I see your code (202)
It must have been about a day since I met the messengers from Calpheon. A letter was placed in front of the office I had left for work.
“… … what?”
There was nothing to guess. The company’s security isn’t that strict, but it’s definitely not at a level that the general public can come and go in and out of pranks… … .
Well, you’ll find out if you read it. He opened the letter without hesitation.
[Hello, saint. The weather is nice these days. That’s a very good thing. But I know. If the saint had not been there, even in this kind of environment, Layton would have been overflowing with people who would have died like garbage… … .]
“… … Why is the gossip so long?”
I sighed and sat down in my office chair. And I skipped all unnecessary content and started reading again from the middle.
[…] … So, as a good citizen of Layton, I came to think. This must be reported to the saint unconditionally! Later, I found out that the person who came to me and asked for evil rumors about the saint was one of the messengers of Calpheon. I hope that this information did not touch the heart of the saint, and please continue to be safe in the future… … .]
Please, why did you write it down twice?
Embarrassed, I folded the letter. After that, it was nothing more than a lengthy question about hello.
Rather… … . After all, Calpheon is in a hurry, isn’t it? You still don’t know who was sent as a messenger from Argon. At the very least, I thought he would remain calm until his position became clear.
I thought for a moment and then called Tair Terberoz to the office. This is because I think he’s better than me.
Soon after, a staff member arrives with Thaere Terberoz. I handed over the letter I had received right away. He looked at me with a puzzled face as he read the letter that was handed out.
“When the hell did you put spies in the organization? I tried it too, but it failed every time because it was the guys who ran away from the 1st Knights… … .”
“I never had a spy on me. Personally, I have never raised a person like that.”
“… … So, you voluntarily sent this out there? A back alley criminal organization?”
Teyer Terberotz’s face was stained with more absurdity than before.
I’m also stupid
“Rather than that, let’s take a look at how to protest this issue to Calpheon.”
“What is the protest? There’s no clear evidence, so I’m going to steer clear. In fact, it’s so absurd that a person who came as a messenger from the outside tried to work with a back alley organization, so people wouldn’t believe it. … … Oh, will you believe me if I tell you?”
Thayer Terberots smiled and put the letter down on the desk.
“Anyway, if you take it personally, you can put some pressure on it, but the harm will outweigh the benefits. After all, if their intentions were discovered, they could just openly quarrel and come out.”
“Then it would be better to just give a little warning as if it were just passing by. Because it’s not a very important issue. There will be nothing more that can be done in the first place.”
I retrieved the letter and put it in my arms.
“Anyway, now only Argon is left. Did you find out who the messenger from Argon is?”
“no. That’s weird.”
“Is that weird?”
When asked with a tilted head, Teyer Terberoz sat down with a serious expression on his face.
“Most of what is usually done in the royal family is top secret and confidential. But honestly, I’m confident I’ll find out more than 90% of them if I put my mind to it.”
That’s not a lie. In fact, he even found out information about me almost on his own. There must be things that even the three kingdoms did not grasp.
“… … It’s definitely weird. The information about the lions is confidential, but more importantly, what they bring with them. Are you saying that you are hiding the identity of the lion more than enough?”
“right.”
“Hmm… … .”
I closed my eyes for a moment and pondered.
Argon overreacts to such an extent that there is definitely something there.
But I’m not quite sure what it is.
what Why the hell are you hiding it so tightly that you can avoid even the Noblesse’s information network? They probably didn’t even send first-class knights to protect their own land… … .
At that moment, a figure popped into my mind.
I wish I could, but maybe… … .
“… … What if someone much taller than we expected is coming?”
At the sudden question, Tair Terberoz tilted his head.
“If you are above the peacock… … Are you talking about the 4 argon swords? They wouldn’t be able to leave the territory. We always have to be prepared for intrusions from the outside.”
“There is one more person who is superior to the duke and does not need to prepare for intrusion from outside.”
“no way… … Are you talking about the Prime Minister of Argon?”
Teyer Terberots, who had been muttering with a serious expression, then smiled softly.
“You worry too much. No matter how high you send someone, would you send the Prime Minister? Even if he was included in another kingdom’s envoys, he would be considered excessive.”
I guess I’m a bit worried too. But there was a time when it was solved as easily as I thought.
“For now, I have it in mind. The representative of the Argonne Lion may be the prime minister. I wish I wasn’t… … .”
I sighed and looked out the window.
“If that’s true, Layton’s independence itself could cross the water.”
* * *
“… … .”
three days after that. I entered the darkest lion-to-face of my life. In terms of pressure alone, it is more than when I ate with Tanya and Arina a few years ago.
“… … No matter how half-expected it is, isn’t this coming out too blatantly?”
The representative of Calpheon’s lion, Echo, looked at the opposite side and said as if chewing.
“Sir Benjamin, your place should not be here, but in the heart of the Argonne Palace.”
