Chapter 60 - Episode 3: "I Shall Give Up on Humanity"
Gokigenyou. I am Violia Nico Fortesia.
You see, I thought that if I made the eldest son of Fruitier and the other survivors into slaves, I would make money and it would be good revenge.
However, there is no institution in Elsemarin to put collars on slaves.
To invite an institution to Elsemarin, I need to buy a large number of noble ranks to make it seem like there is a demand for slaves in Elsemarin.
And I do not have the money to buy noble ranks.
...Therefore, it is war! Yes, a simple answer!
"Young Lady. You, talking about war. Isn't that a bit too far-fetched?"
"Is it? I think it is the quickest way to earn money."
After all, it is a fundraising method this country has been doing for generations. There is no way it won't be profitable!
"First, if we win the war, money will come in."
"True~"
"During a war, weapons sell well, so we can earn there too."
"Even if we don't sell guns, well, if we collect swords and such, we can earn a fair amount."
"Medicines and the like will also sell. If we loot in the enemy country, that will be extra income."
"...Your ideas are those of a devil, Young Lady."
Yes. I understand well that they are so brilliant as to be almost devilish.
"Therefore, it is war! We shall profit from war! This is the best way!"
"Sure, if you have the military power of a nation, the idea of profiting from war might be acceptable. But us? Even if we combine the Guild lot and the bandits, we're a force of maybe a hundred? I don't think that's anywhere near enough for a war."
I suppose so. Well, to take down a country, one needs the military power of a nation. That is obvious, but...
"That is because you think we are going to war against a country!"
"I do not think we can win a war against a country. Or rather, for an individual or a single town, defying a country wouldn't even take the form of a 'war' in the first place."
It would be nice if another country took us seriously, but that can hardly be expected. Most likely, we would just be treated as outlaws and that would be the end of it. The difference in military strength is too great.
We do not have the power to wage a large-scale war, and a war on a scale we can manage would be too petty to be profitable. If we are going to do it, it is better to be able to profit all at once.
"...Therefore, we shall not wage war. The ones doing the clashing will be this place and that place. We shall merely enter as merchants, looters, or occasionally mercenaries!"
That is right. Waging war oneself is foolish. The risk is borne by the state. We shall simply partake in the delicious spoils. This is the best way!
"I believe there is plenty of reason for the state to move. If they start a war here and profit, the people's anger will subside. It will be profitable for the state too. See? The Royal Family has plenty of reason to start a war now."
Originally, they probably wanted to use my public execution to vent the people's frustration, but I gave a speech and escaped. The people's anger was not resolved by me; rather, it must be amplified and directed toward the Royal Family.
"True. We went to the town, and everywhere was quite tense. You can hear bad-mouthing of the Royal Family anywhere."
"Serves them right. But that is exactly why the Royal Family must be desperate to take measures. They shouldn't have the leisure to be obsessed only with me. If they think they must vent the people's frustration somewhere... they will jump at a war."
The Kingdom Festival is in two months, but surely the Royal Family wouldn't have the idea of 'making the people happy with a festival.' In that case, since they have nothing else to do now, war is a good option.
"...So, specifically, how are you going to lead it to war?"
Yes. That is the remaining problem. But it is fine. I have thought it through to some extent.
The cost is almost zero! Just spread information and see how the Royal Family acts! That is all it takes!
"The Royal Family's desire to profit is the same as ours. If there is a trigger, I believe they will start a war. ...Therefore, it is the same as with Elsemarin! I shall use my name to create a trigger and have them crush it! If there is a country harboring Violia Nico Fortesia, wouldn't that be sufficient pretext to crush them?"
For nearly a month after that, we moved.
I actually traveled abroad appropriately and enjoyed a foreign trip (of course, it was illegal entry and exit), and I left my traces there.
Of course, since I have no connections in foreign countries, I couldn't take any major actions. However, I intended to leave much more information than when I was at the Elsemarin Guild.
...In the meantime, we prepared by stocking up on a large number of weapons and buying up medicines.
