Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 23 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Justified Killing

A few days went by since the incident with Mario Romaine. Even though it was around 8 p.m., most of Earth would be fast asleep around this time. While nobles had access to candles and lights for daily use, it would be disrespectful to visit someone’s house around this time.

Yet even at this time, in a corner of Pireas, Helena Steiner had a visitor at her manor. She hadn’t planned to meet Ryoma at this time, but the maids had still shown him to a room where she and the newly promoted Prime Minister McMaster stood.

“Long time no see, Viscount Diggle McMaster. Oh, apologies, you changed your name to that of the first McMaster viscount, right? Derek, was it?” stated Ryoma as he held out his hand. Behind him, as always, were the twins wearing maid outfits. Usually, he would have asked the maids who had guided him here to leave the room. But no one could ask that in the current situation, so Ryoma would have been incredibly careless to judge his actions in a situation like this.

“That’s right. I’ve become the prime minister of this country while remaining a viscount. I decided to go back to basics and change my name,” uttered Viscount McMaster, smiling widely as he took Ryoma’s hand.

“I see. Well, I, for one, think it was the right decision to make. It definitely feels like you’re turning over a new leaf,” replied Ryoma, returning the smile.

They were simple pleasantries. After all, a viscount had become the prime minister of a country. It had been around five hundred years since something like this had occurred in Rhoadserian history. Such an event was very uncommon throughout the entire western continent and a spectacular achievement. It would have been strange for Ryoma not to mention McMaster’s new position. Depending on the person saying it, one could interpret the comment differently. Ryoma was simply being honest, but McMaster might have thought otherwise and sneered at Ryoma’s words in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. On the surface, he looked congenial. Judging from the slight squeeze from McMaster when he shook hands with Ryoma, he didn’t seem very pleased with Ryoma.

“Apologies...” added Ryoma.

“Please, don’t worry about it.” The two smiled as they quietly let go of one another’s hand. It was a relaxed interaction between two adults, though it was not entirely unproblematic.

I didn’t mean to make any snide remarks or anything, thought Ryoma.

Sometimes, people’s nonchalant words could upset the other. McMaster might have felt Ryoma indirectly alluded to how McMaster had cut Lupis off and replaced her with Radine. It was a result of a paranoid complex that McMaster had developed from guilt. Given the difference in positions between Ryoma Mikoshiba and Viscount McMaster, it wasn’t unreasonable for him to assume Ryoma was making a rude comment.

Hmm. Regardless of how I feel about it, I wonder if I was a bit too careless with my wording? 

Ryoma had also helped Radine and steered the direction of the country. As a result, he wished to maintain good relations with Viscount McMaster.

Even if we were to be on bad terms, he’s not the kind of person I’d want to cut off entirely.

Indeed, that was always a possible outcome. Considering the military strength and the power he possessed—both of which surpassed a mere baronial house—that answer became quite clear. Ryoma had only the official standing of a baron, but in terms of authority, he surpassed Queen Radine. Even though Viscount McMaster was prime minister, he could not oppose such power. Should McMaster do so, Ryoma’s plans from here on out would require a lot of adjustments. Unfortunately, Viscount McMaster was not easily replaceable.

There’s not many useful people here, to begin with, and even fewer people I could task with assisting Queen Radine. I also need to find people who don’t view me as the enemy.

Rhoadseria used to have feeble-minded and dimwitted nobles; few people could navigate national politics. As a result of Gelhart and his cronies going to the chopping block, there were fewer usable pieces at Ryoma’s disposal. The nobles who were part of the noble faction were good pawns, but it was unclear if they would stay loyal.

Well, if you’re going to undermine a country, you need to be capable enough for the task.

It was general knowledge that the bad guys in history who undermined their own country were highly talented individuals with no love for the country itself. That made sense; complete idiots wouldn’t be able to run a country—even if they had such an important position, the people around them would only drag them down. This environment led to mostly evil political groups—who would control their greed and keep up appearances—coming into power.

It’d be great if we could get rid of such factions. But they do have their uses. Having a noble who is highly devoted and holds strong morals like McMaster is incredibly critical. I don’t want to jeopardize our relationship over such a trivial matter. 

Ryoma did not have much of an opinion regarding McMaster changing his name. For example, many people used pen names or nicknames in modern Japan. But there were a lot of restrictions when changing one’s name: one would first have to apply to change their name at the courthouse and explain why they wished to do so, such as their name causing issues in their day-to-day life. It wasn’t impossible, though. Even one of the great unifiers of Japan from the Warring States period, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, had changed his name so he could lead a new life. He had gone through various names, like Kinoshita Tokichiro and Kinoshita Hideyoshi, then onto Hashiba Hideyoshi, before settling on Toyotomi Hideyoshi. When including his childhood name, Hiyoshimaru, he had gone through five names. Compared to that, Viscount McMaster had only changed his name once—not that it really meant anything.

