Enlightenment Arc Chapter 1: A Tale of Two Cities[1] A 「Today I have to run an errand near the castle, so……」(Souma) It was morning.
As always, I was having a breakfast with my four fiancées, inside my room when I mentioned this.
「Can someone go along with me?
」(Souma)「Is it a job?
」(Liscia) I nodded at Liscia’s question.
「Sadly so.
Since it’s an important case, I want to see to it personally.
」(Souma)「I see…… Then, I will be going.
What about everyone else?
」(Liscia) Liscia brought this matter up with the other three (I could already feel her influence as the First Queen Consort), the first one, Roroa made an “X” mark atop her head with her hand.
「Too bad.
I cannae go.
Since Darling had entrusted th’ negotiations wi’ th’ Merchant Guild.
」(Roroa)「About the matter of transforming the slave merchants into civil servants?
」(Souma)「Aye.
Darling micht had once transformed th’ scrap metal merchants to “resaikel duty”[2] as civil servants, but this time it wonnae be that smooth.
Since th’ scrap metal merchants are lik’ trash picker from th’ start, thay were nae guild’s members.
Althoogh slave merchants are looked down as lowly just th’ same, thay are properly registered at the Merchant Guild.
If thay are separated from th’ guild and then are under th’ country’s control, this will be th’ same as『Monopolizing』 the slave trade ye see.
」(Roroa) While saying this, Roroa took a bottle of salt, that was placed on the table.
into her hand.
「It was different from th’ salt or iron, but it’s th’ first time I’ve heard about monopolizing slaves.
Slaves aren’t ‘local procure, local use’ goods, aye?
Of course, thay also came from other countries.
Transforming slave merchants into civil servants means that it will also prevent th’ flow of this trade from the other countries.
As a civil servant, thay would’ve a guaranteed income, but they wonnae earn any profit.
Hence, th’ slave merchants who want to earn profits will move to other countries.
There will also be those who will oppose.
But it is Darling’s wish to curtail th’ slavery……」(Roroa) …… Well, that’s true.
It’s different when it’s about the crime slaves that were serving their manual labor penalties, but selling women or children as slaves to reduce the number of mouths to feed or the fact that that the child of a slave was also a slave.
.
.
I really want to put an end to these kinds of old-fashioned practices at once.
It’s not just from a humanistic point of view, but also to increase the prosperity of the country as a whole.
「Even if it’s just th’ domestic crime slaves and property slaves, it’s unknown whether or not it will satisfy th’ demand…… Really, it’s troublesome.
」(Roroa)「……So, is it as difficult as expected?
」(Souma) When I asked her, Roroa nodded her head.
「Uun, I can dae this.
I want to see th’ post-slavery world that Darling had mentioned.
Where everyone can earn money, use it, and circulate it in th’ economy.
That kind of world.
」(Roroa) I had taught a portion of my world’s economic history to the ever-clever Roroa.
Because of the technological innovations, it would be possible to mass produce goods, create a demand for a market where those goods could be sold, resulting in further effects on the asset-less slaves’ positions, and how these events lead to the slaves’ emancipation.
This kind of story.
Of course, I know that there were people who waged war under the ideology that all humans should be equal.
For the slaves that had persevered to win their freedom, they didn’t have any disposition to deny the efforts of the people who wished for freedom.
It was just, somehow when I saw the story of that age, I felt the powerlessness of humans, 「No matter what kind of system it is, in the end, is it suitable for that age or not?
」.
Napoleonic Wars or the US’s Civil War (it was called a war for slave emancipation, but the truth is that the Union Army had adopted 『Slave Emancipation』 to garner support, so they wouldn’t be defeated by the Confederate Army)[3] the end result was that these wars pushed the emancipation of slaves forward[4], or that was what I had heard…… right.
No matter how splendid an idea is, if it doesn’t suit that age, then it will be crushed.
Even after the slavery system ended, in the next age, the conflict between the capitalists and the workers was waiting.
However, Roroa saw a frontier in my stories.
「It may be a bit pushy, but if th’ Empire makes th’ first step, then we can dae it.
If the influential half of th’ continent, nay, th’ humanity side, reduces th’ slavery, it should be difficult for others to oppose it.
Then, th’ matter of the shortage of labor, though the turn is reversed from Darling’s story, we could only compensate it with technological development.
This is Darling’s work.
」(Roroa)「Yeah.
That is my objective.
Leave it to me.
」(Souma)「I’ll be waitin’.
Since I also will dae what I can dae.
」(Roroa)「I’ll counting on you.
