Sometimes I Don't Think About My Surroundings

"So, national power can be broadly classified into Hard Power and Soft Power."

"Please continue."

Mr. Penguin started taking notes in his pocketbook.

"Hard Power refers to the ability to wage war. Soft Power refers to academics, arts, and information."

Pastel received a piece of memo paper. The fountain pen Ellie had gifted her scribbled across it.

"To put it differently, Hard Power is physical military strength, and Soft Power is mental diplomatic strength. You could just swap the words and understand Hard Power as physical diplomatic strength and Soft Power as mental military strength without much issue. To put it yet another way, Hard Power is short-term national power and Soft Power is long-term national power, but there's no need to know all that right now."

"Soft Power feels like the power of culture."

Mr. Penguin twirled his fountain pen.

"You mentioned that information is also included in this, but what exactly do you mean?"

"Espionage. If you simplify Soft Power, it's national charm, which makes persuasion easier. That's why it's very strong in espionage."

Just as a Soviet spy could abruptly approach an enemy nation official with zero ties to the Soviet Union and say, “I came because I know you secretly admire communism. If you had the chance to serve the oppressed proletariat, would you join us?” and have a high success rate as if the spy used some kind of hypnosis.

The American democracy version was the same.

"The achievement of unifying the world and maintaining it stably for a long time as the Unified Empire is irreplaceable, absolute Soft Power. Because it's a Unified Empire, this Soft Power doesn't translate into diplomatic power, but conversely, all that power can be converted into patriotism."

The world wasn't so easygoing as to let a mere internal rebel or an external force like the Demon King, who only stimulated patriotism, destroy the Empire.

If one dreamed of treason, they would have to pray they didn't get killed by the people around them first, because the chef who was smiling and chatting with them just yesterday could suddenly burn with patriotism and poison their food today. Even if that only happened occasionally, there were at least more than enough people willing to inform the Imperial Family.

If it weren't an internal rebel but the evil Demon King, it would be even harder. He would have to go through the trouble of achieving forced unification against a grand alliance of nations that had united against an existential threat.

Heuaa.

"Élan vital, no, the active participation of the nobles and subjects who have become proactive will transcend the Empire's current military strength, to the point where the idea of the Empire falling due to the betrayal of an internal great noble sounds like nonsense."

Mr. Penguin jotted something down in his pocketbook before scratching it out.

"You're saying that the voluntary participation of the subjects who adore His Imperial Majesty the Emperor will be so powerful that there's no need to worry about betrayal."

Ppoo-woo.

Flattening it into such a monarchical, pre-modern thought process like that.

If the minimum time required for military training decreased with the advent of firearms, if the smooth supply of an officer corps capable of writing became possible through the spread of education, if the participation of citizens across all territory became easier with the development of transportation, and if there was a medium to inform the entire nation and encourage participation, then the explosive participation of the Citizens could immediately be converted into military power...

Ugh, it's too complicated to explain.

Considering the Empire's development, she figured it was roughly possible. The bureaucracy was still lacking, so it couldn't yet do things like mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops within a few months, but that was the same condition for the Demon King or a traitor, so it wasn't a big problem.

Besides, at the very least, Sky Island, the front line of the Empire, could somehow mobilize up to a hundred thousand troops immediately thanks to the great Governor-General Pastel having already implanted a modern bureaucracy. Once the railway construction currently underway on Sky Island is completed, it will be able to mobilize almost instantly.

It would become possible to respond immediately to the evil Demon King's invasion and dispatch troops!

Hooray!

Loyal subject Pastel is competent!

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, I'm working this hard!

Loyal subject Pastel felt proud.

"That's right! The brilliant achievements accomplished by the Successive Zealous Ancestors, including Your Imperial Majesty, cannot be coveted by a trivial great noble! All the subjects who adore His Imperial Majesty the Emperor will risk their lives to fight!"

"I strongly agree."

Mr. Penguin nodded.

"I didn't understand what you were talking about, Governor-General, but now I get it. You mean the Demon King will wield the ideology of Republicanism to blind the subjects, divide the Empire, and ultimately destroy it."

"Right! Right! The only power that can divide the Empire against the Soft Power of the Unified Empire right now is Republicanism!"

Pastel put on a serious expression.

"The internal rebels aren't the problem right now; the United Kingdom, which has preempted the Soft Power of Republicanism, is the real enemy! We shouldn't just trust the visible physical military strength and feel relieved! That's not everything!"

Pastel put on the expression of a loyal subject.

"I fully understand His Imperial Majesty the Emperor worrying about the betrayal by the great nobles, but we shouldn't be dwell on that. As a loyal subject, I advise you that the main cause will ultimately be the United Kingdom. We shouldn't use the Empire's resources to restrain the great nobles, but rather use them against the United Kingdom."

Her pink eyes turned serious.

