The night I returned to Alka after introducing the Guild Masters to Father and Mother, I found myself kneeling in the fourth-floor bedroom of the main hall, being lectured by Mako.
“So that’s how it is. Do you have any explanations?”
“I apologize.”
As far as I was concerned, all I could do was humbly bow my head.
It’s true that I heard about it from old man Linus and immediately went to talk to the Scholar’s Guild. During that time, I did sense Father’s foolish magic.
However, I couldn’t imagine anyone being able to do anything to Father and Mother, and I thought they could handle anything themselves, so I continued my conversation at the Scholar’s Guild.
The Scholar’s Master and old man Linus were on the verge of collapsing, and some scholars also collapsed, but they quickly regained consciousness. Also, since it was a gathering of researchers, there wasn’t much confusion, which is why I was slow to realize the seriousness of the situation.
The Healer’s Guild suffered the most damage, with several pregnant women going into premature labor.
Fortunately, the premature births caused by Father’s magic were prevented, but the healers were in a state of chaos, and Mako said she was called in to help.
In the surrounding areas, many people collapsed, and Orders were gathered one after another, which I heard even temporarily disrupted public safety.
To their credit, not only Father but also Mother deeply regretted their actions and have since sealed their curiosity.
Mako was severely reprimanded by Iris, the Order’s Master, and now her anger is directed at me.
I wish she would direct her anger at the actual perpetrators, but both of them are reflecting on their actions, and the root cause was those fools from Crime Heart, who I hear have already been captured by the Order’s Guild.
Therefore, Mako’s anger had nowhere else to go but towards me.
“Mako, isn’t that enough now?”
“That’s what I intend. I’ve said what I wanted to say, and it was just cleaning up after my best friend and his parents, so I planned to let it go at this.”
Still, it was more troublesome than I expected, so she wanted to take it out on me, huh?
Well, as far as I’m concerned, it was what my parents did, and Mako was the one who actually cleaned up the mess, so I’ll accept this much.
“Still, the magic of an Ark Class is incredible, isn’t it?”
“It truly is. To think it would affect not only the Hunter’s Guild but also the surrounding areas.”
“Even then, it seemed like he was holding back, so if he had gone all out, even Prada might have noticed, let alone Feel.”
“Seriously?”
“Probably.”
Prada is nearly half a day’s walk from Feel, you know?
To be able to sense magic from that far away is beyond belief.
Isn’t that more dangerous than a weak Demise Species?
“It is dangerous. Well, that’s probably why he mentioned the subjugation of Nidh. It’s troublesome that he’s not aware of it himself.”
“Eh? Father, you’re going to subjugate Nidh?”
“Yes, he said so himself. He also said there wasn’t much he could do for his son.”
“He also said he’d make a new sword for me using an alloy of Divine Metal.”
Of course, I was happy, and according to Mako, Falcon’s will also come to observe, so His Majesty will probably want to come too.
If we can secure a stable supply of Divine Metal, it will bring great benefits to the Philia Continent, and we can prepare for the day when we can evolve into Ark Class.
“Ah, so that’s why Father decided to subdue Nidh.”
“Speaking of which, Ludia saw Father destroy that lapis lazuli knife, didn’t she?”
“Yeah, it was amazing. Just by casually flowing magic, the lapis lazuli knife was quickly falling apart. I wonder if that’s what happens when an Ancient Class pours magic into magic silver with all their might?”
That’s the first time I’ve heard that.
And to think that just by casually flowing magic, it would be close to what an Ancient Class would do if they poured magic into magic silver with all their might… that’s truly incredible.
“That’s why Asuka-kun is trying to prepare for the day Yamato-kun evolves into an Ark Class. I suspect Divine Metal isn’t much different from lapis lazuli, so without an alloy, it probably won’t withstand Ark Class magic.”
“Ah, so that’s why Father proposed the development of an alloy.”
“I see, with Father here, we can find out if it can withstand Ark Class magic right away.”
“That’s right.”
Father, you thought that far ahead.
Even if the Divine Metal alloy is completed, we don’t know if it can withstand Ark Class magic.
