第５７８堀：今後の予定 (Part1)
Chapter 578: Future Plans
Side: Yuki
"Everyone is getting along just fine."
Deryu, who had spent the day mingling with the visitors from the New Continent, handed me the report with those words.
"Still, I’m surprised Kagra participated in the training."
"Indeed. It was quite a shock. She actually has a fair amount of grit, too. I might have pushed her a bit too hard, though."
"Make sure you adjust that properly. It would be a major diplomatic incident if a diplomat died during training."
"I know, I know. But why did she suddenly act like that? She’s been nothing but an observer until now."
"Ah, she probably wants to establish a connection with the If Continent as well. Princess Carrie is quite the operator."
"I see. So, telling Kagra everything without holding back was also a way of threatening Princess Carrie?"
"Exactly. They even sent a gift along with a message saying they’d like to take advantage of this If Continent affair, so it’s clear they’re playing the game. That princess is truly capable."
Since they already sent the gift, it’s a bit difficult to shake them down for anything later. After all, the "thank you" has already been exchanged. If I were to poke at Haiden over this now, Weed’s reputation would likely suffer.
"So, Kagra is acting on Princess Carrie’s instructions to get on good terms with Amanda and Eoid, who came from the If Continent?"
"Yes. Kagra was quite formal about it, too, coming to greet me and saying, 'I will be forming a friendship with those two, so please understand.'"
"Friendship, is it? It would be boorish to interfere in personal relationships."
"It seems Kagra is being well-trained by Princess Carrie."
"Life is a path of constant training and learning. But setting Kagra aside, what’s happening with Findar? Georgin returned to his country, didn't he?"
"He’s probably back there persuading and explaining things, isn't he? Some kind of action should be coming soon. The two royals staying in Weed are relaxed, so there’s no worry there."
"True. Putting aside Prince George, Princess Stasia is glued to Hiiro. Did you order her to seduce him?"
"I didn't give any such order. I suppose they just hit it off."
"Is that so? But from what I hear, Haiden is finally moving toward announcing their ties to Weed, right?"
"Yeah. It seems the internal situation in Haiden has finally settled. Now they can formally arrange the talks with Findar. I imagine Georgin will return and start making moves around then."
"Hmm. Well, it’s going to be busy regardless."
"That it is."
"I thought things would get a little easier after the If Continent talks were a success just the other day, though."
"Well, the intercontinental talks are being pushed back a bit because of the incident with the demi-humans."
"That’s only natural. We found out there was an insider who tried to attack the conference. Anyway, would you like some coffee?"
"I’ll have hot tea."
"I’ll have a café au lait."
"…Ignoring the fact that I asked for coffee, are we? Well, it’s not much trouble, so I’ll let it slide."
Deryu muttered this as she walked over to the refrigerator, coffee maker, and kettle in the office to prepare our drinks. Meanwhile, Ria, who was working on documents with me, spoke up.
"Come to mention it, the kings of the If Continent didn't seem all that surprised by that demi-human attack, did they?"
"Yeah. They probably used it as a way to flush out the dissenters. They likely hoped to point out our security flaws to gain better negotiating terms."
"Eh? Then were the kings the culprits!?"
"No, that’s not it. Just like how August’s subordinates went rogue, there are plenty of people who oppose this intercontinental exchange—it’s not just August."
"I see~"
Ria seemed satisfied once I explained it the same way I had to Seraria. Well, this has bought us a brief moment of breathing room.
"But we didn't really gain much from this, did we? It felt like all losses. The King of August even made sarcastic remarks at the conference. Yet, Yuki-san, you didn't complain or demand reparations."
"I didn't say anything publicly, but I got everything I wanted to pass. If you ask who gained more, it’s definitely Weed."
"Is that so?"
"It is. I told them that Weed is a member of the Rogali Alliance and that we couldn't decide on dealings with them on our own. This means that simply putting pressure on Weed is no longer enough to end the matter."
"That’s true. If they treat Weed lightly from now on, they risk making the entire Rogali Alliance their enemy. In that sense, Weed’s safety has increased. They won't be using military force carelessly."
Deryu said this as she handed the tea and café au lait to me and Ria.
"Thanks. On top of that, we are the only place on the If Continent that trades, so the trade profits will be enormous. We’ll return some of that to the countries of Rogali and If through financial aid, which will further boost Weed’s general reputation. No one will be saying 'let's conquer Weed' anymore. If they conquer us, the financial aid stops. They’ll defend us out of sheer necessity."
"Ah, I see."
"Furthermore, both Popuri and Hifie have agreed to send researchers for our magic and magical technology studies. This will allow us to lead the investigation into the magical depletion across the entire If Continent."
"And thanks to this conference, we’ve formally established friendships with Ex, which manages the If Continent, and the demi-human country of White Forest. It wouldn't be strange for Noble and Refest to join hands now. If anything happens, they can coordinate and move immediately. The safety of Weed’s friendly nations on the If Continent has been secured."
Once Deryu finished her explanation, I had nothing to add, so I sipped my tea. Ah, hot tea is great. Green tea bags have become available recently, so it’s easy to enjoy. I like using a teapot, but the cleanup is a hassle.
"But what will happen to the demi-humans who attacked us?"
"If they’re willing to talk, they’ll be integrated into the demi-human villages. If they don't want to, we’ll just let them go."
"Is that okay? The ones we let go might cause more trouble."
"That’s actually welcome. Keeping hold of dissatisfied people is more trouble than it’s worth. The ones we release will likely get aid from some organization or another and start moving again, which helps us track down the troublemakers."
"Given the timing of this incident, other countries will be on guard, but the scale of the event was just that of bandits attacking a village. It’s a matter that Weed can handle on its own. As Yuki said, the only reason we made it public was to flush out the agitators in each country."
"I see~"
In the end, they were just wannabe bandits who failed an attack. Even if other countries demand we hand them over, we can just brush them off. The people with guilty consciences regarding this incident are probably having a terrible time right now. Well, that’s up to the kings of the If Continent to deal with.
"Well, all that’s left is to guide the kings of the If Continent to Weed and successfully introduce them to the kings of Rogali. After that, things will proceed as they please."
"True."
"But that seems like the hardest part."
"There’s no doubt that Weed will have the hardest time with the preparations. But in terms of safety and such, it’s far better than doing it anywhere else."
"Besides, Weed will learn how to handle the people of the If Continent there. That’s the biggest benefit."
"Agreed. Gaining practical experience for the future is a good thing. Well, the rest is up to Seraria and the other representatives of Weed. I’m just the advisor. I wasn't supposed to be doing this much work in the first place."
"Well, you did go on a rampage in the If Continent, after all."
"That was the only miscalculation."
"It couldn't be helped. Who would have thought there was a combination of a surviving Dungeon Master and a god in the If Continent? Without that Ex, we wouldn't have seen intercontinental exchange for decades to come."