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First month.
It’s the important day when we welcome the new year.
For me, it’s the first new year since I’ve become king.
Since I’ve become one, it’s become necessary for me to fulfill the role of the highest religious priest.
Well, it’s not that difficult a thing. It would be fine if I just imitate Julia who had taken up the role as representative of her bed-ridden father, the old King Rosyth.
However, there are two particular problems.
First, the announcement of Tetra’s lineage.
“…….Everyone was surprised.”
“That’s only natural. Rather, even I was surprised.”
Tetra, whose belly had swollen to a large size, mutters beside me.
Normally, new year’s celebrations are celebrated only by the country’s citizens.
However, for some reason, a distinguished foreigner by the name of Abraham had come to the country.
Although the great clansmen, as well as the commoners who had known had been gossiping……
As expected, no one could have ever imagined that Abraham was Tetra’s real grandfathr.
……..This will have extremely huge repercussions politically. Why? It’s because Abraham’s only direct descendants are Tetra and the child inside her.
All the others had died accidental or natural deaths, so their line is going extinct.
It wouldn’t be an issue if Abraham was just a normal consul. However, he is a tyrant – a dictator.
He’s…….probably thinking of having the next children succeed his own bloodline.
If that happens, Tetra would stop getting treated as just a noble concubine.
Really, I haven’t intended to have a political marriage of convenience, but it had naturally become one. How extremely troublesome.
That said, it’s still not coming to a head so let’s put it for later. It’ll probably begin after the child gets born……damn, my stomach’s hurting.
As for the next problem, it’s that we have to deify the three gods we had recently decided to be our chief gods. At any rate, no one has ever done this up until now.
The great clansmen and the sorcerers all have to think together for the rules regarding the deification.
It won’t just be a simple deification. We need to show to the whole country that those three gods will from now on be the guardian deities of the Rosyth Kingdom.
For the meantime, we made an impromptu altar and held a ceremony there.
If we mix the new anti-curse system as well as the usual methods, then I think that should be enough to somewhat counter spells.
After all, the number of sorcerers in our country are more than either of the three countries. Above all, we still have the barrier put up by Julia before her pregnancy.
There is a possibility that Julia might fall ill, and the barrier might not hold up the year after that. If that happens, we’re out. Our country would then have to face spells directly. It’s no good to just keep defending. We also need to retaliate.
Now, our country is running about hurriedly to construct this anti-spell system. Although it would probably take around five years at the shortest before it’s completed.
According to Julia, what’s important in this system utilizing the gods is religious piety.
We would build temples in each area where people’s piety would be gathered. We would then build a grand temple where such piety would then be gathered and combined.
The piety we collect in that grand temple would then be changed into sorcery power and channeled to the barrier.
That’s how the new system would work.
We will build temples on each area. It’s easy to say but such an undertaking would take money and time.
We should be able to put out enough money. Time, however, is a different matter.
We can only go on patiently.
“Construction is advancing quite well, huh.”
“Yes. It’ll probably finish earlier than planned. Well, with the construction of the new temple, such leeway would immediately disappear.”
Ismere quips with a little sarcasm.
I had ordered her to construct the grand temple by all means.
Because of that, she had to revise her plans so she’s angry.
That said, there’s several political reasons for this.
I’ll be troubled if she doesn’t consent.
I had come to the planned site of the new capital city.
The rabble of the new year has ended which gave me leeway to visit. As I thought, I have to see it for myself, yes?
Water control is advancing favorably. I already had them construct some dikes in the rivers in the area of the site. With this the flooding from the thawing of snow and strong rains would more or less disappear.
That said, you can’t say it’s already flawless. Should a once-in-a-ten-year downpour fall then the dike would collapse.
Well, it hasn’t been four months since the start of construction so things couldn’t be helped.
According to Ismere, the real thing starts from here.
I heard they’d make tributaries and would further enlarge the dikes.
There are seven hills in the planned site of the new capital.
These hills won’t get inundated with water even if the dikes were to collapse.
In other words, these are the safest places in the city.
The important establishments such as the royal palace as well as the grand temple would be constructed on top of these hills.
