The next day, after seeing Madeline and Almond, I told them about Agartha's proposal. I had Rico and Matkal attend the meeting. I expected them to be surprised, but they were surprisingly calm and took my words without any change in their expressions.
"......Yes, sir."
Madeline replied in a way that sounded as if she were chewing. Next to her, Almond nodded slowly.
"I have one concern about this proposal, if I may?"
Yes, anything.
"I have heard that the Ramallon Kingdom has a very strong will of the royal court. Are the people of the palace aware of what Prime Minister Madrilon has said?
"......I must confess that I have not received any approval."
"......"
"However, I am sure that this matter will be resolved to some extent before His Majesty goes into hiding."
What do you mean?
Now, Your Majesty's body is in our hands.
I don't understand what Madeline is trying to say. Almond, perhaps sensing this, opens his mouth.
"This, I confide to you, only the king of Agartha, but we intend to reform the palace and the army by the authority of your majesty.
What do you mean?
To put it more precisely, we will use His Majesty's authority to issue orders to the army and the rear guard.
"Is that what you mean by ......?"
"Linos."
Rico mutters in a small voice, as if admonishing me. Then he turns to Madeline and Almond and opens his mouth as if in exertion.
"I'm sorry for your loss. ......"
At these words, the two men bowed deeply.
"No. While you are still alive, the next king has been chosen. Madriline here is relieved. I thank the king of Agartha for his wise decision. Now all that remains is to reform the army and the palace. ....... This is my responsibility and must be done at all costs.
Madeline straightens her posture and continues speaking. Sweat was beading on his forehead.
"If Your Majesty goes into hiding in this state, we will have to appoint either Master Orhan or Master Clahara as the next emperor. If that happens, the crown will no doubt call for war against Agartha through the emperor and the nobles in the upper echelons of the army. And perhaps some of the army will respond to them. It is because they are afraid of the lapdog, the demon outside ...... no, I beg your pardon. It will be a story of turning on the dragon-class strongman outside. We had to avoid that at all costs. For my part, my greatest concern has been resolved. I would like to thank you again.
But, but... Prime Minister! I don't mean to be rude... but it's clear to me that the current Imperial Kingdom is no match for Agartha. I do not understand why you are talking like that.
Matkal speaks to me in a calm tone. Madeline nods her head and looks at her, as if to say, "That's exactly right.
"That's right. If you think about it calmly, you will realize that the ladies in the inner palace only think in narrow terms. They think only one or two years ahead, and such thoughts are created when they consider the rise of the imperial prestige.
"In the first place, the preconditions are wrong."
It was Almond who opened his mouth. He looks as if he is disappointed and continues to speak.
"The palace is one thing, and we soldiers are another. The wrong preconditions for warfare can lead to the death of a nation. We should have learned this lesson well during the battle against Agartha, but such opinions still emerge from the military. It is a shameful situation. However, such opinions are mostly expressed from the upper echelons. Those of us who served in that battle and those who fought with Agartha, including myself, know too well the strength and terror of Agartha's army. Those below: ....... Especially, the junior officers are well aware of it. It is a relief, I would say.
...... What a surprise. Well, I can understand somehow that the rear palace tends to have such an idea. Such places do not seem to be the kind of places where one can come and go so easily. In a situation where one is confined to a small space for a long time with little information, such a stonky opinion may emerge.
However, it would be a big problem for the country if the top of the military is like that. It is a wonder that there has not been a major uprising in the past.
Then again, Madeline and Almond are very skilled strategists. They must have been able to suppress the army and the rear by putting the emperor's authority in the foreground. This approach makes sense. If Madeline and Almond continue to use their intelligence and information to suppress those who would start a rebellion, they will be able to finish what they are doing with the least amount of damage.
"By the way, you're very good."
Suddenly, I hear Rico's voice and come to my senses. She looks at Madeline and Almond alternately and continues speaking.
"How did you manage to get the Emperor's body out of the palace?
No. It's just a coincidence.
Madeline smiles and waves her hand in embarrassment.
"General Callies ....... No, he's a general now. The Dowager Empress, the mother of the Emperor,...... no, the Great Demon King was disguised as the Dowager Empress at that time. When he killed the Empress Dowager, she became delirious. As expected, the royal consort thought that she could no longer control the rampaging Majesty, so she entrusted her body into our hands. Fortunately, His Majesty's condition stabilized after that, but since then, he has only mumbled to himself and grown quiet as if he were an old man.
"Well, ....... And such is His Majesty, Prime Minister Madeleine, all by herself?"
Yes, well. But it's a natural duty for a vassal.
"But it seems to me that the Prime Minister is getting a lot out of this."
Almond interjects with a grin. Madeline is wiping sweat from her face. It seems that the vizier has been taking advantage of the emperor's authority to make himself look good. However, this vizier is probably doing so without any unpleasantness. Otherwise, the ladies of the palace would not keep quiet. Otherwise, the ladies of the imperial palace would not keep quiet, because they would try to bring the emperor back to the imperial palace for some reason or other.
One wrong move and they will try to kill him. ...... No, in fact, they may have tried to kill him many times, but ostensibly, the Lamarong Empire has kept peace. The Prime Minister, who has maintained the country without letting other countries know about the internal turmoil, can be said to be an excellent politician.
However, after hearing these stories, I am hesitant to give my son, Falco, to the Kingdom. I know very well that it is unforgivable to ask him to reconsider his decision because the situation in his country is not good, even though I have just suggested that he should take the position of emperor when he comes of age. But he is my little boy named after my master. I do not want to throw her into an environment that will obviously make her unhappy. With these feelings in my heart, I opened my mouth to Madeline and the others.
"First of all, I ask you to help the Lamaron Kingdom to settle down. I will cooperate where I can.
"...... Thank you very much."
Madeline bowed reverently with a big smile on her face.