Ch.134King Maker #4

“This is the territory where the Western Tribe lives.”

I swallowed dryly as I observed the situation, which was clearly much worse than the other two places I had visited.

The Canine Tribe’s territory wasn’t special but had vitality, while the Sheep Tribe’s territory boasted a neat cityscape befitting people who produced textiles.

In contrast, the Western Tribe, from farmers to those carving small wooden sculptures, lacked any vigor. Yet strangely, they all had bloodshot eyes. It was a contradiction—fierce gazes paired with slumped shoulders.

“Their eyes look alive… but why do they seem so powerless?”

“Because they’re weak.”

We exchanged questions and answers as we headed toward the location of the Western Tribe’s representative for the Selection Ceremony. I’d heard that the Western Tribe was quick in movement and clever, but due to their weakness, they always calculated who to cling to first. This was because they knew that even if they participated in the Selection Ceremony to gain power, they would inevitably be broken halfway through.

Eve pondered my answer, then tilted her head and asked, “Still, looking at their eyes… they don’t seem to have completely given up, do they?”

“That’s right. And that’s fortunate. If they’re still holding on, there might be room for negotiation.”

Thanks to seeing those fierce gazes, I was almost glad to see their wariness of outsiders. Moreover, having heard that the Western Tribe was still holding on gave me hope. If they had dropped out of the Selection Ceremony, it would have been a real headache.

The distance from the border to the central area, a kind of capital, wasn’t very far. Perhaps because they were a weak faction, their territory was small. Sad for the Western Tribe, but fortunate for me, as we could reach the center quickly.

“The central area seems somewhat developed, as expected.”

“Yes, but… was the Western Tribe known for sculptures? I don’t think that was mentioned in the reports.”

The Western Tribe’s farmlands seemed modest and somewhat empty, perhaps due to their small stature, but the central area showed signs of development. From inns to taverns, it seemed to have everything necessary.

What was peculiar was the presence of people carving small wooden sculptures everywhere. Moreover, they were so intricate and excellent that they couldn’t be considered mere hobby work—they were good enough to be sold or exhibited in art shows.

“Perhaps it wasn’t recorded because it wasn’t immediately relevant information? Carving isn’t particularly special, after all.”

Eve muttered dismissively even after seeing the sculptures in people’s hands. Probably influenced by the continental custom of valuing only metal crafts, paintings, or jewelry. It occurred to me that this information could be profitable and serve as evidence to strengthen my persuasion.

“If everyone thought that way, then I suppose that’s how it is. Makes sense. Anyway…”

Asking random people on the street where their Selection Ceremony representative was would likely yield no answers and might even cause trouble. Even if the Western Tribe was weak, they might think they could easily handle two people if they swarmed us.

For that reason, I decided to first secure lodging at a suitable inn and then explore the city, slowly guiding my horse.

“Where do you think they might be?”

“I’m not sure. But probably not in that conspicuous official building.”

I followed Eve’s pointing finger with my gaze, then slightly shook my head. The building she indicated looked like a solid, large government office that would handle central administrative tasks, but in the current situation, it was best to avoid it—from the perspective of the Western Tribe participant in the Selection Ceremony.

Assassination, persuasion, threats, bribery, all-out war, duels… anything was permitted within the established boundaries of the Selection Ceremony. Therefore, they probably wouldn’t have set up in such a conspicuous place, especially given the Western Tribe’s weakness. However,

“Still, we should stop by.”

Since the government office was a place for official business, I thought we might be able to make some connections. So as soon as we secured a room at the inn, I headed out. Eve accompanied me, as we never knew when trouble might arise.

As I walked, I recalled the suspicious gaze of the innkeeper who had been guarding the shabby inn. It was natural, as it must be rare for non-beast people to come to such a place. Fortunately, there were occasional travelers who stopped by briefly; otherwise, the entire city might have been in an uproar long ago.

“What brings ordinary humans here?”

As soon as we entered the government building, a Western Tribe man guarding the entrance asked gruffly. He barely reached my navel, making him look like a child throwing a tantrum.

I almost burst out laughing, but thanks to his prickly words and the heavy atmosphere, I managed to answer calmly.

“I’m a merchant. I’ve come to the Western Tribe’s territory looking for new markets. Would it be possible to speak with someone of relatively high position? I don’t expect to meet someone like the Grand Chief…”

I casually mentioned the Grand Chief, who could be considered the representative of the entire tribe, while pulling out a certificate from my chest and presenting it. It was the same certificate I had shown to the Canine Tribe man guarding the border.

The problem was that due to the Western Tribe man’s short stature, I naturally had to bend at the waist, which made my back somewhat heavy. Bending my upper body halfway down couldn’t be helped.

“I don’t know what food you think you’ll find here, but… follow me for now.”

The Western Tribe man returned my certificate and immediately turned around, walking inside. It was puzzling that he suddenly started walking alone, but I followed his back. I received many piercing gazes along the way, but it was manageable.

I just felt sorry seeing Eve looking somewhat intimidated. Finding her pitiful, I firmly held her hand, applying moderate pressure and interlocking our fingers.

“Ah…!”

“I’m sorry. Holding your hand is all I can do for you right now.”

“No, it’s more than enough… I’m so happy.”

I inwardly sighed with relief as I watched Eve blush shyly and smile. When someone accompanying you is dejected, it tends to be distracting, making it difficult to focus entirely on your task. It was natural to feel relieved to escape such a situation.

“Wait here for a moment. Someone will come soon.”

