kscans

Chapter 194 - Episode 10: Part One, Imperial Demands

A giant kingdom flag hung on the wall. This was the King's office, a place I had hoped never to enter again.

Two long tables, seemingly brought in specifically for this occasion, were arranged in front of the King's desk. Seated on the left were, quite literally, the kingdom's most prominent figures. Closest to the King were Prince Craig and Chancellor Grynisias. There was also a refined-looking, unfamiliar man in his fifties. He was probably Duke Yeverg. Commander Tembelg of the First Knight Order was also present.

If a terrorist attack were to occur, the kingdom would likely perish even before the calamity of the prophecy arrived. Well, if what we are about to discuss were to leak, the nation could be thrown into chaos and collapse even before the disaster.

In stark contrast, the two people seated at the right table seemed entirely out of place. They looked as shabby as if they had been hauled in from a small building behind some school. The imbalance was obvious, but was it truly acceptable? Well, Fulsy held the rank of count, but on the other side, the lowest rank was a marquis.

The real problem, more than the balance of ranks, was how we, the lightweight side, were going to sway the heavy side, who held all the decision-making power.

"Now, explain the analysis results concerning the calamity indicated by the Prophetic Crystal," Grynisias prompted Fulsy.

"There is no need for strange considerations for anyone present here. I shall present the worst-case hypothesis, constructed based on the information obtained up to the 'present' moment." Everyone nodded at the old man's words, as he seemed disinclined to hold back for anyone. Whatever the cause, that image was one of national collapse. False reassurance was indeed useless.

"What I will show first is the magic pulse data obtained from the magic pulse wavelength detector, created through joint research with the Empire, regarding the magic pulse's..." As Fulsy began his explanation, I presented a graph of the magic pulse spectrum data. It showed the magic pulse spectrums from the eastern and western observation posts, and from Tuvil Mountain. The positions of the bands for normal Magic Crystals and Crimson Magic Crystals were marked as reference points. What was clear was simple. In other words, while the magic pulse readings from various locations differed, they all uniformly showed a strong output of magic power at wavelengths corresponding to the main band of Crimson Magic Crystals. Tuvil Mountain, in particular, had few other wavelengths, but the crimson band was strong.

"Next, here is 70 years of magic pulse fluctuation data, presented in 10-year increments, using tree rings..." This came from red trees in the East and West, and timber from the Empire. Although presented in 10-year increments, the results were clear. The crimson band appeared only in the most recent decade, that is, the past ten years.

"Finally, these are the results from the past ten years, obtained using a magic-sensitive plate adjusted to detect only this crimson wavelength." What we learned from the 10-year segmented data was that the crimson magic power wavelength had only appeared in the last ten years. Once that was known, we could focus our target.

"As you can see, high-density magic power wavelengths are gradually increasing. This is likely the cause behind the recent anomalies in the magic pulses. It is a speculation, but given that high magic power is occurring across such a wide area, similar changes can be expected in the Blood Mountains, the center of the magic pulses."

"Magic pulse observations indicate that the next calamity will be more intense and widespread than anything that has occurred in at least the past seventy years. When considering this in conjunction with the situation shown in the prophecy, it is reasonable to propose a phenomenon recorded as lore 400 years ago as a candidate. That is, a swarm of dragons emerging from the Blood Mountains will attack various parts of the kingdom as the calamity's monsters."

In the end, the magic pulse data only strengthened our initial hypothesis.

"A swarm of dragons, that is quite..." The thought of a swarm of dragons taking flight from the Blood Mountains was a nightmare. Grynisias and Tembelg involuntarily raised their voices. Craig and the King remained unmoving. However, the expressions of the father and son pair twisted for a moment. It seemed my prediction that the Great Calamity 400 years ago was closely tied to the kingdom's founding was correct.

"Wait, wait. If it is the entire kingdom, wouldn't we be talking about a scale of a hundred creatures? It is hard to believe such a number of dragons exist," Tembelg said, as if denying the nightmare. I understood the feeling well; people instinctively deny what exceeds the bounds of their common sense.

"A single swarm of dragons could attack various parts of the kingdom one after another. Alternatively, we are envisioning small to medium-sized dragons. If that is the case, it is conceivable," Fulsy conveyed the details we had discussed. Just as the participants' complexions recovered, he added that, given their flight capabilities and range, it was not necessarily a situation to be optimistic about. Of course, this was to create a gap, to lead them to our conclusion.

