Another’s tragedy becomes my opportunity.
This is an idea that often circulates in international relations — not just on Earth but even in this fantasy world.
When disasters like wars or natural calamities strike other nations, there’s often a chance to gain diplomatic or economic benefits.
The sharper and more opportunistic a nation is, the better it understands and takes advantage of this reality.
And the Kingdom of Allein was definitely one of those opportunistic nations.
“I’m thinking of offering a bit of aid to the troubled Helvetia Republic — what do you think?”
King Betelgeuse IV, the 27th ruler of the Allein Kingdom, posed the question.
His ministers exchanged uneasy glances.
“Your Majesty, it’s been less than half a year since we suppressed the peasant rebellion. And now you’re considering involvement in another war?”
“Expanding military spending now would devastate the livelihood of our people.”
“Our budget isn’t exactly overflowing with surplus either…”
It had only been a few months since the kingdom had crushed a rebellion sparked — officially — by a cult of devil worshippers.
(Although the rebels’ slogans like “Abolish unjust taxes!” and “We just want to live like human beings!” suggested a more domestic cause, the official narrative remained that it was the work of heretics.)
In any case, the rebellion had drained the military’s resources.
Attempting another military operation now would require funds they simply didn’t have.
With the treasury already stretched thin, they’d either need to issue bonds or borrow money — which would ultimately become more debt.
And repaying it?
That would mean years of austerity.
“I’m not saying we’ll deploy our forces right away. Even I’m aware of our kingdom’s current circumstances.”
“Then what’s your plan, Your Majesty?”
“We’ll supply them with the materials they need to keep fighting.”
King Betelgeuse nodded, showing he understood the concerns.
He wasn’t reckless enough to push for immediate military action with an empty treasury.
“The Helvetians are seething with determination. They’re ready to take on the Kram Empire in a full-scale war.”
So instead, he proposed a more subtle approach.
“They’ve enjoyed peace for so long — they must be lacking the essential supplies for war. If we provide what they need, it’ll be a huge help.”
“You’re hoping Helvetia will wear down the forces of Kram and Navre, weakening them?”
“Exactly.”
It wasn’t out of friendship or sympathy for Helvetia — quite the opposite, in fact.
The Allein Kingdom had once ruled parts of the Helvetian Peninsula in the past, before losing that territory.
But the real motivation?
The sheer hatred between Allein and the Kram Empire.
If they could undermine their long-time enemy at minimal cost, why wouldn’t they?
“I don’t know their exact strategy, but they wouldn’t have chosen war unless they saw a chance of victory. If we support them, they’ll definitely sink their teeth into Kram’s pig-headed army.”
“It’s a reasonable plan, but… Do we have the capability to do this right now?”
“We’ll need a reliable supply route first.”
“Land routes are slow and easy to intercept — perhaps maritime transport would be better?”
As the king’s idea sank in, his ministers began a lively debate.
After some back-and-forth, the chancellor spoke up.
“But Your Majesty, just supplying them with materials will have limited effect. And later, Kram and Navre could accuse us of inciting the war.”
“We’ll simply strike first before that happens.”
Betelgeuse dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand.
“Why worry about the aftermath? If we hit them before the consequences reach us, there won’t be a problem.”
“It’s already June. In just four more months, we’ll collect the next round of taxes. Helvetia will surely hold out until then.”
Despite the power imbalance between the nations, wars in this era took time.
A national conflict wouldn’t end in just a few weeks — it would drag on for months, if not years.
That long war meant Kram and Navre’s attention would remain fixed on Helvetia.
“By then, we’ll have replenished our treasury and rebuilt our forces.”
With the Helvetians keeping the enemy busy, the Allein Kingdom would have the breathing room needed to recover from its own internal strife.
Then, when the timing was perfect and the enemies’ forces were exhausted and overextended in the south?
They’d strike.
With their foes’ forces concentrated elsewhere, the Allein Kingdom would launch a rear attack — an opportunistic but effective strategy.
With proper preparation, the odds of success were more than promising.
And if it went well, they’d gain significant territory at minimal risk and effort.
“Well? Doesn’t it sound like an opportunity worth seizing?”
“Hmm…”
Pleased with his own cleverness, King Betelgeuse smirked as his ministers considered the proposal.
The chancellor weighed the idea carefully.
