The Story of Hero Among Heroes ~The Founding Chronicles of Arestia - Chapter 112 – Istrea Diplomat part 2

A year had passed since Ares began governing Grants.

The Grants territory had undergone great development, mainly on the capital Heinz. In response, the other three former countries… Trevoir, Brittany, and Redgear also put their efforts in development.

The four former countries which are now parts of 『Schwarzer Frontier Territory』had entered a great revolutionary period.

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[A messenger from Istrea?]

That was the case. Ares was told that a messenger from Istrea wanted to meet him.

He thus stopped signing the documents.

[Yes. He left Redgear earlier today, so he should arrive at Heinz by next week.]

The Secretary of the States George said as he flipped through the materials.

[Hmm… isn’t this a bit abrupt? I think… if a messenger is already coming to us… Doesn’t it only mean that the eastern countries are on the move?]

[Most likely. We should first listen to what the messenger has to say so that we can ascertain the movements of the eastern countries…]

[You’re right. As for the personnel from our side… Shion, George and I should go meet messenger. Now that I mentioned it, where is Shion?]

[….immersing himself in the library as usual.]

[….just call him right away… It felt like my brain was about to explode for a second there… haaa.]

George bowed in response to Ares’ order and left. After watching his retainer left, Ares scratched his head and resumed his struggle against the mountain of documents.

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◆

A week after arriving in Redgear, Alfredo finally reached Heinz.

[Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be changed this much…..]

The scene before his eyes was a far cry to what he knew.

Alfredo entered Grants from Redgear to have a negotiation with the lord. At that time… the Grants in his impression was still that of an undeveloped land.

The road wasn’t well maintained, and monsters freely roamed around the suburb area. Although surrounded by a heavy fortress, Heinz itself looked more like a small barbarian town.

And what about now?

The road he passed from Redgear to Heinz was extremely well maintained, and he barely encountered any monster along the way.

Entering Grants’ territory through the southern area… there were many towns that weren’t there the last time he visited. Most of them seemed to be industrial towns, vibrant and lively.

(Not to mention that… Heinz itself has also changed so much…)

The very first thing that drew his attention was the enormous gate built as the entrance to the city. Decorated with intricate and artistic sculptures, it’s certainly an attractive view of a gate.

But more than that, was the sight that lay beyond the gate.

Road paved with cobblestone, stone and brick houses. Well maintained waterways. And not only the market looked lively, the scene of a safe and sanitary city was also widespread.

(This… the cityscape is probably steps above Istrea.)

Istrea boasted a beautiful cityscape that earned the nickname of “Land of Beauty” among the eastern countries. But the sight in front of him was enough to make Alfredo felt hazy.

(Just what kind of sorcery is used… this is interesting…)

And more than anything.

When Alfredo looked at the passersby,

He saw that demihumans like beastkins, long-eared elves, dwarves, and even demonkins could live here without discrimination. In addition to that, golems and skeletons could be seen working tirelessly everywhere, and the citizens seemed to already be used to it.

Children played around the golem, and some playfully tried to mimic a skeleton.

It’s something that Arcadia culture, as well as the teaching of the church wouldn’t allow to happen, yet it is common thing on here.

Interest in a country would lead to an interest in the leader. After Alfredo saw the cityscape and the liveliness of its citizens… he couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of man that he’s about to meet.

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◆

[Welcome, and make yourself comfortable. I’m Ares Schwarzer, the lord of this Schwarzer Frontier Territory which consisted of Grants, Trevoir, Brittany, and Redgear.]

[Thank you for the hospitality. My name is Alfredo, an ambassador from Istrea.]

After finishing the formal greetings, Ares offered Alfredo to sit.

Alfredo took a look at the man before him. Sitting at the forefront was the lord himself, Ares Schwarzer. He’s a young man with black hair and eyes.

『Gentle and no flattery. Doesn’t seem to be too aggressive.』

The young man was exactly like that at first glance. But behind his gentle smile, there was an unmistakable pressure that is impossible to ignore, urging you to involuntarily correct yourself.

Having met many people as an ambassador, Alfredo could easily tell.

That this young man is 『more than meets the eye』.

