Volume 2 Chapter 7 The Home Secretary Plots
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The timing of these events is a bit scattered, but this occurred roughly a month after the summoning.
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”How is the situation within the Empire?”
”Ma’am. Since the Hero summoning took place in our kingdom, the calls for an immediate invasion have quieted down. However, their military buildup continues. I don’t believe we can afford to be optimistic.”
”As expected,” the Home Secretary¹ replied.
This was the inner sanctum of the Maultasche Kingdom’s Ministry of Home Affairs. The Minister was receiving her periodic briefing. As the position was always held by high-ranking nobility, she was addressed by the formal title of Home Secretary. Her ministry was a pillar of power, rivaling the Ministries of Finance and Military Affairs. It oversaw everything from aristocratic mediation and internal security to infrastructure. The sheer breadth of the role meant that only the most capable could survive the workload. Furthermore, the Ministry controlled the Investigation Bureau-an elite intelligence wing whose web spanned across neighboring nations.
The Maultasche Kingdom was hemmed in by the Souveraineté Empire to the north, the Arabere Dukedom to the east, and the Sangster Holy State to the west. To the south lay a fragmented collection of small territories. For the Home Secretary, the internal stability of these neighbors was a matter of national survival. Though she didn’t officially manage foreign policy, she checked these reports first, knowing domestic peace depended on the movements beyond their borders.
”Their barbarian-like aggression isn’t exactly news, but I do wish they’d learn to settle down,” the Secretary muttered.
”Given the Empire’s internal pressures, that is unlikely, Ma’am.”
”I know. I was just thinking aloud.”
The Souveraineté Empire had been governed by a line of ambitious expansionists. Though the land was rich in minerals, the freezing climate made agriculture a nightmare and rendered winter travel impossible. To stabilize their economy, a southward push was their only choice. The Home Secretary understood their desperation, but as the target of that aggression, she couldn’t help her resentment.
”The Empire is manageable for now,” she continued. “If they invaded before the Hero finished the Demon King, they’d likely face Divine Punishment². Even after, they’ll probably keep their heads down as long as we have a Hero on our soil. What about the Holy State?”
”No major movements, Ma’am. They are currently preoccupied with preparations for the Hero’s welcoming ceremony.”
The Sangster Holy State was the Empire’s polar opposite, possessing little territorial ambition. They already held a ‘Holy Land’ within their borders, and all other sacred sites were too far to justify a war. The State was a theocracy ruled by the Seven Pillar Religion³; while a King existed in name, the Pope was the true architect of power. Legend claimed the Seven Pillar Gods descended upon that land during the very first Hero summoning.
However, many suspected the Church had ’embellished’ the legend to boost their prestige. While divine oracles were common, there had been no other recorded instances of gods physically descending. Still, without proof to the contrary, the claim went unchallenged to avoid the risk of Divine Punishment. The state thrived on the wealth brought by global pilgrims. Under these circumstances, the Holy State focused on protecting its sanctuary through a mix of diplomacy and hard-line religious pressure.
Since the Hero summoning was clearly the work of the gods-specifically Green God-sama⁴-the Church positioned the Heroes as divine messengers to bolster its own authority.
”Understood. Keep the intelligence flowing. And the Dukedom?”
”The Arabere Dukedom is currently dealing with a monster surge in its eastern reaches. They’ve diverted their military to handle the threat.”
The Dukedom had once been part of a southern kingdom before gaining independence, and its relationship with Maultasche had historically been strained.
However, with the Empire looming to the north, both nations had formed a wary alliance. Though the Dukedom had been devastated three hundred years ago during the ‘Poisonous Count Castel Territory Incident⁵‘, it had since recovered into a fertile agricultural hub. Its eastern border was defined by a mountain range where dragons were said to dwell, leaving that region largely wild.
”Perhaps the dragons are being temperamental again and driving the lesser monsters out. Stay alert. What about the south?”
