Chapter 326: A Tale of History
“Boosting food production is crucial. While we can provide supplies, it’s evident that if we give them away for free, foolish rulers will eventually emerge,” Amagio Silverhead stated.
“You just made a valid point… Well, yes. If food becomes scarce, the nation will descend into chaos. Relying on foreign aid is incredibly unhealthy,” Ashidancera = Ayame Zero interjected, forcefully redirecting the conversation as she manipulated the projection display to change the displayed materials.
“Therefore, we will supply enough food to get by for the time being, but simultaneously, we will introduce equipment for increasing food production through trade. Specifically, agricultural tools and fertilizers.”
“…And you will provide the raw materials, methods, and effects of the fertilizers as well? I doubt the transmission of knowledge will be very effective…”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. Only those who understand will grasp it. We can’t take responsibility for basic education. The goal is to disseminate information and render the monopoly of the privileged class meaningless.”
Amagio Silverhead responded to Alban Breias’s concerns. Naturally, these policies had already been shared between Ayame Zero and Amagio.
This meeting served as an explanation to Admiral Alban Breias, who would soon be responsible for transporting and guarding a significant amount of supplies.
“For now, our country’s dispatched forces will maintain public order, but ultimately, we must establish a local organization. It would be disastrous if those lacking knowledge or with excessive ambition gain power. We will need to continue patrols for an extended period.”
“That falls outside our jurisdiction, but… Ah, will the Navy handle personnel transport?”
“Exactly. You’re quite perceptive. Since this is an overseas deployment, we must keep the terms short to avoid dissatisfaction. Ideally, the maximum would be about six months. If possible, I’d prefer to rotate them every three months.”
By the way, the detailed local operations will primarily be handled by Paraiso. However, this is information they do not intend to disclose openly.
In particular, Communicator Androids excel in gaining the trust of the populace. Unless it’s a closed community, they will likely be far more beloved than any local lord who might only appear occasionally. This is also in comparison to the forces from the Kingdom of Repuitari, who come infrequently.
Meanwhile, the dispatched forces from the Kingdom of Repuitari will be asserting their legitimacy.
For the rulers, this would be akin to a devilish act. Their standing would continue to decline while the reputation of foreign nations rises.
“The food we can distribute will consist solely of long-term storage items like wheat and dried meat. After much consideration, other options proved impractical.”
Ashidancera expressed her concerns regarding the food supply. Due to political considerations, they couldn’t select a wide variety of preserved foods.
If The Tree were to provide preserved food, it could lead to a situation where the rations distributed are more lavish than the meals available in the Kingdom of Repuitari itself.
While Ashidancera might find this disappointing, taste is secondary.
In fact, distributing high-quality items could easily lead to issues like diversion. Thus, they chose items that could be procured within the Kingdom of Repuitari or from other nations.
Wheat and dried meat, when properly dried, can be stored for an extended period. In that sense, maritime transport of food is unsuitable. Humidity is a formidable enemy.
“I understand the future policies for now. What concerns me is the profitability of this endeavor… I apologize, but I simply cannot envision where the profits will come from. Could you elaborate on that?”
“Hmm… Well, I believe we could generate direct profits if we wanted to,” Amagio mused, nodding as he stroked his chin in thought.
“Simply put, we could treat the aid supplies as a loan and collect repayment in the future. Of course, that assumes the other nation stabilizes in the end. Alternatively, if civil war continues indefinitely, we could advance our military to secure resources. Though, this option would likely provoke significant backlash from neighboring countries.”
“That… I considered as well, but it doesn’t seem particularly profitable.”
As a nation, they aim to maximize their own interests. Given that premise, it’s understandable that the current approach might be difficult to comprehend.
“True. The primary objective is to fortify the barriers against the monk soldiers of the Prava Divine Nation. It’s better for us to have them handle things locally rather than sending our military, which would minimize our losses. Additionally, we can curry favor with neighboring nations. The northern countries are rich in mines. We could send our companies there to secure interests and promote development.”