It might have been a little strange for Ryoma as no one around him had changed their name. He really hadn’t meant much when he commented on it. In any case, Ryoma could not cut ties with him because he was the head of House McMaster, a family that had served the kingdom since the first king.

I’ll have to be careful when discussing this topic in the future.

One awkward response could give offense. Thus, Ryoma had decided to let it slip and chose not to discuss it further. Viscount McMaster seemingly had picked up on Ryoma’s thoughts as the two gave each other a slight nod amid the unpleasant atmosphere. Then Helena greeted them both. She had been sitting on a sofa alongside the wall, watching over the two men and enjoying the show.

“All right, it looks like you’re done with pleasantries. Let’s move on to the topic at hand, shall we? I do have a lot I wish to talk about, so I’ll start with the least pleasant topic first,” said Helena, smiling dryly. “Ryoma, I heard you made quite the spectacle the day before yesterday. Do you know how much trouble you caused for us?” It seemed she had heard about what had happened.

Well, no surprise there...

Ever since Ryoma had claimed victory in the siege, Pireas had entered a state of unrest. The commander in chief of the military, Helena, and the newly appointed royal prime minister, Viscount McMaster, were working tirelessly to improve the situation. They also spent a lot of resources on improving their information network.

Not only did the knights, who were supposed to protect the city, assault and threaten citizens, they also attempted a kidnapping and a murder.

Speaking in modern terms, it was as if the police had openly broken the law for all to see. Since the knights were under the kingdom’s management and their behavior reflected on the kingdom, it added further fuel to the fire. If Ryoma hadn’t interfered, then the knights from the altercation would have ended up becoming rapists and murderers. He had stopped them from carrying out more violent attacks, which made the news about what had happened spread far throughout the royal city. In Japan, Ryoma would have received a letter of appreciation from the police and appeared on a news website with his picture. But judging from Helena and Viscount McMaster’s expressions, he wouldn’t be receiving any compliments. Viscount McMaster looked like he was chewing on a bitter bug as he nodded deeply in response to Helena.

“Quite the trouble indeed. Of course, we cannot simply overlook any slight toward you, Lord Mikoshiba. And we won’t allow Mario Romaine to get off lightly after trying to take a woman in the presence of her husband. Rather than arresting him, you chose to kill him and the other suspects where they stood. You are aware that we have laws in place.”

Helena and Viscount McMaster were speaking the truth. Mario Romaine and his cronies had committed a crime. While on duty, they had arrived at a tavern on one of their patrols and had so much alcohol that they got drunk. When the owner of the tavern asked for payment, they assaulted the owner and his wife—disgraceful actions for a noble. They had also ridiculed and tried to intimidate Ryoma, who was trying to mediate the situation. Ryoma then protected himself when they attacked. It would have been difficult for anyone to criticize Ryoma for that. Though, one could say there was a limit to self-defense.

Although Ryoma was in the right, Rhoadseria had laws. He had killed the man next in line as head of the Romaine family, making it easy to imagine the outrage from the nobles. It was only natural that Helena and Viscount McMaster, two figures who managed the country and had to quell the nobles’ ire, would have a few complaints for Ryoma.

Ryoma simply shrugged it off; he felt no need to regret or reflect on his actions when Helena and Viscount McMaster aired their grievances. After all, Ryoma had only done what was necessary. He did not hesitate, nor did he fear others opposing his choices.

“Well, I don’t do things by half measures, even when doing something as simple as taking the trash out,” said Ryoma, smirking.

Even though Mario and his subordinates were the bad guys in all of this, Ryoma referring to their deaths as “taking the trash out” was surprising. Those were the words of someone entirely confident in their sense of justice. Modern standards referred to it as self-righteousness, but it was impossible for someone to survive in this world without it. One had to have a sense of self-righteousness in a world where force was commonly used. Without it, superior martial arts would have no meaning. No matter how strong a person was, their power became obsolete if they hesitated even once. Plus, not being prepared to wield force was akin to having an unusable sword. One’s sense of resolution helped fill the gap between different strength levels.

After all, the crime they had committed was clear as day. 

If any activists had overheard what Ryoma had said, they would no doubt turn pale, veins bulging as they criticized him for being a monster. But Ryoma felt like he was correct. After all, they had gravely wounded the young man, and then tried to make a plaything out of the wife right in front of him. There was no way they had been falsely accused. And so, Ryoma felt their crime was evident, and it was only natural that they paid for it with their lives.

“Taking trash out... I see. I can’t really deny that, knowing what he had been up to until then. But I can well imagine this will drive Viscount Romaine mad with anger,” responded Helena.

No parent out there wouldn’t seethe with rage hearing their child’s demise. Even if they could not deny their child’s crimes, they would come up with some sort of excuse, trying to protect their child. There was also the matter of Mario’s manner of death.

