第１７２８堀：あいかわらずの兄貴分 (Part1)
Chapter 1728: The Same Old Big Brother
Side: Taiki, Hero King of Lanks
"We offer you our deepest, most heartfelt gratitude."
The entire delegation of the Ohe Kingdom spoke in unison.
Watching them, Rurua-san offered a wry smile.
Well, calling it "gratitude" before the negotiations had even begun felt a bit premature, but since it was just a simple healing, being treated with such reverence was a bit much.
From our perspective, we intended to negotiate with the Ohe Kingdom, so avoiding unnecessary trouble and leaving a good impression was beneficial, but...
Seeing Rurua-san, who was actually being thanked, forced into a wry smile, I couldn't blame her.
When the head of a nation—a king—and his princess are thanking you so earnestly, it’s a heavy weight to carry.
If it were just an individual, it wouldn't be an issue, but for a nation to be so open and vulnerable... wait, they are surrounded on all sides by enemies. I suppose that explains their desperation.
"Yes, I understand your gratitude. Now, may we proceed with the discussions?"
While I was lost in thought, it was Yuki-san, not Rurua-san, who cut to the chase.
Ah, right. I had been distracted by the healing, but Yuki-san was the one leading the conversation.
"Oh, yes, of course. However, I have a request."
"A request?"
"Could you please extend the recovery magic you just used to my soldiers as well?"
He just blurted out a demand right off the bat.
Well, if the King was injured that badly, it was no surprise his soldiers were in a similar state.
But still, asking that of Yuki-san...
"That will depend on how our discussions proceed from here. If our interests do not align, I cannot provide treatment."
"Mmm, I see your point."
"But, Father! If we spend time debating here, lives that could be saved will be lost..."
Princess Suena argued that there was no time for leisurely talks, but Yuki-san’s stance was the correct one.
Demanding treatment without any conditions was far too convenient for them.
Honestly, I wanted to tell the people who were responsible for the kidnapping in the first place to keep their mouths shut.
"Suena. We need the power of Lord Yuki and his people to save them. If we force them to leave by being unreasonable, the people who come after will not be saved."
"That... that is true. Then, let us expedite the signing of a treaty."
Don't be ridiculous.
You can't just sign a treaty between nations in a day or two.
Everyone seemed to realize this, wearing wry smiles while maintaining serious expressions.
"I will discuss matters with my daughter so that we may reach an agreement as quickly as possible."
"Yes. I hope for that as well. And should the lives of any key figures be at stake, Rurua and I will provide treatment, so please rest assured."
At those words, Princess Suena smiled slightly, only for her expression to twist again.
Well, he did say "key figures," not "everyone."
I suppose knowing even that much was better than nothing.
"Now then, to get straight to the point: what is it that you, the Weed, seek from this Ohe Kingdom?"
"The rescue of the villagers who were summoned—or rather, kidnapped. I want them all handed over immediately. Their families are waiting for them in tears."
Oh, Yuki-san really went straight for the jugular.
Well, it was the truth.
"I see. However, that request... we carried out the summoning to secure the military strength needed to protect our country. It is easy to say, but difficult to execute. Some have already been deployed to various regions, and they may be attacked on the road."
Tch, he’s playing the "it’s difficult" card.
If he had just said "we can't," we could have taken a hardline stance, but he’s framing it as if he’s willing to cooperate.
"I see. So the summoned villagers have already been sent to the front lines..."
"Our situation is dire. Once they are trained and capable of fighting, we have no choice but to send them."
"In other words, you want us to go and fetch them ourselves?"
Oh, that’s exactly what it sounded like.
They’re completely looking down on us.
Is the price of healing just this? Maybe we should just crush the Ohe Kingdom instead?
I was just about to suggest to Yuki-san that we should deploy our own troops to find them when...
"I would never ask you to do such a thing. You of the Weed are our benefactors. We will prepare personnel and dispatch them, though it will take time."
Hm? Has the flow of the conversation changed?
Certainly, going to retrieve people takes time, so that was a reasonable response.
"And, the biggest problem is that we have nothing to offer you in return, Lord Yuki. As you can see, we are fighting a war on the brink of annihilation. If we return those we summoned, the war will only become more difficult. That makes it even harder to offer compensation. I hope you understand that we did not summon them out of malice."
"I understand from our interactions thus far that there was no malice involved. As for the compensation, well, it cannot be helped."
Regarding the lack of malice, the situation made it clear that they had no other choice.
As for the compensation, the fact that we healed the King and his trusted royal guards—people they couldn't save themselves—was a significant achievement. Giving a subpar reward would only tarnish the nation's reputation, proving they were a country incapable of proper gratitude.
Nevertheless, as Yuki-san said, the Ohe Kingdom was on the verge of destruction.
The value of any reward they could offer at a time like this was limited.
They were barely holding on by using the summoned people to fight; if they pulled them back, they would have even fewer means to provide compensation. It was only natural.
Now, this was the assessment of the current situation. From here on out, it was a matter of what steps the Weed and the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance should take.
I had already heard from the troubled-looking Princess Suena that the Ohe Kingdom was in a tight spot, so I had expected from the start that there would be no reward to speak of.
After all, kidnapping people through summoning is something you only do when you're backed into a corner or planning something truly nefarious.
In other words, the correct approach here was for us to decide the compensation ourselves and take it...
"I had heard of your circumstances from Princess Suena, and it seems there is no mistake. In that case, if I may call it a substitute for compensation—it’s not quite participating in the war, but I would like to request that we be allowed to engage in dialogue."
" " "Huh?" " "
The Ohe Kingdom side tilted their heads, clearly not understanding.
That’s the normal reaction.
Asking to talk to the enemy sounds insane, but that’s only from the Ohe Kingdom's perspective.
"We are not affiliated with the Ohe Kingdom; we are the Kingdom of Weed, with whom you have become acquainted. Therefore, we have made no declarations, and we are not participating in the war."
" " "Ah..." " "
The Ohe Kingdom delegation nodded in realization.
They seemed to understand once it was explained.
Even when helping an ally, it is important to clarify one's own standing.
Otherwise, we might be accused of recklessly inciting war from within the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance.