How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom
chapter-4-5

National Enrichment Arc

*Souma’s Perspective*

「*sluuuuuuuuuurp* . . . . . . At any rate, Zelring udon is delicious . 」(Aisha)

We decided to have a late lunch in the café 『Lorelei』 .

After finishing eating her serving of one full bowl of Zelring udon, Aisha presented the empty bowl to the waiter-san, 「Give me seconds!」 . A café wasn’t a place with that way of eating, right? . . . . . . Well, whatever .

「Even so, Zelring udon in a café is . . . . . . 」(Souma)

「Does it not suit your tastes?」(Juna)

Juna-san showed a worried expression, so I shook my head and said, 「Ah, it’s not that . 」

「I’m troubled as to whether it would be alright to slurp udon inside of a shop that has such excellent ambiance . 」(Souma)

「After that broadcast, there were many people who want to eat it . Since we still have not fully escaped from the food shortages, this sort of cheap ingredient is gratefully appreciated . 」(Juna)

「For you to concede like this . . . . . . I’m sorry for my lack of ability . 」(Souma)

「No, it is not . . . . . . I think that Kazuya-san has kindly done his best to perform his duty . 」(Juna)

The graceful smile from Juna-san, somehow made my heart feel warm and fluffly .

*hit*hit*

Yes, that’s why Liecia, stop kicking my shin under the table .

「Isn’t Souma’s attitude somehow different to Juna-san alone?」(Liecia)

「Ah, *slurrrp* . . . . . then, I too . . . . *slurrrp* . . . . . feel it . 」(Aisha)

「 . . . . . . It’s inevitable, right? Of course, I will be nervous when talking to a beautiful oneesan . Also, Aisha, decide whether you want to talk or to eat . 」(Souma)

「*slurrrrp*」(Aisha)

So you chose to eat, huh? I decided to ignore the obligatory tsukkomi that passed by through my mind .

「 . . . . . Even though you had said that ‘you’re beautiful’ to me (*whisper*)」(Liecia)

「It’s not like that, I just believe that Liecia and Juna-san’s beauty vectors are different, don’t you agree?」(Souma)

「Wha- How can you hear it?」(Liecia)

No, if you didn’t want to be heard then lower your volume more .

After all, I’m not a deaf protagonist that would ignore a girl muttering and say「Eh? Did you say something?」 . . . . . I also have some unusual considerations since the lap-pillow event some time ago .

「Ca-can’t you just ignore it, right?」(Liecia)

「Ignore it, huh? Don't underestimate a healthy boy delusions of grandeur towards a girl . [1]」(Souma)

「Araara, your face has become bright red . Both of you are really innocent, I see . 」(Juna)

Juna looked at our quarrel while smiling continuously .

Beside her, Aisha was slurping udon as if pouting .

「*slurrrp* . . . . why do you notice the princess’ goodwill and yet . . . . . . *slurrrrrp* keep ignoring me . . . . . . *slurrrp* . Ah, please give me a second . 」 (Aisha)

「This might be impertinent for me to say . . . . . . It is because of your conduct that he did not take you seriously, right?」(Juna)

「Juna-dono!? Do you mean there was something wrong with me!?」(Aisha)

「That is your gluttony . When you first had the audience in the royal castle and spoke directly to the king, you looked like a dignified brave woman, but recently Aisha-san has been only eating food, so it is very disappointing . 」(Juna)

「H-How could this beeeeeeee . . . . !?」(Aisha)

Aisha was looking at me as if to say 「That’s a lie, King . 」

I and Lieca smiled at her, while we made an 「X」 mark with our hands .

After all, I agree 100 percent with Juna-san’s opinion .

「It’s obvious that you’ve outdone Poncho in his own game . 」(Liecia)

「I wonder where the gallant Aisha has gone into . 」(Juna)

「Ue~n! There weren’t varying dishes like these in the forest so I couldn’t help it!」(Aisha)

「In the first place, why did you try to seduce me even when I already have a fiancée (temporary) . . . . . . 」(Souma)

「「「Eh?」」」(Liecia)(Juna)(Aisha)

The three girls stared me with a puzzled look . Did I say something strange?

