As I said before, Charlotte is quite an observant woman.
Who would’ve thought that the only daughter of the council chairperson would have such sharp instincts when it comes to these matters?
And right after hearing my words, she immediately caught on to what I was hinting at.
“The Empire asks for our bl**d, does it not? You’re not referring to a mere declaration of support or standing under the Empire’s shadow. You mean actual combat, stepping directly onto the frontlines, correct?”
“That’s right.”
At this, Charlotte makes a face that’s clearly saying, “This is awkward af.”
Fair, fair—she just got handed an incredibly tough ask in exchange for her advice. I get it.
There’s a big difference between simply tagging along as a buddy who listens to the Empire’s instructions and fully committing to fight alongside them. Command issues are sure to pop up, and if their side takes heavy losses, there’s no telling if they can shoulder that burden. Internally, they’ve also got to worry about what happens if the Empire sees Nobogorod’s weakness as an opportunity to turn the screws, once they’re already in too deep.
And let’s not forget—politics is all about obsessing over possibilities. Even if the Empire swears they’d never dream of doing something like that, the mere suspicion that they might is enough to make joining the frontlines feel like hanging a sign around your own neck.
“Miss Charlotte.”
However, the advice I’m about to give next will sort this all out.
“You’re worried right now about Nobogorod’s Hardliners, aren’t you? More specifically, about them getting all riled up by Dedolant whispering nasty stuff in their ears, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Refusing outright won’t cut it, either. Dedolant and the hardliners won’t back down that easily.”
Dedolant’s desperate to force the Empire into a two-front war. Nobogorod’s hardliners will stop at nothing to regain power in the political sphere. If either side gets even an inch of leverage, they’ll keep coming at you like a relentless horde. No matter how many times you say no, they’ll still find ways to h*rass you.
And let’s not kid ourselves—Moderates, the council chairperson, and Charlotte herself must be absolutely fed up with this. Like, “Why can’t we stick with our awesome big brother Empire instead of cozying up to some shady bully?” But then again, reporting all this to the Empire feels icky too, since it might drag innocent people into trouble.
“There’s only one way out.”
And here it is: In cases like this, there’s only one proper solution.
Make sure the two parties trying to cozy up become mortal enemies instead. Roar and snarl until they never even consider such a move in their wildest dreams.
And for that, I’ve got just the scheme ready to go. Well, more like a flash of inspiration dredged up from my past life.
“Nobogorod and Artria are very close, aren’t they?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. There’s Empire territory in between, but it’s fairly narrow, so it doesn’t really matter.”
“They run into each other at sea pretty often, right?”
“Yes. Actually, it’s mostly because all covert movement between here and Nobogorod happens via the sea route to avoid Empire surveillance.”
Then that’s all we need. More than enough even.
“Create a dispute.”
“…Huh?”
“ANYTHING. Some dirty tricks. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you need to somehow engineer friction, conflict between Nobogorod and Artria.”
With that, I picked up my teacup sitting right before me. Hmm. Of course, tea brewed at home always smells the best. I’ve been treated to fancy teas at the royal palace and even holy sites, but nothing compares to this cozy, familiar aroma.
“…”
Charlotte was quiet, looking deep in thought. She was chewing it over, clearly mulling it all very carefully.
If Her Highness the princess had been in this seat, I’m pretty sure she’d have piped up right away with, “How exactly do we cause a dispute, and in what manner?” Then I’d internally groan, but eventually, I’d find a clever answer for her.
But Charlotte is different. She doesn’t need all the answers handed to her outright. It’s just advisory at this point; giving her more than a nudge in the right direction would defeat the purpose of it being advice. Finding the rest of the solution is all on her.
“And… I believe this woman is capable of doing just that.”
What should I call it? Maybe… yeah. She and I are cut from the same cloth. If the princess represents purity and brilliance, shining brightly high above, Charlotte’s closer to someone comfortable treading the deeper, shadowy corners of politics.
This isn’t meant as an insult, mind you. Far from it. All I’m saying is she’s probably the type who’d excel at strategy and cunning tactics, like certain… ahem… Demons of politics. And given her political experience, it’s no surprise at all.
“Dispute… friction… conflict…”
Look at her go! See her working her brain overtime. She won’t need step-by-step instructions. Any second now, she’ll likely…
“Truth be told, consulting you, Lord Kael, was probably the best decision I’ve made.”
“…”
“To be honest, I did sort of have an inkling of what you were suggesting, but… Hmm, how do I put this? There wasn’t much conviction behind it. I wasn’t quite sure if it would even work.”
“…”
“But knowing you, Lord Kael, had already considered something similar? It reinforces my confidence. This truly was the best move on my part.”
And then she laughs softly, “Hehehe.” Kind of gives you the creeps for a second, doesn’t it? And that’s before factoring in the awkward adoration she seems to be throwing my way without warning.
“Building on Lord Kael’s advice, I actually have something in mind. Would you care to hear it?”
“Interesting. Do tell.”
“After studying your strategies so far, here’s what I propose.”
