Chapter 76: Conference - Main Meeting
Once a place of commotion, the hall gradually regained its calm. There were various tasks to be done, such as tending to those who had fainted and calming those who were desperately checking Bel德拉's condition. Despite all this, things eventually settled down. I was more flustered than I had anticipated. It was truly a great chaos. Indeed, Bel德拉.
The "Storm Dragon" is revered not for its appearance. Well, it might be natural for a "Catastrophe-level" monster to cause a great disturbance when it suddenly appears. However, if chaos is going to break out, it's better to introduce oneself first. Considering future actions, it's impossible to leave out Bel德拉's movements. The humans, Hughes, Eren, Yomu, and the dwarves were all pale and slumped. They might have been affected by Bel德拉's aura, even though it was said to be suppressed. The executives had mentioned that the aura was suppressed, and this area was quite familiar. The room had a simplified version of the barrier obtained through interpretation, which had been activated. After all, even in a sealed state, Bel德拉 emitted an aura that even a B-rank monster couldn't approach. However, they confidently claimed that they could now suppress the aura. It seems that the evolved ability (Fauzt) finally made it possible. I thought it would be fine, but...
"Is it okay? How do you feel?"
When I asked,
"...... I've never heard such a story."
"Until just now... Mr. Bel德拉, I told you about the friends, right?"
"...... How should I report this to the higher-ups... No, I'm the guild master, right? Ah!"
And so on.
Various complaints and resentful glances were directed at me. But what can you do? If I had kept it a secret, there's no way I could have said it, and even if I did, they wouldn't have believed it. It seems that they were not only affected by the aura but also simply scared. Hughes might have wet himself if I hadn't advised him to go to the bathroom. I patted his shoulder, thinking, "Lucky you!" but he glared at me. I wish he would have been grateful for my advice, but it doesn't seem like that. Whatever.
"Oops? Didn't I tell you? I thought I did, but maybe I didn't...
Well, it's in the past now, right? Let's move on to the meeting!"
I said with a cheerful smile, but it didn't work. "「「「Don't brush it off lightly!!!」」」" They all tackled me at once. It took another hour to calm everyone down and finally resume the conference. ...
...
...
Now, the meeting is finally starting. There were various things to explain, but it would be less troublesome to explain everything to everyone at once. Thus, I began with the situation, as requested by everyone. It was troublesome, but I reviewed everything from my first meeting with Bel德拉. I also mentioned that I am a "transmigrant" from another world, as there was no reason to hide it now. I didn't know where the information might leak from, and it wouldn't cause any trouble even if it did. Even if the Demon King was a "transmigrant," there's nothing that could be done about it. After all, the Demon King Leon was also a "transmigrant." Therefore, I explained the battle with the Orc Lord and the reason for establishing the village in this place. Sharing the situation is important. Depending on how they receive the information, various reactions may arise, but that's all. Thus, the story moved on to my visit to the village after my hope for it. The life in the village itself was glossed over, but I mentioned the battle with Hinata. That guy is dangerous. If anyone other than me had fought, they might have died. Especially, the "Holy Purification Barrier" is a dangerous skill. There might be a personal version of the partial barrier. I didn't forget to share the image with the executives. "Hinata = Sakaguchi. She gives a strong impression of being cold and a terrifying killer. However, according to the information we have, she always extends a hand to those who rely on her. She helps those who grab her hand, but ignores and doesn't help those who ignore or don't listen to her advice. Therefore, I can't believe that she treated the children in such a way," Hughes interjected. This guy is quite well-informed. It's true to her character that she wouldn't help those who ignore her. There are many people who seek her help, so it makes sense that she would ignore such fools. Given her rationalist nature, it's not surprising that she would do so. As I thought this, "Hmph. Indeed, the guild master of Brumund is skilled at information manipulation. The accuracy of the information you have rivals that of our country's secret service. I can testify that the information you have is the same as what I know," the Dwarf King Gazel agreed. What does he mean? "But, that guy, didn't listen to my story completely?" "That's because the Church's doctrine prohibits dealings with monsters. Despite her reputation for being cold and ruthless, she has never violated the doctrine. She is the most exemplary knight, which is why she is called the 'Papal Direct Guard's Chief Knight.' I don't think the title of a ruthless killer reflects her true nature. This is the character I have derived from the information I have," Hughes answered, and the Dwarf King Gazel agreed. It seems that her reputation is known from unexpected sources. Or, is it a natural duty for the Western Church to gather information as a country? However, if that's the case... Raphael provided the answer. Who summoned the children? I am in a position to know and inform her. There is only one person. I can't believe it, but... I trust Raphael's answer. In any case, this matter is on hold. I decided to continue the story. I explained the attack on the village during the battle with Hinata. Here, I hesitated about whether to reveal the information about the Demon King transformation to Eren, but... Eren herself exposed it. "Anyway, Papa already knew, right?" she asked, looking up at Duke Erald. "Eren... It's good that Papa found out, but there was no need to reveal it to people from other countries..." Duke Erald sighed, half giving up. I can understand his feelings. Eren, who completely ignored the adults, was in the wrong. But, this matter no longer needed attention. Following that, he explained that the Demon King transformation was based on the information. Now, the explanation is almost over. When we moved on to discuss future actions, "Let me say this first. As the Demon King Kingdom Salion, we intended to regulate this incident. However, we cannot ignore the aftermath of our daughter's actions. Therefore, if your actions cause a disadvantage to our country, we will attack. Please consider this as you plan your future actions," he said, not as a doting father but as a noble of the kingdom and a statesman. Indeed, he has the experience. The executives murmured, and Syon tried to stand up but was quickly stopped. He really is a hot-blooded guy. The other side had become serious, so I decided to respond seriously. First, I mentioned that I had captured the King of Palmas and the Church's envoy. Then, I