Chapter 142
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 142 – Well, I’m Just Following Orders
Hearing Tigre’s surprised voice, the dignitaries of Heim peered into the box in confusion.
“…Warren. What in the world does this mean?”
Ralph, who didn’t understand, glared at Warren.
“If you are not satisfied with my words, please use this.”
“E-Even if you say use it… What are you trying to do…?”
The contents of the box were so surprising that Ralph was at a loss for words.
Although he was familiar with the contents of the box, he could not comprehend the intent of the gift.
“Warren-dono, I’m sorry to say that I don’t understand the purpose of this item either. Could you please tell me?”
Elena opened her mouth and asked about the item.
“Hmm? Have you never seen it before, Elena-dono?”
“No, of course I have. After all, this is…”
Elena continued to ask Warren.
Despite the fact that she was treated coldly, it was nice that she asked Warren like that.
“This is a knife… As expected, it is a product of Ishtalika, and I can see that it is a very good weapon.”
The item in the box was just a knife.
If it had to be described in words, it would be a high-quality knife that looked sharp.
“Oh, as expected from you, Elena-dono. As you say, it is the product of a craftsman, and I can guarantee its sharpness, can’t I?”
“So, could you tell us the meaning of handing this over to us?”
Elena’s honest impression was that talking to Warren was tiring.
This was not because Warren had a bad personality but because of his unique way of talking.
The way he paused, as if he was thinking about something, was really annoying.
“It’s simple. If you don’t agree with what I’m saying in today’s meeting, you can use it if you want. That’s what I mean.”
As he said this, Warren pointed to his left chest.
“It’s right here. If you could just give me a stab here, maybe you Heim could go a different way. Is that it?”
What kind of nonsense was this?
The Heim group, without exception, thought like that.
If they were suddenly given a knife and told to use it if they didn’t understand, who would understand what they were saying?
“Do you mean we have to use this knife? Is that even possible?”
“Well, I don’t know. If we have to, it will depend on Heim’s answer. Please sit down. Let’s begin today’s meeting.”
It looked like he had no intention of answering.
Tigre and Ralph, who didn’t understand what was going on but didn’t like the fact that the conversation wasn’t progressing, sat down as Warren had said.
Elena, looking dissatisfied, followed them and sat down as well.
“Warren. It looks like you’re the only one here, but are you going to start the meeting?”
Ralph opened his mouth and pointed out that Warren was the only one from the Ishtalika side.
The group of black-clad people behind him also caught his attention, but he thought they were probably there as guards, so he didn’t point it out.
“Yes. I’m the only one from Ishtalika here today.”
“I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday, but aren’t you taking us all too lightly?”
Ralph also showed his irritation at the overly arrogant attitude.
Still, Warren showed no sign of taking it to heart.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think we look down on you.”
“Hmph. We’ll see about that…! Besides, if you’re not looking down on us, what are you thinking?”
——Well, if you insist, I’ll tell you.
When Warren said this, he looked at them with hostile eyes for the first time.
It was the first time he had shown this side of himself, and it was a look that even Ain and Sylvird had never seen before.
“You are not on friendly terms with us, and you are merely an inferior opponent. You should know that it is a waste of time to even have His Majesty the King and His Highness Ain-sama present.”
The man Elena and Tigre thought Warren was was a calm and collected person who never showed any signs of hostility.
And yet, he was a pure-blooded official who carried a sword in his conversation.
And yet, the look in Warren’s eyes right now was like that of a monster, fierce and ferocious, making them feel as if he had come to hunt them.
Stunned by the power of his words, Ralph could only open and close his mouth.
However, Elena, who had regained her senses a moment earlier, reacted to Warren’s words.
“Warren-dono… Your words could be interpreted by some as a call for war. I think that, in terms of Ishtalika’s culture and ideals, that is something to be avoided.”
She responded to Warren’s words with a firm stance.
However, there was still no sign that he would soften his stance.
“In some cases, I suppose it is unavoidable. I pray that we will not find ourselves in such a situation.”
“…Wa-Warren-dono…!”
——The worst possible answer. The answer she least wanted to hear.
Has he become more confident? No, that’s not it.
