Arc-6 Ch-25

 When the prototype of the “guild” was created is not clearly recorded even in historical documents. All that is certain is that once a monetary economy was established, people who possessed skills or goods gathered together to protect themselves from price competition among peers and unreasonable demands from rulers, thereby gaining a certain degree of authority. Of course, rulers granted those trade guilds limited authority in exchange for taxes and cooperation during emergencies, in order to prevent them from banding together to artificially inflate prices or cause market values to collapse from oversupply. Those who govern give guilds both the carrot and the stick while striving to develop commerce and technology. Almost every country went through similar circumstances and established numerous guilds within its borders, making them close partners of their rulers. Which guild has the longest history in the Holfort Kingdom?

Without a doubt, it is the Adventurers’ Guild.

From the very founding of this nation, something resembling its prototype is confirmed to have existed. Over the ages, through various legal reforms and state support, branches were established throughout the nation to the point that one can confidently say there is an Adventurers’ Guild in even the most remote territory. The first king who founded this country, his close aides, and the saintess were all rough-and-tumble adventurers. And for adventurers, disputes over shares are an everyday occurrence. I only learned this recently, but the founders exiled Leah Bartfort, who had been their leader, in a dispute over achievements. It is only natural that they would fear, “might we also be stripped of our positions in the same way?”

Assets and items entrusted to the Adventurers’ Guild cannot be seized by family or even by the king without the owner’s explicit consent. Taking the fruits of life-risking adventures is the greatest taboo in this country and an act met with utter contempt. The state may intervene in an adventurer’s assets only when clear criminal activity is proven or in a crisis that threatens national collapse. Every noble’s first ancestor offered the fruits of their adventures to the kingdom as tribute, and in return the kingdom granted them rank and territory. Those who became nobles through military merit like Leon are the exception. Therefore, the Adventurers’ Guild of the Holfort Kingdom possesses power and assets incomparable to the adventurers’ guilds of other nations.

Even if the ruler of the country changes, the existence of the Adventurers’ Guild remains unchanged; that is a fact everyone who knows the true circumstances of this nation believes.

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“So what you are saying is that you want to make the Adventurers’ Guild cough up its stored assets?”

“In a sense, yes, though that is not all.”

I raise my hand to quiet Brother’s astonished voice and continue. In the Holfort Kingdom, the Adventurers’ Guild is an absolutely inviolable organization that even royalty fundamentally does not interfere with. Meddling carelessly with the Adventurers’ Guild is a dangerous strategy that could turn every noble and every adventurer into an enemy. The reason I would propose crossing such a perilous bridge is simply that the Adventurers’ Guild is the entity within the Holfort Kingdom with the greatest concentration of both assets and human resources.

“Father and Brother are already aware, but lower nobles have suffered severe losses from the recent war and from delays in reward distribution, causing serious setbacks in territory management. The massive number of war dead has created a critical shortage of manpower among the populace, and they cannot even secure the minimum funds needed for basic territorial operations. Lords scramble for money but achieve unsatisfactory results, and at this rate they will have no choice but to return their rank and territory before they are even censured for misgovernment.”

“Of course. Thanks to that, visitors have been endless at the ducal mansion since last year, and requests for loans never cease.”

And by selling favors to those dissatisfied nobles and increasing the number who view the Redgrave house as the new royal family while fostering distrust toward the Holfort royal family, that is your plan, is it not, Father?

I forcibly swallow the words that rise to my throat. When people fall into poverty they grow dull; no matter how wise a noble may be, when cornered they will marry their children into wealthy or historically prominent houses to beg for loans. Marriage is a political tool for nobles, but it is only natural that nobles forced into unwanted marriages will resent the ruler. Even then many nobles fail to produce sufficient results, and if this situation is left unchecked it will eventually invite civil war or invasion from foreign powers.

