WM V4C0716

Chapter 0716 Visit to Whitnash

Translator: Jay_Forestieri

Editor: Tseirp

 

Two days after His Majesty the King and the Premier Duke’s party left the Royal Capital, in the morning.

They arrived in the port town of Whitnash.

 

They entered the city in the carriage, but even then, crowds were already gathered along the sides of the road.

No flags were waving, but the mood was clearly one of welcoming His Majesty the King…

 

Through the middle of that, King Abel’s carriage moved forward, escorted by the First Guard Regiment and the Royal Knights.

 

“Long live His Majesty the King!”

“Abel-sama!”

“Oh, he waved at us!”

“So noble and regal…”

“The person in the robe beside him is cute too.”

 

Such voices could be heard from among the people.

Abel smiled and waved back from inside the carriage.

He stayed inside the carriage because Knight Captain Dontan of the Royal Knights had explicitly warned him not to step outside.

 

“When I came here before, it was for a festival, but it is just as lively as it was then.”

“Whitnash has seen remarkable development over the past two years.”

To Ryo’s comment, Abel answered while smiling and waving toward the crowd.

 

“Whitnash was already a major port town, but now it has become one of the top five cities in the entire kingdom.”

Abel smiled and waved as the party continued onward and arrived at the port.

 

There too, the people kept their distance and watched the group arrive.

And then came cheers for Abel as he stepped down from the carriage.

 

To continue the theme of putting up a display.

 

Ryo, following behind Abel, muttered,

“Being king sure is rough.”

 

 

When Ryo and Abel got down from the carriage, two people, a man and a woman, were waiting for them.

 

One was a woman in her early thirties with long hair, blue eyes, and striking brown skin.

“Your Majesty, I am truly sorry to have troubled you with such a long trip.”

“Darlene Dingley, it seems you are governing well as magistrate. Excellent work.”

“I am honored.”

Abel praised her, and the Whitnash magistrate known as Darlene lowered her head.

 

The other was a man in his late forties with chestnut hair, black eyes, brown skin, and a tall build, though he gave off a generally supple impression.

But more importantly, he was someone Ryo already knew well.

 

“You’re Goro-san, right?”

 

The person Ryo called out to was Goro Ganda.

The magistrate of Kona Village, producer of the Kona coffee Ryo loved so much… why was he here?

 

“Ryo, do you know the Lord of the Admiralty?”

Abel asked in surprise.

 

“Lord of the Admiralty? The minister of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs… huh? Goro-san, you became the Minister?”

“Yes, Lord Duke Rondo.”

Goro, still wearing the same gentle smile Ryo remembered, greeted them.

 

“The Ministry of Maritime Affairs is the place Abel told me about before, right? It handles everything related to the kingdom’s seas…”

“That’s right. Ryo said it before, too. That, as the corrupt premier duke, you would inspect the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and confiscate their property.”

“What…”

Ryo was stunned by Abel’s words.

Magistrate Darlene and Minister Goro both widened their eyes in shock.

 

“T-That was obviously a joke.”

“So you are admitting that you said it.”

“How underhanded, Scheming King Abel!”

It was just Abel and Ryo fooling around.

 

The two who watched them did their best to avert their eyes.

They seemed to be desperately holding back laughter.

 

Of course they had to hold it back.

The two people in front of them, even if they were acting silly, were the king and the premier duke.

They were the two highest-ranking powers in the Kingdom.

 

 

“Due to His Majesty’s administrative reforms, the main headquarters of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs has been moved from the Royal Capital to Whitnash. Your Grace is welcome to inspect at any time.”

With a slight chuckle, Goro joined in the interlude between the two.

 

“O-of course, with Goro-san serving as the Lord Admiral, I’m certain everything is being handled flawlessly, so there would be no need for me to step in.”

Trying to hide his flustered expression… or at least thinking he had hidden it, Ryo nodded grandly.

 

“Are you sure about that, Ryo? If I recall, back then you said something along the lines of… ‘Even though they escaped the pitfalls of compartmentalized bureaucracy, they’ve grown far too bloated and lost their innovative edge.’ Didn’t you claim that was the exact state the Ministry was in?”

“I-I might have said that… but now that Goro-san is at the helm, I am positive he is reforming things in the right direction. I just know it.”

“Oh, really?”

“Goro-san has been sending me Kona coffee, after all. That alone is enough for me to vouch for his competence.”

“You base your judgment on that…?”

