Chapter 4: The Healing Magician Chooses
Ellen asked me if I would make my country a kingdom (monarchy) or a republic (democracy). This does not mean that I was looking for an opinion. She just wanted it to seem like it was a decision we all made, or she thought they’d understand it better that way instead of explaining it one-sidedly, or maybe both. After all, there is no way to choose in the current state of the Dioral Kingdom.
“Nn, Setsuna doesn’t understand difficult things. I request you.”
“I also.”
Setsuna yawned in boredom as she took a piece of candy and Flare responded before sipping her tea smilingly. …I understand Setsuna, but what about Flare? She was originally supposed to be one princess. Well, in those days the role of Princess Flare was more like a strategic weapon and it was also used by the image of her. She sure wasn’t good at using her head.
“I think a republic would be fine… I used to blindly believe in this country, no, its royalty and nobility. Those with outstanding positions also had outstanding abilities and personalities. But I found out after traveling with Kearuga. No matter what position they were in, they were just human beings. There are no special people. However, since they thought they were special people, they did terrible things. Ordinary people should lead the country.”
It is an idealistic thought, but do not mention the negative points. No matter how pure he is, whoever holds authority will be corrupted. This will be passed on to their offspring from him, to the second generation, and the third, and when it is established that they are special from birth, it will be engraved on them that they are a superior and special existence. That is why in the Dioral Kingdom the nobles did not treat people as people. After all, they didn’t think the citizens were the same kind of creatures as themselves.
“Then what do you think, Kearuga-niisama?”
“I think it should be a kingdom. Democracy in this country is impossible. It’s too soon.”
“Too soon? What does that mean?”
“The opposition of the nobles trying to protect their acquired benefits is worrying, but let’s leave it at that. It is a different issue than whether a kingdom or a principality is better. Let’s talk about democracy before we start. The politicians elected by the citizens will behave as substitutes for the nobles.”
“Not quite. Because if the people elected by the citizens make the policy they should reflect the intention of the people.”
At first glance it’s not bad. However, many prerequisites are necessary.
“You forget something important. Most people are stupid. And the ones that stupid people choose are stupid people. Elections are decided by majority vote.”
“Isn’t it too much to say that people are stupid?”
“It is not. Except for one part, they have not received a decent education. Let me state something, those chosen by the people will be stupid or swindlers. An outstanding person cannot say great things because he can see reality. But an incompetent says that he can do anything just because he is incompetent. Or if he is a swindler he will just tell lies. The chosen one will be that… In order to make a decent election, the majority of voters must have enough intelligence to ignore the nonsense of the stupid and see through the lies of the swindlers.”
It is a pity, but there is no other way for the Dioral Kingdom. The number of stupid is overwhelming. You can see the result even without making the choices. They would only choose fools, dreamers and passionate, and hustlers. And these will not be able to deliver what they promise and will only say things that sound good.
“That… could be true.”
“That is not the only problem. I think the system itself is prone to corrupting elections. In many countries it happens that when a candidate has a mandate and it ends, he is elected again.”
“That’s not good. Corruption occurs precisely because the same person holds power.”
That’s right, that’s the current situation of the Dioral Kingdom.
“Yes, but the other can also be harmful. This is because politicians do this work not to improve the country, but to win elections. But to win the next elections they need achievements. Therefore, only policies that deliver short-term results will endure. But the policies that are really necessary for the country need 10 or 20 years to work. So there will be no results as long as one is ruling. And since no matter what happens after he’s gone, he can live in peace even if everything is discovered after his tenure.”
“Isn’t that very far fetched? I am a person who wants to improve the country.”
Basically, Kureha is a good person. That is why her thinking is optimistic.
“Yes, there are few people like that. But those people will quickly disappear. Please think about it. People who do everything they can ‘just’ to win elections will not be defeated by those who do ‘something extra’ to improve the country. Well, there are also very few people of excellence who manage to win even positions at such a disadvantage. And besides, democracy has to do with the majority, that minority cannot do anything. There are no exceptions. As far as I know, all the policies of a country that has elected a republic have fallen to second or third place.”
This is because in order to win the elections they continue to pursue immediate profit and erode the country. Otherwise you cannot be a politician. Many people are blinded by greed, and in democracy the majority wins. There is no way not to get corrupted. This probably won’t change even if people are educated. It is a defect in the structure of the electoral system. Also, decisions are delayed to the point of despair compared to a kingdom. Holding a meeting and discussing to decide to do something is extremely inefficient. In that aspect, the monarchy decides everything immediately. The speed is incomparable.
“…Then why did Ellen ask which one should we do? Although I ask, it seems that the only thing that can be done is a kingdom.”
“It is true. Even looking at it a hundred years from now the only option is a kingdom. Anyway, despite the corrupt nobility, they have generations of experience, they are people who have been educated since childhood, they are better than stupid citizens. More than anything, I will be on top. An overwhelmingly superior person who can arbitrarily decide everything. I can do much better politics for a hundred years than if we brought together a bunch of idiots from a republic that I would have to talk to in order to get along with them.”
“By a hundred years, do you mean your lifetime, Ellen? Isn’t that too long?”
“This will be thanks to the children that Kearuga-sama and I will have. I will educate them because they will be our children. They will surely bring prosperity to the country. It is overwhelmingly more efficient for a superior person to lead the stupid…but the kingdom has a fatal drawback. If you project it to a thousand years it will be impossible to make the right decisions.”
I see, it seems I misunderstood. I thought that Ellen had put up this meeting as a front just to decide on a kingdom as the only possible option, but considering what she just said, there are certainly reasons to make a decision.
“The kingdom collapses the moment a stupid A+ reaches the top. Unfortunately, there will always be an outstanding idiot.”
It is the fate of over-concentration of authority. When a fool reaches the top he will advance down the path of ruin without anyone being able to do anything to stop him… Although the country could be saved with a coup or something like that, in order to remove the person in charge before ruin, in a sense that is the same as the country has fallen into ruin.
“That risk is not in the republic?”
“Yes. Since stupid people must argue and make a decision to get along with the stupid people who elected them, an overachieving stupid person can’t do what he wants. And in turn, he’s never really full of stupid standouts. In short, the kingdom depends on the control of who is at the top, the republic is poor in quality and efficiency, but this is not the worst. That’s why Ellen said only a hundred years.”
“Yes, as expected of Kearuga-niisama. You explained what I meant. So do you want a country that prospers until our children’s generation or a country that functions moderately for a thousand years?”
It is an immediate response.I don’t even need to worry.
“A kingdom. I don’t care what happens after we die. Let’s enjoy it to the fullest while we live.”
“She feels a bit irresponsible…”
“I’m irresponsible and I won’t answer for anything. In time they will fix it. They will be responsible. We are being overprotective and underestimating them by trying to cover that liability. Shouldn’t we believe in them? They are our children, they will educate our grandchildren, I am sure it will be fine beyond that.”
The girls laughed at my words.
“Nn, the children of Setsuna and Kearuga-sama will be strong.”
“Our children will surely be beautiful and skillful in the world.”
“Yes, it will surely be a 【Sword Saint】 that surpasses me. Let us trust our future children.”
“I will raise my children with Kearuga-niisama to be emperors!”
That sound good. We will entrust the work to our children as soon as possible and we will retire. Yes, that way I’ll have the country in my hands while avoiding the inconvenience. That is the best.
So now I will have to have a child quickly. Until now I had used contraception so that our battle power would not drop, but it is no longer necessary.
Should I start preparations without further delay from today?