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Strategy Discussion

Garden of philosophy—.

—The place that was called so was in a corner of the Roma’s royal palace.

Although the sound of it made one a.s.sociate it with a scholar’s study that was surrounded by old books, it wasn’t anything much, and was the greenhouse where the Crown Prince did his hobby, which was cultivating roses.

The Crown Prince Jeffren Isaac exterminated pests, did pruning and watering with his humming mixed in occasionally, and was far off from the word called philosophy, but the numerous roses that he grew were—unexpectedly—all articles of rare beauty that were desired by not only internal, but also each country’s dilettantes.

Conceding a hundred steps (to give in, albeit unwillingly), even if he wasn’t a philosopher, it was undoubted that this Crown Prince’s ability in cultivating roses outcla.s.sed the professionals.

Pointing the tip of the sword that was held in his hand to the sky, Jeffren Isaac narrowed his eyes.

「Just like that…the sword is an extension of your hand」

Dimitar who was waiting at a spot one step behind told Isaac so.

「Please imagine the magic power that’s circulating inside your body moving along your arm and to your fingertips, and from there, flowing further towards the sword’s tip」

It was hard to say that the unrefined sword which was wide and had no useless ornament was something suitable to be held by a country—the continent number one superpower Amaddo’s Crown Prince. However, the moment Isaac pursed his lips, the brilliance of a crimson red that had emerged on the sword blade was surely accompanied by a certain mystique.

「Mu…!」

The Military Minister in attendance was heard leaking out a faint groan in surprise.

「…Ha—a!」

In a complete change, when Isaac who had opened his eyes wide swung the sword that was pointing at the sky, a vivid flame spouted from its tip.

「Oh—」

The Finance Minister who was beside the Military Minister raised a clear voice of surprise.

「…That was magnificent, Your Highness!」

「Iya iya」

Isaac, who had lowered the sword and gently wiped his forehead, took a deep breath greatly and looked back at everybody.

「—It’s easier than I thought. I feel a little mentally tired though」

「Even though it’s magic, it isn’t something that can be used infinitely」

Lucius presented a mantle to Isaac who was wearing a blouse and explained.

「—When inexperienced people use magic many times within a short time, they’ll acc.u.mulate fatigue in no time and become unable to move」

「That’s to say, our army’s magic warriors (Furigana: Marefikos) are trained to not become tired so easily even if they fire magic in succession?」

「That’s correct」

「Fu—n」

Isaac, who had pa.s.sed the sword to Dimitar and put on the mantle, rotated his neck lightly and took another deep breath.

The sunlight that poured down brilliantly reflected off the gla.s.s of the rose greenhouse and was dazzling to the eyes. It seemed that Isaac called this greenhouse where he immersed himself in his hobby with an exaggerated name of “Garden of Philosophy”, but Dimitar couldn’t understand what on earth was philosophical about playing around with roses at all.

But for Dimitar who supported Quique, it should be a delightful matter that Isaac was trying to deepen his understanding of magic engineering (Furigana: Tekunorogia marefika).

Isaac stared at the military minister, Garido-kyou.

「—Well? Don’t you think it’s convenient that untalented people like me can also use magic in this way?」

「That’s—with all due respect but」

Garido-kyou who boasted of an old yet imposing physique etched a deep crease on his brow with a “guu”.

「As I see it, I don’t think it’s something that can be counted as a war potential on the battlefield. If it’s the magic warriors’ magic, they’re better—」

「You’re still saying such things? I believe just now wasn’t because this is poor-quality, but that I’m lacking power though」

Isaac pointed at the sword that Dimitar was holding and shrugged his shoulders.

「—It can’t be helped, explain a little, Richternach-kyou」

「…Ha」

Although he felt perplexed that the conversation was abruptly turned towards him, Dimitar didn’t show it on his expression. Originally, Dimitar was here to take the place of Quique and teach the way to use Jorkera—the “magic motion sword (Furigana: Espada marefika)” that Quique had presented to the Crown Prince. Knowledge was driven into his head so that he could roughly answer when he was questioned something.

Dimitar bowed slightly and said to Garido.

「Military Minister-kakka said that you don’t think things like this can become the leading part of the battlefield, but then, what do you think is the leading part of the battlefield?」

「That’s of course, cavalry. Infantry comes after that」

Garido-kyou stoked his firm chin and answered.

「Then, a thousand years ago?」

「…What?」

「Was the leading part of the battlefield the cavalry a thousand years ago too?」

Cavalry; in other words, a branch of the army wielding weapons on horseback was formed after stirrups were developed and soldiers could straddle atop horses. Before that, chariots that could be pulled by horses played an active role. Since even Dimitar knew this much, the Military Minister should know that cavalry itself was non-existent in the thousand years ago when stirrups didn’t exist.

「As Your Excellency knows, the leading part of the battlefield may change together with the era. …Of course, our army’s cavalry will play an active role as the main force for a long time hereafter too」

So as to not spoil the mood of Garido-kyou who loved cavalry, Dimitar continued while inserting a follow-up without fail.

「However, if a new invention is created, the entire army that adopted it needs to evolve too. Thinking that way, this magic motion sword is nothing more than one of the new weapons. What’s important is how to incorporate it into strategy and tactics, isn’t it?」

「…You’ve a point but—」

As usual, Garido-kyou’s expression was stiff. It seemed that he was a more conservative person than heard in the rumours.

