Hachinan tte, Sore wa Nai Deshou!

“Report? Sure.”

As usual Peter accepted it casually.
The settlement of the Empire"s civil war hasn"t come to an end yet and thus our reward hasn"t been decided.
Since it"s pointless to wait for just that now that I can use 『Teleportation』, I decided to go to the royal castle to give a temporary progress report.
At least that"s what I had intended…

◆◇◆◇◆

“Say, Elise. Is there any need to put this on?” (Wendelin)

“Not necessarily, but since you will be triumphantly returning to the royal capital with many big achievements under your belt, I think it"s necessary for you to wear an attire that suits the occasion, dear.” (Elise)

While listening to that explanation from Elise, I had my personal appearance put in order.

“Wendelin-san, I will fix your hair up to look appropriate for a n.o.ble.” (Katharina)

Katharina combs my hair. After all she"s used to tending to her own terrible bed hair everyday.

“Wend-sama, you look handsome.” (Wilma)

“Thanks, Wilma.” (Wendelin)

“The final touch is attaching this, I think?” (Elise)

“Yes, it"s perfect with this.”

Because I"m a high-ranking n.o.ble, it"s usually exclusive maids that take care of my appearance.
However, thanks to having been dragged into the civil war for this last year, I let that practice slide.
That"s not an issue during a civil war, but since the war has ended, I was surrounded by Elise and the others with the words, “It"s no good to keep letting your looks slide,” and was forced to dress up.

“You will be ridiculed by the n.o.bles in the royal castle anyway.” (Katharina)

“True. It"s about them at least not being able to criticize you for being dressed badly, Wend.”

Since I"m rising in power within the Kingdom, I guess there are n.o.bles that want to criticize me no matter what means they have to use.
It"s a pain in the backside. I don"t even want to rise in power in the first place.

“Dear, you are done with this.” (Elise)

As finis.h.i.+ng touch Elise placed the circlet used by master on my forehead.

“…Clothes truly make the man.” (Erwin)

“Typical of you to say that.” (Wendelin)

That Erw…I don"t need you to tell me that!
…Even so, I guess such a proverb exists in this world as well.

“Rather, that circlet is also a magic tool, isn"t it? Why didn"t you wear it until now? It might have given you a bit of an advantage in the battle against your master.” (Erwin)

“Nah, it"s nothing that special.” (Wendelin)

Burkhart-san, who had also put his own appearance in order for the sake of having an audience with His Majesty, replied to Erw"s answer in my stead.

“Erw lad, tell me, what do you think is the effect of this circlet?” (Burkhart)

“It remarkably increases the power of spells or it widens the range of usable magic?” (Erwin)

“It"s not an effect that goes that far. It does have a gem, which has a magic crest boosting concentration carved in it, but it"s not an effect to that level. Alf had no issues even without it. You know, normally we store leftover mana into magic gems, right? It"s the same as that.” (Burkhart)

Burkhart-san, Dous.h.i.+ and I have put magic gems with spare mana into our magic bags to use those when something happens.
Master used the circlet to take mana out of the embedded magic gems as necessary.
It"s no more than a difference in style.

“It"s the same as with my Alice band and Elise"s ring.” (Katharina)

“That"s how it is.” (Burkhart)

“Huh? Then why didn"t Wend"s master wear the circlet when he was summoned via the 『Heroic Spirit Summoning』? It surely would have been more advantageous for him to fight while wearing the circlet, no?” (Erwin)

It"s certainly as Erw says. The battle should have proceeded better for him if he had the leeway from wearing the circlet with its spare magic gems.

“This is only my own guess, but Alf had given all his a.s.sets to Earl-sama. Since the circlet wasn"t perceived as being one of his own belongings, it didn"t materialize during the summoning. Besides, Talrand shouldn"t have been able to prepare Alf"s equipment and attire down to the last detail. He likely was limited by depending on the memories of the dead. You know, it"s also possible that Talrand probably didn"t consider it necessary since Alf possessed the mana supply device that made use of the huge magic gems of magic airs.h.i.+ps.” (Burkhart)

I think that"s a perceptive conjecture, but I guess we won"t ever know the whole truth since only master knows it.
I didn"t have the spare time to ask him at the end either.
However, Talrand"s 『Heroic Spirit Summoning』 is sure a mysterious spell. It summons the dead in the state when they were still alive, yet it reproduces even the dead"s favorite weapons, clothes and ornaments.

“A spirit body is a being that"s close to a cl.u.s.ter of mana, so even the robe worn by your master is an object close to a magic tool which was created with mana as base material. But then again, even if they can be reproduced in the 『Heroic Spirit Summoning』, since they are items used by the dead, we cannot use them at all.” (Elise)

Elise gave a detailed explanation, but magic is definitely something strange.

“Though it would be handy if you could create your preferred magic tools through mana.” (Wilma)

“Wilmjou-chan, at least I have never seen or heard about someone who can use such magic.” (Burkhart)

It might be convenient if such magic existed, but I think the hurdle for that is a bit high.
Since even Burkhart-san, who has the most knowledge among us, says that he doesn"t know such a magic, it probably doesn"t exist at present.

“You can consider it as your master having resisted the 『Heroic Spirit Summoning』, dear. He made sure that you wouldn"t lose by fighting without equipping the circlet.” (Elise)

“That might also be the case. It wouldn"t be weird for Alf to come up with at least this much on the spot.” (Burkhart)

Elise"s answer might be the one closest to the truth. Just as Burkhart-san says, master should have had at least that much leeway.

“It might be best to regard this as the truth.”

“That"s all fine, but let me ask instead, why didn"t you use the circlet, Wend? Wouldn"t you have a slight edge in battle, if you used it before?”

That Erw, he sure has a keen mind today, hasn"t he?
Though it makes sense now that it"s been pointed out to me.

“I guess I had enough spare magic gems?” (Wendelin)

“Isn"t having to put your hands in your magic bag during battle a handicap?” (Erwin)

“…”

A sharp observation befitting a swordsman.
Certainly, the more time it takes to get them out, the more of a disadvantage it will be.

“Well, fighting while wearing this…I wonder about that?” (Wendelin)

Come to think of it, is a circlet something a man would actually wear?
There were no men wearing circlets around me in my previous life. I"m not accustomed to wearing accessories either. I would hate being told that it doesn"t suit me by those around me.
Ah, well I guess there are no people who will tell the current me straight to my face that it doesn"t suit me.
But, I would hate having rumors about it spread behind my back.

“…That"s the reason.” (Wendelin)

“There"s no one paying attention to each and every such detail! Gosh, just wear it as a safety measure!” (Erwin)

Due to my honest answer, Erw"s way of speaking becomes quite harsh.

