Chapter 185
The envoy from the Jerpan Archipelago, Loa, bowed her head to from below the dais and spoke plaintively.
“The lords of the Jerpan Archipelago are trying to start a war out of greed, but the common people are innocent. Their lives have been devastated by over a decade of civil war, and most of them are still starving. I implore you to take pity on those people—!”
Loa passionately pleaded at my feet.
It wasn't a passionate plea where she was shouting or raising her voice—
It was that she spoke with all the sincerity that ca from her heart.
She seed to be a woman who truly loved the people of the Jerpan Archipelago.
However, I felt sorry for her, as I couldn't properly focus on her words.
‘The war is going to happen anyway. The lords of the Jerpan Archipelago are bound to march out eventually.’
I had thought of various ways to prevent the Jerpan Archipelago from foolishly attacking .
But the contents of the did not change.
There was only one option I hadn't considered: a ‘preemptive strike.’
‘If the Jerpan Archipelago is going to attack my kingdom anyway…… launching a preemptive strike myself would be a good thod. The only problem is, my army could also suffer casualties if I do that.’
If we fought at sea, I was confident that my army could win without any casualties.
I just needed to launch the Gryphons from the Griffon Aircraft Carrier and sink the enemy ships.
Neutralizing their ports would also be easy. For that, too, I could just launch the Gryphons from the Griffon Aircraft Carrier.
‘The problem is after landing. No matter how much we bombard with the Gryphons’ Madans, eventually, the soldiers have to land and occupy the land…… and that will cause casualties.’
I don't want a single one of my soldiers to be injured or killed.
Even if it's an impossible ideal, I pursue it.
‘Then what should I do? Even though I’ve thought about this a lot beforehand, the answer isn’t coming to …… Ah.’
Suddenly, sothing ca to mind.
It ca to while I was looking at Loa, who was below with reddened eyes, saying, 「“Please have pity on the innocent people of the Jerpan Archipelago and lend your rcy and wisdom.”」
Swoosh—.
I raised my hand. Seeing my gesture, Loa was slightly surprised and closed her mouth. It seed she understood my gesture to stop talking.
“D-did I say sothing wrong……?”
“No. It’s not that. I just thought there was no need to listen further.”
“That you don’t need to listen further, d-don’t tell ……?”
Loa took half a step back. She had a terrified expression. It seed she was worried that I would kill her and lay waste to the Jerpan Archipelago.
‘I didn’t intimidate her that much. Sothing must have happened that I don’t know about.’
“First, I will not kill you. Killing an envoy is a dishonorable act.”
“Ah…… th-thank you.”
“And second, you said your na was Loa?”
“Yes, I am Hideon Loa.”
“Right, Loa. I like people like you.”
As I spoke.
Flinch—!
As if by prearrangent, the knights and officials looked at in surprise.
Especially the gazes from Elly behind my head and Olivia below to my left were intense. It must be my imagination.
“I don’t an I like you as a woman. I an I like your heart that cares for your people.”
Nod.
At my words, the knights and officials nodded in agreent. The eye-lasers that Elly and Olivia were shooting also disappeared.
It seems the intense gazes directed at were not my imagination.
“Th-then you won’t go to war—.”
“From the beginning, I had no desire for war. And it will be so in the future, and in the distant future. But in my opinion, the lords of the Jerpan Archipelago will attack no matter what.”
“That is……!”
Loa was about to say sothing.
But as if acknowledging that I was right, she bowed her head.
***
Loa.
She couldn't refute King Leonardo’s words, 「“Anyway, the lords of the Jerpan Archipelago will start a war.”」
‘……That’s probably right. It’s already being prepared that way.’
Even so, Loa couldn't back down.
Even if she had to abandon everything she had, she had to prevent the Plank Kingdom from attacking the Jerpan Archipelago.
‘What should I do—.’
As Loa was thinking, King Leonardo continued to speak.
