Chapter 174
(Kyle
Calendar Year 509: Age 16)
The Solis
Family's Policy
Translator : PolterGlast
With the meeting at
the Royal Palace concluded, we returned to a section of the capital's second
district, an area lined with the mansions of high-ranking nobles. This was
because, with my father becoming a Count and myself a Demon Territory Count, we
had been granted a mansion in the second district.
That said, it's not as
though we, whose primary duty is national defense, will be stationed at the
palace. Therefore, since it would be pointless for each of us to have our own
residence, we decided to use a single mansion as the Solis family residence,
sharing it with my father.
Incidentally, my
brother... will be living at the residence of the Margrave of Hastburg, as his
marriage into the family as the official heir has been decided.
In our newly assigned
residence, my father, the steward (Raymond), myself, the Commander, and Miseri
began to discuss our future plans. Incidentally, the steward had also
accompanied my father to the Royal Capital to handle the post-war cleanup.
"Still, between
His Majesty's benevolence and the Margrave's expectations, it's all quite
something. Well... things are going to be very difficult from now on, so it's
not a simple matter of just being happy for my proud sons..."
"Indeed. For my
part, I can only pray that no one tries to trip us up with political schemes
out of jealousy. I've had more than enough of entities like the Restorationist
faction..."
"That's true.
Still, the punishment dealt to them this time... Takuhir, what are your
thoughts? While I know it's disrespectful to say, I see it as somewhat
lenient."
"May I speak
frankly?"
I said, looking around
at the others. Well, with this group, there should be no problem speaking my
true thoughts.
"Personally, if
you felt that way, Father, then it only reaffirmed my belief that His Majesty
and the Headmaster are quite the cunning old foxes. I believe they skillfully
managed to create a compromise at the very limit of what those being punished
could tolerate.
However, I myself feel
that the four marquesses have received a punishment tantamount to execution.
Unless circumstances change drastically, they are as good as dead in the world
of high society."
"Hmm... and what
do you mean by that?"
"Lord Darren, I
believe Lord Takuhir is referring to the fact that each of the marquesses has
resigned from their ministerial posts."
So the steward
(Raymond) had noticed. He did once aspire to be a bureaucrat after studying at
the academy in the capital. As expected of him.
"Although this
country has a centralized system under His Majesty the King, the practical work
of the administration is entrusted to the various ministers. This includes the
authority to appoint personnel in each department. If that's the case, even His
Majesty's will, when passed through them, could be gradually distorted and
become something completely different by the time it reaches the lower
ranks."
"And so?"
"The ministerial
posts they were appointed to are not originally hereditary. However, for the
last several generations, the same houses have inherited the positions as if
they were. For them, they likely saw this as a matter of course.
I don't think they
understood the meaning of holding that power, or the magnitude of the authority
it brought, until they lost it. They mistake all of it for the power of their
houses, that is, the power of themselves as the current heads."
My father still had a
puzzled look on his face. This was understandable, as until a few years ago, he
was a baron of a remote frontier, unrelated to the central government or
politics.
"The ministries
the four marquesses held hereditarily were Foreign Affairs, Military Affairs,
Commerce, and Finance. In this situation, no matter how hard the Royalist faction
tries, the lifelines of this country remain in their hands, and they cannot
overturn their disadvantageous position."
I myself had been
doing my own research on the enemy (the Restorationist faction), especially
since coming to the Royal Capital. This included their power base.
"The Minister of
Foreign Affairs handles all negotiations and diplomatic intelligence with other
countries. If, by some chance, information stops there, His Majesty would be
left completely exposed in terms of diplomatic strategy. In our current
situation, where we are in conflict with two enemy nations, the authority of
the Foreign Minister must be said to be immense. Furthermore, I believe that
the decline in the quality of diplomatic intelligence in recent years, and our
delayed responses to other countries, can be attributed to problems here."
In fact, allowing a
two-front war with the Istoria Imperial Kingdom at the time of the Empire's
invasion could only be described as negligence on the part of the department in
charge of foreign affairs, which had grown complacent in peacetime. Furthermore,
it was also their will at work when the former Count Goyoku was forcibly sent
to the site of the truce agreement with the Empire.
"The Minister of
Military Affairs is effectively an honorary position in peacetime, but they
still know the military preparedness of each noble and have the authority of
inspection. They can investigate the state of any noble's army without
reservation in the course of their official duties, and if they so choose, they
can find fault and impeach them. What's more, in times of war, they can
designate which nobles to dispatch and form army corps at will."
They could send those
who complied with their wishes, or conversely, those who did not, to the
battlefield. It was, of course, their will that had dispatched the useless
nobles of the first and fourth allied armies in the last southern campaign.
