Chapter 3 — The Boundary Between Kindness and Ambition

Noon several days later found Zenjirou meeting with Princess Freya in a room of the Valentian Ducal Estate for the second time. His temporary aide, Rafaello Márquez, had been coordinating with her in the interim.

This was officially a luncheon to foster friendship but with a strong undercurrent of being an unofficial chance to make their final checks. Naturally, while Zenjirou had no intention of running roughshod over all the work Rafaello had done thus far, he had the right to demand that everything be started anew, so while everyone was smiling, there was still a distinct air of nervousness.

“I see.” Zenjirou nodded between forkfuls of the dish before them—a meal of raw fish with a citrus dressing. “Intercontinental travel is far more dangerous than I had imagined. I must respect your courage and decisiveness in setting out on such a voyage.”

The princess had been officially recognized as royalty from the Northern Continent at this point, so Zenjirou was more polite. It was a tone he was more used to taking than talking down to people and so was a welcome change for him.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. However, I was simply acting on my own desires and should frankly not be praised for it. My father and brother are constantly scolding me for it, to be honest,” she answered, bringing a spoonful of a common Capuan dish—a spicy soup of drake meat—to her mouth and sticking her tongue out slightly.

Considering her position within the royal family, she would most definitely come under the heading of “problem child.” Uppasala’s princess had taken on the role of captain and headed off on a voyage across the seas. Zenjirou could picture all too well the royals back in her homeland with their heads in their hands, although her current appearance, clad in an aqua dress with a gentle smile on her face, made it more difficult to imagine.

“Even so, your actions will be of great benefit to the country, and I am sure no one can deny that,” he told her.

“I certainly hope so beyond all else. My heart almost stopped when the tempest took us. It feels like a blessing, though, when I consider that it brought us here.”

Zenjirou nodded back at her exaggerated statement of good fortune, a smile plastered onto his face.

“Certainly, should we establish trade between our two countries, both of us can only stand to gain.”

Rafaello had informed him that Freya’s homeland—the Kingdom of Uppasala—was in the same position as Capua in regard to intercontinental trade. It was situated in the farthest northern reaches of the continent and had no direct intercontinental trade at present. They simply used intermediaries on the Northern Continent who did have trade links.

It was almost a mirror image of Capua’s situation. Capua was in the middle-west area of the continent, and their trade with the Northern Continent took place through northern intermediaries. If the two countries could establish a direct trade route, that would be of immense value to both parties.

“However, there are still unavoidable impediments to the formation of such a trade agreement between our lands.”

Despite Zenjirou’s grave expression, Freya looked questioningly at him and disagreed. “Do you think so? Personally, I would say that our lands are the two countries with the fewest impediments to forming such an agreement.”

Both of them stopped eating and surveyed each other wordlessly. The “impediments” each of them were speaking of were different things. What Zenjirou saw as an impediment was simply the distance between Capua and Uppasala. The Northern and Southern Continents were not linked like North and South America on Earth, nor were they separated by gentle, sheltered seas like Europe and Africa. There was a vast ocean between them, wider than half of the Southern Continent, in fact. Therefore even the shortest distance between the two, from the Northern Continent’s south cape to the Southern Continent’s north cape were far from linked.

That was why the majority of the already limited international trade took place between the northern countries in the Southern Continent and the southern lands of the Northern Continent. The shipping lanes between the two regions were tough enough, but taking into account Uppasala’s location in the far north and Capua being in the midwest, the difficulty would be on another level. Without a ship of a similar class to Glasir’s Leaf, even attempting it was absurd.

“Indeed, should we solve the simplest yet hardest to overcome problems, little will stand in our way,” Zenjirou agreed with a purposeful sigh to make his reluctance clear.

“I appreciate your understanding.”

The hindrances that Freya was talking about were trade frictions between their neighboring countries. From Capua’s perspective, it would be physically far less of a concern to cooperate with southern countries on the other continent as opposed to going all the way to the north for Uppasala. Uppasala was also at least slightly closer to the north of this continent than to Capua.

However, much of these regions were already engaged in intercontinental trade. If Capua and Uppasala were to express an interest in inclusion, they would be competing for a slice of the existing pie. It would inevitably lead to them being in a weaker position as they played catch-up. However, if the two countries leapfrogged those already trading and formed direct agreements, it would keep the diplomatic issues of trade frictions to a minimum.

Capua was one of the strongest countries on the Southern Continent, while Uppasala was well-known for technological superiority on their own continent. They were both suitable trade partners for each other.

The problem was, as Zenjirou had said, would they even be able to establish trade?

“Whatever the case, we shall shoulder the burden of your ship’s repairs. Once you are able to return home, we will have established that a round trip between our lands is at least possible, albeit not easy. Our prospects will be better then.”

