“Multiple ships from neutral nations reportedly sunk by the Federal Navy of Orland in intensifying global unrestricted submarine warfare being conducted by their submarine wolf-packs. Approximately twelve ships have been sunk in the last forty-eight hours, mostly civilian vessels, by torpedo attacks. The Orlish Navy has now reported that both the Federal Republic of Orland and the Confederation of Larissa’s sizeable submarine forces are attempting to sink shipping to Royalist nation-states under civil war with CFN-member states. The Lorathian Navy and the Gallian Navy have now branded these submarine forces as ‘international pirate groups’, and are moving with the Orlish Navy to contain these threats with global ASW operations.”

- Geopol Press

+++

United Confederation of Pez

Brewich

“Those absolute barbarians,” Princess Kawasaki Yumi bitterly said. “They already escalated this damned conflict globally! How can anyone even say that they’re no aggressors? They’re sinking our ships, and harassing our EEZ! Not to mention, they already deliberately sent missiles straight to our humanitarian facilities in Hebei. Of course, we want to intervene!”

“Calm down please,” Amelie told her. There were five royals in one room today, right in a hotel just outside of the General Assembly. The proceedings of the conference were still continuing between the diplomats and representatives in the other building, all while Amelie, the Queen of Orland, Queen Clericia of Gaul, Queen Eliette of Lorathia, Empress Xue of Hebei, and of course, Princess Yumi of Asanai conversed about what they, the five great powers, would be doing going forward.

“I’m just saying, this entire charade has been a massive headache for my government, and my mother,” Princess Kawasaki said. “Mother almost had a damned heart attack yesterday when the news came out that they were raiding our civilian ships. Goddess, we don’t even know how to respond to the public about it.”

“They’re pushing us further and further,” Queen Clericia said. “The DMZ violations had already intensified as well. Last night, I had the Army report that fifteen men died in another round of confused melee on the border. They’re sending in their soldiers to raid our positions with batons, swords, and whatever crap they could use to circumvent the no-firearms agreement.”

“Then there’s the fact that those damned Poznekis have been poking our airspace again…” Queen Eliette sighed. “It’s like they want our planes to straight up shoot them in the air first.”

“Well, at least you three are only getting provocations,” Empress Xue said. “Meanwhile, they’re still raining missiles on Hebeian cities, fully violating the ceasefire. At this point, they already abandoned the peace talks. They’re preparing for another full-scale offensive. And I would bet the same is true for Queen Amelie over here.”

Amelie nodded, just as defeated. “Yeah…though, the OHC doubts that they’re planning for anything big in the mainland outside of their constant poking of our defenses, the Navy already confirmed that the Federalist fleet is going to go full offensive mode to our shipping lanes. That’s why everyone’s dragged into this mess after all. Doesn’t matter if you’re Orlish or not, they’re going to sink you.”

“And thus, I think all our governments can come to one conclusion,” Princess Kawasaki declared. “The CFN is baiting us into war as one. Organized. All these attacks are happening at once, all these…pokings…all these, annoyances. They’re frustrating us in a united effort. Those damned…mutts. They already abandoned the idea of peace.”

“Absolutely devious, but I applaud them for their guts,” Queen Clericia said. “Those dogs sure have the balls to provoke us. But enough cunning not to fully commit to an attack first.”

“The question is, can we extend our patience for this?” Amelie asked. “We can keep up the appearance that we’re not going to act with excess to their provocations as the conference goes, but what they’re doing are acts of war. I know none of us want to declare war on all of the CFN alone, which is why none of us are reacting outside of angry letters and speeches to them, but this isn’t sustainable.”

“Thus why we’re trying to turn the MN into a military pact,” Queen Clericia said. “We’ll declare a red-line once the entire Mandate of Nations is united. Then, it’s up to them to cross it. If they do, then we have the right to enact the collective defense clause of the resolution, and declare a full-scale multilateral state of war against them. Then we’ll crush them.”

Everyone then turned to Princess Kawasaki. She had been moaning and complaining for hours in the meeting about what the Republic of Hebei had been doing against her country for a while already, but Asanai had yet to reverse their stance of soft opposition to the MN Collective Defense resolution. She shook her head.

“Look, regardless of my government’s opinion, we still need to shift public opinion in favor of voting for the resolution,” the Princess said. “I’m sorry. We want to, but we can’t. The same is true for most of the nations behind our bloc. I think everyone left in the MN agrees to crush those…those damned dogs, but we can’t all afford it.”

“I’m sure your nation can afford it,” Queen Clericia said. “I swear, what all of you opposers of the resolution cannot afford is the CFN losing their brain and declaring war on us one by one without an MN Collective Defense resolution.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

That was when Amelie stepped in, remembering William’s and the OHC’s suggestion. Quite frankly, she had already known since the start when Princess Kawasaki ran her mouth on and on about how they really wanted to beat the hell out of the Republic of Hebei (but couldn’t) as a confirmation that she could pull out this suggestion.

“Princess Kawasaki,” Amelie leaned forward. “We have an idea, actually…”

“An idea?”

“Yes,” Amelie nodded. “You’re all searching for more reasons to intervene, right?”

