第４９０堀：お話を聞こう (Part2)
"Yes. The Imperial Army is something we must prioritize protecting for the time being. They are our primary source of DP recovery. Besides, as you saw from the conversation with Princess Carrie, Dressa, she is simply not someone we can negotiate with. She might go through the motions of contacting her home country, but she’ll just be led around by the nose. It’s a waste of breath to even talk to her."
"……I suppose you're right."
"That is why I suggested Baide, not the Haiden Kingdom. Lady Catherine is capable of reasonable discourse and understands the balance of power quite well. As long as we guarantee her safety, she won't cause any unnecessary trouble. Honestly, I find the Findall Empire, who actually attacked Baide, to be in a much more favorable position to deal with."
"Indeed……"
As Shera said, trying to come to an understanding with the Haiden Kingdom right now is next to impossible.
Knowing that we would have to go through that Princess Carrie makes the difficulty level clear.
If anything, I understand that she would only be a source of further trouble.
To begin with, we who were summoned here have already defied Haiden, so their impression of us is already poor.
To put it simply, the enemy of my enemy is my friend; it would be safer to establish a relationship with the Findall Empire.
While we were discussing this, Cleena and Samantha brought in the representatives from the Findall Empire.
I was surprised to learn that the representative for this meeting was none other than the commander of the Haiden invasion force, the Second Prince, George Findall himself.
He had guards with him, of course, but I didn't expect the commander himself to show up.
His accompanying veteran general, Georgin, was also restlessly looking around the room.
"Welcome, Prince George, and General Georgin. We are pleased to have you."
"Ah, thank you very much for your courtesy. I am grateful for the invitation."
"Indeed, Lady Shera. I am truly grateful for this opportunity for an old man like me to gain such a valuable experience."
Judging by their greeting to Shera, he doesn't seem jaded like a typical prince; he feels like someone who has been raised with integrity.
"How was it? The interior of our dungeon?"
"No, ah—well, to be honest, it is a series of surprises. It is so bright despite being underground, and the furniture is so refined. Even this sofa I am sitting on is more comfortable than anything we have in our castle."
"Indeed. The paintings displayed there are masterpieces that look as if they were cut right out of reality. I can truly understand the greatness of Weed."
It really is different hearing their raw impressions.
However, as I had vaguely realized from seeing Baide, it seems the cultural and technological level of every place here is roughly equivalent to medieval Europe……
Well, if they had developed modern civilization, they would have already been in contact with this continent.
I had been holding onto a faint hope, but it seems it was just that—faint.
"I am glad to hear it meets your approval. I would love to show you around more, but first, I must ask you to speak with our Lord here."
With that, Shera came to my side.
"Is this the person from Weed?"
"Yes. He is the consort to the Queen of Weed, and…… Yuki-sama, who holds a very important position as a bridge between Weed and the various nations."
Ah, there was a subtle pause there.
My position in Weed really is quite vague.
I’m basically just a strategist.
And I don't really do much work, either.
I rarely move with the military in Weed, and if I told them my true job, they’d only think I was insane.
I should think of some impressive-sounding title later.
As Shera said, being a bridge between nations isn't wrong, so maybe something like "Top Diplomatic Administrator" would work?
As I was thinking about this, Prince George and General Georgin stood up abruptly and performed a magnificent salute, along with their guards behind them.
"It is a true honor to be granted an audience with Yuki-sama!! And I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the rude behavior yesterday!!"
With that, the Imperial guests bowed their heads deeply.
They are significantly better than the princess who was just spewing her own selfish delusions, aren't they?
No, maybe using her as a benchmark is the mistake.
Well, in any case, the first impression is good for both sides.
"We have both faced some confusion, and your apology for the recent trouble is more than sufficient. I hope we can join hands and work together from here on out."
"Yes. We feel the same way."
With that, we shook hands.
I wonder if this culture doesn't change much.
There are cultures where offering your left hand is a no-go, so these gestures are always nerve-wracking.
While thinking about that:
"Now, please, have a seat. Let us make this a meaningful time for both of us."
Well then, shall we discuss information exchange and future plans?
It’s only been about a day, but it feels like a long time has passed in the story so far.
Well, I think it's time to mark this as a new chapter.
"Summoning Arc" should be fine, right?