“There are only two ways for the Plank Kingdom not to be attacked. One, to destroy the Jerpan Archipelago before we are attacked.”
“……!”
“Two, to create a new dynasty in the Jerpan Archipelago that desires peace.”
“……Excuse ?”
Loa let out a dazed sound.
She didn't know what he ant by creating a new dynasty that desires peace.
Thump—.
Leonardo stood up from his chair and ca down from the dais.
He then went in front of Loa, who was looking up at him blankly, and looked her straight in the eye as he spoke.
As the face of the young king with his mysteriously beautiful features drew closer, Loa unknowingly turned her head away.
Leonardo grabbed Loa’s chin and forced her to et his gaze as he spoke.
“I will make you the queen of the Jerpan Archipelago.”
“……Excuse ? W-what do you an by that?”
“Literally. I will support you, who does not want to attack our kingdom, and make you the queen.”
“……!”
“The strategy that cos to mind right now is this. I will sink all the ships and armies of the lords who dare to attack the Plank Kingdom. Then, as the lords’ power weakens, you will seize that opportunity to drive them out with your followers and beco the queen.”
“……”
“I will provide as much support as possible with the weapons and food needed for the battle.
And after the situation has stabilized to so extent, I will also dispatch knights and soldiers to manage the security of the Jerpan Archipelago.”
At first glance, it seed King Leonardo was offering a favor.
Instead of attacking the Jerpan Archipelago, he was going to make Loa, who wanted peace, the queen.
But Loa knew the hidden aning behind those words.
‘K-King Leonardo…… intends to make the Jerpan Archipelago a vassal state. While minimizing the casualties of his own knights and soldiers.’
If, as King Leonardo said, the lords’ armies were annihilated at sea, and she seized power with her followers at that ti.
What would happen if the Plank Kingdom’s army ca in to ‘manage the security of the Jerpan Archipelago’ then?
‘Then the Plank Kingdom’s army would effectively be stationed in the Jerpan Archipelago and manage everything. The Jerpan Archipelago would have no troops that could properly fight, and even if they did, they wouldn’t have the will to fight.’
If that happened, the Jerpan Archipelago would naturally have no choice but to be mindful of the Plank Kingdom.
‘Th-this isn’t right. This is no different from handing over the Jerpan Archipelago, my holand, to that king.’
The problem, however, was.
Deep in her heart, Loa was acknowledging it.
That to save the people of the Jerpan Archipelago, she had to follow King Leonardo’s second proposal.
Otherwise, that king would say, 「“It can’t be helped.”」, and without a change in expression, he would command his army.
「“Destroy the Jerpan Archipelago.”」
‘This king is…… a devil.’
Only then did Loa understand.
Why the knights, soldiers, and people of the Plank Kingdom described their king as 「“wise and cruel.”」
Wise and cruel, isn't that a devil?
‘They say a devil’s temptation is hard to resist…… it was true.’
Loa looked at Olivia.
‘What does she an, telling not to seduce him…… the one doing the seducing right now is King Leonardo, and the one being tempted by the devil is .’
Loa, who had been contemplating for a while.
She first bowed her head and said to King Leonardo.
“……Could you please give so ti to think?”
“I will. But I can’t give you much. I don’t particularly like waiting. How much ti do you think you’ll need?”
How much ti do you need?
He was a real devil. How could she quickly answer a question like, ‘Will you hand over your kingdom with your own hands, or will you watch your kingdom be trampled with your own two eyes?’
But the one holding the sword right now was that devil.
“Two days. Please give just two days.”
“I can wait that long.”
After saying only that, King Leonardo released Loa’s chin.
As Leonardo’s hand, which had been holding her rather firmly, was released, Loa felt a slight sense of liberation.
Leonardo said as he walked past Loa.
“I’ll say it again, I don’t dislike people like you. I an, I don’t want to kill you.”
“……”
“So I hope you make a wise decision.”
As Leonardo said that and walked across the eting hall to leave.
