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Vol 03 Chapter 92-1: New Year II

The first day of January. It is an important day that ushers in the new year.

For me, this is the first new year since becoming a king. Now that I am a king, I must also fulfill my duties as the supreme priest.

Well, it’s not that difficult. All I need to do is imitate what Julia has been doing as the proxy for the ailing King Rosais.

However, there are two separate issues.

The first one is the announcement of Tetra’s birth.

「…Everyone seems surprised.」

「That’s natural. I mean, I was surprised too.」

Tetra, with her belly swollen, muttered next to me.

Normally, the New Year’s celebration is something celebrated only by the citizens of that country. But for some reason, an important foreign figure named Abraham came to this country.

The patricians and plebeians who learned of this were gossiping about what was happening… But evidently, they had not anticipated that he was Tetra’s biological grandfather.

…This fact carries significant political implications. Because, as it stands, Abraham’s direct descendants are only Tetra and the child in her womb.

The others have died out due to accidents or illnesses. It would have been fine if Abraham were a normal governor, but he is a tyrant. A dictator.

It’s possible he will try to pass his position to someone related to him by blood… That would mean Tetra can no longer be treated as just a concubine.

Sigh, it’s troublesome how what was not intended to be a political marriage ended up becoming one.

Nonetheless, since issues haven’t surfaced yet, let’s consider it fine. they will only surface after the child is born…

Damn, my stomach hurts.

The next issue is the recent need to worship the three deities we’ve designated as the chief gods. This is something no one has ever experienced before.

Patricians and magicians had to come together to think about the rules for the worship.

It’s not as simple as worshiping them. We need to show the entire country that these three deities will now become the guardian deities of King Rosais’ Country.

For the time being, we constructed a makeshift altar and conducted the ritual there.

If we combine the new anti-curse system with traditional methods, I believe we can withstand retaliatory curses. Our country has more magicians than any of the three countries, and most importantly, there is the barrier Julia set before her pregnancy.

However, it’s only temporary. The barrier Julia set will break eventually. There’s a chance that Julia could fall ill and be unable to set up next year’s barrier. If that happens, we’re in trouble. Our country will face the enemy’s curse head-on. Moreover, it’s not good enough just to defend. We must also take retaliatory measures.

Right now, our country is hastily constructing an anti-curse system. It will take at least five years to complete.

According to Julia, what’s important in a system that utilizes gods is faith. Temples to gather people’s faith will be built everywhere, and a grand temple to consolidate that faith will also be established.

The faith gathered in the grand temple will be converted into magical power to establish a barrier. That’s the anti-curse system using gods.

Building temples everywhere sounds simple, but it requires time and money. We can manage the costs, but we’re short on time.

We have no choice but to take our time with it.

◇

「The construction is progressing well, isn’t it?」

「Yes. It looks like we’ll finish earlier than scheduled. Well, even if we finish this project early, we have to start the construction of the new grand temple immediately after.」

Ismene made a slightly sarcastic comment. I had ordered her to finish the construction of the grand temple as soon as possible.

This caused a revision of the plans, and she was upset about it. However, there were political reasons on my side as well.

I need to get her to understand.

I came to the planned site for the new capital. The hustle and bustle of the New Year were over, and I was finally able to spare some time. It’s essential to see things with my own eyes.

Flood control is progressing smoothly. Embankments have already been constructed along the rivers around the planned construction site for the new capital. This will prevent flooding from moderate snowmelt or heavy rain.

However, the situation isn’t completely secure yet. If there is a once-in-a-decade heavy rain, the embankments could break. Well, it’s only been about four months since construction started, so it can’t be helped.

According to Ismene, this is just the beginning. Diversion channels will be created, and the embankments will be further expanded.

There are seven hills in the planned city area. If the embankments break, the tops of these hills won’t be submerged.

In other words, they are the safest places. Important facilities like the palace and the grand temple are planned to be built on top of the hills.

「Honestly, the river is not that much of a threat. The problem is with the hills.」

「The hills?」

「Yes. Hills are like small mountains, you see. There are streams, and water flows underground. It’s fine when it’s sunny, but when it rains, it can get pretty bad. That’s why drainage facilities… in other words, a sewage system, are essential.」

Sewage, huh… So, the sewage system needs to be prioritized over the water supply. Well, the river is close by, so drinking water shouldn’t be a problem.

