Living a Maiden Game in Hard Mode
From the swirling transition gate, millions of lights are flowing down like meteors.
These floods of light flowed straight into the giant spaceport constructed in front of the Transition Gate of the Apollo System.
And from the giant spaceport, floods of the same magnitude, with large quantities of goods, were flowing from the Apollo Star System for the other six connected star systems without pause.
At the Marquis of Carneus’ residence on the planet Delphoi in the Apollo Star System, Hart, who was watching the broadcast over dinner, gave his assessment of the stars shining in the sky.
“I wonder if the number of pilots who have reached the average level of skill has increased to a reasonable degree.”
Philine let out a small giggle at his impression, which contained no trace of sentimentality.
Hundreds of millions of fighter craft pilots are transporting goods between star systems, which can both train pilots to improve their skills and revitalize the Monarchy’s economy.
MacLir, Diete, Athena, Fukashiro, Apollo, Artemis, Podalley.
Of the nine star systems ruled by the Monarchy, seven of them, excluding the Machaon and Solar Systems, are territorialized by a Spirit Emperor or Spirit King, who are contracted directly with Hart, and are connected by a transition gate.
The existence of the transition gate, which was connected to the former Coalition’s MacLir system and the former Tenka System of Fukashiro, not only contributed to the procurement of supplies and the skill of the pilots, but also contributed to enormous economic effects on a scale unprecedented in human history.
And the convenience of the transition gate is not limited to civilians engaged in various economic activities and the Royal Army responsible for system defense.
Philine, the Lady of the Marquis of Carneus, who was recently transferred to the reserves in order to succeed to the title of Marquis, is one of those who are experiencing the convenience of the transition gate.
“Thanks to the transition gate, it looks like the handover will be done quickly.”
Philine began the takeover of the Marquis title in July, a month after the Battle of Apollo.
In the meantime, Claudia, who was of the same system, had taken over the task of Commander of the Fortress Stationed Fleet. Perhaps Philine’s transfer to the reserves was the impetus for Yuna’s transfer to the reserves at the same time.
The existence of the transition gate greatly reduced the time required for various procedures and face-to-face contact.
From now on, Philine will follow her grandfather to learn the annual events and roles as a Marquis, how to give instructions to the territorial government, the relationships and arrangements between the households, and will gradually be entrusted with the duties of a Marquis, and eventually succeed to the title.
After hearing the explanation, Hart estimated that the time required for the handover would be several years.
“It will take about three years to complete the succession without problems.”
“That’s about how long it takes to learn everything. The longer the handover period, the more secure, but there’s no rule that you have to do the same thing.”
When Philine’s gaze turned to her grandfather, Bastian, the Marquis of Carneus, who was present, he shook his head in affirmation.
“Quite so. The role of the marquis is to protect the star system and the people entrusted to it by the Monarchy. What I’m trying to convey is the current situation and the meaning of what we are doing. If, after understanding the purpose, you wish to make more effective or efficient improvements, you are free to do so.”
Witnessing the act of the succession, Hart was impressed by the Marquis of Carneus’ to-the-point presentation.
Hart also holds the rank of Marquis, but as it was not inherited from his parents, he is the first generation. When handing over to his next generation, he decided to refer to Bastian’s way of communicating, which he had just heard, and kept it in a corner of his mind.
The reason why he is able to listen to such a valuable story is because it is certain that the Marquis of Carneus in two generations will be Hart’s child. It would be more convenient for the Marquis Carneus household if the father understood rather than if he didn’t understand.
Brigitte, Marquess of Carneus, who was present, put on the pressure.
“By the way, Duke Son, when are you and Philine going to have a child?”
“Uguh…”
Caught off guard, Hart choked on his food and gulped it down.
Perhaps because she’s the grandmother, not the parent, she could ask this in a straightforward manner even though it’s in front of Philine. Thinking that it would not be a topic to be discussed at a dinner table, Hart looked around to see how the Carneus family would react.
However, Philine had a look of anticipation on her face, and the reserve general, who was no longer on active duty, was unlikely to be of any use as a reinforcement.
He thought that the head of the family, Bastian, could be expected to have good sense, but unfortunately, the birth of the Marquis of Carneus two generations after his was an important matter, so he didn’t make any sensible remarks.
Both Hart and Philine are 23 years old, and are of the generation with an average life expectancy of 300 years.
If converted to a generation with an average life expectancy of 100 years, it would be in 7 to 8 years… which is not a strong argument, but it’s too early to think about the next generation.
If the cycle of generational change is 24 years, Philine would have to live 252 years after taking over the title at the age of 48.
To put this in perspective, a generational change every 100 years would be fine.
Considering the average life expectancy, 100 years old is only equivalent to about the early 30s.
However, the Marquis of Carneus family has lost all qualified successors other than Philine in the Second Battle of Diete.
The Apollo System has been converted into a realm and become a safe zone, and the next Marquis, Philine, has also been transferred to the reserves, so there is no longer any worry of her being killed in battle, but the situation remains that her partner, Hart, is still on the battlefield.
As the Duke who connects the Monarchy and Fukashiro, and the person in charge of the spirits, Hart is an important figure in the Monarchy, so he is no longer in a position to go directly to the battlefield, but as there are so many things that only Hart can do, he has no choice but to go to the battlefield.
Bridget’s actions were perfectly reasonable from the standpoint of the Marquis of Carneus, who was apprehensive of the future.
“I understand your concerns, but considering the position of Her Majesty the Queen, it is not possible for Carneus alone to have a child. Since I’m on the battlefield, I will provide my genes just in case, but I have no intention of dying in battle. Please wait a little while.”
“Make it quick.”
“Geho, Geho…”
Hart coughed, spitting out the food he had in his mouth.
Then a few of the android waiters who had been waiting by the wall came over and offered Hart a table napkin to quickly clean up the stains.
Although it was clearly a violation of etiquette, Bridget’s remarks were not what the legitimate wife of the traditional Marquis family, ranked first in the hierarchy, would say. In view of the character of the Marquis family, Philine interjects.
“O Grandmother, that’s no way for the Marquess to speak.”
“What was that? I’ve been hard of hearing lately. Show me my great-grandchild’s face before the reaper comes for me.”
The way Bridget was so bold and open abruptly reminded Hart of Philine’s sister Dorothea.
Dorothea, who tried to use her power to falsely convict the innocent Hart, had the appearance of a well-groomed doll, but her personality was that of a doll that would move in the middle of the night and attack with a knife in hand.
Hart’s perception of Bridget, who was over 100 years old in a generation with a lifespan of 150 years, was that of Dorothea.
Is Bridget the grandmother version of this parent, and this child?
Although she seemed to have acquired cunning over the years and was not forced to violate criminal law and humanity as Dorothea was.
“My mindset is exactly as I explained it. I understand the promise of gene donation and the order of priority. Otherwise, I would not have visited the residence of the Marquis of Carneus and made it known that I was giving you special treatment.”
“In the first place, Grandmother, now is the time for succession, not for raising children. When parents are separated from their children, the magic power to pass on to the offspring of this family is diminished.”
Bridget, who was criticized by the men and women of her grandchildren’s generation, complained about it in a tone of exasperation.
“It’s quite a problem. The Marquis of Zäckingen family, as you know, are having a hard time with too many children.”
The Apollo System is home to two Marquis Households, Carneus and Zäckingen.
Prior to the resumption with the Former Coalition, there were 14 marquis families for the six star systems of the Monarchy, with two to three Marquis families in each star system.
One of the duties of the Marquis is to monitor the Duke family, of which there is only one in each star system, to prevent them from running amok.
If the Marquis Family, which governs 800 million people, raises an objection, it will surpass the power of the Duke family, which governs 1.2 billion people, so even the Duke cannot ignore it.
Both the Marquis of Carneus and Zäckingen serve as controllers to prevent the Duke of Coesfeld of the Apollo Star System from running wild.
Bridget lamented the two extremes of the two families, with Carneus suffering from a lack of heirs and Zäckingen suffering from too many heirs, adding up to two.
“What happened to the succession issue of the Marquis of Zäckingen?”
Hart, who had tried to avoid getting involved in the issue of the succession of the marquis family of other star systems as much as possible, only knew that the problem had not yet been settled.
It is stipulated by national law that the succession to the Marquis title requires at least 17,280 magic power value.
Men’s magical power does not decline, but women’s magical power declines after childbirth, so it is necessary to consider the inheritance of the peerage based on the handover to the successor.
There are nine confirmed candidates for succession to the Marquis of Zäckingen who meet these conditions. They have all been reported by the Marquis of Zäckingen to the Ministry of the Interior and confirmed by genetic testing, so there is no doubt that they are his biological children who are candidates for succession.
If one continues to take mistresses without getting married and works vigorously to maximize the number of magic power holders, how many magical individuals will there be in the next generation?
One of the answers is demonstrated in the current Marquis of Zäckingen. And there should be even more people with magic power values at the Count-grade.
“If any had received the Order of Merit in the battle, the question of his successor would not have arisen.”
At the unfortunate words of Bastian, a fellow Marquis of the same star system, Hart sensed that there was no suitable person.
