kscans

Chapter 128 - Diplomatic Talks

Once the three had exchanged greetings, the real discussions began.

It was Olivia who spoke first.

"Congratulations on your ascension to the throne, Your Majesty. I had hoped I might have been able to witness the occasion."

Yorune responded to her words.

"All I can say is that it is most unfortunate. Having the ruler of a nation absent for an extended period would have been a matter of honor. The circumstances required that I ascend the throne as swiftly as possible," he said, his tone apologetic.

In his heart, however, he felt no remorse.

Then, Prince Lustolfo chimed in.

"Allow me to offer my congratulations on your ascension as well. By the way, I do not see your younger sister among us?"

Lustolfo asked, feigning ignorance.

Though her death was all but certain, it was still only speculation. Without confirmation, he lacked the confidence to proceed smoothly with the coming negotiations.

Yorune replied with a somber expression.

"My dear sister was lost at the hands of the monsters that attacked the Royal Capital. You are aware of the incident, are you not?"

With this atmosphere, he could signal that any further questions would be tactless.

"My deepest condolences," Prince Lustolfo said with a slight bow. "Please forgive my impertinence, I was not aware."

With that, he had the confirmation he needed: Grine was dead. There would be no obstacles to the negotiations from here on out.

Olivia spoke next.

"Speaking of incidents, I heard there was quite a fierce battle at the border. When I was staying at an inn in the Republic, a merchant from the Empire mentioned something of the sort."

She was pressing him now.

Of course, she hadn’t heard it from a merchant. Her brother and father had told her.

Yorune replied with a smile.

"Yes, it was a difficult fight, but it was brought to a close thanks to the valiant efforts of our soldiers. For now, the monsters are quiet, and all is calm."

If the Kingdom learned how exhausted the border base truly was, they would use it as leverage to raise the price of supplies and demand other concessions. He couldn't show any weakness.

"Is that so?" Olivia said. "I had imagined the damages were severe, so I am relieved to hear you are all safe. By the way, I also heard there was an adventurer who was quite active on the battlefield."

She asked the very question the Kingdom wanted to be answered.

Though, in truth, it was a question Olivia herself wanted answered.

Yorune considered for a moment.

"Yes, there was. A pair of remarkably skilled adventurers who fought desperately to protect the Empire. In recognition of their courage and strength, I bestowed upon them the rank of A-rank."

He declared it with great confidence.

Yorune knew the pair had come from the Kingdom. Princess Olivia surely knew as well. He sensed her question was merely a pretext to learn of their current whereabouts.

"My, how impressive!" Olivia exclaimed. "To be honest, a merchant's description of their physical features and armor was so similar to an acquaintance of mine that I wondered if it might be them. So they've become A-rank here as well!"

She seemed as pleased as if it were her own accomplishment.

Her reaction surprised Yorune. For the Empire to grant them A-rank status meant it would be difficult for them to leave the country. Yet here she was, overjoyed. He couldn't fathom what she was thinking.

But Olivia was genuinely happy.

She had expected those two to either get caught up in some major incident or dive into one headfirst. Her prediction had been spot on. Olivia decided that once this party was over and she had some free time tomorrow, she would find them and get the full story. It was always faster to hear it from the source than from those around them. She wanted to compose the greatest poem, after all.

Amid these thoughts, Prince Lustolfo spoke.

"Hoh. As a matter of fact, I heard that a similar pair stayed in my country and helped resolve an incident as well. My, my, what a dreadful coincidence."

He answered frankly.

Of course, he knew exactly who they were talking about. The conversation left Yorune feeling a bit flustered.

So those two had contributed not only to the Kingdom but to the Republic as well. Did that mean they had a reason for making the Empire their base of operations? Yet asking them felt like crossing a line.

With the Empire still unstable, he wanted to avoid any unnecessary trouble. And he had no reason to drive them out.

As he was mulling this over, a voice cut in.

"Ho ho ho. It does one good to see young people so engrossed in conversation."

Someone had approached from the side.

The three of them turned to see the Pope, dressed in lavish vestments and holding a silver staff. Standing diagonally behind him was Altorine.

