Special Edition
Commemorating the Release of Volume 8
The Inception of the
Executive Committee ① — Drastic Treatment
Participating in the ceremony at the Principality
of Fearalt, expeditions to two Demon Territorys, diplomacy with the Kingdom
of Kyle, inspections of the Kingdom's new territories, and inspections of
the domestic front lines—having traveled a distance normally impossible within
a single month, I was finally able to return to Kusanagi and settle
down.
However, even so, it's not like all the work I
was holding onto was finished...
The day after my return, having just completed
a grueling schedule (though compared to my usual, it was nothing much) of
receiving lectures from my wives while inspecting various related facilities, I
met with the executive committee members brought over by the Old Tanuki.
「Now
then, I hear you are the elites of the Kingdom handpicked by Duke Klein.
Today marks the first meeting since the executive committee was formed, but I
have just one request for all of you.」
After saying that, I looked out over the
assembled individuals once more. However, a slight exhaustion was evident in
their expressions; there was no sense of excitement or sparkling enthusiasm.
Compared to when I launched the executive committee with my current companions
in the past, I felt they lacked that forward-leaning spirit and the elation of
expecting something great.
「You need
not hold back even against me. When exchanging discussions, I want you to view
each other as comrades executing the same objective, regardless of status or
position. There is no need for strange hesitation or reading into things when
speaking, so please proactively raise your voices with whatever comes to mind.
While etiquette as a person is necessary during discussions, there is no need
for etiquette in the content of the opinions exchanged.」
Looking at it a bit cynically, they had a
feeling of being 『forced to do this』, and based on what I
heard from my wives, I feel they haven't quite digested 『for what purpose』 this
current mission exists, and 『for whose sake』 it is.
Especially regarding the bureaucrats, they
purposefully selected those who are 『busy』 on a regular basis. Therefore, it can't be
helped if they have a negative mindset due to the increase in unnecessary,
troublesome tasks. I also doubt the Old Tanuki's side has spoken candidly to
them about the Kingdom's weaknesses and the circumstances leading up to this
point...
It's a bit pitiful, but should I resort to
drastic treatment? At the very beginning of facing them, I made my resolve.
「Now
then, keeping the previous preamble in mind, I assume you have heard from Duke
Klein the circumstances under which this executive committee was formed,
but I would like to ask anew: What is our objective?」
At my question, a young male student who was
likely still attending the academy energetically raised his hand. Yeah, I like
that kind of reaction.
「It is to
ensure the success of the athletic competitions and business negotiations
inviting various nations.」
「That is
certainly true, but that is a means, not the objective. The objective lies
elsewhere.」
When I said that, many of them looked down with
bewildered expressions, but only the male Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
looked back straight at me, though even in his eyes, there seemed to be some
sort of bewilderment.
「I will
say it again. This is not the Kingdom; strange hesitation and concern are
unnecessary, and in order to lead this to success, you need the resolve to
share all the information held by each department right here and now. It is
better to state clearly what you are thinking.」
Apparently deciding his resolve upon hearing
these words, he raised his hand anew.
「This is
what I heard unofficially, but it is to solidify the Kingdom's standing against
foreign nations. I was told it is to deepen relationships with each country by
hosting this.」
Given his position, he might still be mincing
his words, huh? It might be difficult for them to speak due to their ties, but
since we're here, it's better to have them recognize it clearly.
「This was
my proposal, but it is being implemented after formally receiving a request
from the Kingdom. Therefore, ostensibly, the previous answer is correct.
However, though it is no wonder you do not know, a crucial perspective is
missing. Do you know what it is?」
That's right, they need to know the pressing
circumstances of why this tournament is being held. For this executive
committee, there is no meaning in simply participating.
「I want
you all to know this as the major premise and circumstance: the Kingdom has
formed an alliance with five nations, including our country. However, among all
the related nations, the Kingdom alone has been unilaterally left far behind.
To the point that the King of Kyle and the Minister of Foreign Affairs
are desperately considering it a 『crisis of the Kingdom's survival』.」
Upon saying that, a commotion arose in the
meeting room, and evident agitation could be seen among the participants. Here,
the student from earlier spoke up anew.
「W-Why is
that! Our country emerged victorious in the war against the Empire, and also
victorious in the war against the Principality rebel army, and Princess
Clarisse has now become the Archduchess. Against the Kingdom of Lute-Ville-Cain
as well, though it was in the form of reinforcements to the Demon Territory
Dukedom, the Royal Capital Knight Order achieved victory. Despite all that!」
Yeah, it's a straightforward opinion typical of
a student, and it's reasonable to think that way. However, even if it is
formally true, the postwar flow and developments have changed drastically.
