As we greeted these two, we were arrayed with Liscia and Hakuya on either side
of me, Aisha behind me diagonally, standing by as a bodyguard.
Seeing that, Jeanne cocked her head to the side. "This is a surprise. I had expected
our meeting to have a large number of soldiers watching."
"If I brought too many soldiers to the meeting, it would only make you two
uneasy, wouldn't it?" I asked.
"I see," she said. "You're a courageous one."
Jeanne said it as if she was impressed, but inside, I was smiling wryly.
It was just that I had read a historical chronicle (whether it was Records of the
Grand Historian, or Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I don't remember) in which a
certain ruler had welcomed an enemy envoy with an attitude similar to Jeanne's.
That envoy had said things like, "Is it a show of respect in your country to place so
many troops with you just to meet with one person?" and "Or are you a coward who
doesn't feel safe without his soldiers protecting him?" It had humiliated that ruler,
and I'd just happened to remember it, but... I decided not to let Jeanne in on that fact.
"Of course, with that one behind you, you must feel quite safe." Jeanne
perceptively looked at Aisha. Perhaps it was because they shared something in
common as warriors, but she had accurately judged Aisha's ability. "She's a fine
warrior, I can tell. I would ask for a match with her, but it might prove difficult for
me to win. You have a fine vassal, Sir Souma."
"...Thanks," I said.
There was no way for me to tell how serious she was with her praise, but judging
from how tense Aisha looked, Jeanne was not to be underestimated as a warrior,
either.
"You, as well," I went on. "It's very courageous of you to face the king of another
nation without bringing an entourage of guards. Did you not worry that I might have
you assassinated here?"
"I have come as an envoy of peace," Jeanne smiled. "Why should I need fear I
would come to harm?"
I could tell she was quite the actor. She might not have guards with her openly,
but perhaps covert operatives had slipped in to keep watch over her. Even now,
somewhere we couldn't see, they might be competing fiercely against Juna and her
marines.
Next, I looked at Julius. "This is our first time meeting. I am Souma Kazuya."
"...I am the Sovereign Prince of Amidonia, Julius."
Not hiding the hostility in his eyes, Julius gave himself that title. He must have
inherited it on the death of Gaius VIII. With us occupying Van, he likely hadn't been
formally crowned yet, but I (as a provisional king) was in the same boat, so I didn't
point it out.
"Now then, let's hear why the two of you are here," I said.
Julius immediately opened his mouth. "Let me get straight to the point. I want
you to return Van at once."
"Sir Julius..." Jeanne looked troubled by his outburst, but Julius continued, not
caring.
"Our nation is signatory to the Mankind Declaration. In the text of the agreement,
it says, 'The moving of national borders by force will be deemed inadmissible.' The
Elfrieden Kingdom has occupied Van by means of force. As such, in accordance with
the declaration, I have come here with Madam Jeanne, an envoy dispatched by the
Gran Chaos Empire, to seek the return of Van and the surrounding area."
"That sounds awfully selfish." I rested my elbows on the arms of the throne and
my cheeks on my palms, glaring down at Julius. "You started this by invading
Elfrieden first. First you attempt to expand by force, and then, when you lose, you
turn to the Mankind Declaration for protection, clinging to the power of the Empire
to seek the return of your territory. Don't you think that's pathetic?"
"The decision to invade Elfrieden was one my father, Gaius, made on his own,"
Julius said stiffly.
"You accompanied him on the campaign, so you share in his crime," I said.
"Besides, before we start negotiating the return of your territory, isn't an apology for
invading my country in order?"
"Urkh..."
"Sir Julius," said Jeanne. "Sir Souma is right. We are in the position of requesting
that he return your land. We have to start with you showing your sincerity."
Julius seemed deeply mortified by the thought, but with his one lifeline, Jeanne,
pressing him to do it, he grudgingly, ever so grudgingly, bowed his head. "...While the
invasion of your country was solely the decision of our former ruler, Gaius, it was my
own lack of virtue that kept me from stopping him. Allow me to apologize for that."
