Chapter 4: The Saint’s Return
Nearly two weeks had passed since Liselotte was sent to the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica. Ever since the day she was allowed out of the mansion, she was given permission to go outside as long as she was accompanied by Andrei. Otherwise, she remained under confinement.
In spite of that allowance, Liselotte only went out to observe various places for the first few days. She soon stopped going outside, and was instead visited frequently by Andrei in her room.
Part of the reason was because the capital of Ericabrook was a small city with little to see, but it was mostly because their positions had reversed. The original goal was for Liselotte to learn about the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica from Andrei, but somewhere down the line, it turned out Andrei had more to learn from Liselotte.
Liselotte had retained her memories from her past life, gotten a noble-class education in her current life, and served as both the president of a trading guild and city governor for the past few years. Those experiences hadn’t just been for show.
In comparison, Andrei was once the owner of a small business who had only just taken the position of prime minister, so there wasn’t much he could teach Liselotte. He had received a crash course on his position from Saint Erica during the revolution, but it didn’t take long for him to realize that Liselotte had a better education and experience suited for politics.
Andrei started bringing Liselotte questions about governance, and Liselotte went along with the discussions in order to obtain more information. That gave Andrei a favorable and intelligent impression of her, giving her more opportunities to ask her own questions.
“I see. So there’ll be conflict between the rights of the people, you say... The citizens are more aware of their own rights now, so the conflicts will be more intense as well... What a fascinating theory. But how does that relate to the development of laws?”
Andrei was once again seeking Liselotte’s advice at this very moment.
“If the people all claim their rights at once, it may cause conflict across the country. The more trouble there is, the worse public order will be.”
“Yes.”
“The people wouldn’t want that either. That’s why the resolution of such issues needs to be left to the country, for the government to handle.”
“Right...”
“When trouble actually happens, the ones who have to act will be those at the scene of the issue, and whoever conducts the trial. You understand this too, right?”
“I do.”
“But the best-case scenario is for no problems to occur at all. And in order to do that...”
“Our congress has to develop the laws.”
“Yes. The conflict of rights is one of the most important perspectives to have when developing laws for the people. To be more precise, by having this perspective, you’ll be able to envision when those rights will conflict, what situations will cause conflict, and what would be the right judgment to make in response.”
There were some cases where it was better to let the parties involved solve it themselves, and others where it was better for the nation to intervene as soon as it detected the problem. It was the role of laws to be prepared for such situations. Even if an unexpected situation was to occur, a new law could be created to deal with it immediately.
“It is exactly as you say. I see. Looking at it that way indeed relates to law development,” Andrei let out a sound of admiration as he came to understand her point.
“At the same time, the laws of the country need to be established quickly for the same reason. Conflict will happen more frequently in the immediate aftermath of a revolution, when everyone is hyper-aware of their rights. If the laws aren’t ready to handle that, the situation I just described will happen.”
“Haha, how painfully true. Indeed, we’ve been having such a hard time with the basic laws, we’ve neglected to address serious matters such as murder, assault, and theft. Saint Erica said the basic laws will become the backbone of the country, so we’ve been unable to create other laws without them...”
The basic laws that Andrei was referring to here were the equivalent of a country’s constitution in modern Earth society. For the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica, there was nothing more important than the rights of the people. The basic laws were the most substantial way of showing that the country existed for the sake of the people, so the congress members were currently creating them with fervor.
“Yes, that would be correct—the importance of the basic laws should definitely be emphasized. However, I agree with you in that other laws should be prepared concurrently to the basic laws. If a law turns out to be a problem later, you can just revise the basic law.”
Fundamental laws had to establish in abstract terms the ideals of how the country should use its power, how the country existed for the people, how the people were guaranteed their rights and freedoms, and how the country would never infringe upon those rights. They would become the supreme laws of the nation, prioritized above everything else.
However, postponing the creation of other laws to realize the ideals of fundamental laws was pointless if it just made the people’s lives harder in the meantime. It wouldn’t make sense to prioritize one by completely neglecting the other—they both existed for the common purpose of making lives better, after all.
“I see... What matters more is that we, the people, are making the rules. As long as we guarantee that the country exercises its power under the control of the people, we should be able to make other laws before the basic laws.”
“That’s what I believe, yes. Without proper legislation, the people involved in conflicts and those conducting trials will lack clear legal basis for judgments. The matter of whether the country is using its power under the control of the people will be far from their minds. It seems that the congress is making a vote on every issue that arises right now, but...”
They wouldn’t be able to deal with every problem in the country with such a method.
“I understand. I’ll mention it to the congress. However, there are some members who are strongly against the use of laws created by the noble class, and they prefer to examine each law as a congress... Hmm. Is there any good way of preparing the other laws in a speedy fashion?”
“There may be feelings of aversion towards the laws of the monarchy, but they would make the best starting point for discussion. They may not be laws made with the benefit of the people in mind, but there’s much to learn from them. There are also many logical regulations that don’t involve the noble class. If you remove all the exceptions created for the noble class, the old laws of the monarchy should be worth reviewing post-revolution.”
It would require some work to split the laws that benefited nobles from proper regulations, but it would be better than creating new laws from scratch.
“Hmm. Most of the documents on the kingdom’s laws were stored within the destroyed castle. There are some that have been retrieved from noble residences, but there aren’t many.”
“The laws used in minor kingdoms are usually copies of those used in major kingdoms, so you could just ask to see the laws of another nation...”
“We have no ties to other nations in our current state...” Andrei frowned. Even if they wanted to rely on another nation, their neighbors were all subjects of the Proxia Empire. They all feared backlash from the empire, so there was little chance of any of them cooperating.
“In that case, it may be better to ask a jurist, former official, or merchant familiar with the old laws if they possess a copy. If you still can’t find a copy after that, you’ll have to rely on your memory to rewrite them... Jurists tend to have specialized knowledge, so you’d preferably get someone from each area of expertise.”
