Preparations for the “Suppression Battle” were underway with Kousuke at the center. Meanwhile, Alec was summoned to the management layer to gather more information about the Santo-Emengo Kingdom.
This was upon Floria’s advice that Alec, being a prince of the Florece Kingdom, would likely know more than she did.
Although there were two days for preparation after the declaration of war, there were still many things to arrange.
In such circumstances, Alec, having been summoned to the management layer, noticed that the atmosphere was not its usual relaxed state.
Sensing that he wasn’t called simply to meet him, Alec sharpened his focus and looked at Kousuke’s face.
Kousuke, meeting Alec’s gaze, offered a slight wry smile before starting the conversation.
“Please don’t be so tense. I just had a few things I wanted to ask, so I had you come.”
“Things you want to ask?”
As Alec tilted his head in response, Floria spoke up this time.
“What we want to ask about is the Santo-Emengo Kingdom. Father.”
“The Santo-Emengo Kingdom… Does that mean…?!”
With just Floria’s words, Alec seemed to realize the current situation of Amamiya Tower.
Kousuke nodded as Alec showed a surprised expression.
“Yes. This time,
“I see. That country never learns, does it?”
Alec said, showing a half-exasperated expression.
Regarding the Santo-Emengo Kingdom, it was fitting to say that Alec knew the situation better than Floria.
Floria’s understanding that they fought for control of towers and grew their nation with each conflict was not wrong, but there was a slight inaccuracy.
It was true that in past conflicts, the Santo-Emengo Kingdom had controlled many towers.
In the history of the Santo-Emengo Kingdom, there was a time when they controlled as many as five towers.
However, they had lost control of two of those towers.
The reason for losing control was not information that was practically leaked outside, so Alec, as a prince of another country, did not know.
The only certain thing was that the control was not lost through conflicts between nations or towers, and it was rumored that the succession had not gone well.
However, even that information was uncertain, and there were speculations that the Santo-Emengo Kingdom itself had deliberately leaked it.
Kousuke nodded, having heard such matters from Alec.
“There haven’t been any conflicts between towers recently, but were they frequent in the past?”
“You would be right to assume so. Of course, it’s best to assume they have their own unique fighting methods passed down to the present.”
“I see.”
Judging by the content of the declaration of war, it would be best to assume Alec’s speculation was correct.
Otherwise, they would not have set such detailed conditions.
Additionally, there was evidence in the message they sent beforehand that they were probing whether our side knew the details of the Santo-Emengo Kingdom’s fighting style.
As for the message, it was completely ignored, so they did not think that Amamiya Tower had learned detailed information about the Santo-Emengo Kingdom.
However, it was the consensus of everyone that they could probably make some deductions.
Seeing Kousuke nod as if he understood, Alec asked,
“Is it alright?”
“Hmm. I don’t really know, is the honest answer. After all, this is our first time fighting like this.”
“First time? What about before?”
When Alec said “before,” he was referring to the incident in the Kingdom of Gates.
Kousuke shook his head in response to Alec’s question.
“The conditions for fighting are different from that time.”
The battle at Bahem Tower was a “Conquest Battle,” not a “Suppression Battle.”
In short, Kohi alone had to be sent in to conquer the tower sequentially from the first floor.
He explained that the conditions were completely different from the current “Suppression Battle.”
“Hmm. I see. Well then, perhaps I should make a slight show of force from my end as well.”
“Show of force?”
Kousuke tilted his head, not understanding what Alec meant.
“Nothing major. Just a small warning through my homeland.”
“…Is that alright?”
Alec shrugged his shoulders in response to Kousuke’s concern.
“I will owe the Florece Kingdom a small favor, but this much is not a big deal. Besides, even if it’s a conflict between towers, it would be a waste for it to end so secretly.”
Alec’s words aimed to gain something more by deliberately making it a conflict between nations.
Of course, Alec himself did not, even in the slightest, think that Amamiya Tower would lose to Sarita Tower.
Kousuke, seeing through such intentions, returned a wry smile.
“No. It’s not a certainty that we will win, you know? After all, it’s our first battle.”
To Kousuke, who said that, Alec applied pressure without a word.
Overwhelmed by that pressure, Kousuke added another line.
“…Well, I don’t intend to lose, though.”
To what could be considered an obvious answer, Alec smiled and nodded.
Returning to the castle, Alec, after obtaining Towa’s permission, immediately contacted King Maxim of the Florece Kingdom.
The direct communicator to the Florece Kingdom was originally held by Floria, but Towa had now inherited that right.
When Towa inherited the throne from Floria, many such authorities were transferred.
There were even some magic tools that could potentially disrupt national operations, so it was prioritized above all else.
It seemed that those who would stand as the next rulers of Razek Amamiya would have the highest priority in inheriting these magic tools in their proper condition.
Towa, recalling the inheritance of various items from Floria, decided to concentrate on the conversation between Alec and King Maxim, thinking that there was no time for anything else.
However, the conversation between the two had just begun, and Towa’s lapse in attention was only for a moment.
“To think you’d contact me after so long, it’s you then.”
“Your words are too kind, King Maxim. I’ve brought some interesting information, after all.”
“Hmm. I’ll be glad to hear it.”
The playful exchange between the two was also refreshing for Towa.
In the first place, Alec rarely used this communicator.
This time, Alec would be the one to speak, having heard directly from Kousuke and his familiarity with the Santo-Emengo Kingdom.
After hearing Alec’s explanation, King Maxim stroked his chin, his expression thoughtful.
“So? What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t expect you to take any overt action. I just want you to spread a rumor through casual conversation.”
Hearing Alec’s words, King Maxim grinned.
King Maxim understood Alec’s intentions.
This time, it was strictly regarded as a battle between towers and had no relation to the nations.
However, given that it was a dispute over tower control, it could not be considered entirely unrelated.
Naturally, its influence would extend to other countries.
Considering such factors, a slight warning could be issued to the Santo-Emengo Kingdom.
While it wouldn’t be enough to reap benefits from fishing in troubled waters, it could yield small advantages.
This could be done without the Florece Kingdom siding with Amamiya Tower.
It was necessary to maintain a delicate balance, not taking either side, but such actions were indispensable skills for running a nation.
For King Maxim, who held the position of king, it was something he had done countless times.
Thus, the tower battle that began with a declaration of war would unfold not only within the towers but also outside.
It was a story where Alec planted a small wedge.
The Florece Kingdom wouldn’t do anything in particular, but it would be easier to handle the aftermath if things didn’t proceed in complete secrecy. This would be the case whether they won or lost.