“I have to say, I’ve never seen a corpse like that outside of a battlefield... It’s understandable why Viscount Romaine would be incredibly enraged,” continued Helena. After Ryoma had killed Mario, a separate unit of knights heard the report and investigated the scene. The sight they came across shook them to the bones. Viscount McMaster had also looked at the recovered corpse. Mario had his head caved in and his private parts crushed into nothing. McMaster was horrified at the level of violence. Ryoma shouldn’t have resorted to such messy methods if he had simply planned to kill Mario. However, Ryoma had been expecting this criticism for his actions.

“I see... I did foresee this happening,” replied Ryoma. Helena and McMaster exchanged looks.

“Do you mean you expected Viscount Romaine to be seething with rage?” asked Helena.

“Bad guys always have a soft spot for their loved ones. No matter how much a piece of shit his son was, he was still his son. I can’t imagine any parent would stay silent if their child died in such a manner.”

Viscount Romaine had to keep up appearances. If he didn’t lament his son’s death, the Romaine family would be subjected to mockery from the other Rhoadserian nobles. For a noble, that was a fate worse than death.

“So you knew and still went that far,” said Viscount McMaster, shaking his head. Helena didn’t speak but clearly thought the same thing.

Ryoma pulled out a sheet of paper from his breast pocket and laid it on the table.

“What’s this?” asked Helena.

“A bill,” responded Ryoma calmly. He remained dignified and unfazed, making Helena and Viscount McMaster uneasy.

“A bill? Well, it certainly does look like one...”

“Excuse me, may I have a closer look at it?” mused Viscount McMaster.

“Of course, be my guest,” answered Ryoma as the pair tilted their heads in confusion.

The young couple who had received injuries at the hands of Mario Romaine were mere citizens living in the royal capital. But the wrongdoer, Mario, was the heir to an affluent noble house whose vile behavior led to his death. Considering their statuses and the fact that the perpetrator was deceased, there was no way he could pay for any damages. Worse yet, Viscount Romaine might have demanded consolation money from either the Mikoshiba barony or the young couple, claiming damages caused by Mario’s death. That was a worst-case scenario. When thinking back on how corruptly nobles had behaved in the past, it wouldn’t have been all too surprising if that happened. Ryoma had no worries about that, though.

“First of all, I’ll break down the list of items. The young couple—the victims—will need compensation for their store, all their furniture in said store, and any loss of sales that might result from the store being closed. If any of their food or drink stock goes bad, they will require compensation for that too. Next up will be consolation money for the two of them. I feel around ten thousand gold coins is a good number...and, well, the two of them were very badly hurt and in danger of losing their lives. So, I ended up using some very sacred medicine to save them and have included the costs of that too. As this was all of a result of Mario Romaine and his group’s barbaric actions, I feel it is appropriate that his father should also pay. I’ll skip past the finer details, but it should come to around twenty thousand gold coins in fees.”

Ryoma took out a second bill and handed it to Helena and Viscount McMaster. A smile then spread on his face as he continued.

“Here is the bill from the Mikoshiba barony addressed to Viscount Romaine. Ideally, I’d prefer to squeeze more out of him. But I don’t think that would be very proper for me as a noble of Rhoadseria, so I’ll just round it out and settle for that.”

Viscount McMaster and Helena were speechless. Moments before, they were criticizing Ryoma for his actions. Yet the man seemed unbothered by their comments and instead sought compensation from Viscount Romaine. Their only response was to stand there, mouths open wide.

“Are you being serious right now? It’ll be difficult getting this kind of money out of Viscount Romaine. In fact, I think it’ll be impossible,” said Viscount McMaster after a long silence. One gold coin was equivalent to one million yen. One hundred silver coins were equivalent to one gold coin. Considering that one hundred bronze coins were about one silver coin, and a bronze coin was roughly one hundred yen, one silver coin nearly matched ten thousand yen. This was mere conjecture, as the worth of the currency could change depending on the marketplace. Even so, a bronze coin and a yen were almost the same in value.

The estimation was good because one night’s stay at an inn was about fifty silver coins. Thus, thirty thousand gold coins were about thirty million yen. Any ordinary Japanese person would feel ripped off—Viscount McMaster undoubtedly felt the same way.

Viscount McMaster’s family was frugal with their finances, which meant they were better off than most other noble families within Rhoadseria. Anyhow, thirty thousand gold coins would be impossible for even them. One had to be incredibly bold to request someone to pay such a high amount. Viscount McMaster seemed to doubt Ryoma’s sanity.

“I suppose it’s doable, since that’s the amount your average noble family would earn in a year.”