Each and every line of the law was written with a certain situation in mind. Trying to write new laws from scratch without any understanding was impossible. In order to create them, they needed the assistance of well-educated scholars or officials that used the laws. The next best option after them would be wealthy merchants that traded under a wide range of laws.
However, under the monarchy, only the noble class could become officials and scholars. There were no powerful merchants in a minor nation of this size either.
I doubt there were multiple jurists for every specialty before the revolution, so now that the noble class has been purged by the revolution...
It would probably be extremely difficult to gather the personnel needed. This country was suffering from a severe lack of capable people—that was the impression Liselotte had.
“...” Andrei probably didn’t have anyone in mind either. He frowned and fell silent in thought.
Legislation doesn’t seem to be the only problem they’re having.
Liselotte had only looked around the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica for a few days, but she had noticed a lot in that time. The pride the people had in knowing they had won over the monarchy. The sense of fulfillment they had in knowing that their nation existed for them. The peace of mind and trust they had in knowing that the nation was being represented by their own comrades and not unfamiliar royalty. The vigor of the people living in the city was being supported by such factors. The upper ranks of the country were also overflowing with passion in pursuit of the ideal nation. However...
This country is lacking in everything.
There was no knowledge. No technology. No experience. No resources. No industries other than agriculture. That’s why they couldn’t fully establish the organizations and systems required for the nation to function.
There was no one in their congress that had any familiarity with politics. None of them were from the former noble class; the congress members were all commoners with no connection to politics, coming from origins like farming, construction, shoemaking, smithing, and trading.
While they had gathered a wide range of people from the commoner class, the way they were left to make political decisions on their own was quite concerning. They probably didn’t even understand the state of international politics.
In reality, the current congress was inadequate for developing laws, and the administration was in danger of becoming completely dysfunctional because of it. The constant postponement of individual legislation and any specific definitions also amplified the issue.
Because of that, the state of the country’s authority was vague and unclear. As Liselotte had described, the congress currently met for every decision that had to be made, and the nation had too many problems to solve in such a way.
After all their efforts in creating a government with a congress for legislation, a nominated leader of the state, and a democratic control of the authority...
They’re being shaken by the system. I observed one of their congress meetings, and the members seem to find enjoyment in arguing over things, like they’re drunk on it...
They were failing to use that system. In particular, the main legislative body—the congress—was the root of democracy. The reason why the legislative and executive power that the monarchy held was split into the new system was so that executive power could be democratically controlled through a congress.
If there was no democratic control over the congress as an administrative body, they would be able to use their power just like the previous monarchy.
If they don’t solve those issues first, this country will fall apart in the very near future...
Frankly speaking, the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica was only successfully established because the nation was small, their activities were limited, and they had nothing of interest to foreign nations.
Because of that, they were barely managing to exist as a country—and were simply lucky. If a foreign nation were to attack now, the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica would not be able to win. It was hard to tell how they had even succeeded in the revolution, actually.
Perhaps Saint Erica wasn’t being given enough credit in that sense. The military strength of the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica changed greatly depending on her existence. That was Liselotte’s analysis, which was greatly influenced by seeing the ruins of the destroyed castle.
The effect Saint Erica had on the morale of the people was immense as well. It was because of her that the revolution happened, and succeeded.
However, for better or for worse, Saint Erica’s existence had influenced this country too much. The people may have gone along with the revolution, but the one who made it succeed was Saint Erica alone.
The power of the Divine Arms won the revolution, establishing the country at a rapid speed.
Could the issues in this country be caused by the omission of most of the processes of a revolution? They’ve experienced consecutive successes, which is why the people are so confident in themselves...
Erica had supposedly traveled the country to start the revolution, preaching before the public in every region governed by nobility.
In doing so, she’d planted the image of authority figures as evil in the minds of the people, then executed them. This had roused the people of those regions, and by doing so, she’d skipped decades’ worth of how the process would happen on Earth. Instead of ten to one hundred years of wealthy intellectuals sharing their knowledge and awareness of human rights, Erica had planted those thoughts straight into the heads of the people through a clear reality.
Then, after putting together a makeshift democracy system and being appointed as the first representative of the nation, the saint goes off on a journey? What is she trying to accomplish? It looks like she’s just trying to start a war with every person of royal and noble blood she can.
She should have known that abducting Liselotte would result in a serious international issue with the Galarc Kingdom. Yet, that was exactly what she did.
It was hard to imagine that she wanted to make an enemy of every kingdom and empire in Strahl, yet her actions were indiscriminate enough to imply exactly that. Even she should know that starting needless wars would just result in the deaths of the weak she was trying to save...
I don’t get it. Is Erica’s goal really to bring salvation to the weak? She said she was creating a country for the people, by the people, in order to save the weak, but...
Liselotte could only see the saint as a dangerous person. Well, there was no doubt she was dangerous to begin with, but her methods of accomplishing her goals were fatally flawed.
At the same time, she gave these people permission to interact with me while she was away, revealing the weakness of this country directly to me...
Liselotte had been lost deep in her thoughts until now, but she suddenly looked up and realized Andrei was looking at her with a heated gaze.
“Umm... Is something the matter?”
“No, I was just thinking about why Saint Erica brought you to our country. She truly understands what our country needs the most—that is to say, people like you.”
“O-Oh. Is that so...” Liselotte murmured awkwardly.
“Liselotte, I need you.” Andrei suddenly uttered what sounded like a courtship line.
“I’ve already rejected that offer many times already.” Liselotte shook her head with a sigh. Indeed, she had experienced this conversation with Andrei multiple times since he began frequenting her room.
“But you’re needed here!” Andrei didn’t back down and protested firmly.
“I’m afraid I cannot help.”
Knowing he would only get more persistent from here, Liselotte stated her thoughts gently but clearly. Andrei was easily swayed by his emotions, so she knew he wasn’t the type to understand with just a gentle answer.
