Chapter 0701 At the Frontier III
-x-X-x-
Ryo nodded again and again at the sight of Andalusia happily enjoying the clean stable and the fresh bedding straw.
In such a satisfied mood, the lodging procedures were completed, and the two of them went into their room.
Unfortunately, there was no private open-air bath attached to the room…
"We had a big communal bath, though! That water was great."
"It really is strange, being able to take a bath in the middle of this wild desert."
That was their conversation after getting out of the bath.
In the towns where they had stayed after leaving the Eastern Countries, there had, of course, been no baths.
That said, Ryo was a water-attribute magician.
And, on top of that, he had been Japanese in his former life.
Naturally, he filled an ice tub with hot water and took a bath every night… and Abel got to enjoy it along with him.
"Well, the bath itself isn't a problem with Ryo's water-attribute magic…"
"Yes, yes. I've shown off the wonders of water-attribute magic every single night. But an inn's big communal bath is different in its own way, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Just having a wide bath changes the mood a lot."
As they said that, the two of them entered the dining place next to the 'Sleeping Sand Inn'.
The Sleeping Sand Inn did not have anything like a dining hall, so meals were to be taken at the neighboring eatery, the 'Dining Sand'.
"From the names, it sounds like the inn and the restaurant are run by the same company."
"Probably. Still, 'Sleeping Sand' is one thing, but 'Dining Sand'…"
"Let's just pray they don't serve sand dishes."
Their concern was unfounded.
It was a wonderful meal.
As expected, it was worthy of the merchant guild's exchange chief recommending it as "the best inn around".
Naturally, that included the food.
"Being able to eat as much as you like of whatever you like is incredible."
"This meat seasoning is addictively spicy."
Both Ryo and Abel were thoroughly enjoying the delicious food.
The Dining Sand Inn had the atmosphere of a somewhat upscale restaurant, and its clientele was mostly refined people, but it did not seem likely to become one of those places where you ended up thinking, 'I still haven't eaten enough…'.
That is, if they could finish eating to the end…
Just as the two of them were starting on the main meat dish… no, to be precise, the second serving of the meat dish, the outer door opened and six men came into the restaurant.
Of course, customers had been coming and going all along, so the two of them kept eating without paying much attention.
"There they are, those two."
That voice came from the men.
The six men quickly came to the two of them and surrounded their table.
Abel looked at them with a suspicious expression.
Ryo, incidentally, seemed to be completely ignoring them, not paying them the slightest attention.
"You're C-rank adventurer Ryo and the porter, right? Come with us."
"No."
The brown-haired man who seemed to be the leader of the six said it as if it were only natural, and Ryo refused without a second's hesitation.
After saying just that, Ryo continued eating the meat dish in front of him.
Seeing that, Abel let out a small sigh and also resumed eating.
The six men blanked.
At first, they had been too surprised by the two men's attitude to get angry, but… as time passed, their anger was clearly building.
"Don't screw with us!"
The brown-haired man shouted.
All the customers in the restaurant started glancing over at the six men.
"This is a place to eat. I think people who can't keep quiet should leave."
Ryo's calm voice flowed out.
Even after hearing that, the six men still had no intention of backing down.
On the contrary, there was one person who trembled a little at hearing such an uncharacteristically sharp voice.
Abel.
(Ryo is angry…)
Understandably so.
They had been enjoying their meal, and anyone would be angry if that was interrupted.
Of course.
"Hey!"
Thunk.
At last, the brown-haired man who tried to lay hands on Ryo struck something invisible.
"What?"
"
Bounced back by something invisible, the six recognized it as a physical barrier.
Before they knew it, Ryo had apparently surrounded the two of them with an
However, seeing that, Abel thought:
(The dessert after this will probably be brought by the staff, so how is that going to work?)
Yes, if one were to ask whether that was a thought appropriate to the situation, it was extremely debatable.
It was rather more like a Ryo-style thought.
After long association, Abel may even have been infected by Ryo-style thinking himself.
Until the two of them finished eating the main meat dish, the six men literally could not lay a hand on them.
They seemed to have concluded that they were being protected by a
Naturally, they did not try to swing swords around inside the restaurant and destroy the
When Ryo and Abel finished the meat dish, they raised a hand toward the female floor attendant, who was watching them anxiously from the corner of the restaurant.
Seeing that, the woman cautiously approached.
"Excuse me, could we have dessert? I'll have the Mont Blanc cake."
"I'll take the mille-feuille."
"Certainly."
Ryo and Abel placed their order, and the woman gave the six men only a quick glance before heading off to the kitchen.
When she had come over, she had seemed nervous, but since the two of them had ordered normally and the six men had not said or done anything in response, she seemed a little more relaxed as she returned to the kitchen.
Then they saw the female floor attendant carrying the two cakes and the coffee toward them.
The next instant.
"Huh?"
"Eh…"
"My body just…"
"I can't stop."
Part of the six men who had been surrounding Ryo and Abel 'moved', leaving no one between the woman and the two men's table.
(It must be a combination of
Looking at Ryo's composed face as he said nothing, Abel thought.
He must have frozen the floor with Ice Bahn so they could not get any footing, then moved the Ice Wall to shift them aside…
Only Abel, who had known him so long, could precisely decipher the technique.
Naturally, the men who had been forcibly moved tried to get in the way of the floor attendant, but they could not move because there was an invisible wall.
"Mont Blanc cake and mille-feuille."
The woman reached the two men's table without issue and delivered the two cakes and the coffee.
The two of them ate the cake deliciously, and drank the coffee merrily.
But at last, the brown-haired man lost his temper.
"Hey!"
"Silence."
Ryo said it immediately.
In contrast to the brown-haired man, he spoke quietly, calmly.
Yet those words seemed to carry physical pressure, silencing the men and forcing an oppressive weight upon them.
(So this is Ryo's 'pressure'. I'd seen it through 'Soul Resonance', but… amazing stuff.)
Abel thought as he ate his cake with a straight face.
When Abel had seen it before, it had been a 'pressure' slammed down head-on.
If he remembered correctly, it had been against the inquisitors who had barged into the inn.
(If that bears down on you head-on, of course you'd get scared.)
Even now, when Ryo did not seem to be putting that much force into it, the six men surrounding them were flinching.
So much so that even Abel could clearly tell they were flinching.
After that, the six men silently watched the two of them eat cake and drink coffee.
Once Ryo and Abel had slowly finished their coffee, they left the Dining Sand.
The Sleeping Sand Inn where they were staying was right next door.
The six men also came out after them.
"We are staying at the neighboring Sleeping Sand Inn. If you have something to say, then tomorrow, have the person in charge come to us directly. We will listen then."
"What did you say!"
The six men bristled at Ryo's words.
"We are not saying we will not meet with you. Or do you intend to pick a fight with us here, worsen our relations, and then take responsibility if it ends with us leaving the fortress?"
"Ugh…"
"Understood? Then please take your leave."
Ryo gave them no opening whatsoever.
The memory of being pushed back by that pressure was already engraved into the six men.
There was no way such men could stand against Ryo.
