Chapter 111: Queen Maker (11)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: Queen Maker (11)
"...I apologize for my previous disgraceful behavior. I hope you can forget it."
After the commotion, Lorian, having cooled his head at the inn, offered an apology with a forced smile.
It was Leslie, not Cloud, who responded to his apology.
"Not only did you bring an army without any prior notice, but you also attempted to assault Sir Cloud. Even though it was only an attempt... you must know this isn't something that can be resolved with a simple apology, correct? You will have to concede a great deal in these negotiations."
She laid out the facts, her voice cold and clear.
"...So the rumors that the new Grand Duke of the Duchy had left on a journey as Cloud's companion were true."
"Yes. So for now, I would appreciate it if you saw me not as a Grand Duke, but as Sir Cloud's companion. Let's end the small talk here. We should move on to the negotiations regarding the passage fee."
The people gathered here had not assembled to welcome Lorian's party as guests. They were here to exact a fitting price from the uninvited visitors.
Therefore, they wasted no time on useless formalities.
Lorian clasped his hands and nodded.
"Very well. How much do you want?"
"Thirty million Gold."
The meeting room fell silent at the sudden mention of the enormous sum.
Lorian's expression hardened.
"That is an unreasonable demand."
"Unreasonable? Considering the risks we're taking, I'd say this amount is rather modest," Leslie retorted with a faint smile.
"I believe you are greatly exaggerating these 'risks.' Our army is simply passing through the Prona Kingdom on our way to support the Alitia Kingdom."
"That army itself is a major threat to the kingdom. Especially in times like these."
A discussion to determine the passage fee began between Lorian and Leslie. While the two of them negotiated, neither the princess nor even Cloud offered an opinion.
This was because they had agreed beforehand to entrust these negotiations to Leslie.
The same was true for Lorian's side.
Most of the nobles kept their mouths shut, paying close attention to the conversation between Leslie and Lorian.
Of course, there was an exception.
'Oh...'
Louis Sentry.
The eldest son of the Sentry family, the dominant power in the eastern Prona Kingdom, admired the women sitting across from him.
Leslie, who was leading the negotiations, and the timid-looking princess were both beautiful, but another woman had captured his attention.
Louis nudged the noble sitting next to him. When the man turned, Louis gestured with his chin toward the woman and asked.
"Do you happen to know who that knight is?"
"Who are you talking about... Don't tell me you mean Sir Neria?"
"Ah, so her name is Neria? A pretty name... but it sounds familiar."
"Of course it does. She's a companion of the Hero, Cloud. Do you not even know your own kingdom's Hero's party?"
"I'd have to have actually left my territory for that."
As the noble spoke in a tone of disbelief, Louis scratched his cheek, embarrassed. He then looked back at Neria and muttered.
"I see. So that's Neria..."
He, too, was well aware of the rumors about her.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The first round of negotiations broke down.
It was because Lorian, who only needed to stall for time, had deliberately avoided reaching an agreement.
After the negotiations failed, those who had attended went their separate ways.
Cloud was no exception.
He had been about to head upstairs to discuss their next steps with Leslie.
If only Lorraine hadn't stopped him.
Cloud tilted his head as he looked at Lorraine, who was gripping his arm.
"Something you want to say?"
"Wh-What...?!"
For a moment, Lorraine was at a loss for words.
She had anticipated what he might say before grabbing him. But Cloud shattered all her expectations with his brazen attitude.
Does this man have any conscience?
Lorraine, feeling a surge of anger, barely managed to stop herself from shouting. If she lost her temper here, she'd be playing right into his hands.
I can't let that happen.
She took a deep breath to calm herself, then spoke again.
"The duel. We haven't finished it yet, have we?"
"Didn't I already win that? You've already lost to me more than ten times."
"It's not over! Who gave you the right to decide it's over?!"
"Then when does it end?"
"That's..."
Lorraine was about to shout, 'When I win!' but she clamped her mouth shut. Even she knew how ridiculous that sounded.
"That's what?"
"Sh-Shut up! Just get ready for the duel. And don't you dare say you won't. If you do, I'll go around telling the entire continent what you did to me."
"Then you'll be fucked too, you know?"
"Fine! Let's go down together!"
"Crazy bitch..."
Cloud was slightly taken aback by Lorraine's abnormal obsession with the duel.
'This is going to become a real pain later.'
As he wondered what excuse he could use to refuse, an idea came to him, and a smile spread across his face.
"Alright. If you want to do it that badly, let's have our duel."
"You should have just said so from the..."
"However."
Cloud placed a hand on Lorraine's shoulder. He leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"From today on, I won't be stopping at just a kiss. Are you still okay with that?"
Lorraine's body flinched.
Not stopping at just a kiss?
