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Kuro no Hiera Glaphicos - Volume 4 - Chapter 4.1




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Chapter 4.1

「—There’s no mistake . She’s the child whom we encountered in the morning mist」





Dimitar and Lucius looked at each other and nodded slightly .

She was the girl with that brutal knife whom Dimitar’s party had confronted in the forest at night on the outskirts of Krutoreto .

Perhaps the other side had also remembered Dimitar’s party; the girl opened her eyes wide in surprise, but without even showing a hostility that was worth mentioning, she hid herself behind the young man who was beside her .

Surveying the soldiers who had lined up in every direction of the room, Isaac scratched the tip of his nose and smiled wryly .

「This is, thanks… though for me, I’d like to have a talk quietly in a bit calmer atmosphere」

「Unfortunately, I’m a military person by nature… and this way calms me down one way or another . Moreover, there’s no official diplomatic relation between our country and Amaddo . I believe that it’s better to take precautions though…?」

「…We didn’t come here particularly to fight against you, you know, Euchemard-kakka?」

「If that’s the case, are you saying that the weak king of Aurillac had begged you in tears and you came to propose a reconciliation in their place?」

「He didn’t beg me in tears in particular, but ma, you’re not far from the mark, I guess . …Getting straight to the point, I’d like your army to promptly set this town free and return to Yururogu, please」

「You want us to withdraw…? You went out of your way to come here to say that?」

Picking up the cup of black tea, Euchemard repeated somewhat exaggeratedly . Shaking his sturdy shoulders, he laughed in a low voice .

「When one becomes the Crown Prince-denka of the continent’s strongest country, Amaddo… it seems that every day of his can’t help but be boring . To have gone out of your way to come here just to say such a ridiculous thing…」

Speaking of as per their assumption, it was a cold response as per their assumption . However, considering that there was also the possibility of not listened to from the beginning, it could be said that just sitting at the negotiating table like this, though imperfect, was better .

「…The rebels in Aurillac can’t mobilise their war potential as they want now . In contrast to them, our army’s morale rose due to gaining total control of this Luberuteiyu in a flash, and our fatigue from making the expedition to this place has already healed in these few days too . Additionally, reinforcements are arriving one after another . In this situation where everything is advantageous to us, why must our army make a concession and withdraw?」

Isaac threw many sugar cubes into his black tea, and yet he spoke without drinking a sip of it .

「—Certainly, Haiderota’s army might be having its hands full with suppressing the rioters at various places now . However, the movable war potentials are all gathering towards Delbrück, and even the Gale Chivaric OrderRorudor Rafuale is probably arriving there around this time . If they fight hard and stop your southward movement, the war potentials from various places should eventually come rushing and reverse the progress of the battle . With your current strength, do you really think that you can win against Haiderota in a protracted war?」

「I don’t intend not to see reality to that extent… the objective of the military operation this time is simply gaining a reconciliation with advantageous conditions after advancing our army close to Aurillac in one breath and making the usurper Remi Christian’s blood run cold, after all」

「If that’s the case, isn’t this enough already?」

「Well… I heard that Remi Christian is a somewhat happy-go-lucky man . I’ve been thinking if the threat isn’t enough with this degree, but… more importantly, there’s one thing that I want to make sure of with Your Highness first」

Facing Isaac who had unusually begun to show slight irritation, Euchemard put his cup onto the saucer and cleared his throat a little .

「…Is Isaac-denka really the great king Jeffren’s proxy, I wonder?」

「What makes you say that?」





「For example, suppose that we stopped our march here in accordance with Your Highness’s words and withdrew . Naturally, we’ll demand a certain level of compensation from those rebels in Aurillac . …However, where’s the guarantee that they’ll fulfil that agreement?」

The antagonism structure of Haiderota and Yururogu who mutually called each other “rebels” and “rebellion elements” was deep-seated . Like Euchemard had said just now, it was probably impossible that Yururogu would agree and withdraw its army unless there was a cession of territory or a payment of an enormous reparation .

However, if Haiderota didn’t abide by that agreement, the one who had to make up for it would be Isaac who acted as the intermediary for the reconciliation, namely Amaddo . If he wanted to use the phrase of “in consideration of our country”, he had to take on a certain level of risk too .