“Quite. I cannot thank you enough for your kindness, Your Majesty,” the princess stated with a bow of her head, returning her silver spoon to the table.

The preliminary negotiations through Rafaello had already established that Capua would foot the bill for the ship’s repairs. Naturally, the shipwrights on board would be responsible for overseeing the repair work itself. Yet, the bulk of the workforce would be Valentian shipwrights, or else craftsmen from Márquez County. The attainment of knowledge of multiple-masted ships was practically a fait accompli for Capua.

It would, of course, take years of trial and error before Capua could create these larger ships on its own. Building up crews to sail them without issue would also take vast sums of time and money. Regardless, the fact remained that Northern technology was spreading to the South.

Now that the ship’s repair was confirmed, Zenjirou ate another forkful of food—his meal, citrus-dressed fish tartare, was a local specialty, but people from out of the area weren’t too fond of it, so he was the only one present eating it—and brought the next topic to the table.

“It is nothing that requires thanks,” he told her. “However, now that we are moving towards its repair, should the cargo truly remain within the hold?”

Freya’s smile remained on her face as she answered, straightening slightly. “Yes, while the physical movement of it will have to wait, perhaps we could start in name at least.”

“I am under the impression that your load is steel and woolen goods, correct?”

Freya nodded. “It is. The majority is woolen goods, while the steel is a small amount compared to the full inventory.”

Woolen goods were an export that fetched a good price even on the Southern Continent. They were, as the name implied, fabrics created from the wool of animals. Animals such as goats and sheep that could be sheared for wool were almost non-existent on the Southern Continent, so they were valuable fabrics.

As for the metal, while the Northern techniques were more advanced, if the quality wasn’t a concern, then they were attainable domestically. The wool had a higher profit margin considering the weight limits their cargo operated under.

Zenjirou had his notes from Aura concerning the purchase of their goods, and he had already talked to Rafaello about it as well.

“We are happy to buy your entire cargo. If you wish to trade for sugar and spices, we will exchange at better than the market rate.”

Thanks to his preparation, he didn’t falter in delivering the offer. The rate had already been set between Rafaello and Freya, and Zenjirou had simply been made aware of it. He had had the governor, Damian, show him the market prices for sugar and spices in Valentia for the past three years, just in case, and the value had not been too dissimilar.

It felt like too good of a deal to him, but they needed Freya to be able to use this transaction to convince her father and brother back home to make the trade agreement a permanent one. From that perspective, it was probably a fair price. There were limits to the supplies of each, and Zenjirou was sure that taking into account internal demand and the continuation of their intercontinental trade meant that this would be a one-time deal.

Unknowing of his thoughts, the princess’s snow-white face broke into a soft smile as she gave a slight nod that set her short silver-blue hair swaying.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. In that case, we would like to exchange a tenth of our goods for coin and the rest for goods in turn. We would of course like the sugar and spices, but we would also appreciate you providing us with drake hide and bones.”

“Hmm, drake hide and bones?”

Despite already knowing of her request, he still looked askance at her. Rafaello had reacted similarly in the preliminary negotiations. Drake items were used and valued in the Southern Continent for their utility in making weapons and armor, but there was a lack of demand for them on the Northern Continent.

Yet Freya wanted them in the same way that anyone on the Southern Continent would. What was the difference between her and others from the North? Rafaello had suggested that until they could establish that, they should not enter any specific arrangements, and Zenjirou had agreed.

“We have had little success in exporting those thus far, so I cannot guarantee we have sufficient quantity or quality for what you desire.”

“I see. That’s a shame,” was all she said as she stopped pursuing the topic and withdrew her request.

The meal continued wordlessly for a while; the only sound was the slight clinking of the cutlery. Octavia’s efforts had instilled in Zenjirou the bare minimum of etiquette for a royal. Even so, he didn’t have the composure to slowly savor his food with the situation as it was.

“Princess Freya, how are you finding the cuisine here? I do hope it suits your tastes,” he said, bringing up a relatively safe topic as he decided he would be a failure as a host if he allowed the silence to continue.

Freya answered while skillfully manipulating her knife and fork to cut the spiced meat from its bone. “It does. Every dish is a fresh, delicious experience,” she answered, also carefully.

Her answer was no lie, although, no matter how well prepared a dish was, it still might not have fit her tastes. In fact, none of Freya’s party had touched the Valentian special of raw fish that Zenjirou was currently enjoying. People tended to eventually miss their food from home.

“You do not wish for your own meals? I imagine there must be significant differences in the cuisine on the Northern Continent,” he pressed.

Freya’s pale shoulders shifted in a shrug from where her dress let them peek out. “I thank you for your concern. You need not worry, however. We have goats and chickens on board our ship, along with the ship’s chef. If the need overwhelms me, I can eat my country’s food, though as you might expect, nothing can be done about the vegetables.”

