22nd day, 10th month, 1546th year, Continental Calendar
It was noon on the day after I forged a secret alliance with the Gran
Chaos Empire.
Jeanne and I met with Julius once more in the audience chamber.
As we all stood in the same positions as the day before, Hakuya, who
stood in front of me and to the side, stepped towards Julius and presented
him with a piece of paper detailing the decision made in yesterday's talks.
"The Royal Army will leave Van and return home to the Elfrieden
Kingdom."
Julius's haughty expression showed that he saw this as the natural
conclusion, but when he heard what came next, his face turned a different
color.
"As a condition of this, the Principality of Amidonia is ordered to pay
war reparations to the Elfrieden Kingdom," said Hakuya. "This is to be
separate from any ransom negotiated for the return of prisoners of war."
"That can't be right!" Julius rounded on Jeanne. "Madam Jeanne! What
is the meaning of this?!"
"The meaning of it...?" Jeanne shrugged. "Why, I do believe I have
negotiated the return of your land, as requested?"
Julius couldn't seem to accept the outcome. "Is this some sort of joke?!
War reparations? It makes it seem like we are a defeated nation!"
"Given your current situation, it's hard to say otherwise," said Jeanne.
"You have lost your capital city, after all."
"No! We haven't lost yet!" Julius shouted. "They've only taken a single
city!"
"...Then you're free to do as you please," said Jeanne. "The Empire will
be washing its hands of the matter. You may make peace or make war,
whichever you please."
Julius groaned, at a loss for words.
Seeing his reaction, Jeanne sighed. "As for that city... I have some heavy
doubts that you can write off your capital as just one city being lost, but I
believe you turned to us for assistance because you were in no position to
retake the city yourself, yes? In that case, you have lost the war. The
Empire, under the Mankind Declaration, has provided a means for you to
restore the changes in your borders. We can intervene no further."
"But, war reparations..." Julius complained.
"Sir Julius." Jeanne turned a cold look on him, one that seemed to push
him away. "This matter has saddened my sister, Maria, deeply. You have
invaded a sovereign state by taking advantage of a loophole in the Mankind
Declaration, which was made to unite all mankind in the face of the threat
posed by the Demon Lord's Domain. As the head of that pact, we cannot let
it go unchallenged."
"That was... our former sovereign, Gaius..." Julius sputtered.
"Even if it was," said Jeanne, "you still bear the responsibility for failing
to stop him. Regardless, in order to ensure that no other signatory of the
Mankind Declaration engages in such foolhardy actions, I believe harsh
consequences are necessary. I will have you set an example for them."
Uwah... She's wording it all politely, but basically what she's saying is,
"I'm going to make an example of you to keep the other signatories in
line," huh? I thought.
Julius stood there trembling with his hands balled into fists, his face a
contorted mask of rage and anguish. "...And what if I refuse?"
"I've already told you that," said Jeanne. "You are free to do as you
please. The Empire will wash its hands of the matter, and the Principality of
Amidonia will be expelled from the Mankind Declaration."
Julius gasped in shock. "Wait! If you do that, our country will..."
"Yes," said Jeanne. "'If they are not a signatory to the Declaration, it's
not a violation if we attack them.' Which is to say, your... Pardon me, your
father's interpretation will be able to be applied to Amidonia, as well."
The Principality of Amidonia was surrounded by four nations on its four
sides. To their west was the mercenary state of Zem, which professed to
eternal neutrality despite dispatching mercenaries. To their south was the
Republic of Turgis, a non-signatory state with a national policy of
northward expansionism. To their north was the Orthodox Papal State of
Lunaria, which had a unique set of values that differed from its neighbors.
And lastly, to their east was the Elfrieden Kingdom.
Setting aside what we might do ourselves, if they lost the protection of
the Mankind Declaration now, it was entirely possible that the other three
would gobble them up.
Their former ruler, Gaius, had maintained his country by joining hands
with the Empire, forming a contract with Zem for their mercenaries,
intimidating the Elfrieden Kingdom under its previous timid leader, Albert,
and displaying his military might to the countries to the north and south.