Does he mean he'll do something more than kissing?
What's more than a kiss?
Suddenly, the contents of a sex education lesson she'd had as a child flashed through her mind.
Tremble.
Lorraine's eyes shook uncontrollably.
'Th-This doesn't seem right...'
A kiss was one thing, but anything more than that... there would be no turning back.
'Right, this is definitely not right.'
I shouldn't do it.
The moment Lorraine opened her mouth to refuse, Cloud smirked as if he had anticipated her response. The sight of that expression made something inside her snap.
"You're dead today. Grab your sword and follow me!"
And so, she crossed a river from which she could never return.
*
By the time the negotiations broke down, it was already late at night. Neria sighed, looking up at the night sky.
It was fine to participate in the negotiations as Cloud's companion.
But it had taken up far too much time.
Neria walked with anxious steps toward the training grounds. As expected, there wasn't a soul in sight.
It seemed the knights had all finished their training and gone home.
Well, there's no need to stay and train this late. Training is more effective with proper rest, after all.
With that thought, Neria picked up a wooden sword and shield from a rack in the corner of the grounds.
She swung the sword and shield, checking her techniques.
When that was done, she imagined a virtual opponent and fought it.
There were no breaks in between.
She pushed her body to its limits to become better than she was yesterday.
For the past year, this had been her training regimen.
Furthermore, if she didn't complete her daily allotted training, she wouldn't sleep, no matter how late it got.
If she finished early, she would do extra training until it was time to sleep.
As a result, her complexion had become incredibly haggard compared to the past. It was so bad that Cloud, unable to watch any longer, would force her into bed, telling her to rest. Even she would take a break when he physically made her lie down.
And the next day, she would continue the same training as before.
Everyone failed to understand her, asking why she pushed herself so hard.
But Neria had her reasons.
'To stay by Cloud's side, I have to become stronger.'
In the past, Neria had been weak.
She had vowed to protect him but lacked the strength to do so. That was why she had to leave his side, and her place was taken by another woman.
Now, the only place she had left was near him.
It was a humble position compared to before, but she was terrified of losing even that.
So she swung her sword relentlessly.
She gripped her shield.
Her whole body screamed, but it was fine.
The harder it was, the more the fear and anxiety that ate away at her heart disappeared.
It was as she continued her training that a voice called out.
"Oh, I heard a sound in the dead of night and wondered what it was. It seems it was Sir Neria, training."
Louis Sentry walked into the training grounds, flanked by his two escort knights.
Neria glanced at him for a moment before refocusing on her training.
Louis was slightly offended by the blatant disregard, but he didn't let it show on his face.
He approached her with a bright smile.
"I was at the table across from you during the negotiations earlier. Don't you remember?"
"..."
"It seems you didn't notice me. That's alright. Because I certainly noticed you."
"..."
Neria ignored Louis's words and silently continued to move her sword.
Each time the blade cut through the air, a loud whoosh struck the ears of Louis and his knights.
While the escort knights marveled at her clean swordsmanship and the power behind her blade, Louis maintained his smile and walked closer to her.
He calculated that if he got close enough, she would have to stop swinging her sword and shield to avoid hitting him, and then she would no longer be able to ignore him.
"Sir Neria. Why don't you take a break from your training and have a chat with m—?!"
The practice sword zipped past his face, and Louis fell backward in shock.
"Young Lord! Are you alright?!"
His escort knight rushed over to help him up, but Louis roughly slapped his hand away and stared at Neria from his seated position on the ground.
She was still swinging her sword and shield.
As if she hadn't even noticed he had fallen.
Grind.
The face that had been full of smiles twisted into a grimace.
Louis was the eldest son of the Count Sentry family.
In the eastern part of the Prona Kingdom, no one dared to defy him.
Having grown up never being ignored, he was not accustomed to this kind of treatment, and thus, he couldn't help but become intensely furious.
If the person who had angered him this much had been an ordinary individual, he would have completely crushed them.
Physically and socially.
But his opponent was no ordinary person.
She was a companion of Cloud, the Hero of the Prona Kingdom.
It would be unwise to provoke her carelessly.
In the end, Louis had to leave with nothing but unpleasant feelings, having gained nothing he wanted.
If it had ended there, it would have been a simple incident.
"To think the bitch who spread her legs so easily for Gis is playing hard to get."
The problem was that his immense pride wouldn't allow him to simply walk away, and the sarcastic remark he spat out just so happened to be her berserk button.
Her sword and shield, which hadn't stopped once since Louis's arrival, came to a dead halt as if by magic.
Neria let her arms, holding the practice sword and shield, fall limply to her sides.
Slowly, she turned only her head to stare at Louis.
"What did you just say...?"
Her gaze was utterly glacial.
