After a brief postwar treatment, we returned to the town belonging to the king''s side. We stay here for the night. It is quite far from the capital, so I plan to return slowly.


    He enters his room and collapses on the sofa. The battlefield is exhausting for some reason. We are fighting for our lives. So, I should not go out to the front, but I can''t not go out to the front because it will raise the morale of the whole army.


    I think it is a little strange that Oda Nobunaga was not the type to go to the front lines so much, but I don''t mind because I enjoy fighting. But I don''t mind fighting because I enjoy it. Living in the court all the time is stifling too.


    It seems that there are others who feel the same way.


    "Thank you, Mr. Arsrod!"


    Raviara entered the room with great pomp and circumstance. This time Laviala had not been on the front lines, but she had served.


    "It''s a relief to see you at war after all these years. It''s not really in my nature to be a princess in a castle. ......"


    "I knew you would say that. I''m with you. There''s not much war going on these days."


    "Can''t we go on the offensive more and more, Mr. Arsrod?"


    Laviala''s mouth twitched in disapproval.


    Nothing has changed in my relationship with Raviara since the days when I was not even a petty lord.


    There are times to attack and times to consolidate. I have to fulfill my duties as regent. If I''m at war all the time, His Majesty will wonder what I''m doing."


    After he became regent and defeated the Cathedral of Orsent, tranquility fell over the city. Or rather, the forces that opposed me in the vicinity of King''s Landing have disappeared.


    Of course, if I keep going out, there will be people who don''t like my power, but if I keep going out, I won''t be able to keep myself in shape.


    So after we beat the Cathedral of Orcent into submission, we have avoided any expedition from here. It was more important to plant our forces near the capital.


    I sat Laviala down on the sofa and stroked her hair.


    "Isn''t it still time for government business, Mr. Arsrod?"


    Raviara says with a nonchalant look on her face.


    "Not when I''m on an expedition. While I''m away, I leave the political work to Jahnhahn. He''ll take care of it.


    The best thing I have done in the last five years is to replace the government officials. I have done a lot of examinations and brought in a lot of new people.


    The new people are really enthusiastic about their work. I often hear that the quality of officials has improved."


    New is a bit of a misnomer, though. Those of us in the first term have been doing this for five years.


    "Simply, the people I''ve recruited are smart. Jahnhahn is a good druggist too. He''s not like those fools who took over only because of vested interests.


    Raviara nuzzled her face in my direction. I guess it never gets old, even after a long relationship.


    "You''ve banished a lot of old people, haven''t you?"


    Slowly, he removed those who stood in the way of the newcomers in order to open the way for them to play an active role.


    "The charge is neglect of duty so far."


    If they had repeatedly dismissed him while he was fighting the cathedral, he might have been in danger, but it would not have mattered once the groundwork had been laid.


    "Please don''t make His Majesty suspicious of me."


    "I know. This is not a power struggle between me and you. I''m barely touching your power. In fact, we''re not changing the system of governance at all. I don''t care that people are being replaced."


    In any case, no one loyal to the current king--Hasse I--would have remained as an official, so the king''s power would not have been affected. Regardless of who became king, there were a lot of bureaucrats around the capital who remained only to do the paperwork.


    I carefully replaced them one by one with my own pawns.


    Thanks to this, my power does not waver so much and my work does not get delayed even if I am away from the capital for a while.


    I hope that Arsrod-sama''s power will remain stable and we can unify the land.


    Raviara''s hair smells of perfume. It is of distant origin and quite expensive. The capital receives many luxuries.


    It must be springtime in this world for us.


    But there''s still fighting to be done. That''s for sure.


    That''s fine. Raviara, I will protect Mr. Arsrod even at the cost of my life.


    Laviala twines her arms around my body. This is the way I feel about it. .......


    "That''s the only thing Laviala can do," he says. I''m sure the number of rivals will continue to grow. ......"


    I was a bit taken aback.


    Raviara is quite concerned about that kind of thing.


    "I''m sure you''ve been keeping a low profile of late. But since His Majesty took your sister as his wife, he can''t keep adding more and more concubines to the family."


    It''s true. Since Rumi became a full wife, the number of wives has ostensibly not increased. After five years of keeping the peace like that, it shouldn''t be a problem.


    "There is a rumor that the boy Mr. Jahnhahn had two years ago is the son of Mr. Arsrod..."


    Ugh. ....... That''s true: .......


    I have a full mistress relationship with Jahnhahn. I was more attracted to him while we were doing the tea ceremony together. I was also interested in the idea of a woman running a business all by herself. She has different values from the other lords'' daughters, and frankly, she''s interesting.


    We talked about taking her in, but Jahnhahn said she would be his heir. It was just as well, since she had come to this country alone and had never married.


    Raviara suspects that even if he did not have a consort, he must have had a mistress."


    Raviara''s suspicions sting.


    Let''s take proper care of this one: .......