“Wend, you cared about something like that?”

“Wouldn"t you!? Master was an ikemen, so it was alright for him to wear it though.” (Wendelin)

I mean, everything an ikemen wears suits them.
Master wearing the circlet made him good-looking…
But in my case it makes others think that I"m worn by the circlet.

“Being worn by a circlet, what kind of tale is that supposed to be…” (Ina)

I remember that there was such a fantasy story in my previous life.

“That"s what you say, Ina. But, have a look at this!” (Wendelin)

I swiftly put the circlet on Burkhart-san"s forehead.

“How about that?”

Doesn"t he completely look like an upstart? But even before that, a circlet really doesn"t suit a middle-aged man.

“…It feels off…” (Ina)

“I"m well aware of that myself, but at least be a bit more indirect about this.” (Burkhart)

Burkhart-san complained due to Ina"s honest statement.

“Right? The next one is…!” (Wendelin)

I placed the circlet on Dous.h.i.+"s forehead who came back after finis.h.i.+ng his business in order to head to the royal castle together with us.
As expected, it doesn"t suit him at all.
Everyone thinking that was clearly visible on their faces.
Dous.h.i.+"s compatibility with accessories is the worst. Thick, golden bracelets and rings with meaninglessly big jewels might match him though.
Kind of like a yakuza boss.

“It"s Alfred"s memento? Earl Baumeister can surely wear this! Now then, time to go to His Majesty!” (Armstrong)

Given that Dous.h.i.+ is someone who doesn"t care about a circlet matching or not, he casually put the circlet back on my forehead.
“Rather than that, let"s hurry up and move to the royal castle with 『Teleportation』,” he said.

“Understood.” (Wendelin)

That"s how it resulted in me wearing master"s circlet, but I"m sure I won"t be able to get rid of this feeling of discomfort until I get used to it…
At such times it"s troublesome to be a former j.a.panese.

◆◇◆◇◆

“What a thick report.”

“Indeed. After all it roughly covers a full year…”

We leaped to the royal capital and I handed the report, which Christoph and Earl Schultz wrote together, to his Majesty.
I helped out with it as well, but since I haven"t written such a huge report since my university graduation thesis, Christoph and Earl Schultz did the main work.
Because I still contributed a reasonable amount, I was praised by Earl Schultz with 『You handled it better than I thought. So you can make a living even as a civil official, eh?』.
Furthermore, as expected Dous.h.i.+, who should be a celebrity even among the members of the Friends.h.i.+p Group, didn"t help out at all.
Though it might have been reckless to ask that man to add to a written report.
Even Elise helped out…they are blood-related but their abilities might be lacking any resemblance.

“A peace treaty with the Empire? We have to tie it…”

This time the Kingdom also suffered damage from the civil war in the Empire, but it"s not like that justifies a war as retribution.
A part of the military authorities and n.o.bles acted rashly, but if one judges it comprehensively, reconciliation while abstaining from demanding rest.i.tution and an apology might bring about the biggest benefits.

“An ancient weapon used in the era of the Ancient Magic Civilization…that must have been troublesome.”

“Yes, moreover the huge amount of other ancient weapons that appeared in the civil war was astounding.”

Presently the Kingdom is in the middle of increasing its national power through a development rush while the Empire is exhausted from the civil war.
There should be many people that believe the Kingdom would have an advantage if it comes to war.
But, if the Kingdom were to attack the Empire, the imperial army, which is armed with huge amounts of excavated weapons, would focus on a defensive battle.
Even if the Kingdom has an advantage in the number of magicians and air force capabilities, it probably wouldn"t turn into such an easy victory.

“It will take time for the ruined Empire to recover its strength, but it strengthened the authority of the central government compared to before. There are also many officers and soldiers who gained combat experience in the civil war. I wouldn"t go as far as calling a war reckless, but it"s not pertinent.”

As before, the Kingdom will press forward with the augmentation of the national forces, and aim towards copying and making the various excavated weapons of the Ancient Magic Civilization"s era, which we also seized, usable before the Empire recovers its economy.

“If you look at the long term, it might turn into a plus for the country to have bolstered the central government"s authority, but they won"t be able to avoid chaos for some time.”

It"s very likely that the remnants of the Duke Nürnberg household, who lost their peerage, and the n.o.bles who are unhappy having a decrease in n.o.bility rank as well as a reduction of their territory forced upon them, will join up together, causing the outbreak of small rebellions. His Majesty believes that they will likely not plan any war with the Kingdom for a good while.

“Several decades later, when the Empire has fixed its order, their difference in national power with the Kingdom will have grown even further. Having many options at such time will be a desirable situation for the Kingdom.” (Helmut)

It"s not like the Kingdom is particularly afraid of using force.
Having said that, the Kingdom doesn"t follow a doctrine of extreme pacifism either. The have a tendency to make long term strategies, a.s.suming the decision is about the Empire.
If the difference in national power becomes even more prominent, it will also become possible to make the Empire yield with little effort.

“It will give us the option to carry out various measures during such time. By the way, Earl Baumeister, it"s about the Empire"s new weapon, but…” (Helmut)

“It"s over here.” (Wendelin)

Although it took the shape of me getting dragged into it, I have done various things in the Empire.
Since it has brought results that also benefit the Empire, I have to balance things out a bit.
It"s not enough to get along with just Chief ○○. It"s also important to properly communicate with President ○○.
It was a guideline for not getting excluded from an organization I, a humble salaryman, set up.

“Unfortunately the military forces belonging to the Kingdom were few and the amount of plundered items is less than what the imperial army got.” (Wendelin)

The Kingdom"s forces were no more than 5,000 soldiers, but since there was no need for them to unreasonably clash with Duke Nürnberg"s army, Philip and Christoph focused on getting their hands on plundered items inside the underground ruin.
Because of the difference in numbers, they couldn"t secure as much as the imperial army though.

“Nothing can be done about that. There are fools who send out soldiers in high spirits and then get annihilated. Compared to that, since you didn"t lose, there"s no particular reason to get nitpicky with you and your group, Earl Baumeister.” (Helmut)

His Majesty glares at the n.o.bles that have a.s.sembled in a corner of the audience hall that are whispering amongst each other.
It seems they are n.o.bles who were under the patronage of Marquis Läger.
It feels like the rest of the group consists of advocates for a troop dispatch against the Empire and people that want to call my responsibility into question, I suppose?
Although it would be fine for them to confront me directly rather than gossiping back there, they probably can"t do so in front of His Majesty.

