How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Volume 3

by Dojyomaru

  “It is a common occurrence in royal families,” he whispered.

  “I understand that, but still... I don’t want to understand it,” I whispered back.

  Succession wars had not been uncommon in Earth’s history. Even in the Elfrieden Kingdom, when Liscia’s mother Elisha had ascended the throne, the conflict between her relatives had nearly led to the extinguishing of the royal line.

  If I recalled correctly, Machiavelli himself called for the purging of political opponents. However... as one who had known the loneliness of losing all of his family, I couldn’t help but feel he should treasure his one little sister. It might have been naïve of me, but it was something I couldn’t give up on.

  “Oh, that’s right,” I said. “I mentioned Margarita a moment ago. We would like for her to remain in the kingdom. Given she cooperated with us to maintain order in Van, I suspect you would be hard pressed to decide what should be done with her.”

  “General Margarita Wonder, is it?” Julius seemed to think for a moment. “If you will release five of the nobles you hold prisoner in exchange, I can accept that.” he said.

  He must have been calculating her value as a prisoner, and he’d judged that, compared to a general he wouldn’t know what to do with, a reduction in the ransom for vassals who were actually loyal to him was more beneficial. Calling for five people to be exchanged in return for one was a shrewd decision.

  “Very well,” I said. “I’ll accept those conditions.”

  “...She was a good general, yes, but good enough for you to want her so badly?” Julius asked dubiously.

  I smiled wryly. Julius, only able to judge people’s value by their potential as assets in war, wouldn’t understand Margarita’s true value. As a singer, as a host, Margarita had become indispensable when it came to producing programs for the Jewel Voice Broadcast.

  Well, I was under no obligation to explain that to him, so I kept quiet.

  With things largely in order now, I declared an end to the talks.

  Elfrieden would receive war reparations in exchange for withdrawing from Van. Amidonia would regain control of Van in exchange for paying reparations. The Empire had demonstrated its influence by acting as a mediator in this dispute.

  ...Those were results I could be satisfied with, for now.

  It could be said that Amidonia had come out at a loss, the Empire had lost nothing, and Elfrieden had come out with suitable gains.

  With the talks concluded, Julius turned on his heel to walk away, as if saying he had no more to say to the likes of me, but I called out to stop him.

  “Sir Julius!”

  “...What?” he snapped, not turning around.

  “A political thinker from my own world, Machiavelli, said something like this,” I said. “Those who acquire a principality with difficulty will keep it with ease. Those who acquire a principality without difficulty will find it difficult to keep.”

  “Huh? What does that mean?” Julius turned around, glaring at me.

  I looked him straight in the eye and said, “I defeated you and your men to take Van. I expelled the vast majority of the nobility and gentry, purging almost anyone who could have become a political opponent. That’s why, if I had continued to rule Van, there would likely have been no major problems. However... can you say the same? Even if you return to this city, can you rule it without issues?”

  “What are you talking about?” Julius demanded. “This is my country.”

  “However, until just now, it was part of Elfrieden,” I said. “You regained it using the authority of the Empire, which is to say, the arms of others. This would be what the political thinker Machiavelli meant by ‘a principality acquired without difficulty.’”

  In history, there are those who became princes with the backing of relatives or powerful countries. However, for those who fly to the top under the power of those backers, to lose their support is to instantaneously lose their fortune.

  An example of this would be how the man Machiavelli had held up as his ideal prince, Cesare Borgia of Italy, had fallen upon the death of his backer, the man who was both his father and the pope, Alexander VI.

  Or like how, in the time of the Chu-Han Contention, when Xiang Yu had struggled against Liu Bang, the farmer who had been held up to Xiang Yu’s side as a hero, and who had risen from humble beginnings to be named King of Chu, had eventually been killed when he had been deemed to be of no further use.

  Having borrowed the authority of the Empire to reclaim his own capital, Julius would surely be looked down on by both his officers and the people of Amidonia. And Gaius VIII, feared for his military might, was no more.

