Surviving The Game As A Barbarian Novel - Chapter 640
Chapter 640: Political Schemes (4)
Mr. Dragon of the dragonians.
The Karlstein family, head of the beastpeople.
Excluding those two, it was my first time meeting everyone else. However, it wasn’t difficult to identify who they were, even without them introducing themselves.
“Haha, it somehow ended up that this is the first time we’re meeting each other. I’ve heard a lot about you through Titana! I heard she owed a great debt to you?”
“Not at all. I am the one who is indebted to Akurava.”
“Haha! You are more humble than the rumors suggest!”
The Dumoka of the dwarves, Malark Izor. Dumoka meant “deciding hammer” in the ancient language, and it practically meant that he was the chieftain of the dwarves.
In any case, I heard that this grandpa wasn’t an adventurer.
That was one of the interesting things about Malark Izor. Including the chieftains gathered here, most of the chieftains of history started as adventurers, but this grandpa over here was the only one able to rise to his position purely through the trust of his people alone.
Even though they say it was trust, it would be more correct just to say he has a keen mind for politics.
In this world, the better someone’s reputation, the more I needed to be wary of them. It meant he could maintain his station and status without getting angry or letting his emotions get in his way.
Such a worry did not apply to that thorny elf.
“Bjorn, son of Yandel. This meeting had to be postponed multiple times due to your absence.”
“So?”
“I wish to hear the reason you were late today.”
“Oh, that? I came too early, so I went to get food and ended up being late.”
“…Food?”
“Why? Don’t you eat food?”
The chieftain of the elves was lost for words at my direct counter. Well, I supposed I should call him “Lagcian” rather than “chieftain?”
Now that I think about it, why do all the races have a name like that except for the barbarians?
Why did the barbarians only have a simple “chieftain” title?
Although that question popped up in my mind, I didn’t particularly find it important, so I ignored it.
Ironically, however, that was how the question was answered.
…Ah, so this is the reason we’ve just called ourselves chieftains.
I mean, what was there to change about it? Chieftain was enough.
And it was the most literal title as well.
“That child…”
Around the time our mental tug of war was coming to an end, the handsome leader of the elves continued, asking, “Is she well…?”
“…Are you talking about Erwen?”
“Who else would I be talking about?”
Wow, with how kind he looked, why were his words so prickly? Still, as he was an elder member of her family, I answered kindly this time as well. “Don’t worry about Erwen. She’s living well in our holy land.”
But what was this response?
“With those other women?”
“Other women…?” I echoed. I asked so he would explain what he meant by that, and all I got back again was gibberish.
“That child is special, even among our people. Not just because she is a successor by blood. All love and care for that child.”
“…So?”
“If you dare make even a drop of a tear fall from that child’s eyes, you will have to face the consequences.”
It was like he was threatening me with a declaration built upon the emotions of a bygone war he had yet to get over. However, I didn’t get pissed off or anything like that. I might have under different circumstances, but he was saying it for the good of Erwen. I didn’t plan on getting miffed because of the way he said it.
“That won’t ever happen, so don’t worry.”
“…Then that’s fine. I will leave her to you.”
I only realized it then, but the reason this guy always acted cold to me was probably because of Erwen. Not because I was a barbarian.
If he was an elf who hated barbarians, he wouldn’t have said anything like “I’ll leave her to you.”
With that conversation over, I moved my gaze over to the final person sitting here. It was the seat of the representative of the humans.
“By the way…”
In truth, I had been thinking about who he was for a while now, but I really couldn’t tell who the human representative was. That was why I just asked directly as a barbarian would.
“Who are you?”
It was a rude question, unthinkable in an official meeting like this. However, the human representative just laughed it off.
“I am Viscount Maxiland. Fortunately, I was able to join the meeting as the representative of the humans.”
I did remember something about Viscount Maxiland. He was part of the prime minister’s faction and was someone who acted as… Well, not so much his right hand, but along the lines of the prime minister’s left hand.
“Ah, I see. It’s my first time seeing your face, so I didn’t recognize you.”
“We did meet once in the past during your ennoblement ceremony…”
“It was a bit chaotic back then.”
“I understand, please do not worry yourself over it.”
After hearing of his identity, I understood why no one here paid any mind to the human representative.
Their intent is obvious.
The humans had also made their intent clear by making someone of low rank attend the meeting. They weren’t planning on leading any discussions. Instead, they would stay quiet and passively listen before leaving the meeting.
The viscount seemed to understand this as well, as he maintained a passive stance and remained quiet, only speaking when prompted.
“Well then, our seats are filled. Shall we begin our meeting?”
In any case, my first Races Summit began.
***
The first Races Summit I attended was a little different from what I expected.
Deep discussions on a few set topics that were decided together. Hard decisions that would shake the economics and politics of the world. Or perhaps secret conversations about the secrets of the world and their exchanges.
None of that happened.
Although we were still in the earlier parts of the meeting, the Races Summit I witnessed was just a place for the different leaders to speak to the petty grievances they had for one another and engage in verbal swordplay.
“I heard the dwarves are purchasing the land of Gnome Tree. Are you perhaps planning on sticking your nose into agriculture as well?”
“Why? Do we need to get the permission of the elves whenever we want to buy land?
“Then does this mean we and the beastpeople can begin opening businesses related to metallurgy as well?”
Oh, and for these minor conflicts, we barbarians were squarely in the outsider position. We didn’t have any territory within the city, and since we had none, we didn’t need to get involved in any territory disputes.
“Hah… Don’t worry. We do not plan to step on your toes. We just bought land in Gnome Tree because we needed to expand our forges.”
In any case, misunderstandings like those could be overcome with a few words, but there were examples where that couldn’t be said.