Ryo and Abel went into the Sleeping Sand Inn.
"Ryo is scary when he gets angry."
Abel said this with a laugh.
"If they had not come during a pleasant meal, none of this would have happened. That was rude. It is a classic setup to have some trouble during a meal, though…"
"Oh, one of Ryo's favorite classic tropes, huh. So why did you get angry then?"
Abel tilted his head.
He knew that Ryo dearly loved such classic setups.
"Classic tropes are important, but I do not need classic tropes that make me feel unpleasant."
"R-Right…"
"If they had waited until I finished eating before speaking to us, or spoken after we left the dining hall, I might have gone to see them tonight."
"Well, timing is important in anything."
In a tense situation, one might understand not being able to care about such things.
But that was the other party's circumstances.
If that was truly the case, then they should not have barged in and spoken to them from the start.
Timing was important.
And so was the way you said it.
"If it was an important matter, they would come again tomorrow."
Abel also shrugged.
A national crisis, an organizational crisis… just because something was important did not mean one could ignore the other side's situation… Abel, who was a king, did not think that way.
If it was truly that urgent, then they should not send someone who would anger the other party… it was as simple as that.
The next morning.
The two of them, having thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful sleep, entered the Dining Sand with smiles on their faces to eat breakfast.
Then, after breakfast, when they returned to the Sleeping Sand Inn, four men were waiting there.
Two of them were, in fact, familiar faces.
"Ryo-dono, and Porter-dono, yesterday our man said something rude. I apologize."
One of the familiar faces bowed first.
Seeing that, the other three hurriedly bowed as well.
Among them was another familiar person… the brown-haired man from yesterday.
He looked extremely uncomfortable.
Apparently, he had been thoroughly scolded.
Abel gave the brown-haired man only one glance, then spoke to the man who had bowed first.
"You were standing guard at the gate yesterday, right?"
"Are you the man in charge?"
Ryo asked in surprise.
Yes, the man who had bowed first was the leader of the guards who had checked their identity papers at the gate to the fortress, and the man they had spoken with.
"My name is Molga. I am the commander of the guard corps and the military administrator of this fortress."
He was in his late thirties, with black eyes, dark brown hair, brown skin, and a height of around 175 cm, about the same as Ryo's.
He had a lean, well-conditioned body.
"Is it some kind of tradition here for the person in charge to stand at the gate himself?"
"No, it's simply that we are short on personnel."
Molga, the guard commander, answered with a laugh at Abel's question.
"To be precise, we do have people, but many of them are in training. If they stand guard, they cannot do sword practice and the like during that time, can they? Right now, we have nothing but people whom we want to grow stronger through as much training as possible. We do not have the luxury of letting them stand guard and rest."
"So the guards get no breaks…"
Abel shrugged at Molga's words.
But he could understand that what the man said made sense.
Conversely, it meant that this fortress was in a situation where it had to subject inexperienced people to nonstop training.
"I understand that you are busy, but you should choose your messengers better."
"Ah… quite so. I have no excuse."
At Abel's words, Molga gave a wry smile and looked at the brown-haired man.
He seemed to understand completely what was being referred to.
The brown-haired man also bowed deeply again.
He understood that his behavior had complicated the matter.
"If I may excuse myself, at the time I was also going around checking the other inns."
"You were looking for us?"
"Yes. I told him that if he found you, he should make a polite request… I am sorry for causing offense."
Molga bowed again, and the other three bowed once more as well.
At this point, they were making themselves so humble that even Ryo and Abel began to feel, well, perhaps it was fine.
Sensing that the two of them were no longer feeling quite so hostile.
Molga looked at Ryo and Abel once each before asking.
"I have one question."
"Yes?"
"Hmm?"
Ryo and Abel responded.
"I would like to hear the name of the porter."
"Yeah…"
Abel glanced at Ryo.
Ryo caught that look and shrugged. It was a gesture that said, I'll leave it to you.
"My name is Abel."
"Hmm, Abel-dono, then. You do not look like a mere porter to me. In fact, ever since earlier, Abel-dono has been the one answering on behalf of Ryo-dono, who is a C-rank adventurer."
"That is because I am often entrusted with negotiation as well. Do not mind it."
"I-is that so? I am certain you are a famous swordsman."
Molga said that while glancing at Abel's sword, but did not press the matter further.
"We came here this time because we have a request for Ryo-dono, the adventurer."
"If you have a request for an adventurer, wouldn't it be better to go through the Adventurers' Guild?"
"Normally, yes. But there is no Adventurers' Guild in this fortress."
"Figured as much."
At Molga's words, Abel nodded as though that was exactly what he had expected.
"Yesterday, while walking through the streets looking for the Merchant Guild, I did not see any sign for the Adventurers' Guild."
"I heard that the two of you spoke with Myfa, the exchange chief of the Merchant Guild."
"Myfa-dono asked us if we would like to do work involving training."
"Exactly. But you said you would be leaving the fortress soon, so it would not be possible."
"That is correct."
Abel replied.
Ryo also nodded silently.
When Abel was doing the speaking and negotiating, Ryo was often silent.
A negotiation rule of thumb was to narrow the point of contact down to one person.
In this case, the point of contact was Abel.
"I heard that Marquis Nyusha overthrew the former royal family, and that this fortress is resisting him."
"That is right."
"Is it likely to turn into a war with that Marquis Nyusha person? Is that why you are training?"
"I cannot say the possibility is zero, but we want to avoid war at all costs."
"Is that your personal view, Commander Molga?"
"No, not just mine… the merchants who run the self-governance of this fortress feel the same way."
"Ooh."
Abel looked a little surprised.
"I thought this had a very dangerous smell to it… I was sure you were preparing to go to war."
"On the Marquis's side, they also seem to wish to avoid war."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. This Zaarash fortress has proudly been considered impregnable since the era of the Go Royal Family. There was even a time when two hundred soldiers repelled an attack by two thousand regular troops."
"That's impressive."
Abel admired that.
As a general rule for fortresss and castles, the upper limit of defenders who can hold out is said to be five times the attacking force.
To have repelled an enemy ten times their number was proof of Zaarash fortress's excellence.
"However, the people defending the fortress right now have very few veteran soldiers."
"Why is that? The civil war itself has been going on for nearly five years, hasn't it? If they have been fighting all that time, wouldn't they have gained experience?"
"Yes, that was the case until two months ago… There's a town called Bond a little way from here. Together with this Zaarash fortress, it is fair to say that it is the center of the anti-Nyusha camp. In Bond, an epidemic broke out… and tragically, at that time the priest had left the town, so many people died."
"I see. The veteran soldiers of this fortress were reassigned to fill that gap."
"Yes. The other side is not as sturdy as this fortress. If it's attacked, they will be driven into a difficult situation, so it couldn't be helped."
Molga answered with a grimace.
"In fact, the first meeting between both camps will be held the day after tomorrow."
"Ooh…"
"I will attend as the military administrator as well, but… privately, the Marquis's camp has also indicated that they wish to avoid military conflict. If a large-scale armed clash breaks out, it could invite intervention from neighboring countries. That is something neither side wants. Not us, and not the Marquis's camp either."
