The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 15
EP.15 The Trusted One (4)
No matter how much I carried the Emperor’s authority as his representative, I was still a fourteen-year-old child. To the King of the Kingdom or the Pope of the Church, I must have appeared quite insignificant. But they couldn’t afford to show that derisive expression on their faces.
The military power of the Kingdom of Velbur was nothing compared to the Empire. Both Velbur and the Empire relied on a conscription system, but the Empire’s larger population meant a significantly larger army. Meanwhile the Kingdom’s military was in a precarious position.
In addition, compared to the Empire, which was actively expanding its modern air force and navy, the Kingdom’s military power was still ‘medieval’. Of course, that didn’t mean they fought with swords, spears, and bows, but they still lacked tanks and aircraft. The Kingdom’s military, which had barely moved past the rudimentary tanks of World War I, was nothing compared to the Empire’s, which had advanced to main battle tanks equipped with rotating turrets and powerful cannons.
To make matters worse, the Empire’s aerial battleships, though seemingly inefficient, were terrifying in a world that lacked highly developed anti-aircraft missiles. There was no anti-aircraft gun capable of matching the range of the main guns mounted on a battleship. Nor was there any anti-aircraft artillery with enough penetration power to breach the armor of the Dreadnought-class aerial battleships.
In theory, you’d have to hit them with battleship guns to take them down, but the range of naval guns firing upwards and battleship guns firing downwards was vastly different, favoring the latter. Aerial battleships could move at speeds of up to 120 km/h, faster than any ship in this world, and they never traveled alone, making it difficult to take them down even with large bombers.
And let’s not forget, the Empire’s air force was the most powerful in the world. If a bomber, which was slower than an interceptor, approached from a distance, it would almost certainly be shot down. And likely, that bomber would also be Empire-made.
To summarize, the Empire’s massive gunships could fire shells more powerful than modern artillery from distances comparable to those of self-propelled artillery, with relatively accurate targeting from the air. These gunships had armor similar to that of battleships and were escorted by dozens of interceptors. For countries just beginning to modernize, this was the embodiment of terror.
In fact, the role of aerial battleships in the Empire’s military doctrine was identical to that of modern American gunships. The problem was that there were no effective means of shooting them down.
Therefore, regardless of their real thoughts, the King and the Pope’s representative greeted me with the utmost respect.
“We understand the Church’s position. However, we cannot abandon our religious freedom. The Kingdom of Velbur has always been a nation of diverse races. If we make the Goddess Church the state religion, it would cause severe social unrest. I’m sorry, but we must decline your proposal again.”
“As always, we regret to hear that.”
However, their courteous attitude didn’t mean they took me seriously in the discussions.
I didn’t plan to actively participate anyway, and the two countries would have the most to say in this trilateral conference. The Empire, which held absolute dominance, had no need to intervene unless its interests were threatened.
Thanks to this, I spent most of the meeting enjoying fragrant tea. The milk tea, generously mixed with milk and sugar, was delicious. A specialty of the Velbur Kingdom, perhaps?
“The Church may be a small nation, but we possess strong military power. We thought that if we could join hands with the Kingdom, we would both benefit greatly…”
“Hmm…”
The King glanced at me.
Look at these people.
The Church was a very small country, practically the size of a single city. It had gained independence centuries ago through some old treaty. The nation held immense religious significance, leaning heavily into a “fantasy” element. While the Empire, with its practical aerial battleships soaring through the skies, was already fantastical, the Church leaned even further into fantasy than the Empire.
The Church’s cathedral knights, wielding holy magic, were threatening in a different way compared to soldiers with firearms. Their numbers were small, but on the battlefield, they could have the impact of tactical weapons.
That was why the Church was offering the Kingdom an alliance.
“……”
I watched the two of them closely but remained silent.
I knew this to some extent. The Kingdom opposed religious unification, but the Church subtly supported certain figures within the Kingdom.
