Chief Strategist: The position at the heart of national governance, responsible for formulating military strategy and management plans——the brain of the Holy Kingdom.
(Why, of all things, the chief strategist……?)
The question that surfaces in Zel’s mind is purely, genuinely one of bewilderment.
The Holy Kingdom is in the middle of its founding, and there is no shortage of vacant positions——Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Justice, Minister of the Environment, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and more.
But out of all those options, the one chosen is: chief strategist.
The thing furthest from anything the Saint should be.
(……What do I……do……)
Zel thinks hard with a grave expression.
(Luna-sama has always struggled with mental labor. To put it without mincing words——she is a scatterbrain. If she is placed as chief strategist, what follows will be literal hell. The Holy Kingdom will, beyond any reasonable doubt……collapse……)
Luna’s appointment as chief strategist is a ‘prelude to ruin,’ and must be avoided at all costs.
“Um……Saint-sama, the position of chief strategist——”
“——Chief strategist is so cool, isn’t it! It has this sort of ‘shadow ruler’ feel to it, you know? I happen to have quite a sharp mind when it comes down to it, so I think I’m actually rather well-suited for it!”
A self-assessment that misses the mark by an extraordinary margin.
Luna, who genuinely believes she is suited to the role of chief strategist, wears an open, guileless smile.
(……Great ancestral spirits, whatever am I supposed to do……)
Zel holds his head in his hands.
His ‘objective’ is to protect this unclouded smile.
The ‘means’ to that end is the Holy Kingdom, the construction of a new order, and the creation of a world with the Saint at its center.
(Think, think carefully, Zel Aries Zezed……! Do not confuse ‘objective’ and ‘means’! It is none other than the Saint-sama herself who says she wishes to be chief strategist! What is there to agonize over!?)
He is a retainer to the bone——his mistress’s wishes are to be ‘unconditionally honored.’
If Luna wishes to be chief strategist, it is his duty to use every means at his disposal to make it happen.
(However, there is no path to national prosperity with that Saint-sama as chief strategist. And yet she sincerely wishes to take the post. ……Ngh, ugh, nnnnnnghhhhhh……)
Having agonized to the very limit——Zel makes a decision that costs him dearly.
“——The position of chief strategist……suits you very well, I believe.”
“See, I knew it! Then I’m officially decided as chief strategist!”
A great full-bloomed smile——and the Holy Kingdom’s ruin appeared to be sealed——when a ‘reversal move’ detonates.
“Saint-sama, there is one thing I would like to ask.”
“What?”
“Would you place me as ‘deputy chief strategist’?”
He elevates Luna as chief strategist, while he himself provides her with full support.
This way, he can honor her wish while keeping the Holy Kingdom on a proper course.
A brilliant solution that struck Zel in a moment of crisis.
“But……you’re already Minister of Defense, Zel. Isn’t it a lot to hold two positions at once?”
“Thank you for your concern. Please do not worry, however. (Compared to leaving the Saint-sama to run unchecked and scrambling to manage the aftermath,) this is nothing that amounts to any hardship.”
“Oh good. Then Zel, appointed deputy chief strategist!”
“Thank you.”
And so, following Ro Steinclaw, the second long-suffering individual was born.
In any case——with the position assignments settled without incident, the ‘final item on the agenda’ begins.
“There is one more thing——this is the most troublesome matter of all, but……”
“What is it?”
“I have received contact from Clever Ko Leyton, head of the Leyton Conglomerate.”
“The Leyton Conglomerate……(Hmm, that name sounds familiar somehow……?)”
While Luna is turning a faint sense of recognition over in her mind, Zel presses ahead.
“The Leyton Conglomerate is the name of a massive enterprise group that spans the world. With the Leyton Trading Company as its core business, it operates across a wide range of fields including finance, staffing services, resource development, magical instrument manufacturing, and magestone processing. Clever-dono built this worldwide conglomerate in a single generation through a ‘conglomerate-style diversified management’ approach——acquiring and merging businesses of all kinds.”
“A ‘combo-type smashing operation’……? I don’t quite follow, but he sounds impressive.”
“Yes. He is without question one of the most prominent figures in contemporary society.”
Having stated this clearly and plainly, Zel takes a sip of his black coffee.