”The nation of Crippa, which rose to power a few years ago, is moving aggressively to unify the southern city-states. At this rate, they may succeed within a few years.”
To Maultasche, the individual southern states were insignificant, but a unified nation would be a genuine threat. With the Empire in the north, the Secretary wanted to avoid a second front at all costs.
”We must stop them before they unify. Do we have ‘pawns’ we can move?”
”We do, Ma’am.”
”Then let’s ensure the south remains a mess of small states for a while longer.”
”Understood.”
For Maultasche, preventing unification meant inciting internal riots or backing anti-unification factions. Conversely, the Empire likely supported Crippa’s rise to force Maultasche to divert resources away from the northern border. It was the opening stage of a proxy war.
”And our domestic situation?”
”Order is stabilizing. The Hero summoning has given the public a sense of security. Monster damage is within normal parameters, and infrastructure projects like the new bridges are on schedule. The nobility is quiet, for the most part-they’re mostly bickering over which factions get to provide ‘Caretakers’⁶ for the Hero’s party.”
”I suppose that’s a good sign. Has the Hero accepted a Caretaker yet?”
”No, Ma’am. He has refused them all, claiming they aren’t necessary.”
A ‘Caretaker’ was a factional representative and a state spy. Their true mission was to bind the Hero to the kingdom through physical intimacy and extract information.
”Hmph. We must secure him, but approaching him as a ‘Caretaker’ from the start clearly made him wary. Hide their status as candidates for now and simply increase their contact with him. We’ll play the long game. What about the other party members?”
”We have sufficient data on Sword Saint Shouta, Holy Knight Takumi, Sage Osamu, and Heavy Warrior Otto.”
”What kind of data?”
”Everything from their current levels and Skills to their ages, former occupations, food preferences, and their ‘types’ when it comes to women. We even know their interpersonal dynamics with the other summoned girls.”
”It’s helpful that they’re so talkative, but for them to blabber that much… it’s almost mind-boggling,” the Secretary sighed. “Ensure our security is tight so no foreign agents get near them. What about Saint Ren?”
”Like Hero Shouta, he has refused a Caretaker. However, we’ve pieced together a profile on him through the other four.”
”Those four idiots are making me more anxious by the minute,” she groaned. “Treat Saint Ren the same as the Hero for now.”
”Understood.”
”And the others? There were two with classes suited for shadow work-a Stealth and a Ninja. How are they?”
”Stealth Nanami has formed an all-female party and is diving into dungeons. Ninja Takuya is doing the same with an all-male group. Their growth rates aren’t quite on the Hero’s level, but they’re still progressing ten times faster than a normal adventurer. There was a minor scuffle at the Guild involving Nanami’s teammate, Saint Mizuki, but Nanami was the one who de-escalated it. Takuya hasn’t caused any trouble at all.”
”Good. Let them level up for a year or two before we move. Anything on their personal tastes?”
”Well… Nanami is elusive, but we’ve identified Takuya’s specific preference. Apparently, he is into ‘Yanderes’⁷.”
The amount of information gathered would have shocked the kids, but the leaks hadn’t come from Mercedes. They had come from the maids in their rooms and moles within the Adventurer’s Guild.
”‘Yandere’? I’m not familiar with the term. Research it and bring me a report. Oh, and I recall Martina took one of the girls on as a Civil Servant apprentice. The one in the Bureau of Engineering? How is she?”
”Yuko, the Civil Servant? She’s currently serving under Xaveria-sama. The reports are underwhelming. Her level is low, she struggles with basic chores, and she shows no particular aptitude. Her manners are also lacking, so she’s undergoing remedial etiquette training.”
Since Yuko was still stuck doing grunt work, she hadn’t had a chance to show her “modern” edge. Her evaluation was mediocre primarily because her motivation was non-existent compared to the locals.
”Xaveria-sama? Ah, that meathead Military Secretary’s relative. A poor evaluation, then. Can we use this to damage Martina’s reputation?”
