Dungeon cores.

They were said to be the most important part of a dungeon, maintaining the unique ecology of the labyrinth from its deepest level.

I say they were said to be, because it was just someone�s deduction.

If these dungeon cores were destroyed or stopped, the environment inside the dungeon (the temperature, the humidity, and more) and its ecology would collapse, turning it into a ruined dungeon. While wild creatures might come from outside to live in a ruined dungeon, no more monsters would appear after that point, so it was assumed that these cores were central to a dungeon�s function.

Incidentally, the adventurers of this world made their living exploring dungeons, but their ultimate goal was to clear the dungeons by stopping these cores.

As I had just heard, dungeon cores were used as Jewel Voice Broadcast jewels. If they brought them back, they could sell them to the state for fame and an immense fortune. However, it tended to be that the closer they got to the lowest point of the dungeon, the more powerful the monsters that appeared. Across the whole continent, it was only every few years, or decades, that a dungeon would be cleared.

That was why ordinary adventurers like Dece and Juno made their living protecting merchants and caravans from bandits and wild beasts, or killing monsters that came out of dungeons or the Demon Lord�s Domain. Even if adventurers occasionally went dungeon delving, most did it to sell materials from the monsters they defeated there, or to sell off the artifacts they might, on rare occasions, find. (There was nothing convenient, like treasure chests.)

Let�s get back to talking about dungeon cores.

Until a dungeon core was stopped, it would continue to give birth to fierce monsters from somewhere. To this point, no one had ever brought back a core without stopping it. That was because no one wanted to see the surface end up full of monsters as a result of bringing back a working core against all common sense.

In other words, dungeon cores had only ever been studied in a broken state.

In my earlier cell phone example, it would be like the person playing with it had somehow managed to fix just the camera function and were using it for that. In that case, you might think it would be a good idea to research them and search for other functions they might have, but� Here�s something to consider.

Cell phones don�t spit out monsters.

If you knew that the cell phone had a self-destruct function that would blow away everything around it, would you want to search for any other features it had?

That was one of the reasons why research on dungeon cores hadn�t advanced.

�Though, with the level of technology in this world, restarting a dungeon core once it�s been stopped is impossible,� Genia said. �I mean, we don�t even know how it worked in the first place.� Genia shrugged, looking down into her mug. �I can understand why people would want to explain it with magic, I guess. It�s fear of the unknown. It�s scary to have something exist that you can�t see or explain, so people try to force an explanation in order to grasp and understand it�No, just to feel they understand it, maybe?�

�That�s why they make it the work of magic or miracles,� I said.

�Precisely! Oh, I�m glad our king is the understanding sort,� said Genia. �If this had been the Orthodox Papal State of Lunaria, I could have been thrown in jail or, worse, burned at the stake for talking like this.�

�Burned at the stake�� I thought she must be exaggerating, but Genia looked absolutely serious.

�There�s a tendency in this world to think of magic as the grace of gods or spirits,� she said. �That tendency becomes stronger with the strength of a person�s faith in religion. That country�s a theocracy. The gods or spirits are the very source of their authority. They can�t recognize the existence of any research� or researcher if it would pull back the curtain on that divine mystery.�

��You could be right,� I said.

In countries with too much religious fervor, those who try to discover the laws of nature sometimes become suppressed. Those who give explanations against the teachings of the faith might be treated as heretics and, in the worst cases� killed. Even Galileo had been forced to recant his theory.

�How stupid.

�This country won�t end up like that,� I said. �I won�t allow it.�

�I�m very happy to hear that.� Genia clapped her hands on her lap and smiled broadly. �So, here�s the thing about us people from the House of Maxwell. We thought that there might be another principle in this world outside of magic, and we�ve been studying it. It�s true that some of the dungeon core�s functions were brought back to life with magic, but when we imagine how the dungeon core was created, we think it has to be a product of engineering, or mathematics. It�s not the power of miracles; if we investigate it thoroughly, we believe there is a functional truth to be found. For convenience�s sake, we call this separate principle �over-science.��

�Over-science�� I murmured.

�That�s O-Sci for short.�

��Oh, sigh�� Don�t shorten it like that,� I said.

�And so, our clan, as people who study over-science, refer to ourselves as over-scientists.� Genia puffed out her chest with unironic pride.

�I heard from Ludwin that you�re a mad scientist, though?� I asked.

�I�d rather not have a lame name like that.�

�I don�t see the difference!� I cried. �Over� was cool, but �mad� wasn�t?�I didn�t quite get her logic.

Genia said, �Now then�� and stood up. �I�d like this king, who seems like he�ll become a sympathetic supporter of mine, to see my inventions.�

�Yeah, that�s what we came here for,� I said. �Please, show me.�

�Roger that,� she said happily. �I think I�ve got just the thing. Could you come outside with me?�

Genia rose from her seat and left the house. Apparently the invention she wanted to show me was outside. If so, it might have been behind the divider I saw on the bottom level.

Ludwin had muttered �Honestly�� to himself and followed after Genia, so it was just me and Liscia left behind in the house.

�If there�s one thing to say about her, she�s different,� Liscia said with a wry smile.

She must have meant Genia. I largely agreed with that opinion, but I was beginning to have certain hopeful expectations for her.

�Still, she may be just the kind of talented person we�ve been looking for.� I kept my arms crossed as I expressed my thoughts. �When I saw the imposing sight of the Imperial Army at Van, I realized we can�t leave things the way they are. I�ve made do with things that already exist up until now, but going forward, we�ll need to be able to come up with and create things no one has seen before. To create revolutionary new technologies, adopt them, and move the times forward. If we don�t, this country will never be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Empire.�

��You�re right,� Liscia said.

�So, I�ve finally found a method for moving forward into a new era.�

�A method?� Liscia echoed questioningly.

I nodded firmly in response. �In the history of mankind, there have been those who were ahead of their time. They have a gift of foresight, break down established notions, and one of them alone can be enough to change history. Although in many cases, they�re lost in the flow of the times, or weeded out by natural selection.�

For instance, take the �universal genius,� Leonardo da Vinci.

Da Vinci is famous for his painting, the Mona Lisa, but he left behind designs for a surprising number of inventions. They say there were even designs for a tank, a diving suit, and a helicopter in there. Setting aside the feasibility of them, if those inventions of his had been researched properly, the history of Europe might have changed dramatically.

In addition to his outrageous inventions, he had also produced accurate anatomical drawings of the human body. In an era when the Christian church had held great influence, he had purchased dead bodies and cut them up in ways that might have been seen as blasphemous by the church, all in order to learn about the structure of the human body. If these anatomical drawings had spread, they would no doubt have led to great advances in medicine. However, he�d sealed them away for a long time, fearing the power of the church, and so he�d been unable to contribute to medical science.

