Chapter 26

Afterward, I introduced Lumie to Seraphina. Lumie fearlessly showered her with questions, too, leaving Seraphina at a loss. Honestly, I’d never seen Seraphina so overwhelmed by someone else, so it was a bit refreshing for me as an onlooker. I was sure it was distressing for her, of course. Seraphina complained to me about it when we were alone. “I knew she was young, but I didn’t think she’d be like that…” “Yeah. She’s so innocent it’s hard to know how to respond to her.” “She just seems like a little sister to me.” “Funny, I thought the same thing. She’s a totally different type than Altia, though.” Seraphina sighed quietly. “You have to marry that girl, darling. But it might not be easy.” “Teach her what you can for me. I can’t really spare the time.” My workload had exploded since we’d taken the capital. A regent really did have to do everything himself. My tasks were virtually endless. The situation in the surrounding area hadn’t exactly calmed down, so I didn’t have the time to rejoice over this marriage. “All right,” Seraphina replied. “But…even if she hasn’t taken the vows, she’s still an innocent little convent girl. I’d feel guilty telling her about the wedding night.” “That sort of thing…can wait till much later…” I didn’t feel comfortable talking about that so openly, even if we were alone. “But I don’t think she’s too young to get married, either.” I mean, even girls under ten got handed off in political marriages sometimes. Even seven- and eight-year-olds had gotten married in the royal family’s history. But marriage itself was a separate matter from…everything else. “My, look who’s getting all flustered!” “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.” “I suppose it is reassuring, though.” Seraphina moved closer to me. “I’ll let her be your official wife, but remember I’m the one who cares about you the most, darling…” Her eyes looked a bit troubled. “If I could have my way, I wouldn’t let anyone else have you. Not Miss Laviala, not Fleur, not any other woman. But I’m too good to complain about such things.” “I know that better than anyone in the world. You really are clever.” Seraphina could keep political decisions separate from her feelings. That said, she couldn’t be happy about getting demoted. “So to keep me from getting upset at times like this, make sure you love me.” To help reassure her, I drew Seraphina to my chest and ran my fingers through her black hair. I asked Laviala and Kelara to tell me the most important thing I should do as regent. Both of them had been given land and honorary titles around the same time I became regent. “I think human resource development,” Laviala said. “You have more land to manage now. There is a limit to setting up advisers as magistrates or governors,” added Kelara. “I think perhaps you should try to find new people you can use.” Their two opinions were mostly the same. I’d already asked Kelara beforehand, so I pretty much knew her answer, but it seemed Laviala had a similar view. “Right. I’ll promote more and more of our best people. Of course, formally they’ll be serving the royal family, but still.” A regent was ultimately an assistant to the king. Blatantly dominating the royal family’s jurisdiction from day one wouldn’t be very kosher. “May I offer a suggestion?” Kelara spoke up. “In regard to governing the cities, I think if you used those cities’ merchants as bureaucrats, their knowledge of the land would make things more efficient. Of course, there’s a risk they might only say what benefits the merchants.” “True. If there’s anyone good at finance like Fanneria, I’d like to use them. I still need soldiers, too, but they’d be useless if they didn’t do things how I want anyway.” I was confident my troops were the most disciplined in all the country by now. However, it wasn’t possible to control the whole kingdom with their current numbers. Even if I could get enough recruits, the extra riffraff would cause the quality to suffer if I did nothing else. I’d need to turn them into proper soldiers. “I still need the bureaucrats regardless.” This time Laviala was the one to raise her hand. Though for some reason, she flashed a glare at Kelara. Was there some kind of rivalry here…? “Perhaps you could use a priest? Men of the cloth are quite knowledgeable as well.” “Makes sense. That’s not a bad idea.” First a person had to be literate to be good at managing money and negotiating. Priests already had that bar cleared, but… “Temples have different sects, too, though… It’d be dangerous if we didn’t manage them well…” Well, why don’t you try giving a kakyo? Oda Nobunaga said something strange. What’s a kakyo? