Chapter 109: In Truth, They Knew (3)
Chapter 109: In Truth, They Knew (3)
"They're humans too! With the war against the Demon Realm right around the corner, when even joining forces might not be enough, must we kill fellow humans and increase our enemies?"
I corrected myself. It wasn't coming from nearby — it was coming from right below me.
No, why were they fighting here...? I poked my head out over the railing and looked down. I could just barely make out the back of a man's head under the shade of the terrace, apparently in the middle of an argument.
The owner of that back of the head, who had been listening calmly, finally spoke unhurriedly, as if the situation had nothing to do with him. In a crisp, elegant tone like a splash of cold water, he slowly crushed his opponent.
"You're loud. You're far too agitated. If you're blue-blooded, keep a cool head."
So un-noble.
"Ha. Is a cool head enough? What about the heart? A cool head alone just makes you half a noble. No, I was born blue-blooded, so I suppose that sort of effort doesn't matter anyway."
He was a noble by birth.
"...You should be grateful you're a Margrave. If you weren't, you wouldn't be alive in front of me right now."
"Why should I be grateful for a position I earned with my own strength? And are you threatening me now? 'You'd be dead'? Go ahead, try to kill me. If you kill a capable Margrave in the current situation, no matter how much of a hero you are, His Majesty won't let it slide."
"I'm not going to kill you. I told you."
Shit, that was terrifying! What the hell was this power struggle!
...But still, curiosity got the better of me. A hero? The owner of that back of the head was a hero? It couldn't be General Nemeseus or Cruel, so then Stigma Primiro? He was a Marquis. A hero who was a Marquis, no less — then who was the one fighting him?
I leaned on the railing and ducked my head to check below the terrace. Marquis Primiro's back became more visible, and I could see the shoes of the person presumed to be his opponent across from him.
"At this rate we'll just keep having meaningless arguments. Let's return to the point."
"...No matter what you say, Marquis, my opinion remains unchanged. The Barbar tribe are humans. Killing potential allies we could join forces with is absurd. With the war against the Demon Realm ahead, we cannot waste troops on killing them. The best course is to persuade and coax them into becoming useful allies."
"They are savages. They've always raided my territory, killing people, plundering weapons and food. From my earliest memories growing up on that land until now, it's been that way. Do you believe they can change now? If dialogue could have solved it, it would have long ago. Fighting a war with the Demon Realm while leaving them be is no different from fighting with a potential backstabber behind you. There's no choice but to kill them all."
"That's a far too violent solution!"
"You're far too soft."
If I just ducked my head a little more, I felt like I'd see his face.
But if I made eye contact, it'd get awkward. I obediently gave up and raised my head, when — slip.
'?!'
My hand slipped.
Now, here's the problem. If you've leaned your upper body all the way out over the railing and then let go, what happens?
'I-I'm falling!'
My body spun once around the railing and fell.
I tried to grab the railing with at least one hand, but what could I do with my pathetic strength? I couldn't even hang on. With the sensation of my fingernail breaking, I plummeted.
I gave up quickly.
'Fortunately, it's not that high, and I avoided falling head-first, so I won't die.'
If I broke my fall, I'd be more or less okay.
I closed my eyes and roughly counted the timing, when — thud. Instead of a hard floor, I felt myself firmly caught on something solid.
"......?"
"Then let's do this."
"?!"
"Let's leave the decision to this child."
What the hell, put me down.
I flinched and raised my head. Marquis Primiro, who had met my gaze without avoiding it, quietly narrowed his eyes and smiled. Despite someone suddenly falling from above, he was not flustered in the slightest.
"Hello, junior. This is the first time I've seen you up close like this. I really like your eyes."
Huh? What did he like?
I just blinked vacantly, then forced my stalled brain to work and turned my head. A short distance away, I locked eyes with a man wearing a dumbfounded expression.
"......Put me down, please."
"Whenever you like."
"No, Marquis, what in the world...."
With a "Haa" sigh, he rubbed his face. He dry-washed his face several times, then, as if realizing who I was, an irritated voice flowed out.
"Isn't he Honorary Count Hart? 'Junior,' what is that supposed to mean...."
"It's an affectionate term the second hero gave the third hero."
"Then will you also call the fourth hero, Cruel Hart, 'junior'?"
"No. It's just that I like Honorary Count Deon Hart."
"...Then, do you call General Nemeseus, the first hero, 'senior'?"
"Why would I have to call him that?"
"......."
The mouth that had seemed like it would never back down and raise its voice closed. I was at a loss for words too.
When had we ever met for him to say he liked me or not...?
'Why are you getting friendly on your own? It's burdensome.'
Meanwhile, the man, who had opened and closed his mouth a few times in disbelief, raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck as if it were stiff. A question mixed with a deep sigh was tossed out.
"......Was this intentional?"
"No way. It was a coincidence."
"You called him 'junior.' Then you must have some connection. Leaving the decision to him is unfair."
"Have you already forgotten the first greeting I gave him? This is the first time I've seen him up close enough to talk. This is also our first conversation."
"...Ha, fine. Alright. Let's ask him, shall we."
The man turned his head and looked at me. Before I could flinch and step back from his burning gaze, a greeting followed.
"First, nice to meet you. I am Tender Amiabl. I serve as a count on the Empire's southern frontier. It's regrettable to meet you like this."