What Warren was showing Heim now was the strength of the land of Ishtalika.
It was an answer that only the strong were allowed to give, and it could be taken because he was confident that even if he said those words, the other party would be intimidated.
Elena changed her mind.
The old man before her was not just an old man.
He was a symbol of the strength of the great nation of Ishtalika.
“I’ll say it again. Aren’t the words of the first king of Ishtalika something you Ishtalikans should obey above all else?”
Tigre and Ralph were unable to speak, so Elena continued to communicate with Warren.
However, she could feel her own anxiety growing.
This situation was very bad, and she had to do something about it… She desperately tried to think of a solution.
Ishtalika had reached the limit of their patience.
And Heim had been too confident that Ishtalika would not launch a preemptive attack.
She knew that the cost of continuing to believe in comfort had come back to haunt them, but now that they had come this far, they had no choice but to rely on it.
“We’re not there yet. First of all, would you please look at the documents on your seats? I’d like to show you something first.”
Upon hearing this, all of Heim’s leading figures picked up the paper without exception.
It was divided into sections for the proponents and the opponents.
At the end was a section for those who could not be categorized as either.
“Can you explain this document?”
Elena asked Warren, even though she had a bad feeling about it.
“Yes, of course. The nobles of Ishtalika are the ones who answered the questions in the document. Isn’t it wonderful?”
Elena heard this and looked at the paper again.
Had they prepared such documents? Please stop; she didn’t want to see which side was in the lead.
Still, she couldn’t help but look at what was written on the paper.
Elena read the contents of the paper as if devouring it.
The documents were handed over at that time.
The document was written with pro and con words, but the numbers were clearly biased.
Combined with Warren’s attitude earlier, this document.
The emotions the Ishtalika nobles had for Heim, the Heim party felt they were being confronted with it.
“I only asked what you thought about the matter of Ain-sama, but some rather interesting numbers came up.”
Even as they listened to Warren, Heim’s party stared at the documents as if devouring them.
From them, Elena immediately understood the contents.
That was, the contents were the worst.
“Elena, is this… the number of people in favor and against attacking Heim?”
“Just now, Warren-dono mentioned Crown Prince Ain-sama, so I think it’s probably true…”
Ain was a hero to the people of Magna.
And the royal capital was a region where the popularity of Ain and the other members of the royal family was not surprising.
The fact that these two cities stand out so clearly was easy to understand.
“The port city of Magna. And the nobles of the royal capital support the plan by more than 70%?”
Warren seemed to choose his words carefully.
That was probably because, depending on how he said it, he could deny everything the first king of Ishtalika had said.
“This data is from a year ago. Especially in Magna, those numbers have probably increased even more. After all, Ain-sama’s popularity is skyrocketing.”
The hero who defeated the sea dragon.
There’s no way that hero wouldn’t be popular with the people of Magna.
“Wait a minute…! Which of our actions are considered aggressive?”
“Oh, you changed the subject. But, about that… hmm… about that…”
Warren showed a moment of thought when he heard Tigre’s voice.
Was the subject changed? But mercilessly, Heim didn’t have time to worry about that right now.
Right now, they just had to do their best and finish this conversation.
“If you think about it, it’s a matter of breaking a secret agreement, and it’s a reaction to someone with the blood of the Ishtalika royal family. If I may add, I suppose I should also add the matter of Prince Tigre in Euro as a reference point.”
Elena put her head in her hands.
She couldn’t argue with that, could she?
The fact that they broke the secret agreement was the crucial factor, but depending on the recipient, it’s not surprising that the other two things happened as well.
In fact, they’d just been overlooked until now.
“Did the King of Ishtalika think this was an act of aggression?”
“No. That is not what His Majesty is thinking right now.”
“H-Hmph…! It’s just the nobles! Then it’s simple, if the King of Ishtalika doesn’t want it…!”
Tigre was still stubborn.
On the other hand, Elena felt like giving up.
There were parts that had been overlooked until now, and now that they were exposed, she didn’t know how to react and couldn’t find an answer.