“You have seized a dragon golem breath emission device alongside a dragon golem, Earl Baumeister. Due to the research of the Magic Tool Guild it has become possible to ma.s.s produce these. I think they are usable for defending a military position. Also, the magic cannon, huh…?” (Helmut)

Magic cannons existed in the era of the Ancient Magic Civilization, too. They were clearly superior in performance compared to the ones of Earl Mizuho Country.
The one, which was equipped on the back of the huge golem operated by Duke Nürnberg at the end, was lopped off with magic by Katharina and remained almost undamaged. In addition we also plundered several dozen spare cannons.
For some reason there were no magic guns, but I suppose those are probably an original invention by the Earl Mizuho Country.
I have heard that there were a large number of magicians the past, so the firepower for close combat might have been supplemented by them.

“Magic katana, magic guns, magic cannons, suicide-bombing golems and in addition a great number of other new weapons have actually been put to use in the civil war. The methods of battle in war changed. Until we can deal with those, it"s absolutely meaningless to start a war with the Empire. After all, I wouldn"t stand for being called an incompetent king that suffered a crus.h.i.+ng defeat, despite having the advantage in military power, after suffering a counterattack by the opponent.” (Helmut)

“But, even the Empire is only capable of using them.”

Even their repairs are probably limited to simple, small damages.
Naturally a production of these weapons is impossible. And the demon who"s capable of performing extensive repairs as he understands the structure of the items, is in our hands.
If it"s the Earl Mizuho Country, they might reach a level allowing them to produce items at the same level, but they aren"t imperial n.o.bility in the truest sense.

“A territory and ethnic group that possesses a peculiar culture and sophisticated technology since ancient times…”

“Yes. I think the aspect of being autonomous from the Empire on top of having a policy that guarantees their safety plays a big role for them. The Empire"s prime minister plans to turn them into one of the prince elector households if he succeeds in getting on the same page with them, but even so they will probably keep the Empire at a delicate distance.” (Wendelin)

“I see. There will be various benefits if our Kingdom and the Earl Mizuho Country form friendly relations.” (Helmut)

“Yes. For them the point of us having no territorial ambitions is an advantageous aspect for building friendly relations.” (Wendelin)

For the time when the Empire plans to do something bad using the excavated weapons, or when the Kingdom"s national power has increased so much that it becomes possible to attack the Empire in the future, it"s possible the Earl Mizuho Country could become a decisively beneficial ally for the Kingdom.

“You are saying there"s merit in creating a friendly relations.h.i.+p through trading, cultural exchange and marriages, if possible, Earl Baumeister?” (Helmut)

“Yes.” (Wendelin)

“Let"s push that matter after skillfully negotiating with the Empire.”

Next I will talk about the cases with the Extreme Limit Steel and the demon.
But before that, I"ll have the king remove everyone except for a part of the ministers and several of the tight-lipped royal guards under Warren-san from this place.
Complaints could be heard from the n.o.bles who were sent outside the hall, but once His Majesty heard my report, he revealed an expression showing he understood why they had to be sent out.

“Those are explosive matters. Well, as for the metal called Extreme Limit Steel, I guess it"s possible to control the amount circulating as long as no one but you can make it, Earl Baumeister. You will report the amount you use in your own territory and sell all the rest to the Kingdom"s government. The government will send out a notification that direct sale to other n.o.bles or other countries is strictly forbidden by the Kingdom. As we are inexperienced in the technologies to process it, the orders shouldn"t go beyond research and experiments for a while, but…” (Helmut)

“It can be used as a weapon.”

In case the Extreme Limit Steel was used as a material for magic guns and cannons, which the Kingdom"s Magic Tool Guild hasn"t even started to research yet, it would become possible to hasten their implementation thanks to its wonderful durability.

“And then the demon, huh…?” (Helmut)

The demon Arnest whom we have arrested and are sheltering now. It should have been a genuine civil war of the Empire, but there was still a possibility that the demon country was pulling strings in the back.
It"s the appearance of a demon, who hadn"t been seen by anyone for close to ten thousand years. According to the legends, they possess enormous mana and overwhelming technological strength.
Minister Edgar"s and Earl Armstrong"s faces twist due to the existence of a new hypothetical enemy.
It"s because they had to completely overhaul the defense and invasion plans they had drawn up so far, focusing on a battle against the Empire and a rebellion of high-ranking n.o.bility within the Kingdom, for caution"s sake.
Due to this, they have to develop new weaponry, study new tactics using those weapons, reorganize the forces, and review the training and supply schedules.
Seeing as they hold the position of Minister of Military Affairs and Military Commander, it"s impossible for them to escape this.

“I see, that means it becomes necessary to gather information about the demon country.” (Helmut)

“Yes, we have obtained some information, but…” (Wendelin)

I have heard the broad outline of the demons" culture, social system, population and location from Arnest and noted it down in the report.

“Even though it"s crucial information about his own country; what a weird demon.” (Helmut)

In the eyes of His Majesty, Arnest, who leaks intelligence about his comrades so easily, doesn"t seem very trustworthy.
Or maybe he"s doubting it as being false information.

“That"s because he"s a civilian.”

“Civilian, you say?”

“He appears to be an archaeologist, not a person that serves the nation or the army.” (Wendelin)

He has an interest in the underground ruins on the Lingaia Continent, but since the demon country has prohibited, by law, anyone from leaving the country, he smuggled himself outside the country and arrived in the Nürnberg Dukedom. In order to freely work on his excavation there, he cooperated by operating and repairing the excavated weapons. I tell all of this to His Majesty.

“Is he a research junkie?” (Helmut)

“Yes. He has no interest in anything besides his beloved research. That"s why he handed over a large number of weapons to Duke Nürnberg. He"s a man that can calmly say that the way how those weapons were used depended solely on Duke Nürnberg.” (Wendelin)

Anyone would suspect Arnest to be a spy sent in by the demon country in order to cause chaos on the continent, but in reality there"s absolutely no evidence of him having contacted his fellow countrymen after coming to this country.
He enjoys researching and has no family either. All he did in these last few years was researching and excavation.

“On the contrary, he"s a really dangerous man. These types tend to do crazy things.” (Helmut)

“Your Majesty, will he be restrained by the Kingdom?”

I believe that would be fine as well.
Since he"s a guy that would be troublesome to deal with, the best option would be if I could hand him over to the Kingdom.

“Hmmmm, Earl Baumeister, can you keep that demon in check?” (Helmut)

“It will be difficult for me alone.” (Wendelin)

After all he has a lot of mana.
It"s also possible that he will be able to run away if he"s not on continuous watch by me, Dous.h.i.+, Katharina and Burkhart-san, who at least hold an advanced mana pool.

