“It is absolutely not excessive.”
This time, the first to speak was the Privy Councilor.
The rest of the officials looked at him in astonishment, and Arkan remained silent as if telling them to continue.
The Privy Councilor spoke with great skill.
“It is not excessive, Your Majesty. The King of Kensilom is a persistent man. Right now, they have made a mistake, so they cannot refuse whatever Your Majesty demands. However, it will definitely cause problems later.”
He looked back at the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Count Baycos, don’t you think so?”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs was a relatively reserved and even timid person when holding internal bureaucratic meetings, but this time, he expressed his opinion quite clearly.
“I agree with you, Your Majesty. Rather than creating trouble later, I think it is right to seek a direction that is more helpful to the national interest.”
“I see. I understand your thoughts well. I almost died, but I don’t want to cause any trouble, that’s it.”
The officials, taken aback by Arkan’s words, began to stir again.
He had never shown his emotions to this extent in a meeting of officials, let alone in private.
Some thought it was because of the corruption of the archivist, but others didn’t.
At least a few people knew exactly why Arkan was so irritated, and one of them was Viscount Kellerhan, who had received an extraordinary promotion by becoming the new archivist.
“I’m joking. If we do that, we can greatly damage the reputation of the two Kings. However, as you said, they will hold a grudge, and we don’t know when or how they will stab Vetor.”
The Privy Councilor and the Minister of Foreign Affairs simultaneously sighed with relief. Then Arkan continued.
“Then how about this? The wheat fields in the eastern region have been severely damaged by early blight, and we cannot expect the same harvest this year, or even next year, depending on the case. As you all know, Vetor does not own a large amount of farmland, and since the wheat has been damaged, it would be best to prioritize domestic supply. So, let the two countries share the shortfall of the grain sent to Hirschsten this quarter. Until next year.”
The officials looked at each other and tilted their heads.
Arkan felt a sense of satisfaction as he realized that his second plan was working out.
If he had proposed this from the beginning, there would have been someone who opposed it.
It was not because Arkan was taking the near-assassination lightly, but because there were many officials who were petty and valued their pride and appearance.
They thought nothing was more humiliating than a nation stepping forward and asking for help from others—Plat was one of them—and so they despised Hirschsten’s Tenek with the utmost contempt.
But after hearing the absurd idea of bringing the Kings of the two countries to their knees, what would normally have been a problem seemed trivial.
In order to negotiate successfully, you must first offer an outrageous price; it was Erdene who had taught Arkan that.
The foreign minister, lost in thought, said,
“Even so, I cannot guarantee that there will be no problems later, Your Majesty. In particular, did not the two countries complain about the last time they sent food to Hirschsten? It may be different for Etonhorn, who hired assassins himself, but Kensilom, who tried to avoid the matter first, will most likely express his dissatisfaction.”
“I think so too. But this time, even if they is dissatisfied, they will find it difficult to express it strongly.”
“I agree with you, but...”
Arkan took a short breath and patted the table.
“In my opinion, the alliance of the seven countries in the interior will gradually fall apart from now on.”
This time, more people were silent than those who spoke.
Everyone was reluctant to speak openly, but they all felt that the cracks in the alliance had surfaced due to the last assassination.
Arkan spoke again.
“If we think about the reason why the seven countries with different cultures, environments, and histories came together in the first place, it was expected. It was to more effectively counter the empire’s invasions that occurred from time to time, but it would be foolish to expect the alliance to continue as long as peace has been achieved, even if only on the surface. Kensilom has been aiming for the position of the leader of the alliance, so they will not miss this opportunity to cause a rift. It will be the same for Etonhorn, and sooner or later, the other countries will gradually withdraw from the alliance and come up with their own measures. That will be much more beneficial.”
There were no tariffs between the seven countries currently in the alliance.
Additionally, they could freely cross any border in the inland kingdom as long as they were issued with minimal documentation proving their identity.
