Round 3 made Viers think he was being an adventurer again, brief though his actual time as one might be.

A year? Less? I forgot.

It was the fancy word for the magical world’s handyman, more or less.

However, in a power-fantasy setting, most of the problems were power-related, such as a strong monster threatening to eat a village or a strong criminal doing whatever they wanted. Therefore, the problem-solver had to possess some measure of strength or skill to deal with them.

After solving the outbreak of the martial phantom manor Power Spot, the adventure of Team Croix continued.

Croix and his band of merry friends provided relief efforts to a town that was ravaged by storm and flood recently.

Croix and his band of merry friends pursued the contract breakers of a certain company.

Croix and his band of merry friends restore a blighted mountain from the effect of a malicious Arte.

Croix and his band of merry friends protected cute rare monsters from poachers.

Croix and his band of merry friends helped the daughter of a renowned beautician to dress up a famously picky Level 5 client for a ball.

Croix and his band of merry friends had to make custom Arte to revitalize a declining local Knightly Order.

The adventures would continue until they reached Valentine Duchy’s main city–Gryphon’s Reach, Ciel Valentine’s birthplace and home.

Each adventure had its battles. Viers used the opportunity to hone his new combat style. Simply put, he was doing more melee attacks with his sword. It wasn't like he shied away from using swords before, but he mostly used Futon’s lightning at mid-range. Partly because of the team’s composition. Croix, Boram, and Ciel were all melee-ranged fighters. At mid-ranged he could give support more easily.

This was no longer the case. Four offensive front liners meant the team was heavily imbalanced but Viers didn't think too much about it. Strong people are strong no matter the situation.

When Tinade, the team’s referee plus cameraman was around, Viers used a straight sword of the local variety; when she wasn't watching, he used the katana Umikirimaru.

Croix and Ciel felt Viers became more powerful when he got close and personal with his enemies. This was because Viers used Futon’s lightning in a different way.

When he was hacking his enemies directly, Futon became Off-Field DPS, adding lethality and versatility to Viers’ swordplay. The way he coordinated with the elemental who came into being from a part of his own soul was extremely fluid and smooth.

The Off-Field DPS was introduced by the gacha games he played. Suffice to say Viers’ damage-dealing capability went up a notch. Ciels’ worry about his sealed water affinity became less and less as she watched Viers’ battles.

He could add Faiya as a second sub-dps with no problem, but since it was overkill, Viers didn't do it.

It wasn't as if Viers was the first one to invent the concept of automatic Arte for dealing extra damage in this world but it was the efficiency and the way he did it that was remarkable.

Even if I lose both my affinities, my sword, bereft of Faiya or Futon, I’m still a one-man army. I’ll become Doom Guy when it comes down to that. All demons or Pathseekers will tremble before my glorious bullet wrath!

“You’re using an unusual sword style V-, I mean Avel,” Ciel said. “Where do you learn it?”

“Good eye. It’s my own creation but the basis of it is a water style swordsmanship.”

The Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu, Viers named his style. Homage to a certain anime of his childhood about a wandering samurai with an X scar on his cheek. The skeleton frame of this style was the Blue Universe sword style.

Must be pretty powerful since he got the first form at Aletro’s Book World. The subsequent forms he found and learned when he infiltrated the underwater kingdom of the Mer.

There were five techniques in the Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu at the moment. More was in development. Ciel asked for a spar later. Viers was happy to oblige.

***

While the 16 teams were solving odd jobs, sometimes they got in contact with other teams in the Grand Prix. Scuffles could occur as both sides tried to sabotage the opposition’s job or perhaps they worked together.

Croix team's most memorable encounter was with Leth Silveray’s team. He was the one Viers suspected of having an MC factor. Last place to survive during Round 1, an MC’s name, Baron’s sixth son or something, all three of his teammates were cute girls.

Viers’ meeting with the young man only reinforced his suspicion. He had the good guy disposition. He was quite handsome, friendly, naive, kinda stupid, easy to extend trust, and helped everyone that he saw in trouble. And of course, his teammates are all giving him the aura of maidens in love but the man himself was oblivious.

Croix and Leth, the two captains worked together on a task, finishing it in an exceptional manner, and parted with mutual respect. Typical development for good-natured MCs.

Kill him.

