Interlude: About the Youngest Prince of a Small Country - Empire Edition
I, Executivevo Funsleroya, hold the position of First Chief Administrator in the Magic Empire of Magistri-Plunbr.
The First Chief Administrator is a bureaucrat dispatched to various places to resolve domestic and foreign issues of the country.
Due to the nature of this position, I possess considerable authority in a wide range of fields.
For example, I can intervene in the formation of military units, disregard the opinions of nobles and adjust tax rates in various regions, and even change the laws of subordinate nations.
Despite having such rights, I am still a mere official. If I were to abuse my authority, I would quickly be stripped of my position and become a resident of the prison.
Therefore, as the First Chief Administrator, I must diligently perform my duties and ensure that I do not engage in any misconduct.
This time, I have been tasked with two assignments: the colonization of Mendashium, a de facto subordinate nation, and negotiations with Nonette, the new neighboring country.
The objective is to import a large amount of iron ore from the mines owned by Nonette into the empire.
Thus far, we have maintained a friendly exchange of iron ore with that country. However, Mendashium has imposed tariffs on the iron ore passing through its territory, making it slightly more expensive when considering transportation costs. Reducing military expenses is an urgent matter, but we cannot compromise the quality of our forces or research.
Therefore, the higher-ups of the empire decided to annex Mendashium, eliminate the tariffs, and obtain Nonette's iron ore at a lower price.
In order to ensure the success of this task, I devised a strategy.
I proposed selling the magic staves created by the empire in Mendashium. These staves have the ability to enhance the user's magic and are classified as magical tools. The sale was made under the pretense of being for research and development purposes.
Of course, even though they are a subordinate nation, they are still a separate country, so we cannot provide them with the latest models.
The staves are second-hand goods from three generations ago, and the price was set at a significantly inflated value.
However, Mendashium eagerly accepted this offer, willingly investing the majority of their national funds in such a reckless endeavor, without suspecting that they were being deceived.
"This staff is for research purposes. You are free to use it within Mendashium, but if it is used to invade other countries, you will be required to pay compensation."
Despite emphasizing this point, I knew it was meaningless.
Why was it meaningless?
It was because Mendashium lacks the ability to develop magical techniques on their own. They are a peaceful country with an abundance of crops in their fertile plains, and advanced technology flows in from the neighboring empire. They have forgotten the act of independently advancing their own technology due to such circumstances.
Now, why did they spend a fortune to purchase a research staff that they can't use for research?
It's because the Mendashium Kingdom is desperate to use powerful weapons against the Nornette Kingdom.
It's like the behavior of a young child showing off a newly bought toy to a friend. However, this is a distorted trait that arises from the deep-seated inferiority complex caused by the fact that they have been unable to defeat the Nornette Kingdom, which they disdain as rebels, for generations. At least that's the judgment of the Imperial Analysis Division.
In other words, even though the staff, which was contracted not to be used for aggression by the Empire and other countries, Mendashium Kingdom has made it a definite fact to use it for the invasion of the Nornette Kingdom.
Now, the plan has been set.
If the Mendashium Kingdom uses the staff sold by the Empire to attack and destroy the Nornette Kingdom, we can use the contract as a shield to buy the mines in the Nornette Kingdom for free as a penalty fee from the Mendashium Kingdom.
Even if, by any chance, the Nornette Kingdom repels the Mendashium Kingdom, we are prepared to proclaim "justice" by punishing them for their invasion through illegitimate means and absorb the Mendashium Kingdom.
Whichever way it goes, the Empire is the only one who benefits from the outcome, so I can't stop laughing.
As a result of the war between the two countries, the Nornette Kingdom repelled the Mendashium Kingdom and it ended.
With a nearly tenfold difference in military strength and the magical staff we sold, why did they still want to blame the Mendashium Kingdom?
However, when I looked at the tactics used by the Nornette Kingdom in the report, I understood.
For the Nornette Kingdom to win, it is absolutely essential to defend the fortress, but the Empire's staff is a nuisance for defending the fortress. Therefore, they destroy the staff with a night raid. In addition, they set traps all over the mountainous roads to weaken the forces of the advancing Mendashium Kingdom. The climax is the simultaneous burning of the frontline camp and the rear supply depot.
The tactics are not flashy, but they definitely weaken the enemy's offensive power. The military officers of the Nornette Kingdom who devised these tactics are competent.
On the other hand, losing the effective weapon to break through the fortress and losing the food supply, the Mendashium Kingdom had no chance of winning.
They should have retreated, but in the final moments, they attacked the fortress in a near-suicidal manner and caused the death of half of the peasant militia. That cannot be praised either.