"Your Holiness," Yorune said, "thank you for gracing us with your presence. I should have come to greet you first, but as you can see, we were otherwise occupied."

He offered a noncommittal greeting.

It was a lie, of course. If he had truly wanted to greet the Pope, he would have had his subordinates find him. He hadn't because he wanted to avoid him as much as possible. The Pope's greed was well known. He wouldn't hesitate to make unreasonable demands to get his hands on money.

During his father's reign, when importing food, the Church had tried to gouge them even more than the Republic. Since the Church only supplied things like fruit and seasonings, it wasn't a critical issue. They had settled for about half the asking price.

The Republic, by comparison, had been relatively lenient, which made them a valuable partner.

"Not at all," the Pope said. "I was enjoying the party myself, which is why my greetings are tardy. Still, I must say I am surprised that both the Kingdom and the Republic sent their royal heirs. They must have tremendous trust in you."

He looked from the princess to the prince.

"My father has placed great trust in me, which is why I am here," the princess said. "Whether I am his heir remains to be seen."

Then the prince continued.

"'Heir' has a nice ring to it, but that is not the reason for my presence. I simply judged that a seat of such importance should be filled by a person of suitable standing."

He replied with a practiced smile.

The truth was that the Kingdom had been forced into it and the Republic had jumped on the bandwagon. But it had been the right choice. They never imagined the Pope himself would attend. It was easy to imagine the kind of snide remarks he would have made had a mere noble been sent.

"How admirable," the Pope said with a nasty smile. "However, for the kings themselves not to come—to put it bluntly, did they lose their nerve?"

Neither of them rose to the bait. To show anger would be to invite accusations of being 'small-minded.' As representatives of their nations, speaking in the heat of the moment was forbidden.

In response to his words, Olivia chuckled.

"Oh ho ho. My father gave me a message to share: 'Speak of the future.' He believed that if the new emperor belongs to the younger generation, then those who go should be of the same generation. Forgive my asking, but does the Church not have an heir? I was under the impression it was a title passed down by succession."

She asked with an innocent smile.

Her words shut the Pope's mouth. The Kingdom, the Republic, and the Empire were all hereditary monarchies, where a single family had reigned for generations. But the Church, by its very nature, had no ruling family. The titles of Archbishop, Cardinal, and Pope had always been passed down through succession.

Naturally, the Pope had no heir.

Lately, he had been so consumed with acquiring money that he hadn't given it a single thought. The most he'd considered was choosing an Archbishop or a Cardinal when he was on his deathbed.

But there were no young people in his inner circle.

"My, how embarrassing," the Pope said. "It seems no young successor has emerged to take my place, which is why I must travel myself. Well then, I shall leave you young people to your forward-looking conversation. This old man will take his leave. Tch."

With a final, quiet click of his tongue, he departed.

Olivia, Prince Alphonse, Yorune, and Altorine remained.

After a brief silence, Altorine spoke.

"Please allow me to apologize on the Pope's behalf for his rudeness."

She bowed her head.

"Please, don't worry about it," Yorune replied with a warm smile. "I suspected the Pope would come with some unreasonable demand. I paid it no mind." Altorine looked slightly relieved.

"Still, Princess Olivia, that was quite satisfying," said Prince Alphonse. "His Majesty Elyunpos IV certainly has a way with words."

To his words of admiration, Olivia replied, "Oh, that? It was a lie. My father never said a word of it. It was a fabrication I came up with on the spot."

She had said something utterly outrageous.

The three of them were stunned. Such a magnificent royal pronouncement had been a lie.

To which Olivia huffed, "Well, he was getting on my nerves. I wish an old man like that wouldn't meddle in the affairs of other countries."

Her slightly irritated expression made the other three smile.

"By the way," Altorine said, "I heard that two adventurers played a major role in the battle."

Yorune responded, "I believe they are the two you're thinking of. One of them was wearing armor from Owari Village."

Altorine's expression said, 'I knew it.'

Meanwhile, Shinsuke was camping for the night in the rocky mountains.