Chapter 5: Weighing Nostalgia Against the Future (Part 2)

When I'd been summoned to this world, this country had been facing a large

number of problems. The food crisis, corrupt nobles acting against the state,

neighboring countries plotting to invade, how to deal with the Demon Lord, its

relationship with the Empire— the list had gone on.

However, I felt like the vast majority of those problems had been resolved now.

We had gotten through the food crisis somehow, and the domestic situation was

looking good. Our foreign enemies had been swept away, and when it came to the

Demon Lord, we had formed a secret alliance with the Empire to handle that matter

together. I had worked through all those problems one by one, and the last one left

was this refugee camp issue.

Outside the castle walls that surrounded Parnam, there was a village of refugees

that had drifted here from the north after the appearance of the Demon Lord's

Domain.

I called it a village, but it was really just a group of tents and hovels concentrated

in one place. Of the many races that made up the refugees, I had been able to lift up

the mystic wolves in the name of putting their special talents to use, but they only

made up a small percentage of the overall refugee population. Even now, many

refugees still lived in that refugee camp.

Technically, even when things had gotten chaotic, basic food relief had been

provided to them the whole time, but they couldn't stay like this much longer. There

were issues of hygiene, and if I supported them for too long, it was bound to create

friction with the people of this country.

If possible, I wanted the rest of them to choose to live as people of this country,

just like the mystic wolves had, but... it seemed that would be difficult. Their wish

was to return to their homelands. If they accepted citizenship in this country, that

would be the same as giving up on returning to their homeland.

To these people who wished for the threat of the Demon Lord's Domain to

someday be swept away, allowing them to return to their homelands, it was simply

not something they could accept. I had sent my vassals to the refugee camp a

number of times to negotiate, but they had always been rebuffed.

"We want to return to our homeland," they said. Or, "Let us remain here until that

time comes."

I understood how they felt when they said these things, so I couldn't be too firm

with them. However, there was no time left now.

"The chill of winter will only grow more harsh from here," I said. "If they stay in

crude tents and hovels, the weakest among them, the children and the elderly, will

be the first to freeze to death. Before that happens, I want to go there personally and

press them to make a decision."

"Sire..." said the elder.

"In order to do that, I'd like you to send a messenger to the refugee camp for me

first. Have the messenger tell them I'm coming. It's unlikely that chaos will break out

that way."

"I understand." The elder rose from his seat and then knelt on the floor, bowing

his head deeply to me. "We mystic wolves have already been saved by Your

Majesty's hand. If it is possible... we ask of you to save the rest of our fellows, as

well."

"Yeah... I plan to do everything I can to," I said as the elder ground his forehead

against the floor and beseeched me.

"How about you more clearly say, 'Leave it to me'?" Liscia said, but that seemed

like it would be taking the task on lightly.

"I'll try to persuade them, but... the one who'll make the final decision isn't me," I

explained. "They are the ones who should decide their own futures. Once I receive

that decision, that will decide how I'm going to deal with them. Even if that means

forcing them to see the harshness of reality."

"Souma..." Liscia had a worried look on her face, but there was no avoiding this.

Hopefully... they would look to their reality, not an ideal, when they made their

decision.

Heading outside the castle walls that surrounded Parnam, the refugee camp was

in a field about a hundred meters away. The tents and hovels were scattered around

haphazardly, and there were crude vegetable fields in some areas. This was where

the roughly eight hundred refugees were living.

There were various races here. Humans, elves, beastmen, and dwarves, too. That

was just how many countries had been laid waste by the Demon Lord's Domain and

how many peoples had been forced to flee.

They had set up camp here, and had been living a nearly primitive lifestyle,

sharing the resources and supplies the kingdom provided to them, then hunting and

gathering to make up for what they didn't have.

Normally, hunting and foraging required permission from the country, but the

former king, Albert, had left them to their own devices. I had continued that

approach after assuming the throne myself. I'd had a mountain of problems to deal

with other than the refugees, so my only choice had been to give them a bare

minimum of support while leaving them alone.

I couldn't, by any means, call what they had proper living conditions, but they

were at least receiving some support, which was better than nothing.

The situation for refugees on this continent was harsh. The only nations that

could afford to leave the refugees alone were countries like ours or the Empire,

which had some national power to spare. I'd heard that in countries bordering the

Demon Lord's Domain they were forcibly conscripted and sent to the front lines,

while other countries worked them like slaves as cheap labor in the mines under the

guise of sheltering the refugees.

That refugees were drifting to a country as far from the Demon Lord's Domain as

ours only showed that there was no safe haven for them anywhere else on this

continent.

I walked through that refugee camp, following after the young man the mystic

wolf elder had sent as my guide.

The scenery here reminded me of the slums from not too long ago. One look at

the state people were in was enough to make it clear how bad the sanitary

conditions were. Their clothing was tattered and their bodies were caked with dirt

and dust.

And yet, none of them had eyes that looked dead inside. Each and every one of

them had eyes filled with vitality.

"It's squalid, but... they all have this strange strength in their eyes," said Hilde,

who had been covering her nose and mouth with a cloth ever since we entered the

village. It wasn't an easy scene for a clean freak to look at.

Liscia and the others all had pained looks on their faces.

"They came here from far to the north with only the will to live," I said. "I'm sure

the people here are probably far hardier than we imagine."

The people who face hardship they can do nothing about in times of war or

natural disasters, yet still refuse to give in to despair, have a unique strength. Still,

that strength... can also be a danger. While it strengthens their will to pull together

and overcome the situation, the group consciousness can become too strong and

weaken their sense of individuality.

If a strange leader figure appeared at times like this, the group as a whole could

easily be swayed by that person's opinions. I absolutely would not want anyone

connected to the Papal State of Lunaria to come in contact with them.

While I was thinking about that, Liscia spoke up.

"By the way... Kazuya. You said you gave them support, but what did you do?"

She'd nearly called me Souma just now, but this being the sort of place it was, I

had asked her to refrain from using my name (well, it was my family name, to be

precise) as much as possible.

"It wasn't much, but we provided foodstuffs and firewood, among other basic

necessities, and we also commissioned the adventurers' guild to guard this place as a

quest," I said.

"I understand providing food, but why hire the adventurers as guards?"

"These people aren't citizens of this country. What's more, they've lost their own

countries, which would usually stand behind them and defend them. For instance, if

civilians from our country were slaughtered without cause in a foreign land, and

then the culprits went unpunished, I would submit a complaint to that country as

king, and would place sanctions on them if the situation merited it. It works the

other way around, too. In other words, it would create an international incident. The

potential for something to cause an international incident is a restraining force that

keeps our own citizens from suffering from crimes in another country. But..."

I paused and looked at the people in the camp.

I went on, "There is no such restraining force when it comes to people with no

country of their own. You'll have people who falsely think, 'If it won't cause an

international incident, then it's okay.' Just because it won't cause an international

incident doesn't mean they won't be judged under the laws of this country, but it can

still lower the psychological hurdles for committing a crime enough for some people

to do it. That's precisely why I want the refugees to hurry up and naturalize as

citizens of this country."

