Chapter 82: The King’s Charisma
Two days later, a general assembly was promptly convened, and when its agenda was announced, the meeting descended into utter chaos.
“Why, at this late stage, must we ally ourselves with that most despicable traitor?!” they demanded.
Cornelia-san also shot Pops a sharp glare.
Yunon-san was genuinely furious, exclaiming, “Don’t mess with me!”
I somehow felt sorry for Pops. Even though I was the one who suggested it.
The majority of those loudly opposing the idea were people who hadn’t been on the front lines during the war.
Those who didn’t truly understand its harshness.
However, even those who had been on the battlefield seemed to share the same unforgiving sentiment.
The conference room was thick with dissatisfaction.
“Everyone, I understand how you feel, but please listen! I only learned this later myself, after hearing it from Rui—”
And so, Pops began to tell everyone about Lestall’s clandestine assistance.
“Due to these circumstances, I was made to reconsider, to see that he is not an evildoer like Daltone. Of course, the matter of the breach of treaty is unforgivable, but I also felt that getting so worked up is not right. What does everyone else think?”
First, let me hear your opinions, Pops said, engaging each person in conversation.
Naturally, a stream of “unforgivable” remarks followed, but those who had rushed to our side before the war began, or those who had been on the very front lines, while not forgiving, expressed their agreement that we should join hands.
Even those who openly displayed their anger had their initial explosive fervor quelled after listening to Pops’s explanation.
“Everyone, I want you to picture this. The friend by your side, the family waiting at home—is your anger so great that you cannot bend even to save them? I felt differently. That’s why I thought if we can join hands to ensure our friends and family live, then we should.”
Pops’s gaze swept across the room, seeking each person’s opinion.
“Even with His Highness’s power, can we not defeat the Empire…?” a civil official inquired.
At those words, Roosevelt, Knight Commander, stood up, an unusually stern expression on his face.
“You cur! His Highness fought for us even while on the brink of death, his chest pierced twice! And you would ask him to do so again?! Know your shame, know your shame!!”
“Th-that is the first I’ve heard of it. My deepest apologies…”
The General and Count Connor were also glaring at him.
This isn’t good, I thought, and raised my hand to intervene and join the discussion.
“Knowing whether we can win or not is important, so please don’t concern yourself. Roosevelt-san, thank you for your worry. Incidentally, this plan was my proposal. I pushed for it, knowing it was an inconsiderate request. But for the sake of those I wish to protect, I could not yield. I apologize.”
I couldn’t let Pops bear all the burden, so I revealed my role and bowed my head. Then, I heard a cheerful laugh I’d heard before.
“Kakkakka! His Highness is far too humble! You should just say, ‘Can’t you get your face in the same mud as me?!’ This Dola will gladly join hands and smile if it is the wish of His Majesty and His Highness!”
He laughed cheerfully, adding, “As long as it’s anyone but Mildrad, of course.”
At his voice, other words of reconsideration followed, “That’s right, His Majesty swallowed his pride for our sake…”
There were also words directed at me. It seems I’m quite recognized, which makes me happy.
“I’m causing everyone a lot of trouble, but this isn’t about us going to bow our heads. It’s about forming an alliance on equal footing if our mutual interests align. Right, Fastall?”
“Yes. Of course, we have no intention of conceding greatly. However, we lack strength. It is also true that our survival is the priority. Let us find a compromise and secure a favorable middle ground for us.”
Duke Fastall, as the nation’s Prime Minister, probably stepped on the brakes to prevent us from getting too carried away, ensuring that problems wouldn’t arise even if we compromised to some extent.
As I listened, sensing such considerations, Duke Fastall suddenly raised his voice.
“Howevaaar!! Such trivial matters are irrelevant!! The main topic of this meeting starts now!! Everyone, prepare yourselves!! His Majesty has another important announcement!!”
“What is it? What is it?” the nobles murmured, their gazes darting around.
Then, Pops slammed his hand on the desk and stood up.
“Hahaha! Finally, some fun news has arrived! Listen up! From this moment, we go on the offensive! The era of just being plundered is over! Mildrad, which bared its fangs after its Royalty died out, is hereby designated not as a country, but as mere bandits! Therefore, without violating the will of our founder, we have decided to pacify land that has no ruler!!”
Pops thrust his fist forward, a wide, smug smile on his face as he struck a pose.
Indeed, this is certainly charisma, I thought.
While I was having such thoughts, I started to worry why no one was reacting and checked their expressions, only to find them all frozen in astonishment.
“What’s wrong? Are you all still scared of the likes of Mildrad, even at this juncture?”
As Pops taunted them with a grin, the majority stood up, their faces clearly saying, ‘As if we would be!’
““““UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!””””
It was a chorus of immense praise, with everyone raising their hands.
Even the General and Marquis Arbane, who had heard about it at the drinking party, were genuinely excited.
And why wouldn’t they be? For so long, all they could do was defend.
There had been a rule that forbade them from striking at the source of the murderous fiends who kept attacking.
It was, I’m told, a vow meticulously sworn during the coronation ceremony, with the added stipulation that those unable to uphold it would not be permitted to inherit the throne.
It was all the more troublesome precisely because they were the words of the great founding ancestor.