"I think that's a sensible judgment."
Abel nodded.
That's right. The troublesome part of a civil war was intervention by neighboring countries.
That had not changed in any era, in any country.
To end a civil war without armed conflict, or by avoiding large-scale violence… that ought to be good for everyone…
"Is there an intermediary, or someone in the middle, for that meeting?"
"There is. The Handal Union will serve as the intermediary."
"I see."
When it came to a meeting between camps that had been in conflict for a long time, there was always a need for an organization to mediate.
In most cases, it was a country with power.
Because if, at the meeting, one side used an underhanded assassination attempt or something similar, it would be a problem.
If a powerful country acted as mediator, then if it felt its dignity had been insulted, it could turn against the offender… so underhanded attacks would be avoided.
That was why it mattered who served as the intermediary.
If it was the Union, that should be more than enough power.
"But I have heard that the Marquis's camp is not satisfied with that part."
"Is that so?"
"They say the Union is not neutral, because in the end it plans to absorb all of us."
"Yeah…"
At Molga's explanation, Abel gave a small nod.
"What you wanted from us… or rather, from Ryo, was help with training?"
"Not just Ryo-dono. We would like Abel-dono to help as well."
"The request fee will double, you know?"
"Ugh… I will somehow persuade the merchants about that…"
Molga grimaced.
"Still, that is fine. How many people and at what level are we talking about training?"
"Thirty who had never even held a sword until a month ago, and twenty who have learned the basics but are still too shaky to send onto the battlefield."
"Hmm."
"In any case, this fortress does have a sword master."
"Oh?"
"He is already over sixty, but he is stronger than any of the guards. He is called Old Master Masuda. He has been in this fortress since the era of the Go Royal Family, and in fact, he once trained me as well."
Molga smiled wryly.
"But even he is complaining that, with twenty young people already being trained and then another fifty all at once…well, I should say there have already been nearly twenty people under training from before. He has his hands full just with those. He says there is no way he can handle fifty more. And then a 'C-rank adventurer' comes along, right? Well, Ryo-dono does wear a robe and looks like a magician… but still, I thought it might be good to have the two of you help with the training."
"Yes, I am a magician."
Only then did Ryo finally speak.
He was proud of being a water-attribute magician.
But Abel glanced at him sideways.
He did not say anything out loud, but his eyes were saying it for him… Weren't you the sword instructor for the Rune Knights?
Ryo noticed Abel's gaze too, but ignored it with a refined expression.
That was that; this was this.
"May I think about it a little?"
"Of course."
At Abel's words, Molga widened his eyes and nodded.
He had probably assumed, even before coming here, that the answer would be no.
And even while talking, he likely had not expected to get a favorable answer at all.
"There is a training ground for the Fortress Training Association, so please come there. It's right by the west gate. As for the exact location, the front desk at the Sleeping Sand Inn will know, and so will anyone in town."
Having said that, Molga left.
"Abel, let us cooperate."
Ryo, in complete contrast to the previous night, agreed more positively than usual.
"That's rare."
Abel was surprised by that.
"I felt that Molga-san's wish to avoid war was genuine. So I want to help with that. I will also forgive last night's rude and violent behavior."
"Violent behavior…"
Abel shook his head slightly.
"I do not want war to happen."
"Yes. If only one side was warmongering, that would be one thing, but if both sides want to avoid it, then helping with that is the way of people."
"Ryo is a battle maniac, but he hates war, huh."
"How rude! Individual combat and war, where the lives and deaths of many people are at stake, are completely different things."
Ryo made the distinction very clearly.
Of course, the history-loving Ryo knew that human history was inseparable from war.
And yet, even so, he did not think war was something absolutely necessary for people.
When it came to countries, they were so large that unavoidable clashes could occur… it would be difficult to prevent conflict through individual effort alone.
And as a result, nobody becomes happy… that is what war is.
Well, he was forgetting to deny the point that Ryo himself was, on a personal level, a battle maniac… but still.
"The contradiction of training people so that war will not occur…"
"Yes. Ultimately, mutually assured destruction becomes a strong deterrent… While it may not be omnipotent, it does contain a certain truth. It is hard to start a war against an opponent you know will counterattack strongly and without hesitation. It's the same as how a bully does not choose someone tough, violent, and scary as the target of their bullying."
"I don't really understand it… but if there is a way to solve problems without war, then that is obviously better."
At Abel's words, Ryo nodded silently.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0702 At the Frontier IV
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After reaching a consensus, the two of them left the inn while leaving Andalusia and Feiwan behind.
If they went to take a look at the training grounds and ended up disappointed, they could simply return to the inn, complete the formalities there, and leave the fortress right away.
The training grounds had spectator seating built atop the wall.
It seemed one could sit there, observe the training, and watch mock exercises.
The two of them moved to a section of those stands.
From there, they watched what kind of training was being carried out.
They watched, but…
"They're just running laps…"
"Looks like young men. About fifty of them?"
"Then are those the kids we were asked to train?"
"Maybe so, but… why are they running instead of swinging swords?"
Abel tilted his head.
At that moment, a voice came from the opposite side of the stands.
"Run, run, run! On the battlefield, if your stamina runs out, you die! If you run out of stamina, even the most skilled first-rate swordsman will die! So run and build your stamina!"
The one shouting so loudly seemed to be an old man sitting in the stands.
"What he's saying is very reasonable."
"Sounds a lot like Ryo's way of thinking."
"Yes, indeed. The person who can keep moving until the end can stand until the end. The person who stands until the end survives."
Ryo stated it flatly.
Several decades had passed since he came to 'Phi'.
Even now, his view had not wavered.
Rather, the longer time passed, and the more people he interacted with, the more convinced he became.
"Is the one shouting the instructor?"
"Probably. Even from a distance, he has the stance of a swordsman."
With a wooden training sword in hand and long white hair tied back, there was no doubt at all that he was a swordsmanship master.
While the two were watching for a while, someone called out to them.
"Oh, you came!"
It was Molga, the commander of the guard corps.
"If it helps avoid war."
"Well, Abel is a swordsman, after all."
Abel and Ryo replied, each for their own reasons.
One of them was being a little contrarian.
"Let me introduce you to Elder Masuda."
With that, Molga turned toward the old man and shouted,
"Master!"
At the sound, the long-white-haired elder looked over.
He must have understood the situation, because he quickly walked over to the three of them.
"Molga, are these the people you mentioned?"
"Yes. This is the C-rank adventurer Ryo-dono, and this is his pack carrier, Abel-dono."
Molga introduced them exactly as he had heard.
"I see. Ryo-dono, I ask that you assist with the training. And as for… a pack carrier?"
Master Masuda shook hands with Ryo, then turned his gaze to Abel and looked him over from head to toe.
"Was it Abel-dono? You are clearly a swordsman, are you not? That stance, that bearing… no, and that sword itself is a magic sword, is it not? Someone like that is a pack carrier?"
"Since Ryo said I'm his pack carrier, there is nothing to be done. As long as I do not have an adventurer guild card, I am a pack carrier."
