Howard settled into his chair, initially crossing his legs casually, but then reconsidered and sat up straight.
Speaking earnestly to Vettel, he said, "Strength is relative to whom you compare it with. Aragon might be strong, but now they're confined to the Yoruba continent and haven't made any moves in colonizing the New World. Their power is stagnant; it won't increase much further."
"On the other hand, Castile is expanding vigorously in the New World. Their expansion is rapid and determined. The entire southeast is now under the rule of the Kingdom of Castile. Castile will only grow stronger, whereas Aragon shows no signs of development. Such an ally is definitely not what we need."
Vettel pondered over Howard's words, then accepted his reasoning.
He left to purchase ships from the Duchy of Naples.
A day later, Bosiden was dispatched to Venice to explain that the ship purchase incident was a misunderstanding.
