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Subterfuge of Toxins and Remedies – Part 03

The envoy from the Quinbrand Empire was a gentlemanly noble with graying hair swept back. It was unusual for a noble himself to serve as an envoy, especially to a country with no existing diplomatic relations.

“An offer of alliance is very welcome, but this is quite sudden,” Kujastria said, holding her head as high as she could to maintain her dignity.

The Empire’s envoy, a Count, nodded solemnly in response. From his furrowed brows to his stern expression, he was a far cry from the lax archpriest from yesterday.

“Emperor Kagurai desires an alliance on equal footing. All compensation for past conflicts will be waived, and the current occupied frontlines will define our borders.”

“Well…”

Kujastria blinked in surprise. The proposal was exceedingly favorable for the kingdom.

It was clear that the kingdom instigated the war, and it was only natural for the Empire to retaliate. With the recent change in kingship causing turmoil, Ponsonia should be the one making concessions. Regardless of how much Count Grugschilt protected the border with the Empire, if the Empire exerted its full efforts, several cities would inevitably fall. Kujastria had mentally prepared for this outcome. She knew that the kingdom’s actions had been provocative enough to warrant such a response.

Misunderstanding Kujastria and the others’ perplexity, the Count added, “We can make some concessions about the borders as well. We will withdraw our forces up to the Kinowara Mountains—I believe it’s called the Poly-elka Mountains in Ponsonia.”

He was suggesting further concessions regarding the border demarcation. The location in question was a fertile region that could feed an entire town. Kujastria would gladly accept if the Empire was willing to offer it, but she was curious about the extent of this softening of Quinbrand’s stance. It was like a rock turning into mud.

“Your Grace, we can discuss terms later. Could you please speak candidly?”

Candor held little place in diplomatic negotiations, but Kujastria wanted to know the Empire’s true intentions. Without that, any talk of an alliance would be nothing but empty words.

“We have but one purpose in pursuing this alliance. We would like the kingdom to declare independence of its churches from the Theocracy of Bios.”

“What?!”

Bios was technically lending its churches, and this arrangement granted the theocracy significant influence across the continent. The archpriest’s impolite behavior yesterday was also a product of this influence. He had been provided plenty of alcohol last night and was currently snoring loudly.

Gods existed independently of churches, and if the people needed a spiritual anchor, they could manage their own places of worship. However, each country had a reason they couldn’t simply disregard Bios.

“What about the cards?”

Soul cards issued by the temples, guild cards issued by various guilds—these granted humans with Blessings, remarkably enhancing their abilities. As such, in this world, living without these cards was inconceivable.

The technology surrounding these cards was exclusively controlled by Bios. Moreover, the core of this technology was a black box; the cards had to be imported from Bios for their functions to be accessed. This was precisely why Bios held dominance over other nations.

“We have succeeded in creating cards that possess the same effects as the other kinds used to obtain Blessings. The Church is already aware of this.”

“What?!” Kujastria exclaimed in spite of herself. Duke Nightblaze’s eyes, too, widened in surprise.

“We promise that the Empire will sell cards with equivalent effects to your country at the same price as Bios. Once production becomes more stable, we may even consider lowering the price further. Here’s a sample.”

The Count presented a card with a faint golden hue, featuring a different design for its displayed elements than the previous cards. Bios had staunchly rejected any interference from other nations regarding their cards and maintained the same design for years. This distinct design was proof of the Empire’s entirely new card.

Even when shown the sample card, Kujastria found it difficult to believe. Bios’ technology revolving the cards was remarkably advanced. It was said that the card of the individual who invented the technology had the Blessing of the Wisdom God, a one-character deity. The fewer characters in a god’s name, the more powerful the Blessing was believed to be, and there had been no record of a one-character deity before or since then.

This card system was a feat attainable only by someone with extraordinary intelligence.

“Is this not an unprecedented trump card for the Empire?” Kujastria asked, still shocked. “Why use it now? What happened between Bios and the Empire?”

The Count closed his eyes and lapsed into silence. Finally, he spoke in a solemn tone, “A pig from Bios insulted the Emperor.”

Kujastria had an idea what he meant by “insult.” Bios upheld a doctrine of human supremacy, rejecting not only demi-humans like Beastmen but also other races such as Elves and Dwarves.

The Emperors of Quinbrand were demi-humans, belonging to the rare race of Man Gnomes. They closely resembled humans, except for their shorter stature and a lifespan three times longer.

