Chapter 106: After the Election
It was after dark when I returned to Nambonan City after my inspection.
Citizens were gathered in the plaza, lighting fires and drinking together, probably on the eve of the election to be held tomorrow.
I returned to the mayor's mansion, looking at the people who were having a good time here and there.
I ordered the civil servants, who were cleaning up the documents in the office, to clean up their notes, and then took a bath. My whole body felt somewhat dusty, partly because I had been wandering around the mine.
The civil servants seemed to have done some work on the coach on the way home, and by the time I returned after taking a bath, they had finished most of the remaining work from the inspection tour.
Today they had to work overtime for the out-of-town inspection, but since they are on a fixed salary, they are not paid overtime. In my previous life in Japan, I might have been described as a company animal working service overtime. In Japan, however, they are not working for the company, but for the aristocracy, so they are more like livestock than company animals.
The first thing to do is to get a good idea of what you're looking for. There were food stalls in the plaza, so he would probably get something tasty to eat.
A short time after returning from the office to the mayor's office, Oddie came in with a cup of tea and a bundle of letters.
'I have a letter for you from Newnery. The horses will be back tomorrow morning, so please let me know if you want a reply.
Odie put the letter on the desk, saying that it had just arrived a few moments before.
He also handed me a letter sealed with wax directly to me. As far as the symbol on the sealed wax, it seems to be a letter from my father.
He said, “I have a letter I want to send you in addition to my reply. I will write them tonight.
'Yes, sir.
If I told him that, Odie would come to check on it before the horses departed.
I just wanted to call Newnery because I had something I wanted to order.
I thought I would read the letter from my father first, and glanced at Oddie.
Then, I noticed that Oddie's appearance seemed different from usual.
He kept his face tight, but I could sense a joyful, peaceful atmosphere inside his.
While I was trying to guess at the change, she began to confirm her other plans.
We are making arrangements to go to the Grand Master the day after tomorrow, as planned. Are there any changes?”
Nothing special. Go ahead with it.
Grandfather is currently working on the construction of a castle in the westernmost part of the territory of Kuordenze.
I'm going to visit my grandfather in the middle of his campaign. In addition, I am also going to give him the souvenir that Fanny left for me.
After a brief conversation about my departure plans, I decided to ask Odie why he was in such a good mood.
He seemed very happy. Is something wrong?”
What?
He looked brighter than he had in the morning. Did something good happen?
Oddie put his hand gently on his cheek his to check his expression his and smiled gently.
Yes,” He said. Among the letters that arrived at ……, There was one addressed to me from your husband.
When I nodded my head and wondered what letter my father had sent to Odie, she got up on her knees on the spot and placed her fingers on the floor.
A little surprised at her sudden kneeling, I silently waited for her to continue.
'I am giving you a child for adoption, that's what the letter said.
Odie went on to detail what the letter had stated.
I had left it entirely up to my father to decide what to do with the eight magical babies Lupetta had taken into her care in the field.
The knight's family would love to have them. It would simply lead to the stability of the family, and in some cases, it could be used to breed with the family.
Since there would be a communication between the Quardenze family and the knight family, it was not my place as the head of the family to interfere with it.
I don't know how my father decided where to distribute the babies, but as a result, Odi was given one of the eight babies for adoption.
He said, “This would not have been possible if the young master had not taken custody of the baby. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Odie bowed deeply and thanked me.His voice was full of relief, and I could clearly hear that he was truly pleased with the decision.
Mm.
I knew Odie was married, but he had never taken a leave of absence for pregnancy before.
On the continent of El O, people have children even if they are not on good terms with their spouses. In a sense, you might say that people get married to have children. On this continent, where there is no such thing as a pension system, children are an insurance policy for the future.
I will repay the Quardenze family for their kindness, and I will raise them with great care.”
Odie bowed revertently and left the room.
I was left alone in the room, sipping hot tea and thinking about her.
I got up from my chair, toying with the letter from my father with my fingertips.
Young Master? Yes?”
I look out of the mayor's office and see the guards waiting in the hallway.
The escort I was about to call out suddenly found me.
I need to talk to you. Come inside.
Ha.”
The guard who silently follows my instructions is Oddie's brother.
Oddie's brother gestures to another guard who is waiting a short distance away to give him some information, then follows me into the mayor's office.
I want to ask you some questions about Oddi.
I will answer to the best of my knowledge.
I gesture with my hand to make myself more comfortable.
I gesture with my hand to make him comfortable. “I know you've been married for many years now, but does Odie have any children?
'Yes. Yes, it seems that she has a hard time having…… Children.
After all, it seems that Odie has no children.
It seems that brother Odie has always been worried about his sister who is suffering from infertility.He had heard about the possibility of adopting a baby, and was relieved.
He said, “So that's what this is all about. Yeah, I was just a little concerned. I thought Oddie's place must not have been so impoverished that he would have gone to the trouble of adopting a child.
From the perspective of the father, who must consider the stability of the territory, the knight family, which has no successor, should have priority in the distribution of babies.
Just as a noble family needs the power of its main ancestor, a knight family needs the power of its squire ancestor. If there is no successor to the linear ancestor, the knightly family will not be lent the right to rule by the noble family. In other words, it would be taken down.
In this respect, I remember that the knight family to which Odie married into did not have much difficulty in finding enough people with magical powers.
Is that what you mean?
I had no idea. But it made sense. And, Odie will be offended, so please don't tell him that I asked you about this.
Yes, sir.
