Chapter 137:
“Leitche can never agree to such negotiations.”
Before even sitting down, Leitche's military attaché laid down a threat.
His face was so nacing he looked as if he would draw his sword and swing it at any mont.
“If it's not too rude, may I ask why you ca then?”
“Just because the Emperor is behind you doesn't an you can be so reckless, Count.”
“I'm asking out of pure curiosity.”
When I answered with a shrug, the military attaché's face turned even redder.
Well, it wasn't like I said anything wrong.
This was rely a behind-the-scenes discussion, not an official eting by any ans.
If he really didn't want to do it, he could have just not co.
“Did you think you'd be safe after slandering Leitche with lies? You son of a….”
“Please refrain from using harsh language, Military Attaché.”
“……”
When the Vestol ambassador spoke up with a displeased tone, the military attaché imdiately shut his mouth.
After snorting at my face for a mont, the military attaché finally sat down quietly.
That's more like it.
I grinned at the sight of the now-tad military attaché.
He couldn't just leave, letting Vestol and the Empire whisper behind his back just because he was angry.
“Frankly, I don't know why you've all flocked to soone else's party. Please explain.”
“Of course, Ambassador. After you hear out, you'll see we didn't co to ruin the party.”
I took out the newspaper I had put inside my overcoat and threw it on the table.
The headline ‘Grand Duchy of Leitche and Eslick Empire, a Great Clash!’ was emblazoned in huge letters.
“It's a Vestol newspaper I bought on the way here. An interesting article, I must say. Though we haven't had a great clash yet.”
“If you wish to protest the false report, I recomnd you go directly to the newspaper office in question. Shall I give you the address?”
Although the Vestol ambassador answered in the most indifferent tone possible, his expression betrayed his fatigue.
Ever since the report that the Leitche navy had attacked an Imperial rchant ship in the southern waters, the navies of both sides had been engaged in a constant war of nerves.
Unlike the newspaper article, there had been no direct clash yet, but it was true that military tensions were steadily rising.
“I've explained it ti and ti again! It was just the work of demon bastards in disguise!”
“Who would believe such an excuse?”
“An excuse? You call it an excuse after you sent your ships without warning to intimidate us over a trivial matter?”
“Didn't I tell you several tis that it's a problem that can be solved by catching the pirates who committed that audacious act? Or can Leitche not even catch pirates who fled into its own waters?”
“What?!”
At the Imperial Guard Commander's remark, the voice of the military attaché, who had barely cald down, rose again.
Unlike the ambassador who let out a small sigh, I watched their argunt with great interest.
“The claim that they crossed over to our side is just the Empire's one-sided assertion!”
“Are you going to say that all the attacked rchant ships colluded to say the sa thing? There was a Vestol rchant ship among the victims.”
“To be blunt, Leitche suspects that the Imperial Army fabricated the testimony!”
“Watch your mouth. Don't make the problem worse.”
The Imperial Guard Commander also began to growl.
It was understandable that he was on edge, as the Imperial Guard had been saddled with a matter that the Imperial Army should have handled, under the pretext of it being a diplomatic issue.
“It's stranger not to be suspicious when the ones who attacked were wearing those tacky desert-colored uniforms and flying the Leitche flag.”
“Those are things that can be obtained one way or another!”
“You're saying they obtained enough uniforms to dress that many sailors? Besides, how will you explain that the ships' shapes were similar to the Leitche navy's, or that they always fled east and disappeared?”
“We investigated our side multiple tis and there were no such ships!!”
The military attaché scread, nearly tearing his hair out.
His tone was filled with a sense of profound injustice.
Not only the Imperial Guard Commander but also the Vestol ambassador gave him a look of disbelief, but I sympathized with him inwardly.
'Well, it's natural they can't find them. They're hidden in Vestol.'
The place where Noah's fake Leitche navy was staying was a few smuggling bases in Vestol or islands personally owned by Professor Zain.
No matter how hard they searched the Leitche sea, they would never find them.
