Chapter 176
Chapter 176
Iron Emperor — Chapter 176
Chapter 54 — The Eye of Greed
"Ha, the twenty-ninth Yeolje of Gauri?"
The voice that broke the silence was so dripping with scorn it nearly embarrassed the speaker. It was almost mocking.
"Are you asking us to believe that?"
A reproachful voice shot out right on its heels.
"We sent troops to investigate the strange happenings in the Reganza Mountains, and they return having lost more than half their men, and you expect us to believe that there is a country called Gauri in the center of the Reganza Mountains, and that the fellow who rules it is the twenty-ninth of an unbroken line!"
King Bera Han of the Haian Kingdom sat clicking his tongue in disbelief, and the nobles around him were pouring out reproaches upon a sweating Count Hamon as he delivered his report.
"How could a country exist in the Reganza Mountains! Have you forgotten that a hundred years ago an army sent to develop the Reganza Mountains was annihilated by monsters? And that was a great host of a hundred thousand, reinforced by the Holy Empire—the strongest on the continent—and the Federal Empire!"
The angry roar came from Duke Perisman, senior head of the Council of Nobles. His political rival, Deputy Head Marquis Iwaen, clicked his tongue and joined in.
"It seems you've dressed up a band of slash-and-burn farmers who somehow survived and banded together and called it a kingdom, but that does not absolve Count Hamon of his crime!"
Under normal circumstances the two would never speak with one voice, but at this moment they were in perfect accord. King Bera Han likewise found himself agreeing with them for the first time since he had ascended the throne. Even so, he clicked his tongue in another direction.
'Ha. If only their opinions aligned like this every day...'
He turned his gaze back to Count Hamon, who was making his report on one knee, and spoke calmly.
"Count Hamon."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Hampered by the torrent of reproach and thoroughly intimidated, Count Hamon looked toward King Bera Han. The king was baffled, but he suspected there was a reason behind it all, and he began to ask questions slowly.
"I have no business with whether a kingdom of twenty-nine generations exists, or whether they call their king Yeolje. But straw king though I may be, I doubt you would stand before me and tell me a joke out of nowhere."
"Your Majesty, how can you say such a thing?"
At King Bera Han's self-deprecating mention of a straw king, the nobles hastily voiced their dismay, overwhelmed. But as if long accustomed to lip service, the king let it pass through one ear and went on addressing Count Hamon. He judged that Count Hamon—whose political influence was so feeble he'd been sent into the perilous Reganza Mountains in command of troops—might deceive him, but would never dare deceive the two great pillars of the noble factions.
"You must have grounds for making such a report, Count. Let us hear them."
At King Bera Han's words, Count Hamon's face brightened. As if he had been waiting for exactly that, he raised his head and began.
"Your Majesty, the country called Gauri as I saw it..."
Knowing that his future depended entirely on how persuasive his words were now, Count Hamon launched into a desperate explanation.
He began with the crisis his unit had faced and the sudden appearance of soldiers in an unfamiliar style of dress. He naturally played up the terrors of the Reganza Mountains beyond their actual danger. After all, wouldn't that make his own accomplishments stand out more?
The other nobles knew the risks well enough themselves, and nodded along at those parts.
"So rescued, we traveled with the Gauri army. Naturally we continued to be attacked by monsters, but the Gauri army's responses were remarkable. In a word, they showed a practiced ease. Anyone could see that such a system is not built in a day or two."
"Hmm."
King Bera Han offered neither approval nor disapproval of Count Hamon's explanation, simply listening in silence. The other nobles likewise gave no strong reaction, some nodding, some shaking their heads slightly as they listened.
"There was at first no small impression that they might be Northerners, but their architectural style and their city matched nothing found anywhere on the continent. Their clothing and language were unlike any language I know, to the point that even their leadership required translation items to converse with me. As we all know well, a culture is not something that can be fabricated in a day or two."