“Mr. Andrei, your words are turning into a confession of love again,” Natalia, the girl accompanying them as a guard, commented with a grin. She didn’t care for the political talk, nearly dozing off in her chair in the corner of the room, but the change in topic had brought her back to attention.
“Oh, no! That isn’t my intention...” Andrei blushed, reacting like an innocent young man.
“Hmm, is that so?” Natalia continued to grin wickedly.
“Wh-What’s that look for, Natalia?”
“Oh, nothing... Come to think of it, I heard a rumor yesterday. The straitlaced Saint Erica devotee, Mr. Andrei, is spending every day with a young and beautiful unmarried woman... Perhaps spring has finally come for him?”
“I-I’m not...! I’m purely after Liselotte’s cooperation for the sake of our country!” Andrei denied in shock.
“Oh? I didn’t say anything about the woman being Liselotte, did I? In fact, I spend all day guarding you too, don’t I?” Natalia was one step ahead of him.
“N-Natalia...! I-I’m so sorry about this, Liselotte.”
“Ahaha. It’s fine...” Liselotte glossed over things with a sociable smile.
Andrei wasn’t a bad person. His intense belief in Saint Erica blinded him at times, but he had a good personality at heart. Many people would find him an honest and hardworking man. He was still lacking experience as a politician, but he was very willing to learn, and absorbed the information he was given rapidly.
However, Liselotte was abducted and brought here against her will. She hadn’t forgotten that—and she wasn’t about to cooperate with the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica just because the upper ranks and its citizens weren’t bad people.
As a noble of the Galarc Kingdom, Liselotte had a duty to gather information about this country. That’s why she cooperated to a level where the other side would lower their guard and trust her enough to give her beneficial information. In order to do that, she gave them some useful advice, but it wouldn’t amount to much with their overwhelming lack of personnel...
In reality, she seemed to have gained quite a lot of trust from the two of them in these last several days. For example, Andrei’s guard, Natalia, who was a former adventurer. After listening to their conversations every day, she started to relax, even cutting in to put a stop to Andrei’s ranting at times. She was nineteen years old, and while she had acted rather crabbily towards Liselotte for being a noblewoman in the beginning, her personality was actually rather friendly.
But I shouldn’t get too close to her. These people are from a potential enemy nation. I cannot empathize with them too much.
Winning the other side’s trust while keeping her own intentions at a distance was something Liselotte had to do, naturally, as a noblewoman and merchant. And the other side was trying to do the same to her. Despite that, she felt like she was deceiving them. When she considered the future turbulence awaiting the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica, she couldn’t help but feel ashamed.
Perhaps it was because she knew that even if she pointed out the issues that would soon arise, no easy solution existed for them.
Or perhaps she had learned too much about these two. They were too honest to deal with a merchant like Liselotte.
If they had met somewhere else, they may have become friends with her like Haruto and Miharu were. Perhaps it was because she had started thinking of these two in the same way.
How would this country look to Haruto’s eyes, as someone who was also reborn into this world?
Suddenly, that question popped into Liselotte’s mind. She didn’t consider her own opinions to be absolute, and it was possible the impression she received of this country was off the mark. She wondered what Rio would think, as someone born in this world with the memories of growing up in another democratic world.
Sir Haruto, huh...
At the thought of Rio, a somewhat saddened, somewhat uneasy, conflicted look appeared on Liselotte’s face as she watched the exchange between Natalia and Andrei.
“E-Enough teasing, Natalia. Liselotte is a noblewoman, so I’m sure she has a much more worthy fiancé than me,” Andrei said suddenly, bringing up the topic in order to hide his embarrassment. But by doing so, he had touched upon a rather delicate topic. If Liselotte answered that she did have a fiancé, things would only get awkward for Andrei and Natalia, who were keeping her captive.
“Well, I suppose that makes sense... Do you?” Natalia asked nervously.
“No, I don’t have a fiancé.” Liselotte shook her head with a forced smile.
“Hmm. What about a crush?”
“I don’t...really...” She faltered, unable to deny it immediately. There was someone who immediately came to mind, but she wasn’t sure whether her feelings were romantic or not.
Ah, it looks like she does. Natalia’s instincts immediately tipped her off.
“Ahem... Anyways, it truly is difficult, isn’t it? The task of creating a country for the people, by the people. Wouldn’t you agree, Liselotte?” It seemed like such romance talk was still too early for Andrei, who cleared his throat and changed the topic in embarrassment.
“That’s only to be expected... If the ways of the monarchy were wrong, then the new nation has to show the people what the right way is. That burden falls upon you and the other politicians,” Liselotte responded with a slightly saddened smile, thinking about someone who wasn’t there at the moment.
“It’s truly a big responsibility. I hope Saint Erica returns soon—she should be expected back around this time, but...” Feeling the weight of the nation on his shoulders, Andrei smiled wryly. Erica would return to the country the next day.
◇ ◇ ◇
The next afternoon, First Head of State Erica of the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica returned.
“Oh, how long it has been. We have missed you so much, Saint Erica! Thank goodness you have returned safely...”
As the prime minister, Andrei worked in the same official residence as Erica. As soon as he heard Erica had returned, he hurried to her office, rejoicing over her return from the bottom of his heart as she remained seated in her chair.
“It’s good to see you full of energy, Andrei. I’m also glad to be back. Did anything major happen while I was gone?” Erica smiled brightly as she sought an update on the recent state of things.
“Let’s see... There were no major problems. The city repairs are ongoing, and the people are in high spirits. The congress is also actively discussing how to bring a better future to the people.”
“Why, that sounds lovely. I knew I could count on you, Andrei,” Erica immediately said in praise.
“N-Not at all. Everyone did their best to protect the country while you were away. It was nothing of my own doing.”
“You did your best too, no? That was what came to my mind the moment you stepped into the room. Ah, what a good expression, I thought.”
“R-Really? Such words are wasted on me.” Andrei bowed his head shyly.
