Volume 3 Chapter 2 Part3 (1/2)
(“How about our guards?”)
(“The other side has their guards too so they’re unable to move”)
(“Right, no way she’d come alone. … I’ll leave Tomoe to you”)
Tomoe was still sleepy from being woken up so suddenly. I left her with Juna and faced Jeanne Euphoria. I have seen the reports of her. Supposedly the Grand Chaos Holy Maiden and Empress Maria Euphoria had a younger sister ruling over the military, and because Maria was unmarried, was the first in line of the Imperial succession. This must be her.
“And what business might the Empire’s number two have in our country?”
I deliberately pomped up my tone. We were not signatory to the Humanity Declaration, and as such had no need to recognize Maria as leader. Which means we are peers as rulers, Maria and I stand equal to one another. This girl was the younger sister of the Empress but formally, her position is that of a retainer, so I have the higher seat here. I didn’t particularly want to put on airs toward my retainers, but I have to make things clear when facing someone from a foreign country. Jeanne also replied as if my att.i.tude was natural.
“No, I only sneaked in wanting to see how your higness Soma rules, but our man reported to me that your highness will be travelling to town incognito today, so I thought I should give my greetings”
In other words, she wasn’t inteding to meet with me. Just that she was making contact because my vacation happen to coincide with her reconnaisance.
“But aren’t you quite bold, sneaking into Vannes while it’s under our occupation”
“There were things I can’t believe until I see them for myself anyhow. Rumors of your highness Soma had reached the Empire, but there were lots of ones with dubious truth. I wanted to see with my own eyes”
Rumors? I wonder what they talk about me there.
“Well, there’s [The benevolent ruler who restores the royal economy from the brink of bankruptcy], or [Solving the food crisis by introducing the cooking of never-before eaten foodstuffs], or [Mowing down the enemy hordes with peerless strengths in battle], and the like”
“… well, most of it’s an exaggeration”
Not even one of those were my accomplishments alone. The work restoring the economy I did together with the bureaucrats, and the gathering of foodstuffs was Poncho’s deed. As for the war, I only moved the army while the direct fighting was left entirely to other people. So what I did in the end was “leaving things tho the people who can.”
“Ah, and there’s also a rumor that you were [a matchless lecher]”
“Whoa, hold on there!”
Who are you calling a lecher!?
“How did that rumor come to be!?”
“Well, they say that [despite being engaged to the beautiful daughter of the previous King, you gathered beauties from all over the country to select your concubines]. Miss Juna over there, wasn’t she the concubine you chose?”
“That is a misunderstanding!”
She was probably talking abouth the Elfrieden Bishoujo Grand Prix I did when gathering personnell. It was just that when I said I didn’t mind whatever talent they had, the fields of Warfare, Beauty, and Public Entertainment had a particularly large rush of applicants so I made them into tournament-style compet.i.tions. Project Lorelei hadn’t even been concieved back in those days. Which reminds me, there were rumors that [The beauty compet.i.tion is for selecting a mistress for the King], and so n.o.bles would come and had their relatives enter. I guess that’s how it would look from outside, huh.
“A c-concubine … I did know there were rumors of that but …” said Juna with a red face. S, seriously? Dammit, I can’t take this lying down. Even though I’ve been working myself to death since the crown was handed over to me that I didn’t even have time to adequately socialize with Liscia … Or rather, this may be late but Liecia’s and my relations.h.i.+p is flying on the rumor mills, huh.
“Humm … if those rumors are untrue, then I guess I can’t play that card,” mumbled Jeanne with a worried look.
“Card?”
“Nothing, just that if you were really a lecher King, then I thought to have you capitulate by having Elder Sister say please 1”
“What are you making the Imperial Holy Maiden do!”
“But doesn’t an appelation, like Holy Maiden, make your gentlemanly senses tingle?”
“Well that’s … understandable I suppose”
[Imperial Holy Maiden Maria] sounds like it won’t be out of place as the t.i.tle of a p.o.r.n game. Though in that case, they’d swap the word for ‘holy’ with ‘s.e.x’ 2, and if you ask me, I think there are a lot more of those bearing the name Jeanne rather than Maria but … hey, never mind that!
“An appelation, huh …? Does Lorelei make your senses tingle too?”
“Why are you also joining in, Juna!?”
“Ah, no … didn’t mean to …”
“Ha ha ha, You’re a much more interesting man than I expected, your highness”
That exchange was being laughed at by Jeanne.
“… I didn’t mean to be funny though”
“Nonsense, it’s good for the nation’s stability if the King and his retainers get along, right? We couldn’t have done that, you see”
“… The Empire isn’t like this?”
“We have a ridiculously large territory, and the Empress’ authority is great, too. Elder sister is revered as the Holy Maiden, almost wors.h.i.+pped, so family is all she has that she could have a relaxing chat with. To top it off, she tries to seriously play her part as the Empress, so she tries to treat everyone equally”
Jeanne shrugged her shoulders and looked toward the plaza.
“Our matter this time is related to that, too. We have to lend a hand to Amidonia who ignored the Humanity Declaration, even though we have nothing to gain from it”
“… As the idealistic Maria’s younger sister, you’re quite the realist, aren’t you”
“The elder sister is a dreamer, so the younger sister has to have her feet firmly on the ground”
Jeanne smiled as she said that. I was convinced, Jeanne’s way of thinking was closer to mine compared to Maria’s. A person who doesn’t hold lofty ideals, but a person who dealt with reality. I’m glad Jeanne’s not the Empress, I thought. She wouldn’t have stubbornly held on to territory, but split them up, keeping the good ones for herself. I know I‘d do something like that.
“By the way,” said Jeanne pointing up at Chris’ image reflected in the sky.
“It’s amazing how you use the Royal Broadcast. Reducing the people’s anxiety by gathering and disseminating information. You don’t mind if we try it in our country, do you?”
“… be my guest”
It’s a simple thing to do if one wanted to do it. It’s useless to say no.
“Thank you very much. How do you come up with such an advanced idea?”