Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

Book 8: Chapter 6

Kyle and his allies met Garadoff the 5th roughly a month after their last audience had passed. They once again found themselves in a different room than before, as they would rather not have this conversation in public. As both parties sat at a table, their expressions couldn’t be more different.

“I can’t believe…the elves would request a meeting. And so quick, even.”

Garadoff the 5th’s face was lit up by the magic light around him, colored in shock. Meanwhile, Kyle kept his usual smile. The document in Garadoff’s hands was signed by the leader of the elves, Rifuaro, and asked for the reinstallment of a periodic meeting. It seemed to have been written while Rifuaro was not in his best state, as his handwriting was sloppy. However, it didn’t invalidate the authenticity.

“How did you…?”

“I politely asked them,” Kyle gave a vague answer that Garadoff evidently couldn’t accept but with the writing in hand, he had to let that be.

“And I have become the messenger, so, your Majesty, I ask for your answer.”

“…”

Garadoff placed the writing on the table, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. Currently, it was only Kyle present, and the knight Bogune certainly didn’t like this idea, but Kyle wasn’t bothered by it. Garadoff thought about it, but eventually sighed and looked at the young human male in front of him.

“I don’t know how you did it, but you made the elves act like this…That said, do you really think this will resolve the rift between us.”

“To be honest, I don’t expect you to make perfect peace. I understand that this relationship cannot be mended in a day. However, I would simply be happy if you could take one step at a time.”

“Yet I don’t see this situation needing us to take that step.”

Kyle began to feel dubious as to why Garadoff was so stubborn.

“Why? This is all for the potential event that the demons attack. Being prepared for the worst-case scenario is not something deserving to be shunned.”

This should only prove fruitful for the dwarves.

“Yes, you are absolutely correct. However, as a king, I cannot ignore my citizens’ feelings.”

Kyle didn’t understand how the dwarves felt, according to Garadoff at least. Logic permitted it, but feelings did not.

“Even if this helps the country in the long run? I’m sure you should be able to suppress these kinds of feelings.”

“Suppressing it periodically will not benefit anybody…”

Kyle saw a shadow appear on Garadoff’s face, but that vanished instantly.

“And if you think that the righteous always manage to push their opinion through, then you really are but a child. You surely don’t understand the inner workings of the heart.”

There were thorns amongst Garadoff’s words. Even if Kyle was technically an adult, he was still inexperienced, and to other people, he may still look like a child.

“…If this is the attitude adults show during a time like this, then I don’t mind remaining a child.”

Kyle evidently had grown tired of all the excuses and dropped his attitude toward the king, but Garadoff didn’t comment on that.

“These ideals burn in each one of us. However, the rift between us, fostered over the years…It is absolute. Do you understand that, my young human hero?”

“…”

Even if Kyle tried to argue back, it would fall on deaf ears now that Garadoff played this card.

“Well, arguing further won’t bring us anywhere. Just accept your senior’s harsh words and inform the elves of our decision.”

“I understand. I will inform you of the details and date another day, so…please excuse me,” Kyle had no reason to stay any longer, so he got up from his seat.

Right before he left the room, he sent a glance toward the darkness in one corner of the room, but nobody realized that.

After seeing Kyle off, Garadoff generously sighed, as Bogune closed in on him.

“Your Majesty! What need is there for us to meet the elves?!”

The others present showed a similar expression. Garadoff was rather exhausted as he brought himself to answer.

“We had to. You people should understand that.”

These periodic meetings were first started by the hero Garadoff the 1st, and denying it after the elves asked for it would be a great disrespect to their hero. Understanding this, Bogune and the others couldn’t argue back.

“Do you people really think that the elves wish for this meeting?” Garadoff asked with a rough tone.

“That’s…”

“If we don’t like the idea of the meeting, then the same should go for those elves. I don’t know how, but that Kyle made them agree. It must be some kind of deal or a borrowed debt.”

“So you’re saying the elves aren’t actually willing to have this meeting?”

“Absolutely. So, we just have to find a reason to end it. Because we ourselves cannot stop a tradition our ancestors started. But if the guilt is with the elves, we can find our way out.”

They could provoke the elves at the meeting, blame them, and then have it be cut off completely—that’s what Garadoff was saying.

“I see. I hadn’t even considered.”

Bogune’s comment had Garadoff nod in satisfaction and then went on his way to leave the room.

“With this, we’re set for the future…” He mumbled to himself in confidence, but nobody caught on to his dull expression.

Not only that, but not a single one of them picked up on the looming shadow moving in the corner after they had all left the room.

***

“Well, that’s about what I expected,” said Kyle after Minagi reported to him what Garadoff and the other dwarves were planning.

It seemed like he wasn’t much different. He, Shildonia, and Minagi met up a bit outside the country of Gilbohl to discuss further plans.

“Just as the rumors say…He’s utterly fixated on keeping the status quo.” Shildonia nodded to herself, evaluating Garadoff.

“Is that supposed to be some sort of honor? Despite breaking the promise he made immediately?” Minagi seemed utterly bewildered.

“There’s many variations of honor. And prioritizing stability is just one type…Though the value changes depending on the generation.”

“Well, I agree to some extent…But it really doesn’t help this time around.” Kyle had a similar opinion to Shildonia.

“Oh, someone’s acting tough despite getting bullied earlier.”

“…Can’t blame him. I’m a human, an outsider, who brought trouble to his country. Anybody would react this way,” he said, but showed a grumpy expression. “Still, that was some great sneaking skill of yours. Even I couldn’t tell you were there.”

Present in the room weren’t just Kyle and Garadoff’s followers, it was also Minagi hiding in the shadows. It was thanks to a shinobi skill called ‘Shadow Figure’ that allowed her to be part of the shadows in the room. Kyle knew that she’d be there, but if he didn’t, he might not have picked up on it. At the very least, Garadoff and his allies were oblivious. Before, Kyle had always been able to somewhat make out her presence, but she had really leveled up in the past few months.

“Since we’re underground, it’s especially hard to see. Gives me an advantage.”

As the atmosphere down in that country was like the dead of night, it made Minagi’s work all the easier.

“Of course, they may have been fixated on you, but it definitely helped that they were just utterly careless. I’m guessing they assume there’s no danger whatsoever just because they’re hiding underground. If not, I would not have been able to so easily sneak inside the castle.”

The conditions lined up for this plan to work out, as Minagi stressed that this normally would be rather difficult to accomplish.

“Plus, I can still get better. When Souga was younger, he apparently was able to run through the main street of a bustling city without anybody noticing,” Minagi exclaimed, as she sounded rather proud of her teacher’s accomplishments.

“That doesn’t even sound human anymore…”

Kyle felt a shiver running down his spine, praying that he would never be Souga’s target.

“Anyway, if Garadoff plans to play the game this way, then we won’t have to worry about holding back, either,” Kyle grinned. “With this, we managed to drag out the elves and dwarves. Now I just have to prepare the stage…though it’s gonna take a bit.”josei

Except, Kyle’s smirk almost had a childish side to it.

“That said, I didn’t think you’d actually do that. Things are definitely different than back then…Are you serious?” Shildonia asked with a dubious expression.

“Yeah, I have to do at least this much. And everyone else is working already.”

Currently, Lieze, Urza, and even Seran were acting separately from Kyle and the others, planning the big event.

“Well, if you say that, then I have to accept it. Just do your best.”

“Yeah. There’s a mountain of stuff I have to do. We’re gonna be busy now. Counting on you, too, Minagi.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Minagi answered with a wry smile.