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Put simply, it’s a paper test. You promote the ones who complete it with good scores. Not that I’ve ever done it myself; it was a method used in a country across the sea. If it works out, you might be able to create a bureaucracy directly tied to you. I can’t guarantee it’ll work out, of course. Huh, that might be interesting. If it was just test scores, it had nothing to do with personal connections. I’d be able to tell who was actually the most capable, or at least who was good at taking tests. Besides, I might be able to get some good ideas by making the last question something like “What is a policy you would suggest?” “Both of you—I have an idea.” My profession’s ideas were basically my own. “We’ll hold a test in the capital and choose a portion of the bureaucrats based on the results. Anyone can participate if they like. The questions will cover famous scriptures and finance. Maybe we can test geography and history knowledge and even familiarity with the classics while we’re at it.” “Huh…? A test…?! That sounds just like university…” Laviala’s jaw dropped. Maybe it was. Such a test was unheard of anywhere else, at least. Certainly not for officials. “It’s a rather unusual method… With no precedent, it’s hard to say…” Kelara seemed to be confused by something so unorthodox. I was going to be creating a new political system regardless. “I’m doing it. The nobility are just there by inheritance, so I can’t trust them as bureaucrats anyway, but if I find that any of them are exceptionally smart, I can still use them.” Thus, by my will alone, the civil service examination was born. I was told there was quite a stir when the civil service examination was announced on town bulletin boards. It was an unusual idea, that anyone could become a bureaucrat if they scored well on a test. Naturally, people of low birth didn’t have as many educational opportunities, so it would be difficult for them to qualify. But perhaps priests or others in a similar situation could still become bureaucrats if they were smart, even though they were lower class. On the other hand, there were complaints from petty landowners on the capital outskirts, who’d mostly inherited their positions as bureaucrats or other types of professionals. I responded to their complaints as follows: “If you score well on the examination, I will have no problem hiring you. I look forward to your success.” It was hard to keep quality personnel with hereditary succession alone. A total meritocracy would present its own challenges, but the right amount of social mobility should energize a society. Actually, my own vassals were a medley from different areas. I had almost none of the Nayvil clan’s longest-serving vassals, and with good reason—because there weren’t many vassals in the Nayvils’ tiny original territory to begin with. My territory had exploded in size, so I had no choice but to absorb lots of different people. “Do you really think this is going to work out…?” the new king, Hasse, asked me anxiously. He didn’t want me doing anything too peculiar; that much I could sympathize with. “Your Majesty, the capital’s kings have been driven out time and time again. The reason is that they were too dependent on the existing system. They fell to their enemies because that system was defective.” “I see… You may be right…” “Therefore, we first need to sift out and find the most capable people. In extreme terms, the lowlifes who talk behind your back but are good at their jobs would serve you much better than the lowlifes who merely claim to be loyal.” “To think of using someone who might stab you in the back at any—” “If everyone serving you were sincere about their loyalty, I think they would have come to your side when you lived in seclusion.” Hasse fell silent. That was his answer. Most lords, after all, had abandoned the royal family. They didn’t dare to finish the family off, but they still didn’t have any real intention of siding with those who’d fallen. “I shall make the capital area flourish—of that you can be certain. That is the real way to keep the former king’s forces from growing.” I always made sure to remind Hasse that everything I did was for him. “Very well. Also, about the wedding plans…” “Yes, that is proceeding smoothly as well.” Lumie’s teachers were fellow women: Kelara for academics, Seraphina for general tutelage. Lumie showed her face occasionally, but she seemed to be quite dedicated to her studies. There was one such time when she was reading intently through an old text. “Your Excellency, I want some books from the classics, but they seem rather few and far between. Would you know of any?” That was a fairly specialized question. I’d never read any such books myself. “Princess Lumie is truly outstanding. She received a very good foundation at the convent.” Kelara seemed rather impressed, for her part. “Princess Lumie takes everything to heart, so she picks it up quickly,” Seraphina agreed, seated next to me. “She’s still a bit naive, but I’ll take care of that. I’ll make her a wife you can be proud of, darling.” “All right. I’ll look forward