Chapter 29: Rishali. You know, I don’t dislike you.

It had been about a month since the Kingdom of Saripa annexed Draznest.

The people of Draznest, upon hearing that their lord Meureen had surrendered, accepted Saripa’s rule without resistance.

With this, the territory of our Kingdom of Saripa had effectively doubled.

But annexing Draznest hadn’t brought only benefits.

Draznest was a land of dense forests and rugged mountains—a remote and undeveloped region where even delivering a letter was a major ordeal.

Laws, taxation, administration—there was a mountain of things that needed to be established in such a place.

Naturally, my father and older brothers were buried in postwar affairs, dashing about the royal palace in a constant state of urgency.

“The fact that the people of Draznest submitted peacefully is certainly a relief,”

My father, in particular, seemed more troubled by the annexation than pleased.

Apparently, there’s a severe food shortage looming come winter.

It seems the Yaiban army, during their retreat, looted Draznest’s food stores.

…Taking food supplies while withdrawing is a classic wartime tactic; we can’t really blame them.

But because of that, Draznest was left with no winter reserves, and its people will have no choice but to starve.

In such cases, the Kingdom of Saripa ought to guarantee food and shelter for them.

“But Saripa has no food stockpiled either…”

Saripa was never a wealthy kingdom to begin with. If the population suddenly doubled, a food shortage was inevitable.

Getting aid from the Deken Empire would likely be the best course of action—but that would be akin to incurring debt to our suzerain.

Is there any way we can feed Draznest with only the resources we have?

That dilemma seemed to weigh heavily on the minds of Father and the other royals.

---

Given how dire the situation was, I started thinking about whether there was something—anything—I could do.

“Excuse me, guard. Is Jikei-aniue (Jikei big brother) in his room?”

“Yes, he’s currently working.”

…Let me take a moment to talk about Jikei, the second prince of the Saripa Kingdom.

He’s my older brother by two years. Though lazy and a notorious womanizer, he’s highly skilled in both military strategy and governance.

Since childhood, he was hailed as a prodigy, praised alongside our older sister Lulu as a treasure of the nation.

That brilliance is evident even now—at just seventeen, he already oversees domestic affairs.

“I was hoping to speak with him for a moment.”

“Understood. I’ll inform Lord Jikei.”

However, because he was born the second son, Jikei was destined to play the role of support for his older brother.

Our eldest brother, Sario, was named so to "become the king of Saripa."

In contrast, the name “Jikei” was chosen to mean “to support and respect the king.”

At official banquets, Sario was always seated beside the king, while Jikei was deliberately placed at the very end of the royal line.

Sario’s birthday was celebrated across the entire kingdom. In contrast, Jikei’s birthday was marked only with a modest family gathering.

There was a clear disparity in how Sario and Jikei were treated.

…The reason our father, the king, so blatantly favored Sario was because he loathed the idea of a succession dispute.

By declaring Sario as the future king even before he was born, he hoped to ensure a stable line of succession.

He didn’t want his two sons to become pawns in political infighting.

And so, while he favored Sario as the heir, the king was also far stricter in raising him.

Sario was given hardly any breaks. He wasn’t allowed to form friendships with other children his age and spent his days studying everything—from royal duties and politics to swordsmanship and tactics.

Meanwhile, Jikei breezed through life, messing around with noble brats and living carefree.

“You may enter. This way, Lady Rishali.”

“Thank you so much!”

Sario-aniue, who was fated to become king, must have borne countless burdens and frustrations.

Such intense pressure and relentless education could’ve easily bred rebellion. If Sario had been a normal boy, he might’ve gone completely astray.

But Sario was a disciplined and earnest man who understood the weight of being a prince.

He endured the harsh upbringing and never wavered—growing into a remarkable person.

By the time twenty years had passed, Sario had acquired a great many virtues.

He possessed political skill that rivaled even our father, the king. He was a rising star in swordsmanship. He was magnanimous and valued his retainers. He had the resolve to do whatever it took to protect the kingdom.

