Volume 4 Chapter 2 Part1 (1/2)

Translator Corner

Minasan oideyasu. This is Yukkuri demasu!

Sorry for being late, yesterday stuffs

happened and I being late as result……

Also an announcement:

I planned to buy the LN of “Jui-san no Os.h.i.+goto

in Isekai” to provide the RAW for any possible translator. There are 9 LN long,

and while at it buying new Takarakuji LN7 and hikiNEET LN4. It will cost about 220$.

Using the donation money I received before, my Patreon, and my leftover “pocket

money”, I already a.s.sembled 152$.

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 2: Let’s Create an Educational Program A

Author Note:

Because it has become difficult to understand the chronological order of the

story, I have set a calendar timeframe (although it had been decided

beforehand……).

The year that Souma

was summoned is 1546 Continent Era (its usage is shared with other countries).

Please remember that

「Souma arrived on 1546」[1].It won’t appear on the test.[2]

✦✧✦✧✦

――― 1547 Continent Era, Month 1 Day 1

Since 『Elfrieden

Kingdom』 annexed the 『Amidonia

Dukedom』 and became the 『United Kingdom of Elfrieden and Amidonia』

(popularly nicknamed as the 「Friedonia Kingdom」), the

new country greeted its first New Year’s Day. Whether it was in the Capital

City of Parnam or the former Ducal City of Van, in each city with a Royal Voice

Broadcast receiver installed, there were crowds of people gathering once more because

they heard that His Majesty Souma will use the Royal Voice Broadcast and make a

New Year’s Greeting towards the citizens. To hear this greeting, a lot of

people had gathered even though it was New Year’s Day.

There wasn’t any particular

coercion to make them listen to it, but even so, the people who gathered in

this place did so because every time the Royal Voice Broadcast was used, His

Majesty Souma only did astounding things like talent gathering event, the edible

education program to reduce food shortage, or creating a music program. What does

he intend to do again? This was what attracted the interest of half of the citizens.

The other half just thought that “a gathering →

food stalls appearing to make a nice profit →

festival revelry” and simply came for these events.

「What

will the King plan to do this time?」(Boy)

「That’s

true. What will he do, I wonder.」(Mother)

A mother and her child had this kind

of conversation while waiting for the broadcast. Then, the fountain-shaped

receiver displayed Souma’s image. Behind him were his fiancées, Princess Liscia

and the former Ducal Princess Roroa, whose engagement with Souma was announced at

the same time as the Amidonian annexation. Both of them showed a smile, giving peace

of mind to the citizens of both Elfrieden and Amidonia who had become part of a

United Kingdom.

King Souma’s image began to speak.

『My

beloved citizens of the United Kingdom of Elfrieden and Amidonia. “I wish you a

Happy New Year.”[3]』

After saying this, Souma, Liscia,

and Roroa bowed their heads down at the same time. That the King himself bowed

his head down for the New Year, this caused the citizens to become noisy, but then

Souma raised his head and smiled teasingly.

『This

is a New Year’s greeting from my world. I am thankful for your help last year, and

I am happy to be able to greet the New Year safely and to give my best regards

for this year, too…… This greeting has this grat.i.tude put into it.』

From thereon after, the standard

New Year’s greetings in the Friedonia Kingdom changed to 「I

wish you a Happy New Year」.

『Now

then, it seems that in the Amidonia “Region”[4],

there is a practice that during the New Year, the ruler will declare the

country’s policy for that year. I also received counsel from Roroa to do that practice,

too…… So now, I will attempt to perform it.』

The moment Souma mentioned this, anxiety

flashed through the audience that was listening in the Amidonia Region. The people

who were once the citizens of the Amidonia Dukedom, remembered the face of

Gaius VIII giving his policy declaration during the New Year. His visage with a

grim face, swearing revenge towards Elfrieden and advocating the recovery of

the lost territories. That’s why for the Amidonian people, 「New

Year’s Declaration = Propaganda」. It was understandable that they had become tensed, wondering

whether or not a new war will happen.

However, King Souma himself could

be said to be the opposite of Gaius, and while having a bit of a troubled

expression, he continued his speech with a relaxed tone.

『So

for now, the policy for the country this year will be……』

The audience held their breath. Where

the country will head to? Enrich the state, strengthen the military[5]?

Attack another country? Overthrow the Empire and aim for a hegemony in the

Continent? Or perhaps, invade the Demon Lord Realm and liberate the north? …… The

audience was waiting while holding their breaths. Finally, Souma opened his

mouth.

『「Create

a good country」. I plan to go with this.』

(((It’s so vague‼)))

Everyone in the audience had that

same thought. As if antic.i.p.ating that, Souma laughed.