�Those sorts of people are said by later generations to have been �born before their time,�� I said. �However, what if the ruler of the time saw such a person for what they were, protected them, and gave them an important position? Then, what if, not just the person in power, but the people as a whole, could be led to recognize them for what they were? Don�t you think that could lead to a major advance?�

�You mean, make the times adjust to the person who�s ahead of them?� asked Liscia.

�Precisely!� I said. �Though I didn�t expect you to get it on the first try.�

�I haven�t been hanging around with you for half a year for nothing, you know,� Liscia said with a laugh, but then quickly took on a pensive look. �But, by that reasoning, shouldn�t you be the one to lead, Souma? The technological level of your world was far ahead of this one, wasn�t it?�

�Well, I can understand why you�d say that, but� Yeah, no, I can�t,� I said.

�Why not?�

�It�s because my world isn�t further down the path that this one will eventually follow.�

My former world had no magic.

I had felt that this world�s technology was all over the place because of the existence of magic before, but that was one way that this world moved forward. Some pieces of technology, like the jewels for the Jewel Voice Broadcast, were already superior to the technology in the other world. This world was probably going to continue along a different path from my own.

�If I butt in when I shouldn�t, there�s a risk that I might end up delaying development,� I said. �That�s why I think it�s best if this world�s progress is driven mainly by its own people.�

�I understand what you�re thinking.� That was what she said, but Liscia�s face didn�t look satisfied with my explanation at all. If anything, she looked both angry and sad.

While I was wondering what was up, Liscia took my hand and squeezed it tight.

�I understand what you�re thinking, Souma. Still, there are parts of it that I can�t accept.�

��Such as?� I asked.

�The part about �this world�s people!� You belong to this country now, too, Souma!� Liscia pulled my hand and placed it against her cheek. �My father was the one to tear you away from your old world, so I, as his daughter, may not be the one to say this, but� What you said just now, it made me feel incredibly sad.�

�Oh, um� sorry,� I said.

�Please, don�t ever divide yourself from us again.� With misty tears forming in Liscia�s eyes, she seemed unbearably lovely to me.

�Okay� I won�t say it again.� I took the hand she wasn�t holding and went to place it on her other cheek.

�Heyyyyy, Your Majestyyyyy,� Genia called from outside. �Hurry uuuuup.�

Suddenly pulled out of our own little world, Liscia and I looked at one another, and laughed in awkward embarrassment.

Genia led us in front of the medium-sized area that had been divided off.

Yes, the divider was big enough that I had to look up at it, but more than anything, I was curious what was behind the massive divider that was separating off half of this space. It looked to be over twenty meters high. Wasn�t she going to let me see what�s behind that one?

As I was thinking that, Genia raised her hands aloft and said, �Come forth, golem.�

The moment after she did, the earth swelled up in a spot where the ground was exposed. Eventually, two giants, each around three meters tall, appeared. Those earthen giants began to lumber forward.

�Is this your magic, Genia?� I asked.

�Yep,� she said. �My magic is to create golems from earth and to manipulate them. They can�t do any delicate work, but they�ve got power. I get a lot of use out of them when it comes to carrying things.�

�Manipulating mud dolls�� I mused. �That�s a lot like my own ability, huh. Is it a dark-type?�

�No. It�s earth-type,� she said. �Because I can only manipulate earth. Being able to move them around like dolls probably falls under gravity manipulation. Besides, the four major categories and light and dark are just something people came up with to make it easier to understand. I don�t think of them as being strict limitations.�

�What am I even supposed to believe in anymore�?� I murmured.

Ever since I�d come here, my understanding of this world kept being constantly shaken. When it came to phenomena that were unknown to people on Earth, if this world�s people said something was obvious, I had assumed it must be; but now I was being told that wasn�t necessarily the case. It wasn�t a known unknown, but an unknown unknown. From here on out, I might have to approach every phenomenon from a position of doubt.

�Well, setting that aside, this here is what I wanted you to see,� Genia said, indicating something. The golems took down the divider that was covering it.

When we saw what came out from inside, both Liscia and I were dumbstruck by the utter incomprehensibility of it. Before our eyes, there was an object that looked like it was the size of a two story building. If I were to describe it in the easiest way to understand�

�A ridiculously huge D*son fan?� I burst out.

�Hm? What�s that?� Genia asked.

�Ah, never mind� Just talking to myself.�

No, still, the only thing I could see it as was a gigantic Dy*on fan.

As far as the silhouette went, the torso was like a kokeshi; one of those short, wooden Japanese dolls with no arms, but the head was a big ring. It wasn�t clear at a glance what it might be used for, and the way it just looked like some sort of art object was the same. It did concern me that just the portion in contact with the ground was firmly fixed in place, though�

I asked Genia, �What is this thing?�

�It�s �Little Susumu Mark V.��

What a lame name! I thought. �Wait, Mark V?!

�What, then there are another four of these things?!� I burst out.

�That?! After seeing this thing, that�s what gets your attention?!� Liscia exclaimed.

As she watched our surprised reactions, Genia smiled with satisfaction. �Well, you know, with all the getting blown away, and exploding, and other stuff, Little Susumu Marks I�IV are now no more.�

�It�s that dangerous?!� I cried.

�The Mark V is fine,� she assured me. �This one� is the finished product.�

Having said that, Genia launched into an explanation of the Little Susumu Mark V.

�I suspect you�re already aware, but the large ships in this world are either powered by the wind or tugged by sea dragons, right? This Little Susumu Mark V is a replacement for those sea dragons, you see. When attached to the keel, one of these devices can drive the vessel forward with power equivalent to a sea dragon.�

��Ah! You mean, it�s a propulsion system!� I cried.

Like a screw propeller, or a motor, huh?

When I said that, Genia smiled and laid a hand on Little Susumu Mark V�s torso section. �The thing about this machine is, it can suck in whatever is in front of the ring, then force it out through the back. When it operates in the sea, it takes in sea water and expels it out the rear. That water pressure will create enough propulsion to move an iron warship.� In other words, it was like there was an invisible propeller in the empty space in the middle of that ring.

�Hm? If it sucks in whatever�s in front of it, what would happen if you used it here and now?� I asked.

�You�re very perceptive, I see,� she said. �On land, it can suck in air and expel it out the rear. Let�s try an experiment, shall we?�

Genia had the golems prepare a large sheet. Then, with us standing back at a distance of around twenty meters, the golems held it up between them like a movie screen.

�Now, observers, the Little Susumu Mark V will suck in air from our side, then expel it out the other side. Witness its power for yourselves.�

�Ah! Genia, hold on a�!� Ludwin hurriedly tried to stop her, but Genia didn�t care.

�And click,� she said in a singsong tone, then pressed some sort of switch. In an instant�

Bowahhhhh!

There was a sudden loud noise as a sudden gust of wind blew us away.