However, with Father, an Ark Human, we can confirm it immediately.
The problem is whether we can complete it before Father leaves, but Ed and the others must be interested, so they’ll prioritize it.
Of course, I intend to take the lead as well.
“He sounds like an amazing person, your Father.”
“He wasn’t like that when he was young, but I suppose he’s grown with age.”
The Father I know is calm and thoughtful, but Mako seems to have a different impression.
Well, they were classmates, and I don’t know what Father was like when he was younger, so that’s possible.
“So, you’ll be going to subjugate Nidh soon, then?”
“Yes. It will be after my audience with Emperor Reinhardt, but I will make time.”
Personally, I want him to go immediately, but when it comes to subjugating a Demise Species, we have to inform the various countries.
Although Father is foolproof, the kings will inevitably be uneasy.
However, it’s not easy to inform them, and I also have my duties as a representative, so it’s difficult to do it immediately.
Therefore, I need to consult with Hilde, Yuri, and Rika and somehow arrange a schedule.
“If it’s about Feel, there’s no need to worry.”
“Memoria will be fine too, since Mother is there.”
“The public order in Deseo has also stabilized, so there’s no need to trouble Lord Yamato.”
It seems to be alright.
Even so, I need to inspect Prada and the surrounding areas before I go, so it will probably be next week.
“I’m sure, just like Falcon’s, there will be an increase in applicants wanting to observe.”
“Probably.”
“Asuka-kun doesn’t make empty promises carelessly, so I think there’s a meaning behind it.”
Indeed, as Mako says, Father would never make careless promises, so he would likely accept if more observers wanted to come.
He apparently granted permission for observers at Falcon’s quite easily.
“Meaning, huh? What kind of meaning could it have?”
“I have no idea.”
I really have no clue as to what kind of meaning it could have.
“Being thoughtful can be a double-edged sword. No matter how much we think, the person themselves might not be thinking about anything that significant.”
“Indeed.”
Being thoughtful is appreciated, as it means he’s thinking of us, but there are also times when he expects us to figure things out for ourselves before reaching a conclusion.
“Well, that’s how it is. More importantly, the invitation for Father and Mother is set for the day after tomorrow, isn’t it?”
“That’s what I heard.”
I heard this after returning to Alka. It seems the day for inviting Father and Mother to Amagi Castle has been set for the day after tomorrow.
I heard that Emperor Reinhardt tried to push for it immediately but was admonished by Rex and Chancellor Laina, and reluctantly gave up.
However, his wish to do it as soon as possible was granted, and it was set for the day after tomorrow, so His Majesty’s mood seems to have improved.
“It’s sooner than I expected, but perhaps it’s more convenient this way.”
“Yes, it is. However, I feel like the problem is what comes after that.”
As Mako and Lydia say, the problem is what comes after.
His Majesty will definitely want to observe the subjugation of Nidh, so we’ll have to consider not only my schedule but also His Majesty’s.
“My brother might suggest it, but the subjugation of Nidh is a grave matter for the Celestial Emperor as well. If there truly is a Divine Metal Mine on Enigma Island, it would bring enormous profit not only to Amister but also to Alegria. Exports will likely be restricted for a while, but the Celestial Emperor, my brother, and Yamato-san will likely receive some leniency.”
That’s the difficult part to refuse.
Enigma Island is in Alegria, so Alegria will benefit the most.
However, if Divine Metal can be exported, it will become a new specialty product, bringing considerable profit to Alegria.
Naturally, it will also be exported to Amister, but it will undoubtedly be presented to the Celestial Emperor’s Family first.
There’s a possibility that I might receive some in the process, which would be a welcome development.
“We don’t know if there’s actually a Divine Metal Mine, and even if there is, we don’t know if we can mine it right away, do we?”
“That’s the problem, but isn’t it said that Nidh left Enigma Island because Divine Metal was taken from the island? So, I feel like Nidh might be hoarding some of it.”
If that weren’t the case, I don’t think Nidh would have gone into such a rampage.