  Would Julius, who was clever but lacked intensity, ultimately be able to keep his officers under control? Would he be able to serve the people of Van better than I had, and gain their trust?

  “One who acquires a principality without difficulty must work hard to keep it,” I said. “Before you begin talking about grudges, I suggest you work hard on policies that will benefit your people.”

  “That’s none of your concern.” Brushing aside my words of unfelt support, Julius left.

  Jeanne shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes.

  I walked over to Jeanne and shook her hand. “These talks have been very fruitful. Give my regards to your sister.”

  “Absolutely,” Jeanne said. “You take care, too, Sir Hakuya. We should complain about our respective masters over drinks sometime.”

  “That does sound good,” said Hakuya. “I’ll have a keg waiting for you.”

  What was that supposed to mean? They’d have enough to complain about that they’d need a whole keg? When I looked in his direction, Hakuya blatantly averted his eyes.

  Seeing that, Jeanne gave a jovial laugh. “I hope we find ourselves on the same side when next we meet. Please, speak directly with my sister, too, sometime.”

  “That’s right,” I said. “I will be looking forward to the day I can talk with Madam Maria.”

  We exchanged a firm handshake.

  ◇　◇　◇

  Once the withdrawal was decided upon, the rest came quickly.

  Because it had been decided that we would return Van, staying any longer would only waste our war funds. The Royal Army pulled our troops out of Van with as much of a show as they had put on when we’d first entered through the gates. The small number of Amidonian soldiers stationed near Van were overwhelmingly outnumbered, and the Imperial Army was still in the vicinity, keeping a close watch on both sides, so we didn’t need to worry about being pursued.

  I was in the middle of the procession, the same as when we’d arrived, riding atop a horse that Aisha held the reins of, with Liscia on another horse beside me. When we entered the castle, the people’s eyes as they looked on the Royal Army were filled with fear. However, things had changed a little now.

  We hadn’t issued an official announcement, but the people who lined the street wore expressions filled with uncertainty. When she saw those looks, Liscia had a dubious look on her face.

  “Why does everyone look like that, do you think?” she asked. “I would understand if they were relieved, because they were happy to be liberated, or glad to see us finally gone...”

  “It’s probably... that they’re worried,” I said. “Worried about coming under Amidonia’s rule again.”

  “Worried? When things are just going back to how they were before?” Liscia asked.

  “That’s exactly why,” I said. “They’re worried, Will our lives go back to how they were before?” I faced straight forward as I spoke. “Van’s residents were being oppressed by the Princely House of Amidonia. It probably didn’t bother them when that was simply a matter of course, but being under our occupation, they learned that it wasn’t a given that things had to be that way. Unlike the Princely House, I gave them the freedom to express their feelings and ideas. That’s why, with us leaving, they’re worried that Julius and his followers’ return means all of that will be suppressed again.�
�

  Because, well... it probably would. Once Julius entered Van, he would naturally set about clamping down on the relaxed atmosphere there.

  Liscia looked pityingly to the people lining the streets. “Now that they’ve known the taste of freedom, they can’t go back to their old lives... It’s like an addiction, isn’t it?”

  “I think that’s an apt way to put it, but... couldn’t you find something a little nicer?” I asked.

  “It’s a fact, though, isn’t it?” she asked. “But it’s their country, right? Can their minds be changed that easily?”

  I said, “In my old world there’s a proverb: ‘Oppressive government is fiercer than a tiger.’ In this case, I guess I would say, ‘Tyranny is more loathsome than an invader.’ The people don’t move according to moral codes or ethics. If their own country is beneficial to them, they’ll defend it from foreign threats, but if another country is more advantageous to them, they’ll actively work to open the castle gates to them.”

  When I said that, Liscia sighed. “When I’m walking alongside you, I only see how people act in hard times.”

  “Have you gotten sick of it?” I asked.

  ““Bring it on!”” Liscia and Aisha both cried,

  For some reason, Aisha had joined in on that one, too.

