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.