[Third Person POV]
Ever since Hajime first became king of Kinkow, the rest of the archipelago had been looking on with concern and curiosity.
Before the first month of his rule was over, things started. Boz, King of Mindu, was understandably happy he had brothers, and just as understandably pissed that some random guy came in and took over.
He claimed that, though Brady and Boomer had given up their claims to the throne, he hadn't, and thus Hajime was a thief, so he petitioned the other kingdoms to help restore their throne.
Results, however, were mixed.
Cornea and Sununu took Kinkow's side in the dispute. Sununu's response wasn't too surprising since Hajime had broken their curse, but people were surprised by Cornea, given their issues with Kinkow. However, everyone remembered that their dislike of Kinkow was mostly directed at the royal family, who had snubbed one of their royals in the past; things made more sense.
Kippi Kippi and Lakuna sided with Mindu, both having stronger ties, and Lakuna disliking Kinkow.
Atqui and Zolia were neutral, but they leaned more toward the brothers, who had actual royal blood.
Hajime wasn't concerned by this.
He made sure everyone knew that the two brothers had bet their kingdom themselves. At the same time, Boz's claim was void because he wasn't crowned with them, technically making him a prince, at least as far as Kinkow law is concerned, meaning Brady and Boomer, as kings, could make decisions without him.
When the news broke, although the other kingdoms still preferred Mindu to Kinkow, their support for reinstating the brothers had dried up.
What was there to say? They bet their own kingdom.
To support putting them back on the throne would not only risk the same thing happening again, making them look like fools by proxy for supporting them, but, from what they heard, the twins had no legal legs to stand on.
If Hajime wasn't lying, then the twins had signed a magical contract that gave away their legal right to the throne. Overturning that contract would be possible only through force, and if the news they'd been getting was accurate, that was becoming harder by the day.
Ignoring the apparent magic training that all of Kinkow was getting, guards included, the new king was apparently capable of dealing with several dozen royal guards by himself, and he was only a child. That didn't even mention that he was a wizard of some kind, yet he didn't use magic in the fight.
The kings of the other kingdoms weren't foolish enough to start a war they weren't confident in winning; otherwise, Kinkow might not be the only island whose royal family changes blood.
Though tensions had been high for months, things eventually calmed down when they realized how slow the magic training was; their concerns about war vanished in the wind.
-----
Hajime, well, a clone anyway, was sitting on the throne with a table in front of him, signing a large stack of papers. Though he had tried to avoid it, it seemed all leaders were forever cursed by paperwork.
He had delegated a lot to the other important islanders, like Mason, Lanny, and the royal advisors; his many changes had increased the workload so much that even he had to step in, using three clones to handle it.
While Hajime was signing a document approving a new road, the front door to the throne room opened, and Mikayla stepped inside.
"My King, we've received word that the Kingdoms of Cornea and Sununu both wish to set up a meeting with you."
"Really? I thought someone would've come sooner, to be honest. Did they even send someone over when the twins were crowned?"
"The kingdoms of the archipelago don't tend to interact much. The distance between them means each island is self-sufficient. With almost no trade, there's not really any reason they interact."
"I'm not surprised that's the case, but why now?"
"It's probably related to the news that you're training Kinkow in magic. Of the 8 island nations, Kinkow is considered the strongest. Our island is the most spacious, our population is the largest, and we have the most diverse ecosystem of any island. Even before you came here, Kinkow was already ahead, especially in terms of magic. The Lakuna Kingdom has the second-largest number of shamans, but even so, as King of Kinkow, you have 5 times as many.
With the other kingdoms not really recognizing your legitimacy, Kinkow is basically alone. I wouldn't be surprised if Cornea or Sununu were coming to support you in exchange for some magical knowledge."
"Honestly, I don't really care what the other kings think. With all the changes I've made in the last few months, I'd be surprised if our people could even reaccept the twins."
And wasn't that the truth? Mikayla had been by his side as Hajime had practically reshaped the kingdom these last few months.
Though the island still had the same old Kinkow feeling, she could see on people's faces that they were happier with the twins gone, and truthfully, she felt guilty that she felt the same as them.
In the few months the twins were here, they caused problem after problem, nearly destroying the island on the very first day they arrived; in the months they'd been gone, though her workload increased, none of it was because she had to fix her new king's mistakes.
"I wouldn't mind helping either kingdom out," Hajime spoke up, breaking Mikayla from her thoughts. "But I would need more than just vague promises of support."
Mikayla nodded, having understood. She was neither noble nor raised as an administrator, yet she was undoubtedly one of the most capable people in the kingdom and understood Hajime's meaning. Words were pointless. At the very least, they needed to offer tangible benefits for Hajime to help them.
"When are their delegations set to arrive?"
"2 weeks for the Queens Hesta and Desta, while King Roddy and Princess Iris of Cornea will be visiting 3 days after the Queens arrive," Mikayla said, reading off the notes she had.
"Make sure both delegations get a proper welcome. Equal fanfare for both, so it doesn't seem like either kingdom is favored."
Mikayla wrote down his instructions, then brought up the next item on her list: a minor infestation of waka waka bugs.
