Looking back, I can count the number of times I’ve truly shown my feelings since the day I gave up being human on one hand.
Even then, it was only in front of kids like Eleonora and Plona, whom I felt would never betray me. Before total strangers, deception and bravado were all I had in my social toolkit.
Could it be because of that? I never expected relaying plans for the Scarlet Union Kingdom, or rather, my future strategies, to Suwang and his associates would evoke such uncomfortable feelings.
It felt like lying defenselessly in front of a predator, exposing my belly.
Trusting others is incredibly hard, but earning their trust is just as difficult, if not more so. If it were a matter of coercion or intimidation, it would be simple.
Realizing that the ordinary ways are no longer ordinary for me was far from pleasant.
“So, what you’re saying is that you weren’t interested in dominating the continent from the start?”
“That’s right. Unifying the continent is not my goal but a means to redistribute resources the way I want. I needed to take control of the entire continent first. And as for paying the price, let it be the humans who’ve oppressed the Ains for hundreds of years. If the Suwong Kingdom hopes for self-governance, I have no intention of interfering.”
“…That doesn’t sound completely unreasonable. If it was just for show, you wouldn’t have managed to garner support from the Ains.”
Honestly, I was trying hard to suppress the urge to leap into action after they made the first move, but they had no way of knowing that.
Although Shete and Cardan looked skeptical, they couldn’t ignore the evidence presented before them.
With Eleonora, Lavina, and even Kanak, the undeniable proof that I was supported by races other than vampires left Cardan with a complicated expression.
I had brought some of them in with a purpose, but I never expected it to be of help in this way.
However, conveying that I am willing to treat the Ains who do not oppose me with respect and that the Suwong Kingdom aligning with me is still a separate issue.
“But this seems to be a matter for the Suwang to decide.”
The first to express his position was Cardan.
The lion beastman, who had outwardly been acting as the Suwang, seemed content to limit his role to merely advising, choosing to leave the final decision to Shete.
“Are you saying I should decide?”
“Yes. With no evidence that the Queen’s words are entirely sincere or false, the authority to determine the Suwong Kingdom’s overall policy rests solely with you.”
When Shete pointed to herself with a somewhat blank expression, Cardan bowed his head.
‘Even this won’t lead you to trust me easily.’
I had briefly entertained the idea that things would flow naturally and evolve into a friendly relationship, but it seemed getting what I wished for would not be that easy.
Now that it seemed like I wouldn’t run away even if I fully released my guard, they seemed to at least trust that I had no intention of revealing the Suwang’s secrets.
‘Or perhaps they’re just pretending to trust me.’
Knowing that this setting offered no mean of winning, they might just pretend to cooperate until I left and flip their palms afterward.
This possibility is the very one I was most wary of.
For now, I decided to stay quiet and wait.
It wouldn’t be hard to threaten them with warnings, but I mustn’t forget that in the end, just getting empty promises yields the same results.
After waiting about five minutes, Shete spoke again.
“Nyahaha, I really can’t tell if it’s the truth or a lie.”
She laughed cheerfully, claiming she still had doubts.
As I felt a bit of an urge to give her a light smack, it also made me wonder if there were limits to not relying on violence. But in the next moment, I saw a pair of golden eyes shining sharper than ever.
“The fact that Cardan has fully entrusted me with the choice means that, with the information given, we can’t know what the truth is.”
I reflexively nodded slightly in agreement.
Considering how cunningly the Suwong Kingdom had been functioning so far, that was indeed likely.
I might not know the detailed circumstances within the Suwong Kingdom, but given Shete’s actions, it wasn’t difficult to deduce that Cardan was quite involved in national decisions.
He was probably handling the complex matters himself or at least filtering down options for Shete to consider.
That was fairly significant information.
The fact that the decision-making authority had been fully handed over to Shete indicated that Cardan’s distrust of me wasn’t greater than his trust.
As long as I could get them involved somehow, the chances of getting backstabbed seemed to decrease.
“I’m a fool, so I don’t know much about complicated matters. But I do agree with the Queen that the one who sets the rules is the Strong One. So—”
A combative smile settled on Shete’s face.
At last, I could clearly understand what she wanted to say.
“Prove it again by fighting. If you can show that you have overwhelming strength to the point where you wouldn’t need to deceive the Suwong Kingdom, then I’ll follow you without hesitation.”
*
The Perkina Mountain Range is surprisingly quiet when it’s not snowing.
Despite the high altitude causing snow to linger everywhere, giving the surroundings a bright white shimmer, if one has the capability to endure the cold, the only sounds are of the rare winds weaving through the stillness.
Boom—
A sudden mass of snow erupted and cascaded like a waterfall a short distance from the meeting place between the Scarlet Union Kingdom and the Suwong Kingdom.
The surface revealed was an unfrozen ground composed of dirt and rocks not typically seen here.
Having lightly jumped to avoid a small avalanche and landing on solid ground, Aria squinted her eyes at Shete, who had suddenly started digging through the snow.
“Should I take that as a sign that you initiated the attack?”
“Nyahaha, don’t rush it. If I sink again, it won’t be fun, so I was just clearing out a space.”
In saying this, Shete was barefoot.
The navy-blue cat had already incurred one loss against Aria and was now making a slew of excuses about how the shoes were uncomfortable or how she had subordinates around, so she couldn’t create an avalanche.
Aria didn’t take Shete’s excuses very seriously, nor did she counter them.
Compared to before, she found herself in a better position.
In a situation where neither could trust the other, and an immediate threat loomed that needed addressing, Shete’s proposal was surprisingly simple and intuitive.
“Shall we really get started now?”
The prisoner’s dilemma.
Two accomplices trapped separately know they’ll be released without charges if they both stay silent but still choose to confess.
If one remains silent while the other confesses, the silent one takes the fall and gets a severe sentence, while the confessing partner is given leniency for confessing.
The choice to maximize one’s own gain without knowing the other’s strategy leads both accomplices to choose confession and face the worst outcomes together, despite knowing cooperation would benefit them both.
However, the prisoner’s dilemma arises precisely because one does not know the other’s strategy.
So, let’s add one assumption:
What if one prisoner has a bomb and a listening device inside them, and the other can overhear their exchanges and possesses the detonator?
The prisoner with the bomb has no choice but to remain silent. They know that betraying the other will mean losing their life.
Yet, at the same time, the one with the detonator knows the silent prisoner also has to stay quiet.
Both being silent would lead to both being innocent.
In a situation where one confesses and one remains silent, the confessor gets a light sentence while the silent one gets a heavy one. The one with the detonator can choose the former without any risks because they know the other’s strategy.
“My condition is simple. Show that you have overwhelming strength to the point where you don’t need to deceive the Suwong Kingdom.”
That’s precisely what Shete was asking for.
A strong person’s offer of friendship isn’t merely kindness, while a weak person’s offer appears as begging.
With no time for both nations to build a bond slowly, and lacking immediate methods to establish intangible trust, the request was to demonstrate that they truly held the detonator.
Prove such overwhelming strength that the option of betrayal feels impossible.
“I’ll try my best not to kill you.”
“Nyahaha. Having been through it once, I won’t go easy this time.”
The dry laughter reverberated for a moment before it abruptly ceased.
In the next moment, two figures clashed.
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