“I see, I understand now what kind of country Ceresdia is. Well, it’s the same as Romeo, a commercial nation, so it’s natural for their interests to overlap and for them to not get along… In other words, it’s a case of mutual blame, I suppose.”
That’s how business rivals are.
Everyday life where they shoot at each other with real money instead of actual bullets.
Money, when it’s gone, means death.
In that sense, it’s no different from life itself.
In short, it’s a life-or-death struggle without mercy.
What they’re doing is the same… asking them to get along or understand each other, that’s an impossible request.
“Does His Majesty believe that we are also at fault? Should I explain in more detail what we have suffered at the hands of Ceresdia?”
Latrie… it seems my expression of mutual blame bothered her.
Indeed, from my position, I shouldn’t say things like ‘it’s both sides’ fault.’
“Latrie, there’s no need for that. When it comes to business rivals, I understand what kind of relationship they have, and it’s natural to have accumulated grudges and resentments. As someone in the business world myself, I understand that implicitly. Well, even putting that aside, there’s absolutely no room to accept this proposal, so you can rest assured.”
Hearing this, Latrie’s face visibly relaxes into a smile.
“Hmm, so as I suspected, from your position, it’s difficult for you to lend assistance to Ceresdia as my apostle… is that it?”
“I’m truly sorry… Lady Seleneis, not just me personally, but as the Prime Minister of Romeo, I cannot offer any help or take sides with Ceresdia… In fact, I believe it would be detrimental. It would only leave seeds of future conflict for both parties.”
“Seeds of conflict? Rather, I believe it could be an opportunity for both sides to join hands… it’s not that simple, is it?”
“That’s precisely it. Frankly, the timing is bad, and my position is more important to Romeo than you might imagine… As you say, if I were to assist Ceresdia, I would lose that position… and that is something I absolutely do not wish for. Therefore, I have no choice but to remain an observer. I believe it would be the same if the roles were reversed… if I were the Prime Minister of Ceresdia and asked for Romeo’s help.”
Ultimately, it’s a matter of standing.
Even if I know the other party’s circumstances and plight, I have my own position, so I can do nothing.
That is something I cannot be swayed by emotions or feelings, and in some cases, it is something that should be defended even at the cost of one’s life.
If there were no fetters or entanglements, it would be a different story.
But I have already become too deeply involved with Romeo.
That is precisely why, no matter what I was told, I had no intention of backing down.
“As expected of His Majesty! That’s right… the mere thought of you going to that hateful Ceresdia is something we absolutely reject. And to provide assistance? That’s out of the question, of course!”
“W-wait a moment… you are Latrie, aren’t you? Aren’t you a subject blessed by my Lady Seleneis? Why do you hate the people of Lady Seleneis so much? Calling them enemies and pirates, and even refusing to lend aid, is going too far, don’t you think? Takakura, don’t jump to conclusions. We are still in the midst of discussions.”
Well, I do think it was a bit excessive.
However, I can’t say for sure what kind of country Ceresdia is.
From Latrie’s words alone, it sounds like a nation of corrupt merchants, but that can’t be helped.
I’ve spoken with the representatives of the countries that have diplomatic envoys in Romeo, and I have a fair amount of knowledge about them… but I’ve never heard of Ceresdia.
Countries that are vassals of France or the Empire generally don’t have diplomatic rights, which is probably why.
They are treated like regional governments; it’s the same as how prefectures or metropolitan areas in Japan can’t negotiate with foreign countries on their own.
Well, at this point, from a nation-to-nation perspective, they aren’t even on the same playing field.
Strictly speaking, there’s no need to deal with them.
They are the kind of entity that would be sent away with a “Go ask your suzerain first.”
…That’s how the world of diplomacy works.
“That’s right… The feud between Ceresdia and this Roxus dates back to when Roxus was an independent city-state, before it became subservient to Romeo. It’s a matter of ancestral grudges and enmities… piled up over time. So, it’s an impossible request to simply forget or let it go, isn’t it?”
“Even if I were to order all past enmities to be forgotten in the name of my Lady Seleneis, would that be impossible?”
“Of course it’s impossible. Let me ask you, in this day and age, do you think divine authority extends that far?”
“Hmm… Unlike in the past, my authority does not reach the hearts of men… is that what you mean? But don’t you have faith in the Gods? As people who live by the sea, surely you offer prayers as part of your lives.”
“That’s true… While there are some devout people among the people of Roxus. The majority have already found authority greater than the Gods, so the custom of praying to the Gods is fading.”
With that, Latrie looks at me.
“Perhaps you mean me? That kind of authority greater than the Gods… you’re praising me too much!”
“When our Roxus was surrounded by the Imperial fleet or attacked by a Leviathan, Lady Seleneis offered us no assistance. Yet, she excessively favored Ceresdia, and on top of that, she is trying to steal even our leader… Such a God is not worthy of belief.”