If the alliance was broken, such freedom would disappear, and only those who were burning their eyes for their own gain would remain. It was bitter, but that was the reality. Arkan decided not to have idealistic expectations about the alliance anymore.
“Even if we continue to maintain this alliance, someone will express discontent, and Etonhorn and Kensilom were the first to break it.”
The official of the Privy Council asked cautiously.
“Then, what do you think, Your Majesty?”
Arkan quietly closed his eyes and opened them again, then spoke in a calm voice.
“First, Vetor will maintain our position and position so far. If we waver, the collapse will only accelerate. However, it would be better to independently monitor the Empire’s actions.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
“The Queen has reassigned the knights, and the training of the soldiers has begun. The Knight Commander Wiziard will take charge of that, but the administrative minister will distribute the corrected deployment plan to each regional administrator, special governor, and admiral, and tell them to reorganize the military in the regions and border areas accordingly. Also, send someone to the Count of each border.”
“I will implement it immediately.”
“The remaining issue is the regional tax issue, and the finance minister will submit a written report on that.”
With those words, Arkan dismissed the officials first.
Those who had been assigned their roles moved even more diligently, and those who had not left quickly left, muttering among themselves at the unusual atmosphere of the King.
“Your Majesty.”
Plat, who had been absent throughout the meeting, entered the conference room, passing the officials.
“What is it?”
Plat was out of breath. It seemed as if he had come running from somewhere.
“Your Majesty, the apples from the Duchy of Stradhog have arrived.”
“Really? Then send them to the Queen’s Palace right away...”
“Your Majesty, listen to me more. The one who brought the apples is Princess Limepale.”
Arkan frowned and jumped up from his seat.
“The eldest daughter of the Grand Duke?”
“Yes. Shouldn’t you meet her?”
Of course, he should. However, Arkan’s mind began to become complicated again.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why the Princess of the Duchy of Stradhog had suddenly come here.
Princess Limepale was waiting in the King’s reception room without even taking a seat.
With dark blond hair that looked slightly red in the sunlight and dark blue eyes, she looked just like the owner of the Duchy, Grand Duke Joelbey.
“Your Majesty King Arkan Cyprusmain of Vetor, it’s nice to meet you. I am Joelbey of Stradhog, Peerage of Limepale.”
Unlike other kingdoms, the duchy’s surname came first.
In the middle was the person’s real name, and at the end was the name of the person who had named the baby—whoever that was—making naming very complicated.
“Welcome, Princess Limepale.”
When Arkan offered to shake hands, the Princess smiled brightly and held his hand tightly. She was a cheerful and lively young lady.
As far as Arkan knew, she was around the same age as Erdene.
She was also very much loved by her father.
Limepale said,
“You must have been surprised by my sudden arrival. My parents, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, were very surprised to hear that Her Highness the Queen of Vetor was ill. If the successor were to come to greet you, it would have been right for my younger brother, the Young Duke, to come, but since that child is busy with his studies these days, I have no choice but to take his place. Please be generous and understanding.”
“That is fine. I was just flustered because I didn’t know that the Princess would come in person. If I had known, I would have prepared to welcome the distinguished guest of the duchy.”
Princess Limepale smiled brightly.
“You must have been very worried about Her Majesty the Queen, but thank you for your consideration. If time had not been pressing, it would have been right to contact you in advance, but since it was an urgent matter, I could not do so. However, as an ally, I have a duty, so I cannot just send you the goods and pretend not to know, right?”
She was quite a cheerful young lady.
Arkan wondered why the Grand Duke had designated her younger brother as the successor instead of her.
He had heard that the Duchy did not have a custom of prioritizing men like Vetor.
Limepale continued.
“I brought the best apples that were just harvested and offered to the Grand Duke's family. They should not have spoiled since they were shipped by fast ship.”
“You must have had a hard time. Thank you. I hope you will be comfortable during your stay.”
