Interlude 10 - The King's Office
"Your Majesty, I trust you are in excellent health…"
"What is it, Prime Minister? Has something happened?"
The King regarded the Prime Minister with suspicion as he questioned him. Hearing the Prime Minister use such formal language in the royal office stirred a faint sense of unease within him. As he considered the possible reasons, one thought came to mind. With the Crown Prince's investiture approaching, the First Prince had recently begun attending these meetings in the royal office.
"Would you prefer that the two of us speak alone?"
"Don't suggest something you know isn't possible."
"Fair enough…"
The King had to admit that the Prime Minister was right. The ceremony for the First Prince's formal appointment as Crown Prince had already been scheduled, and all that remained was for it to take place. In order to gain the experience necessary to become the nation's highest decision-maker, the prince could not afford to miss opportunities to sit alongside the King and carry out official duties. Doing so was essential to the kingdom's future. In other words, he could not simply excuse himself.
"Your Highness, may I speak freely?"
"Prime Minister, please speak as you always do. There are only the three of us here. Although I have yet to be formally appointed Crown Prince, I have already resolved to shoulder the responsibility of supporting this kingdom. Something as trivial as the manner of speech we use in this room is of no consequence to me."
"Very well, then… Your Majesty, this concerns 'that one.' We've received a report from the 'Eye.'"
"Hmm. And how is the matter progressing? You said at first that it would take some time."
"You'll be astonished by the progress. That one has traversed the entire 'Shallow Forest.' The clearing and development work are proceeding smoothly, with the established areas steadily expanding. They're not destroying the forest, but apparently, they're investing considerable time and effort into ensuring that dangers can be detected. You could call it forest development with safety as the foremost priority. Or rather, it's fair to say they've chosen to coexist with the forest."
"So they're not expanding the territory available for human habitation…?"
"Apparently, they've chosen to leave the forest as it is and coexist with it. You're familiar with the circumstances in the Northern Frontier Region, are you not?"
"Yes. Compared to other regions, the Shallow Forest there is exceptionally narrow. I've heard that one reaches the Middle Forest almost immediately."
"On top of that, powerful monsters and magic beasts roam the area—creatures far too formidable for what should be the Shallow Forest. It is an exceptionally harsh land. And yet, the report states that they've managed to establish a certain degree of stability there, even if it cannot exactly be called safe."
"So that one… the people working under that knightly house's third son are responsible for this?"
"According to the 'Eye,' that's correct. The report also states that they've established a foothold at the deepest part of the Shallow Forest, one that will serve as a base for exploring the Middle Forest. There's no denying that their progress has been astonishingly rapid."
"I see… Quite impressive."
The King seemed rather pleased. Stroking his chin, he let out a hearty laugh. When the Prime Minister had first told him about it, he had been utterly astounded. However, once he learned the reason behind the forest expedition, the situation began to make sense. It had been revealed that the descendants of an ancient kingdom, one that had long since fallen, were secretly living in the deepest reaches of the forest—the Deep Forest. It sounded like something out of a fairy tale, yet it was the truth. And with the Northern Empire having crossed the Demonic Forest and advanced toward the kingdom from behind, as one part of that revelation, there was no longer room for doubt.
Now that the war had ended and the southern half of the Northern Empire had been 'swallowed by the Demonic Forest,' various pieces of evidence concerning the empire's past actions were being brought into the King's office. Without knowing the truth, these would amount to little more than ordinary reports. No one would suspect that the empire had invaded by crossing the Demonic Forest. Even if that were the truth, there was no one left who could prove it. The Northern Empire had ceased to function as a nation and had fallen into a state worse than that of a third-rate kingdom. What value could information from such a place possibly hold? And yet, the kingdom was making strenuous efforts to gather even the remnants of intelligence from the collapsed empire.
Now that many of the small nations in the north have united to form an alliance, gathering intelligence has become an urgent priority. Nothing can be overlooked; even the smallest details must be handled with the utmost care. However, information from the empire that has already collapsed is of exceedingly little value under ordinary circumstances. What remains of that once-mighty empire has become little more than an undeveloped land, where the people can barely survive. And yet, even from such a place, the goods, knowledge, and other materials that emerge are important to the kingdom and well worth collecting.
――― Because they know of the existence of the Ancient Estarians.
Those seemingly 'trivial' pieces of information carried enormous significance. The empire, situated on the opposite side of the forest from the kingdom, had pursued a policy of outright extermination when it came to the forest. Consequently, the Shallow Forest on the empire's side had been cleared to a considerable extent.
It appeared that the empire had devoted considerable effort to expanding the areas in which humans could live. As a result, much of the information concerning the 'objects' and 'creatures' found there was entirely unknown on the kingdom's side. The reports also contained minor details suggesting that the forest had struck back, perhaps in response to the empire's reckless development. Even some routes leading from the Shallow Forest into the Middle Forest had been uncovered in leaked top-secret military documents.