「What exactly are we going to do?」

「We will bring a diversion channel into the city, equipped with sluice gates to prevent flooding in any case. We’ll direct both the domestic wastewater and rainwater into this river. Drinking water can be sufficiently sourced from wells. If it becomes insufficient, it would be best to draw an aqueduct. The water from that would be cleaner than the river’s.」

Aqueducts, huh… I’ve seen those in Rome. Constructing one would be costly in terms of both money and resources. But do we have the technology?

「With the current technology in the Adernian Peninsula, it’s tough. In Kirisia, aqueducts exist only in a limited capacity. However, by the time this city is completed, our craftsmen’s skills should reach a level that won’t lose to their Kirisians counterparts. I believe we’re already on par with them in terms of road construction.」

Kirisia is far ahead in architectural technology, but not so much in civil engineering. Because Kirisia is divided into small countries, bridges and roads could potentially be used by enemy forces, so they aren’t built extensively.

Moreover, the Kirisians are a maritime people. When they think of traveling to another country, they think of ships first, not walking.

Therefore, they tend to neglect land trade routes.

「Just out of curiosity, when can I move in?」

「In four years. It will start functioning as a capital in six years. If you order us to focus solely on the capital, we could speed it up, but…」

We have to consider road construction, flood control, and now temple construction. With manpower being allocated to these projects, it will take time.

「My king, can we mobilize more people? If we had another thousand workers, we could significantly speed up the process.」

「Don’t be unreasonable. The construction is already straining our finances. Considering the possibility of future wars, we can’t afford to increase spending.」

We currently have three thousand workers mobilized, including the standing army, making it four thousand… Do you realize? We’re mobilizing 1.6% of our population continuously.

A war would last at most two weeks, but now we’ve kept this 1.6% mobilized for four months.

「Well, our revenue has increased along with our expenditures. We’ve seen higher income from sales taxes from the Kirisian merchants, and the sales of paper, liquor, garnet, and rock salt. Our revenue has greatly increased compared to the previous ruler’s time.

「As for the road construction… it’s about 20% complete. This country already had basic roads made by compacting soil, and there are no troublesome obstacles like mountains or forests. The concrete you invented is easy to handle, so the work is progressing smoothly. The road to King Domorgal’s Country is almost complete, and by June, the road to King Belvedire’s Country should be finished.」

The plan prioritized one road each to King Domorgal’s Country, King Evile’s Country, and King Belvedire’s Country, totaling three.

Our country already had a decent network of roads already. It’s common knowledge that roads speed up military movement and increase human interaction.

Especially, the roads to our traditional enemies, King Domorgal’s Country and King Belvedire’s Country, were quite impressive by Adernian Peninsula standards.

This time, we’re reinforcing these roads with crushed stone paving and installing proper drainage systems. So, the construction period is short.

After all, the area of King Rosais’s Country is only slightly larger than Iwate Prefecture. The distance for road laying isn’t too long, so the construction isn’t overly difficult.

By the way, construction hasn’t started yet on the roads extending from the new capital. There’s no point in laying roads where no one lives. We’re using water transport for building materials.

Those roads can wait.

「Still, it’s like a dream that I’m in charge of construction for an entire country.」

「It’s a small rural country, though.」

「But now, under my king’s reign, the country is growing in power by the day. This country is set to become the most powerful in the Adernian Peninsula. Maybe even unify the peninsula at some point…」

Ismene said, half-jokingly.

I would like to make that a reality, though.

「By the way, are you and Akira in a relationship?」

「Wh-what are you saying? Th-there’s no way…」

Her face turned bright red.

Well, that reaction told me everything, but…

「I’d like you to be honest with me. Actually, there’s a marriage proposal for you. It’s a decent one. However, while I’m not against political marriages, I don’t want to enforce them. I believe it’s best if people can marry for love.」

「Um, marriage… I’ll find someone on my own.」

「Alright. If there’s anything I can help with, just let me know.」

With that, I bid farewell to Ismene.