novelzi Chapter 193 : Chapter 193
Chapter 193 : Chapter 193
About two months had passed since Leonardo ordered the rapid completion of two Griffon Aircraft Carriers.As is the case with building most ships, constructing a massive vessel with a new structure like the ‘Griffon Aircraft Carrier’ takes a very long time.
This is because the required manpower, technology, money, and materials are all significant.
However, with the technology of the Dwarves, the strength of the Giants, and the labor of humans—
all combined with ‘loyalty to the King’—the Griffon Aircraft Carrier was completed a full two weeks ahead of schedule.
As a reward, the workers at the western port were given a considerable bonus.
And the taverns of the western port were extremely crowded.
“Alright, then! A toast to the great King Leonardo!”
—Cheers!
Gulp—!
As the rough men of the port downed their beer in one go.
A Giant sitting next to the man who gave the toast stood up and raised his glass again.
“A toast to the friendship of Giants, humans, and Dwarves!”
—Ah, that’s another toast!
—Cheers!
Gulp—!
As the workers downed their drinks again, this time a Dwarf, as if he couldn't lose, stood up.
However, being short, he climbed on top of a chair.
But just because he was short didn't mean his voice was small.
His voice was as loud as a Giant's.
“A toast to everyone finishing the job without getting hurt! And having fun!”
—Ah, cheers!
—Hey, innkeeper, we're out of booze!
—Just bring it over to that side! We're gonna drink all the booze in this tavern today!
—Yeah!
The tavern owner’s face was bright at the customers' incredible drinking capacity. The port workers always drank and ate a lot when they came to the tavern, but today their spirits were particularly high.
‘This is all thanks to His Highness Leonardo.’
The western port was not originally a place with many people.
At most, two or three ships from the southern territories would come in about once a week.
Other than them, pirates or bandits were the main customers.
They were called ‘customers,’ but in reality, they weren't.
They never once paid properly.
They did bring meat, telling him to cook, but that was literally just to order a meal.
‘But everything changed after His Highness Leonardo ascended the throne.’
It must have been about two years after the new king was crowned.
That was when the bandits and pirates stopped coming to the port, and gradually, ordinary people began to visit.
Along with that, ships began to arrive at the western port, and workers sent from the royal capital started to redevelop the port and pave the roads.
That naturally revitalized the economy of the western port town, and—.
‘Now, they've even built such an incredible ship.’
The tavern owner looked at the ship floating in the sea a little distance away.
It was a ship so large that even the tavern owner, who had lived by the sea his whole life, was astonished.
‘Griffons are supposed to fly out from that ship, right? Truly… how did His Highness come up with such an idea?’
I heard he's not even twenty yet.
Royalty must have different blood. Their blood color must be different from a commoner like me.
—As he was thinking that.
Smack—!
Someone slapped the tavern owner on the back.
It was the tavern owner's daughter.
“Dad! What are you doing not coming to the kitchen! We're short on hands! If an order gets canceled because it's late, are you going to have it deducted from your allowance?!”
“Th-That won't do! Let's go!”
The daughter was the only family the tavern owner had left after losing his wife to bandits years ago.
And both the daughter and the tavern owner were truly grateful to King Leonardo for avenging his wife.
As a sign of that gratitude, during the previous ‘War against the Monster Army,’ they had sent supplies that the King hadn't even requested.
For a commoner to voluntarily offer goods to a king was something that had probably happened only a few times in the entire history of the continent.
***
Time flew by again, and a week passed.
The western port was busy again today. However, it seemed particularly busy because there was a special order from the King.
Screeech—!
The massive hull of the Griffon Aircraft Carrier tilted and turned to the right.
“Be careful not to scrape it on the cave wall! This is my baby! If you so much as scratch it! I’ll grind your face with a millstone!!”
The Dwarven elder, Grombrindal, shouted, jumping up and down on the Griffon Aircraft Carrier.
Ever since he accepted Leonardo’s proposal and built the Griffon Aircraft Carrier, he hadn't made a single sword.
He had only built the Griffon Aircraft Carrier and other ships. That was how engrossed Grombrindal was in shipbuilding.
“Ah, Grombrindal! You're loud!”
“Shut up! This is my baby!! My greatest masterpiece, ‘Dragon's Rest’!!”
