Chapter 647 - First Chapter: Duke Richard of Roland and the Duchy's Chancellor
It was about a week after the Kingdom of Engrio formally concluded a conditional non-aggression alliance with the Northwest Coast Treaty nations that Richard, the ruler of the Duchy of Roland, received a letter from his father, Seldic. After giving words of appreciation and a reward to the person who brought the letter and having them leave the room, Richard called the Chancellor and showed him the letter.
The letter contained two things. One was that King Seldic would soon stop by Roland when he led his troops on an expedition to East Liber. The other was about Engrio's conclusion of the non-aggression alliance with the Northwest Coast Treaty nations. The first was fine. There had been such talk originally. The problem was the second.
"This is... To conclude a non-aggression alliance with those countries, has King Seldic changed his policy..."
The Chancellor, after finishing reading, said to Richard as if he couldn't believe it.
"Why do you think so?"
"If I may be so bold. I thought King Seldic's goal was the unification of the White Island. However, seeing him say things like concluding a non-aggression alliance with those countries, it seems he has already given up."
"Is that so?"
"It must be so."
To Richard, the Chancellor's reaction was interesting.
King Seldic's aggressive foreign policy was not well-regarded by many of the Engrio nobles... especially the small and medium-sized nobles and the bureaucratic nobles who could be called civil officials. However, they had no choice but to follow because the heavyweights of some military factions, starting with Margrave Mortimer, supported it. The Chancellor was from a family that could be called the head of the bureaucrats, and Richard didn't think he had a desire for territory.
"King Seldic is a person with a good reputation among the people and is excellent in both literary and military arts. He is a brilliant and ambitious person. I thought he would surely unify the island, build a powerful state, and subdue the Demon Lord so that he could never be resurrected again."
Richard realized that the Chancellor's expectations for his father came from his hatred of the Demon Lord.
Come to think of it, the reason he became Richard's tutor was also because this talkative old man had participated as a main force in the battle to subjugate the previous-previous Demon Lord along with his father, King Seldic, when he was young. The Chancellor was one of the few native nobles in Engrio.
Richard himself could not use magic, and his individual combat skills were about upper-middle. Therefore, when the previous Demon Lord was resurrected, he participated in the Demon Lord's army subjugation battle within the country, but his younger brother, who excelled in individual martial arts, participated in the challenge to the Demon Lord's Cave. Richard himself thought it was enough to excel in military strategy, and his father, King Seldic, thought the same, so he didn't feel any inferiority. Besides, there was a high reputation that James of Medioland or Roberts of Sertoria would become heroes, and in fact, they did. His younger brother's evaluation didn't particularly rise. He didn't think it would become a spark for a succession struggle.
"Isn't that why he concluded the alliance?"
"Is that so?"
He should look at reality a bit more. It might be unavoidable if he's a former priest... Richard thought so as he looked at the Chancellor, who seemed puzzled. He had been thinking for a long time that he must now educate the Chancellor, who was once his own tutor.
"Old man, even if it's a non-aggression alliance, it's conditional. It's only while they are taking countermeasures against the Demon Lord's army. In reality, it's not much different from a temporary unity when the Demon Lord is resurrected."
"It is, but even in the battle against the Demon Lord's army, if the countries' steps are not aligned, they will only waste time, materials, and soldiers blindly; didn't King Seldic say that from before?"
The timing is different. Richard wanted to say that to the Chancellor but stopped himself.
"Think about it. Even if Engrio alone struggles, it can't subdue the Demon Lord, let alone exterminate the Demon Lord's army. Setting aside the Demon Realms where the Demon Lord's army doesn't come out, like the one east of the Royal Capital, at least the places where they come out to attack should be struck by each country. My father probably judged that it's better to do that first, reduce the exhaustion from the battle with the Demon Lord, and then head toward the unification of the island. I think that's a valid option."
"That may be so, but will the countries move to subjugate the Demon Lord's army?"