If they did that, I could offer them shelter and treat them as my own people.

However, I was well aware that that wouldn't be as simple as it sounded. Not

everything in this world could be approached with reason.

"When people's hearts are involved, things get really difficult," I said.

"They do..." Liscia nodded.

We suddenly heard screams from inside the village. At the same time, there was

the sound of metal on metal.

Liscia furrowed her brow. "It sounds like someone's fighting. Multiple someones,

at that."

"Let's go," I said.

Everyone rushed toward the sound of the commotion.

When we reached the center of the commotion, there was a group of men and

women that seemed to be an adventuring party who, alongside a handful of people

from the village, were fighting against more than ten men who seemed to be

mercenaries. The adventurers included a young swordsman, a macho brawler, a

woman wielding a short sword who looked like a thief, and a beautiful mage.

...Hold on, those were a lot of familiar faces.

So, Juno and her group took on this quest, huh?

Dece the swordsman, Augus the brawler, Juno the thief, and Julia the mage. They

were the members of the party I often worked with when I sent Little Musashibo out

adventuring.

"What is all the commotion about, pray tell?" Owen asked a man who was

quivering nearby.

"Th-Those men suddenly came, and they were trying to abduct the children!

They even cut down the adults who tried to stop them! After that, they got into a

battle with the adventurers who heard the noise and rushed over here!"

The adults had been cut down? When I looked off into the corner, I could see a

bleeding man being treated by the priest, Febral.

I quickly gave orders. "Carla, Owen, back up the adventurers."

"Understood, master!"

"By your will!"

"Hilde, I want you to help that priest over there," I went on. "Liscia, you stand by

for further instructions."

"Fine, fine. I guess I'll have to," Hilde said.

"Urgh... okay," Liscia agreed.

Carla and Owen immediately rushed forward, and Hilde headed over to the

wounded. I was going to get one of my dolls ready, in case it became necessary, but

then realized I hadn't brought any dolls with me today. Right... I had left them behind

because I'd figured they would be too much luggage for a trip outside the castle

walls. I drew the sword I wore as little more than a decoration and took a fighting

stance.

"Can you fight if you have to?" Liscia asked me, her rapier at the ready.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Owen's been putting me through the wringer lately,

but he says I'm still little better than a fresh recruit."

"That's not very reassuring," she said. "Still, from what I can tell, they have

numbers on their side, but none of them are particularly strong. I doubt any of them

are below the level of a fresh recruit. If it comes to it, hide behind me."

"Pathetic as that is, I guess I'll have to," I said.

I didn't like being weak, but if I butted in, I was probably just going to cause

trouble for my own people. I was in a position where I couldn't afford to take getting

injured lightly. That was what I was thinking, but...

"Ah!"

"Hold on!" she shouted. "What are you moving forward for, right after we talked

about it?!"

I heard Liscia's voice behind me, but I didn't stop. Juno had been unlucky and

caught her leg on a stick that was thrown at her and tripped. That's when one of the

men who had his hair in a cockscomb tried to attack her. As I ran toward them, I

picked up a scrap of wooden board that had fallen on the ground.

"Get down! Juno!" I shouted and threw the board at the man like a discus.

"Huh? Uwah!" Juno yelped and ducked.

Cockscomb slashed at the flying board. Because the attack took him completely

by surprise, he couldn't cut the board cleanly and ended up half-pulverizing it.

Thanks to that, it looked like the splinters of wood had gotten into Cockscomb's

eyes.

"Ow! Damn it!" Cockscomb Head pressed on his eyes, flailing his sword around

wildly as he backed away.

I took that opening to step into the gap between the two of them. His vision must

have recovered, because Cockscomb came at me.

Calm down! One exchange of blows! I only need to hold out for one exchange, and

then Juno will have regained her footing! Just remember the basics that Owen's beaten

into me!

Cockscomb raised his sword high over his head. He was going to try and smash

my head open.

I brought my left foot forward diagonally and took a stance with my sword up

above my head horizontally, the cutting edge angled slightly toward the ground. In

the next instant...

Clang!

The sound of metal striking with metal echoed, then, with a scraping sound,

Cockscomb's sword slid down my blade and was diverted to the ground to the right

of me.

I did it... I did it! My hands were numb, but I had somehow managed to block!

""Don't just stand there!"" Liscia and Juno screamed.

As Cockscomb tried to regain his footing, Liscia and Juno pounded their swords

into him simultaneously. Cockscomb collapsed.

Once she had confirmed her opponent was no longer moving, Liscia grabbed me

by the front of my shirt. She pulled me in close to her face. "What were you thinking,

charging out like that?!"

She seemed furious, but up close, I could see tears in Liscia's eyes.

"Oh, um... sorry..."

"No, not 'sorry'! You almost gave me a heart attack. If anything were to happen to

you... what would I... what would all of us do...?"

When I heard Liscia's voice gradually breaking with emotion, I could feel how

much she had been worried for my safety. The mixture of happiness and guilt made

my chest hurt.

"No, really, I'm sorry!" I said. "Someone I know was getting attacked, so I moved

without thinking..."

"Hey, you!"

I was suddenly grabbed by the scruff of the neck and dragged in the opposite

direction. When I turned around, Juno was glaring at me with a super suspicious

look in her eyes.

"You called me Juno, didn't you?" she snapped. "Why do you know my name?"

"No... That's, um..."

"Hold it, So— Kazuya." Liscia glared at me, looking upset for a different reason

from before. "Who is this girl?"

She'd almost called me Souma for a second there, but with Juno right beside us,

she'd switched to my undercover name.

Yeah, that had been a nice bit of quick thinking. Now, I just wanted her to not

glare at me quite so hard.

I was sandwiched between two cute girls, both of them glaring at me. Some

people might be jealous of this situation, but unfortunately, I was not equipped with

the right fetishes to appreciate it fully.

This situation... How exactly am I going to explain it? I wondered.

Or rather, where was I even to start? Should I start by outing myself as the

person inside Little Musashibo (or, more precisely, remotely controlling him)?

Juno's glance shifted to Liscia. Something must have caught her attention,

because she was inspecting her closely. "Hey, I feel like I've met you somewhere

before, too."

"Huh?" Liscia asked. "Ah!"

Liscia pulled hard on my arm, then whispered in my ear, "This girl, she's the one

who was at that banquet, right?"

Huh? Oh! Now that I thought about it, Liscia had met Juno, hadn't she? Liscia had

recognized Juno, but judging by Juno's reaction, she didn't realize who Liscia was.

Probably because Liscia was lightly disguised right now.

Juno put her hands on her hips, making an angry face. "What're you two

whispering about? Seems suspicious."

"No, it's nothing suspicious at all, really..." I said.

