第１９０５堀：北部の情勢を聞く (Part1)
Side: Seraria
"My apologies, Yuki. The aftermath of suppressing the Clear Stream Church has proven more troublesome than anticipated."
The one offering such an immediate apology was none other than the King of the Giadana Kingdom himself, its supreme leader. Ordinarily, such an apology would be diplomatically ill-advised, but in this particular matter...
"Your Majesty, if I may offer a small word of caution. Such apologies..."
"I know, I know. I wouldn't say it openly. Only here. Honestly, if I'd simply kept you waiting, an apology would be due. The fact that even that is difficult is truly bothersome."
"Haha, I understand that perfectly."
My husband agreed with the King of Giadana's words. My husband, being of common birth, tends to lean that way. And frankly, I dislike such stifling formality myself. Still, I understand that those in positions of power cannot easily bow their heads.
Setting that aside, last night, when we specifically invited Rock and Kina, along with Milly, for a drinking party, I had assumed it was to commend the Adventurer Guild's efforts. However, it unexpectedly, or rather, it reminded me that there was something we needed to consider.
"Honestly, power is such a nuisance, in any form."
"Indeed, Your Majesty. That is precisely right. Though, it's rare to see an example of it having taken root so deeply. Usually, one suppresses such power before it grows to this extent."
Quar responded to my words.
"True. Nations typically keep a close eye on places where wealth and military might gather, like merchant companies and adventurer guilds. If they grow too powerful, the nation moves to curb them. The fact that they couldn't suggests a state of considerable chaos."
"Yes, that's true. However, this isn't a confirmed story. How much information does Giadana possess? What does His Majesty think, or rather, what does he predict?"
"Honestly, considering it's widely known that the Giadana Kingdom and the Clear Stream Church aren't on good terms, wouldn't it be difficult to gather information? The Iana Kingdom aside, the Adventurer Guild and the Clear Stream Church would likely communicate within the Giadana Kingdom, leading to an information blockade, or rather, information tailored to their convenience, wouldn't it?"
"Highly likely."
Quar nodded at my explanation. Ultimately, the Giadana Kingdom was already somewhat isolated, so information from that area can't be trusted. It's highly probable that this was also why they stopped relaying information to us.
As I pondered such things, my husband and the King of Giadana's conversation progressed.
"Now, was it about the Iana Kingdom?"
"Yes. Well, if you've learned anything new from suppressing the Clear Stream Church, you're welcome to share it with us."
"It's not so simple. I've already informed Ena, but the only information we ultimately obtained is that they torture demi-humans, and by applying their magic-rich blood to magic stones, they create magic stones abundant in magical power. What they use them for, or what their purpose is, remains entirely unknown."
"Indeed. Whether it's good fortune or ill, the places where such torture occurs, the churches, are limited. And so, demi-humans are being gathered and transported to these various churches."
Yes, discovering that was a stroke of luck. Thanks to it, we didn't have to storm every single church and annihilate them all.
"Yes, I've heard. And have you managed to stop any of these transports?"
"We have. Whether to call it fortunate or unfortunate is debatable. We found a carriage transporting them to a church in the Giadana royal capital. The escort was minimal, just two church priests. So, we easily subdued them. There were three individuals."
"Their condition?"
"Fortunately, they showed no signs of torture. However, they had some injuries, likely from being forcibly taken, and their mental state was far from good."
"I see..."
No, this isn't amusing at all to hear. Rather, it's making my blood boil.
"And the individuals you rescued?"
"For now, I'm sheltering them in my hidden residence. They'd be too conspicuous in the royal palace. However, I can't send them to the Clear Church either. If I did that..."
"Archbishop Dodona would likely be furious."
"Yes, he'd probably charge out and raid the Clear Stream Church by himself."
Indeed. He's the type to easily launch a solo assault. If I were still leading the knight order, I would have charged in and crushed them myself.
"So, what do you intend to do with these rescued demi-humans? Perhaps send them to the demi-human town you mentioned?"
"That's the dilemma. I can't openly provide an escort, but it's unwise to keep them in the royal capital. On the other hand, with too few guards, they might be attacked again. And can they even endure a long journey...?"
"A long journey? Come to think of it, where exactly is this demi-human town?"
Now that you mention it. I've never heard the details.
"Regarding that, I've deliberately kept it secret. They are demi-human collaborators, or rather, those who have sworn loyalty to the Giadana Kingdom. It's not that I distrust Yuki and his companions, but it's better for all of us if you don't know."
Well, yes. If we knew, we'd naturally want to confirm it, and that would mean people moving, which could lead to it being exposed.
"Understood. Indeed, we trust each other, and visiting that place can wait until peace is restored."
"Ah, I'll rely on that then. But, to digress, we're quite stretched here too. Not just Giadana, but many demi-humans have fled from other countries. Our supplies are also at their limit. In that sense, sending them there would be difficult."
"Then what will you do?"
Yes, he's explained a lot, but he hasn't addressed the most crucial point: what to do with the victims themselves.
"And so, with the intention of sowing confusion, I wish to hand them over to you."
There it is. After hearing everything, it might seem obvious, but in exchanges between nations, the difficulty lies in not being able to simply say, "Yes, I understand." Even if it's not a major issue for Weed, we can't have the Giadana Kingdom thinking they can conveniently use us. We, too, bear the weight of a nation. The nations of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance would also be displeased by any clumsy handling.
"I understand your situation. In that case, we shall accept them."
My husband, however, accepted without a single complaint.
"Oh, that is most welcome. Then, as for the means of transfer..."
"Let's see. If Ena contacts Enora, we will take custody."
"Understood. I will repay this debt someday."
"Indeed, it will be difficult until the situation is resolved. Ah, and about the Iana Kingdom, which I wished to inquire about..."
"Oh, that was the main topic, wasn't it?"
...Wow.
"Yuki. Just when I thought you'd smoothly glossed over the previous matter, you turned it into leverage against him."