CH 202

Unless Ramor speaks out and clarifies the involvement of the Kingdom of Hollant, it is not possible to determine the punishment for Goslant Island. There is a big difference in the responsibility between the pirates forcing Goslant to let them make port here and Goslant cooperating with Hollant while understanding that they were engaging in an act of war against the Kingdom of Ploiss.

If the pirates were staying on their own, Goslant could be said to be just victims, but if they knew everything and were complicit in one side of the war, that would be a hostile action against Ploiss.

Gustav Knutson Hond probably thought it would be okay if he insisted that he was a victim who had been forced by the pirates without knowing their goals. Or he may have been told by Ramor and the Kingdom of Hollant that if they cooperated, they would not be pursued even if Ploiss raised a protest.

We know that Ramor and the others are a navy that came under the direction of the Kingdom of Hollant. I also understand that Goslant Island would have cooperated with the Kingdom of Hollant after knowing their reasons. But there’s no way to prove it.

Of course, in this day and age, there is no need to provide evidence and clarify it in court. Even if it is an accusation, the one who has power wins and that is justice. Whether these guys admit it or not, whether it’s a lie or the truth, we can decide who wins and judge who is right on a whim.

But if we forcefully decide and pass judgment here, it will surely become a root for trouble. For example, if we execute Gustav for being complicit in the war, the citizens of Goslant Island will give us and the Kingdom of Ploiss the grounds to say, “They falsely accused our Lord and executed him.” We have to make sure no such seeds of lies and evil take root.

To do that, it would be good to convince Ramor to break his deception, but I don’t think I’ll be able to get him to admit that. There will be no way to persuade him. Threats and dishonor do not affect a soldier who has made up his mind this far. He’s already made peace with being executed and dying with the world believing he was just a pirate.

It would be useless to ask Hollant. As these guys said themselves, their status as state soldiers should have already been deleted. If you say, “I used to belong to the military, but now I left the army without permission.”, that’s that. Because there is no way to pursue them further as they were out of jurisdiction, they should have quit the army, albeit nominally.

No threats or persuasion. No other evidence. No, even if there were other evidence, they wouldn’t admit it. I’m in trouble. I’m completely out of options.

“Why do you pledge so strong an allegiance to a country that would throw away a man like you…?” I muttered.

“Even if the core of the country is rotten, the loyalty once offered to the state will not change,” Ramor said. “That is what a knight is.”

He seemed to have overheard me. He’s just looking straight at me. After all, this is a troublesome opponent. However…….

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“You seem to have misunderstood quite a bit,” I said.

“Misunderstood?” Ramor asked. “What part have I misunderstood?!” he cried, rising in anger.

It seems he believes I mocked his loyalty. I think that’s proof that he still pledges allegiance to the Kingdom of Hollant, but that’s fine.

“Even if the country is rotten, the loyalty once offered will not change? That is a big mistake,” I said. “That is not in the best interest of your country. If you really cared about it, you should remove the roots of disease and corruption, even at the cost of your life. That’s true loyalty. Just following unjust orders from the heart of the sickness doesn’t count as loyalty. It’s simply being a fool who does not think for himself.”

“And what qualifies you to speak of this?!” Ramor said. “Do you think I’m just following what they say without thinking about my orders!? If I don’t do this…”

Ramor suddenly gasped and shut his mouth mid-sentence. It would be the same as confessing just now. In other words, I understood that for some reason, Ramor had no choice but to follow the wishes of the Kingdom of Hollant, even though it was reluctantly. But that doesn’t matter.

“I’m saying that it’s a big mistake,” I said. “What is your country? To whom do you give your allegiance? Do you swear loyalty to a king? A land? A governing body of that land? To whom did you swear your loyalty? To the navy superiors giving you your orders? To the ministers who pass down orders to your armed forces? Think carefully. For whom and for what are you doing all this?”

“Kuh…” Ramor went.

He seemed to want to argue but can’t. With such a face, Ramor averted his gaze from me. This is the first time Ramor has turned away. But I can’t fit in. It’s not enough to beat some sense into such a misguided idiot.

“Loyalty? Hah!” I yelled. “Even if the country is hijacked by a parasite and torments its people, ‘I’m a person who pledged loyalty to the country, so I can’t go against them’ you say then you flee from your responsibility using your loyalty as an excuse? How rather quite bizarre!”

“Yo-You bitch!” Ramor yelled. “How dare you say that?!”

Ooh, ooh. Ramor seems to be angry, too. But if you have that kind of anger, the person you turn to will be different.

“What is your petty self-respect protecting?” I asked. “Think carefully about who you should point your blade at.”

“Shut up!” Ramor yelled. “What can you claim to know, as you grew up under the protection of the Kingdom of Ploiss, such a large, cozy, and stable country?!”

Ramor is completely beside himself with anger. He’s so soft-spoken that it’s hard to believe he’s the same as the person who’s been waving me off until just a little while ago.

“Yes, I don’t know,” I said. “If I want to protect my ideals, I will fight, whether it’s the Kingdom of Hollant, the Demon Country, the Kamaal Alliance, or even the Kingdom of Ploiss, my homeland! I don’t know what those who make excuses for themselves and let their opponents take advantage of them are thinking.”

“SHUT UUUUUUPPPP!”

Ramor launched himself over the table I had slammed my hands on and attacks me. I grabbed his wrist and put my hand under his armpit and threw him onto his back. Ramor couldn’t even recover from the perfectly formed judo throw, hitting the floor so hard that he couldn’t breathe.

“Gah…! Geho…! Kahah…!”

Since I was carrying one hand on his back, his legs fell first, but I almost didn’t pull my hand up, so it seems like he fell straight to the ground. In judo throws, the side that threw the opponent pulls them up. In addition to that, you won’t take much damage because you’ll be cushioned by the mats.

