Chapter 3 – Malicious Trap
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Baldr advanced to the second year, along with his friends who challenged the promotion exam together with him. Just the other day, he welcomed his thirteenth birthday.
He returned to Cornelius territory after so long to celebrate his birthday. The party that was held there was grand. It was still fresh in his memory how great nobles who had never even attended until now had come to the party.
One of the ten great nobles, Marquis Randolph, had expressly come to a countryside place like that. The effect from this was very large.
Cornelius House could no longer be called an outcast anymore among the nobles, at least on the surface.
In the first place, the house’s reputation was already high among the military due to Ignis’s reputation as a hero. Now that Cornelius House had recovered their reputation among the capital nobles, it was possible that they could join the group of the great nobles that were prominent throughout the kingdom, as long as they could just improve their financial situation.
Of course, among the nobles who were sensitive to such an atmosphere, they were undoubtedly thinking of Baldr as an extremely attractive prospect for a political marriage offer.
In reality, Maggot wouldn’t even lend an ear to such offers. However, there were already dozens of indirect marriage proposals coming to the Cornelius House.
(Come to think of it, that Teresa mentioned something, didn’t she……)
His childhood friend Teresa, whom he hadn’t met for so long, had improved even more when compared to the last time they fought
Even so, she still lost against Baldr in the end. She looked so frustrated by it that she hugged Seyruun for a while, refusing to let go.
He felt guilty towards Seyruun getting groped all over her body.
(If I’m not mistaken, she said that she will send me something interesting……)
Baldr arrived at the classroom while thinking of such a whimsical matter. He said hello to Brooks and Silk, who had already arrived.
「Good morning you two.」
「Good morning.」
「Good morning, Baldr.」
Lately, Silk has become drastically even more pretty, like a flower in bloom. She smiled cheerfully at him.
Come to think of it, it seemed that she had a talk with Maggot at the party the other day. It seemed that his mother was pleased with her for some reason. Fortunately, Silk herself didn’t seem like she hated the attention.
「It seems like there will be some new first year students. There are a lot of new students, huh?」
The quick-eared Brooks unveiled the information that he obtained just today.
Normally, there would only be one transfer student at most per year. In the first place, receiving new students in the middle of the year like this was extremely problematic for the orderly maintenance of a military educational institution like the knight academy.
It wasn’t something that would be allowed unless the transfer student displayed exceptional capability.
That meant, there was no doubt the new student was an owner of considerable strength.
(I wonder why……I have a bad premonition.)
This was different from the grave sense of danger to his life like when Maggot came. It was a strange feeling, like he was going to get dragged into something troublesome.
And then that premonition became reality less than a few hours later.
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「Cadet Baldr──sorry, but come with me right away.」
After Baldr had finished his horse-riding practice and returned from the stables, instructor Lombard was waiting for him in the corridor with folded arms.
Lombard had a candid personality and was usually mild-mannered and gentlemanly, but right now he had a rare sour expression.
「Instructor, did something happen?」
Even if there was actually some kind of problem, Baldr couldn’t think of anything that would need his help in solving.
Even if that was actually the case, Lombard wasn’t someone who would consider borrowing his student’s strength to solve something that should be an adult’s responsibility.
「It’s about the new students who came today. They suddenly asked to be allowed to receive the promotional exam. Originally, there is no way this kind of stupid demand would be accepted, but we also can’t refuse because of an extraordinary circumstance. It’s fine if you beat them up, just let them know their place.」
「L-looks like it’ll be better if I don’t pry too much into the circumstance at work here……I understand.」
The new student was someone who Lombard had to obey even though it made him this furious. It must be someone with a really high status.
Even so, there was a line that mustn’t be crossed in the knight academy due to it being a military institution.
Even if this new student could make his demands to receive the exam be heard, he couldn’t change the content of the exam that was completely related to testing one’s strength. Even the king wasn’t allowed to interfere. That was the unwritten law.
Even if Baldr whipped the ass of the cocky spoiled brat, there shouldn’t be anyone who could criticize him for that.
Well, depending on the situation there was also the possibility of an assassin sent after him behind the scenes, but there wasn’t any worry about that when it came to Baldr.
After all, there was no assassin organization that would dare to turn the Silver Light Maggot into an enemy.
「Instructor Lombard! Can I come along too?」
「Me too! I won’t get in the way, so please allow me to come too!!」
Brooks and Silk were also competing to be allowed to come.
「Don’t worry, I was also going to ask you two to come along.」
(Now then, I wonder what kind of young master came here──I can’t wait.)
Baldr thought that if possible, he wanted the new student to be someone strong.
He didn’t have any interest towards a spoiled brat that was just a mere showoff.
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「──Heya, isn’t this Baldr? I came just as promised.」
「Wait, so it’s you Teresa!!」
His beautiful childhood friend was there. Her stunning red hair was cut evenly around her shoulders.
Or rather, what did she mean by as promised!?
「So what you meant by “interesting thing” before this is you yourself, huh!?」
「You’re surprised, right?」
「I’m surprised by your train of thought!」
He was tired from making too many retorts!
「So the new student……is Teresa-san?」
「Ooo! Miss Silk, we haven’t met since the party. You’re beautiful like always!」
(She is still the same as usual. Didn’t you say that you’re devoted to Seyruun or something at the party? Well, Seyruun will be happy if her interest moves to Silk though……)
「……Then instructor, I just need to take on this stupid girl?」
Lombard was staring at the comedic act with an astonished gaze. He returned to his senses when Baldr asked him and coughed once before he shook his head with a bitter expression.
「I didn’t know that you’re acquainted with Miss Bradford, but I’ll leave it to Brooks or Silk to be her opponent. The one I want Baldr to face is the other new student.」
When Baldr looked at where Lombard was staring, he found a young man laughing while holding his stomach. He was desperately stifling his laughing voice and his shoulders were shaking from his chuckle.
This was Baldr’s first time meeting this person, but he immediately guessed who this person was.
Bright honey blond hair and reddish brown eyes. A tall and trained body. His handsome face that he inherited from his father and his natural inborn charisma.
He heard Silk’s gasp behind him. She must have met this person several times due to her background as the daughter of a great noble.
Many people anticipated this person’s future due to his excellent wisdom and courage, but Baldr also remembered the rumors that said how this person was mischievous and liked to play pranks.
He liked to behave eccentrically, perhaps because of his relaxed attitude as the youngest child, or perhaps due to being too talented even when compared to his brothers. It was also said that this person once even slipped out of the palace and played together with commoners in the mud without caring about his status.
Now Baldr could see why the academy also found it difficult to refuse his demand.
