148-Long dinner report
I checked with Window Flowers, but there was no loophole (back door) in the laws of Xina.
If this happens, I have no choice but to ask Viville to refuse the report.
In order to squash the story of the donation, I leave the room once and aim for a place where I won't be bugged.
Eventually, I end up in an armored car.
"Hello? Vi, are you free now? It's nothing important, and if you're busy, it's not...
'You're Ryou? The only thing that takes precedence over contacting our allies is this Congress! Contact me more, even if it's about today's dinner. In any case, why don't you talk to me about anything?
The first operation failed.
Move on to the second mission.
I've been asked to be a part of a strange arrangement. There is a person who wants to donate a city to Vi to build a temple. It's not even the scales of the tribe, but it's a donation, so I thought I'd just tell you about it.
"A race of humans donating cities and temples? I'm glad you feel that way, but some events can only be done by a scale priest, you know? The humans cannot.
''Only the priest is a scale tribe, but most of the people who live in the city are human, and they're just a formality.
If the priest is a scale person, he meets the requirements. It's rare for cities to donate money, but there are people who are followers of dragons who come on pilgrimage to the Tet forest, where there is a temple.
I forgot that there is a lot of dragon worship in the unaffiliated areas. That and because the dragon ambassadors and allies are human, the Tet Forest is a valuable official sanctuary that even non-scale clans can go to.
As a result, there is a high concentration of pilgrimages from dragon devotees, and the chiefs of the Tet clan often ask me how to spend their too much tourism revenue. The Tet Clan's chief often asks for advice on how to spend their excessive tourism income.
This has become the law of the Tet clan.
The Tet clan has decided that tourism revenue, bronze and iron coins are to be divided among them, but they insist that they belong to Master Vivir and will not touch them. On the contrary, they have become an extremist group of blind faithful who have been expelled from the Tet clan if they use their wealth to splurge.
Vivir asked me to give him some advice on how to spend his money and maintain the pilgrimage route. Creation of memorials at cheap inns and resting places. Gorgeous renovation of the worship hall. Establishment of free schools
He named these items as a way to raise the status of the vivir, and managed to get them to spend money. There is a lack of money in ancient times, there could be deflation like in the Kamakura period due to lack of money.
But you know what? People are easily corrupted. I'm worried about Vi's manor becoming famous for corruption.'
Only the Tet clan is able to maintain a life of poverty despite their wealth. Most humans are easily drowned in greed.
'But no, it's a high point in Vi's sense that she's not a Sailor, but Ryou's agent... That's right! As long as we make the donation to the Dragon Assembly and send an overseer from Tet, we won't have to worry about it! It's enough to have a statue in the temple to show that he and Ryo are good friends.
Perhaps he was happy with his first ally communication in a long time, but Viville forgot the first person, [I], in order to maintain his dignity. The use of language is also quite strange. I guess I failed........Also, now that I have a clan, is it necessary to appeal to [I have a friend] now?
I have other things to worry about. The Tet clan's oversight role could be a bad idea... I can see a future of Inquisition and sectarian warfare.
The second operation fails.
Move on to Operation III.
But Vi, that city is intractable to the Orin oracle state, and if things go wrong, it's going to be a war. Vi doesn't like conflict, and I don't want her to suffer as much as I do. So it would be better to say no...''
'What, a country as big as Orin is abusing a city? Olin awful! Any sign of Ryou............Kishina. Yup, Vi is going to punish Orin's tormentor! Ryou is responsible for protecting the city until Vi goes, and I'll be there as soon as the council is done tomorrow!''
Puts, two, two, two....
Oh, did I just lose it? I can't get a connection.
Could this be the worst possible outcome?
...How did this happen?
In the end, my operation ended up being the worst possible way to go.
★ Back in the dining room.
Thank you for your patience. I've spoken to Mr. Viville as soon as possible, and in view of the urgency of the matter, he'll be here tomorrow around nightfall.
There's no more to follow. Considering Viville's character, after making him confess to his crimes without killing him, he must go directly to the royal palace in Olin and confront him with the charges and say something like [Abuse is not good].
Instead of handling it in secret, I have a feeling it's going to be an Ares War.