Until now, the Griffon Aircraft Carriers had not been named. They were simply called ‘No. 1,’ ‘No. 2’—in that fashion.
However, this Griffon Aircraft Carrier, which was now entering the cave, was Grombrindal’s ‘favorite Griffon Aircraft Carrier,’ and he had named it ‘Dragon’s Rest.’
It meant ‘a ship that can carry not just Griffons, but also Dragons.’
“Hey, Grombrindal! But why did King Leonardo suddenly order us to hide the Griffon Aircraft Carrier in this cave? It's cool and all.”
“I don't know! Stop talking nonsense and just drive properly! Uh, uh uh?! Uh?! It's gonna scratch! It's going to scraaaatch!!”
“It's not going to scratch, so shut up!! Your annoying voice is echoing in the cave!”
“What?! You shut up! I am the owner and father of this ship!!”
“The owner of the ship is King Leonardo!!”
While bickering like that, the Griffon Aircraft Carrier was safely entering the cave.
This cave was a natural wonder, large enough for several huge ships like the Griffon Aircraft Carrier to enter with room to spare.
It was just that the space was a little tight because several warships already docked at the western port had come into the cave.
*Screeech…….
As the Griffon Aircraft Carrier docked in its position.
Grombrindal contacted Leonardo with the ‘Communication Crystal Ball’ in his pocket.
***
—…I've docked it as you said! Well then, I have to go build other ships, so I'm off!
Click.
Grombrindal's words cut off from the communication crystal ball. I always felt it, but Dwarves were impatient, and among them, Grombrindal seemed exceptionally so.
Yet, it was strange how he was cautious and perfect when he worked. It seemed like someone with an impatient personality wouldn't be able to do that.
Anyway.
‘I've hidden the Griffon Aircraft Carrier and the new ships, so now all I have to do is wait for the Angla Empire's envoy to arrive.’
The reason I went out of my way to hide the Griffon Aircraft Carrier and the new ships.
It was to, for now, not show the true face of the Plank Kingdom to the envoy.
‘After letting them ignore me and this kingdom, I'll show our might when I actually visit the Angla Empire later.’
One might think of it as a slightly childish revenge.
But there was nothing else I could do besides this childish revenge. I couldn't just throw a tantrum and shout when I met the Emperor of the Angla Empire.
‘In the
As such, I couldn't openly butt heads with the Emperor of the Angla Empire.
It meant I had to show considerable courtesy.
But I would have to respond firmly to being ignored.
‘According to the schedule in the diary… the envoy should be arriving in about 1 or 2 weeks.’
Since it came to mind, I decided to check the
Even though it was content I had seen many times, an answer sheet is something you want to look at again and again.
As I opened the
Shashashashak—!
New content began in the diary.
The original content was about when I arrived at the Angla Empire's port, but the current future was… about what happened after I arrived at the Angla Empire's palace, the ‘Imperial Palace.’
***
…….
After arriving at the port leading a fleet with the ‘Griffon Aircraft Carrier’—a ship larger than any kingdom's.
I rode in the carriage provided by the empire's envoy and arrived at the Imperial Palace together with everyone.
“W-We have arrived. The Emperor was waiting for Sir Knight Jereuth… ‘and’ the King of Plank, so if you rest in your rooms for a moment, a maid will come to call for you two.”
The envoy who guided me to the Imperial Palace spoke somewhat awkwardly. He seemed unsure whether to look down on me or to respect me, who had arrived on a ship bigger and grander than the empire's.
‘Now that envoy will tell the Emperor about me and the ship I rode. Then the Emperor won't ignore me… Did things go as I wished for now?’
The reason I went out of my way to ride the Griffon Aircraft Carrier and stage a show of force that wasn't quite a show of force.
It was to avoid being ignored by the people of the Angla Empire and other kingdoms.
And looking at that envoy's reaction, and considering the gazes of the people from other kingdoms at the port, it seemed that objective had been achieved.
‘Since I've achieved that objective… now I should probably tone it down a bit. Holding my head high even in front of the Emperor wouldn't be a good choice.’
I felt it on the way from the port to here.
The Angla Empire was definitely stronger than the Plank Kingdom.
‘In terms of the quality of the army, the training state, and nutritional status of the soldiers, the Plank Kingdom is overwhelming. But… their numbers are too great.’
Both at the port and here at the Imperial Palace.