」(Souma)「Mufufu~.
Say it more.
」(Roroa) Our arms were tightly linked.
For this kind of matter, Roroa was really reliable.
So, Roroa couldn’t accompany me, but what about Aisha or Juna-san?
I looked in their directions.
「I am terribly sorry, but I need to prepare for the next music program, so I can’t go with you.
」(Juna)「I-I had been asked to accompany the new soldiers’ training…… Of course, if Your Majesty says the word, then I will discard the other arrangements and will accompany you.
」(Aisha)「It’s alright.
No need to push yourself.
Hmm…… Well then……」(Souma) The matter this time is something where I don’t wish to take too many people with me.
Since “that side” will be cautious of the number of people.
On the other hand, as expected, I will be uneasy if I don’t take any bodyguards with me.
With Liscia going with me…… Well, rather than an unskilled bodyguard, Liscia’s fighting strength is surely higher, right?
The Black Cats Squad is assigned to gather intelligence in the other countries right now, so there are no personnel left for bodyguard duty.
If possible, I want to personally take either Aisha, as the strongest one, or Juna-san, who could gather intelligence.
Then, 「Your Majesty.
May I have a permission to present a counsel?
」(Serina) The Chief Maid, Serina-san, who was waiting near the wall, bowed with a refined demeanor.
「Serina-san?
What is it?
」(Souma)「If Your Majesty is searching for a bodyguard, then I have someone that I wish to recommend.
」(Serina)「Fumu.
Who is that person?
」(Souma)「Your Majesty’s martial arts instructor, Owen-dono.
」(Serina)「Gugh…… That jii-san[5], Owen, huh……」(Souma) Owen Javana, a noble who is the Head of the Javana House and also a military veteran.
He has a tremendously zealous and honest temperament and I appreciate him for his direct and frank speech.
Currently, he is my advisor and martial arts instructor.
A “Gahaha”-type of jii-san.
Well, if it is that jii-san, his combat prowess is dependable and he might be bored when I’m not here …… When I was pondering this, Serina continued.
「Also, Your Majesty may freely take Carla-san from the Maid Squad.
」(Serina)「Eh!
?
」(Carla) The one who let out that yell was not me, but the surprised Carla who was standing beside Serina.
「She might be officially part of the Maid Squad, but her position is Your Majesty’s slave.
Isn’t this an occasion, where we can put this meat sh-…… cart-horse to work?
」(Serina)「Head Maid!?
Were you just going to say meat shield!?
Or rather, I think you correcting it to cart horse is also quite terrible!
」(Carla)「……(immediately taking out a whip used for maid-training)」(Serina)「Hiiii!?
I will be working with all of my body and soul!
」(Carla) Carla made a bow.
It was as if she had been completely domesticated.
「Th-then, I will be relying on you.
」(Souma)「A-……As your wish.
Master.
」(Carla) With this, the members who will follow me to the city will be Liscia, Owen, and Carla.
I wonder why…..
Just by selecting those people, I suddenly feel tired.
Give me a break.
[6] ◇ ◇ ◇ 「Gahaha, This one[7] is very happy to be taken along as a bodyguard!
Your Ma-」(Owen)「Sssst!
Owen…… How many times do I tell you not to call Your Majesty in the city like this?
」(Souma)「Ulps, please excuse this one.
」(Owen) Owen-dono laughed in such easygoing manner that it made my head hurt.
Even Liscia made a wry smile when she looked at me.
Under the broad daylight, Liscia, Owen, Carla and I were walking in the middle of the city.
Since we were travelling incognito and didn’t want to be too overt, we didn’t use a carriage and were going on foot instead.
…… It’s just that, even though we should be travelling incognito, we were strangely conspicuous.
It was because I, who was wearing the travelling garb of a Northwind Youngster[8], which was now the standard garb for me when travelling incognito these days, Liscia, who was wearing the Academy’s uniform like she wore when we first visited the city, the maid outfit-wearing dragonewt Carla, and a Macho jii-san, who was wearing an adventurer-like light armor, were walking side by side.
What’s with this messy mishmash that was all over the place.
It wouldn’t be strange for passerby to unconsciously take a second look at us.
「Even a temporaryily assembled party would have a more matching feel……」(Souma)「Then, wouldn’t it be better for Souma to wear an Academy uniform like before?
Then, Owen-dono’s appearance would surely look like a practical skill teacher.
」(Liscia)「If you said it like that, then Liscia should have an adventurer-like appearance, so we would be seen as a party, right?
