Meeting, Meeting, More Meeting
As soon as the High Council meeting was over, Ren went into a meeting with Lautrec. He knows nothing about the national government to date. For Ren, understanding the current situation is a top priority.
Ralph also attended the meeting. Ralph is supposed to be the future leader of the humans, and he is trying to gain experience in preparation for that time.
"Where do we start?"
"The budget. Do you have the income and expense data?"
"Here."
Lautrec held out a sheet of paper from among the materials he had prepared. It was a sheet of paper with numbers written on it.
"…………"
"I will explain the contents"
Lautrec tried to explain the contents to Ren, who was silent after staring at the paper, but that was a mistake. Lautrec was wrong. Ren had learned how to look at these numbers in the capital. Ralph had learned the same thing.
"No, I'll look at it in detail once and then ask. What I want to know now is why the balance is right."
"What do you mean?"
"I thought we were in the red because we are a poor country."
"Yeah. We tried to be thrifty with what we didn't earn."
"Really?"
Ren looks at Lautrec's explanation with suspicion. It can't be that way.
"Is something wrong?"
"The problem is, is this document genuine? Are you sure they're not fudging the numbers?"
"No way..."
If this reaction is not an act, Lautrec would be innocent. Not that Ren is quick to admit that.
"Who's in charge of finance?"
"It's Former Minister Gury."
"I don't know which one, but it's one of the three. Is he also the head of the finance department?"
"Yes"
"Then interview, interrogate, consult, whatever you have to do to find out if there are any falsehoods. You can threaten him."
"But even if we threaten him."
"...If he told the truth, he won't be charged with a crime. If he hides it, he will be executed."
"That's"
Lautrec is bewildered by Ren's radical words.
"As a prerequisite, I don't mind if all the former Nord Federation officials are gone."
"Some of them are excellent."
As expected, Lautrec objected to the radical words that were piled up.
"But if there is an injustice, those excellent people may have been complicit in the injustice. I wouldn't call that excellence."
"…Yes"
"That's why we thoroughly clean up the injustices first. If they see that we are serious about doing that, people with a good heart may speak up. That's who we care about."
"Yes"
"If there are no such people, we will start from scratch. The injustice of government officials undermines the trust of the people and ruins the country. They must be thoroughly eliminated."
"I understand"
The method Ren chose was to destroy it once and then rebuild it. He was prepared for what he called a rough cure.
"Also, how do you keep track of the problems in each town?"
"It will be petitioned by the head of each town and village."
"Where is that information?"
"It's all in one place."
"And it's not being suppressed?"
"That's……"
Ren is thoroughly suspicious. Lautrec feels that he is more than cautious.
"At least I can't deny it. I don't even know if I can trust the head of the town or village. No. Let's be a little more careful here."
"What do you mean careful?"
"We have to get the voices of the towns and villages directly from them. We can do that...... with the nuns and the fake saint."
"Um, what is that?"
Lautrec can't keep up with Ren's thoughts. The conversation kept changing and Ren's words were too few to understand what he was saying.
"The purpose, simply put, is to gain popularity."
"Popularity?"
"The ruler has changed and the country has improved. We need to make people feel that way as soon as possible. But it will be a long time before we can feel that the country has improved. So we have to solve a few problems close to home to make people feel that way."
"I see"
"I'll think of a way to do it. Then you'd have to wait until after it's done to move. Until then......"
Ren was lost in thought, but it was only for a short time. He quickly continued his words.
"As expected, it's an organizational restructuring. Find and appoint people who have a heart to expose the injustice and who are truly excellent. That's the first step."
"Yes"
"I thought I'd done a lot of thinking, but now I see there's not much we can do."
"Isn't that inevitable? First preparation, then execution."
"Then, we need to do more preparation. What kind of marine products do you have? How do you preserve it?"
"Huh?"
The conversation took off again. Lautrec was puzzled by this completely unexpected question.
"I'm sorry. I'm just wondering if it's possible to do it soon. The Nord is surrounded by the sea. I thought fishing was the number one industry."
"Maybe in coastal areas, but living here I don't see much."
"Don't they transport it in?"
"Transport? Seafood is perishable and doesn't last long."
"...How about drying?"
"Drying?"
"Eh? Haven't you done at least that?"
Ren thought that at least dried fish would be in this world. He was surprised by Lautrec's response.
"I'm sorry. I don't know."
"Or soak them in salt."
"Salt is expensive"
"Can't you make it?"
If there is an ocean, they should be able to make salt. Ren thought so, so Lautrec's words were surprising.
"It seems they are making enough for their daily needs."
