Chapter 54

Even without looking, I could feel Mayor Rapacio frowning.

Although I was a mercenary, I was strictly speaking an official of Fasa.

Making a job offer in such a public place was an inappropriate remark.

Mayor Rapacio took him to task for his rudeness.

“Admiral Gian, I believe I just said that he is in charge of a key role in Fasa.”

“That is for this friend to decide. And honestly, isn’t Levona a better environment for talent than Fasa?”

“You wicked.”

Before the argument could get bigger, I quickly stepped in.

“Thank you for the good offer. But I must decline. I am satisfied with the work I am doing now in Fasa.”

“Is that so? A shame.”

Though rejected, Gian said nothing and quietly backed down.

Was he trying to test my reaction?

Or trying to drive a wedge between us?

Anyway, he was a crafty old man.

He really made it impossible to let one’s guard down.

In the first place, that offer was one that could never have come to fruition.

It was true that Levona was a much wealthier nation.

But there was no room for me to squeeze into Levona.

Because Levona was a nation of the dwarf race.

In a place where clan, kin, tribe, blood ties, regional ties, and school ties were all tightly intertwined, how could I, a human of a race with no backing whatsoever, survive?

If I had made the same proposal to found a mercenary company in Levona as I had in Fasa, they would have probably just stolen the idea or cleanly ignored me.

Besides, what I wanted was to control the Golden Sea, not to be a Levonan naval admiral.

I hadn’t been working overtime in Fasa all this time just to become a mere admiral.

So that offer was a refusal.

“Well, I understand your intention. However, the matter of the alliance is not something I can decide rashly. I will convey it to the Levona Grand Council and get an answer. But in my opinion, the Governor will also accept the proposal.”

“That’s a relief.”

“You don’t have to be too grateful. We were also feeling that the pirates’ villainy had gotten worse. It’s time for a cleanup.”

Right.

If we formed a military cooperation, we wouldn't be the only ones saving on defense costs.

Levona was not unaware that cooperating was a way to save costs, so they would be positive about it.

When the meeting ended, Gian decided to return to his country immediately.

At the place where we were seeing off the Levonan admiral’s flagship, the Calcio, Mayor Rapacio had a troubled face.

“I wonder if we’re not playing too much into their hands.”

“Don’t worry too much. Or you can think of it this way. We are borrowing Levona’s military power cheaply.”

“If that applies to us, doesn’t it apply to them too?”

“Consider the geographical issue. Which side is much closer to the pirates?”

“Hmm.”

Mayor Rapacio, who had only been concerned with the contract, finally began to think in another direction.

Levona was in the north of Apennia, and Fasa was in the south.

Naturally, Fasa was much closer to the pirates’ base than Levona.

Therefore, it was also much easier to encounter pirates.

Pirates were as serious a problem for Fasa as they were for Levona.

So Fasa had a much greater advantage in this matter.

“If we cooperate, we can also solve the problem of insufficient manpower. Besides, the Levonan fleet will call at Fasa to replenish supplies, and how much income will we be able to earn then?”

“It would be quite profitable. Good news.”

At the news of earning money, Mayor Rapacio smiled with satisfaction.

However, it seemed he had forgotten something important.

“But, Mayor.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Won’t you be busy?”

“Why would I be?”

I had no choice but to remind Mayor Rapacio of what he had forgotten.

“To get the cargo ships to send to Levona, you’ll have to go to the Shipowners' Union right now, won’t you? According to the original schedule, all the remaining ships will be converted into armed merchantmen. It will be a big problem if we can’t fulfill the contract with Levona.”

“Oh, dear!”

“And you have to meet with the merchant families too. If you explain what you gained from the negotiations, you might receive criticism, but you won’t buy their discontent.”

Mayor Rapacio tried to drag me into it like a water ghost again.

“……Sir Gryph, if you have time, would you go with me?”

“I decline.”

What good would come of going?

We’d just all go up on the grill and get burned together.

In any case, it was true that it was an important agenda item, so Mayor Rapacio sighed and left in a hurry.

***

Levona was a city-state founded on the coast of northern Apennia.

Now it had expanded to the surrounding areas along the coast, making it hard to call it a city-state.

Still, all of Levona’s policies and directions were traditionally decided in a palace within a small castle district.

In that palace, Governor Canella, the young dwarf who had been elected a short while ago, welcomed Admiral Gian.

Of course, he was young by dwarf society standards.

Governor Canella was older than most elderly humans.

“Welcome, Admiral Gian. You’ve returned from Fasa quickly. You must be tired from the long journey. Was the matter in Fasa resolved well?”

“Yes, as you said, we have arranged to get the captured cargo back. I will explain the details at the Grand Council. Also, I received an interesting proposal from Fasa.”

“What kind of proposal?”

“They suggested we form an alliance to deal with the pirates.”

“Ah. Military cooperation.”

Governor Canella had also received reports that pirates had been rampant recently.

Because of that, there had been a commotion where several trading companies that lost goods to pirates were liquidated.

Not to mention the people who died in the process.

Governor Canella was naturally worried about this serious social problem as well.

“It is indeed an unexpected proposal. I have never heard that a man named Mayor Rapacio had such a knack for business.”

“That’s right. He certainly has a capable person by his side.”

“Hoh. Let’s hear about that later. But in Fasa’s case, isn’t the difference in weight class too great? What do you think?”

“I think it’s not a bad proposal. You know what has been happening in Fasa recently, right?”