When Juno stared at me with her unyielding eyes, it was kind of awkward to be

there. That was when Carla and Owen, who had finished wiping out the brigands,

returned.

"What were you doing, master?!" Carla yelled. "Going to the front yourself like

that?!"

"Gahaha!" Owen laughed. "I saw that. The sword techniques I taught you came in

handy, didn't they?"

Seeing this as my chance to break out of the current atmosphere, I slipped out

from the middle of the Liscia-Juno sandwich and rushed over to the two of them.

"Ah! Hey! I want a proper explanation!" Juno called after me.

Ignoring Juno's complaints, I asked Carla and Owen, "Good work, you two. So,

who were those guys, anyway?"

"From what I was able to gather, it seems it was a slave trader and men in his

employ," said Carla.

"A slave trader?" I repeated.

"You nationalized the slave trade recently, master," she explained. "I hear that

you made the qualification exams more rigorous, too. That drove slave traders from

other nations out of the country, and slavers from our own country who've failed to

qualify have been leaving for other countries, too. These were a group of slavers

who failed the qualification exam."

I had turned slave traders into public servants just the other day. I couldn't

abolish the system of slavery yet, but to make it something that existed in name only,

I was working to make it so slaves went from being treated as objects to being

treated as laborers and people. In order to accomplish that, I'd made it so that

slavers who treated their slaves like objects and abused them would fail the

qualification exam.

"But why would people like that attack the refugees?" I asked.

"In order to fund their flight abroad, they meant to abduct women and children

who looked like they would fetch a good price, no doubt," said Carla. "Because the

refugees aren't people of this country, they must have thought the officials wouldn't

act proactively to protect them."

"As if we wouldn't!" I shouted.

"I-I'm not the one you need to be telling that," Carla said with a troubled look on

her face, snapping me back to my senses. True, that wasn't something for me to say

to Carla.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm sorry for losing my composure there."

"No..."

"Carla, I'm sorry, but could you fly back to the castle and report what happened

here to Hakuya?" I asked. "I'm sure he'll send out notice to those who need to know

and think about the necessary measures right away."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

No sooner than she had said that, Carla spread her wings wide and rose into the

air, flying toward the castle at top speed. In that instant, I caught a glimpse of her

garter belt, so I hurriedly looked away.

No, I didn't see anything more important. So, please, Liscia, don't look at me like

that.

Then, at almost exactly the same time as Carla took off, Hilde returned. "We

finished treating the wounded. They weren't minor wounds, but it's probably due to

that priest's quick work. Their lives aren't in danger. The wounds have already been

closed up with magic."

"I see... That's good..."

"But what are you going to do?" Hilde asked. "It looks like a crowd has gathered

here."

When I looked around, there were refugees who had begun to gather when

they'd heard the commotion. We had managed to keep a low profile so far, so I didn't

want to stand out now. I called Owen and Liscia over.

"Let's let the adventurers hand these guys over to the authorities. We'll go and

meet with the chief of the village as planned."

"Understood, sire," said Owen.

"You don't want to do anything about Juno?" Liscia asked.

"I don't see any good way to explain this situation. Besides, it'd probably be bad

to have it come out that the king was the one inside Little Musashibo all along."

"True, if people found out the king was playing with dolls, that's not exactly

dignified." Liscia nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied.

We then got out of there in a hurry.

"Ah, hey! Wait!" Juno yelled after me when she noticed, but I wasn't about to wait.

So long, pops!

No, wait, she was the thief here.

Leaving the cleanup to Juno and her party, we headed into the center of the

refugee camp to accomplish our original goal of meeting with the chief. After

following our guide for some time, eventually we were led into a large tent that

resembled a Mongolian ger or yurt.

When we entered the tent there was one large human male, sitting cross-legged

with both hands on the ground, bowing his head to us. It was a pose I'd often seen

vassals take toward their lords in period dramas.

The large man, who looked to be around thirty, wore, if I were to describe it

simply, garb that looked to me like Native American clothing or something similar.

He had a tanned, muscular physique, and though it was already quite cold, his

leather clothes were sleeveless. He wore magical-looking paint on his face.

Behind him there was a girl wearing similar attire who was sitting in the same

pose. Her age probably wasn't that different from Liscia or Roroa's. She was a cute

girl with dark brown hair and a rustic simplicity to her. There was a resemblance in

their faces, so these two might be siblings.

"I thank you for coming, Great King of Friedonia," said the man.

"Please, could you not call me Great King, or anything like that?" I said. "I don't

really like that sort of stuff."

I sat down in front of the big man. Not on a chair, but directly on the carpet that

had been rolled out. It was a familiar thing for a Japanese person to do.

From the feel of it, I could tell there were probably wooden boards beneath the

carpet. It didn't seem to have been rolled out directly on the dirt.

Liscia sat next to me, while Owen, Hilde, and Carla, who had already returned, sat

behind us waiting.

The big man said, "I see..." a pensive look on his face. "Then what am I to call

you?"

"King Souma... Your Majesty... call me whatever you want."

"Understood, King Souma. I am Jirukoma. I am the chief of this refugee village. I

hear that you just helped some of our people here, and for that I thank you from the

bottom of my heart." Jirukoma bowed his head deeply.

"I am Souma Kazuya, the one acting as the king of this country," I said. "The ones

who helped them were the adventurers we dispatched here. If you want to thank

someone, thank them."

"No, the adventurers are here because of your support," said Jirukoma. "I thank

you for that, and the supplies you have given us."

"I'll accept your thanks. But, you know, I didn't come here today so you could

thank me, right?"

Jirukoma's expression stiffened. He had to know what I was here for. After all, he

had already spoken many times with the emissaries I'd sent to discuss this matter.

"I've come to push you to make a decision," I said. "You've listened to the counsel

of my emissaries, right? Now that I've come in person, today is the day you must

finally make your decision. Which will you choose?"

"That's...!"

"Stop, Komain," the man said.

"But, Brother!"

The girl tried to rise, but Jirukoma motioned for her to stop.

This girl's name was Komain, huh? They were apparently siblings, just like I had

thought.

Jirukoma told her, "Our words will decide the fate of everyone in this village. We

cannot be quick to anger."

"...I understand." Komain sat back down.

For a moment, Owen and Carla behind me had tensed themselves for a fight, but

Komain had laid down her arms, so to speak, and so they'd calmed down, too.

A heavy air fell over us all.

Perhaps out of concern for that, Liscia spoke up. "Souma, I'd like you to explain

the situation..."

"Right... I want this whole refugee problem solved already," I said. "Because no

good will come, either for our country or for the people living here, from leaving

things the way they are. That's why I've forced the refugees to make a decision."

"A decision?" he asked.

I gave a heavy nod, then said it clearly. "They can abandon their longing for home

and become people of this country, or they can leave."

For the refugees who'd lost their homes to the appearance of the Demon Lord's

Domain, their true wish was to return to their homelands and take back the lives

they once had.