to it.” Seraphina truly never disappointed me. Three months passed. Lumie and I had our wedding ceremony. As it was a wedding between the king’s sister and his regent, lords and priests visited from throughout the kingdom. The rural lords, in particular, might’ve feared being branded as enemies if they didn’t come to celebrate. Before the ceremony, I met again with Lumie, now all dressed up. “Ah, Your Excellency. Or rather, maybe from today I should call you dear.” All the flowers in the palace garden would be ashamed to show their faces at the sight of the beautiful young girl who stood before me. With her tiara full of jewels, she was adorned in luxury—but nothing about her was over-the-top; it was all very tasteful. “That’s odd. I thought you were someone a bit more childish; I can hardly believe you have become such a fine young lady.” “I learned so much from Lady Seraphina and Miss Kelara. Any refinement I might possess is all thanks to their effort.” Lumie beamed. “I’m in trouble now. If you’re this beautiful, I’ll earn the envy of the king’s other vassals.” “You flatter me, sir. I made every effort to be good enough for you. I’m the one who is so shamefully uneducated.” Seraphina was smiling behind her, as if to ask, How is she? I did a good job, didn’t I? My influence in the capital is this much greater now. More than anything, though, I honestly just want to thank the gods that I get to marry such a gorgeous girl. You could thank me, too. If not for me, you might’ve stayed a petty lord’s little brother. Must you interrupt right now? But yes, I know, I’m grateful to you, too. Maybe it was a bit odd for me to thank the gods, though. “Well, shall we go, Lumie?” I took her hand. “Yes, dear. I’ll be a good wife.” I walked slowly toward the officiating priest. In a formal wedding, the couple was supposed to exchange a kiss, and so the priest told us to do so. “I’m so happy, dear.” “I promise to make you happy. This kiss is my vow.” The instant we kissed, I was bound to the royal family by marriage. I was one step closer to the power and influence of a king. A great many more participants appeared for the civil service exam than I’d planned on. I dispatched scholars to serve as proctors at the test site; there was always the chance that we might have some cheaters among the exam takers. Tests to become a scholar were already being given in the capital, so our exam’s format was based on that format. However, with the number of examinees literally an order of magnitude more than expected, we had to add more test sites. The day of the test, I inspected the sites together with Kelara and Laviala. There was a kid balancing his pen on his nose as he thought, and even a raggedy old man who looked like some kind of freewheeling sage. “They all seem to be struggling,” Laviala commented. “These are the exam questions, by the way. Think you can solve them, Laviala?” I asked. Laviala immediately looked stumped. “I don’t know any of these…” “Good thing you started out as my vassal. You would’ve had a hard time getting hired.” Of course, when Laviala showed off her prowess with the bow, I probably would’ve hired her for that anyway. “Would anybody know the answers to these, Miss Kelara?” Laviala asked, sighing. Her expression indifferent, Kelara took the question sheet Laviala offered. “My memory is hazy for a few parts, but I think I could probably answer seventy percent.” Kelara never tried to brag, so 70 percent was probably her honest opinion. “Seventy percent… You’re a genius…,” Laviala said despondently. “Lord Alsrod, you’re going to be disappointed in me now…” “No, I’m not. Quit your worrying. Some of my guard troops can’t even read properly. There’s a job fit for everyone.” “That’s right. Besides, Miss Laviala, you’re quite sharp yourself. This was just what I was always taught, so it’s my strong suit.” Vassals close to the royal family were required to be cultured, after all. If someone really crude were serving the king, the king’s dignity itself would come into question. “I suppose that’s reassuring. Still, I wonder how many people could actually solve problems as hard as these? I can’t imagine one or two thousand people being able to do it.” “I don’t need two thousand new officials, so it’s fine. Fifty would be outstanding for this first round.” When completely uneducated people became bureaucrats, it often caused conflict with the people being governed. Having some fundamental knowledge also made the work go more smoothly from the first day. “Quite true. Besides, the merchant class is quite well off recently, so more people are studying things like the classics now, rather than just economics. Many are sending their children to university, too.” “Things are so much easier when you always know what I mean, Kelara.” She was right. Now I would pick out the qualified people from the classes who were previously far removed from