“That"s too inefficient. Warren, can we use the prison for magicians?” (Helmut)

“No. It"s a 『Mana Prison』 that cost a large amount of money to build, but if we use it, it will cost a huge amount of money to maintain it, and it"s limited to intermediate level, so…” (Warren)

It seems to be a prison capable of continuously deploying a strong 『Magic Barrier』 that defends against the magic of magicians, but it costs more than a million cents per day to operate it, therefore it doesn"t seem like you can just simply lock up “bad magicians” in there.

“If a magician commits a minor crime, we send in high-ranking magicians and take a fine after knocking the offender down. In the case of a serious crime, a.s.sa.s.sinating them is the most cost-efficient. There"s rarely any people committing serious crimes among the intermediate-ranked and advanced-ranked magicians, but as a matter of fact Burkhart, Klimt and Alfred have eliminated several such magicians as top-secret missions.”

I see. So that"s why Burkhart-san and Dous.h.i.+ didn"t feel shaken when killing people in the civil war.

“So it means it will become necessary to have him continuously watched by a great number of magicians when it comes to imprisoning and restraining him in the Kingdom… So, what does this demon desire?” (Helmut)

“Since the Baumeister Earldom was a backward region to begin with, it seems to be full of undiscovered underground ruins. He wants to explore and research those.” (Wendelin)

“What a carefree demon. Seeing as it"s possible for him to escape if we lock him up against his will, I guess catching or killing him when he escaped the surveillance would take time and labor… The kingdom has been damaged because of that demon. I suppose we will have him excavate the underground ruins to make up for the damage he caused.” (Helmut)

“I can"t come up with any better option.”

That means we will let him live and make use of him, albeit him being dangerous.
But then again, I don"t regard Arnest as overly dangerous anyway.
To him the feelings of acting for his companions, serving for the sake of his country and nostalgia are weak. That"s because he will be satisfied as long as he can indulge in his own research.

“We will bind him to the Baumeister Earldom with unknown underground ruins as bait. The Kingdom will only gain from that as well. We will also secretly dispatch surveillance personnel.”

His Majesty avoided the risk of taking charge of Arnest.
He probably judged that it would be better to leave him in our care rather than having him run away when trying to restrain him unskillfully.
Though you might also say that he fully pushed the burden on us.

“Since the Empire isn"t stupid either, they will sooner or later notice the existence of the demon. It might be best to place him under you, Earl Baumeister…”

He might be considered a war criminal coming right after Duke Nürnberg, but we are the ones who captured this demon.
How to treat the prisoner is something I get to decide as the one who captured him. No one else has the right to interfere. That"s the rule for royalty and n.o.bility, His Majesty explains.

“Earl Baumeister, you apparently played a big role in this time"s civil war, but at the same time you have burdened yourself with hards.h.i.+ps. As Burkhart says, it might be true, you have a lot of bad luck.” (Helmut)

Being told so even by His Majesty, I feel slightly down.
Certainly I can think of too many occasions that prove it.

“For a while the Empire won"t have the leeway to dispatch soldiers outside its country. Our country was able to gain time to increase its national power and to deploy newly developed devices. We lost once, but compared to the Empire, the losses on our side are still negligible. I will take your opinion on this, Earl Baumeister. It will take some time to a.n.a.lyze the report of your group and to decide on the policy from now on. Since we will send a diplomatic negotiation delegation to the Empire, Earl Baumeister and Earl Schultz, go and continue to gather information on the Empire.” (Helmut)

“As you command.”

Since it"s politically stable, we came back and gave our report, but still it doesn"t look like the peace negotiations will succeed so easily.
We were ordered to stay back in the Empire, but there are other things I have to do, too.

“Since it"s been a while, I"d like to return to my territory though…” (Wendelin)

“If movement magic has been restored, I won"t mind you doing that as you please. It seems that the Baumeister Earldom has completely changed in this last year.” (Helmut)

◆◇◆◇◆

————— End of Part 1 ————–

Receiving His Majesty"s permission after being given a report and a top-secret order, I teleport to the Baumeister Earldom while taking Elise and the others along.
Upon our arrival, the townscape centered around the feudal lord"s mansion had extended several times in size compared to last year and the city was crowded with many people.

“Dear, it"s amazing.” (Elise)

“Just like Uras.h.i.+ma Tarou 1 .” (Wendelin)

“Uras.h.i.+matarou? Who might that be?”

“Merely a person from the past.” (Wendelin)

“It sounds like a name that you would find in Mizuho.”

“Oh, yes! He was a person appearing in a folklore of Mizuho.” (Wendelin)

As there"s no way that I can say that it"s an old j.a.panese fairy-tale, I deceived them by saying that it"s the name of a Mizuho person.
While watching the streets of Baulburg we head towards the mansion. No different from a year ago, Roderich jumped out of the front gate with a frightening force.
Due to the sudden event, the two sentries deployed at the gate stare in wonder, unable to react.

“Looord—! Unable to see your countenance in this one year and a bit, I was terribly worried, my Looord—!” (Roderich)

“Agaaain—!? I"m going to break—!” (Wendelin)

I once again receive a merciless knock down 2 from Roderich who was overcome with emotions.
It"s a choking move that knows no limit, just as usual…

“Hmm!” (Wendelin)

But, since it"s the second time, I somehow manage to escape his hold by myself.

“Roderich-san"s signature move has appeared.”

“Erw-san, that gentleman is the main retainer, right?” (Haruka)

“Yeah. Sometimes his emotions run amok, but that"s how he is.” (Erwin)

“He"s an terrifying person…” (Haruka)

It might be true that he"s overcome with emotions, but he"s a retainer using a sumo move against his lord.
In a certain sense that might be amazing.

“He"s a very capable person, but…” (Erwin)

“Sorry, but to me it still doesn"t seem so…” (Haruka)

“You"re sure right about that.” (Erwin)

As Erw and Haruka calmly talk about Roderich, another person, someone whose face I immediately recognize, shows up.

“Erich-nii-san!” (Wendelin)

“It"s been a while, Wend. I heard that you played an active role in the Empire"s civil war.” (Erich)

Meeting him after a year, Erich-nii-san was still an ikemen after all.

“Though there were many worrisome events, too. Anyway, why are you in the Baumeister Earldom, Erich-nii-san?” (Wendelin)

“To help out.” (Erich)

As for the development of the southern Baumeister Earldom, which is supported by the Kingdom, it was a situation where the feudal lord got dragged into a civil war and went missing for a while.
I don"t know whether they aimed for that opportunity, but it seems strange n.o.bles started maneuvering in various ways. Hence His Majesty ordered Erich-nii-san to help out.
Apparently he acted as Roderich"s a.s.sistant while touring the Baumeister Earldom this last year.

