novelzi Chapter 172 : Chapter 172
Chapter 172 : Chapter 172
The King’s words, saying he would send him to the Jerpan Archipelago as the kingdom’s representative, an ‘envoy.’At those words, Ronak asked back hesitantly.
“Your Majesty, I don’t think I understood correctly. So… you are really sending me as an ‘envoy’—.”
“I said so. You, who knows the sea better than anyone in our kingdom, are the right person for the job.”
“N-No, Your Majesty! Of course, I know the sea well. I may have spent more time on the sea than on land. But… I am a former pirate! I can never be an envoy representing the kingdom.”
If he had been told to sail a boat alone and hunt a kraken.
Then Ronak would have nodded without a word.
Because, if the King gave him such an order, it meant ‘go and die,’ and there must be a reason for it.
But… wasn't this really wrong?
How could someone who was a former pirate represent the kingdom and act on behalf of the great King?
‘A lowly man like me cannot represent the kingdom and act on Your Majesty’s behalf.’
The worries of the rough man of the sea, Ronak, were plainly visible on his face.
His rugged face, which would startle most knights if met on a dark street, was tinged with trouble.
Chuckles—.
Leonardo chuckled lightly and said.
“Ronak. I trust you. I trust your judgment and skills, which you demonstrated by acting as a special detachment in the war against the monster army without any specific orders from me.”
“……Your Majesty, if that’s the case, I will steer the ship, so please make Miss Olivia the representative instead. Or Vice Commander Hagen, or else—.”
“Ronak.”
“……”
“I trust you. I said something similar to Peralta before, but unless you doubt me, you should trust yourself too.”
“……Yes, I understand.”
Ronak nodded reluctantly.
Leonardo, who had been looking into the air for a moment, continued.
“Ah, and I have another favor to ask of you.”
“Please tell me anything.”
“I want you to train your bandit army into marines.”
“By marines, do you mean soldiers who fight on ships?”
“That’s right. And I will give you five hundred more troops, so train them into marines as well. You make the plan.”
“F-Five hundred…!”
To entrust him with an additional five hundred men.
That was by no means a small number.
But more than that, there was something Ronak had to ask.
“Your Majesty. What is your purpose in sending me to the Jerpan Archipelago as an envoy? Are you trying to restart the long-severed trade? And what must I do as an envoy in the Jerpan Archipelago, and what attitude should I take? Please instruct me. I know nothing.”
“I’m not very interested in trade.”
“Then…?”
When Ronak cautiously asked again, Leonardo tapped the desk with his fingertips and spoke carefully.
Tap, tap—.
“I have an uneasy feeling. An uneasy premonition that the Jerpan Archipelago will invade. I hope I’m wrong, but.”
“……”
“So I want you to go and confirm my uneasy premonition. And whether my premonition is right or wrong, you should conduct diplomacy in the way you judge will be most beneficial to our kingdom. You can pretend to be weak, or force a strong appearance. You can also use somewhat rough methods. I will leave it all to your judgment.”
Until a moment ago, Ronak had been troubled and bewildered about becoming an envoy.
But at the King’s words, ‘I think the Jerpan Archipelago will invade,’ his expression changed completely.
‘If His Majesty thinks the Jerpan Archipelago will attack, it will surely happen. My King is never wrong. Those trashy bastards…’
Even before departing for the Jerpan Archipelago, Ronak had come to consider them half-enemies.
‘There must be a reason why he trusted me with such an important task.’
He didn't know what would happen in the Jerpan Archipelago.
But Ronak decided to obey the King’s command.
‘I don’t know exactly what diplomacy is… but I’ve done a lot of negotiations as a pirate.’
The ‘negotiations’ Ronak had conducted were mostly—no, entirely—demonstrations of force.
“I will obey Your Majesty’s command.”
It wasn't just Ronak's voice; his rough hair, like the black sea, was also enraged.
Like a black tsunami that destroys islands.
“Depart around October.”
“Yes!”
***
A week after telling Ronak to prepare to go to the Jerpan Archipelago.
Early in the morning, I was checking the travel route using the map Elvandor had given me.
‘If I fly at full speed on a Gryphon, I should reach the ‘Dwarf’s Chimney’ in about 5 or 6 days.’
I continued my thoughts while looking at the
‘There shouldn't be any problems. The diary said that the negotiations with the dwarves went well without any trouble.’
Of course, my diary didn’t simply say, ‘Everything went well.’
There was also some content that was a bit concerning.
I tried to recall that ‘concerning content’ from the diary.
…….
I showed the dwarves a drawing of a Griffon Aircraft Carrier equipped with a ‘propeller.’
And I proposed that we build it together.
Upon seeing it, the dwarf with Grombrindal got excited and said he was very much looking forward to it and would actively help.
Perhaps because they are a race of craftsmen, they seemed to have a great desire to create ‘new works.’
Just when I thought the negotiations would conclude that easily.
The Dwarven Elder, Grombrindal, added one more condition to the negotiation.
“Son of Philip, Leonardo. I can help you build that ship, but there is a ‘condition.’”
That was as far as the diary went.
What Grombrindal wanted, what that ‘condition’ was, was not mentioned.
‘The entry ended so vaguely.’
Since I didn’t know what Grombrindal wanted, I sought advice from Elvandor, Barut, and Jereuth.
Advice on what a dwarf might want in return for helping a human.
‘And they all said that dwarves love alcohol.’
So, I packed a lot of alcohol that had been left in the palace warehouse for a long time.
It was quite a large amount, so I couldn’t load it onto the Gryphon; I planned to put it in an ‘A-space pocket’ I borrowed from Seria.
