第４９２堀：女領主の苦労と国の方針転換 (Part2)
"Heiden is a lost cause."
"Well, I’m not sure if I can call it the reason for the deteriorating relations, but Princess Carrie is certainly one of the factors."
"Princess Carrie is the reason?"
"The Kamishiro Dukedom is quite far from the royal palace, so I suppose Kagura-dono was unaware of Heiden’s movements. To put it simply, about fifteen years ago, the previous Majesty passed away. The current Majesty, who ascended the throne, has adopted a policy leaning heavily toward military rule. The Princess was the child of the previous Majesty, but she was raised under the current Majesty’s policies to become... well, the way she is."
So, she was intentionally made into that airheaded state?
"However, in terms of succession rights, wouldn't it naturally fall to Princess Carrie or her mother, the Queen?"
"Under normal circumstances, yes. But this country has a strong custom that the leader must be a man, and the idea of a woman at the top was deemed unacceptable. Consequently, the previous Majesty’s younger brother took the throne. At that time, the Queen, having lost her husband, was told she needed 'mental recuperation,' and Princess Carrie was taken from her and placed under house arrest."
...That’s essentially a coup d'état.
Of course, they couldn't have the late King’s daughter being sharp-witted. That would cause all sorts of problems.
The logic holds up, so they must have done quite a bit of groundwork to pull that off.
"I hold the rank of Count despite being a woman, but honestly, the wind has been blowing quite harshly against me lately. Since I am close to the royal capital, I have frequently visited the palace, and the power struggles under the current Majesty’s military regime were truly unbearable to witness."
"...Is it really alright for you to say that much?"
"The lords in various regions all share the same sentiment. Taxes are rising, and our people are being conscripted. We all remember how prosperous the previous Majesty’s reign was... This imperial invasion speaks volumes about the magnitude of the problem."
It means the situation is unstable enough to prompt other nations to move.
"Come to think of it, I heard from Kamishiro-dono about a traitor from within?"
"I believe that is true. This student exercise just happened to take place in Baide, and I don’t believe they could have conveniently targeted such a moment by chance. Whether they were aiming for my downfall or Princess Carrie’s, I cannot say."
For what it's worth, the Empire apparently wanted to secure the Princess and Kagura, and they also coveted the trade city of Baide.
But the fact that this all started after the change in leadership matches the Empire's intelligence.
Why on earth would they make moves that turn everyone in every direction into an enemy?
"But why adopt such a policy? Even Catherine-dono seems to recognize that dissatisfaction from other countries is piling up."
"The idiots in the royal palace believe they can win against everyone. It is true that the quality of our mages is higher than in other nations. But that alone is not enough to overcome everything... They keep shouting, 'The time has come for the world's greatest magical superpower to conquer the world!'"
Catherine spat the words out as if they were poison.
Ah, so the militant faction, which had been suppressed during the era of moderation, was just smoldering beneath the surface.
A militant faction with empty heads.
If anything, Heiden is even more rotten to the core than I imagined.
I had my suspicions because of Princess Carrie, but it seems like having a rational conversation with them is impossible.
"This is quite a troublesome situation, to say the least."
"Yes. Until now, one could have called it a simple power struggle, but with the Empire’s invasion of Baide, things are bound to escalate. The lords of the various regions will worry about meeting the same fate as me, and they will be forced to choose between loyalty to the motherland or submitting to another power. And those fools who know nothing of the outside world will begin to act without a shred of consideration. It is, by any measure, a step toward ruin. They will likely rejoice, thinking they finally have a reason to attack."
Being surrounded by enemies on all sides is a guaranteed defeat, but for muscle-brained fanatics, the word 'defeat' doesn't exist in their vocabulary. They probably think they just need to strike everyone down.
It’s impossible, no matter how you look at it.
"Are there no allied nations?"
"There are some, technically, but thanks to our recent arrogant and high-handed diplomacy, they will surely turn their backs on us."
Yes, that’s a strikeout.
We are literally surrounded by enemies.
There is no reason to side with Heiden.
The Empire seems much more reasonable to talk to.
As I was coming to that conclusion, Catherine slid off the sofa, knelt, and bowed her head.
"Yuki-sama, I am well aware of the immense trouble caused to you, the Priestess of the Spirits, and everyone in Weed, but there is something I must beg of you."
"Er... you don't have to be so formal."
"No, I must. I intend to submit to Weed for the sake of the people of Baide. There is no future in following Heiden. If that is the case, I have no choice but to rely on Weed, which repelled an imperial army of 100,000. Please, I beg of you. Baide is already under Weed’s occupation. I will suppress any who resist, so please, will you not protect the people? Either way, if things continue like this, the Heiden army will arrive before long and do terrible things. If that happens, as a frontline city against the Empire, we will face brutal requisitions. Please, I beg of you!"
Well now, what should I do?
In this situation, Heiden’s leadership seems to be a group of people who mistakenly believe we are the ones who are "too strong."
As for the Princess, she was intentionally raised to be the way she is.
Tension is rising in the surrounding nations. Weed’s members have been thrown right into the middle of it.
How will Yuki and the others bring their opponents to their knees?!
Look forward to the upcoming developments!!
What? You’re asking if it’s already decided that they’ll be defeated? Er... is there anyone who actually thinks they’ll struggle?