"Marshal, Marquis Landry, envoy of the Frankish Kingdom, has arrived."
Hudson was not surprised by the attendant's report. Recently, the Franks had been mediating the conflict between the Alpha Kingdom and the five prairie states.
As one of the kingdom's powerholders, it would have been strange if the other side had not come looking for him.
"Show him in!"
The kingdom appeared to hold the advantage in the current diplomatic situation, but in truth, it could not really do much to the five prairie states.
The Alpha Kingdom needed the five prairie states as cannon fodder to buy time for its own war preparations.
The accusations pinned on them at the Alliance Council seemed grave, but precisely because they were too grave, they could not be allowed to stick.
Once the charges were confirmed, the nobles of the five prairie states would no longer be able to survive among humankind. Why would they still fight desperately then?
At its core, the current fighting on the Great Prairie was merely a group of nobles striving for their own reputations and that sliver of hope for restoring their countries.
The kingdom was clinging to their weaknesses mainly to pressure them into not fleeing the prairie too easily.
If it could also inherit their assets, that would be even better.
"Marshal, the bigger picture must come first!"
Faced with the Frankish envoy's lengthy speech, Hudson merely drank his tea calmly. Only after quite some time did he slowly say:
"Marquis, it is precisely for the bigger picture that we cannot stop so easily.
What the five prairie states have done has set a bad precedent for humankind. If they are not severely punished, what if everyone follows their example in the future?"
Playing dumb was his specialty. The five prairie states were