On average, a barony in Rhoadseria encompassed one or two territories, with villages having a population between five hundred and one thousand people. While it was impossible to say for sure, as it depended a lot on the output of said territories based on their goods produced and natural resources such as mines, a barony collected around one thousand gold coins from taxes in one year—one billion yen.

That is just taxes, though. There are a lot of expenses when ruling a territory as a barony, thought Ryoma. Simply put, it was similar to annual pay versus net income. Rhoadserian nobles also had a duty to pay for the military and their internal administration, meaning even more money got deducted from their tax income.

The three things required to run a nation were a military, an administration, and diplomacy. Although their sizes differed, those three things were essential to nobles when managing a territory. However, all of them cost a lot of money.

For example, the military’s main costly expense was personnel. Without soldiers, there would be no gluttonous insect of a military to devour resources.

Conscripting civilians to join the military was always an option should one not be concerned about the quality of soldiers. Doing so wasn’t restricted to Japan’s Warring States period—it had been done for centuries and across cultures. That said, conscripted soldiers tended to lack training and morale. It was an effective way of gaining numbers when faced with a sudden war, even if it wouldn’t lead to a military of well-trained soldiers. It was the equivalent to buying goods at a store that prided itself on cheap prices. One could find a good bargain if they searched long enough, but most of the time one found items whose low quality reflected their low prices. Amassing many soldiers meant that tax income took a huge hit, which was another downside to conscription. Sending people from one’s territory out to war meant that the circulation of goods within their territory stagnated. Plus, one couldn’t rely on a conscript to lead the conscripted civilians.

While the leader wouldn’t have to have a high rank such as a knight, it would be impossible for a civilian—who lacked military experience—to lead. A certain level of education would be required, and they would ideally possess above-average ability. With all that considered, the best candidate would be a person who held the rank of a knight. But it wasn’t that simple for an ordinary barony to employ someone of that level.

When a knight became a unit’s leader, they would also receive a more official rank, meaning they would receive a salary that matched their position. Having a military alone incurred a lot of costs. Considering there were also administrative and diplomatic costs, no matter how much income a noble family had, their finances tended to be in dire straits.

At the very least, noble houses trying to carry out their duties often didn’t have much leeway regarding finances. The exception to this would be a noble house with some additional means of making money within its territory, though not many were that lucky.

Viscount Romaine may have a little more financial leeway, not that it amounts to much anyway, thought Ryoma.

A viscount usually possessed several small villages and a medium-sized town. A viscount’s tax revenue was typically three to five times more than a baron received. But for all the taxes they collected, they had just as many expenses too. Viscounts had general savings, so they could pay if they combined the money from selling all their possessions. Without a doubt, that would mean financial ruin for House Romaine.

“It seems Mario Romaine is quite the spendthrift. He’s apparently like his father and doesn’t have much in the way of savings.” said Ryoma.

“You’ve done your research, I see,” said Viscount McMaster, furrowing his brow.

“Of course. I have a retainer who is well-versed in those sorts of things.”

“Count Zeleph?”

“Yes. He was often in the shadow of his brother-in-law, Bergstone, and many underestimated him. But he is very capable and excels at gathering information within noble society.” Ryoma had come to his former conclusion based on Count Zeleph’s information. This meant his prediction was bound to be ninety percent correct.

“You know all of that, yet you’re still trying to back House Romaine into a corner?” responded Viscount McMaster, a hint of anger in his voice.

While one couldn’t deny Mario was at fault, the prime minister felt Ryoma was a little hypocritical in targeting them so much. But Helena had come to a completely different opinion as she had been listening to the conversation while enjoying the scent of the served tea.

Ryoma calmly crossed his legs and continued to speak. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

Helena laughed, although she was extremely experienced and had noticed something when Ryoma spoke.

“I see, so that’s why the bill is itemized,” said Helena.

Viscount McMaster panicked, then reviewed the bill. His eyes stopped on one of the items, and he looked at a loss for words. “Is this...the price of the secret medicine you used?” he asked.

A closer look at the itemized charges revealed how costly a bill from the Mikoshiba barony could be. The amount in reparations for the couple was already extravagant. While the expenses Ryoma had requested were almost double that, they weren’t unjustified. For example, the costs for the bodyguards were necessary to prevent retaliation from Viscount Romaine.

House Romaine might have blamed the young couple for what happened, or even look to silence them for good. Thus, there were costs to prevent that from happening.

It only made sense that Viscount Romaine, the cause of all this, was the one to foot the bill. The highest expense there—the secret medicine that Ryoma had used to help the young couple—was a valuable concoction made from materials that only the dark elves of the Wortenia Peninsula could gather. The medicine was priceless because only dark elves could gather the materials, and its creation was a dark elf secret.

In other words, no one other than I would be able to buy it. 

Ryoma had difficulty determining the value of something so priceless. One would have to traverse deep into the woodland of the Wortenia Peninsula to locate the monsters and plants needed to collect the required materials. Such would be impossible for even a seasoned adventurer from the guild.

