episode_0035

There are various causes of war, but most of them usually start with greed.

Territory, resources, wealth, honor, titles, religious interests, and so on.

They wage war to take or not to be deprived of the various rights they possess.

And this war was no exception.

Especially for Alkione.

* * * * *

“Khehehe, this haul is quite lucrative again, wouldn’t you say?”

“There’s no doubt about it, Your Majesty.”

Drake IV, the 17th King of the Alkione Federation, grinned sinisterly as he looked down at the gold and silver treasures before him.

Mountains of silver ingots, jewels, and piles of spices. And even gold coins the size of eyeballs, manufactured less than a year ago.

It was truly a treasure of immense value.

And it was obtained for free, without paying any particular price.

“You’ve done well, Elizabeth. Thanks to you, our Federation’s finances are becoming more and more abundant every day.”

“You flatter me. I have simply exercised my patriotism as a citizen of the Federation.”

“How modest. If you’ve accomplished as much as you have, you’re allowed to be a little arrogant, you know?”

The king burst into a hearty laugh, and the beautiful female pirate politely bowed her head.

As can be inferred from their short conversation, the two were in a cooperative relationship.

One side provided supplies and a place to dock, and the other shared the spoils in return.

In other words, they could be described as a state-sponsored pirate and an employer.

It is rare to have full-time pirates under the royal family, rather than privateers, but there were good reasons for doing so.

Because…

“The treasures you steal account for 30% of our annual budget, you see.”

The profit was too great.

How could they treat a valuable saleswoman who single-handedly earns the entire federation’s defense budget carelessly?

If they disappeared, the financial resources to maintain the fleet and the guards would disappear immediately.

Countless merchant ships and trade fleets travel between the New World and the Hispanic Empire every day.

The value of the cargo loaded on each ship is enough to purchase a solid title from the Empire, moving treasure troves.

The Federation was managing its country by relying on the astronomical wealth contained within.

Of course, without permission.

“Next time, could you seize a ship loaded with native slaves? I need slaves to use in the palace.”

“If Your Majesty wishes, I will be happy to do so.”

Several years have passed since this relationship began.

Drake IV even went so far as to order Elizabeth for the items he wanted her to bring next time.

As if he had entrusted his belongings to Hispania.

“Your Majesty! The Hispanic envoy requests an audience!”

However, even this one-sided parasitic relationship finally came to an end.

* * * * *

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, it’s been a while. Is this the first time since the last banquet?”

“Yes. The roast beef you prepared then was truly excellent.”

An unexpected foreign guest who arrived suddenly, without notice or promise.

The conversation between Drake IV and the Hispanic envoy was amicable, yet extremely cold.

The topic of conversation was ordinary, but the atmosphere in their tone was very fierce.

And it couldn’t have been otherwise.

Considering the purpose for which he came here.

“But today, I don’t want to talk about such trivial things. If I recall what Your Majesty has been doing all this time.”

The envoy raised his head straight and glared directly at Drake IV, rebuking him.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Stop the acts of plunder against our nation’s merchant ships right now.”

“That’s something criminals are doing on their own, so I can’t do anything about it–”

“While docking several pirate ships at the Federation’s premier port? Do you think that makes sense?”

Tsk, so he already knows everything.

The King clicked his tongue inwardly. He was usually arrogant, saying it wasn’t worth looking around a primitive country.

“It has been a long time since we confirmed that Your Majesty has a close relationship with the pirates. Decide here and now whether to control and manage them, or incur the wrath of the Empire with continued indulgence!”

“…..”

Dizzy, he closed his eyes at the de facto ultimatum.

Subjugation for the safety and peace of the Federation, or resistance for a slim chance of success and freedom?

If he chooses the former, the country will be safe, but the economy will shrink and lose its future growth engine.

Conversely, if he chooses the latter, he will most likely be smashed by Hispania, but if he is lucky, he can extract benefits in reverse.

After a moment of contemplation that felt like an eternity, the King opened his eyes again.

And he opened his mouth and ordered.

“Go and bring Elizabeth.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Soon, the female pirate, who had gone to the next room to greet the guest, arrived.

Standing in front of her, with a bewildered expression as she didn’t know the situation, Drake IV introduced her calmly.

“Envoy. This woman is the leader of the pirates you were looking for. Her nickname is… the Sea Lynx, wasn’t it?”

“This woman!”

