第６６３堀：事前の相談と確認 (Part2)
"I see. So, you intend to gather the families that have traditionally handled diplomacy and draw personnel for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from them. That would certainly keep personnel matters under your control. There would be no fear of losing one's standing in the current generation. If things go well, you could even solidify your position as a powerful diplomatic family for the next generation. If they can't even grasp that much, they aren't fit to be diplomats in the first place. I’d cut them loose immediately."
"But wouldn't that risk the Ministry of Foreign Affairs being treated as a private possession?"
"……Hmm. As Sakuri says... no, that’s impossible. It isn't just the great powers that will be establishing a Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Isn't that right, Yuki-dono?"
"In the future, yes, that will be the case."
When I said that, all three of them nodded in understanding.
"That means even if a great power tries to demand unreasonable trade terms, once smaller nations establish their own Ministries of Foreign Affairs, they’ll simply take their business to countries that offer fair, equal trade."
"At that point, they’ll lose their trading partners and the reports of that failure will come flying in. Besides, we’ll be receiving balance sheets from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; as long as we at the top aren't incompetent, we can prevent any corruption."
"Actually, if they aren't careful, the smaller nations we protect might just switch their allegiance to other great powers, so we can tell them from the start to act fairly and equitably. If they complain about that, couldn't we just apply charges of treason?"
When Sakuri said that at the end, everyone, including Horst, looked startled.
"So that was your aim, Yuki-dono!!"
"Indeed. Anyone who rejects such favorable terms would essentially be admitting they have something to hide."
"This also serves as support for the various nations currently experiencing instability, doesn't it?"
Exactly. It was obvious that doing anything more at this stage would only lead to further chaos. However, simply waiting for things to settle down on their own wasn't an ideal solution for me. After all, I’m still dealing with issues like the New Continent, and I’ve already been consulted by the kings of various nations. That is precisely why I brought up this Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposal as a solution.
"That was the plan I had in mind while drafting this. What do you think?"
"I see, I see... This is excellent. So that’s why it needs to be done across all the great powers!!"
"As it stands, even though the six great powers have agreed to the alliance, there hasn't been much exchange between our military and civil officials. It has increased slightly due to the gates, but we haven't officially embarked on many joint ventures. That is why we are making the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a joint project for the six great powers."
"Ah, I get it now. The first joint project for the six great powers. And it’s for the sake of facilitating future diplomacy. Plus, with the Rogali diplomacy coming up, not participating in this would be a loss—or rather, just plain stupid, wouldn't it?"
"We have no need for such fools. It will be easy enough to apply charges of treason or whatever else is necessary. If they were to attack the people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it would essentially mean making enemies of all six great powers."
That’s the point. Those who have been indecisive or complaining about various things will have no choice but to make their stance clear. They are being forced to declare whether they are friend or foe. If anyone tries to treat the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as their own private property, one of the other six great powers will notice the discrepancy and report it to the top.
"If it's too difficult for one country to handle, then involve all of them, is that it?"
"The scale is vastly different, but it’s only natural to do the groundwork in meetings beforehand."
"With this approach, the opposition will be limited to a small minority. As Job says, they wouldn't just be making an enemy of their own country, but the other five great powers as well, so I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to oppose it knowing that. The only possibility would be if they tried to hijack the country... but no, that wouldn't work either."
"Indeed. Either way, it would be one against five—or rather, with Rogali and Weed joining in, they’d be crushed in an instant. It just makes a fact we already knew even more apparent."
As Horst said, if they take a stance against this intercontinental exchange, they will eventually lose their standing, but there are always those who are rebellious. They just don't have a sense of reality yet. To the minor nobility and the common folk, intercontinental exchange is still a concept they don't understand. And things that are not understood breed fear.
That is why it is necessary to show clear, easy-to-understand actions and objects. Things like treaties, exchanges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and trade goods. Since just one thing might be unsettling, the solution is to pile them on.
"So, I’m planning to bring this up with the other five great powers in advance. Any objections?"
"None."
Everyone agreed. Well, there will be minor adjustments to make, so I’ll finish those today and head out to visit the five great powers starting tomorrow.
*Sigh*, this is exhausting.
I’ll consult with Noble and Sakuri of the If Continent to get their confirmation and approval as well. And then, finally, the next step is a nostalgic revisit to the If Continent.
I wonder how many people in each country still remember me?
Also, thank you very much for pointing out the typos and omissions. Thanks to everyone's cooperation, I believe the text has been corrected into something much easier to read. I would appreciate your continued cooperation if it’s not too much trouble.