Kill him not.

Kill him.

Kill him not.

Viers was using a flower he picked at the road and plucked its petals one by one, alternating between kill and not kill.

The last petal was: not kill.

Therefore Viers didn't do anything. Besides, Leth didn't do anything bad or offend him. There was no conflict of interest either. As long as the MCs weren't the isekai type, Viers had more tolerance. He wasn't a mindless MC killing machine.

“...Hm?”

“What’s wrong, Leth?” Croix asked.

“I feel like I’ve just avoided a calamity... Hooo, it's a great relief. It’s a good day, see you later, Prince.”

***

Some tasks resulted in the unexpected.

One example was when the party dug up scattered treasure fragments at the behest of a Viscount. The party did just that. After gathering all the fragments, the little pieces magically assembled itself into a golden lamp.

A djinn appeared from the lamp.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

His lower body was smoke and his skin was blue. Contrary to Viers’ hope, this djinn wasn't giving out wishes. He called himself a sage and as reward for making him whole, would give the party a boon of wisdom.

Since no one wanted anything in particular, the privilege was given to Croix.

The prince asked about how to best govern the people.

Croix and the djinn went at it for hours. The djinn didn't simply speak about one type of governance, since the topic was very complex. As proposed by Croix, democracy became the central topic. What surprised Viers was Croix seemed to already be aware of the idea of democracy. Based on the talk, Croix wanted to change the Latias Kingdom, a monarchy, into a democratic nation.

The djinn, true sage or self-proclaimed, was able to give Croix more insight about democracy and answered his question to his satisfaction. After the session ended, the djinn went back into the lamp, now completely inert.

There was no problem when returning the lamp to Viscount or getting into trouble for using djinn. The Viscount said the djinn would become available again after a few years. He was simply happy the lost treasure was returned.

That night, at the Viscount's guest room, the party discussed the event of the day. Ciel was impressed. Boram didn't have an opinion. It was too complicated a subject for him.

“That was a novel idea, Prince. Democracy... Did you come up with it?”

“No, Miss Ciel. I only read it in a book.”

Croix showed the book from his inventory item.

“Can I see that, Highness?” Viers said.

“Sure.”

While the party talked, Viers was silently reading the book. In the end, he suspected this book that was handwritten, was penned by an otherworlder.

Because there wasn't a single democratic nation on this continent. At least according to what he knows.

“It’s getting late. I’ll excuse myself. Goodnight everyone,” Ciel said. At this point, the bond of camaraderie between the four members had been formed.

“Me too. Goodnight,” Boram said next.

“Yes, have a good rest. Good job today as always. Avel, may we speak for a moment?”

He didn't expect the prince’s request but he stayed as the other two left for their rooms.

“What is it, Highness?”

“You disapprove. Would you care to share why?”

Oh my. Viers was a good liar. His repulsion must be very strong indeed if Croix could pick it up.

“A vassal’s opinion hardly matters to their lord.”

“It does to me. Also, you are not a mere vassal. I also regard you as a teacher. You possess wisdom that I do not. If I’m to be a good king one day, I should learn to take good advice no matter the source. So please, share.”

“Your attitude in itself shows wisdom,” Viers sounded pleased. This quality of Croix was what Viers liked about him in the first place. “Based on your conversation with the djinn, you seem to regard democracy as superior to the current system, monarchy.”

Croix nodded. “Giving the power to the people so they can rule themselves. All people will be equal. Without the noble caste to oppress them, they will flourish.”

“Even the djinn told you it isn't that simple,” Viers reminded.

“Naturally. There will be many challenges. However, the privileged few will no longer be able to oppress the majority. It’s better.”

“Even if you are born among the privileged few yourself?” Viers raised an eyebrow.

“If that will result in a better life for the people of Latias, I’ll gladly do it. Once I become king, I'll abolish the monarchy.”

Viers suspected it was because of his upbringing that Croix grew distasteful of the noble caste. He was a prince but a bastard prince, more or less. In his journey he saw how the privileged live comfortably while the poor went through their day-by-day desperately, some not even able to afford a piece of bread.

Viers decided to speak his mind.

“It is extremely naive of you to think applying democracy will make Latias a better place.”

