“Train Natra soldiers to serve in our Imperial troops…?!”
“That’s right.”
Meanwhile, Fyshe was nodding and exchanging words with her aide in another room.
“You’ve heard the good news of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor’s recovery, right? I’m sure we’ll advance into the West again. When the time comes, we’ll be glad to have more soldiers.”
“……”
“At first glance, this exchange seems to place the burden solely on the Empire. But since the kingdom is practically destined to become part of the Empire, think of the military instruction and financial contribution as an early investment. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
“Please wait,” the aide objected. “I must ask something before we move forward. What assurance do we have that they won’t bare their fangs at us?”
It was a perfectly reasonable question, but Fyshe’d already prepared an answer. “He won’t strike at the Empire. His proposal is proof of that. Say their soldiers grew to rival the Empire’s. Do you really believe we’d lose?”
“Of course not. It would be…impossible. We’re much too strong.”
“Precisely. He seems to understand this. You might ask: What’s the meaning behind his proposal? To ingratiate himself to his army? No, nothing that superficial. It was a calculated move to protect his people.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was probably aware of the Emperor’s recovery, meaning he foresaw our strategy to continue our march into the West. What would happen to Natra then? They have only two options: fight or surrender diplomatically. Either choice would be their final act as a sovereign nation. In that case, which one would be better?”
The aide’s eyes widened. “He proposed this to avoid falling under our complete control…?!”
“Yes. I mean, Natra’s a pitifully small country that the Empire could easily polish off. If some high official in the Empire was after military exploits, an invasion of the kingdom is entirely possible. But this is a totally different story if their soldiers are positioned to join our army.”
“So he’s moving toward a diplomatic solution to form an allegiance… This will avoid needlessly spilling the blood of his citizens. And things will go smoothly for the both of us if we don’t resort to military force—fewer lingering grudges and less aggression.”
“In other words, he’s appealing to his people and the provisional government by positioning this arrangement as an advantage. At the same time, he’s laying the groundwork for a smooth transition, knowing they’re destined to join the Empire… I must say, I’m impressed.”
In spite of herself, Fyshe admired his strategy, his quiet stoicism during the meeting, and the ingenuity of his grand plan. The fact that this was coming from a sixteen-year-old kid made it all the more frightening.
She didn’t know how he’d respond when Natra was annexed—but if he stepped down from power, she’d welcome him to the Empire with open arms.
Well, she did have one concern.
…Is this his only goal?
She accepted this plan when she saw an advantage. But he must have seen this coming, seeing that everything was going according to his plan.
Was it some sort of setup?
I left nothing to chance. I crushed every gap and loophole. It’d be impossible to fall into a trap… I’m sure of it.
But there was still a lingering sense of what-if.
Wein Salema Arbalest might possess more knowledge than she’d imagined.
I hate to admit it… But I can’t deny he’s very competent.
She couldn’t rule out any possibilities, so she knew she needed to keep a sharp eye out for him and kept the image of Wein lingering in the back of her mind.
✦ ✦ ✦
“—Well, it’s not a trap!”
“What are you going on about all of a sudden?”
“I just figured they’re probably jumping at shadows right now.”
Ninym flashed a dubious look at Wein, and he placated her, signaling Don’t worry about it with his eyes.
“Anyway, you know why they went along with my conditions, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“But your expression’s telling me otherwise.”
“I don’t agree with your reasoning,” Ninym emphasized in dissatisfaction. “Even if you’re successful in receiving aid from the Empire, you’ve just sealed our fate! We’re heading toward our demise.” She hesitated. “…Do you really plan on surrendering?”
“Sure, that’s the plan… Hey, hold it—don’t twist my arm.”
Ninym had wordlessly clawed into him.
“You should know! You were with me during my time in the Empire. They’re ridiculously strong: Defying them would only result in bloodshed. Besides, I watched how they operate. They weren’t so bad, y’know? Sure, it’ll raise some concerns when we become their territory. But we’ll adapt soon enough.”
“…And how do you truly feel?”
“With this, I can say good-bye to this annoying-ass job and YEOOOOOW MY ARM, MY ARM, MY ARM?!”
“I’m sure you can do it, Wein. You can stand against the Empire.”
“Nah, sounds like a pain… UWAAAAAH, MY ARM SHOULDN’T BEND THAT WAY!”
She made him writhe and scream for a little while longer before dropping his arm and accepting defeat, turning her back toward him.
“If you hate it so much, betray me,” he whispered soothingly. “Kill me, and this will go up in smoke. Hey, Ninym, my heart, you listening to this?”
“…You know your heart wouldn’t do that to you.”
No matter how much she cried out or protested or disagreed with his decisions, she would never defy them in the end. Her ancestors had taken a vow of absolute loyalty when they first came to this country and began to serve the royal family.
“Oh, don’t sulk now. I get that you’re feeling reluctant, but all countries disappear sooner or later. We just happen to be next in line.”
“…Will our troops really accept this?”
“I’m sure they’ll be upset at first. But we’ll convince them we’re biding our time to plan a counterattack or something. Once they see the Empire’s strength for themselves, I’m sure their urge to revolt will subside. And when the time finally comes, they’ll be ready to pledge allegiance to the Empire, and all our government positions will be reassigned, allowing me to take my money and live the good life! It’s the perfect plan, if I do say so myself!”
“…I hope it fails.”
He chuckled in high spirits. “Don’t you know schemes are my forte? Just you wait. Also, you’re forgetting something, Ninym.”
“…Meow.”
“Good girl.”
She sighed even deeper in the face of her master’s hubris.