kscans

Chapter 201 - Episode 2: Seeing It For Myself

The air in the venue, a complete one-eighty from the harmonious kitchen of the day before, pricked at my skin. We were in the largest room of the lord’s manor. It was more of a grand reception hall than a conference room. The chamber was tightly surrounded by black-clad Imperial knights, and outside the windows, even knights mounted on Horse-Dragons were on patrol.

Since a vital conference to determine the future of relations between the Kingdom and the Empire was underway, such security was to be expected. Normally, the host is responsible for the venue after all. However, the smallness of the room did nothing to dilute the intimidating presence. Or so I wanted to believe.

At the large square table in the center of the room sat two negotiators from each side, along with a single observer.

Reflecting the geographical positions of our nations, Dagobard and Princess Lisabet were on the north side of the table, with Prince Craig and me on the south. Maytyl, serving as the observer, was seated on the west side. It looked like a spot the difference puzzle on the easiest difficulty. Among those seated, there is one odd person out.

Incidentally, Prince Craig's adjutant and Fabius stood by the wall, while Crenne was positioned behind Maytyl. Even adding these three to the picture didn't change the answer to the puzzle.

The two maps spread across the square table were of a contrasting character. The one on the right was tattered and a sooty brown. It must have been quite old. It was far more detailed than the map provided by the Empire after the ceasefire negotiations. It was probably from around four hundred years ago.

The map on the left was a very recent creation. It had been drawn on site, charting the area around our route from the planned Central Garden location where we landed all the way here.

One of the participants from the First Knight Order had made it in cooperation with Fabius. Come to think of it, the First Knight Order possessed outstanding abilities when it came to surveying battlefields.

"Not an accord, but an alliance between the Empire and the Kingdom to face the monsters. And the reason for this was your prophecy, as I recall."

Dagobard spoke the first words without any preamble. His expression betrayed no emotion, but at the very least, there was no sign of contempt.

"Considering the predicted scale of the calamity, it is difficult to believe it will be confined to the Kingdom. Our view is that we must deal with it jointly," Prince Craig said.

Both of them were getting straight to the point. For me, a man who values speed, this was a good trend. And for these negotiations, we had the necessary groundwork to allow it.

Alfina had perfectly predicted several calamities that had struck the Kingdom. The Empire itself must have acknowledged the credibility of her prophecies. The next issue was whether the Empire would trust the Kingdom to convey those prophecies accurately, but the fact that the Crown Prince himself had crossed a dangerous territory guaranteed that credibility.

Of course, I don't mean trust in the general sense, but that we had a reason to go this far. In other words, from their perspective, it must look like, "The Kingdom is desperate." In negotiations, this is a weakness.

"I wonder about that. The Empire’s magic vein activity is on a downward trend. Conversely, the Kingdom’s is becoming more active. Perhaps the Kingdom’s turn has simply come after living so carefree all this time."

Just as I expected, Dagobard pointed this out. It was a natural way of thinking. The next problem was making him understand that they were in the same boat. Prince Craig looked at me.

"In the Kingdom, we are calling the next calamity the Great Calamity."

I too stated the conclusion right from the start.

"What a grandiose turn of phrase. The Kingdom calls a small horde of monsters or a single dragon a calamity, does it not. By that standard, the Empire is struck by a Great Calamity every year."

One side of Dagobard’s mouth curled up. His eyes, however, were not smiling.

"You are aware of the Ancient Nation that once spanned the current territories of the Kingdom and the Empire, are you not."

Dagobard’s expression hardened. It was a conversational landmine that could, for instance, lead to talk like, "The royal family is the legitimate successor to that nation, therefore the Empire’s territory is originally the Kingdom’s land." The reverse was, of course, also true.

It was a topic that would become impossible to resolve regardless of who was right, if both were right, or if both were wrong. Even for me, trying to build a city between the Kingdom and the Empire, it was something I preferred not to touch.

"That nation fell approximately four hundred years ago. No, it was destroyed by a Great Calamity."

I deliberately spoke in a calm voice. I continued while watching Dagobard’s expression.

"Our hypothesis is that the same ‘advent of a dragon swarm’ that occurred then may happen again."

Dagobard showed no surprise. This was likely because Prince Craig had already explained some of it to him. He prompted me to continue with a jerk of his chin.

"Through the Eylon, a magic wavelength measuring device jointly developed by the Kingdom and the Empire, we have discovered that an abnormally high concentration of magic power has been generated in the Kingdom in recent years. Let us call this dense magic power, which matches that of a magic crystal, crimson magic. This is the basis for our belief that the next calamity will be different from those of the past. And our prediction was that the same phenomenon might be occurring in the Empire, where the magic veins are quieting down."