“At first it was quite hectic, you know? But once we received the report that you were in good health and striving in the civil war, Wend, the strange lot became obedient. They apparently thought that they would suffer your retribution if their meddling were to be found out once you came back.” (Erich)

In the Kingdom, which hadn"t had anything but disputes for a long time now, we, who defeated a great number of enemy soldiers in a real war, have apparently turned into an object of fear.
In the eyes of those who use any opportunity to thrust their hands into the wallets of others, I must look like a scary being going beyond Minister Edgar and Earl Armstrong.

“Even so, I was very, very worried!” (Roderich)

“Sorry for leaving it all to you, Roderich.” (Wendelin)

“No, if I consider that you will finally come back with this, lord…” (Roderich)

I told him that I will leave it to him for a little bit longer as I still have work left to do in the Empire, but since the MHCD is also usable again, I can talk with Roderich at any time.
I can also receive reports regarding the territory. Since Erich-nii-san is here too, I feel relieved.

“I"m sorry, but is it fine to entrust things to you for a little while longer?” (Wendelin)

“I have no problem with that. After all, it"s a job I"m doing after having been officially ordered by His Majesty.” (Erich)

“So there"s still work related to the Empire remaining for you, my Lord. I"m looking forward to your return alongside your madams.” (Roderich)

Once I entrusted the Baumeister Earldom to the two of them, we teleported to the Empire once again.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Good grief Wendelin, even you give me troubles.” (Peter)

“Really?” (Wendelin)

“I just wanted to try saying it. But, the criticism towards you is unexpectedly big.” (Peter)

Once I returned to the imperial capital after having finished my business in the royal castle, I was summoned by Peter, who was busy working.
According to him, it appears that me not having publicly displayed the severed head of Duke Nürnberg at the time when I forced the soldiers of the rebel army to surrender has turned into a problem.

“I believe there are far more important problems than that though…” (Wendelin)

There"s the matter with the Extreme Limit Steel. Apart from that, there"s also the matter that it had been us who defeated Duke Nürnberg, even though I thought that his head wouldn"t be necessary.
Because of us foreigners ending up becoming the ones with the biggest achievements, there"s also the lateral of us getting attacked to drag us down out of jealousy.
As for the matter with Arnest, I believe that we can still continue to conceal it.
Though it will probably get exposed soon anyway.

“It"s exactly because you treated the corpse of Duke Nürnberg courteously, that the rebel army surrendered obediently. If you had held up his head, they might have gone ballistic. But, there"s many n.o.bles saying that this treatment was lenient. The throne is really a cl.u.s.ter of troubles.” (Peter)

Because Duke Nürnberg was a good lord for the rebel army, they immediately surrendered to the imperial army when they saw his remains being treated politely.
Even the lot criticizing us should be aware of that.
However, in their eyes it would be better for the retainers of Duke Nürnberg to go on a rampage.
If they are defeated, it will turn into meritorious deeds. Moreover, if the surrendered rebel army is absorbed into the imperial army, it"s also a reality that their posts will decrease.
The current imperial army"s organization is quite a mess.
That"s why the former soldiers of Duke Nürnberg"s feudal army, which has a lot of excellent staff members, are necessary for the reconstruction.

“You desired the throne yourself, right?” (Wendelin)

“Well, yes. So, I want to talk about your reward.” (Peter)

The empire"s financial circ.u.mstances seem to be worse than expected.

“We confiscated the territories and a.s.sets of the n.o.bles who actively supported Duke Nürnberg and the rebel army. We were also able to secure the majority of the goods and properties which were taken away from the capital.” (Peter)

At the time when he had Therese retire forcefully, Peter confiscated the a.s.sets and territories of the incompetent n.o.bles who tried to side with the previous empress and her followers.
It seems they were able to secure a reward that can be paid to me due to those aforementioned reasons.

“However, it will be split into installments for 20 years.” (Peter)

Since he"s going to implement a post-war reconstruction and a new economic policy, the safe establishment of a budget is indispensable.

“I expected that.” (Wendelin)

“If I felt like it, I could pay you all of it in one go, but then the Empire"s government would become unable to do anything. I"m sorry.” (Peter)

“It"s fine as long as you pay me.” (Wendelin)

“I will. After all, it looks like you will attack while leading the royal army if I don"t.” (Peter)

“I"m not that much of a brute.” (Wendelin)

I will at least state my demands properly before departing.

“Even if that"s what you think, Wendelin, there are many cases where it turns out like that as the retainers can"t forgive it. Also, it would turn into a reason for the Kingdom to invade. I will also arrange a proper place for peace negotiations with the Kingdom.” (Peter)

“How conscientious.” (Wendelin)

“Superficial sincerity is necessary in negotiations between fellow n.o.bles and countries. Of course it will become a mud fight behind the scenes though. I have to quickly form a peace treaty with the Helmut Kingdom and expand the scale of commerce for the post-war recovery. I will somehow manage to secure the budget. The Empire increased the central government"s power by growing the number of territories under its direct control. Unexpectedly, the political measures of Duke Nürnberg could come true with his defeat.” (Peter)

Peter and I believe that to be quite the twist of fate.

“I heard from Therese-dono about the story mentioned by Duke Nürnberg at the end. Something about that role model-like n.o.ble Duke Nürnberg not wanting to become a n.o.ble. Such overly capable people are a puzzle. They are too skilled at pretending.”

“You might say that this absurdity led him to start a rebellion without any chance of winning.”

“A desire for ruin stemming out of the subconscious, huh…? Humans are truly complex, aren"t they? By the way…”

As there is no point in continuing to talk about Duke Nürnberg any further, Peter swaps to another topic.

“Does it look as if you will be able to take care of Therese-dono?” (Peter)

“I will, or rather, I simply accepted her own wish to immigrate. But, is that fine with you?” (Wendelin)

“For me that"s welcome.” (Peter)

Well, I guess that makes sense.
Currently Therese is the biggest political rival for Peter.
Until she was demoted by him, Therese fought against Duke Nürnberg without any particular big mistakes as the top of the liberation army.
Even the liberation of the imperial capital is actually Therese"s achievement.

“She herself has absolutely no attachment to the position of Empress, but it"s possible that for people who will try to use her as figurehead to appear. To make matters worse, she isn"t married either.” (Peter)

Important n.o.bles might try to place their own sons as Therese"s husband.
If this comes to be, Peter, a statesman, will likely be forced to make a heartless decision.

“Personally I don"t want to make such a decision as Therese-dono is also a young woman.” (Peter)

“Wouldn"t it be settled with her becoming your wife, Peter?” (Wendelin)

As a matter of fact that"s the fastest and most thorough solution.
Some story like the need of love between both parties is completely unnecessary for n.o.bility or royalty.