「It’s an honor to be able to meet your highness. My name is Baldr Cornelius, the son of Ignis Cornelius. It’s truly a great joy to be appointed as your highness’s opponent in this exam──」
Baldr paused for a moment to take a breath and his lips twisted wickedly.
「Aren’t you being too capricious doing this, Prince William(ウィリアム)?」
「……I’m amazed you noticed even though this is our first time meeting each other.」
「It’s because I spent some effort in gathering information due to my position.」
Baldr’s manner of speaking could be considered arrogant, but William only smiled with curiosity.
「Ane-ue and Haha-ue became so beautiful I almost couldn’t recognize them. It made me want to meet you someday.」
「What is your highness talking about? That is the product of the Savaran Company and the Dowding Company.」
「It was you who thought up the product, isn’t that right?」
Although Baldr had stopped holding back recently, he should still be relatively unknown. But as expected from the palace, they were aware of the information regarding this matter.
Baldr strengthened his wariness toward the prince without showing it at all on the outside.
「I don’t know about the other nobles, but it’ll be better if you don’t think that you can hide anything from the country, you know? After all I heard about this directly from Chichi-ue. The famous gold works and confectioneries on the market are also your work, aren’t they?」
「How can that be? The best that the likes of me could do was give a little bit of advice to them.」
「Well, I’ll believe you for now.」
It seems like the information had already reached the king’s ear too. King Welkin was a really capable ruler, but he also had a bad personality at the same time. The rumor about this was spreading not only within the country but also in other countries.
It would be best if Baldr didn’t get dragged into any troublesome matters.
「It seems that if you feel like it, you could be appointed as a financial secretary instead of as a knight, you know?」
「It’s an honor to hear that, but I will succeed my father in the future.」
「If it’s about Ignis, then he’ll still be able to continue working for another fifty years.」
Fifty years would be impossible even for that muscle brain no matter what.
No, he was just a muscle brain anyway, so he would just need to sit and look pretty while leaving all the work to his subordinates……perhaps?
Baldr was thinking something rude that would make Ignis cry if he heard it as he shook his head, because he didn’t think that working in the palace would suit him at all.
「Your highness isn’t coming here just to say that, are you?」
「It’s true that I find it fun to play mischief, but I’m not so whimsical that I’ll do anything unreasonable just to play around. It’s only natural for someone to demand for an environment that corresponds to their capability, isn’t it?」
Was it the arrogance of someone who was born and raised as royalty?
At the very least, it looked like he had the caliber to accept being evaluated based on his capability, but this world wasn’t so simple that one’s position within the organization would be decided just based on their armed might.
「Then in accordance of the tradition, I shall teach your highness your place as your senior.」
Although there were exceptions like Baldr and his friends, originally the meaning of the mock battle was to show the first year students that the second year students were a high wall to surpass that served as an example to follow.
Naturally, that meaning hasn’t changed even after Baldr became a second year student.
Baldr’s words could be considered insolent with his status, but William accepted it with a belligerent smile.
「……Then let’s see what you’ve got, senior.」
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William was born as the fourth son in the Mauricia royal family.
He also had three elder sisters. He was the youngest son of seven siblings. The third son had died young when he was little, so in reality William was the third son.
The eldest son Richard(リチャード), 21 years old, was appointed as the crown prince without any problems. It had also come to light the other day that his wife was pregnant. Because of that, there was a possibility for William and the second son Edward(エドワード) to finally freed from being their eldest brother’s spare.
There was no guarantee that their eldest brother’s child would be a male, but if that happened, then Richard’s son would have a higher right for inheriting the throne.
In such a case, the two’s choices would be to start a new duke house, or be accepted as a son-in-law into the house of a great noble that didn’t have any heir, or to search for a place of employment for themselves.
Their father King Welkin was famous as a miser. The possibility of him giving them money annually to support a duke house that was a duke only in name was zero. And yet they didn’t want to marry into another noble house where they would have to live in shame.
In any case, they would have to stop being a member of the royal family, so William was holding on to hope that he could be successful in life by relying on his martial arts.
Even so, someone like William who was searching for employment on his own initiative was a special case. Normally, someone in his position would search for a nice noble house that they could marry into.
His elder brother Edward was already unofficially offered to be adopted by Duke Edinburgh(エジンバラ), who was one of the ten great nobles.
For some reason, William who was an oddball among the royal family, was extremely doted on by his two elder sisters.
Perhaps his mischievousness was stimulating their maternal instinct, or perhaps William was a natural lady-killer, but either way he had the tendency to attract women’s interest without being aware of it himself.
Masaharu would undoubtedly yell 『NORMIE EXPLODE!』 if he was aware of it.
If the person himself wanted it, he would be able to attract a lot of offers for adoption, but William had no intentions regarding that right now. It could be said that he had that much confidence in himself.
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William took a stance with his spear and waited calmly for Baldr to make his move.
Even though his opponent should be younger than him, he could feel a presence like he was facing an instructor.
William didn’t have anyone of the same generation who he could consider as a rival. He wondered how far his martial arts that made even the instructor at the palace ooh and aah in admiration could take him. He couldn’t suppress the throbbing in his heart from this pure excitement.
「Here I come.」
「Feel free anytime.」
William rushed forward with a force that could even blow away a tiger lightly and swung his spear.
It wasn’t just his body strengthening, it was also magnificent how he used his whole body like a spring and how he used the force from twisting his waist.
Baldr partially strengthened his arm and parried the spear without delay while revising his perception toward William.
At the very least, this man wasn’t someone who was full of pride just because he was royalty.
Lombard expressly called Baldr here because there wasn’t anyone among the second year students who could be a decent opponent for William.
Though it would be a different matter if the opponent was someone like Brooks who could become really good or really bad depending on his mood.
「I never even dreamed that I wouldn’t be able to force you even a step back though.」
William shrugged with a grimace because his pride was wounded.
He even used body strengthening. That attack just now should send the opponent flying if it hit directly, even if they were using a shield.
That attack was parried easily by Baldr without even taking a single step. As expected, even William couldn’t stay composed seeing that.
Even the palace instructor who was still a knight in active duty wasn’t able to block his attack like this.
「──I have fought opponents who could kill me instantly without me being able to do a thing if I was careless, after all.」
For some reason, Brooks and Silk were nodding in agreement with serious expressions.
「This world is really big huh.」
Only William who didn’t understand the circumstance tilted his head in confusion, but for the time being he just thought of it as Baldr having a strict teacher.