To be repetitive, that's what they couldn't do until now. Certainly, the island is now divided into two powers, so I don't think the interests of each country will be as complicatedly intertwined as before. Still, the Chancellor thought it would be faster to achieve the unification of the island first.
"At this point, even if we move toward the unification of the island, it's impossible."
"Impossible, you say?"
Depending on how it's taken, it could also be seen as a criticism of King Seldic's methods until now. However, Richard added the words "at this point."
"The Northwest Coast Treaty has very strong unity, including marriage diplomacy. It seems the Crown Princes of each country are close in age and interact frequently. To be honest, it's hard to resist with just Engrio and Morandine."
"Don't we have our country? Besides, if we also get the support of East Liber, we will win in terms of troop numbers."
"Our country and East Liber cannot be made to participate in the Demon Lord's army subjugation. They don't know how to fight."
"Isn't the order wrong?"
"That's why the order is reversed from before. First, strike the Demon Lord's army and subdue the Demon Lord. Unification is later."
Wasn't he trying to unify because he couldn't do that? Even if the unity is strong, as long as they belong to the organization called a state, the interests of the organization will ultimately take priority. The Chancellor stated his view.
"However, it seems the unity of those countries transcends interests."
"Is that so? I don't think such a thing can be established so easily."
"It has been established."
Hearing Richard's words, the Chancellor smiled slightly. Although it was for family reasons, he had held a priestly position. Afterward, he returned to secular life and became the heir for his family's reasons, but he still held the spirit of pursuing a world of coexistence and co-prosperity somewhere in his heart as a former priest. That heart felt joy, even if it was an enemy country, that human relationships ignoring interests had been built between states.
"Is that so? Please, by all means, teach me, who am ignorant."
Richard explained the situation of the White Island to his country's Chancellor based on his own interpretation constructed from information brought by his scouts.
At least, Northern Gram feels an unpayable debt of gratitude to Sertoria for the recovery of the Crown Prince from his illness. Around that time, as a result of double marriages between Finis and Northern Gram, those who would eventually become the kings of both countries would be those who drew the blood of both countries. The food situation in Finis, especially in winter, has significantly improved, and around the same time, trade with the current Northwest Coast Alliance countries became active. Meanwhile, in Regnentes, a training system where even children of serfs who cannot use magic can become able to use magic is being built, and in the background, there are textbooks that Sertoria is creating. In addition to that, with the magic water produced by Sertoria as a catalyst, the cooperation of the current Northwest Coast Treaty member nations is rapidly strengthening, and finally, they have even drawn in Sertogne.
"There's the Great Unity Conference being held by those involved in disease countermeasures, right?"
"Yes. The first one was held in the Duchy of Germania last autumn. The second one is to be held next month."
"That's right. The one at the center of it is said to be a bishop named Anri from Sertogne. Now, he is a guest of the King of Primordia, who is famous as the Liberation King, and a political advisor to Duchess Theresia of Germania."
"Yes, I have heard so. I heard that his Karmic Disease was cured by that magic water."
"Do you know the producer of that magic water?"
"Was it a bishop from Sertoria? I heard she is a still-young female bishop."
"That's right. If that bishop is involved in all the things I just told you, what would happen?"
A single young female bishop involved in the connections between countries... The possibility is not zero. However, isn't it too perfect a story? The Chancellor thought so.
"I've also heard that Archbishop Price of the Medioland Royal Capital Grand Cathedral is behind her."
At Richard's further words, the Chancellor felt a sense of reality in the story Richard told.
The intimacy between Medioland and Sertoria is very famous. Sometimes, Sertoria is even ridiculed as a vassal state of Medioland, but it seems they are content with that position by choice. The former heroes Henry and Eleanor, whom that Sertoria produced, built a strong unity between Medioland, Sertoria, Regnentes, and Primordia. The current Northwest Coast Treaty is what Finis and Northern Gram joined. Thanks to those two countries joining, the power balance tilted all at once. And, if it was Sertoria that added Finis there, while it's natural for Northern Gram to join the Sertorian side... if the catalyst was magic water... Come to think of it, I've heard that the Crown Princess of Northern Gram, who married from Finis, was deaf but became able to converse using another magic water...
