by Dojyomaru
On top of that, she was cute, so I had no reason not to want her as a queen.
If there was one problem... it was how Liscia would feel about that. She was a princess from a country that they had been enemies with for many long years. Was she going to be able to accept her as a queen, essentially someone in the same position as her?
“What do you think, Liscia?” I asked.
“If you’ve decided you need her, then it’s fine.” Liscia gave her assent without seeming all that troubled.
Was it all right for her to give me the okay for it that easily?
While I showed my surprise, Liscia just shrugged her shoulders. “I can see for myself that this girl has talent. I think it’s worth taking her as a queen. If you’ll just take proper care of the issue of succession, I have nothing more to say on the matter.”
“Liscia... um... Thanks.”
“Do make sure you take proper care of us, too, though, okay?” Liscia said.
“Of course,” I said immediately.
She really was... such a great girl. I was so grateful... truly grateful... to have Liscia as my fiancée.
While we were having a touching moment, Roroa butted in. “Uhh, sorry to bother you while you two’re off in your own li’l world, but you don’t need to be worryin’ about that stuff any. I don’t give one whit about the princely throne of Amidonia.”
“You don’t?” I asked, startled.
“Yeah. In exchange, though, I’ve got a favor to ask, Darlin’.”
Darling, seriously...? I thought. Well, whatever.
Almost like a pleading child, working up all the charm she could muster, she looked at me with upturned eyes. “Y’see, I want my own company.”
“A company?” I asked.
“That’s right. Listen, Darlin’, I wanna see how the money I make with my own skill changes this country. Your policies show foresight, but y’don’t always have fundin’ for them, now do ya? They can be high risk, and I’m sure you’ll have a hard time usin’ the national treasury for things that may end up bein’ pointless.”
“That’s... Well, yeah.”
Now that I had expanded my power as king, when it came to projects like the road network expansion, or the construction of the new city, those where it was easy to demonstrate their practical value, I could get them funded relatively easily. However, if there wasn’t an immediate effect to show, or the enterprise looked meaningless at first glance, it was hard to allocate funds to them.
Specialized research funds, for instance. Even if a specialist knew second place wasn’t good enough, it wasn’t something they could explain to a non-specialist and have them understand.
“So, this’s what I’m thinkin’,” said Roroa. “When you’ve got a policy you want to implement, Darlin’, but you can’t fund it, you come to me. I’ll back you up usin’ the money I’ve made with my own company.”
“That sounds very reassuring, but... are you sure?” I asked. “If a queen is seen acting like a merchant, I don’t think the people will respect your authority.”
“I’ll be runnin’ it behind the scenes, so that’s no worry,” she said. “I know! For the public face of the company, I’ll put the owner of a place I frequent in Van, Sebastian of The Silver Deer, in charge.”
Sebastian of The Silver Deer... Wait! Ahh! That was the place I’d gone to with Juna and Tomoe! I’d thought he ought to be a butler with that name, so I remembered him.
So, the regular customer he’d said was “like an adorable little tanuki” had been Roroa, then? If I recalled, Sebastian had been a nice, middle-aged guy who seemed like a capable merchant, so he could probably serve as the representative of a company.
“Wait, hold on, you and Sebastian were connected?” I burst out. “Were you trying to investigate me?”
“Well, yeah, I wanted to know what the man I was plannin’ on marryin’ was like, didn’t I?”
“You don’t overlook a thing, do you?” I said. “When you take it that far, I have to be impressed.”
She really was a little tanuki. Childish, but cunning. I felt like she had tricked me good.
“Um... As the one who’s going to be in charge of the treasury, may I say one thing?” Colbert interjected, looking troubled.
“What is it?” I asked.
“If you have that kind of money, I’d prefer you put it in the treasury.”
...Yeah. I knew how Colbert felt. The kingdom had been going through all sorts of austerity measures until recently, after all.
Roroa and I spoke up in unison. ““But, I refuse.””
“Why are you two suddenly in sync?!”
“It’s fine,” Roroa said confidently. “I’ll be earnin’ the money on my own, anyway.”
“And with the extra budget, I can carry out internal policies more freely,” I said.
“But, sire...”
“Now, now, we won’t be spendin’ it wastefully like my old man did,” Roroa said, waving her hand. “Consider it a division of roles. I earn money. You tighten our belts, Mr. Colbert. It’s all good that way.”
“If you spend too recklessly, I will do everything within my power to stop you, you hear?” But Colbert reluctantly backed down.
He would be keeping a sharp eye on Roroa and me from now on to make sure we weren’t spending money recklessly. I was glad. It was important to have people on staff who could earn money, like Roroa, but people like Colbert who could save money where precious, too.
Roroa walked up to me and slipped her arm through mine. “Also, if me and you have a child, Darlin’, I want that child to inherit the company. I’m thinkin’ that, probably, no child of ours is gonna want anythin’ to do with runnin’ the country.”
Well, that was true enough. If the child inherited my “I want to live in peace” personality and Roroa’s “I don’t want to be bored” personality, that child wasn’t going to want all the hassles that came with being king or queen.
