Genjitsushugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

There wasnt much point in our continuing this discussion outside, so we relocated to inside the workshop.

In addition to those who had been in the workshop before, this time Aisha came inside, too, as a bodyguard.

Having seen him swing that cudgel around, that Kuu kid was pretty experienced. That was why, in preparation for the unlikely event that things went badly, I wanted Aisha at our side.

While drinking the coffee Taru provided, I explained to Kuu my request to this workshop.

...And, well, thats the gist of it, I finished at last.

There were medical reforms underway in the Kingdom of Friedonia, in the future there would be a shortage of medical equipment, and we were going to need to get the craftspeople in this country to mass-produce that equipment for us to import. We would also need to secure permission from the government so the medical equipment wouldnt be misunderstood as weapons when exported.

Because Kuu was the son of their head of state, and it was unclear if the two countries could form cordial ties, I was hesitant to show too much of my hand. But I had already discussed all of this with Taru, so I decided we couldnt trick him.

Incidentally, when I tried taking a formal tone in the discussions...

Lets do away with all the stuffy formality! he declared cheerfully. Yeah, Im the son of our head of state, but we dont know if the Council of Chiefs will let me inherit the position. Having people get all polite with me just makes my butt feel all itchy.

So I opted to talk casually with him. He was awfully open, considering his position, but, well, who was I to talk?

Hearing what I had to say, Kuu thought for a moment, then let out a sigh. Whew... Medical reforms, huh... Thats awesome. Is that what our neighbors doing? We dont get much news from outside around here. Our access to news is so bad we have to get our information about what happens at the end and beginning of the year from the merchants who come in the summer. Like, we only heard the Elfrieden Kingdom had absorbed the Principality of Amidonia to become the Kingdom of Friedonia after the snow melted.

Oh, he was right, that might be a bit slow.

The annexation of Amidonia had taken place from late fall to early winter last year. If he was saying the information hadnt reached here until the spring of this year then yeah, that was pretty bad. It just showed how intense the snow was in this region. Maybe it was like having the evening edition and morning edition of the paper arrive at the same time.

From what I hear, the king who was installed next door is pretty young, yeah? Kuu added.

Hell be twenty this year, I said.

Oh, but by the reckoning of this worlds calendar, I was twenty already, right? Well...whatever.

When he heard the (provisional) king was twenty, Kuu let out an abrasively loud laugh. Twenty, huh! Ill be sixteen this year, so hes not much older than me!

Isnt a four-year gap between humans and beastmen pretty big?

Back when I was entering my first year of high school, this guy still would have been in elementary school, wouldnt he?

Nah. Kuu shook his head with a laugh. Its a rounding error, nothing more. If its just four years, thats still well within my strike zone.

What are you talking about?!

Women, of course, he said. Im down with anything from twelve to thirty.

I dont care! Youre not laying a hand on Tomoe, got it?

Thats a darn sha Ow! Hey, Taru, dont hit me with that thing.

Taru had whacked Kuu in the head with the tray she had used to bring in the coffee. It made a pretty loud bong sound. This girl didnt hold back when taking shots at the son of their head of state.

Taru held on to the tray and snorted. Dumb master, your vulgarity shames our country. You ought to work on fixing that.

Y-Yeah, shes right, said the bunny-eared girl, Leporina. I-Isnt your father always getting upset with you over it? For a start, you keep acting like youre loose with women, but youre not actually okay with just anybody, right? Pretending to have feelings for other women just to get the one youre interested in to pay attention is Ow, ow ow! Dont pull my ears!

Its because you keep running your mouth! Kuu shouted.

Ahhh, I think that exchange told me a little about who Kuu is as a person.

So that was it... If he was going to turn sixteen this year, that meant he was fifteen now. By the reckoning of my old world, hed be in his third and final year of middle school. When I remembered what I was like at that age, I felt like I could understand how he was acting.

I would be spinning my wheels with eagerness and self-consciousness, and when I came to my senses, Id often mistake the means for the end, and the means I chose often wouldnt even match the end I was pursuing.

Whats up, darlin? Why the frowny face? Roroa asked while I was indulging in sentimentality.

No, its just, I was looking at how Kuu was acting, and I saw a bit of myself in him...

Hm? Ya did?

Hee hee. Grandmother told me men are like that, Juna said with a smile full of charm, and I could offer no rebuttal.

Then, to mask his awkwardness, Kuu cleared his throat loudly and got back on topic.

So, whats the young king like? I hear he annexed Amidonia not long after he got into power, so is he that great a warrior?

No, its nothing like that, I said. He didnt absorb Amidonia because he wanted to, the flow of events just made it a necessity...or so I hear.

Hmm... It was hard explaining myself while pretending not to be me.

But, well, even if the king himself isnt a military man, hes assembled a talented group of subordinates, I added. Their support lets him keep the country going somehow, you could say.

Capable subordinates, huh... Thats something to be envied. The only person I get to order around now is Leporina. I wanna hurry up and get some house vassals for myself.

I-Im not your subordinate, Im your attendant, you know?! Dont order me around! Leporina protested, but Kuu wasnt even listening to her.

So? Kuu asked, looking straight into my eyes and trying to appraise me. Youre one of those capable subordinates that supports the king, are you?

Im just a merchant, you know...?

Oookyakya, lyings not good. Those medical reforms are sponsored by the king, right? The equipment for them isnt something a single merchant, let alone the young son of one who hasnt even inherited the business, can handle the negotiations for. Youre playing at being a merchant, but you really are acting according to the will of that king. Am I wrong?

...

Hed hit the nail on the head, so I couldnt come up with a good response. It looked like he didnt think I was the king himself, at least, but acting on the will of the king was equivalent to acting on my own will, so he wasnt wrong.

