Chapter 23: The Duke’s Daughter Makes Preparations

Chapter 23:
The Duke’s Daughter Makes Preparations

 

“TWEIL HAS SENT SOLDIERS across the border. The war has started once again.”

My mother’s words made my mind go completely blank. I had to ensure I had heard correctly. “Mother…is that true?” I asked in muted horror.

My mother gave me a wry smile. “I can’t blame you for wondering. Unfortunately, it is the truth. An emissary came to Grandfather, alerting him that Tweil has made their move. He’s at the castle right now to learn how we intend to respond. Well, not learning—preparing to go to war. The soldiers may well depart tomorrow at the earliest.”

“That quickly?”

“According to the messenger, Tweil is moving faster than expected. The more we delay dispatching our troops, the greater burden we put on Lord Messi. Moreover, if the baron’s troops fall, we will be unable to protect our domains to the west. Then Tweil’s army will be at the walls of the capital in no time. Time is

of the essence. Your grandfather is making that case at this very moment, and he will, even if he has to force their hand.”

“I see…” The world was changing right under my nose. The ripples from those changes would reach this kingdom whether we liked it or not. I started planning my next move. “Will Father stay in the capital?”

“Yes. He must do so as the prime minister, but more importantly, he couldn’t withstand a long journey in his condition.”

“Right… Of course.”

“Knowing him, he’ll keep himself confined to the castle for a while in order to carry out his duties, even if I try to stop him.” For a moment, my mother glanced down sadly.

“Mother…”

“Well, this is hardly the time to throw myself a pity party. I respect your father because that’s just the kind of man he is.” The sadness on her face vanished, replaced by a spirited smile. “Well? What will you do next, Iris?”

“I’ll stick to my original plan and return to Armelia.”

“Really?” My mother seemed taken aback, her eyes wide.

“If everyone else is staying in the capital, don’t you think it’s better that I go back home? The only thing I can do here is gather information. I can accomplish that much by having Father or Berne send updates to me in Armelia. I had to leave a lot of unfinished business in order to come here, so it’s best I return before this situation causes a commotion there too. There’s more for me to do in the duchy anyway. Besides, if every single person with decision-making power is here in the capital, it’ll create uncertainty and anxiety elsewhere. And I’ll need to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.”

Mother listened to my explanation with a softened expression, but that changed once she spoke. “I see. Well, in that case, Iris…” I’d never seen the expression she made next, a face so serious it was almost frightening. She had been intimidating that time when in her anger she laid into Berne, but for some reason, she was even more terrifying now. “Armelia may be farther from Tweil than we are here, but you never know what will happen in times of war. If you sense any sparks from the fires of war have spread to you, you must let your mother know at once.”

I was baffled by this. Why would I call my mother if war broke out near Armelia? It was true that I had heard from my aunt that my mother was physically formidable, and I felt like Rudy had mentioned something before…but honestly I couldn’t imagine my mother anywhere near a battlefield. I didn’t dare press her further—the intensity of her aura was too much.

“All right. I promise I’ll do so.”

My response seemed to finally dissolve my mother’s tension.

I promptly gave orders to Tanya to get ready to leave the capital and then returned to my room to calm myself for a bit. The time I had feared was finally approaching.

Prince Ed, Marquis Marea, and their faction had been arrested. I had a feeling Dean was already planning his new government. Not all of the people who belonged to his faction were of high social status, but they were extremely capable individuals. It was possible they had set everything up in advance behind the scenes before the arrests played out. However, there wasn’t enough time to ensure order was fully restored to the kingdom. Our only saving grace was the fierce loyalty the soldiers felt toward Grandfather, their general. It would be no laughing matter if the soldiers refused to fall in line in the face of an oncoming war. Who knew what would have happened if Ed were still the prince?

There was a knock at the door, then Tanya entered to give me the news. “My lady, the preparations are complete.”

“Goodness, that was awfully fast.”

“Most of the necessary affairs were already in order.”

Ah, that’s right. I had planned on leaving directly after the meeting. So much had happened that it completely slipped my mind. “We’ll depart for Armelia at once. But first, I want you to call the others here.”

Tanya nodded and swiftly left the room to do so. I had a feeling that she sensed what was going on. A few minutes later, Lyle and Dida, who had accompanied us to the capital, entered the room.

“I won’t beat around the bush. War with Tweil is imminent.” My friends’ gazes sharpened. “I will return to Armelia and begin emergency preparations. The situation is progressing faster than I expected.”

“Do you think it will affect Armelia as well?”

“Yes, I’m certain of it,” I answered without hesitation. The room instantly grew even tenser. That gave me great comfort. “Of course, I’ll be praying for my grandfather’s complete victory. But nothing will surprise me at this point. Even if we won’t be involved in the battle directly, we will certainly see the effects of it. After all, war breeds fear in people’s hearts.”

The trio nodded.

“That’s exactly why I need to be the one commanding the situation and giving orders back home. I have to be seen as a steady, reliable figure in the midst of chaos. We must get home as soon as possible.”

