第１３９１堀：戦後の行動について (Part2)
The envoy sent to address this crisis was none other than Lilishe herself, the goddess worshipped by the Litea faith. Though the opposing side was ignorant of her divinity, Alstaire—who knew the truth—had hoped to show mercy and dismiss the incident as a mere misunderstanding. Instead, they ignored her, and worse, declared war.
One could argue that a simple discussion might have sufficed. Whether this was the rogue decision of a general or a directive from above, they had undoubtedly incurred the wrath of Lilishe. The kings of the various nations seemed to grasp this reality as well.
"Ah, I see. Indeed, one cannot simply back down when their sovereign has been insulted."
"It is a matter of honor, after all. While it is natural they would not know Lilishe-sama’s true identity, she came as a representative of Litea, effectively standing in for the Saintess Alstaire. To treat her with such disdain... the consequences are only to be expected."
Eupia and Emerald spoke with a forced sense of resignation. Or perhaps, it wasn't forced at all. Dismissing an envoy is more than enough justification for war. That the nation would fall as a result is merely the natural order of things. The real transgression, in Litea’s eyes, was the assumption that our alliance would be too constrained by its own position to act.
Come to think of it, the alliance itself doesn't even need to be the one to strike. If Litea officially sanctions the invasion, those hungry for territory will descend upon them of their own accord. By simply instructing the allied nations to refrain from direct involvement, the alliance’s reputation remains untarnished. Of course, there will always be those who refuse to take such things at face value, but in reality, there is no course of action that satisfies everyone. All one can do is secure the most compelling moral justification.
In short, it is an information war. It is a matter of weaving facts and fiction together to garner support. However, one must be careful; if you condemn an opponent with nothing but lies, those who know the truth will turn away. In this particular case, we can push forward entirely on the strength of the facts, which is ideal.
Still...
"Won't we be criticized if we fail to ensure the safety of the citizens once the war begins?"
"Do not worry about that. We have it covered. In fact, we’ll be drawing them in during the investigation."
Ah, I see. Whether it’s an investigation into the Great Outbreak or the dark guilds, they intend to reach out to the populace the moment they step into those two nations. If they frame it as an announcement from the Litea faith, the believers will flock to them, and the message will spread to the rest of the citizenry from there.
...Yes, the power of religion is truly formidable.
That being the case...
"Then, I ask that each nation inform your people and your subordinates of the legitimacy of Litea and the alliance’s investigative actions."
The information war will not be confined to the Rogari continent. This is a prime opportunity to broadcast the situation to other continents as well, declaring that any nation guilty of such treachery will face appropriate consequences. It isn't that my own country is the one meting out the punishment, but it serves as a warning to all: if you cause the same kind of trouble as those under Litea’s umbrella, you will not be shown mercy. We will hold nothing back.
Granted, this could easily lead to tyranny, but ultimately, pushing any agenda forward inevitably means overriding the opinions of others. It was bound to happen eventually. My intentions were clearly understood by the kings present, and they nodded in immediate agreement.
"That said, we must follow the proper procedures. We shall issue our declarations of support in accordance with those steps."
The King of Gartz spoke with an uncharacteristically stern intensity. He was right; if we don't follow the rules, we will only invite backlash. We must ensure we don't act unilaterally, but rather wait until Litea has finished explaining the circumstances before offering our support. Otherwise, people will claim we were pulling the strings from the shadows.
Well then, the net is closing around those two nations. It is hard to believe that those who were pulling the strings behind the scenes could not have foreseen this movement. I should return and check on the status of our intelligence gathering.
Litea is beyond furious.