...Actually, by that same logic, wasn’t a child who inherited Liscia’s sense of duty the only option to succeed the throne? Aisha’s personality wasn’t fit for a ruler, and Juna was asking to become a secondary queen, saying, “I’d prefer to be able to act more freely.”
At this rate... rather than a war over who was going to succeed the throne, we were more likely to have a war over who wouldn’t have to?
I’d have to have Liscia work hard to raise an heir with a sense of responsibility. But if I asked her to, she’d be bound to say, “Don’t say that like it’s someone else’s problem!” and get angry.
“Sebastian had a little girl recently, I hear,” said Roroa. “If we have a boy, we can marry him into her family. If we have a girl... I’ll get to thinkin’ about it then.”
“You’re getting way ahead of yourself!” Liscia shouted. “And, hey, get away from Souma already!”
Liscia started trying to pry her off of me, but Roroa used my body as a shield, switching the arm she was clinging to from left to right, and clinging to me all over again.
“Don’t be so stingy,” Roroa said. “You’ve had plenty of time for flirtin’ with him up ’til now, haven’t ya, Sis? What’s wrong with me takin’ a bonus turn for the next little while?”
“I have not had plenty of time!” Liscia said angrily. “We’ve been too busy for any of that!”
Roroa looked at her blankly. “...Don’t tell me, you two still haven’t...”
“We haven’t yet! Is that a problem?!”
When Roroa heard that, she turned a cold eye in my direction. “Darlin’... That’s a bit much...”
“I’m the one being criticized now?!”
“Yes! It’s because you’re not taking care of me ‘properly’!” Liscia snapped angrily.
“Yeah, yeah!” Roroa wore a smile like a mischievous child.
Why were these two so in sync?!
Aisha, who had been watching over all of this from behind me, tugged on my sleeve. “Um... I hope, uh... I’d like you to do things ‘pr
operly’ with me, too.”
Urgh... At some point, I had been encircled by three fiancées. As I broke out into a cold sweat that just wouldn’t stop, my retainers watched with wry smiles and a roll of the eyes.
Some days later, the Elfrieden Kingdom, having annexed the Principality of Amidonia, formed the United Kingdom of Elfrieden and Amidonia. (Popularly known as the Kingdom of Friedonia.)
From this point on, as a magnificent king who expanded the country’s territory less than a year after ascending the throne, I came to be called Great King Friedonia.
Now, that “Great King” name — I wasn’t terribly fond of it. It made me think of giant squids, giant isopods, and... also, Dedede. All of which had “great king” in their Japanese names.
Also, given the fact that I’d agreed to take Princess Roroa of the annexed Principality of Amidonia as my wife, there were rumors that “King Souma grows more powerful and his territory expands with each wife he takes,” and, “He’s a lecher who invaded and destroyed an enemy country just to sate his desire for Princess Roroa.”
Honestly, how did it come to this...?
◇ ◇ ◇
“...And that’s what happened,” I finished.
“Well... I don’t know what to say... Pfft!” On the other side of the simple receiver, Maria was holding her shaking shoulders. Something had struck her funny bone, apparently. This was supposed to be a meeting, so she seemed to be trying to hold the laughter in, but I’d feel better if she’d just let out a big laugh at this point.
“Hee hee hee... It seems that turn of events was completely unexpected for you, too,” she giggled.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “I feel like I was using shrimp as bait to catch a sea bream, but instead I ended up catching a shark.”
“Do be sure that you take proper care of what you caught,” she said.
“I can’t release it... can I?” I asked.
Maria continued giggling for a while, but she eventually returned to a serious expression. “Now, about what the Papal State of Lunaria was doing behind the scenes...”
“Roroa was saying that they hate you for being called a saint.”
“That’s true,” she said. “I received a request to stop calling myself a saint... or rather, a formal complaint over it. But I’ve never called myself one, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“It’s a bit strange to ask you to not let the masses call you a saint,” I agreed. “But that being the case, the Orthodox Papal State is going to continue to be a potential enemy of the Empire. They may try to make contact with us like Roroa was suggesting they would.”
“Sir Souma... do you want the authority that the Orthodox Papal State could give you?” Maria asked me with probing eyes.
I firmly shook my head. “Don’t be silly. I’m trying to move forward into a new era. I’m not about to take a step backwards into a time of rule by divine right.” Our country didn’t need a Girolamo Savonarola.
My firm rejection of the idea seemed to have relieved Maria. “The Orthodox Papal State is a headache for the Empire. There are many followers of Lunarian Orthodoxy in the Empire, and the Mankind Declaration is meaningless against a religious body. If anything, there’s the risk that they would make use of the hole you pointed out.”
Something like gathering their believers into one place and having them declare independence, maybe? Once a group of believers had formed, it would be difficult to eradicate them. Religion was something that burned all the hotter the more you tried to stamp it out. About the only countermeasure would be to round up those plotting to declare independence one by one before they could form into a group.
The flag called the Mankind Declaration drew people to the cause, but it also had large holes in it.
“Will the Empire still not abandon its position as the leader of the Mankind Declaration?” I asked.
