novelraw Vol 3. Chapter 703: Bonus Part: Ryo and Abel’s Journey Home (31)
Vol 3. Chapter 703: Bonus Part: Ryo and Abel’s Journey Home (31)
703. In the Frontier V
On the evening of the third day since Ryo and Abel had taken on the training instruction.
“They seem to have grown used to the flow of the training.”
“It’s only been three days, so of course we can’t see real improvement in their ability yet, but the daily rhythm seems to be settling in for each of them.”
Both Abel and Ryo were satisfied when they saw that the expressions on the fifty trainees’ faces had grown more fulfilled.
Then the long white-haired old man came over.
“This is looking good.”
“Oh, Old Masda.”
“Instructor, thank you for your work.”
Old Masda called out cheerfully, Abel nodded, and Ryo greeted him.
“You two are good teachers. Far better than I am.”
“I would not go that far...”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
Abel responded modestly to Old Masda’s praise, while Ryo grew bashful.
“No, truly. I am very glad we asked the two of you. I hear you are both on your way back to the Knightley Kingdom, but what do you say? Why not stay here in the fortress? You could both make a proper living as sword instructors.”
“I really cannot...”
“Yes, that would be a little...”
For both Abel and Ryo, that option was obviously not on the table.
There were people waiting for them in the kingdom...
Old Masda did not seem to have expected he could actually persuade them to stay.
He burst out laughing.
Almost at the same time, all three of them noticed.
Someone had entered the training ground.
“Mm? It seems Morgar has returned from the meeting, but...”
“He looks grim.”
“That is definitely the face of a man whose meeting did not go well.”
Old Masda, Abel, and Ryo could all tell at a glance that Commander-in-Chief Morgar’s expression was dark when he returned.
“Ah, all three of you...”
His voice was dark too.
“Judging by the look of you, it did not go well.”
Old Masda spoke to him without dressing up his words at all.
Given the relationship between the two of them, perhaps there was no need to.
“No... far from finding common ground, it broke down after just one meeting. Both sides said they will not meet again.”
“What?”
“That is...”
“Breaking down at the very first meeting...”
Morgar sank into gloom, while Old Masda, Abel, and Ryo were all shocked.
Ordinarily, in large negotiations involving tens of thousands of people, even if no compromise point or mutual concession appeared at first, that much was within expectations.
Those things were supposed to be found at the second and third rounds of negotiation.
So for it to break down after only one meeting, with both sides declaring they would not meet again, should not happen very often...
At least, that was what Ryo thought.
However, there had been concerns about this meeting from the beginning.
“Could it have been the mediator?”
“The mediator? I believe he was from the Handaru Federation... Vice Minister Don Re, in charge of foreign affairs for Eastern Eighth District, or something like that. Yes, I had the impression he did not move very actively. Since it was the first meeting, perhaps he intended to let both camps speak somewhat freely.”
At Ryo’s words, Morgar answered while thinking back over the meeting.
“Either way... if they will not meet again, that is bad. Especially if both camps are saying it.”
“Mm. That is why I lost heart.”
“No, Morgar, surely this is not your responsibility?”
“That may be true, but... I attended the meeting as the military officer responsible for the fortress, and the fortress’s future was at stake. Yet all I could do was watch it break down...”
After saying that, Morgar let out a deep sigh.
“Marquis Nyusha and Chairman Pisek both began the discussion very calmly... and yet...”
After that, Old Masda took the dejected Morgar away.
At times like this, he said, the best thing was to drink and forget.
Ryo and Abel were left behind.
“The Federation must have been working behind the scenes!”
“What do you mean, behind the scenes?”
“They did something to make the talks break down!”
Ryo declared it as fact.
“For example?”
“Huh? F-for example... yes. They planted people connected to the Federation among the attendees on both sides beforehand, then had them insult each other at the meeting and ruin everything.”
“Putting aside the Marquis’s faction, aren’t the fortress’s meeting attendees basically all acquaintances? They have lived together inside this fortress for five years.”
“B-but Abel, you thought the population was about the same as Kairady’s, didn’t you? Twenty or thirty thousand people, right? There must be people they don’t know...”
“If you mean everyone in the fortress, maybe. But the people attending the meeting were the so-called upper leadership, weren’t they? Like Morgar, the commander-in-chief of the guards. Among the upper leadership, they would all know each other.”
“Gnnn.”
Ryo’s delusion was sealed away by Abel’s sound argument.
Yes, of course, Ryo’s “Federation conspiracy theory” was merely a delusion.
There was no evidence for it.