“What’s so important about where you should be? If I were there, it would be like the heart of the Argonne Palace.”
The gray-haired old man, Benjamin Ford, smiled blankly as he brushed his long beard.
“Besides, I have no idea what I was expecting. Would you, an intelligent wizard, kindly explain what it is?”
“… … Please stop stepping back and correct your remarks. This is the place where we are gathered to discuss Layton’s independence, and even the Prime Minister cannot make this the heart of Argonne.”
“Gee, that’s what I apologize for. As he gets older, his mouth often moves at will. I am very troubled too.”
Echo stared at the opponent without a word at the sound of the trembling. However, Benjamin Ford continued to laugh in vain, wondering if the gaze of a 7-star wizard was not scary.
I guess I wasn’t the only one who was uncomfortable with the nerve war between them. Cassia snuggled up and whispered in her ear.
“Hey, you were a bigger kid than I thought, didn’t you? Echo, by the way, Benjamin over there is a tycoon that I’ve only seen once from a distance before, but he even held an event to see you.”
This is not some kind of dyeing.
If you don’t know anything, I’m trying to tell you to just be quiet, but when you turn around, Cassia’s lips are twitching.
… … It was all known
I sighed and counterattacked quietly.
“Iknow, right. There are so many people in my fountain that it is a bit of a burden. I don’t know if there are any close acquaintances, but the only person I’m close with is the one who falls the most… … .”
At my words, Cassia asked with an angry face.
“Isn’t that the sharpest drop that I am talking about?”
“I said I was human. The heterogeneous Cassia is an exception.”
“hey. You don’t know, but people of different races are also included. It’s just not human. A human being is an animal that thinks, uses language, makes tools, and lives in society… … .”
Cassia, who was still speaking, was startled and looked at my face.
“… … It’s something you all know.”
“You are a little late to realize.”
“this… … .”
Cassia got up quickly before screaming.
“Is it all right if we stop arguing and lead the conversation for a while?”
“Do whatever you want. We are only guests at your invitation.”
Benjamin Ford replied with a friendly smile. On the other hand, Calpheon’s side frowned as they were, and silently looked at me and Argon alternately.
How could there be so many different groups in the same place?
I slightly neutralized the atmosphere with a few coughs and opened my mouth slowly.
“First of all, thank you all three kingdoms for accepting my invitation. To be honest, I was a little worried that the army would come instead of the lions, saying that I was dreaming of the resurrection of the empire, but it was all useless worries.”
“It would be better not to say anything yet.”
Echo interrupted, raising the corners of his mouth.
“This time I came as a messenger, but next time I might come back to the army.”
“… … .”
It’s an obvious threat. The tone of voice has also changed to hostile. I don’t know if he meant it seriously, but I’m well aware that he’s not in a good mood right now.
I was going to resume the conversation that had been interrupted for a while, but this time, Benjamin Ford intervened as if to replace it in turn.
“The author is not descended from the imperial family, nor is he born of an imperial nobleman. That doesn’t mean that the army was assembled. But for what reason are you going to bring troops to Layton? I must have forgotten for a moment, but this is an inviolable area the three of us made an agreement with.”
“The exception is if the opponent breaks the non-aggression pact first. Wouldn’t that ‘inviolability’ not only be occupied by the military? Even if it’s not a resurrection of the Empire, if we think that this place will actually become the land of Argon, we have good reason to raise an army.”
Despite Echo’s harsh rebuttal, a smile never left Benjamin Ford’s lips.
“Then I’m glad. Layton doesn’t want to be under Argon’s rule, it just wants to be recognized as a neutral city. Even if things happen, I don’t have to worry about Calpheon’s army coming.”
“I would have said that if you thought it would be ‘de facto’ land of Argon. It seems to me that it is enough.”
“That’s your megalomaniac… … .”
“for awhile.”
With a frown on his face, he intervened in the battle of nerves. I thought it would be over soon, so I was going to wait a little bit, but there was no sign of it ending at all.
“Can I finish what I was saying for now? After the two of you fight, we’ll set aside a place for each other.”
“Gee, I left my master and stopped being rude. I’m sorry. Keep going.”
“thank you.”
I continued speaking while trying to ignore Echo’s silent gaze.
“Anyway, I’m really glad that I came to Layton, not the military, but the lions, and thank you again. and… … There was originally something I was going to say at the end of this meeting, but I think it would be better to just bring it out now. The atmosphere is the atmosphere… … .”
“If you’re going to speak, it would be better to speak quickly without being too lazy. My patience is not that deep right now.”
Echo interrupted me once more and interrupted.
What keeps him from saying I can understand it just fine.
“If you come out like that… … Well, I’ll tell you right away.”
I said while looking at Echo with a frown on his face, without showing any offending.
“I want you to grant me the title of Marquis of Calpheon in Calpheon.”
* * *