Chapter 29

The corners of Deborah’s lips rose. It was clear that she wanted me to come out like this.

At the time when I was thinking about what kind of difficult questions would be asked, the high priest, who had been staring at me, slowly opened his mouth.

“Then please answer the question.”

…The high priest? I tried to guess the thoughts of the unpredictable high priest. However, a difficult question came up without even having time to do so.

“There is a controversy over the quality of state management, so it would be right to ask a question about it. I would like to ask about the ‘specific benefits’ that Aktoum can enjoy through holy marriage.”

“……”

“I would also like to ask how you will run Aktoum with that benefit.”

……I was prepared, but it was a very vague question.

Just by looking at Deborah, who had a delighted smile blooming on her lips, I could see that this question was full of traps.

‘It feels like Professor Tiger is giving me a blank sheet of paper to take the exam.’

A question where my answer had a high probability of receiving a buzzing sound.

In order to answer this question well, national experts would have to carefully calculate the data.

To begin with, this was not a question that could be answered by someone who had only been a king for a few years.

Besides, for the monarch of Spinel to explain the benefits of Aktoum? Unless one’s a fan of Aktoum’s policies, how could one accurately predict it?

A small whisper from the nobility’s seat flowed into my ears.

“It’s practically over.”

“That’s right. She’s a queen, but she’s also really pitiful… She’s going to be embarrassed if she stutters in front of everyone.”

“Isn’t the High Priest too much? The king, who has just taken the throne, has to answer such a question.”

Deborah, who had stolen a list of Aktoum’s data like a rat, was smiling, confident of victory. 

I quietly sneered inwardly.

‘You don’t even know me.’

There was something that everyone here didn’t know.

I am a person who has served as the king of a kingdom at least 7 times, 4 years each time.

It meant I am a veteran who has been running state affairs for nearly 30 years.

The basic quality to be a king was diplomacy, and there was no harm in knowing the circumstances of an enemy country in detail.

“Aktoum’s budget this year 15 trillion ferring. It’s increasing by 5% annually.”

The nobles murmured as if they didn’t know the common language. In fact, even the nobles could not know this much detail, unless they were the prime minister.

For the past 30 years or so, I had been trying to somehow unify the countries and not die from Rixus, and thus I slowly started pouring out information that ‘I’, at least, should know.(TL/N: ‘I’ referring to this particular life.)

“If you add up the defense costs saved by this marriage, plus the benefits from the abolition of tariffs and increased efficiency, more than 4.59 trillion ferring will be generated every year.”

“…….”

“If you put them all together, we can spend 20 trillion ferring each year on our budget.”

I continued speaking calmly so that the nobles who were already paying attention to me could understand.

Most of them were ignorant of these numbers, so using difficult words would backfire.

As if explaining to the stone heads, ‘1+1 is actually 2, isn’t it amazing?’ I summarized it as simply and concisely as possible.

“I plan to invest a portion of the increased budget… in the most lacking part of Aktoum, magic research.”

“!”

When the word ‘magic’ came out, the reaction of the nobles was explosive.

Until now, Aktoum lacked a material called magic stone, which naturally resulted in their magic research being poor and sluggish.

Hence, the field they were most interested in was magic research.

“And I promise to pass on the know-how of Spinel, an advanced model of magic, and also, to supply magic stones.”

“……Is that true?”

A man wearing the magic tower’s badge asked in an entranced tone.

I looked straight at him and made a clear promise.

“I will fully support it.”

Right on time, Seryl, Laura, and Maribel circulated pieces of paper that summarized the related policies.

It was actually made in preparation for Deborah’s question, but I didn’t know the high priest would ask it instead.

The high priest also took a summary paper and read it through his glasses.

“The rest of the budget will be used to build Spinel’s medical system in Aktoum.”

“Ho!”

This time, the eyes of a marchioness, who was sitting in the front row, shone.

At the last festival held in Breathbridge, she was a woman who dared to ask me, the monarch of the enemy country, about the medical center issue.

“…Your Majesty, is that even possible in Aktoum?”

“As long as the budget is secured. I have the know-how, so it is possible.”

It was difficult for the common people of this era to receive medical benefits, and this was something most royals or nobles might not know.

But Spinel was different.

It was the only country in the entire continent where even the poorest commoners had access to medical services.

When I became the king, what I always did immediately was reorganize the medical system.

It was a system in which all medicine practitioners were changed to belong to the kingdom, and medical centers, which were supported as part of tax, were established across the country.

“Introducing a medical model reduces mortality by more than 30%, and more than doubles production rate.”