"If it weren't for the Great Temple's prophecy, there would have been a high chance of the Empire falling just as prophesied. But would it really have happened because of a common cause like the treason of a great noble that anyone could restrain? Wouldn't the Empire fall due to a cause from an unexpected direction instead?"

The girl's hand waved around.

"Think about it. Even without the prophecy, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor would have prepared for the treason of the great nobles. He would naturally have prepared for the appearance of the Demon King as well, just as the Successive Zealous Ancestors did."

Her finger pointed past the ceiling toward the sky.

"But why would God go out of God's way to hand down a prophecy? Isn't it because it couldn't be stopped with existing methods and thoughts?"

Mr. Penguin's mouth fell open slightly.

"That is true. The treason of a great noble or the appearance of the Demon King is a matter His Imperial Majesty the Emperor would have continued to monitor even without a prophecy."

"But the main cause is the United Kingdom, which anyone can see lacks military strength compared to the Empire, because it has embraced the Republicanism ideology to oppose the Unified Empire."

"So that was it."

Mr. Penguin wore an expression of realization.

"I was just wondering, Governor-General, why you met with Duke Redgrave and looked into the Republican Faction."

U-et?

U-e-et?!

Pastel's eyes went round.

What?! What?!

How does he know?!

I was just invited to Duke Nastasha's mansion and I had secretly visited it once!

"We were well aware that Duke Redgrave harbored ill feelings toward the Imperial Family. However, since the Republican Faction only focused on political activities and didn't invest much in training soldiers, His Imperial Majesty didn't pay them much mind. But from the perspective of Soft Power you just mentioned, it was a different story."

Mr. Penguin put away his pocketbook. A smile spread across the man's face.

"The Republican Faction are the rebels."

Oh.

"I will stake my name on conveying your advice, Governor-General, to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor that we must not judge based solely on visible troops."

Mr. Penguin placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head.

Et.

The Republican Faction, which had been staying quiet and being good while minding the prophecy, was suddenly about to be intensively restrained.

Having observed firsthand how the militarily powerful North's Bellamont and the South's Camelot were intensively restrained by being banned from entering central political circles and having their successors exiled to the frontier's Sky Island Academy, the Republican Faction had been staying quiet and being good without training troops, but starting today, it is about to be abruptly and intensively restrained.

Cause: That pink-haired girl.

They shouldn't have trusted pink hair in the first place...!

Heo-eok.

The feeling of having done something only the Krafts would do!

The feeling of having done something she shouldn't have done as a member of the Republican Faction.

Hmm.

Come to think of it, I'm not in the Republican Faction.

Originally, the Kraft Family was in the Royalist Faction.

Wait a minute.

Her pink eyes rolled around.

I feel a little sorry, but isn't this a problem Duke Nastasha should solve on her own?

In the first place, there's a high chance someone would have had this basic thought eventually. Then wouldn't they have suffered this anyway at that time?

In the first place, in the first place.

Wasn't it a mistake to create a group with such a sinister name as the Republican Faction?

Rather than the good Melissa or Alcier, who had no interest in the imperial throne and nothing to do with the prophecy, being restrained for no reason, wouldn't it be right for the blatantly disloyal Republican Faction to be justifiably and intensively restrained?

Heo-eok, that sounds right.

"It will take time for a fast airship to travel back and forth, so until His Imperial Majesty hands down new orders, I believe you can proceed with your schemes according to your own judgment, Governor-General."

"Ah! Yes!"

Oh yeah.

I have His Imperial Majesty's sword, but His Imperial Majesty's orders are in an ambiguous state.

"By the way, what brings you to the Hawks' Rendezvous Point? You've come with the Friesli Family Head; do you perhaps enjoy gambling normally?"

"It seems the Radical Faction colluded with the wicked Church to attack me, but I couldn't find any evidence. So I disguised myself to look for it in person."

Mr. Penguin nodded.

"If that's the case, there's no need for you to do that. Governor-General, according to your words, there is a need to restrain the United Kingdom more strongly. I will help you."

Uwaa.

I was going to do it alone because I didn't want to owe the scary Mr. Penguin, but it ended up like this.

Pastel discussed with Mr. Penguin how to deal with the United Kingdom Radical Faction.

The clock ticked.

A while later, Pastel left the Secret Room.

"Phew."

She wiped her sweat-free forehead for no reason.

Tired, tired.

But Ppoodeut-ppoodeut!

I think I worked really hard today!

The corners of her mouth loosened into a grin.

Today's diary~!

Today, I met the scary Mr. Penguin.

There was something he lacked, so I explained it to him, and he immediately understood!

He's totally rational and smart!

And.

I also conveyed my advice to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.

I completely blocked the realization of the prophecy by exposing the Republican Faction's sinister schemes!

Heo-eok is an achievement of the century.

Loyal subject Pastel Lovecraft.

Today as well, I did my best to show loyalty to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.

Uwaang.