“A relationship of trust is a sacred bond forged between individuals, Abel. I suggest you try a little harder to become a king whom people can actually trust.”

“I haven’t the slightest clue why this is being turned back on me…”

It was a fierce, rapid-fire battle of wits between the Premier Duke and the King.

 

Unsurprisingly, both Goro and Darlene kept their expressions completely blank, pretending they hadn’t heard a single word.

 

 

A sudden memory surfaced in Ryo’s mind.

It harkened back to the very first time he had ever visited Whitnash.

He had come here on an escort mission alongside the trio from ‘Room No. 10’ and the members of ‘Coffee Maker’.

Back then…

 

“I seem to recall Whitnash having a noble lord ruling over it.”

“Ah, yes, it did.”

“Did you fire him?”

“You remember the massive uproar that broke out during the garden party back then, right?”

“Yes, I know it well. That was the time you locked yourself in your room and just waited for the whole commotion to blow over, wasn’t it, Abel?”

“I mean, you’re not wrong… but something about the way you phrased that is incredibly irritating.”

Ryo flatly stated the facts, leaving Abel to grimace in frustration.

 

During the garden party, Abel had been cornered by the guildmaster of this city and dragged off into a detached room for a private meeting.

On top of that, because they had been using a soundproofing magic tool, he hadn’t noticed a single thing happening at the main event.

As a result, he had escaped completely unharmed, but still…

 

“Because of that incident, the lord was reassigned to a different territory. And Whitnash became a direct crown territory.”

“Don’t tell me… that entire uproar was a scheme orchestrated by the royal family just to get their hands on Whitnash?!”

“No, it was the work of the assassin cult that had been bribed by the Union.”

“Oh, is that so?”

It seemed the Kingdom’s government had done quite a thorough investigation after all.

 

Ryo’s wild delusion was, as it turned out, entirely just a delusion.

 

“And the magistrate of this crown territory is you, Darlene-san?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Darlene nodded as Ryo confirmed the facts.

 

“You mentioned that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs moved from the Royal Capital to Whitnash, but why is that?”

“What use is a maritime department in a landlocked capital?”

Abel replied to Ryo’s naive question, his expression suggesting the answer should have been obvious.

 

“I suppose so, but…”

“Flip it around. Why does it have to be in the Royal Capital?”

“…To secure a budget?”

“That’s something for the people allocating the budget, namely me and Marquis Heinlein, to look out for. A ministry’s job isn’t to chase budgets; it’s to devote itself entirely to its actual duties. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs does its work on the sea, so shouldn’t it be right next to the sea?”

“That is a completely unassailable argument.”

Ryo nodded, thoroughly convinced by Abel’s explanation.

 

 

Indeed, there was absolutely no reason for government ministries to clutter up the capital city.

In fact, Ryo often felt that when officials were constantly plagued day in and day out by the tangible and intangible pressures of politicians, they became entirely unable to focus on their actual jobs.

 

As a result, bureaucrats stop looking out for the citizens and instead focus solely on pleasing the politicians.

Or rather, they are forced to focus on them.

 

A state like that brought happiness to no one.

 

If the central ministries themselves relocated, the regions they moved to would naturally prosper.

It would act as a catalyst for regional revitalization.

Officials could raise their children while fully enjoying the local delicacies and outdoor activities of their new homes.

And with the cost of living being overwhelmingly cheaper compared to the capital, a central bureaucrat’s salary would allow them to live an incredibly comfortable life.

 

The bureaucrats’ families would be happy.

The officials themselves could focus on their work.

It truly was a wonderful world for everyone involved.

 

The ideal embodiment of that concept was right before his eyes: the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, which had relocated here to Whitnash.

Ryo couldn’t help but feel that the rapid economic development Whitnash had experienced over the past two years was largely thanks to the ministry’s relocation.

The crucial point wasn’t just moving a few minor departments; it was relocating the core ministry itself.

 

 

“Lord Admiral, I have read the report concerning the ‘Opening of the Eastern Trade Route’.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. The information you shared regarding the Rain Shooter washing ashore in the Archipelago region proved to be the deciding factor. However, regarding the exploration the Rain Shooter was conducting, none of its crew members have returned. Therefore, I believe we must proceed with a certain degree of caution.”

“I agree.”

Abel nodded in response to Lord Goro’s words.

Magistrate Darlene nodded along as well.

 

Yet, the Premier Duke alone was tilting his head in confusion.

