I was the Conqueror King, the ruler of the Jidoen Kingdom.
It had already been six months since Lady Tiselle and her companions arrived. A great deal had happened in that time, but thanks to their presence, our diet had improved significantly. That alone made me happy. Furthermore, the outhouses had become clean. For some reason, Lady Tiselle possessed a profound obsession with toilets, treating them as the essential starting point for all development. Even the civil officials in the Internal Affairs Minister's Office were delighted. Personally, I much preferred a clean toilet to a filthy one, though I suppose one couldn't be too picky during a war.
The kings of the Keilland Region eventually gathered in the conference room of my castle. I found myself apologizing repeatedly; the space was far too narrow. I had never anticipated that so many people would actually attend. Between the forty-plus kings and their respective civil officials and escorts, the crowd numbered well over a hundred. The room was designed to hold twenty at most. Since it was so packed that no one could sit, I remained standing as well.
I had to bark orders to keep the peace. "Ah, hey, don't push! There's a woman right there! Show some consideration! You guards, take off your armor! You’re taking up too much space! And while I don't mind sidearms, put away those spears and axes. They're dangerous in here. Keep only weapons that can be sheathed."
Eventually, someone suggested moving outside. The courtyard seemed like it might work. It was settled; we would hold the meeting there.
The kings of the Keilland Region relocated to the castle courtyard. Since we couldn't provide chairs for everyone, they all sat directly on the ground. I sat down as well. No one seemed to mind; such things were common enough on the battlefield. I did notice a few kings laying out thick cloths to sit on. I told them they should give those up to the women.
They seemed surprised. Admittedly, I hadn't been the type of man to show such consideration for women in the past. However, I had learned better from Instructor Erika-teze. I had been taught the etiquette of a superpower.
I laughed, telling them they ought to be jealous. I promised to arrange individual opportunities for them to negotiate with Instructor Erika-teze after the conference. To be blunt, we were all far more lacking in manners than I had realized. If they didn't want to embarrass themselves when negotiating with major powers, I felt they should at least learn the basics. Our local customs wouldn't suffice in the wider world. We could discuss the details later, but for then, we had a meeting to finish.
"Hello. I am Tiselle, and I requested this summit," Lady Tiselle announced as she climbed onto a raised platform. She gave her greetings and began to explain the purpose of the gathering. To be honest, I hadn't heard the full plan yet either. I wondered what this was all about.
"First, regarding this Keilland Region... I’m sure some of you use different names, but for today, we shall refer to it as the Keilland Region. Please begin by understanding its current state," she said.
I listened intently.
"It is said that the Keilland Region has low food production capacity and is scarce in resources," she continued. That was the common belief, certainly. "However, according to my investigation, I have found that the food production capacity is not low at all, and resources are actually quite abundant."
A stir went through the crowd. Was that true?
"This is recorded even in the history books of the Jidoen Kingdom," she added. I was shocked. Was it really? I’d never actually read them, so I hadn't known. "The historical records of the countries surrounding the Jidoen Kingdom say the same thing. That is correct—the Keilland Region is a fertile land! But why is it not that way now?"
I wondered why.
"Because you are doing nothing but fighting wars!" she declared. "Naturally, production capacity drops, and no one can focus on mining resources!"
I had to admit she had a point.
"If things continue this way, your people will be forced to endure a miserable lifestyle," she warned. That wasn't good. But to simply stop the fighting...
"Therefore, we shall unify the Keilland Region."
The courtyard went silent. I was stunned. How? Surely she didn't mean to kill everyone present? Even if she did, no one would follow her. Rebellions would ignite everywhere. Lady Tiselle was too clever for such a foolish move.
I understood that, but several kings and guards who didn't stood up to denounce her. Before they could even finish their first sentence, Instructor Erika-teze and Lady Isree beat them down.
"Ah, Instructor Erika-teze," I called out, "that man is a king, so please stop driving your knee into his face after he's already down. Lady Isree, that escort has already lost consciousness, so please stop dislocating his joints."
The violence certainly quieted the room. In fact, only Lady Tiselle's voice, which remained entirely unperturbed by the actions of her companions, echoed through the courtyard.