Undermining their enemies from the shadows and striking at their weakest moment to claim the spoils of war —It was ruthless, calculated… and entirely sound.
There have been similar precedents throughout history, so the feasibility of this plan doesn’t seem bad.
The only real concern is the matter of religion.
“Your Majesty, what if the Holy See calls for an end to the war?”
“We’ll just ignore them. Since when have we ever acted according to the whims of those religious fanatics?”
Maybe in the past, things were different — but these days, the clergy’s authority had waned significantly.
Even if the Holy See declared excommunication, there were plenty of monarchs who simply brushed it off.
Besides, the Holy See, the headquarters of the Goddess Church, was too far from the Allein Kingdom to directly intervene.
“…Understood. In that case, I will summon the Helvetian Republic’s envoy to begin negotiations immediately.”
“Good. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
*****
Two weeks later, a secret working-level meeting was held between the Helvetian envoy and the Allein Kingdom’s chancellor.
The core of the agreement was simple: the Allein Kingdom would reduce part of the national debt and loans held by the Helvetian Republic in exchange for military supplies and support of equivalent value.
The meeting took place as soon as Helvetia’s government received and approved the proposal.
“We’ll be counting on you.”
“Haha, likewise.”
The secret agreement was drawn up in two identical documents.
After both nations’ representatives affixed their signatures and official seals, each side took one copy.
These documents would soon be locked away in the archives of both nations, ensuring no one would discover the secret alliance.
“Well, well… Looks like they’re up to something interesting.”
Of course, that was only if the agreement remained undiscovered.
******
“They want to reap the rewards of war without paying the price? That’s not going to fly.”
Fresh intelligence had just come in from an informant embedded within the Allein Kingdom’s administration — details about the secret pact between Helvetia and Allein.
“They’re being clever, I’ll give them that… but this is all within expectations. They’re testing the waters by sending supplies first.”
The Allein Kingdom was clearly prioritizing self-interest, hoping to sit back and watch their enemies tear each other apart.
And if things didn’t go their way?
They could always pull out at the last minute.
“The agreement mentions military support, but they kept it vague on purpose. That way, they can backpedal later if needed.”
“So they plan to change their story depending on how things play out?”
“Exactly. If the tide of war turns against Helvetia, they’ll just claim they only ever intended to provide supplies.”
At the moment, they were likely considering deploying their military as an option.
If the war escalated and the Kram Empire and Navre Kingdom became mired in conflict, Allein might very well dispatch a large expeditionary force.
But if Helvetia suffered crushing defeats and the war turned one-sided?
Allein would abandon the plan immediately — dissolve their military preparations and deny any involvement.
Sure, the evidence of their agreement would remain, and they’d face some responsibility later.
But that was far preferable to bleeding resources in a losing war.
“Unacceptable.”
How arrogant.
The stage had been set perfectly, ensuring mutual destruction and national exhaustion — and now these cowards wanted to slip away unscathed?
Selfish little children like them deserved punishment.
“Boss, why don’t we leak this to Kram and Navre? Let them know they’ve got a potential enemy in their rear.”
“Would they even believe it if we just released the information outright?”
“We won’t release it directly — we’ll let them steal it. If we hint that an important document exists somewhere, their spies will do the rest.”
If Allein was hesitant because of their empty treasury after the recent rebellion?
Well, they’d soon find a way to squeeze out the necessary funds.
When foreign armies start marching toward their borders, they’ll have no choice but to mobilize their forces — whether they want to or not.
“The balance of power is finally shaping up nicely.”
The Kram Empire and the Navre Kingdom.
The Allein Kingdom and the Helvetian Republic.
Two against two — an even match at last.
Of course, Helvetia was still at a slight disadvantage in terms of national strength,But perhaps it was time to prepare a little gift for Helvetia.
As the most vulnerable player on the board, they deserved a few bonuses to even the odds.
It was a complicated package — something that would take a couple of months to fully prepare and unveil.
“Miss Kalia, I think it’s time we wrote our next book.”
“…What terrifying knowledge are you planning to unleash this time?”
“Oh, come now. You wound me. This one’s perfectly reasonable — a book on military strategy and tactics.”
It wasn’t complete yet, but once it was… it would be an undying masterpiece — one destined to outshine every other treatise on warfare the world had ever known.