by Ryota Hori
Chris’s concerns are justified... It’s too soon for Mikhail to be a general. He’d need to spend ten more years as knight commander to gain that experience.
Helena didn’t particularly dislike or look down upon Mikhail. She didn’t doubt he and Meltina would be the ones to lead Rhoadseria’s military in the future... But that was considering what would come years down the line. She believed that at present, it would be premature to put Mikhail in charge of the country’s military affairs.
Composure, the ability to read into the depth of the situation, knowledge of tactics and strategy. Mikhail lacked all of those requirements at the moment. Driven by a personal grudge and a desire to regain his lost merit, he cast aside his reconnaissance duties and disobeyed orders. Letting a man like him hold the kingdom’s army in the palm of his hand was a nightmare scenario in Helena’s eyes.
Should such a narrow-minded person be given the rank of general, Rhoadseria’s already unstable internal affairs would only be further disturbed, and the surrounding countries might capitalize on this instability to launch an invasion.
Helena sighed, these thoughts weighing on her mind.
To begin with... Is Mikhail Vanash even suitable for the role of general...?
Being a general was indeed a role to which all knights aspired, but one needed to have certain qualities to sit upon that lofty seat...
And yes, those qualities had little to do with a warrior’s ability to wield a weapon in combat. It took understanding of finances, diplomacy, and all matters related to the military, and of how all those matters are involved when it comes to war. In a way, one needed to be able to look at things from the perspective of God.
But from what Helena could see, Mikhail lacked those qualities. If he were to learn a bit of prudence he could serve as a fine commander on the battlefield, but he lacked the talent to grasp the happenings on all the possible fronts and grab hold of victory.
Though I suppose in that regard, very few people have that kind of talent...
From what Helena knew, there were only three people currently in Rhoadseria who possessed that sort of outlook. Herself, Ryoma who was now riding north, and that man who was living a life of reclusive retirement in his territory to the north.
We cannot let Mikhail be appointed to the role of general now... The best option would be to train that boy up and make him the general of the kingdom. But I betrayed Ryoma... I chose the kingdom instead... I put him on one end of the scales and the kingdom’s future on the other...
She was well aware of how naive she was. Ryoma didn’t help her out of the kindness of his heart, but it was thanks to him that she got the chance to exact revenge on Hodram. Regret and conflicting feelings swirled within her heart.
But she couldn’t turn her back on the country she was born and raised in. Rhoadseria was teetering on the brink of crisis. From Helena’s perspective, Queen Lupis was too immature to serve as the new queen. She knew too little about governing, diplomacy, economics... The one field she was somewhat good at was military affairs, and even then, she was only passable. She was hardly reliable enough to serve as a ruler.
The causes for her inaptitude to be a queen were all too clear. Lack of experience, and her being far too kindhearted. In terms of sheer knowledge, Lupis was educated as a member of the royal family and knew more than enough to conduct her duties. She had a heart that loved the masses, and so normally one would think she would be a good fit for the role.
And yet, comically enough, she was all too unfit to rule. Her aides could not be called intelligent. The nobles’ faction’s survivors were conspiring against her. And worst of all, her heart was too kind to those she held dear, making her indecisive.
Arguably the worst factor was Queen Lupis’s structure of government, wherein she took power over the countless problems that plagued Rhoadseria as a country. The biggest point of contention was her favoritism toward those she held close to her heart.
Her most extreme decision regarded Mikhail. He was confined to house arrest, but she ignored the objections of those around her. He returned to active duty as a knight within a mere two months. Of course, Queen Lupis would need people she could trust to reform the country. Helena recalled how Meltina used that reasoning to turn down those who stepped up to oppose the decision.
But restoring a man who had piled up failure upon failure after such a short period of time... All the while pushing away the man who contributed so much to the war — albeit a commoner — to the Wortenia Peninsula, made the queen’s judgment questionable to those around her.
Queen Lupis, and Meltina who served her, didn’t seem to understand how this reflected on them.
The civil war ended, and we managed to minimize the weakening of the kingdom’s national power. But our domestic problems haven’t diminished at all... No, if anything, things have gotten worse. What do those two think of that, I wonder...?
Helena frowned and sighed in melancholy again. On the surface, the kingdom seemed to have regained its peace and stability. But Helena only saw that as a brittle castle built of sand. It was in a lull of sorts, and could crumble at any moment. That was Rhoadseria’s current state.
If the queen’s aides were more prudent, perhaps this wouldn’t be the state of affairs. If the queen was more decisive, perhaps it would change. But that wasn’t the reality of things. The wall of social status standing between commoners and the ruling class was simply too thick, and the boy who had achieved so much in this war between nobles and knights was shunned away.
If he were to be one of Lupis’s aides and thus in a position to guide the kingdom, this critical condition may have been averted. Helena did object to him leaving the country, but that was only because she sensed he was worthy of entrusting the kingdom’s future to. But sadly, Queen Lupis feared his transcendent skills and chose to push him away.
