Then I am ushered into the parlour. There was only Patrick waiting for me.
“Where is Count Archiam?”
“Yumiela is back, and he should be here soon.”
Does he think that talking to Patrick is not an option without me? Persuading him would be more effective at influencing the Dolknes family than persuading me.
I looked around the parlour. Paintings and other objects were excessively arranged according to the taste of the rich. Rather than displaying miniatures of oddly shaped houses, they should display at least one Dorothea doll.
The cup of tea served was amazing. After drinking the tea, I was about to take a break when Count Arkiam arrived. It was so quick that he had been waiting in the next room for me to arrive at any time. Please wait until I’ve had my fill of the snacks served to me.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Darren Archiam, the head of Archiam household.”
“Yumiela Dolknes. Nice to meet you, too.”
He greets them nervously.
“I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit today. I had heard you might be coming tomorrow, so… I’m glad it’s today.”
“No, my appointment ended early. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Thank you for the consideration.”
Count Archiam looks like he is in his forties or so. He was a classmate’s parent, so he was also probably around that age. He had a fairly solid build. However, he is not fat. Was he blessed with his original physique, or was he well muscled?
This was unexpected, as I had been prepared for an obese man who looked like a vicious aristocrat.
The man was so large that he shrank back and looked horrified.
I didn’t cancel my plans to come here, but I denied it properly, not wanting to create too much anticipation.
“The schedule ended early. Because of the lagging technology in this nation.“
“Technology? What kind of technology?”
“Armour manufacturing and magic tools.”
“I wish I could help you, but that’s not my area of expertise. When it comes to magic tools, we are behind Remrest.”
When I remember, I’m getting frustrated again. So much so that I wish I could talk to Oji-san I’ve never met before.
The top-class craftsmen in the kingdom who destroyed my dreams were cruel.
“It was awful. No matter what I suggested, they just replied that it was technically impossible.”
“What did Lord Dolknes want to make?”
I’m glad he asked!
Patrick interrupted me as I tried to think of which of the many rejected pieces of equipment I should start with.
“Lord Archiam, if you don’t get to the point—”
“Shut up, Patrick. You don’t understand romanticism. …I went to make equipment. I was thinking of making a variety of exclusive protective armour for myself.”
“…It’s not uncommon for a noble family, especially those with a strong military background, to have armour reserved exclusively for the head of the family.”
He was across the table from me and joined in my conversation, bewildered by Patrick’s urgency to speak.
The Dolknes family does not seem to have a thick military presence. We have a private army that can play the role of a police force, but we don’t have the manpower of a military. There are only a few dragons that Patrick and I can fight, and they are a bit stronger. But, oh well. There’s no point in getting into the details.
“First, I wanted to be able to eject a wire—strong rope from the arms. With a hook on the end, I could jump around from roof to roof. But—”
As I talked, I recalled my conversation with the kingdom’s best craftsman
◆ ◆ ◆
“That’s technically impossible.”
“It’s just firing a wire, you know?”
“The launch mechanism may be feasible. However, since it must be stored before launch, the length of the rope is limited to about the height of a person.”
“That’s pointless. Is it possible to fire it? Then let’s use a pile bunker. The iron piles will shoot out with tremendous force.”
“I think it’s possible. By the way, how much power are you expecting?”
“For now, it should be able to pierce the armour that’s there.”
“Technically, it’s impossible.”
“Is it that weak? Does that mean it won’t pierce the wall even if we fix the wire length?”
“…If it’s within reach, it should stick into a wooden board.”
“Huh… Then, the purge function… Make it so that the armour can be blown off with force.”
“Isn’t it better to just take it off normally?”
“During combat, discarding heavy armour to become more agile is better. No one in their right mind would waste time taking off their armour on the battlefield.”
“It’s better not to take it off during combat. We are researching ways to simplify putting it on and taking it off!”
◆ ◆ ◆
“—That’s what they said proudly. They don’t understand romanticism. It’s perfect when you can blow away your enemies with the purge momentum. Count Archiam agrees, right?”
Phew, I feel better after talking about it.
Count Archiam, who listened intently without interrupting, nodded his head.
“……I agree.”
“That’s why my appointment ended early, and I’m here now.”
“…You come back?”
He looked around unnerved and said that to me, who was sitting next to him.
Patrick quickly replied to the question.
“Let’s get back to the main topic. If we don’t hurry, we’ll have to listen to even more of this.”
“Ah, yes… That’s right, I requested a meeting with Lord Dolknes.”
Count Archiam changed his absent-minded attitude, straightened his posture, and continued.
“My family, Archiam household, is in dire circumstances. I beg Count Dolknes for her assistance.”
“I can’t help.”
“I see. That’s understandable. I apologize for troubling you.”
Somehow, the matter was quickly resolved. Oblivious to our stunned silence, the count stood up and headed for the exit… but then he stopped, his shoulders shaking.
Kevin, the steward, is standing in front of the door, blocking the view from the reception room.
“As I have always said, Daren-sama is too understanding. Please at least explain the details.”
“But… Kevin, what would the previous head of family have done in this situation?”
“A brief explanation would be appreciated.”
“It’s unreasonable from the get-go, and even if the situation becomes known, it will only further damage the relationship, won’t it?”
“That is for the head of the family to decide. Please make your decision, Darren-sama.”
Kevin called the earl’s name in an admonishing tone. He was his uncle and the head of the family, but there was a considerable age difference between them. He couldn’t be assertive in this relationship because he had been taken care of since childhood.
Count Archiam sighed and sat back down in his original seat.
“I’m sorry, but please listen to what I have to say about the crisis the Archiam household is facing.”
“I’ll just listen, okay?”