the bureaucracy, and I would put them under my control—well, technically under the king’s control. “A country can’t be governed with just soldiers, after all. You absolutely need a bureaucrat class. This will be the first step in creating that class. Otherwise, it’ll be a problem when it’s time for realm-building.” My voice got just a little stronger when I said the word realm-building. Someday I’d build a realm where I was leader. In fact, if I didn’t go that far, I wouldn’t have a future. At the very least, the Nayvil clan wouldn’t have a future. Even in the past, lords who hadn’t fully secured their authority had disappeared after getting assassinated or falling to rebels. Growing too powerful had made them lots of enemies. On the other hand, even if the dynasty in my time had to borrow the strength of military cliques or powerful lords, it had survived for a long time. That was because the first king had worked without rest to lay down clear foundations for the kingdom. If I stayed regent, I’d eventually lose to someone who tried to overthrow me. And even if no problems arose while I was alive, who knew about my heir? Good thinking. Even in my world, sometimes there were sudden rebellions after succession. It’s a time of vulnerability, after all. When Qin Shi Huang died, his realm ceased to function. Even the Taira clan might’ve been able to keep fighting a bit longer if Kiyomori had lived another ten years. You still insist on using words I don’t understand, but I definitely know what you mean. My kids were still young, but I might as well try to leave things in a stable condition for them. “Lord Alsrod, you have an especially faraway look today,” Laviala pointed out. “You look like you’re thinking about things decades away.” “That’s because I was, actually.” Laviala let out a carefree “Wow…” and said, “It’s pretty hard being a regent, huh?” I’d still be thinking this much if I weren’t regent, though. Whether it was realistic or not, all lords thought about it at some point—how much they’d like to create their own realm. Since I had the chance now, I’d have to put it to good use. The test results were out two days later. Out of about 850 people, thirty-eight scored over 70 percent. That was a perfect number for now. For a second test, I had them interviewed. As regent, I at least showed up for all the interviews. I also called in people like Kelara and my financial officer, Fanneria, to cover what I didn’t know. “What do you think should be done to make the realm prosperous? You won’t be punished for anything you say, so answer as you will.” I wanted to ask something abstract. • Expand the economy. • Increase farmland by developing uncultivated lands. • Reduce military spending by quickly ending the war. I got quite a variety of answers, but I decided to pass those who could clearly state their opinions, regardless of validity. Among them was someone who answered, “You can win the war by using the weapon I have created. It is also good for hunting.” He was a middle-aged man with a beard and fiery eyes. He looked more like an engineer than a scholar. Someone inventing a new siege weapon wouldn’t be too surprising. I double-checked his name—Ortonba. That’s a strange name, I thought and then realized, Oh, he’s a dwarf. He was quite short, after all. A lot of dwarves were short, even as adults. Kelara was quite tall, though, perhaps because she had a more varied ancestry. “What sort of weapon would that be?” I asked him. “Sir, it is called a gun or a firearm. Using the power of gunpowder, it hurls a small ball out of a metal tube, striking the enemy.” “How is it different from a bow?” “Completely different, sir. It is mostly unaffected by wind and extremely deadly. I believe it would take far less time to train someone compared with the bow as well. However, it won’t ignite when wet, so it is less effective in rain.” Fanneria’s wolf ears twitched. Perhaps his merchant senses had picked up the scent of profit. “My name is Fanneria. This weapon—why did you decide to create it?” “The dwarf village where I live is often raided by bandits. We can usually drive them off, but it is difficult for just the menfolk to keep watch at night. Thus, I wondered if I could create a weapon that could be wielded even by womenfolk and children,” Ortonba explained. “I am a smith by trade, and in my village I’ve long employed gunpowder for warnings or attacks. Gunpowder is efficient for mountain work, you see. So then I wondered if I couldn’t do something with this.” I was curious now myself. “It didn’t go well at all at first. I even almost died from an explosion. It would seem my profession is quite well suited to this, however, as the development has made great progress.” The word profession didn’t escape my notice. “Wait. Just what is your profession?” “Yes, it’s quite a unique one, so you may not believe me, but…it’s called Kunitomo