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133 End-of-War
Negotiations
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Translator : PolterGlast
I returned to the
mansion in Triange and immediately sent messengers to the Princess and the
Duke. Gandarvan and Banarji said that while I could negotiate with the Parton
family myself, it would be best to leave it to the Princess and the Duke. If I
can pawn off this problem, it'll be a big help.
"Your Excellency.
His Excellency Duke Gardland of Kerniff has summoned you."
"...Understood."
I sent a messenger to
pawn off the problem, and now I've been summoned.
I immediately headed
to the Duke's castle. A new castle is under construction, but he's still
conducting state affairs in the old one.
"It's been a
while, Your Grace."
"Can't you live a
quiet life for once?"
He's being venomous
right from the start.
"He attacked me,
so I just fought back. I was a little disappointed because he was weaker than I
expected."
Zaigen and Barukan are
also here, but everyone, including the Duke, shook their heads. I didn't do
anything wrong.
"So, how are
Parton and his boy doing?"
"Count Parton has
lost his mind. His son seems to be sane, but for some reason, neither of them
can understand what we're saying."
" "
"..." " "
The Duke and the
others were exasperated. I'm exasperated myself, so please help me. You're the
one who made me a noble, so you're responsible for this.
After discussing the
details, we decided it would be best to consult with the Princess.
"You can probably
get to the royal capital quickly anyway. Take me with you."
The day after he told
the messenger to summon me, I showed up. The Duke must know that I have a way
to travel back and forth in a short amount of time.
"It's a
secret."
"I know that
much."
I don't think I can
bring up a magical contract in this atmosphere. This is a tough one.
The Duke came to my
mansion with only Barukan and five guards. Even though Barukan was with him,
the fact that the Duke brought so few guards must have been his way of being
considerate to me.
"To the royal
capital in an instant, huh? Common sense doesn't apply to this anymore."
The dumbfounded Duke
and the others looked out the window at the royal capital.
"I'll send a
messenger to the Duke's mansion. I'll also have a carriage prepared right
away."
"No, let's head
directly to the castle. Send a messenger to the castle."
As the Duke said, I
sent a messenger to the castle. We immediately went to the castle. The Princess
met with us right away, but she had a very displeased expression.
"
"Haaaah." "
The Duke and the
Princess let out a big sigh. You two get along well. I can't say they shouldn't
take it so seriously. A war is a serious matter. Especially since this will be
a civil war, it's a major event.
"Count Parton will
retire, his heir will be disinherited, and a suitable person from his family
will inherit the house. His title will be demoted to viscount, and the land
south of the Nagare River will be ceded to Viscount Footscythel. What do you
think of this?"
"No, I don't need
any more land."
My true feelings came
out. I don't even know if I can properly govern Triange, so please don't give
me any more burdens.
"This wasn't a
draw. The lord and the heir were captured. This was a major defeat. And Count
Parton attacked Viscount Footscythel's territory without listening to my
warnings, so if nothing happens, we won't be able to maintain order."
There is no order in
the first place. If there were, Count Parton wouldn't have attacked. Right?
"Your Highness is
right. We must set an example. The land south of the Nagare River will be
incorporated into Viscount Footscythel's territory. You have no choice but to
accept it. Otherwise, some fool might think that even if they lose a civil war,
their territory won't be reduced. That would be very dangerous."
I understand what
they're saying. Fools are everywhere. I know those kinds of people all too
well.
But I'm short on civil
officials. I really don't need any more land. It's a kind of unwanted favor. If
I could refuse, I would, but the two of them won't back down. Don't tell me
you're thinking of using this opportunity to significantly reduce Count
Parton's influence.
I tried to come up
with some reasons to avoid it, but they were all rejected. I know. Nobles
shouldn't be underestimated. Setting an example is important. I understand, but
please think about me, who will actually be managing the territory. It's a lot
of work.
"I also know how
difficult it is to manage a territory. I will send some of my people to assist
you."
"Can you send
Zaigen!?"
"That's
impossible."
It was immediately
rejected! The Duke gave a wry smile and let it slide. Well, I knew it. I was
just saying it. It would be troublesome if Zaigen really came.
"I will also send
some people from the Royal Family. Please accept it."
With the Princess also
offering to send people, I was persuaded to accept. That Parton, how dare he
make me suffer even after losing a war!
***
Count Parton's
territory is much larger than ours. The land south of the Nagare River is
apparently almost three-quarters the size of Count Parton's territory. Why
wasn't I told about this?!
"The Parton
family's territory is famous for its wheat production, but 90% of it is south
of the Nagare River."
Are you serious? The
Parton family is finished. The Princess and the Duke knew about this, didn't
they? That's a bit cold.
"It seems the
Royal Family and the Ducal family intend to significantly reduce the Parton
family's power."