「Your highness possesses wonderful speed and strength. Your control of body strengthening is also really something. But you’re still relying on body strengthening too much. You’re also lacking experience.」
This was the first time William got criticized like this in his life. He instinctually understood that Baldr’s words were correct. However, he replied with an irritated tone without even hiding his bad mood.
「It looks like you really understand a lot about me, huh, senior.」
「To understand is also a form of strength. You better remember that, junior.」
The true worth of martial art from instinct and experience that were imprinted into the body possessed the strength that could easily overwhelm the difference in physical ability. William had never been made to experience a martial art that had such depth.
Baldr quickly made a small thrust with minimum movement. William deflected it without difficulty.
「What? Is this the best──」
William couldn’t finish his words.
It was because he had to focus in order to handle the rapid consecutive attacks that came from Baldr.
It wasn’t that difficult to defend each attack individually, but the number was so much that he had no leeway to switch to the offensive.
In addition, the attacks came from different angles toward his stomach, chest, and head. While he was blocking them, his balance was crumbling without him noticing and it was starting to become difficult to even block the attacks.
He had to do something here, but he didn’t have the skill or experience to break the deadlock. His uneasiness was making William’s defense even more rigid.
「Your grip is weak.」
Baldr feigned a thrust while actually swinging his spear lightly. With just that William’s spear flew to the air with a loud clang.
「There isn’t just a single technique. You have to constantly predict three steps ahead while forming your defense. If you don’t, you will fall into the enemy’s trap like this in the end.」
William was cornered too easily──he was made to move following Baldr’s expectations from beginning to end. When he realized that, William could only stand in a daze.
He didn’t have any memories of being criticized like this, even by a knight among the top ten in the knight order.
He was highly praised that he was a talent who only appeared once a decade. He believed that even though he couldn’t win against an active duty knight, he was at least strong enough to give them a hard time.
Could it be all this time I was just getting proud from all the praising, even though they were merely flattering me…….
「Let me tell your highness this so you don’t misunderstand, but your highness isn’t weak by any means. But if I’m allowed to be frank, you have been neglecting your basics and your balance is also bad. If your highness just trains those things, you can still become far better.」
「……I’ll believe you if you say that. It’s frustrating, but how did you become that strong?」
「I had to grow strong in order to survive.」
Brooks and Silk nodded in agreement once more. William smiled wryly in spite of himself.
「Is it really that hard to live in Cornelius?」
「……Please don’t ask.」
And then, seeing Baldr whose shoulders slumped even more than him even though he was the loser, he felt his frustration from losing clearing up.
William finally recognized his own inexperience. He surrendered himself to the impulse to laugh that welled up inside himself.
This might be his first time laughing from the bottom of his heart like this.
「Match over! Baldr Cornelius’ win!」
William courteously bowed at Lombard’s proclamation.
「I shall recognize my defeat graciously today, senior.」
「There is no need to feel ashamed of your defeat. If you have the courage to live walking forward, then you can hold up your head high, junior.」
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King Welkin received a report from the subordinate that he sent to the knight academy. He looked toward his long time friend──the prime minister Harold and smiled in real delight.
「Hou……so there is a man who can take the reins of that William.」
「Yes. And it seems to be that aforementioned young man.」
「There is no way his capability is because of that muscle brain’s blood. But……I also don’t think he inherited it from his mother.」
If Ignis heard the cold words of his king then he would grieve tearfully.
It seems even the palace thought of him as a muscle brain.
「What a frightening child. I thought for sure that they would be hostile to each other, and yet he easily won him over. We’re talking about that Prince William here.」
「Can you please not talk about my son like a difficult loner?」
「Is your majesty saying that, even knowing of how many people are beyond recovery because of his highness?」
「──I’m really sorry.」
No matter the world, any parent would think of their youngest child to be the cutest despite how wild they were.
Welkin was reputed to be a miser with a bad personality, but he was the same as any other parent in such respects.
「We should rejoice that Prince William has calmed down for the moment. If his wisdom and courage are tempered in the knight academy, it will be beneficial for the royal family whether we entrust him with a knight order or put him up for adoption in the future.」
「It’s just as you say. I want to poach Ignis’s son too while we’re at it, though.」
「I believe that will be difficult for now.」
Harold spoke curtly at Welkin, who looked like he was going to make another sinister design once again.
His skill as a king was highly evaluated both inside and outside the country, but he had a slight tendency of using any means available to him, and he also often underestimated the practical difficulty of a matter.
It was the prime minister Harold who had many hardships forced on him in order to soften the impact of Welkin’s schemes. Perhaps the phrase of a wifely role existed solely for him.
In the Antrim War twelve years ago──it was also called by other names such as the Appendix War──the territory of Viscount Antrim was located northeast of the Cornelius territory. That territory had a long and narrow shape that was protruding into the Haurelia Kingdom’s territory. The border patrols of both countries accidentally clashed at the boundary line and the incident caused a chain reaction that brought clashes in every quarter.
Antrim territory was called “Mauricia’s appendix” because of its shape. The lord of the land and his whole family were annihilated in the war. Presently, that territory was put under the direct control of the royal family.
At that time, it hadn’t even been six months since Harold became the prime minister. He failed both in admonishing Welkin who was too eager for his first battle against another country and also in winning over the conservative nobles.
As a result, the peace negotiation didn’t go well, he couldn’t stop the military from running wild, and the kingdom was only barely saved due to Ignis’s victory that was practically a miracle.
At that time a knight order was reorganized at the royal capital to be sent as reinforcements, but even after they scraped up everything available, the troops gathered didn’t even reach 70% of Haurelia’s invading army.
If they headed to the decisive battle in such a state, Mauricia might really have fallen to their destruction there.
So that they would never taste such despair again, Harold strictly imposed the principle of being a realist to himself so that he could act as the balance to the king.
After that, he displayed his skill in Mauricia Kingdom’s revitalization and built a firm position in the palace as an aide as well as the watcher of the king, whose existence was absolutely necessary.
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「Setting aside the military, the dissatisfaction of the feudal lords at the border will soon enter dangerous territory. We have ignored this problem all this time in order to focus on the revitalization of the economy within the country, but I believe we have to change the policy of the ministry of finance soon.」
「──I see. Good timing, I’m also getting tired of their war phobia.」
After the devastation of the country’s territory and the reduction of the population as the result of the war, rebuilding the economy was the priority problem for Welkin and Harold. They judged that prioritizing this problem would enable them to accumulate better military strength in the long-term.
Fortunately, their economic policies like reducing the tax rate and maintaining the infrastructure demonstrated great results, and Mauricia Kingdom obtained a prosperity that surpassed the past in these several years.