This time, the first to speak was the Privy Councilor.
The rest of the officials looked at him in astonishment, and Arkan remained silent as if telling them to continue.
The Privy Councilor spoke with great skill.
“It is not excessive, Your Majesty. The King of Kensilom is a persistent man. Right now, they have made a mistake, so they cannot refuse whatever Your Majesty demands. However, it will definitely cause problems later.”
He looked back at the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Count Baycos, don’t you think so?”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs was a relatively reserved and even timid person when holding internal bureaucratic meetings, but this time, he expressed his opinion quite clearly.
“I agree with you, Your Majesty. Rather than creating trouble later, I think it is right to seek a direction that is more helpful to the national interest.”
“I see. I understand your thoughts well. I almost died, but I don’t want to cause any trouble, that’s it.”
The officials, taken aback by Arkan’s words, began to stir again.
He had never shown his emotions to this extent in a meeting of officials, let alone in private.
Some thought it was because of the corruption of the archivist, but others didn’t.
At least a few people knew exactly why Arkan was so irritated, and one of them was Viscount Kellerhan, who had received an extraordinary promotion by becoming the new archivist.
“I’m joking. If we do that, we can greatly damage the reputation of the two Kings. However, as you said, they will hold a grudge, and we don’t know when or how they will stab Vetor.”
The Privy Councilor and the Minister of Foreign Affairs simultaneously sighed with relief. Then Arkan continued.
“Then how about this? The wheat fields in the eastern region have been severely damaged by early blight, and we cannot expect the same harvest this year, or even next year, depending on the case. As you all know, Vetor does not own a large amount of farmland, and since the wheat has been damaged, it would be best to prioritize domestic supply. So, let the two countries share the shortfall of the grain sent to Hirschsten this quarter. Until next year.”
The officials looked at each other and tilted their heads.
Arkan felt a sense of satisfaction as he realized that his second plan was working out.
If he had proposed this from the beginning, there would have been someone who opposed it.
It was not because Arkan was taking the near-assassination lightly, but because there were many officials who were petty and valued their pride and appearance.
They thought nothing was more humiliating than a nation stepping forward and asking for help from others—Plat was one of them—and so they despised Hirschsten’s Tenek with the utmost contempt.
But after hearing the absurd idea of bringing the Kings of the two countries to their knees, what would normally have been a problem seemed trivial.
In order to negotiate successfully, you must first offer an outrageous price; it was Erdene who had taught Arkan that.
The foreign minister, lost in thought, said,
“Even so, I cannot guarantee that there will be no problems later, Your Majesty. In particular, did not the two countries complain about the last time they sent food to Hirschsten? It may be different for Etonhorn, who hired assassins himself, but Kensilom, who tried to avoid the matter first, will most likely express his dissatisfaction.”
“I think so too. But this time, even if they is dissatisfied, they will find it difficult to express it strongly.”
“I agree with you, but...”
Arkan took a short breath and patted the table.
“In my opinion, the alliance of the seven countries in the interior will gradually fall apart from now on.”
This time, more people were silent than those who spoke.
Everyone was reluctant to speak openly, but they all felt that the cracks in the alliance had surfaced due to the last assassination.
Arkan spoke again.
“If we think about the reason why the seven countries with different cultures, environments, and histories came together in the first place, it was expected. It was to more effectively counter the empire’s invasions that occurred from time to time, but it would be foolish to expect the alliance to continue as long as peace has been achieved, even if only on the surface. Kensilom has been aiming for the position of the leader of the alliance, so they will not miss this opportunity to cause a rift. It will be the same for Etonhorn, and sooner or later, the other countries will gradually withdraw from the alliance and come up with their own measures. That will be much more beneficial.”
There were no tariffs between the seven countries currently in the alliance.
Additionally, they could freely cross any border in the inland kingdom as long as they were issued with minimal documentation proving their identity.
