I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 58

The new recruits' basic training was in full swing in the training grounds. I watched it blankly from the terrace of my room.

‘Looks like today's training is a mock battle.’

A mock battle. Literally, a simulated battle modeled after a real one. About 200 new recruits and veteran soldiers were gathered on each side of the training ground, and it seemed a lower-ranking knight was leading them.

―Raise your shields! Don't you hold your posture correctly?!

―Pay attention!!

―Hey, you bastard! You're going to hold your spear like that?! You want to be swept away by the cavalry?!

―And you call yourselves soldiers who eat the royal family's pay?! Today is the last day of new recruit training and you're still like that?!

―You bunch of worms! You wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes if you went to war with the demons!!

―Hans, you bastard……! You're out!!

―S-Sorry!

―Aren't you getting out?!

There was quite a distance between the training ground and the terrace of my room. Yet, to be able to faintly hear the knights' voices, it seemed the knights were really shouting at the top of their lungs to command them.

Well…… it was closer to yelling and shouting than commanding, though.

‘Still, after a month of training, everyone's movements have definitely changed a lot. They look like a real army.’

A month ago, that is, when the new recruits had just started training, they were what you would call a ‘disorderly mob’. Like blind monks or lost sheep, they didn't know where to go and couldn't even line up properly. They were frequently subjected to disciplinary punishment by the knights and soldiers.

But now they had become an army that was quite sharply aligned in ranks and files.

―Puuuuu!

The sound of a horn blared.

The sound signaling the start of the mock battle.

―Go! Run!! Form up!!!

―Uwaaaaaaah!!!

―Yaaaaaaah!!

―Fight to the end! The bastard who falls before me dies by my hand!!

A mock battle where about 400 soldiers and a few knights clashed. It was a large number if you think it's large, and a small number if you think it's small, but the sense of pressure was not light.

‘……It's brutal.’

As the mock battle intensified, a cloud of dust rose up in the training ground. Watching it, Jereuth, who was watching the training with me on my right, asked.

“How is it, Your Highness? If you see any deficiencies in the training, please let me know.”

Jereuth asked me to point out any flaws, but I felt that he was subtly hoping for praise.

He must be judging for himself that the training went well.

“There are no deficiencies. To turn new recruits who couldn't even line up properly a month ago into that, you truly are the Commander.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. But the reason we could do that was thanks to Your Highness's generous support. Training while eating three meals a day was bound to produce good results.”

As Jereuth said, I had ordered that the soldiers be provided with three meals a day without fail. I also instructed them to include as much meat as possible in the menu.

I had done it thinking it was only natural, but it seemed to have been well-received not only by the soldiers but also by the knights.

This time, I turned my gaze and asked Heinshtangl, who was on my left.

“Sir Heinshtangl. Are the military supplies, food, and daily necessities coming in well?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I have instructed the merchants to procure military supplies first, and have also brought in necessary daily necessities for the people without stinting. However, because we procured military supplies first, we were not able to bring in enough daily necessities.”

“That can't be helped. Still, it's a relief that the merchants are working well.”

“Haha…… yes, the merchants' attitudes have changed a lot after meeting Your Highness. They are very enthusiastic.”

Their attitude changed after meeting me?

‘I did put a little pressure on them, but I don't think I really scared them.’

In any case, if the officials' attitude had improved thanks to me, then all's well that ends well.

“How are the preparations for the materials needed for the large farm construction and market reconstruction?”

“The construction materials have also been ordered from the merchants. The first batch of materials arrived last week, and another batch is scheduled to arrive the day after tomorrow. We're a little short on timber, but the soldiers are procuring that.”

“The construction hasn't started yet, right?”

“Yes. Before starting the construction, we are first demolishing the buildings and shops. The buildings are so old and poorly managed…… we are trying to use the usable buildings as much as possible, but it's taking some time. I-I'm sorry, Your Highness.”

Heinshtangl spoke fluently, but at the end, his voice trembled as he apologized. I don't know if it was just my imagination, but for some reason, Heinshtangl looked like someone who hadn't quite overcome his trauma.

“What are you so sorry about? Things can get delayed when you're working.”

“Th-Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. I, as well as the other officials, are all working very hard.”

Heinshtangl bowed his head with an awkward smile. Then he cautiously added one more thing.

“Th-That…… Your Highness, you have already provided a lot of support, but may I ask for one more favor? If you grant this request, I think we can speed up the construction of the large farm and the reconstruction of the royal capital's market.”

Speed up the work?

“Proceed.”

“Yes?”

“I said, proceed.”

“Uh…… do I not need to explain what it is?”

“As long as it can speed up the work, anything is fine. Still, since you've put it that way, Sir Heinshtangl, I'll ask. What can I help you with?”

Heinshtangl, flustered as if he hadn't expected me to agree so easily, took out a few documents he had prepared and handed them to me as he explained.

“After some investigation, I found that besides the soldiers recruited this time, there are quite a few able-bodied citizens who can work. I am referring to those who were not able to become soldiers.”

“You mean to put them to work on the construction?”

