The Great Plains #6
Groom hadn't intended for things to turn out this way from the start.
Weren't they supposed to be a diplomatic delegation sent by the Empire?
Even though the Beastkin were a race that revered combat above all else, Groom was a man who knew how to distinguish time and place.
Likewise.
Theodore was the same.
He had certainly approached this position with a heavy sense of responsibility at first.
Or so he thought.
“Ugh, wait. It hurts, Flora.”
“I don't care.”
Theodore was at a loss. Flora was sulking. To be fair, even Theodore thought it was his own fault.
He had left his lover, Flora, behind and ended up in such a wretched state from fighting Groom.
He had even been told that his Aura was so depleted that he needed to rest for a full day.
It was only natural that Flora, who had been looking forward to a relaxing date, was feeling grumpy.
“Hmph. ……I have to change your bandages, so I’ll be back in a moment. You stay put, okay?”
“Uh, alright.”
Flora stepped away for a moment.
“Heh heh. You’re really whipped, aren't you?”
“Ugh.”
Seeing Theodore looking so flustered, Groom let out a cackle. He, too, had just been nagged by his advisor, Hakan, but Groom didn't mind.
The fight with Theodore had been that enjoyable. A full-power, blood-spattered brawl. It was a sense of exhilaration he hadn't felt in a long time.
It wasn't Groom's intention for the friend who had gifted him such enjoyment to suffer discord with his lover because of him.
“A friend’s lover is a precious connection to me as well. Theodore!”
“Hmm?”
“Not far from here, there is a place called the ‘Star-Wind Shoals.’ It’s the perfect spot to view the beautiful night sky of the Great Plains. You should take the young lady there!”
“……Is that really alright?”
Theodore hesitated. He had a rough idea of where that place was.
Groom had casually said it wasn't far from here, but—
“It would take at least a full day to go there and back.”
Now that they had set foot in the Great Plains as a diplomatic delegation.
To spend a day on sightseeing that wasn't even on the schedule? Hadn't he already wasted a day doing an unscheduled sparring match?
Theodore couldn't answer readily.
“What are you hesitating for!”
Seeing Theodore waver, Groom shouted boisterously.
“You’re fine with spending a day sparring with me, but you feel guilty about spending a day for your woman?”
“……!”
At Groom’s earnest jab, Theodore’s eyes widened.
“……You’re right. I already used up a day for my own greed, so if it’s for Flora, then…”
“That’s right, man. That’s how it should be.”
“Thanks, Groom. I’ll talk to Flora when she comes back.”
“Tsk tsk. That’s not it.”
Groom shook his index finger.
“Things like this should be done in secret. Secretly. That’s why I’m telling you while the lady is away.”
“I see. Then it would be best to tell Flora that we need to move temporarily for work.”
“If necessary, I’ll back you up.”
“Haha! Thank you, Groom. I’m glad I became friends with you.”
The two men laughed heartily.
“I’m only saying this because it’s you, Theodore, but our tribes in the Great Plains have decided to move toward maintaining a friendly relationship with the Empire. Theodore, what about the Imperial side?”
Groom opened the conversation first.
To reveal their own hand while negotiations were still underway. Normally, this shouldn't happen, but that was exactly why Theodore felt Groom’s trust.
“……We’re the same. From the start, the instructions I received from my older brother were along those lines.”
“Oho. Is that so?”
Groom’s eyes gleamed.
“Theodore. Since it’s come to this, tell me in more detail.”
“About what?”
“Well, about your older brother!”
“Ah.”
Theodore nodded. He knew well enough that Beastkin had a habit of revering the strong.
“My brother is…… truly an absolute existence.”
“Ohh.”
“The information known to the public about my brother’s strength is merely a tiny fraction.”
“Is that true?”
Groom’s eyes bulged.
The martial prowess of the Emperor known to the public was already beyond imagination.
And yet, that was only a tiny fraction?
“I’ve never seen my brother go all out. In the first place, I’ve never even met an opponent powerful enough to force him to do so.”
“Whoa.”
How on earth could such power be granted to a single individual? It was awe-inspiring. Groom became increasingly absorbed in Theodore’s explanation.
“……My brother wasn't as strong as he is now from the beginning. Of course, he was extraordinary from birth, but.”
After preaching about Khalid’s greatness for a while, Theodore suddenly brought up this point.
“Groom. You are stronger than me.”
“What? What’s this all of a sudden.”