「Umm . . . . . . Souma? In this country, if someone is affluent then polygamy is an acceptable practice you know?」(Liecia)

「Conversely, if a woman has enough financial capability, then it is also possible to do polyandry . Although it is unusual . 」(Juna)

「Since if it was limited to monogamy, if something happens, then the house line could become extinct . 」(Aisha)

Liecia, Juna-san and Aisha replied with serious expressions .

Are you serious? . . . . . Ah, no, I think they are serious . The society in this world still hadn’t came out from the Dark Ages into the Middle Ages . The birthrate was also not steady, the hygiene and medical science field were undeveloped; in addition it was a turbulent age where it was rare for people to reach their maximum life expectancy . Furthermore, their medieval society treasured the concept of a 『House』, if they have enough financial power to support it, then they would wish to have many children as their heir . For that reason, they adopted a practice of polygamy . I could understand this .

「But there were no other queens other than Liecia’s mother . . . . . . 」(Souma)

If the King also committed polygamy, then Liecia’s father should have additional wives right? Actually, I also was pestered by Hakuya to quickly make some heirs .

「Ah, the one with Royal Prerogative was my Mother, since she was the granddaughter of the previously reigning King before King Albert[2] . 」(Liecia)

「Then that means the King married into the family!」(Souma)

「Yes, that’s why even if he took many wives there would be no meaning . Only the children from my Mother held succession rights . . . . . . Well, I don’t know if perhaps I had half-siblings that didn’t hold succession rights . 」

「Huh? Then would it be okay for the King to yield the throne to me?」(Souma)

「There will be no problem . My father is standing in the front but without consent from my Mother he couldn’t abdicate . 」

So that means that the King’s abdication was not just of his own judgment but also acknowledged by the Queen, huh?

「Moreover, there was no one who held the succession rights other than me, so I think that it was not that much different from choosing a son-in-law . The difference is whether the Royal Prerogative was with me or with my spouse . 」(Liecia)

「 . . . . . . Then wouldn’t it better for Liecia to rule as Queen?」(Souma)

「Then every one of Souma’s reforms would require my consent, you know? Isn’t that bothersome?」(Liecia)

「That is . . . . . . certainly, yes . 」(Souma)

It wasn’t that I thought Liecia was stupid, but if I need consented on every plan, then the administrative reform could lag behind even more . Moreover, if the highest decision maker and the reform advocator were two different people, then an opposition faction could arise and obstruct those two people from cooperatimg and cause many troubles for the reforms .

「That’s why Liecia’s father immediately made a decision to transfer the whole authority to me . . . . 」(Souma)

「That’s true . . . . . . Even now, I thought he was extremely obedient . 」(Liecia)

But that burden was shifted to us . Both of us made a sigh .

「Therefore, if Souma wished for polygamy then . . . . . . it’s possible . 」(Liecia)

「Will Liecia fine with that?」(Souma)

「Though I am not delighted withit, if because of it, Souma would take the throne then . . . 」(Liecia)

「Isn’t your understanding too much . . . . . . 」(Souma)

「If it is only 8 wives including me, then I’ll permit it . 」(Liecia)

「That’s too much! I can’t bear the responsibility if it was that many, you know!?」(Souma)

It wasn’t that I didn’t get emotionally touched after hearing the possibility of creating a harem . . . . . . But somehow, I could only imagine a future full with hardships . I wasn’t a person who was good at dealing with women and it was clear that if their numbers increased then proportionally, my own embarrassment also increased .

「By the way, what is the basis for that number?」(Souma)

「It’s one week divided . 」(Liecia)

This world had 8 days per week . That was the reason!?

「Then what is the case of having several people simultaneously?」(Juna)

「The rotation becomes faster, huh? Or maybe each of us could be invited on my day and their day respectively . . . . . 」(Liecia)

「I see . Then it isn’t necessarily once per week, right?! As expected from Juna-dono . 」(Aisha)

No, no, no, even Aisha and Juna-san also joined this topic!?

Simultaneously, right . . . . . . It wasn’t that I was uninterested in it, or rather there was no male who COULD be uninterested in it, so for that reason I must inherit the throne . My realistic personality had an aversion to the hardships of the throne while on the other hand, I desired to pursue the goals of a man and, the needle scale on my heart was swaying from side to side .

