Chapter 57 – Queen’s Duty （side Rica）

 

 

Inside the dark and damp prison cell.

One of the eunuchs that controlled the Calamba Kingdom for a period in the past, in front of Oros, one man appeared.

Wearing black clothes, placed the guards to sleep, and sneaked inside.

 

「I have been waiting. Now then, hurry up and let me out of here」

「……」

「What, you came to save me right. Then, hurryーー」

「Here’s a message. You’re done with. 」

「What!ーー」

 

Oros was very surprised.

The one who he thought someone who would save him, it was an assassin.

 

「Wait, the scenarioーーthe promise is different」

「Don’t worry」

 

The assassin silently said.

With a voice that seemed chill cold, it declared without mercy.

 

「Rarouka and Sukinaris, I already sent them」

「Wha!ーーW-Wait! Reconsider it」

「……」

 

Oros begs for his life, but the assassin’s heart wouldn’t be moved.

The three eunuchs that were punished by imprisonment, they had a「Mysterious Death」in the same day.

 

☆

 

Capital city Meteora, inside the palace.

I, Rica Calamba, am discussing with the ministers I gathered.

 

「About Saria’s situation」

 

One of the ministers, Acheron who was the oldest said.

 

「We have reports on the military situation that it is very decent. General Oshif will surely recapture the stolen Saria within a few days」

「Will the war with Comotoria end with that」

「Let me think, if it reaches there, it would be fine proposing for an armistice. Saria is originally our country’s land, and that was stolen with a surprise attack of the outbreak of war」

「If I am correct, it is the strategic point of the borders……I have heard」

 

I took out the knowledge that I desperately filled to my head recently.

Saria. It is originally the territory of Calamba, and it is a place that is easy to defend but hard to attack.

The first work that I have decided to do after regaining the authority from the eunuchs, it was to put an end to the war with Comotoria.

 

「Yes, even if we will have an armistice, it should be done after we have recaptured it. If we had an armistice while that is still taken by Comotoria, it is like having a blade being pointed to our throat」

 

Acheron said, I nodded with no words.

It is as he says, Saria is such an important land.

I researched about it thinking how much of an importance it have after hearing the word key point, and it often came out within the Kingdom’s history.

I do not know much about military affairs that much yet, but the history is saying that that place is important.

“That is why it is needed to be recaptured”, that is what I think.

 

「If the military situation is going well, then that should be fine」

「I humbly speak」

 

Instead of Acheron, this time, Statis opened his mouth.

He is a middle-aged man who is familiar with domestic affairs, and his face was highly strung.

 

「What is it?」

「About the war expenditure. The national treasury is getting very low, it would be fine if it reaches a conclusion for a few days, but there is a risk of having bankruptcy if the war extends more than this」

「Is it that terrible? During the outbreak of war, Oros and the rest told me that we could fight for 5 years even 10 years?」

 

I already not believe in what they are saying, but even so, the gap is very wide.

 

「About that case, there are two things I need to report. First is, concerning that, there are traces where the money was being laundered through Oros and the other two. Most probably, they have been filling their pockets in the pretext of war」

「The other one is?」

 

I hold down my anger.

 

「Oros, Rarouka, Sukinaris, the three of them died last night」

「Died? Yesterday? All three of them?」

「Yes」

 

Statis quietly nodded.

 

「What is the meaning of that?」

「It is under investigation, but……」

「It is not a coincidence huh」

 

Even I would be able to understand that at least. I know at least, that the three who were caught in prison dying in the same day is strange.

At the same time, I also knew about the other thing, that it is not the time to be worrying about that.

 

「The money……can nothing be done with it?」

「If the war ends within a few daysーー」

「Think about the time if it extends」

「As you wish」

 

Statis made a bow, and said.

 

「Even that is said, the things we could do are limited. It is whether gather it from nobles, gather it from merchants, or collect it from people. It is one of those」

「Which one is the best?」

 

I did not know so I asked straightforwardly.

 

「From the people」

「From the people? Why is that? Even though exploiting the commoners will be a cause of the destruction of the nation?」

 

It was a typical story that happened in the history that I started to study recently.

It was very usual for countries that have tyranny, exploiting the people, to ruin.

That is why, from the three choices that Statis brought up, I thought that it would be not from the people.

 

「Even if it is from the nobles, or from the merchants, they would only suck up the amount that they lost from the people to regain it. They would not let it end with them only having a loss」

「Ah!……」

「And when that happens, they would do it with extra, at the same time, plucking it from the people as if it was snitch food. The nobles will raise their taxes, and the merchants will raise the prices of their products. If they would give 100 to the country, they are the kind of people, who would think it would be a loss not taking at least 120 from the people.

「……if we are only giving them that 20 in the end, are you saying, that it would be better for the country to take the 100 directly from the people even if they would have a grudge?」

 

Somehow, I understood what Statis was trying to say.

In reality, he quietly nodded.

And, he looked at me.

With eyes of “Well then, what will you do”.

I got troubled, hesitant.

I got troubled, but it is the same as having no other choices.

 

「Let us collect directly」

 

This one, would have the result that the people would have fewer burdens.

And the result of that, they would have a grudge to the Royal House……it is a bitter decision.

 

「As you wish」

「As expected of the Queen Her Majesty, I am moved by the wise judgment」

 

Acheron said.

 

「Enough of the flattery, rather than that, make the war end as quickly as possible」

「Of course. But, however, General Oshif is also a seasoned warrior, good news will comeーー」

 

In the middle of Acheron’s words, *Pan*, the room’s door was opened.

One man entered, he ran to Acheron’s side with a pale face, and whispered to him.

Acheron’s complexion changed, it became blue in an instant.

 

「What happened?」

「……」

「Acheron」

 

I called his name with a strong tone.

 

「General Oshif……had died in action」

「……eh?」

「When he found that the enemy commander in chief was trying to escape from Saria, and pursued with soldiers, an ambushーー」

「Such a thing……」

「From this, the front lines fell unto confusion, seemingly in a disastrous state」

「You fool, losing sight of the objective, you should’ve just let the enemy general go, this war was only for until regaining Saria」

 

Statis said as if to spit out.

 

「……achievements, he probably wanted more achievements」

 

Acheron said that, and held his head.

I also wanted to do that.

I even had the resolution of being hated by the people, but with this……

What should I do, what should I need to do?

 

「Your Majesty」

 

Acheron said.

 

「It is already not the situation saying things like recapturing Sarira. We should immediately send a messenger to Comotoria, and propose armistice」

「Armistice in this timing?」

「Offering reasonable compensation, and cession of territory」

 

I want to cry now.

The “reasonable” he’s saying, it would absolutely not be reasonable.

Something that is given away while losing, there was no way that “reasonable” would be enough.

 

I looked at Acheron, I looked at Status.

 

Both of them, they have eyes pressing me to a decision.

“That is only the way, if it is right now, the wound would be at the least”, it was those kinds of eyes.

Compensation, and cession of territory.

 

Iーー.

 

「What, you were here huh」

 

He entered from the door that was opened.

Relaxed, and with ease. He entered with two Demon Sword his waist.

 

「Kakeru!」

 

If it is Kakeru……I am sure, if it is Kakeruーー.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 56 – Kujibiki Tokushou – Chapter 58