The Dwarf Republic.
If I remember correctly, the Dwarf Republic was almost like mortal enemies with the Elves and the Twelve Tribes of the Beastmen Alliance.
And they didn’t have a very good relationship with other races either.
There were many reasons, but the biggest reason was probably the dwarves’ unique craftsmanship spirit and their eccentricity.
Their extremism of selling even their children for the advancement of technology.
They wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice even their own flesh and blood, filled with mad artisans.
Not to mention, they would be even more merciless to other races that were different from them.
But how were they able to survive until now?
It was simple.
Because they were eccentric, not stupid.
The dwarves uniquely maintained relationships with certain races.
The first was the dragons, known as the race of benevolence.
And the second was the humans, who had the largest power.
They chose to voluntarily submit to the dragons.
On the contrary, they maintained good relations with humans through technology exchange and various trades.
Thanks to that, they were able to grow their power despite making enemies with so many races.
But those dwarves directly sought out the Royal Knights.
Not for any other reason, but because of a territorial dispute between the Dwarf Republic and the Twelve Tribes.
It was absurd.
For a moment, irritation surged up, but I did my best to manage my expression.
If I were a hero who could devour everything, it would be different.
But sadly, I wasn’t a hero.
Despite having the cheat-like power of time stop, I could barely utilize it to this extent.
I was nothing more than an unwelcome guest just occupying a position.
“Commander, I’m telling you this just in case…”
“Don’t worry, Cluna.”
“Huh?”
“The kind of thing you’re thinking of will never happen.”
The Dwarf Republic was trying to establish a politically advantageous position by using the issue of Bayard’s desertion.
After all, as the commander, I was a human who got along well with both sides.
But why should I cooperate with such a thing?
In the original story, the Dwarf Republic was already in a state of destruction and couldn’t even make an appearance.
At least a few dwarves appeared, but most of them were in a state of being refugees.
So the dwarf heroine in the original story had the goal of reviving her homeland.
How desperate must she have been to set such a goal at a young age?
Anyway, when I took the position of commander of the Royal Knights, I set a clear goal.
It was to make the Royal Knights a perfectly politically neutral organization.
In the first place, the Royal Knights were ruined because of fucking politics.
Wouldn’t it be even more legendary to not learn from that and engage in politics again?
I entered the reception room.
Originally, the reception room of the Royal Knights had chandeliers and various decorations made of gold.
But now, there was no one, and instead, there were only shabby tables and chairs.
Because I had taken everything and sold it off.
In a situation where money was already lacking, decorations were a luxury.
Even if we had spare money, I wouldn’t bother with such things.
“I had high expectations for the famous Royal Knights. But it’s not as great as I thought.”
And in the reception room, there were little kids sitting in chairs and sipping tea.
On the outside, they only looked like little kids, with 2 boys and 1 girl.
The girl with blue hair and the boy with green hair were silently standing behind with weapons in their hands.
On the other hand, the kid sitting in the chair and sipping tea was overflowing with leisure.
He was wearing luxurious clothing as if he were a noble with a monocle on one eye.
He casually put down the book he was holding and said with a smile,
“It wasn’t a malicious remark. Nice to meet you, Commander Hans of the Royal Knights.”
“Nice to meet you too. So your name is?”
“I am Viral Emerald, the ambassador of the Dwarf Republic.”
Like Ruby, dwarves seemed to like putting mineral names in their own names.
Well, the name of the dwarf heroine in the original story was also Bell Sapphire or something.
“Since we both seem to be busy, let’s get straight to the point.”
“Sir Hans seems to be quite an impatient person?”
“Ambassador Viral, isn’t it better for both of us to maintain good manners?”
“There’s an elf who doesn’t know etiquette. Is it a pet?”
It seemed that elves and dwarves really didn’t get along well. But here, that kid was in the wrong.
I laughed and said softly to Ambassador Viral,
“Cluna is my adjutant. How could an adjutant not attend such an important occasion?”
“I knew the Royal Knights were going through a difficult time, but I didn’t expect them to be this lacking in talent.”
“Ambassador Viral, don’t you need to return to your country with at least a somewhat good result?”
“…”
I didn’t know how to give off an imposing attitude.
So I imitated the boss of an organization I saw in a noir movie.
I deliberately crossed my legs and sat with my two fingers interlocked as I replied,
“Let me make it clear. If you say anything more, you won’t even get a drop of soup.”
“C-Commander…!!”
Not only Ambassador Viral but even Cluna, who had been silently listening beside me, was startled.
