Asterisk is divided into five concentric zones from the outside in. The outermost layer consists of the six academies located at each vertex, followed by the harbor area serving as the port, the outer residential zone, the commercial district, and the administrative district. The commercial and administrative districts both belong to the central area of Asterisk, with the administrative district situated at the very heart of the artificial island.
In one of the most prominent skyscrapers within the administrative district lies the headquarters of the Festa Operations Committee. The office of the committee chairman, Madiath Mesa, occupies the top floor of this building.
"Welcome to the Committee Headquarters. I've been expecting you."
With a warm smile, Madiath rose from his seat to greet Roy and Claudia as they entered after knocking. Instead of returning to his desk, he took a seat on the sofa opposite them, his demeanor humble and approachable.
Madiath's office was similar in style to the student council office at Seidoukan Academy. The far wall wasn't painted white but was instead a glass panel offering a panoramic view of all of Asterisk. From the sofa to the desk, every piece of furniture in the room was of the highest quality, exuding an air of understated elegance.
"It's been a week since the Festa ended. How are you two feeling?"
Madiath had his assistant serve tea to the two before asking the question with a gentle smile.
"Swamped with work."
Roy, without any airs of being a champion, lazily yawned.
"Haha, that's how it is for every new champion. It'll settle down soon—usually within a month at most, the frenzy will die down."
Madiath crossed his legs and leaned back comfortably into the sofa.
Over the past week, Roy had been inundated with advertisements, endorsements, and fan letters from all over the world. Every day, a flood of commercial offers and packages poured into Seidoukan Academy.
If Roy had to handle all of this alone, even ten brains wouldn't have been enough. Fortunately, whether it was fan mail or endorsement deals, the academy generally handled and responded to them on his behalf. Only the most important letters reached Roy directly, and commercial offers underwent rigorous screening by the academy. Only reputable products and financially robust companies made it to the students for consideration.
Even so, Roy had maintained a grueling pace of accepting one endorsement deal per day, flying around the world nonstop. Those were lucrative opportunities—international brands vying for the endorsement of a Festa champion, whose fame was truly global. Some of these brands sought Festa champions as spokespeople every year, and even a single lifetime deal could ensure financial security for an ordinary person.
Thankfully, the most urgent deals had been handled, and the rest could be taken at a more leisurely pace. With the Festa's closing procedures now complete and the Committee's workload lightened, Roy seized the opportunity to visit.
"Then, I'll cut straight to the point."
Madiath took a sip of tea, smiling as he looked at Roy.
"Roy, Claudia Enfield—have the two of you decided on your wishes as the winners of this Festa?"
"It's fine if you haven't decided yet. The wish for a Festa champion can be delayed for up to one year."
"As long as the wish is made within the next year, the consortium will do everything possible to fulfill it. But if this deadline passes, any subsequent wishes will be invalid."
Madiath reminded the two of them of this.
"I've already decided."
Roy nodded calmly. He had known what to wish for from the very beginning.
Madiath adopted a posture of attentive listening.
"Make me the King of Japan!"
"..."
Madiath's mouth opened slightly, his gaze clear yet tinged with confusion.
Even Claudia, who had already known Roy's wish beforehand, couldn't help but let her expression crack for a moment.
"What? Can't you do it?"
Seeing this, Roy immediately put on a displeased look.
Then why make such grand promises?
If you can't even fulfill a simple wish like this, you're all useless!
"No, please wait a moment."
Madiath rubbed his temples, composed himself, and began to explain in a low, resigned voice.
"First of all, the wishes granted by the Foundation naturally can't accomplish anything. There are limits to reality, after all—things like bringing the dead back to life, for example. Moreover, the wish must fall within the bounds of legal and ethical acceptability. For instance, a wish to make someone your slave would be impossible because slavery no longer exists in this era. As for your wish, it can't be fulfilled procedurally since Japan is a country led by an emperor. The title of 'king' simply doesn't exist there..."
"Then change the procedures. Have Japan undergo a reform."
"That would require using a second wish."
Madiath felt a headache coming on and sighed inwardly.
Normally, those who become champions don't make such overreaching wishes.
Yes, overreaching.
Even if you became king through a wish, could you hold onto the country? Who would willingly serve under you? What if neighboring nations attacked? These are all serious questions that need consideration.
Someone who just became king would naturally have no military authority, no loyal followers, and certainly no guarantee against rebellion. The throne might not even last a day before being taken away—the Foundation would only help you become king, not help you keep the throne. Those are two separate wishes.
Furthermore, Japan's highest leader is the emperor, and the position of "king" doesn't exist there. The emperor is more of a figurehead, and even if you wished to become the prime minister with real power, there would still be major issues. Everything would have to follow Japan's procedures, and even if you took office, you'd face the same problems as becoming king—no subordinates, no military force, and likely being impeached the next day. Making such a wish would be tantamount to opposing the entire nation of Japan. No one but brainless fanatics would support such ambition.
Madiath spent a long time patiently explaining all this to Roy, his mouth going dry as he laid out the pros and cons.
Only then did Roy reluctantly withdraw his wish, wearing an expression of dissatisfaction but resignation.
"In that case, let me pick one of Japan's prefectures, have it secede from Japan, and make me the king there. That should be fine, right?"
'You just won't let go of this king thing, will you?'
Madiath, who had just begun to relax, was immediately put on edge again by Roy.
"Asking whether it's possible—yes, it can be done. But I wouldn't recommend it. Manpower is always a factor you can't ignore. Even if you become the king of a prefecture, what will you do if Japan withdraws all its people and immediately sends troops to attack you? Even if you don't care, public sentiment will collapse, and the country won't last more than a few days."
"If you want to hold significant power without being constrained by others, I do have a suggestion."
Madiath paused, then tentatively proposed his idea to Roy, who seemed to have some sort of affliction.
"How about choosing a prefecture and splitting its authority from the central government to make it an autonomous region? What do you think?"
"This wish can definitely be realized, right?"
Roy stared straight at Madiath, then suddenly broke into a grin.