CH 340

T/N: I’m thinking of postponing tomorrow’s update because I’m going out with my friends all day today.

Knut Vandenlissen, the King of Del, was watching the meeting with his chin resting on a hand.

“What reason would compel our country, the Kingdom of Del, to be so considerate to a smaller country like Ploiss!?”

“But……”

“Your objection isn’t worth horse’s shit! How dare you push back!”

With a disinterested gaze at the meeting playing out all over again, King Knut turned his gaze outside through the window. The content of the meeting is always the same.

Regarding negotiations with the Ploissian envoys, who had suddenly come into contact with them recently, the lower-level officials in direct contact with them on the ground insisted that Del should make concessions on Ploiss’s proposal.

In comparison, the ministers, high-ranking aristocrats, and high-ranking officials who had the authority to make decisions despite not having seen things on the ground were furious at why the larger Del had to be hesitant and considerate of the smaller Ploiss.

The hopes of Ploiss are simple and clear. And the same is the desire of all the nations and merchants of the Hulk Sea Coast. They want to go out to the Herman Sea through the Strait of Del.

The hope itself is nothing new. In fact, many nations, merchants, and firms have come to negotiate the right of passage through the strait. And it’s not just about negotiation. It’s a simple problem, to say the least.

“If you want to pass, pay the toll and the customs duty. If you don’t pay, we won’t let you in.”

Up until now, that was all there was to it. It is Del that has essentially put together the Kamaal Alliance and controls the Hulk Sea. And you can’t go back and forth between the Hulk Sea and the Hermann Sea without passing through the Strait of Del.

In other words, it is impossible to make your way through by force, as Del has the strongest power in this sea, and they would either honestly pay up or give up if they had no money to afford it. It was just a matter of the other party choosing one option of two.

But this time things are different. According to the lower-ranking officials, the Ploissian envoys asked the Demon Country to act as an intermediary and asked them to relax the conditions that Del had put forward. Of course, the ministers and high-ranking aristocrats couldn’t help but say “Oh, is that so?” upon hearing that report.

There is no way to contact the Demon Country other than contacting them from the other side of the whirlpool. In fact, even Del, the true ruler of the Kamaal Alliance, has a hard time contacting its true masters, the Demon Country.

There are a small number of residents and diplomats, but even if you ask them to contact the Demon Country, they won’t be able to connect you. Occasionally, even if their response arrives, the request is often refused without being taken seriously.

In particular, most requests for trade and material assistance are refused. They help them in the event of a war, but other than that, they only receive one-sided orders from the other side or regular small amounts of trade.

Even after serving the Demon Country for many years, Del is treated like that. Even so, there is no way that Ploiss can contact the Demon Country. That was the assumption of the ministers and high-ranking nobles. That’s why it’s a bluff of Ploiss anyway, and there’s no way they’re actually communicating with the Demon Country.

But King Knut knows. The second Princess Sumeragi Mikoto came to Cobenhaven on a ship from Ploiss. There is no doubt that Johann Lanzau, who King Knut places great trust in, had seen her. The report cannot be questioned.

King Knut just doesn’t know what it means. Since Second Princess Sumeragi Mikoto did come by ship from Ploiss, how much does she support Ploiss? Is it true that Ploiss has direct contact with the Demon Country?

There is a possibility. It is possible if the Second Princess Mikoto mediates. However, until now, the Demon Country, which had been mostly indifferent to Del and only helped by dispatching troops during the war, would do such a thing without using Del as an intermediary, since they had a longer relationship with Del.

And above all… King Knut didn’t care about such things. Why should Del, the great power that rules the coast of the Hulk Sea, have to be so considerate to Ploiss? The idea is not limited to the ministers and nobles. The King himself thought so, too.

Even if the Demon Country is in contact with Ploiss and is really telling them to do something for Ploiss, there will be no effect even if they ignore it anyway.

They have never intervened in their affairs or politics, nor have they shown any interest in them. He doesn’t know why he ended up doing such formalities to welcome them, but even so, he’s just performing it to protocol, anyway. Then there is no reason to make any concessions to Ploiss.

All you have to do is ask the resident officers to just report that they’re doing on top of things, as they see fit. It’s as usual.

So… the meetings that have been going on lately are just a farce. The result is already decided…

The Del Royal Navy officers Dorte and Bengt had an ominous premonition. Because of their previous experience hosting a ship from the Kingdom of Ploiss, they had now been instructed to host a delegation coming for negotiations this time well, however…

“Don’t tell me~… this most certainly cannot be good…” Bengt whined.

“I agree with you… But we can’t run away, can we?” Dorte said.

Even if they were offered such a role, they would never do it well. In the first place, it’s certain that if you get involved with Flora, you’ll find yourself in trouble. That’s why they don’t want to get involved, but it will be unfortunate if they’re asked to entertain her again.