Similar jobs from the guild paid from five thousand to ten thousand gold coins as a reward; that was literally the market value for such jobs. It would have been easier if one could just obtain the medicine’s materials with money, though it was natural one couldn’t put a price on an ancient dark elf secret recipe.

Nevertheless, it was clear the medicine was of exceptional quality. Even though the young man had been badly injured, his ribs would have healed in around two days, and he would no longer be in pain. The young man’s wife, who suffered a head injury as a result of Mario throwing her into a stone wall, would also recover well thanks to the medicine. Ryoma had no doubt it was a lifesaving substance.

If money could buy this lifesaving medicine, everyone would want to buy a bottle or two of it—not just nobles. Then why did Ryoma use such an expensive medicine? He wasn’t a one for selfless charity, nor was he particularly concerned about money. The reason was quite clear. While it might have been a high-value commodity for others, that wasn’t the case for Ryoma.

Ryoma owned the Wortenia Peninsula and had built a strong friendly relationship with the dark elf chieftain, Nelcius, making it a convenient tool for him. He didn’t use it a lot, but that didn’t mean he kept it stored away like an ancient treasure. He had another reason for using it in addition to that. Said reason was that he could attach any monetary value to it as he wished.

It’d be hard for them to argue the price with me. 

There were counter-arguments to why he shouldn’t have used such a high-value, secret medicine, but since he had chosen to prioritize the couple’s lives, it would be hard to argue that decision. Viscount Romaine considered the lives of the civilians to be less than garbage but could not say that publicly.

If he has a problem with that, all I need to do is to tell him to give me the materials for the medicine. 

Viscount Romaine had no other choice but to stay silent. Even if he were to put out a request at the guild, there was no certainty that he would be able to hire someone to take it. Even if someone took it on, it would take them months or maybe even a year to accomplish it. Whether they could even enter Wortenia was up to Ryoma.

Moreover, Ryoma could keep them waiting at the checkpoint for months. In that case, they would ask Viscount Romaine to pay a ten percent late fee, much like the one listed at the bottom of Ryoma’s bill.

It’s also true that there was no other way we could have saved them in such a short time with such severe injuries. 

Should Viscount Romaine refuse to pay the bill, Ryoma would simply put the rest of House Romaine to death and say he was doing it for the good of the people after all the abuse they endured. That would be a welcome relief to the citizens of Rhoadseria, who had been unhappy with how things were being run ever since the civil war.

I guess that would be in bad taste, but appropriate for who I’m dealing with. I have to make him atone for his sins.

Plus, Ryoma wasn’t that evil. If Viscount Romaine owned up to his son’s crime and sincerely apologized, Ryoma would be ready to negotiate the bill down. He might even entrust Viscount Romaine’s punishment to Queen Radine, since he didn’t actually want to receive compensation.

While it’s an exorbitant bill, this is more of a means of threatening him than a bid for actual compensation. 

But Ryoma did not need to target Viscount Romaine alone, because ultimately this was an attempt to pressure the nobles who had refused to cooperate with Queen Radine. It wouldn’t have been too much work for him to target another noble with a similar bill, since Rhoadseria had plenty of crooked nobles.

The nobles in Rhoadseria were a mixed bag of gems, and it was safe to assume ninety percent of those “gems” were just ordinary rocks. While it was evident that Mario Romaine had committed a crime, Rhoadseria could not remove Viscount Romaine just because he acknowledged his son’s guilt. Ryoma understood there was zero chance of that ever happening.

If Viscount Romaine were decent, he probably would have talked some sense into his son before he became what he did. Small chance of that being the case, though.

Ryoma didn’t know if Viscount Romaine had been aware of his son’s behavior. But it seemed he had a history of using his authority as a viscount to make specific matters disappear.

This probably would have gotten snuffed out too if there had been any other noble involved, instead of me.

Ryoma knew exactly what he was in for, which was why he approached it the way he did. He recognized that other nobles wouldn’t take him seriously if he took the ordinary path. Plus, Ryoma saw he could have taken the easy route and just accepted that it would not be easy for him to make a noble reflect on their actions.

Helena had seen right through that; once again, they were on the same wavelength. She was old enough to be his grandmother, yet they were like peas in a pod.

“All will be well if he apologizes for his son’s behavior and pays the compensation. If he doesn’t, you plan to destroy and make an example of him, right? Your goal is to thin out the nobles within the kingdom.”

“Precisely. Let’s say it’s a gift to Queen Radine, congratulating her on her accession to the throne. Would you be willing to accept it?”

Helena’s smile shined as she laughed. “Of course. I’m certain Her Majesty will be pleased.”

Viscount McMaster’s eyes grew wide.