”Unlikely, Ma’am. While Martina secured her the apprenticeship, she explicitly stated the girl was to receive no special treatment and hasn’t acted as her backer.”
In Yuko’s original world, a Minister using a connection to hire a government worker would be a scandal. Here, it was a standard Tuesday. Influence-based hiring was the norm.
”I see. If the girl succeeds, Martina takes the credit; if she fails, Martina can claim she just gave a stray a chance. Clever. Is that all? If so, you’re dismissed.”
”Yes, Ma’am.”
As her subordinate left, the Secretary let out a heavy sigh. “Ugh… the Hero situation is a headache.” She needed to get them out of the capital soon, but she’d have to keep a tight leash on those ‘Caretakers.’ The boys’ information security was a sieve.
A knock at the door interrupted her.
”Mother? It’s me.”
”Patrizia? You may enter.”
Patrizia was the Home Secretary’s youngest daughter. At twenty, she was approaching the edge of her prime marriageable years. Despite her busy schedule, the Secretary doted on her, though the girl was a handful.
”Mother, I have a feeling that my ‘Man of Destiny’ is close by! I’ll be heading out into the city for a few days starting tomorrow.”
”Into the city? Look, I trust your ‘Intuition’ enough to know you won’t wander into trouble, but you can’t go alone. Take a guard.”
”It’ll be fine desuwa! If I’m ever in a pinch, that’s exactly when my ‘Man of Destiny’ will swoop in and save me!”
”I… see.”
Patrizia was a hopeless romantic. No amount of lecturing worked. The Secretary had essentially given up, deciding she’d just have to assign a shadow guard to follow her.
”What about Viscount Zeiss’s son? You met him last week. Any spark?”
”He’s definitely not the one.”
The Secretary had set up numerous matchmaking sessions, but Patrizia rejected them all on the grounds of “no destiny.” Since the girl’s ‘Intuition’ skill was actually higher than her mother’s, the Secretary couldn’t even argue.
”Patrizia… what if your ‘Man of Destiny’ turns out to be a commoner?”
The Secretary started to object, but her own ‘Intuition’ skill screamed a warning so loud she pivoted mid-sentence.
”…Well, if he shows talent, I suppose we could have him adopted and bring him in as a consort. If he’s a merchant, he’d need a shop on the main thoroughfare. If he’s an adventurer… B-rank at the very least.”
”Oh? Is that all it takes? Teehee! I can’t wait to meet him desuwa! ♡”
Patrizia skipped out, eyes gleaming. The Secretary caught a glimpse of a mythril knife tucked into her daughter’s belt and offered a silent prayer.
Whoever Patrizia’s ‘Man of Destiny’ is… please, just hurry up and make her settle down!
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Summary:
The Home Secretary, Mercedes, reviews the geopolitical state of the continent, noting the Empire’s buildup and the Holy State’s religious posturing. She receives intelligence on the ‘Hero Party’ members, who are leaking personal secrets due to their own lack of caution. The chapter ends with Mercedes’s daughter, Patrizia, setting out to find her ‘Man of Destiny’ based on her powerful intuition.
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Trivia:
- The Maultasche Kingdom uses ‘Caretakers’ (Sewa-gakari) essentially as honey-traps to bind Heroes to the state.
- The ‘four idiots’ of the Hero party have already leaked their former world occupations and even their fetishes to simple maids.
- Yuko (Civil Servant) is noted for having extremely low motivation compared to other summoned individuals.
- Patrizia’s ‘Intuition’ is actually superior to her mother’s high-ranking version of the skill.
- The ‘Divine Punishment’ is a tangible threat mentioned by both the Empire and the Holy State
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Character Insight:
Mercedes shows a balance of high-level cold calculation (treating people as ‘pawns’) and motherly concern/exasperation. Patrizia demonstrates a dangerous level of naive optimism coupled with a high-rarity skill and a weapon (mythril knife), suggesting she might be more capable than her flighty personality implies.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses this chapter to world-build the surrounding nations (Souveraineté, Arabere, Sangster) while setting up future character interactions for the side-cast like Takuya and Nanami.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Shouta – A teenage boy, 17, a high‑school student summoned as a Hero, wields the Sword Saint class and holds the titles Hero of the Slash and Hero of Lightning; he refuses any caretakers.
