The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 130

The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 130

The ceasefire negotiations began with diplomats stationed in Balas pointing fingers at each other.

However, this was just a kind of appetizer.

The real negotiations were on the 5th day when the senior officials from each kingdom participated.

I was scheduled to participate on that 5th day.

Although there was plenty of time in terms of distance, the problem was that to go directly from Crossing to Balas, we had to go through Alvard.

Since Alvard viewed Juras and me as thorns in their side, and we didn’t know what they might do along the way, we decided to enter Balas via Beckavia and Europe for safety.

As a result, I ended up being somewhat late for the senior officials’ meeting on the 5th day.

“Tch. That’s why I said we should go a day earlier.”

I was in an unpleasant mood, but Juras says it’s rather good.

“It’s fine. After all, the main character always appears last.”

Having said that, Juras shamelessly flung open the doors of the conference room, despite being 4 hours late.

“Prime Minister Juras Pamilion of Crossing has entered!”

When the doorkeeper announced, the negotiation room fell silent as if a mouse had died.

Everyone was busy observing Juras. He had that much presence.

It wasn’t because he was noticeably large in stature, or exceptionally handsome in appearance.

He was just ominous.

I’ve gotten a bit used to it now, but there’s something about this guy that’s physiologically repulsive.

It’s like getting goosebumps and chills just by being near him.

“…Heh.”

As he smiled meaningfully, many people shuddered.

Dialoo, the Prime Minister of Balas who was in charge of conducting the negotiations, swallows dryly and says, “You’re late…”

“There were unavoidable circumstances that made me late. Please understand.”

“But… The one wearing the helmet next to you…?”

“I think there’s no one here who doesn’t know him.”

The gazes turn to me. Those gazes were no less intense than those looking at Juras.

I glanced around at the people in the negotiation room.

‘Impressive.’

It was a lineup that seemed to demonstrate the importance of these negotiations.

Kings who had all come out. Except for Crossing, where Juras had come from, and Bülang, where the coronation had not yet taken place, the kings of all kingdoms were present.

Regarding this, the King of Alvard openly showed his displeasure.

“Hey, your older brother didn’t come?”

Isaac Melberd, the founding king of Alvard. His original name was Isaac Malorn, and he was the younger brother of King Parain.

He narrowed his eyes and glared at Juras.

Juras replies with a gentle smile. “My lord has given me full authority. There should be no problem with the negotiations just because the king is not here, so don’t worry.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. I’m telling you to have some basic manners! Even the elderly King Gareth is here. Not only are you late, but your king doesn’t even show up. What does Crossing think of this matter!”

Behind King Isaac stood Gillias Melbourne with a stern expression. The Grand General Kaien was not visible.

“Haha! Brother Isaac, that’s enough.”

It’s Lorenz Veron, the King of Beckavia. I’ve heard that he doesn’t get along well with his older brother, King Parain, but since they’re allies now, he seems to be shielding him.

Wink! Sophia Veron, sitting next to him, gives me a wink.

I stood behind Juras, who had taken his seat.

The facilitator sighs and says, “Now that everyone seems to be here, I’d like to start discussing in earnest. How we will navigate through these turbulent times.”

Although Crossing held the upper hand in these negotiations, there was something that needed to be discussed first, regardless of that.

It was to determine who was more at fault.

They must have been talking about this before we arrived, as they start raising their voices heatedly.

“I have a question for Bülang!”

One of Calliper’s representatives, Duke Hellian, steps forward and shouts.

“Your kingdom’ unprovoked invasion has thrown the continent into chaos! We demand an explanation for that!”

On Bülang side, princes representing the three main factions were in attendance.

First Prince Oscar speaks on behalf of them.

“I’d like to refrain from commenting on that part for now. We are still in the process of confirming.”

“You’re in the process of confirming?” Duke Hellian glares and shouts. “Then your kingdom started a war based on something that wasn’t properly confirmed!”

The conference hall buzzes with murmurs.

The Bülang side was at a loss for words because what Duke Hellian pointed out was true.

As Oscar was left speechless, Second Prince Barion stepped in to respond. “I’m ashamed to say this, but recently, our Bülang has experienced the pain of loss. The absence of our late king has disrupted national unity and caused confusion in communication. This incident was a sad accident that occurred due to that confusion. We have executed those responsible for causing the confusion, and we are in the process of checking if there’s any evidence of third-party involvement. Could you not overlook this matter?”

