Chapter 169

Protest
The King of Ostland was quietly enjoying tea time with his granddaughter.

Thanks to the monsters marching straight toward the capital during the kingdom's reconstruction, damage outside the royal city had been minimal. Seizing this opportunity, they were dismantling the broken outer walls to expand the capital, which had grown too cramped.

Ostland was surprisingly competent in its own right—staffing precisely the right number of skilled personnel where needed. In this regard, it surpassed Arland, which often struggled with funding shortages and resource deficits.

With his subordinates handling most affairs, the king could occasionally take breaks—a luxury that would make a certain brother-complex prince from another country weep with envy.

"How is it? This is a cookie cream puff made by the castle's pastry chef."

Today, he had his granddaughter sample a new dessert. The Ostland royal family was male-dominated, with few women in its lineage. The king himself had only brothers, no daughters, which was why he doted excessively on his granddaughter, Marianne—to the point of absurd indulgence.

"Yes, Grandfather, it's absolutely delicious."

"Hohoho! Splendid!"

The king had been pondering something for a while—how to handle relations with Arland. Technologically, they stood no chance against Arland, especially with Alicetia's influence. If things continued this way, Ostland's wealth would steadily flow into Arland's coffers.

Of course, Arland had no interest in an exploitative alliance. They desired wealth, but not at the cost of betrayal. Thus, Ostland had been granted surprisingly favorable trade terms. Yet, the tide couldn't be stemmed. They needed a new product—a breakthrough.

And then, inspiration struck. Reports from Ostland's ambassador in Arland revealed: "In Arland, sweets have become popular even among commoners—largely due to the princess's influence. The market continues to grow."

(If we can captivate the princess with exceptional sweets, couldn't we dominate Arland's confectionery industry?!)

Ostland was no slouch in pastry-making either. Creativity and ingenuity were among their strengths.

And so, after meticulous preparation, they unveiled the “cookie cream puff”. Cream puffs themselves already existed, but this variation was entirely new.

(Heh, heh, heh, this will be our ticket into the sweets market. All we need now is for the princess to taste it and give her seal of approval—then sales will skyrocket!)

In Arland, Alicetia's endorsement was the ultimate mark of quality for sweets. If she declared something delicious, it sold. The people trusted her judgment implicitly—no bias, no coercion, just pure culinary merit. Even slum-born patissiers could rise to fame based solely on skill, as background and pedigree meant nothing in this arena.

The king was in high spirits. He was certain this new confection would be a hit. First, he'd contact the ambassador in Arland to open a shop in the capital. From there, Ostland's sweets would spread across the entire nation!

As he chatted with his granddaughter, Marianne repeatedly expressed her desire to meet the adventurer Hollow. The king, however, knew even among nobles and royalty, Alicetia was notoriously difficult to approach. It would be no simple task. He was considering how to broach the subject when his usually unflappable steward came rushing in—a rare sight.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for interrupting your rest, but an emergency has arisen."

"... Is this worth ruining my precious respite?"

The king's mood darkened instantly. He had explicitly ordered not to be disturbed.

"My deepest apologies. Punish me as you see fit. However, it appears Baron Uzal has unlawfully detained the adventurer Hollow and confined them to his estate in the capital. The Arland ambassador is demanding an audience to lodge a formal protest."

Clatter! The king shot to his feet, his chair toppling behind him. He didn't care—no, he couldn't care. Cold sweat poured down his forehead.

"Why would he do something so idiotic?! I expressly forbade any interference with Hollow!"

The king had issued strict orders to the nobility: “Do not meddle with the adventurer Hollow.”

And he knew.
He knew Hollow's true identity.

(This is bad. Exceptionally bad. If Arland finds out, it won't end just with diplomacy.)

Detaining Arland's princess wasn't just a diplomatic incident—it was a catastrophe. Alicetia was beloved by her people. If the public learned Hollow was Alicetia, the backlash would be unimaginable.

His stomach churned.

"But Baroness Maria should still be in control of House Uzal, no? That fool of a son-in-law was foisted upon her, but he holds no real authority!"

Baroness Maria was a remarkable woman—the kind of talent the kingdom would have wanted as a bureaucrat or military officer, had she not been born a noblewoman. The king trusted her implicitly.

"Reports say Baroness Maria is recuperating from illness at their capital estate... though the truth may differ."

(... Damn it all.)

The king clenched his fists.
This wasn't just about one reckless noble.
This was a spark that could ignite a firestorm.

And he had to extinguish it—immediately.

