@Ronin I'm bad at geography and war stuff but isn't it because their country is still unstable and weak? It's only started to reconstruct and now they planning a new war, maybe it makes Valdemar feel like they're trowing themselves at a risk that technically isn't even necessary if they manage their land well enough?
I'm not quite sure and reading big texts is a bit tiring so I'm sorry I didn't read... Maybe I missed the point '^^
[The Constellation The One Everywhere yet Nowhere] • Stole pfp from someone else, shall you be remembered lol • "ORV", "Death is the only ending for a Villainess" and "Untouchable Lady" will be my end.
@Synthx the Sinner (Part 1) To Sum it up, two large empires are on the brink of full blown war with each other, we will call them Empire's A and B. Nio is a smaller, third party Kingdom who is in a very good position, tactically speaking. Their biggest problem is that they are an incredibly poor island nation. But they weren't always an island nation. A long time ago Empire A kicked Nio off of the mainland and took their only fertile land, their bread basket. Well, after time has passed and nobles have done noble things, Empire's A and B have gotten into conflicts and solved these conflicts through political marriage, and it so happens that the next in line for Empire B's throne is also a high-ranking noble of Empire A, we will call this Heir the Big Pig.
@Synthx the Sinner (Part 2) The Big Pig controls what used to be Nio's breadbasket, the loss of which has caused Nio's poverty and starvation. If war breaks out between Empire's A and B, the Big Pig would immediately be in danger of becoming a high-value hostage of Empire A to be used as an important hostage, located in a very important piece of land. The problem for Empire B is that they can't save the Big Pig because there's an Empire between them. However, Nio is in prime position to not just invade and re-take their bread basket, but also use the Big Pig as political leverage. In the even Empire A wins, Nio can then hand over the Heir to Empire B's throne in exchange for keeping their bread basket, a deal Empire A would absolutely accept. In the event Empire B wins, Nio can again return the Heir to Empire B's throne in exchange for their Bread basket, a deal Empire B would, again, happily accept. Both Empire's would be far more concerned about the newly gained territory than on territory they don't overly need, especially if it means entering another war before solidifying their land gains. Both Empires would take the deal and leave the 'Nio Issue' for the future, giving Nio precious time to consolidate and reinforce, or better yet, become a new vassal state of the victor Empire.
