第９６７堀：気にしすぎか？ それとも？ (Part2)
"I need to confirm this with Show and Parfil, but I suspect Rurua's prediction is correct. We can safely assume that the Emperor, having been stripped of all real power, is merely a figurehead, and the King of Hein is doing whatever he pleases."
"Why are you so certain of that?"
"Show mentioned that the Zurable Great Empire has tried to open a dialogue with the Hein Empire's Emperor several times, but to no avail, right? That means there was never any room for negotiation to begin with. Furthermore, even after losing half their territory, there’s been no change in that stance. To have the situation escalate to that point and still not hold a single discussion is, to put it mildly, extremely suspicious."
Even in the midst of war, it is standard practice to establish a venue for negotiation and discussion. Without any dialogue, there is no way to determine when to end the war or how to handle prisoners of war. Yet, this fundamental element is entirely absent from this conflict.
"When you put it that way, you're right. You’re suggesting that this entire situation is inherently unnatural, aren't you?"
"That’s exactly it. Usually, as information accumulates, you start to see where the middle ground lies. But here we are, over a decade later, and the parties involved haven't even sat down face-to-face. Well, the Zurable Great Empire claims they are seeking independence because they can no longer follow the path of the old Imperial faction..."
"So you mean the old Imperial faction, led by the Hein Empire, shows no sign of that policy at all? But didn't the Hein Empire's response essentially amount to refusing independence and demanding the return of their territory?"
"Perhaps the war continues precisely because their opinions are in direct opposition?"
"Well, as Deryu and Rurua say, if that’s the answer, then that’s the answer. But it’s been over a decade. No matter how you look at it, the Emperor's prestige must be in the dirt. After all, even accounting for schemes and hidden information, Show herself said they lost half their territory. Would anyone normally just continue fighting without even attempting a discussion in such a state?"
"..."
I couldn't tell if my wives had simply run out of answers to my questions or if they were finally realizing the unnatural nature of it all, but they fell silent. In the end, perhaps it’s just me overthinking things. History is full of "Hundred Year Wars" that just dragged on aimlessly.
"Anyway, that’s why I’ve been digging into the background. Oh, and judging by that written order, it’s highly likely the messenger's attitude was an act of insubordination. The other crew members seemed to think they were there to discuss matters with the Gusdo Kingdom, so they were clearly surprised by the sudden attack."
It wasn't exactly "sudden"—we did sink two of their ships—but for those on board, the situation was completely baffling. The only saving grace was that there were no casualties.
Come to think of it, firing mortars from an aircraft carrier... I wondered how they managed to secure the mortars, but it seems they had been modified for installation under the direction of Taizo and Narjia. Since there were no escort ships, they had apparently adapted the existing Weed weaponry to allow for close-range attacks from the carrier alone.
Yeah, "Mad" is a terrifying word.
As I pondered this and looked over the documents again, hoping to gather even a shred more information, Seraria asked another question.
"Oh, that reminds me, I wanted to ask one more thing. You spoke about the magical energy depletion during the meeting earlier, didn't you? Was it really okay for Show and Princess Parfil to hear that?"
"It’s not a problem if they heard it. In fact, it’s about time we let them know what we want. They’re likely wondering whether we’re friends or foes, too."
"I see. So you think that by us holding discussions with the Hein fleet, they might worry we’ll side with the old Imperial faction?"
"Exactly. To avoid that misunderstanding, I shared information we want in a roundabout way."
"I understand the logic, but is such a roundabout approach really necessary?"
"If we demanded it directly, they’d realize it’s information we desperately want. If that happens, they’ll surely be stingy with it for the sake of negotiations."
"That’s true."
"That’s why 'it might be one of the things we want' is the perfect level of ambiguity. With that level of understanding, the Zurable Great Empire will want to maintain a relationship with us, so they’ll likely provide us with more reliable information than Hein would—without even realizing the true value of that information."
For us, information on the magical energy depletion is our top priority. However, we can't accept infinite conditions as the price. That’s why I claimed I wanted information from Hein as well, effectively prompting the Zurable Great Empire to proactively provide us with information for free.
"Now then, how will the Great Strategist Show react?"
I don't believe that brilliant woman missed the implication of my words. She’s probably in the middle of contacting Emperor Eupia right now.
"Say, I just remembered something important. Are you actually going to bring Princess Parfil along to the fleet discussions?"
"..."
I’d forgotten. But it’s not like we can just leave her behind...
Ah, what a headache! Civil wars rarely last more than a few years if they stay contained within a country. In other words...?
That was Yuki's line of thought. I wonder what everyone else thinks?