"...I know a famous artist by the name of Nifa El-Arb.
　Ismea replied, a little puzzled.

　Someone, the flag, the coat of arms, and the coinage.
　And also the carvings and paintings that adorn the white, unadorned walls of the royal castle.

　I would like to leave those to someone, a renowned artist. Who do you know?

　I asked Ismea, and it was her reply a few dozen seconds later.


　''Well why do you sound so unsure?''

　Maybe you didn't know any good artists and you named the best one...
　When I got a hunch, Ismea denied it with a big wave of her hand.

　'Yes, no, she is skilled. I don't think there is a better artist in Alto, or even Cilicia, than her.
　So why were you confused?
　Well, it's just... it's a bit of a s*xual problem...

　Proclivities?

　'Well, I have a bit of a rather unique artistic sensibility...'
　'What?　Speak up.
　Well, s*x is an art form, apparently.

　Ismaila blushed a little and whispered.
　'Hey, Raimondo. Don't look at me like I'm to blame. It's not my fault," he said.

　Can't he only draw erotic pictures and sculptures?
　'No, about ten percent of her work is decent. They're all very nice.
　'Ninety percent of the work is obscene...'

　As far as I know, nude figures do not fall into the category of "obscene" in the sense of Cilician people.
　In other words, 90% of 'obscene' works of art are probably not just naked statues.

　''Well ... yes, I can introduce you to them. Basically, I'm not a person who chooses to work, so if you ask, I'm sure he'll accept the job.
　All right. I don't blame you. Just introduce me.







　"I'm pleased to meet you. Your Majesty. I'm Nifa El-Arb, by way of introduction!　Oh no, it's a friend to have!　Next time I'll make a naked statue of Ismea-chan as a thank you, can I see her naked?
　No, no, thank you. Then I'll just go and....

　Ismaila leaves the room to escape from Nifa.
　But.........

　I focus on the long, twitching, elongated ears poking out of Nifa's golden hair.
　It's an elf. This guy.

　"Do you have a longer life span than a person?
　'Oh, you know it well!　My grandparents died when they were two hundred years old. Well, they live up to three to four times longer than normal people. I'm fifty years old. I hear that my family doesn't grow old until they're a hundred years old?

　The group retainers groaned at the unexpected declaration of fifty years old.
　They would be surprised if a woman younger than their own daughter was older than them.

　I'm not so surprised.　
　You see, we are in a different world. There may be an elf or two. There's even a griffon.

　Were you born in Cilicia?
　No, no, sir. It's all the way north from here. It's cold as shit. The winter in Adelunia is the summer there. I don't like the cold, so I ran away from home.

　Well......
　Maybe I should send a survey team or a delegation next time.

　Maybe it's a super-duper distant country that even the Persis Empire doesn't grasp.

　Maybe our country could monopolize the trade.
　If that happens, we might be able to get a rare item, like a leaf from the World Tree.

　Well, that can wait.

　"I'd like you to design a flag, coat of arms, and currency for me. And I want you to carve and paint the royal castle and palace.
　'This is a big job!　It will be an arm. Let me know if you have any requests.

　I tell Nifa, one by one, the elements I want her to include.
　Nifa makes a quick note on a piece of papyrus paper.

　''Um........so, about the reward.......''
　How about 50 Tarrant?

　An amount of money that amounts to one percent of our nation's national budget.
　It should be a lot of money that a commoner could live with for the rest of his life.

　''Well.........''
　Isn't that enough?

　After all, when you're a renowned Cilician artist, it's expensive.
　But the carvings, coins, flags, and coats of arms of the royal palace and castle will be the face of the country.

　We can't afford to go cheap.

　Well, then, a hundred...
　'No, fifty tarrant is enough money!　Well I actually have a favor to ask you....

　Please?
　I wonder.

　'I wish I didn't regulate art that depicts s*xual acts between a man and a woman...'
　Well if it's displayed in the square or in a public place, I'll have to take it down, but as long as you make it or the guy who wants it buys it and enjoys it alone, I'm not going to bother regulating it.

