Vol 03 Chapter 86: Honeymoon III
Lezado has five enemy nations. First are two neighboring nations, Gehenna and Nemes, which are both Kirisian colony cities.
Claris, the suzerain nation of Lezado, is hostile to Alto, the suzerain nation of Gehenna, and Terbai, the suzerain nation of Nemes. They are rivals in maritime trade, competing for commercial territories, hence the bad relations.
However, as they belong to the same ethnicity, the wars between them are kept as skirmishes, not escalating into a war that could destroy the country. They aren’t friendly, but they don’t want to destroy each other.
The next two are Persis and Pofenia. The Persis Empire and the city-states of Kirisia have fought numerous wars, making Persis the biggest enemy of Kirisia. But Persis has not expanded to the West Tethys Sea, so a direct conflict with Lezado is unlikely.
On the other hand, there is a high possibility of a military clash with Pofenia. Pofenia is located just off the Adernian Peninsula, and they are competing with the Kirisian cities over the island of Triskelia, situated between the Adernian Peninsula and Pofenia mainland.
The three Kirisian countries located in the Adernian peninsula, which also serve as the frontline base to control Triskelia Island, are always threatened by Pofenia. However, since there is no ongoing war, the threat is not immediate.
The enemy Lezado is currently most wary of is King Belvedire’s Country. Between Lezado and King Belvedire’s Country, there are numerous small countries.
The abundance of small countries in the south is due to the intermingling of local Adernians, Kirisian colonists, and Pofenians.
Between Lezado and King Belvedire’s Country, there are several small countries whose population is a mix of Kirisians and Adernians, and both countries are competing for control over this region. These small nations switch allegiances depending on the situation, so the conflict remains unresolved.
This is probably why Lezado wants to form an alliance with my country.
King Belvedire’s Country has a population of about 100,000. Lezado has about 60,000. Lezado allocates much of its national strength to its navy, resulting in a weaker army.
Therefore, in a land war, Lezado’s chances of winning are slim. Their suzerain they should be relying on cannot make a move as it is wary of the suspicious activities of the Persis Empire.
However, if they can form an alliance with our country, the situation changes. We can pincer them from the north and the south.
At least, Belvedire would have to be wary of our country and wouldn’t be able to commit its full strength against Lezado.
That must be Lezado’s intention.
「I would like to decline the military alliance with your country.」
I rejected Lezado’s proposal.
The disappointment was visible on the faces of the council members, but they seemed to have anticipated this and quickly recovered.
「May we know the reason?」
「I don’t want to provoke King Belvedire’s Country. Our country is not hostile to King Belvedire’s Country.」
King Belvedire’s Country is a directly neighboring country. I don’t want to sour our relationship with them. Our country is not yet unified internally, and I don’t want to start conflicts with foreign nations at this moment, even if King Belvedire’s Country is significantly weaker than our country in terms of national power.
Moreover, merchants traveling between our country and Lezado must pass through King Belvedire’s Country. If they close their borders, it would affect our economy greatly.
「However, I am not opposed to forming a treaty of friendship with your country. We won’t be able to intervene in the conflict between your country and King Belvedire’s Country, and will have to declare neutrality, but….」
「Neutrality, I see… Understood. Let’s start as friends first.」
The chairman of Claris and I exchanged a handshake.
Friendly relations are important.
However, we are starting as friends, huh? Are we teenagers starting a relationship or something? It sounds like they are saying:「I like you, so let’s start as friends first.」
「Then, regarding trade. Our merchants pay a considerable amount in tariffs when they enter your country. We wish to have these eliminated.」
Lezado’s proposed their condition. In other words, they are asking for special treatment for Claris’ related merchants.
Although those tariffs are an important source of revenue, the country controls the production and sales of paper and salt. And I plan to do the same with whiskey and vodka as well.
So, I am willing to abolish tariffs. Even if tariffs are eliminated, sales tax will still be collected. If more merchants come, ultimately, tax revenue will increase.
But to reduce tariffs to zero for nothing in return is another matter.
「Very well. In exchange, we request full cooperation regarding Kirisia’s technology and manuscripts.」
「Understood. We will do our best to accommodate.」
With that, most of the matters have been settled.
Now for something extra…
「And if possible… could you provide us with information on the situation in Pofenia and the East Tethys Sea? We have gathered some information, but there are limits to what we can do on our own. We would appreciate it if your country could share its intelligence.」
We already know from information collected from Kirisian merchants that Persis is building a large fleet and conducting extensive military exercises.
There are rumors of a third Persis-Kirisia war breaking out soon between Kirisia and Persis.
Even though the Adernian Peninsula is far away, its impact will undoubtedly spread here. If Kirisia loses to Persis, the power balance in the Tethys Sea will change significantly.
Having information is never a loss.
「Yes, understood. We will inform you as soon as there are any developments.」
「Thank you. I appreciate it.」
With this, my business in Lezado was concluded. Next, I will visit Nemes and Gehenna in that order to conduct similar diplomacy.
While I don’t plan to make a friendship declaration with these two countries, I plan to sign treaties similar to the one with Lezado concerning economic sectors like tariffs, as well as technology and human resources. These two countries have been sending active overtures since I became king, likely because they do not want Lezado to monopolize the benefits of trading with our country.
