“········Welcome.”
“Uh, yes.”
At Lucas’ awkward greeting, Taylor was greeted awkwardly.
Longford clicked his tongue a little and made a chin.
“Sit down.”
“········No. I will just stand.”
Tyr stood at a distance from the other side of Rookus, and the tax collector slyly stood next to him.
The atmosphere subsided for a while.
Longford, who had been looking at Taylor with complicated eyes, opened his mouth again.
“Tair, my son. What the hell are you doing out there?”
“············”.
“The 7th lord said that there was a time when a kite came into contact with the 5th lord’s spirit. Can you explain a little bit?”
“Yeah, what….”
Taylor meekly explained what had happened in relation to the Seven Lords. Everything from the story of the crazy young girl who tried to cut her own arm.
After hearing all that, the three of them tilted their heads as if they did not understand each other.
“Is that really all?”
It was because he couldn’t quite figure out why the 7th Lord was interested in Taylor in the story just before.
Seri, who had been in deep thought, opened her mouth with a slightly excited expression.
“Anyway, you’re the lord of Calderic. I don’t know why, but if you’re good at your brother…”
“That’s the problem. We don’t know the intention, so we have to be more careful. They’re dangerous people we can’t handle.”
At Lucus’ words, Taylor thought to himself.
No matter how much I thought about it, I didn’t think that the 7th Lord had any special intentions. What was the reason for that in the first place?
‘········Maybe it’s not just because of that map.’
Of course, after all, it was an understandable reaction because I couldn’t figure out the reason.
Longford, who was rubbing his forehead with a confused look, asked again.
“Tair, what kind of person was the 7th lord in your opinion?”
Neutral Nations Conference (3)
Who is the 7th Prince?
Tayr thought for a moment.
It was just one brief encounter. There is no way you can judge a person by that alone.
‘······· Still, I don’t think he’s a villain.’
That’s right, didn’t you save the one who almost became a one-armed from the first meeting?
Although curious, Tayr only felt gratitude to the 7th lords, and there were no negative emotions at all.
“I don’t think he’s a villain. And I don’t think he has any hidden motives. At least that’s how I feel.”
At the sound of Taylor’s voice, which was quite confident, Longford looked down at him and sighed a little.
I really can’t understand English.
Even so, I am suffering from headaches because of Kashol, but my son, who returned after two years, gave me another big problem.
It was hard for Longford to think that a figure about the lord of Calderic had helped Tayr out of pure goodwill. Whether he was a villain or not was irrelevant to him.
Not knowing the other person’s intentions was a very dangerous thing in itself.
Needless to say, if the opponent is a strong person that this side cannot handle, it goes without saying.
A new 7th lord of Calderic with no known information.
He killed the 6th lord not long ago, and the overlord joined the talks with the 7th lord.
And the 7th lord seems to be interested in Taylor for some reason…
Longford cleared his mind, cluttered with all sorts of questions.
First of all, it was a conversation. It’s not like you’re holding on to things you don’t know anyway.
“For now, I understand. Do you have anything more to say?”
Taylor hesitated, then shook his head.
“No, no.”
“············”.
“If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll stop and go back.”
And then it was time to say goodbye and leave the room.
“Why don’t you have Tayr at the meeting tomorrow on my behalf, Father?”
At the words of the 1st Prince Lucus, Taylor turned to look at him, startled.
“… all of a sudden, what do you mean, brother?”
“As I said.”
Lucas spoke calmly.
“In front of everyone, the 7th monarch spoke to you. It is an act that can only be seen as intentional, but if you do not participate in the meeting and I participate in the meeting, it may be against his intentions.”
One representative from each national party and one spectator without the right to speak can participate in the meeting.
Originally, the first prince, Lucus, was going to participate in the spectator qualification, but he was saying that he should change it to Taylor.
“How are you, Father?”
Longford seemed to be troubled by Lucus’ words, but then nodded.
“It’s not wrong. Tayr, can you join us in the meeting?”
“no······.”
As if in bewilderment, Taylor looked at the two of them in turn, and had no choice but to nod his head.
It was because he could not refuse the request when he returned from running away from home for a long time.
It wasn’t difficult to just stand still.
“Yeah, well… Well then, I will. I will participate in the meeting.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Taylor hesitated, then nodded.
“Anyway, if you don’t have any more questions, I’ll leave.”
Taylor left the room, and Seri, who glanced at Longford, followed him outside.
Longford looked at the closed door and sighed once more.
After standing for a moment with a bitter expression on his face, Luke said cautiously to him.
“Father. Even if the intentions of the 7th monarch are unknown, if he really shows a favorable stance towards Earth Hill at this meeting…”
“Don’t expect that.”
Longford said with a firm break.
He was an overlord who had never been involved in the situation of a neutral country in any way. Will that strong position be suddenly broken at this meeting?
In the end, it was right not to expect Calderik’s help no matter what.
‘Wooing
Longford, feeling more and more exhausted, continued his thoughts about the meeting tomorrow.
***
A day passed and it was the day of the meeting.
Earthhill, Kashol, Martor, Plagas, and Rajan.
The kings of the five neutral countries entered the conference hall early and sat down at the round table one by one.
This was because the catastrophe that came later than the overlord of Calderic or the emperor of Seinthea should not have happened.
Behind them stood a prince and a princess, one each, who entered the meeting as spectators of the meeting.
Neutral Nations Conference.
As the name suggests, the agenda items to be brought up at the summit are related to issues between neutral countries.
And the top agenda of this meeting was the confrontation between Earthhill and Kashol, as everyone already knew.
Before the emperor and the overlord arrived, in a quiet atmosphere where no one had opened their mouth.
