It's not Mito *mon-sama
(TN: I think this is referred to Mito Komon, the other name for Mitsukuni Tokugawa. The lord of the Mito domain in the Edo period.)
Mittegard, the largest city in Nord, is located on a plain about a week northeast of the royal castle. This is the land where the royal castle was located before the defeat.
In the center of the plain, a river flows from the mountains to the east, and cultivated land spreads out around it. It is a land of unparalleled abundance. Almost 80% of Nord's domestic crop is harvested in and around Mittegard. It is a situation in which no crops can be properly harvested outside of this area.
"Well, you could say that Mittegard alone supports the entire country."
Finally, the Mayor of Mittegard ended his explanation by saying so proudly.
"Well, that's a lot of work."
"It's certainly hard work, but I personally find it rewarding. I'm working with the intention of carrying the country on my shoulders."
"That's a wonderful attitude."
"No, as the mayor of the city, it's a matter of course. It's not something to be praised."
Even if he says this with his mouth, his expression is still full of pride. He doesn't look very humble. It's clear he's trying to sell himself under that guise.
A patrol by a saint. This was officially announced to each town and village, along with the fact that a new king had ascended to the throne.
People react differently to this, but some people have the same reaction. Some of them are corrupt officials who have something to hide. Immediately after receiving the notice, they began to conceal the evidence of their wrongdoing and prepare to entertain the visiting saint.
Even in Mittegard, where Shizuku and her party first visited, all preparations were already in place.
It was as if they were declaring that they were cheating, but it could not be said to be absolute. The purpose of the generous hospitality was not only to cover it up.
The fact that the three ministers have been removed is already known to those in high positions, along with the information that it is not the power of a new king, but that of the only remaining Lautrec. Lautrec is supposed to have taken advantage of his accession to the throne to monopolize power.
When political changes occur, personnel changes. Everyone knows this. If he wants to remain in his current position, he needs to win Lautrec's favor. But there is no direct communication with Lautrec.
So, what should they do? They can gain the favor of the saint whom Lautrec may have sent to them and give Lautrec a good report. This was the idea.
Thus, Shizuku is enjoying a little luxury for the first time in a long time. Shizuku is savoring the dishes lined up on the table, one by one, and bringing them to her mouth. Although it is not comparable to the food served by the Luine Kingdom in the capital, Shizuku still looks satisfied.
It would be so. After leaving the church capital, the only meals were boiled or grilled. Because she hasn't eaten anything that has been complicatedly cooked.
"It's delicious. I never thought I would be able to taste such a wonderful dish."
Shizuku has a discerning palate to begin with, but after a long period of poor diet, she is indeed speaking from the bottom of her heart. She speaks out in praise.
"I know I can't compete with the chefs in the castle, but I've hired someone who is close to that level of skill."
"A cook of such skill in the castle?"
"Oya? Is the food in the castle not to your liking?"
"I don't think the food was prepared by a chef..."
Even in the royal castle, they only eat food that is either boiled or grilled. The only difference from when they were camping was that the salty taste was a little more proper.
Shizuku turned around and looked at the guards waiting by the wall behind her. However, one glared back at her, and Shizuku immediately returned to her original posture.
"I wonder if they were dismissed. If so, you might want to call them back."
"Yes. I'll think about it."
Shizuku has no such authority. But even so, it is Shizuku's habit when she is in hypocrite mode, or in beauty on all sides mode, to naturally respond in this way in accordance with the feelings of the other party. This is useful in this case.
"I heard that the central personnel affairs have changed a little."
"Yes. I think it's changed quite a bit."
"How is that?"
"The specifics are yet to come. We are in the process of rebuilding the organization with Lautrec-san at the center."
"Is that so? Will the local personnel also change?"
"I don't think it's going to stay that way."
"If so, how?"
"...I think it will be left to those who are willing to cooperate."
Even if it is only her own idea, Shizuku will answer if asked. However, Shizuku's current position is that of a patrol officer dispatched from the center. The listeners would take it as the central government's idea.
"For Lautrec Jungling, the Left Minister?"
