Chapter 92 New Years II

Translator: Isekai Shousetsu

First month.

Its the important day when we welcome the new year.

For me, its the first new year since Ive become king.

Since Ive become one, its become necessary for me to fulfill the role of the highest religious priest.

Well, its not that difficult a thing. It would be fine if I just imitate Julia who had taken up the role as representative of her bed-ridden father, the old King Rosyth.

However, there are two particular problems.

First, the announcement of Tetras lineage.

Everyone was surprised.

Thats only natural. Rather, even I was surprised.

Tetra, whose belly had swollen to a large size, mutters beside me.

Normally, new years celebrations are celebrated only by the countrys citizens.

However, for some reason, a distinguished foreigner by the name of Abraham had come to the country.

Although the great clansmen, as well as the commoners who had known had been gossiping

As expected, no one could have ever imagined that Abraham was Tetras real grandfathr.

This will have extremely huge repercussions politically. Why? Its because Abrahams only direct descendants are Tetra and the child inside her.

All the others had died accidental or natural deaths, so their line is going extinct.

It wouldnt be an issue if Abraham was just a normal consul. However, he is a tyrant - a dictator.

Hesprobably thinking of having the next children succeed his own bloodline.

If that happens, Tetra would stop getting treated as just a noble concubine.

Really, I havent intended to have a political marriage of convenience, but it had naturally become one. How extremely troublesome.

That said, its still not coming to a head so lets put it for later. Itll probably begin after the child gets borndamn, my stomachs hurting.

As for the next problem, its that we have to deify the three gods we had recently decided to be our chief gods. At any rate, no one has ever done this up until now.

The great clansmen and the sorcerers all have to think together for the rules regarding the deification.

It wont just be a simple deification. We need to show to the whole country that those three gods will from now on be the guardian deities of the Rosyth Kingdom.

For the meantime, we made an impromptu altar and held a ceremony there.

If we mix the new anti-curse system as well as the usual methods, then I think that should be enough to somewhat counter spells.

After all, the number of sorcerers in our country are more than either of the three countries. Above all, we still have the barrier put up by Julia before her pregnancy.

There is a possibility that Julia might fall ill, and the barrier might not hold up the year after that. If that happens, were out. Our country would then have to face spells directly. Its no good to just keep defending. We also need to retaliate.

Now, our country is running about hurriedly to construct this anti-spell system. Although it would probably take around five years at the shortest before its completed.

According to Julia, whats important in this system utilizing the gods is religious piety.

We would build temples in each area where peoples piety would be gathered. We would then build a grand temple where such piety would then be gathered and combined.

The piety we collect in that grand temple would then be changed into sorcery power and channeled to the barrier.

Thats how the new system would work.

We will build temples on each area. Its easy to say but such an undertaking would take money and time.

We should be able to put out enough money. Time, however, is a different matter.

We can only go on patiently.

Construction is advancing quite well, huh.

Yes. Itll probably finish earlier than planned. Well, with the construction of the new temple, such leeway would immediately disappear.

Ismere quips with a little sarcasm.

I had ordered her to construct the grand temple by all means.

Because of that, she had to revise her plans so shes angry.

That said, theres several political reasons for this.

Ill be troubled if she doesnt consent.

I had come to the planned site of the new capital city.

The rabble of the new year has ended which gave me leeway to visit. As I thought, I have to see it for myself, yes?

Water control is advancing favorably. I already had them construct some dikes in the rivers in the area of the site. With this the flooding from the thawing of snow and strong rains would more or less disappear.

That said, you cant say its already flawless. Should a once-in-a-ten-year downpour fall then the dike would collapse.

Well, it hasnt been four months since the start of construction so things couldnt be helped.

According to Ismere, the real thing starts from here.

I heard theyd make tributaries and would further enlarge the dikes.

There are seven hills in the planned site of the new capital.

These hills wont get inundated with water even if the dikes were to collapse.