"Make more and sell them."
"Oh, is that what you mean? That's impossible."
"Why?"
"We have no one to sell to."
"...I see, so that's what you mean. A trade restriction."
"Yes"
The disjointed conversation finally came together. The Nord people, who cannot trade with other countries, only try to produce what they need.
"I'll do something about that. Alright, there's room for consideration about salt production. After that, how to make the fish last longer. I'm sure you know."
"Maybe the fishermen are hiding it."
"Why?"
Ren's question is why Lautrec thinks like that. Ren can't think of any reason why they should keep their method of making dried fish a secret.
"I thought that if they knew we had food reserves, they would take it."
"...Who?"
Ren knew the answer to this question without even asking.
"I'm sorry. An official."
"In other words, the country. Yes, we found injustice. Is it an official in a town or village that is doing this?
"Yes. We have a representative there."
"It would be nice if we could investigate it. I don't think they will tell us until after we crack down on the corrupt officials. If they don't know they can sell salt, too, they can't...... Let's make it a public works project. The labor force is the corrupt officials. This is it for now."
"Yes"
"How many people raise horses, cows, pigs, etc.?"
As soon as they finish one, they move on to the next.
Wealth and strength. If this cannot be achieved, Ren will not be able to do what he really wants to do. He does not want to stall national politics, which is a prelude to the realization of this goal, even if only a little.
"Not that many."
"Reason?"
"We need a large area of land and turn those lands into agricultural lands."
"...Let's see if we can recommend relocation."
"Where to?"
"King Luke's place. There are many grasslands."
"…Would he agree to it?"
This was unthinkable before. But Ren, the emperor, could do it.
"I have talked to him a little bit before. I told him that hunting is not enough to stabilize the food situation, so he should also think about raising them. I don't think he reacted badly."
"I see."
"I'd like to expand the livestock farming. Food is first, but horses are also something for the future."
"Are you planning to form a knight order?"
"It does not have to be knights who ride horses. If possible, I want all the soldiers to be able to ride horses."
"Why?"
To put it simply, a cavalry unit costs more money than a normal unit, of course. An entire army on horseback is unthinkable for a poor Nord.
"You need mobility to fight efficiently with a small number of soldiers. The further we advance, the wider the battlefield becomes."
"Indeed."
"We're off topic. The important thing is the crops. But I don't know anything about farming. What are the problems in increasing yields?"
"The lack of arable land."
The answer was quite obvious. In other words, Lautrec was no expert on agriculture either.
"...I was wondering. Then why isn't there any cultivated land around the castle?"
"One reason is the proximity to the border, which is dangerous. Another is the water."
"…This is the castle, right? Don't tell me there is a lack of water?"
Even Ren, who has no experience in sieges, has the common knowledge that castles are weak when water is cut off.
"The castle is fine. It's just that we can't get it to the outside."
"Can we bring it in from elsewhere?"
"We could, but we don't have the budget for that."
"So it's chicken first, egg later."
"Huh?"
"To increase the budget, we need to increase the harvest. But to increase the harvest, we need a budget. As a result, there is nothing we can do."
"That's right"
"Can we talk to the elves and see if this can be resolved? Let's ask them."
He understands the situation. That's not to say that Ren would end it there. If you have a problem, just figure out how to solve that problem.
"Why the elves?"
"The spirits must know where the water is. So I thought it might be helpful to create an efficient waterway."
"...Can they do it?"
"We won't know until we ask"
"If it is possible..."
It may be possible to work efficiently, that is, with a low budget. The problems they were having would not be known until they actually did it, but there was a possibility that they could solve them.
"Are there any other areas that cannot be cultivated due to water problems?"
"Yes, there are. The mountainous area to the east is controlled by the demons, and the area around the river that flows from there is also controlled by them, so it is difficult to draw water from there. It is fair to say that the conflict with the demons was a struggle for water."
"That's not all, I've heard. That man also said that we should take the land and abduct the women. That was the backstory."
"…………"
Ren's words are information from the demon's side. Lautrec knows this to be true.
"There is a bitterness between humans and demons. I know they have feelings for each other. I hope they will forget their grudges and remember what they did to each other."
"Yes. I'll be careful."
"As I just said, many problems can be solved with the cooperation of the demons and elves. We must instill a spirit of coexistence and co-prosperity to make this country prosperous. I would go so far as to say that this is all that humans need to do."
"Yes. I think so too."
"It is difficult to remove prejudice. So at first, we let them cooperate with us for profit. Thanks to the demons and elves, life has improved. Without them, we would not be able to survive. We have to make them understand that."
"......Are the demons and elves okay with it?"