Zenjirou started when he heard that there were goats and chickens on board. “You have goats and chickens?” he asked. “Are they...well, alive?”

Freya seemed surprised by Zenjirou’s shock and hopeful reply but soon seemed to understand and smiled.

“Of course. However, the goats are not suitable for shearing as you may wish, Your Majesty. The coats of goats brought this far to the Southern Continent degrade and are unsuitable for wool.”

While this was the first ship directly from Uppasala to the Southern Continent, and they were therefore acting on hearsay, Freya knew that a lot of the people here wanted goats of their own. After all, if they could raise the numbers nearby, they would eventually be able to produce their own wool. It was a natural line of thought to follow.

However, things were not as easy as they seemed. Goats were creatures that originally lived in cold places at high altitudes. Despite that, they were extremely adaptable for herbivores and could subsist on very simple diets. Goats raised in cold temperatures at high altitudes tended to have thicker coats. The breeds that could be taken this far south had no coat worthy of using.

“That is no issue; the milk is what I’m after.”

He’d heard that goat’s milk had a different flavor and odor to cow’s, but it would suffice well enough as a substitute. His aim was less the milk itself and more the derivative dairy products. He remembered seeing butter and cheese made from goat’s milk in the past and should therefore be able to make such products from goat’s milk as well. Of course, he didn’t know how and would likely need to rely on Freya’s retinue for that information.

But contrary to Zenjirou’s sparkling eyes, Freya’s voice took on a note of caution. “You intend to imbibe goat’s milk, Your Majesty?”

A chill ran down his back at her question. Perhaps he had been too hasty. However, there was no taking back his remark now. Fortunately, the meal was just an unofficial lunch meeting. He decided to push it as a personal taste of his as he did his utmost to keep his expression composed.

“I do. Is it perhaps abnormal to do so in your country?”

“Not at all. Goat’s milk is an important source of nutrition for every citizen in the country. It is, of course, drunk as it is, but needs to be preserved for the winter by using it in products such as butter, cheese, and filmjölk.”

Consuming goat’s milk was entirely natural to someone from Uppasala. Freya’s surprise stemmed from the fact that Zenjirou—a citizen of the Southern Continent—would suggest it. The South had no mammalian livestock, so people who lived there would not consume the milk of such animals, nor dairy products derived from it. It led to a strong reluctance to do so, in fact.

Beyond that, goat’s meat was often refused by people in the South because it had a stench, or else the flavor wasn’t to their liking. All of this meant that Freya had judged that goats which could not be sheared for wool would be worthless to people of the Southern Continent. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

Ah, I seem to remember his background, she thought, recalling the rumors of his origins, which she had heard over the past few days, and suddenly coming up with a possibility. It seems worth investigating.

The Northern princess allowed no sign of her thoughts to show as she replied with a smile, “They are a valuable commodity for our voyage, but if you have your heart set on them, I am prepared to allow some flexibility.”

“Thank you. Despite the rudeness of the request, I would appreciate a number of both males and females so it would be possible to breed them here.”

“That should be possible. We naturally have females, but we also have a sufficient number of males.”

The animals were chosen for long voyages due to their relatively small stature, simple diets, and adaptability. On the other hand, they had short lifespans. They matured quickly in respect to that lifespan and so were easier to breed. This was an advantage for normal livestock but could lead to difficulties for dairy herds.

Goats of this world matured at anywhere between half a year at the earliest and a year at the latest, and were then capable of pregnancy. That also meant that to wean them, the mother would stop lactating after approximately half a year. Some voyages could take years, which meant that only bringing females for milk would result in the supply eventually being cut off. To avoid that, males were brought along for mating purposes and allowed to breed each time the females were in season. The offspring could then be raised as part of the next generation if the leeway was there. If not, it was somewhat of a shame, but they could still be slaughtered for their meat.

“I see. Then please carry out this trade between the two of us as individuals. I will be sure to compensate you fairly.”

Fortunately, he had been allotted a sum of money by Aura for anything he wished to buy for himself. He had been his usual humble self and initially refused it once he saw the amount. “All I need to do is buy gifts for you and our visitors from the Twin Kingdoms,” he had said. Regardless, Aura had practically forced the money on him. In retrospect, it had been the correct decision, and it brought him no small relief now.

“You can rely on me, Your Majesty. If you are planning to increase their numbers through breeding, then relatively young specimens would be best.”

Even though they were speaking about livestock, it involved some rather crude words like “breeding” and “mating.” However, Freya showed no particular sign of reticence when it came to uttering the words despite her refined appearance. There was no shame on her face as she answered plainly and with a smile.

Ack, the conversation’s going a bit off course from what should be said around the dinner table—and with a princess too.

