第１５１１堀：当時の国内情勢について (Part1)
**Chapter 1511: On the Domestic Situation of the Time**
Side: Yuki
Before my eyes, Lilishe is playfully tugging at Rurua’s cheeks with a beaming smile.
“Oh, my~. Rurua-chan has really grown so strong, hasn’t she?”
“Awawa…”
Perhaps delighted that Rurua didn’t deny her suspicion of Lilishe, she continues to stretch those cheeks out with a grin. I understand that this is certainly more pleasant than the old Rurua, who used to say “yes” to everything, and I can’t say I don’t feel a bit of that lingering, murky frustration that comes with being defied… but still.
“Lilishe. Don’t play with someone else’s wife. We’re continuing our discussion.”
“Understood, understood~. Honestly, if you’re going to emulate Yuki-san, I wish you’d pick a different area to do it in~.”
“That’s a classic case of ‘look in the mirror before you speak.’”
“My, my~. I was merely working as a Goddess, as a Sister, and as a Priestess~.”
“Good grief, that’s exactly why Rurua gets stomach aches. Though, I suppose that’s just your personality. Rurua has likely resigned herself to it by now. Try to keep it off your face, Rurua. It’s the same as politics—just like politics.”
“Ahaha, I suppose you’re right.”
Rurua, holding her cheeks, responds with a wry smile. She’s always been soft when it comes to those close to her. When it comes to work or critical situations, she’s formidable, but I suppose this, too, is just part of who she is.
“Now, let me ask you both again. Does the Litea Church exist in the former Vinosia Kingdom and the Hinsua Kingdom?”
“Eh? Well, of course it does.”
“That goes without saying. The Litea Church exists in every nation on this continent.”
The two of them state it flatly. There isn’t a corner of the Rogali Continent that doesn’t fall under their reach. It seems safe to conclude that the Litea faith is indeed the largest denomination on this continent.
“I see. In that case, can information be gathered on the Litea Church currently in the former Vinosia Kingdom? Or rather, are they even still active?”
“Ah, that’s what you mean~. Well, regarding that, rather than us—”
“Indeed. It would be faster to confirm with Lady Alstaire. It would be an overreach of my authority for me to step in.”
It’s true; in this case, it’s better to go through the proper channels of Litea. If I start moving clumsily, I might invite suspicion from them. Still, if there’s any information available beforehand, I want to hear it.
“Do either of you know anything about the Vinosia Kingdom or the Hinsua Kingdom? Seraria and Lowell only told me that they went bankrupt around the time I arrived here and were subsequently annexed, but I’d like to increase my knowledge before I approach Litea.”
Information on these two countries is practically non-existent. If I were to say I’m heading there without knowing a thing, my wives—and certainly the people at Litea—would try to stop me. After all, the place is essentially in a state of anarchy. In terms of safety, it’s as bad as it gets.
“What I know, you ask~? Well, first, as a refresher~, both Vinosia, which went bankrupt, and Hinsua, which annexed it, were under the Litea umbrella~.”
“Yes. As Lady Lilishe says, both were Litea-affiliated nations. However, much like the Ewai Kingdom, their geographical position is near the border between Rumel and Litea. It might sound harsh, but it’s not exactly a prime location.”
“They were under Litea’s umbrella?”
I was somewhat surprised by that fact. If they were facing bankruptcy, I’d have expected Litea to be the first to step in with relief.
“I should mention, though~, Litea did provide support~. But it seems they were doing things like devouring that support piece by piece~.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Yes. I was at the top during that time, so there is no mistake. Well, it was a period of severe corruption, so it’s hard to say how much credibility that holds, but if a country were to collapse, it would reflect poorly on Litea’s reputation. They shouldn’t have gone that far.”
“I see.”
Indeed, their collapse seems to have occurred around the time Weed was clashing with the Demon Lord, but the measures for support would have been from much earlier. In other words, it was when Rurua was still an active Saint. Her memory of it should be reliable, and since this was before she was ousted, it was a time when her influence was still strong. More than anything, as Rurua said, it was an action taken to preserve Litea’s face, so I’ll assume the support was indeed provided.
“Thanks to that, they were judged to be a lost cause~. If we intervened carelessly, it would have been one demand after another~, and people might have thought we were just annexing small nations to bolster our own power~, so we couldn’t get involved anymore~.”
“As Lady Lilishe says. If we provided rescue repeatedly, other nations would expect the same. And the Litea of that time—no, even now—could not provide enough funds to rebuild the finances of a nation, even a small one. More than that, there was no credit to be had.”
“No credit, huh? Was Vinosia’s reputation really that bad?”
“They were the quintessential foolish kings~. They oppressed the people and indulged in tyranny. Many fled to neighboring countries, and I believe there were discussions back then about whether they were even worth saving~. Right?”
“Yes. That is true, but… how do you know that, Lady Lilishe? At that time… well, your name shouldn’t have been public, should it?”
It’s a digression, but I’m curious as to why Lilishe knows so much. She should have been serving as an ordinary priestess back then…
“Well, I have various connections~. I’ve been working within the Litea Church for a long time, after all~.”
I see. Since Lilishe had been working within the Litea Church for a long time while hiding her identity as a Goddess, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to obtain that kind of information. However, perhaps taking that remark as irony…
“Ahaha… I apologize.”
“It’s fine~. That wasn’t just Rurua-chan’s fault; it was the responsibility of the whole organization~. I played a part in it, too~.”
Rurua can only offer a wry smile and apologize. Well, they didn’t just have the Goddess they worship working as a priestess; they even closed the gates when she came to plead for help. Still, as Lilishe says, it’s not just Rurua’s fault. The entire Litea organization is to blame, and more than anything, Lilishe is at fault for hiding her identity. If she had acted properly as a Goddess, there might have been a bit more control. She’s been keeping her promise to Faide in a rather delicate way, after all.
Still, it’s a matter between husband and wife, and it’s not my place to comment. Besides, a Litea that relies on a Goddess forever is just… well, that’s Litea for you. As I was thinking that:
“Besides~, the place I was assigned to before I was summoned to Weed by Lady Luna was a church in one of the towns governed by that Hinsua Kingdom~.”
““Hah!?””
A staggering piece of information had just been dropped.
“It was quite a struggle after that~. I was suddenly whisked away to Weed by Lady Luna, wasn’t I? Because of that, it looked like I had vanished into thin air, so I had to hurry back to make excuses, and then negotiate with Litea to get assigned to Weed~.”
Come to think of it, Lilishe being summoned was something Luna had done on her own whim. If I recall, that was when I was laying the foundations for Weed, before it stood as a nation, around the time Shera was coming.