Betrayed by My Best Friend and Dumped by My Fiancée, I’ve Decided to Enjoy Life as I Please ~ For Some Reason, a Bunch of Crazy Fanatics Keep Pledging Their Loyalty to Me~
We were led to an incredibly large and heavy door.
Two guards, one on the right and one on the left, remind us that this is an important place.
“Your Majesty! I have brought you a guest!”
“Come in.”
“Ha!”
The guard who led us here shouts in front of the door, and we hear a man’s voice coming from inside.
I felt a little tense at the sense of intimidation that came over me even through the door.
The door slowly opened and we entered.
“Welcome. Human”
On a throne at the far end of the room sits a stout lion beastman.
It is no doubt the man-hating Lionel King Grave, as rumored.
I put my hand on my chest and bowed lightly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, King Lionel. My name is Rex McFarlane. I am the leader of the Black and White dragon Order. First of all, let me apologize for barging in on you so suddenly.”
It is unforgivable for the head of an organization to behave this way toward the king.
But this time, Iris had asked me not to be humble, so I greeted him with a slightly superior attitude, although it was painful to do so.
“I’ve heard rumors that there is a group of people with their heads screwed on straight who fear nothing.
I heard that the Commander doesn’t often appear on the stage, but I didn’t expect …… him to show up.”
“That’s our way of saying we’re sincere. There is no way I would send a proxy to meet with the king of a country.”
I’m not afraid of even the heavens, but I’m afraid of making the whole world my enemy! ?
No matter how strong I am, I am only human, and I don’t have the brains to think I can win against the whole world.
If you could have replaced me, I would have wanted you to replace me.
“Grave sama. My name is Iris. I serve Rex-sama as the deputy commander of the Black and White dragon Clan. Nice to meet you”
“Well, I thought it might be because of your black hair, but there are rumors about you…I wonder what kind of evil tricks you’re trying to do in our country this time.”
“No, no. There’s no trick.”
Iris, however, is able to ignore Grave’s stern gaze with a pretty smile on her face like a normal girl in the city.
“Well okay. Let me ask you straight to the point. What do you want with our country? A battle is about to begin, and I will not tolerate trifles.”
The power in Grave’s eyes was strong, and I could feel the pressure in his eyes, but from our point of view, this was a gentle breeze.
Rather, I’m more concerned about why Lionel’s subjects gathered in this audience chamber are looking at us with hostility.
Beastmen show no mercy to those who hurt them, but they never harbor hostility toward those who don’t, and even when I came here incognito, I never faced any unreasonable treatment just because I was a human.
“Don’t worry. There is a reason”
“Well, I doubt very much that we can really count on that.”
“The negotiations are entirely in Iris’s hands. Iris, I’m counting on you.”
“Yes. Please leave it to me.”
Iris stepped forward when I called her.
Iris started saying things like making a vassal state, so I’m worried, but I can’t negotiate, and Claire and Serena are just as unprofessional.
Iris was the only one who could do it, and I had no choice but to leave the negotiations to her.
I prayed in my heart that she wouldn’t overdo it, and secretly cheered Grave on a little so that he would not be fooled by Iris.
“Then, since we don’t have time for this, I’ll be blunt. The crisis of exile that has befallen Lionel, we will save you.”
Iris’s words instantly filled the room with a buzz.
However, Grave seemed to be as expected and his face didn’t move even a single bit.
“Hou. If you’re going to save me, I’d like to ask you for help. But ……… what is your purpose?”
“The king Grave is a quick talker. You speak very quickly.”
“I don’t need such transparent and unintended pleasantries. Speak quickly.”
“Arara, I really do think that. We want only one thing. We want Lionel to join us.”
“……!”
“””!!!”””
W-What, you said that without any hesitation!
As expected Grave could not hide his surprise at these words, and cold sweat was pouring down his forehead.
Lionel’s subjects took this opportunity to hurl abuse
“W-What are you talking about!?”
“Don’t you dare talk to our proud Lionel, a small organization that has nothing to do with us!”
“Shut up”
Iris’s voice came through naturally, and with a force that made it impossible for anyone to say anything, the place fell silent.
Iris completely dominated the atmosphere.
The eyes of a ruler have been shown many times since the first time she showed her talent as a schemer in the city of Zaks
It did not waver even here.
“We are giving you a choice. A choice to escape from the future, to save your country from the dread of exile.”
“Wha! We will never perish! Don’t you dare talk like that!”
“Nonsense! Shut your filthy mouth!”
“Hee…… you ‘have’ a way out of this pincer attack with the Imperial Army looming over you from the west and a stampede in the north that could happen at any moment?”
“T-that’s ……”
“T-The castle of Carvel is strong! We should just stand here and let Stampede and the Imperial Guard clash!”
“I see. So you would be willing to let the kingdom of Sisheva fall while you are holed up here, to be attacked from not two but three directions, and even if you succeed in hitting Stampede and the Empire, to have your homeland trampled into oblivion except for the royal capital?”
“……”
No one will be able to refute Iris’s words.
H-hey …… try harder, you guys!
If you keep this up, you’re going to lose to Iris, who is a mere 17-year-old little girl!
Are you sure you still want to do that!
For me, the best outcome is that Lionel will somehow bite the bullet and we’ll have an equal partnership.
For that to happen, Iris can’t be pushed around, but Lionel’s people can’t back down easily either.
“The Kingdom of Sisheva in the south would naturally not give any reinforcements. There is nothing to the east but the sea. From the north, there is the threat of a stampede, and there is no way reinforcements will reach. From the west, there are thousands of imperial troops, and there is still a possibility that reinforcements could come from here. You have no allies and have to watch out for invasions from two directions. If you have a plan to break out of this situation, I would like to hear it from this foolish Iris.”
Iris assured him that there was no way out of this situation.
The more I hear, the more hopeless the situation is.
“……! In the first place! What on earth can you do? Do you think you have the troops to stand up to the Empire or Stampede?!”
“That’s a good question. It is true that we only have four men and about 200 reinforcements coming in later. But ……”
Iris cut off her speech once there.
Then, with a sharp look, she shot through the one who had argued against her.
“What’s the use of bringing dozens of lions to hunt a mere rabbit? Excessive force is not our intention.”
“Whaa—!!”
Those who refuted her words were rendered speechless by the sheer arrogance of her words.
Iris then turned to Grave, perhaps deciding that the conversation was no longer worth talking about.
“How do you like it? Grave sama.”
“…. give me a moment to think.”
“No. There is no time to think in this situation. You are the one who said you don’t have time to prepare for war.”
Iris definitely does not let Grave off the hook when he tries to take some time off.
The appearance was like a rabbit hunting a lion, and I broke out in a mysterious cold sweat.
“I understand,……. I’ll do what you guys want …….”
Grave looked like he was chewing a bitter bug and thought about it for a while before nodding his head and declaring
Iris knelt down and congratulated me on her success without showing any joy, as if it was a battle she deserved to win.
Oh …… my heartache….
-Maiban