Helena heaved a heavy sigh and began reading through her documents. Worrying about things would change little. Helena made her choice. As the general of Rhoadseria, she elected to rebuild this country of her own will. And that was why she said nothing when Queen Lupis decided to undo Mikhail’s house arrest. As general, Helena couldn’t afford to object to the new queen’s decision at this point, when the foundation of her rule hadn’t solidified yet. If she did, it would split the country in two.
“Reorganizing the country is more important now,” Chris said. “As unjust as it may be, we can’t exchange this country’s future for anything. And no matter what land he’s been given, a commoner was promoted to noble status. I won’t deny Her Majesty broke the promise she made to Ryoma at the beginning, but that was unavoidable, in the end.”
Helena felt a hint of fear in Chris’ words.
He’s got a strong sense of duty... And the greater one’s sense of duty, the more they expect others to stand by their own promises...
It was likely that the only ones to understand Helena’s apprehensions were the handful of people working under Count Bergstone, who interacted with Ryoma directly.
Casting him out into that peninsula is likely the same as unleashing a viper into the wild...
Helena could vividly imagine the anger and hatred crackling in Ryoma’s heart like flames. They writhed under the surface, as slowly and certainly as a current of magma. Having spent many days plotting revenge for her dead husband and daughter, she could sensitively pick up on Ryoma’s hidden intentions, try as he might to hide them.
His hatred for those in power... Especially for rulers and those in privileged positions... It’s something I’m all too familiar with.
While Queen Lupis’s decision wasn’t an admirable choice in the slightest, it didn’t really call for that much criticism. In this Earth, social immobility was a common, iron-clad fact, and so it was only natural for those in high positions to go forward with their choices unchallenged. But Princess Lupis got one thing critically wrong: the procedure.
She could have simply explained things ahead of time and received Ryoma’s ap
proval. Ryoma was hardly a man who couldn’t be reasoned with, and given an honest, proper explanation, he would understand her point of view.
But the difference in class between a noble and a commoner reared its ugly head. Perhaps she didn’t do it consciously, but her attitude eloquently declared that her intention was “Shut up and listen to what the queen says, commoner.”
True, trampling over a commoner while hiding behind one’s social status wasn’t uncommon in this world, but Queen Lupis neglected to realize that those trampled won’t always bear that humiliation silently.
I forgave them... But that boy...
Having been born a commoner, Helena went through many bitter frustrations during her youth. But she simply used that frustration as a springboard to reach the position of general through her work as a knight, climbing to the top. Quite a few people resigned at the time, fearing Helena’s retaliation for those acts.
Helena never did get even with them, though. But that was only because Helena Steiner was a citizen of this kingdom. She restrained herself, thinking it would be wrong to lash out against her fellow countrymen.
But what would a person with no attachment to Rhoadseria do? Their heart would likely simply shake with humiliation and anger, believing the day they would exact revenge would surely come...
Will I eventually have to fight that boy...?
Each time that question crossed her mind, Helena shivered. Of course, she had no intention of raising her voice in warning of that situation, nor did she intend to advise Queen Lupis to seek reconciliation.
Should Ryoma come for revenge, she would simply lock blades with him silently. She knew his anger was justified.
Five years...
The words rose in her mind. It was what Ryoma said the night before he left Pireas, at his farewell banquet.
This country has little time left...
The former Duke Gelhart was demoted to viscount, and had his territory changed from the grain producing region of Heraklion to an undeveloped land. Compared to when he controlled Heraklion, he was greatly lowered in status, but since his personal fortune remained untouched, he was still financially stable. He would surely regain his influence at some point.
And indeed, rumor had it that in the three months since the civil war ended, Viscount Gelhart had already begun to gather the remnants of the nobles’ faction that had evaded punishment. Most of them were people that were driven out of their posts due to Count Bergstone and the other neutral faction nobles being promoted. They were plotting the nobles’ faction’s resurgence, with Viscount Gelhart as their leader.
And of course, this reformed nobles’ faction used Princess Radine as its nominal figurehead. Viscount Gelhart’s pardoning meant that Radine was officially recognized as a member of the royal family. It was only natural, since Queen Lupis accepted his explanation. But of course, the people who fought to prove the queen’s legitimacy on the battlefield couldn’t accept this state of affairs that easily.
Queen Lupis is even more badly cornered than before...
On the surface, the public order in the kingdom had improved and the markets were lively. In terms of the citizens’ quality of life, the kingdom was certainly being rebuilt. But that was only a deceptive peace.
It was as if the country was ill and refused the surgery that would heal it, and was only functioning due to medicine suppressing the symptoms. On the outside, everything looked fine, yet the disease was slowly but surely ravaging the inside of the patient’s body.
The problem was that despite the fact that Queen Lupis won the civil war, she couldn’t execute Furio Gelhart. Hodram, who was married to a Tarjan noble, had died. This left Rhoadseria and Tarja in a state of tension. They weren’t in a state of war with Xarooda or Myest, but they were still diplomatically distant. Hostilities might break out with those two kingdoms at the slightest trigger. And on top of all that, there was a faction within the kingdom that plotted to drag Queen Lupis off her throne.