Shuu. It appears to be related to smithery.” Did he say Kunitomo Shuu?! The conqueror in my mind was shouting. Hey, you know something about this, Nobunaga? Kunitomo was the land of gunsmiths. Essentially, it was where guns were made. So you had these “guns” in your world, too. Were they powerful? You could say that. I once annihilated an entire cavalry regiment with them. Cavalry can’t fight without getting in close. So I destroyed them piecemeal using guns. Even armor didn’t save them. I killed several of their generals, too. You should’ve told me about this before… Come on… Even if I told you, I don’t know enough to teach you how to make them. It’d be impossible to convey everything verbally anyway. It’s not like assembling a ladder, you know. I guess that’s true. If somebody told me to make a sword on my own, I don’t know that I could. “All right. Ortonba, you’re hired. However, I’m more interested in these guns than in making you a bureaucrat. Show us what you know.” “Most certainly. Now, perhaps this is a strange request to make right away, but might I be able to get a more respectable person as tax collector for my village…? He is a rather unscrupulous character; every time he comes to collect taxes, he always demands we have a feast, which is a burden not unlike another tax for us…” “Agreed. If you do a good-enough job, I’ll even halve your village’s tax. Next time, bring me this ‘firearm.’” After Ortonba left, I couldn’t stop grinning. “With such a massive population, it’s no wonder the capital has some unusual professions.” “Indeed, my Akechi Mitsuhide profession is quite unusual, too, so I felt a sort of kinship with him.” Kelara looked totally serious, but only because she still had her “work face” on. The interviews were divided over a few days, so after the next day’s interviews concluded, I brought Ortonba back again. What he held was indeed a metal tube. He said he wanted us to set up archery targets, so I promptly took him to the outdoor archery range. “We have nice sunny weather today, so I believe this should go quite well.” “Right. Show me what this thing can do.” I had him stand at the same distance a normal archer would. Ortonba said he could hit it from farther away, but using the same setup as for bows would make it easier to tell the difference. “I am only a smith, so my aim is not the best, but…nevertheless, at this distance, it is impossible to miss.” Lighting the cord on the back, Ortonba pointed the tube at the target. “Ah right, right— There’ll be a loud noise, so you may want to plug your—” Baaaaang! Before he was done speaking, there was an ear-piercing crack. The noise reverberated as a strange ringing deep within my ears. The sound was so loud that temple-goers might mistake it for some sort of devilry. A few people even fell over in fright. What was really important, though, was its results. On the edge of the target was a hole as big as my thumb. When a soldier went to check, a pointed ball was stuck in the hard earth behind it. “What do you think? It can easily deliver a mortal wound at even twice this distance. You can even try it against armor, if you want. If it’s not exceedingly thick, it’ll go right through.” “Ortonba, from this year on, your village can just pay half its tax,” I declared right then and there. If I got my hands on this weapon, it was a bargain. I ordered Ortonba to manufacture and improve his firearms. I’d asked him to improve them because Oda Nobunaga had offered an idea. These are without a doubt authentic firearms, but their efficiency could use some work. When the match cord and bullet are separate like this, it makes for one more step in the process. If you’re going to mention it, tell me everything, I thought, but this job of mine was always stingy. Let that dwarf creature think about the rest. I’m not exactly well acquainted with all the details of the process myself, you know. Besides, this world has another concept you call magic. Eh, complaining too much was getting annoying, so I’d leave things there. There weren’t any problems with the guns as they were for now anyway. And then, once the talk about Ortonba was finished, I got a message in my mind: Special ability Conqueror’s Insight leveled up! In addition to your city- and trade-related economic sense being like Oda Nobunaga’s, you can identify people who have outstanding skills. As long as you are not intoxicated and your mind is not otherwise clouded, it is always active. That’s nice, but it would’ve been even nicer to have this before the interviews. Then I would’ve known immediately who had the right talent. You’re confused about what should happen when. I’m retroactively acknowledging that you showed you have what it takes to acquire this. If you’d lived your life doing nothing, you wouldn’t have gotten any new abilities even with me as your profession. I see—so you mean I have to gain experience to