Chapter 207 (1/2)

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Chapter 207 – Searching for a Compromise

After their conversation, the king and the old man left the chambers. A maid came in and started cleaning. The bed, in particular, was a mess. When Hikaru sneaked in around three in the morning, he found the king sleeping with a few women. He was fortunate he didn't witness them doing the act.

Hikaru slipped out from behind the curtain where he was hiding and went out the window to the courtyard, pondering things over along the way. The king mentioned he could sense someone even while asleep. However, Hikaru actually got closer than they expected, but his Stealth was too high-leveled for Gerhardt to notice him.

Hikaru's Instincts, however, did whisper to him not to get too close. How close, he didn't know. He a.s.sumed that if he got close enough to pull out a dagger and stab Gerhardt, the king would have woken up. He wasn't absolutely sure, though.

Instinct sure is handy. Maybe I should put more points on it. But I might end up in a situation where I need more Strength or Stamina…

A good-old typical grinding was necessary to gain more skill points—killing monsters and earning money, just like an actual adventurer. Unfortunately, war had been keeping Hikaru busy. Unless he stopped the war, he wouldn't be able to grind in peace.

Hikaru threatened Gerhardt directly to see how the man would react. He even stole the military-use daggers to show that he had the upper hand. But it only served to fuel Gerhardt more. From this, he arrived at a conclusion.

Gerhardt has a lot of confidence in himself. He's driven by a strong conviction and decided to invade Ponsonia.

Hikaru stifled a yawn. He made his way back to the inn to get some sleep.

Later that evening, when the sun was about set, Hikaru returned to the palace. Preparations for the war were going smoothly. Numerous carts—most likely carrying provisions—were leaving Hopestadt, manned by soldiers holding the national flag.

I could delay things by burning their supplies… Then again, whoever's in charge of it will have their heads cut off for sure.

Lavia and Paula gathered information during the day about Gerhardt's nature. He was stern, yet warm-hearted. While he appeared to have a one-track mind, he would look at things in the long-term. Many called him a wise king.

There were also many who incurred the wrath of the king and got executed. This resulted in Gerhardt having plenty of enemies as well. Using these enemies, however, would only bring about another civil war. Hikaru wanted to avoid causing further trouble.

To stop the war without any casualties, Gerhardt himself had to declare that the war be stopped. In that respect, directly threatening him was not entirely wrong.

If I recall correctly, the tournament to select the next king starts next spring. That's also when Gerhardt's term ends. He wants to crush Ponsonia, a kingdom that Einbeast had despised for a long time, before then.

Einbeast had developed greatly under the rule of Gerhardt. They now had the power to fight Ponsonia. The kingdom, on the other hand, was weak from the civil war. There couldn't be any better opportunity than this.

Einbeast despises Ponsonia for its supremacist views, discriminating against Beastmen. But there are humans in this country too, and they're not really being discriminated against.

Hikaru felt that the country's official stance and the citizens' opinions differed. The citizens didn't like Ponsonia, of course. But surely, they cared about that no more than their daily income. Who cares about issues of a foreign country?

First, I need to gather data.

Hikaru infiltrated the palace once more.

「Five more days till New Years.」a beastman patrol said.

「Yup. You got plans?」his partner, a dwarf, asked.

「My wife's parents' home is in this city, so we're spending the eve there.」

「I see. Oh, you just got a kid, right?」