「Again! Grint, You’re not done yet!」
「Y-yes! Of course, Your Highness…!」
「Umm… Warren-dono. Do we still have to continue?」
「Absolutely, just keep going, Dill」
They were now in the training center for the knights in Lord Amur’s castle.
In the midst of the great tension, two knights were challenging each other with their swords.
How did this happen, and what happened? It all started with an incident that occurred in the conference room.
***
Each group returned to the castle with a different expression on their faces.
First, the group from Euro, the castle owner. Ed was losing his composure and had a troubled look on his face as if he didn’t know what to do. And Lord Amur seems unable to stop the sweat flowing from his forehead and looks restless.
Next was the uninvited guest, the group from Hyme.
Ainz’s words were not enough to make their faces turn red. They also seem to have calmed down a little. However, they still looked irritated, and unlike the Euro’s group, they were restless in a different way.
And finally, Ainz and his group from Ishtalica.
They didn’t have any visible change in their expression. But the leadership which was on Warren’s hand before has shifted to Ainz, but Warren is just going along with it.
But no one knows what they were thinking in their mind, just because they didn’t show visible change.
Finally, they arrived at the newly prepared conference room back at the castle.
First, Euro’s group went inside, and then they let Ishtalica’s group through, and then they let Hyme’s group in.
That was another factor that irritated Tigre, but the situation right now was quite bad. In a normal, calm situation, he would have immediately remembered the incident with Olivia and Ainz when Grint mentioned that he’s his brother.
Today, however, a lot of blood was rushing to his head, mostly because of the matter of Claune. Perhaps because of that, he hadn’t yet realized that they were people from Ishtalica.
In the midst of the tense atmosphere, the people from the three different groups gathered in the conference room. After confirming that everyone had taken their seats, Lord Amur opened his mouth with determination.
「…Your Highness, Ainz. Let me apologize to you for this unfortunate turn of events」
「You didn’t seem to have any ill intentions in mind, so it was probably just an accident… I don’t mind」
「I’m grateful for your words… And Prince Tigre, I’m wondering why did you suddenly come here to Euro without an appointment before?」
「…O-Oh, that’s right! I have something important to ask you! Now, you must answer honestly!」
Love is blind. Without investigating Ainz and the others’ identities first, or apologizing for the fact that he suddenly interrupted them, Tigre just starts talking about his purpose.
「Answer, honestly…?」
「Yes. A nobleman of our country was last seen here in Euro and has never been seen since… But finally, we have found a clue!」
「…Please continue」
He told them that Hyme’s nobles have disappeared from Euro. When the group from Ishtalica heard this, they reacted “Oh…?”. Ainz turned his gaze to Warren, who was standing nearby. He had a very amused smile on his face.
「I’ve heard that the Dukedom of Euro has been officially trading with Ishtalica for several years already! And that their ships have been making many round trips!… Our Hyme’s leading figure, Archduke Graff Augusto. And his granddaughter, the woman who would be my fiancée, Claune… probably have been sold to Ishtalica!」
Unable to contain his excitement, Tigre stood up and pointed at Lord Amur. Lord Amur couldn’t help but make a puzzled face, while Ed stood beside him with a similar expression on his face.
「Hey, Warren-san」
「Ku, kukukuh… Aah, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help but laugh… Do you need anything?」
He whispered to Warren. It was because the situation was becoming somewhat strange.
「I’m wondering what he’s talking about. I’d like to hear what Warren-san has to say」
「Hmm… Well, this situation where Euro is the bad guy is hard to overlook for a friendly country. Do you want me to handle this?」
「…Well, please do so in moderation」
Ainz looks at Warren, who replies in a whisper.
「Yes, we do trade with Ishtalica. But I don’t remember doing anything like human trafficking. There may be a possibility that they are on board in disguise. But at least we’re not taking any part in it」
「As Lord Amur says, we do not engage in human trafficking」
「Th-then, I want the people of Ishtalica to tell me about this! Since they’re doing trade in Euro, it should be easy for them, right?」
「U-umm, that is certainly possible, but…」
「…Excuse me, Lord Amur. May I say something?」
For Euro side, Warren’s words were truly a godsend. The two of them, Lord Amur and Ed, were relieved to hear his words.
「Warren-dono… Aah, yes, no problem. Please go ahead」
「Now if you’ll excuse me… Tigre-dono, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am――」
「Wha… How dare you address me with “dono”! Who the hell do you think you are!?」
「My name is Warren Lark. I am the Prime Minister of the unified nation of Ishtalica. Since you mentioned our country’s name. I just had to speak up」
At that moment, Tigre’s face became aroused again. And at the same time, he finally remembered the case of Olivia and Grint’s brother.
「It’s just perfect that you’re here! Now, tell me! Why did Ishtalica kidnap our country’s nobleman and my princess, Claune!?」
「…Hmm. Let’s make a deal?」
That was the biggest surprise of the day for everyone there.
Warren stroked his neatly trimmed white beard and said so while looking distant. And attention was drawn to him.
「A… A deal, you said…?」
「Yes, I said so. Let me repeat my question again… Let’s make a deal?」
Tigre’s face becomes redder than it has ever been, revealing his agitation.
