Volume 4 Chapter 9 (1/2)

Chapter 4 Episode 9

Editor:Starbuck11

Night, 14th Day, 11th Month, the Year 2813.

”Well then? Why did you want those kind of terms?”

It was about the terms Ryouma had demanded during the meeting this noon.

Lupis had accepted all of them.

It was natural for Lupis to do that because of how she was cornered and also of the urgency.

It can be seen from how Lupis accepted Ryouma's demand promptly without going to go through a meeting with the ministries.

Well, it was also true that Ryouma had kept the terms and conditions at a minimum so that it could be decided promptly, but the other side did not know that.

”Are you suspicious of me, Elena-san ?”

Toward Elena's question, Ryouma answered with a smile on his face.

Looking at his face, one can easily say that he had ulterior motives.

However, Elena had her own convictions.

”Suspicion? There's no such a thing. You're thinking too much.”

Towards Elena who spoke with such a.s.sertions, Ryouma could not hide his surprise.

”You said you don't have any suspicion, but still you are asking me that kind of question?”

It was a natural objection on his part.

It would have been natural if she asked because she was suspicious of something, but to enquire something yet said not feeling suspicious, it was expected for Ryouma to doubt her.

However, Elena's facial expression did not change.

”Ryouma-kun... What are you planning?”

Her eyes were serious, there were no fluctuations that could be seen from it. -

He was convinced that Elena wouldn’t pull back if he didn't give her a satisfying answer.

(Geez... Well, I guess it can't be helped for Elena to be like this, huh?)

A bitter smile appeared unintentionally on Ryouma's face.

It was not like he had an ulterior motive or anything like that.

He had done so to increase the chance of winning even if it was just a little.

Since in a battlefield, he would be dead if he did not do his best.

And with the current army Ryouma had, he won't be able to influence the battlefield very much.

How can hundreds of troops influence a battlefield where countries collide.

What it can do was only to deal a death blow if there were some gap. That was what he was in the process of doing.

The protagonists in this war would be the knight order led by Elena and the reinforcements from the Mist Kingdom

It was also true that he did so he could lessen the burden Elena had carried.

However, he could only provide a little advantage for them.

It was a cheap price despite the advantages they get.

(I guess I have no choice. It would be tasteless of me if I make Elena feel suspicious here...)

Ryouma quietly thought of that and heave a sigh.

”Is this about the matter of war funds?”

He had asked the permission to migrate homeless people from the royal capital and the surrounding territory, as well as one month time period to prepare for partic.i.p.ating in the reinforcement.

The emigration of engineers seemed to be a little of a bottleneck, but even that much won't cause too much noise.

The departure of engineers might cause the security of the kingdom to worsen but it was not something to be too concerned about, and even the time needed for Ryouma to prepare for the reinforcement was especially short, which can only be regarded as a good news.

Which only left one problem that concerned Elena, it was about the 50 million baht he had demanded Lupis to give him as war funds.

”Didn't you say that you're going to prepare the war supplies by yourself?”

Elena directed her investigative eyes toward Ryouma.

The amount of war funds was unnaturally too small.

Elena understood that Ryouma needed funds for the development of the Wortenia peninsula, but it would have been good if he had said so honestly.

Everyone knew that the order for reinforcement was unreasonable.

And n.o.body would have complained if Ryouma asked aid for the peninsula development in exchange for his partic.i.p.ation.

There was no need for him to name it war funds in this kind of situation.

”Well sure I wanted to do that, but after I saw the condition of the royal capital, I'm not sure if I should've asked that...”

”What do you mean by that?”

”It means just like what I said. Her Majesty does not seem to be able to control the kingdom. I guess she is already on her knees? That is why, I don't think she would be able to manage the supply when the country is under such conditions, no?”

Towards Ryouma's explanation, Elena's face grew stiff.