The Sevan Civil War (1)

Why did something this unpleasant have to happen before I could even enjoy the fruits of civilization?

"So. What exactly is going on?"

At the sudden news, I scrambled into a briefing in the conference room of the Foreign Executive Ministry.

"Yes, Your Excellency. A civil war has broken out in the Sevan ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Administrative State, one of the Holy Sevelian Empire's vassals."

"…"

"As a result, roughly one-third of the Empire's western trade routes are currently unusable, and both the Trade Administration Ministry and the Ministry of Finance are demanding a solution as soon as humanly possible."

"What's the reason for the civil war?"

"We believe it's political."

"Huh."

"Our Foreign Strategy Department's current assessment is that a faction resentful of the Sevan Administrative State's existing ruling structure has risen in rebellion."

But as I listened, I couldn't hide the genuine bewilderment rising inside me.

It wasn't because a trade route belonging to an empire ranked fourth in the entire galaxy had suddenly seized up.

And it wasn't because I was witnessing the start of a horrific civil war that had split a nation in half.

"Riel."

"What is it?"

When I whispered for her to lean in, Riel looked puzzled but brought her ear close anyway. Into that ear, I carefully whispered the real reason for my dismay.

Whisper whisper.

"Riel. Where the hell is the Sevan Administrative State?"

"…"

The moment she heard that, of course, the look Riel gave me as she lifted her head was… how to put this.

It was the look of someone staring at a piece of garbage.

Is she going through puberty?

Faced with that expression, I canceled the briefing with tears in my eyes, dragged Riel back to my office, and—

"Hold on a second. That is not okay."

—pulled the Etiquette Infusion Rod from my coat and brought it down hard on her head.

CLANG!

"Kyaaaaaah…!!!"

"From now on, choose your words and actions with the utmost care, Riel."

Clutching her head where a massive lump was already swelling, Riel rolled across the floor and shouted up at me in pure indignation.

"You idiot Minister…! How do you not know that?!"

On this particular point, at least, I could hold my head high with complete confidence.

"And how exactly was I supposed to know?"

"…What?"

"That absolute bastard wiped every scrap of diplomatic intelligence. How am I supposed to know anything?"

The whole situation had gone spectacularly sideways.

That traitor I'd personally taken down—the former Minister of Foreign Affairs—had planted a virus bomb in the Foreign Ministry's central database, set to trigger the moment he died.

We had no way of knowing that, so we went ahead and cut his throat. Immediately afterward, the Foreign Ministry's entire database was wiped clean in one catastrophic blow.

"W-well, that's true."

"Remember this. Outside of whatever's come in over the last month, the diplomatic intelligence I currently have is no different from when I was still Minister of the Executive Ministry."

"Uuuugh…"

"So explain where the Sevan Administrative State is—quickly and briefly—before the agents I sent out get back."

"Uuuugh… fine."

With her lower lip stuck out as far as it would go, Riel grumbled the whole way through but started explaining as concisely as she could.

"The Sevan Administrative State is a nation our Holy Sevelian Empire has sponsored ever since they were still a primitive civilization."

"Hmm."

In game-system terms, that means we enlightened a primitive civilization and made them a vassal.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

When I nodded along, Riel continued.

"They grew pretty well after that, and these days they explore the Empire's western uncharted territories while also handling protection of the western trade routes."

Listening to her, I realized the place was far more important than I'd expected.

How did I not know about somewhere like that until now?

Apparently that question showed on my face, because Riel shrugged as if there was nothing to be done about it.

"That's because Your Excellency never needed to worry about it."

"Hmm?"

"Until now, it's not an exaggeration to say nothing has ever gone wrong in the Sevan Administrative State."

In other words, nothing had ever happened there that warranted being reported all the way up to me.

"Is that why they call themselves an 'Administrative State'?"

"Yep. They named their own country that way, saying they'd maintain and administer the Empire's authority."

Interesting. I nodded.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"And now there's a civil war."

"That's right. A long time ago there used to be an Executive Ministry branch inside the Administrative State, so information got updated regularly, but…"

"But?"

"Your Excellency's predecessor as Minister of the Executive Ministry pulled it out about fifty years ago, on the grounds that nothing was ever wrong."

"…"

"And the HUMINT network that had been limping along after that was forcibly dismantled on the Predecessor Emperor's orders."

Why does that guy keep showing up?

Like an onion that just keeps producing more layers no matter how many you peel, he was the root of the problem again. I was genuinely speechless.

"Ha. Right… so that's why there was no way for me to know."

"Pretty much? Though knowing Your Excellency's personality, if you'd had a little more time you probably would've laid down another HUMINT net in the west anyway."

Her words left me unsure how to respond.

Honestly, I'd always thought the entire western half of the Empire was unexplored territory. I never had any such plan.

There was no need to admit that out loud, so I just nodded along and pretended she was right.

And the next day.

"Minister, we will now begin the second briefing on the Sevan civil war."

"Mm."

Wishing, not for the first time, that people would just pick one title for me and stick with it, I focused on the briefing.

Fortunately, the early portion was mostly an introduction to the Sevan Administrative State—probably because so few people knew much about the place—and…

"Hmm. I see. Right… so that's how it is…"

At the sight of me like that, the eyes of every former Foreign Ministry official in the room lit up with newfound respect.

"Minister Arto seems to know a fair amount about the Sevan Administrative State already?"

"Surprising. He blanketed the whole world in a HUMINT network, yet never extended it to the vassals in the west or east…"

"He's been taking over the Foreign Executive Ministry's duties for a full month. Isn't that only natural?"

"How? That bastard of a previous minister's terrorist attack wiped every diplomatic relationship and vassal list clean."

"It means he's ready to lead this Foreign Executive Ministry—including everything we used to manage."

"Indeed…!"

Listening to all of that, I was silently wailing for them to please stop loading more pressure onto me.

Stop with the pressure…!

Of course, no matter how hard I screamed it, nobody was going to listen.

While I was thinking that, the briefing on the Sevan civil war was already racing toward its conclusion.

"…For those reasons, our Foreign Strategy Department has concluded that merely issuing diplomatic documents or making a formal response from the Empire will not be enough to mediate this civil war."

"Hmm. Then how do you propose we resolve it?"

"Yes, Minister. Frankly, unless someone of sufficiently high rank within our own Foreign Executive Ministry is involved… coordinating the opinions of the civil war's parties will be extremely difficult."

"I see. And is there no shortlist of candidates for that role?"

At my question, cold sweat broke out on the face of the former Foreign Ministry official conducting the briefing.

"Minister, we haven't prepared that far yet!"

And from beside him, another sweet middle-aged fellow popped out to cover for the man running the briefing.

Camaraderie was a fine thing, but there was no need to exercise it right this second.

"I distinctly recall addressing my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠question to the person giving the briefing."

"…!"

When I pointed it out in a voice that was polite but unmistakably severe, the middle-aged man who had jumped in to cover bowed deeply and scuttled straight back to his original seat.

"Ahem. So you haven't narrowed down any candidates yet?"

"Th-that's correct."

Watching the moderator stumble slightly over his words, I decided to put forward a candidate myself.

"Then I'll recommend one."

"The Minister himself… is making a recommendation?"

Apparently that was unexpected. Surprise flickered across the faces of not only the briefer but everyone else in the room.

"Minister, who exactly are you planning to recommend? You're not about to say something so pure-ego as nominating yourself, are you? Pffft."

And of course Riel, sitting right next to me, had to open her mouth and be completely unnecessary about it.

I pointed at her with one hand.

"This one will go. No need to bother picking anyone else."

"…Me?"