Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 254

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 254 – The Fox’s Proposal

“I have no interest in such nonsense.”

“Haha… I suppose that’s true about you, Your Majesty.”

“Well, it seems dangerous this time, so I won’t go either.”

If the worst were to happen, I didn’t want to think about disappearing from this world.

I didn’t want to think about leaving my loved ones behind except when I die.

(Hmm, how long will I live?)

Since Ain was now the World Tree, his lifespan must be different from that of humans.

He may be the only one who would live a long life. Just thinking about it made him sad, so he shook his head to clear his mind.

Then, the expressions of the two men, excluding Ain, seemed strange.

They didn’t look as much as strange as they looked dumbfounded.

“Um…what’s with those faces?”

“…So Ain is being modest, huh?”

“That’s a good sign. It’s the beginning of his awareness of becoming king.”

“Hmm. I can retire with peace of mind.”

How rude. Ain frowned.

He wanted to say something, but…

(Let’s leave it at that for today.)

He knew he was in the wrong.

He decided to remain silent and just act dissatisfied.

He sank deeply into the comfortable sofa and sighed.

“So, do you have any plans?”

“No, Grandfather. I was just about to start thinking about it.”

“…I thought so.”

The Dragon Faith and, among them, the troublesome Red Dragons.

If he was going to investigate them, he would have to search high and low, ask around, and gather information slowly.

If even Lili and the other secret agents were having trouble, it would be difficult.

“I think it’s important to first figure out where they’re going.”

“Yeah, I agree with Warren.”

“It’s unlikely that they’re based in Strohm. It would be hard for them to operate there.”

Warren said this and took a folded map out of his pocket.

“Do you always carry that with you?”

“Yes, it’s quite useful.”

That might be useful. He nodded and looked at the unfolded map.

It was spread out on the table in front of the sofa. Sylvird looked at it, too.

“First of all, it’s hard for individual believers to operate in large cities.”

“Even if they use the slums as their base?”

“Yes, there’s no profit to be made, only the advantage of being able to hide. In that case, it would be difficult to achieve their goal.”

That goal was vague, wasn’t it? Ain smiled wryly.

“I understand your point, Ain-sama. You’re right; the goal is unclear. But it’s difficult no matter what.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Without money, there’s nothing they can do. One possibility would be…”

Warren stroked his beard.

He closed his eyes and thought deeply.

“If they have backing, they could operate in urban areas. Otherwise, they might have to resort to targeting entire villages or towns.”

“E-either way…”

“Hmm… This is a complicated matter.”

He sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

Either way, it would be complicated.

“There may be criminal organizations for that purpose, but small jobs won’t bring in much money. So, in some form or another, there will probably be someone backing them.”

He said it was just to supplement their livelihood.

Money was necessary for everything, so perhaps Warren was right after all.

“Hey, if it’s the former, you mean nobles or wealthy merchants, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“If it’s the latter, investigating them would be extremely difficult, wouldn’t it?”

“One hundred percent correct.”

Even though Warren said this with a smile, Ain couldn’t smile back.

However, Warren explained why he was so relaxed.

“So, shall we lure them in?”

“…Huh?”

“We’ll bait them. After all, they’re a group that calls themselves lizards. If we throw them some delicious food when they’re hungry, we’ll be able to get some clues.”

He said it so easily, but Ain couldn’t grasp the true meaning of his plan.

Warren continued his explanation to the silent Ain and Sylvird.

“I’ll contact Tigre-dono.”

“Excuse me, could you explain that in more detail?”

“I’ll use a bluff. I’ll spread the rumor that dragon eggs have been found in the Heim Autonomous Region—no, on that continent over there.”

“I see. That’s why you mentioned Tigre.”

Ain nodded, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Rumors are a scary thing. They make people suspicious, then curious. Eventually, they’re not just at the edge of your vision but right in the center of your gaze.”

When using a cunning plan, it was good to spread rumors like that.

He was trying to take advantage of that trait.

“Let’s sprinkle that story here and there. Something like, ‘It’s supposed to be from a red dragon.’”

“Surely no one will fall for such an obvious lie…”

“It doesn’t matter if they do or not. The key to this plan is not whether they fall for it.”

Then, Warren pointed to the route from Heim and traced the road from Magna to the royal capital with his finger.

“This route alone will require a large number of personnel. Transportation, defense, negotiations… Thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of people will be involved.”

“Ah, I see.”

