Summoned Slaughterer - Book 4

by Ido Masayoshi

  That suggestion was welcomed by everyone at this place as excellent plan by clapping on their knees.

  “Though Earl Tohno is powerful, he is a rising noble. They won’t be able to refuse us this part as we are nobles, who have full knowledge of diplomacy through our successive generations.”

  “Well, let’s settle the details of the proposal right away. If it turns out well, there’s also the possibility of us rising in peerage.”

  The knights softly sighed while looking at the nobles, who have smiling faces due to the cheerful topic, making plans carelessly. The knights understood well how the nobles selfishly didn’t grasp reality.

  Chapter 75: DreamGirls

  The first conference of the three countries advanced in a way of mostly ignoring Vichy.

  As Hifumi was basically only listening and as Imeraria and Suprangel talked about the main points, it was a situation, where Roshi only shyly voiced his opinion at the few times Imeraria brought up a subject and took him into consideration.

  As result it reached a stage of Orsongrande and Horant tying a direct treaty of commerce once Horant paid a little amount of reparations. This also included the matter of building a military information exchange through Hifumi.

  In regards to Vichy, Horant will continue the same degree of exchange as until now, but as a matter of fact the monopolistic circulation of magic tools would disappear. “As soon as you pay the reparations, you can request ‘cooperation towards peace’ from Orsongrande”, Imeraria stated as verbal message to the central committee.

  “What does that cooperation towards peace concretely contain… ?” (Roshi)

  Although he spoke passionately that he would finalize the negotiations with Orsongrande by himself at first, Roshi, who completely dropped his shoulders at the final stages of the conference, timidly spoke his words to verify the ambiguous verbal message.

  Showing her best smile, Imeraria returns in flat speech to Roshi,

  “Concerning the war this time, our country considers the central committee to be fully responsible. And even concerning the situation of unnecessarily increasing the victims in Vichy itself and as result of that falling into a state close to collapse, we believe Vichy itself being the cause by provoking a person it shouldn’t have touched.” (Imeraria)

  Speaking up to here, she turns a fleeting glance towards Hifumi. The person, who shouldn’t be touched, showed an indifferent attitude as he yawned while being aware that he is being watched.

  Imeraria took a small breath.

  “Regarding the split, former Vichy region, including the central committee, I demand formal reparations, but above that I want them to come up with a plan by themselves. They shouldn’t try to use me or my country in order to recover from their own mistakes. I call such behaviour simply disagreeable.” (Imeraria)

  “Let’s have talks once again after they came to a conclusion about what they should do before involving me in their own country’s problems”, Imeraria clearly said.

  Suprangel turned a gentle look at here I feel such girl is quite likeable.

  “It is as the new Majesty the Queen says. The cleaning up of one’s own country is something to be concluded by one’s own country. If you rely on someone, it will naturally require an equal reward.” (Suprangel)

  Even though Roshi, who ended up losing his position completely, began the conference to work out the details of a treaty, he was gently expelled from the location of the conference.

  There wasn’t anyone, who noticed Hifumi’s gaze following Roshi as he faced towards the door in a hurry, giving a polite phrase for parting from the room, with a completely, dispirited look. Neither the matter of his mouth forming a smile.

  ☺☻☺

  Roshi, heading towards the rest room where his attendants are waiting, wasn’t even accompanied by a single person guiding him. He can’t take the statement as favourable, if he believes in it, at all. Roshi interpreted it as proof of being looked down on by Orsongrande itself and in reality his treatment had just such meaning.

  Walking trudgingly without saying a word, Roshi was called by someone.

  “Excuse me, aren’t you the envoy from Vichy?”

  “Haa, just as you say. You are?” (Roshi)

  Roshi asked for the man’s name exposing his vigilance towards the middle-aged man, who suddenly appeared and started a conversation.

  “I’m a Viscount of Orsongrande called Leonhart. You seem to be alone, what has happened to the guide from our country?” (Leonhart)

  Roshi only frowned without answering Leonhart’s question.

  “Certainly you don’t want to tell me that they haven’t assigned a guide to you, who came here as representative of your country, right? This is our country’s, no, the princess’ mistake! How to say it, although she’s still young, I want to apologise for the impoliteness on behalf of the princess. Let’s go, I will accompany you instead.” (Leonhart)

  Receiving an apology that isn’t filled with a feeling of being an exaggerated gesture, Roshi doubted whether he is being made fun of.

  “No, I will return myself. Thank you very much for your concerns.” (Roshi)

  “No, not at all, there’s no need to hold back. … As you look unwell for some reason, is there something wrong with your health as well?” (Leonhart)

  Although Roshi almost clicked his tongue unintentionally, he withstood with an effort.