「That's
fine. You may freely express whatever you are thinking just like now. What I am
about to say is something that can only be described as unfortunate for the
Kingdom. Right now, there is no one in the Kingdom who can act as its face to
foreign nations, no one who has directly formed friendships with their heads of
state. Previously, Princess Clarisse bore that role, but now that she
has become the Archduchess, she is no longer a person of the Kingdom.」
「I-Is
that so important?」
They do not know all the information. It might
even be natural that they still don't understand even with this.
「To put
it bluntly, with the exception of the Kingdom, all the heads of state, myself included,
are eccentrics unbound by common sense. While this is not something to be
praised, it has spelled disaster for the Kingdom.」
I tried to keep up appearances with this,
though. To be frank, in a sense, we are all basically masses of
unconventionality in this world.
「Even in
these past six months alone, the heads of the four nations have traveled to
each other's countries three times, met face-to-face intimately, shared drinks
in taverns just like commoners do, and discussed our mutual nations and the
future of the world.」
「「「「「!!!」」」」」
It seems they have finally understood the 『unconventionality』 I am
speaking of. However, it seems they still cannot imagine what kind of result
that has brought about...
「However,
neither the King of Kyle nor the First Prince was present at those
intimate discussions of ours. Not even once. What kind of result do you think
this brings about?」
「「「「「......」」」」」
「I
repeat, I am not blaming the King of Kyle. It was simply that we were
far too unconventional despite being in the position of Kings. However!」
Having said this much, I took a beat and looked
around at everyone, then turned back to the official sent from the Foreign
Affairs Bureau, who should be the most versed in diplomacy.
「Vice
Minister of Foreign Affairs, I dare to ask: between a counterpart with whom you
have intimately shared drinks and spoken candidly on a personal level, and a
counterpart with whom you only correspond through diplomatic documents, which
one would you, as a person handling diplomacy, side with?」
「Of
course, the counterpart with whom I have spoken candidly. However, that is a
matter of sentiment; in a world based on high-level politics...」
Fufufu, that answer was already anticipated.
That is correct, yet incorrect.
「That is
the correct answer if you are a bureaucrat. But we are Kings, you know? The
sentiments of the King become the will of the country as they are. Much less
the fact that those entrusted with nations have spoken candidly with each
other. Skipping past all the troublesome politics and appearances. I believe
you understand what that means?」
「......」
「The
Kings of the four nations met just the other day, yet we are already talking
about 『when we will gather next』. But the Kingdom of Kyle is not
included there. This 『distance of hearts』 will likely grow even
larger than it is now going forward. That is precisely why the King of Kyle
and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are panicking, calling it a 『crisis
of the Kingdom's survival』.」
「Yes... I
understand perfectly.」
They are by no means foolish. They must have
started to feel firsthand just how dire the current situation is. In the past,
the Kingdom repeatedly made diplomatic blunders, leading to a situation where
surrounding nations invaded from four directions. Because it is obvious that if
things continue as they are, even if it doesn't go that far, the Kingdom alone
will be left far behind the other four nations in various aspects.
「I hear
you all are highly promising individuals who will shoulder the next generation
of the Kingdom. However... when the time comes for you to bear the Kingdom upon
your shoulders, is it acceptable for the Kingdom alone to be left out in the
cold by foreign nations?」
That's right, I want them to consider this as
their own problem here. Even if they themselves attain glory and success in the
future, if the country itself is in decline, their efforts up to that point
will simply be in vain.
「That is
precisely why I made this current proposal. As a means to forcibly pull the King
of Kyle and the First Prince together into the circle of foreign nations.
For the future of the Kingdom, and for those who will shoulder the future of
the Kingdom... Have you understood what I wanted to convey now?」
「「「「「Yes!」」」」」
Yeah, that's a good response. I have
expectations for them, and I want them to give it their all. More than
anything, for their own futures...
「Then
from here is the main subject. First, the athletic competitions. We have a
track record of holding a crossbow tournament in the Royal Capital previously,
but what shall we do for the competitions held this time? Please discuss this.」
Upon saying that, they began to move. The first
to speak were the academy students, who had no political ties and were unbound
by budgets.
「How
about implementing an advanced version of that? It can demonstrate the might of
the Kingdom, and would that not result in fulfilling our objective?」
「No good.
The crossbows, thanks in part to His Majesty the Archduke, are no match
for the Demon Territory Dukedom, but against other nations, they give us
an overwhelming advantage. The participating nations will not find such a
competition interesting. I think it would ultimately result in closing the 『circle』...」
「Then
what should we do?」
「Then how
about combining the two opinions, and concurrently holding competitions for
swords, bows, spears, and the like? Of course, with the crossbow competition
where the Kingdom has the advantage as a premise.」
Yeah, should I share a bit of unofficial
information here? Proceeding with the naive calculation that crossbows are a
safe bet won't do us any good.