"I-I see."
With Abel's almost brazen explanation, Master Masuda accepted it, though his expression still looked unconvinced.
"He may be a pack carrier, but as you can see, he is quite skilled."
"I agree."
Master Masuda nodded in agreement with Molga's words.
Those who could see, understood.
That was how extraordinary the swordsman Abel was.
"Do not mind it. I am just a pack carrier."
Abel's answer did not change.
By this point, there was naturally one person who began to feel awkward.
He had half-jokingly said, "Abel is my pack carrier", and never imagined it would be rubbed in this much.
Ryo became unable to bear it.
He resolved to use his words more carefully from now on.
"If we are teaching from the basics, Abel is the right choice."
"Me? Why?"
Abel tilted his head at Ryo's words.
"Because you really did learn that Hume-style or whatever properly, right?"
"Oh! The famed orthodox Hume-style swordsmanship. That is reassuring."
Master Masuda nodded deeply.
Even in this remote frontier, Hume-style swordsmanship was known.
"I learned properly a long time ago. After that, as an adventurer, I was more or less self-taught… ah…"
"So you were indeed a former adventurer."
"Then you must have been a high-ranking adventurer."
Abel slipped up, Molga nodded, and Master Masuda inferred it from the atmosphere Abel gave off.
"Well, yes, I was a former adventurer, certainly… but rather than me, you want Ryo here."
"Me? I'm exactly what I look like, a magician."
"I thought as much from the robe, but…"
Master Masuda nodded.
"Do not be fooled by appearances. Ryo is a magician, and yet he used to serve as an instructor in swordsmanship for a knight order."
"For a knight order, not a magic order?"
"That's right, a knight order."
At Master Masuda's question, Abel nodded.
"D-Don't drag me into this! I'm just an utterly harmless water-attribute magician, just like you see!"
Ryo protested to Abel.
"Well, in any case, we would appreciate your help with the training."
"Indeed. Come to think of it, Molga, weren't you talking with Chairman Pisek just now?"
"Yes. They said that if the two were going to help, they wanted payment for both. He agreed."
Molga nodded with a smile.
"That Chairman Pisek person, is he the top person in charge this time?"
"Hmm, he is the man coordinating the merchants this term."
"So he is someone who also attends meetings with the Marquis."
"Yes, he is the one responsible for negotiations as well."
To Ryo's innocent question, Molga answered; to Abel's confirmation, Master Masuda nodded.
To put it plainly, he seemed to be the most important person in this fortress right now.
If such a person had taken the matter upon himself, then the request fee would properly be paid for both of them.
"Good for you, Ryo."
"Good for you, Abel."
And so, the two of them ended up helping train fifty newcomers.
"I should probably be the one to teach the basics to the thirty who have only just picked up swords."
"That sounds reasonable. I'm the one who's unusual in lots of ways."
"Even the way you hold a sword is different."
"That's how I was taught. It's a difference in the principles of swordsmanship."
Ryo objected to Abel's remark.
It was only a difference of whether the fists were kept together or separated, but each had its own purpose and its own aim.
Keeping both fists together increased power and speed.
Separating both fists increased control.
Which to emphasize… even a single sword grip changed the outcome.
Master Masuda introduced the two of them, and training began with each of them using swords.
Of course, they were not real swords, but wooden swords.
Not even iron swords with blunted edges, but wooden swords.
The thirty people Abel instructed were, overall, quite young.
There were none in their twenties, and many of them looked like they might not even have reached the age of adulthood at eighteen.
Even so, their expressions were completely serious.
They had not been forcibly drafted into the guard unit; everyone had volunteered.
That was why they were learning earnestly and with all their strength.
Even in Master Masuda's running-centered training, no one gave up; they all kept up.
They also took Abel's instruction, centered on forms and practice swings, with great seriousness.
First, they learned the movements of the sword.
Then they learned the movements of the body that accompanied those motions.
Facing an opponent was a matter for later.
First, the sword and oneself.
That was Abel's instruction.
By contrast, the twenty assigned to Ryo were completely different.
They had already mastered the basics, but Molga and Master Masuda judged them still too early to send to the battlefield.
Their swords were also wooden, but compared with the raw beginners Abel was teaching, they were clearly already accustomed to swinging a blade.
As far as Ryo was concerned, it would have been a problem if they were not.
Ryo did not know Hume-style swordsmanship, of course.
In the first place, he did not know the swordsmanship of this world, 'Phi', at all.
He had served as a swordsmanship instructor in the Rune Knight Order, but back then, he had beaten people into shape.
This time…
He would not beat them into shape.
"Right, left, right, good. Do not take a breath! The enemy will not wait for you!"
"Up, up, your footing is slipping! Keep your focus, but still watch your opponent as a whole! If you get trapped by one point, you'll lose sight of the rest!"
"Here I come! Dodge, dodge, dodge! Good! Now counterattack! Oh, that's it!"
Without beating them down, he praised and corrected them… compared to when he had been an instructor for the Rune Knight Order, it was gentle training.
In Rune, the opponents were the knight order.
They had the awareness and resolve of knights. Their will was strong.
In the first place, he had inherited Sera's training method and was being asked to "beat them into shape", so he had done so… but things were different here.
He chose the proper method so that the other side could accept it.
That was the basis of education.
Training is a part of education.
If that was the case, then it was only natural for the instructor to change the method according to the learner's level of mastery.
Instruction that the other side cannot accept is meaningless.
Both of them took breaks at appropriate intervals.
"Ryo, you're gentler than when you were with Rune."
"That was only because the training demanded by the Rune Knight Order was abnormal."
Abel said with a smile, and Ryo answered with a slight frown.
He could not accept that the beat-them-into-shape style in Rune was considered normal.
"Your tone and manner of speaking are different too. It feels more like proper swordsmanship instruction than usual."
"Really?"
For Ryo, he was just doing what he remembered from the kendo dojo he attended three times a week back when he lived on Earth.
"Even with wooden swords, if you let your guard down, you'll get hurt. But if you're too harsh, it does not really sink in… finding the right balance is the hard part."
"You really think this through."
Abel admired Ryo's thinking.
"Isn't this normal? Rather, what did you think I was?"
"A battle maniac."
"…"
Of course, that was a joke.
Abel had seen not only the instruction for the Rune Knight Order, but also the instruction given to the disciples of the water-attribute magicians from the Gecko Company.
There, Ryo had truly taught by 'praise and encouragement'.
He remembered the children happily using water-attribute magic.
At that moment, Master Masuda, the 'instructor', came over to them.
"I watched the two of you instruct them, and it was splendid."
They had been praised.
"Well, not really."
"I was just remembering what I learned long ago."
Both Ryo and Abel felt embarrassed.
The two of them were bashful.
Even so, there were things that needed to be said.
"Everyone is honest and trying very hard, but…"
"No, I understand exactly what you mean."
Without Abel needing to say it, Master Masuda understood as well.
"To make them ready for the battlefield, it will take months, no, years."
"Yeah."