�Whoa?!� I exclaimed.

�Eek!� Liscia cried.

�Bwah!� Genia laughed.

�Not agaaaaain!� Ludwin wailed.

The sudden and powerful blast of wind threw us all against the wall.

Wait� Th-This wind, it�s too strong! I screamed in my mind. The wind pressure had me pinned to the wall and I couldn�t move at all. It looked like Liscia and Genia were in the same boat.

Until Ludwin crawled toward the machine with great difficulty, pressing the same switch to stop it, we were pinned against the wall like a bunch of insect specimens. When we were finally released from that wind, Genia laughed, �Ahaha�� and put on a dry smile.

�Whoops, sorry. Looks like I had the front and back mixed up. Because I gave it a highly efficient form, with all waste removed, it�s hard to tell the front from the back.�

�If you know that, then take precautions�� I muttered.

�I said I�m sorry, sire,� she said unashamedly. �Anyway, I think you see how powerful this Little Susumu Mark V is now, yes?�

��I literally experienced it firsthand.� I said that sarcastically, but it really was an incredible machine.

If it hadn�t been firmly affixed to the floor, the machine itself might have been blown away. Ah� was that why Marks I�IV had blown up or been blown away? While I was figuring out that strange little detail, Genia launched into an enthusiastic explanation of how the system worked.

�This ring segment is made of a special metal, and it has a modified version of an enchantment for deflecting energy carved into it. This enchantment was based on a failed version of the enchantment for nullifying magic that the Empire�s Magic Armor Corps uses, you see.

�Originally, it was an enchantment for deflecting magic. Deflecting it was good enough for the Magic Armor Corps themselves, but the other troops behind them were still taking damage, so they discontinued researching it. That failed enchantment caught my attention.

�If it was able to deflect magic, I thought it must be exerting some influence on the way magicium worked. They say that magicium exists in both the atmosphere and in our water. That being the case, if I could apply a direction to it, maybe I could create something that would suck it in and blow it out. If I could concentrate the power from expelling it, maybe I could create a propulsion system� Well, that was the idea.

�That�s because moving the magicium in the air and water is the same as moving the air and water themselves. And so, I put a modified version of that enchantment into a metal ring, and that�s how I completed the Little Susumu Mark V, which sucks in magicium and blows it back out when you run energy through it!�

I was dumbfounded.

Genia was very articulate in her explanation, but the moment she started talking about enchantment magic, it went beyond my ability to judge whether what she said was true or false. Though, given the experiment went exactly the way Genia was saying, I figured she was correct� probably.

�Did you understand that, Liscia?� I asked.

�Not even the teensiest tiniest bit of it.�

It seemed it was a difficult subject for people from this world, too.

Realizing we hadn�t been able to follow her explanation at all, Genia forced herself to smile and shrug. �Well, like I was saying before, so long as you understand that one of these devices can do the same work as one sea dragon, that�s good enough.�

The man who had been clutching his head in his hands up, Ludwin, now spoke up. �But isn�t this thing kind of useless, then? I mean, you spent considerable resources just to build this one device, didn�t you?�

�Yeah� Well, it was easily enough to maintain ten sea dragons for a period of ten years�� Genia said.

�If it only does the work of one, then that�s a huge loss, isn�t it?� Ludwin asked. �Besides, unlike sea dragons, it can�t make tight turns.�

�Wh-What are you saying, Luu?! Can�t you see what this invention will bring?!� Genia cried.

�What it will bring?� Ludwin asked.

Ludwin seemed confused, but I had to agree with Genia on this point.

�She�s right. It really is an incredible invention, Ludwin.�

�Y-You, too, sire?� he asked.

�Just think,� I said. �If one of these can do the work of a sea dragon, then, applying some simple math, ten of them could do the work of ten sea dragons, right?�

�I suppose�?�

As Ludwin didn�t seem to get my point, I explained it in a way that would be easier for him to understand. �Well, can you actually bind ten sea dragons to something? I thought even a two-dragon setup like our battleship, the Albert, was unusual?�

�Well� Yes, that�s right. Even if you could bind ten sea dragons to something, it would be impossible to make them all follow the same order. Even in other countries, I think three is probably the limit.�

�In other words, even its use were limited to ships, with this machine, we would be able to move ships that were more massive than any before. For instance� imagine a cargo ship with five of these installed. It would revolutionize shipping.�

It would allow the shipping of large amounts of freight at once, you see. The reason I had wanted to absorb Amidonia was because more than half of this country�s border was with the sea. The new city we were constructing as a focal point for shipping was nearing completion, too, so being able to strengthen our maritime shipping capacity would be huge.

�Th-That makes a lot of sense�� Ludwin stuttered. It looked like Ludwin understood just how incredible this invention was now.

I asked Genia, �You said something about running energy through it before, right? What�s the power source?�

Since coming to this world, I hadn�t seen a single electrical generator, or even so much as a steam engine. Would the energy source for something mechanical like this be magic, like I was expecting?

�Well, sire, I�ve installed these inside it.� Genia pulled some sort of lump from her lab coat pocket and passed it to me. Though it fit in the palm of my hand, the jet black crystal cube was heavier than it looked. (It felt similar to holding a weight.)

�What�s this?� I asked.

�It�s a type of crystal commonly called curse ore.�

�Did you say curse ore?!� Liscia burst out.

�You know what that is, Liscia?!� I asked in the same tone.

�You didn�t have to say it like that�� she murmured. �In this world, we also use magic to mine ore. Water magic for digging, earth magic for reinforcing tunnels, wind magic for supplying air, and fire magic for melting down metals. But when we�re near a vein of curse ore, for whatever reason, we lose the ability to use magic. What�s more, if we try to force ourselves to use it��

Liscia made a gesture where she quickly opened her closed fist, and said �Boom.�

�It explodes?!� I cried. �Aren�t explosions inside a mine really dangerous?�

�It�s a real source of frustration for the miners,� Liscia said. �If they�re digging a mine and they strike a vein of this stuff, they can�t dig any further, after all. In this world, we think of magic as the blessing of the gods and spirits, so this ore that makes magic unusable is a cursed rock that can�t accept their blessings. Basically, that�s why we call it curse ore. The troublesome thing is, it�s commonly found underground in Elfrieden,� Liscia added with an air of self-mockery.

The Elfrieden Kingdom was a country with little mineral wealth to begin with. Because of its mostly level terrain, it was possible to get a decent amount of iron, but gold and other such precious metals weren�t common here. If there were large amounts of curse ore thrown into the mix, too, then that would make the process of mining itself difficult. There sure were a lot of things I had yet to learn�

As I was thinking that, Genia wore a bold smile. �This ore is cursed? You shouldn�t say such silly things, princess. If anything, you could say this country has been blessed by the gods to have so much of this ore buried underground!�

Genia waved her arms with an exaggerated reaction.