Amagio spoke with a convincing tone, but the true purpose was, of course, to conceal The Tree’s complete domination over the Prava Divine Nation. No matter how familiar he was with the Navy’s top brass, he could never openly state such intentions.
“Well, I still find it somewhat unsatisfactory, but I understand. At the very least, it’s clear that our nation isn’t the only one taking advantage of this.”
“Honestly, I wish you would handle such discussions without my involvement.”
“Haha… I apologize, but it will take a few more years before we can gather competent personnel. The legendary Senate and the Army have become utterly corrupt.”
Alban shrugged, lamenting the situation. The Navy had been so consumed with overseas expeditions that they neglected domestic control.
Within the Kingdom of Repuitari, a significant purge had left various personnel depleted.
And it was Duke Amagio Silverhead who had single-handedly filled that gap.
By mastering the Argument Brain Structure, steering a nation becomes a trivial task. Moreover, an intelligence network of bots is spread throughout the major cities. Most information is centralized in a control unit, automatically generating appropriate directives.
“Ideally, in five to ten years, I’d like to hand over the reins. By then, you’ll likely be retired too, right? If you want to enjoy your old age without worry, you’d better put in the effort.”
“I understand. Like you, my modest dream is to retreat to a rural territory and spend my remaining years in peace.”
“Is that modest…? Well, it’s certainly a far better situation than before… Even now, it feels like we’re walking a tightrope.”
As Amagio seemed to recall various past events, he sighed. Alban leaned forward, intrigued by his demeanor.
“From the way you’re speaking, is there some issue I’m unaware of…?”
“…………”
When asked, Amagio gazed thoughtfully into the distance.
To an outsider, it appeared as though he was hesitating, but in reality, he was exchanging vast amounts of data with The Tree via the AB Structure. He was deliberating on what to disclose, communicating with the transcendent intelligence known as Ringo.
“Well, you’re trustworthy enough. Our esteemed Navy was at risk of being utterly annihilated due to a single misstep.”
“…What did you say?”
Amagio shrugged and glanced at Ashidancera, who was quietly munching on snacks at the same table.
“You were planning to dispatch a fleet to the Port Town of Terek, weren’t you? Just before the deployment, Paraiso arrived and turned everything upside down.”
“That… Yes, that’s correct…”
Alban’s expression questioned whether it was appropriate to discuss such matters in front of Paraiso, but Amagio nodded, dispelling his concerns.
“The Paraiso fleet’s actions were merely delayed by a month, and at worst, they could have encountered each other in the Port Town of Terek. Fortunately, that future was avoided. We can consider it a funny story now, right?”
“Wha… What? Well, when you put it that way, the timing certainly aligns…”
“We managed to avoid a confrontation. That concludes this discussion, Admiral Alban. It resulted in a highly beneficial outcome for both parties. That much is certain, wouldn’t you agree?”
With Dry = Ringo’s addition, Alban silently nodded.
At that moment, he was likely envisioning the disastrous consequences of a clash between the Paraiso fleet and the Repuitari Navy.
Alban was well aware of Paraiso’s technological prowess. The outcome of such a scenario would undoubtedly be catastrophic.
“…Indeed, it was quite a tightrope walk…”
“Indeed. Well, thanks to that, nothing happened. There’s no need to dwell on trivial past events.”
Now, there was a brief mention of an alternate history. What might have happened if the response to the Kingdom of Repuitari had been delayed by just a month?
Promotion for Volume 3
Hmm, it’s intriguing. There might be a story somewhere with a different historical path… Oh! This is from KADOKAWA’s publication, “The Hungry Fortress Wants to Build a Battleship in Another World: World of Sandbox”! Moreover, Volume 3 is set to be released on September 30, 2024! Perhaps it will feature a narrative that diverges from the web version! I must buy it right away!