Chapter 98

"Truly, I am at a loss for words."

At night, in the guest room assigned to him, Robnas was muttering to himself.

It had already been three days since he arrived in the city of Bollnis. Everything he saw and heard during this time only disappointed him.

It all started with the press conference held the day after he arrived in the city.

"My name is Kizaki Soma, and I represent everyone here."

The one who greeted Robnas at the press conference was a boy who looked weak and frail.

Robnas thought that, given that he had subjugated violent Zoans and Dinosaurs, a formidable man would appear. However, it was just this boy. Although he had heard rumors beforehand, Robnas was more disappointed than surprised.

Still, since he had outwitted General Darius, Robnas thought the boy must have something that wasn't apparent and continued the meeting. In the end, the boy was still just a weak and frail kid, and the word "naive" was added to his evaluation.

His wealthy merchant owner had fallen ill during a journey and was saved by subhuman slaves. Since then, he had been thinking about how he could help them, and so on.

Robnas believed this fabricated story.

Well, Eradia, who was present at the meeting, even shed tears, so he thought her storytelling must have been excellent.

However, shouldn't he have at least doubted the story a little? And shouldn't he have at least verified his identity? Robnas felt a strange sense of indignation.

Mostly, this was because he was confident that even if his identity was checked, it wouldn't be revealed.

In fact, there was a real Robnas, a merchant in Romania. Of course, this was because Robnas had already given capital to a man who looked like him and had him do business for such occasions. Therefore, no matter how much his identity was checked, it would only reveal that the merchant Robnas had come to Holmea for negotiations.

Despite all this effort, it was quite disappointing that he wasn't suspected at all.

"Could I see your soldiers?"

Thinking that if this kid could defeat General Darius, the slave soldiers must be excellent, Robnas asked to see them, knowing he would be refused, but was easily granted permission.

However, even there, Robnas was disappointed.

When he was led to the training ground, he initially exclaimed in surprise at the sight of the sturdy dwarves holding brand new battle axes and spears, standing in formation.

But the next moment, his surprise turned to disappointment.

"Over there, go!"

When a dwarf named Dovarin waved a flag, the dwarves holding spears started running in a disorganized manner.

"Next, this way!"

When the flag was waved in the opposite direction, the dwarves hurriedly ran in the opposite direction. This was repeated over and over.

What kind of training is this? It's just running around randomly following the flag.

He also saw two black and red Zoan heroes, introduced as the main force, wrestling with bare upper bodies. Indeed, both had excellent physiques and a powerful wrestling match. However, it was more like a spectacle in an arena, and for a general to show off wrestling was quite low.

Moreover, he was introduced to a Dinosaurian, said to be the strongest warrior among the slaves, but the creature was basking in the sun in the lord's garden, yawning.

Even the boy who led him, Soma, had a strained expression.

In any case, Robnas was thoroughly disappointed.

He had expected more since the boy claimed to have defeated General Darius. But in reality, they were just a bunch of rebellious slaves. They were less organized than bandits.

Thinking about how he had come all the way to the outskirts of Holmea to gauge their strength, he felt ridiculous.

Frustrated, he paced around the room when there was a knock on the door of the guest room.

At that moment, Robnas stretched his nose and eagerly opened the door.

"Master Robnas, I have brought you some wine."

There, as Robnas had hoped, was Eradia with wine and food.

"This is very kind. Please, come in."

While inviting Eradia into the room, Robnas thought to himself, "At least this woman was a perk."

◆◇◆◇◆

Robnas, who had fallen asleep, was awakened by the sound of rustling clothes.

It was still the middle of the night. In the dark room, bathed in the pale moonlight streaming through the open window, Eradia was getting dressed, her white naked body visible.

"Are you leaving already?"

Robnas, yawning, called out to her. Eradia sat on the edge of the bed and whispered.

"I'm sorry, but I have duties to attend to in the morning. Please, Master Robnas, rest well."

Saying this, Eradia tried to stand up and leave the room, but Robnas grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"What do you think? If you like, I can speak to the lord here and have you taken into my service."

This was something he had been thinking about for the past three days. It would be a waste to leave such a beautiful elf behind.

"Thank you very much."

Eradia's smile, like a flower blooming, pleased Robnas, and he pulled her arm, trying to embrace her. However, for some reason, the arm he had firmly grabbed slipped out.

Eradia, seeing Robnas' bewildered face, provocatively said,

"But I'm tired of being bought and sold by merchants. I like strong men. Men who can protect me with a sword and shield."

"That's a shame."

While saying it was a shame, Robnas' face was actually pleased. After all, he was a general, not a merchant, and he perfectly fit Eradia's criteria.

However, Eradia continued.

"But I don't like just strong, rough men. I like men who are not only strong but also wise."

This made Robnas hesitate.

As a noble, he thought he had the minimum knowledge and education, but being called wise felt a bit different. What exactly made someone wise?

