The End of the World (It's Real) #1
The Grand Duke of the North.
Siegfried von Reinhardt.
A Swordmaster who grasped the principles of martial arts at a young age.
He is a man whose name is always mentioned whenever the citizens of the empire debate, "Who is the strongest in the empire? Excluding His Majesty, of course."
And, he is one of the protagonists of the original work.
I met him in a private room instead of the audience chamber.
"What brings you here without even a word of warning?"
"My apologies."
Siegfried bowed his head deeply.
It was a quick apology from a man who didn't seem like the type to ever bend to anyone. Well, I couldn't really say anything more after he apologized.
"Here it is."
"Thank you."
Lily naturally served the tea and vanished like a wisp of smoke.
"...So that is her. The one who silenced the night in the Imperial Capital last time."
Siegfried, having witnessed Lily's stealthy movements, looked impressed.
Has word already spread?
"It's not exactly a rumor. I simply deduced that it was unlikely Your Majesty moved yourself that night, and that there must be someone acting as your secret hands and feet."
"So, having seen her in person, what do you think?"
Siegfried closed his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he opened them and spoke.
"If we were to clash head-on, I would win, but in any other scenario, the probability of me losing is quite high. She is a formidable expert."
True. Lily is indeed impressive.
"Is that person a candidate for Empress?"
"Are you insane?"
"Hmm."
Siegfried nodded. As a man who clearly knew how to draw lines, he seemed to have no further interest in the matter.
He sat down across from me.
"So. What is it? You, who should be in your territory."
It meant, Aren't you supposed to be there cleaning up the mess in your territory?
"The cleanup is mostly finished."
Siegfried replied nonchalantly. Well, he was a competent character at his core, even if he was blinded by Serena in the original story. It was just hard to feel his competence when the scenes where he should have looked like a capable Grand Duke were glossed over in a few lines of text.
In reality, the Siegfried I remembered as Khalid von Aquitaine was a capable talent worthy of his position.
...As long as he wasn't blinded by a woman, that is.
"Still, you're certainly fast."
"Reinhardt has strong unity."
"That list of yours was unusually thin, after all."
Rather than strong unity, it felt more like the North was a place where it was difficult to commit enough corruption to warrant a purge. What was there to skim off, anyway? It was ruled by an iron-blooded Grand Duke, the land was barren and cold, and they had nothing but well-maintained spears and swords instead of resources. In the North, a traitor wasn't someone who did something grand; it was someone who stole food or played games with the grain supply.
Therefore, the rotten types looking for a quick buck in the empire never even bothered to step foot in the North. If they wanted to make a big score, they would have gone elsewhere, not the North.
"In any case, it's a good thing the chaos subsided quickly."
"That is precisely why I came to see you. I did clean things up quickly, but a problem has arisen."
"If that's the case, try telling me in advance next time."
"Yes."
I say that, but it doesn't really matter. Just as Elizabeth and I are childhood friends, Siegfried and I also have ties from when we were young. We weren't as close as Elizabeth and I were, of course—the physical distance made that impossible. Still, there was that unique sense of distance between friends of the same gender who had interacted since childhood; the kind where it doesn't feel awkward even if you haven't met in years.
"Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
"Please pave some roads for us."
"..."
This bastard.
Even though I was thinking about how we were 'friends who aren't awkward even after a long time,' he was shamelessly jumping straight to the point. It was staggering.
"Zeke. First of all."
"Yes."
"Explain the reason. That comes first, doesn't it?"
"Ah."
Ah, my foot.
"I signed the purge list as you requested, Your Majesty."
"I did."
"After cleaning house, I'm severely short on manpower."
Didn't he just talk about the unity of the North?
"We were short on numbers to begin with."
I understood. The reason the purge list was thin? There were few people, and there was nothing to skim off in the North. The reason for the manpower shortage? As he said, the North was a place that was always short on people. Since they were already lacking, even the smallest administrative gap felt painful.
"Wouldn't it be appropriate to receive technical assistance to make up for the shortage? I just cut off the head of the official who was in charge of logistics with the central government, so there's a huge void."