However, the ministry of finance showed a fierce resistance when the two wanted to distribute that excess money for military expense.
The ministry of finance feared that the expansion of the military would cause the military to run wild once again. They brought great nobles whose interest would be threatened by the strengthening of the military to their side and stubbornly refused to increase the military budget.
They possessed great power with the budget they controlled. Even with the king’s tyrannical authority and the prime minister’s strength, it wasn’t easy to eliminate their opposition.
What would happen if they were being stingy in guarding the lamb that kept getting fatter──it was foolish to expect any kindness from the wolf, even a child understood this reasoning. However, it seemed that even such a reality became impossible to accept when money got involved.
Even so, war was also definitely a nightmare for the ministry of finance too.
It would be a different matter if it was a war to destroy a weak opponent and occupy their land to become the country’s colony, but a war between two equal countries would become a war of attrition. Such a war would only consume manpower and resources without producing anything or bringing any profit. Not only that, the precious budget that they managed would also get pressured while the military budget would keep swelling up.
That was what happened in the Antrim War.
Humans who are involved in financial affairs tend to measure everything with money. They didn’t even think that doing such a thing would lead to acts that were no different from selling out one’s own country.
For example, if there was a conflict that fought over a deserted and infertile territory, if by giving away such a desolated place they could avoid losing any budget and manpower, then it would be better to just give away that territory. That was the way of thinking for such people.
However, an infertile wasteland could easily be turned into a military base, or perhaps there could be underground resources existing there, or perhaps there was a geographical advantage that made it easier for troops to pass such a place in order to guarantee the people’s safety. But the people in the ministry of finance would deliberately ignore such intangible factors and prioritized securing their own interests.
Bureaucrats whom had become rotten like this were nothing more than a snake in one’s bosom, devouring the country from within.
Welkin let out a long sigh.
「Those fellows at finance aren’t happy with the prosperity of Cornelius.」
Development in the countryside that happened without their involvement might shake the base of their profit structure.
The budget assignment of a central government was holding the life and death of the provincial areas. Such a centralized government system was exactly the source of their authority.
A provincial area that was financially independent was nothing but a business rival for them.
For example, there was already a bureaucrat that was insisting the sugar production method at Cornelius territory had to be publicized for the sake of the national industry.
Welkin crushed this effort, but the Savaran Company that had obtained a new market through Dowding Company was expanding their product distribution to other countries. There was no way those guys could just watch this quietly.
They would surely try to sabotage by mobilizing the nobles who were their allies.
In the first place, Ignis’s influence wasn’t as weak like in the rumors that were making fun of him. Rather, if Ignis felt like it, he had a strong influence that he could use to agitate the military and launch a coup.
A man who you could entrust your back to on the battlefield was even more precious than any gems. Those bureaucratic bunches who had no experience in real battle didn’t know that. Anyone who ever fought with Ignis would naturally realize his worth and wish to form a friendly relationship with him.
With everything said and done, a head-on clash between the ministry of finance and the feudal lords of the borders would only be a disaster for the Mauricia Kingdom. Welkin and Harold’s thinking was in agreement regarding this.
「──Let’s increase our surveillance on them.」
「Pay attention to that brat and his friends too. My instinct is telling me he will someday become our trump card.」
「By your will.」
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「Yaa, Seyruun! You’re also lovely in that maid uniform!」
「Eeeeee! Why is Teresa-sama here……!?」
Silk and Teresa had a match after Baldr and William’s match. They were evenly matched against each other.
Although Silk won in the end, there were many times that she was on the brink of defeat.
If she hadn’t trained together with Baldr, it would be Teresa who won. When she thought of that, Silk couldn’t be honestly happy of her victory.
She thought that Teresa would be dejected because of her defeat, and yet she hugged Silk instead and praised her strength.
「What magnificent skill. Please allow me to receive your personal teaching by any means, Onee-sama!」
「──Onee-sama?」
A shiver ran through Silk’s back and she felt a danger to her body. She hurriedly hid behind Baldr’s back.
「Fufufu……what a shy person you are, Onee-sama. I have even more fun to look forward to tomorrow.」
「I don’t have that kind of interest, so please look for someone else-!」
「It’s troubling if you’re misunderstanding me. I simply love pretty girls!」
Teresa’s sexual disposition hadn’t changed. Baldr smiled wryly with a troubled expression.
「No no, she isn’t misunderstanding anything at all……」
He had been acquainted with Theresa for a long time, but when did she become a lesbian like this again?
He tried tracing back his memory, but he couldn’t find the answer. At the very least, he believed that she was already like this when the three of them including Seyruun were playing together.
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Teresa headed to the cafeteria after the matches were finished. She was reunited with Seyruun there and exchanged a passionate embrace with her.
(Please save me! Young master Baldr!)
(Sorry, that’s impossible.)
Teresa got unusually tense and played with Seyruun’s body from above her maid uniform.
And then she felt the sensation of Seyruun’s chest that had been growing remarkably lately. She grinned and suddenly her hand reached towards that chest.
「You have become bigger again. The shape is nice and there is also nothing to criticize about the softness! It’s magnificent ,Seyruun!」
「Yahn! Where are you touching……hyaahn!」
The soft and alluring lump of flesh changed shape bouncily within Teresa’s hand.
Seyruun was writhing with a sweet voice that sounded breathy. This sight was too stimulating to the healthy youths around them.
「Bufuーーーーーー!」
Brooks whose gaze was nailed on Seyruun’s chest in intense concentration suddenly had blood spurting from his nose and he fell back, with the back of his head hitting the floor.
Inside the cafeteria, male students other than Brooks who were sinking into a sea of blood with expressions of ecstasy were appearing one after another.
Even Baldr who had been raised together with Seyruun like brother and sister had never seen this sexy side of her. He couldn’t hold back the increase of blood flow to his lower body.
「……Impure.」
「Eeh? I’m the one who got blamed here?」
Silk was glaring at Baldr as though she was staring at raw garbage. Baldr shed tears from the unreasonableness.
「The sensitive Seyruun is also lovely.」
「I’m begging you please let go of me alreadyyyyy!」
Seyruun’s sorrowful scream echoed through the cafeteria that was turning into chaos.
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「Good grief, his majesty too is also impossible. Even though there isn’t any need to worry about the rights of those upstarts and savages……」
「If Dowding Company keeps growing like this, we might lose the fair and competitive market!」
These people who were speaking of their dissatisfaction were the bureaucrats of the ministry of finance and the nobles who were partaking in their leftovers.
It would become difficult for them to sell favors if the Dowding Company kept growing bigger by themselves. Their opportunities to demand bribes would also decrease.