So, we did just that, taking the fastest route on horseback, which I usually took by carriage. I remembered how difficult and painful the journey had been the last time I rode a horse on this route, when I journeyed to the capital for my excommunication inquiry. It had been far faster to be sure, but at the time, it had sapped my energy. Now I found the unsteady terrain that was jostling me back and forth to be comforting. It’s frightening how adaptable humans can be to change.

 

“Welcome home, my lady!”

“It’s good to be back, everyone. I’m headed to my study to attend to my duties.”

I kept my remarks to the staff short and sweet, then buried myself in the documents at my desk. Time was limited. I couldn’t waste a single second. A mountain of papers lay before me. I was used to this sight now. Tanya had come to my study with me and didn’t bat an eyelash either. In fact, I’d imagined there would be so many papers in my office that they’d be piled on the floor, so this was a welcome surprise.

This expectation derived from the fact that the situation in Armelia before I left for the capital had been, in a word: horrible. We were swamped with citizens from other domains wanting to immigrate. We’d additionally been put in the impossible situation of sending rations to the capital—or, to be more precise, the impossible situation of Ed.

We’d faced one problem after another. Taking care of those matters was of course urgent, but at the same time, I couldn’t put my regular duties on the back burner either. My officials had been working so tirelessly that people had begun calling my home “the mansion that never sleeps.” Leaving the duchy under these circumstances had been an incredibly difficult decision.

Luckily, I was returning with a victory: I’d managed to unseat Ed and his cronies, which had been the root of the evils we suffered. It was the best possible outcome I could have imagined. As for my plans going forward, I’d put together a basic outline before I left for the capital, but at this point they were nothing but plans. No matter how much you think through something while you plan, problems always arise during execution—that’s just the nature of work. Regardless of how much you try to anticipate everything that could possibly go awry, something unexpected always happens.

As such, I had assumed I’d be welcomed home with a mountain of documents, one that might set a personal record in volume, but that wasn’t the case. There really was much less than I’d imagined. So much less, in fact, that I was shocked. Of course that was a good thing, but still. I was filled with pride thinking of how well Sebastian and our officials had done their jobs—and also at how much they’d grown.

“This is no time to get carried away with emotions,” I murmured to no one in particular.

At any rate, I started to organize the documents before me in order of importance. I had the people who were hoping to become Armelian citizens living in temporary housing. The problem each domain had been experiencing with our rations had been more or less solved thanks to Dean buying supplies from the other kingdom, in addition to having recovered the rations from the nobles who were hoarding them. After hearing this news, about twenty percent of the immigrants chose to return to their home domain. The remaining eighty percent still wished to become Armelian citizens. It was my job to get things here in order so that they could live here.

It was important to prepare for the war, but the thing I feared most was violence among the citizens. If the influx of immigrants worsened civil order, I would have no time to prepare for aggression from abroad. Thus I needed to arrange for proper living circumstances for the immigrants, and also show the citizens I was steady and dependable.

In order to do that, I needed to draw up family registers for the new citizens, as well as secure them employment and housing. The housing could wait a bit, but ultimately the places they were living now were nothing more than temporary. The structures had been constructed in a hurry and so were improvised and not made to last more than two years. As for their employment, luckily the economy in Armelia was still booming. Many industries were in need of more workers, so I was confident I would be able to arrange jobs for the new citizens in no time.

I read through the documents. The appropriate officials were taking surveys of the immigrants as to their family structure, their employment background, and their reasons for wanting to live in Armelia. Their reasons for the last were largely the same. The most interesting thing I found was actually regarding their careers.

For example, one was skilled at weaving a particular kind of textile. Another specialized in making handicrafts fashioned out of gold. Many of these immigrants were skilled in their home domains’ special trades or crafts. Others worked in the medical field or owned large businesses. They were talented people. There was no greater reward for my hard work than being able to welcome such gifted individuals as citizens of Armelia.

It felt like a long time ago now, but it made me think about giving that speech at the merchant guild when I wanted to build the academy.

“I want to open it as soon as possible. The people of this duchy are a vital, precious resource to my family. It would be such a waste to not polish them until they shine.”

I’d believed this when I said it to the leaders of the guild, and my thoughts on the matter hadn’t changed. Talented people are valuable assets. They contain a multitude of possibilities for the future. Once you gather enough of those talented people, they form organized groups, and eventually they grow to establish domains that become kingdoms… In other words, as my citizens grew, so too did the duchy grow in power and wealth. That wealth returned profits in droves. Those were my thoughts on the matter, anyway.

Consequently, I viewed my job as the acting governor to be someone who protected and nurtured such people. Now I had a line of such folk who wanted to become citizens of my domain. I could take the ones skilled at textiles and have them work in the clothing business; they could use their expertise in weaving traditions to develop other special skills and processes that would originate here in Armelia. I was certain all this would lead to highly interesting products.

