The glowing list of one hundred potential "assets" hovered in the air of the Scriptorium, a testament to Shin's impossible future. He sat on a reading bench, his head in his hands, trying to apply logic to a completely illogical situation. How did one even begin to prioritize a list like this? By magical power? Political influence? Alphabetical order?
He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Luna approach until she sat down beside him, her presence a calming warmth.
"Overwhelmed, my strategic asset manager?" she asked, her voice laced with gentle amusement.
"You have no idea," he mumbled into his palms.
"Then allow me to offer a suggestion," she said, her tone shifting to that of a trusted advisor. "When facing a monumental task, one must begin with the most accessible, most logical first step. Of all the women on this list, who is closest to you? Whose power is most immediately relevant to stabilizing your reign?"
Shin looked up, following her gaze to the glowing list. Her finger pointed to a small portrait near the top. It was a picture of a tiny, serious-looking girl with impossibly thick glasses and a long, dark ponytail. Celia.
"Celia?" Shin said, his voice filled with doubt. "The... the head of domestic affairs?"
"Precisely," Luna confirmed. "Her power is not one of fire or steel, but of order. She controls the flow of the entire castle—its supplies, its staff, its very daily rhythm. Anchoring her energy would bring a stability to this household that would ripple out into the kingdom. She is the perfect foundation upon which to build your power."
Before Shin could process the strategic wisdom of this, a familiar, mocking voice cut in from behind him.
"Wait, your first target is Celia?" Solara peered over his shoulder at the glowing portrait, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "You really are a lolicon!"
The word, a concept from his old world, hit Shin like a physical attack. His face went from pale to a burning, furious crimson.
"I AM NOT A LOLICON!" he yelled, shooting to his feet so fast he almost knocked the bench over. "She's... she's just... small! It's a strategic choice! About logistics!"
Solara just cackled, utterly delighted by his flustered reaction. "Sure, 'logistics.' That's what they all say."
Luna sighed, shooting her sister an exasperated look that was entirely wasted. "Solara, must you always be so juvenile?"
Desperate to change the subject, Shin turned to the nearest maid, who was diligently dusting a nearby shelf. It was Mystia. She flinched as he addressed her, nearly dropping her feather duster.
"Mystia," Shin said, trying to keep his voice calm and level. "Have you... have you seen Headmistress Celia?"
Mystia's eyes widened at being spoken to directly by the king. She immediately dropped into a perfect curtsy. "Oh, yes, my King!" she said, her voice a little breathless. "Headmistress Celia should be in the central kitchens right now. It's the end of the 'night' cycle, so she's conducting the final inventory of all supplies before the 'day' staff takes over."
Shin let out a slow, relieved breath. A concrete location. A clear objective. He could work with that.
"Thank you, Mystia," he said with a grateful smile.
He straightened up, his expression hardening with resolve. He looked at Luna, who gave him an encouraging nod. He pointedly ignored Solara, who was still making childish gestures behind his back.
"Alright," he said, his voice firm. "The central kitchens. Let's go... conduct our first strategic acquisition."
He strode out of the Scriptorium, his back straight, trying to project an air of kingly purpose. Inside, however, he was screaming. He was about to go have a very awkward, very important meeting with a tiny, ancient, glasses-wearing logistics manager who he was now contractually obligated to... acquire. His reign was definitely not boring.
Shin strode out of the Scriptorium, his back straight, trying to project an air of kingly purpose. Inside, however, he was screaming. He was about to go have a very awkward, very important meeting with a tiny, ancient, glasses-wearing logistics manager who he was now contractually obligated to... acquire. His reign was definitely not boring.
He had barely taken ten steps down the corridor when a blur of golden light blocked his path. It was Solara, her expression uncharacteristically serious.
"Shin, Luna, I just remembered!" she said, her voice urgent. "The Confluence! The bi-millennial meeting of the Celestial Governors! It's starting in half a cycle! Luna, we have to go!"
Luna's eyes widened in dawning horror. "Oh, by the first star, I completely forgot! The paperwork, the inter-dimensional travel forms..." She turned to Shin, a look of genuine apology on her face. "My love, I am so sorry. I must attend. This cannot be postponed."
"But... but what about Celia?" Shin stammered, his kingly purpose deflating like a punctured balloon.
"You'll be fine," Luna said, giving his hand a quick, reassuring squeeze. "You're the king. Just... be strategic." With a final, encouraging smile, she and Solara dissolved into a swirl of golden and silver light, leaving him standing alone in the vast, empty corridor.
Shin stared at the spot where they had vanished. Abandoned. He was being abandoned to go... proposition... a child-looking logistics manager. A fresh wave of panic washed over him.
The central kitchens were a controlled chaos of magnificent proportions. A dozen hearths, each large enough to roast an entire ox, lined one wall. Cauldrons the size of bathtubs bubbled with mysterious, aromatic concoctions. And in the middle of it all was a whirlwind of activity.
And at the center of that whirlwind was Celia.
She stood on a small, raised platform, not to be seen, but simply to have a better vantage point. She didn't shout. She didn't need to. A sharp, pointed finger sent a pot scurrying over to a specific station. A curt nod directed two burly cooks to hoist a sack of glowing, luminescent vegetables. A single, disapproving glance made a clumsy maid drop her knife and stand at attention, her face pale. The staff moved in perfect, silent harmony, a testament to Celia's absolute, non-verbal control.
Shin watched from the doorway, utterly intimidated. He couldn't just walk in there and announce his intentions. He felt like an imposter, a fraud about to disrupt the most efficient machine in the kingdom.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to walk forward. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, the noise level dropped by half. A few maids saw him and froze, their eyes wide. The effect rippled outwards until the entire kitchen was a sea of silent, staring servants, all work halted.
All except for Celia.
She didn't even look up from the massive, leather-bound ledger on her podium. She simply finished making a tick mark with her quill, then snapped the book shut with a loud thwack that echoed in the sudden silence.
Finally, she lifted her head, her thick glasses magnifying her sharp, analytical eyes. She looked directly at him, her expression unreadable.
"What is it, Your Majesty?" she asked, her voice crisp and devoid of any flattery. "My inventory is time-sensitive."
Shin's mind went blank. He had rehearsed a dozen speeches on the way here, about strategic necessity and anchoring energy. But looking at this tiny, formidable creature, every word evaporated. All he could think was, If I say this in my world, I'm getting arrested. I'm going to be on the news as the world's weirdest pervert.
He opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come. His throat was dry. His palms were sweating. Celia just stared at him, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor.
Desperate, his mind scrambled for an escape route, any excuse to get out of this conversation. The first thing that popped into his head, the most mundane, most harmless thing he could think of, tumbled out of his mouth.
"I'm... I'm hungry," he blurted out.
Celia's eyebrow, a perfect, thin line, arched in a gesture of supreme, unimpressed skepticism. The entire kitchen staff held their breath, waiting for their king's royal decree. And it was a request for a snack.