Chapter 73: Duerefa Analogi
Duerefa Analogi was brought in front of me by her staff.
A man who looked a little under the age of 30, wearing loose-fitting clothes, a turban-like hat on his head, a beard on his face, and dark skin tanned by the sun.
So far, he has the appearance of a desert folk, but while the others are thin or muscular, Duerefa is slightly overweight, which can be seen even through his loose clothing.
Combined with Duerefa's kind smile, the way he has gained weight does not give the bad impression that he is fat due to his strength, but rather it feels like proof that he is wealthy and does not have to worry about food.
As you can probably tell from looking at my appearance carefully, this is actually my first time meeting a Duerefa.
I was in the middle of a hee-hi moment in soldier training, so I couldn't go to Solerina's wedding in Sposato country. Well, since I was originally the youngest prince and not expected of anyone, I have a hunch that one of the reasons I couldn't go to the wedding was to cut down on travel expenses.
Putting that aside, I listened to Duelefa's greeting while sitting on the throne.
"First time to meet you, Milimos Nonette, the youngest prince of the Country of Nonette. I have been appointed by the lord of the Sposato Country as an envoy to bless the victory and bring friendship. An official - Duerefa. It’s an analogy.”
When Duerefa finishes speaking, she bows deeply.
Now, is Solerina's name not mentioned here to protect her position as a public figure, or does she have no intention of creating an advantageous situation for Solerina's soup stock?
Let's take a closer look to find out what's inside her heart.
"Thank you very much for your kind words. However, Lord Duelepha is the companion of my older sister, Sister Solerina, so I don't mind a more broken tone."
When I probed him in a princely tone, Duerefa's smile turned into a worried one.
"No, I'm really afraid. Being able to marry Solerina--or rather, Solerina-sama, is too much for me, but I can't believe you're treating me as an equal to the prince of another country."
"I don't think you need to worry about that much. Lord Duerefa is my 'brother-in-law's superior.'"
"Huh!? Um, my little heart can't stand being called brother by the prince, so please excuse me."
The way she hastily defends herself with cold sweat forming on her forehead makes her seem like a timid person whose only merit is her sincerity.
If this were acting, it would be a great performance that would win an award, but I don't think Solerina would choose someone who is good at her acting as her husband. Because Solerina doesn't like people who are full of lies and deceit, and she tends to like people who are honest and honest.
If you think about it that way, Duerefa is an honest and honest person. And it would be more accurate to say that she had an extra quality that made Solerina fall in love with her.
Deciding that there was no need for any soul-searching, she decided to have a frank discussion with Duerefa.
"So, it's a celebration of victory and friendship. Is that really all there is to it?"
When I asked again, returning to my original tone, Duelefa blinked, perhaps surprised by this change.
“Um, Prince Milimos?”
"Ah, your tone is simple. I thought that if you didn't sound like a prince, you wouldn't have to worry about Lord Duerepha's 'small heart'."
"Ha, ha. Your thoughtfulness really hurts."
Duerefa still looked confused, and was adjusting his features, perhaps trying to fulfill his role.
“From the lord of Sposato, I would like to congratulate Prince Milimos on his victory over Ambitos and his conquest of the land.”
"Thank you and I'll accept your congratulations. So what's next, friendship?"
“Yes. Although the countries of Spozato and Nonette are close, they are separated by mountains and deserts, so formal diplomatic relations have not yet been established. We would like to celebrate this and establish a formal friendship."
It's more like a subversive policy for the ruler of the country of Sposato than Duelefa.
Looking at the country of Nonette from the outside, it used to be a country that could fly if the wind blows, but it fought off the country of Mendasium, which was its arch-enemy, and was swallowed up by the empire, destroying it, and it also excelled in iron manufacturing. It would appear that it is the most powerful country at the moment, having defeated and annexed the country of Roccia and the country of Ambitos, the richest country in the desert region, in a war.
Regardless of the truth, it's a simple theory to think that it would be more beneficial later on to have a friendly relationship with a country that is perceived to be like that than to be hostile.
I can't help but feel relieved that we finally have a neighboring country that is unlikely to go to war.
But I can't decide whether or not I want to have friendly relations with Sposato country.
"I understand the situation. However, I am just a lord. Friendship between nations, which corresponds to national policy, is the domain of my father, King Cholex. I cannot give you a clear answer."
When I explained my rationale, Duelefa blinked again, as if he was confused.
“It seems like you have some doubts?”
"Ah, no. I was just thinking about Prince Milimos being obligated to King Chorex."
"I'm a lord, and my father, Chorex, is the king. It's common sense for the king to decide whether or not to form an alliance as a country, apart from discussing trade between territories, isn't it?"
“It certainly makes sense, but…”
When I looked at her incredulous response, Duelefa appeared panicked and tried to explain herself.
"I see. The Roccia region, which is Prince Mirimos's territory, is larger than the mainland of the Nonette country. And this time, he has also acquired the territory of the Ambitos country. With such a vast territory in his hands, Considering the conventional wisdom of the world up until now, everyone would think that the person who captured the throne would be able to become independent and declare himself as the new king.''
"Hmm. In other words, there was a victory celebration from the Sposato country just now. This was also a celebration of the birth of a new king."