The nobles and King Bera Han could only nod at Count Hamon's words. Situated at the center of the empires, the Haian Kingdom perforce hosted the coexistence of every imperial culture, and so it had developed no small sophistication—at least in matters of culture and trade. Though that alone.
"Even if we accept your account, where is the proof? Anyone can talk."
When a noble sneered in that way, Count Hamon smiled faintly, as if finally catching his breath.
"Gauri has sent gifts to our Haian Kingdom."
He straightened his cringing shoulders and spoke with confidence. The nobles who had been berating him now stared at him wide-eyed.
A short while later, with King Bera Han's approval, soldiers carried Gauri's gifts into the great hall and began setting them down.
"Oh-ho."
The objects that emerged seemed to prove Count Hamon's words: item after item in shapes they had never seen before.
"These are their goods?"
"Yes."
Count Hamon answered King Bera Han's question with a composed voice, as if he had found his calm. On one side, great jars were carried out in rows—unlike the orc-barrels they commonly used.
"What is this fragrance?"
"It is called the finest liquor of the Gauri people. A rice wine that their king drinks. Please, taste it."
Count Hamon approached a liquor jar, ladled the wine into a lidded ceramic vessel slightly larger than a man's head, and slowly carried it to King Bera Han.
"What is this vessel called?"
Looking at the vessel that held the wine, King Bera Han's eyes shone with surprise. The elegant color pleased him greatly.
"This too, I am told, is a vessel used by the Gauri royal family."
Count Hamon smiled as he described the slightly oblong vessel.
"Oh—a beautiful color indeed."
* * *
"Hm? Nanny, my chamber pot has been replaced with a new one?"
Eulji, who had been looking around for a place to relieve herself, noticed that her usual chamber pot was gone. The wet nurse attending her bowed her head and answered.
"His Majesty the Yeolje ordered them given to the visitors who came earlier, so we gave it away and replaced it with a new one."
"Is that so?"
So went the easy conversation between Eulji and her wet nurse.
* * *
After an attendant had tasted the wine and confirmed it was safe, King Bera Han savored it.
"Hmm. Curious. It seems sweet, yet it has a sharp bite."
A satisfied voice came from King Bera Han's lips. He held the chamber pot in one hand and a cup in the other, eyes closed, a pleased smile on his face. At that sight, the senior head and deputy head of the Council of Nobles, standing at either side, sent curious glances. King Bera Han handed over the chamber pot. They in turn studied the chamber pot as if appraising a work of art, marveling from every angle, then raised their cups to ladle the wine within and wore identical smiles.
* * *
"What? Hey! Why is the takju stock so short here?"
Hailon, who had come into the liquor storehouse to serve wine to the workers exhausted from construction, found a great many of the liquor jars empty and asked the storekeeper. The storekeeper tilted his head and answered.
"The Yeolje Palace took a large quantity a while ago."
"Why would the Yeolje Palace take takju, which only the laborers drink?"
"How would I know? I just did as I was told."
Hailon and the storekeeper kept tilting their heads. Just then, the Stone Trio came grumbling into the storehouse.
"Ugh, couldn't he use his words?"
Hwain Stone rubbed his lump-swollen head and growled. Galling Stone, following behind him, clicked his tongue and spoke.
"That's why I said, why make useless, flashy Chalgap? It just gleams and shines. Couldn't even stop an arrow Her Ladyship shot from a hand bow. No wonder the master gave you a hard time."
Mawin Stone, who'd been chuckling at Galling Stone's scolding and slinging the takju he was taking to the workshop, looked over at them with a curious face.
"By the way, didn't they say they took that one to the Yeolje Palace without even melting it down? What're they going to use it for?"
At Mawin Stone's question, Galling Stone seemed to think for a moment, then muttered with an expression that said it was nothing much.
"Her Ladyship probably took it for target practice, to hone her archery. She's taken things before for live training, hasn't she?"
