SHC85_ARCHIVE_CHAPTER 85: To Meet My Idol Without Worry

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Chapter 85: To Meet My Idol Without Worry

"From the middle to the end of the fourth month, the Imperial Capital holds a celebration for the Emperor's coronation every year. Among the events are a martial arts tournament and a music competition. I want Romeo and the others to participate in the martial arts tournament and the choir girls to join the music competition."

I’d never heard of that before.

As I thought that, I noticed the expressions of the men—Romeo and the others—became darker, while the women—Rinka and the others—brightened up. What was with this contrast?

Then, the five girls from the choir gathered together.

"We’re doing it, everyone! Let’s win the music competition and bring lots of customers to Kikunoi! Then, we can go visit our parents!"

"Yeah, we’ll do our best!"

"I want to buy my little brother and sister nice clothes and feed them well!"

"Okay, let’s all..."

"Hey, hey, oh!"

The girls raised their arms and shouted, "Oh!" Regulus and Kanata also raised their arms, almost as if they were joining in.

Looking at the girls and their reasons for being there, I glanced at Viktor, who shrugged and nodded.

Then, a figure appeared from near the piano. A tall man with a handsome face but an aura that lacked sweetness approached us.

"Who might you be?" I asked Viktor.

The man placed a hand on his chest, bowed, and then knelt before us, locking eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Your Excellency. My name is Louis Antoine de Saint-Just-san."

"Please, no need for 'Your Excellency.' I’m still without a title. I’m Kikunoi Ageha. You seem to know who I am..."

"I have heard much about you from Lord Shostakovich."

"I see. So, are you here to explain their situation to me?"

"Yes."

Saint Justo-san explained that the girls were from outside Kikunoi, originally being brought by a slave trader to a barony, but the guild had captured the trader, so the girls’ fates changed. They were brought to Kikunoi to become idols instead.

"Being captured by a slave trader... was it unauthorized?" I asked.

"Yes, they were involved in an illegal slave trade. They promised to arrange jobs for the girls in the Imperial Capital, such as working as shop girls or seamstresses. But when we checked the contracts, they were fraudulent—though it appeared they were being sold as slaves, the traders had made the contracts appear legitimate. The girls, illiterate, had no idea they were being sold."

"I see... We need to raise literacy as quickly as possible."

I reflected on how this situation might also be happening in Kikunoi. Improving literacy and redistributing wealth at the same time—how can I do that? Not having access to the wealth and its direction really hurts.

"Agh, I need more power!" I exclaimed.

"Don’t you mean hands?" Viktor teased.

"Well, 'to do the right thing, one must become powerful' is the truth. Without authority and wealth, people won’t follow. If the lord says 'study,' the villagers will follow. To provide time for studying, we need money. That’s what I call power. Though, I suppose 'force' isn't exactly the right word."

"Sounds like you're talking about centralizing authority," Viktor said, rubbing his chin.

I sighed, feeling the weight of all the responsibilities. "It’s true. I have to use my influence to help raise the literacy rate... but at the same time, I don’t want to exploit anyone. I don't know how to manage all of this."

At that moment, Saint Saint Saint Justo-san spoke up again, "If I may ask, why is it so important for you to promote education?"

"Well, people won’t rebel if they’re content with their situation. I want them to understand politics and participate in it. If they do, good or bad outcomes will be their responsibility."

"Ah, I see... So, you’re working on introducing a form of governance?

"Exactly. The lord's constant busyness necessitates managing everything alone, both physically and in terms of time. So, I want to bring representatives from each village to discuss issues. With their help, I can make better decisions. This arrangement will ease the workload for the lord."

"Well, that seems like a good plan. But isn’t it a bit too far from the original discussion?" Saint Justo-san? asked.

"Maybe, but it’s a crucial part of the plan. With the power of many working together, we can build the community without creating unnecessary conflict."

As I continued discussing, I noticed Viktor giving me a sly smile.

"By the way, what’s this about?"

"I want to spend time with Regrus and Kanata, and I want to go see a concert by the choir! I need a break! But I absolutely refuse to let my parents benefit from it!"

Saint Justo-san watched us with a puzzled expression as Viktor burst into laughter.

After a moment, he gathered himself and bowed his head like a knight kneeling before a king.

"Given this situation, I think I can be of help."

"How so?" I asked, intrigued.

"I worked for the Ministry of Finance in the Kingdom of Rumagne, in the north. For reasons of my own, I abandoned my country, but I pride myself on being among the best in my field. Please, allow me to assist you, my lord."

"I can vouch for Saint Just-san’s abilities," Viktor-san added.

I blinked in surprise. "What? I don't know why, but it looks like **opportunity came knocking on our door on its own.**"

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EUN: **人材が向こうからネギ背負って来たよ？/ the direct translation in English is "...it looks like the talent came to us with a bag of leeks" its kind of an indiomatic expression suggesting that someone came or someone is coming with an unexpected or special offer, that often implies that they brought something valuable but unusual. 

The closest english idiomatic I can find that can fit the situation are "Opportunity knocked on our door" or "A good thing fell into our lap"

If there's something more accurate or things missing or needs some fixing please do tell me. English is not my first language >.<

AND BAD NEWS...I think its bad news there's only 29 chapters for the official english translation. There used to be a schedule for the release like every 7-10 days however since last month there are no updates as for the raws, I have the link for volumes 1-7 so if anyone is interested feel free to comment down below, together with your email and what volume you need so I can send you the link. 

anyway long story short, no more snippets from the manga since we're running out of available material.

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