�It�s because we look at it through the veil of mystery that we come up with childish ideas like it being cursed. Curse ore isn�t rendering magic unusable. It�s absorbing the energy from it. Think about that. If we can�t use magic near curse ore, and if we do, it explodes, where did you think that explosive energy came from? Isn�t it more natural to think that, because it�s absorbing the energy from magic, it explodes when it overcomes its tolerance threshold?�

Hrm� So, basically, curse ore was like a chargeable battery that had been absorbing the energy from magic? Then, if it was overcharged, it would explode.

�What was this feeling of restlessness? Were we, right now, witnessing something incredible? Something big enough that it might change the world?

Then Genia said something incredible. �So, I�ve succeeded in extracting the energy from curse ore once it�s absorbed magical energy. That�s what I use to power this device.�

�Wha?!� I yelped.

Her words sent a chill down my spine. If that was true, it really was like a battery!

There was still a lot I couldn�t understand just yet, but I could understand just how incredible the secret of curse ore was, and how incredible the woman who�d discovered it was. This was a world without electricity, or even steam engines. If we could acquire a technology for storing energy before any other country, this country would make great strides forward. In fact, it was a big enough deal that even growing more powerful than the Empire wouldn�t be just a dream.

Then, at the same time, the danger of this power occurred to me.

First, there were the superstitions surrounding curse ore. If people discovered we were researching curse ore, which hadn�t received the blessings of the gods, in this superstitious world, people might grow distrustful of us.

If it were only within the country, I might be able to enlighten the people with time, but I was sure to make an enemy of theocracies like the Orthodox Papal State of Lunaria. For a nation ruled by religious doctrine, anything that might undermine a part of their dogma (even if it was of superstitious variety) would lead to a decline in their authority. They could never accept it.

Furthermore, if they learned a land without much in the way of faith had a technology like this, they were sure to demand we hand it over. From what Liscia was just saying, it seemed there was a considerable amount of curse ore in this country, too. If we weren�t careful, the neighboring countries might invade us for our resources.

It was looking like I could form a secret alliance with the Empire, and the threat posed by Amidonia had finally been removed; but if that sort of situation arose, this country would be wiped off the map. While this technology had the potential to make us the greatest power on the continent, it also had the hidden risk of destroying this country utterly.

I stumbled. �What am I gonna do�?�

�H-Hold on, Souma?! What�s wrong?!� Liscia cried out, supporting me.

��Sorry,� I said. �I was imagining something high risk, high return, and I started to not feel so good.�

�Imagining something?� Liscia asked.

I explained my imaginings to Liscia and the others. As they listened, Liscia and Ludwin�s faces went pale. They must have felt the same fear as I did.

However, Genia was the only one who seemed unperturbed. �What�s there to worry about? We just need to finish the research before the other countries can start targeting us, then grow so strong they can�t say a word against us.�

��You�re overly optimistic about it, but I guess it�s the only way, huh,� I said. �Still, we need to proceed with absolute secrecy on this��

In which case, custody of Genia was going to be an issue. At this point, she was as vital to the welfare of this country as Tomoe. I couldn�t let her run off to another country, or to be kidnapped, and I wanted to leave her in the hands of someone I could trust. She seemed wholly devoted to her studies, but she was still in her early twenties; a young woman in her prime. I wanted to avoid a situation where some noble realized her importance and tried to make a move on her.

��In that case�

I waved to Liscia and whispered in her ear what I was thinking. Then, after I had her opinion on it, I turned to the handsome Captain of the Royal Guard who was looking at me dubiously.

��Hey, Ludwin,� I said.

�Yes? What is it, sire?� he asked.

�Tell me, do you love Genia?�

Ludwin was clearly shaken. �Wh-What�s this, out of nowhere?! Sire!�

�It�s important,� I said, giving the flustered Ludwin a serious answer. �Depending on how you feel about Genia� and how Genia feels about you, I�ll need to change how I handle things here.�

Genia was a very important person to this country now. If possible, I wanted her to marry someone close to me, so she would put down deep roots in this country. That was why� if Ludwin was prepared to do it, all the better; but if not, I would have to come up with other plans.

Before I�d proposed this idea, I had whispered:

�Hey, Liscia. I�m thinking I should have Genia marry Ludwin. As a woman yourself, do you think Genia likes him?�

��It�s a 60�% chance, I�d say,� she�d whispered back. �She probably does.�

�That�s not a very clear answer,� I�d whispered. �Why so uncertain?�

�Girls are hard to read. But I don�t think you need to worry, you know? Genia�s a daughter of the nobility. If the king commands it, she won�t refuse.�

�You may be right, but� I don�t want to force anyone if I don�t have to.�

��I see. Well, how do you think Sir Ludwin would feel about it?� she�d whispered.

�I�d say it�s like a 99�% chance he loves her.�

�You sound awfully certain of that.�

�Guys are easy to read when it comes to this stuff,� I�d whispered.

All that stuff we�d whispered back and forth had been a secret.

Now, perhaps Ludwin realized I was serious, because his lips were pursed. He must have been wondering how best to answer.

At that point, the other involved party tilted her head to the side and asked, �Am I going to be Luu�s wife?� She said it in such a relaxed tone that you wouldn�t have assumed it was a decision affecting her.

�Would it upset you marrying Ludwin, Genia?� I asked.

�Nah. It wouldn�t upset me at all.� Genia said it so clearly and easily that it was almost a letdown. �I�m a woman, after all. I was thinking I�d like to get together with someone eventually, and I was also thinking I�d like that somebody to be Luu. Though, with Luu being as popular with the ladies as he is, I was fine with waiting until he found a proper wife and then having him take me as his third wife or so.�

Ludwin�s eyes went wide at Genia�s confession, but Liscia seemed to have found some point in it to sympathize with because she was nodding emphatically.

When Ludwin came back to his senses, he said with a pained look, �Sire, I ask you to forgive me for speaking against you,� then refuted me. �No matter how important of a person Genia is to this country, suddenly tying her down with marriage seems a little much��

�You�re going to say that to the two of us?� I asked archly.

The former king, Sir Albert, had given his daughter Liscia to me in order to make me the king of this country. Conversely, from Liscia�s perspective, she had been made my bride to keep me as the king of this country. Though our relationship had started out in that warped way, now that we had overcome many trials and tribulations, we were bound by an absolutely unbreakable bond.

I patted Ludwin on the shoulder. �Having been through it myself, let me say, how the relationship starts isn�t the issue. It�s how you two spend your time together after that which is important, don�t you think? Besides, you already have all the time you�ve spent with her as childhood friends, don�t you?�

�Sire�� Ludwin murmured.