When we reached what seemed like a dead-end corner, the Western Tribe man tersely said this before leaving. Seeing the chair and desk with partitions set up before me, I was reminded of a bank counter.

The problem was that there was only one chair, so I tried to offer it to Eve. She strongly objected, saying she couldn’t possibly take it, which led to an intense exchange of courtesies over the single seat.

In the end, I sat on the chair with Eve sitting on my lap. Even better.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. You say you’re a merchant from the Sotern Kingdom?”

After waiting briefly in the chair, a well-dressed man sat down in front of me and asked. Though his attitude and tone were polite, his sharp gaze made it clear he was suspicious.

Perhaps my attire was too shabby for a merchant, or he might have disliked the sight of Eve sitting on my lap with my arm around her waist. Whatever the reason, one thing was clear: we weren’t exactly welcome.

I placed the certificate I had been holding onto the desk and began speaking.

“Yes, I’ve come this far looking for new markets.”

“Hmm. Markets, is it? What kind of goods are you planning to sell?”

The man asked while scrutinizing the certificate in his hands, seemingly trying to determine if it was genuine by examining the seal and handwriting. I could tell immediately, as people checking authenticity often display such behavior.

Anyway, how should I answer the question about what goods I was selling? My initial plan was to look around the city once before making any moves, but I felt a sudden impulse to take a chance here. With time being precious, throwing out bait seemed like a good idea. I’d have to take risks regardless of which path I chose.

After taking a moment to gather myself, I slightly raised the corner of my mouth and answered.

“Victory for the Western Tribe’s Selection Ceremony representative.”

“…Excuse me? What did you say?”

“I said, victory for the Western Tribe’s representative. I want to meet with the Western Tribe representative to arrange this. Eve, take out what’s in your chest.”

As soon as her name was called, Eve took out a heavy money pouch from her chest and placed it on the desk. It was a weighty pouch filled only with gold coins—enough to start a new life if one ran off with it. If spent frugally, it was enough to live without worrying about work.

The man’s expression contorted at this, his eyes widening in bewilderment.

“No, what is this…”

He fell silent upon seeing the black dirk—or more precisely, the blue aura enveloping it—placed alongside the money pouch. It was understandable; a human who could use aura had come claiming to be a merchant.

I gazed steadily at the man whose expression had frozen in uncertainty and spoke as earnestly as possible.

“I’ve come to make a deal. I thought there might be an understanding between desperate people.”

.

It wasn’t as if I had presented the knife as a choice between taking the money or facing the blade. I was simply trying to attract attention by showing that someone who could use aura had come to make a deal.

However, they seemed to have interpreted it as a life-or-death matter, judging by their serious demeanor. At least the man sitting before me without introducing himself had understood it that way, and he left us briefly after that.

There was much commotion behind the counter as they tried to understand, inform others, and discuss heatedly, but the conclusion they reached was quite simple: they didn’t trust us and would escort us with our hands bound.

Naturally, I had no choice but to accept, and I even thought it was for the best. Eve, who was beside me, seemed to think the same, as she nodded readily despite her evident tension.

With our eyes blindfolded and hands bound, restricting our freedom, we continued walking somewhere. Meanwhile, the number of people monitoring and guiding us increased, and I felt a damp sensation brushing against my skin. We were probably heading underground.

“Sit down slowly.”

After walking for some time, the familiar yet unfriendly man’s voice echoed around us. Judging by the low, resonant quality of the voice, we seemed to have arrived in a cave-like place. Or it could be somewhere completely enclosed.

I obediently followed the instruction and slowly lowered myself onto a chair. Though my eyes were covered by a blindfold, I could sense it by feel, so I didn’t accidentally fall.

“Remove it, please.”

“Understood.”

No sooner had a young, gentle unfamiliar voice been heard than the blindfold covering my eyes flew off. More precisely, it was dangling in the hand of the man who had removed it. Eve, who was now sitting beside me, followed it with her eyes.

A room made of bricks, dimly lit by deep teal-colored lamps. I unconsciously tensed at the damp atmosphere and stared at the boyish man sitting before me. He had short ash-gray hair.

“I hope you don’t consider this rude. It’s a time when nerves are on edge, and there’s too much we don’t know about each other to express welcome.”

“I understand. The Selection Ceremony is that important.”

There was no need to bow excessively, but I couldn’t hold my head too high either. I believed that even if I came bearing necessities, an arrogant attitude would naturally create antipathy and lead to failure. So I maintained the most courteous tone and expression possible.

“Thank you for understanding. Then, let me introduce myself after all your questions are answered. Is the woman beside you your wife? According to reports, you seem quite close.”

“Yes. She’s the mage of our domain.”

Though she is my woman, her identity cannot be officially disclosed, and since we’ve come to help, Eve’s identity would be revealed anyway. Of course, the deal hasn’t been finalized yet, so I might be rushing things, but they’re not in a position to turn away a blessing like a mage that has rolled in.

Believing this, I revealed that Eve was a mage, as if casting bait.

“Our domain? Mage?”

The boyish man narrowed his eyes and began stroking his chin upon hearing the word “mage.” It seemed his suspicion outweighed his surprise, leading to such a reaction.

“An aura user and a mage. Why on earth have such people come all the way here?”

“To explain that, I should first introduce myself.”

The circumstances are quite complex, but to fasten the first button, I needed to introduce myself. It might seem roundabout, but I thought it would be easier to grasp the context by taking things step by step. I doubted they would properly understand if I cut straight to the point without context.

After mentally outlining how to steer the conversation, I met the man’s eyes.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Zion Krauser, residing in the Duchy of the Sotern Kingdom.”