However, in the current situation, there was no indication of when or if that

would be possible.

The major incursion that had been launched into the Demon Lord's Domain had

ended in failure, instilling a fear of the Demon Lord's Domain into the forces of

mankind.

Even the largest nation on the side of mankind, the Gran Chaos Empire, was

unenthusiastic about the idea of another invasion. The nations were focused solely

on keeping the Demon Lord's Domain from expanding any further.

Even if, at some point in the future, something was going to change this situation

for the better, it wasn't going to be in the next few days. It wouldn't be in the next

few months, either. Even with years, it still might be difficult.

That being the case, what should the refugees do in response? Continue to pray

for their return, swearing allegiance to no country while they stay in a foreign land?

...That was no good. That sort of warped arrangement was sure to cause trouble

later.

"The former king turned a blind eye to their presence," I said. "I've had a

mountain of other problems to deal with, so I've carried on that way until today. I've

even provided some support, though only a little."

Jirukoma said nothing.

"But now, with solutions to all of the other problems worked out, I have to tackle

this one. We can't simply provide support forever, and you remaining here illegally

is a problem. We've turned a blind eye until now, but hunting and foraging without a

license is against the law. If we tolerate these illegal acts, it is guaranteed to stoke

resentment from the people of this country."

Because they didn't belong to this country.

For now, there was still an air of sympathy for them because they had lost their

countries when the Demon Lord's Domain had appeared. However, air was air. You

could never tell when the winds might shift.

They had no prospect of returning home. If we supported non-citizens

indefinitely, and continued to overlook their illegal behavior, it wouldn't be long

before the people's resentment boiled over. In the worst case, there could be clashes

between the people and the refugees.

"That's why I've pressed the people here to make a decision," I said. "They can

give up on returning to their homelands and become people of this country, or they

can choose not to give up on returning and leave this country as people of a foreign

land. I'm here today to have them make that choice."

"But, Souma, that's..."

Liscia had a pained look on her face, but I shook my head silently.

"You may think it cruel, but it's necessary."

In the world I'd come from, there was a book that likened a commonwealth to a

monster and its people to countless scales covering it. On the cover of that book, the

monster was depicted as a person larger than a mountain.

"A country is... ultimately, something like a giant person," I said. "And people are

mirrors that reflect one another. If someone loves you, you can love them back, and

you'll want to protect them no matter what. If they're indifferent, you will be

indifferent to them. And unless you're a saint, you can't love someone who hates

you."

"Countries are the same... is what you want to say," Jirukoma said gravely.

I nodded.

I could clearly see that, if things continued as they were, the people would be

dissatisfied. That was why I needed to move to assimilate them while people were

still sympathetic. This was a multiracial state. Compared to a state dominated by one

race, the ground for accepting them was relatively fertile. However, that was

dependent on the refugees being able to accept becoming members of a multiracial

state.

I'd spoken about this when I'd pointed out the flaw in the Mankind Declaration,

but when ethnic nationalism grows too strong, it can be the cause of civil war.

"If you, Sir Jirukoma, and your people stubbornly cling to the idea of returning to

your homelands, and say you cannot identify with this country, then I... will be

forced to exile you."

Jirukoma ground his back teeth. "All we want is to return to our homeland."

"I understand that feeling," I said. "I don't care if you hold onto that feeling in

your own heart. If the situation changes for the better, allowing you to return, I

won't mind if you do so. However, at least while you're in this country, I need you to

have a sense that you are a member of this country. If you can't do that, there's no

way I can let you stay here."

Jirukoma was at a loss for words.

Komain, who had remained quiet up until this point, stood up. "What... would you

know?"

"Stop, Komain!" Jirukoma ordered.

"No, Brother, I will speak my mind! You are the king of this land, are you not?!

You have your own country! The pain of losing your country is something that you

could never—"

"I do understand!" I cut in.

Komain was shouting in rage, but I looked her straight in the eye and spoke

calmly.

"You must have heard that I was summoned here from another world. It was a

one-way ticket. Unlike you people, who have at least some hope, I have no way of

ever getting back. That's why I can understand the pain of losing your homeland."

"Urgh..." Komain couldn't find the words to say.

Liscia lowered her face. Being the serious sort she was, Liscia was probably

feeling guilty that it was her father, even if he'd done it at the request of the Empire,

who had torn me away from my homeland.

"That longing for home... It's hard to wipe it away, I know," I said. "The land of our

birth is special for every person. It's when we lose something we've taken for

granted that we're first forced to see how precious it was. It's easy to say that this is

a story that's played out over and over, but it's not so easy to accept it logically like

that."

"Souma..." Liscia said, her heart clearly aching.

I placed my hand over hers. Liscia's eyes opened wide with surprise. I gave Liscia

a slight smile in order to reassure her.

"But... in my case, I had Liscia and the others. I had people who would be at my

side and support me. I had people who were thinking about me. I worked

desperately on behalf of this country in order to respond to their feelings. While I

was doing that, at some point, I began to think of this country as my own. To the

point where I was able to think that, if I lost this country, I would probably be just as

sad as I was when I lost my homeland."

Ultimately, a homeland was a connection. It was a connection between the land

and the people who lived there. If anything could fill the hole left by losing it, it

would have to be another connection.

Komain sat down, her strength gone, and hung her head. It wasn't something she

would be able to accept immediately. But they couldn't move forward by staying

still.

"That's why I want to do for you what Liscia and the others did for me," I said

gently. "If you are willing to love this country and become members of it, this

country will accept you."

"To be specific... how will it accept us?" Jirukoma's eyes grew more stern, probing

me to find my true intent. "I know it is incredibly rude to ask you this when you have

offered to accept us. However, we have seen and heard many harsh realities on our

way here. There were countries that claimed to accept refugees, then put them to

work doing hard labor in the mines for little pay. There were countries that sent

them to fight as soldiers on the front line in the battle against the Demon Lord's

Domain. The ways they were treated were many and varied."

"I've heard that, yeah..." I said. "I can only see those as stupid plans, though."

"Are they stupid plans?" Jirukoma asked.

"Yeah. First off, sending them to the front lines is the stupidest plan of all.

National defense is the basis of any state. If they're entrusting that to foreigners,

eventually they're going to end up facing a serious national crisis."

There had been many examples of this in Earth's history. For instance, the

Western Roman Empire during the Migration Period had tried to use the Germanic

peoples who had settled peacefully in the empire to deal with the Germanic

invaders, and they'd centered their forces around German mercenaries. As a result,

their armies had become Germanicized, and they'd been destroyed by the Germanic

mercenary commander Odoacer.

Also, in the Chinese Tang dynasty, giving power to An Lushan, who had been of

Sogdian and Göktürk origins, had led to a rebellion which had shortened the life of

the country.

"Treating them like slaves is an equally stupid plan," I said. "That will only stoke

animosity from the refugees. What will they do if the resentful refugees plot a

rebellion or terrorist attacks? They're only cultivating the seeds of a disaster inside

their own country."