�Do you need another push? If you take Genia as your wife, you can call your house Maxwell-Arcs,� I said. �That way, the House of Maxwell�s name will remain. On top of that, the Royal House will cover all expenses for your wedding�Also, the country will cover nine-tenths of the expenses for Genia�s research from here on. The House of Arcs won�t need to carry that burden alone.�

�I�I�m very grateful for the offer, but� we still have to cover one-tenth of it ourselves?� he asked.

�If I don�t make you pay at least a little of it yourselves, I feel like there would be no limit to the amount of money she�d sink into it,� I explained. No matter how useful the invention, I couldn�t have Genia upending the country�s economy to build it.

When I shot her a cold glance, Genia looked the other way and whistled innocently.

When he saw that, Ludwin said, �I see�� and laughed wryly. �You want me to keep a firm grip on her reins, then.�

�Or to become a work-horse that can support larger expenses, I suppose,� I said.

�I�m afraid that seems like the more likely outcome,� he said wryly.

�All right, Ludwin,� I said. �Genia�s said her piece. Now I think it�s your turn, don�t you?�

��Y-Yes, sire!�

Ludwin and Genia faced one another.

Ludwin had turned a bright shade of red, but Genia�s cheeks might have turned just a touch more pink. Though Ludwin was the taller of the two if you were to compare, with him freezing up from tension, they looked about the same. I worried if he was going to be all right, given how tense he looked, but this was the handsome Captain of the Guard who had led an army of tens of thousands. He quickly composed himself.

�Genia. Will you be my wife?�

��Are you sure, Luu?� she asked. �I don�t think I�m really noble wife material, you know?�

�I know,� he said. �Still, I want to have you at my side forever.�

�You�ve got odd tastes� But, sure. Okay. Take good care of me, Darling.�

Then, the two of them shook hands.

I had to think, Shouldn�t you hug instead? but� well, this was more like them. They looked happy, so I wasn�t about to say anything. I was glad the matter had been settled quietly.

�Whew� Is that everything neatly taken care of?� I asked.

��No, sire.� The moment I tried to relax, Ludwin said that with a deeply-troubled look. �Not yet.�

He�d looked so happy just a moment ago. What happened in that one instant?

�I�d forgotten up until now, too, but� Have you forgotten why we came here today?� Ludwin added, his face still looking troubled.

Ah� come to think of it, he was right. I had completely forgotten, but we hadn�t come here to see her inventions.

That was when Ludwin bonked Genia on the head with his fist.

�Ow?!� she cried. �Luu, I don�t want domestic violence when we just got engaged.�

�You idiot!� he shouted. �Listen, just apologize to His Majesty along with me!�

Having said that, Ludwin grabbed Genia�s head and pressed it to the floor. He then bowed low enough himself that his head scrapped the floor, too. It wasn�t quite the same, but it was this country�s style of double kowtow.

Ludwin apologized as he held Genia�s head down. �My� fianc�e has done something truly outrageous this time��

�Ow, that hurts, Luu,� she complained. �You�re pulling my hair out.�

�Genia, be quiet! I humbly, humbly, beseech you, sire, have mercy.�

No, he didn�t have to apologize so fervently� I wasn�t that bothered by it, you know. �Ludwin, Genia, both of you raise your heads. I�m not particularly looking to find fault here.�

�Sire� Thank you!� Ludwin cried.

�Ahh, but I am curious about it.� I sat down, looking Genia straight in the eyes and asked her, �Tell me, would you, Genia? Why did you take those dragon bones?�

The moving textile slowly came unfurled, and out popped a girl who was somewhere between middle school and high school age. Her long hair was tied at the nape of her neck into ponytail-style twintails, and she had lovely, regular features and beady little eyes. That was the kind of girl she was.

The young girl put her right hand on the back of her neck, and her left hand on her hip, shaking back and forth a bit while she posed like a model. �Welcome or not, here she is, dun-da-da-dun! It�s Roroa!� Then she gave a coquettish giggle and tried to act sexy.

She was slightly shorter than Liscia, and her body had a distinct lack of curves, so she just looked like a little girl trying too hard to seem like an adult. But, well, it was cute in its own way, like a small animal, and� Wait, wasn�t Roroa the name of Julius�s little sister?!

While I was staring in blank amazement at the suddenness of all this, Roroa got angry. �Aw, you�re no fun, Mr. Souma.�

�Mr. Souma?!� I cried. I�ve never been called Mr. Souma before� Wait, that�s not it! Huh? What?

Gaius and Julius had both been scary people who�d given off a serious bloodlust, so why was this girl so friendly? Wasn�t the princely family of Amidonia supposed to hate the royal family of Elfrieden?

While I was still out of sorts, Roroa started punching me in the shoulder. �Still, I can�t say I approve of ya spoilin� the surprise. I was all rolled up in here for a little under an hour, y�know?�Yeah, it was hotter than I thought it�d be.�

Well, yeah, if you were wrapped up in wool, it would be�

�So, how�d you figure it out?� she demanded. �I was pretty confident you wouldn�t, y�know?�

�Well, there was a woman in the world I came from who did something similar, you see.�

�Urkh, my trick overlapped with someone else�s, huh?� she cried. �What a blunder.�

�Though, that person was apparently naked when she did it,� I said. (*Opinions vary about this.)

�What�s with that woman?� Roroa cried. �Was she some kinda pervert?�

I shrugged. �It�s been said that she was so great that if her nose had been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been changed�� (*Opinions vary here, too.)

I looked at Roroa who was hugging her rather meager chest as if to hide it. She let out a sigh.

Roroa, by the way, was clothed. If she had been naked, we wouldn�t have been able to have an easygoing chat like this. My two fianc�es were right behind me, watching, after all.

�Erm� Do you mind if I call you Roroa?� I asked. �You�re the princess of Amidonia?�

�Darn tootin�,� she said. �These clean-cut features, this charm and wit, oh, yes, the breathtaking beauty of Amidonia, Roroa, that�s me.�

�Oh, geez, I don�t even know where to start poking holes in that��

��Poking holes,� huh?� she demanded. �Which of my holes are you plannin� on pokin�?�Blush.�

�You don�t say �blush�! Also, get your head out of the gutter!�

�No way! You and me, we�ve just met, haven�t we? Let�s start out as husband and wife, okay?� she said.

�You�ve already gotten to the end goal there!� I shouted. �We�re supposed to start as friends!�

�You two� Why are you getting along so well when you�re just meeting for the first time?� Liscia demanded.

While I was diligently playing the straight man in Roroa�s comedy routine, Liscia gave me a cold look.

Whoa! Now that she mentioned it, she was right!

