Chapter 186
The 6th
Joint Supreme Tournament ②
The Arrival
of His Majesty the King
Translator : PolterGlast
A week before the
tournament, all personnel from the participating noble houses, including the
heads of the houses themselves, arrived in Teigoon.
This time, they were
not merely guests, but also co-hosts, tasked with welcoming the true guests of
honor, Their Majesties the King and Queen. For that purpose, they had selected
personnel and sent a portion of them to Teigoon in advance.
"Well now, we too
must follow the Demon Territory Count's command and begin our preparations for
the welcome. With that, I am thinking of clarifying the division of roles to
reduce the Demon Territory Count's burden, so that he may focus on attending to
His Majesty. Does anyone have any objections?"
At Margrave Hastburg's
words, the heads of the various noble houses under his command nodded silently.
"As there seem to
be no objections, I would like to decide on the division of roles. This time,
all the servants that each of you has brought, such as maids and cooks, will be
entrusted to the Countess Solis. I will leave all arrangements to Lady Chris,
with the Viscountess Cornell assisting her. That should be fine."
Yes, this choice of
personnel was also excellent. With his mother and the wife of her own younger
brother, they would be familiar with each other and it would be easy to
command.
"Viscount Solis
(Darek), I leave the surrounding security entirely to you. You shall command
our soldiers, excluding our personal guards, and be responsible for guarding
the highway from Fran and maintaining public order in the vicinity. After His
Majesty's arrival, let us leave some units as a patrol force and have the main
force concentrate on defending both gates. That way, we will not be a hindrance
to the forces accompanying His Majesty. You are to select a person to whom you
will entrust the command of each unit during the tournament."
"Yes, sir!
Understood. I will certainly take on that role."
"As for the rest
of us, let us act according to the Demon Territory Count's arrangements. Oh,
that's right. The handling of the children and ladies of the various noble
houses I leave to Flora, Lady Yuka, and Lady Chrisia. Let us entertain them so
that they may enjoy themselves."
With these
preparations and deployments in place, three days before the tournament, at the
gates of Gaia, Margrave Hastburg and the heads of the various houses knelt and
welcomed His Majesty the King.
"Demon Territory
Count Solis, it has been two years. I am looking forward to seeing the
development of your domain. For the purpose of guiding me this time as well,
you shall ride in my carriage with both Margraves."
Once again, I found
myself riding in His Majesty's carriage. Sandwiched between two Margraves...
No, the old fox was also riding next to His Majesty, so it was quite an
uncomfortable space...
"Now then, this
time, I am looking forward not only to the tournament, but also to inspecting
the fortress you are building on the demon territory side. Could you also show
that to the Duke, Margrave Hamish, and the corps commanders of each of the
knightly orders?"
His Majesty said this
with a mischievous smile.
"Understood.
Then, tomorrow, I ask that you rest from the fatigue of your long journey, and
the day after tomorrow, I will guide you to the demon territory side. Is it
sufficient to show it only to those you have named?"
"Ah, of course.
You too would not wish to reveal your hand to any more than the bare minimum
necessary, would you?"
"I am grateful
for Your Majesty's consideration."
"By the way, the
road to get here, and this fortress as well, have they changed so much in the
short time I have not seen them? Is this the fortress that held out to the end
with only 300 men, while surrounded by a force of 1,000, and while caring for
plague patients?"
"Yes, this
fortress itself has been designed with the idea of it functioning as a single
town. We also prepared a camp that could serve as an isolation ward. In the
surrounding area, we have created 20 villages as new settlements and have
accepted many refugees.
I have decided on the
name Gaia for the town, and I hope that this entire area will eventually be
able to support a population of about 3,000."
"Oh, at that
time, construction had only just begun, but for this place to one day hold
3,000 people... truly a fascinating thing."
"Although I have
been appointed as the Demon Territory Count this time, my deeds have not yet
caught up with the name. So that I may be able to hold my head high as soon as
possible, I am proceeding with the construction of two more such towns: one
named Aegis on the demon territory side, and one named Ishtar in the newly
bestowed territory.
