Chapter 182: The Foggy Morning (1/2)

Chapter 182: The Foggy Morning

“Well then, take care Waka-sama.”

“Take care Raidou-se–no, Raidou-dono.”

Kaleneon’s national border.

A winter morning covered in thick mist.

At the bridge hanging at a cliff, a group was lined up with their heads lowered at the three that were departing.

The back figure of the three were already thinly hidden by the mist and had turned into shadows.

Not only is it a cold early morning, in this day where even mist came out, the cold felt even stronger. But the people that saw them off didn’t shiver one bit and acted firm.

But the state was slightly strange.

From within their group, there were many shadows that didn’t belong to hyumans.

“Now then, by the time they return, I need to have another report ready.”

From the two that were at the front of the group that saw them off, one of them opened its mouth. The voice that came from the slightly small body was the voice of a woman.

But the figure of the girl was not that of a hyuman.

“T-They are really going to meet the demon race. As always, what an unpredictable person.”

Another one also opens its mouth.

This one is also a woman. A hyuman this time.

“Eva, we are returning. Is that okay? Having crops that can be grown in winter, you did tell me that proudly, so we will be continuing with that.”

“Ema-san, I did say I had some in mind, but what’s important is that there’s not enough arable land for planting. First we should cultivate new land and keep an eye on the progress of—” (Eva)

“I have already confirmed it. Slow. Honestly speaking, the actions of you girls are just slow. In the future, I won’t be accepting excuses blaming the winter. Ah also, I will be checking the tax rate again.” (Ema)

“Uuuh, about the tax rate, because we are beginning at a point where we have practically no national treasury, I think that currently, this is the time where we have to save as much of the country’s money as possible. Of course, I did put the livelihood of the residents first and placed a tax rate that is on the level of the large countries. I did it with the belief that this was the most conventional method of tax rate.” (Eva)

A conversation between Eva and Ema.

Even if their names are similar, their standings seem to be quite different.

Most of all, it was a conversation of a hyuman and a race that’s not hyuman, so it is quite rare for the hyuman to be the one at the lower standing.

“What’s conventional about a 7:3 government. Waka-sama has gone through the trouble of arranging the residents and entrusted their lives to us, no matter the race, I won’t accept starvation and dying from cold.” (Ema)

“7:3-what?” (Eva)

“*The land-tax system from the Edo period* would work better in this situation. Seriously, something as important as getting a country, and the concerned party in charge of the ruling only has this level of intelligence. I can only call it stupid. In this country where there’s a mixture of hyumans and demi-humans, there’s no way we can use the common sense of hyuman’s country creation.” (Ema)

“… Sorry.” (Eva)

In this scolding that could be taken as unreasonable, Eva honestly apologizes.

Because in the while that she has been acquainted with the woman called Ema, she has more or less understood her skills and personality.

Eva didn’t understand the meaning of the words 7:3 government or the land-tax system of the Edo period, but Ema must have judged that the tax system she was about to set was not the most appropriate one.

(I thought that the Orc race, even if their names and figures were different, they were all simple-minded people who were driven by instinct. Highland Orcs, those girls, I don’t know where this race inhabits, but they have knowledge on the level of scholars. Though imperfect, I was a librarian at the Academy, and yet, I can’t hold a candle to these people. Raidou-sensei, the people supporting you from the back, there’s really not a single normal one.) (Eva)

Eva was introduced to Ema by Makoto the moment they arrived at Kaleneon.

‘She is a kind and dependable person.’ Is what he said as he made her face an Orc.

Eva who had pledged in her heart to throw away her common sense and stop thinking that things are abnormal, had her determination crushed in an instant.

To think that there would be a scene in her life where she would have a conversation with an Orc, Eva wouldn’t be able to imagine it even in her wildest dreams, so it couldn’t be helped.

Having her native country destroyed, losing her territory, and condemned by her relatives; in that severe standing, Eva who was half-controlled by madness, met Raidou- Makoto – at Rotsgard, and that madness of hers was blown away.

With these consecutive events outside the boundaries of common sense, maybe she is getting her sanity back, or it is just that a new type of madness is dyeing her now; she probably doesn’t know clearly yet.

“What about the other situations?”

Ema turned to her back.

There stood a blue scaled Lizardman, an orc that has a bigger build than Ema, a white winged winged-kin, and a dwarf who has around the same height as Ema.

“…Right. Leaving aside Eva’s words, isn’t there any place that can be reclaimed currently? If it’s new land for cultivation, we have quite a lot though. Also, if we just pointlessly reclaim leveled ground, in the current state where we can’t deal with the mamonos, it would be meaningless.”

The first one to respond was the Lizardman.

“Deal with, are you referring to that level of demonic beast? Within the populace that has come to Kaleneon, there’s adventurers and former adventurers. In terms of experience in battle, there should be a reasonable amount though?” (Ema)

Ema’s face turns serious at the report of the Lizardman.

“There are many that still haven’t adapted to the environment in this country. Also, we are lacking people with genuine talent. After the invasion of the demon race, the amount of hyumans that are used to doing work in a snowy environment are most likely low. In the first place, if there were survivors of people that lived around this area, the situation would have been slightly different.”