"Oh dear, come to think of it, we haven't exchanged names yet. I am Stigma Primiro. I'm a Marquis. I was rude earlier."
"Ah... It's fine. I'm Deon Hart."
"I apologize for getting you involved in such a sensitive matter... ."
"We're short on time, and we've finished introductions, so let's skip all that and get straight to the point. You heard our conversation, didn't you, junior?"
"!"
Reflexively, I stopped all movement. Fortunately, I hadn't been moving anyway, and it wasn't a flinch, so he wouldn't have noticed... yeah right. The Marquis was smiling.
Yeah, what could I possibly hide from a 'hero'? He probably knew everything, including that I was on the terrace above.
Still, feeling awkward about confirming it, I just rolled my eyes around, but just when he seemed about to press further, he turned his head and smoothly skipped ahead.
"At the very least, you must have heard the last part where we summarized our arguments. After 'Let's return to the point.'"
I'd been listening since long before that, so of course I had.
"The cause of our argument is very simple. The barbarian tribe living at the southernmost border of the Empire."
"They are the Barbar tribe."
"The name is too long and hurts my mouth. Please understand."
"......."
D-don't fight....
I was scared they'd fight in front of me. I was just a half-baked hero in name only, without a Hero's Fragment. I had no confidence I'd survive a fight between the two of them.
"Anyway, that barbarian tribe has long been a nuisance. They're not a nation but a tribe, so they don't appear on maps unless it's a detailed map. They keep raiding the territory, stealing food and killing people...."
"Don't say things that cloud the judgment."
"This isn't clouding the judgment; it's the truth."
The Marquis, with an elegant smile overlaid on his face, took a few steps forward, then turned and gently spread his arms. His brown eyes, devoid of any laughter, looked straight at me.
"So I said to His Majesty: if you intend to wage war with the Demon Realm, it would be best to settle the barbarians first. They are a tribe, not a kingdom, so it's ambiguous to call it a 'war' within the human world, isn't it? I said I'd sweep them away personally without asking for His Majesty's support."
If so, the Emperor would not strongly oppose it.
Stigma Primiro's troops would be a bit of a waste, but if he tried to block it forcefully, he might lose the most important thing — Stigma himself.
"But I opposed it."
"That was foolish."
"Words that influence the judgment... ."
"Anyway, His Majesty said he would follow the plan that I and Margrave Amiabl, whose territory borders the barbarians, coordinate and present. The deadline is 3 days."
Margrave Amiabl's gaze was fierce. At this rate, were they really going to fight...?
I quickly raised my hand and interjected before things exploded. That was the conclusion, right?
"Since you two can't narrow down your opinions, you want to leave the choice to me? Persuasion or extermination?"
Exterminate the Barbar tribe to eliminate future troubles before fully engaging in the war with the Demon Realm, or persuade them to make them an additional ally against the Demon Realm.
The Marquis smiled in satisfaction.
"Precisely. You're smart."
"But... ."
I had clearly heard their argument, and I remembered it. Therefore, I couldn't help but have a question.
I tilted my head.
"I apologize if I'm mistaken, but it seems Margrave Amiabl is certain they won't side with the Demon Realm."
"They're humans, aren't they? Even if they oppose the Empire, at the very least they wouldn't side with the Demon Realm."
"Do you really think so?"
"......."
Was it because he was high-ranking? Like the Emperor, Count Amiabl really had a pure way of thinking.
'No, usually the higher the rank, the more rotten they are.'
It seemed that they were simply closer to being straightforward warriors than strategists. This wasn't the Emperor, and since they asked my opinion, I should let them know if they didn't realize.
I deliberately looked him straight in the eye and spoke clearly.
"Just because they're human doesn't guarantee they'll be on the humans' side."
"......."
Margrave Amiabl clamped his mouth shut. The Marquis nodded from beside him.
"That's right. Margrave Amiabl, you see the world too idealistically. What determines someone's choice is overwhelming force and hatred. If the Demon Realm is overwhelmingly strong, 'people' will flock to their side in an instant. Likewise, there are those who would sell their souls to demons just to screw over a hated enemy. If they can sell their souls, would they hesitate to side with the Demon King? 'Race' doesn't matter."
"Screw over," honestly. To say such a thing in an elegant tone. Actually, it seemed like he made a mistake himself. Even if only for a moment, he wore a displeased expression after spitting out that word.
I tried to observe his face more carefully, but a steady voice called me.
"As you know, the barbarians are on bad terms with us. Even considering the possibility they might side with the Demon Realm, extermination is best. Isn't that right, junior?"
"Huh...?"
"An excellent answer. Since you've sided with me, we'll proceed with my opinion regarding the barbarians. I'll report to His Majesty, so Margrave, you may withdraw."
I definitely ended with a rising intonation.
I couldn't bring myself to say anything and just gave him a dumbfounded look, but the Marquis was shameless beyond belief.
The Margrave, who had been directing a 'what kind of absurd reasoning is that' expression at the Marquis as he confidently gestured for him to leave, let out a hazy sigh as if knowing further arguing was useless.
"Then I'll take my leave first. You two... ."
"I thought I'd have a little more chat with my junior."
"?"
M-Me? Why?
"Yes, understood."
"No, wait... ."