How to Start a War (1.4)
That was the first diplomatic and trade treaty ever concluded between the Human nations and the Demon race nation of Orcsen. Official diplomatic relations between the two sides began from that point onward.
The conclusion of this treaty served as the impetus for Orcsen, the Demon nation, to engage in formal exchanges with the Human nations. Until then, due to their association with the Papal States and the Holy Star Church, Orcsen had been shunned by the rest of Star-Euro. This treaty brought Orcsen into the spotlight of international diplomacy.
Of course, the primary reason this was possible was due to Orcsen’s own efforts—its willingness to shed blood by joining the anti-Dutone alliance.
Historically speaking, it could also be said that among the Star-Euro trading nations, only Camelot had the capacity to be the first to conclude such a treaty with Orcsen.
Camelot had been a nation that withdrew early from the influence of the Holy Star Church and the Papal States.
This was due to a scandal long ago, when a rather lustful and arrogant king of Camelot committed acts in violation of the Church’s teachings. As a result, he established a separate sect with himself as its head priest. Because of that, their moral interpretation remained flexible, and unlike other Star-Euro nations, they did not harbor religious contempt toward Orcsen.
Even with those factors in play—
Maxwell was convinced.
The conclusion of the Amity Trade Treaty had been a personal gesture of gratitude from Duke Morington to the King of Orcsen—for saving him from danger on that battlefield.
Fifty years had passed since its conclusion―――
By now, Orcsen had become an indispensable diplomatic partner to Camelot.
Firstly, Orcsen remained a subject of caution. But from Camelot’s perspective, it helped keep pressure on Growal, its long-standing rival.
In times of peace, Orcsen served the role of drawing a portion of Growal’s military forces toward their eastern border.
And should war unfortunately break out between Camelot and Growal, Camelot hoped that Orcsen would either strike at Growal’s rear or at least maintain a friendly neutrality. At the same time, Orcsen also helped keep in check Lovarna, the nation to their east, which had increasingly come into conflict with Camelot in recent years.
Another key factor was Orcsen’s role as a major source of foreign capital and investment.
Camelot, which ventured to the seas and stretched its trade as far as the impassable Ocean Path, always needed more money.
On the other hand, by Star Calendar year 876, Orcsen had grown into a powerful trading nation with a national revenue of 1.4 billion langs—third among all nations. Yet its essence was that of a landlocked country. Fortunately for Camelot, Orcsen showed no interest in acquiring overseas colonies, and domestic speculation within its own borders had also begun to stabilize.
As a result, massive capital from wealthy merchants and conglomerates like the Farlens Company began to flow into Camelot’s foreign debt, as well as into investments and loans to businesses—making a significant contribution to Camelot’s economic growth.
Furthermore, Orcsen had become an essential trading partner in its own right.
Although most of their manufactured goods could be domestically produced in Camelot, the first Star-Euro nation to undergo an industrial revolution, Orcsen remained a promising exporter of foodstuffs, coal, and textiles. Above all, when it came to magic, Camelot had no choice but to rely on Orcsen’s expertise.
Take, for instance, the magnificent engraved ritual magic.
Those magically refrigerated metal plates were extremely expensive and virtually never exported, yet for Camelot’s shipping industry, they were more desirable than gold.
Camelot, being an island nation with a low food self-sufficiency rate, needed to import meat and other goods from the Star-Euro mainland, the New World, and its colonies. Whether those enchanted plates were available or not made a world of difference.
Another precious product was the Elixiel medicine produced by Orcsen’s pharmaceutical companies.
These were also expensive, but this miraculous medicine could be used by Humans as well—especially as a powerful wartime drug. For Camelot, whose tensions with Lovarna in the Ismail and Ocean Path regions had become increasingly volatile in recent years, increasing imports of it was of utmost importance.
Even for a single diplomat, for one individual, Orcsen was an endlessly fascinating country.
In fact, among Star-Euro nations’ diplomatic circles, it had become something of an unspoken rule in recent times: all diplomats wanted to hear King Gustav’s small talk.
He had become, without question, the elder statesman of Star-Euro diplomacy.
The Dutone War. The peace conference.
The successive trade treaties concluded with the trading nations after Camelot.
And more recently, the Leman International Medical Treaty.
Some twenty years ago, he had even mediated the peace treaty of a major war that had erupted in the Eastern Iron Sea region of Star-Euro.
No one in the Human nations today had lived through and survived all those events that shaped the current Star-Euro order.
He, gifted with the Demon race’s near-immortal longevity, could speak to the subtleties of those times. Even without the King’s masterful storytelling, his accounts were full of topics any diplomat would want to hear. Diplomacy, after all, was a creature of secrets—stories untold in official documents were countless.
Within such a world, a certain reputation had begun to take hold in Star-Euro’s diplomatic sphere:
—The King of Orcsen does not deceive Humans.
—Orcsen does not break diplomatic covenants.
Just like how, during the final battle of the Dutone War, Orcsen rode onto the battlefield in accordance with its agreement with Duke Morington.
“Mr. Maxwell.”
“Yes?”
“This may be a bit long-winded coming from someone who’s lived too long, but would you lend an ear? It’s something I wish to share with the young diplomats of all nations.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“It’s about what is expected of a diplomat. I once heard this from a Florenzian envoy, long ago. And I believe the essence still holds true today―――”
First, grasp the personality of the other nation’s ruler.
Without that, you may manage official matters, but forming a personal relationship will be difficult.
Next, raise your own reputation in the country of your assignment.
A reputation means being regarded as a respectable person—not simply as a talented one. While talent is good to have, one must not be intoxicated by it. It is being respectable, being sincere—these are what earn trust from others.
And submit detailed reports to your home country.
It’s best to do this regularly. Report what you’ve observed, the circumstances, and what is happening in the other nation. It's good to include your own opinions, but leave them for the end. Always distinguish between facts and personal views.
To achieve all this, build as many friendly relationships as possible. Acquaintances and friendships give rise to further connections. For a diplomat, this becomes a personal network of information―――
"I see. Truly a collection of golden rules for a diplomat."
"Right?"
Gustav nodded with a smile.
"But the troubling thing is, even if you include your own perspective, when you're young, it's often ignored. The more earnest a person is, the more they tend to get discouraged."
"That’s very true..."
It was something Maxwell had experienced firsthand.
"In such cases, use the name of your counterpart. In your case, use mine. For someone as upstanding as you, it may feel like an underhanded tactic, but just adding a single line—'The King said so'—will suddenly lend your words far more weight. According to that Florenzian envoy, it's also effective to include not just words, but some kind of supporting material as well."
"I see... Though, still, that feels a bit..."
As Maxwell stood there slightly overwhelmed, Gustav took out watermark-stamped stationery from the royal residence, along with a pen, and began to write something smoothly in Camelotian.
Once he finished writing, he handed it to Maxwell.
"Envoy. Here, I’ll give this to you. I believe this concerns what both you and your home country are currently most interested in. Use it as a personal accomplishment."
What was written on it was―――
What do you think about this chapter?
