Chapter 473 - Their Era
Upon the conclusion of the main story, I received many impressions, congratulations, and words of appreciation.
I have read every single one of them with great care. Thank you very much.
Along with this thank-you and the announcement of the upcoming third volume of the light novel "The Happiness Tale of the Twisted Lord," I have updated some bonus content, though it may be slightly different from a typical after-story.
Detailed information regarding the book announcement can be found in the afterword.
〇 Noein Arqvist
The first Grand Duke Arqvist. The founder of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist.
Born into the House of Count Kivileft, but held the status of an illegitimate child of his father, Maximilian Kivileft. His position within his birth family and his relationships with his relatives were extremely poor; Noein himself recounted that during the latter half of his childhood, he lived as if confined in a corner of the Count's mansion.
However, he reconciled with his half-brother, Count Julian Kivileft, after reaching adulthood, and thereafter built a positive relationship as brothers. It is said that this led to the sister-city relationship between Noeina, the capital of the current Grand Duchy of Arqvist, and Laden, the capital of the Kivileft Province.
Expelled from his birth home at fifteen, he became the lord of the Arqvist territory (which was a Baronetcy at the time). Utilizing his knowledge and talent for magic, he discovered and heavily employed talented individuals, distinguishing himself even within the aristocratic society of the Kingdom of Roadberg.
On the battlefield, he achieved success through unique ideas regarding tactics. After several military achievements during the Roadberg-Lancel War, he was promoted to Viscount. Subsequently, his activities during the First Betumia War were recognized, and he established the Grand Duchy of Arqvist, independent from the Kingdom of Roadberg.
The Second Betumia War was the last time Noein himself stood on the battlefield, but the group tactics using golems devised by Noein, as well as tactics employing weapons such as the rediscovered crossbow and ballista in the Grand Duchy of Arqvist, continued to be used primarily in the southern Adleon continent until the early modern era (these tactics have since fallen into obsolescence due to the rediscovery and improvement of offensive magic tool technology and the invention of magic-powered automobiles. The use of golems as weapons is now limited to specific situations such as riot suppression or facility security).
His evaluation as a ruler is extremely high; numerous documents record that he placed the highest priority on the protection of his people and was an extremely kind person toward his subordinates. In records of Noein's own words, phrases such as "the happiness of subordinates and people" and "love for subordinates and people" appear frequently.
His method of capturing people's hearts by presenting clear rewards and demonstrating a posture of the ruler acting personally is still praised today. Many self-help books bear Noein's name, and he is frequently cited as a respected figure by politicians and entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, he is known for having progressive ethics and human rights awareness, such as treating beastmen and those of slave status fairly.
However, there are conflicting opinions regarding his personality, and it is said that he was rather cold toward those who were not under his protection.
In the First Betumia War, there are records that he killed thousands of people from other territories on the grounds that it was unavoidable for victory. As a result of these facts, the custom of calling Noein "The Demon of Bezel" still remains in some regions of the Kingdom of Roadberg (there was an instance where the Governor of Nordlingen Province mentioned this alias as a joke in a public setting, which became an issue and developed into a situation where he had to apologize to the Grand Duke Arqvist of that time).
Overall, he remains a historical great who is very highly evaluated, and he is particularly venerated as a sacred figure within the Grand Duchy of Arqvist.
〇 Clara Arqvist
Noein's wife. The First Grand Duchess. Originally from the House of Count Koenitz (a Viscountcy at the time), which ruled the region of the current Koenitz Province, she married Noein when he was a Baronet. Because she supported Noein from the early days of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist's development, she is sometimes called the "Mother of the Founding" while Noein is called the "Father of the Founding."
Her achievements as an educator were significant. Because she handled the operational management of a school system (the Grand Ducal Noeina High School) that provided education to all regardless of status or race, she is evaluated as the person who laid the foundation for public education on the Adleon continent. Her name lives on in the Grand Ducal Clara Women's University, an affiliated school of the Grand Ducal Noeina University.
Additionally, she left a certain amount of achievement as a historian. As a result of Clara's research activities, the relationship between the history of the northwestern region of the Kingdom of Roadberg and the early history of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist remains as systematic historical records.
She is described as having been a person of gentle character, and it is said that she maintained a good relationship with the Second Grand Duchess Matilda, who had received Noein's affection even before Clara's marriage. Many episodes remain showing that she and Noein were a harmonious couple, and their names are frequently mentioned even today as an ideal way for a married couple to be.
An urban legend is told in some circles that "she actually worked cunningly behind the scenes of aristocratic society, guiding Noein's rise in status to achieve her own elevation in rank," but this is the influence of the movie "Clara: An Elegant and Unusual Life" (much of the movie's content is complete fiction that differs from historical fact).
〇 Matilda Arqvist
Noein's wife. The Second Grand Duchess. However, until her final years, she remained in the position of a slave owned by Noein of her own will.
Since she was not a person who stood on the center stage of history, there are few documents that describe this Matilda in detail. However, because she appears frequently in the biography of Noein written by Clara, the memoirs of Noein's subordinates, and various other documents, her position and character are clear to a certain extent.
It is known that she served as Noein's exclusive slave from the time he was nine years old, meaning the time she met Noein was before Clara did. It is known that she continued to treat Noein with an extremely devoted attitude, and that Noein himself was excessively insistent on keeping this Matilda by his side. Many historians and psychologists have pointed out that these two may have been in a relationship of psychological dependence.
