Ch.355The NPC Who Dropped the Sun. (4)

“Hmm, you look much brighter. Life in the Empire must suit you well.”

“Brighter? What’s brighter? I’ve been force-fed etiquette and manners that make no sense, and then got criticized for being an illiterate bastard who can’t be a proper guard, so I was forced to study. All I’ve done is lose weight.”

“That’s exactly why I said you look brighter.”

During the time Ragni went to the underground prison of Helgot Castle, after an incredibly long meeting had finally ended, the sun had already set—a time when not just good children but also good adults should be sleeping. Yet here I was, sitting in the reception room talking with the Chancellor. I guess we’re both beyond redemption when it comes to being good.

“Hah, so this means the Holy Theocracy issue will be blocked by the entire continent working together? That was a real fucking struggle.”

“Pfft. Struggle my ass. Didn’t my assistant do most of it alone?”

“If you’re saying that seriously, I’ll hit you.”

“Bullshit. All you did was demonstrate the demon’s threat and your physical abilities, and make everyone realize it’s a threat that can’t be stopped otherwise. Was that really so difficult?”

“Do you really want to get smacked? I worked too, you know?!”

Especially since the Empire’s treasury was completely broke, I worked my ass off making money!!

I toured every dungeon in the Empire I knew about, collected reward items, rushed to field boss appearances whenever I heard about them, grabbed the reward items, sold everything to the guild the same day, and brought the cash to Ragni! On top of that, as soon as my reading lessons were over, Ragni kept throwing work at me because I could handle paperwork and calculations thanks to my past life memories. I had no time to rest.

I seriously had around four hours of sleep per day! I wasn’t reincarnated in another world to study for university entrance exams—what the hell was I even doing?

“Hmph. You talk as if you did everything alone. Do you think I don’t know that your women have been speedrunning dungeons left and right?”

“…Wait, how do you know about that?”

“You think I wouldn’t know what my disciple is up to?”

Snorting dismissively, the Chancellor proudly states that she even knows which territory’s dungeon Ira is currently in, naming the exact location. Heh, wow. This isn’t motherly anymore—it’s straight-up stalker behavior.

“But hasn’t the Academy semester started quite a while ago? Is it okay for you to be here like this?”

“What an ungrateful brat. You use people freely when you need them, but now you’re giving an old woman grief for resting here? Have you forgotten that I was also attending that tedious meeting today?”

Having said that, the Chancellor reaches for the refreshments in front of her, chewing irritably and gulping down tea. Sheesh.

“Miss Kara.”

“Yes. I’ll bring more refreshments and tea.”

“Make the tea more bitter. This is too sweet to drink.”

“…You could just not eat the sweets.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, ma’am.”

Kara, Ragni’s maid, is currently waiting here with me. She said she’d come straight here once Ragni finished her business at the prison, so we had prepared refreshments and tea for her as well. But this old lady has devoured everything while complaining about it being too sweet, while I only had one piece.

As we were passing time with small talk about recent events, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Without even checking who it was, the Chancellor confidently granted permission, and the door opened to reveal not Kara returning with refreshments, but Ragni in a dress. Not the one she wore to the morning meeting, of course. Something lighter. And…

“Yes, I’ll be coming in.”

*Standing up abruptly!*

“I greet Your Majesty, the King of Ponia…!”

“That’s enough, enough. We’re among friends, what formalities are you observing? Stand up, Forester Jack. Or should I call you the Imperial Princess’s Guard Jack now?”

When I reflexively stood up and tried to follow imperial noble etiquette, the middle-aged man who had been sternly staring at Ragni this morning—the King of Ponia—stopped me with a wave of his hand and a kind smile.

Ugh, this feels like being back in the military. My body moves on its own.

“Um, I’m the Imperial Princess, you know? You’re not showing any formality to me?”

“Yes, yes. Our lady has arrived?”

“…I want to shoot you.”

When Ragni spits out those words with a prim expression and I ruffle her hair with a grin, the King of Ponia also lets out a chuckle.

Well, three months. So much has happened in these three months. Besides what I mentioned earlier, after the Empire fell, the three allied countries—their representatives were briefed by the Chancellor. The King of Ponia was already at the front lines by then. In truth, even rushing, it should have been impossible to travel that distance in just three months.

[NETI NAIKA!! You act on your own without any contact!! Do you even know what’s been happening here?! Come here immediately and report!!]

After the King of Ponia furiously stormed at her through the communication crystal, which she had never once answered, the Chancellor clicked her tongue excessively and a few days later installed a teleportation magic circle that only she could use for long-distance travel. She flew to Ponia, installed the same thing there, and then…

[Gasp! Where is this?!]

She literally kidnapped the King and dropped him in front of Ragni. Thanks to that, Ragni was able to meet and negotiate with the King directly, settling matters quickly. And also…

[You! Are you Forester Jack?!]

[Eh? Eh?! Yes, yes! I’m Jack. I was a forester of Ponia.]