“And what has this Clever-san done?”
“He sent his dedicated secretary here as an intermediary, requesting a ‘secret meeting’ with the Holy Kingdom——with Silver.”
“……Why……?”
A large question mark floats above Luna’s head.
“According to the other party’s account, it is ‘to offer congratulations on the founding of the Holy Kingdom and to build a good relationship going forward’——but their true purpose is, nine times out of ten, ‘assessment.'”
“Assessment……”
“To determine whether the Holy Kingdom will become a strong power to rival the four great nations, and if its prospects look promising, to invest early and establish ties during the founding period. That is how I read their intentions.”
“I-I see……”
Luna claps her hands and nods with what looks like genuine admiration.
As a matter of fact, Zel’s reasoning here is correct.
The Holy Kingdom——an untouched blue ocean that has appeared out of nowhere——Clever has spotted enormous commercial potential in it.
“It goes without saying, but nation-building requires an enormous amount of resources. Cash, materials, manpower——our nation is lacking in everything……. And now a secret meeting with the Leyton Conglomerate has fallen out of the sky at just the right moment——we cannot afford not to use this!”
Zel’s words naturally carry heat.
“If we can show our nation’s future potential here and draw investment from them, a bright future opens up all at once! Saint-sama, I would very much ask that you consider this secret meeting in a positive light!”
“Hmm……. But I’m not very good at complicated-sounding discussions.”
The chief strategist has spoken.
“There is no need to worry. If anything happens, I will provide immediate support.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Of course, I will essentially be leaving the basic responses to you, Saint-sama——but when a difficult question comes that you are struggling to answer, please tap the table like this with your index finger. I will step in promptly and provide swift support.”
“Oh, that’s reassuring!”
With Luna’s approval secured, the conversation moves to the next stage.
“Then let us set a date for the secret meeting right away. Could you first tell me your schedule, Saint-sama?”
“For me……let me see. Any day the Academy is off would be fine.”
Luna says this and points to a calendar, indicating the days off.
“Understood. I’ll contact them via <Transmission> magic to coordinate the date.”
“Yes, please.”
“Leave it to me. ——<Transmission>.”
Zel closes his eyes and begins contacting Clever’s dedicated secretary.
In the meantime, Luna swings her feet idly, drinks her extremely sweet coffee, and waits for the <Transmission> to finish.
Roughly three minutes later, Zel’s eyes blink open.
“Phew……”
“Good work. How did it go?”
“Clever-dono is apparently in the middle of business negotiations in the Albas Empire at present, and has proposed ‘ten o’clock tomorrow morning, would that work?'”
“Tomorrow——that’s quite sudden.”
“That is how much weight he places on the meeting with us, presumably. We may take it as a favorable sign.”
“I see……then could you go ahead with that time?”
“Understood.”
After that, Zel contacts the Clever camp again via <Transmission>, and the arrangements for the secret meeting are successfully completed.
“Still, a ‘meeting with the head of a massive global conglomerate’……. That’s a big event to come out of nowhere.”
“Yes. I would very much like to make use of this opportunity and lay the cornerstone of the Holy Kingdom.”
“……By the way, what kind of things do we talk about in a secret meeting?”
“It would likely begin with light small talk, and once the atmosphere is warm, move on to the Holy Kingdom’s prospects and future. ——As the old saying goes, ‘better safe than sorry.’ Since we have the opportunity, let us conduct a ‘mock meeting’ to anticipate the flow of the day.”
“Yes, please.”
And so Luna and Zel set about preparing their strategy for the secret meeting.
The following morning. The time is nine-thirty.
From the Albas Empire toward the Holy Kingdom, an old and battered carriage is making its way.
The black paint is peeling away in patches, black rust is scattered across the body, and the wooden wheels carry the wear of the years. A perfectly dilapidated carriage that would embarrass no one.
But its interior is magnificent.
The seats use the finest-quality fabric and cushioning, a warm light sways from an elaborately decorated lantern on the ceiling, and powerful defensive spells are threaded throughout——<Anti-Eavesdropping>, <Tracking Nullification>, <Magic Detection Immunity>.
The run-down exterior is a disguise——camouflage to deceive bandits and business rivals and avoid unnecessary trouble.
