Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

Book 8: Chapter 7

In the early morning, when the sun was still rising on the horizon, Garadoff stepped above ground for the first time in ages. He had 50 knights following him, narrowing their eyes. The ambassador should be arriving soon, and that was most likely going to be Kyle and his party.

“Still, how frivolous to not inform us of the location beforehand,” said one of the knights following after Garadoff.

The final meeting happened in Gilbohl, so it should be the elves’ turn to provide a location, but they were not informed beforehand. That said, they expected it to be the same as last time either way.

“And it took an awful long time to get everything ready…”

It’s been almost half a year since Garadoff agreed to the meeting. King Garadoff was a busy person, granted, so in that way, he was thankful that he could prepare for it, but he was curious why it took so long.

Secluded as they are, the elves’ schedule shouldn’t be so packed. Is he plotting something? But what would be the benefit…?

As Garadoff was lost in thought, some of his followers started mumbling amongst themselves.

“What even is that…?”

They saw something far in the distance to the east. At first, it looked like a flock of birds, but they were far too big in size. And when they saw something that looked like cages, they also spotted people riding these beasts.

“Those are…wyverns! Is this a flying dragon squadron from the Empire?!”

Grasping the identity of the approaching unit, one of the knights screamed up, as everyone else panicked. Wyverns were part of the dragon race with now intelligence and lacking firepower compared to them, but they were very useful when it came to flying. That’s why the Empire had built up its own squadron.

“Wh-What would the Empire do here?!”

“Your Majesty! You must hurry underground!”

“Don’t falter, men!” Garadoff tried to calm his followers.

Of course, he was just as shaken himself, but he wasn’t all too scared. The entrance to the path underground was right behind him, which would protect him from attacks from the sky. He barely felt any danger to himself. And in the current climate, Galgan would never dare to wage war against them. So with all that considered, Garadoff was rather calm.

“There must be a reason they’re here. Watch out, but be aware!”

Eventually, the squad landed in front of Garadoff’s squad. The cage opened, and a single woman stepped out. She was young, carrying a divine air, and she wore white religious clothes.

“U-Unbelievable…”

Garadoff thought of one single individual, but his common sense told him that she should not be here. But the closer she came, the more Garadoff realized that he was right.

“You…You are Princess Sakira…?”

It was the holy maiden of humanfolk, the princess of the Holy Kingdom of Sura.

“It…It has been a while, Your Majesty Garadoff,” said Sakira with a nervous tone as she greeted the dwarf.

“Wh-Why are you here…? With the Empire…?”

Garadoff couldn’t believe his eyes, as he tried to ask questions. Meanwhile, Sakira took a few deep breaths and said a single line that sounded like she had practiced it beforehand.

“I will be the mediator for the meeting between the country of Gilbohl and the Elders Association of the Evenro Forest. Pleased to work with you.”

“A-A mediator?! You?!”

The history of the Holy Kingdom was long, as it was regarded as the oldest country in all of humanfolk. They didn’t hold any direct military power, but their status in society made it a target of everyone’s respect. In that sense, it would probably be the country most fit to be a mediator.

But making Princess Sakira of all people come here…That’s impossible!

It was common knowledge that Princess Sakira never showed herself much in public, and other countries rarely invited her over. Granted, Garadoff and her father had met on official terms before, but that was all. In fact, this was her first time outside the country, and it was her first official duty as a princess. Needless to say, the one who dragged her out of the country was Kyle. He knew he was a skilled swordsman, but to think he held such connections…It gave Garadoff the creeps.

“Th-This is actually my first official duty, so I may be a bit experienced, but I will do my best!”

So she said, but she was clearly pale. Garadoff had no way of knowing, but Sakira struggled to talk with other people. Even so, she did her best to keep on talking.

“Of course, I will not actively participate in the meeting. I will simply confirm the conclusions you reach.”

“Is…Is that so…To be fair, it is simply an honor that I got to meet you, Princess Sakira.”

Garadoff was starting to panic a bit because of this revelation, but he didn’t say that out loud. He couldn’t possibly question her duty. As the gods were known to exist in this world, she was their representative, and could not be questioned.

“B-But why have you arrived here using the flying dragon squadron of the Empire?”

Although surprised, Garadoff could understand the situation behind Princess Sakira being the mediator. However, it made no sense as to why she would arrive with the Empire.

“They excel at transporting a small group of people rather swiftly, so they were chosen to assist in the transport of Your Majesty and your retainers,” Sakira explained, giving not quite the answer that Garadoff expected.

But of course, she wasn’t playing dumb or feigning ignorance, she simply didn’t know the details herself.

“Now, let us be off.”

“Wh-Where would be heading?”

“To the meeting location, of course. I was told the elders from the Evenro Forest have already arrived.”

“No, but…I would have wished to learn about this sooner,” Garadoff tried to protest, but Princess Sakira just tilted her head in confusion.