improve. Admittedly, if people got these crazy abilities just by receiving a profession, the history books would look ridiculous. It’d be a real hassle if every few years some peasant with hero potential showed up and caused a rebellion. Anyway, now I shouldn’t overlook anyone’s unusual talents. It was easy enough to spot those of high-ranking people, but there might be geniuses hiding among the commoners—diamonds in the rough. In particular, by giving tests like I just had, I might be able to hire people of low standing. If there were some high achievers mixed in who could overturn the values of the nobility, I definitely wanted to find them. And so we continued with the next interviews. Since I’d narrowed down the field quite a bit with the first test, trying to pick the top talent out of the current pool was actually harder. These candidates must’ve had some brains if they were still in the running, after all. And then, there came the third person that day. “My name is Yanhaan Grantrix,” a dragonewt woman said in a leisurely rhythm. Just like that, the atmosphere turned somehow serene. “Holding an exam in the capital really does attract a variety of different races. I’ve heard dragonewts come from the lands far out west, but I seem to recall you’re not even originally from this continent?” “Yes. I came to this land seventy-six years ago and began trading in medicines. I expanded my business to the capital, and now I run six stores on the continent.” She looked like she was still in her twenties, but they did say dragonewts were long-lived like elves, so that probably explained her youthful appearance. “Since you passed the test, you must know a lot about old customs. So why did you want to be a bureaucrat?” “Weeell, I wanted to try something new during my long life.” She was very laid-back, almost like this wasn’t an interview, but she must’ve been quite a good saleswoman. I wasn’t going to be fooled by appearances. “Alsooo, I want to spread my tea philosophy.” “‘Tea philosophy’?” This woman says some strange things, I thought. But then, Yanhaan Grantrix’s eyes—I couldn’t even tell where they were looking—opened wide. Dragonewts had big pupils, and I could sense something like confidence and determination behind them. My body jerked suddenly. Special ability Conqueror’s Insight has discovered a rare talent! Type: Special technical skill Interesting— So this ability strengthens my own intuition. “Isn’t tea something you chat with friends and colleagues over? You put out some snacks, relax, and talk after lunch or after supper.” “I think that sort of tea is nice, too. Howeeeever, there is no soul in it. It is merely idle chatter.” My financial officer, Fanneria, looked a bit annoyed, which was rare for him. “I must say I am most displeased by your attempts to blow smoke in His Excellency’s face.” They didn’t seem to be compatible, even though they were both merchants. “I have no such intentions. I am perfectly serious. Tea provides a person the time to quiet their mind and confront their inner selves.” “In that case, I would like you to be more specific. If you’re a merchant yourself, you should stop talking about the soul and other such ill-defined ideas.” So from Fanneria’s perspective, people who spoke of ambiguities couldn’t be trusted. And it was hard to work with someone you couldn’t trust, after all. “Talking about that would be impossible,” replied Yanhaan. “For the soul is not something that can be described in words.” Fanneria’s wolflike ears stood straight up, and he seemed annoyed. “Your Excellency, this merchant is highly suspicious. I think it would be best not to trust someone like her.” “Now, now, just hold on.” I held my hand up to Fanneria. “Yanhaan, were you given some kind of unusual profession?” “You are very perceptive.” Yanhaan returned to her relaxed vibe. “I came over from another continent, so I received my profession much longer after coming of age; in fact, it was just twenty years ago.” I guess she was already an adult, then? “I still don’t quite understand it myself, but my profession is Sen no Rikyuu. I wonder what language it’s from?” Yanhaan didn’t look like she was feigning ignorance. I didn’t know what kind of profession that was, either, but I figured it was similar to what Kelara and I had. Haaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I see, so there’s even a Rikyuu! I think I’ve figured out this world’s “professions.” So you recognize the name? It seems the people from my time period function as professions in this world. I don’t know how it works, but there hasn’t been a Kuukai or Prince Shoutoku, so that must be it. This might mean Monkey, Shingen, and many others could show up, too. Monkey was a bizarre profession name; what the hell was that about? Maybe his world had some sort of monkey god. “Just out of curiosity, has this Sen no Rikyuu ever spoken to you inside your