The Unfortunate Girl Wants an Easy Mode in Her Second Life – Chapter 140

Chapter 140: Hard Negotiations
ㅤIn the council hall’s meeting room, I was facing Harriet-san, the head of the Celesta Council.
ㅤA slender madam with dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a light purple casual dress – the same attire as always.
ㅤContrary to her leisurely way of speaking, she is also the head of a trading company with a unique information network both inside and outside of Celesta.
ㅤ
ㅤFirst, the report.
ㅤThe investigation of the Kielhen Islands and the subsequent events.
ㅤAbout the Navel of the World.
ㅤThe Demon King’s Castle, Elminarsh, that slept there.
ㅤThe true identity of the Grandmasters and the concealed history.
ㅤAfter that, I became the Twin Demon King.
ㅤThe Demon King’s Castle ascended, and the Navel of the World disappeared.
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Wait a minute, Minato-san.”
ㅤ
ㅤHarriet-san said so and rubbed her eyes with her fingers.
ㅤ
ㅤ”You don’t believe me?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, if I investigate, I can find out. I don’t think you have any reason to lie about such a thing.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then, what’s the problem?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well… you’re declaring the sea area around the vanished Navel of the World as the Demon Kingdom’s territorial waters.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Is that a problem?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Of course it is… Because even though the whirlpool is finally gone and travel between the north and south continents is now free, that area suddenly becomes the territorial waters of a newly emerged Demon King… The surrounding cities and nations won’t stay silent, you know?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That can’t be helped. However, I’m not asking for permission. I’m simply declaring that it is so.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”The surrounding powers won’t recognize that, right? If they don’t recognize it, you, Minato-san, will be considered 『pirates』 illegally occupying the sea. Warships from various countries will come rushing in, but is that alright with you?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Even if they rush in, they won’t be able to repel the swarm of over a hundred Oceanus and Kraken and invade our territorial waters, will they?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”They won’t…”
ㅤ
ㅤHarriet-san sighed.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Originally, your request, Harriet-san, was like this: Scout the waters near the Kielhen Islands, and if there’s something I can’t overlook, deal with that 『something』 at my own discretion.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I certainly said that.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I merely acted as requested. I took action to deal with something I couldn’t overlook, and as a result, this situation has arisen.”
ㅤ
ㅤAlthough I wonder how it came to this, myself.
ㅤ
ㅤ”But you see, Minato-san, this city has its pride. It would be troublesome to be seen as having yielded to a mysterious power that suddenly appeared without doing anything.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But I can’t overlook the ships of other countries entering our territorial waters. I’ve ordered them to be warned and driven away, but if they don’t withdraw, I’ll have no choice but to sink them.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Gathering the demons scattered around the world and accommodating them in the Demon King’s Castle, Elminarsh, is certainly a benefit. But originally, the reason for this was that the demons started causing trouble everywhere for revenge against the world, right? No matter how bad the Grandmasters of the past were, it has nothing to do with the people of today.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”We will execute the demons who won’t listen.”
ㅤ
ㅤThe demons have lived too long as spiritual beings in the Netherworld.
ㅤIn the Netherworld, emotions themselves are a reality.
ㅤRealistic reflections like whether revenge is just, whether it’s based on facts, or whether the methods are appropriate are powerless in the Netherworld.
ㅤIn short, “The fact that I’m angry is an undeniable truth in itself, so it’s okay to act based on that” – that’s the kind of self-centered judgment that demons tend to make.
ㅤ
ㅤ”At the same time, we will spread the 『Guardian System』 as a new world system to replace the Grandmaster System.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You’re talking about creating a Guardian Guild to replace the Adventurer’s Guild. Is such a thing possible?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Actually, the adventurers of Hope Village were in such a situation. We will expand this to the world. We need to liberate the beastmen, magical beasts, and some spirits who were arbitrarily turned into 『monsters』 for the thrilling experiences of adventurers.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So you’re saying that new power will be for protecting people from threats, not for exploring dungeons.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. Unfortunately, we can’t restore the magical beasts that have already been turned into monsters. We’re making progress with the beastmen, though.
ㅤEspecially, there’s nothing we can do about the monsters that have left the dungeons, mated with animals, and reproduced. We’ll establish the classes of 『Guardian Warrior』, 『Guardian Mage』, and 『Guardian Scout』 for the Guardians, and encourage adventurers to switch over.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I understand that you’re serious.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But it’s also true that it’s just a concept at this point.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right. To be honest, I didn’t come here today to get your agreement.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”What do you mean?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”We’re just telling you that this is what we’re going to do.
ㅤ
ㅤThat’s all. Once we achieve results, the world will inevitably change accordingly. We hope you’ll consider this prior notice as a sign of our good faith.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You mean, you came all the way here to tell us, even though you could have kept silent.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. So, what I want to tell you today is 『please just watch』. If you interfere, we’ll have to respond, but if you don’t do anything, we won’t either.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Will that really be kept? Perhaps your Demon Kingdom, Minato-san, hasn’t yet established itself as a nation and is trying to buy time? Maybe you’re planning to attack the surrounding countries after you’ve made all the necessary preparations.”