　We don't have enough time to regulate the public service.
　We can look at those things when we're at peace and there are no other problems.

　I'm a tolerant person in that direction to begin with.
　As long as you don't bother people, you can do what you want.

　''And one more thing I would like to ask...''
　What?

　Nifa squirmed and said a little hesitantly.
　The way she looked up at me with her upward glance was very beautiful, lovely and erotic.

　 ...or so I thought........
　Well, I don't mind if I'm completely naked.

　Nifa's eyes lit up as she answered that.
　His long, slender ears twitched happily.

　'Really!!!!'
　But the two of you...

　I turned my gaze to Julia and Tetra, who were standing on either side of me.
　They shook their heads from side to side.

　''Absolutely not!
　No way.

　I guess.

　Nifa turned her face down, looking very disappointed.
　Her ears hung down sadly.

　 But at least you can keep your toga top on, the elephant....
　I'll allow it.

　Tetra suddenly gave him permission.
　Why the sudden change of heart?

　I'm confident.

　Tetra puts her hands on her hips and stretches her breasts.
　Big breasts, not so much big breasts, but not small by any means, are emphasized over the top of her clothes.

　Then she smiled fearlessly at Julia.

　'I've changed my mind. You can build me one too.'

　Julia also stretched out her chest in defeat.
　Her large breasts were so accentuated that they could be clearly seen over her clothes.

　''Really!　So, goodness gracious, hurry up!　Let's make this quick!　Let's make it now. Here, take it off!

　Nifa is so delighted as she moves it around that she thinks she might be able to take her ears off.
　
　You guys, you're too simple.

　However, there is a condition. Don't sell or show the naked statue you've made. Is that clear?
　'Yes!　I'm going to hang it in the basement of my house!

　There's no point in decorating it.

　''Then let's get started. Well, it's not very nice here, so let's move on...
　'Condition number two. You'll pay for the naked statue later!　The flag and coat of arms must come first. Go make that one.
　'Yes!　I'll do my best to break the powder kernels!

　Nifa had stood up as if something had rushed her, bowed to me and left.
　He's really weird.




　A month later.....

　"Your Majesty, I have completed the draft in a nutshell. Please look at it.

　Nifa handed me a piece of paper bound with a string with both hands.
　It was about three centimeters thick. It's a big deal to come up with this many drafts in a month.

　''For my ichor, ichor!　It says. But I didn't deserve anything else either, so....
　'No, you can't have too many options. Well done.

　I roll up the paper in a flurry.
　The whole thing is colored in red, gold, and then purple.
　The animals are drawn as gryphons in various forms.
　The plants are mostly grapes and olives.
　The ratio of height to width - I'll have to measure it to be sure, but it's probably a golden ratio.

　A little glance at the design shows that Nifa has done a lot of research on me and the culture of the Adelian peninsula.

　''So ... this is your favorite coat of arms?''
　'Yes, it is. I think it's an innovative design!

　What caught my eye was one of the royal coats of arms that Nifa had made.
　The rim is golden and the inside of the rim is purple.
　In the center is a golden gryphon.

　'Gold is wealth. The inside is naturally purple, a noble color. The griffon in the center it goes without saying.

　Nifa explains the meaning behind the coat of arms.
　I see, it's really easy to understand.

　But my eyes were drawn to the most eye-catching words written on the griffon.

　"RPQR

　"The monarch and the citizens of Romalia. I mean.

　.........
　.........
　I see.

　I've come this far with the help of my vassals, my own abilities, and a little bit of luck, but...
　To me, the greatest power is the support of the people, of my subjects.

　To me, the source of a king's power isn't blood, talent for war, or political prowess.
　It's the support of the people itself.

　Nifa understands that.
　Whether it's because she's a Cilician who originally favored democratic politics, or simply because she's so insightful, I don't know.

　But how dare she propose such a thing to the king?
　If this was King Gilbed, he would be killed, right?