A custom-built carriage that could buy a large manor all by itself. The man swaying within it is Clever Ko Leyton, head of the Leyton Conglomerate, forty years old.
170 centimeters, a standard build.
Gold hair of medium length, center-parted. Sharp lime-green eyes. A confident face, dressed in a fine crimson suit.
Holding the dossier on Silver, he goes through it meticulously for what must be the tenth-odd time.
(My counterpart in today’s meeting is Silver Glorious=El=Bloodfallenheart. The Saint’s representative, the hidden hero of history……. Of all the negotiations I have conducted, this is without question my most formidable opponent. Not a moment of carelessness can be permitted……)
Clever, possessed of the world’s foremost mind, sets his outstanding ‘Clever brain’ spinning at high speed——anticipating every possible development on the day of the meeting, every question that might be raised, and preparing the optimal response to each.
Having completed the final version of a mental simulation he has run more than a hundred times over, he opens his eyes sharp.
(——Preparations are complete. All is in order.)
Preparation surpasses all else.
Exams, business negotiations, battles to the death——every live event in existence is nothing but ‘the result of preparation.’
Those who have completed perfect preparation obtain perfect results.
Conversely, those who obtain perfect results have completed perfect preparation.
If one has failed, it simply means their preparation was insufficient.
This is his philosophy of life, and the meticulous accumulation of thorough preparation is the secret behind the Leyton Conglomerate’s success.
“……Phew……”
Having completed all preparations perfectly, Clever opens the pendant section of his silver necklace——and drops his gaze to a ‘certain something’ inside.
(……She’s so adorable……)
What his eyes rest on is a small torn photograph, of his beloved only daughter Sarl Ko Leyton——Sarko——smiling gently.
(……She’s so adorable……)
He murmurs the exact same thought to himself inwardly.
It is not that Clever lacks the vocabulary.
When one sees something truly adorable, the heart fills with adorable. And for him, that something is his beloved only daughter.
As Clever’s cheeks loosen beyond all dignity, a voice mixed with exasperation flies from ahead.
“——Clever-sama, are you thinking about your daughter again?”
The secretary sitting in the facing seat, Frieze Heineforn, twenty years old.
170 centimeters, a slender frame, long brown hair of high transparency.
A beautiful young woman with large eyes and snow-white skin, dressed in a classic maid’s uniform——Clever’s dedicated secretary.
Having received specialized training since childhood, her combat ability is extremely high——she has even single-handedly defeated a ‘mutation variant’ of the magical beast Gremlin.
Receiving the sharp observation from Frieze, Clever nonetheless maintains composure and shrugs.
“Am I thinking about Sarl again, you ask? ……Hmph, not entirely wrong. If pressed to a yes or no, the answer would be yes. Because that girl is genuinely hopeless. I can only worry that she’s embarrassed herself somewhere again and dragged the Leyton name through the mud.”
Clever says this and wears a posture of griping——but.
That very eloquent speed of speech is the most telling proof that he is lying.
“I see, my apologies for prying. (Hahhh, saying things he doesn’t believe again……)”
That Clever dotes on his daughter, that he is a severe case of an overindulgent parent, is common knowledge among the Leyton household’s servants. More precisely, it is common knowledge among those in the business world.
After all——when Sarko was born, he went to every household in the domain declaring “I have a daughter!”
When Sarko used magic for the first time, he went around boasting to everyone he passed on the street: “My daughter is a genius!”
When Sarko passed the Saint Academy entrance examination, he distributed extra editions throughout the capital announcing: “My daughter is the Saint!”
Clever Ko Leyton is an irredeemably embarrassing overindulgent parent——but the man himself alone believes he is ‘perfectly performing the role of a strict father cold toward his daughter.’
(Phew, that was close. My doting on Sarl almost showed……. As head of a massive conglomerate, strictness toward one’s family is expected. I must be a ‘cold-blooded, ruthless businessman’!)
As Clever is thinking this, the carriage comes to a gradual stop.
“It appears we have arrived at the Holy Kingdom. Please mind your step.”
“Right.”
Frieze opens the door, and Clever steps down to the ground.
“……So this is the Holy Kingdom……”
What catches the eye first is sweeping greenery as far as one can see.
Lush vegetable fields spread out before him, and cattle and horses graze on leaves and grass.
