Akatsuki Translations

Located in the central part of the Southern Continent, the Divine Kingdom of Proulich is one of the continent’s major powers.

In the war-torn Southern Continent, the current monarch, now the thirteenth in line, is named Calisson Hectales Hasbenowa Mille Lando Proulich.

Close nobles call him King Loud, while more intimate friends call him Calisson. Formally, in public, he is addressed as King Proulich.

His rule is praised as a good governance, and his non-confrontational diplomatic stance is highly regarded by neighboring territories.

Historians of future generations would likely deem him a wise and just ruler. However, just before his ascension to the throne, about twenty years ago, the nation nearly faced its downfall.

At that time, after the death of the twelfth king, the freshly adult Crown Prince Calisson was left with young princes and princesses. Seizing this opportunity, three neighboring countries formed an alliance and launched an invasion.

The young prince, being so youthful, could not consolidate the nation. Moreover, the then-leading nobleman, who was also the twelfth king’s younger brother (and thus the prince’s uncle), joined forces with foreign powers in a rebellion.

Facing invasions from three directions, with even the nation’s leading figures siding with the enemies, all attempts to repel the invasions failed, and enemy forces advanced close to the capital.

Facing an enemy force of over 20,000, the royal army, which was said to number less than a thousand, prepared for battle on a plain near the capital.

At that time, Casserole Peynier, a 19-year-old man without noble status, served as a retainer for a knight’s family on the side of the royal army.

Spotting an opportunity when the enemy army was resting at night, he single-handedly launched a night raid. Based on prior long-distance observations, he targeted only the general’s quarters, achieving the significant feat of beheading the chief general and four other generals.

The enemy army, having suddenly lost a majority of their senior commanders, was thrown into chaos. Seizing this opportunity, Prince Calisson’s swift counterattack is still celebrated as a heroic tale.

Even more astonishingly, the prince absorbed the supposed enemy-aligned nobles from his own country and launched a counter-invasion.

The attacking side, with its main force absent and caught off-guard by the sudden counteroffensive, eventually agreed to a peace treaty with the Divine Kingdom, somewhat in the latter’s favor.

Thus, after repelling the enemy invasion, the prince was crowned king of the Divine Kingdom.

For Casserole Peynier, who everyone recognized as a hero, he was awarded the title of a knight and given the Morteln region, which was taken from the enemy during the peace negotiations, as his territory.

This land, situated between mountain ranges and resembling a basin, had an ambiguous ownership due to the peace treaty. However, assigning a war hero to govern this region served as a significant deterrent against potential threats.

However, the Morteln territory was notoriously infertile.

In a sense, being told to govern here could be seen as a punishment. Recognizing this, the king, despite the post-war empty treasury, granted a large sum of money.

A whopping 1,000 Proulich gold coins, considering that even a viscount’s post-war reward was only 20 gold coins, this was an exceptional amount.

With this reward as capital, the development of the Morteln territory began.

Rocks were painstakingly removed, hard ground was tilled, and for the first few years where no harvest was expected, all expenses were covered by the reward. The challenges faced were evident to all.

Years later, upon hearing reports that the management of the Morteln territory was starting to stabilize, the king was exceptionally pleased.

However, no matter how much money one has, the principle remains that if one spends it, it decreases.

Even if money circulates in the world, once it leaves one’s hands, it’s as good as gone.

The world works in such harsh ways.

Especially after events like wars, the outflow of resources is enormous. It’s good if something can be recovered from the enemy, but if not, the losses are one-sided.

Currently, the treasury of the Morteln territory looked as if winter had come a bit earlier than the actual season.

“We’re broke.” -Casserole

“Boss, you’ve been saying that for a while now. We’re discussing what to do about it.” -Sheets

The largest village in the Morteln territory is Zasden. Locals call it the main village, and its current population is a little over 130 when including the populations of both the village called Kochen in the west and Kirchen in the east.

The population of the main village itself is a little over 50. The numbers are vague because the registry management is lax. Taxes are collected per household, so the number of people in each household is very fluid. This is the case in any territory, and the Morteln territory’s registry management is relatively solid.

The largest mansion in this main village is the Morteln Manor.

It’s the residence of Casserole and Pas, and in fact, there’s also a room for Sheets. They have more rooms than they need.

Within the manor, there is a rarely-seen room equipped with a sofa.

Commonly referred to as The Office, most of the territory’s troubles are discussed in this room.

