Volume 13 - CH 12

Chapter 12: Negotiations -ocean league- 

The wardroom aboard the Albert II had a large carpet and was decorated with paintings. It looked like an expensive restaurant. The only thing missing was the chandeliers. Because it was a battleship, thus prone to shaking, the room’s lighting was all done with lamps. 

Juna, Excel, and I were there representing the Kingdom, sitting across a long table from Nine-Headed Dragon King Shana, one man who was presumably a close associate of his, and his daughter Princess Shabon, who were representing the Archipelago Union. By the way, though Shana and Shabon had been able to meet again here on the ship, they had both frozen, unsure what to say, when they saw one another. 

The daughter hadn’t understood her father’s resolve, and the father had tried to keep his daughter from getting involved, only for that to backfire. It resulted in them going into the battle in different camps. There was a lot to unpack there. 

“Father...” Shabon managed to force herself to speak in this awkward situation. 

However, Shana waved a hand to silence her, and shook his head. 

“I’m sorry... There are things I must tell you, and I am sure you have much to say as well. However, for the people’s sake, I want to prioritize talks with Sir Souma for now. I promise to make time for you later.” 

“...Yes.” Shabon backed down, perhaps understanding how her father felt. 

I was grateful to them for postponing it, too. I couldn’t butt into a foreign nation’s affairs, especially not when it was between a father and his daughter, after all. 

Behind us stood our bodyguards Aisha and Naden, while Kishun was behind King Shana. There was no hostility here, no need to brace for potential violence, but the air in the room was still a little charged. To give you an analogy, it was like the tension in the air before someone gave an important presentation—even the glasses in front of us were all filled with water, not wine. 

“Okay, let’s get started,” I said, and everyone nodded. 

We had explained to the soldiers outside that this was a friendly get-together, but we were actually discussing what would happen after the battle. Even in light of the circumstances, our fleets had been only a half-step away from going to battle. If someone had gotten hasty during my farcical war of words with King Shana... I was frightened to think what might have happened. 

People were in an amicable mood in the wake of a shared battle against a common enemy, having sweated together during the clean-up work, and having eaten from the same pots, but if we charted the wrong course from here, things could get tense again. 

“Let me start by asking how you want to resolve this, Sir Shana.” 

“I will take all the blame, and give Shabon all the credit.” 

Shabon’s eyes widened. I asked a direct question, and Shana gave me a straight answer. 

“Father?! What are you...?” 

“You are saying you will take responsibility for creating tension with the Kingdom, and bringing us to the brink of war, while Madam Shabon gets the credit for our successful joint front against Ooyamizuchi?” I asked. 

Shana nodded silently. So, that basically meant... 

“By taking responsibility, do you mean to abdicate yourself and have Madam Shabon assume the throne, then?” 

“No! Father should not have to abdicate! Not when I was unable to accomplish anything!” Shabon covered her face with her hands. 

“That’s not it. This was the plan all along,” Shana explained in a calm voice, placing his hands on Shabon’s shoulders. “I meant to finish this without you knowing anything, but you acted on your own ideas, for the good of the country, and made contact with Sir Souma. That made it easier for Sir Souma to bring the Kingdom’s fleet to our land, which enabled us to fight as one. Our people will have a more positive attitude towards the Kingdom now than what my own script would have produced. I’ve put you through a lot.” 

“Father...” Shabon raised her face, only to see Shana smiling at her. 

It was true that the original reason for me sending out the Kingdom’s fleet was going to be “to slap down the Archipelago Union’s fleet for constantly defending illegal fishing vessels.” Even if we used the Law of the Sea to force us into a joint front, that justification was going to leave behind hard feelings. Because Shabon came to me, though, we could rewrite the script to say that “the King of Friedonia came at the request of Princess Shabon.” 

Excel snapped her folding fan shut. 

“Then how does this sound for our shared script? ‘In order to save the people of the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, Princess Shabon risked life and limb to beg King Souma to dispatch his fleet. Inspired by her resolve, King Souma happily agreed to send troops. However, when the Kingdom’s fleet arrived upon the archipelago islands, they were mistaken for invaders. They nearly ended up fighting the Archipelago Union’s fleet, but after a coincidental distress signal, both fleets followed the Law of the Sea and fought together to eliminate Ooyamizuchi.’ ...I think that should be about right.” 