Now, Pops had unshackled them from that.
Skillfully adding that it was permissible only in the case of Mildrad.
“Alright, I get how you feel. I’m the same. But don’t forget. Taking over a country isn’t all good things, okay?”
“Especially if the opponent is Mildrad,” he said, a troubled look on his face.
I tilted my head and looked up at Pops. It was certainly going to be tough, but why Mildrad specifically, I wondered.
“That country, you see, from its people to everything else, is rotten. Their culture is different, so ruling such a place is even harder. Looking at that country from the inside for the past ten-odd years, I’ve come to seriously think that the founder didn’t want to make it the same country as Belfast because he didn’t want Belfast to rot…”
When Pops said this with a bitter expression, there were some who genuinely agreed, as if thinking, ‘Indeed, that’s likely the case.’
“However, if it leads to Belfast’s future peace, I intend to take it. If we move to take the country now, it will be a path of hardship for us even if we survive. Do you have the resolve?”
“Your Majesty, we have long awaited the advance into Mildrad. We no longer need resolve. It is already deeply rooted within us as our conviction.”
The General replied, his face filled with bloodlust.
The others also seemed to be unanimously in favor of this.
However, there was one more thing that needed to be decided regarding this.
“His Majesty Royce, how much territory are you planning to conquer?” I asked.
“It’s decided, isn’t it? All of it, all of it,” he replied with a laugh, and I reflexively blurted out, “Do we… have enough people?”
“Not nearly enough. So, we’ll conquer it, declare it ours, and then leave it be. First, we make everyone recognize that they’ve lost. We’ll think about what comes after that.”
“Yes. First, we must make them fall and ensure they cannot move easily. If we tell the populace that we will do the minimum for them until our preparations are complete, in exchange for tax exemption for this year, there shouldn’t be many complaints. The challenge of having to govern them before they band together and gain strength will inevitably remain, though.”
Well, if we’re hardly doing anything, we won’t need that many soldiers or that much money.
We just need to confiscate the lords’ assets and use them when we restart operations.
However, the disappearance of the lord class means that even the town guards will cease to function.
No, perhaps “minimum” includes maintaining that?
“Of course, we’re not completely abandoning them, but it’s a country that has been trying to invade us for over a hundred years. They can’t complain about slightly rough treatment. But I don’t want our soldiers to become corrupt. Make sure you don’t let them commit any unjust violence or looting against the populace.”
“They wouldn’t do that even if left alone. More likely, they’d end up getting robbed themselves.”
To Roosevelt-san’s voice, Pops replied, “No doubt about that,” and dry laughter erupted.
And so, the meeting concluded with Pops’s reputation soaring, including the matter of the alliance with Lestall.
Looking at everyone’s faces, I belatedly understood why Duke Fastall had raised his voice.
He had aimed to shift their emotions. And in response, Pops had beautifully united everyone’s hearts.
It’s very different from when I was in command. Everyone looks relieved.
It’s truly helpful, having such a reliable Pops.
And so, I lightly voiced that thought.
“His Majesty Royce is amazing. When I was in charge, everyone looked so anxious. Is this what they call a king’s dignity? Even I, who proposed it, was almost drawn in.”
“Haha, I guess I finally got to show you a fatherly side, huh?”
Seeing Pops laugh like a child with a “Nishishi,” I thought, I can see why Mom fell for him.
“I’ll be learning a lot from you. I want Yurisia to think I’m cool.”
“Yeah, go for it. I was the same, you know. I wanted to show Yuna my good side… How nostalgic.”
Seeing Pops squinting his eyes as if in pain, I realized, albeit belatedly, that he had lost his own Yuri.
“Um, I’m all for you remarrying, so please don’t forget about your own happiness, okay?”
“Huh? Ah… Hey.”
The moment Pops, who had a dazed look on his face, looked behind me and said something, I was hugged from behind.
Again!?
Cornelia-san, honestly…
I thought, but it was a different person, and I was dumbfounded.
“Prince Rui, thank you very much. You can call me Mother, you know?”
If I recall, this person was with Pops and the others… Was it Eve-san?
But telling me to call her Mother…
Ah, Pops’s… so there was already someone, huh.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait! Who agreed to this, and when?!”
“You said that if Yuna hadn’t been around, you would have chosen me.”
“No, that was back when we were students… And besides, are you serious…?”
Oh?
It seems like they’re still in the stage of confirming their intentions.
“Eve-san, if you’ll make Pops happy, I’ll support you. The rest is up to the two of you.”
“As expected of Prince Rui!
I wasn’t worried since you’re Yuna’s child, but you’re perfect.”
Leaving Pops, who was being aggressively pursued with comments like, “Ah, I want children too~,” I left the conference room.
But taking over a country, huh… I wonder how many soldiers Mildrad has left.
Oops, before I think about such things, first, I should go to Yuri’s place!
And so, the meeting held to get my family to approve the alliance with the Kingdom of Lestall ended in great success.
I got to see Pops looking cool, and it seems I can leave things to him, so it’s all good things.
To think that all that’s left is to play with Yuri, what happiness.
Today, maybe I’ll ride Raku and Fuu and go for a walk.
In such a cheerful mood, I returned to my room where Yuri was waiting.