Currently, three people are in this room.

The lord, Casserole, his chief aid, Sheets, and the next lord, Pastry.

Even by general standards, these three are considered wise.

In a world where being literate and being able to perform basic arithmetic is considered erudite, they can discuss everything from military strategy to economics.

When three people come together, great wisdom can emerge. Every day problems arise within and outside the territory, but when the three discuss deeply, they usually find a solution.

At least that was the case until now.

However, they couldn’t even find a clue to solve the current problem.

Namely, securing funds due to the bandit raid.

In particular, two villages are currently shut down.

Re-digging the covered wells requires manpower, effort, and money, as does rebuilding the demolished houses. Due to a lack of timber resources in the territory, they have to import from outside, which also adds to the cost.

They need to provide food for the residents of the two villages to survive the winter, and also repair the fields.

They need more money than they have, especially in situations like this.

“It really hurts that we let the bandits’ leader escape.” -Casserole

“No use in crying over spilled milk, but it’s true it would have been different if we had caught him.” -Sheets

In wars against other lords or foreign countries, you can demand reparations during peace talks or ransom captured knights and nobles to fund the war. War is profitable if you win.

Even a magician with a great cost-performance ratio can earn a fortune.

However, because this was a conflict with bandits, that option isn’t available.

There are three main ways to recover war costs from bandit subjugation.

Recovery of the stolen goods, bounties, and the ripple effect of restoring order.

Recovering stolen goods is the most obvious form of war booty.

This includes treasures collected by the bandits, their armor and swords, livestock like horses and donkeys, and the sale of captured bandits as slaves.

This concept is familiar even in fairy tales in modern Japan that someone like Pas would know.

For instance, in the tale of Momotaro, he brings back treasures from Onigashima, or in The Arabian Nights, the forty thieves hide treasures that can be accessed with the password “Open Sesame.”

This could be described as a short-term and immediately impactful economic effect.

However, this time the bandits had been driven out of a count’s territory.

Even if they had amassed a treasure, it would have been hidden in the count’s territory. Most of their wealth is already in the count’s pocket.

The bandits who fled didn’t have significant assets, and their armor and swords had already been given away as rewards.

A bounty is a reward put on a bandit’s head.

It can be set by someone seeking revenge for a family member or friend killed by bandits, villagers or townsfolk trying to take measures without relying on the lord, or a lord who can’t handle the situation and is willing to spend money to resolve it.

In this world, there are those who make a living off these bounties. They’re a type of mercenary called bounty hunters. They travel in small groups, earning from these bounties. Most of them are skilled, and many are magicians.

For the recent bandits, high bounties have been set by the heirs of the Baron of Salgrade and the Baron of Boulebach, partly for revenge.

It takes nearly six months to process and confirm a bounty claim, so it’s not an immediate source of funds. But if a lump sum can be obtained in the short to medium term, it has a significant economic effect.

However, the regrettable oversight was letting the leader escape recently.

Bounties are mostly placed on the heads of leaders, and the captured bandits this time might, at best, collectively fetch about a silver coin.

If they hadn’t let him escape, they could have expected about 200 Retes gold coins. Even in Prou gold coins, they could have expected about 100. The one that got away was a particularly big catch.

Restoring public order has long-term economic benefits.

With bandits no longer wreaking havoc, significant improvements in public safety are expected. Naturally, the territory becomes a safer place.

In a territory with stable public order, farmers can cultivate fields without worry, and merchants can do business confidently.

A stable environment attracts more people. More people mean more manpower, which increases the productive capacity of the territory.

As a result, the territory would grow more prosperous.

However, the current problem facing the Morteln territory isn’t the danger of future poverty.

The problem is a lack of funds at the moment.

Being promised abundant food in the future is less appealing than having even a single potato right now.

If they don’t find funds soon, both the Morteln family and their subjects will inevitably dry up.

“I wonder if we can’t just borrow money?” -Casserole

“The problem is finding a lender. Nearby territories are all suffering from cold damage. There aren’t any territories with a surplus, and our neighbors, who were badly affected by the bandits, even approached us for a loan. Borrowing from distant nobles is not an option as we have no connections.” -Sheets

“How about approaching the court nobles in the capital?” -Casserole

“They are the greediest of the lot. For every borrowed coin, they’d demand a hundred in interest. Even if we manage now, it would lead to bankruptcy. It’s a bad move.” -Sheets

Court nobles are those appointed by the royal family. Although they have territories, unlike territorial nobles whose lands are privately owned, most of their lands are either owned by the royal family or are part of the royal territory.

