kscans

Chapter 55 - Chapter 10: First Half - The Hostage

On the opposite side of the audience chamber from the grand conference room where the meeting on the prophesied disaster was held, there was another room. It was less than a third of the size, but its decorations were all the more concentrated for it. Its walls were covered in rose reliefs, and within it, men in two shades of attire, light and dark, faced each other across a table.

"However, are these demands not far too excessive? As prosperous as our kingdom may be, I must say it will be difficult to cede this amount of food on top of an increase in exports."

The old man sitting at the center of the five figures on the left, the brighter side of the table, spoke words he had likely repeated countless times that day.

"But of course. Our empire is dispatching its precious troops, all while we are exposed to the daily threat of monsters."

On the right side, a middle-aged man with a gentle smile replied, stroking his slightly loose jaw. He was Count Biral, head of the Imperial delegation. This, too, was a familiar refrain.

A fox and a tanuki, Grand Duchess Eufilia Bertold, the sole woman present, cursed inwardly. She sat to the Prime Minister’s left.

On top of concessions in trade conditions, they demanded a thirty percent surcharge as payment for sending reinforcements. This felt less like a gesture of friendship and more like they were exploiting the kingdom's weakness. And in fact, the more time that passed, the more disadvantaged the kingdom’s position became.

Eufilia glanced at the man with a thin mustache sitting on the other side of the Prime Minister. How much longer could this man, whose own domain was in peril, hold out? It was her personal theory that the gap between a real deadline and a self-imposed one was inversely proportional to a man's character.

"Biral. These troops are being dispatched for the sake of friendship with the kingdom, are they not? We are not selling our military strength for food."

The speaker was a young man, a striking figure in the room who could not have been more than twenty. His arrogant tone and demeanor, combined with his all-black attire, gave him an almost sinister air. But his words, the first he had spoken, were worthy of attention. They were the first semblance of a compromise offered by the Imperial side.

"Your Highness Dagobard, that will not satisfy the homeland. It may be indelicate to say, but there is strong opposition to sending our precious troops to a kingdom whose true intentions are unknown. Unless they show us a ‘tangible’ sign that our forces will be treated with respect, we will not be able to suppress that opposition."

The head of the delegation admonished the prince. But Dagobard simply shifted his crossed legs and tilted his chin up.

"Then we shall have them show their respect and guarantee for our troops’ safety in another form."

"Another form of proof?" the Prime Minister asked, his caution unwavering.

"As a guarantee of our forces’ safety, a member of the royal family should accompany them. Yes, that would be suitable…"

The prince’s eyes turned to the most flamboyantly dressed man in the room. The Second Prince hastily averted his gaze. Eufilia sighed inwardly.

"Perhaps the Oracle Princess Alfina, who foretold this disaster, would be a fitting choice."

"Hmm. If the kingdom were to show such consideration, it would certainly make it easier to persuade the homeland," Biral added.

At the sudden mention of her niece’s name, Eufilia struggled to maintain her composure. She glanced sideways at the old man next to her. His expression remained unchanged. But the man beside him…

"Wh, what! Such a thing is… Ahem. It would be a great hardship for the young princess. But is it not a small price to pay for the lives of the people?"

As expected, Grand Duke Zangrich of Kurtheite, his thin mustache trembling, took the bait. Further beyond him, the Second Prince nodded in what looked like relief. Eufilia’s face tightened. She had to suppress the urge to say, It’s not the people, it’s your own fortune. Even if she’s only your sister-in-law, are you really going to send her to fight in your place?

"Wait. Is that not tantamount to taking a hostage?"

"Such an ugly turn of phrase. I myself shall be leading the monster extermination force, so it would not be strange for a royal from the kingdom to accompany us. And of course, my troops will protect her. Even against a dragon, there will be no danger," Dagobard said.

A foreign prince personally leading reinforcements, regardless of his motives, the fact itself carried weight. The problem, however, was why the Empire would play such a card to single out her niece.

Eufilia recalled the words of a young boy she had met only recently. He had warned her of a continental-scale fluctuation in the magic veins. It was a bold idea, unbefitting his age, position, or status. But with the monster flood in the west and now the emergence of a magic vein at Tuvil Mountain, the boy's concerns had been validated twice over.

Moreover, the boy believed it was connected to the Oracle Princess's prophecies. Even setting aside familial affection, Alfina was not someone who could be entrusted to another country.

"However, the Oracle Princess is still a student. It would be far too difficult for her to accompany a monster extermination party. Above all, the prophecies of the princess who has twice predicted national crises are a treasure of this kingdom. We cannot possibly entrust her to another nation," Eufilia argued, steeling herself to offer to go in Alfina's place if necessary.

"Is the Grand Duchess Bertold saying she would abandon the people of Kurtheite?"

But it was a countryman who stood in the way of her resolve.

"Grand Duke Kurtheite, if you had properly heeded the Oracle Princess’s prophecy in the first place, we would have had more time!"

The Grand Dukes of the east and west glared at each other in front of the foreign delegation. A conflict before their negotiation partners. It was unthinkable, but she could not back down. She had to buy time, no matter what. At least until that boy returned.

"Hmm, and that time is precisely the problem. The longer the decision is delayed, the greater the damage to the kingdom will be, will it not?" the head of the delegation said, looking at the Prime Minister.

Every gaze in the room focused on the old man.

