The Elven Country (8)

It was the sixth year since I came to the country of Shiyo, and the conflict between Kazaria, the hostile southern neighbor, and Jilcias, the coastal country farther south, was intensifying.

Originally, Kazaria, which had made the Western religion its state religion, and Jilcias, which worshiped the god of plenty, had been enemies, but apparently, in practice, Jilcias had merely been fending off invasions from Kazaria.

Why? Because Jilcias was wealthy from maritime trade and the production of local specialties, while Kazaria, though eager for war, was a battered country rife with monsters, so Jilcias had no reason to occupy it.

Of course, that did not mean Jilcias felt no anger or hatred at being attacked. But if destroying Kazaria and acquiring its battered territory would only leave Jilcias with the burden of managing it, the country had enough sense not to act.

But recently, that situation changed drastically.

...That change was the birth of the elven country of Shiyo in the land of Inelda, the emergence of a great river around it, and the beginning of river transport between the elves and the countries friendly to them.

Kazaria, being hostile to the elves, was excluded from that arrangement, but it still bordered the river that had appeared.

In other words, Jilcias's senior officials reasoned that if Jilcias acquired Kazaria's territory and gained access to the river, it might be able to join the river transport network.

Well, perhaps "senior officials" is overstating it. More specifically, it was Count Glenda Velbus of Jilcias, one of the people with whom I exchanged letters.

I had also received a letter from Glenda asking whether, if Jilcias reached the river, it might be able to join the water-transport network with the elves' help...