He grew into the ideal king—dignified yet humble, stern yet kind, strong yet fair.

Sario lived up to the king’s every expectation.

“…Phew.”

“Oh? Lady Rishali, are you nervous?”

“Well, a little.”

But there was one thing the king hadn’t accounted for.

And that was the fact that the second prince, Jikei, turned out to be a once-in-a-century genius.

When Jikei was just ten years old, the king took Sario with him on a campaign against the Yaiban forces.

But during their absence, a major incident occurred.

Possibly instigated by Yaiban, a powerful noble within the kingdom staged a coup. Along with several bribed aristocrats, he declared independence.

『W-Why wasn’t this reported to me sooner?!』

『Because… I already dealt with it.』

The king only learned of the crisis that had shaken the very foundation of the kingdom after the campaign against Yaiban had ended.

『By order of Lord Jikei, the coup has been suppressed, and all bribery investigations have been completed.』

『…Huh?』

──Because Jikei, all on his own, resolved everything in just a few days and greeted the two upon their return.

He had taken command of the army, crushed the rebellion immediately, imprisoned the bribed nobles that same day, and waited for the king to return.

That’s right. Without any real effort, Jikei had gained the ability to surpass Sario in everything—politics, swordsmanship, and strategy alike.

Sario was diligent, but ordinary. It was only through tireless hard work that he gained the qualities needed to become a king.

Jikei, on the other hand, possessed the qualities of a king without needing to try.

A calm demeanor, deep cunning, eloquent speech. Physically agile, gifted with the sword—he outshone Sario in every way.

In fact, in terms of administrative skill, he may have already surpassed the king.

『After working this hard, I deserve a little break from official duties, right~?』

『Jikei, you…』

『I'm heading out to hang with some girls. Later!』

And so, he was lazy. Because he could accomplish his goals effortlessly, he saw no need to push himself.

Even if Sario groaned for days trying to come up with a plan, Jikei would effortlessly propose a better one in five seconds.

…How much must Sario-aniue have suffered, facing such overwhelming natural talent?

“Jikei-aniue is… a bit scary, to be honest.”

“You too, Lady Rishali, have things you fear, it seems.”

Among all my siblings, Jikei-aniue was the one I felt the most distant from.

…It’s not that I intentionally kept my distance. We simply didn’t mesh well.

The First Prince, Sario-aniue, adored me. Truly, as if I were the apple of his eye.

My relationship with the First Princess Lulu was also strong—we were well-known even abroad as inseparable sisters.

But with Jikei-aniue… there was always a faint distance between our hearts.

And yet today, I found myself in the room of Jikei-aniue—the brother I wasn’t particularly comfortable with.

I had come up with a potential solution to the food crisis following the annexation of Draznest.

…But when it came to domestic policy, I had no choice but to consult Jikei.

“Good day, Jikei-aniue. Thank you for allowing me into your room.”

“...Welcome. This is rare—Rishali coming to me for something.”

Jikei’s room was lined with flowers in a wide array of colors.

Apparently, each of the ornamental plants had been personally tended to by Jikei himself.

At the center of this vividly colored, splendid room sat the prince.

At a glance, he looked like a delicate young girl—petite, with porcelain skin as flawless as a doll’s.

“I know you’re busy, Aniue. I won’t take up too much of your time.”

“No need to rush, Rishali. You know, I don’t dislike you.”

Prince Jikei swept his long golden hair aside, greeting me with a fearless smile.

Even I—who had once been a man—was momentarily stunned by his beauty. A shiver ran down my spine when I met his crimson eyes.

If ever there was someone who embodied the phrase "beautiful and refined," it was him.

“Most people who come to my room are dreadfully boring. Unlike you.”

“I-I wouldn’t say I’m particularly interesting…”

“For example, Captain of the Guard, Hugelun—he’s been throwing money around lately. And in exchange, the arrest rate in his district has dropped.”

Honestly, I suspect Jikei-aniue is the one who twisted Lulu-aneue’s preferences.

