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As I mentioned, Charlua is quite an observant woman.

It’s only natural, being the only daughter of the Council Chairperson—she has the sensibility for it.

And the moment I spoke, she immediately caught on to what I wanted.

“Are you saying that you want us to shed blood alongside the Empire? That’s not merely expressing support or coming under the Empire’s shadow. You mean direct participation, correct?”

“That’s right.”

At that, Charlua wore a rather troubled expression.

She was presented with quite a heavy suggestion in return for my advice, which was understandable.

Becoming allies who simply listen to the Empire’s orders is a far cry from fighting alongside them.

There would likely be conflicts over command, and if their own people suffer heavy losses, they wouldn’t be able to manage it.

Internal issues are one thing, but if Nobogord weakens and the Empire tries to put pressure on them, it could spell disaster.

Even if the Empire promises that they would never do such a thing, politics is all about clinging to possibilities.

The moment such an expectation arises, participating would be akin to hanging oneself.

“Charlua.”

But the advice I would offer next would resolve that.

“What you’re worried about is that the hardliners of Nobogord might get swept away by Atria. More precisely, that they could get carried away by Dedorant’s whispers, right?”

“Exactly.”

“A simple rejection won’t easily make Dedorant or the hardliners give up.”

Dedorant will do anything to force a dual front upon the Empire.

The hardliners in Nobogord will seek justification to reclaim their positions in the political landscape.

Even if you manage to block it, they will keep coming in. Even if you refuse, they will keep shaking things up.

The moderates, the Council Chairperson, and Charlua are probably extremely irritated and discomforted by this.

Why is everyone trying to go along with that unreliable Empire and cozying up with some strange punk instead?

And yet, informing the Empire about this could lead to trouble for the wronged parties.

“There’s only one way.”

Yes. The best way in such times is to create enmity between the two groups trying to unite.

Make them growl and ensure that they can’t even dream of such thoughts.

And I know just the right approach to use for that.

To put it accurately, let’s say it’s something I stumbled upon while rummaging through memories of my past life.

“Nobogord is very close to Atria, isn’t it?”

“Uh? Ah, yes. Sure, there’s Empire territory in between, but it’s such a small area.”

“And I hear they often encounter each other at sea?”

“That’s right! They send people through the sea to avoid the Empire’s watch, after all.”

Then that’s perfect. Enough. More than sufficient.

“Create a conflict.”

“…Pardon?”

“Whatever the case may be. Any kind of underhanded trick will do. It’s imperative that a friction arises between Nobogord and Atria.”

I then picked up the teacup sitting in front of me.

Ah. The tea served by my household truly is the most fragrant in the world.

I’ve had even finer tea in the Imperial Palace or from the Church, but it just doesn’t have this feeling.

“…”

In front of me, Charlua remained silent.

She was deeply contemplating something, her mind clearly in turmoil.

What if the Princess were here instead?

She’d probably ask, “How do we instigate a conflict? In what way?”

Then I would find myself groaning internally again, eventually arriving at an answer.

But Charlua is different. There’s no reason for me to reveal all the answers to her.

I said it was advice. So I have to stop at this point for it to be genuine advice.

The rest is something she must discover for herself.

‘And… I think she can achieve that.’

What can I say? Yes. She seems to be of a similar ilk to me.

If the Princess is someone more pure and noble, shining a bit more brightly…

Charlua feels like she’s stepping into a slightly denser shadow.

It’s not a bad sentiment, by any means. I’m not disparaging her.

I’m simply saying that she seems like someone who could come up with schemes and strategies.

Considering her experience in politics, it’s honestly quite believable, isn’t it?

“Case… conflict… friction…”

Look at that. She’s already diving deep into thought all on her own.

I don’t even need to tell her the answer, and soon enough…

“Indeed, I think coming to meet Prince Kael was a wise decision.”

“Really?”

“In truth, I had a similar thought but… how should I say this? Confidence? I didn’t have that. More than anything, I doubted if this was really the right course.”

“…”

“But if you, of all people, were already thinking along those lines, then I wasn’t wrong. Haah. Coming here really was the best choice.”

She said this and chuckled, yet for a moment, it felt slightly frightening.

It’s unsettling when someone keeps idolizing me as if they’re worshipping me.

“With Prince Kael’s advice added, there’s something I’ve been thinking about—would you care to hear it?”

“Now you’ve piqued my interest.”

“I’ve been studying your strategies, Prince Kael. Um, the plan will start like this.”