In the first place, he had not been at the meeting, so he had no way of knowing what kind of situation had led to the breakdown...
Abel had rejected Ryo’s delusion, but apparently something did bother him.
Ryo noticed and moved to seize the initiative.
“I was the first one to argue the Federation conspiracy theory! Abel, do not steal it from me.”
“I won’t!”
“But you were thinking about something just now, weren’t you? In this situation, the only thing you could possibly be thinking is how to steal my claim...”
“How does that follow?”
Abel was exasperated by Ryo’s further delusion... or rather, his runaway imagination.
“What bothered me was that fellow called the Vice Minister in charge of foreign affairs for Eastern Eighth District.”
“Don Re? That is an unusual and distinctive name.”
Apparently, because it was such an unusual and distinctive name, even Ryo had remembered it after hearing it only once.
“In the eastern part of the Federation, there is a country called the Prema Kingdom. I remember hearing long ago that the one effectively controlling that country is the House of Count Re.”
“Is Don Re someone from that count’s house? Could he be the count himself?”
“I do not know the details, but surely he is not the count himself. Still, I think he is part of the House of Count Re.”
“So the Federation conspiracy theory really is...”
Ryo muttered with a nod.
“Even if it is, there is only so much we can do.”
“I know. But I do not want to watch people who seek peace get dragged into war.”
“I completely agree with that.”
Abel nodded.
“We have reached agreement on the policy of stopping the Federation’s scheme.”
“Have we?”
“There is no point standing here thinking this and that. Let us go back to the inn and show Andalusia our faces.”
“...It is good to cherish your beloved horse, but what does that have to do with stopping schemes?”
For all their grumbling, whenever Ryo and Abel returned to the inn, they first stopped by the stable.
Then, after greeting their beloved horses, they went back to their room.
Of course, they did the same in the morning before going to the training ground...
Naturally, the place where the two of them were staying was the Sand Sleep Inn.
And just as naturally, Abel had negotiated so that the lodging fee would be covered by the client...
In other words, paid by the merchants of this fortress.
Since that was an extremely wonderful thing, Ryo had not interrupted during the negotiations.
“If only those negotiations could proceed that smoothly.”
Ryo shook his head slightly.
The next day.
Commander-in-Chief Morgar did not appear at the training ground.
He did not appear the day after that either.
Nor the day after that.
Then, on the evening of the day after that, he finally appeared.
Even from a distance, they could see he was deeply fatigued.
But his expression was shining.
“I did it, you two. The meeting will be held again!”
“Oh!”
“So that is why you have not come to the training ground these last few days?”
“Yes. I went alone to Marquis Nyusha’s castle and appealed to him directly.”
“That is amazing...”
Ryo was astonished by Morgar’s answer.
Although no full-scale armed conflict had broken out, there had been skirmishes.
After five years of opposition, that much was only natural.
And yet the military officer responsible for the fortress had gone alone into the territory of such an opponent?
Depending on the circumstances, he could have been captured and used as a bargaining chip, or killed as an example...
Those possibilities had existed.
This was not a relationship between nations.
It could not really be called a relationship of equals in the first place.
Morgar was the military officer responsible for people who might be seen as rebels, or depending on the era, terrorists.
There was no knowing how he would be treated.
Yet he had gone.
To avoid war.
“Morgar, that is incredible.”
Ryo naturally lowered his head.
“No, no, please stop. I have done nothing that impressive.”
Morgar grew bashful.
Perhaps people who accomplished incredible things tended to be shy.
“It is impressive. That is not something just anyone can do.”
“Ahahahaha...”
Abel praised him as well, and Morgar gave a strained laugh.
“This is sudden, but I arranged for the second meeting to be held the day after tomorrow.”
“That’s fast.”
“Before the other side changes its mind. No, not just Marquis Nyusha’s side. Before our side changes its mind too. Nothing can move forward unless we first meet and talk.”
Peaceful relations could not begin without dialogue.
“First, the second meeting will be held in this fortress the day after tomorrow. The Marquis himself said he would prefer a place open to the people of the fortress, so in fact, we plan to hold the meeting here at this training ground.”
“That is bold.”
“Or rather, that Marquis is coming here? The first meeting was held in neutral territory, wasn’t it?”
“The next, third meeting will be held in the Marquis’s domain. We will alternate. With this, there will be at least two more meetings.”
Morgar nodded happily.
“Could it be that you are actually quite skilled at negotiation, Morgar?”
“He is not a commander-in-chief of the guards. He is a diplomat.”
“Please stop.”
This time, Morgar waved both hands in front of his face to deny it.
