NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 70
Episode 70: The Worst Meets the Worst (7)
“Buy this letter… you say?”
King Jilvol furrowed his brow at Lord Giorg’s proposal. The other officials, unable to grasp Giorg’s intentions, exchanged confused glances.
“Mind if I take a look inside?”
“Of course, go ahead.”
Giorg handed over four letters to Jilvol, who opened and read them one by one.
(So, they want me to recognize Demitul’s ascension to the Gildolq Throne… huh. Written in Demitul’s handwriting, no less.)
Jilvol smirked, now fully understanding Giorg’s scheme after reading the first letter.
(The handwriting is definitely Demitul’s, no doubt. But the content? Absolutely not his style. This guy…)
The officials, seeing Jilvol’s smirk, exchanged more glances, dying to know what was in the letters.
“Your Majesty, what does the letter say?”
“Read it yourself.”
Jilvol handed the letters to the officials, who gasped in shock as they read through them.
“Y-Your Majesty!! This is…!!”
“I-I can’t believe it!! Demitul wrote this?!”
“With this, our legitimacy is secured!!”
The officials were buzzing with excitement, their initial shock quickly turning into glee.
(This one cedes the Gildolq Throne to the Galveit King. And this one transfers Haltrheim Port to the Zabeil Kingdom… I see. My slip of the tongue led to this mess.)
Without even reading the third letter, Jilvol knew he had lost. But this defeat was only between him and Giorg. For Zabeil and Galveit, it was a massive victory.
Jilvol was certain the letters were forged by Giorg. The contradictory contents were proof enough. Demitul would never write such nonsense of his own volition.
So, who wrote them?
Of course, it had to be Giorg. His forgeries were nearly impossible to detect. Even his own sister, Princess Sosua, had ascended the throne without noticing the deceit.
“Demitul sure writes some interesting letters, huh?”
“Hmm, I wouldn’t know. I haven’t read the contents. Though, I did get to read the ones addressed to Lukult and Princess Sosua after Demitul asked me to edit them.”
(He should get the hint now…)
Giorg didn’t underestimate Jilvol. He was sure Jilvol had already pieced together his plan from their exchange.
Jilvol smirked at Giorg’s response, understanding the underlying message.
(I see… So, he got Demitul’s handwriting from those letters. And now he can forge as many ‘convenient’ letters as he wants… Clever.)
Jilvol stared at Giorg, who felt a slight chill under his gaze.
“Envoy, may I ask you something?”
The officials, reminded of their place, quickly settled down.
“What is it?”
Giorg’s calm reply wasn’t born of confidence but of feigned composure.
“Did you foresee all of this?”
“Not at all. Playing this card was a gamble.”
“I see… So, that move was the turning point.”
“Without it, I couldn’t have played this hand. The Flastarl Empire’s rapid defeat put us in a tight spot.”
Jilvol smirked at Giorg’s response, while the officials exchanged confused glances, unable to follow the conversation.
“Envoy, I’ll take these letters off your hands.”
The Galveit side buzzed with anticipation at Jilvol’s words.
“Very well. Then, shall we consider diplomatic relations established?”
Giorg’s calm reply made it clear to everyone that the price for the letters was the establishment of diplomatic ties.
“Indeed. May the friendship between Zabeil and Galveit last forever.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Giorg and Jilvol exchanged smiles, and the tension in the room eased.
“But we won’t sign a non-aggression pact. You understand why, right?”
“Of course. It’s for the best for both of us.”
“Huh, Your Majesty?”
“Duke Zarfing?”
The relaxed atmosphere tensed up again as the officials grew confused.
“Calm down. A non-aggression pact can wait. Let’s build trust first, shall we?”
“Absolutely. Strengthening our friendship comes first. A non-aggression pact will be much stronger that way.”
The officials fell silent, though Giorg’s subordinates also seemed surprised by the shift in strategy.
Roy and the others, knowing Giorg had aimed for a non-aggression pact, were equally baffled by the sudden change.
“Now, the documents for establishing diplomatic relations will be prepared. We’ll schedule the signing ceremony for another day.”
“Understood.”
“Ah, one more thing.”
Jilvol gave a hand signal, and Elvis, looking puzzled, quickly brought over a metal tray.
“Good work.”
Jilvol took the tray, picked up a candle from the table, lit the letters on fire, and placed them on the tray.
“Y-Your Majesty!!”
“What are you doing?!”
The Zabeil officials panicked.
“Quiet.”
Jilvol’s command silenced the room. He then turned to Giorg.
“Any problems?”
“None at all.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
Jilvol laughed, and Giorg joined in. The unspoken message was clear: ‘If needed, I’ll just forge more letters from Demitul.’ Giorg’s response was equally clear: ‘Feel free to do so if necessary.’
Watching the two laugh, the others gulped nervously. They realized these two were playing a game far beyond their understanding—and they were sure of it.
“Today’s meeting was most productive, Envoy of Galveit.”
“Likewise, Your Majesty of Zabeil.”
And so, the encounter between the worst of the worst came to an end.
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