While territorial nobles mostly rely on tax revenue from their territories, court nobles don’t have such income. Instead, they’re paid salaries according to their positions, but the amounts are much lower than what territorial nobles earn.

Although some territorial nobles with large territories also hold official positions, court nobles are generally considered greedy.

Originally, the position was meant for younger siblings of territorial nobles who couldn’t inherit land. But as the positions became hereditary, they turned into privileges, and some were even openly bought and sold.

“Can’t we ask for help from your mother’s or father’s family?” -Pastry

“We’ve already severed ties with both families…” -Casserole

Casserole’s family, the Peynier Viscounts, are a respectable noble family with a small territory at a considerable distance from the capital. If the previous generation, Pastry’s grandfather, were alive, they would have helped without a doubt. They did provide assistance during the initial stages of Morteln territory’s development.

However, after the generation changed, things worsened. The current lord of the Peynier territory, Casserole’s half-brother and Pastry’s uncle, demanded repayment of the supposed assistance with exorbitant interest.

Eventually, they only paid back the received amount, but the situation was more than enough to sever ties. Even if they went asking for money now, they wouldn’t be listened to.

Pastry’s mother, Agnes, also had been estranged from her family for over fifteen years after her elopement with Casserole. Their families objected to their marriage, given the Morteln territory’s poor prospects. They haven’t even shown the face of their grandson, so suddenly appearing now, especially to ask for money, would likely be met with rejection.

“For now, we can get by through borrowing money through our connections and selling off the captured bandits… ” -Sheets

“We need to find funds as soon as possible. But overthinking won’t help. Maybe after cooling our heads, we’ll come up with a good strategy. For today, let’s leave it at this. Pastry, you may leave.” -Casserole

“Yes, Father. Excuse me.” -Pastry

In the end, they couldn’t come up with a feasible plan, and the topic shifted to the next issue.

◇◇◇◇◇

Pastry has had two daily routines since he was young.

One, as expected, is researching and practicing sweets.

The other is practicing swordsmanship.

In a world where the giving and taking of life are part of everyday life more so than in modern Japan, those without a means of self-defense are placed in a considerably vulnerable position.

Much like how, even in the present day, people with poor vision must endure the inconvenience of glasses or contact lenses, those in this world without means of self-defense must accept the inconvenience of either hiring guards or becoming a recluse.

The economic burden, along with restrictions on activities, is significant.

Therefore, honing one’s sword skills is a prerequisite for freedom of action, and Pastry makes it a daily practice.

However, he is still a seven-year-old child in the midst of physical growth.

Before swinging a sword, the first thing that needs to be done is building basic physical strength.

As part of this, the boy, the next lord, is fond of running.

He runs around the main village at his own pace for about an hour.

“Young master~, you’re so energetic today.” -Old Woman

“Granny too, make sure you don’t hurt your back.” –Pastry

“Don’t worry, I’m still young, so I won’t lose to you. Hehehe.” -Old Woman

Today, he chose to run in a clockwise direction from the west. Part of the reason was to inspect the surroundings.

Along the way, he was greeted numerous times, indicating both his frequent visibility and the affection people held for him.

The first thing he sees when he starts running is a vast field, stretching as far as the eye can see.

There are three main fields around the village, and this is one of them.

Currently, it was a scenery of barrenness, post the soybean harvest.

In the past, the Morteln territory would either let the land rest or sow autumn wheat during this season.

They used to rotate between spring wheat, fallow land, autumn wheat, and again fallow land, which was somewhat inefficient compared to other territories.

Due to less rainfall and infertile land, they’ve shifted to a rotation of barley or oats in the spring, beans in the autumn, and barnyard grass or foxtail millet in the fallow periods, following Pastry’s experiments.

Compared to a generation ago, food production has almost doubled, signifying Pastry’s progress towards a prosperous environment dedicated to making sweets.

The cultivation of beans had a singular purpose: to enrich the land. While these beans resembled soybeans, they proved far more fruitful when grown on infertile soil compared to attempting wheat cultivation in such impoverished lands. They were resilient to the cold but vulnerable to the heat, making them a valuable alternative to winter wheat.

Above all, these beans fell into the category of shrubs, and though they were no thicker than a thumb at most, unlike wheat, they served as a source of firewood after harvest.

