第１４４２堀：動きはじめる闇 (Part2)
Difes and her companions pondered the question for a moment before responding.
"Let’s see... first, regarding Irinau. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy to report. As you know, they were welcomed as honored guests, correct?"
"Yeah. I’ve received the footage from Steve and the others. I’ve got their visual and audio logs, too."
The envoys had arrived safely in Irinau and were ushered into the royal castle without incident. Even the people in the castle town seemed surprisingly calm. News of their arrival must have reached them in time. Then again, since no hostilities had occurred, it was entirely possible the citizens simply viewed this as a routine diplomatic visit.
"There hasn't been any discourtesy in their treatment so far. We’ve been shown to our guest quarters and are currently just taking it easy."
"It’s hard to say how things will play out once the negotiations begin, but the soldiers and maids within the castle don't seem to harbor any particular resentment or fear toward us."
"I concur. As of now, I find the atmosphere far more peaceful than it was in Kinauf."
"I see. So you’re all in agreement. What about the dark guild?"
"We can’t say for certain, but the fact that they are reinforcing their numbers suggests a high probability that they are planning something."
"Exactly. It’s unlikely they’d gather that many people just to do nothing. But if they make a move here, Irinau’s credibility will plummet. I wonder if they’ve considered that?"
"There is the opposite possibility as well. If an Irinau dignitary were to die, and with envoys from the Alliance and Suurus present... who would be the first suspects?"
"The Alliance envoys, obviously. On the surface, Irinau hasn't done anything wrong yet. Their unauthorized advance into Suurus territory is a point of contention, but they can hide behind the flimsy excuse of 'responding to the Great Flood.'"
That was the crux of the problem. As we had discussed before, Irinau had no clear, actionable crimes on the surface. They hadn't occupied a town like Kinauf, nor had they engaged in open combat. They claimed they had stationed troops to secure a water source; that was our interpretation, but they could simply dismiss it as gathering intelligence.
"Even so, is there any merit for the Alliance envoys to kill Irinau’s dignitaries?"
"None at all. Killing them would only cause chaos, and it wouldn't serve the interests of the Alliance or Suurus to stall the talks."
"True. However, that could be the very goal."
"A stalling tactic, then. It’s not impossible, but the ultimate objective remains unclear."
"There’s no need to force an answer at this stage. Let’s focus solely on ensuring no one on our side is harmed. If Irinau suffers damage, we’ll be able to observe the enemy’s next move. Preventing it is the priority, of course, but we must be prepared."
"Fair point. Understood. I’ll relay this to the support team. In the meantime, you lot should get some rest. Tomorrow marks the start of the meetings and banquets."
"Ugh, I’m not looking forward to being served unpalatable food."
"That’s the hardest part of the first day, isn't it?"
"We can’t exactly force them to serve our own cuisine. For now, I’ll take you up on your offer and get some rest."
"Right. See you then."
With that, the communication ended. I wasn't the only one listening in.
"Ah, Kaya and the others are really pent up, aren't they?"
"They are. Since we made that promise to Yuki, why don't we host a rather lavish dinner party?"
"That sounds lovely! Though, they might get grumpy if you aren't the one hosting it, Yuki-san."
Milly and the others were already brainstorming ways to address Kaya’s frustrations. It would be best to take their suggestions and arrange something. As I was mulling this over, Seraria leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"The factions that didn't move in Kinauf have finally started to stir. You’ll be contacting Steve and Kirika, right? What kind of instructions are you going to give them?"
I considered the question before answering.
"Just to put more effort into intelligence gathering. It would be ideal if they could infiltrate and secure documents, but..."
"And an assault?"
"That, too, depends on what information they gather. We need to determine if an attack would be problematic or if it’s better to let them play their hand for a while. We need more data."
"True enough. Let’s get in touch with them immediately."
And so, we began coordinating with our intelligence units monitoring the situation from the shadows. What is the enemy aiming for? The war behind the scenes has begun.