Chapter 500: The Second Move
On the flagship Alphonse, which departed from the harbor, there was someone familiar.
"I never expected to have both the younger and the older brother on board," said the captain.
"It seems you supported Leo back then. I'm grateful, Captain."
He was the captain who had taken me on board disguised as Leo during the Sea Dragon incident. He was the one who came up with the idea of raising the white flag.
Whether it was due to his skills being recognized or his experience of having been to the principality, he seemed to have been selected as the captain of the flagship Alphonse this time.
"It's embarrassing to be called a supporter. Well, I will safely deliver Your Highness," said the captain.
"That would be helpful. By the way, were the packages opened?"
"Yes, I instructed my subordinates earlier."
But the answer came immediately.
"We finally made it out," said a small bear, walking out in small steps. It was Seig.
"Honestly, Your Highness, you will never cease to amaze me," said Colonel Lars of Nerberitter, following Seig. His subordinates followed suit. Finally, Lynfia appeared.
"As you instructed, ten of us, including me and Seig, hid among the packages."
"I appreciate your efforts."
"Hold on a moment! Your Highness! What is the meaning of this!?"
"Officially, my only escorts are the crew of this ship and Captain Fin, the commander of the airborne knights. They should have confirmed before the ship departed, as they must have spies as well. So we hid among the packages."
"I'm not asking about that! Why do we have more escorts!? Wasn't our mission negotiation?"
"It is a negotiation. However, we must be prepared even for the possibility of negotiation failure. They were meant to be shields to protect us. But..." the prince sighed.
As he spoke, he let out a sigh. The plan was to deliberately reduce the number of escorts and exert pressure on the principality. It was a form of pressure that said, "Don't betray our trust." However, if we were too honest and did that, it would be troublesome if we failed. That's why I brought along a few skilled individuals, just in case.
"Is there a problem?"
"Yeah, there are countless problems. The situation is already close to the worst-case scenario I anticipated."
"So, Your Highness... Is the mission a failure from the beginning...?"
"That seems to be the case. The prince is wavering between the empire and the kingdom, and the feudal lords see such a king as pitiful and unreliable. After all, Albatro is a vassal state of the kingdom. Even if the prince and I negotiate and succeed, the new king will likely break the agreement."
The dissatisfaction with a king who has yet to decide to support the kingdom is growing. The younger generation has relatively little consciousness of the favors bestowed by the kingdom. However, the older generation values the longstanding friendship with the kingdom, which has been passed down through generations.
The prince is aware of the friendship between the prince and the kingdom and also knows that there are debts owed to the empire. That's why he is caught in a dilemma. ℞𝘢𐌽ŎᛒΕS̈
"The prince is currently seeking reinforcements. The kingdom is planning to replace the king, and the feudal lords are aiming for the throne. In that situation, we, the empire, are who the prince should rely on."
"Then let's demonstrate our might with this flagship Alphonse!"
The captain declared loudly.
However, that would be a grave mistake.
"Captain... I'm really sorry, but this ship has no value in this situation."
"What...? It's the Empire's state-of-the-art ship, you know...?"
"This ship was built with technological assistance from the principality. It may be superior in performance to the principality's ships, but it's not enough to change the course of the battle single-handedly. It's not suitable for demonstrating the might of the empire."
The captain, who had been commanding the ship with confidence, visibly deflated upon hearing those words.
It hurt his pride, but facts were facts.
If we boldly boarded this ship with confidence, the prince of the principality might sway toward the kingdom.
Because it would make the empire appear unreliable.
"The principality relies mainly on its navy, while the empire relies primarily on its army. It's a mistake to try to compete with them using the navy. If we want to demonstrate our might, it's better to lead a strong knight order or army."
"Shall we move the Southern Border Defense Army under the guise of an exercise?"
I shook my head at Lynfia’s suggestion.
If we did that, it might be seen as threatening the entire principality.
What matters is that we are acting for the future of the principality.
"Finne, I'm sorry, but I have a favor to ask."
This time, Finne and I are in the position of envoys. There are two of us.
Let's make use of that.
"Currently, if we dock this flagship in the harbor, the empire's military strength may be doubted. That's why we won't enter Albatro Principality. We will head to the Rondine Principality."
"W-What are we supposed to do in Rondine...?"
"Since the Sea Dragon incident, Rondine and Albatro have been in an alliance. A letter of support from King Rondine carries some weight. Finne, I want you to receive a letter from King Rondine stating that he supports the decision of King Albatro."
"Understood. And what about you, Al-sama?"
"I will enter the Albatro Principality."
Upon hearing my words, the captain held his head in his hands.
He couldn't understand the meaning behind it.
"How are you going to enter Albatro if you're heading to Rondine!? It will take time if you go overland from Rondine!"
"No problem. Colonel Lars, do you have confidence in rope climbing?"
"I have received training in it to a certain extent."
"Then select six people for the task. Seig will go with me from the air."
"What about me? Shall I be Finne-sama's escort?"
"You will be both an escort and an advisor. You will move in a way that the prince doesn't yield to the pressure, but when his options run out, the kingdom's envoy will likely incite rebellion. At that time, Rondine's support will be crucial."
If we can bring Rondine Principality on our side, the rebels will be isolated.
Finally, the relationship with the Rondine Principality is improving, and we should not take actions that would antagonize the Albatro Principality, which has improved relations with Rondine.
"If we can approach nearby and board using a small boat and ropes..."
"Are you serious...?" ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novęlfire.net
"We have no other options. It's pointless just for me to go to Albatro Principality. We need capable individuals."
Upon hearing Lars' response, the captain realized that it would be futile to say anything more and started instructing his subordinates to prepare the ropes.
Well, let's go and greet the prince for now.
"From now on, we'll split up. Finne, I'm counting on you."
"Yes, leave it to me. I wish you good luck, Al-sama."
"Yeah, pray for our success. Sebas, stay by Finne's side."
We have been too reactive this time.
Although the fact that Albatro Principality has sided with the kingdom does not immediately pose a threat to the empire, in the long run, it will gradually corner us.
The person who saw that vision and sent the envoy was undoubtedly cunning.
While thinking about such things, I called for Fin, who was in the air.
Whooo we hit Chapter 500!!
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