The number of guards was different from the Plank Kingdom. Having been in the military and commanded operations, I could roughly tell from that small detail.
The army of the Angla Empire was five times larger than the army of the Plank Kingdom.
‘If we go to war, we won't lose miserably, but… the damage will be great in many ways. In the first place, the Angla Empire's army consists of veterans who have experienced the war with the demonkin.’
I came to a conclusion.
‘Let’s not do anything that the Emperor can hold against me. My purpose in coming here is to ‘study abroad,’ not to pick a fight.’
…….
***
There was a lot of content written.
‘For now, it seems the people of the Angla Empire and other kingdoms couldn't ignore the Plank Kingdom as I intended.’
Up to this point, it was a success in its own way.
I immediately turned to the next chapter, expecting some fairly uneventful content.
Swoosh—.
***
…….
While resting in the assigned room.
Just as the envoy had said, maids soon came to fetch me and Jereuth.
“The Emperor has summoned Sir Knight Jereuth and the monarch of Plank.”
The maids used an honorific for Jereuth, but not for me.
One might think it's nothing, but from that small thing, I felt it again. That what the Emperor truly wanted was Jereuth, not me.
‘Well… I don’t like troublesome things either.’
Jereuth had said it before.
If the Emperor invited him, it was probably because he wanted his son.
As such, if the Emperor were to take an interest in me… the Emperor might not want Jereuth's son, but my son.
‘So it would be better to pass through quietly if possible.’
—Thinking so, I followed the maid's guidance to meet the Emperor.
…….
***
Swoosh—.
I continued to turn to the next chapter.
***
…….
Thud—!
A huge door opens. It looks similar to the banquet hall door in my palace, but it's a door twice as large.
As I entered through that door, the empire's knights and vassals stood on both sides, and a long red carpet was stretched out in the middle.
This was also similar to the ‘Crimson Banquet Hall’ in my kingdom.
The sight of the Emperor sitting alone on the dais, looking down, also felt similar to me for some reason.
‘Is this how people feel when they look at me from below the dais?’
The Emperor approached the dais and spoke.
While bowing his head.
“I am Leonardo, the King of the Plank Kingdom. Thank you for inviting me to the Emperor's birthday.”
“…”
The Emperor said nothing.
So I discreetly raised my gaze to see his expression… and it was not good.
“I had some expectations, hearing that you came on a ship larger and grander than my Angla Empire's, and that you were the master of a knight I acknowledge. But seeing you bow your head to me and watch my every move, it seems the King of Plank is no different from other pathetic kings.”
“…?”
“Originally, I was only going to meet Jereuth, but I called you too just in case… How disappointing. Are you just lucky to be maintaining your throne with the help of a great knight like Jereuth?”
The Emperor glared at me and spoke.
“That knight next to you. That knight is too much for you. Leave that knight in the empire and return to your kingdom.”
“…”
“Then you will be able to return safely to your palace. But if you do not meekly listen to my words—.”
Ssk—.
The Emperor slightly bent his waist, looking down at me even more as he spoke.
“You will greatly regret not listening to my words. Not listening to the words of me, who is the law of this land.”
***
This was the end of the newly written diary entry.
And… as soon as I read this, various thoughts came to my mind.
Worry, concern, confusion, and so on.
But the thought that stood out the most among them was ‘curiosity.’
‘He invites the king of another kingdom, and then says he’ll regret it if he doesn't listen to his words?’
No matter how strong a country is, it couldn't possibly say such things carelessly to the king of another kingdom.
But the Emperor of the empire had said so to my future self.
‘…I'm curious.’
What kind of person could he be, the Emperor of the empire.
What kind of person invites the king of another kingdom, only to threaten him?
‘It is said that a wise man does not go to a dangerous place. So the best course of action would be to decline the Emperor's invitation in the first place. But…’
It was a dangerous curiosity, but I was curious.
About what kind of person the Emperor, as described in the diary, was.
‘Maybe there's something I can see and learn from him.’
Above all, the reason for my confidence.
It was because the ending of the
‘If I were to die in the Angla Empire, that ending would have already been written in the
As I thought that far.
A question suddenly came to mind.
‘What if I hold my head high and show a strong front even before the Emperor—.’
Just as I was thinking that.
“!”
Shashashashak—!
The contents of the