Under the pretext of seeing off my younger brothers, I headed to the main palace building, where I was still unwelcome except when invited by the Consort.
Though there were still people present after the meeting, when our eyes met, Father wore an expression of understanding.
"Your Majesty, might I have a moment of your time?"
"...You heard?"
"From Helkov."
When I answered briefly, Father nodded and dismissed the others, leaving only Okappa.
"Brother."
"See you later, Terry. Please take care of Warnel and Fel."
I felt bad for my brother who seemed to want to say something, but I urged him to leave with a smile.
Parting with Terry and the others, I moved with Father to what appeared to be a study.
I had never come here before.
We always met in the salon; otherwise, I only went to places like Terry's training ground.
"Ikuto, could you call Helkov? I want to hear his opinion."
Father seated me and sent Ikuto toward the left wing.
He seemed to have judged that since there were guards in the vicinity here, it would be fine if Ikuto stepped away.
However, as he was leaving, Ikuto whispered something to Okappa, and immediately Okappa made a displeased face.
And Father and I saw that.
"That fellow has a tendency to think that since his skills are reliable, he can ultimately just use force to handle things."
"He's fundamentally a man of his word, so if you're threatened by him, it's better not to resist pointlessly."
"What is this confidence, if not trust?"
Okappa asked with a bitter face, turning criticism into a question, then took documents from near the shelf and placed them where I could see.
I faced Father across a table, seated on sofas opposite each other.
"Word came first from the Romrushi side. They seem to intend to push through with local discretion, but it's written euphemistically that they want us to bear the burden regarding troop deployment."
"When you move the military, you need expenses for the number of people involved, correct? Is Romrushi more concerned about expenses than maintaining their own sovereignty?"
"...Could it be, regarding military matters, from Helkov?"
"Yes. When I asked why he was good at calculations, I was told that soldiers are numbers and money. Then he taught me about the maintenance and management of the military as an institution."
For some reason, both His Majesty and Okappa looked up at the ceiling.
I looked too, but there was nothing—no, the palace had fresco paintings on the ceiling, so there were pictures.
"Your Majesty, perhaps we should ask again what the tutors have been teaching."
"Was my way of asking bad? Helkov said there was almost nothing to teach indoors since he can't even swing a sword."
"Basically, I listened to everyone's experiences. Regarding military matters, I mostly listened to discussions about how they would have led historical battles to victory."
What Helkov said wasn't wrong, and we talked about such things in daily conversation and during lessons too.
Besides, when Wearrel was teaching, Helkov and Ikuto often joined in before I knew it, so perhaps he didn't recognize it as his own teaching.
Probably the busy Majesty couldn't listen from the beginning, and they themselves might not remember the details.
Currently, I'm learning arithmetic from Wald and an overview of this country's monetary system, and from Nomariola—whom I while serving as a palace attendant—I'm learning the names and backgrounds of nobles, blood relations, and vested interests.
Also, since Nomariola is the daughter of a count, she teaches me personally regarding education too, so thanks to her, piano lessons, which I had hardly touched since Harti left, have resumed.
But Father doesn't know about this since it's my own decision.
"Let me say this first: I think I could go to Romrushi."
Father's face immediately contorted.
Then he hung his head as if holding it in his hands.
"Since you came all this way, I thought perhaps, but..."
"First Prince, we won't get anywhere if you entertain His Majesty, so please state the reasons for your judgment."
Okappa spoke, surprisingly roughly, as if ignoring the Emperor.
While speaking, he placed confidential documents on the table, probably materials from the meeting.
The regional map displayed showed detailed positions of towns and roads, and the names of the problematic locations.
The town on the Romrushi side was Warbili, and the town on the Empire side was Karu.
To reach either, one had to climb troublesome highlands in the mountains; there was no other path.
"I see. Even if claimed as territory, there's little benefit, and it's not strategic enough for the nation to deploy troops. Moreover, the cost of deploying troops is clearly painful."
If crossing mountains makes securing water difficult, not just soldiers but extra supplies are needed.
As horses and cargo transport increase, and necessary supplies increase further, military expenses will skyrocket.
