Chapter Two
What do people do first when an unexpected event occurs?
That is [passing the blame around].
“–I understand your situation, Kobald-dono.”
In a spacious conference room, a well-dressed dragonman nodded his dragon head up and down.
In response, the dwarf man called Kobald, who had cultivated a rich beard, nodded with a serious expression.
“Our Empinada territory avoided human casualties from this eruption, but our main industry—mining and refining operations—has come to a halt. If we don’t urgently carry out restoration, we’ll find ourselves in dire straits, and to be honest, we don’t have the resources to accept refugees.”
The great eruption of Mount Fleet had caused significant damage to both the dwarves and the dragonians.
On the dwarf side, their territory’s main industry was destroyed, while on the dragonian side, not only were those who had built their village on Mount Fleet sacrificed, but they also lost their homeland where they had lived.
Kobald’s assertion could be said to be extremely reasonable.
In a situation where his own territory was in crisis, it was natural to refuse acceptance when he lacked the capacity to take in refugees from another race—the dragonians.
However, the dragonian side also had reasons why they couldn’t accept the refugees.
“As fellow dragonians, we would like to accept those who lost their villages and acquaintances. However, considering their racial characteristics, our view is that it would be difficult.”
“Racial characteristics… that’s something like the traits that the dragonian race possesses, right?”
“Yes. Even within the same dragonian racial category, suitable environments change depending on those characteristics. Some have characteristics suited for lakeside living, while others are suited for dry desert regions… but the people of Vechta village, who suffered the damage, are suited for high-temperature and dry volcanic regions. Living in cold or high-humidity areas would cause physical and mental disorders.”
Excluding Mount Fleet’s Vechta village, the nearest dragonian villages and towns were in high-humidity regions with many lakes and marshes, and due to their racial characteristics, the people of Vechta village couldn’t live a normal life there.
The regions suited to Vechta village’s racial characteristics were far away… beyond the capital, and moving nearly a hundred refugees would take a long period and enormous costs.
In that case, it would be more cost-effective and efficient for the dragonian side to temporarily request refugee acceptance from the dwarf side and transport support supplies after the situation completely settled.
That’s why they found themselves in a situation of pushing the refugees onto each other.
“–Falsen-Vechta representative, may we hear your wishes?”
Called by name—Falsen, who had been quietly observing the discussion between both parties, quietly raised his dragon head.
“…We people of Vechta village do not wish to leave Mount Fleet.”
“Yes, I understand. You are a proud clan who has protected the ancient traditions and faith passed down at Mount Fleet, even while knowing the dangers of the volcano. Given that background, I know it’s difficult to make an immediate decision.”
The dragonian messenger nodded as he spoke, but in the depths of his eyes, completely opposite emotions could be seen.
[Mockery]
Pitiful people who, in order to protect outdated traditions and faith, refused relocation despite understanding the various dangers, and through their stubbborn attachment to the land, lost not only their village but many lives.
The country had repeatedly pointed out the dangers of Mount Fleet, an active volcano, and had recommended that the people of Vechta village relocate.
Even so, the people of Vechta village chose to continue living on Mount Fleet, rejecting all the relocation costs and assistance offered by the country and choosing to remain.
So the emotions directed by the dragonian messenger weren’t wrong either.
It was the people of Vechta village who continued to live in dangerous territory knowing the possibility of damage, and if they hadn’t made that wrong choice, they wouldn’t have lost the fathers and mothers who had led the village, the friends and acquaintances they had lived with, and the survivors wouldn’t have been plunged into grief.
Therefore—the next choice must not be wrong.
“We understand your desires, but as a nation, it’s difficult for us to fulfill them. That’s precisely why we’ve asked Falsen-san, the son of the village chief who died in the eruption, to attend as a representative and make a decision here—that is our opinion.”
If they stubbornly clung to the land and lived as refugees in dwarf territory, what awaited them would be an impoverished life as refugees and being looked at with the gaze of seeing something foreign by the dwarves.
