Water Magician-Chapter 626: People of Diplomacy
Editor: Tseirp
The two were resting in the cafe of the Freedom Breeze Inn when they noticed something.
“Aren’t there a lot of people who look like visiting guests?”
“Yeah—Ryo, you think so too? Those aren’t staying here, are they?”
From the seat where they sat, they could see the Freedom Breeze Inn’s lobby.
A fair-sized group kept coming and going there.
Yes—a group.
“No matter how you look at them, they’re people involved in diplomacy, aren’t they…”
“Yeah. They must be with Prince Ryun.”
“Even if they arrived early, their schedules get pulled forward and they don’t even have time to look around the city.”
“Well, that’s what being involved in politics is like.”
Ryo offered a civilian’s offhand observation, and Abel responded with a kingly interpretation.
If there’s such a gap between them, then if someone with a civilian sensibility tries to take part in national politics… of course it will go badly.
People around them would be especially bewildered.
“I’ll keep my distance from politics.”
Ryo declared that clearly.
“You’re the Premier Duke — you can’t.”
Abel replied just as clearly, not letting him off the hook.
“I only took it because it was supposed to be an honorary post…”
“Now that you mention it, that’s right.”
Abel seemed to remember that too.
“If the world had stayed peaceful, you probably could have done that.”
“Curse you, world!”
Abel blamed the world and Ryo went along with it.
A king and the Premier Duke making the world their enemy.
Could this be the prologue to world conquest…?
Dosunaji was the Fifth Deputy Secretary at the Komakyuta Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He was forty-three, the fastest-rising among his cohort; a Deputy Secretary in his early forties was the first in ten years.
Even within that vast foreign ministry, he ranked tenth in seniority — a high-ranking official and undoubtedly part of the executive.
This time, he had come to the autonomous city of Kwebasa as an aide to Foreign Minister Jodaar, who was attending the Eastern Countries Joint Conference. ȐÀŊȪβЕṡ
And now he had just paid his respects, together with that foreign minister, to Prince Ryun, the Sixth Prince and head of the Darwei negotiating delegation.
Foreign Minister Jodaar was also forty-three.
He had been born into a prestigious family connected to the royal household of the principality, and people said he would someday stand at the top of the principality government as either Prime Minister or Regent.
Dosunaji had been working with him for only about four months, but had already felt he was far more capable than previous foreign ministers.
No — comparing him to previous foreign ministers might even be unfair.
Minister Jodaar had an obviously noble background, but he never flaunted it.
On the contrary, he even treated the foreign ministry bureaucrats with great kindness.
He had originally been Deputy Foreign Minister, but when the previous foreign minister was dismissed amid bribery allegations involving the neighboring Suje Kingdom, Jodaar rose to the post.
Even without that incident, Jodaar likely would have become foreign minister eventually… just a few years earlier than expected.
Ministers in the Komakyuta Principality tended to be older overall.
Jodaar was the only minister under forty.
There wasn’t even anyone else in their fifties.
“Prince Ryun was quite young, but he seemed like a difficult negotiator.”
Minister Jodaar said with a wry smile.
“Yes. He’s nineteen… But this time he isn’t an enemy.”
Deputy Secretary Dosunaji answered.
“Yes. This is a conference to fight alongside one another. I think we’ll find a good compromise for the Komakyuta Principality as well.”
Jodaar had just said that when they arrived at the lobby.
“Minister Jodaar!”
Someone called out in the lobby.
“Ah — Foreign Minister Mishita.”
The one who had spoken to Minister Jodaar was Foreign Minister Mishita of the Kwebasa Autonomous Government.
A person who looked like an aide stood beside him.
“I’d like to discuss that matter with you.”
“Ah… not here, though.”
“Yes — I have a room next door, let’s go there.”
Foreign Minister Mishita said this and led Minister Jodaar away.
The two who had eaten their fill watched the exchange.
“They said ‘that matter’, didn’t they?”
“I wonder what it is. If it can’t be discussed here, it must be important.”
If they talked about it in the lobby or cafe, the contents would certainly leak out.
“Do you remember that Foreign Minister Mishita from earlier?”
“I wasn’t sure when Ryo mentioned it, but yeah — he was the one who clashed with Duke Helb at the embassy garden party… the Deputy Minister of Ports, Mishita. The person beside him was there too back then.”
“Yes — that’s Aide Ronfan. Ronfan was one of the four who were attacked at the teahouse, you know.”
“Was that so? I never noticed.”
They had been resting after overeating at the teahouse too…
Perhaps that was just their fate.