“It may be a bit late to say this, but I left this country because I wanted you and the other congress members to gain experience. Of course, I had no doubt everyone would be able to handle it, but hearing your words just now made me very pleased.”
“You thought that far into it...”
“Hehe.” Erica grinned at Andrei’s emotional reaction.
“O-Oh, that’s right. Speaking of changes, Liselotte is truly a wonderful person. As expected of Saint Erica to see promise in her.” Andrei’s voice was high-pitched with embarrassment as he spoke about Liselotte.
“Right? She’s a bright and clever girl. Despite being the daughter of a leading noble, she thinks of the people and governs them well.”
“Yes, I was surprised by the depth of her views. I had more to learn from her than the other way around.”
“The Holy Democratic Republic of Erica needs more people like her right now.”
“Yes. I keenly felt our shortage of personnel by talking to her. That’s why we must bring her into our country. That’s what you intended, right?”
“Andrei...” Erica didn’t speak any words of confirmation or denial, instead calling Andrei’s name as though she was touched.
“She can definitely be swayed. I’m sure she will agree with our thoughts soon.”
“What does she think about how she was restrained and forcefully brought to this country?”
“As per the orders Natalia and the others received, I told her the first time I showed her around the capital that there was a slight misunderstanding, and to wait until you returned to discuss the details. She hasn’t brought up the topic since then... But unfortunately, I don’t think she feels very happy about it.” Andrei frowned a little. Ever since he’d started frequenting Liselotte’s room, he’d started to understand her nature more. She was born as a high-ranked noble, yet she interacted with commoners like them on equal standing.
If such a person was so enraged, perhaps there was validity behind her reasoning? Andrei continued following Erica’s orders out of his near-religious devotion to her, but he was beginning to wonder if he should lend an ear to Liselotte’s reasoning as well.
“I see... I’ve given you a difficult role to bear, Andrei. Forgive me.” Erica saw through the subtleties in Andrei’s expression and apologized with a bitter smile.
“N-No, not at all. It is my duty as prime minister to support you, Saint Erica. I know that this is expected of someone in a political position.” Andrei shook his head humbly.
“You really are an earnest worker. But I sometimes worry you’re holding in all your emotions.”
“I am unworthy of such consideration.”
“...” Erica stared with a loving gaze at Andrei as he humbled himself, then suddenly stood up. She walked up to him and stroked his cheek gently.
“Uh... S-Saint Erica?” Andrei froze.
“If anything is bothering you, tell me all about it.” She giggled.
“R-Right! Gladly!” Andrei nodded enthusiastically.
“Now, it’s time to pay Liselotte a visit. Andrei, gather all the congress members that are available right now. As soon as they’re ready, bring Liselotte to the congress office.”
“I understand.” Andrei nodded readily, then hurried out of the room with brisk footsteps.
◇ ◇ ◇
An hour later, Liselotte was shown out of the room she was confined in by Natalia, who led her to the meeting room. Waiting inside the office were Erica, Andrei, and dozens of other congress members from the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica.
Liselotte hadn’t heard that Erica had returned, so she walked in assuming she was observing another congress meeting. When she spotted Erica standing on the platform, her eyes widened. Natalia nudged her to stand before the platform.
“Hello, Liselotte.”
It wasn’t Sakuraba Erika who greeted her, but the saint. She had a sociable attitude, as though she had never attacked Liselotte in Amande.
“...” Liselotte didn’t respond. She furrowed her brows in a glare, expressing her anger. Even the normally good-natured Liselotte could be enraged.
That was how awful this saint had been to her.
She had behaved maturely before Andrei and Natalia because there was no point in being hostile to them, but she didn’t have to hold back before Erica.
“Oh my, dear Liselotte. You’ll get wrinkles like that. It’d be a waste of such a cute face, wouldn’t you say?”
Liselotte’s expression wasn’t severe enough to form wrinkles, but Erica feigned ignorance and pointed it out anyway. The congress room wasn’t that big, so her voice carried clearly even at a normal speaking volume.
“I’m still fifteen years old, so I don’t need your concern.”
“Oh, really? You don’t look fifteen at all...” Considering her knowledge of Liselotte’s previous life as Rikka, she was probably being sarcastic.
“I couldn’t recognize you either, Ms. Sakuraba. The last time I saw you in Amande, you had the face of a savage beast.”
Liselotte returned the favor by purposefully calling Erica by her last name. Andrei and Natalia, who were standing behind Erica, cocked their heads in confusion, unaware of Erica’s last name.
“Oh my, what are you talking about?” Erica maintained her feigned ignorance.
“Are you suffering from memory loss?”
“I truly don’t remember. It’s been a long and eventful journey, so the trifling matters that occur along the way get forgotten...”
“Trifling matters, you say? I see, your exhausting duties must have accelerated your aging. Do take care of your health.” Liselotte looked at Erica’s face as though she were genuinely concerned.
“Why, thank you for your concern. Hahaha.”
Erica and Liselotte smiled gently while throwing knife-sharp words at each other. Andrei, Natalia, and the others in the room watched their exchange in silence.
“Natalia, does the air feel rather hostile to you...?”
“It’s not just the air that’s hostile right now. An intelligent woman is speaking sarcastically with a smile—you better carve this moment into your intuition.”
Standing behind Erica, Andrei sensed the serious atmosphere in the room and turned to question Natalia about it. Natalia answered in a cold sweat.
“Now then, could you explain this situation and why I was kidnapped to the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica? I, Liselotte Cretia of the Galarc Kingdom, demand to be returned immediately.”
She had waited long enough for Erica’s return. With no patience left for mind games, Liselotte stated her position clearly.
“Unfortunately, you cannot be returned to the Galarc Kingdom. You have learned of our national secret.”
“That you are a hero, you mean?”
“That’s right,” Erica agreed without hesitation.
“You sure admitted it easily for a national secret. Not even Prime Minister Andrei knew the truth.” Liselotte looked at Andrei.
“Is that true, Saint Erica?” Andrei asked with a hopeful look.
