How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

Enlightenment Arc Chapter 2: Let’s Create an Educational Program A Author Note: Because it has become difficult to understand the chronological order of the story, I have set a calendar timeframe (although it had been decided beforehand……) .

The year that Souma was summoned is 1546 Continent Era (its usage is shared with other countries) .

Please remember that 「Souma arrived on 1546」[1] .

It won’t appear on the test .

[2] ✦✧✦✧✦ ――― 1547 Continent Era, Month 1 Day 1Since 『Elfrieden Kingdom』 annexed the 『Amidonia Dukedom』 and became the 『United Kingdom of Elfrieden and Amidonia』 (popularly nicknamed as the 「Friedonia Kingdom」), the new country greeted its first New Year’s Day .

Whether it was in the Capital City of Parnam or the former Ducal City of Van, in each city with a Royal Voice Broadcast receiver installed, there were crowds of people gathering once more because they heard that His Majesty Souma will use the Royal Voice Broadcast and make a New Year’s Greeting towards the citizens .

To hear this greeting, a lot of people had gathered even though it was New Year’s Day .

There wasn’t any particular coercion to make them listen to it, but even so, the people who gathered in this place did so because every time the Royal Voice Broadcast was used, His Majesty Souma only did astounding things like talent gathering event, the edible education program to reduce food shortage, or creating a music program .

What does he intend to do again?

This was what attracted the interest of half of the citizens .

The other half just thought that “a gathering → food stalls appearing to make a nice profit → festival revelry” and simply came for these events .

「What will the King plan to do this time?

」(Boy)「That’s true .

What will he do, I wonder .

」(Mother) A mother and her child had this kind of conversation while waiting for the broadcast .

Then, the fountain-shaped receiver displayed Souma’s image .

Behind him were his fiancées, Princess Liscia and the former Ducal Princess Roroa, whose engagement with Souma was announced at the same time as the Amidonian annexation .

Both of them showed a smile, giving peace of mind to the citizens of both Elfrieden and Amidonia who had become part of a United Kingdom .

King Souma’s image began to speak .

『My beloved citizens of the United Kingdom of Elfrieden and Amidonia .

“I wish you a Happy New Year .

”[3]』 After saying this, Souma, Liscia, and Roroa bowed their heads down at the same time .

That the King himself bowed his head down for the New Year, this caused the citizens to become noisy, but then Souma raised his head and smiled teasingly .

『This is a New Year’s greeting from my world .

I am thankful for your help last year, and I am happy to be able to greet the New Year safely and to give my best regards for this year, too…… This greeting has this gratitude put into it .

』 From thereon after, the standard New Year’s greetings in the Friedonia Kingdom changed to 「I wish you a Happy New Year」 .

『Now then, it seems that in the Amidonia “Region”[4], there is a practice that during the New Year, the ruler will declare the country’s policy for that year .

I also received counsel from Roroa to do that practice, too…… So now, I will attempt to perform it .

』 The moment Souma mentioned this, anxiety flashed through the audience that was listening in the Amidonia Region .

The people who were once the citizens of the Amidonia Dukedom remembered the face of Gaius VIII giving his policy declaration during the New Year .

His visage with a grim face, swearing revenge towards Elfrieden and advocating the recovery of the lost territories .

That’s why for the Amidonian people, 「New Year’s Declaration = Propaganda」 .

It was understandable that they had become tensed, wondering whether or not a new war will happen .

However, King Souma himself could be said to be the opposite of Gaius, and while having a bit of a troubled expression, he continued his speech with a relaxed tone .

『So for now, the policy for the country this year will be……』 The audience held their breath .

Where will the country head to?

Enrich the state, strengthen the military[5]?

Attack another country?

Overthrow the Empire and aim for a hegemony in the Continent?

Or perhaps, invade the Demon Lord Realm and liberate the north?

…… The audience was waiting while holding their breaths .

Finally, Souma opened his mouth .

『「Create a good country」 .

I plan to go with this .

』 (((It’s so vague‼))) Everyone in the audience had that same thought .

As if anticipating that, Souma laughed .

『You might be thinking that this is too vague .

However, this is an important thing .

First, what does it mean to make 「a good country」?

It’s easy to think it’s simply the opposite of 「a bad country」 .

』 When he mentioned this, Souma raised a finger while explaining .

「First, a “country where the people are starving” .

Second, “a country where the people are freezing” .

You might say this using other phrases like a “poor and struggling country” .

That the people died from hunger or cold because they couldn’t buy food or obtain shelter or clothing .

It goes without saying that this is a bad country .

A citizen wouldn’t be able to feel secure in a country where they could die from hunger or cold .

」 Both of the citizens in Elfrieden and Amidonia agreed with this statement .

After all, both countries had experienced food shortage .

