I was invited to the Latarnia Embassy.
My companions were Rikochi and Claire.
The embassy had offered to send representatives to the Ninja Squad’s office, but I declined, deciding it was better if I went to them instead.
The embassy building wasn't particularly large. While Latarnia maintained enough of a relationship with Parcion and Lepsitol to justify an embassy, they hadn't established a strong enough presence to truly probe the internal affairs of either nation.
I was served tea and sweets—the expensive kind.
By the way, the Latarnian Ambassador had already received medical treatment. In return, a Letter of Appreciation had been sent to Chronos.
"His Majesty Leo, and your lady... would you care for some alcohol?"
His Excellency the Ambassador brought out some of Latarnia's High-end Sake-sama. It seemed he was already familiar with my face.
"I’m on duty right now."
I had no choice but to refuse. I was still on the clock, after all. Rikochi didn’t even try to hide her displeasure. When I say no, I mean no.
Claire remained expressionless. I knew she had a soft spot for sweet spirits, but the high-proof Latarnian liquor, with its peculiar scent, was still a bit beyond her palate.
Instead, I decided to help myself to the sweets. They were like mooncakes—the expensive kind. They were kneaded with something resembling dried pineapple and topped with sweet, shredded coconut. As was typical for Latarnian confections, they were seasoned with enigmatic spices, resulting in an elegant taste that wasn't too overpowering.
The fact that these were delicious even to our alien palates was one of the many mysteries of the universe.
"U-Um... may I ask about that... ear cuff?"
"This? The Latarnia Bank lent it to me when I mentioned I wanted to disguise myself as a Latarnian."
"Archduke Leo... just between us, that is a proof of identity reserved for Latarnian royalty, their kin, and their closest friends. Every high-ranking bureaucrat and chamberlain knows what it is. It bears the crest of the Latarnian Royal Family."
So that was it. The Latarnia Bank had reported to the King of Latarnia, and the royal palace had sent it. In other words, without my knowledge, I had been granted privileges equivalent to Latarnian royalty.
As expected of Latarnia... they were flawless.
In my opinion, Latarnia was probably the most frightening nation. They were a people who had survived constant peril throughout their history. We were only given a pass because we were a friendly nation and always made an effort to understand them.
"Please continue to treat me as you have before," I said with a smile. "The Galactic Empire and Chronos are nations that value the rule of law and order."
While I appreciated the gesture, I had no intention of actually exercising those privileges. In short, while they owed me for the Latarnian rescue operation, I didn't want to owe them. I offered my formal thanks for the loan of the ear cuff; expressing gratitude properly was vital in this business.
I’d send a personal Letter of Appreciation later. This was the essence of diplomacy.
That said, it wasn't good for favors to pile up solely on the Latarnian side. They were the type to worry about those kinds of imbalances. I intended to keep our relationship one of mutual cooperation while we conducted business.
"So... I shall inform the Archduke in advance, but..."
"It’s a declaration of war, isn't it?"
As far as Latarnia was concerned, there really wasn't any other option.
"So you noticed after all..."
Having dealt with them for a long time, I could read their action patterns. It wasn't about public opinion or political posturing.
Death to those who enslave the people of Latarnia.
That was the absolute promise between the citizens and the state since the country's founding. If they were going to be that fanatical about it, they really ought to abolish their own domestic slavery system! Though, in reality, it was supposedly only used as a punishment for those who tried to flee from paying compensation for accidents or murders. Still, I'm sure there were domestic political issues involved.
"I understand. I will issue an evacuation advisory to the Chronosians."
I was responsible for the safety of the people from Chronos and the Galactic Empire. My business with the ambassador was concluded.
"I am truly grateful for the rescue of our compatriots."
"I pray that the friendly relations between Latarnia, the Galactic Empire, and Chronos will continue long into the future."
And so, the meeting ended with those highly formal remarks.
But man... that ambassador... he was grinding his molars, his face a mask of barely contained bloodlust.
I needed to start thinking about how to bring the war between Latarnia and Lepsitol to an end. What a headache.
I headed back to our place in Lepsitol. I drank some water, used the restroom... and psyched myself up. Then, I contacted the anti-government force leader.
"A war with Latarnia is starting."
"What? What do you mean...?"
"A unit from Mike & Hammer Co. rescued Latarnian slaves from the Katsuyama headquarters building."
"...Pardon?"
"The Latarnia Embassy is furious. Their laws are bewilderingly complex, so I’ll skip the details, but by tonight, their parliament will invoke martial law and the delegation of full authority to the King. The King of Latarnia plans to issue a declaration of war as early as tomorrow."
"T-That can't be true..."
In short, it meant: "It’s total war, you bastards!"
"Lepsitol might be able to win, but there will be a massive number of casualties on both sides."
"W-We must talk this out—"
"Impossible. You know Latarnia's history. They won't stop until they’ve killed you."
"I-If we hand over the head of the Katsuyama chairperson..."
"Only if that's enough to appease them. You should assume that the heads of the chairpersons of the Four Great Conglomerates and every last one of their relatives is the bare minimum just to get Latarnia to sit down for peace negotiations."
"This is terrible! We must overthrow the government immediately!"
"And on that note, Karen-san, if you please."
I connected the line to Karen.
"To everyone in the anti-government organization... it's all over," she said, looking like she wanted to curl into a ball. "The capital we have built up is going to vanish."
The leader of the anti-government forces turned deathly pale.
"Mike & Hammer Co. is done playing nice," Karen continued. "We will support your organization with everything we have."
"Do it if you don't want to be destroyed," I added, making the leader panic even more.
"I-In that case, Mike & Hammer Co. will—"
"Latarnia isn't going to forgive you that easily. I’d say the minimum conditions are the dissolution of the Four Great Conglomerates, a transition from corporate dictatorship to a democracy, and the rule of law. That's the baseline."
A monarchy would have been fine too, but Latarnia would surely want to avoid the conglomerates simply rebranding themselves as the new nobility. Also... this was just a guess, but if the Four Great Conglomerates were dissolved, Latarnia probably wanted to turn them into foreign-owned companies under Chronos.
That is, assuming they could win.
"W-What should we do?" The leader clutched his head.
It’s okay. I don't really know what to do either.
And as they say, when it rains, it pours. Parcion-kun, who had been fading into the background recently... it turned out he was deeply involved in that Latarnian slave business.
Why do they always have such an impeccable sense for choosing the worst possible path?