“Yeah...” 

If we made this a tale that glorified Shabon, the people would have an easier time accepting it, and it would help to justify her reign later. Some of the soldiers who took part in the operation might think there was something fishy about the story, but while we had massaged the timeline, more than half of what we would be telling them was true. Since this version of events didn’t humiliate the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, no one was likely to object to it. 

Seeing the way Excel came up with a satisfying answer so quickly, you could really see that with age comes wisdom. 

“Sire, were you thinking something strange just now?” 

“...Perish the thought.” I averted my eyes from the intense smile on Excel’s face. 

“Me, ascend the Nine-Headed Dragon throne...? Am I even qualified to do that?” Shabon said, hanging her head. 

Having been in a similar situation, it hurt how bad I knew how she felt. 

“Madam Shabon, you came to the kingdom to stop Sir Shana and to fight against Ooyamizuchi, correct? Weren’t you prepared to shoulder the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago in his place in doing that?” 

“I was then, but... I failed to see Father’s true intentions...” 

“I had my throne handed off to me by the former king, too, so I can understand how you feel. Even if it feels like a burden, if you don’t keep walking, the things left behind by the people before you will all go to waste. You must inherit all of that, and carry it forward.” 

“Inherit, and carry it forward... That is what I must do, then.” Shabon raised her face, seeming to have found her resolve. Shana regarded her with satisfaction. 

For now, at least, we had a common story we could tell. Now it was time to negotiate. 

“Now then, the Kingdom worked with your country to fight Ooyamizuchi. With the exception of research samples, Ooyamizuchi’s components are to be considered property of the Archipelago Union, and used to aid in the reconstruction. That makes it look like the Kingdom is running a charity here. I know there’s the argument that if we left Ooyamizuchi to rot, it would cause harm to our country, too, but we took casualties. I’m at risk of looking like I stuck our necks out just to do a good deed. I’d like to avoid that.” 

I came straight out and explained it to Shabon, who had a dubious look on her face. 

“...Is there something you are trying to say?” 

“I’m saying I want some kind of profit for the Kingdom. If I can show there was good cause for helping the Archipelago Union, it will be easier to persuade the soldiers and my people, and in turn aid in building friendly relations between our two countries.” 

“Profit, is it? My country doesn’t have much in the way of financial leeway, though...” 

“I won’t ask for money, of course, that would only harm people’s opinions of the Kingdom here. Instead, I want you to accept a few of our requests. Though, I do believe I already brought one of them up with you before, didn’t I, Sir Shana?” 

I looked at him, and Shana nodded. 

“You wanted to formalize the Law of the Sea and form a maritime alliance based on it, correct?” 

“That’s right,” I said with a big nod. “When we were resolving this matter, we brought up the Law of the Sea to force the two fleets to work together. Right now, however, what we call the ‘Law of the Sea’ is just an oral contract. It may seem ironclad to the men of the sea, but for everyone else, it’s easily broken. I’d like it formalized as an international treaty.” 

The Law of the Sea was merely customary. If someone didn’t care about their reputation, they could break it easily. I wanted to make it a formal treaty between the Kingdom and the Archipelago Union in order to prevent that. Once we had concluded one such agreement, we could use it as a precedent to convince other countries to recognize it as international law. The Empire and Republic would join in, at least. 

“The other reason that both fleets were able to form a joint front was that you and I, the heads of both countries, were present. How would it have played out if it was just our commanders? They would have had to contact us to confirm what to do, and it would have taken even longer. We have to assume that ships from both countries will run into incidents we won’t know about, and I want to have agreements in place for how to handle them.” 

“I see. I understand that now, but what do you mean by a ‘maritime alliance’?” 

When Shabon asked that, I weaved my fingers together and leaned in a bit closer. 

“I intend to expand the maritime trade between our countries in future. Obviously, the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago will want to take advantage of this improvement in relations to trade, too. Sir Shana, based on your development of the lion-dog cannon and other gunpowder weapons for use at sea, does your country produce a large amount of saltpeter, perhaps?” 

