Postwar Arrangements

In fact, once the outcome of the Battle of Hestia became clear, discussions about the postwar arrangements had already begun. The nations of the New Sect Alliance exchanged envoys frequently, putting forward their demands and eagerly seeking to secure their share of the spoils.

For Lion Harbor, the original purpose of joining the war had been to defend its land and property in Horn Bay, as well as the lives of its citizens abroad. Its greatest demand naturally followed from this: no power hostile to Lion Harbor could be allowed to remain in Horn Bay. Without a doubt, installing a "friendly" ruler in Collins, the strongest nation in the Inland Country, was an effective way to achieve that.

The entire situation in the war had been changed single-handedly by Lion Harbor. When the New Sect Alliance was on the verge of defeat, Lion Harbor had joined it and quickly tipped the scales of victory. It could be said that without Lion Harbor, the alliance would never have won the war, and all the nations along the coast of Horn Bay would have been ravaged by the Horn Bay Church and the Guardian Army.

The fighting strength displayed by the Horn Bay Volunteer Army during the war, along with the wealth that supported it, had also made the various nations look at Lion Harbor in a new light. In truth, as people of Horn Bay who made their living through maritime trade, there was now no one who still believed that the Northwest Bay was impoverished.

For various reasons, everyone respected Lion Harbor's demands and unanimously agreed that Collins's future ruler should be appointed by Lion Harbor. Of course, everyone also knew that this really meant following the arrangements made by Lakeheart Town, which stood behind Lion Harbor.

As for the