If I would describe them with a word:
「Inadequate.」
「That is to say?」
「It seems like they've failed to choose between the merchant's and the citizen's opinion.」
Viscount Galliana stroked his beard and prompted me to continue. I moistened my tongue with the alcohol in the cup and continued.
「After hearing the customer's opinions in the bar, there seemed to be differing views between the merchants and the citizens.」
Many citizens believed that the council was way too quick to surrender. Many merchants believed that the council was way too late to surrender.
Their views were roughly like that.
The citizens loved Nambonan and tried to protect it to an extent. They'd prioritized their feeling of wanting to protect their home rather than the loss they would suffer in the war.
「I agree. Compared to the time when I was a councilor, there are many more citizens who are very attached to Nambonan.」
「So that was indeed the case.」
Conversely, the merchants had immediately given up. Carefully thinking about it, Nambonan's surroundings were already under the Quordentz. It was already evident at this point that there was no chance of victory. If Quordentz had blocked the road, Nambonan would be easily cut off. The reason we didn't do it was because it would take time and Nambonan would weaken, which would lead to lesser profits for us.
「That's why, from the merchant's view, they would either find a way to solve the situation before the Quordentz completely control the surrounding, or quickly surrender at the time when they'd been marked and negotiate a point of compromise. Like in this war, it was already too late to surrender after we've put them in a disadvantaged position.」
「They've taken many measures to protect their independence. Behind the scenes, they'd been assisting the nobles from Jinkaen Empire who were fighting with the Quordentz house. They also seemed to be making use of the connections that I've made with the other forces back when I was a councilor. 」
The revelation from the former council member only left me shocked. Apparently, they not only had connections with Jinkaen Empire but also with the others including the Holy Navenphos and the Mamshred Federation.
「Is it fine to tell me those things…?」
「There's no problem, since this war has started because I've leaked the information to the Quordentz.」
What! Nambonan's star and the so-called savior Viscount Galliana was the spark that ignited this war. If the citizens were to hear about that, their eyes might turn vacant.
He said that my father had long been suspicious about Nambonan operating behind the scenes. Upon receiving the report from Viscount Galliana, he finally felt inclined to move the army.
「As Wilk-dono said, if I were a council member, I would quickly increase my cards. If I couldn't do that, I would choose to be under Quordentz's umbrella. I could expect enough development if Nambonan were to stand as a city under Quordentz, even if it means losing the city's independence.」
「In the council, the five nominated councilors most likely thought the same thing.」
Viscount Galliana slowly nodded. I continued.
「I'm not familiar with the councilors, so I could only speak based on the actual events.」
「Please, let me hear about it.」
Viscount Galliana placed the goblet in his hand on the table.
「In the council, I think that a proposal to surrender came out at the beginning and was rejected.」
Naturally, the ones who made the proposal were the nominated merchant councilors. They wouldn't choose to fight because they knew that they couldn't win.
「The elected councilors are well aware just how much the citizens love Nambonan. Perhaps even they felt the same attachment. The citizens might be disappointed if they voted to surrender.」
Could the councilors still approve the proposal knowing that? The answer was apparent. Since Nambonan hadn't immediately surrendered at the start, they rejected the proposal.
「They refuse to approve the proposal to surrender. But can they win? They can't. How problematic.」
While saying that, the Viscount leaned forward looking here. I wouldn't be happy even if a man were to lean forward.
「That's why they wanted to make them understand. Not the elected councilors, but the citizens.」
「Hoh.」
「They needed to make the citizens understand just how powerful Quordentz is by engaging them once in a large scale battle. By doing so, the criticisms towards the councilors who chose to surrender would lessen. 」
In short, they made it easier for the elected councilors to approve the proposal to surrender.
「So it was that battle in the field, wasn't it? It was surprising that they were able to gather so many mercenaries.」
Our enemies in the battle that had taken place in a location slightly far away from Nambonan were mercenaries. As for what the volunteer army made up of citizens were doing, they were protecting the city walls.