The Amidonian citizens especially felt it more intensely .

At that time, they had turned their eyes away from it and instead towards the fanned grudge against Elfrieden, but since the situation had improved thanks to the aids from Souma’s side, they had a strong desire to not return to last year’s state .

『Third, a “country with bad public order” .

Even if the country isn’t under the threat of hunger or cold, it is unthinkable to live in a country that was rampant with robbers, bandits, or pirates .

In the first place, the source that brought forth this lawlessness was the poverty that I had mentioned earlier .

In my world there is a saying, 「The poor can’t afford manners」 .

[6] They are already doing their best to stay alive, so they lost the heart to care for other people .

』 『Fourth, a “country that does nothing but wage war” .

Even if she is ever-victorious in combat, war is a burden for on the nation’s finance and people will always die in war .

If she loses even just once, it will be even more disastrous .

If the other countries hate her, then their people might perform terrorist acts and her public order will worsen as a result, potentially snatching away your treasured things .

Fifth: The opposite, a “country that couldn’t defend herself” .

Even if she doesn’t want to go to war, if a country neglects her national defense, then the other countries will exploit this weakness.

The results will be same as the war-waging country .

Much less to say in our current era, since there is also the unpredictable threat from the Demon Lord Realm .

』 While explaining this, his hand was fully opened and then he turned his opened palm to the citizen .

『This is just a rough count, but these five countries are bad countries, aren’t they?

Then, a good country should be the opposite of these bad countries, don’t you agree?

』 Souma turned his hand back and forth, alternating between the palm and the back of the hand .

『Not having her citizens starve to death, not having her citizens shivering from the cold, having a good public order, not attacking other countries indiscriminately, and is undaunted when attacked by other countries or against the threat from Demon Lord Realm .

A self-reliant country .

Perhaps this what is called 「a good country」, the shape of the country that this United Kingdom strives to become .

』 Then, Souma waved his hand .

It was as if he was ordering the army to march .

His hand movements during this speech were then mimicked in adapted play and dramas in the far future .

To make a comparison to Earth, it might be similar to how people, when mimicking Michael Jackson, would often copy his famous hat pose .

『Each of these five aspects can be said as something that should be the norm however, it is really difficult to have all of these five to be present together, esspecially as the world is currently wrapped in chaos .

Even though these five should be the norm, it is hard to achieve what should be the norm, this current era is that kind of era .

To achieve it, a “power” several times more than what is the norm at peacetime is needed .

An extraordinary “Power” that even stronger than what would be needed to dominate this continent .

』 Then Souma once more stopped his words and inhaled a long breath .

『…… So accordingly, there is something that I want you, the Citizens, to do, by all means .

』 The audience held their breaths again .

To obtain the “power” that Souma had mentioned, there was something that he wanted them to do .

At the beginning, they thought that it would be 『Tax Increase』 .

With a high tax, then the country’s income will increase, so that the military spending could be increased, too .

Depending on the situation, this might not be a mistake, but the citizen’s livelihoods would become more difficult .

The next thing that they thought was『Conscription』 .

This country already possessed career soldiers[7], but they feared that there will be a forced recruitment of citizens to be trained as soldier .

This was the result of them thinking that the power Souma had mentioned was “Military Power” .

However, the citizens had misunderstood .

“Power” doesn’t just means military power alone .

Souma then spoke .

『It’s the encouragement of learning .

』 [8] ◇ ◇ ◇ 「It’s the encouragement of learning .

」 At a certain room in Parnam Castle, the 『Royal Voice Room』, where the Royal Voice Broadcast orb was installed in the middle of that room .

I spoke out those words towards the citizens of the Friedonia Kingdom .

「I’ll give you an example .

Two men holding swords are fighting .

In most cases, the one who wins is the one with the stronger muscles or the one who has a better sword .

Then, what if two people with similar strength and similar swords fight?

Perhaps, the outcome will only depend on luck?

…… No .

The one who “knows” the most about the sword will win .

For example, even if the strength and the weapon used are same, if a chef and a blacksmith fought each other using swords, then perhaps the blacksmith will win .

The blacksmith was used to seeing swords every day, so he is familiar with a sword’s length and reach .

」 I then tapped a finger against my forehead .

「If you “know” more than other people, then this could become a weapon .

A great commander can win 100 times in 100 battles because he understands what is war, know the strength of his own army, and has a clear grasp of the opponent’s power .

Thus, he could completely avoid waging a losing battle and would only wage a battle that he could win .

A mediocre commander will lose in a critical moment because he doesn’t understand war and doesn’t even know his own army’s power as well as his enemy’s power .

Thus he only battles thoughtlessly and repeats the cycle of victory and defeat that he can’t even pay attention to at those critical moments .

」 It’s like what Sun Tzu had said, 「If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles .

」[9] 「This is not a story that only happens in the fields of battle .

Even if they are dealing with the same commodity, the first merchant could be making profit while the second merchant does not, simply because the first merchant knows more about business .

Even when using the same materials, the work of a skilled artisan could be several levels above a work from a common craftsman, since the artist knows about the materials’ properties better .

」 「Even though you are raising the same crops, the harvest of the crops in your neighbor’s field seems much better than the harvest in your field .

This is because your neighbor, from a farmer family, knows about the proper method to grow crops .

The food that a chef cooks tastes more delicious than what you cooked by yourself; because a chef has the knowledge about the ingredients’ characteristics and the culinary skill to process them properly .

」 「An excellent hunter returns each time from hunting with his prey because he knows the lay of the land and the habits of the animals .

In the fields of entertainment, a great actor will instill deep emotion in other people during every show, because he knows the subtleties of people’s hearts and how to move their emotions .

It’s the same with the King and the Nobles .

A King that can be called as a Wise Ruler has a thorough knowledge about how to manage a country properly without causing opposition from the kingdom’s citizens or the local fief population .

For me? …… I still have much to learn, and therefore I continue in endeavoring to obtain that knowledge .

」 Fukuzawa Yukichi had said so in the 『Encouragement of Learning』 .

Even though there was a phrase: 『The heavens do not create one man above or below another man』, in reality, that difference appeared from one’s wealth and social position .

But this was just the difference in whether or not they had threaded the way of learning .

The uneducated ones could only do manual labor and so their social positions will be low .

The educated ones could do difficult jobs and so they became prominent …This might sound a bit like an irrational argument, but if you kept reading the book, there are some parts that you could agree with more or less .

「That process to make yourself more knowledgeable is called 『studying』 .

Study with the people that have knowledge and skill greater than your’s .

If you have knowledge or skill greater than others, then teach it .

The ones who ask for knowledge respect the ones who teach, and the ones who teach, care for the ones who ask .

Study each other in this way and it will usher in a new ability that will exceed what we have right now .

By doing so, no matter what the field of work will be, you can have a much more prosperous livelihood than what you have today, this is what I believe .

」 The ones who ask for knowledge respect the ones who teach, the ones who teach, care for the ones who ask for knowledge…… The reason why this line was inserted into the speech was because I was considering the effects of privilage .

As a policymaker, it is necessary to prevent the teaching side to have a one-sided disadvantage (not getting paid) .

Well, for now, even if I mentioned this to the citizens, they wouldn’t understand, so I don’t intend to explain this in detail .

Well, at least right now anyway .

「I plan to increase the living standard of each and every one of the citizens in this country .

By doing this, then the country’s “power” will be increased too .

If each and every person becomes affluent, then the tax yield will naturally increase, too .

If the tax yield increases, then it could be used as funds for military armaments or for promoting new industries .

The whole country will become powerful and prosperous as a result .

For that reason, I look forward to you, the Citizens, to study by all means necessary .

As the first step, I hope you start with reading and writing .

If you can read and write, then you can communicate even with people living far away .

After that, calculation .

If you can calculate, then the range of learning will become remarkably wider .

」 When I said this, Liscia who was waiting behind me, came forward and unfolded a paper with the word 『文study』 written on it.

「I wish that every adult in this country could read, write, and calculate .

At the present, in every city inside our country, an integrated educational institution, called a training school will be established .

Meanwhile, at every town, there will be a simplified class .

[10] This 『文study』 mark will be the sign of a state licensed training school and class .

It will only teach children during the day, but it will educate adults at night .

If you have spare time and strength after a day’s work, then I wish for you to come and study even for a little while .

」 「By the way, a place that has this 文study mark only offers free education in reading, writing, and calculation, so I am not condemning any individuals that open up private schools .

Please note that, that is not what I have in mind .

…… Then, I want to inform the people who already know how to read, write, and calculate .

I hope that you aren’t satisfied just with that .

We still “don’t know anything” .

」 This time Roroa came forward and showed the map of this world .

「As you all know, the Demon Lord Realm appeared in the northern part of this continent .

However, we don’t know anything about this Demon Lord Realm .

There should be a Demon Lord…… or so they say, but there is no one who can confirm his appearance .

In the first place, what is the Demon Lord Realm?

Are the monsters in the Demon Lord Realm any different from the ones that come out from Dungeons?

Or are there no differences at all?

What is the connection between the Demon Lord, the Demon Race and the Monsters in the Demon Lord Realm?

Are they subordinate?

Or hostile?…… We don’t know anything .

As a result, when we previously attacked the Demons, even when don’t know anything, we only invited a seriously crushing defeat.

Perhaps if we had understood the difference of the power between us and them, then we wouldn’t have waged such a thoughtless battle and increased the number of pointless casualties .」