He showed me unusual goodwill, even patting my shoulder, which helped him quickly trust our situation. Afterward, the Chancellor spent a few more days installing a teleportation magic circle from Neti to the Empire, allowing the three of us to meet and hold repeated conferences whenever necessary. Of course, during those conferences…

[Three months. In three months, I will dismantle this rotten Empire and finalize everything regarding the future alliance needed to protect the continent—the Eight Continent Federation. I will also settle all matters of imperial apology and compensation during that time. Please, I ask for your trust.]

Ragni, as the Imperial Princess, bowed her head to the two of them and asked for their cooperation, which led to today’s tedious meeting.

During those ongoing conferences, I occasionally participated too, explaining about the demon invasion based on my past life memories—the Seven Deadly Sins who had died, those who had survived, and those we would face in the future. I also explained, as highly classified information, how the Holy Theocracy was in cahoots with the demons. Of course…

[How on earth do you know all this?]

[It’s classified information.]

[According to reports, you visited Siltra. Perhaps your intelligence comes from the elves? Those who live for thousands, even tens of thousands of years…]

The two were extremely curious about the source of my information, but I exercised my right to remain silent. Of course, realizing that just remaining silent would gradually erode their trust, I told them about a few dungeons in their territories. Well, by this world’s average level standards, they were quite high-level dungeons, but they offered good rewards and leveling opportunities. Anyway, it was the right choice as it gave them the impression that my connections were extremely extensive. And the result…

“Hmm! Princess, today’s meeting was excellent. Truly, if not for your title as the princess of a defeated nation, I would have wanted to seat you at the head of the table and leisurely engage in pleasant conversation.”

“You flatter me.”

“Yes, it is flattery. Because of this idiot’s inability to control her impulses and her meddling here, the Academy is on the verge of paralysis. That’s real flattery.”

“That’s your own fault.”

“That’s what they call reaping what you sow.”

“What?!”

The King of Ponia, Ragni, and the Chancellor have become quite close. Even now, the King of Ponia has only “Neti Naika” as his escort. In reality, traveling from Ponia to here without teleportation would take 6 months by carriage, or 3 months on fast horses. I heard that some officials and guards are urgently riding toward the Empire, and according to yesterday’s report, they’ve just reached the Empire’s border territory. I expect they’ll arrive after this meeting ends.

*Gulp*

After stepping out briefly, I returned to find more people than expected, with Kara flustered as she prepared more teacups and refreshments. The King, who had been making small talk about today’s discussion, sipped his tea and began to change the subject.

“…So, continuing from our discussion today, although Ponia said it would absorb most of the Empire’s adjacent territories, distance remains a problem. The representatives of the small countries who attended today, as well as those who were vassal states of the Empire, didn’t believe proper governance would be possible. Well, they seemed to accept most of the other proposals.”

“Tch. Idiots. If they’re dissatisfied, they could all just become ‘neutral cities.’ Even I manage a territory, yet not a single one of them brought that up. It’s absurd.”

“It’s not that simple. Neti exists because of your ‘ideal’ strength. If it weren’t for you, who is almost twice as strong as any previous Chancellor, even if we had won this war, Neti wouldn’t have been able to hold such authority and stand as an equal to Ponia.”

“Besides, they may call themselves neutral cities, but if all these adjacent lands suddenly claim neutrality, it could spark a new conflict.”

“Exactly. That’s why we need the ‘Eight Continent Federation’ that I proposed. Sigh, we’ve figured out the system, establishment conditions, money, and manpower, but the Empire’s ‘land mass’ is always the problem.”

“When a country located in the center of the continent collapses and we try to create a new alliance system, that center position must still be maintained. If all the Empire’s territories and vassal states suddenly declare themselves neutral cities, it would truly ignite a new conflict.”

“Damn it!!”

Having attended meetings with Ragni these past few months, I’ve learned that the Chancellor is truly someone with no connection to politics. Thinking about it, that makes sense—she had delegated all such matters to that garbage Vice-Chancellor. Even though she’s taking the lead now, her goals don’t involve politics, economics, or vested interests, so she doesn’t even try.

As everyone fell silent in contemplation, with only the sound of her irritably chewing refreshments filling the reception room…

“…If there were something like a warp gate, we could make the collapsed capital the center of the federation as a ‘Federal Neutral City’ and establish a council there.”

Before I knew it, I was thinking “the continent wasn’t this big in the game from my past life” and muttered those words, only to feel everyone’s gaze turn to me. Huh? Why?

“What the hell is a warp whatever?”

“‘Federal Neutral City’… I see. That method exists. Since we’ve won and become the largest country on this continent, Ponia has the responsibility to chair this neutral city. That would also allow for the management of the nearby abandoned vassal states…”

“…Building a neutral city in the collapsed capital. Creating a council, like a noble assembly, on a national scale? That’s not bad at all.”

Huh? Um? What? What did you say? What’s not bad?

“Jack! You…!!”

“Quickly spit out everything you’re thinking! I’ll remember it and organize it later!!”

“Hey, youngster, I asked what this warp thing is. From the sound of it, it seems like an extension of teleportation…!”

“Uh, um… So!”

Oh, this is…

Faced with the three people suddenly lunging at me like they were going to bite, I truly felt like a protagonist reincarnated into this world for the first time today, and just blurted out everything that came to mind.