“Now that it’s out in the open, I can only accept it. It’s true, Andrei. I am apparently a hero,” Erica answered. The room buzzed with noise.
“Quiet, everyone. Let me speak to Liselotte,” Erica said.
“If you’re willing to admit it that easily, then I don’t believe there was a need to kidnap me. Are you saying you wouldn’t have abducted me if I hadn’t asked if you were the hero in Amande?”
“There’s no point in discussing hypotheticals. You learned of an important secret, so I simply thought to bring a souvenir of my own back with me.”
“Is the fact that you’re the hero an important secret?”
“Someone as bright as you should know the value of information. Haven’t you come to a conclusion for that reason already?”
“Only that you can use it to your advantage by keeping it a secret until the right moment. But I want to hear the answer from you, considering all the trouble I’ve gone through because of it.”
“That I cannot do. I won’t be giving you answers.” Erica declined answering with a bright grin.
“Is it related to how you’re a prophet as well? The prophecy you saw should have appeared in your dreams shortly after the hero summoning, but...” Liselotte used key words that would draw out a reaction and watched Erica’s face for more information.
“Oh, you seem rather knowledgeable about it.”
“I’ve met the other five heroes before. As far as I know, they were taught how to use their Divine Arms in their dreams.”
“Yes, that would be correct. I saw that dream shortly after I was summoned as well.”
“...” Liselotte stared at the way Erica readily nodded.
“What is it?” Erica looked puzzled.
“Was the prophecy from that dream?”
“Who knows? If you join our country, perhaps I could share that information with you...”
“I see. No thank you, then.” Liselotte backed down immediately.
“What a shame. Ah, speaking of heroes, I met the hero girl from Galarc. She had a determined spirit. There was another quiet Japanese girl with her, but was she a hero as well? I believe her name was Miharu,” Erica said, as though it suddenly came to her mind.
Miharu was there...? Does that mean Sir Haruto was present as well?
Liselotte’s eyes widened faintly, wondering if he had returned from his trip.
“But there was a gray-haired boy who seemed stronger than her there. Could he be the hero instead? His physical body enhancement was on par with mine.”
It turned out Erica had met with someone resembling Haruto.
“Who knows? If information about the heroes is a national secret as you say, then I cannot answer. I don’t want to indiscriminately spread personal information about others either.”
“Hmph. You say that, but you forced my information out of me.” Erica puffed up her cheeks, sulking.
“Forced? That’s a bit misleading. We both agreed to answer each other’s questions, and I followed those rules too.”
“What about all the questions I know you must have asked Andrei while I was away? You say you don’t want to spread personal information, but you’re fine with prying into other people’s lives? Isn’t that a bit unfair? But I guess that’s the typical way of the noble class.”
“Indiscriminately, I said. It depends on who I’m talking to, and what about. A matter of trust. And you were the one who ordered Andrei to teach me about the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica yourself, no? It’s absurd to expect the head of state not to come up in such discussions.”
“You have such an eloquent way with words. And a dauntless attitude. It’s why you don’t appear fifteen, but it’s also the type of personality highly sought after from politicians. Everyone should learn from you.” Erica giggled in amusement, addressing the room at large.
“Haha...”
Andrei and Natalia had strained smiles behind Erica. Liselotte had never shown her noble attitude in front of the two of them.
Part of the reason was because Andrei had said to her at their first meeting that he wouldn’t make any political decisions as a proxy for Erica, but Liselotte had also wanted to imply that she never saw him as a politician.
“That aside, the gray-haired boy. Could he be in that kind of relationship with you?”
“You sure change the subject quickly. I doubt it’s an appropriate topic for a place like this, but what kind of relationship do you mean?” Liselotte looked exasperated at the sudden change in topic.
“Hmm... I wouldn’t call you lovers, but you said you were interested in someone, no? I was just wondering if he could be that person. He seemed to be surrounded by many lovely women who adored him,” Erica said teasingly, but Liselotte’s response was blunt.
“I have no reason to answer you.”
“If you refuse to answer every one of my questions, I won’t answer any of yours. I’m sure you have lots to ask me as well.”
“I don’t mind if you’re selective over your answers, so please ask something more worthwhile. And I’ve never believed in all your words to begin with.”
“It seems I really am hated after all,” Erica said, expressing a disappointed mood that the whole room could pick up on.
“I understand. Then let’s get to the point—though I’m not sure what to discuss first. If there’s anything you wish to ask, feel free to ask it,” Erica said in compromise, making a display of how generous she was.
She sure excels at making herself look good...
By doing something that showed the difference between herself and the other party, she could bring down their image. It was a cunning but clever trick. The side being insulted would not be amused and would be more prone to snapping; it was clear that Erica was used to inciting others. However, Liselotte wasn’t so easily provoked into becoming angry.
“If you met the three of them, does that mean you went to the Galarc Castle?” If Erica was willing to give answers, then she wouldn’t hold back her questions.
“Yes, I figured I had to address the matter of your abduction. I spoke to the Galarc King as well.”
“With His Majesty...?”
“The Galarc Kingdom is no good. I warned them to abandon the monarchy, but the evil king is obsessed with his power. He wouldn’t heed my words at all and threatened me with his military power instead,” Erica sighed sadly.
“That doesn’t sound like the king that I know,” Liselotte said, indirectly suggesting Erica was lying.
“But that is the impression I received from him.”
“...”
“Oh yes, your strong attendant was also there.”
“I see. So Aria’s safe.” Liselotte had been abducted immediately after Erica sent a powerful attack at Aria, kicking up a cloud of dust and blocking her view, so she hadn’t been able to see what happened. Knowing that Aria was still alive was enough to fill her with relief.
“She seemed very lively and ready to attack me at any moment. Perhaps our different impressions of the king are caused by her making a misleading testimony? She seemed to be extremely hostile towards me.”
“That’s only to be expected after what you did in Amande. But Aria would never give a testimony that twisted the truth,” Liselotte stated clearly.