In this regard, the Duke of Coesfeld, the main ruler of the Apollo System, cannot be expected to take the lead in this matter.
This is because the Duke of Coesfeld is a man of character who is unwilling to make the role of a watchdog a mere formality by appointing the head of the Marquis family that would watch over him.
“Marquis Amakawa may have realized, but the rank of Marquis, with 800 million lives in charge, is a heavy one. I felt it strongly when the Battle of Apollo broke out earlier, and I had to make the decision to take my subjects on board my own interstellar ship and abandon those who had failed to escape.”
At Bastian’s words, Hart nodded back in silence.
“Since the Marquis of Zäckingen has not nominated anyone, the next Marquis of Zäckingen must be a choice acceptable to the majority of the subjects, as the choice will affect the lives of the people of the star system.”
In the recent Battle of Apollo, 60 million civilians were killed.
However, if the Marquis of Zäckingen had not forced every aristocrat to retreat, the evacuation would have been delayed and the casualties would have risen to hundreds of millions.
Not only the people who are directly affected, but also the aristocrats who would deal with the crisis in a coordinated manner, would want the right person.
Hart expressed his concerns, while agreeing with the careful selection.
“However, if the selection takes too long, won’t that make it even more difficult for the royal people to make a good selection?”
If the decision was made in the month following the loss of the predecessor, you can pass for reasons such as “I chose the eldest person. Now that it is a time of war, and since the Marquis seat cannot be left vacant for long, so I chose the person with the most life experience”.
However, if the decision is made in a year, they will be stunned, saying, “It took a year to make that decision? If that’s the case, I should have decided sooner.”. However, if they spend 10 years on it, there will be no expectations at all and be relieved that it has finally been decided.
Bastian asked Hart, as if testing him.
“If the choice was yours, what criteria will you use to decide?”
Hart has not offered an official position on the issue.
The reason is that, as the Queen’s fiancée, he is considered the spokesperson for opinions that she herself cannot officially express. And, indeed, he sometimes plays the role of a spokesperson.
When Hart speaks out, it has a powerful influence.
Hart had avoided making any public statements about the next generation of the Marquis of Zäckingen, but this time it was a private dinner table, and he imagined what he would do.
“Well, first of all, assuming that the nine candidates are Marquis-grade, in the case of female candidates, unless the succession rate is at least 0.8 times and the child is Marquis-grade or higher, we will omit them from the candidates. The reason is that if succession issues arise in the next generation, this selection will be criticized.”
In order to meet Hart’s requirements, a woman would need Duke-grade magic power value of 23,040.
Apparently, there was only one woman who could meet that requirement, and the number of candidates that Hart displayed on the terminal at hand was reduced from nine to four men and one woman.
This problem of magic power inheritance is the reason why men are more easily chosen as heads of aristocratic households.
However, most men, with the exception of the family heir, fall out of the aristocracy.
Women, on the other hand, have a number of ways to keep from falling out of the aristocracy.
Therefore, it can be understood that the disadvantage on the female side at the time of succession is offset by the security of status.
For the remaining five candidates, Hart had an additional sifting processsieve.
“Next, I would draw the line based on military experience before the Battle of Apollo. Since we are choosing the aristocrats of the Monarchy, there is no reason why those who have not served in the military should be given preference over those who have.”
When Hart confirmed how many people had been reduced by this, there were only four candidates left.
In order of age, there was a man with long red hair and a stern face who looked like his father, a man with black hair parted in the center and thin cheeks and sharp eyes, a man with dark blond hair and a pouty expression, and a woman with purple hair as dark as amethyst.
Young tengu, crow, lion, and amethyst, and Hart, who arbitrarily characterized them on his first impression, drew out individual information.
The four are 47, 40, 29 and 27 years old.
Magic power values are 18,549, 19,298, 19,227, and 23,325.
Their maternal households come from a baronial family, a baronet family, a marquis family, and a count family.
Their backgrounds include a bachelor’s degree graduate as a marquis local magistrate, a master’s degree graduate as a member of the local council, a bachelor’s degree graduate as a marquis bureaucrat, and a doctor’s degree as central government official.
Young tengu, like his predecessor Marquis Zäckingen, is a fisherman, and although he is unmarried, he has a child with Marquis-grade magic power.
The crow has a legal wife and a child, but the child is not a Marquis-grade magic power holder.
The lion is unmarried and has no fiancée.
The Amethyst has a fiancé from the Marquis of Audran household in the Athena Star System who is not expected to inherit the title. The partner’s magic power value is 19,654.
“Crow… or rather, Patrick Levalier, who has a legal wife and whose child is not Marquis-grade, will be excluded.”
Hart, who narrowed down the candidates to three, was at a loss for a decision.
Young tengu has the lowest magic power value, and his mother’s household is also from the general aristocracy, so his support is weak. However, since he has a child with magic power who is likely to reach Marquis-grade, he can expect a stable succession to the peerage. He is also an active local magistrate, and a certain amount of expectations can be placed on his work as a Marquis.
Lion’s maternal household is the highest ranked of the lot, but his magic power value is not much different from that of Tengu. He has a life of going down the rails after he graduated from the University of the Apollo Star System and worked as a bureaucrat in the Marquis territory. By nature, he should have been a local magistrate, but he seemed to be as lazy as a lion in the daytime.
Amethyst has the highest magic power value, but magic power decreases with childbirth. However, after completing her Ph.D. in the royal capital, she joined the central government as a senior bureaucrat and became the head of the State Department at the age of 27. She doesn’t seem unmotivated or bad at politics.
After hesitating about the lion whose parents belonged to a Marquis family, Hart excluded him from the list of candidates.
“If I had to choose, it would be the young tengu who resembled his father, or the Amethyst that resembled her mother.”
Hart, who had narrowed it down to two choices, stumbled.
If the people of the territory vote, it will be a contest of appearance, whether the young tengu who looks like his father and seems unexpectedly popular, or a slender long-haired beauty who is a career bureaucrat and looks good in a suit, but there is no way a Marquis would be chosen based on looks.
Amethyst has Duke-grade high magic power that is hard to obtain, but after giving birth twice, she will have as much magic power as young tengu. However, the magic power value of the first child can be expected to be about 20,000.
On the other hand, young tengu is a fisherman, and already has a child with high magic power value that will reach the Marquis-grade.
“It’s really troubling. Perhaps Amethyst was thinking about inheriting the House of Marquis Zäckingen herself.”
“Why do you think so?”
Bastian asked Hart who had made the assertion, but it wasn’t a question he asked because he didn’t know the reason, it was just to check the answers.
“Because she is a Duke-grade magic power holder, yet she didn’t become the wife of the lord or heir of an aristocratic family.”
The Monarchy’s Academy of Magic, which gathers high magic power holders, serves as a matchmaking venue. And as a Duke-grade magic power holder, she is in a position to become the legitimate wife of the Count.
If you imagine the reason for refusing it with common sense, it was because there was a possibility that she could get a position higher than the lawful wife of the Count family.
The Marquis of Zäckingen had passed the halfway point of his age-stagnated life expectancy and had no legitimate successor, and a generational change was needed in the not too distant future.
Even if that fails, it is still possible for her child to become the head of the Marquis of Audran household if she has a husband from the Marquis Audran family of the Athena Star System and the child has high magic power value at 20,000.
Hart evaluated her as a strong woman.
Needless to say, if the young Tengu is promoted, if the child of Amethyst inherits the Marquis of Audran family, it is possible that the person who promoted it will be resented by the mother of the Marquis of Audran household.
Counts and below can’t speak out, and even the Marquis can’t say anything outrageous. It was Hart’s real intention not to get involved.
“Philine, as a Marquis of the same Apollo lineage, which candidate do you think is easier to work with?”
With Hart and her grandparents watching, Philine compared the two and answered immediately.
“Young tengu, Mr. Garland.”
“May I ask you why you answered immediately?”
To the startled Hart, Philene explained the reason for her selection.
“Mr. Garland has a proven track record, and he attends gatherings of Apollo aristocrats, so we can collaborate. But I don’t know Viola, so I don’t know if it will work. We’ll be together for 200 years, so if it fails, we won’t be able to see each other eye-to-eye.”
The reasons Philine gave were deeply convincing.
Now is the time of war, and they are in the midst of explosive economic development. If the Apollo aristocrats can’t move together, they will suffer more damage on the battlefield and lag behind in competition with other star systems.
Hart suddenly thought of the Duke of Coesfeld, who had spoken of his dislike of gambling.
With Garland, who has local connections, and Viola, who has connections to the Athena System, the former is a solid measure for the local Apollo System, while the latter is speculation for a future with a wide range of fluctuations.
The Apollo System, which cannot be delayed at present, should choose the former, Hart thought.
“I agree with Philine, that’s just my opinion.”
When Hart concluded his response to Bastian’s question, Marquis Carneus and his wife exchanged glances and nodded silently.
Seeing this, Hart realized that his remarks had influenced the selection of the new Marquis of Zäckingen.
It was an opinion issued by the Marquis of Carneus, an Apollo aristocrat, in consultation with Hart, a Duke who was not a party to it and who was also the supreme commander of the Royal Army, even if privately.