-----
Deep within the forests of Kinkow, several clones worked in groups, searching for and cataloging native island species while collecting samples of replenishables such as blood, hair, and feathers.
While one clone circled a carnivorous tree species called a Puppet Tree that he was busy cataloging, he unknowingly crossed into the territory of the Nanju tribe.
One of the 6 tribes on the island, the Nanju were the most territorial. Only Nanju were allowed in their territory, with everyone else being forced off. The only exception was Hajime, since, as king, he owned the island.
While the clone drew the tree for future reference, two women in black-and-red, Asian-style combat uniforms descended from the trees, both wearing a belt with light red stones: the famous Nanju gravity belt. The stones had a unique magnetism that was influenced by the area, granting the wearer flight.
"Halt, trespasser!" One of them loudly announced.
Clone Hajime, who was focused on the tree, jumped up, startled by the interruption.
"Gah! You can't just sneak up on someone like that!" Hajime scolded them, not even registering what they called him yet.
"Leave our territory. Now!" The other woman said fiercely, both women now brandishing their staves toward him.
"You are aware of who you're talking to, right?" Hajime asked, wondering if they hadn't got the memo. "If you don't, you might want to ask your tribe leader," he explained, hoping they'd take the hint that he was important.
Moments later, a net fell from the trees, wrapping around him. Though it wouldn't be difficult to escape, he was curious what they would do to him. Seconds later, once it was clear he was 'trapped,' a third person jumped down from the trees, showing a face familiar to anyone who'd seen the show: Sabrina.
Daughter of the current tribe leader, Kaela, and someone who had a Fight School rivalry with Mikayla.
"Good job, girls. You return to patrol. I'll bring him back." The two Nanju girls took off into the trees, while Sabrina stepped forward before leaning down.
"So you're the new king, huh? Shouldn't you be back in the castle, Your Majesty?" She asked, her voice a mix of curiosity, confusion, and excitement.
"If I wanted everyone else to risk their lives, then yes. Now, can I ask why the Nanju Princess has trapped me?" Hajime had long since learned of all important people on the island, especially those who appeared in the show.
"It's nothing much, really. I just plan to use you to draw Mikayla into a fight so I can get my revenge." As she spoke, Sabrina's tone got darker, clearly harboring some resentment toward Mikayla for what happened all those years ago, even pulling out her Know Your Enemy scrapbook she prepared for Mikayla.
"And have you thought of the problem with kidnapping the king of Kinkow and what might happen to your tribe?" Hajime asked, thinking she might actually be as crazy as she was in canon.
"That won't be a problem once I'm done kicking Mikayla's ass. After that, I'll let you go," she said with a calmness one would have when describing the weather, treating her actions as if they were nothing more than small talk.
Grabbing the edges of the net and tying Hajime up so he was still 'trapped,' Sabrina hoisted him onto her shoulder and flew him to her village.
Landing on one of the many tree platforms, Sabrina opened up a cage and put Hajime inside.
"I'll be back soon, Your Majesty. I need to write the ransom letter to get Mikayla over here. Just hold tight for a bit." After she said that, she walked into the hut next to the cage.
Hajime, seeing she was going to keep him there, created a clone that transformed into a kunai and threw it through the cage doors.
Transforming back into a human, the clone began searching for the queen, intending to inform her of her daughter's actions. Even if she was unaware of her daughter's plans, she still bore some responsibility as a parent, which created a diplomatic issue that needed to be resolved.
He could always dispel the clone and avoid creating any issues, but Hajime wasn't that tolerant. Besides, he needed to send a message. Otherwise, people might think they could try something similar and get away with it.
It didn't take long for the clone to find the queen in the middle of her lunch.
"Queen Kaela," Hajime spoke, startling her slightly.
Looking at the intruder, she stared slightly before her eyes widened in shock. "Your Majesty, what brings you to Nanju territory?"
"A net that your daughter held me in," Hajime said with a dark seriousness. Kaela's face had a look of 'Oh shit' on it, clearly understanding what he meant before standing up from the table.
Exiting the room, Queen Kaela flew over to where Sabrina lived, shocked to see another Hajime in the cage. Turning to the one next to her, she asked about it.
"I can make clones, Queen Kaela. The one currently in that cage was documenting a Puppet Tree when he accidentally crossed into Nanju territory. Your daughter seems to be using my clone to get revenge on one of my best guards, Mikayla. Hearing that, Queen Kaela sighed. She knew very well her daughter's grudge, but Nanju women were notoriously stubborn.
"Your Majesty, is there any way for you to overlook this incident?"
"Sadly, I cannot. If I do, and word gets out, people might try again in the future, and that's not a good precedent to set," the clone said.
Now outside the hut, the two were about to enter when Sabrina ran out, holding an envelope containing her ransom letter. Bumping into her mother, she fell backward onto her butt. Looking up, Sabrina was shocked to see her mother standing next to Hajime. Turning her gaze to the cage, she was surprised to see that another Hajime was still there.
"Huh? How'd you escape?!" She said, shocked, completely missing her mother's presence, and openly admitting she had put the king of Kinkow in a cage.
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Author's Note:
Thanks for reading; I'll see you next time!