Preservation of the health and labor force of commoners would lead to an expansion of tax revenue.

“The taxes to be paid by the people of Aktoum will more than double in the next ten years.”

“……Is that true?”

“Oh, is that possible, Your Majesty?!”

There was a buzz from the nobility’s seat. I answered calmly.

“There is a lot of significant data in Spinel, where medical models have already been applied. It’s a reliable estimate based on that data.”

The aristocrats couldn’t have responded badly to the fact that the amount of money they could collect would double.

……No, it was much better than expected.

I looked at the nobles who were very excited about the blueprint I had presented, and asked a question with a certain answer.

“Are you still doubting my qualities…?”

I know more than you guys, and I will make you make a fortune, but you dare doubt my qualities……? I condensed these words and asked briefly instead.

The nobles who were talking nonstop turned silent and looked at one other.

Then, one by one, they started to open their mouths.

“Her Majesty the Queen has a marvelous plan for Aktoum!”

“The High Priest must allow this holy marriage… …to obtain such mercy from the Crown Princess is a great blessing to Aktoum.”

“I support this marriage unconditionally.”

The situation had been reversed.

Now, fearing that the high priest would not allow the marriage, there were people who fervently expressed their hearts.

Of course, there were still more than half of them who still bitterly opposed, but they kept their mouths shut because they had nothing to refute.

The materials I prepared were perfect, and so was my explanation.

‘Deborah’s expression is worth seeing.’

Deborah’s face turned blue as if her expectations had been completely wrong, and she trembled and shook.

‘Did I do it?’

If the high priest concluded as it is, his answer was obvious.

The public opinion was completely on our side, so of course the answer would be this holy marriage was allowed.

But it was then.

“!”

My sensitive ‘radar’ told me that Deborah and Hermish were trying to do something.

‘No way.’

As I frowned at the ominous feeling, I could somewhat predict what was going to happen soon.

Of course, I had no intention of sitting still like this and being beaten up.

I opened my mouth slowly, looking at Hermish.

“But now, it’s not the time for ‘only’ Aktoum to talk about my qualities…?”

“What does that mean, Your Majesty?”

The high priest asked politely.

I slowly swept my chest in front of everyone.

“Aktoum’s defense is terrible. The Crown Prince was almost poisoned.”

“!”

At the same time as the surroundings were once again buzzing, the face of Hermish, who was about to get up, showed signs of clear shock.

I believe that ‘the one who strikes first wins’. The only thing that didn’t work out for me in my life was Rixus.

“…Is that true?”

The high priest’s eyebrows were seriously wrinkled.

I pointed a finger at Hermish.

“Baron Tevelon tried to poison the Crown Prince, and I saved his life.”

“Lie! It’s a lie!”

Hermish’s face turned red and he immediately stood up.

Of course, he had to be like that. Those who tried to assassinate the imperial family would be executed.

Deborah, who was sitting next to him, hid her earlier expression and fanned her face with her fan.

“Your Majesty, if you frame a noble of another country without any evidence… it could turn into an international problem, right?”

“Madam Deborah is right!”

Hermish, excited to the fullest, walked out of the middle, limping awkwardly on his crutches.

Then he dared to point his finger at me.

“She’s framing me. Rather, my legs look like this because the Queen pushed me out of the window!”

“Can you stake your life on those words?”

“……”

Hermish stopped talking at my sudden question.

“I will stake my life on my words. I ask again, Baron Hermish Tevelon. What will you stake?”

As I calmly wagered my life, Hermish’s eyes trembled as if it had met a storm.

His innocent-looking eyes were distorted, and his sky-blue hair became soaked with sweat almost instantaneously.

He thought for a moment and then exclaimed firmly.

“…I will risk my life and all the property of the Top run by Tevelon!”

He seemed to think that if he hesitated even a little here and showed any disagreement, he would seem suspicious.

And that was what I was aiming for. So I raised the corners of my lips.

“Really?”

“…But there’s no evidence?! What in the world determines the truth?”

Hermish lowered his innocent eyes and appealed to the nobles with a pitiful expression.

“I am just a powerless nobleman, and even if Your Majesty the Queen daringly pushed me out of the window, I could not say a single word… But you framed me without evidence…”

“Evidence.”

I picked out a word from his words briefly with a calm face.

Then I took off the earrings I was wearing and held it forward.

Under the splendid lights, the earrings shone, giving off myriads of sparkles.

It was a pair of earrings made with red magic stone.

“The evidence is here.”

“!”

Hermish’s eyes widened and he became terrified.