Hachinan tte, Sore wa Nai Deshou!

“I’m back.” (Wendelin)

“It looks like something serious happened.”

The meeting for the sake of exchanging information came to an abrupt end upon the momentous news of His Majesty Wilhelm the 14th’s death.
Something like a person, who was that lively until yesterday, suddenly dying is really unbelievable even for an old person, albeit he had an advanced age.
Once I returned to the guest house after the meeting finished, I was greeted by Ina and the others, but even the servants and maids of the guest house seem to be quite shaken by the death of their own country’s emperor.
The scenery of several of them gathering and whispering to each other catches my attention.
They would probably get scolded by their superiors right away under normal circ.u.mstances, but since even the higher-ups, who are supposed to scold them, are gathering and whispering amongst each other, it means that this is quite the major incident.

“So, what will we do from now on?”

“It seems that the events of the Friends.h.i.+p Visit Group will be postponed to next year.” (Wendelin)

The work of the magicians has been finished, however the work of the other commerce and technology exchange departments hasn’t ended yet.
The other side’s people in charge will be busy with the funeral of His Majesty the Emperor, too. Originally Bardiche should be lively at the time when the Friends.h.i.+p Visit Group arrives, but currently they ought to wear mourning clothes and grieve for the deceased emperor.
The majority of the Friends.h.i.+p Visit Group’s personnel had announced their decision to return to their country due to this.

“There’s that as well. It would be discourteous of us to make merry with sightseeing and shopping.” (Luise)

Luise, who realized that she won’t be able to play around in the streets of Bardiche until the country decides on a new emperor, seems disappointed.
However, that doesn’t mean that everyone will return to Helmut Kingdom.
Since both countries have been mutually dispatching condolence delegations if the emperor or the king died, it was decided that a part of the Friends.h.i.+p Visit Group will stay behind and form a condolence delegation.
Given that we are in Bardiche already anyway, the delegation will be chosen from among the members of the Friends.h.i.+p Visit Group in order to save time and expenses.

“In addition there will also be personnel who are going to appear at the enthronement ceremony of the new emperor, right?”

“It looks like it will take time.” (Ina)

Ina showed an expression meaning 『I wonder how long we are going to be restrained?』

“Even if it takes a long time, I hear it will only be for around 2~3 weeks.” (Wendelin)

“If they take too much time with choosing a successor, they will give Helmut Kingdom an opportunity after all.” (Wilma)

“Right. It’s as Wilma says.” (Wendelin)

As Wilma says, if they create a vacuum in political authority with the absence of an emperor due to unskilfully taking too much time, it will result in them creating a gap for

Helmut Kingdom who is their current hypothetical enemy.
Once the funeral service for His Majesty the Emperor ends, a special n.o.ble’s Congress will be held and the election of a new emperor will be carried out.

“They choose the emperor by a vote, don’t they?”

“Since normal commoners or such are not able to announce their candidacy, it’s not that different from the kingdom.”

90% of the members forming the n.o.ble’s Congress are aristocrats.
Because the remaining 10% are wealthy merchants with political ties and great craftsmen, who run large-scaled workshops, there are many items which are decided without any particular issues.

“No one but the central’s imperial family’s head and the seven prince-elector lords are allowed to announce their candidacy.”

“That means, Therese-sama as well?”

“She said it before, didn’t she? She has turned it down this time.”

As it will become unfair if the emperor hails from the same household in continuous short intervals, the Duke Philip household won’t come forward as a candidate this time, Therese-sama said.
Since the person herself said that, it’s a safe bet.
Also, because she is a female family head, that might become yet another problem if she announced her candidacy.

“Balancing the households the emperor hails from…”

“That’s a perfect collusion.”

“You are right there…”

It’s just as Wilma has pointed out, but I decide to not particularly care about it since it’s not my country either.
Sharing the minister positions and such is common in our country as well.

“So, can we stay behind?”

Since the situation is as it is, a part of the personnel have already gone ahead with their preparations for returning home.
Especially since there’s no way for the wives and children, who were made to attend by high-ranking n.o.bles, to enjoy themselves care-freely in Bardiche which is in mourning, and on top of that busy with the preparations for the funeral service, all of them were allowed to advance their preparations for returning home.

