When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 156

Episode 156

The Kingdom of Tashman is a frontline human nation. It shares its northern, eastern, and southern borders with monster territories and is constantly engaged in battles against the threat of monsters year-round. However, in the western region of the Tashman Kingdom, the threat of monsters is significantly lower, making it a relatively safe zone. 

In fact, the kingdom’s government doesn’t deploy much military force to the west. The 1st Legion is stationed in the capital, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Legions are deployed to the northern front, the 5th and 6th Legions are in the east, and the 7th, 8th, and 9th Legions are positioned on the southern front. The 10th Legion is headquartered in the capital but operates as a mobile strike force, moving between various battlefields. As this military distribution shows, the western region of the Tashman Kingdom is left without the presence of the kingdom’s main military forces.

This is partly because the western area is relatively safe, but also due to Tashman Kingdom’s efforts not to impose unnecessary pressure on the neighboring human nations. To these neighboring nations, even a single legion from Tashman Kingdom represents a significant military threat. To put it into a modern-day perspective, it would be similar to the intimidating presence of an American aircraft carrier—a symbol of military power, force, and deterrence. That is the prestige embodied by the Tashman Kingdom’s ten legions.

That being said, the Tashman Kingdom’s capital, Nevorista, is located relatively westward within the kingdom. In the event that something happens in the western region, the 1st and 10th Legions are expected to respond immediately. They provide a level of deterrence to the neighboring human nations.

The Tashman Kingdom shares its western border with various other nations, with these borders mainly formed by natural geographical features such as mountain ranges and large rivers. For the human nations, these natural barriers originally served to protect them from the monster threat. However, the establishment of the Tashman Kingdom as an enclave allowed humanity to expand its territories beyond those natural borders.

Given this unique geographical context, the Tashman Kingdom has a rather distinctive formation compared to other nations. One of its southwestern neighbors, for instance, is the Kingdom of Garanhorn. Their mutual border is formed by the Salal River.

The Salal River, which originates from the Voldia Mountain Range, flows through the vast Lake Rubiana before widening to several dozen kilometers downstream and exceeding 100 kilometers wide near its mouth. It is a true great river with the size of a small sea. It plays a crucial role in trade between the Tashman Kingdom and other nations.

The Tashman Kingdom is an export nation, dealing in monster materials and magical ores that can only be obtained in monster territories. Most of these exports are transported via the waterways of the Salal River. As a result, trade hubs have flourished along the river, which, along with the scenic beauty of the area, has made it a popular tourist destination.

Especially along the shores of Lake Rubiana, which offers stunning views of the Voldia Mountains, tourism thrives. Cruises along the Salal River, starting from this area and lasting several days, are incredibly popular. Even if people from the human nations might not know the name of the Tashman Kingdom’s capital, many are familiar with the Salal River.

・　・　・

“And this is the port city of Zelinia,” 

Erin said with a slightly smug expression, introducing the city to Jez and the others. Her mood was unusually cheerful.

It was a few days into the long summer vacation that followed the Royal Academy’s term. Jez and his friends had taken a series of carriages and arrived in Zelinia, a city on the shores of Lake Rubiana.

While there had been plenty of events following the final exams after the magic tournament, like Victor causing a bit of chaos with his innocent smile, and Jez occasionally scratching his head in confusion while adjusting his output during tests, these had become such a regular occurrence that there wasn’t much need to dwell on them.

After completing their finals, receiving their results, and attending the end-of-term ceremony, Jez and his group departed for the port city of Zelinia the very next day. And now, they had just arrived.

Zelinia, an important trade hub, was under direct royal control. A royal-appointed official governed the city. In recent years, the position had been held by the Earl of Saylor. In other words, Zelinia was Erin’s father, William Saylor’s, workplace.

The Saylor family were court nobles who did not possess their own lands. Originally, they had owned a small plot of land somewhere, but they had turned it over to the royal family and thereafter concentrated their efforts in the royal capital. Many members of the Saylor family served in the military before becoming high-ranking bureaucrats. The current head of the family, William Saylor, had also once served in the elite Royal Guard Legion during his younger years.

After earning the trust of King Ramses, William Saylor’s administrative talents were recognized, leading him to leave the Royal Guard at a relatively young age and pursue a career in politics. He steadily built his career in the capital. And for the past few years, he had been serving as the governor of the port city of Zelinia. which is often considered a stepping stone to becoming the next prime minister.

There are several reasons why Zelinia is regarded as the gateway to become prime minister. One of which is its role in overseeing foreign trade, essentially managing diplomacy. In the Kingdom of Tashman, military power is largely entrusted to the frontline legion commanders. It gives them significant autonomy in military matters, with the king or prime minister seldom intervening. As a result, the primary skills required of a Tashman Kingdom prime minister are governance and diplomacy—skills that are best tested in a position like the governorship of Zelinia, which deals directly with foreign nations.

Due to this, William Saylor, the rumored next to be prime minister, was working in Zelinia. He  had summoned Erin from the capital to help with a shipboard party hosting foreign diplomats and merchants. 

As Erin explained this background, she guided Jez and the others through the streets of Zelinia. 

“…I’m the one who invited you, so I’ll just say it—Jez, Victor, please behave yourselves, okay?”

“I’m always well-behaved, aren’t I?”  

“Have I ever made a vulgar scene?”

Faced with their deadpan responses, Erin quickly gave up on the two and decided to ignore them.

“…I was an idiot for even asking. Miriam, Seraphina, I’m counting on you instead.”