“But we left everything regarding the meeting to the dear elves, so…”

‘Is there any problem?’ asked Sakira with her gaze alone, which made Garadoff’s words stuck in his throat. In truth, he had shoved off all preparational work onto the elves. He had planned to use any slip-up as ammunition, but it now came back to haunt him. He had been had. Not only that, but the knights were hesitant to use the Wyverns as transportation. In truth, Galgan and Gilbohl weren’t on hostile terms by any means, but as the strongest country on the continent, the fear of what they could ask for was definitely there. However, Princess Sakira was already ahead, so there was no time to discuss things, and Garadoff had to make up his mind.

“…Let us be off,” Garadoff walked ahead, with his retainers following him.

The inside of the cages were set up like a horse carriage, able to fit around ten people at once for comfortable sitting. Once everyone had hoped inside, the Wyverns loudly flapped their wings once and took off. And thus, the dwarves lifted off for the first time to enter the sky.

***

They worried they’d be shaken left and right during the journey, but thanks to what was presumably a magic item, the way to their destination was stable. Their journey must have taken several days with their breaks in between. By the end, Garadoff could even enjoy the scenery.

“What town is that…? And is that… a tower?”

It was still far in the distance so he couldn’t clearly tell from a distance, but the tower in the center of it all stood out.

“The Tower of Beginnings? We’re in…Sura…?”

They spotted the tower featured in many of the legends regarding the creation of the world in the distance. With the arrival of Sakira, Garadoff had assumed they might be heading to the Holy Kingdom of Sura, but it was far too quick for that. Sura was supposed to be located in the center of the continent, and considering they came all the way from Gilbohl, it should take at least half a month, but this journey lasted barely for ten days. And there was something else. Garadoff thought they were heading straight for Sura, but the Wyvern changed its course to a small place that looked like a village.

Judging from its location, it should still be within the Holy Kingdom’s borders, but Garadoff didn’t remember anything like that being here. That said, the large walls were visible even from the air, with various towers and other protections that made it look like a whole castle town. In a way, it resembled Fortress Acroylis which was used as a base back during the war against the demons three hundred years ago.

“But why would they build a fortress here?”

It made no sense, considering nobody sane enough to attack Sura existed, so it felt like a massive waste of resources. The Wyverns then landed on a small platform that probably acted as their take-off bases.

“So this is where the meeting will be held…”

Stepping outside of the cage, Garadoff looked around. It gave off the vibe of a fortress, but all of the buildings looked completely new. Freshly built, even. Memory seemingly served Garadoff right.

“Garadoff-dono. Everyone is waiting for us.”

Something felt off about Sakira’s words. It should only be the elves and Kyle waiting for him, so calling it “Everyone” seemed ill-fit.

“…You stay back here,” he told his retainers and followed after Sakira.

He observed the fortress while he was walking through it, spotting several soldiers patrolling the hallways, showing that they took security rather seriously.

“Pretty stacked…”

Garadoff wondered just what they were so cautious of, but the answer to this was shown to him shortly after. They reached a luxurious building in the center of the fortress, which looked like a reception hall.josei

“This is…”

Entering inside, the atmosphere changed completely. The carpet on the floor clearly was made of the highest quality material. Several tables were set up, stacked with various foods and drinks, as several cooks were setting up the dishes. Flowers in pots were everywhere you could look, and there was even a band playing pleasant music. Servants were running around, showing their well-trained expertise. You’d see men and women everywhere, as well as beastmen and fellow dwarves. They were all conversing in a friendly manner, but their gazes all drifted toward the arrival of Garadoff. He was used to this peaceful yet testing atmosphere.

“Is this…a dinner party? But, for what reason…?”

“It is a dinner party to ease us into the meeting tomorrow. As the center of the continent, we have it the easiest for people to travel here thanks to infrastructure, which also makes it the best place for a venue,” Sakira explained, using yet another word that caught Garadoff’s attention.

“A venue? For what?”

“Oh dear, it’s Garadoff-sama!”

Hearing his name called out, Garadoff looked in the direction of the voice, where he spotted a familiar human woman.

“Princess Milena…?”

She was yet another beauty, rivaling even Sakira, known as the [Treasure of Zilgus], Princess Milena herself.

“It has been so long, Garadoff-sama,” she said and greeted the dwarf with a polite bow.

“…It…It truly is you?”

Garadoff couldn’t hide his bewilderment but did his best to return the greeting. To Gilbohl, Zilgus was a country they shared long amicable relations with. In a few years, she would rise to become the next queen, so Garadoff had to treat her with befitting respect.

“I…I didn’t expect to see you here, Princess.”

“Oh? But of course. Zilgus carries as much responsibility for the future, so it is only a given that we would participate.”

“Participate? I’m sorry, I feel like I lack crucial information…”

This meeting was supposed to be between Gilbohl and the elves of Evenro, and it should not have anything to do with Milena. However, everything seemed to point at something different. Feeling lost, and not having any hope in Sakira, Garadoff was just about to ask Milena, but…

“Oh, right. I should introduce you to someone, first. He’s right over there…” Milena got the jump on him and pointed at a certain individual, a beastman who was currently conversing with other participants.

What first stood out to Garadoff was the man’s stiff expression and his gaze that was incredibly hard to read.

“That is Minister Korodes from the Galgan Empire.”

“Wha…”

Hearing that, Garadoff almost passed out. Korodes was known to be Emperor Benedix’ right-hand man. The Empire was known to value the strong and talented, so if a beastman like him managed to rise in the ranks this far, he must be an incredible individual. Not only that, but since Benedix had fallen sick, he had received a good portion of the work, so he was pretty much the representative of the current ruler.

“Since the flying dragon squad had brought us here, I had assumed the Empire would be involved, but having the big of the big here is definitely not what I expected.”

Garadoff’s comment let Milena snicker. After looking around some more, Garadoff spotted other familiar faces.

“King Belmont from the country of Rongau, as well as Count Mophars…”

Not only that but there were also princes and princesses that would soon be rulers of themselves, such as Sakira or Milena.

“But what exactly is going on here…?”

“This is the World Meeting, see.”

A voice gave Garadoff the answer he had always wanted. He turned around in shock and was met with none other than Kyle.

“That said, it’s not an official name. I’m just calling it that for convenience.”

“Wha…! You…?!”

Finding the person who caused all this chaos, Garadoff was about to blow a fuse, but he couldn’t exactly cause a ruckus here, so he swallowed his complaints. Kyle knew this, so they headed for a corner of the hall with nobody around.

“What is this about?!” Garadoff closed in on Kyle, asking in a quiet voice.

“As I just said, I have gathered the representatives of humanfolk so that we can discuss the problems that could plague us…It is exactly what was once held by the Ancient Magic Kingdom Zaales.

This was exactly what Kyle wanted to do from the very start. To protect themselves against the all-out [Great Invasion], he needed to have all of humanfolk work together. And for that, they needed to set up principles on what to do if the attack actually came. Thus, the World Meeting was born.

“I-I refuse to believe you could do that!” Garadoff denied it in a heartbeat.

Humanfolk was not blessed by peace as it was back then. There was fighting around almost every corner. Trying to accomplish the creation of such a meeting was utterly ridiculous.

“Of course, I knew it would be difficult to accomplish. However, receiving positive responses from both Galgan and Zilgus shortly after I sent the invitation was definitely a huge help.”

“No…Those two did…?”

Needless to say, Galgan boasted one of the greatest military prowess in all of humanfolk, and Zilgus was one of the oldest countries on the continent. And if these two countries voiced their participation, the others would have to follow.

“Not only that, but Sura offered its full support, so I had them create a meeting space here for us.”

In other words, this fortress was made solely for the sake of the World Meeting that would gather influential individuals from all over the world, which also explained the excessive security around here.

“We had participants from the far countries be brought here through the help of the Empire, and Zilgus is providing the security. With more help from other parties, we managed to get around 80% of all countries involved in some way.”

“That’s ridiculous…”

He didn’t want to believe it, but after looking around and confirming the situation, he was forced to accept this fact. He then looked at Kyle, who succeeded in bringing all of humanfolk under the same banner and felt his hair stand on edge.

“Th-That said…I never agreed to attend this meeting.”

Comparatively, Gilbohl was a rather small country, but they held a monopoly over many ores and minerals otherwise unattainable. So while they didn’t carry much military might, they held an extremely crucial economic power. And as the king, Garadoff couldn’t possibly have been left out of the planning.

“Ah, apologies. It appears our invitation has not reached you.” Kyle feigned innocence. “Luckily, your meeting with the elves fell on the same day and location as our World Meeting, so surely you can participate?”

“Such a coincidence could not possibly exist…”

“Would you like to leave, then? If you want, we could arrange transport right now…” Kyle offered, but he knew that Garadoff could never refuse.

Many of the attendees had already seen Garadoff, and they would assume he would participate in the meeting. And if they intended to add any reason to make the elves seem bad, he would end up the villain himself.

“You set me up…” Garadoff tried his best to keep his rage in check, but Kyle simply smiled.

“I was hoping that having Princess Sakira as the mediator would be enough…But with all these participants, surely we will reach a just conclusion,” Kyle said and cleared his throat. “That is why…I hope you try to act maturely,” he said and deeply lowered his head.

Garadoff understood that this was payback for last time, as his facial color changed into a crimson red, fueled by his anger, but he had to control himself.

“Aren’t you one nasty rascal, dragging the whole world into this. Very well, I will give the meeting with the elves an earnest shot.”

“Thank you very much,” Kyle thanked him once again, but Garadoff walked off. “Oh, where might you be heading?”

“To greet all these familiar faces, of course,” he said with a disgruntled tone, but it was his duty as the king. “I need to prepare myself for when the eventual meeting starts…”

With time, his angered expression subsided, as he greeted the other participants with a beaming smile.

“How commendable,” Kyle muttered.