Chapter 65: Presidential Government - The King of the Wasteland (2)
It seemed that the soldiers opening the gates and Major Ocon were more tense
about us leaving than we were ourselves, causing a slight smile to escape my
lips.
Stepping out through the gate with Gaston, the orc I came face-to-face with
was even larger than I had anticipated.
His size was one thing, but just in height, he seemed to be about two heads
taller than me?
His fist was almost the size of my head, and the large axe on his back gave
off a considerable sense of intimidation.
“I am Duke Pierre de Lafayette, Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Army
of the Francia Republic, and a member of the National Assembly.”
“I am Croxus, the King of Brothers.”
Croxus spoke our language well, despite a heavy southern accent.
Is that a name or a title? But, the King of Brothers?
Does he refer to his tribe as brothers? What about the name of their kingdom?
As I pondered this, Croxus, who seemed to be in a similar quandary, furrowed
his brow before speaking.
“Duke, which rank of confidant are you to your king?”
“...”
I wondered if he naturally called me ‘Duke’, seeming to not quite grasp the
concept of a republic or a national assembly.
Where do I even begin to explain...
“The Francia Republic is governed by an assembly of its citizens, not a king.
Therefore, there is no king, and I am one of the two heads of the military and
a member of the assembly.”
I explained as simply as possible, but Croxus frowned and twitched his lips.
After a brief moment, he spoke again.
“One of the two heads of the military, you say. So, may I consider you as the
first or second confidant?”
Confidant...
It seems that term makes it easier for him to understand.
“If we’re speaking strictly in military terms, that’s a fair comparison. I
have a question for you as well.”
“Speak, Duke Lafayette.”
“King Croxus, what is the name of your kingdom?”
“It has none yet.”
What’s this now? A kingdom without a name?
I’m not sure what my expression was, but Croxus grinned, revealing his sharp
fangs.
“For now, we simply call each other brothers. The day we unite the Iberian
Peninsula, we shall declare it the Iberian Brotherhood.”
Well, that’s...
An ambitious one, indeed.
Setting that aside, how am I supposed to explain this to the assembly?
I never expected the barbarians to share a culture with humans, but this
situation is exceedingly awkward.
It feels odd to conduct talks in front of the gate, but I also don’t want to
let this giant, who seems almost as big as Gaston, inside.
“So, what’s the reason you’ve requested a meeting with the Francia Republic?”
Croxus lifted his hand, stroked his fang, and replied.
“We seek peace and trade with Francia.”
...Pardon?
This is the savage, beast-like barbarian tribe?
“Peace is one thing, but trade? You and us?”
“Yes. Is that impossible?”
“Trade requires both parties to have something to offer, but the lifestyles of
your people and humans are vastly different.”
Croxus chuckled.
An orc’s laughter makes his pectoral muscles twitch...
“I understand Francia is a fertile land, known for producing a lot of
grain.”
“You’ve got that right.”
But, as far as I know, barbarians like orcs and goblins, though omnivores,
mostly rely on hunting for meat rather than farming, right?
“We desire your grain. And in return, you might want...”
Croxus fiddled with a pouch on his belt and pulled out several minerals. They
looked small in his large hand, but each was about the size of my thumb.
“Wouldn’t you need something like this?”
I squinted at the minerals laid out in Croxus’ hand.
Could it be?
“Gold, silver, and mithril. If needed, we can also provide iron ore.”
I quickly closed my mouth, which had almost dropped open in shock, and
straightened up, feigning composure.
The land, though desolate and barren, called a wasteland, is filled with
mountains and highlands. It wouldn’t be strange to find useful mines. The
difficulty lies in mining these minerals.
Surprisingly, Croxus seemed to have a decent understanding of not only human
language but also human society.
...How does he know all this? There’s hardly any interaction between
barbarians and humans.
“It’s fascinating, you seem to have a good understanding of human society.”
With a crackling sound, Croxus shook his head from side to side and responded.
“I have lived among humans.”
“With humans, you say?”
