Episode 10 Breakdown of Negotiation
It’s only my second time, but I’m already used to the impression of the guild leader room. On both sides of the lounge suite, sit the guild leader, Collard, and a probably 25 year old male adventurer who wore leather armor before him.
Collard had a hard face, but seeing me and Gald enter the room, his tension loosened a little.
“Excellent, with this everyone is present.”
The two guards who were at the door before weren’t there.. it seems they were considered to be unnecessary for right now since he said everyone was present. However, it’s just 4 people here…I wonder why? The atmosphere here means we probably aren’t going to play mahjong though.
“Please sit for now. I have a bit of a complicated story to tell―”
While saying so Collard left his seat and sincerely poured a pot of black tea into the arranged cup and placed the cup in front of me (This kind of solicitude is something that Gald lacks, is this what it means to be the right man for the job?). After that, he spread out a biggish paper (Unlike the game, the paper spread rate is pretty high. Some kind of parchment which was kinda beyond looking like a relic) that was placed on top of the official desk.
It looked like the laid out paper was a map of the surrounding environment which played an important role for this town.
It was quite a simplification and on top of that the terrain scale and the location was a bit off. Maybe the measurement technique was underdeveloped, or it was on purpose because the real details were a military secret, I don’t really know about those circ.u.mstances but well, as an outline, the map wasn’t wrong.
Although for me, I have the player essential skill ‘Automatic Mapping’ (The skill draws in a 500m radius centering at the spot the player was at. The skill couldn’t be used on some dungeons and the like), before I came to Arra city Ten’gai easily flew me around the area, the map was built up in my head almost like a GPS.
Nonetheless, it is unnecessary to reveal what my hand is, so I pretended to view that map with great interest.
“To introduce him first, this here is Frank, a C rank adventurer belonging to this guild, and he is the leader of the adventurer group ‘Astor’…no, he was the leader.”
While he was being introduced by the guild leader, this person whose name is Frank showed a face that was twisted in regret.
If I take a good look at his armor that is brand new, there were cuts all over it like scratches by some nails, part of his face and skin that can be seen have unusual color. Seems it was a wound that was just cured by healing magic.
“Frank-san, this young lady here is… an esteemed lady who is currently staying in this city. Since right now we have a crisis, I asked her to be present here.”
On that harmless and inoffensive introduction, Frank remained silent and stared at me suspiciously. He bowed his head just because of the sense of obligation, however I pretended to not see him and ignored him.
After all, what’s the point of a greeting and etiquette if there is no feeling attached to it? That’s useless right? It’s pointless doing something which serves no meaning.
While sighing because of unfriendly atmosphere between Frank and I, Collard conveyed the main point of why he brought me here.
“By the way, does the young lady know a phenomenon called a ‘stampede’?”
Ah… I don’t know any stampede other than a pro wrestling technique.
Perhaps he already antic.i.p.ated me, who tilted my head in confusion. Collard continued on,
“Once in a while in this big forest, on average in an interval of every 15 years, something happens for a short time over several months, the ma.s.sive monsters movement phenomenon.”
Saying so he pointed on the map, at the spot in a north-east direction away from Arra city. At approximately the edge of the map, there was a spot shown that was covered by a tree mark indicator. Although the angle was practically 7 times more eastern and the distance to the tip of the forest was 30km more than this map showed.
“Hmmmn, is the cause known?”
“Yes, for the general cause there are 3 main reasons:
The first reason is because of food shortage. There is a lack of food in the forest, and the population of monsters increases too much which causes overflowing.
The second reason is because of the power struggle within the forest. The losing powers are kicked out of the forest and attack villages or other things they find. Well either of those two would surely be a disorganized mob, even if there was a fight against a large number, it’s on a scale that would not be a problem and could be defeated.
But the problem is the third reason, a case where there springs forth an individual who leads the monsters within the forest.”
“Leader? In short something like a field boss is it?”
“What’s that? The one who is the leader is not simply leading a bunch of followers, it’s a demon that evolved to the extent of uniting the whole forest together, in other words that fellow is the ‘King’. In that situation there would be various kinds of monsters, but every last of them is still the same; they possess a monstrous strength.
Actually when I was young, the reason the stampede occurred was because of the ‘Treant King’. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d grew roots from underground and sucked 100 adventurers of their blood at the same time.” Gald reminiscing his past.
