Chapter 53

Ishmael was a Kobold with the qualities of a good friend.

Because instead of kicking me out, he worried with me.

“I understand. Krrruk, young human. The fact that you came to me for advice must mean you have a reason to carry it out.”

“That’s right.”

“But I don’t want to know the details. Some things cause problems just by knowing them.”

Huh, I was really getting curious about Ishmael’s past.

If all Kobolds were as wise as Ishmael, the Siberia Empire would be under Kobold rule by now.

Perhaps Ishmael really had received a high-level education?

Instead of solving my doubts, Ishmael fell into thought.

“Kruk. Our race may be agile, but I don’t think it’s possible without sufficient training.”

“Is that so.”

“I’ve heard that there are those among the Eastern sects who do such things. Kruk. They say there is a place called an assassination cult somewhere beyond those eastern mountains. It might be possible for such people.”

Ah, those Kobold ninjas.

“Is there any way to hire them?”

“Impossible, kruk. They only carry out assassinations for religious reasons. They would take trying to buy them with money as an insult to their religious fervor.”

“Was it not that there wasn't enough money to hire them?”

“Kruk. Phew. Really.”

Thanks to recent events, I was confident when it came to money.

Enough to willingly offer any high price they named.

But Ishmael now began to look at me with pathetic eyes.

“Kruk, many kings have tried to hire the assassination cult. But all have failed. Kruk. So how could a mere mercenary captain possibly succeed? Besides, to find them, you have to cross many rugged mountain ranges.”

“It would be physically and temporally impossible.”

“Kruk, that’s right.”

Well, I thought as much.

In the end, I had to leave Ishmael’s home without any real gains.

Now that it was clear that assassination was impossible, I had to look for other methods.

Ah, right.

How about chasing the ship returning by sea and sinking it?

And then blame it on pirates.

Nah.

Let's not.

Because I was distressed, I kept thinking of unrealistic plans.

It was a possible method if I was prepared for sacrifices.

But there was no way Levona would stay quiet about the death of Gian Cavalieri, the pride of the Levonan navy.

In the end, if they started to investigate, the truth was bound to be revealed.

Because there were bound to be witnesses to any event.

And dealing with everyone involved in the assassination was not realistic.

So the conclusion I came to was.

“There’s no need to use a hostile method.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that, Young Master?”

“There’s no need to be enemies with everyone, is what I mean. Haven’t you heard the saying, if you can’t beat them, join them?”

“I have not.”

“It’s enough that you know now.”

“……?”

If knocking them down was impossible, wouldn’t it be better to become friends instead?

We were already short on hands.

Randolfo screamed at me to replenish the personnel every time he saw me, and the others, though they didn’t say it, were also quite exhausted.

On the other hand, pirates were constantly appearing.

Perhaps now was the time to take a short break.

***

When I appeared at the city hall the next day, a man in a Levonan naval uniform was waiting in the meeting hall.

A beard and hair turning slightly gray.

The full dress uniform of a Levonan admiral.

And the relatively short stature characteristic of the dwarf race.

That’s right.

Levona was a nation founded by dwarves.

It sounded strange for dwarves to have a maritime nation, but it was definitely true.

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Leon Gryph. I have heard much of your esteemed reputation.”

“That is what I should be saying. Is your name not the one most heard these days? I am Gian Cavalieri.”

As we polished each other’s images appropriately at our first meeting, I observed Gian Cavalieri.

The legendary admiral of Levona looked exactly like the textbook definition of a soldier.

He didn't look much different from his portrait in the game.

But I shouldn’t let my guard down because of that.

Being a member of the Levona Grand Council meant he also possessed political skills.

It wasn’t for nothing that Levona sent him as a diplomatic envoy.

A short while later, when the meeting began, Admiral Gian brought up the expected issue of captured cargo and began a war of words with Mayor Rapacio.

“Levona wishes for the return of the cargo Fasa acquired during the pirate subjugation. Of course, we will pay compensation accordingly.”

“That amount doesn't even cover the warehouse management fees. You should also cover the additional transportation and labor costs, should you not?”

“How about this amount?”

“No matter what, you have to give us more than that.”

“You are too greedy. Have you not seen great profits by selling Levona’s cargo until now? You must take that into account.”

“You are the one being greedy. If it weren’t for our Fasa’s mercenary fleet, that cargo would have just sunk to the bottom of the sea.”

“What’s the use of assuming what didn’t happen? The goods are in your country’s warehouses right now.”

“No, that’s not right!”

Admiral Gian came out with an attitude that he had no intention of considering our side’s circumstances.

He slashed the compensation price to far below what was expected.

Mayor Rapacio was not a man who lacked eloquence, but it seemed it was not easy for him to deal with Admiral Gian.

Mayor Rapacio’s face turned bright red, exhausted from the verbal sparring.

But he couldn’t act emotionally on the diplomatic stage.

If he carelessly uttered an insult, an uncontrollable situation would unfold.

Soon, Mayor Rapacio looked at me with a sad expression.

Was it already my turn to step up?

“Admiral Gian, what you are saying is not incomprehensible. Levona is the original owner of the cargo, after all.”

“Then does Fasa’s side intend to agree to the compensation plan?”

“Of course, Fasa is willing to return the captured cargo. However, there is one more thing we need to discuss: how you will take it.”

“How? Isn’t it obviously by ship?”

