Volume 2 - CH 17

Ivar didn’t seem to consider coffee ice cream as anything other than fuel for his brain and was just shoveling it without even considering its taste.

“I see, so you encountered him at the royal palace…”

Ivar made a difficult face when he heard about Lucella’s encounter with Julian in the royal palace’s garden.

On the surface, Julian was certainly friendly. However, something was off. Even Ivar who only heard it from Lucella felt something was amiss there.

“He was talking about ‘desiring peace’ and all that as you suspected. I’m not sure what he really thinks, though.”

“Well yeah. Even if a temporary peace is formed, Maltgartz will definitely aim for Setulev if an opportunity arises. But both kingdoms are aware of that and speak of that temporary peace as if it was permanent. That’s just how politics work.”

Indeed. Even if it was a temporary peace built on deceit, implementing and trying to maintain it might be what politics was all about.

But even then. Would the emptiness Lucella felt from him really fit the description of that typical word?

…It was in the end but a faint impression which was hard to verbalize that Lucella got by actually meeting Julian.

But Lucella wasn’t convinced of it, no matter what.

“What kind of fellow is this Julian Angus?”

“I don’t know about his political skill, but he’s rumored to be a shrewd man. …Honestly, I just can’t like him. Based on the leaked tales, it seems like he’s quite egoistic, and while he’s certainly smart, he seems like he’s the type to look down on everyone around thinking they are fools.”

Lucella recalled the conversation in the royal palace. She couldn’t deny Ivar’s comment.

“I don’t know anything else. After all, this guy has rarely been on the front stage. Normally, the lord’s heir would be given more experience.”

“No, that’s enough. Thank you.”

Lucella shook her head slightly.

She couldn’t let Julian’s matter off her head like a spiderweb getting caught in one’s hair in the thickets, but nothing would be solved by worrying about it here.

For the time being, she just prayed that Julian would accomplish the peaceful resolution with Setulev as he claimed and peace would return on Mount Kuguse too.

And that she wouldn’t need to get involved with that disturbing man any more than this.

“By the way, about the attack from before, that young lady is…”

“I heard. Her Highness Monica, it seems she’s called.”

“Oh, so you heard it.”

“What about the origin of the golem?”

“As expected, we still don’t know yet…”

Ivar sighed bitterly in irritation, crunching down the ice cream cone.

“The Adventurer’s Guild recovered the wrecks at first, but it was left in the hands of Setulev royal palace. They must want to put the situation under control too. The pros and cons of an official announcement could become their trump card depending on who they are dealing with, after all. Well, the Adventurer’s Guild is politically uninvolved, so if the royal palace told them they were investigating it as an assassination attempt they couldn’t refuse it.”

“Hmm… I see…”

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The people involved, namely Lucella and Ivar, could be said to have the right to the information from the guild, but even without that, Ivar would get hold of the information from somewhere.

Thus, Lucella giving her support here was purely just in case.

All that was left was to wait for the information. The technical analysis that required knowledge couldn’t be solved even with draconic power, so she could only entrust it to a suitable institution.

“Before that, you have a meeting with the king.”

“Right. Honestly, I’m really nervous.”

“Maybe there being only one ring is a blessing. That means the conversation would only happen with the king. That avoids any uncalled interruptions.”

“You have a point…”

Giselle’s ring had been entrusted to the royal palace at present. After investigating it, the imperial magicians judged that it wouldn’t be a problem for the king to wear it, but all that research would be pointless if it got replaced before the conversation happened, so it was entrusted to them instead.

This wasn’t because the royal palace didn’t trust Lucella, but because it was a difficult situation.

When tomorrow came, the king wearing that ring would converse with Kafal and they would decide on the hereafter of Mount Kuguse.

And while Kafal was the leading actor here, Lucella would also be there in case she had to intervene in their conversation.

Though she had the experience of the adventurer manager, she still never confronted a kingdom’s royal palace.

“Do you know what kind of person Setulev’s king is?”

Information was what controlled the battles.

When adventurers accepted quests, what allowed them to come back alive was the information about what type of monsters they might fight and preparing countermeasures against their patterns.

That didn’t change even in the negotiations between people.

“I think he’s roughly how he is reputed to be. A ‘king with 65 points in all subjects,’ basically.”

“Is that praise? Or a criticism?”

“Who knows… At least I intended it as praise. He is reputed to be a person with a gentle demeanor, but that basically means he’s the type to trap people. Even if he seems like an old man you could find anywhere, don’t let your guard down.”

“Of course.”

Lucella hardened her determination.

Nervousness was the flip side of her sense of duty. In this negotiation she would have more experience than Kafal, so she thought she would have to protect her if push came to shove.

Seeing her like that, Ivar gave a lukewarm sigh.

“…Your face really looks different from the one you had earlier when your mother was spoiling you.”

“I wasn’t acting spoiled! Mom just did that on her own…”

“Incidentally, what are the parent’s impressions?”

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Kafal didn’t let go of Lucella, so this conversation happened while she still sat on her lap.

“Cool… Lucella… also cute.”

“Is that so?”

“Ugh…”

Kafal seemed to adore seeing Lucella doing her best for her sake, she started rubbing their cheeks together from behind.

Lucella could do nothing but resign to her will.