Chapter 12: The Dark lord and the Froisbourg House

Shelving all remaining official duties, Seneschal Marquis Froisbourg hurried back to his estate. He gathered his wife, sons, vassals in the hall. And his eldest daughter as well.
 
This is a matter for the Froisbourg house, and her matter as well.
 

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Marcel was born as the second son of the prestigious Froisburg Marquis family, a hereditary noble house that had produced many stewards for the Lerois family. Following his elder brother’s early death, he, the son of a concubine, inherited the family headship. As he matured, he plunged into … Read the rest

 
“What should I do, Seneschal-dono?”
 
Standing before my desk was Marquis Marcel-Ene-En-Froisbourg, the Seneschal, with an expression that perfectly fit the description “pale as death.”
 
Short-cropped red hair. Cheeks cleanly shaven, leaving a mustache below his nose and on his chin. No overwhelming physique. An entirely average man in his fifties. Those gentle eyes left traces of his daughter Braune-san.
 
As someone in an appropriate position with wealth, there’s nothing particularly distinctive about him. But I very much value this man’s moderation and good sense.
 
“—Your Majesty, with all due respect…”
 
This weakness was unusual for him, who typically speaks … Read the rest

Chapter 11: The King’s Body

This world has something called magic power. Or more precisely, it’s believed to exist. Or rather, it was believed to exist.
 
According to the Orthodox Church’s definition, magic power is apparently the power to make people obey. People earn their place in this world based on the amount of magic power they possess. Those with greater magic power command more people and attain higher positions. Naturally, royalty and nobility possess it, but even commoners, being human, have a small amount of magic power. It’s because of magic power that they can do business or till … Read the rest

Chapter Ten: The King’s Art Appreciation

I’ve come to view paintings.
 
The exhibition title is [Light and Darkness of the Lerois Royal Palace ── The Kings and Queens Who Colored Early Modern Santeneri ──]. The venue is the Palais-Lumière, a 10-minute walk from Victory Square. The exhibition period is September 11th, 10:00-11:00.
 
That masterpiece [The Emperor’s Daughter] is being shown in our country for the first time!
 
Today we have the honor of the presence of the Imperial Ambassador to the Kingdom of Santeneri, courtesy of our sponsoring Empire.
 

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In other words, the venue is … Read the rest

Just as I can only understand those day-to-day poor people conceptually, they can only perceive me conceptually too. The King as the entity that governs the nation. Therefore, if the nation isn’t being governed properly, it’s the King’s fault.
 
Since that’s obvious, competent rulers create outlets for anger between themselves and their subordinates. In other words, nobles. They can be offered up as sacrifices. For example, a man like the one happily drunk before me.
 
Going one step further, it’s even better if you can create divisions among the commoners too. Wealthy citizens VS propertyless citizens.
 
Divide and conquer.
 
You … Read the rest

Chapter Nine: The King’s Fleeting Dream

Remember when I talked about that young entrepreneurs’ meeting I had to attend due to social obligations? The one where they immediately head to a cabaret club?
 
Thinking back now, I feel nostalgic about what a strange world that was. Naked desire for money and connections bragging. And morality with pleasant-sounding words coexisting there without any friction. “Employees come first,” or “The president should be the greatest servant,” or “Never forget daily gratitude.” How should I describe it? Each sentiment is a wonderful mindset, I think. But somehow, my instincts sense the phoniness. … Read the rest

“Thank you for coming, Braag-dono. Now, come this way. Today I’ve also invited ladies who have shown interest in the excellence of your watches. I’m delighted to have such a lively gathering.”
 
I called out to Braag-san and invited him to a corner furnished with sofas and a table.
 
“Your Majesty, I am truly honored beyond measure to be granted an audience this time.”
 
He’s genuinely quite formal. This kind of thing is exhausting.
 
“No, no, I’m the one who should be thanking you. I’ve summoned Braag-dono, who is renowned as a master watchmaker of our … Read the rest

Chapter 8: The King’s Shopping

The word “off” is quite profound. Everyone says things like “It’s been a while since I had a day off!” You know, when you’re new, you have relatively many days off. But as your position rises, they gradually decrease. Even if your boss looks idle, that’s really just how it looks. When you become an executive or something, days off become minimal. And when you become president, they disappear.
 
You might think that’s ridiculous. Department heads and directors are always going golfing or drinking, aren’t they? Their arrival times are arbitrary too. You might … Read the rest

The King collapsed and recovered. And the wind changed direction.
 
The King’s transformation was obvious. His first-person pronoun changed from “I” (wagahai) to “I” (watakushi), his manner became polite. And he completely stopped speaking of the continental conquest ambitions he’d voiced since boyhood.
 
She thought he was just depressed due to poor health, but there was an unresolvable sense of wrongness. Like a small fish bone stuck in her throat, it was always there. Perhaps she could identify its true nature because she had been in relatively long contact with Grois.
 
The King after recovery doesn’t distinguish … Read the rest

Chapter 7: The Dark Lord and Mary

In the middle of the Ninth Era, under Queen Marguerite of the Lerois dynasty who laid the foundation for Santeneri’s unification, there was a woman named Marie. Likely of common birth, she distinguished herself on the battlefield and became a maid commanding the Queen’s unofficial guard, later being granted lands in Barois. For approximately eight hundred years since that enfeoffment, the House of Barois founded by Marie and its retainers served as the sword of the royal house, always at the King’s side. The nameless guard proved so useful that it repeatedly expanded, … Read the rest