"I know that, but it can't be helped. If no one ever takes the first step, no one can move forward from there. Of course, I also understand that it is the adults' job to create a situation in which those children never have to go to the battlefield…"
"In that case, that's fine."
Master Masuda answered with a bitter expression, and Abel had no wish to press the matter further, so he dropped the matter.
"The meeting with the marquis's camp was the day after tomorrow, correct?"
"Yes. Both sides want to avoid armed conflict… that is one point on which they should agree. But…"
"Do you have concerns?"
"Whether the mediators truly feel the same way is the problem."
"The Union…"
Abel also frowned.
"Is the Union hoping for a clash?"
Ryo asked the two of them.
"To be honest, I don't know. During the era of the Go royal family, the merchants in this fortress… rather, most merchants in the kingdom… had the Union as their trading partner. Because of that, they were able to bring the Union into the role of mediator this time."
"The Union, with its large population and huge market, would naturally be a trading partner. But the Union moves according to the Union's own logic."
"The Union's own logic?"
Master Masuda spoke of the past, Abel nodded, and Ryo asked.
"Ryo, do you know the official name of the Union?"
"I think it was… the Handal Union."
"That is right. As the name suggests, it originally was an alliance of several dozen countries. The union government is run by the ten countries at the center of the Union, but it is indeed an association of many nations. As for how those nations entered the Union…"
"Oh… The Union kept expanding?"
"Of course, there were a few countries that could no longer survive on their own and applied voluntarily for membership in the Union… but even then, the reasons they 'could no longer survive' had some suspicious aspects to them. As for the other countries, there were many instances of armed invasion."
"Every world ends up solving things through force, in the end…"
Abel spoke of the Union's history, and Ryo sighed.
Certainly, compared with long and complicated diplomatic negotiations, war, a means by which everything is resolved if you win, might be easier for a country's ruling class to understand.
But the people become unhappy.
If they are put at a disadvantage and their own country becomes a battlefield, that goes without saying; even if they are winning, sending supplies to the front lines means the supplies inside the country decrease.
In particular, because adult men are taken to the battlefield, many departments within the country begin to suffer labor shortages.
The act of war places far too much strain on the very foundations of a nation…
"I would like the ruling class of every country to make more thoughtful decisions and take more prudent actions."
"R-Right."
Abel, for form's sake, agreed with Ryo's argument.
After all, Abel was a central figure among the 'ruling class' as His Majesty the King.
"The best outcome for the Union may be for both sides to collapse together."
"Indeed, there may be people in the Union government who think that way."
Master Masuda's words drew a nod from Abel as well.
The former Kingdom of Go, including this fortress, was a neighboring state to the Union.
As a basic principle of governing a nation, it was troublesome for neighboring states to become too chaotic, but it was also troublesome for them to become too strong.
If they became too chaotic, refugees would flow in, and public order would deteriorate.
If they became too strong, there would be a risk of armed invasion or pressure diplomacy backed by that threat.
The ideal was a split that never fully consolidated and never led to armed conflict.
"Thinking about it that way, this situation right now…"
"Might be ideal for the Union."
Abel nodded in agreement with Ryo's words.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0703 At the Frontier V
-x-X-x-
On the third day after Ryo and Abel took on the task of providing training instruction, evening came.
"They seem to have gotten used to the flow of training, too."
"It has only been three days, so of course we have not seen any real improvement in their abilities yet, but it seems each of them has settled into a daily routine."
Both Abel and Ryo were satisfied to see that the expressions on the faces of the fifty people training had become lively and fulfilled.
Then an old man with long white hair came over.
"Looks good."
"Oh, Masuda-dono."
"Master, thank you for your hard work."
Old Masuda called out happily, Abel nodded, and Ryo greeted him.
"You two are good teachers. Much better than I am."
"Nah, that is a bit…"
"Well, not really."
At Old Masuda's praise, Abel modestly deflected it, while Ryo blushed.
"No, really, I truly think it was the right decision to ask you two. It seems you are both on your way back to the Kingdom of Knightley, but how about staying here in the fortress instead? You could easily make a living as swordsmanship masters."
"Even so, that is a bit…"
"Yes, um… that is a little…"
Neither Abel nor Ryo could possibly choose that option.
People were waiting for them back in the kingdom, after all….
Old Masuda probably had not expected to be able to keep them there anyway.
He burst into hearty laughter.
The three of them noticed at almost the same time.
Someone had entered the training grounds.
"Hm? It looks like Molga has come back from the conference…"
"He looks gloomy."
"Ah, that is definitely the face of a failed conference."
Old Masuda, Abel, and Ryo could all clearly see how dark the expression of Guard Commander Molga was as he returned.
"Ah, all three of you…"
Even his voice sounded downcast.
"Going by that look, it didn't go well."
Old Masuda spoke without the slightest adornment.
Their relationship was such that there was no need to soften the words.
"Yes… rather than making any progress, it broke down after just one meeting. Both sides said they would not meet again."
"Oh my."
"That's…"
"It broke down on the first meeting…"
Molga was discouraged, while Old Masuda, Abel, and Ryo were all shocked.
Normally, when it comes to a major negotiation involving tens of thousands of people like this, even if no compromise or middle ground is found, that is within expectations.
The parties are supposed to work those things out at the second or third round of talks.
So to break down after just one meeting and say they would not meet again was unusual… or so Ryo thought.
But there had been a concern about this conference from the very beginning.
"Could it have been the mediator?"
"The mediator? If I remember correctly, that was the Deputy Minister in charge of foreign affairs for the Eastern Eighth District of the Handal Union… Don Le, was it? Yes, he seemed rather passive. Since it was the first meeting, perhaps he intended to let both sides speak freely for a while."
Responding to Ryo's words, Molga recalled the conference.
"Either way… it is bad enough that they say they will not meet again. And from both sides, too."
"Yes. That is why I have been feeling so discouraged."
"Still, Molga, this was not your fault, was it?"
"Perhaps not… but I went there as the military officer responsible for a conference that held the future of the fortress, and all I could do was watch it break down…"
With that, Molga let out a deep sigh.
"Marquis Nyusha and Chairman Pisek of the merchant guild both started the discussion in a very calm manner… and yet…"
After that, Old Masuda took the discouraged Molga away.
At times like this, he said, the best thing was to drink and forget.
Left behind were Ryo and Abel.
"There must have been covert activity by the Union!"
"What do you mean, covert activity?"
"They must have done something to make it break down!"
Ryo declared this with certainty.
"For example?"
"Eh? W-well, for example… yes, they could have planted agents under the Union's influence among the attendees on both sides in advance, then had them insult each other at the conference and wreck everything."
"Leaving the marquis' side aside, aren't the people attending the fortress conference basically all acquaintances? They have lived together inside this fortress for five years."
"B-but you thought they had, like, a population as large as Kyradea, right? Twenty or thirty thousand people, you know? Surely some people do not know each other…"
"That might be true if you mean everyone in the fortress, but the ones who attended the conference were the upper leadership, right? Like Molga, the chief guard commander. If they are people in the upper ranks, they all know each other."
"Grrr…"
Ryo's delusion was shut down by Abel's perfectly reasonable argument.