At that precarious time, I staggeringly felt the urge to run away .

「You mustn’t, nodesu! Hal, you absolutely mustn’t nodesu!」(Nodesu Girl)[3]

「You know nothing about it!」(Hal)

From the faraway seats, I heard a quarrelling voice coming from a young boy and girl .

The quarrelling boy and girl wore the same Royal Military Academy uniform like us . The boy had red hair and was tall for a human . His height was about 190 cm . From the width of his blazer’s shoulders, it was clear that he had a solid physique . The girl facing him had blond hair with a short bob cut, two triangle ears and was a petite girl . Was she from the Mystic Wolf Tribe?

「No, that girl is from the Mystic Fox Tribe[4] . 」(Liecia)

From what Liecia said, I understood that she was different .

「You can judge from the tail . It is a fox tail, right?」(Liecia)

「So I can’t put them together as a Mystic Dog Tribe[5] since they belong to the same canine family?」(Souma)

「If you said that, then people from the Mystic Wolf Tribe and the Mystic Fox Tribe will get angry . Since, the Mystic Dog Tribe refers to Kobolds, it has the same feel of calling a human, a monkey . 」(Liecia)

「 . . . . . Afterwards, please teach me the taboos among the races . 」(Souma)

As a king, if I unintentionally violate the taboos when having an audience, it could cause an international problem .

As expected from another world, I didn’t know where the landmines had been buried .

While I was thinking about this, the Mystic Fox Tribe girl shouted in grief .

「Hal, I beg of you desu . You mustn’t go to the Carmine Duchy right now desu! The Army General Duke George Carmine[6] has enmity with the new king desu . There could be a civil war nodesu!」(Nodesu Girl)

「That’s why I must go . If it becomes a battle, it could become my chance for my life’s promotion . 」(Hal)

The youth of about 18 years old who was called Hal, laughed fearlessly .

The face of the Mystic Fox Tribe girl in front of him became downcast .

「Hal’s concept of the war is too light, nodesu . 」(Nodesu Girl)

「Kaede is worried too much . 」(Hal)

「Hal’s father is worrying for Hal so he asked you to return home, you know, nodesu!」(Kaede)

「My father had no relations with this! He was just a coward that secluded himself in the capital when the situation turned bad, even when he had served the Carmine House for many years . I don’t need to hear his words!」(Hal)

「Hal’s father had read the flow of the age, nodesu . The one who tried to oppose without any great cause was the Duke Carmine, nodesu」(Kaede)

Those two kept quarrelling . Seeing both of them like this, Liecia with a plop, clapped her hands together .

「I thought that I had seen him before, he is Officer Hulbert Magna[7], I think . 」(Liecia)

「So you know him, La…… Liecia」(Souma)

「The eldest son of the renowned Magna House of the Army faction who is said to have an outstanding talent that is unrivalled by anyone in terms of combat prowess since his days at the Military Academy . After graduation, he had been assigned to the army…… So, he came back home?」(Liecia)

「That fellow is unexpectedly famous . Then, what about the girl?」(Souma)

「Let see…… I never see her face in the army . 」(Liecia)

「That girl is Kaede Foxia-san[8] . 」(Juna)

Juna answered instead of Liecia . Eh? How could you know her?

「Since that girl is a regular of this café . If I remember correctly, she was a magician attached to the Royal Army[9] (King’s Personal Army) . 」(Juna)

「If she is in the Royal Army, then I wonder if she’s a magician with the Earth attribute . 」(Liecia)

This world magic was divided into 6 attributes, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light and Dark . Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind each respectively manipulated their element to use it as offensive magic . Light was the basis of healing magic . The one called Dark magic wasn’t strictly about manipulating darkness, since special magic that couldn’t be classified as the other 5 attributes was generically labeled under the 『Dark series』 . My telekinesis or parallel thinking magic also was systematically referred to as Dark .

