「… … 『Although it might trouble you, but please help me』… …」

Erica sighed, and absent-mindedly tossed the letter onto the office table. 「Her highness told me to pa.s.s this to you」, Kouta said and handed overia handwritten letter of apology. If they were a house that valued protocol and etiquette, theiletter becoming a family heirloom would not be impossible.

「That child truly is naïve. Not knowing how dangerous it is to owe a 『n.o.ble』 a favour… … That makes sense. She only acts spoiled when it's with me… … Sigh …. … 」

She smiled helplessly. Liz is the queen of Flame. She should know about these things… … Yet her sending this letter showed how much she trusted her sister Erica. Erica was really happy about this. Anyone would love their own sister, and this feeling was only amplified by the distance between them.

「No matter how old she is, she won't change, huh. Well this being a good or a bad thing… 」

Erica immersed herself in nostalgia for a while, and finally picked up an income and expenditure report. She looked at the column of recently written 「negative symbols」, and sighed.

「… … Losses, huh. It can't be helped. The weather has been awful lately. 」

She tossed the doc.u.ment onto the table, and slumped into the chair. While she was rubbing her tired eyes, someone knocked at the office door.

「Erica-sama. 」

The door was slowly pushed open. Erica's eyes met with a pair of dark eyes. Erica shrugged her shoulders, and revealed a curious expression.

「Don't you think that opening the door without receiving a reply makes knocking meaningless, Emily? 」

「That may be true, Erica-sama. However, the door was already open when I came. 」

「That's weird. Is that so? 」

「Yes. If you wish to not be seen by others, please at the very least, close the door. 」

「Sorry. However, this isn't something that couldn't be seen by others. You want to take a look? 」

Erica handed the doc.u.ment to Emily. She glanced through the doc.u.ment and her normally emotionless face slightly darkened.

「Losses again? 」

「Yes. It's bad, right? Laughable, right? 」

「… … It's not your fault. 」

「Thank you. Even if it's only you consoling me, I'm happy. 」

「It's not a consolation. Even if it's ruled by a n.o.ble family from Flame… … no, from the entire Orkena continent, the end result is always the same. The coastal areas here have strong sea winds with high salt that damages crops. Thus, the local crop produce is little. There aren't any tourism destinations here in Rond de Terra, nor are there any special produce, us having such comparatively low losses are thanks to your kindness. 」

Erica smiled bitterly in response to Emily's clumsy reply. If only kindness could make the region prosper, she would do anything she could to achieve it, no matter how hard it may be… …But Erica could not voice those words to her.

「… … Thank you, Emily. So? You came here just to comfort me? 」

「I almost forgot. Dinner has been prepared, but… … would you like to have it here? 」

Emily glanced at the doc.u.ments next to Erica, and kindly gave her a suggestion. Her action was clearly made in consideration to her Lord that was busy with work. However, Erica shook her head.

「It's okay. Since Kouta has just arrived as our guest, I shall have my dinner in the hall. 」

「Are you sure? 」

「It is not as if I am so busy that I can't even take time to show some respect to our guest. 」

「I understand. Then, please proceed to the dining hall. 」

Emily nodded towards Erica who began to separate herself from the table.

「Let's go. Let's hear what stories our 『hero』 from another world has in store for us. 」

Erica stood up, and took her hat. Emily looked as if she wanted to say something, but she kept quiet. Wearing that hat even to dinner, that level of persistence was to be respected.

「Ah, Miss Erica. 」

「Oh? You were waiting for me? It's fine for you to dine first. 」

As, Erica entered the room, Kouta hurriedly stood up from his seat. Erica stopped him, and took a seat directly opposite him.

「No… … Eating first before the host is very disrespectful. 」

「You don't have to be so formal. Please relax. 」

「This isn't formality… … Politeness and formalities are two different things. 」

「That is a very good att.i.tude. Is this your home country… … your 『world's』 etiquette? 」

Hearing this, Kouta looked at Erica with a shocked expression… … To be precise, he was looking at Emily who was standing behind Erica. Noticing his reaction Erica nodded and said;

「Please relax. Emily already knows of your ident.i.ty. 」

「… … Is it really okay? I'm sorry if I sounded rude. 」

「That's… … At the very least I believe it is okay. I trust her. 」

「I wouldn't dare. 」

Emily nodded her head in agreement. Kouta straightened his posture in his seat.