In other words, if I could combine the talented people who were already living and working in Armelia with these new transplants, I had a feeling it would incite an explosion of new ideas and products. Just thinking about it made me tremble with excitement.

But I digress. The issue wasn’t how interesting or lovely I found the idea of new citizens coming to Armelia but instead how horrible the conditions of their home domains must have been for these incredibly skilled people to want to move somewhere else.

Berne had recently been to another domain and said to Mother and Father: “I saw hell on earth.” I could only imagine how things must have been. The food shortages were coming to an end thanks to the guidance and initiative of Dean and Berne. Yet the rift that had been torn between the ordinary citizens and the aristocratic class was deep indeed. This incident had exposed the nobility as selfish individuals who acted inconsiderately; I was sure the average citizens had grown angry, disillusioned, and given up on their support. Proof of that lay in these talented workers, who were irreplaceable and should have been well taken care of so that they would stay local. Instead, they wanted to move here in droves. That went to show just how terribly this kingdom’s nobility had forgotten their purpose and responsibilities and become driven by their own greed.

“Having pride in being born to a great lineage doesn’t make one a noble. True nobles are defined by their actions.” My grandfather had told me that over and over again since I was young. Of course at the time, it went in one ear and out the other, but now the truth of his sentiment was almost painful.

Nobles were given power to act as leaders among citizens, to listen to and collect their opinions, and if necessary, act as a shield to protect them. As someone who had such a responsibility to protect my citizens, I found this situation incredibly unfortunate. I understood why Dean was breaking down the existing system in order to create a unified kingdom. Over the course of Tasmeria’s long history, it seemed that the Darryl Church wasn’t the only thing that had led us to lose sight of our raison d’être. At some point, the nobles began to leverage their power and influence for their own benefits and forgot the reason they had been given that power in the first place. This incident had definitely brought all of that to light. Fortunately, a great deal of those nobles had been arrested.

“Excuse me, my lady. I have news for you.” An official from Abitante knocked and entered the room, interrupting my reverie. I quickly changed gears to focus on him.

“I’m so sorry to have interrupted your work by asking you to come here. I know you’re busy. I’d like to hear how things are going at the immigration point. First, tell me how the census is progressing.”

“It’s about eighty percent complete.”

“I see. How about the job counseling?”

“We assessed the participants’ preferences and matched them with suitable jobs in their fields and interests as best we could. We’re conducting the matching at the same time as the census, so it’s also eighty percent complete. They’re all eager to start their new lives, so they’re filled with ambition.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

We weren’t giving them charity; instead we were setting them up with resources to become self-sufficient so that they could feel at home in Armelia. Hearing that they felt hungry for success was the best news I could receive.

“There aren’t any problems, then? I want you to continue your work and ensure that you give each individual adequate attention.”

“Of course. The situation has vastly improved and we’re no longer short-staffed, so we were planning to tackle the housing issue. What do you think? We have the temporary housing, so we hadn’t done much about it while we were prioritizing securing jobs. Only those who had money on hand were able to buy where they wanted.”

“Yes, we definitely need to secure their employment before worrying about housing…”

Climate and terrain differed in the various regions of Armelia. At the port to the east, the economy centered on the fishing industry, but lately it was shifting to foreign trade. Conversely, to the west, our more mountainous region contained the forestry industry, though lately we’d been putting effort to make it more of a tourist destination with hot spring resorts. Therefore, the ideal location for each individual to call their home depended greatly on their trade. Thus, the best strategy was to secure employment for them first; housing would come later.

“How many wanted to buy homes with their own funds?”

“More than ten percent, perhaps? Certainly less than twenty.”

“Oh, that’s more than I expected!” To put it bluntly, the people who could afford to buy housing on their own had to be wealthy if they had the means to front that much in liquid assets during a natural disaster. If they had those means, they also had to be quite dissatisfied with the state of affairs in their prior domains to want to move somewhere else. Of course, they would still say their motive was to escape the tumult of the natural disaster.

“And you’ve been holding meetings introducing our new citizens to the duchy?” The meetings I referred to were basically an orientation to life in Armelia. It was a time to explain our policies and systems, as well as the characteristics of each domain.

“Yes, especially as our duchy differs from other domains in quite a number of ways, even though it’s second nature to us now.”

He was right. For example: our paper currency, banking system, education system, and tax systems were entirely different from our neighbors’. Many of our policies also vastly differed from those in other domains, so I was sure the new citizens would be both surprised and confused. These changes had been introduced to our citizens gradually, so they’d had time to get used to each one. If they had been implemented all at once, certainly my people would have been just as bewildered as their new neighbors. Of course, that never would have happened, as at the time I hadn’t had the staff necessary to simultaneously deploy all those reforms.

“Well, if you’re explaining it all, then they should understand the major differences between our regions. In that case, all that’s left to do is meet with them individually, and they can use their own funds to buy housing. After that, there’s not much we can do on our end. Ah, that reminds me—what are we doing about aid when it comes to food?”