In other words, these are the safest places in the city.

The important establishments such as the royal palace as well as the grand temple would be constructed on top of these hills.

Honestly speaking, the rivers arent that much of a threat, the problems are the hills.

The hills?

Yes, hills are things that are like small mountains after all. If theres a mountain stream, then theres water flowing underground. Things would be okay on clear weather but should rain fall, itll be quite horrible. Therfore, drainage equipment, in other words, a sewage system is absolutely necessary.

Sewage, huh Sewage installation comes even before water supply, huh.

Well, I guess theres no problem since theres a river nearby for drinking water.

What are you going to do, specifically?

First, well bring water diverters into the city. Naturally, since weve furnished flood gates it wont flood even in the worse cases. We will let greywater and rainwater flow into this river. The water from the wells should be enough for drinking.? When it becomes insufficient, I think its best we obtain water via aqueduct. That would be better than river water, yes?

An aqueduct, huh

Its something you see in Rome, huh. If were to build something like that then it would definitely cost us an enormous amount of money.

Or rather, do we even have the technology to build one?

Itll be tough with the current technology of the Adernia Peninsula. Its also a long shot even with Cretian technology. However, I think that by the time this capital city is finished, the craftsmen here would have reached a level that wont lose to that of the Cretians. I dare say theyve already reached a level where they could stand side by side with them when it comes to roads, you know.

The Cretians are far ahead in construction technology. However, we dont have that much of a difference when it comes to public works.

Since Cretians are divided into smaller states, bridges and roads might be used by enemy armies.

Therefore, they dont make things like that so much.

Furthermore, they are a sea-faring nation.

I might as well ask, when will I be able to live here?

In about four years. Although itll be six years later until it could function into a fully functioning capital city. Well, if Your Highness would say that we should just focus on the capital then we should be able to shorten that much more

Roads and flood control, as well as the construction of the Grand Temple has been decided after all.

Since those projects would also take some people, it couldnt be helped that it would take time.

My King, cant you mobilize some more personnel? If we have just a thousand more then we should be able to hasten progress.

Stop joking, these projects are already putting pressure on our treasury. If you consider the possibility of the outbreak of war hereafter, then any more expenses should be unreasonable.

Right now, around 3,000 people are working on these various projects. If you include the standing army, then the total would rise to 4,000 Its easy to see, right? This number is about 1.6% of the population. Were constantly mobilizing that many people for these projects.

A war would take just two weeks even on the long end. Meanwhile, weve already mobilized these 1.6% of our population for four months.

Well, its not like its just expenses that are rising; income is rising too.

Revenue has drastically increased compared to the previous administration thanks to the sales tax from the Cretian merchants as well as sales from the liquor, garnet, paper, salt, and the like.

Road construction hasmade around 20% progress. This is thanks to the fact that this country, in the first place, had lots of simple roads made from soil that has been tread on. Furthermore, there are few to little troublesome obstacles such as mountain ranges and forests. The concrete that Your Majesty has invented had been very easy to handle as well. Things are advancing smoothly. For the meantime, the road to the DeMorgal Kingdom is pretty much complete. Within six months, the one to the Belvedere Kingdom would also be completed.

In the plan, a road connecting the current capital to the DeMorgal Kingdom would be constructed. The same goes for the Eville Kingdom and the Belvedere Kingdom. These three roads received maximum priority.

In the beginning, our country already had some so-so roads.

Everyone could easily see that these roads would help hasten the advance of the army as well as increase human activity.

The road leading to our arch-rival, the DeMorgal Kingdom, as well as the one leading to the Belvedere Kingdom were, to Adernian standards, especially fine.

This time, those roads were paved with broken stone and are furnished with drainage.

As such, construction time was short.

Well, in the first place, the Rosyth Kingdom has an area a size smaller than Iwate Prefecture. Since the road distance was short, the construction wasnt that much of a troublesome affair.

By the way, the construction of the roads that would stretch from the new capital havent started yet.

