第１５３０堀：敵の動きが見えてくる (Part1)
The Enemy's Movements Become Clear
Side: Lilishe
“Now, let us move on to the main topic: confirming the former Vinoshia territory within the Kingdom of Hinsua.”
With those words, Yuki finally produced a map of Hinsua.
Well, I suppose he showed us the map of the entire continent, thinking we'd pinpoint where the Dark Guild might be, but even Bamai doesn't grasp every corner of this continent, so an immediate answer isn't forthcoming, you know~. All we learned was that Bamai possesses a certain degree of geographical knowledge, that's about it~. It was good to confirm that Bamai has connections to that extent~. In fact, from his explanation, it seems the Danaddemi Trading Company has branches in most non-allied nations, which is incredibly reassuring~. But that also means he harbors that much hatred for the Dark Guild, doesn't it~. With his talent, he could have easily thrived doing business in a major nation. To be so fixated, I honestly find it rather dangerous~.
“This map is truly excellent. There's no mistake; the positional relationships are perfect.”
“That's good. However, if we're to proceed with an investigation from here, we can't simply comb through every single town and village.”
“Indeed, if we were to do that, they would quickly catch wind of us and flee. We want to avoid that.”
Seeing him speak so gleefully about cornering the Dark Guild members, I almost feel it's not my place to stop him~. In this instance, with the assistance of Weed—or rather, Yuki and his companions—safety is assured, so perhaps I should address it after this matter concludes~? As I pondered this, Yuki and Bamai turned to face me.
“So, where was Priestess Lilishe located?”
“Yes, that's right. I hear the Priestess was also assigned to Hinsua. If you could share that information.”
“Hmm, let me see~.”
I shifted my thoughts and directed my gaze to the map of Hinsua. Yes, the precision is astounding, every time I see it~. He claims it's not perfectly accurate because it's not data from a dungeon conversion, but even stitched-together aerial photos from familiars and drones are perfectly useful. With that, I moved my gaze, then my finger, to a specific point.
“Here~.”
“Indeed, it's a town closer to Litea.”
“This town also receives supplies from Litea, doesn't it? Were you in charge of something like that?”
“Certainly, supplies from Litea flowed primarily through this town~, but ultimately they were sent to the royal capital for redistribution~. So, not much direct involvement there~. However, I did help people fleeing Vinoshia escape towards Litea~. Also, supplies for the church and supplies for the nation are technically separate, you know~?” Many people misunderstand, but support from the Holy Nation of Litea and support from the Litea Church are distinct, you see~. Well, it's understandable that they get confused, though~.
“Support as a nation and support as a church, then. Considering that, your influence must have been quite significant.”
“Indeed. It was common for support to be channeled through the church when national aid was insufficient.”
“Now, now~, could you please refrain from speaking of it like some kind of backroom deal~? The church, after all~, is for the people~. The Holy Nation is for the maintenance of the state, you see~.” I'll protest, just in case~. We're not acting out of self-interest, after all~. ...Well, Litea did have those tendencies, so I can't speak too strongly.
“I understand Priestess Lilishe's account. It means that even with support from both the nation and the church, it couldn't be rebuilt.”
“That's right. In that case, it's only natural that it was abandoned. I wonder how Hinsua managed to bring itself to annex Vinoshia. Do you know any reasons for that?”
“I haven't heard anything directly~. It's just a rumor from a colleague, but the story goes that they once owed a debt to the Kingdom of Vinoshia, and that's why they accepted the populace~. The Hinsua royal family was originally known for being good-natured, and perhaps that, combined with other factors, led Litea's upper echelons to approve the annexation of Vinoshia~?”
That's right, Hinsua didn't simply annex Vinoshia. There was backing, in the form of Litea's permission. Of course, it was clear that if Vinoshia were left unchecked, its neighbors would suffer, but still~.
“Hmm. Yuki, before we pursue the Dark Guild, which might be lurking in Vinoshia, I think it would be wise to inquire of Litea why they entrusted Hinsua with Vinoshia's former territory.”
“Indeed. We should investigate that.”
I had heard a little from Rurua, but it can't just be based on Hinsua's reputation for aiding the populace, can it~? There must have been some underlying reason why it was better to entrust it to Hinsua~. Just as Bamai says, if we don't inquire into those underlying circumstances, we might deviate from Litea's true intentions~.
“Yeah. I agree. Alstaire's veins look like they're about to burst~.”
“Right. The constant string of troubles is probably pushing her past her breaking point.”
“Ahaha, so the current Saintess is truly that angered by this matter.”
“Well, it's like the first major international incident, isn't it?”
“...That is indeed not a very favorable precedent.”
“Well, from the perspective of other allied nations, they've actually experienced how things move in an emergency, and since it's due to the unpredictable movements of monsters or the anti-social Dark Guild, they aren't overly concerned, but...”
“Considering the past circumstances, I understand Litea's position. I see, if we cooperate in resolving this issue, we might gain Litea's trust.”
That's right~. With this incident, Bamai's standing with Litea will undoubtedly improve, I believe~.
“From my side~, I'll make sure to mention that properly~.”
“Ahaha, thank you very much. Truly, I've always been indebted to Priestess Lilishe since long ago.”
Bamai said, expressing his gratitude. Well, he did lose his family and went through a lot, didn't he~.
“I, too, will convey to Litea that Lord Bamai has been very kind to Weed.”
“Thank you. And now, to return to the topic, the area we, the Danaddemi Trading Company, have marked is here... Um, do you have anything we can use for marking?”
“My apologies. Here.”
Yuki said, handing over a square wooden piece. An item used for war councils, I see. I think it would be fine to just write on it directly, but I suppose it's a bit daunting to mark up this kind of map.