Chapter 183: A Battle of Wits (2)

“An envoy passed through from where?”

I was camping near the exit of the secret passage in the Rolarsen Mountains that I had used before, preparing to enter as an official external delegation of the Canel Kingdom.

I couldn’t help but feel a little flustered by the sudden news.

At that, Caldein Flavan explained again.

“They say it was the Danas Federation, the Bachenan Holy Kingdom, and the Dior Empire.”

Three enormous powers at once.

Suddenly? I understood why the Bachenan Holy Kingdom had come.

But why had the Danas Federation and the Dior Empire come as well?

‘Were they secretly keeping an eye on the situation of the Mineta Kingdom all along? Otherwise, there’s no way they could have arrived this fast.’

Before regressing, I had never once left the royal capital of Canel or the Kanas Territory.

Everything I knew about the world outside the Canel Kingdom had come only from bits of information I heard now and then, or from books.

In the first place, I had been shocked when I encountered the Demonic Race directly.

I hadn’t even heard of their existence in my previous life……

“Let’s move as well.”

“I’ll have them prepare.”

The campsite was cleared out quickly.

Knights and soldiers lined up in formation.

At first, there had been 120 soldiers.

However, that was too many for an envoy, so I left only 30 and ordered the rest to return to the kingdom.

Those who remained were Patrick, Turklan, Negis, Calsios, and Caldein. Then Jade and his 11 subordinate guards. Along with 30 knights and soldiers.

Including me, that made 48 people.

It was quite a lot, but considering the scale of the Canel Kingdom, it didn’t feel bad either—almost like we had filled the numbers just right.

“Let’s depart.”

A carriage was set up among the troops arranged as an envoy.

As soon as I got into the carriage, it began to move.

Clatter, clatter.

Riding on horseback beside the carriage, Jade drew close.

“Master, isn’t another war about to break out in the Mineta Kingdom?”

“It won’t come to that.”

“But they say even the Empire and the Federation came. You could ignore the Holy Kingdom, but those two are sworn enemies. I was thinking it might be dangerous.”

Jade wasn’t wrong.

The Federation had been founded when nine small states banded together to keep the Empire in check.

Back then, many had looked down on the united nine minor states.

But their power had turned out to be greater than expected. Especially with their rapid development in magical operation and arcane technology, their position had grown increasingly solid.

Of course, I knew all of this as well.

Before regressing, when I lived in the Kanas Territory, I had read about it in a book called The Chronicles of the Danas Federation in the lord’s mansion library.

“They won’t do anything so openly.”

“Tch……”

“Did you ask because you wanted to fight?”

At the same time, I saw the aura leaking out from Jade.

I then checked Jade’s condition through Specific Analysis.

[Target Information]

Name : Jade Raizen

Age : 29

Occupation : Captain of the Guard

Life : 999 / 999

Stamina : 4,210 / 4,220

Mana : 1,900 / 1,910

Abilities :

Raizen-Style Swordsmanship Level 10

True Martial Art Level 8

His stamina, mana, and even his swordsmanship were all vastly higher than before.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but be startled.

Judging by the atmosphere of his aura, he had stably entered the intermediate stage of Sword Mastery.

‘Did something happen while I was gone?’

In terms of pure talent, Jade was actually better than me.

To be honest, I was no different from someone using an unidentified cheat key.

“Looks like you can use aura pretty well now?”

“Not as well as you, Master.”

“Why does that sound sarcastic?”

“Why are you picking a fight with me?”

“What do you mean picking a fight? How’s the guard unit? Do they listen well?”

Jade’s gaze spread outward, sweeping over the ten guards escorting us on the front line.

All of them were Sword Masters—strong individuals. Even if they were only at the beginner level, among swordsmen they were considered powerful.

“They’re fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

The guards had been selected from skilled mercenaries and adventurers.

When I first met them, their abilities had been around Level 7 to 8.

Excluding Sword Masters, they ranked among the upper tier even compared to most knights.

I had personally sought them out and placed them under Jade.

“It’s because you trained them so thoroughly, Master.”

“What did I do?”

“You trained them and nearly killed them all, didn’t you?”

“Me? When?”

“Don’t you remember the deathly game of tag? Just thinking about that still makes some of them jump in surprise.”

At Jade’s explanation, I looked at the guards walking on the outer perimeter.

A few of the guards on horseback, keeping watch in all directions, met my eyes.

The moment they did, they looked as though they had seen something they shouldn’t have, and their heads snapped away like lightning.

“…….”

“You see? That’s why people shouldn’t live committing sins.”

“You sure can talk. Ah, how are things back at the royal capital? Is everyone doing well?”

“Dike caused a huge scene. We even caught him trying to secretly follow you here and sent him back.”

“That bad?”

“Even when we tried to stop him, it took five guards to restrain him and drag him away.”

Anyone else hearing this might have thought it was nonsense.

But Dike was a Half Dwarf, blessed with immense strength. If we fought purely on strength, even I would be in danger.

“He really is something.”