“I heard it’s very lively. They say people are flocking there like clouds.”

“When I went, I found that it’s not a complete lie.”

“Is that so?”

Governor Canella showed curiosity.

“The Fasa government has secured the power to counter the pirates by founding a mercenary fleet.”

“Founding, not hiring? We heard wrong information.”

“That’s right. And in that process, the cargo that our Levonan merchants lost to pirates was used.”

“Would you say that again?”

Governor Canella doubted his ears.

Something he had only had a hunch about was revealed to be true.

Admiral Gian explained.

“The mercenary company founded by the Fasa government was created with funds raised by selling the pirates’ treasures and captured cargo. Fasa profited from the tears of blood shed by Levona. Those villains gained life by making the misfortune of others their own good fortune.”

That was the true impression Admiral Gian saw, heard, and felt in Fasa.

He tried his best to think positively, but it was clearly a very unpleasant fact.

He tried his best to think positively, but it was clearly a very unpleasant fact.

“Military cooperation is certainly not a bad proposal, but if that fact becomes known, the citizens’ reaction will not be good. What do you think, Admiral? Should we do this or not?”

“I am in favor of military cooperation.”

“In favor?”

Admiral Gian showed off his maritime knowledge.

“First, by allying with Fasa, we can gain a port from which to project our navy over a long distance. By doing so, we can display our military power to Fasa and put a brake on Fasa’s growth by reclaiming the captured cargo. Then those villainous bastards will realize something.”

It would be good if Fasa knelt and submitted on its own, but in Admiral Gian’s opinion, that seemed unlikely.

Mayor Rapacio felt like an opportunist, but the young mercenary captain named Leon, though he seemed weak, also seemed to have some backbone.

So he had made a transfer offer just in case, but as expected, it had no effect.

While Admiral Gian was thinking of Leon, Governor Canella continued.

“I entirely agree. But I feel that we can’t just leave Fasa alone someday. Will it be possible?”

“It is possible. But there is no need to go to war with Fasa right away. It will be sufficient to handle the problem after dealing with the pirates and getting the hegemony of the Golden Sea into our hands.”

The admiral and the governor looked at each other with mischievous smiles.

“And.”

“And?”

“Ah, excuse me. I was just reminded of the little villain who led the situation.”

“You mean that mercenary captain named Leon Gryph?”

Even Governor Canella had heard the name, that was how renowned Leon Gryph’s name was in the Golden Sea now.

“I just heard he was a mercenary captain. How was he when you met him in person?”

“He was quite young, but his bold personality made him seem quite capable. Young people these days have no spirit, do they? But that friend said what he had to say.”

“He did that in front of you, Admiral?”

“That fellow, rather than being swayed by the Fasa government, acted as if he had them in the palm of his hand. He may become a stumbling block later.”

“That’s quite a generous evaluation for one coming from Admiral Gian.”

At those words, Admiral Gian laughed.

“To be honest, it was to the point where I wondered what it would be like to make him my niece’s son-in-law.”

“To that extent?”

“Unfortunately, the aesthetics of humans are quite different from us dwarves. That’s the problem.”

“That’s right. Damn, humans always like things that are like long sticks. They don’t recognize the beauty of our race. I should have adopted a daughter instead. A shame.”

The two unhesitatingly exchanged words that would have made Leon scream if he had heard them.

It was a great fortune that Leon was not there.

“But the fellow is still just a sprout, and we can break him whenever we want. We will not let him grow like that.”

Gian, erasing the smile from his face, instead showed his resolve with a cruel light in his eyes.

Levona was a nation that had traditionally focused on the sea.

Therefore, Levona’s national strategy was always decided in a way that excluded nations that would compete for hegemony in maritime competition.

Any move that threatened Levona’s maritime policy could never be tolerated.

Absolutely never.

“Fortunately, Fasa’s power is not that great yet. But isn’t it the rule to keep dangerous enemies closer?”

“That is correct.”

However, compared to Florence, Ambrosia, and San Marconia, which Levona had dealt with so far, Fasa was nothing but an insignificant country.

If a sprout was growing in an unseen place, it was a dangerous thing.

But if it was already recognized, there was no problem.

Governor Canella nodded his head.

“I understand. Do as you please regarding that, and prepare a plan related to the military cooperation to be made with Fasa. I will handle the execution.”

“Understood, Your Excellency. Then will you persuade the Grand Council, Governor?”

“Admiral Gian, please take care of that. As a council member, don’t you know more about the Grand Council than I do?”

“……”

“Do you have any complaints? Wasn’t all of this for the great Levona?”

“That’s right. It’s for Levona.”

Admiral Gian puckered his lips as if he had eaten bitter medicine.

It was Admiral Gian’s usual thought that fighting pirates was much easier than dealing with a bunch of old, crafty council members of the Grand Council.

To be honest, wasn't Governor Canella leaving it to him because he also found it burdensome to deal with the Grand Council?

Admiral Gian thought that Governor Canella would have been excellent even if he had become a soldier.

Because his judgment and evasion skills were top-notch.

“*Sigh*, no. I have no complaints. I will take care of it myself.”

“Haha. I’m counting on you, Admiral Gian.”

“You will have to pay it back with interest someday.”

“I will, someday. Please work hard for Levona.”

Thinking of the Grand Council, Admiral Gian let out a sigh.

He was worried about how much those old men would nag him this time.

Still, since he had received the governor's instructions, he had no choice but to follow.

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