Chapter 34

(It has finally come…)

Unidentified vessels.

In her past life, during the exact same period and in this very same port town of Angus, military ships from the Kingdom of Fieran had entered the harbor.

The Kingdom of Fieran, which maintained no official diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Rutledge, had adopted a hardline stance, demanding the establishment of maritime diplomatic ties taking advantage of this very opportunity.

Naturally, this was not a matter a mere baron could decide on their own.

Word had reached the House of Gazard as their vassal family from Baron Quilter, and from the Gazard house up to the royal family.

Caught completely off guard by the sudden arrival of armed emissaries, the Kingdom of Rutledge had been forced onto the back foot time and time again.

In the meantime, the special envoy of the Kingdom of Fieran, Naval Admiral Curtis McBride, brought the pirates infesting the open seas under his thumb, thereby securing a safe maritime route to the Kingdom of Rutledge.

Trade with the Kingdom of Fieran ultimately ended up forcing them to swallow many of the opposing side’s demands.

The unequal treaty severely strained the finances of the Kingdom of Rutledge.

However, things were different now.

(If we can forge an equal relationship with the Kingdom of Fieran, it should prove immensely advantageous for our future trade. Besides…)

The goods imported from the Kingdom of Fieran would become widely circulated within the Kingdom of Rutledge a few years down the line.

If a single merchant guild could manage to monopolize them…

(How could I ever let a business opportunity like this slip through my fingers?)

“Unidentified vessels, you say… Whatever country could they possibly belong to?”

“It will be fine, they haven’t actually entered port yet, have they?”

After offering a reassuring smile to the anxious Miriam, Diana turned her attention back to the attendant who had brought news of the situation.

“Where is the baron?”

“He is currently out inspecting the domain, so we have already dispatched a messenger to fetch him.”

“Very well, I shall go down to the harbor to see for myself. Please inform Lord Alan as well.”

Miriam hurried after Diana as she headed down toward the port.

“Miriam, are you able to ride a horse?”

“Horseback riding? To a passable degree, yes…”

“That will be more than enough.”

A palpable tension hung heavy over the port town, its inhabitants trembling in dread before the massive warships.

They urged their horses forward, weaving through the clusters of uneasy townsfolk.

Even before arriving at the docks, the warships of the Kingdom of Fieran anchored out at sea came uncomfortably into view.

A menacing presence designed to overwhelm the residents of the small port town.

It was a vessel built by pooling the finest shipbuilding prowess of the coastal nations.

Yet, this was no time to allow oneself to be intimidated.

Facing the colossal warships, Diana raised her chin with absolute composure and urged her horse onward.

“Therefore, we cannot simply permit you to drop anchor in our port without authorization.”

“We are merely here to request that very permission.”

A small boat was moored at the wooden pier.

The emissary who had come to negotiate port access for their fleet and the soldiers tasked with guarding the port were locked in a heated discussion.

Seeing that the conversation was progressing quickly, Diana dismounted her horse and strode directly toward them.

“To arrive without sending advance notice of any kind is rather an abrupt demand, wouldn’t you say? Surely you ought to at least disclose your reasons for visiting our nation, your nationality, and the official status of your special envoy?”

At Diana’s words, the men were struck speechless for a brief moment.

The soldier, casting a suspicious gaze at the sudden appearance of the young woman, no sooner caught sight of Miriam standing beside Diana than he hurriedly lowered his head in a deep bow.

“M-My Lady!”

“Let us leave this matter to Diana, to the Lady of Gazard.”

At Miriam’s single word, the gazes of everyone present converged instantly upon Diana.

The soldiers straightened their posture, and the emissary, though ignorant of her identity, bowed respectfully at the mention of the title “Lady of Gazard.”

“Pardon our intrusion. We hail from the Kingdom of Fieran. It would bring us no greater joy than to foster a deeper friendship with the Kingdom of Rutledge.”

“The Kingdom of Fieran…”

At the nation named by the emissary, Miriam drew in a sharp breath.

The Kingdom of Rutledge and the Kingdom of Fieran could hardly be called neighboring countries.

Attempting to travel between them overland would entail a perilous journey fraught with conflict zones and vast, sprawling deserts.

