[R18] King's Domination

The next day I was summoned by the Prime Minister. That grim-faced Prime Minister Cromwell. I could not think of a single reason I would be called. I did not want to go, but if I had been called, I had to go.

The moment I entered the Prime Minister’s office, though,

"Sorry for the trouble over that matter."

Prime Minister Cromwell said something I did not follow. Probably the Empire business? I thought, and still tried playing dumb.

"Over what?"

He frowned at me. (His face was already frightening. A frown on top of that made it the most frightening thing possible. I wanted to say so and could not.)

"Do not say that. The business those Ai and Dee types were mixed up in."

So I said,

"That. Yes. It was truly hard. I nearly died."

A little blame.

"Do not say that. It sounds quite different from what I heard from Her Majesty. Could it be Ambassador Marie treats men and women differently?"

He asked something obvious. Between Her Majesty and this grim Prime Minister it was so obvious I could not find words!

"Of course it is!"

What are you saying, mister rabbit! I was not going to be pleasant to a man with a face this scary. Being feared just because your face is scary is a loss, I think, but still.

"Hm. Well, that is natural. Is Ambassador Marie not afraid of me?"

"Afraid?"

"Yes. Ambassador Marie is a prince of a country, but still a child, yes? And yet you feel no fear of me. That is strange."

"Strange?"

"Yes. Most people in this country fear me. Even if they have nothing on their conscience, they think that if they meet me something will be poked at and something bad will happen. So many of them do not want to see me."

Nnn. This man called me here. What did he want to say? When I stayed quiet,

"Ah. My mistake. I said something extra. I had Ambassador Marie come first because I wanted to give some reward from my side for what we just spoke of."

He seemed to read the room at least a little, and started on the point.

"A reward? That was shadow work. Nothing that can be put in the open, so I had not thought I would receive anything."

"That is how it should be, but this time the service to the Mainz Kingdom was great. It cannot end with nothing given. Ambassador Marie calls it shadow work, but it has reached the heads of the kingdom. If I do not give a reward, someone else will try to give Ambassador Marie one. There will be people who try to give their daughters. It would be a problem if I were thought to be stingy with a reward for Ambassador Marie. So if you have a wish, I want you to say it. Something with shape would be best, if possible."

I see. If I could receive something, there was something I very much wanted!

"I would very much like to be taught magic."

"Magic?"

"I want to acquire magic!"

"I have heard Ambassador Marie studied magic in the Marie Kingdom as well and could not acquire it."

What, that was known!? Was my personal information stripped bare!? The work of Mainz Kingdom intelligence gave me a small shock, and I went quiet.

"I hear that if the bud has not come by Ambassador Marie’s age, magic cannot be acquired. I can arrange a teacher, but if you want to learn, why not acquire something else?"

They had said that in the Marie Kingdom too. I had not thought I would get it driven in again after coming to the Mainz Kingdom.

I still tried, without folding.

"What about that Magic Division Head?"

"Ah. Hütter."

The Prime Minister’s face soured.

"That one is missing now."

"Missing?"

"Yes. Hütter is unaccounted for. Abandoned his post."

"Is that all right?"

"Of course it is not all right."

"Why did he go missing?"

"I cannot say."

"Hero Summoning," maybe? He was surely not allowed to say that.

"I heard there is a magic school in the Mainz Kingdom. Could I be put in there?"

"No."

A blunt answer.

"What about sitting in as an auditor?"

"Auditor? What is that."

"A student who is not enrolled as a pupil, but is allowed to hear some of the classes."

"Impossible. I hear the magic school is practice first. I do not think there are many classes you only listen to."

"Can nothing be done?"

"If you meet one condition, entry is easy. I will recommend you. Then no one will oppose it."

"What condition is that?"

"Mm. Become a national of the Mainz Kingdom. Marry some noble’s daughter and enter as a son-in-law. How about it? I will introduce you."

It was that after all.

"I am grateful, but I have been appointed ambassador."

"Fufu. I know. There was no one to take the post in the first place, so a prince who is not yet grown, like Ambassador Marie, was sent. The Marie Kingdom is a country short on people to begin with, and capable talent was lost dying with His Highness the Crown Prince or dying in the line of duty. On top of that the third prince’s outrage cut still more, and talent must be dried up. As an ally, I worry."

Hah? Ally? The Mainz Kingdom and the Marie Kingdom are allies? What kind of alliance is that?

"Um, what kind of alliance is this alliance? A military alliance? An economic cooperation alliance?"

"What nonsense are you talking. An alliance is an alliance. Ambassador Marie was sent out from home without being told a thing."

"That is true. I have no words to return... Then this alliance, if a third country started a war, would the Mainz Kingdom and the Marie Kingdom strike that third country together?"

"Of course."

"It is a given? I see."

"Why are you sinking over something that obvious. That is what an alliance is, is it not? You did not know?"

"No. I thought it was that sort of thing, but hearing it again is a little..."

"Now, now. What happened to the energy from a moment ago. Yes. If this kingdom went to war with the Empire, we would request troops from the Marie Kingdom. That said, the Marie Kingdom now has no room to send troops, in men or in coin, so it would be enough if Ambassador Marie took the field. The man and woman from that clash with House Kirchhoff. Three people is fine."

Somehow I had been signed up for the field in no time... Ask the country, but who would I even ask? The Prime Minister? Her Majesty? I had a feeling that even if I sent a written question, no answer would come back...

Oops. We had drifted a long way from the reward.