“Indeed. The southern islands can produce high-quality saltpeter.” 

“From my country’s perspective, that saltpeter, as well as your high-quality rice and local specialties such as swords, are appealing. Is there anything from the continent you would want to trade them for?” 

“There is. In particular, I’ve heard there are some impressive advances in medical technologies on the continent. Having been self-sufficient with our islands all this time, things from the continent all seem stunning to us.” 

Because this country was founded by those driven off the mainland, xenophobia had deep roots here—much like in the dark elves’ society around the time I took the throne. Glancing at Aisha beside me, I thought, Now, those dark elves are reliable comrades. 

In order to expand our maritime trade, I was going to have to build a similar relationship with the Archipelago Union. 

“If there is anything you want from the continent, let my country act as your go-between. We will need to work out the details of tariffs and such later, but if merchant fleets can travel freely between our two countries, I think we can expect not only major economic advances, but cultural ones, too.” 

I pointed towards the beach where Ooyamizuchi’s bones still lay. 

“However, one thing this incident brought to light is that creatures like that can appear in this world. I hear that Ooyamizuchi prevented the Archipelago Union from sending their ships out. That’s a deathblow for commerce. It’s not just creatures, though. I imagine major storms, piracy, or interference and sabotage by other countries could also harm trade.” 

Everyone nodded in agreement. I continued. 

“If we’re going to promote maritime trade, we need to secure safety along the trade routes. That’s what the maritime alliance is for. In the event that a ship from a member country encounters one of the threats I just named, the navies of each member country would move quickly to assist them... No, in the case of human-caused interference, the maritime alliance would secure the trade routes so that it doesn’t happen in the first place.” 

The ideal would be trade that doesn’t require escort ships, but it was a little early for that in this world. There were giant creatures other than Ooyamizuchi on the high seas, after all. It would be one thing if they had something like a sonar that could detect hazardous creatures approaching, but they didn’t. Still, if we could eliminate human interference, that had to make trading easier than it was now. 

“If the Archipelago Union will participate in this alliance, I would like to bring the Republic of Turgis into it as well. Their blacksmiths are top rate. Looking at the Nine-Headed Dragon Katana, I can see that the archipelago’s smithies are highly advanced, too. Wouldn’t bringing two nations with a dedication to craftsmanship together help make new techniques bloom?” 

“Hmm. That would be wonderful, but... my country has no diplomatic relations with the Republic. That place becomes inaccessible when the seas freeze in winter, after all. Would they really agree to it?” 

“The Kingdom will act as your intermediary, of course. We have connections there, you see.” 

I hadn’t told Kuu anything about this strategy because of how much had to be kept secret about it, but if I explained the situation, knowing him, he’d bite at anything that looked interesting. Well, even if he’s hesitant, I’ll just have to show him the profit in it, and then persuade him... 

Shana crossed his arms and arched his back. “I can see the profit in it for my country, but here in the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, each island chief has their own territory they control at sea. We would need to get them all to agree.” 

“I have to leave it to you to handle that, but don’t you think you can use the current situation?” 

I turned towards the beach. You could hear the raucous good time they were having from here. 

“Having just fought together to overcome a powerful enemy, the soldiers probably feel a stronger sense of common purpose than ever before. Furthermore, the appearance of Ooyamizuchi must have demonstrated the importance of overcoming the boundaries between the islands in order to fight together.” 

“Indeed, if we take advantage of the current climate, we likely can find the will to unify, but if that is to happen, it’s all the more reason I should step down now. Shabon is beloved by the people of the islands and has worked on their behalf; she will make a more fitting sovereign for the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago.” 

“Father... I understand,” Shabon said, clasping both hands together in front of her chest. “I will protect the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’s islands and their bond to the Kingdom with my life.” 

It looked like Shabon had made up her mind. 

She turned to look straight at me and said, “With that decided, I have something to ask of you, Sir Souma.” 

“Hm? What’s that?” 

“For one as young as myself to rule the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago, I am sure I will require more than just my father’s assistance. In order to make this alliance a reality, I would like to have your support, as well, Sir Souma.” 