“More importantly, isn’t it the beastpeople who crossed the line?”
“What line are you saying we crossed?”
“Oho! I heard rumors that you Black Bear tribe folk took in that traitor. Did I perhaps hear wrong?”
When I heard the details, it seemed that a dwarven smith committed a sin and was exiled from the dwarves but was welcomed into a beastperson tribe.
“I understand where your heart lies, Dumoka. However, we cannot do the work of each and every person that exists beyond ourselves. It also appears that we were indebted to that smith due to past events.”
“Haha, you act like you are simply taking in someone who had nowhere to go. Aren’t you instead trying to steal his techniques?”
So this was what was meant by words that cut like knives.
“You are the house head. Stop dancing around the issue and exile that bastard again.”
The dwarven leader stared down the head of House Karlstein with unwavering intensity, but the receiving end of the exchange didn’t even blink.
“And if we do not?”
“Well, there’s not much we can do. We will also have to take matters into our own hands then.”
Neither of them showed any sign of backing down.
At moments like this, the leaders who weren’t part of the conflict needed to step forward to mediate them.
“Ignoring the problem of potential leaks in technique, it is not right on principle for one race to take in an individual that is exiled from another. I agree with the Dumoka.”
“I also agree.”
After the votes were cast, it was decided that the dwarven would be exiled from the beastpeople once more.
I abstained from the vote, by the way. I mean, what did a dwarven criminal have anything to do with me?
It’s no fun when they’re just talking amongst themselves.
The meeting then continued, and I eventually grew bored of being here. As I started to nod off while leaning my chin on my fist, the topic of conversation suddenly turned to me.
“By the way, how about you, chieftain?”
“…Huh?”
“It seems you’ve shown a great interest in construction techniques recently. Since our paths have crossed here, I’d like to hear a bit more about that.”
Ah… This grandpa, he was trying to mess with me.
“I hold some interest in that as well.” Mr. Dragon, in turn, seemed genuinely interested. “I heard the holy land has changed a great deal.”
“Well, it has changed. We can’t live like savages forever.”
“If that is how you think, how about you change the way you speak first?”
“Eh, it’s tradition at this point.”
And why should we go out of our way just to make ourselves uncomfortable? It was a cheat-like tradition that allowed us to speak directly and impolitely to anyone, except maybe the king.
In any case, everyone seemed curious, so I began to explain how the holy land had changed after putting up buildings, and Mr. Dragon’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“I can’t truly imagine it just from listening to the way you describe it. You were able to advance so quickly in such a short period of time.”
“Short period…? When was the last time you came over?’
“…Around twenty years ago.”
Dragonians had a very different sense for the flow of time than us. Though I didn’t let it show, inwardly, I was amazed.
“Haha, the barbarians have learned construction techniques,” the dwarven leader laughed as I went to close my talks about my holy land. “As a builder myself, I am very pleased. From what I heard, you will be joining the reconstruction efforts of the palace this time… Is that true?”
“It hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
“I see.”
I let out a bitter chuckle. The right to take the contract was something that had only been discussed a few days prior during the Melbeth meeting. I didn’t know whether his information network was just that good or if one of us had loose lips.
Looks like information just leaks everywhere.
Well, I could understand that much. Melbeth itself was a gathering of nonhumans. Most of the words spoken there would have gotten back to the chieftains of the other races.
The next inquiry, though, was a little unexpected.
“More importantly… I heard that you were getting married soon,” Mr. Dragon asked slyly.
I flinched and glanced around, and surprisingly enough, everyone here already seemed to be aware of the topic, not just Mr. Dragon.
“Ahhh, about that,” I said dodgily. “The leader of Melbeth only pushed me a little and asked me to get married soon.”
“Well… You are at that age. It wouldn’t have been odd for you to have three children by this point.”
What the…? How did everyone know about this? It probably wasn’t the leader, since he wasn’t the type to go blabbering all over the place like this.
What a bunch of scary bastards…
A chill went down my spine, but I tried to not make it obvious.
It was one of the things I learned during my time wearing the Lion mask. Acting strong at first was better than looking weak.
Or at least, that should have been the case.
“If you don’t have any partners in mind, how about my daughter?”
I couldn’t really school my expression at what Mr. Dragon suggested right after. To be honest, I would have done a spit-take if I had been drinking. “Your…daughter?”
“Ah, I haven’t told you if it would be my first or my youngest.”
Uh… That wasn’t what I meant.
“Well, it is you, so it doesn’t matter—”
“How does that not matter?!” the elven leader shouted out of nowhere with a frown on his face.
Mr. Dragon rushed to make an excuse. “Ah, I may have brought about a misunderstanding with that. I truly have only said these words because he is a great man. I had nothing political in mind like alliances or such that I—”
“Not that.”
“…Hmm?”
“Great Ancient Dragon, did you perhaps forget the promise I made with Bjorn, son of Yandel, not long ago?”
“…A promise? Did something like that happen?”
“I told him he would face consequences if even a drop of a tear fell from her eyes, and he accepted it. I even confirmed the promise by saying I would leave her to him.”
“Uh…” Mr. Dragon tilted his head in genuine confusion. “I do remember you saying something in that vein… But what does that have to do with this?”
An unexpected third party entered the conversation. “Hasn’t everyone here gotten this confused? My daughter already shares a deep relationship with him.”
It was Missha’s father.
“Well… It is true that a rumor like that circulated in the past.”
“…How about it, are those words true?”
The elven leader and Mr. Dragon both looked at me for answers.
My mouth felt dry for some reason, so I reached for the cup on the table and lifted it to my mouth before setting it down without drinking it.
It felt like I would choke if I drank it now.
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