Though, that said, if the king were to just do whatever he pleased, he would lose the hearts of the people, and would likely see himself deposed by the Three Dukedoms…
Furthermore, when the king wished to consider different policies, he could summon advisors other than the prime minister. The king would confer with his advisors, deciding if his policies would be effective or not. The selection of advisors was left to the king’s sole discretion. He could hire whomever and however many he wanted,
In truth, even before taking the throne (in this kingdom, from the time one was a prince), a prospective king would begin to gather people who might become his advisors. But with Souma having ascended the throne so suddenly, he had none.
“People who can tell me the things I want to know, and who will work hard at the tasks I set them to,” he said. “Those are the sort of personal retainers I want.”
“I understand. All those who stand above others long to have capable underlings,” Sir Ludwin said.
“Is it the same for you in the Forbidden Army?”
“Yes. Most of the graduates from the Officers’ Academy request to be assigned to the armies of the Three Dukedoms. Since, while they call us the Forbidden Army, we’re basically just the capital’s defense force. It’s not a popular posting, is it, Princess?”
“Well… I guess not. Most of my classmates went to the armies of the Three Dukedoms.”
I was in the land forces, but that was because there was no point in me joining the Forbidden Army, since it existed to protect the royal family.
“Well, there you have it. These days, the Forbidden Army has a lot of misfits and eccentrics in it. We even have a mad scientist who drifted over to us from the Weapons Development Branch.”
“Oh, now that sounds like someone I’d want to meet!” Souma said.
Seeing Souma’s enthusiasm, Sir Ludwin replied, “I’ll introduce you sometime.” He laughed wryly.
After that, we made small talk for a while and then parted with Sir Ludwin.
When I get back to my room, I’ll send another letter encouraging Duke Carmine to meet with Souma, I thought to myself.
“We really do suffer from a lack of capable people!” I complained.
“I–I suppose…” Liscia said.
I tried to persuade Liscia, but she looked a little bewildered.
Because I had been working my ability so hard, it might have leveled up. Lately, I could move up to four things at the same time (effectively, I could do the work of five people), but even with that, it was only the equivalent of having one extra person. A person who lacked any knowledge or skills that I myself lacked. What I needed were people with knowledge I didn’t have. People with skills I didn’t have. I desperately wanted to have people like that.
— And so, I decided to gather them.
“So, that being that, I think I’ll use a Jewel Voice Broadcast.”
“A Jewel Voice Broadcast?”
The Jewel Voice Broadcast was a system for delivering the voice of the king to all regions of the country. In the Jewel Voice Room in the palace, there was a floating jewel that must have had a diameter of around two meters. The jewel was said to be imbued with the magic of the spirits of air, sylphs, and the spirits of water, undines. It would deliver the king’s voice to all around the country, and in towns with the appropriate setup, it could even project his image. Past kings had apparently used the Jewel Voice Broadcast to unveil a new constitution, or to declare war on another nation, that sort of thing.
“I’ll bet you’ll be the first to use it to gather capable people,” Liscia said, seemingly impressed.
Was it really such a wild idea? “How do you normally gather them?” I asked.
“Through personal connections, or holding written exams and hiring those who pass.”
“Aren’t those methods pretty biased? What’s the literacy rate in this country?”
“Half the people can read, and three-tenths can write.”
“That’s no good at all. Only three-tenths of the population can take the exams.”
“Just so you know, that’s pretty average in this world…” she said.
Hmm… Guess that’s what happens when you don’t have compulsory education.
“Anyone can be taught to read and write,” I said. “Surely, the quality of a candidate shouldn’t be decided by his or her ability to afford lessons. It’s seven-tenths of the population. Just how many diamonds are you planning to leave in the rough?”
“…There’s nothing I can say against that,” Liscia said, sounding ashamed.
Though, I suppose she’s not the one I need to be telling this, huh? Really, this country needs to be fixed from the ground up.
“So, what conditions are you going to use in your call?” she asked.
“I’m considering the wording. Though, really, I intend to borrow the words of a great man I admire.”
“A great man?”
“Yeah. A ‘crafty hero in a troubled land.’”
“If you have a gift, I will put it to use!”
Through capital, city, town, and village alike, Souma’s voice echoed.
In the capital, the cities, and even the larger towns, Souma’s image was projected, as well. The receivers in the larger areas released a mist into the air, then used the refraction of light to recreate the scene taking place inside the Jewel Voice Room.
To put it in modern terms, they were receiving a video feed from the filming location and projecting it live onto a mid-air screen. The quality was grainy, but people were excited to have their first glimpse of the new king.
Some were bewildered by his youth, others by his plain appearance. The fault for this lay with Souma, who had felt it too bothersome put on formal attire or even his crown.
Just seeing Princess Liscia standing at his side without looking particularly tense reassured the people. Though they had heard he hadn’t forced the king to abdicate and usurped the throne, until they saw him for themselves, they had still harbored some uncertainty. Especially in the case of Princess Liscia, whose dignified beauty had made her something of an idol to the people, some had voiced concern for her wellbeing.
As they went about their business, Souma’s speech continued.
“My people, our country is faced with a crisis of heretofore unseen proportions! The grave matter of the food crisis, the economic downturn which stems from it, the influx of refugees from lands seized by the Demon Lord… Any one of these things alone would be a serious malaise which threatened this country. Yet, there is still more! The Empire has expanded its influence, and some of our neighbors watch us with eager eyes, ready to pounce! The former king, recognizing that this situation was beyond his power to solve, has entrusted this country to my humble self.
“To recognize what one cannot do, and to make way for one who can. Even when one knows it to be the right thing to do, it is never an easy choice. In times of peace, the former king would have had the capacity to be a great ruler.”
For a moment, Princess Liscia thought, “That’s giving him way too much credit…” with a bitter smile, but no one noticed.
“However, these are troubled times! In times of turbulence, we seek in our rulers not a person of saintly virtue, but someone willing to get their hands dirty, willing to stubbornly do what it takes to survive. Not a ruler who is above average in all things, but a ruler who will not give up on survival, and on that one point excels beyond all others. Because, ultimately, that is what will protect your families and livelihoods! That is why the former king entrusted this country to me! I am tenacious, and on this one point I am superior to the former king.