“I would appreciate your sympathy and assistance, but it would mean getting deeply involved in the feud between the central nobles. I understand if you wish to avoid that.”
My impression of this person is very favourable. Those involved in noble power struggles, especially the more radical members of the central nobility, tend not to understand my dislike of such struggles. Their value system is based on the idea that increasing one’s power is the greatest happiness. Simply understanding my desire to live quietly in my domain makes me feel much more at ease.
Furthermore, although the details are unclear, the decision was likely the result of a power struggle. Despite being unable to investigate in advance, there was a lot of tension among those around him.
“Political struggles in the central? I’d rather deal with loan consultations.”
“There is no need to worry, our family’s financial situation is good.”
Although there are rumors that he is heavily in debt, he seems to be doing well financially, which is a relief.
It was surprising that he had the financial means to do so. Gazing at the overly decorated reception room, which seemed intentionally extravagant, he paused for a moment before speaking.
“Given that you may not be familiar with the situation in the capital, let me begin with some background information. Are you familiar with the details of Duke Hillrose’s rebellion? …As for the situation in the capital since then, the duke’s household has been abolished, and the powerful noble house has disappeared. Our faction has completely lost its power.”
“I understand that the extremist nobles are in a difficult situation.”
“…Extremists, huh?”
Darren, the head of the Archiam household, muttered self-deprecatingly. Patrick poked me in the arm and pointed out my slip of the tongue.
So, ‘extremist’ is a nickname, and the official term is ‘Duke faction.’ But there are no more Duke… is it former Duke’s faction? What should I call them?
“Oh, sorry. Um, former? Former Duke faction…?”
While I have no intention of cooperating with the Archiam household, I also have no desire to provoke them unnecessarily. Seemingly aware of my lack of ill will, the count smiles wryly as he expresses his concern over the issue.
“You grew up in the Dolknes territory, right? The first time you heard the term ‘extremist’ was probably after you came to the academy. Do you remember who first told you about it? What was that person’s position?”
I learned about the extremist nobles… Oh, I heard about them from the queen after the audience. She told me that they were divided into moderates and extremists, and that I should be careful because the latter were full of ambitious people.
It didn’t occur to me at the time, but I was secretly impressed by the Queen’s craftiness in calling herself a moderate. Even if it was just a nickname, moderates and extremists have different images, with the latter having a negative one.
“It was the moderates, or rather the royalists, who started the image manipulation by using the term ‘extremists.’”
“Exactly. We called ourselves ‘expansionists’.”
That makes sense, he remarks with admiration.
The expansionists, huh. They’re the ones who want to use military force to expand the territory, so they must be extremists, right? They probably have some derogatory terms for the royalists, and I think they’re just competing to label each other.
Count Archiam cleared his throat to break the silence as if sensing my inner thoughts.
“Excuse me, that was all just wordplay. Back to the main topic…With us in a difficult situation, the royalist nobles saw this as an opportunity and launched an offensive. They intend to suck the weakened prey dry to the bone.”
“What does moderate mean again?”
I can’t help but feel sympathy for them.
The central nobility loves power and privileges, no matter what faction they belong to. If a rival faction weakens, they will probably devour it completely… It’s not that I thought the moderates were saints.
Regardless of what one seeks to seize, a justifiable excuse is required. The argument that “I’m stronger, so hand over your territory” isn’t acceptable internally. It would cause chaos within the nation, leading to intervention by the king or a third-party noble. No one can mediate between nations, so somewhat unreasonable things can occur… However, that is irrelevant at present.
There is a heavy silence in the air. It feels even more suffocating because of the contrast with the glamorous interior. After explaining the situation, the count seems to feel down, and an awkward silence ensues.
Patrick urged him to continue, even though broaching the subject must have been difficult.
“I understand the expansionists’ position. But what is the Archiam household in danger of losing?”
“We’ll lose our official position. Our family, once part of the central nobility, will be reduced to a mere local noble family if things continue as they are.”
“When you mention position… I see, it’s no wonder that without the Duke’s backing…”
Patrick said with an understanding look.
I don’t understand the story. What position? Something like minister or lord? The famous ones are Ministers of Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Military Affairs. I have converted “Lord” to “Minister” in my brain and recognise them.
The famous ones I just mentioned are hereditary and have been in one noble family for generations. Still, other lesser positions have more than one person, rotate between two noble families every few years, and are a lot more complicated.
So… I wonder what position Count Archiam is in. Patrick seemed to know by the looks of it. Asking the person in question would be rude, so I turned my head toward him to ask him to tell me in secret. Would asking him in front of the person in question be impolite? I turned my head to the front.
As I thought, I was behaving suspiciously, and Count Archiam laughed bitterly. Then, he said the name of his position, sounding as if he was having trouble saying it.
“Uh, it’s called Defence Lord… kind of.”
Defence Lord? Judging from the name, is it related to the national military? The top position is Minister of Military Affairs, and other positions are related to the military. Still, there was no Defence Lord among the positions I learned at the academy.
It is not that I have forgotten. Two extremist noble families are involved in the national army, and both were crushed in the recent upheaval. There is no doubt about it, but what is the Defence Lord?
“Excuse me, what does Defence Lord do…”
“…To motivate the nobles and the people to protect the Kingdom from within and outside. Something like that.”
“To raise the motivation? Well, what authority do you have exactly?“
“No authority, no preferential treatment, no expense allocations.”
It’s a bunch of fluff with no real substance. …Oh, I finally figured it out!
“Oh! You have nothing at all!”
It’s a shame that he specifications are impossible to do, but they were in the sci-fi settings, not in medieval fantasy xd
Yumiela being Yumiela xD
Thx for the chapter!