"No matter how you think about it, the burden keeps doubling."
"Furthermore, there was a commotion about deploying troops sixty years ago, and there's a report from that time."
Since the paper Okappa produced was new, it was probably a copy of the sixty-year-old report.
It described a stubborn regional character that placed no weight on authority from either Romrushi or the Empire.
The dispatched general stopped the fighting by intervening with force, then arranged a peace conference between representatives of both sides, but it took a full seven years.
"Isn't that too long? Huh, the fighting itself stopped immediately upon arrival, right?"
"The roots ran deep, neither side retreated, and finally, the person commanding the Karu side fell to illness, so Warbili took the disputed land and it settled."
"That didn't really settle it, did it? The grudge from around grandfather's generation is being stirred up by the grandchildren, right? If I don't go prepared with a solution, I won't be able to come back?"
Looking at other materials, it was reported that since the beastmen considered the disputed land sacred, persuasion was impossible.
Moreover, locals say they had similar conflicts many times before sixty years ago.
"Either side taking it is problematic. But it's too far and inconvenient for the nation to manage. Romrushi also finds it troublesome and won't intervene, but we can't forget to be considerate. For this, shouldn't we keep troops to the absolute minimum and have someone skilled in negotiation who can draw out compromises accompany them?"
I began staring at the materials.
There, Ikuto returned bringing Helkov.
The two entered, closed the door, looked at Father and Okappa's faces, then looked at me in unison.
"Your Highness, what did you do?"
"Nothing? I've only been looking at materials so far."
"In other words, you were listing problems just from looking at information."
When Ikuto spoke, Father showed an unprecedented casualness, leaning back into the sofa as if collapsing.
"...Is this normal?"
"Since he hasn't taken any action yet, he's probably more well-behaved than usual."
Father sat up at Helkov's answer.
"What are you teaching? How much about military affairs..."
"Let me say, I'm not skilled enough to teach beyond my own experience. What's extraordinary is His Highness's comprehension and application."
"I haven't said anything but general things, though?"
I objected, but Ikuto shook his head.
"Your Highness Asha, deciding immediately upon judging that moving now is advantageous is not general. Moreover, for someone who has never left the palace to notice the problems is extraordinary in itself."
"...In other words, it's better if I don't talk. Then we must solidify the policy here and have His Majesty control personnel. Also, I must properly convey what kind of resolution we're aiming for."
Father looked up at the ceiling again, exhaled, then turned to me as if switching gears.
"Alright, I understand my son is a genius. I thought I knew, but I also understand he's well above expectations. First, let's hear Asha's opinion. Why do you think we should accept the troop deployment?"
Father put on a serious face and clasped his hands together somewhat anxiously.
No, I should think it's good enough just to be heard here.
I straightened my posture and first told him the reasons Helkov had said we should move now, and how His Majesty could be put at a disadvantage if things went badly.
Father seemed about to say something, but urged me to continue without speaking.
"However, judging from these materials, depending on the situation, they may have no intention of letting me return to the capital again."
"That is... then should we cancel the deployment?"
"No, we should do it now. If not, Terry will suffer when it's his turn. Moreover, Romrushi has declared they're passing the buck. Let's secure a commitment here and make things easier to move. To eliminate future worries, we should perhaps negotiate to formally incorporate Warbili into imperial territory."
Peace alone brings little change, making it hard to obtain achievements that remain in history.
Increasing territory here, even slightly, can serve as an official achievement for Father as Emperor.
The problem is that the dukes remain loyal to the Empire.
Opposing the dukes and scheming to remove them from power would ultimately mean losing loyal subjects of the Empire.
That's why, while they may aim to remove Father, they don't aim to shrink imperial power, so if handled well, there are benefits to be gained.
"There are three problems. The solution to the Warbili and Karu problem. Next, Romrushi's approval. And how to extract good conditions from the dukes and make them accept our terms. The second and third require Your Majesty to move. Therefore, please let me think about the first problem, the solution."
I had thought hard and appealed, but for some reason, everyone looked up at the ceiling.
**Regular Update**
**Next: The Northern Military Disturbance 4**