“Are you telling us to spend everyday competing politically as a married couple? For me it will be enough to have my Emera at my side.” (Peter)

“Your Highness, I"m not your belonging.” (Emera)

“Once again, don"t be so shy, Emera.” (Peter)

“I only stated the truth.” (Emera)

Emera is as blunt as usual, but as she"s always at Peter"s side, it"s not like she hates him either.
She is a tsundere after all.
Though she likely won"t allow herself to show her dere side in front of me.

“Ah, right. There were several other matters, too.” (Peter)

Peter continued to talk, addressing first my traveling within the Empire.

“Wendelin, you are an honorary Earl. There"s no reason to place any restrictions on you. As long as it is your family and guards, there"s no issue. But if you travel around while taking an army along, it will be a problem.” (Peter)

It"s a peerage called honorary Earl, but the official stance is that it"s a reward for my distinguished services.
In reality, it means that I"m not regarded with hostility because Peter successfully won over the Empire as he was able to obtain great achievements thanks to me, a foreign n.o.ble.
The honorary t.i.tle lasts for one generation and there"s no disadvantage as I will get an annuity, but it"s also a two-edged sword since the Kingdom"s n.o.bles will suspect whether I"m siding with the Empire from now on.
However, there"s no reason to decline the reward and I was also able to form new bonds.
There"s also the advantage of me being allowed to freely travel within the Empire.

“It"s impossible to move an army with 『Teleportation』.” (Wendelin)

“Then it"s fine. As for trade, excluding contraband goods, you can buy anything according to imperial law, if it"s in an area under the direct control of the Empire, or according to the local rules established by the n.o.ble family, if it"s a n.o.ble"s territory. There are also n.o.ble territories where you need to pay tariffs.” (Peter)

Given that n.o.ble territories are a kind of self-governing domains within both countries, the feudal lord decides whether tariffs have to be paid or not.
It depends on each n.o.ble as some want income and thus you have to pay it normally, and others put importance on the circulation of goods gaining in quant.i.ty and thus you don"t have to pay.

“It"s the same in the Kingdom, too.” (Wendelin)

“Also, I"d like you to deliver a draft of the peace plan with the Helmut Kingdom to His Majesty Helmut the 37th. Right now I am having our specialists write it up. It will likely be a reconciliation of the original terms.” (Peter)

“Got it.” (Wendelin)

“I"m feeling dizzy due to the great amount of work connected to dealing with the postwar period. It"s no good if we don"t carry out the emperor election as soon as possible either.” (Peter)

“You are going to hold an election?” (Wendelin)

“Since there are no other candidates, it will be a simple vote of confidence.” (Peter)

The number of prince elector households that survived this time"s civil war are merely two. The Earl Mizuho Country will be added to that as well, but they have declared that they will never run for Emperor.

“The meaning in holding an election is probably no more than a formality.” (Peter)

“There are many people honoring formality in this society though.” (Wendelin)

“That"s how it is. What are you going to do later today, Wendelin?” (Peter)

“I plan to go to Therese"s mansion. It will be a meeting in regards to the immigration matter.” (Wendelin)

“I see. It"s better to handle such things quickly.” (Peter)

◆◇◆◇◆

—————- End of Part 2 —————–

Excusing myself from Peter, I headed straight to Therese"s mansion.

“I"m having my fill of peaceful spare time. As for the immigration, I"m already done packing.” (Therese)

When I arrived at her mansion, she was sitting in a chair in the garden while carefreely drinking tea.

“You already done? That"s really fast.” (Wendelin)

“It"s not a moonlight flit and I don"t need to take so much with me either. I returned all the items, which had the crest of the Duke Philip household to Alfons. If there"s something I need, I will simply buy it over there. That way it will benefit thy territory, Wendelin.” (Therese)

In order to declare to the surroundings that she"s no longer someone of the Duke Philip household, Therese removed all the items indicating that by herself.

“What about those secret magic tools of the Duke Philip family?” (Wendelin)

The items were inside a magic bag that can only be owned by the family head, but I heard from Therese she still has various others.
I believe it"s wrong to not return them to Alfons after all.

“Of course I returned them. I even told Peter-dono 『The secret magic tools of the Duke Philip household were very helpful in defeating Duke Nürnberg.』” (Therese)

Therese ended up using them on her own accord, but since those were magic tools of the Duke Philip household, sacrificing them connected to a huge meritorious deed of the Duke Philip household.
Like that she skillfully pa.s.sed her achievements in the Duke Nürnberg subjugation to the Duke Philip household.
For the current Therese achievements are an obstacle, thus she yielded them to Alfons, the new family head.

“Thanks to that, I have little luggage to take with me.” (Therese)

One big trunk and a bag.
And only one single young maid is going to accompany her, Therese says.

“Originally I planned to go by myself, but since this maid has no family, she apparently doesn"t mind going to a foreign country. It looks like she doesn"t know whether she will find a new job, so I will take care of this girl. I have to look for a husband for her over there.” (Therese)

Therese says while sending a sidelong glance at the maid standing next to her.

“That kind of thinking is really that of a n.o.ble.” (Wendelin)

“I won"t get rid of my usual habits so easily. By the way, can I have thee accompany me for a little shopping trip? I can"t say that I"m completely prepared either.” (Therese)

“Sure.”

Therese and I leave the mansion and go shopping.

“How about this? Does it suit me?” (Therese)

“It looks good.” (Wendelin)

Therese changed into an attire often worn by young commoner women and I also changed into clothes matching hers.
On a first glance we look like a pair of young commoners going on a date as lovers.

“The streets are already crowded with people.” (Therese)

The fact that the civil war has come to an end has been officially announced in the capital.
Even now the postwar efforts are continuing, but many people were already enjoying going shopping in the capital while looking cheerful.

“Once I see this spectacle here, I also think that the few hards.h.i.+ps were worthwhile.” (Therese)

“You really achieved a lot in the first half of the civil war after all.” (Wendelin)

“I was outwitted by Peter-dono in the second half though.” (Therese)

“I can only apologize in regards to that.” (Wendelin)

“I don"t particularly mind. Justice or any such pointless morals don"t exist among influential people. Those that lose are in the wrong. Besides, I"m still alive.” (Therese)

Therese links arms with me while voicing out her thoughts.

“Max skillfully hid his real thoughts deep in his heart until the last moment. I failed. I couldn"t completely hide my feelings that I want to avoid becoming the most influential person in the Empire.” (Therese)

That part created a gap which led to her being defeated, Therese explains.
And she doesn"t consider her current situation as bad either.
Rather, she enjoys the carefreeness.

“Alfons, who took over out of necessity, is going through hards.h.i.+ps about now. That man didn"t have much motivation until now, even though he has the ability. However, now he doesn"t show that openly.” (Therese)

That might be the reason why I haven"t often met with Alfons recently.
Becoming a powerful person is that much of a burden.

