第１９０５堀：北部の情勢を聞く (Part2)
"Yes, that's true. Still, I don't think they'll make any truly malicious demands, but with the current flow, the Chancellor can't interject, and he looks like he's bitten into a bitter bug."
"If we understood the power dynamics and hierarchy, there would be a way to handle it, but that's not the case with Weed."
"Indeed. They've likely gauged our strength somewhat from the supplies we handed over, and they're probably on edge, wondering what we'll demand. However, I don't believe their King is so foolish as to not understand that."
"Well, yes, that's true. I also think King Giadana is quite capable. For him to act and speak as he did, to frankly rely on us, I believe he's read the situation quite thoroughly. But for the Chancellor, it's a different matter, I suppose."
"Precisely."
As Quar and I discussed, we certainly want to avoid being looked down upon by Giadana, but then again, what can we demand just for taking in injured demi-humans?
We want to avoid hostility by making strange demands, and even if we receive something, there's a chance we'll be given something troublesome.
Like a minor princess, for example.
...That's the very tactic we used to get close to our husband.
When money isn't an option, things tend to become like that.
Ah, so that's why they want to negotiate when things have settled down, because something like that might come.
I understand completely now.
"Regarding the Kingdom of Ioa, I mentioned that it's generally located north of the Kingdom of Giadana and suffers greatly from monster damage, correct?"
"Yes, you did. And that the Clearstream Church's activities are also vigorous, suggesting our subordinates might get involved as adventurers."
"Exactly. Well, regarding that, with the cooperation of Archbishop Dodona, we have a respectable standing, and now it's just a matter of achieving results, so we're counting on their efforts."
"Yes."
"But you wanted to hear about the Kingdom of Ioa, not that, right?"
"Yes. Things like the scale of adventurers they're gathering, and what the internal situation is like in a country in such a state."
That's right.
Information about the Kingdom of Ioa is basically only available from the Kingdom of Giadana.
Our subordinates under Ena and Enora are gathering that information, but it's about a distant foreign country, and all we know is that it's a harsh land with powerful monsters.
Even influential figures and merchants, who understand the value and use of information, don't provide much different insight.
In other words, it's undeniable that the monsters are strong.
Therefore, the Kingdom of Giadana is the only one that knows the most about the Kingdom of Ioa.
That means the nobility, those involved in national politics.
In other words, the King and the Chancellor hold the most information.
Well, there's a possibility they might send us misinformation, but we'll have to make do for now.
"That's certainly an interesting topic. I assume you've investigated it on your end, but what information did you uncover?"
"Nothing at all on our side. It's impossible to establish connections with influential figures in such a short time, and information from commoners only tells us that winter is harsh and monsters are powerful. Also, perhaps that the country isn't very large?"
"That's right. The Kingdom of Ioa, or rather, the northern countries, are generally small. The reason is the damage from monsters."
"Each northern country, or rather, each region where monsters appear, is held by a single nation, and they are maintained by the support of the central Kingdom of Fiana."
Hmm? What does that mean?
"I don't quite understand, but should I assume there's a large country in the northern center that supports these smaller countries? But what's the point of dividing them into small nations?"
That's right.
If they were united, the chain of command would be singular, and support would be much easier.
"They were originally nations that fought monsters. They have a strong will to protect their own country. However, it's not as if they attack each other."
"If one collapses, it leads directly to the collapse of the entire front line. The question then becomes who will compensate for that."
"I see. So, they understand that their mutual survival protects themselves."
Ah, so there's pride involved.
It's not that there isn't any.
Or rather, there should be.
"This? Isn't this deeply rooted?"
"Given that they've already ostracized demi-humans who were part of their fighting force, it must be quite severe."
I see.
It's certainly troublesome from the start.
Also, a central northern country called Fiana has appeared, separate from the Kingdom of Ioa.
How will it get involved, I wonder?
The center seems calm, but the north feels like the front line.
Well, more details will come.
What exactly is going on?