Chapter 635
“Objection… do you mean…”
Viscount Marie Black, who provided the venue for today’s meeting and took on the role of moderator, also trailed off as if embarrassed.
Yes, that will happen.
At first, I came to report survival and was bombarded with all kinds of attention and questions, but after answering everything roughly, I was the one dozing in the corner.
You might be wondering why this is happening all of a sudden.
“why? “I told you to raise an objection, but is there a problem?”
“No… not really. “We at Melves respect the voices of all families.”
“Then that’s good!”
I soon received permission from the host and expressed my opinion without hesitation.
“The Goldbeard family is not the right person to receive this construction order!”
“yes…?”
Not only Viscount Marie Black but also the other heads of the family all reacted by saying that they heard all the strange noises.
Well, of course.
Count Goldbeard is not only the only count out of 32 families, but also holds the position of vice-lord of Melves.
That alone is enough to represent Melves, and since he also owns several construction-related businesses, I agree that he is the right person for this job.
But…
“Uh… Then, is Baron Yandel’s position not to participate in receiving this construction order?”
“no! Of course I’m participating! “It’s an opportunity to make a lot of money, so why just suck your fingers and watch?”
“So, the reason you opposed this agenda….”
“The reason you opposed it is simple! The Goldbeard family is not bad, but in my opinion, there is a more suitable candidate!”
“A more suitable person… who is that?”
In response to Viscount Marie Black’s question, which seemed to have nothing to do with her sincerity, I shamelessly pointed at myself with my thumb.
“This is Baron Yandel!”
“….”
“….”
Why is everyone saying nothing?
At this time, shouldn’t we find out the reason for that confidence and come out in a positive way?
I had no choice but to promote myself alone.
Well, it looks like an elementary school student is running for class president and talking hard.
“If Baron Yandel participates in the construction, all barbarian warriors will join. I don’t know about you yet, but we barbarians are more natural workers than dwarves—.”
Still, I tried my best to appeal, but then someone snorted and interrupted the conversation.
“Foot.”
Someone took a closer look and found a dwarf hanging on a chair, fiddling with his beard.
The competitor for this order was Count Goldbeard.
“…Why are you smiling?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. “I don’t mean to disrespect my barbarians, but… I just find it a bit fun to talk about.”
“So where are you going?”
Count Goldbeard seemed taken aback for a moment when he persistently asked in a cold, subdued voice, but then burst into laughter.
And he looked at me manly and said.
“Even if it’s not specifically in the field of architecture.”
“….”
“There’s no way the barbarians are better than us dwarves, right?”
Hehe….
Have you seen this damn raceist?
For a moment, my hair turned white, but I thought that I would lose if I got angry, so I tried to keep my composure and opened my mouth.
“Eh? There’s nothing better? You can tell just by looking at his height, right? What about the fact that dwarves are inherently incapable of competing with barbarians?”
Short stature was an offense to dwarves.
Well, they seem to be rationalizing that it’s okay because they have other talents…
but rationalizing it like that is proof that they think it’s their own weakness.
“…Haha, if body size was everything, how could you still be a barbarian who has become a noble?”
Although he was smiling calmly, I could tell just by looking at him that his pride was seriously damaged.
So, it’s time to scratch the weak points a little more.
“Oh, that’s really interesting too. “I’ve been eating well and living well for a long time, so why haven’t I grown taller yet?”
“…haha.”
“Ah, Count, aren’t you like that? I still get confused between goblins and dwarves sometimes. Since they are both so similar in height… I guess you don’t know because you haven’t been to the labyrinth? “How similar are you and goblins?”
“….”
“Um… Baron Yandel? “Joe, please calm down a little.”
“Calm? I think the count over there should file the complaint, right? “My beard over there is trembling right now.”
“….”
“But I’m suddenly curious: why do all dwarves grow beards? Growing a beard doesn’t make you taller—.”
The Count, who had been silent and his beard shaking just a moment ago, slammed the table and stood up.
“…I will not tolerate any more rudeness!”
Oh, of course, there was no difference in eye level even though I stood up.