Roroa cackled. �You�re good at this, Mr. Souma. You make a good straight man.�

�Why are you so easygoing?� I asked. �Are you really an Amidonian princess?�

�Sure am. If ya�d like, I can do a formal greetin� and everythin�.� With that said, Roroa dropped the silly grin and did a respectful curtsy. �I am Roroa Amidonia, daughter of Gaius VIII, of the former Principality of Amidonia.�

When she acted that way, she mysteriously started to look like a princess.

��And what exactly is Princess Roroa doing here?� I asked.

�Ohh. I�ve got me a good reason for that.�

�You�re already back to speaking casually?!�

�It ain�t nothin� to get so fussed over. I mean, after all��

With her best smile on her face, she dropped the biggest bombshell of the day.

�After all, I came here so we can get hitched.�

Our first stop was the job training facility Ginger was in charge of.

The mystic wolves� Kikkoro Distillery, which produced miso, soy sauce, and sake, among other products, was in the former slums. So was Ginger�s job training facility. Both had required considerable room, and this had been the only suitable place.

While it went without saying for the training facility, the Kikkoro Distillery also had an easy time securing workers here, so it wasn�t a bad location. That alone made it worth having fixed the place up.

The job training facility was surrounded by brick walls, and there were a number of buildings inside the compound. The place had just opened and so they were only teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic to the applicants, but the intention was to experiment with all sorts of different ideas in the future, so the number of buildings had increased.

When we went to enter through the front gate, a number of children ran out from it.

�Goodbye, Ms. San!�

�Goodbye!�

They were all around the age of ten, maybe. They weren�t that well dressed or groomed, but they seemed full of energy.

When we looked in through the gate, the former slave who was now Ginger�s secretary, Sandria, was waving to the children. �Goodbye, children. Take care on your way home.�

The slight smile she saw them off with was a gentle one, very different from the ill-tempered demeanor she�d had when we first met.

So, she can make an expression like that, too, huh�

While I was thinking that, Sandria noticed me and gave a respectful bow. �Why, Your Majesty, how good of you to come visit us.�

�Hey, Sandria,� I said. �Is Ginger in?�

�He is in his office. I will show you the way there.�

We followed Sandria into one of the buildings.

It was a simple, boxy design with no frills, but you could tell this building had a lot of rooms even from the outside. It would have looked like a hospital or school to a modern Japanese person.

We were led in front of a room on the first floor of that building with a sign that read �Director�s Office.� When Sandria informed the occupant he had visitors and opened the door, Ginger, who had apparently been doing desk work, hurriedly rose.

�Wh-Why, Your Majesty, it has been a while,� Ginger said, rushing over to us. Unlike Sandria, he did so timidly, and it seemed he still felt tense when talking to me.

�No need to be so stiff,� I said. �I�m the one imposing on you here.�

�N-No� It�s no imposition whatsoever��

�Your secretary there has her head held high, doesn�t she?� I commented.

�Because my loyalty belongs to Lord Ginger alone,� Sandria said nonchalantly as she moved to Ginger�s side.

It should have been quite the disrespectful statement, but there was something about her demeanor that wouldn�t let me take it that way. She was like Liscia�s maid, Serina, or the public representative for Roroa�s company, Sebastian. Those people who had found the master they meant to serve for the rest of their lives had a unique intensity. It was like they could face down the king himself on their master�s behalf.

�Ginger, let me introduce you,� I said. �This is my fianc�e, Liscia.�

�Hello. I am Liscia Elfrieden.� Liscia smiled and bowed, causing Ginger to stand up very straight.

�Th-The princess?! Th-Thank you for coming to visit our humble establishment! I�I�m� Ah, no, I am the one called Ginger Camus. With more support than I deserve from His Majesty, I have been able to become the director of this facility��

�Hee hee! No need to be so tense. It�s a pleasure to meet you, Ginger.�

�Y-Yes, ma�am!� Ginger stiffly took Liscia�s hand and shook it.

�It almost feels like you�re more tense than the first time you met me�� I murmured.

�I�m sure he is,� said Carla. �Until your betrothal to her was announced, master, Liscia was something like what we now call a lorelei to the people of the kingdom. That unreachable flower, the princess who was so high above him that she might as well be above the clouds, is now right in front of his eyes. He cannot be blamed for being tense.�

Carla�s explanation made sense to me. Members of the Royal House, especially a princess or a queen� they were like national idols in a way. I had seen the huge fever that had gripped England when a new princess was born there on the news. Even in Japan, news about the Imperial House and those connected to the imperial family got a lot of attention.

After that, I also introduced Carla and Owen. Then, when I went to introduce Hilde�

�Hilde and I are already acquainted,� said Ginger. �She gives free medical examinations to the children who come here. It�s really been a great help.�

Ginger bowed his head to her, causing Hilde to take on an awkward expression.

�Hmph. The brats are filthy, that�s all. Who knows what diseases they�re carrying around.�

�You say that, but you still come to visit us once or twice a week,� said Sandria. �If the children get injured, you heal them. I think that, for all that you say to the contrary, you really do like children, don�t you?�

�Sandria� If you say too much, I�ll sew your mouth shut, you know that?� Hilde snapped.

�Oh, pardon me,� Sandria apologized nonchalantly while Hilde glared at her.

Yeah� Looking at Hilde just now, it made me remember the old lady at the bakery in the neighborhood where I�d used to live a long time ago. Whenever the children came up to her, she�d say, �Look at the noisy visitors,� taking a sour attitude, but then she�d add, �What hungry little brats you are,� and would often give away leftover sweet buns. Now that I thought back on it, it had been her way of masking her shyness.

Hilde snorted. �I�ll be waiting outside until you�re all done talking.�

�The children have all gone home, just so you know.�

�Shut up, Sandria! Whoever said they wanted to play with the children?� Hilde snapped.

�I didn�t say that much�� Sandra said.

�Hmph!�

When Hilde left, violently slamming the door behind her, we all saw her off with wry smiles.

�Now then. It was time to get back on track.

Liscia, Ginger, Sandria, and I sat down at a conference table. Liscia and I were seated on one side, with Ginger and Sandria sitting across from us. Carla and Owen were standing behind us.

Liscia raised her hand. �Um, I have a lot of questions� What exactly do you two do here?�

�For the moment, we teach applicants how to read, write, and do arithmetic,� Ginger answered with a gentle smile.

�Is that something like a school?�

�Yes. It�s a school where anyone can come learn, regardless of class.�

In this country, there were already proper educational institutions. The uniform Liscia was wearing belonged to the Royal Officers� Academy, and there was also the Royal Academy, which pumped out researchers in every field, as well as the Mages� School, which specialized in the study of magic. However, those educational institutions were almost entirely for the children of the knights and nobility. There were no general schools meant to serve the common people. This job training facility was serving as a test case for that sort of general school.

�Also, it�s not only for children,� said Ginger. �Adults can learn here, too.�

�Adults, too?� Liscia asked.

