Chapter 31: Loyal Subjects Behind the Scenes

Ganudos Port Country was a small nation comprising a capital city and a number of small fishing villages. It had what could arguably be called a royal family, but there was no noble class. In its place existed a number of guilds, whose heads formed the parliament and senate. Among them, the shipping and shipwright guilds were some of the largest and had deep ties with the House of Greenmoon. Ludwig therefore skirted them, choosing to contact the senators from other guilds instead. However...

“You put me in a difficult position, Mr. Ludwig. Such matters should go through the Duke of Greenmoon first.”

His results left much to be desired. They hadn’t turned him away at the door, but none showed any enthusiasm for his suggestions.

Well, as a diplomat, I sure underperformed... He pursed his lips. Something gnawed at the back of his mind. Then again, did I underperform...or was I made to—

“So, how’d it go?” asked Vanos as Ludwig stepped out from the master’s chamber.

“Like talking to a stone wall,” he answered with a wry shrug as they walked down the manor’s hall toward the front door.

He was well aware of the Greenmoons’ influence and had taken care to speak only with those who had minimal dealings with the Duke. There should have been plenty of room for negotiation with these people, but he barely managed to get a conversation started with the majority of them, never mind talk serious business.

“Not going well, is it? Guess the Duke of Greenmoon holds a lot of sway round these parts,” muttered Vanos before a frown appeared across his brow. “Gotta say though... Somethin’ about this whole thing smells fishy.”

“Does it now?” Ludwig stopped, propped up his glasses, and looked Vanos in the eye. “Good. So I’m not the only one who thinks so. And we have every reason to suspect foul play, considering we’re here on Her Highness’s orders. Not here on official business, perhaps, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are known to speak on her behalf. This tight-lipped attitude of theirs might work against a small-time noble, but doing it to an emissary of the Princess of Tearmoon is, very literally, a royal affront. The fact that they’re willing to adopt this approach is...intriguing, to say the least.”

As one of the empire’s four pillars, the House of Greenmoon possessed such power through both coin and sword that any small nation would undoubtedly think twice about crossing them. The same, however, could undoubtedly be said of Mia. As the Emperor’s daughter, her influence was immeasurable. Even if they secretly thought ill of her, it was common sense to at least maintain an amicable front. Somehow, that logic was currently lost on them...which was a phenomenon that Ludwig found rather curious.

“...Intriguing, but not unthinkable,” he then amended.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“Conservative politicians,” he said with a shrug. “Those who profit from the status quo have no desire to change it. If they’re benefiting from dealing with the Duke of Greenmoon, it’s hardly surprising that they’d prefer to keep things the way they are. Then along we come trying to rock the boat. They’d obviously want to avoid talking to us for fear of angering the Duke. With that said...”

“Yeah?”

“The extent of their reluctance is unnatural. I was expecting pushback, but not this much. They can’t all be this stupid. Surely, some of them understand the risks of making the Greenmoons their sole liaison with the empire.”

Currently, Ganudos’s ties with Tearmoon were entirely reliant on the Greenmoons, who could theoretically sever them on a whim. Diplomatically, this was an unstable arrangement, wholly disadvantageous to Ganudos. The Greenmoons could easily bully them into one-sided agreements, and Ludwig had no doubt they’d done so plenty of times.

“Considering how valuable a trading partner the empire is for Ganudos, and the fact that they’re at the mercy of Greenmoon’s whims, I’d expected a little more enthusiasm for establishing new channels of communication... It’s most peculiar.” He closed his eyes and pressed a thumb to his chin. “This...isn’t about trade then? The status quo...and the profits therein... Maybe that’s not what concerns them? What is there to gain from having the Greenmoons handle all their trade?”

He mumbled to himself for a while. Eventually, he shook his head.

“This isn’t working. I need...a fresh perspective. Some sort of paradigm shift in my thinking.”

He began walking again. Vanos gave him a curious look and followed a few steps behind.

“So, where’re we headed? Back to the inn to prepare for tomorrow?”

“No. If we try the same approach, it’ll just be a repeat of today. Instead... Hm... Well, in any case, I think it’s time to ask around a little. More information never hurts. Where are the rest of the Princess Guard?”

Counting Vanos, thirty men of the Princess Guard had accompanied Mia to the port country. Two had gone on the cruise with her, leaving twenty eight in town.

“I’ve got them all resting at the inn. Don’t worry though. You’ve got me. If you need to go somewhere, I’ll be right there guarding you every step of the way.”

The big man pounded his chest. Ludwig smiled reluctantly.

“I certainly appreciate the company. Sorry to force this on you. By all rights, you should be resting with the others as well. We’re in the capital, after all. I doubt anything will happen to us here.”

“Didn’t Her Highness tell Dion to get here too, though?” Vanos scratched his bearded chin. “Sounds to me like we oughta keep our eyes open. You’re an important person. Her Highness needs you, and it’s not like there’s more of you to spare.”

“Perhaps... But I believe the same applies to you as well. And Sir Dion. And each and every one of her guards. Her Highness likely deems you all equally important and irreplaceable.” Ludwig eyed Vanos and smirked. “Though I suspect this is old news to you.”

“Is it now? Hah! I guess it is! I swear, our princess is an odd one. She’s got a way of making you feel good about working for her,” Vanos said with a rolling bout of laughter.