Chapter 102: The Orline Empire

“Thank you for taking the trouble to speak with me, General Tokel.”

“No, no! Not at all. I should be thanking you for stopping when I called out to you.”

The man who had just approached me was General Tokel.

He oversaw the army of the Orline Empire, the other empire allied with Lunoa Kingdom and the Austin Empire.

The Orline Empire.

It was an ancient great empire beside the Austin Empire that ruled the Middle East. Like the others, however, it had failed to ride the wave of modernization and was now in steep decline.

Like the Austin Empire, it was a dying patient with rebels inside its borders.

Lunoa Kingdom had no allies except countries like these.

Farther beyond the Orline Empire lay the Muur Empire—in other words, India—where independence movements that had risen after escaping Superian colonial rule were fighting Friez Kingdom, which had arrived intending to become the new ruler. Beyond that were Southeast Asia and China.

And there were countries corresponding to Japan.

“So, what did you want with me?”

“Why, to discuss this war.”

“The war? Am I to understand that your country is finally prepared to honor its alliance with ours and enter the war?”

“Yes! …Or that’s what I would like to say, but circumstances prevent me from doing so.”

“…Oh?”

The Orline Empire’s circumstances were desperate.

Its institutions had become rigid, leaving it unable to act. More precisely, no one was willing to make a decision as momentous as entering the war. They feared that any major move now might provoke a rebellion at home.

“Personally, I firmly believe we must enter the war! But the opinion of a single soldier isn’t easily accepted.”

“I sincerely hope that your view prevails.”

I truly meant it.

The Orline Empire’s participation would be enormously valuable. It controlled a strategically important strait connecting Africa and the Middle East. Simply closing that strait to Friez Kingdom would be excellent support.

It also shared a border with the Rosha Empire, so it could force that country to open another front.

“If there’s anything I can do to help achieve that, I’ll provide all the support I can.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I intend to increase the number of my allies within the Orline Empire. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that my country fulfills its duty as an ally, so… I humbly ask for your continued cooperation.”

“Yes. I look forward to working with you as well.”

Lunoa Kingdom didn’t have few allies.

It merely had few cards it could play immediately—and what I needed now were cards I could use at once.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Yes. Until next time.”

Having planted a seed that might someday bear fruit, I continued toward my original objective.

“May I have a moment?”

“…Brigadier General Willard.”

“Oh, you know who I am. It seems neither of us needs an introduction. Excuse me while I take the seat beside you.”

Smiling, I claimed the seat beside a Rosha Empire diplomat who had been quietly drinking wine in a corner of the grand hall.