Shock
The lord of Blooming Territory's attendant was a middle-aged man. Not only did he have a huge belly, but his bald head gleamed under the candlelight.
His clothes were luxurious, yet slightly vulgar.
His silk coat was practically covered with every bit of gold and silver he owned. With every step, it gave off a crisp jingling sound.
"Greetings, Priestess. Commander."
The envoy tried hard to bend at the waist, making himself appear humble and respectful.
Unfortunately, his belly was simply too large.
So large that even when he exerted all his strength, he could not bend over.
He clearly knew this as well. After offering a symbolic salute, he immediately got to the point.
"I have come on behalf of my lord."
"My lord hopes to gain Aya Outpost's support and resist those monsters together."
"Of course, in return, we are willing to stand with Aya Outpost. No matter what decision Aya Outpost makes, we will support it!"
The man spoke in lofty, high-sounding terms, but the meaning hidden beneath his words shocked Nelson.
He glanced at Aitelinna. With the female priestess's tacit approval, the outpost commander spoke directly.
"Any decision?"
"Including helping Aya Outpost build another outer wall?"
the outpost commander asked.
"Of course!"
"With Lord Ryan, the 'hero,' helping Aya Outpost build an outer wall is only natural."
"However, we hope the other lords will contribute more. You understand, don't you?"
The envoy smiled broadly at the outpost commander.
At last, Nelson understood what the man was planning.
Hurting others without benefiting himself.
No!
More accurately: making others suffer greater losses while preserving his own side.
Only, only...
After thinking for a moment, even the fair and impartial outpost commander could not find an apt phrase to describe his feelings.
He had long known that the