Chapter 18
Guests (1)
A week had passed since the Harvest Festival, and the temperature had finally begun to drop enough to bring a lingering chill.
Winter was fast approaching, and the world was starting to be stained a hazy white.
Frost blurred the view outside the windows, and clothing grew thicker.
In a corner of the office, logs in the fireplace crackled and crumbled as they burned.
Even as the changing of the seasons became starkly apparent, there was one thing that remained unchanged.
“Let’s move on to the next item.”
“I understand.”
It was the distance between Elric and Tiria.
Ever since the incident at the Harvest Festival, an indescribable awkwardness had hung between them.
For some reason, it was difficult to meet her eyes, and long conversations felt strained.
Whenever their fingertips happened to brush, the spot felt hot as if he had suffered a burn.
The embarrassing sentiments of that day would come rushing back to him.
Today was no different; he was working alongside her while trembling under that very awkwardness.
Elric, who naturally did not enjoy such discomfort, had been looking for a way to break the ice, and an opportunity finally presented itself.
Tiria was reading a newspaper she had received.
It wasn’t just any newspaper, but a monthly journal containing news from the Western Battlefield.
“It is a newspaper from the West.”
A hint of warmth touched Elric’s voice.
Beyond being a mere excuse to start a conversation, news from the West was more than enough to pique Elric’s curiosity.
Tiria nodded.
“Yes, the Western Battlefield is a major client, after all.”
“Indeed, there is no place with a greater need for food supplies than there.”
War requires a vast amount of food. When you gather tens of thousands of grown men and take responsibility for their meals, it couldn’t be otherwise.
Internal food production simply cannot meet the quota.
Since logistics are that crucial, the Western Battlefield frequently imported food from outside.
Elric knew this well, as he had once served as an escort for supply caravans during his days as a war mercenary.
While he was lost in nostalgia, thinking of the old days, Tiria suddenly asked.
“……Have you ever been to the West?”
Elric flinched.
An excuse tumbled out of his mouth instinctively.
“Haha…… Hasn’t it been ten years? Is there anywhere on the continent I wouldn’t have visited?”
He had no intention of revealing the fact that he was a war mercenary, so he glossed over it like that.
Fortunately, Tiria did not seem particularly suspicious.
“I see.”
She turned her gaze back to the newspaper.
Elric checked the front page of the paper she was reading.
[One Month Since the Disappearance of Sword Demon Kasha; Kingdom of Chebor Falls.]
A bitter smile formed on Elric’s lips.
‘So it ended up like that.’
Among the nations participating in the Western War that had lasted for over twenty years, Chebor was the weakest, so the result was hardly surprising.
One thing that bothered him was that their downfall wasn’t entirely unrelated to Elric himself. This was because Chebor was the country that had sought him out most frequently.
Even the last battle he participated in before retiring due to injury was the defense of Chebor’s capital, so it was only natural.
Unlike other nations, Chebor was a country that had failed to produce one of the Seven Strongest of the continent.
In the end, they had no choice but to fill their lack of military power with external personnel, and since Elric—the core of that power—had been sidelined by injury, their collapse was inevitable.
Of course, Elric didn’t feel any fresh regret or guilt over it.
They and he were, ultimately, strangers bound only by business.
“Chebor has fallen.”
Tiria said.
“One has collapsed for the first time in twenty years, so there’s no telling how much longer the war will stretch on.”
Was she starting a conversation?
Elric nodded and replied.
“It could be the opposite.”
“Why is that?”
“The balance has been broken, hasn’t it? As a rule, once a tower begins to shake, the speed at which it crumbles is fast, is it not?”
“…….”
Seeing Tiria’s expression of slight disagreement, Elric chuckled.
It was because he was certain he was right this time.
“In truth, a kingdom should have collapsed five years ago. Do you know why the balance has been maintained until now?”
“What is the reason?”
“Because the Sword Demon Kasha was there.”
It was quite shameful to be singing his own praises, but it was an inescapable fact.
The reason the weaker nations among those participating in the war had not perished until now was solely due to the existence of the Sword Demon Kasha.
A member of the Seven Strongest who could be moved by money—no matter how high his price, could it be more expensive than one’s life?
From what Elric remembered, the four nations that had failed to produce one of the Seven Strongest had competed with each other to raise the price and hire him.
‘And I actually lived up to that value.’
The number of times he had saved a nation from the brink of destruction was more than he could count on ten fingers.
Since his presence had vanished, it was only natural that their balance would crumble.
That was why he could be certain.
In this situation where he had left the battlefield, at least the three remaining kingdoms that failed to produce one of the Seven Strongest would fall.
