Chapter 104: Expansion

“…Haah.”

It couldn’t be helped.

Everything so far had gone as expected. I had never believed an entire front would be settled so easily.

If it were that simple, no one would be struggling.

I would focus on carrying out the plan I had devised from the beginning to force the Rosha Empire to surrender.

Even though it would spread the flames of war.

…

…Did they truly want the war to continue that badly?

“Phew.”

I rose and left the private room.

There was no reason to remain there.

“…This doesn’t suit me.”

One step outside the private room brought me back into the diplomatic arena, where representatives of every country fought solely for their own national interests.

“…”

This wasn’t my first or second time in such a place.

As a merchant, it was natural to put my own interests first, and I had plenty of experience doing so. Yet I could never grow accustomed to this—especially not this.

The lives of people from my own country and others were all placed on a platter while everyone devoured one another in pursuit of profit.

It was the end result of no longer seeing people as people.

No one should become accustomed to it and cease to feel anything.

“…”

But I had no right to be disgusted.

I stood here as one of them.

And I was still trying to spread the flames of the Great War.

I was the last person who could condemn them.

“Found you.”

The common language of this world was the Kilt language, widely spoken in Ilhan Kingdom. It was also the language used at this party.

Beyond it, each country had its own language: those of Lunoa Kingdom, the Austin Empire, Friez Kingdom, and the Rosha Empire.

After my reincarnation, I learned Lunoa’s language naturally while growing up, then studied others until I could speak five languages.

Even after learning so many, my mother tongue remained the Japanese I had acquired in my previous life.

Japanese was my native language.

I hadn’t forgotten it.

“May I have a moment?”

For the first time in a long while, I spoke the Japanese that still felt remarkably natural on my tongue and addressed a certain group.

“…You speak our language!?”

The group stood isolated at the party, unable to join any other circle.

They were the diplomatic delegation from Wa, an island nation in the Far East, far from the Europe where we lived.