Chapter 341: Lurking in the Forest

Chapter 341

Lurking in the forest

The plains of Lantzheim sat at high elevations, so the wind was always strong. It wasn’t Eugene’s intention, but the Moving Castle had descended in a position facing the delegation with the wind at its back.

Neighhh!

“Whoa whoa! Calm down!”

A young horse grew frightened, causing a commotion. It was as if a mountain-sized monster was breathing out wind.

“What should we do?”

An attendant produced three types of letters and awaited Piotr’s orders. He was the delegation’s representative and Lantzheim’s ambassador.

-The court mages are divided in their opinions. I’ll send letters for each situation. Examine the lightning strike site yourself and judge.

Lantzheim’s King Nikolai had anticipated every possible scenario.

The best outcome was finding nothing at the lightning strike site. Then they could return to the capital and report it as a bizarre natural phenomenon. Unfortunately, the rumors rising from Roman appeared to be true.

“If they keep making things like that, no wonder the country’s going to hell.”

Piotr grumbled to himself.

“We’ll go with the third letter. Burn the rest.”

“Understood.”

The letter offering the most courteous reception to the guest was selected.

*

Eugene and Hermann observed the delegation from the balcony.

“There wasn’t a better spot, so we forced our way in. I wonder how they’ll react.”

From what Hermann told him, Lantzheim was an extremely isolationist nation. While they actively exported mercenaries abroad, they were extremely strict about anyone entering their country.

Surrounded by the superpower of Roman and fearsome nomads, they had gone all-in on defending their mountain fortress territories.

This allowed highly efficient defense, but if even one point was breached, the rest would be wide open. Naturally, entry requirements had to be strict.

“Security is security, but what the capital here worries about is the relationship with the elves.”

“They haven’t formed an alliance or anything?”

“Not at all.”

Hermann waved both hands.

“That proud elf kingdom… I apologize. I’ve never heard of the elf kingdom allying with anyone. They don’t want any problems with their elf trade.”

The second most important thing in Lantzheim after the mercenary business was trade with the elves. Their borders were adjacent with a river flowing between them, making both trade and transport convenient.

“In the past, many foreigners caused all sorts of incidents. They’d clear-cut the forest claiming to set up camp, set traps for hunting that injured elves, tamper with goods during trade, and even kidnap them as slaves…”

“To elves, all humans must look the same, so Lantzheim got dragged into it as well?”

“Exactly. After nearly eighty years of severed diplomatic relations, Lantzheim’s king personally visited the forest to negotiate. In the meantime, our side changed kings twice, but their side remained the same.”

Since then, Lantzheim had resolved never to allow severed relations again, strictly managing immigration and emigration. If caught entering illegally, the minimum penalty was amputation, the maximum was death – controls were harsh.

“I’m sorry about this, but our visit is going to cause all sorts of trouble, isn’t it?”

Despite his words, Eugene had no intention of retreating. In international relations past and present, one’s own national interest came first. Valda’s pregnancy was not merely Eugene’s private desire but a public matter involving the nation’s stability and integration.

Why had he continuously strengthened his military and seized the throne? Precisely for situations like this, where he couldn’t compromise, to practice the diplomacy of the strong.

“Guide them to the greenhouse garden.”

Eugene always chose the place hardest for his guests’ world to experience as the meeting venue.

*

The advantage of Moving Castle diplomacy was how easily it overwhelmed the opposition.

First, the Right Hook of the castle’s enormous grandeur as seen from outside. Then, upon entering the lobby, the Left Hook of the taxidermy displays.

Once the opponent’s outer shell was shattered, they became even more vulnerable to the emotions seeping through the cracks.

“So much transparent glass?”

“They’re not lanterns. The light lives inside the glass tubes. Could the entire thing be magic? Well, a castle that appears suddenly out of nowhere…”

“This is less a fortress than a compressed city. If you moved your entire family, you could maintain high morale even on extended campaigns.”

Everyone gasped at the advanced wonders unavailable in any royal palace. In such a warm, fragrant place where flower scents drifted on the breeze, the delegation knelt.

“It is an honor to meet His Majesty the Great King of Britannia.”

“I’m pleased as well. Rise.”

Eugene treated the envoys to Lantzheim-style tea. For dessert, he served croissants, which always drew the best reactions everywhere.