Ryoma estimated the amount of time Queen Lupis had left while considering all of those factors, and shared it with Helena. Five years... Or rather, five years at most. Things could very well fall apart even sooner. In fact, given the situation, it seemed very likely they would fall apart much earlier than five years.
“If you don’t prepare accordingly in these five years, Queen Lupis might die... Though I suppose you know that already. But I’m telling you this, just in case... I did practically force you to be a part of this, after all.”
Ryoma said that with a smile.
The moment she saw that smile, Helena realized he’d completely given up on Queen Lupis. He spoke purely out of concern for Helena... Warning her to not lead herself to destruction by obeying a queen that had no future.
“Five years...” The words slipped from her lips.
“Hmm? Did you say something?” Chris asked back, looking at her quizzically.
“No, it’s nothing... Could you hand me the next document?”
Chris handed her the next piece of paperwork as requested. She looked through it quickly and stamped it with her seal. There wasn’t much time until the day Ryoma predicted would come.
Ryoma... Live on... And then, once again...
Helena prayed from the bottom of her heart for the well-being of this mature boy who was young enough to be her grandson. Hoping they would someday meet again...
The sun shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the people walking across the highway. The scars left by the Rhoadserian Civil War were still vividly felt, and the circulation of goods was still inhibited in the country. But now, three months after the fighting had concluded, peaceful life was finally returning to Rhoadseria’s civilians.
Among the people traveling along the highway heading north was a group holding up a particular banner. It was made from a black-dyed fabric. A flag of a double-headed serpent with gold and silver scales coiled around a sword. The serpent’s crimson eyes seemed to glare at its surroundings.
Upon accepting the title of baron, Ryoma Mikoshiba had this flag made by one of Pireas’s craftsmen, dubbing it the crest of the newly formed House Mikoshiba. The sword stood as a symbol of strength while the serpent stood for cunning and wisdom. A symbol that accurately signified Ryoma Mikoshiba’s nature.
Before Ryoma’s eyes was a gently sloping hilly region. Spreading out from both sides of the road were orchards, with the commoners who populated the nearby villages laboring to tend to them.
“Boy! We should be going over the ridge soon!” Lione turned around and called out to him, her crimson hair flapping mildly in the breeze.
“Right, finally... Not gonna lie, my butt’s been starting to hurt,” Ryoma said, raising his hips slightly to rub his aching behind.
“Hell, the nobles of the world would bury their heads in shame if they saw a baron like ya do that,” Lione said teasingly, a sarcastic smile on her lips.
Ryoma knew full well how shameful his conduct was. By contrast, Laura, who was riding beside him, looked at him with genuine concern.
“My, Master Ryoma... It must hurt. Bear it just a while longer, yes? I’ll apply ointment to it once we find lodging...”
Before Ryoma could answer, Sara cut into their exchange.
“No, you should not have to wait that long. If you’d like, you could move to the carriage. If you’re inside there, we can apply ointment, and I think you’d be able to travel much more comfortably.”
Apparently, the Malfist twins were in the middle of some climactic battle for Ryoma’s affection.
“E-Erm... I’ll be fine, you two. Gotta get used to riding a horse...” Ryoma replied, putting up with the pain.
Honestly, moving to the carriage is a bit tempting...
Up until now, Ryoma had no experience in horseback riding. In Japan, the only means of transportation typically used, aside from going on foot, were bicycles and cars. Depending on the distance, one might need to take a train or an airplane, but those were all much more convenient compared
to a horse.
A car’s seat was, of course, quite comfortable, but even a bicycle’s saddle was much more pleasant than a horse’s. Being a child of the modern age, Ryoma’s behind was chaffed from sitting atop the saddle for a long time.
When they pursued Hodram, he shared the saddle with one of the Malfist sisters, so his knowledge of how to ride a horse was very basic and superficial. Any pretensions he had on the matter of horseback riding were completely gone after this ten-day journey on horseback.
He couldn’t give in to temptation and move to the carriage here, though. After all, that would bring him into a situation where he’d have to let the Malfist sisters rub ointment over his exposed bottom...
And if I say ‘no’ the wrong way, they might start crying on me...
Ryoma actually made them cry over refusing their help once or twice when they first met. The Malfist sisters fundamentally placed their service to Ryoma above all. In a way they doubled as both maids and bodyguards, and so they often functioned as the former. They helped him change his clothes, cooked his food and fed him; they essentially tended to his every need.
Indeed, some nobles in this world did have maids help them with any and all affairs. Depending on their situation, they had their servants and maids help them with more personal matters. At times, this meant helping with the bedpans of the ill and the aged, but oftentimes — particularly in this case — those personal affairs took on a more sexual interpretation.
And so, Ryoma declining their service in this situation was a blow to the sisters’ purpose in being. They felt as if their very presence with him was being denied. It took him a full day and night to convince them this wasn’t the case last time, and ever since then, there hadn’t been any problems.
But recently, the sisters’ attitude had shifted. Ryoma’s becoming baron made them change their thinking, believing they now needed to serve him as maids would serve a noble.