How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Bonus Short Stories

The C Clan

One day, I was in the governmental affairs office planning an event to promote the economy with Roroa.

“Souma, Roroa, do you have a moment?” came a voice.

“Julius?”

“Bro?”

Julius, Roroa’s elder brother who had become my White General, dropped in on us.

“What’s up? Got a problem with the military or somethin’?” Roroa asked.

“No, it’s nothing that important.”

“Ya get in a fight with Big Sis Tia, then? Did she run out on you?”

“How rude. We get along swimmingly as a couple.”

“Yeah, I can’t see your little missus doin’ that anyway.”

“I’m more worried about you,” Julius said. “I pray your tendency to come out and say things like that doesn’t make your husband come to hate you.”

“Oh, yeah? If it’s a fight you’re here lookin’ for, I’ll give ya one at a discount.”

Watching the two siblings banter, I thought about how much better they were getting along now. They had been political opponents at one point, but now looked like any other brother and sister pair you might meet.

Feeling a little left out, I smiled wryly as I asked Julius, “So, Julius, what did you come here for?”

“Oh, right.” Julius returned to his senses and looked at me. “I wanted to talk to you about my good friend Colbert.”

“Hm? What’s this about Mr. Colbert?” Roroa asked, cocking her head to the side.

“You know Colbert will be marrying Madam Mio of the House of Carmine on the same day as Souma and Madam Maria’s wedding, right?”

“Yeah. They’re participatin’ in the mass wedding event. And?”

“That means he’ll be a member of the House of Carmine from here on. His first name is Gatsby, so that would make him Gatsby Carmine.”

“I see... We won’t be able to call him Colbert anymore, huh?” I mused.

Colbert’s full name was Gatsby Colbert, and Roroa and I both called him Colbert because we found it easier to pronounce. But he would be marrying into the House of Carmine soon, which would mean he wasn’t a Colbert any longer.

“That’s...kinda sad, huh?” Roroa murmured.

Colbert had been like a second brother to Roroa. Even when she was on poor terms with her real brother, Colbert had been with her as part of the Ministry of Finance.

“He’s always been Mr. Colbert to me, so not bein’ able to call him that is gonna make it feel he’s become a whole different person.”

Roroa began scratching her cheek with a troubled smile.

Was it like having a sibling’s last name change all of a sudden after they got married? I was a single child, so it was hard to put myself in her shoes, but...I could sympathize a little, at least.

“So, I had an idea,” Julius said, broaching the subject. “Could you let Colbert keep his family name as a middle name? I’m aware that the Carmine name has historical and political significance to this country, but... For my part, I’d like to be able to keep calling him Colbert.”

“Darlin’, I’d like you to let him too,” Roroa agreed, turning an expectant look towards me.

“I see. Gatsby C. Carmine, huh?” I thought for a moment, crossing my arms, then quickly nodded. “Sounds good to me. It’d feel weird to me having to call him Gatsby or Carmine at this point too.”

“But won’t there be people concerned about what to call him?” Julius asked, but I just shrugged.

“That’s nothing new. I went from Souma Kazuya to Souma A. Elfrieden, and soon I’ll be Souma E. Friedonia. Where did my first name, Kazuya, go?”

“That’s your fault for messin’ up at the start, darlin’,” Roroa said with a slightly exasperated tone.

“It is?” asked Julius.

“Sure is,” she replied.

I loudly cleared my throat. “You’ve got the same sort of problem, don’t you? Julius Lastania.”

“Yes, I suppose I do...” Julius said, it being his turn to shrug now. “I can’t very well change my name to Julius A. Lastania now. I wouldn’t want to make Tia and my son Tius bear the burdens of the Amidonia name.”

“Hold up, Bro? I’m the one havin’ to bear those burdens, y’know?”

“You snatched them away from me, so you’ll have to take responsibility for that.”

“Ugh... I wanna give ’em all back to you, with interest.”

The two of them started going at it again. They really did get along better now...

“Anyway, Colbert doesn’t want to give up his name, and Mio isn’t demanding he let go of it, right? In that case, I’ve decided to have him keep it.”

“Yeah!”

“I’ll inform Colbert and Madam Mio.”

And so, the name Gatsby C. Colbert was born.