He'd had the capacity to carry out a balanced foreign policy. Could Julius
be said to have the same talent?
Even if he did have the talent, did the young Julius have the kind of
authority he would need to take the necessary steps?
The inheritance of authority is best done gradually, while the previous
ruler still lives. However, Gaius was no more. Julius now had to deal with
the difficult problem of managing the threat of foreign powers externally,
while also keeping his own vassals under control internally. If, during that
very important process, his country were removed from the Mankind
Declaration, he would lose the ability to rely on the Empire's authority and
would quickly find himself in checkmate.
Julius understood that, so he bowed his head to Jeanne, his face full of
bitterness. "...I will accept your plan."
"A wise decision, Sir Julius," Jeanne said.
Julius looked mortified, but I couldn't allow myself to show mercy here,
so I did not stir.
With that matter settled, we moved on to negotiating the specific
amount.
We demanded two years' worth of Amidonia's national budget, divided
into annual payments over a period of ten years, with the stipulation that it
must be paid in Imperial coinage. In other words, they would pay twenty
percent of their national budget to us every year for ten years.
Julius, of course, objected, but Jeanne convinced (coerced?) him to
accept it. The point was to deprive Amidonia, which had spent half of its
annual budget on military expenses, of its military funding. As long as they
reduced military spending, I didn't think it would be impossible for them to
pay it, but would Amidonia be able to do that?
"Madam Jeanne," I said. "If there are any delays in payment..."
"Indeed," said Jeanne. "The Empire will support the Elfrieden Kingdom
in its annexation of Van."
"Urkh..." Julius looked frustrated, but he couldn't say anything.
With that confirmed, I made a proposal. "However, Madam Jeanne, I
could see them delaying payment while they harden the defenses around
Van. Even with the Empire's consent, it would be a hassle to have to take
the city again. As such, I would like something of equivalent value as
collateral."
"Collateral?" Jeanne asked.
"An item that we will hold on to until such time as the reparations are
paid," I said. "If the reparations are not paid, we will gain ownership of that
item. Of course, if the reparations are paid properly, the item will be
returned."
"I see... So, what do you want?" Jeanne asked.
"A Jewel Voice Broadcast jewel."
"Wha—! Our country only has one of those!" Julius roared.
With the current level of technology, they couldn't create another. If it
were valued as an asset, it was probably equal to a year's worth of
Amidonia's national budget.
But still, I said, "You're not using it all that much anyway. Where's the
harm in letting us have it?"
"Don't be absurd! Do you mean to incite our people to revolt?!" Julius
shouted.
"It's a simple matter of changing the frequency," I said. "That's all it
would take to keep you from receiving broadcasts made by Elfrieden."
"Urgh... Well, yes..." Julius looked anguished, but he accepted it
surprisingly easily.
They had been using the convenient device for little more than a
declaration of intent at the beginning of each year, so Julius the militarist
probably didn't realize its true value. It might be that he only recognized it
for its material value. As I was thinking that...
"Sire. May I have a word?" Hakuya said, then whispered something in
my ear. When I heard what he had to say, I furrowed my brow.
"That's... mostly just to satisfy your own interests, isn't it?" I asked.
"Whatever are you saying?" Hakuya asked. "Knowledge is crystallized
wisdom."
"...Well, fine," I said. "Sir Julius."
"...What?"
"As an additional piece of collateral, we would like to take the books in
this castle's archives."
That was what Hakuya had proposed. We would take custody of
Amidonia's books gathering dust in Amidonia's archives.
In this world, paper was still precious, and books were not in wide
distribution. It was entirely possible that Amidonia had books in their
archives that Elfrieden did not. Moreover, in the case of books, it would be
possible to copy them while we had them in our possession.
Julius snorted with contempt. "Very well. But don't touch anything else.
I won't stand for you taking our weapons or armor."
"We already sold off a bunch of those to raise funds for the
transportation network here, you know?" I said. "We spent that money on
this city, so even if you ask for it back, we can't comply."