ㅤ
ㅤHarriet-san looked at me with piercing eyes, even though her tone remained leisurely.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Your concern is valid. However, it’s impossible to prove that we have 『no intention of attacking』, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You can’t prove something that doesn’t exist.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. Therefore, I won’t try to prove it.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then I can’t believe you either.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Whether you believe us or not will depend on our future actions.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But if we give you time, the Demon Kingdom will prepare itself. You have a castle that flies in the sky. If you wish, even conquering the world itself might not be a pipe dream.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, you’re saying that before that happens, you’ll form an allied force and attack the Demon Kingdom?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s the natural course of action that many leaders would come up with.
ㅤI’m telling you this for your own good, Minato-san. Reconsider, even now. It’s better to stop this.”
ㅤ
ㅤHarriet-san said, looking at me intently.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I’m sure she’s genuinely worried about me, too.）
ㅤ
ㅤI shook my head and looked straight back at Harriet-san, saying,
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s you who should stop.
ㅤIn the first place, Celesta and the surrounding countries won’t have the luxury of fighting the Demon Kingdom.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…What do you mean?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Celesta is a city of the sea. So I think you probably know this, Harriet-san, but the ocean currents and climate are inextricably linked.”
ㅤ
ㅤHarriet-san looked momentarily dumbfounded by the sudden change of topic.
ㅤBut she’s quick-witted, as expected.
ㅤIn the next moment, her expression turned serious.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Don’t tell me, the climate around the sea is going to change because the Navel of the World is gone?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, it’s not limited to the surrounding area. Climate change in one region will cause changes in the climate of neighboring regions, and those changes will further affect the next. Such a large ocean current is changing. Climate change will occur on a global scale.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…This is terrible…”
ㅤ
ㅤHarriet-san muttered as if she couldn’t help herself.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. But since you’ve been kind to Celesta, I’d like to give you this.”
ㅤ
ㅤI took a document out of the Abyss Worm’s stomach and handed it to Harriet-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”This is quite high-quality paper.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It was produced using just a fraction of the knowledge stored in the Demon King’s Castle.”
ㅤ
ㅤHarriet-san flipped through the document.
ㅤAs expected of the council president and head of a trading company, she reads documents incredibly fast.
ㅤHarriet-san’s face gradually grew grim.
ㅤ
ㅤ”…I don’t know if I can believe it, but this is too serious.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. The arid zone that lies between Celesta and the Tree Country will change to a subtropical climate with alternating rainy and dry seasons. The Mist Forest that covers the northern part of the Tree Country, on the contrary, will become drier and much easier to pass through than it is now.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Traffic between Celesta and the Tree Country, and from the southern part of the Tree Country to the Mist Forest will become active. And beyond that lies the military powerhouse, Zamzaria.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”The Zamzaria Kingdom has tried to advance south several times in the past. Each time, they were defeated and forced to retreat by the thick fog and dense trees of the Mist Forest. But what if this fog clears?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…It’s just a hypothetical scenario at this point.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right. Then, what about the Mistradia Tree Country? What if the desert separating it from Celesta disappears? They might show interest in Celesta, which makes a huge profit from trade. The Tree Country is an inland nation, so they’ll also want access to the sea. Especially if the Mist Forest becomes passable and they start to feel pressure from Zamzaria in the north.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. They could bypass the northern continent by sea and attack Zamzaria from the rear. Or they could disrupt trade in the North Sea to weaken Zamzaria’s power. To do that, they’ll set their sights on Celesta’s naval power.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”The desert between Celesta and the Tree Country is expected to transform into grasslands over the years. The rainy season will bring floods and fertilize the land. The desert might turn into a granary.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”…This report only mentions climate change around Celesta.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. Of course, the Elminarsh System is simulating climate change across the entire world.
ㅤBut even that report alone should be worth more than gold to Celesta.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Indeed. I wonder if it’s okay for me to receive such information for free?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”The Demon Kingdom doesn’t want conflicts to occur, whether they involve the Demon Kingdom or not. I thought Celesta needed time to prepare for the future….And you were my client.”
ㅤ
ㅤWhen I said that, Harriet-san smiled wryly.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Even the experts in this city won’t be able to immediately determine the authenticity of this report. If we cooperate with you, could we secretly get information about other regions as well?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It depends on the content of the cooperation.”
ㅤ
ㅤHarriet-san looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath.
ㅤ
ㅤ”…Alright, Minato-san. No, Twin Demon King Minato-heika. I’ll tell them that we’ll consider it positively. However, since this is a serious matter, it’s likely that we’ll need some time.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. We also have to deal with other cities and nations. We’ll wait for an appropriate amount of time.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You mean you’ll negotiate with others if we don’t hurry… That leisurely Minato-san has become quite a skilled negotiator…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Ahaha… Well, thanks to you.”
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s just that I had a rehearsal with Boroneal.
ㅤ
ㅤAnyway, the preparations in Celesta are now complete.