第１８４８堀：華やかな祝いの裏で (Part2)
Indeed, there are few who would not feel a sting of resentment at having their celebrations dampened by such unwelcome remarks. Timing, as they say, is everything.
"However, I must admit, I did not expect our discussions to proceed with such ease. It seems the Giadana Kingdom finds the Clearstream Church to be quite the burden, does it not?"
"A burden? Well, that is not technically incorrect, though perhaps it is more accurate to describe them as a nation without a land."
"As His Majesty suggests, they have established a firm base of believers in every nation across the north, and there is no denying they serve as guardians against the threat of monsters. It is impossible to simply turn them all into enemies, but one must wonder—how did they steer the discourse toward the exclusion of demi-humans?"
"You two do not appear to harbor any particular disdain for demi-humans yourselves, do you?"
"Indeed. The Giadana Kingdom was, after all, founded by humans and demi-humans alike. The church has only been making these demands for the last fifty years or so; it is not as if their complaints can simply reshape our history..."
"Among the demi-humans, there are long-lived races like the elves. There are those who find that unsettling, harboring a deep-seated fear that their nation might be usurped. Consequently, there are territories that have begun to exclude demi-humans, and that anxiety is spreading. That is precisely why the demi-human nobility chose not to attend the victory celebration earlier."
I see. So the Giadana Kingdom has a demi-human population as well. It makes sense, then, that they would steer clear of the festivities.
"In all likelihood, that is precisely why they are targeting the Giadana Kingdom. If they can manage to purge the demi-human nobility here..."
"The Clearstream Church would boast of having vanquished the demi-humans, would they not? And then, they would come for us next. After all, we have been providing sanctuary to the demi-humans from the surrounding regions."
"Good heavens... to think you have been harboring them..."
"It is the truth. The Clearstream Church established a defensive line to prevent demi-humans from fleeing to the south. Many were captured at that border. We have been protecting those who had nowhere left to run within the demi-human territories of the Giadana Kingdom."
"...That explains why no demi-humans were fleeing from the north, and why no information was trickling down."
When put that way, it all clicks. Neither the Oue Kingdom nor the Jeyaess Kingdom had anyone who possessed intelligence from the north. If demi-humans were being systematically purged, it would have been natural for that information to have reached us sooner. Yet, in reality, it seemed as though the exclusion of demi-humans only came to light once the enemy began their assault on Oue.
In other words, a total information blockade had been in effect. And the implications of that were clear.
"The north—or rather, the Clearstream Church—was attempting to isolate the south and consolidate their control over the north, were they not?"
"In all likelihood, yes."
The King of Giadana nodded, offering no denial to the intelligence officer’s assessment. Indeed, this offensive into the south was designed to drive a wedge between the north and south, while simultaneously cementing the Clearstream Church’s status in the north.
Still, a question remained.
"The Giadana Kingdom is not simply sitting idly by and accepting this, are you?"
"Naturally not. We anticipated that Oue would push back."
"Indeed. We never truly believed that a mere twenty thousand could topple the Oue Kingdom, nestled as it is within the Great Forest where monsters roam."
Ah, so that much had been calculated into their plans.
"However, surely the Clearstream Church was aware of that as well?"
"That is precisely the point. A failure is a failure. They can claim that the trust of their allied nations has been shattered. Their only goal is to paint Oue as a malevolent force. If they claim they were merely acting in self-defense, they can spin the narrative however they please."
"Quite right. It is actually convenient for us that they so blatantly label the demi-humans as minions of the Demon King. After all, we have no record of such a thing existing."
I see. The Giadana Kingdom has not been neglecting their countermeasures against the Clearstream Church. Or rather, they are in the midst of the struggle even now.
As I wondered how they would proceed, the intelligence officer suddenly looked startled, her gaze shifting as she began to respond to someone only she could hear. The Giadana delegation tilted their heads in confusion, but I knew exactly what was happening.
"Um, excuse me—yes, please, one moment."
She turned to them, her expression serious. "The commander here—or rather, Yuki-sama of Weed—has expressed a desire to speak with you..."
"Weed?"
In a situation this intriguing—or rather, a situation where a sovereign is struggling so valiantly—standing on the sidelines is simply not Yuki’s style. He prefers to involve himself directly, to stir the pot and disrupt the status quo. That is Yuki’s way.
Whether the other party has been deceiving us or not, it matters little. The leadership of the Giadana Kingdom may not be actively purging demi-humans, but they are clearly being eroded and pressured by the encroachment of the Clearstream Church. They are already making their moves, but now, a joker has just been dealt into their hand.
If handled poorly, it could blow everything to pieces.