CH 86

As soon as I said, “I want to say something,” Maria quivered.

I hope she’s not too afraid of me. In the first place, I’m not the head of Heimer or anything…

But, well, as long as my position was higher, I would have to say something.

“You came here for a reason, and you were prepared to displease the new aristocrats, right?…But  even you could have predicted that it would happen sooner or later.”

When I said that, Maria looked down with a regretful, awkward look on her face.

…I’m not saying this in a mean-spirited way, okay?

“It is not Maria-sama’s fault that such a half-hearted situation came about in the first place. Rather, it is Maria-sama’s parents, and by extension, all of the successive lords, so you are not to blame…Now then, Maria-sama. Under these circumstances, there is a golden rule I know of that goes something like this.”

When I raised my fingers up and chuckled, everyone looked confused.

“It’s ‘Ho-Ren-So’”

“Huh? Ren, So…?”

Everyone tilted their heads as if never having heard of it.

If one was a Japanese company employee, they would know all about “Ho-Ren-So”. However, I had never heard it since coming to this world.

“It stands for report, communicate, and consult. First of all, the current situation is none of those.” (***T/N: ‘Ho-Ren-So’ are the abbreviations for Report, Communicate, and Consult in Japanese [Hōkoku-Renraku-Sōdan], but it doesn’t correlate in english)

“…Yes, you’re right. It’s probably pretty close to the consult step…”

“If anything, it’s more like the “crying out” step after things have already gotten way worse.”

Moaning, Maria lowered her eyes and looked sad. I hurriedly followed up.

“It’s not that I’m blaming you. It’s just that I want to get out of trouble before things get out of hand…If we had the habit of reporting everything from the bottom to the top, there could have been cooperation between the equal ranks, and mutual help between the top and bottom ranks.”

“Cooperation and mutual help…?”

Maria-sama looked confused. Then, Brother Will clearing his throat and entered the conversation.

“But even so, Alice-sama…even if you have been consulted, it doesn’t mean you can help them with everything. Even if there was a famine in the Cluster territory, it’s not like the Archelaus territory could help them with everything, right?”

That is correct. But that was not what I was trying to say.

It was the job of a teenage heroine to run wild with a sense of justice. ‘I feel sorry for her, I have to save her!!’—That wasn’t my place as an adult woman.

“No, Brother Will, it’s not that. What I’m trying to say is that the ones below should be smarter and take advantage of the ones above.”

“Take advantage—!?”

Brother, my aides and the three visitors had very puzzled looks on their faces. I wondered if I worded it poorly.

“Imagine. Suppose a medium or small territory like the Cluster Territory is slowly being encroached upon by opponents from within in various places. If it was reported all at once from various places, would we, the higher-ups, just ignore it?…In order for them to keep their own faction intact, don’t you think that they would take a stand?”

“Ah……”

Yeah, I’m glad you understand.

“That’s right. What I’m trying to say is that it would be less troublesome as a result if they behaved more successfully like a nobleman…With a small voice, they may not be taken seriously and might be despised, but if it is the large voice of the majority of your supporters, that will change things…That’s why, from now on, please collaborate more and take advantage of the higher-ups more. No matter how small it is, report it first!”

Truth be told, I was really worried, and I wanted to help those who loved me. I wanted to say that outright, but it was not something that should be said casually as a member of the Marquis Archelaus Family.

It may have been a little hypocritical, but Maria-sama’s expression brightened, and those around her were also pondering with a face that said, ‘So that’s how it is…’

Well, I don’t think it was the wrong response. Maybe.

…Although I can’t help but see a future where this statement might bring in a whole bunch of other problems…

Hm. It’s not that I can’t see it, though…

Well, as long as I was in this position after my reincarnation, this was just the way things would be. I couldn’t help but accept it.

When I was a little tired after saying such aristocratic things for the first time in a long time, one of the three visitors, Shin Yuren-sama, muttered to himself,

“You are completely different…”

Hmm? When I looked in that direction, Shin-sama, who had hurriedly shut his mouth, quickly straightened up.

“I’m sorry. It’s just, you have a very different way of thinking from Gabriella-sama…”

Shin-sama said with trepidation.

“Is it possible that Shin-sama also…?”

Arthur-sama also responded.

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T/N: Personally, I had never heard of the ‘Ho-Ren-So’ thing until just recently, but I feel like there must have something kind of similar in English