kscans

Chapter 123 - The Secrets of the Claudia Kingdom and the Little One

"Father, please summon the priest."

"You… are you trying to betray your country?"

"Betrayal or not, I must say it is good you have such a proper son. It saves me the trouble as well."

In the lavish reception room, the King of Claudia was chewing on a bitter pill. His younger son stared at his father with grim determination. Beside them, the Little One feigned ignorance and offered an unnecessary jab. The Frontier party, having heard the gist of the situation from the younger prince, entered the discussion with a slightly exasperated air.

"Hiro… in moderation, please."

While trying to calm his overzealous sister, Chihaya surveyed the red-uniformed knights around them. The Royal Guard, who had received a curt response from the start, were now openly hostile toward the Little One. The hilts of the swords at their waists were raised, creating a dangerous atmosphere as if they were about to draw at any moment, but the killing intent from Dorfen and the others, which far surpassed theirs, was effectively suppressing their impulses. The King of Claudia, who had accepted the Little One’s request for a discussion, had thought they were there to talk about the beast-humans he had sent to another room. But when the conversation began, it was a demand to hand over the priest who had been taken into custody, and he couldn’t help but be taken aback.

"Those who do not comply with the will of the royal family are to be beheaded, regardless of the reason. To demand the release of a criminal, does Frontier intend to interfere in Claudia’s internal affairs?"

A civil official standing beside the king voiced a loud objection. It was not just about the beast-humans, but demanding the release of the criminal priest was an outrageous request. The King of Claudia nodded emphatically, as if to say it was a matter of course. To defy the king’s will was beyond reckless. He was lucky to be taken into custody and put on trial instead of being cut down on the spot. He was a clergyman, after all. In truth, a public trial was only necessary to silence the church.

Seeing through this, the Little One offered a compromise with a sigh.

"He is a good priest who does not abandon the weak. If you say he is a criminal, shall we not settle the matter with a suitable sum of gold? I would also like to discuss the price of the beast-humans."

The Claudia side’s eyes widened at the smirking girl. Reports had reached the palace that monsters were gathering one after another, surrounding the capital. So they had thought she would threaten them into handing over the priest and the beast-humans. An unspoken tension hung between the two parties. It was the Little One who broke the silence.

"I have no intention of engaging in troublesome haggling. How about one hundred gold coins for the priest’s ransom, and one hundred gold coins per beast-human as well?"

Even in hell, money holds sway. Power was not limited to military might. The only thing that could rival overwhelming military strength was overwhelming financial power.

But a paltry sum would not convince them.

The amount the Little One proposed was roughly one hundred million gold coins. A sum that could buy a small town. The average price of a human slave was twenty to thirty gold coins. Even for a beast-human, the going rate was said to be around fifty. The Claudia side gasped at the exorbitant price.

A ruthless light dwelled in the girl’s narrowed eyes. While shrinking back from her sharp, cold gaze, one of the braver officials asked a question.

"…And if we refuse?"

The Little One’s eyes curved into crescents, and she let out a series of amused chuckles.

"Then I will use force."

Sensing the meaning behind those words, the Claudia side felt their hair stand on end. The girl was saying, if you do not comply, monsters will ravage Claudia. Grasping the unspoken threat, the officials glanced uneasily at the king. This country’s laws were a mere formality. The king had the final say in everything. The common people had no rights, and the laws existed solely for the benefit of the nobles and royalty. Even in disputes between commoners, a court led by a lower-ranking noble would pass judgment. Dissent was not permitted.

Every matter was subject to the whims of the privileged class.

And into this world appeared the Little One.

A dangerous individual who could not be ordered around, and to even try would risk the downfall of the country. With this calamity that had descended from a foreign land, the King of Claudia found himself in a predicament for the first time in his life.

To be treated like this by a mere child…!

The King of Claudia gritted his teeth so hard a sound could almost be heard, his eyes wide and silent. As if to give voice to his thoughts, the red-uniformed knights standing in formation spoke up.

"No matter how powerful a nation Frontier may be, is there not a minimum standard of etiquette? It is not as if we are hostile nations, and to threaten our country, which in the past even respectfully delivered the remains of the Golden King to Frontier, is an act that should not be permitted!"

As if those who oppressed their people and treated beast-humans like livestock to be sold off had any right to speak of humanity.

The Little One glanced at her opponent with a fixed stare and sighed lightly.

"I am not threatening anyone. I am quite serious. Would you like to test me?"

With a sly grin, the Little One flicked her finger lightly in the air. What appeared there was her familiar, the dull-colored lizard. It let out a puff of fire from its mouth, and a wave of heat spread through the room. The temperature in the room rose steadily, becoming unbelievably warm for Claudia, where snow still lingered on the ground. In fact, it was almost hot.

"Ugh…"

Glancing at the knights who groaned from the heat, the Little One dropped Colon to the floor. Immediately, the stone material of the floor melted with a sizzle, and the Claudia side stared with eyes full of astonishment.

They didn’t understand what had happened.

Their faces tense, the people stared at the melting stone. The Little One glanced at them coldly.

"This is a Flame Spirit. With just this one, it would be a simple matter to melt this entire castle."

