第１０６８堀：手を伸ばした理由 (Part2)
"I understand what you're saying, but setting aside the neighboring country, is this really a matter for a protectorate—which is only recognized as a third party due to local water rights—to be sticking its nose into?"
"……Hmm, it’s a delicate situation, but this is a treaty intended to prevent war in the first place, isn't it? Failing to uphold that would be a stain on Roschur's reputation as well."
That’s right. If rumors spread that a sovereign can't even pacify or mediate disputes among their vassal states, it would tarnish the reputation of my sister, Aria. Especially since Roschur is a major power; being looked down upon would lead to all sorts of troublesome complications.
"It’s not quite that simple, actually. For that country, the very act of relying on Roschur implies they lack the strength to solve the problem on their own or through cooperation with their neighbors. If that happens, they’ll inevitably be looked down upon by other major powers and allies regardless."
"Indeed. In the end, it doesn't change the fact that they are asking for help because they cannot solve it with their own power."
"But isn't it already a failure the moment they come crying to us?"
"That’s not necessarily the case. We, Weed, are outwardly an 'ultra-small nation' independent from Roschur. Regardless of our true standing, on the surface, we are just a small nation that happened to secure its position. Our history is short, too. So, they probably judged that consulting us wouldn't be an issue."
"Then why come to you instead of meeting with me? If you’re considering the connection to Roschur, shouldn't it be me?"
After all, I am the Second Princess of the Kingdom of Roschur. I hold immense influence over my father, the current King, and my sister, Aria, the next Queen.
"That’s precisely why they can't consult you. They want the 'signboard' of having solved this by 'cooperating with Weed,' a small nation. If they consulted Seraria poorly and everything was reported to Roschur without omission, and then it was solved that way, they wouldn't even be able to request direct cooperation from Roschur. It would be clear they were just mediated by Weed, and their reputation would undoubtedly plummet."
"Doesn't the fact that this is coming to me now mean it's already a failure?"
"That’s not a failure at all. After all, the one who went to consult Seraria was Yuki, the Prince Consort of Weed. In other words, your brother-in-law."
"As Ratz says. It was Yuki who visited Seraria to solve the problem. It will be judged that Weed sought assistance from Roschur through Seraria, but..."
"Sigh. So this means, officially, it's still just a consultation with Weed."
Yes, I understand the logic. That would indeed still be in the safe zone. And they were right not to consult me directly. They would certainly contact my sister in Roschur to try and resolve the situation. If that happened, the future of that small nation wouldn't be very bright.
"But can we consider it a sign of leeway that they haven't asked me or Roschur directly yet?"
"Who knows. The fact that they are consulting Weed, which has no original connection to this, suggests it’s a major problem. But it seems they haven't filed a request with the Adventurer Guild yet."
"Not even the Adventurer Guild?"
I instinctively look at Milly. Since the Adventurer Guild is the go-to handyman for these kinds of situations, it’s strange that they haven't filed a request there.
"It can't be helped, Seraria. I saw the documents Yuki and the others showed me, and given the quality of the Adventurer Guild in that small nation, it’s difficult to file a request. In the end, they have no choice but to rely on the Adventurer Guild of a major power or Weed. And if they were to poorly request help from a major power's guild..."
"That would mean the internal situation would be leaked to Roschur. Still, the citizens suffering for the sake of 'face' have it rough."
"Well, it's not just face; in this case, it's a hopeless scramble for resources. Besides, even if they requested the guild, if the 'water problem' itself isn't solved, they’d just be wasting money. And if that happens, the Adventurer Guild’s reputation would be at stake. Well, even if they did request the guild, they’d likely only confirm the state of the water source, which wouldn't be a fundamental solution anyway."
Ah, so moving the adventurers would be a waste of time to begin with.
"I understand there are various constraints. So, what is their true desire? Will meeting with Yuki resolve the water shortage?"
"That’s where the consultation comes in. We’ve thought of various tools that can produce water. The question is, should Weed provide that technology or lend them the equipment?"
"……That’s easy to say. But the fact that you don't do that lightly means..."
"It means that if we do it once, we might find ourselves unable to refuse selling those tools to every other region that runs out of water in the future."
"It’s not something you can make a special exception for just that one small nation."
"Ahaha, if that happens, we could make a huge profit, but the trouble that comes with it..."
Just as Ratz began to say that, all of our communication screens opened simultaneously, and an emergency alarm blared.
『Emergency: Commercial District. Theft of the Fountain Dungeon Core.』
It was an incident that shook the very "foundation" of Weed, a dungeon nation, for the first time since its inception.
A princess had reached out to the taboo of Weed. She had laid hands on a core, an unprecedented act. Regardless of the various reasons, we now had to decide how to deal with this situation.