It was like I was giving an academic presentation, I thought to myself. Then I looked at Maytyl and Crenne.

"Under Princess Maytyl’s direction, we assembled the same measuring device and measured our own magic veins. We confirmed the generation of magic corresponding to crimson, albeit slightly, in the magic veins around Maldrass," Crenne said.

That the Empire confirmed this for itself, that was what was important.

"You have some idea yourself, don’t you Dagobard? The Empire’s magic vein activity. That is to say, the total amount of magic power is certainly decreasing. Along with that, the damage from common monsters like magic wolves has drastically reduced. But, the frequency of powerful monsters like dragons hasn’t changed all that much."

At Maytyl’s words, Dagobard scowled. I see. Now that his most elite unit for dealing with powerful monsters has been cut in half, the man before me must be the one who feels it most keenly.

"And so, should the prediction of a Great Calamity prove correct, it is unlikely the damage will be limited to the Kingdom. I have heard that the damage from the calamity four hundred years ago was worse for the Empire than it was for the Kingdom," I said.

Dagobard glared at Maytyl.

"You haven’t been sweet talked by this man, have you."

"Oh my, even if I were, I wouldn't tell a lie concerning sorcery."

Maytyl dodged Dagobard’s check with a nuanced reply. Thanks to that, the gazes of Dagobard and Crenne pierced me once more.

"Ahem. Of course, at this point, it is merely a hypothesis. I have presented our evidence, but I have no intention of telling you to believe a hypothesis we ourselves are not certain of. The reason we have come this far is to verify this very hypothesis."

I pointed to the northern part of the brown map. There, a mountain was drawn, standing alone on a plain.

"An investigation of the ruins of the city destroyed in the Great Calamity four hundred years ago. Furthermore, we will approach the Blood Mountains, the center of the magic veins, to measure their magic. Specifically, we are planning an investigation of the city ruins said to be at the foot of Wyvern Mountain. As I mentioned at the outset."

I added this nonchalantly. I had just treated the Empire's unreasonable demand as a mere transit point. Just as I expected, Dagobard and Princess Lisabet scowled.

"Now, this is a proposal, but would you not like to participate in this investigation from your side as well? It would surely be better for the Empire to confirm things with your own eyes."

You could say it was a proposal to go scout a common enemy together. Just like with the magic vein analysis earlier, the point was to have them confirm it themselves. It was much faster, more persuasive, and safer for us than investigating alone. In fact, if we succeeded, one could even say the anti-monster alliance would already be in motion.

"...For the Kingdom, which aims to possess the Wyvern territory, investigating the nesting grounds, the greatest obstacle, is essential. Is this proposal not an attempt to make us assist in that?"

"I won’t deny it. But politically, a joint effort with the Empire allows for more flexible options in the future. If the Kingdom were to explore the depths of the Wyvern territory on its own, things would become rather complicated later on," Prince Craig said.

Exploring uncharted lands is also a claim of sovereignty. If the Kingdom were to explore the deepest parts on its own, it would have to claim ownership of the entire region in the future. The Kingdom in its current state has no way of managing the entirety of the Wyvern territory. That would be a problem for my new city concept.

Dagobard closed his eyes as Prince Craig finished speaking. He sank into thought, speaking not a word, as if our presence had vanished. If I did that, people would surely ask if I was mocking them, so why did it suit him so well?

"What is your profit in this, Ricardo Vinder."

When Dagobard opened his eyes, his gaze shifted to me. Was this the first time he'd called me by name?

"My profit... you ask?"

I asked back. Being calm is fine, but this man is so taciturn it’s hard for someone with my communication issues.

"I am asking what kind of battlefield you are preparing, how you intend to fight, and how you intend to win. The futures market and the city the Kingdom will build, that is a scheme to drag the Empire onto a battlefield advantageous to the Kingdom's merchants, is it not."

Dagobard said. Ah, so that's where this conversation is going. I wish he wouldn't use battlefield metaphors when talking to a merchant. ...The annoying part is that he's right, in a way. Becoming the one who makes the rules is the most advantageous move in any situation. But I don't think either of us is in a position to afford such luxuries.

Well, if the host insists, I have no choice.

"Indeed, one could say that business is a type of battlefield. For a merchant, the breadth of their commercial sphere is the same as territory is for a nation."