This was clearly a place for diplomacy.
And what was important in diplomacy was words.
No matter what was said, it was a basic courtesy to say it as softly as possible while beating around the bush.
That way, you wouldn’t give justification to the other party. But so what?
Is it my business?
The Royal Knights were ruined by doing that kind of thing.
They even still haven’t come to their senses and are trying to engage in politics with a territorial dispute.
Please, let’s just do one verse, just one verse.
“You’re coming on stronger than I thought. Commander Hans, pardon me, but do you know the relationship between the kingdom and the Dwarf Republic?”
“Put aside the notion of connecting countries. Right now, isn’t this a deal between the Royal Knights and the Republic?”
“…”
“Let’s talk frankly like men. Why are you beating around the bush like a girl?”
A certain gambler once said this.
The scariest thing at the gambling table is not the opponent gambler, but a beginner who is gambling for the first time.
Because you can’t predict their next move.
But it seemed he wasn’t an easy opponent.
Viral still had a smile on his face.
His expression only changed for a moment when he was taken aback by my words.
Well, it was an important matter involving a territorial dispute.
They wouldn’t send a novice.
Viral still smiled, but he definitely showed a more polite attitude than before.
“Then, let’s get straight to the point. We request that you hand over the deserter Bayard to us.”
“I refuse.”
“You’re firm. But can you really refuse after hearing our proposal?”
“What is it?”
“First, the Dwarf Republic will officially sponsor the Royal Knights.”
“I see.”
“Not only the top-grade equipment prepared by the Dwarf Republic but also this fortress will be made into an even stronger fortress.”
“And in exchange, we would hand over Bayard?”
“That’s right. Just one person, if you hand over just one person, that will be all.”
Certainly, it wasn’t a bad condition.
After all, Bayard was officially a deserter.
Even in modern society, desertion was a serious crime that was strictly punished by military law.
Not to mention, in this place where the background was the Middle Ages, how would a deserter be treated?
If things went wrong, even I could suffer damage.
Ambassador Viral was aiming for that point.
Just by handing over a deserter’s person, the Royal Knights could receive massive support.
The support from the Dwarf Republic had that much immense value.
“I can’t help but ask again if Commander Hans’ answer is the same as before.”
“Of course I refuse.”
“A wise choice… Pardon?”
“Cluna, it seems our guest will be leaving. See them off as politely as possible.”
“Understood, Commander.”
It was a tempting offer, but I had no choice but to refuse for the sake of my goal of neutralizing the Royal Knights.
No matter what, the moment politics got involved, it would be ruined.
“Wait a moment! Commander Hans!”
“The commander has nothing more to say.”
“You dare lay a hand on me, an elf?!”
When Cluna blocked Viral, he finally revealed his true colors.
His smile vanished in an instant.
And at the same time as Viral spewed out his anger, the knights moved.
They tried to subdue Cluna, but before that, Cluna moved first.
The two dwarf knights were instantly trampled under Cluna’s feet.
Look at this?
Honestly, I was a bit surprised.
No matter how much the Royal Knights were in a state of a tiger with its teeth pulled out, they still tried to use force in front of me, the commander.
“You couldn’t contain your anger. Do you hate elves that much?”
“W-wait a moment! This is…!!”
“I will never forget this incident. Take care, Ambassador Viral.”
He seemed to be a veteran diplomat, but he still couldn’t hide his hatred for elves.
With that, Ambassador Viral was kicked out along with his escort knights.
“I didn’t expect you to really refuse.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“To be honest… I’m a bit suspicious of you.”
“…”
“For a long time, people who acted like you were always scheming something behind the scenes.”
“It was a good offer.”
Perhaps because I refused such a good offer, Cluna seemed to be slightly suspicious.
It was dangerous, I needed to give a plausible answer here somehow.
I opened my mouth.
“How can I sell my family for money?”
“…That’s right, you have a point.”
Phew, fortunately, her suspicion seems to have been resolved.
“If it were you, Commander, you wouldn’t have been swayed even if they brought the Dwarf Republic’s top secret divine sword.”
“Divine sword?”
“Yes, according to legend, it can cut through anything.”
“…It can cut through anything?”
“Yes, of course, it’s just a legend.”
Cluna added with a faint smile, but I couldn’t hear it right now.
Should I go and hand her over now?
If I have that divine sword, I don’t need the Royal Knights or anything else.
I had that thought for a moment but quickly dismissed it.
There was no guarantee that the divine sword was real.
And even if I had a reason to go to the Dwarf Republic later, I could just steal it with time stop then.