Furthermore, Ishtar is
close to Your Majesty's gold mines, and we will take care to ensure that the
administrators and miners sent by Your Majesty can relax in comfort."
Yes, riding the flow
of this conversation, I did not forget to properly advertise.
If the officials in
the Royal Capital did not move to reopen the gold mines, then the mines in the
former Hiyorimi domain, which were currently closed as a result of various
turmoils, would be a wasted treasure and would produce no profit at all.
"Very well. I
will personally inspect it, and upon my return to the capital, I will convey
this to the minister. The arrangements for the mine's reopening will be in
place shortly, so I may tell them to begin preparations for its resumption,
correct?"
"Thank you, Your
Majesty. The securing of the area around the mines and the redevelopment of the
various facilities are already complete.
Therefore, mining
alone could begin even now, but at present, there are no facilities for the
personnel to relax. We are making arrangements to provide those in the nearby
Ishtar. So that all involved may be able to recuperate in peace."
After this, during the
journey, I explained the development status of the pioneer villages and
Teigoon, but it ended up being mostly a Q&A session with Duke Klein and
Margrave Hamish, who were visiting this land for the first time.
"Hmm, to use the
investments of His Majesty and Lord Hastburg to manage a domain like this...
Including the use of mages, it seems there is much for us to learn in domestic
administration as well. I would like to send a select inspection team from
various parts of the eastern border once more."
"At the academy
in the capital as well, one feels the desire to create an opportunity for
students to come to this town to learn. With His Majesty's will, the use of
mages has progressed in daily life, and if that is fused with urban
development, this country will become even richer."
The words of Margrave
Hamish and Headmaster Klein would come to be realized in the days to come.
Although it would
require effort to host them, it was a moment that became an opportunity for the
Teigoon area to develop further, through the results of exchanges between the
civil servants who would bear the future of each region, and in aspects such as
the recruitment of academy graduates as civil servants.
The procession,
protected by cavalry, proceeded smoothly, and the moment the party passed
through the gates of Teigoon, the first of the preparations was put into motion.
A band that had been
on standby on the walls began to play, and a Sound Mage borrowed from Count
Goman amplified the music.
Then, all at once,
flower petals began to dance throughout the area like a blizzard of cherry
blossoms. The Wind Mages were making the petals, scattered by the children from
the orphanage and the town, and the children of the immigrants, dance in the
air.
"Oh!"
"How
beautiful."
"Magnificent."
His Majesty, the
Headmaster, and Margrave Hamish raised their voices in admiration.
"Your Majesty,
the children of the town of Teigoon, the immigrants from the neighboring
domains, the immigrants from the Empire, and the children who have immigrated
from the Imperial Kingdom welcome Your Majesty and express their gratitude and
welcome."
Pleased by the
welcome, His Majesty had the carriage stopped.
"Can I speak to
them?"
"Yes, we have a
Sound Mage accompanying us, so I believe Your Majesty's voice will reach all
the people.
Incidentally, the
people kneeling along the road from here to your lodgings are the heroes of the
recent war.
The ones in white
coats in the front are those who cared for the patients during the battle
against the plague, without regard for their own lives.
The ones in happi coats beyond them are those who
were engaged in transporting the sick and in the defense of the gates, as well
as the families of those who lost their lives in the battle.
The ones in military
attire providing security behind them are the heroes who fought valiantly in
the various battles, the heroes who fought through both the war for their
domain and the plague."
While explaining this,
I sent a signal to Shannon (the Sound Mage) whom I had brought along just in
case.
"Children who
will support the future of the Demon Territory Count's domain, children of my
Kyle Kingdom, your welcome is truly magnificent! I am pleased from the bottom
of my heart.
My children. I promise
to protect your future with the Demon Territory Count. Let us walk together as
people who all equally support the kingdom, as people who will continue to
support this town and the foundation of this country.