“In that aspect thou have it easy since thou have magic, Wendelin” (Therese)

Being in the top position, whether I have motivation or not, I can rule as I please if I entrust matters to my retainers.
And yet the probability of my authority being stolen is low.
Therese says that those are very enviable circ.u.mstances.

“That"s because I"m just an unimportant figurehead.” (Wendelin)

“However, it"s not like thou are really unimportant either. It"s a very enviable position.” (Therese)

Stopping that topic at this point, we wander along the shopping street.

“What does thou think? Does it look good on me?” (Therese)

“Wouldn"t a slightly brighter color be better?” (Wendelin)

“Now that thou say that, I guess thou might be right?” (Therese)

Therese tries on clothes and I give her my honest opinion.

“I guess I will go with this color.” (Therese)

“True. A bright color like this suits you well.” (Wendelin)

In addition she also bought accessories and similar items.
It"s the same with the clothes, but Therese doesn"t buy high-cla.s.s items befitting for a d.u.c.h.ess Philip, but a larger portion of items catered towards commoners and low-ranking n.o.bles.

“There"s no need for me to stand out any longer. I can freely wear these kinds of clothes. And it"s a bargain when I can buy a lot of different types, too.” (Therese)

Even though she says that, Therese is a former high-ranking n.o.ble after all.

She has that aura of n.o.bility and her style as a beauty is exceptionally great, too.
Different to me, whose contents are those of a commoner, it was enviable that everything she put on looked good on her.

“Elise and the others also wear various clothes on rest days. It will be a bit of a compet.i.tion.” (Therese)

“Nah, it"s suiting you at the same level.” (Wendelin)

“Wow, isn"t that a very gentle a.s.sessment? Even though thou put your wives first while being cold to me before.” (Therese)

“Ah, that was…” (Wendelin)

The current Therese is a n.o.ble in name only who doesn"t hold any real authority. It"s not like she"s saying anything unreasonable either.
I can keep her company with a peace of mind as it"s like having a chat with an elder onee-san.

“I"m no trouble for thou?” (Therese)

“d.u.c.h.ess Philip was trouble, but you as Therese are not. I"m kind to beautiful women after all.” (Wendelin)

“Pfft. Thou are quite cheeky for being the younger one here. I see, so I don"t cause thee any trouble, huh? I will treat thou to cake as thanks for having praised me then.” (Therese)

“I suppose the younger one will obediently let himself be treated by the onee-san here.” (Wendelin)

“Thou can eat without reservations.” (Therese)

Having finished shopping, we head towards a coffeehouse located on the same shopping street.

“According to what I have heard, the new cake here appears to be delicious.” (Therese)

“I look forward to that.” (Wendelin)

We ordered two pieces of the new cake together with coffee for me and mate tea for Therese.
Once I ate the served cake, it was very tasty.

“This no-bake cheesecake with the apple sauce on top is really superb.” (Wendelin)

“Apple is a special product from the northern area after all.” (Therese)

Even in this world apples were special products of cold regions.
This is also something I want to import by all means.

“However, you truly have no regrets?” (Wendelin)

“Mmh? Thou mean the position of Empress?” (Therese)

“That too.” (Wendelin)

As I ended up thwarting that possibility for her, I wondered whether she isn"t actually resenting me for it.

“The first Empress of the Holy Urquhart Empire! Yes, that sounds sweet for those despairing over this world"s politics and historians.” (Therese)

No matter the political system, a young leader or the first female Empress appears to always be heavily burdened with the hopes and concerns of society.

“I think the people"s despair would have become really tragic when the results they hoped for couldn"t be achieved albeit them having placed so many expectations. It would probably get worse the higher their expectations in the beginning. Not once did I think that I want to become Empress.” (Therese)

“It couldn"t be helped since you were close to the position as a candidate for the next emperor?” (Wendelin)

“Frankly said, that"s the feeling I had. I had no other option but to do it. Peter-dono, who stole the march on me, is in the same generation as thou, Wendelin. Being highly praised as reformer of a new Empire will only happen at the beginning. People trying to sabotage him will increase immediately. The path of that person will be a th.o.r.n.y one.” (Therese)

Even on Earth, a new government has a high approval rating in the beginning due to the expectations placed into it.

“I think that Peter wishes to become emperor himself…” (Wendelin)

In my case, I would have absolutely no interest in that.

“That"s his own aspiration then. Besides, isn"t that slightly unsociable magician-dono with Peter-dono?” (Therese)

“Yeah, Emera.” (Wendelin)

That girl is beautiful, but basically she"s devoted to her professional duties and doesn"t laugh normally.
There are many n.o.bles you can call unsociable.
Though Peter and Earl Lanzberg always declare that they want her to be their wife.

“I think that"s because she"s usually not that cold to Peter…” (Wendelin)

“On the surface that"s true, but that magician-dono is frantic in ensuring Peter-dono"s safety. She has become the Head Magician, but she leaves most of the work to her subordinates and focuses on bodyguarding Peter-dono. As she doesn"t reveal any unhappiness with that either, those two probably have that kind of relations.h.i.+p.” (Therese)

As expected of a fellow woman.
Therese seems to understand Emera"s emotions well.

“I just thought of it, but Wendelin, thou are resembling Peter-dono.” (Therese)

“At what part?” (Wendelin)

“Thou are popular with older women.” (Therese)

“Hahaha…” (Wendelin)

It"s quite difficult to reply to that.
Which reminds me, I wonder whether Amalie-san is doing fine?
I truly want to meet her as soon as possible.

“At the same time of thou leaving the Empire, I will become a free woman. I"m looking forward to that.” (Therese)

“How are you going to spend your time in the Baumeister Earldom?” (Wendelin)

“I haven"t decided on anything yet. I will fully enjoy my freedom for a while.” (Therese)

After we left the coffeehouse, we went shopping in several other stores before it became evening.

“Wendelin, are thou going to return to the mansion and have dinner?” (Therese)

“Elise and the others should have prepared something.” (Wendelin)

“I want to practice cooking a lot more. It"s unnecessary for a n.o.ble lady, but for the current me it"s interesting to learn it.” (Therese)

“So you couldn"t prepare it after all…?” (Wendelin)

Previously she efficiently cut up the vegetables, but cooking doesn"t finish with cutting the ingredients.

“No, I can make something. It"s just that my repertoire is extremely small. There was the traditional menu of the Duke Philip household served in the liberation army, right?” (Therese)

“True. Though I got fed up with it as it was everyday the same menu.” (Wendelin)

Since Erw and the girls said that they are tired of it, that became the reason for us to prepare our own meals.

