At first, I tried to solve things with a conversation.
Anyway, since I came all the way here myself, even though the mistakes of the past won’t disappear, I thought I’d at least provide a seat if, by any chance, he truly regretted his actions.
But from the very beginning, him sitting there with an arrogant attitude, staring at me, didn’t look like the behavior of someone who had repented at all.
Still, it might be a good idea to listen to what he has to say. I tried to think positively about it. Well, I wanted to think positively until that guy opened his mouth.
“I want my daughter back.”
“I didn’t take her. She came here on her own.”
“Did you not entice an innocent child?”
“…….”
He showed no regard for my stance, just bulldozing through. It was so bad that even the guy next to him, Viral, was giving him looks to back off.
But he didn’t care one bit. I tilted my head. Can someone really be this rude? Even if he had a high position.
After all, this place is the base of the Royal Knights. Doesn’t anyone with a high status usually know that acting like that benefits no one? Then why?
“I don’t know the details, but it seems Ruby left home in her childhood and came all the way here.”
“Right. Was it when she was about seven? Or was it eight?”
“How desperate must she have been to come all this way?”
“Are you trying to provoke me now?”
That last remark made it clear. That man did not think of Ruby as his daughter at all. Otherwise, there was no way he wouldn’t know when his child ran away.
So, this man is saying he wants Ruby back for his own reasons. This is from a guy who committed domestic violence in the past. If that’s the case, my job is clear.
“I refuse. Ruby is clearly a member of the Royal Knights. She’s not something I can hand over like an object.”
“Come on, let’s not do this. There’s a way for all of us to be happy!”
“A way to be happy?”
“Yeah, like… anonymous sponsorship?”
“…….”
I wondered what he was saying, but couldn’t help but smirk at the cliché and cheap proposal. There’s no way I’m selling a member even if money’s tight.
“I’ll give you 50,000 gold upfront. If you succeed in getting Ruby’s identity, you get an additional 100,000 gold. What do you think?”
…That was too much money to just scold him for.
Hah! No way. I can’t! For a brief moment, I almost wavered. Trading money for a member? There’s no way that’s happening. If I did, all trust would evaporate.
“I can’t accept any conditions.”
“You don’t understand! That’s an insane amount of money?!”
“Sure, rebuilding the Royal Knights will need funds.”
But what’s the reason I’m going through all this? The ultimate goal is to return to my original body. I have too many things to do before returning.
There must be clues somewhere in this world to go back to my original body. However, the biggest problem is that more than half of the continent is currently occupied by demons.
So, even to safely return, it makes sense to rebuild the Royal Knights right now. This is so the alliances of races don’t collapse like in the original story.
That way, it will be easier for me to find a safe way to come back. Just like those Comprachicos I saw before, demons generally possess bizarre abilities.
Among them are those who wield powers as insane as Time Stop. Against such demons, I can’t have the slightest assurance of 100% safety.
“But there are definitely things that cannot be bought with money.”
“And what is that?”
“Trust.”
In the end, I was trying to rebuild the Royal Knights for my own purpose. And it’s true that I need money for that. But does everything rely on money?
No, it doesn’t.
Let’s say I sold Ruby and got 150,000 gold. What would happen after that? Could I rebuild the Royal Knights with that money? No way.
I would lose all trust in the process. A commander who sells his comrades for money? That’s nothing more than a typical third-rate villain. My top priority is the reconstruction of the Royal Knights.
Of course, money is needed too. But if that money does not help in rebuilding the Royal Knights at all, I don’t need it. The man’s rage began to pour out at my unwavering will.
“What the hell?! That’s mine!”
“Wait, calm down…”
“I won’t hand her over to anyone!!”
“…….”
He was wrong. He had completely lost composure. Viral was trying to intervene, but he was outright ignoring those words. I realized he wasn’t in his right mind.
An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.
I’ll respond to this crazy guy in an equally crazy way. I lifted the cup Cluna had brought. It was thick and had a handle like a mug.
I raised the cup high and smashed it onto the man’s head like a hammer. With a crash, he fell to the ground bleeding.
