by Dojyomaru
“Ookyaya! I don’t care, Young Miss Ruby. Hal helped me out in Turgis, and I’m just a guest of Big Bro Souma’s here. I’m happier having him treat me as a friend.” Kuu let out a cheerful laugh.
Kaede shrugged in exasperation. “Hal gets away with treating His Majesty Souma like a friend. I would be too afraid to do that, but...perhaps we just have to give up and accept that this is the kind of star Hal was born under?”
“I don’t think being liked by our lord is a bad thing,” Ruby opined.
“His Majesty has expectations for Hal, I’m sure,” Kaede said, nodding. “When those above him have high hopes for him, Hal does his best to meet them. I worry he’ll get carried away and make a huge mistake though, you know.”
“I...can see why you’d feel that way.”
“That’s why we need to keep a firm grip on his reins so that doesn’t happen.”
“A dragon who holds her knight’s reins, huh? Not bad.”
Halbert ignored the conversation going on between his future first and second wives, pretending he couldn’t hear it. Even if he didn’t like the content of it, it was clear that if he opened his mouth now, they were sure to turn on him in an instant. Fortunately, Halbert had begun acquiring the same techniques for getting along with the world (or at least with his wives) as Souma.
Without knowing how Halbert felt inside, Kuu nudged him in the ribs with his elbow. “Still, Hal, we can’t leave you alone for a second! You had a beautiful fiancée in Kaede, then you went and got yourself another dragon fiancée who’s just as beautiful.”
“I guess I did,” Hal admitted with a smile. “It gives me less room to move, but I feel like it’s more fun this way.”
Halbert felt like he could understand now why, even though Souma was at the mercy of his fiancées, he still seemed to enjoy himself. Having a family to protect, and a firm sense of having a home to return to, increased the number of responsibilities a man had, but it made his days more satisfying.
“You’ve got cuties like Taru and Leporina yourself, don’t you?” Hal asked.
“You id— Taru is one thing...but Leporina and I aren’t like that.”
Kuu, who had just the other day learned how complicated women were, hesitated.
Hal wondered why Kuu had suddenly gotten so awkward, but then there was a sudden loud voice from behind them.
“Hey, you two!”
Halbert and Kuu jumped into the air. ““Whuh?!””
They turned around, blinking rapidly, and Halbert’s father, Glaive, was standing there with a stern look on his face.
“O-Old man?! What was that for, out of nowhere?!” Halbert exclaimed.
While Halbert protested, clenching his chest over his pounding heart, Glaive crossed his burly arms and gave him what for.
“How long are you going to stay slack-jawed here, in this meeting where the most important people in this country are gathered! You especially, Halbert! You’re going to be a married man soon. You’ll be expected to do even more for His Majesty. If you’re like this, it’s a disgrace to Young Miss Kaede and Ruby, who are doing you the favor of marrying you! I can’t give you the headship of the House of Magna just yet, I see.”
“You say that, but we both know you don’t plan to retire anytime soon,” Halbert said, resentfully puffing up his cheeks.
Seeing that father-son exchange, Kuu started talking to Leporina in a whisper. “Looks like dads are the same wherever you go...”
“I know. It’s like I’m looking at you and His Excellency. I’m sure Sir Glaive is trying to act as a wall for Sir Halbert to overcome. It’s a reflection of his high expectations for his son. Like how His Excellency sent you out into the world to broaden your horizons.”
“...Hmph,” Kuu muttered. “Well, it’s good to see they’re full of energy.”
As Kuu and Leporina were having that conversation, Halbert and Glaive continued their father-son quarrel, and Kaede and Ruby intervened to calm Glaive down.
With both his future daughters-in-law mediating, Glaive had no choice but to simmer down.
While the master and servant from the Republic of Turgis looked on with wry smiles, unable to not feel invested in the father-son squabble they were watching, several others were having a conversation with the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Poncho.
Talking with Poncho were Colbert, the Minister of Finance, who was a former vassal of the Principality of Amidonia; Herman, who was Roroa’s grandfather as well as the lord of the city of Nelva in the south of the Amidonia Region; and Margarita Wonder, the former female commander from the principality who now worked as a singer.
Behind Poncho were Komain and the head maid, Serina. Komain had just recently become his personal attendant.
Poncho said nervously, “Y-You were also called in, Sir Colbert?”
Colbert nodded. “Yes. I hear that Julius...no, Sir Julius, Lady Roroa’s elder brother...is involved in this matter. Also, because a large force will be sent out of the country on this occasion, we will likely be called in to manage the Amidonia Region in His Majesty’s absence.”
“Y-You will? Then in that case, yes, Madam Margarita was called in as a commander, not a singer?”
Margarita was clad in armor, and she thumped a fist on her breastplate. Being a tall woman to begin with, just that action alone was enough to make her feel intimidating.
“I am glad to be able to act as a commander for the first time in a long while! I did not let my training as a warrior degrade in my time as a singer.”
“Hm, your fighting spirit is impressive,” Herman grinned. “This old soldier’s blood is starting to boil.”