They must really
dislike him.
But it's not set in
stone yet. The messenger from the Royal Family will arrive in Blaughini in a
week at the earliest. The negotiations will begin after that.
"I think it will
be decided. If not, the Parton family is in danger of being wiped out."
"The Royal Family
is ruthless."
"No, you will be
the one to do it, my lord."
"Huh? Me?
Why?"
"You are the one
who was challenged to a fight. If the Parton family does not accept the Royal
Family's arbitration proposal, you will have to destroy the Parton family to
end it."
"Is there an
option where I don't do anything?"
"No. We didn't
suffer any casualties, so we would have to attack and destroy them."
I don't want that. And
if a battle were to happen, more people would die. I don't mind if knights or
nobles die, but it's pitiful for ordinary people who were dragged into the war
to die.
▽▽▽ Side: Royal Family's Messenger ▽▽▽
I arrived in Blaughini
in a carriage. Count Parton lost the civil war and was captured by the
Footscythel viscount family. His heir was also captured, and I heard that
neither of them is in a sound state of mind. So we nominated the lord's uncle,
Vladimirovich Parton, to be the acting lord and began negotiations.
This time, the Parton
family started the war and suffered a devastating defeat. As a result, the
arbitration proposal is a harsh one. If Sir Vladimirovich refuses, the Parton
family will be wiped out.
The Parton family has
a bad reputation even in the royal capital. They probably became arrogant because
they rule over a granary and have a lot of wealth.
I entered the Parton
family's castle in Blaughini. The atmosphere was quite heavy. Sir Vladimirovich
is over 60, but he has eyes that show his ambition. He probably won't accept
the Royal Family's arbitration proposal, but that's up to my negotiation
skills. I find difficult people like him more fulfilling to deal with.
"Huh? What are
you saying? Why should my family have to cede land?"
"You suffered a
devastating defeat in the Battle of Lubish Plains. The lord and his heir are
captives. It's only natural."
Sir Vladimirovich
burst out laughing. He's a very unpleasant person.
"My family has
not lost yet! We will surely win next time!"
"You're saying
you'll fight again even though your lord is gone? What will you do if your lord
is executed?"
"We don't need a
weak lord! We'll just install a new one and go to war!"
This is hopeless. He's
not worth talking to. I guess I'll have to play my trump card.
"The Royal Family
will not recognize a new lord. In other words, Sir Vladimirovich, you would be
a traitor who usurped the house. The Royal Family would have no choice but to
issue an order to subjugate you."
"Don't be
ridiculous! What's wrong with us deciding our own lord!"
Is this also not
working? He's a complete fool.
"Then do as you
wish. However, since you have rejected the Royal Family's arbitration proposal,
no one will come to your aid. And you should know that there will be no more
arbitration."
I don't care if the
Parton family is wiped out. Even if their kin, Marquis Tsukmandes, were to get
involved, we have the current head in our hands. If Marquis Tsukmandes gets
involved, we'll just have the current lord sign a contract to transfer the
Parton family to Viscount Footscythel. I hear he's not in his right mind, but
we can make that happen. If he can't sign, we'll just have him stamp his
thumbprint. With that, the Footscythel viscount family would have the
legitimacy to inherit all of the Parton family's territory and assets.
The next day, Sir
Vladimirovich responded that he would accept the arbitration proposal.
He must have thought
that if he resisted, he would get a better deal. What a foolish old man. He's
nothing but a senile old fool.
"Then, please
sign this arbitration proposal, agreeing to its terms."
Sir Vladimirovich
signed it with a reluctant expression.
Viscount Footscythel
has already agreed to this arbitration proposal. With this signature, the civil
war is over. I'm so glad that it didn't turn into a major war.
But it should have
been highly unlikely to become a major civil war in the first place. It's clear
that Viscount Footscythel reached the 10th floor of the royal capital dungeon
and hunted a massive number of monsters. Any noble should know that much. The
10th floor of the royal capital dungeon was only ever reached by our founder,
Saburo-sama. No one has reached it in the last 500 years. I've also never heard
of any explorers reaching the 10th floor of any other dungeon. In other words,
Viscount Footscythel has demonstrated that much power. Furthermore, it's a
well-known fact that the soldiers of the Footscythel viscount family are
leveling up in the royal capital dungeon. I've heard that they have dozens of
soldiers who are on par with or even stronger than Sir Barbatos, the Royal
Knight Commander. It would be insane to start a war with a family like that, no
matter how small their total number of soldiers is. The outcome of this battle
was clear from the start. The fact that the Parton family couldn't even see
that means they were already finished.
"It's true what
they say, that power makes people blind."
I let out a big sigh
and looked up at the Parton family's castle. It was a luxurious castle, but I
felt as if I could see the Parton family's downfall. Or rather, have they
already fallen? Hehe.
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