  “Why did you say it, too, Aisha?!” I burst out.

  “If Your Majesty walks alongside me, then no road is hard!” Aisha declared proudly.

  Talk about being way too loyal. If she kept it up, she was going to earn herself a nickname like “The King’s Dog.”

  Looking at Aisha, Liscia giggled. “I feel the same. If I’m with you, I feel like I can accept any reality.”

  “...I see,” I said. “Well, let’s head back.”

  Head back to our country, where everyone is waiting.

  ◇　◇　◇

  —One week later.

  When Jeanne returned to the Gran Chaos Empire and reached the castle in the imperial capital, she was immediately summoned by her sister, Empress Maria, without even a moment to catch her breath. Though somewhat exasperated, she dragged her feet up to Maria’s governmental affairs office, where she found her sister standing in the middle of the room, waiting for her.

  Usually, at this time, there would still be bureaucrats busily working away, but today Maria must have cleared the room because she stood there alone. With a soft smile on her face, the elegance with which she stood there carried a hint of her majesty as an empress.

  Jeanne brought one hand to her bosom, bowing to Maria. “Sister. I have just now returned from the princely capital, Van.”

  “It is good to have you back, Jeanne,” said the Empress. “How did things go?”

  “There were some issues, but it went more or less as we had hoped,” said Jeanne. “Van and its surrounding territory have been returned from the Elfrieden Kingdom to the Principality of Amidonia.”

  “Excellent,” said Maria. “You have served me well. ...Now, then.” Maria clapped her hands and smiled. “That’s it for work mode. Welcome home, Jeanne!”

  Maria burst down from her throne and rushed over to hug Jeanne.

  “S-Sister?!” The sudden hug threw Jeanne into a confused panic. “What’s this, all of a sudden?! This is conduct unbefitting an Empress, you know?!”

  “Well, I was lonely, not being able to see you for so long,” Maria complained. “Everyone outside the family gives me the Your Imperial Majesty treatment, and our other sister is cooped up in her laboratory, the same as ever!”

  “Don’t give me that! You’re not a child anymore!”

  Even as she protested, Jeanne patted Maria on the back. She was aware of the solitude and the heavy burden her sister had to contend with as Empress, so she didn’t want to push her away.

  When Maria let go, she went over to sit down on the magnificent bed installed at the side of the office and patting the spot beside her, encouraging Jeanne to come have a seat too.

  “So, so, what kind of gentleman was Sir Souma?” Maria asked eagerly.

  When she saw her sister with her eyes shining, like a child badgering her parent for a bedtime story, Jeanne felt a headache starting to come on. However, it seemed unlikely she would be dismissed until she talked about it, so Jeanne gave up and decided to tell her what happened during the talks.

  “All right,” Jeanne relented. “First, let me tell you what happened when I went to scout out Van...”

  Jeanne explained the course of events from when she’d met Souma on a street corner in Van until their agreement to form a secret pact. As Jeanne told the story, Maria’s expression changed rapidly. She looked relieved when she learned that Souma wasn’t upset about being summoned, and that he fully understood their intent.

  When she heard Souma had said, “Monsters and demons may have the same relationship as what this continent refers to as mankind and animals,” she wore an expression of surprise and uncertainty.

  When she heard that something called a spaghetti bun that they had eaten during the conference was delicious...

  “Jeanne, that’s not fair!” Maria cried, puffing up her cheeks angrily.

  It had been some time since Jeanne had seen her sister so animated while listening to her. She was probably excited.

  The greatest explosion of emotion came when Jeanne talked about the secret pact, Souma’s proposal that the Empire would defend the west, while the kingdom would defend the east. When Maria heard that, she threw herself back on the bed holding her belly as she laughed.

  Jeanne was taken aback by her sister’s reaction. “Sister. I don’t think it’s really anything to laugh about, is it?”