Zenjirou felt the conversation gradually slipping into the realms of perversion and gave an exaggerated clearing of his throat as he cast around for a smooth change of subject. Faster than he could think of one, though, Freya continued.

“Nicolai was the most willing to mate on our voyage, but I cannot offer him—”

“Your highness!”

The warrior at her side could hold her peace no more and gave a quiet exclamation to cut off her liege. As it happened, Nicolai was not the name of a goat, but one of the young sailors on Glasir’s Leaf.

Freya seemed to realize the lasciviousness of her own words, and her cheeks reddened slightly as she hunched over in embarrassment.

“That was rather rude; please forget that,” she said.

Fortunately, only she and her bodyguard were aware of Nicolai’s identity, so the extent of the slip stayed with them. While not quite understanding what had happened, Zenjirou could tell that he shouldn’t touch on the topic any further and glossed over it with a smile.

“With this being a personal agreement, I cannot make any grand promises, so I would prefer to pay in cash, despite the crudeness of it. Would that be acceptable?”

“Indeed, although I would also be willing to accept sugar and spices,” Freya said, nodding with a smile, taking advantage of the topic’s progression.

“I am afraid those are not under my discretion. The budget Her Majesty has given me personally is only in coin, so I would prefer that,” he told her frankly.

“Very well, then,” Freya agreed, her smile unfaltering. However, the warrior at her side couldn’t hide the scorn from her gaze for a moment as she directed it towards him.

It was hardly surprising. He had essentially said, “I can’t do anything without my wife’s permission, and I can only pay with the allowance she’s given me.” It was a rather pathetic stance for a man to take with his position as both the queen’s husband and a royal who held lineal magic in his own right.

Yet, even as her bodyguard dismissed his worth, Freya continued the conversation with a smile. “That reminds me, I have heard that you and Her Majesty have a child?”

“We do. He’s just adorable.”

“Allow me to offer my congratulations. Is he already a year old?”

“Not quite; it has only been about half a year.”

“In that case, I would like to offer the goats as a somewhat delayed celebration of his birth. Our country has a tradition of offering livestock as a gift for a child’s birth. Right, Skaji?”

“That is so,” the warrior answered, slightly surprised by the conversation suddenly turning her way but quickly affirming her liege’s words.

It was the truth; livestock was a common gift for the birth of children in Uppasala. Of course, goats would mostly be used by wealthy commoners, while royalty would offer heavy warhorses, reindeer, or similar. Regardless, with it being a gift, it would be rude for Zenjirou to refuse it.

“Thank you. I shall ensure that your words are relayed to Her Majesty in the capital,” he answered with a smile, causing Freya’s smile to widen a bit.

“Not at all. If anything, I apologize for our journey meaning our gift is so lacking. Ordinarily, I would have preferred to have one of our smiths forge you a sword. Is there a weapon you are particularly skilled with?”

Zenjirou’s smile took on a self-deprecating air as he answered. “I’m afraid not. Unfortunately, I am wholly unsuited to battle and cannot wield a weapon.”

His values from modern Japan meant that he had no real shame in his lack of martial ability, but most young male nobles and royals in this world had some measure of combat skill. The atmosphere seemed like it would become slightly awkward for a moment, but Freya continued before that could happen.

“I see, then pardon my asking. I wonder if you are aware, in my country, a surprising number of warriors have knitting as a hobby. Many of them are also fishermen, but with the lack of sailing in the winter, they need something they can do at home.”

It was also customary for a warrior to maintain his or her own armor, so it was a surprising truth that many of them had a large amount of experience in leatherworking and chain mail repair, along with the use of both sewing and knitting needles.

“I see. That is quite interesting. Is the lack of sailing due to the ports freezing over?”

Zenjirou could tell that Freya was trying to move on from her gaffe and willingly took up the topic. It was an amusing image to think of: burly Swedish men hunched in their homes and clacking away with their knitting needles. Almost like a knitting bear he’d seen in a picture book as a child.

“No. Fortunately, our ports don’t freeze. Merchant ships come and go throughout the winter, but it is wickedly cold, so fishing only happens on days when the waves are unusually calm for winter.”

When temperatures were twenty below and even the sea was below zero, just the ocean spray and breeze could place your life in danger. The requisite thick clothing to defend against the cold also made it more difficult to work. If someone happened to fall into the waves, the shock would kill them before they drowned.

“Ah, I suppose that being tempered by such harsh conditions is one of the reasons your warriors are so strong.”

“Thank you. I have also heard that Capua’s warriors are wonderful themselves. It is said that their contributions in the great war were superb.”

“Quite true, although I had yet to arrive then, so I only have hearsay to go on. They serve as both the country’s shield and spear.”

“Word of the war engulfing the Southern Continent reached even our Northern lands. I heard that many people lost their homes, and multitudes of children lost their parents. I would like to be of some help to them,” Freya offered.