Slender, delicate frame, yet strong and skilled with a sword.

Soft and sweet appearance—he could easily be mistaken for a girl at a glance.

Yet beneath that lies a beastlike intensity—his true, feral nature.

Aneue’s ideal man must be someone like Jikei.

“He tried to bribe me into ignoring the graft. Can you believe it? He actually brought a pouch of gold. Hilarious, right?”

“Ha-ha… yes, that is funny.”

“I can usually tell what someone wants just by seeing their face as they enter this room. It’s all so predictable, it’s boring.”

And yet—let me be honest—I really couldn’t stand the atmosphere around Jikei-aniue.

Maybe I’d feel differently if I were a trueborn girl.

But I wasn’t interested in unsettling beauty like his.

If anything, being near him made me painfully aware of the gap between ordinary and genius.

Like a frog frozen under the stare of a snake—that’s what it felt like.

“But you’re different. Rishali, your visits are always impossible to predict.”

Jikei-aniue’s glossy long hair shimmered like spun gold.

When he casually ran a hand through it, there was a dangerously seductive allure in the gesture.

He once said that he 『likes his woman-like appearance・・・・・・・』.

Because that appearance allowed him to catch fools off guard—and deceive them.

『Surely, you’ve brought some interesting story worth my attention—haven’t you?』

A pure pragmatist, a realist who never hesitates to use those who can be useful—that’s Jikei-aniue, second prince of Saripa.

The reason he could be so lazy and carefree was simple: 『Even if I don’t put in effort, I don’t make mistakes anyway』.

Do you understand now why I find him so intimidating?

“Well then, let’s hear it, Rishali. What business do you have with me?”

But I couldn’t let myself be overwhelmed. If I let nerves get the better of me, nothing would begin.

It was fine. This time, I had prepared a secret weapon to win over Jikei-aniue.

“Yes, actually────”

I had spent hours preparing my ultimate secret strategy.

Surely even Aniue would like it.

“I made a dish called candied kezukirimushi. I brought some, so let’s eat it together, Aniue.”

『I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about.』

When I presented my homemade “secret weapon,” Jikei gave me a dry smile.

Hm, maybe I missed the mark. Even though it was his little sister’s cooking.

“Sorry, I’m not hungry. I’ll have to pass.”

“Oh? If Jikei-aniue doesn’t want it… I’ll just take it to Sario-aniue instead.”

『What’s with that little negotiation vibe? I said I don’t want it, so take it away already.』

It seemed Jikei really wasn’t hungry.

Feeling a bit deflated, I quietly returned the candied kezukirimushi to the tray.

“So? Don’t tell me that was really the only reason you came here.”

“Of course not. That was, so to speak, the opening act.”

『Hearing that puts my mind at ease.』

I set the candied kezukirimushi on the corner of his table and continued the conversation.

Jikei-aniue gave a faint look of displeasure.

“I’d like you to allow a portion of the Draznest population to be relocated to Juugi-san’s coal mine.”

“Hm? And the reason?”

“Juugi-san requested additional manpower.”

Yes, the issue I wanted to consult him about was a plan to have the people of Draznest work in Juugi’s mine.

After assembling his research team, Juugi had apparently succeeded in developing a steam locomotive to a practical level.

But the more his research advanced, the more coal he needed for his experiments.

And so the proposal was to build a settlement for migrants and have them assist in developing the mine.

“There’s the issue of how to feed the people of Draznest, right? If we intend to support them, it’s better to bring them into the kingdom. It would save us the trouble of transporting supplies.”

『Well, that does make some sense.』

“Besides, the people of Draznest had been hiding in the backcountry out of fear of dragons. Now that the dragon has been slain, there must be villages considering relocation.”

“Hmm.”

Mimicking Lulu-aneue’s presentation style, I carefully laid out the benefits of the coal mine relocation policy.

This immigration plan would surely benefit the kingdom. I felt confident in that.

“His coal mine is bound to need more and more workers going forward.”