“You can stay since you are my guards.” (Wendelin)

Apart from Erw who is a genuine guard, Elise’s group can also stay behind while being treated as semi-guards as they are adventurers.
Although their families and attendants would be sent back, the other n.o.bles had the justified right to have approximately the same numbers of butlers and guards stay behind.

“I wanted to enjoy the vacation abroad, but by now it has been replaced by a funeral and an enthronement ceremony for the new emperor which won’t be anything but mentally straining…” (Erwin)

Erw leaks idle complaints while sighing, but I feel the same.
A funeral wherever one goes has a nastier character than a rain-bringer.
At least I had no other choice but to pray that I’m not a man bringing about funerals.

“It saves trouble that we have brought along dresses that can be used at the funeral service.”

“Certainly…”

As Luise says, being told to do so by Roderich who prepared the departure, I stored everyone’s share of dresses that can be used at funeral services in my magic bag.
Given that I’m a magician, it’s no particular problem even if I wear a robe,

robe, but I was told by the n.o.bles remaining behind that they want me to match our attires with theirs and change into those if possible.

“Roderich-san is just like a mother.” (Ina)

“You can say that again.” (Wendelin)

Certainly, it’s just as Ina says.
Which reminds me, when I tried to go out during my childhood in my previous life, my mother often said 『Take a folding umbrella since it might rain according to the weather report』.
If you say it resembles that, well, so be it.

“Wend-sama, Therese-sama hasn’t come back.” (Wilma)

“As expected, she might not come back.”

That’s inevitable.
Since she’s a d.u.c.h.ess who has been granted authority as a prince elector, she has to spearhead the preparations for the funeral service.
She is definitely running about all night for the arrangements.

“When will the funeral service be?” (Elise)

“I think that it’s not far off. It’s the funeral service for His Majesty after all.” (Wendelin)

Elise appears to be worried about the funeral service’s schedule.
Be that as it may, just like the funerals in j.a.pan, it’s not something that will happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
Given that it would be really wrong of us to go outside for playing, we will spend our time training our magic and swordsmans.h.i.+p in the garden of the guest house, but the funeral service’s schedule was decided one week later.
An official messenger came and gave us a written invitation.
And Therese-sama still hasn’t returned to the guest house.
I think that she’s very busy with the preparations for the funeral service.

“Will the provincial n.o.bles be in time?”

“Probably not all of them.”

Since there’s also the meeting of the n.o.ble’s Congress that will decide the next emperor right after the funeral service, the n.o.bles, who are members of that, should be in time for the meeting.
Well, those who aren’t in time can’t be regarded as appropriate for being a member.
That’s why it’s probably no problem for the funeral service to be after one week.
I mention my own view to Katharina.

“If they were chosen as members of the n.o.ble’s Congress, they have set up magic communication devices in their mansion!” (Armstrong)

“Dous.h.i.+, where have you been until now?” (Wendelin)

“I bought sweets!” (Armstrong)

“Really…?” (Wendelin)

If it was another n.o.ble, it would be possible to consider him having gone to gather news by pretending to play around, but for dous.h.i.+, who went even as far as pus.h.i.+ng the duty of reporting at the meeting onto me, the possibility of that is low.
Usually he really devotes himself to clowning around, but that’s the worldly wisdom of dous.h.i.+ who is the favourite retainer of His Majesty.
However, since the person himself is enjoying that from the bottom of his heart, there was absolutely no need to to fuss about it.

“I heard that they are communicating with the magic communication devices, which were excavated in large amounts from underground ruins in the past, and not the small handheld ones!” (Armstrong)

It’s difficult to move with something like the big transceivers which were changed into magic tools, but it seems

it seems those have been installed in mansions by loaning them once a n.o.ble is chosen as a member of the n.o.ble’s Congress.
As they can receive urgent messages with those, it means that they will be in time for the funeral service and the meeting to elect the next emperor.

“If they are late, apparently in a worst case scenario, they will be deprived of their members.h.i.+p as they don’t fit the requirements of a member.” (Burkhart)

Next Burkhart-san shows up as well.
He was nominated to stay behind in the country as representative of Margrave Breithilde.