“Let me tell you about the command authority that I, Warren, possess. Basically, it is the authority that comes after the throne and the crown prince. If I can move the fleet, I also have the authority to organize it.”
Before answering Tigre, Warren spoke calmly.
“The first king’s words are very serious. Therefore, if push comes to shove, I alone will be the poison.”
——Oh, today’s Warren is the worst.
Warren said all the things Elena didn’t want to hear.
Elena understood the true meaning of his words, and her mind was made up.
There was only one thing they could do now.
“Fortunately, we have His Highness the Crown Prince. Even if I become the poison of Ishtalika, I’m sure he will purify that poison.”
The image of Ain flashed through his mind.
Thinking of this proud Crown Prince, Warren smiled for a moment.
“Elena-dono. Do you understand the meaning of the word ‘poison’?”
“…I don’t want to understand, but I do.”
“Hahaha… that’s good.”
It seemed that the bill had come due.
The bill for Heim’s has come and was done as they pleased.
“Only when I have the authority to give orders can I become poison when the time comes.”
Though he didn’t say it outright, it was a threat.
Warren, who did not like such threats, had finally shown his fangs.
After all, it was no surprise that they would attack as soon as the secret agreement was broken.
“I see… That’s why the royal family isn’t here today.”
Elena muttered to herself, understanding the meaning of Warren coming alone.
After all, the content of Warren’s story was a shade of grey that was close to black.
Maybe that was why he had not brought Sylvird and the others with him.
“Still, I think it would be our preemptive strike. After all, Heim has a past like the one I just told you about. The timing is off, but it’s a story where you can’t complain even if you’re attacked. …Don’t you think so, Elena-dono?”
Elena was at a loss for an answer.
If she agreed, it would mean that she admitted that her actions were wrong.
And if she denied it, Heim would continue to do the same as before.
“But I have a special story that can make it all go away.”
Saying this, Warren showed a friendly expression for the first time in a while.
The difference in his expression gave her some relief.
When the situation became dangerous, Ralph and Tigre left everything to Elena.
Elena felt that if it had come to that, she would have preferred to be in charge from the beginning…
“Does that mean you can let this end peacefully?”
“Yes, of course. I would also be grateful if we could end this peacefully…”
What suspicious words.
Even though he had been making threats, he now relaxed.
“May I ask what these conditions are?”
“Very well. Then I will tell you the conditions.”
Warren said this and then checked Heim’s group from one end to the other.
After looking at everyone’s expressions, he finally gave his answer when Elena and the others grew impatient.
“First of all, we want you to completely cut off all contact with us. This includes going through our friendly nation of Euro. If this is broken, we will treat it as an aggressive act this time.”
It’s a natural request.
Elena was relieved, as she had expected this.
All they had to do was avoid any contact with Ishtalika, and that was something that had to be protected at all costs.
“So, as expected, Prince Tigre will have to give up Krone-dono.”
“But that’s impossible! What have I worked so hard for all this time?”
“That is not something I should think about, so please think about it at Heim. Besides, the future of Krone-dono is more or less decided.”
“The future is already decided…?”
Warren’s words sound like the song of a mermaid.
Listening to his voice, one could see that one’s mind was being lured away and one’s consciousness was being stolen.
——Tigre waited patiently for Warren’s words.
“Your Majesty and the rest of us are watching over them. That is why we do not try to interfere.”
Even though he spoke vaguely, after explaining things to that extent, Warren cleared his throat and changed the subject.
The words Warren spoke.
Elena understood that he was referring to Krone’s relationship with Ain.
But right now, there were more important things to talk about.
“Next, you will be asked to sign a non-aggression pact with Euro. I want to avoid any trouble, so I’m counting on you. This does not mean that you should have no relations with Euro. It just means that you must not commit any acts of aggression.”
This was a conversation they didn’t want to nod to.
If there was a problem with Euro, Heim wouldn’t be able to act strongly. It was a painful story, to be honest.
But they couldn’t help but nod.
“Finally. Is it an apology?”
Ralph’s body jerked at the sound of the voice.
“It’s just an apology, but it’s an apology. I guess it’s better than nothing, so please write a letter.”
“You mean I should apologize to you?”
