Chapter 221: Information from the Merchant Guild

“Welcome, Apollo.”

I raised both my hands and spoke his name, offering a gesture of welcome. Apollo, who had opened the door and entered with a quick pace, blinked and looked at me. His expression felt less like pure surprise and more like a wry smile of someone who had already figured something out.

Apollo lightly exhaled as he straightened his slightly disheveled clothing. He then approached the executive desk and looked at me.

“It has been a while, Lord Van. I am pleased to see everyone is doing well. First, allow me to apologize for requesting a meeting without prior notice. I rushed here because I believed the matter was urgent, but it seems my concern was unnecessary.”

Apollo offered a slight bow, a faint smile gracing his lips. Behind me, Khamsin, Till, and Arte returned the bow. Apollo then turned his gaze toward the map spread across the desk. He had likely grasped some new intelligence regarding the movements of the Kingdom of Yelenetta. The fact that he rushed here implied that Yelenetta had taken some unexpected action.

The most immediate concern would be a direct invasion of Seatoh Village, but somehow, I had a feeling that wouldn’t happen.

“So, they didn’t take the direct approach after all, did they? Which option did the Kingdom of Yelenetta choose?”

Unable to fully deduce Yelenetta’s strategy, I chose to ask Apollo vaguely. I didn’t want the embarrassment of making a confident guess only for it to be wrong. It was a question born from that sentiment. However, Apollo nodded several times, looking impressed.

“…As expected of Lord Van. You were predicting their actions from the Kingdom of Yelenetta’s point of view. The result is that the Kingdom of Yelenetta appears to have chosen a strategy that involves leveraging a neighboring nation.”

“Huh?”

I let out an involuntary sound of confusion and dropped my gaze to the map. Just as I did, Arte and the others standing behind me leaned in to look down at the map as well.

The only nation bordering both the Kingdom of Yelenetta and the Kingdom of Scuderia is the Shelvia Confederation.

“What kind of country is the Shelvia Confederation?”

Till, who was looking from behind, posed the question. Though Apollo is a merchant, he is a guest from the major Merchant Guild. Apollo smiled and nodded at Till, who spoke with a casual, almost chatty tone in front of such a person.

“The Shelvia Confederation is a rather unusual nation. It was originally formed when two smaller countries merged to counter threats from their neighbors. Perhaps due to this history, it possesses the unique feature of having distinct cultures on its eastern and western sides. Because of this background, instead of a monarchy, they have separate representatives for the East and West, and these representatives take turns governing the country.”

Apollo briefly explained the Shelvia Confederation. Till, realizing something, smiled apologetically and gave a small bow.

“Ah, I sincerely apologize. I haven’t even offered you any tea…”

Till spoke, blushing with embarrassment over her oversight. While there were likely other things on her mind, that detail was what she focused on the most. I couldn’t help but smile and agree with her, as her words were heavily influenced by her love for teatime.

“Till’s tea is delicious, after all. Oh, and please bring some sweets too!”

“Yes, I’ll prepare them immediately!”

With that, Till left the room with a light and cheerful step. I watched her go, then opened my mouth to address Apollo.

“So, Apollo, which side of the Shelvia Confederation—the East or the West—do you believe is cooperating with the Kingdom of Yelenetta?”

When I asked, Apollo’s expression tightened, and his tone became serious.

“It is the East Side.”

He stated it firmly, and I nodded, realizing the implications.

“But the Shelvia Confederation has an alliance with the Kingdom of Scuderia, correct?”

I knew the answer, but I confirmed the fact anyway. Apollo responded without changing his expression.

“Before the Shelvia Confederation became a single country, the West Side had an alliance with the Kingdom of Scuderia, and that alliance remains in effect today. Conversely, the alliance the East Side had with the Kingdom of Yelenetta also remains. As a result, the internal situation within the Shelvia Confederation, spurred by this full-scale war, has become one where influential nobles from the East and West are glaring at one another.”

I sensed Khamsin gasp in surprise behind me. Well, given the surrounding circumstances, it did make sense. The Kingdom of Yelenetta has been too successful in the information war against us, leading me to suspect spies among Scuderia’s nobility, traveling merchants, or adventurers.

Of course, this also included the possibility of intervention from other nations.

Because of these prior suspicions, I wasn’t entirely thrown off by Apollo’s words. No, I was slightly surprised, but thankfully not too shocked. That was the truth.

“Ahem.”

Thinking this, I cleared my throat and turned my attention to the map.

“In that case, are the factions favorable to us currently in a weaker position? Or did they simply judge that the Kingdom of Yelenetta has a higher probability of winning after seeing the new weapon? Well, if that’s the case, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

When I sighed and spoke, Khamsin groaned, unable to hide his indignation.

“…However, abandoning an ally is an unacceptable act.”

Khamsin was quietly furious. I gave a wry smile at his straightforward opinion and then turned the conversation to Arte, who had been listening silently until now.

“Arte, what would you do if you were the king of the Shelvia Confederation? And assume I’m not currently in the Kingdom of Scuderia when you consider your answer.”

When I asked her, Arte looked slightly flustered but made a cute, contemplative sound.

“…W-Well, if Lord Van wasn’t here, I might feel that the Kingdom of Yelenetta was stronger and choose to cooperate with them. Seeing Yelenetta’s black orb, I might worry about the Shelvia Confederation being targeted next…”

Arte offered her opinion, sounding apologetic but articulating a genuinely political viewpoint. As expected, Arte is quick-witted. She is already considering the impact of the war on the surrounding area. She hasn’t been taught this perspective or way of thinking, so I wonder how she developed it.

Feeling slightly curious, I agreed with Arte’s words and elaborated.

“That’s right. When a formidable power emerges nearby, you have to think carefully to avoid invasion. It would be great if you had the power to oppose them, but if not, you need to somehow bring them onto your side… In short, the Shelvia Confederation likely judged the Kingdom of Yelenetta to be stronger and more dangerous than the Kingdom of Scuderia. While this would normally cause internal conflict between the East and West over which country to side with, perhaps even the nobles on the Scuderia side simply couldn’t afford to side with the Kingdom of Scuderia.”

I said this, placing my index finger on the map and pointing to the border area between Shelvia and Yelenetta. Apollo nodded at my words, his face growing serious.

“Even so, it wouldn’t be strange for several nobles to still side with the Kingdom of Scuderia. Perhaps someone has a hold of information about them, and…”

Apollo murmured, then raised his head in a gesture that seemed to gauge our reaction.

“…If that were the case, nine times out of ten, the noble holding that information would be one whose territory lies close to the border with the Shelvia Confederation.”

As he spoke, Apollo pointed a single spot on the map. It was a point on the western side of the Shelvia Confederation, adjacent to the border with the Kingdom of Scuderia. Everyone looked at the spot and instantly fell silent.

Just then, Till returned to the room, carrying a serving cart laden with tea and sweets.

“Delicious tea is ready! Here you go, please help yourselves!”

Till cheerfully arranged the tea and sweets on the table. She finally approached me and, seeing everyone staring intently at the map, she spoke.

“Ah, that’s the Ferdinatto County, isn’t it? Was there something important out in that border region?”

Till asked airily, tilting her head in confusion.