explained my plan to establish a new kingdom by enthroning Yomu as king. Hearing this, Hughes groaned. He was silent for a while, seemingly organizing his thoughts. The Dwarf King was silent, his eyes closed. The ministers around him were actively discussing, but their voices didn't reach us. Duke Erald was silent, saying nothing. Should I continue the explanation? First, I would release the current king and make him pay reparations to Tempest. This is just a formality, but I would use the reparations to plunge Palmas into civil war. If the king gathers the nobles to rebel, his life will end at that point. Even if he keeps his promise and abdicates, the reparations will continue. I don't think the nobles will pay honestly. The current king's son is not yet an adult, so he could become a puppet of the nobles. If the factions are not settled and the king's influence is lost, a succession dispute is inevitable. If the reparations are paid properly, the trend could shift towards enthroning Yomu, but I don't think that will happen. They will likely ignore the reparations. In that case, Yomu will rebel, claiming that it goes against the will of the gods. If the king breaks his promise, Yomu will rise up. It's just a matter of when Yomu takes action. After establishing the new kingdom, Yomu will formally establish diplomatic relations with our country, Tempest. This will provide leverage against the expected resistance from the noble alliance. After gaining the trust of the people through policies, Yomu will eliminate the nobles. Building a country is not a short-term goal. We need to think in terms of 2-3 years. However, if the king foolishly rebels again, Yomu will take the lead. Up to this point, Hughes said, "Indeed. Then, we will join your plan. The Marquis Mura and the Count Helmman are close to our country, Brumund. If they join the plan, they will be of great help. We will negotiate to support Yomu when he rises up." Does the branch manager of the Free Guild have such authority? I asked for an explanation. It seems that the Marquis Mura and the Count Helmman are influenced by the King of Brumund. The Marquis Mura is a distant relative of the King of Brumund, and they have a good relationship. The Count Helmman was raised by the Marquis Mura and would never betray him. On the surface, as nobles of a major country, they cannot appear to be close, but they have a secret relationship. Should such secrets be revealed? "Hahaha. Even if it's a secret, it's already known to the secret service of the Dwarf King. Our country, Brumund, is an information state. We deal in information. As a small country, we would be destroyed if we didn't control information. However, the secret service of the Dwarf King has yet to fully uncover their operations. Isn't that right, King Gazel?" The Dwarf King Gazel raised one eyebrow but showed no other reaction. However, it was clear that he knew the information. But still, "Still, Hughes. Can you just casually reveal such information? It's not a state secret, but it's important." "Huh? It's fine. I investigated it, and I have prepared a letter of authorization as a special envoy." He said he received it during the break. It shows how much Hughes is trusted. He claims that if he says something, Brumund will follow. I briefly considered kidnapping him to extract information. Duke Erald, who had been watching our conversation, said, "Are you a fool? Revealing important state secrets! Our country couldn't even obtain this information. Now, I look foolish for being cautious!" Hughes responded, "To be honest, Duke Erald. If our country, Tempest, goes to war with the Demon King, we will be destroyed. Resistance is meaningless. Therefore, we must avoid war and provide as much cooperation as possible. This is the conclusion of our country's upper echelons. It's a bit ridiculous that I, a guild member not affiliated with any country, am here. But, in Brumund, guild members and the intelligence agency are separate, so it's a matter of convenience." He muttered, wondering why he accepted such a role. It's too honest, but, well, there's nothing to be done, right? I, alone, can match a country, and the threat of the Demon King is serious. Cooperation is better than hostility. It makes sense. For a small country, gathering information and surviving in the shadow of a major country might be beneficial. "Moreover, the upper echelons were in turmoil when I reported that the Demon King had become a Demon King. If they learn about the 'Storm Dragon's' resurrection... It's easy to predict the next line." Hughes explained to Duke Erald. In summary, showing our hand is meaningless because it won't hurt us. Instead, revealing everything will gain our trust. Whether it's good or bad, right or wrong, is not important. It's a bold move based on Hughes' intuition, connected to me. Even if it leads to the country's destruction, this is the only way to survive. I thought they were too afraid of me, but they realized that a small country can't do anything against an opponent that can destroy 15,000 elite troops. It's a bold move, but it might be effective. It's an effective move against me. The explanation continued. "At the same time, we will negotiate with the Church. We have decided that, as our country cannot defend itself, we will officially recognize the monster country 'Tempest' as a legitimate nation. This will be difficult for the Church to accept doctrinally. However, it's clear that a small country cannot defeat the Demon King. The Church has no right to criticize us and has a duty to help. We will recognize 'Tempest' as a legitimate nation but will not establish diplomatic relations. We will emphasize this point to control the Church and the Council. If the Church decides to defeat the Demon King... Even if we are called cowards, we will not join either side and will wait for the outcome. We will join the winning side." Indeed. There are no problems. On the surface, we will not involve ourselves in either side, but behind the scenes, we will support Yomu. It's a way for a small country to act. "Good. However, the Dwarf Kingdom has decided to take a bold approach. Our country will formally establish diplomatic relations with 'Tempest'." The place fell silent. If the armed major country, the Dwarf Kingdom, officially recognizes a country, it will cause a shock to the world. "Is it true...?" Hughes was also surprised. They probably thought the dwarves would maintain neutrality. I thought so too. "Hmph. We have judged that it is worth it. Palmas was a country that only diverted our products. Despite the high taxes, it was not a good customer. In contrast, a road has already been established between our country and 'Tempest'. What used to take 1-2 months by foot now takes less than 2 weeks by carriage. A new trade route is already in place. We cannot ignore this. Moreover, in terms of military power, it does not fall behind the eastern empire. The damage from monsters has been eliminated. And most importantly... It is a judgment as a king.