There Are Always Those Who Get Criticized Even After Giving (3)

An irritating tone, a voice laden with force, a bored expression, and gestures. I was telling them with my whole body and words that they were bothersome.

“Ah! Sir Kim Han!”

“Greetings, divine warrior.”

They must have understood everything I expressed, yet they didn’t care at all. They were just busy keeping each other in check.

Does everyone change like that when they get into politics?

Well, even gods are consumed by the monster called politics and engage in nonsense, so why would humans be any different?

“Tsk. What is it?”

Resting my arm on the right armrest and supporting my chin, I clicked my tongue and asked, finally eliciting a reaction from the Holy Union. Their displeasure was evident.

In contrast, the noble who appeared to be a mage from the Dark Empire spoke with a smiling face and bowed his head.

“The other day, when the three goddesses manifested, the emperor sent gifts to repay the grace you bestowed, Sir Kim Han. Also, he asked me to convey that he wishes to meet you personally.”

“We, the Holy Union, feel the same.”

The cleric, whose jowls trembled, suddenly interjected.

The mere sight of his quivering jowls with even the slightest movement unconsciously made me clench my fists, an incredible provocation to violence from the representative of the Holy Union delegation.

Just like me, or perhaps even more openly, the representative of the Dark Empire displayed his displeasure, sighed deeply, clenched and unclenched his fist, then carefully placed a plain black wooden box from his bosom onto the table.

Perhaps spurred by the Dark Empire delegation.

The representative of the Holy Union’s delegate, struggling and finally finding the magic pouch wedged between his belly fat, proudly presented a brilliantly decorated jewelry box.

The jewelry box of the Holy Union, placed conspicuously next to the box presented by the Dark Empire, was naturally pure white, adorned with patterns and small jewels that seemed crafted by an artisan, reflecting the sunlight entering the reception room.

From the perspective of a representative living in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ rejecting such gifts is not an option. Reject? No way! It’s time to take even more advantage of this!

I lifted my body, which had been leaning to one side, and first picked up the box from the Dark Empire.

The entrance was sealed with wax, stamped with the Dark Empire’s emperor’s seal.

When I removed the wax and opened the box, surprisingly, there was a brooch with a flashy design and three spiritual pills inside the plain black box.

As I picked up the brooch to examine it, the Holy Union’s delegate began to stir.

“Th-that is…!”

“Heavens!! Those, those dark ones…!”

An item that the Holy Union clearly recognized. That meant it was a famous item, and a big deal.

I hurriedly checked the item information.

‘Verify.’

As I looked at the item’s name and grade, my good mood gradually turned sour. In short, it was as if they were playing tricks.

In the neatly formed magic circle, there were no other tricks. Each slightly increased Force, Spirit, and Mana.

It was strange that Divinity was missing, but on second thought, it was odd for a magic circle related to Divinity to appear in the Dark Empire.

“The Holy Union seems to know what kind of item this is? Anyone willing to explain?”

Everyone hesitated, unwilling to step forward.

In particular, the representative of the Holy Union’s delegate was shaking like someone on a belt massager.

Since no one from the Holy Union stepped up, the representative from the Dark Empire, wearing a victor’s smile, stepped forward to explain.

“Allow me to explain. This is an item called Presidium, an accessory created long ago by a great mage for his beloved. It is embedded with defensive magic, reduces mana consumption, and amplifies the power of magic. In fact, it was one of the treasures worn by the 3rd Princess of the Dark Empire until recently. Hahaha.”

The roughly confirmed item information matched. They seemed unaware of the mana regeneration part… and likely omitted the tracking magic on purpose.

“Oh… really? But isn’t there something you forgot?”

“…What?”

“They said it was made for their beloved. If it were me, I’d embed tracking magic in case of a kidnapping. Of course, that great mage would have done the same, right? Then there should be a counter-magic item, shouldn’t there?”

“…H-how did you know that?”

The representative of the Dark Empire, who had been smiling leisurely all along, was now gaping in surprise.

Apparently unaware of this, there was a commotion in the Holy Union as well.

Is it true that acting improves with practice? With a genuinely surprised face, I asked the representative of the Dark Empire.

“Oh? It seems there really is one? I just guessed. So, what about it?”

“Th-that, are you referring to that? Isn’t it inside?”

“No, it’s not.”

Though I’m not great at planning and predicting, I’ve dealt with countless people like this.

Dealing with people. And leading the charge at the forefront.

I have more experience in these two areas than any other representative, and I’m confident in it.

“I-I’m sorry! Such a mistake… I’ll immediately contact the home country and have it brought through the warp gate. You there, yes, you, connect the communication and go through the warp gate!”

“Understood.”

Watching this farce unfold, I shot a look that said I’d hold back this time.

Now, I opened the box from the Holy Union that was shining alone on the desk. Or rather, I tried to open it.

“Wa-wait a minute! I-I also forgot for a moment.”

Just as I was about to open the box, a thick pig’s foot? No, the hand of the Holy Union representative was placed on the table.

“You forgot too? This is something! How can people handling national affairs be so forgetful?”

I said, mocking both sides.

The representative of the Dark Empire bowed deeply and apologized again, but the pig from the Holy Union insisted that he had really forgotten.

It’s irritating enough to hear a story that no one would believe even once, but to insist so stubbornly—was this the typical obstinacy of a clergyman? I couldn’t help but frown at the thought.

The box they belatedly presented was larger than expected. It was big enough to fit an adult’s fist.

Inside the box was a magic weapon commonly referred to as an ‘Orb.’

Were they trying to hide something like this?

Whether they never intended to give it from the start or reacted differently depending on the situation, it’s clear this is what you call ‘giving and still getting cursed,’ right?