mind?” “I’ve never had that happen. Buuut, for some reason I do feel like this mysterious profession talks to me. ‘Go. Tell the world about tea,’ it says.” Fanneria scowled once again at the vagueness. Kelara, on the other hand, remained expressionless as she listened, so I wasn’t quite sure how she felt. “Very well,” I said. “I’d like you to teach me about the soul of tea, as you call it. What do we need to prepare?” “I will show you, if you come to my residence in your everyday clothes. Though, I suppose for a regent like you that would still be quite fancy.” “Er…Your Excellency, this could be a surprise attack. I cannot quite recommend going—” “Fanneria, I know a thing or two about swords. Besides, Laviala will protect me if I have her there, too.” You couldn’t discount an idea before you tried it anyway. Before the arranged day, I had the rappas investigate Yanhaan and the tea she was trying to popularize. I’d increased my number of rappas, so I could assign them to these sorts of tasks as well. The ones I used in the cities were more of an auxiliary force that didn’t have a ton of military training, however. Yadoriggy came all the way up to my second-story bedroom to make her report. When I left the window open, she could make her way in from along the wall. “You’re a servant today, huh?” I said. She was dressed like one of the maids who worked in the castle. Her wolf ears were conspicuous, but there were other werewolf maids, so it wasn’t too unusual. Still, I would hate to deal with a servant with eyes this wicked. Yadoriggy gave no answer. “Speak,” I told her, realizing I hadn’t given her permission yet. If she were ever captured, she’d probably keep her mouth shut until she died if I didn’t give the order as her master. “Looking weak or of low position is one of the basics. If your opponent looks down on you, you can take advantage,” Yadoriggy explained, all while kneeling with head bowed. “I don’t mind that line of thinking. Well, did you find anything out? And you can raise your head. You spies are so particular about everything, even manners.” With a quick “As you wish,” Yadoriggy sat on the bed. From there, she had a good view of the room. She must’ve wanted a good spot for dealing with any intruders. “Yanhaan has held many tea parties she calls ‘tea ceremonies.’ Because of her position, it seems to have become quite popular among merchants. Even many of the former king’s bureaucrats have joined in.” “So it really is a social event, then.” In that case, it wasn’t too different from any other tea party. “It’s actually an extremely ceremonial affair, where the host and a guest enjoy tea across from each other in an extraordinarily small room. The room is a strange thing in itself, seemingly made just for the purpose of tea ceremony.” “Huh. Yanhaan did mention some religious ideas.” “Speaking of, it seems you don’t believe in religion yourself, Your Excellency?” Yadoriggy uncharacteristically asked me a question of her own accord. “I can’t say for certain, but I think my profession’s power will weaken if I devote myself to a particular faith.” “Yes, sir. However, there is a risk Orsent Cathedral may turn against you if they find out you don’t support them, so please be aware of that.” Orsent Cathedral was the de facto ruler of Fortwest Prefecture and arguably the greatest power in the capital area. “I’ll keep that in mind. Also, how are the background checks for the preexisting bureaucrats coming along?” “Quite well,” Yadoriggy answered, nodding. “As we thought, there seem to be some number still on the former king’s side.” Having a list of people with connections to the previous king was highly convenient. That said, some of them were probably only trying to play both sides, rather than actually counting themselves among the former king’s faction. “Well, as for Yanhaan’s tea ceremony, I won’t know the truth if I don’t show up. That’s all I had to discuss for today, but…” A sudden urge came over me, and I gave in. I went closer and placed a hand on Yadoriggy’s shoulder. “Are the rappas well versed in the ways of pleasing a man?” “Surely there must be plenty of ladies more beautiful than I.” Yadoriggy’s total indifference just made me want her even more. “If you don’t see yourself as beautiful, you don’t know much about yourself.” “Then I am in your hands. What is your desire?” “Well, this is hard to say, but there are some things I can’t ask Seraphina or Laviala to do.” Yadoriggy gave a small nod. “I don’t mind, but since I’m always so stoic, you might be disappointed.” “You never know until you try.” I removed Yadoriggy’s maid outfit. Her naked body was so covered in scars I wondered if touching her would hurt her. “I feel like a doctor. Or maybe a torturer.” “They’re all shallow wounds. I have to force my way through narrow spaces, so these are mostly cuts from that. Although I was tortured once when someone thought I was suspicious.” Just as she’d said, Yadoriggy remained stoic even as I touched her, and she began to caress me halfway through. I could tell right away this woman had led a completely different life from my wives. Once we had finished, Yadoriggy stoically asked, “How was it?”Her lithe body sat upon the bed. She was so slender I wondered how she could handle the rappas’ violent missions. “You know,” I replied, “being a woman’s plaything is pretty nice.” I was fully alert with the night breeze coming in. Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I might as well take care of one more bit of business. Soon I had my first big undertaking since becoming regent. Tea ceremony would be my diversion before that. I took Laviala with me to the tea ceremony, along with a few other military officers from my top vassals. Also, since Kelara had apparently experienced tea ceremony back when she lived in the capital, she already knew what she was doing when we entered Yanhaan’s residence. It would’ve been nice if she’d mentioned that to begin with. Yanhaan was already waiting in the ceremony room, where we were apparently meant to go in one by one. When I tried to enter, her servant explained to me, “Swords, knives, and all other weapons and armor must be set aside before entering, as per custom.” “It’s too dangerous for you to go in there unarmed—you haven’t even hired this person yet!” Laviala complained behind me. That was what she needed to say, as that was her job. This woman was like both a wife and a sister to me. And that would never change. Whether I was going to listen to what she said was another story, though. “I’m going to do as I’m told,” I replied. “Besides, I’m sure Yanhaan doesn’t want to lose her life, either.” Many people serving me had come to the residence as well. If I died, not a soul in Yanhaan’s family would survive. Naturally, I’d had the rappas conduct a basic background check on her as well. There was no sign that Yanhaan had connections to the former king. “Very well… But please run away at the first sign of danger…” “I’m happy to see you’re as loyal as always.” “You always did have a tendency to rush into things on your own,” Laviala replied, blushing; maybe my compliment had caught her off guard. “I won’t deny that, but you’re not so different yourself. You would’ve been killed if I hadn’t saved you that one time.” “Well…I was only doing my duty as a vassal. It wasn’t a big deal,” Laviala said, clearly thinking only of her own situation. Anyway, time to see what this tea ceremony’s all about. I was bewildered upon opening the small door. The room itself was tiny, only about the width of the door. It didn’t go back very far, either. Not even jails were this cramped. In the center of the room was a table connected to the wall that took up much of what space there was. You couldn’t really get to the other side without going under it. On either side of the table was a chair; Yanhaan was sitting on the far end. When we first met, she was very genial and warm; but now, she had a sort of strength you’d expect from a master of an art form. “Welcome. It is a pleasure to have you. Please, do have a seat.” A tea set was upon the table. Since this was called tea ceremony, it must involve drinking tea. I sat down in the seat offered to me. “What a strange room. It might even be the perfect size for a confessional. Sitting to drink tea is about all you can do otherwise.” “Yes, that’s exactly right. In tea ceremony one uses tea to temper the soul, so having too many things on hand would simply get in the way.” Yanhaan poured what was presumably tea into a cup from the teapot. This drink had a disturbingly green color to it, however. It was completely unlike the amber color of any tea I’d seen. “What on earth is this? It looks just like poison…” “If it seems suspicious, perhaps I should drink first?” “No, it’s fine. Taking an antidote first should be good enough.” Tea ceremony, eh? Never would’ve imagined anyone in this world serving green-colored tea. Judging by Oda Nobunaga’s reaction, I could trust her. I put the tea in my mouth. True to its color, it had a unique flavor—bitter, but also sweet. I wouldn’t call it unpleasant, either. “Please quiet your mind as you taste the tea. It is a recipe made just for this ceremony.” Doing as my host bid, I drank the strange-tasting tea. To my shock, I realized I could no longer hear anything. My mind really did become quiet. However, even though I’d merely drunk tea, for some reason I felt like I was almost meditating, as if at a temple. This “tea ceremony” might be perfect to do before making big political decisions. It sure did influence the mind. This was unlike any tea party I was familiar with. I suddenly felt like something was pulling me in… No, was I really getting pulled in? It was a bizarre sensation, as if I were falling into myself. Maybe I really was pois—