Director Clan who acted as the mediator between Dowding Company and the finance of ministry had also died in an accident. Now, the Dowding Company was gradually getting further away from their thumb. If the company kept growing like this, it was possible the company would become an international company that didn’t need any help from the ministry of finance. The situation would become out of their control then.
「The foundation of the kingdom might be shaken if the hicks in the countryside grow stronger. We have to correct their path as soon as possible.」
Just like the ministry of finance, the present situation also wasn’t good for the great nobles who were acting as the mediator for the border feudal lords until now.
The border feudal lords were fundamentally poor. Among them there were also wealthy nobles who possessed fertile land, but most of them were burdened with the cost of maintaining their troops. On top of that, they were hindered if they wished to do business at the royal capital which was an area with big expenditure.
If they wanted to sell their products there at a good price, they absolutely needed the mediation of a great noble and a connection with a company in the capital.
In addition, they would also need help if their second or third son wished to move away from the inconvenient countryside to search for a job at the royal capital. Acting as mediator for these matters solidified the influence of the great nobles.
If the business conditions of the countryside were invigorated and local production could satisfy the local consumption, these great nobles who had sucked up enormous profit until now using their conventional authority would be ruined.
After all, these people didn’t have the intention of living a modest life that corresponded to their base income from the start.
「Should we create a law that forbids the Dowding Company’s monopoly?」
「However, the products that Dowding Company handles are too numerous We might get caught up in the effect if we carelessly forbid monopoly, you know?」
No matter what, it was impossible to impose taxes only on Dowding Company’s products.
However, for example, if they really forbid the monopoly of sugar, it was possible they might be pressured to liberate the market from other forms of monopoly as well. It would be putting the cart before the horse if their interests would be harmed as the result.
「We can also give loans with low interest rate though……」
「This problem isn’t something that can be resolved just by throwing money at it. To put it simply, the problem is that their products cannot be imitated.」
「That hair treatment is bad news. Many nobles have to be considerate to Dowding Company because of that product, after all.」
It was self-evident how the position of the seller became really strong with how limited the hair treatment’s availability was.
The relation between supply and demand in this world was also no different from Earth.
By making the wives of high class nobles unable to live without this product, Dowding Company’s position was strengthened to an incomparable degree compared to before.
Knowing that made the men in this discussion look bitter.
「As I thought……the standard practice is to tear them down starting from their weak point.」
The enemy was too powerful to be faced head-on.
Right now, Dowding Company even had the backing of Marquis Randolph. If they tried to take the company down using a straightforward method, they might be counterattacked and wounded if they were unlucky.
「What do you mean by weak point?」
「There is this tiny company working together with the Dowding Company, right? Furthermore, its president is just a little girl. It’s convenient.」
They didn’t know the circumstances, but it was clear that Savaran Company was in possession of some kind of information that allowed them to be an equal partner with Dowding Company, instead of being a mere subordinate organization.
There were many methods that could be taken to simply cajole a single girl──the men were having such thoughts. There was no need to say that the same end as Clan was waiting for them.
.
「What is young master doing this time?」
「I’m thinking of a way that might be able to lighten Sey-nee’s workload.」
Baldr said that while fiddling with an ornament that looked like a bronze hanging bell. He asked the craftsman who was in charge of manufacturing gold plated works, Gothe, to make this.
The water capital Cameron was a region where water would well up in most places if someone just dug several meters down. It was common for people to draw up the water by solely using manpower.
For women and children, pulling up heavy buckets filled with water was hard work.
Since Seyruun was working in the knight academy, she was pressed with the need to draw water from the well starting early in the morning. It was work that wasn’t assigned to her in Cornelius.
Baldr only noticed that fact a few days ago. It was really negligent of him.
Teresa who was sexually harassing Seyruun like usual noticed Seyruun’s palm was blistering red.
Her hands that were white and graceful like white fish when she was at Cornelius had been completely changed into this tragic state due to the manual labor and kitchen work that she wasn’t used to.
「Please don’t mind it……this is my work, after all.」
This was a work that a manservant or other maids would do when they were in the Cornelius mansion.
This kind of work wasn’t assigned to her because she was Baldr’s exclusive maid, but here Seyruun naturally accepted this work because it was within the responsibility of a maid’s work.
But it was a completely different matter whether Baldr could accept it or not.
『Don’t look down on modern knowledge.』
There Baldr──or rather Masaharu, prepared the hand pump that could rarely be seen sometimes in Japan’s villages, even in this era.
Hand pumps aren’t that structurally complicated.
This pump was using the principle of pumping up water by using atmospheric pressure. By moving the handle up and down, the inside of the pump would be nearly in vacuum and water would rush up to fill the vacuum.
With this, Seyruun would just need to move the handle up and down. She wouldn’t need to work hard pulling up a heavy bucket with straw rope anymore.
Furthermore, Baldr also didn’t forget to prepare a wheelbarrow in order to transport the heavy water on ground.
Wheelbarrows were used even in modern Japan for building construction──the history of this tool that was also popularly called Neko in Japan was surprisingly short. It was improved to its current shape and mass produced starting from the modern times.
The fact that it was still valued highly even in the present era spoke how extremely convenient and suitable it was for carrying heavy things.
.
「Is this magic?」
William whispered in astonishment when he saw water spurting out rapidly from the faucet.
Water was something indispensable for a person’s life, and yet it was relatively heavy and transporting it was said to be the heaviest work for low ranked servants.
William also knew that there were servants who spent their whole morning carrying water and became totally exhausted at the end of it.
Even so, Mauricia Kingdom was still fortunate with how each household had their own well. In a country with meager water resources, many villages only had a single well and transporting the water was a constant source of problem.
「It’s just the mechanism of the tool so anyone can use it.」
「……I thought you would say that.」
(Does Baldr really understand the crux of the problem?)
Even William, who was still nothing more than a young man, realized that it was possible for this invention to change the world.
Until now the only way to transport a large amount of water was by using human wave tactics. But this pump and wheelbarrow would liberate a lot of people from their daily heavy labor. It would give them the leeway to do other work.
In other words, it would increase the available amount of the workforce and the time they could work.
For the royal capital Cameron with its newly expanding production demand, the enlargement of the workforce would undoubtedly bring a desirable result.
Of course, it wasn’t difficult to imagine what kind of impression the commoners would have after they were liberated from this heavy labor.
William, who received education as a member of the royal family, understood such things like the back of his own hand.
This wasn’t something that he could just ignore.