“……If the head of the family is correct, then another nation will perish in the next campaign.”
Tiria pushed the next page of the newspaper toward him.
The headline written in large letters was as follows:
[Flame Demon Igret of Vildion Expresses Intent to Deploy.]
Elric answered immediately.
“If she deploys, it won’t take three days.”
Flame Demon Igret was a battle mage who had risen to the ranks of the Seven Strongest.
Even for Elric, she was a woman who didn’t show much interest in participating in the war—having only faced her twice on the battlefield—but if she stepped forward, the march would not end unless another of the Seven Strongest appeared to stop her.
She was the most terrifying siege engine Elric knew.
“Mmm…….”
Tiria’s brow furrowed.
“Hm? What is it?”
“There has been movement in the West to purchase large quantities of this year’s wheat harvest. I thought it was simply because the war was intensifying, but if this is the case, shouldn’t we change our policy? We will have to be careful about which nations we sell to.”
Had her thoughts flowed that far in an instant?
Elric let out a small exclamation of admiration.
It might be rude to say, but her speed of calculation reminded him exactly of his father.
Her thinking, which picked out only the points necessary for herself from external information, was particularly similar.
“At any rate, we will need to prepare accordingly.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Tiria’s gaze turned directly toward Elric.
In that moment, Elric felt his body tremble with that subtle awkwardness again.
He thought they had been conversing well until just now, but suddenly meeting her eyes made his chest feel hot for some reason.
In the midst of that, Tiria spoke.
“Would you, perhaps, be able to receive some guests?”
“E-eh?”
Guests all of a sudden? What did she mean by that?
It was the moment he tilted his head in confusion.
“People are coming from the West.”
Elric felt his heart drop.
To summarize Tiria’s words, it was this:
“Originally, there were no officials who traveled all the way to Wibin to purchase wheat. Transactions were strictly handled through merchant groups. However, this year, officials have expressed their intention to visit Wibin in person to conclude the deals.”
Supply officers from the Western Battlefield were coming.
And from three different places at that.
“Ugh…….”
It was a major disaster.
If any of them were to recognize Elric, wouldn’t his identity be exposed in an instant?
If they took word back to the battlefield, this peaceful Wibin could be thrown into chaos by military figures.
Considering the time he spent running rampant as a war mercenary, that was almost a guaranteed outcome.
He had to find a way.
‘Should I make myself scarce?’
That would be unnatural. For someone with nothing in particular to do to suddenly be absent on the day the supply officers arrived might plant seeds of suspicion.
‘Then a disguise……?’
No, that would be even more suspicious.
Elric, who was agonizing while clutching his head, soon thought of one method.
‘Rather…….’
What if he went to meet the supply officers in advance and silenced anyone who recognized him?
He wasn’t without confidence.
He remembered doing similar things several times while living on the battlefield.
‘The ones coming are from the Empire, Armin, and Disha.’
Fortunately, they were powerful nations with which he didn’t have much contact.
As long as he was careful about potential variables, he could get through this quietly.
Elric immediately left the room.
“Aldio.”
“Yes?”
“Do you happen to know the arrival schedule of the guests from the West?”
“Yes, I have been notified in advance, but……”
“Good. Have it sent up to my room.”
Having finished his orders, the place Elric sought out next was the office where Tiria was.
“Did you leave something behind?”
As Tiria spoke, Elric replied.
“Regarding the welcoming of the guests, I shall go alone.”
“……Alone, you say?”
“That is correct. Alone.”
“You cannot.”
He was rejected flatly.
Elric’s eyes widened.
“Why……?”
“How could we not properly offer a welcoming greeting to those who have come from so far? I intend to use at least ten people.”
It was a sound argument.
However, for Elric, it was the worst possible news.
Urgency flared within him.
Perhaps that was why.
Grip!
Elric reflexively grabbed Tiria’s hand firmly.
Her body flinched, but Elric was in no state of mind to worry about such things.
“I beg of you. I have a reason why I must do it this way.”
Though, of course, he couldn’t tell her the reason.
During the brief standoff, Elric felt fluster and an inexplicable stiffness appear in Tiria’s eyes.
It wasn’t important.
“……If you insist.”
In the end, only the fact that she had consented was meaningful in this situation.
“Thank you!”
Elric expressed his gratitude and returned to his room.
He pulled out the longsword he had hidden under the bed.
‘Let’s do this.’
It was for just in case.
He was preparing for the off-chance, the very slim possibility.
‘If they truly recognize me…….’
Then he would have to return to being the Sword Demon Kasha.
Sring—
The look in Elric’s eyes glinted coldly.