“We’ve already distributed food, and from now on, further supplies will be coordinated by Agricolture.”

Agricolture was a new branch of government I’d established right before I went to the capital. I’d taken officials from Borsa, Abitante, and Architetto, along with people who had achieved highest marks in the agriculture program at the academy of higher education. As its name suggested, this branch focused on overseeing our food resources. More specifically, not only did they manage our stockpiled rations, they also predicted the output of each different crop—and if they predicted any shortages, they allocated aid to the specific domain as needed. I’d devised this system after Ed’s harassment campaign, when he forced me to send our rations to the capital. Now I understood more than ever how essential this branch would be.

“I see… I’ll go ahead and follow up with Agricolture about this later. There’s something else I need them to take care of…”

“I thought you’d say that, Lady Iris, so I took it upon myself to send word to them. They should be here soon.”

I was inwardly impressed. The officials truly had grown so much, including this fellow. He had anticipated my reaction and acted accordingly. I was most pleased with this growth, and at the same time grateful that we had come this far together. I’d put them through many struggles since becoming the acting governor. In order to revolutionize our government, what I’d sought from them wasn’t the mechanical performance of their duties but actual ingenuity. I needed them to think outside the box and act on new ideas to produce the most favorable results. That was incredibly difficult. It was blazing a path through an unexplored wilderness. I had prayed that although they were searching through the darkness, they would keep going no matter what. They had. Now, just when I thought we had made progress, I would have to bring them another catastrophe.

Of course it wasn’t like I wanted to be at the center of a catastrophe at all times. The ripples of disaster affected Armelia regardless of what I did and thus I had to deal with them, usually with only a handful of people striving to produce favorable outcomes. If I were my employee, I would’ve thrown in the towel long ago. But these people had stuck with me, and now they were seasoned veterans. I could proudly say that not one bureaucrat in the capital was more talented. I really didn’t deserve them.

“…My lady?” The official looked at me with concern.

I shook my head with a smile. “Lastly, I want you to pay close attention to any possible strife between the citizens and the immigrants. I’ve read the reports from the garrison, of course, but it’s always best to have more eyes.”

With all the confusion inherent to the current situation, it wouldn’t surprise if quarrels broke out here and there.

“I haven’t noticed anything of that nature,” he said. “On the contrary, it seems our citizens are actively welcoming the new transplants.”

“Goodness!” Honestly, that surprised me.

I’d resigned myself to the likelihood of discord between the two groups. After all, humans can be shockingly cruel. When people are suffering, others may hesitate to lend a helping hand because they fear the sparks of trouble will land on them and ignite their own lives. If some greater trouble inexorably approaches through a surplus of victims, it can even lead people seeking help to be treated as objects of fear and revulsion. I nursed real anxiety over this.

The official said, “Pardon my candor, my lady, but had our citizens been suffering the strains of poverty or other duress, as the people have in other domains, I’m not sure what would have happened. Instead, our citizens know that when they wake up, they can count on three meals a day and a stable government. Most of all, they trust you with the duchy.”

“Well then, I’ll have to work hard to live up to their expectations,” I said with a wry smile.

Just then, Moneda knocked at the door and entered. His complexion was pale, even for him. I was sure I looked the same way. To be honest, I hadn’t wanted to see Moneda, because I didn’t want to face the discussions we needed to have. I might compare it to dreading going to school on the day of a big test. But there was no time to put off a discussion simply because I didn’t want to. Rather, it was time for both of us to gain another wrinkle on our faces.

“Would you like me to leave, my lady?” the Abitante official asked.

I shook my head. I wanted him present for this discussion.

“It’s been a long time since we last met, my lady,” said Moneda.

“Yes, it has.”

We exchanged a tired laugh.

“I heard that the first prince secured victory in the capital,” he said. “I’m pleased to know this means the harassment Armelia has endured will finally come to an end.”

“Yes, quite. The information you provided assisted greatly in that matter, Moneda. Forgive me for being so late in expressing my gratitude. Thank you so much.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Regarding that matter, back when I was in the merchant guild…”

“Moneda,” I said. He jolted slightly. “You were in the merchant guild, remember? So, it’s not like you to dwell on things. Money over time, right?”

The moment I said that, the look in his eyes changed to one of resolve. Resolve to keep moving forward despite the burden on his shoulders.

“I’d like to discuss things moving forward,” I said.

“I’m sure you do. This is the perfect time.”

While we spoke, various officials from other branches whom the Abitante official had invited assembled in the room.

“Well, now that everyone’s here, let’s start the meeting in the room next door.”

We went to the other room and took our seats. Once we did, the official from Agricolture handed out documents that everyone looked over.

“This is the predicted output for our stockpiles and harvests across the duchy.”

We’d recovered a great deal of our stockpiles, compared to when we’d been down to the reserves I had hidden off the books. That was fairly impressive, considering we were providing food aid to the new citizens. Taking the hit to our budget in order to import more supplies from other kingdoms had certainly been worth it. As long as nothing else happened, we would completely recover our stores. The key phrase there being “as long as nothing else happened.”

