Intermission 1: The Black Robed One and the Little Sister General, Now Negotiating

—One day in the 2nd month, 1547th year, Continental Calendar
On this day, the pride of the Kingdom of Friedonia, the Black-robed
Prime Minister, AKA Hakuya Kwonmin, was holding a meeting with the
Gran Chaos Empire’s Little Sister Princess and commander of the great
armies, Jeanne Euphoria, over the Jewel Voice Broadcast using simple
receivers. In negotiations between the Kingdom and Empire, any matters
deemed not important enough for King Souma and Empress Maria to hold
direct meetings over were generally handled by these two.
Today, the meeting began with an apology from Jeanne.
“Sir Hakuya, first, allow me to apologize for the delay in selecting the
Empire’s ambassador to Friedonia.” She went on, “There is no one who
seems especially fit for the post, you see. If we’re looking for someone
trustworthy enough that we can reveal our secret pact to them, yet able to
see the Kingdom as an equal partner in the alliance, it’s just not easy...”
“The general opinion is that our country is not fit to be called your
equal, you’re saying?” Hakuya asked.
“If I’ve offended you, I apologize.”
“Not at all. It’s a matter of fact that there is a clear difference in strength
between our country and the Empire, after all.”
“It goes without saying, both my sister and I are relying on the kingdom,
Sir Souma, and yourself.” Jeanne smiled.
Hakuya gave a forced laugh. “I think that is clearly overestimating us.”
“Is it really? When it comes to our vassals... I think they’ve been
prejudiced by coming from a country that’s swelled to be too large. Far too
many of them have confused landmass with the power and dignity of a
country.”
“Did you consider that they might not be entirely wrong?” Hakuya
asked.
The more land a country had, the greater its population. Increases in
land and population could be tied directly to gains in production capacity.
The country’s production capacity was directly linked to its military
prowess.
But Jeanne shook her head. “It’s far from correct. Do you think Sir
Souma would say such a thing?”
“...He wouldn’t, no. The thing His Majesty seeks most is ‘people.’” With
a slightly pensive look on his face, Hakuya continued. “Before, when I
asked His Majesty, ‘What led you to make gathering personnel your first
priority?’ he told me this: ‘The people are your moat, your stone walls, and
your castle.’”
“‘The people are your moat, your stone walls, and your castle’... I see.
It’s a good saying.” Jeanne gave an approving grunt.
Hakuya said, “Well, it’s not something His Majesty came up with
himself. They were apparently the words of a military strategist in the world
he came from.” He was spilling the beans about the source, but in his heart
he could understand why Jeanne had grunted like she did.
Souma had also said this: “That was said by someone who actually
existed in my world, a daimyou... That’s a word that means someone who
was a capable military strategist and a feudal lord, just so you know. At
around that time, the political thinker Machiavelli was saying the same sort
of thing in a land far to the west. That in times of peace, it’s better to tear
down walls, that is.
“Walls are only useful in peacetime when the people rise against you. If
you rely on walls and rule with cruelty, the people will turn on you, and
they will invite foreign powers into your land. So a prince is safer not to
build walls but to win the people to his side instead, apparently. It’s
interesting that there were people in the East and West saying roughly the
same thing at the same time in history.”
Souma had laughed, but his words left a strong impression on Hakuya. It
was very much the sort of thing that Souma, who took lessons from history
to inform his policies, would say. Because Souma had learned from the
words of the ancients, he had gathered a diverse group with many “gifts,”
and that included Hakuya.
Jeanne nodded. “My sister said something similar, too. ‘The people are
the foundation of the country.’”
“It seems we both serve good masters.”
“Though, in my case, she’s also a relative... I do think she’s a good
master, though. Even if she can be a bit unreliable at times.”
When he saw the wry smile on Jeanne’s face, Hakuya recalled his own
master who normally focused on efficiency, but never threw away his
compassion for those close to him. He sometimes thought it inefficient, and
it could be frustrating to deal with at times, but he strangely did not find
himself wanting to make him abandon that compassion.
“I more or less feel the same way...” Hakuya said. “It’s our job to
support them when that happens.”
“You’re right about that. Now, let’s get down to business.”
The negotiations started.
Jeanne began. “Now... I believe we were to discuss trading our wheat for
your seasonings—soy sauce, miso, and the like. We have no issue with that.
My sister is quite fond of that seasoning you call ‘soy sauce.’ It goes really
well with fish dishes.”
“It goes well with meat dishes, too,” Hakuya said. “Let me teach you
some simple recipes.”
“I’d be grateful for that. Now, you want wheat in exchange, but I was
led to believe that your food crisis had been resolved, hadn’t it?”
“That is correct, but we still have some uncertainties about our surplus.
We want to import food in case this year’s harvest is poor.”
“I understand. ...By the way, we would like to make those seasonings
ourselves eventually. Could I ask you to dispatch some tradespeople?”
“The mystic wolves still have a monopoly on sales within the country,
so... it would depend on what compensation you were offering,” Hakuya
said.
“I can understand that. How about the method for mixing a special
compost that increases crop productivity?”
“I believe that would do. I think I will run that by His Majesty and get
permission.”
“Next... Following the example of the Kingdom’s Jewel Voice
Broadcast, we tried producing programs here in the Empire, too.”
