After-Story Chapter 24: The Eighth Consort (Part 1)
It was a fact known not only to the citizens of Friedonia but to almost everyone in the world that King Souma E. Friedonia had seven beautiful consorts. As the Kingdom of Friedonia played a central role in forming the ‘South Continent Union’ and its fame spread across the globe, it was inevitable that the King, Souma, and his family would also become known worldwide.
Souma, who married seven beautiful consorts of diverse races and origins, was, in a sense, a man who had achieved the ultimate male fantasy, garnering envy and jealousy from men everywhere. Consequently, rumors frequently circulated that ‘King Souma might be a lustful king.’ Souma, for his part, would be frustrated, arguing that each consort had their own circumstances, and most of the engagements were driven by necessity.
However, since the rumors were merely the result of drunkards’ jealousy, without any malice or opposition, and chasing them down would simply be a waste of time, Souma and his family had no choice but to ignore them.
Several years after the continental reorganization, when the world had settled into peace, a song began to be sung in taverns:
King Souma lives in Parnam Castle with seven consorts, fair and bright, And visits a different consort’s room every single night. On the first day, Lady Liscia, wise and brave, the mother of the state, On the second, Lady Aisha, unmatched in skill, a warrior great. On the third, Lady Juna Doma, the realm’s first prima Lorelei, On the fourth, Lady Roroa, sweet and cheerful, an intellect high. On the fifth, Lady Naden, the Dragon-Daughter who the weather can tell, On the sixth, Lady Maria, noble and gentle, an Angel as well. On the seventh, Lady Yuriga, a lively lass, skillful in play, Who is the eighth? Who is the one left away?
This song was sung freely by drunken men. Up until the seventh day, it had the structure of a ‘counting rhyme of Souma’s consorts,’ but the eighth day concluded with the question, ‘Who is the one left away?’ …Yes. Although the public knew Souma had seven consorts, men speculated that he actually had eight.
The reason for this speculation was that a week in this world has eight days. In the context of Souma’s original world, it was like having ‘Second Sunday’ after Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (though the names of the days were unique to this world). Government offices generally worked all day Saturday and had the First and Second Sundays off, making it a five-day work week.
Since the week had eight days, the drunkards assumed that Souma (who they wrongly suspected was lustful) must be flirting with a different consort every night of the week. Even after assigning the seven known consorts to seven days, there was one day left over, and they merrily speculated that Souma (who they wrongly suspected was lustful) must have a secret partner for that extra day.
The very existence of an eighth consort, whose identity was unknown, fueled people’s curiosity precisely because it was unknown. She was like the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, or the Tokugawa treasure. In their drinking sessions, they would argue over whether she existed, and if she did, who she could be. That people could indulge in such frivolous arguments was, in itself, a sign that the world had found peace.
Incidentally, the strongest candidate for the eighth consort was Excel Walter. She was the renowned former Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Force and the grandmother of Souma’s first concubine, Juna. Because she was a long-lived Kōryū (Flood Dragon) and remained beautiful, and because she had been romantically involved with various men over her long life, there were rumors that she might also have a relationship with Souma.
The speculation was that due to her relationship with Juna, the liaison might not be publicly disclosed, placing her in the position of a mistress. Excel herself deepened this suspicion when a Palsupo (Weekly Parnam Sports) reporter interviewed her about the mistress rumor, and she replied with a charming smile:
“Me, His Majesty’s mistress? Fufufu, I leave that to your imagination.”
…Her suggestive remark further fueled the speculation. This also influenced the later rumor that when a Kōryū daughter was born to Souma and his second consort, Naden, the child was secretly Excel’s, given that they were of the same race.
—At Excel’s residence in Lagoon City.
“Great-Mother. Please stop making suggestive comments about being His Majesty’s mistress.”
On the day Excel was interviewed by Palsupo, after the reporter had left, Juna, who had secretly watched the interview from behind an object, appeared and criticized Excel. Excel, however, merely concealed her mouth with a fan and laughed merrily.
“Oh, Juna. I’m choosing not to explicitly deny it for the sake of His Majesty and you all, you know?”
“Excuse me?”
“I am seen by the citizens as a woman who has had many lovers.”
“That is true.”
“And that I am elusive, free, and hedonistic.”
“That is also true.”