“Hee? You defeated that? That’s a great kill.”
“To be fair the basis of that one is a tree monster after all. Its main body’s movement is slow, it’s also weak to fire, so with all gunpowder and fire magicians, and something like elementaler whom also cooperating, we can shave off the roots little by little from a long distance. In the end all the A ranks struck together at its main body and burnt it and, that’s all.”
“Hmm, well that’s the proper way of defeating it. At any rate since there is something like a field boss cla.s.s, I think maybe you should leave it to someone like a warrior who could defeat it solo, or the legendary S rank adventurer.”
“You mention something like an S rank, but how many S ranks do you think exist in this world?! Just to merely summon them, how much time and money do you think it would take!?” Frank angrily rebuke me.
Oh, the S rank really exists! Look like this will be a bit more fun.
“However, the opponent right now doesn’t have such a weakness, on top of that they have mobility, making this the worst trouble.”
Really irritatedly, Collard clicked his tongue.
Ah~ so it was like that.
From the flow of this conversation, the ‘stampede’ would be occur when a new ‘King’ is born.
“This problem began about 1 week ago, it started when contact from the pioneering village adjacent to the forest completely stopped.”
By nature, the remote region wouldn’t be given attention at first, but when the peddler who departed from the neighboring village also didn’t come back, some odd stories spread around the village.
Before long it escalated to communication from the villages nearby getting cut off, and as expected even the guild got their lazy b.u.t.ts in gear and dispatched 3 group of adventurer starting with Frank who worked in the Astor group to do the field investigation.
The result was this: everyone except Frank was annihilated.
“…It was h.e.l.l. Even running desperately my comrades got overtaken one by one by those monsters, they were greedily eaten alive… I was miraculously able to escape from them…”
Frank eyes lost their spirit; he narrated bit by bit, the situation at that time.
“The monsters number in the thousands, perhaps it might be approaching tens of thousands. It’s said that the ogre was in the center, I dare to say it’s the ‘Ogre King’ now.”
From the supplementary that Gald gave, it’s literally the game of tag, is it?
[ED/TL note: Foreign joke here, she actually says onigokko(which is tag, the oni is in the center and tries to tag the rest)]
That’s the impression which came to my mind, but I won’t say it out loud since that would be imprudent.
Or rather I should be saying…
“So, what I am here for?”
To say it bluntly, I don’t have anything to do with this discussion. Even today I was planning to leave this town.
My words made both these 2 guild higher ups cross their gazes uncomfortably.
“…We want to ask for your opinion about this matter. As for your advice, what should we do?”
Hearing Collard plead, I make a “Hrmm…” sound while holding my jaw with my fist and tried to give it some thought.
“Maybe try making a discussion with them?”
“Don’t say something stupid! There’s no way we can communicate with that monster!!”
Just now Frank shouted with bloodshot eyes.
Eeh- I wonder about that. There is someone who is leading those huge crowds, so there should be a certain amount of intelligence making it possible to communicate with them. So the first thing that comes to my mind is to have a discussion.
“I guess it can’t be done. For those guys, human beings are seen as a food. Actually, at the village that had been destroyed, from old men to babies, they were all eaten. Everything was gone down to pieces of their bones.”
Even Gald curtly shook his head.
Hmmmm, they were communicating with me even though I’m a vampire princess though. I doubt these guys have already given up before they try it.
Or perhaps, let’s just try to simulate it first.
My followers (monsters) will attack the human town.
An envoy comes along with a white flag raised.
What was that?
It’s the human beings.
Then, I’ll try tasting them a bit.
…Sorry, discussion is impossible. It’s edible just by the sampling taste.
“Well numbers against numbers, there are military forces for times like this after all, what about calling the forces to defeat them?”
“Of course, we called for aid from the country, but something like an army can’t move from one area to another so easily. It happens through parliament approval, gathering the unit that’s scattered in various places, and then organizing it till its departure. At worst it takes several weeks, so it’s not the best for a time like this, is it?”
Uwaah~, so troublesome~. Shouldn’t a voice from the king be enough to move them since this is a kingdom?
In my own place I don’t need to give a shout, let alone rally the army, even a certain ramen shopkeeper is always fully motivated to go into a battle.
“Then, there is no choice but to hold out in siege until those armed forces come, right?”