The Duke of Coesfeld, who is unable to appoint his own overseer, could convey the opinion of the Marquis Carneus in consultation with Hart to the Ministry of the Interior as a compilation of opinions.
The Ministry of the Interior, which wants to quickly decide on a vacant ruler, will happily accept a proposal that would save them from having to take responsibility.
In the end, Hart’s name was used, he decided that he had no choice but to support the family affairs of the Marquis of Zäckingen, which could not be resolved even if left unattended, and reaffirmed the movements of the Marquis of Carneus.
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From the swirling transition gate, millions of lights are flowing down like meteors.
These floods of light flowed straight into the giant spaceport constructed in front of the Transition Gate of the Apollo System.
And from the giant spaceport, floods of the same magnitude, with large quantities of goods, were flowing from the Apollo Star System for the other six connected star systems without pause.
At the Marquis of Carneus’ residence on the planet Delphoi in the Apollo Star System, Hart, who was watching the broadcast over dinner, gave his assessment to the stars shining in the sky.
“I wonder if the number of pilots who have reached the average level of skill has increased to a reasonable degree.”
Philine let out a small giggle at his impression, which contained no trace of sentimentality.
Hundreds of millions of fighter craft pilots are transporting goods between star systems, which can both train pilots to improve their skills and revitalize the Monarchy’s economy.
MacLir, Diete, Athena, Fukashiro, Apollo, Artemis, Podalley.
Of the nine star systems ruled by the Monarchy, seven of them, excluding the Machaon and Solar Systems, are territorialized by a Spirit Emperor or Spirit King, who are contracted directly with Hart, and are connected by a transition gate.
The existence of the transition gate, which was connected to the former Coalition’s MacLir system and the former Tenka System of Fukashiro, not only contributed to the procurement of supplies and the skill of the pilots, but also contributed to enormous economic effects on a scale unprecedented in human history.
And the convenience of the transition gate is not limited to civilians engaged in various economic activities and the Royal Army responsible for system defense.
Philine, the Lady of the Marquis of Carneus, who was recently transferred to the reserves in order to succeed to the title of Marquis, is one of those who are experiencing the convenience of the transition gate.
“Thanks to the transition gate, it looks like the handover will be done quickly.”
Philine began the takeover of the Marquis title in July, a month after the Battle of Apollo.
In the meantime, Claudia, who was of the same system, had taken over the task of Commander of the Fortress Stationed Fleet. Perhaps Philine’s transfer to the reserves was the impetus for Yuna’s transfer to the reserves at the same time.
The existence of the transition gate greatly reduced the time required for various procedures and face-to-face contact.
From now on, Philine will follow her grandfather to learn the annual events and roles as a Marquis, how to give instructions to the territorial government, the relationships and arrangements between the households, and will gradually be entrusted with the duties of a Marquis, and eventually succeed to the title.
After hearing the explanation, Hart estimated that the time required for the handover would be several years.
“It will take about three years to complete the succession without problems.”
“That’s about how long it takes to learn everything. The longer the handover period, the more secure, but there’s no rule that you have to do the same thing.”
When Philine’s gaze turned to her grandfather, Bastian, the Marquis of Carneus, who was present, he shook his head in affirmation.
“Quite so. The role of the marquis is to protect the star system and the people entrusted to it by the Monarchy. What I’m trying to convey is the current situation and the meaning of what we are doing. If, after understanding the purpose, you wish to make more effective or efficient improvements, you are free to do so.”
Witnessing the act of the succession, Hart was impressed by the Marquis of Carneus’ to-the-point presentation.
Hart also holds the rank of Marquis, but as it was not inherited from his parents, he is the first generation. When handing over to his next generation, he decided to refer to Bastian’s way of communicating, which he had just heard, and kept it in a corner of his mind.
The reason why he is able to listen to such a valuable story is because it is certain that the Marquis of Carneus in two generations will be Hart’s child. It would be more convenient for the Marquis Carneus household if the father understood rather than if he didn’t understand.
Brigitte, Marquess of Carneus, who was present, put on the pressure.
“By the way, Duke Son, when are you and Philine going to have a child?”
“Uguh…”
Caught off guard, Hart choked on his food and gulped it down.
Perhaps because she’s the grandmother, not the parent, she could ask this in a straightforward manner even though it’s in front of Philine. Thinking that it would not be a topic to be discussed at a dinner table, Hart looked around to see how the Carneus family would react.
However, Philine had a look of anticipation on her face, and the reserve general, who was no longer on active duty, was unlikely to be of any use as a reinforcement.
He thought that the head of the family, Bastian, could be expected to have good sense, but unfortunately, the birth of the Marquis of Carneus two generations after his was an important matter, so he didn’t make any sensible remarks.
Both Hart and Philine are 23 years old, and are of the generation with an average life expectancy of 300 years.
If converted to a generation with an average life expectancy of 100 years, it would be in 7 to 8 years… which is not a strong argument, but it’s too early to think about the next generation.
If the cycle of generational change is 24 years, Philine would have to live 252 years after taking over the title at the age of 48.
To put this in perspective, a generational change every 100 years would be fine.
Considering the average life expectancy, 100 years old is only equivalent about the early 30s.
However, the Marquis of Carneus family has lost all qualified successors other than Philine in the Second Battle of Diete.
The Apollo System has been converted into a realm and become a safe zone, and the next Marquis, Philine, has also been transferred to the reserves, so there is no longer any worry of her being killed in battle, but the situation remains that her partner, Hart, is still on the battlefield.
As the Duke who connects the Monarchy and Fukashiro, and the person in charge of the spirits, Hart is an important figure in the Monarchy, so he is no longer in a position to go directly to the battlefield, but as there are so many things that only Hart can do, he has no choice but to go to the battlefield.
Bridget’s actions were perfectly reasonable from the standpoint of the Marquis of Carneus, who was apprehensive of the future.
“I understand your concerns, but considering the position of Her Majesty the Queen, it is not possible for Carneus alone to have a child. Since I’m on the battlefield, I will provide my genes just in case, but I have no intention of dying in battle. Please wait a little while.”
“Make it quick.”
“Geho, Geho…”
Hart coughed, spitting out the food he had in his mouth.
Then a few of the android waiters who had been waiting by the wall came over and offered Hart a table napkin to quickly clean up the stains.
Although it was clearly a violation of etiquette, Bridget’s remarks were not what the legitimate wife of the traditional Marquis family, ranked first in the hierarchy, would say. In view of the character of the Marquis family, Philine interjects.
“O Grandmother, that’s no way for the Marquess to speak.”
“What was that? I’ve been hard of hearing lately. Show me my great-grandchild’s face before the reaper comes for me.”
The way Bridget was so bold and open abruptly reminded Hart of Philine’s sister Dorothea.
Dorothea, who tried to use her power to falsely convict the innocent Hart, had the appearance of a well-groomed doll, but her personality was that of a doll that would move in the middle of the night and attack with a knife in hand.
Hart’s perception of Bridget, who was over 100 years old in a generation with a lifespan of 150 years, was that of Dorothea.
Is the Bridget the grandmother version of this parent, and this child?
Although she seemed to have acquired cunning over the years and was not forced to violate criminal law and humanity as Dorothea was.
“My mindset is exactly as I explained it. I understand the promise of gene donation and the order of priority. Otherwise, I would not have visited the residence of the Marquis of Carneus and made it known that I was giving you special treatment.”
“In the first place, Grandmother, now is the time for succession, not for raising children. When parents are separated from their children, the magic power to pass on to the offspring of this family is diminished.”
Bridget, who was criticized by the men and women of her grandchildren’s generation, complained about it in a tone of exasperation.
“It’s quite a problem. The Marquis of Zäckingen family, as you know, are having a hard time with too many children.”
The Apollo System is home to two Marquis Households, Carneus and Zäckingen.
Prior to the resumption with the Former Coalition, there were 14 marquis families for the six star systems of the Monarchy, with two to three Marquis families in each star system.
One of the duties of the Marquis is to monitor the Duke family, of which there is only one in each star system, to prevent them from running amok.
If the Marquis Family, which governs 800 million people, raises an objection, it will surpass the power of the Duke family, which governs 1.2 billion people, so even the Duke cannot ignore it.
Both the Marquis of Carneus and Zäckingen serve as controllers to prevent the Duke of Coesfeld of the Apollo Star System from running wild.
Bridget lamented the two extremes of the two families, with Carneus suffering from a lack of heirs and Zäckingen suffering from too many heirs, adding up to two.
“What happened to the succession issue of the Marquis of Zäckingen?”
Hart, who had tried to avoid getting involved in the issue of the succession of the marquis family of other star systems as much as possible, only knew that the problem has not yet been settled.
It is stipulated by national law that the succession to the Marquis title requires at least 17,280 magic power value.
Men’s magical power does not decline, but women’s magical power declines after childbirth, so it is necessary to consider the inheritance of the peerage based on the handover to the successor.
There are nine confirmed candidates for succession to the Marquis of Zäckingen who meet these conditions. They have all been reported by the Marquis of Zäckingen to the Ministry of the Interior and confirmed by genetic testing, so there is no doubt that they are his biological children who are candidates for succession.