If they abandoned the land they had lived on since ancient times, they would probably be mocked by their fellow dragonians as backward country folk who had made era-defining mistakes and ignored warnings, but they could live peaceful lives without poverty.
They shouldn’t make choices that would corner the villagers who had lost many and were plunged into grief.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
“—-We are–“
Just as Falsen, having steeled his resolve, was about to voice the village representative’s intentions–
The conference room door was knocked and quietly opened.
“–During urgent negotiations, I truly apologize for the intrusion.”
Along with a dignified voice, an elderly elf entered the conference room, tapping with his cane.
The moment they saw the elderly elf, Kobald hurriedly straightened his posture.
“T-Trakia-sama… why are you here…?!”
“Ho, how honored I am that you remember me. The last time I visited was twenty years ago when the previous lord stepped down and Kobald-dono took over.”
“There’s no way I could forget! When I inherited the territory from my predecessor father, you took the trouble to visit our frontier territory and bestowed encouraging words upon me!!”
“Kakka… I was on good terms with the previous lord, you see. It’s proper etiquette to greet the successor of an old friend. And the dragonian gentleman must be Luxis-dono, correct?”
“…You know of me?”
“When I went to the capital for the commemorative festival five years ago, you were accompanying us as a diplomatic aide, so I remember you well. Though we didn’t exchange words at that time, you showed consideration for this old body with thoughtful travel arrangements, so I asked your superior for your name, hoping to express my gratitude someday.”
Nodding magnanimously, Trakia carved deep wrinkles in his face with a gentle smile.
From the fact that Kobald, who had been taking a casual attitude until just now, changed his manner of speech, and even Luxis, who had maintained a consistently cool attitude, bowed his head, it could be surmised that this was a quite famous elf.
“So, Trakia-sama, what business brings you to visit our territory this time?”
“I received Felmund from my granddaughter, as transferred from the empire. I came to greet you to convey that I will spend my remaining years as the lord of that land, but–“
Trakia cut off his words and turned his gaze toward Falsen.
“The dragonians camping in the territory—they are refugees who suffered disaster from the Mount Fleet eruption that occurred recently, correct?”
“Yes. I invited myself, Luxis-dono, and Falsen-san there as representatives of the refugees to discuss the future, including refugee acceptance.”
“I see… So the dwarf side will take in the refugees?”
“Well… we dwarves also suffered damage, making acceptance difficult.”
“As for us dragonians, due to racial characteristics, it’s difficult to accept them in neighboring towns and villages, and the exhausted refugees would be forced to travel long distances, so we were just about to ask the intentions of the concerned party, Falsen-san.”
“Ah, understood. Then allow me to make a proposal as well.”
Raising the corners of his mouth, Trakia smiled and then–
“–I shall accept all of these refugees, every last one, in Felmund territory.”
He made such a proposal.
“D-Do you have the resources to accept all the refugees?”
“Indeed I do. Through a rather curious connection, I became acquainted with the daughter of the great Mercator trading company in the northern region. As reconstruction support for this disaster, I’ve secured assistance with food and housing.”
“…But what will you do about their racial characteristics?”
“Kakka, my territory is the land of Felmund, once praised as [Paradise]. No matter what racial characteristics they have, I can certainly provide a suitable environment.”
Immediately after hearing Trakia’s words, the two stopped speaking as if contemplating something.
Though the reason they stopped speaking wasn’t clear, their thoughts could be easily surmised.
“…Indeed, being a unique land with various environments, they could certainly live in an environment suited to their racial characteristics. It’s also close to their homeland of Mount Fleet, making it easy to carry out reconstruction work after the situation completely settles.”
“That’s right. In that way, we dwarves could also establish cooperation for material provision and personnel dispatch after finishing our own restoration work.”
Without revealing their true feelings, the two showed a posture of agreeing with Trakia’s words.
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