After a brief explanation, the Little One flicked her finger again and made Colon disappear. In the room, where the heat still lingered, the Claudia side was in a daze. Power against power. This display was an attack in itself. She had to make them understand so thoroughly that they wouldn’t even think of fighting back.

"Have I made myself clear? This is my everyday life. I do not engage in such trite things as threats. I only refrain because I feel sorry for the citizens who would get caught up in it. Settling matters with gold is far less troublesome."

In other words, the Little One was indirectly telling them that she was giving the Claudia side the pretext of a sale because cleaning up the aftermath would be a pain. An indescribable humiliation began to seep into the Claudia side. Aware of the slowly spreading poison, the King of Claudia shot a resentful glare at the Little One.

But she coolly deflected the gaze, which was filled with enough hatred to kill a man, and flicked her fan with an air of annoyance.

"I have no need for a country like this. Barbaric, ignorant, and offering me no benefit whatsoever."

The Little One spat her venom with a sigh of exasperation. A faint chuckle arose from the Frontier side. The King of Claudia’s face turned a dark shade of purple at her words. Having been insulted so thoroughly, the Claudia side was on the verge of exploding.

But then, a small whisper was heard.

"You see, I am quite angry."

Feeling as if the room’s temperature had suddenly dropped, the Claudia side looked around, but the Little One, her eyes shining brightly, was gathering magic in both hands. An eerie magic, holding a deep darkness that seemed to pull everything in. The King of Claudia, holding his breath at the sight of this unfamiliar magic, glared at the Little One as she released the magic from both hands out the window and into the sky. The two blasts collided in mid-air, tearing space apart with a loud explosion. A hole hung in the air. Staring at it with eyes that couldn’t believe what they were seeing, the Claudia side’s eyes trembled in shock.

A hole in the air? What happened?

"That is dark magic. It is the entrance to an abyss that indiscriminately sucks in everything."

The King of Claudia couldn’t take his eyes off the hole as it disappeared with a hissing sound. The hole, a deep, dark color that seemed to swallow even light, vanished from his sight.

"This is the kind of power Frontier possesses. It is easy to understand, is it not? I alone can bring down this country."

The girl smiled, tilting her head. It should have been a cute smile, yet the King of Claudia struggled against a chilling sensation that ran down his spine and could not look the Little One in the face.

Just one more push.

"Now then? Please decide. Will you settle this with gold, or will you disappear from the map?"

Faced with the girl who so casually stated such a depraved thing, the King of Claudia had no choice but to nod.

This was all just a farce. A reality so overwhelming that it had stripped him of any will to resist. In Arcadia, strength was everything. The weak had no choice but to prostrate themselves before it and simply accept. It was something the King of Claudia himself had done time and time again.

What goes around comes around, as they say on Earth.

With the farce disguised as a discussion at an end, the Little One, having shattered the pride of the Claudia side, finally came face to face with her intended target, the priest.

"What is all this…?"

The old man, dirty and tattered, was brought into the reception room with wooden shackles on his hands. He seemed to have been beaten considerably, as his face was swollen in places, and he was dragging one leg.

With a pained grimace, the Little One spat out her words.

"What a fine hobby you have… Was it enjoyable, tormenting a defenseless clergyman?"

Even sensing the contempt in her words, the King of Claudia could only tilt his head as if to ask, "What about it?" Irony was lost on him. Their fundamental principles were different from Frontier’s. They could never see eye to eye. The only one on the Claudia side who winced was the younger prince.

"…I am deeply ashamed."

The fist clenched on his knee, trembling slightly, conveyed his feelings to the Little One all too clearly.

"Come to think of it, I have not yet asked for your name."

In the whirlwind of events, the Little One realized she hadn’t even asked the younger prince’s name. With a start, the younger prince’s face showed clear panic.

"How could I have forgotten! I am Pascal, the second son of the King of Claudia. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

The Little One nodded to the shy prince and entrusted the priest’s healing to Dorfen, then presented a sheet of parchment to the King of Claudia and the official.

"Then please prepare the deed of sale here. I will also be returning the Lord’s child to the forest, so do not worry."

Stunned by the words casually slipped into the conversation, the red-uniformed knights rushed to the waiting room where the beast-humans were, which was a charming sight.

"The Lord’s child is… well, it would be a problem if you were to take him."

The Little One watched with amusement as the King of Claudia stammered in confusion.

"Oh? And why is that? Do you not know whom the Lords of the Forest serve?"

A cold, bad premonition shot through the King of Claudia’s mind.

Come to think of it, hadn’t the knights’ report mentioned it? That the Golden King was present in this country. That a spider monster had relayed this message. A cold sweat that he couldn’t stop trickled down the king’s temple.

"Could it be…?"

"I wonder."

The princess before him had black hair and jade-green eyes. There was no way she could be the Golden King. Even as he told himself this, the King of Claudia could not shake the chill that felt like an icicle had been plunged into him.

A few days later, he would learn that his bad premonition at that time had been correct, when the Little One returned and gave him a thorough scolding.

And so, the Little One, having seized victory through force, intended to have the gathered monsters transport the beast-humans and refugees to Frontier.

One could only say "my condolences" for the fate that awaited His Majesty the King of Claudia.