Chen Si paused slightly at the question. He had not expected it, and fell briefly into thought.
"The Eldia people on the Marley Continent and those on Paradis Island now have completely different cultures. Establishing a new country would also ease the burden on your nation of governing people from different cultures," Rina Sakurai said.
Chen Si did not answer.
"We are willing to form a lasting alliance with the Eldia Empire, and to place a port under your nation's administration," Rina Sakurai added, growing somewhat anxious.
"So you already have a place in mind?" Chen Si asked.
Rina Sakurai spread out a map.
"Yes, but we won't simply ask for our pick of the Fifteen Cities your nation captured. If possible, we would like the territory in the northeastern corner of the Marley Continent, because many family members of our Eldia First Legion live there," Rina Sakurai said.
Chen Si studied the map Rina Sakurai had spread out. After a moment's thought, he said, "All right. How about this? The cities in the northeast are still under Marley's rule, and they're also the main battlefield in the war against the Mid-East Allied Forces. We'll leave the two cities north of the Kurnan River among the Fifteen Cities in the South under your administration."
Rina Sakurai was pleasantly surprised. With the fighting in the South over, she had never expected to receive two stable southern cities in which to develop her nation, both bordering the Eldia Governor-General District.
Naturally, Chen Si had his own reasons. Those two cities lay across a river, making water transport troublesome. They had yet to train enough sailors to crew the captured ships of the Liberio fleet. It would be better to let Rina Sakurai establish a country there as a buffer zone.
"Thank you