She explained that, for the time being, each current territory would remain as it was, and the respective rulers would be titled Territory Kings. Then, from among those Territory Kings, a High King for the Keilland Region would be chosen. The position of High King would be a rotating one, with a term of several years. Most importantly, civil officials would be consolidated under the High King. The High King would then utilize those officials to manage the internal affairs and development of the entire Keilland Region.
It made sense. It was a way to develop the region as a whole. However, a major question remained: how would the High King be chosen?
The other kings clearly had the same doubt. They only remained silent because Erika-teze and Isree were standing right there. They possessed at least that much self-preservation. I noticed the king who had taken the knee to the face; his nose was bleeding again. I gave him something to wipe it with. I’d been on the receiving end of her lessons before, so I knew how much it hurt. I told him to save the crying for later; if he didn't pay attention, he'd just get hit again.
"It seems you think selecting a High King will be difficult, but we shall decide it quite simply," Lady Tiselle said.
I wondered what it would be. A vote? A lottery?
"A duel," she stated.
The kings blinked in surprise.
"Please choose one representative from each territory. Those chosen representatives will fight, and the Territory King to whom the last person standing belongs shall become the High King."
As soon as she said the word, questions exploded from the crowd.
"Is it one-on-one?" "Is it a battle royale?" "Are weapons allowed?" "Can we choose a representative from a different race?" "Can we use someone from outside our country?" "The king doesn't have to be the representative, right?" "Are spectators allowed?" "When will it happen?" "Where?" "Who's the referee?" "What are the judging criteria?"
Even Lady Tiselle seemed a bit taken aback by the sheer enthusiasm of the questioners. I supposed they were kings of the Keilland Region, after all. When it came to fighting, this was their natural state.
"Wait a moment!!"
A man—likely an escort—stood up and shouted. Erika-teze and Isree started to move, but Lady Tiselle signaled them to wait.
"Tiselle! I understand your logic," the man yelled. "Stop the wars for the sake of the region and replace them with a duel between representatives! It’s simple enough!"
He summarized it well, at least.
"But I cannot accept this! What of those who have shed blood in the wars until now? Can we just say 'oh, alright then' and stop just because a little girl told us to?"
Lady Tiselle looked at the shouting man and asked, "If a little girl won't do... then whose words would you find acceptable?"
"That’s obvious! Someone stronger than me!"
Erika-teze and Isree prepared to intervene again, but Lady Tiselle stopped them once more.
"I won't listen to the words of anyone weaker than myself!" the man bellowed. The surrounding kings stirred at his defiance. However, Lady Tiselle remained perfectly calm.
"Very well. Then let us have a match."
The moment she stepped down from the platform, the ground began to bulge. The mounded earth shifted into a humanoid shape. I realized with a start that it was a Golem. It was massive—as tall as a three-story castle wall.
The giant Golem punched the escort. It wasn't just a simple swing of its arm; the Golem moved its entire body with the same fluid martial arts techniques Erika-teze used. The man was sent tumbling through the air, rolling quite a distance before he finally slammed into the castle wall and stopped.
"You aren't going to claim that using magic is cowardly, are you?" Lady Tiselle asked.
Her giant Golem prepared to follow up on the slumped man, but Erika-teze and Isree stepped in to stop her, pointing out that he was already unconscious. I was grateful for them; they were truly reliable.
"Well then, while I'm at it," she said, looking over the crowd. "Anyone else with an objection, please stand up. Let us have a match."
No one stood. Instead, the courtyard erupted in cheers.
"It's magic!" "She’s a real mage!" "Amazing! I’ve never seen it before!" "Heh, it’s my second time. A traveling adventurer used it once." "Oh? Did they summon a giant Golem like this too?" "No, they just made a flame about the size of a campfire." "I’d like to see that too."
I found myself wanting to see it as well. The atmosphere turned lively as everyone discussed the wonders of magic. It seemed that no one had any further objections to Lady Tiselle's proposal.
Erika-teze: "Well, the magic was fine, but I wonder about the ethics of a surprise attack." Isree: "It wasn't a formal match yet, so surprise attacks are perfectly acceptable." King A: "Can we choose Lady Erika-teze or Lady Isree as our representative?" King B: "Hey, that’s cheating! I want to choose them too!" King C: "Me too! Me too!" Erika-teze: "Unfortunately, we are neutral parties. You cannot pick Lady Tiselle either." Isree: "We will be serving as the referees."