Chapter 43 — Everything Now Belongs to Your Majesty (3)
Chapter 43 — Everything Now Belongs to Your Majesty (3)
Rauka stared at Roan, who was spewing beer again, with a look of utter disbelief.
"What a waste...."
Well, sure, a threesome might be fun. But I never expected Grünent to be the one to bring it up first.
Her charm came from how rational and reasonable she was, after all.
"Wow, Rine! Is it really okay?"
Hey, shouldn't you be asking me for permission?
And there's a fiancée in the picture, even if she's not here right now.
But Rauka, who had been lying slumped over, added a word. Her face was flushed too.
"...Me too...."
"Oh myyy, you too, Rauka?"
Grünent feigned surprise and shyness as she patted Rauka on the back.
"Urk, s-stop it...."
"Y-Your M—... Roan, you, you promised, right?"
Lisa stared at Roan with glistening eyes.
"Mm, I did."
He was so happy that he calmed down instead.
It was too good to be true, so he couldn't show it.
Threesome, foursome, whatever. Isn't this every guy's dream?!
He felt that if he seemed too happy, they might dislike it, so Roan just nodded calmly.
"Please invite me soon, okay?"
"Mm."
"Don't worryyy, Lisa!"
Grünent nodded her head vigorously.
"I'll take care of ittt."
"Rine!"
Lisa hugged Grünent, and her aggressive chest crushed against Grünent's.
It was a really heartwarming sight.
The heartwarming part was heartwarming, but getting three drunk women home was another matter.
Roan soon fell into thought.
However, Grünent smiled brightly and quietly cast a spell. She stumbled over her words a few times, but the spell soon succeeded.
"...No way?"
"Hehe, yes, a sobering spell."
Why does something like this exist?
...but if I start nitpicking, I'd have to deny the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster in front of me, so let's just move on.
Still, if she had this spell, shouldn't she have used it before everyone got this wasted?
"There are things people only say when they're drunk, Your Majesty."
That's also a fair point.
Me? The Demon King's body never got drunk.
Even after drinking, he didn't feel the intoxication.
Maybe his body automatically broke down the toxin of alcohol, just like masters in martial arts novels.
A body that doesn't get drunk on its own, what a perk.
Of course, it's absolutely NOT that he planned to get the women drunk and try something!
In the first place, he could just use 'Mihon' for that.
'The things you hear when they're drunk are what's interesting.... Watching that was the real fun.'
There were no drinking events with the characters in the game!
So, every moment from the drinking party was a unique scene.
This must be one of those little pleasures you can enjoy because you fell into a game world.
But the excitement ended last night.
When morning came, after talking to the labor dispatch manager, Roan started a meeting in the forenoon.
"The trading companies are creating a monopoly."
That was the conclusion of the Treasurer after reading the report.
Hearing this, Baron Grabe asked a question.
"You didn't foresee this?"
His voice was sharp.
Even though he was a special envoy close to internal affairs, outside parties were normally not allowed in state council meetings.
But the Baron was a professional in running a trading company.
Since he also wanted to advise on matters related to the company if possible, a magic contract on confidentiality was drawn up and he joined the meeting.
Liron glared after being reprimanded by a human, but no one noticed.
In the end, he just scratched his skull like usual.
"It is the first time the nation released wheat like this."
"...Excuse me?"
As a human used to the norm of the royal castle buying and distributing relief grain, it must have seemed strange.
Roan added an explanation.
"Us demons are creatures who fend for themselves. There must be a difference between the role of a king as you conceive it and the role I take on."
"If that's the case... are you saying the nation had no separate measures even when its people starved?"
"...Yes. We didn't care."
Why am I the one stuck with the shame...
It was all about forcibly binding demons who couldn't form a nation together and plopping an emperor at the top.
As if a government would have functions like welfare or relief.
Even after the Baron's blunt words, when Roan and Liron looked at him as if wondering what the problem was, the Baron was bewildered.
