Bab 0707 Abel Tawanan II
Translator: Jay_Forestieri
Editor: Tseirp
"M-silakan duduk, Yang Mulia Raja Abel, Lord Duke Rondo."
Majikan tempat ini, Marquis Nyusha, memandu Abel dan Ryo ke sofa.
Ia adalah tuan ruangan ini, namun berkeringat dingin.
"Aku jujur, aku datang tanpa memberi tahu Marquis Nyusha sebelumnya."
"Kupikir begitu."\n
Lord Aubrey berkata demikian, dan Abel mengangguk seolah itu memang wajar.
Dari sudut pandang Marquis Nyusha, sepertinya ia tak pernah berpikir bahwa Lord Aubrey, otoritas tertinggi Union, akan datang ke sini.
Tentu saja, tidak ada Perang antar-negara yang berlangsung.
Perbedaan kekuatan antara kedua negara cukup besar, namun mereka tetap berdekatan.
Ketika pejabat tertinggi satu negara mengunjungi negara tetangga, seharusnya ada pengantongkian sebelumnya.
Seharusnya...
"Baiklah, aku hanyalah seorang gubernur. Seharusnya saja tidak masalah untuk ngunjungin negara tetangga dengan santai."
"Tapi penerimanya sepertinya sedang kesulitan ya?"
"Apa maksudmu?"
Abel menyinggung kecurigaannya, dan Lord Aubrey tertawa sambil disengaja mengabaikan ekspresi wajah Marquis Nyusha.\n
Di tengah pertukaran kata-kata cepat antara Abel dan Lord Aubrey, Ryo dudak dudak dengan tenang, patuh, berada di naungan Abel.
Lalu dengan ekspresi dingin, ia menikmati kopi yang disajikan.
"Mengingat kembali, ketika kuterima laporan, kusangka tidak mungkin itu benar."
"Hah?"
"Rajanya, Raja Abel, muncul di tempat perundingan di Benteng Za Rash.
"Kamu mendengar laporan itu, jauh dari ibukota, Jayclaire?"
"Ya. Jika benar, kujelaskan, mengamini tamu negara saat melintasi wilayah Union akan menjadi bentuk keramahan yang pantas."
"Sungguh pemikiran yang baik."
Abel menjawab dengan senyum, lalu melanjutkan.
"Aku menghargai itu, namun tak perlu ada pengawalan. Tolong abaikan kami."
"Tidak mungkin. Jika sesuatu terjadi pada Yang Mulia di dalam wilayah Union, itu akan menjadi masalah serius."
"Apakah yang bisa terjadi?"
"Tentu saja, wilayah kami berusaha menjaga ketertiban... namun tidak bisa dipastikan tidak ada kemungkinan negara ketiga yang mencoba berspekulasi."
Lord Aubrey menyatakan kemungkinan Kekaisaran mengincar Abel di dalam wilayah Union.
"Itu menakutkan sekali."
"Setuju bukan?"
Abel tersenyum lagi, dan Lord Aubrey mengangguk.
(Roaring naga dan harimau bertarung... Aku hampir dapat membayangkan pusaran skema dan konspirasi.)\n
Ryo merenungkan hal ini dari sudut pandang pengamat luar.\n
Kopi yang disajikan padanya memang enak, tanpa kekhawatiran apa pun, sehingga ia menyaksipertukaran antara Abel dan Lord Aubrey sebagai hiburan.\n
Namun ia tidak bisa tetap sekedar penonton selamanya.\n
"Seperti yang kalian tahu, aku memiliki tertinggi duke di pihakku, jadi aku takkan mudah dibunuh."
Kata-kata Abel menarik Ryo ke dalam percakapan.\n
"Tentu saja. Lord Duke Rondo, terkenal sebagai Silver Duke, atau Icefall... Aku mendengar rumor, namun benar-benar adalah petualang yang dulu pernah melawan kami."