If the alliance was broken, such freedom would disappear, and only those who were burning their eyes for their own gain would remain. It was bitter, but that was the reality. Arkan decided not to have idealistic expectations about the alliance anymore.
“Even if we continue to maintain this alliance, someone will express discontent, and Etonhorn and Kensilom were the first to break it.”
The official of the Privy Council asked cautiously.
“Then, what do you think, Your Majesty?”
Arkan quietly closed his eyes and opened them again, then spoke in a calm voice.
“First, Vetor will maintain our position and position so far. If we waver, the collapse will only accelerate. However, it would be better to independently monitor the Empire’s actions.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
“The Queen has reassigned the knights, and the training of the soldiers has begun. The Knight Commander Wiziard will take charge of that, but the administrative minister will distribute the corrected deployment plan to each regional administrator, special governor, and admiral, and tell them to reorganize the military in the regions and border areas accordingly. Also, send someone to the Count of each border.”
“I will implement it immediately.”
“The remaining issue is the regional tax issue, and the finance minister will submit a written report on that.”
With those words, Arkan dismissed the officials first.
Those who had been assigned their roles moved even more diligently, and those who had not left quickly left, muttering among themselves at the unusual atmosphere of the King.
“Your Majesty.”
Plat, who had been absent throughout the meeting, entered the conference room, passing the officials.
“What is it?”
Plat was out of breath. It seemed as if he had come running from somewhere.
“Your Majesty, the apples from the Duchy of Stradhog have arrived.”
“Really? Then send them to the Queen’s Palace right away...”
“Your Majesty, listen to me more. The one who brought the apples is Princess Limepale.”
Arkan frowned and jumped up from his seat.
“The eldest daughter of the Grand Duke?”
“Yes. Shouldn’t you meet her?”
Of course, he should. However, Arkan’s mind began to become complicated again.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why the Princess of the Duchy of Stradhog had suddenly come here.
***
Princess Limepale was waiting in the King’s reception room without even taking a seat.
With dark blond hair that looked slightly red in the sunlight and dark blue eyes, she looked just like the owner of the Duchy, Grand Duke Joelbey.
“Your Majesty King Arkan Cyprusmain of Vetor, it’s nice to meet you. I am Joelbey of Stradhog, Peerage of Limepale.”
Unlike other kingdoms, the duchy’s surname came first.
In the middle was the person’s real name, and at the end was the name of the person who had named the baby—whoever that was—making naming very complicated.
“Welcome, Princess Limepale.”
When Arkan offered to shake hands, the Princess smiled brightly and held his hand tightly. She was a cheerful and lively young lady.
As far as Arkan knew, she was around the same age as Erdene.
She was also very much loved by her father.
Limepale said,
“You must have been surprised by my sudden arrival. My parents, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, were very surprised to hear that Her Highness the Queen of Vetor was ill. If the successor were to come to greet you, it would have been right for my younger brother, the Young Duke, to come, but since that child is busy with his studies these days, I have no choice but to take his place. Please be generous and understanding.”
“That is fine. I was just flustered because I didn’t know that the Princess would come in person. If I had known, I would have prepared to welcome the distinguished guest of the duchy.”
Princess Limepale smiled brightly.
“You must have been very worried about Her Majesty the Queen, but thank you for your consideration. If time had not been pressing, it would have been right to contact you in advance, but since it was an urgent matter, I could not do so. However, as an ally, I have a duty, so I cannot just send you the goods and pretend not to know, right?”
She was quite a cheerful young lady.
Arkan wondered why the Grand Duke had designated her younger brother as the successor instead of her.
He had heard that the Duchy did not have a custom of prioritizing men like Vetor.
Limepale continued.
“I brought the best apples that were just harvested and offered to the Grand Duke's family. They should not have spoiled since they were shipped by fast ship.”
“You must have had a hard time. Thank you. I hope you will be comfortable during your stay.”
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