The Church had the ambition to unify all religions under the Goddess Church, a goal that seemed rational and ordinary on the surface but concealed a deeper, more aggressive agenda. In truth, they were seeking to challenge the Empire’s dominance. The Empire, much more than the Kingdom, was a melting pot of races, cultures, and religions—an amalgamation of colonial peoples, annexed territories, and indigenous beliefs. Naturally, this would be something the Church found distasteful.
Strictly speaking, that was their “ultimate goal.” Just as the South Korean government’s constitutional goal was to reclaim North Korea and achieve reunification, but didn’t invade for practical reasons, the Church knew that if they tried to implement their plan outright, they would be wiped off the map.
So, they were working meticulously, starting with small, realistic changes.
The Kingdom was a nation directly exposed to the threat of the Empire. While the Empire seemed content with its current situation, internal dissatisfaction was slowly accumulating. And when the time came, the best way to channel that discontent would be to direct it outward.
It wasn’t surprising that both the Kingdom and the Church, two small nations sharing borders with the Empire, viewed it with the same wary eyes.
Thus, most of the conversations in this three-party meeting were likely just for show. The real discussions were probably happening between the two nations behind the scenes. Even if things appeared to fall apart here, there would likely be a secret alliance forming between them. Of course, even if this was all for show, they had to act convincingly enough to make the Empire believe in it.
Was the king’s slight frown a genuine expression of his feelings?
“……”
I pondered as I watched the two of them.
Whether or not the alliance was formed, the Emperor would eventually take action. So… it didn’t really matter what I said or didn’t say here.
“…It’s not that we are denying the Goddess. Our royal family has worshiped the Goddess Church for generations. However, if we were to declare it the ‘exclusive’ religion, there would inevitably be turmoil within the Kingdom. If that happens, the alliance with the Church would lose all meaning, wouldn’t it?”
“In that case, the Church’s proud Cathedral Knights will help fill that gap.”
“That sounds a lot like you’re planning to station your troops in the Kingdom.”
Nice try.
In reality, they were already stationed.
Of course, their numbers were so small that they didn’t consume resources like the US troops in Korea, and they weren’t present in unit formations either.
I had infiltrated the kingdom, disguised as a cleric in one of the Goddess Church’s churches. This is a setting that was introduced in the main story. Well, even so, I guess they thought it would be best if the secret alliance remained hidden from my sight.
“If…”
Honestly, I disliked the Church as a faction. Their scheming was one thing, but their characters were all afflicted with a cringeworthy teenage angst. If they were over-the-top manga characters, I might have found it amusing, but…
Instead, they were the kind of characters who pretended to believe in a religion they didn’t even care about, claiming they enjoyed killing people, or hypocritically spouted phrases like, “In the name of the Goddess, justice shall prevail!” while slaughtering innocent civilians. And yet, these characters were unnervingly popular, likely because they were all unnaturally beautiful. Maybe it was just a staple of Japanese RPGs that these characters would eventually get “redeemed” in some sort of redemption arc.
Sure, there were good characters, and some even became friends with the protagonist or turned into heroines, but a few of them annoyed me so much that I often ended up wiping out their entire faction in the game.
Sometimes, I’d take bits and pieces from the lore and twist it to suit my own purposes… though eventually, I got caught.
Anyway, that was the kind of nation they were, so I felt like throwing a wrench into their plans.
Something like…
“If the Empire adopts the Goddess Church as its state religion, would the Church be willing to form an alliance with the Empire?”
The way both of them froze at my words was priceless.
Of course, the Emperor despised the very idea of the Goddess, so it was something that would never happen. That was precisely why I could say it without worry.
Whether or not the Goddess actually existed in the lore didn’t matter. I didn’t like the Church, and naturally, I had no intention of forming an alliance with them.
From the Empire’s perspective, the Empire didn’t need it anyway.
“Are you saying the Empire is willing to accept the Goddess Church as its main religion?”
“It depends on the benefits. The Empire is a modernized state and has no intention of making an unproven belief its state religion. However, if the benefits outweighed the harm, it’s something we might consider.”
The representative from the Church narrowed his eyes at my words. He was trying to discern whether I was serious or just testing him.
