For some reason, a reply came from the Rat Clan saying they would send a delegation directly. Moreover, the letter included gratitude for the invitation. Why? What on earth?
If I could have gone, I would have done so immediately. Although the Royal Knights’ situation has improved a lot, the fact remains that support from other races is desperately needed.
However, more than that, I had to solve the problems right in front of me first. If I wasted time playing political games, I wouldn’t be able to fight effectively when it truly mattered.
“Cluna, did you send the letter properly and politely?”
“Of course, Commander.”
“I see. Yet they still want to come in person.”
Just to be sure, I confirmed with Cluna, and she assured me she had politely rejected the visit. If she says so, it must be true. I couldn’t doubt it any longer.
Right now, I was in my office with Cluna. Since the leading Rat Clan was sending a delegation, we needed to prepare some kind of welcoming ceremony.
If we weren’t disappointed, that was one thing. Anyway, we desperately needed the support of other races. In a way, this was an opportunity. We couldn’t go due to our hectic situation.
Now that they offer to come, it would be best to create a good first impression, including the welcoming ceremony. We were going to owe a lot to the Beastmen in the future.
“We need to prepare a proper reception. Do you know anything about the Beastmen?”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
“In that case, Cluna, I’m leaving the preparations to you.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare well.”
Ultimately, she had more experience than I did. Moreover, there had never been a time when I entrusted something to Cluna and it ended in failure. It was the undeniable vibe that comes with experience.
Besides, right now, we had to deal with the requests from the Dwarf Republic and the Human Kingdom first. A large horde of monsters had started to invade the two nations with intent.
Originally, I planned to send a full team for this task too. But now I couldn’t do that. The delegation was coming, so I had to be present at least as the commander.
“There’s no other way.”
The available team for dispatching consisted of four members: Yuren, Clara, Bayard, and Ruby. Helia was still too young, and Cluna needed to prepare to welcome the delegation.
So, after much thought, I finalized the lineup. I’d send Yuren alone to the Human Kingdom and the remaining three to the Dwarf Republic. This was the best option for now.
Though weakened by heart issues, a Dragon is still a Dragon; it wouldn’t stand a chance against mere monsters. Meanwhile, Clara and Ruby remained a bit worrisome.
So, with Bayard added for certainty. Other than anything else, Bayard was a mid-level member. I decided this should be enough and called all the team members.
As soon as I called them, the members entered my office. Except for Yuren, everyone had numerous wounds on their bodies. In contrast, Yuren had a refreshing expression. What a little brat.
“Umm! What’s going on? Commander!”
“We have requests. Official support requests from the kingdom and the republic.”
“Another support request from the republic?”
“Well, they are almost on the front lines anyway. They must have sent the most support.”
Ruby and Clara chimed in. As Clara said, the kingdom and republic were almost the frontlines of the continent. Thus, their situation was worse compared to other races.
The Human Kingdom itself was essentially a vast refuge for humans—created after all other human nations fell and the survivors gathered in one place.
At least now it has the form of a kingdom. During its early days, it was more like a collection point for real refugees, as described in the lore. Thankfully, it has improved considerably since then.
They even sponsored the Royal Knights directly at some point. Thanks to that, we barely managed to hold on in the beginning. Without the kingdom’s support, there wouldn’t have been any reconstruction; it would have been over from the start.
I made sure to pack supplies for the dispatching members properly. I believed they would all do well, but I couldn’t shake the fear that something might go wrong.
“Do you think you can manage it?”
“Of course. We’ve trained hard all this time, right?”
“It’ll be fine, Teacher.”
“…I hope so.”
For the past six months, we had been training non-stop. To be precise, it was their choice. They sought to avenge our previous defeat and the loss of our comrades.
Especially Clara and Ruby showed the greatest enthusiasm, having felt their powerlessness when the Royal Knights were annihilated without anything they could do.
Cluna’s soft words finally calmed my heart. After all, they weren’t just any knights; they had been officially part of the Royal Knights.
On top of that, they had received proper training from Yuren and Cluna. If Cluna wasn’t confident in sending them, she would have warned me if it was truly dangerous.
Though numerous events had suddenly rushed in…
A crisis is an opportunity.
We can turn this crisis into an opportunity.
If we successfully resolve all these requests and negotiate properly with the delegation, we will acquire resources beyond imagination. Then, reconstruction will speed up.
And two weeks passed.
Every three days, we received letters from the dispatched team via carrier pigeon, and thankfully, they reported that they had resolved the requests smoothly. Yuren even said she would be returning soon.
“That’s a relief, really a relief.”
“I think you can trust the members a bit more now, Commander.”
“Yeah, I was worrying too much. Speaking of which, is it today?”
“Yes, I plan to go welcome them personally.”
“Alright, then I’ll leave it to you.”
I nodded with a pleasant smile. Cluna was absolutely right. Truly, a member of the Royal Knights. It was foolish of me not to trust them.
We’ve solved the two toughest tasks. Now, all that’s left is to welcome the delegation… Honestly, I’m not worried about this. Cluna prepared everything from A to Z.
Though I’m just an acting commander…
I still have to believe in my members.
*
The gray-haired girl announced her presence as her hair fluttered in the wind. Following her were warriors clad in leather armor and sporting beast ears on their heads.
A dangerous glint flickered in their eyes. They were protecting their master, who was the leader of the foremost Rat Clan among the Twelve Tribes. Essentially, she was like a queen.
So, everyone thought of protecting her with all they had. At that moment, the girl with round ears, who had been quietly walking, twitched her ears. She stopped.
“I didn’t expect you to come out this early.”
“You’re still wearing that pretentious face, Yuyoung.”
“Nice to see you again. Has it been about 200 years?”
“You have no sense of shame. You brought up that day first.”
In the past, there had been clashes between Elves and Beastmen. Long gone but recorded in history, back then, both races were on the brink of war.
Yet here she was, bringing it up first, the very person involved. Naturally, Cluna couldn’t help but feel incredulous. Yuyoung gave a slight smile.
“I never thought the Guardian of the Forest would step into the Royal Knights directly.”
“Isn’t that how life goes?”
“Of course. In this harsh life, if it’s the only remaining kin, we must cherish and love them even more.”
Cluna couldn’t help but click her tongue. Yuyoung was an exceedingly annoying woman. She had the ability to see the future, using it to gain whatever she desired.
Naturally, the number of sly creatures embedded in her intentions was beyond measure. Yet even with knives in their words, Yuyoung and Cluna didn’t lose their smiles or their sight from one another.
“Can I take this situation to mean it’s the Commander’s orders?”
“Of course. The Commander knows everything.”
“That’s different from what I heard. You seem to be rather relaxed?”
“There’s no way I could shake hands with those of vile intent.”
“Sometimes you must shake even the dirtiest hands, you know?”
“In that case, at least not right now.”
Neither budging an inch, with smiles plastered on their faces, they exchanged words step by step. A moment of silence settled in. Then, Cluna got to the main point.
“You have no business here. You should turn back quickly.”
“Yet I’ve come all this way. Shouldn’t we at least share a cup of tea before I leave?”
“It seems the negotiations are at an impasse.”
“It’s a pity it’s not the smooth negotiations we had back then.”
Yuyoung raised her hand. At the same time, the warriors waiting behind her rushed forward. Realizing this, Cluna immediately drew her sword and charged at them.
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