第１２５２堀：ハイレ教を渦巻く今の状況 (Part2)
"As expected of the First Generation. Your pragmatism is a godsend."
"Even so, Menou, you really ought to be more careful with your phrasing. To the younger generation, this remains a deeply shocking revelation."
I made sure to drive that point home. Perhaps because Menou has spent her life carving out a place for herself within the heart of the state in this harsh world, she lacks any particular aversion to such sordid matters. Her resilience is admirable, but it is a bitter pill for the fastidious Kagura and Enora to swallow.
"Oh, my apologies. But rest assured, even if they were traded as slaves, they are currently being well-protected and are living in comfort. After all, there isn't a soul around here who would dare mistreat a Shrine Maiden of the Spirits, is there?"
"That... I suppose that's true."
"Um, Micos-chan, did I hear something I really shouldn't have?"
"Sigh. Well, I suppose so. I’ll need to confirm it with Mother, but... Micos, isn't it a bit late to be worried about 'inconvenient truths'? You’re married to Yuki, after all."
Seeing that the three of them had finally begun to settle down, I decided to push the conversation forward.
"With that said, it would be problematic for the Sea-Cypho Kingdom if the standing of the Haire Church, the Shrine Maidens, and the warriors were to suddenly plummet, wouldn't it?"
"Certainly. That said, we can't simply keep it hidden forever, nor can we just issue a blanket prohibition. There are countless Shrine Maidens and warriors on the other continents, and through the exchange students, word will inevitably spread that some of them have ended up as slaves."
"Which is precisely why we need to discuss how to handle this beforehand, right? And this isn't a matter for low-level officials. If we just call a meeting and some unsuspecting noble from the New Continent hears this for the first time without any context..."
"Ah, you’re right. We need to coordinate properly with Queen Emerald, discuss who will attend, and establish a unified national policy, or it will turn into a massive disaster."
"I’m counting on you to handle that alignment before we convene the meeting. If we don't reach a consensus on these discussions, accepting exchange students from the New Continent will be impossible."
"Naturally. If we handle this poorly, it’ll cause another uproar in the New Continent."
"We’ll need to reach out to the other major powers and the smaller nations under their protection as well, I imagine."
Indeed. While I have strong ties to the three nations of Heiden, Findal, and Sea-Cypho, there are other great powers on the New Continent I haven't even met yet—nations that chose to remain observers during that period of chaos. There is the question of whether it is wise to proceed while ignoring them, especially since I lack a clear understanding of the current power balance in the New Continent.
"Ah, I see. We need to coordinate with them, too. Ugh, what a headache."
"Is it really that much of a burden?"
"Of course it is. That said, those nations have less national power than us in Sea-Cypho, Kagura’s Heiden, or Stasia’s Findal. That’s precisely why they didn't intervene during the war."
It’s true; when Heiden faced off against Findal, the conflict remained contained. Under normal circumstances, one would expect other borders to be probed, but I never heard of such things happening.
"That’s because, thanks to you, Yuki, it didn't escalate into a full-scale 'war.' We fought in Bide, but that was the extent of it. I’ve heard that the other nations had no choice but to freeze in place before they could make a move."
"That’s true."
"Indeed. It seems the Haire Church also received inquiries about that battle. But since the situation had been framed as the work of mad gods nesting within our ranks, we were able to brush it off by saying, 'It is already over.'"
If the war ended in a flash, those who were waiting to see how the wind blew would indeed be unable to act. If anything, the fact that they didn't move makes them suspect the strategies of Heiden and Findal even more.
"Come to think of it, what is the current standing of the Haire Church after all that?"
"Regarding the mad gods, we framed it as a group of people who were worshipping an evil deity while using the Haire Church as a front. We weren't lying, and there’s no doubt they were a rotten bunch."
"And that’s enough to satisfy everyone?"
"Yes, it is. Well, I can't say it’s perfect, but the prestige of Lady Haire is immense in the New Continent. We’ve been visiting every location that suffered damage to provide extensive support in the name of the Haire Church, so I haven't heard any complaints about our reputation souring."
I see. While the Haire Church did have its failings, it was successfully pinned on the actions of the Aquenoki. It seems the immense virtue the Haire Church had accumulated over the years served them well. Furthermore, many nations likely utilized the church for their own ends, which makes them hesitant to strike out at it too carelessly.
"Haa... but this just means more work for me, doesn't it..."
"I’m in the same boat, believe me. Let’s go out for a drink sometime."
"My treat, provided you're paying."
And so, my discussion with Menou concluded. The New Continent is likely in for a turbulent time ahead, but for now... is there anything else I need to do?