"...If they are dragons, perhaps that pollen we discussed would be effective?" It was Grynisias who said this calmly. Fulsy looked at me.

"I believe there is a high possibility it would be effective against dragons. However, even with the Empire's Horse-Dragons, we dealt with them by trapping them in a narrow fortress and deploying a large amount of pollen all at once. If it were a swarm of flying dragons, the required amount of pollen would be enormous, and it would be difficult to fend them off with that alone."

"How likely do you consider that hypothesis to be correct?" the King said in a firm voice.

"Honestly speaking, I can only say it is the most probable among the possibilities we have considered. We believe further verification is necessary."

"Then, what is the countermeasure?" Fulsy looked at me.

"The most crucial factor, above all else, is speed. We must solidify our hypothesis as quickly as possible. When the calamity's monsters emerge, we must obtain information about them without a moment's delay. If we assume a single swarm attacks cities one after another, then crushing the swarm in its first attack would allow us to minimize damage."

Grynisias nodded at my words. I continued.

"Much of the information necessary for that is across the river." I explained that by measuring the Blood Mountains and investigating cities destroyed in the Great Calamity, among other things, we could verify the image from the prophecy.

"...In other words, we urgently need to explore the Flying Dragon Territory?" The King stared at me.

"The city destroyed in the Great Calamity is deep within the Flying Dragon Territory. We believe extremely vital information for confirming our hypothesis can be obtained there."

"Is it not even deeper within the Flying Dragon Territory?"

"Yes. Considering the distance, the safest route would be through the Empire's Maldras. Therefore, I wish to request an anti-monster agreement, no, an alliance, with the Empire as quickly as possible." I appealed. All the participants, except for us, looked troubled. That's strange, I thought there was no other option in this situation.

"Yeverg." "Yes." At the King's words, the duke in charge of negotiations with the Empire stood up.

"The reply to the 'agreement' we proposed to the Empire arrived just the other day." Yeverg read out the Empire's demands. The reply stated that Dagobard, the Empire's top military figure, would agree to a meeting. Furthermore, the meeting place was Maldras. This was beyond what we could have wished for. But...

"To prove that the kingdom can establish and maintain a trade route through the Flying Dragon Territory, the royal envoys must reach Maldras by passing through the Flying Dragon Territory, not through imperial lands." "Huh?" I instinctively looked at the map. We would need to cross the Great River and practically traverse the entire length of the Flying Dragon Territory. While not reaching the deepest part, the distance we would have to cover was longer than from Maldras to the destroyed city. For the kingdom, it meant traversing land they had never seen, without a guide?

Both Fulsy and I could only remain silent. Exploring the Flying Dragon Territory required the Empire's cooperation. To demand that we traverse the Flying Dragon Territory simply to gain that cooperation, what an absurdity! I had intended to measure the Empire's magic pulses in Maldras and stir up a strong sense of urgency. I had even considered enlisting the help of their Horse-Dragon Unit.

"The Knight Order also considered this from a military perspective. However, it is an unknown territory for the kingdom. With the Great River at our backs, retreat would not be easy. We cannot even estimate how much force would be required to make it possible. Therefore, our conclusion is that it is impossible to comply with the Empire's demands. If we commit a large force and resources and then fail spectacularly, we will be unable to respond to the Great Calamity, which is expected in six months."

"The hypothesis of the Great Calamity, as just explained, is grave. We believe the appropriate response is to refine this hypothesis in more detail and urge the Empire to reconsider," Yeverg said. The King affirmed the words of his most trusted civil and military minister with a nod. Indeed, since the Empire was also predicted to be affected, there was a good chance of reaching a compromise. But how much extra time would that take? Deciding on what to tell the Empire, dispatching envoys, and waiting for their return. It might even require several round trips. Do we have that time? No, even if we did, it would put further burden on Alfina... Remembering Alfina's pale cheek as she lay in bed, I clenched my back teeth.

"It is Ricardo we are speaking of. Do you not have some plan?" It was Craig who said this. I bravely lifted my head and looked at the King and Prince, and the three senior ministers. I had to overturn their sensible conclusion and break through the Empire's unreasonable demand. If I did not, my objective could not be achieved.

"I propose breaking through the Flying Dragon Territory with a small unit," I said. As I had said at the beginning, speed was paramount, above all else. That was my policy. Then I would simply follow it.