第１４５３堀：考えるということを学びなさい (Part1)
Chapter 1453: Learn to Think
Learn to think.
Side: Lilishe
"My deepest apologies. I am utterly mortified that things have come to this."
The Chancellor of Irinau bowed his head as he spoke. Beside him, the King of Irinau stood, though he barely managed a look of feigned contrition; it is rare for a head of state to truly bow, after all.
"This is a failure of my own virtue. Please convey to the Saintess of Ritea that the people of Irinau are innocent in this matter."
"Oh, don't worry about that~. Though, I would suggest you keep a tighter watch on your castle defenses from here on out~."
I delivered the barb with a straight face. We were standing before the castle gates, being seen off, having determined that continuing our discussions and negotiations in Irinau was no longer tenable.
They likely wanted to hustle us out the door as quickly as possible, destroy the evidence, spirit away the involved parties, and pretend that the source of their future troubles had simply vanished into thin air.
Or perhaps they didn't think we’d uncover the connection to the Dark Guild? Or maybe they know something is coming and are simply trying to remain neutral bystanders?
Well, either way, we’ve confirmed the Dark Guild’s involvement, and we are already tracking their executives, their subordinates, and their funding. Our operation is a success, so I suppose it doesn't matter.
I’ll make sure you all pay for this later.
With that thought in mind, I gave my reply, and we departed Irinau—safely, I suppose.
"Um, what exactly happened back there?"
The one asking from inside the carriage was Princess Hasnia of Suurus. She had tagged along because she was a victim in this affair, but since the Alliance had taken over the negotiations regarding reparations and support, she had been nothing more than a silent observer. She didn't quite grasp the intent behind our sudden departure.
Still, it is a bit concerning that she couldn't read the room, even after hearing the conversation.
Well, it serves as a good confirmation, and I suppose I should explain it to her; Suurus is likely feeling anxious.
"Let’s see~. Simply put, trouble broke out here in Irinau, so we decided that further discussion was impossible and postponed it to a later date. You saw how the attackers appeared and how the populace turned against our Alliance, didn't you, Princess Hasnia?"
"Yes. But weren't those attackers and the public protests orchestrated by Irinau itself? To think that bandits could actually breach the castle and come within a hair's breadth of harming us... and to dismiss it all as mere negligence and a lack of virtue..."
I cut her off before she could continue.
"We have to dismiss it, you know~. The people of Irinau are being incited to support the Royal Family. While the Ritea Church has been spreading word that they are no longer under their protection, without concrete proof of an actual invasion, any demands we make will just seem unreasonable. If we push Irinau too hard when there’s no official breach of protocol, all that public resentment will be directed at us—at the Alliance and at Suurus. And if that happens, it’s war with Irinau. A war that drags the common folk into the fray. Do you want to be responsible for a massacre~?"
"That... I could not."
"Exactly~. Besides, they’ve admitted that the attack was a result of their own incompetence, so the negotiations are merely delayed. It’s a fact that their poor handling of us will become a debt they have to pay later. It’s just a stall tactic. Though, they might try to incite the public again."
"Then, what will you do?"
"That’s a secret~. It involves the Alliance’s future moves, after all. Still, we aren't just going to let this slide. For now, pulling back to ensure the people don't get hurt is the correct move."
"I see... is that so?"
She looked a bit dejected, likely because she didn't get the answers she wanted. For Suurus, which shares a border with Irinau, the failure to secure a proper agreement is a direct threat. In that sense, her worry is justified.
"Now that it’s come to this, Irinau will be under heavy surveillance. It’s tantamount to declaring war on the Alliance, so the blockade will begin, and we won't let them lay a finger on Suurus either~. Even if the populace is against the Alliance, Irinau doesn't have the strength to launch an invasion. If they did, they would have already invaded Suurus over that previous incident, wouldn't they~?"
"...That is a relief. But what will Irinau do now, with no path forward? They may have bought themselves some time in the short term, but they will eventually be held accountable, won't they? What is the point of all this?"
"Who knows~? You’d have to ask them yourself~."
I couldn't very well tell her about the Dark Guild and the flow of funds. After all, Suurus had had a spy in their midst.
"Regardless, we couldn't negotiate in such a dangerous place. Even if it was just a front for the Great Flood, I’ve already lodged my complaints about them moving troops into Suurus without permission. I’ve done what I could~."
"...May we also investigate Irinau on our own?"
"That’s not for us to say~. It’s only natural for neighboring countries to keep an eye on each other’s movements~."
"...Thank you."
Princess Hasnia finally seemed to grasp the barb. It was my way of telling her that Suurus needs to be more observant of its surroundings. If they had gathered more intelligence, they would have known about the troop movements, after all.
Though, at the time, there was a possibility that the Great Flood was pushing those troops from behind, so it’s a complicated situation.
"Now, we just need to return to Suurus and hear the progress report on Kinauf~."
"Kinauf?"
"Yes. You know that the Alliance army has already deployed to the plains near the Kinauf capital and established a base, don't you?"
"Yes, they seem to be moving quite rapidly, utilizing the dungeon..."
Exactly. Things aren't just moving in Irinau. The remaining international investigation team is active in Kinauf, and they’ve begun constructing a base and developing a joint-use facility for the Alliance. Things are moving in many directions over there.
"And we’re investigating the Dark Guild while we’re at it~."
"Oh, an investigation? But I heard the Dark Guild had already withdrawn from Kinauf. Did you find something?"
"That’s why we’re going to listen to the report~. If we find proof that Kinauf and Irinau were connected, Irinau will be backed into an even tighter corner, don't you think?"
"That may be true, but right now, the people are..."