Chapter 30
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Shocking Story!
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“Impossible!”
“Is that true?”
“Lady Uraren is a half-blood?!”
“Now the secret of her height makes sense!”
Dane waited a long while for the commotion to die down. It was only natural that the story’s repercussions were so massive.
Tuparak shed tears without a change in her expression, while the subject herself, Uraren, sat speechless and dazed.
Even Grad couldn’t find an opening to butt in amid the sudden twist.
Dane swept his gaze across the room and flung his arms wide. His face was solemn and earnest. Every gesture carried real weight.
“The bond between dwarves and humans, forged by blood, cannot be broken by anything. Now is the time to embark on new ventures, built on this unbreakable tie.”
Then, like a proclamation, he bellowed to seal the deal.
“Second Hunter King, Dane Frenville. Chef Union Representative, River Lake. Beastkin Representative and Lizardman Prince, Bankers…… hereby proposes trade to Harac Bar as economic envoys!”
* * *
Everything Dane had said caused a massive stir, so Tuparak and Grad dismissed the citizens and convened a meeting of the Harac Bar kingdom.
The economic delegation attended as special guests, along with Uraren and the quadruplets to verify their claims, plus heavyweights from the prime minister’s side like Brvillan and Srandugl.
While the room was still buzzing, River and Bankers chewed Dane out.
“Hey, what the hell were you thinking calling me the Chef Union Representative…….”
“Just start now. You’ve got the chops for it.”
River’s face turned beet red at Dane’s casual remark.
“No, I mean, not quite to that level yet…….”
Still, she didn’t hate the acknowledgment. If things went as Dane said, she wouldn’t feel burdened returning to her village.
But that was a distant dream. Right now, they had to clean up Dane’s mess first. River pointed at Bankers and whispered low again.
“So what about Bankers?”
“Well…….”
Bankers clapped Dane on the shoulder and barged in.
“How’d you know I’m a prince of the Krukushu tribe? Did some sneaky background check? Ha, I wasn’t gonna say anything, but oh well! From now on, just introduce me as Bankers de Krukushu.”
He laughed long and sheepishly.
He’d slapped on “prince” as a placeholder for lack of a better title, and it turned out to be spot-on.
‘Bankers the prince……?’
‘Bankers de Krukushu……?’
It didn’t fit one bit.
“So…… how’d you know Uraren is Pohen’s daughter?”
River changed the subject.
“She looks like him. Plus Tuparak’s reaction and all that. Circumstantial evidence pointed that way.”
“You gambled on it?”
“You picked right? Weren’t you worried Tuparak would deny it?”
“Nah, I figured she’d side with the prime minister.”
Dane said flatly. River and Bankers stuck out their tongues and stared at him.
While the economic delegation huddled to align their stories on the bombshell they’d dropped, the Harac Bar side was scrambling to verify Dane’s claims.
Grad was still glaring at Tuparak with an agitated expression.
“Is it true? That Her Highness is the daughter of the Hunter King?”
“Yes.”
Tuparak answered curtly.
“Is that why you took such a lukewarm stance on the war?”
“That’s a separate issue. As king of Harac Bar, I’ll wage war if needed. But this continent isn’t just dwarves and elves. We need to hear out the other races.”
“You’ve already lost impartiality by cozying up to humans.”
“I’ll judge transparently, unlike you. That’s why I sent Uraren.”
Tuparak’s eyes landed on her daughter. Uraren hadn’t snapped out of her shock.
“Why…… why didn’t you tell me?”
“You’d have figured it out meeting him. I thought the time was right.”
“Was it for me? Or for the kingdom?”
“What’s best for you is best for the kingdom.”
Her voice trembled. Uraren knew it was guilt.
Uraren wasn’t so lacking in judgment as to grill the queen over her birth secret. She swallowed her words, thinking now was the time to back her mother.
The mother, who knew her daughter’s heart better than anyone, tamped down her emotions.
“Prime Minister Grad, start the meeting. We can decide on war after hearing what trade they propose. It’s not too late.”
Tuparak spoke sternly. Grad shook his head, refusing to drop his distrust.
“Not yet. We need to confirm if their claims are even true.”
He stood from his seat. No real difference from sitting.
“I’ll ask the envoys. First, do you have proof you’re the Hunter King? How can we trust you on a rabbit’s foot alone?”
“That’s unequivocally the token I delivered to the Hunter King. Doubting it is doubting my word.”
Tuparak spoke up before Dane could. Uraren chimed in.
“He took down a mid-tier beast with just two sword strokes. I saw him butcher dozens alone on the way here. No one but the Hunter King could do that. If you don’t believe us, ask Brvillan.”
Grad’s eyes naturally flicked to Brvillan. His cheeks were still puffy.
“It’s true. He took out ten elites single-handed. I saw him hunt beasts clear as day from the carriage.”