"Urgh. Then don't touch them any further!" Julius snapped.
"...Very well," I said.
The weapons were more important than the books, huh? It was the right
decision, given that he was surrounded by countries he couldn't let his
guard down around, but he didn't seem to understand how scary it was that
the collected writings of his people, the crystallization of their wisdom,
would be leaking out.
When I looked to Jeanne, she must have been thinking the same thing as
me, because she wore a wry smile.
Now, with the matter of reparations settled, we decided to settle other
matters.
"I want my the soldiers of my country who were taken prisoner by the
Elfrieden Kingdom returned," Julius demanded.
"Very well," I said. "However, you will have to pay a ransom for those
belonging to the nobility or gentry."
"...Understood."
"In addition, we have investigated and composed a list of war criminals
who attacked villages and engaged in looting during your invasion of our
country," I said. "Any prisoners who are on those lists will be judged under
the laws of our country, and so we cannot return them to you."
The extreme measure thought up by Hakuya, using the fictional monster
of the flame pierrots to induce people to evacuate, had succeeded in getting
most of the people out of the path of the Amidonian forces. However, that
didn't mean there had been absolutely no casualties.
The armies of the principality seemed to have dispatched scouts in all
directions, and those unfortunate enough to encounter them had been killed.
I would see to it that they paid for the innocent blood of my people they had
spilled.
"We will also demand that those whose names are on the list and yet
remain in your country be turned over to us," I said. "Only once this is
completed can we begin to return prisoners to you."
"...Fine," said Julius shortly, accepting the list of war criminals from
Hakuya. "By the way, is Roroa among the prisoners to be returned?"
Roroa? Who?
"I'm not familiar with the name," I said. "Who's that?"
"Roroa Amidonia. My unworthy younger sister. She should have been in
Van when the fighting started."
"Your younger sister?" I asked. "When the gates of Van were opened,
we allowed any who wished to leave to do so. I think Margarita was about
the only one of any status who stayed. I haven't received any reports that
we captured a member of the royal family."
"...That's fine, then," Julius said, cutting off the topic as if no longer
interested.
His sister was missing, wasn't she? He seemed awfully blasé about that
fact. Wasn't he worried?
"If you'd like, I could have my people look for anyone who's spotted
her," I offered.
"That will not be necessary."
"Not necessary?" I repeated.
Hakuya whispered in my ear, "Most likely, he is concerned about a
succession crisis. My investigations indicate that Princess Roroa is one of
the few in the Amidonian royal house who has the support of the civil
officials. Having given preferential treatment to the military, Julius is not
popular with the civil officials. He must fear that they would support
Madam Roroa against him."
"Even though, with Gaius gone, she's one of his few remaining
relatives," I whispered back.
"It is a common occurrence in royal families," he whispered.
"I understand that, but still... I don't want to understand it," I whispered
back.
Succession wars had not been uncommon in Earth's history. Even in the
Elfrieden Kingdom, when Liscia's mother Elisha had ascended the throne,
the conflict between her relatives had nearly led to the extinguishing of the
royal line.
If I recalled correctly, Machiavelli himself called for the purging of
political opponents. However... as one who had known the loneliness of
losing all of his family, I couldn't help but feel he should treasure his one
little sister. It might have been naïve of me, but it was something I couldn't
give up on.
"Oh, that's right," I said. "I mentioned Margarita a moment ago. We
would like for her to remain in the kingdom. Given she cooperated with us
to maintain order in Van, I suspect you would be hard pressed to decide
what should be done with her."
"General Margarita Wonder, is it?" Julius seemed to think for a moment.
"If you will release five of the nobles you hold prisoner in exchange, I can
accept that." he said.
He must have been calculating her value as a prisoner, and he'd judged
that, compared to a general he wouldn't know what to do with, a reduction
in the ransom for vassals who were actually loyal to him was more
beneficial. Calling for five people to be exchanged in return for one was a
shrewd decision.