「If that's the case, then I have nothing more to add. Although it may feel weird for me to say this, but I believe what I did does not count as a formality. People would wait for others, wouldn't they? 」

At that moment, Emily brought in food for two people. Even though they didn't look expensive, but the ingredients that were used were top notch. Erica knew that it would be disrespectful, but she wolfed down the food as she periodically glanced at Kouta. She sighed.

「Umm… …」

「… … What is it? Is there something wrong? 」

Kouta was surprised by the sounds and looked over at her. She hurriedly shook her head, and continued;

「Sorry. Your table manners were exceptional, so I was surprised. 」

「… … Ah, I almost forgot. Do my table manners fit in with the culture here? 」

「It may be slightly different, but it's quite polite. At the very least it doesn't look weird at first glance. Did you learn them from her majesty? 」

「No, I learnt them while I was in training. 」

「Training? 」

「Where I worked, they would teach us about these table manners. Because we didn't know where, when nor who we would be dining with in the future, we learned about these things beforehand to avoid any embarra.s.sment. 」

「Oh? 」

「… … The thing is, after going through the training, I never partic.i.p.ated in any occasions where such formalities were required. Knowing that my skills haven't rusted is a relief. 」

Kouta smiled, but his smile carried a hint of loneliness.

「… … Apart from table manners, there are also quite a few differences. 」

「… … I apologise. 」

「Eh? Ah, no! I didn't mean that! I'm sorry I said something weird! I just thought that 『there are indeed quite a few differences between this world and mine』 after reading the books. … … Ah, now that you mention it. Thank you very much for lending me the book! 」

Kouta's fl.u.s.tered expression was funny and made Erica laugh.

「You really like to apologise, don't you? I told you before, you can be a bit more hard-headed, you know? 」

Hearing the other person keep apologising made Erica feel a bit awkward. Because, in reality, the side that was in the wrong was Erica… … To be exact, it was the Flame Kingdom that was in the wrong.

「Sorry. 」

「See? 」

「Ah… … Umm, it kind of became a habit…… Normal people from my country are all like this. 」

「Apologising becomes a social norm? That is quite an interesting… … weird country. 」

「It's not exactly apologising… … It would be more fitting to say that the people don't prefer to speak what's in their hearts, or would refrain from speaking what they think depending on the occasion. 」

「… … You mean, it's a country full of hypocrisy? 」

「Is there a country in the world without any hypocrisy? 」

It is the truth. Hypocrisy is the basis of diplomacy.

「That is true… … You understand the Flame language? Although realizing this now seems weird, but you do understand it, don't you? Perhaps the story of you coming 『from another world』 is a lie? 」

「I can't show you any proof, so I can only tell you 『please believe me』… … 『Understand』 is not that correct. To be honest, it's more like of 『I know what it means when I read it』. 」

「… … That's… …. How should I put it… … It's quite convenient. 」

「Yep. To be honest, I have no idea why it's like this… … But since it would be quite inconvenient if I couldn't speak the local language, there should be no problem if it's this way. 」

「That's true. If it's something bad, we should investigate it. But since it's good, it's okay if we leave it as it is, right? 」

「It should be investigated even if it's good. Even so, if it's something we can't explain then we can't do much about it. 」

「Then let's leave it at that. So? Did you learn more about our Flame Kingdom? 」

「Hmm… … 」

Kouta slightly lifted his head and stared off into the distance.

「The Flame Kingdom is a const.i.tutional monarchy established during the 『Great Dissolution of the Empire』 that occurred during the reign of the Flame Empire's fifth emperor, Emperor Dietrich. And because the Kings that succeeded the Empire are all direct descendents of the Emperors - the Flame family, the Kingdom was given names such as 『the True Successor of the Flame Empire』 and 『the Millennium Kingdom』. The capital is Rarkia. It was also the capital of the Flame Empire, and houses many old medieval Orkena era buildings. Thus, it is also hailed as the 『Old Capital』.