"Hmm, so, this is how...."
While there had always been secret trade between Evirgio and the human kingdoms, this was the first time they had such formal contact.
Therefore, the demons' culture itself wasn't well known to humans.
Having assumed it would naturally be similar to a human kingdom with an emperor and nobles and officials under him, the Baron looked deeply shocked.
After all, hadn't the emperor shown considerable political acumen, communicated smoothly, and hadn't the princess seemed to be adapting well here?
"So even when false rumors spread, it seems you didn't have routes to detect them in the past."
"Yes. Because it didn't matter."
Yep. In the past, if it was necessary, they just killed them.
Baron Grabe flipped through and read the report repeatedly, as if searching for the right words.
"The nation is sending food to the frontlines and not releasing it to the market, so the people are starting to blame the state.
When such an opportunity arises, merchants naturally wait for the prices to peak."
"Hmm. I didn't know there were fools daring enough to defy His Majesty's orders this way. Though, if not for His Majesty, this might have gone unnoticed as well. If it weren't for the Prime Minister, no one would have listened to the rumors on the streets."
Aranya was meticulous in many ways.
"But I heard it is the Harvest Festival period now. The records show the nation regularly handed food over to the company during this time, so why is this year different?"
"Hrmm...."
Liron coughed awkwardly, clearly at a loss.
In the end, Roan answered.
"Humans couldn't be stored for long periods."
"...Excuse me?"
Roan gritted his teeth internally.
Damn Demon King.
"Originally, it was humans instead of wheat."
Baron Grabe was a merchant who had been through all sorts of ups and downs.
But even for him, cannibalism was a hard concept to accept.
He had heard that Merdeans captured in war were eaten, but hearing that Evirgio systematically treated humans as meat was a shock of a different magnitude.
The color drained from the Baron's face.
He seemed to have aged by several years in an instant.
"In the form of slaughtering done by the trading companies, war prisoners were handed over to them.
In our nation, where food is more expensive than humans, keeping humans alive for long means continuous loss. The humans received by the companies in the past all became meat within a few days......"
"Ah, I understand, Tha... nk you, Your Majesty."
The pale-faced Baron cut off the emperor, trembling, but the Demon King didn't blame him.
Roan silently waited for the Baron to speak.
After drinking a glass of water and calming himself, the old man bowed his head to Roan and Liron.
"I am sorry for showing an unreliable side to Your Majesty and the Treasurer due to my naivety."
"It's fine."
"The situation is certainly different from human nations. If it were Arteala, rumors spreading this much would have led to a riot. So there is no human mea— no meat, and no wheat."
"Indeed."
When Liron nodded in agreement, the Baron continued.
"Commodity prices are greatly influenced not only by how much product is circulating but also by rumors.
One basis for determining demand is street rumors and public opinion. When demand rises, prices rise with it.
It seems the local companies are bewitched by this unprecedented situation. They are short-sighted."
"Hm. They probably didn't think we were searching out rumors one by one. Though it's shameful, I myself was never interested in such things before."
Seeing the Emperor admit his own shame, Baron Grabe's eyes widened.
The Treasurer spoke, as if defending his lord.
"If they're caught damaging His Majesty's prestige, a company can disappear. That's how it's been until now.
But it seems the guilt and fear have been diluted since all the companies colluded together."
"Disappear... are companies not protected by institutions?"
"Because Evirgio is the world of demonkind. Everything submits to me. That is the natural order here."
The Baron closed his mouth at Roan's words.
"However, I do not wish to eliminate the companies for such a reason. As you said, it would be short-sighted."
But Roan's following words piqued the interest of the Baron and the Treasurer.
"Of course, the situation must be resolved. To me, toying with food destined for the people is unforgivable."
Liron nodded vigorously.
His Majesty really does consider meals important.
"So I'd like to make one proposal."
False rumors are fatal. They must be resolved.