The king clicked his tongue in frustration. He never should have allowed that duke's relative into the Uzal household.

He had discreetly suggested more suitable noble candidates to Maria, but she had refused, saying, "If the royal family interferes with a duke's proposal, it could destabilize the nation. I'll maintain control, and if we have children, I'll raise them properly myself."

From the duke's perspective, the marriage proposal was ostensibly out of concern for House Uzal—a standard political arrangement. For the crown to meddle would have been risky. So the king had relented. Yet in the end, no heir was ever born.

After the Stampede, Maria had come to the palace. She had mentioned considering passing the title to her uncle's child—a capable man currently serving as a village chief, though disliked by her husband. At the time, she had shown no signs of illness.

"Regardless, prepare for the audience immediately. Under no circumstances are we to show discourtesy to the ambassador!"

Under the alliance led by Arland, each nation's capital hosted ambassadors—representatives of their respective countries. Any disrespect was unacceptable. The king had strictly ordered that no one approach carelessly.

Soon, the audience began.

"Our government is deeply concerned about this matter."

The ambassador stated calmly, though flames of anger burned in his eyes.

"Had the adventurer committed crimes, detention might be understandable. But for a noble to imprison an innocent adventurer on a whim? This forces us to reconsider Arland's relations with Ostland."

The gathered nobles murmured in shock. To threaten diplomatic ties over a single commoner?

But in Arland, this was no exaggeration. The nation thrived on unity. If its citizens were unjustly arrested, the people would never forgive Ostland.

"Naturally. Arland chose Ostland as its primary ally. Countless merchants and citizens will visit in the future. But if our people face unlawful detention, friendship becomes impossible. We cannot allow such precedents. We demand strict punishment and concrete measures to prevent recurrence."

The hall fell silent.

"However, Arland is not merciless. Our alliance with Ostland is still young. Mistakes happen. As Her Highness Alicetia said, 'It's the first offense—depending on circumstances, we can let it pass.'"

The king felt profound relief that Alicetia favored Ostland—though she had likely allowed her capture deliberately. As the ambassador detailed the abuses—illegal taxation, extortion from adventurers—the king's face reddened with anger like the nobles around him.

"I understand wanting a wyvern trophy. I hunted one in my youth with just my butler—it still decorates my manor. But stealing from others? Unacceptable. If this continues, Arland's adventurers will leave. That would cripple your monster defenses. Your Majesty, I implore prudent judgment."

The idea of a noble hunting a wyvern with just a butler was absurd, but losing adventurers was a real concern. If their rewards were seized, they would vanish—their lives were their currency. They owed no loyalty to a nation that robbed them.

Under the nobles' collective gaze, the king sighed.

"Send troops—200 to the Uzal estate. If they resist, execute them on the spot."

"Y-Your Majesty! You'd punish Baron Uzal over this?!"

Protested a viscount—a lackey of the absent duke.

"Silence! He broke the law—and I explicitly forbade interference with Hollow. He brought this upon himself."

"But... where's the proof?"

The viscount fought desperately—Baron Uzal's ties to the duke made this a liability issue.

"Proof? We received a direct plea for help from Hollow herself—via magic communicator. She's currently in the estate's dungeon. There are also bribery allegations against some soldiers."

The hall fell silent again.

"Pardon me, but how does an adventurer have direct contact with you?"

Another noble asked skeptically.

An ambassador—a count—ordinarily wouldn't associate with a mere adventurer.

"Easily. She's an exceptional healer.”

The ambassador replied smoothly.

Even the king knew of Hollow's reputation. While not famous in Arland, elite adventurers often had noble patrons, especially rare healers. Many Ostland nobles even funded healers in exchange for priority treatment—so the explanation satisfied them.

"She's also a skilled combatant, but Arland's monsters proved... challenging. Hence her training in Ostland."

"I can vouch for her prowess," the king interjected. "Now, let us swiftly address your concerns. Move out!"

Knights rushed to carry out the order. Baron Uzal's fate was sealed.

"Good. Now I can fulfill my true purpose here."

The nobles tensed—was there more?

"Indeed. With Her Highness's approval, we're prepared to negotiate the sale of Arland's new technology to Ostland."

"Truly?!"

The king shot to his feet.

Arland's latest innovation—offered to Ostland first? This would solidify their alliance in the eyes of other nations. Any fallout from the Uzal incident would be overshadowed.

"Indeed. This document outlines our newest invention: the railway."

The ambassador handed the prepared materials to the king's steward.

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