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I was watching a bat soaring far off into the distance, as if heading for the moon, through my telescope.
Next to me, a woman from the Oni clan, who was watching the same thing as me with the naked eye, not through a telescope, spoke to me anxiously.

“Akisame-sama, are you sure it’s all right to let that Vampire Princess get away?”
“Hmm, well, I guess it’s fine?”
“……I-isn’t that a bit too casual?”
“Well, if we go out there now, it’ll probably just turn into a complicated mess……”

Two travelers, a knight of the kingdom, and a traveling merchant; You could say the Republic’s land was saved by four outsiders.

Rather than going out there now and risking a confrontation, it’s better to just act like we didn’t notice anything.

…Especially with the traveling merchant—it’d be a hassle if he tried to overcharge us.

From what I could tell, he was using merchant magic. He probably scattered enough to buy a small house.
The merchants of the Merchant Guild, who can only join by swearing non-affiliation with any country, prioritize profit above all else. It is precisely because they are completely neutral that they are allowed to travel between any country.
They’re forbidden from directly aiding invasions or acts of destruction against other nations, and since they’re crucial to the flow of goods, they’re a delicate presence that nations find hard to either cherish or dismiss outright.
If they think they can make a profit, they’ll overcharge even a nation. And since we’re poor, it’s a problem when they try to overcharge us.
While it might be acceptable outside of work, I’d rather not be involved with them in a professional setting.

The reason I’ve simply been observing the situation from the sidelines is that I hoped it would be resolved without us having to intervene. I suppose I should be satisfied that things turned out as I’d hoped.
However, our excellent Oniwaban seem to take issue with this. She looks somewhat dissatisfied.

“If you’d just given us the order, we the Oniwaban would gladly partake in the fight with our honor on the line, you know?”
“Well, I’d rather conserve our forces.”
“Forces, you say… is there something going on?”
“Nothing at the moment. It’s just… I’m concerned about the Empire’s movements.”
“The Empire’s… You’re right; their recent actions have been strange.”
“Yeah. Lately, the Empire has clearly been ‘languid.’ Yet, despite that, they’ve been launching sporadic attacks on the Kingdom, just to keep the state of war going… I can’t help but wonder if there’s something going on.”
“…Even if the Empire is a military powerhouse, I don’t think they’d go so far as to declare war on not just the Kingdom, but even the Republic.”
“I don’t think so either. At least, not the Empire as I know it.”

That’s right. The Empire I know wouldn’t be so blind as to let the situation get that far. I don’t think they’d stand a chance against two major powers.
But the Empire I know wouldn’t wage the kind of half-hearted war described in the intelligence I’ve gathered recently.

In my mind, I sort through the information on the war between the Kingdom and the Empire that I’ve obtained through the Oniwaban. Over the past few years, the Empire has clearly been holding back.
Its movements are eerie, as if it were biding its time, waiting for the chance to strike at our jugular.
Even if it doesn’t attack us right now, if the Kingdom were to fall, it wouldn’t be surprising if the emboldened Empire set its sights on the Republic next.

……Maybe I should consider lending a hand to the Kingdom, too.

It depends on what the other three members of the Yotsuba Council have to say, but if asked which side we should align with as a faction, the Kingdom would likely be the safer choice.
Although it’s a monarchy, the king doesn’t rule with absolute authority. The local lords seem to operate pretty much as they please, and the Kingdom is tolerant of its allies.

“Well, let’s at least be prepared, Habotan. Just in case anything happens… right?”
“Yes. We, the Oniwaban, will all follow your lead.”
“Gee, you’re really reassuring. Please keep gathering intelligence for me.”
“Yes sir…”

After showing her obedience, Habotan vanished as if swallowed by the darkness.
As always, her stealth is remarkable for someone of her size.

“Well then, I suppose I’ll head back too… Seriously, what a troublesome world we live in.”

Even though it’s a duty passed down through generations, maintaining the country is quite a challenge.
It would be nice if I could just spend every day daydreaming, but that’s not how it works.
The world is constantly changing, and if I just space out, I’ll only get left behind.

I don’t think of myself as someone who’s particularly savvy, but I’ll do what I can.
After all, even I have a sense of patriotism and things I want to protect.
Having decided on my course of action, I left the scene.