29 - The Bookworm’s Second Life

Beloved Existing Reader's Rehabilitation Life - Episode 29 > Bookbunny - Web Novel Archive <―> News arrived that a truce negotiation would soon begin between the Clausen March of the Kingdom of Hispania and the Basura County of the Nudia Kingdom. The negotiation tent was to be set up precisely at the border. To prepare for any situations, the armies of both territories would accompany but were to stand by at a fair distance from the tent. Though these territories were used to frequently alternating between war and truce, it was the first time in decades that truce negotiations had begun within such a short timeframe. The Basura County of Nudia had proposed the truce first, claiming that there was nothing to gain from continued conflict. The Clausen March also accepted the proposal without much hesitation. However, both the soldiers of Nudia and the troops of the Clausen March knew very well. They knew who was suggesting the truce because they had lost the war, and they understood who was the dominant party and who was subordinate in these talks. "Sigh." Sion glanced around cautiously. His demeanor was filled with suspicion, as if expecting some treacherous plot might be brewing. Although the Lichten Margrave had confidently claimed that such a thing wouldn't happen, Sion couldn't trust those words entirely. Unlike the previous Count Basura remembered by the Lichten Margrave, the current Count Dishe was a vile individual who considered even incineration, let alone recycling, as a nuisance. "Master." Reshikida, brought to this event by the Count Dishe, appeared restless. He had just begun to steady his heart and win the trust and affection of his new master, only for the despicable previous master to cling onto his legs pathetically. "I made it clear. Even if it's the king who touches my people, it’s rebellion on their part. So don't worry about whatever nonsense a count of the enemy country might spew, Reshikida." “…I will believe in you, only you, Master.” Reshikida wavered between addressing Sion as "young master" and "master." Apparently, he had a tendency to seek both loyalty and affectionate attention, a detail that hadn't been explained in the novel, leaving Sion only now realizing it. ‘This isn't necessarily bad, but it feels a bit peculiar.’ Lillith, of course, and even Lucia, leapt in surprise at Reshikida's emphatic use of “master”. Not only the knights but even the household maids called him “young master,” avoiding the strange term of "master." Sion worried deeply whether the prospective father-in-law of a demon lord level might soon confront him, fists flying. ‘If Ridox really showed up… would I even be able to escape?’ Just yesterday, a letter had gone out to Ridox. The contents disclosed that the being from the edifice was none other than the succubus queen, Lilith, who was now in a contract with him, phrased as delicately as possible by the Lichten Margrave, considering Ridox’s notoriously difficult personality. "Master. I mean, young master, over there." At Reshikida's words, Sion shifted his gaze. From the direction of Nudia's territory, someone on a horse was approaching the tent. “…What did that bastard do to his horse?” “It’s a kind of ornamentation.” “Ornamentation, my ass, like his mother’s funeral procession. Did he clothe the horse in jewelry or what?” If it were jangling armor, it would make sense, given they were officially still in a state of war even while negotiating. But the bastard had dressed his horse in a jewel-studded dress instead of armor. The gems dangled off the horse, flashing so brightly it felt like the strobe lights of a nightclub. ‘What an utter display of lunacy. I feel the urge to shove a bamboo stake up his…’ Suppressing his boiling rage, Sion entered the tent without waiting any longer for the arrival of the other party. Inside the tent, which solely existed for negotiations, there was nothing but a long table and chairs, as any potential weapon had to be excluded for contingency reasons. Thud thud— “Young master.” As sounds from outside indicated someone from the opposing side entering, Reshikida, anxious, called upon Sion again. Sion glanced at his knight and gave a confident smile. With the smile of a handsome youth filled with self-assurance, Reshikida fell silent momentarily and then closed his mouth. Shortly after, a man walked in with an escort knight. “Oh, I apologize. I aimed to keep time, but I hadn’t expected Prince Sion Clausen to be so diligent. Haha!” “….” Sion was deeply displeased, hearing words that seemed to imply, "I delayed on purpose, but you came early out of nervousness!" One could easily mistake the situation as if they were the ones desperately pleading for the negotiation. Considering it was Nudia who had proposed the negotiations in the first place. “Let’s get down to business.” Thud! Sion slouched into his chair, putting his feet up on the negotiation table. Such behavior could betray a declaration of, “To hell with negotiations, let’s just go to war.” Though technically disrespectful, the stance of Nudia was already that of a supplicant rather than a superior. “Let’s hear the terms then, the terms.” Despite being a noble of the enemy country, his counterpart was still a count. Meanwhile, Sion was just an heir to a margrave. Normally some decorum would be expected, yet seeing how Sion behaved, Reshikida inadvertently tensed up. “…You’re as they say, straightforward.” Luckily for him, the reputation of Sion Clausen’s questionable manners had spread to neighboring territories, so perhaps they just saw him as the bratty fool he was. "But I’ve been told you risked your life to save just one soldier. Once I heard that, I thought the infamous demeanor was merely a façade, befitting a true Clausen Margrave heir. Who would have thought you'd coax the enemy into carelessness with strange rumors about the successor.” What drivel, you crazy bastard. Seems you'd rather be writing a novel yourself. “So I, Dishe Basura, have come in person to discuss a truce with someone who values his soldiers." “Yes.” His reaction was one of indifference, as if to say, "So what?" Count Dishe's eyebrows sharply tilted for a moment, but they soon settled back. As previously mentioned, Nudia was the supplicant party, not the dominant one. "Here are Nudia's terms for the truce. The borders shall remain as is, but as we were the ones to initiate the conflict, we will pay a war indemnity of 400,000 dirhams (the largest currency unit in Nudia). Additionally, our King plans to personally send a letter of remorse to the royal family of Hispania." 