by Dojyomaru
“Still, that doesn’t mean we have to eat here.”
“Well, do you want to eat this stuff at the big royal table? It’ll feel even more unsatisfying that way.”
“You may be right, but still...”
Even so, it felt wrong eating with all these people watching us. Even if I was used to it from my days at the officers’ academy, I was technically Souma’s fiancée, a person under the scrutiny of the masses, and to their eyes, here we were having a rendezvous. How could I stay calm like that?
I sighed. “If we’re cutting back on food costs, should I speak to my parents? They’re always eating cakes and such at tea time.”
“Oh, that’s fine. Those are all ‘offerings’ anyway.”
“Gifts, you mean?” I asked in surprise. Could our people afford to do that?
“Well, they’re from large stores and stores owned by the nobility, you see. Even with a guy like me as king, being a purveyor to the royal family is prestigious, apparently. Even with the food shortages, we still get sent a lot of stuff.”
“Please, don’t speak ill of yourself like that,” I said. “You’re a king now.”
“A lot of the foods are sweet, but they don’t have a long shelf life. Since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth myself, I give them to the former royal couple or the maids and have them write reviews. Then, for the ones that are rated highly, I give them a royal warrant of appointment. It’s gone surprisingly well.”
“So that’s why...” I murmured.
Lately, I’d been hearing “all’s not quiet on the weight-loss front” from the maids. There had even been reports that some of the maids were joining the guards for training.
...I’d better be careful, myself, I decided.
In contrast to me as I made promises to myself, Souma was looking off into the distance.
“I-Is something the matter?” I asked.
“No, it’s just... If the food budget were tighter, we might be subsisting on a diet of cake three times daily... Hahaha... I nearly put ‘If they have no bread, let them eat cake’ into practice myself.”
“If people didn’t know the circumstances, there could be a revolution over those words...” I said.
“You two seem to be enjoying yourselves.”
When I turned in the direction of the sudden voice, I saw a young man in the fluted armor (minus helmet) of the Royal Guard. He was tall, with a sufficiently sturdy frame, and from behind his long, straight blonde hair peeked a beautiful face that probably made him popular with the ladies.
“Why, Sir Ludwin,” I said.
“It has been too long, my princess. No... perhaps I should call you my queen now.”
“Um, well... I’m not either of those at the moment, actually.”
Seeing our exchange, Souma had a look on his face that said “Who is this guy?”
“Souma, this gentleman is Sir Ludwin Arcs of the Royal Guard,” I said, introducing him.
Despite his youthful age, just under thirty, Sir Ludwin was a genius who had been made head of the Royal Guard. In times of peace, the head of the Royal Guard was responsible for security in the capital, Parnam, as well as at Parnam Castle, but in times of crisis he was also given command of the king’s personal forces, the Forbidden Army. Though, that said, practical military control of the country lay in the hands of the Three Dukedoms.
“The Three Dukedoms” referred to the two dukes and one duchess who held control of the land, sea, and air forces.
The current holders of the Three Dukedoms were, as follows:
General of the Elfrieden Kingdom Army, Duke Georg Carmine. A beastman with a lion’s mane. He commanded his troops with the intensity of a raging fire, striking fear into the hearts of our enemies.
Admiral of the Elfrieden Kingdom Navy, Duchess Excel Walter. A sea serpent descended from pirates. She was an incredible woman, adept not only at fleet battles but also in politics.
General of the Elfrieden Kingdom Air Force, Duke Castor Vargas. A dragonewt. He was king of the skies and leader of the stars of the royal army, the Wyvern Knights.
In exchange for swearing fealty to the kingdom, their families were allowed to hold territory (duchies) within the kingdom, where they were given self-rule.
At the time of the kingdom’s founding, this kingdom having been created by the coming together of many races, this system had been put in place to protect their races from friction with the others. However, even now, with all of the races living in harmony, the system still remained in place. In exchange for territory, their families put their lives on the line to defend the country they loved. That was the pride of the Three Dukedoms.
However, at present, the Three Dukedoms had taken their forces and were secluding themselves in their own territories. It seemed these three, with their great love and respect for the former king, had not yet recognized Souma, who had ascended the throne in a manner that looked like he was usurping it, as their liege. That was the source of Souma’s current worries.
If you combined the three duchies, they made up a third of the country. Without their cooperation, Souma’s reforms would be difficult to accomplish.
I myself had written to Duke Carmine, who loved me like a daughter, a number of times, asking him to meet with Souma directly, but the reply was always, “As yet, I see no cause to trust him.”
He was a man who was resolute in his convictions, but I had never known him to be so blindly stubborn. So why was he being so stubborn this time? For my part, I hoped he would accept Souma as soon as possible.
Without any idea how I was feeling, Souma was shaking hands with Sir Ludwin. “I’m Souma Kazuya. Technically, I’m the king of this country now.”
“I’m Ludwin Arcs. I’ve heard rumors of your hard work from the civil servants.”
“Well, you tell those civil servants, ‘If you have time to gossip, work harder’ for me.”