“Oh no! My hand slipped and I ended up cracking his head!”
Of course, that excuse didn’t hold any water, but I tried to make one anyway. After all, whether it’s asking for money and selling a member or my current excuse, they’re pretty much the same.
“Commander…?”
“Uh…”
And Ruby caught me red-handed.
What are you doing here…?
*
Dwarves blindly follow their craft.
They believe that the skills they possess represent their value, loving their masterpieces like children. Of course, there are cases where that goes overboard, and other races may belittle or criticize them, but.
Not a single dwarf has cared about that until now. However, right now, a lone dwarf sensed something strange. Sure, dwarves do follow their craft blindly.
But they aren’t crazy enough to sacrifice family or comrades for the sake of technological advancement. It can’t be stated that such cases don’t exist, but.
At least in dwarven society, where most take pride in their skills, it’s quite rare for someone to boast about or simply tolerate such madness. Yet such madness is happening more often than you’d think.
Even if there are craft-obsessed maniacs here, a country has laws to uphold for its maintenance. But now, these laws have been breached in the most nonsensical way.
The start came from one of the four gems supporting the Dwarf Republic. It began with Ruby. The man who married into Ruby showcased an unbelievable divine sword in front of everyone.
[The material of this sword is from a loved one. As much as you love that person, the weapon’s power increases.]
With that ludicrous phrase, the dwarven artisans began to rampage one by one. All of this felt deeply contrived. Dwarves take pride in their skills.
And that also means they’re not easily swayed by others’ words. However, under that man’s one statement, everyone became enchanted and began to dedicate their loved ones as sacrifices to hone their craft.
And that had a negative impact on the entire republic. No matter how reckless the Dwarf Republic is, they aren’t so brainless as to have territorial disputes in such a situation.
“I was right to choose the leader of the Royal Knights!”
Viral, who had been trying to talk the man down, gleamed with his eyes. He thought this steel-willed man, who absolutely wouldn’t hand over his comrades, wouldn’t let things slide easily.
“Commander, I have a request for you.”
“Are you requesting something in this situation?”
“Yes, Commander. Aren’t you already aware?”
“…….”
“That the Dwarf Republic is not normal lately.”
Viral, looking at the current Commander, thought he was anything but ordinary. He single-handedly subjugated the Comprachico that had thrown the Dwarf Republic into chaos.
Meanwhile, he maintained the upper hand even in negotiations. It may seem like the Dwarf Republic clawed their way to a win, but ultimately, the Royal Knights gained much more than money.
It wasn’t the Dwarf Republic.
Still, that doesn’t mean the Commander is to his liking. I recognize his abilities, but with the personal matters that had happened before, it’s natural that there wouldn’t be any good feelings. Hence, he kneels.
He commands his attendant to restrain the man, who had been knocked out by the cup, and then kneels on the ground, pressing his forehead against it.
“Commander, please. You’re the only one I can trust and rely on.”
“I accept. What are the details?”
“……Yes?”
“Commander!! Have you forgotten what they did to us?!”
“I was even disgusted by it!!”
The shockingly quick acceptance from the Commander incited an inevitable backlash. It was so intense that even Viral, the one involved, looked on in shock. That’s how big it was.
After all the hassle of managing requests, they not only tried to skimp on payment but also behaved like this today. Naturally, Viral had been prepared to risk his life if necessary.
For the sake of his country, he could do anything. However, the Commander accepted without any hesitation. Even the members, who had been silently listening, were surprised and expressed their discontent…
“How could you accept so easily…?”
“Is there a reason to save a person?”
“…….”
The question he posed back was the heaviest sentiment Viral had ever heard. Ignoring the underlying relationships and personal feelings, saving a person.
Before him stood a figure of a noble hero, as if straight out of a fairy tale. In gratitude, Viral could only lower his head and swallow his tears. But did he realize?
“There’s a divine sword capable of carrying everything back to the Dwarf Republic. If the demons appear, I’ll use that as an excuse to secure it…”
What Hans was actually thinking.
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