The Shores of Land: The Diplomacy of Japan, an Alien Nation

Chapter 45 - Gray as Close to Black as Possible?

In the Kingdom of Illyharan, there is a law called the Law of Succession to the Throne. Literally, it is a law that establishes the inheritance of the throne and clarifies the position and ranking of the king and other members of the royal family.

One of the articles states that if the current king's health is compromised and a doctor determined that he was incapable of performing duties for more than a week, the first in line for succession shall assume the role as a representative until the king is able to resume duties. It is stated that they temporarily inherit all the powers of the monarchy. There was a suggestion that since they are acting as representatives, they could have minimal authority, but even as temporary representatives, they are still the "king." If their powers are limited, they would become subordinate to the king and risk being looked down upon by other nations. Moreover, the representative will eventually become the next king, so it was decided that they should inherit all the powers.

By assuming the royal powers, the king can issue "royal decrees" that disregard the constitution and laws, as well as issue "royal commands" that must be executed with top priority as long as they are within the framework of the constitution and laws. According to the Law of Succession to the Throne, in the event of the king's demise or inability to perform duties, the succession or appointment of a representative must be specified within one hour.

Therefore, four hours after King Hauer collapsed and it was diagnosed by the resident physician at the Rasslon Floating Base that he had been in a coma for four weeks, government officials arrived in the capital designated city of Ilforn, where Rict moor Illyharan was performing his duties. Rict, the Crown Prince, was aware that this would happen as he had been watching the live broadcast. Immediately, the ceremony of assuming the representative role took place. Rict became the acting king and, albeit temporarily, became the Head of State of the Kingdom of Illyharan.

The subsequent course of events involves delivering an inaugural speech to the nation to convey future plans. However, immediately after fulfilling his duty as the representative, Rict, using the form of a royal decree, ordered the interruption of the signing ceremony.

Previously, treaties were determined by a majority vote of the king and the Houses of the Right and Left. In the case of the diplomatic treaty with Japan, it was approved by the agreement of King Hauer and the House of the Right, despite the opposition of the House of the Left. However, with the change in the king and the forced replacement of King Hauer's approval with abstention using a royal decree, the decision was altered.

Unlike the resolutions of each house through a majority vote, the king can make a decision alone, whether to approve or reject. Therefore, the king alone has the power to change resolutions, which also carries the meaning of the final safety. This power remains unchanged even if the throne changes midway. In the first place, there is no provision that restricts this. While unanimity is meaningless, if there is even one opposing vote, changes can be made until the final signing. Rict, as the representative king, did not oppose King Hauer's resolution, but rather abstained. As a result, the votes were evenly split between approval and rejection, leading to an interruption. It was just five minutes before Erma, who came as a substitute for King Hauer, and Prime Minister Sasaki entered the grand auditorium.

The Kingdom of Illyharan was thrown into chaos when the king collapsed during a live broadcast. Rict, as the representative king, explained the reasons for his inauguration speech and the suspension of diplomatic relations with Japan through a television broadcast on the evening of that day.

"Today, due to King Hauer's collapse and the doctor's diagnosis of his inability to perform duties, Rict moor Illyharan has assumed the responsibilities of the king in place of King Hauer."