The Redgrave house’s assets may rival those of a small nation, but they have limits, and moreover it is the current ruler, the Holfort royal family, that distributes the rewards. Even if the Redgrave house were to seize the throne at this very moment, they would still be obligated to pay rewards to the nobles who participated in the war against the Fanoss Principality. With the treasury nearly empty, there is almost no profit in taking the throne now; it would be far better to seize it after resolving a certain amount of debt. Whether Father’s plan is set for five years or ten years from now is uncertain. In any case, before the Redgrave house ascends to the throne, many nobles will be driven from positions of power. The majority of those nobles would have fulfilled their duties as lords had there been no war.

If we do not quickly aid the nobles in distress, the lands ravaged by war, and the depleted manpower, ascending the throne would be meaningless. This reform plan is what I devised to solve those issues.

“Indeed many lord nobles are in dire straits, and it is confirmed that the primary cause is the decrease in populace. Then why do you think the population of territories has fallen?”

“War dead from the conflict with the Fanoss Principality, I suppose.”

“Many citizens certainly lost their lives on the battlefield. Yet no lord conscripted every able-bodied man in his domain. Some territorial armies suffered few casualties.”

“So you are saying the missing populace fled after the war.”

“Yes. Then where did the people go? Their destinations were neighboring large territories or the capital.”

It is truly a simple matter. The family breadwinner, a husband or father, is conscripted and either dies or is wounded. Unable to work as before and receiving only meager pensions, the desperate family heads to densely populated urban areas seeking better wages. Yet many throughout the current kingdom think the same way.

Impoverished people flood into cities from all regions, causing overpopulation; those unable to find work turn to crime, and public safety deteriorates. On top of that, lords trying to stem the outflow restrict trade and movement with other territories, which only further stagnates the flow of money and goods. The negative spiral continues unchecked: cities suffer rising crime, while remote territories see accelerated ruin. If this flow is not stopped quickly, the entire kingdom will decline.

“I understand making the Adventurers’ Guild release money from its vaults to lend operating funds to lords for the time being. Yet that alone is still weak.”

“Yes. What is important is the Adventurers’ Guild registration system; that is, obtaining their talent management ledgers and using them to discover and appoint outstanding individuals.”

“Wait, you plan to force current adventurers to quit and send them to the frontier!? Doing that would provoke backlash from countless adventurers.”

“I believe it will not come to that. Adventurers’ Guild branches near the newly increased dungeons have seen explosive growth in registrants since the war. Yet the majority are people who became adventurers only because they had no food. Veterans who made adventuring their livelihood see their rewards shrink as competitors increase, while newcomers are forced into high-risk, high-reward jobs they would rather avoid. With supply and demand mismatched, unless the numbers are appropriately thinned the Adventurers’ Guild itself will eventually collapse. Adventurers struggling even for travel fare home will likely welcome retirement and gladly take other jobs.”

To begin with, the discovery of entirely new dungeons in the current kingdom is extremely rare. The vast majority of adventurers earn their living by challenging already-discovered, publicly documented dungeons. Their daily exploration of these dungeons for magic stones from resident monsters and mineable resources, fully aware of the mortal danger, makes them closer to miners than to classic adventurers.

If we mediate jobs where the chance of encountering monsters is zero and guarantee food, clothing, and shelter for the time being, there is ample possibility of reviving lands that have lost population.

“That would turn most of the kingdom’s adventurers into enemies.”

“Then allow me to ask, Brother. In the past twenty years, how many people are you aware of who discovered and fully cleared a new large-scale dungeon and were subsequently raised to nobility?”

“…There have been none.”

“Exactly. New dungeons were discovered, but all were small-scale, and the finds were merely modest amounts of old-era gold and goods. Nothing worthy of ennoblement. These days, the ones who discover and clear new dungeons are mostly second and third sons of nobles who have abundant funds, too much free time, and no chance of inheriting. There are even cases where their families pull strings at the Adventurers’ Guild and deposit money there as a tax-evasion measure for inheritance.”