While Robnas frowned and pondered this, Eradia leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"Have you heard this story...?"

Then, Eradia poured sweet words into his ear.

◆◇◆◇◆

The next morning, Robnas, who was in a hurry to return to his country, came to see Soma to thank him for his hospitality and bid farewell to the city.

When Soma asked if something had gone wrong, Robnas waved his hand and denied it.

"Not at all."

Robnas strongly patted his chest to show his sincerity.

"I was deeply moved by your ideals. I couldn't stand still and decided to report to my master as soon as possible."

Robnas' demeanor, which had been sullen the previous day, was now very cheerful. He smiled and talked non-stop to Soma, who had come to see him off at the city gate.

"Then, I'll be waiting for good news! Hahaha!"

After confirming that Robnas' carriage, guarded by a few soldiers, had disappeared down the road, Soma let out a sigh of relief.

"It seems to have worked well."

Beside him, Eradia smiled and replied.

"As you wish, Master Soma."

◆◇◆◇◆

After returning to Romania, Robnas, after settling from his journey, immediately requested an audience with the king. King Dordia, who had been waiting, promptly granted it, and Robnas was led to the audience chamber where the courtiers were gathered that day.

"What did you think of the rebellious slaves in Bollnis?"

King Dordia, his voice tinged with expectation, asked. Robnas shook his head vigorously.

"It was a complete disappointment."

Robnas then detailed what he had seen in Bollnis. The king and the courtiers, who were gathered, also looked disappointed.

"They are far from a force we can rely on. Their victory over Darius was probably just a fluke."

Robnas' final words left King Dordia feeling disappointed.

King Dordia had dreamed of allying with the slaves who had defeated Darius, who had repeatedly humiliated him, to conquer Holmea. The strategy was to attack Holmea alternately from the east and west, gradually weakening it, and finally capturing it, like a deer being taken alive after its legs and horns were taken in turns.

However, if the subhuman slaves couldn't be relied on, he would have to rethink the conquest of Holmea from the beginning.

King Dordia let out a heavy sigh.

"You are too quick to be disappointed."

However, Robnas, looking pleased, continued.

"Your Majesty, have you heard this story?"

After this introduction, Robnas began to tell a story about a wise king from several hundred years ago in the central continent.

At that time, the wise king's country had been in a long conflict with a neighboring country. One day, the wise king secretly gave a thousand gold coins and weapons to a group of vicious bandits in a corner of the neighboring country.

With the gold and weapons, the bandits grew stronger and ravaged the neighboring country. The neighboring country sent its army to defeat the bandits, but by then, the country had already been ravaged, and many soldiers were lost in the process.

Seeing this, the wise king finally moved his troops and conquered the neighboring country with minimal casualties.

"Thus, the king who conquered a country with just a thousand gold coins and a few weapons is praised as a wise king even in later generations."

After hearing Robnas' story, King Dordia nodded several times and smiled.

"I see. I understand what you're trying to say. You want me to be a wise king, don't you?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty. Your insight is remarkable."

While flattering King Dordia, Robnas explained the advantages of this strategy.

"Even if we are enemies of Holmea, they are ultimately filthy subhuman slaves. Forming an alliance with them, even temporarily, would tarnish Romania's history and displease the priests of the Holy Church."

The power of the Holy Church was increasing day by day in this western region. If they recognized the liberation of subhuman slaves and gave them land, it could leave a root of discord with the priests of the Holy Church.

This realization came from the words of an elf named Eradia, who worried that if he were to take her, the Holy Church might target him.

To have a beautiful and wise woman like her worry about him was a man's greatest pleasure. Thinking about this, Robnas tried to control his growing nose and continued.

"Instead, we should secretly aid the slaves without revealing Romania's name. They will surely clash with Holmea on their own. We can then wait and watch, and when Holmea is weakened, we can conquer it."

King Dordia thought there was a point to Robnas' opinion.

Indeed, considering the relationship with the Holy Church, it would not be good to ally with subhumans. Moreover, the strategy of making the slaves and Holmea clash without getting our hands dirty was intriguing.

Feeling a sure sense of success from King Dordia's reaction, Robnas delivered the final blow.

"Moreover, the greatest advantage of this strategy is—"

There, Robnas deliberately paused to heighten King Dordia's expectations. King Dordia, knowing this, leaned forward slightly on his throne out of interest. After confirming this, Robnas dramatically said,

"Your Majesty's name will be remembered as the second wise king who destroyed Holmea through strategy."

This hit King Dordia's sore spot.

King Dordia was already at an age where he could die at any moment. The desire for money and lust had long faded from the aging king.

However, what had grown in him was a desire for fame.

A great and wise ruler who had pacified the archenemy Holmea by force and rebuilt the once great nation, a dream of Romania for hundreds of years.

This desire to have his name etched in history with such a reputation was the reason