Further around, the foundational construction work of nation-building is underway——wooden watchtowers, new houses, foundations for a castle.
(More like a town than a nation……no, ‘village’ would be more accurate. Despite having the ‘Saint force’ backing them, the pace of development seems rather leisurely——but. It has not yet been a month since the recent declaration of independence. The full-scale development to come, the chance to see Silver-dono’s capabilities at work, is from here on.)
As Clever is thinking this, a large avian beastman comes walking toward him from ahead.
A distinguished figure whose name is recorded in the history books——a hero who was renowned as the ‘Great Swordsman’ of the legendary Saint’s party.
“——Welcome to the Holy Kingdom. I am Zel Zezed. I have been entrusted by the Saint-sama to serve as your guide for today’s meeting.”
“How very kind of you. I am Clever Ko Leyton, a humble merchant.”
The two wear soft smiles and exchange greetings.
“To be able to meet the Zel-dono in person like this……I am moved beyond words. Just between us, in my younger days I devoured every heroic tale written about you.”
“Ha ha ha. I don’t know what you may have read, but it was likely greatly embellished. How embarrassing.”
While exchanging this light conversation, Clever keeps his eyes alert.
(So this is the Great Swordsman Zel Zezed. Not just his manner of speech——there is a dignity to his every movement and bearing. And above all……he is terrifyingly strong. ——Frieze, what do you make of him?)
Clever and Frieze maintain a connected <Transmission> at all times, enabling thought-to-thought conversation whenever needed.
(To speak frankly……he is a monster. Against me, I doubt I would last ten seconds.)
(What, a man of that caliber!?)
(Yes. An overflowing surge of magical energy, a bearing full of overwhelming presence……. The title of Great Swordsman is no exaggeration. He is truly one who merits the name ‘hero.’)
(……I see. The Saint, Silver-dono, Zel-dono——a new nation built by monsters of three hundred years ago: the Holy Kingdom. My interest has grown considerably.)
Against the increasingly guarded Clever and Frieze, Zel wears a composed expression and prepares to fulfill his duties as host.
“Now, please come this way. Silver is waiting eagerly.”
They move to the log house, the venue for the secret meeting, and knock on the door——knock, knock, knock——and Luna’s low voice returns: “Come in.”
“——Excuse us.”
Zel opens the door and admits the two guests.
A clean and orderly living room. At the far end, standing beside the large window, is a massive plate armor.
“……”
Luna faces the window in silence, her gaze directed outside.
What might the eyes hidden behind that utilitarian helm be fixed upon……?
(……What a colorful bird……)
Having finished observing a rare bird not typically seen in the area, Luna slowly turns and walks toward Clever.
“Welcome to the Holy Kingdom. I am Silver Glorious=El=Bloodfallenheart, representative of the Saint-sama, the Sole Monarch.”
“How do you do, I am Clever Ko Leyton, head of the Leyton Conglomerate.”
Silver and Clever shake hands firmly in friendship.
“Silver-dono, thank you for having us today.”
“Not at all——thank you for making the journey.”
Brief greetings are exchanged, and a warm atmosphere takes shape.
(So this is the Saint’s representative, the hidden hero Silver Glorious=El=Bloodfallenheart. Somehow……there is no presence to speak of, he seems very relaxed……’ordinary,’ I’d say.)
(……Not even the pressure unique to someone powerful, nor any magical energy whatsoever……. Is this plate armor really the Saint’s representative……?)
As Clever and Frieze’s doubts deepen——
(I’m so relieved Clever-san seems like an easy person to talk to.)
——our beloved Saint is breathing a sigh of relief.
“Now, standing and talking won’t do——please, take a seat.”
“Excuse me.”
Luna takes the seat of honor, and across the long table, Clever sits in the lower position.
The former is the Holy Kingdom’s Sole Monarch representative, the latter is the head of a massive conglomerate. Given both parties’ standing, this arrangement is most fitting.
“Now then, first let us set the stage for our meeting. ——Zel.”
“Yes. ——<People Clearance>. <Recognition Impediment>. <Unknowable Domain>.”
With information security measures in place, Clever takes the initiative and opens proceedings.