「Is it difficult to create this tool?」
「Its structure itself is simple……I think it’s possible to mass produce it right away.」
Baldr too naturally understood what William was thinking and what kind of conclusion he had reached.
He had neglected this idea until now simply because it didn’t feel like that it would make that much money, but anyone who stood in a position to see the larger picture politically and economically would desire these tools desperately.
There was no concept of patent in this world, but if it was possible to charge patent usage fees for these things, then they might become strategic products at the national level.
In fact, if it was the shrew King Welkin, he would surely use this as a negotiation card before the information was leaked out.
In other words, Baldr was making use of William, who was a member of the royalty, to sell a favor toward the royal family. Though of course, his biggest reason was to lighten Seyruun’s workload.
「I’ll talk about this to Chichi-ue. In the meantime, you make as many of them as you can.」
At present, the power relationship between the royal family and the nobles in Mauricia Kingdom was in a delicate position.
After the war, there were the newly emerging houses, the old noble house, and the borderland noble houses that grew in strength. Along with the bureaucrat nobles, all of them were in a conflict of interest against each other. The royal family’s role was to act as the balancer.
Welkin wasn’t so foolish as to antagonize all of the nobles. Doing such a thing would only result in the nobles rebelling and destroying the country like what happened with Trystovy Kingdom.
The basics of politics was to incite the nobles to be in conflict among themselves while maneuvering so they wouldn’t point their blade towards the royal family no matter what.
In addition, it was desirable to have the support from the population in order to firm the strength of the royal family.
It was possible for the pump to help with that.
Baldr couldn’t hide his fresh surprise that William was able to correctly deduce that far. He thought that William was just a wild kid who boasted about his strength, but this prince’s political sense also couldn’t be underestimated.
「It’s not like I’m the one who made this, so I’ll ask the maker.」
Baldr didn’t have the technical capability even though he had the knowledge. It was solely Gothe who created this pump, while he also relied on Selina to secure the material and distribute the product.
Recently, the production base had been moved to the Dowding Company’s workshop. Even so, for the Savaran Company that was also an independent company, the existence of Gothe’s workshop at Cornelius was indispensable.
As expected, even Baldr couldn’t carelessly promise anything without first asking the opinion of these two.
「Someone who Baldr is taking into consideration huh. I hope you can also introduce me to them.」
William also knew about the relationship between Baldr and the Savaran Company.
Was Selina just a puppet or was she a tough woman who could even take Baldr’s reins? William believed that it was an important question that he had to find the answer of.
「Your highness, it might not be my place to say this, but perhaps you should aim to be the prime minister instead of a knight?」
「Hmph, you’re the only one who I don’t want to hear that from.」
These two possessed both wisdom and courage despite their youth. They smiled cynically at each other before departing to Savaran Company accompanied by Silk and Brooks.
.
「Aah! Young master! Please! Don’t leave me behind!」
「Now now, let’s quickly bring the water! I don’t care how much water I have to carry if it’s for the sake of your soft skin!」
Teresa tightly grasped Seyruun from behind when she was trying to cling on to Baldr. She sported a fierce smile on her lips.
It was as though she was saying that she absolutely wouldn’t let her prey get away…….
.
「Is President Selina here?」
Men with gaudy clothing who obviously looked out of place here visited Savaran Company.
The female receptionist who felt suspicious of their visit quickly rang the secret bell to call for the guards that included Glymur.
「Can I ask you what your business might be here?」
「A mere staff member like you shouldn’t be too nosy. Call the president here quickly!」
The young man with the most conspicuous outfit among the men hit the table rudely.
His looks weren’t bad, but his eyes were really looking down on the woman. It told the receptionist that this man was a resident of a narcissistic fictional world.
「I can’t possibly inform the president without knowing what the dear guest’s business is here. It’s the rule.」
「You rude woman! Do you know who I am!? I’m Baron Paul Nevis!」
「My greatest apologies, but I ask the lord noble to please abide by our company’s rules as well.」
This receptionist named Mabel had dealt with this kind of miscreant dozens of times, so she informed him without faltering.
One couldn’t become a first-class receptionist without at least this much guts.
「Don’t screw with me! How dare a mere commoner like you humiliate this me like this!」
It seemed like he never even dreamed that he would be refused here. Paul was getting even more enraged.
It might be a different case for low-ranked nobles without any court rank, but the house head of a baron house had a high social position that couldn’t be compared to such low-ranked nobles.
Furthermore, Paul had his reasons for why he couldn’t just withdraw from here quietly.
.
Nevis House was a noble house that could be said as an ancient noble family with good pedigree in the Mauricia Kingdom.
However, its house head had died in the Antrim War. Paul, who succeeded the position, was incompentent in managing the territory, so right now the house was deep in debt and it wouldn’t be strange if the house went bankrupt at any time.
It was at that timing that an idea about marriage with Selina was brought to Paul like a godsend.
His pride as a noble would be wounded by marrying with a mere commoner, but Selina’s company assets were certainly alluring. If he disposed of her after taking away all her fortunes, he could just welcome a new wife from a good noble house later.
Paul immediately leaped at this offer from the great noble he was acquainted with without thinking for too long.
He was completely fed up with his livelihood that needed to worry every day about his food and clothing, even though he was a noble.
And so he came here to take a commoner like Selina to be his wife even though he was reluctant about it. If he was unable to even meet with her, he wouldn’t have any face to meet with Duke Malory, who tried to save him.
.
「Bring that little girl Selina here right away. Consider your life forfeit if you keep refusing with your impertinence!」
Paul drew out the sword hanging on his waist and threatened by showing off the blade. But then a huge mercenary appeared before him.
「Don’t show off something so dangerous in this kinda place……」
Originally Glymur wasn’t a man who would be content with working as a bodyguard in this kind of place. He was a veteran warrior who was feared as someone with the strength of ten men on the battlefield.
He was currently hired by Selina because the only existing large battle right now was at the outer edge of the continent. And the biggest reason was because he had his interest attracted by the revolution that Baldr and Selina were aiming at.
──By no means was it because he was scared of Maggot. This was important, so it should be said once more, he wasn’t here because he was scared of Maggot!
「What! Do you think you can get away with threatening a high ranked noble like me!?」
The entrance of Glymur who was obviously a competent mercenary at a glance made Paul back away with a shaking voice.
Paul didn’t have any experience in battle in the first place. Not to mention Glymur, it was suspicious whether he could even match a random young man on the streets. That was the reality of the situation.
Even the thugs that Paul was leading immediately realized Glymur’s strength and were unable to act tough like usual.
They could act violently without any hesitation if they saw their opponent was weaker, but they would be as useless as mere ornaments when facing someone stronger.
