Meeting with Mary (2)

I was conferring with Mary-san in the captain's cabin of the Silverwing, with the desk between us.

"...So, what do you intend to do now? Now that you've abducted me, relations between the Lionel Kingdom and Merka Island will deteriorate. Depending on how things develop, this could become the spark that starts a war. That would create even more war orphans."

The Lionel Kingdom also had its pride to consider. It couldn't simply remain silent after a noble had been abducted.

"On land, perhaps, but at sea, you lot don't scare me. I'll hold you hostage and extort a ransom from the Lionel Kingdom. Then I'll attack your ships and take anything valuable. With that money, I'll buy ships and build a fleet."

"You think you can fight a nation by yourself?"

I gave the blustering Mary-san a withering look.

Mary-san wasn't supported by the people of Merka Island. Even if she had money, she had no comrades willing to fight alongside her.

"I've got people who'll stand behind me, too."

"Oh? The people of the Vaal Archipelago? Or is it Hameil Kingdom, which stands behind them?"

When I pointed that out, the proud smile on Mary-san's face froze.

"How do you know?"

"Anyone could figure it out with a little thought."

I sighed as I looked at Mary-san.

Hameil Kingdom shared a border with the Lionel Kingdom, and the two countries had clashed repeatedly in the past. They had formed a loose alliance because the Demon King's army had appeared, but beneath the surface, they still regarded each other as enemies.

Hameil Kingdom wanted to obstruct the Lionel Kingdom's maritime expansion. However, as long as their alliance remained, it couldn't interfere openly. So it issued orders to the Vaal Archipelago, which was effectively its vassal. To avoid directly antagonizing the Lionel Kingdom, the Vaal Archipelago used Mary-san.

"You said you didn't want us to use you, but aren't you merely being used by Hameil Kingdom? What will you do if they cut ties with you and withdraw their support?"

"I have a letter promising their support. It's an official document bearing their seal. If they renege on their promise, I'll sue them on the basis of this letter."

Mary-san puffed out her chest with complete confidence, but I could only look on in exasperation.

"What good will it do for a pirate like you to brandish something like that?"

I shook my head.

A letter or contract that records a promise is, in the end, nothing more than a scrap of paper. Yet it carries great power. That is because the credibility of the person who made the promise is added to that paper. That credibility is what gives it value. Mary-san, on the other hand, is a pirate who does not obey the law. There is no guarantee that a lawbreaker will keep a promise, so naturally, such a person has no credibility.

"Even if you sued them, Hameil Kingdom wouldn't even entertain it. They'd simply dismiss it as a forgery made by a pirate."

I shook my head. Even if someone with no credibility brandished a contract, no one would believe them.

"To begin with, we can't even be sure the letter is genuine. Someone from the Vaal Archipelago might have forged it, you know?"

"That's not true! The letter is genuine!"

"How can you say that? Are you an 'officer of arms,' then?"

"Well..."

At my question, Mary-san's gaze wandered.

An officer of arms was a specialist trained to memorize and distinguish the coats of arms of nations and nobles. It was knowledge that only nobles would need, and I couldn't imagine Mary-san knowing the coats of arms of every country.

"Well, never mind. Then let me take a look. I'm not an officer of arms, but I do know Hameil Kingdom's coat of arms. I can't say for certain, but I should be able to make a reasonably accurate judgment as to whether it's genuine. Show me this letter of yours."

I held out my hand, but Mary-san didn't move.

"Don't tell me you don't have the actual letter?"

"I'm supposed to receive it in exchange for you."

"Good grief..."

I was dumbfounded. She had already taken the dangerous step of abducting a noble and reached a point of no return. And yet she had nothing to guarantee that promise. If no one from the Vaal Archipelago showed up here, that would be the end of Mary-san.

"What have you been learning from Captain Maurice?"

Faced with such thoughtless behavior, I let out a deep sigh.