With that physique? But more importantly, how old is this orc supposed to be?
I narrowed my eyes as I looked him over, unable to gauge his age.
It seems trade might be feasible after all. They desire grain, and they
possess items of sufficient value to us.
“Let me reiterate, we seek peace and trade. Duke Lafayette, your response?”
Croxus asked, staring intently at me with his red eyes.
“First off, I’d like to know why you need the grain?”
“To feed our brothers and raise our livestock.”
Croxus answered without hesitation.
They’re currently engaged in expansion wars, it seems. Hunting would be
difficult to sustain, and as the number of those led by this being increases,
relying on hunting for sustenance becomes even more impractical.
Given the Iberian Peninsula is so barren as to be called a wasteland, with
little land suitable for farming, are they looking to import military
provisions for their war efforts? That’s not a bad strategy.
This being has spoken of unifying the Iberian Peninsula. Meaning, at the very
least, they wish Francia to remain uninvolved until such unification is
achieved.
Hence, they desire peace and trade with us in order to unify the peninsula.
For us, maintaining peace with them in preparation for the potential conflict
with the Germanian Empire wouldn’t be a bad idea, and a precious source of
minerals, especially when faced with a trade blockade, is certainly welcome.
The question is, can we trust them?
Although the conversation is progressing surprisingly well, the mere sight of
this being would make most humans feel threatened.
Frankly, even if I were agreeable, I can vividly imagine the National Assembly
clamoring about how we could possibly trust barbarians.
“There are a few concerns I have.”
“Speak, Duke. I am listening.”
“I’ve heard about your expansion wars, and you’ve just mentioned your
intention to unify the Iberian Peninsula.”
“Yes, Duke.”
“Firstly, it’s difficult to make a hasty judgment without knowing if you
possess the capacity for such an endeavor. If you were to be defeated, we risk
not only losing a trade partner but also possibly incurring the wrath of other
tribes... barbarians.”
Croxus stared at me quietly before bursting into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
Gaston’s face contorted in response.
“My apologies to you all. But how can I demonstrate my strength to you, frail
humans, without showing it directly?”
Gaston bristled even more, and before I could say anything, he looked ready to
draw his sword.
“Duke! Please allow me to teach this barbarian a lesson in honor!”
Croxus’ expression softened, as if looking at an amusing child, which even
made me frown.
“...King Croxus.”
“Yes?”
“War is not won by personal might alone. Moreover, how can we trust someone
who jeopardizes negotiations for peace and trade with insults?”
Croxus seemed to ponder for a moment before responding.
“I see. I’ve been rude to you, who has listened to me. I apologize, Duke.”
I had braced for Croxus to react aggressively, and was internally impressed by
his response.
Better than the fools of the feudal system, at least.
“Sir Gaston, stand down from your sword.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
I sighed lightly and posed another question.
“Alright, I understand your confidence. But as far as I know, your kind have
lived by guarding their own territories. How can you assure us that after
conquering all of them, Francia won’t be your next threat?”
Croxus slightly tilted his head before answering.
“You misunderstand. We are not the aggressors. We are standing our ground.”
“Standing your ground? Against what?”
Anger flashed in Croxus’ red eyes, and the murderous intent he emitted nearly
made Gaston and even me reach for our swords.
After a brief silence, Croxus spat out his words.
“Against demons, and the traitors who have allied with them.”
***
According to Croxus, about three years ago, the demons of Abyss Corporation
began purchasing slaves.
Initially, they bought humans who paid tribute to various tribes for
protection, but recently, they’ve resorted to hiring mercenaries from Porto or
other barbarian tribes to indiscriminately hunt both humans and barbarians,
turning them into slaves.
Upon hearing this, it dawned on me.
The revolution, which had started earlier than in my previous life, had soured
relations between the Republic and Abyss Corporation, resulting in the civil
war within Francia ending six years earlier with the victory of the
revolutionary forces.
Abyss Corporation, despite sparking the industrial revolution, failed to reap
the benefits in Francia as they had before, where humans were their
primary source of labor.
