第５４９堀：鉄面の奥の感情 (Part1)
Chapter 549: Emotions Behind the Iron Mask
Side: Stasia Findal
"Stasia-sama, George-sama, see you tomorrow. Bye-bye!"
"Yes. See you tomorrow."
"Please take care on your way back."
With those words, Hiiro-dono and her companions walked away from the inn. She was heading home with a smile, holding hands with both Ria-dono and Samantha-dono. The sight of their backs reminded me of us, once upon a time.
*“Alright, training is over. Let’s head back for dinner.”*
*“Oh, okay.”*
*“But before that, you need to wash off the sweat and mud. If you show your faces in the dining hall looking like that, Father and the others will be furious.”*
*“Ugh. Fine. Carrie, let’s wipe down quickly and change, then meet in my room.”*
*“Yeah, got it.”*
*“Hey, Age! Don’t say such foolish things as making a guest come to pick you up!”*
I had dropped a fist onto Age’s head for her lack of manners and immediately apologized to Princess Carrie.
*“Princess Carrie, I am terribly sorry. I will go to fetch her, so please wait just a moment.”*
*“Oh, um, yes. But, Age said…”*
*“My head—! Sister, please go easier on me!”*
*“Age. You need to think before you speak.”*
Those were the days. I would help Age up as she rolled on the ground clutching her head, and we would return home together with Princess Carrie.
...Days, indeed. That child did something like that almost every single day. Perhaps I had been looking back on those memories through rose-colored glasses. Hiiro-dono is several times more composed than Age ever was.
"...Sister. Sister?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"What is wrong with you? How could you not notice my voice?"
"I was just remembering something nostalgic."
"Is that so? Well, it must be a pleasant memory, as you are smiling right now."
"...Yes. It is the sort of woman’s memory that a man like George wouldn't understand."
"...Does seeing Hiiro-dono remind you of it? I don't think they resemble each other in the slightest."
"That is precisely why I smiled. I only wish my younger sister had even a tenth of Hiiro-dono’s grace..."
"She would likely be furious if she heard you say that."
"Indeed. Which is why we should return to our rooms before she can get angry. We must finalize our plans for tomorrow."
"Yes."
That’s right. Now is not the time to be lost in nostalgia. We have witnessed the magic and technological prowess of the great nation of Weed, and we must do everything in our power to build a favorable relationship. I am certain everyone who has visited Weed feels the same. It is clear that George and I, as representatives of Findal, hold the key to this friendship.
Under no circumstances should we make an enemy of this country. As the mock battle in Baide demonstrated, they possess such overwhelming magic that our military would be rendered meaningless, and the gap in our economic and technological power is like heaven and earth. If any of my subordinates looked at the streets of Weed and failed to grasp that, it would be for the good of our nation to dismiss them immediately and return them to the status of commoners. Fortunately, there are no such fools among our envoys; they are listening to our words with open minds.
"As I believe everyone understands, the key to Findal’s future prosperity lies in how well we can build a friendly relationship with Weed," George said, and the envoys and guards nodded in agreement.
"However, to forge that friendship, there is a problem we must eliminate: the remnants of the Lira Kingdom who have caused us so much hardship. As you have all heard from Georgin, there is a very high probability that they are involved in the current deterioration of relations between Findal and Haiden. If that is true, this conflict could escalate into a major war involving the surrounding nations. That is the one thing we must avoid."
"To that end, Yuki-sama has offered to arrange an unofficial meeting with the senior officials of Haiden. The first meeting will likely take place here in Weed around noon tomorrow. As for the other party, I believe Georgin knows them..."
As George turned his gaze toward him, Georgin nodded and began to speak.
"It will likely be Princess Carrie, Duke Kamishiro, and the Duke’s daughter, Kagura-dono. And Catherine-dono, the lord of Baide... she was originally affiliated with Haiden, after all."
"An unofficial meeting with two of the three great houses of Haiden. It seems the internal situation in Haiden is quite dire."
...To think they would erode not just Findal, but Princess Carrie’s own homeland as well. As I trembled with inner rage, one of the ministers spoke up.
"But, is it certain that this is the truth?"
Indeed, it might not be the absolute truth. But Georgin would never lie, and the possibility of him being wrong is infinitesimally small. He surely knows that as well. It was a call for us to remain calm.
"I see. We must consider that as well. To make that judgment, tomorrow’s unofficial meeting is indispensable. After that, we have an audience with the Queen of Weed. She likely intends to ask how we, Findal, intend to involve ourselves with Haiden."
"...However, considering that the people from Haiden are already here in Weed, does that mean Weed intends to cooperate with those three great houses to deal with the current Haiden?"
"That is likely the case. Even if the remnants of the Lira Kingdom are not the cause, the internal situation in Haiden is unstable enough to worry the three great houses. That is something Weed, which uses Baide as its base, cannot overlook."
"Indeed, that is true. Even if the cause is unclear, Haiden is on the verge of running wild. It would not be a mistake to say that Weed has occupied a corner of Haiden’s territory. Even if the cause lies with us or Haiden, it is sufficient reason for them to attack. ...Ah, I see. That is why the three great houses of Haiden have offered their cooperation to Weed."
Exactly. That is why the sagacious Princess Carrie joined hands with Weed.
"That is correct. When our Empire’s vanguard army attacked Baide, Princess Carrie and Kagura-dono were there, taking command and holding off the fierce assault for nearly a week. It would be no exaggeration to call them brilliant generals. Yet, Weed took that battlefield in an instant. They silenced both Findal and Haiden in one stroke. If Weed, possessing such power, were to clash with a Haiden that is spiraling out of control for some reason..."
Haiden would cease to exist. Literally, it would be wiped from the map.
"It is a crisis of national survival. The only difference is whether it collapses from within or is destroyed by picking a fight with Weed. Princess Carrie and Kagura-dono understood this and chose to join hands with Weed. I believe that was a brilliant decision."
Yes, there is only one way to avoid that fate: cooperation with Weed.
"However, that is a matter between Weed and Haiden. How should we, Findal, involve ourselves? If we involve the whole country clumsily, we might be accused of having plotted this, given the situation with the Lira Kingdom."
"That is true. That is why we must hold the unofficial meeting tomorrow to make that determination."
"Indeed. Then, who shall attend the unofficial meeting?"
"It would not be good to go in large numbers. Given the Lira Kingdom affair, the Haiden side might be wary. Myself, Sister, and Georgin are set, and we should bring one minister and two guards. Ordinarily, we should bring more, but fortunately, we are in Weed. The guards themselves are meaningless. If they wanted us dead, we would have been killed long ago. In that sense, our safety is guaranteed."
"That is true. What shall we do in the meantime?"
"Let's see. We can ask Ria-dono and Samantha-dono to help us with the materials to explain the situation to the Imperial Capital..."
George continued to organize the discussion firmly. It seems he is growing into a true successor to Findal.