“As I indicated through the hawk before, I have no desire to cause any conflict with Lantzheim. My sole purpose is to head to the Great Forest.”

“If I may say so, we, uh, our nation understood that Your Majesty’s visit was problematic.”

Even the battle-tested Piotr made a slip of the tongue from the start. That was the power of the Moving Castle, providing home-field advantage even in the opponent’s own territory.

“Ah! Was that what the letter meant?”

“Yes?”

“The letter’s content was too elaborate. It veered left, then veered right.”

Eugene waved his two index fingers back and forth.

“It was hard to understand. But there were many good things said about me throughout, so I interpreted it as meaning it was fine to come.”

“…”

Piotr cursed Eugene in his heart.

Lantzheim’s current king, Nikolai, was a cautious man. He didn’t want to offend Eugene, who carried terrifying rumors, even slightly.

So he had expressed his refusal as vaguely and diplomatically as possible, but it wasn’t so roundabout that the meaning could be mistaken.

“I’ve already prepared everything to enter the Great Forest. It would be difficult to turn back now. There’s the cost, and there’s also the matter of our pride. I hope you’ll understand.”

“Since the king himself has come, naturally.”

Bravado only worked when dealing with someone of great lord rank. Against a king, such tactics couldn’t be attempted.

“A letter from King Nikolai.”

Eugene broke the wax seal immediately and read without the scribe’s help, drawing quiet admiration from the delegation.

“We will provide water and provisions at below market price. In exchange, please do not travel anywhere except toward the Great Forest.”

Eugene read the first passage and nodded.

“That’s only right. I’ll do so.”

“Thank you!”

Piotr was delighted. Eighty percent of this visit’s objective had been achieved. Eugene continued reading the second passage.

“We will set up camp along the way to the Great Forest and wait. We wish to share a meal for the sake of good relations between our nations…”

“We simply wish to build fellowship without interfering with Your Majesty’s schedule.”

Piotr quickly added.

Since both sides were suspicious, King Nikolai inviting him to the capital would likely result in Eugene declining.

-Your Majesty! You could fall into a trap!

-A king’s procession is different from an envoy’s visit. Even small risks shouldn’t be taken.

Being refused would only crumple King Nikolai’s face and create bad blood between the nations. But sending Eugene off without a single reception was also frightening.

There were cases where kings personally hosted field banquets on neutral ground in situations like this. If Eugene had maintained his countship, King Nikolai wouldn’t have had to twist himself into such knots.

But now, ignoring him would mean turning all of Britannia into an enemy, and this island nation could no longer be dismissed as safely distant.

*

To relay the news, Piotr’s group departed immediately.

Eugene waited a while longer before beginning his march. Both dwarves and dark elves stood by, with only the Lantzheim warriors mobilized, but there was no anxiety about combat power.

-A knight who has never served under a king’s command is not a knight. Please allow me to accompany you. I wish to be Your Majesty’s sword and shield.

-I’ve always wanted to visit the elves’ Great Forest. I’ve heard there’s the world’s largest tree there – a tree that has existed since the First Era.

Knights who had joined from across Britannia, seeking wealth, honor, and adventure, were serving in the expedition.

This was what Eugene appreciated most after becoming king. Gathering and mobilizing knights – the era’s most powerful fighting force – had become extremely easy.

‘A knight who has served the king on the battlefield.’

Many were those who dove in like moths to a flame, seeking an honor difficult to obtain even once in a lifetime.

If Eugene had been a stingy ruler, this might have been a passing fad, but he knew that the fuel for maintaining a vassal’s loyalty was gold and generosity.

When they arrived at the meeting place, a lavish tent greeted Eugene. Open on all sides, it could be observed clearly from outside. King Nikolai didn’t want even the slightest suspicion.

“Your Majesty. The King of Britannia.”

At Piotr’s cry, a middle-aged man with a weary expression rose from his chair. Rather than luxurious attire, he wore something between monastic robes and patient’s garb.

“Welcome.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, King Nikolai.”

“My pleasure can’t be greater than yours. I’ve always found your adventure stories fascinating.”

King Nikolai smiled warmly and pointed at Eugene with his index finger. It could be considered a poke, but it didn’t feel unpleasant. It was like the familiar joking of an older neighbor he’d known for years.