(He should be around his twenties… but what is this pressure? What kind of experience could bring about such a person?)

Alfredo thought to himself.

It’s like I’m sitting right in front of a great king… Alfredo involuntarily gulped down his saliva.

And there were also the two men standing beside Ares. those two must be [Shion Tristan] and {George Walter], the brains behind the Schwarzer.

The black haired man with glasses and unmotivated face must be Shion Tristan, while the blond haired man with stiff expression seemed to be George Walter.

At first glance, these two seemed like eccentric people. But Alfredo saw otherwise.

(They too are more than meets the eye… the Lord of Frontier must be a one of a kind hero for these two to serve under him…)

[Your Excellency… pardon me, I was too surprised. Heinz has changed so much since my last visit…]

As soon as he took his seat, Alfredo spoke out his impression straightforwardly.

[It’s all thanks to everyone’s effort. They are the one who worked on it after all…]

Right after he said so, Ares glanced at Shion and added.

[Ah, except for one person.]

[I can hear you, Milord]

[Then go do some work if you heard that]

[…..I guess I could use some exercise.]

Shion had a sour look on his face, which caused Ares to laugh.

Hearing the conversation, Alfredo also chuckled.

[Well then, taking the small talk aside, let’s get on to the main topic.]

George who stood at the other side of Ares suddenly spoke with a grumpy face.

[What reason has brought Istrea’s ambassador to go as far as visiting Grants?]

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◆

[An alliance…? You mean, with the Arcadia Empire?]

Ares asked Alfredo with a suspicious face.

What Alfredo proposed to Ares was a military alliance with Istrea.

After conveying the current situation on the east, he then explained that Istrea is in need of assistance.

[When it comes to that, Arcadia Empire would prefer to conquer rather than to sign an equal Military Alliance.]

After hearing Ares said so, Alfredo looked at the young man intently…and said,

[No… I’m not trying to forge an alliance with Arcadia]

[Then, what do you want?]

[If it’s possible… I would like to forge an alliance… with Your Excellency and this Schwarzer Frontier Territory.]

Hearing that response, Ares was speechless. Shion seemed intrigued, while George frowned.

Alfredo continued on.

[We do want military aid in order to defend against Dormadia and Byzerd. Certainly if we capitulate to the Empire, they will post an army to protect the new territory. However, the safety of the Istrea Royal Clan will be in peril. Also, I fear that the land that the royal clan has tended to and developed with utmost care for generations would deteriorate under the newly appointed lord.]

Seeing Ares simply listened silently, Alfredo resumed.

[Certainly, Redgear, and Trevoir were lucky enough to have their royal clan be spared. However, that was only the case… because of you, Your Excellency]

[I see what you mean there. Then, do you want me to persuade the Emperor to do the same to you?]

Alfredo shook his head.

[I’m grateful for Your Excellency’s assistance… but as a matter of fact, Istrea cannot trust the Arcadia Empire itself. Therefore… I would like to forge a secret alliance with Your Excellency as an 『individual』]

[………………]

Ares felt that he has to think this through. But Shion spoke first.

[Such a strange idea. This time, you’re most likely here… to make a countermeasure against the growing aggression of Dormadia and Byzerd. In that case, it’ll be more profitable to go directly to Arcadia instead. The Empire would appreciate it if they don’t have to cross swords with Istrea to obtain it. And if Milord speaks for you, the Emperor will not treat you bad. The status as a kingdom might be gone, but the essence will still remain.]

Scratching his head, Shion then turned to Alfredo.

[In this kind of secret alliance you want, Arcadia wouldn’t be involved in it. Thus they will eventually march to conquer your country. By then, Istrea won’t be left intact. If what you 『truly』 want is to keep Istrea safe 『as it is』….then such an alliance is worthless. 『What』 do you actually want?]

[…………….]

Now it was Alfredo’s turn to be speechless. Right. His intention was easily seen through by those three.

Alfredo’s original intention was indeed to capitulate to Arcadia. If Ares, whom the Emperor placed a lot of favor on, also put some words for him, then he might obtain the best possible concessions.

However….his goal changed halfway there. It became…..

[……………..I understand. I will not try to cover it up anymore. You are right. I planned to use Your Excellency.]

