"Merchant Faction and Noble Faction are fighting?" Clito asked in confusion. "Hadn't they already divided their spheres of influence? It was practically a split. How could they still end up fighting?"
The intelligence officer responsible for delivering the message clearly knew the full story and immediately replied, "According to the Merchant Faction, the Noble Faction had soldiers disguise themselves as bandits to attack merchant caravans. When they demanded that the Noble Faction hand over the culprits, the Noble Faction not only refused, but also turned around and accused them of harassing the border lately. They couldn't swallow that, so they started fighting."
"And what does the Noble Faction say?" Clito asked.
"The Noble Faction says the Merchant Faction deliberately provoked them first, then framed them afterward, and in the end even struck first. It's utterly outrageous!"
Clito nodded, pondered for a moment, and asked, "What is our position on this matter?"
"Director Easter told me that the Northwest Republic has no position. If we absolutely have to take one, then it is to call for peace and mediate the dispute."
Clito laughed. "That's a good position. I like it!"
He was neither a war profiteer who firmly believed that "when the cannons roar, gold flows by the tens of thousands," nor a war maniac shouting that "only iron and blood can solve problems." Though he was actually rather combative by nature, when it came to major political positions, he leaned toward peace.
It was naturally best if everyone stayed safe and sound and did not go to war. If people did start fighting, what he most wanted to do was mediate, not seize the chance to scrape up some benefits.
In his view, the Northwest Republic was very wealthy and did not seem to lack population either. Overall, its situation