"Very well," I said. "I'll accept those conditions."
"...She was a good general, yes, but good enough for you to want her so
badly?" Julius asked dubiously.
I smiled wryly. Julius, only able to judge people's value by their
potential as assets in war, wouldn't understand Margarita's true value. As a
singer, as a host, Margarita had become indispensable when it came to
producing programs for the Jewel Voice Broadcast.
Well, I was under no obligation to explain that to him, so I kept quiet.
With things largely in order now, I declared an end to the talks.
Elfrieden would receive war reparations in exchange for withdrawing
from Van. Amidonia would regain control of Van in exchange for paying
reparations. The Empire had demonstrated its influence by acting as a
mediator in this dispute.
...Those were results I could be satisfied with, for now.
It could be said that Amidonia had come out at a loss, the Empire had
lost nothing, and Elfrieden had come out with suitable gains.
With the talks concluded, Julius turned on his heel to walk away, as if
saying he had no more to say to the likes of me, but I called out to stop him.
"Sir Julius!"
"...What?" he snapped, not turning around.
"A political thinker from my own world, Machiavelli, said something
like this," I said. "Those who acquire a principality with difficulty will keep
it with ease. Those who acquire a principality without difficulty will find it
difficult to keep."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Julius turned around, glaring at me.
I looked him straight in the eye and said, "I defeated you and your men
to take Van. I expelled the vast majority of the nobility and gentry, purging
almost anyone who could have become a political opponent. That's why, if
I had continued to rule Van, there would likely have been no major
problems. However... can you say the same? Even if you return to this city,
can you rule it without issues?"
"What are you talking about?" Julius demanded. "This is my country."
"However, until just now, it was part of Elfrieden," I said. "You regained
it using the authority of the Empire, which is to say, the arms of others. This
would be what the political thinker Machiavelli meant by 'a principality
acquired without difficulty.'"
In history, there are those who became princes with the backing of
relatives or powerful countries. However, for those who fly to the top under
the power of those backers, to lose their support is to instantaneously lose
their fortune.
An example of this would be how the man Machiavelli had held up as
his ideal prince, Cesare Borgia of Italy, had fallen upon the death of his
backer, the man who was both his father and the pope, Alexander VI.
Or like how, in the time of the Chu-Han Contention, when Xiang Yu had
struggled against Liu Bang, the farmer who had been held up to Xiang Yu's
side as a hero, and who had risen from humble beginnings to be named
King of Chu, had eventually been killed when he had been deemed to be of
no further use.
Having borrowed the authority of the Empire to reclaim his own capital,
Julius would surely be looked down on by both his officers and the people
of Amidonia. And Gaius VIII, feared for his military might, was no more.
Would Julius, who was clever but lacked intensity, ultimately be able to
keep his officers under control? Would he be able to serve the people of Van
better than I had, and gain their trust?
"One who acquires a principality without difficulty must work hard to
keep it," I said. "Before you begin talking about grudges, I suggest you
work hard on policies that will benefit your people."
"That's none of your concern." Brushing aside my words of unfelt
support, Julius left.
Jeanne shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes.
I walked over to Jeanne and shook her hand. "These talks have been
very fruitful. Give my regards to your sister."
"Absolutely," Jeanne said. "You take care, too, Sir Hakuya. We should
complain about our respective masters over drinks sometime."
"That does sound good," said Hakuya. "I'll have a keg waiting for you."
What was that supposed to mean? They'd have enough to complain
about that they'd need a whole keg? When I looked in his direction, Hakuya
blatantly averted his eyes.
Seeing that, Jeanne gave a jovial laugh. "I hope we find ourselves on the
same side when next we meet. Please, speak directly with my sister, too,
sometime."
"That's right," I said. "I will be looking forward to the day I can talk
with Madam Maria."
We exchanged a firm handshake.
◇ ◇ ◇
Once the withdrawal was decided upon, the rest came quickly.