Yang dimaksud Lord Aubrey mungkin adalah pertempuran di Duchy Inbury.\n
Ryo baru saja menghadapi Lord Aubrey dan orang lain di sanal.\n
Fakta bahwa Lord Rondo = Ryo belum begitu tersebar luas.\n
Sebelum utusan dikirim ke Negara-Negara Barat, sempat beredar rumor bahwa "tidak ada seorang pun bernama Lord Rondo".\n
Orang-orang yang bekerja di istana kerajaan Knightley tahu Ryo, yang pernah berkelana di dalam istana cukup baik... namun istana kerajaan yang dilindungi sempurna oleh kontror-intelijen Marquis Heinlein, kabar itu cukup sulit bocor.\n
"Lord Aubrey, sepertinya kamu mengiringi sekitar sepuluh ribu ksatria denganmu."
"Ya. Mereka untuk melindungkanku."
"Banyak sekali untuk perlindungan."
"Benarkah?"
Lord Aubrey menjawab dengan senyum.\n
"Marquis Nyusha, bukankah kamu teragak-agak membiarkan sepuluh ribu ksatria elite Union melewati perbatasan?"
"Aku tak pernah mendengar laporan semacam itu. Aku hanya diinformasikan bahwa suatu utusan diplomasi sedang ingin segera mengunjungi dan akan melewati perbatasan."
Marquis Nyusha menjawab pertanyaan Abel dengan jujur.\n
"Ya, aku datang untuk tujuan diplomasi. Aku berkata hanya perlu pengawalan kecil, namun karena orang-orang yang bertanggung jawab menambah berbagai hal, akhirnya seperti ini. Aku mungkin terlalu banyak mengirim?"
Ini persislah gaya ketamakutiaan yang menggambarkan Lord Aubrey.\n
"Meskipun begitu, jumlah itu masih kurang."
"Hmm?"
Lord Aubrey miringkan kepalanya mendengar kata-kata Abel.\n
"Jumlah yang, jika tertinggi duke benar-benar serius, akan semuanya menjadi mayat dalam tiga detik. Tidak cukup untuk datang kepadaku, bukan?"
"Wah, Raja Abel bilang hal-hal menakutkan."
"Tentu saja, aku bercanda saja."
"Ya, tentu saja. Aku mengerti, kamu bercanda."
Abel dan Lord Aubrey tertawa riang.\n
Menyaksikan percakapan ini dari samping, Ryo bisa melihat dengan jelas bahwa Marquis Nyusha sedang gemetar.\n
Pilu, dia berkata, sambil memegang perspektif pihak ketiga yang benar-benar netral, lalu mengangguk pelan di kepalanya.\n
Selama tidak melibatkan dirinya secara pribadi, Ryo tidak benar-benar peduli.\n
Justru, belakangan ini ia bisa hampir berkata bahwa sudah terbiasa.\n
Dia menduga ini mungkin karena, saat terlibat dalam misi diplomasi ke Negara-Negara Barat, ia sering bertemu dengan figur seperti mantan Kaisar Rupert dari Kekaisaran dan mantan Raja Roberto Pirlo dari Union.\n
Di tengahnya, Lord Aubrey melepas berita besar.\n
"Sebenarnya, aku ingin mengundang Yang Mulia ke ibukota."
"...Permisi?"
Abel miringkan kepalanya.\n
Jujur, ia tidak mengerti tujuan Lord Aubrey.\n
"Aku ingin Raja Abel datang ke Jayclaire, dan menggunakannya untuk mendemonstrasikan persaudangan antara Kerajaan dan Union kepada negara lain."