Ahh, my head is killing me.

“It seems we’re predicting big numbers for the next harvest,” I noted. The documents suggested this year’s harvest would be nearly double that of the previous year.

“Our research at the academy has borne fruit. Not only did we begin cultivating new varieties of our crops, but we’ve discovered ways to more efficiently use our farmland and optimize cultivation to maximize yield. Those numbers are solid, barring some manner of large-scale disaster that impacts the farmlands before harvest time.”

“Lady Iris, I have a report from Architetto. The construction for the flood prevention measures is nearly finished. All the most important structures are completed, and only smaller projects remain. Therefore, we’re at the point where the structures can be considered functional. As long as we don’t experience another catastrophic hundred-year storm, our construction should prevent large-scale casualties in future floods.”

I let out a noise of satisfaction. “That finished ahead of schedule, no? Especially since we were experimenting with all those innovations on my grandfather’s original plans.”

“You’re not wrong. But this time we had direct cooperation from the citizens. That’s the main element driving our rapid progress.”

“I see…”

It seemed we were headed in such a good direction because the citizens had laid the groundwork for us. Informing them of why the measures were necessary and what we were doing to make it possible—as well as the reasoning behind the project—was a vital step in convincing them to accept the disturbance to their daily lives.

“What about the aqueduct and reservoir projects we initiated concurrently?”

“Those are about halfway completed. The reservoir is already operational, but the aqueducts are not. Once the flood prevention projects are completed, we can transition those workers to the aqueducts. That will speed up progress.”

“I see…”

“Given this report from Architetto, it sounds like we’ve greatly reduced the risk of damage from flooding. I don’t think it will be a problem to continue distributing food aid. What do you think, Lady Iris?”

I thought through it before I gave an answer. I considered the situation as it stood, as well as what we would have to do moving forward. “Let me confirm your reports one more time. You’ve recommended jobs for eighty percent of the hopeful citizens and have distributed rations to them, correct?”

The officials from Abitante and Agricolture both nodded.

“In that case, I want you to discontinue food assistance to them.”

My statement seemed to shock everyone in the room; their eyes widened in unison. It was certainly possible to continue providing the new citizens with food, considering the current state of our stockpiles. But again, that was under the assumption that nothing else would happen. I watched as one after another, the officials realized the rationale behind my statement, and they continued to listen with solemn expressions.

“There has not yet been an official announcement, but: we will soon be at war.”

Everyone in the room gasped, except for Moneda. Before I left the capital, I’d sent urgent word to him, informing him of the situation, so he was aware. He still looked quite pale hearing it said aloud, however. I completely understood.

“With Tweil?” one of the officials found the determination to ask. I could tell that they already knew the answer, but they had to hear it for confirmation.

I nodded. All of them looked like they wanted to say something, but none spoke. I was sure curse words were streaming through their heads. Their expressions were about ninety percent anger and ten percent relief.

They were no doubt angry as citizens that once again our kingdom would have to resort to using military force. Moreover, I’m sure that as government officials, they were furious that just as they were finally nearing an end to their previous troubles, yet another catastrophe had popped up.

The only saving grace in this situation was the great distance between Tweil and Armelia.

“So, with that in mind, we need to discuss our actions going forward,” I said deliberately, at which everyone sat up a bit straighter. The room went completely silent for a moment. “Moneda, how are things at the merchant guild?”

“It doesn’t seem like they have this information yet, so the markets are stable.”

“Good. I want you to keep a close eye on them to make sure that no one’s buying up too much food and medicine in the name of hoarding.”

“And we’ll continue the anti-profiteering ordinance?” a Codice official asked.

The anti-profiteering ordinance in question had been devised to punish individuals who bought up goods or held off on selling them in order to drive up prices with the goal of excessive profits. There was a similar law in Japan, from what I could recall. I’d studied it a bit in history class, though I didn’t know the finer details. At any rate, we shared the same goals in Armelia. During natural disasters, demand exceeds supply. Unfortunately, some people will always want to take advantage of that by buying up already scarce goods and restricting their sales or driving up prices in order to better profit.

Now we faced war. The kingdom had to secure rations to feed the soldiers heading to battle, and if the war spread to the point that it affected farmland, it would also negatively impact the harvest. Even if we were able to balance supply and demand within our domain, if the kingdom as a whole couldn’t keep up with need, then it would be only natural for people to consider buying supplies from domains with cheaper prices, then selling them at a markup in domains where those supplies were scarce. My goal was to have an open market, so the need to address these inevitable behaviors troubled me, but I was responsible for the duchy.

More than anything, I wanted to avoid a situation wherein food was diverted outside of Armelia. After all, once word got out about the war, it was impossible to know how many of our citizens would rush to the markets to buy supplies in a blind panic.

“Yes, of course,” I said. “We will also preserve the status quo with tariffs.” Since we’d feared seeing food and supplies being exported out from Armelia, we currently had extra high tariffs on exports of several types of related items, though import taxes remained unchanged.

