the pumpkins, one after another the nobles appeared and kicked them.

　Some girls and babies kicked the pumpkins ceremoniously, creating a harmonious scene, but most of the nobles kicked the pumpkins as fast as they could.

　As it should be, at the end of the triumphal street - on the terrace of the royal palace, the king's king is watching the whole time.
　In a manner of speaking.................it's the Imperial Game.
　It's natural for the nobles to give their all and try to show their good points.

　And so, one after another, the nobles kicked.

"[Ooohhhh]!

　Suddenly, the loudest cheers of the day erupted.
　The young nobleman who had insulted his sister the day before raised his hand in response to the loud cheers of the people of King's Landing.

　You'll find a pumpkin flying far beyond the triumphal street, right before the terrace where the king sits.

　It's the biggest flight of the day, and the biggest cheer of the day.

　The man answered it profusely, then returned the kibisu and came over to me.

'Too bad, that's the difference between you and me.
....

　He's completely victorious and over the top.

'Sir Hermes Cano, it's your turn,'

　I ignored that guy and headed to the place to kick it.

　The attendant had a pumpkin in place.
　It's red, of which there are two colors: red and blue.

　The red and blue are the most obvious relative shades of red and blue, and from what I've seen so far, they seem to be for the left foot and right foot respectively.

　I have red for my right foot.

　With the lingering effects of the man before me still lingering, I staggered to the pumpkin.

　Those closest to me buzzed.

'Ha, you're not even going to help - you're just going to kick it at random and muddle through the tea.

　I heard the man's condescending words from behind me.
　I ignored that too.

　I stopped in front of the pumpkin and swung my left leg up without any assistance - and then

""-- ""--?"

　While everyone around me was surprised, I kicked the pumpkin for the right foot with my left foot.
　The pumpkin, which is said to be attenuated by a factor of ten, swoops up and increases its distance.

　Eventually, he flew to the exact same place as the man before.
　It dropped without missing a beat to the point of the flag that had been erected as the best record.

　Scene.

　The capital fell silent.

　He kicked with a different leg and made the exact same flight.
　It was a silent message, a message that anyone could understand with a little thought.

　I turned around and glared back at the trembling young nobleman as he realized he was being mocked.

''I'm still not in my element.''

　The man gasped and flinched at the silent message.



　A beat later, the whole city erupted in cheers.