“Lady Helena... Are you insane?”

Viscount McMaster also held some reservations regarding the nobles who selfishly acted for their own benefit, indifferent to how the nation was doing. As a fellow noble serving the kingdom, he felt a sense of camaraderie with them. He was talented and of good character, so worthy of serving Queen Radine that they had removed the former Duke Gelhart from his position.

I guess it’s still difficult for him on a sentimental level.

That might have been one of the main reasons he stayed holed up in his territory for years.

One might think he’s too soft. Surprising, considering how he looks. 

Ryoma pitied Viscount McMaster as the man struggled in anguish. Viscount McMaster wore an eye patch over his right eye and had a closely shaved head. He was built like a battle-hardened soldier, making him look even more intimidating, like the leader of a band of pirates or bandits. But that led people to misunderstand the kind of person he was.

The viscount was a compassionate person with a good personality to boot, which Count Zeleph’s report supported. His territory was relatively safe, and it seemed he had the trust of the civilians living there, meaning there were no issues regarding his ability and personality.

At the same time, he was prone to letting good opportunities pass him by. If Viscount McMaster were on the battlefield and faced a foreign opponent, he wouldn’t go easy on them. But when faced with someone from the same country as himself, he struggled to get over that notion of being comrades.

“Is there no other way?” pleaded Viscount McMaster.

“Unfortunately, no. There isn’t,” responded Ryoma, dashing Viscount McMaster’s hopes in one fell swoop. Ryoma knew it was the lesser evil to not give him any false hopes.

“This country has too many nobles to begin with. As a result, it’s hard to run the nation properly. That, and the years of bad management by the previous rulers.”

Helena nodded in response to Ryoma’s words. The Kingdom of Rhoadseria was large enough but had limited means of communication. Exerting the government’s direct influence throughout the land was hard. Thus, having some nobles in control of their territory wasn’t such a bad idea.

Nobles wouldn’t be able to manage their territories if they didn’t have some autonomy. Based on the current threat of monsters, they would also need their own militaries. That was only beneficial if they were using those forces appropriately, though.

About one thousand nobles resided in Rhoadseria, which Ryoma thought was too many.

I suppose that’s what happens when you thoughtlessly give out high ranks to people...

It was normal to grant someone a high rank based on their outstanding deeds. The issue was that those people’s descendants would proceed to live as nobles even though they had no particular talent. For instance, a section manager’s child might join a company and assume that same position or the head of a company’s child could follow in their parent’s footsteps.

Naturally, the number of nobles would grow when you gave titles to those who produced results. But it also meant that the nobles who had their autonomy increased would lead to the crown losing its control and authority. That was a horrible move for all aspects of government—military, administration, and diplomacy. If a road needed to be maintained, the administration would first have to negotiate with the noble who owned the territory the road passed through.

Even the queen couldn’t start working on something like that without first consulting the nobles. All that trouble came about when nobles received autonomy. Of course, it would be fine if the noble in question gave the go-ahead. But there wouldn’t be many nobles who would be happy having strangers tromp through their gardens; instead they would surely complain.

Some nobles would be sensible about it and cooperate, but a complaint from a single house would put an immediate stop to the plan if the road were to pass through several nobles’ territories. It wouldn’t be as simple as excluding that noble house.

All of these negotiations would force the kingdom to deal with the faction the noble house belonged to and the other noble houses in that faction.

Developing roads in this kingdom is essential for information to spread throughout the country and to ensure the smooth transport of goods. This country ought to open up more roads, but there are too many hurdles.

Roads were like veins in the human body, which transported blood to every corner of the body. The kingdom had its more important roads already established, similar to how arteries connected to the more vital body parts like the heart and brain. The royal capital of Pireas and Heraklion in the south were well-connected. But just as the heart and brain required more than blood, the royal capital and Heraklion needed more than roads to function.

Even if blood was getting to the heart, the brain, and other important organs, the skin received none. However, the queen had not even built such important roads within the kingdom. Because of this, there were many inefficient routes due to the constant obstacles when planning them. For example, a road cutting through a few kilometers of forest would suffice. But failure of negotiations meant the road would end up going around the edges of the forest, creating a huge detour.

There is only one reason for such selfishness. The nobles are strong, and they’re well aware of that.

To go against the queen’s orders would mean the end of that noble house. It could even lead to members of the family being executed or sold as slaves. If they miraculously received light punishment, another noble house would absorb them. Either way, it would spell the end for them as a noble family.

Openly objecting to the queen’s orders was an incredible risk that required the person to be ready for the punishments that might follow. That was a heavy price to pay for a short-term investment or simple selfish desires.

That’s why they all have private militaries under the guise of “self-defense,” and why they form cliques through convoluted marriages. It’s all to compete with the authority of the crown.