“Honestly speaking, the rivers aren’t that much of a threat, the problems are the hills.”
“The hills?”
“Yes, hills are things that are like small mountains after all. If there’s a mountain stream, then there’s water flowing underground. Things would be okay on clear weather but should rain fall, it’ll be quite horrible. Therfore, drainage equipment, in other words, a sewage system is absolutely necessary.”
Sewage, huh…… Sewage installation comes even before water supply, huh.
Well, I guess there’s no problem since there’s a river nearby for drinking water.
“What are you going to do, specifically?”
“First, we’ll bring water diverters into the city. Naturally, since we’ve furnished flood gates it won’t flood even in the worse cases. We will let greywater and rainwater flow into this river. The water from the wells should be enough for drinking.  When it becomes insufficient, I think it’s best we obtain water via aqueduct. That would be better than river water, yes?”
An aqueduct, huh……
It’s something you see in Rome, huh. If we’re to build something like that then it would definitely cost us an enormous amount of money.
Or rather, do we even have the technology to build one?
“It’ll be tough with the current technology of the Adernia Peninsula. It’s also a long shot even with Cretian technology. However, I think that by the time this capital city is finished, the craftsmen here would have reached a level that won’t lose to that of the Cretians. I dare say they’ve already reached a level where they could stand side by side with them when it comes to roads, you know.”
The Cretians are far ahead in construction technology. However, we don’t have that much of a difference when it comes to public works.
Since Cretians are divided into smaller states, bridges and roads might be used by enemy armies.
Therefore, they don’t make things like that so much.
Furthermore, they are a sea-faring nation.
“I might as well ask, when will I be able to live here?”
“In about four years. Although it’ll be six years later until it could function into a fully functioning capital city. Well, if Your Highness would say that we should just focus on the capital then we should be able to shorten that much more……”
Roads and flood control, as well as the construction of the Grand Temple has been decided after all.
Since those projects would also take some people, it couldn’t be helped that it would take time.
“My King, can’t you mobilize some more personnel? If we have just a thousand more then we should be able to hasten progress.”
“Stop joking, these projects are already putting pressure on our treasury. If you consider the possibility of the outbreak of war hereafter, then any more expenses should be unreasonable.”
Right now, around 3,000 people are working on these various projects. If you include the standing army, then the total would rise to 4,000……. It’s easy to see, right? This number is about 1.6% of the population. We’re constantly mobilizing that many people for these projects.
A war would take just two weeks even on the long end. Meanwhile, we’ve already mobilized these 1.6% of our population for four months.
Well, it’s not like it’s just expenses that are rising; income is rising too.
Revenue has drastically increased compared to the previous administration thanks to the sales tax from the Cretian merchants as well as sales from the liquor, garnet, paper, salt, and the like.
“Road construction has……made around 20% progress. This is thanks to the fact that this country, in the first place, had lot’s of simple roads made from soil that has been tread on. Furthermore, there are few to little troublesome obstacles such as mountain ranges and forests. The concrete that Your Majesty has invented had been very easy to handle as well. Things are advancing smoothly. For the meantime, the road to the DeMorgal Kingdom is pretty much complete. Within six months, the one to the Belvedere Kingdom would also be completed.
In the plan, a road connecting the current capital to the DeMorgal Kingdom would be constructed. The same goes for the Eville Kingdom and the Belvedere Kingdom. These three roads received maximum priority.
In the beginning, our country already had some so-so roads.
Everyone could easily see that these roads would help hasten the advance of the army as well as increase human activity.
The road leading to our arch-rival, the DeMorgal Kingdom, as well as the one leading to the Belvedere Kingdom were, to Adernian standards, especially fine.
This time, those roads were paved with broken stone and are furnished with drainage.
As such, construction time was short.
Well, in the first place, the Rosyth Kingdom has an area a size smaller than Iwate Prefecture. Since the road distance was short, the construction wasn’t that much of a troublesome affair.
By the way, the construction of the roads that would stretch from the new capital haven’t started yet.
It’s only pointless to lay down roads in a place where there aren’t people yet. Besides, the construction materials were being transported via water transport.
We’ll be putting them off for the meantime.
