第１４３１堀：一応歓迎してくれている？ (Part1)
Chapter 1431: A Welcome of Sorts?
Side: Enora
We have arrived at the capital of the Kinauf Kingdom.
For a small nation that isn’t part of the alliance, I’m struck by how unexpectedly clean the city is.
Usually, small countries like this suffer from poor sanitation, and even the main streets can be quite dismal, but there’s none of that here.
As I found myself wondering why, a voice drifted over.
“Haa~. It’s truly a mystery, isn’t it? When the people of Litea have gone to such lengths to clean the place, to think they’d still pick a fight with us like that~.”
Following Lilishe’s gaze, I could indeed see sisters from the Litea Church busy scrubbing the streets.
“Is it Litea that maintains this level of cleanliness?”
“That’s right~. We establish Litea churches in these small nations and use them as clinics. Naturally, we share the medical knowledge brought to us by Weed, but we also disseminate proper concepts of hygiene~. And we put them into practice, too~. By doing so, we’ve gathered enough data to prove that these methods are effective~.”
I see. There are certainly skeptics who doubt whether the hygiene concepts Yuki introduced are truly valid.
So, they are practicing it themselves to verify the results.
“But still~. If they had the leeway in human resources to do all this, only to turn around and attack Suurus because they were feeling the pinch, it really makes one’s blood boil, doesn’t it~?”
She says this with a smile, yet I can feel the pressure radiating from her.
As for Princess Hasnia, who is receiving that same pressure alongside me…
“Indeed. Kinauf’s actions are inexcusable. They must be made to take full responsibility.”
She agrees with Lilishe’s sentiment.
Well, considering Princess Hasnia’s country was the one invaded, it’s only natural for her to be angry.
“Exactly~. As for the responsibility for this incident, I wonder what we should do about the prisoners~. Come to think of it, could you remind me once more what kind of demands Suurus intends to make?”
“Yes. We demand reparations for this unjust territorial violation and the occupation of the eastern town of Suakania. Regarding the prisoners, the right to negotiate lies with the Litea Holy Religion and the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance. Though, I would like to at least be compensated for the costs of their care.”
“That part is fine~. Right, Enora-chan?”
“Yes. That won’t be a problem. Please make sure to submit the request properly.”
We provided the supplies to feed the prisoners, but we were short on personnel, so we left the management to Suurus.
Since they were already providing jobs to many who had fled the Great Flood, they weren’t exactly hurting for manpower, but hiring people still costs money.
They surely want to recoup those expenses.
Of course, we also plan to provide reconstruction funds, but if we deduct the prisoner costs from that, Suurus would be in a tighter spot.
We don’t want to cause them any further hardship, so we’ve taken that into account.
“Mm. That doesn’t seem to be an issue. So, shall we agree that I will handle the negotiations as a whole?”
“Yes. That is perfectly fine. As long as the Suurus side’s demands are met. Above all, my father—His Majesty—has told me that this matter is already an issue for the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, and that it should be left to Litea, the leader of the alliance.”
“That’s a relief~. I’d hate for things to get messy over this~.”
It’s true; if everyone tried to push their own demands individually, the negotiations would become fragmented and time-consuming.
More importantly, depending on how the negotiations are handled, there’s a risk of being turned away, so having her take the lead is a huge help.
Though, I doubt they have the option to refuse us.
In the worst-case scenario, the Litea Holy Religion members working so hard on the cleaning would simply withdraw.
While I was lost in these thoughts, the carriage rolled into the castle grounds.
Honestly, it’s hard to call it magnificent.
No, it’s a castle of a scale befitting a small nation.
As we stepped out of the carriage, it seemed they had prepared a welcome of sorts, with honor guards lined up in a row.
From among them, a man who looked like the King, his Queen, their children, and several men who appeared to be ministers stepped forward.
“We have been expecting you. Lady Lilishe, Princess Hasnia, and the envoys of the Alliance. I am Daunaye, King of Kinauf.”
He announced himself without bowing his head.
Well, a King’s bow is a weighty thing, and they usually don’t do it… but in this situation, that weight is exactly what’s needed.
Ah, those familiar with Weed’s culture know that a simple bow is common courtesy, so they do it naturally.
There are no fools here trying to assert dominance.
As I wondered how things would proceed, Lilishe stepped forward, her smile natural and effortless.
“Your Majesty, thank you for the welcome. I am acting as the representative for Litea and for Princess Hasnia of Suurus, so I hope we can have a productive discussion.”
“Indeed. I, too, hope for a favorable resolution.”
On the surface, the initial greetings ended with smiles all around.
First, we were shown to our rooms to recover from the fatigue of our journey, and we gathered to discuss our next steps.
“Phew, we’ve arrived at last,” Kagura said, and many of the members nodded in agreement.
“That’s for sure~. Though, it’s cleaner than I expected~,” Micos said, testing the bed sheets.
They were stark white, proof that their hygiene management was indeed up to standard.
“It’s a relief not to have to worry about bugs when we sleep~.”
“Field camps during marches are always full of insects, after all.”
“Ah, I know what you mean. Compared to that, this is much better.”
The military trio chimed in.
Indeed, bugs are a given when camping.
I’ve experienced that often enough while visiting churches across the land.
“That may be true, but it would be pointless if we were suddenly attacked. How is the situation on that front?”
“Indeed. We sent a unit ahead of us, didn’t we?”
As we discussed the environment, Menou and Shou asked, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
Come to think of it, we haven’t received a report from the advance unit yet.
I turned my gaze toward Agil.
She is in charge of managing information for units like that.
“Ah, that’s not a problem. They’ve successfully turned the area into a dungeon, and they’ve managed to capture the enemy as well.”
“The enemy? What do you mean?”
Surprised by her words, I asked for more details.
Naturally, everyone else seemed interested, turning their eyes toward her.