Brvillan said proudly.
Beaten by the continent’s strongest hunter, the “Hunter King.” They’d long since accepted it wasn’t their weakness—Dane was just that strong. Even their defeat stung less now.
With his own subordinates backing him up, Grad grimaced bitterly.
“I’ll verify that skill with my own eyes soon enough. Then…… the human woman claiming to be Chef Union Representative. What proof do you have? Does this Chef Union even exist?”
Grabbing at any straw, he turned on River next.
“We ate her cooking, and the taste was beyond imagination. But the ingredients shocked us even more. Now it makes sense…… Yeah, if she’s the representative, it tracks.”
Before River could reply, the quadruplets’ eldest, Rubal, jumped in. His brothers and Uraren nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Ingredients? What do you mean, Rubal?”
Grad shot back.
“The dish she made was from monster meat. We all devoured it. If you don’t believe us, ask Srandugl.”
Murmurs erupted at “monster meat,” and Grad waved them down.
“Is it true, Srandugl?”
Like he’d been waiting, the swollen-cheeked Srandugl nodded.
“Yes. She shared it with us after we fought for our lives. Incredible taste. Never dreamed monster meat could be that good. You’d accept it right away if you tried it, Prime Minister!”
He smacked his lips, reliving the flavor.
Grad found the sight utterly repulsive.
“That can be verified too. But this beastkin as a lizardman prince…… How do you prove that?”
He tsked, incredulous, but unanimous agreement poured in that it fit.
Towing the carriage selflessly, sharing fine liquor with magnanimity—qualities only royalty could possess, they all said.
Plus, a lizardman dressed to the nines? That was no small thing.
“Hahaha, you all think mighty highly of me. That alone makes you friends of the Krukushu tribe. Ha!”
Bankers was the only envoy laughing heartily, owning his voice.
With even the subordinates piling on, Grad had no more straws to grasp.
As he scowled in frustration, Tuparak beckoned Dane’s group with a gentle expression.
“We’ve been too rude to our precious guests, brought here with such effort. Harac Bar lives up to its name as home to the most open-hearted folk of any race. Don’t take it to heart, envoys.”
A mere greeting showed favor to the delegation, defended Uraren, scolded the prime minister, and signaled her hopes to all listening.
This was royal dignity. Even Bankers gained insight.
“Go on with the proposal you mentioned earlier.”
Tuparak said warmly. Dane finally rose, scanned the dwarves, then spoke slowly.
“First, let’s get one thing straight. Harac Bar’s planned war can never seize continental hegemony.”
Arrogant words for someone claiming kingship. Grad naturally slammed the table in fury.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Because countless races live on this continent.”
Dane’s point echoed what Tuparak had told Grad. But Dane pushed further.
“And because monsters and the World Tree are here.”
“Who doesn’t know that!”
Like Grad, the dwarves wanted more detail. Dane nodded understandingly and continued.
“As you all know, elves coexist with other races—and others cede power to elves—because of this World Tree and the monsters. The Tree and its roots guarantee safety.”
“So isn’t now the perfect time, with the roots weakening?”
Dane nodded at Grad’s question.
“That’s true too. But with monsters already making things unstable, adding another threat will just spark backlash from other races. Harac Bar attacks the elves, sure—but it’s just piling fear on fear.”
“So you’re just siding with the elves to block the war? Cheap trick.”
Dane flashed a relaxed smile instead.
“I’m not on the elves’ side. Hell, I don’t think this world where elves hold power—like you, Prime Minister Grad—is normal either.”
“What……?”
Grad blinked in shock. Dane’s words stunned not just the dwarves, but River and Bankers too.
Sure, Dane didn’t have to bow to elves. But it felt like he was plotting regime change—unsettling.
Dane pressed on undeterred.
“War’s never effective. We could learn that from the elves. How they became world hegemons.”
He paused to let them think, but no one spoke.
“The World Tree’s convenience is that useful. As it weakens, elves’ influence fades naturally. So why not have dwarves offer something useful to other races in that gap?”
At Dane’s question, Uraren shot up her hand. Dane nodded for her to speak.
“You mean we have something like that?”
“Something unique to Harac Bar.”
“What…… is it?”
“Yadus Ore.”
Derisive snickers burst out here and there at Dane’s words.
“You think Yadus Ore wards off monsters like the World Tree? It’s the opposite!”
Grad, laughing loudest to egg on the dwarves, glared daggers at Dane.
“Opposite? What do you mean?”
“Yadus mines have long been prime monster turf. That’s the real threat to the kingdom now. You’ve got it all wrong. No—this proves it. You’re just a merchant here for the Yadus Ore.”
Grad pounced like he’d been waiting.
But Dane ignored the follow-up entirely.
“Prime monster turf?”
Dane licked his lips, saliva pooling in his mouth.