by Dojyomaru
And, as she had expected, Carla said, “Grandmother! If Father has decided to fight, then I shall fight, too!”
Excel shouted back, a vein pulsing on her forehead, “No, you must not! Do you mean to become a traitor at your age?!”
“I cannot forgive him for unseating King Albert and trying to force himself on my friend, Princess Liscia!” she declared. “I will punish him for his insolence personally!”
“You’ve misunderstood!” Excel shouted. “King Souma is...”
“Ah... It’s no use, Mother. Once she gets like this, Carla won’t budge an inch.” Castor shrugged his shoulders in resignation.
“You people... Honestly...”
Even as Excel held her head in consternation, Georg remained silent.
◇ ◇ ◇
The capital of the Principality of Amidonia, Van.
In the territory of the Principality of Amidonia, which was longer on the map than it was wide, this city on the eastern side was the capital.
Some had felt it was too close to the Elfrieden Kingdom to be a capital, but its selection had likely been a manifestation of their unbroken determination to regain the stolen eastern territory.
In the governmental affairs office in the castle in the center of Van, a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache was reviewing documents.
His cloaked figure looked somewhat plump, but this was only because he had broad shoulders. He was not actually obese. In fact, under his cloak, he was extremely muscular.
This man was Prince Gaius VIII of Amidonia.
“Oh ho...” he said.
“What is it, Father?” A young man in his twenties who stood waiting at his side queried. He had a handsome face, but his eyes had a cold glint which chilled those who looked at them. He was the crown prince and heir apparent of the Principality of Amidonia, Iulius Amidonia.
Gaius handed the document he had been reading to Iulius. “It’s from Georg Carmine. It seems he’s ready to ‘stand up.’”
“I see,” Iulius said. “At long last. I’ve heard of the swift, severe attacks he would make in his younger years, never giving us time to catch our breaths. For a personage of such ability, he was awfully slow to act.”
“He’s grown old, I’m sure,” his father said. “Were his mind still keen, he never would have taken us up on our offer.”
“True...”
After Iulius returned the document to him, Gaius rose from his seat. “We will move when the new king declares war. Send ‘reinforcements’ to the kingdom.”
“Oh...? And to which side?”
“Which? To the king’s side, we say, ‘We are with the three dukes,’ to the three dukes’ side, we say, ‘We are with the new king.’”
“I see,” Iulius said. “We have no reason to obey either side that way.”
“Heh heh heh. Precisely.”
Gaius and Iulius looked to one another and shared a dark smile.
Beside them, there was a pair of cold eyes watching.
Good heavens... Sometimes I just ain’t sure what I oughta do about my old man and my idiot brother.
The cold eyes belonged to a young girl.
She was sixteen or seventeen years old. She had an attractive face, like Iulius, but not his air of cruelty. If anything, her eyes were small and beady, and with her round face, she had the stuffed animal-like adorableness of a raccoon dog. Her hair was tied in two braids at the nape of her neck.
This girl who looked good in these braid-style twintails was the first princess of this country, Roroa Amidonia. However, contrary to appearances, her inner voice was sharp tongued (and spoke in mercantile dialect).
This country ain’t long for this world as is. Are these idiots tryin’ to shorten what little time it has left? she thought.
Amidonia was a mountainous country. It had plentiful metal resources, but on the other hand, it had little arable land, so it was always faced with food shortages. The food crisis in neighboring Elfrieden was bad, but nothing compared to what this country faced. Even a slightly poor harvest would mean people starved to death.
I do understand why the old man’s tryin’ to get even a little more fertile land for us, I do, but the old man’s pourin’ every last cent that I worked so hard to scrimp and save for him into military fundin’. Roroa ground her back teeth together in frustration.
While Roroa was a princess, she also had uncanny financial sense, and she supported this country’s financial policies from the shadows. After getting the economy moving through foreign trade, she limited exports of resources and encouraged the export of finished products to protect and develop their industries. The reason this country on the brink hadn’t seen its economy collapse was in large part thanks to Roroa’s monetary sense.
However, Gaius had been unable to fully make use of Roroa’s money-raising ability.
If they’d been usin’ the funds I’d earned to develop industry, they mighta been able to bring in even more funds, but these war mongerin’ economic nitwits go and spend it all on the military. What makes it even worse is that they sincerely believe “If we strengthen the military, we can steal whatever we need.” Are they morons? You spend money to make money, it’s that cycle that’s important. If you’re just dumpin’ money into somethin’, that’s called wasteful spendin’! ...But even if I were to scream that at them, they probably wouldn’t listen to me...
“You agree, too, right, Roroa?” her brother said.
“Yes, Brother.” When the conversation suddenly turned to her, Roroa replied with a big fake smile. Though, in truth, she hadn’t been listening to a word they said...
...The end may finally be here for this country. Oh, how I envy the Elfrieden Kingdom. With their large population, they must have a lot of tax revenue they can move around, and best of all, their king’s the sort who’d be able to understand what I’m talkin’ about. Honestly, I’m so jealous of our neighbor’s wallet... Their wallet?