"...While there are some issues, the Empire’s request is indeed most—"

The Prime Minister, his expression unchanged, began to deliver his answer. Just as Eufilia tried to interrupt the conclusion she feared,

Knock, knock.

A knock came at the door.

"I gave orders that no one was to disturb this meeting."

"My apologies, Your Excellency. The Third Knight Order has returned, and His Majesty commanded that I inform you."

Through the opened door, a chamberlain Eufilia knew well delivered the message.

"Oh? That is quite early. I had thought transporting food to Kurtheite would have taken much more time," the envoy head said with a straight face. For some reason, the flesh of his cheeks seemed to sag.

"It is meaningless to continue these negotiations without hearing the Knight Order's report," Eufilia said after squeezing her eyes shut for a moment.

◇◇

Craig entered the audience chamber, still in his battered armor. Two of his vice-commanders followed in their own sullied armor. At a slight distance, Claudia and I followed as baggage carriers. Incidentally, my head and Claudia’s right hand were wrapped in bandages.

And what Claudia and I were pulling was a large object covered in cloth.

All the actors were assembled in the audience chamber. Even that prince in black I saw at the Shoken Festival was here. Dagobard, I think his name was. Was he visiting the kingdom again?

"Your Majesty. The Third Knight Order has returned."

"Following your efforts in the western mountains, we thank you for your hard work on the expedition to Tuvil Mountain," the man on the throne said in a voice full of dignity.

It had been a while since that New Year’s festival. He was Alfina’s adoptive father and biological uncle. Eufilia’s older brother. And the father of the Third Knight Order’s commander. When did I get to know so many royals?

In any case, neither his expression nor his tone held any hint of worry or praise for his own son. I suppose that was to be expected.

"Now then… report on your mission," the Prime Minister prompted.

"…"

Craig withheld his answer with silence. He was quite the actor. After all, he hadn't been escorting any food supplies. They were no longer necessary.

"Hmm. If the kingdom accepts our prior conditions, the Empire will act swiftly," said a middle-aged man, not as darkly dressed as the prince, standing beside him. His voice sounded like he was licking his lips. What prior conditions?

I glanced at Grand Duchess Bertold. Eufilia’s expression was a mask, her emotions suppressed. That meant things had gotten pretty bad.

"Ah, if you guarantee the safety of our troops by having the Oracle Princess accompany them, then I will see to it that your dragon is repelled."

So that's it, the prince thought he had a royal to lead his troops, too. And he wanted Alfina handed over as a hostage in return. Give me a break.

"Ah, Prince. That will no longer be necessary," Craig said with a smile, then looked back at us.

At his signal, Claudia and I placed our hands on the cloth we had brought in.

A ripping sound echoed through the hall.

A piece of the cloth caught on the cart and tore. We both might have used a little too much force, but you could call it a charming mistake.

Besides, no one in the room seemed to have the luxury of minding such a small detail. The scales hidden beneath the cloth reflected the light. I could tell everyone drew a sharp breath in unison.

What suddenly appeared in the audience chamber was an object that in no way suited the elegant atmosphere. A vicious monster, its mouth wide open, frozen in time, glared into the void with wide eyes.

"The Devourer Dragon Heileit, which made its nest on Tuvil Mountain and threatened Kurtheite, has been slain by the Third Knight Order!"

Silence fell over the audience chamber. The head was so enormous and fearsome that the courtiers’ minds likely couldn't process it. But there were those who could recognize the monster at a glance.

"You slew the dragon…? That thing could not have been defeated with half-hearted strength…"

Those were the words of that damn prince. The confident expression he wore moments ago was crumbling. A clear unease was visible among the similarly dressed guards behind him.

"What?" "Oh, the kingdom is saved!" "As expected of Prince Craig!" "Truly the sword of the kingdom!"

Belatedly, the courtiers began to cry out in celebration.

"And there you have it, Prince Dagobard. Our country has overcome the crisis. We have avoided burdening the Empire’s monster extermination forces. I believe this is a splendid outcome for both of us," Craig said.

"...Prince Craig’s name will surely echo even in the Empire. I would very much like to hear the tale of your valor."

It seemed he had recovered. Even in his concession, he sowed seeds of discord for the kingdom's future.

"Well, at any rate, it seems further negotiations are unnecessary. A weight has been lifted from our shoulders as well."

"Haha, this is… a joyous occasion… indeed," the Imperial envoy, who had been staring blankly, replied to Eufilia’s words, his cheeks and voice trembling.

"The kingdom will not forget your offer of assistance," the king declared.

The Imperial delegation bowed to the king and began to depart all at once. I guess there wouldn't be any tedious exchange of diplomatic pleasantries.

But the prince in black did not head straight for the exit. He approached the Devourer Dragon's head.

"Ho, this is quite a catch…" he remarked, brazenly inspecting the severed head. Incidentally, the head itself was almost completely unscathed. From a glance, it would be impossible to tell what kind of battle had taken place.

After the soldiers exchanged hostile glances, Dagobard, for some reason, stopped beside me.

"...I've seen you somewhere before… Yes, at that ridiculous festival, with the Oracle Princess…"

I lowered my face as if in awe, a cold sweat trickling down my back. You don't need to remember the face of a commoner.

The prince looked at one of his guards who had caught up to him. The man looked at me, then shook his head.

"Hmph. Insignificant, I see."

I didn't know what they did, but thankfully, he seemed to have lost interest. The prince strode quickly out of the hall.

Well, I've certainly memorized your face. You’re someone I’ll have to watch out for.