“Silver-dono, first——I offer my heartfelt congratulations, as one subject of a kingdom, that the Saint has successfully reincarnated.”
“Thank you.”
“I hope you won’t mind my asking, but——what is the Sole Monarch, the Saint-sama, currently doing?”
“……She is in hiding in a safe location, recovering the power that has weakened through reincarnation.”
“I see, of course. (Silver-dono’s guard went up. It seems best not to press too much on the subject of the Saint.)”
Having made that assessment, Clever immediately withdraws from Saint-related topics and moves to the day’s agenda in a natural manner.
“Now, we are both busy individuals, so shall we get to the point.”
He clears his throat and straightens up.
“As I am a merchant, the reason I have come here today is of course to discuss ‘business.'”
Luna gives a nod and invites him to continue.
“The Saint-sama, Silver-dono, Zel-dono——the so-called ‘Saint force’ recently declared the founding of the Holy Kingdom. Starting a nation from virtually nothing will require a great many things.”
“Well, yes.”
Luna did not deny it.
Cash, materials, manpower——nation-building requires enormous resources, she had heard from Zel.
“And so——the Leyton Conglomerate has prepared funds to supply to your nation. Funds for investment. As the old saying goes, ‘money is an organization’s lifeblood,’ and it is only with abundant capital that a smooth founding can be achieved.”
“Hmm……. And in return, what would you seek?”
“Permission for free commerce within the Holy Kingdom.”
“My, that is a rather modest demand.”
“Ha ha, what are you saying. The right to dive into the Holy Kingdom——this ‘blue ocean’——before anyone else. I would not consider that a small demand at all.”
This is Clever’s genuine and unvarnished thinking.
Build a sales network in the Holy Kingdom ahead of all competitors——and at the appropriate moment, forge ties with the Saint force.
As a return on the initial investment, it is more than sufficiently attractive.
“I see……and how much would the investment you’ve prepared amount to? (Clever-san is wealthy beyond measure——surely he’s prepared an astonishing sum……. One hundred million, two hundred million……no, maybe one billion gold?)”
“I cannot give a specific commitment at this stage, but I plan to prepare a minimum of ten billion gold.”
“T-ten billiooooon……!?”
Luna involuntarily lets out a completely undignified shriek——and Zel immediately fires a <Transmission> at her.
(Saint-sama, please calm down! Your voice has cracked!)
(But ten billion is——! This person just said ten billion——!?)
(There is nothing strange about it at all! For something of the scale of nation-building, this much is only natural!)
Clever and Frieze’s suspicious gazes turn toward the flustered Luna.
(Agitation and panic……did the sum of ten billion strike fear into them? No, surely not. Someone who serves as the Saint’s representative could not be cowed by an amount of this scale. In which case this is……a performance of surprise? But to what end?)
(The same reaction as a commoner in front of a large sum……he really is ordinary after all. Silver’s inner workings……could he be a fake? Perhaps a body double?)
Sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere, Zel hurries to wrap things up.
(In any case, if it becomes known that we were overwhelmed by ten billion, the Holy Kingdom will be seen as small. Please, maintain your composure here and show some dignity!)
(Y-yes, understood……!)
Having received the loyal retainer’s counsel, Luna somehow pulls herself together——and Clever, confirming this, closes in on the ‘heart’ of the discussion.
“Silver-dono, before I proceed with investing in the Holy Kingdom, there is one thing I absolutely must ask.”
“What is it?”
“I believe the environment surrounding your nation at present is an extremely harsh one. According to my own intelligence network, there are many among the upper echelons of the four great powers who are not pleased about the Saint’s reincarnation……. Surrounded by enemies on all sides as you are, what do you intend as your ‘next move’——I would like to hear your ‘future vision.'”
Clever’s sharp discerning eye pierces straight through the utilitarian helm.
With this question, he intends to assess Silver’s true worth.
“Hmm……the next move, you say.”
“Yes. I would very much like to hear Silver-dono’s thinking, as the Sole Monarch’s representative. Depending on the picture you have drawn, there is room for a further increase in the investment amount.”
“……”
“……”
A silence lasting less than a second.
(……The next move……)
Holy Kingdom Chief Strategist Luna Spedio sets her vaunted Saint brain spinning to full——
(——Yeah, nothing.)
——and immediately raises the white flag.
