Episode 184 Doubt
I was called by King Chorex to have a meeting with the Perese country's ambassador in Nonette's home country.
Although we will be moving away from the Roccia region of our territory, many officials have grown up over the past two years, so there will be no problem as long as we leave the management to Honneth and his officials.
Considering that a war might break out during the meeting, I decided to bring about 2,000 soldiers from the army in the Roccia region. This measure was taken in response to requests from King Chorex and Duke Avkoro.
Together with those 2,000 soldiers, I ride a horse-drawn carriage and head for Nonette's home country.
Parvera and Familis were not accompanying this march.
``This time it's a meeting. If a person related to a large country, the Holy Knights, intervenes in a discussion between small countries, there is a possibility that the discussion will become distorted.''
``Even if war breaks out, Prince Milimos has become formidable after two years of training. It will be possible to escape back to this place.''
The two said so and saw me off.
As for the passenger in the carriage, General Durva is riding because he doesn't have both hands and can't ride a horse.
“After the two-year hiatus, a new page will be written on Prince Milimos’s path to supremacy.”
General Durva says happily, but there is a hint of mockery in his tone.
I couldn't help but look disappointed.
"I hope you don't get amused. I can't predict how the Empire will use the Perese country."
When I first heard about Funseroa's plans, I thought that the small countries to the west across the mountain range from Nonette's home country would immediately invade. This was because he believed that such a plan could be carried out easily by the Empire.
Contrary to my predictions, the surrounding situation remained unchanged for two years.
In those two years, the Nonette country and its territory developed, but conversely, the small countries in the west also had time to prepare for war. In addition, there is no way that the reason for the preparation period was due to the Empire's intentions.
If you remain optimistic, you may be caught off guard.
Yes, that's what I was thinking.
However, General Durva seems to be different.
“Hmm. So you think that the Empire is pulling the strings behind the scenes and manipulating the Perese country?”
“Do you think the Empire has nothing to do with this matter?”
"I don't know. I think it has something to do with the empire's intentions, but considering they're doing serious training, I don't think their preparation is sloppy."
"What do you mean?"
When I raised my eyebrows, General Durva seemed unsure of what to say.
"What can I say? We, the people of Rocha, have suffered from the Empire's clever policies for a long time."
"I know. As the feudal lord, I am shouldering the debts of the former Roccia country."
"Haha, that hurts my ears -- that's it. The Empire has been making various efforts in the country of Rocha in carrying out its policy."
“For example, in order to obtain Nonette Country, would you marry the daughter of an imperial aristocrat to the prince?”
“Indeed, that is also ‘preparation’.”
I understood what General Durva wanted to say.
In other words, regarding this matter, I would like to say that the Empire has not embedded some kind of trap or the source of the plan in the Nonette country itself.
It's not impossible that Funseroa's telling me to ``become the third great power'' and ``war will break out'' could be considered ``preparation.''
However, even though it has been two years, there has been no cause for such an uproar. In fact, by taking Salkajimo into the empire, there was even an aspect of him getting rid of that species.
“General Durva is of the opinion that the actions of the Perese country have nothing to do with the empire’s intentions?”
“I can’t say for sure that there is no such thing, but I think there is no speculation between the Perese and Nonette countries.”
It was an opinion that I hadn't thought of, so there was room for consideration.
“Then, what do you think is the reason why the Perese country is trying to establish diplomatic relations with the Nonette country?”
It was separated from his country by a mountain range. Until now, there have been no diplomatic relations.
Despite this, the Perese country is trying to dig a tunnel and establish a connection.
If opening a tunnel was a big project, an important matter related to the management of the country, there would be no way they would try to do it.
General Durva shook his head at my question.
"As a soldier, I don't understand politics. I just..."
“Did you come up with something?”
"--No. I thought there were several reasons why countries seek diplomatic relations with other countries."
"That's right. First of all, it's trade to obtain things that your country doesn't have and sell the surplus. Next, there's the tariffs that can be obtained through the movement of people. Also, there's things like technological exchange."
As I told him, remembering what the Rocha region was doing to the Empire, General Durva continued.
"The only thing left to do is to look for reinforcements against the enemy."
"We will request reinforcements from countries with which we have diplomatic relations. That is possible."
The premise for this is that there is a country that is hostile to Perese.
“We don’t have that kind of information because we are separated by mountain ranges and have no diplomatic relations.”
"Is there no information from the Knights' Kingdom?"
"I'm sure you can get it if you ask, but the Black Knight is not a pawn of me or Palvera, but of the King of Knights..."
It doesn't matter if you get information from Palvera or Familyis, if you try to get information from the Black Knight that hasn't been conveyed to you, you'll end up incurring a debt to the Knight's Kingdom.
The Knight's Kingdom is a country that values ``correctness.'' If you want to receive information from that country, you must do the ``right thing'' by paying the appropriate price.
I wouldn't know if the situation was urgent, and the letter from King Chorex didn't give the impression of an urgent situation.
In that case, he decided that there was no need to incur any debt to the knight nation, since it would be enough to find out the intentions of the Perese nation at the meeting.
However, that didn't mean that the contents of the letter didn't bother him.
“Among the envoys, I heard that the crown prince of Perese is here.”
"It's bold to send the next king to a country that doesn't have proper diplomatic relations."
“Do you think diplomatic relations are so important that you send out the crown prince?”
――Or is the Perese country thinking of a plan using the crown prince?
Feeling a little uneasy, I proceeded with the soldiers towards the royal castle of the Nonette country.
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