Lord Aubrey menjelaskan dengan senyum.\n
Mendengar sampai di sini, Abel pun mengerti.\n
<<Apakah ia ingin menunjukkan bahwa ia telah menangkapku?>>\n
<<Itu memang salah satu kemungkinannya. Seperti halnya, "jika ingin kembalikan raja mu, bayar tebusan".>>\n
<<Apakah itu tebusan, pencabutan lahan, atau apapun, jika kita ikut serta memenuhi permintaan itu, otoritas Kerajaan akan runtuh, bukan?>>\n
<<Benar juga.>>\n
Ryo mengangguk sepakat dengan kata-kata Abel.\n
Hal ini telah terjadi berkali-kali dalam sejarah Bumi.\n
Contoh paling terkenal adalah Richard the Lionheart dari Inggris.\n
Saat Perang Salib Ketiga, pasukan dipimpin oleh orang yang kemudian akan dikenal sebagai pahlawan: Richard Lionheart dari Inggris, Philip Augustus dari Prancis, dan Frederick I, Kaisar Kholera Roma Suci yang biasanya disebut Barbarossa, Kaisar Berjenggara Merah.\n
Ini, dalam suatu arti, adalah tim impian Eropa.\n
Di pihak Islam, yang menanti adalah pahlawan Saladin.\n
Dalam sejarah dunia, ini juga bisa disebut salah satu konfrontasi timur-barat yang paling brilian.\n
Akhirnya, para salib tidak berhasil merebut tujuan mereka, Yerusalem, dan mundur.\n
Masalah muncul saat mereka kembali.\n
Richard ditangkap oleh Leopold V dari Austria saat kembali ke Inggris. Leopold V telah berpartisipasi dalam Perang Salib Ketiga, namun telah ditistai oleh Richard saat Pengepungan Acre, dan karena itu dia bersimpati padanya... dan akhirnya menangkapnya saat kembali pulang.\n
Akhirnya, Inggris membayar jumlah tebusan yang sangat besar untuk mendapatkan kembali Raja Richard...\n
Selain itu, Philip Augustus dari Prancis dan Henry VI, yang menggantikan Frederick dari Kholera Roma Suci, mendorong saudara Richard, John, untuk mencoba merebut tahta Inggris...\n
Setelah itu, Philip Augustus, dari John yang menjadi raja Inggris, menaklukkan sebagian besar wilayah Inggris dan memperkuat otoritas monarki.\n
Menggemaorkan anggota keluarga kerajaan yang tidak kompeten, lalu mengambil lahan dari raja baru yang tidak kompeten.\n
Konspirasi artistik.\n
Skema dan taktik semacam itu ada pada zamannya.\n
Ryo merenungkan sejarah Bumi itu di dalam hatinya.\n
Namun yang harus ditilikan sekarang adalah situasi di dunia 'Phi' ini.\n
<<Biarkan mereka mengawal kami.>>\n
<<Hmm. Jadi kita menerima undangan?>>\n
<<Ya. Kita bisa bergerak dengan pengawalan. Setidaknya sampai ke ibukota Union. Meskipun diserang, akan kuhuni, jadi tidak masalah.>>\n
<<Lawannya memiliki sepuluh ribu ksatria elite, tahu?>>\n
<<Tidak masalah.>>\n
Dalam catur dan shogi, langkah terkuat adalah langkah yang menerima undangan lawan.\n
Jika lawan lemah, mereka akan berpikir, "Wah, mereka jatuh ke dalam jebakan". Namun, bagaimikan kalau lawannya adalah juara dunia, pemain muktamad tujuh bidadak, atau pemain ganda delapan?\n
Mereka akan berpikir, "Padahhal mereka seharusnya tahu apa tujuan kami, mengapa mereka masih tertarik?"
Secara alami, mereka akan berpikir, "Apakah ada langkah yang belum kujelajahi? Apakah ada perangkap?"
Mengambil kompas lawan adalah langkah pertama dalam pertarungan satu lawu satu.\n
Itulah sebabnya mengapa langkah yang menerima undangan lawan adalah yang terkuat.\n
Dan Lord Aubrey, pemain di balik ini, sangat menghargai Abel.\n
Buktinya ia datang dengan sepuluh ribu ksatria.\n
Bayangkan hanya dari fakta saja, jika seorang Abel yang begitu dihargai ini tertarik pada umpan Lord Aubrey...\n
Itu saja mungkin sudah cukup untuk membuat Lord Aubrey kehilangan keseimbangan emosional...\n
Abel juga memahami alasan Ryo.\n
<<Biarkan ini berubah menjadi perjalanan ke Jayclaire.>>\n
<<Itu memang terdengar menarik.>>\n
Setelah kesepakatan melalui "Soul Resonance", Abel berkata.\n
"Aku menerima undangan ke Jayclaire dengan hormat penuh."
"Eh..."
bahkan Lord Aubrey tidak bisa menyembunyikan kejutannya mendengar kata-kata itu.\n
Dia mengira Abel akan menolak dengan segala cara.\n
Namun, justru mengapa ia menerima?\n
Namun, ekspresi terkejut di wajah Lord Aubrey hanya bertahan sejenak.\n
Tidak ada pilihan lain selain harus mengatakan kata-kata berikutnya.\n
"Terima kasih sudah menerima."