“I thank you for your offer, but our domestic refugees and orphans are all subjects of this country. All of Capua under Her Majesty has a responsibility to them, so you need not be concerned.”

Both Freya and Zenjirou continued their meal gracefully, enjoying their conversation with smiles on their faces.

“I see. Perhaps I was too forward.”

“Not at all. I cannot thank you enough for your sympathies. However, Queen Aura is of the opinion that we as a country have a responsibility to each and every one of our citizens. Those words will never be overturned, so I would appreciate your understanding in the matter.”

“Very well. I can only offer my deepest respect to the queen’s noble heart.”

Thus the lunch progressed, a pleasant atmosphere prevailing throughout.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Immediately afterwards, Freya returned to her room and took a bath. Even after so long, she lamented the loss of her silvery-blue locks—one of the features she was most proud of—which she had sacrificed in order to take on the captaincy. However, she always appreciated the comfort of shorter hair following her bath.

Since taking up residence in Valentia, Freya had started bathing three times a day. If she still had her waist-length hair she would have doubtless been unable to do so as freely.

Using a sheet of absorbent cotton to dry her hair, she sat on the sofa. She was wearing only a plain, sleeveless dress over her underwear and was going barefoot. Her casualness was permissible due to the fact that the only person sharing the room was her trusted bodyguard. Freya spread her legs to the absolute limit of politeness and let out a big sigh.

“Truly, the weather in this country is like being in a sauna,” she grumbled. “I can understand the cultural tendency towards going barefoot or with slippers inside.”

“Have some water, Princess.”

“Thanks, Skaji.”

Freya drained the offered silver cup in one go. Such actions were perhaps those of a woman with looser morals, but she couldn’t resist the charms of freshly drawn water from the well.

“Phew...”

The Northern princess had cooled down once more, even internally after bathing in the cold water and then drinking it, and her sigh was one of finally getting comfortable.

“We now have prospects for both repair of our ship and at least minimal trade,” she added.

“We do. Congratulations, Your Highness.”

The warrior sat on the opposite sofa as they started discussing the lunch. Skaji was both her bodyguard and confidant. When no one else was around, they would sit together on the same level and talk. Of course, the difference in their heights meant that they weren’t strictly speaking on the “same level,” even sitting down like this.

“I had heard tales, but the profit to be gained from international trade is vaster than I expected. At these rates, we would still gain even if only one ship in three were to return.”

“Sugar and spices are a luxury for us. In the same way, woolen goods are the same here.”

Buying low and selling high was the fundamental of trade, but the difference in purchase and sale price between the two continents was obscene. Supply and demand would naturally see that difference decrease when a trade route was established, but there was plenty of time before that happened.

Freya crossed her legs where she sat atop the sofa in her short dress. “The engineering of our larger ships will most definitely leak, but that’s unavoidable. I do want to get hold of drake leather and bone to strengthen our military, but they evaded us there.”

“Truly, I didn’t think the church’s influence had spread this far. Not that we are under their influence.”

Freya gave a rueful smile as her bodyguard frowned. “I suppose the Southerners can’t tell us apart. We can probably avoid misunderstandings with a detailed explanation, but I would rather not spread it around too much.”

The church was a religious organization that spanned the width of the Northern Continent, worshipping the ancient wyrms that were said to exist. Their teachings held that the reptiles alive today were descendants of those ancient wyrms, so the church’s followers saw them as holy. Therefore only a small number of soldiers in countries where the church had influence were permitted to use equipment derived from those creatures.

They also claimed that those living on the Southern Continent had incited the ancient wyrms’ rage and been banished there, forbidding the spread of the North’s advanced technology.

It was all baseless, of course, but strangely accepted across the Northern Continent, and the church had more influence than even the royal family in several countries. However, they had an exceptionally small influence on Freya’s homeland. Her crew, therefore, had very little resistance to the idea of importing drake hide or bones.

The Southerners didn’t know these nuances, however, and treated even Uppasala—another animistic country—the same as any other Northern country under the church’s influence.

“Making sure our position is understood will likely take quite an amount of negotiation,” her bodyguard replied.

“The question is whether drake parts make it worth doing. Fortunately, it will take some time before Glasir’s Leaf is fully repaired, so I can continue discussing it with His Majesty.”

Her bodyguard looked aghast at the princess’s conclusion.

“With His Majesty?” she asked. “Not Lord Rafaello?”

Freya had likely expected such a reaction as she corrected her confidant’s assumption with a slight smile and a meaningful tone. “That’s right. Do you see him as simple window dressing?”

Freya’s opinion was quite clearly contrary to her smile, but with no one else around, there was no need to dance around the subject.

