Body Blow Out Of Nowhere

Several minutes had passed since the dwarves, unable to restrain their curiosity, had rushed toward me while climbing over the round table, only to each take a body blow from Lynferia and Renge.

Groans of agony echoed through the conference hall like curses, but Galgad, who had taken a body blow relatively early, finally managed to drag himself back to his chair.

Thinking about it now, this really did not feel like a meeting between nations… Or rather, I felt like laying hands on another country’s leaders was seriously bad too… But they were the ones who had looked like they were going to lay hands on me first, so I would have them accept it.

“I apologize again and again, King Fels of Einheria-dono. We dwarves tend to lose ourselves when talk turns to things like this…”

“I am glad you calmed down. Still, I am sorry for resorting to such rough treatment.”

When I said that, Galgad looked at Lynferia and the others with eyes that seemed somewhat frightened, then glanced at his groaning companions and shook his head.

“No, we were the ones who were discourteous first… It would make us very happy if both sides could pretend this never happened…”

I doubted he was frightened by Lynferia and the others’ blows, exactly… but compared to the beginning, Galgad’s attitude felt like it had become much more humble.

Our technology and goods were probably that attractive to them. At this point, there was no doubt that to Galgad… no, to Gigil-Po, we had become an existence they absolutely could not afford to let slip away.

“As I said earlier, we cannot teach you about transfer or communication technology, but you can use the functions themselves. There will naturally be restrictions, but you may use them with a certain degree of freedom.”

“What restrictions would there be when using them…?”

“We cannot allow everyone to use them unconditionally. For the time being, only those whom we of Einheria have permitted will be able to use them.”

“Permission, is it…”

Galgad’s expression clouded at the words “Einheria’s permission,” which in a sense sounded like a threat.

Well, if we let everyone freely move and communicate, someone would definitely appear who used it for something bad. Since those restrictions existed to prevent that, we gave permission relatively easily to important figures whose faces were known.

“That said, I do not intend to make the restrictions that strict. At the very least, I will make it so the chiefs of the twelve towns here can use it. Once magic-power collection devices have been installed in every town, you will be able to come and go between each other’s towns in an instant, you know?”

“Wonderful! Some of us take several days just to gather in this town, so that would be a great help!”

“If the town chiefs are present, other people can transfer together with them. You can bring companions along, so use it well.”

“You have our gratitude! King Fels of Einheria-dono!”

Along with Galgad’s thanks, the other dwarves, still somewhat pale-faced, broke into tremendous smiles.

They seemed quite happy… Well, it was not as if I could not understand how they felt.

“Installing the magic-power collection devices will take several days, but after that, they will not require maintenance or the like. As long as people live around the devices, they will continue operating semi-permanently.”

“Such a device exists…?”

A different dwarf, not Galgad, muttered in a daze.

Well, whether they would still be working a hundred or two hundred years from now was… honestly, I did not know… but basically, there should be no problem.

“Once installed, a magic-power collection device will keep operating without pause. Once that happens, the dwarves in this town will no longer go berserk, but it will likely take some time before you can feel that for yourselves.”

“That would be so… It is difficult to prove that someone will not go berserk. However, in Einheria, the goblins have proven it for you, correct?”

“Yes.”

“…Honestly, that phenomenon called frenzy is a grave problem. Even while we are speaking here, someone in some town might be… no, it would not be strange if it befell me in the very next moment. On the surface, everyone lives normally, but we dwarves live in fear of a calamity that may befall us or our families at any time.”

Galgad said this with a serious expression.

Certainly, as he said, frenzy could happen at any time… and to anyone.

That fear was something I, who had not faced that situation myself, could not accurately understand… but it was definitely an unimaginable terror.

That was why I wanted to free the dwarves from that fear… from the irrationality known as the Demon King’s magic power. After all, that was the wish of Fio, who had created us.

“…I will also send over the technicians currently advancing the installations in our country. Preparations will be necessary, so I cannot say ten days, but we should be able to install magic-power collection devices in every town in about half a month.”

“Are you certain…?”

“Rather, I am the one who wants to say that line. I have yet to show you the actual magic-power collection device, or its effects. Are you truly fine with installing such devices?”

Even for the dwarves, I thought suddenly accepting an unknown device would be quite difficult. What was more, the ones installing it were a nation that had appeared suddenly, with no prior exchange or relationship with them.

I thought the conditions were such that it would be stranger to trust us.

