第１５１０堀：結果はどうとらえるかで変わる (Part2)
"I have Kirika’s subordinates moving in now, but they’ve only just begun their infiltration. We’re still waiting on intelligence from that front as well."
The conversation faltered there. As it stood, there had been no significant progress regarding the Dark Guild. That, naturally, led to a growing sense of unease.
"Um, Yuki? It’s difficult to say, but is there a possibility that Canary has no connection to the Dark Guild at all?"
Ratz voiced the uncomfortable truth in my stead. If there had been no movement by now, it raised the distinct possibility that the nation of Vinosia—Canary’s home—was not, in fact, the Dark Guild’s hideout.
"It’s possible. Even so, I’ve rattled the guild’s cage. I’ve sown the seeds of poison, and the slaves who serve as the source of that poison are all here in Weed. Doing nothing is a choice for them, but we are constantly on the move. As for encroaching on the non-aligned nations, we’ve forged ties through this very affair. We have them cornered, regardless."
"Ah, I see. The idea that the Dark Guild and the slave trade were linked was just a theory, after all. Our original goal was to gain a foothold in the non-aligned nations, and that has been achieved."
"As Lowell says, the realization that Princess Canary’s country was the ideal hideout for the Dark Guild only came much later. Our primary objective was to infiltrate the non-aligned nations, and that mission is already a success."
"That’s true. We participated in that slave auction to build connections with those nations. The Dark Guild moving was just a secondary hope. But what are we going to do about the fact that we mobilized the leaders of the great powers and have nothing to show for it?"
Seraria was right. We had borrowed the strength of the major allied powers for this auction. While it was presented as a cooperative effort for the greater good, a lack of results would tarnish my master’s reputation and potentially spark backlash within the alliance.
"That comes down to how we frame the report. If we write that there were no results, people will complain. But if we write that we are conducting sting operations based on information from a former princess, or that we are investigating the old Kingdom of Vinosia, then we have results, don't we?"
"Ah, I see. So, instead of saying we failed to capture the Dark Guild, we frame it as an ongoing operation."
"Exactly. The fact that the enemy didn't show up at the auction confirms that they fear the alliance. In other words, we can spin it as the alliance holding the upper hand."
"It really is all about the phrasing and the reporting. If we present it this way, we can claim we’ve measured the Dark Guild’s strength and have them on the run. Or rather, we actually *do* have them on the run."
My master was right. Whether or not there were "results" depended entirely on the narrative. If we reported it as he suggested, it could certainly be considered a success.
"I’m glad you’re convinced. Besides, we have the hard fact that we surveyed the slave markets of the non-aligned nations. It serves as an admission of our influence there. More importantly, we’ve secured a pretext to openly investigate a country in a state of anarchy. The neighboring nations will likely find that reassuring. Whether the Dark Guild is actually there or not is irrelevant; they don't want mysterious organizations lurking in their backyard anyway."
"That is true. I believe it is necessary to grasp the details of what is transpiring in regions where governance has collapsed."
Regarding the investigation of the old Kingdom of Vinosia, the presence of the Dark Guild was a triviality. The real problem was that even if we knew a hostile organization existed, we couldn't move without a reason. Now that we had a justification for the investigation, that in itself was a success.
"Now, I have a question for Rurua."
"Me?"
I hadn't expected the conversation to turn toward me, so I tilted my head in confusion.
"And for Lilishe, too."
"Me as well?"
For some reason, he had singled out the two of us from the Lirea Church. We exchanged puzzled glances. If anyone had done something to warrant this, it would surely be Lilishe-sama... but as I thought that, Lilishe-sama reached out and pinched both of my cheeks.
"Why, I wonder, do you think the cause lies with me? Rurua-chan has been so biting lately. It’s sad."
"Th-that’s not..."
Is it a problem of my own making that I cannot clearly deny it? It was a failure if you called it a failure, and a success if you called it a success. On paper, it was exactly as he said. It all comes down to how well you can talk your way through it. It’s a common enough occurrence, even in the real world.