#1258 The Dragon Empire

Bloody Mary suddenly blurts out something outrageous during their visit. 

A dragon empire? 
A nation? 
A state? 

“Yes! I don’t really get it, but that’s the idea!” 

Don’t declare things so confidently when you don’t understand them! 
What are you, from Osaka?! 

“Hey, hey, rumor has it you’ve also been making a fuss lately about starting your own kingdom, haven’t you, Saint?!” 

Uh, well... 
I suppose that’s... true, yes...! 

“If you humans can make a kingdom, there’s no way we dragons can’t! We’ll build the greatest dragon empire the world has ever seen, with Bowa at the very top! That’s the only future worthy of our next Dragon Empress!” 

Don’t make light of nation-building! 
...Well, yeah, I got a little emotional there since I’m technically involved in this whole “founding a country” business, too. 

But Bloody Mary’s plan is so overblown, so full of holes, that I can’t really believe she’s thought through any of it.  
Then again, that’s just the kind of thing you expect from the strongest species alive. Still, what about her husband, Ardheg? 

He once traveled the world with Arowana, so maybe he’s got some common sense, even for a dragon. One can hope... 

“Little Bowa ruling over her own kingdom... wonderful!” 

Never mind, the dad instincts win out over logic. 
I get it, though. I’m a parent myself. 

...Hey, wait. My kids are future princes of the Farm Kingdom too, aren’t they?! 

“Until now, dragons have just run wild, doing whatever they wanted and wreaking havoc everywhere! And of course they did—that’s what comes with being the strongest creatures in the world!” 
“Dragons never needed anyone else’s help, which meant they never needed to gather in groups. That was our way. And following that path inevitably led us to kill each other until only one remained: the destiny of dragons.” 

That’s exactly how the old Geyser Dragon was chosen: a survival contest, to the last one standing.  
The strongest creature in the world was forced to endure the harshest fate. 

“But times have changed! I don’t want to throw Bowa into that kind of brutal life! She deserves a future full of dreams and hope! And Saint, isn’t that what you’re good at? Creating hopeful futures!” 

Am I? 
Personally, I’ve never thought of myself that way... though, I do have a habit of insisting on happy endings only. 

It’s true that the whole point of a nation is to protect the weak from chaos and violence.  
Humans, fragile as we are, learned to survive against nature by banding together. 

And the strongest form of banding together... is what we call a “state.” 

But does a dragon, the strongest of all creatures, actually need that sort of system? Ask me that, and I don’t have an easy answer...! 

Do they have an answer? 
Nope.  
Probably not. 

Naturally, their debate only grows more heated. 

“So, future king, we’ve come to ask you all about this ‘kingdom’ business. Come on, give us a quick lecture on how to build one!” 
“Yes, please, Lord Saint!!!” 

You say that like it’s easy!  
Honestly, I’d rather be the one asking for advice! 
On my knees if I had to! 

But with these two staring at me, eyes sparkling with pure expectation, I can’t just brush them off. 

I guess I’ll just rattle off my own half-baked kingdom theory... 

“The most important part of building a kingdom is...!” 
“Oooh?!” 
“People!” 

Yes, people are the true treasure! 
A group forms, laws and infrastructure develop, and only then does a tribe evolve into a state. 

But it all comes back to people! 
The strength of a nation depends on how many capable, good-hearted people it has. 

Any organization or country that neglects its people is doomed to be second-rate at best. 

That’s why the most important resource is people! 
You can’t build blocks if you ignore the pieces they’re made of! 
People are your castles! People are your stone walls! People are your moats! 

“I-I see! As expected of Saint, your words carry such weight!” 

Bloody Mary looks awestruck at my passionate speech.  
Maybe she’s just swept away by my enthusiasm, though. 

“Just as you say, Lord Saint, we dragons must seek out excellent human resources... no, dragon resources! With their combined strength, the Dragon Empire will be complete!” 

The Dragon Empire?! 
That phrase sounds way too familiar! 

“Yes, and those excellent talents will protect Bowa in the future! Wonderful, truly wonderful! This is the development I’ve been waiting for!” 
“Then let’s start gathering the most talented dragons to serve our future Dragon Empire! By the authority of the Geyser Dragon! All dragons, obey me!” 
“Ahhh! That domineering side of you is so dreamy, Ardheg!!!” 

The imperial couple keep hyping each other up, their excitement feeding on itself. 

I’ve been around dragons long enough to know the truth. 
Once they get like this, the only way forward is straight through the madness. 

“Haa... Why are dragons such unstoppable creatures...?” 

Veil sighs, rocking Bowa gently in her arms. 

Veil, you’re the one who taught me that lesson in the first place, you know. 

Meanwhile, a couple of boys creep closer to the baby she’s holding... 

“Bowa’s awakeee?” 
“Can we pway with herrr?” 

Junior and Norito... seriously?  
You’re that into girls younger than you? Already turning into little party boys?! 

“Well then, let those fools over there run wild, and we’ll just play quietly over here.” 

With quick thinking, Veil gathers the kids and moves them to another room. 
Nice move, Veil...! 

*** 

...And before long. 
For some reason, a whole crowd of dragons shows up at the farm. 

Why here? 
Don’t you dragons have your own gathering grounds or something? 

And it’s not just a handful, there are dozens of them, darkening the sky.  
Even my farm’s residents, who are used to all sorts of bizarre emergencies, are nearly fainting from terror. 

Please stop doing this! 
Large gatherings require permission from the local authorities! 

“Sis Mary, what is the meaning of this summons?” 

One dragon asks in its true form. 

“We recognize Ardheg as the current Geyser Dragon and will obey him if he commands, but we cannot comply with meaningless orders.” 
“Indeed. We too have our pride as the strongest species.” 

And they’re right.  
Even kings who abuse power face the wrath of their people eventually: revolutions, guillotines, the whole lot. 

“Ha! Don’t bark at me. You’re nothing more than losers who failed in the race to the top. The victor of the Geyser Dragon trials was none other than my husband Ardheg. That’s an indisputable fact.” 
“Ghh...! When you put it like that...!” 
“And my beloved husband is the victor!!!” 
“Uh, you didn’t need to emphasize that part.” 

The gathered dragons shrink back before Mary’s love-fueled outburst. 

“In short, compared to the winner of that survival contest, you are subjects before your king. Know your place as the people-dragons beneath the throne!” 

Bloody Mary! 
If you rile up the masses like that, you’ll topple your own monarchy before it even starts!!! 

Humility! What rulers need most is humility!! 

“The reason we called you people-dragons here today is simple. We wish to evolve to the next stage as a race, and so we have a wonderful proposal.” 
“Oh?” 
“We, the Dragon Emperor and Empress, have decided to create a kingdom—by dragons, for dragons! From this day forth, you are all citizens of the Dragon Empire! You will work tirelessly for the nation, whether you like it or not!!!” 
“...That doesn’t sound much like a kingdom for us at all.” 

So, she uses the words of democracy to build a slave state. 

“But in this new kingdom, we have no need for the incompetent. What a nation requires is capable ministers and talented retainers. That is why we shall test whether or not you are worthy here and now.” 

And how, exactly? 

“Why, through battle, of course!!!” 

Always straight to fighting. 

Dragons really do think exactly like shonen manga characters. 

========== 

“people are your castles/stone walls/moats”: a parody of the famous jp maxim attributed to takeda shingen, a warlord of the sengoku period. it emphasizes that loyal retainers are more important than fortifications