  “I have been treated awfully by Her Highness the Princess at the conference just now. I felt depressed, if I consider that I have to report after returning to my own country.” (Roshi)

  Though I didn’t intend to be sarcastic, my words ended up having a feeling of being slightly malicious, but that doesn’t really matter, does it? Roshi became defiant.

  “My goodness… then, if you are able to build a connection with nobles from Orsongrande, won’t it be possible for you to preserve your face a little bit, Envoy-dono?” (Leonhart)

  “… What are you trying to say?” (Roshi)

  “There aren’t few nobles, who have been raising their eyebrows due to to egoistic behaviour of the princess. If you don’t mind, let’s have a talk at a different place.” (Leonhart)

  How suspicious, Roshi thought. Although he is certainly wearing finely tailored clothes befitting a noble, once I look at my conversation partner again, that middle-aged man gives off a feeling as if having some kind of misunderstanding with his faint smile and his somewhat dull appearance.

  However, once I consider it in reverse, if he has approached me with the intention to use me, he might be useful in some way, he switches over his thinking. Even if I return to my country as is, I will have to take the blame for the breakdown in negotiations with Orsongrande and it’s obvious that I will be transferred to a remote place.

  “Well, then let’s go to the room used by us. I want you to also extend your greetings to my attendants without fail.” (Roshi)

  “Indeed, if you consider the matters from now on, it’s indispensable to meet them. Then, let’s go.” (Leonhart)

  Roshi evaluated the noble’s smile as suspicious, but he didn’t notice that he was also showing the same face himself.

  ☺☻☺

  “Viscount Leonhart has come into contact with Vichy’s envoy. They went towards the room, where the attendants are waiting on standby. I believe it to be likely that they will carry out some kind of negotiations.”

  Knight Captain Lotomago, who received the report in his office, only nodded without showing any particular reaction.

  Seeing that, the knight continues his report.

  “In the report from Royal Knight Order Vice-Captain Vaiya there was a mention about the possibility of Envoy Roshi to be killed by his attendants. … It was mentioned that the Royal Knight Order is observing the progress attentively, but… this won’t result in the overlooking of a crime within the castle, right? Although they don’t belong to the main faction, there is a possibility of our country’s nobles being dragged into it. Dispatching the knight orde
r here…”

  “Balzephon. (T/N: Baruzefon <<)” (Lotomago)

  The knight, who started to get heated up while talking, was reigned in with Lotomago calling his name.

  “I will listen to the report. But, I have no intention to listen to your own personal opinion. The matters within the castle are decided by Imeraria-sama and the Royal Knight Order.” (Lotomago)

  “However…” (Balzephon)

  “Return to your duty. It’s good that you reported on something, you saw by chance. But, as our primary task is to finish the coronation ceremony safely tomorrow, we have to keep a watchful eye on things outside the castle.” (Lotomago)

  “… Understood.” (Balzephon)

  Balzephon has left the room reluctantly. However, the eyes he turned at me were filled with hatred, albeit only for an instant, Lotomago noticed.

  Even Vaiya, who came entering as replacement, had this hateful gaze turned at him, but Vaiya, receiving it from behind, didn’t notice.

  “Please excuse me for my long silence, Captain Lotomago… Is Balzephon doing well at his new assignment?” (Vaiya)

  “Do you know him?” (Lotomago)

  Lotomago, urging him on to take a seat, told the maid to bring tea.

  “Of course. We both were originally in the Second Knight Order. The time of recruitment is drawing near as well. … Did something happen with him?” (Vaiya)

  “No, I was just slightly worried. Leaving that aside, weren’t you monitoring the lot from Vichy?” (Lotomago)

  “We are alternating at a certain interval of time. There are no humans who possess the ability to concentrate for countless hours. If you are staying still in a dark and narrow place, you will end up feeling depressed.” (Vaiya)

  Vaiya laughed and thankfully received the black tea offered by a maid. The maid, to whom he smiled, smled with a slightly red face and lightly returned to a corner of the room.

  “And, that means that something happened for Vichy’s envoy to make a move.” (Vaiya)

  “Indeed. Viscount Leonhart contacted Roshi, who was expelled from the conference. It looks like they entered Vichy’s rest room, you monitored until just now, together.” (Lotomago)

  “They made a move, huh? It was faster than I thought.” (Vaiya)

  “What? So you knew about it?” (Lotomago)

  Vaiya apologised with a “I’m sorry” to Lotomago, who exhaled his breath with a bored look.