"You think so?"
The dwarves nodded as if Galling Stone's words made sense, slung the liquor jars, and left the storehouse. Already, any thought of the failed piece had vanished from their minds.
* * *
"Oh-ho, there was scale mail of this kind? A new design!"
That was the first thing King Bera Han and the nobles said when they saw the silver-gleaming Chalgap. The nobles, who had been marveling at its brilliant sheen and elaborate craftsmanship, drew closer and examined it slowly.
"The workmanship is remarkably intricate, like a dwarf's artwork. Hm, but what is this hole?"
When a noble found a small hole near the left breast and tilted his head wonderingly, Count Hamon stepped forward to explain.
"This hole is where one places a flower, I am told."
"A flower?"
At Count Hamon's answer, the nobles tilted their heads. Count Hamon stiffened his neck and continued.
"They hold ladies in high regard, and before they go into battle, they make a small hole here to fasten a flower."
"Men who know a knight's courtesy."
The nobles' heads nodded one after another. Then King Bera Han's expression changed sharply as his eyes fell on the cape draped behind the Chalgap.
Upon the red cape was embroidered the emblem of a three-legged crow. The image caught King Bera Han's eye and fixed itself there.
"Gentlemen, for the present, you will keep this matter absolutely secret!"
King Bera Han's stern command, his face suddenly transformed, shot through the great hall.
"Until permission is given, no foreign power must learn of this!"
"We shall bear it in mind, Your Majesty!"
At King Bera Han's words, the nobles bowed their heads in unison. Even in that moment, the three-legged crow did not leave King Bera Han's eyes.
* * *
"Gauri?"
The voice that came from Emperor Shau Hwan Millior's lips rippled with interest. The very fact that he raised himself up from his half-reclining posture on the imperial throne made it plain.
"Yes. This information comes directly from the senior head of the Council of Nobles in the Haian court."
"Oh-ho. Piping-hot news. For once, the Kingdom of Haian has brought us something entertaining. A detailed report will follow separately, I suppose?"
Emperor Millior rose from the throne. Duke Schung, who was delivering the report, hesitated a moment before speaking slowly.
"That is..."
"What?"
As the words trailed off, Emperor Millior came slowly down the steps, pressing for an answer.
"The report from Haian is likely to be delayed. The Haian king has apparently issued a gag order, for whatever reason. The senior head of the Council of Nobles, Duke Perisman, used his personal communications network to relay this."
"A gag order?"
Emperor Millior, who had by then come to stand directly in front of Duke Schung, widened his eyes and thrust his face close to the duke's nose.
"Y-yes. He is said to have ordered that this fact not be spoken of to any outside party."
As Duke Schung answered, he watched Emperor Millior's face shift rapidly an inch from his own nose.
Eyes glistening with murderous intent.
And that smile, spreading across Emperor Millior's lips, carried a weight of menace that made a man's knees go weak.
"Duke Schung."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Emperor Millior kept tracking Duke Schung's gaze with those glistening eyes, while Duke Schung rolled his own eyeballs about, trying to evade them even a little.
Perhaps his effort was commendable?
Emperor Millior slowly drew his thrust-forward face back and spoke in a playful voice.
"What to do."
"......"
Duke Schung could give no answer to Emperor Millior's words. War always followed on the heels of that playful tone. The Roselin War had been like that. Every war before it had been like that.
A continent already aflame. And Emperor Millior's madness.
Duke Schung sensed a bloodbath unlike any before. The other two empires would hardly sit idly by in the wars to come. The Kingdom of Haian—the sole neutral zone left.
Duke Schung began to feel the first signs of another continental war, with the Haian Kingdom once more at its center.
"First, we shall learn in detail whether this Gauri is a country or a pack of stragglers. I'll be trusting only you, Duke Schung."
The voice that came from Emperor Millior's lips was wrapped in a smile. A voice wrapped in a blood-red smile...