I Became the illegitimate son of a duke

150 – Neighboring Countries (2)

“Your Majesty, are you sure you are all right?”

“What?”

“Albion is allowed to trade.”

My meeting with the Albion lion ended in a sad mood unlike the amicable beginning, but the continuation of the trade I had promised to Albion at the beginning was maintained.

Ines, who had been silently listening to the contents of the meeting, asks me with a puzzled expression as soon as the meeting is over if that was her dissatisfaction.

“If you block trade, it’s going to be more chaos. If you want to get something and you can’t get it peacefully, the only thing left to do is… You know?”

“Hmm… That’s for sure.”

It’s a bit much to give something to those who talk nonchalantly, but I still have to continue trade and make Albion’s economy subordinate to Rotaling-Caroling.

What if trade with island nations is completely blocked? A very good example of a poem that would happen is Japan in the 14th and 15th centuries.

It is not for nothing that Joseon and Chinese officials allowed Japan to enter the port and trade no matter how much piracy they did. If you refuse, the merchant ships that entered the port peacefully and traded could all turn into pirates in an instant.

Above all, trade with Albion isn’t just losing money. It loses in some parts, but gains in other parts, which is a natural phenomenon in the concept of trading.

“We need to instill in them the awareness that they can get whatever they want peacefully, and we have to train them with that. Throw meat at the wolves they hunt and turn them into dogs.”

If I make Albion dependent on trade with Rotaling-Caroling, they will have no choice but to look at me anyway.

Seeing that Albion even came to ask me for permission to continue trading in the Carolingian Territory, we can assume that foreign trade plays a large role in maintaining the state.

That means that if I continue to expand trade with Albion in the future, rather than just permitting it, eventually Albion will be greatly surprised by my simple coughing, and it will turn a blind eye.

“But… Isn’t that damaging to Your Majesty’s honor?”

Of course, this is only from the point of view of the national interest, and not at all from the point of view of the country as an individual.

He simply refused the demand to hand over the spoils he had rightfully acquired on the battlefield, and he did not express any anger about it. From a medieval point of view, this action seemed no different from putting a stigma on himself.

This is an era where any action is justified for the sake of individual honor, and the people living in that era are all very dissatisfied with my decision. Not only Ines, but the other attendants and knights around her were also making faces that seemed incomprehensible.

“Ines, are you dissatisfied with the fact that I didn’t punish Albion?”

“Yes…”

“It’s okay, I’m not saying I won’t punish you. I’m putting it off until later.”

“…?”

“Rather than simply recovering honor, wouldn’t it be better to inflict lethal damage to the opponent while recovering honor?”

It is not yet the time.

Induce Albion, an island nation, until it becomes completely dependent on Rotaling-Caroling, a continental nation… Then you just have to pay off the debt.

…………

“Phewuuu good.”

“…Your Highness, did King Lotharing really grant that request?”

“I heard that there is no one in the world who can fulfill such a request?”

“Then why…”

The Duke of Richmond, the Lion of Albion, who returned to his lodgings and let out a sigh of relief while wiping the sweat from his body, said as if he was dumbfounded by the attendant who thought that the request was passed after hearing that he was fortunate.

“It’s because the King of Rotaling accepted the other requests even though he received such a request.”

“Huh…”

When Edward suddenly asked me to serve as the head of the delegation, at first he thought it was a reconciliation.

However, when I heard that as the representative of the delegation, one of the things I had to ask King Rotaring for was the return of the Duchy of Neustria, I really felt like stabbing him with a sword on the spot.

To make such a request to a king rumored to be a madman, isn’t he literally crying out for death?

Of course, no matter how mad I was, there was no way I could really kill myself as a foreign envoy, and even with the status of a duke, there was still a very high chance that I would receive an insult comparable to that.

By the way, you didn’t get anything? Are all the other requirements met, even aside from those related to Neustria?

‘Very good.’

I don’t know what Edward’s son was aiming for, but he probably didn’t think that such an unreasonable request would really be accepted.

If the intention was to forcefully insert this unreasonable request and cause other requests to be rejected… Appointing me as the representative of the delegation is understandable enough.

You can attack me on the pretext that the demands you deserve were rejected.

And that attack was made impossible thanks to King Lothaling’s patience. I guess I’ll have to personally buy and send a gift to King Rotaling later.

Anyway, back to Albion, Edward won’t leave you bastard.

“Why did King Rotharing act like that? From the point of view, it can be regarded as an insult, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know the details, but since Rota Ling has been in a series of wars for the past few years, maybe he decided that further wars were unreasonable? That’s why he doesn’t like any more trouble.”

If the attendant, who normally knows but pretends not to know, asks questions like this, most of the nobles will have a bad feeling, but the Duke of Richmond, who is ugly in appearance but has a good heart, answers the attendant’s questions with care.

Above all, organizing a case while having a conversation with others is also a form of organizing that he extremely prefers.

“Well, Rotaring is too tired to stabilize Caroling right now, so I’d hate to have any more trouble.”

“Isn’t it?”

“But the problem is that the mad king made that decision.”

“…That’s right.”

The Duke of Richmond loses his energy at the words of an extremely rational servant.

I can’t figure out how the King of Rotaring thinks.

The information I desperately gathered while coming here to Dijon told me that King Rotaring was impetuous and eccentric. It’s hard to imagine such a person putting up with such humiliation.

What is it? What are you aiming for?

No, am I missing something somewhere…?

“…I don’t know.”

What I learned from traveling around various countries for 20 years is that when dealing with a country, you only need to think about the ruler of that country and act.

A country is anything that moves according to the will of the ruler, and no matter how powerful the vassals under it are, the ruler’s power has weakened.

In other words, the most important point of diplomacy is to understand the character of the ruler of the country you want to do diplomacy with, and to achieve what you want by being easy to please.

However, what should I say about this meeting with the King of Rotaring… Yes, it feels like the basic concept has changed.

Should we say that the ruler moves according to the will of the country, rather than the country moving according to the will of the ruler?

…No, that’s a far-fetched idea.

There are many reasons, such as not really having a personality that can go that far, or not wanting to create any more problems.

…………

“…The Albion messenger headed for Dijon?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor of the Holy Empire, who received a report that Albion and Rotaling had contacted, was greatly distressed.

Albion has a deep relationship with the Holy Empire as well as Rotaling and Caroling, but if Albion makes any agreement with Rotaling, it will be extremely difficult for the Holy Empire.

Now, the Holy Empire is confined in the thick of it, developing its strength. If stimulation comes from the outside, there will be a problem with the act of cultivating that power.

‘…Tsk, I couldn’t have heard of that duty free or something.’

For a certain period of time, all products in Rotaling do not have to pay any tariffs when entering the empire, and even after a certain period of time, they receive a huge discount in terms of tariffs.

At first, I thought it was fortunate because they only asked for property without any territorial demands, but now I see that there is no such fraudulent treaty.

I’m blind to this kind of internal affairs because I entrusted it to officials, but I know very well that price control and the recovery of artisans and farmers are essential for post-war recovery.

However, Rotaring’s cheaply released items are ruining the waters of the empire and making it difficult for the artisans and farmers of the empire to live.

Because of that, it became very difficult to work on internal stability in the middle of the day. sh*t…

“…Send someone to Albion first, we need to find out what they talked about.”

“I will.”

Anyway, if Lotharing, who swallowed Caroling, wants to turn the next blade to the Empire… He’ll want to deepen his relationship with Albion across the sea.

If Rotaring had any conversations or trades with Albion at that point, it could be catastrophic for the Holy Empire.

In order to come up with a countermeasure, we need to know what we talked about as soon as possible.