At that moment, Roroa came to a realization.
If I’m jealous of my neighbor’s wallet... Why don’t I just combine it with my own? As legally as possible... Maybe I can do that? ...Yeah, maybe I can. In that case, I can contact the old man in charge of guarding Nelva...
Roroa began formulating a plan of her own. High risk, high return.
They say that as Roroa embarked on the greatest intrigue of her life, her smile resembled her father’s and brother’s just a little.
◇ ◇ ◇
At the capital of the Elfrieden Kingdom, Parnam...
I was in the governmental affairs office in Parnam Castle, listening to the final report on the food crisis.
“As you see in the materials provided, we can expect good results from the fall harvest. Furthermore, the transportation network you laid out has accelerated the movement of people, and now goods have spread across the land without overabundance or shortages anywhere. Of course, this applies to foodstuffs, as well. From these facts, I believe we can treat the food crisis as, by and large, solved for now.”
“That’s good to hear,” I said. “It makes all the hard work worth it.”
It had been a long road, but now I could finally take a breath and relax. As the person who’d been grappling with this problem all this time, it was an especially emotional moment for me. However...
“Yes. With this, we can now safely move on to the next stage,” Hakuya said, with no regard whatsoever for my emotional moment.
...The next stage, huh.
“We... really have to do it, don’t we?” I asked.
“Does it weigh on you?” he asked.
“Well, yeah. I understand the necessity of it, though...”
Yes. This was necessary.
The political theorist Machiavelli had said this in The Prince.
“If a prince should stain his hands with cruelties, even in peaceful times, he will have difficulty holding the state. However, for some tyrants, even after infinite cruelties, they live long and secure in their countries, defendin
g themselves from external enemies and never being conspired against by their own citizens. I believe that this follows from cruelties being properly or badly used.
“Those which may be called properly used are those applied in one blow at a time when it is necessary for one’s security. If a prince does not persist in them afterward, ruling in a way that advantages the people as best as he is able, he may even be remembered as a great ruler. However, one who fails to strike out the root of trouble from the beginning, dragging things out and inflicting repeated cruelties, uses them badly.”
This passage was one reason that Machiavelli’s The Prince had been, for a long time, criticized by the humanists of the Christian church. However, the cruelties he had spoken of there did not refer to massacres of ordinary people. He was talking about using trickery to permanently dispose of political opponents.
If you can stabilize your hold on power with one act of cruelty, then govern well afterward, it is a happy thing for the people. On the other hand, if you spend all your time worrying about what your political opponents think and don’t advance any worthwhile policies, not striking out the root of trouble in one blow, purging traitors again and again, you will lose the trust of the people.
The prince Machiavelli had held up as his ideal, Cesare Borgia, had massacred the influential nobles who had welcomed him during a feast, securing absolute power for himself.
Nobunaga Oda had used his severity well, taking the Oda Family from rural daimyos to becoming great daimyos in a single leap. However, in the end, because Nobunaga had persisted with his severities, he had shortened his own life, ultimately dying to a betrayal by one of his vassals.
In other words, “cruelty” was like a prince’s treasured sword that could cut through anything, but if he grew addicted to using it, it was also like a cursed sword that would eventually destroy him.
“As I’ve said before,” I said, “I’ve deemed your plan a cruelty.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “You also said, ‘If we are to do it, let it be in one stroke.’”
“You can do it that way, I assume?” I asked.
“The preparations have already been made.”
“...Very well, then.”
I could say it was for this country, but I wasn’t that attached to the place.
I didn’t have a just cause, or a great one. But, when I questioned why I was doing it, suddenly Liscia and the others’ faces came to mind. Those who lived, smiling, in this country: Liscia, Aisha, Juna, and Tomoe’s faces.
I thought of the bonds I had lost in the old world. I thought of the bonds I had formed in this new one.
I already thought of those girls as my family.
“Kazuya, build a family. And, once you have, protect them, come whatever may.”
...I know, Grandpa. I’ll protect my family to the end, no matter what comes our way.
In order to do that, just this once, I will become a cruel king.
“We will now begin the subjugation.”
Extra Story: The Story of a Certain Group of Adventurers
Adventurers.
As the people who challenged and cleared out dungeons and the many mysteries that lay within, theirs was a profession filled with romanticized adventure. However, at the same time, they were also jacks and jills of all trades, taking quests issued by the guild (protecting merchants, slaying dangerous beasts, and more) in exchange for rewards. Now, here is something about these adventurers. Among the newest urban legends spreading in Parnam, the capital of Elfrieden, there is one known as...
“The Adventurer Who Wears a Kigurumi.”
It was said that this adventurer wore a kigurumi, a sort of full-body costume, that was 1.7 meters tall. His weapon was a naginata, slung over his back. He had a roly-poly body, but was able to move quickly and was apparently very talented. He formed no party, taking on dangerous beast subjugation quests solo, but occasionally, if there was a party seeking temporary members, he would join them for a dungeon crawl.
Incidentally, his name was registered with the guild as “Little Musashibo.”
◇ ◇ ◇
“Uh... So, you’re the adventurer who’s temporarily joining our party?” a male warrior asked doubtfully.
