The Strongest in the World Doesn’t Want To Do Anything

27 – Episode 1

1

The tall man whispered quietly to the chubby man standing beside him.

“Leaving such a huge burden to that innocent child is quite a responsibility.”

The chubby man nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, you’re right. Either live like a puppet of the elders or be driven away.”

[Unit, attention!]

At the thunderous voice of the army’s supreme commander, thousands of soldiers in formation stood at attention.

In front of the endless procession, a girl held her father’s crown, shedding tears.

Behind the girl, elite soldiers held a large coffin.

The crowd filling the square mourned in their own ways.

Over several hours, various ceremonies took place, and the funeral concluded with a massive incense burner in the center of the square.

After the funeral of King Hector of Terosa, Princess Rosalia, now a newly turned twenty-year-old queen, returned to the palace, leading her weary body.

The sorrow of losing her father and the loneliness of being left alone sharply pierced her heart.

Locked in her room, wiping away tears, she stopped crying at the sound of a knock on the door and hastily wiped away the traces of tears.

“Princess Rosalia. It’s Theo. May I come in?”

“Yes. Please come in.”

King Hector always warned Rosalia to be cautious of the elders.

The room was dim, and she had been warned never to trust the selfish old men who only cared about their own interests.

However, despite her father’s teachings, Rosalia relied heavily on a figure named Theo among the elders.

Unlike other elders who subtly ignored her, Theo treated her warmly to the extent that she wondered if he were not her grandfather.

As Theo cautiously opened the door and entered, Rosalia burst into tears again upon seeing his face.

With a teacup emitting a fragrant steam in his chubby hands, Theo approached her with a sympathetic expression.

“Princess…”

He gently patted her slender shoulders with his plump hand.

“I have nothing to say.”

“Theo… What should I do now?”

“Oh dear…”

“I’m too scared… There’s no one trustworthy even within this palace… Meanwhile, the Radvenom soldiers are on the verge of attacking at any moment. What should I do?”

Watching the princess pour out her feelings with tears in her eyes, Theo handed her the teacup he had in his hand.

“You have to overcome all of this. Haven’t you officially become the queen of this country? Follow in the footsteps of the late king, and you’ll do well, Rosalia. Don’t ruin your beautiful face… Here, this is tea made from the finest herbs in Tessa. Take a sip and calm your mind a bit.”

“Thank you, Theo.”

Thanks to Theo’s warm voice and the aroma of the tea he handed her, her heart seemed to calm down a bit.

Rosalia wiped away her tears, took the cup Theo offered, and sipped the tea, feeling its warmth.

“You may not understand the situation right now. But you’ll quickly find your role.”

Nodding in response to his words, she continued to drink the tea.

Was it because the tension had eased?

After emptying about half of the cup, drowsiness began to overwhelm her.

‘Ah… I shouldn’t sleep yet.’

Seeing her in that state, Theo asked, “Princess? Are you feeling sleepy?”

“Oh… I’m sorry. There’s a meeting soon…”

“No. If you’re tired, it’s better to rest.”

“But…”

She felt strangely drowsy, as if she had drunk a sleep potion.

“Princess, as I mentioned earlier, even if it’s difficult to understand the situation right now, you’ll quickly find your place.”

Unable to resist the overwhelming drowsiness, Rosalia collapsed onto the floor.

Before the teacup slipped from his hand to the floor, Theo deftly caught it.

She watched Theo’s demeanor.

His face, contorted with a cruel smile, gradually blurred.

…1

“Gasp!!!”

Rosalía jolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat, rising from the bed.

Desperately, she reached for the mirror on the bedside table, casting her reflection.

Long, golden locks intertwined with densely packed features.

Seeing herself, vastly different from the twenty-year-old face she remembered, she let out a relieved sigh.

“Phew… Why… such dreams…”

The scenes from the dream were too vivid.

Rosalía at twenty.

The sudden cardiac arrest that took King Hector, elevating her to the throne at a tender age.

The day she hid in her room, stealing tears in secrecy.

The day she was betrayed by the one she trusted, Theo.

It was the day the cycle of regression had first begun.

The queen, waking to a sense of discomfort, took her morning, bathed, and changed attire.

“Seems like I was too affected by the Commander’s incident.”

Mulling over the cause of the nightmare, she took her seat as the queen and began her duties.

The royal herald, presenting the morning report, awaited her.

With a glance and a scan through the reports on her desk, Rosalía issued commands.

“Report.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The herald unfurled a scroll in hand, reciting its contents.

