第７１０堀：お金の疑問とイフ大陸の経過報告 (Part2)
Even if they possessed a large quantity of R-Magic Swords, the difference in raw power was undeniable; it was impossible that they hadn't considered the possibility of defeat. Naturally, there were those who felt that, regardless of whether they were united in opposing Fionha, there was no benefit to continuing the war any further.
To be blunt, supporting a battle with no hope of victory was pure insanity.
"The reason they didn't sally forth was because they couldn't afford to leave the castle in the hands of the conservatives—the anti-war faction," Steve explained.
"So... you're saying they couldn't trust their own allies?"
"Exactly. The reason they surrendered so easily without putting up a fight was because the people who had no intention of fighting in the first place seized control."
"Meaning?"
"You know how I mixed a slow-acting poison—or rather, a laxative—into the well to neutralize their combatants, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, that silenced the pro-war faction across the board. Apparently, they had been using the threat of the R-Magic Swords to secure water and food."
"So... that left only the anti-war faction behind."
"That's it."
"Then why didn't they carry out a purge? Surely, unity is essential during wartime?"
"Originally, they thought that if they just held the R-Magic Swords, Fionha would be afraid of the damage and concede. Even just carving out a piece of the neighboring territory would be a decent profit for a small nation. That’s why they suppressed the opposition. Well, they didn't want to go as far as killing their own kin just to unify the country."
"I suppose you could call that a remnant of conscience, or perhaps something else entirely..."
"Well, the result was that Fionha didn't back down, things got messy, and then we infiltrated. The whole thing just collapsed. As for the aftermath, it was probably for the best that only those responsible had to answer for it, both for Fionha and the small nations."
Looking at the results, the bloodshed was kept to a minimum. The small nations handed over the rebels and surrendered, allowing us to avoid further slaughter and ensure their territories remained intact. It was a total victory.
With this, Fionha’s reputation had improved. He was no longer seen as an incompetent king who allowed a rebellion, but as a magnanimous ruler who minimized bloodshed and showed mercy.
"You were used well, weren't you?"
"The General was the one who dispatched me, saying it was a coincidence that I happened to be visiting for an inspection, right? Or are you going to say that Weed was the one who resolved Fionha's problems?"
"Don't be stupid. That would just cause the countries under Fionha's influence to fall into chaos again. I don't want any part of that—why would I invite conflict when I'm aiming for stability?"
"Then what did you mean by 'used well'?"
"It means I'll be collecting a dispatch fee later. Come to think of it, didn't you mention receiving a personal reward for Steve?"
"Yeah, I got some money. I’m not sure what to spend it on at this point, but if I don't spend it, the economy won't circulate..."
"Buy a mansion in the castle town. You're having trouble because they keep setting up an office for you in the castle, right?"
"No, my affiliation is with Weed. What am I supposed to do with a mansion I basically never use?"
"No, it's about returning the money to the economy. Spend it before some idiot with their eyes on your gold shows up. You can just hire servants to manage the house, can't you?"
"Ah, I see. Maybe I'll let Alfin open a shop while I'm at it."
"Alfin? A shop?"
Alfin was one of the Holy Sword Users, an albino woman specializing in monster taming. She was a massive sweet tooth who loved baking, often subjecting her acquaintances to the terror of a "confectionery hell."
"Yeah, she's good at baking, so I thought she could spread her sweets locally."
"And the reason for that is?"
"I'm going to die of diabetes at this rate."
The primary victim of her affection was, of course, Steve.
"Well, that might be for the best."
Even I, who knew the daily situation with her sweets, couldn't disagree. A confectionery shop originating from Weed wouldn't be a problem for our publicity, so I had no objections.
"Oh, by the way, I'm sure you'll get a message soon, but the folks on the If Continent have finished compiling their questions regarding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs establishment meeting, and they want you to come pick them up."
"Oh? They've already finished?"
"It's not that surprising. The various issues each country had have settled down, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs establishment meeting is an easy way to build a track record. August, in particular, seems to have been very proactive since he caused so much trouble for other countries."
"I see."
It wasn't just August; Enaria had issues between the royal family and the church, Fionha was dealing with the aforementioned conflict with the small nations, the Kingdom of Ex had the guilt of harboring the criminals who leaked the R-Magic Swords, White Forest was working on friendship between demi-humans and humans, and Roday was... opening a ramen shop?
Well, since everyone wanted results to show for their efforts, it was only natural they would put their weight behind this.
"Understood. I'll get in touch with Horst."
"Roger that. Since I've got the General's permission, I'll go talk to Alfin about the shop."
"Ask Ratz for any supplies you need."
"Understood. Now, I'm going to finish up my work."
With that, I went to contact Horst, and Steve began working on his pile of paperwork.
And so, the matter of the money was set aside for the time being.
Though, considering the background, it was just another seed for future trouble.
Next, the conflict between the Enaria royal family and the church on the If Continent. Yuki and his group would head toward Betan.
However, I'm still debating how to write about the money issue.