READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 55
Chapter 55: The Monsters (Part 2)
“Your Majesty, Crown Prince, Lord Giorg Zarfing has arrived.”
Giorg, who had been led to a room in the Royal Castle, bowed upon entering and spoke.
“Giorg, it’s good to see you. Please, take a seat first.”
The one who greeted Giorg warmly was the Crown Prince, Ilzam.
“This meeting is unofficial, but the matter at hand is no trivial matter.”
“Ah, right. Let’s deal with the troublesome part first, shall we?”
King Alzeis spoke up to chide Ilzam, though it was clear he wasn’t truly angry. As evidence, Ilzam didn’t seem the least bit intimidated.
Ilzam could sometimes act frivolously, but his abilities were high, and when necessary, he could make cold, calculated decisions without hesitation.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
Giorg bowed to the two and took his seat. He didn’t overthink dealing with these two, but he never let his guard down either. He understood the fearsome nature of these two men.
“Now, Duke Zarfing, let’s hear the details of the matter you reported. Avoiding an official meeting must mean something, right?”
As soon as they were seated, Alzeis addressed Giorg. By calling him “Duke Zarfing” instead of “Giorg,” Alzeis made it clear this wasn’t just a casual chat.
“Yes. As I reported earlier, this concerns the meeting with King Jilvol.”
“Hmm, I had already informed Duke Zarfing that he had full authority over the meeting with King Jilvol. Surely, you understand the implications, Duke Zarfing?”
Alzeis’s words carried a hint of doubt. The “full authority” here meant that Alzeis would ultimately take responsibility for the outcome of the meeting with King Jilvol. Giorg understood this, yet he had come to seek further approval beforehand, which puzzled Alzeis.
“Of course, I understand Your Majesty’s intentions. The permission I seek is for matters beyond that scope.”
“Flastarl, then…”
“And the remnants of Gildolq, right?”
“Yes.”
Alzeis and Ilzam immediately voiced their thoughts upon hearing Giorg’s words. Their judgment in such matters was swift.
“King Jilvol undoubtedly desires the intervention of the Flastarl Empire and the remnants of Gildolq to oppose him. This is to establish control over the central populace of Gildolq. However, he lacks legitimacy. That’s why he seeks to rebuild the collapsed society and bring order, thereby gaining overwhelming public support to establish legitimacy.”
“Hmm.”
“That much is clear to both me and His Majesty.”
“Yes. And the troublesome part is that King Jilvol undoubtedly possesses the strength to make this possible.”
“So, Duke Zarfing, you’re saying that if Galvate were to cozy up to him in this situation, we might be looked down upon?”
Giorg nodded at Alzeis’s words.
“Yes. It seems King Jilvol intended to use Demitul and make Galvate a pawn as well. However, that line of thought disappeared as soon as the meeting was proposed. Currently, King Jilvol has not been informed of the purpose of the meeting, so he is likely unsure whether to blame us for sending Demitul or to see it as a move to build friendly relations.”
“Hmm, indeed… It’s hard to judge. It’s difficult to tell whether he wants to build friendly relations or not. Moreover, the meeting date hasn’t even been proposed yet, has it?”
Ilzam asked Giorg with a wry smile, and Giorg nodded.
“What a troublesome negotiator. So, Duke Zarfing, how do you plan to manipulate the Flastarl Empire and the remnants? And how will you ensure Galvate isn’t looked down upon?”
Ilzam asked Giorg with great interest.
“I plan to make Sosua the queen.”
“The queen?”
“Yes. With the execution of King Orutas II, the throne of Gildolq is vacant. Normally, Demitul, as the Crown Prince, would have the legitimate claim to the throne.”
“Logically, that makes sense… But wouldn’t making Sosua queen be meaningless?”
“No, if a legitimate queen were to emerge, the Flastarl Empire would undoubtedly take immediate military action.”
“…Indeed. If they want to take Gildolq with Lukult, but a legitimate queen emerges and is then removed, it would be impossible for Flastarl to gain the people’s support.”
After a moment of thought, Ilzam agreed with Giorg’s opinion. Alzeis also nodded in agreement.
“Yes. And the longer time passes, the less likely Lukult will gain public support as king. To avoid this, the Flastarl Empire will have no time to prepare.”
“Do you plan to inform them of this?”
Alzeis asked Giorg, who quietly shook his head.
“There’s no need to inform them. King Jilvol will surely figure it out. And that will make him realize he cannot afford to look down on Galvate.”
“I see… But there’s a problem. Demitul is still alive. Even if Sosua becomes queen, wouldn’t her legitimacy be questionable?”
“That won’t be an issue. Please take a look at this.”
Giorg presented two letters. Alzeis and Ilzam opened and read them, their eyes narrowing as they did.
“Duke Zarfing… This letter tells Sosua not to oppose Lukult?”
“This one is addressed to Lukult… Telling him not to fight Sosua. Neither letter mentions Sosua inheriting the throne. What’s the meaning of this?”
Giorg bowed in response to their questions. Alzeis’s expression suddenly changed as he realized something.
“Duke Zarfing… The reason you had Demitul write these letters is…”
“Yes. It’s exactly as Your Majesty has guessed.”
Alzeis smiled wryly at Giorg’s response. Seeing this, Ilzam also seemed to grasp Giorg’s intentions and smirked.
“Truly… Duke Zarfing, you are quite devious.”
“With all due respect, Crown Prince, the fact that you both saw through my intentions so quickly shows that you are equally devious.”
“I have no retort to that.”
Ilzam responded with a wry smile, his tone showing no sign of offense.
“Hmm, in any case, King Jilvol’s plan would have led to conflict between the two. So, it’s not a bad idea to use our own efforts to achieve the same result.”
“Then?”
“I approve of Duke Zarfing’s plan. Use it to gain an advantage in the negotiations.”
“As you wish.”
Giorg bowed.
“One month… is that the timeframe?”
“I also estimate one month. After that, I believe Flastarl will move within three months.”
“Then… the meeting should be in four months.”
“Yes.”
“I see. Duke Zarfing, as I’ve already informed you, you have full authority. That includes the authority to declare war.”
Alzeis’s words were like a seal of approval, giving Giorg the authority to act as he saw fit. This meant Giorg could negotiate with King Jilvol on equal footing as the king’s representative.
Having this authority meant that if King Jilvol brought up the possibility of war, Giorg wouldn’t be forced to back down. Without it, Giorg would be at a disadvantage, and King Jilvol could exploit that. This measure was to prevent such a scenario.
“…Thank you. I will do my utmost to live up to your trust.”
“Don’t be so tense. Originally, the goal was to build friendly relations with King Jilvol. The authority to declare war is more of a bonus.”
“Understood!”
“Now, Duke Zarfing, I look forward to the establishment of diplomatic relations with Zabeiru.”
“Leave it to me!”
Giorg bowed to the two men as he spoke.
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