“The ‘matter’ has to be about Kwebasa’s war of independence.”
“A war of independence?”
For some reason, Ryo said it with complete confidence, and Abel looked at him suspiciously.
“When a region seeks independence, the usual playbook is to get cooperation from the enemy of the suzerain state. But the Grand Duchy of Atinjo has already conquered the surrounding lands, so they’ll have no choice but to ask the Komakyuta Principality for support.”
Ryo explained.
What came to mind was Earth history: the American colonies seeking independence from Britain tried to secure help from France.
“Why try to become independent when you’ve only just won autonomy? Well, I can understand the feeling if they were an independent nation before… but isn’t it a bit too soon? Shouldn’t they build up strength a little more first…”
“That would be too late! The people of Kwebasa are surely living each day forced to drink muddy water under the Grand Duchy of Atinjo’s oppression! Seeing that, the autonomous government and others must be plotting independence out of compassion!”
Ryo nodded repeatedly while looking at Abel with a strangely intense expression.
“I see…”
Abel gave up on arguing.
Whether what Ryo said was right or not, he felt it didn’t matter to him either.
It was better not to meddle in other countries’ affairs…
And Ryo himself, sitting there, surely would not intervene in any so-called war of independence.
Of course, if such a war would even occur.
To be honest, Abel thought such a thing wouldn’t happen…
“If the independence army attacks first, they would try to take the head of the administration who came from the home country. If they can capture that person as a hostage, they might turn the situation in one swell swoop!”
Ryo was already spinning fantasies.
He was talking about targeting the administrative island, thinking about where to secure based on the troops that could be mustered and so on.
Again, all of it was fantasy.
But…
“When we left Kwebasa, the city’s highest authority was Duke Helb, right?”
“That’s right. Just before, former Prime Minister Noson had become the Supreme Administrator or whatever, but he died.”
“That’s right. Maybe even now…”
“Is Duke Helb still the administrative head of Kwebasa?”
Abel and Ryo looked at each other.
Of course, neither face gave an answer.
“Let’s go and greet him a little…”
“Don’t.”
Abel stopped Ryo.
He didn’t want to set a fire where there was no flame.
“They’ll meet at the conference anyway.”
“The conference will be a battlefield, then!”
Ryo nodded with odd, grim resolve.
As usual, Abel shook his head slightly.
Foreign Minister Mishita of the Kwebasa Autonomous Government and Foreign Minister Jodaar of the Komakyuta Principality entered the room.
Mishita spoke first as soon as they entered.
“Minister, what do you think?”
No one said what ‘what’ referred to.
It was as if no words were needed.
But Minister Jodaar frowned when he was asked.
If he were calm, that expression alone would have revealed what his answer would be…
“Foreign Minister, let’s pretend I never heard this.”
“Minister…”
“You don’t want to do this either, do you? Isn’t that right, Foreign Minister?”
“…”
“Even if it succeeds, I don’t think it will truly benefit the people of Kwebasa. If it fails, of course, Atinjo’s tightening of the screws will only get worse. Clearly, I think it should not be done.”
“…”
“Please tell the person standing behind you. The Komakyuta Principality cannot cooperate in an assassination of the Atinjo Grand Duke.”
“Yes…understood.”
And so the short meeting ended.
The two from the Komakyuta Principality came back out.
“Minister Jodaar…”
“You, the deputy, were told about this matter back home, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“So a fair number of people know. There’s no way such a thing can succeed.”
“…”
Minister Jodaar frowned and gave a small shake of his head.
Deputy Dosunaji nodded in silence.
“At a time when we are trying to stand united against the northern threat… to plan an assassination simply because the Grand Duke of Atinjo is visiting Kwebasa… Foreign Minister Mishita has been put in a thankless position.”
“Foreign Minister Mishita opposes this assassination plot, then?”
“Of course. He’s a decent administrator. He understands that assassination is not a method to be used, for any reason.”
“Then why did he come this time…”
“Either he was ordered from above, or his family is being threatened…”
“Such… such despicable, cowardly things must not be allowed!”
Deputy Dosunaji suppressed his voice as he raged.
Seeing that, Minister Jodaar smiled a little.
Perhaps he found Dosunaji’s sense of justice pleasant.
“No matter the country, if someone becomes a minister, more or less such things happen.”
“No way! Even in our principality?”
“Yes.”
Minister Jodaar nodded, smiling.
“The common people don’t know, and it’s better that they don’t.”
With that, Minister Jodaar, taking the surprised Deputy Dosunaji with him, climbed into the carriage.
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