�There are many adults who say they cannot read, write or do arithmetic. The poorer their background, the more likely that is to be the case. We provide those people a place to learn here, too. During the day, children learn, and then at night, adults who have finished working during the day come here to study.�

�Hm, so you�ve got them properly segregated into separate time periods��

�It was His Majesty�s idea to set up a time at night for adults to learn,� said Ginger.

It hadn�t really been my idea. I had just recreated the night schools we�d had back in the other world.

Ginger brought his hands together in front of his mouth. �This is all we can do right now. However� from here on out, we�ll be able to do more and more. Isn�t that right, sire?�

Ginger had turned the conversation over to me, so I nodded firmly. �Yeah. From here on, I intend to have you teach more specialized topics. For instance, training adventurers to explore dungeons and protect people, passing on civil engineering techniques, working with Hilde and her people to train new doctors, studying ways to improve our agriculture, forestry, and fisheries� Oh, also, I�d like a place for training chefs, too.�

�That�s a pretty wide range of topics�� Liscia said.

I think you�ve figured it out now that I�ve said this much, but the job training facility I wanted to create was a vocational school, or perhaps something like a university made up of specialized departments.

The main focus of academic study in this world was either magic or monsters. Magic could be applied with some versatility to any number of fields, and it also had ties to science and medicine. As for the study of monsters, ever since the Demon Lord�s Domain appeared, it had been become one of the most important research topics.

Before that point, the monsters that had only appeared in dungeons had been the subjects for this sort of research. However, after the demon lord�s domain had appeared, the number and variety of monster sightings had increased by a factor of ten. Research on the topic had been rushed along in order to find some solution to the problem. Also, research on the materials that could be harvested from monsters was indispensable for the development of technologies.

This sort of research on magic and demons was principally being done at the Royal Academy. It was certainly true that the results of this sort of cutting edge research could lead to new developments in other academic fields.

However, and this might be my sense as a Japanese person speaking, I thought that there were incredible, revolutionary discoveries waiting to be found in research that, at a glance, seemed pointless, too. Like how the techniques that were polished and refined in downtown factories without gathering much attention could then create indispensable parts for a spaceship.

No matter what the subject, if you mastered it, you were first class. If you could become number one, you could become the only one.

That was why I wanted to create a place where the subjects that had been neglected by this world � education, civil engineering, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, cooking, and art � could be given specialized study and taught to other people. And then, if we were able to see results in a given field from our experiment at this training facility, we would build a training facility (at this point, more or less a vocational school) for that subject in another city.

For that, it would first be necessary to raise the average level of education within the kingdom, and that was why we were starting by teaching elementary level reading, writing, and arithmetic.

I asked Ginger, �Well, what do you think? How are things with the training facility?�

�Well� we are doing a good job of gathering children under the age of twelve,� said Ginger. �The school meals system that you proposed has worked well, I would say. There are times when it gets hectic, but we have created a cycle where they show up, they study, they get a proper meal, and then they go home.�

�School meals system?� asked Liscia.

�If children under the age of twelve come here and study, they are given free meals to eat. If they study here, they can eat. Once this becomes widely known, the children of families under financial stress will be more likely to come here and study. Many of their guardians find it�s better to send them here to study and save the money it would take to feed them than it is to force the children to work for what little money they can get. If they study properly, they may be able to escape from poverty in the future, after all.�

�Hmmm,� said Liscia. �That�s a well thought out system. Is that something they do in your world, too, Souma?�

�Yeah,� I said. �It�s a method often used for providing support in poor countries.�

Liscia seemed impressed, but Ginger�s expression was more clouded.

�It�s true, we�re doing a good job of drawing in children. However, conversely, it�s hard to gather the adults, who aren�t covered by the school meals system. We are doing what we can by teaching them in the evening once their work lets out, but� �I�ve lived all my life without being able to read, write, or do arithmetic. Why should I learn to now?� they say, and won�t even give us a chance.�

�Well, if they�ve never had an education, I can see how they might think that way,� I said.

Only upon receiving an education is one able to understand the value of one. While children may ask, �Why are we studying?� when they become adults they think, �Why didn�t I study more?� That they�re able to have that regret at all is because they were made to study as children.

�Well, enlightening them on the value of education is one part of our work,� I said. �I�ll come up with something.�

�Please do, sire.�

Ginger and I naturally shook hands.

Finally, after touching base on a number of things, Ginger and Sandria saw us off, and we left the training facility.

The next place we visited was the Kikkoro Distillery, not far from the training grounds.

This distillery, which used a hexagon with the character for wolf in the center as its brand mark, was run by mystic wolves like Tomoe, and it produced soy sauce, miso, sake, and mirin.

Here, we met another person I knew.

When we entered the grounds, there was a plump man wearing short sleeved clothes despite the winter chill.

�Hm? Poncho?� I asked.

�Wh-Why, Your Majesty! Good day to you, yes.�

When he noticed us, Poncho bowed his head to me. Maybe he had gotten used to the idea that he was only supposed to bow once. Before, he had been bobbing his head up and down constantly.

�What are you doing here, Poncho?� I asked.

�Oh, that�s right! Listen to this, sire!� Poncho trudged over with his abdominous body.

�Whoa, you�re getting too close!� I exclaimed. ��What�s this, so suddenly?�

�At last, at long last, it�s complete! That �sauce� you have been requesting!� The usually shy and reserved Poncho was incredibly excited, thrusting a bottle filled with a black liquid out toward me.

The sauce I�d requested?

�Ah!

�You don�t mean that�s finally ready, do you?!�

�Please taste it for yourself, yes.�

�Sure!� I dripped a few drops of the black liquid onto the back of my hand, then licked them up.

It had a vegetable or fruit flavor and a spice-like fragrance. There was no doubt, this was what we�d called sauce in Japanese. However, unlike ordinary Worcestershire sauce, it had a strong sweetness and sourness, along with a depth of flavor.

This was definitely the sort of sauce that went with yakisoba, a sauce for flour-based dishes.

�The taste of sauce� is a boy�s flavor,� I remarked, quoting a certain gourmet manga.

�What kind of nonsense are you talking now?� Liscia said with a roll of her eyes, snapping me back to my sense.

�It�s just, the sauce we have been experimenting with is finally complete, so I was filled with emotion.�

�I�Is it that big of a deal?� Liscia asked.

�Of course! Because, with this, I can make yakisoba, okonomiyaki, monjayaki, takoyaki, and sobameshi. It�s good on fried dishes on its own, too.�

�I barely know what any of the dishes you just named are�� Liscia murmured.

�I�ll make them for you sometime soon. I mean, even if there are leftovers, I�m sure Aisha will make them disappear for us.�

But, still� at last, we had perfected this sauce for flour-based dishes.