However, at my words, Galgad opened his mouth with an expression free of hesitation.

“…Normally, this would be something that must be raised as an agenda item in this council, discussed, and decided. Therefore… everyone, we shall take a vote on whether Gigil-Po shall accept King Fels of Einheria-dono’s proposal, the installation of magic-power collection devices, and our continued cooperation with that installation from now on. Those in favor, raise your hands.”

When Galgad asked whether they accepted my proposal, the eleven dwarves raised their hands without any pause.

The only one who did not raise his hand was… Galgad, the chairman.

“Approval has been obtained from all members. This matter is hereby passed. My apologies, King Fels of Einheria-dono. Though irregular, I took the vote in this form. By unanimous consent, we acknowledge the installation of magic-power collection devices, and promise that from now on, we will cooperate with Einheria in installing them.”

If it was unanimous… then that meant Galgad, as chairman, was not included in the count.

Maybe the chairman had no voting rights so that the number would be an odd eleven?

Well, leaving that aside, the dwarves really were quick to decide and act.

For better or worse, they moved to action quickly.

“I appreciate your swift decision. Otonoha, have the installation sites already been selected?”

“There is no problem. Once we receive permission from Gigil-Po’s side, we can begin work.”

We had not brought the parts for the magic-power collection devices this time, but Otonoha said he would make them on-site.

Maybe he had intended to let the dwarves observe starting from the part-making process?

“Then later, please work out those details with Galgad-dono and the others. Now then, Galgad-dono. Cooperation regarding the magic-power collection devices has been concluded as of this moment. We will put it in writing later just in case, but let us consider this matter finished for now.”

“This has been a truly meaningful meeting. I hope our countries will continue getting along in various ways.”

Galgad, who apparently thought the talk was over after my words, began what sounded like closing remarks… but my talk was not over yet.

“Indeed, regarding that… the dwarves should still have several other problems. We of Einheria would like to cooperate with you on those as well.”

“Problems that we are facing… you say?”

“First is the food problem. Regarding this, it may be something like a self-created problem… Because we are fighting the surrounding countries, Gigil-Po, which has no choice but to rely on importing food from abroad, must be having trouble, no?”

“Mm… It is true that purchasing from surrounding countries has become somewhat difficult.”

As expected, they did not send me reproachful gazes as if to say it was our fault, but imports would undoubtedly become difficult from now on too. Both the Kingdom of Kugarlan and the Kingdom of Sorakil should rapidly lose their leeway from here on.

“So, how about buying food from us? The prices have already been calculated. Bangagonga, the documents on food exports.”

“As you command. Here they are.”

Bangagonga handed the documents to a dwarf nearby, and the documents were distributed to all the town chiefs.

“Mm… Overall, they are quite cheap… but for several items, the prices are extremely low, or rather, too low. Most of the unfamiliar items listed under vegetables and fruits have such prices, and the mutton is also exceptionally cheap.”

“I will bring samples of the unfamiliar vegetables. Once the magic-power collection devices have been installed, imports and exports will become work that can be done in no time. Since there will be no transportation costs, the prices are low overall. We do not intend to impose much in the way of tariffs either.”

“Are you sure? Would that not be an important source of income…?”

“It is unnecessary. This is more a matter of aid and apology than anything else. In my name, I promise that we will not suddenly raise the prices or refuse to sell. Well, if harvest volumes drop due to poor crops or the like, that will be a different matter… but at the very least, regarding the vegetables with exceptionally low prices, I promise a stable supply and those prices. Ah, and the mutton as well.”

Right now, Einheria was enjoying a booming economy thanks to public works, but things like road construction and flood-control projects would eventually end.

When that happened, people who lost work again might appear.

If we created a large number of unemployed people all at once after the economy had improved… this time, a great recession would likely come… I wanted to avoid that, as expected.

So, after public works, I was planning to create state-run farmland.

The people who worked there would be farmers, but also civil servants. Whether the harvest was good or bad, they would be government-employee farmers who received their salaries properly every month.

The state would collect all the harvests… and what would be produced there, needless to say, would be things from Sword and Legions.

When I had just come to this world, I had thought that selling Sword and Legions vegetables on a large scale might destroy the economy, but if they were vegetables that did not exist in this world to begin with, there was no problem. And even if the same vegetables existed, Gigil-Po, whose food self-sufficiency was practically nonexistent, was a perfectly suitable customer to sell them to.

