Chapter 54

Thank you for visiting today.

"Once more! Glint, you can still do it!"

"Y-Yes! Of course, Your Highness...!"

"Um... Lord Warren. Are you going to continue?"

"Of course, continue as you are, Dill."

The stage was set in the training grounds of the Amour Duke's castle. There, the group gathered amidst great excitement as two knights were competing with their swords.

How did it come to this? What happened? It all started with a certain flow that occurred in the conference room.

*

Each group returned to the castle with distinct expressions.

First, the group led by the castle lord, Eure. Finally, even Ed had lost his composure, his face showing a look of uncertainty. The Duke of Amour seemed unable to control his sweating forehead, and his unease was palpable.

Next, the uninvited guests from Heim. Their faces, which had turned red due to Ein's words, had not changed. Perhaps they had calmed down a little, but their irritation remained unchanged, and unlike Eure's group, they lacked composure in a different way.

Lastly, the group from Ishtarka, led by Ein. From an outsider's perspective, there was no noticeable change in their demeanor. If anything, Warren had taken the lead, and now Ein was in charge. Warren was simply following his lead. On the surface, there was no change, but no one could tell what they were thinking inside.

Finally, they arrived at a newly prepared conference room in the castle. Eure's group entered first, followed by Ishtarka's group, and then Heim's group. Tigris was irritated by this order, but the situation was not good. In a normal, calm situation, he would have immediately remembered the incident with Glint's brother, Olivia, when he was mentioned. But today, it all started with the matter of Crona, and his head was filled with too much blood. Perhaps because of this, he had not yet realized that the people from Ishtarka were present.

In the tense atmosphere, representatives from the three factions gathered in the conference room. After confirming that everyone was seated, the Duke of Amour gathered his resolve and spoke.

"...Prince Ein. I apologize for the situation we find ourselves in."

"That seems unintentional. It was an accident, I suppose. I don't mind."

"I am grateful for your understanding. ...And, Prince Tigris. Why did you suddenly come to Eure without any prior arrangement?"

"R-Right! There was an important matter! Listen well! Answer honestly!"

Love is blind, they say. Tigris started talking about his purpose without first investigating Ein's true identity or apologizing for suddenly intruding.

"Answer honestly...?"

"Yes. One of our nobles, who was last seen in Eure, has gone missing! But we have found a clue!"

"...Please continue."

The story of the disappearance of a noble from Heim in Eure. When Ishtarka's group heard this, they reacted with a "Huh?" Ein's gaze turned to Warren, who was standing nearby. Warren had a very pleased smile on his face.

"Eure has been trading with Ishtarka for several years! And the ships have been making multiple trips! ...Our grand duke, Graf August, and his granddaughter, who is to be my fiancée, Crona, must have been sold to Ishtarka!"

Unable to contain his excitement, Tigris stood up and pointed at the Duke of Amour. The Duke of Amour could only gape, and Ed, standing beside him, was similarly stunned.

"Hey, Warren."

"Hehehe... I apologize. I couldn't help but smile... What is it?"

Ein called out to Warren in a low voice. The situation was becoming suspicious.

"Up until now, I've been wondering what he's saying. I want to hear your opinion, Warren."

"Hmm... Indeed, the current situation where Eure is portrayed as the villain is unacceptable for a friendly nation. Can I handle it?"

"...Just do it moderately."

Ein looked at Warren, who responded with a low voice, "Understood."

"Indeed, we trade with Ishtarka. However, we have no memory of engaging in human trafficking. It's possible that someone might have sneaked aboard, but we have done nothing."

"As the Duke of Amour said, we do not engage in human trafficking."

They do not engage in human trafficking. But they did provide guidance. It was a play on words.

"Then, I want to hear from the people of Ishtarka! Since Eure trades with them, it should be easy, right?"

"Y-Yes, it is possible, but..."

"—Excuse me, Duke of Amour. May I speak?"

Warren's words were a godsend for the Eure side. The Duke of Amour and Ed were relieved to hear his voice.

"Warren... Ah, it's fine. Please proceed."

"Then, I will... Prince Tigris, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am—"

"W-What! Calling me 'Prince' is disrespectful! Who are you—"

"I am Warren Lark, the Chancellor of the United Kingdom of Ishtarka. I couldn't help but speak up when our country was mentioned."

At that moment, Tigris' face became excited again, and he simultaneously remembered the incident with Glint's brother, Olivia.

"Here you are! This is perfect! Tell me! Why did Ishtarka kidnap our grand noble and Crona, who is to be my princess!"