• Takumi – A teenage boy in modest holy‑knight armor, summoned as a Level‑1 Holy Knight. Arrogant and over‑familiar, he earns a beating from Martina, is hot‑headed, and was betrayed by his girlfriend Sakura. Once a delinquent, he now serves as a Holy Knight in the Hero Party.
• Osamu – An 18‑year‑old reincarnated graduate, now a Sage of the Hero Party, sports thick hair and a modern look. Once dismissive, he now observes social hierarchies pragmatically. Formerly Araya’s boss, he died in an accident with a severely damaged body and wields high‑level Fire, Wind, Water and Earth magic.
• Otto – Heavy Warrior and member of the Hero Party.
• Ren – Saint. Refuses ‘Caretakers’ like Shouta.
• Mizuki – 165 cm tall, standard‑built girl with long hair, wearing modest chest armor and speaking politely; reincarnated as a Saint‑class high‑school student and member of the JK Party, deeply religious and devout. She bravely confronts slave abuse despite legal risks, earning respect by defending the vulnerable, and often joins the protagonist’s circle at the temple, aligning with Nanami’s party.
• Nanami – 165 cm slender high‑school girl with short hair and modest chest armor, known as Mermaid for her underwater diving hobby. Reincarnated as a Stealth‑class student in an all‑female adventurer party, she’s easy‑going, nicknames friends, and blends smoothly into school life.
• Takuya – A black‑garbed, masked ninja, once cast out by the Hero’s party, now mid‑guard of the Salarymen and a Leemans member in Daisuke’s crew. He speaks in faux‑samurai tone, stresses stealth and pragmatic combat, trains at level 20+, and as a member of the ‘Three Idiots’ delivers vital‑point strikes while on watch. Ninja class, all‑male party, with a yandere preference.
• Mercedes – Brown semi-long hair, thick chest armor replaced by a white frilled one-piece, she is the shrewd, overworked Home Secretary (Naimukyou) of the Maultasche Kingdom, mother of Patrizia, and a high-ranking noblewoman overseeing domestic affairs, security, and the Investigation Bureau—yet still retains her identity as a high-spirited Royal Knight: mediating, teaching shield techniques, leading parties, despising goblins and orcs, seeking a boyfriend, and viewing dungeons as divine trials, all while wielding elite combat and destruction magic with deep knowledge of guild mechanics.
• Martina – Martina-sama, daughter of nobleman Fritz Gilman, is a striking beauty with sharp sanpaku eyes, a slender‑curvaceous figure and a C‑cup chest. As a high‑ranking Gilman heir and instructor for summoned beings, she commands with seductive poise in high‑slit cheongsam dresses, holds top noble status and is a leading Prime Minister candidate. She rivals the Home Secretary, who secured Yuko’s apprenticeship.
• Xaveria – Xaveria, a young woman under twenty with a composed demeanor, serves as Yuko’s supervisor and roommate; she is a collateral relative of the Military Secretary and Yuko’s superior in the Bureau of Engineering, addressed as Xaveria-sama.
• Yuko – Reincarnated 17‑year‑old high‑schooler, once a 40‑year‑old Earth civil servant who married, had a child and died in a train crash. Now a Level‑1 apprentice to Lady Xaveria, she wears a half‑up hairstyle, thin chest armor, stands 160 cm with a standard build, speaks politely but shows low motivation and poor etiquette.
• Patrizia – The Home Secretary’s third and youngest daughter, aged 20. Possesses a high-level ‘Intuition’ skill. Dreamy, romantic, and hyper-fixated on finding her ‘Man of Destiny’. Carries a mythril knife.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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