「Excuse me, you’re heading to Gehenna after this, right?」
「Gehenna will be after Nemes, but yes, I plan to visit. What about it?」
Ainz suddenly asked. I thought it was clear that I intended to visit all three countries…
「Please be cautious around Gehenna’s tyrant, Lord Abram.」
I wonder what exactly I should be cautious about…
Chapter 86.5: Newlyweds
「Hey, Alex, aren’t you going to check him out?」
「Who are you referring to?」
Alexios and Melia’s elopement was a resounding success. They entered a Kirisian colonial city on Triskelia Island right after arriving on the island and from there moved to the Adernian Peninsula in three days.
They completely shook off the pursuers from Pofenia. The Pofenian government was quite serious about taking them back, as the eloping couple were a general and a magician they had great expectations of, but all their efforts were in vain.
Pofenia called off the search within a month. Their spies were not so idle as to chase after someone who had fled the country indefinitely.
Despite their success, they couldn’t be entirely complacent, as the prominent Barca Family of Pofenia was still relentlessly searching for Alexios.
Their elopement went relatively smoothly. After all, both were military personnel, accustomed to planning. Using private assets secretly moved to Lezado, they purchased land and bought slaves to run a reasonably sized farm. Naturally, their standard of living had dropped several notches from when they were in the military, but since both had always lived modestly, they were not dissatisfied.
「The new king of King Rosais’ Country is coming personally to Lezado, or rather an Adernian king is coming personally to a Kirisian colonial city, is said to be a historical first.」
The rumors about the paper exported by King Rosais’ Country had spread throughout Lezado. For the merchants there, King Rosais’ Country represented a lucrative new market. The citizens of Lezado also harbored no ill will towards this country, thus creating a welcoming atmosphere.
「Ah, the man of the hour. He’s the one who returned from a war with a neighboring country and, without disbanding his army, launched a surprise attack on the opposition, wiping them out completely. That was impressive. There are few kings who can end a civil war in an instant. Soldiers and patricians hesitate to kill their own kind, after all.」
However the new king of Rosais managed to achieve this by uplifting the spirits of his soldiers with the victory. The enthusiasm of the soldiers created an atmosphere where the patricians couldn’t oppose the purge, even if they thought it was excessive.
Alexios had a high regard for the new king’s capabilities.
「So that’s why it’s so noisy today.」
「Yes, are you going to check it out?」
「No, I’m fine. I’m not that interested.」
With that, Alexios returned his gaze to the book he was reading, a military treatise from the East.
A sharp pain pierced Melia’s heart. Alexios reading a military treatise suggested that he still harbored a longing for the army – for war.
「Hey… do you regret it?」
Alexios looked up at Melia. After a moment of perplexed expression, he hurriedly closed the military treatise.
「No, I don’t regret our life together at all.」
「But you regret leaving the battlefield, don’t you?」
「No… well, to be honest, yes. It seems I quite liked the battlefield.」
One often realizes the value of something only after losing it. However…
「But I have no intention of returning to Pofenia. I’m done fighting for that country. The council constantly interferes in the battlefield. Because of them, we’ve missed countless opportunities for victory. And yet, they don’t hesitate to execute a general for one defeat. It’s unbearable.」
Alexios shrugged his shoulders, his sense of patriotism towards Pofenia had become incredibly weak.
Melia didn’t know the deep reasons behind this, and while she was curious, she didn’t press him on topics he was reluctant to discuss. However, she could easily guess that his strained relationship with his family contributed to his feelings.
Alexios and his family were not on good terms. His family was deeply devoted to Pofenia, so his aversion to his home probably translated into his feelings about the country.
Melia hadn’t inquired about the specific reasons for the discord with his family, but she suspected it was related to his two different colored eyes, to Alexios’ heterochromia.
In Pofenia, a child with different colored eyes was considered cursed, according to tradition. Melia speculated that this belief might have played a role in his troubled family life.
To Melia, Alexios’ family was irrelevant. They were as good as strangers, with no prospect of ever meeting.
Melia came from an orphanage—or more precisely, a facility that separated children with magical potential from their families to train them into loyal magicians, colloquially known as the ‘orphanage.’ So she didn’t even remember her parents’ faces.
She felt no desire to meet them either. The appearance of so-called parents now would only cause trouble for her. Thus, she couldn’t relate to the typical sentiment of valuing one’s parents, nor could she empathize with hatred or disdain like Alexios felt towards his.
「Why don’t you work as general for Lezado?」
「Well, if they ask me to take command in an emergency, I might consider it. But swearing allegiance to a country is out of the question.」
Alexios’ presence in the city was known to Lezado’s upper echelons. In fact, the reason Alexios remained undiscovered by Pofenia was thanks to the assistance from these upper echelons of Lezado.
Kirisians tended to favor democracy, equality, and fairness, so they were sympathetic towards the couple who eloped.
However, the primary reasons Lezado’s leadership was willing to help them were to hold leverage over the influential Pofenian Barca Family and because Alexios was a competent general.
As a country of merchants, Lezado had no trouble gathering mercenaries, but they struggled to find capable leaders to command them. The Lezado elite was likely thinking about the ‘just in case’ scenarios.
「The most important thing to me is you. And the second most important thing is right here.」
Alexios touched Melia’s belly, causing her lips to curve into a smile.
Their lips met in a kiss.
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If I had a competent general living in my lands, who doesn’t want to commit to a nation, I’d officially offer him a job to train the army, and unofficially as a consultant. That won’t require tying him down, and yet he would naturally over time become attached to your army. So he may eventually want to be a general once more.
The only oath I’d make him take is one of silence regarding any matters of military intelligence that he’d be granted as a consultant (unofficially).