The first prince of Kashol’s side, Chordan, was constantly squinting at Earth Hill’s seat.
‘······· Not the first prince, but the second prince.’
The person standing behind King Earthhill as a spectator was not the 1st Prince Lucas, but the 2nd Prince Taylor.
What happened just yesterday left Kashol’s thoughts complicated for a day.
Because I couldn’t figure out what kind of connection there was between the new 7th lord and the 2nd prince, Tayr.
‘Although the Overlord of Calderic has never been involved in any matter between the neutrals…’
I couldn’t figure out what the 7th lord’s exact intentions were.
The variable had come from something completely unexpected and not from anything else.
“The Emperor of the Seinthea Empire is entering.”
All five kings rose from their seats at the sound of a low-pitched voice.
Soon the emperor appeared at the conference hall. Accompanied by 2nd Princess Aren.
As they sat on one side of the round table, the air flowing through the conference hall was even more tense.
A little more time passes in that state…
“The High Overlord of the Calderic Monarchy and the 7th Overlord are entering.”
The kings rose from their seats again.
Footsteps echoed in the silence, and a pair of men and women walked into the conference room.
Overlord and Seventh Overlord of Calderic.
They approached the last two seats and sat down. It was right across from the emperor.
Originally, one representative and one spectator participated in the meeting, and those who participated as spectators had to stand at the back rather than sitting at the round table, but the 7th Prince sat next to the overlord.
Strictly speaking, the Calderic Monarchy was a union of ten nations, and the Seventh Prince was the head of one of them.
It was only the first time the overlord had ever participated in a meeting with another monarch.
There was no one in the room who dared or dare to raise an objection against him.
So everyone was seated in the meeting room, and Longford, who looked around the round table once, opened his mouth.
“Then let’s start the conversation.”
***
The first issue was a small trade dispute between the Kingdom of Rajan and the Kingdom of Plagas.
“As you know, the terrain of the trade routes in the northeast is very rough. Customs finances are a matter to be considered carefully, King Solik.”
“Of course, I admit that part, but I think it is an issue that needs to be addressed at this point. The amount of salt imported from Rajan over the past few years…”
The talks consisted of countries in conflict discussing with each other, and countries unrelated to them sometimes giving their opinions and helping out.
‘I remember the first time I attended the Lord’s Conference.’
I heard words in one ear that I couldn’t understand well, and I almost spilled them out of the other.
Because the minor issues between them had nothing to do with me at all.
And in the meantime, the overlord and the emperor did not say a word to each other.
‘The overlord is just not interested in the first place…’
I glanced to the side.
She tapped the armrests with her fingers and hummed an inaudible hum.
It seemed that he was not really interested in the content of the meeting.
And on the emperor’s side, the overlord is still, so there’s no need to provoke it, so it’s probably not going to happen.
In that way, the meeting went much smoother than I expected.
Until the agenda passed one after another, and soon Earthhill and Kashol’s turn came.
“We claim territorial rights over the Rawalp Plains on the border with Earthhill, King Longford.”
At the direct remarks of the King of Kashol, the impressions of King Earthhill and Tails standing behind him were hardened.
I gently lifted my back from the chair with my arms crossed.
‘Is this too?’
I knew something before joining the conference, so I knew what Kashol was biting and drooping.
Rawalp Plains.
The land of gold, one of the largest granaries of Earth Hill Kingdom.
“Kashol has no claim to the Rawalp Plains. Needless to say, Rawalp is the undisputed territory of Earthhill within the border.”
Despite King Earthhill’s resolute words, King Kashol continued his argument without blinking an eye.
“We’ve been claiming the rights of Rawalp for over 20 years already, providing reliable evidence that can never be denied.”
“Are you referring to the absurd data presented at the last meeting?
Hearing the war between the two kings, it was like this.
King Kashol, citing the records of his predecessors in Kashol’s royal family, claimed that Rawalp was originally Kashol’s important territory, and Earthhill refuted that it could not be supported.
To anyone who heard of Kashol’s claim, the credibility of what they said was a deterrent.
In fact, there was no way the other three countries on the side of Seinthea could oppose the emperor.
So, in fact, no matter what Kashol made, the cause didn’t matter at all. This is what the struggle for rights and interests between countries is supposed to be.
“We have already peacefully asserted our rights to Rawalp in countless numbers, but if we continue to ignore Kashol in this way, we will no longer stand still.”
King Kashol declared.
“If Earthhill intends to keep its current position, Kashol will not hesitate to fight Earthhill.”
War.
The atmosphere in the conference room was chilly.
It was a very calm declaration compared to what it contained, but none of those present were surprised. Of course everyone would have known.
Not just knowing, all three other countries were close to Kashol’s side in the first place.
I glanced at Taylor.
He was quietly looking at the King of Earthhill with a stern face.
King Earthhill looked at King Kashol with anger-filled eyes.
“How can you say the word war so easily…”
“It’s not a decision made easily. It’s about recognizing that our resolve is firm, King Longford.”
“············”.
“I’d love to hear what others think about it.”
As King Kashol looked around, the other three kings helped one by one.
“I think Kashol’s argument has enough merit. I don’t think it’s a matter for Rajan to interfere.”
“Martor is of the same opinion.”
“So is Plagas.”
The king of Earth Hill distorted his impression once more at the reaction that seemed to come out of being squeezed and beaten.
Then the king’s mouth opened.
“Saintea has no intention of interfering in the conflict between the two countries.”
The emperor had no reason to interfere in their wars.
It was for a simple reason. Of the two countries, Kashol was the one who was a little more cooperative with St.
It was also because if I dig further, I could change my words later and take this issue as a problem and grab Kashol’s leash, and Kashol was also willing to take on him and hit Earth Hill.