「Sorry
for interrupting, but as a fellow executive committee member, I will also share
some secret information 『strictly for this venue』. At this current point, I
have received orders for a considerable number of crossbows. Ten thousand units
from the Griffonia Empire, and five thousand units from the Kingdom
of Lute-Ville-Cain. The Principality has Archduchess Clarisse, who
was active on the western front leading the crossbow troops; if they start
making a move in earnest, they cannot be underestimated, you know?」
「Guh,
that's...」
「T-Thank
you very much!」
「But...
that's bad.」
「Bad
doesn't even cover it. If the Kingdom comes in last even in the crossbow
competition...」
「Instead
of demonstrating our might, we'd end up being slighted!」
「「「......」」」
Hahaha, did they suddenly hit a wall? It's true
that in the previous tournament as well, the Demon Territory Dukedom
faction took all the glory from the Kingdom side, after all. Should I throw
them a small lifeline?
「That is
where the Chief Administrator of the Royal Capital Knight Order, in addition to
the Chief Officer of the Finance Bureau, come in. Based on the information you
have learned beforehand, shouldn't you prepare in advance so that the Kingdom
can save face?」
Oh, are they still not quite getting it? Since
we're here, I'll give them one of the answers...
「Until
the tournament, the Royal Capital Knight Order will devote its full power to
discovering excellent marksmen and supporting their training, and the Kingdom
will provide the funds for that. After all, we currently have the grand cause
of opening up the future of the Kingdom.」
「「「「「!!!」」」」」
Have they realized the strength—no, the fun—of
this executive committee? It's not just about fulfilling duties; depending on
how they do it, they will be granted the means and significant authority.
「The 『politics』 to open
up the future of the Kingdom are not just meant to be left to old men. We can
also take the lead. Do you not find this interesting?」
「「「「「Yes!」」」」」
Here, the eyes of those from bureaucratic
backgrounds, who had taken a step back in the discussions until now, changed
significantly. If anything, it was towards a fearless vibe... but that's fine.
I think that's good.
「I just
thought of this, but I think the competitions don't have to be limited to
martial arts. For example... it might be interesting to have a competition
where the performance of the weapons themselves, such as crossbows, catapults,
and ballistae, are pitted against each other.」
「!!!」 (No...
that's actually a good idea. To be honest, that's a perspective I didn't have.)
「Her
proposal just now is interesting. If we hold the business negotiations based on
that competition, excellent weaponry will have an advantage in the negotiations
and will stimulate the participating nations' desire to attend.」
(Hahaha, as expected of the Vice Minister of
Commerce. Like me, you intend to tie it to that and utilize the athletic
competitions?)
「However,
it would probably be best to establish regulations beforehand and lay the
groundwork regarding the sale of weapons. Such as restricting sales to only
within the five allied nations, or selling only downgraded versions to
non-allied nations.」
(That's right, exactly as the Vice Minister of
Foreign Affairs says. There is no need to sell weapons that will be fired at
us. If possessing such excellent weaponry serves as a deterrent to non-allied
nations, that's a job well done.)
「Also...
once the events for the competitions are decided, regarding the participation
slots, is there any need to limit it to just the five nations?」 (The
conversation somehow got interesting, and I ended up interjecting as well.)
「What...
do you mean by that?」
「For
example, the Knight Kingdom of Erral, which is on good terms with the
Empire, or the Piette Merchant Federation, which has exchanges with the
Kingdom; I think it would be interesting if representatives from those kinds of
nations also participated in the competitions. It would serve as a perfect
diplomatic opportunity for them as well.」
「「「「「!!!」」」」」
Actually, there are two sides to my remark
here.
The front side is the image of the Olympics or
World Expos held in my former world, tailoring it into an event where nations
from around the world can participate. If we can achieve this, the Kingdom
of Kyle can demonstrate its presence to the world.
The hidden meaning is much more important. By
participating, each nation will learn that the alliance of the five nations is
solid. That's not all. The events of the tournament will, in a sense, also
carry the implication of a military review, showing off our elite soldiers and
equipment. If that happens, it can be expected to show effects as a deterrent
in the future.
「That
is... a useful means in terms of diplomacy as well!」
「And in
terms of national defense, too!」
「Fufufu,
a solid commercial flow surpasses both diplomacy and national defense, you
know.」
「Demonstrating
our martial might and coordination to other nations, is it?」
「Somehow...
the conversation keeps getting bigger, and it's a bit fun.」
「For us
to handle such a grand undertaking...」
(Yeah, the color in their eyes changed even
further. That's good, this is something meant to be enjoyed, after all.)
After this, active discussions continued to be
exchanged, but the broad framework of the athletic competitions was finalized.
The general outline was four to five slots, and considering the participation
of foreign nations, the doors would be opened fairly.
·
Crossbow
Competition (Confirmed)
·
Swordsmanship
Competition (Confirmed)
·
Archery
Competition (Under Consideration)
·
Spearmanship
Competition (Under Consideration)
·
Weapon
Performance Competition (Almost Confirmed)
And the discussions of the executive committee would move on to the second act.