The Empror's Trap

Kenji spoke up in place of Pluvia at this moment. From a personal standpoint, the emperor wouldn't be particularly pleased—after all, when a minister interrupts a conversation between rulers to question him, it appears somewhat improper, even if justified. However, this approach ensured no diplomatic faux pas would occur between the two empires. In this setting, Pluvia was the true representative of Camelot, not him. "Duke Anos makes a valid point. We indeed have shortcomings in this area. Our screening and supervision within the military are clearly insufficient," the emperor replied to Kenji's question. Rather than erupting in anger, he frankly acknowledged his side's deficiencies. "Well then, may I ask, Duke Anos, what do you suggest we do about these matters?" the emperor asked with a smile. "Your Majesty should strengthen security screening. Perhaps also enhance cohesion within the military and develop its 'exclusionary' capabilities. While exclusion isn't usually considered positive, within military ranks, appropriate exclusionary practices can ensure stability," Kenji said while glancing toward the other Vishi Empire ministers. "I believe Your Majesty's military is already powerful enough. During this review, your forces have truly impressed me. Since your military is sufficiently strong, solving such problems shouldn't be difficult. The challenge lies in preventing certain factions from infiltrating your military. Military infiltration has caused countless armies to collapse throughout history." "You make an excellent point," Emperor Feit nodded in agreement. In truth, he had done this very thing many times. He had defeated several enemies by specifically organizing infiltration units to penetrate enemy forces, then orchestrating betrayals and creating chaos. While he excelled at infiltrating enemies, he was somewhat inexperienced in counter-infiltration measures. "In this regard, I believe your empire might benefit from some assistance. We would be happy to provide whatever help your empire needs," Kenji offered. This statement made the ambassador beside him raise his eyebrows. What was happening? Their emperor had just been attacked, yet here was he discussing helping the other side? Instead of seizing the opportunity to demand benefits, he was offering to help them? The ambassador looked at Kenji with an intense desire to stab him. However, Pluvia understood Kenji's meaning. Camelot had always been known for strict military discipline. Their military conduct and spirit were exemplary. This was partly due to Camelot's mainstream ideology of loyalty and service to the country, and partly due to Camelot's thousands of years of warfare experience. They had fought civil wars and foreign wars, positional battles and siege warfare... Every type of conflict in human history had been thoroughly experienced by Camelot, with comprehensive lessons documented. This was especially true regarding military governance. Therefore, Camelot was fully qualified to help the Vishi Empire reform its military internally. But Kenji wasn't offering free labor. Helping the Vishi Empire reform its military indicated an intimate level of cooperation between the two countries, making them difficult to separate. It might even create the illusion for their common enemies that they have formed a tight alliance. Simultaneously, the Vishi Empire, which wasn't particularly adept at military systems, would develop a long-term dependency on Camelot. Military discipline and systems required ongoing maintenance in this world, and having influence in the other's military would greatly benefit Camelot. Clearly, Emperor Feit found Kenji's suggestion tempting. He understood what Kenji wanted most. But he also knew that the current struggle between the Vishi Empire and the Church was just beginning. While the Vishi Empire continuously contested secular power with the Church, on the surface it remained a devout Holy Church nation. Once they eventually revealed their true intentions (which seemed highly likely), how would the Vishi Empire defeat the Church's military forces, which were stronger and enhanced by nearly fanatical faith? In this matter, they seemingly could only turn to Camelot for help. The other Holy Church nations couldn't be trusted. Moreover, Camelot's military discipline was indeed impressive—as reported by officials who had studied in Camelot. "I'm very interested in what Duke Anos has proposed," a minister suddenly spoke up. Kenji looked at him. He had met this minister once before and recalled that he was the Vishi Empire's Minister of Internal Affairs. However, his "Internal Affairs" was not the same concept as in Camelot. In the Camelot court, "Internal Affairs" mostly referred to matters within the imperial palace, such as cleaning and personnel management. The Vishi Empire's "Internal Affairs" referred to "matters requiring internal resolution"—such as maintaining domestic stability through unconventional means, counterintelligence, counter-infiltration, and when necessary, assassination. Of course, officially, this "Internal Affairs" appeared similar to Camelot's version. "Thank you for your interest, sir, Our Emperor also hopes for close cooperation between our empires. I believe we can discuss this matter together, and I'm sure you can offer us appropriate compensation." The Vishi Empire officials looked at each other and began whispering among themselves. They indeed needed to consider this matter. In fact, Kenji's words had intrigued several officials. Kenji wasn't in a hurry. He was confident they would likely accept his olive branch. "During this review, I've become interested in some of your equipment and would like to purchase some. Would your empire be willing to sell?" Pluvia asked Emperor Feit while the officials were still discussing military cooperation. "That's difficult. To be honest, many of the equipment you saw actually comes from the Church. Many symbols on them have been blessed by the Church. Though we can now produce our own imitations of the Church's holy armor, the Church closely monitors such activities," the emperor replied. "So it's not that we're unwilling to sell to you, but that we truly cannot—it would violate our national structure. If you want those automatic magic wands, I could arrange to sell you a batch," Emperor Feit added with a bitter smile. In truth, the Vishi Empire was also short of money—specifically, any rapidly developing country was in desperate need of funds. If these items could bring some extra income to the Vishi Empire, that would be beneficial. Moreover, Camelot and the Vishi Empire had maintained decent relations over the years. Before dealing with the Church, having such a country help divert some of the Church's attention would be advantageous. But they simply couldn't do it.