"...I wonder if that will be the case."
He is not mistaken. The fact that they are cooperating with Lautrec, who is working under the direction of Ren, means that they are cooperating with Ren.
"But how do you determine that the person is cooperating with him?"
"I think it's the result of various investigations."
"And this inspection?"
"...Yes. One of them."
He was right. That's what he thought. And one more person. Ren, who was standing by the wall dressed as a guard, thought the same thing.
With this, the mayor was going to do everything in his power to please Shizuku. And Shizuku, who likes luxury, would accept it all, despite her reticence. With that, one of the purposes of the inspection would be fulfilled. Knowing that, Ren pretended to be replaced and left the room, ignoring Shizuku who was giving him a sign not to leave her behind.
◇◇◇
When night fell and people went to bed, Ren was inside a building in the backstreets. The place where he arrived after turning several alleys from the main street is a place called the poor district in the shadow of Mittegard.
The building in which Ren was staying was as old as its surroundings, but once inside, the interior was more magnificent than one would expect from the exterior. The most luxurious room in the building. In that room, Ren was facing a man.
"……Who are you?"
The man seems calm even with the sudden uninvited visitor.
"A calm reaction helps."
"You had come all the way in here. I suppose there's no point in making a fuss, is there?"
"Oh well."
"So? Who are you?"
"I'm not going to identify myself now."
"...Then what are you here for?"
"I have a request."
"What do you want?"
"I want you to follow me."
"...What if I say no?"
"It will be a change of the head. However, as the head of a villain, you seem to have a lot of respect for your hands and feet. To avoid confusion, I would appreciate it if you would stay under me."
"Do you think you can take over our organization with just words?"
It was a man who intimidated Ren with a strong voice like a man who oversees the underworld.
"No, if I use my power, the organization will just disappear, so I'm just doing it with words."
That kind of thing shouldn't work. He lightly threatened back.
"...That's just words, too. There is no evidence of power."
"That kind of evidence is not something to show. Isn't it?"
"...You're right."
You can't negotiate by showing off your abilities. That kind of bargaining is necessary so that what is not there is there and what is there is not.
"Obey or disobey. I'll let you choose."
"What do you want? Money? Power?"
"Those two are tools to achieve a goal, not the goal."
"Then what is it?"
"I would like to ask if you have a purpose to hear that, but since you asked me first, I will answer first. In order to make a place outside this country."
"That's too vague."
"Then I'll make it easy to understand. Control the underworld of this continent."
"What did you say?"
Surprise spreads across the man's face. What Ren said was too big an ambition for the head of a small underworld organization.
"This is also a means to achieve the goal."
"Are you saying the purpose is above that?"
"I don't know if it's above it. And now I can't tell you what happens next."
Fear of the unknown spreads through the man. Along with that, the thought that the man in front of him, who looks quite young, might be much bigger than he is, rises up in his mind.
"...There is no way we could do that."
Unwilling to accept it, the man uttered the words of denial.
"You can't."
"Are you saying you can?"
"I don't know if I can do it, but I will do it. I won't give up from the beginning like you."
"...That's just talk."
"Then you should try to find out. And for that, you have to follow me."
"…………"
The man is completely swallowed up by Ren's ambition. The only thing left to do now is to give him an excuse to accept it.
"It's no use buying time. This building is completely under control. You can't even contact the outside."
"I see you have company."
"I've shown you a glimpse of my power."
"…………"
"Still no answer? Then some more. I already know some of the black market routes. Can't you get through the routes? Both the haul route and the destination."
"What?"
"There is a way to take it. I don't want to do that because I'm shorthanded and I want to use what I have."
"…………"
"And there are ways to expand that trade."
"If you can go that far, you can do it yourself."
"You don't get it. I'm recruiting. I need someone to do it for me."
Nord is always in need of people to do anything. There are no civilian or military officials who can do this kind of behind-the-scenes work.
"...I still don't know. Who the hell are you?"
"The Demon King."
"What?"
"That's one of my titles. Well, not exactly."
"...Demons"
"Demons too. Do not make a mistake here. It doesn't matter whether you are a human or a demon. It's whether or not they share the same goal as me."