“Of course we are,” she said. “Quite frankly, we really want those damned Republicans in Hebei to finally open fire on our coast guard vessels. So we can send their bug fleet down the seas of Hebei at last, and aid our sisters in Hebei in the great struggle. But the last time we polled the public…only twenty-two percent supported the idea of going to war.”

“That’s an extremely low one…” Queen Eliette muttered. “Your people’s pacifism is quite extreme.”

“That’s simply what my people are,” she said. “We hate the idea of war. We would rather make money and do business with everyone, as we always did. But right now, the CFN as a whole is pushing my government, us, who can see the situation, into the idea of going to war. But the people…they need to feel the effects first. The cargo ships sunk stirred public opinion a bit, but most of those ships were manned by workers from other countries. Not a single Asanaian even died, and the only thing truly lost was the cargo, the ship, and our flag on it.”

“Would putting more Asanaian civilians on shipping vessels work? We might have our problems solved in a week at this rate,” Queen Clericia suggested, which only enraged Princess Kawasaki.

“Absolutely not! In fact, in the wake of these incidents, we’re already grounding ships for security concerns. Otherwise, our government would face a worse scandal. This entire debacle is bad already. Imagine if the people found out that we’re so sloppy that Asanaian civilians are lost because of that?”

“Why they aren’t torpedoing Asanai’s navy or coast guard ships is beyond me,” Queen Clericia mumbled. “They’re really playing such a strange game, these men.”

“And how are we going to proceed with this collective defense resolution?” Amelie asked. “Regardless of us going on and on about them not acting in full stupidity, we’re still at a deadlock while the CFN builds itself up to launch its strikes on us. I would like to say that the Orlish High Command believes that the CFN will launch its crusade against all of us regardless of whether we attack first. And the only thing that will save us…is a collective defense resolution.”

The room fell silent again, all of them once again looking at Princess Kawasaki. Quite frankly, Orland, Gallia, Lorathia, and Hebei were already ready to sign the damned resolution. No, they were all very much keen on signing it as fast as possible to mobilize the MN to their side. Even Princess Anastasia’s Imperial remnants in Larissa were already sure that they would sign it, even if she had to return to her home country to deal with the intensifying situation against the Confederacy.

Only Princess Kawasaki’s country, the second great power today of Pollos, the Empire of Asanai, was the one holding itself from signing it. Amelie understood why their government wouldn’t want to do it, not with the negative public opinion of dragging their peace-oriented society into the jaws of war, but it was clear as day that the provocations against Asanai were going to increase anyway, and that the public opinion would eventually shift to a more pro-war stance (especially with the Republic of Hebei adopting a belligerent stance against Asanai).

“So what’s Asanai’s plan?” Amelie asked. “Will your country really hold the signing of this resolution any longer? Look, once the CFN rushes through Gallia, only Orland and Lorathia would be dragged into war with them. Hebei would remain isolated, fighting a war with a CFN-member state alone, while the Ivory Alliance would be the only ones jumping in the collective defense of Gallia. And without an MN mandate, we cannot do anything to aid countries being invaded by the CFN.”

“Thus why we need collective defense,” Queen Eliette reiterated. “It’s the cleanest way to finally justify to the world why we would have to go in together in the defense of our nations against the CFN. And to crush them. Otherwise, the CFN will attack us piecemeal. They’ll defeat the Ivory Alliance and Hebei separately. Then who's going to stand against them? No one.”

“Certainly not you peace-loving Asanaians,” Queen Clericia laughed. “Quite frankly, it’s foolish how your nation didn’t begin arming itself the day men began rising up.”

Princess Kawasaki fumed. “I’ll have you stop right there. No one dares call the citizens of my nation traitors. We didn’t crack down on them because my nation will not call for violence against people asking for their rights. And for that, look, my nation didn’t suffer any violent insurrections like you four had. I don’t need to hear that from a nation still embroiled in a screwed-up intervention.”

“As if your ‘intervention’ in Hebei is any better,” Queen Clericia mocked. “Look at Empress Li, she’s coddling up more to Orland. I thought Hebei and Asanai were such long-term allies that they’d aid each other even if the Order Pact and Ivory Alliance attacked you two.”

“Queen Alois…” Amelie suddenly spoke up. “Can you please…not? Let’s not speak this way to each other. We’re all allies here. Not enemies. Please…not this time.”

“Apologies, but I am pissed that Asanai is holding up the damned thing that’ll help us all because they want to cling to their delusions,” she huffed. “My nation is next on the chopping block, so I believe I have the right to be extra pissed off that things aren’t working well.”

Well, maybe if you hadn’t turned your Armed Forces into a vegetable and never went into Asturia, we would not be having this discussion.

Princess Kawasaki stood up. “I apologize then. But I have to talk first to my mother and my government. We can’t act too quickly, even if we agree that the CFN is a hostile threat to us all. I ask for your patience…”

She bowed at them, before making her way out of the meeting room. The four royals inside could only sigh for different reasons. Especially Amelie.

Damn it. So that plan is off the table.

She didn’t even have a chance to propose it.