“That's right. If we put them to work on the construction, I think we can get the work done much faster. However, to use more manpower……”

Money would be needed. Since he was talking about hiring more people.

“So in the end, you need more money, right?”

“……That's right. But since Your Highness has already allocated a large budget, I felt sorry for asking for more—.”

“It doesn't matter, so take and use as much as you need.”

“A-As much as I need, you say?”

“As long as you don't waste it. There must be many people without jobs in the capital anyway, so thinking of it as creating jobs for them, it's not a loss. From a welfare perspective, and furthermore, if you consider the taxes they will pay, it can be considered a kind of investment.”

Jereuth and Heinshtangl, who had been listening intently to my words, tilted their heads at about the same time and asked back.

“‘Welfare’, you say?”

“‘Welfare’? Could you explain what that means?”

To me, a modern person, ‘welfare’ is a very familiar and natural concept. But looking at their reactions, it seemed to be a very foreign concept to the civilization of this world.

Come to think of it, in a world where the powerful are busy sucking the blood of the people, where would there be such a thing as welfare.

‘If you look at it that way, the world I was in wasn't much different. It was all just a ploy to get votes during election season.’

A bitter smile appeared as I was reminded of the old days for no reason.

“Welfare, to put it simply, is the king helping the people to live like human beings. Giving out food when there's a famine, or finding jobs for those who don't have them—things like that. Of course, it shouldn't be given to those who make no effort. To put it simply, the kingdom helps people who are striving to live, to live well.”

“……”

“……”

Their reactions were still hesitant.

“Do you not understand well? Or did I say something strange?”

“N-No, Your Highness. It's not that you said something strange…… I knew you were a person who cared for the people, but I didn't know you thought about them that much. To even think about their food and jobs.”

“I am just doing what a person with power should do. The people are the foundation of the kingdom, after all.”

“……That's right.”

Jereuth answered as if he was deep in thought. I turned my gaze from Jereuth and spoke to Heinshtangl again.

“Then, Sir Heinshtangl, please organize the necessary budget and report back. I'll likely approve it, but I should at least know about it for now.”

“I understand. But Your Highness, the proposal to use an additional budget to mobilize more manpower was not from me, but from my daughter, Olivia.”

“Lady Olivia…… you mean the person who was next to you, Sir Heinshtangl, during the meeting with the merchants? The one with brown hair and very fair skin.”

“Th-That's right. You remembered.”

Heinshtangl nodded and continued.

“As it was my daughter's proposal, I would like to entrust this matter to her. You don't have to worry about Olivia's skills. It's awkward for me to say it since she's my daughter, but my daughter is truly outstanding. Truly.”

“I'm not worried. If you recommended her, Sir Heinshtangl, then she must have the skills. Proceed with it.”

“Yes!”

As we were talking about this and that, the mock battle in the training ground had already ended. Seeing the soldiers of the right-wing camp cheering, it seemed they had won.

The soldiers of the victorious camp were celebrating their victory with the knights.

Conversely, the knights and soldiers of the defeated camp could not lift their heads.

‘It's just a mock battle. They're all so serious.’

Since the mock battle was over, there was nothing more to see. I entered the room from the terrace and said.

“If you have nothing more to say, you may leave. Commander, you must be busy preparing for the ‘war on crime’ in other cities, and Sir Heinshtangl, you must be busy with the large farm construction and market reconstruction.”

“I understand, Your Highness. Then I will take my leave.”

“I will take my leave as well.”

As Heinshtangl and Jereuth bid me farewell, Elly escorted them out of the room.

***

After Jereuth and Heinshtangl left the room.

I sat in a chair, looked up at the ceiling, and thought to myself.

‘I got rid of the Lous family who were planning a rebellion, and the new recruits' training went well. I've selected the knights to send as lords to each of the kingdom's major cities and local territories, and the large farm construction and market reconstruction seem to be proceeding steadily.’

As such, everything was proceeding well according to my plan.

So if everything proceeds according to plan like this, the military strength will steadily grow stronger, and the kingdom will stabilize overall.

If things continue like this, I might be able to prevent the bandits from causing a disturbance, just as I wished.

‘To strengthen the kingdom's military power and naturally suppress the bandits so they can't run wild. That is the ultimate result I wish for, though.’

If the bandits are unable to start a rebellion, my ending will also change.

The ending where I die, trapped in the royal capital due to the war started by the bandits.

Tak—!

As I was thinking while looking at the ceiling, I took out the from the bookshelf. I was going to check what kind of future awaited the kingdom.

‘First, I should check the future closest to the present.’

Just as I was about to open the diary.

Chwararararak—!

“!”

As I tried to open the to the part closest to the present, the diary flipped open to the very last page on its own.

The part where my ending was written.

I wasn't too surprised, as I had experienced the diary flipping open on its own a few times.

The problem was…….

On the last page of the , the page where my ending should have been, there was nothing written.

Originally, the part about my ending had foretold a future where the bandits started a rebellion, surrounded the royal capital, and I died.

‘……What is this?’

Why is there no ending at all?