Glymur had seen those kinds of thugs who could only hide behind another’s authority many times until now.
There was nothing to fear from them.
.
「What’s goin’ on, it’s dangerous drawin’ out swords like that here……」
Selina appeared with a dubious look exactly at that timing.
Paul recalled what he came here for and stared at Selina appraisingly.
Her golden hair reflected the sunlight and glittered. Her large breasts protruded out and pushed up the fabric of her shirt. She had an amiable look despite her face’s well-ordered features. She was really worthy to be called a beauty.
Indeed, she was an alluring woman.
He couldn’t stomach how she was a beastman, but he guessed it wouldn’t be that bad to domesticate her as his dog.
And above all else, it was nice how she was much prettier than any random noble daughter who could be found anywhere.
Paul got into a good mood after imagining himself raping this strong-willed girl to his heart’s content.
Her voluptuous breasts and her white skin that was like snow also looked really fun for him to toy around with.
「You come with nice timing. Selina, this Paul Nevis, a glorious baron of this kingdom has come to take you as his wife.」
「I refuse, now go home.」
Time needed for the answer: 0.02 seconds.
It was truly a rejection at the speed of sound. Paul’s movement stopped.
While Paul’s financial situation was in a completely dire state, he was seriously believing that there was no greater honor for a commoner to be able to marry a noble.
His pride as a noble was his last remaining foundation to stand on. For that pride to be denied like this made Paul’s head turn blank.
What did this woman say?
Refuse?
Unforgivable…….
Unforgivable……!
A prestigious noble like him would never accept this kind of treatment!
「YOU BITCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!」
It was absurd that a prostitute who would shake her tail to any passing man would refuse a baron like him. This woman had to be judged. Baron Nevis swore on his noble name that he would never forgive this humiliation.
Paul slashed at Selina just as his instincts ordered him to.
「Oi oi, that’s really not funny yeah.」
There was no way Glymur would miss such an impulsive attack of an amateur.
He casually struck away Paul’s sword with his bare hand and punched his face, holding back a bit.
「Hebuh!」
Paul who got hit defenselessly rolled on the floor while bleeding from the nose. He was sent flying about three meters.
As expected the thugs couldn’t just stay quiet after their employer got punched. They moved to draw out their swords. However, Cell and Miranda swiftly neutralized them and it ended with a disastrous scene of young men lying in heaps all around.
Actually, this wasn’t the first time someone overreached and came to propose to Selina.
All of them were driven back by the quality and quantity of bodyguards that were a bit excessive just for a single company.
If they were seriously attempting to subdue Selina with brute force, they would need a platoon of official knights from the kingdom.
.
「──What injustice is this? To commit such a deed toward a noble of the kingdom, I hope you’re prepared for the consequence.」
A noble past middle-age wearing the robe of a law enforcer arrived at that time with a disgusting smirk.
「This is a legitimate self-defense. I haven’t done anythin’ to feel guilty about.」
The man’s white and green robe told that he was from the ministry of justice.
Selina realized that the baron just now was just the opening act for this.
Sure enough, the man started to criticize Selina with a triumphant look.
「That lord baron has expressly come here to courteously ask for your hand in marriage, and yet you can’t even understand your place as a commoner. Not only have you dealt violence to him, you even shamed him so badly like that. How outrageous. I’m putting you under arrest for lese majeste in accordance to the kingdom’s law.」
The kingdom’s law guaranteed the commoner’s right so that the nobles wouldn’t arbitrarily harm the commoners, but a noble’s social position was protected by the tax system and all sorts of special rights. Among them there was the sixth article that forbade commoners from disgracing nobles.
「Wait a second! I was almost killed by that guy just now!」
「What kind of nonsense you’re prattling now. I saw it myself how the lord baron was acting so respectfully and courteously.」
「Go sleep talkin’ when yer actually asleep.」
「This is the testimony of me, a guardian of the law! Your words just now can only be considered as a new violation of lese majeste!」
A judicial noble of the ministry of justice was given the right to make an arrest based on their own testimony.
Seen in that light, what this man was trying to do was within the legality of the law.
「In accordance to the sixth article of this kingdom’s law, I put Selina Savaran under arrest using the fourth article of the judicial authority!」
The man proclaimed his victory.
As long as he could put Selina under arrest, it wouldn’t be difficult to seize Savaran Company’s assets. After that, it would be easy to use plea bargaining or using investigation as pretext to expose the secret of the products.
If he dragged someone into his own jurisdiction, then even if his opponent was one of the ten great nobles, he was confident he could oppose them.
.
「──Judicial authority first article paragraph two, thou shall not testify falsely. Based on this I raise objection to the court officer’s testimony!」
What stopped the triumphant laugh of the man was Baldr Cornelius, who sported a frown of contempt.
The man unconsciously backed away from the ghastly aura that drifted off from Baldr’s whole body, but when he thought about the relationship between Savaran Company and Cornelius House, then Baldr’s entrance was still within expectation.
The man pulled himself together and roughened his voice to put on a bold front.
「You say that you’re objecting to my testimony!? Even you won’t get away with it if you slander the testimony of a guardian of the law! It doesn’t matter that you’re the heir of a count, don’t think that you will receive any special treatment.」
「I can testify that Baron Nevis had unsheathed his sword and attacked Selina. You should know that according to the tenth article of the kingdom’s law, a noble’s testimony should be assumed to be the truth.」
「Hmph! It’s useless speaking to you. There is no need to even think which testimony is the correct one, the testimony of a brat without any court rank like you or the testimony of an officer of the law like me.」
「I’m not the only one who can give testimony. Do you know how many people have witnessed the matter?」
「It doesn’t matter how many witnesses there are, the testimony that I give is the correct one! It’s impossible for a law officer’s judgment to be mistaken.」
Even if Baldr ran crying to Ignis with his accusation, it was impossible to overturn the trial’s judgment with the testimonies from Baldr and commoners.
Even if the presiding judge harbored doubt toward his testimony, the precedent of a judge believing a commoner’s testimony over an officer of the law’s testimony would threaten the meaning of existence for the ministry of justice.
The judge would support him no matter how reluctant they were in order to protect their organization.
There was also the powerful backer behind him. There was no way for him to lose even in the worst case.
「Judicial authority first article paragraph one, thou shall not betray thy conscience. Mister law officer, don’t you feel any shame in your conscience?」
Baldr’s words were nothing but the howl of a loser for the man.
Conscience? Such a thing could just become a dog’s food. Money and authority meant everything in this world.
