295 – Nagrom

I look around at the surrounding Lithovars. Most are confused and uncertain but a few are looking at me expectantly. It looks like the impression I made by defeating the manticore is helping.

『That old man, should I knock him out?』

My partner asks me. If you did that, then the calm situation we finally got to would break down and we wouldn’t be able to talk with Bella. Even if he pisses you off, please hold back. We’re in a position of asking for their help, after all.

Bella bows to Nagrom, then advances, flanked by two spear-wielding men.

“Dragon-god-sama… Umm, what are… Dragon-god-sama?”

Baron asks searchingly.

“…Tei, Res.”

Bella closes her eyes and chants, pointing her staff towards me. Her chant is the same one that I remember hearing Hibi use for [Telepathy].

Bella-san… If this is getting through to you, then please tell the person on top of me, Baron, that I’ve come here to negotiate.

I think strongly, then a faintly grim expression appears on her face as she turns to face Nagrom, nodding at him slightly in affirmation. Nagrom was standing straight with his arms crossed, but upon receiving her [Telepathy], his eyelid twitches and a faint smile floats on his face.

“…The dragon-god has come here to negotiate, is what it wants me to tell you. In other words… You were brought without knowing anything.”

I check behind me and see Baron’s face has gone pale.

“Probably, the miko has become unable to act for some reason, so they’re having difficulty in coming to an understanding. As a result, it’s come to snatch away Bella, I see. Indeed, for the dragon-god to come all the way here, I can understand why someone from the moderate faction would be so displeased.”

A-about half correct… I was planning on explaining it all in a moment anyway, so it’s fine I guess… But information about the absence of the miko is by all rights sensitive information that I shouldn’t be sharing with the antagonistic anti-dragon-god faction. That must be the reason Nagrom laughed and Baron went so pale.

But all the same… His reaction is awfully disturbing.

“Nagrom-sama? Did you come to understand something?”

One of his guards asks him.

“Aah, I understand it all. When it came to kill the manticore earlier, I had thought it was strange. Probably… The blood of the dragon-god’s miko has come to an end in that village. It defeated the manticore to create a debt of gratitude it wants to exchange for the gentle Bella, who it has come to negotiate for the following day. The fact that it brought him along without him knowing anything is proof!”

Nagrom announces to the other Lithovars, raising his voice.

I-guess that line of thought kind of makes sense… But is he not going to listen to what I have to say? 

“I-it’s here to snatch Bella-sama away?”
“So, from the start, that was its objective…”
“But… Perhaps because of evolution, it’s clearly much stronger than the dragon-god has ever been. If it were to rampage, we wouldn’t be able to do a thing.”

The atmosphere’s gradually getting worse and worse. The guards tighten their grips on their spears.

This old man… By speculating and omitting as he pleases, he’s fanning the flames of hate. I need explain right away, before this gets out of hand.

“Guuu…”

I groan, turning Bella’s attention towards me.

What I want to ask for is cooperation to deal with outside invaders. It looks like there are humans who have come from outside are are targeting the Lithovars. If we don’t act soon, this village might get caught up in it, too. I understand that your hostility is because of me, but I would be grateful if you could join forces. Otherwise, there’s a chance both villages will be destroyed.

…She got all that… Right? It seems her [Telepathy] skill level isn’t very high, as it looked like she was struggling a bit. But it’s clear from her wide-eyed look of astonishment that she understood that there’s an unforeseen crisis approaching.

“…N-no way…”

“Hey, Bella! What did you hear?”

　“Outside invaders are…”

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“Tell only me, you idiot!”

Nagrom yells at Bella, and she hurriedly recites her chant again, entering her [Telepathy] state… But it’s not like we can afford to take things this slow.

“Wh-what did you hear, Bella-sama?!”
“Stopping part way through like that… That makes me worry more…”

All those present, including the guards as well as the Lithovars who failed to run away, start complaining to Nagrom. But he appears oblivious to them as he receives a [Telepathy] from Bella.

…If only he’d stop inserting himself in the middle like this. It’s taking up time, and it only invites misunderstandings to have information passed along like this… This old man, is he doing it on purpose so the discussion doesn’t move forwards?

“Hmm… But there is little reason to believe that is true.”

Nagrom mumbles under his breath.

…Is he really saying that while knowing that, if I wanted to, I could force things through brute strength? Even if I had animosity for them, it’d make no sense for me to make up such a roundabout lie.

“Do you not think so too, Bella?”

“Eh? B-but… If it were true, then… We’d have no choice but to join forces…”

“If it were true… right. This is all because even if it were to abduct you, there’s no guarantee you would cooperate. That is why it is fumbling for a reason to make you to go willingly.”

Having said that, Nagrom turns to face the Lithovars that have been watching over anxiously.

“Are you okay with this? Think this through rationally, do you wish to follow the evil dragon’s orders once again and suffer under its selfish whims…? It was because we found that way of life repugnant that we left! Now, too, it displays its strength to threaten us as is convenient while it comes to take Bella away! Up to now, they have scorned her as a traitor, but behold this turnabout!”

“W-will you not tell us what the crisis is…?”

“Did you break free of that place with such half-hearted feelings? I will ask you once again! Will you return to the one called dragon-god? Well? The dragon-god killed the manticore because it wanted to negotiate with us, so is it not likely that it could have dealt with the manticore much sooner, but instead intentionally left it alive and sicced it on us?!”

“U, uu…”

Y-you don’t have to say it like that… Could old man Nagrom have grown attached to the position of chief after having it for so long?

If the anti-dragon-god faction were to save the dragon-god faction from this predicament, they could easily go on to reconcile and merge together. Especially since both the manticore and the dragon-god that were the cause of their conflict are already gone. 

If the villages were to unify, Nagrom would become unnecessary. When I went to his mansion before… Inside his huge mansion he head several young women living there. It looked like he was fully enjoying his position as chief.

“But, if the dragon-god were to rampage… The difference in power is so clear, for the time being, we have no choice but to go along with everything…” 

“Thinking like that is playing into its hands. That is the reason it demonstrated its power, rather than arriving more modestly. There are opportunities to take advantage of here… In the first place, even when accepting its demands, there are countless ways of striking back.”

Nagrom says to Bella, speaking quietly.

“Y-you bastard…!”

Nagrom ignores Baron’s anger completely.

“Now then… It’s about time we resume the negotiations.”

Bella chants the incantation once again and closes her eyes.

Damn it… We really haven’t got time to waste on this. I wanted to save the MP regained through [Automatic MP Recovery] to go around the village with [High Rest] another time and have some left for intercepting the enemies, but… In the worst case, I’ll have no choice but to persuade them through [Humanisation Technique].

No… Rather than Nagrom, should I try winning over Bella?

My information about the dragon-god is still incomplete and riddled with holes, but… As I watch Bella, I can start to see the shape of the truth. If my hypothesis is correct, I should be able to persuade her, and then no matter what Nagrom might say, she should be able to pull the others with her.

This is a wager, though. If I’m wrong, her confidence in me will plummet, and even if I’m right, there’s a risk it could cause the Lithovars to fall into a panic at this critical time.

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