I Was Reincarnated As The Older Brother Of A Villainess Destined to Die, So I Want To Change The Future By Raising My Younger Sister With My Own Hands. I Am The Strongest In The World, But My Little Sister Must Be The Cutest In The World - Volume 5 Chapter 3.1
Spy (3)
“This is a grave situation, indeed.”
“There’s no doubt about Morikuni’s declaration of war!”
“We should retaliate immediately!”
“Such short-sighted actions are the height of foolishness.”
“Exactly. Perhaps we should first send an emissary to assess the situation.”
“Agreed. Besides, it’s doubtful whether the so-called thieves captured by Count Foranada are truly elves.”
“Digging into that matter won’t lead us anywhere.”
“The fact that elves have infiltrated is why we’re having this meeting in the first place. How about using your heads for once?”
“Are you mocking me?”
The meeting room in the royal castle. Despite its spaciousness, rivaling a tennis court, it was filled with noisy chatter. While one could argue that candid opinions were being exchanged, in reality, it had turned into a tumultuous and uncontrollable discussion. While the desire to make noise was understandable, I wished they would discuss matters more calmly.
Currently, I was attending a noble council being held in the royal castle. As a noble and one of the individuals involved in capturing the elves, I had been given a seat here.
Holding the meeting itself was not an issue. If an enemy nation without divine blessings had sent spies, it was only natural to discuss countermeasures.
However, the content of the discussion was unbearable. When a monotheist noble voiced an extreme opinion, those who were more opportunistic would make rash counterarguments, and then the anti-Foranada faction would join in. It was a perfect example of “the meeting dances but makes no progress.”
It had probably been around thirty minutes. I had been observing to avoid unnecessary hostility, but I was growing tired of indulging in this charade.
Just as I was about to speak up and suggest a more constructive approach, the Saint King, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.
“Let’s hear Lord Suede’s opinion.”
“…………”
Suddenly, the once-noisy nobles fell silent.
Not only did their leader speak, but everyone present here knew the true identity of the Suede family. Hence, they couldn’t argue with his rational judgment.
Lord Suede, Shion’s biological father, now disguised as a man in his fifties, was, in fact, an elf. He had undoubtedly been the wisest among them in this whole commotion.
Lord Suede drew everyone’s attention to himself but remained composed. He took a deep breath and spoke in his stern voice.
“First and foremost, from my standpoint, I am fundamentally against any invasion of Morikuni.”
“Are you showing fear?”
“Do you want to protect your homeland?”
“There are several reasons, but the main ones can be summarized in two points.”
Despite the emotional insults being hurled at him, he remained unshaken and continued to express his views steadily.
“One is the presence of the Empire. While they’ve been relatively quiet in recent years, I believe we cannot afford to start a war while ignoring that nation. Not just for geographical reasons, but also as a precaution against the Empire’s opportunistic tendencies.”
It made sense. Morikuni was situated on the other side of the Empire. If we were to wage war, we would inevitably have to pass through the Empire’s territory. They wouldn’t simply grant us free passage, and even if they did, the supply lines would be too long, leading to exhaustion on our part.
Furthermore, as he mentioned, the Empire might seek to take advantage. A nation that had expanded its territory through war would likely be well-prepared.
“The other reason is that even if we were to win against Morikuni without any issues, the gains would be minimal. We could obtain reparations, but when it comes to land and technology, it would be difficult to acquire anything else.”
That’s also understandable. Even if we gain land, it might be too far from our homeland to manage effectively. And when it comes to acquiring technology, their magical expertise is so advanced that our kingdom might not be able to make full use of it. Relying on monetary gains alone is insufficient given the potential costs of war.
“Tch.”
Clearly, Lord Suede’s well-structured explanation left everyone without a valid rebuttal. Well, they were the nobles representing the nation, so one could expect them to possess a certain level of reason. Looking at the previous discussions, it might be a bit hard to believe, but still.