“Do you want to tax the same categories as before?”

“Yes, food and medicine. Check with Borsa and Agricolture later and draw up a list. After that, get the necessary paperwork in order. Moneda, what are the value trends in those markets?”

“The prices have begun to rise slightly, but consumption remains the same. Therefore, I believe it’s increasing regardless of actual supply.”

“Let’s ensure we’re regulating the flow of goods within those markets, though I suspect the inflation is driven by people’s subconscious anxieties.”

“In order to lower the price again, we’ll need an ample supply. Or should we reduce the amount of money in circulation?”

“If I may speak from Borsa’s perspective, I’d like to hold off procuring food from other kingdoms. If we keep spending large sums of money on that objective, we won’t have enough liquid assets to put toward other necessary expenses.”

Moneda and I paled at the Borsa official’s highly insightful point.

“I realize this is out of my field, but if I may say something…” an official from Agricolture spoke up. “Long ago, the kingdom borrowed money from citizens. What if we tried that again? We could use those funds to buy supplies and rebuild our stockpiles. By gathering currency from the citizens, we would also cut down on the amount of money in circulation.”

“Ah, you mean bonds,” I said. I appreciated his alternative plan, though I couldn’t get on board. “That’s difficult for me to agree with. First of all, we’re limited in the amount of currency we can produce given our gold standard.”

Our paper currency system was composed of gold-convertible banknotes—that is, the value of a given piece of paper relied on there being an equivalent amount of gold you could exchange it for. That meant the amount of paper currency we could issue was limited by the number of gold coins in our vaults. Lacking capital didn’t mean we could simply issue paper currency to make up the difference. Whether you have a gold standard or a fiat system, issuing bonds dims a government’s financial outlook, because it only increases debt in the long run.

“Secondly, we can’t guarantee that people will buy our bonds. The cost of living is rising, and interest rates are climbing in order to curb them. Thirdly, in order to maintain a healthy financial ecosystem, we need a healthy foundation for our future finances. In the end, bonds are nothing more than promissory notes. Thus, we would have an obligation to repay them in the future. In other words, it’s a guarantee that we’ll have those funds in the future—but if we don’t have our affairs in order, our debt will only snowball. For those reasons, I cannot agree to issuing bonds.”

“It’s like an extraordinarily potent medicine—you should only take it if it’s absolutely necessary. Is that accurate?”

“There’s a non-zero chance that the sparks of war will spread even to our duchy. For that reason, we need to secure all the funds we possibly can.”

“Isn’t that Borsa’s responsibility? Instead of putting our hopes in new sources of capital, shouldn’t we cut expenditures from other areas in order to prepare for the war?”

“I’m worried about the citizens’ reactions. Anxiety is contagious, and it can incite unexpected behavior. This all increases the likelihood that they’ll hoard food.”

“Shouldn’t we just expect Codice to deal with that?”

I was pleased to hear such a passionate discussion. Once everyone stated their opinions, we were able to debate. I couldn’t possibly have done it all alone. We met for several days and nights to continue the discussion, and after all our impassioned debate led us to the point of total exhaustion, we finally settled on a plan.

A week later, the kingdom publicly announced that we were at war. At first, there was a bit of panic in Armelia, but gradually things calmed down. Either the meetings during which we’d worried ourselves sick—to the point that I was sure we all had permanent wrinkles between our brows—had been successful, or the people had a less acute sense of danger in the face of impending crisis than I’d thought.

Nevertheless, I was pleased that things in the city seemed to be business as usual, even if they only appeared to be on the surface.

I reached for my coffee cup. At present, I enjoyed coffee as a simple indulgence, but I’d soon be relying on the caffeine to keep me awake. I tried to avoid that as much as possible, since it wasn’t healthy, and the more I drank, the less effective it became. I smiled tiredly at the thought, then opened the letter from my mother that had just arrived. It contained everything she knew about the current situation.

First, she told me of the military’s affairs. Grandfather had been officially named supreme commander in the war against Tweil and was headed to the front line. She reported the scale of the advancing troops and detailed information regarding their plans. I was thoroughly in awe of my mother for being able to gather so much information as the wife of a noble, even taking into consideration that she was from House Anderson. I gratefully read the entirety. Who knew when it would come in handy?

Next, she described the goings-on in our family, as well as those at the castle. As I had seen at the last meeting there, Berne was still working himself to the bone as Dean’s close aide. Even though he was my own brother, I had to admit that when I saw the look in his eyes and the way he carried himself when he stepped up to the dais, a chill had run through me. I had felt such resolve coming from him. If he kept up that energy, I knew he would overcome any challenge.

Mother also wrote of the nobility’s activities. Some had decided to stay in the capital, but the ones who were governors of their own domains had returned to their estates to prepare for war. Ed was no longer around to indulge those who used their power as they pleased, so if anyone were to neglect their domains now, they would no doubt be immediately removed from their posts. Dean was extremely strict when it came to people doing their jobs, but Berne especially wouldn’t tolerate shirked duties under any circumstance.