 

“What’s this about opening an eastern trade route?”

“It’s a plan to pioneer a naval route from the Kingdom to the Archipelago region, and ultimately, to the Eastern Countries.”

“Say what…?”

Ryo was astonished.

 

It was true that they had personally spotted the Rain Shooter, which had originally set sail from Whitnash, all the way out in the Archipelago region.

Currently, it served as the Bralcau, the royal vessel of Queen Iliaja of the Kingdom of Suje.

 

But frankly, no one actually knew how the Rain Shooter had managed to reach the Archipelago region in the first place.

No one knew what lay along the path.

Nor what kind of creatures lurked there.

 

Ryo suddenly remembered something.

It was about the king standing next to him.

 

“Abel, you were on a smuggling ship when you washed ashore by my place, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Was that ship anchored here in Whitnash?”

“It was.”

“So that means a ship could go from here to the Rondo Forest?”

Ryo asked cautiously to confirm.

 

“That… may be true.”

“The coast where you washed up? Has Krakens, you know?”

“That… may be true.”

“And on the land where I used to live, there are even worse neighbors, you know?”

“That… that is a problem.”

It seemed Abel had finally grasped the weight of Ryo’s concerns.

 

They might end up charting a course through waters where Krakens were guaranteed to be waiting.

Furthermore, if they dropped anchor on the way and managed to anger Ryo’s neighbors… namely dragons, behemoths, or griffins…

 

Sensing something ominous in their conversation.

And perhaps sensing a connection to his own work as well.

Goro interjected,

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, Your Grace. But what exactly is the Rondo Forest?”

“It’s Ryo’s… Duke Rondo’s territory.”

“Good heavens…”

“It’s incredibly far away from the Kingdom’s mainland. Uh, what was it called? The Devil’s Mountain? It’s on the other side of that.”

“The other side of the Devil’s Mountain…”

Goro was completely struck dumb.

Naturally, Darlene was left speechless as well.

 

To the citizens of the Kingdom, the Devil’s Mountain was literally a mountain of death.

A forbidden zone where no human should ever set foot.

 

The idea that a territory existed beyond it was hard enough to believe… but if it were true, the implications were even more incomprehensible.

Furthermore, judging by the flow of the conversation, King Abel had apparently washed ashore in that very place in the past.

 

 

“Lord Admiral, let us proceed with the eastern trade route even more cautiously than I initially suggested.”

“Understood, Your Majesty. For now, let us focus our efforts entirely on the ‘West’.”

Goro nodded in agreement with Abel.

 

Yet, there was still a certain Premier Duke who was completely failing to follow the conversation.

To begin with…

“Abel, I still haven’t been told what exactly is supposed to be happening here in Whitnash.”

“Hmm? Is that so? Did I not mention it?”

“You didn’t say a word. You told me there was a ceremony, and you told me we’d be returning to the capital in a single day, but you didn’t tell me anything about the actual event.”

“Ah… well, you see…”

 

Just as Abel was about to explain, a booming shout echoed across the harbor.

 

“I see it!”

The cry came from a lookout scanning the western horizon from the watchtower.

 

“Ryo, it looks like it’ll be faster for you to just see it for yourself rather than have me explain.”

Abel chuckled.

 

“Your Majesty, your spyglass.”

Dontan, the Captain of the Royal Knights, handed a spyglass to Abel.

Similar spyglasses were handed out to Goro, Darlene, and Ryo as well.

 

Ryo immediately peered through his glass toward the west.

“It’s… a ship, right?”

Well, obviously.

If a horse-drawn carriage came flying across the ocean, that would be far more shocking.

 

However, the shape of its sails felt distinctly different from the vessels currently floating off the coast of Whitnash.

 

As it drew closer, it revealed itself to be a massive vessel.

Or rather, while the ship itself was large, the sheer scale of its sails was breathtaking.

The ships floating off Whitnash were at most the galleon type.

But the ship approaching had sails much larger than those, while its hull seemed rather slender.

 

It looked vaguely familiar…

 

“Wait… a clipper ship? Oh, could it be… the Skidbladnir?!”

Yes, it was the Skidbladnir, the very vessel Ryo had procured in the Republic of Mafalda.

 

 

Needing a ship for a joint maritime survey with the Theocracy, Ryo had traveled to the Republic… After navigating a series of immense hardships, Neil Andersen had ultimately ended up fleeing the Republic, leaving a half-built clipper ship abandoned in the dry dock.