Because it had been decided that we would return Van, staying any
longer would only waste our war funds. The Royal Army pulled our troops
out of Van with as much of a show as they had put on when we'd first
entered through the gates. The small number of Amidonian soldiers
stationed near Van were overwhelmingly outnumbered, and the Imperial
Army was still in the vicinity, keeping a close watch on both sides, so we
didn't need to worry about being pursued.
I was in the middle of the procession, the same as when we'd arrived,
riding atop a horse that Aisha held the reins of, with Liscia on another horse
beside me. When we entered the castle, the people's eyes as they looked on
the Royal Army were filled with fear. However, things had changed a little
now.
We hadn't issued an official announcement, but the people who lined the
street wore expressions filled with uncertainty. When she saw those looks,
Liscia had a dubious look on her face.
"Why does everyone look like that, do you think?" she asked. "I would
understand if they were relieved, because they were happy to be liberated,
or glad to see us finally gone..."
"It's probably... that they're worried," I said. "Worried about coming
under Amidonia's rule again."
"Worried? When things are just going back to how they were before?"
Liscia asked.
"That's exactly why," I said. "They're worried, Will our lives go back to
how they were before?" I faced straight forward as I spoke. "Van's residents
were being oppressed by the Princely House of Amidonia. It probably
didn't bother them when that was simply a matter of course, but being
under our occupation, they learned that it wasn't a given that things had to
be that way. Unlike the Princely House, I gave them the freedom to express
their feelings and ideas. That's why, with us leaving, they're worried that
Julius and his followers' return means all of that will be suppressed again."
Because, well... it probably would. Once Julius entered Van, he would
naturally set about clamping down on the relaxed atmosphere there.
Liscia looked pityingly to the people lining the streets. "Now that
they've known the taste of freedom, they can't go back to their old lives...
It's like an addiction, isn't it?"
"I think that's an apt way to put it, but... couldn't you find something a
little nicer?" I asked.
"It's a fact, though, isn't it?" she asked. "But it's their country, right?
Can their minds be changed that easily?"
I said, "In my old world there's a proverb: 'Oppressive government is
fiercer than a tiger.' In this case, I guess I would say, 'Tyranny is more
loathsome than an invader.' The people don't move according to moral
codes or ethics. If their own country is beneficial to them, they'll defend it
from foreign threats, but if another country is more advantageous to them,
they'll actively work to open the castle gates to them."
When I said that, Liscia sighed. "When I'm walking alongside you, I
only see how people act in hard times."
"Have you gotten sick of it?" I asked.
""Bring it on!"" Liscia and Aisha both cried,
For some reason, Aisha had joined in on that one, too.
"Why did you say it, too, Aisha?!" I burst out.
"If Your Majesty walks alongside me, then no road is hard!" Aisha
declared proudly.
Talk about being way too loyal. If she kept it up, she was going to earn
herself a nickname like "The King's Dog."
Looking at Aisha, Liscia giggled. "I feel the same. If I'm with you, I feel
like I can accept any reality."
"...I see," I said. "Well, let's head back."
Head back to our country, where everyone is waiting.
◇ ◇ ◇
—One week later.
When Jeanne returned to the Gran Chaos Empire and reached the castle
in the imperial capital, she was immediately summoned by her sister,
Empress Maria, without even a moment to catch her breath. Though
somewhat exasperated, she dragged her feet up to Maria's governmental
affairs office, where she found her sister standing in the middle of the room,
waiting for her.
Usually, at this time, there would still be bureaucrats busily working
away, but today Maria must have cleared the room because she stood there
alone. With a soft smile on her face, the elegance with which she stood
there carried a hint of her majesty as an empress.
Jeanne brought one hand to her bosom, bowing to Maria. "Sister. I have
just now returned from the princely capital, Van."
"It is good to have you back, Jeanne," said the Empress. "How did
things go?"
"There were some issues, but it went more or less as we had hoped,"
said Jeanne. "Van and its surrounding territory have been returned from the
Elfrieden Kingdom to the Principality of Amidonia."