"Then... what about the policy taken by the Gran Chaos Empire?" Jirukoma asked

me, looking me straight in the eye as he did.

I scratched my head. "It's very like Madam Maria to adopt that sort of policy."

The Empire had received a considerable number of refugees, too. The Empire had

provided them with uncultivated land within their country, following a policy of

recognizing the refugees as temporary residents if they worked to cultivate it. In

other words, they'd created refugee villages, allowing them to manage themselves. If

they were able to sustain themselves, it didn't hurt the Empire's coffers any, and if

they were able to return north at some later date, they would leave behind all of the

land they had cultivated. Either way, the Empire couldn't lose.

Well, that was probably how Maria had sold it to the people around her. This was

a woman so gentle she had been called a saint. In her heart, she'd probably done it

because she'd felt sorry for the refugees. By making them be self-sufficient, she had

made it possible for them to remain inside the Empire while not giving up on their

desire to return home. Even if they couldn't return home, because their territory

was inside the Empire, she probably thought they would naturally assimilate with

the people of the Empire.

It was the opposite approach to what I was doing now, making the refugees give

up on their desire to return home and forcing them to assimilate.

But...

"Sorry, but... that's a policy our kingdom can't adopt."

"Why not?" Jirukoma asked.

"It's dangerous."

If they gave them uncultivated land and had them develop it, sure, that didn't

hurt the Empire's coffers. For as long as the Empire's power didn't wane, the

refugees would obey them and would likely feel indebted to them, too. If that lasted

for a hundred years, they could be expected to gradually assimilate with the local

population.

However, there was no telling when times would change.

It was the nature of our world that power we held today could be lost tomorrow.

If the worst were to happen, and something caused the Empire's authority to

weaken, what would the refugees do in response?

"It's land that they cultivated by the sweat of their own brows," I said. "Might

they not feel like it was their own? That's not an issue with the generation that longs

to return home. They likely would feel a stronger attachment to their homeland than

to the land they've cultivated. However, what of the next generation? The generation

that was born there and has never known their homeland? Would they be able to

accept the fact that the land their fathers sweated to open up to development was

merely on loan to them from the Empire? Wouldn't they think of it as their own

land?"

In Earth's history, there had been the case of the Serbians. When the Kingdom of

Serbia had been destroyed by the Ottoman Empire, many Serbs had fled to the

Hapsburg Empire (the Austro-Hungarian Empire). The Hapsburg Empire had

actively welcomed the Serbs. They had them develop land near the front lines with

the Ottomans, using them as colonist soldiers to defend those front lines. The Serbs

had developed the frontier while fighting the Ottomans. That harsh environment

had bred a strong desire for self-rule in the Serbs, developing a fertile ground for

ethnic nationalism.

In time, the nationalistic concept of Greater Serbia had emerged, causing the

incident in Sarajevo which had triggered the First World War, and ultimately

destroyed the Hapsburg Empire.

Furthermore, Serbian policies centered around Serbian nationalism had

provoked the rise of nationalism in other ethnic groups. Their conflict with Croatian

nationalism, in particular, had been gruesome with massacres on both sides.

The refugees were a multiracial group, but they would likely develop a sense of

common identity through shared joy and sorrow. That common identity could take

on a nationalistic face that separated the refugees from others. The Gran Chaos

Empire had taken in the sparks that could possibly set off that sort of gruesome

situation in the future.

Jirukoma furrowed his brow. "Do you believe the Empire's policy is mistaken?"

"No... I wouldn't go that far," I said. "It's a difference in our ways of thinking.

Madam Maria chose her policy because she believes it's the best. I can't choose it

because I fear it's the worst. That's all there is to it."

I had noticed this with the Mankind Declaration: the Empire had a tendency to

choose policies with a high return even if they also carried a high risk hidden inside

them. Meanwhile, our kingdom was focused less on returns and more on risk

management in the policies we chose.

Neither approach was inherently better. It was a question of which was more

suited to the era we lived in, and that was something we would only learn after the

fact.

"Then, Your Majesty, what do you mean to do with us?" asked Jirukoma. "You

want us to give up on returning to our homes and become people of this country,

and to get out if we won't. You won't make us cultivate the land, won't conscript or

enslave us... What exactly is it you intend to do with us?!"

Jirukoma raised his voice for the first time. Even Komain, who had been waiting

for that outburst, shuddered when he did.

Jirukoma carried the fates of all the refugees here on his shoulders. This intensity

was something lent to him by the weight of his burden. However, I bore a heavy

burden of my own, too.

"...Owen."

"Yes, sir."

"Fetch me the thing we discussed."

"Understood."

I had Owen go and get a long tube for me. It was about twice as thick as the sort

of tube you would put a diploma in, and more than five times as long. Inside was a

large piece of paper rolled into a cylinder. I unfurled that paper in front of everyone.

When they saw what was drawn on that paper, Jirukoma and Komain's eyes went

wide.

"Is that... a city?" Jirukoma asked.

"Yeah," I said. "The new city being built on the coast. Its name is Venetinova."

I showed them a map of the new city, Venetinova, that I'd had constructed as a

strategic point for transportation and commerce in order to speed up distribution.

"This is a city that I built at the same time as I rolled out a transportation network

when I first came to this kingdom, but it only just recently became ready for people

to live in," I said. "We've still only created the residential district, the commercial

district, and the port of commerce so far. From here on, there will be more

institutions being added, and I plan to develop it as a city at the leading edge of

culture. Also, we're going to be putting out a call for residents soon."

I looked at Jirukoma and Komain and said, "I am thinking of including the

refugees in that group of residents."

My words made Jirukoma and Komain gulp.

"If you will give up on returning to your homeland and become people of this

country, I will prepare residences for you," I said. "This being a new city, there will

be lots of work available. Everything from physical labor like the transportation

industry to employees in the stores. For a while, I'll continue to provide financial

support, too. If you become members of this country and work honestly like the

mystic wolves, I am prepared to give you a place where you won't starve and you

won't freeze."

"That's..."

Jirukoma and Komain's expressions trembled.

It's weird for me to say this myself, but I wonder how I look through Jirukoma and

Komain's eyes right now. Am I a savior reaching out to them in their time of need... or a

devil, tricking them with sweet words?

Jirukoma and Komain opened their mouths at practically the same time.

"Can you really offer us something so wonderful?!" Jirukoma burst out.

"What you're offering us is horrible!" Komain screamed.

Jirukoma and Komain turned to look at one another. The two of them seemed

more surprised than anyone that, although they had spoken at the same time, their

opinions were total opposites.

"Wh-What are you saying, Brother?! It's the same as if he were saying, 'Here's

some tasty bait, now wag your tails for me'!"

"Komain," said Jirukoma. "His Majesty is offering us a foundation to support our

lifestyles. Without the need to cultivate the land ourselves like in the Gran Chaos

Empire."