Yes, of course, the 'Union covert activity theory' was Ryo's delusion.
He had no evidence whatsoever.
Besides, since he had not been there at the conference, he could not know what sort of situation had led to the breakdown…
Although Abel had dismissed Ryo's delusion, it seemed he had something on his mind.
Noticing this, Ryo moved quickly to get the first word in.
"The Union covert activity theory was my claim first! Abel, do not steal it!"
"I am not stealing anything!"
"But you were thinking about something just now, right? In this situation, the only thing to think about is trying to steal my claim…"
"How did you get to that conclusion?"
Abel was appalled by Ryo's further delusions… no, rampage.
"What bothered me was that Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Eastern Eighth District, or whatever he was."
"Don Le? That name is unusual and distinctive, isn't it?"
Because it was rare and distinctive, even Ryo had managed to remember it after hearing it only once.
"There is a country called the Kingdom of Prema in the eastern part of the Union. I seem to remember hearing long ago that the Count Le family effectively runs that country."
"Is Don Le from that count's family? Maybe the count himself?"
"I'm not too familiar with the details, but he is certainly not the count himself. Still, I think he's part of the Count Le family."
"So the Union covert activity theory really might be…"
Ryo murmured it while nodding.
"Even if that is true, the things we can do are limited."
"I know. But I don't want to see people who want peace get dragged into war."
"I feel the same."
Abel nodded.
"I have reached an agreement on the policy of preventing covert activity by the Union."
"So you have?"
"Talking about this and that here will not solve anything. Let's go back to the inn and show our faces to Andalusia."
"…It is good to spoil your beloved horse, but how does that connect to preventing covert activity?"
As they spoke, both Ryo and Abel would, once they returned to the inn, first stop by the stable.
Then they would greet their own beloved horses before returning to their room.
Of course, they did the same in the morning before heading to the training grounds as well…
Naturally, the inn they were staying at was the Sleeping Sand Inn.
And, as also naturally as could be, Abel had negotiated so that the lodging expenses were paid by the client…in other words, by the merchants of this fortress.
Since that was such a wonderful arrangement, Ryo had not interfered in the negotiations.
"I wish negotiations could go that smoothly."
Ryo shook his head slightly.
The next day.
Guard Commander Molga did not appear at the training grounds.
He did not appear the day after that, either.
Nor the day after that.
And then, yet another day later, he finally showed up in the evening.
Even from a distance, it was obvious he was heavily exhausted.
And yet, his expression was bright.
"I did it, you two. Another conference has been arranged!"
"Ooh!"
"So the reason you did not come to the training grounds these past few days was related to that?"
"Yes. I went alone to Marquis Nyusha's castle and negotiated directly."
"Incredible…"
Ryo was shocked by Molga's answer.
Even if there had not yet been a full-scale armed conflict, there had been skirmishes.
After five years of confrontation, that was only natural.
And he went alone into the enemy's territory as the military officer responsible?
Depending on the situation, he could have been captured and used as bargaining material, or killed as an example to others… such possibilities existed.
This was not a relationship between countries.
It could not even be called an equal relationship.
Molga was the military officer responsible for what others saw as rebels, or, depending on the era, terrorists.
There was no telling how he would be treated.
And yet, he went.
To avoid war.
"Molga, you are amazing."
Ryo naturally bowed his head.
"No, no, stop that. I did not do anything that great."
Molga looked embarrassed.
Maybe people who accomplish great things are often shy.
"It is a big deal. That is not something just anyone can do."
"Ahahaha…"
Abel also praised him, and Molga gave a wry smile.
"It was sudden, but I managed to arrange for a second conference to be held the day after tomorrow."
"That's fast."
"Before the other side changes its mind. No, not just the marquis's side, ours too. We have to meet and talk first, or nothing will move forward."
Peaceful relations do not begin without dialogue.
"First, the second conference the day after tomorrow will be held in this fortress. The marquis himself said that he wanted an open place where the fortress people could see it, so in fact, the plan is to hold the conference right here in this training grounds."
"That's bold."
"Wait, so the marquis himself is coming here? The first meeting was held in neutral territory, right?"
"The third meeting after that will be held on the marquis's land. We will alternate. That means there will be at least two more meetings."
Molga nodded happily.
"Could it be that you are actually quite skilled at negotiations, Molga?"
"Not a Guard Commander, but a diplomat."
"Please stop that."
This time, Molga denied it with both hands waving in front of his face.
"You said the conference would be held in this training grounds, but is it not dangerous to have it in such an open place?"
"I thought so too… But the marquis said he wanted an open place. If he's going to come all the way to the fortress, he wants as many of the fortress people as possible to see it. So I suggested, on the off chance, that we hold it in the training grounds… and he accepted it."
"The marquis himself will come?"
"Yes. It is our, the guards', moment to shine."
Molga's face was filled with determination.
If anything were to happen there, everything would be reduced to nothing.
There would be no doubt that it would turn into armed conflict.
But if it succeeded… the fortress people could watch the conference itself.
It would be better to show the negotiation itself than merely announce the result.
The very reason a forum for discussion exists is to make the discussion itself public.
Its essence lies in the process rather than the outcome.
"To be honest, I want everyone in the fortress to unite and handle this together. Not just leave it to someone else or to specialists… I want each of us to see ourselves as one of the people directly involved."
"That's true. If armed conflict breaks out, everyone will be dragged into it whether they like it or not."
"And once that happens, it will be too late to say, 'This is not what we expected', or 'Why did you not handle it properly?'…"
Molga spoke his feelings, Abel spoke the facts, and Ryo spoke reality.
Does it not matter who does it?
Of course it does.
There is no such thing in this world as "it's all the same no matter who does it".
Different people produce different results.
That must not be forgotten.
There can be good outcomes, and there can be bad outcomes, too.
That is why everyone is involved, rather than placing responsibility on a specific person; everyone shares the responsibility….
"Some kind of democracy I have seen somewhere."
"What did you say, Ryo?"
"N-no, just talking to myself. More importantly, we have to train a lot over the next two days."
Ryo hastily covered it up.
"Just enough so that their spirit does not break."
"Shouldn't the usual concern be avoiding injury?"
"An injury can be healed with
"That sounds profound, yet it is shallow."
"Do not say that to me, of all people, Ryo…"
Abel said this while shaking his head slightly.
Then Molga began to explain the concrete arrangements.
"As for security, I want one skilled veteran and two rookies, working in groups of three."
"The skilled veterans are the people who were already here, and the rookies are the kids we have been training, right?"
"Yes. Of course, the direct protection of the representatives of both sides and the mediator will be handled only by veterans, but I would like them to help with security here in the fortress."
"Understood. It is better if they have something to aim for; that will motivate them."
Abel nodded at Molga's explanation.
Actual combat was still too difficult, but helping with security should not be a problem.
Even if trouble arose and they were dragged into rough situations, they could just shout or blow a whistle and call for allies.
Their fellow guards, of course, but also the people of the fortress themselves were, in a sense, allies.
Above all, the feeling that they could be useful would motivate their efforts.