In a territory lacking in timber, they had become indispensable for sustenance as precious fuel.

The introduction of bean farming, solving both the issue of food production and the importation of firewood, greatly contributed to the financial improvement of Morteln.

As Pas ran through the bean fields, he pondered if there might be any lucrative ideas he could capitalize on. It was during one of these runs that the notion of bean farming as a means to offset firewood expenses crossed his mind.

Thus, he continued to run, harboring faint hopes while deep in thought.

He had come up with the bean farming idea for firewood savings while running.

So, he runs, harboring faint hopes of another brainstorm.

However, the world isn’t always that generous.

If profitable ideas came easily, the Morteln territory would probably be a group of wealthy people by now.

“Heeey, Pas~” -Marc

After running for just under an hour, a voice called out to stop Pas.

“Marc, you seem to be working hard.” –Pastry

Having recovered from his recent slump, Marc received a new sword from Pas.

Hoping to be useful as a retainer someday, he’s been diligently practicing his sword skills.

He seemed to have practiced intensely today, as he was as sweaty as Pas, showing his passion.

“You’re without your bride today?” –Pastry

“It’s not like that between me and Lumi!” -Marc

“I didn’t say anything about Lumi. Hehehe.” –Pastry

“Grrr, you’re so annoying!” -Marc

“It’s been my nature since birth.” –Pastry

Since the recent incident, the mischievous group, always seen together, began to act independently.

When they do come together, they’re as mischievous as ever, but it’s becoming less frequent.

Pas feels both happiness seeing his friends grow and a twinge of jealousy towards the two who show remarkable growth. They’ve matured by overcoming hardships.

“You’re done with your run right? How’s the village? Nothing unusual, right?” -Marc

“Well, the beanwood pruning seems to be progressing, and the main village looks fine.” –Pastry

It seems Marc is aware of Pas’ daily running routine.

The fact that he even knows the running course is impressive.

Pas responds with a light-hearted tone, considering Marc, though older, is still around ten.

He couldn’t possibly tell Marc about their financial troubles. His vague answer reflected this.

“Your hands are free, right? Could you spar with me?” -Marc

Marc’s recent enthusiasm for swordsmanship is well-known.

He’s declared his intent to take on the position of a retainer, and adults support him.

Being a retainer, a main force in wars, it’s beneficial to be skilled with a sword.

Marc should be learning from his father, Cointreau, who is a retainer, but is currently overseeing reconstruction efforts in a sealed village.

There are only three individuals with the title of retainer in the territory, but their official duties keep them extremely busy. Marc practicing alone with a wooden sword is due to this.

Practice alone can become monotonous, especially for a child. When a suitable partner appears, it’s only natural to want to spar.

“Sure, but only for a little while.” –Pastry

“Good, use this.” -Marc

Pas’ gaze lands on a homemade wooden sword.

It’s a practice sword made by simply carving a handle into a thin plank of wood, somewhat of a luxury item in the territory.

When Pas practices swordsmanship with Casserole, they use real swords.

This is partly because Pas’ skill level is suitable for actual combat, but also due to Casserole’s educational philosophy. He believes that one can truly learn swordsmanship only by using real swords. It’s a rigorous, Spartan education.

Using real swords for sword training is a dangerous practice. Even a slight scrape can cause injury, and the intense training isn’t just for show.

Parents who impose such near-abusive training on their children are extremely rare exceptions. Normally, training begins with exercises that take care not to cause severe injuries to children.

Swinging wooden swords or blunt blades is also part of that training.

“Hiyah!” -Marc

The moment Pas bent over to pick up a sword,

Marc suddenly swung his sword down.

It was a strikingly unexpected attack.

This is the educational philosophy of Marc’s father, Cointreau.

While Pas, coming from a lineage of knights, has learned the orthodox, royal swordsmanship, Marc is different.

He practices a more combat-oriented style of swordsmanship. Rather, he’s been drilled in a comprehensive combat technique, which also involves swords.

Cointreau, having participated in many battles as a vassal, polished his swordsmanship specifically for the battlefield.

One of his teachings:

Always be on the battlefield. If you’re caught off guard, it’s your fault.

No complaints can be made once you’ve been ambushed and killed.

Thinking about how to catch someone off guard helps you understand how an opponent might try to do the same to you. Hence, in their sparring, whether it’s a sneak attack or something else, the rule in this setting is that the one who lands the first blow wins.