Naturally, the same held true for a voyage by sea.

The open ocean, swarming with monsters and pirates, was a death-defying hazard zone the mere moment one set sail.

The obstacles standing in the path of diplomatic relations between the two nations were simply too numerous.

“Whether we deepen our friendship depends entirely upon your approach.”

To the emissary’s respectful demeanor, Diana replied sharply and without hesitation.

“This attitude of intimidation backed by warships… rather than appearing as though you wish to sit at a peaceful table of negotiation, it looks rather more like your objective is to overwhelm us through sheer military might, would you not agree?”

“Good heavens, absolutely not!”

At Diana’s words, the emissary spread both hands wide in an exaggerated gesture.

“Even with our military strength, the journey thus far has been fraught with danger. Our armament is purely a matter of necessity. We harbor not the slightest intention of intimidating the people of this kingdom.”

(Well, people can say whatever they like with words…)

Diana let out a quiet sigh.

In truth, facing the unfamiliar and colossal warships, the people of the port town could not conceal their terror.

Even in her past life, the Kingdom of Fieran had anchored their warships within firing range, “effectively forcing” them into negotiations.

Baron Quilter, who had handled the situation back then, had been unable to take a strong stance before them and had ended up relinquishing port usage rights under what amounted to forced expropriation.

As if to wash away Diana’s sigh, the rhythmic sound of hooves approached.

“Diana!!”

Riding a sturdy warhorse, Alan appeared upon the scene.

Even Alan, accustomed as he was to warfare, stared blankly out toward the open sea before the sheer magnitude of the warships.

“These visitors apparently hail from the Kingdom of Fieran.”

“The Kingdom of Fieran, you say?”

“Yes, they appear to desire official diplomatic ties with our nation.”

The direction toward which Alan and Diana gazed.

Movement stirred even among the massive warships anchored offshore.

Perhaps growing impatient at the stalled conversation, a single small boat had been lowered.

Slowly, the small boat drew closer.

At its prow sat a man with blazing red hair that stood out vividly even from a distance.

(They have arrived…)

Curtis McBride, the naval admiral and special envoy of the Kingdom of Fieran, himself.

Upon hearing that foreign ships had arrived, Baron Quilter had looked on the verge of collapsing in a dead faint.

He immediately delegated all authority to Diana and Alan, restricting himself to arranging a place for discussion within the baron’s estate.

The warships remained anchored out at sea.

The naval admiral had come ashore accompanied by only a handful of attendants.

“I expected a modest port town, but to think I would encounter royalty in such a place.”

Curtis McBride was a handsome man approaching his late twenties.

While younger than Alan, he possessed vastly more experience than Diana.

“Though I am of royal blood, I have stepped down into the ranks of ordinary subjects. Furthermore, as I am currently in the middle of a personal journey, I would appreciate it if you made yourself comfortable.”

“My thanks.”

Evidently, he had never intended to pay much respect to foreign royalty to begin with.

No sooner had they taken their seats at the negotiation table than Curtis slouched his posture and crossed his legs.

“Our proposal stands precisely as stated moments ago. Maritime diplomatic relations and the passage of merchant vessels. To that end, we wish to establish a forward base of the Kingdom of Fieran within this country.”

“Such a proposal ought properly to be brought directly to the royal capital rather than to a remote region such as this, or so I should imagine…”

“Before I could make my way to the capital, I happened to encounter fascinating individuals. Commerce is all about ‘connections,’ would you not agree?”

Curtis offered a soft, amused chuckle.

There was simply no way Baron Quilter could match wits with a man like this single-handedly.

The authority granted to them, the military power they possessed, their stature as human beings──everything differed far too vastly.

Knowing this full well, he had intentionally chosen to land in a tiny rural port town.

And in her past life, that tiny port town had indeed been utterly exploited by this invader.

Not just the port town, but trade within the Kingdom of Rutledge, everything had danced precisely to this man’s tune.

However, in this lifetime, things would not go quite so easily.

“Then, allow us to present our demands for you to consider as well.”

Beneath his blazing red hair, green eyes narrowed into sharp slits.

Now then… let us place a collar upon this rampaging sea dragon.