It had been a long process. There had already been a sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce in this world, but it hadn�t been the sort of thick sauce that would work well with yakisoba. I had thought I could create one somehow, and I�d been working on it through a process of trial and error, but with no real knowledge of sauces, it had proven to be beyond me. That was why I had ended up creating those spaghetti buns before yakisoba buns. I had half given up on the development, but it looked like Poncho had continued it for me.

�I�m impressed you were able to recreate it,� I told him. �You�d never tasted it yourself before, right?�

�I had Your Majesty�s words, �It�s thicker than ordinary Worcestershire sauce, sweet, and I think it felt a little sour,� the knowledge that there was a noodle dish, �yakisoba,� which you would pour the sauce over and mix, and the memory of the pasta dish you call Spaghetti Neapolitan, which gave me the hint I needed.�

�The spaghetti did?� I asked.

�Yes, it did, yes. That spaghetti uses the tomato sauce called ketchup that I developed with you, right, sire? I knew that ketchup went well with noodle dishes, so I thought something similar to ketchup might have been used with this noodle dish called yakisoba, yes.�

�Ahh!� I cried.

I saw now! This sweet and tangy flavor came from fruits and vegetables! In other words, this sauce for flour-based dished was made by adding tomato sauce and other ingredients to a thick Worcestershire sauce, then? Poncho had an incredible sense of taste to be able to figure that out on his own.

�Then, in order to give the Worcestershire and tomato sauce mixture a greater depth of flavor, I tried adding the soy sauce and mirin produced here at the Kikkoro Distillery. Um� How do you think I did?� he asked hesitantly.

I put my hands on Poncho�s shoulders. �Poncho� you did well.�

�Sire! You are too kind, yes!�

�Now, can this sauce be mass produced?� I asked.

�It seems the Kikkoro Distillery will take on the job for us.�

That was wonderful. Now I could write another page in the culinary history of the kingdom. When Poncho and I started excitedly talking about the topic of sauces, the other members of the group� particularly the women, Liscia, Hilde, and Carla� looked on, rolling their eyes.

�Souma�s not a big eater, but sometime, he can be pretty picky about the strangest details,� Liscia said. �I wonder why that is?�

�That�s just what men are like, Princess,� said Hilde. �They pour needless passion into things women don�t understand, and they think nothing of the trouble they go to doing it. They�re such bizarre creatures.�

�You speak like you have personal experience with this,� said Carla. �Do you know someone like that, Madam Hilde?�

�Don�t ask about things you shouldn�t, dragonewt girl,� Hilde snapped. �I�ll stitch your mouth shut, you know?�

�Y-Yes, ma�am! I won�t ask you anything, yes!� Carla hurriedly saluted, seemingly having been infected with some of Poncho�s speaking style as she did.

And, well, I was excited by the unexpected result, but it was about time to accomplish my real objective here. I parted with Poncho and then, in the director�s office of the Kikkoro Distillery, I met with the elder of the mystic wolves who was also the director of this place.

We sat across from him in the same arrangement as when we�d visited Ginger. The elder�s white hair, white eyebrows, and white beard were all long and thick, reminding me of a Maltese. Except that inside all that hair, there was an old man.

The elder bowed his head deeply while still remaining seated. �We, the mystic wolves, are endlessly grateful to Your Majesty for your protection, the construction of this Kikkoro Distillery, and all of your other support. I thank you on behalf of my people.�

�It�s fine,� I said. �Little Tomoe�s done a lot for us, too. Besides, it was fortunate that people like you who knew how to grow rice and produce soy sauce, miso, mirin, sake, and more came along. I get to eat tasty food, and I can feed it to other people, too.�

�You are very kind to say that,� said the elder. �Now, sire, what manner of business have you come here on today?�

�Yeah� I was thinking it was about time we resolved the issue outside.�

�By �outside,� you mean� the refugee camp?�

I silently nodded.

When I�d been summoned to this world, this country had been facing a large number of problems. The food crisis, corrupt nobles acting against the state, neighboring countries plotting to invade, how to deal with the Demon Lord, its relationship with the Empire� the list had gone on.

However, I felt like the vast majority of those problems had been resolved now. We had gotten through the food crisis somehow, and the domestic situation was looking good. Our foreign enemies had been swept away, and when it came to the Demon Lord, we had formed a secret alliance with the Empire to handle that matter together. I had worked through all those problems one by one, and the last one left was this refugee camp issue.

Outside the castle walls that surrounded Parnam, there was a village of refugees that had drifted here from the north after the appearance of the Demon Lord�s Domain.

I called it a village, but it was really just a group of tents and hovels concentrated in one place. Of the many races that made up the refugees, I had been able to lift up the mystic wolves in the name of putting their special talents to use, but they only made up a small percentage of the overall refugee population. Even now, many refugees still lived in that refugee camp.

Technically, even when things had gotten chaotic, basic food relief had been provided to them the whole time, but they couldn�t stay like this much longer. There were issues of hygiene, and if I supported them for too long, it was bound to create friction with the people of this country.

If possible, I wanted the rest of them to choose to live as people of this country, just like the mystic wolves had, but� it seemed that would be difficult. Their wish was to return to their homelands. If they accepted citizenship in this country, that would be the same as giving up on returning to their homeland.

To these people who wished for the threat of the Demon Lord�s Domain to someday be swept away, allowing them to return to their homelands, it was simply not something they could accept. I had sent my vassals to the refugee camp a number of times to negotiate, but they had always been rebuffed.

�We want to return to our homeland,� they said. Or, �Let us remain here until that time comes.�

I understood how they felt when they said these things, so I couldn�t be too firm with them. However, there was no time left now.

�The chill of winter will only grow more harsh from here,� I said. �If they stay in crude tents and hovels, the weakest among them, the children and the elderly, will be the first to freeze to death. Before that happens, I want to go there personally and press them to make a decision.�

�Sire�� said the elder.

�In order to do that, I�d like you to send a messenger to the refugee camp for me first. Have the messenger tell them I�m coming. It�s unlikely that chaos will break out that way.�

�I understand.� The elder rose from his seat and then knelt on the floor, bowing his head deeply to me. �We mystic wolves have already been saved by Your Majesty�s hand. If it is possible� we ask of you to save the rest of our fellows, as well.�

�Yeah� I plan to do everything I can to,� I said as the elder ground his forehead against the floor and beseeched me.

�How about you more clearly say, �Leave it to me�?� Liscia said, but that seemed like it would be taking the task on lightly.

�I�ll try to persuade them, but� the one who�ll make the final decision isn�t me,� I explained. �They are the ones who should decide their own futures. Once I receive that decision, that will decide how I�m going to deal with them. Even if that means forcing them to see the harshness of reality.�

�Souma�� Liscia had a worried look on her face, but there was no avoiding this.

Hopefully� they would look to their reality, not an ideal, when they made their decision.