“Hahaha, I’ll do that. Would you mind if I joined you for breakfast?”
“It’s fine with me.”
“Thank you.”
Sir Ludwin brought over a breakfast tray, and sat down next to me. “So, how are things going? With these reforms of yours, I mean, Your Majesty.”
“...Not so well,” Souma complained between bites of toast. “We’re especially suffering from a lack of qualified people. At present, I’ve inherited the previous king’s advisors. In other words, the people who left the country alone until it got this bad. Setting aside Prime Minister Marx, the rest are all useless.”
This country was an autocratic state. The will of the king was strongly reflected in its politics.
There was a Congress of the People which all citizens had the right to vote for representatives in, but it was merely a place where laws and policies to “suggest” to the king were drafted, and these laws and policies would later be “suggested” to the king by the prime minister. In short, it was a glorified suggestion box, and whether these suggestions would be implemented or not was entirely up to the king.
Though, that said, if the king were to just do whatever he pleased, he would lose the hearts of the people, and would likely see himself deposed by the Three Dukedoms...
Furthermore, when the king wished to consider different policies, he could summon advisors other than the prime minister. The king would confer with his advisors, deciding if his policies would be effective or not. The selection of advisors was left to the king’s sole discretion. He could hire whomever and however many he wanted,
In truth, even before taking the throne (in this kingdom, from the time one was a prince), a prospective king would begin to gather people who might become his advisors. But with Souma having ascended the throne so suddenly, he had none.
“People who can tell me the things I want to know, and who will work hard at the tasks I set them to,” he said. “Those are the sort of personal retainers I want.”
“I understand. All those who stand above others long to have capable underlings,” Sir Ludwin said.
“Is it the same for you in the Forbidden Army?”
“Yes. Most of the graduates from the Officers’ Academy request to be assigned to the armies of the Three Dukedoms. Since, while they call us the Forbidden Army, we’re basically just the capital’s defense force. It’s not a popular posting, is it, Princess?”
“Well... I guess not. Most of my classmates went to the armies of the Three Dukedoms.”
I was in the land forces, but that was because there was no point in me joining the Forbidden Army, since it existed to protect the royal family.
“Well, there you have it. These days, the Forbidden Army has a lot of misfits and eccentrics in it. We even have a mad scientist who drifted over to us from the Weapons Development Branch.”
“Oh, now that sounds like someone I’d want to meet!” Souma said.
Seeing Souma’s enthusiasm, Sir Ludwin replied, “I’ll introduce you sometime.” He laughed wryly.
After that, we made small talk for a while and then parted with Sir Ludwin.
When I get back to my room, I’ll send another letter encouraging Duke Carmine to meet with Souma, I thought to myself.
◇ ◇ ◇
“We really do suffer from a lack of capable people!” I complained.
“I-I suppose...” Liscia said.
I tried to persuade Liscia, but she looked a little bewildered.
Because I had been working my ability so hard, it might have leveled up. Lately, I could move up to four things at the same time (effectively, I could do the work of five people), but even with that, it was only the equivalent of having one extra person. A person who lacked any knowledge or skills that I myself lacked. What I needed were people with knowledge I didn’t have. People with skills I didn’t have. I desperately wanted to have people like that.
—And so, I decided to gather them.
“So, that being that, I think I’ll use a Jewel Voice Broadcast.”
“A Jewel Voice Broadcast?”
The Jewel Voice Broadcast was a system for delivering the voice of the king to all regions of the country. In the Jewel Voice Room in the palace, there was a floating jewel that must have had a diameter of around two meters. The jewel was said to be imbued with the magic of the spirits of air, sylphs, and the spirits of water, undines. It would deliver the king’s voice to all around the country, and in towns with the appropriate setup, it could even project his image. Past kings had apparently used the Jewel Voice Broadcast to unveil a new constitution, or to declare war on another nation, that sort of thing.
“I’ll bet you’ll be the first to use it to gather capable people,” Liscia said, seemingly impressed.
Was it really such a wild idea? “How do you normally gather them?” I asked.
“Through personal connections, or holding written exams and hiring those who pass.”
“Aren’t those methods pretty biased? What’s the literacy rate in this country?”
“Half the people can read, and three-tenths can write.”
“That’s no good at all. Only three-tenths of the population can take the exams.”
“Just so you know, that’s pretty average in this world...” she said.
Hmm... Guess that’s what happens when you don’t have compulsory education.
“Anyone can be taught to read and write,” I said. “Surely, the quality of a candidate shouldn’t be decided by his or her ability to afford lessons. It’s seven-tenths of the population. Just how many diamonds are you planning to leave in the rough?”
“...There’s nothing I can say against that,” Liscia said, sounding ashamed.
Though, I suppose she’s not the one I need to be telling this, huh? Really, this country needs to be fixed from the ground up.
“So, what conditions are you going to use in your call?” she asked.
“I’m considering the wording. Though, really, I intend to borrow the words of a great man I admire.”
“A great man?”
“Yeah. A ‘crafty hero in a troubled land.’”
