Chapter 89 (1/2)

Chapter 89

“......”

My eyes are irresistibly drawn to the tapestry depicting the Kingdom of Feldi and its surroundings.

Maps in the Liuus Alliance, whose culture is derived from Shulendal’s, depicts Feldi as “Kingdom in the East.”

But this map, naturally, has Feldi in the center. To the west is Filsand, and Senpu Village is in the corner.

The south is a great sea decorated with countless pictures of storms and sea serpents, the north is obstructed by enormous mountains, and the east is is a large empty expanse colored with gray.

If one thinks of Filsand as the center, north is the Plains of Twilight occupied by the undead, and south is Ran Balt. The only way to expand is to either cross the mountains in the west and attack Senpu Village, or to turn towards Feldi itself. That is the geographical position of this city.

Then again, the barren land separating Filsand and Ran Balt is where the Shulz currently live, and there is even that place called Garden of the G.o.ds, so it is not completely unviable as a direction for expansion.

While staring at this map, the thought that had come to my mind earlier gradually forms into a proper strategy.

“What is it? You have something else that you want me to do, right?”

“Umu……”

So asks the Duke of Filsand in a slightly testy voice.

In the first place, he is not someone used to obediently listening to someone else’s words.

I know a conclusion needs to be reached soon, but I do not yet have enough information to be sure.

I desperately search around my memories for all the information that I’ve seen and heard about that.

Right, it was quite a while ago that Sedam had given me a pretty detailed explanation, but……

“...... I’ve changed my mind.”

“What?”

“The first condition…… after you succeed at uniting your children, then I’ll tell you the second condition.”

Umu.

‘Slow and elaborate is better than rough and hasty’ is a modern j.a.panese idiom, right? So I decided to put a pause on the negotiations for a while.

“...... Very well. I will restrain Agbeil, and also immediately start the preparations for exchanging the Shulz girl for Balzard.”

“Ahh, you do that.”

I nod gravely at the Duke who is even now cursing me in his mind with «If this guy wasn’t a Great Wizard, I would have already stuck him on a spike.»

With this, Elizabel’s safety is guaranteed, and I have also earned myself some time.

“Nn, speaking of which, what are you going to do about Elizabel?”

“What do you mean by what?”

“The wedding. I know it was just a cover, but it would be more convenient to marry her anyways. After all, you’ve already had her, right?”

“h.e.l.l no!”

“?”

Oops, I accidentally retorted in my normal character.

“I, I am not so starved that I would lay my hands on a mere teenager. I have not touched your daughter with even a finger.”

“She’s already of age to give birth, so I don’t really see what the problem is, but…… well, I think I understand what your preferences are now.”

Man, he has such a smirk on his face.

For now, I leave the matter of my engagement with Elizabel as vague and unsettled while retreating to the room that I had been allotted.

♥♦♣♠

“Welcome back, my lord……”

Returning to my guest room, which is even more lavish than the one I had in Senpu Village, I find all my companions gathered inside.

Incidentally, Fablu is in a separate room with Ted and the three new soldiers. Dianu is of course under strict guard, and thus is in a cell.

All the rest have apparently been waiting for me, in spite of the very late hour. I did them a bad turn.

More like, why does Leiha look so tired?

“What is it, Leiha?” (Gio)

“No, it is nothing much.” (Leiha)

“a.s.sa.s.sins. While you were talking with the Duke, the first wife sent 1, and the second son sent 2.” (Irudo)

“And Leiha repelled all of them by herself.” (Claura)