In The Name Of Ingrad! (9)

I called Wijel, who was in the middle of busy war preparations to lead the human army, and Matilda, who normally handled a great deal of work, and began an urgent discussion.

Helping the Dradnos Empire was something we had to cooperate with to some extent, if only because of the justification of doing it for humanity. However, if there was a problem, it lay in the scale of support and the troops that had already been sent toward what could be called the foremost front line.

“Lord Ulde will not allow the beastkin to be wielded recklessly.”

That was what Wijel said when I explained the circumstances out of concern. I had sought his advice because he knew quite a lot about military affairs in detail, and as Wijel said, I thought Ulde would not let the army be handled carelessly, but I also thought operating together with an army that had not gained trust was not good.

To put it bluntly, the Dradnos Empire had gone through what could be called humiliation because of our Ingrad. Going further, one of their archducal houses had suffered a blow that brought it close to annihilation, and I could think that there was no way they could simply shake that off so easily.

“The Empire may regard us as something like a thorn in their eye. We did settle things well through our own discussion, but I do not think they can be said to have forgotten the previous matter. Even I remember it vividly, so there is no way the Empire can be said to have forgotten it. Because of this point alone, I think it is not good to act together.”

“You are worried that they may use our army, are you not?”

I nodded and spoke to Wijel in a concerned tone.

“I have no choice but to be. If I had gone through that situation, I would definitely have kept it deeply in mind.”

Wijel also nodded. So this time, I spoke to Matilda.

“If there are parts among the support goods that you think are unreasonable, could you tell me now?”

“The items themselves are not that extraordinary. However, if there is a problematic part, it would be this.”

She pointed out one item and spoke.

“As expected, Matilda’s thinking is similar.”

Hand grenades. That was what she had pointed out. I had also been thinking over that item. They were objects that were easy to imitate, but I was being careful because the difference between handing another country a sample and not doing so would clearly show.

And I remembered hearing before that Branne had also begun developing items through various methods to imitate hand grenades, but failed.

That was because I had heard that while it was possible to create items that could show similar effects, making something like a hand grenade had been difficult.

“I think they are strategic materials. In the case of items like this, even if it is in the name of aid, I do not think it is good to hand them to another country that may become an enemy.”

Certainly, even on Earth, hand grenades were specially managed goods. Since they were objects capable of killing many people, it could be said that they were managed even more carefully and thoroughly.

Moreover, an interesting part was that the form and power of the hand grenades used differed from country to country, and the strategies and tactics differed depending on the country that bought them, which could also be called a unique point.

Well, I did not expect that much, but at least I did not want to carelessly release items with knowledge from another world mixed into them, such as firearms or hand grenades.

Furthermore, if I thought about the possibility that our allies might suffer damage from those items, I felt even more resistance.

In any case, through various coordination with Matilda, I was able to set the framework for the support goods, but in the end, when it came to the hand grenades, Wijel and the others also concluded with “refusal.”

“I do not think there is any particular reason for them to feel offended just because we refuse that.”

“If refusing is right, then we only need to refuse. We have no reason to try to look good to them.”

In international relations, there was nothing good about making others dislike us, but at the very least, I did not think they were people we needed to watch our step around. Wijel grinned when he heard my words and said,

“Your Majesty has also changed a great deal.”

“…I have?”

“I think you are gaining decisiveness. It is a good thing, so I am merely glad.”

I scratched my head for no reason and smiled awkwardly, then asked Matilda to prepare the final proposal and returned to the Audience Chamber.

Then I called in the Dradnos Empire party, who had been waiting in the reception room, and resumed the discussion. This time, when Schwarz saw that Matilda and Wijel were also present, he showed curiosity about the two of them.

“I wish to know the names of the retainers trusted by Your Majesty, who is prudent. Could you introduce them?”

It was an unexpected story, but there was no reason I could not.

“This is Wijel, our country’s general and the mayor of Soil City. And this is Matilda, my exclusive secretary and retainer.”

“So the two of you are the pillars of Ingrad. It is an honor to meet you.”

It would have been fine for him to speak down to them, but Schwarz did not drop his speech toward Matilda and Wijel. I looked at him because it felt curious, and Schwarz, who had realized the meaning of my gaze in advance, spoke.

“I have heard that Ingrad is not an aristocratic system. Since the only noble is said to be the ‘king,’ I am merely acting accordingly. I judged this to be the correct behavior.”

He could be called a curious person. So Schwarz, who asked for permission and began to examine the documents, slowly nodded and spoke to me.

“As expected, you refused because they are strategic materials, did you not?”

“That would be so. I think the Dradnos Empire would be similar as well. You also would not act by handing important strategic materials over to another country.”

“Mm… For something called a substitute, the quantity of additional support goods is large. Is it truly all right for you to provide this much support?”

“I have been asked a similar question before. Do you know what my answer was then?”

“With my shallow insight, it is difficult to predict. Please let me hear your wise opinion.”

Schwarz bent slightly at the waist and showed courtesy to me, and I thought he truly was a difficult person to deal with before speaking directly.

“I said that if the life of one citizen could be replaced with money, I could give as much as needed. This time can also be said to be the same.”

“…Most hypocrites cannot think such a thing. This can be called a special thought that only His Majesty the King of Ingrad can make. I envy Ingrad…”

Then Schwarz met my gaze.