The envoy stares at Elizabeth with a mixture of joy and hatred in his eyes.

Considering how much the Hispanic Empire had suffered from her, it was a natural reaction.

The number of ships that have been captured alone is close to three digits, so how can he not hate her?

“To hand over her custody willingly, that’s a wise decision, Your Majesty. I will quickly contact my home country for deportation–”

“No, I will grant her a title.”

Title.

A standard and symbol that distinguishes the ruling class from commoners.

It’s not something you can get just by being born the child of a nobleman.

Whether it is the eldest son or eldest daughter, you can only have it if you are recognized as the successor of the family.

A right that only a few hundred people enjoy throughout the entire Federation.

Before the envoy could even understand its value and meaning, Drake IV took the lead in succession.

“Elizabeth Tudor, kneel.”

He gets up from the throne and walks forward.

Approaching the female pirate, who lowered her posture with a good sense, he drew the sword from his waist and placed it on her shoulder.

Once on the left, once on the right.

A knighting ceremony passed down from the age of knights.

“From today onwards, I appoint you as Countess Tudor. This right will be maintained forever unless you commit a serious crime, including treason, and can be passed on to the successor you designate.

There is no territory, but the Federation’s sea will be your territory instead. From now on, protect this land from external enemies for all eternity.”

In response to this declaration, the female pirate gave her thanks with an uncharacteristic, elegant demeanor.

“I will gladly do so, Your Majesty.”

“This, such an insult… I will report today’s events to my home country. You will regret this!”

“Farewell. I won’t provide a boat for your return.”

The envoy, enraged by the public humiliation, left spewing curses, but he didn’t care.

Since they decided to see the end anyway, diplomatic discourtesy was not important.

Rather, it was better to do this.

If he clearly sets up an antagonistic relationship, wouldn’t the anti-war factions that may be in the country become quiet?

Hispania will come out with the momentum to smash the Federation, so if they don’t want to die, they will all have to fight hard together.

‘If we win, we win. I heard that they are also busy with disaster recovery due to the flood damage. It’s worth betting the throne.’

Life is a gamble.

Rather than being constantly checked by the nobles and living while reading their faces, let’s revive the royal authority with a historical victory.

Even if he loses, he will only be deposed at best. Surely Hispania won’t kill him?

Fortunately, the opponent’s capacity to project externally has somewhat decreased due to internal disasters.

Although Alkione is a weaker country than them, if they gather all their strength, there is a chance of winning.

‘Just in case, I should prepare to defect.’

Drake IV, with the heart of a beast, sincerely believed so. Either way, it’s not his life that’s being sacrificed.

* * * * *

“This is annoying.”

After hearing about all these circumstances from the organization, I was filled with anger that another annoying thing had happened.

Damn it, if you wanted to participate in the war, you should have done it sooner. Why are you acting up now?

I worked hard to establish an international strategy and adjust the balance of power, but you ruined it all?

“Naval battles don’t usually end well, no matter who wins…”

Naval warfare is different from land warfare.

Especially in island countries.

Even if you are badly defeated in battle and retreat, it does not directly lead to the country’s survival.

Even if the fleet is annihilated and the sailors are massacred, the army that protects the homeland is still strong.

If you defend key locations well, you can hold out as long as you want.

“Indeed, this is troubling. Alkione has often had civil wars, so its army is stronger than its navy.”

“It’s not like the economy depends on external trade.”

“It is highly likely that it will lead to a prolonged war.”

The opponent cannot be caught unless they launch an amphibious landing, but even that is not easy. It will drag the fight out for at least a few years.

“If the two countries fight, won’t the shipping network be in danger?”

“That’s probably true. Unless they’re stupid, Alkione will try to deploy a lot of privateers.”

If they attempt to disrupt trade and disrupt trade, even our organization’s merchants will be threatened.

Naturally, the profit margin that I was trying to increase will plummet.

The mere risk of being attacked at any time due to the outbreak of war is likely to paralyze the shipping network. Shipping insurance and transportation costs are bound to skyrocket.

There is a good way to solve this… Ah.

“Branch Manager Kalia?”

“Speak.”

“You said Alkione had a lot of civil wars? What was the main cause?”

“It was a religious issue. It’s a country where several factions of the Goddess Order are rampant. They’ve been fighting over it for hundreds of years, and they still haven’t been integrated.”

Religion. If I instigate it well, it will be quite useful.