Ch.309Isaac (3)

This world, or more precisely this planet, is small compared to Earth. This is something I heard directly from the gods.

However, considering that 70% of Earth is ocean while this world is not, the actual habitable area might be just as large as Earth.

But the Empire of Minerva, Kingdom of Teres, Helium, Alfheim, Animus, Makina, Papal Kingdom of Sabre, Dutchy of Bellua, and so on…

These are the countries mentioned so far, and while there are other large and small nations, their number is far fewer than on Earth.

The reason there are so few countries despite the lack of modernization is none other than the wretched “natural environment” including “monsters.”

Even elves blessed by the gods cannot overcome monsters and nature, and true to fantasy worlds, there are many places where people simply cannot live.

Volcanic regions, areas with daily blizzards like the Antarctic, environments where not even a blade of grass grows, and so on.

There are still unexplored regions, but they remain dominated by monsters, and habitable areas are extremely limited.

Given this, it’s not strange that there are few countries. As a result, the number of people gathered in the waiting room now is neither many nor few.

If several centuries had passed, there would be many more, but that’s a story for the distant future, so let’s set it aside for now.

Right now, it’s important to build connections with the people gathered here. Honestly, I’ve already established these connections, but it’s good to maintain appearances.

Besides, even among those gathered here, there are distinguished guests I don’t know.

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Gis Hal Berano.”

Like the man before me. He has an impressive physique, though different from Musk, with dirty blonde hair and a beard.

His appearance gives off a charismatic impression befitting a king, yet somehow feels approachable. If he were a bit more casual, I might believe he was Musk’s brother.

I briefly returned his greeting and looked at the woman beside him. Actually, more concerning than this man is the woman presumed to be his partner.

She has sky-blue hair and eyes like King Fredrick, but unlike Hyria, she projects a kind image.

“Hello. I am Olivia Hal Berano, Duchess of the Dutchy of Bellua. It’s an honor to meet Xenon.”

The sky-blue haired woman greeted me according to protocol. Unlike some others, her greeting exuded nobility and elegance, truly befitting a distinguished guest.

As everyone has probably guessed, this woman is King Fredrick’s eldest daughter and the first princess of the Kingdom of Teres.

From what I’ve heard, Gis fell in love with Olivia at first sight. After persistently courting her, they eventually got together.

Olivia initially found Gis annoying but soon recognized his character and promptly married him. It’s half a political marriage, but I’ve heard many rumors about how lovey-dovey they are.

“Pleased to meet you. As you know, I’m Issac Dukar Mayshall, author of Biography of Xenon. I’d appreciate it if you called me Issac rather than Xenon.”

“I am Marie Housen Reckyless, eldest daughter of the Reckyless ducal family and Issac’s fiancée. It’s an honor to meet the distinguished guests of the Dutchy of Bellua.”

After I greeted them, Marie, standing beside me as my fiancée, bowed her head gracefully.

Marie can stand proudly like this because she has been publicly announced as my fiancée.

She must be secretly thrilled. Until now, she was the fiancée of Issac, not Xenon, but the situation has changed as of today.

Although we’ve only met people whose faces we’re familiar with, the thrill of meeting someone new like this must be indescribable.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lady Reckyless. Both you and Lord Issac are truly beautiful. You make a lovely couple.”

“Thank you. Queen Olivia is beautiful as well.”

“By the way, how did you meet Xenon—I mean, Issac?”

The expected question came from Olivia’s lips. On the surface, one might think Marie was attached to me by the Empire of Minerva to keep me in check.

That’s probably what everyone who doesn’t know the situation thinks. But that’s not the case at all.

I grabbed Marie’s waist and pulled her close to me. This was to both display our affection and confirm it to others.

“Many people might think the Empire attached Marie to keep me in check, but that’s not true at all. Marie confessed to me before she even knew who I was.”

“Really?”

At this unexpected answer, both Olivia and Gis widened their eyes and looked at Marie.

I glanced at Marie and saw her blushing with embarrassment. Seeing how she pressed herself closer to me, it was clear.

She looked so cute I wanted to bite her, but with so many people watching, I had to restrain myself.

“Yes. I revealed my identity right after that. But Marie wouldn’t have cared who I was anyway. Right?”

“Yes…”

Marie, though embarrassed, clung to my arm. Unlike her usual boldness, she transforms when I display affection like this.

Olivia watched our relationship with a warm smile before asking another question.

“So what did Marie like about you that made her confess? I’m curious about this.”

“Obviously his face. I still eat him up every day!”

This honesty is also nice. Olivia was startled by Marie’s confident answer, then looked at my face intently before nodding.

“Hmm… I can’t help but agree. Still, I think my husband is the most handsome.”

“Heh heh. I was handsome when I was young too.”

“Lose some weight before you say that.”