「…Well Your Highness, the problem here is your position . Are you really here as the great king’s proxy, I wonder? If Aurillac does a base breach of trust, will you—in other words, Amaddo kingdom, really pay a compensation that corresponds to us withdrawing our army here now, or will you not; I’d like you to say it definitely」

Moving the cup aside, Euchemard tapped the table with a “gotsu gotsu” with his finger .

「…If by any chance Your Highness isn’t actually the great king’s proxy, and if you aren’t here to represent Amaddo… then excuse me, but your words have no guarantee whatsoever . To relinquish a town which we should have obtained before our own eyes, only Aurillac will gain the advantage . And we can’t even demand that compensation from Amaddo」

「That, maa, I can only get you to trust me」

Although Isaac answered with a wry smile mixed in, Euchemard didn’t soften his expression at all .

「You want me to trust you without even an official letter? Before that, without even any guarantee that you’re really Amaddo’s Crown Prince, you want us to sit at the negotiating table with Aurillac… is that what you’re telling me?」

「—」

The smile disappeared from Isaac’s face .

Although he heard that Yururogu’s royal prince Euchemard was an excellent soldier, as might be expected from him simultaneously being the prime minister, it seemed that his brain also functioned quite well . Like Dimitar had worried, one could say that attacking Isaac coming here without having the king’s personal letter was the embodiment of this old general’s astuteness . As one would expect of Isaac too, perhaps because he knew that he didn’t have logic, it seemed that he couldn’t refute that point .

「Conceding a hundred steps… let’s assume that you’re truly Isaac-denka」

Without waiting for Isaac’s subsequent words, Euchemard continued further .

「Let’s assume that I believed those words of you representing Amaddo and being here as the great king’s proxy . And in addition… . You standing between us and Aurillac and doing this reconciliation negotiation means that your country is acknowledging us—we whom you call “North Haiderota” or “Yururogu” as an independent country… can I interpret it so, I wonder?」

「Your Highness—」

It was rare that that Lucius would commit a rude act of cutting into the representatives’ conversational exchange, but he probably couldn’t not interrupt the conversation no matter what . If they carelessly acknowledged Yururogu as an independent country here, their friendly relation with Haiderota whose position was to never acknowledge Yururogu might be shaken greatly .

「……」

Isaac lightly waved his hand in silence and restrained Lucius . Perhaps he wanted to say that he perfectly understood what Lucius wanted to say .

Raising the corners of his mouth with a “niyari”, Euchemard rested his chin in his hands .

「Do you understand…? To sit on that seat representing your country is, in other words, that sort of thing, Your Highness」

「Then」





Taking a deep breath greatly, Isaac nodded many times .

「…From here on, it’s small talk」

「What…?」

「A mere small talk . I’m a young man who just happened to be here by chance」

「Fu… you’re an interesting personage…」

「For example… this is hypothetical」

Sipping the black tea that was very likely to be considerably sugary, Isaac began to talk .

「—If you withdraw your army to the north as it is, what kind of compensation will you demand from the people in Aurillac? How much compensation do you think that they should pay? Is it land? Or is it money?」

「What will you do hearing that?」

「Iya, it’s a mere interest . I’m not thinking of trying to bring it back to Aurillac and suggest it to someone in particular」


「An allegory, is it…」

Looking at Isaac who had said something brazen, Euchemard smiled again .

「Nonetheless… the land which the rebels in Aurillac are unjustly occupying should be unified under the rightful king eventually; to not cede it at this stage now is unreasonable…」

「Then, what do you want?」

「Let me see… since this is a matter which we must get all the allies as well as Aurillac to agree, if we were to demand something from Aurillac, it’d be the diplomatic effort for that…」

「Diplomatic effort? What is it specifically ?」

「Presently, Aurillac unjustly has a possession quota of two Dominas, but one of them will be transferred to us, and moreover, we’ll be admitted into the Holy AllianceLiga Santourear—what we demand from Aurillac is the diplomatic effort to make all the allies consent to this」

「…!」

One could know that Valeria had gasped slightly .

As one would expect, Yururogu bringing up such a condition was unexpected even for Dimitar . The right to keep a Dominas and the affiliation to the “Holy Alliance” rather than territory, money or treasure—there was probably no move as brilliant as this to make Yururogu’s position as a country firm and dramatically change its relations with the neighbouring countries for the better .

However, that was why it was easily imaginable that Haiderota would never acknowledge this . It was impossible that they’d accept a condition that was equivalent to being told to hand over one Dominas when even counting Yururogu as an independent country was intolerable .

