Chapter 454
(Kyle Calendar Year 516:
Age 23)
A Disturbing Honeymoon
② Night in Salaam
The night the King and others visited Salaam accompanied by
diplomatic envoys from the Royal Capital Feari, the city was extremely
bustling. Because four auspicious events had arrived for them all at once.
·
The King of Fearalt and the
Archduke of the Westlights Demon Territory Dukedom, who was the de facto
lord, visited the city together.
·
A large-scale subjugation of the
monsters that had recently been appearing from the Demon Territory and
troubling the residents was conducted.
·
Five Klimt, the monsters
highly reputed as the strongest and even said to be impossible to subjugate,
were hunted all at once.
·
To celebrate the visiting King's
marriage, the distribution of free alcohol and food throughout the entire city
was carried out by the order of the Governor-General's Office.
Due to these auspicious events, the excitement in the city became
unprecedented, and cups of celebration were exchanged everywhere. Even in a
tavern in a certain corner of the city...
「Even so, Salaam has also changed greatly, hasn't it? This also
started with Archduke-heika liberating the city from the rebel
army, right?」
「Yeah, and also gratitude to the King-heika who boldly
handed the city over to him, right?」
「Hahaha, to Archduke-heika and King-heika!
And let's toast anew with gratitude to the Princess Consort!」
「「「Yeah, a toast to Archduke-heika, King-heika,
and the Princess Consort!」」」
Even after exchanging cups, their praise and drinking didn't stop.
Following the toast, new men joined the conversation.
「I think the Acting Governor-General's Office is doing well too. After
all, Salaam is a 『Matsuyama』 style city that other cities envy.」
「Yeah, all the bad guys ran away as if fleeing, and everyone's
livelihood has improved considerably.」
「I hear that nowadays all the women in the city are aiming for
employment at the Acting Governor-General's Office or the Reception Desk, and
they're overwhelmingly the most popular.」
「Should I have... raised my hand back when anyone could join the Acting
Governor-General's Office too?」
「Hahaha, no doubt. Anyway... a toast to Matsuyama!」
「「「Yeah, a toast to Matsuyama!」」」
「......」
I was feeling a bit embarrassed by the voices exchanged at the
surrounding tables. Even so, regarding 『Matsuyama』... isn't the usage wrong? That was a unique policy I started regarding
the treatment of prisoners, and has absolutely nothing to do with domestic
administration. Although, even in the Empire and the Sura
Principality, the word has taken on a life of its own, evolved, and before
I knew it, become a signal of surrender... However, I've heard that this was
actually used as a word indicating surrender in the Russo-Japanese War as well,
so there's also a coincidental match that can't be entirely said to have taken
on a life of its own.
As I was brooding like that, my back was suddenly slapped from behind.
「Hahaha, the citizens are satisfied and grateful for my friend's
policies. You don't have to make such a troubled face, do you?」
「That's right, today is a celebration party for successfully completing
the subjugation. Fortunately, we were able to secure one Klimt for each
country, too.」
No... that's not it. I was actually planning to return after a moderate
amount. When I thought three hunted was enough and was about to head back, a
fourth one unluckily attacked us. If that happened, we'd have trouble dividing
them unless we went up to a fifth one! The 『tomboy』 who had just become the Princess Consort
also had her tension through the roof, and I couldn't say we were going back
midway either.
「We also experienced hunting in the Demon Territory for the first
time, and it was very informative. Takuhir-dono's army has continuously
accumulated training always side-by-side with the danger to their lives; I was
convinced that is exactly why they are outstandingly strong.」
「That's right, the operation and coordination of the Mages was
also very informative. Besides, I was also surprised by the Princess Consort-denka's
skill with a bow.」
That is certainly correct. It is correct, but... We have an Ogre (Commander)
more terrifying than monsters. I think more than half the reason for our
strength is thanks to the Commander. Also this time, Yoltia
daringly restricted her gravity magic, but Yuka went all out. Her bow
combined with wind magic showed astonishing hit rate and power.
「We too were able to obtain one whole body's worth of Klimt
scales, which were said to be impossible to obtain. This too is thanks to Archduke-heika
and Crajyu-sama.」
Indeed... Alicia-denka, who has now become Queen, handles
domestic administration, and probably always racks her brains over holding the
reins of the merchants. Having obtained material that gives them an
overwhelming advantage in transactions with them, her joy must be all the more
profound.
「Now, I have brought new sake!」
「......」
I mean, the King himself bringing sake... and the whole barrel at that?
It's natural for the dignitaries other than me to have their sake poured,
though. Normally, it's an impossible story, after all.
「In the Imperial Capital, the Emperor himself, and in Feari,
the King of the Principality himself served sake, so I followed suit...」
King Crajyu, you don't have to follow suit, you know? He himself
is rather gladly doing it as if it's a matter of course, though.
「Hahaha, it seems my friend claims to be the person with the most
common sense? However... he doesn't seem to have self-awareness that he
deviates the most from common sense among us?」
「Hahaha, that's quite a harsh thing to say.」
「No, I intended to praise my friend, you know? The one among us who
normally acts the least bound by status, and interacts with the territory
residents without discrimination, is none other than the Archduke himself, is
it not?」
Somehow... I understand what King Krugel wants to say. I
understand, but. I originally have the blood of a commoner steeped in my body,
and moreover, I am not royalty or anything in this world, after all.
「Unlike everyone, I wasn't born royalty, and I am the second son of a
frontier Baron who originally held no title of nobility. To begin with, the
worlds we live in were different.」
Yes, I am nothing more than someone who happened to rise in the world
in the process of protecting myself, my family, and my companions. That's why
I'm tormented by a feeling of being out of place even now.
「That's not true. Everyone here was originally in a position far from
the top of a country. Even if we were royalty, we were normally in positions
where we were kept indefinitely without any real power.」
「That's right, exactly as King Krugel says, the reason we could
each stand at the top of a country is all thanks to 『someone』. In that sense, regardless of origin, isn't
he the existence with the highest authority among us?」
Tch, there's that perspective too. It's true that due to my
involvement, the civil war in the Principality ended, the Empire escaped
a desperate predicament, and the three countries unified and escaped the fate
of becoming a hunting ground for neighboring countries. But those were all
things I did for myself, merely an extension of self-defense measures.
「Even so... it's a bit of a problem.」
Hm? What is the problem-child bride saying in the first place? Or did
she find some uneasy point in the flow of this conversation?
「I too have now become a person of the Fearalt Principality. If
that happens, only the Kyle Kingdom will end up falling two or three
steps behind among the allied nations from now on.」
So that's what she means! It's true that until now, Clarisse-denka
had joined our circle as the First Princess of the Kyle Kingdom.
Therefore, the current King of Kyle did not show his face, and the First
Prince who will bear the next generation's throne has not yet reached the age
to enroll in the academy.
「I thought I must do something about this problem as a parting gift to
the Kingdom, too.」
Does that mean I also have to use my face as a person of the Kyle
Kingdom differently? Somehow... I feel like a flag has been raised that
will drag me into unnecessary things, but it's just my imagination, right?
Contrary to my thoughts, we bar-hopped the taverns King Krugel and Clarisse-denka went around several years ago, and the drinking banquet in Salaam continued until the night began to turn white. Of course, the 『bad premonition』 I felt at this time would later turn into a troublesome story where I would be splendidly dragged into it, but at this point in time, my head was completely full with the immediate task, the hunt in the other Demon Territory.
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