Chapter 213 - Chapter 206: Visiting the Neighboring Country
"Well then, I shall be on my way."
"...It is a personal letter from His Majesty the King. Ensure it is delivered reliably and convey His Majesty's intentions. Do not, for the love of god, get eaten by monsters and die on the way."
"Yes. Thank you for your concern."
"I am not particularly concerned for your person. I am merely concerned whether His Majesty's intentions will be delivered."
To Noein, who spoke on the premise that he was being worried about, Count Marcel replied with a sullen expression.
Where Noein was headed now was beyond the Bezel Great Forest Road—the northeastern edge of the Lancel Kingdom.
It had been approximately two weeks since he received the personal letter from Princess Anrietta Lancel via Baron Barthelemy. A personal letter containing the response of Oscar Roadberg III to the proposal for a ceasefire had been delivered to the Arqvist territory at full speed by the kingdom army's knights, and Noein was now going to deliver it as the envoy for the Roadberg Kingdom.
While minor exchanges between borders in the future might be different, when it came to a personal letter from a king—and specifically a response to an important agreement like a ceasefire treaty—the person delivering it was required to have a certain level of status. However, since the task was simply to deliver the letter and convey the general intentions, advanced diplomatic knowledge was unnecessary.
Therefore, it was decided that Noein, who possessed sufficient status as a Viscount and as the lord of a land bordering the frontier—meaning he would likely face the other party often in the future—would serve as the envoy, and Noein himself decided to go.
"Please do not worry. I will be accompanied by the elites of my Arqvist territory army, and my direct guard, Matilda, is excellent. I can also handle golems. There is no chance I will die."
"If that is the case... It is an important job. I expect there will be no problem for you, but do your best."
"...Yes. I am grateful for your words of encouragement!"
"Just go already."
After some hesitation, Count Marcel had offered honest words of encouragement, but when Noein replied energetically with a look of absolute joy on his face, the Count's expression became one of regret for having said it.
.....
The Arqvist territory army led by Noein advanced along a forest road where the vegetation had been cleared and the ground hardened, flanked on both sides by forests.
In the center were Noein mounted on a military horse, with Matilda and Yuri on his left and right. Surrounding them was the elite Guard led by Pence. Additionally, Jeremy, who was knowledgeable about the northeastern part of the Lancel Kingdom, accompanied them.
At the head of the column stood Radley, also mounted, along with several other skilled fighters, and at the rear were Rick and several subordinates equipped with sniping crossbows.
Furthermore, there was one carriage each in front of and behind the center group where Noein was. Riding in the carriages were a total of five golem users of the Claymore, including Gustav. Three in the front, two in the rear. Beside the carriages, their respective golems followed on foot.
Also, to prevent Noein from exhausting his concentration by controlling golems for long periods while mounted on a military horse, one of Noein's golems was loaded into each carriage.
It was a unit of about thirty people in total, but considering there were seven golems in total, their combat power was likely equivalent to over two hundred people. With this, even if they encountered monsters on the way, or even if—though the probability was infinitesimally low—the Lancel Kingdom army had set a trap and attacked, they could survive.
"...It's boring. The scenery doesn't change at all. No monsters or beasts appearing either."
"It can't be helped. This is thanks to Cadne's enthusiasm in clearing the forest road."
"Well, I suppose that's true when you put it that way."
Yuri played along with Noein's complaining.
According to what he had heard from Baron Barthelemy the other day, monster hunting had been carried out for about two to three kilometers to the left and right of this Bezel Great Forest Road. It was said they had hunted with such fervor that not a single powerful monster that could pose a threat was allowed to escape.
The stronger the monster, the less likely it is to move from its own territory. They rarely change territories. If the Lancel Kingdom army had eliminated monsters so thoroughly, they should not encounter dangerous monsters on this road very often.
"If this had been for opening a new trade route instead of for invasion, Cadne would have been treated as a great sovereign, spoken of as the founder of the kingdom's revival in the Lancel Kingdom..."
"Indeed. Regardless of the purpose, the spirit to accomplish this is impressive, even for an enemy."
Presumably, the construction of the invasion route began at the same time Cadne ascended the throne and started the conflict. From then until it was opened, it took nearly ten years. It was truly a grand project involving the entire nation. The act of creating the road itself could be called a great achievement of Cadne.
"We arrive at the Lancel Kingdom tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. If things go smoothly, that will be the case."
The Bezel Great Forest spans over 50km east to west, and in some places, it is over 60km wide. Even for Noein and his group, where everyone was mounted or in carriages, it was difficult to reach the Lancel Kingdom in a single day while advancing with caution regarding their surroundings.