—As an aside, Jereuth still hasn’t received Elvandor’s permission for marriage.—
Anyway.
Zzzzip—!
I closed the backpack strap and put it on my back. I also grabbed my sword.
Then, Elly, who had been quietly watching me from a corner of the room, spoke to me.
“Your Majesty, are you about to depart now?”
“Yeah. Everyone should be waiting at the training ground, so I need to go quickly.”
“Then I shall guide you!”
Elly said with a smile.
‘Is she that happy about my promise of a two-day vacation when I return?’
Until yesterday, Elly’s expression hadn't been good. Elly didn't show it openly, but having known her for a long time, I could tell she was in a bad mood.
‘So when I asked why she had a sour look, she said something unexpected. That she was sad because I was leaving again as soon as I returned.’
I never expected someone to say they were ‘sad’ because I was gone.
So I was a bit taken aback and somehow ended up making a promise with Elly.
That when I return from this trip to the dwarves, I would take a two-day vacation.
And we also decided to talk together.
‘Once I entrust the Griffon Aircraft Carrier to the dwarves, I should have some free time for a while, so it should be fine.’
With that thought, I left the room.
Elly and the maids who were waiting outside the room followed behind me.
***
The royal castle training ground.
The Gryphon Knights who would be going on the trip to the dwarves with me were already waiting.
Clank—!
Piyooooo—!
When I appeared at the training ground, the knights straightened their backs. My Alpha Gryphon, which had been flying in the sky, spotted me and landed on the training ground.
Swoosh—.
After stroking the Alpha Gryphon once, I spoke to the knights.
“As you’ve all heard, I will be moving as fast as possible. But I don’t intend to overdo it. If it’s hard or burdensome to follow, speak up at any time. The fatigue from the war probably hasn't fully subsided, so you don’t need to be ashamed of finding it difficult.”
—Yes, we understand!
The knights said, ‘We understand,’ but it seemed unlikely they would ever say it was difficult.
Looking at their eyes, it seemed they would rather die than hold me back by saying it was hard.
They are truly loyal and grateful knights.
Just then, Yoanna stepped forward and spoke in a slightly nervous voice.
“Y-Your Majesty! I will be serving as the head of your escort for this trip! I will prioritize Your Majesty’s safety above all else and do my best to assist you in achieving your objective!”
“Yes, thank you.”
I already knew from Jereuth that Yoanna would be the head of the escort for this trip.
Well… to be precise, Jereuth had actively recommended her.
‘Come to think of it, there’s been a strange atmosphere lately.’
I don't know if it's just my feeling, but it seemed like the military was trying to have Yoanna act with me as much as possible.
During swordsmanship training, Yoanna was assigned as my sparring partner, and it was the same during Gryphon flight training.
I'm not ignoring Yoanna, but honestly, I would have preferred to spar with other high-ranking knights.
A few days ago, Yoanna also started patrolling near my room. Originally, only the Royal Guards were there.
‘Is it because Yoanna will soon become the vice commander? Are they trying to get me to be friendly with her in advance?’
That could be it. According to the
‘It’s probably nothing. If it were a big deal, it would have been in the diary.’
“Then let’s depart.”
—Yes!
I mounted the Alpha Gryphon. The other knights followed me and mounted their respective Gryphons.
Just before I departed.
Elly waved her hand shyly and said.
“Your Majesty, please come back soon. I will be waiting.”
A shy smile that matched her shy hand.
I wasn't a dense guy, so I had a rough idea of why Elly was expressing herself like that.
***
Grombrindal.
The elder of the dwarves, and a dwarven adventurer who once adventured with a human, a giant, and an elf.
Today, he was also hammering away to create a masterpiece.
Clang—! Clang—!
‘That sword I gave to Philip, ‘Cardania.’ My lifelong masterpiece… I must create a sword better than that. That way, I'll have an excuse to visit Philip. An excuse to see my friend I haven't seen in a long time…’
For that sole purpose, Grombrindal visited the smithy every day.
No, he lived in the smithy every day.
Whirrrrrr—!
Kiiiiiing—!
The sound of something spinning roughly could be heard from the two chimney holes in the ceiling.
It also sounded like something was a little worn down.
Those two chimneys were one that vented the stale air of the deep underground dwarven city outside, and another that brought fresh air from the outside in.
‘Hmm… from the sound of it, it seems it's time to change the chimney’s ‘Neleph’.’
‘Neleph’ was a device that could change the direction of the wind, a crystallization of the wisdom of the dwarves’ ancestors.
Without it, they could not have lived this deep underground. Because no matter how much of a dwarf one was, one could not live long underground without clean air.
Clang—! Clang—!
As Grombrindal’s beard swayed with his hammering.
Vrrrrrooom—!
His hammer vibrated. At that, Grombrindal paused.
‘My hammer is vibrating… which means my creations, gifted to Philip, Barut, and that big-chested, empty-headed elf wench, are getting closer.’
Could it be that they are coming?
At the sudden thought, Grombrindal stopped hammering and looked at his hammer.
“Huhu… thankfully, it seems they’ve all reconciled. I thought they’d never make up after fighting so much in the Minotaur’s dungeon.”
Grombrindal’s time was still frozen at the moment he parted with his comrades in the Minotaur’s dungeon.
Ever since then, missing his friends, the greatest craftsman of the dwarves had continued to hammer away.
‘I must finish the sword before that fellow Philip arrives. A masterpiece of a sword that will startle him.’
Clang—! Clang—!
A cheerful sound rang from Grombrindal’s hammer and anvil.
Thankfully unaware that the sword was destined not for his friend, but for his son.