“Geh…”

“Impossible…”

And what came into view from afar was the unconventional gigantic ship they saw last time… Little by little, it becomes clearer. How many are there…?

“How many monster ships do they have…?”

“One… two… three… ten ships, as far as I can see.”

The last time they saw it for the first time, they were stunned by just 1 of them, and now they were watching 10 heading this way without any disorder. The high degree of sophistication is surprising, but that’s not the point.

“Do you think they had that many from before?”

“I guess so… Schwartz… rather, when I talked to the Captain at the bar at that time, he said that he was not only the Captain of that ship but also the Admiral of the Fleet. But…”

Whether they’ve owned that many ships for a long time already, or built them all since the last time they came, it’s terrifying either way.

If they had held a large amount before, but you came in just a fraction of your force last time, how confident must they be? The confidence must be considerable, to board only a single ship in a place that could be the heart of enemy territory. They can’t even imagine the combat power of that huge ship.

And if there was only one state-of-the-art ship last time, and now they had 10 in such a short period, that would be a threat, as well. It would be outrageous, to have the resources, the technical ability, and the manpower to build and staff all these ships.

That’s where Bengt almost said “However”. There must have been a certain size of the fleet from a long time ago. Despite that, they boarded only one ship to Cobenhaven last time, and this time, they gather ten huge ships and boarded them all.

Worst of all, it’s a combination of both theories. It means they both have several of these ships already and can quickly build and staff even more of them yet.

“My stomach is hurting. Can I go home?”

“Don’t be ridiculous… I want to go home too…”

Even those who saw that huge ship last time rushed around in a panic. Amidst the roars and instructions, the Del Navy in Cobenhaven hurriedly launched their ships out to sea.

Although it is not de jure the royal capital, urgent news has arrived at the king’s castle in Cobenhaven, which was de facto the royal capital.

“News from the Admiral of the Harbor!” a messenger cried.

“Umu…” King Knut went as he received the report, read it, and thought it troublesome.

A diplomatic envoy from Ploiss is coming today. They should have told the Admiral about it, but he couldn’t have been surprised to see the other party’s ship coming in…, thinking that, he finished reading the news and let out a sigh.

“Nonsense… dismiss the Admiral,” Knut said.

The news said that the navy dispatched by Ploiss could surpass their navy. For many years, the Kamaal Alliance has held the supremacy of the Hulk Sea. If there is an enemy that is gradually increasing in power, there is no way they won’t notice it.

In the first place, it is impossible for Ploiss, an overland country, to beat Del and the Kamaal Alliance, which are large naval countries, with a navy of Ploiss’s own. Even King Knut knows about it empirically, even though he doesn’t have the words or concepts of an overland country or a naval country.

When it comes to land battles, Ploiss is not a good opponent to underestimate, but in naval battles, there is no one who can compete with Del. It’s not good to underestimate your enemies too much, but it’s outrageous to be overly afraid of them, as well. After he ordered the dismissal of the Admiral who sent such silly news, King Knut once again stares at the sky with disinterest.

At that time, no one in the royal castle still believed. The content of the Admiral’s news… he didn’t even understand that even Johann Lanzau had once seen a Ploissian ship in the harbor…

A delegation from Ploiss arrives, they greet them appropriately, and exchanges simple words in a polite manner. The representative of the other side was a little girl named Flora Charlotte von Carruthers. He knows the name of Carruthers, but it seems that Ploiss is mocking Del, by daring to send a young girl as representative and their head diplomat.

Originally, they were pressuring them to make joking concessions even in the preliminary negotiations, but since they brought up the name of the Demon Country, since Del refrained from going along, they had a misunderstanding and sent this little girl…

King Knut looks down on the delegation from his throne without even trying to hide his disgruntled expression. He’s curious about Sumeragi Mikoto in the other party’s delegation, but this is just a negotiation between Del and Ploiss. Even if the Demon Country tries to mediate, there is no reason to intervene in the negotiations between these two countries.

“Actually, there is something I would like to show you prior to this negotiation. I would like to invite His Majesty, King Knut, and also the ministers and high officials who are here. Please come to our ships.”

Even though the atmosphere was so uncomfortable, Flora Charlotte von Carruthers says so with an irreverent attitude and with a sneer, Knut answers according to international protocol.

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“Houu. What in the hell are you going to show us? Is it worth my coming to see it in person? And if it’s not worth it, how are you going to take responsibility?” Knut said sullenly.

It was offensive at how he, a King, would have to move according to the order of Ploiss, and from the mouth of a diplomatic envoy, at that. But it is also possible, for example, if they’re giving a gift. There is a possibility that it is an object that cannot be easily unloaded and brought when it comes by ship. To refuse it out of hand would also be too petty.

There, King Knut arrogantly replies while glaring at Flora, asking what she will do if he is not satisfied. But there is nothing wrong with a king being arrogant to another country, even if it is just an envoy. Rather, it is a matter of course.