“Now, wait… ‘steal’ sounds bad. And you say ‘favored,’ but I haven’t explicitly favored Ceresdia that much. It’s true that Ceresdia has been trying to break free from its status as a vassal of France in recent years, but that’s a relative matter, isn’t it? If something rises, something else must fall… France fell after a civil war, and as a result, Ceresdia has prospered… isn’t that what happened?”
Well, France is on the decline partly because of someone else.
But I can’t bring myself to blame Satoru for that…
He himself is a victim of Raterum.
Hmm, as I thought, that Goddess seems to be the root of all evil.
“I’ve also done a lot of research, you know? And Ceresdia’s prosperity is due to an unnatural amount of good fortune and numerous miracles performed by their Queen… I can’t explain it any other way. It’s not just the blessing of Lady Seleneis, you could even call it favoritism… isn’t that right?”
“My blessing responds to sincere prayers. The prayers of Ceresdia’s Queen were enough to attract my blessing. You seem to want my help, but for the past few decades, you haven’t appointed a shrine maiden, your people have not offered sincere prayers, and as soon as you were proposed the formation of Romeo, a small confederation of land nations, you immediately became a part of it… If you only have such shallow faith, I cannot possibly lend my support. That’s what it means to be forsaken by a God. Know that it is all your own doing.”
“You might be right. For the people of Roxus, Lady Seleneis has become a God who is merely there and watching over us. If she gives us nothing, it’s only natural that she becomes merely a source of emotional support.”
“How lamentable… Romeo itself has deep ties with Raterum. If you have become a part of Romeo, it is only natural that your blessings would diminish. Besides, complaining now… ”
“That’s right. Therefore, we no longer need Lady Seleneis’s blessings. In that regard, Takakura has achieved numerous accomplishments, such as forcing the Imperial fleet, which had imposed a blockade for a long time, to withdraw without a fight, and liberating merchant ships detained by France with a pile of cash. The people of Roxus are deeply indebted to him. In other words, we believe that it is His Excellency, who acted as a leader of a nation and did what needed to be done, rather than a Goddess who does nothing, that we should offer our prayers of gratitude!”
Somehow, I feel like I’m being praised too much…
It’s true that, as a result of acting as a check on France and the Empire, I was able to provide significant support to Roxus and the merchant fleet.
But hearing that I’ve earned such gratitude doesn’t feel bad, though it is a little embarrassing.
“Hmm, to accomplish deeds comparable to a God with a mortal body… I see. This makes me even more interested. However, Ceresdia and Romeo are not at war, are they? I believe the chain of hatred and resentment should be broken by someone, somewhere…”
“That’s true… In recent years, we’ve already investigated Ceresdia’s clandestine activities to weaken our nation. It was Ceresdia’s merchant fleet that supported the Imperial fleet in terms of supplies, and it was also Ceresdia involved in France’s illegal detention of merchant ships… Ceresdia is in direct economic conflict with Romeo. Ceresdia aims to control all maritime trade on the continent, and we Romeo will inevitably clash with Ceresdia. If you want to stop that, shouldn’t you be stopping Ceresdia instead? Frankly, everyone finds it excessive.”
I see… so that’s why the supply ships for the Imperial fleet were so easily bought off.
I knew they were greedy, but if those were Ceresdia’s merchant ships, it makes sense that Latrie and the others detest them so much.
At this point, it’s possible that I’ve been indirectly clashing with Ceresdia through diplomatic maneuvers and financial strategies to expand Romeo’s influence.
“…I admit that Ceresdia has many rough captains and merchants who do as they please… and it’s true that there are those who expand their influence selfishly, regardless of the means. However, Ceresdia’s Queen is trying to stop them. What she aims for is a peaceful world without conflict… I hope to assist her in that endeavor…”
…I see.
In short, that Queen can no longer control the merchants of Ceresdia.
While “free economy” sounds nice, it essentially means lawless trade.
It’s like the way China operates in that world.
By saying “price destruction” and distributing cheap, high-quality goods, competitors go bankrupt one after another.
Eventually, monopoly arrives.
Once the market is monopolized, prices can be set arbitrarily.
Domestic industries are then taken over one after another, becoming de facto economic invasion.
To prevent such things, there are laws like antitrust laws, and trade has safeguards to protect domestic industries, such as tariffs.
Ceresdia, likely because the Queen’s control is weak, is probably doing such unreasonable business practices and attacks on business rivals without hesitation.
Well, it’s easy to imagine that controlling such merchants is too much for a sheltered Queen to handle.
In that sense, Lady Seleneis’s choice of person is not wrong, after all.
Rather, a wicked thought crosses my mind: what if I used my authority to overpower and devour Ceresdia…
“Let me be perfectly clear! For a divine being to take sides with a specific individual or a specific nation… is wrong in itself!”
…Wow, Latrie.
She’s cornering Lady Seleneis, a manifestation of herself, without giving an inch.