The official language is Flame, but many managers of various inns and eateries in Flame can speak the common Orkena tongue. As such, those who can only speak Orkena are also able to survive in Flame. Furthurmore, since Flame as a language was derived from Orkena, and there are many similarities between them, using Orkena is sufficient to get an idea across in Flame, as long as the idea isn't too specific.

The forms of currency are platinum, gold, silver and bronze coins. 1 platinum coin is equivalent to 2 gold coins, 1 gold coin to 5 silver coins, and 1 silver coin to 10 bronze coins. The common Rarkian family of 4 approximately will use about 300 to 400 platinum coins, but the figure may differ if you take into account where they live. The cost of living is slightly higher than other countries.

In terms of security, large cities such as Rarkia, Tidan, Lola, and Wendeska house the headquarters of the Royal Guards. As such, the security is quite good. However, there are also some unlawful thugs in the dark alleys, so one should be more careful… … So, how did I do? 」

Erica was frozen in shock.

「… … Wow… …」

She finally coughed up a syllable after a moment of being in stupor.

「This is common knowledge that must be learnt. 」

「… … Let me ask you a question… … What places are there in Flame that must be visited? 」

「If you're visiting Flame, then staying at the old capital Rarkia is a must. Not only is it the origin of the Orkena culture, various historical structures such as the Flame Empire Academy's Great Hall, the Great Church of Rarkia, and the St. George's Church of Rarkia have been maintained. Furthermore, if you depart from Rarkia via high speed carriages, it would take around a day to reach the cultural centre, Tidan in the north. There, we can experience the exotic Tidan culture that is different from the Orkena culture. For those who are tired of sightseeing, I would recommend the city of Lola in the south. Lola is the only city in Flame where open gambling is legal, second only to the casinos in the Dukedom of Pa.r.s.ena. How about taking the chance to escape reality in Lola, the city that never sleeps? 」

「That was perfect. How did you remember everything so clearly? 」

「Thanks for the compliment, but what book is this? 『Travelling in Orkena: Flame Kingdom』 … … Is this a travel magazine? 」

「It is the most recent bestselling book though? You did learn about our history, geography and culture, right? 」

「That may be true. On the other hand, about this place, Rond de Terra… …」

「『Terra』. 『Rond de Terra』 is too long. People usually shorten it to just Terra. 」

「Does Terra have any special local products… … or any famous tourist destinations or anything like those? Just now, while I was in the carriage, I was told 『there's nothing special there』 by the lady who went along with me. However, if what she said was false, I was hoping that I could visit some of those places… …」

Once she heard Kouta's question, Erica's face darkened. After all, this matter was what she was worrying about.

「… … I did tell you that the book is the latest bestselling travel magazine, right? 」

「… … I see. 」

Her underlying message was, 「there's nothing special here, so it's not mentioned in the magazine」. Kouta understood the message. Erica seemed slightly unhappy.

「… … Since it's come to this, let me tell you. Terra does not have any special local products, nor are there any tourist destinations. This town is built facing the sea. There are little flat plains and the sea wind make crops hard to grow. To be honest, there's little charm to this place. Even though I am able to rule this land due to my status as the Queen's elder sister, the earnings that I get is less than those of barons and viscounts. So, I am very sorry to tell you that living an overly-extravagant lifestyle here is near impossible. I apologise… … However, I a.s.sure that we will be able to provide you 3 meals plus an afternoon nap. Again, I apologise. 」

Erica showed Kouta a faint smile. For these type of things, the more you talk about it, the more saddening it became.

「… … A reply would be nice. 」

「… … Umm… … How should I say this… …」

Kouta stared off into s.p.a.ce.

「The a.s.surance of 3 meals and an afternoon naps is nice… … But what next? 」

「… …. 『Next』? 」

「… … Umm… … You're the lord of this land, aren't you? Do you have any plans to make this land more attractive? 」

Erica immediately sat up straight in her seat when she heard Kouta's question. From how she didn't immediately go into a fit of rage, it showed how she had a decent upbringing… … However, being able to accept such words was a different matter altogether. Although she was very upset inside, she managed to keep the smile on her face.