“That’s a possibility. Of course, no one has confirmed it, so we don’t know for sure.”
“However, if there is a Divine Metal Mine, Enigma Island is still the most likely candidate.”
“Yes. We don’t know if it’s real, but the mere possibility is worth liberating.”
“Indeed.”
If Nidh is gone, the potential threat in the Nadal Sea will disappear, and sea routes will likely increase.
As sea routes increase, the economy will also become more active, benefiting the countries bordering the Nadal Sea. The reconstruction of the Libertà and Valentia regions will progress, and development can be expected in the Solemne region as well.
Hilde’s burden will increase, but that’s part of being a representative. There’s also the possibility of advancing the plan to let Vincent Goldshtier’s granddaughter govern a part of the Solemne region independently.
“I see, that possibility also arises.”
“Indeed. I also wish to repay Palma’s devotion, and I’ve already begun preparations for it, so even if the schedule moves up slightly, it’s not a problem.”
I have also met Palma Goldshtia, the granddaughter of Lord Vincent. She not only assists in governance but also provides us with timely and accurate information about subversive elements, which has been a great help to us.
So, the proposal to grant Miss Palma the throne and make her independent came out a while after we started governing Deseo.
Originally, it was scheduled to happen before the Count Enlo Istlias, but the central part of Solemne was unstable in terms of public order, and there were many rebellious nobles.
Conversely, in the north, while there were rebellious nobles, there was an unexpected noble house, the Istlias Count’s family, which made it clear that independence could be achieved with little effort.
That’s why the Count Enlo Istlias was established first, but otherwise, Miss Palma would have become independent earlier.
“I see. Ah, but what territory are you planning to give to this person named Palma?”
“It will be along the coast of the Nadal Sea, from the central to southern parts. Although the territory will be smaller than the Count Enlo Istlias, it will be a strategic transportation hub, making it easier to develop.”
“The country name is also decided: Febro Lehithrest. It hasn’t been decided yet whether it will be a Countship or a Marquisate, but I think it will probably be a Marquisate.”
Miss Palma’s achievements are considered greater than those of Count Istlias. Furthermore, the fact that the initial plan for her independence was delayed is also a kind of apology.
“Febro Lehithrest Marquisate, huh? So, they will become the Lehithrest Marquis Royal Family then?”
“Probably.”
The plan is to make the Solemne region into twelve small independent nations, but it’s uncertain when all of them will become independent.
However, only the royal title has been decided, which will initially be a Count King, and if they achieve great deeds, they will become a Marquis King.
The rank above that will be the highest, but it will still be below the Three Dukes and the Celestial Noble families.
“Above Marquis King is Duke King, but that overlaps with the Three Dukes, so it’s quite difficult, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. Well, it’s a matter of several generations later, so there’s no need to rush to decide.”
The reason the royal title above Marquis King hasn’t been decided yet is that Duke King would be on par with the Three Dukes.
The Grand Duke, the Bridge Duke, and the Beast Duke also hold the title of Duke King, so easily establishing a royal title above Marquis King would require adding them to the Three Dukes.
In the future, we might be able to add them as a Fourth Duke, but Solemne was, in a sense, destroyed as a defeated nation. For now, and for several generations, we want to avoid placing them on the same level as the Three Dukes.
Therefore, royal titles derived from Earl and Marquis, such as Count King and Marquis King, which were used on Earth, were adopted. However, the problem here is Duke King, which is derived from Duke.
Thus, we desperately need a royal title that is above Marquis King and below Duke King, and the days of agonizing over how to do this continue.
However, it will take at least until the next generation or the one after that. We have several decades to spare.
So, if we can figure it out by then, it shouldn’t be a major problem.
“Ah, I see.”
“It’s troublesome, but it’s a necessary discussion, so we have to think about it. But there’s no need to think about it in a rush, right?”
“That’s right.”
I’m thinking about it too, but good ideas aren’t coming easily.
Since there’s no need to rush, I’m taking it easy, but it’s still undeniable that it’s better to decide sooner rather than later.
I wonder if there are any good ideas?
