The developments in the Celuroa Kingdom soon reached Laojun's awareness.
I see. It appears the current King of Celuroa is no fool. In fact, he may well become a wise ruler.
However, he was still only twenty-eight years old. Having ascended the throne just two years prior, he was still in a period where he needed to solidify his footing.
Even so, his drive to grasp the circumstances of surrounding areas and remote frontiers is not to be underestimated.
The King of Celuroa, twenty-eight years old.
The Queen of the Franz Kingdom, thirty-two years old.
The King of Klein Kingdom, forty years old.
The King of the Kingdom of Elias, thirty years old.
The Emperor of the Shouro Empire, thirty-six years old.
Celuroa, Franz, and Elias—the monarchs of these three kingdoms are all young, and not much time has passed since their coronations.
In such situations, ambitious figures often arose, potentially causing political instability or economic turmoil, but the World Conference was functioning well and bringing stability to the various nations.
Come to think of it, My Lord has not yet met the King of Egerea.
Jin had met the Third Prince, Ernest, and the Fourth Princess, Shannon (childhood name Mimir), but he had yet to meet the king or the crown prince.
However, that king is someone I would rather not have My Lord meet...
The King of Egerea, Ronald Bowie Carter. At fifty-eight years old, he was the eldest among the current monarchs.
In Laojun's analysis, he was a schemer. While not a wicked king, he prioritized the interests of his own nation above all else and excelled at the art of using others to his advantage.
If he became acquainted with Jin, he would likely pull all sorts of strings behind the scenes to push his own agenda.
While we could easily brush all of that aside, My Lord would surely dislike dealing with it.
Laojun felt it would be especially troublesome if the king tried to coax Jin into doing favors through the Fourth Princess, Shannon (childhood name Mimir).
...For now, let us keep monitoring the movements of the Celuroa Kingdom.
The King of Celuroa, Baudouin Valois de Celuroa, had summoned the head of the Intelligence Department, Aron Faal Zeta, to gather information.
Aron was a seasoned intelligence veteran who had also been heavily relied upon by the previous king.
"Your Majesty, did you call for me?"
"Yes. In order to proceed with our policies to stimulate the economy, I want you to step up our investigations into smuggling and tax evasion, as they are likely to become major obstacles."
"Understood....On that note, the flow of money and goods in the northern town of Ronsk seems rather irregular."
"I see....The lord of that region was... Baronet Lane de Matillac, was it not?"
"I have heard less than favorable rumors about him."
"Right. If you say so, Aron, then it must be true....Very well. Begin the investigation with Ronsk."
"As you command."
I see, his focus is sharp indeed. Shall we leave the town of Ronsk to the Celuroa Kingdom, then?
Laojun pondered how best to pass the documents Tama had copied over to the Celuroa Kingdom's Intelligence Department.
In the end,
For the time being, we shall wait and see what the Celuroa Kingdom's Intelligence Department does,
it decided, opting to choose a course of action after observing their methods.
On December 16, Jin and Elsa met with Queen Caroline de Lafayette of the Franz Kingdom, Chancellor Joachims de Drow, Minister of General Affairs Chro de Schone, and other officials.
"Aside from a very few counterfeits, it was a wonderful event."
Jin shared that they had also managed to make some good purchases.
"That is wonderful to hear."
The Queen looked visibly relieved.
At that point, Jin and Elsa brought up a recommendation regarding Najas.
"On another note, regarding Najas Kahn, who served as our attendant—would it be possible to permit her to study abroad in Avalon?"
"From what we have seen, she possesses more than enough talent to become a healer."
Coming from the two of them, the Franz Kingdom officials could hardly refuse. In fact, if an exceptional healer could be cultivated, they welcomed it with open arms.
"Yesterday, we visited Viscount Astero de Kahn during his illness, and Elsa taught her Healing on the spot. She was able to master it immediately."
Elsa's explanation delighted them even further.
"Oh!"
"That is splendid news."
"However, there are official procedures to follow, so sending her abroad by tomorrow would not be feasible."
Those remarks came from the Minister of General Affairs, the Queen, and the Chancellor, respectively.
"Naturally....Also, I have one more request regarding Najas-san," Elsa spoke up. "Viscount Astero de Kahn's health deteriorated due to pneumoconiosis from inhaling too much mineral dust. We treated him, but it will take time for his body to make a full recovery."
For about a month, Najas would need to return home once a day to provide healing for her father. Since commuting back and forth would be arduous, Elsa asked if Viscount Kahn could be accommodated in the Royal Palace instead.
"Understood. We shall make the necessary arrangements immediately."
Then came another matter of concern.
"Regarding the succession of the Kahn family..."
Jin explained in rather mild terms that when they visited the Kahn residence to treat the viscount, the third daughter, Narun, seemed overly anxious about the family's succession rights.
"I see. If the viscount had collapsed, it is only natural she would be worried."
The Chancellor took the explanation at face value, then added, "When Viscount Kahn was in good health, he mentioned that because Najas is illegitimate, Narun would either become the head of house herself or take a husband who would assume the role."
He relayed this context to the Queen.
"I see... Is that how it stands?"
After pondering for a moment, Queen Caroline turned to the Chancellor. "Chancellor, who is the Madam of the Kahn household?"
"That would be Lukiane-dono. She hails from the Builder Count family."
Without missing a beat, the Chancellor answered.
"The Builder Count family... Ah, the house that fell in the wake of that incident with the Magic Federation, yes?"
"Indeed. The main Builder Count family was dissolved, though family members who had married into other houses or established independent branches were let off with warnings or reprimands."
Hearing the tangled web surrounding Najas, both Jin and Elsa grew thoroughly exasperated.
Neither of them had any desire to listen to the sordid, messy politics of the nobility.
Jin decided to steer the conversation back on track.
"Well, we will leave the Kahn family's affairs in your capable hands. However, once the viscount recovers, I believe he will be fit to remain active in his duties for another five to ten years."
"Understood. Regarding the succession, we shall prioritize the wishes of the current head of house."
Then, Jin brought up a crucial issue.
"One more thing. Elsa explained that the viscount collapsed from pneumoconiosis, which happened because he went down into the mines without proper equipment. Please ensure that miners strictly adhere to wearing protective goggles, dust masks, and safety helmets."
"—Chancellor? Minister of General Affairs?"
Wondering what was going on, the Queen looked pointedly at the two ministers.
"Well... the regulations do mandate all three pieces of equipment, but it appears enforcement on the ground has been lacking."
"We will dispatch an on-site inspection immediately."
"Yes, please see to it at once."
Furthermore, as if presenting an afterthought, Jin spoke up again.
"This is merely a suggestion, but how about developing an ambulance?"
"An ambulance?"
"Yes. A vehicle dedicated solely to transporting the sick and injured to healers."
Seeing that the adoption rate of Golem automobiles was surprisingly high in the Franz Kingdom, Jin felt inclined to make the proposal.
"By ringing a bell or mounting a distinctive red lantern, it can alert everyone nearby that it is carrying emergency patients, granting it right-of-way to rush straight to a healer without delay."
He also explained that, aside from the driver, having an onboard attendant trained in emergency first aid would be ideal.
"Ah, what a splendid idea....The only issue is that we currently have far too few healers."
"On that point, there is no need to rush a widespread rollout all at once; implementing it in phases should work well."
"Indeed. Jin-dono, we deeply appreciate your advice. For the sake of our kingdom's people, we will give this our full consideration."
The Chancellor bowed his head in gratitude to Jin.
In the years to come, the Franz Kingdom would become widely renowned as the first nation to introduce the ambulance—though that is a story for another time.