"Excellent," said Maria. "You have served me well. ...Now, then." Maria
clapped her hands and smiled. "That's it for work mode. Welcome home,
Jeanne!"
Maria burst down from her throne and rushed over to hug Jeanne.
"S-Sister?!" The sudden hug threw Jeanne into a confused panic.
"What's this, all of a sudden?! This is conduct unbefitting an Empress, you
know?!"
"Well, I was lonely, not being able to see you for so long," Maria
complained. "Everyone outside the family gives me the Your Imperial
Majesty treatment, and our other sister is cooped up in her laboratory, the
same as ever!"
"Don't give me that! You're not a child anymore!"
Even as she protested, Jeanne patted Maria on the back. She was aware
of the solitude and the heavy burden her sister had to contend with as
Empress, so she didn't want to push her away.
When Maria let go, she went over to sit down on the magnificent bed
installed at the side of the office and patting the spot beside her,
encouraging Jeanne to come have a seat too.
"So, so, what kind of gentleman was Sir Souma?" Maria asked eagerly.
When she saw her sister with her eyes shining, like a child badgering her
parent for a bedtime story, Jeanne felt a headache starting to come on.
However, it seemed unlikely she would be dismissed until she talked about
it, so Jeanne gave up and decided to tell her what happened during the talks.
"All right," Jeanne relented. "First, let me tell you what happened when
I went to scout out Van..."
Jeanne explained the course of events from when she'd met Souma on a
street corner in Van until their agreement to form a secret pact. As Jeanne
told the story, Maria's expression changed rapidly. She looked relieved
when she learned that Souma wasn't upset about being summoned, and that
he fully understood their intent.
When she heard Souma had said, "Monsters and demons may have the
same relationship as what this continent refers to as mankind and animals,"
she wore an expression of surprise and uncertainty.
When she heard that something called a spaghetti bun that they had
eaten during the conference was delicious...
"Jeanne, that's not fair!" Maria cried, puffing up her cheeks angrily.
It had been some time since Jeanne had seen her sister so animated
while listening to her. She was probably excited.
The greatest explosion of emotion came when Jeanne talked about the
secret pact, Souma's proposal that the Empire would defend the west, while
the kingdom would defend the east. When Maria heard that, she threw
herself back on the bed holding her belly as she laughed.
Jeanne was taken aback by her sister's reaction. "Sister. I don't think it's
really anything to laugh about, is it?"
"Hehehe... S-Sorry. It's just so funny," Maria said as she wiped away the
tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes from laughing too much.
"Funny?" Jeanne asked incredulously.
"I mean, think about it," said Maria. "Not that long ago, we had to show
special consideration towards that country because they had declined so
much, but at some point, they turned into a trustworthy ally who can handle
the eastern side of the continent for us. I feel like I've been tricked by some
fairy's illusion."
"Well... it's true, events are moving at a blindingly quick pace," said
Jeanne.
"Yes. Yes, that's precisely it, Jeanne." Maria 's smile suddenly vanished,
her face entirely serious. "Hey, Jeanne. Do you remember how a hero is
defined in the kingdom?"
"It was in the reports, yes," said Jeanne. "If I recall... it was, 'One who
leads the change of an era,' right?"
"Yes," said Maria. "Not 'One who defeats the Demon Lord' or 'One
who conquers the world,' but 'One who leads the change of an era.' Souma
was summoned as a hero, but all he does is administrative work, so some
people doubt whether he truly is a hero."
"It's true, he doesn't feel quite like what we'd expect from a hero,"
Jeanne said. "He didn't seem all that strong, after all."
Maria nodded. "You're right. I think he's a long way from what we
envision as a hero. But what if we avoid getting caught up on that image,
and to instead evaluate him as 'One who leads the change of an era'? When
you think of the speed things have been moving lately, don't you feel like
the times are changing?"
When she heard that, Jeanne gulped.
Maria rose to her feet and walked over to the windowsill. "He sounds
like a more interesting person than I expected. Oh, I do hope I can talk to
him in person soon."
Looking to the eastern sky, Maria smiled softly.