Chapter 295
(Kyle Calendar Year 513: Age 20)
Two Nations
Translator : PolterGlast
After all the awards
ceremony were over, the Commander, Miseri, and I were told to remain in
the Royal Palace as we were, and we made our way to the room where regular
meetings were always held.
There, we were
welcomed by the three people present: King Kyle, Duke Klein as
Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of Internal Affairs.
"Archduke, apologies for the trouble. I
feel bad summoning the King of a country, but I thought we must decide on one
more important matter, so I had you come."
"No, Your
Majesty, by your exceptional grace, I received the honor of a position beyond
my merit, but I am also one of Your Majesty's subjects, the Demon Territory
Duke. Please treat me with that intention."
"Hmm, I will
take advantage of those words and continue the discussion. From here on, I will have
the Minister of Foreign Affairs speak. The attending Demon Territory Knights
Commander Viscount Weiss, and the Steward Baron Solis (Miseri);
as those who support the Archduke with military and civil affairs, I permit
both of you free speech, so it would be good to state unreserved
opinions."
"Yes, Your
Majesty!" " We are grateful for your words, understood."
"Well then,
without further ado, allow me to proceed with the discussion as a fellow Duke
from here on out. Going forward, there are piles of things that must be decided
between the Dukedom and the Kingdom. Today, I thought we should first decide
the basic things in that initial coordination."
"Understood. I
had the same thought. Commander, Miseri, you have His Majesty's words
too. Speak without hesitation about what should be confirmed."
Seeing the Commander
and Miseri nod, the Minister of Foreign Affairs took a sip from his
prepared teacup while smiling. Then, slowly placing the cup down, he began to
speak.
"First, I want
to ask Viscount Weiss, whom the Empire also pays attention to,
possessing military talent. The new territory within the Empire is vast, but
correspondingly weak in defense. I believe it leaves its underbelly
defenselessly exposed, but in the unlikely event of an emergency, how do you
intend to defend it?"
"Yes, as you
say, the land obtained as a result of the negotiations this time is vast, and
all strategic key points are within their territory Honestly, we probably won't
be able to fully defend it like this. Our troop numbers are far too few. But...
in essence, it's a matter of way of thinking."
"Oh?"
"What is
important is the land connecting to the old border. In times of
crisis, we issue a
non-defense declaration to various areas and concentrate soldiers only there.
And we will construct a fortress line similar to Aegis, no, on a larger
scale. As long as we secure that, we can look for an opportunity and launch a
counter-offensive."
"Excuse me, I
would like to add to that. To be frank, the new territory is vast. It will be
absolutely impossible to support it with the scale of the current Demon
Territory Count's domain. Therefore, we plan to narrow down the locations
for both settlement plans and local industrial promotion, and create plans on
the premise that they can be cut off anytime. Taking a cynical view, they
invest in us in the form of reparations, and in the process of enriching the
territory, the neighboring Empire
territories secure profits, further making us exert development efforts, and if
results appear later, they will
snatch it away. Such ulterior motives can be seen hidden beneath the
surface."
I agreed with both
of their opinions. At the very least, Sieghart will declare 'that is the
plan' in his explanation to the Empire, convincing those of other factions. Whether
he himself actually intends to do so is another matter entirely.
"Hohoho, I see,
indeed. I am relieved anew to
see that the Archduke has solid staff officers by his side. Well then, leaving
this matter to you, regarding the border with the Kingdom. To keep things in
check domestically, we separated Count Cornell."
"In the
unlikely event we raise a rebellion against the Kingdom, he will serve as a
dike bearing the defense; is that it?"
"It helps that
you understand quickly. This is strictly a matter of appearances, but it is not
guaranteed that those with the same feelings as us will inherit the Dukedom for
generations to come. There is the example of the Fearalt Principality
too."
Hmm? Why is the Fearalt
Principality brought up here? I felt that was strange and unnatural.
"Minister of
Foreign Affairs, it seems the Archduke doesn't know the circumstances around
that. Well, it's an undisclosed secret, so it's no wonder."
Seeing my
questioning face, His Majesty followed up. But... what is an undisclosed
secret?
"Then, as it is
His Majesty's will, I suppose I shall speak of it. Originally, the Fearalt
Principality and the Kyle Kingdom were one. To be precise, in Kyle
Year 80, during the reign of the third King Kyle, some royals and
influential clan members sought a new world and crossed to the Principality territory."
So there was already
all sorts of stuff happening back then... For what reason?
"Around that
time, the neighboring country to the north perished, and many people flowed
into this country. In the process of the country expanding, those who objected
to the mixed blood of the clans became the core—primarily a portion of the
Fire, Lightning, Water, and Ice clans, which boasted the largest power at the
time. They did not approve of it, and as a result, they ended up leaving."
Ah! I see! So that's
how it was. That's why the Principality's Mages
have such an extremely unbalanced composition.
"At the time,
to keep up appearances, the Kingdom side also established it as a branch
state—in other words, a Dukedom—allowing
both sides to find a compromise. That
is the story."