If one continues to take mistresses without getting married and works vigorously to maximize the number of magic power holders, how many magical individuals will there be in the next generation?
One of the answers is demonstrated in the current Marquis of Zäckingen. And there should be even more people with magic power values at the Count-grade.
“If any had received the Order of Merit in the battle, the question of his successor would not have arisen.”
At the unfortunate words of Bastian, a fellow Marquis of the same star system, Hart sensed that there was no suitable person.
In this regard, the Duke of Coesfeld, the main ruler of the Apollo System, cannot be expected to take the lead in this matter.
This is because the Duke of Coesfeld is a man of character who is unwilling to make the role of a watchdog a mere formality by appointing the head of the Marquis family that would watch over him.
“Marquis Amakawa may have realized, but the rank of Marquis, with 800 million lives in charge, is a heavy one. I felt it strongly when the Battle of Apollo broke out earlier, and I had to make the decision to take my subjects on board my own interstellar ship and abandon those who had failed to escape.”
At Bastian’s words, Hart nodded back in silence.
“Since the Marquis of Zäckingen has not nominated anyone, the next Marquis of Zäckingen must be a choice acceptable to the majority of the subjects, as the choice will affect the lives of the people of the star system.”
In the recent Battle of Apollo, 60 million civilians were killed.
However, if the Marquis of Zäckingen had not forced every aristocrat to retreat, the evacuation would have been delayed and the casualties would have risen to hundreds of millions.
Not only the people who are directly affected, but also the aristocrats who would deal with the crisis in a coordinated manner, would want the right person.
Hart expressed his concerns, while agreeing with the careful selection.
“However, if the selection takes too long, won’t that make it even more difficult for the royal people to make a good selection?”
If the decision was made in the month following the loss of the predecessor, you can pass for reasons such as “I chose the eldest person. Now that it is a time of war, and since the Marquis seat cannot be left vacant for long, so I chose the person with the most life experience”.
However, if the decision is made in a year, they will be stunned, saying, “It took a year to make that decision? If that’s the case, I should have decided sooner.”. However, if they spend 10 years on it, there will be no expectations at all and be relieved that it has finally been decided.
Bastian asked Hart, as if testing him.
“If the choice was yours, what criteria will you use to decide?”
Hart has not offered an official position on the issue.
The reason is that, as the Queen’s fiancée, he is considered the spokesperson for opinions that she herself cannot officially express. And, indeed, he sometimes plays the role of a spokesperson.
When Hart speaks out, it has a powerful influence.
Hart had avoided making any public statements about the next generation of the Marquis of Zäckingen, but this time it was a private dinner table, and he imagined what he would do.
“Well, first of all, assuming that the nine candidates are Marquis-grade, in the case of female candidates, unless the succession rate is at least 0.8 times and the child is Marquis-grade or higher, we will omit them from the candidates. The reason is that if succession issues arise in the next generation, this selection will be criticized.”
In order to meet Hart’s requirements, a woman would need Duke-grade magic power value of 23,040.
Apparently, there was only one woman who could meet that requirement, and the number of candidates that Hart displayed on the terminal at hand was reduced from nine to four men and one woman.
This problem of magic power inheritance is the reason why men are more easily chosen as heads of aristocratic households.
However, most men, with the exception of the family heir, fall out of the aristocracy.
Women, on the other hand, have a number of ways to keep from falling out of the aristocracy.
Therefore, it can be understood that the disadvantage on the female side at the time of succession is offset by the security of status.
For the remaining five candidates, Hart had an additional sifting processsieve.
“Next, I would draw the line based on military experience before the Battle of Apollo. Since we are choosing the aristocrats of the Monarchy, there is no reason why those who have not served in the military should be given preference over those who have.”
When Hart confirmed how many people had been reduced by this, there were only four candidates left.
In order of age, there was a man with long red hair and a stern face who looked like his father, a man with black hair parted in the center and thin cheeks and sharp eyes, a man with dark blond hair and a pouty expression, and a woman with purple hair as dark as amethyst.
Young tengu, crow, lion, and amethyst, and Hart, who arbitrarily characterized them on his first impression, drew out individual information.
The four are 47, 40, 29 and 27 years old.
Magic power values are 18,549, 19,298, 19,227, and 23,325.
Their maternal households come from a baronial family, a baronet family, a marquis family, and a count family.
Their backgrounds include a bachelor’s degree graduate as a marquis local magistrate, a master’s degree graduate as a member of the local council, a bachelor’s degree graduate as a marquis bureaucrat, and a doctor’s degree as central government official.
Young tengu, like his predecessor Marquis Zäckingen, is a fisherman, and although he is unmarried, he has a child with Marquis-grade magic power.
The crow has a legal wife and a child, but the child is not a Marquis-grade magic power holder.
The lion is unmarried and has no fiancée.
The Amethyst has a fiancé from the Marquis of Audran household in the Athena Star System who is not expected to inherit the title. The partner’s magic power value is 19,654.
“Crow… or rather, Patrick Levalier, who has a legal wife and whose child is not Marquis-grade, will be excluded.”
Hart, who narrowed down the candidates to three, was at a loss for a decision.
Young tengu has the lowest magic power value, and his mother’s household is also from the general aristocracy, so his support is weak. However, since he has a child with magic power who is likely to reach Marquis-grade, he can expect a stable succession to the peerage. He is also an active local magistrate, and a certain amount of expectations can be placed on his work as a Marquis.
Lion’s maternal household is the highest ranked of the lot, but his magic power value is not much different from that of Tengu. He has a life of going down the rails after he graduated from the university of the Apollo Star System and worked as a bureaucrat in the Marquis territory. By nature, he should have been a local magistrate, but he seemed to be as lazy as a lion in the daytime.
Amethyst has the highest magic power value, but magic power decreases with childbirth. However, after completing her PhD in the royal capital, she joined the central government as a senior bureaucrat and became the head of the State Department at the age of 27. She doesn’t seem unmotivated or bad at politics.
After hesitating about the lion whose parents belonged to a Marquis family, Hart excluded him from the list of candidates.
“If I had to choose, it would be the young tengu who resembled his father, or the amethyst that resemble her mother.”
Hart, who had narrowed down to two choices, stumbled.
If the people of the territory vote, it will be a contest of appearance, whether the young tengu who looks like his father and seems unexpectedly popular, or a slender long-haired beauty who is a career bureaucrat and looks good in a suit, but there is no way a Marquis would be chosen based on looks.
Amethyst has Duke-grade high magic power that is hard to obtain, but after giving birth twice, she will have as much magic power as young tengu. However, the magic power value of the first child can be expected to be about 20,000.
On the other hand, young tengu is a fisherman, and already has a child with high magic power value that will reach the Marquis-grade.
“It’s really troubling. Perhaps Amethyst was thinking about inheriting the House of Marquis Zäckingen herself.”
“Why do you think so?”
Bastian asked Hart who had made the assertation, but it wasn’t a question he asked because he didn’t know the reason, it was just to check the answers.
“Because she is a Duke-grade magic power holder, yet she didn’t become the wife of the lord or heir of an aristocratic family.”
The Monarchy’s Academy of Magic, which gathers high magic power holders, serves as a matchmaking venue. And as a Duke-grade magic power holder, she is in a position to become the legitimate wife of the Count.
If you imagine the reason for refusing it with common sense, it was because there was a possibility that she could get a position higher than the lawful wife of the Count family.
The Marquis of Zäckingen had passed the halfway point of his age-stagnated life expectancy and had no legitimate successor, and a generational change was needed in the not too distant future.
Even if that fails, it is still possible for her child to become the head of the Marquis of Audran household if she has a husband from the Marquis Audran family of the Athena Star System and the child has high magic power value at 20,000.
Hart evaluated her as a strong woman.
Needless to say, if the young Tengu is promoted, if the child of amethyst inherits the Marquis of Audran family, it is possible that the person who promoted it will be resented by the mother of the Marquis of Audran household.
Counts and below can’t speak out, and even the Marquis can’t say anything outrageous. It was Hart’s real intention not to get involved.
“Philine, as a Marquis of the same Apollo lineage, which candidate do you think is easier to work with?”
With Hart and her grandparents watching, Philine compared the two and answered immediately.
“Young tengu, Mr. Garland.”
“May I ask you why you answered immediately?”
To the startled Hart, Philene explained the reason for her selection.
“Mr. Garland has a proven track record, and he attends gatherings of Apollo aristocrats, so we can collaborate. But I don’t know Viola, so I don’t know if it will work. We’ll be together for 200 years, so if it fails, we won’t be able to see each other eye-to-eye.”
The reasons Philine gave were deeply convincing.
Now is the time of war, and they in the midst of explosive economic development. If the Apollo aristocrats can’t move together, they will suffer more damage on the battlefield and lag behind in competition with other star systems.
Hart suddenly thought of the Duke of Coesfeld, who had spoken of his dislike of gambling.
With Garland, who has local connections, and Viola, who has connections to the Athena System, the former is a solid measure for the local Apollo System, while the latter is speculation for a future with a wide range of fluctuations.
The Apollo System, which cannot be delayed at present, should choose the former, Hart thought.
“I agree with Philine, that’s just my opinion.”