“You seem to trust her a lot. Just like how I trust the people of this country, including the people here right now.” Erica turned her head slightly, looking at the people gathered in the room with a gentle smile. Everyone beamed back at her happily.
“Aria and I have gone through a lot together. Enough to form a foundation of trust.”
It was hard to imagine Erica had any trust accumulated—if anything, she seemed like the type to discard the subjects of her human relationships after gaining their trust. There was nothing to believe about a person like that who looked down on Aria. That’s what Liselotte was implying with her words.
“I see, so you treasure those experiences. That must be what we’re lacking with you. We’d like you to join us at this very moment, but it seems impossible to ask you to trust and assist us without those experiences,” Erica said.
“Naturally.”
Yes, that was a given. That was the last thing Liselotte wanted to hear from her, but she kept her sarcasm limited to a single word of agreement.
“Andrei and Natalia have been very good to you, no? They truly believe in making a country for the sake of the people. Shouldn’t you have accumulated some experiences with them while I was gone?”
“Yes, I suppose... More than with you, at least.”
Liselotte glanced at Andrei and Natalia and nodded.
“In that case, why don’t you speak your mind in front of the two of them?”
“Do you wish for me to repeat what I said in Amande here? No matter how many times you ask, my answer won’t change. And I’ve discussed many things with Andrei during your absence.”
“Even then, I want you to express yourself in front of everyone here. As the daughter of a great lord, born and raised in a major kingdom, please tell us how you see the rule of the monarchy. As a member of the noble class with actually respectable values, what is your perspective? I’ve received a brief report on what was discussed while waiting in this room, and it seems like you gave a lot of advice on our administration system. Thank you for that.”
“I didn’t say anything of that much importance.”
“Not at all. I found the topic of the conflict in rights a very fascinating topic. It is a problem sure to arise between the people in the future of this country, one which will strongly influence how our administration system can bloom as a democracy. That’s why I’d like to hold a discussion over that topic today,” Erica said, leading the meeting with the aura of a teacher.
She said she was a lecturer at a university, if I recall. No wonder she seems so familiar with this kind of thing... Liselotte recalled what she’d heard from her in Amande.
“I’m fine with that, but may I ask one thing first?” she asked, adding a condition before participating in Erica’s discussion.
“Yes?”
“Judging by the way you’re leading the discussion, I believe you must have realized the latent issues this country is carrying already.”
Liselotte asked to confirm if Erica was already aware of the problems—and had left them alone knowingly.
“Hehehe. How observant of you. Indeed, I’ve noticed what the direction this country is heading towards is and what issues will arise already.”
“R-Really?! Why didn’t you...” Andrei looked shocked behind her. The congress members in the room stirred quietly.
“It’s easy for me to order you to make countermeasures, but I cannot be giving you orders for everything. I want everyone to gain experience, not knowledge. You already have unconditional belief in everything I say. Merely following orders isn’t enough for you to grow.” Erica turned around and smiled gracefully at Andrei, then looked around at the faces of the congress members.
“You truly predicted everything,” he murmured.
“Is that why you made them show me the country in your absence? So that I could see through the issues and tell them to Andrei? Since your people are less likely to believe me as an outsider.”
“Hehe. You truly have superb observational skills. I was sure you would notice this country’s problems. Whether you would actually pass them on to Andrei or not was a fifty-fifty chance in my mind, though.”
“...” Liselotte found Erica’s gloating smile rather unpleasant and eerie. She couldn’t tell at what point Erica had had everything planned, how far her plan extended, or why she would do such a thing.
Although she stated her various intentions, Liselotte couldn’t help but feel like those statements were misleading as well. However, she had no proof. Erica hid everything too well.
“If you’re done with your question, let’s move on to the main discussion. For some time now, I have been preaching to the people of the flaws of human governance. Human rulers make laws convenient for themselves, and those laws change every time the ruler changes. It’s a highly unstable system.”
“Is that why you want to create a society where the laws rule over people equally? So that people can be judged as equals.”
“As expected of you. You understand that what I want is universal laws to bring justice and salvation to the weak, don’t you? That’s why humans cannot create the rules. They’re different things. Humans cannot create laws of a higher order than other humans, so those laws are not absolute. For example, it would be out of the question to accept a law that approves of the noble class and social status system. It’s a bit of a simplification, but that’s the gist of it...”
In Earth terms, this way of thinking was called the rule of law. It was originally a principle developed from the foundations of Anglo-American law, but they were currently in a world with vastly different cultural foundations. It was hard to say if such ideas would have ever budded here of their own accord. As an aside, there was a similarly named rule of law in this world with different principles that was developed as a continental law.
If the rule of law from modern Earth was to spread in this world—for example, if Japan’s constitution were to be applied here—the privileges of the current royalty and nobility would immediately become negated. Either their statuses would be entirely abolished, or they would remain in name with no real privileges left.
However, forcefully spreading that idea would inevitably result in fierce rebellion from royalty and nobles unwilling to part with their vested interests.
“Don’t you think it’s a wonderful way of thinking?” Erica turned to question Liselotte, who was seated across from her, with a cheerful expression. Liselotte knew she was being tested as a member of the noble class.
“I believe I said something similar in Amande, but it’s unjust for the noble class to oppress the lower class without reason, and humans have no right to discriminate. This is my personal opinion,” she replied firmly.
“You truly have splendid values. If all royals and nobles were like you, the world would have remained a kind place to live in for a long time. However, not everyone thinks like you. Humans are foolish creatures. There are those who want to discriminate. Those who feel a sense of superiority and relief by looking down on others. As long as those types of people exist in this world, the weak will always be subject to the whims of those in control. Everyone here has experienced this firsthand.”
In response to Erica’s statement, the congress members all spoke up in agreement.
Before anyone knew it, the atmosphere of the room had turned Erica into the representative of the people, and Liselotte into the representative of all royals and nobles.
This was no discussion.