Furio Gelhart, who had headed the biggest of the noble factions, had allied with both large and small factions. They aimed to protect nobles’ rights and ensure the country had good management—all in all, rather lofty goals.

“Can’t we just try to persuade the nobles? They should know that the country won’t last long like this. Maybe we can reach a common ground with them. Wouldn’t that be better?” said Viscount McMaster.

However, Ryoma responded with a cold smirk and replied, “Common ground, huh? Would that even be possible, considering no one has yet to manage it? Do you really think Queen Lupis didn’t try to find that common ground back when the last civil war ended and she became ruler?”

Viscount McMaster averted his gaze.

“Well, I...”

Ryoma carried on speaking, guiding Viscount McMaster to the inevitable truth.

“This country doesn’t have much time left. We don’t have the luxury of looking for more reasonable methods. All that’s left is to either stand silent and watch your country die or do whatever you can to survive, regardless of how it looks from the outside. And well, I don’t mean to be rude, but...”

Ryoma paused momentarily before looking Viscount McMaster directly in the eyes, where he could see Viscount McMaster’s dormant warrior pride.

“If you don’t choose to survive, it would mean you removed Queen Lupis at the cost of your pride and honor for nothing. Won’t that dishonor the McMaster name?”

Ryoma’s icy words cut like a blade. Yet it was the truth, so he softened his expression and smiled.

“I do think you are overthinking things, Your Excellency. If this were a battlefield, I believe you could make such a difficult decision in order to win. This is similar to that... And since we believe you will be able to make that decision, that is why everyone who cares about this country has placed their hope in you,” added Ryoma with sincerity. Viscount McMaster kept his head down as he nodded ever so slightly.

†

The disheartened Viscount McMaster left the room, leaving Helena, Ryoma and the Malfist twins. In a sense, it was somewhat rude for one of the parties who had called Ryoma for this important conversation to leave the room. Still, Helena and Ryoma had seemingly expected it since they wore calm expressions.

“Sorry about that. You had to play the bad guy in that,” apologized Helena as she enjoyed the scent of the tea that Laura had freshly brewed.

Although she apologized, the interaction wasn’t that big of a deal. Fortunately, Ryoma didn’t appear too bothered by it. He reached out for a cookie on the table and put it straight into his mouth. The cookie’s sweetness invaded his taste buds, which he followed with a sip of tea. The full-bodied flavor of the tea, combined with the rich tart flavor of the cookie, washed over the insides of his mouth.

The atmosphere resembled an evening tea party, with no remnants of the tense atmosphere from when Viscount McMaster was present. Such a view was a good representation of Helena and Ryoma’s trust in one another.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I had a feeling it would end up this way, knowing Viscount McMaster’s personality. As long as me playing the bad guy got through to him in some way, I’m satisfied,” answered Ryoma.

Of course, Helena still had a way to scold Ryoma. But she wanted to avoid saying such scathing words toward Ryoma, who would become her ally in supporting the Kingdom of Rhoadseria.

Instead, Ryoma, who planned to distance himself from the kingdom, had volunteered to play the thankless role of the bad guy. He looked over at Helena with a probing gaze.

“However, he must have been quite pressured by Count Romaine. I’ve never seen the usually bold Viscount McMaster like that before. It was a little surprising.” noted Ryoma.

“Well, it’s not only him they’ve been pressuring, but his relatives too. I’m not that surprised, to be honest. Even though Mario Romaine was guilty, I don’t see them being okay with what I did.”

“It’s a matter of noble pride. I have to say Mario had some nerve choosing to complain even though he was fighting a losing war.” Ryoma shrugged in response. In reality, pride meant nothing in a situation like this. A wise man would focus on gaining Ryoma’s favor. They would have normally avoided making an enemy out of him. Or Viscount Romaine would see his idiot son’s death as a problem and avoid provoking more ire toward his remaining relatives.

Helena shook her head.

“While that is a possibility... Personally, I think it was a strategic first move from them. They’re testing Her Majesty Radine’s ability and readiness. That, or they are trying to gauge the relationship between you and Her Majesty.”

Ryoma frowned. While he didn’t mean to look down on them, it seemed he had underestimated the ability of this country’s noblemen.

“I see... That is a possibility. But is there even anyone who has thought that far ahead? I doubt anyone has brought in allies from a different country, considering the situation now...”

The Igasaki clan meticulously patrolled the royal capital, leaving no stone unturned. Not even an ant would make it into the city. One couldn’t imagine that someone from another country was skilled enough to slip past them and arrange a plot with the nobles. The culprits had to be nobles who were currently in the kingdom.

“I personally think Charlotte Halcyon or Bettina Eisenbach are behind it, but Diana Hamilton might be involved too,” responded Helena.

Ryoma scratched his chin as he thought, then commented, “I see... All highly talented, renowned women.”