“That said, it’s like a dream…….for me to be single-handedly undertaking the construction endeavors of a whole country.”
“It’s just a small country in the sticks, however.”
“Nevertheless, it’s star is in ascendance, yes? It’s thanks to your rule. From now on, this country will become the most prominent country in the Adernia Peninsula. Perhaps, even unification is possible……how does that sound to you?”
Ismere says half-jokingly with a laugh.
I do personally want to make that a reality though.
“Come to think of it, how’s it going with Qingming? You guys got together?”
“Wha, what are you saying! The…there’s no way that’s……”
She turns deeply red. It really helps that she’s easy to read, huh.
“I want you to honestly tell me. It’s actually because I had just received a marriage proposal for you. Well, it’s not a bad one anyway. However, while I will be recommending such a marriage of political convenience, I won’t be obligating you to it. I think it’s desirable if you’d be able to freely marry someone you love.”
“Uhm. I’ll pass on the marriage……I’ll be looking one by myself after all.”
“I see. If there’s anything I can help with, tell me immediately, okay?”
I bid my farewell to Ismere as I said that.
“Oh? Interesting.”
I had just finished reading the first volume of Qingming’s ‘Chronicles of Traversing the Continent.’
The subject of the first volume was the Scarlet Empire.
Mixed in with the episode regarding the impetus of Qingming’s parents to travel and their destination are the customs, culture, tradition, geography, and history of the Scarlet Empire.
And according to this book, dragons and kirins are apparently real.[TLN1]
I really want to go myself. But I guess it’s impossible, huh.
“Thank you very much. This product called paper is really easy to use…..it really helped me a lot. Furthermore, to give it to me just like that……”
“Don’t dwell on it. It will be our pride to have such a great book come from our country.”
I had given Qingming paper free of charge.
Not only that, I had prepared servants and a manor for him and put in order an environment where he could write.
In Earth, works like ‘The Travels’ by Ibn Battuta, ‘Book of the Marvels of the World’ by Marco Polo, ‘Great Tang Records on the Western Regions’ by Xuanzang, ‘A Record of Buddhist Practices Sent Home from the Southern Sea’ by Yijing, and the like are popular.
This book written by Qingming rivals those works……no, without a doubt, his book is better than those works.
If I were to make a huge blunder, this country would definitely get destroyed.
Despite that, Qingming’s book would go on and survive without a doubt.
If I were to support him, then I would also go on through his book.
My existence will survive into posterity.
“However……if I were to complain about one thing, it’s that it’s hard to read from it. The farther you get into reading the book the wider it gets that it’s becoming a hindrance.”
“…….However, it couldn’t be helped with the book’s nature, yes?”
Yes, it couldn’t be helped with books in scroll form.
In other words, what I’m saying is to stop it with the scroll style books.
“Why don’t you try bound books?”
“Bound books?”
“Yes. You would cut paper at fixed intervals and bundle them together. You then open holes through them and bind them with string. After that you would attach cardboard or thickpaper as cover in order to protect the book. This way, it won’t be a bother to read and you would also be able to use both sides of the paper.”
For someone like me who’s used to modern Japan’s bound books, reading such hard to read scrolls are just too much.
Besides, keeping and organizing bound books would save space.
Bound books are several times more superior.
But I would have to admit that scrolls are quite cool.
“Certainly, that way would be much efficient, yes? Why haven’t I thought of that…….As expected from King Rosyth.”
“Haha”
I’m plagiarizing my ancestors, you know.
“By the way, Qingming, what do you think about Ismere?”
“N? I think she’s a good person. What about it?”
“Nothing, don’t mind me.”
This reaction……
Ismere…….you need to put in a lot more effort, you know.
“Nikolaus, how are things with you? Have you gotten used to life here?”
“Yes, since the food isn’t that much different from Cretia and the weather too is gentle…..it’s not a bad life.”
Not bad, huh…….it’s quite like him to not say flattery like ‘it’s the best’ or what not.”
“Above all, it’s nice not having eggs getting thrown at me when I go out.”
I don’t know which to grieve, the lowness of Cretian cultural standard or your annoyingness……
It’s probably the latter, huh.
