第１４２６堀：強制捜査に関しての奥さんたちの反応 (Part2)
Then came the declaration from Litea: they were withdrawing their protection and severing ties with the great power.
With that, the protection of the great power was gone, leaving only the non-aggression pacts our own nation had secured. But...
"If we are cast out from under their protection, it is, for all intents and purposes..."
Rurua’s expression clouded over.
It was only natural. After all...
"Well, the world will surely say that we betrayed the great power of Litea. In other words, the security of a small nation will be tossed aside like trash. After all, no one wants to be on the bad side of a great power. So, everyone will scramble to crush us to curry favor," Lilishe-sama remarked in her usual languid tone.
She used the soft term "crush," but it was synonymous with total annihilation.
We had no alliance protection, nor the protection of a great power.
We would have to rely solely on our own bilateral alliances, but if we continued to maintain ties with a nation that the great power despised, it would be impossible to deny the suspicion of collusion.
No one would be foolish enough to harbor such a ticking time bomb among their allies.
The answer, then, was singular.
To improve their standing with the great power, nations would seek to destroy the country that had defied it.
By doing so, the small nations would gain the favor of the great power, and more importantly, they would gain territory.
It had been a simple, time-honored method of increasing national power since ancient times.
If we wished to avoid this, we had no choice but to submit to the forced investigation.
Just as I was thinking this...
"Hmm, but wouldn't that, conversely, make other nations wary? I mean, is there not a possibility that they might band together against the great power's runaway behavior?"
Ratz raised that point once more.
Indeed, that could not be denied.
There was no doubt that the great power was being unreasonable.
While the logic was sound, other nations would surely fear that if this precedent were allowed to stand, they might be subjected to the same treatment in the future.
"That possibility isn't zero. There’s a chance the anti-Weed faction could unite and turn this into a war. But, in the end, it’s a question of when. It’s better to have clear lines drawn between friend and foe than to have them sneak inside and run wild," Yuki replied.
"Ah, I see... Indeed, it is better than being infiltrated and devastated from within, but... Hmm, what do you think, Eris and Milly? Given the situation at the school, I personally feel that stirring up trouble now is..."
"I understand Ratz’s anxiety, but if they infiltrate us, it’s the students and those connected to them who will be explicitly targeted. To break an alliance, the most effective way is to cause a clear loss of credibility. I believe it is correct to prune the rot while the lines between friend and foe are still clear."
So, Ratz was against it, while Eris was in favor.
That being the case...
"Hmm. I understand both sides, but in the end, the opinion of the higher-ups is what matters, isn't it? I think our role is simply to give our all in responding to whatever they decide."
"That’s a bit of a conversation-ender, isn't it?"
Haha, indeed. While we hold certain positions within Weed and our respective homelands, we don't have more influence than the monarchs, nor can we issue orders to the nations ourselves.
"Couldn't our input be reflected, at least to some extent?"
"Eris, you know as well as I do. It might be reflected a little, but it won't change the fundamentals. This matter isn't just about Weed, after all. That’s why I think we have no choice but to consider countermeasures while keeping both opinions in mind."
"..."
As Milly finished, silence descended upon the room.
It was a stark reminder that no matter how much we clamored here, the decisions would not be overturned.
Then, Yuki, who had been observing the situation, began to speak again.
"Milly is right, but harboring dissatisfaction isn't good either. I understand both Ratz’s and Eris’s opinions. It’s not good to bottle things up, so please, keep talking to us like this."
I see. It’s better than having things decided and announced unilaterally... is that it?
Well, usually, in these matters, the standard is to be notified after the decision is made and to keep your complaints to yourself. Considering that, perhaps we should view this as a sign of sincerity?
"By the way, we have promised support to the nations that have cooperated with the investigation regarding the Dark Guilds and the Great Flood. This is the proposal."
"Ah, brother, you should have said this first! I see, if this is the case, the backlash will be minimal."
"Indeed. Not only do they receive support just for helping with the investigation, but they can also wipe out the Dark Guilds. For nations that have long detested them, this is a stroke of good fortune."
Yes, I was surprised by the sudden bombshell, but if it wasn't a matter of forced investigation, that was a different story.
Many would likely see this as a golden opportunity to drive out illegal guilds.
"So, have the contents been finalized?"
At Seraria’s question, Yuki nodded.
"For now, these are the items."
He placed the documents on the table.
Even his wives were surprised by the sweeping, authoritative powers he was about to exercise.
Now, how would the Dark Guilds and Kinauf react to this?