Perhaps having been set off by Margarita, Herman was now in high spirits. The warrior aura emitted by these two militarists made the two bureaucratic types who kept far away from the battlefield feel a little weirded out.
Meanwhile, as for Serina and Komain who were watching over this exchange...
“Madam Margarita shows impressive vigor for a woman,” Komain said. “I can feel my blood as a member of a hunting tribe beginning to stir too.”
“You’re getting too heated,” Serina informed her. “Those who serve must keep a cool mind at all times.”
“You say that, Madam Serina, but you’re quite the fighter yourself, aren’t you? Does this not stimulate your combat instincts?”
“The more heated you get, the more it creates openings for your enemies. Calm your heart, feign calmness, and bury your foes without your master ever noticing. That is the way of a royal maid.”
“...Are the royal maids assassins or something?”
They were having a conversation more violent than would be expected from maids.
In contrast to the assassin-like maid, the commander of the Black Cats, who were more ninjas than assassins, was in the corner of the room leaning against a pillar. Because Kagetora wore a cloak made for scouting, enchanted with magic that made him harder to notice even if he were wearing a black tiger mask and totally intimidating black armor, nobody around him paid him any notice.
Except for one person. A single young girl approached Kagetora, who was supposed to be difficult to perceive.
“Long time no see. Have you been well?” The one casually addressing him was Excel, commander-in-chief of the National Defense Force.
It seemed that as a member of the sea serpent race, who were sensitive to magical power, she could sense Kagetora’s perception-diverting magic.
When Kagetora was addressed by this sea serpent beauty, who looked to be twenty-five years old, he moved his back from the pillar, stood up straight, and bowed with his arms crossed in front of him. “Why, Duchess Walter, it is a pleasure. I am most honored that you would speak to a man of the shadows such as myself. However, though you say, ‘long time no see,’ where have we ever seen one another? I was under the impression this was our first time meeting.”
“Oh... Come to think of it, that was the story, wasn’t it?” Excel pressed her fingers against her
forehead and shook her head as if in exasperation. Though Excel found it bothersome to go along with this sort of story, she couldn’t have a conversation otherwise, so she decided to play along for now. “Well then...nice to meet you, Sir Kagetora. Did His Majesty call you here?”
When she was dealing with the commander of the Black Cats, the commander-in-chief of the National Defense Force was in a much higher position, so Excel didn’t bother with formalities and just spoke frankly.
“Yes,” he said. “I expect to be tasked with intelligence operations in the Union of Eastern Nations.”
“If he’s gathering this many of his vassals...it will be a dispatch of troops of a size we haven’t seen since Amidonia,” Excel said. “It was important enough to call you here after all.”
“To move a large force, we cannot neglect our preparations against the neighboring countries. I expect there will be a large movement in the positions of our troops, even among those who stay behind.”
“I have to feel bad for His Majesty, this coming up at an important time when his child is about to be born.” Excel suddenly looked at Kagetora’s face and giggled. “Oh, by the way...I hear Princess Liscia is having twins. Did you go to see her in Sir Albert’s domain?”
“It would be inappropriate for a mere spy such as myself to meet with the princess.”
“Oh? I would have thought you would be unable to help but worry?”
“...”
Excel had a teasing smile, while Kagetora’s mouth was drawn tight in a straight line. However, he eventually gave in to the grinning Excel and opened his mouth.
“I have not met her,” he said at last. “However, I made a request of my master, and was allowed to guard Sir Albert’s domain for a short period of time. That is how I know she is well.”
“Hehe!” Excel smiled with a face that said, I got you.
Though Kagetora’s face couldn’t be seen under the black tiger mask, he awkwardly turned to look away.
At that moment, the room suddenly went quiet.
Souma had appeared in the audience chamber with Aisha, Roroa, and Hakuya.
The people there hurried to their positions, which were determined by title. When Souma stood before the throne, they all sat at once.
Souma looked down at his vassals and made a declaration.
“I thank you for responding to my sudden summons. It has been decided that we will send reinforcements to the Union of Eastern Nations at the request of the Gran Chaos Empire. I will now announce who will be sent as part of that force, and who will remain in the kingdom.”
◇ ◇ ◇
Looking at the faces of the assembled officers and bureaucrats, I announced the names that Hakuya and I had agreed would be joining the expedition to the Union of Eastern Nations.
“First, we will be dispatching roughly 60,000 troops from the Army of the National Defense Force,” I said.
“““Ooooh...””” There was an exclamation of amazement from the people in the hall.
The National Defense Force of the Kingdom of Friedonia, organized from the former Forbidden Army, Army, Navy, and Air Force of Elfrieden, as well as the forces of the Principality of Amidonia, had a total land force of roughly 130,000.
This dispatch of troops would make use of close to half of that, so it was hard to blame the people assembled here for being impressed. In fact, this would be our first military operation since the war with the principality.
“I will be heading out with the troops myself,” I said. “Because of that, I will be the commander-in-chief of the reinforcements, but in practical terms command will be left to Deputy Commander-in-Chief Ludwin of the National Defense Force. In addition, the commander-in-chief of the National Defense Force, Excel, will remain in this country, and while I am away, she will be responsible for shoring up the country’s defenses. I assume that is fine. Correct, both of you?”