She hasn’t particularly thought out any next move.
(Clever-san is impossibly wealthy and a great merchant of tremendous power……. If I give a poorly thought-out answer, something terrible will happen.)
Having abandoned any attempt at thinking before letting something slip, she——
“……Hahhh……”
——lets out a short, shallow little sigh, and taps the table with her index finger.
The ‘help signal’ agreed upon in advance with Zel.
(This is an SOS from the Saint-sama……!)
Just as the loyal retainer moves to provide immediate support——
“……!”
Clever suddenly stands up from his chair with a loud clatter.
“Clever-dono……?”
“Is something the matter?”
Luna and Zel both call out, but Clever does not respond.
His face is entirely serious, and those sharp lime-green eyes are fixed on the spot below Luna’s index finger——the ‘certain point’ on the world map that the utilitarian gauntlet is pointing to.
(……Th-that place……is……!)
Clever’s——the genuine world’s foremost mind, incomparable to anything like a Saint brain——begins spinning at high speed.
(The place Silver-dono is pointing to is the Godba Martial Nation and the Kasorla Magic Nation. That land is right in the middle of a ‘warring-states upheaval’ at present, I hear it is on the verge of breaking out……. Is this coincidence? ——No, it isn’t! The secret meeting today——recall every detail of it!)
He presses his right palm against his face and deepens his thinking.
(A Holy Kingdom that is developing at a leisurely pace despite having the Saint force behind it. The atmosphere Silver-dono gives off: no presence, relaxed. The performance of surprise at the mention of ten billion——exaggeratedly so……)
Tracing back through his memory, several suspicious points surface.
(And above all——the direction Silver-dono was looking when I entered this room was northwest! And in that line of sight: the Martial Nation and the Magic Nation! ……It is beyond doubt now. The sense of unease that had been building since I arrived, the dots that were scattered everywhere——they have connected into a single line……!)
Three seconds in real time.
The world’s foremost mind has arrived at an astonishing conclusion.
“……I see. So that is what this is about……”
“Yes, that is what this is about.”
Pulled along by Clever’s meaningful question, Luna gives a meaningful-seeming nod.
Naturally, she understands nothing.
She simply felt like a rather nice-sounding pass had come her way, and reflexively nodded.
“Phew……it seems I had been underestimating you. After confirming ‘the result of the next move,’ I will be raising the investment amount considerably.”
“That would be much appreciated.”
Clever forms an extremely high evaluation of Silver, and of the Holy Kingdom that the Saint force is building, and makes a promise of further enormous investment.
Regardless of the process of the negotiation——from a results perspective, the secret meeting can only be called a great success.
“——Silver-dono, Zel-dono, thank you sincerely for your valuable time today.”
“Not at all.”
“Thanks to you, this has been a fruitful meeting.”
The closing remarks are exchanged, and the secret meeting concludes.
“Now then——I have my next business meeting to attend, so I will take my leave here.”
Clever says this, bows, and walks out of the log house at a brisk pace.
Climbing into the custom-built battered carriage, Clever gives a hand signal to the driver, who quietly sets the horse moving.
The lonely sound of turning wheels fills the air, and the carriage carrying a ‘general of a defeated army’ rushes onward toward the Leyton family manor.
“……”
“……”
Clever is silent. Frieze keeps her mouth shut as well.
In the oppressive atmosphere, a fist strikes the wall of the cabin.
“Damn it, what a blunder……!”
“Cl-Clever-sama……”
Frieze didn’t know what to say.
And no wonder——Clever Ko Leyton is undefeated in the merchant’s battle of negotiations.
The operator of the era, who with the world’s foremost mind and thorough preparation has swept away seasoned adversary after adversary and built a globally renowned massive conglomerate.
She had never dreamed she would see her confident, competitive master this deflated.
Amid the heavy atmosphere, Clever——having suffered the first defeat of his life——issues his next instructions with few words.
“……Frieze, prepare the money.”
“Understood. I’ll arrange ten billion gold as investment in the Holy Kingdom——”
“——No.”
“Huh?”
“Prepare a minimum of ‘one trillion gold’——ensure it can be lent out immediately.”
“One t-trillion gold!? What on earth——?”
One hundred times the amount he had planned.