“Hmm... How did that work out for you?”
“The singing programs and such were mostly well-received, but I never
would have thought the most popular one would be a program that follows
what my sister did during the day. I have no idea what’s supposed to be
interesting about that...”
“Well, they do call her a saint, after all,” said Hakuya. “I’m sure Madam
Maria must be loved as much as the Prima Lorelei is in our nation.”
“For all that her personal life is a mess, she does have a pretty face, at
least,” Jeanne conceded. “I’ll give my sister that.”
“I don’t know if it’s only her face... but her sister Madam Jeanne is
beautiful, too, after all.”
“...I would never have expected such flattery to come from your mouth,
Sir Hakuya.”
“Hm? I don’t flatter people at the negotiating table, you know,” Hakuya
said.
“Ohh...”
“Hm?”
—Ten minutes later.
“Um, about Sir Souma. Is he, perhaps, already developing some
interesting technology of the sort we would never imagine?”
“...Now, I wonder about that,” Hakuya said.
“Hee hee. We can pay a considerable sum, so could you perhaps release
even a small part of the details to us?”
“Well... if you would reveal to us how the Empire’s main force, the
griffon squadrons, raise and train their mounts, as well as give us a number
of breeding pairs, I could consider it.”
“Ohh, that’s not happening,” Jeanne said with a broad smile.
“In that case, please give up,” Hakuya responded with a grin.
““Hee hee hee.””
From there on, the negotiations went smoothly, keeping that relaxed (?)
atmosphere.
Normally, negotiations were carried out with stubborn haggling, each
side digging in their heels to get the most beneficial deal for their own
country. However, Hakuya and Jeanne were both sharp, and they both knew
where the point of compromise lay from the beginning, so it was just a
matter of trading ideas until they arrived at that point. Because of that, thirty
minutes after negotiations began, the vast majority of matters were already
settled.
With the negotiations finished...
“Whew,” Jeanne let out a sigh. “When I negotiate with you, things
always go so smoothly. Though it does mean I can’t let my guard down for
a moment... I wish the hardheaded folks around here could learn a thing or
two from your example.”
“I agree, but... it’s really a matter of who I’m talking to. If you didn’t
have the ability to spot points of compromise, and weren’t such a
trustworthy and reliable partner, it wouldn’t go like this.”
“That’s very true... Well, shall we put on some tea?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
They each stood up, beginning to prepare tea for themselves.
For these two very busy people, their meetings were scheduled to be an
hour long and no longer. However, because their negotiations went so
smoothly, they almost never used up all of the time allotted. So, at some
point, it had become their custom to enjoy tea together, talk about recent
happenings, and gripe about their respective masters.
Though it was being done over a simple receiver, the two of them very
much enjoyed this time together.
Jeanne had a sip of tea and took a moment to relax. “Whew... About the
ambassador thing, I wish I could have gone myself. If I had, I could have
seen you in person without the screen between us, and we could have had
wine instead of tea...”
“I don’t hold my alcohol that well,” Hakuya replied with a wry smile.
“Though it’s not like I can’t drink at all...”
“Oh, now that’s a surprise.”
“The alcohol goes to my head quickly,” he explained. “Once I’ve had
two glasses, I’m out like a light in no time.”
“Hee hee. If I had to, I could always nurse you when you did?”
“I’d feel pathetic, as a man, so I’d rather you not have to do that.”
“Ahaha... Haha...” Jeanne’s smile gradually shrank. “Well... I say that,
but it’s not like I can leave the Empire. I have my duties; and besides,
without me here, my sister would truly be all alone.”
“...How can she be alone?” Hakuya asked. “Surely there are more
capable people in the Empire than there are stars in the sky.”
“That’s not how I meant it. There’s a difference between retainers and
family.”
Jeanne lowered her eyes, the discussion clearly paining her.
“My sister is working her hardest to carry the empire our father left to
her. She has many retainers who swear loyalty to her. However, they can
offer my sister no comfort. Normally, that would be the duty of us, her
family, but I’m busy with my duties, and our youngest sister is an
eccentric... Well, let’s just say I can’t count on her to do much in that
regard. I think I ought to find her a husband that will marry into our family;
but the throne casts a long shadow, and only men of ambition will approach
her. Even if a man of no ambition were to try to approach my sister, the
ambitious ones would simply get in his way, I’m sure...”
Hakuya was silent.
The empress’ solitude. When he heard that, Hakuya thought of his own
master. Of Souma, who, when he wasn’t preoccupied with politics, spent
his time surrounded by his four fiancées and his honorary little sister, not
caring one whit about keeping up a dignified appearance.
When Hakuya saw him acting so un-regal, many times he had
complained, “Your vassals are looking. I know this is your private time, but
please, get it together a little more;” but perhaps it was important for Souma
to have that time. To keep himself from falling into solitude.
When that thought occurred to him, Hakuya smiled a little.
“Hm? What is it, Sir Hakuya?”
When Jeanne asked him that suspiciously, Hakuya gave a big shake of
his head and responded. “No... I was just thinking that, surprisingly, it may
take just one feeling to fill in that solitude.”
After that, their pleasant time together continued for a little while longer.

Chapter end