Land borders, sure, you can draw clear lines on them, but seas? Nope. No boundaries visible, so their claims will always clash. And when that happens, sooner or later, these grievances will pile up to become a huge problem!
“I’m thinking of stirring things up over territorial waters. There’s been a discrepancy between what Nobogorod claims and what Artria claims since ancient times.”
“Even after Dedolant annexed Artria, these kinds of disputes could continue indefinitely.”
It’s also possible Dedolant might react even more sensitively than Artria ever did. They’re obsessed with every inch of land, after all.
“Maintaining stationary borders on the water is basically impossible. That’s why their patrols and guard efforts are pretty weak. In the gaps, there are several fishing boats sneaking around. Could be Artria boats, could be Nobogorod ones.”
“But getting caught is a big deal! That’s why most sailors have at least some light arms on them, just in case they encounter a patrol and need to fight their way out.”
“Through this process, all sorts of situations could arise. Imagine an Artria fishing boat sneaking in to fish and getting caught by Nobogorod patrols. They might even open fire!”
A tried-and-true recipe for making anyone, human or Demon, lose their cool. Blame the other side, but watch them fight back with violence, a classic case of “the accused turns accuser.”
During this process, how much damage, how much loss is inflicted becomes the crucial detail.
“Fortunately for me, the naval commander in this area is a moderate allied with our faction. His entire family is deeply involved with us too, so the chances of him betraying us are slim.”
“Use him to stage some fake run-ins. Convince him to put on a good, convincing show. For example, pretending to be Artria fishing boats and using our navy to act it out.”
“Fake incidents.” That classic trick the old political veterans always rely on when things turn sour. And one thing’s for sure—this will poke the Demons’ pride where it hurts. Offering a little leniency for some fishing boats only to have them turn around and flee with violence? It’s no wonder people in Artria would grow angry.
“But fake incidents carry the risk of being exposed. What about the fallout if someone finds out?”
“Then we just have to prepare even more thoroughly—making sure my brilliant plan succeeds just like Lord Kael’s strategies.”
“One more thing. This alone won’t set Nobogorod ablaze. Maybe stir some embers, but that’s about it.”
At my words, Charlotte beams and adds:
“Once the embers start burning, it means possibilities are opening up. Gossipers will step in to fan the flames.”
“Hmm.”
“On top of that, Artria and Nobogorod haven’t exactly been the best of neighbors.”
What this means is that Artria will likely respond somehow to our little scheme. After all, even Dedolant’s annexation couldn’t remove the pre-existing sentiments. If you told Artria citizens, “Oh, those hooligans from Artria attacked Nobogorod patrols and fled!” How do you think they’d react?
“Good grief! Those rotten kids! We need to round them up immediately!”
The Artria populace would likely feel vindicated. From Dedolant’s perspective, however, it might not sit well with their long-term plans. Dedolant and Artria officials might apologize to mitigate tensions…
“…But the Artria citizens would then likely react with anger: ‘Why should we apologize?’
“And that, in turn, will further provoke Nobogorod.”
“Resulting in building anti-Artria, anti-Dedolant sentiment among the Kingdom People.”
After our conversation reached that point, Charlotte and I exchanged glances. Without needing to say anything, we burst out laughing simultaneously.
Surprising. Unbelievable. After just a brief discussion, we’d managed to weave an entire plan together. Even more uncanny? I was thinking along similar lines the entire time.
The trick to separating people you can’t fully trust but who are drawn together by mutual interest? Poke their oversized egos. Scratch there deeply enough, and they’ll start flailing uncontrollably. As I keep saying, logic of gain and loss can’t hold a candle to pride, not even when it’s on its deathbed.
“You’ve clearly studied my methods carefully. You’re impressive, Miss Charlotte.”
“Well, without your advice, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to even try this.”
“For someone who supposedly studied me, you sure executed this plan with incredible fluidity.”
“Hehehe. Was it that obvious?”
Afterward, I continued talking with Charlotte, delving further into various topics.
Of a personal nature? Not at all. It was all about the current political climate and future possibilities.
If pressed, would I say I felt any particular fondness? Hmm. Not necessarily fondness, but a bit of wary respect, yes. Meeting someone cut from the same cloth naturally invites a degree of suspicion, wouldn’t you agree? The positive vibes she exudes toward me might very well be a performance after all.
“So, in my view…”
I kept nodding along, probing deeper into Charlotte’s motives.
Perhaps there’s some obscure detail I’ve missed. You never know.
Charlotte felt good. No, she felt amazingly* good.
To be sitting here exchanging ideas with someone she’d long viewed as a true genius? A master strategist no less?
It was impossible to remember the last time she engaged in a conversation this deep and thought-provoking for such a long stretch of time.
“Truly a brilliant strategist. That insight, that foresight! Oh, I could talk all night with him!”
Contrasting with Kael’s careful glint of suspicion, Charlotte’s eyes overflowed with admiration, growing stronger with each passing moment.
Afterward, as they parted ways, neither mentioned the unspoken mutual respect that had developed between them.
And yet, both knew: this wasn’t the last they’d discuss matters. Not by a long shot.
