Chapter 146

Arnold expressed his desire for an alliance with another country.

This would have been unthinkable in the past. When Koyor, the Land of Snow, offered an alliance, Arnold replied, "It is better for us to invade than to join forces."

Now, however, that was not the case.

Rishe's heart thumped with joy. On the other hand, Raul, who had been into the conversation so far, did not hide his confusion.

"...Wait, that's a pipe dream. Paper money? Are you going to run your country's economy on that?"

Raul stood up from beside Harriet under Arnold's gaze and said.

"I am not quite certain what the Crown Prince of Garkhain is saying. There is no way anyone would believe the value of such a thing."

Arnold probably understood Raul's misgivings.

Nevertheless, Arnold must have originally been on Raul's side of the argument. He had denied this idea at one time and had not even told Oliver about it.

"You're right."

Arnold readily affirmed Raul's statement.

"How can anyone continue to believe in something unreal?"

Raul's gaze fell on Rishe, standing next to him.

"I thought so, too, at first."

When Arnold made eye contact with Rishe, his eyes narrowed slightly and he continued gently.

"But, there are people in this world who are seriously afraid of ghosts."

Rishe's cheeks heated up at the unexpected contradiction. But she could tell by looking into his eyes that he was not making fun of her.

"Those who belong to the church sincerely believe in the existence of the Goddess...It is not the existence or non-existence of something that matters, but the underlying faith."

Rishe had an idea about what Arnold was talking about.

This was what she had told him last night, sitting on the same bed with him. He told her that she, who believed in ghosts, and the people of the Order, who believed in the Goddess, were unassailable.

There were things that had no form, but they definitely existed.

For example, Arnold's feelings yesterday, when he wished to show Rishe the sea.

"Money is issued by the state. Its actual value is guaranteed not by the amount of gold contained in it, but on the trust in the country that issued it. Whether it's gold or paper money, it's the same."

His Highness is right. Gold coins from other countries, even if they contain real gold, cannot be used in daily life.

It was indeed bold to say that paper was the same as gold, but it was essentially the same.

"Gaining trust in paper money will require a gradual adjustment. Getting credit depends entirely on the actions of the state."

"...That's a surprising answer. A member of the Royal Family appealing to the lower classes to trust them?"

"Trust in the state is not something that can be earned by begging. It's about whether or not we've been responsive to the people, and whether or not we can create a system worth of trust."

Arnold then looked down at Rishe again.

"If you don't have enough trust in your country, you can borrow an entity's prestige that's already trusted. Be it a Goddess, for that matter."

"Your Highness, then shall we ask the Krushade Order for help...?"

That was another statement that Arnold wouldn't have considered before.

Arnold disliked the Order. It had never occurred to him that he would be borrowing the name of the Order.

"No matter how many new materials are used, there will always be people who plan to counterfeit them. I'm going to leave this to Theodore, who has contacts in the underworld, and have him monitor any suspicious activity."

"Your Highness Arnold!"

Rishe looked up at Arnold, truly ecstatic.

"I'm sure everyone will be happy to help. His Highness Theodore, the Aria Company, the Koyor Kingdom... Doctor Michele, and the Krushade Order!"

She then grabbed Arnold's sleeve tightly, hoping to convey how happy she was.

"If you add to that Your Highness's political skills and the printing technology of Sigwell, it will no longer be a pipe dream. It's absolutely feasible!"

Arnold's expression softened slightly as he kept his gaze on Rishe.

"It's because of you that dreams become a reality. All these connections were made because you came to Garkhain."

"......?"

Rishe tilted her head and corrected Arnold.

"No, Your Highness."

"...What?"

"It was Your Highness who allowed me to come to this country and freely discuss business with the Aria Company."

Essentially, Rishe, who was supposed to be a 'hostage,' wouldn't have been allowed such whims. It was because of Arnold that she was able to do not only simple shopping but also business with companies.

"You reconciled with your brother, and you forgave Dr. Michele for setting fire to the city. The partnership with the Koyor Kingdom in gold processing technology, and the cooperation with the Krushade Order, have all been Your Highness's achievements."