「What kind of nonsense is that? What deal? There is a possibility that you are doing something wrong, so it is only natural that you should do something about it!」
「Yes… Indeed, if there is a possibility that we are doing something wrong, we need to do something about it」
「H-humph! You’re quite honest, aren’t you? Well, it’s natural because you’re a Prime Minister」
「Now let’s investigate it immediately. Hey, you there, look up what I just said and bring me the research report. You have three months to look for it. Return to the ship and get to work」
Warren instructed the nearby civilian officer of Ishtalica. However, the content of the instructions was so insulting to Hyme that even made Tigre angrier.
The officer, who was struggling to hold back his laughter, followed the instructions and left the room.
And as a side note, that civil servant was resented by many knights and civil servants that night. The reason was that he managed to escape from the room.
「What are you taking so long for…!? What do you think will happen to Claune and the others if we take that long!」
「I see. You’re absolutely right. Let’s hold a meeting after this… It’s gonna be a meeting about Miss Claune. Is that okay?」
「Why don’t you just do that from the start? Good grief… Well, let’s immediately talk about it」
「Yes. And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to inform Your Highness of what we find out」
Tigre felt satisfied when Warren finally listened obediently to him. But then Grint, who was standing beside him, opened his mouth.
「…Excuse me, Your Highness. May I say something?」
「Hmm? What is it, Grint?」
「I just wondering, will they really share the investigation results to Your Highness…」
「Of course they will. Isn’t that right, Prime Minister?」
「Hmm? I don’t know what you are talking about」
「Don’t mess with me. You will share the investigation result on Claune with us, right?」
Then Warren looked up at him as if he understood. For Ainz and the others, his theatrical attitude almost made them laugh.
「Oh, you mean that. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to share it with Your Highness」
「…Share it directly to me」
「We’ll look into it. But whether we tell you or not is another story」
「What!? What do you mean…?」
「So, is there any benefit for us in telling Hyme what we have found out? I don’t think so. After all, diplomatic relations have been severed between us. And there is no exchange between the two countries… We’re already in a different world, so to speak. To put it plainly, we don’t feel the need to tell you about it. So, let’s make a deal」
It was not only Tigre who was stunned, but also Lord Amur. The only one whose expression did not change at all was the group of Ishtalica around Warren.
「So. What can Hyme offer us? For the information we’ll gather」
「…Sure then. I will pay you reasonable compensation. I promise in my name」
「Aah, I’m sorry, but I don’t trust the promises made by the royalty of Hyme. So, I’ll need you to prepare the compensation first… If you do, I will be able to give you information about Miss Claune that only we can know」
Warren was unusually aggressive with his approach. But Tigre was already in his hands, because he would not be able to get any information about Claune in Ishtalica without making a deal with Warren.
「Ugh… You’ve underestimated us too much」
「Do I look like I am underestimating you? I’d love to hear more about that」
Tigre couldn’t come on strong. There was too much of a gap in his argument with Warren. It was not just about their age difference. It’s just because Tigre knows more about Ishtalica than most people. And of course, he knows about their strength. It was undeniable that he was using the fact that Ishtalica would not launch a preemptive attack and would not commit an act of aggression as an excuse.
Still, when he talks to this Warren guy, he just can’t get the upper hand.
Up until now, Ishtalica was just like a naive nation from Hyme’s point of view, since they were following the words of their First King. However, talking with Warren, he realized that they are the ones who are naive.
「…What do you want for the compensation?」
「Let’s see. If I say I want some heads… Can you prepare them for me?」
Warren’s gaze suddenly became more intense. Tigre sensed a rather frightening aura from him. It’s easy for him to guess who’s head he wants. He can easily guess that it will be the heads of the royalty or Logas.
「…There’s no way I can do that」
「If that’s the case, it can’t be helped then. But I’ll give you another choice」
Warren’s expression changes, and his expression now looked like that of a good-natured old man.
「The fact that we met at a place like this is also something of a coincidence. How about, Tigre-dono’s escort and our Crown Prince’s escort… fight in a duel. If Tigre-dono’s escort win, I will give you the information for free」
「Really!?」
「Yes. I’m not lying」
Tigre looks overjoyed, as Warren kept smiling at him.
And Chris, who was sitting beside Ainz, showed a somewhat relief look on her face.
Ed and Lord Amur too, who had been left out of the conversation created by Warren, had no idea about what was going to happen… Even though this was their own castle.
***
Then the scene returns to the training center.
Warren had proposed this battle as the compensation of the deal.
Ainz had thought that Chris would represent him in the fight… But then Chris said…
『As expected, bullying the weak is a little… Dill, he’ll be his opponent』
『M-me…? I don’t mind though, but…』
After such conversation, Dill was chosen to represent Ishtalica. And from among Tigre’s escorts, they thought that an adult knight would be chosen, but it was Grint who they chose.
Still, even though he was very young, he is one of the best escorts that Tigre has with him.
Even before the duel began, Ainz and the others could not help but react in an indescribable way to the fact that he had said, 『You should be afraid of our knight, who was born as a Holy Knight!』.
And so, the duel began. But it has come to an end several times though.