Juugi’s research was something so valuable that no amount of manpower devoted to it would be wasted.

If it progressed further, the area around the mine might even develop into an industrial zone.

So—how about that? My ultimate pitch!

“…Thirty—no, hmm, twenty points at best.”

“Huh?”

“There were some good points. But you’re missing way too much. Rejected.”

After hearing my proposal, Jikei-aniue gave a noncommittal hum and rejected it with a faint smile.

…Was it no good? Could it be like with the king, where he didn’t grasp the value of Juugi’s research?

No—Jikei-aniue, at least, should definitely understand how useful Juugi’s work is.

“May I ask the reason?”

“First, the people of Draznest simply won’t accept relocation. Moving takes a lot of courage and effort, you know? They have to carry their belongings and fear bandits along the way. What reason would they have to move abroad willingly?”

“W-well, that is…”

“If it was moving to a place with food, that’d be understandable. But when everywhere is short on food, who’d take on the risk of moving? Especially right after the dragons, who oppressed them so much, are finally gone and they can breathe easy.”

Ah, I see. Even the people over there won’t move to unknown lands without food.

Still, maybe if we prepare meals and manage even a small group of migrants somehow...

“And secondly, 『transporting people』 is a terribly wasteful act. While they’re being transported, they’re not producing anything. With food already in short supply, why reduce productivity further?”

“Ugh…”

“Your idea to relocate them to the mine isn’t bad in itself. It’s just not the right time. We need more breathing room first.”

…I have no reply to that. So it’s a productivity problem.

The transport costs themselves aren’t trivial either.

“And finally, there’s this.”

“Is there more…?”

“We haven’t even consulted our suzerain, the Deken Empire, yet. We need their permission first.”

Saying that, Jikei-aniue grinned.

“We were only told by the Deken Emperor that we could govern this area. But we never got permission to annex Draznest territory.”

“T-that’s not allowed?”

“They’ll probably give permission, but we have to ask first. Imagine what would happen if we moved our subjects before getting their okay.”

“…It would be a huge problem.”

“Exactly.”

I see… right. Saripa Kingdom is a small, weak nation.

We can’t even annex a single territory without getting the Deken Emperor’s approval.

“Hmm, you’re quick to understand. Good. I actually wanted to tell you about this.”

“To me…?”

“Yes. We’ve already reported the annexation of Draznest to the Deken Empire.”

Jikei-aniue said this while waving a piece of paper.

…It seemed to be a reply from the Deken Empire.

“For the Deken Empire, this should be an opportunity. Their enemy, Yaiban, is weakened now.”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“So we proposed a joint operation. To synchronize efforts and destroy Yaiban.”

Ah, I see. This is definitely a great opportunity for the Deken Empire.

If they take down Yaiban here…

“If the Deken Empire takes full action, we will definitely win against Yaiban. Then Saripa will be safe and secure.”

“Wow!”

“So what we need to do now is diplomatic negotiations with the Deken Empire, but…”

As long as we don’t oppose Deken, we’ll be safe for life.

If the joint operation happens, it might be 『the final battle』.

“The Deken Empire seems very interested in this matter. Their Prince Jalpha himself is apparently coming to inspect.”

“Their prince, you say?”

“You know what that means, right?”

O-oh. The prince of a superpower is personally coming all the way to a backwater place like ours?

That must mean…

“The Deken Empire really does intend to invade Yaiban.”

That’s right.

This isn’t the usual 『We’ll invade when the time is right and the stars align』—some routine polite refusal. They’re seriously moving.

If that’s the case, this is a golden opportunity for the Saripa Kingdom.

“So there’s no way we can afford to offend the prince’s mood.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And that’s why I have a favor to ask of you.”

Even though this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, I had a bad feeling.

Looking up, Jikei-aniue was grinning, eyeing me with a look that felt like he was sizing me up.

“I’m putting you in charge of welcoming the prince, Rishali. Go all the way to the border and make sure you win over Prince Jalpha.”

…And with that, he gave the order.