It was a trial. Everyone in the room besides Liselotte had experienced hardship in their lives because of the noble class, and they all agreed with Erica’s thoughts.
Liselotte had had a faint idea of what would happen from the moment she stepped into the room and saw Erica’s face, but she also knew the moment she abandoned the discussion, she would be fully recognized as the villain. She knew she had no chance of winning, but she had no choice but to justify herself through the discussion.
“I believe I can understand the reason why everyone finds you and your ideas so wonderful, Saint Erica,” she said, looking around the room.
“What about yourself, Liselotte? Do you not agree that my ideas are wonderful?”
“On a personal level, I can empathize with them to a great extent.”
“What a noble-like response. You won’t agree that they’re wonderful. It almost sounds like you harbor ill feelings about it...”
“I merely thought that guided yes or no questions wouldn’t be enough to express my thoughts.”
“And as a result, I sensed there were ill feelings in your response. What’s wrong with that? Do you disagree with the idea of guiding people to the correct path through a higher-order law, a truth of the world that realizes the justice of bringing salvation to the weak?”
“It’s not wrong... I just think that rapidly promoting such an idea can result in chaos.”
“Oh? How so?”
“You’ll be making an enemy of every noble who wants to maintain their interests. Such a thing will result in war.”
“The noble class are the ones in the wrong, no? If the noble class won’t resolve the injustice themselves, then the oppressed people must rise in revolution to correct them...”
“It’s not only figures of power who live in a kingdom. There are many people in a country, and it’s because of those people that the country can flourish. I understand that if the people wish for correction, then a revolution is inevitable and justified. However, forcing a revolution when the system of the kingdom is solid and stable could result in a tragedy.”
“Are you that afraid of confronting other nobles?” Erica taunted.
“I am afraid. For example, let’s say I led the people of Amande in a revolution against the kingdom. All the nobles of the nation would direct their military forces at me in retaliation. But would I be the only one at risk? Won’t the people living in my territory get killed along the way? How do you think the people would see such a situation? I’d be criticized for starting a pointless war with no chance of victory,” Liselotte said without hesitation.
“So you’re telling me to wait until the passing of time wears down the governing system of the noble class? That I should ignore the people out there suffering right this moment?”
“I don’t want those people to be ignored... But having a just reason doesn’t make it okay to put them on a sinking ship.”
Liselotte frowned bitterly. First and foremost, the questions Erica was demanding answers for weren’t matters an individual could resolve alone. They were difficult problems that a forced solution could ruin any hope of solving, dragging others into the destruction.
“So you’d abandon the resolution of the problem. In that case, you should discard your noble status. If you won’t do that, it means you want to selfishly cling to your status in order to continue living comfortably as a noble. You think that if you say words to pander to the people, you won’t be hated by them,” Erica said, pointing at Liselotte and criticizing her. It was a terrible way of one-sidedly labeling her.
However, most of the congress members present sided with Erica, who stood on the side of the victims—the people. Many voices echoed in agreement, criticizing Liselotte, who stood on the side of the perpetrators.
They believed that if she truly thought of the people, she would be willing to throw away her status that allowed her a comfortable life.
“I am a noble of the Galarc Kingdom. As the governor of Amande, I have to be responsible for the people living there. If I abandon that position, the lives of the people in Amande will become unstable. Wouldn’t that be irresponsible?”
In the end, Liselotte didn’t state that she would discard her noble status. While her expression stiffened involuntarily, she stated her opinion without fear. In response, the participating congress members expressed their disappointment and rage. Some voices shouted, “Don’t make excuses!” and others echoed them in agreement. They had no idea how much Liselotte was adored by the people of Amande.
“I know that Amande is a wonderful city. Indeed, without you, the lives of the people there would be of a much lesser quality.” Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Erica readily praised Liselotte’s governing of Amande.
“In that case, please send me back to Amande. I cannot fulfill my duty as governor in my present location. By abducting me from my kingdom, you have made the lives of the people of Amande unstable. Am I wrong?”
“Indeed, that could be one way of looking at it. But how about seeing it this way? The reason why Amande has been governed well until now is because Liselotte Cretia is a good noble. But what if the next noble that governs Amande is a tyrant? There must be many who live in fear of that.”
“That’s exactly why you should send me back immediately...”
“Don’t you think that you should take measures to ensure that the people of Amande can live safely, even without the presence of Liselotte Cretia? So that the people won’t be endangered no matter who takes over Amande after you.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Liselotte seemed to have sensed something from that response, as she asked her question with a fed-up look.
“In other words, despite your claims of responsibility over the people of Amande, you haven’t been fulfilling that duty. You may be doing well in the present, but you haven’t given any thought to the next generations. It’s the same as disregarding the entire future of the city. Would anyone here wish to live under such a governor?” Erica said, inviting the listening congress members to respond.
“No!”
“A leader has to think about the future!”
“That’s right, that’s right!” they said, one after another.
We’re going around in circles. This saint is saying to make the city democratic so that the people’s lives won’t sink into depravity. Even though she knows that doing so will make an enemy of every royal and noble in the kingdom, contradicting her own point. But even if I explain that, no one here will listen.
The rules that Liselotte could set for Amande were ranked below the higher-order national laws and territory laws. Thus, as a governor, there was no point in making rules that went against the national and territory laws. On top of that, it was possible for new governors to repeal the rules set by previous governors.
Even if a new system was introduced to keep the rule ongoing after a change in governor, it would require special permission from the territory lord and king, and even that permission could be reversed if a new lord and king came into power. In which case, it would ultimately require a revolution to rebuild society and implement the rule of law.
This is probably as far as Saint Erica wants this discussion to go.
Since she wasn’t able to shift the destination of their talk, it was Liselotte’s defeat. She knew she had a slim chance of victory to begin with, and that was exactly what happened.
Now that things had come to this, there was no point in repeating herself in this discussion. The only thing to do was to move on to the next stage herself.