In reality, the magic of the degree which the Crown Prince had shown just now couldn’t even replace fire arrows on the battlefield. Even if it did, for Amaddo’s long bow unit, they could shoot more accurate fire arrows from even further, thus it might also be natural that Garido-kyou found it difficult to accept.

Dimitar inhaled a large breath and said to the Crown Prince.

「…Your Highness, instead of Chief Engineer (Furigana: Maestro), may I call his niece here?」

「Eh? The Chief Engineer’s niece?」

「Hai. She’s Bettina Albiol-jou who serves as Costacurta-geika’s maidservant and at the same time, works as the Chief Engineer’s research a.s.sistant」

「Fuun…ma, all right. Let’s meet her」

「Thank you very much. —Bettina-jou! His Highness has given his permission!」

「Ha, ha~i!」

When Dimitar shouted, a pink armour came running with a “gasha gasha” from the other side of the gla.s.s-sided greenhouse.

「T, thank you very much for allowing me to have an audience with Your Highness! I’m Quique Albiol’s niece, Bettina! T, today, is a l, lucky day—」

「Ah—, dispense with the formal greetings, Bettina-jou」

Isaac held back Bettina who was overly tense and stared at the pink armour fixedly. Garido-kyou and Kaparos-kyou, and moreover their aides too, were staring in wonder.

「—So, what’s this appearance, Bettina-jou?」

「T, this armour is called Bachururus—」

「It’s one of the inventions that Chief Engineer developed. We shall now demonstrate its power」

Dimitar interrupted Bettina’s speech and whispered secretly.

「—Oi, show this fellow’s real worth to Military Minister-kakka」

「Ha, hai?」

「Show the power of Bachu something」

「E—to…h, how?」

「The beanbag juggling game」

「Ehh? B, but—」

「It’s fine, so do the beanbag juggling game」

「Haa, hai!」

Perhaps Bettina who was bending her knees before the Crown Prince was pestered by Dimitar repeatedly and had resolved herself, she stood up straight and approached Garido-kyou.

「Then…excuse my rudeness」

「W, what are you—nuoa!?」

Bettina suddenly lifted up the large build of Garido-kyou who had reflexively put himself on guard.

「Bettina-jou is still thirteen years old. Even though she’s such a young girl, she’s able to exhibit this sort of power. How’s it, Your Excellency?」

「Hey, o, oooh—h!?」

Bettina threw Garido up into the air and caught him, threw him up and caught him; she was easily treating him exactly like a beanbag. Needless to say of the Crown Prince who was watching on the side, this was probably the best appeal to Garido-kyou.

「With this, I think you can understand a part of the magic engineering’s real worth, but—」

「L, l, let me down! Oi!?」

「That’s enough already, Gacha Pink」

「Haai」

Perhaps Garido-kyou, who had danced in mid-air for about ten times and finally returned to the ground, felt dizzy as one would expected, he was leaning against his aide and wiping his sweat.

「G, good grief, all of a sudden, what are—」

「Please consider, Your Excellency. At some point in the future, all the soldiers of the Amaddo Army can manifest such power」

「However, if the army hesitates to adopt magic engineering here, other countries may obtain this power earlier. Just because we neglected the research of magic engineering, it doesn’t mean that even other countries’ researchers will follow it」

「Nu…」

Dimitar thereupon turned around to the finance minister, Kaparos-kyou.

「—In addition, this power isn’t just a military affair, but can also be put to use in the areas of industry and agriculture」

「I see」

Kaparos-kyou, who had been keeping silent the whole time until then, nodded with a self-satisfied look while touching his pure-white beard that grew from his chin.

「When the wind’s direction is poor and the windmill doesn’t work, or when the water wheel doesn’t work due to water shortage…that power may certainly be useful. Besides, it’s also useful for cultivating the fields」

「That’s how it is, Garido-kyou. —Regarding this matter, I intend to report it to Chichi-ue, telling him to formally put out a research budget 」

Isaac fixed the cuffs of his blouse and said.

「If to the end, the army doesn’t want to continue the research of magic engineering, I’ll be responsible for Chief Engineer. I want to make my Chivalric Order into a group that can also fight seriously. I want their equipment to always be the latest and strongest ones」

「Your Highness, please allow me to be present too when you report to His Majesty. This is a very interesting research. It’ll contribute greatly to our country’s development」

Hearing Kaparos-kyou adding such words, Garido-kyou made his face increasingly grim.

「…If His Highness and even Finance Minister say so, then it’s unavoidable. …Certainly, I don’t want to fall behind Haiderota and the like in these areas」

「Thank you, Garido-kyou」

As they were able to somehow persuade the most difficult person, Dimitar and Lucius looked at each other and smiled slightly.

「—By the way, you’re a girl, right?」

「Ah!」

Without the time to be stopped, Isaac raised Bachururus’s visor with a “gachan”, expressly bent over and looked inside.

Isaac and Bettina stopped their movements as though frozen in place like that for a while and didn’t say a single word.

Before long, when Isaac closed the visor, turned back and folded his arms with a pensive look on his face,

「…Bettina-jou」

「Ha, hai?」

「From now on, don’t take off that armour in front of people unnecessarily. —Is that clear?」

「Ha…? Ah, ha, hai…in the first place, I’m always wearing it」

「Then it’s fine. —I hope Richternach-kyou will also let her be as such」

「…Acknowledged」

Although he didn’t understand why he was told such a thing, Dimitar obediently agreed.

In any case, he had fulfilled his obligation towards Quique.

End of Prologue