“Yes, I am, but is there a problem with that?”
“You’re saying I should bow to the king… that’s what you’re saying!”
Ralph angrily slammed his desk and stood up, not even trying to hide his irritation.
Then, they heard the sound of a steam whistle from outside the large meeting room.
“What was that noise?”
It was a rather loud noise, so Ralph listened as well.
Elena’s face lit up when she heard it. Forgetting that Ralph was still talking, Elena asked Warren in a panicked voice.
“Warren-dono…! Could that have been the sound of the Ishtalika fleet…?”
“That is correct. It has several meanings, but it is the signal sound the fleet makes when it sets sail.”
…Several meanings?
If that’s the case, hadn’t it been decided that they would set sail?
Elena held out a faint hope and looked Warren straight in the eye.
“What exactly does that mean?”
She couldn’t let Warren play with her by jumping to conclusions.
Before she allowed herself to be toyed with by his wordplay, she had to ask him what it meant.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not obliged to answer.”
But Warren’s answer was ruthless.
On second thought, there was certainly no need to answer.
And even this attitude was something that was allowed for Warren, the Prime Minister of the great nation of Ishtalika.
“Kuh… that’s true, but…!”
Tigre and Logas changed their expressions when they saw Elena’s reaction.
They hoped it wasn’t the ship’s departure whistle, but Warren said nothing.
“Warren, you… the fleet…!”
Ralph, realizing the gravity of the situation, turns pale.
Of course, Ralph also confirmed the Ishtalika fleet, so when he hears that the fleet was moving, it’s more than just a cold sweat.
“I’m talking to myself, but basically the fleet needs a signal from the commander. So if you can silence the commander, the fleet will stop moving. For example, you could use a knife to stop the other person’s breathing.”
The meaning of the knife being placed there.
The people of Heim understood that.
If they used the knife to attack Warren, it would be a clear act of hostility, and Ishtalika would be able to attack Heim without any concern.
“If you grant this wish of mine, not only Ishtalika, but also Heim will be happy with the result.”
It would be good to fight Ishtalika’s fleet head-on. However, if that was to be done, they must not think about the chances of winning…
In other words, Heim only had one way to survive. That is to meet Warren’s demands.
“…Kuh. Y-you bastard!”
“Father, what shall we do…!”
Ralph and Tigre’s hateful eyes turn towards Warren.
But as always, Warren didn’t seem to care.
“Elena…!”
Elena was the one to call in times of trouble.
Ralph finally called out to Elena for help in a pitiful voice.
But there was no way for Elena to get out of this situation.
Besides, there was no way of knowing if the whistle was a signal to set sail.
What if it was sounded for some other reason? Then, there would be no need to panic.
But if it wasn’t a bluff, the bill Heim would have to pay would be so high that it would be enough to lose the country.
“Your Majesty, we have no choice but to accept Warren-dono’s words.”
In their hearts, they understood.
Tigre and Ralph didn’t want to understand that there was no other way, but they knew.
And when Elena gave them the last word, they nodded in resignation.
“Warren, we accept your terms. Now, please, stop the fleet…”
“Father…”
“You fool! Tigre, you too must bow…”
The sight of a king bowing.
It was the first time Elena and the others had seen it.
Everyone was stunned for a moment, but Elena, Logas and Grint all bowed without exception.
＊＊＊
Some time passed, and Ralph and Tigre filled out the documents Warren had requested.
The apologies were all written in their own handwriting.
This was the first time in their lives they had ever been so humiliated.
They gritted their teeth so hard they almost cracked.
“…Hmph! Is that good enough for you, Warren?”
Tigre threw him the completed form.
Ralph sat down bored as if he didn’t care about anything.
“…Hmm, hmm.”
Warren looked over the paper he was given, checking for mistakes.
Even his appearance was hateful to the point of wanting to kill him.
“Yes, that’s fine. Thanks for your hard work. As for the apology letter, we’ll accept it tomorrow when His Majesty and the others are present.”
“…Tch!”
Tigre returned to his seat after confirming that Warren had accepted.
Elena, seeing this, told Warren about the fleet.