“Yes, all of them are to become the heads of their families too. I imagine they all wish to buy the favor of Ryoma Mikoshiba, one of the most influential men in the country.”

“Are you saying they deliberately instigated something with Viscount Romaine and those related to him to make our cause that bit easier?”

“Precisely. By doing so, they’ll make you realize just how talented they are...”

“I see... Yeah. That checks out.”

Charlotte and the other women mentioned were all exceptional ladies who had all withstood the internal battles within the royal court for many years. Being women, they had never stood on a battlefield; instead, they played their hand in many schemes for the benefit of their own families. Snakes riddled the royal court, so that was certainly an impressive feat.

At the very least, their ability to steer political struggles highly impressed even Helena.

“Well, if they really are working behind the shadows, I wonder when they’ll finally reach out to us.”

“I do wonder. It would be better for them to directly approach rather than wait for us to awkwardly raise the subject.”

In the event that Ryoma was to invite them to a conversation, it might make the Mikoshiba barony come across as cheap.

Helena continued, “By the way, how are things looking? How many nobles do you plan to get rid of?”

“Well, I’m waiting to see how things go. Ideally, about one-third. If I successfully reduce the aristocracy by that much, there’ll no doubt be some impact on national politics. So I’m thinking I’ll do it little by little. I’ll start by removing around one hundred houses, fine-tuning it as I go along.”

“One-third... You’re really going for it, huh?” remarked Helena, smiling wryly.

“In an ideal world, yeah... I don’t think I’ll be able to reach that number, though. There may be some noble houses who have a change of heart and may become useful pieces.”

That was why Ryoma had made an example of Viscount Romaine.

“I guess this is what you would call punishing one crime to make an example for others in Rearth, right?”

“Or a justified killing. Killing one to save many,” stated Ryoma.

“Noted. By killing Viscount Romaine, you’re saving the lives of the other nobles. Either way, both apply to the current situation.”

The reality was that there was an issue with the Kingdom of Rhoadseria’s system. Strengthening the crown to combat the nobles’ tyranny was a natural response. In a way, it would have been easier to wipe out all the nobles rather than cherry-picking certain houses. The plan resembled demolishing an old, dilapidated house and building a new one in its place to your liking.

“That said, if I remove too many nobles, it would disrupt the nation. So, it’s going to be difficult.”

Although there were a lot of dimwitted, despicable nobles, many had received an education. If Ryoma were to dispose of them all, that would leave only the uneducated civilians. Running a country like that would be impossible.

It’d probably take around one hundred years to educate commoners and have them participate in national politics.

Until then, there was no other option than to use the nobles despite all the problems they caused. Thus, Ryoma would train them to be useful since he could not eliminate them.

That’s why the nobles must change their way of thinking.

Hence, the example Ryoma had made of Viscount Romaine. He needed to continue punishing him an absurd amount. If he didn’t, killing Mario would no longer be justified.

“Well, haste makes waste, as the saying goes.”

“Considering the circumstances, you’re in quite a hurry,” said Helena, laughing. Ryoma knew he couldn’t argue with that, so he shrugged his shoulders in defeat. “Well, what do you plan to do now?”

“Since you said I’m in a hurry to live, I think I’ll head back to the Wortenia Peninsula and continue the developments there. I’ve been working nonstop here,” Ryoma lightly shot back at Helena.

He much preferred developing his territory as opposed to expanding it. Plus, he wasn’t one for a strong work ethic. Ever since he was summoned to this world, he had been constantly fighting and had grown tired of it. He really just wanted some time to rest.

“As I thought... I thought that was the case. Many approached you with different positions, yet you turned them all down.”

“Sorry about that. Though, I do have a lot of matters to attend to. I doubt I’ll be able to hide away in my territory and just relax...”

“But you’ll lend us your help, right?”

Ryoma smirked and reckoned, “I do hope you don’t rely on me too much but... If it’s someone worthy of supporting Her Majesty Radine, I will do my best to help.”

Radine Rhoadserians, by a strange twist of fate, now sat on the throne as the queen. While the decision to have her take the crown arose from an exchange of various people’s thoughts, including those of Helena and Viscount McMaster, it was Ryoma Mikoshiba who made the final decision. He nominated Viscount McMaster as prime minister, supporting Queen Radine from the shadows.

After all, Ryoma had no interest in taking an official role in the Rhoadserian kingdom. But if the day were to come when Queen Radine would bare her teeth at Ryoma Mikoshiba or—like Queen Lupis—fail to be a good politician, he would not be afraid to get involved.

Helena was fully aware of that and shrugged her shoulders as she nodded slightly.

“That’s fine, but I want you to see for yourself. I think you’ll be rather surprised,” said Helena before drinking her slightly cold tea. She imagined the results of a discussion Ryoma and Queen Radine would have several days later. Ryoma could only lightly nod in response.