」(Souma) While we were talking, we looked at the dragon maid who was walking behind us.
「W-what!?
Both of you are looking at me.
」(Carla)「……In any scenario, Carla will be out of place.
」(Souma)「……You’re right.
」(Liscia)「Aren’t theboth of you being too cruel!?
」(Carla) Carla might raise her voice to protest, but…… She was wearing a maid outfit after all.
Of course, we had planned for her to wear a different attire, but Serina firmly refused it.
Carla’s maid outfit was not the typical long-skirted classic type, but the frilly dress-type (or rather, it could be called the maid-café type).
To order her to walk in the middle of the street wearing those clothes, Serina-san was really a super-sadist.
[9] Even Carla had been completely flushed red due to shyness for awhile now…… 「By the way, Your-…… Kazuya-dono.
Is this road, really the correct direction?
」(Owen) Owen asked, slightly bewildered.
「Hmm?
Yes, it’s the correct one…… Is something wrong?
」(Souma)「No, but if this one’s memory serves right, this road will lead to……」(Owen)「Ah!
…… It’s true.
This is the way to……」(Liscia) It seems Liscia had realized something and didn’t complete her words…… Ah, so that’s the reason.
「This is the way to the former slums.
」(Souma)「Yes.
That is not a place where someone like Kazuya-dono or the Princess should go.
」(Owen) Even in the Capital City, there was a dark side.
In the large population, there were those who were successful in their businesses, people were neither affluent nor poor, and those who had failed.
There was a place where, the people who had failed, but who didn’t fall so far down that they were enslaved, drifted away into and spent their lives barely being able to earn money for the daily essentials one way or another.
That place was the slums.
There were many shanty-like houses, the hygiene situation was bad, diseases were rampant, where people gathered about without looking at each others’ origins, and so it was infested with crimes.
That kind of place.
「Well, that’s an old story though.
」(Souma)「It’s different now?
」(Liscia)「…… It might be quicker if you see it for yourself.
At any rate, when we go to have an inspection in the slums,」(Souma) I made a gesture as if my hand was holding a hose-like object.
「There is someone who will be strangely energetic, shouting “Filth will get sterilized!
”」(Souma) [1] 二都市物語 I think it might be a reference to Charles Dickens’ Novel of the same name (二都物語 in Japan).
[2] Roroa said it as : りさいくるwhich shows that she consider the word or concept of “Recycle” as foreign.
[3] Before any US citizens protest, the circumstances surrounding the Emancipation Proclamation, the political tension between the Copperhead Democrats, War Democrats and Republican which then swooped onto the victory in the 1862 Election, and how the Proclamation gained the Union the support of anti-slavery countries and countries that had already abolished slavery (especially the developed countries in Europe), which ended the Confederacy's hopes of gaining official recognition, could be read in any US history textbook.
In any case, the Civil War was not all about Slave Emancipation, but more about the unity of the US.
At least, that was the impression that I as a foreigner got.
[E/N: As an American citizen, Yukkuri’s right about that.
They simplify it as “slavery is bad so WAR!!
” in elementary school, but they later hammer it into students that “The Civil War was about keeping the nation together, the South was not as industrialized as the North & didn’t want to be, etc. etc.” in middle/high school.
The main cause was economic reasons: tariff laws & such.
It was the mere possibility of slavery being outlawed that made the South secede: their entire economy depended on slave labor & they were incredibly resistant to being industrialized like the North.
][4] The Congress of Vienna conducted after theNapoleonic Wars condemned the slave trade.
Several years since then, major European countries began to abolish slavery both in the home-country and/or in the colonies.
By 1861, most of the European and American countries had banned and abolished slavery.
[5] Jii-san means grandfather.
Also a way to call an elderly man (a middle-aged man will be os-san).
In English will be “Gramps”.
[6] Yareyareda.
[7] Owen uses 某 soregashi.
An obsolete humilific pronoun used by Samurais.
It means: a certain object or person.
It’s really hard for me to find a nice translation of it into English since English doesn’t employ that many variants of pronouns.
[8] Kitakaze kozou, 北風小僧.
Which Referring to 北風小僧の寒太郎 (Kitakaze Kozou no Kantarou) a Japanese children’s Enka song: https://youtu.be/eZpiVKywnEs [9] do-S.
do means super, very, extremely, while S is Sadistic.
This refers to a stereotypical character who likes to cause suffering in others as they enjoy their victims’ reaction to it.
Example: Okita Sougo from Gintama.
Imagine a Tsundere, without any dere-dere, only tsun-tsun.
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