"…………"
"This is the last time. Will you follow me or die?"
His tone remains the same, but Ren's body emanates a clear killing intent. It is so strong that even a man who is far from being a warrior can recognize it.
"...Understood. I'll follow you."
"That's good"
In the end, with only the man's initial denial of his mouth, Ren has acquired an organization that controls the Mittegard underworld. The next step is to seize the entire underworld within Nord, which is not a difficult task. Nord is a poor country, and the underworld is not developed in Nord. If they seize Mittegard, the largest city in Nord, it will be the same as if they seize the whole Nord.
One of the purposes behind the inspection has taken its first step.
◇◇◇
The patrol in Mittegard has entered its fifth day. The inspector, Shizuku, is looking around the city with the guidance of the mayor. Naturally, she is shown only the best parts of the city. The mayor is desperate to show off his accomplishments.
In the evenings, he holds daily dinner meetings with influential people. The name of the meeting is to hear about the problems of various people, but these are the people invited by the mayor. They would only have good things to say.
That's fine. Shizuku was just a decoy to divert attention. The real information gathering was taking place elsewhere, even before Shizuku and her group arrived.
"The restoration of the waterway is not progressing?"
"Yes. The waterway leading to our place is broken in several places along the way, and I've asked many times to fix it."
"Why can't they fix it?"
If water does not flow to the fields, crops cannot grow. He doesn't understand why the repairs are not being made, even though it is such a big problem.
"It's just being put off."
"Why are they putting it off?"
"Budget, right? It seems that the amount of money that can be used is limited, so it doesn't come to us."
"Are there so many broken places?"
"Well, it's a lot, but the reason they don't is because the order to fix them is decided by lottery every year."
"Lottery? Isn't that strange?"
"We're complaining too, but that's the rule."
"…I see. So they pretend to have a lottery, but they do not?"
"That's what we think."
"I understand. I'm sorry for taking up your time."
"No. So what's the plan?"
"I can't promise anything right away, but I'll make sure you'll be taken care of. Until then, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone about what we talked about."
"I understand"
Ren has been talking to people in and around the city himself. Mittegard is a city of a certain size. There are too many people to talk to one by one.
After steadily gathering information during the day, they gather to share and organize.
"…What I learned is that the mayor and his entourage are no good."
"If you put it all together, yes."
Ralph replies to Ren's impression. Ralph's tone of voice has also changed on official occasions.
Right now, he holds the official position of the head civil official under the emperor. Even if his job is to do everything.
"How can you afford to be cheating in this poor country? For a man who is embezzling money, the average person is not wealthy, but it doesn't seem that bad either. Except in this area."
"It means that the gap between rich and poor is too great."
"Not just within the capital, but the disparity between the capital and other cities and villages."
"Yes"
Being responsible for 80% of the country's agricultural production means that the country's wealth is also concentrated. The question then becomes, what about the other lands that share the remaining mere 20%?
"Should priority be given to other towns and villages?"
"The problem must be far greater."
"...Choose between fruit and prestige"
"That is?"
"I understand that other towns and villages are in a more serious situation. So, we leave this place unattended and give priority to that one?"
"Is it wrong?"
"Even if people say that the same lifestyle has improved, the response from a hundred people will be different from one person's."
The same is true of Shizuku's patrols, but what Ren is trying to do is to gain popularity. Given that, the size of the problem is not a reason to make it a priority.
"...Throw away the small and take the large, huh?"
"It's not."
"Huh? No, but what you just said now..."
"There is no such thing as abandoning the small. If we admit that, we, the small, will lose our existence. We make the most of the small. That is what we are doing."
"…………"
"Is it a little overbearing? Forget about what we just said because it doesn't matter."
"No……"
In Ren's case, this kind of trivial story, which had nothing to do with the main plot, struck a strange chord in his heart. It is even more so when he considers that this is Ren's real intention.
"Increasing production as a whole is a priority. So it's right to address issues such as agriculture in other towns and villages."