The conversation with Olivia and the Dutchy of Bellua proceeded without any issues. We didn’t touch on any sensitive topics, and Olivia particularly made no mention of Adelia who stood by my side.

This wasn’t about ignoring her like the former Teres royalty. Rather, it was to avoid creating an awkward situation by acknowledging her.

Just earlier, Hyria had been crying and begging, so she must have noticed something. But the reason I could treat her favorably was none other than Adelia’s assessment.

Adelia told me that while she was living in the Kingdom of Teres, Olivia treated her like an older sister. Though it was only a brief period of three months, she provided comfort comparable to Lara.

If she hadn’t become the Duchess of the Dutchy of Bellua, perhaps she could have alleviated some of Adelia’s trauma.

“Has the Dutchy of Bellua also benefited greatly from Biography of Xenon?”

“Of course. Currently, our treasury is so full that we’re pondering where to spend it all.”

As Gis’s joyful answer suggests, the Dutchy of Bellua has gained financial benefits comparable to the publishing house.

Olivia cleared her throat beside him to signal him to be careful, but it was too late to stop Gis, who was already immersed in happiness.

The Dutchy of Bellua has always been known as a neutral country with developed commerce. Its geographical position alone could be considered unfairly advantageous.

It was the only region where humans, dwarves, beastkin, and elves could all gather as one.

Although its territory was smaller than other countries, its importance exceeded even the previously mentioned Stabirk region. It was both a strategic stronghold and a transportation hub.

In this era where conquest wars could be waged with any pretext, the fact that it could maintain neutrality alone speaks to Gis’s governing ability.

If magic engine trains were invented, wouldn’t the Dutchy of Bellua be the first place to install them?

For Biography of Xenon to spread far and wide, it must necessarily pass through the Dutchy of Bellua, so they could become a reliable partner like Musk.

“I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Likewise. I’d like to introduce my children to you, but they’re still too young.”

“That’s fine. They can meet my children later.”

“That’s wonderful news. Hahaha.”

The problem is I don’t know how many children I’ll have. They still don’t know that I have women other than Marie.

Even if they’ve noticed something, they wouldn’t mention it openly. Doing so could make the atmosphere awkward.

As the conversation with the Dutchy of Bellua was about to end, Olivia shifted her gaze from Marie and me to Adelia.

When Adelia met her eyes, she flinched momentarily, then gave an ambiguous smile and bowed her head.

In response to that greeting, Olivia briefly nodded and then spoke to me.

“Lord Issac.”

“Yes. Please speak.”

“You have an excellent knight by your side. It’s reassuring just to see her.”

Words tinged with both regret and pride. Upon hearing her words, I looked at Marie rather than Adelia.

As everyone knows, Marie was born with the ability to discern people’s true intentions. In other words, she can tell whether Olivia’s words are sincere or false.

And she met my eyes and slowly nodded.

This confirmed it. Olivia, along with Lara, was someone who treated Adelia humanely.

Thanks to this, I could also treat her with goodwill.

“Thank you. As you said, Lady Cross is someone I can trust. As a person, and as a knight.”

“That…”

At my words, Olivia started to say something but hesitated, her lips trembling. Soon she gave a bitter smile and shook her head.

“I look forward to working with you, Lord Issac.”

Olivia’s farewell contained multiple meanings. Whether it was aimed at me or Adelia, I nodded affirmatively.

Thus ended the conversation with the Dutchy of Bellua, and we moved on to the next.

“Huh? You are…”

“It’s been a while. No, it has been a while.”

Surprisingly, the next people to approach were beastkin. Moreover, beastkin I was acquainted with.

One was Baltic Lions, Leona’s half-brother and a lion beastkin. The other was Chinoa Crochuker, a hyena beastkin.

This gathering is for representatives of each country, so seeing these two here means…

“Don’t tell me you became the Great Chieftain?”

“Who do you think made that happen? Hahaha.”

Chinoa let out a hollow laugh at my question. Baltic glared sharply at her for her comment targeting me.

I never expected Chinoa to really become the Great Chieftain, but this was a development I could have anticipated.

Currently, Animus needed not a strong king but a wise one. Chinoa may have been using her intelligence for bad purposes, but she was sufficient as a model king.

But I never thought she would overcome countless oppositions to become the Great Chieftain.

“Honestly, I never thought this person would become the Great Chieftain at first. But considering it was advice from none other than Xenon, it makes sense.”

Baltic, who had been glaring at Chinoa, spoke to me. Unlike before, his tone was polite and respectful, which felt somewhat awkward since he was Leona’s brother.

As I scratched my head awkwardly, Chinoa grumbled. It wasn’t rude; she was literally just grumbling to herself. The problem was we could all hear it.

