novelraw Chapter 65: Directory Government - King of the Wastelands (2)
Chapter 65: Directory Government - King of the Wastelands (2)
The gate guards and Major Ocon appeared more anxious than our own departing party, a sight that brought a faint smile to my lips.
Emerging from the gate with Gaston, I was confronted by the Orc. He was even larger than I'd anticipated.
Beyond his sheer size, he towered over me by at least two heads.
His fists were the size of my head, and the massive axe strapped to his back was a truly intimidating sight.
"I am Marquis Pierre de Lafayette, Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Army of the Republic of Francia, and a member of the National Assembly."
"I am Kroxx, King of Brothers."
Kroxx spoke in our tongue, albeit with a thick southern accent.
Was that a title? King of Brothers?
Did he mean the barbarians were brothers? And what about the name of his kingdom?
As I wrestled with these questions, Kroxx, the source of my consternation, seemed equally lost in thought, before finally speaking."Marquis, how many followers does the king command?"
"..."
He naturally addressed me as Marquis, but clearly had no grasp of the Republic or the National Assembly.
Where to even begin explaining...
"The Republic of Francia is not governed by a king, but by the National Assembly, representing the people. Therefore, there is no king. I am a member of that Assembly and one of the two commanders of the military."
I explained as simply as possible, but Kroxx furrowed his brow and twitched his lips.
Only after a moment of silence did he speak.
"One of the two heads of the military. Then may I consider you the first or second most loyal follower?"
Loyal follower...
It's probably easier for him to understand that way.
"In terms of military matters, you could say that's similar. I have a question for you as well."
"Speak, Marquis Lafayette."
"King Kroxx, what is the name of the kingdom you have established?"
"There isn't one yet."
What is this now? A kingdom, but no name?
I don't know what my expression was like, but Kroxx grinned, showing his sharp fangs.
"For now, we simply call each other brothers. When we unite the Iberian Peninsula, we will declare it the Iberian Brotherhood."
This is...
He's certainly ambitious.
That aside, what am I supposed to tell the Assembly about this?
Of course, I didn't expect the barbarians to share the same culture as humans, but this is quite awkward.
It's not appropriate to hold a meeting standing in front of the gate, but I don't want to let this fellow, who looks as strong as Gaston, inside the gate either.
"So, what is the reason you requested a meeting with the Republic of Francia?"
Kroxx raised his hand and stroked his fangs before answering.
"We desire peace and trade with Francia."
...What did you say?
This is the barbarian that was said to be ferocious and beast-like?
"Peace aside, trade? You? With us?"
"That is correct. Is it impossible?"
"Trade requires both sides to have something to offer. Your way of life, however, is vastly different from humans."
Kroxx chuckled.
The Orc's pectoral muscles twitch with his laughter...
"Francia is known as a fertile land known for producing grain."
"You are correct about that."
While I know that barbarians like Orcs and Goblins are omnivorous, they mainly eat meat through hunting rather than farming.
"We desire your grain. And you..."
Kroxx fiddled with a pouch on his belt and took out a few pieces of what looked like minerals. Though his hands were large, making the minerals appear small, each piece was the size of my thumb.
"Do you not need things like these?"
I narrowed my eyes and looked at the minerals in Kroxx's hand.
This, could it be?
"Gold, silver, and mithril. Iron ore, if needed."
I quickly closed my mouth, which had almost dropped open, straightened my back, and maintained my composure.
The Wastelands are a barren and desolate land, but they have many mountain ranges and highlands. It wouldn't be strange to find usable mines there, although digging for minerals in this land is difficult.
Surprisingly, Kroxx seems to have knowledge of both human language and society.
...How did he know about these things? There is almost no interaction between barbarians and humans.
"It's curious, you seem to know human society quite well."
Kroxx made a grinding sound and shook his head before answering.
"I have lived with humans."
Lived with humans.
With that body? No, more importantly, how old is this Orc?
I looked at him with narrowed eyes.
I can't judge because I can't guess his age.
This much is enough to make trade possible. They want grain and possess items of sufficient value to us.
"I will say it again, we desire peace and trade. Marquis Lafayette, what is your answer?"
Kroxx looked at me intently with his red eyes and asked.
"First, I need to confirm, what is the reason you need grain?"
"To feed my brothers and raise livestock."
Kroxx answered without hesitation.
He said they are constantly waging expansion wars. Time for hunting would be scarce, and the larger the scale of those he leads, the harder it becomes to live by hunting.
The Iberian Peninsula is called the Wastelands because there is little farmland, making importing military rations for war understandable. It's not a bad judgment.
He mentioned unifying the Iberian Peninsula himself. That means he doesn't want Francia to intervene, at least until the unification of the Iberian Peninsula.
So, to unify the Iberian Peninsula, he desires peace and trade with us.
Maintaining peace with them is beneficial as we prepare for war with the Germania Empire, and a valuable source of minerals is naturally welcome given the trade blockade.
The question is, can we trust them?
Despite expectations, the conversation is progressing well, but most humans would feel threatened simply by looking at this fellow.
Honestly, even if I agree, I can already imagine the National Assembly protesting, 'How can we trust barbarians?'
"There are a few points of concern."
"Speak, Marquis. I will listen."
"I understand you are waging an expansion war, and you just mentioned unifying the Iberian Peninsula."
"That is correct, Marquis."
"Firstly, I cannot ascertain your capacity to do so, making a hasty judgment difficult. If you are defeated, we risk losing a trading partner and incurring the animosity of other... tribes."
Kroxx looked at me silently and then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
Gaston's face contorts.
