kscans

Chapter 61 - The Vampire Is Still Busy Expanding Her Domain

In the end, my battle with Kongoul threw the Founding Ceremony into complete disarray. The envoys from the various nations, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, had all fled, and the event was anything but ceremonial.

"Ufufufu."

Amidst the chaos, however, Adolnel alone was beaming.

"But of course! We were able to demonstrate your power so magnificently before the envoys of every nation. I do wish you could have seen the looks on their faces, Lady Merlille."

Yeah, I'm not sure I really want to see that.

"Every last one of them wore a mask of terror and despair, the hostility they'd been hiding in their hearts utterly shattered. Meanwhile, the smaller countries and minority races who had sought an alliance with us were profoundly relieved that they had chosen to pursue friendly relations from the very beginning."

Well, I guess seeing that devastation from the outside would have that effect. Even I was shocked when I saw how trashed the landscape was.

"Furthermore, a new mineral vein was discovered in one of the mountains destroyed during your battle!"

"Eh? Seriously?!"

A mineral vein? Like, for iron and gold and all that?

"It's a major discovery! A mineral vein found in a mountain previously thought to be worthless. What's more, it's a rare ore that was believed to be nonexistent in our country, so the surrounding nations must be seething with jealousy! Of course, for the time being, its use will be limited to domestic purposes while we conduct trial excavations."

Adolnel looked overjoyed as she read out the report on the newly mined ore.

"They expect a considerable deposit, so this will become a new industry for our nation. Also, the Dwarves who remained neutral this time will surely be spurred to action if it means getting their hands on this ore. If we can negotiate skillfully, this is our chance to foster a friendly relationship between the Dwarves and a race that is hostile to humans. They have always been neutral but leaning towards humanity; however, it was an open secret that they were negotiating behind the scenes with human-hostile races in search of rare minerals."

I see. So their self-serving actions, which were once a secret, will now be conducted out in the open. If that happens, the human-leaning Dwarves might not become our allies, but they would become completely neutral, making things more difficult for the human nations.

"And the valley created by your battle can be used as a defensive fortification. If we simply build a bridge for passage but leave the valley as is, we can reduce the cost of patrols in that area."

"Using even the valley... You really don't miss a trick, do you, Adolnel?"

It seemed, however, that even she couldn't find a use for the countless craters.

"The craters will be developed and used as reservoirs. Since several rivers were severed, we can redirect them into the craters as we repair them, creating small lakes."

Oh, uh... right. Her determination to use every single thing that was created... It makes her feel less like a noble lady and more like a resourceful housewife. In any case, it seemed the fight with Kongoul had brought us more benefits than I'd expected.

"When you put it that way, maybe I should be a little grateful to Kongoul."

"Hey, don't say 'a little'! You should be damn grateful!"

"Haha, you wish... wait, huh?"

That familiar voice made me turn around, and there I saw the familiar beast, a chimera of various animals...

"Kongoul?! What are you doing here?!"

Gah! Don't tell me he's here for a rematch?!

"Yo, I came to hang out today!"

"'Hang out'...?"

He says that, but knowing him, there's a high probability that 'hanging out' means 'fighting'.

"Here, brought ya a souvenir."

Kongoul pulled a pouch from within his fur and offered it to me.

"It's an assortment of rare potions. We don't need 'em, but they'll probably come in handy for that human girl and the others, right?"

"Um, thank you."

I was a little surprised by the unexpectedly normal gift. Still, since he gave it to me, I might as well make good use of it.

"L-Lady Merlille, this is an Elder Potion!!"

Suddenly, Adolnel let out a shriek.

"Elder Potion? What's that?"

"It is an extremely valuable item made by aging a high-grade potion in a strictly controlled environment! It's not just a high-grade potion; it's an incredibly rare one that can only be made by letting it mature over time, much like a vintage wine!"

Whoa, so even potions have aged vintages like alcohol.

"Are you sure about this?"

I couldn't help but ask if it was really okay for me to accept a souvenir so valuable that it made even Adolnel this flustered.

"It's fine. I'm gonna be crashing here from now on, after all."

"Huh?" Wait a minute, since when did he decide to move in?

"After all, this place is about to be crawling with powerful enemies. You'll need at least this much to help that little lady and the others survive."

"Don't just decide you're going to live here—wait, what did you just say?"

"I said this land is about to be attacked by countless enemies."

"Attacked? Why?"

Didn't our fight scare the neighboring countries so much that they lost all will to oppose us?

"Yup. The powerhouses of the world, drawn by the scent of our battle, have started to make their moves."

"The powerhouses of the world!?"

What is this!!

"Heheh, sounds exciting, doesn't it? If I stay here, they'll come to me. Makes my fists itch for a fight!"

"Well, tell your fists to stop itching!"

How-how-how did it come to this?!

"Your Majesty, this is urgent! A report from the Vampire Bats! The great nation to the west has declared war on our kingdom and is mobilizing its army!"

"What?!"

A Dark Elf burst in with such force he nearly kicked the door off its hinges, and his report nearly stopped my heart.

"My Liege! A report that the dragons of the east are heading toward our kingdom in a great swarm!"

"Wha—?!"

Next, an Orc came crashing in with enough force to shatter the wall.

"Queen! The Demon King has come to challenge you to a battle to prove who is the strongest!"

"He's already here?!"

Then a panicked Goblin appeared to report the hostile arrival.

"Gahaha! They're all quick on the uptake, aren't they! Guess I was right to hurry on over!"

""""Master, we have a problem!!""""

"Oh, give me a break!"

I clutched my head as report after report of new enemies came flooding in.

"When will I ever get to relax in my quiet little paradise?!"

It seemed the expansion of my kingdom's territory was far from over. Sigh...