As the fiery, energetic woman she was, Aoi couldn't sit still without being horrified by the kingdom's finances. She decided to take a look at Faraluz's records alongside her only accountant—the ghostly Don Eustacio.
"Debt in confetti: one thousand flux… Electricity bill: two thousand five hundred flux… Debt for paper to print more debt: one thousand flux."
With each line she read, her anger grew. Flames flickered in her hands, betraying her mood.
"Subscription fee for the weekly Carriages & Bunnies? Ten thousand flux?! What the hell is this!?"
Don Eustacio appeared, trembling, clutching a magazine in his hands. The cover showed bunnies frolicking in the wild, while the inside pages displayed the latest carriage models.
"The old king signed up… I never figured out how to cancel it…" the ghost stammered, terrified.
"You're useless!" Aoi shouted, yanking at his ghostly tie until it nearly unraveled.
Meanwhile, Akira sat comfortably on the throne, sipping tea and nibbling pastries that Cecilia served him.
"Now, now, don't be so hard on Don Eustacio. He's been managing the kingdom's finances for years," he said calmly.
The flames around Aoi flared even brighter.
"And why are you so relaxed!? You should be working, not lounging around like some sofa king! You drive me crazy!"
"Relax, honey. I've got everything under control," Akira replied, taking another sip of tea like nothing was wrong.
Aoi looked at the magic ring on her finger and sighed.
"That's right… I'm married to this loser now."
"Loser with good luck!" Akira shot back, raising another pastry triumphantly.
In a swift move, Aoi snatched it right out of his hand.
"Hey, that was mine!"
"If you don't work, you don't eat."
"B-but… but…"
"No buts." Aoi grabbed the entire tray of pastries. "Now get to work. I'll go gather villagers to help us."
Don Eustacio raised a trembling hand.
"And what about me?"
Aoi glared at him—though with slightly less fury than before.
"Sort out all the pending bills and clean my office. If I'm going to live and work here, the least I want is for it to look decent."
"Yes, ma'am!" the accountant exclaimed, suddenly filled with renewed energy as he hurried to tidy up.
Aoi turned to Akira before heading out.
"And you… you'd better make sure there's hot, fresh water when I get back. Or divorce will be the least of your problems."
The door slammed shut.
Akira sighed, leaning back on the throne.
"And here I thought being married would be fantastic… I haven't even gotten a single kiss."
"What did you expect?" Minu said, fluttering nearby. "She's a wife, not a girlfriend. Learn the difference."
"I've been lied to my whole life! Those damned romcoms lie to me… damn isekai harems!" Akira shot to his feet, raising a fist dramatically to the heavens as if expecting some god to answer.
"I already feel sorry for that girl…" Minu murmured under her breath.
"What was that? Maybe HR will enjoy your little joke…" he snapped back, while the tiny fairy only laughed.
Cecilia approached gracefully, bowing slightly.
"If you'd like… I could kiss you. I don't mind."
Akira waved her off.
"No thanks. It's no fun if it's out of pity. Anyway, how am I supposed to fix the water? Do I look like a plumber?"
Just then, the SPN panel lit up.
Mission Complete: Ordered by your wife to work (Plumbing).
Reward: New Skill Acquired — Plumbing.
Suddenly, as if by divine decree, a wrench descended from above, wrapped in rays of light like some kind of legendary weapon.
"…This is a joke, right?" Akira muttered, taking the wrench in his hands.
"That's the legendary wrench McGyber! With it, you can fix any pipe in the world!" Minu shouted, brimming with excitement.
"Don't mess with me—it's just a regular wrench. Stop trying to scam me."
"Well, either way, that won't be enough. You'll need more tools," Akira said, eyeing the object skeptically.
The SPN panel popped open again.
McGyber Wrench: Ideal for household repairs.
Other tools sold separately.
Would you like to proceed with the purchase?
"…Proceed with the purchase? What is this, some kind of virtual hardware store?"
SPN: Purchase confirmed. –10,000 flux.
"WHAT?! I never confirmed anything!"
SPN: Thank you for your purchase.
A massive crate descended in front of him, stuffed with shining tools.
"Look, it's the legendary tool set—" Minu began.
"Don't you dare finish that ad line. I already feel robbed."
"Well, look on the bright side: at least now you know plumbing," Minu teased with a mischievous giggle.
Akira clicked his tongue and began counting on his fingers.
"To fix this place I'll need carpentry, masonry, electrical work, mystical stone handling, tarot, spiritism, interior design, mechanics, ballet… and a whole lot more."
"…Why ballet?" Cecilia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"…You wouldn't understand."
SPN: New skills acquired — Carpentry, Masonry, Electricity, Mystical Stone Handling, Tarot, Spiritism, Interior Design, Mechanics, Ballet.
Akira froze.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
He sighed.
"Well, at the very least I'll need a good sum of money."
SPN: …
"…Ahem. Money, SPN. Please."
SPN: … No signal.
Akira clenched his fists, utterly defeated.
"…I'm doomed."
Later that same day, Aoi returned with several villagers willing to help with repairs.
"As I was saying, the castle's in pretty rough shape. But with a few fixes, we could at least make it livable and—"
"…What's that music?" a bearded man interrupted, stopping mid-step.
"Music? That's impossible. Not with our budget…" Aoi muttered, shoving the door open with force.
The main hall lay before them. A classical melody echoed solemnly, and the sight that greeted them left everyone speechless.
The kingdom's subjects sat neatly in rows of chairs, watching in reverence as though attending a recital. They applauded with restrained enthusiasm.
At the center of this impromptu stage, Akira danced with surprising elegance—like a trained ballet dancer—while painting a newly restored wall with the grace of a bohemian artist who had clearly thrown the script out the window.
"…"
Aoi slowly closed the door, her expression frozen.
"As I was saying… why don't we take a look at the city instead? Let's organize the houses for the people."
"Yes, ma'am," the villagers replied in unison, pretending they had witnessed nothing of their king's majestic performance.
Inside the hall, Akira basked in the cheers. The SPN displayed a silent notification:
+10 Charisma Points