"Yes"
"On the other hand, popularity is necessary. But this is not about fruit, it's about prestige......"
"How do you judge?"
"This is where Ralph will give the answer."
"Me..."
After hearing Ren's words, Ralph began to think of an answer. Recently, Ren has been trying to make people think like this.
"It's best not to take it too seriously."
"Eh?"
"Isn't it rather difficult to understand? Prestige, not fruit, try changing the way you say this."
"...It's prestige and not fruit."
"That"
"This?"
"What. You didn't say that knowingly?"
"You asked me to change the way I said it."
When Ren relaxed, Ralph's tone of voice instantly returned to normal. He still hasn't let go of the feelings he had as a classmate.
"The answer. I'm looking for prestige, so I don't need to have any fruits."
"... I understand. It's good to solve a lot of simple problems."
"Correct. Who knew that?"
Ren asks the civilian officials who are in attendance. Unfortunately, no one raised their hands. They were Ralph's peers, people who had aspirations to do something about the country. Ren had brought them all together and promoted them.
That's the kind of people they are. They couldn't be that stupid. They were definitely the best of the younger generation. However, they were having trouble meeting Ren's expectations.
Because what Ren wants is for them to arrive at the same idea as he does. There is no way they can do that right away. But Ren still wants it.
He has only one body. Therefore, he needs someone who can think and act in the same way as he does if he tells him what the policy is. He doesn't think he is right about everything. For better or worse, things will proceed according to the ideas of Ren, the emperor. He wants them to be able to guess that in Ren's absence and move before they receive orders.
"...Well, it can't be helped. Everyone's thinking is serious unlike me."
When Ren utters words of comfort, those around him become depressed. Ralph's depression is particularly intense. Ralph has an idea of the kind of person Ren is looking for. And he is frustrated that he is not as good as him.
"So, we'll identify some simple problems and prepare to solve them. We will not begin to solve the problems until after the patrol leaves the site."
"Ah, I see. So you want them to think that we moved only after the results of the inspection were transmitted to the royal castle."
The value of Shizuku as a saint. They must not forget to raise it. The purpose of this popularity contest is not to increase Ren's popularity.
"That's right. The easiest thing to do would be to solve the recent public safety problems."
"I don't think it will be easy to solve."
"Not really. All you have to do is tell the people who are making the situation worse."
"Ah, I see"
"So, boss. Can you please get your men to behave themselves?"
"...You."
The boss of the organization, whose room had been completely occupied, listened to Ren and the others in amazement.
Ren keeps his identity hidden. However, if he listens to the conversation just now, he can guess who Ren is to some extent. The content of Ren's conversation is about the country. And Ralph and the others are clearly from a decent family.
"Don't pry too much. It'll only make it harder for both of us."
"But"
"And so, public safety."
"…I can do it. But it's the strangers who are making things worse."
"Isn't it the boss's job to prevent these strangers from coming in?"
"Yes, but we cannot deal with them one by one."
If they are a threat to their interests, they will deal with them, but if they are a nuisance to the general public, they cannot deal with them. There are plenty of them out there.
"…I wonder what the security forces stationed in the capital are doing?"
"That's……"
At Ren's question, the boss muddied his words. It's proof that they are doing something hard to say.
"I don't care what they are doing, I won't do anything. I promise."
"......They're asking for a little extra."
"In other words, bribery is accepted."
"Well."
"Well, it looks like it's been rotten to the point that it's splendid. It makes me want to thank you for coming this far."
"Thanks?"
"Just a little something would go a long way to improving the country. That's the kind of achievement I'm looking for right now."
With these words, Ren's identity becomes clear. When that happens, the boss can no longer remain silent.
"...Is it really not a crime?"
"Worried?"
"That's right."
"...I understand. Then, is it safe to say this?"
"That is"
"No matter what happens, I will pardon you. This is a promise."
"……As I thought."
Even the boss knows the person who can pardon it. The person in front of him is the emperor who has been enthroned. For some reason, the emperor is doing government affairs in his room in the slums.
The situation was so unbelievable that the boss had to pinch his cheeks several times to make sure he was not dreaming.
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