Sighing inwardly at the thought of walking through unchanging scenery not only today but tomorrow as well, Noein proceeded along the Great Forest Road with his subordinates.
.....
Aside from encountering and scattering a small pack of kobolds and wolf monsters called Ash Wolves, they proceeded without incident, and Noein and his group exited the Bezel Great Forest Road the following afternoon as planned.
The moment they emerged into the open, they were likely noticed by the sentry soldiers on the Lancel Kingdom side. To avoid provoking the opponent, Noein halted the entire army and looked around while maintaining a state of caution.
"...Heh."
Noein, seeing the land of the Lancel Kingdom directly for the first time in his life, only muttered that.
Naturally, the climate and vegetation were not much different from the Roadberg Kingdom side. Only the positional relationship between the Great Forest, the plains, and the Lestio Mountains was reversed.
The area they exited into was a wide plain, but looking left and right, the forest was still visible a few hundred meters away. It seemed they had cleared the edge of the Bezel Great Forest to improve visibility around the entrance of the forest road.
And before their eyes, a sturdy log fence was visible. Since it was not at the level of monster countermeasures for a farming village, there was likely a town that could be called a city inside the fence. Furthermore, one part of the log fence protruded like a knob, and several soldiers could be seen peering over that fence. Something like a watchtower had even been built.
"Jeremy, come closer."
"Yes!"
When Noein called, Jeremy brought his horse close to Noein.
"I want you to tell me about the situation around here. Compared to when you saw it before... during the Roadberg Kingdom's counter-invasion, has it changed?"
"The city surrounded by those log fences has existed since I was a person of this country, but the protruding fort section was not there last time. The original population of that city was certainly around 2,000 people, but as for how much it has increased due to the Lancel Kingdom's garrison forces..."
"I understand. That's enough, thank you."
This fort section protruding from the city was likely a hastily constructed defensive facility built in response to the Roadberg Kingdom's counter-invasion.
However, it didn't look like it would be of much use for defense. If they felt like it, couldn't the forces mobilized by the Arqvist territory alone suppress this place? The fact that the defenses of the Bezel Great Forest Road were left at this level suggested that the Princess Faction Alliance truly had zero intention of fighting with the Roadberg Kingdom.
Just then, the gate of the fort opened, and several knights emerged from within. The man in the military uniform at the lead was—Baron Barthelemy.
Given that he came out within minutes of Noein and the others appearing, it seemed they had been waiting, knowing the envoy would arrive around now.
"Welcome, Viscount Arqvist-kakka. I am surprised you have come in person."
"I would be happy if you consider this a testament to the sincerity of the Roadberg Kingdom. Thank you for the welcome, Baron Barthelemy."
Considering they approached without weapons drawn, as expected, there was no trap from the Lancel Kingdom. Noein also stepped forward and responded to Baron Barthelemy.
"Without further ado, I would like to convey the intentions of His Majesty Oscar Roadberg III."
"Yes. I have prepared a place for talks inside the fort. Please, this way."
Led by Baron Barthelemy and his escort knights, Noein and the others entered the city's fort.
Passing through the gate, the facilities inside were simple, consisting of scaffolding built behind the log fence, several wooden or stone buildings, and a row of tents. It truly seemed to be a hastily built fort.
At a glance, the number of soldiers stationed in the fort was less than 200. Among them were some who turned pale upon seeing the Claymore golems. Were they soldiers who had served in Cadne's personal expedition last year? A fair number of former Cadne faction soldiers and officers must have defected to the Princess Faction Alliance. Or perhaps they were mercenaries who switched sides to the one with a chance of winning.
Leaving the escort unit to Radley to wait outside, Noein was led into the most solidly constructed building in the fort, accompanied by Matilda, Yuri, and Pence.
Inside one of the rooms, a place that seemed to be a conference room judging by the arrangement of a long table and chairs, he sat facing Baron Barthelemy and his subordinates—the civil and military officials who were there last time as well.
"Now then, I shall convey the answer of His Majesty Oscar Roadberg III to the proposal for a ceasefire from Her Highness Princess Anrietta Lancel."
As Noein began, Baron Barthelemy and the two assistants tightened their expressions. They seemed to be somewhat nervous, as expected.
Feeling a bit mischievous, Noein inserted a slightly long pause before announcing the conclusion.
"...His Majesty Oscar Roadberg III... has decided to accept the proposal for a ceasefire on this occasion. The Roadberg Kingdom supports Princess Anrietta Lancel and the Alliance of Pro-Princess Nobles."