Finally, she told me of events in the capital. There had been no outbreaks of violence, but the citizens seemed troubled by the sudden arrival of yet more turbulence. As one of my officials had said in that meeting the other day, anxiety was contagious. Mob mentality meant that once a spark lit, it wouldn’t be long until the fire spread. We were walking on thin ice.

“I wanted her to write more about the war itself, but I suppose that would be difficult.”

“If you wish, I can gather whatever information you need right away, my lady,” said Tanya.

I couldn’t hide my surprise. At first, I thought, “Surely, not even Tanya could get that information…” Then it dawned on me that perhaps she very well could. What I wanted was military intelligence. I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to obtain classified information, but I could certainly guess.

“Could you do that?” I asked.

“If you wish. We have several people positioned inside the castle. Certainly not even they are privy to the detailed actions of the military, but if you desire, I can have one of them sent to either Lord Messi’s or the former Lord Monroe’s domains. We have the connections, so with enough time I’m confident we can obtain that information.”

Tanya said this so casually that I was quietly astonished. Her talent never ceased to amaze me. I had wondered several times what her limits truly were. But I had to admit I had never been so shocked by her skills as I was that day.

“In that case, I’d like to ask you to do just that,” I said. “Please gather that intel as soon as you possibly can.”

“Very well, my lady. I’ll send the orders right away.”

After Tanya left the room, I burned the letter and once again immersed myself in work.

 

***

 

“Gramps, I’ve got good news for you: the war has begun,” Khadir, the prince of Acacia, informed Hafiz with a smile.

“Aha, so Tweil has finally made its move? I was wondering when it would happen. They certainly took their time, didn’t they?”

“Tweil isn’t as unified as one might think. Some people there are firmly convinced they can avenge their prior defeat and seize the resources they desire by invading Tasmeria. At the same time, some want to prioritize enriching the kingdom from within instead of racking up war expenditures. They have the same goals and know they have to make sacrifices, but they differ in what they think they ought to sacrifice.”

“Ha ha… They seem awfully confident for a kingdom whose people aren’t on the same page about going to war!”

“Precisely. The most important thing is that Tweil made a move, period. I’m sure Father will be notified in the next few days. Then I’m certain he will dispatch my diligent older brother and the general’s faction.” Khadir took the cup Hafiz offered him and sipped from it. “Just thinking about how we’ll soon be rid of those no-good nuisances fills me with relief.”

“Your Highness, forgive your old grandpa for saying this, but will they really do that well? Honestly, I can’t even picture them on the front line.”

“That’s where they want to be. The draw is the duchy of Armelia. I’ve been spreading rumors for quite some time now that Father’s absolutely obsessed with Armelia, and whoever gets them to surrender will receive a handsome reward. Father’s wanted more land under his control for some time now, and he’s incredibly impressed with Armelia’s production. So I based my rumors on facts, you see?”

“That’s true.”

“Besides, information about Armelia travels fast around here. It seems one thing greedy people have in common is the desire to conquer fertile land.”

“I see. You imagine they’re thinking ‘if we conquer that bountiful domain, we might be granted the right to govern it!’”

“Exactly. Although I doubt they’ll be able to do so in the first place. It doesn’t matter, though. Their absence will give me the perfect opportunity to remove Father from the throne and take it for myself.”

“Your Highness, please be careful. I checked beforehand to make sure we were alone, but you know the walls have ears inside the royal palace. You can never be too careful!”

“You’re right. But if you checked, then we’re safe.” A soft smile spread across Hafiz’s face. “My father is so terribly greedy, and all my brother can think of is following in his footsteps. The general has shown his greed as well by engaging in this ostentatious show of power and flaunting his authority to Acacia’s upper class. Everywhere you look, it’s greed, greed, greed! No wonder we’re seeing signs of rising smoke all across the kingdom. It won’t be long until we’re in the same situation as Tweil and Tasmeria, and no one will be laughing then.”

The kingdom of Acacia prided itself in its vast territory, which was lush and fertile, rich with resources. Unlike Tasmeria, there were no separate domains ruled by their own governors; the royal family directly controlled the whole kingdom. In other words, their king possessed overwhelmingly more power than Tasmeria’s. Acacia was incredibly blessed when their king was wise, but when a foolish king inherited the throne, they swerved onto the road toward disaster.

“Long ago, Father was the kind of king our people desired. That much is clear when you look at his policies in our records. However, over time, perhaps because he folded to the pressure, he surrounded himself with yes-men and only listened to those who agreed with him. I’m certain this is the reason we’re seeing these signs of conflagration rise.”

“Perhaps it’s the same for all kingdoms that grow too large and are blessed with too many fruits—they rot from the inside out.”

“Hmm.”

“That’s what makes you the symbol of our hope, Your Highness. Please take care of yourself.”