‘Ugh, tsk tsk. Is this why we have to confiscate all the chairs from the dwarfs?’
While I clicked my tongue thinking about this, I calmly asked back as I looked at the dwarf who turned over in his seat like a man.
“What if I don’t hold back?”
“….”
“What if I can’t bear it? Are you going to challenge me to a duel?”
It goes without saying, but there was a set answer he could give to this cheat-like question.
“…It’s barbaric.”
Just ridiculing my low level and avoiding it.
But this is also a little funny.
“why? Isn’t that why you guys brought me here? “Are you going to attack me when I’m being ignored by other nobles?”
“Even then… I was against it.”
“Eh? “It was definitely unanimous when the vote was taken back then, right?”
“That was already agreed upon before—.”
“Ah, are you saying you can’t even express your own opinion if everyone else is saying the same thing?”
“….”
“Well, the shorter you are, the shorter your liver is.”
As I was about to be sarcastic one last time, someone shouted like an angry bull.
“Baron Yandel—!!”
This time, it was a difficult opponent for me to attack with Noppagu.
He was a grandfather who was serving as the president of Melves.
His name is Takuo Welbeard.
His race is Black Bear and his title is Viscount.
We’ve never had a conversation alone, but every time we met, he smiled kindly and said only nice things, so I left a good impression on him.
In fact, I heard from the Rabbit Baron that he is very respected within Melves.
He said he’s never seen him get angry until now…
‘It’s no joke because he just smiles quietly all the time and then gets angry.’
When Hoeju, who was always standing in the corner like a boss, started yelling, not only me but Count Goldbeard also flinched.
And when Hoeju saw us like that, he shouted like a hot-blooded boy.
“never! Don’t forget! The reason we gathered in one place! “We must always come together as one to survive!”
Wow, your voice is good too.
Well, since he’s a black bear, his body size isn’t that much different from mine.
“Difference of opinion? Good! But I will never stand by and watch us fight among ourselves! Do you understand?”
“…I guess I got excited for a moment. “I’m sorry, Hoeju.”
“How can Baron Yandel have no answer!”
“…I will be self-reliant.”
As soon as I took a step back, Hoeju sat down again and began to look as gentle as usual, as if he had never been angry before.
So…
“Then can I continue what I was saying earlier?”
I also opened my mouth slyly.
“What you’re saying is what you were saying…”
“Isn’t the conversation cut off earlier by an interrupter? “I was explaining why we should choose Baron Yandel.”
“Oh yes… I did. Please continue speaking.”
Soon, I continued my explanation naturally as if I had prepared a PPT in advance.
Why are barbarians the best hard workers?
We spoke sufficiently about cost-effectiveness and quantity, and also said that 8,712 Bifron residents could be employed as manpower.
“Hmm… Are you saying barbarian warriors are that good at building houses?”
“Of course, it cannot be built as elaborately and robustly as a dwarf. But it’s fast.”
At this point, when he looks at Count Goldbeard while saying a word of humility, the dwarf coughs humbly.
Looking at their expressions, it looks like the compliment itself isn’t bad…
“Hmm, our work speed isn’t slow at all either.”
If I even add one word, I can see how much you hate losing.
“Anyway, I think this reconstruction project is about quickly restoring a large area. The royal family itself must be hoping for that.”
“That is correct.”
“I meant it in that sense. “Why did they say I was the best person for this reconstruction project?”
“Sure… it makes sense…”
After the briefing, people’s reactions were ambiguous.
It seems like there are a lot of people who are quite swayed by my persuasion, but it seems like they are doubting whether what I am saying is true or not.
In fact, someone even raised doubts.
“But it’s not just Baron Yandel’s words. “The fact that they are so good at construction work.”
“Then why don’t we just compete? They call in dwarves and barbarians, have them do construction work, and then look at the results and score them. “If I lose, I will accept the result clearly.”
The host looked at Count Goldbeard in bewilderment at such a blunt suggestion that could only be made in a bar.
Eyes as if asking for a doctor.
However, I felt it just by looking at his actions and his height, but as expected, this guy was not good enough to become an adult.
“Good! “Let’s give it a try!”
