#331
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331
‘Was my mother like that?’
Xian, who was watching the situation, stuck out his tongue.
The son who discovered a new side of his mother was simply amazed.
“I gave you what your Majesty wanted. Are you satisfied with this?”
Terra smiled as if imitating Teresa’s smile.
The knights and soldiers around the king were unable to move as if they were overwhelmed.
She was dealing with them alone. As if she didn’t need any other company in the first place.
Still supporting Teresa, the king’s mouth opened heavily.
“I understand what you mean, so please take it away. “I will give you what you want.”
“Of course.”
Terra nodded willingly. With this, this party took the lead in the transaction.
She stepped inside the tree again. She walked in as if passing through and reached her center, where Terra unleashed her magic once again.
A bright green light spread out from the center. The huge tree suddenly began to shrink.
Rumbling! It seemed as if time had been turned back, with the outstretched branches and lush leaves being sucked into the tree’s trunk.
Light and the blue sky returned to the royal castle.
And soon, in the western garden, there stood a beautiful tree that seemed to have lived for hundreds of years, its leaves fluttering. It was a strangely mysterious scenery.
Terra finished her work and spoke with a smile to the king.
“Let’s take care of the situation and talk when we have time.”
*
Although it was only a short time, the tree that occupied the castle was a crucible of chaos outside.
Isn’t this a scene where the devil appears and places a curse?
Fortunately, the tree had branches so high that there was little damage to the castle.
Except that we were suddenly enveloped in darkness and the group became blind in broad daylight. It was fortunate that there was no accident.
It seems like they made a good excuse that there was a slight mistake in the process of unfolding the magic.
A few hours later, they were gathered in a conference room with a huge table between them.
The newly exhausted king had a very tired face. Teresa was not present as she had gone to receive treatment.
“Now tell me what you want.”
“What I wish… … .”
Terra asked the king for a permanent document of non-aggression and non-interference, bearing the king’s seal.
Indirect infringements such as this one, which cut off all transactions with surrounding villages, were also considered infringements.
“Because future kings must not do something similar again.”
This one time was enough to show Rodril’s power. Because the Earth Spirit is not a being that only intervenes in the human world to show off its power. The king obediently accepted her request. It was just as she thought up to this point.
“Is this enough?”
However, Terra shook her head in response to the king’s question.
“Could this be it? Your barrel is small. “Rodrill wants compensation for the direct and indirect damage caused by the Kingdom of Veneta.”
“how much?”
What she called was a huge amount, equivalent to one-third of the national budget. Even her cyan, who was listening to her next to her, was astonished.
‘Have you been enjoying luxury in the royal castle and growing rich?’
Of course, there was no way King Veneta would respond obediently.
“If you thought I would accept this, you were sorely mistaken. Veneta experienced a major upheaval just a year ago, and is still recovering from it.”
“That is Your Majesty’s situation and Beneta’s situation. The child in the western garden is under my control. The child is capricious and stubborn. Also, I don’t know when he will expand his size as he pleases. Of course, he feels his life is in danger.”
If you don’t want to see the royal castle covered in trees again, you should agree to the deal. The king’s expression instantly turned cold.
“Is this a threat?”
“You don’t realize that Your Majesty still has no choice.”
The king’s eyes changed at Terra’s words.
“You seem to think you have absolute superiority.”
“is not it? He monitored and isolated Green Cana, committed petty acts of kidnapping villagers, and called Rodril to the castle. He accomplished everything His Majesty wanted. Now pay the price.”
Terra did not simply do this because he was greedy for wealth.
Of course, this was given as an excuse to legally extort money from the Kingdom of Veneta, and it was not completely unselfish.
But the most important reason was something else. King Veneta touched the inhabitants of Greencana.
In order for something like that to never happen again, King Veneta had to pay a painful price.
Paying a price comes with a loss. Since he couldn’t hit King Beneta, he said he would at least accept money.
“I cannot respond.”
“Then Your Majesty will have to pay the price in some other way.”
Terra jumped out of his seat and stood up. The knights around her all reached for her sword, but she had no intention of harming the king directly.
Should the object of the transaction be damaged? All you have to do is grow trees like you did before and turn the entire castle into a garden.
“Listen. “I must show you a card I had no intention of taking.”
“You beat me?”
The king gestured towards that direction. The door opened, and a man walked in.
A strange thing appeared in Helmut’s eyes. Helmut knew who the man was. The gait of a trained swordsman.