Lautrec does not believe that the demons and elves will actively cooperate. He knows that the demons and elves also have dark feelings toward the humans.
"They don't ask for help from the humans. They just don't want us to get in the way of their lives. That's why they are cooperating."
"That's."
"The Nords don't have the power to interfere with them. In other words, they are volunteers. Is it volunteer work? Service work?"
"…………"
"Don't forget this either. If you even think of using the demons and elves as a convenience, they'll back off immediately."
"Yes"
Ren was nailing Lautrec to the wall as much as he could. This is because he believes that it is the humans that disturb the peace. In fact, it is so. The war from the side of the demons and elves has only happened a few times in the history of thousands of years in the past. Conflicts are always caused by humans.
"It's kind of confusing. Are we going too fast?"
"It's still the first day."
"Is there no point in rushing? Alright then, let's deal with those who we can talk to concretely first. I'll talk to King Drakul about intelligence. I'll leave the government officials to you."
"Ah, Your Majesty!"
Lautrec hurriedly stopped Ren, who was about to get up and leave the room.
"What's wrong?"
"What will you do with the castle? I know you were dissatisfied with it."
"Can you afford to do a big construction like building a castle now?"
"No"
"That's why we're putting it off. Besides, we'll wait until after the church comes. I have some things to think about."
"I understand"
"Anything else?"
"No, not for now."
"Then, I guess I'll be going now."
Seeing Ren leave the room, Lautrec let out a big sigh.
"Father, what is that sigh?"
"How many things does His Majesty think about? It's too much to keep up with."
"I think it's several times what Father is feeling right now."
"What?"
"There are many things he doesn't talk about until the time comes. It's not like he's trying to hide it or anything, but he's thinking about all sorts of developments, and it's like he's telling you what he's thinking about at that particular moment."
Ralph, who has been with Ren for a long time, understands Ren. It's something he's worked hard to understand.
"……I see."
"This is His Majesty's talent. He is not a hero, he is a ruler."
"Yes, I could see that after only a few days of contact with him."
"Yeah."
"The only problem is..."
Lautrec stopped while he was about to say something.
"What is it?"
"...It's a pitiful thing to tell my son, but I'm worried about whether I'll be of any use to him."
In this meeting, he has mostly just listened to Ren's talk. He was no good.
"Ah, I was also worried about that. His Majesty is omnipotent. Will he get angry if I just say omnipotent? That's the result of his efforts."
"What effort?"
"Politics, military, accounting, commerce, agriculture. He just crammed all the knowledge he could think of that he needed. It was common for him to be locked in the library from morning until evening. And at night, he probably trained with sword and magic. I couldn't even try to imitate it."
"...But we are his vassals. We can't leave everything to His Majesty."
"Yes. That's why one thing is enough."
"One thing?"
"It would be enough if I could specialize in one field and surpass His Majesty. That is not easy, but it is not impossible.”
"What did you choose?"
"Financial accounting. Please leave it to me to take care of what you just discussed. If I have all the documents, I'll make sure I find something wrong with them.
"I see... then I'll leave it to you."
The son who had left for the capital with only vague dissatisfaction with the current state of the country came back with a solid self. As a father, Lautrec was happy to see that.
And he was also a little sad to think that his turn would come to an end sooner than he had expected. He felt a little lonely thinking that.
◇◇◇
In the room, King Drakul and Bull and the others had already started discussing.
Even if it's a discussion, it's like introducing themself in a situation where Ren's instructions aren't clear.
The discussion was about the fact that they were former guild soldiers and had been on many secret missions and that Ren might be aware of this and be trying to assign them to espionage work. Bull and the others explained this to King Drakul.
King Drakul explained that vampires are good at nighttime activities and have excellent cover-up skills. This is within the bounds of common knowledge. King Drakul does not fully believe Bull and the others either.
While they were having this conversation, Ren arrived and the conversation quickly turned to specifics.
"I want to close the borders. And, ostensibly, not to be understood."
"We don't want to leak information to other countries. Is that a given?"
"Yes. Especially since the country will be in turmoil for the time being. We don't want Saint Miriam to think they can take advantage of that opportunity."
"That's true. It's extra trouble."
Neither Ren nor King Drakul is thinking about losing. Now is the time to turn everything to internal affairs. They just don't want to take the time and trouble to deal with it.
"As expected, the coastline is impossible, so we'll ignore that."
"Is that okay?"
"We don't have a choice. There are only a limited number of places where they can put a ship, so as long as we hold them there, I think we'll be fine."