Furthermore, with skilled pirate shamans provided by Avantnik hiding the ships with magic, it was almost impossible to find Noah while he was sailing.
The ships used for piracy were dismantled to build new ones, and Noah and the other sailors had scattered to do other things, so they would never be found.
“Now, now, please calm down. I believe both of your opinions have rit.”
“This problem cannot be solved with such a lukewarm response, Count. This is a case of another country's military attacking the Empire.”
“This is driving crazy. I told you we didn't do it!”
“I wasn't talking to you.”
When the Imperial Guard Commander glared coldly at the military attaché, the military attaché's fist, having nowhere to go, headed for his own chest.
It seed he couldn't suppress his indignation without hitting sothing.
After enjoying the comical scene to the fullest, I opened my mouth again.
“Ambassador, hasn't privateering been banned since the last war?”
“Yes. It is stated in the armistice treaty. Though the reason it was made was because of the Empire….”
The Vestol ambassador answered reluctantly.
It was indeed a treaty created because of the Empire, which, when pushed back by the navy, had tried to cut off trade routes by mobilizing demon pirates, including Avantnik.
“Let's move past such trivial issues. In any case, aren't the Eslick Empire, the Vestol Assembly, and the Grand Duchy of Leitche, who all ratified the treaty at the ti, obligated to abide by it?”
“How many tis do I have to say Leitche didn't do it?”
The military attaché retorted with veins popping on his neck, but when the ambassador raised his hand, he had no choice but to shut his mouth.
“If the Grand Duchy of Leitche actually engaged in privateering, we could hold them accountable for violating the treaty, but as the military attaché says, if there is no evidence, there's nothing we can do.”
“Of course. I don't think the military attaché is lying either. They were surely just unlucky in not being able to find the evidence.”
At my sarcasm, the military attaché clenched his fist, but this ti he didn't shout.
“Even if pirates impersonated the military, it doesn't change the fact that it's a big problem. This isn't an issue to be dismissed while blaming each other. Therefore….”
“Therefore…?”
“In accordance with the armistice treaty, the three nations will create a temporary organization to jointly counter privateering and, furthermore, piracy.”
The three of them scowled and looked at simultaneously.
They weren't people who wouldn't understand what I ant, so they must not like it.
“Ahem, has this been discussed with the other two?”
“No. This is the first ti I'm bringing it up.”
“Hah.”
The Vestol ambassador let out a sigh.
As if he had anticipated the outcry that erupted imdiately after.
“So you're saying you're going to investigate our waters? Did you think we'd accept such a proposal?!”
“I understand the Count's intention for this proposal, but I don't think there will be any citizen of the Empire who likes the Vestol navy loitering around.”
“Well, isn't that why I called you here, to discuss such things? Then please proceed, Ambassador.”
“…?”
“Isn't Vestol the king of the sea, no matter what anyone says? I naturally assud you would want to take the lead.”
“Just be honest and say you want to dump the work on .”
Looking at the ambassador who expressed a complaint far from that of a diplomat, I smiled benignly and silently mouthed the words.
Brauder.
“…Let's at least draft an outline, then.”
“Ambassador! Do you really intend to accept such a ridiculous proposal….”
“Nothing has been decided yet. We have only had a conversation in a closed room. If you don't like it, you can leave.”
The ambassador cut off the military attaché with a tired face.
The military attaché, who had been staring at the door full of contemplation, ultimately muttered and kept his seat.
He must have been worried about being reprimanded later if he left on his own.
Just having the three of them et face-to-face and discuss was enough to achieve my goal.
'I look forward to seeing how Johann and the Duke will react.'
***
“What was our Duke's reaction?”
“He threw a fit, saying it's not possible.”
“I thought so.”
The Duke spat out grape seeds carelessly with a displeased expression.
A stain was left in the resplendent room of the villa, but the Duke didn't seem to care.
“I thought it would be good news since you asked to see after so long, Oliver.”