“You’re too naive!” –Pastry

A clanging sound of swords colliding.

In Pas’ hands was a short beanwood branch. He deftly parried Marc’s wooden sword and picked up his own wooden sword. A light smile played on the silver-haired boy’s face.

“Tch, that’s dirty, using something other than a sword.” -Marc

“I don’t want to hear that from Marc, who tried a surprise attack.” –Pastry

In their sparring, anything goes – ambushes, blinding, groin shots, and surprise attacks at night.

This kind of roughhousing is fresh and educational for Pas, and he enjoys it.

In traditional swordsmanship matches, Pas has the upper hand.

In fact, in face-to-face swordsmanship matches that start with a bow, Pas has never lost to Marc.

But in these real combat skirmishes, he’s been beaten countless times.

Using a small child as a trap, gripping sand for striking and blinding, and even employing weapons similar to concealed weapons.

Marc, a mischievous brat at heart, always surprises Pas with his flexible ideas and strategies.

In a way, Marc can be called a genius. His talent for mischief is a shame, but his flexible thinking and interesting ideas are innate.

“Here I come!” -Marc

With a youthful yet brave shout, Marc charged straight ahead.

Only straightforward foolishness, without any tactics or technique.

Shouting thoughtlessly after a surprise attack. Everyone would find it odd.

He’s up to something.

It was only natural for Pas to think so.

Marc kept charging with straightforward thrusts, being repelled several times.

On the fourth or fifth attempt, he tried again. Once more, his sword was parried. That instant…

“Wha? My sword!” -Marc

“This is my chance!” –Pastry

The wooden sword in Pas’ hand broke from the base of the hilt.

It happened just as he was about to parry. His stance was completely off.

Probably, there was a trap set in the wooden sword.

But there’s no point in complaining about it being unfair.

On the battlefield, it’s common for swords to break. Picking up a fallen sword and using it is standard, and enemies won’t wait just because your sword broke.

This was probably the decisive moment.

After a strong step forward, Marc launched himself in a desperate charge.

A full-powered strike. There was no way for Pas to dodge or block it. Marc was certain of it.

But Pas’ instant reaction was unexpected.

“【Replication】!!” –Pastry

Pas used magic. In that brief moment, Marc’s sword broke from the base.

As the blade flew off in a completely different direction, spinning through the air, Marc looked at the hilt left in his hand. His full-powered thrust had been effortlessly avoided.

Pas addressed the stunned Marc.

“It feels good to know that the ‘Replication’ can be used on weapons too.” –Pastry

“Isn’t using magic cheating?” -Marc

“You never know what might happen on the battlefield.” –Pastry

“Damn, I thought I’d get a point today.” -Marc

“You were close, but it’s a draw.” –Pastry

Technically, it’s a swordsmanship match. Therefore, their rule is that, in the end, they must always attack the opponent with a sword.

Now that both wooden swords had broken, they had no choice but to call it a draw for the day.

“Marc, you’ve become strong. That last thrust was particularly splendid.” –Pastry

“I know, right? The other day, the master praised me, saying I’ve got really good form.” -Marc

“By master, you mean my father?” –Pastry

“Yeah. He said he’d watch me in place of my dad and had a look at my sword technique. Watch out; I’ll take a point from you fair and square someday.” -Marc

“I’m looking forward to it. Huh?” –Pastry

From a distance, voices call out to Pas and Marcarullo.

Although it’s a voice that carries well from afar, it hasn’t experienced a voice change yet. The two of them wouldn’t mistake it.

“Pas~ Marc~ What are you two doing~?” -Luminito

“Lumi, is your wound okay now, even if you run?” –Pastry

Rushing towards them was a young girl.

From her clothes, hairstyle, choice of words, to her daily mischief, she looks like a boy in every way. However, her facial features clearly belong to a girl, Luminito.

It’s a common rumor that she’ll grow up to be a beauty.

“Grandpa said I could move around now, so I came out to play.” -Luminito

“Is that so? That’s good to hea… huh?” –Pastry

What caught Pas’ eyes was a sword.

It should be the sword she received as a reward, and it’s not strange for her to have it. However, the way her hand casually rested on its hilt was suspicious.

No, more than such logic, a sixth sense set off an alarm.

“Pas, dodge!!” -Marc

Marc’s anguished scream.

The timing of his voice and the girl drawing her sword was eerily synchronized.

“Ugh!” –Pastry

And then, Pas lost consciousness.