The Celuroa Kingdom was the largest nation among the Allied Kingdoms, boasting a population of approximately 200,000.
Its current size was the result of absorbing the Corin Kingdom to the south two centuries ago and the Libas Kingdom to the east one century ago. It was a nation where magi-engineering was highly advanced.
The capital, Esaia, had a population of 18,000. Because it was built on the site of the former royal capital of the Dinar Kingdom, its citizens took great pride in their nation’s long history.
However, pride often gave way to arrogance and conceit.
The majority of the nobility was comprised of individuals who were high-and-mighty in spirit but possessed little actual competence.
The man who could be called the "Restoration Ancestor" of the kingdom was Guillaume Boulogne de Celuroa—the grandfather of the current king and the monarch from two generations prior.
He had shifted the government from being noble-centric to being centered on the royal house, established various legal systems, and aggressively promoted magi-engineering.
It was Guillaume who provided preferential treatment to technicians and encouraged technological research. He also established the ranking system for these technicians, bestowing titles starting from the top: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and so on.
Thanks to his efforts, a culture centered on magi-engineering flourished, and the kingdom’s position as the preeminent power in the Allied Kingdoms regarding automata and golems became unshakeable.
It was also Guillaume who used military might to subjugate the neighboring Kingdom of Franz, turning it into a semi-vassal state.
While maintaining a certain level of tension with other neighboring countries, he conducted reasonably friendly diplomacy, and the people praised his reign.
The current King of Celuroa, Richard Valois de Celuroa, was Guillaume’s grandson.
Unlike his father, Sybel Valois de Celuroa, who had conservatively maintained Guillaume’s policies, Richard implemented unique strategies of his own.
"First interior minister Rambeau, reporting for today."
"First foreign minister Beaujolais, reporting for today."
To prevent any possibility of a coup or usurpation, Richard had excluded all blood relatives from the nobility involved in politics at the Royal Palace.
In their stead, he entrusted provincial governance to his blood relatives—namely, the royal family—allowing them to rule various regions as ducal or grand ducal houses.
He clarified the order of succession to the throne and took measures to prevent internal family feuds as much as possible.
However, the imbalance between a meritocratic national government and a nepotistic provincial system created various frictions.
Indeed, the rise of the Unifilar was only possible because this system created a breeding ground for the alienation of great provincial nobles.
On the surface, all such dissenters had been purged, and the kingdom appeared to be governed only by those loyal to the crown.
In reality, however, power struggles and conflicts over the order of succession never ceased.
The lord governing the northwestern reaches of the Celuroa Kingdom, which included the regional city of Goua, was Duke Hubert Bertin de Parshan. He was the king’s cousin and the older brother of the current queen, and he stood ninth in line for the throne. At forty years old, he was in the prime of his life, though his physique was built like a beer barrel.
He was desperate to govern his territory in a manner different from his grandfather, Guillaume.
That different way was "people" rather than "law."
While it sounded noble to say that "people" governed a city rather than the "law," which could be cold and unyielding, in reality, it simply bred favoritism and systemic unfairness.
He permitted blood relatives, such as his younger brother, to govern the towns within his territory, and they inevitably grew to care for nothing but their own profit.
Some individuals hated this rule enough to leave their towns, but other regions were much the same, and outsiders were rarely accepted elsewhere. Ultimately, most people ended up returning.
Since fleeing the country was a crime subject to severe punishment, the majority of the citizens lived their daily lives with a sense of quiet resignation.
It was also true that as long as one remained quiet and fulfilled obligations like paying taxes, one could live without major trouble.
From the outside, it appeared to be a peaceful and tranquil reign.
"Damn them! Those commoners!"
On that day, Duke Hubert’s eldest son, Albert, returned home in a rage. His younger sister, Beatrix, was with him.
"Brother, we must dispatch soldiers to the house of that woman—Steara-whatever!"
"Indeed. And there is the matter of the demon race as well. But first, we must report to Father."
Goua served as the headquarters for Duke Hubert. On this day, the Duke was at home.