Alfredo closed his eyes for a short while, before finally speaks with determination on his face.

[On the way here, I saw how developed this country has become. Such a massive development, I don’t think a comparable feat has been recorded anywhere in history. Also…]

Alfredo glanced out of the window.

[It’s a country where humans, demihumans, and even demonkins live together. Not to mention the golems and skeletons working on the road. All that sounds good when speaking about race equality, but in reality, both the Empire and the church would scrutinize over it.]

[…………….]

[When it comes to that, there is only one thing to consider. Now, as long as His Majesty Sephiros reign over the Empire, this won’t become a problem for Your Excellency. But if something happened to His Majesty Sephiros… probably Arcadia will fall into great turmoil. According to what I heard… Your Excellency has taken His Majesty’s daughter to be your wife. Then it’ll be inevitable that you’ll also be caught in the turmoil.]

Seeing neither Ares, Shion, or George responded, Alfredo decided to push forth.

[…….here is my personal idea. To protect Istrea Kingdom, capitulating to the empire now… will be less profitable. What I intend to do is to formally announce our alliance… once you’ve obtained 『independence』, Your Excellency.]

[………you really spoke of something radical there.]

[The most important thing for me is to get the greatest benefit for Istrea. If I decide to join Arcadia now, then when they break down… Istrea will also catch the sparks. However, if we ally ourselves with Your Excellency.]

[Well, it’s not like we’ll treat your country bad, correct? At the same time, we can also use them as a smoke screen so that other eastern countries become blind to what happened at the center. When Arcadia breaks apart… another great power will take its place. I see this as a mutually beneficial relation.]

Shion finally spoke in a follow up to Alfredo’s statement.

After listening silently so far, Ares finally spoke up.

[But… isn’t this the same as if you have sold your own country to me?]

[This might be an unforgivable act for a retainer of a country. But… I’ve resolved myself. The only way to protect my Queen and my homeland… is to rely on you as an individual.]

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[It became more than we expected.]

After Alfredo left, George involuntarily groaned.

[It was very obvious, but anyone would want to gain benefit from a negotiation.]

Shion also added.

[Perhaps…that’s why we must consider what benefits we’ll get out of this. If… If we truly seek to become independent later on, the eastern countries will also become a threat for us. In that case, having Istrea on our side will be very beneficial. If… we decided to decline the alliance, that man could still go directly to Royal Capital and announce their intention to capitulate. Best case scenario, their country will also become part of the frontier… perhaps that’s why he chose to visit us first. That’s a great calculation on his part.]

Shion rarely praises other people, which shows how good Alfredo is. The silence returned for a while afterward.

[Shall we take the bait?]

Ares’ muttering broke the silence.

[Either way, we do need to have a foothold in the eastern countries. According to the information, it will still be in another one or two years before Dormadia and Byzerd make a move. We should settle the problem with the barbarians first before turning toward the east.]

[But… a secret alliance, huh?]

Shion also muttered.

[That means we’ll have to secretly protect Istrea as well. When the time comes… we can announce it formally. By then, the eastern countries should be ours already.]

[And that way… we can safely advance to the successor war that will come soon… right?]

George added.

[Istrea… is indeed an attractive offer. But that man, Alfredo… he’s also an interesting fellow. I’d like to recruit him if possible.]

Ares chuckled after saying so.

Perhaps he had judged the situation himself, before deciding to go ahead with the negotiation. That calculation, and judgment… simply superb.

[After Istrea’s ambassador returned to his country, we should start dealing with our most urgent problem. We’ve spent a year in developments. It’s time for us to move earnestly.]

[It’s also time for Milord’s fiancees to come over. What a perfect timing.]

[…………..I can’t say anything against that….]

Ares chuckled afterward.

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As soon as he arrived back at the inn, Alfredo immediately wrote a letter to Istrea.

After writing about the current state of Grants and Schwarzer Frontier Territory, as well as the result of the negotiation in the letter….he fell on his bed and pondered.

Never had he spent so much mental strength before.

To think he would be so tired from negotiating with someone younger than him.

[Perhaps, the eastern countries will see a great change with him in charge… then Istrea will support him so that he can play as the central character…]

Alfredo muttered to himself.