I used to be the Conqueror King—ruler of the Kingdom of Jidoen. Or rather, I suppose I should say I am the Territory King of the Jidoen Territory now. Not yet? Lady Tiselle told me that changing the titles prematurely would only cause confusion, so we would wait until the High King was officially decided to transition everyone at once. Fair enough.
With the meeting over, we held a banquet to welcome the gathered monarchs. Thanks to a deal with a merchant company brokered through Instructor Erika-teze's connections, there was an abundance of food and an endless supply of sake. It quickly descended into a riotous celebration of drinking and song. Three major topics dominated the conversation.
First, naturally, was the High King and the upcoming selection battle. That was the whole point of this gathering, after all. Second was magic. Since magic was a rarity in these parts, everyone was quite worked up about the displays they had seen. Third was the etiquette lessons being taught by Instructor Erika-teze. The civil officials who had accompanied their kings were particularly intrigued. The female officials, however, seemed more interested in the beauty products sold by the company Erika-teze was linked to than the manners themselves. I didn't quite get the appeal, but apparently, the products were top-tier.
Aside from that, it was just the usual nonsense. It was the same old tired talk, but you can't really have a conversation without a common topic. Still, seeing Lady Tiselle, Erika-teze, and Lady Isree listening in so intently was a bit unsettling.
Fifty days passed after that initial meeting. The civil officials sent from each nation gathered at a location Lady Tiselle specified to begin preparations for the post-unification government. Meanwhile, regional qualifiers for the selection battle were held across the land. I represented my own country. I was the strongest, which helped, but I also wanted to ensure that if I lost, it would be by my own hand. Fortunately, I remained undefeated, earning a spot among the final eight in the tournament. Tomorrow, the eight of us would clash, and the king of whichever representative won would be crowned the High King. I was determined to win.
But before that, we held the Eve Festival. The eight finalists were there, along with every regional king and their escorts, all gathered to witness the final match. Even those who had already been eliminated were eager to see who would become the High King. Once again, amidst the drinking and singing, the usual foolish talk grew lively. And once again, Lady Tiselle and her companions were there, eavesdropping on every word.
During the festivities, Lady Tiselle summoned the kings whose representatives remained in the brackets and led us to a conference room. I wondered what this was about.
"Before the High King is decided, there are three—no, four things I must address," she began. I assumed she wanted to get this on the record now so no one could claim ignorance later.
"First, foreign wars are strictly prohibited for the foreseeable future. This is partly to focus on domestic affairs, but also because the Yunodenna Kingdom provided us with food and supplies on the condition that we cease all external conflict."
I hadn't realized that was the deal.
"Of course," she added, "counterattacks are permitted if you are provoked."
Well, that was reasonable.
"Second, I ask for preferential tax treatment for specific merchant companies. We’ve secured trade agreements with them on those terms."
I didn't mind that. I would just dump those details onto the civil officials later.
"Third, regarding the High King's capital."
I thought using the High King’s home territory would suffice, but she disagreed.
"If we do that, the civil officials would have to relocate every time the title changes hands. It’s inefficient. Instead, we plan to build a new capital here, in this vacant area."
She spread out a map and pointed to a spot. Wait.
"Lady Tiselle," I interrupted. "That area isn't 'vacant.' It’s forbidden territory."
"You mean because of the dragons?" she asked. "It’s fine. I’ve already secured their permission."
Permission? From whom?
"The dragons themselves. They happen to be acquaintances of mine—Mixed-Generation Dragons."
I was speechless. She continued as if it were nothing.
"I also plan to have them guard the city. There’s a water source nearby, and with the right roads, the area will flourish."
T-That might be true, but... she knew dragons? I decided it was best not to think too deeply about it.
"Regarding the construction, another acquaintance of mine will be handling that. It will take shape in about thirty days."
Thirty days? Did she just mean a few houses? There were over eight hundred civil officials coming. But Lady Tiselle didn't seem like the type to make idle boasts. I decided to leave the logistical headaches to her.
"Finally, the fourth point. Since you’ve made it this far, your honor is secure. If anyone under your command suggested that you should intentionally lose at this stage—or specifically warned you to avoid winning the title—I want them. Regardless of their rank, hand them over to serve as the High King’s administrative staff."
That caught me off guard. Several people had said exactly that to me. It seemed the other kings also had people in mind.
"They are talented individuals with foresight," she explained. "Those are the people I want running this nation. Oh, and make sure they don't escape. They might try to flee when they realize what’s happening."
I promised to see to it. With the meeting concluded, we returned to the festival.
The tournament was a no-holds-barred, brutal affair. But in the end, I emerged victorious. I was no longer just the Conqueror King; I was now the High King. It was a relief. At the victory banquet, I gave my inaugural greeting, pledging to do my part to bring prosperity to the Keilland Region. Once the formalities were over, the festive chatter resumed. Serious matters could wait for the bureaucrats.
Lady Tiselle called me aside one last time. Just me.
"There's something I’ve been meaning to ask," she said. "I’ve noticed that every time the celebrations get lively, everyone starts badmouthing the Angel Race. Do you all have some sort of grudge against them?"
A grudge? If you want to call it that. It wasn't my grudge, specifically, but my ancestors'. It happened about a hundred and twenty years ago. A certain Angel notorious as the Annihilation Angel had come to exterminate some flying monsters. We were grateful for the help, but the collateral damage from the combat was devastating—fields and homes were completely leveled.
As I spoke, the other monarchs—now my Territory Kings—joined in.
"It wasn't just the Annihilation Angel," one added. "A group called the Genocide Angel Trio rampaged similarly. They even changed the topography of the land in some places."
"Are there other such stories?" she asked.
"Plenty," we told her. None of us had been there, but we had heard the stories since we were children.
The banquet for the new High King turned into a spirited session of venting about the Angels. Lady Isree and Instructor Erika-teze were scribbling notes like their lives depended on it. I couldn't help but laugh.