The following day, Romello went to visit with Duke Grindel. It wasn’t possible from a time standpoint to visit all of their domains, so he had arranged to meet the dukes at their second residences in the capital. Like Tasmeria, Rimmel’s capital was the heart of the country. However, since all the domains in Rimmel were so independent from one another, the capital was more like a buffer zone for the five dukes. They all maintained large second estates in the capital, and all of them gathered there at least once a year to discuss the state of the union.
Romello stared out at the scenery on the carriage ride until he finally arrived at Duke Grindel’s manor.
“Welcome to Rimmel, Lord Romello!” Duke Grindel greeted Romello himself with a genial smile on his face.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Morris. Thank you so much for inviting me here today.” Romello smiled in return as the duke welcomed him inside.
“Why, I can’t think of a greater honor than hosting the famous prime minister of the great kingdom of Tasmeria!”
“Famous? Well, I suppose I’d rather have that reputation than a bad one.”
“Ha ha ha! You’re just being modest. You certainly are the extraordinary and renowned prime minister of Tasmeria!”
“Renowned…? That’s quite the exaggeration.”
Morris gestured for Romello to sit down, and Alf stood behind him.
“Since we’ve been exchanging letters for so long, it doesn’t feel like this is our first meeting!” Morris said with excitement, easing the tension in the air.
“You’re right. I feel the same way.” Suddenly, Romello caught sight of a beautiful piece of cloth hung over the window like a curtain. It was light blue with a detailed floral pattern embroidered on it and was simply gorgeous. “Speaking of famous, isn’t that over there made of the famed Grindel fabric?”
“Yes, it is! Each piece is completely handmade. Even if two pieces look alike, they’re actually slightly different.”
“Ah, I see. This fabric is popular in Tasmeria as well, of course, but it’s hard to come by. It really is beautiful.”
“I’m honored to hear that!” Morris had a satisfied smile on his face. “By the way, Lord Romello, what do you think of our country?”
Romello returned his gaze to Morris. “People work, earn a living, eat, and their lives are all interconnected. The people here live just as they do in Tasmeria.”
“I see…” Morris smiled quietly, seemingly content with Romello’s answer.
“And that’s precisely why we should avoid unnecessary fighting. Don’t you agree?”
“I don’t have such lofty ideals. I simply don’t want my beloved citizens to be hurt. And no matter the outcome, war means they will suffer. I simply don’t understand those who would want to cause such a thing.” Morris rose and walked over to the window. It faced north and looked out toward his domain.
“You love your domain and all the people in it, don’t you?”
“Of course. Don’t you feel the same?”
“Yes, I do. But the people you speak of, those who would want war—they exist right now, within your country.”
Morris’s shoulders visibly dropped. “You’re very honest, aren’t you?” he said after a pause.
“It’s because I believe the same things you do.”
Morris chuckled. “True. If you genuinely love your kingdom and wish to avoid war, then we share the same beliefs. But unfortunately, I trust you more than I do people in my own country.”
“I feel the same way. That’s why I’m talking to you so frankly like this.”
“I see… Then allow me to be frank with you as well.”
Romello chuckled. “I’d appreciate that.”
“What are you going to do with these troublesome people in my country?”
“We’re going to protect a certain general from them. That’s because if anything ever happens to him, your troublesome people will make their moves. I have a personal connection with the general, so it’s possible for me to guide him in a certain direction. I feel that’s the safest thing to do in response to those in your country who feel he is a threat. Plus, I believe that if you and I join forces, we can silence those people.”
Of course, when he spoke of a “certain general,” he meant the general and hero of Tasmeria, General Gazell. The man was also well known in Rimmel.
The land of Rimmel feared Gazell, and as long as he was around, the hard-liners wouldn’t try to force Tasmeria into a war. So, in other words, he stood in the way of their plans. The neutral faction had no opinion on going to war with Tasmeria or not, so they rejected the notion of doing away with the general. He was such a big threat, however, that even the moderates wanted him gone.
On the other hand, there were many nobles in his home of Tasmeria who were jealous of him, plotting to ruin his good name, completely oblivious that there were two factions in Rimmel who wanted the same thing. In other words, Romello was saying that he would use all the means at his disposal as prime minister in order to protect Gazell.
“Interesting…”
“What about you? How would you quiet the troublesome people in your country?”
“At this time of year, all the dukes gather here in the capital. We have meetings and talk about how we want to stop them…”
“So will you?” Romello asked, and the duke fell silent. He continued. “I’d like to ask you something. Even if your opinion was different from the other nobles, are you prepared to remain firm in your resolve to not go to war?”
“You ask a very blunt question.”
“Yes. I want to see how dedicated you are to avoiding war. That’s what I plan to talk to you about.” Romello’s eyes gleamed sharply. He gave off a frighteningly serious aura, which made even Duke Grindel, the most powerful duke in all of Rimmel, break out in a cold sweat.