“Thank you. I’ll make sure to convey my gratitude directly to the Pope of the Holy Union, or rather, the Archbishop? I’ll express my thanks to the Archbishop separately for the gift we received this time…”

“Uh, uh, there’s something else I forgot!”

Sweat dripped down the forehead of the trembling representative as he handed over the gift, reaching all the way to his chin.

It’s not like he’s giving a birthday present to his granddaughter; how does the representative of a delegate, who came on behalf of a nation, forget a tribute gift twice? It’s like an orc achieving enlightenment.

“Hey, Holy Union. Do you guys really not know anything?”

“…What?”

I couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle at the actions of the foolish pig. As the saying goes, “a thief has a guilty conscience,” and the pig, with anxious and trembling eyes, asked me,

“Wh-why are you doing this…?”

“Why? Haha. You really don’t know? Right now, the distance between you and me is just under 1 meter. This situation is being watched by Ludicer, the god I serve among the three gods. Isn’t Amor the god most people in the Holy Union believe in? Amor… I didn’t expect this, giving such a gift while considering the situation is disappointing. Tsk. Take it back, I don’t need it. It pales in comparison to the Demon Serpens.”

At these shocking words, the delegates of the Holy Union vehemently denied it, glaring at the pig who represented them.

Comparing Amor and Serpens so openly, the Dark Empire’s delegates raised their shoulders in laughter, while the Holy Union’s delegates turned red, glaring at their representative pig, waving their hands in denial whenever they met my eyes.

Some priests even shouted that the pig acted alone.

Regardless of the commotion around, the pig priest performed a belly dance with his chin fat, wailing that it wasn’t his intention.

But when Lee Hyo-ju, standing behind me, presented the recording crystal, he slumped into his chair.

In a peculiar twist, at that moment, the delegate sent to receive goods from the Dark Empire rushed in, holding an Abito that counters Presidium’s tracking magic.

“Here it is. This is an Abito that counters the tracking magic of the Presidium. As you can see, it’s in the form of a ring and allows you to warp to a location within 40km if it’s pointed by the Presidium’s tracking magic. This is… an additional artifact we brought to apologize for the inconvenience caused by our mistake.”

Shaking hands with the representative of the Dark Empire’s delegate who handed over the Abito along with three additional artifacts, I offered a visible expression of gratitude.

“These are good items. I’ll use them well. Please convey my thanks.”

“You’re very welcome. Haha.”

With words of humility and a face full of smiles, the representative of the Dark Empire’s delegate looked down at the Holy Nation Union and puffed out his chest.

To the delegate from the Dark Empire, I expressed thanks and mentioned that I would visit the Dark Empire after the training period ends if the opportunity arises, ending the meeting on a warm note. Meanwhile, I sent the Holy Union away, saying I didn’t want to meet today.

“Phew… Is he an idiot? Has there been peace for too long? First, the tower masters, and now even the priests? Is it because they’re not a unified nation like the Dark Empire?”

“I don’t quite understand. Didn’t the Holy Nation Union present a gift anyway? Couldn’t they have raised objections after receiving it?”

In response to Lee Hyo-ju’s answer, I turned my head back and asked with a look that questioned if she really thought that way.

Seeing her hesitating to speak, it seemed she truly believed so.

“Tsk. Just recently, Tess’s wife, I can’t even remember her name. Anyway, when I dealt with the woman hanging by the stake in the square, I thought I was getting a bit better… Too realistic? No, just looking at the immediate gain? Could it be… a style that improves with practice?”

“What?”

“Just talking to myself. So, Lee Hyo-ju, you’re saying that even if you accepted the gift, you could have let those bastards loose?”

“Yes.”

“Right. Since you said you’d accept it politely without outright refusing, that’s a pass. But sometimes refusing can lead to greater gains. There’s a notion of grace or something, but in diplomacy, that happens a lot. If you decisively reject the immediate gain, they might come back with a bigger fish. This was definitely one of those cases. Think about who was there at the time.”

Except for Lee Hyo-ju’s breathing, which seemed to indicate deep thought, no other sound could be heard.

While watching the flowers dance beyond the folding door of the reception room and the sunlight breaking upon them, Lee Hyo-ju’s exclamation came from behind.

“…Ah! The Dark Empire.”

“Right, the two have always been in a hostile relationship from the start until now. But they also have parts where they coexist. So, if I had listened to the greedy priest’s words not once, but twice in the situation just now?”

“Hmm… I don’t know for sure, but people from the Dark Empire would have complained. Oh, and they might have looked down on us.”

“Which side?”

“The Dark Empire.”

“No, both sides would see us as laughable people. To gods, especially Heavenly and Demon Gods, it’s right for us to appear laughable. We’re not ready yet. But they are different. If we appear laughable to them, we must immediately give up various relics and treasures located east and west of the ‘Battlefield.’ We can’t raid even two of the super beasts.”

“Yes…”

“That’s how it is. Think of dealing with Earth’s seasoned politicians. Always with the mindset of winning. Approach them with the mindset of never incurring a loss. And maybe… they’ll come with a better gift tomorrow.”

Don’t look at me like that. This is all something you told me before.

Feeling awkward, I turned my body toward the garden to avoid Lee Hyo-ju’s gaze, which seemed to pierce through my face with a look of respect.

Though my mind is lacking, I wanted to share more stories born from experience. But I had to stop because of the four men and women Tess brought along.

“Sir Kim Han, the representatives I mentioned earlier have arrived.”

“Yes, let them in.”

An elf man, a gnome woman with a cute appearance, and two human women. A total of four representatives entered the reception room.