「I think the councilors couldn't take it to send the citizens to their death.」
「If I were the councilors, I would surely send the volunteer army to the field. If they died, then good. If not, they would go back to the city and spread fear.」
Then, the mercenaries who assembled in the field had run away. The mercenaries knew the terror of General Garphis, who had trampled on the Empire's lands. They'd judged that it was suicide to battle him. And they were indeed correct.
The mercenaries had begun to run away, but grandfather didn't intend to let them escape. The searing wave that my grandfather had released attacked them, which instantly caused them to fall into fear.
I also mimicked that magic and released a bluish wave of flames arranged like the flames from a gas stove, and burned many of the mercenaries to death. Grandfather's crimson flames and my blue flames met in the field, and the land where both armies were facing each other had quickly transformed into a scorching field.
Would you like to help the Quordentz eliminate the mercenaries? It's simple! Just fire your magic in the direction the officer is pointing. The mercenaries had collapsed, and while they were fleeing in all directions, the young noblemen who had joined to achieve their first campaign attacked them from behind.
The other noble's army took great pains to capture the mercenaries alive. The reason being, it was allowed to sell the mercenaries who had become prisoners as slaves.
「In the end, the hired mercenaries only ran away without fighting. From the citizen's view, the mercenaries probably looked like they didn't fight at all, even though they had fought and won back when the former lord returned. They must've been furious at the mercenaries for being disgraceful.」
「That experience wasn't a good thing for them. They had the stupid belief that they could also resist against the Quordentz just because they were able to drive away that incompetent former lord. Yes, both might be nobles, but the difference is like heaven and earth. That noble was famous even in the Empire as a good-for-nothing noble.」
He was already a worthless noble, and after he met his defeat in Nambonan, he had apparently become a laughingstock in the Empire's noble society for being a trash noble who lost even against commoners.
「And so, the battle ended fruitlessly, without causing any change to the citizens. But it was probably different for the councilors. Upon seeing the Quordentz's Allied Army, they've probably thought that the citizens might get killed at this rate.」
This was something I'd understood after gaining the control of the city. Apparently, they'd immediately decided to surrender after losing in the field. When the decision to surrender had been announced to the citizens, the citizens who were defending the city and were fully ready to fight had become enraged and marched into the council.
The Quordentz's Allied Army had arrived perfectly in time and attacked the city wall. Since many citizens marched into the council and there were fewer people defending it, we'd quickly gained control of the walls.
The defensive battle in the city wall was no doubt the worse report for the councilors who had been thinking of searching a point of compromise on their surrender.
The messenger who had immediately come to declare their intention to surrender after we'd taken control of the city gate had an expression as if he'd given birth to all of this world's despair.
「The citizen's viewed the council as a coward for surrendering without a fight, while the merchant's viewed the council as foolish for putting up a meaningless fight and placing them at a disadvantage in the negotiation table.」
「I'm so glad that I quit being a council member.」
Viscount Galliana clapped his hands while laughing.
「If they've surrendered or resolved themselves to defend, we would've been the one in trouble. We should thank the council for their half-assed decision.」
If they had negotiated to surrender early on, there would be no guarantee that they would accept our every demand. Conversely, our loses would've been huge if they had fought to the bitter end. A people's army trying to protect their freedom was terrifyingly powerful, as seen on Earth's history. In this world where the noble's possessed exceptional power, we most likely wouldn't lose. However, we would have wiped out the citizens in the worst case.
I turned my goblet towards the waiter and asked for another. Viscount Galliana also downed his glass and requested for another.
「It was an enjoyable discussion. Wilk-dono seems to understand a lot about the citizens despite being a high noble.」
Viscount Galliana raised his glass, so I raised mine, and we clinked our glasses.
Our discussion about Nambonan's council ended there.
Afterward, we talked a little about Nambonan's government. It was already very late at night by the time I had returned to my camp.