“Being told that it"s better for me to be able to make at least this much, it was a duty imposed on me as woman of the Duke Philip household. That"s why I can prepare those dishes.” (Therese)

“I see.” (Wendelin)

Even if the number of dishes she can prepare is low, it won"t be that difficult to learn cooking as long as she"s capable of the basics such as handling a kitchen knife, I think?

“If I can prepare as many dishes as Elise-dono, it might enrich my life. I have time, so I guess I will try to get taught in cooking.” (Therese)

“That might be a good idea. Ah, right, I can teach you this evening the recipe during dinner, too.” (Wendelin)

“Whoa, Wendelin, thou have learned well how to smoothly invite a lady. Thy onee-san feels relieved.” (Therese)

“Smooth invitation, eh…?” (Wendelin)

Therese and I walk towards the mansion.
Honestly speaking, I still don"t know how our relations.h.i.+p will develop from now on.
But, it was definitely no mistake that I felt attracted to Therese who was abandoned by the majority as n.o.ble of the Empire.

＊　　　＊　　　＊

“We will now hold the peace ceremony between the Holy Urquhart Empire and the Helmut Kingdom.”

One week after the date with Therese, the peace ceremony between both countries was finally held in the imperial palace.
Peter himself is attending for the Empire, and for the Kingdom it"s not the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but His Highness the Crown Prince in order to make the statuses match.
It feels like the minister has been excluded, but it"s not like he has spare time either.
It"s unnecessary for him to be at the crown prince"s side. Beforehand those in charge of foreign affairs in both countries had negotiated and reconciled the terms.

“Finally it"s over.”

“True.”

Earl Schultz and I, who had been busy because we entered the picture as high-ranking n.o.bles, who have practical abilities after getting dragged into the civil war, sighed in relief at last.
Dous.h.i.+, who should actually do the work at such times, hasn"t done anything because he had no motivation, let alone any abilities befitting that kind of work.
That"s why he unnecessarily increased the burden on us.

“Going by the forecast, I expected that the detailed terms would become complicated.”

Since both countries opened hostilities at one point, I wondered whether the Kingdom would negotiate a.s.sertively, given the imagination that the Empire has weakened due to the civil war and the amount of reparations.
However, if I actually look at the result, it looks to me as if the Kingdom wanted to quickly tie a peace treaty.

“It"s probably because the royal army was weaker than expected.”

No matter how incompetent the command of Marquis Läger might have been, an advance unit of 8,000 soldiers had been crushed one-sidedly.
Thanks to Philip"s and Christophe"s efforts it somehow didn"t turn into a disgrace, but if it actually came to a war, the Kingdom might get destroyed by the elite imperial army which is experienced in actual combat. Those worries spread within the Kingdom.
Of course they won"t admit such weakness publicly.
But, it"s a truth that the number of n.o.bles, who considered such possibility in their minds, grew.

“All that"s left is Duke Nürnberg"s inheritance?”

There are the magic guns and cannons used in combat by the Mizuho army and the various types of magic tools that were excavated from the underground ruin.
Especially on the side of the magic tools, a considerable number has been seized in the last battle. If these are used in actual combat, it will very likely turn into a disadvantage for the royal army.
Therefore they reached the decision that it"s better to expand the commerce and obediently stick to peace until they finish developing countermeasures against that new weaponry.

“(Earl Baumeister, you probably picked up quite a few of them as well, but the imperial army should have secured a considerable number since they had a lot soldiers on-site.)”

Earl Schultz whispers next to me.
They just have to make the surrendered soldiers of the Duke Nürnberg household teach them the way how to use them.
Training shouldn"t take that much time either.

“The royal army has no choice but to tread carefully. After all it"s not unlikely for a snake to appear if they poke the thicket.” (Wendelin)

“After having experienced actual combat, they are strong, too.” (Schultz)

If the Empire gives permission to the former Duke Nürnberg feudal army and those below them to cut off the royal army"s territory with the military forces of the n.o.bles, who became ruined or lost their peerage, it"s very likely that the Kingdom will lose territory.
In that case I would rather accept the apology and reparations from the other side, and obediently stay peaceful.

“A part of the n.o.bles, who don"t understand anything, are voicing their wish for a new invasion into the Empire though.”

“I think something like that is impossible, however…”

“Since they don"t understand that, they are treated as nuisance by His Majesty.”

Since the terms had been decided in advance after repeated negotiations, both countries entered the peace treaty.
The obstruction of 『Movement』 and 『Communication』 that reached the Kingdom"s north was determined to have been an arbitrary act by the traitor Duke Nürnberg and the current government of the Empire has agreed to compensate and apologize for his crimes.
It"s a fact, but he has been turned into a complete villain with no room for objection once he lost in the war and died.
『You are in the right as long as you win』 is something that"s said often.
In addition they also settled the negotiations in regards to trade.
It"s for the sake of expanding the economies of both countries and the Empire wants to use this as source of funds for the reconstruction.

“People, who gained permission in both countries, can freely enter and leave the territories under the direct control of the respective governments. I guess you have to obtain a special permission for n.o.ble territories.”

“After all it will be troublesome if they a.s.sist in a rebellion.”

Even Duke Nürnberg kept a strange demon around.
Even putting the demons aside, I suppose you can"t really say that it"s impossible for outsider to instigate n.o.bles to make them rise in rebellion.
It"s not that the demon moved on order of his country, but he"s someone feeling no guilt with helping rebels as long as it"s for the sake of satisfying his thirst for knowledge.
This is just my intuition, but even the demon country should have been troubled how to handle him.
I mean, it seems that his mana is at a top-level even among demons.
However, just like Elise"s hard battle with her 『Over-Heal』, his main occupation is archaeologist and it"s not like he excels at battle.
Since he"s smart, he contributed to Duke Nürnberg by maintaining and repairing the excavated items.

“If you expand commerce, the economy will thrive, but things like smuggling and illegal immigration will increase. Besides, although the imperial army has become powerful, they will likely dragged into small rebellions and disturbances for some time.”

After the civil war, Peter forcibly pressed forward with measure such as forced reduction of territory, forced relocation of territory and change in peerage rank. Thanks to those, people opposing those measures will appear from now on.
While he works on the Empire"s reconstruction and development, he has to skillfully suppress those people.

“I think it will be difficult with his youth. He"s the same age as you, Earl Baumeister, isn"t he?”

“Yes.”

“That"s grave. He will have to endure the hards.h.i.+ps.”

The treaty is signed by Peter and His Highness in front of Earl Schultz and me.
With this the civil war lasting for more than a year and the dispute between both countries triggered by that has finally come to an end.

Translation Notes: