Imperial Grade X-2

They continued chatting amicably.

About the Demon King's country, about Arasoot.

They discussed each of their respective nations.

After chatting for a while, Roll was called away by an official and left for somewhere else.

It seemed like a brief respite, but soon another person approached to speak.

"Ah, Your Highness the Demon King. It's an honor to finally meet you."

The man before me, with a plump body swaying and a grin that seemed to smirk, was Cyrus, the current ruler of the Pruetzji Kingdom.

After exchanging a brief greeting, Rina stepped back. Was she afraid?

Even Rinna, who is usually fearless, has her rare moments.

I find dealing with this person difficult too, but I can't afford to say so.

I must handle this somehow, as this person is involved in the transaction of a crucial material.

A liquid magical gemstone.

Since establishing our nation, we've been actively utilizing this liquid magical gemstone.

Beyond serving as a storage medium for magical essence, it's also highly convenient for transmission—making it an essential resource for us, who have built our nation around magic.

Syras understands this perfectly. That's precisely why he's such a troublemaker.

Yet, we also hold the advantage.

Right now, we're the only ones making extensive use of liquid magical gemstones. Lose us, and they'd lose their most valuable market.

If we don't handle this properly...

"Lord Cyraus, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. We've greatly appreciated our previous transactions."

"Likewise... Our land is rather isolated, you know. The only things we have are sand and lively people."

Cyraus wasn't looking at me. His gaze was fixed on Lina.

Taken aback by his stare, Lina retreated behind me, trying to hide.

It was far too obvious.

I feel revulsion, yet also confusion.

Would a king of a nation really act so blatantly?

It's as if he's trying to push Lina away.

"A lonely land, you say? Yet there's a gem-like spring gushing forth."

"Even if there's plenty, it's no different from having none—just like sand."

"You won't know if it's unusable until you try it."

Cyraus was about to continue, "What kind of—," but his voice was drowned out by the rustling murmur surrounding him.

"Ah, here she comes."

The guest of honor had arrived.

The Empress, Veronica Adams, clad in a gold dress free of vulgarity, descended the stairs slowly.

Though the scene resembled one seen years ago, it was vastly different now—radiating confidence, wielding her strength like a weapon, and flashing a smile that seemed to subjugate everything.

The Empress was exchanging greetings with various influential nobles.

But she quickly moved on, calling out to a particular group.

The Kingdom.

The kingdom that had ended its war now saw its former king step down, and a still-young prince take the throne.

I've heard the new king is exceptionally intelligent, yet still very young.

Perhaps around middle school age. Maybe even elementary school.

Among everyone present in the hall, he stood out as remarkably small.

Veronica is trying to establish normal diplomatic relations with the new king by signing a peace treaty.

So far, it seems to be going smoothly.

Incidentally, when I greeted the new king, he was utterly terrified.

Apparently, he was in the royal conference room when I burst in.

There's no way we could have a proper conversation while he was in such a state of fear.

I ended the encounter with nothing more than a greeting.

As I delved into memory, I locked eyes with the Empress.

Who would be next to speak with?

Just as I thought that, the Empress began walking toward me.

Does she have business with Sylas?

Looking around, I realized only I and Lina remained.

Before I even noticed, the Empress stood right before me.

"Long time no see, Lady Veronica."

"Yes, indeed. It's been quite a while. I see you're in excellent health—your strength was once again on display today."

It seems she's referring to the incident in front of the castle.

Maybe I did go too far after all.

"Your strength, if only it could be used for the sake of the world, how fortunate that would be."

The Empress is now speaking about another agenda item of this world conference.

This world conference deals with adjusting the global economy, primarily handled among officials.

The other issue is the escalating aggression of the monsters.

At present, the world is experiencing an unprecedented surge in monstrous creatures, with their numbers growing and their behavior becoming increasingly violent.

The world is attempting to address this monster crisis.

"It's been a while, Linna."

"Indeed, it has been a while. Since we're together again, I'd like to chat about various things."

"Of course. I'll be hosting another tea gathering soon. Please do join us."

It's surprising how close the two have become, all of a sudden.

Regardless, it's certainly a good thing that they get along so well.

They couldn’t tell what the two were talking about.

Yet from the look on their faces, they seemed in good spirits.

But such a peaceful moment didn’t last long—suddenly, an intruder appeared.

"A sovereign such as yourself, wasting time in idle chatter with a girl from a minor nation, truly as if spending the day in a flower garden."

"Ah, Lord Tenshu. You’re in fine form today."

The ruler of Nihon, known as Lord Tenshu, had approached with these words.

Dressed in an elaborate, ornate kimono, dazzling in its splendor.

Behind him, a samurai with a concealed face stands guard.

The magic essence I sense from that samurai... Could it be the one who cut me when I left Nihon?

It brings back a nostalgic feeling.

"No matter how small the country may be, it doesn't matter. This exchange is vital. Since it's such a rare opportunity for interaction... are you enjoying yourself, Lord Tenjū?"

"Yes, I'm thoroughly savoring the blessings of the Empire. A dish worthy of equal praise to our own Japan. You must agree, don't you?"

The Lord of the Keep spoke to his attendant warrior, who nodded silently in response.

Yet his tone was sharp, prideful—deliberately cutting, almost as if he were intentionally provoking to test the other's reaction.

Either way, his approach was blunt and confrontational. Therefore, one must not fall for the Lord's clever wordplay.