It seems that barbarians too could serve as a source of power, according to
Croxus.
That’s when everything started to make sense.
Why a kingdom of barbarians, unheard of before my regression, had come into
existence.
The barbarians, who used to engage in sporadic skirmishes within their
territories, had united to form a kingdom for survival.
The traitors Croxus mentioned, who were waging war against his brothers, were
likely those actively selling off humans and their own kind to the Abyss
Corporation.
Still, I couldn’t blindly trust Croxus’ words, so when I mentioned that we
hadn’t heard such things from the refugees we took in at our border forts,
Croxus’ answer was simple:
-Those who have been sold off naturally cannot escape or speak out.
Croxus even surprised us by saying that his ‘brothers’ included not only orcs
and goblins but other races and humans as well.
I challenged him to prove it, and Croxus readily agreed.
So there I was, standing at the gate with Gaston and Major Ocon on the
promised day.
“Do you think the barbarian’s words could be true, Your Grace? That barbarians
have established a state where they coexist with humans, is such a thing even
possible?”
Major Ocon looked skeptical.
“Well, we’ll believe what we see with our own eyes.”
“Your Grace, they’re coming.”
Hearing Gaston’s words, I turned my gaze towards the horizon, where a figure
was kicking up dust as it approached.
It was a sight I had seen when we last met Croxus, but it was something I
still couldn’t get used to.
Croxus was charging towards us at the speed of a warhorse, kicking up dust
with his own legs.
“Huh.”
This time, he even had two people sitting on his shoulders, holding onto them
as he ran.
“Huh, huff, Sir-”
As Major Ocon instinctively cried out to be on guard, I raised my hand to stop
him, and Croxus, who had swiftly approached us, slid to a stop on the ground.
Immediately, the two people perched on his shoulders disembarked.
“Uwaaagh!”
A man clad in a robe and turban nearly tumbled down, vomiting on the ground.
“It was an honor, Your Majesty.”
And a woman who jumped down with the grace of a cat, expressing her gratitude.
Both had dusky skin, clearly not originating from Francia or the Central
Continent at first glance.
“Ugh, uwagh, Your Majesty, this is too much...”
As the man complained amidst his retching, Croxus burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, would it not take ages if you traveled on your own two feet!”
Does this orc never tire?
I found it intriguing to watch Croxus and his followers converse fluently in
human language, despite their southern accent.
Despite formally addressing him as a king, they seemed not to fear Croxus at
all.
It definitely didn’t seem like they were hastily rounded up and forced against
their will.
At the very least, the claim that they mingle with humans must be true.
“Welcome, King Croxus. This is Major Ocon, the gate’s commander.”
As Ocon stiffly bowed, Croxus nodded lightly in acknowledgment.
“Pleased to meet you again, Duke Lafayette.”
Croxus gestured toward the man who was still pale and struggling on the
ground.
“This is the bureaucrat, Hassan-”
Given his frail appearance and robe attire, he might be the one to handle the
practical negotiations if trade were to commence.
Croxus then pointed to the woman standing beside him.
“This is the warrior, Chandra.”
The woman, clad in black with tattoos covering her exposed skin, glanced at me
and Gaston with curiosity, then slightly bowed with a closed-eye nod.
So light on her feet and she’s a warrior. Perhaps their equivalent of a
knight?
“These will accompany you to explain and prove our brothers to you.”
After finishing his statement, Croxus paused as if in thought, then added.
“Duke Lafayette, I trust you, who listens to our words, with my brothers.”
“I understand, King Croxus. However, know that I can only guarantee their
safety and discuss your proposal.”
Sending an envoy with an orc and a goblin might be preferable, but how the
National Assembly would receive a state of barbarians and pagans is beyond
even me.
But Croxus, unexpectedly, grinned and replied.
“I’m well aware of the cunning and stifling nature of human states, so don’t
worry.”
That’s quite the statement, leaving no room for a human to retort.
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