"Even so, how can he demand we give up on going home?! Doesn't it frustrate

you?!"

"If we can set aside that frustration, he's saying he'll keep us from starving or

freezing. Don't you understand how important that is for refugees?"

The siblings had two completely opposite views of my offer. ...That was probably

just the way it was.

"It's little surprise that the two of you don't agree," I said. "I myself think that this

proposal could be considered very sweet or very cruel. There's no guarantee that

two people looking at the same thing will necessarily come to the same opinion.

Whether someone will think it is kind or unkind will depend on how that person

looks at and feels about things."

They were both silent.

I took a deep breath, then put my hand down on the map. "This is the best that I

can do for you now. Now, all I can do is hope you'll take the hand I've extended you.

From here, it's up to you to decide."

When I said that, Jirukoma groaned in distress. "There are those in this village

who will remain intent on returning home."

"You mean... like your little sister?" I asked.

"No! Komain is flexible! She only objected earlier to represent the people living in

this village who cannot give up on their feeling for their homelands!"

"B-Brother..."

"I am sure that is true," said Jirukoma. "The reason you said it was horrible was

out of consideration for the ones who you know feel that way. Because you... are a

girl who understands the pain of others."

"Urgh..." Komain fell silent. Had he hit the nail on the head?

Jirukoma sat up straight and bowed his head low. "We are deeply grateful for

your kindness, sire. This is not something I can decide on my own, so I would like to

gather others from the village to discuss it."

"I believe I told you I came here to push you to make a decision, did I not?" I

asked.

"I know. However, I want to persuade as many as possible to take the hand

you've kindly extended, sire. Even if... that should mean splitting up the refugees."

I was silent.

Splitting up the refugees. In other words, any of those who couldn't accept it

would have to be chased out.

Was this the best I could do for now? If I rushed them too much, no good would

come of it.

"But there isn't much time," I said. "Even if I can push back the search for

residents, I can't push back the changing of the season, you know. Winter has

already started."

A season with a lack of preparation would mean freezing to death. Children and

the elderly, the ones with the least ability to resist, would be the first to die. If

possible, I wanted them to make their decision at a point where they could be fully

moved in before it got too deep into winter.

Jirukoma bowed his head deeply once again. "Yes, sir! I am well aware."

"Well, that's fine, then."

The rest was up to them. No matter what their decision, I would have to take the

appropriate response to it.

If possible, I didn't want to have to show my cold-hearted side...

It happened just when it was starting to feel like talks were done for today.

That was when a man in a white coat rudely barged into the tent.

He was a human male with sharp eyes who looked to be in his mid-to-latetwenties. What was distinctive about him was his unkempt hair that, despite his

seemingly young age, was stark white all the way to the root.

"I heard Hilde was here," the man said sharply.

Carla and Owen warily reached for their sword hilts.

The man paid them no heed. When he spotted Hilde, he brusquely walked over to

her.

Hilde rose, glaring straight into the man's face. "Brad! How dare you push off

teaching lectures onto me!"

This white haired man's name was Brad Joker. Together with Hilde, he was the

other doctor who was supporting this country's medical revolution.

Brad paid no mind to Hilde's complaints, suddenly grabbing her by the arm.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Hilde shouted. "That's not how you treat a woman

properly."

"If you want to complain, I'll hear it later," he snapped. "Sorry... But I need you to

lend me a hand."

Maybe she sensed something from the earnestness in Brad's eyes, because Hilde

now had a serious look on her face. "Did something happen?"

Brad released the arm he was holding, then nodded quietly. "Yeah. We have an

emergency case."

Brad Joker was the Traitor Doctor.

On a continent where almost everyone in the medical profession was a

practitioner of light magic (recovery magic which worked by activating the systems

of the body), he was this country's sole surgeon. He attempted to treat serious

illnesses without relying on magic, using only medical examinations and surgery.

"Even without clinging to the gods, people can heal one another with their own

power." That was Brad's personal view.

On this continent, people had a tendency to see light magic as "the blessing of the

gods," especially in Lunarian Orthodoxy, where it was seen as sacred. That made it a

pretty dangerous opinion to hold.

Brad had wandered across many battlefields in many different countries. He

would take custody of the remains of unknown soldiers who died in combat,

dissecting their bodies to study the structures of the different races' bodies. He

developed his own independent field of surgical treatment which used anesthesia

and operations.

He had also approached the knowledge of the three-eyed race without prejudice

and absorbed it. He knew a lot about the existence of microorganisms and the effects

of antibiotics, and he applied those techniques to his work.

His skills were such that it would be fair to call them godly. (Though, for the godhating Brad, it would come across as sarcastic.) The biggest factor in this was that he

had been able to cure malignant tumors, which had been untreatable using light

magic, by removing them with surgery.

"Light is not the only thing that can cure people. The dark can comfort, too."

It sounded like he had a case of middle school syndrome when he said it like that,

but I could sympathize. I'd requested his assistance, but it hadn't been easy to

convince him.

By which I mean...

"I sought this power (surgery) so that I could save the poor who couldn't afford

treatment and the people in remote areas where there are no light mages. I have no

interest in money, power, or the like."

...was what he had said to me.

Now, as for how I got him to cooperate, I hooked... erm, negotiated with him...

using not money, or power, but things.

To be precise, in order to make it so everyone in the kingdom had easy access to

medical care, I created a national system of health insurance like the one in my

world and promised to have the finest blacksmith in the country forge a scalpel,

suturing needles, and a full set of medical equipment for him. Then, by arranging a

system where he would be a collaborator, not a vassal, he finally agreed to

cooperate.

Up until now, I'd had him working with Hilde to guide this country's system of

medicine forward.

His corpse collecting and dissections had offended a lot of people, so he was seen

as a total heretic in the medical world. The hardest part of hiring him had been

getting rid of that prejudice against him. The way he acted, I couldn't count on him to

defend himself, after all.

Having no other choice, I'd had him examine an important executive who was

well connected in this country and was suffering from illness. By having him treat a

sickness that was believed to be untreatable, I had made that executive recognize his

skills.

Once people know something is effective, their views change quickly. The

number of medical practitioners seeking to learn surgery had begun to increase, too.

That being the case, by putting the important executive he had helped to make a full

recovery in charge, we were now training new surgeons in this country.

As for me, I was currently rushing to rework the laws and issue surgical licenses

so that fake surgeons who lacked the necessary skills wouldn't appear. At first, I

would only require licenses for surgery. Eventually, I intended to make treatment

with light magic and everything related to pharmacology require licenses, too.

Anyway, let's get back to the story.

When she heard about the emergency case, Hilde's expression turned serious as

if someone had flipped a switch. "Tell me about the patient."

She totally had the face of a doctor now. That was a professional for you.

Brad explained the situation to Hilde plainly. "It's a pregnant woman from this

village. Her water has already broken. The baby could be born at any moment, but

the position of the fetus is bad. It's lying with its back against the exit to the mother's

womb."

