Chapter 119: Increasing Identification Cards

“Your Majesty, we’ve received a reply from the Kingdom of Holtland agreeing to enter cease-fire negotiations, however…”

“Why are you so flustered? We demanded cease-fire talks. Receiving a reply is only natural.”

“It’s just that…”

Chancellor Corbens handed over the letter. As the king read, his expression twisted.

“I can understand conditions for negotiations, but… the crown prince disinherited, the king deceased—and this is practically a document of total surrender. And furthermore, they acknowledge the border they once stole from us and even apologize?”

“Yes. This is essentially a capitulation document, but what we asked for was a cease-fire negotiation. And one more thing—please look at the date.”

“The date? This is… three days ago.”

“Regardless of the signature, the royal seal stamped here is unmistakably Holtland’s.”

“You’re telling me he flew between Frangle and Leclerc in three days?”

“He departed Frangle and stopped by Duke Berlant’s residence in Emilia, so in practice it seems he flew it in two days. Also, regarding this request—though it went through Duke Berlant’s butler—when asked to deliver our reply, he answered, ‘If I’m attacked, I will retaliate. If that’s acceptable, I’ll bring back the answer.’ If we assume two or three days per trip, that’s six days round-trip, yet twelve days have passed.”

“What are you implying?”

“Your Majesty, have you forgotten? In the dragon-slaying report, it said Leon mowed down and flung around hordes of Golden Bears and Armor Buffalo using whirlwinds and tornadoes. As for the dragon, he lifted it with a tornado or whirlwind, threw it, and his fellow mages finished it off. If his tornados are that strong, then the tornado that struck and erased Count Fleming’s estate in Berna may very well have been his doing. If he retaliated in Holtland this time… the delay and this near-surrender letter begin to make sense.”

“But the tornado at Fleming’s estate lasted nearly a week… surely not…”

“A crime against a noble—especially killing one—cannot simply be ignored.”

“But evidence… he’s the man now called Dragonslayer, who freely flies the skies and led our nation to victory. And the Berna incident was more than half a year ago. Can we produce evidence convincing to everyone? Suspicious as it is… let us set that aside. More importantly, this wording—an apology implies reparations, certainly, but ‘we wish to form a firm bond with your country’… this is suggestive.”

“If the crown prince Merediths has been disinherited, many nobles in his faction must be wounded as well. With the king’s death on top of that, their country must be in turmoil.”

“Which means… they may fear invasion from us next.”

“That is likely, but Holtland borders four other nations besides us. If something like the Berna incident happened in their royal castle, the foreign envoys stationed there would not look the other way.”

“If the royal castle was damaged—and that damage came from a battle with a single man…”

“The other nations would not stay quiet. Leon seems unwilling to share what he learned of their situation, and it seems he has taken on the job of delivering our reply back to Holtland.”

“He’s an adventurer—an inconvenient sort to deal with. Make sure we don’t alienate him.”

“Regarding that, Leon has a family in Lynas and appears to have a good relationship with them. I will order Lord Arclight, the local lord, to protect them from foreign interference.”

☆☆☆

On the third day, I was finally summoned by the butler, Hoylart, and was shown not to the usual office but to an opulent salon. The atmosphere felt off.

A man resembling Duke Berlant stood slightly behind another man, flanked by two knight-guards.

“Leon, come here.”

Hoylart—unusually authoritative—brought me before the imposing man seated as if this were his own estate.

“This is His Excellency, Prime Minister Claive Brighton.”

“His Excellency”…?

First time I’ve heard that. But as I’ve already returned my identification, I’m not his subordinate. Still, out of courtesy, I bowed—only for a sharp voice to shout:

“Your head is too high! Insolent wretch!”

The shout came from the man behind the chancellor, but the chancellor raised a hand to stop him, shutting him up.

“Prime Minister, I completed the request and returned the identification I was loaned. I am currently staying in this residence to receive Holtland’s reply, but that is a request from Holtland, so…”

“Yes, I understand. The reply is prepared. However, there are some things I wish to ask you about their country.”