That’s how the duel was established.
***
After the dueling parties reached an agreement, all the characters naturally noticed one person.
It was Hoeju sitting in the corner.
How will Hoeju react to the fact that we, who were arguing earlier, are actually having a confrontation?
Everyone was worried about this, but the unexpected reaction was very pleasant.
“Hahaha! Yeah, it’s better this way! I will create a position for you soon and contact you. Instead, promise to submit cleanly to either the loser or the winner.”
“I swear on my warrior’s honor.”
“I too swear on my hammer.”
Okay, so now this issue is over…
As the agenda from the beginning dragged on for a long time, Viscount Marie Black, who was in charge of hosting the meeting, continued the meeting again.
“Then, we will conclude the discussion regarding orders and move on to the next agenda.”
In fact, from their perspective, receiving construction orders was not that important of a topic.
Well, it’s about making money anyway, right?
As a new family, we are obsessed with things like this.
As they were people who had maintained noble families for hundreds or at most thousands of years, they all had a lot of money.
And in that sense.
“This agenda is a free discussion about the Noark invasion and the occupation of Bifron.”
As soon as a new topic comes up, all the heads of the family stiffen their expressions and adjust their postures.
Their attitude was so serious that it could not even be compared to the order-related agenda just moments ago.
“As this discussion is about sharing information and analyzing and inferring situations we don’t know about, I hope everyone will speak freely.”
As soon as the meeting began, the household heads who had remained silent expressed their opinions in passionate voices.
“There is circumstantial evidence that the royal family knew in advance about the invasion of Noark. This was obtained from a very reliable source….”
“I would like to tell you in advance that this is not certain information. “There is a rumor that Noark’s side has tampered with the protective magic circle in Biffron.”
“Huh… “How could such scoundrels take over the great sage’s legacy?”
As the discussion did not have a clear end, the meeting continued to get longer and naturally, many questions came to me during that time.
“By any chance… do you know anything about Baron Yandel?”
“That’s right! “Weren’t you nearby when that happened!”
“The Baron is the only one who has been to District 7 and Biffron.”
They seemed to have high expectations of me, but unfortunately, I didn’t know much either.
Noark and the royal family’s movements were suspicious.
Isn’t it a bit much to bring it up here without any basis?
“I don’t know either.”
The heads of the family couldn’t help but be disappointed when they honestly said they didn’t know anything.
However, they seemed to understand it to some extent.
“Hmm, I guess so…”
“Well… there’s no way he would know something just because he’s a baron.”
“I’m sure this topic will come up at this royal meeting, so I can’t help but look forward to information from there.”
“But in the end, all we hear is trivial stories. “The really important information doesn’t reach us.”
“In the end, they will monopolize the fruits of this incident.”
I don’t know why, but the atmosphere suddenly darkens and everyone looks angry.
At this, I had no choice but to tilt my head and speak.
“Uh… if that’s the case, there’s nothing I can’t tell you in a few days…?”
But the heads of the family who heard me also looked puzzled.
“…huh? “What do you mean, Baron Yandel?”
“Literally.”
“Haha, you mean literally? “What, are you talking as if Baron Yandel has obtained permission to attend the royal meeting?”
“Oh, I thought so?”
It wasn’t anything to hide, so I just answered calmly. But was it just a story they could not hear in passing?
“….”
“….”
After a moment of silence.
“What?!”
“baron! “Is that true?”
“…oh my god! “There is someone who has been granted permission to attend the royal meeting in Melves!”
Suddenly the surroundings became noisy.
“Isn’t this… almost 600 years old?”
Why are there so many things these guys haven’t been able to do for hundreds of years?
To be honest, it’s a bit absurd, but…
“Baron! baron! Tell me! “How on earth did you get permission?”
“B1! “Is it because of the exploration of the first basement level?”
“No, maybe it’s thanks to his contribution in rescuing the explorers from Area 7.”
The intuition of a warrior born as a natural fighter was speaking.
“baron! “Say something—.”
“Sore throat.”
“…huh?”
“I’m suddenly thirsty. Is there anything cold?”
From now on, I am the boss.