　All right. The royal coat of arms will be this one.

　It's easy to understand.
　Master Griffon is in there too. I'm sure he'd be happy to see it. He'd probably say he's better looking than the picture.

　So, is this your idea of a flag?
　'Oh, yes. I have shown you what this country looks like in my own way. It's a little simpler, but I thought the flag would be easier to make than the coat of arms.

　The flag designed by Nifa was certainly simpler than the national emblem.
　But that didn't mean it was lonely.

　First of all, the rim is gold.
　The inside is red.
　In the center is also a golden coat of arms. But it is not a gryphon.

　A circle of olive leaves, and in the center of the circle is a grape.

　And likewise the words 'RPQR' at the top.

　'Gold likewise, wealth and glory. The letters are the same as before. The red in the background ... the blood that has been and will continue to flow in the war. The central emblem is ... because it would be a trick to make it a gryphon in the same way.

　You mean our country's staple industry, olives and grapes?

　I asked, and Nifa nodded.

　'Yes, I do. I still think the flag should depict a product that represents the country.'
　...but isn't that a bit naive?

　Isn't that like writing a car on a Japanese flag?

　'Of course it makes sense. Of course it makes sense, because in a major industry, you have paper and marijuana. I decided to go with olives and grapes.
　Tell me what you need to know.

　Then Nifa beamed with pride.

　'Olive means peace. On top of the blood that is shed, we will make the world free of blood by building peace. We will unite everything under this Kingdom of Romalia. That's what it means.'

　.........
　Where does this guy get the idea that I want to unite the Adelian Peninsula?

　'Oh, by the looks of it, it sounds like you've hit the jackpot!

　Nifa jumped up and down happily.
　

　''Don't worry, I will never tell you about this!
　'Well, even if you're the one making the noise, if I deny it, it's just a bunch of crap.

　Besides, I thought it was about time someone like this guy had the intuition to realize my purpose.
　Maybe the people around King Fardham have already noticed.

　So, grapes?
　'This country is like a grape I thought. His Majesty the King, of course, but also nobles, commoners, Adelnians and Cilicians. People of different statuses, different positions, and different ethnicities come together to create a single country. As long as they are subjects of Romalia, all subjects are equal under the law. Even if they are foreigners or originally from an enemy nation. Romalia is that kind of country, isn't it?

　A bunch of grapes.
　It may not be a very auspicious symbol of the country.

　But.....

　I like your idea. I'll formally adopt you.
　'Really!　Thank you!

　Nifa jumped up and down happily.

　'So, the currency is ... yeah, safe.

　The front of the gold coin is my face. On the back are the words RPQR.
　The front of the copper coin is an olive. On the back are the words RPQR.

　If there's one thing that bothers me, it's that there's a hole in the middle of the copper coin.
　Also, there's a small jagged edge. It looks like there are little bumps on the surface as well.

　'The holes were designed for ease of use. You can tie it together with a string. The jagged edges and unevenness are to prevent counterfeiting.

　I see........well, unlike gold coins, copper coins are certainly important for everyday use or portability.
　Anti-counterfeiting of gold is also essential for the state to have the right to issue currency.

　Good thing this guy knows what he's doing.

　'By the way, don't you make silver coins or something?　I foolishly believe that it would be inconvenient to have only large gold and small copper coins of value.

　Yeah, well, I know what you're going to say.

　'We can't do anything about it because we don't have silver. And our country is still a novice when it comes to money. We're going to decide on the size and type of money by hand.

　It's just a matter of issuing new coins from time to time if there's any inconvenience.
　Now we've decided on the design of the royal coat of arms, the flag, and the coins.
　Now all we have to do is build the actual thing.

　And Nifa has done a fine job.

　"I want you to do the engraving for the palace and the castle. Can you do that for me?
　'Yes!　Oh, but....

　Nifa smiles smugly.

　'The naked statue first!

　.........
　If it weren't for this, I think he'd be a good artist. This guy.