Its only pointless to lay down roads in a place where there arent people yet. Besides, the construction materials were being transported via water transport.

Well be putting them off for the meantime.

That said, its like a dreamfor me to be single-handedly undertaking the construction endeavors of a whole country.

Its just a small country in the sticks, however.

Nevertheless, its star is in ascendance, yes? Its thanks to your rule. From now on, this country will become the most prominent country in the Adernia Peninsula. Perhaps, even unification is possiblehow does that sound to you?

Ismere says half-jokingly with a laugh.

I do personally want to make that a reality though.

Come to think of it, hows it going with Qingming? You guys got together?

Wha, what are you saying! Thetheres no way thats

She turns deeply red. It really helps that shes easy to read, huh.

I want you to honestly tell me. Its actually because I had just received a marriage proposal for you. Well, its not a bad one anyway. However, while I will be recommending such a marriage of political convenience, I wont be obligating you to it. I think its desirable if youd be able to freely marry someone you love.

Uhm. Ill pass on the marriageIll be looking one by myself after all.

I see. If theres anything I can help with, tell me immediately, okay?

I bid my farewell to Ismere as I said that.

Oh? Interesting.

I had just finished reading the first volume of Qingmings Chronicles of Traversing the Continent.

The subject of the first volume was the Scarlet Empire.

Mixed in with the episode regarding the impetus of Qingmings parents to travel and their destination are the customs, culture, tradition, geography, and history of the Scarlet Empire.

I really want to go myself. But I guess its impossible, huh.

Thank you very much. This product called paper is really easy to useit really helped me a lot. Furthermore, to give it to me just like that

Dont dwell on it. It will be our pride to have such a great book come from our country.

I had given Qingming paper free of charge.

Not only that, I had prepared servants and a manor for him and put in order an environment where he could write.

In Earth, works like The Travels by Ibn Battuta, Book of the Marvels of the World by Marco Polo, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions by Xuanzang, A Record of Buddhist Practices Sent Home from the Southern Sea by Yijing, and the like are popular.

This book written by Qingming rivals those worksno, without a doubt, his book is better than those works.

If I were to make a huge blunder, this country would definitely get destroyed.

Despite that, Qingmings book would go on and survive without a doubt.

If I were to support him, then I would also go on through his book.

My existence will survive into posterity.

Howeverif I were to complain about one thing, its that its hard to read from it. The farther you get into reading the book the wider it gets that its becoming a hindrance.

However, it couldnt be helped with the books nature, yes?

Yes, it couldnt be helped with books in scroll form.

In other words, what Im saying is to stop it with the scroll style books.

Why dont you try bound books?

Bound books?

Yes. You would cut paper at fixed intervals and bundle them together. You then open holes through them and bind them with string. After that you would attach cardboard or thickpaper as cover in order to protect the book. This way, it wont be a bother to read and you would also be able to use both sides of the paper.

For someone like me whos used to modern Japans bound books, reading such hard to read scrolls are just too much.

Besides, keeping and organizing bound books would save space.

Bound books are several times more superior.

But I would have to admit that scrolls are quite cool.

Certainly, that way would be much efficient, yes? Why havent I thought of thatAs expected from King Rosyth.

Haha

Im plagiarizing my ancestors, you know.

By the way, Qingming, what do you think about Ismere?

N? I think shes a good person. What about it?

Nothing, dont mind me.

This reaction

Ismereyou need to put in a lot more effort, you know.

Nikolaus, how are things with you? Have you gotten used to life here?

Yes, since the food isnt that much different from Cretia and the weather too is gentleits not a bad life.

Not bad, huhits quite like him to not say flattery like its the best or what not.

Above all, its nice not having eggs getting thrown at me when I go out.

I dont know which to grieve, the lowness of Cretian cultural standard or your annoyingness

Its probably the latter, huh.

By the way, King Rosyth, which side are you on?

Which side of what?

Geocentric