Published: July 4, 2025
The Public Ship No. 10 set sail towards the city of Boago in Southern Darwei.
Naturally, this meant they would not be stopping by the hanlin imperial capital.
"We were able to load sufficient food at the port town of Mei Hei. I also expressed our gratitude to the daimyo's office, so there shouldn't be any problems," Captain Ra Woo explained.
"I believe you handed over a handwritten letter of thanks from his majesty the emperor?" Ryo confirmed.
"Yes. Captain Moa Shuu of the Mei Hei port guards was quite moved," Captain Ra Woo replied.
Although they were neighboring countries that had previously experienced an unfortunate clash, it seemed they were trying to move towards a path of peace.
After Captain Ra Woo left, Ryo called out to Abel, who was reading a book next to him.
"Peace is truly a wonderful thing."
"I completely agree."
"Abel, our Naitorei Kingdom should also push forward with the diplomacy of letters of gratitude."
"What do you mean by that?"
The king tilted his head at the first duke's suggestion.
"We should scatter letters of thanks handwritten by King Abel to the lords of neighboring countries."
"Isn't it better not to give out letters of thanks too often? Issuing them recklessly could have a counterproductive effect."
"Is that so? You're only saying that because writing them is a hassle, aren't you?"
Ryo looked at Abel with a dubious expression.
It was an unusual reversal of roles for them.
"Think about it. If a lord of the kingdom had a handwritten letter of thanks from the Emperor of the Debuhi Empire displayed in his office, what would you think?"
"He would surely betray us someday!"
"Right?"
"Indeed... Let's stop the diplomacy of letters of gratitude."
Ryo frowned and shook his head slightly.
Even if the intention of diplomacy was to bring peace, it didn't always lead to peaceful outcomes.
How difficult diplomacy could be.
The next morning.
Captain Ra Woo presented the sailing schedule to Boago.
"I don't have accurate navigational charts or reliable information about the winds, but it is expected we will arrive in about three weeks."
"Understood."
Emperor Tsuin nodded.
Since their departure, Emperor Tsuin had been holed up in the captain's cabin writing letters.
"After declaring our survival in Boago, he will send them to various places," he thought.
Once the explanation concluded and they dispersed, Emperor Tsuin returned to the captain's cabin. Watching this, Abel muttered.
"Rally the citizens! That's what it feels like."
"I'm not sure I understand..."
"Abel, you wrote something similar back in the day, didn’t you?"
Ryo recalled.
Yes, to liberate the kingdom that was trampled by the younger brother of the crown prince Raymond and the Empire, Abel rose up in the Southern City of Run.
At that time, he had written a proclamation to the lords within the kingdom, urging them to rise up together.
"The first to respond was the House of Marquis Hope in the west. Ignis's family, right?"
Ignis was a diplomatic expert, and the two had been on a delegation together before.
He was the second son of Marquis Hope.
"Ah, yes. The leading noble family of the west, the House of Marquis Hope, along with the southern Baron of Run and the House of Heinlein, quickly expressed their support. I knew the two southern noble families would support us early on, but the fact that Marquis Hope showed his support at that stage was significant."
Abel explained.
Originally, Abel was an A-rank adventurer belonging to Run.
Thus, it seemed natural for the southern great nobles to support him in the eyes of the other noble families of the kingdom.
However, it was impactful that one of the great nobles, Marquis Hope from the west, had supported him early on, not just from the south but from the entire kingdom.
"I wonder if it will be the same this time."
"Who knows... The question is, can we definitively call the opponents enemies?"
Ryo's inquiry caused Abel to tilt his head.
"Besides, more than half of the Shtaiif Layer originally belonged to the faction of Prince Kouri, right? They gambled their future by joining Prince Kouri's faction, thinking their prince would grasp supreme power... How will they move?"