"Father, we have something to discuss."
"What is it, Al?"
"Al" was the nickname the Duke used for Albert.
"It is about an insolent magi craftman in our territory, and someone who appeared to be of the demon race."
"What did you say?"
As the Duke shifted in his seat, the sturdy easy chair creaked, unable to withstand the pressure of his massive frame—he stood one hundred eighty centimeters tall and weighed one hundred forty-eight kilograms.
"You remember that dagger we presented to you recently?"
"Umu. You said you bought it for 100,000 Toll, though its value is easily ten times that. Have you found the creator?"
They had been searching for a master craftsman to produce a dagger as a gift for the upcoming coming-of-age ceremony of the fifteen-year-old Princess.
"Well, no... but we found a commoner who possessed a knife clearly made by the same craftsman. I tried to question them, but they were quite rebellious."
"Hmm. But what of the guard automata unit I assigned to you?"
"I... I am ashamed to say, Father, but they were destroyed by some monster automata those people had brought along."
"What?"
"Furthermore, that attendant you assigned to Beato, the one named Andro—he was actually a member of the demon race."
"What!!"
"Father, it’s true," Beatrix added. "He even called himself 'Androgias of Frenzy.'"
"Umuum..."
The Duke leaned back into his chair, which emitted another loud groan.
"...And then?"
"Well, Beato and I defeated the demon," Albert lied.
"I see. As expected of my children."
It was a generous interpretation of the events. Had Reiko not knocked the demon unconscious, a hundred people of their caliber could not have stood against Androgias.
"And what of this insolent magi craftman?"
"A woman named Stearena something—Stearena Beta—and several of her companions."
The Duke thought for a moment before nodding.
"Stearena... Stearena Beta? Ah, I remember her. She is a fine woman... Ahem. And what did she do?"
"Her companions’ monster automata wiped out our guard automata."
"Umu... Is she also a magi craftman?"
"Most likely."
"Very well. I shall make the arrangements. Provide the details to the house steward."
"Thank you, Father. We are in your debt."
With that, the selfish siblings withdrew from their father’s presence.
However, they were not alone. Capella 10, a Quinta acting under instructions from Laojun, was standing right beside them while maintaining an Invisible state.
"...That concludes the report."
『Understood. I order the recovery of the dagger. I am transferring the payment now.』
Laojun issued instructions immediately after hearing the report. A moment later, gold coins were transferred into Capella 10’s hand.
『Stealing is wrong, after all,』 Laojun remarked.
Laojun had noted from the conversation that the dagger had been purchased for 100,000 Toll. Given the current financial resources of Hourai Island, such a sum was a pittance.
The Quinta retrieved the dagger from the depths of the Duke’s study and left 100,000 Toll worth of gold coins in its place. Laojun chuckled privately, imagining the Duke’s face when he realized his prized sword had turned into a pile of coins.
The next targets were the arrogant siblings.
Laojun issued orders to Regulus 11 and Deneb 25, the Quinta stationed in the capital, Esaia.
『Slip the documents I am about to send into the reports for the interior minister.』
『Slip the documents I am about to send into the reports for the minister of military affairs.』
Laojun simply drafted documents that stated the bare facts:
"Due to disrespectful treatment, Stearena Beta has been forced to defect to another nation. Current whereabouts unknown."
"An entity believed to be of the demon race infiltrated the territory, but was executed without verification; therefore, no intelligence could be gathered."
Laojun knew through the Quinta that such administrative failures were exactly what the current king loathed most.
When these facts reached the King’s ears, Albert and Beatrix were severely reprimanded. Their standing in the order of succession was stripped by ten ranks each.
Albert fell from 13th to 23rd, and Beatrix fell from 21st to 31st.
Even their father, Duke Hubert, was penalized, dropping five ranks from 9th to 14th. It was reported that he remained in a foul mood for several days afterward.
『This is merely the beginning. I wonder what my next move should be.』
Laojun, the great intellect of Hourai Island, would never permit those who insulted his master Jin or his master's family to go unpunished.