Log Horizon - Shiroe's sister

Chapter 46

"Conversation~"

Thinking thoughts

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Night fell in the Ancient Palace of Eternal Ice.

While Rinne and Soujirou were back to their destinated rooms to rest, there was a sudden call of meeting for Crusty, Michitaka, and Shiroe. 

A meeting for interested parties was held in the brooding atmosphere. It was not meant to be a compulsory meeting but almost all the nobles and advisers for the League of Freedom Towns Eastal and all 3 ambassadors from the Round Table Council were present, so it was as good as the grand meeting that was planned for the second half of the 10-day event.

A meeting with many attendees was usually a noisy place with people fidgeting and coughing. But today no one was making any noise, as if they were afraid of triggering something.

The topic was 'the security situation in the Yamato archipelago'.

The proposer for this meeting was Baron Craindit of Utsurugi Shrine city. The Baron did not start this out of his own initiative, but because he was unable to withstand the pressure of the situation, which was obvious to everyone.

Baron Craindit who was chairing the meeting as its proposer was acting so awkward that it was painful to watch, fidgeting with his beard and wiping off cold sweat under Shiroe's stare.

"Even if you say that..."

"Hmmm..."

"Fu..."

The meeting was going in circles when it got to the main point, they had not made any progress.

"The goblin army that appeared in the Yamato archipelago came from the fortress 'Seven Falls'...that...ah...came to raze...our land...that's it. "

After Baron Craindit who had obviously been forced to chair the meeting stammered out this speech in a shrill voice tens of minutes ago, there had been no further progress.

From the viewpoint of the nobles, they want us to go into this topic ourselves and gather our intelligence and force more concessions. Or they are trying to guilt-trip us for not attacking 'Seven Falls' in the first place...

Shiroe observed the nobles as he thought. The lords had looks of fear, despair, anger, and pleading on their faces.

Their attitude was full of unease, Marquis Kyriva from Tsukuba couldn't seem to sit still, occasionally glaring at the Round Table Council members.

Tsukuba...and Maihama are the closest cities to the goblin army, the front-line of this war. Compared to the biggest city Maihama in the east, Tsukuba is weak and its walls are fragile...I remember they are focused on the study of magic and sages, so they must hold a grudge against us...

"Ah... Eh... *Cough* And so...the League of Freedom Towns Eastal is facing a great crisis, the demihuman attacks are the most disastrous thing in history, regarding this..."

Baron Craindit pushed the meeting forward with his dull words, but there was numerous chatter breaking out in the room, the lords conversing with their advisers and their neighbouring nobles. Their voices were so low you could not make out what they were saying, but combined together it gave an air of commotion.

Looking to one side, he saw Michitaka shrugging.

The meeting was out in order.

But with the future of the Round Table Council at stake, they could not give too much ground right now.