The founders may indeed have stolen status and fame from Leah Bartfort and Saintess Anne. But surely not all of their achievements were fabricated lies. Those who sailed airships through the endless sea of clouds and challenged unknown dungeons were undoubtedly great adventurers. Yet for someone to outfit an exploration team with vast funds, have all dangers eliminated by subordinates, then falsely claim money received from home as the fruits of adventure and use adventurers’ rights as a pretext to dodge taxes and military service while calling themselves an adventurer is beyond outrageous.

The Adventurers’ Guild was certainly necessary in the past: to protect adventurers from unilateral exploitation by those in power, and as the only place in a kingdom steeped in matriarchal ideology where assets could not be divided in divorce. But as time passed, just as nobles grew complacent with their status and lost ambition, the Adventurers’ Guild grew cozy with those in power and followed the path of corruption.

This, too, required urgent correction.

“Strict screening will be imposed upon registration: family background, personal assets, details of the family estate, and actual ability. Those who fail to meet a certain standard will not be recognized as adventurers. At the same time, the Guild’s asset management division will be separated and operated under strict oversight by the kingdom and the nobility.”

“Doing that would make even the nobles who produce adventurers your enemies!”

“There is no need for concern. We have already secured the agreement of nobles who support the reform plan.”

“What!?”

Ignoring my astonished brother and frowning father, I signal Leon with my eyes. Leon takes a thick bundle of documents from the bag he received earlier and places it on the table. Brother cautiously flips through them and reads the names aloud.

“Count Atley… Count Roseblade, Count Mottley. The names of influential nobles are lined up. There are also signatures from many lower nobles; quite a number.”

“…You have come out swinging. So the reason your names have been whispered both in the capital and the frontier lately was for this.”

“Yes. I have gathered support from many people for this very day and come here prepared.”

“Who orchestrated this? A mere frontier noble’s wife could never devise something of this scale.”

“I believe you already know.”

Brother hands Father the bottom sheet and the one above it. On the two documents were the signatures “Mylene Rapha Holfort” and “Roland Rapha Holfort” respectively.

Even after reading the documents, Father maintains his posture. Persuading this man may be impossible.

“Money? Status? You will not say loyalty, I presume.”

“None of those. It is not so noble as love for the country, yet neither is it mere self-interest.”

“You were supposed to hate the royal family. Why then does a woman like that wag her tail for that vixen?”

“It is simply repayment of debts and stabilization of our territory, nothing more.”

“To us you appear as nothing but an unprincipled woman flitting between the Holfort royal family and the Redgrave ducal house.”

“Are lord nobles not inherently such beings?”

At my provocative words Father’s face twists; it seems I struck a nerve. The Redgrave house is indeed the foremost among lord nobles. Yet it is clearly distinct from the lord nobles who submitted to the Holfort royal family through force. It is merely a reserve created for emergencies. Lord nobles who inwardly resent the royal family while outwardly submitting; a royal family that spouts pretty words while awaiting the chance to crush them. Considering the historical relationship between lord nobles and the royal family, one could say the Redgrave house exists under the protection of the Holfort royal family.

“If Father truly desires the throne, I have no intention of stopping you. After all, we lack the power to stop the ducal house.”

“Then why propose this?”

“Because assassinating the royal family now would be folly. I merely wish to say that.”

“Is this a plea for your lives, hoping we see value in the Bartfort house?”

“That is part of it. If the Redgrave house were to take the throne as things stand, it would merely result in the birth of one more weakened dynasty.”

“And you brought this plan for that reason?”

“You two are aware of the plight of lord nobles. Lands lie fallow, populations dwindle, yet the only ones willing to lend money are merchants with exorbitant interest or great nobles who lord their favors over others. Assets dwindle while untouched gold sits hoarded by adventurers within the territory. The more earnestly a lord tries to govern, the more they suffer.”

“Look not only at power struggles in the center but also at the frontier; is that what you want to say?”

“In a nation, the flow of money and people is synonymous with blood flow. Even if the head and heart remain intact, if the limbs rot and fall off, ruin is certain.”

