That day, the air in the castle was so thick that even a stranger felt suffocated.


    My first task was simple. As regent, I would stand beside the king.


    Ahead of me stood the ancient vassals of the court. Most of them could be classified as such, or as those who were hostile to me, or as those who were sympathetic to me and wanted to be taken in.


    In conclusion, I have no interest in either of them, because they are both boring people. In fact, I am thankful that they tell me that they are incompetent.


    The remaining few are those who are both competent and capable.


    I could tell that from the fact that I had been around them for a little while. In my line of work, I can almost always tell if someone is good or not. And I have Kerala, who is a connoisseur. That way, I can''t miss anything.


    I gradually eliminate other incompetent people while bringing in the most useful people. Gradually I will increase the number of people I can trust. Then I will be ready to take over the royal family.


    "Will today''s press conference go well, Lord Regent ......?"


    King Hasse is apparently not the type of man who can do tricks with his stomach. It may be no wonder that he was wandering around at a time when he should have been studying imperialism.


    "There is no one greater than the king in this country, so you should be able to stand tall and proud," he said. No matter who he is, even if he is a bigwig in the religious world, it is no different.


    Hasse could only nod in agreement as I answered him in a hawkish manner.


    In walked High Priest Camito of the Cathedral of Orszent.


    He is the man who has the most influence on the future of politics in the center.


    He must be over fifty years old, but he does not have the eyes of an old man. At least he did not look like a man who was purely in the service of God. He looks like a warrior who entered the path of the gods only formally in his later years.


    "The Cathedral of Orsent wishes to establish a long and fraternal relationship with your Majesty. We have a small gift to present to you.


    The high priest brought with him a precious hawk believed to be found only in the West, a tortoiseshell carving made from a turtle found only in the West Sea, and milky white porcelain.


    Hasse received them with innocent glee.


    Well, I won''t spoil his mood by complaining, will I? Let''s not interrupt him.


    Instead, Hasse granted the Cathedral of Orszent missionary rights and the right to collect taxes in some cities.


    Missionary rights had to be reapproved each time a king was replaced, but this was only nominal. No temple is missionary until it has received the king''s permission to do so.


    A divine tax is a tax collected in the name of temple restoration and repair. It is a major source of income for the Order.


    On the night of the meeting between the king and the high priest.


    I invited High Priest Kamito to the banquet. Raviara and Kerala were present on my side and the High Priest''s two close associates.


    Our work is much more important than theirs, and I am sure they know it.


    "I have been looking forward to meeting the young regent. No one in the past hundred years has held power at such a young age as you.


    On the surface, the high priest is smiling like a good-natured old man.


    "I did not mean to take power. I helped you to become king, and after you became king, I assisted you, which is a natural thing for a servant of the royal family.


    "Yes, you did. The regent has not neglected the king and has worked hard in government. There is no doubt about that.


    The cathedral seems to be doing a good job of trade with the West.


    All those offerings came from trade. On the contrary, they stopped in the territory of Orsent Cathedral in Josai Prefecture before entering the capital.


    Needless to say, the High Priest gave them to the king to show off the influence of the Cathedral of Orcend.


    More wealth in the vicinity of King''s Landing is concentrated in Josai than expected.


    Oda Nobunaga said, "It is just like the accumulation of things in Sakai. Does "Sakai" mean a boundary? It is true that a boundary can easily become a place of trade.


    "It was donated by devout believers," he said.


    You can see that they are choosing their words and speaking to each other.


    "Well, I would be grateful if you would continue to assist the regent, who is a greenhorn, in his duties.


    I raised my glass, and the high priest raised his as well.


    The banquet ended with a mutual acknowledgement of the other.


    "He was a creepy guy, wasn''t he?"


    Laviala let it slip after the banquet was over.


    "He didn''t say a word about his true intentions. He didn''t even threaten me, nor did he express any desire to get along with me. It''s rare to see someone who never sends out a message like that."


    I agree with Raviara. Then Laviala sighed, "I can''t believe how little I''ve accomplished. That was the only point where she differed from me.


    "I found out that there were no results. To be frank, that''s a good thing. It''s a lot better than not knowing."


    I guess we''ll find out if it''s friend or foe early on.


    I order Noen and Meisel to have the troops ready to move at a moment''s notice.


    I also borrowed a part of the king''s army from the king, which I trust to a certain extent. This could also be used to the extent of defeating enemies who were hostile to the king.


    The following month, I obtained from the king the right to collect taxes in several cities in the provinces near the capital and dispatched a man of my own accord there. I intentionally included some cities close to the Cathedral of Orsent.


    I expected a backlash from the cities since they would be ruled by me, but there was no clear movement at this point.


    So how do we make our next move?


    Two months later, I sent out an army to attack the lords west of the capital for harboring those who had defied the king. I, the regent, will go myself.


    I deliberately ordered Noen Laud not to attack the castle immediately.


    "Sir,...... why should we attack slowly,......?　The regent is rumored to be a weak soldier. ......"


    "We need to be insulted, or we might be catcalled all the time."