“Since it’s Xenon’s advice, I had no choice but to become the Great Chieftain. Now I have nowhere to run, I don’t know what to do.”

“If you’re going to grumble, do it outside.”

Surprisingly, even Baltic addresses Chinoa formally. There might be many stories and issues, but I’m guessing Chinoa’s wisdom has been proven.

I laughed at their strangely fitting chemistry before asking about recent developments.

“How is Animus these days? Is it going well as I suggested?”

“There’s resistance, but since it’s the only competition where they can show their fighting spirit, many beastkin agree. Opportunities to release their most important instincts all at once are rare.”

“That’s good. What else?”

“It’s tough with nothing but muscle-heads whose brains are also filled with muscle. No wonder the country was easily plundered when officials were selected solely based on strength.”

“Ahem. Ahem.”

Despite Chinoa’s blatant criticism, Baltic merely cleared his throat without offering any excuses. It seems everything she said was factual.

Still, Animus has only development ahead, so there’s nothing to worry about. Chinoa may not be perfect, but she gets things done, so she can be trusted.

“By the way, if I may ask, with Leona…”

“Hey! Talk about that privately. Not now.”

See? When Baltic thoughtlessly tried to bring up an extremely sensitive topic, Chinoa quickly stopped him.

As she said, this might be acceptable in private, but in a gathering like this, it could lead to strange misunderstandings.

This alone demonstrates Chinoa’s superior wisdom.

“Then I look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise.”

The conversation with Animus ended there, and next came…

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

It was Queen Arwen of Alfheim’s turn. Unlike others, she maintained her uniquely mature manner of speech rather than using formal language.

It would be awkward if even Arwen used formal language, so this is more comfortable. Moreover, since elves are known to be arrogant, others probably won’t mind either.

“It’s been a while. I’ve been doing well. How about you, Arwen?”

I considered using formal language but decided to speak casually. Unlike others, Arwen, along with Musk, had known my identity from the beginning.

So there’s no problem in showing our usual familiarity by speaking casually.

Arwen smiled at my friendly greeting and replied.

“I’m busy every day, but the thought of meeting you helped me endure. Seeing you today makes all my hardships worthwhile.”

“Oh… really?”

Arwen’s answer seemed laden with intention. Upon hearing it, I immediately looked at Marie.

Marie was smiling brightly, but I knew better. That smile was to hide her true feelings.

Knowing that Arwen has romantic feelings for me, it’s natural for Marie to be on guard.

“Nothing unusual happened?”

“No. Alfheim is gradually stabilizing, and the elves are uniting as one. All thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do anything. I just helped a little.”

“Speaking of which…”

Arwen paused briefly and looked around. Some people were glancing at our conversation, but most were busy building their own connections.

At this, she blushed for some reason and spoke in a careful voice.

“I want to give you a gift. This is something not just I, but all the people of Alfheim have agreed upon.”

“Ah. The gift you mentioned before?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

As I asked, I glanced at her knight, Kayre, standing beside her. It seems he’s been officially appointed as Arwen’s guard knight.

When Kayre met my eyes, he cleared his throat and looked away. A silent indication that he couldn’t tell me.

Meanwhile, Arwen blushed and answered in a shy voice.

“If, if you’re curious about what gift it is, come to Alfheim. Just don’t forget to send a message before coming.”

“Hmm… not today?”

“To-today? Ah, no! Absolutely not!”

What kind of gift would make a queen lose her composure and refuse so vehemently? I looked at Arwen with a puzzled expression.

Perhaps because of her outcry, the gazes directed at us were concerning. Especially from Cecilly’s direction.

If this continues, strange rumors might spread, so I should try to resolve the situation.

“Alright. I’ll visit Alfheim sometime when I have time. It won’t take long.”

“Ugh… I understand. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“It’s no trouble.”

“Then… you.”

“Yes?”

Arwen, who called me, fidgeted with her mouth and began to glance around. She seemed to be hesitating or checking the atmosphere.

As I wondered about this again, Arwen spoke in a voice as quiet as an ant passing by.

“…you?”

“What did you say?”

“Do… do you have a favorite color?”

Arwen suddenly asked about my favorite color. I raised one eyebrow in question.

Regardless, Arwen was burying her face in her hands, lost in some imagination.

To avoid any misunderstandings, I quickly answered. I did have a preferred color.

“If I had to choose, red?”

“…That’s just like you. I understand.”

“Is that related to the gift too?”

To my question, Arwen couldn’t meet my eyes and answered softly.

“…Yes.”

What kind of gift could it be?

Anyway, that ended the conversation with Arwen.

Pinch!

“Ouch! Why suddenly?”

“Hmph. Never mind.”

Marie pinched my side.

“What gift… How can an elf be so lewd? Divine selection, really… Honestly…”

She seems to have realized the nature of the gift Arwen mentioned.