“By the way, King Rosyth, which side are you on?”
“Which side of what?”
“Geocentric or Heliocentric. …….although it seems that Lady Tetra is on the Geocentric side.”
Oh really? She supports Geocentrism, huh.
Well, if you think about it spontaneously, it’s only natural to think that geocentrism is correct.
If it’s that girl, she’s probably say something like, ‘In the first place, how can you come to an abnormal conclusion that rather than the others are revolving around us, it’s us that’s revolving. It would just be fine if you just looked honestly.”
Hmm, I wonder which side I’m on…….
This is another world so it won’t be surprising even if the Geocentric model is correct. I guess in the end……
“I think I’ll go with the heliocentric model?”
“Uoooooo!! As expected of Lord Almis! From the very beginning I had thought that you had extensive knowledge for an uncivilized Adernian but as expected you’re the greatest king!!”
The greatest king, huh. Thanks.
Also, sorry for being an uncivilized Adernian.
Nikolaus had just gained someone that understands him so he got very excited and didn’t notice my wry smile.
I think I just understood a part of why this guy gets eggs thrown at him.
“I’m happy to know someone like you exists. This country, when compared to the Cretian states, are culturally inferior after all. By the way, I have something I’d like to ask, how do you think the Adernian alphabet could be made?”
“Adernian alphabet, huh. Well, certainly not having an original alphabet is inconvenient. If you tell me to make do with Persis alphabet if the Cretian alphabet did not exist, then I’d probably go mad. However, I’m not exactly knowledgeable in that area…….”
As expected, he’s weak when it comes to those things. This guy is a science guy anyway.
This world still doesn’t have a distinction between science tract and cultural tract, so I had assumed he’s probably knowledgeable there.
Do they have strong and weak subjects?”
“I’m very sorry I can’t be of any help. However, personally speaking, I have something that I think is more important than making an alphabet.”
“Something more important?”
“A calendar.”
A calendar?
Is there something strange with the current one? Although I don’t really get it……
“Although this country’s people don’t notice it much…..there’s a gap between the actual seasons. It’s around 40 days.”
“Hmm…if you think about it that might indeed be the case? But I’m really not knowledgeable in that area.”
The current calendar is something made about five hundred years ago. A forty-day gap would mean there’s an eight day gap every hundred years. Well, again, I don’t really get it.
“Whenever I see this gap, I get very irritated and…..”
“In other words, in your opinion, we should revise the calendar?”
I see…..well it’s not like the people of this country are experiencing unexpected inconveniences by living their lives in accordance with this calendar anyway.
The commoners plant their seeds according to the seasons they had learnt from experience rather than from the calendar after all.
“Revising the calendar would have a huge effect on the citizenry so…..it’s not something we could simply do. Well, anyway, I’ll think about it.”
“Understood, then I shall make my way to making it immediately.”
This guy. He really doesn’t listen, does he?
“Oi, Yal. I actually have two important thinks I want to talk about with you.”
I had summoned over Yal.
Yal’s expression tightens as he heard those words.
He seems to be nervous.
“The first thing……how about getting married?”
“Married!?”
Yal’s eyes widen.
“I, I’m sorry. I hold deep respect and admiration towards Lord Almis and I swear my loyalty to you. If you tell me to die then I am prepared to do so. However, I don’t have such kind of love towards milord……Besides, there’s already Lady Julia and Lady Tetra….I cannot possibly…”
“What the hell are saying.”
I’ll pass on that too.
Upon seeing my expression and realizing his misunderstanding, Yal’s face turns deep red.
“I, I humbly apologize. No, I had heard that the elite had a taste for that sort of love amongst men so I had…….”
“I don’t have those kinds of hobbies.”
Even if I did have such tendencies, I won’t be choosing you. I’ll be choosing pretty boys, you know.
“So, did you say marriage?”
Yal asks again to which I nod.
“Yes. How old are you again?”
“I’ll be 28 years old this year.”
“As such, isn’t it bad that you aren’t married yet?”
A huge part of Adernians marry in their teens. It’s already late in their twenties.