"...Hmm. Is it a deal?"

The moment of the greatest surprise of the day came to everyone present. Warren, stroking his neatly trimmed white beard and looking in a different direction, spoke. All eyes were on him.

"A... A deal, you say..."

"Yes, that's what I said. Let me repeat it... Is it a deal?"

Tigris' face turned the reddest it had ever been, and his excitement was evident.

"What nonsense! What deal! You must be doing something evil, and it's only right to correct it!"

"Hmm... Indeed, if there is something evil, it must be corrected."

"Hmph! You're quite honest, as a chancellor should be...!"

"Then let's investigate immediately. Ah, over there, investigate the current content and bring me a report. I will give you three months. Investigate thoroughly and return to the ship to work."

Warren gave instructions to an Ishtarka official nearby. However, the content was condescending towards Heim, and Tigris' anger did not subside. The official, struggling to hold back laughter, left the room. As a side note, that night, the official was hated by many knights and officials for escaping the space where everyone was struggling to hold back laughter.

"What are you taking your time for...! If you take so long, who knows what will happen to Crona!"

"I see. Indeed, that's true. Then, let's hold a meeting from now on... a meeting about Miss Crona. Is that acceptable?"

"You should have done that from the beginning! Absolutely... Well, that's fine. Investigate quickly."

"Yes. I will report the results to our Majesty, so please rest assured."

Tigris felt a slight sense of satisfaction at Warren's finally agreeing to cooperate. But Glint, who was standing nearby, spoke up.

"...Excuse me, Your Highness. Is it alright?"

"Hm? What is it, Glint?"

"Of course, the results of the investigation will be sent to Your Highness, right...?"

"Of course. That's a given. Isn't that right, Chancellor?"

"Hm? I don't understand what you mean."

"What are you talking about? I mean after the investigation about Crona."

Then, Warren raised his head as if he had just understood. From Ein's perspective, his theatrical attitude made them want to laugh.

"Oh, that's what you meant. Rest assured, I will report to our Majesty."

"...No, I mean, contact me."

"Therefore, it's a deal. We will investigate, but whether we report it or not is a different matter."

"What... What are you saying...?"

"So, what can we receive from Heim as compensation? It's the price for the information we have gathered."

"Underestimating us... Fine. Of course, I will pay the appropriate price. I promise it on my name."

"Ah, I apologize. The promise of a Heim royal is not trustworthy. Therefore, I would like you to prepare the compensation in advance. If you do, we can provide information that only we know about Miss Crona."

Tigris could not take a strong stance at all. The gap in the debate with Warren was too great. It was not just experience but also the years of service. Tigris knew more about the country of Ishtarka and its strength than most people. He had been confident in his aggressive stance, relying on the fact that Ishtarka did not initiate attacks or engage in invasions. However, he could not gain the upper hand in this conversation with Warren. Until now, Ishtarka had been a sweet nation, adhering to the words of the first emperor. But talking to Warren made him realize that it was not just sweet.

"...What do you want as compensation?"

"Well, if I wanted a few heads... Would you prepare them?"

Tigris felt a sudden, intense gaze from Warren. More than that, he sensed a terrifying aura. It was easy to guess whose heads he wanted. The heads of the royal family and Logas, he could easily predict.

"...That's impossible."

"Then, I will give you a bonus."

Warren's expression suddenly changed to a grandfatherly one.

"Meeting you here is a kind of fate. How about this? A duel between Tigris' guard and our Crown Prince's guard. If Tigris' guard wins, we will send the information for free."

"Really!?"

"Yes, I don't lie."

Tigris showed great joy, and Warren continued to smile at him. Chris, sitting beside him, had a "Well, well" expression.

The flow created by Warren left the Duke of Amour and Ed completely out of the loop. They had no idea what was about to happen, even though it was in their own castle.

*

The stage returned to the training grounds. The battle proposed by Warren as the compensation for the deal. Ein thought Chris would represent Ishtarka, but Chris said something different.

"Even I have my limits... Dill, you should be the one to face them."

"Me...? Of course, I don't mind..."

After this conversation, Dill represented Ishtarka, and from Tigris' guards, Glint was chosen. Despite his young age, Glint was one of the top-class knights among Tigris' guards. Before the duel, he had said, "Fear our knights, born as Holy Knights," which left Ein and the others with an indescribable reaction.

The duel began and ended several times. Why several times?

"Once more! ...What is this..."

Glint