Ore wa Mada, Honki o Dashite Inai

Boom!

"Let's go to war, nephew!

As soon as she burst through the living room wall, Kaori said something outrageous with an innocent look on her face.

I was lounging on the couch and looked at Kaori with my eyes narrowed in disgust.

"What are you talking about?

Let's go to war.

"It's not like I didn't hear you, so you don't have to repede.

"Let's go to war, you're a ball.

"It doesn't matter how you say it!　I mean, what's a ball?

It's a way of saying that your father taught me to ask my best friend out.

"I don't know about that promise: ......

As usual, Kaori's father - my ancestor - teaches me a lot of stupid things.

Normally I would just dismiss what Kaori said, but since it was what she said, I thought it might not be a good idea to deal with it properly.

I looked straight at Kaori and asked her.

I know you're asking me to go to war. Why is that?

I want to be a proper king.

"A proper king, right?

Although the Demon King.

Kaori, the Demon King. The strongest creature on earth, and one that probably couldn't be beaten even if all of mankind were to unite to fight him.

They were so powerful that Kaori's mother, the former Demon King, told her that she could only attack an opponent that was more than evenly matched in power.

That's how the human was saved, but after meeting me, Kaori became a "punching bag" for her, and she's been messing with me ever since.

For some reason, Kaori, who has been the Demon King for several hundred years, now says that she wants to become a king.

I'm not doing it right now at all. I want to be a decent and good king.

"Ah ...... well, it doesn't look like you're ruling or anything.

That's right. And now I can't keep throwing things at the servants.

What's German, is that what your father taught you again?

"That's how you get around, how do you get a war out of it?

I was told by my servant 1111. I was told that in order to enrich the nation, we should start something called Tokuju.

"Tokuju?　...... Oh, special procurement?

I was told that of all the Tokuju's, the War Tokuju was the one that would go over the top.

"The story is too extreme!

I plunged in as hard as I could.

I plunged into it, but ...... Kaori's idea was not necessarily outlandish.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not a fan of it, but I am.

In that sense, what Kaori says is not entirely strange.

I'm not saying that it's strange, but it's not strange in the sense that it's too much of a precedent.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not a good person. That's why you proposed to me to go to war, right?

That's right, the only thing I can fight is my nephew.

Kaori looked at me, her eyes twinkling.

'Let's go to war, nephew.

That's dismissed.

Eh. I just can't?

I just can't.

Sure, a war might create a special demand, but it's too much trouble to start a war for that purpose.

Kaori and I could do pro-wrestling (、、、、) and accumulate non-human casualties anyway to create special demand, but that would be too much trouble.

It's too much of a hassle, and if you're going to go that far, it's so much more of a hassle that it's better to have a normal war.

So I refused.

Kaori, having been rejected without a word, pulled back without much discouragement.

Then she jumped up on the couch, climbed on top of me like a cat, and started lounging around.

As usual, the maids came in and cleaned and plugged up the holes she had smashed.

How did you suddenly want to be a good king in the first place?　You've been a demon king and ruled Comotolia for hundreds of years, right?

It's my nephew's fault.

"What's with the wet clothes!

It's true. Oikoi-chan has become Aegina's royalty.

"...... quasi-royal?

My eyebrows shot up and I corrected Kaori.

Not royalty, but quasi-royalty.

It's a letter difference, but there's a big difference between having it and not having it.

'My nephew has an incredible reputation. They say he is the best Kemme in Aegina's royal family.

So quasi-royal ...... wise?　Is it called that?

I've been told. That's why I decided to be a good king so that my nephew wouldn't lose.

"...... is that what you think of me?

That's bad, very bad, very bad.

It's bad because if you think you're wise, you're going to get into a lot of trouble.

It's easier to live your life in moderation when people think you're incompetent.

I've got to go out and ruin my reputation somehow.

What to do: .......

It's a shame, really. I thought I would be a Kemmean king in Tokuju.

Kaori flapped her legs boringly as she perched on top of me.

...... You're still a good king, you know.

I thought for a minute and decided to say exactly what I was thinking.

I thought for a minute and decided to just say what I was thinking.　Is that right?

He just looked up at me and stared at me.

'There are several types of good kings, and one of them is the one that 'does not interfere with the life of the people.'

