Chapter 197 - Episode 191: Talk of Politics ①
The day after the award ceremony and the banquet at the royal palace.
Still in the morning, Noein was invited to a room in the royal castle... or rather, summoned.
After a ceremony, it is customary for nobles who hold important roles within the kingdom to meet with the King and report on domestic affairs. The fact that Noein was meeting with the King first, ahead of all other nobles, showed how much the royal family valued the current Noein—and the situation Noein was placed in.
"Excuse me. Noein Arqvist, appearing by the command of His Majesty the King."
As he spoke, Noein dropped to one knee and performed the salute of a subject. There are several rooms in the royal castle for the King to meet with his subjects, but the one Noein was shown into this time was the most prestigious among them. The furnishings were of the highest grade, and the room was spacious. This, too, spoke to the weight of Noein's current position.
"Good work. Raise your head, Viscount Arqvist."
"Yes."
Having received permission from King Oscar Roadberg III, Noein raised his face and stood.
Oscar was not the only one waiting for Noein in the room. Count Ragnal Burkhard, the Minister of Military Affairs, and one other person were seated. He was an old man who appeared to be around 60 years old, looking earnest... or to put it another way, somewhat stiff.
"Lord Arqvist. This is Marquis Snorri Skeggjason, the Kingdom's Minister of Home Affairs. Since this discussion involves the Ministry of Home Affairs, it was decided that he would be present."
"I understand. Your Excellency Marquis Skeggjason, it is an honor to meet you."
"...Likewise. I have heard rumors of your achievements for some time, Viscount Arqvist."
Marquis Skeggjason answered after glancing at Noein, who bowed respectfully. He did not look as though he was pleased to have met him.
Noein had heard that the Ministry of Home Affairs handled almost all kingdom administration outside of military matters, and by the nature of its duty to maintain kingdom society, it was a somewhat conservative organization. From the perspective of its head, the existence of an unconventional eccentric noble like Noein was likely not very amusing.
"Now, for the time being, you may sit."
"Yes, excuse me."
Prompted by Oscar, Noein approached the conference table in the center of the room. A civil servant waiting in the room pulled out a chair, and Noein sat down.
"...I thought you would be a bit more nervous, but you seem surprisingly composed, Noein."
"Since I am one who has been granted the rank of Viscount by Your Majesty, I believe this is no time for nervousness if I am to fulfill that role; therefore, I am striving to approach today's meeting with composure."
Facing Oscar, who stood at the pinnacle of the kingdom, and two of the nation's heavyweights, Noein spoke calmly.
In the previous battle, his people had died, and from now on, the Arqvist territory had inevitably become a strategic point bordering an enemy nation. In order to protect his land and people from here on, he was in no position to say he was scared or nervous about meeting important people.
"I see, a commendable mindset... You have grown strong, Lord Arqvist. From the first time we met, I thought you were not a mere minor provincial noble, but that you would become something greater, and it seems my assessment was not wrong."
"I am extremely gratified to receive such an overstatement of my worth. I shall only strive further so that I may meet Your Majesty's expectations and fulfill my duties as a noble of the kingdom."
He responded while pretending to be earnest, but in truth, Noein wanted to let out a wry smile.
To be honest, he didn't particularly care about gaining the King's favor. As a lord of a remote frontier, even if it wasn't a large territory, he would have been satisfied if he could manage the land so that both he and his people could live prosperously.
But it was too late now. In this current situation, he had no choice but to do what he could in order to live happily.
"I am glad that a noble such as you exists... Now then, let us move to the discussion regarding how you will fulfill those duties. A discussion on how to give you the power to fulfill those duties."
Following Oscar's words, both Count Burkhard and Marquis Skeggjason straightened their backs slightly. Sensing the change in the air, Noein followed suit. From here, it was time for politics.
"First, to confirm, you understand your future role and what you must achieve for that purpose, yes?"
"Yes. My role is to prepare for an invasion by the Kingdom of Lancel via the Bezel Great Forest Road, and in the event of an invasion, to repel it. To that end, I believe I should possess a military force capable of repelling an enemy invasion, and a population in my territory sufficient to support it."
Noein answered Oscar's question without hesitation.
"Hmm. You seem to understand well. That is correct. In reality, the Kingdom of Lancel is likely considerably exhausted, so there probably won't be a re-invasion for a while... but that does not mean we can leave the military preparations undone. The mere possession of military power has meaning in itself."
"Yes."
An army is a political weapon as well as a tool for war. It is not a matter of not needing to prepare just because there are no plans to use it.
If the Arqvist territory possessed a strong army, the Kingdom of Lancel would have to assemble a force that overwhelmed it in order to invade. If it could be made so that the Kingdom of Lancel judged that such a cost was not commensurate with its national power, the very preparation for an invasion could be prevented.
It was a strange story that the more one increased military power to prepare for war, the less one had to fight, but that was the reality.
"As for the royal family, we could station the royal army there for years, and many of the northwestern nobles would likely be happy to continue stationing their troops, thinking it a chance to achieve military merit... but you would dislike that, wouldn't you?"
"...For my part, I wish to acquire the power befitting the status of a Viscount, and to become capable of fulfilling my role as a noble holding territory on the border by my own strength. As quickly as possible."
"Hahaha, I thought as much. There is no noble who would want a foreign army—and a large one at that—permanently stationed in their land for a long time."
Oscar laughed at Noein, who had softly admitted it while decorating his words.
The royal army was highly trained and well-disciplined, but soldiers were still human. Personalities varied, and some were rough. The territorial armies of nobles varied even more; the followers of lower nobles were sometimes one step away from being thugs. There was no way he would be happy having such a group wandering around his territory.
Furthermore, once one reached the rank of general in the royal army, they were almost all from noble backgrounds, and the allied forces contained many people with a certain status, such as nobles of the northwestern faction and their children. The hassles of socializing with them and managing the chain of command would also increase.
For these reasons, Noein felt it was better to develop his territory quickly and assemble a sufficient combat force on his own.
"And so... specifically, what level of military power do you intend to equip, and how much of a population do you intend to hold for that purpose? Let me hear your thoughts. And also your requests to the royal family to achieve this."
Oscar spoke, and Count Burkhard and Marquis Skeggjason also directed sharp gazes at Noein.
Without being intimidated, Noein opened his mouth.
"Yes. Within two years, to expand the Arqvist territorial army to a scale of 200 regular soldiers and 30 golem users... that is my current thinking. And I wish to assemble about 300 soldiers for the Reserve Corps."