The shock from the appearance of the gigantic sail-less ship on the coast of Samandour Kingdom travelled not only in Samandour Kingdom, but to the entire continent.
Of course it would. If there was a ship that wouldn’t lose to the menace of monsters, expanding to different continents would become feasible. Even landlocked countries would go so far as to forcibly possess a harbor in savage lands in their desire for that ship.
And the information regarding the gigantic sail-less ship brought back by the intelligence division was earth shattering to the nation of craftsmen which boasts their technological strengths as the best in the continent, Gnomstoll Kingdom.
Convinced that Dwarven craftsmen had something to do with that ship, Gnomstoll immediately gave a command to investigate all workshops in the country.
However, even when they investigated all of the workshops, they couldn’t gather even a fragment of information relating to the ship.
「How is it that we are unable to gather information?」
「Your Majesty, we will broaden our search to even the retired craftsmen.」
Although larger than a Dwarf, with thick limbs, an impressive beard, and a beer-barrel shaped physique, he is rightly a Dwarf. This country’s king, Austen[1], is also an excellent blacksmith. And he had the skill to be called a master craftsman.
However, he hasn’t set foot in the castle workshop these several years, nor has he personally examined the state of the city workshops. As such, he had missed the chance to hear the voice of the Earth and Fire Spirits.
And more shock traveled to the center of Gnomstoll Kingdom. Although retired, the craftsmen such as Gnomstoll’s most valued individual, the famed Godcraft, Golan, disappeared.
「Where did Golan-dono go!?」
「Ha, in line with this, we have acquired information from many craftsmen during the investigation.」
「And?!」
The retired veteran craftsmen vanished from the country. The reason they disappeared from their workshops was soon discovered.
「They heard the voice of the Spirits? Should that not have been normal for us Dwarves?」
「However, Your Majesty, have you heard the Spirit-samas voices recently?」
「Now that I think about it, I had not made my way to a workshop in recent years, but…… how is this related?」
「Yes, many of the citizens have heard the Spirit-samas. It’s details are that, at the western end of this continent, the Great Spirits of seven attributes ー fire, water, wind, earth, tree, light, darkness ー manifested in the vast stretch of savage lands, which had become a Sanctuary centered around a Spirit Tree.」
「By God!」
Austen’s face was truly dyed in shock. In Austen’s memory, even in Yggurle Kingdom’s lengthy history, the manifestation of the Great Spirits is something could be counted in one hand. Furthermore, there had been no records written of it these last several hundred years. Even more, the thing known as a Sanctuary should have been an earthly paradise in concept.
Gnomstoll[2] Kingdom’s King Austen was not the only one shocked. There is one more individual greatly perplexed by the report he had received.
「…………is the information from Lord Godwin the truth?」
「There is no reason for Margrave Volton to expressly give such a preposterous lie.」
「The investigation on that land is not done only by our country. With the information from Lord Godwin, I could understand why our reconnaissance team could not show results. If the Great Spirits made a Sanctuary centering around the Spirit Tree, I could also understand that barrier.」
The man supporting his head in his hands was Valkyra Kingdom’s King Lobos Valkyra.
The individual calmly reporting information from Margrave Volton to the King was Prime Minister Simon von Portfort.
The great man clad in knight armor that instructed the scouting unit to occupy the Sanctuary to investigate it was the Knight Commander Galahad von Bauer.
The information brought by Margrave Volton was a matter that Valkyra Kingdom’s three central figures had cleared the room for, leaving only the minimum escorts.
「However, with how Iruma-dono is concerned………」
「Your Majesty, though Iruma-dono is an adventurer, he has taken up residence in Volton. There is no doubt he is a person of our nation.」
Given how adventurers travel and work unbarred by countries in the continent, they do not pay taxes to the country. In exchange, the country levies a fixed percentage from the rewards received by the adventures in the Adventurers Guild.
There are adventurers that travel all over the continent as well, but they were the minority. Since adventurers mostly establish their base and work in their motherland, it isn’t necessarily a mistake for Prime Minister Simon to treat them as their nation’s citizens. Moreover, the Sanctuary is located closest to Valkyra Kingdom. With the completed Wedgefort town, Valkyra Kingdom grew even closer in distance to the Sanctuary.
「It is likely that asserting ownership of the Sanctuary is impossible, but it would be desirable to conduct trade with it somehow.」
「Materials from the Spirit Tree and the Sanctuary would be something that the country, and even Pharmacists and Commerce Guild would desire so desperately, after all. Still, according to the report from Margrave Volton, it would seem that not just anyone can pass through the Sanctuary’s barrier.」
「Indeed, there are apparently plenty of Fairykin unable to enter as well.」
In the report, the private armies dispatched by the nobles of Yggurle Kingdom tried desperately to pass through the barrier, but neither were they unable to pass through the barrier nor break it. Yet they continue to struggle futilely even now. That information was corroborated by the reports from scouts dispatched by Valkyra Kingdom.
「Would Iruma-dono be able to make the esteemed Great Spirits kindly assent to negotiating?」
「Then, we must bear that in mind in the negotiations.」
「Your Majesty, will we be increasing the stationing soldiers?」
「Increasing them would be overly hasty. It would be provoking Lomaria and Triaria.」
Galahad proposed to increase the troops stationed by the Sanctuary. They might be able to have effective control over the surroundings of the Sanctuary if things go well, but Lobos denied it. They don’t have to worry about Lomaria, but if they increase their stationed troops, it might cause needless trouble with Triaria. He’d like to avoid military conflict near the Sanctuary.
「Simon, send a letter to King Lomaria.」
「To King Yggurle as well?」
「Yeah, but by no means will you send one to Triaria or Sydnia.」
「Understood, then I shall coordinate an urgent conference for three countries. Depending on the situation, I think we should involve Samandour as well, but they are quite a distance from the Sanctuary. Furthermore, as Samandour is a nation that has diplomatic relations with Triaria and Sydnia, it would be better to hold a conference with Lomaria and Yggurle first to prevent information from circulating to the Triaria and Sydnia.」
The discussion between the King, Prime Minister, and Knight Commander had developed into a tri-nation conference. The central figures of Yggurle Kingdom and Lomaria Kingdom, who had been brought a conference request from Valkyra Kingdom about information on the Sanctuary, were assailed by frustration and bewilderment as to how Valkyra Kingdom obtained information about the Sanctuary.
As a result, there was a surge of intelligence units from various countries sent to Valkyra Kingdom.
***
Footnotes:
1. In the LN, king’s name is Govan/Goban
2. Typo, said Yggurle not Gnomstoll