Yes, Ain understood, too.

The crux of the plan was not to let them take it away but rather…

“Merchant guilds, noble families, and even village and town leaders will be involved. There will be cracks somewhere. When people try to do something, they can’t do it alone.”

“You’re going to make a big deal out of it and see what moves they make.”

“As His Majesty says, However, even so, the amount of work involved is unimaginable.”

That’s true. But compared to the previous investigations, this one was much easier.

Warren wanted to keep an eye on the flow of people and money.

“This is only the first move, a preliminary step to gauge the situation.”

He isn’t assuming that they’ll attack at this point.

He was not underestimating his opponent.

When many people were involved, it would be enough if they were caught in the net.

“We can hire craftsmen and use the money for security and negotiations. This is wonderful. The people will have jobs, and we will be able to conduct our investigation.”

Warren’s smirk was infuriating.

However, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

“There are no eggs, so you’re just deceiving them…”

“Of course. Foxes are skilled at deception.”

Warren replied casually to Ain and continued.

“I have a job I’d like to ask Marco-dono to do. Would that be okay?”

“I think so, but what is it?”

“I’d like him to go to the former capital. I think we should ask Sylvia-sama for her opinion on the matter.”

“That’s a good idea.” 

Ain agreed.

The sage that everyone thought of was none other than Sylvia, the Elder Lich.

“Hmm… If it’s Sylvia-sama, we should send an envoy from our side.”

Sylvird even had to show deference to her because she was related to the royal family.

She was also the mother of the first king, Marc, and was truly worthy of being called the Holy Mother.

Although she currently appeared as Ain’s vassal, such etiquette could not be neglected.

“Grandfather, should we select some souvenirs?”

“That would be appropriate. Warren, may I entrust this to you?”

“I will do my best.”

◇ ◇ ◇

A few days later, the Heim Autonomous Region.

In a mansion resided the Duke of Heim, the only noble with special status in the unified nation of Ishtalika.

This was his office.

The reason it was not a castle was simple.

The new capital—no, it couldn’t be called the capital yet, as it was still under construction.

It was to be built between the port town of Roundheart and the old capital.

His… the Duke of Heim’s mansion was located in that area.

“Um, excuse me… Tigre-sama, you have a letter!”

A fourteen-year-old servant called out.

Her name was Helion.

She was a girl raised in the slums who had been entrusted to Lili while Tigre was under protection in Ishtalika.

She is still by Tigre’s side because, as Ain previously revealed, the two have a good relationship.

Behind the scenes, Warren and Tigre have exchanged several letters.

However, to protect Tigre’s pride, Warren kept this a secret from Ain.

“Thank you, Helion.”

Compared to before, Tigre’s thorny attitude has subsided—he was now more open and relaxed.

He stopped working on his paperwork and looked at the letter he received from her.

“…I’m sorry, Elena. It seems to be a new job.”

Helion bowed her head and left cheerfully. Tigre watched her leave, then opened the letter with a knife.

“A job?”

“It’s from Warren-dono. There’s the royal seal on the envelope.”

“It doesn’t look like it’s anything trivial.”

Elena stopped what she was doing and approached Tigre’s desk.

She looked at the letter that Tigre had opened beside him.

“Huh… Why is this happening?”

Tigre put down the letter and held his head in his hands.

“Elena, your daughter’s boyfriend seems to be as lively as ever.”

“…I think she’s attracted to that side of him.”

“I’m sure she is. Seriously… What’s going on this time?”

That was his impression after skimming through it:

Dragon faith, lizards of infinite colors, and men in robes attacking Ain.

Far away in Heim, he wondered what the crown prince was up to.

“Well, Ain is a victim, but… First of all, what are they going to do with him?”

The real question was whether he can be defeated.

He gazed at the World Tree in the old capital city outside the window and laughed mockingly.

“Hmm? It seems that an envoy is coming this way…”

Tigre said with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“My friends…those who have become my friends. Well, I suppose they’re good people.”

With a hint of embarrassment, he handed the letter to Elena.

His footsteps seemed lighter than usual.

“I’m heading to the port town of Roundheart. Choose the tasks you want me to work on, and I’ll do them in the office over there.”

“…Yes, understood.”

“An envoy will arrive in a few days. I’ll wait nearby for the meeting.”

Elena couldn’t help but smile as she watched him walk away.

Whether he had noticed or not, Tigre picked up the coat he had draped over the back of a chair.

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