Then the long-white-haired old master arrived.
"Oh, Molga, you are back. That expression of yours means you found a good angle, did you?"
"Yes, Master. The day after tomorrow, we will hold the second conference here in this fortress. After that, on another day, we will hold the third conference on the other side's land. That's how far I have secured things."
"Oh, impressive. I was surprised when I heard you had gone to the marquis's place to negotiate directly… but to come back with results is something else entirely. All right, then tonight we celebrate!"
"Last time too, you found some excuse or another to drink… and ended up completely drunk, did you not?"
"That little bit of drinking helped clear your head, and that's why this time went well, right? That just proves alcohol is wonderful!"
"Eh…"
Laughing, Old Masuda slapped the bewildered Molga on the back.
And then Molga was taken away by Old Masuda.
"Maybe the most amazing one is the master. He dragged away Molga, who is good at negotiations, without even giving him a chance to resist."
"Maybe that is what you call the experience that comes with age."
Ryo watched the two of them leave, astonished, while Abel gave a wry smile.
"But is it really all right to talk so openly about the security plan?"
"Talking openly? You are the one who always says that Hou-Ren-Sou is important, Ryo."
"That is true, but that does not mean you can tell just anyone."
"What do you mean?"
"If Abel were a pawn of saboteurs, it would be a disaster!"
"…That's true."
"You have to choose your information-sharing partners carefully."
"If I really were a pawn of saboteurs, what would you do, Ryo?"
"Even if my opponent were Abel, I would fight you with tears in my eyes! I cannot trample on the feelings of everyone in this fortress, who are putting everything on the line to avoid war."
"I see… I hope I'm not a pawn, then."
For some reason, Ryo nodded with a determined expression, while Abel did the rather skillful thing of sighing and shaking his head at the same time.
No one could stop Ryo's delusions.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0704 At the Frontier VI Part 1
The day of the second meeting.
Zaarash Fortress was in a fever that felt almost like a festival.
"They've even set up things that look like temporary stalls…"
"Where do they normally come from, I wonder?"
Ryo and Abel were both surprised.
There was no doubt that Zaarash Fortress was a fortress, but its scale was anything but ordinary.
Even before the civil war situation began, it had been the largest fortress in the Kingdom of Go, with an economy that functioned much like that of a city.
No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say it was even beyond an ordinary city.
A city flourishes only when it has trade with the surrounding areas.
And Zaarash Fortress, while being a 'fortress', conducted trade with the surrounding region… and even with cities in the Union, far away.
So perhaps, having heard the news from somewhere, people brought all the gear for running stalls and came in from outside… maybe that was it.
"This grilled fish skewer is delicious."
"They say the fish was caught in the oasis where the fortress floats… but that is clearly a lake, no matter how you look at it."
Both Ryo and Abel were already eating grilled fish sold at the stalls.
If they were going to be here, they might as well enjoy it. Otherwise, they would be missing out.
On this point, the two of them were in complete agreement.
"This might be a long day, after all. If we end up skipping lunch, it would be better to eat while we can."
"Yeah. That's exactly the basic rule of an adventurer."
Ryo and Abel, offering excuses to no one in particular, next bought and ate meat skewers as well.
Yes, that made two stalls and two items.
Incidentally, they had eaten two grilled fish skewers each, so the meat skewers were their third item.
Probably needless to say, they had also bought two meat skewers each… so each of them had eaten four skewers from the stalls.
"You cannot survive on fish and meat alone. You need to consume vegetables and fruit as well."
"As expected of Ryo. You say the right things."
Finally, the two of them arrived at the training grounds while eating a dessert of sorts: a rindo that looked exactly like an apple.
By the time they arrived, preparations for the meeting were mostly complete.
There was no particular task assigned to the two of them.
The children they had trained were guards… still more like apprentices, but guards nonetheless.
So they were out on patrol.
However, the two of them were adventurers, and nothing more.
They had no official role.
This was the stage where the trained children would make their public showing, and it was also a crucial meeting that could determine the future of the fortress' people… whether war would be avoided or not.
And it was being held under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd.
"Normally, meetings like this, where the top people show up, are held behind closed doors, right?"
"Yeah. Most of the time, the two representatives announce the agreed terms only after everything is finished."
"This time they are deliberately holding the meeting in front of everyone… If saboteurs are mixed in, it could get serious…"
"Are you saying I might be one of those saboteurs' lackeys?"
Abel threw back the remark he had been given the other day.
"It was obviously a joke. If you keep whining over small things, you will never become a king."
"I am, technically, the current king…"
"Maybe the people around you are just acting that way because they feel sorry for Abel."
"…I don't understand what that's supposed to mean."
The two of them took their seats in the rows marked 'Reserved Seats'.
Molga had told them to sit there on the day of the meeting.
"There are names written here too."
"Mine says 'Abel-dono', and yours says 'Ryo-dono', so that matches."
"The seat next to ours says 'Master'."
"Elder Masuda, then. This is indeed the reserved section."
Ryo and Abel sat in the seats with their own names.
The 'Reserved Seats' probably held around twenty people in total.
After the two of them sat down, more and more seats in that section were filled.
Most of those people were unmistakably merchants.
"Merchants are easy to spot at a glance, aren't they? Swordsmen and scouts have peculiar ways of walking that make them obvious, but merchants walk normally. Why are they still easy to spot, I wonder?"
"Beats me… don't ask me."
At Ryo's question, Abel also looked over the people who seemed to be merchants sitting in the reserved section.
They did indeed look like merchants.
"Oh, I know."
"I get the feeling that whatever you are about to say is going to be wrong before I even hear it."
"They give off the smell of money, I am sure."
"Yep, just as I expected. I was right after all."
Abel shook his head lightly at Ryo's self-satisfied line.
"Your guesses are based on the air about them, Ryo. You probably feel something similar for the merchants."
"What a frivolous explanation… and you are spreading slander against me at the same time."
Ryo grimaced.
But then he raised his head again.
"Our disciples are doing their best!"
"Disciples…we have not taught them for long enough to call them that though."
"It is not about time. It's philosophy. It's about how deeply you can convey the spiritual core of a thing. That's what it means to take on disciples."
"With you, Ryo, the strange part is that at first glance it sounds like you are saying something profound."
"How rude! I'm always saying profound things."
"Maybe to yourself."
Both of them had, in fact, taken on people who could be called 'disciples'… but it seemed that people's perceptions differed.
Ryo and Abel could see the children they had trained walking along the opposite-side stands of the training grounds, checking to see whether any suspicious objects had been dropped there.
"So the sight of people checking for explosives is the same everywhere, then."
"Explosives?"
"Something like the kingdom's 'black powder'."
"Oh. Yes, something like that would be a serious problem."
Abel nodded.
During the three years since he had ascended the throne, research into 'black powder' had advanced.
So Abel understood its properties, including its destructive power.
"I don't know whether research into 'black powder' has advanced around here, but there could be something similar in alchemy."
"Yes, indeed. Human imagination can sometimes produce terrible things. Imagination is truly an infinite power, but if used wrongly, it can make mankind miserable. Be careful, Abel."