“That’s right. It has to be carried by ship. But by whose ship?”

A look of realization dawned on the faces of the bewildered Levonans.

Transporting cargo was by no means easy in this medieval era.

Even if carrying it by ship was relatively easier and faster than by land, the freight charges were not at an ordinary level.

It wasn’t as if there were container cargo ships now.

“Then what do you propose we do?”

“Please listen to our conditions once.”

—Fasa is currently pouring all its resources into subjugating pirates. It does not have the capacity to handle the return of the cargo.

—However, if you pay the freight charges, we will divert the ships going to subjugate pirates and provide quick delivery to Levona. In return, we will not charge the warehouse storage fees up to now.

—Alternatively, Levona can bring its own ships and load them. Of course, to carry them from the warehouse to the port, you will have to hire manpower in Fasa, right?

—Take it or leave it.

This was Plan B, prepared in case Plan A of getting compensation failed.

If it really didn't work, then I would get a shipping contract.

If it was difficult to refuse Levona’s demands anyway, shouldn’t I gain some profit in another way?

Considering the commotion when I was acquiring ships, it wouldn’t be easy for Levona to find cargo ships and send them to Fasa right away either.

All the usable ships would be out at sea.

In the end, Levona would have no choice but to accept this proposal.

Now, what will you do?

At the conditions I presented, Admiral Gian began to contemplate.

“That proposal is worth considering, but it is not something I can decide on my own. Could you give me a moment?”

“Of course, we can wait as long as you need.”

“Then, just a moment.”

Gian talked for a long time with the aides he had brought with him in a corner of the meeting room before returning.

“Levona will gladly accept the proposal. Let us sign a shipping contract.”

Admiral Gian readily accepted a proposal that could have been burdensome.

The fact that he could easily put out such a sum, which was no ordinary amount, showed the wealth of Levona.

“I like how decisive you are.”

“The expenditure is a bit more than expected, but it’s better than having merchants who failed to fulfill their contracts go bankrupt or commit suicide.”

“You are right. We have a responsibility to prevent social collapse.”

Along with that, Mayor Rapacio’s face brightened up.

It was because of the calculation that if he could get a reasonable compensation and even the shipping costs, he would not be condemned by the influential figures of Fasa.

As things ended smoothly, the initially unpleasant atmosphere turned amicable.

But that wasn't the only thing I wanted to propose.

“I have one more proposal I would like to make to Levona.”

“A proposal? What kind of proposal?”

“The pirates of the Golden Sea have been a real headache since ancient times. We can’t let the pirates run rampant in the Golden Sea forever, can we?”

“Hoh.”

“Since we’ve gathered here with our heads together, how about Fasa and Levona cooperate to subjugate the pirates?”

“Military cooperation with Fasa? I’m not sure what benefit that would be to us.”

As if he had seen through my objective, Admiral Gian smiled playfully.

His eyes were as if he was looking at something pathetic, but I had something to say too.

Yes, Fasa’s naval power was certainly lacking compared to Levona’s.

But it wasn't at a level to be simply ignored either.

“As I was dealing with the pirates, I noticed that quite a lot of Levonan ships were being attacked. I know that your country is patrolling diligently, but even more pirates are rampant at sea.”

“Hoh.”

“They say you can’t stop a thief even with ten hands, don’t they? No matter how strong Levona’s navy is, it cannot protect all those sea routes. As it happens, Fasa also has adequate naval power. If we cooperate with each other rather than acting individually, we can gain many advantages in subjugating the pirates.”

In other words, it meant this.

You guys seem to be in trouble because of pirates too.

You may not say it, but honestly, it’s tough, right?

So let’s jointly subjugate the pirates.

We can also save some on defense costs.

Wouldn’t it be easier for you guys too if we do it together?

Once we started shipping deliveries to Levona, it would be impossible to dispatch detached fleets as before.

Because we have to protect the sea routes.

So my scheme was to fill that vacancy with Levona’s naval power.

The moment I finished speaking.

A notification rang.

「Trait Activated: Descendant of a Demon

A contract is a very, very dangerous thing, so it must be done with caution.」

Then, a blue light invisible to others seemed to dwell in Admiral Gian’s eyes.

The light that rose in those pupils was clearly interest.

Admiral Gian looked at Mayor Rapacio and smiled.

“There’s an interesting friend in Fasa. Isn’t that right, Mayor Rapacio?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. Sir Gryph is in charge of a key role in Fasa.”

“I heard he was originally a merchant. I don’t know how he ended up in the mercenary business, but his refusal to ever take a loss makes him a born merchant.”

“You flatter me. More importantly, do you like the proposal?”

“I do. But more than that, I am happier to have met a bold junior for the first time in a while.”

“Pardon?”

Admiral Gian laughed heartily.

“The young friends are so scared of me they can’t even speak properly, but I really like how this friend answers back point by point.”

Well, most would be like that.

Admiral Gian was the pinnacle of the Levonan navy.

Who would have spoken properly, afraid of getting on his bad side?

Admiral Gian, too, had an unusual personality.

To like someone for talking back to him, should I say his personality was very dwarf-like.

However, Gian did not stop there.

“Hey, young human friend. Instead of staying in this small city, how about coming to Levona? You seem like a talent who should be playing in the big leagues. If you come under me, you could become a great naval admiral in the future.”

What?

A sudden scouting offer?

Isn’t this coming on a little too strong all of a sudden?

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