Chapter 0707 Abel the Captive II
Translator: Jay_Forestieri
Editor: Tseirp
“P-please, do take a seat, Your Majesty Abel, Lord Duke Rondo.”
Marquis Nyusha, the owner of the place, guided Abel and Ryo to the sofa.
He was the master of the room, but he was sweating profusely.
“To be honest, I came here without informing Marquis Nyusha in advance.”
“I thought so.”
Lord Aubrey said this, and Abel nodded as if that was only natural.
From Marquis Nyusha’s point of view, he probably never imagined that Lord Aubrey, the Union’s highest authority, would come here.
Of course, the two countries were not at war.
The difference in national power was quite large, but they were still neighboring countries.
When the top official of one country visits a neighboring country, there is supposed to be a certain amount of prior negotiation.
Supposed to be...
“Well, I am just a governor. So I believe it is no problem to casually visit a neighboring country.”
“The people on the receiving end seem troubled, though?”
“Is that so?”
Abel expressed his doubt, and Lord Aubrey laughed while deliberately ignoring Marquis Nyusha’s expression.
By the way, while Abel and Lord Aubrey were engaged in a back-and-forth exchange of quick-fire remarks, Ryo was sitting quietly, dutifully, in Abel’s shadow.
And then, with a composed expression, he drank the coffee that was served.
“Even so, when I received the report, I thought it could not possibly be true.”
“Huh?”
“That King Abel had appeared at the negotiation venue at Zaarash Fortress.”
“You heard that report, all the way from the capital, Jayclaire?”
“Yes. If it were true, I thought escorting you while you passed through our Union territory would be proper hospitality for a state guest.”
“How thoughtful.”
Abel answered with a smile and continued speaking.
“I appreciate the consideration, but there is no need for an escort. Please do not mind us.”
“That would not do. If something were to happen to Your Majesty inside Union territory, it would be a major problem.”
“Are you saying something could happen?”
“Of course, our Union territory strives to maintain public order... but one cannot say there is no possibility that a third country would seize the chance to extend the hand of conspiracy.”
Lord Aubrey pointed out the possibility that the Empire might target Abel while he was within Union territory.
“I see, that is terrifying.”
“Wouldn’t you say so?”
Abel smiled again, and Lord Aubrey nodded.
(Roaring dragons and tigers striking one another... I can almost see the whirlpool of schemes and stratagems.)
Ryo was thinking this from the perspective of an outside observer.
The coffee he had been served was excellent, so with no concerns whatsoever, he was watching Abel and Lord Aubrey’s exchange as part of the entertainment.
But he could not remain a spectator forever.
“As you know, I have the premier duke at my side, so I don’t think I will be easily killed.”
Abel’s words drew Ryo into the matter.
“Oh, of course. Lord Duke Rondo, famed as the Silver Duke, or the Icefall... I had heard the rumors, but you really were the adventurer who faced us back then.”
What Lord Aubrey was referring to was probably the battle in the Inbury Duchy.
Ryo had confronted Lord Aubrey and the others there.
The fact that Lord Rondo = Ryo had not yet spread that widely.
Before the envoy was dispatched to the Western Countries, there had even been rumors that ‘there is no such person as Lord Rondo’.
Those who worked in the Knightley royal castle knew Ryo, who had walked around inside the castle, quite well... but the royal castle, which was protected perfectly by Marquis Heinlein’s counterintelligence, information apparently was not easily leaked.
“Lord Aubrey, it seems you brought around ten thousand knights with you.”
“Yes. They are for my protection.”
“That’s a lot for protection.”
“Is it?”
Lord Aubrey answered with a smile.
“Marquis Nyusha, did you not hesitate to let ten thousand elite Union knights cross the border?”
“I received no such report. I was only told that a diplomatic envoy was in a hurry to visit and would be crossing the border.”
Marquis Nyusha answered Abel’s question honestly.
“Yes, I came here for diplomatic reasons. I said I only needed a small escort, but after the people in charge added various things, it ended up like this. Did I perhaps bring a bit too many?”