Once we felt that 'it wouldn't be a problem whenever war breaks out,' we had the Elsemarin Guild submit information to the Royal Family that 'Violia Nico Fortesia is being harbored in a neighboring country.'
With this, the Royal Family will surely move! They are a lot that loves war!
And we shall profit by selling weapons and medicine there! It is perfect!
...Or so I thought.
"Not at all! The war isn't starting at all—!"
It was different from my expectations!
It was different from my expectations. It really was.
Even though we properly submitted the information that I was being harbored in the neighboring country along with sightings of me, at most only a few units were dispatched! Well, I am no longer at the place they were dispatched to! I was in a position to watch the soldiers departing from the port of Elsemarin to go look for me!
"...This is a problem. Hasn't this just simply resulted in me being in a neighboring country...?"
I have returned to Elsemarin, but Violia Nico Fortesia is officially in a neighboring country. No, it is not particularly a problem if that happens, but... there is no profit in it!
"Furthermore, we're stuck with a huge inventory of weapons and medicine."
"Well, those are things we will use anyway..."
...Yes, that is right. We certainly have a large inventory of weapons and medicine.
Well, since weapons and medicine can be preserved if kept in a Spatial Bag that hasn't been illegally modified, it is fine to let them sit, but...
"What are you going to do? It seems like this was impossible after all."
"It is strange... Since it is the Royal Family of this country, I thought they would definitely start a war if there was a trigger..."
I mean, just before their downfall, House Fruitier was about to use guns to go start a war...
...Did I misread them?
Surely they wouldn't say something like 'war is a bad thing so we won't do it' at this late stage, and our country is stupid but not weak; it has ravaged other countries plenty in the past... Honestly, I do not understand the reason why it hasn't become a war here.
It must be because... they have something else to do, and I can only think that it is something other than 'chasing Violia Nico Fortesia'...
...
"Eh, could it be that they are really going to hold the Kingdom Festival on such a grand scale that they have no time for war...?"
"A festival? No way."
"It might be that 'no way.' At the very least, if they wage war, the lives of the people will certainly be ruined temporarily. In that case, it is not impossible to think they want to curry favor with the people before waging war. No, that thought itself is utterly laughable!"
"Well, the Royal Family probably has no other moves left, most likely..."
Hmm... I wonder if it means the Royal Family no longer has the strength to lightly wage war. Just why have the people become so rowdy? Ah, it is my fault, isn't it?
I never thought I would end up strangling myself. What should we do about this?
What we have on hand is a large amount of weapons and medicine.
And what we want is a large amount of money.
...It would be fine if an environment where weapons and medicine sell in large quantities were created... but is there such a thing other than war?
Weapons are only used for fighting.
Medicine is also unnecessary if there is no environment where one gets injured.
Therefore, there must be situations everywhere where people fight and get injured...
"It doesn't have to be humans, does it...?"
"Hmm? Young Lady, what did you just say? Did you say you're giving up on being human!?"
I did not!
"No, I just thought that the opponent one fights doesn't have to be human."
That is right. It is difficult because we are trying to move humans by force. Although it is humans who use the weapons, the ones the weapons are used against do not have to be human!
"Monsters! If we prepare a large number of monsters! And release them in large quantities, it will be fine!"
For example, if it were slimes, they could be easily bred. Although, almost no weapons are needed to exterminate those.
...But if we look, we can find any number of other monsters with high reproductive capacity. We can breed them in large quantities inside Spatial Bags and scatter them across the country! If we do that, weapons will naturally sell, and medicine will sell too!
"...If you do that, the country will be devastated, though."
Of course, that is the problem.
If we cause a super-massive outbreak of monsters, the country will be devastated.
If that happens... well, it would be troublesome. The nobles would flee abroad, and it is possible the revenge would end inconclusively.
But it is fine!
"Therefore, there is no need to do it in our country."
"The neighboring countries will simply become prey for the monsters!"
There are plenty of countries, after all!