“I’m just stating a fact. I felt it while sparring. You are stronger than me right now.”
“‘Right now,’ is it.”
Groom smiled pleasantly. Right now, you’re still stronger. Didn't that imply that he would be stronger later on?
“Anyway, so? What about it?”
“But no matter how much time passes, I don't think I’ll ever be able to beat my brother.”
“Huh.”
Theodore’s honest admission was surprising to Groom.
He had felt it during their sparring. In every single moment, Theodore’s sword strikes, which grew rapidly and threatened him.
‘What a monstrous talent!’
Even at Theodore’s words that he would defeat him in the not-too-distant future, there was a part of him that was convinced.
That was why he felt even more competitive spirit.
And yet, for such a Theodore to say he could never win in his entire life.
“Just what kind of person is the Emperor of the Empire?”
Groom muttered.
Theodore pondered for a moment before answering in a low voice.
“……A natural disaster in human form?”
*
“……How many buildings collapsed due to this incident?”
“Seventeen, Your Majesty.”
“And of those, how many were brought down by my fist?”
“Fifteen, Your Majesty.”
I feel like I can hear the sound of money leaving my treasury.
Should I have held back my strength a little?
“……I’ll pay for it from my private funds, so use that for the repairs.”
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty.”
Boundless, my foot.
It’s a waste of money, I’m dying here.
Still, there was no choice. Demons are just that sturdy. If I hadn't beaten them like that, I wouldn't have been able to suppress them in one go.
……Probably.
“Hmm. To prepare for the event that Your Majesty uses your strength, we should build them sturdier, even if it costs a bit more in the budget…”
“Think about it carefully. Even if you build them sturdily, would it mean anything to His Majesty?”
“That’s true, too……”
What are they agreeing on?
“It’s right to treat His Majesty as an exception. If you use His Majesty as the standard, there’s nothing you can do.”
“It is realistically difficult.”
The high-ranking officials whispered as they scribbled on their documents.
Yeah. Let them figure it out.
Private funds? I can't take them with me when I retire anyway. Tell them to spend as much as they want.
I leaned my back against the throne.
“Continue the report.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Elizabeth stepped forward.
“There are 33 casualties in total, and there is no damage to the Knights. They are all civilian victims who were being detained.”
“Any deaths?”
“None. Thanks to the early discovery, there is no threat to anyone’s life. We have also completed the handover so they can receive treatment.”
That’s a relief, at least.
Anyway, with this, the Great Plains event is over without a hitch.
Are you asking why Theodore, who went to the Great Plains, hasn't returned yet?
That’s not even something to worry about.
The Great Plains event is a hassle to prepare for before it starts, but once it begins, there are almost no variables.
The only variable was the terrorism within the Empire, but I suppressed that early on.
As for the rest, Theodore will handle it well on his own.
By the way.
“Was there any separate information from the Great Forest?”
“Pardon? Yes. Nothing much from there. ……Is something happening in the Great Forest as well?”
“Lily.”
“I haven't received any information either, Your Majesty.”
If Lily and Elizabeth don't know, it’s definitely not happening yet.
“The Great Forest is.”
“The territory of the pointy-ears.”
Lily trailed off.
“You mean the Elves. I know it as the land of the World Tree, but I don't have detailed information.”
“It’s a very closed-off place, so that’s to be expected.”
The Great Forest is a place filled with nothing but Elves who hole themselves up and hold their noses high, thinking they are the best.
It’s best not to get involved if possible.
But it seems like something is going to explode in the Great Forest soon.
The Great Forest event has almost the same triggering conditions as the Great Plains event.
In other words, since the Great Plains event has occurred, the Great Forest event could happen at any time.
Can’t I just leave it alone?
If I leave it alone, something big will happen.
I’ve finally managed to get the Empire on the right track, but if things go wrong outside the Empire, it’s all for nothing.
“Hmm.”
There’s a lot to do.
I need to make contact with the Holy Kingdom as well.
And I need to be careful that nothing happens on the side of those pointy-ears in the Great Forest.
- A lowly human doesn't know their place!
- How can a human be like this……!
- I, I will never call humans inferior ever again……!
It gets annoying when you get involved with pointy-ears.
My face scrunched up just imagining it.
Still, I can't just leave it alone.
“……Keep a close watch on it for now. It feels like something is going to explode before long.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Haa.
It should be running well on its own even without me.
Why does it look like there’s so much work for me to do?
This is strange.