A roly-poly kigurumi was standing in front of the quest board in the guild. It stood before a party of four adventurers (party composition: one male warrior, one male priest, one female thief, and one female mage).
In the kigurumi’s hands was a naginata, on his back a wicker basket, his face was covered with white silk (in fact, it was sewn on), and the acorn eyes and bushy eyebrows that peered out from it were adorable.
Who was that? Was he a snowman? Was he a round-bottomed doll? No, he was Little Musashibo!
“...” (Little Musashibo waved his arms around wildly, meaning, “That’s right.”)
“Oh, could it be that you’re the kigurumi adventurer people have been talking about lately...?” Dece asked. He was a male swordsman with an attractive face that wouldn’t have been out of place in a boy band.
“...” (Little Musashibo nodded.)
“A-Are you now...?” Dece’s expression became a little strained.
Considering Little Musashibo’s silly appearance, that reaction was only to be expected. The rest of his comrades were bewildered, too.
“Oh, come on, I know we’re short a person on the front line, but does that really mean we need to bring in a guy like this?” demanded a beautiful young girl whose defiant eyes left a strong impression. Her voice was full of venom. This girl with a slightly punk sense of fashion was the female thief, Iuno. The adventurers called thieves were, of course, not actual robbers. It was a support role in the party that detected enemies and disabled traps in the dungeon and could handle melee combat, as well.
The kindly-looking male priest, Febral, rebuked her. “W-Well, his outfit may be ridiculous, but everything I’ve heard indicates he’s a reliable adventurer. I don’t think there should be an issue. We aren’t delving into a dungeon today, and the difficulty for this is supposed to be beginner level anyway.”
His role as priest was also just what people called a healer. It didn’t indicate any sort of religious belief.
“Oh, sure, what’s the harmmm? He’s kinda cute, anywayyy!” This light and airy beauty, the female mage Julia, started to playfully lean against Little Musashibo, enjoying his softness. Little Musashibo acted a little annoyed by this.
With a dry laugh at the scene, Dece extended his hand to Little Musashibo. “Anyway, it’ll be a pleasure to work with you today.”
“...” (Little Musashibo shook his hand.)
“...Are you not able to talk?”
“...” (Little Musashibo nodded.)
Dece said nothing for a moment. Then he burst out, “Oh, come on, is this really going to be all right?”
There was no one who could answer Iuno’s doubts.
With Little Musashibo joining them, the party headed for an underground passage in the capital.
Apparently, these tunnels had been originally created to let the royal family escape in the event that an enemy attack reached the capital. Because of that, in order to confound intruders, the passages had been built as a complex maze with three levels.
On this occasion, the adventurers had received a quest calling for “Exploration of the underground passages and investigation of creatures living therein (and if possible, their removal).”
Because this country had been free of war and chaos since the time of the former king, King Albert, the importance of these tunnels had diminished and they were no longer being properly maintained. As a result, giant rats and other such massive creatures had soon made their home in them. With the situation inside the tunnels at this point, it wouldn’t have been out of place to call them a dungeon.
Now, here was the thing about those underground tunnels. Apparently the recently-enthroned king wanted to repurpose them, and had posted this quest with the guild for that reason. Until the underground
passages were safe and secure, any number of people were welcome to challenge it. The reward paid would be dependent on the creatures hunted. It was a low risk, low reward quest suited to beginners.
The adventuring party, now with the addition of Little Musashibo, was progressing through those underground tunnels. In the cold, wet air, an irritated Iuno poked Little Musashibo’s head.
“Hey, don’t let this guy stand in front! He’s blocking my line of sight.”
“Having a front-liner stay in the back would be pointless,” Dece snapped. “Deal with it.”
With Dece telling her off, Iuno clicked her tongue in displeasure. That was when it happened.
A giant snake appeared suddenly before the adventurers. The snake was ten meters long and thick enough to wrap one’s arms around. It raised its head, hissing menacingly at the adventurers. Immediately, Dece and Musashibo moved up.
“We’ll handle the front line! Everyone else, support us from the rear!”
“...” (Little Musashibo gave a thumbs up.)
In the next moment, the giant snake struck. It went for Dece. From there on, the snake ignored Little Musashibo for some reason, only trying to attack Dece.
“Wait, why’s it only going for me?!” Dece cried.
“?!” (Little Musashibo was confused.)
Allow me to explain. Because snakes search for their prey by detecting their body heat, it could not detect anything from Little Musashibo, which was just a kigurumi.
Dece took a tail slap from the giant snake and, while he did manage to block it with his shield, was thrown off balance. Taking advantage of the opening, the snake slithered between the two of them, attacking the three people in back. The first to be targeted was Iuno, who had been acting as support in the middle guard.
“Whoa, why’s it ignoring that kigurumi and coming at me?! I— I can’t stand snaaaaakes!”
It seemed that the sudden snake attack had made Iuno’s legs give out. With her falling on her rump and unable to move, the snake opened its mouth wide and came at Iuno. At that moment, just when she was sure she was going to die...