Why several times, you ask…?
「O-one more time! Guh… What the hell is going on…!?」
It was because Grint, whose body had been knocked down and who had a sword in his neck, had said so several times already.
Looking at Warren, he smiles and gives permission to Dill.
And with that, the duel would begin for the fifth time.
「Uwaah. Chris-san, Dill is so strong, isn’t he?」
「Even in Ishtalica, we only have a handful of people who are that strong. That was also the reason why he was entrusted to be Ainz-sama’s escort, but… Their difference is too big. I don’t even think he has a chance to win」
Grint was unable to even land a single hit. There were a few occasions where Dill must block and receive Grint’s sword, but after receiving it, Grint was either easily swept away or being counterattacked.
「G-Grint! What are you doing!? Next round, you must win the next round!」
「Y-yes!」
Tigre is cheering him desperately. And Grint, wants to win at all costs and dedicate his victory to Tigre.
「Ainz-sama. To be honest, I thought he’d be able to do a little more than this as someone being born as a Holy Knight. It should be the strongest knight-types jobs after all」
Finally, Chris spoke up with a complaint.
「Huh? Aren’t the strongest jobs of that types being the Heavenly Knight?」
「That is… Umm, how to put this. It’s not desirable as it always comes with self-destruction. I’ll explain it in detail next time」
「What was that? I’m really curious. What do you mean by self-destruction…?」
He was rather more interested in Chris’s words than in the battle between Grint and Dill. But when she said that she’ll explain it next time, he decided to put up with it.
The fifth duel was about to begin, and both Dill and Grint took their stances waiting for the signal.
「But I wanted to see Chris-san fight too」
「…I’ll show you one of my best moves when I get the chance」
「I’m looking forward to it」
While they were talking, the fight between Dill and Grint continued. Dill is already waiting for Grint to attack, instead of attacking him himself. But Grint seems to be having a hard time trying to attack him.
「Ed, that Dill boy is really good, isn’t he…?」
「He’s quite strong. In a few years, he’ll be strong enough to even challenge Logas-dono」
「Hou… You think so much of him, aren’t you?」
「Even though he’s that young, I get a glimpse of the strength of Ishtalica. It’s just simply terrifying」
Lord Amur and the others decided to enjoy the duel purely for the fun of it. They thought it would be better for their mental health.
However, Tigre’s side became even more restless.
「Ugh… What the hell is he!? Is he using some kind of trick…!?」
He just kept saying things that were off the mark, but he still believed that Grint would win and cheered him on. That’s how significant the “Holy Knight” is in Hyme.
And If he didn’t win, he wouldn’t be able to get any information about Claune, which also made him desperate.
But, mercilessly, he never got the ending he wanted.
「Ghaah…!」
The hilt of Dill’s sword struck Grint in the stomach. The impact caused Grint to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
「G-Grint!?」
「…It would be a shame to ask him to do it again. Let’s end this for today. What do you think, Warren-sama?」
「Umu. Dill is right, Grint-dono was quite a wonderful knight who could go that far for someone of his age…」
「Y-yeah… I think so too」
Dill turned his back on Grint and began to head back towards Ainz. But even though his personality was bad, he was still a Holy Knight, and with such a rare job in his hands, Grint’s body recovered quickly.
「Not yet! I’m not done yeeeee-t!」
Grint got up and started running towards Dill. With amazing resilience, he got up and began to run.
His pride and a number of thoughts inspired Grint. Surprised by his appearance, Dill turned around and looked at Grint again.
「Ainz-sama. This is just the right opportunity. I’ll show you how reliable I am――」
Hearing Chris’s words, Ainz thought she was going to do something to stop the rampaging Grint. But Chris’s words stopped halfway. For a moment, the sand under Chris’s feet seemed to move, and then she finished her words before.
「――in a fight like this」
「Uwaaa!! Th-that is!? His sword is…?? But how!?」
Chris said that she’ll show it off. But Ainz had no idea what she had done. Grint, who is still running, finally pulled out his sword and was about to turn to Dill when the strange thing happened.
「G-Grint!? Wh-where did the blade of your sword gone!?」
「I-I don’t know! I’ve tried to pull it out, but for some reason, the blade part was gone…」
Chris then talks to him, even though he was still surprised.
「A few years ago, I told you, didn’t I? When I fought Logas-dono, there was a reason why he could not compete with me. And this is why… What do you think?」
「…All I could tell was that the sand on the ground had moved though. But well done, I guess」
Chris is probably the fastest knight in Ishtalica. Seeing how fast she was, Ainz reaffirmed her reliability. First of all, it was difficult to stand on the same stage as her, that’s how it was.
When Grint looked for the blade, he found that it was tucked inside the sheath of the sword. It seemed that Chris had cut it off from the guard.
「Ugh… Big brother! For the last time! Fight me! Don’t just hide behind your escort! Show me how strong you’ve become in these few years!」
After a moment of silence, something happened that no one had expected.
It came from Ishtalica, who was, in a word, more rude than anything else. It was an attitude that just plain demeaned the other party.
「Hahahahah!!」
「Ku-kukuku」
「Wh-what to say… You want to have a fight with His Highness? Hahahah!」
The knights of Ishtalica’s Kings Guard had reached their limit too. They finally could not hold back their laughter anymore.
「What’s so funny! You’re being rude!」
「Wh-which one of us is the rude one I wonder? That’s funny」
「Aah… Good grief. If I know it would be such a funny sideshow, I should have laughed at it from the beginning」
「That’s true. I’ve heard that you were His Highness’ younger brother. But I wondered what would happen to him…」
Grint was so angry at the current situation that he took his anger out on the knights of Ishtalica’s Kings Guard. But their attitude does not change.
「…It’s not something to laugh at」
At last, Dill admonishes the King’s Guard. He is younger, but he is in a higher position than a normal Kings Guard. That is why he is able to admonish them.
「I’m sorry for our knight’s attitude. But Grint-dono… If you can’t beat me, you won’t be able to handle His Highness. Because His Highness is much stronger than I am. As his escort, I can only apologize」
These words had a great impact on Grint. Of course, Tigre felt the same way.
Ed, on the other hand, was convinced. It was hard to put into words how intimidating he felt towards Ainz. He was a little relieved to know that he had not made a mistake.
In the midst of the surprise, a civilian officer came to Warren’s side and handed him a bag of papers.
Warren took it and began to speak in a theatrical manner.
「Oooh! Tigre, I just received information about Miss Claune」
「…Fo-for real!?」
Even though he was no longer addressed with “dono”, he could not afford to worry about that now he had more important things to think about. The deal failed because Grint didn’t win, but he was still scheming in his mind to get that information somehow.
「Originally, I would only share this with the condition that your knight would win. But in honor of him having fought so many battles, I will give Tigre the information I have just received」
Tigre was overjoyed at the unexpected concession.
「I’m grateful for that! Now, let’s hear what the information was!」
「I guess it’s because I’m old, but I’ve lost track of Miss Claune. I’m sorry to say that, but I knew her well too」
「…You know, her well?」
「Yes. Then I’ll give you this document… Lord Amur? We will take our rest. So, we will return to the ship now. If you need anything, please inform the knights outside」
「Y-yes. I understand」
Warren handed the document to Tigre’s escort knight. After that, it was decided to call it a day and the group from Ishtalica began to return to the ship they had come in on.
「Come on, Ainz-sama. Thank you for your hard work today. Let’s take it easy on the ship for the rest of the day」
「Yeah, okay. Let’s go, everyone」
「Yes!」
「Understood」
Chris and Dill replied to Ainz’s words in turn.
「…Hmph! They should’ve handed this straight from the start」
While saying so, Tigre was able to get some information about Claune. So, he couldn’t help but smile.
Grint, who kept losing, was told that Ainz was much stronger than Dill, who kept beating him. He still hadn’t regained his senses. But Tigre didn’t care about Grint, and just opened the document.
His other escort was relieved and looked at Tigre, hoping to find some good information in the documents.
But the relief was short-lived. Tigre was stunned and started to narrate the contents.
「I-is this true!? It’s a lie, isn’t it…? No way, I couldn’t believe for Claune to…」
His escort was suspicious and kept looking at Tigre.
「…On her first day in Ishtalica. Miss Claune placed the Crown Prince Ainz on top of herself when he was asleep. And that’s all the information they found… it said!?」
Tigre tore up the document because he thought that Claune had allowed Ainz to touch her. He didn’t think it was possible, but there was nothing else written in the document.
「…Don’t mess with meeeee-!」
***
Tigre’s voice reached Ainz and the others who were already on their way to the White King.
「Hey, Warren-san. What were your orders to the civilian? It looks like things are pretty rough over there」
「Fumu, you realized something, huh?」
「It’s Warren-san after all. What did you tell them in the document?」
「I didn’t ask them to write any lies. It’s just about the day Miss Claune arrived in Ishtalica… I just told them to write that she had put Ainz-sama’s body to lie down on top of her… I just thought that it would be good for them to know that Miss Claune is spending her time peacefully」
「Lie down on top of her? You mean the knee lap?… You write something so embarrassing, aren’t you…?」
Ainz put his hand on his forehead and hid his embarrassed expression.
「Well, you’re right about that… But it was a moving story… Even for us, it was quite a popular topic」
The way Ainz was sleeping in the harbor with Claune lending her lap was quite famous.
Ainz and Claune, with their smiling faces and Claune’s almost holy mother-like appearance. The future for the two of them was so promising.
「Well. Jeez… Why did becoming a representative become something like this… I didn’t see something like that coming. Or rather, you guys have gone too far! Good grief!」
The knights and civil servants chuckled at Ainz’s words.
Nevertheless, Ainz thought it was pretty refreshing. If it were possible, he would have liked to see Logas here and be defeated by Chris. But in that case, he would have rather done it himself.
Still, it must be difficult for Grint. He saw him standing there with Dill and knew at a glance that he wasn’t good enough. He didn’t look like a match for him. The difference between them was so wide that it was almost pitiful.
It’s not uncommon for people to underestimate their opponents and get caught unprepared. So, he promised himself that he would learn from his mistakes so that would not happen to him.