“Nonsense! That doesn’t erase the damage caused by your kingdom’s invasion!”

Calliper presses Bülang.

As if the opinions of other kingdoms had already been heard on this matter, the moderator turned his gaze to Juras.

“Minister Pamilion, what do you think about this incident? We’d like to hear your opinion as an ally of Calliper.”

“Hmm. Let me summarize this part simply.”

Juras dropped a bomb with a calm expression.

“It was I who ordered the assassination of Bülang’s King Wilfred Schwarzer.”

The conference hall falls silent as if a mouse had died. Soon, screams that seem to tear through the air erupt.

“Of course, I was also the one who incited Bülang to invade Calliper.”

I was also dumbfounded, staring blankly at Juras.

“You, you bastard! You really…!”

“Arrest that scoundrel immediately!”

The Bülang representatives stand up, emitting murderous intent.

Originally, many people thought that it was Svenner or the Western powers who had instigated the king’s assassination, but there were also quite a few who suspected Crossing.

In this situation, with Juras confessing, such a reaction was inevitable.

Juras grinned at them. “Of course, I’m joking. Why are you reacting so seriously?”

“What…?”

“I was just mocking Bülang’s behavior. This is what Bülang did this time. They could have framed anyone, anywhere. Calliper becoming the target was just their arbitrary choice. Can we really trust such a kingdom? We, Crossing, strongly condemn Bülang.”

Crossing’s declaration of condemnation. The Bülang side clicked their tongues.

Juras began to actively lead the conference. “From the beginning, Bülang’s behavior has been despicable. They tempted kingdoms in crisis and forcibly drew them into their alliance to increase their power. Bülang’s true nature is a kingdom that thrived on the misfortunes of others. Now, such a kingdom has even waged a war without justification. Can there be a righteous future for this kingdom?”

“What are you trying to say?”

In response to the moderator’s question, Juras declares. “I propose the dissolution of the Bülang Alliance. Let’s make a treaty that prevents the Bülang Alliance from imposing sanctions on factions seeking independence.”

“Bullshit!”

All the Bülang representatives protested.

It was understandable. If they followed Juras’ words, Bülang would essentially be destroyed.

The Bülang representatives were so agitated that all kinds of insults towards Juras could be heard.

On the other hand, other kingdoms were busy calculating.

Juras’ current statement was essentially the same as proposing to form an anti-Bülang alliance. After calculating the pros and cons, everyone showed positive reactions.

Especially Svenner, who had been eyeing Bülang, was in favor of doing so immediately.

But at this moment, Juras flicks his cunning tongue.

“Please calm down. I only want the dissolution of the alliance. I’m not saying we should change the commanding power. If the control of the south goes to another kingdom, it will only cause greater chaos, so it’s right that Bülang’s forces continue to govern the south as they have been.”

“What does that mean?”

“In other words, let’s wait for Bülang to be rebuilt in the right form. For the next five years, all kingdoms are strictly prohibited from invading the current Bülang region. Let’s take measures to impose significant disadvantages on any kingdom that violates this.”

A non-aggression treaty limited to Bülang. He was proposing that all kingdoms should sign this.

“If given that much time without foreign invasion, Bülang should be able to become strong again. Am I wrong?”

The Bülang side pricked up their ears at these words.

From Bülang’s perspective, which was already preparing for civil war, Juras’ proposal was perfect.

The reason they hadn’t immediately started a civil war was because they were worried that other kingdoms might take advantage of the situation and invade.

Juras had eliminated that concern.

It was an incredibly favorable negotiation condition for Bülang. Juras speaks as if the time is ripe. “Looking at the atmosphere, it seems the weight of the negotiation has shifted to Bülang. Then, to balance this weight, I’ll make an additional proposal.”

With that, Juras demanded that Bülang pay massive reparations for the invasion of Calliper and not raise issues about Svenner’s invasion and the Western people’s civilian massacres.

“Wouldn’t this make the conditions equal?”

Juras was perfectly fulfilling his role as a war mediator.

Other kingdoms nodded in agreement.

Most of them had no particular thoughts about Bülang to begin with.

They just didn’t want Svenner to conquer Bülang and increase its power.

This treaty could prevent Svenner from taking over Bülang. There was no reason to object.

The problem was Svenner.

