Civil Servant in Romance Fantasy - Chapter 351
As he was about to turn around, Georg opened his mouth as if he had just remembered something.
“This time, didn’t the Barandi tribe appear on the front lines? I heard that an inspector came to negotiate with the tribe.”
“…Is that so.”
He barely nodded his head at the news that Karl, the inspector, had come to the front lines.
Fortunately, it was a visit for negotiation, not combat, but the front lines were the front lines. I just hope he doesn’t come to a place that’s even slightly dangerous.
“I understand that you’re worried about your son as a father, but you’re worrying too much. Honestly, even if you and I attacked him at the same time, we wouldn’t be able to defeat him.”
“Who said I was worried?”
“Well, you did. Would I?”
He turned his head away without a word at the dry answer.
When I get back to the council, I’ll have to let Zenobia know how many times this bastard has been on the front lines.
***
A report came in that the Barandi tribe had appeared on the Saray front.
‘Of all places, Saray.’
The name was so familiar that it made me shudder. The tribe led by Thala was the Saray tribe.
During the last war, it was an area led by Paljunma himself, so it was a place that we were unable to occupy for a long time, but now it is an imperial occupied territory and a front line. It’s a different feeling.
“The Saray front was where the nomads’ offensive was the fiercest, but the nomads’ momentum has been broken by the ongoing battles. They say that there are more tribes watching now, so it should be safe for the inspector to go there.”
I nodded at the warlord’s words. It’s difficult to negotiate on a front line where you never know when a battle might break out, but if the offensive has subsided, it’s not impossible. Even more so if there are more tribes reconsidering their defection than tribes launching offensives.
“If the Barandi tribe surrenders, the other neutral tribes will also lean towards the empire. The role of the inspector is very important.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will keep that in mind.”
As I bowed my head and replied, the warlord patted my shoulder and continued.
“However, there is no need to push yourself, as many tribes have already shown their willingness to surrender to the empire. Make your safe return your top priority.”
“Yes, I will do that.”
Unlike the time with the Kaitana tribe, it seems that the warlord is also concerned about the negotiations taking place on the front lines. After all, if the tribes in the vicinity were to rush to the negotiating table all at once while negotiations were taking place on the front lines, it would be quite a difficult situation.
Of course, the tribes on the front lines are potential defectors or neutral forces, so that won’t happen.
This time, too, I headed to the Barandi tribe’s駐屯地, escorted by the Twilight Knights. I thought I would say hello to the lord since he happened to be on the Saray front, but I’m on official business now. I’ll have plenty of time to say hello after the negotiations are over.
And I think it would be better to say, ‘I’m going to the heart of the enemy to negotiate,’ rather than ‘I’m going to negotiate.’ At least it won’t worry the lord.
‘Negotiations, huh?’
That’s another thing, though. I still can’t figure out how to lead the negotiations with the Barandi tribe.
Honestly, the negotiations with the Kaitana tribe were hardly negotiations. The tribe was already full of thoughts of surrendering, and as soon as the gift of a barony was offered, they went into informant mode and volunteered all sorts of information. It’s not right to call that a negotiation.
On the other hand, Barandi showed no intention of surrendering and did not hint at what he wanted. He simply showed the ambiguity of a priestly tribe whose faith had been trampled on but who maintained neutrality rather than being pro-war, and the strangeness of having inherited the position of priest but not performing the role of priest properly.
‘…Officially, he’s still a priest, though.’
I wondered if perhaps the premise of Barandi being the focal point of faith was wrong, so I collected information about Barandi through various routes.
Fortunately, it is true that the Barandi tribe’s chieftain succeeded to the priesthood three years ago. It is a fact that is known externally, so other tribes know about it as well.
‘But he’s not able to fulfill that role.’
As the priest, who had been sitting on a chair as if he was about to collapse, straightened his posture upon hearing my name,
Of course, on the outside, he’ll act like a priest. He’s at least doing the bare minimum, so other tribes would call Barandy, the chieftain, the priest.
However, the Eternal Blue Sky said that the priest was not fulfilling his role. Since it was a statement from the god he believed in, it must be true.
‘He has the name, but not the substance…’
I looked at the sword hanging from my waist without thinking.
I touched the part that I had cut Kagan with on top of that.
Hmmmmmm.
‘Are you there?’
– Huh? Did you call me?
When I called out to the Eternal Blue Sky in my mind, the Eternal Blue Sky answered not long after.
It’s good that he answered quickly. I’ll have time to discuss things before the negotiations.
‘I have a question.’
Since this is good for me as well as for you, please cooperate a bit.
***
I heard a report that a group holding white flags was approaching from afar. They must be the empire’s envoys.
‘This is amazing.’
The urge to gather the army and push them back surged up. I’m not ready to make contact with the empire yet. In our current state, we won’t be able to draw out the best possible conditions if we meet with the envoys now. However, it would be terrible to refuse the envoys’ visit.
While I was hesitating, the empire’s envoys reached the camp.
“The priest shall welcome the one who bears the mark of the Eternal Blue Sky and possesses the divine water as a guest!”
With a strange sound.
‘What the.’
What in the world is that supposed to mean?
I couldn’t know what Barandy wanted for the tribe, but I could be sure of one thing. Regardless of the chieftain’s true intentions, Barandy couldn’t give up the name of the priest.
Even though he was not fulfilling the role of the priest properly, the other tribes thought of Barandy, the chieftain, as the priest. So, he must be fervently promoting the idea that ‘My father has passed away, but I am also the priest.’ Of course, I don’t know the reason for that either, but anyway, he’s maintaining his identity as the priest.