When Hart concluded his response to Bastian’s question, Marquis Carneus and his wife exchanged glances and nodded silently.
Seeing this, Hart realized that his remarks had influenced the selection of the new Marquis of Zäckingen.
It was an opinion issued by the Marquis of Carneus, an Apollo aristocrat, in consultation with Hart, a Duke who was not a party to it and who was also the supreme commander of the Royal Army, even if privately.
The Duke of Coesfeld, who is unable to appoint his own overseer, could convey the opinion of the Marquis Carneus in consultation with Hart to the Ministry of the Interior as a compilation of opinions.
The Ministry of the Interior, which wants to quickly decide on a vacant ruler, will happily accept a proposal that would save them from having to take responsibility.
In the end, Hart’s name was used, he decided that he had no choice but to support the family affairs of the Marquis of Zäckingen, which could not be resolved even if left unattended, and reaffirmed the movements of the Marquis of Carneus.
Chapter 100: CH 97
These floods of light flowed straight into the giant spaceport constructed in front of the Transition Gate of the Apollo System.
And from the giant spaceport, floods of the same magnitude, with large quantities of goods, were flowing from the Apollo Star System for the other six connected star systems without pause.
At the Marquis of Carneus’ residence on the planet Delphoi in the Apollo Star System, Hart, who was watching the broadcast over dinner, gave his assessment of the stars shining in the sky.
“I wonder if the number of pilots who have reached the average level of skill has increased to a reasonable degree.”
Philine let out a small giggle at his impression, which contained no trace of sentimentality.
Hundreds of millions of fighter craft pilots are transporting goods between star systems, which can both train pilots to improve their skills and revitalize the Monarchy’s economy.
MacLir, Diete, Athena, Fukashiro, Apollo, Artemis, Podalley.
Of the nine star systems ruled by the Monarchy, seven of them, excluding the Machaon and Solar Systems, are territorialized by a Spirit Emperor or Spirit King, who are contracted directly with Hart, and are connected by a transition gate.
The existence of the transition gate, which was connected to the former Coalition’s MacLir system and the former Tenka System of Fukashiro, not only contributed to the procurement of supplies and the skill of the pilots, but also contributed to enormous economic effects on a scale unprecedented in human history.
And the convenience of the transition gate is not limited to civilians engaged in various economic activities and the Royal Army responsible for system defense.
Philine, the Lady of the Marquis of Carneus, who was recently transferred to the reserves in order to succeed to the title of Marquis, is one of those who are experiencing the convenience of the transition gate.
“Thanks to the transition gate, it looks like the handover will be done quickly.”
Philine began the takeover of the Marquis title in July, a month after the Battle of Apollo.
In the meantime, Claudia, who was of the same system, had taken over the task of Commander of the Fortress Stationed Fleet. Perhaps Philine’s transfer to the reserves was the impetus for Yuna’s transfer to the reserves at the same time.
The existence of the transition gate greatly reduced the time required for various procedures and face-to-face contact.
From now on, Philine will follow her grandfather to learn the annual events and roles as a Marquis, how to give instructions to the territorial government, the relationships and arrangements between the households, and will gradually be entrusted with the duties of a Marquis, and eventually succeed to the title.
After hearing the explanation, Hart estimated that the time required for the handover would be several years.
“It will take about three years to complete the succession without problems.”
“That’s about how long it takes to learn everything. The longer the handover period, the more secure, but there’s no rule that you have to do the same thing.”
“Quite so. The role of the marquis is to protect the star system and the people entrusted to it by the Monarchy. What I’m trying to convey is the current situation and the meaning of what we are doing. If, after understanding the purpose, you wish to make more effective or efficient improvements, you are free to do so.”
Witnessing the act of the succession, Hart was impressed by the Marquis of Carneus’ to-the-point presentation.
Hart also holds the rank of Marquis, but as it was not inherited from his parents, he is the first generation. When handing over to his next generation, he decided to refer to Bastian’s way of communicating, which he had just heard, and kept it in a corner of his mind.
The reason why he is able to listen to such a valuable story is because it is certain that the Marquis of Carneus in two generations will be Hart’s child. It would be more convenient for the Marquis Carneus household if the father understood rather than if he didn’t understand.
Brigitte, Marquess of Carneus, who was present, put on the pressure.
“By the way, Duke Son, when are you and Philine going to have a child?”
“Uguh…”
Caught off guard, Hart choked on his food and gulped it down.
Perhaps because she’s the grandmother, not the parent, she could ask this in a straightforward manner even though it’s in front of Philine. Thinking that it would not be a topic to be discussed at a dinner table, Hart looked around to see how the Carneus family would react.
However, Philine had a look of anticipation on her face, and the reserve general, who was no longer on active duty, was unlikely to be of any use as a reinforcement.
He thought that the head of the family, Bastian, could be expected to have good sense, but unfortunately, the birth of the Marquis of Carneus two generations after his was an important matter, so he didn’t make any sensible remarks.
Both Hart and Philine are 23 years old, and are of the generation with an average life expectancy of 300 years.
If converted to a generation with an average life expectancy of 100 years, it would be in 7 to 8 years… which is not a strong argument, but it’s too early to think about the next generation.
If the cycle of generational change is 24 years, Philine would have to live 252 years after taking over the title at the age of 48.
To put this in perspective, a generational change every 100 years would be fine.
Considering the average life expectancy, 100 years old is only equivalent to about the early 30s.
However, the Marquis of Carneus family has lost all qualified successors other than Philine in the Second Battle of Diete.
The Apollo System has been converted into a realm and become a safe zone, and the next Marquis, Philine, has also been transferred to the reserves, so there is no longer any worry of her being killed in battle, but the situation remains that her partner, Hart, is still on the battlefield.
As the Duke who connects the Monarchy and Fukashiro, and the person in charge of the spirits, Hart is an important figure in the Monarchy, so he is no longer in a position to go directly to the battlefield, but as there are so many things that only Hart can do, he has no choice but to go to the battlefield.
“I understand your concerns, but considering the position of Her Majesty the Queen, it is not possible for Carneus alone to have a child. Since I’m on the battlefield, I will provide my genes just in case, but I have no intention of dying in battle. Please wait a little while.”
“Make it quick.”
“Geho, Geho…”
Hart coughed, spitting out the food he had in his mouth.
Then a few of the android waiters who had been waiting by the wall came over and offered Hart a table napkin to quickly clean up the stains.
Although it was clearly a violation of etiquette, Bridget’s remarks were not what the legitimate wife of the traditional Marquis family, ranked first in the hierarchy, would say. In view of the character of the Marquis family, Philine interjects.
“O Grandmother, that’s no way for the Marquess to speak.”
“What was that? I’ve been hard of hearing lately. Show me my great-grandchild’s face before the reaper comes for me.”
The way Bridget was so bold and open abruptly reminded Hart of Philine’s sister Dorothea.
Dorothea, who tried to use her power to falsely convict the innocent Hart, had the appearance of a well-groomed doll, but her personality was that of a doll that would move in the middle of the night and attack with a knife in hand.
Hart’s perception of Bridget, who was over 100 years old in a generation with a lifespan of 150 years, was that of Dorothea.
Is Bridget the grandmother version of this parent, and this child?
Although she seemed to have acquired cunning over the years and was not forced to violate criminal law and humanity as Dorothea was.
“My mindset is exactly as I explained it. I understand the promise of gene donation and the order of priority. Otherwise, I would not have visited the residence of the Marquis of Carneus and made it known that I was giving you special treatment.”
“In the first place, Grandmother, now is the time for succession, not for raising children. When parents are separated from their children, the magic power to pass on to the offspring of this family is diminished.”
Bridget, who was criticized by the men and women of her grandchildren’s generation, complained about it in a tone of exasperation.
“It’s quite a problem. The Marquis of Zäckingen family, as you know, are having a hard time with too many children.”
The Apollo System is home to two Marquis Households, Carneus and Zäckingen.
Prior to the resumption with the Former Coalition, there were 14 marquis families for the six star systems of the Monarchy, with two to three Marquis families in each star system.
If the Marquis Family, which governs 800 million people, raises an objection, it will surpass the power of the Duke family, which governs 1.2 billion people, so even the Duke cannot ignore it.
Both the Marquis of Carneus and Zäckingen serve as controllers to prevent the Duke of Coesfeld of the Apollo Star System from running wild.
Bridget lamented the two extremes of the two families, with Carneus suffering from a lack of heirs and Zäckingen suffering from too many heirs, adding up to two.
“What happened to the succession issue of the Marquis of Zäckingen?”
Hart, who had tried to avoid getting involved in the issue of the succession of the marquis family of other star systems as much as possible, only knew that the problem had not yet been settled.
It is stipulated by national law that the succession to the Marquis title requires at least 17,280 magic power value.
Men’s magical power does not decline, but women’s magical power declines after childbirth, so it is necessary to consider the inheritance of the peerage based on the handover to the successor.
There are nine confirmed candidates for succession to the Marquis of Zäckingen who meet these conditions. They have all been reported by the Marquis of Zäckingen to the Ministry of the Interior and confirmed by genetic testing, so there is no doubt that they are his biological children who are candidates for succession.
