Volume 7 - CH 6

Chapter 6: A Trump Card in Negotiations 

Turning over the handling of the dungeon to the republic’s military, we hurried back to the town of Noblebeppu, where Roroa and Tomoe were waiting. That was where talks with Kuu’s father, the head of the Republic of Turgis, were waiting for us. 

It had be arranged that the talks would be held in a room at the inn where we were staying, with a very limited number of people attending. This was the result of taking the Turgish side’s situation, in which a larger meeting would require taking the time to go through a process with the Council of Chiefs, into consideration. 

We were able to make it back to Noblebeppu by noon on the day of the talks. We had stayed in the mountain village near the dungeon for one night after the ogres were exterminated, then set out just before dawn, but it had ultimately taken us this long to arrive. 

Though the situation had been explained to the other side, we must have kept them waiting for a fair amount of time. 

When I dismounted from the carriage in front of the inn, Roroa and Tomoe came out of the inn to greet us. 

“Welcome back, darlin’!” Roroa called. “Ya had me worried.” 

“Welcome back,” Tomoe said. “I’m glad you’re okay, Big Brother.” 

“I’m back, Roroa, Tomoe.” 

When I patted them on their heads, they cooed and smiled. Seeing them like that, I was relieved I had been able to come back safe. 

With us having had help from Dece, Juno, and the rest, it might seem like there ultimately hadn’t been much danger, but seeing those ghoulish ogres that looked like they’d crawled up out of hell, feasting on what looked to be human meat, may have made me feel a little weak at heart. That was a traumatic sight, after all. 

“Whew, we’re here, we’re here.” Disembarking from the carriage, Kuu spun his arms in circles. “It’s already noon, so have your king and my old man already started the talks?” 

We people from the kingdom looked at him blankly, but... 

Oh, right, everyone quickly realized. The only ones here who didn’t know were Kuu and Leporina. 

I put on a strained smile and told Kuu, “No, not yet. One of the leaders only just arrived, after all.” 

“Huh? What’s that supposed to...” 

When Kuu was about to ask, a group of about five people walked towards us from across the way. The one leading them was a large-bodied, stern-faced snow monkey. 

He was a mountain of muscle. His sideburns and beard had merged into something like a white lion’s mane. 

If Kuu was Sun Wukong, this man was fit to be called the Monkey King. His white robe and white cape with shoulder pads made him look every bit the person of high station that he was. 

With soldiers following behind him, the great man stood before us. 

“Hm? Well, hey, if it isn’t my old man,” Kuu said to the snow monkey. “What happened to the talks?” 

Yes, just as I’d assumed, this great snow monkey was Kuu’s old man, and also the head of the Republic of Turgis. 

The man ignored Kuu and stood in front of me. “It is good to meet you, King of Friedonia. Welcome to the Republic of Turgis. I am the head of state, Gouran Taisei.” 

Sir Gouran smiled and extended his right hand. He had a stern face, but it wore a courteous smile. 

I took his right hand. “It’s good to meet you, too, Sir Gouran. I am King Souma Kazuya of the United Kingdom of Elfrieden and Amidonia.” 

We brought our left hands together with our clasped right hands for a two-handed handshake. 

While watching us, Kuu’s mouth hung open as if he didn’t understand what was going on. Eventually he must have worked it out in his head, because Kuu’s eyes went wide. 

“Whaaa?! Kazuma’s a king?!” 

“Now, Kuu, you’re being rude to Sir Souma,” his father scolded. 

“No, it’s my fault for not saying anything,” I said. “Sorry for not telling you, Kuu. My real name is Souma Kazuya. I did, at least, contact your head of state about it.” 

Once I had apologized for keeping it a secret, Kuu let out a sigh. “To think... the guy I bumped into at Taru’s workshop was the king of a neighboring country...” 

“I could say the same,” I said. “Who would have expected the son of this country’s head of state to coming riding in on a numoth while I was talking business with Taru?” 

Talk about serendipity. All either of us could do was laugh wryly. 

Sir Gouran, who had been watching us, gave a hearty guffaw. “If we’re keeping score, I’m the most confused of all. Who would have expected my own son was working with a foreign king? What’s more, it seems you helped us subjugate the monsters that spilled out of a dungeon. I thank you cordially on behalf of my people.” 

Gouran bowed his head. I could feel he was related to Kuu from that forthright posture of his. 

That night, I used the jewel I had brought in secret to contact Hakuya back in the capital of Parnam. When I explained the situation in Turgis... 

“Honestly... what were you thinking?” he asked in exasperation. “It should be unthinkable for the king of a nation to go out slaying ogres.” 

That was the first thing out of Hakuya’s mouth. 

“Well, I thought I had to...” 

“It would seem a scolding from Lady Liscia is inevitable at this point,” he went on. 

“Urkh... Is Liscia there, too?” I asked hesitantly, but Hakuya shook his head. 

“No. Lady Liscia has already gone to rest in Lord Albert’s domain.” 

“Thank goodness... I wouldn’t want to worry her now.” 

She was carrying our child in her womb. I couldn’t afford to worry her unduly. 

“He’s a weird one,” Kuu chuckled. “He looks weak, but there’s something about him you just can’t figure out, I guess you could say?” 

Gouran tilted his head to the side at his son’s words. “So... which is he, in the end?” 

“Like I said, I don’t know. He’s probably a king who rules by the pen, not the sword. Kazuma... no, Souma looks weak, and he really isn’t strong, but he’s got a good collection of subordinates around him. That dark elf especially. She’s in a class of her own. And even if Souma looks like he’s wide open, if you make the mistake of trying to lay a hand on him, his subordinates will leave piles of bodies lying around.” 

“Hm...” Gouran pondered. “He’s a king who is loved and protected by his vassals, then?” 

“Oook... I feel like it’s more than just that. He’s a smart one, so he won’t be reckless, but it’s not like he’s completely without courage. No matter how much he trusted his subordinates, a weak guy wouldn’t decide to accompany me on a dangerous task like subjugating those ogres so easily, right? If he can place his own life on the scales, that’s proof he’s made it through his own share of trials.” 

“They say he defeated a military man like Gaius VIII, after all,” Gouran nodded. 

Triggered by Souma’s ascension to the throne, a war had broken out between the Elfrieden Kingdom and the Principality of Amidonia. From the stories they had heard, the war had been a crushing victory for the kingdom, but Gaius VIII had shown his pride as a warrior to the end. 

Even though the war had been decided, and his troops had broken and scattered, Crown Prince Julius had escaped, while Gaius himself had gone with his personal retainers and charged into a great army, coming within steps of wringing Souma’s neck. 

Even in defeat, Gaius had maintained his pride as a warrior. 

Those who lost a war were always vilified at first. The victors spread those stories to demonstrate the righteousness of their own actions. 

However, in Gaius’s case, because his daughter Roroa was going to marry Souma, and an attempt was being made to unify the two countries, Souma never spoke ill of him, and he did not have an undeserved reputation. 

Setting aside people’s views of his performance as a sovereign prince, Gaius’s reputation as a warrior was being defended by a daughter who hadn’t gotten along with him, and her fiancé who had fought him as an enemy. Whether this was a neat contrivance of history or an irony was up to the individual to decide. 

Here was what Gouran thought. 

Perhaps by confronting Gaius, Souma had gained a courage that did not match his own weak body. 

If so... Gaius has left behind an incredible memento. 

Whether Gouran wished for it himself or not, the threads of fate continued to wrap themselves around him. While feeling the flow of time, he looked to Kuu, who was drinking fermented milk in front of him. 

Will getting involved with Souma bring about some change in my idiot son? That may prove to have great meaning for the republic...