“That’s also impossible, like how the town was named a free city, it has nothing but a miserable amount of wall.”
“In that case shouldn’t everyone just abandon this city and escape?”
“―You b.i.t.c.h, all this time you’re just messing around! How many of our comrades sacrificed their lives to protect this city!!?”
Frank raises from his seat and was just about to grab me, together with Gald who was trying to stop him in panic, Frank sees my eyes and gasped. He submerged into the couch like he dislocated his back.
“…Mess around you say? I’m the one who should say that.
How many times in a row did this Stampede occur? And why in the h.e.l.l did you guys make those pioneering villages there? Isn’t that just like building a house on cliff or a river side where there’s always falling rocks and flooding at fixed intervals?
–Nah, if the reason you have is that those things will happen anyway, at least, shouldn’t you patrol that place everyday and make a defensive wall? Did you guys even do anything? No, the best you guys can do is puff your chest with pride heh.
But, with such villages falling victim, when it comes your turn to scout on them……it must be good huh, talking to dead villagers?
As for your sacrifice, our own bodies became the alarm, warning you that danger is aproaching. Their reply would be kind of like that right?”
“…It just as you say, everything that happened is my own incompetentness. However, as the Arra City adventurer guild leader, it’s my duty and responsibility to protect this town. To speak honestly, just this once, please lend us your power.”
Collard bowed down to me with a bitter face, however my anger isn’t settled –Or perhaps I should say that my anger snapped.
“Then what sort of reward for me do you have? I have countless gold and silver coins. Social status isn’t even necessary for me. I don’t need your honor or grat.i.tude. ―So, what could you present to me?”
To be honest, I was releasing my anger from the bottom of my stomach.
“…If my only neck could ease you I will offer you this neck of mine. Somehow, please help everyone that lives in this town!”
T-H-I-S G-U-Y～～～～!!!
I absolutely have no idea why I was mad. Maybe because he presented his life that easily, what low value!!
“…You say that not as an individual, but as the representative of this city, the adventurer guild leader?”
“Yes.”
His figure that nodded without any hesitation decided my resolution.
“‘Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Rais)’!”
Instantly, rising on my right hand, was a jet black and yet semi transparent blade of the sword, my beloved ‘Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Rais)’, I proceeded to grab it.
Ignoring the three people who have their eyes wide open, I pointed the edge of my sword towards Collard.
“Collard! Hereby I declare myself once again. My name is Hiyuki. The one and only immortal ruler of the demon light and the universal kingdom ‘Imperial Crimson’ which is as eternal as heaven and earth, and one who was praised as the ancestor of G.o.d! Do you think one puny neck such as yours will be enough for me? Or do you try to arose my sympathy and sway me? I’m also a person who can’t be taken lightly!”
I turn the sword blade of my ‘Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Rais)’ sideways, which was pointed at Collard, who became pale.
“Choose well. What I protect are my subjects! You may choose to submit this town, all people and souls under this sword. If that’s the case I will maintain and protect to the end, body and soul. However if you can’t choose that, that means you are an opponent that ought to face this sword. Anything that happens will not be any of my concern.”
“……” Collard expressed an anguished face, but then he frailly shakes his head. “We can’t. This town is a free city, we can’t turn our self under you. Even if you are a being who is possibly a G.o.d.”
“Is that so?”
My incited emotion cools down with a gulp. Or precisely, my sanity returned.
…I feel that I made, with all my power, a terribly embarra.s.sing chuunibyou speech, but it’s just my imagination right? That’s right. Let’s just put this into my inner dark history folder that I won’t open again.
『So foolish wasting the princess’s favor!』
Ten’gai vents his sneering from within my chest.. but please stop, don’t bring that up again!
Then, a guild staff member barged in together with a panicked knocking sound.
“I-It’s terrible! About 2 days distance from here, there’s an unbelievable swarm of monsters!!”
Hearing those words, both Collard and Gald regained their vitality back.
On Frank’s side…Oh my, his skin completely turned white (Surely his worries of his dead colleagues were just piled up I guess).
I put away my ‘Sinner of Rose (Gilles de Rais)’ and faced towards the door that was left open.
“Seems there’s not even time to escape. Well I want to see the strength of the monsters in this land and the adventurers; hence, I shall be the spectator.”
See you thenー, I wave my hand and leave.