“Hmm... What exactly do you want from me?” 

“To form familial relations by means of a marriage.” 

My eyes widened at her words. Marriage... Are we back to the beginning again? 

“Won’t you be assuming the role of Nine-Headed Dragon Queen?” 

“Yes. I will not be the one marrying, of course.” 

With that, Shabon smiled. 

“Once I become the Nine-Headed Dragon Queen, I intend to have a child. It is my hope to deepen the ties between our countries by having that child marry one of yours, Sir Souma. I believe you had a son and a daughter. If my child is a girl, I wish to send her to you as a bride for your prince, and if my child is a boy, I would like to welcome your princess into our family as his wife.” 

Marriages for Cian and Kazuha?! I mentally exclaimed. They’re still just infants! 

We weren’t the only ones taken aback by this, Shana and Kishun seemed dumbstruck, too. Excel was the only one who seemed to be thinking, Oh, my, now this is interesting, as she hid a smile behind her fan. 

It took me a while to recover, but once I did, I told Shabon, “...It’s clearly a bit early for that. I can’t just decide on my own.” 

Whoops, in my confusion, I just blurted out what I was thinking. Still, even though I had dodged giving her an immediate answer, Shabon said, “Yes,” still smiling as she nodded. “For now, that is fine. The child has not even been born yet. However, just the knowledge that the two of us have discussed the matter will provide me with support.” 

“...Ha ha ha, you’re really something, you know that?” I was honestly impressed. 

When she was down on her luck, I had seen her as a tragic princess, but she had this tough and nervy side to her, too. No, maybe she grew through coming into contact with all the different people and intentions involved in this incident. Whichever it was, she might make a surprisingly good ruler. 

I cleared my throat loudly, trying to change gears. “Now, Sir Shana, may I assume you will seriously consider the maritime alliance?” 

“Yes. You may.” 

“Now, as for the Kingdom’s other request, we would like an island.” 

“An island... you say?” Shana furrowed his brow. “I may be the king of the archipelago, but I am only free to do what I please with Nine-Headed Dragon Island and the small islands around it. I do not have any authority to cede another island chief’s island.” 

“Yes, of course. The island I am requesting does not belong to you, yet, but it is one of the islands close to yours. I believe that we should be able to negotiate the matter here.” 

“...What island is it?” Shana asked, and I looked at Kishun, who was standing behind them. 

“I would like to have Little Island, of the Twin Islands, which Sir Kishun rules.” 

Little Twin Island was the island opposite Big Twin Island where we had stayed. 

During our stay on Big Island, I had heard rumors that there were military ships moored on Little Island, and that in the event that the islands were attacked by a force too big to defend Big Island against, they could still hold out on Little Island. They said that because it was smaller, fewer troops could land there, making it easier to defend. 

Shana had a dubious look on his face. “Little Twin Island? You want that tiny thing?” 

“Yes. It’s close to Nine-Headed Dragon Island, and along the route to Lagoon City, so I couldn’t ask for a better place to put a supply depot. In the interest of securing the sea lanes, and encouraging trade, I’d like to establish a base and permanently station a portion of the Kingdom’s fleet there.” 

“A permanent station for the Kingdom’s fleet? That would be...” 

Just as Shana started to frown, Shabon slammed her hands on the table and rose to her feet. 

“Hold on a moment! The Twin Islands’ chief is Kishun. Even if you are the Nine-Headed Dragon King, it is unacceptable for you to make a deal involving someone else’s island! Can you not take one of the islands attached to Nine-Headed Dragon Island instead?!” 

“...Please, calm down, Madam Shabon,” I said to pacify Shabon, who was getting a little worked up. “That would be fine as far as the Kingdom is concerned. Our goal is stable sea lanes and trade.” 

“In that case...” 

“But what are you planning to do after this, Kishun?” I asked. 

Kishun got a difficult expression on his face. Shabon turned around, and then blinked when she saw it. 

“Kishun?” 

“.........” 

Kishun didn’t answer her, just looked down, clenching his fists. That had to be because he knew what was coming. Shabon, meanwhile, seemed unaware. 