「… … I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch what you just said. Could you repeat that? 」

Erica lightly touched her hat, and calmly glared at Kouta with a gaze full of anger. At this moment, Emily decided to place herself between the two, blocking Erica's vision.

「Kouta-sama. 」

「Err… … Sorry, you're Miss Emily, right? 」

「I apologise for not introducing myself. I am the general caretaker appointed by the lord of Rond de Terra, Emily Notesfilt. 」

「Nice to meet you. I am Matsus.h.i.+ro Kouta. Please take care of me. 」

「Whether I would 『take care of you』 will depend on your reply… … Although I don't intend to repeat milady's words, but what did you mean when you asked that question? 」

「… … Question? 」

「『Do you have any plans to make this land more attractive?』」

Hearing Erica's reply, Kouta's eyes widened in surprise, and quickly bowed his head to apologise.

「… … I'm sorry for my rudeness. If I had offended you, I sincerely apologise. 」

「What does 『do you have any plans to make this land more attractive?』 mean? Furthermore, you even added 『you're the lord of this land, aren't you?』. Those words mean that milady, Erica Aurenfert Fan Flame, was not doing her duties as the lord, and does not have the qualities to rule this land. Are you insulting milady? 」

「No, I didn't mean that… … 」

Kouta scratched his head and bowed, apologising once more. His reaction made Emily even angrier.

「You don't have to apologise. Terra is a territory close to the sea, with blowing sea winds all year long. The sea winds harm the crops, so the annual harvest is little. Furthermore, this is a secluded fis.h.i.+ng village ever since the founding of Flame, and there are no tourist destinations that can attract tourists. Even under these conditions, Erica-sama has worked hard to protect and guide the people of Terra so they can live better lives. I, as the maid a.s.signed by the duke's house, will not tolerate anyone insulting milady, especially someone as ignorant as you. 」

Emily stopped, and suddenly bowed her head. Her medium length hair swayed along.

「… … I apologise. I have overstepped by bounds. 」

When something needed to be said, she would say it aloud; when an apology was warranted, she would bow her head to apologise. No matter how rude his words were, no matter how angry she was, the fact that he was a guest would not change. Emily judged that it would be overdoing it, and apologised.

「… … Managing a business requires skill, but there is something that is more important than skill. That is 『an undying will that burns like a raging flame』. 」

Emily who was in the process of lifting her head stopped. Then, she lifted her head again, and looked at Kouta with burning anger in her eyes.

「In my world, an entrepreneur who created one of the largest accounting firms in the world once said those words. It is also one of the problems that the people like me - those who work in the 『banking industry』 - must solve. In a way, large, medium-sized and small companies, and even family managed stores are all the same… … Of course, 『countries』 and 『territories』 are too. No matter how good the conditions of the territory are, no matter how rich it is in resources, if the ruler does not have the will, then all will be wasted and in vain. 」

He took a breath.

「… … As an entrepreneur, you didn't face these problems head on, but used the excuse of 『this is how this place is』 to justify your actions. That is not acceptable. 」

Kouta not being sent flying by a clenched fist was truly a miracle.

「Someone as ignorant as you are not qualified to speak such words! Erica-sama is the Queen's sister, a member of the royal family, and a duke. The stress she has suffered from managing Terra… … You dare to say you understand all of it? 」

「No. I do not understand. And because I did not understand, I said things that I should not have said out of 『habit』. For that, I apologise. 」

「If that is so, why didn't you end the conversation right there and then! 」

「You asked me, 『what did you mean by those words』, did you not? I admit that I misspoke at first, but someone asking for my opinion is another matter altogether. I was thinking, managing a territory has many problems, dangers and risks, but did you prepare any solutions to those problems? For example, you mentioned that the harvests were bad and there wasn't any profit. So why do still insist on doing it? From what you said, the crops can't grow well, right? If that's the case, why didn't you give up on agriculture? 」

「Do you intend to let the people starve! 」

「I do not. However, agriculture is very resource-consuming. Putting in so much effort, but the rewards are little… … In other words, it's an unfair trade. I would like to ask you instead, do you intend to let the people starve? Shut down the departments that do not bring in profit, give up on businesses that only bring in losses, this is the basics of basics of business management. Why did you not do so? 」

「… … How could I bear to do so? 」

Erica, who was silent till a moment ago, spoke. Kouta looked at her, urging her to go on.