「Again! Grint, You’re not done yet!」
「Y-yes! Of course, Your Highness…!」
「Umm… Warren-dono. Do we still have to continue?」
「Absolutely, just keep going, Dill」
They were now in the training center for the knights in Lord Amur’s castle.
In the midst of the great tension, two knights were challenging each other with their swords.
How did this happen, and what happened? It all started with an incident that occurred in the conference room.
***
Each group returned to the castle with a different expression on their faces.
First, the group from Euro, the castle owner. Ed was losing his composure and had a troubled look on his face as if he didn’t know what to do. And Lord Amur seems unable to stop the sweat flowing from his forehead and looks restless.
Next was the uninvited guest, the group from Hyme.
Ainz’s words were not enough to make their faces turn red. They also seem to have calmed down a little. However, they still looked irritated, and unlike the Euro’s group, they were restless in a different way.
And finally, Ainz and his group from Ishtalica.
They didn’t have any visible change in their expression. But the leadership which was on Warren’s hand before has shifted to Ainz, but Warren is just going along with it.
But no one knows what they were thinking in their mind, just because they didn’t show visible change.
Finally, they arrived at the newly prepared conference room back at the castle.
First, Euro’s group went inside, and then they let Ishtalica’s group through, and then they let Hyme’s group in.
That was another factor that irritated Tigre, but the situation right now was quite bad. In a normal, calm situation, he would have immediately remembered the incident with Olivia and Ainz when Grint mentioned that he’s his brother.
Today, however, a lot of blood was rushing to his head, mostly because of the matter of Claune. Perhaps because of that, he hadn’t yet realized that they were people from Ishtalica.
In the midst of the tense atmosphere, the people from the three different groups gathered in the conference room. After confirming that everyone had taken their seats, Lord Amur opened his mouth with determination.
「…Your Highness, Ainz. Let me apologize to you for this unfortunate turn of events」
「You didn’t seem to have any ill intentions in mind, so it was probably just an accident… I don’t mind」
「I’m grateful for your words… And Prince Tigre, I’m wondering why did you suddenly come here to Euro without an appointment before?」
「…O-Oh, that’s right! I have something important to ask you! Now, you must answer honestly!」
Love is blind. Without investigating Ainz and the others’ identities first, or apologizing for the fact that he suddenly interrupted them, Tigre just starts talking about his purpose.
「Answer, honestly…?」
「Yes. A nobleman of our country was last seen here in Euro and has never been seen since… But finally, we have found a clue!」
「…Please continue」
He told them that Hyme’s nobles have disappeared from Euro. When the group from Ishtalica heard this, they reacted “Oh…?”. Ainz turned his gaze to Warren, who was standing nearby. He had a very amused smile on his face.
「I’ve heard that the Dukedom of Euro has been officially trading with Ishtalica for several years already! And that their ships have been making many round trips!… Our Hyme’s leading figure, Archduke Graff Augusto. And his granddaughter, the woman who would be my fiancée, Claune… probably have been sold to Ishtalica!」
Unable to contain his excitement, Tigre stood up and pointed at Lord Amur. Lord Amur couldn’t help but make a puzzled face, while Ed stood beside him with a similar expression on his face.
「Hey, Warren-san」
「Ku, kukukuh… Aah, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help but laugh… Do you need anything?」
He whispered to Warren. It was because the situation was becoming somewhat strange.
「I’m wondering what he’s talking about. I’d like to hear what Warren-san has to say」
「Hmm… Well, this situation where Euro is the bad guy is hard to overlook for a friendly country. Do you want me to handle this?」
「…Well, please do so in moderation」
Ainz looks at Warren, who replies in a whisper.
「Yes, we do trade with Ishtalica. But I don’t remember doing anything like human trafficking. There may be a possibility that they are on board in disguise. But at least we’re not taking any part in it」
「As Lord Amur says, we do not engage in human trafficking」
「Th-then, I want the people of Ishtalica to tell me about this! Since they’re doing trade in Euro, it should be easy for them, right?」
「U-umm, that is certainly possible, but…」
「…Excuse me, Lord Amur. May I say something?」
For Euro side, Warren’s words were truly a godsend. The two of them, Lord Amur and Ed, were relieved to hear his words.
「Warren-dono… Aah, yes, no problem. Please go ahead」
「Now if you’ll excuse me… Tigre-dono, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am――」
「Wha… How dare you address me with “dono”! Who the hell do you think you are!?」
「My name is Warren Lark. I am the Prime Minister of the unified nation of Ishtalica. Since you mentioned our country’s name. I just had to speak up」
At that moment, Tigre’s face became aroused again. And at the same time, he finally remembered the case of Olivia and Grint’s brother.
「It’s just perfect that you’re here! Now, tell me! Why did Ishtalica kidnap our country’s nobleman and my princess, Claune!?」
「…Hmm. Let’s make a deal?」
That was the biggest surprise of the day for everyone there.
Warren stroked his neatly trimmed white beard and said so while looking distant. And attention was drawn to him.
「A… A deal, you said…?」
「Yes, I said so. Let me repeat my question again… Let’s make a deal?」
Tigre’s face becomes redder than it has ever been, revealing his agitation.