“Firstly, details on the Commander’s funeral and compensations for the bereaved families…”

Tasks related to the Commander’s demise and various state affairs were reported.

Rosalía methodically organized the matters at hand and issued directives on those that could be promptly dealt with.

And so, an ordinary morning passed.

“…Understood. Additionally, the report from the reconnaissance team that arrived from Rom in the early hours today.”

The reconnaissance team returning from Rom.

It was the reconnaissance team that Haganess had sent to confirm the situation in the church that he had returned to.

“Yeah. Why is there no response to the support request?”

“…I will read the report.”

[Scouting Report on Rom]

Captain Leo of the 3rd reconnaissance unit and four others.

They have excellent defense facilities, such as recently completed walls and a massive iron gate.

However, the training status of the guards and the supplied equipment are far below par.

The city has not fully recovered from the war damage yet.

Most of the citizens are in unfavorable conditions, but they seem to be persevering with strong faith.

Haganess, who was the main reconnaissance target, is currently in control of the church.

Before Haganess returned, the church was in a state where it had lost the trust of the citizens and the knights due to severe corruption.

Upon his return to Tessa, Haganess slaughtered the priests of the church by force and declared himself the new leader.

As a peculiar note, he claims that he will operate the church together with Wolfgang.

The support rate from the citizens and the knights towards the new church is very high, and it is believed to be the result of an almost crazy devotion.

Wolfgang has confirmed that Rom does not exist.

“That’s all.”

After the report ended, the queen responded with a calm expression.

“I understand. You may leave.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As soon as the secretary, who had finished his duty, left, the queen broke the pen she had in her hand.

She felt a headache and a fever rising on her face.

“Really… have they gone mad?”

What she feared has become a reality.

No, it has become even more serious than she feared.

“We need to drive them out before it gets even more dangerous.”

The queen quickly made a decision and called the military officials for battle preparations.

***

“The main entrance has changed?”

Wolfgang, who arrived in Rome, marveled at the massive defensive walls and iron gates surrounding the city’s entrance.

“It looks impressive, doesn’t it?”

I approached the door and grabbed the large doorknob.

After a moment, I heard a voice from above the castle wall.

“Who is it?”

Looking up, I saw a soldier wearing a clean helmet, extending his head.

Wolfgang, dressed in a black hood, adjusted his throat and spoke in a disguised voice.

“I am a wandering merchant from Lartvi. I have brought various goods all the way from the eastern region to my homeland, the Lartvi Desert!”

“Just wait a moment.”

“Yes!”

After a while, the door opened and more guards appeared.

They approached Wolfgang and began to conduct a search.

“You came from Lartvi?”

“Yes, yes… I walked to escape the scorching sun and ended up in this sacred land. Haha.”

“You claim to be a merchant, so where are the items?”

“Oh! They’re naturally in my pocket. Let me show you.”

Wolfgang took out the hidden pocket from his robe and showed it to the guards.

“This pocket seems too small for a traveling merchant.”

“Oh, come on! What are you saying? Our guards are just handsome.”

Upon hearing that, the guards shuddered.

“This is a magical pocket, a specialty product from Lartvi. At first glance, it looks like an average-sized velvet pouch, but…”

Wolfgang inserted his hand into the pocket and pulled out a large battle shield.

“Ta-da! You see, the inside is infinite.”

The guards’ eyes widened at the astonishing sight.

“Wait, what is this?”

“Wow… this is amazing.”

Observing the guards’ reactions, Wolfgang took out a gold necklace and a golden teacup from the pocket and placed them in front of them.

They were items he had taken from Casey’s box.

“To our hardworking guards. Is there anything else that needs to be done?”

Wolfgang handed the gold accessories to the guards and asked cheerfully.

“Well… Um, of course! Identification verification is still…”

“Shh!”

The partner blocked the guard’s attempt to perform his role properly.

“No issues, honorable traveler. But there might be a problem with our friend up on the castle wall.”

The guard pointed upwards with his finger.

Wolfgang chuckled as he followed his finger with his gaze.

Another guard on the castle wall was waving.

“Well… our lord is overflowing with generosity. Here, please give this to our friend.”

Wolfgang took out a large ring with an embedded gem from his pocket and handed it to the guard.

“Am I a friend now too? Generous lord of camaraderie?”

“Of course! Come visit often! Hahaha.”

After exchanging greetings with the guards, Wolfgang walked into the city.

In the distance, the towering figure of the Great Temple was visible.

“Damn…”

Wolfgang felt an inexplicable unease from the building he hadn’t seen in a long time.