Volume 5, Chapter 12 – A Noble Council of Conflicting Interests

The environment was so quiet that it felt as if the drop of a silver needle could be heard.

As the name suggested, the so-called noble council was a group of people who held the nation’s lifeline in their hands, sitting together at the same long table. First, they would read the reports from the departments they managed in sequence, then summarize the pros and cons of the current plans. This would be followed by a discussion among the nobles on whether the plans should be continued, with the final decision being made by the Queen.

Currently, Andrea, wearing a jeweled crown, sat at the head of the conference table, looking down at everyone with the dignity befitting a queen. The nobles were seated on either side of the table, with Edith in the second seat below Andrea. As Yisi had no noble title, she stood by the wall along with the nobles’ adjutants.

She had no idea why she was made to enter such a setting.

Yisi scanned the conference hall. Since the meeting had officially begun, the nobles were no longer looking at her with scrutinizing gazes. When she had first entered the hall, because Andrea had deliberately stopped by her side, the nobles had all taken an interest in this unfamiliar face, making her feel rather uncomfortable.

I knew I shouldn’t have come to the Royal Castle with Edith.

As the occasion demanded, Yisi maintained a blank expression, while also taking an interest in the topic the nobles were discussing. The fate of the Blood Clan, which occupied half the continent, was being decided in a single small room. It was precisely because she was witnessing it with her own eyes that it felt so surreal.

“Are you nervous, Miss Yisi?”

Serving as Edith’s adjutant, Refina stood beside Yisi. The two of them were more than five meters from the conference table, so the nobles wouldn’t be able to hear them if they spoke softly.

Yisi tilted her head. “No, I’m not. Why do you ask, Refina?”

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“You rarely have a blank expression.”

“Is that so… To be honest, this is my first time in such an important setting. It just doesn’t feel real.”

Surprised that Yisi could also have moments of helplessness, Refina chuckled softly  while covering her mouth with her writing pad.

“Hehe… As long as Master is by your side, you won’t be able to avoid these things. If you don’t mind, Miss Yisi, I can privately teach you about the workings of the noble council.”

“Ah, yes please.”

Her next plan was to head to the holy land of the Ymir Church, and this plan was not urgent. It wouldn’t be too late to wait in the Royal Capital until Edith had finished dealing with the war.

A noble dressed as a civil official finished his report.

“In conclusion, the funds required for the operation of the orphanages have become a financial burden. With the Vladimir Territory about to face an invasion from the rebel army, in these extraordinary times, funds should be spent on more important areas. I suggest reducing the budget for the orphanages, or temporarily closing them, to be reopened after the war ends.”

After speaking, the noble looked at Andrea. Andrea nodded with a blank expression.

“I understand. Regarding the orphanages, what are your thoughts, my lords?”

Another noble, one sitting on Edith’s side of the table, spoke up.

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Through her earlier observations, Yisi had noticed a pattern. Not all nobles supported the measures enacted by Andrea, such as the noble who had just announced the orphanage’s financial situation. Of course, this didn’t mean he was deliberately opposing Andrea; he simply believed that the money for the orphanages was an unnecessary expense and should be spent where it was currently needed most.

The speaking noble glanced at the one who had read the financial report.

“The orphanages are facilities proposed by Her Majesty the Queen and perfected by all of you, my lords, to take in and raise young children abandoned by their families. They have greatly reduced criminal incidents within the capital and have also enhanced the reputation of the royal family. In previous years, you all should have seen those vagrants in the alleys who survived by robbing and stealing. Most of them were orphans abandoned by their families. With the operation of the orphanages these past few years, the number of children who live by crime has decreased significantly, a fact I am sure you all have witnessed.

Once the orphanages are closed, those homeless children will once again become vagrants, turning into an incurable blight on the capital. Therefore, I do not agree with Lord Faite’s suggestion to close the orphanages.”

The noble named Faite, who had previously read the financial report, glared fiercely at his opponent.

“I have already explained the current financial situation. From the forging of weapons and armor to the living supplies needed by the soldiers, all aspects require a large amount of gold to fill the gap, not to mention the imminent plan to expand the army. It is only natural to cut expenses during extraordinary times.