“That is a very welcome offer, but…”

Galgad seemed to want to say that we would barely make any profit at these prices, but I shrugged and did not touch on that matter.

“Besides, the freshness is guaranteed. If you like, we can deliver vegetables and fruits harvested that very day to Gigil-Po.”

“How wonderful transfer is…!”

One of the town chiefs said this as if overcome with emotion, and I agreed with him on that point. Personally, I wanted to install a magic-power collection device by the sea and import seafood in great quantities.

Einheria was quite far from the sea. Since it seemed to be somewhat southwest from the center of the continent, if we marched south or west, we would likely reach the sea… but the next opponent would probably be to the north.

“I do not have much intention of making a profit, but we must return something to the people involved in agriculture and livestock farming. I would appreciate it if you bought them at those prices.”

“No, asking for anything cheaper than this would be an insult to the producers. At the very least, the food we have purchased until now has cost more than twice this.”

Well, normally transportation costs and tariffs would be involved, so that could not be helped.

Compared to that, Einheria’s food ingredients were cheap, fast, and tasty… it felt like a fast-food slogan.

“I am glad if they seem satisfactory. Well, we were originally the cause, after all, so leave food-related matters to us. We can also procure ingredients not on this list from the Lufelon Holy Kingdom, you know?”

“From the Lufelon Holy Kingdom? Could it be that you have also formed an alliance with that country?”

Galgad tilted his head at the name of the Lufelon Holy Kingdom, which I had casually brought up.

“No, the Lufelon Holy Kingdom has become a vassal state of Einheria. Though I say vassal state, we are not treating them harshly. It is more like they have entered our protection, or come under our umbrella.”

“Come under your umbrella… That country has been famous since its founding for not engaging in foreign expeditions, and I think that is the complete opposite of Einheria’s policy. May I ask what circumstances led to that?”

“Hmm, that would take a long time to explain, so another time. For now, to put it simply, we saved the Holy King-dono and the Holy Kingdom from another country’s schemes. Something like that.”

At my words, Galgad nodded while saying he understood. Was his reaction halfhearted because there was no technical talk involved at all?

“Now then, for the time being, this is how we are thinking of helping with the food problem. What do you think?”

“Honestly, it feels like a rescue boat arriving just when we needed it. I never imagined you had even considered our food problem…”

Cougar had investigated it for us yesterday, after all. And when we were also the cause… it had been worth using Hawk Voice last night to consult Kiriku.

“I have said this many times, but since the cause lies with us, you need not thank us. Since you have agreed to help install the magic-power collection devices, it would be shameful to let you go hungry. Now then, there is one more situation troubling your country, is there not?”

As if to say that the food problem discussion ended here, I brought up the next topic.

This time, things had proceeded very peacefully… though there had been body blows in the middle… but from here on, the discussion was about rough matters.

“Troubling us… could it be!?”

“Gigil-Po’s lifeline… There is a problem occurring at your mining site, is there not?”

“How do you know that!?”

Naturally, because Cougar investigated it for us… was not something I could say.

“The problem occurring at the mining site is not something that can be solved so easily, is it? But if mining stagnates, that will be fatal for Gigil-Po. We can resolve it in a relatively short time. What do you think?”

The problem occurring at Gigil-Po’s mining site was a problem related to monsters.

Recently, it seemed that large numbers of monsters had entered the mining site, making mining impossible. Apparently, nothing like that had ever happened before… Perhaps this was also due to the influence of the Demon King’s magic power, and I wanted to investigate it.

Well, I could not think of what exactly to investigate… but if I went to that mining site, Fio might notice something.

“…My apologies, King Fels of Einheria-dono. As expected, regarding this matter, we cannot reach a conclusion so easily. May we have some time?”

Galgad lowered his head with an extremely troubled expression.

Even the dwarves, as expected, could not decide this matter instantly.

“Of course. I have brought up many major topics. Let us leave things here for today and discuss it again properly at a later date.”

“You have our gratitude.”

“Then, lastly… since there are injured people here as well, I shall donate potions to everyone. They will also blow away your fatigue, so please drink them.”

As the meeting’s closing gesture, I told Bangagonga to take out potions for everyone, and the dwarves rushed toward them with incredible momentum, only to be knocked down by Lynferia and Renge once again.

Where had those dwarves with the serious atmosphere from just a short while ago gone…?