400,000 dirhams was a reasonable amount for indemnity. It was enough to replenish lost supplies, compensate those who were injured or killed, and still have a significant sum left over. Clearly, Nudia was eager for the truce. "I was surprised at how quickly you proposed a truce." "A meaningless war benefits neither side." "I'm not so sure; we were fine with continuing the fight as things were. Isn’t that right, Reshikida?" Sion casually drew Reshikida into the negotiation. It was at this moment that Count Dishe seized his opportunity to speak. "In return, we hope the Clausen March will also take appropriate actions to show goodwill towards the truce." "Appropriate actions?" "We request the repatriation of prisoners. Of course, we're not asking for unconditional release. We will provide their ransom, so you need not worry." "The Nudia prisoners we captured are relatively few, amounting to, say, seven knights and a few injured soldiers." "And there is one senior knight among them." Ah, so that was their real objective, thinking they could pull one over on me. Sion's eyes turned icy, but Count Dishe, engrossed in looking at Reshikida, failed to notice the change in Sion’s demeanor. "Sir Reshikida Amshel was a knight we took great pride in within Basura County. It pained us greatly to hear of her unfortunate capture, so it’s truly a relief to see her well. I am glad no harm seems to have come her way." "..." Should I overturn the table? Sion was genuinely contemplating it. "We are prepared to offer a generous ransom for Sir Reshikida. Furthermore, we have arranged a personal gift for you, young master, so we hope you will kindly allow Sir Reshikida to return to her beloved homeland and longed-for home territory." Beloved homeland? Longed-for home territory? Is this bastard nearsighted or something? Or is he talking to an alternate version of me and Reshikida? Is this guy in his own feat of dimensional travel? Or maybe he's experiencing some sort of personality split? Sion side-eyed Reshikida, wondering if she had a change of heart. However, Reshikida just stood, trembling with clenched fists, a look that said it was miserable to have to listen to such nonsense. "If releasing everyone is difficult, I beg you at least to let Sir Reshikida go. She is truly a cherished knight to me, like a dear friend." Oh, sure. Is that so? You want to call someone a friend who tells them to drop dead? Why not also ask about their parents' health while you’re at it. "Surely, these terms would enhance the prestige of the Clausen March." "...What do you think about my proposal? Please, speak if you have terms you want to discuss further." Speak. At that, Sion pulled his feet off the table. Then he slowly opened his mouth. "Woof." "...?" “Woof woof woof. Woof woof. Bark bark bark. Bark bark. Ruff ruff, ruff ruff ruff.” For a moment, Count Dishe wondered if he was hallucinating. Could someone actually conduct themselves like this during a truce negotiation? Absolutely dumbfounded, he struggled to stifle a scream bubbling up inside. "P- Prince Sion Clausen. What are you doing?" "Oh, what's this? You can speak human after all! So why have you been spouting nonsense all this time! I was being generous by speaking Dog for you, mistaken as I was." "W-what kind of rudeness is this…." "Can anyone tell me where the bathroom is? After hearing so much crap, I feel like my whole body is full of it. I need to go and dump it all out." Both Count Dishe and the knight standing beside him turned beet red with rage. It was fortunate there were no swords at their waists; otherwise, they might have lunged at him right away. "E-Young Master." Even Reshikida seemed shocked and unsure of what to do in the face of Sion’s words and actions. Yet the instigator of all this chaos remained calm and unbothered. "Are we not negotiating?" "Argh! Watch your actions when you speak! Although you and I are adversaries, we are both nobles, and I stand as a count! Show some respect, I demand it!" "So, are we negotiating or not?" "I had thought you were reasonable, but I'm truly disappointed! Speaking so arrogantly at the negotiation table! The Clausen March is…." "Hey.” The atmosphere in the tent instantly grew heavy. Sion Clausen's deeply lowered voice felt akin to a predator’s growl before it leaps upon its prey. "Let me ask one last time: Are you not going to negotiate, you cur?" Only then did Count Dishe realize he was by no means in a favorable position at this negotiating table. His territory's soldiers had been decimated nearly to extinction, and the central reinforcements had lost spirit to the extent they were incapable of effective battle. On top of that, the senior knight Reshikida Amshel was captured. There was not a single advantageous aspect to his situation. “Of course, negotiation is necessary… for the sake of us all…” “Cut the nonsense and sit down quietly. We’re doing you the favor by even agreeing to negotiations; you just have to sit there and be the one negotiated with.” Was this the true nature of Sion Clausen? According to rumors, he was a scoundrel; later reports described him as quite the respectable young man. There had been no mention of such an icy demeanor. "First, increase the indemnity from 400,000 to 4 million." "…Excuse me? What did you just say?" "Four million. That's ten times forty thousand. Or do you not understand basic numbers?" "That’s absurd! Forty thousand dirhams is already a generous sum!" Count Dishe, flustered, blurted out his words without a thought. Yet Sion cut him off firmly, showing no concern for the count’s reaction. "Four million." "That's impossible, absolutely impossible! This is unheard of!" "Four million." "Are you trying to make a joke, Prince Sion Clausen? Four million dirhams is equivalent to the annual taxes of our entire Basura County!" "Then flip the table." "Pardon?" Sion tilted his head slightly, continuing in a voice as if he was discussing the weather. "Flip the table, and let’s wage war. Let’s do it right until one of us is dead."