The Dwarf Republic.
If I remember correctly, the Dwarf Republic was almost like mortal enemies with the Elves and the Twelve Tribes of the Beastmen Alliance.
And they didn’t have a very good relationship with other races either.
There were many reasons, but the biggest reason was probably the dwarves’ unique craftsmanship spirit and their eccentricity.
Their extremism of selling even their children for the advancement of technology.
They wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice even their own flesh and blood, filled with mad artisans.
Not to mention, they would be even more merciless to other races that were different from them.
But how were they able to survive until now?
It was simple.
Because they were eccentric, not stupid.
The dwarves uniquely maintained relationships with certain races.
The first was the dragons, known as the race of benevolence.
And the second was the humans, who had the largest power.
They chose to voluntarily submit to the dragons.
On the contrary, they maintained good relations with humans through technology exchange and various trades.
Thanks to that, they were able to grow their power despite making enemies with so many races.
But those dwarves directly sought out the Royal Knights.
Not for any other reason, but because of a territorial dispute between the Dwarf Republic and the Twelve Tribes.
It was absurd.
For a moment, irritation surged up, but I did my best to manage my expression.
If I were a hero who could devour everything, it would be different.
But sadly, I wasn’t a hero.
Despite having the cheat-like power of time stop, I could barely utilize it to this extent.
I was nothing more than an unwelcome guest just occupying a position.
“Commander, I’m telling you this just in case…”
“Don’t worry, Cluna.”
“Huh?”
“The kind of thing you’re thinking of will never happen.”
The Dwarf Republic was trying to establish a politically advantageous position by using the issue of Bayard’s desertion.
After all, as the commander, I was a human who got along well with both sides.
But why should I cooperate with such a thing?
In the original story, the Dwarf Republic was already in a state of destruction and couldn’t even make an appearance.
At least a few dwarves appeared, but most of them were in a state of being refugees.
So the dwarf heroine in the original story had the goal of reviving her homeland.
How desperate must she have been to set such a goal at a young age?
Anyway, when I took the position of commander of the Royal Knights, I set a clear goal.
It was to make the Royal Knights a perfectly politically neutral organization.
In the first place, the Royal Knights were ruined because of fucking politics.
Wouldn’t it be even more legendary to not learn from that and engage in politics again?
I entered the reception room.
Originally, the reception room of the Royal Knights had chandeliers and various decorations made of gold.
But now, there was no one, and instead, there were only shabby tables and chairs.
Because I had taken everything and sold it off.
In a situation where money was already lacking, decorations were a luxury.
Even if we had spare money, I wouldn’t bother with such things.
“I had high expectations for the famous Royal Knights. But it’s not as great as I thought.”
And in the reception room, there were little kids sitting in chairs and sipping tea.
On the outside, they only looked like little kids, with 2 boys and 1 girl.
The girl with blue hair and the boy with green hair were silently standing behind with weapons in their hands.
On the other hand, the kid sitting in the chair and sipping tea was overflowing with leisure.
He was wearing luxurious clothing as if he were a noble with a monocle on one eye.
He casually put down the book he was holding and said with a smile,
“It wasn’t a malicious remark. Nice to meet you, Commander Hans of the Royal Knights.”
“Nice to meet you too. So your name is?”
“I am Viral Emerald, the ambassador of the Dwarf Republic.”
Like Ruby, dwarves seemed to like putting mineral names in their own names.
Well, the name of the dwarf heroine in the original story was also Bell Sapphire or something.
“Since we both seem to be busy, let’s get straight to the point.”
“Sir Hans seems to be quite an impatient person?”
“Ambassador Viral, isn’t it better for both of us to maintain good manners?”
“There’s an elf who doesn’t know etiquette. Is it a pet?”
It seemed that elves and dwarves really didn’t get along well. But here, that kid was in the wrong.
I laughed and said softly to Ambassador Viral,
“Cluna is my adjutant. How could an adjutant not attend such an important occasion?”
“I knew the Royal Knights were going through a difficult time, but I didn’t expect them to be this lacking in talent.”
“Ambassador Viral, don’t you need to return to your country with at least a somewhat good result?”
“…”
I didn’t know how to give off an imposing attitude.
So I imitated the boss of an organization I saw in a noir movie.
I deliberately crossed my legs and sat with my two fingers interlocked as I replied,
“Let me make it clear. If you say anything more, you won’t even get a drop of soup.”
“C-Commander…!!”
Not only Ambassador Viral but even Cluna, who had been silently listening beside me, was startled.