"Then a Dukedom
is... a country governed by a
Duke, someone close to a King but not a King?"
"That is so. It
seems it was about 300 years ago that they took the form of a country over
there too, though. In subsequent history, there were times the two countries
fought each other. So returning to the topic, as a fellow Dukedom, we must also
prepare ourselves ostensibly. That is what it means."
I learned this for
the first time. To think there was such a history to their formation. No wonder
they have deep ties with those four clans. Then, King Fearalt and King Kyle
are also distant relatives, something like that, I guess. So that's where the
'Magic Supremacy' principle in that country was born from too.
"Now then, for
the next topic. Receiving
the new territory and returning the First Prince's person—I want you to expect
this to happen after the new
year, by early spring...
There is only a short reprieve, but please prepare for it. Also, before the end
of the year, I want you to get a rough idea of which soldiers wish to return
and which do not."
"Yes,
understood. How do things look on this area, Miseri."
"Yes, about the Imperial soldiers,
at least nearly half will wish to return. Currently, we are handling them
through Imperial immigrants, but especially the First Prince's elites, the Iron
Cavalry, many of them do not wish to return. Because their new lord would be the
political enemy of their master until now..."
"Hohoho, so with this, the Archduke will once
again obtain new elites in his grasp, yes? That is wonderful. As a side
note, I also have a message from Frontier Duke Clantiff1. He stated that the
soldiers on the Northern Front who voluntarily surrendered in response to your
subordinates' persuasion will be entrusted to you, Archduke. Depending on
negotiations, along with the families summoned."
1 (Translator's Note:
The raw text explicitly says "Frontier Duke Clantiff" (クランティフ辺境公) here, but Clantiff was the
northern traitor whose territory was confiscated. The new Frontier Duke of the
North is Model. This is likely a minor typo by the author meaning "Frontier
Duke Model".)
"That is a
welcome story. As things stand, we are completely lacking in both military
power and citizens."
"Hmm, I also
constantly thought so, but as a country too, it seems it will become something
new, different from the logic until now. It will surely become an interesting
country. The people of the Kingdom,
the people of the Empire, the people
of the Imperial Kingdom, plus a country where immigrants from another
Dukedom/Principality
live... I will look forward to the creation of a new country where the people
of four countries live together."
"Yes, Your
Majesty. In my land, we will not practice discrimination or distinction at all.
Well... I intend to provide conveniences to make it easier to live, but
eventually, they will merge and blend into one."
"The first King
Kyle also united the non-human races, the demon races, and the human
races as one, and built a new country. It is as if I am looking at the founding
era of the Kingdom."
"I will do my
utmost."
"Next is the payment of
reparations to you. Out
of the total 1.64 million coins, 1 million shall be paid with 500,000 Imperial
large gold coins, 500,000 with 600,000 Principality gold coins, and the remaining 140,000 with Kingdom
gold coins. Can you accept this?"
Geh! Does that
mean the trouble of currency exchange is our burden? The Old Raccoon pushed a
troublesome matter onto us.
I glared slightly at
the Raccoon who said it casually, but the other party maintained
a cool expression.
"I have
certainly understood His Excellency the Duke's words. In this case, we, the Demon
Territory Dukedom, will have no choice but to choose the Empire and the Fearalt Principality
as our main trading partners; may I assume you have acknowledged that point?"
Hahaha, even without
me saying it, my strongest trump card in economy and internal affairs, Miseri,
is counterattacking for me. This is a happy miscalculation.
"Hohoho, for me
to receive a painful retaliation from the wife. It would help if you also activated
trade with the Kingdom side if possible..."
"We will make
efforts. However, we cannot promise results. Commercial transactions depend on
the merchants receiving the payment, after all..."
Seeing the Old
Raccoon's dumbfounded face, I almost burst out laughing.
"Well, I shall
look forward to it. Even so, the Archduke sure is a lucky man."
Yes, Miseri
has the face of a
beautiful girl that looks quiet at first glance, suiting the expression 'meganekko' (glasses girl). Well, she
doesn't wear glasses though... But she, who has awakened, is now the Queen Bee
of Teigoon, possessing a stinger capable of delivering a sting feared by
some opponents.
"Well then, on
to the next topic..."
Thinking the
situation was bad, the Old Raccoon changed the topic. I secretly thought I
would present Miseri with as much honey, which she loves, as she could
hold in both arms later.
"Regarding the
distribution of the new territory, as previously consented informally, I want
you to secure one equivalent to an Earldom, and four locations equivalent to
Viscounties including for Viscount
Weiss here. Other than that, regarding subordinate nobles, I leave it to
the Archduke's arrangement, but I want more than half of the total to be under
the Archduke's direct control."
"Yes, as
promised in advance, I will allocate them after observing the site."
"Then lastly,
regarding future matters. From today onward, regarding ennoblements to Baron
and above, the Kingdom will approve those recommended by the Dukedom. It might
be troublesome, but could we maintain this sort of facade..."
Hmm? I feel like the
Old Raccoon has taken a slightly humbler stance after being stung by the bee...
is it my imagination?