If it was the logistics official, that was a position where one could at least skim a little off the top in the barren North. Still, that must have been quite a blow. Seeing as he managed to sort it out somehow, he was certainly competent.
Anyway, roads. I understood why he needed them. It wasn't just for now; he was likely aiming for the long-term benefits of connecting the North and the Central region. But where would the money come from? The North's budget couldn't be that flexible.
"You acquired a gold mine, didn't you?"
"Do you think I'm your personal bank?"
Why is this guy so confident?
"Even so, I can't do it for free."
Actually, it didn't matter. Paving roads in the North? It wouldn't be a disaster to do that for him. It would cost some money. A lot of money, actually. A very large amount of money. But wasn't this whole situation caused by him following my request? Of course, since he handled the corruption, it was better for his future, but he had taken on the immediate risk.
Using some of the gold mine's profits wouldn't be unreasonable. It also helped that money didn't hold much meaning to me. Considering Zeke's character, having him owe me a debt was more meaningful.
"...What would you like me to give you? Our situation isn't exactly flush, either."
"Do you think I'd extort something harsh from you?"
"Yes. Honestly."
Siegfried nodded without a moment's hesitation. I had nothing to say. Even I thought I was that kind of guy.
"Forget it. What could I possibly take from the place you live?"
Actually, there was something. Precious resources. The North, which was barren, cold, and unsuitable for farming, boasted a prosperous power for many reasons, but one of the biggest was its precious resources. Resources found only in the North, such as Ice Crystals. In particular, the demand for Ice Crystals never ceased. As the name suggested, they were ores that held cold, acting as natural refrigerants. They were especially needed in the Magic Tower when using magi-tech devices. Naturally, nobles also used them as makeshift refrigerators.
"Just send me some Ice Crystals."
"How much should I send?"
"Just send enough to save face."
At this point, even Zeke seemed to notice that I had no intention of bleeding him dry. I only asked for the Ice Crystals to distribute as gifts, including to Elizabeth and Lily. My share? I already have plenty. If the Emperor is strapped for cash, the Empire is finished. Though, it was already half-finished.
"Understood."
...
"Why aren't you leaving? Do you have more business?"
"Um, Your Majesty."
Wasn't he done?
What is it now?
"By any chance, is relationship counseling available?"
Ugh.
*
Why are all the main male leads like this?
For a moment, I wondered if the Master of the Magic Tower would come to me for counseling too, but unlike Theo or Siegfried, he wasn't someone I had much of a connection with. No way. No way.
They say "no way" is what catches people, but this really was "no way."
Anyway.
"Is the young lady you like Serena Enfield?"
"How did Your Majesty know?"
I asked to avoid repeating the mistake I made with Theo. Fortunately, I was right this time. But the problem was that while the Grand Duke of the North, Siegfried, had feelings for the heroine Serena, she didn't have any for him. It seemed Siegfried was aware of this problem, too.
"It seems Serena has no interest in me."
To think that the iron-blooded Grand Duke of the North, who fits perfectly with the frost-covered North, is acting like this because he can't woo a single woman. Female players who played the game would have gone crazy with joy, but I didn't want to see it. But I couldn't ignore it, either. If I did, the world would end.
Try a little harder.
"First, Zeke. Let me ask you one thing."
"Yes."
"Why are you asking me?"
"Well."
Siegfried hesitated for a moment.
Why? What is he trying to say?
"Your Majesty knows women well, don't you?"
Tsk.
It was true that I was a tyrant who would say things like, "Bring me wine and women." But that didn't mean I knew women well. Knowing a woman's body well was somewhat accurate, but...
"For now."
"Yes."
I looked at Siegfried. Honestly, I didn't know why it wasn't working. Could it be that Serena already likes the Master of the Magic Tower? But in my memory of the original work, Serena never went on dates with other protagonists after she had already given her heart to one person. If that's the case, then it's not that.
"...I will meet with Serena Enfield once."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Right. If I meet her, I'll find out something.
*
"Yes? Ah, I'm not really interested in dating right now..."
Why aren't you interested?
Give me back the Serena who was obsessed with men that I remember.