Nord, a peninsula, is surrounded by the sea. But inland, it is also surrounded by steep mountains. The points where you can land are limited, and the mountainous areas are the domain of the demons. There are not many places to be on the lookout.
"...That role to us. Why?"
"Because we don't want to prevent them, we want to eliminate them."
"I see."
King Drakul understood, but it seems Bull and the others didn't.
"Can you tell us what you mean?"
"To weaken the power of the intelligence organizations of other countries as much as possible. We will not let a single interloper escape who has infiltrated our country."
"Is it necessary to go that far?"
"We are the weak. The only way for the weak to defeat the strong is to catch them off guard or by surprise. We must not let them know our movements and intentions. On the other hand, we want to get any information, no matter how small, about our enemies."
You can't win by fighting head-on. Surprise them by surprise attack. It's all about outsmarting your opponent. Ren thinks that it will be necessary to win the information war in order to do so.
"Is my thinking naive? Does His Majesty think that we are already in such a situation?"
"No, not yet. But if it becomes known that we are moving, they might move quickly."
"...That's, no way."
Activities within the Nord Empire, where there is no human exchange with other countries, are not likely to be leaked to the outside world. Except for spies who sneak in to investigate. But if there is a possibility that their activities could be known to other countries, it would be a very serious matter.
"I'm sorry, but the three of you will be working outside the country."
"As we thought."
The Nord Empire would be the first to conduct activities outside the country.
"The mission is to recruit people. If there are people who excel in something and are buried in the field, or if there are people who are dissatisfied with the current situation, we will recruit them to this country."
Whatever they do, Nord is short of human resources. Nord, without funds, has not been able to do anything so far, but they cannot give up because of that.
"I understand that, but excelling at something?"
"It’s vague, isn’t it? That's what I'm thinking, and I have an idea of who I'd like to prioritize."
"Tell us please"
"Priority is given to people with necromancer abilities."
"Same as His Majesty"
He is a former guild soldier. He has some knowledge of Ren's abilities.
"Yes. There is no need for them to come to this country. We will ask them to promise to cooperate with us and find a place of work elsewhere and move there. Feel free to consult with the church about a place to work."
"May I ask why?"
"Because the only reason I was able to get information that people didn't know was because I was listening to the spirits."
"What?"
"Normal people wouldn't believe it, but that's the way it is. If you can communicate with the spirits, you can get information. And most people don't believe that there are spirits near them, listening to them."
"……Indeed."
Spirits are the best intermediaries. But they can't go everywhere. There are only a few places where they can gather information.
"I'm sure that if people look into me, they will find out about this. Then it is not surprising that they would try to use a necromancer to get the same information. I will prevent that."
"I understand the reasoning, but how do we find them?"
"You can search for rumors in the guild. If they've been asked to exorcise spirits, that person is almost certainly a necromancer. And there must be many grave-keepers who also have the ability."
"I see"
Having been one himself, Ren is well aware of the kind of place a necromancer works. And he has knowledge that even the former guild soldiers, such as Bull, would agree with if they heard it.
"If possible, if you find one, ask them to accompany you. Ask the spirit to tell you if there is a necromancer nearby and who it is."
"That's a good move"
"But if the necromancer doesn't know, kill that person."
"Eh?"
"A necromancer who is not trusted by spirits is not a necromancer. Even if that person has the ability, that person is still very bad."
"……Yes"
Ren does not recognize a person who has abilities but has no respect for spirits, a person who thinks spirits are beings that can only be erased. It's the same thing as the mediums who showed up to erase his friends when he was a child.
“The next is someone who has a job. It doesn't matter what their skill is. It would be difficult to recruit someone like that, because they would not have a hard time making a living."
"Yes. What else?"
"Someone who excels in one art. Like a craftsman, but even something that doesn't seem to make a lot of money."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I'll figure out how to use them. There must be something they are useful of."
In any case, Ren is willing to do whatever it takes to enrich the Nord Empire and make the military stronger. The idea is not because of what he wants to do, but because of what he can do with such people.
"...If His Majesty says so."
"Also, there is no need to solicit, but if there are people who are dissatisfied with the country, you should at least try to connect with them. If you don't think you can do that, just bring back information about who they are and where they are from."
"I understand"
"Please be careful when soliciting. If it becomes known that you are involved in such activities, there may be people who will try to catch you."
"……Yes"
It was a three-man mission outside of the country, and in some cases, it was a one-man mission. The thought of the dangers is a little frightening.
"When information becomes known and it becomes difficult to act, do not hesitate to come back"
"Yes"
"First, you must seek out necromancers in the three countries of Luine, Izrim, and Lemberg. If anyone will notice the information you are gathering, it will be in those three countries."