「What kind of nonsense is that? What deal? There is a possibility that you are doing something wrong, so it is only natural that you should do something about it!」
「Yes… Indeed, if there is a possibility that we are doing something wrong, we need to do something about it」
「H-humph! You’re quite honest, aren’t you? Well, it’s natural because you’re a Prime Minister」
「Now let’s investigate it immediately. Hey, you there, look up what I just said and bring me the research report. You have three months to look for it. Return to the ship and get to work」
Warren instructed the nearby civilian officer of Ishtalica. However, the content of the instructions was so insulting to Hyme that even made Tigre angrier.
The officer, who was struggling to hold back his laughter, followed the instructions and left the room.
And as a side note, that civil servant was resented by many knights and civil servants that night. The reason was that he managed to escape from the room.
「What are you taking so long for…!? What do you think will happen to Claune and the others if we take that long!」
「I see. You’re absolutely right. Let’s hold a meeting after this… It’s gonna be a meeting about Miss Claune. Is that okay?」
「Why don’t you just do that from the start? Good grief… Well, let’s immediately talk about it」
「Yes. And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to inform Your Highness of what we find out」
Tigre felt satisfied when Warren finally listened obediently to him. But then Grint, who was standing beside him, opened his mouth.
「…Excuse me, Your Highness. May I say something?」
「Hmm? What is it, Grint?」
「I just wondering, will they really share the investigation results to Your Highness…」
「Of course they will. Isn’t that right, Prime Minister?」
「Hmm? I don’t know what you are talking about」
「Don’t mess with me. You will share the investigation result on Claune with us, right?」
Then Warren looked up at him as if he understood. For Ainz and the others, his theatrical attitude almost made them laugh.
「Oh, you mean that. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to share it with Your Highness」
「…Share it directly to me」
「We’ll look into it. But whether we tell you or not is another story」
「What!? What do you mean…?」
「So, is there any benefit for us in telling Hyme what we have found out? I don’t think so. After all, diplomatic relations have been severed between us. And there is no exchange between the two countries… We’re already in a different world, so to speak. To put it plainly, we don’t feel the need to tell you about it. So, let’s make a deal」
It was not only Tigre who was stunned, but also Lord Amur. The only one whose expression did not change at all was the group of Ishtalica around Warren.
「So. What can Hyme offer us? For the information we’ll gather」
「…Sure then. I will pay you reasonable compensation. I promise in my name」
「Aah, I’m sorry, but I don’t trust the promises made by the royalty of Hyme. So, I’ll need you to prepare the compensation first… If you do, I will be able to give you information about Miss Claune that only we can know」
Warren was unusually aggressive with his approach. But Tigre was already in his hands, because he would not be able to get any information about Claune in Ishtalica without making a deal with Warren.
「Ugh… You’ve underestimated us too much」
「Do I look like I am underestimating you? I’d love to hear more about that」
Tigre couldn’t come on strong. There was too much of a gap in his argument with Warren. It was not just about their age difference. It’s just because Tigre knows more about Ishtalica than most people. And of course, he knows about their strength. It was undeniable that he was using the fact that Ishtalica would not launch a preemptive attack and would not commit an act of aggression as an excuse.
Still, when he talks to this Warren guy, he just can’t get the upper hand.
Up until now, Ishtalica was just like a naive nation from Hyme’s point of view, since they were following the words of their First King. However, talking with Warren, he realized that they are the ones who are naive.
「…What do you want for the compensation?」
「Let’s see. If I say I want some heads… Can you prepare them for me?」
Warren’s gaze suddenly became more intense. Tigre sensed a rather frightening aura from him. It’s easy for him to guess who’s head he wants. He can easily guess that it will be the heads of the royalty or Logas.
「…There’s no way I can do that」
「If that’s the case, it can’t be helped then. But I’ll give you another choice」
Warren’s expression changes, and his expression now looked like that of a good-natured old man.
「The fact that we met at a place like this is also something of a coincidence. How about, Tigre-dono’s escort and our Crown Prince’s escort… fight in a duel. If Tigre-dono’s escort win, I will give you the information for free」
「Really!?」
「Yes. I’m not lying」
Tigre looks overjoyed, as Warren kept smiling at him.
And Chris, who was sitting beside Ainz, showed a somewhat relief look on her face.
Ed and Lord Amur too, who had been left out of the conversation created by Warren, had no idea about what was going to happen… Even though this was their own castle.
***
Then the scene returns to the training center.
Warren had proposed this battle as the compensation of the deal.
Ainz had thought that Chris would represent him in the fight… But then Chris said…
『As expected, bullying the weak is a little… Dill, he’ll be his opponent』
『M-me…? I don’t mind though, but…』
After such conversation, Dill was chosen to represent Ishtalica. And from among Tigre’s escorts, they thought that an adult knight would be chosen, but it was Grint who they chose.
Still, even though he was very young, he is one of the best escorts that Tigre has with him.
Even before the duel began, Ainz and the others could not help but react in an indescribable way to the fact that he had said, 『You should be afraid of our knight, who was born as a Holy Knight!』.
And so, the duel began. But it has come to an end several times though.