“There aren’t?” (Ema)

“There are only a few. Experienced in battle, there are zero. These probably has already reached your ears as well Ema-dono, but the bunch here are people that had been living by relying on the blessing of the Goddess. It is questionable how much knowledge they have about living in independence.”

“…Even if we have new land, security will be necessary. But there are few who would be able to properly guard against the mamonos, is what you are trying to say?” (Ema)

“That’s how it is. There’s a few adventurers, on a degree that we can barely use properly. It would be more realistic to bring more from the outside with requests, or having us assigned to it. According to the result of the investigation, the demonic beasts that inhabit this country are more active in winter. From the report of Eva saying that if we are to do training it should be at a time other than winter, the results of that investigation are most likely not far from the truth.”

“Understood. Cooperation with the outside. Regarding the topic about bringing adventurers in, I will leave it as a suggestion for now. It would be pointless if we are the ones doing everything after all.” (Ema)

“Got it. But is it okay to continue the training and guarding for now?”

“Of course. I will be counting on you.” (Ema)

At this occasion, Eva barely spoke anything.

But there was no displeasure in her face.

It is not that she is hiding it.

In the time that she has been in contact with the mamonos and demi-humans that Raidou has introduced her to, she had decided in her heart to learn their common sense.

The lines they are demanding are absurd, but in the first place, the very point of obtaining a country is also in the crazy and reckless class.

Raidou and the Kuzunoha Company that were able to accomplish that very feat in a land that was completely in control of the demon race, there’s no need to say that it is nothing but abnormal.

But she was the one who relied on them, and the whole current situation is that she has no one else to rely on in Kaleneon aside from them.

In that case, she resolves herself to move in the same standards as them.

That’s why she is in the middle of learning.

Ema and the other people are definitely not looking down on Eva.

They are not taking her lightly either.

They are only taking the action of training her as a proper representative of a country.

Scarily strict.

Eva was in a spot where even if she were to break, they wouldn’t let her.

After the Lizardman stepped back, Ema looks at the Orc.

But the Orc who was looked at, shook his head to the sides.

“There’s nothing to report on my side. We continue to collect information about the demonic beasts while securing food. Regarding the hunting, there’s the point that it is centered in the adventurers, and its progress is reasonable. From Ema’s perspective, it would probably be around 80% in terms of numbers.”

“… So the other 20% is not catching up huh. Do you think we can still increase the number of people in charge?” (Ema)

“… There would be no problem, but if we want to certainly avoid unforeseen events, I would suggest we leave a few. Increasing the numbers is not always good. For us the guardians, and also for the people that do their best in hunting.”

“Understood. I will be arranging it, so for now, I will leave it to three.” (Ema)

“Roger that.”

After the short talk between Orcs, next is the Winged-kin that took a step forward.

Within the people here, it is the one who has the closest appearance to a hyuman, but the wings at its back negate that possibility. There’s also several special traits that are different from a hyuman. Eva was greatly surprised when she learned that they are an heretic existence even among demi-humans.

“There’s no problem in the security of the national border. There were sightings of people that seemed to be demons, but they haven’t invaded. There have been cases where some have ignored our warnings, turning into a fight. But we were able to crush them. There was no damage from our side.”

“Good work. Then, is the number of personnel for the security and other tasks appropriate at the moment?” (Ema)

“No need. The people that are put in charge of security are beginning to have free time in their hands. Because they are getting accustomed, the area they can be in charge of increases. This is thanks to Tomoe-sama’s training in the techniques to search enemies. There won’t be any problems in placing some in other tasks.”

“I see. That’s a great thing to hear. Then can you put out some candidates later?” (Ema)

“Understood.”

Kaleneon is a special country that has a cliff as their national border.

Its security has been tasked to the Winged-kin who possess the ability of flight, and they haven’t permitted any to invade.

To enter the current Kaleneon, it is completely necessary to have the permission of Kuzunoha Company.

And the last to step forward is the dwarf.

Before saying anything, he already had a troubled face.

“Now then, what should I begin with?”

“Is the deployment of tools being delayed as expected?” (Ema)

“That’s because in the current Kaleneon, no matter how many craftsmen like us are, it would never be enough. If there were more residents here specialized in the earth element, the situation might be a little different though. But the lack of personnel has reached a helpless level. Even so, we are in a situation where we can’t bring out more personnel from our ranks. I have suggested this before but, is it not possible to call other dwarfs to be residents? There’s a number of volcanoes at Kaleneon, and I have checked it out; it seems to be a relatively good environment for dwarfs to live in.”

“About that matter, we are waiting for the decision of Waka-sama. But it seems he is hesitating since they would probably have to recruit from Lorel Union.” (Ema)

“I feel bad for troubling Waka-sama. But I don’t think the dwarfs of Lorel have any attachment to the Union. Because no matter where we are from, we are craftsmen at heart. Even if we exclude the ones who went to the Spirit religion, it wouldn’t be a problem if the dwarfs themselves approve of it. Can’t you tell him this?”

“I will try and see. Just that, Waka-sama is in that state probably because it might turn into a situation where we are chipping off the national power of Lorel Union, so I am not sure if it will help in having him make a decision though.” (Ema)