This was exactly the sort of shamelessness that would describe Lord Aubrey.
“Even so, that’s an insufficient number.”
“Hmm?”
Lord Aubrey tilted his head at Abel’s words.
“A number that, if our premier duke got serious, would all be corpses in three seconds. It would not be enough to come see me, would it?”
“My, my. Your Majesty Abel says frightening things.”
“Of course, I am joking.”
“Yes, of course. I understand, you are joking.”
Abel and Lord Aubrey laughed cheerfully.
Watching this conversation unfold from the side, Ryo could see quite clearly that Marquis Nyusha was trembling.
Poor guy, he thought, holding a completely detached, third-party perspective as he quietly shook his head in his mind.
As long as it didn’t involve him personally, Ryo didn't really care one way or the other.
Rather, these days, one could almost say he’d gotten used to it.
He figured it was likely because, during his time with the diplomatic mission to the Western Countries, he had frequently crossed paths with the likes of the former Emperor Rupert of the Empire and the former King Roberto Pirlo of the Union.
In the midst of that, Lord Aubrey dropped a bombshell.
“In fact, I would like to invite Your Majesty to the capital.”
“...Pardon?”
Abel tilted his head.
To be honest, he did not understand Lord Aubrey’s aim.
“I would like Your Majesty Abel to come to Jayclaire, and use it to demonstrate to the other countries the friendship between the Kingdom and the Union.”
Lord Aubrey explained with a smile.
Hearing that much, Abel understood too.
<<He wants to show the Kingdom that he took me prisoner?>>
<<That possibility exists. It’s the kind of thing where they say, if you want your king back, hand over the ransom.>>
<<Whether it’s ransom or territory cession or whatever, if we go along with the demand, the Kingdom’s authority will fall to the ground, right?>>
<<Indeed.>>
Ryo nodded at Abel’s words.
This had happened several times in Earth’s history as well.
The most famous example would be Richard the Lionheart of England.
During the Third Crusade, the forces were led by people who would later be called heroes: Richard Lionheart of England, Philip Augustus of France, and Frederick I, the Holy Roman Emperor, commonly known as Barbarossa, the Red-Bearded Emperor.
It was, in a sense, Europe’s dream team.
On the Islamic side, waiting to receive them was the hero Saladin.
In world history as well, it could be called one of the most brilliant east-west confrontations in a certain sense.
In the end, the Crusaders were unable to capture their objective, Jerusalem, and withdrew.
The problem arose during that retreat.
Richard was captured by Leopold V of Austria while on his way back to England.
Leopold V had participated in the Third Crusade, but he had been humiliated by Richard at the Siege of Acre, and so he bore him a grudge... and as a result, he captured Richard on his way home.
In the end, England paid an enormous ransom to recover King Richard...
Furthermore, Philip Augustus of France and Henry VI, who succeeded Frederick of the Holy Roman Empire, incited Richard’s brother John and tried to have him usurp the English throne...
After that, Philip Augustus, from John, who became king of England, seized large swathes of England’s continental territories and strengthened royal power.
Inciting an incompetent neighboring royal family member to take the throne, then taking land from that incompetent new king.
An artistic conspiracy.
Such schemes and stratagems existed in that era.
Ryo thought about that Earth history in his mind.
But what must be judged now is the situation in this ‘Phi’ world.
<<Let us have them escort us.>>
<<Hm. So we accept the invitation?>>
<<Yes. We can move with an escort. At least as far as the Union capital. Even if we are attacked, I will protect us, so it will be fine.>>
<<The other side has ten thousand elite knights, you know?>>
<<No problem.>>
In chess and shogi, the strongest move is the one that accepts the opponent’s invitation.
If the opponent is poor, they will think, “Excellent, they took the bait”. But what if the opponent is a world champion, an eternal seven-crown, or an octuple crown?
They would think, “Even though they should know what our aim is, why did they take the bait?”
Naturally, they would end up thinking, “Is there some line of play I have not noticed? Is there a trap?”
Taking away the opponent’s composure is the very first step in one-on-one combat.
That is why the move that accepts the opponent’s invitation is the strongest.
And Lord Aubrey, the one making the move, highly valued Abel.
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