第８９９堀：竜人の里 (Part2)
"Well, to put it simply: there’s a major conference coming up soon with many countries participating. We heard concerns that a dragon might descend from here during that time, so we came to check on the situation. Queen Seraria heard about this, and she gave us this jewel, saying it might help us open a dialogue."
"Ooh, Kaya, that was super easy to understand!"
"Yeah, that was clear."
I felt a bit dissatisfied that only Riel and Lowell were the ones praising my explanation. Should I be happy that they understood, or should I be offended that they’re treating me like a child? No, the more important thing is how Gaul reacts.
"Hmm. Truly easy to understand. Indeed, if one fears that a dragon might raid the venue during the conference, it would be impossible to hold the meeting with any peace of mind."
"Well, it’s not like—mmph!?"
Tori hurriedly covered Riel’s mouth before she could say something reckless. Even if a dragon from this place were to attack Weed, intercepting them would be a breeze, but there’s no need to go out of our way to insult our hosts. Honestly, Riel speaks her mind without thinking. That’s her biggest flaw. I really wish she wouldn't drop bombs just when things are finally going smoothly.
Well, I’ll leave the rest to Lowell and the others. For negotiations like this, it’s better to leave it to the princesses—Lowell and Charl—who are skilled at this sort of thing, rather than me or Mauve’s group. Ideally, Yuki would be the best person for the job, but we couldn't exactly bring him along, and since this Dragon Mountain faces Gartz, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to overstep our bounds.
"That’s right. That concern is exactly why we came. Let me introduce myself properly. I am Lowell, the Second Princess of the Gartz Kingdom."
"And I am the Third Princess, Charl. Gaul-dono, Chief of the Dragonman Village, thank you for granting us this audience."
As the two of them introduced themselves, Gaul looked somewhat surprised.
"Ho ho. So you are the princesses of Gartz. I see, that explains why Queen Seraria entrusted that to you. She intended to leave it to the strength of the youth, it seems."
"Hm? No, we actually got that from Queen Seraria—*cough!*"
"Oh ho ho. That is correct. There are various circumstances involved, but generally speaking, that is the case."
This time, it was Lowell who almost said something foolish, and she was currently wincing after being elbowed in the ribs. There’s no need to go into the long, complicated explanation about Weed here. Who knows how much time that would take to explain and prove?
"Hmm. It seems there are many layers to this. Might I hear the details later?"
I suppose he couldn't just ignore the slapstick comedy happening right in front of him. It was obvious we were hiding something.
"Yes, of course. There are many things, and it is impossible to explain them all at once. We will explain everything to you properly later. We have no intention of threatening your people. Could you at least trust us on that for now?"
"Understood. You possess such power, yet you brought Doral here without taking his life, and from your behavior thus far, I can see you harbor no malice. I shall trust you on that. And, if I am correct, what you desire is an assurance that the people of this village will not run wild during the conference?"
"That is correct. If you can keep that promise, we, in turn, promise to provide various forms of support."
"Ho. You are quite generous. However, there is no need to rush this discussion. For now, please make yourselves at home. Dinner will be served shortly. We can talk at length after that. I’m sure we both have a mountain of questions for each other."
Charl had tried to wrap things up in one go, but he had deftly dodged it. Well, a matter like this was never going to be settled in a single day. Charl probably wanted to hold the talks on our own turf, within the range of Yuki’s support, but it seems it won't go that easily.
If we had been rejected or met with hostility, we could have just left. Or, if our proposal had been accepted outright, we could have left as well. But since he’s asked us to stay and talk more because he trusts us, we can’t just walk away without a proper discussion. Though, I suspect that if we tell the truth, Gaul-san is going to be incredibly confused. About Weed, about the other continent...
The question is how well we can make him believe us.
"Zargis, is the documentation ready?"
"Well, more or less. Though, I am a researcher, you know..."
I’ll leave that part to Zargis and the others. And so, we’ll enjoy a meal in the Dragonman village. ...I hope it doesn't taste bad.
The negotiations are just beginning. However, the Dragonmen don't seem to be in a fighting mood for now, so I suppose I can be at ease? Still, I worry whether they’ll actually believe us when we talk about Weed. It’s always a headache when the gap in civilization is this wide.