Chapter 97
“And there’s no guarantee you’ll have strong royal authority either.”
“Is that an insult?”
“I’m stating facts, Claude.”
At Yuls’s words, Claude pouted. Well, it was true that achieving things was harder now than in the past. Still, Claude didn’t think it warranted being dismissed. Yuls was different.
“Strengthening royal authority. That was only possible in the past. The King expanded territory, secured a decent position in the Central Continent Alliance assembly, and trade was active. Not only did the King have power, but it was during a time of frequent wars. Based on those victories, centralization occurred, and they moved to inland Ionad to avoid naval battles, developing this place, but what happened after?”
“…Well, Ionad is nice to live in, isn’t it?”
“Only Ionad is nice. Moving the capital drained enormous sums and emptied the treasury. Luigi’s father died quickly, your father seized the vacancy with Grimaldi’s help, and my father fled to the South, blind with love, abandoning everything. Honestly, our predecessors were a mess. My father especially. If he was going to run away, he should have stayed away, but in the end, he submitted to the King again? How do you think I felt becoming Duke at thirteen?”
“Were you bitter?”
“…Where did you learn to speak like that?”
“At court.”
It seemed clear that at least no one had taught Claude court etiquette. Who had been in charge of Claude’s manners? If the Count had handled swordsmanship… He wasn’t sure. Yuls hadn’t lived at court. Watching the silent Yuls, Claude smirked.
“If the previous Duke Woodpecker had kept only your mother by his side, he wouldn’t have received such a curse.”
“My curse has nothing to do with that. And he was too weak to make such choices.”
Yuls recalled his father. The Duke was lacking both as a father and as a territorial lord. He staked his life on love, yet couldn’t fully let go of what he had. If it had been Yuls, he would have fled into the forest with his mother.
But even if the Duke had decided to, it would have been impossible.
From the start, his mother had shed her love for his father, and the child she might have given affection to was born a mutant.
“That’s why Count Grimaldi chose your father. My father’s limitations were clear.”
The witch generally called Yuls human, and sometimes called him the green human. Did it mean a human beloved by plants like a witch, or was there another meaning?
The word “Green Man” often echoed in his mind.
—Useless thoughts.
“And I think Grimaldi’s judgment was accurate. I too inherited weakness from my father.”
Yuls continued.
“That position isn’t mine, Claude. I have no interest in it. As long as my domain is safe, I won’t be greedy. However…”
Yuls hadn’t known. Because his treatment at court wasn’t good, he’d avoided socializing when possible. He knew various talks circulated at events like balls, but hadn’t known they went so deep. Had he known, he would have participated earlier.
But it’s uncertain whether people would have spoken such words in Yuls’s presence. Yesterday’s conversation had been chance.
Thanks to Claude, many now knew who Yuls was, but some still didn’t. And such people conversed among themselves without particular caution. Conversations about their territories and interests.
“The South is still under my jurisdiction, but other regions seem to want trade between territories. Dalkatir is quite closed off now. Maybe that’s why His Majesty is thinking of supporting Türingen. In the end, we need to expand into the Central Continent’s interior either by sea or through Türingen, but we’ve already lost much regarding maritime matters. If Palesa were the center, we’d have many advantages, but Ionad has clear limitations.”
Strengthening royal authority only benefited the royal family and their close associates. Everything had to be processed through parliament, the Council of Elders, and the Privy Council before receiving royal approval. With limited authority, even when things passed, they were typically slower than elsewhere.
“Even territories advantaged for maritime trade are restricted by royal policy, and when trying to trade with other territories, different territorial laws cause problems. If it’s like this even within Dalkatir, looking further isn’t necessarily bad. Including being first to accept foreign culture, we could gain advantages in tax rates and other areas. Moreover, border regions sometimes bind themselves through marriage alliances to reduce friction with foreign countries. They’re practically one family.”
“So basically there’s dissatisfaction that the royal family restricts trade and diplomacy?”
“Some countries don’t restrict territorial diplomacy, but Dalkatir does.”
“…Great powers can afford not to restrict diplomacy. But for Dalkatir, if we loosened such things and territorial nobles defected to show loyalty to other regions, problems would arise.”
“That’s why this should be discussed in the Privy Council. What to do.”
“They talked about this after I left?”
“They might have talked even when you were there. You don’t listen well to others.”
“Talk from below is all useless.”
“When you’re in a high position, you need to listen.”
“My father doesn’t listen either.”
“That’s what you don’t know.”
The King knows more than expected. He also maintains good relationships with many people. While nobles typically harbor ulterior motives when their interests don’t align with loyalty to the King, the current King manages this well.
He loosens appropriately, turns a blind eye appropriately, and ruthlessly cuts down those who cross the line. Count Grimaldi taught him this, and in the end, the King surpassed his teacher by cutting down Grimaldi himself. And now his foolish son had brought that teacher back.
Claude sighed and gestured to his attendant. Without words, the attendant understood and brought a liquor bottle and glass.
“Want some?”
“I don’t need liquid that makes you lose reason.”
“This is divine gift.”
“Then clearly the divine doesn’t love humans.”
“You’re too self-controlling. That’s not good either.”
Claude said, tilting the bottle. The distilled brown liquor fell into the clear glass with a gurgling sound. The alcohol filled more than 90 percent of the glass, exceeding the proper amount. It wasn’t an amount to drink in early morning. But Claude drank it like water.
“…Live properly, Claude.”
Yuls said with a disgusted face.
“If he decides you’re not fit to be King, he might even discard you.”
Claude lifted one corner of his mouth. Though it seemed like a smile, it was so distorted it looked more like a grimace.
Claude had considered this to some extent. Yet the King couldn’t let go because there was no one else suitable. That’s why Claude couldn’t have any flaws. Though he already had plenty, he couldn’t go further.
But Yuls doubted whether Claude could stop here.
“Really? I’ll have to try not to get discarded.”
He doesn’t know self-restraint.
“By the way, cousin, what did I do wrong?”
Claude asked. His face showed no awareness of what he’d done. Though there was much talk about Claude, both known and unknown, he seemed unaware of which of his actions were permissible and which weren’t. But one thing he should know clearly.
“Bringing Count Grimaldi back. That’s probably your biggest recent mistake.”
“Bringing him back?”
Claude smiled slightly.
“I was threatened.”
“That’s your perspective.”
Would others really consider Claude’s perspective? At Yuls’s firm words, Claude pressed his lips together. Though he wanted to object, it wasn’t wrong.
“Talk well with your attendants, advisors, and noble allies. Count Grimaldi would be fine too. Whatever else, his mind works well.”
“Are you on my side?”
Claude asked. Yuls stared at him. Did his use of “you” indicate awareness that others weren’t on his side?
“That’s why I passed on these words.”
“I’ll always be on your side if you don’t betray me, Claude, my cousin.”
Yuls’s eyes lowered as he said this.
“As long as you don’t covet what’s mine.”
“Is that so?”
Claude looked at Adi behind him. Those brown eyes seemed disinterested in everything. Even a passing dog’s eyes would probably be warmer.
“Then I should be more wary of the Count than myself.”
Claude said. Whatever happened, he judged it would be advantageous to make Yuls recognize Count Grimaldi as the true enemy. And perhaps this thought wasn’t wrong, as Yuls’s expression briefly hardened before returning to normal.