That’s enough. If Barandy, the chieftain, bears the name of the priest and cannot give up that name, all I have to do is act accordingly.
“The priest shall welcome the one who bears the mark of the Eternal Blue Sky and possesses the divine water as a guest!”
So, as soon as Barandy arrived at the tribe’s camp, I shouted confidently.
I said that I had received the mark of the god you serve and even have that god’s divine water. Even if you have ill feelings towards the empire, as a priest, you cannot bring yourself to turn me away at the gate.
– You don’t seem to be normal either.
I was a little taken aback by the grumbling in my head. As someone who had shattered the faith that served the Eternal Blue Sky, it wasn’t something I should have shouted out confidently.
Still, I managed to act confident. I would be a son of a bitch if I sold out the Eternal Blue Sky for my own selfish desires, but this is something that benefits both of us.
‘Please help me since this is something that’s good for both of us.’
– Yeah, well, it’s something that’s good for me too.
With those words, the Eternal Blue Sky fell silent again, and not long after, several nomads came running in a hurry.
Since they’re not armed, it seems like they intend to treat us as guests for now.
When we arrived at the ger at the center of the camp, a middle-aged man was waiting. With his hair neatly slicked back and his beard trimmed, he seemed to care about his appearance, but judging from the expression of annoyance and fatigue as he drank his alcohol, he also looked like a frustrated bum who had been let down by repeated failures.
“The mark and the divine water.”
The man muttered as he took the leather flask from his mouth when he saw me come in.
“For an imperial to have something that even the priest has never seen, that’s interesting.”
However, unlike his words, the man, who had an expression devoid of any interest, stretched out his hand and pointed to the chair across from him. As if to say, let’s sit down and talk.
As expected, there was no unilateral conscription or attempt to attack. Even though we’re still in a precarious situation since we haven’t been received yet, the fact that we can communicate is a good start.
“Barandy of the Gurt Batal, the only priest of the plains. This Barandy is also the chieftain of the tribe.”
“By the grace of His Majesty the Emperor, I am Count Karl Crassus of Viridia.”
The priest,who had been slumped in his chair, straightened up as my name was called.
“Karl Krasius?”
A sharpness that had not been there before appeared in the priest’s eyes.
“The high priest who serves the heavens and the pagan who destroyed his house.”
His imposing speech was within the expected range.Since I approached the priest religiously, mentioning the stigmata and the holy water, the priest could use the northern faith to gain an advantage over me, an imperial and a pagan. The meeting took place not because the imperial envoy Barandy asked the chieftain for a meeting, but because the owner of the stigmata and the holy water asked to meet the priest.
But it doesn’t matter. The negotiation is underway since the inevitable meeting took place.
“It’s a cruel joke that the enemy of faith has the stigmata and the holy water.”
“Even the adversary is part of the myth.”
The priest’s eyes frowned at the unexpected words, but he did not stop.
“And because the adversary is part of the myth, he is also entangled with God.”
With that, I gestured to the 4th squad leader, and he placed my sword, which he had been holding in his arms, on the table. Unlike the Kaitana tribe, the escort and armament were limited, so there was no choice.
…No, in fact, this is normal and Kaitana was strange.
“The first pope of the Dawn Order was killed by a pagan. However, the dagger that stabbed the pope was imbued with sacred blood and became holy water, and the pagan who harmed the pope repented and became a martyr who spread the faith.”
It was a vague remark, but the priest seemed to notice something and turned his gaze to the sword on the table.
Fortunately. He’s quite observant.
“That’s why it’s not strange that the sword that killed the high priest becomes a holy relic, and that the pagan who destroyed the temple receives the stigmata.”
To summarize, it means, ‘I killed your high priest and destroyed the temple, but anyway, the holy water and the stigmata are real.’
For a moment, I thought I should take off my clothes and show him the stigmata, but the priest, who had been staring at the sword, burst out laughing and turned his gaze to me.
“There is no way for humans to know the will of God. You have brought something precious.”
The priest said so and spoke to the escort standing behind him.
“We have a precious guest, so prepare a meal.”
“Yes, chieftain.”
I was a little relieved to hear that he would treat me as a guest. If things had gone wrong, I would have had to escape after performing a sword dance in the tribe, which is the center of faith.
By the way, is he a priest because he is convinced just by looking at the sword? He seems to feel the power of God.
The priest’s reaction was quite mild. As a priest, it is natural for him to deal with someone who has brought a relic of a crumbling faith, and as a chieftain, it is natural for him to have an envoy who can save the tribe.
The only thing that bothers me is that someone who can be so gentle has not expressed his intention to surrender until now.
“Without even the holy water, let alone a temple to serve our Lord, it was shameful to call myself a priest.”
“You must have worked hard.”
“It was not even possible to say empty words. Our Barandy tribe is a tribe united by faith, and even I, the priest, feel like I am wandering in the dark, so how about my fellow tribesmen? But the empire has shown us the holy water containing the power of the Lord and guided us on a new path, so I cannot thank you enough.”
After listening to the priest, who had suddenly changed to a respectful tone, I understood. The priest wanted to surrender but could not. He wanted to surrender to save the tribe, but because of his title as a priest, and if he gave up being a priest, the tribe he wanted to save would collapse.
In that crazy dilemma, I opened the way, so the priest would have no hesitation. It is certain because he insists that it was the empire, not me, who led him to a new path.
Now, the priest’s surrender is not merely a choice to survive. As the Empire has provided religious grace by shedding light on their collapsing faith, it is an expression of gratitude to the Empire. It is something that he must do as a priest.