If one continues to take mistresses without getting married and works vigorously to maximize the number of magic power holders, how many magical individuals will there be in the next generation?
One of the answers is demonstrated in the current Marquis of Zäckingen. And there should be even more people with magic power values at the Count-grade.
“If any had received the Order of Merit in the battle, the question of his successor would not have arisen.”
At the unfortunate words of Bastian, a fellow Marquis of the same star system, Hart sensed that there was no suitable person.
In this regard, the Duke of Coesfeld, the main ruler of the Apollo System, cannot be expected to take the lead in this matter.
This is because the Duke of Coesfeld is a man of character who is unwilling to make the role of a watchdog a mere formality by appointing the head of the Marquis family that would watch over him.
“Marquis Amakawa may have realized, but the rank of Marquis, with 800 million lives in charge, is a heavy one. I felt it strongly when the Battle of Apollo broke out earlier, and I had to make the decision to take my subjects on board my own interstellar ship and abandon those who had failed to escape.”
At Bastian’s words, Hart nodded back in silence.
“Since the Marquis of Zäckingen has not nominated anyone, the next Marquis of Zäckingen must be a choice acceptable to the majority of the subjects, as the choice will affect the lives of the people of the star system.”
In the recent Battle of Apollo, 60 million civilians were killed.
However, if the Marquis of Zäckingen had not forced every aristocrat to retreat, the evacuation would have been delayed and the casualties would have risen to hundreds of millions.
Hart expressed his concerns, while agreeing with the careful selection.
“However, if the selection takes too long, won’t that make it even more difficult for the royal people to make a good selection?”
If the decision was made in the month following the loss of the predecessor, you can pass for reasons such as “I chose the eldest person. Now that it is a time of war, and since the Marquis seat cannot be left vacant for long, so I chose the person with the most life experience”.
However, if the decision is made in a year, they will be stunned, saying, “It took a year to make that decision? If that’s the case, I should have decided sooner.”. However, if they spend 10 years on it, there will be no expectations at all and be relieved that it has finally been decided.
Bastian asked Hart, as if testing him.
“If the choice was yours, what criteria will you use to decide?”
Hart has not offered an official position on the issue.
The reason is that, as the Queen’s fiancée, he is considered the spokesperson for opinions that she herself cannot officially express. And, indeed, he sometimes plays the role of a spokesperson.
When Hart speaks out, it has a powerful influence.
Hart had avoided making any public statements about the next generation of the Marquis of Zäckingen, but this time it was a private dinner table, and he imagined what he would do.
“Well, first of all, assuming that the nine candidates are Marquis-grade, in the case of female candidates, unless the succession rate is at least 0.8 times and the child is Marquis-grade or higher, we will omit them from the candidates. The reason is that if succession issues arise in the next generation, this selection will be criticized.”
In order to meet Hart’s requirements, a woman would need Duke-grade magic power value of 23,040.
Apparently, there was only one woman who could meet that requirement, and the number of candidates that Hart displayed on the terminal at hand was reduced from nine to four men and one woman.
This problem of magic power inheritance is the reason why men are more easily chosen as heads of aristocratic households.
However, most men, with the exception of the family heir, fall out of the aristocracy.
Women, on the other hand, have a number of ways to keep from falling out of the aristocracy.
Therefore, it can be understood that the disadvantage on the female side at the time of succession is offset by the security of status.
For the remaining five candidates, Hart had an additional sifting processsieve.
“Next, I would draw the line based on military experience before the Battle of Apollo. Since we are choosing the aristocrats of the Monarchy, there is no reason why those who have not served in the military should be given preference over those who have.”
In order of age, there was a man with long red hair and a stern face who looked like his father, a man with black hair parted in the center and thin cheeks and sharp eyes, a man with dark blond hair and a pouty expression, and a woman with purple hair as dark as amethyst.
Young tengu, crow, lion, and amethyst, and Hart, who arbitrarily characterized them on his first impression, drew out individual information.
The four are 47, 40, 29 and 27 years old.
Magic power values are 18,549, 19,298, 19,227, and 23,325.
Their maternal households come from a baronial family, a baronet family, a marquis family, and a count family.
Their backgrounds include a bachelor’s degree graduate as a marquis local magistrate, a master’s degree graduate as a member of the local council, a bachelor’s degree graduate as a marquis bureaucrat, and a doctor’s degree as central government official.
Young tengu, like his predecessor Marquis Zäckingen, is a fisherman, and although he is unmarried, he has a child with Marquis-grade magic power.
The crow has a legal wife and a child, but the child is not a Marquis-grade magic power holder.
The lion is unmarried and has no fiancée.
The Amethyst has a fiancé from the Marquis of Audran household in the Athena Star System who is not expected to inherit the title. The partner’s magic power value is 19,654.
“Crow… or rather, Patrick Levalier, who has a legal wife and whose child is not Marquis-grade, will be excluded.”
Hart, who narrowed down the candidates to three, was at a loss for a decision.
Young tengu has the lowest magic power value, and his mother’s household is also from the general aristocracy, so his support is weak. However, since he has a child with magic power who is likely to reach Marquis-grade, he can expect a stable succession to the peerage. He is also an active local magistrate, and a certain amount of expectations can be placed on his work as a Marquis.
Lion’s maternal household is the highest ranked of the lot, but his magic power value is not much different from that of Tengu. He has a life of going down the rails after he graduated from the University of the Apollo Star System and worked as a bureaucrat in the Marquis territory. By nature, he should have been a local magistrate, but he seemed to be as lazy as a lion in the daytime.
Amethyst has the highest magic power value, but magic power decreases with childbirth. However, after completing her Ph.D. in the royal capital, she joined the central government as a senior bureaucrat and became the head of the State Department at the age of 27. She doesn’t seem unmotivated or bad at politics.
After hesitating about the lion whose parents belonged to a Marquis family, Hart excluded him from the list of candidates.
“If I had to choose, it would be the young tengu who resembled his father, or the Amethyst that resembled her mother.”
Hart, who had narrowed it down to two choices, stumbled.
If the people of the territory vote, it will be a contest of appearance, whether the young tengu who looks like his father and seems unexpectedly popular, or a slender long-haired beauty who is a career bureaucrat and looks good in a suit, but there is no way a Marquis would be chosen based on looks.
On the other hand, young tengu is a fisherman, and already has a child with high magic power value that will reach the Marquis-grade.
“It’s really troubling. Perhaps Amethyst was thinking about inheriting the House of Marquis Zäckingen herself.”
“Why do you think so?”
Bastian asked Hart who had made the assertion, but it wasn’t a question he asked because he didn’t know the reason, it was just to check the answers.
“Because she is a Duke-grade magic power holder, yet she didn’t become the wife of the lord or heir of an aristocratic family.”
The Monarchy’s Academy of Magic, which gathers high magic power holders, serves as a matchmaking venue. And as a Duke-grade magic power holder, she is in a position to become the legitimate wife of the Count.
If you imagine the reason for refusing it with common sense, it was because there was a possibility that she could get a position higher than the lawful wife of the Count family.
The Marquis of Zäckingen had passed the halfway point of his age-stagnated life expectancy and had no legitimate successor, and a generational change was needed in the not too distant future.
Even if that fails, it is still possible for her child to become the head of the Marquis of Audran household if she has a husband from the Marquis Audran family of the Athena Star System and the child has high magic power value at 20,000.
Hart evaluated her as a strong woman.
Needless to say, if the young Tengu is promoted, if the child of Amethyst inherits the Marquis of Audran family, it is possible that the person who promoted it will be resented by the mother of the Marquis of Audran household.
Counts and below can’t speak out, and even the Marquis can’t say anything outrageous. It was Hart’s real intention not to get involved.
“Philine, as a Marquis of the same Apollo lineage, which candidate do you think is easier to work with?”
With Hart and her grandparents watching, Philine compared the two and answered immediately.
“Young tengu, Mr. Garland.”
“May I ask you why you answered immediately?”
To the startled Hart, Philene explained the reason for her selection.
“Mr. Garland has a proven track record, and he attends gatherings of Apollo aristocrats, so we can collaborate. But I don’t know Viola, so I don’t know if it will work. We’ll be together for 200 years, so if it fails, we won’t be able to see each other eye-to-eye.”
The reasons Philine gave were deeply convincing.
Hart suddenly thought of the Duke of Coesfeld, who had spoken of his dislike of gambling.
With Garland, who has local connections, and Viola, who has connections to the Athena System, the former is a solid measure for the local Apollo System, while the latter is speculation for a future with a wide range of fluctuations.
The Apollo System, which cannot be delayed at present, should choose the former, Hart thought.
“I agree with Philine, that’s just my opinion.”
When Hart concluded his response to Bastian’s question, Marquis Carneus and his wife exchanged glances and nodded silently.
Seeing this, Hart realized that his remarks had influenced the selection of the new Marquis of Zäckingen.
It was an opinion issued by the Marquis of Carneus, an Apollo aristocrat, in consultation with Hart, a Duke who was not a party to it and who was also the supreme commander of the Royal Army, even if privately.
The Duke of Coesfeld, who is unable to appoint his own overseer, could convey the opinion of the Marquis Carneus in consultation with Hart to the Ministry of the Interior as a compilation of opinions.