"Me? Why me?"
"More often than not, the source of a problem is the ruler. It is troublesome if imagination is too poor, but if it is too rich, then those around them are dragged about and suffer. Moderation… balance is what is needed."
"I'm not convinced, but very well."
Abel ended the discussion because he saw someone he knew approaching.
"Oh, Master."
"Elder Masuda, have you been walking around inside the fortress?"
"Mm. There were quite a lot of people I had never seen before. A considerable number had come from outside. As for the stalls, about ninety percent of them were like that."
"Eh? Then the grilled fish, the meat skewers, and even the rindo stand we ate from…?"
"Most likely so."
"You ate that much since early this morning? How vivacious…"
Ryo and Abel confirmed it, and Elder Masuda marveled at the appetite of the young men.
No one present pointed out that Ryo and Abel belonged squarely in the category of big eaters…
By this point, the stands at the training grounds were almost full.
In the center of the training grounds, seats facing each other had been prepared for the negotiators of both sides, along with seats that seemed to be for the mediators, placed in positions where they could oversee everything.
"The central seats only have space for about three people on each side."
"That's right. There are about ten seats prepared a little farther away, but… only the main negotiators will probably sit in the center."
"The mediators… even the Union people's seats are only for three. With so few, an assassin would not be able to get in."
"There wouldn't be an assassination in front of this whole crowd."
"You never know? The enemy is the Union, after all. Who knows what they might do?"
For some reason, Ryo was folding both arms and making an airs of superiority while offering his commentary.
What exactly did Ryo know about the Union?
Of course, nobody knew. Not even Ryo himself.
No, there was one swordsman here who was closest to the truth.
"You are just making that up on the spot, aren't you?"
"G-guh."
Ryo's eyes darted around before he could stop himself.
"Oh, look, the delegation is coming in."
"…Yeah, they are."
Ryo thought he had successfully dodged the question.
Feeling sorry for him, Abel let the matter drop.
The first group to enter was a cluster centered around merchants.
"So this is the fortress's delegation."
"Seems like it. The one leading them is…?"
"Mm. That's the head of the merchants' association, Pisek. He's this term's coordinator for the merchants. In other words, he is the representative of this fortress."
Ryo confirmed it, Abel asked, and Elder Masuda answered.
"He feels like a merchant who has kept producing results."
"…I am not entirely sure what you mean. He does not seem aggressive, but he looks like the type who would absolutely protect his subordinates."
"So there are merchants of offense and merchants of defense?"
"Yes. Both are necessary to the people."
"Gecko seems like an offensive merchant. Chairman Pisek feels like a defensive merchant. A stone wall."
Ryo nodded.
Hearing that, Elder Masuda laughed.
"You have an interesting way of seeing people. Certainly, Pisek and the 'Sand Trading Company' he leads are not the sort to keep releasing one new product after another. They treasure their long-time customers and their goods. That is why, in the Union, there are apparently nobles whose families have kept using the company's products for three generations."
"Keeping repeat customers is important."
Ryo nodded.
It was troubling when a product one had always used was discontinued… many people felt that way.
After all, the successor product was not necessarily a good fit.
But then Ryo suddenly thought of something else.
"You said Pisek leads the 'Sand Trading Company', right?"
"Yeah."
"Could it be that they have inns or eateries inside this fortress?"
"They do. The best inn in the fortress, the 'Sleeping Sand Inn', and the popular eatery, the 'Dining Sand'."
"I knew it!"
Ryo nodded at Elder Masuda's explanation.
"So that's the inn we are staying at."
"Yes, yes. Which means Pisek-san must be a truly wonderful person."
Ryo declared it as if it were a certainty.
"Why do you say that? Certainly, the inn and the eatery are both well equipped."
"It is not just the facilities. The smiles of the staff are wonderful! That means the hospitality… in all sorts of interactions, they treat people pleasantly. That must mean the working environment is good."
"Ah… that's probably a fair point."
Ryo argued strongly, and Abel agreed.
People's evaluations of the owner or management change depending on whether the inn they are staying at is good or bad.
Perhaps that was only natural.
The next delegation to enter had a figure at the front who was clearly a noble.
Yes, a presence that made it obvious at a glance that he was a noble.
He was by no means posturing arrogantly.
Rather, his expression was gentle, but it also showed that he was a person of strong will.
"Is that Marquis Nyusha?"
"Yes, that's Marquis Nyusha himself."
Elder Masuda nodded at Abel's question.
There was no hatred or resentment visible in Elder Masuda's expression or manner.
He was the leader of the opposing camp, which had stood against them for five years, but it seemed there were no personal negative feelings involved.
Rather…
"To have come in person, he's indeed a remarkable man."
He seemed to hold something close to admiration.
"I was imagining someone more conniving."
For Ryo, seeing him for the first time, the expression was rather direct.
"Conniving… what are you talking about?"
Abel shook his head at the sheer oddity of the phrasing.
"No, because he destroyed the royal family, right? That makes him a bad person. So someone like that must have a sneaky face…"
"So you mean a face with little dignity?"
"Yes, yes. Exactly."
Ryo nodded as if he had gotten it right.
But hearing that, Abel again shook his head in denial.
"A guy like that could not possibly destroy a royal family."
"Is that so?"
"Think about it using the Kingdom of Knightley as an example. If you were going to name a noble capable of destroying the royal family, it would be someone like Marquis Heinlein, Margrave Rune, or perhaps Marquis Hope. All of them are truly first-rate people."
"Indeed."
Abel, the very person being hypothetically destroyed, was speaking in an absurdly hypothetical way… but nobody said anything.
That was because Ryo was the one playing the jokester, not the straight man.
"Oh, there is one more senior noble with power who does not seem very capable of handling things properly."
"Is there?"
"Duke Rondo."
"Eh… well, he really can't do politics or covert work at all… But Abel, you have that wrong."
"Hm?"
"If it were me, I would ask the monsters in Duke Rondo's domain to attack the royal family. That would definitely bring about the destruction of the royal family!"
"You would destroy the kingdom itself, not just the royal family…"
In the end, Ryo was the jokester, and Abel the straight man.
The last delegation to enter was…
"That's the Union's mediator, right?"
"That should be right. The one walking at the front is the Deputy Minister in charge of foreign affairs for the Eastern Eighth District…"
"Don Le-san, I believe? He looks really… tense."
"I won't deny it."
The mediation group numbered seven, including Don Le.
Seeing them, Ryo tilted his head slightly.
Because Abel was sitting next to him, he noticed.
"What is it?"
"No, see that one person in the mediation group wearing a hood?"
Ryo pointed it out.
At the remark, Abel looked at the mediation group.
Indeed, one person was wearing a hood.
"There is. Judging from the way she walks, she is probably a young woman."
"As expected of Abel. I thought she was a woman too, but… doesn't she seem out of place?"
"Hm? Well, all the people involved in the negotiations are over thirty. In that sense, she is young. She probably has some special skill."
"Right…? Something about her is bothering me."
Both representative delegations and the mediators were now in place.
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