“Hmm…”

Svenner’s King Skalo looked at Juras with a complex gaze.

The situation had become delicate.

The reason Svenner’s refusal here is essentially a public display of their ambition to conquer Bülang by any means necessary.

In that case, it was obvious that diplomatic public opinion would worsen.

Given that their position was already awkward due to the civilian massacre committed by the Western people, if diplomatic public opinion worsened as well, there was no telling what might happen.

It wouldn’t be strange if other kingdoms called for an anti-Svenner alliance.

After discussing with the diplomats, Skalo eventually nodded.

“I have… No objections.”

They judged that it would be fine to leave Bülang alone for now.

Among Bülang’s major factions, there are also those connected to the West, so if they win the civil war, they could naturally consume Bülang.

Therefore, from Svenner’s perspective, it’s preferable that other kingdoms don’t interfere in Bülang’s civil war.

“It seems we’ve reached an agreement. Then shall we proceed in that direction?”

Everyone expressed silent agreement. The meeting facilitator soon began drafting the treaty.

Juras demanded that the Western people also participate in this treaty.

To this, the Svenner side agreed, saying they would somehow persuade the West.

This treaty, to be signed by all kingdoms on the continent.

I got goosebumps.

‘This cunning bastard.’

What Juras was aiming for wasn’t the reconstruction of Bülang at all.

This treaty was a measure taken to make it easier for the kingdom I would establish in the future to conquer Bülang.

The kingdom I will establish obviously didn’t sign this treaty, so there’s no problem invading Bülang while it’s in civil war. On the other hand, other kingdoms that signed the treaty cannot intervene in Bülang.

This was a treaty designed with such a plan in mind.

The senior officials of each kingdom were about to sign the treaty without knowing any of this.

In this situation, he stepped forward.

“May I have a moment?”

Eldric Schwarzer, the 3rd prince of Bülang.

“Prince Eldric, what is it? Do you have any complaints about the treaty?”

“I have no complaints about the treaty, but before that, I’d like to raise a fundamental issue about who is responsible for this whole affair.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I assert that Crossing was behind these incidents.”

A meaningful silence flowed through the conference room.

“We don’t know who assassinated the late King Wilfred Schwarzer, but I’m certain that the third party that instigated the invasion of Calliper was Crossing.”

The facilitator asks.

“Do you have any evidence?”

“I have no physical evidence, but I have a strong suspicion. And I have another suspicion to support that suspicion.”

“Suspicion…”

It was absurd to speak based on suspicion alone in such a place, but everyone was willing to listen first, given how ominous the image of that Juras fellow was.

Prince Eldric speaks.

“Crossing was plotting in this war between Bülang and Calliper. Through that plot, they intended to trap us and threaten Bülang’s territory later. They couldn’t do so only because the war situation changed greatly due to Europe invading Tunkai and other kingdoms successively starting wars. If the war situation hadn’t changed, Crossing would have threatened our Bülang along with Calliper. Considering such a causal relationship, we can think that there was also Crossing’s instigation in making us invade Calliper. They say we created a pretext to invade Calliper, but conversely, it’s not strange to see this as Crossing creating a pretext to invade Bülang.”

“So in reality, it was a design for Crossing to invade Bülang?”

It was an argument with many flaws in various aspects, but it made sense overall. As Prince Eldric said, if the situation unfolded that way, Crossing could gain a justification for invading Bülang.

Juras had no such intention at all, but others couldn’t know that.

That Juras fellow is listening leisurely, as if saying ‘go ahead and keep talking’.

The facilitator asks.

“But I heard that Crossing didn’t intervene in this war at all.”

“What if that wasn’t the case?”

“What do you mean…?”

To this, even the Calliper side expressed doubt. They tilted their heads, wondering when Crossing had ever helped them.

Prince Eldric pointed to our side, or more precisely, my side, and shouted.

“That’s because the mercenary Wade sitting on the Crossing side over there participated on the Calliper side!”

“But we haven’t heard that Wade participated either.”

“That guy was not wearing a helmet. He participated in the war under his real identity, not as Wade.”

“That…! Are you saying you’ve discovered that guy’s true identity?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t bother to hesitate.

“That guy’s identity is Ars Elaine, currently the 2nd general of Calliper and a general directly under the royal family!”

Prince Eldric’s revelation.

As a result, the ceasefire negotiations take an intriguing turn.

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TL NOTE:

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