But at that moment, the woman beside him, who had been introduced as “Sara,” raised her hand.

Seeing that Schwarz showed no particular reaction to Sara’s sign, I thought it was an action that had been discussed beforehand, so I looked at Schwarz once, then shifted my gaze to Sara and asked,

“Do you have something to say?”

“Please forgive my rudeness.”

“I do. What are you curious about?”

“I heard that one of the Three Sages has taken a place as a retainer in Ingrad.”

“You must be curious about Samual. Did he not meet you?”

Sara said that was so with an awkward expression. So I looked at Schwarz and asked,

“I thought if you went personally, he would grant you at least a meeting, but it seems that was not the case?”

“He refused, saying he was merely being faithful to his role as a retainer of Ingrad. It seems they were told only that if they insisted on meeting him, they should ask Your Majesty for permission.”

It meant Schwarz had not accompanied them. Since they were definitely a family that lived by wisdom, I thought it was possible their eyes might turn when they saw a “sage,” and said,

“I will give you one letter of recommendation. His time is not plentiful, so I would like you to be satisfied with only a moderate fulfillment of your curiosity.”

“Th-thank you, Your Majesty!”

Seeing Sara di Glicias, whose eyes sparkled brightly, I was somewhat dumbfounded, but that was all. Afterward, I exchanged a few more words with Schwarz and was able to finish the audience with him, but there was one question he asked before leaving at the end.

“What kind of country does Ingrad pursue…?”

Schwarz looked at me with a face that showed he was truly curious about that, and without needing to think about it, I was able to bring out a natural answer.

“I wish to broadly benefit people.”

“And beastkin are also included among those people.”

“They are certainly people as well.”

After saying he understood, they left the Audience Chamber, and though I wondered why he had asked the final question, the answer I had given even to myself was clear.

To broadly benefit people. That was because I knew just how difficult and arduous that was.

Just before Ulde joined the Relief Group, the Relief Group was suffering from yet another attack.

This time, the scale was several times greater than before, and quite a few Demon Realm nobles were also included. Bella, who had concluded that it could be dangerous, had even advised Linda that she should consider giving an emergency withdrawal order.

Linda also could not foolishly let lives be lost in work meant to save lives. So she made a decision and conveyed that they would withdraw while fighting, and according to that, the Ingrad Thousand-Man Unit was loaded onto carriages, withdrawing toward the rear while giving orders to fire at the enemies surging toward them.

At least the riflemen’s response made it difficult for them to approach the carriages, and whenever the magic cannons placed inside the carriages were prepared, they fired, creating a situation where they were barely maintaining distance and retreating with somewhat threatening bombardment.

“At this rate… our supplies will run out. After that… as soldiers of Ingrad, we intend to fulfill our role and burn ourselves out.”

Bella was checking on Linda while reporting and speaking of their final decision, and Linda’s heart grew endlessly heavy at the fact that most of the people who had come with her from Ingrad would be placed in danger and die because of her own decision.

Was it really right for her, who could not even offer advice related to battle, to be in the position of “representative”? Linda was even thinking that, and Bella noticed it, clapped her hands once to draw Linda’s gaze, and spoke.

“It is not Lady Linda’s fault. I think it was our arrogance. We grew arrogant because we had repelled the Demonic Tribe several times, and that became the cause of this disaster. So… we need only pay the price for that mistake ourselves. Lady Linda, you have many things you must do, do you not?”

Bella’s words made her heart ache. Among the Relief Group’s roles were also countermeasures against localized Demonic Tribe infiltration, but Linda felt bitter that they were now of no use whatsoever.

Was that why?

“If we are driven into a corner, I would like you to give me a firearm whose owner has been lost as well.”

Linda had resolved herself and spoke accordingly, but Bella took out a crystal engraved with splendid mithril from her chest and said,

“This is an item that can send only one person to Ingrad in an emergency. His Majesty prepared it for Lady Linda, and if we must see this through to the end, I judged that even if only Lady Linda survives, we must send you away. I do not think you are someone who should be killed by those wretches in a place like this.”

Linda bit her lip and was trying somehow to respond to Bella’s words when it happened.

A sharp sound of “shooooo” cutting through the air rang out, and soon flames began to rise together with explosions throughout the Demonic Tribe formation.

Bella shuddered at the “rain of explosives” falling onto the places where the Demonic Tribe was charging, enough to make her wonder what that was, and Linda also rubbed her arms as if she had chills and turned her gaze toward the place where something was flying in from.

“They are reinforcements, right…?”

“The only army that can use items like this is our Ingrad. And if they have that level of power… perhaps the whale beastkin have moved…”

After receiving Bella’s judgment, Linda said that seemed likely, and soon Bella spoke as she saw the enormous physiques and brilliant flags gradually appearing beyond the high ground.

“It seems a force far too excessive for the Demonic Tribe has arrived. Considering Lord Ulde has come personally…”

As Linda was thinking similarly, the voice of the single silhouette at the front, who had wrapped light around a gigantic sword as large as his own body and shouted, could be heard vividly.

“Let us wet today’s skin with the blood of the Demonic Tribe, shall we? Free fire!!”

After that came the firing order that rang loudly across the battlefield, and soon countless sounds of air being pierced were heard as dark-red flames and smoke erupted everywhere, beginning to prepare a splendid decoration.