The Water Magician

Five days after the kingdom delegation crossed the border.

The delegation arrived at Gilsbach, the designated meeting point.

They were guided to a rather large inn built on the outskirts.

"It seems this inn was specially built for our delegation," Ryo heard Eto say as he was captivated by its size and the multiple adjoining guest buildings.

"Curse you, Debuhi Empire... It truly lives up to being called an empire!"

"Yeah, I have no idea what Ryo is talking about."

"No, I believe 'empire' is synonymous with 'strength,' and that's a staple in fantasy," Eto asserted.

"What do you mean by 'staple'…"

Nils interjected, shaking his head at Ryo's heroic narrative.

"I feel like Nils has been resembling Abel more lately."

"Long live King Abel!"

Correction. Nils was still very much Nils.

Once they arrived, Ryo and the other guards could take a break.

However, for the bureaucrats, mainly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the real work began after their arrival.

Of course, the true main event would occur once they reached the Western Nations, but before that, they had to pass through several small countries collectively referred to as the Corridor Nations.

Naturally, various negotiations would occur there as well.

The most troublesome aspect was that this 'delegation' was a mix of multiple countries, not just one.

First, adjustments with the other countries from the Central Nations that would accompany them had to be made.

This included the leaders of the delegation as well.

Among them, the leaders of the three major powers—Empire, Alliance, and Kingdom—were scheduled to gather first.

"The leader of the kingdom delegation, Lord Hugh McGrath, has arrived."

"Show him in," Count Hans Kirchhoff, who was in charge of the details here, prompted as the guards announced Hugh's arrival.

When Hugh entered the room, two other leaders were already present.

The leader of the imperial delegation, Former Emperor Rupert.

The leader of the alliance delegation, Former King Robert Pirlo.

When Hugh stepped in, the two were engaged in light-hearted banter.

"Thanks to you, things have been quite difficult since the end of the Great War. Many workshops in the country were destroyed, and the production capacity has been in shambles. However, thanks to the Empire's support, the Alliance managed to avoid total collapse."

"Well, the stability of the Alliance is synonymous with the stability of the entire Central Nations. Swift assistance is only natural for the Empire, which plays a crucial role in the Central Nations."

Former King Robert Pirlo expressed his gratitude for the Empire's prompt support after the Great War, and Former Emperor Rupert acknowledged it as a matter of course.

To be honest, Hugh was not particularly pleased with the direction of the conversation.

Because...

"By the way, the Kingdom's King Abel is quite the extravagant man. He appointed you, Lord Hugh McGrath, as the head of the delegation sent jointly with our Alliance. The hero of the 'Great War,' Lord McGrath."

Former King Robert Pirlo said with a smile.

His eyes were not smiling at all.

(As expected...)

Hugh internally ground his teeth in frustration.

He understood that this point would be a topic of discussion.

If it were just a personal jab, it would not matter much, but in such negotiations between countries where interests clash, all of these become negotiation cards.

Both Former King Robert Pirlo and Former Emperor Rupert were fully aware of this.

"I met King Abel on the battlefield recently, and indeed, he is a remarkable man. He has risen to an A-rank as an adventurer, after all. I hear he is referred to as the Adventurer King. He can certainly be considered one of the most powerful kings seen in recent years, leading the adventurer nation of the Naitorei Kingdom."

Former Emperor Rupert exaggeratedly praised.

His eyes, too, were devoid of any humor.

Hugh sighed deeply in his heart and walked over to the circular table where the two were seated.

"Leader McGrath, please take a seat here."

Count Hans Kirchhoff indicated Hugh's seat.