“It's Ivan.”
“Ah, right, it was Ivan this ti.”
Ivan quietly waited for the Duke's next words.
He knew better than anyone not to speak first when the Duke was in a bad mood.
“For sothing brought up to get on Johann Geller's nerves, it's quite sharp.”
“I don't think it's such a simple matter.”
“Right, because it's getting on my nerves too.”
The Duke narrowed his eyes and scanned the report.
The lavishly decorated diplomatic docunt contained a proposal for the three nations to manage the strait between the two continents until the beginning of next sumr.
“What will you do?”
“It's awkward to accept.”
“Shall I refuse?”
“But it's a waste to do that.”
For the Duke, the proposal had its pros and cons.
Besides the national concern of lowering the needlessly rising tension, it was also an opportunity to check the increasing activities of the other Eight Council mbers at sea.
Especially considering Avantnik and Cesare were slowly sidling up to the Count's side, it wasn't a bad thing to have a ans to check their so-called businesses.
It was tempting since he could even make the excuse that he had to do it due to diplomatic issues.
“The old Duke and those seagull bastards are the problem… what do you think?”
“It's the Mariti Intelligence Bureau, not seagulls.”
On land, there was no place the hands of Leitche's Ravens couldn't reach… but at sea, especially in the vast strait between the two continents, they were powerless.
Because Vestol's Mariti Intelligence Bureau culled the Ravens, preventing them from getting a foothold in the sea.
Considering the ‘operation’ the Ravens had carried out in Vestol in the past, it was in a way a natural result.
It would surely beco a hassle if those guys, who had so far only been active within Vestol's waters, started poking around the strait using this as an excuse.
“I believe there will be no direct impact. They say the Mariti Intelligence Bureau follows wherever the Vestol navy goes, but they cannot move independently in soone else's waters.”
“Are you saying there will be an indirect impact?”
“There will be so problems with information exchange and supply transport.”
“Hmm.”
It wasn't a bad condition.
It wasn't a loss if he could chip away even a little of the Count's power.
Johann Geller, that stubborn old man, wouldn't like the Vestol navy coming and going in his front yard, but there was no need to worry about the circumstances of a temporary ally one by one.
“Tell them I'll review it positively. Limit the scope as much as possible to cracking down on piracy.”
“Understood. What should I tell the First Duke?”
“Just inform him and take so scolding. What can that man do about sothing happening at a national level anyway?”
For the greater good, one must endure such small disturbances.
The First Duke, who had already started fighting with the Count, wouldn't be able to abandon his collaborator either.
“You're still standing there because you have more to say, right?”
“If we proceed like this, most of the Ravens will have to be mobilized for external operations. It will be difficult to respond to dostic issues.”
“There haven't been any big problems since we strung up a few nobles last ti.”
“Recently, the demons….”
“Ha, what can those beasts do? Don't worry about it.”
“Yes.”
Ivan carefully exited the splendid room.
The Duke's words had a point.
The demons' discontent had never beco a real problem.
But the uneasy feeling didn't go away.
Count Valheit's current response was too loud and too easy to counter.
Was this really the end of Valheit's plan?
***
“H-help !”
“There's no point in saying that to a beast, it won't understand.”
“P-please… Aaaaaaaargh!”
As Noah let go, the weeping man fell among the starving hounds.
With a thud, a dozen dogs rushed in and tore their forr master to shreds.
“That was the last one. We've taken care of all the demon hunters around here.”
“Good. Let's move before we're pursued.”
“And this. A raven with a yellow string delivered it.”
Hillia held out a letter.
Recently, they had been shooting down every bird that flew nearby, but the raven with a yellow string was an exception.
“Who's it from? Til? Avantnik?”
“Doesn't seem like it this ti. The handwriting is much more archaic….”
As soon as he received the letter, Noah knew who had sent it.
It was Valheit.
“What does it say?”
To his companion's curious question, Noah smiled faintly and answered briefly.
“Good news.”
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