But this is not a mat, and the person who was thrown didn’t even brace himself. And since I didn’t pull my arm back, Ramor was slammed to the floor with full force. As a result, the air has been so blown out of his lungs that he can’t even breathe. Well, he won’t die, so his breathing will calm down soon. I wait until Ramor catches his breath again.

“Listen to me,” I said. “I will eventually regain all the land ceded by the Kingdom of Ploiss to the Kingdom of Frasia. And I will make the Kingdom of Hollant take responsibility for this matter. Depending on the situation, I may even attack and destroy it, too.”

“Wha…?!” Ramor gasped.

Not just him, but all the other soldiers looked startled. That’s expected. Even if only a mere knight is small in terms of territory, she is saying that she will destroy the Kingdom of Hollant. Even a child who tends to dream can’t help but be laughed at for a fantasy that can’t become reality. But this is my sincerity.

“At that time, if only the people of the Kingdom of Ploiss were to destroy the Kingdom of Hollant, only the intentions of Ploiss would take precedence in the post-war rule. But perhaps, if someone from Hollant will make a great achievement while I invade and destroy Hollant, perhaps things might change somewhat, don’t you think?”

“Wha…!? What…? Are-Are you telling me to betray my homeland and become your subordinate!?” Ramor yelled.

As expected, he’s got excellent perception. I have now invited Ramor to become my subordinate. What I just said is unmistakably my sincerity. Take back the territory ceded to the Kingdom of Frasia. And when the territory is regained, it will be connected to the Kingdom of Hollant. If the land is connected, the influence of Ploiss on Hollant will also increase.

But I’m not going to end it just by reclaiming areas around the border of Ploiss and increasing its influence. I have no grudge against the citizens of the Kingdom of Hollant, but I want the current leadership to disappear. They have come to ravage the common people’s gardens and fields. They must receive a suitable reward.

At that time, if the subordinates from the Kingdom of Hollant worked hard and made achievements, they would be placed in the post-war governance structure or given territories. Moreover, if the achievement is great enough, it may be possible to object to the unreasonable orders of the Kingdom of Ploiss in the post-war negotiations.

I don’t know what’s going on with Ramor. Why is he at the mercy of the upper echelons? Is it because of a hostage? Is held in a weak position? I don’t know why he obediently follows the upper echelons like this, but if he follows me, we can blow those superiors away.

If you’re being held hostage, it might be difficult to stand up and defy them now. But, for example, there are various methods such as pretending that Ramor is dead and serving me under a different identity. This is a world where information transmission is slow. There are many ways to deceive people.

“I don’t know why you are following such an order,” I said. “However, I do know that you are a proud knight who does not approve of such actions. If you stay with me from here on out, your wish may come true, yes?”

“You’re…………”

He seems to be having more trouble than I thought. I just tried to solicit him with no luck, but does it look like it’s going to go well?

I think it would be a shame to just execute Ramor. Ramor is loyal. But it’s not just about being loyal to the Kingdom of Hollant. It is also for the sake of Goslant Island that Ramor stubbornly claims that he is a pirate.

“We were pirates and just made port on Goslant Island without permission. That’s why the people of Goslant Island have nothing to do with this case.” That’s what they insist on. Even if he loses his honor as a soldier or a knight, or if he is executed as a criminal like pirates are, he tries not to cause trouble to Goslant Island.

It’s too regrettable to simply execute someone with such a chivalrous spirit. I may not be able to convince him to forsake his loyalty to the Kingdom of Hollant, but I wonder if he can lend a hand in order to save the Kingdom of Hollant.

“Admiral Egmont, it’s our loss,” Hond says. “Let’s do as this young lady says.”

“What are you doing, Lord Hond…?” Ramor says.

It seems that the Lord of Goslant Island has already given up and acknowledged it.

“If it’s Sir Floto von Caan, then we, the people, and you will be treated properly as well,” Hond says. “We won’t be killed without question.”

“That’s……. I understand. Let’s talk about everything,” Ramor said.

With Gustav’s persuasion, Ramor finally gave up. In the end, he never told me how Ramor was being used to the country’s advantage. However, both of them acknowledged that the Lord of Goslant Island was cooperating with the Hollant Kingdom’s Navy, which Ramor and the others were enacting the will of.

It seems that Goslant Island was also forced to cooperate with the Kingdom of Hollant. Of course, it cannot be said that there is a possibility that he is blaming the Kingdom of Hollant to avoid responsibility. But I think it probably is true.

The Kingdom of Hollant is a small country in terms of land area. However, it cannot be said that it is a small country in terms of national power and diplomacy. The Kingdom of Hollant is a maritime nation and has made great profits from maritime trade. And it has a very complicated political standing due to marriages with the royal families of its surrounding countries.

For example, if you are attacked by the Kingdom of Ploiss, ask for help from the Kingdom of Frasia, and if you are attacked by the Kingdom of Frasia, ask for help from the Kingdom of Ploiss. In this way, it is a country that has survived by assessing the international situation with the influence of relatives in each country.

In comparison, Goslant Island is one of the smaller islands that does not belong anywhere, even though it is the largest island in the Hulk Sea. There is no way such an island can go against the Kingdom of Hollant. You couldn’t refuse them if you were forced to say “the pirates were just docking here and rampaging around” for a situation like this.

I got the gist of it. They both conceded. I don’t plan on forcibly executing these guys, but I can’t just leave them unpunished. I have to bring them back and put them to trial in Caan territory, or discuss the end of the war and the future.

“Then let us set sail!” I yelled.

At my signal, the fleet begins to move. We decided to leave only 3 caravel ships on Goslant Island, and then return to Cien with the surviving pirates, Gustav, and the people in charge of Goslant Island on the remaining 2 pirate ships.