The appearance was different from what he was used to, but he recognized it right away. Ambiguous atmosphere that cannot be read. A heavy energy permeating the whole body.
‘You’re stronger than before.’
So, even though Helmut, who had become incomparably stronger than four years ago, could finish him off with one sword, the man was a strong man.
And there are not many strong people that Helmut can remember.
‘Talon.’
Helmut mumbled the name. The head of Hawkeye and the leader of Blackhawk.
There is one chance left to ask him for information. Once he can’t be wasted.
I had been thinking about meeting him sooner or later, but I never thought it would happen at a moment like this.
‘Did you recognize me?’
No matter how much he changed his appearance with magic, he didn’t think Talon wouldn’t recognize him.
However, Talon did not pay Helmut any attention. His eyes were focused solely on Terra, Rodril’s representative.
He greeted me politely with a soft, relaxed tone of voice.
“It’s called Blackhawk’s Talon. “Terra of Rodril.”
“Isn’t Blackhawk a member of the underworld? “I heard that you have been officially recognized and started working in the Kingdom of Veneta.”
“If you knew, the story would be quick. “We buy and sell information.”
information. Those words sounded very meaningful.
“We are in the dark, so we have access to information that is not available in the light. That information is advantageous to some and disadvantageous to others. But what is certain is the value of that information. “No matter how big or small, unknown information has value.”
Information in the dark that others should not know.
Until recently, there was nothing like that for Rodrill. But it happened. It came into existence.
Because her troublesome son named Sian brought them one after another.
Terra asked slowly.
“… … So what do you know?”
Terra almost gave Helmut a look without realizing it. If what they’re talking about is Helmut. In this transaction, the positions can be reversed immediately.
The scales that were tilted towards Terra will at least level out. It was fortunate that it didn’t tilt any further.
Talon paused for a moment. His eyes were always calm. Talon’s hand moved.
“A feat of the temple, granddaughter of Archmage Heike.”
His fingertips pointed precisely at Area, who was sitting in disguise. Area’s eyes widened at the unexpected situation.
Talon asked a simple question.
“If the temple finds out that she is in Rodril’s group, what will they think of Rodril?”
A look of disappointment appeared on Terra’s face. She had completely forgotten about Leah. Everyone was like that.
Helmut was also a problem, but even if he wasn’t a problem, there was still a lot to blame.
Charlotte, the Grand Duchess of Linosa, who left the Greta Academy, was one of them.
Just her presence wasn’t an excuse to threaten, but Area’s case was different.
Charlotte had no enemies, but Area had enemies. It’s also a very powerful enemy.
“Even if you call it a temple, our Rodril… … .”
Terra trailed off. Because it was a problem that even she could not guarantee.
“Archmage Heike’s residence is not revealed. They tracked down her Heike at her temple, but failed to capture her. So he targeted her flesh and blood instead.”
Those are Heike’s blood relatives. The temple is stubborn when it comes to public achievements. She had already murdered her children when she could not catch Heike.
Wasn’t that why Area became an orphan?
There was formidable resistance, and many troops were lost in the temple.
However, the temple still did not withdraw its official nomination of Heike.
At least the temple did not hesitate to pay the price. Kill those who will be killed at any cost.
Even if that opponent is Rodril.
That was the sacred duty spoken of in the temple, the holy war they had to wage.
Moreover, hasn’t Heike been in conflict with the temple recently?
Heike is a witch who threatened the sacred barrier. She is the one who must be eradicated with the highest priority.
“If this is known, the temple will ask Rodril about his relationship with Heike. “Excuses won’t work, and if they do, they won’t take the situation as seriously as Beneta.”
When Teresa reported the existence of Area, the king immediately summoned Talon.
Neither King Beneta nor Talon had any intention of using this method, leaving it as a last resort.
However, it is a different story when a huge amount of money, equivalent to one-third of national finances, is at stake. It was a story worth bringing up for negotiation.
I don’t know what effect the fight between Rodril and the temple will have on Veneta, and I don’t want the temple to use Rodril as an excuse to go in and out of the Veneta Kingdom’s territory, but if the temple gets rid of Rodril permanently, that won’t be a bad thing for Veneta either.
Even though it is the same as waging war, it is a strategy that cannot be chosen hastily.
The king asked Terra, who was at a loss for words, gently.
“Now are you ready to adjust the terms of the deal?”
Terra looked back and forth between the King and Talon for a moment and then sat down again.