“I do. He is simple window dressing who happens to carry royal blood and be the queen’s husband. At the very least, he seems to lack all sign of wit or drive,” the warrior answered bluntly. The memory foremost in her mind was his smile when he had admitted he couldn’t fight. Her values saw that as the greatest possible detriment.

Freya shook her head slowly, the words being just what she had expected.

“You’re wrong. His Majesty is undoubtedly not a normal person. I do not mean that he is some great figure, but for better or worse, he is outside the norm.”

“What do you mean?” The warrior was familiar with her liege’s love of ambiguity and questioned her further without hesitation.

“His origins are abnormal. I am sure you’ve heard the rumors? Those that state he was born in another country.”

“I have. I seem to recall that Queen Aura summoned him with her lineal magic from a far-off land,” Skaji answered, casting her eyes to the ceiling as she thought back.

Her general knowledge of the prince consort didn’t include that he had been summoned from another world. It wasn’t that they had specifically hidden it, but the ordinary citizens had no concept of parallel worlds and so found it difficult to understand. Therefore it was generally understood that Zenjirou had been summoned from distant lands that one wouldn’t be able to reach even with a lifetime of travel.

“Indeed. I doubted it myself at first, but it seems to be the truth. His Majesty was clearly raised in a culture other than that of the Southern Continent. The very fact that he wanted goats for milk is proof of that.”

“I see. That follows,” Skaji agreed, accepting the explanation.

After a certain age, your tastes solidified and didn’t particularly change. Livestock on the Southern Continent was, without exception, made up of drakes—that is, large reptiles. Therefore the people who lived there had no taste for Northern livestock’s milk. Or, indeed, for any dairy products.

However, Zenjirou’s attitude had clearly changed once he knew about the living goats. There was a strong possibility that the change had been due to the culture where he was raised enjoying both milk and dairy products.

“That isn’t all. Do you remember when we discussed his child, he said that the prince wasn’t yet a year old because it had only been half a year?”

“Oh?” Skaji voiced in obvious confusion. “That is strange. Countries on the Southern Continent all count their children’s ages from one.”

“Further, the number ‘zero’ shouldn’t exist on this continent. Yet His Majesty didn’t recognize his son as being one year old because a whole year hadn’t passed.”

“The way he counts age is more like the Northern Continent’s than the Southern. The calendar he follows may even be similar.”

Fundamentally, age on the Southern Continent was counted following the method where a newborn was one year old at birth, and each year, one was added to that count. Therefore it was impossible there for a child to “not yet be one.”

Freya put her hand to her mouth and pondered. “It seems possible,” she decided. “Perhaps he was brought up on the Northern Continent. Do you remember that he naturally made an assumption that our ports would freeze?”

Capua was practically in a perpetual state of summer, but it had exceptionally high mountains farther inland, so they still had words for snow and ice. However, those words only applied to places high enough to give you altitude sickness, and someone from the Southern Continent would be unable to imagine the sea itself freezing. Even many in the southernmost reaches of the Northern Continent didn’t know that could happen.

“I see. You followed so neatly that I didn’t think it strange, but listing it like that does show a surprising amount of our knowledge and culture. I can at the very least agree that he is abnormal,” the warrior admitted.

Despite her words, she showed no sign of re-evaluating the prince consort. In her eyes, a little knowledge wasn’t enough to raise the worth of a man who could not fight.

The princess could almost read her confidant’s mind and added to what she’d said with a smile. “That isn’t everything, of course. His Majesty is without a doubt the most important member of these talks. All the rights to make a decision lie with him.”

Even so, the warrior looked at the princess doubtfully. “I know, but is that not just a formality? The entire conversation earlier was what you had already agreed upon with Lord Rafaello. The only exception was the negotiations for the livestock, but that didn’t show any particular wit.”

That was, of course, Skaji’s personal view, but Freya had a different opinion.

“True, I do not think he has any particularly astounding skill. However, he has a clear understanding of the negotiations. He is both perceptive and decisive and has the final say, so we must keep our attention on him.”

In truth, neither of their evaluations were quite right. However, both contained elements of the truth. Freya was correct in that Zenjirou had the final decision about whether things would proceed or not. However, Skaji was also right in that it was most likely a formality and he would simply sign what needed to be signed as long as there was nothing extreme in it.

Zenjirou’s position was that of a spokesperson for the queen. His words were her words, and his will was hers. He would fill his role and answer his wife’s expectations. However, he would avoid improving his own reputation by doing so and behave in such a way as to avoid being thought of as competent to the extent possible.

His behavior was bizarre, on both the Southern and Northern Continents. Freya and Skaji had only met him a few times now, so it was no surprise they didn’t understand that. However, Freya had ascertained several things during their lunch.