With a sigh, I said, “Madam Shabon, you will become the Nine-Headed Dragon Queen. Once you are, you will be based out of Nine-Headed Dragon Island, limiting your ability to move around as freely as you did before. You understand that, right?” 

“...Yes. I am prepared for that.” 

“If Kishun carries on as the island chief of the Twin Islands, he won’t be able to meet with you as easily or as frequently as before. Kishun’s job is to rule the Twin Islands, and to protect the people who live on them, but he is also the man who accompanied you on what anyone would have had to conclude was a reckless journey to the Kingdom. He must have strong feelings for you indeed, wouldn’t you say?” 

I didn’t know whether those feelings were of loyalty or love, but when Shabon angered me before, it was Kishun who came and did a sit-in at the castle in an attempt to fix things. You know, now that I think about it, he could have been cut down by the guards for that, huh? Everything he did, he did for Shabon. 

Blinking at what I had just said, Shabon looked at Kishun again. 

“I was just thinking that when Kishun sees you struggling as the Nine-Headed Dragon Queen, he wouldn’t be able to leave you alone... and that maybe, he might leave his island unattended. Or am I wrong?” 

“Well... I do want to support Lady Shabon, but the islanders rely on me as their chief. I couldn’t abandon them...” he replied, a pained expression on his face. 

“Then why not appoint a relative as a magistrate? That is what the chiefs of many of the small islands do when they come to Nine-Headed Dragon Island,” Shana suggested, but Kishun shook his head weakly. 

“I have no relatives... and I couldn’t leave the job to an outsider...” 

“Hm... In that case, would I do?” 

“Huh? You, sire?” 

Shana rose and put a hand on Kishun’s shoulder. 

“I know very well how dedicated you are to Shabon. If a mononofu like you were at her side to support her, as her father, that would bring me unexpected happiness. I am sure you would make a fine husband.” 

“F-Father!” 

“No... I am undeserving of such kind words.” 

“If possible, I would like for you to keep supporting Shabon. As I will be abdicating my throne, I would be in the way if I were to stay too close to her. Why not entrust your people to me as your magistrate? Though, from your point of view, we would be trading where we rule.” 

When Shana said that, Kishun took a knee and placed his hands together above his head. 

“Yes. You, I could trust, Lord Shana. I intend to give everything I have for Princess Shabon from now on.” 

“Father... Kishun...” Shabon’s eyes were watering. It looked like the group from the Archipelago Union had come to a decision. 

Once they had all returned to their original positions, I coughed politely to try and get back to the discussion at hand. 

“Now then, about Little Twin Island...” 

“I will leave the decision to His Majesty,” Kishun said, and Shana nodded. 

“Very well. In light of the great assistance that your country has provided us on this occasion, I do believe we can accept your request,” Shana spoke. “However, were the people to see this as one of the islands of the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago being ‘taken,’ the other island chiefs will likely resist it. Our people detest outside interference, you see. That is the problem here.” 

It was true. The people of this country were like the samurai of long ago who would fight to protect a single piece of land that they relied on for their livelihood. Even if it was just a small island, they wouldn’t be able to accept any of the land they had fought to protect falling into the hands of an outsider. ...But, well, I had anticipated this reaction. 

“Then why don’t we set it up so that we’ve exchanged bases?” 

“...Exchanged them?” 

“Yes. Juna, get us a map.” 

“Here, sire.” 

Juna unfurled the map we’d prepared before on the table in front of us. Then, as everyone looked at it, I pointed to a spot a little east of Venetinova along the coast. 

“It’s small, but there’s a military port here. How about we ‘loan’ it to you as compensation for you ‘loaning’ the base on Little Twin Island to us? Basically, it’s an exchange of naval bases. Naturally, the same terms would apply here, and we would allow you to permanently station a fleet under the flag of the Nine-Headed Dragon King or Queen at the port. I’m sure you’ll be wanting supply depots for your trading goods, too.” 

“Hmm, I think that would satisfy the island chiefs, but... Is this what you want? You realize we would be stationing our warships inside the Kingdom.” 

“If it’s just at this one port, then this sort of exchange of bases will require a certain degree of friendly relations between the two countries. If either side betrays the others’ trust, these bases will have to be abandoned immediately, I’m sure. If you truly understand the importance of maritime trade, you will see why we must never betray one another. I intend to make this same proposal to the Republic.” 