After making sure he didn't say anything, I let him out of the room.
With a hazy feeling in my heart, I began to deal with the bundle of letters.
It would be nice to have a rest day once in a while.
I left the letters I had written back to Odie and went to bed to an empty room.
The next day, the city of Nambonan was bustling with activity from the morning.
For the citizens, it was the long-awaited election day.
The plaza seemed to be a continuation of last night's revelry, with a variety of stalls.
If this were New Nellie City, I would have dressed up as a commoner and gone exploring the city, but alas, this is Nambonan City. Unfortunately, this is Nambonan City, which is not equipped with a wide-area detection magic circle, so the guards asked us not to go there.
Nambonan City is close to the territory of the imperial aristocracy, so the possibility of assassins entering the city is much higher than in New Nellie City. No wonder the guards didn't want to go.
Having arrived at the highest point of Nambonan Castle, I decided to watch the citizens at the polling station from a distance.
It was not a system like in prehistoric Japan, where people could vote anytime from morning to night, but rather they gathered at the polling stations in each district at noon to cast their ballots. Had finished casting their ballots.
Citizens who were not in charge of the election enjoyed watching the vote counting process while eating food from the food stalls around the polling stations.
After the polls were closed, the winners from all over the country arrived at Nambonan Castle.
This is because the Nambonan Castle serves as the site of the council meeting.
There is a square in front of the council chambers, where the new council members are unveiled.
The Nambonan Castle is now the meeting place for the new council members and the waiting room for their unveiling.
When I entered the waiting room, the first thing I noticed was their bright orange hair.
I see you've been elected.
Yes!”
As most had expected, Anna had been elected as a member of the council.
Because of the other people's eyes on us here, Anna addresses me in a firm, well-spoken manner.
While Anna and I were talking, I noticed the other four winners glancing at me.
All of them were men except Anna. I was not happy to have men glancing at me.
Anna introduces me to the four winners, the future council members, and I talk to them.
One middle-aged man and three old men, all of whom first apologized for the fact that they had defied the Kuordentse family, and declared that they would make every effort not to delay the payment of the compensation imposed on the city, and that from now on they would live as Nambonan citizens of the Kuordentse territory.
He said, “Mm-hmm. That's a good attitude.
My father has asked me to be a stable ruler of the city of Nambonan.
The attitude of the council members who immediately showed their reverence for me is a good thing.
As we talked lightly about the election and future city government, one of the three elderly council members fearfully asked for permission to speak.
I grant it.
I ask, “…… We nominate council members, are there any, any restrictions?”
There are a total of 10 council members; five are elected by the citizens and the other five are nominated directly by the elected council members.
Nominate a man from Kuordenze, this old man must be wary of being told to do so.
'I will not tolerate anyone who is hostile to the Quordenze family.
Otherwise……?”
No. That's the election of Nambonan, isn't it?”
Oh,” An inaudible cheer echoed through the room.
The air was filled with a mixture of surprise and excitement at the idea of all council members being appointed by the citizens.
Sorry to the thrilled council members, but at worst, the mayor has the authority to overturn anything. There is no need to go to the trouble of arranging for a council member who is breathing down their necks.
Instead, it is the administration that is important. Politics is not only about the council; it is also about the officials who actually work there.
But there are a number of civilian officials seconded from the Kuordentse military who are stationed at City Hall. They are going to be leaked if they try to cheat on taxes or plot an uprising.
I hold the position of mayor of Nambonan, but I intend to leave the details of city government to the council and city hall.
The city of Nambonan is recognized as a major transit point for trade between the kingdoms and empires.
With the acquisition of the powerful ass-holders of the Kuordenze territory, its position will be solidified from now on. If it can be established as a transit city for trade, it will become a vibrant city overflowing with people, money, goods, and information even more than it is now.
I believe that the governance of a city overflowing with such energy is best achieved by utilizing the power of its citizens. I believe that the source of Nambonan's energy is its citizens, who have a spirit of independence and self-reliance and are highly motivated to improve the city in which they live.
So, all I have to do is to scoop up the top profits as taxes.
At best, I will keep an eye on the independence movement to make sure it does not start.
Who does Anna plan to nominate for Congress?
I've asked a merchant I know.
He is a regular customer at the bar where Anna works, and he has come forward to help out for Anna, who is now a council member.
When I heard the merchant's name, the roomon the table next to me nodded his head in anticipation.
I was advised by those around me that if I were elected, I should nominate a young person for the position.
He said that he had been advised by people who come to the bar that the new Nambonan might need young ideas.
A characteristic of Nambonan City's business associations, however, is that many of them have a short history.
It is not unusual for a major merchant who is now considered one of the city's most influential people to have been just a peddler until a decade or so ago. Many of them stopped by Anna's tavern when they were just starting out. Many of the heads of merchant houses in Nambonan City are said to be Anna's fans.
Anna's connections are stronger than one might imagine.
He was in love with Anna,” Said Mr. Kosaka. He was in love with you, and he would be very happy to be nominated. He is an excellent candidate, and his family is powerful, so I think we can expect great things from him as a nominated senator.
The merchant nominated by Anna is in his early thirties and the son of the heir to a large trading company.
According to Roomon, the merchant was famous in the tavern for his obsession with Anna.
Anna, however, had been courted by men in the tavern for a long time, and she was used to say no.
I see.
I felt a sudden surge of possessiveness in my heart.
The sexual desire that I had built up last night was now beginning to rage.
I wondered if there was a bed in Nambonan Castle.
