“Now then, let’s move on to the other main topic.”
Apollo’s voice echoed with a smile as he retrieved something from his bag. It wasn’t large—just a small box, about the size an adult man could hold with both hands. But despite its size, the box seemed remarkably sturdy. Everyone around us, including the others in the room, eyed the box with curiosity.
“What’s this?”
I asked on behalf of everyone, and Apollo, smiling, placed the box on the table where we could all see it. Slowly, he opened it, revealing a steel-like box. Inside, wrapped in red cloth, was something round. As the cloth was peeled back, it revealed a familiar object.
“Black Orb!”
I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. Apollo nodded with satisfaction at my reaction.
“Exactly. This is the Black Orb that our Commercial Guild acquired through a contract with the Solstice Empire.”
“You’re selling it to us!?” I asked, filled with excitement.
Apollo nodded, though his expression turned serious.
“Of course… but we’ll need to discuss some rather delicate matters.”
“Is it about the Empire’s response?” I asked, already suspecting the answer.
“Precisely… Were you perhaps expecting this?” Apollo inquired, eyeing me with a hint of curiosity.
I gave a small, awkward laugh as I nodded.
“Well, during the battle with Yellenetta Kingdom, I captured Prince Freitline, so I’ve heard some things. From a single point of view, it seems the Solstice Empire was using Yellenetta Kingdom to indirectly expand its own territory… If that’s the case, Scuderia Kingdom has thwarted the Empire’s plans.”
Apollo smiled at my quick deduction.
“You’re quick to understand. This is something I haven’t yet shared with His Majesty, but I trust you. It seems that the Solstice Empire will likely restrict the export of the Black Orb to Scuderia Kingdom alone. They’ll probably first make sure we understand the strength of the Black Orb and its strategic advantage over nations that don’t possess it. Afterward, they might propose that Scuderia Kingdom becomes their vassal state.”
Apollo casually laid out a revelation that could shift the balance of power on the continent. The magnitude of this news caused even Espada to widen his eyes slightly. But I had been anticipating this ever since I first heard about the Black Orbs.
In history, just as gunpowder weapons like cannons changed the game in Europe and Japan, the nation that controls such power will have an advantage. The Solstice Empire was the first to master gunpowder and its application in weapons, including cannons. This allowed them to expand their territory on the Central Continent. The rapid development of gunpowder might’ve come with its own issues, but over time, the Empire likely began to realize the dangers of unconstrained territorial expansion.
Realizing these risks, the Solstice Empire may have decided to keep the knowledge of gunpowder a secret and focus on increasing its vassals instead… This was the most logical explanation.
If that theory held true, the next step for the Empire would be investigating the causes of Yellenetta’s defeat and selecting their next vassal candidate. Rather than spreading the Black Orb to distant lands and leaving it unchecked, the Empire might aim to establish its own control over its neighboring territories before others could develop their own weapons.
The obstacle to their plans was Scuderia Kingdom, which had already defeated Yellenetta and Shelvia Federation, two major powers the Empire had backed. If I were in the Empire’s shoes, I would be eager to find out how Scuderia had achieved that victory. But, since this was all happening on a neighboring continent, gathering that information would be tricky.
Turning to Apollo, I asked, “...Apollo. How much information have you passed to the Solstice Empire?”
At my question, everyone in the room turned to Apollo, their faces full of surprise. Apollo lowered his chin, furrowing his brow.
“I ask that you listen carefully. Our Commercial Guild is not as united as it might seem. Especially with the guild members operating in the Central Continent, their agents and direct merchants tend to view things through the lens of their dealings with the Solstice Empire. While I believe our dealings with Scuderia Kingdom should be prioritized, I understand the hesitation…”
Apollo’s tone seemed apologetic, but I could tell that his loyalties were leaning more toward Scuderia Kingdom than maintaining neutrality.
“I understand that you’re on my side, Apollo,” I said with a calm smile. “So, I’ll separate this from the Guild’s activities.”
Hearing this, Apollo visibly relaxed, a faint smile spreading across his face as he chuckled nervously.
“Ha ha… I had a feeling you might already know everything, Van-sama. I’m impressed by your foresight.”
With that, Apollo straightened and returned to the topic at hand.
“The Solstice Empire suspected that Scuderia Kingdom had developed the Black Orbs and cannons. However, based on the information from the Commercial Guild, they now understand that’s not true. Even with the Guild’s cooperation, the only reports they’ve received from me are about our long-range ballista, impressive architecture, and the top-tier weapons produced here in Ceat Village. Because of that, the Solstice Empire is considering sending their officers here directly to find out what’s really going on.”
“I see. So, they’ve begun exporting the Black Orbs to Scuderia Kingdom, but they’re unlikely to send anything more powerful than cannons?” I asked, confirming the details.
Apollo nodded emphatically.
“Exactly. The Solstice Empire will likely attempt to make contact with us soon. There’s even a possibility that imperial spies might come to Ceat Village…”
“Well, gathering information is important,” I said, nodding thoughtfully. “After all, the Solstice Empire could become a very powerful enemy in the future.”
I felt a wave of unease as I considered the future. The Empire would certainly use all kinds of methods to collect intelligence. But for us, obtaining information from them would be much more difficult since Scuderia Kingdom hadn’t even reached the Central Continent yet.
“...Apollo,” I said hesitantly, then asked, “You don’t happen to know how the Black Orbs are made, do you?”
Apollo blinked in surprise, then chuckled sheepishly.
No comments:
Post a Comment