The Ministry of the Interior, which wants to quickly decide on a vacant ruler, will happily accept a proposal that would save them from having to take responsibility.
In the end, Hart’s name was used, he decided that he had no choice but to support the family affairs of the Marquis of Zäckingen, which could not be resolved even if left unattended, and reaffirmed the movements of the Marquis of Carneus.
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Previous | TOC | PreviewFrom the swirling transition gate, millions of lights are flowing down like meteors.
These floods of light flowed straight into the giant spaceport constructed in front of the Transition Gate of the Apollo System.
And from the giant spaceport, floods of the same magnitude, with large quantities of goods, were flowing from the Apollo Star System for the other six connected star systems without pause.
At the Marquis of Carneus’ residence on the planet Delphoi in the Apollo Star System, Hart, who was watching the broadcast over dinner, gave his assessment to the stars shining in the sky.
“I wonder if the number of pilots who have reached the average level of skill has increased to a reasonable degree.”
Philine let out a small giggle at his impression, which contained no trace of sentimentality.
Hundreds of millions of fighter craft pilots are transporting goods between star systems, which can both train pilots to improve their skills and revitalize the Monarchy’s economy.
Of the nine star systems ruled by the Monarchy, seven of them, excluding the Machaon and Solar Systems, are territorialized by a Spirit Emperor or Spirit King, who are contracted directly with Hart, and are connected by a transition gate.
The existence of the transition gate, which was connected to the former Coalition’s MacLir system and the former Tenka System of Fukashiro, not only contributed to the procurement of supplies and the skill of the pilots, but also contributed to enormous economic effects on a scale unprecedented in human history.
And the convenience of the transition gate is not limited to civilians engaged in various economic activities and the Royal Army responsible for system defense.
Philine, the Lady of the Marquis of Carneus, who was recently transferred to the reserves in order to succeed to the title of Marquis, is one of those who are experiencing the convenience of the transition gate.
“Thanks to the transition gate, it looks like the handover will be done quickly.”
Philine began the takeover of the Marquis title in July, a month after the Battle of Apollo.
In the meantime, Claudia, who was of the same system, had taken over the task of Commander of the Fortress Stationed Fleet. Perhaps Philine’s transfer to the reserves was the impetus for Yuna’s transfer to the reserves at the same time.
The existence of the transition gate greatly reduced the time required for various procedures and face-to-face contact.
From now on, Philine will follow her grandfather to learn the annual events and roles as a Marquis, how to give instructions to the territorial government, the relationships and arrangements between the households, and will gradually be entrusted with the duties of a Marquis, and eventually succeed to the title.
After hearing the explanation, Hart estimated that the time required for the handover would be several years.
“It will take about three years to complete the succession without problems.”
“That’s about how long it takes to learn everything. The longer the handover period, the more secure, but there’s no rule that you have to do the same thing.”
When Philine’s gaze turned to her grandfather, Bastian, the Marquis of Carneus, who was present, he shook his head in affirmation.
“Quite so. The role of the marquis is to protect the star system and the people entrusted to it by the Monarchy. What I’m trying to convey is the current situation and the meaning of what we are doing. If, after understanding the purpose, you wish to make more effective or efficient improvements, you are free to do so.”
Witnessing the act of the succession, Hart was impressed by the Marquis of Carneus’ to-the-point presentation.
Hart also holds the rank of Marquis, but as it was not inherited from his parents, he is the first generation. When handing over to his next generation, he decided to refer to Bastian’s way of communicating, which he had just heard, and kept it in a corner of his mind.
The reason why he is able to listen to such a valuable story is because it is certain that the Marquis of Carneus in two generations will be Hart’s child. It would be more convenient for the Marquis Carneus household if the father understood rather than if he didn’t understand.
Brigitte, Marquess of Carneus, who was present, put on the pressure.
“By the way, Duke Son, when are you and Philine going to have a child?”
Caught off guard, Hart choked on his food and gulped it down.
Perhaps because she’s the grandmother, not the parent, she could ask this in a straightforward manner even though it’s in front of Philine. Thinking that it would not be a topic to be discussed at a dinner table, Hart looked around to see how the Carneus family would react.
However, Philine had a look of anticipation on her face, and the reserve general, who was no longer on active duty, was unlikely to be of any use as a reinforcement.
He thought that the head of the family, Bastian, could be expected to have good sense, but unfortunately, the birth of the Marquis of Carneus two generations after his was an important matter, so he didn’t make any sensible remarks.
Both Hart and Philine are 23 years old, and are of the generation with an average life expectancy of 300 years.
If converted to a generation with an average life expectancy of 100 years, it would be in 7 to 8 years… which is not a strong argument, but it’s too early to think about the next generation.
If the cycle of generational change is 24 years, Philine would have to live 252 years after taking over the title at the age of 48.
To put this in perspective, a generational change every 100 years would be fine.
Considering the average life expectancy, 100 years old is only equivalent about the early 30s.
However, the Marquis of Carneus family has lost all qualified successors other than Philine in the Second Battle of Diete.
The Apollo System has been converted into a realm and become a safe zone, and the next Marquis, Philine, has also been transferred to the reserves, so there is no longer any worry of her being killed in battle, but the situation remains that her partner, Hart, is still on the battlefield.
As the Duke who connects the Monarchy and Fukashiro, and the person in charge of the spirits, Hart is an important figure in the Monarchy, so he is no longer in a position to go directly to the battlefield, but as there are so many things that only Hart can do, he has no choice but to go to the battlefield.
Bridget’s actions were perfectly reasonable from the standpoint of the Marquis of Carneus, who was apprehensive of the future.
“I understand your concerns, but considering the position of Her Majesty the Queen, it is not possible for Carneus alone to have a child. Since I’m on the battlefield, I will provide my genes just in case, but I have no intention of dying in battle. Please wait a little while.”
“Make it quick.”
“Geho, Geho…”
Hart coughed, spitting out the food he had in his mouth.
Then a few of the android waiters who had been waiting by the wall came over and offered Hart a table napkin to quickly clean up the stains.
Although it was clearly a violation of etiquette, Bridget’s remarks were not what the legitimate wife of the traditional Marquis family, ranked first in the hierarchy, would say. In view of the character of the Marquis family, Philine interjects.
“What was that? I’ve been hard of hearing lately. Show me my great-grandchild’s face before the reaper comes for me.”
The way Bridget was so bold and open abruptly reminded Hart of Philine’s sister Dorothea.
Dorothea, who tried to use her power to falsely convict the innocent Hart, had the appearance of a well-groomed doll, but her personality was that of a doll that would move in the middle of the night and attack with a knife in hand.
Hart’s perception of Bridget, who was over 100 years old in a generation with a lifespan of 150 years, was that of Dorothea.
Is the Bridget the grandmother version of this parent, and this child?
Although she seemed to have acquired cunning over the years and was not forced to violate criminal law and humanity as Dorothea was.
“My mindset is exactly as I explained it. I understand the promise of gene donation and the order of priority. Otherwise, I would not have visited the residence of the Marquis of Carneus and made it known that I was giving you special treatment.”
“In the first place, Grandmother, now is the time for succession, not for raising children. When parents are separated from their children, the magic power to pass on to the offspring of this family is diminished.”
Bridget, who was criticized by the men and women of her grandchildren’s generation, complained about it in a tone of exasperation.
“It’s quite a problem. The Marquis of Zäckingen family, as you know, are having a hard time with too many children.”
The Apollo System is home to two Marquis Households, Carneus and Zäckingen.
Prior to the resumption with the Former Coalition, there were 14 marquis families for the six star systems of the Monarchy, with two to three Marquis families in each star system.
One of the duties of the Marquis is to monitor the Duke family, of which there is only one in each star system, to prevent them from running amok.
If the Marquis Family, which governs 800 million people, raises an objection, it will surpass the power of the Duke family, which governs 1.2 billion people, so even the Duke cannot ignore it.
Both the Marquis of Carneus and Zäckingen serve as controllers to prevent the Duke of Coesfeld of the Apollo Star System from running wild.
Bridget lamented the two extremes of the two families, with Carneus suffering from a lack of heirs and Zäckingen suffering from too many heirs, adding up to two.
“What happened to the succession issue of the Marquis of Zäckingen?”
Hart, who had tried to avoid getting involved in the issue of the succession of the marquis family of other star systems as much as possible, only knew that the problem has not yet been settled.
It is stipulated by national law that the succession to the Marquis title requires at least 17,280 magic power value.
There are nine confirmed candidates for succession to the Marquis of Zäckingen who meet these conditions. They have all been reported by the Marquis of Zäckingen to the Ministry of the Interior and confirmed by genetic testing, so there is no doubt that they are his biological children who are candidates for succession.
If one continues to take mistresses without getting married and works vigorously to maximize the number of magic power holders, how many magical individuals will there be in the next generation?
One of the answers is demonstrated in the current Marquis of Zäckingen. And there should be even more people with magic power values at the Count-grade.
“If any had received the Order of Merit in the battle, the question of his successor would not have arisen.”
At the unfortunate words of Bastian, a fellow Marquis of the same star system, Hart sensed that there was no suitable person.