How severely would the Hero's image of the Demon King drop if they heard that 'the Demon King used all the wheat for war, so we have no choice but to eat humans'?!
"How about creating a trading company?"
It's one of the must-do actions in novels when the protagonist becomes a noble in another world for wealth and glory.
Establish a company! Develop new products!
He'd been holding back because he was already the emperor and it felt like cheating, but he couldn't trust the existing companies.
The Treasurer and the Baron blinked at the sudden statement. Liron was the first to speak.
"...There is absolutely no problem with you establishing one. Doesn't everything belong to Your Majesty? You may do as you wish."
Right, this was the attitude.
Unlike Liron, who wondered why he'd ask such an obvious thing, the Baron looked baffled after hearing Liron's words.
"There's no... problem? Treasurer."
"That's right. Why? Is Arteala different?"
"Uh, hmm."
Roan understood the Baron's dilemma.
In modern society, it's illegal for a person in power to use their monopoly on knowledge and authority to make money, since it robs others of their opportunities.
That's why thugs and organizations like me in reality scraped by, exploiting the gaps between companies trying to make money.
"Hmm, well, our Arteala is a bit different, but if it's fine here in Evirgio..."
Though this world is a fantasy world, the place with a system closest to modern society is the city-state union of Arteala.
There, the heads of each city gather to elect a king. Naturally, they'd fiercely keep each other in check to prevent the king or city mayors from profiting. A completely different atmosphere from Evirgio.
It was something he could guess without studying it, because big companies or those hiring thugs all thought and acted that way.
There were even plenty of people who sought out gangs because they didn't want to give work to a rival company run by their own family.
After finishing his thoughts, the Baron looked at Roan.
"If it's not a problem in Evirgio, then yes, operating a state-run trading company seems possible. With a state company, managing prices would be easier, as you would set the standard."
"It would be good to have the humans you're teaching practice there."
Color returned to Baron Grabe's face for the first time in a while.
"That is an excellent idea, Your Majesty. If you intend to settle humans in Evirgio, it will be a golden opportunity."
"However, if your purpose is to distribute the wheat, you must set it up as quickly as possible, Your Majesty."
"Hm, that's right. It will be tough work."
That means you're the one who has to work hard, Liron.
But thankfully, the Small Council members always looked happy when he gave them work.
Maybe because they've never done any proper work before?
"Absolutely not, Your Majesty. You entrusting me with work shows your trust. It is evidence of our capability. Rather, I should be the one thanking you, Your Majesty."
Through 'Attentive Hearing', what could be felt from the Treasurer's words was joy and pride. Having the Demon King, the strongest in the nation, entrust him with something proved his own strength.
'Ah, so that's why the Four Heavenly Kings... to the Hero....'
He felt a pang of pity.
Right. When the Hero comes, they'll be slaughtered too.
Roan clenched his fist in unnecessary sorrow.
But unaware of Roan's thoughts, the Baron recalled another idea about the company.
"Your Majesty, please involve Lady Grünent when organizing this company."
"Grünent? That's right."
It would be a waste to let her talents rot.
If it helps me, she'd be happy too.
"And if possible, let powerful demonkind members dip their toes in as well. Why don't you participate too, Treasurer?"
"Dip their toes in? Like a joint-stock company?"
Admiration flashed across the Baron's face at the unexpected word Roan used.
"You know of it. Yes. Even if you distribute little profit, if demon nobles become shareholders, it will be much easier for the company to be accepted in the market."
"For the glory of having their name on His Majesty's work, they wouldn't need any profit."
"If a human brings them any coin at all, they would find that human much more endearing."
"Hrmm."
Liron stroked his jawbone, seeming intrigued.
It was then.
"Your Majesty."
Everyone looked at the office door.
It was Minoreus's voice.
"What is it?"
"They've been caught."
Roan's purple eyes flashed strangely.
They're caught! The bastards.