"That would be disrespectful. But how can I directly demonstrate my strength to weak humans?"
Gaston became even more indignant, and before I could say anything, he was ready to draw his sword.
"Marquis! Allow me to teach this barbarian some honor!"
Kroxx looked upon him as one might a child, and even I frowned.
"...King Kroxx."
"What is it?"
"War cannot be won by individual strength alone. Furthermore, how can we trust someone who desires peace and trade yet resorts to insults that could ruin negotiations?"
Kroxx seemed to ponder for a moment, then answered.
"That is true. I apologize for my rudeness to you, who listened to my words, Marquis."
I had anticipated Kroxx might get angry and attack, but his reaction secretly impressed me.
He's better than the idiots of the old regime.
"Gaston, take your hand off your sword."
"Yes, Marquis!"
I let out a light sigh and asked my question again.
"Alright, I understand your confidence. However, as far as I know, your people have always defended their territories. You state you will invade and conquer them all, but what guarantee is there that you won't threaten Francia afterward?"
Kroxx tilted his head slightly to the side and answered.
"There is a misunderstanding. We are not invading. We are resisting."
"Resisting? What?"
Anger flashed in Kroxx's red eyes, and the killing intent emanating from him almost made Gaston and I grab our swords.
After a moment of silence, Kroxx declared,
"Demons, and the traitors who have joined hands with them."
-
According to Kroxx, about three years ago, the demons of the Abyss Corporation began buying slaves.
Initially, they visited each tribe, buying humans who paid protection money. But recently, they've hired mercenaries from Porto and other barbarian tribes to hunt down humans and barbarians alike, taking them as slaves.
As soon as I heard that, I realized.
The revolution broke out earlier than in my previous life. As a result, the Republic and the Abyss Corporation became enemies, and the civil war in Francia ended six years earlier with the revolutionaries' victory.
The Abyss Corporation had started the industrial revolution, but unlike in my previous life, they couldn't make much profit from Francia, which was their main source of humans.
As Kroxx said, it seems that barbarians can also be used as power sources.
Only then did everything make sense.
Why a barbarian kingdom I had never heard of before was created.
The barbarians, who had previously only engaged in sporadic skirmishes in their own territories, united to survive, forming a kingdom.
The traitors Kroxx is fighting with his brothers are probably those who actively sold humans and their own people to the Abyss Corporation.
Still, I couldn't just trust Kroxx's words, so I said that we hadn't heard such things from the refugees we accepted at the border fortress, and Kroxx's answer was simple.
-Those who have already been sold can, of course, neither escape nor report.
Kroxx even surprised us by saying that his 'brothers' included not only Orcs and Goblins but also other races and humans.
I asked him to prove it, and Kroxx said he would do so very readily.
So, on the appointed day, I was standing in front of the gate with Gaston and Major Ocon.
"Do you think that barbarian's words are true, Marquis? I wonder if it's possible for barbarians to establish a nation where they coexist with humans..."
Major Ocon looks very unconvinced.
"Well, we'll just believe what we see with our own eyes."
"Marquis, he's coming."
At Gaston's words, I turned my gaze and looked at the figure approaching from the distant horizon, raising a cloud of dust.
It's a sight I saw when we met last time and when he left, but I can't get used to it.
Kroxx is running, raising a cloud of dust, as fast as a warhorse.
"Huh."
This time, he's even running with people sitting on his shoulders.
"Huh, huff, Cap-"
Before Major Ocon could even shout a warning, Kroxx, who ran right up to us, slid to a stop.
As soon as he did, the two people sitting on his shoulders came down.
"Uwaaaak-!"
A man in a robe and turban was almost rolling off and vomiting on the ground.
"It was an honor, my King."
A woman jumped down lightly like a cat and expressed her gratitude.
Both have coppery skin, so at a glance, they are not from Francia or the central continent.
"Ugh, uweeek, my King, this is too much..."
As the man vomited and complained, Kroxx burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, if you had run on your own feet, it would have taken ages!"
This Orc doesn't get tired.
I watched with interest as Kroxx and his subordinates conversed naturally in human language, with a southern accent.
They do call him King, but it doesn't seem like they fear Kroxx at all.
It certainly doesn't seem like they just grabbed anyone and forced them.
At least the claim that he lives with humans is true.
"Welcome, King Kroxx. This is Major Jean Ocon, the commander of the gate."
Ocon bowed stiffly, and Kroxx nodded lightly.
"It is good to see you again, Marquis Lafayette."
Kroxx pointed to the man who was still pale and slumped on the ground.
"This is Hassan, a bureaucrat-"
He looks sickly and wears a robe, so if we trade, he might handle the practical negotiations.
Kroxx then pointed to the woman standing next to him.
"And this is Shandra, a warrior."
The woman, dressed in black with tattoos on her exposed skin, looked at me and Gaston with curious eyes before closing her eyes slightly and bowing.
Her movements are light, so she's a warrior. Is she their equivalent of a knight?
"These are the ones who will accompany you and explain and prove our brotherhood."
After speaking, Kroxx seemed to think for a moment and added.
"Marquis Lafayette. I trust you, who listened to our words, and I entrust my brothers to you."
"I know, King Kroxx. But I hope you understand that I can only guarantee their safety and the discussion of your proposal."
It's better than bringing Orcs and Goblins as emissaries, but I don't know how the National Assembly will accept this barbarian and pagan nation.
But, unexpectedly, Kroxx grinned and replied.
"I am well aware that human nations are cunning and frustrating, so you need not worry."
Well, that leaves this human speechless.