第１８８８堀：軍の増員状況について (Part2)
"Yes. The establishment of this new naval force serves the dual purpose of cornering the dark guilds, and, should the need arise, allowing for immediate deployment from Glas to strike from the sea. Of course, it is also intended to expand the possibilities of our maritime reach."
Naturally, one does not simply build a town just to hunt down enemies.
Beyond the obvious fishing industry, we have incorporated agriculture, resource gathering, and other standard trades, alongside the revenue generated from specialized tourism—including beach resorts. It has become a port town concept that has caught the attention of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, though...
"To be honest, it has only been about two years since the Great Flood, and the Glas port town project was pushed through at a breakneck pace of three months. Though, the longest part of our operations since the flood has been the waiting periods for investigations and negotiations."
"Well, you can't move without information, can you? Still, to accomplish all of that within two years..."
"Indeed, it is staggering. Any one of these projects could easily take a decade if handled poorly. If you didn't know Yuki, you would doubt the sanity of anyone claiming to build a town in three months. Besides, we have also built a hotel in the town of Wean, just a short distance away."
That is correct. Beyond the port town of Glas, we hastily constructed a hotel to accommodate the various dignitaries—or rather, the people—we gathered for the slave auction. It is a grand, appropriately high-class establishment.
"Even if it's just a hotel, that whole situation is still bizarre... Wait, does that hotel even still exist?"
"It certainly does. The Kingdom of Ewai requested its continued operation, and the Danademi Trading Company—the group led by Lord Bamai, who is fighting to corner those dark guilds—has been providing the personnel to run it."
That hotel is currently managed by a subordinate of Kirika, and it is staffed primarily by people from Weed, as well as personnel from the Danademi Trading Company under Lord Bamai’s leadership.
"Above all, one could say it is the only Weed stronghold in a non-member nation. There is no way we would ever let it go."
"Ah, right. On the Rogari Continent, there is that tension between the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance and the non-aligned nations, isn't there?"
"It doesn't appear to be quite that overt. It’s just that countries with little to gain haven't joined the alliance, though they remain under the protection of the four great powers of Rogari."
"Well, if they weren't, they'd just be invaded by their neighbors."
"Precisely. The four great powers—Roschur, the birthplace of Seraria; Gartz, the birthplace of Shera; Litea, where Rurua served as a Saintess; and Rumel, where the Heroes reside—essentially take the smaller nations under their wing to serve as shields in territorial disputes. Of course, there is logistics and support like imports and exports, but the incentive to join the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance remains low."
"So, they aren't exactly hostile."
"That is the case."
When one hears "non-aligned," it is easy to assume hostility, but that is not the reality. It is simply a matter of there being no merit in forming an alliance.
"But then, what is the reason for not joining?"
"As you may have heard, the countries are simply too far away. Even from Weed, they would be quite low on the priority list for Intercontinental Exchange Alliance support. Plus, there is the feeling that it is 'too late' to bother."
"Ah, so even if they joined now, they’d be looked at with suspicion?"
"Not necessarily, but they would likely face strange speculation from other non-member nations. Besides, it’s not as if they could contribute zero in terms of support funds."
"Come to think of it, ever since the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance grew, there’s an initiation fee, isn't there?"
"Yes. That wasn't decided by Weed, but rather through the consensus of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance meetings. They reasoned that if there were no limits, the burden would only increase."
"That is certainly true."
Indeed, the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance does not operate for free. It functions precisely because there is mutual benefit for every nation involved. Of course, before its inception, Weed worked tirelessly to bridge the gaps between nations, and whether there was any profit to be had was debatable, but now, there is a commensurate return.
That is precisely why we cannot allow nations to simply reap the benefits without contributing; hence, the necessity of initiation and annual support fees. After all, these are countries under the umbrella of great powers. If a nation without the proper financial strength continues to cause trouble, it would reflect poorly on the great powers providing their protection.
"But, to digress, while we have nurtured these projects through various troubles, the more we grow, the more we find ourselves with personnel deployed abroad..."
"Indeed, that doesn't leave many soldiers at home, does it? Ah, I suppose that’s what you meant by being able to mobilize them in an emergency."
"Yes."
And so, in this manner, the current personnel of the Weed military remain stretched thin. After all, needing to increase numbers is just another way of saying there aren't enough to go around. If the front lines were to disappear one day, the burden would decrease, though that would likely lead to the problem of mass layoffs for the military.