Ch.413Late-Arriving NPCs. (1)

“…Huh? What’s that?”

“A, a carriage?”

“Don’t talk nonsense! What carriage has no horses! And how could a building that size be moving…!!”

“That direction… Aiti? Could that be the Aiti people coming to buy Behemoth materials? Hey, report this to the Acting Chancellor!!”

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After explaining the characteristics of the demon race to Ragni and reporting that we likely wouldn’t receive help from them, I requested that Guild Master Devil keep quiet about the Behemoth’s core as much as possible. Naturally, Neti’s Guild Master, the elf Cannu Ra, also acknowledged that the Behemoth’s core belonged to us and promised to help prevent word from reaching the demon race. Meanwhile, Avalitia was so fixated on selling the other materials that she couldn’t care less about the core.

Days passed like that, and before I knew it, another month had gone by without any idea of how to handle the Behemoth’s core.

-KUGUUUGUUUGUUUGUUUGUUUNG…!!

“What is that? A carriage? No, isn’t it too big?”

“Can we even call it a carriage when there are no horses? What in the world…”

“Wow! Brother! The carriage is moving without horses! It’s running without using magic!! It’s enormous!!!”

“Oh, y-yeah, you’re right?”

‘…A subway, no. A train? Damn, nothing like this has ever appeared in the game before?’

A massive chunk of iron moving somehow across an unpaved road without rails.

I had expected Aiti to send a carriage procession after the promised month, but I was surprised to see a train that I’d never seen even in the game. As I stared blankly at it, the train didn’t come all the way to Neti’s entrance but stopped right next to the Behemoth’s corpse.

Hah, I thought they were rude when we contacted them about the Behemoth and Gore, but what kind of manners is this?

Eventually, Ragni, Guild Master Devil as her escort, our party, and Green Dol representing Siltra who could claim ownership of the Behemoth, all approached the train that had parked far away. The people from the train were unloading all sorts of tools without saying a word.

“Hello. I am Ragni Bluemoon, Acting Chancellor and representative of Neti. I would like to meet the head of the Aiti delegation…”

“Huh?! I’m busy, can we do this later?! Hey!! Someone from Neti is here!! Call the trade manager to talk to them!!”

…They really are rude. Ragni had dressed up nicely in a formal dress and politely addressed a nearby human, but the guy just waved his hand dismissively, shouted a few words, and walked toward the Behemoth carrying his tools.

Even the kind-faced Mr. Devil clicked his tongue in disbelief at their behavior before taking a few adventurers with him to control the situation before they started dismantling the Behemoth on their own. Neti Guild’s Cannu Ra also hardened her expression and began giving orders in a low voice to the guild members to keep a close watch.

Hah, even in the game, Aiti was known for causing trouble before you could even enter, but this isn’t even Aiti—it’s outside territory. Are they really acting like this here too?

After waiting for several minutes amid this sloppy response, the so-called trade manager never appeared. Instead, we could hear shouting from where Mr. Devil was trying to maintain control, with someone claiming they had already completed the transaction and asking why they were being interfered with.

I’m so sorry you have to deal with these troublemakers…!!!

‘…Average level 150. Even if they’re just workers, they could probably handle the first floor of their city’s dungeon. Even their work crew has levels similar to Siltra’s elites.’

The guards’ levels were in the early to mid-300s. There seemed to be about 20 of them, and their equipment was quite good. If they fought against my friends who were also in the 300s, I felt our side would lose due to their superior gear. As I quietly surveyed the surroundings, a woman who looked like a maid began gesturing toward us ‘from inside the train.’

“…Hey, Ragni. Is the etiquette I learned in the Empire only applicable there?”

“How could that be? It’s just that Aiti people have no manners. Even the Siltra elves who were isolated, or the demon race who are supposedly reluctant to speak with humans except for spirits—neither were this bad when I talked to them.”

Thinking that even Ganpf, who I thought was a complete jerk just like in the game, seemed like a gentleman in comparison, we approached the Aiti train that seemed even worse than in the game. They didn’t even open the door, instead speaking from a high window.

“Are you Neti’s trade manager?”

“I am Ragni Bluemoon, Acting Chancellor of Neti. I’m here to discuss the sale of Behemoth materials and the previously contracted support for Neti’s restoration…”

“Regarding that matter, I believe we said we would make a decision after receiving the Behemoth materials and examining them in Aiti, didn’t we?”

-Crack.

I could hear a blood vessel popping in Ragni’s forehead, but she continued to respond with a smile on her face, craning her neck to look up at the high window.

“Because you said that, we replied that we couldn’t accept those terms. We asked you to come and inspect the goods in person, purchase them if satisfied, and change the terms if not. As for restoration support, we said we would even pay money for it, so please dispatch workers…”

“I don’t recall responding to that. Perhaps your memory is poor?”

“Excuse me, may I ask who you are? Are you the trade manager that the worker mentioned earlier…”

“No, I’m a maid.”

-Crack, crack.

This is the representative of a city, or at least her deputy. But now this woman, who won’t even give her name and is talking however she pleases, says she’s just a maid? Finally, blue veins began to appear on Ragni’s face… no, wait, is that just because she’s craning her neck back so far?

“…Let me repeat myself. I am Ragni Bluemoon, Acting Chancellor of Neti…”

“I heard you. That’s why I’m responding to y—”

-Clack, thump!!

“…?”

As Ragni moved her hand behind her back to quickly draw her gun, I swiftly stopped her. She remained frozen with a smile on her face, making a sound like glass scratching from her neck muscles before turning to look at me.