Thinking about it, Dimitar suddenly understood .

「…I see」





「What’s the matter, Dii?」

「If you include the discovery of talented people and the establishment of an educational institution, a long time of several decades and an enormous fund are needed for the training of a Dominas . Even if they try to train a Dominas from now, it can’t be done so easily . In such a plight, even if they say to hand over the possession quota of the Dominas, I don’t think that there’s any sense of reality to it at all… I see, it’s like that, huh . —They already have a Dominas?」

「—」

At Dimitar’s hoarse mutter, Isaac narrowed his eyes and stared at Euchemard—and then the girl who was secretly hiding behind the young man at the back .

「It can’t be—that child?」

「…My adopted daughter, Lampito Duevre . She’s our country’s “Dominas”… the greatness of her power, I believe that you already know it though」

「Negotiation has come to an end already, Lucius」

Without averting his gaze from Euchemard’s party who had spoken proudly, Dimitar quietly unfastened the clasp of Jagieruka’s scabbard .

Euchemard had already seen through the fact that Isaac didn’t have the authority to carry out an official negotiation with Yururogu . No matter how Isaac stood his ground, it was already impossible to make them compromise . In the first place, if they had even prepared a Dominas by their own efforts, they should only be thinking about dealing a blow of deep regret to Haiderota and in addition, making them accept the condition just now .

In that case, any negotiation more than this was useless, and there was no reason to remain here either .

「—Then」

Isaac picked up his hat and stood up .

「I’ll be drinking tea at Delbrück tomorrow . I’ve an acquaintance who likes small talk there too, after all—」

「That’ll be troubling」

When Euchemard said so, the young man who had been standing behind held up his right hand in silence .

「—」

With that as the signal, the soldiers who had taken on the posture of standing at attention along the walls at every direction took a step forwards with their spears at the ready .

Turning round, Isaac surveyed them and,

「…What kind of plot is this exactly?」

「I should have said it not long ago though? There’s no guarantee whether you’re really Amaddo’s Crown Prince or not at all」

Euchemard, who had placed his hands on the round table and stood up slowly, stroked his chin which was covered by white beard and, as if changing places with the soldiers, stepped back to the exterior of that circle .

「If you’re an impostor of the Crown Prince, that’s lese-majesty . We must arrest and severely question you and then hand you over to Amaddo」

「That’s reasonable . …So, what if I’m the real one?」

「Since it’s rare that I could get acquainted with Your Highness, I’d like you to come to our country by all means and stay for about half a year; afterwards, we’ll escort you to Amaddo」

Either way, he’d be captured and escorted to Yururogu . Euchemard most likely had decided to use this rough method, which was more effective and typical of him, to not let Amaddo intervene in this battle .

「…Maa, I did think that it might become like this though」

「Your Highness, please stand behind me . Dii, I’ll entrust Valeria-jou to you」

Staring at the soldiers who were shortening the distance gradually, Lucius muttered in a low voice .

「Iya, you’ll lead and cut a path open for us, Lucius」

「Do you have some plan?」

「Anyway, it’s fine if we escape, right? If that’s the case, it’s not a very difficult thing . I specially brought this person along for that」

Dimitar hit Bettina’s helmet with a “pechi pechi” and skilfully pulled Jagieruka out with his left hand .

「—Oi, you there」

Dimitar, who had judged that the one commanding the soldiers in place of Euchemard who had stepped back to the rear was that young man, pointed the tip of his sword at him and spoke in an arrogant tone .

「Whether they’re the real Isaac-denka and Costacurta-geika or not, I’ll teach you immediately . …Moreover, the difference between a real Dominas and a fake Dominas as well」

「…Nonsense」

The young man spat out coldly and placed his hand softly onto the head of the girl behind him .

Euchemard sighed lightly and spoke to the young man .

「Cyril, Lampito . Capture that girl and the Crown Prince alive without killing them . …Don’t kill them, all right?」

「Acknowledged」

「U, uu, un」

Lampito who had nodded with a “kaku kaku” pulled that huge knife out from its scabbard behind her waist . She surely wouldn’t use a flashy magic like that night’s in this room where friendly soldiers and Euchemard were, but even leaving projectile out entirely, it didn’t change the fact that the girl’s slaughtering technique was of extremely high degree .

「…Fun (humph)」

Dimitar poked the floor which was covered by a rug with his toes and after whispering to Valeria, raised his sword overhead .



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