The next day, two proposals arrived at Henri’s office.

One proposal was elegantly written on paper with intricate embossed patterns.

Another was written in a somewhat freespirited handwriting on plain, unadorned paper.

Henri first read Vallière’s lavish proposal with a favorably biased gaze, hoping it would be the better of the two.

From the opening to the closing, Vallière’s proposal followed a flawless format, devoid of any extraneous details.

During the day, nobles would ride elaborately decorated carriages around the city, providing a spectacle for the capital’s citizens. At night, Emperor Henri and Vallière would appear on the streets against a backdrop of unprecedentedly dazzling fireworks, showering the gathered citizens with petals imbued with the temple’s blessings.

In between, various street performances and cultural events would also take place to comfort the weary souls of the citizens.

The proposal could be seen as the very model of how such an event should be organized.

Moreover, the idea of publicly hosting concerts and exhibitions that commoners normally couldn’t access seemed somewhat innovative as well.

‘Hmm. Quite a wellthoughtout plan. I should consider having street performances by the temple choir. And there are quite a few nobles sponsoring excellent orchestras, so funding should be possible.’

Relieved that Vallière’s proposal wasn’t bad, Henri began reading Ermedillin’s proposal.

‘What is this…’

From the very first line, Ermedillin’s proposal completely defied Henri’s expectations.

To begin with, the handwriting was so freespirited it looked as if no brush had been used at all.

[Personally, I would like to request the cancellation of most of the founding day ceremonies. There’s a risk that the disease will spread among people if we proceed with events where people gather en masse, given that the epidemic has not been fully eradicated.]

‘Cancel the event?’

The founding day was the most grandly celebrated national holiday, a chance for the ruling Tribean Empire to demonstrate its grandeur to its subjects.

Even when at war with enemy nations, or during worse epidemics, the founding day ceremonies had never been canceled. What kind of nonsense was this?

[Epidemics spread quickly in large cities where people gather. It could be said that people are the carriers of disease. Of course, contaminated water and seawater can also be primary causes of epidemics. So, for this founding day, I would suggest avoiding events where people gather, and use that budget to distribute relief supplies to the people and clean the sewers. Even a ratcatching event could be good.]

Ermedillin’s words, though attempting to align with local sensibilities, made sense to Henri.

At first, he thought it was nonsense, but as he read on, he felt the sincerity in the humble proposal.

‘Radical but not entirely incorrect… Should I hear the opinions of the ministers?’

Without specifying whose proposal he was referring to, Henri shared both plans with the ministers in charge of running the state.

“An excellent plan! I have a topnotch orchestra, so this could be an opportunity to introduce culture to the citizens. Of course, we can’t necessarily adjust to the citizens’ level.”

Led by Count Illenian, the conservative nobility faction’s ministers mostly favored Vallière’s opinion.

“A relief for the seawater? What sort of nonsense is this to pull on a solemn national day?”

On the other hand, there was outright disapproval toward Ermedillin’s opinion.

“What are your thoughts, Count?”

Henri then asked Count Baptistian, who had been silently sitting, as if pondering something, rolling his eyes.
Well, certainly opening up to culture is appealing. After all, we live in the capital of the great Trivain Empire. Providing some degree of cultural life for the people would certainly contribute to the grandeur of the empire. However…

When Duke Battistian paused for a moment, everyone’s attention in the meeting room focused on him.

“It’s not a bad idea to clean the sewers and provide relief for the waters. For the people, the eradication of lifethreatening epidemics would be a greater joy than any grand event.”

Most nobles frowned at Duke Battistian’s words as if they were distasteful, but a few, who had a realistic perspective, nodded in agreement.

Worried that his own prejudice might lead to an unfair outcome, Henri had the proxies conduct a secret ballot.

The result was a narrow victory for Vallier.

Though it was the expected outcome, Henri felt bitter as a ruler.

‘It means displaying authority is more important than the safety of the people…’

“Understood. I’ll respect the choice of my nobles but will also strive to combine it well with other opinions.”

Henri first went to Ermedillin.

“You seem to have pondered much.”

“Yes, since you gave me the opportunity, I wanted to make it more spectacular, but the safety of the people comes first.”

“True. However, your plan was rejected by the proxies’ vote.”

“Then there’s nothing we can do.”