In this regard, the Duke of Coesfeld, the main ruler of the Apollo System, cannot be expected to take the lead in this matter.
This is because the Duke of Coesfeld is a man of character who is unwilling to make the role of a watchdog a mere formality by appointing the head of the Marquis family that would watch over him.
“Marquis Amakawa may have realized, but the rank of Marquis, with 800 million lives in charge, is a heavy one. I felt it strongly when the Battle of Apollo broke out earlier, and I had to make the decision to take my subjects on board my own interstellar ship and abandon those who had failed to escape.”
At Bastian’s words, Hart nodded back in silence.
“Since the Marquis of Zäckingen has not nominated anyone, the next Marquis of Zäckingen must be a choice acceptable to the majority of the subjects, as the choice will affect the lives of the people of the star system.”
In the recent Battle of Apollo, 60 million civilians were killed.
However, if the Marquis of Zäckingen had not forced every aristocrat to retreat, the evacuation would have been delayed and the casualties would have risen to hundreds of millions.
Not only the people who are directly affected, but also the aristocrats who would deal with the crisis in a coordinated manner, would want the right person.
Hart expressed his concerns, while agreeing with the careful selection.
“However, if the selection takes too long, won’t that make it even more difficult for the royal people to make a good selection?”
If the decision was made in the month following the loss of the predecessor, you can pass for reasons such as “I chose the eldest person. Now that it is a time of war, and since the Marquis seat cannot be left vacant for long, so I chose the person with the most life experience”.
However, if the decision is made in a year, they will be stunned, saying, “It took a year to make that decision? If that’s the case, I should have decided sooner.”. However, if they spend 10 years on it, there will be no expectations at all and be relieved that it has finally been decided.
Bastian asked Hart, as if testing him.
“If the choice was yours, what criteria will you use to decide?”
The reason is that, as the Queen’s fiancée, he is considered the spokesperson for opinions that she herself cannot officially express. And, indeed, he sometimes plays the role of a spokesperson.
When Hart speaks out, it has a powerful influence.
Hart had avoided making any public statements about the next generation of the Marquis of Zäckingen, but this time it was a private dinner table, and he imagined what he would do.
“Well, first of all, assuming that the nine candidates are Marquis-grade, in the case of female candidates, unless the succession rate is at least 0.8 times and the child is Marquis-grade or higher, we will omit them from the candidates. The reason is that if succession issues arise in the next generation, this selection will be criticized.”
In order to meet Hart’s requirements, a woman would need Duke-grade magic power value of 23,040.
Apparently, there was only one woman who could meet that requirement, and the number of candidates that Hart displayed on the terminal at hand was reduced from nine to four men and one woman.
This problem of magic power inheritance is the reason why men are more easily chosen as heads of aristocratic households.
However, most men, with the exception of the family heir, fall out of the aristocracy.
Women, on the other hand, have a number of ways to keep from falling out of the aristocracy.
Therefore, it can be understood that the disadvantage on the female side at the time of succession is offset by the security of status.
For the remaining five candidates, Hart had an additional sifting processsieve.
“Next, I would draw the line based on military experience before the Battle of Apollo. Since we are choosing the aristocrats of the Monarchy, there is no reason why those who have not served in the military should be given preference over those who have.”
When Hart confirmed how many people had been reduced by this, there were only four candidates left.
In order of age, there was a man with long red hair and a stern face who looked like his father, a man with black hair parted in the center and thin cheeks and sharp eyes, a man with dark blond hair and a pouty expression, and a woman with purple hair as dark as amethyst.
Young tengu, crow, lion, and amethyst, and Hart, who arbitrarily characterized them on his first impression, drew out individual information.
The four are 47, 40, 29 and 27 years old.
Magic power values are 18,549, 19,298, 19,227, and 23,325.
Their maternal households come from a baronial family, a baronet family, a marquis family, and a count family.
Their backgrounds include a bachelor’s degree graduate as a marquis local magistrate, a master’s degree graduate as a member of the local council, a bachelor’s degree graduate as a marquis bureaucrat, and a doctor’s degree as central government official.
The crow has a legal wife and a child, but the child is not a Marquis-grade magic power holder.
The lion is unmarried and has no fiancée.
The Amethyst has a fiancé from the Marquis of Audran household in the Athena Star System who is not expected to inherit the title. The partner’s magic power value is 19,654.
“Crow… or rather, Patrick Levalier, who has a legal wife and whose child is not Marquis-grade, will be excluded.”
Hart, who narrowed down the candidates to three, was at a loss for a decision.
Young tengu has the lowest magic power value, and his mother’s household is also from the general aristocracy, so his support is weak. However, since he has a child with magic power who is likely to reach Marquis-grade, he can expect a stable succession to the peerage. He is also an active local magistrate, and a certain amount of expectations can be placed on his work as a Marquis.
Lion’s maternal household is the highest ranked of the lot, but his magic power value is not much different from that of Tengu. He has a life of going down the rails after he graduated from the university of the Apollo Star System and worked as a bureaucrat in the Marquis territory. By nature, he should have been a local magistrate, but he seemed to be as lazy as a lion in the daytime.
Amethyst has the highest magic power value, but magic power decreases with childbirth. However, after completing her PhD in the royal capital, she joined the central government as a senior bureaucrat and became the head of the State Department at the age of 27. She doesn’t seem unmotivated or bad at politics.
After hesitating about the lion whose parents belonged to a Marquis family, Hart excluded him from the list of candidates.
“If I had to choose, it would be the young tengu who resembled his father, or the amethyst that resemble her mother.”
Hart, who had narrowed down to two choices, stumbled.
If the people of the territory vote, it will be a contest of appearance, whether the young tengu who looks like his father and seems unexpectedly popular, or a slender long-haired beauty who is a career bureaucrat and looks good in a suit, but there is no way a Marquis would be chosen based on looks.
Amethyst has Duke-grade high magic power that is hard to obtain, but after giving birth twice, she will have as much magic power as young tengu. However, the magic power value of the first child can be expected to be about 20,000.
On the other hand, young tengu is a fisherman, and already has a child with high magic power value that will reach the Marquis-grade.
“It’s really troubling. Perhaps Amethyst was thinking about inheriting the House of Marquis Zäckingen herself.”
“Why do you think so?”
Bastian asked Hart who had made the assertation, but it wasn’t a question he asked because he didn’t know the reason, it was just to check the answers.
“Because she is a Duke-grade magic power holder, yet she didn’t become the wife of the lord or heir of an aristocratic family.”
The Monarchy’s Academy of Magic, which gathers high magic power holders, serves as a matchmaking venue. And as a Duke-grade magic power holder, she is in a position to become the legitimate wife of the Count.
The Marquis of Zäckingen had passed the halfway point of his age-stagnated life expectancy and had no legitimate successor, and a generational change was needed in the not too distant future.
Even if that fails, it is still possible for her child to become the head of the Marquis of Audran household if she has a husband from the Marquis Audran family of the Athena Star System and the child has high magic power value at 20,000.
Hart evaluated her as a strong woman.
Needless to say, if the young Tengu is promoted, if the child of amethyst inherits the Marquis of Audran family, it is possible that the person who promoted it will be resented by the mother of the Marquis of Audran household.
Counts and below can’t speak out, and even the Marquis can’t say anything outrageous. It was Hart’s real intention not to get involved.
“Philine, as a Marquis of the same Apollo lineage, which candidate do you think is easier to work with?”
With Hart and her grandparents watching, Philine compared the two and answered immediately.
“Young tengu, Mr. Garland.”
“May I ask you why you answered immediately?”
To the startled Hart, Philene explained the reason for her selection.
“Mr. Garland has a proven track record, and he attends gatherings of Apollo aristocrats, so we can collaborate. But I don’t know Viola, so I don’t know if it will work. We’ll be together for 200 years, so if it fails, we won’t be able to see each other eye-to-eye.”
The reasons Philine gave were deeply convincing.
Now is the time of war, and they in the midst of explosive economic development. If the Apollo aristocrats can’t move together, they will suffer more damage on the battlefield and lag behind in competition with other star systems.
Hart suddenly thought of the Duke of Coesfeld, who had spoken of his dislike of gambling.
With Garland, who has local connections, and Viola, who has connections to the Athena System, the former is a solid measure for the local Apollo System, while the latter is speculation for a future with a wide range of fluctuations.
The Apollo System, which cannot be delayed at present, should choose the former, Hart thought.
“I agree with Philine, that’s just my opinion.”
When Hart concluded his response to Bastian’s question, Marquis Carneus and his wife exchanged glances and nodded silently.
Seeing this, Hart realized that his remarks had influenced the selection of the new Marquis of Zäckingen.
The Duke of Coesfeld, who is unable to appoint his own overseer, could convey the opinion of the Marquis Carneus in consultation with Hart to the Ministry of the Interior as a compilation of opinions.
The Ministry of the Interior, which wants to quickly decide on a vacant ruler, will happily accept a proposal that would save them from having to take responsibility.
In the end, Hart’s name was used, he decided that he had no choice but to support the family affairs of the Marquis of Zäckingen, which could not be resolved even if left unattended, and reaffirmed the movements of the Marquis of Carneus.
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