“Use the Adventurers’ Guild to normalize that flow; that is why this plan.”

“Until now the kingdom has intervened in the market economy through commercial guilds. But in the current state, wounded by war with the Fanoss Principality, it is insufficient. The Holfort Kingdom has made the protection of adventurers national policy, but the time has come to reexamine that. If it is to be propaganda for a new dynasty, I believed it a worthy proposal and presented it.”

Some believe that to develop the economy one need only loosen regulations and impose moderate taxes. But that would merely fatten the strong. Planting seeds around a decaying great tree only lets the tree monopolize the nutrients; the seeds will never sprout. It was not enough to favor only the strong; soil had to be created where the weak could grow strong.

“Yet changing the Adventurers’ Guild’s operations and establishing new financial institutions would require enormous expense and effort.”

“Indeed, the problems are piled high.”

“Her Highness Consort Mylene has approved that the necessary funds will be procured under the leadership of the Holfort royal family. His Majesty Roland, having agreed, has already sold part of his private assets and intends to use the proceeds for the costs.”

“That Majesty?”

“Unbelievable…”

Father and Brother cannot hide their shock. In truth, His Majesty probably did not agree. It seems the guarantee he left to Prince Julius for the safety of his wife, prince, princess, mistresses, and illegitimate children in case the throne was taken became his downfall. Lady Mylene apparently used the seal she took from Prince Julius to sell His Majesty’s assets and allocate them as reform expenses. Yet to outsiders, it will appear that the king is desperately struggling to rebuild the country by disposing of his private fortune. If he were a foolish tyrant who neglected governance, rebellion would have righteous justification. But overthrowing a king who, however incompetent, is willing to cut his own flesh is another matter entirely. Anyone who sides with a ducal house that rebels against a monarch who is desperately devising measures will inevitably face criticism. For someone aiming for the throne, that is a potentially fatal flaw.

“Yet the funds the royal family can procure are still insufficient. How will the shortfall be covered?”

“We will solicit investments from nobles and major merchants while simultaneously mandating that financial institutions purchase securities. The purchase amount will be determined by rank and asset proportion. Those who purchase enthusiastically will receive priority and preferential treatment in the establishment of new institutions and will be entrusted with trial operations.”

“You intend to forcibly make nobles invest?”

“The king himself is offering his private fortune. Can nobles refuse?”

“What if it fails?”

“Everyone will suffer losses, and therefore everyone will have a say in operations and seek solutions. It is far better than going bankrupt after blindly following the suggestions of designated merchants.”

“Putting money into something that might fail is not advance investment; it is simply gambling.”

“Then if it fails, simply condemn the royal family. The other side is willingly taking a losing bet. It carries far less risk than the ducal house standing at the front and scheming.”

My mouth twists into a smile. I must be making a truly wicked face right now. Whether the ducal house accepts my proposal or not is unknown. But if they denounce the current Holfort royal family and oppose my reform plan, they risk turning all the nobles who agreed into enemies. Although many supporters are newly risen or lower nobles, prestigious houses, ministers, and the chancellor have also agreed. In total they make up roughly one-fifth of the kingdom’s nobility. Making enemies of them would severely restrict the ducal faction’s activities. In particular, the nobles who sided with Father purely for profit would become complete enemies.

If we simply divide the kingdom’s nobles into equal royalist and ducal factions and then split the reform supporters in half, the ducal faction would lose a considerable number of nobles. If, on top of that, the neutrals or royalists switch sides, the ducal house would have almost no chance of victory.

“What about securing the necessary personnel? From what you said earlier, the kingdom’s talent pool is exhausted.”

“That is precisely why reopening the academy and partnering with adventure guilds is necessary. It will be an excellent opportunity to discover and appoint outstanding talent beyond the barriers of commoner and noble.”

“You would use commoners for a national undertaking of this scale!?”

“What are you saying? Those words hardly seem fitting coming from my brother who assists Saintess Olivia, the one who protected the kingdom.”