『You

might be thinking that this is too vague. However, this is an important thing. First,

what does it mean to make 「a good country」? It’s easy to think it’s simply the opposite of 「a

bad country」.』

When he mentioned this, Souma

raised a finger while explaining.

「First,

a “country where the people are starving”. Second, “a country where the people

are freezing”. You might say this using other phrases like a “poor and

struggling country”. That the people died from hunger or cold because they couldn’t

buy food or obtain shelter or clothing. It goes without saying that this is a

bad country. A citizen wouldn’t be able to feel secure in a country where they

could die from hunger or cold.」

Both of the citizens in Elfrieden

and Amidonia agreed with this statement. After all, both countries had

experienced food shortage. The Amidonian citizens especially felt it more

intensely. At that time, they had turned their eyes away from it and instead

towards the fanned grudge against Elfrieden, but since the situation had improved

thanks to the aids from Souma’s side, they had a strong desire to not return to

last year’s state.

『Third,

a “country with bad public order”. Even if the country isn’t under the threat

of hunger or cold, it is unthinkable to live in a country that was rampant with

robbers, bandits, or pirates. In the first place, the source that brought forth

this lawlessness was the poverty that I had mentioned earlier. In my world there

is a saying, 「The poor can’t afford manners」.[6]

They are already doing their best to stay alive, so they lost the heart to care

for other people.』

『Fourth,

a “country that does nothing but wage war”. Even if she is ever-victorious in combat,

war is a burden for on the nation’s finance and people will always die in war. If

she loses even just once, it will be even more disastrous. If the other

countries hate her, then their people might perform terrorist acts and her public

order will worsen as a result, potentially s.n.a.t.c.hing away your treasured

things. Fifth: The opposite, a “country that couldn’t defend herself”. Even if she

doesn’t want to go to war, if a country neglects her national defense, then the

other countries will exploit this weakness. The results will be same as the war-waging

country. Much less to say at our current era, since there is also the unpredictable

threat from the Demon Lord Realm.』

While explaining this, his hand was

fully opened and then he turned his opened palm to the citizen.

『This

is just a rough count, but these five countries are bad countries, isn’t they?

Then, a good country should be the opposite of these bad countries, don’t you

agree?』

Souma turned his hand back and

forth, alternating between the palm and the back of the hand.

『Not having

her citizens starve to death, not having her citizens s.h.i.+vering from the cold, having

a good public order, not attacking other countries indiscriminately, and is undaunted

when attacked by other countries or against the threat from Demon Lord Realm. A

self-reliant country. Perhaps this what is called 「a

good country」, the shape of the country that this unified kingdom strives

to become.』

Then, Souma waved his hand. It

was as if he was ordering the army to march.

His hand movements during this

speech were then mimicked in adapted play and dramas in the far future. To make

a comparison to Earth, it might be similar to how people, when mimicking

Michael Jackson, would often copy his famous hat pose.

『Each

of these five aspects can be said as something that should be the norm however,

it is really difficult to have all of these five to be present together, sspecially

as the world is currently wrapped in chaos. Even though these five should be

the norm, it is hard to achieve what should be the norm, this current era is

that kind of era. To achieve it, a “power” several times more than what is the

norm at peacetime is needed. An extraordinary “Power” that even stronger than what

would be needed to dominate this continent.』

Then Souma once more stopped his

words and inhaled a long breath.

『…… So

accordingly, there is something that I want you, the Citizens, to do, by all

means.』

The audience held their breaths

again. To obtain the “power” that Souma had mentioned, there was something that

he wanted them to do. At the beginning, they thought that it would be 『Tax

Increase』. With a high tax, then the country’s income will

increase, so that the military spending could be increased, too. Depending on the

situation, this might not be a mistake, but the citizen’s livelihoods would

become more difficult. The next thing that they thought was 『Conscription』. This

country already possessed career soldiers[7],

but they feared that there will be a forced recruitment of citizens to be trained

as soldier.

This was the result of them

thinking that the power Souma had mentioned was “Military Power”. However, the

citizens had misunderstood. “Power” doesn’t just means military power alone.

Souma then spoke.

『It’s

the encouragement of learning.』 [8]

◇　◇　◇

「It’s

the encouragement of learning.」

At a certain room in Parnam

Castle, the 『Royal Voice Room』, where the Royal Voice Broadcast orb was installed in

the middle of that room. I spoke out those words towards the citizens of the Friedonia

Kingdom.

「I’ll

give you an example. Two men holding swords are fighting. In most cases, the

one who wins is the one with the stronger muscles or the one who has a better sword.

Then, what if two people with similar strength and similar swords fight? Perhaps,