It didn't sound like much of an apology, but it seemed it was all that could be
expected.
Julius continued to speak. "However, it is your country that is now infringing on
our borders. As signatories to the Mankind Declaration, it is our right to request that
the Empire work to return our territory to us."
"...So says Julius, but what's the Empire's take on it?" I asked, turning the
conversation over to Jeanne.
She shrugged. "The Empire would prefer not to help Amidonia, who are really
only getting what they deserve... but, as signatories to the Mankind Declaration, we
have no choice but to respond to their request."
"Basically, you are saying that the Empire will request that we return all occupied
territories, including Van?" I asked.
"That would be what it means, yes."
Yeah, I thought. I figured the Empire would take that position. It's a little irritating
seeing Julius act as if it was a matter of course that they would, but this is all within the
range of what I expected. So, let me give them the answer I expected to give, too.
"I refuse."
"Wha...?!" Jeanne gasped.
Julius was at a loss for words momentarily. Maybe he hadn't expected such a
clear rejection. However, he immediately rallied and took on a furious expression,
saying, "Are you sane?! Thinking to defy the Mankind Declaration!"
"My intention isn't to defy the Mankind Declaration," I said. "However, I can't
abide the way Amidonia does things. First you invade Elfrieden territory, and then
when we launch a counter-invasion, you whine about us changing the border by
force. That doesn't stand up to reason."
"That's... It was all decided by the former ruler Gaius, on his own..." Julius
sputtered.
"That's pure sophism, and you know it, don't you?" I asked.
Julius seemed at a loss for what to say, at first, but then he responded, "Say what
you will, it will not change the fact that the people of my country are living under
your occupation. I, as the ruler of this country, must liberate my people."
That was his argument. Liberation from occupation, huh...
"I question whether the people of Van want to be liberated," I said.
"What?" Julius sputtered.
"Sir Julius," I said. "Did you not see the streets of Van on your way here?"
In response to my question, Julius's eyes went wide, and he immediately glared
at me. "Van is the city that birthed and raised me. I know it better than you."
"Do you now...? Well, what do you think of the color of Van now?" I asked.
"The color?" he asked hostilely. "I did see a number of houses with their roofs and
walls painted in garish, tasteless colors, but what of it?"
Yeah... Well, maybe it wasn't unfair to describe them as tasteless.
"We each have our sense of aesthetics, so I won't comment on that," I said.
"However, Sir Julius. If the people were choking under the yoke of our oppression,
do you think they would want to make their roofs and walls more colorful?"
I chose my next words carefully, so as not to drive Julius into a rage.
"If a ruler is oppressive, the people will try to act in a way that doesn't stand out.
That's because, if they were to catch his eye by doing something showy, there's no
telling what kind of disaster might befall them. So the more oppressed the people,
the less you will hear them complain. They don't show their feelings or attitudes,
keeping their true feelings bottled up deep inside their hearts. They would never
dream of doing something like painting their roofs and walls in showy colors."
There, I paused for a moment to look Julius in the eye.
"Now, tell me, what color were the colors of Van like when you and your father
were here?"
In response to my question, Julius clenched his jaw. Of course he did.
When I'd entered Van, the color I'd sensed here was gray.
The labyrinthine streets, not even properly divided into districts, had had only
houses with gray walls and earthen roofs, without the slightest hint of personality.
Even though they hadn't been part of a unified color scheme, they had all appeared
standardized because the residents of this city had not been free in spirit.
"Between Van under my rule, and Van as it was under your rule, which really
looks more like it's 'under occupation'?" I asked.
"You... Are you trying to say we were oppressive?" Julius shouted.
"Yes, because it's a fact that you were," I said. "It looks like most of your national
budget was going to military expenses. The taxes your people pay are supposed to
be returned to the people in the form of welfare. Instead of maintaining your city, or
your roads, or supporting industry, you bled your people with heavy taxes that only
went into the military. What is that if not oppressive?!"