Clank—!
The knights and officials showed their respect to the king.
The only one not looking at Leonardo and staring listlessly at the ground was Loa.
***
After the eting, I returned to my room.
I roughly threw myself onto the bed, covered my forehead and eyes with my hand, and let out a sigh.
Hoo—.
‘I’m tired.’
Although I had held etings with all the knights and officials frequently.
It was my first ti having a eting where I pressured an envoy from another country, so I seed to be tired in many ways.
‘So…… how will the future have changed because of my words?’
The original did not contain what I had said to Loa.
In other words, I had arbitrarily changed the future.
‘If I made a very wrong choice, there is a way to fix it. Just launch a preemptive strike on the Jerpan Archipelago.’
Of course, that was the worst and last resort.
But it was certainly a sure thod.
Swoosh—.
It hadn't been long since I lay down on the bed, but even a short rest seed to have lessened my fatigue…….
‘But why is Elly looking at like that.’
It was the sa in the eting hall earlier.
Elly was staring at quite fiercely even now. She wasn't glaring or scowling, but it was definitely different from her usual gaze.
“Elly, is sothing wrong?”
“……No, sir.”
There is.
“What’s wrong? Tell . Don’t just stare at like that.”
“I-I wasn’t staring! How could I possibly dare to do that to Your Majesty—!”
“Then tell . What’s wrong?”
As I sat down at my desk and asked again, Elly avoided my gaze and answered as if muttering.
“Earlier, Your Majesty said that you liked the envoy from the Jerpan Archipelago……. That’s been bothering . I know you said you didn't dislike her as a ‘person’ and not as a ‘woman,’ but it’s the first ti you’ve said sothing like that to a woman.”
So she’s jealous?
“Don’t worry. Like I said, I just like her as a ‘person.’ Just like , she seems to be soone who cares for her people.”
“If Your Majesty says so…… I understand. I will go bring so tea then.”
It seems she was indeed jealous, as Elly subtly tried to leave.
I watched her for a mont, then decided to stop caring with a faint smile.
‘Then shall I read the diary.’
Flip—.
I took out the that I had put in the desk drawer and opened it.
First, I intended to check the nearest future.
But as soon as I saw the first entry…… I was honestly bewildered.
I didn’t know my words would lead to this kind of developnt.
…….
The night I t the envoy from the Jerpan Archipelago.
A little late, the envoy, Loa, ca to see .
Dressed in a flimsy, thin veil dress that was sowhat concerning.
Loa, who ca to see in such an attire, spoke to with her face flushed bright red, unbefitting her bold outfit.
“……I will accept Your Majesty’s proposal. I will beco queen with the help of the Plank Kingdom. And…… I will also accept the stationing of the Plank Kingdom’s army in the Jerpan Archipelago afterward. B-but!”
“But?”
“Please give a ‘basis’ so that Your Majesty, and the army of the Plank Kingdom, cannot treat the people of the Jerpan Archipelago carelessly.”
“A basis for my army not to treat the people of the Plank Kingdom carelessly…… what is that?”
It was an interesting topic, so I asked out of curiosity.
My army would obey my orders not to cause trouble in the Jerpan Archipelago anyway, but it seed Loa had other thoughts as well.
Loa hesitated for a mont, then her red face turned even redder as she said.
“I will bear Your Majesty’s child.”
“……?”
“I will take that child and raise it. So that Your Majesty will cherish the Jerpan Archipelago.”
This was the end of the newly written ‘nearest future.’
And as soon as I read this, I let out a blank, hollow sigh.
Heh—.
‘……That woman, Loa, is no ordinary person. To offer to have my child for the safety of her kingdom’s people.’
It has been quite a while since I beca king.
But it seed I was still not used to the ‘political maneuvers of the powerful.’
So…… what should I do.
Even though I pondered, the did not give an answer.
As if it were leaving it to my desires and greed, to do as I pleased.
……It was truly difficult.
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