"……Yes"
And they are three of the most dangerous countries. The most dangerous countries to work in.
"It's a dangerous mission. If you are captured, your priority is to survive. If betraying me will save your life, then betray me."
"Your Majesty..."
"And then find another chance and come back."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will definitely return."
"…Receive the funds from Seira, for the time being. We've talked about this. When the funds run out, contact the guild....... I don't have to tell you this much, right?"
"Yes, we are a former employee of the guild."
The guild's use is not generally known to the public. It is a notice request. It is a little different from requesting the delivery of a letter. There is no delivery deadline and no confirmation of receipt. The delivery address is the nearest branch of the guild.
For that reason, it is a request that no one uses, but in fact, not only the guild staff but also some adventurers know that it is strangely fast.
It was obvious that they were using special magic that only the guild possessed, and for that reason, the guild did not want to spread the word about it.
"Come back regularly, even if the mission doesn't go well. Just the information you bring back will help a lot."
"I understand"
"Then, go ahead."
"""Yes!"""
The three of them replied to Ren together, and Bull and the others left the room. Ren and King Drakul remained in the room.
"Are you sure? I think it's an important mission though?"
"Yes. It depends a lot on how well they do."
"You trust them."
"No way"
"What?"
"Keep an eye on the three of them. Monitor their movements, and if they betray us, you can erase them."
"……I see."
Ren's ruthlessness. King Drakul was horrified by the difference between Ren's heartlessness and the warmth he had shown to the three earlier.
"If you find one, even if it's a liaison... do I need to explain this much?"
"Yeah. I'll make it work."
"It's a heavy burden on the vampires. If there is a problem, let me know."
"There's no problem. I don't know how much you know, so I'll explain. Vampires don't need food. We eat things normally, but it's just to enjoy the taste, and it doesn't mean anything in terms of nutritional supplementation."
"Is it blood?"
"Yes. But it is enough to drink a cup of blood from the living once a month. If we just want to live, we can do it less frequently."
"Is it really that different?"
Frankly, Ren envied it. Ren, who has little desire to live, only eats because he is hungry, has no desire for good food, and feels that the time he spends eating is a waste.
"The body structure is exactly the same. It has a stomach and an intestine. But it is different. It is believed that we live due to mana."
"...Other races too?"
"The need for food is slightly different. The beastmen need to eat more than others. The Liliths are just as you have heard. Just like us with blood, they desire male semen."
"I'm not sure whether to call that having a lot in common or having a lot of differences."
"I suppose so."
The nature of the demons is varied. It is the same as comparing them to humans. This makes Ren curious as to what a demon is.
"Would you be offended if I said that demons are similar to spirits?"
"...Similar?"
"A spirit is a mental body. But I feel that the thing we call a spirit is the same as mana."
"Why?"
"My magic. I was able to use a magic sword from the time I was in my original world. At that time, I thought that it was not a mana, but a spiritual body similar to a spirit."
Ren had been using it since he was in his original world as a weapon to use when he had no choice but to exterminate evil spirits.
"...That alone."
"It can cut spirits. So I thought it had the same properties. But Master said it was mana."
"......I honestly don't like to admit it, but let me give you one piece of information that supports that hypothesis."
"What?"
"The demons have fallen from heaven. It's a legend that has been handed down from a long time ago. No one now knows the details of this legend."
The demons possess a great deal of knowledge that humans do not know. However, not all of it has been passed down accurately. Memory transmission is increasingly disrupted due to population decline, and not a little knowledge has been lost.
"Interesting story."
"Yes"
If demons are beings that have fallen from heaven, spirits are beings that ascend to heaven. He thinks there is some great truth in it. He would like to pursue this in-depth, but Ren is not at the point right now.
"But now it's about the ground before the heavens."
"Ah, right. What I meant to say is that we don't have time to secure food. In other words, we have free time."
Animals, including humans, spend a lot of time to secure food. Not only the time to eat, but also the time to get it. In the case of humans, it is expressed as working, which means that they have a purpose beyond obtaining food.
"…I see. Then I will ask you to work for me without reservation."
"Yeah"
"I'm going to the next meeting, is there anything else?"
"No. I have something to say, but let's do that next time."
"...What is it?"
"You know what it is. I will talk as a father."
"I knew it……"
Ren has no words to discuss that. The reason why he decided to do it next time is because King Drakul knows that too. He knows that he has to hurry, but he also knows that if he rushes too quickly, he could make Rin unhappy. As for King Dracul, it's complicated.
Thanks for the chapter!
ReplyDelete