"Transverse lie, huh... That's unusual and dangerous..."

I didn't understand what they were saying, but I gathered it was going to be a

difficult birth.

"The midwife has already given up, it seems," said Brad.

"Well, no surprise there," said Hilde. "It will get caught on the pelvic bone.

Normally, the mother or the child... one of them would have to be sacrificed here. In

order to save both..."

"Yeah... A surgical incision is probably the only option."

Surgical incision... Oh, a Cesarean section! But Hilde was looking at him

dubiously.

"Can you do that? I've heard that the survival rate for mothers who have their

womb opened is less than twenty percent, you know?"

"There's one very clear reason why that survival rate is so low."

"Oh... And what would that be?"

"Neither you nor I performed the procedure," Brad said, as if it were obvious.

When he spoke with such confidence, it made Hilde furrow her brow. "You say

the most incredible things as if they were nothing..."

"It's a matter of fact," he said. "To be more precise, it's because they lack my skills

and the three-eyed's knowledge of infectious disease. Their process is only cut open

the belly, take out the fetus, close up the wound, then heal it with light magic. They

don't have anesthetic, so the pregnant mother suffers. Their incision and suturing

technique is underdeveloped, so even if they use light magic, the wound doesn't

close up properly and the patient dies of blood loss. They don't have three-eyed

antibiotics, so it's easy for the patient to develop an infectious disease after the

procedure. That's why the survival rate is low."

Brad extended a hand to Hilde.

"Even by myself, I can bring the rate of success up to eighty percent. However, if

you're at my side doing hygiene management, we can bring that incredibly close to

one hundred percent."

"Geez, that doesn't leave me with much choice, does it?" Hilde scratched the back

of her head before taking Brad's hand. "Before a doctor, all patients are equal. That's

why doctors don't get to be picky about who they treat."

"Thank you. Having you there is as good as having a hundred of anyone else."

Hilde turned to face the rest of us. "Your Majesty! Refugee boss! It's just like you

heard. Sorry, but we'll be wanting to borrow your underlings for this."

"Sure, of course you can," I said.

"Of course," said Jirukoma. "We are a family. It's a chief's duty to defend the

family."

"Thanks," said Hilde. "Dragonewt girl!"

"M-Me?!" Carla jumped a little when she was called.

"Go to the medical laboratory in the capital, as quickly as you can. Bring back

equipment and medical supplies for us. If you ask for my black bag, the researchers

there will know what you mean. You can just bring the whole bag."

"I-I understand!" Carla hurried out of the tent.

Next, Hilde looked to Jirukoma. "Refugee boss, I want to borrow this tent. It's best

to move her to the most hygienic place we can manage."

"I don't mind," said Jirukoma. "Use whatever you want."

"Also, we'll be searching for someone with the same blood as the mother, so

gather the refugees around."

"Understood."

I learned this later, but this world also had A, B, and O (though their naming

scheme was different) blood types. Mysteriously, even across races, if the blood

types matched, they could almost always be used for blood transfusions. I said

"almost always" because there were some blood types that couldn't accept

transfusions regardless of the blood type used. Maybe that could be because there

was Rh positive and negative blood types in this world, too.

"Next, you know something about hygiene, right, sire?" asked Hilde. "Explain it to

the boss here and his people. I want the environment we work in to be as good as

possible. Also, boil a lot of water for us. We'll want to disinfect our tools."

"Got it! Liscia, Owen, let's do this!"

"Okay!" said Liscia.

"Understood!" agreed Owen.

"L-Let me help, too!" Komain broke in.

Komain followed us around, setting up things inside the tent and helping boil a

lot of water. With no regard for our respective positions, each of us worked hard to

do what we could.

Those who could do something did it.

In a way, I felt like we were embodying the current state of this country.

Once the preparations were finished, there was nothing left for us to do.

Inside the tent, Brad and Hilde must have been performing the procedure now. I

could hear the mother's ragged breathing from inside. All we could do was wait

outside the tent for the procedure to finish.

Liscia, who was watching the door, spoke in a voice filled with concern. "I heard

they're splitting open the mother's belly. Is she going to be okay?"

"If that's all you heard, it does sounds like a bizarre crime of some kind, doesn't

it?" I said. "There's nothing to worry about."

I put a hand on top of Liscia's head.

"Cesarean sections are a method that is commonly used for difficult births in the

world I came from, and the rate of women dying in childbirth is pretty low. The vast

majority of people there don't even think about the fact that a pregnant woman

might die when she gives birth. They just assume the child will be born fine."

"The world you came from is as amazing as ever, Souma."

"Yeah, kinda," I said. "Also... those two can do something similar to my country's

medicine. Well, my world lacks light magic, so it's not easy to do a straight

comparison." I turned to Jirukoma, who was standing beside me. "What about the

mother's husband?"

"We don't know if he's dead or alive," he said. "It seems they were separated

while escaping from the north, you see. Still, she said she was determined to give

birth to the child in her womb and they would wait for the father together."

"I see..."

Mothers are strong. It seemed that was true in any world.

"For the people of this village, the child inside her was hope," said Jirukoma. "It

gave us a sense that we wouldn't only be losing things. That's why we had all

decided that the entire village would raise the child together, with love."

"I see... Hey, Jirukoma." I turned to face him. "I know how capable Brad and Hilde

are. That's why I'm confident both mother and child will survive. With that in mind, I

want to say something."

"...What is it?"

"That child is being born into this country. This country is where it will grow up.

It will call this country its homeland, having never known the land of its forefathers."

Jirukoma closed his eyes and was silent. It seemed he understood what I was

trying to say.

"You said you would raise it as the child of the entire village, with love, right?

Well, there's no need to force a child who knows nothing to inherit your sorrow. You

can decide for yourselves whether to stay in this country or to leave. However, it's a

little much to force a child who has the option of taking this land as its homeland to

live as one of the people of a ruined land."

"You need say no more," he said quietly.

"Brother..."

Jirukoma placed a reassuring hand on the worried Komain's shoulder. "I have

made up my mind. I will entrust the role of chief to Komain."

"Wh-What are you saying, Brother?!" she cried.

"What are you planning to do?" I asked.

Jirukoma let out a sad sigh. "To be frank, the people of this village are tired from

wandering. If these exhausted people can call this land their home, I think that is a

wonderful thing. However, there are a handful of hardliners who can't give up on

returning to their homelands and are currently trying to drive the people on."

Jirukoma turned to the northern sky. "I think I will take those few hardliners and

attempt to return to the north. We will volunteer to go to a country seeking soldiers

and wait on the front lines for the time to come to reclaim our homeland."

"Brother!" Komain grabbed her brother's arms tightly, like she was trying to hold

him in place. "This village needs you, Brother! I'm the one who said the king's

proposal is cruel! I'll take on that job!"

"You can't," he said. "The reason you felt His Majesty's proposal was cruel was

because you care for the people of the village, right? With a heart like that, you will

be a better community organizer than I am."