“And when I think about how the guards first thought he was cute, only to end up being used as test subjects… ugh!”

Jade even shuddered, rubbing his arms while keeping them crossed.

“You must’ve gone through a lot.”

“When you return, Master, you should brace yourself too. Dike has been sharpening his knives for it.”

“……I wonder when I’ll be able to go back.”

I stared off at the distant mountains for no reason.

At the same time, the delegation gradually began to pick up speed.

Thud—.

In front of the western gate of the Mineta Kingdom’s royal capital, carriages, wagons, and troops were standing divided into three groups.

A heavy silence flowed through the air, far from bright.

Because of that, the soldiers guarding the gate were the ones having the hardest time.

‘I should’ve gone to report……!’

A quick-witted soldier moved first.

The soldiers left behind at the gate waited desperately for someone to come out from inside, under an atmosphere that felt like it was pressing down on their entire bodies.

Then, one of them locked eyes with a knight commander at the head of one of the groups.

In that instant, it felt as though a crushing pressure weighed down on his entire body.

“…….”

As silence lingered, a carriage came racing down the central avenue from inside the royal capital.

The carriage stopped in front of the western gate, and its door opened.

Step. Step.

The one who emerged approached the three groups.

“I am Vagran Ambraze, Duke of the Mineta Kingdom. It is an honor to welcome you to our kingdom.”

The Empire, the Federation, and the Holy Kingdom.

Since it was difficult to rank them by importance, no distinction was made.

At that greeting, the doors of each carriage opened, and those who served as heads of the delegations stepped down.

Marquis Keigaden Digargo of the Dior Empire.

Duke Meras Bladio of the Danas Federation.

High Priest Helion of the Bachenan Holy Kingdom.

All of them were figures not easily dealt with, even when visiting other nations.

They approached Duke Ambraze, who had been standing quietly.

“It has been some time. You must have worked hard resolving matters. And congratulations on your elevation to duke.”

“May you be blessed by Goddess Zigasis and meet only clear days ahead.”

Duke Bladio and High Priest Helion greeted him warmly.

In contrast, Marquis Keigaden Digargo of the Dior Empire wore a distinctly unpleasant expression.

“Why are you showing etiquette in such a manner?”

“……What seems to be the problem?”

“To think you would place our Empire on the same level as other kingdoms.”

Imperial supremacist ideology.

On the continent, imperial citizens—especially imperial nobles—were often rotten to the core.

“If we have caused offense, I apologize. However, how could our kingdom presume to rank other nations? I trust that Marquis Digargo, who has personally come from the great Dior Empire, will view this with magnanimity.”

He elevated the other party while calmly sealing their mouth.

Marquis Digargo frowned deeply, but he could not press the matter further.

Duke Ambraze then spoke again.

“Due to internal circumstances, we received word of your arrival only at the last moment. We have prepared as best we could, but if anything is lacking, please feel free to tell us.”

“Please do not trouble yourself, Duke.”

“There will be no difficulties.”

“What a thing to boast about, speaking in such a way.”

The intent to nitpick at any opening was painfully obvious.

After finishing the initial greetings at the gate, they prepared to head inside.

Thud-thud-thud-thud.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble more and more strongly, shaking the trees around the gate.

Dust rose from a hill to the northwest outside the gate. It wasn’t just one or two—an entire group was approaching rapidly.

The escort troops of each delegation turned to face that direction.

They looked ready to attack at any moment.

Then, a soldier peering through a telescope from atop the gate shouted.

“It’s the lion emblem! The lion emblem!”

He had spotted the flag planted on the carriage.

At that cry, Duke Ambraze nodded.

“It seems the delegation from the Canel Kingdom is arriving this time.”

“I see.”

“It seems the Mineta Kingdom has quite a lot of guests today.”

Duke Bladio and High Priest Helion readily agreed.

Once again, only Marquis Digargo took issue.

“Canel? Where exactly is that kind of kingdom stuck?”

“Do you truly not know the kingdom that nearly fell into civil war not long ago?”

Duke Bladio, who had been quiet, asked back with a faintly dismissive tone.

Marquis Digargo’s brow twitched.

“Ah~! I suppose I’ve heard something like that. They said something happened in some shabby, barbaric country to the south. A civil war, was it? An unthinkable affair in the Empire.”

What more could be said at this point?

In the end, silence followed.

Then, the delegation of the Canel Kingdom crested the hill and approached right up to them.

“Halt!”

At the front, Jade raised his horse’s forelegs high before bringing them back down.

Hiiiiiing—!

The horse shook its head violently, letting out a rough snort.

The presence pouring out from Jade’s entire body was anything but ordinary.

Before him, the three delegations stood quietly.

Whether because the atmosphere had grown heavier, or because it was a contest of wills, only stillness flowed.

In a place like this, speaking first felt like admitting inferiority.

“How insolent—! How dare you attempt to stand on equal footing with the Empire’s delegation!”

Marquis Digargo, already inflamed by the brief clash of presences, finally exploded.

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