  “Hehehe... S-Sorry. It’s just so funny,” Maria said as she wiped away the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes from laughing too much.

  “Funny?” Jeanne asked incredulously.

  “I mean, think about it,” said Maria. “Not that long ago, we had to show special consideration towards that country because they had declined so much, but at some point, they turned into a trustworthy ally who can handle the eastern side of the continent for us. I feel like I’ve been tricked by some fairy’s illusion.”

  “Well... it’s true, events are moving at a blindingly quick pace,” said Jeanne.

  “Yes. Yes, that’s precisely it, Jeanne.” Maria ‘s smile suddenly vanished, her face entirely serious. “Hey, Jeanne. Do you remember how a hero is defined in the kingdom?”

  “It was in the reports, yes,” said Jeanne. “If I recall... it was, ‘One who leads the change of an era,’ right?”

  “Yes,” said Maria. “Not ‘One who defeats the Demon Lord’ or ‘One who conquers the world,’ but ‘One who leads the change of an era.’ Souma was summoned as a hero, but all he does is administrative work, so some people doubt whether he truly is a hero.”

  “It’s true, he doesn’t feel quite like what we’d expect from a hero,” Jeanne said. “He didn’t seem all that strong, after all.”

  Maria nodded. “You’re right. I think he’s a long way from what we envision as a hero. But what if we avoid getting caught up on that image, and to instead evaluate him as ‘One who leads the change of an era’? When you think of the speed things have been moving lately, don’t you feel like the times are changing?”

  When she heard that, Jeanne gulped.

  Maria rose to her feet and walked over to the windowsill. “He sounds like a more interesting person than I expected. Oh, I do hope I can talk to him in person soon.”

  Looking to the eastern sky, Maria smiled softly.

  Extra Story: The Story of a Certain Group of Adventurers 3

  The adventurers’ guild.

  They would buy relics or materials harvested from monsters found in dungeons explored by adventurers, who made their living doing so. They also were an intermediary for quests that involved things such as dangerous beast eradication, protection of merchants, and slaying of monsters that came out of dungeons.

  Because adventurers traveled a
round many countries, the adventurers’ guild was independent from the states it operated in.

  A party was visiting the branch of the guild in Parnam. The party consisted of the hot-blooded and handsome swordsman Dece, the baby-faced, slender female thief Juno, the brawny, macho brawler Augus, the gentle, affable young priest Febral, and the quiet, shapely mage Julia.

  “Dece’s party, right?” the receptionist asked. “Your reward for the villager escort quest is here.”

  The girl at the reception gave them a perfunctory greeting and a bag full of silver coins. The bag bulged slightly, making Juno and Augus’s eyes glimmer.

  “We’ve got more than a couple months worth of earnings here, don’t you think?!” Juno asked excitedly.

  “Even split five ways, it’ll be a lot, won’t it?!” Augus exclaimed. “Now I can get some new knuckle dusters... No, maybe something even higher quality!”

  Standing beside the two who were blinded by the prize money, Febral tilted his head to the side questioningly. “Even if we’re being paid on an individual basis, not as a party, this reward seems too high for the quest. Was there some sort of special bonus applied?”

  The receptionist grinned and nodded. “Yes. This quest was issued by the royal castle. It said, ‘What is believed to be a new breed of monster, the flame pierrot, has appeared to the south. We would like to request your assistance in escorting the residents of nearby villages as we evacuate them.’ But, with the untimely invasion by the Principality of Amidonia, we received reports that many of our people had encountered forces from the principality.”

  “Oh, that,” said Juno. “I encountered them, too.”

  The receptionist nodded. “Fortunately, because the people of the villages were evacuated, they were able to minimize the harm to citizens of the kingdom from principality troops. However, because of the unexpected trouble this meant for the adventurers, the castle has issued a special hazard bonus. That would be the extra amount you see there.”

  “I see,” she said. “That makes sense...”

  Dece and the others accepted their reward money, heading over to a table in the cafe and bar that was set up inside the guild.