Ryo had successfully purchased the vessel by personally completing its alchemical systems.

 

It was a ship that stood as a proud testament to Ryo doing an impeccable job as the Premier Duke of the Knightley Kingdom…

 

“I can’t believe it… To think it could actually travel all the way from the Western Countries to the Central Countries…”

“Yeah. I couldn’t believe it either when I first received the report… but it really is magnificent.”

Abel agreed, nodding beside him.

 

According to the contract Ryo had drawn up, the crew members were supposed to be from the neighboring Goslon Duchy.

They were highly capable sailors who had acquired seafaring techniques on par with the mariners of the Republic, a nation renowned for its maritime prowess.

 

Regarding the management of the Skidbladnir, a formal international treaty had been struck between the Knightley Kingdom and the Goslon Duchy.

In a sense, top-tier talent had been gathered at a national level to operate the ship… which was undoubtedly the reason it had successfully traversed such a vast distance.

 

Of course, that wasn’t the only factor.

The oceans were home to terrifying monsters like the Kraken.

If a human vessel were to be ambushed by them, it wouldn’t stand a chance.

Therefore, ships relied on ‘monster-repelling’ technologies to avoid attacks…

 

“So the reason you talked about opening an eastern trade route just now was that you figured that with the monster-repelling technology used on the Skidbladnir, the Kingdom could make it all the way to the Archipelago region.”

“Exactly. But setting the Krakens aside, those terrifying land-dwellers you mentioned…”

“Yes, quite. Let’s put the East on hold for now.”

“Agreed. Let’s start with the West.”

 

 

While they spoke, the Skidbladnir smoothly glided into the port of Whitnash.

 

 

The citizens of Whitnash welcomed the unprecedented vessel with roaring cheers.

Naturally, because the ship proudly flew the flag of the Knightley Kingdom, they understood it belonged to their own nation.

Furthermore, they had already been informed that King Abel himself had traveled here specifically to welcome this very ship.

 

“It’s huge!”

“Look at those massive sails!”

“The sails are incredible, but the hull is so narrow.”

“It looks slender at a glance, but it seems like it can hold a decent amount of cargo.”

“But what about its stability? With sails that massive…”

“Yeah, I am quite curious about that myself.”

 

As expected of the citizens of the Kingdom’s premier port city.

Such technical discussions could be heard rippling through the crowd.

 

Perhaps inspired by that.

The Lord Admiral and the Magistrate began a conversation of their own.

“Indeed, its stability is quite intriguing.”

“Considering it traveled all the way from the Western Countries … it must possess some sort of mechanism that keeps it from capsizing even when hit by massive broadside waves or caught in fierce storms…”

“It would be great if that technology could also be applied to the Kingdom’s ships.”

“I hear it’s scheduled to be ported here for twenty days. Let us request to see the interior during its stay.”

The two of them were, in a sense, the top administrators, but they also seemed interested in technical matters on the ground.

 

Hearing this, Ryo nodded along in deep approval.

Ryo knew that this exact attitude and willingness to engage with the frontlines was what gave a nation the momentum to move forward.

Conversely, he also knew that once a country matured and passed its peak, administrators would lose this drive; their actions would become petty and diminished, and they would cease stepping foot onto the field entirely.

 

It was a tragic historical cycle.

 

“That’s exactly why I moved the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to the place closest to the frontlines.”

Abel said with a smirk.

 

Yes, that was exactly the kind of decisive leadership required in politics.

 

“Abel, you really are an excellent King.”

“Hm? Is that so?”

Ryo praised him from the bottom of his heart, causing Abel’s face to flush slightly.

No matter how much time passed, Abel remained easily embarrassed.

 

 

The individuals who disembarked from the Skidbladnir were all familiar faces to Ryo.

The trio hadn’t originally been slated to join the diplomatic envoy to the Western Countries, but after a bizarre sequence of events… one of them turned out to be Abel’s nephew, carrying the precious, direct bloodline of the royal family.

 

The three men dropped to one knee before Abel, offering a formal salute.

“Your Majesty, Harold, Zeke, and Gowan have returned as representatives of the diplomatic envoy.”

Yes, the three men were none other than the members of ‘Room No. 11’.

 

“Harold, you look like a completely different man.”

Abel called out, his voice filled with genuine joy.

 

Before leaving for the Western Countries, Harold had been immature in many respects.

