284The imperial noble that the daughter, or rather the spy, of King Hwatria saw in the Principality of Tahiti was a former imperial official named Donati Pelo.
The few superpowers he brought with him gave strength to Leon Tahiti, who was originally just King Kong’s younger brother, and Leon Tahiti succeeded in revolting.
And King Ramon I said that the newly crowned Prince of Tahiti, following the advice of Donati Pelo, was breaking the tradition of the union and creating policies that would cause confusion.
“What policy specifically?”
[Although it is a union, it is a completely different country, so it was decided to ease border security and lower taxes on trade between countries step by step, eventually abolishing it.]
Calon, the maritime kingdom in the East Sea, is the only archipelago among the seven kingdoms, and the only archipelago in the eastern part of the continent. It was a policy that could clearly benefit the Principality of Tahiti, whose main income came from transit trade leading to the inland Macline or Empire.
The policy is also great.
[In addition, the soldiers of the principality are fully armed with weapons called repeating crossbows imported from McLane, and they are devoting themselves to military training every day, instilling anxiety in the surrounding kingdoms.] We are
also strengthening our national defense capabilities.
[Furthermore, emphasizing that the four kingdoms have been continuously marginalized in the alliance, they control the voting rights of the alliance, so if things are left as is, the alliance will have no choice but to follow their wishes in the future.] They are
also good at diplomacy.
“He’s a good king…?”
[Yes?]
“Oh no. But what do you want from us?”
As Ramon Sr.’s face distorted at the sincerity that unconsciously flowed out, Logan hurriedly changed his mind.
Then Ramon I, who had been tilting his head, calmed his expression again and got to the point.
[I believe this all started with an imperial conspiracy. Therefore, our kingdom, which has already suffered damage from the empire, wants to form a close alliance with McLane. At Tria, we are ready to accommodate whatever Macline wants.]
“Hoo? Anything?”
A sweet offer that says we will do anything, so just show solidarity.
Logan’s eyes couldn’t help but widen.
[yes. We will accept any conditions possible. After all, McLane is a stronger country.] Of
course, conditions followed the excessive flattery of a powerful country.
[However, in return, I ask you to remove Donati Pelo and dethrone Leon Tahiti from the throne.]
“Ha…?”
Asking the king of a country to be assassinated?
Logan’s mouth dropped open at Ramon I’s absurd suggestion.
* * *
“What do you think?”
I will think about it.
After ending his communication with Ramon I with those words, Logan asked Damian for his opinion.
Considering the threat to the empire, Tria’s proposal was an absolute blessing.
However, there were some doubts about blindly accepting it.
And Damian pinpointed the suspicious point.
“Perhaps what King Tria said is true, but not true.”
“what?”
“There is no way the empire would use someone whose identity has already been exposed as a spy. Think of Cleo’s case. We still haven’t found any physical evidence that she is a spy for the empire. “Except for the neck.”
“…yes.”
“But it is probably true that the Principality of Tahiti changed because of that person named Donati Pello, and the Union of Small Kingdoms itself was corrupted as a result. I think there is a good possibility that he really moved within the empire.”
“That’s right. The problem is that there must have been another reason why the empire sided with the Principality of Tahiti, but I don’t know why. And if you erase Ramon I’s prejudiced words, the new king of the Principality of Tahiti has policies that are sufficiently beneficial to them. is unfolding.”
“That’s right. And the advancement of the Principality of Tahiti that has been confirmed so far means, in other words, the advancement of the weakest member of the union. And the advancement of the principality, which was the weakest, means that the existing order will be overturned for other kingdoms.”
“Is this going to keep everyone in check? Like Ramon I?”
“Yes. To them, it would seem that the order brought about by hundreds of years of history is collapsing. And that thought itself will bring about chaos.”
“I’m sure… I guess so. So, I’m asking you to remove that variable and return everything ‘to its original state.’ That’s plausible. Although that’s probably not all that the King of Tria wants.”
Although world affairs are extremely complex, there is no such thing as ‘unconditional’, especially in matters between countries.
Because when it comes to moving the lives of hundreds of millions of people, variables always arise.
However, the meaning of making an impossible statement as a condition was clear.
“…It probably means that you have no intention of protecting it. I think Ramon I looks down on me too much.”
“Honestly, Your Majesty’s clumsy imitation of a patient was something to be ignored.”
“what?”
“It’s a joke.”
Logan laughed at Damian’s nonsense joke.
Did you think this man could tell a joke?
Once again, I felt a strange difference from my previous life, but Damian cleared his throat and quickly changed his mind.
“Ramon I. He passed the burden on to us because he knew that if he tried and failed, he would face a huge backlash. Moreover, it seems that he will try it because he has nothing to lose whether he succeeds or fails.”
“If they fail, they will pretend they had nothing to do with it.”
“If they succeed, they will try to take control again by labeling us as enemies of the Coalition.”
It was a moment when Logan and Damian’s opinions completely agreed.
“At least for me.”
“Yes. That old man certainly looked like a snake.”
“‘Do’? I’m a snake…?”
Oh you.
In my past life, I was like a poisonous snake.
Since it was impossible to say something like that, Logan hurriedly blurted out the words.
“Hmm. That means he looks that cunning and smart.”
“…Well, I understand that you mean it well.”
“Okay. Then what should we do? Anyway, if you’re going to fight the Empire, the more allies you have, the better.”
“I don’t know if Donati Pelo is really related to the empire or not, but it is a matter of overthrowing a principality. Rather than being difficult, I am worried about the repercussions. But…”
Damian smiled a strangely cool smile.
