Chapter 45

Chapter 45 : Nonaggression Pact (2)

Quiro, one of Karon’s aides, did not want these negotiations to happen at all.

Karon’s intent was obvious.

He was single-mindedly determined to create an opening among the Surface Folk and capture the Ruler of the Spring, their spiritual pillar. In addition, he intended to search for traces of the Former Underworld Lord, who might still be alive.

Quiro thought of the former lord, then shook their head.

They had no need for a weak lord who was already dead. They only hoped that Karon would stop clinging to those traces now.

“It is a mess.”

On top of that, even though the Underworld Lord himself had come, the lodging assigned to them was absurd.

They could not even offer a VIP room in the ruler’s castle, and all they had given them was a shabby lodging on the outskirts of the city?

Quiro thought perhaps the rulers had noticed the trap attached to the name of negotiations.

When the information from the spies planted throughout the Surface World was gathered together, the situation was not that concerning, but “just in case” was something aides like them had to prepare for.

“We are short on hands. Hands.”

Quiro thought of the bastard who had followed along as an aide and shook their head.

He had been dressed up well enough to look plausible to the Surface Folk, but in truth, he was nothing more than a criminal.

A man whose life could be thrown away without issue.

Because he was the core of this operation, Quiro had been on edge the entire time.

Wondering whether he would go somewhere and cause an accident before the operation began.

“Would it be better if he caused one?”

Quiro tilted their head, then grew wary of the unfamiliar visitor beyond the door.

“Is anyone inside?”

“Who are you?”

“Ahem, I am an aide serving Lord Pan, the Ruler of the Forest.”

Quiro’s eyebrow twitched.

Not the sky, but the forest’s aide. Why?

“Would you open the door, please?”

The tone was polite and composed, yet pressure could be felt in it. Quiro, mindful of Karon’s absence, carefully opened the door.

“Keuk!”

The moment it opened, someone pitch-black was hurled into the lodging.

He was wrapped tightly in a woody vine with sparse broad leaves, uncommon in this winter land, and even gagged.

Quiro pressed a hand to their forehead and lamented.

That bastard really had caused trouble.

“Did that bastard—no, did our member do something? Your handling looks rather rough.”

“Ah…… he caused an incident.”

Looking at the aide before them, Quiro felt a sense of kinship. The two shared a silent sympathy and looked at each other with pity.

After hesitating for a moment, Quiro hurriedly shoved the unconscious bastard roughly into the room and came outside to hear the details.

During that time, the aide, who had introduced himself as Pering, was examining every corner of the lodging as though searching for something.

“What happened?”

“Ah, that bastard—no, that person laid a hand on a member of the Spring.”

“Excuse me……?”

Quiro nearly asked, “Already?” but tightened their jaw and swallowed the words.

If he caused trouble while their lord was planning what came next, many things would become complicated. A firm alibi was needed, and even the timing had already been decided.

“Could you…… explain in detail?”

“Of course. Shall we talk slowly?”

The aide only finished speaking and left after Quiro heard a long account of the incident, one that went on until Quiro felt an urge to drink alcohol rather than tea.

Unlike Quiro, the aide had become lighter-hearted by the end. He even waved, said they would meet at the negotiation room, and disappeared.

Quiro barely forced down their surging blood pressure and went to the bastard dumped in the corner of the room, who was even snoring as he slept.

“You trash bastard. Are you not waking up?”

Mmph, mmph. The bastard smacked his lips as though dreaming of eating something delicious, and Quiro, unable to bear it any longer, stepped on the thorn-studded vines and crushed them harder. Only then did the bastard open his eyes.

“Ggh.”

“Did you even drink?”

“Q-Quiro, sir.”

“Our lord has permitted it, so I have been leaving you alone, but if you wanted to satisfy your desires before you died, you should have done it before you came. That way, I could have killed you and brought someone else instead.”

At Quiro’s murderous voice, the bastard tried to cover the back of his neck, then realized he was still bound tightly and began babbling excuses through trembling lips.

“Th-that was, I mean, I was not the one who did it first. That gnat-like bastard—!”

“—And did you know that gnat was an aide serving the Ruler of the Spring?”

“……Pardon?”

Not knowing was not a sin.

Not even trying to know was.

With a coldly hardened expression, Quiro drew a sword and stabbed the insect still writhing on the floor.

The springy vines were cut away and lashed the bastard’s body mercilessly.

But he could not even writhe in pain.

If he moved even slightly, Quiro’s sword would cut off his neck.

“The person you mocked and picked a fight with today was Reda’s aide, who serves the Ruler of the Spring. Do you not know that our lord is targeting her?”

“I-I did not know.”

“You should remember that you nearly ruined our lord’s plan over something that would have ended if only you had died alone.”

“I-I have committed a sin worthy of death—”

“—If you know that, stay quiet until the day you die, then die.”

Quiro pulled out the sword, threw it into the shadows, and dusted off their hands.

“Because the only day you will be of use is that day.”

Had the bastard felt as though he had risen in status just because he stood beside their lord without knowing his place?

Quiro stared at the bastard as he collapsed again, then clicked their tongue.

That day was not far off, so it would be enough to keep him under control for just a little longer.

Then a strange scrap of paper caught Quiro’s eye.

Perhaps it had been hidden in the folds of the bastard’s clothes, because once the vines came loose, it fluttered down to the floor. It was suspicious enough to make Quiro frown.

“Who gave you this?”

Quiro picked it up and asked the trembling bastard, but he only kept answering that he did not know.

At the phrase written on the paper, Quiro was so dumbfounded that a hollow laugh forced its way up.

Do Not Approach.

“How ridiculous.”

