第１３７３堀：多分味方かな？ (Part2)
"In that case, perhaps they believe their opponent simply won't make it in time. In truth, the only route to Litea lies from the north. To muster an army and launch an invasion would inevitably mean colliding head-on with the Great Deluge. There’s no telling what might become of the royal capital. When you consider the geographical positions of the two nations, it means we are the ones who can arrive on the scene first."
"There is merit to Menou-dono’s assessment. Given the current circumstances, the nations we suspect to be our enemies have remained stationary. They likely do not believe that Litea or the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance could possibly arrive in time. Well, whether they can truly 'arrive' in the final hour is questionable, but they would certainly attempt to seize the royal capital amidst the chaos—provided they are indeed weaponizing the Great Deluge."
Menou-dono and Show-dono were correct. The two nations—the Kingdom of Kinauf and the Kingdom of Irinau—are situated to the east and south of the Kingdom of Suurus, respectively.
They are positioned in such a way that they could mobilize their armies without being hindered by the Great Deluge, allowing them to close in on the royal capital.
"However, I have a question. Why Suurus? If they had chosen a target with fewer ties to the outside world, they could have proceeded with their machinations in far greater secrecy."
While I was lost in thought, Show-dono raised a single finger and began to speak.
"Indeed, this incident has mobilized not just Litea, but the entire Intercontinental Exchange Alliance. If our enemy isn't a fool, they should have been able to anticipate at least that much."
"As Yuki-sama mentioned, even if their goal was to draw out Lilishe-sama and the rest of us, the fact that they have been so completely off our radar suggests there may be another objective at play."
"That is true. In that case, why not ask Lilishe-sama if there are any such factors?"
Jessica’s suggestion was so natural, so devoid of pretense, that it hadn't even crossed my mind.
The thought of simply asking Suurus for the truth had never occurred to me.
If one were careless, it would mean exposing one's own domestic failings to another nation—or in this case, to the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance. Since they are on the verge of joining this alliance, they would naturally want to conceal such vulnerabilities. I hadn't expected them to simply tell us if we asked.
"Hmm, it's a question of whether they'd be blunt enough to tell us, but I also feel like mentioning the matter of the envoys is problematic. It would lead to questions about how we obtained such information."
"Oh, you could just say you zipped over there by carriage or had the Adventurer’s Guild send a message, couldn't you?"
"Do you really think we could get away with such a flimsy excuse?"
"It wouldn't be a lie, so it’s perfectly fine. Besides, we can just wait until the envoys arrive to judge the situation, can't we?"
Lilishe-sama was right; we only need to verify their true intentions once the envoys actually pay a visit.
"Looking at it that way, does it mean the envoys from the two nations haven't visited yet?"
"I haven't heard anything, but that must be the case. They’re waiting for our arrival, so the envoys haven't made their move yet, right? If they had, they would have had to refuse the reinforcements from the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, led by Litea."
"That is true."
She was right.
If they had been negotiating for reinforcements beforehand, they would have at least sent a message of refusal or a notification of a joint front to Lilishe-sama. The fact that no such communication had occurred meant the two nations had yet to act.
"And so, Husband, while the viscounts haven't moved yet, what about the information blockade I mentioned earlier? Does that mean they haven't taken action?"
"If you bluntly ask someone, 'Did you hide that letter?', no one is going to just say 'Yes.' I suspect they are busy making various preparations on their end."
Ah, of course.
Even if they are nothing but suspicious, it is unlikely they would confess simply because we cornered them.
Just as I was resigning myself to the idea of spending the day waiting in my room, there was a knock at the door.
"The King has concluded his meeting and wishes to speak with you."
It seems the upper echelons of Suurus reached a decision faster than I anticipated.
Perhaps my warning that safety was not guaranteed had not been in vain?
Now, I wonder what kind of conversation this will be.
It is unsettling, not knowing who is a friend and who is a foe. Especially with so many games of that nature these days, I understand all too well the meaning of paranoia.