第１８３２堀：新大陸他国の状況 (Part1)
Chapter 1832: The Situation in Other Nations of the New Continent
Side: Mikos
"Please wait here."
With those words, Mikos and the others were guided into what appeared to be a waiting room.
"Is this standard procedure?"
"Yes. Envoys are typically shown to a waiting room to await an audience. Though, even with a formal notice sent ahead, one would usually expect to spend several days at an inn in town. Being granted an audience on the very same day suggests they are being quite considerate of us."
Kagura was confirming the local customs.
Well, meeting a king is rarely a simple affair. In many cases, you might be left waiting for days—or, if they’re feeling particularly spiteful, even ten days or more. Given that, receiving an audience on the same day certainly makes it feel like they place a high priority on us.
Still...
"What is the situation in the surroundings?"
"...No particular movements. There are two soldiers outside the room acting as our guides, guards, and monitors. The deployment within the castle hasn't changed over the past few days."
Mikos whispered the question, and the answer came back instantly—a testament to the caliber of Kirika’s subordinates. They had already infiltrated the castle beforehand and seemed to have a firm grasp of the internal situation.
However...
"What about the envoys from the Clearstream Church?"
"No. We have not seen anyone who fits that description meeting with King Jeyaess."
"Eh? You mean they haven't come?"
"It is certain they are not within the castle. We didn't have enough time to check if they might be waiting in the castle town, however."
"I see. That can't be helped."
Unless one possessed the power of a Dungeon Master, it was impossible to scour every corner of the castle town.
"It is a relief that there is no sign of hostility."
"Indeed. But that makes it all the more curious why they didn't send an envoy to Ohe."
"We will need to ask about that once we are actually in the audience."
Kagura was discussing the future with the envoy from Ohe. It was true; there was no sense of pressure being exerted by the Giadana Kingdom or the Clearstream Church. Yet, the lack of contact with Ohe was truly puzzling.
As I was lost in such thoughts:
"Apologies for the wait. Representatives of Ohe and Weed, this way."
It seemed our turn had come. Not even thirty minutes had passed since we entered the waiting room. I had expected at least an hour, if not several, so perhaps they were more conscious of Mikos and her group than I had anticipated.
We followed the guide and were ushered into a magnificent audience chamber.
*Hmm,* I thought, *some things really are the same regardless of the continent.* I suppose the architectural style would vary between Eastern, Western, and other influences, but in this world, everything so far had been strictly "Western" by Earth standards. It made things easy to understand, but it was still a strange phenomenon. Maybe I should ask Yuki about it later?
While my mind wandered, King Jeyaess entered. We bowed our heads to welcome him. We weren't his subjects, but as envoys, we had to observe proper etiquette.
"Raise your heads."
At his command, Mikos and the others looked up. Sitting on the throne was a gentleman with a magnificent beard. He didn't have the rugged adventurer vibe of King Lodi, the laid-back air of the Sovereign of Haiden, nor the overflowing ambition of the King of Zilba. He simply felt like... a king.
It’s hard to put into words. He felt like a man who was truly fulfilling the role of a monarch. No, everyone else was a king too, but he felt exemplary—that was the impression he gave.
"You have done well to come, Lady Hiaka."
"It is an honor to see you in such good health, King Jeyaess. I am deeply grateful that you accepted our request for an audience on such short notice."
"Think nothing of it. I, too, wished to contact your lands. About four months ago, some fellows from the North visited and spouted nonsense about joining forces to attack Ohe. And indeed, they have begun their assault. I have been scrambling to grasp the situation, but it seems you were faster at scattering the enemy than I anticipated. I apologize for not being able to send reinforcements."
The King of Jeyaess revealed, to our surprise, that he was aware of Ohe’s situation—and that the Northerners had requested his military aid.
"Might I ask you to elaborate on that?"
"Certainly. A group claiming to be envoys of the Clearstream Church came and demanded I hand over the demi-human races. They claimed they were minions of the Demon Lord and needed to be executed. Their 'evidence' was the increase in monsters emerging from the forest. Ridiculous. It is precisely because Ohe acts as a buffer that the monsters are prevented from moving north."
*Hmm.* According to the investigation by Mikos and her team, that was almost certainly the truth. After all, they had discovered monsters from the wilderness encroaching into the forest and had even confirmed their movements via drone.
That said, the number of monsters had reached a saturation point and had since calmed down. Wazfi and Havia were also scratching their heads over this phenomenon. But the southern lands were too vast to investigate easily.
Well, that was a matter for another time. Right now, the focus was the state of the Jeyaess Kingdom.
"I had intended to contact Ohe, but hearing they were under siege, I feared their army might turn toward us next. I have been preparing my military. I had even hoped to strike the forces surrounding Ohe from the rear, but as I said, you have already scattered them."
"Yes. That was made possible by the reinforcements from Weed, who are accompanying us today."
"Weed? I do not recognize that name."
"It is a nation in the south. We discovered it while investigating the Great Monster Outbreak, and we joined forces to deal with the situation."
"I see. A nation in that wilderness. I had heard there were no returners, yet you had established a home there. A pleasure to meet you. I am Jeyaess IX, the ruler of this kingdom. You may simply call me King Jeyaess."
*Oh,* the conversation had turned to me.
"I am grateful for the honor of this audience. I am Kagura Kamishiro, and this is Mikos Jarna."
Mikos bowed the moment she was introduced.
By the way, both Kagura and Mikos technically carried the "Weed" name at the end of their titles. Using the name of the nation—or a family name—was proof of their status as royalty or close kin. However, as we were here strictly as envoys, they were using their original family names.
Normally, this would be frowned upon, but since they were representing the honor of their motherland and because it was difficult to distinguish origins within the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, this form of introduction was permitted.