"Dear Carlos, thank you for waiting"
"No, you were quicker than this one assumed. Arborest Crusade Was Very Much, Ars."
"Thank you. I think this keeps the Arborest family quiet. Lord Ghana is still in Parameter, so I don't think we have to worry about this one being attacked from behind."
"Right. So the only problem left is the guy in the front."
"What is the movement of the Memento family, Master Carlos?
"The Grand Noble Memento family is heading north this way as they pass through other noble territories. According to the information, it will be an estimated 40,000 troops."
"You still have a distance, don't you?
"That's right. It is a large army, but it will therefore take some time to travel. In the meantime, we need to take action."
"Okay. Then the Barca army will build a defensive position."
"Oh, nice to meet you"
After the battle with the Arborest family, I was coming to Carlos with the Barca army.
Collect information there.
Apparently, the Memento family coming this way is still far away.
You have to do what you can in the meantime.
Grasp the terrain while Leon shows me the map I was at Carlos'.
The current location is just south of Fort Einrad.
We will be waiting for the looming Memento family there.
As a matter of fact, Fontana territory can be a surprisingly bad place for traffic.
Straight south of the city of Fontana, it's hard to get around.
If you want to go south, you have to go west or east once and go south from there.
Situated west of Fontana, the Arborest Territory has rivers flowing in from several aristocratic territories, allowing traffic using that river.
Until now, there was a Parameter fortress known as the Difficult Depression, and it was difficult for Fontana to use that river.
In other words, the traffic from Fontana territory to the west was influenced by the Arborest family.
Also to the east is Einrad.
This area of Einrad was also held hostage by the Urk family, located just to the east, until a short while ago.
There were many merchants travelling south from a place called Einlad Hill, on the border between Fontana and Urk territory.
After all, Fontana territory has long had to pass through the lands of Urk and Arborest in its dealings with the south.
I don't know, I think that's something that's been going on for a long time.
But it only worked effectively against protecting it.
With less fear of aggression from the south, we could have maintained our territory if only we had kept an eye on the movements of the aristocrats next door.
And this time it's the same.
If the great nobleman Memento family were to turn their troops here too, the route ahead would have been easy to predict.
The Memento family also has an aristocratic territory that exists in a position bordering the Great Snow Mountains to the east, just like the old Urk territory.
There is a Memento family across several aristocratic territories on the south side of the former Urk territory.
In other words, if you try to attack Fontana on the shortest route, you will come northward from the east side, towards Fort Einlad and then towards the city of Fontana.
So we decided to set up a new defensive base south of Fort Einrad.
I hereby decide to take the army of the Memento family.
"Even if I did, would you be okay with an operation like that, Lion?
"Right. The Fontana army brings in 40,000 troops, compared to about 7,000 in the land."
"The old Urk territory, which I just cut this year, is still unstable. I've also told my Bite brother to give priority to stabilizing the territory, and is it about the Xyrian army in Wagner who's here?
"That's right. Because the Xyrians cannot refuse this convocation. If you do that, it will lead to the confiscation of territory."
"But aren't there so many? What is Master Carlos going to do? Are you going to be thoroughly guarded?
"You could be on an outbreak offense. He asked me if I could defeat the 40,000 Mementos if I was alone in destroying the Arborest army."
"Come on, don't be lame."
"Ha, that's just a joke. I'm thinking of another way properly."
"Damn, don't surprise me, Lion. So, what's the way it is?
"Diplomacy. The most important issue currently surrounding Fontana is the presence of the King. Extreme story, even if the king is just in Fontana where he won this battle with the Memento family, something similar will happen at any time."
"... I see. That's right. Originally, if the king hadn't come to Fontana, the three noblemen would never have been involved in Fontana. But what do you do when you say diplomacy? You can't just discuss this with the Memento family, can you?
"That's right. This issue was prompted by an internal dispute between the trinoble alliance, which won over the hegemonic aristocratic Risorte family. So we have to have our opinions summarised within the Trinity Alliance"
"... this is happening because that's hard, isn't it?
"Yes, but there are beings who can get into and get along with that trinoble alliance. Does Master Ars see that?
"Into the midst of the three great nobles who are about to take hegemony?... the royal family at heart has fled this far north, so no? Who are you talking about?
"It's easy. It is a church. There is always in each noble territory, a presence that gives name to all inhabitants and gives magic to the inhabitants and is revered by everyone. I rely on that church."
"Right, the church? But if the church can count on you, why didn't you ask for it from the beginning?
"I couldn't do it until the other day. It was difficult to drag the Church into a hegemonic struggle between the nobles. But thanks to Master Ars, it's possible."
"Heh, me?
"Yes, I invited the Archbishop, the superior of the Church, to Fontana on the pretext that he was to cleanse his body of the immortal, and created even the Holy Sword, certified as the Holy Knight. That Archbishop and Lady Carlos had a meeting the other day. As the Church tells us to stop the senseless feud over the Trinity Alliance,"
"You're neat. Were you negotiating such a thing with the Archbishop? So, you took it?
"… there seems to be a condition"
"Conditions? What kind of challenges were you stuck with?
"What the Archbishop said is that if we are going to arbitrate the Trinity Alliance, we need to pay the corresponding price."
"The right one?
"Yes. Um, don't be angry. Listen, Master Ars. The Archbishop says that offering the Holy Sword to the Church is a condition of arbitration."
"What, the Holy Sword is about my Grand Barca?
"Yes......"
"Is that okay with you? Then let's ask the church. Oh, but don't be in trouble if they take you away. If I can, I might as well give it to you after the arbitration is successful."
"Uh, you know, okay? You're going to let go of the Holy Sword, aren't you?
"Uh, yeah. If that solves the problem, fine."
"Thank you, Master Ars. If that's what Ars can say, I'll just ask the Archbishop to arbitrate."
"Whoa, please, Lion. I need you to wrap up the negotiations."
Good. Good.
Oh, my God.
I was wondering if they would have to fight again with a higher number of opponents.
but apparently Carlos and Lion had other hands in mind.
He says the way to do this is arbitration by the Church.
And you think you need to serve the Church with my holy sword Gran Barca as a condition of that?
Maybe some people say it's a waste.
but from me, if the battle can be avoided with one sword, putting out my holy sword is a great option.
Thus, when Lion heard me speak, he spoke to Carlos, and from there he went to speak to the Archbishop.
And a few days later, the Archbishop strained to take on the arbitration case and head back south.