  “We have grasped it until the point that the remnants of the prince faction, such as Viscount Leonhart, are scheming to create a link with Vichy. … Although I say that, as outcome of the conference today, they won’t achieve anything, even if they were able to make a connection with Vichy.” (Vaiya)

  Vaiya was drinking the black tea with an atmosphere of composure, but Lotomago, remembering the eyes of Balzephon just now, felt some unpleasant sense of discomfort.

  “Since we don’t know when an uproar might happen, we will continue to observe”, thanking for the tea, Vaiya left Lotomago’s office.

  Brooding over it by himself for a short while, Lotomago slowly stood up, after sorting the documents in front of him, and left towards somewhere.

  ☺☻☺

  If you look down from the balcony of the castle, there is a plaza in front of the castle, which has been usually used by tourists and local residents as place of relaxation and refreshment to some degree. That plaza has been locked out for the general public and several soldiers are checking whether there are any suspicious people while moving in a quick march.

  Those, who sometimes try to pass through, like merchants coming to deliver goods to the castle, received a more strict inspection than usual at a place further away from the castle as usual. But all of them are obediently accepting the inspections with a “It can’t be helped” written on their faces.

  If you look towards the city from that plaza, you will see a lot more food stalls than usual having set up at spots not belonging to the plaza. It appeared as if the population density of the city had risen.

  Hifumi, who sat cross-legged on the railing of the balcony, is watching expressionlessly the activity of those people.

  Although he is watching them, he isn’t conscious of them.

  He is in the middle of his daily meditation, but his thoughts are recalling the men and women he had killed so far. Slowly reflecting upon their final moments, he expresses his gratitude to them within his mind.

  He had a premonition that he will once again kill some people within the castle at the coronation ceremony tomorrow or before that. Naturally a smile appears on his face.

  As person following the path of martial arts (T/N: not carnage? o.O), this is something joyful. So far I have killed many people. I was able to prove that the techniques, I refined, were the real deal. And, even after this, I will also kill many people, I guess. As he thinks about that, his mind becomes calm. As if a water’s surface without a single ripple, a gentle mood spreads in his chest.

  Suddenly Hifumi raised his face and looked westward.

  On the other side of the city, before the horizon becomes a blur, there is a prairie area, where the beastman race lives, I was previously told by Sabnak. He said there are elves in the adjoining forest, too.

  It seems there are countries, where humans live, even further beyond the prairie.

  I heard that the beastmen are strong.

  I wonder what kind of battle style they use.

  Do they use weapons? Do they use fangs and claws? I wonder if there are possibly some who can fly.

  “That’s it. I will go to the prairie once the coronation ceremony has finished.” (Hifumi)

  I will buy plenty of food, stuff it in my darkness storage, buy a horse and go there by myself. It’s fine if I leave the matters of the territory to Caim’s group. Let’s have Pruflas make another weapon as well, when I’m close to the territory.

  It was a feeling as if looking forward to a picnic.

  “Hifumi-san.” (Alyssa)

  It was Alyssa coming out to the balcony.

  With her ice blue pupils shining within her red, frizzy hair, she is laughing happily.

  “Somehow you seem to be happy. Did something good happen?” (Alyssa)

  “Something good? There are only good things since I came to this world. I’m looking forward to the enjoyable things from now on, too, I guess.” (Hifumi)

  “Is that so?” (Alyssa)

  Jumping up without effort, she sat down next to Hifumi.

  “Horant’s king-sama will return home once the coronation ceremony has finished. Then I will return to Fokalore.” (Alyssa)

  “I see.” (Hifumi)

  “Is there something I should do once I return?” (Alyssa)

  She comes asking with a familiarity as if checking the details for helping out, but even though things may appear this way, it’s a meeting between feudal lord and the one in charge of military affairs. Though both of them are considering it to be fine like this.

  “Let’s see. Since there will likely powerful monsters appear close to Fokalore for a while, it’s probably necessary to prepare for them. As I will temporarily go to Fokalore as well, I will instruct you on-site.” (Hifumi)

  “Uh huh. I wonder if Origa-san is healthy.” (Alyssa)

  “Well, she’s probably fine. Since she will probably return to Fokalore sooner or later, it’s fine for you to listen to various stories from her, once she came back.” (Hifumi)

  “As the situation differs depending whether your opponent is human or beast, the stories of Origa, who experienced it herself, might be of use as reference for the troops”, Hifumi says.

  Nodding obediently, Alyssa laughed and said “it would be nice if she returned quickly.”