Inside Parnam Castle, Royal Audience Chambers .

A crowd of people are now kneeling here in the place that was used for hero summoning and the talent awards ceremony . They were this countrys financial bureaucrats . They all looked worn-out . Sunken cheeks, dark circles below their eyes, and dry smiles, some of them even looked like theyll collapse at any moment . Yet despite all that they all had eyes shining bright, those were the eyes of warriors that had survived a carnage .

They all survived through the agonizing present . When the kingship changed and the reforms for the finances that were on the verge of bankruptcy began, they became workhorses of the new King . Those among the bureaucrats that abused their positions to fill their own pockets were dismissed, leaving only the honest people, so they frantically worked, even forgoing sleep . Some of them compared numbers in documents all day long, some spent the whole day on horseback going to each and every place making sure the budgets are properly used .

They just about only return home to sleep, nay, they spent their days not returning home but sleep in the castles nap room, and once they wake up they would tackle their work immediately . There are those who have families . There are those who have children . There are those who were newly wed . The time they couldve spent with family . they cast those away and continued working . They turned their backs on their wives, dissatisfied with their putting priority on work . They turned their backs on the faces of their children, lonely from their not playing with them . They turned their backs on their new wives earnestly worrying for them . This is the time, they said as they eagerly worked .

Solely in order to save this country from bankruptcy .

Solely in order to protect their loved ones living in this country .

Right now, I was sitting on the throne, lording over them . The color of my face was probably not too different to theirs . Unlike them, my unused consciousnesses could take turns resting, but even so, because of my workload that was five times the norm I feel like my soul had been worn down, not to mention my body . I practically havent had any proper rest since the date at the Royal Capital .

Everyone, you have a good look on your faces

As I stood up, I calmly addressed them all . I then stepped down to them and rested my hand on a skinny man .

A good expression, like a ghoul with hollow eyes

[]

I know that you all spared your sleeping hours, that you fought with numbers all day long, that you shrugged your loved ones off and came to the castle these past days . You all are precisely the ones who are fit to be our countrys treasure! Be proud! For every bit of your souls you scraped away, that many of our countrys people was saved!

[UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!!]

These lanky and pale people whom anyone can see to be indoor-type people, raised war cries like barbarians and stood up all at once . They raised their fists and clamored [King Soma! King Soma] . I waited for their fervor to settle down a little and continued my speech .

We were able to secure funds thanks to your labors . Now the project [Veneti Nova] can begin in earnest . The complete settlement of the countrys food problems is the dawn of this project . This was all because of you performing your duties, restoring the economy that was in dire straits, and raising funds! On behalf of the people, allow me to thank you!

[King Soma!] [King Soma!]

You have all done a thankless task for the country! This was not the kind of job that would go down in history . Even so, you have all saved more lives than a hero saving the day on a battlefield . For that, I, Soma Kazuya, will remember you for all my life! It is you who are the nameless heroes!

[Glory to King Soma!]

[Glory to King Soma and to Elfrieden!]

You all did a job well done, and so you must be rewarded . I will give you five days off starting tomorrow! Go back to your families, rest your bodies and restore your strength!

[UUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!]

That was the loudest cheer today . I know that feeling . They were all starved for rest . Sorry for doing black business .

TN: Employee abuse

I would normally have given you bonuses, but using the money you painstakingly raised would be putting the cart before the horse . I deeply apologize

[ . . ]

In return, I have consulted with the prime minister and would allow you to take one bottle each of the finest liqueur from the castles wine cellars! Raise a toast, or sell it for money! Do whatever you like!

[UUOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH! King Soma! King Soma!]

I smiled in satisfaction seeing the bureaucrats explode in joy . However, only Liecia who was watching the outcome next to me was .

[ . ]

being creeped out by the scene .

Soma you must be tired

Not gonna deny that

Upon returning to the government office, Liecia thoughtfully said so to me . Yeah, well that tension was really something . Thinking back, I only got through it by some chance .

Ive been working until close to dawn . I was going to turn to ash from lack of sleep

I answered, laying down as usual on my exclusive use bed laid down on a corner of the government office . Hakuya kept saying It doesnt need to be luxurious but please get a room for yourself . Its strange for a countrys representative to sleep in the government office until hes blue in the face, but I dont want to lose the convenience of being able to work straight after getting up, so I left it as is . I would probably sleep here at least until the political situation calms down a bit .

Liecia sat down on the bed next to where I was laying down to sleep . A pair of smallish well-shaped buttocks suddenly appeared before my eyes so I spontaneously turned away . Liecia was wearing a military uniform straight out of [Rose of Versailles] (with snug-fitting panties underneath), so her waistline was clearly visible . Which reminds be, for being a princess I dont recall ever seeing her in a dress . The fact that because I received the crown she couldnt get the throne and her status becoming up in the air probably had something to do with it .