"I-If we assume it's as you said, Richard-sama. Did King Seldic conclude the non-aggression alliance because of that strong unity?"
"Isn't it because of the ease of breaking it rather than the strength of the unity?"
"Ease of breaking?"
Faith has a huge influence. It even affects diplomacy between states. If so, wouldn't the unity centered on the female bishop with Archbishop Price in the background be hard to break? Let alone, for Northern Gram, there is an existence that can be called a national benefactor. It wouldn't be strange if a bond transcending national interests was born there. In fact, the primary reason Richard boasts immense popularity within the Duchy of Roland is that he made magic water free of charge regardless of social standing when using it.
"If your guess is correct, it won't break easily."
Human emotions are certainly fickle, but when faith is involved, there are times when it transcends interests.
"Is that so? I don't think so."
"Then, how will you break it?"
He ended up asking, but the Chancellor, who once pursued an ideal society as a former priest, ended up regretting asking later.
"For example. That female bishop who acts as a mediator for the unity is killed by someone from a Northwest Coast Treaty member nation."
"That seems to contradict your words just now, Richard-sama."
"There's forbidden magic like [Charm] or [Doll], right?"
The Chancellor was speechless at Richard, who replied while still smiling.
"T-That is... Richard-sama, you must not! Even if the opponent is a heretic to the Royal Family, it is beyond immoral!"
"I just gave a hypothetical example. Hypothetically, hypothetically. Don't raise your voice so much."
"It's strictly a hypothetical, then?"
The old man was glaring at his master.
"Yeah, it's nothing more than a hypothetical. Don't glare like that."
"If so, I am relieved. However, surely King Seldic wouldn't..."
"My father wouldn't do such a cowardly thing. If he were to do it, he would capture her as a heretic and execute her openly."
On the continent, conflicts between different faiths... especially between monotheistic religions, are intense. Sometimes they fight, and sometimes they capture and kill just because they are heretics. However, such incidents rarely occur within the Duchy of Roland, where there are polytheistic worshippers even if the gods they believe in are different. On the contrary, the coastal areas of the continent close to the White Island, starting with Sertogne, are like that.
"That in itself seems to have problems."
He still hasn't stopped glaring.
"In short. The unity brought about by a single priest is dependent on the life or death of that priest. You never know what might happen to a human, right? I heard that female bishop makes a living by exterminating monsters. It's beyond dangerous. Even if there's no one plotting, you never know when she might die. Honestly, I wonder what Sertoria is thinking."
Accidental deaths... disguised as assassinations are too numerous to count.
Surely, he's not serious?
The Chancellor, when he was young, challenged the Demon Lord's Cave as a main force. He also served in the subsequent wars. At that time, he learned the excellence of Sertorian scouts through experience. However, Richard has no experience fighting Sertoria. He doesn't understand the fear. There's even a possibility that what his master just said will be transmitted to Sertoria. If the female bishop who makes magic water dies in an unfortunate accident or something, even if King Seldic or Richard did nothing, if this statement leaked, they would undoubtedly be suspected. In particular, Sertoria and Northern Gram would definitely attack without question. After all, the Northwest Coast Treaty also wants to attack and destroy Engrio.
"Come to think of it, old man. The second Great Unity Conference will be held around next month, right?"
The topic changed, and the Chancellor was relieved. He couldn't talk about dangerous things any further.
"Eh? Ah, yes. As I said just now, it should be around the beginning of next month."
"A request for participation had come to our country too."
"Yes. We must reply soon."
"Make us participate."
"That is a good decision. I see, you already have candidates in mind?"
"Yeah. Dispatch the bishop who managed our army's infirmary in the previous campaign and the local bishop who was cooperative when we occupied this town. It can also be someone those two recommend."
"I understand. I will make arrangements immediately and reply to Duchess Theresia of Germania."
"I'm counting on you. You may leave."
"Ha!"
The old man is serious. As expected of a former priest. Richard, thinking so, called his direct scouts after the old man left.