「I, as the duke of Rond de Terra, am responsible for the lives of the people. As you said, agriculture is not easy here. I knew that even without you telling me. I also planned to open new businesses, do things that will bring profit, and promote policies that will make the people of Terra live easier lives. However, doing these things requires money. Commerce, industry, and other undertakings too… …No matter what I do, I need money. Furthermore, the current Terra does not have that much money. An undying will that burns like a raging flame? If that was all I needed to manage this territory, I would not hesitate to do so. 」

「You have a point. No matter how firm one's will is, in the end, he still has to act according to budget. However, Miss Erica, that is not what I wanted to talk about. 」

A glint of curiosity flickered in Erica's eyes that were full of anger. Under her gaze, Kouta's 「sleepy」 eyes sized up the dining hall, and finally stopped at one point.

「Let's take that painting as an example. I don't have much knowledge about art, but since it's displayed openly in a room used to receive guests, I would imagine that it has a very high price tag. Am I wrong, Miss Emily? 」

「It is a masterpiece drawn by a certain artist 200 years ago. To be honest, the price of the drawing is almost impossible to estimate. You could say that is has become the heir -」

「Sell it off. 」

「- loom of the House of… … Terra? W-what did you say? S-sell it? Y-you insolent… … Did you not hear what I said? That drawing is the duke house's heirloom! It is the gift presented to Erica-sama by the previous king of Flame himself! Y-you dare tell us to sell it off! 」

「So there is such a complicated story behind it? Good. Then it can be sold with an even higher price. 」

「That is a family heirloom! Do you intend to further insult the House of Terra! 」

「The house is deserving of the insults thrown at it. After all, it has no money. Ego, honour, perseverance, etc… … Are they able to feed an empty stomach? 」

「Y-you… …」

「Haunted by negative profits, but not taking any concrete actions… … To be exact, 『not able』 to take any concrete actions… … No matter how you look at it, you've far surpa.s.sed the point where you have the right to choose, you know? You should sell of all useless and non-essential a.s.sets. Although I have no idea how much it is worth, but at the very least it should cover some of your losses, right? A painting presented by the king? True, it is hard to sell off something like that. After all, it's a n.o.ble selling off their belongings for money. It's ugly, it's humiliating, it's embarra.s.sing, right? But, how would there be a reform without self-sacrifice? You don't want to be humiliated, but you want money. Do you think that these childish capricious att.i.tudes can make things better? If you want to achieve something, you must work hard for it. That is what I intend to say. Despite this, if you still want to be so selfish, if you still want to h.o.a.rd these useless a.s.sets even in your grave, would you still say, 『I've tried』? Miss Erica, can you really- 」

-say that you have 'an undying will that burns like a raging flame?

As he asked the question, he moved his gaze over to Erica. Their gazes met across the table.

「Like I said- 」

「Emily! 」

Emily wanted to retort Kouta's words, but was stopped by a short word of reproach by Erica.

「… … Kouta, that painting indeed cannot be let go so easily. 」

「Even though selling it would greatly improve your financial situation? 」

「Yes. You said that ego cannot feed empty stomachs. I agree with those words… … However, to us royals and n.o.bles, ego is an 』essential』 that cannot be ignored in order to maintain his or her 『territory』 and 『n.o.bility』. 」

「… … Is that so? Then, that drawing cannot be sold. 」

「Correct. 」

Erica nodded her head.