“So then, Warren-dono. The fleet…”
…Just as Elena was about to speak,
A voice that was also familiar to Elena echoed through the large meeting room.
“Your Excellency. I have come to report.”
It was Lili who interrupted Elena.
Why, at a time like this… Elena looked at Lili with teary eyes.
“Yes. What is it?”
“Yes. …I’ve just come to report that the ‘safety check’ for the fleet’s steam whistle has been completed.”
——What?
Elena looked confused when she heard Lili’s words.
“I’m glad to hear that. Was there a problem?”
“No, there was no problem at all.”
Wait, what were they talking about?
Elena couldn’t help but open her mouth as she listened to what they were saying.
“Wait a minute…! About the whistle earlier…”
“Yes, it was just a coincidence, but I had ordered them to check the security this morning.”
——Nyu-fufu. She’s in trouble; she’s in trouble.
Lili, standing next to Warren, stuck out her tongue at Elena.
“That can’t be right! Because just now, Warren-dono…”
Elena realized this at that moment.
It was all a bluff.
Heim… and Elena had lost the psychological battle with Warren.
Never before had Elena felt such frustration.
“No way, Warren. You weren’t going to sail with the fleet, were you?”
Tigre interrupted Elena and Warren’s conversation.
“That would never happen. If we did something like that, it wouldn’t be easy. Besides, the costs would be ridiculous, so we’d want to avoid that…”
Warren laughed heartily.
“But Heim gave us this promise. If it is broken, then next time we can attack Heim by order of His Majesty himself, without worrying about anything.”
Anyway, Heim agreed.
In addition to completely severing ties with Ishtalika, diplomatic relations would also be sealed through Euro.
They had also promised to apologize. If they broke that promise now, it would be the end this time…
As far as Ishtalika was concerned, Heim had kept his promise to Warren.
This fact was more important than anything else.
After all, Ishtalika had no greater reason than that.
“T-This is…!”
——This raccoon…!
Tigre collapsed and hit the desk hard.
The fact that they had been played with for two days in a row was enough to make him feel weak.
“Hmph! But it seems that Ishtalika is full of dangerous people! I had no idea that there were so many people who wanted to fight us!”
“Hmm? No, no. I think you’ve misunderstood. The pro- and anti-groups are…”
＊＊＊
“Hey, Ain. What do those numbers on that paper mean?”
Meanwhile, in Princess Olivia’s room.
There, Ain and Krone were enjoying their break after work.
“Hmm…? Oh, you mean this paper? Warren gave it to me this morning before he left for the meeting.”
The document in Krone’s hand was the same one Warren had taken into the main conference room.
But when he saw the words for the pro and anti factions, Krone became curious about what kind of document it was.
“There are a lot of pro-Magna and pro-Royal Capital factions, but what’s going on?”
“Well, it’s a little embarrassing…”
When Krone asked, Ain opened his mouth shyly.
“It seems they have been asking around for opinions on whether or not it would be a good idea to move up the date of my coronation.”
“Really? I see.”
“It seems that even Grandfather thinks that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some time to rest after the abdication, and that Warren-san has been investigating the matter. However, due to the nature of the content, it can’t be made public.”
In other words, many of the nobles are in favor of Ain taking the throne, and they would like it to happen sooner.
It’s easy to see why Warren would be so proud.
“Hmm… but Ain is really popular, isn’t he?”
Seeing Krone cheerfully approaching, Ain becomes even more embarrassed.
By the way, the opposition is not necessarily against Ain’s coronation.
At the moment, Sylvird is in good health and very popular, so there is no need to rush Ain’s coronation. This is the meaning of the opposition.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed anymore.”
The group from Heim had once again been played by Warren.
They thought the document was about whether the nobles of Ishtalika would agree to attack Heim.
In reality, it was about their opinion on Ain’s coronation.
“Well, that’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Hmm… I guess I’m happy that Ain is so popular.”
In other words, if they had tried to attack Warren with a knife at the end of the meeting, the story would have been that Ishtalika had attacked Heim without disobeying the words of the first king of Ishtalika.
By that time, Tigre had collapsed on the floor in the main conference room after hearing about this, but these two had no way of knowing.
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