第４１２堀：各国の情報 (Part1)
The weather was fine today.
"The laundry should dry well."
However, if this good weather continues, crops will not grow due to water shortages.
But if the rain, which brings the blessings of water, falls too much, not only will the crops not grow, but their roots will rot, and floods will occur.
The world is all about balance, and extremes are not good.
Everything is best in moderation.
Doing too much invites backlash, and doing nothing also causes problems.
The world is unpredictable, and perhaps that's what makes it fun.
Well, ultimately, it is people who maintain that balance.
It depends on one's senses, and when something happens, it is natural for a backlash to occur.
"Just because it's the way of the world doesn't mean we should leave it as is."
"Naturally. Maintaining peace in the world is the duty of nobles to protect the people, and the mission of kings. Of course, this includes the means of war."
"Even so, easy use of force is problematic."
"Indeed. That is precisely why we, the three great nations, must take the lead and work together."
Now, in this room are myself, two old men, and one woman.
It's not my usual group of guy friends and my wife.
As the name suggests, the leaders of Roschur, Litea, and Gartz are gathered here.
Although…
"As expected, whiskey is best on the rocks. Son, another one."
"Floating ice in coffee... how wonderful!! Ah, and a cream melon soda, please!!"
"More importantly, meat! Order more of this steak!!"
"Yes, yes..."
It's just a meal where we eat delicious food...
Even though it's just a meal, it's better because we're talking like this.
It's inconvenient that I'm the cook and waiter.
After all, they are my father-in-law and my wife's junior, so I have to treat them with some respect.
Ah, it's such a hassle.
It's even more of a hassle because I can't complain since I'm the one who ordered it.
"Well, I figured as much."
"Naturally. We predicted this would happen."
"No, if you couldn't predict this, you'd just be an idiot."
Of course.
There's no way we couldn't predict something so obvious.
"However, with such tight security, we can't act carelessly."
"That's why you brought this matter to us, isn't it?"
"You mean there will be some movement on our end?"
It's helpful that I don't need to explain this part either.
"Exactly. If it's difficult to directly interfere with Weed, we have no choice but to target the countries that trade with it. That's why I asked the three great nations that bring those smaller countries together."
"Can we say it's in exchange for information?"
"That's right. We also don't want this alliance to be damaged."
"If the son-in-law were a bit more foolish, we could profit, but that's not the case. Instead, we might be cut off."
Naturally.
If we asked for something in return, they would surely threaten us with something.
"This incident will provide a perfect excuse to further clarify the alliance's structure and rules, and to tighten enforcement."
"That's true. Intense political battles are occurring within the alliance, and of course, they are also engaging in mutual corruption."
"It's necessary, but it's problematic if it threatens the existence of the alliance itself. With this incident, things will be decided in more detail, won't they?"
"That's a reasonable assessment. The great nations also wouldn't want the smaller countries to interfere too much. But what about Weed?"
"What do you mean? It would be bad for us to do various things on our own. While there are indeed people operating in the shadows in Weed, they'll just be scapegoats. If Weed makes a fuss, the other side will use it to their advantage and make a move. Weed wants to monopolize profits, so they might be spreading unnecessary rumors..."
"That's possible."
"It's possible."
"It's a sufficiently effective tactic. But that doesn't mean we won't investigate, does it?"
"Of course. We will investigate and provide you with the information. We can't get the inside scoop ourselves."
"I see. So, we'll cross-reference the information from your side with ours."
"Indeed, that would be more reliable than doing it alone."
"Finally, we will gather evidence and handle it internally. That way, the names of our three great nations will not be tarnished."
Yes. As the old man from Gartz said, if we handle it carelessly, the three great nations will be branded as incompetent.
If that happens, the countries under their protection will become uneasy.
At worst, countries that are not favorably disposed towards the alliance will make a move and try to break it down.
Reputation is indeed that important.
"So, is it agreed that all three of you will spare no effort in cooperating?"
"There was never an option not to cooperate from the start."
"That's right. Weed is now indispensable to the economies of each country and is a crucial stronghold for preventing war. It would be strange not to protect it."
"That's precisely why the other side must want to do something about Weed and the alliance, isn't it?"
Of course.
For those who wanted to profit from war, the alliance system centered around the three great nations and Weed must appear as an enemy.
A system that even they couldn't complain about was quickly established.
Weak nations rushed to be placed under the protection of this alliance, and there was nothing they could do.
If they resorted to violence in war, the alliance army would emerge.
They couldn't do anything on their own. And even if they tried to cooperate, the countries not in the alliance are far apart, and it would take a lot of effort to coordinate, and the possibility of being discovered is high, so internal sabotage would be the first approach.
"Speaking of which, although we haven't received any direct protests from Weed, haven't you received anything from your respective countries?"
Direct protests to Weed are generally not made.
Weed is merely a base for the alliance army to coordinate more easily.
Officially, each country recognizes Weed's military strength as being limited to its defense force, and when the alliance moves, one of the three great nations will take the lead.
Therefore, it's better to protest to the three great nations than to Weed.
The three great nations also approved Weed's independence, and officially, it appears that the three great nations hold the real power in Weed.
It's because I find it troublesome.
Well, that's precisely why sabotaging Weed's internal affairs is the most effective tactic against the alliance.
"Of course, we have received them. They tell us not to interfere."
"However, they are just protests. If they start acting seriously, it will give us a legitimate reason to move."
"For the weak nations, there would be no greater salvation. For us, it's a good way to acquire manpower."
"But how do you listen to each other's claims? You don't know who is right, do you?"
"It's simple. Once we intervene, we prohibit any further combat. That's all."
"In other words, the borders are decided at that point. Towns near the borders will declare which side they belong to, and that will be recorded, and based on that, we will determine if it is an act of aggression."
"Because they don't know anything, they will decide new borders with the alliance and the enemy nation, and the current correct borders will be established. This will also be useful for future border disputes."