Well, it’s common to see divorces amongst people married to arranged marriages so you also see marriages up until the mid-thirties.
Nevertheless, being unmarried is bad.
“A marriage proposal for you has arrived. It’s not like you have a woman you love right?”
“Unfortunately, this person has never experience that thing called love since birth……”
Isn’t that pitiful. Even I had two, and both had bore fruit.
“And so, who has sent the proposal?”
“No one specific had been decided yet. However, I’m thinking of having you marry a girl of the lot from the former DeBell Faction.”
“The former DeBell Faction?”
“Yes. The recent state of affairs are horrible, yes? There’s a need to put in order domestic affairs. I’m thinking of considerably forgiving them.”
In reality, a huge part of the nobility don’t really hold any sort of loyalty to me. What worries them is their own territory.
The former DeBell faction and the Ars faction don’t differ in that regard. As such, rather than getting too comfortable with the Ars faction, it would be better if I pardon the former DeBell faction.
“Well, it’s not like we’ll have it done immediately. I want you to consider and think about it for me. Also, the second matter, this one is rather important and urgent matter.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll have you go to the Zoldias Kingdom.”
The Zoldias Kingdom is a country located to the west of the Eville Kingdom.
A large part of their territory is mountainous so it’s quite an agriculturally barren country.
However, their soldiers are quite strong.
Furthermore, it seems they’ve been doing their best recently in opposing the Gillbed Kingdom’s push south.
“Is this a counter measure against the Eville Kingdom?”
“That’s correct. We’ll be applying pressure on the Eville Kingdom.”
Make friends with distant countries while counquering near countries. That is the foundation of diplomacy.
As for the reason why I can’t personally go…..
The first one is that there are dim prospects of an alliance. Therefore, it’ll make the Eville Kingdom happy if I ((went personally) and returned without any results.
The second reason is that the Belvedere Kingdom and the Eville Kingdom are located between my country and the Zoldias Kingdom.
Even if I did manage to push for an alliance with King Zoldias, it’ll be pointless if I wouldn’t be able to go back.
“You’ll leave in maybe two months. It’ll take some preparations after all. I’ll have you stay there for a long period of time. The shortest would probably be a year. It’ll be quite the pressure after all just by having you stay there.”
“I understand. Then I shall prepare immediately while thinking about the marriage proposal. Although I have one request….”
Hmm?
Yal has a request? This is quite rare, huh.
“What is it?”
“I’m thinking that I want a clanname. No, even now I do have one but it’s a name common among the commoners so……”
Basically, in the Adernia peninsula, names consist of three parts – a praenomen (personal name), a nomen (clan name), and a cognomen (family name).
For example, Tetra’s whole name is Tetra Ars. Tetra is her praenomen while Ars is her nomen. She doesn’t have a cognomen since her family is the most prominent amongst the Ars clan.
In the same way, Julia’s name is just Julia Rosyth. In other words, her family is the most prominent amongst the Rosyth clan so she also doesn’t have a cognomen.
By the way, in the great antiquity, it’s said that people only had nomen. However, in accordance with the increase of population, names grew longer little by little.
Just like in Japanese, the bad point of Adernian names is that you cant make and combine names infinitely.
“Hmm, certainly, it’s not good to have such an overused nomen and cognomen in diplomacy, huh…”
I’ve already granted Ron, Roswald, and Gram nomen. Those three are landed clansmen, after all. Furthermore, there are those that despised their former nomen, the greatest example of which is Lulu.
I had given each of the three the nomen Aemilius, Fabius, and Calpurnius respectively.
Their origins are…..you already know even if I don’t tell you, huh. The Adernia peninsula’s geography, culture, and even climate are similar to that country after all. Just not completely.
The reason why I hadn’t given Yal a nomen is that he doesn’t hold any territory. Personally, I think it would be good to give him a large territory but Yal himself refused. Well, for someone like Yal who’s working both as a diplomat and a domestic bureaucrat, territories and the like would only be a heavy burden.
“Then….how about Claudius? There’s an excellent person that held that name.”
“Claudius…..what a fine name. Then from now on, I shall take the name Claudius.”
Yal happily smiles.