The scene now shifts to the conference room in Castle Valois... Jeanne, Hakuya, Shuukin, Lumiere, and Kasen had moved there from the audience chamber and were now deep in negotiations.
Naturally, the room bustled with activity. Bureaucrats from each nation recorded the proceedings and relayed orders to their aides, while maids hurried about serving tea and snacks. Yet Jeanne and the others, absorbed in their talks, hardly noticed the commotion around them.
“Now then, there are veins of curse ore in the Great Tiger Kingdom, right, Lumi?”
“Yes. Based on our survey, we may not have as many as the Kingdom of Friedonia, but we did uncover a fairly large deposit. To make use of it domestically, we’re sending engineers to study in Friedonia... But for now, we’re simply relieved to have it as a valuable export.”
“Good. That means we can move forward on a tripartite trade agreement with you and the Spirit Kingdom.”
The five were negotiating commerce between the Euphoria Kingdom, the Great Tiger Kingdom of Haan, and the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan.
The vast Great Tiger Empire had been dismantled in the continent’s reorganization, while the Maritime Alliance had been absorbed into the broader Union of the Southern Continent. Though that placed the southern hemisphere’s nations into a loose union, it did not change the fact that ties with immediate neighbors remained vital. This was especially true for the Euphoria and Great Tiger Kingdoms. The two had once fought intensely, and though Jeanne and Lumiere sought reconciliation, lingering resentment still smoldered among their peoples. To ease those tensions, they aimed to deepen connections through trade. But the Great Tiger Kingdom, still in reconstruction, had struggled to identify any clear export goods.
That was when Hakuya had proposed searching for curse ore.
Though curse ore now formed the backbone of next-generation energy storage devices, its value had only recently been discovered by the House of Maxwell-Arcs. For centuries, it had been dismissed as a nuisance that disrupted mining. Who knew how much had been discarded across the continent, its worth unrecognized?
The reason the former Elfrieden Kingdom, now part of Friedonia, still possessed rich deposits was that its land, being mostly flat and poor in mineral resources, had left much of its curse ore untouched. By the same reasoning, Hakuya suspected the Great Tiger Kingdom, with its vast deserts, and the former Demon Lord’s Domain, abandoned by mankind for over a decade, might also hide large reserves.
His speculation proved correct.
“We can provide grain and building materials for reconstruction,” Jeanne continued. “In exchange, the Great Tiger Kingdom will supply us with curse ore. The Spirit Kingdom has spices and coffee as trade goods. If we manage these exchanges effectively, we can link the economies across the western side of the continent.”
“That’s right,” Lumiere agreed with a nod. “When goods move, people do too. That will create more opportunities for cultural exchange.”
“By the way,” Hakuya interjected, “what about the remaining monsters and dungeons in the Great Tiger Kingdom?”
“We are proceeding with extermination,” Shuukin replied. “Many adventurers have come to train in our land before venturing north, and with the help of the Seadians, we’ve cleared out the monsters near populated areas. But in the remote deserts, it’s difficult to confirm whether they’ve been eradicated.”
“It’s always hard to prove something doesn’t exist, after all,” Hakuya noted.
“Exactly.” Shuukin sighed. “If we could be certain the monsters were gone, we could begin developing the desert...”
If safety could be guaranteed, they could either plant trees to reclaim the desert or leave it untouched and draw tourists to its unusual landscapes. But for now, neither path was viable. Shuukin returned to the point at hand.
“We have also confirmed the existence of several dungeons. Because the land lay untouched for over a decade, we expect there are many more still undiscovered.”
“That’s...both a problem and a blessing.”
“Yes. The jewels are valuable, and dungeons draw adventurers, along with the merchants who cater to them. Perhaps we should market ourselves as the one country in the south still full of adventure...”
“That’s turning being undeveloped into an advantage! I knew you were smart, Sir Shuukin!”
Everyone smiled at Kasen’s candid reaction. Shuukin felt awkward; a plan born of desperation was being praised far too highly.
Lumiere loudly cleared her throat. “Well, we’ll do everything we can. So when Lord Suiga eventually succeeds us, he’ll inherit a country worth having.”
“Lumi...” Jeanne’s expression clouded.
“Sir Suiga is still just a child,” she said. “Isn’t it too soon to assume he’ll inherit the throne for certain? I imagine there are still those in the Great Tiger Kingdom bound by the phantom of the great Fuuga.”
“...”
“Is it right to make Suiga bear that burden? Will Madam Yuriga truly consent to her nephew being forced to shoulder her brother’s sins? Wouldn’t it cause less confusion if you or Sir Shuukin were to rule instead?”
Jeanne’s concern cast a heavy silence over the room. Eventually, Lumiere nodded.
“I know all of that, Jeanne. If Lord Suiga refuses, we won’t force him. Preserving the late Lord Fuuga’s phantom matters less than protecting the son he and Lady Mutsumi left behind. Isn’t that right, Sir Shuukin?”
Shuukin nodded firmly. “Of course. I’m sure Fuuga himself would say, ‘My dream was mine alone to chase. Suiga, live the way you want.’”
The words fit Fuuga’s character so well that everyone present believed he might truly have said them.
Lumiere nodded again. “If Lord Suiga chooses not to inherit, that’s fine with me,” she said, her voice soft with nostalgia. “But I want him to have the option to inherit the country his parents left him, if he wishes. Only then can he make a free choice, once he learns how Lord Fuuga and Lady Mutsumi lived.”
Her words carried both longing and lament for those now gone.
“I see...” Jeanne murmured. She could press no further. She could sense that, whatever Suiga ultimately decided, Lumiere and Shuukin would support him wholeheartedly.