Because she continued to serve Noein faithfully, there is a culture in the Grand Duchy of Arqvist and surrounding regions where a faithful and devoted attitude is expressed as being "just like Matilda." Additionally, her name remains highly popular as a female name in the Grand Duchy (the origin is said to be the wish for one's child to grow into an honest and serious person like Matilda).
〇 Yuri Granat/Mai Granat, Pence Schoenberg/Rosetta Schoenberg, Radley Nordheim/Gina Nordheim, Bart Heidemann/Michelle Heidemann, Edgar Leuschner/Anna Leuschner, Damian Klebesque/Christy Klebesque, Dant Kirschstein, Rick Beilefeldt, Henrik Salois/Kimberly Salois, Jeremy Bartos/Cecilia Bartos, Gustav, Alain, Mary, Konrad, Zadrek Voltz
All of them have their names left in history as nobles or honorary nobles who supported the dawn of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist.
Their respective hereditary noble houses continue to exist as prestigious noble houses of the Grand Duchy even now, frequently producing prominent military personnel, politicians, bureaucrats, scholars, and engineers. The lineages of the honorary nobles also continue to exist, having obtained surnames, and the activities of their descendants have been confirmed.
〇 Philip, Dmitri, Victor, Daphne
As founders of major companies in the Grand Duchy, each is well-known in the economic world.
〇 Selfers
His name remains in places such as the Grand Ducal Selfers General Hospital. Within the hospital grounds, bronze statues of this Selfers and his disciple Liris, the first doctor born in the Grand Duchy, have been erected.
〇 Hasel
He strove for the propagation of the Milleon Holy Religion in the Grand Duchy, and in recognition of his achievements, he was granted the position of Patriarch in his final years.
〇 Oscar Roadberg III
Commonly known as the "Guardian King." During the first half of his twenty-nine-year reign, he was preoccupied with defensive wars against invasions from the Kingdom of Lancel and the Republic of Betumia.
While many experts point out a lack of thoroughness in his political maneuvering during that time, there are an equal number of voices defending him, considering that he was forced to deal with many wars shortly after ascending as King.
Ultimately, he is evaluated as a wise king because he did not decrease the territory of the Kingdom of Roadberg (rather, in the latter half of his reign, he expanded the territory through conflict with the Pallas Empire), achieved the economic development of the kingdom through reparations obtained from the Republic of Betumia, the normalization of diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Lancel, the conclusion of a formal ceasefire agreement with the Pallas Empire, and the strengthening of relations with the northern continent.
〇 Helga Reuvrant
A pioneer of the movement to abolish beastman discrimination on the Adleon continent, she remains in history as one of the great figures.
Furthermore, she is known for contributing to the strengthening of relations between the northern and southern continents from a relatively early stage along with her father Gabriel; her name remains in the Helga Highway, which connects the Grand Duchy of Arqvist and the North Adleon Federation.
While Helga herself was a person who aimed for the improvement of beastman status peacefully primarily through dialogue, it has become a problem that a political organization called "Helga's Dying Wish," which develops violent beastman status improvement movements in the recent North Adleon Federation, uses her name. The Reuvrant family, her descendants, has demanded that the organization stop using Helga's name.
〇 Henrietta Lancel
A queen hailed as the founder of the restoration of the Kingdom of Lancel. Initially, she rose as a symbol for some Lancel nobles to oppose the "Tyrant King" Cadne Lancel, and after ascending the throne before reaching adulthood, she reigned strictly as a symbolic monarch. However, after reaching adulthood, she gradually distinguished herself as a ruler.
She is spoken of as one of the wise kings because she strengthened relations with the western Adleon continent and achieved the cultural and economic development of the Kingdom of Lancel, which had been lagging slightly behind other countries in the southern continent.
〇 Arnold Koenitz
While his general recognition is low, he enjoys high popularity among some historians and amateur history researchers as a person who provided important assistance to Noein Arqvist in the founding of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist and contributed to the development of the northwestern region of the Kingdom of Roadberg.
Additionally, he is known as a local great figure in the Koenitz Province, and a bronze statue has been erected in a corner of the provincial capital, Retovik.
〇 Irene Foster
One of the most famous military personnel in the history of the Republic of Betumia.
She is said to be the person who executed the political upheaval in which politicians of the then-majority faction (the Wealthy Nation Faction) and the wealthy merchants who backed them were expelled from the republic, an event later called the "First Betumia Revolution" (though it bears the name "revolution," it had a large aspect of being a coup d'état led by a portion of politicians and military personnel).
She is described as having been an extremely capable general, winning every battle in the subjugation of the Wealthy Nation Faction remnants across the country after the Betumia Revolution, as well as in the wars against neighboring countries where the Wealthy Nation politicians had fled.
After retiring from the front lines as a soldier, she entered politics and was appointed Prime Minister immediately thereafter, serving as Prime Minister for a long term of two terms and eight years (however, this was largely due to Irene's personal popularity with the citizens and the coincidence of a peaceful period continuing; her achievements as Prime Minister ended up being mediocre).
Volume 3 of the light novel "The Happiness Tale of the Twisted Lord" will be released on February 25, 2023.
This time, Clara finally appears. She graces the cover along with Matilda.
As always, the content has been significantly brushed up through additions and corrections. Please look forward to the story of Noein and the others, which has a different flavor from the web version.
Reservations have already begun on various sales sites. Thank you for your support.