One trillion gold is not a small sum even for the Leyton Conglomerate.
“Don’t misunderstand. That amount is the ‘minimum threshold.’ If Silver-dono desires more than that, I intend to lend as much as it takes.”
“A-are you in your right mind!?”
“I haven’t yet reached the age of going senile.”
“……With all due respect, to my eyes that man looked like nothing but an ordinary person. I can’t see how a sum that large would be worth investing……”
Against his secretary’s reluctance, Clever gives a nod.
“I understand what you’re getting at. Silver-dono did indeed, from every conceivable angle, appear to be nothing but an ordinary, unremarkable man.”
“Then why——”
“——But that was a false image he created. A fabricated appearance.”
“A fabricated……appearance……!?”
Frieze’s eyes waver in astonishment.
“Yes, I nearly fell for it myself……. But think about it carefully. Our counterpart is the ‘hidden hero’ of three hundred years ago. That person cannot possibly be ordinary. The very fact that he appears that way is the abnormality——it is the most telling proof that we were caught in his trap.”
“Y-you’re right……!”
It was only when it was pointed out that she noticed.
That despite facing a figure of historical renown from three hundred years ago, she had felt no tension whatsoever.
“Truly a terrifying man. Wearing the guise of the ordinary to lower one’s guard, to assess the opponent. I came intending to do the assessing——but the one being assessed was myself.”
“In other words, Silver-dono is a person of considerable intellect.”
“Yes. My unique gift has not stopped stirring since a moment ago……. Silver-dono is at the very least my equal, or Adrinus’s——no, above either of ours in sharpness of mind……!”
“I-isn’t that a rather significant overestimation……?”
“No, it is a realistic assessment. After all——Silver-dono showed me ‘the next move’ and ‘the future vision’ in that short span of time. And without uttering a single word, at that……”
Clever narrows his eyes quietly with a grave expression.
“I understand now. He has already finished drawing the plan. He is calmly waiting, waiting for ‘that moment.’ In the not-too-distant future——probably within a month——he will form an alliance with whichever of the Martial Nation or Magic Nation wins the coming war, and use it as a foothold for advancing into the world.”
Having described with precision the Holy Kingdom’s likely next move——the optimal play in this position——Clever buries his face in both hands.
“That question……is the greatest stain of my entire life. Swept up in Silver-dono’s peculiar atmosphere, I let myself underestimate him. ‘The next move’? I’m not a child who doesn’t understand how things work——what an utterly worthless, foolish thing to ask……! Looking at the board right now, what the next move should be is obvious without needing to ask anyone……!”
What comes to mind is that moment——
[Surrounded by enemies on all sides as you are, what do you intend as your ‘next move’——I would like to hear your ‘future vision.’]
The instant silence that followed——
[……]
[……]
——and then the sigh of disappointment.
[……Hahhh……]
And then——a Silver who seemed somehow at a loss, as if guiding a slow student, quietly tapped a single point on the world map.
“In that moment……Silver-dono was genuinely exasperated. My assessment——failing to see through his false image, and then on top of that asking a foolish question——has……fallen to the ground……”
What comes before humiliation, disgrace, and dishonour is——anxiety.
“In any case, this cannot remain as it is. I must recover lost trust and restore my honour! For that——against the ‘great victory’ Silver-dono will surely bring back in the near future, I will repay it with an ‘enormous investment’ that exceeds it!”
“Yes, please give your instructions.”
“First, promptly prepare one trillion gold in funds! After that, we will deploy the Leyton Conglomerate’s major businesses into the Holy Kingdom one by one! The first wave will be the trading company at the core, followed by finance, staffing services, and resource development! With perfect preparation, we will demonstrate our worth and win the trust of Silver-dono——of the Saint force!”
“Understood!”
Frieze immediately activates <Transmission> and begins contacting relevant parties.
Clever, meanwhile, stays seated deep in his chair and gazes quietly out the window.
(I had been considering abandoning a kingdom with no future and switching to the Empire or the Holy Nation——but I’ll have to start from scratch. Today, I became certain. The one who will become the sovereign of the next era is without question——the Holy Kingdom!)
His deep and sharp eyes, unlike those of a certain scatterbrain Saint, were truly fixed on ‘the hegemony of the world.’