第１５２２堀：捨てられたその後 (Part2)
Thanks to that ratification, Hinsua managed to acquire the former Vinosia territory with minimal friction and the cooperation of its neighbors.
Conversely, one could interpret this as a testament to Litea’s trust in Hinsua—the belief that they could handle the situation. To betray that trust is one thing, but five years have passed since the annexation of former Vinosia; they can no longer use the excuse that they haven't been able to gather enough people. One has to wonder what they have been doing all this time. Though, I have no idea to what extent they were actually providing support.
Realizing this, I decided to pose a question.
"Yuki-sama. I heard that Litea has already taken action, but you say they couldn't lodge a strong protest...?"
"Right, that’s part of the action they took. Though, it’s not like Litea’s envoys traveled all the way to Hinsua. Since Hinsua’s ambassador is already stationed in Litea, they met with them to ask about the current state of affairs. Specifically, what is happening in the former Vinosia Kingdom territory? The answer they got was that Hinsua’s hands are tied regarding half of it. Well, there’s also the question of whether people would even want to return to the Vinosia territory after the spectacular mess it became."
"It’s a delicate matter, isn't it? If you fled just to survive, you wouldn't exactly be eager to go back. After all, people left their homes in the first place because of the danger."
As Nina-sama says, it is difficult to imagine people who escaped with their lives choosing to return to a desolate, struggling land. They have likely established new foundations for their lives wherever they fled. If they were truly desperate to return, they wouldn't have run away in the first place.
"Exactly. And if that’s the case, Litea can’t really complain, even if people say they should have helped Vinosia before it collapsed to that extent. Regardless of the actual circumstances, to those who don't know the details, it’s easy to think, 'If only Litea had stepped in.' And since Hinsua is the one doing the work in their stead—with seemingly little support from Litea—it makes it even harder for them to voice any complaints to Hinsua..."
"That makes it tricky, doesn't it~? I don't know what kind of support they were providing, but if Litea couldn't speak up strongly, it must not have been much, right~? Besides, it hasn't even been confirmed that the dark guild has a base there yet~. They don't really have a leg to stand on just because the reconstruction is lagging behind~."
As Hovis says, the only thing Litea could realistically complain to Hinsua about is the progress of the reconstruction. There is no room for protests or anything of the sort.
"Indeed. And regarding Canaria-san, who seems to be the only one connected to Vinosia, it’s unreasonable to blame Hinsua for failing to track her down. Besides, would punishing Canaria-san now really benefit Litea? If anything, it might just invite further criticism."
And as for Canaria-san, the only person seemingly linked to Vinosia, punishing her now would change nothing. In fact, the very act of her being sold into slavery would likely be viewed as her having already paid the price. If they were to add an execution on top of that, Litea’s reputation would surely plummet. After all, they colluded during the auction just to acquire her; for the public to learn they bought a princess only to kill her would not only highlight their profligacy but also their twisted sensibilities.
More importantly, it would be a grave error to disregard the value of slaves as human resources—a value now recognized not only by Weed but by nations across the world.
Well, perhaps Yayui’s assessment is a bit of a leap. But if the Litea Holy Church, which is supposed to be a beacon of salvation, were to execute a slave they went to such lengths to "save," even the smaller nations would be up in arms.
"Well, that’s the situation. Litea couldn't afford to move aggressively against Hinsua. Now, for the next matter. Hey, come on in."
At Yuki-sama’s signal, Liliche-sama, Rurua-sama, Kagura-sama, and Mikos-sama entered the room.
"That took longer than I expected~. We were waiting for a while~."
"Did it? I thought it was only about three minutes."
"Now, now, Liliche-sama. You were eating sweets the whole time, weren't you?"
"Yep, yep. Oh, Yuki-sensei, these are souvenirs for you all."
We all froze as we looked at the tea cakes Mikos-sama held out.
Once a government collapses due to civil war and the populace flees, ruin is inevitable. And then, the question becomes: who will reach out to pick up the pieces? In this world, charity is a luxury that can only be afforded by those with the means to spare.