Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 31

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“···.”

Duke Lichtenberg seemed to be dreaming.

He hadn’t been worried when he sent his son, Zion Klausen, to the negotiation table.

The qualities his son had already demonstrated were more than enough.

But never in his wildest dreams did he expect this much.

“What, what is this, my son?

Is your father seeing things?”

“No.

You are seeing things very clearly.”

―Condition 1.

The Basura County shall pay 4 million Dir [currency used in this world] as reparations to the Klausen March, based on Nudia standards.

―

Duke Lichtenberg rubbed his eyes repeatedly.

The amount he had roughly estimated was, at most, 300,000 to 600,000 Dir.

‘But 4 million?

Not 400,000, but 4 million?’

He wondered if someone had mistakenly added an extra zero, but who would make such a ridiculous mistake at such an important negotiation?

Then there was only one answer: Zion had demanded 4 million Dir in reparations, and Nudia had accepted it.

“Read the next one as well.”

“I-is there more?”

―Condition 2.

The Klausen March shall release all prisoners of war in exchange for a value ten times the standard ransom.

However, Rishikida Amshel, a surrendered high-ranking knight from Nudia, is excluded.

―

In fact, this war was short, and it started with Klausen’s surprise attack, so there weren’t many prisoners.

Still, a few knights, dozens of soldiers, and Nudia’s high-ranking knight, Rishikida Amshel, were captured.

Although she had changed her mind and decided to stay here in the Klausen March, specifically by Zion’s side, the other knights and soldiers were in a different situation.

Their families and properties remained in Nudia, so they had to return, but to do so, they had to pay a reasonable ransom.

“Ten times?

Son.

What on earth is going on?

Releasing prisoners for ten times the price.

Are you really saying that Basura County agreed to a ceasefire negotiation under these conditions?”

“There’s still one more left.”

―Condition 3.

After this, Basura County of Nudia shall prevent any armed conflict from occurring and spare ‘all kinds’ of efforts to resolve the situation amicably should it become urgent.

―

It was clear to anyone that the ‘all kinds’ of efforts mentioned here would not simply be efforts but ‘financial’ ones.

Duke Lichtenberg was at a loss for words.

This wasn’t a ceasefire negotiation but almost a surrender agreement.

The reparations alone were unbelievably severe.

Ten times the amount normally measured as reparations.

Not two times, not five times, but a whopping ten times.

4 million Dir was an enormous amount, equivalent to one year of Basura County’s taxes.

Of course, by using various methods, they could cover much of it in lieu of taxes, but it would still amount to half a year’s worth.

This wasn’t something the side proposing the ceasefire was paying as an apology, but something the surrendering side was prostrating themselves and emptying their pockets to give, down to the last ten won [smallest denomination of currency, implying they’re giving everything].

‘The prisoner release is strange too!’

Again, they were agreeing to pay ten times the amount of the usual release fee.

This didn’t make sense; it was unprecedented.

Klausen and Basura had experienced several wars, and there were times when they went back and forth, but there were also times when one side was much more disadvantaged.

Even then, they never presented negotiation conditions in such a submissive manner.

They filled it with reasonable conditions that would save the other side’s pride while also being acceptable to their side.

But this wasn’t it, damn it.

Something was really strange.

‘And this third condition!

This is an unprecedented clause!

Does this make sense?’

No matter where you look in the conditions, the Klausen March is nowhere to be found.

There’s no way they could have missed it unknowingly.

In such documents, you can nitpick even a single letter.

Then this was intentionally omitting any mention of the Klausen March.

Clearly, they were in the middle of a ‘ceasefire’ negotiation, but Basura County was giving away everything, even their liver and gallbladder [a figure of speech meaning they’re giving everything they have].

“···Zion Klausen.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Could it be··· could it be that something strange happened?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“No···.

Perhaps the Count of Basura tried to harm you but was subdued and had his weaknesses or vulnerabilities seized, or something similar.”

“Nothing happened.

It was an extremely peaceful negotiation table, so don’t worry about that.”

It was extremely peaceful.

At least from Zion’s point of view.

“Anyway, the negotiation is over.

Duke Dishe Basura was also in a state of being delegated the authority for the negotiation, so he won’t do anything stupid like changing his words.”

“···I still feel like I’m dreaming.

To think we’d have negotiations with Nudia with such content.”

Zion smiled, saying that good things are good, and Lichtenberg nodded.

He was uneasy about Rishikida being a knight of Nudia, but seeing her so devoted, it seemed like she had truly surrendered, and at the negotiation table, he acknowledged that part and made it clear that he would not discuss her release.

‘It’s been resolved well.’

Regardless of Duke Lichtenberg’s worries, the negotiation was truly concluded without any armed conflict.

Of course, Rishikida slapped Duke Dishe in the mouth, but that was because he deserved it, so it was overlooked.

‘The various problems and weaknesses of Basura County that I knew, and even Duke Dishe’s recent behaviors that Rishikida knew.

They were weaknesses that could completely bury him in Nudia.’

There’s no way there wouldn’t be nobles in Nudia who were keeping Basura County in check.

Zion told Duke Dishe in great detail how to move those nobles.

There were plenty of weaknesses to exploit because Rishikida, who came to the negotiation table, also told him about the various misdeeds of her former master.

“Good job, Rishi.”

“Yes, thank yo··· eh?

W-what did you just say?”

“Rishikida is a good enough name, but it’s a bit long.

I was thinking of calling you Rishi, but would that be okay?

If you don’t like it, I’ll immediately···.”

“N-no, it’s not!

Absolutely not!

It’s good!

It’s very good!”

Zion groaned at Rishikida’s loud answer and waved his hand to tell her to calm down.

“I, I like it unconditionally!

Whatever my master, I mean, young master, calls me is fine!”