"Of course. The
seal and ribbon belong to the Kingdom side. I have no objection to that point.
However, among the laws and commandments the Kingdom has established for
nobles, please exclude these three points."
What I requested
were these three points.
·
Invalidation of the rule regarding lords without
authority.
·
Abolition of the rule regarding control of noble
marriages.
·
Abolition of the rule that Knight and Baronet
ranks are limited to one generation.
Yes, this is not so
much for me as it is for my comrades who newly became nobles. Especially in
this awards ceremony, those who are non-Mages were also promoted in
peerage or became semi-nobles. This is an indispensable measure to protect them
too.
"Indeed.
Regarding such rules and laws, the Dukedom will basically have its own
discretion. His Majesty has also acknowledged that point."
Here for the first
time, the Minister of Internal Affairs, who was present, opened his mouth. Such
institutional aspects and personnel affairs are probably his duty.
"Then, leaving
other details to be determined next time, is the general outline
acceptable?"
"Excuse me.
There is one more point I would like to confirm."
Against the Old
Raccoon who was about to close the place, the Commander finally raised his
hand.
"For His
Majesty the Archduke of Westlights, you acknowledge authority greater
than a Margrave until
now, independent diplomatic negotiations, right of belligerency, right of free
trade, and conclusion of treaties with other countries; is that acceptable?
These are extremely natural things as a country, though."
"Y-Yes. Of
course. However..."
"However?"
"I would like
to request a report before deciding to exercise the right of belligerency, and
regarding the conclusion of diplomatic treaties, we want you to consult with
the Kingdom beforehand on matters involving military force. Because we are, so
to speak, one heart and body as a country, after all."
"I am also one
who has been entrusted with the military aspects by His Majesty the Archduke.
Regarding the ceasefire agreement to be concluded with the Empire after the new
year dawns, the Westlights Demon Territory Dukedom, as a part of the Kyle
Kingdom, will be subject to that treaty, correct?"
That's right,
otherwise this treaty would be meaningless to begin with. That point must be
clearly delineated.
"If that is the
case, then fully aware of my insolence, I will state this. Regarding the
security guarantees related to mutual support contained within it, and the
dispatch of troops in response to it—we demand that the judgment, the right to
command, and furthermore, even the distribution of rewards, be recognized as
falling under my lord's judgment, discretion, and direct correspondence with
the Imperial side. I want you to explicitly
declare and record that."
Even the Old Raccoon
had a surprised face at this. The Commander is a man who was called 'a genius
of both politics and warfare' even within that Empire. A story from the
previous history, though... He's different from a muscle-brain warrior or a
battle-crazed fool who
is only strong in fighting.
I looked reliably at
the Commander, who was finally getting his status and authority in order in
this world too, and started demonstrating his true abilities.
"Hmm, I
understand well the reason why the Empire desired him as a general with
unprecedented conditions. I too think your concern, your feeling considering
your lord, certainly stands to reason. Minister of Foreign Affairs, prepare
clauses that accommodate the Archduke in that regard. That is an Imperial
decree."
"Yes,
certainly."
On the other hand,
the Old Raccoon looked disappointed. He
was probably planning to use us conveniently for this and that. Because his mind is, of course,
Kingdom-first.
"By the way,
finally, Archduke, regarding the matter of Kyrias, we dealt with it
according to the letter you entrusted to Duke Klein, is that fine?"
"Yes, Your
Majesty, that is fine."
"Then, let us
set aside the spoils of war. Other than the existing gold coins confiscated,
the gold bars and old Roland Kingdom gold coins shall be newly minted
into Kingdom gold coins, and one-third of the total shall be privately bestowed
to you. One-third to the Royal Family, and the rest under the management of
these two, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Internal
Affairs."
"Y-Your
Majesty!"
"Such a
panicked face doesn't suit the Old Raccoon. Those who know this secret are only
those present here. Especially the Archduke, his pocket situation will become
known to many due to the awards ceremony."
"But..."
It's no wonder the
Old Raccoon panicked. Because of the amount.
What they left
behind included Griffonia Imperial Kingdom gold coins, Kyle Kingdom
gold coins, Fearalt Principality gold coins, Istoria Imperial Kingdom
gold coins, as well as currently unusable Roland Kingdom gold coins and
gold bars.
Although not many
existing currencies remained, a considerable amount of gold bars and Roland
Kingdom gold coins, which couldn't be used immediately, were abandoned.
They probably had concerns that each was heavy and troublesome to transport,
and easy to trace. The gold bars were probably plundered from Viscount Hiyorimi's
gold mine over many years.
"Calculating
backward from the pocket situation, it's not guaranteed that those with
treacherous thoughts won't appear. To hold an army exceeding ten thousand, it's
probably still tough now. It's for that purpose. The meaning of this... you understand, right?"
"Thank you very
much for your consideration. I humbly accept it. We will also basically keep it
as insurance, and will not carelessly release it into the market and disrupt
the gold coin exchange rate. Please be assured."
Thus, the rough boundaries between the Kyle Kingdom and the Westlights Dukedom were determined. Hereafter, each will push forward for the future to come.
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