RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 54-2: Stockholm Conference (Part 2)

RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Chapter 54-2: Stockholm Conference (Part 2)

Hours have passed in the conference room, with a light lunch being served a mere hour ago. Ever since King Gustaf V asked the golden question that has been on everyone's mind, the discussion between various delegations has been a continued effort. Despite some bad blood between a few parties, such petty matters are set aside as each group contributes their own thoughts and experiences to the table... If only not to alienate themselves on the grander world stage.

Something everyone may have noticed by now is that nobody has been tearing another person's throat out yet, even though some of them are literally at war with each other. For the first time in a long time, countries in positions of power actively discuss cooperation and solutions with each other, small as it might be. It won't be able to settle all the beef one may have with another, but it's a start.

Things have been going surprisingly smoothly as each country shed light on the extent of their damage and what aid they may need.

America is in need of a new food supply and additional housing. The Yellowstone volcano being an active threat has thrown many of the US citizens into the deep end. It's a crisis that is being marked in red by Belka's Office of National Intelligence. Future forecasts indicate that, if the USA isn't able to garner international aid, its speedy development of both military and industrial capabilities will be cut back by ten years. It doesn't have to be said that this is unacceptable by not just the US but also the Belkan Reich. If the US grows weaker, it won't be able to put up much of a fight against a steadily growing threat due East of them.

Ustio, both Reformists and Loyalists alike, got off likely... Which only applied to their homeland. Extensive damage and humanitarian crises are springing up all over the place across their large swathe of colonies. A matter that is pretty much mirrored by all other countries' colonies across the globe. Being stretched thin due to their large outreach, countries like Ustio and Erusea struggle to maintain order in their overseas supply depots. Ironically enough, Ustio, a nation that is now divided into two halves, has a much easier time putting out the fire than an Erusea which is still relatively whole. This has been a direct result of Ustio still having a sizeable naval power projection, not to mention the country has been mostly silent in any political upheaval or large-scale military conflict for the past couple of years. A notion that can't be said for the Erusean Kingdom which has an entire modern fleet sank or captured with nothing to show for it. Understandably, Erusean citizens are already restless because of that, much less the colonized population.

Unlike the Ustian colonies that have opted to mostly not be involved in the homeland's civil war, thus retaining a higher degree of stability and self-sufficiency, the Erusean colonies are in turmoil. With the loss of the city of Farbanti, along with many losses of lesser importance in the past couple of years, Erusea starts draining a lot of resources and manpower from her overseas territories. By prioritizing the homeland over the needs of their subjects, anti-Erusean sentiment is growing at a noticeable rate, to the point when riots and looting are a recurring thing in the colonies. It's saying something when the Erusean colonial military spends more time enforcing martial law than actually trying to do damage control.

But despite the veritable fire beneath their asses, Ambassador Udina of the Erusean Kingdom still sports a strong, citing that dissidents will be taken care of and righteous order will be restored. Through Udina, Erusea refuses any aid coming from Belka, seeing it as a way for the Reich to undermine the Kingdom's sovereignty. The Ambassador then goes on a spiel to convince other countries against accepting Belka's humanitarian aid. He says that by banding together, nations can tide through the disaster together, free of any Belka manipulation.

In a way, it's a reasonable proposal, if a badly veiled attempt at trying to form a coalition of nations in opposition to the Reich. At the start, it will only be economically before it will turn into a full-blown militarist alliance. Everyone can see that, and everyone can guess the reason why Udina proposed such a matter. Erusea is, to put it mildly, spooked after losing their Home Fleet. They have been trying to rebuild it to this day. However, with the cataclysm that affected an entire planet, Erusea has probably wisened up that maybe, just maybe, they need more than a singular friend which is the Ustian Loyalists. Unlike what many people would think, the Ustian and Erusean armies visibly dislike each other. Erusean officers think that their Ustian counterparts are obsolete and dim. Whereas the Ustians liken the Eruseans to obnoxious paper pushers and unbreeched kids. Cooperations between them only exist due to the agreement between the two nations' Prime Ministers.

The Spanish Inquisition, according to Lord Inquisitor Camati, has been hosting a sizeable portion of the refugees, but they're obviously struggling. The war with the former Papal state didn't do well for the Inquisition's manpower pool. A plea has been made to see if any countries can accept the refugees in lieu of Spain or to support Spain in its humanitarian endeavors. Belka has been the first to offer their expertise, followed by a few other countries and territories, particularly those in Africa.

But then arises a question, what will they do with the Sardegnian territories that are now effectively ownerless? The surprising answer for that is... Nothing.

Well, not really nothing since most countries agreed that the current Spain is better off attaining the Sardegnian colonies that are in Africa. It will no doubt help the Spanish Inquisition alleviate its current crisis. A decision has been made to aid the Spanish in getting full ownership of the formerly Sardegnian colonies. What's left of the Sardegnian Army is to be disbanded and absorbed by the Spanish Inquisition to solve their manpower crisis. As for Sardegna itself, well, it is now a wasteland, better not touch it with a ten-foot pole, yet.

Since then, the discussion droll on and on with agreements are made and friendships are formed. At least, that's how it seems on the surface. The global disaster has plunged the planet into an era of disorder. Despite the friendliness the politicians show on the first day of the Stockholm Conference, who's to say that they won't betray one another in the future?

By dinner time, much progress has been made, but Gustaf V's original question has largely remained unanswered.

"Just what has occurred for there to be a literal Hell on Earth?"

From the beginning to the end, Gustaf V noticed that Japan had been keeping to themselves. Obviously, they had many chances to interject into the discussion but had chosen not to. From the look of it, they have opted to withhold something from the other delegations. It has been a long day, after all, so maybe they will shed some light on why they have remained passive tomorrow. If not, Gustaf V can just put them in the spotlight, he hasn't done that earlier because it's only the first day of the conference.

A part of Gustaf V sincerely hopes that, by the end of all of this, the world, not just Sweden, maybe a tad bit better. Mostly because Sweden doesn't need a war right at their doorstep.