“Okay, calm down.

Why are you so high-tension all of a sudden?”

“Ah, that’s···.”

Rishikida suddenly became very dejected and even drooped her shoulders.

She hesitated for a moment and then slowly opened her mouth.

“Still, seeing the true colors of the person I followed as my master makes me feel strange.

I don’t know what I was following such a man for.”

“Think of it positively.

Think of it as a hard road to becoming my knight.

That would be nice.”

“···Thinking that way, I feel much better.

Thank you.

For saving me.”

“I just extended a hand, and you took it.

You saved yourself, so don’t give me too much credit.”

“Don’t give you too much credit···.

What do you mean by that?”

“There’s something like that.

It’s something I’ve been seriously considering these days.”

Extremely developed science is like magic.

This world is simply a world where magic has developed.

It meant that the void of science could be filled with magic.

“Young Master.”

Turning his head, Sebastian was waiting for Zion with his head bowed.

To his question of what was going on, the butler replied in a slightly subdued voice, as if he didn’t like it.

“A guest has arrived.

A ‘rather unpleasant’ guest, I should say.”

···Damn it, it’s finally here.

The only person Sebastian would openly call quite unpleasant is one person.

Rido, the former court magician who suffered while running around the temple before knowing about Lilith’s existence.

At the same time, he was a father-in-law who was fuming because his daughter was taken away, and it turned out that the son-in-law had another woman.

“Rishi.

Let’s go together.”

“Yes?

But is it okay for me to go to a place to greet a guest?”

It might not be a place to greet a guest but a place to go straight to the afterlife [implying it could be dangerous].

Of course, Lucia was there, so the possibility was very low.

Zion and Rishikida headed to the most secret place inside the castle with Sebastian’s guidance.

As they reached the front of the room where they usually only entered when holding meetings about family matters, a sharp female voice was heard from inside.

“Do you all want to die?

I don’t understand what you’re saying at all.

How would I know that?

It was sealed.

I was trapped and couldn’t do anything, so what are you talking about, telling me to spit out information?”

It seemed that Lilith had arrived first and was talking to Rido.

Sebastian sighed at the sound and quickly bowed his head to apologize, realizing that Zion was right behind him.

Zion waved his hand as if it was nothing and took a deep breath before turning the doorknob.

“Hmm?

Oh, you’ve finally come.

Our wonderful future son-in··· ahem.

Welcome, Zion Klausen.”

“What took you so long!

Come quickly and help this old man understand.

At this rate, I’m going to kill a very old man for the first time today instead of a young man!”

“Hehehe.

That’s harsh, Succubus Queen.

Even if you’re old, a man is a man forever!”

“Bullshit.

Does it even rise in the morning?

I know some herbs that are good for premature ejaculation; should I tell you?”

Zion muttered to himself that both the Succubus Queen and the skilled magician were equally childish, and he tried to sit next to Lilith, but he made eye contact with Lucia and subtly readjusted his butt to sit in the chair in the center.

After that, Rishikida took her seat, and Sebastian disappeared to prepare tea.

“···I’ve heard the story roughly.

You made a contract with the Succubus Queen.”

“Yes, as you know, Rido-nim···.”

“You entered a dream with not a single drop of mana, so you couldn’t come out even if you died.

Therefore, you had no choice but to make a contract with her and escape from you.”

“That’s correct.”

“I don’t know exactly what the contract contains, but making a contract with an incubus is not a pleasant thing.”

Saying that, Rido covered his forehead.

It was still a big problem that the heir of a great noble family had suddenly made a contract with a demon, whom humans still hated the most.

Even more so because he thought his daughter liked that guy, Rido was going crazy.

“I’m going crazy.

How can things get so twisted?”

“What do you mean?”

“That woman, the temple where the Succubus Queen was sealed.

After the seal was broken, I investigated the inside, and···.”

“Did you find a huge magic circle?

Also, it’s a magic circle of the Celestial Race.”

In an instant, a flash of light flickered in Rido’s eyes.

It meant, how do you know that?

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Zion shrugged his shoulders and continued as if it were nothing.

“Who would imprison the highest-ranking demon, a demon called a demigod? [a being of immense power, almost a god] Of course, it would be an equal Celestial Race [a race of divine beings]. Otherwise, it’s hard to find the number of cases.”

“···That’s true.

I’m still investigating its use, but it was definitely the magic of the Celestial Race.”

There’s nothing to call it a use.

It was a kind of reinforcement installed for Lilith’s seal.

However, the formula was so complex and difficult that even Rido couldn’t figure it out.

“How hard I worked to break through that.

If it weren’t for Zion’s desperate call, I would have lost my mind while breaking through it.”

Lilith was saying that proudly, as if it were something to be proud of.

Rido looked at her with a very dissatisfied expression, then stared at Rishikida standing behind Zion this time and grabbed his face.

“Ha, you bastard··· I’m suddenly jealous.”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s just a soliloquy [speaking one’s thoughts aloud regardless of who hears].”

Rido glossed over it and roughly laid out the story.

Lilith escaped from the seal, and the investigation into the temple was speeding up and almost at its end, and recently, something happened, so he had to leave the Klausen territory for a while.

“Then Lucia···.”

“I was going to take her with me, but it’s better for her to stay here.

I thought that if I forcibly took her, I might become a father who would be beaten to death by his daughter that day.”

“Father.”

Lucia glared at Rido with a terrifying look.

Thanks to that, Rido, who was called the chain slaughterer, shrank back and showed off his extreme devotion to his daughter again.

“More than that, you’re going to the royal castle?”

“Yes.”

“It’s better to be careful.

There are so many hyenas there who try to bite if they see a weakling.

I made them shut their mouths with beatings, but···.”

“Do you think it will be a weakness if it is revealed that I cannot handle mana?”