第５１４堀：素晴らしき作戦 セカンド (Part1)
**Chapter 514: A Wonderful Strategy, Second**
**Side: Yuki**
Thanks to Catherine’s acting, the Haiden Kingdom’s reinforcements turned around and retreated immediately, and the Princess has now retreated to write her "letters"—which are really just delusional novels.
Well, everything is going according to plan, but hearing the report makes me feel like this is becoming even more of a hassle.
"Was there something unnatural about it?" Catherine asks, looking at me with concern as I fall into thought.
"Unnatural? I don't know if that's the right word... it’s more like, why on earth would they do that?"
"What do you mean by... wait, I mean, what do you mean?"
I thought Kagura had gotten used to speaking casually with me, but it seems it’s still tough for her to do so while being glared at by my wives. I’ve explained the situation to them and they understand, so they aren't complaining, but from their perspective, a kidnapper speaking casually to their husband is like, *“Does she know her place? Does she know who she’s talking to? Huh?”*
I mean, I get it. But Kagura speaking casually is essential for future developments, so she needs to get used to it in daily conversation. Besides, there’s another reason for her casual tone that I haven't told anyone yet.
"Taiki-kun, you probably figured it out, right?"
"Me? Why? I only just arrived here today, didn't I?"
"You'll understand once you hear the details. So, Taiki-kun, how did those reinforcements look to you?"
When I ask, he opens his mouth with a dubious expression.
"Hmm. I don't know the common sense or the backgrounds of the people here, but that was blatantly obvious, wasn't it?"
"Blatantly obvious?"
"What was?"
Catherine and Kagura don't seem to understand what was so obvious. Well, if they think that’s the default, I suppose that’s to be expected.
"No. The person Catherine-dono spoke to—the commander of the reinforcements, a guy named Tarklam. When the enemy retreated, he was obviously shaken, right?"
"Isn't that natural? I even suggested the possibility of a diversion..."
"And wasn't it because he couldn't take Baide as he intended?"
"That may be true, but that guy Tarklam is supposed to be in charge of domestic affairs, right? He’s fat, too."
"Yes, that’s true, but..."
"What about it?"
"Normally, if your own country is being attacked and you’re sending reinforcements to help, would you put a domestic affairs official in charge as the supreme commander?"
"“Ah...”"
Exactly. That is the point that is far too unnatural.
Why didn't any military officers or generals show up? It’s insane to entrust an army of over ten thousand to an amateur. Would you really send such a rabble as reinforcements to defend an important trade city within your own borders? Well, considering the civilization level is roughly equivalent to medieval Europe, one could imagine a local lord acting on his own out of a desire for military merit or fame, but the sheer numbers are the issue. An army of over ten thousand is, without exaggeration, something that should be left to professionals.
"And besides, you sent the request for reinforcements to the Royal Capital, right?"
"“...”"
Finally, the two of them are starting to understand what Taiki-kun is trying to say. It’s not that the reinforcements themselves are strange; it’s that this entire battle is too bizarre.
"I know that Haiden has a policy of picking fights with surrounding countries. Given that, would they really entrust that many soldiers to someone like that?"
When you’re about to light the fuse of war, why would you make a domestic affairs official the supreme commander for what is essentially the vanguard? Normally, you’d send a promising young general or a battle-hardened veteran.
"It’s true, there are proper generals in the Royal Palace. ...It’s strange that someone like him was sent."
"...But for what purpose? If things had gone poorly—no, as it was, they would have clashed with the Imperial Army at Baide and suffered heavy losses, right? What would be the point of that?"
"No, I couldn't possibly know the details. I can only infer from the situation."
"That means you’ve managed to infer quite a bit, Taiki-kun. As expected of a Hero!"
"..."
I butter him up a bit. He is a Hero, after all, and since I’m dragging him into this for my own convenience, he deserves proper rewards and recognition. Just like I did on the If Continent, it’s only human to make arrangements so that when Taiki-kun does something in the New Continent, he has support.
Even though I say that, Taiki-kun looks at me as if he’s realized he’s been set up. As for why he has that look, it’s because of Catherine and Kagura, who are trying to listen seriously.
Simply put, it’s a "Wow, Heroes are amazing! I’m in love!" strategy.
Catherine is already a subordinate of Weed, so it’ll be tough, but for Kagura to successfully rebuild Haiden, support from countries other than Haiden is essential. She desperately needs cooperation with countries that are in a position to offer opinions to Weed, not to mention support from this New Continent.
That said, the Haiden side, once rebuilt, would want to avoid the situation where it looks like "Yuki and Kagura got married." No matter how you look at it, if Kagura—the only one who can negotiate with Weed—is "taken," it will be seen as a vassal state, just as I mentioned before.
What would happen if Taiki-kun, who is the King of the country of Ranks and carries the brand value of a "Hero," were there? Naturally, the best move would be to build a connection with Ranks and negotiate through them.
Also, if he plays an active role here as a Hero, it’s a classic trope from picture books and light novels. It’s easy to gather people’s praise and gain support. It’s a foundation for the future stability of Haiden.
The casual speech is part of that, too. Those who are hostile to Kagura will likely try to look down on us for speaking casually and apply pressure, which gives us an excuse to strike back and reduce complaints against Kagura and the old royal faction. This kind of low-posture diplomacy is extremely effective for flushing out enemies. It makes them get carried away.
...That’s the official reason, but the real reason is to break the romantic flag between me and Kagura. My wives are currently furious at Kagura’s actions, but who knows what will happen in the future. Furthermore, the one who was summoned in the classic hero fashion wasn't the Hero Taiki, but for some reason, me.
The standard story goes: they clash, cooperate to solve problems, and in the end... that’s the trope. I’ve hammered into Kagura that I have no intention of marrying her, and given the political situation, I’m betting the chances are slim, but if by some chance that were to happen, I’d have to lead the intercontinental exchange in the New Continent under Weed’s direction, and I’d have the nightmare of adding another wife.
The Samantha incident taught me that ambiguous attitudes and sweet actions are a no-go. I was taught the power of tropes and clichés. I thought I was playing a gal-game, but for Samantha, it was an otome game, and I had wandered into a scene where there was effectively only one choice.
If so, I just need to increase the choices! From a choice of only me, to a choice of Taiki-kun!
Taiki-kun will continue to help Kagura as a Hero. I will stay in the background and cheer for the two of them. By doing this, my favorability rating won't exceed a certain point, and Kagura’s "Taiki-kun route" will be solidified! Taiki-kun seems to be getting along well with Soel, whom he met on the If Continent—I heard they went on a date in Weed recently—and he’s a King, right? A Hero, right? I think it’s fine if he has two or three wives.
Wait, I’ve been thinking about my own grand ambitions for too long. Right now, I need to listen to the Hero Taiki’s wonderful deductions. For my own sake!
"This is just a prediction, speculation, and inference based on the current situation, but... well, there’s a possibility that he was just a figurehead and his subordinates were competent. They wouldn't waste soldiers for no reason, after all."
Well, that’s true. There must be some other reason they made that old man the commander. If you call it a political reason, that’s that.