Forgive me for using an inappropriate example, but Lord Bate’s actions are like a hunter selling his knife to buy comfortable clothes. The only outcome is to starve to death or be killed by his prey. The nation is the most fundamental thing. If we set aside even the weapons and equipment for our soldiers, the orphanages will not have a happy ending either.”

“I do not believe that the meager expenses of the orphanages will have much of an impact on military spending. Lord Faite is exaggerating the facts. The orphanages are currently only implemented in the Royal Capital, totaling less than five in number. If our army is so poor that we must snatch food from the mouths of children, then I would like to ask how our treasury is being run.”

For a moment, the air between the two nobles was thick with gunpowder. Both sides held to their own arguments, neither willing to yield.

Standing to the side, Yisi leaned slightly toward Refina.

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“Have these two nobles been at odds for a long time?”

“Yes. Lord Faite is the noble in charge of the Royal Capital’s finances. Opposite him, Lord Bate is responsible for the operation of the orphanages. The orphanages were facilities that many nobles unanimously agreed to at the time, and they were also highly praised among the populace. As the administrator of the orphanages, Lord Bate is also highly respected by the people in the capital for his management.”

“I see.”

Beyond the official rhetoric, it was more about a conflict of interest.

No matter the world, self-interest will always make those in power hostile to one another. Even the quasi-utopian society she had lived in had the same problem.

While Yisi was listening to Refina’s explanation, the two nobles were already red in the face from arguing. At the same time, a large number of other stakeholders had joined in. It was less a noble council and more a group of children sitting at a table, fighting over toys.

Boris, who had been standing beside Andrea the whole time, tapped the pommel of his longsword on the floor—he was the only person in the entire conference hall who was armed.

“Silence!”

An unquestionable, powerful voice suppressed all the nobles. Although they still wanted to continue arguing, after seeing Boris’s grim expression, they could only throw looks of disdain and contempt at the opposing faction and close their mouths.

If they continued to argue, they would be thrown out by Boris. Of course, no noble was willing to do something so self-defeating and utterly disgraceful. At the same time, this also made Yisi realize just what kind of status Boris, the captain of the Royal Guard, held among the nobles.

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—He was someone no one wanted to provoke; his justice and loyalty had won the conviction of all the nobles.

After everyone had quieted down, Andrea slowly began to speak.

“Lord Faite’s and Lord Bate’s suggestions both have merit. However, the orphanages were a proposal that all of you, and your fathers, agreed to at the time. You have all seen the response from the citizens. To close the orphanages now would not only give the citizens the impression that the country is in peril, but it would also be equivalent to negating our own past decision, tacitly admitting that establishing the orphanages was a failed measure.”

Andrea’s words brought a smug look to the face of Bate, the orphanage administrator. After glancing at him, Andrea changed her tone.

“But Lord Faite has also listed all the current expenses of the orphanages in detail. For fewer than five orphanages, the expenses for a single month actually exceed 1000 gold coins. This is enough to arm an entire company ¹ Squad (班 – bān): ~10 soldiers; Platoon (排 – pái): ~30-50 soldiers; Company (中队 – zhōngduì): ~100-200 soldiers;

Battalion (营 – yíng): ~500-1,000 soldiers . If I remember correctly, the initial expenses for the orphanages should have been only half of this.”

At this, Bate’s face became embarrassed, but Andrea did not pursue the matter further. Instead, she steepled her fingers in front of her. Her normally cute appearance with her pink hair and golden eyes now seemed exceptionally imposing.

“From now on, the expenses for the orphanages will no longer be borne by the national treasury. Since it was my proposal, this portion of the expenses will be covered by me personally, by the royal family. Everything else will remain unchanged.”

In other words, the administrator was still Bate, but since he would now be taking money from the royal family’s hands, he would naturally be unable to reap any further benefits.

Following Andrea’s declaration, Boris, standing behind her, spoke slowly.

“I approved this resolution at the time. Regarding the expenses, I will voluntarily bear a portion. Lord Faite can deduct it directly from my salary.”