These were not connections that Rishe had established. It was Arnold's decisions and involvement that brought them together.

"Your Highness once said that it suits you better to invade than to join forces with other nations..."

But that wasn't at all true.

"This network is none other than what Your Highness built at your own choice."

"......!"

Arnold looked quite taken aback.

After that, he lowered his eyes as if smiling.

"No matter. ―― I'm pretty sure it's because of you."

"......?"

It didn't make much sense, but Arnold seemed to be enjoying himself, so Rishe held her tongue for a moment.

Meanwhile, Raul and Harriet were staring at Rishe and Arnold, dumbfounded.

"Seriously, who on earth are you guys that even the Krushade Order can lend their support to Garkhain...?"

"I, um, I may not have caught up on everything yet! Bu-but, Raul..."

Harriet took a breath, and then took a determined stance.

"F-Father and Brother may be surprised by the suddenness, but I want to persuade them. Until now, Sigwell has been at the mercy of Fabrania, but that's not going to be the case anymore..."

"Harriet."

"If we're going to cooperate with another country, not Fabrania, we can't just ask them to protect us unilaterally like before. We need to use our own technology to move forward. Otherwise..."

Harriet probably knew how tough it would be.

Her voice was still trembling, but the fear in her eyes was already gone.

"I've always been proud of the beauty of the books produced in Sigwell. If we can not only borrow power from other countries, but also build an equal relationship with them with what we are proud of..."

She clenched her small hands tightly.

"No matter how weak and small our country is...We must change things so that we can be proud of what our country has to offer."

Raul's brow twisted.

It was really rare for him to show that kind of expression.

"It's a beautiful thing, Harriet. It's no small thing to change the way a country works."

"B-But!...You can't change anything unless you're determined to change!"

Raul knitted his brows at Harriet's resolute assertion.

"Indeed."

After that, he held his forehead and let out a long, long sigh before speaking.

"I'm really an incompetent hunter. I'm not confident I can carry off a Princess with such stubborn eyes and escape."

Hearing those words, Rishe felt relief from the bottom of her heart.

In all my years as a hunter, I've never seen such a troubled expression on Raul's face.

He always seemed to be chuckling, hiding his true feelings and lying to himself.

But I think he's okay now.

Harriet, whom they failed to protect in that life, was here without being charged with any unwanted crimes.

Raul, who risked his life as a hunter to protect Harriet, did not die either. And perhaps, his expressions now were close to his true feelings. Rishe exhaled and looked up at Arnold.

Sure enough, His Highness Arnold is amazing!

She smiled at that thought.

Arnold blinked, then raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Why do you look so happy when you're just looking at me?"

"H-Huh!?"

Rishe was startled and pressed her cheeks together with her hands.

"D-Do I look happy?"

"You look the same when I walked into this church earlier."

Rishe tried to recall, but she couldn't remember much. Perhaps she had unknowingly relaxed her expression.

It's because Your Highness Arnauld will have seized the church in no time at all! Even if I haven't witnessed it firsthand, any swordsman would be excited about it...

"Also, are you done with the marital spat thing?"

"......!!!"

He reminded Rishe of it. She remembered that they were in the middle of an important couple's fight.

"Hmm?"

Rishe was flustered and denied with a teasing smile.

"N-Not yet!! I've got a lot left to think about on this one!!"

"I see. Then I'll have another go at you about the fact that you seem to have acted without my knowledge and said things like, 'If it comes to it, just cut me off.'"

"Uhhhh....!"

As expected, Squire Oliver must have reported the whole matter to Arnold.

Arnold smilingly challenged Rishe, who was about to clasp her head in her hands.

"You better be ready."

"... Your Highness!"

Rishe declared war with her gaze.

After that, she ran over to Harriet and hugged her. Then she looked over at Raul, who had taken the long detour around.

Raul had a somewhat embarrassed expression on his face.

This was certainly Raul's real face. Recognizing it, she felt amused and also a bit nostalgic.