In case of magicians attached to an army, their deployment in the army depended on their attribute . Fire attribute in the Army, Wind attribute in the Air Force, Water attribute in the Navy, and Earth and Dark (although they were rare) attribute in the Royal Army . Light attribute had the same role as combat medics and were evenly deployed in all branches . Honestly speaking, I opposed this method of deployment that lacked flexibility, however the Army, Navy, and Air Force were all under control of the Three Dukes so I couldn’t meddle in this . In the event that I had settled with them I the future, then I would absolutely perform a structural reform of this .

While I was thinking about this, Kaede and Hulbert were kept on quarreling .

「There no way Duke Carmain would lose to that inexperienced young king!」(Hulbert)

「These days Duke Carmain is strange nodesu! Even when the only one who receives profit from domestic antagonism were the surrounding countries . Amidonia had been aiming to recover their territories they lost to previous generation’s King . The Torgis Republic that is mostly covered in permafrost[10]also wishes for fertile land . If it becomes a civil war, then they will certainly come to interfere . And it isn’t the only thing that Duke Carmine didn’t understand nanodesu……」(Kaede)

Eh? That girl seemed to have a good understanding on the states of affairs in the surrounding countries .

On this world’s map, to the west (I don’t know whether it was the same thing with Earth’s cardinal direction, but I used that expression in writing to made it easier to understand) of our country lies the 『Amidonia Dukedom』 where roughly half of their territories was snatched away by Elfieden’s previous generation’s King’s expansionist policy . 50 years had passed since then, however, even now they were eagerly waiting for their chance to recover the lost territory . They were clearly a hostile nation to our country .

South from Amidonia, situated on the southern tip of the continent was the『Torgis Republic』 that, just like what Kaede had said, was a country where the majority of their territory would be covered in frozen soil when winter came . Based on this world’s map, the temperature would drop if one kept heading South . I don’t know whether because this continent (if I had to say with Japanese sense) seemed to located in the Southern Hemisphere, or if North and South were different from my perspective, or if it was the effect of a mysterious magical phenomenon, but if one went south in Elfrieden, it became colder and if one headed north it became hot .

With such national characteristics, the 『Going North Policy』[11] could be called the Torgis Republic’s national policy . However, among the countries that share their national border with them, the Grand Chaos Empire was too powerful to make an enemy and the Mercenary Nation of Zem was an ally so it was also impossible . Because of this, their Going North Policy was focused onto Amidonia and Elfrieden .

Either country would take advantage of the breach in our country like a bunch of starving hyenas . [12]

「Those are the situation of the surrounding countries nanodesu! Despite this, what is Duke Carmine thinking nodesu?」(Kaede)

「…… Duke Carmine is different . He surely has thought of something . 」(Hulbert)

「So Hal can’t think for himself nodesu?」(Kaede)

「Of course I had already thought about it! Actually, I had heard that many nobles had given up on the king and hurriedly gathered their private troops under Duke Carmine command . Failing to secure their support was the proof of King’s incompetence right!?」(Hulbert)

……

「We still don’t know whether the King is capable or incompetent, he hasn’t made any errors until now! Furthermore, the nobles that gathered under Duke Carmine were nobles, that I believe, were displeased by the new king’s economic reforms snatching away their concession rights, or had their properties seized after fraud investigation nodesu! By overthrowing the current King, they could restore their rights . Don’t you think that this country has actually gotten better nodesu!?」(Kaede)

Kaede pressed Hulbert for answer, while Hulbert could only avert his eyes .

「…… Duke Carmain must have thought about something . 」(Hulbert)

「Duke Carmain again, does Hal not have his own opinions nodesu!?」(Kaede)

「Shu-Shut up! As if Kaede can foresee the future!」(Hulbert)

「I have understood it nodesu!」(Kaede)

Kaede clearly declared to Hulbert who defiantly spoke to her .

「Kaede has understood it nodesu! That person is scary . Towards the Three Dukes, the New King will…」(Kaede)

「Okay, Stop . 」(Souma)

I interrupted Kaede’s words while forcing my way in between both of them .

Those two stared in wonder at the sudden intruder . Disregarding the surprised Hulbert who said 「Wh-who are you, bastard!」, I smiled to Kaede who stared with her mouth agape .

「If you prattle on to much, you can be restrained by using the power of the state you know?」(Souma)