''Oh! As expected of Ryota-sama, this will save Kishina. This Mendale, I will serve you, Viville-sama, with all my bones intact. Of course, I won't forget my debt of gratitude to you, Ryota-sama!
I promise that from now on, this Dionne, too, will not be a diplomat in Kishina, but a liaison to the nations for the benefit of Master Viville and Ryota.
None of that matters now!
I must explain the crisis tomorrow and get the two of you to do everything in your power to help.
"This is no time for rejoicing, but I need your help in dealing with the impending crisis.
I tell them both who look at me curiously, and I tell them what Viville said.
'What?! Is Master Viville that radical?!
No, I don't like fighting. But I'm certain that Olin will protest. It's unlikely to happen first, but there's a chance that Orin will choose to go to war with the dragon. If that happens, Orin will become a scorched earth and the balance of nations will collapse. There is a risk of warfare spreading to all of Ares.
Kishinaw and his son took stock of the situation. Vivir wouldn't arrive until after tomorrow evening, when the congress would be over. If they didn't take care of the two of them in secret before then, and make sure there were no conflicts with Orin, there was a possibility of a dragon vs. Orin war....
'We must hurry. Give us all the information the mayor has.
Then the Mayor of Mendale began to explain.
Krugel and Lesen assassinated the mayor and his son after they staged a conflict by staging a nush on the Lizardman settlement and framing them for the crime. We've already heard of this coup plan, but they also explained what they planned to do afterwards.
In the end, Lesen begged Olin to subdue the Lizardmen. However, even after the suppression, the Olin oracle state army remained stationed in the city. The plan was for Lesen to take power temporarily and, after giving Kishina to Olin, to be reappointed as the Marquis of Kishina of Olin.
Evidence was also presented. There were two written agreements: one in which Lesen offered Kishina to Olin, and the other in which Olin recognized Lesen as the Marquis of Kishina. Moreover, the one in Lesen's mansion has been replaced with a fake, and the one being shown now is the real one.
With this plan, I don't think it can be implemented immediately. Even if it is necessary to eliminate Krueger, shall we capture Lesen? It's partly because we're relatives, but also because I'm worried about the upheaval in Congress if it's the same time as the donation.
'No, don't worry, the council's authority is civilian only. You can eliminate Lesen as well. He signed the pact before the endowment was decided, and he is second only to Dionne in the Xina succession. If he's alive, he could be used in a plot by the temple forces.
'Even if he doesn't have the authority, the higher up in the succession, even if the mayor takes away the succession, he might insist that Olin is the rightful heir. Moreover, he promised to donate Kishina before the decision to donate... It would be troublesome if Lesen created a government in exile.
It's quite impossible, but they might try to extract some of the concessions or even part of the concessions by kneading. If that's the case, Viville, or rather the dragon council's response would be [If there was a prior agreement, I'd like people to settle it among themselves, I don't need it until it's resolved].......
'I see, we can't make Xina a property for a reason.
'Yes, I'm sure the temple forces in Orin won't choose war either. But at worst, they could allow Xina to contribute and then rule twice. There is a possibility that this is the case. Therefore, Ryota-sama, please eliminate the two of them in secret!
The mayor of Mendale has already called me out on my appearance. I don't have any unfinished business in the mayor's office and I can see that he really wants to be released from his responsibilities as soon as possible. But the fact that he wants to be released is a sign that he's currently trying to fulfill his responsibilities.......
The truth is, I think Viville will refuse the donation if I complain that I don't like it personally. But that would only be a temporary fix for destroying Krugel's plans. As long as the ambitions of the temple forces remain intact, the people of Kishina will eventually suffer.
I've finally made up my mind.
I've already killed many people in this world who are classified as bandits. In Ares, we differentiate between bandits and people, but in Japan, no matter what the target is, it's still a murderer.
This time, the label on the target is "bandit". It's a legitimate target to be defeated, only with the order of assassination attached to the means. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. Then this is Goddess's case, therefore it is beyond the pros and cons.
The troublesome procedure of the mind is over.
Now, let's get to work.
"What's the status of the extermination operation?
I decided to ask him about the status of the extermination of the beech.