“...I see. This is tied into the maritime alliance and strengthening of relations you were talking about before, then.” 

Shana crossed his arms, grunting, and then looked at me. 

“It’s an easy plan to buy into, with no losses for us. I appreciate that you take our situation into consideration, but... it also lets me see just how carefully this has all been planned out. If we set aside the matter of exactly which island you chose, the general outline isn’t something you came up with yesterday. Have you been planning to ask me for this as payment ever since I first came to you about fighting together?” 

“...I’ll leave that to your imagination.” 

Well, it was actually something else that led me to think of this maritime alliance, but I didn’t need to bring that up here. 

Sighing, Shana said, “Your country makes for a more fearsome opponent than I had imagined.” 

“I don’t think that’s true, though? We honor our alliances.” 

“That’s what makes the idea of making an enemy of you frightening,” Shana said, then looked to Shabon. “What do you say, Shabon? This is a man you will have to deal with from now on.” 

“I would like to trust him... I doubt Sir Souma will betray us as long as we do not betray him.” 

“Hmm... Then join hands with him.” 

“Yes.” 

With that, Shabon stood up. I rose, too, and we each extended our right hands. 

“In the interest of my own country’s development, I will take this alliance under serious consideration, King Souma.” 

“I will be waiting for a positive response, Queen Shabon.” 

We exchanged a firm handshake. 

The details still need to be ironed out, so the alliance couldn’t be concluded here and now, but it was good enough for the interim that we had shared our intentions to strengthen ties in future. 

Addressing everyone, I said, “And with that... I think it’s time for some long overdue celebration. With all due apologies to the soldiers on the beach, we’ll be serving something other than offal dishes here on this ship.” 

“Ga ha ha! Good. I was getting tired of offal soup, you know,” Shana said with a hearty laugh. 

...Yeah, I am seriously sick of offal soup. 

“I could eat endless amounts of anything His Majesty makes,” Aisha beamed. 

“I’m sure you could, Aisha, but I want fish.” 

“I miss raw fruits and vegetables.” 

Aisha, Naden, and even Shabon were chatting about that. Meanwhile... 

“For me, I think it’s all about liquor,” Excel said. “I’d like to try all sorts of dishes to see what pairs better with the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago’s sake, and what is better with the Kingdom’s wine.” 

“Allow me to prepare the archipelago’s finest sake for you.” 

“Ga ha ha! Nine-Headed Dragon sake goes well with meat or fish!” 

Excel, Kishun, and Shana were talking about that. They were cleanly split into the food team and liquor team. I decided to strike up a conversation with Juna, who was watching from the sidelines. 

“Which are you looking forward to more, the liquor or the food?” 

“Well... considering I can’t drink right now, I suppose I’d have to say the food.” 

“Hm? Now that I think of it, you weren’t drinking when we were at the Twin Islands, either, right? There’s no need to be on edge now, so why not relax with the rest of us?” 

Juna hurriedly shook her head. “Oh, no, that’s not it! I’m abstaining right now.” 

“Huh? I thought you could hold your liquor, though.” 

“I can, but... Dr. Hilde has told me to stop right now.” As she said that, Juna covered her belly in embarrassment. 

The mention of Dr. Hilde, covering her belly, and Juna’s bashful expression all told me the reason she couldn’t drink right now. 

“Eh...? Erm, when did you find out?” 

“I guess it was a little before we came to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago.” 

“Wh-Why did you keep quiet all this time...?” 

“Because if I told you, you would never have let me come, right?” Juna chuckled to herself as she explained. “My condition was stable, and I didn’t want to pass up a chance to be of use.” 

I clutched my head, not even sure what to say. There were so many emotions swirling through my mind, and I didn’t know where to begin. So, for now, I decided to express the biggest of them... 

“Aww, yeahhhhhh!” 

Everyone was shocked by my sudden outburst, but I paid them no mind as I cried out in glee and scooped Juna up into my arms. 

Oh, Cian and Kazuha, waiting back in the Kingdom. You’re going to be a big brother and sister soon.