Genjitsushugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

But... Hakuya continued. The mercenaries of the time were something like battle slaves, to be thrown away at a whim. The people groaned under the strain of war, and the mercenaries were discontent with the way they were treated as expendable. In the middle of all that, Zem appeared with a rare aptitude for commanding people, and martial skills of his own to be proud of. He led the oppressed mercenaries in a rebellion, taking cities one after another, and built an independent state for them all.

It was a spectacular series of events that sounded like the plot of a movie. In fact, there was a dramatization called the Chronicles of Zem, and it was apparently quite popular. When I heard this story, what came to mind for me was the way men followed Fuuga. Zem must have been a great man of a similar caliber.

Hakuya continued explaining, Because of how the country was founded, they value being strong over anything else.

Oh, hey, thats not so different from the national values in Amidonia, huh? Roroa said.

Yes. Hakuya nodded. But I would add that while Amidonia thought, We must be stronger than those who have wronged us, so that we can take revenge, what Zem believes is more like, If youre strong, your every wish will be granted.

If you are strong your every wish will be granted? Is that not a little too simplistic...? Aisha cocked her head to the side at the idea, but Hakuya simply shrugged and moved on.

They believe Zem built the country on strength, and that was how he became king. What they ought to focus on is the charisma that let him unite an unruly band of mercenaries, but... well, I suppose theres nothing to be done about it.

Its a matter of how the people themselves see things, after all, I added in.

Aisha seemed to understand, and she nodded. I-I see...

That idea is demonstrated most simply in the prize for winning the Great Martial Arts Tournament, Hakuya said. The prize is the right to have your wish granted.

When they heard the prize was the right to a wish, everyone just sort of stared vacantly at him. When I heard it the first time myself, I was taken aback, thinking it was an awfully vague prize. But, when I heard the details, I was shocked by how ridiculous that country was.

Obviously, it must be a wish that can be granted. They cannot grant impossible wishes like bringing the dead back to life. However, if it is a wish that can be granted by people, they can grant it. If you wish for money, for instance, they will pay the winner up to a preset limit. If you wish for women, you can literally take any woman you want as your wife.

No way!