“That imbecile had the audacity to say that if we helped Bios in the war against Einbiest, they might give an exception to acknowledge His Majesty. The commander of the Southern Army struck down that wretched swine—that archpriest—on the spot. If possible, I would have liked to personally deliver the retribution myself.”

Kujastria swallowed at his bloodcurdling words. She had heard that vassals’ loyalty to the Emperor ran deep in Quinbrand, but she didn’t expect it to be this intense.

“Unfortunately, the Empire does not share a border with Bios. Therefore, we cannot advance our troops.”

“I-I understand you are furious.”

“Of course. He insulted the person that I… no, every citizen of the Empire holds in highest regard. If that pig’s words reflect the whole of Bios’ sentiment, then we will have them bathe in their own blood.”

The memory made the Count grit his teeth. He was losing his initial composure.

“I take it you’re offering alliance not only to our kingdom but also to other nations.”

“Yes.”

“I see…”

Kujastria exchanged glances with Duke Nightblaze.

Quinbrand had decided to shatter Bios’s ultimate diplomatic leverage, the Blessing system, as retaliation for slighting their Emperor and as a means to diminish the theocracy’s influence. Learning that they were more incensed by the disrespect to their Emperor than the kingdom’s invasion, Kujastria determined to exercise caution in future diplomatic dealings with the Empire.

---

Sophie let out a troubled sigh. Learning what happened only fueled Hikaru’s distrust towards Bios, and it appeared that Sophie shared his sentiments.

“What did the kingdom decide?” Hikaru asked. “Did they form an alliance with Quinbrand?”

“They’ve opted to hold off on giving a response.”

“I see. A wise decision from Her Majesty.”

Even if the Empire had succeeded in producing guild cards, the extent of their production capacity remained uncertain. The kingdom alone required tens of thousands of cards annually. If multiple nations demanded them, cautious consideration was necessary.

Furthermore, even if they could stop depending on Bios for the cards, they would essentially only be swapping from one supplier for another with Quinbrand. From what the man said, the Empire wasn’t keen on sharing all the technology either.

Whichever path they chose, Kujastria was bound to face tumultuous times ahead. Hikaru empathized with her predicament.

“Hey, Sophie, are you here?” came a cheerful voice. It was Sara, the scout of the Four Eastern Stars.

“Oh, it’s time for me to go. I’ll take my leave, then. See you later, Paula.”

“Bye, Sophie!”

Paula and Sophie were both devout followers of the Church, and any previous unease between them seemed to have faded. Sophie treated Paula with utmost care and respect, presumably because of guilt for nearly pushing her towards killing herself.

“Take care, you two.”

“Yeah, um… I hope everything’s good with Lord Galeicrada.”

“…”

Since the lifting of the Purgatory Wedge curse from him, Galeicrada of House Nightblaze became deeply infatuated with Sophie and continued contacting her under the pretext of treatment.

Sophie let out a weary sigh. “It’s quite a chore.”

To make it up to Paula, Sophie took full charge of the treatment, which resulted in Galeicrada falling for her. She felt a bit apologetic about this fixation, but Hikaru did not particularly care.

Hikaru had recently received 10 million gilans for the treatment provided by the Four Eastern Stars, payment for his discovery on how to undo the forbidden spell Purgatory Wedge cast on Galeicrada. This sum would allow him to live it up for years without needing to work, and it was the reason he could indulge in luxury at the moment.

“Hurry up, Sophie.”

“O-Okay. Why the rush?”

“Serika’s acting kinda weird.”

Hikaru’s ears perked up at the mention of the name “Serika.”

“What’s the plan, Hikaru?” Lavia asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Jillarte is in Einbiest. The war was probably triggered by the events in Southleaf Island.”

“…Yeah, I think so, too.”

While Hikaru was concerned about the conflict between Einbiest and Bios, he believed there was nothing he could do about it. His expertise lay in Stealth; war was not his domain.

Moreover, he felt that this was bound to happen sooner or later, and if Jillarte had embraced her position as Einbiest’s Deputy Leader, then this was her fight, not his.

“I don’t think there’s… much we can do.”

“Really?”

Both Lavia and Paula appeared surprised.

“I’ll still gather intel, though.”

If Einbiest found itself in trouble, Hikaru believed he should assist Jillarte alone.