Chapter 744 ·Insufficient Information

Chapter 0744 Insufficient Information

Translator: ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Jay_Forestieri

Editor: ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Tseirp

The ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Ruler’s Court in Hosoina, capital of the Bardael Emirate.

The ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍army had been defeated, and the Emir had been taken prisoner.

This ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was a matter that concerned the very survival of the country.

Meetings was held day after day to discuss what measures should be taken.

The decision was already made to send out an army.

The work of organizing it was also underway.

The problems were the size of the force, who would lead it, and gathering information on the enemy...

“The royal family was expelled from the Julban Kingdom? Why are we only getting that information now?”

“There were no particular proclamations, and apparently most of the people do not know about it.”

“So even if the people at the top are simply replaced... it does not impact the common people?”

Crown Prince Zorn wore a lonely expression at the report.

They were desperately running the country.

Even though they devoted themselves to governing day and night to make the people happier and more prosperous... it did not reach the hearts of people who were busy with their daily lives.

Even though he knew it could not be helped, it was still a lonely fact.

“Then, what is the name of the new king?”

“We do not know for certain.”

“We have not even obtained information like that, and our country sent an army to the battlefield... and on top of that, we brought Father into it.”

Zorn grimaced at the generals’ negligence in gathering information.

But he shook his head slightly.

It was wrong to blame the generals.

From the outset, everything about this war was strange.

A sudden war launched by a small country... against the two great powers on the northern coast, simultaneously.

And before that, the royal family had been replaced?

To top it all off, the enemy was said to number only a few hundred.

Those few hundred had defeated forty thousand soldiers combined from the Federation of Western Nations* and their own forces. (TLN: So as not to confuse the Eastern/Western bloc in the Dark Continent with the broader Eastern/Western Countries)

“What is happening?”

No one could answer Zorn’s mutter.

As long as they knew nothing about the enemy, they could not move, nor should they.

They had to thoroughly gather information.

However... the situation would not wait for them.

A new report arrived.

“The Julban Kingdom’s army has begun moving north.”

“What?! What about Father?”

“It appears that the Emir has also been spotted among the army moving north.”

“Are they planning to bar us from preparing?”

Zorn muttered bitterly.

It meant there was no time to gather information.

“We cannot let them reach Hosoina.”

Zorn understood at least that much.

The enemy army would line up outside the city walls, with the captured Emir pushed to the front.

What would the people think if they saw that?

Their trust in the nation would collapse in an instant.

They would realize that the country did not even have the strength to take back its leader, who had been captured by the enemy.

Even if they repelled the enemy army by relying on the city walls, the people’s trust, once lost, would not be restored so easily.

There would inevitably be those who took advantage of that.

Not only was the Julban Kingdom’s behavior this time unknown, but the movements of the Western Nations were also unclear.

And there was no telling how things might develop within the Eastern Nations, either...

The Bardael Emirate was, after all, merely one of the countries that made up the Eastern Nations... Although it currently stood at the center, that did not guarantee it would remain at the center of the Eastern Nations forever.

“Do not let the enemy army reach Hosoina under any circumstances!”

Meanwhile, the Knightley Kingdom delegation continued their stay at the guesthouse.

“So they lost that battle after all. Apparently, a new army has set out.”

“Apparently. The Julban Kingdom’s army is said to be moving north.”

“Does that mean they went out to fight so they would not have to turn this capital into a battlefield?”

“That must be it. When laying siege, city walls are certainly convenient for defense, but... they end up putting the people living in the city on the front line.”

“I really hate war.”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

Ryo sighed, and Abel agreed.

The two of them were the top two people in the Kingdom, the Premier Duke and the King.

And yet... no, precisely because of that, they did not like war.

Rather than making war, they would much rather lie sprawled lazily on a sofa reading a book, occasionally eating cake and drinking coffee... they preferred that by tens of thousands of times.

“I hear that Chief Battuzon, the Emir, has been taken prisoner by the enemy.”

“Huh, really? The people in the city probably don’t know about that, do they?”

“Of course they don’t. It’s top-secret information known only within the Ruler’s Court.”

“Information control as usual, huh? Governments everywhere are the same.”

Ryo sighed.

“It can’t be helped. I think Emir Battuzon is the central figure of the Bardael Emirate. If the people were told that he had been taken prisoner by the enemy army, the public unrest would be terrible.”

“Is that so?”

“The day we arrived, the sea was in chaos too, wasn’t it? If that happened just because the Emir went off to war...”

“Ah... I see. That might be true.”

It was better for a country to have a central figure.

Clearly, a country was more stable when there was such a person.

No, to be precise, it was the hearts of the people that became stable.

A government, or things like a national flag or national anthem, could not take that person’s place.

A study of history made that abundantly clear.

People probably demonstrated their greatest strength when they gathered around another person.

A very simple and easy-to-understand principle.