「… … However, if it's gems or paintings from my personal collection… … Those can be sold. 」

「E-Erica-sama! What are you saying, Erica-sama! You are the elder sister of the Queen of Flame! You are the closest relative of the Queen! As a person of such high status, how could you sell off your own collection of gems and paintings? How could you do this! 」

「Why can't I? It's as Kouta said, I'm currently not using these gems, plus, I don't really look at them often. They are basically… … What was it again? 『Non-essentials』? 」

「Useless and non-essential a.s.sets, right? 」

「Yes, that's it. If that's the case, then just sell them off. 」

「B-but! The royal family… … The House of Rond de Terra selling gems and paintings because they lack money? This… … Such humiliation… … How could you do something so humiliating! 」

「Emily… …」

「That's it! Erica-sama, weren't you working hard till now! 」

That is true. Erica really worked hard in the past.

She studiously learned knowledge in agriculture, hoping that this would help the people.

To prepare funds for the planting of wheat, she was even willing to bow down to her younger sister.

She wanted the situation in her territory to become better, so she worked hard day and night.

「Erica-sama, you couldn't possibly do these types of things that would let others talk ill of  you behind your back! 」

The image of the hard-working Erica in Emily's mind began to flicker. Hearing Emily words, Erica was happy, but she revealed an empty smile.

「Thank you, Emily. But… … There's no other choice. Kouta? 」

「… … What is it? 」

「If… … If we sold off my collection of gems and paintings… …」

Would Terra become better?

「No. 」

Kouta straightforwardly denied Erica's question.

「If it were that easy, then we wouldn't have to work so hard. For now, selling useless and non-essential a.s.sets can only provide us money temporarily. If we don't thoroughly change the income structure, it would be all for naught. Our funds will deplete sooner or later. If we decide to sell a.s.sets once more when we reach that point, all we would get in return is still money. Then, that amount of money would also get used up, and we will have to sell a.s.sets again. Sooner or later we would end up with nothing left to sell. 」

「In that case, we would be better off not selling anything! You dare to convince Erica-sama to- 」

「If we don't take any drastic measures, then we would be better not selling off anything. When we sell our a.s.sets, we would acquire money. Money is current a.s.sets, and can move from one place to another… … In other words, it can be used to create a new revenue department. 」

「… … If… … If we create the 『new revenue department』, would Terra become better? 」

「Hmm. If we make it the income centre, it is possible. Of course, I cannot guarantee it. 」

「… …Is that so. 」

Erica sighed.

「… … Then… … Can you lend us a hand, Kouta? 」

「Erica-sama! 」

「Emily, be quiet. We never thought of 『selling off gems and painting for money』 in the past, did we? 」

「Of course! Based on common sense, a n.o.ble selling off their belongings is- 」

「It is this 『n.o.ble's common sense』 that made Terra so poor. The status as a member of the royal family or a n.o.ble or whatever… … They're things that 』cannot fill empty stomachs』, right? 」

Erica's words silenced Emily. Erica looked at Kouta. The gaze in her eyes was full of resolve, and caused Kouta to sit straighter in his seat.

「… … I can't do this alone. Even with the help of Emily, it is still impossible. We need your help no matter what. Kouta, will you help us? 」

「The next step after this is just executing the operation. You don't really need my help for it. 」

「Don't be so modest. Plus, you're also responsible for this. 」

「I'm responsible? Is it because of me speaking nonsense? 」

「That's not it. Of course not. Listen well, Kouta. You-」

-Just ignited my 「willpower」.

「You have transformed it into 『an undying will that burns like a raging flame』. I am happy now, because Terra can be saved. I once thought Terra could not be saved no matter how much I try. But, now, it has a chance to be a better place. I am really excited, my heartbeat is quickening… …I really look forward to the future. For this, Kouta-」

-You must help me.

As a person holding the t.i.tle of 「duke', Erica had no need to bow her head. Seeing her lord's yielding appearance, Emily let out an inaudible wail. Kouta stared at the bowing figure of Erica.

「… … I should say this beforehand. Miss Erica, I, as a person- 」

-Really like hearing other people say 「I need your help」.

Erica looked up. Kouta's teasing reply and gaze, made her smile. And Kouta, who saw Erica's smile which was beautiful as a sunflower, smiled as well.

「Is that so… … Then please take care of me, 『Hero-sama』. 」

「Same here. 」

The duo shook hands.

Hi, Kei here.

Sorry for it being *late*. I judged that this is quite an important dialogue, so I decided not to cut it into smaller parts.

Thanks