“If we put it together well, I think we can create an environment where His Majesty’s will can be carried out much more easily.”
“Hoo?”
“As requested by King Tria, we will eliminate Donati Pelo and depose Leon Tahiti. And we will make it the Empire’s doing.”
“Wasn’t it you who said that the Kingdom of Tria would turn against us?”
“So, first we have to get collateral from the King of Tria.”
“hmm?”
“They certainly don’t expect us to take action based on communication alone. They must have prepared something. But beyond that, they will have to put in place conditions that will be extremely burdensome. Whatever that may be.”
“And what if he tries to pull out?”
“That won’t be possible. It will become clear after further investigation, but if the King himself is trying to do something unreasonable, the situation is probably more serious than he said. It’s probably more urgent for him than for us.”
“Okay. First, try to understand the situation properly.”
“yes.”
Damian’s assurance was immediately proven within three days.
“The Kingdom of Tria’s dependence on transit trade was much higher than expected.”
Damian spoke calmly as he piled up a considerable amount of documents to one side, considering they were researched over just three days.
“What do you mean?”
“There are not many specialties in Tria. If we were to look for them, they were rich in agricultural products among the small kingdoms, but the luxury of the royal family and nobles was extreme.”
“Ohh.”
“Through their geographical advantage, they accumulated wealth by paying large taxes on trade between kingdoms. And now, their main source of income has disappeared.”
“It’s worth the poop rope ride.”
“Yes. I probably have no choice but to accept all the conditions.”
A smile appeared on Logan’s face.
And soon after, a secret phone call was made again with King Ramon I of Tria.
[Are you talking about conditions?]
“Yes. As you know, it is quite a burden for us as McLane to work in the Kingdom of the United Kingdom.”
[I guess so.]
“Since you said you would listen to anything, I think you expected something. So, please tell me first.”
Look at your hand first.
Ramon I looked embarrassed at Logan’s words.
However, after clearing his throat a few times, Ramon I cautiously opened his mouth.
Then he brought up an unexpected condition.
[First of all, I have a beautiful daughter who turns 16 this year. As proof of our alliance, I would like to send that child as His Majesty’s concubine.]
…How many daughters does this human being have?
‘No, before that…’
Logan tried hard to suppress the feeling that his face was about to convulse.
“No, that’s okay. Please tell me other conditions. Being the current queen is enough for me.”
[yes? How could such a young hero reject a woman… Hmm. [Excuse me for this.]
A look of surprise appeared on Ramon’s face, as if those words were truly unexpected.
And looking at that, Logan was convinced.
‘He sees his daughters as nothing more than tools.’
I was once again convinced that despite his good-natured appearance, he was a completely different person on the inside.
Moreover, the words that followed were ridiculous.
[The current situation in our kingdom is not so good, so it is difficult to give a lot of money first. So, how about I make another promise in writing?]
“Another promise?”
[After the alliance returns to normal, we will create a document stating that our kingdom will steadily repay MacLane ‘every year’.]
“Ho… Are you saying you will pay tribute?”
[If you can get the union back to normal, what can’t you do?]
This is essentially the same as saying that it will become a vassal state.
But Logan shook his head slightly.
“Hmm. That sounds tempting, but…”
A magic contract between individuals can be forcibly ignored by a knight of higher rank or higher. Moreover, a treaty between countries without a special notary or guaranteed validity could be reduced to a mere piece of paper with just a word from the king.
If you just say that you don’t have money to give, it will be quite a difficult situation.
If Ramon I planned to use McLane as expected, it was no exaggeration to say that it had no meaning.
‘It’s just words on an invalid document, and besides, he doesn’t have the slightest intention of harming his daughter… Hehe. You’re looking at me so funny.’
So I felt the need to come out a little stronger.
“…I wish I could receive something as collateral rather than a document like that.”
[You mean the real thing? As I said, there is no room in our kingdom right now. Oh, did you mean that my daughter alone is not enough? Then, three….]
This crazy person….
Logan suppressed the urge to shudder and resolutely cut off the king who was trying to do business with his daughter.
“I would like you to entrust the national treasure of the Kingdom of Tria to me for a while.”
[Yes?!!]
As if he hadn’t expected it, Ramon I’s eyes instantly doubled in size.
Seven heroes who escaped the oppression of the ancient kingdom of Grandia and built their own kingdom.
Their leader, the Spear King Tria Cassel, left behind the flash spear ‘Ignis’, known as a 6th class artifact, as a memento.
Afterwards, King Chang’s name became the last name of the Trian royal family, and his relics became national treasures of the Trian Kingdom.
[Ignis is one of the few class 6 artifacts left in the world and a national treasure of our kingdom. How could that…]
King Ramon I did not even mention the seal, or oksak, that could be considered a symbol of the royal family.
That is how great the value of the national treasure was.
‘That’s why it’s worth it.’
Logan continued speaking calmly even as he looked at the other person’s embarrassed expression.
“We’re just saying we’ll keep it in your care for a while. Since it’s a job we have to do, wouldn’t we need that level of collateral so we can trust it as a solid promise?”
[…something like that.]
“Or did you think that you could move our kingdom with just a few words and meaningless pieces of paper?”
At the cool smile that Logan showed, King Tria was unable to say anything for a moment in the communication sphere.
After a short but seemingly long period of silence, Ramon I spoke in a hesitant voice.
[…Please keep it a secret from the public.]
It was a silent surrender with a bowed face.
Logan accepted the declaration of surrender with a wide smile on his face.
“of course.”
