Volume 4 Chapter 1 Part1 (1/2)

Translator Corner

Minasan oideyasu. This is Yukkuri demasu!

Decided to include Author note, since I am

of a medical profession. If you have painful wisdom tooth because of wisdom

tooth impaction, please consult with a dentist.

I still can’t make Roroa accent right… Hmmm…

DISCLAIMER: There is no

guarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I was

wrong.

Author:

Dozeumaru(どぜう丸)

Translator:

Yukkuri Oniisan

Editor:

So-Chintzy

Enlightenment Arc

Chapter 1: A Tale of Two Cities[1]

A

Author Note: The

story this time is short. Due to my wisdom tooth, I couldn’t concentrate at

all…… I wish that it would get well soon.

「Today

I have to run an errand near the castle, so……」(Souma)

It was morning. As always, I was

having a breakfast with my four fiancées, inside my room when I mentioned this.

「Can

someone go along with me?」(Souma)

「Is

it a job?」(Liscia)

I nodded at Liscia’s question.

「Sadly

so. Since it’s an important case, I want to see to it personally.」(Souma)

「I

see…… Then, I will be going. What about everyone else?」(Liscia)

Liscia brought this matter up with

the other three (I could already feel her influence as the First Queen Consort),

the first one, Roroa made an “X” mark atop her head with her hand.

「Too

bad. I cannae go. Since Darling had entrusted th’ negotiations wi’ th’ Merchant

Guild.」(Roroa)

「About

the matter of transforming the slave merchants into civil servants?」(Souma)

「Aye.

Darling micht had once transformed th’ sc.r.a.p metal merchants to “resaikel duty”[2]

as civil servants, but this time it wonnae be that smooth. Since th’ sc.r.a.p

metal merchants are lik’ trash picker from th’ start, thay were nae guild’s

members. Althoogh slave merchants are looked down as lowly just th’ same, thay

are properly registered at the Merchant Guild. If thay are separated from th’

guild and then are under th’ country’s control, this will be th’ same as 『Monopolizing』 the

slave trade ye see.」(Roroa)

While saying this, Roroa took a

bottle of salt, that was placed on the table. into her hand.

「It

was different from th’ salt or iron, but it’s th’ first time I’ve heard about

monopolizing slaves. Slaves aren’t ‘local procure, local use’ goods, aye? Of

course, thay also came from other countries. Transforming slave merchants into civil

servants means that it will also prevent th’ flow of this trade from the other

countries. As a civil servant, thay would’ve a guaranteed income, but they

wonnae earn any profit. Hence, th’ slave merchants who want to earn profits

will move to other countries. There will also be those who will oppose. But it is

Darling’s wish to curtail th’ slavery……」(Roroa)

…… Well, that’s true. It’s different

when it’s about the crime slaves that were serving their manual labor penalties,

but selling women or children as slaves to reduce the number of mouths to feed or

the fact that that the child of a slave was also a slave... I really want to

put an end to these kinds of old-fas.h.i.+oned practices at once. It’s not just from

a humanistic point of view, but also to increase the prosperity of the country

as a whole.

「Even

if it’s just th’ domestic crime slaves and property slaves, it’s unknown whether

or not it will satisfy th’ demand…… Really, it’s troublesome.」(Roroa)

「……So,

is it as difficult as expected?」(Souma)

When I asked her, Roroa nodded

her head.

「Uun,

I can dae this. I want to see th’ post-slavery world that Darling had mentioned.

Where everyone can earn money, use it, and circulate it in th’ economy. That

kind of world.」(Roroa)

I had taught a portion of my

world’s economic history to the ever-clever Roroa. Because of the technological

innovations, it would be possible to ma.s.s produce goods, create a demand for a market

where those goods could be sold, resulting in further effects on the a.s.set-less

slaves’ positions, and how these events lead to the slaves’ emanc.i.p.ation. This

kind of story. Of course, I know that there were people who waged war under the

ideology that all humans should be equal. For the slaves that had persevered to

win their freedom, they didn’t have any disposition to deny the efforts of the

people who wished for freedom.

It was just, somehow when I saw

the story of that age, I felt the powerlessness of humans, 「No

matter what kind of system it is, in the end, is it suitable for that age or

not?」. Napoleonic Wars or the US’s Civil War (it was called

a war for slave emanc.i.p.ation, but the truth is that the Union Army had adopted 『Slave

Emanc.i.p.ation』 to garner support, so they wouldn’t be defeated by

the Confederate Army)[3]

the end result was that these wars pushed the emanc.i.p.ation of slaves forward[4],

or that was what I had heard…… right. No matter how splendid an idea is, if it doesn’t

suit that age, then it will be crushed. Even after the slavery system ended, in

the next age, the conflict between the capitalists and the workers was waiting.

However, Roroa saw a frontier in my stories.

「It

may be a bit pushy, but if th’ Empire makes th’ first step, then we can dae it.

If the influential half of th’ continent, nay, th’ humanity side, reduces th’

slavery, it should be difficult for others to oppose it. Then, th’ matter of

the shortage of labor, though the turn is reversed from Darling’s story, we

could only compensate it with technological development. This is Darling’s

work.」(Roroa)

「Yeah.

That is my objective. Leave it to me.」(Souma)

「I’ll

be waitin’. Since I also will dae what I can dae.」(Roroa)

「I’ll

counting on you.」(Souma)

「Mufufu~.

Say it more.」(Roroa)

Our arms were tightly linked. For

this kind of matter, Roroa was really reliable. So, Roroa couldn’t accompany me,

but what about Aisha or Juna-san? I looked in their directions.

「I am

terribly sorry, but I need to prepare for the next music program, so I can’t go

with you.」(Juna)

「I-I

had been asked to accompany the new soldiers’ training…… Of course, if Your

Majesty says the word, then I will discard the other arrangements and will

accompany you.」(Aisha)

「It’s

alright. No need to push yourself. Hmm…… Well then……」(Souma)

The matter this time is something

where I don’t wish to take too many people with me. Since “that side” will be

cautious of the number of people. On the other hand, as expected, I will be

uneasy if I don’t take any bodyguards with me. With Liscia going with me…… Well,

rather than an unskilled bodyguard, Liscia’s fighting strength is surely

higher, right? The Black Cats Squad is a.s.signed to gather intelligence in the

other countries right now, so there are no personnel left for bodyguard duty.