◇ ◇ ◇
“If you have a gift, I will put it to use!”
Through capital, city, town, and village alike, Souma’s voice echoed.
In the capital, the cities, and even the larger towns, Souma’s image was projected, as well. The receivers in the larger areas released a mist into the air, then used the refraction of light to recreate the scene taking place inside the Jewel Voice Room.
To put it in modern terms, they were receiving a video feed from the filming location and projecting it live onto a mid-air screen. The quality was grainy, but people were excited to have their first glimpse of the new king.
Some were bewildered by his youth, others by his plain appearance. The fault for this lay with Souma, who had felt it too bothersome put on formal attire or even his crown.
Just seeing Princess Liscia standing at his side without looking particularly tense reassured the people. Though they had heard he hadn’t forced the king to abdicate and usurped the throne, until they saw him for themselves, they had still harbored some uncertainty. Especially in the case of Princess Liscia, whose dignified beauty had made her something of an idol to the people, some had voiced concern for her wellbeing.
As they went about their business, Souma’s speech continued.
“My people, our country is faced with a crisis of heretofore unseen proportions! The grave matter of the food crisis, the economic downturn which stems from it, the influx of refugees from lands seized by the Demon Lord... Any one of these things alone would be a serious malaise which threatened this country. Yet, there is still more! The Empire has expanded its influence, and some of our neighbors watch us with eager eyes, ready to pounce! The former king, recognizing that this situation was beyond his power to solve, has entrusted this country to my humble self.
“To recognize what one cannot do, and to make way for one who can. Even when one knows it to be the right thing to do, it is never an easy choice. In times of peace, the former king would have had the capacity to be a great ruler.”
For a moment, Princess Liscia thought, “That’s giving him way too much credit...” with a bitter smile, but no one noticed.
“However, these are troubled times! In times of turbulence, we seek in our rulers not a person of saintly virtue, but someone willing to get their hands dirty, willing to stubbornly do what it takes to survive. Not a ruler who is above average in all things, but a ruler who will not give up on survival, and on that one point excels beyond all others. Because, ultimately, that is what will protect your families and livelihoods! That is why the former king entrusted this country to me! I am tenacious, and on this one point I am superior to the former king.
“At present, I am in the process of launching many reforms. However, we face an overwhelming lack of capable people to aid in their implementation. Thus, I am putting out a call to the gifted amongst you. I say to you again: if you have a gift, I will make use of it!
“In these confused times, what we need is not those who are, on average, better than others. It is those who, in one aspect, stand head and shoulders above all the rest. It matters not what the form that gift takes. It matters not if you have any qualifications beyond that gift. If there is one thing about which you have the pride to say, ‘I am better than anyone else at this,’ come to stand before me!
“Schooling, age, class, origin, race, gender... none of these matter to me. Whether or not you can read, do arithmetic, have money, are of sound mind and body, are beautiful or ugly, or have a scratch on your shin, it does not matter! If you can think, ‘At this one thing, I am better than others. At this one thing, I will not lose out to any other person in the country,’ then show yourself before me! If I decide your gift is something the country needs, you will be welcomed as one of my personal retainers!”
The new king’s passionate speech put a shine in the people’s eyes.
As they listened, they must all have been wracking their brains for something they were
more gifted at than other people. At the same time, though, even if they found something, they were probably all thinking they wouldn’t be hired if it wasn’t useful in some way. As that feeling of resignation set in, it became a dam blocking the flood of enthusiasm that was building from the impassioned speech.
The king was seeking capable people who could solve this country’s problems. Everyone found it hard to imagine that their own gifts would be of any use to the country.
“I am sure that, among you, there are some who are hesitant to believe their gifts can be of use,” Souma said, as if aware of the people’s hesitation.
“However, that is not something for you to decide on your own! I, the king, will decide whether the country needs your gift! I care not if others deride your gift as worthless! I will be the judge of that! So have no hesitation! Come and unveil your gift before me!”
Souma paused for a breath to calm himself.
“If you are still hesitant, then here is what we shall do. If your gift is proven to be without compare in this country, in the name of the Kingdom of Elfrieden, I will issue you a Certificate of Peerlessness, and you will receive a cash prize. How’s that for a little motivation, people?!” The image of Souma pumped his fist into the air.
At that moment, a great cheer rose up in every city worth calling a city across the country. The dam inside the people’s hearts had broken. It was the same in the capital.
“Oh...! I can hear the cheering in the castle town from here. Glad you’re all fired up,” Souma said, breaking into more casual speech.
Standing by his side, Liscia wanted to hold her head in her hands, but no one seemed to mind.
“You can nominate yourself or someone else,” Souma said. “If the nomination is for someone else, three-tenths of the award go to the nominator. If there are people locking themselves away and playing hermit when this country is in crisis, I want all of you go and drag them out. Also, for gifts like ‘I’m stronger than others’ or ‘I’m good at singing’ where there is room for competition, we will have the candidates compete amongst themselves in advance to choose a single representative for that gift, so be ready for that. Now, then... I think I’ve said everything I need to.”