The stunningly golden wheat, and all the rye as well has been harvested, a silent winter was about to take over from late autumn here in the Cardia domain. My three month soldier in training course was almost over, and I'm also throwing up much less often than before. Every day, I would walk around with a hoe for plowing that was taller than I was, but for now, it was too big for me to even swing. It's some sort of strange training that's supposed to improve my physical strength and endurance.
It happened one day right before I would return to my life in the mansion from the barracks. In the office of the domain's lord in the Mansion of Golden Hills that I wasn't allowed to step into until I completed my training course, right now I was receiving a personal lesson from Earl Terejia in front of four maps on the national situation.
Earl Terejia has reformed the domain's laws quite a bit, and in particular he wrote all of the laws pertaining to the domain's troops himself. Before he came, it was like we almost didn't even have a standing army. It's because in my father's entourage, as long as about ten people had weapons, that was enough for him to swagger about.
After all, it's stipulated that all the nobles in Axia are supposed to have their own forces. Of course, basically no countries would want to invade Axia, the largest country on the continent, and inside the country it's been peaceful as well ever since the kingdom was founded, many lords' armies were there in name only. It's no exaggeration to say that the only ones with decent armies are the earls stationed on the remote borders.
In the time of the Axia Kingdom's previous incarnation, the Ar Kusha Holy Kingdom, we had already abandoned all policies of military aggression towards other countries. Currently, the borders with other countries were closed, and only those with a passport issued by the king were allowed to enter or leave.
We have non-interference peace treaties with other countries, and there are friendly trade agreements to allow merchants with permission from the state to do business and international trade. Our country basically practices isolationism.
As for the overall situation in the continent, the rise and fall of nations occurs very often with high intensity. The countries apart from the Axia Kingdom are basically always on alert and vigilant for war.
Axia Kingdom is able to remain at peace largely in part because the other countries haven't been able to develop beyond anything more than small countries. The power struggles between countries of similar strengths is keeping them busy, so none of them have the time to even do anything about the major power Axia.
Among all this, as for why Earl Terejia has been raising an army in the Cardia domain, of course there's a reason for it. It's to guard against the countries in the east.
"The Rindall Union Dukedom, is it?"
"They might be changing their name to Rindall Empire soon."
To the east of the Axia Kingdom, four countries have been expanding their territory for the past hundred years. It's an alliance between the countries of Denzer, Planatis, Geograd, and Pamigran.
Originally, there had been a country called the Rindall Kingdom that ruled over the northeastern part of this continent, but it split into north, south, east, and west, each ruled over by a duke, and each dukedom ended up attracting many people similar to the duke of each country, thus becoming their own separate countries with individualistic traits.
Some time recently, there had been a movement to reunify the four dukedoms and to nominate an archduke as the leader of the four dukedoms. With that many people under their rule combined, it wouldn't be strange if they changed their name to the Rindall Empire.
Right now, the four dukedoms are small countries compared with Axia, but if they combine and become one country then they will become a great power comparable to Axia. If another country with similar power is born, then the predominant position that Axia has held onto for so long might be no more. Depending on the actions from the Rindall side, a war between the two countries may very well be possible.
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