Why several times, you ask…?
「O-one more time! Guh… What the hell is going on…!?」
It was because Grint, whose body had been knocked down and who had a sword in his neck, had said so several times already.
Looking at Warren, he smiles and gives permission to Dill.
And with that, the duel would begin for the fifth time.
「Uwaah. Chris-san, Dill is so strong, isn’t he?」
「Even in Ishtalica, we only have a handful of people who are that strong. That was also the reason why he was entrusted to be Ainz-sama’s escort, but… Their difference is too big. I don’t even think he has a chance to win」
Grint was unable to even land a single hit. There were a few occasions where Dill must block and receive Grint’s sword, but after receiving it, Grint was either easily swept away or being counterattacked.
「G-Grint! What are you doing!? Next round, you must win the next round!」
「Y-yes!」
Tigre is cheering him desperately. And Grint, wants to win at all costs and dedicate his victory to Tigre.
「Ainz-sama. To be honest, I thought he’d be able to do a little more than this as someone being born as a Holy Knight. It should be the strongest knight-types jobs after all」
Finally, Chris spoke up with a complaint.
「Huh? Aren’t the strongest jobs of that types being the Heavenly Knight?」
「That is… Umm, how to put this. It’s not desirable as it always comes with self-destruction. I’ll explain it in detail next time」
「What was that? I’m really curious. What do you mean by self-destruction…?」
He was rather more interested in Chris’s words than in the battle between Grint and Dill. But when she said that she’ll explain it next time, he decided to put up with it.
The fifth duel was about to begin, and both Dill and Grint took their stances waiting for the signal.
「But I wanted to see Chris-san fight too」
「…I’ll show you one of my best moves when I get the chance」
「I’m looking forward to it」
While they were talking, the fight between Dill and Grint continued. Dill is already waiting for Grint to attack, instead of attacking him himself. But Grint seems to be having a hard time trying to attack him.
「Ed, that Dill boy is really good, isn’t he…?」
「He’s quite strong. In a few years, he’ll be strong enough to even challenge Logas-dono」
「Hou… You think so much of him, aren’t you?」
「Even though he’s that young, I get a glimpse of the strength of Ishtalica. It’s just simply terrifying」
Lord Amur and the others decided to enjoy the duel purely for the fun of it. They thought it would be better for their mental health.
However, Tigre’s side became even more restless.
「Ugh… What the hell is he!? Is he using some kind of trick…!?」
He just kept saying things that were off the mark, but he still believed that Grint would win and cheered him on. That’s how significant the “Holy Knight” is in Hyme.
And If he didn’t win, he wouldn’t be able to get any information about Claune, which also made him desperate.
But, mercilessly, he never got the ending he wanted.
「Ghaah…!」
The hilt of Dill’s sword struck Grint in the stomach. The impact caused Grint to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
「G-Grint!?」
「…It would be a shame to ask him to do it again. Let’s end this for today. What do you think, Warren-sama?」
「Umu. Dill is right, Grint-dono was quite a wonderful knight who could go that far for someone of his age…」
「Y-yeah… I think so too」
Dill turned his back on Grint and began to head back towards Ainz. But even though his personality was bad, he was still a Holy Knight, and with such a rare job in his hands, Grint’s body recovered quickly.
「Not yet! I’m not done yeeeee-t!」
Grint got up and started running towards Dill. With amazing resilience, he got up and began to run.
His pride and a number of thoughts inspired Grint. Surprised by his appearance, Dill turned around and looked at Grint again.
「Ainz-sama. This is just the right opportunity. I’ll show you how reliable I am――」
Hearing Chris’s words, Ainz thought she was going to do something to stop the rampaging Grint. But Chris’s words stopped halfway. For a moment, the sand under Chris’s feet seemed to move, and then she finished her words before.
「――in a fight like this」
「Uwaaa!! Th-that is!? His sword is…?? But how!?」
Chris said that she’ll show it off. But Ainz had no idea what she had done. Grint, who is still running, finally pulled out his sword and was about to turn to Dill when the strange thing happened.
「G-Grint!? Wh-where did the blade of your sword gone!?」
「I-I don’t know! I’ve tried to pull it out, but for some reason, the blade part was gone…」
Chris then talks to him, even though he was still surprised.
「A few years ago, I told you, didn’t I? When I fought Logas-dono, there was a reason why he could not compete with me. And this is why… What do you think?」
「…All I could tell was that the sand on the ground had moved though. But well done, I guess」
Chris is probably the fastest knight in Ishtalica. Seeing how fast she was, Ainz reaffirmed her reliability. First of all, it was difficult to stand on the same stage as her, that’s how it was.
When Grint looked for the blade, he found that it was tucked inside the sheath of the sword. It seemed that Chris had cut it off from the guard.
「Ugh… Big brother! For the last time! Fight me! Don’t just hide behind your escort! Show me how strong you’ve become in these few years!」
After a moment of silence, something happened that no one had expected.
It came from Ishtalica, who was, in a word, more rude than anything else. It was an attitude that just plain demeaned the other party.