Taru had called him the dumb master, but he might be surprisingly sharp. If I underestimated him, I was going to get hurt.

What if I am? I asked. Would you call off this deal?

I wouldnt say that, he said. For our countrys part, mass-producing that medical equipment or whatever would be a new industry. Its just...theres one point that bothers me.

What would that be?

Honestly, dumb master, youre such a handful. Taru resignedly accepted. However, her white bear ears were twitching a little.

Could it be the snow bear races ears functioned similarly to the mystic wolf races tails? If so, despite how cold she presented herself to be, she may have been unexpectedly enthusiastic about it.

Well, anyway, the impromptu feast had been arranged.

The sun went down, and a large carpet in the great hall of the White Bird Inn was packed tightly with plates bearing various dishes. The majority of it was meat, meat, meat... A smorgasbord of meat dishes. The white eagle innkeeper was laying down another large plate with a new meat dish.

The white eagle race were, as the name suggested, eagle beastmen with wings on their backs, but their wings turned brown from the middle outward, so they didnt give off the impression of being angels. For the men, their faces were actual eagle faces, making them resemble the half-man, half-beast depictions of gods from ancient Egyptian murals.

While watching the innkeeper lay out the food, I talked to Kuu, who was beside me. Im seeing an awful lot of meat dishes...

Thats how our feasts are. We generally butcher our livestock, then eat the meat.

This is party food, right? What is your normal diet like?

Aside from meat, we eat shellfish, fish, and dairy. We do have potatoes, but fruits and vegetables can only be harvested in parts of the north, so theyre rare and expensive.

Hmm...

If he was saying there was demand for vegetables, we could probably develop a trade route and export them here. Well, how were they getting their vitamin C and such? Id read in some manga that, long ago, sailors had suffered from scurvy due to vitamin C deficiency, and it was really hard on them.

You dont get sick from lack of vegetables? I asked.

Huh? Never heard of that happening. Like, we dont get sick much at all. We dont really have reason to be afraid of death by sickness. Were more afraid of death by freezing.

Hmm...

Did they have some special way of taking in those nutrients?

While I was thinking that, the preparations for the feast seemed to be completed. Present for the occasion were Aisha, Juna, Roroa, Tomoe, Hal, Kaede, and me from Friedonia, as well as Kuu, Taru, and Leporina from Turgis, for a total of ten people.

Something resembling wooden goblets were passed around, one to each of us.

When I looked, the goblet had a white liquid inside. Giving it a swirl, I could see it was just a little thick. Rather than milk, it seemed more like unrefined sake.

A mysterious white liquid...? I murmured.

This? Its our famous fermented milk, Kuu answered.

Fermented milk?

Its a drink made by fermenting snow yak (this was apparently a hairy cow-like animal that lived in this country) milk, so its fermented milk. Its got a strong taste, but once you get used to it, its good, yknow?

Fermentation... I murmured. If its yak milk, then...lactic acid bacteria?

Come to think of it, didnt lactic acid bacteria produce vitamin C? If I recalled, it was part of the fermentation process... I only vaguely remembered it, though. Could it be the people of this country were supplementing their otherwise insufficient intake of vitamin C with this drink?

That aside, once everyone had received their goblet, it was decided Kuu and I would offer a toast. With everyone gathered around, he and I stood up on our own.

Long-winded speeches before a feast are so uncouth. Thats why Ill keep this brief. With that said, Kuu turned to me, and raised his goblet. To our guests from Friedonia!

In response to those words, I raised my goblet to Kuu, too. To the people of Turgis!

I poured Kuu another drink. Kuu sipped at his drink this time, and then slapped his hand down to rest on my shoulder. What? Was he looking to argue with me? I was thinking that, but...

So, how is it, Kazuma?

How is what?

This country, I mean. You enjoying it?

I thought about that for a little bit before answering. Yeah. I think its a good country. There are hot springs, and the local dishes and fermented milk are delicious. You have capable craftspeople, too, so I think its an attractive country.

Oookyakya! Yeah, you bet it is. I love this country, too. Kuu let out another cackling laugh, then took on a more serious expression. I honestly... think its a good country, you know? We put our livestock out to pasture in the summer, and make excellent handicrafts indoors in the winter. Its cold, but the people huddle together to survive in this country. Therere some hardheaded old folks who seem bent on expanding to the north, though.

I was silent.

I had heard the Republic of Turgis had a national policy of northward expansionism. In fact, during the time our country had been shaken by internal issues and a conflict with the Principality of Amidonia, this country had massed troops on the border showing their intent to invade us. While there was no direct conflict between our nations, I was surprised to find someone in the Republic of Turgis who thought like Kuu.

Besides, even if we take land to the north, we cant hold it, Kuu continued, crossing his arms and nodding. In the outside world, air power like wyverns is the most effective, right? A cold land like ours isnt suited to breeding wyverns. Thats a plus when it makes it difficult for others to come to invade us, but its impossible to slice off part of a neighboring countrys territory without wyverns. No matter how hard we tried, wed take maybe a city or two at most. Besides, when winter came, the snow would shut down contact with the mainland, so it would be hard to maintain them.

His dumb behavior made it hard to see, but he had an incredibly precise grasp of his countrys situation. Talking to him, I felt a charisma that would draw people to him, too. If Kuu had been born into the royal family of a kingdom with a better territorial situation, he might have become a rare hero.

Kuu gulped down his fermented milk in one gulp again. Listen, Kazuma, I seriously think this country has its own way of becoming prosperous. We dont have to go north. This country has the underlying power to develop itself. Thats how I feel.

I feel like I understand, I said soberly.

You do, huh? he laughed. Im glad you get it! Heres hoping the negotiations between my old man and your king go well!

Yeah. Im sure... the meeting will be meaningful for both parties.

With that, we clacked our goblets together once more.

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