When people who did not understand that took positions at the core of an organization, the organization would collapse.

It did not matter whether it was a nation or a company.

That was because they fundamentally failed to grasp the obvious fact that people had emotions.

Trying to move people through reason and logic alone was never going to work...

“The Emir who was taken prisoner... why was he taken prisoner?”

“It’s more useful to take a head of state prisoner when thinking about negotiations later, isn’t it?”

“Ah... If you kill him, he becomes a martyr. Something like, ‘For the Emir who was killed, the people will unite and defeat the enemy!’.”

“That’s right. If there were no clear successor, or if the successor were obviously someone of inferior ability... then they might kill him in an attempt to weaken the country’s ability to govern.”

“So it depends on the case.”

Ryo nodded at Abel’s explanation.

Deciding whether to execute a single person or take them prisoner... even that required considering a great many things.

That was probably what politics, war, and diplomacy were all about.

“When you think about it that way, we are fortunate.”

“Without a doubt.”

Dark coffee was placed in front of Ryo and Abel.

While they were staying at the guesthouse, the Bardael Emirate was arranging everything for them.

Of course, even under such circumstances, Ryo occasionally went out into the city and bought food to eat... or rather, gathered information, making sure not to neglect it.

That was why they had information that the people did not know the Emir had been taken prisoner.

“Come to think of it, the neighboring Federation of Western Nations also sent an important person to war as the supreme commander, didn’t they?”

“The head of the Federation of Nations. Apparently, he went missing after the defeat.”

“I thought perhaps he had been secretly in contact with the Julban Kingdom.”

“Apparently not. It seems the Federation of Western Nations also had an army of twenty thousand wiped out.”

“They wiped out a combined force of forty thousand... The Julban Kingdom is a small country, right? How did they gather such a huge army?”

Ryo tilted his head.

“Apparently, this is unconfirmed information, but it seems their army was not large.”

“Unconfirmed information?”

“Apparently Scotty heard it from a court lady at the Ruler’s Court whom he had befriended.”

“Ah... Scotty-san is handsome, after all. Impressive.”

Abel explained with a shrug, and Ryo nodded in admiration.

It was an information-gathering method that probably would not work very well for Ryo.

“There is a rumor that they had fewer than a thousand.”

“What? Fewer than a thousand wiped out forty thousand? And they took the Emir prisoner and made the head of the Federation of Nations disappear?”

“Yeah. That’s incredible. They must have lured them into some kind of trap, but...”

“They weren’t completely wiped out, right? Surely some soldiers survived and made it back to this capital? What about information from them...?”

“Apparently, he was unable to obtain information of that level, something that would amount to a military secret.”

Abel sighed softly and took a sip of coffee.

Ryo followed suit and took a sip of his coffee.

“Well, however they did it, it is certainly true that they are a very troublesome opponent.”

“That’s right. The next battle... the one involving the army that just left the capital, will probably be a major turning point.”

“Winning would be good. But if they lose...”

“They will probably have to defend this capital with the remaining forces. If they lose twice... there is no way they can launch another offensive from here.”

“A decisive battle for the capital...”

Both Abel and Ryo wanted the Bardael Emirate to win.

Of course, they knew almost nothing about the Julban Kingdom.

But judging from the information they had heard, it felt as though the Bardael Emirate was in the right... probably, more or less.

At the very least, it was a fact that they had treated the Kingdom delegation, including the two of them, with the utmost courtesy...

“If... just hypothetically, but what would we do if the Julban Kingdom’s army surrounded the capital where we are staying?”

“Who knows... If the Bardael Emirate wanted our help, we might lend a hand.”

“That would be without having concluded any treaty or anything, right? Wouldn’t that constitute interference in their internal affairs?”

“Honestly, it’s a gray area. I could argue that because I, as king, had been dragged into it, I was lending them my strength... It’s not impossible to make that argument. Well, since the other country is asking us to help, I suppose it wouldn’t be interference in their internal affairs... but honestly, I don’t know. There are not many cases like this.”

Abel shrugged.

Yeah. Diplomatically, it might... just barely... be acceptable.

Of course, the simplest and most reliable way to avoid the problem was for the Knightley Kingdom delegation to leave the country before it became a battlefield.

Even so...

“The reason I came here this time was ultimately to explore the possibility of trade with the Dark Continent. Considering that it looks like we may be able to build a deep relationship with the Bardael Emirate, one of the two great powers on the northern coast and the center of the Eastern Nations, I think diplomatically it would be better for us to stay rather than withdraw. But...”

“But?”

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

Abel said it with a grimace.

Seeing that, Ryo also frowned.

Ryo knew... how good Abel’s instincts were.

It was not something to be taken lightly.

“There is no doubt that the oasis nation moving north possesses a very powerful military force. After all, they defeated forty thousand regular troops combined from the Eastern and Western Nations.”

“That’s what bothers me. Really, just what is moving north toward us?”

---

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