第１７３２堀：仲良くなるために教えて (Part2)
I only hope she doesn’t faint once she fully grasps our position later on.
Still, even if I wanted to, is it truly wise to let anger dictate the destruction of an opponent? Neither Weed nor the Intercontinental Alliance currently has the luxury of expanding the battlefield unnecessarily. It isn't that we lack the capacity, but the resulting bloodshed would only serve to entrench us in a conflict from which we could no longer retreat. Unless we were dealing with fools desperate for war, most people have no desire to gamble away their comfortable lives; their will to fight is likely minimal. After all, the only formal charge we have against them right now is the kidnapping of the villagers. If we don't make a scene, it shouldn't escalate into a full-scale war.
In that case, it would be far better to leverage the Oue Kingdom’s blunder to secure our influence and authority on this new continent. Or rather, the truth is that we wouldn't be breaking even otherwise. It is far more profitable to provide a little "nudge" and secure concessions than to intervene in a power struggle at the cost of lives. Therefore, the most desirable path is to maintain a friendly rapport with Princess Suena and earn her favor.
"There is no need for such profuse apologies. I have heard that those who were summoned are currently safe, and I now understand your circumstances. We should focus our discussion on how we can cooperate moving forward."
"That is true, but as my father mentioned to Yuki-sama, the Oue Kingdom has little to offer Weed at the moment—only a modest amount of gold and goods. You spoke of seizing assets from our enemies, but..."
"Regarding that, as Yuki-san said, payment upon delivery is fine. What matters is what you actually need."
"What we need, you say?"
"Yes. For immediate necessities, I have already tasked Ratz with gathering supplies, primarily food. But that alone will not win a war."
"...That is certainly true."
"For instance, take Kagura here. As I mentioned during our introductions, she is here in Weed as a diplomat representing a major power, and she possesses the appropriate etiquette for such a role. In other words, she is the one you should consult when conducting diplomacy. Does the Oue Kingdom not have any nations with which it maintains close ties?"
Kagura, sitting beside me, seemed momentarily surprised, though I noticed her expression return to neutral almost instantly. We have navigated these kinds of exchanges many times before. In truth, once Kagura finishes analyzing the summoning arts and gathering the necessary data, her work here will be done. For her, the achievement in the Haiden region will be the stabilization of this new continent—specifically, achieving peace through successful negotiation. Yuki-san and the rest of the members have already reached a consensus that this is the best approach. Though, we hadn't voiced it until now, simply because we weren't sure if a dialogue would even be possible.
"That is... there is little I can say on the matter. After all, I am merely a princess."
"Indeed, it is difficult for a princess to speak freely about the Oue Kingdom’s relations with other nations."
I didn't point out the obvious—that it would be foolish for a princess to be ignorant of her own country's foreign relations. While we aren't exactly on friendly terms, this war began under the thinnest of pretexts. Considering the risk of her providing us with faulty information, she cannot possibly share unverified details on her own authority. If that information were to lead to any harm befalling Weed, she knows we could easily turn into her enemies.
"However, this is not an official statement. We will be speaking with King Oue and Lord Martin and the others soon, so I would like you to tell us which nations you believe to be friendly, based on your own knowledge. Otherwise, we will be forced to listen only to the accounts of Lord Martin and his associates."
"Ah, I see. But I do not have a map here..."
Maps are generally state secrets, and even a princess cannot simply carry them around. But that is only true for this country.
"Do not worry. We have prepared one."
"Pardon?"
We have already completed aerial surveys of the surrounding area with drones, and we have the original data from the satellite imagery Luna captured. By combining the two, we should be able to obtain more accurate information from the princess than we ever could from the King or his guards, who are far more difficult to read. Thinking this, I spread the map out on the table and waited for Princess Suena’s reaction.
"Yes!?"
Well, she was bound to be surprised at first. Now, let’s get her to start talking. Aside from Yuki, Eris is also in charge of intelligence gathering. Once Kagura finishes collecting the data on the summoning arts, she is slated to take over as the diplomat on the ground. As for Kagura’s work in Haiden, Solo is handling all of it in her stead.