It was one of the spies. One personally planted by their lord, Karon.

Thanks to that bastard openly causing a commotion and drawing attention, the message could have been delivered.

Quiro’s gaze turned toward the useless parasite groaning and rolling his eyes. Would it be better to discuss this with their lord when he returned?

Their lord.

Although it had not been long since Quiro had naturally begun calling him that, they had carried out every task assigned to them without complaint.

But this matter kept giving them an ominous feeling.

The unpleasant feeling that they were not the ones who had laid the trap, and that the other side might have done so instead.

Perhaps that was because a spoonful of dissatisfaction toward Karon had slipped in.

Compared to Sek, the former lord, the new lord was far too precarious.

Even now…….

Quiro shook their head and crumpled the paper before shoving it into their mouth. At that moment, the shadow at their feet rippled and seized Quiro’s heart.

……Perhaps Quiro was the one wearing shackles.

“The time has come. The day after tomorrow. I cannot defend you until the operation is complete, so endure on your own. If you are still alive then, I will not kill you.”

---

I was able to obtain Ice Blue at the art supply shop Pan had introduced to me.

In the end, I had used that as an excuse to escape the lodging, but it also served the purpose.

I had had high expectations because it was a tourist destination, but the fact that it was ordinary instead was somehow fascinating.

The Forest’s Domain was an aerial city built atop enormous trees, while Sky’s Domain was a city built atop a flying Gigantic Phantasmal Species, so there were similarities between them.

However, aside from that characteristic, Sky’s Domain was an ordinary town.

Since it was a winter where the snow did not melt, snow was piled here and there, but even that was an everyday sight.

I had come outside while using tourism as an excuse, dawdled around, and then lost interest.

It would have been less boring if there had actually been something to see.

Except for the white roof of Perpetual Snow visible in the distance, even that was a boring, peaceful view.

‘Ah…… is this an arrogant thought?’

My brief apologies to the representatives of each nation who had gathered here for the sake of a peaceful view without war.

In any case, I was told that Ice Blue was best made by processing ore and preparing it fresh whenever needed, so I separately wrote down the recommended method and bought one more piece of ore.

Fortunately, it was not that bulky, so although it had some weight, there was no problem carrying it.

I finally escaped the owner, who kept thanking me for the bulk purchase and joking that he had sold me quite a lot, only to discover another nagger the moment I came outside.

“Pering, what are you…… mm.”

I had been about to wave and acknowledge him, but closed my mouth.

It was because the sight of him looking around and walking carefully seemed considerably cautious.

I instinctively followed behind Pering.

It was an amateurish tailing job, but I still did everything that had to be done.

I shoved the Ice Blue ore in its bag roughly into my pocket and threw away the rustling paper somewhere at random.

Because Pering kept checking his surroundings as he walked, I became quite intimate with the building walls, and after turning onto unfamiliar streets, I lost the route I had memorized in advance.

After walking another five or six blocks that way, I hurriedly darted into the alley after Pering when he disappeared inside it.

“I believe an explanation is in order.”

I broke into a cold sweat, having come face-to-face with Pering, who had stopped right before my nose.

“What is someone who should be quietly staying at the lodging doing here?”

“I came out to buy Ice Blue.”

“Hmm. The dyeing went well. I did not recognize you at first.”

Pering looked me up and down, then fixed his gaze on my hair and tilted his head.

My freshly made new hair, freshly covered with the dye Pan brought yesterday…… no, that was not the point.

“Ahaha, it is fortunate that Pan got me dye similar to the one from then. More importantly, where were you going so carefully?”

Feeling guilty all by myself and getting caught up in Pering’s pace, I hurriedly changed the subject. Pering stroked his chin and sank into thought for a moment, then narrowed his eyes at my question.

“Were you following me secretly because you were curious about that?”

I had assumed from the start that I would be caught tailing him, but I did not claim that Pering was worse for setting a trap despite knowing everything.

I decided to act as though I knew nothing.

“Well, yes.”

When I admitted it obediently, Pering seemed to decide there was no point arguing about that. He shrugged and rattled it off in a tone that said it was nothing special.

“I am going to the Underfolk delegation’s lodging.”

“Why there?”

“I received an order from my lord. He told me to go there, stir things up, and make a mess.”

“Pardon?”

“I knew Riwin would not understand either.”

“Mm…… then do you understand, Pering?”

“I do not understand either.”

I blinked, then let out a hollow laugh.

Pering of all people was carrying out a task he himself could not understand.

Pering, who served as Pan’s brakes.

That meant he was openly saying that this was suspicious behavior, or that the Rulers’ meeting had decided to exclude me.

And this meant he was telling me to stop following and go back.

Wait.

If Pering was here—

“Where is Pan right now?”

“He briefly went out with Lady Reda. Why do you ask……?”

I am screwed.

The day I saw in the Original Work. Could it have been today?

I scrubbed at my blood-drained face and hurriedly turned around. Pering called something from behind me, but none of it entered my ears.

At just the right moment, that system bastard’s red warning light began flashing.

Ding!

【Time】 Negotiations Are Best When My Side Wins No Matter What

The greatest negotiation between the Surface Folk and the Underfolk is in progress.

Prepare for the bloody schemes of each faction and conclude the negotiations. In negotiations, the invisible hand is important.

Rewards and penalties will be determined according to the negotiation results.

▶Success – Major Contribution increase, Memory Fragment of Phantasm

▶Failure – Identity exposed to Karon

▶Time Limit - Until the treaty is concluded

〈Tip〉 The more favorable it is to the Surface Folk, the greater the reward.

Ding!

[!WARNING!]

[Original Work in progress!]

[!WARNING!]

[Immediate intervention recommended!]