"The Minister of
Commerce handles the purchase of goods related to the royal family and the
selection of merchants, and acts as an intermediary for agricultural products
from His Majesty's direct domains to the merchants. Furthermore, organizations
under the Commerce Minister's authority rule on business licenses and trade
permits in the capital. For this reason, they hold strong authority over the
merchants. The larger a merchant's business in the capital, the more likely
they are to provide both information and money to them."
Honestly, the fact
that the merchants who trade across the border are now being courted by the
Empire's side (Sieghart), and that large quantities of magic stones were
flowing illegally to the Imperial Kingdom, is due to their negligence.
I believe it happened
because they were content in a position where they could reap the benefits
without doing anything. Or, they were receiving compensation in exchange for
turning a blind eye. That would be even worse.
"The Minister of
Finance distributes the kingdom's administrative budget. All ministers and
those involved in the administration watch his every move. Therefore, sweet
rewards gather there."
Yes, and the final
blow is the Finance Minister. Besides the ministerial posts held by the four,
there are other ministries and departments in the kingdom. All of them are held
hostage by the budget, and they cannot openly act against his will.
Frankly, I think the
Headmaster and the other Royalists did well to be able to cross swords with
them under these circumstances.
These were the reasons
why the "major clean-up" had not progressed smoothly. Conversely, it
was because of this that the Restorationist faction had been able to wield such
power.
"I repeat, it was
decided from the moment they were born into their respective houses that they
would hold this power. For them, it was something that should naturally be
there, and thus they mistake it for their own power, the power of their house.
But they have lost that power all at once."
"And so, they will
fall into ruin all at once?"
"Yes, some of
their subordinates, the members of the Restorationist faction who were also
enjoying the sweet rewards, have followed their example and resigned from their
posts. In the future, others will likely be replaced by a new minister.
The foundation of
power that supported them has already collapsed.
The people who
gathered to curry favor, the gold coins that moved behind the scenes—all of it
will vanish in an instant. If they plot something in the future, they will have
to act with only their own power and the revenue from their domains.
Furthermore, they will
even have to change their current lifestyles. Their under-the-table income will
disappear all at once. The merchants, with their keen sense for profit, will likely
be the first to turn their backs on them."
They will surely be
aghast at this change first. And they will not be able to keep up with it.
Precisely because they were powerful aristocrats...
"Their immediate
funds have been taken away by the contribution of the reward money, but they
probably thought they could get that much back in a few years.
Certainly, if it were
like before...
However, they have
lost the source of that power. And they cannot change the habits they have
acquired over many years. Furthermore, they will not be able to humbly accept
this change.
As a result, their
lifelines will be slowly cut off, and it will not be a judgment by royal law,
but a form of self-destruction through their own actions.
From now on, their own
pride will be their downfall. There are only two paths for them. I believe the
old foxes foresaw this and decided on this punishment."
"Either they
erupt and launch a treacherous plot or rebellion, or they are unable to
maintain their family's status due to extravagance and fall into complete ruin.
Is that it? Are they that foolish?"
"Yes, power that
one has held as a matter of course since birth can sometimes warp the one who
holds it.
The reason they
engaged in a power struggle that hindered the front lines at a time when
national unity was necessary is because they are fools. They likely believed
that everything would go their way, and that the experience they gained in
their official posts would be the same on the battlefield."
"Takuhir, you say
that as if you've seen it yourself."
"Vested interests
and concessions drive those who benefit from them mad. To the point where they
can no longer distinguish between common sense and absurdity. They have lost
the power they took for granted. It is as good as decided that they will see
hell in the future."
I answered, puffing
out my chest. This knowledge didn't just come from light novels and fiction.
When Nishida was
working as a Japanese person, similar things happened. It wasn't nobles
clinging to vested interests and concessions, but corporations and
individuals...
Stories exposed in the
newspapers, stories known only to those involved—the list is endless.
"Is there no
concern that they might engage in further unsettling plots or try to bring you
down, Takuhir-sama?"
"Hmm, Miseri's
concern is valid, but I don't think that will happen. I think all the nobles
have learned their lesson from this incident. The fate of the nobles who were
deceived by Goyoku and followed him. Naturally, they will hesitate to join any
new plot.
Well, we will continue
to be vigilant without letting our guard down, and the Royalist faction has
gained sufficient power through the personnel changes this time."
"For us
mercenaries, serving a lord who does not know the battlefield, who plays with
soldiers wantonly, or a lord who is destined to lose, is a matter of life and
death. It's a story we'd rather do without, and we will investigate carefully.
As for the soldiers, I doubt any would want to serve them either."
Yes, they can no
longer consolidate the nobility, nor can they threaten or entice other houses
with concessions to control them. Even if they do nothing, they will only wither
away miserably.
And no one will follow
them anymore. Because no one would want to board a sinking ship.
There is a limit to
the punishment that could be handed down for their overt crimes in this matter.