“I’m an adventurer. I have no intention of discussing my client’s affairs.”

“But you flew to their country under our request, and it seems there were complications.”

“It’s true the embassy was sealed off, so I delivered it directly to the royal castle. That resulted in a few… disputes before I received the reply, but that is between me and Holtland.”

“So you intend to say nothing?”

“You would be fine with me talking freely about your country to them? About Sutherland and Emilia?”

He gave a strained smile, though the man behind him looked ready to murder someone.

A secretary brought a tray with a letter. I put it into my magic bag and bowed lightly.

“Will this reach King Felix Holtland without fail?”

“That was the agreement.”

“Negotiations will likely occur across the Linjueil River, but that is far. So I wish to discuss something—if the job consists only of carrying letters, I would like to hire you again.”

“Once the fighting ends and the cease-fire begins, I’m done. I have no desire to get further involved.”

“I understand how you feel, but if they have suffered damage, the situation may not be so simple.”

He’s being vague, but clearly he realizes I caused significant damage and doesn’t want others listening in. Something troublesome must be happening.

“A defeat at the border, internal problems, a new king… other nations will take advantage. That would heavily impact us as well. And as you said to Duke Berlant—your family may be dragged in.”

True. I may have gone too far dealing with Merediths and his cronies.
If other nations attack Holtland, there will be refugees. If Holtland falls under foreign rule, things could get even worse—another war, perhaps.

“So what do you want me to do?”

“If the worst happens, moving an entire nation’s army takes immense time and effort. In such a case, I would like your help—as you did in Blange.”

I knew it.
Prince—no, King—Felix hinted at something similar. I dismissed it as foreign politics, but maybe I shouldn’t have.

Delivering this letter, I’ll need to discuss things again. Holtland’s cleaning up Merediths’ mess and reorganizing. A perfect moment for another country to strike.

This is getting annoying.
But if someone tries to disturb my peaceful life with my family, I’ll crush them. Thoroughly. That should reduce the number of idiots who bother me.

“Once I deliver this letter, I’ll return to Lynas. If you want to hire me, do it through the Adventurers’ Guild. Depending on the details, I’ll decide whether to accept. If I do, it will be under the same conditions as before.”

“That is fine. You were given Duke Berlant’s identification, but I will also give you one from myself.”

He nodded, and the man beside him handed me a card bearing the royal crest.

“If we hire you again, you may need to come to the castle for discussions. At the rear gate, show this and request to see me or my chief aide, Marginus. Also, if you have any trouble, you may come at any time.”

“Marginus,” he said, and the man bowed—apparently shown for introductions.

“That identification marks you as an aide of Prime Minister Brighton. Even nobles cannot make unreasonable demands of you. In status, it grants you the equivalent of a Count.”

“Duke Berlant’s identification isn’t enough?”

“Without this, the procedures for meetings would be far too cumbersome.”

“You need not treat me as your vassal. Keep it for emergencies. With it, you rarely need kneel to anyone but the king.”

He said it with a grin, while the man who yelled at me earlier flushed red.

Well, I won’t abuse it. And if it reduces people yelling at me, all the better.

I dripped a bit of blood to register it, dropped it into my magic bag, and prepared to depart for Holtland.

Seeing me off at the inner entrance, the chancellor, Hoylart, and the others watched as I rose into the air and flew west.

“ He floated into the sky so easily… impressive.”

“Yes. It’s my first time seeing it, but I cannot imagine how he flies. I brought a mage with wind magic, but I doubt he understood what he saw.”

“According to Duke Berlant’s report, he uses magic with only a single word of shortened chant, baffling other mages. No one in his family can use magic, so he didn’t learn from them. A difficult man to understand—but too valuable to let slip away.”

“Duke Berlant tried giving him an identification card before, but he refused instantly. He was persuaded only because it was for the safety of his family and fellow adventurers. Even when Lord Nilbart of the Berlant territory gave identification to his related adventurers, the reports say Leon himself didn’t seem to find it particularly meaningful.”