“You said the meeting will be held at this training ground, but is such an open place not dangerous?”
“I thought so too, but... the Marquis said he wanted an open place. If he was going to come all the way to the fortress, he wanted as many people of the fortress as possible to see it. So, expecting it to be rejected, I proposed holding the meeting at the training ground... and it was accepted.”
“The Marquis himself is coming, yes?”
“Yes. This is our moment as guards.”
Morgar’s expression was full of resolve.
If anything happened there, everything would come to nothing.
It would undoubtedly turn into armed conflict.
But if it went well...
The people of the fortress would be able to see the meeting itself.
Rather than merely announcing the result, it would be better to show the negotiation itself.
To begin with, the reason a place for discussion existed was to make the discussion itself public.
Its essence lay in the process, more than the result.
“To be honest, I want everyone in the fortress to face this together, united. Not by thinking someone else will handle it, or that it should be left to specialists... but by understanding that they themselves are one of the parties involved.”
“That is true. If armed conflict breaks out, everyone will be dragged into it whether they like it or not.”
“By that point, saying this wasn’t supposed to happen, or asking why the proper people did not handle things correctly, will be too late.”
Morgar stated his feelings, Abel stated the facts, and Ryo stated reality.
Would nothing change no matter who handled it?
Of course not.
There was no such thing in this world as “it would be the same no matter who did it.”
The outcome changed depending on the person who acted.
That must not be forgotten.
Sometimes the result was good, and sometimes it was bad.
That was why everyone had to be involved, so that responsibility would not be placed on one specific person, but borne by all of them...
“Democracy, seen somewhere or other.”
“Did you say something, Ryo?”
“N-no, just talking to myself. More importantly, we need to train them hard over the next two days.”
Ryo hurriedly covered it up.
“Hard enough not to break their spirits.”
“Shouldn’t the usual line be to avoid injuring them?”
“Injuries can be healed with
“That sounds deep, yet somehow shallow.”
“You are the last person I want to hear that from, Ryo...”
Abel said it while giving a small shake of his head.
Morgar began explaining the details.
“As for security, we will have one experienced guard and two newcomers move in groups of three.”
“By experienced guards, you mean the ones who were already here, and by newcomers, you mean the children Ryo and I have been training, correct?”
“Yes. Of course, the direct protection of both camps’ representatives and the mediator will be handled only by experienced guards, but the newcomers will help with security inside the fortress.”
“Understood. Having a goal will likely motivate them as well.”
Abel nodded at Morgar’s explanation.
Actual combat was still far too much for them, but helping with security would be no problem.
Even if trouble occurred and they were dragged into violence, they could call their allies by shouting or blowing whistles.
Their fellow guards, of course, but the people of the fortress could also be considered allies, in a sense.
Most of all, feeling that they could be useful would become motivation for effort.
Then the long white-haired old instructor came over.
“Oh, Morgar, you’re back. Judging by that expression, did you find an opening?”
“Yes, Instructor. The second meeting will be held in this fortress the day after tomorrow. After that, the third meeting will be held in the other side’s domain on a different day. I managed to settle that much.”
“Oh, impressive. I was surprised when I heard you were going to appeal directly to the Marquis, but... to think you came back with results. That is something. All right, tonight calls for a celebratory drink!”
“Didn’t you drink the other day too, after finding one excuse or another... and get completely drunk?”
“That gave us a change of mood, and that must be why this worked out, no? Which means liquor really is wonderful!”
“Uh...”
Old Masda laughed as he slapped the bewildered Morgar on the back.
Then Morgar was taken away by Old Masda.
“Maybe the most impressive person here is the instructor. He abducted Morgar without letting even a skilled negotiator resist.”
“That may be what they call the wisdom of age.”
Ryo watched the two leave with surprise, while Abel watched them go with a wry smile.
“But is it really all right for him to talk so openly about the security plan?”
“Openly? You are the one who always says reporting, communication, and consultation are important, Ryo.”
“That is true, but that does not mean you can say anything to anyone.”
“What do you mean?”
“If Abel were an agent of the saboteurs, it would be a terrible disaster!”
“...True.”
“You have to choose who you share information with properly.”
“If I were an agent of the saboteurs, what would you do?”
“Even if my opponent were you, Abel, I would fight through my tears! I cannot let the feelings of everyone in this fortress, who are staking everything on avoiding war, come to nothing.”
“I see... let’s hope I am not an agent.”
For some reason, Ryo nodded with an expression full of resolve, while Abel performed the dexterous feat of shaking his head as he sighed.
No one could stop Ryo’s imagination.