This was clearly a place for diplomacy.
And what was important in diplomacy was words.
No matter what was said, it was a basic courtesy to say it as softly as possible while beating around the bush.
That way, you wouldn’t give justification to the other party. But so what?
Is it my business?
The Royal Knights were ruined by doing that kind of thing.
They even still haven’t come to their senses and are trying to engage in politics with a territorial dispute.
Please, let’s just do one verse, just one verse.
“You’re coming on stronger than I thought. Commander Hans, pardon me, but do you know the relationship between the kingdom and the Dwarf Republic?”
“Put aside the notion of connecting countries. Right now, isn’t this a deal between the Royal Knights and the Republic?”
“…”
“Let’s talk frankly like men. Why are you beating around the bush like a girl?”
A certain gambler once said this.
The scariest thing at the gambling table is not the opponent gambler, but a beginner who is gambling for the first time.
Because you can’t predict their next move.
But it seemed he wasn’t an easy opponent.
Viral still had a smile on his face.
His expression only changed for a moment when he was taken aback by my words.
Well, it was an important matter involving a territorial dispute.
They wouldn’t send a novice.
Viral still smiled, but he definitely showed a more polite attitude than before.
“Then, let’s get straight to the point. We request that you hand over the deserter Bayard to us.”
“I refuse.”
“You’re firm. But can you really refuse after hearing our proposal?”
“What is it?”
“First, the Dwarf Republic will officially sponsor the Royal Knights.”
“I see.”
“Not only the top-grade equipment prepared by the Dwarf Republic but also this fortress will be made into an even stronger fortress.”
“And in exchange, we would hand over Bayard?”
“That’s right. Just one person, if you hand over just one person, that will be all.”
Certainly, it wasn’t a bad condition.
After all, Bayard was officially a deserter.
Even in modern society, desertion was a serious crime that was strictly punished by military law.
Not to mention, in this place where the background was the Middle Ages, how would a deserter be treated?
If things went wrong, even I could suffer damage.
Ambassador Viral was aiming for that point.
Just by handing over a deserter’s person, the Royal Knights could receive massive support.
The support from the Dwarf Republic had that much immense value.
“I can’t help but ask again if Commander Hans’ answer is the same as before.”
“Of course I refuse.”
“A wise choice… Pardon?”
“Cluna, it seems our guest will be leaving. See them off as politely as possible.”
“Understood, Commander.”
It was a tempting offer, but I had no choice but to refuse for the sake of my goal of neutralizing the Royal Knights.
No matter what, the moment politics got involved, it would be ruined.
“Wait a moment! Commander Hans!”
“The commander has nothing more to say.”
“You dare lay a hand on me, an elf?!”
When Cluna blocked Viral, he finally revealed his true colors.
His smile vanished in an instant.
And at the same time as Viral spewed out his anger, the knights moved.
They tried to subdue Cluna, but before that, Cluna moved first.
The two dwarf knights were instantly trampled under Cluna’s feet.
Look at this?
Honestly, I was a bit surprised.
No matter how much the Royal Knights were in a state of a tiger with its teeth pulled out, they still tried to use force in front of me, the commander.
“You couldn’t contain your anger. Do you hate elves that much?”
“W-wait a moment! This is…!!”
“I will never forget this incident. Take care, Ambassador Viral.”
He seemed to be a veteran diplomat, but he still couldn’t hide his hatred for elves.
With that, Ambassador Viral was kicked out along with his escort knights.
“I didn’t expect you to really refuse.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“To be honest… I’m a bit suspicious of you.”
“…”
“For a long time, people who acted like you were always scheming something behind the scenes.”
“It was a good offer.”
Perhaps because I refused such a good offer, Cluna seemed to be slightly suspicious.
It was dangerous, I needed to give a plausible answer here somehow.
I opened my mouth.
“How can I sell my family for money?”
“…That’s right, you have a point.”
Phew, fortunately, her suspicion seems to have been resolved.
“If it were you, Commander, you wouldn’t have been swayed even if they brought the Dwarf Republic’s top secret divine sword.”
“Divine sword?”
“Yes, according to legend, it can cut through anything.”
“…It can cut through anything?”
“Yes, of course, it’s just a legend.”
Cluna added with a faint smile, but I couldn’t hear it right now.
Should I go and hand her over now?
If I have that divine sword, I don’t need the Royal Knights or anything else.
I had that thought for a moment but quickly dismissed it.
There was no guarantee that the divine sword was real.
And even if I had a reason to go to the Dwarf Republic later, I could just steal it with time stop then.