“People assume it wouldn’t be strange for me to take an interest in my granddaughter’s husband and flirt with him. That assumption makes me a little irritated. I’ve never flirted with my children’s or grandchildren’s husbands, and furthermore, I have only ever given myself to those who became my husband.”
“…” Excel sighed, touching her chest, while Juna wore an extremely awkward expression. Her face suggested she didn’t know how she was supposed to react to hearing about her grandmother’s dating history. It was a rare expression for Juna, who usually maintained a calm demeanor.
Excel ignored her granddaughter’s face and continued. “If I let people believe I am the favorite for the eighth consort, it prevents worse, ill-founded speculation from arising. It’s peaceful now, but who’s to say that someone won’t appear and exploit such a gap in the future? That’s why I’m taking on the world’s curious gaze and sacrificing myself to protect the reputation of the Royal Family.”
“…I suppose there is some truth to that,” Juna conceded to Excel’s point to some extent.
However, she pressed, “But what is your honest reason?”
“I find your and His Majesty’s reactions amusing when I pretend to be the secret mistress.”
“Great-Mother!”
When Juna pressed her, Excel laughed without any sign of remorse. Even Excel seemed slightly cowed by Juna’s anger, who, though still smiling, gave off an oppressive aura like that of a Niō guardian statue in the background.
“Now, now, calm down. It is true that I am acting as a shield, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Besides, if I draw attention to myself, it benefits ‘those children’ too, doesn’t it?” Excel said, gauging Juna’s reaction.
Juna sighed after a short silence. It seemed she conceded the point. Excel breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re still scary when it comes to His Majesty. You are past thirty now, aren’t you? Isn’t it time you settled down?”
“I’m still better than Great-Mother, who is over five hundred years old and still hasn’t settled down.”
The grandmother and granddaughter glared at each other, exchanging playful insults.
Now, returning to the main topic. If Excel was the frontrunner for the eighth consort, the main rival was thought to be one of the steward-maids working in Parnam Castle. Historically, it was common for a steward who had been ‘used’ by a King or Lord to be promoted to a concubine. The rumor was that the eighth consort had not been publicly announced because the steward-maid, who was attached to one of the consorts, had been ‘used,’ and the secret was being kept to avoid offending the wives.
Incidentally, Serina Panacotta, who was unusually well-known among the stewards, and Carla, the daughter of the current Hiryu Captain Castor, were excluded from this rumor. While Serina, the wife of a retainer, was excluded, Carla, who was once a royal slave, would be a likely candidate. However, it was said that due to her relationship with the Vargas family, it would be simpler to quickly make her a concubine than to keep the matter secret, so since she hadn’t been made a concubine, she was likely not the one.
Having the favorite, Excel, and the rival, the Steward, the next most popular rumor was that ‘the eighth consort does not exist.’ The argument was that even if Souma was a lustful king (as was being taken for granted), he wouldn’t be able to physically endure spending every night of the week with his consorts.
With seven consorts, there was no sign of the kind of harem infighting that usually occurred, and the wives were all active and vibrant, working at the forefront of their respective specialized fields. There were no rumors of strained marriages, suggesting that the relationship between the King, the consorts, and among the consorts themselves was harmonious. Thus, it was certain that Souma was spending seven days of the week with his consorts, as it was unlikely that any one of them would be excluded from the night rotation.
Therefore, the ‘non-existence’ faction argued that the remaining day was likely set aside for physical rest. This theory was considered more credible than the ‘Steward theory,’ and many citizens believed this to be the truth if it wasn’t Excel… but this conclusion was not widely supported simply because it wasn’t fun.
As mentioned earlier, this rumor was spoken as mere entertainment at drinking sessions; a dull, realistic conclusion was not what they were looking for.
As for the theories outside of the top three, they were less ‘long shots’ and more sensational claims influenced by the speaker’s personal sexual preferences. There was the ‘Theory that Souma tried to make his adopted sister Tomoe the eighth consort, only for her to be snatched away by Ichika,’ the ‘Theory that Souma fell in forbidden love with the former Queen Elisha, who remains youthful despite being human,’ and the ‘Theory of a homosexual relationship with Hakuya, Castor, or Ludwin,’ and so on…
These types of theories had moved beyond mere rumors and became more like a public exhibition of personal fetishes in drinking sessions, devoid of any real value. By the time these theories were uttered, the speakers were usually completely drunk and passed out without reaching any particular conclusion.
So, what is the truth about the eighth consort? Does she really exist, or not?