You made your consciousness take turns resting didnt you?

Eh, ah I guess . But I was just about able to gather a little more of the needed budget for the grand project so I made my consciousnesses work in full swing

As I said that much, Liecia sighed .

I know you work hard, but please dont make me worry

You were worrying?

Of course I was . Theres no replacing you

If it comes to that you can just summon someone else as a hero, right?

You idiot! Dont say anything more or youre getting a slapping

I turned my head suddenly to face Liecia . As I looked up I saw Liecia getting seriously angry .

If we summoned another hero, that person wouldnt be Soma . I want Soma

O, kay

Remember this . I want Soma to be king . I dont want any other king . If father told you to return the throne Ill fight him for you

She said something amazing so seriously I could only nod . I somehow caught a glimpse of the Gutsy Mother in her . Seems like shes going to be a good bride . The fact that I was a husband candidate still didnt exactly register with me, though . For now, Liecia seemed to assent to my reaction .

TN: a late 60s TV series

So? You said something about budgets . what are you using it for?

Ah, I was thinking Id build a town for now

Town?

I asked Liecia to fetch me a map of the country from my work desk and pointed at the joint of the letter that this countrys territory resembles .

Ill build a bay town here . Meanwhile, Ill be proceeding with road constructions . If I could maintain transport routes from the bay town to every other place I could control both maritime and land transportation . This should smooth out the circulation of goods . Honestly, I dont get why you didnt use such a good location . If things were more peaceful Id have wanted to put the capital there

If things were peaceful?

Port towns are vulnerable to bombardment, right?

Ah

The capital relocation has to wait until things get more peaceful than it is currently . Anyway, northeast of it there was one of the three dukes, the Navy Admiral Ecksel Walters duchys port town [Lagoon City] . Right now it is the countrys biggest trading port but at the same time it was a naval base, with battleship docks . It was bad balance, with ports where goods from all over the world go coexisting with the naval base where secrecy is needed . Trading tends to get stopped whenever theres an emergency .

With that in mind, building of a new town with a trading port becomes urgent business .

This bay town will be the countrys heart, and the transport routes will be its veins . If circulation is smooth then if the north has a shortage of some goods, it can be transported from places in the south that has it in excess . Do you know what this means?

Umm you make a killing by buying up goods where the prices have gone down because of oversupply and resell it where prices have hiked because of high demand I guess?

Liecia, what are you, a merchant?

I was wrong?

Why are you ripping off the people we want to enrich

Well if this was [Tai Risshiden] or if we were talking foreign trade she would be correct .

However, since were talking domestic trade, we have to think like a country rather than individuals .

TN: Taikou Risshiden

Sure, there will initially be merchants making a killing doing that, but eventually the shortage of goods will decrease, the balance between supply and demand will be restored, and the high prices will gradually drop . This way, prices all throughout the country will even out, which means

You can buy things that were previously too expensive to get your hands on?

I nodded, satisfied with Liecias answer .

Right now, the thing in highest demand in this country is foodstuffs . Its urgent to maintain distribution routes in order to ensure a steady supply of it . In addition, over half of this countrys border is on the sea . We have marine products in abundance . If we can take that inland we can solve the food problem in one go

We can take salted and dried stuff even now, cant we?

Okay, so you want to eat salted and dried foods every time you eat? I know Ill get tired of it

Well . I see

Dried mackerel and stuff do taste good but I dont think I want to eat it all the time . Since its salted (and its the salt that has antibacterial properties) one cant change the taste if one gets tired of it . In the first place, theres not much else to do to quick-spoiling fish than drying it . Which is exactly why its important to be able to bring raw fish inland as soon as possible .

And thats what the transportation network is for, right

Thats right . . well then

I rolled over to sleep on the bed and closed my eyes .

Get a little sleep . Lets go to the planned town construction area together when you get up . Ludwins gone ahead and began advance work already, . got to go and pay him a visit

All right . Good night Soma

Yeah, goodni . !?

I felt something warm and soft on my cheek . When I opened my eyes in surprise I only saw the back of Liecia who was running outside . Ah s, so this is a goodnight kiss I, I guess . I suppose its not strange in a western-type place . Cant be helped then . My hearts getting this restless because I dont go out with girls much, theres got to be a limit to being unimmunized . Yeah, Ill be fine, its normal, its normal . Nothing special . Even Liecia probably did it casually . No deep meaning to it . Probably . Maybe .

TN: Theres got to be a limit to being in denial

.

It should go without saying that I couldnt get a wink of sleep in the end .