The Kingdom’s Counterattack... Failed
Once everything had been decided, I started walking toward the door with Yukimi and Charlotte to leave the hall, when a voice rose from one corner of the room.
“Lord Julius, wait. I ask that you withdraw every one of the conditions you stated. I do not wish to hold the people of the frontier hostage, but if you insist on pressing this any further, then no food shall leave my domain... However, if you would stand beside us against the foreign nations threatening both us and the kingdom, I am prepared to welcome you as an ally. Please, reconsider.”
The one who spoke was Duke Gulf.
He ruled the great grain-producing region known as “the kingdom’s kitchen”...
Naturally, one of the most powerful men in the kingdom.
A leading candidate for the next Chancellor, father of Milian, the Hero Party’s Mage, and the man who had been slated to become my father-in-law...
His name was Alex. Purple hair, beard, rough-looking old guy.
“Indeed. If the heir of the frontier house insists on being this stubborn, then we too may have no choice but to halt the shipment of iron ore and other materials...”
Next came Marquis Harmetz, looking down on Julius with a smug grin while stroking his beard like he owned the place.
The Hero Waltz’s father. His lands produced all kinds of ores and gemstones, and since they were also the Hero’s home territory, he’d been getting more arrogant by the day. Delusional fool...
His huge belly jiggled as he laughed boisterously.
His name was Tango. Brown hair, red eyes, and built like a walking barrel.
“Ohhh, yes. Duke Gulf and Marquis Harmetz have made a wise decision. Julius, let us forget this whole incident ever happened. The kingdom wishes to move forward together with the frontier from this day onward... Once this national crisis has safely passed, I shall once again approve marriages to Princess Elizabeth, Lady Milian of the ducal house, and Lady Almeria of the viscount house. If there is any other girl you desire, I myself shall mediate.”
King Jimetz, suddenly revived, jumped in right on cue.
“Julius, that’s right. Come claim us as the hero who saved the kingdom. If you are to be my husband, you must be at least that accomplished.”
My former fiancée, Princess Elizabeth, answered as their representative.
“Either way’s fine... I’m hungry.”
Milian was as self-paced as ever. All her nutrition really does go straight to Mount Helburn...
“... Julius...”
Only Almeria looked neither happy nor sad.
She wore a very strange expression.
And the nobles around them chimed in too.
“Quite right! As nobles of this kingdom, let us unite and face this crisis together!”
“We shall lay our heads before the king...”
“We must earn glory...”
“We shall bring our whole clan...”
Mmmmmm... I get it, I really do.
South Territory *had* bought food from Duke Gulf, sure.
But that was because I’d been engaged to Milian.
To begin with, I’m also the chairman of the Yotsuba General Trading Company. If I need food, it doesn’t have to come from Duke Gulf. We’ve got airships... and producers all over the world. Besides, we’d already been reforming farmland in South Territory.
He clearly thought he held a trump card, but that face of his just looked stupid to me...
As for Marquis Harmetz, he’d recently started jacking up prices too, so I’d already been considering cutting off ore trade with him.
There are places in this world better than your lands, you know.
With everyone in the hall watching, Julius stood up and said those famous words.
“I understand what everyone has said. Food is certainly important, and without ore, South Territory, bordering the Forest of Monsters, would indeed suffer weapon shortages... **But I refuse!**”
The whole hall erupted with, “Ehhh?!”
Duke Gulf furrowed his brow, and Marquis Harmetz slammed the desk.
“Impossible!”
He leapt to his feet.
… Marquis Harmetz, you wear a wig?
He stood so fast his hairline shifted.
“Pffft~ excuse me. Do you really think I, chairman of the Yotsuba General Trading Company, made no preparations against food and ore becoming South Territory’s weak points? Charlotte, would the South Territory face any trouble?”
“No. None at all, Chairman.”
Charlotte, General Director of the Yotsuba General Trading Company, answered.
(Charlotte’s got an impressive mountain range too, but she’s offense-focused... not that I dislike that.)
“What did you say?!” Marquis Harmetz moved wildly again, making the wig slip even farther.
“Pffft~ yes. The South Territory has already completed measures so that losing supplies from your two territories will cause no problems.”
“Ridiculous!”
Harmetz grew even more heated.
The wig came completely off.
He still hadn’t noticed...
The vassal nobles around him had noticed and were desperately holding back laughter.
“Bwahaha! Of course we prepared. Anyone watching how the Hero Party behaved up to now could predict the broken engagement. And once that happened, food and ore would become issues. Which is why we, the Yotsuba General Trading Company, will no longer buy food or ore from either of you. Thank you for everything up until now.”
“You bastard!”
Marquis Harmetz lunged at me.
I dodged.
The marquis crashed hard to the floor, and one of his vassal nobles rushed over, pretending to help him up while smoothly placing the wig back on his head.
“Oooooh!”
At that moment, the entire hall burst into thunderous applause.
Julius too gave that vassal noble his most sincere applause in respect.
And so, the kingdom’s final desperate struggle, which had nearly become a major accident(?), ended in total failure.
Before leaving the hall, I turned once more.
“Duke Gulf, I never disliked you. It’s a shame we couldn’t become family, even if only by obligation.”
I gave a bow, then left the chamber with Yukimi and Charlotte beside me...
What do you think about this chapter?