“We’re back on that again?”

“Yes. How absolutely devastating would it be if you suffered some sort of downfall during this crucial time?”

“I’m no match for you, Gramps.”

Hafiz bowed his head at the compliment. “By the way, I heard that the elusive first prince Alfred finally made his appearance.”

“That’s right. I thought the second prince would continue mucking things up for a bit longer, but I suppose it was a predictable outcome. And after hiring private guards and spies to make sure the second prince and his cronies didn’t die too soon…”

“That just goes to show how formidable the first prince is.”

“After this is over, I’d like to meet him.” Khadir put his cup on the side table and Hafiz poured some coffee into it, the fragrant aroma filling the room.

“Still, I don’t understand,” said Hafiz. “Just the other day, when we left Armelia, you said you weren’t sure where things would land with them.”

“If Tweil defeats Tasmeria, I’m not sure Armelia could withstand taking on two kingdoms at once. But it doesn’t matter. Honestly, I don’t care who wins this war. I only care about the people who stand in the way of my dreams. I’ll do to them what I do to everyone who dares to imperil Acacia’s future.” Khadir wore a pleasant, easy smile. “The longer they’re away, the smoother things will go in my pursuit of the throne.”

“But if you lose, won’t this come to quite the financial loss?”

“Not at all. We’ll ensure the ‘invaders’ take responsibility for any losses. They’re so greedy, I’m sure they have a great deal of money saved up.”

“Is that so?”

“The only real question is how quickly they’ll be defeated. It would be quite troublesome if things were settled too swiftly and the survivors came home too soon. So I devised a little plot for them.”

“Ohh, is that right? My goodness, Your Highness…” Hafiz chuckled.

“What is it, Gramps?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing. I was just imagining Lady Iris’s future hardships.”

“What are you talking about? My precious future wife isn’t so delicate that she’d let something like that destroy her.”

For a moment, Hafiz looked astonished. “You consider her precious?” It was only natural for him to question this. After all, who would purposefully place someone they thought precious in a predicament such as this?

“Why else would I ask her to marry me? Don’t tell me you think that was a joke?”

“No, no. But I assumed you made the proposal for political reasons.”

“You think it was political, eh? Hmm, well, I admit that was part of it. But if my aim were solely political, I have plenty of other prospects. I wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of crossing the sea to ask the daughter of a foreign duke to marry me.”

“I suppose I see your point. Pardon me for being forward, Your Highness, but what is it about Lady Iris that you find so attractive?”

After all, Khadir had only met the girl once, when he had traveled to Armelia in disguise, taking his grandfather’s name to hide his identity. After that, he had seen her from afar several times when he’d traveled to Tasmeria while concealing himself with merchants conducting surveillance. “After we began to increase our trade with Armelia, I did some research on the place. I learned of her at that time. At first, I thought the tales of her accomplishments were some kind of long joke or that they were blown out of proportion. But when I went to the duchy and saw her for myself, well… She’s a rare one indeed. She’s intelligent, compassionate… Precisely the kind of woman worthy to stand by a king’s side. Not only that, she’s beautiful. It’s only natural that I’d want her.”

“I see…”

“By the way, Gramps, Armelia is independently manufacturing silk.”

“What did you say?!” Hafiz’s mouth hung open, which he rarely allowed in front of the prince. He was wholly shocked. “The production method is top secret! How in the world did she learn it?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know if she discovered it herself, if she got the information from someone, or if one of her talented agents discovered our secret. But regardless of how she obtained the information, it’s proof of how talented her people are. In other words, she’s so impressive that people of such skill are eager to work for her.”

“I see, I see. I suppose I should revisit my opinion of her.”

Prince Khadir seemed pleased by that and took another drink. “I was only with her for a short time, but that was enough to confirm that the stories about her are true. They are not the least bit exaggerated.”

“I see. Shouldn’t that make you think even more carefully?”

“Have you forgotten that things are already in motion? Even if I had opposed the proposition Tweil brought to us, Father wouldn’t have stopped them. There’s nothing I can do about their actions, and even if there was, there’s no time. As I said, she’s not the type of woman who will be defeated by a bumpy road. The only thing I regret is that I can’t watch those strong, willful eyes cloud over firsthand.”

Hafiz’s face tightened for a moment, but then his soft smile returned as if nothing had happened. “Well, in that case, I wish Tasmeria nothing but the best. Just as you said—no matter how valiantly Lady Iris fights alone, if the kingdom of Tasmeria loses, it will be extremely difficult to make her your queen as the noble of a defeated kingdom.”

“True…”

“By the way, Your Highness…you mentioned you devised a little plot? What exactly is it?”

“Hm? Oh, just something I recycled.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do you remember a long time ago when that vixen from Tweil tried to get her paws on Armelia?” Khadir asked with a pleasant smile. “Well, I thought it would be a shame not to recycle the scraps left behind by that plan. All I had to do was knock her head about to confuse her a bit, and now even those blockheads will fight her.”