But behind the scenes,
as leaders of the Restorationist faction, they were trying to defy His Majesty
and usurp the national government. This crime is very great, but to convict
them on that basis requires evidence and a suitable reason.
The viciousness of
this punishment, and likely of the old fox who devised it, lay in the fact that
it did not seem like a heavy penalty even to the individuals themselves, but
foresaw the developments to come, and in the way it trapped them without
dirtying his own hands. That's what I felt.
"A splendid
observation. Then we too shall devote ourselves to domestic affairs and build
up our strength in peace. The Solis family, in particular, has many challenges
ahead."
That was right. This
was what we were originally supposed to be discussing. Thanks to the steward
(Raymond) getting the derailed conversation back on track, both my father and I
remembered our original purpose.
"First, as an
immediate concern, what shall we do about the refugees from the former Hiyorimi
domain? They are now in the territory that Viscount Cornell will govern, and I
don't think we can leave the situation as it is."
In response to the
steward's statement, Miseri raised her hand.
"Please allow me
to add to that.
According to our
investigation, the number of refugees currently staying in Teigoon, including
the influx from Fran, is approximately 1,700. Many of them have come from the
southern part of the former Hiyorimi domain.
Although they will
become Lord Takuhir's citizens in the future, most of them wish to relocate to
Teigoon. Due to the misrule and the rampant monsters, the entire southern
border region was in considerable disarray..."
"I see. I think
it's fine to move in the direction of permitting the refugees we are holding in
Teigoon to immigrate. We may not be able to easily accept the refugees who came
from the central and northern parts. Raymond-san, is it correct that they have
mainly flowed into Est?"
"Lord Takuhir,
you are now the head of another house. Please feel free to call me Raymond from
now on.
As you say, we also investigated
the refugees in Est. The system for accepting refugees that you left behind,
Lord Takuhir, is still functioning. According to the tally at the reception
center, many of them were people who had come from the towns and farming
villages that spread from the northern to the central part of the domain."
"Well, I'll speak
to Viscount Cornell about it. Even though his domain has more than doubled, he
probably doesn't have the resources to support starving people."
Given the relationship
between my father (and mother) and Viscount Cornell, it should be fine as long
as we go through the proper channels. I decided to leave it to him.
"Understood.
Although it involves another party, as a policy, we will accept those among the
refugees who wish to do so as new citizens. Is that acceptable, Lord Darren,
Lord Takuhir?"
"Yes."
"I have no
objection."
"Then, for the
next topic, how shall we set the border between the Demon Territory Count's
domain and the Count's domain?"
"If it is no
problem for you, Father, I was thinking of creating a settlement around the New
Checkpoint we've established on the Fran side. It's just a grassland now, but
would you recognize the border as extending that far?"
"I have no
objection, but Takuhir, are you sure about that? Isn't the biggest issue for
your domain the population? Can you manage with that?"
"It is fine. The
southwestern mines and Fran will be your domain, Father. Could I have the
southeastern border from Fran, the five farming villages, and the town of
Dimos? That way, Teigoon and the northern part of the former Hiyorimi domain
will be connected without having to pass through the demon territory."
"That's not a
problem, but... are you sure that's what you want?"
"As Lord Takuhir
says, considering the defense aspect, that choice is the correct one. Our
Frontier Knights branch has been slated for an increase in numbers, but the
soldiers haven't increased yet. At this stage, simply increasing the area we
have to maintain public order in and defend would be a poor strategy."
The Commander also
agreed, but my father was dumbfounded.
It's true that a
little more territory might be nice, but in reality, even if it suddenly
increased, we wouldn't have the hands to manage it. And we also need to
consider the premise of making it easy to defend when something happens.
Also, for my father,
Count Gorman, and Viscount Cornell, although their domains have more than
doubled, that's only in terms of area. Their revenue and military strength have
not doubled.
In fact, their
original domains were rich and prime real estate, but the new lands they've
gained are, to put it mildly, average or below. That's why the ones who joined
the rebellion were scrambling to get rich lands, which led to this outcome.
For these reasons, the
profitable town of Fran and the mines that were originally under my father's
management were left as part of the countdom. For me, the mines in Teigoon and
the newly acquired mines (gold mines) in the former Hiyorimi domain were
sufficient.
One more thing, the
troop allocation dictated by the Margrave would also be quite tough for my
father. In terms of military strength, Teigoon and the mercenary company had
been the prominent forces in the Estol domain.
Furthermore, the reception
centers and the personnel involved, which had been dispersed throughout the Estol
domain until now, would have people wishing to move now that it was a different
domain.
My father's domain
would also see a considerable outflow of human resources. So, I wanted to
burden him as little as possible.
And so, the broad
outlines of our domains were decided. But we still had a mountain of things to
discuss regarding the management of our own domains.
We would move to another room, and the discussion with Miseri and the others was about to begin.
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