I began with that.

"However, nations also increase their territory through pioneering, not just war. And unlike land, whose size is fixed, a merchant’s commercial sphere, the market scale, can be expanded far more easily."

"What do you mean by market scale."

I had used his own phrasing against him, but Dagobard paid it no mind and asked for the meaning. I felt a small sense of defeat.

"In a word, it is the amount of money flowing through commerce as a whole and the speed at which it circulates. We will connect the markets of the Kingdom and the Empire, which have been separate until now, more strongly than before. When a market of one and a market of one are joined, they can become three. This is because an increase in the number of elements, meaning merchants and goods, naturally means an increase in their combinations. That in turn increases the amount of currency and the speed of circulation in the commercial sphere. In the future, we will make the size of the commercial sphere ten times what it is now, though in reality this will take decades, maybe over a hundred years. If we do that, both sides can be winners. This is the logic of commerce."

"Sophistry."

"It is sophistry. But sophistry is fine."

I continued, looking at Dagobard.

"The conflicts of the battlefield are a matter of life and death for individuals and groups. The same is true for agricultural production. These cannot be settled with sophistry. Because once you die, once you are destroyed, it’s over. However, life and death are not at stake in commerce. It is, so to speak, a game, a surplus. Bringing life and death into a game is inefficient. Because it is a game, freedom can exist. And it is necessary. To a certain extent, of course..."

I shrugged as I said this.

"What is necessary for that is a new city where both nations can conduct commercial activities more freely ‘than before,’ and a futures market to create the flow of information needed to gather people, goods, and money there. After all, we merchants are creatures who will not act without profit."

At my words, Dagobard’s face took on an expression as if he were looking at the most suspicious thing he had ever seen. He then looked at Princess Lisabet.

"From what I have heard, it was far too detailed to be called a mere fantasy," Princess Lisabet said.

"Ricardo will do it. The combinations Ricardo just mentioned have already been proven from a sorcerous perspective through the improvements to the magic wavelength measuring device and the magic staff," Maytyl interjected.

"Whose side are you on."

"I will speak as an Imperial Princess of the Empire. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had not gone to the Kingdom. Not for my own sake, but strictly from the Empire’s perspective."

"...Does the Kingdom let such a person run wild?" Dagobard said to Prince Craig, grinding his teeth.

"It is not exactly easy, you see. You could say I came along this time because I didn’t know what Ricardo might do. We will have to keep an eye on the new city from both the Kingdom and the Empire."

As expected of the next king, his negotiation skills are on a different level from mine. He sounded completely serious.

"However, I have accompanied Ricardo many times in difficult situations. And so, how about it, Prince Dagobard. Why not see Ricardo’s methods for yourself, directly."

Prince Craig raised the negotiation bar even higher. Surely that's asking too much, right? Weren't we thinking we'd be lucky just to borrow a Horse-Dragon carriage and someone who can handle it?

For some reason, Maytyl was nodding. "I kind of get that," she said.

After looking intently at Prince Craig’s and Maytyl’s faces, Dagobard once again sank into thought. The silence in the conference room stretched on, longer than before.

"Ricardo Vinder. I shall see for myself just how much your boasts are worth."

Dagobard said. Wait, so Prince Craig’s provocation is my fault now too? A major problem for my personal safety has just appeared.

"Um, well, it’s a pleasure to be working with you," I said.

Well, we've come this far. There's no turning back now. As long as it aligns with my strategy of prioritizing speed, I might as well go along with it.

"It would be a nuisance to have the Kingdom’s flags planted all the way to Wyvern Mountain."

"Good. This is getting interesting. Now, let us draw up the actual expedition plan."

Prince Craig pulled the map closer. Saying, "This is no pleasure trip," Dagobard seemed to join the discussion as well. Prince Craig’s adjutant, Fabius, and Dagobard’s subordinates gathered around. I left my seat and moved to the window.

"It seems you won’t be able to stay long."

Princess Lisabet came over to me.

"It seems so. If we could stop by again on the way back... Oh, that’s right, there was something I wanted to ask."

The scene outside the window made me remember a question. Among the mountains of Maldrass, the tallest one was crowned in white. Since it was autumn now...

"Is that a glacier?"

"Yes, that snow doesn’t melt even in summer."

"What are you talking about?"

Maytyl came over to my side as well.

"It’s the problem of how to obtain a record longer than tree rings. I see, a glacier... Um, Princess Maytyl, there is actually something I would like you to make."

I said, recalling that weapon Maytyl had used.