I struck a painful point; both of their faces clearly showed it. Lady Olivia’s achievements have given rise to new thought within the kingdom. The disgraceful behavior of nobles in the recent war and the influence of a commoner-born saintess on state affairs have had great impact. In just a few years, the number of commoners who think “we will protect the country ourselves without relying on nobles” and “we will make our will known in politics” has increased rapidly.

Especially since last year’s war, the speed of that change has been frightening. No matter how much the royal family or nobles try to suppress the commoners, the momentum does not stop. After all, the representative of this ideology is the saintess who saved the nation. It is an undeniable fact that without Olivia, the Holfort Kingdom would have lost to the Fanoss Principality and their positions would now be reversed.

Openly criticizing Olivia would brand even a noble as an ingrate. Most modern kingdom nobles did not earn their merits through personal adventure or war. They boast of fame and wealth inherited from excellent ancestors while possessing nothing themselves; many commoners have realized this. The Holfort Kingdom is composed of an overwhelming majority of commoners and a tiny minority of nobles. Commoners can live without nobles, but nobles cannot live without commoners. There is no need to keep parasites that harm their host; rather, they should be eliminated immediately.

The delay in pension payments from the kingdom further strengthens this sentiment. In lands impoverished by war, uprisings among the populace are a real possibility. To alleviate even a little of the commoners’ discontent, nobles must demonstrate tolerance. In particular, the Redgrave house, which supports Olivia, must take the lead in asserting this. They could never publicly declare that they were plotting rebellion against the royal family using Olivia’s popularity and the bloodline of the first saintess as justification. At the very least, it must remain secret until the throne is definitively secured.

“Who would have thought you would defend Her Holiness the Saintess.”

“My personal grudge against her and politics are separate matters. If it benefits me, I will join hands with the saintess who caused my broken engagement. I intend to use the royal family that abandoned me.”

“…Let me ask once more. What are you working for?”

“Do you need to ask?”

Even I feel that my maneuvering is cunning and utterly without principle. Yet I feel no shame whatsoever. There is only one reason I am working this hard. Because I never want to send Leon to the battlefield again. Because I want our children to live in a safe world. Because I want the Bartfort territory to become a prosperous land where people can live in peace. It all began on the day the marriage proposal with Leon was first raised. To Father, this must be completely unexpected.

He merely intended to incorporate the blood of Leah Bartfort, the true founder, into the Redgrave house, never dreaming that I would genuinely come to love Leon. Even I have repeatedly wondered “how did it come to this?” only to look at Leon’s face each time and understand. In the end, I simply want to protect the people I love. For that, I will turn my blade even against my own father and use even my liege. I may be the selfish woman who deserved to have her engagement broken.

Yet I have no regrets.

Criticism from others disappears with a single smile from the man I love. Father, who has a foolish daughter, and Brother, who underestimated me, will have to bear the hardship. After all, I am the wicked woman who had her engagement broken.

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Authors Note

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Ange’s reform plan briefing session.

I referenced the historical decline of noble society and the rise of commoner rights. Vince and Gilbert are, in a sense, upright figures within noble society, so they cannot keep up with the rapid changes in social conditions. They are by no means incompetent. I love the scenes in the original where Angie was disowned by the Redgrave house and when she asked for aid in the final battle, so this includes homages. Next chapter will be Leon’s turn: a lecture on tactics to destroy the Redgrave ducal house by the villainous knight (planned).

Also, today is the birthday of Fairouz Ai-san, who voices Angie in the MobuSeka anime.

Happy birthday.

Addendum: At the requester’s request, illustrations by Tù’ěr Nóngtāng(Rabbit-Eared Cream Soup)-sama, Sundajin Asagi-sama, and Mugio-sama. Thank you very much.

Tù’ěr Nóngtāng(Rabbit-Eared Cream Soup)-sama: Pixiv

Sundajin Asagi-sama: Pixiv

Mugio-sama: Skeb

I would be encouraged by your thoughts and impressions.