「Hahahahah!!」
「Ku-kukuku」
「Wh-what to say… You want to have a fight with His Highness? Hahahah!」
The knights of Ishtalica’s Kings Guard had reached their limit too. They finally could not hold back their laughter anymore.
「What’s so funny! You’re being rude!」
「Wh-which one of us is the rude one I wonder? That’s funny」
「Aah… Good grief. If I know it would be such a funny sideshow, I should have laughed at it from the beginning」
「That’s true. I’ve heard that you were His Highness’ younger brother. But I wondered what would happen to him…」
Grint was so angry at the current situation that he took his anger out on the knights of Ishtalica’s Kings Guard. But their attitude does not change.
「…It’s not something to laugh at」
At last, Dill admonishes the King’s Guard. He is younger, but he is in a higher position than a normal Kings Guard. That is why he is able to admonish them.
「I’m sorry for our knight’s attitude. But Grint-dono… If you can’t beat me, you won’t be able to handle His Highness. Because His Highness is much stronger than I am. As his escort, I can only apologize」
These words had a great impact on Grint. Of course, Tigre felt the same way.
Ed, on the other hand, was convinced. It was hard to put into words how intimidating he felt towards Ainz. He was a little relieved to know that he had not made a mistake.
In the midst of the surprise, a civilian officer came to Warren’s side and handed him a bag of papers.
Warren took it and began to speak in a theatrical manner.
「Oooh! Tigre, I just received information about Miss Claune」
「…Fo-for real!?」
Even though he was no longer addressed with “dono”, he could not afford to worry about that now he had more important things to think about. The deal failed because Grint didn’t win, but he was still scheming in his mind to get that information somehow.
「Originally, I would only share this with the condition that your knight would win. But in honor of him having fought so many battles, I will give Tigre the information I have just received」
Tigre was overjoyed at the unexpected concession.
「I’m grateful for that! Now, let’s hear what the information was!」
「I guess it’s because I’m old, but I’ve lost track of Miss Claune. I’m sorry to say that, but I knew her well too」
「…You know, her well?」
「Yes. Then I’ll give you this document… Lord Amur? We will take our rest. So, we will return to the ship now. If you need anything, please inform the knights outside」
「Y-yes. I understand」
Warren handed the document to Tigre’s escort knight. After that, it was decided to call it a day and the group from Ishtalica began to return to the ship they had come in on.
「Come on, Ainz-sama. Thank you for your hard work today. Let’s take it easy on the ship for the rest of the day」
「Yeah, okay. Let’s go, everyone」
「Yes!」
「Understood」
Chris and Dill replied to Ainz’s words in turn.
「…Hmph! They should’ve handed this straight from the start」
While saying so, Tigre was able to get some information about Claune. So, he couldn’t help but smile.
Grint, who kept losing, was told that Ainz was much stronger than Dill, who kept beating him. He still hadn’t regained his senses. But Tigre didn’t care about Grint, and just opened the document.
His other escort was relieved and looked at Tigre, hoping to find some good information in the documents.
But the relief was short-lived. Tigre was stunned and started to narrate the contents.
「I-is this true!? It’s a lie, isn’t it…? No way, I couldn’t believe for Claune to…」
His escort was suspicious and kept looking at Tigre.
「…On her first day in Ishtalica. Miss Claune placed the Crown Prince Ainz on top of herself when he was asleep. And that’s all the information they found… it said!?」
Tigre tore up the document because he thought that Claune had allowed Ainz to touch her. He didn’t think it was possible, but there was nothing else written in the document.
「…Don’t mess with meeeee-!」
***
Tigre’s voice reached Ainz and the others who were already on their way to the White King.
「Hey, Warren-san. What were your orders to the civilian? It looks like things are pretty rough over there」
「Fumu, you realized something, huh?」
「It’s Warren-san after all. What did you tell them in the document?」
「I didn’t ask them to write any lies. It’s just about the day Miss Claune arrived in Ishtalica… I just told them to write that she had put Ainz-sama’s body to lie down on top of her… I just thought that it would be good for them to know that Miss Claune is spending her time peacefully」
「Lie down on top of her? You mean the knee lap?… You write something so embarrassing, aren’t you…?」
Ainz put his hand on his forehead and hid his embarrassed expression.
「Well, you’re right about that… But it was a moving story… Even for us, it was quite a popular topic」
The way Ainz was sleeping in the harbor with Claune lending her lap was quite famous.
Ainz and Claune, with their smiling faces and Claune’s almost holy mother-like appearance. The future for the two of them was so promising.
「Well. Jeez… Why did becoming a representative become something like this… I didn’t see something like that coming. Or rather, you guys have gone too far! Good grief!」
The knights and civil servants chuckled at Ainz’s words.
Nevertheless, Ainz thought it was pretty refreshing. If it were possible, he would have liked to see Logas here and be defeated by Chris. But in that case, he would have rather done it himself.
Still, it must be difficult for Grint. He saw him standing there with Dill and knew at a glance that he wasn’t good enough. He didn’t look like a match for him. The difference between them was so wide that it was almost pitiful.
It’s not uncommon for people to underestimate their opponents and get caught unprepared. So, he promised himself that he would learn from his mistakes so that would not happen to him.