“He is fundamentally a decisive person. You can take his agreement to my refusing payment for the goats as proof of that, would you not agree? While he only has a set amount of money to use at his discretion, accepting gifts from a foreign dignitary is a completely different matter. I imagine it was something they didn’t foresee. Regardless, he accepted the suggestion naturally and on the spot. He must have weighed the pros and cons of accepting my gift, and likewise for refusing, before making a decision.”

Skaji waited a moment and then asked, “Are you sure he didn’t just leap at the chance to get something he wanted?”

Freya didn’t deny her confidant’s doubt. “The possibility is there, to be sure. However, I feel safer overestimating my partner in any negotiation rather than underestimating them.”

The best option would be to neither over nor underestimate the other party and instead develop an accurate evaluation. But that was rather difficult, so Freya decided to err on the side of caution until things were clear.

“Very well. I think your concern is excessive, but proceeding carefully is hardly a bad idea in our position,” Skaji agreed.

Overestimating Zenjirou meant that they wouldn’t let their guard down until negotiations were complete, but it also meant forgoing opportunities for bold action. However, the only route home they had required Capua’s aid to repair. If they went too far, they could be driven into a corner.

Freya’s smile vanished from her face as her eyes narrowed with yet another thought. “Besides, I was given a remonstration. Considering his answer, I am sure he is far from mere window dressing.”

As she spoke, she remembered their “chat” at the end of the meeting. Freya had hinted about wishing to take some of the refugees and orphans the prior war had doubtless birthed. And yet Zenjirou had immediately intuited her aim and bluntly refused her.

“If we could have returned with some of those blessed with mana from this continent, we would have been able to slow the decline of mana in our lands,” she added in disappointment.

There were several areas of concern in Uppasala, but one of them was the low average level of mana amongst their people. There were many opinions about why that might be, but Freya believed it was due to the advancement of technology leading to magic becoming less important.

The amount of mana that someone possessed was passed down in the same way as physical traits. Both continents were fully aware of that. It meant that where mages were in high demand on the Southern Continent, and skilled mages had many paths opened to them, marrying someone for the amount of mana they had could give one an advantage.

Conversely, technology had progressed on the Northern Continent, so there was less of a need for magic, and the custom of taking the amount of mana into account when it came to marriage faded away. Commoners would marry for character and ability, warriors for strength and combat skill, and the aristocracy for social standing and connections. All of these factors were prioritized over mana, and when the practice was repeated across an entire country for generations, it led to a large difference in the average amount of mana users when compared to the Southern Continent where it was prized.

That was Freya’s thought process. There was no guarantee it was correct, but Freya thought it stood a good chance of being true.

“Judging from how he acted, taking any of their citizens home will result in a complete breakdown of diplomatic relations. It’s a shame.”

She remembered his attitude making it clear that he, in Aura’s name, would not allow their citizens to be taken from them by anyone, and let out a sigh. She felt the disappointment keenly. They’d had the good fortune of their stocks of food allowing them to return home even without a single animal on board. If they could have picked up some people from the Southern Continent, she wouldn’t have minded leaving behind every single animal in the hold. If she could have filled all that space with humans, that alone would have made the trip a resounding success. Her father and brother, despite their reluctance to allow her voyage, would have had no end of praise for her.

“It really is a shame,” she mumbled, still unable to move on from it due to knowing what the result would have been.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Meanwhile, Zenjirou was spending his time after the meal in the duke’s office and briefing his temporary aide, Rafaello Márquez.

Immediately following his discussion with Freya, where he’d been unable to catch his breath, with a briefing like this was tiring. Officially, though, his time with the princess had been his lunch break, so his schedule didn’t feel packed.

Present in the office were Zenjirou, Rafaello, and Ines the maid. While Capua was always hot, now that the hottest period of the year had passed, the room temperature was below body temperature. A cool sea breeze blew in through the open window, and bright sunlight streamed in. The wind brought a sense of relief to Zenjirou’s face and neck as he remained in his fitted uniform.

He took a sip from the cold tea that Ines had brought before beginning to speak.

“Our agreements with Princess Freya are now mostly complete. Are there any problems remaining?”

Rafaello’s ever-present soft smile didn’t change as he immediately replied, “There are no problems. Your aid will mean that further negotiations will be much easier. Thank you, sir.”

Zenjirou breathed an internal sigh of relief as the man gave a polite bow of his head. Keeping his expression fixed, Zenjirou answered.

“I see. Then can I assume her ship will be repaired without incident?”

If they couldn’t manage that, all their plans for obtaining techniques for building bigger ships and establishing intercontinental trade would come to nothing.

Rafaello gave a confident nod. “It will. Shipwrights from both Valentia and Glasir’s Leaf have finished their preliminary meetings. The on-board shipwrights stated that it is repairable in Valentia’s port, although it seems it will require three ordinary-sized docks.”

That would be no issue. Neither man was familiar with ships, so if the specialists gave their approval, they simply had to trust it.