The man who stood at the very pinnacle of the kingdom's hierarchy was desperate for information about the Deep Forest.
The First Prince, who had been quietly listening to the King and Prime Minister's conversation, recognized the people mentioned here and there. However, he could not understand why they were paying so much attention to individuals of such low status. Being straightforward and earnest, and possessing not a trace of stubbornness or narrow-mindedness, the First Prince promptly asked the Prime Minister about what he did not understand.
"Prime Minister… Who is this 'that one'? And what exactly is the 'Eye'? If my understanding is correct… you are referring to the third son of a knightly house in the Northern Frontier Region and the second son of the Minister of Magic’s House, are you not?"
"Indeed. We refer to him as 'that one' because we cannot speak of him openly, but your understanding is correct. As Prime Minister, I have issued orders to him, and you may consider the other man to have been assigned to keep watch over him."
"I see. Forgive my interruption."
"Not at all… Now then, we've run into a bit of a problem."
The Prime Minister straightened his posture and turned to address the King. The King looked back at him questioningly.
"A joint petition has been submitted by several knightly houses in the Northern Frontier Region through the High Countess's house."
"What is it?"
"The knightly houses whose lands encompass the sparse stretches of the 'Shallow Forest' claim that they can no longer manage under such harsh conditions. They have therefore petitioned to transfer their own territories within the Shallow Forest to that knightly house adjacent to theirs—that is, the house of 'that one.' Those submitting the petition are the knightly houses bordering his family estate, along with several neighboring houses. Their territories, which lie close to the Middle Forest, are constantly threatened by monsters and magic beasts. Meanwhile, that knightly house has been expanding its sphere of control deeper into the forest rather than retreating from it. Their request is that he use that strength to bring stability and security to the region… or so they say."
"How large an area are we talking about?"
"If we were to approve every petition… well, it would encompass all the sparsely forested areas of the Shallow Forest in the Northern Frontier Region. In terms of area, it would easily rival the territory of a High Countess."
"…That's a vast territory for a knightly house to govern."
"Even now, his house already controls a considerable amount of territory. You remember that, several years ago, they annexed the two neighboring knightly houses that could no longer sustain themselves, don't you?"
"I remember. It wasn't particularly significant at the time, and since the annexed knightly houses were treated as branches of his family, I recall giving my approval."
"You could consider this an expanded interpretation of that precedent, albeit with certain limitations. That would be fine in itself… but the territory in question is simply too vast."
"I see. Crown Prince, what is your opinion?"
The Crown Prince, suddenly called upon to give his opinion, nevertheless continued to think it through. Reminding himself that this, too, was a test, he searched for the best possible solution.
"…Would it not be possible to establish it as an independent territory and appoint that man as its lord? Knightly houses are nobles who do not possess landed estates. We have been making do with the rather ambiguous concept of a 'sphere of control,' but if I recall correctly, the supplementary provisions of the legal code state that this arrangement exists because the size of such territories fluctuates as the forest is developed. If there is no intention to develop the forest further from the outset, and its size is not expected to change, then perhaps we could simply designate 'that land' as his estate, setting aside the matter of the national borders."
"That would far exceed the standard territory of a baron. Its area is equivalent to one governed by a High Count."
"Then grant him a title higher than that."
"We cannot bestow a noble title without publicly recognized achievements. And granting a high-ranking title to someone without a title of his own, much less the third son of a knightly house, would be tantamount to destroying the established noble hierarchy."
"Then, Your Majesty, what about granting him a special-rank title? The Margrave title is held by a family descended from the royalty of a former kingdom annexed by our own. Perhaps a title of that kind would be suitable."
"That would work for royalty. Applying the same arrangement to that man, however, would be difficult. No, impossible, in fact. …Prime Minister, what do you think we should do?"
The Prime Minister gave a sly grin.
"You have already resolved to grant him the forest, Your Majesty. If so, there are ways to make it happen. I shall take care of all the troublesome details. In return, however, I would like one thing."
"What is it, Prime Minister? You've got a rather wicked look on your face."
"You're not looking so innocent yourself. Anyway, give me one person. I want to train him."
"…Hmm. Crown Prince, what say you?"
"…I suppose it cannot be helped."
"Then it's settled. I'll begin training him from now on to become the next Prime Minister. Now, how shall I break the news to the Minister of Military Affairs? After all, I'm taking his heir away from him. I'll have to show him the proper courtesy."
Wearing a sinister smile, the Prime Minister chuckled with evident satisfaction. Countless schemes appeared and vanished within his sharp mind: the third son of a knightly house, to whom he had entrusted a secret mission; the second son of the Minister of Magic’s House, assigned the role of the 'Eye'; and the heir of the Minister of Military Affairs, whom he had chosen as his own successor.
To venture into the depths of the forest…
To uncover the truth of the world…
To secure peace and stability for the people, the royal family, the nobility, the kingdom… and the world itself…
――― The Prime Minister smirked, satisfied that all his pieces were now in place.
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