「Are you frustrated, brat? It doesn’t matter how proud you are of your strength or skill, if I say that this girl’s guilty then she’s guilty. Something like truth cannot possibly save anyone. That’s right, if you prostrate and beg forgiveness from me, then perhaps I’ll lighten this girl’s punishment. It doesn’t matter what you say, after all, I’m the law of this country!」
Of course, even if Baldr prostrated, he didn’t have the slightest intention of forgiving Selina. But even still, the man laughed sadistically to his heart’s content at Baldr, who had been drastically harming the interests of the ministry of finance.
To break and disgrace the heart of a brat who was ignorant of the way of the world and still believed in something like justice was an irreplaceable delight for the man.
「You’re the ignorant one. Sometimes truth can become a blade that is sharper than anything. I don’t need to bow to an imbecile who believes everything mistakenly with his short sightedness.」
「What did you say! You bastard!」
The prey who he believed would submit after losing every means of escape was suddenly baring his fangs toward him. The man felt enraged and also uncomfortable at the same time.
It was because Baldr didn’t look like he had accepted defeat. No, rather, it was like he was scorning a prey that was caught in his trap──
.
「To think that an officer of the law would claim that he is the law while disregarding the king who is the champion of the kingdom’s law. The quality of the officer of the law really has gone down the drain.」
「……The worst.」
The man saw two small silhouettes appearing from behind Selina. The entrance of the people who he had never even expected to see here made him convulse as though lightning had struck him.
The man’s throat felt painfully dry. It was pleading for the man to take in some water.
William and Silk’s presences were different from Baldr. The opponent was too dangerous to be ignored.
「──Truth cannot save anyone, is it? I’ll tell father every single word you mentioned just now. Let’s ascertain whether your words are true or not.」
「H-how can……why is his highness William here!?」
「Do you think that my wicked father wouldn’t predict that there would be an idiot like you who acts recklessly? This company has been under the watch of the prime minister’s men since a long time ago.」
「H-how can……!」
A man who introduced him as an informant of the prime minister appeared in front of William and others who were heading to Savaran Company. It was dozens of minutes ago.
They were protecting the Savaran Company from the shadow. The nobles and law officers who arrived here would be too much for them, so they came asking for help from William.
If Prime Minister Harold took action directly, the possibility was high that the opponent would raise their guard and shut themselves into their burrow.
It was preferable to make use of William’s standing as a student that wasn’t conspicuous in order to reveal their faults.
「It’s annoying, but, it can’t be helped if it’s for Baldr’s friend.」
「Thank you very much, your highness.」
The trap had been completed when Selina showed up at the receptionist when she heard the commotion.
It was really a show seeing the man making a grand speech with such a smug face while not knowing what was actually happening.
「Let’s hear who is the mastermind of this from you and the stupid baron over there.」
The man finally realized that he had charged headlong toward a trap that was aiming for his backer’s downfall.
Everything was set up above the palm of that black-hearted king.
The man slumped in dejection. He and the unconscious Baron Paul were led away by the prime minister’s men.
.
The next day a notification was sent to Baldr and others. Duke Malory, who was still a distant relative of the royal family, went into retirement, while two or three baron and viscount houses were crushed.
It seemed that stupid Paul also blabbed about unnecessary things even though he wasn’t asked about it.
「Well, it’s a big help. But this makes me worry whether the kingdom’s government is really alright with this……」
「Don’t say that……」
Baldr and William could only feel exasperated.
.
Even a great noble who was counted amidst the ten great nobles got investigated. It spoke more eloquently than anything of how harsh the royal family’s response was.
Even if someone wanted to defend them, the confession of the arrested Paul and William’s testimony made the situation too disadvantageous.
If anyone tried to protect them even then, there was a risk that they would also lose their standing. There was no way anyone would brave such risk to protect them.
Even so, there were those who argued heatedly that they had to at least protect their ministry’s interests. However, most of them were people whose crime would be immediately discovered if they were to be seriously investigated, so they immediately backed down.
The outline of the intrigue drama this time could be easily understood by anyone who was well-versed in politics to some degree.
This was an unsaid message from Welkin that said, 「I won’t be merciful to anyone who opposes the king’s structural reform」.
If Welkin felt like it, he could unearth the whole conspiracy and decapitated the whole ministry of finance, and yet he only purged several people. It was proof that he was only making an example of these people.
If they were only doing illegal deeds in moderation and wouldn’t openly oppose the king even if their interests were reduced to some degree, the king would guarantee their comfortable position──few people would persist with their anti-king stance even after being implicitly told that.
There were also genuine idiots among them that seriously planned a coup, but there wasn’t even any need to publicly punish such types of people. There was a high possibility that those people would die in an accident or go missing without anyone noticing. Their friends who were committing the same act could easily imagine that.
In the end, the strength of the anti-king faction that was centered around the ministry of finance’s bureaucrats was greatly reduced. The reformist faction was gaining prominence as the main faction.
More than half of their number were formerly from anti-king faction who switched sides, but what was important was that the leader of this main faction was someone who had been earnestly confronting the problem of national economy since the beginning.
Additional military budget had been approved to some degree. At the ministry of military affairs, people were having heated debates on how to make use of the budget.
With how limited their budget was, it was absolutely necessary to decide the priority of military projects that had been neglected until now.
The shrewd Welkin didn’t stop there, he established a tax for drawing water with the assumption that the hand pump that Baldr introduced would spread throughout the kingdom.
In exchange for the tax, the kingdom would fully take care of the pump’s installation and maintenance.
At first, the people were disapproving that their tax was increased, but they changed their opinion as easily as turning their hand the moment they saw the pump. Right now, even villages that were located far away from the capital sent a petition to install the pump quickly at their place. Dowding Company and Savaran Company that became the source of supply of the pump were swamped with a schedule so busy they could die from it.
Naturally, the establishment of new taxes and the increase in budget also expanded the ministry of finance’s influence and interests.
The bigger the budget became and the more complicated the organization grew, the stronger the authority of an administrative body would become.
Welkin and Harold were taming the ministry of finance by giving them a carrot on a stick like this. The force that was still opposing the two of them became extremely small with this.
A certain politician had a saying, 『An excellent politician would use bureaucrats well, a foolish politician would get into confrontation with bureaucrats』.
A completed bureaucratic organization wasn’t allowed to stand still. In case the bureaucrats and politicians were hostile with each other, it would interfere with the people’s livelihood.
In that light, Welkin could be classified as an excellent politician without any doubt.
「Guhahahahah! Hahahah! Just as planned!」
After that, Welkin laughed too much and injured his throat. He was harshly scolded by the exasperated Harold.
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