“Would you be interested in taking a look before the repairs?” Rafaello asked.

With the aforementioned understanding in place, Zenjirou didn’t immediately refuse because he was rather interested in the ship itself. It was a wooden ship, still sailing, that took intercontinental voyages. There was no way he wouldn’t be intrigued.

“Would my visit distract the repairs?” he asked, understanding his societal position. An unexpected visit from someone on the level of a prince consort could certainly get in the way of the people on the ground trying to get the work done.

However, Rafaello’s smile didn’t falter as he shook his head. “It will not,” he assured him. “The preliminary planning is already done, and they are currently making adjustments to start in earnest. No real work is being done on the ship itself. The dockworkers will have begun their tasks, but as long as they are not interrupted, there should be no delays.”

Capua’s culture placed a relatively large importance on practicality for the level of advancement they were at. While Zenjirou was unaware of it, even a visit from royalty would not prevent workers from continuing with their jobs unless they were called on directly.

With the explanation given, he could no longer resist his curiosity. “Very well, then. I shall take a look. Pick a day where it will have the least impact on the work.”

“I shall do so, sir.”

Rafaello’s smile seemed to take on a slight air of amusement, but that might have just been Zenjirou’s paranoia. Either way, focusing on things like that would be no help, so he soon regrouped and moved on to the next topic.

“I assume their forge technology is off the table?”

Obtaining information on Uppasala’s forges was on Aura’s list, but was not the be-all and end-all. With her putting such effort into glass manufacturing, details of forges that could withstand high temperatures was indispensable. It was common knowledge that the Northern Continent’s technological advancements were far ahead of their southern neighbor. If Freya’s words were correct, Uppasala was even more advanced than average in blacksmithing, even for the North. Therefore, they would surely have better forges than Capua.

Rafaello gave a slightly disappointed sigh, though, and shook his head. “It is. They only have people on board who can maintain their weapons and make ammunition, not full-fledged smiths. Even if they had the latter, it seems that smithing items from metal, refining the ore, and creating forges are all separate professions.”

That was fairly obvious in retrospect. As techniques advanced, workers became ever more specialized. There were a precious few who insisted on overseeing the construction of their forge, examining the ore, shaping it, and then shaping it under their own power, but they were both a country’s greatest treasure and exceedingly rare.

There was no chance that one of them would have been on Glasir’s Leaf, and even if trade was established between the two nations, there was practically no possibility of such a smith coming this far south.

“It would be for the best to assume there may be possible inroads if intercontinental trade goes according to plan, but that it is impossible at the present moment,” Rafaello explained plainly in his soft tone.

“I see,” Zenjirou said, accepting his words without disappointment. It was a shame but he hadn’t really been expecting it to begin with. “Then put those negotiations on hold. If it is unlikely to be resolved in the next few days, I shall directly consult Her Majesty for a decision.”

“Very well, sir.”

Zenjirou cast a glance at the other man as he answered briskly and thought, He truly is capable. Almost too capable; it makes me feel like it’s my own skill when I’m just directing him. It’s a little scary, to be honest.

If he were to give an order like, “With this and that as conditions, carry out the negotiation” or “inquire about this and that,” Rafaello would deliver a concise report within a few days. Naturally, if negotiations didn’t go well, that was that. However, one of Rafaello’s skills was to be able to report with, “They seem to have no intention of pursuing this further” or “I fear that attempting to gather more information will reveal our aims,” and inquire for more precise direction.

Therefore, Zenjirou was provided with several concise options and an accurate prediction of what each could result in. All he then had to do was choose from those which would best serve Aura’s interests. It was nothing as extreme as diplomacy. It was more like playing an adventure game with a hint system.

He might look plain, but he can negotiate and has the perception and judgment to suit. The problem is his lack of decisiveness. Actually...maybe it’s more like avoiding taking responsibility?

That was his evaluation of the highly ranked noble in front of him. The man was, if Zenjirou said so himself, an extremely capable civil official. He would carry out the work he was entrusted with perfectly but wouldn’t act unless a superior ordered it. He always maintained a position where the final responsibility wouldn’t rest with him but rather stopped with someone else.

“There are no other problems? Contact me immediately if anything unforeseen occurs. I will consult Her Majesty and convey her decision.”

Despite his stressing the words, it was about eighty percent false. As long as nothing extreme happened, he wouldn’t actually need to consult Aura. Their planning in the capital was enough that as long as the decisions fell within the realm of what they had agreed upon, Zenjirou himself could make an immediate decision.

However, showing real decisiveness in making a decision could lead to misunderstandings, so he wouldn’t shun the appearance of consulting Aura beforehand.

“Very well. I understand, sir,” Rafaello answered with a polite bow, his soft smile still in place. It didn’t matter if he was aware of the hidden facets between the queen and her consort.