“I can’t even dream of wearing armor. That’s why I was all the more envious.”

King Nikolai swung an imaginary sword through the air. But it had less snap than a freshly conscripted militia member.

“A king who leads from the front on the battlefield, felling monsters and enemy commanders. How magnificent is that?”

“You seem to have a skin condition.”

“I break out in hives if I wear anything other than clothes ordained by God. I can’t even wear the crown inherited from my father. This is a gift of friendship from the forest’s friends who pitied me.”

King Nikolai tapped his forehead. He wore an elf-style wooden crown similar to Eugene’s.

“The fae are finicky and arrogant, but once you get close to them, few creatures are as lovable.”

At Eugene’s words, King Nikolai nodded as if that were absolutely true.

“This meeting is truly satisfying. I’ve always prioritized my choices as king over my personal wishes, but today a dream has come true.”

Feeble applause sounded. Eugene had met many powerholders at a young age, but this type was a first.

Gurgle.

A magnificent sound echoed from King Nikolai’s stomach.

“You seem hungry. Shall we eat first?”

“Let’s!”

The personnel from both sides, waiting at a distance while the kings talked, took their seats.

Soon, dishes of fine food appeared on silver platters. Thanks to trade with the elves, salads and fruits were abundant. Influenced by the nomads, fermented foods were also plentiful. For meat, young animals were hunted, so everything was tender.

But before King Nikolai sat only a bowl of thin wheat porridge.

“Unfortunately, it’s not just my skin that’s finicky.”

King Nikolai raised his porridge-filled spoon toward Eugene as if making a toast.

“Thanks to that, I’m often embarrassed when hosting guests. My stomach empties quickly no matter how much I eat.”

“I happen to have good rice.”

“Oh! Rice? I’ve heard it’s a specialty of some Samur regions.”

“If you’re making porridge, it’s much better than wheat. I’ll send someone with some as a gift.”

It was a paltry gift by king-to-king standards. But the underlying respect was something everyone present could sense.

“And one more thing. There’s a dish suited for you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s called tofu. It’s made by grinding soaked soybeans and boiling them – far more nutritious than porridge. It will give your arms and legs muscle and your tongue new pleasure. I’ll have my concubine send you the recipe.”

Excited, Nikolai nodded repeatedly and lifted his spoon. The prince and princess at a short distance watched their beloved father with happy expressions.

“You must be Queen Valda.”

“That’s right, King Nikolai.”

Valda answered while wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.

“During my reign, I’ve had many opportunities to meet elves. Merchants, envoys, warriors, nobles – every one of them placed immense importance on bloodline. Even a king like me grew tired of hearing about it.”

Nikolai extended both thin arms toward Valda.

“But seeing you today, I understand why.”

“Your Majesty’s kind words are appreciated. If you also understand that our hope depends on the elves’ forest, I could ask for nothing more.”

Valda placed the incomplete parchment on the table. A dark elf maid carefully picked it up and delivered it to King Nikolai.

“Ah! The Fairy Crown! A blessing from God.”

Nikolai looked at the prince and princess as if beholding a treasure.

“People like us shape the world with armies and power, but what truly changes the world is always family. Two nations at war for a hundred years reconciled, and ten thousand swords couldn’t accomplish what two joined hands can. How magnificent is that?”

King Nikolai nodded repeatedly.

“If you’re heading to the Great Forest for the fruit of love, I have no intention of stopping you. However, because of that, I must warn you all the more.”

“I’m listening. Tell me anything.”

At Eugene’s words, Ambassador Piotr brought a large scroll and unfurled it. The images within made Eugene’s party catch their breath.

The scroll was filled with drawings of lush trees and leaves. Blood spattered across the leaves, and between them, a blood-drenched knight hung upside down with arms dangling, dying.

The knight’s lower body was hidden by branches and leaves. But looking slightly higher, an orange full moon hung in the sky.

It was a giant eye.

“A dragon.”

“A dragon…”

The orange iris blazed like a burning sun, and the vertically slit pupil crouched like a grim reaper in black robes.

“There are rumors of a dragon roaming in the elves’ forest. They hide their internal affairs completely, but there are things observable even from outside.”

King Nikolai spoke carefully, as if hoping his pure concern wouldn’t be twisted into a threat.