“I believe we’ve drifted rather far from the main point of the discussion. Is that okay? I recall the topic to be about the conflict of rights and how to make democracy succeed in this country, but the conversation was mostly similar to what we exchanged in Amande,” Liselotte asked Erica with a shrug.
There were voices who opposed this. Shouts of “Don’t change the topic,” “You’re running away,” and “Accept your defeat graciously” sounded out, but Liselotte didn’t appear bothered by them.
“I believe we’ve given the topic plenty of debate. Today, our respective rights to freedom of speech were presented to each other. We put into practice the collision of rights.”
“That just sounds like sophistry...”
“No, the biggest difference from our conversation in Amande is the members of congress gathered here to decide on this country’s future. That, and I believe our discussion was only of such a high degree because it was made by you and me. If either one of us had been replaced by someone else, the talk wouldn’t have gotten this heated. There’s great meaning in allowing those here today to hear this conversation. Their thoughts after hearing the discussion will surely influence the future of this country that they will create. I am certain of this.” Erica looked around the room with a derisive sneer.
“Well then, may I assume you’ve achieved your goal in calling me here?”
“No, there’s one last thing... Liselotte. Will you lend me your strength? Let us bring salvation to the weak together. If you and I join hands, our peaceful reign will last far longer than that in Amande.”
“That sounds like a rather dangerous statement. Are you telling me to betray my country?” Liselotte frowned. Erica’s statement just now sounded like she was planning a revolution in Galarc, and wanted assistance.
“How you interpret it is up to you. But as a hero, I can make it happen. I’m capable of it. That’s why I’m making this proposal.”
“There are five other heroes, you know? They’ve all been confirmed to be affiliated with a kingdom. Do you plan on making enemies of all five of them?”
“That won’t be a problem. I won’t lose to any hero that’s been living a warm and sheltered life provided by their country. As long as I stand on the front line as the Saint and a hero, the people will not know defeat.”
“That’s quite the confidence you have...”
“Yes. That is why I am requesting your assistance once again. You understand it perfectly well, don’t you? That humans are foolish creatures. That is why we need intelligent people like you. Let’s create our reality together.” Erica smiled gently, offering her hand to Liselotte.
“I’ve never particularly thought of myself as smart. People can’t be valued by their intelligence. Your so-called ideal government system doesn’t measure people like that either, does it? That’s why you consider people to be born equal.” Liselotte did not accept Erica’s hand.
“Yes, exactly.”
“In that case, please stop this extortion. How does forcing me to obey you like this make you any different from the evil noble class that you detest so much?”
Likes, dislikes. People were free to express their opinions. They had the freedom to convey their thoughts to others. However, it was wrong to force those thoughts on someone else. People had the freedom not to be forced into things, after all.
When the conflict of rights happened without any respect for each other, imposition occurred. The act of forcing another into something was coercion. And when coercion went too far, it became controlling.
Of course, merely discussing one’s opinions and ideas was fine, as it was the very essence of democracy. However, trying to bend the opinions and thoughts of someone you disagreed with, controlling them no matter what—that was the equivalent of a human ruling over another human. Wasn’t that essentially the same abuse of power that they hated so much?
Liselotte stared at Erica in protest.
“Wh-What did she just say?!”
“How does insisting on the right thing make us the same as the noble class?!”
“We only act as a collective will! The consensus of the people is what is correct!”
“What slander!”
“Take back your words!”
“Wicked noblewoman who only cares for her own interests without fulfilling her duties!”
“She only cares about herself! That’s why she won’t discard her status!”
“A woman born in a blessed environment wouldn’t understand us!”
“All she does is take taxes from the people she should be protecting! This woman is a criminal!”
“She only knows how to ride her high horse! Repent!”
“This woman is a witch!”
“Convict her! She must be convicted by us!”
The congress members reddened in anger and yelled abusively at Liselotte unanimously. They tried to guilt her by calling her evil, to teach her the truth. They must have felt personally attacked by her point, as their reactions were excessively heated.
“...” Liselotte bit her lip sadly, but didn’t argue back.
“Quiet please, everyone.”
Erica clapped her hands together twice. Since it was her order, the congress members had no choice but to fall silent.
“This is a place of discussion. We should give Liselotte a proper chance to make her rebuttal. That being said, I doubt there’s anything we can do to fill the trench between us... Is there anything else you’d like to say, Liselotte?”
“I believe I’ve said everything I wanted to say. How you judge me for it is up to you,” she answered undauntedly.
“I see... Then that concludes today’s provisional congress meeting, I believe. You may all leave.” Erica prompted the congress members to exit. They glared at Liselotte with clenched fists for a few seconds, but then started walking out the door one by one.
“Andrei, Natalia. After everyone else has exited, please show Liselotte back to her room,” Erica ordered the two standing behind her.
“Okay...”
Andrei nodded, about to say something to Liselotte before biting his lips shut. Then, Erica approached Liselotte.
“That was a wonderful speech, Rikka. If you were one of my students, I’d give you full marks. Don’t worry. When the right time comes, I’ll return you safely to your kingdom,” she whispered into Liselotte’s ear, not as Saint Erica but as Sakuraba Erika. Perhaps it was because she showed her face as Sakuraba Erika, but Liselotte made the decision to ask about her deceased fiancé.
“Please let me ask one more question. I heard that you started down this path as a way of succeeding your late fiancé’s way of living. Are you truly continuing his legacy right now? Would he really agree that your actions are for the sake of the people?”
“What a silly question. How can I know, when I’ll never hear his voice again? I can only confirm that I started down this path after accepting his death.”
Erica had a conflicted look of sadness on her face. But that look only lasted for a brief moment before the saint’s mask went back up and she gave her reply.
“I...see...” Liselotte hung her head weakly. Meanwhile, the congress members had just finished leaving the room.
“Now, please show Liselotte back to her room.” Before Liselotte could reply, Erica gave her orders to Andrei and Natalia. Thus, Liselotte was returned to her room.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login