“I think-”

Viers cut him off. “The book has a lot about the good of democracy but fails to detail its flaws. Erase your illusion that this is the key to creating a utopia.”

In fantasy stories, there were a lot of cases where the hero implemented democracy in the other world they got reincarnated to. As if democracy was the best type of governance there was. Viers disagreed. It barely worked on 21st-century Earth, where the human race had more education than anywhere else at any point in history.

People are stupid.

Viers looked at the social media and news, the madness he saw there didn't change his opinion about people.

“He who builds upon the people, builds upon mud,” Viers quoted Niccolò Machiavelli. “If you put your trust in people, you'll be disappointed because people are stupid, Highness.”

“No they aren't! I’ve met intelligent people. People like Aunt Grace, like you!”

“Yes, individuals can be smart,” Viers agreed but the contradiction confused Croix even further. “You yourself I cannot categorize as stupid. However, people on a macro level, take the whole population of a village, a nation, a continent, they become stupid as a whole.”

“It doesn't make sense! Why?”

“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

Viers quotes H. L. Mencken next.

“The man that said that also had a great suggestion: First establish a democracy in your own household.”

Viers knocked the table twice with his knuckle.

“Before you implement it to the whole nation, you’ll find how hard it is to uphold democracy in a family of three. Husband, wife, and child.”

“That can't be...” Croix wasn't convinced.

“You’re welcome to experiment and find that out yourself. I have another saying: Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.”

Croix’s frown got deeper.

“-because democracy basically means ‘government by the people, of the people, for the people’ ...but the people are retarded. So let us then say, ‘government by the retarded, of the retarded, for the retarded’.”

Viers said several quotes by real-life figures. Most he didn't even know but their quotes resonated strongly with him.

“...Avel, I feel you have an awfully low opinion of others. People aren't as stupid as you say. I don't believe they are.”

“Most of the people in the continent are illiterate, Prince. You want them to decide what’s best for the nation? To make government policies or laws? I know a place where most people can read and write, even have higher level education, but they can't even decide how many genders humans have!”

“Huh?”

“Believe that. Then an alien came, conversed with the leaders of these democratic world leaders, and he destroyed the whole planet because he found no sign of intelligent life! That’s democracy for you.”

It was a Youtube video that Viers couldn't forget. An example of representatives that the people elected could make stupid decisions that have a severe impact on the masses.

The video was made purposefully funny, yes, but then why did he see that same level of stupidity in the real world over various matters like a 6.2 million dollars duct-taped banana? There could be no other reason than people are stupid!

“Alien?” Croix didn't understand some of the words.

“Imagine a super powerful Pathseeker destroying the world... Well, that example might be too extreme. Let me give a simpler one. You are on a ship of a hundred people sailing in the sea. A great storm comes. The ship must evade the storm or the ship will sink. The people begin to choose a captain to steer the ship. With me so far?”

“Yes.” Croix found this analogy easier to follow.

“Now, instead of a man with the most qualifications and experience as a sailor, the majority of the one hundred people choose a popular celebrity, a famous figure, to take the helm of the ship. This man has no sailing experience whatsoever. Can you guess the fate of the ship?”

“It sank?”

“The question mark was unnecessary, Highness. Change the ship to the Latias Kingdom and that is my warning about democracy.”

Croix seemed deep in thought but Viers sensed he wasn't completely convinced.

“For monarchy to work, one man must be wise. For democracy to work, a majority of the people must be wise. Which is more likely?”

Viers gave another quote about the demerit of democracy. There was another great reason why democracy simply wouldn't work in this world: magic.

On Earth, people were generally the same. Here, one person could kill millions if they are strong enough.

Good luck establishing democracy in this world, all ye poor souls who try.

“Surely it can't be all bad?” Croix asked.

“I won't say they are. If all the people are wise men like great sages in history, willing to put aside selfishness for the greater good, I can imagine democracy works. But, as I said earlier, people are stupid. When things go wrong, they blame everyone but themselves.”

Croix didn't answer.

“This is without accounting for the time and problems the transition entails. I won't be surprised if you face a civil war because of this. I’ll take my leave here, Highness,” Viers rose to his feet and gave a slight bow. “In the end, it's your decision. Who knows, maybe you can make a democratic Latias work. Just remember Highness owes me a country. In that country, I won't be using democracy.”