*

Paper had the property of infinite fragmentation. Similarly, there were various types of dragons in the world. Of course, the majority were called dragons but were actually entirely different creatures.

The sea serpents called shipswyrms were actually fish sharing a common ancestor with eels, and the earth dragons called sandworms shared a common ancestor with ragworms.

How the small mudflat worms had traveled to the desert and become giants was a mystery.

And truly great beings were called by simple adjectives – that was the world’s rule. The most fearsome tyrant of the ecosystem was simply called “Dragon.” By that short name alone.

“This is a dragon painting discovered long ago in Varcia.”

“Hydras too – that region really gets a lot of love from reptiles.”

Small laughs rippled at Eugene’s joke. Not just because the joke was funny. It was because it contained the belief that their king could fell even a dragon.

King Nikolai and Piotr’s eyes widened slightly upon recognizing this.

“Does Your Majesty truly believe a dragon appeared in the elves’ forest?”

“Honestly, I can’t be certain. But the elves who move in and out of the forest are clearly showing tension and fear. The ones who scoff at troll brothers and bravely fight invading ogres. There have also been reports of terrible screams heard from within the forest.”

King Nikolai narrowed his eyes and touched his ear.

“Each time, birds take flight simultaneously from afar, and terrified beasts flee the forest.”

The nobles saw this as a windfall and hunted excitedly, but the king responsible for Lantzheim couldn’t feel so at ease.

“If we assume a dragon exists, it wouldn’t be a wyvern then. It would have been noticed long ago.”

“Unfortunately, no.”

A wyvern was a winged dragon, as its name suggested. It might seem like a fearsome monster at first glance, but its danger level was only slightly above an ogre.

Just as birds sacrificed much for flight, wyverns had hollow-boned structures with poor mass and durability, and their hands had evolved into wings, making them weak in melee combat.

To compensate for these weaknesses, legends of fire-breathing wyverns could be found in every region, but monster researchers viewed them skeptically.

-Before flight, all flying creatures expel their droppings to lighten their bodies. This is consistent with descriptions in records of actual wyvern subjugations. Storing large amounts of liquid fuel in the body doesn’t make sense. They wouldn’t be able to fly.

-Our world’s flesh and bone cannot withstand fire. Only demons that rise from hell, evil beings born of black flames, can breathe fire.

The wyverns observed in the present era resembled the argentavis Eugene had discovered in the New Continent. They would soar through the sky, spot a predator that had just finished a hunt, and dive straight in.

Their overwhelming size and thunderous roars from massive lungs – that alone was enough to send most medium-sized monsters scurrying away. That was how wyverns stole prey.

In contrast, a true dragon was on an entirely different level.

The mass to charge and topple castle walls.

Durability that deflected any spear or arrow.

Claws that could shred a bull to ribbons with a single swipe.

Feet that shook the earth with every step.

Above all, dragons could wield the mysteries of nature. This was an authority completely separate from the magic people used.

Mother Nature – a power she permitted only to her greatest masterpieces.

“The one currently leading the vast forest and the elves is cunning.”

King Nikolai corrected the title he had used for decades on his own.

“You think this sudden provocation might be a plot to set enemy against enemy?”

“With my limited knowledge, that would be my assessment.”

King Nikolai returned the parchment to the dark elf maid.

“Of course, this is all assuming a dragon exists in the forest. Honestly, neither I nor my subjects truly believe a dragon is there.”

It was more reasonable to believe a large, dangerous monster had appeared – creatures like basilisks or forest worms that favored nutrient-rich forest terrain.

“I believe the possibility of an actual dragon is low.”

“Those traitors must be trying something because they fear Your Majesty.”

The accompanying knights advised, but Eugene didn’t listen. They were fearless types to begin with, and if a dragon actually appeared, they’d probably be delighted.

“Coming all this way only to retreat based on rumors would definitely invite gossip.”

As always, Hind offered practical advice. Having led the knights with the gift provocation, the succession issue, and Valda’s rights as justification, simply turning back was not an option.

When Eugene looked at Valda, she interlocked her hands with his beneath the table. Eugene could feel her heart through the sensation in his palm alone.

“The residents of that forest are also subjects of my queen and me. Whether a dragon’s existence is true or false, we have sufficient reason to visit.”

A wife’s anguish, torn between royal duty and her husband’s safety.