Wow, this is the first time I’ve felt like someone might actually kill someone while smiling in real life. And I never imagined seeing veins pop out on someone’s face outside of cartoons. And she’s my woman, no less.

“J-Jack… Am I… speaking… in animal language… right now…?”

“Whoa, calm down. The moment you fire that, any chance of a deal is over.”

After calming down Ragni, who was speaking through gritted teeth, I took a deep breath and tried to think. I already knew that Aiti people had negative feelings toward magic and the Church’s divine power. Maybe I should step in since I don’t have any magical power…

“What are you two muttering about? If you have the trade contract, please hand it over. I’ll take it and get the manager’s seal for y—”

“Excuse me…”

“Lady! Your manners are absolutely terrible!”

“…Did you just call me ‘lady’?”

My attempt to speak diplomatically was cut short by my red-haired little sister Ira’s blunt statement. Even Ragni, who had been furious, widened her eyes in surprise as Ira continued, her purple eyes sparkling.

“This isn’t your country, lady! This is Neti, the land of the Academy! When you come to someone else’s country, you should follow their customs and show proper respect! Is sitting in that strange metal box and talking down to people considered good manners?”

“Who is this rude little br—”

“Before demanding manners from me, look at your own behavior! We’re standing on the ground looking up at you, while you, just a maid, are looking down on Neti’s representative, the Acting Chancellor! Is a maid the mayor in your Aiti?”

Oh, my sister is speaking so well! This time, I could see veins popping on the maid’s forehead in response to Ira’s words. I found it so amusing that I didn’t stop her, and I noticed that Rey was pretending to try to stop Ira while actually smirking.

Right, you don’t want to stop her either? Naturally, Chikuyo and Miho had turned their heads away, giggling. The atmosphere was becoming amusingly tense.

“As I understand it, Neti requested aid from Aiti. Since when did the requesting party become so arrogant? Bringing a stupid brat to such an important meeting is already…”

-GUUUUUUUUNG!!!!

“Eek?!!”

As the maid began to cross the line with her insults toward Ira, I was about to speak up when dense blue magical power, visible even to my magic-less eyes, began to envelop the entire train. Oh my, sister! Your brother fears your growth!!

“Please watch your language. Neti didn’t request aid from Aiti; we requested a trade. You were too scared to show your faces when we fought the Behemoth, but now that it’s dead, you’re making a fuss about taking all the materials. Is your country so great? Should I crush you along with those guard uncles on top of that iron carriage?”

-KUGUGUGUGUGUGUGU…!!!

The ground shook and the sky trembled. As Ira’s magical power—which had exceeded level 800 after the Behemoth subjugation—began to pour out without restraint, everyone except our party reflexively gripped their weapons and broke into a cold sweat. Even Green Dol, who was on our side, was so startled that he unconsciously grabbed his sword handle.

Haha! Ira, you’re following your brother’s teachings on how to deal with people perfectly!!

“T-this outrage against Aiti’s delegation!! D-does Neti intend to make an enemy of Aiti…!!”

“Ahahahahaha!! How amusing~! As you said, it’s just a child’s action. Surely you’re not going to run away without the Behemoth materials and go crying to your superiors that you were intimidated by a child~?”

“Ugh…!!”

As the rude maid sweated profusely at Ira’s display, Ragni’s voice rang out mockingly. The Aiti guards, realizing they had all reached for their weapons because of a single child, began to swallow hard.

This isn’t bad at all. My sister is doing great! My wife is doing great!! As the frozen situation was being adjusted to our liking, the previously haughty maid began to bite her lip and contort her face. Oh, her makeup is smearing from the sweat too.

Just as Ira showed perfect control by withdrawing her magical power, indicating there was nothing more to say, the Aiti guards also removed their hands from their weapons, finally able to breathe. Now, what’s going to happen…

-CHIIIIIIIIIIIK!!!

“Huhuhuhuh!! You’ve been completely outplayed. The old farts with not much time left to live said that a city that raises magicians must never back down after defeating the legendary Behemoth, so they sent an unfinished engineering train with the city’s best guards. And now you’ve been utterly crushed, both verbally and in terms of power, by a child who hasn’t lived even a quarter of your life! Where’s your dignity now?!”

“Ch-Chairman…?!!”

Steam erupted from the train, and a door appeared where we hadn’t expected an entrance, with stairs extending downward like something out of a sci-fi world.

Then a figure, obscured by smoke, began descending the stairs. The maid who had been standing proudly at the window hurriedly went inside, and we naturally turned our attention to the person coming down.

“My, I truly apologize! I really didn’t want to do this, but the stubborn vice-chairman and the old folks insisted on establishing dominance this way! But now that we’ve been verbally and martially crushed by one cute and clever little girl before even fighting, even the vice-chairman and the old folks can’t complain if I take action myself!”

“Chairman!! It’s still…!!”

Despite the maid’s urgent voice, the figure paid no attention and continued walking through the steam toward us. The figure, which I had thought was quite large, revealed itself to be a man of such enormous size and build that I had to look up at him. Huh? What? Why?! Why is this person here in person?!!

“It’s an honor to meet Neti’s Acting Chancellor, Ragni Bluemoon, and her cute escorts! I am Tork Bigman, Chairman of Aiti, equivalent to a mayor in Aigram! I’m the pot-bellied old man with a bit of a bad history with that Neti Naika fellow!”

[-Occupation: Aiti Council Chairman- Level: 581 Name: Tork Bigman.]

Looking at the enormous man who was lowering his comically small top hat in a courteous greeting with a boisterous voice that made me wonder if he was really the representative of the same Aiti people who had been acting so rudely just moments ago, I froze on the spot.