In fact, in a foolish pursuit of quick power, he had fallen victim to a Djinn’s ‘Rupture Spirit Curse’.

Because lifting the curse required dripping the blood of a Demon Lord onto his forehead, he had been forcibly attached to the diplomatic envoy.

 

But the Harold who stood before them now was, without a doubt, a fine and honorable gentleman.

 

Watching from the side, Ryo nodded with a distinctly proud, superior air.

Of course, Ryo had played a part in Harold’s growth as well…

 

“We have brought back personal letters from each of the Order Captains.”

Harold stated, prompting Zeke to retrieve them from his coat.

Captain Dontan accepted the documents and passed them along to Abel.

 

“I have received them safely. I shall read them through later. Splendid work, all of you. Rooms have been prepared for you at the magistrate’s manor, so go and rest for now.”

At Abel’s words, the three stood up.

However, instead of heading straight for the manor…

 

“Ryo-san… No, Duke Rondo, Your Grace. It has been a long time.”

They walked over to Ryo and bowed deeply.

 

“The three of you have grown so much in the short time we’ve been apart. Harold, I know you will be founding a new ducal house, but as the Premier Duke, I can now support you with absolute confidence.”

“…Thank you very much.”

Harold replied, blushing slightly as he bowed his head in response to Ryo’s unreserved praise.

Behind him, Zeke and Gowan beamed with pride.

 

 

The reason these three had returned ahead of the rest of the envoy was precisely that Harold was Abel’s nephew and a vital member of the direct royal line.

While allowing him to gain further experience in the Western Countries wouldn’t have been a bad thing… Hugh McGrath, who led the envoy, had likely judged that it was time to return him to the Kingdom.

 

After all, Harold’s primary reason for traveling to the West was to lift the curse.

Now that it was done, it was best to bring him back safely while he was unharmed.

 

Of course, they also served as guards for the Skidbladnir.

Even with monster-repelling devices installed, monsters weren’t the only threat on the open sea.

There were also pirates to consider.

As a countermeasure and a frontline combat force, the trio from ‘Room 11’ was already incredibly formidable.

From multiple angles, putting them on the ship bound for the Kingdom was an ideal arrangement.

 

 

“Hugh-san’s judgment is as impeccable as always.”

“Yeah, he’s a man capable of weighing many complex factors from every perspective.”

Abel agreed as he and Ryo discussed the trio’s early return after sending them off to rest.

 

“You’re keeping the three of them stationed here in the Kingdom, right?”

“Yes, I’ll have them build up their experience here. Once that’s done, Harold will officially establish his ducal house.”

“Things are really starting to look up across the board, aren’t they?”

“Look up?”

“Your father has recovered, the North and East are settling down, Harold has returned fully matured, and our relationship with the elves, including Sera, is in an excellent place.”

“That’s true.”

Abel agreed, nodding along with Ryo’s summary.

 

After a brief pause, he murmured,

“Perhaps it’s finally time we turn our gaze outward.”

“Outward?”

“The domestic front is steadily recovering from the chaos that lingered since the Liberation War. The East is still dragging its feet a little, but looking at the Kingdom as a whole, we are firmly on a trajectory of recovery. If we keep this up, we’ll hit our peak productivity within a few years.”

“I see. And once we hit that point, domestic production will plateau… and unless we secure a new market, things will contract and plunge us into an economic recession.”

 

A state where supply outstrips demand.

A form of deflation.

 

“Which means… we march straight into the Empire and seize their markets!”

“Not a chance!”

“If you need a military force, I’m happy to lend a hand, you know?”

Ryo suggested, twisting his face into an intentionally villainous grin.

 

“That look on your face… You already know exactly what I mean, don’t you, Ryo?”

“Alas, we shall not lay a finger on the Empire. What you actually want is to fully legitimize and scale up our trade with the Western Countries, and eventually the Dark Continent beyond them… Is that it?”

“I knew you understood!”

“I was merely playing the part of the corrupt Premier Duke whispering dark temptations into the ear of the Tyrant King.”

Ryo chuckled.

 

“So you want to turn Whitnash into a fully fledged international trading hub.”

“Exactly. I had hoped to open up the East as well, but…”

“A gateway connecting the West and the East. However…”

“Yeah, the East will have to be shelved for a bit. Let’s not rush things; we start with the West.”

On this point, Ryo and Abel’s thoughts were in perfect harmony.

 

 

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