"But didn't you say that the king's proposal was wonderful?!" she cried.

"I am simply better at masking my true feelings than you are." Jirukoma softly

brushed Komain's hands away. "In my heart, I can't give up on returning to our

homeland. However, I have been entrusted with being the chief of this village. That

is why I've put a lid on those feelings, bottling them up deep inside my chest."

"Brother..."

"However, there is no longer any need for that. His Majesty has said that if the

people of the village will love this country, this country is prepared to accept them.

The people have reached a land where they can find peace and safety. That means

my job is already done. I can set these feelings free now."

Komain was crying, but Jirukoma smiled for her. That expression was one

already filled with resolve.

Geez...

I said, "Don't make your little sister cry, you damned fool."

"I have no response to that," he said. "Please, take care of Komain and the others

for me."

"About all I'm good for is handling the paperwork," I admitted. "If anything can

truly protect them, it's the country itself."

"Then, please, make it so that this country stands the test of time. So that no one

can destroy it."

"...I'll try."

That was when we heard a weak cry from inside the tent.

While I was wondering what it was, Liscia shouted out, "It's been born!"

"Ohh! So that was a baby's cry, huh?" I asked. "I've always thought it would be

louder, more shrill..."

The child was born safely. Now, it's just a matter of the mother...

We looked at the entrance to the tent, praying for the mother's well-being.

◇ ◇ ◇

—One week later.

"So cuuuute," Liscia said.

"I-It's so soft..." Komain murmured.

"Liscia, l-let me hold it, too," Carla pleaded.

The baby with pointed ears was sleeping in its mother's arms, and Liscia,

Komain, and Carla were taking turns holding it.

That day, one week ago, we had heard from Brad that the procedure was a

success, but we hadn't been able to meet them on the day it'd happened. That was

why we'd been eager to see how they were doing, and so we'd come to visit with the

same group as back then.

I wanted to see the baby up close, too, but the three of them were hogging it to

themselves and I couldn't find anywhere to slip in. W-Was this what a maternal

nature was like...?

"Ahh, my companions seem to be making a scene," I said. "Sorry about that."

The child's mother smiled. "No, we're lucky to have the princess and the others

adore my child like this."

The mother was a calm, cat-eared beastman. I was relieved to see her so healthy.

Her recovery didn't seem to be going badly, either.

The mother held the baby's hand. "We truly are fortunate. I mean, we even have

Your Majesty concerned for us."

We had revealed our identities to the mother. My face and Liscia's were both

widely known, so it seemed futile to try and keep it a secret. At first, the mother had

been terrified (almost like after Master Koumon takes out his seal), but now, she had

largely gotten used to us.

"Well, I agree with you that the child is lucky," I said. "Incredibly lucky, in fact.

After all, it was born when not just one, but both of the greatest doctors in this

country were here together."

"That's true," she said. "They didn't only save my child, they saved me, too."

It was pure coincidence that Hilde had visited the village that day. Because she

had met us by chance in the former slums, because we happened to have business in

the refugee village, and because Hilde decided to tag along, the two great doctors

had both been present. If the child had been born a day sooner or a day later, she

wouldn't have been able to receive the care of these great doctors. When I thought of

it that way, this child had even saved its mother's life.

"Almost like a god of fuku..." I murmured.

"Fuku...?" she asked.

"It's a word from my world. It means good fortune, or happiness."

"Happiness... Um, Your Majesty?" The mother rushed over to me. "That name,

Fuku. Could you give it to this child?"

"Hm? You're not asking if you can give it that name, but for me to give it that

name?" I asked.

Liscia was holding the child. She explained, "In this world, when a person of high

status or a great person gives you your name, it is believed you will receive some of

their momentum. So, please, give the child that name."

Well, I guess I had no problem with that.

"It's a boy, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, his name will be Fuku, then. Raise him to be healthy."

When I said that and patted him on the head, little Fuku let out a cute little baby

sound and nodded with his eyes still closed.

He responded to me while asleep?! This kid... he might be a big deal when he

grows up. While I was thinking that, Liscia peered closely at my face.

"Wh-What?" I asked.

"Other people's babies are nice and all, but having our own baby would be so

much cuter, right?" she asked, shooting meaningful glances in my direction.

Ahh, yeah... That probably meant exactly what I thought it did. Hakuya and Marx

were telling her we needed to produce an heir already. Now that the country had

stabilized, they were probably pressuring her even more.

"Yeah... You're right," I said shyly. "We have the method for births by Cesarean

section established, and there are more and more obstetrics and gynecology

specialists. It'd be safe for you to give birth any time now."

Liscia's eyes went wide. "I thought you were going to wimp out again."

"Now, listen... Okay, yeah, that's part of it," I said. "Because I'm prepared to be

your husband, but I'm not ready to be a father yet, y'know."

"Oh! R-Right... I see..."

I wanted to get all lovey-dovey with Liscia and the others. But, in order to

increase the number of royals which had declined precipitously in the succession

struggle after the death of the king before the last one, the chamberlain, Marx, had

insisted, "I won't stand for you using birth control until you produce at least one

child!" You can see why I would be cautious.

"Well, aside from that, this high rate of death during childbirth in this world had

been concerning me, too," I said.

When I looked into the population of this country, I was surprised how high the

death rate was for newborns and pregnant women. In modern Japan, while we

might worry about whether the baby would be born safely, we hardly ever thought

about the mother potentially dying in childbirth. However, it seemed that, in this

country, pregnant women died sometimes. If there were a thousand women

pregnant, a handful of them were going to die. In this country which lacked a formal

study of obstetrics and gynecology, pregnant women were literally putting their

lives on the line to give birth.

As the king, I was being told to produce many children with multiple women. If a

child were born to Liscia, Aisha, Juna, or Roroa, and I were to lose one of them

during the birth... I couldn't stand that.

"In order to make sure that doesn't happen, to keep the risk of losing any of my

family to an absolute minimum, I've pushed forward with medical reforms," I said.

"It might be abusing my authority a bit, though."

"It's fine, isn't it? The result was that you ended up helping everyone." Liscia

wrapped her arm around mine. "H-Hey, Souma. If making babies is okay now, do you

want to try working on that tonight?"

When Liscia said that, fidgeting shyly, I couldn't help but love it. But, as I'd said

earlier, I wasn't able to convince myself I should be a father yet, so I had to turn my

head and look away.

"Oh! Um... do you think you could wait a little longer, after all?"

"Geez! You still wimp out in the end!" Liscia shouted.

When Liscia raised her voice, it startled Fuku, and he started making a fuss.

"Wah... Wahhhhhhhh!"

We handed him back to his mother and tried to amuse him with funny faces.

Owen tried to join in and do the same, but his face startled Fuku again, causing him

to cry loudly and make a big scene.

Someday, we'll make a big, noisy scene like this in the royal castle, too.

In the midst of that noisy happiness, that was what I thought.