“Indeed… if you find it boring, I’ll give you my head,” Flora said. “So please be sure to come. Otherwise… you’ll steer this country in the wrong direction.”

“”””Wha!?”””””

Every Delian present got excited at Flora’s words. They could be taken as a kind of threat or a mockery. There is no way that the larger Del would not be angry with a representative of the smaller Ploiss saying such a thing.

“Very well. Don’t forget to wash your neck beforehand,” King Knut said, standing up as his face was dyed red.

He doesn’t know what she’ll show him, but he’ll go to the harbor. And then he’ll decapitate this cocky bitch, insisting he’s not interested in whatever he sees. Thinking so, he left the royal castle with the main people in tow.

“Th-This is it?!”

King Knut and the ministers who came to the Port of Cobenhaven were at a loss for words. They can’t hide their surprise at the oversized ship that stays there. And there were nine similar ships offshore. There are ten ships in all.

“Fu-Fuhn! A ship isn’t just about large size!”

When one minister said so, others began to say yes. King Knut agrees. He was certainly surprised by the size, but a ship is not as strong as it is huge.

“Then let us purchase one of your derelict vessels. Are you ready, Mr. Bengt?” Flora asked.

“Yes… although I’ve already handed it over to Schwartz…” Bengt replied.

As soon as Flora landed, she called out Bengt and said she wanted to buy a derelict. Bengt immediately prepared it and gave it to Schwartz, but he doesn’t know what they were doing with it.

Under the watchful eye of King Knut and other high-ranking officials and important figures of Del, a single galleon tows an abandoned ship out to sea. And when the rope was cut, only the wreck was left there. Another ship approaches.

“What in the hell are you trying to do…?”

BOOM! DO-DO-DO-DO-DOOOONNNN! DO-DO-DO-DO-DO-DOOOO!

“”””Whoa!”””””

Some people even covered their faces in surprise at the sudden noise and smoke. An explosive sound that was too loud even if it is this far away. And the Ploissian ship that spews fire and smoke. The derelict ahead of them quickly fell apart and sank into the sea. They don’t know what happened, all of it moved so fast.

“””””…”””””

“What…”

In a matter of minutes, one ship, no matter how wrecked it may have already been, was reduced to pieces of flotsam in the sea.

“What in the hell was that…?”

“Is that ship the only one with a lot of demon mages on board?”

Ploiss asked the Demon Country to mediate in these negotiations. That information was shared with everyone here. Some didn’t believe it, but they knew there was such a claim. If that’s the case, it must be a magical attack by demon mages. They thought so, but…

“No demons have boarded that ship, and any of our House’s ships can do the same thing,” Flora said. “If you choose any of the remaining nine ships, we can reproduce the same thing as now and have you see it.”

“Do you think we’ll believe that nonsense?!” Knut yelled. “Then… that one! That ship, hiding behind another ship! That one, yes! Let that one do it! You must be hiding it because it’s unable to do so!”

With that being said… once again, this time the largest derelict Del had was bought and towed out to sea. The nominated galleon approached the abandoned ship… and the same scene unfolded again.

The largest derelict in Del… quickly crumbles and sinks. It doesn’t matter if the current ship is a wreck or there are no sailors on board. Even if the crew tried to take measures to prevent it from sinking, it was only a matter of time before it did. That much is understood by the upper echelons of Del, a naval nation. They’re not that naive.

“What is this attack method…?”

“More than that… Look! How huge its hull is yet how fast it is!”

“And not even a single mistake in maneuvering… It’s a ridiculous amount of practice!”

The giant ships that sank the two wrecked ships moved at tremendous speed, and their movements were undisturbed. The perfect fleet action shows a high level of sophistication.

“How was the demonstration on our House’s ships? Did you enjoy it?”

The beautiful girl had a sneering smile and a voice like it was coming from the depths of Hell. It should have been the same expression and the same voice as before, but it looked horrifying to King Knut, the other ministers, and the high officials who were there.

“I… would like to build a better relationship with each other,” Flora said. “However… it’s a little unpleasant to be treated unfairly and too lightly by one side. I’m sure you can understand now how I feel about that?”

“-Hii!”

Everyone froze at the devil who smiled so wide, it was like she was splitting her cheeks. Knut glanced at a minister, he panicked and nodded his head so violently that he thought his head might come off.

“Un-Understood! We understand…!”

“That’s a relief,” Flora said. “You understand now, don’t you? Please don’t make the wrong choice. We don’t want conflict. However… we may be forced into it, depending on how the other party reacts. How was it, Your Majesty, King Knut? Was it boring? In that case, please do claim my head.”

“-! N-No! There’s no need for that! I certainly enjoyed it!”

And after being called out by name, King Knut nodded his head as violently as the minister.