"It's a good king to get out of the way?

"Oh.

I nodded unequivocally.

Most of the people, when it comes down to it, think that the most important thing is that they want to live in peace.

If a person with power moves, the people will be affected, for better or worse.

A hundred libraries would not be enough to deal with the problems of the people due to the ideas of the rulers, if we were to fill in the history books.

If the country is stable, then doing nothing would make a good king, especially if Kaori is a demon king.

Especially Kaori is a demon king.

Even though the previous demon king's orders prevented him from directly harming humans, his overwhelming presence and the power he possesses allows him to swing around even the slightest thing.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future.

The first thing that comes to mind when you think about it is the fact that you can't get away with it.

Kaori accepted what I said, almost without question.

Now she won't be able to stop the war anymore.

Even though the brunt of the conflict is limited to me, it's important if the Demon King puts up a war.

I've been close to that before, but if I had started it this time, it would be even more troublesome because I have a definite goal in mind.

I thought it was great that it was stopped.

Oikko-chan Oikko-chan

"Hmm?　What?

"What else can a good king do?

"Or else,

I thought for a minute.

"Food, I guess.

"Shook?　Are you a military strategist?

I don't know what you're talking about again.

I don't mean, I mean food. If you look at history, there are so many rebellions from famine. Maybe he's a good king just because he doesn't starve his people.

"I see.

Kaori agreed with a smiling face.

'That said, that's the hard part,'

What does that mean?

If you work hard enough, you can secure and distribute enough food to keep the people in your territory alive. But if we do that, then everyone will become complacent and won't work.

At least I am.

If you don't have to do anything to make ends meet, you don't want to work for anything.

It's fine for me, but when it spreads to the "people" level, the ruler has trouble.

I see, then I have just the thing.

"Huh?

I'm going to be there as soon as possible. Thank you for your advice, Oikko-chan!

Kaori jumped up on top of me and tried to run out.

I stopped her in a hurry.

'Wait a minute, Kaori. What are you going to do?

I have a legacy that your father left behind. There are beans that don't taste and don't feel like they've been eaten, but you don't have to eat for three days with just one bean.

"There is such a thing: ......

The people who ate in the past said no, because their bellies were full but they didn't feel like eating. Grow a lot of it and give it to people.

"...... I see.

Then it might be.

It's a strange food that makes you feel full, but you don't feel like you've eaten.

It's hard to eat all those tasteless meals.

Even if it's handed out, it will only be the last lifeline and the people will work for a decent tasting meal.

Go ahead then.

Wait, Kaori. Don't tell anyone that you got a clue from me.

Why is that?

Please. Don't tell me, please.

I looked at Kaori with a pretty serious face and asked her to do it.

Listen to me and I'll play with you all day next time.

"It's true!　Okay, you can't tell anyone you heard from your nephew.

Kaori said and ran out of the mansion, breaking through the wall again.

As I watched the maids clean, I thought to myself that a day is a bit of a challenge, but it's better than getting caught advising Kaori and having my reputation ruined.

*

Some time later, the time before noon.

The stewardship was over, and in exchange for Mimis and the vassals to step back, the sister came in.

"What's up, sister?

"Uh-huh, you're good, Hermes.

"Huh?

"I guess you gave Kaori some advice on national politics. You have a reputation in Comotolia.

Go to ......?

I was flabbergasted.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey - what's the story?

That's why Kaori's national politics are gaining a reputation in Comotolia.

"How could it be?

Could it be - Kaori spoke?

Did you ignore their silence and speak?

And when I'm astonished.

"Kaori suddenly got motivated to become a national politician, but isn't she a demon king who doesn't usually do such things?

"Oh.

It's a national government with a proper vision. I've heard that life in the poorhouse has improved tremendously thanks to the legacy beans.

"Oh, really?

I've heard that Kaori is strong, but she's notoriously difficult to deal with in domestic politics, so I'm sure she's got someone in mind.

"Duh, but?

"Kaori, she seems to be stubbornly saying, 'I can't tell you that, I can't tell you my name because I promised the person who taught me,'

"Cheater!

I plunged in with all my might.

"Everyone thinks that if anyone can keep Kaori quiet, it's Hermes,

"Ahh. ......

I was disappointed.

I was disappointed that the silence didn't make any sense at all.