Chapter 291: Colonial Plans
“The Piata Empire, as its name suggests, is a nation governed by an imperial system. Originally, it was established when Emperor Piata subdued the surrounding nations, growing larger by annexing them,” Amagio explained, sipping the tea brewed by his aide, Iris, as the visuals played on.
“However, the third Emperor of Piata, the current ruler, failed to defend the capital and has gone missing. Well, it’s highly likely that the monk soldiers of the Prava Divine Nation killed him. In any case, the Piata family, who are related by blood, managed to escape to the neighboring Belerforesti Nation with the help of influential nobles, where they are currently under protection.”
“What a troublesome situation,” Amagio added with a sigh.
“Most of the influential nobles who were originally in charge of politics have also gone missing since the fall of the capital. Their retreat was a failure. Because of this, some of the nations that were annexed by the Piata Empire have begun to claim the title of new emperor. Naturally, in terms of succession rights, the royal family that fled to Belerforesti holds the highest claim, but it seems they are being criticized for having fled. Those who have raised their armies on-site believe they are more deserving of the title of emperor. So far, at least three such claimants have been identified. If they had managed to unite and elevate one of their own, that person might have been able to act as a temporary emperor or regent.”
In other words, infighting had begun. The fact that they were still able to hold the front lines seemed to be exacerbating the situation.
“Now, the troubled royals have been lured by Belerforesti to establish a government-in-exile. While their bloodline is indeed legitimate, it seems there are no domestic forces willing to follow the fled emperor. If things continue as they are, it will likely lead to a split into three or four nations. In the worst-case scenario, they might even fight among themselves and further divide.”
Even in regions not yet conquered by the Prava Divine Nation, there were originally about six small nations. The worst-case scenario would be for those regions to declare independence now that the emperor is absent. If the pressure from the Prava Divine Nation had continued, they might have united, but that pressure has nearly dissipated.
“Resources are currently arriving from the Kingdom of Repuitari and several other nations. For the time being, there is no worry about starvation. While their territory is being reduced, it’s essentially someone else’s land. Rather than focusing on reclaiming it, they will likely prioritize solidifying their own foundations.”
Amagio assessed that the current state of the Piata Empire would only lead to further fragmentation and loss of power as time passed. RINGO seemed to be running simulations as well, but due to a lack of information, the accuracy was poor. Amagio, who had spent over a century in the political arena, had made predictions that currently seemed the most plausible.
“Next up is the Eadia Beastin United Kingdom. As the name suggests, it was formed by the merger of the Eadia Kingdom and the Beastin Nation. Historically, it began as an alliance to counter the threat of the Piata Empire. The royal families were united through marriage—the Eadia prince and the Beastin princess. Since the first generation was like that, the former Eadia region still holds some power, but it’s negligible.”
For reference, Eadia is located in the east, while Beastin is in the west.
“About 70% of the Beastin region has been swallowed up by the Prava Divine Nation. The royal capital hasn’t fallen yet, but it is now on the front lines. The current king was injured in the initial battles but is not in life-threatening condition and has moved to the rear. The one commanding from the royal capital is a high noble from Eadia. The prince is only five years old, so he certainly can’t be placed on the front lines. Since the Eadia region remains intact, the nobles in the royal capital are hesitant to launch an aggressive offensive. This has led to discord with the nobles from Beastin.”
The defense forces have been retreating repeatedly and are now stationed in the royal capital. Because of this, about 60% of the troops stationed there are from the Beastin region. Naturally, many commanders are calling for the reclamation of their homeland.
“The Eadia nobles advocate for a thorough defense, while the Beastin nobles demand the reclamation of their homeland. Their opinions are completely at odds. However, if the Prava Divine Nation were pressing forward, they would have likely united in defense.”
If time continues to pass like this, the situation seems to be leaning toward reclaiming their homeland. However, to advance, they need supplies. Unfortunately, contributions from the Eadia region, which is reluctant to reclaim territory, are not very promising.
“They will have no choice but to rely on support supplies from other nations. However, since they will be delivered via the Eadia region, you can probably guess what will happen, right?”
By the time the support supplies reach the front lines, they will likely be significantly siphoned off. In fact, it seems that a considerable amount is already being embezzled. While the quantity is sufficient for defense, it is not enough for an offensive. Moreover, the Eadia region is likely to stall for time, hoping to benefit from these support supplies.
“Well, it seems like this could lead to a civil war soon. A military coup isn’t out of the question given the current climate. In fact, movements of supplies that suggest such a thing have already been observed. However, for now, they likely won’t have the luxury to execute anything, so we should be fine for a while.”
If the situation of the Prava Divine Nation’s offensive continues to drag on, the likelihood of unnecessary actions increases. And if they were to launch a counter-offensive, the monk soldiers, unable to replenish their forces, could be overwhelmed.
“Therefore, it’s necessary to solidify the current borders and dissuade any thoughts of counter-offensives or reclaiming territory. I’m currently having our leadership devise a plan for this. We aim to modernize the army and, as part of our training, launch an invasion from the coast. The best plan would be to seize and colonize the areas around the current provisional borders with the Kingdom of Repuitari, right?”
By sacrificing some forces to annihilate the enemy, they would establish a provisional government in place of the shattered local governance. The involved nations would likely voice various complaints, but ultimately, it is military power that speaks. The voice of a nation that failed to reclaim its territory will diminish.
However, this would inevitably lead to animosity toward the Kingdom of Repuitari.
“That would be just perfect. Since we don’t share a direct border, the likelihood of being provoked into war is low. In fact, we are on the side providing material support, so while international sentiments may be complicated, they will ultimately lean toward us. The fact that we extended a helping hand while suffering losses is undeniable. The outcome just happens to result in a de facto colony. The actual circumstances don’t matter; as long as we have a basis to claim, the stronger side will prevail.”
As expected, the leader of a nation that had amassed wealth through naval power spoke with conviction.
“This is one of the scenarios discussed between Ayame Zero and Mr. Amagio. Based on this scenario, the Kingdom of Repuitari will likely take action.”
“The young lady from Ashidancera is set to speak at the council meeting. Military supplies, transfer of manufacturing technology, and the export volume of resources as compensation are all on the rise due to improved mining techniques. We are currently experiencing an unprecedented economic boom. And now, we will present the case for securing effective territory. Well, it should be approved without any issues.”
While the finer details still need to be ironed out, the immediate response seems to be settled. As The Tree, we will support the Kingdom of Repuitari’s invasion in terms of supplies. Considering the distance between military bases and front lines of various nations, the Kingdom of Repuitari is the closest simply because they are separated by the sea. As long as they possess the technology to cross the sea, it is not wrong for the Kingdom of Repuitari to provide direct military support. Regardless of the reality, they can contribute far more than other nations that cannot send troops.
“Listening to all this makes me feel like everything is going to work out!”
And with that, the Commander-in-Chief, Eve-chan, who had completely faded into the background, exclaimed to conclude the discussion.
From Amagio’s perspective, Eve-chan is like a granddaughter to him. The AB Structure is a type of supercomputer, a remarkable piece of technology that even includes an energy reactor. It’s only natural that he would be all smiles if such a gift were presented to him.