"Yes. If we can be the first country to congratulate the new king, we will have a stronger friendship than other countries that followed."
Although I was impressed that he had put a lot of thought into it, I had doubts.
“From a military and military standpoint, the rise of a new king is a sign of trouble. Don’t you think the country of Sposato doesn’t think so?”
“Um….This is a secret, but since it’s too late, I guess I’ll tell you.”
Duerefa looks troubled and continues speaking.
“When the Sposato country learned that the Nonette and Ambitous countries had entered into a war, they began preparing to send reinforcements to the Nonette country. They judged that it would be easy to attack the Ambitous country if they attacked from two fronts. I did it.”
"Why would you want to help the Nonette country? Wouldn't it make more sense to help the neighboring Ambitos country, which is also a desert country?"
"Simply put, it's because of Solerina's goodwill and her dislike for the Ambitose country."
Come to think of it, the members of the Ambitose family weren't very popular. Even the messenger from the village I met before Duelefa said that they wanted to become independent due to mistrust.
“So, what do you mean by Solerina-nee-chan’s likeability?”
"That's right. As her husband, it's embarrassing, but Solerina, no, Solerina-sama, helps her with her work. Her work is well-received among both men and women."
"Ah. Sister Solerina has heard that even when she was in Nonette country, she was demonstrating her skills in the management of the country."
It is said that her power would have been such that King Chorex would have appointed her as his successor if Sister Solerina hadn't fallen in love with Duerefa.
``If you compare Sister Solerina's home country of Nonette, which brought benefits to such a country, with the country of Ambitose, which was her neighbor but also an unpleasant opponent, there is only one way to think about going to support the war. There isn’t.”
“Yes, I would like to add one point: Nonette Country is not far away from the battle in the desert, so if we support them, they will feel grateful to us.However, all the preparations for reinforcements were in vain. However, contrary to our expectations, the war ended much too soon.''
"Hahahaha. I attacked and defeated him quickly."
After I answered that, I remembered that this was a discussion about ``reasons for allowing the emergence of a new king.''
“In short, the country of Spozato thought that by sending reinforcements, they could stop me even if I announced myself as the new king.”
“I wouldn’t say it would prevent it, but it would be possible to guide the new king’s policy.”
“Does it make you think that I’m a bad person enough to induce you to think?”
“No, um, I apologize if I offended you.”
“That response is like saying it’s true. Oh no, it’s not that I’m stuck. I’m just curious about my reputation in Sposato country.”
"...Are you sure you want to know?"
"That's true. I'm curious about what our new neighbors think."
When I was a little excited, Duerefa opened her mouth reluctantly.
"People think of him as a 'war-quick prince.'"
I couldn't help but feel annoyed because the expression was more reluctant than I expected.
However, I can't get angry just because I said I was concerned about it.
“We will continue to make efforts to correct this perception, but what will you do after this, Mr. Duerepha?”
“What do you mean?”
I'm at a loss for words, so let me explain.
“In order to officially establish diplomatic relations with Sposato Country, we have to negotiate with King Chorex, so we need to go to Nonette Country.I also need to go to find out the details of this incident and clean up the aftermath, so I will come with you. I'm asking if you would like to go to
“Unfortunately, this situation was unexpected, and I was not prepared to make the long journey to Nonette Country.In addition, I have several escorts with me, so I will be able to help Prince Milimos on his journey. I think it would be quite a burden if I were to accompany you.''
“We will also withdraw the soldiers we brought from the Rocha region along with the hostages, so there will be a slight increase in the number of people, but it won’t be a big deal.”
Even though I told her not to worry about it, Duerefa still looked depressed.
In that case, she decided to say something a little cowardly.
“Duelepha-dono would also like to see his own newborn baby. I think if you just say you will accompany me, you will be able to see it.”
"Ugh... I'd like to see you too, but I think we should separate our personal and work matters..."
After hearing such a serious response, I thought that Solerina would have been able to understand this part, so I decided to press her further with her words.
"I'm sure you went to Nonette country out of necessity. In that case, you could call it work. Then, during your break from work, you happened to attend the birth of your wife, who was giving birth to a child at work. .What's wrong with that?"
"I guess that's true, but..."
“Also, Sister Solerina said that she would stay in Nonette country until her postpartum obesity subsides, so if she misses this period, I don’t think she will be able to see her child for over a year.”
When I pressed her for an answer, Duelefa finally relented.
"I appreciate Prince Milimos's words, and I hope you will allow me to accompany you on your journey."
“Understood. In the next few days, we will calm down the situation in this land and take over Hvetsk. I'll let you take care of things, and I'll leave after that. Until then, I've been staying in this city."
“Are you going to leave the rest to the people of Ambitose?”
"You don't have to worry, we've taken steps to prevent a rebellion from happening. Even if a rebellion does occur, we can just attack and defeat them again."
He has sent letters to villages and hamlets, informing them that this land has become the territory of the Nonette country. This way, even if the members of the Ambitose family rebel, we can limit the appearance of those who agree with them. This is partly because the popularity of the Ambitose family seems to be low, but also because the people of the desert have a tendency to value their families more than their country, so I can predict that they will refrain from putting their families in danger by participating in a rebellion.
In any case, I'm going to quickly proceed with arranging this land so that I can go to Nonette Country as soon as possible.
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