“Yes, sir! As you command!” Ludwin said.
“In your absence, I will defend this country with my life,” Excel added.
Ludwin and Excel were kneeling in the front row, both bowing their heads in unison.
I nodded, then called out to the General of the Air Force who was waiting beside them. “Tolman!”
“Yes, sir.”
“This dispatchment of reinforcements will be different from a military operation inside the country. Inside the country we can quickly move troops and provisions around with the road network and rhinosauruses, but that will not be possible inside the Union of Eastern Nations. Because of that, we will have half of the Air Force carry supplies. Poncho!”
“Y-Yes! I am here, yes!” Poncho hurried forward and prostrated himself when called.
“On this occasion, I task you with the management of supplies, the foremost of which will be provisions for our troops. Work with Tolman of the Air Force and ensure that supplies reach the reinforcements without interruption.”
“I-It will be done, yes!” Poncho said firmly, accepting his orders.
I had received a report saying that just having Poncho, who was revered as Ishizuka the God of Food by the common people, as the one in charge of managing the troops’ provisions would be enough to raise morale, so I had been having Poncho study supply line management while he was in Venetinova.
He was still new at it, but the actual commands would come from the bureaucrats assigned to work under him, so it would be fine. He just needed to nominally be the one in charge.
I nodded, then addressed the people assembled in the hall.
“I am sure I will consult Hakuya, Excel, Ludwin, and Tolman to make decisions about the army and air force units to be dispatched as reinforcements later. In a separate matter from that, I will announce the placement of commanders as a precautionary measure against the neighboring countries while I am on campaign now!”
I paused to take a breath, then called their names.
“Herman! Owen!”
““Yes, sir!””
In response to me calling their names, both raised their strong voices.
Roroa’s grandfather, Herman, was a military commander. And Owen, my martial arts teacher, also doubled as a sounding board for me.
“I will have you two defend against the Mercenary State Zem in the west,” I said. “They claim neutrality, so I don’t expect them to invade us as a nation. However, ever since the last war, I’m sure that country has had a poor opinion of us, so they may do something to harass us. Remain duly vigilant and defend the people of the Amidonia Region.”
“Yes, sir! Leave it to us!”
“We can’t let the young’uns outdo us just yet!”
Herman and Owen pounded their chests in unison.
These old men were more muscular than would be expected at their age, so they looked reliable.
“Next, in regard to preparations against the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State in the northwest... Glaive!”
“Yes, sir!” Hal’s old man Glaive responded.
“I want you to enter Van and prepare for the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State there.”
“Yes, sir. Leave it to me.”
“Indeed I will. But be careful. The Orthodox Papal State doesn’t just use military operations; we anticipate they could also incite their believers into an uprising or use any number of other underhanded tricks. As a countermeasure, I will send Margarita and Bishop Souji with you. Both of you, step forward.”
Both Margarita and Souji came forward and knelt. Unlike Margarita, who bowed her head deeply, Souji belonged to another country, so he only gave me a slight nod.
“Margarita has the respect of the people of the Amidonia Region for her former work as a military commander, and now as a singer,” I announced. “If she has a firm grip on the hearts of the people in the northwest, it will be harder for the higher-ups in the Orthodox Papal State to stir them up. Furthermore, I want to use Bishop Souji as the representative of Lunarian Orthodoxy in this country, to sever the bond between the believers in this country and the Orthodox P
apal State. Bishop Souji, can I count on you to do that?”
Even though he was a bishop of Lunarian Orthodoxy, Souji had little loyalty to the Orthodox Papal State. But he was still technically one of their people, so, in his case, I issued it as a request, not an order.
If I gave him orders, it would be deemed I was treating Souji like a retainer, and the Orthodox Papal State might excommunicate him as a heretic who had left their control and try to send a different bishop. To prevent a headache like that, I needed Souji to publicly remain on the side of the Orthodox Papal State for now.
“Oh, dear. It looks like I have no choice...” Souji shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile. “Having been sent to this country as a bishop, I find it hard to accept a situation where our believers and the people of this country would turn against one another. Allow me to cooperate with you.”
“Thanks. Glaive, work with them to defend our border with the Orthodox Papal State.”
“Yes, sir. It will be done.”
When I had finished giving them their orders (and request), the three of them stood down, and I looked to Excel.
“I will be having you stay in Parnam, I’m sure. During that time, is there anyone who can run the National Naval Defense Force, and prepare against the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago Union?”
“In that case...I believe you could have Castor do it,” Excel said with a bow.
Castor’s name sent a murmur through the crowd. She was recommending a man who, even though it had been the result of the intertwining of various complicated intentions, had once raised the flag of rebellion against me, so it was inevitable there would be resistance to the idea. However, Excel seemed unconcerned about the mood of the room, and continued as if nothing had happened.
“In the time since he was left in my custody, I have thoroughly educated Castor in the ways of a naval force. Castor has also tried to mingle with the marines, deepening his relationship with them, and winning their trust. That said, there have been times when he has gotten a little too ‘rowdy.’”
As Excel said that, she cast a sideways glance at Castor.