In any case, the Mendashium Kingdom used the magical staff in the war, and the outcome has been determined.
And at the point of failing the invasion, it was also decided that the name of the Mendashium Kingdom would disappear from the map.
Changing the Mendashium Kingdom to the Mendashium Region immediately, I headed to the Nornette Kingdom with an escort.
The annexation of the Mendashium Region was just the preliminary stage. The real purpose of this operation is to negotiate with the Nornette Kingdom for increased mining production. Let's tackle it with enthusiasm.
As I was full of determination, one of my escorts quietly whispered to me.
"A reconnaissance magical device is flying overhead."
"I've heard that this mountain path is so barren that not even monsters appear. It's unnecessary, so you can bring it back."
Upon hearing my words, the escort whispered and looked puzzled.
"It's not ours. It's probably from the Kingdom of Nonette."
"A mountainous small country has created a reconnaissance magical device?"
"No, it's likely our inferior replica. Although its flight speed is slow, it flies slightly higher, so there seems to be some ingenuity involved."
It was truly surprising.
A small country that branched off from the inept Mendasium people possesses research capabilities to imitate the Empire's technology, albeit to some extent.
"If we underestimate this small country and don't engage in negotiations, we might suffer."
With that in mind, it was fortunate that we were able to go to the fortress of the Kingdom of Nonette.
They say that the representative of the other party, the young prince, is a marshal, and just as we were about to enter into negotiations, detestable knights from the Knight Kingdom appeared.
It was a continuous series of surprises despite being mentally prepared.
What further surprised me were the words of the prince regarding the negotiations.
"I don't need the land in the Mendasium region, but I want a signed document by the emperor as proof of being an equal country."
To summarize, that was the request, but I was astonished by the sharpness of the opinions the prince exchanged with his retainer leading up to it.
Infertile farmland that lacks vegetation is a hindrance. The seeds of rebellion are sprouting among the inhabitants of the land they have been hostile to until now.
These two points were crucial to the plan I had intended to implement, knowing that the Kingdom of Nonette would be troublesome in the future.
Ordinarily, if you offer land, they would gladly jump at the opportunity, so I thought the plan was foolproof. But he thwarted both aspects.
I did let my guard down thinking he was a young prince. It was supposed to be a strategy for victory. However, the result was a complete defeat.
I had no choice but to fully accept the prince's demands.
In the subsequent conversation, whether my agitation was seen through or not, Prince Milimos conceded with a wry smile.
"The vast mountainous areas surrounding the Kingdom of Nonette are a series of valuable mines. It should be the same for the Mendasium region as well."
It was a brilliant move to diminish the Empire's interest in the land of the Nonette Kingdom while presenting it as a souvenir of negotiations directed at me, who desired iron ore.
Moreover, if you ask the Nonette people about potential ore deposits, they even provide bonuses for mining development.
For such a remarkable gift, the only demand was a single sheet of paper with the Emperor's signature.
In written form, it seems like a one-sided victory for the Empire, but in reality, it is a balanced transaction.
After all, that paper is something every small country bordering the Empire desires desperately—it's a magical paper that allows them to avoid becoming de facto vassal states of the Empire.
After concluding the negotiations, we leave the fortress and begin our journey home.
"The Empire gained tangible profits in the form of iron ore, while the Nonette Kingdom gained intangible benefits in the form of the magical paper's power. Which side do you think profited more?"
I unintentionally mutter such a complaint out of my defeated despondency.
One of the escorts joins in the conversation.
"The sword the young lad had hanging at his waist—it was the latest model of a magical sword just deployed to the Empire's forces. I wonder where he acquired it."
"Could it be that there are sympathizers of the Nonette Kingdom within the Empire? Considering the arrival of the knights from the Holy Knightly Nation, perhaps their collaborators on the other side obtained it on the battlefield and handed it over. In any case, they are no longer opponents to be underestimated just because they are a small country."
"And on top of that, he hasn't been recognized as fit to be a king. How exceptional must his father, the current king, and his siblings, the future kings and queen, be?"
"Considering the lack of noteworthy information about the Sushtaa Trading Company, which has a branch in that country, regarding their dealings with the royal family, they must be quite skilled at concealing their abilities."
However, despite their competence, they choose to live contentedly in these mountainous lands. They cannot become a threat to the Empire's marvels.
A suitable report to my superior would be: "Do not underestimate the Nonette royal family, but their ambitions are limited. If we approach them with courtesy, they will return the favor with benefits."
Now, let's return to the Empire, submit the report, and prepare for the next mission in a different location.