“Yes,” Maria said. “We need to unite around the Mankind Declaration. If there needs to be someone to wave that flag, the Empire will take on that role. Even the Orthodox Papal State must understand that. If mankind is unable to deal with the encroaching threat of the Demon Lord’s Domain because of internal squabbling, it will all be pointless in the end. I don’t think they’ll try anything strange just yet.”
“...I wonder about that,” I murmured.
I felt like this wasn’t an issue we could take such an optimistic view toward. The more chaotic the times, the more religion showed its true value. It found its root in the hearts of people seeking salvation. Despair for society or the times they lived in would drive people toward religion.
Now, when there was the threat of the Demon Lord’s Domain, some were already viewing this as the end of days. If despair continued to run rampant through society, the Orthodox Papal State could feed on that and eventually become an incredible force. In order to stop that... we needed to show people the light of hope.
We needed people to believe that the world wouldn’t be destroyed, that tomorrow would always come, and that the future would be even more incredible than the present. In order to accomplish that...
“Madam Maria.”
“Yes?” she said.
“For as long as your Gran Chaos Empire continues to hold to the ideal of uniting mankind, we in the Kingdom of Friedonia will walk alongside you.”
I needed the Empire... needed Maria... to be the light of hope for mankind. During that time, the kingdom would move forward into a new era. So that the people wouldn’t despair, and so that even if they did despair, they could get back up without clinging to gods.
“If our two countries support one another, I believe we can face any situation,” I said.
“Yes. May our pact last forever.”
If her eyes were always focused on her high ideals, she could very well trip over the stones in her path.
Though, if I was always focused on the realistic details on the ground, I might lose sight of our goal.
That was why we had to walk together.
We each looked at the screen and nodded to one another.
Elfrieden Historical Idiom Lessons: Number 5
To Use Shrimp as Bait to Catch Sea Bream, but Instead Catch a Shark
Type: Idiomatic Expression
Meaning: (1) To attempt to achieve great results with minimal effort, only to be disappointed by an unexpected outcome. (2) When something that was initially thought to be a disappointment turns out to have a surprising upside. (From the fact that, even though shark meat does not taste very good, their fins are highly valuable.)
Origin: These words were spoken by Great King Souma, who had tried to annex just Van, the capital of the Principality of Amidonia, and was disappointed when the rest of that impoverished country came with it. In the case of (2), the shark fin would be Princess Roroa.
Synonyms: “Counting your tanuki before they’re caught,” “A jewel in a dunghill”
Chapter 3: An Unusual Slave Trader
—30th day, 11th month, 1,546th year, Continental Calendar — Royal Capital Parnam
With the confusion caused by the annexation of Amidonia having settled, the people had regained their calm.
It was fully winter now, and on this morning I was finding it harder to leave the warmth of bed. When I woke to the sound of a door hurriedly being shut, I began to stir, my mind still only half-awake.
Brr... I’m cold. Also, my head feels heavy. Did I catch something? I ought to get more blankets for this simple bed in the governmental affairs office. I’ll ask the maids about it later.
While I was thinking that, I turned over and something soft touched my forehead.
“Ahn,” said a strangely amorous voice.
...Something strange was going on.
As my head cleared, I came to understand my current situation. First, my head was in a lock. It seemed someone was holding it tight. Was this why it had felt heavy to me? Well, at least it wasn’t a cold...
Wait, that wasn’t the problem here! My forehead was pressed up
against this person’s bosom. If it was slightly soft, that meant...
“Whoa, what?!”
I hurriedly broke free of the person’s hold.
There, before my eyes, was Roroa with a pleased look on her sleeping face. She was drooling a little, but I pretended not to notice that part.
Huh? What? This situation... Why is Roroa sleeping next to me?!
This room... It was definitely the governmental affairs office. I was in my simple bed, no doubt about that. So, why was I sharing it with Roroa? She was... wearing clothes, at least.
Actually, neither of us were in our nightclothes; we were both dressed in regular clothes.
Huh? What on Earth happened last night? I wracked my brains, trying to recall what had happened yesterday...
“Souma? What, pray tell, are you doing?” I heard a cold voice from above me.
I turned my head slowly, with a creaking sound like a robot that’s run out of oil, and there stood Liscia with a smile that gave off a terrifying aura like a hannya mask. Behind her was Aisha, who was in tears for some reason.
“Oh... morning, Liscia, Aisha,” I murmured.
“Don’t you ‘morning’ me!” Liscia shouted, pulling the covers off me.
Roroa curled up into the fetal position, looking cold, but she still didn’t wake up.
Liscia put her hand on her hip and asked, “What is the meaning of this?! Aisha rushed into my room in tears, and when I asked her what was wrong, she said, ‘I went to rouse His Majesty, and I found him sleeping with Roroa!’”
“Why would you lay your hands on Roroa before the princess or me?! I can’t accept it!” Aisha shouted through her tears.
Um, please, don’t say that so loudly, I silently pleaded. If the workers in the castle overheard, they’d talk about how I was “caught in the act”!
“Calm down, Aisha! Roroa and I are both wearing clothes, right? I’m pretty sure whatever you two are imaging didn’t happen... I think.”