“The empire holds the owners.h.i.+p rights for the magic communication devices. Once a person becomes a congress member, they are lent those and when they are removed from being a congress member, they have to return it.” (Burkhart)

Every year, a change of several congress members at a time is carried out.
There are those who will be appointed freshly as their households are thriving and in reverse there are those who will be removed as congress members due to their decline.
The spectacle of imperial officials retrieving the magic communication device from the mansion of a retired congress member seems to be a sad scene to the degree that it’s written about in books in the empire.
On the other hand, there seem to be some who hold parties and festivals when the magic communication device arrives at their mansion after they were designated as a congress member.
It’s truly what can be called the ups and downs of life.

“As the news travels fast, the group of congress members will be in time to the main funeral service. The appointed n.o.bles of the central government and the n.o.bles, whose territory is close to Bardiche, will be there as well.”

Since a preliminary funeral service and a post-funeral service will be held as well, those who are not in time will apparently go to offer their prayers by attending either of those.

“Then it’s split into those above and below, isn’t it?”

Given that we have been invited to the main funeral service, we will go to that one.

“So, there will be a meeting to elect the next emperor, won’t there?”

“It will be decided with a vote by the congress members.”

The fixed number of congress members is 500.
Candidates from the imperial family and the seven Duke households, who are congress members as well, will be announced and give an advertis.e.m.e.nt speech within a set time.
They will talk about their domestic affairs and foreign affairs policies within that set time and the congress members, who listened to those, will vote for the person they consider the best.

“They win by getting the majority.”

In the case of a divided vote, the lowest-ranking candidate will be excluded and they will vote once more.
This kind of rule was something often used on Earth as well.

“Be that as it may, since this time there won’t be any more than four candidates, it probably won’t take much time.”

I heard that the deceased emperor hailed from the Duke Metternich household.
Since his predecessor/>Since his predecessor is Therese-sama’s great-grandfather, it’s been said that the Duke Philip household won’t put up a candidate.
If it turns out like this, it feels purposeless if at least six candidates won’t make an appearance.

“Two of them refused because of their advanced age.”

Only the present family head can become a candidate. It appears to be a custom to refuse the candidacy if a family head exceeds the age of 60.

“If they were to die right away, a new election would take time and labour. The common way of thinking is that a rule will be stable if the reign of a single emperor lasts for a long time.”

There’s also the possibility of the country declining if a no-good-person maintains their political power for an extended period of time, but the vote is likely for the sake of avoiding that.
It not always being absolute is probably the same in any society.

“Will that finish in one day?”

“It will still take three days.”

A single candidate has around half a day for their campaign speech and questions & answers session. As there’s four of them, it will take two days.
Since it will be decided after performing the vote on the last day, it seems to be a schedule of three days.

“That’s long. Though it doesn’t matter, as it’s not like we are going to partic.i.p.ate.”

The result is that we will be caged in the guest house until a new emperor has been decided anyway.
Because Holy Empire Urquhart is in mourning until the enthronement of a new emperor, outings with the goal of playing around have to be voluntarily restrained regardless of upper or lower social standing. Theatres, pleasure quarters and such are closed, too.

“Well, we will go to the place of a.s.sembly as well though.” (Burkhart)

“Why!?” (Wendelin)

“As it will be the election of the emperor of our neighbouring country, it’s common to gather information, right? It’s an important task for you, Earl-sama.” (Burkhart)

Burkhart-san shows an expression saying 『Why ((are you asking about)) such an obvious matter…?』
Since the Friends.h.i.+p Visit Group consists of people dispatched by the kingdom, its members who are staying behind, have the duty to investigate the new emperor’s policies as well as what kind of person they are and report that.

“In this country the authority of the emperor has been strong until now. Even the other candidates, who dropped out from the election, will have political influence that can’t be ignored depending on the number of votes they obtain.”

It’s something like a strong political opposition, thus it’s likely necessary to gather information about them.

“I do understand that, but why do we have have to attend to that?” (Wendelin)

“It’s because you are members of the Friends.h.i.+p Visit Group.” (Burkhart)

Due to Burkhart-san’s reasonable opinion, we drop our shoulders in a crestfallen manner.
I, who was originally an unaffiliated voter who never even went to an election in my previous life, expected continuous boredom for over half a month from now on and eagerly wished that I would be able to go back home quickly.