In truth, if the Church aligned itself with the Empire, there was a chance it would be absorbed by the Empire. The Empire was powerful enough to do that. Judging from the Emperor’s attitude, he’d certainly be willing to make that happen.
And even if the Goddess Church became the state religion, it would be impossible to eradicate all other religions. Unless they planned to tear the Empire apart, this proposal, even if executed, would likely not go beyond ‘state religion.’
At the same time, though, this suggestion touched on the core of the Church’s existence. It was their first step toward abolishing all other religions and uniting the world under one faith, one “true belief.” Of course, that was assuming they didn’t get swallowed by the Empire in the process.
“Is that the Emperor’s intention?”
The Church’s representative asked me.
“That’s what I’d like to know. Since the Pope himself didn’t attend, do the words of the representative here carry the same weight as the Pope’s?”
“I am here as the Holy Father’s representative. Naturally, everything I say reflects the will of the Church.”
“Is that so? In that case, my words are also equal to those of the Great Emperor. I am here as his ‘representative,’ after all.”
I alternated my gaze between the King, who had a stiff expression, and the Church’s representative, before finally focusing on the representative again.
“Now, if you are truly speaking on behalf of the Church, and if your words reflect the will of your nation, are you willing to take full responsibility for everything you’ve said here?”
“Of course. That is why I am here. Isn’t it the same for you, Princess?”
“Meeting with His Majesty, the King of Velbur, I would never dare speak falsehoods.”
The King’s eyebrows twitched slightly at my use of “His Majesty,” but I didn’t pay it much mind.
“In that case, borrowing the authority of His Majesty the Emperor, I have something I wish to ask.”
I directed my question to both of them, who were intently staring at me.
“Is there perhaps something more you’ve discussed outside this three-party meeting? Is what I’m witnessing here the entirety of your conversation, or are you establishing some secret alliance elsewhere?”
“……”
I felt a bit sorry for trying to intimidate the King, since I bore no particular ill will toward him. Still, seeing the Church’s representative stiffen up was rather amusing.
Not that I expected them to give me an honest answer. They would proceed with their alliance anyway, regardless of what I said.
“Do you have evidence for this question? If you’re speaking with the Emperor’s authority behind you, you’d better be prepared to bear the weight of your words.”
This time, the King spoke with a serious expression.
“Is evidence needed for this question? We’re discussing a military alliance, so shouldn’t we ensure that the words exchanged here are truly for the benefit of all three parties, rather than just one nation?”
“……”
The two of them remained silent at my question.
It was a weak argument, but since I had clearly stated that I was here with the ‘Emperor’s authority,’ it would be difficult for them to confidently say ‘no.’ If they did, they would be ‘officially’ denying it, and if it was revealed later, they would have no defense.
Not that I expected the alliance to break because of this. Their words were carefully crafted to neither confirm nor deny anything. Even if caught later, they could claim they ‘didn’t say it outright.’
“I would like to ask once more.”
Breaking the silence, the Church’s ambassador spoke.
“Does the Empire truly intend to make the Goddess Church its state religion?”
“I’m afraid that’s only my personal opinion. Such a decision would require the approval of the Imperial Parliament, so I can’t give a definitive answer.”
I replied. It was a double-edged answer.
On the surface, it seemed like I was saying that the Emperor and the Parliament had different powers, implying that it was beyond the Emperor’s control. But in reality, the Parliament was little more than a rubber stamp for the Emperor’s decisions. Anyone observing the Emperor’s behavior would know that.
Just moments ago, I’d spoken as if the Emperor’s authority was absolute, only to now hide behind the Parliament as an excuse. For them, it must have been infuriating.
But what could they do?
The power of the Empire’s Emperor stood behind me.
Besides, I didn’t care about the Empire’s image. If I had, the Emperor wouldn’t have sent me here in the first place.
I sipped my tea, feeling detached from the conversation as they continued to stare at me.
What? Why?
There wasn’t much left to discuss here anyway.
They could handle the rest on their own.
There was a reason the Empire of Evil was called the Empire of Evil, after all.