Land borders can be clearly marked, but the sea is different.

Since there are no visible boundaries, each party’s claims will always vary.

As that discomfort builds, it can lead to a significant problem!

“I intend to instigate a conflict over territorial waters. There have always been differences between the claims of Atria and those of Nobogord.”

“Even though Dedorant has merged Atria, such issues still have the potential to persist.”

Perhaps Dedorant might even react more sensitively than Atria did originally.

They’re likely to be gunning to secure even an inch more land.

“It’s impossible for them to stand still like on land. Hence, the capabilities of surveillance are also considerably low. So, there are secretly some incoming fishing boats. They could be from Atria or Nobogord.”

“But if they get caught, that would be a serious issue, right? That’s why almost all crew members are lightly armed to make a quick escape if they encounter the guards.”

“Many things can happen in that process. Among that, Atria’s fishing boats could sneak in, catch fish, and then attack the guards from Nobogord.”

It’s a repertoire that makes both humans and the Demon Tribe equally keep their heads spinning.

Even though the fault lies with the other side, the offender is the one employing violence—a clear display of turning the tables.

In the course of that, who gets hurt and how much damage is incurred become highly significant.

“Conveniently, the commander of the naval forces in that area is from our moderate faction. His family is deeply entwined with us, making betrayal nearly impossible.”

“We can lure him into making it seem as though such incidents occur.”

“To put it precisely, we have to act convincingly, right? For example, disguising ourselves as if we came from Atria and using our navy.”

A staged act. The sort that the political elite readily exploit whenever they face difficulties.

Well, one thing’s for sure, it’ll definitely have an effect. It will poke at the pride of the Demon Tribe.

After all, treating mere fishing boats leniently, only to have them strike back and flee, isn’t something that would sit well.

It wouldn’t be surprising if public sentiment towards Atria grew furious.

“But a staged act brings the risk of exposure. What will you do if, by some chance, you get caught?”

“That’s why we have to prepare even more thoroughly. Even if I’m not as capable as Prince Kael, I’ll ensure that this splendid scheme succeeds.”

“One more thing. Just this alone won’t set Nobogord aflame. It might stoke up some heat.”

Charlua smiled softly at my words and replied.

“The emergence of heat suggests that possibilities have opened up. Those who love to make noise will step in to help.”

“Mm.”

“And in fact, Atria doesn’t have the best relationship with Nobogord.”

If they act like this, it means there will be some reaction from Atria one way or another.

After all, no matter how much Dedorant has merged it, it’s nearly impossible to erase the original sentiments.

How would the people of Atria, who dislike Nobogord, react if they heard, “The punks of Atria attacked and fled from Nobogord’s navy!”?

“Oh dear! We must find out who they are and capture them at once!” perhaps?

“Atria’s Kingdom People will surely be pleased by this, Charlua.”

“From Dedorant’s perspective, considering their future plans, this wouldn’t be a pleasant issue, though. Prince Kael.”

“Thus, Dedorant and Atria’s leaders will express remorse to charm Nobogord—”

“And conversely, the people of Atria will express dissatisfaction, asking why we should apologize.”

“Such points will further provoke Nobogord.”

“In effect, the sentiments against Atria and Dedorant will grow vigorously.”

After sharing this much conversation, Charlua and I locked eyes.

Then, without determining who would do it first, we burst into laughter at the same time.

It was remarkable. It felt almost magical. Despite the fact that we hadn’t interacted much, our synergy was so harmonious.

I had merely given a short bit of advice, yet in that brief moment, she scripted an entire play.

What’s even more astounding is that I was thinking along similar lines too.

A method to divide those who can’t trust each other but are entangled by mutual interests.

Once you poke a hole in the matter of pride, they generally begin to act chaotically.

As I mentioned before, the logic of losses versus profits simply cannot win over the logic of pride.

“You mentioned you studied me. Quite impressive.”

“What can I say? To be honest, without Prince Kael’s advice, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to put it into practice.”

“For someone who says that, you seem to be quite sharp.”

“Haha, is that so?”

From there, I continued discussing various topics with Charlua.

None of it was personal. It was all about the current political situation and future outlook.

If you were to ask whether I felt fondness toward her, well, it’s more of a wariness than fondness.

Meeting someone of a similar ilk naturally causes suspicion to rear its head.

My positive feelings toward her could just as easily be an act.

“So, in my view!”

I matched her excitement, continuing to probe Charlua further.

I was on the lookout for any suspicious details that I might have missed.

 

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