Heroes who fought the
plague without regard for the danger to your own lives. On behalf of the many
people whose lives were saved, I thank you once again.
It is because of your
devotion that we have overcome the threat of the plague. Your devotion and
deeds shall be passed down for a long time in this country.
Brave ones who fought
to protect this land and in the various battles! This glorious occasion has
been brought about by your strength. I wish to express my gratitude and thanks
once again.
To those who have
unfortunately lost loved ones in the battle. I thank them and express my
deepest condolences.
Please, overcome your
sorrow and walk on, looking ahead to the future that they gave their lives to
protect. This land, this country, shall be a staff for you to walk forward into
the future.
To this land have
gathered many and diverse peoples—from the neighboring lands who have suffered,
from all over the kingdom, and even from the Griffonia Empire and the Istoria
Imperial Kingdom.
You are all equally
the people of the Kyle Kingdom, and you are my people. From now on, I ask you
to support the Demon Territory Count who is here."
When His Majesty's
words echoed throughout the town, after a moment of silence, an indescribable
great cheer enveloped the town.
Among those who were
kneeling, there were some who were so overcome with emotion that they were
sobbing. Many of the town's residents who surrounded the procession were also
crying.
In truth, this was a
series of unprecedented events. For His Majesty to stop his carriage on the
way, and to speak directly to the people.
Even for those who
lived in the Royal Capital, the opportunities to hear His Majesty's voice
directly were few, and few had actually heard it. The same went for even seeing
his form.
For them, several
events that would become stories to boast of for a lifetime had occurred in
this single moment.
By His Majesty's own
words, those who had immigrated from other countries were recognized as people
of the Kyle Kingdom.
For those who had
suffered under cruel tyranny, the future was entrusted to them by the apex of
the country, His Majesty the King.
For those who had lost
beloved family members in the battle, they received words of comfort and
encouragement from His Majesty the King.
Those who had fought
in the war, and those who had fought the plague, were also praised for their
brave efforts by His Majesty the King.
At these events, all
the people rejoiced and cried tears of fervent joy.
"Your Majesty,
for your truly gracious words to the people of Teigoon, I cannot find suitable
words of gratitude, but thank you very much. From here, we will guide you along
the path of flowers that the citizens have prepared."
Yes, the flower path
from the last time had been prepared once again. Upgraded significantly from
the last time.
The citizens, in
preparation for His Majesty's visit, had each planted flower seeds in advance
in vacant lots and flowerpots. To express their gratitude for the excessive
rewards.
For that reason, they
no longer needed to go out into the fields to pick flowers, and there were more
than enough flowers to color the streets.
The flowers arranged
in over five thousand bamboo tubes, a number significantly increased from
before, colored His Majesty's flower path.
The residents had
voluntarily come out onto the main streets of Teigoon the night before, swept
the roads clean, and polished the paving stones. And after that, no one walked
in the center of the road His Majesty would pass through, and the road was kept
surprisingly clean.
This polished and
cleansed highway and the flowers arranged in bamboo tubes would greatly
surprise not only His Majesty but also the accompanying visitors and the lords
of other domains.
『To welcome His Majesty, cleanse the roads and express
your gratitude with a path of flowers. 』
This became the
beginning of a custom that would, before long, take root in the Kyle Kingdom.
As for the night, I
had prepared a little trick.
I had requested
Workshop Master Karl to create one of our specialty products, lanterns that,
when placed on the ground, would spread a flower pattern with their leaking
light. As the sun set, I had them placed endlessly along the flower path.
Of course, not for the
whole night, but I produced a light-up display that did not exist in this
world, and its beautiful sight would come to captivate everyone.
And on the sly, I had
several kinds of the flower-patterned lanterns exhibited at the trade fair,
with preparations for on-the-spot reservation sales.
And so, we were able
to get through the first day safely. Our days of not being able to let our
guard down would continue for another five days.
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