[Kingdom of Fiesta]
The room was a little dim. The white stone walls, unmistakably part of a stone-built structure, flickered with shadows cast by fire, which served as the lighting.
The room was large, but even with the numerous lights, the entire space wasn’t well-lit. In the center of the room stood a long, heavy table that seemed to be cut from stone, surrounded by twelve men and women. There were no chairs, and except for one person, everyone stood and looked down at the items placed on the table. The only one sitting was positioned in such a way that they could view the center of the table.
One of the twelve, Tran, picked up one of the objects laid out on the table and spoke.
“Look at this. This is a blue glass craft. There were many other pieces of artwork that could not be made in this island nation. Of course, there were also weapons and military equipment that could pose a threat to us. Currently, the Scuderia Kingdom, the largest country on the western continent, is strong. It is said that even when two nations, equal in power, joined forces to challenge it, they were unable to win. This is a map of the western continent. It seems that the ruler of the western continent is certainly the Scuderia Kingdom.”
Tran casually disclosed the information he gathered during this voyage. The others murmured in understanding. At the center of the table, a large map lay, showing three continents. A man with a white beard and a shaved head nodded at Tran’s report and pressed a black stick, shaped like a branch, against a point on the map. From there, he drew a line toward the left side of the map.
Tran pointed to the end of the line and spoke.
“This is the Marquisate of Rosso, in the Scuderia Kingdom. If you travel south from here, you’ll reach the capital.”
“...The name of this town was Tribute, correct?”
“That’s right. It’s a peaceful port town, but I didn’t see any large ships. From what I’ve heard, it seems that the Scuderia Kingdom has not yet advanced enough in shipbuilding to undertake long-distance voyages.”
Tran answered, and the man nodded, writing some of the information onto the map. Then, a woman standing opposite the table raised her head. She was in her forties, with purple hair, broad shoulders, and a muscular build, even though she wore somewhat larger clothing.
The purple-haired woman furrowed her brows and pointed at the Scuderia Kingdom, the Yellenetta Kingdom, and the Shelvia Confederation, one by one, on the map.
“…In essence, this means that these three nations are the rulers of the region, doesn’t it? Isn’t it dangerous to have contact with the Scuderia Kingdom?”
The woman asked in a somewhat low voice, and Tran nodded seriously.
“It would be dangerous. However, after meeting with some of the nobility, such as the marquises and Count of the Scuderia Kingdom, I felt they were trustworthy. Furthermore, there is much we can gain from them. Especially in terms of craftsmanship, they are far more advanced than I expected. If we can cooperate, it would be possible to make our fleet even stronger.”
“You’re suggesting that we should build a friendly relationship with them?”
“That’s right. If they become our allies, I believe they would be a very dependable partner.”
Tran stated his opinion, waiting for everyone’s reaction. Those surrounding the table pondered the information and shared their thoughts.
“I see. This is quite interesting.”
“I’m curious about the reason they are so advanced in craftsmanship.”
“No, I’d like to hear about the other nations first. Next, the Fourth Fleet, Mondio Orcus. Please, share the information you’ve gathered.”
As everyone spoke up, a one-eyed man with strong arms opened his mouth. In response, the smallest man in the group, with brown hair, answered.
“Understood. I sailed to the eastern continent. We landed here, in the center of the Solstice Empire. It seems that the Fifth Fleet’s Specter also reached the southern part of the Solstice Empire, but that was such a massive country. This map was obtained from the Commercial Guild, a large organization in the Solstice Empire. As you can see, the Solstice Empire occupies more than seventy percent of the central continent, which is known as the Great Central Land. What stands out most is their overwhelming national power and their latest military weapons.”
The man named Mondio spoke proudly, as if he were a native of the Solstice Empire. Tran furrowed his brow slightly and asked.
“Latest military weapons? What kind of weapons are they?”
Perhaps thinking the same thing, everyone’s gaze shifted toward Mondio. He lowered his chin and began speaking.
“They’re called artillery—long-range weapons for attacking. Once you understand the magnificence of this artillery, I believe everyone will agree that we should form an alliance with the Solstice Empire.”
Mondio smiled and confidently asserted this, then began to speak at length about the latest weapons of the Solstice Empire.
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