Hakai no Miko

"How about you make it clear that you won't accept fugitive slaves from other countries in the future?

The Ethereal Horse got lost in this Joash suggestion.

In his bargaining practice with Eladia, he had been taught that one day he might be asked by Jeboa to withdraw his slave liberation, but he had not assumed that it would even be mentioned until the acceptance of the fugitive slave.

On top of that, there was hesitation about whether it would be good to just pull down and present the demand from the other side from the withdrawal of the slave liberation and stick it up.

But now, many of the people who support themselves are those who have once licked hard acid as slaves. There's no way I can tell them to abandon the slaves who have relied on themselves to escape because of that. That's what I thought. The Ethereal Horse comes to my stomach.

"I can't do that"

In response to the Ethereal Horse, Joash shrugged his shoulders exaggerated, shook his neck left and right, and showed in his attitude how discouraged he was. Then he made a difficult face and thought about it for a while, then Joash said in such tones as how reluctant it was.

"Okay. - Then, at least only for cargo carriage, you will be blinded to the use of slaves. How about this?

No matter how much I set out the ideal of slave liberation, the Ethereal Horse knew as much as I could not push it to another country. That brings to mind the idea that, in order to improve our relationship with Jebor, we should drink it under this level of conditions.

In particular, even though Joash offered me a proposal to lower my demands, I just rejected it. Yet, to reject this as well, the Ethereal Horse also felt a strong psychological resistance.

But this is a Joash trap.

The first thing that stuck out the most drinkable demands was the basics of the negotiation technique that made it easier to pass through the next demands that were presented by rejecting them.

And even to that demand itself, Joash was setting a trap.

Let us think of it as authorizing the use of slaves only for the carriage of loads, and once we acknowledge that, taking out various conditions such as what if the slaves flee when they pass through the city from there, it is one of the negotiating techniques that makes it possible to withdraw small concessions from each of them and eventually become significant concessions.

"How about that? Even for me, this is where we can make concessions."

Furthermore, Joash appealed to the futility attitude of how he was conceding. And the balance in the pale horse leans toward the grain and the concession.

But what came to mind then was the face of Shemr, who still follows behind him.

I recall keeping my vows to the point of stupidity and putting freedom and equality on my ideals as a belief that I should never bend myself again to her figure, which I would be proud of.

Then this is something that should not be conceded.

"Neither can it"

The pale horse ran out of words as stubborn (cancer).

Besides, Joash thought it was a shitty negotiation.

I'm just stubborn and not rushed. Even if you ultimately reject it, it's a smart negotiation to start by making it look like there's room for consideration and pulling concessions and conditions from the other party. There are no negotiating specifications when rejected from the outset like this.

At the same time, however, it is also true that it has become more difficult to attack.

Still a lot of difficulty, it's easy to push the Ethereal Horse.

But Joash hesitated.

It was because of a habit with a pale horse.

Joash has been wondering since we were chatting, but when the Ethereal Horse can catch up, he laughs for some reason. That's not like a deliberate laugh I started in the middle of a tongue fight. Whatever I saw, it just looked like a grin that came to me unconsciously.

Moreover, the Ethereal Horse starts to smile consciously, and Joash is even more perplexed.

Why are you trying to overlap your laughter with laughter? I can also take it so that I deliberately have a look making laugh to mislead the grin that really spares me and floats.

But that was Joash's overthought.

What was floating on the Ethereal Horse was a unique Japanese smile that floated when in trouble.

Rafkadio Hahn, the famous author of Koizumi Yayun, a collection of folklore and ghost tales from all over Japan, writes about "The Japanese Smile" in his book "The Face of Japan". According to that, the smile that Japanese floats in hard times and painful times appears something different for foreigners.

And for the first time in this world, "the Japanese smile," Joash was feeling exactly different.

"I'm in trouble. I don't like that either, I don't like this either. We're not going to discuss this."

Joash, who attacked, spilled his stupidity to connect the scenes. Plus, the Ethereal Horse slaps a light mouth and goes out with him.

"But we just have to use slaves for luggage carrying, right?

That is the misguided opinion of the Ethereal Horse, who does not know the common sense of this world. Joash looked back and tried to say, "It's a matter of cost," but only slightly earlier than that, Ethereal Horse uttered the following words.

"If it's just cargo, you can say that if you have hands and feet, you're a merchant, you're a nobleman, you're a royalty."

As for the Ethereal Horse, it is not a dialogue that I said otherwise with some rush or intent.

But Joash's reaction to it was intense.

With his hips slightly lifted from his chair, Joash opened his eyes with a glimpse and stared seriously at the Ethereal Horse.

The Ethereal Horse surprises me with this unexpected Joash reaction.

After staring at each other silently for a while, suddenly Joash blew out a buffoon. Then I cover my mouth with my hands and desperately try to contain my laughter.

"Duh, what's wrong...?

To Joash's madness, the Ethereal Horse becomes anxious that he has said something strange, and asks him if he is naughty. Then, when the urge to laugh finally subsided, Joash apologized to the Ethereal Horse as he wetted the tears that floated in his eyes.

"No, no, this has been very rude"

All that, Joash suddenly softens his attitude.

"Even if we suddenly try to solve the problem here, it will be an unwanted result for each other. - How about that? What about setting up a place to discuss it again at a later date?

Originally the purpose of this seat was to ask for an intermediary with Holmea. To discuss improving relations with Jeboa is a proposal that I neither want nor wish to have as a pale horse the time to coordinate in advance or put in place measures. But I was confused when Joash, the first to bring up the problem, suddenly came to change his policy.

You thought that the confusion of the pale horse was an anxiety as to whether you could ask for mediation in the negotiations, further says Joash.

"Oh. Don't worry. intermediation of negotiations with the Holmeer State. We'd be happy to take it on."

Leave it to me, but as I say, Joash slaps one on his chest and shows it.

"Ho, is that true?

To the still half-hearted Ethereal Horse, Joash gave a favorable grin, unlike either the initial thin one or the cunning (and) one in the middle of negotiations.

"Of course, there is. - Oh, but you'll have a good brokerage fee. Right.... like 10% of the ransom?"

Though I don't know why I suddenly made my attitude leopardize, and I don't know why, I don't know why. But the terms offered by Joash were reasonable as a brokerage fee for the pre-studied negotiations, so the Ethereal Horse is also frustrated.

"Now, on that condition, please."

When the Ethereal Horse accepted, Joash said, "Yo-ho!" He raised his voice and gave his right hand with a full grin. When the Ethereal Horse suddenly grips it, Joash grips it back disappointingly.

"I will never let you lose it. That's because I'm going to plump up the Gappoli and the ransom."

It is a very common practice in this world to ransom yourself in exchange for your personality, but the pale horse, still unable to escape the common sense of modern Japanese society, laughs bitterly when he hears that the ransom is plump, it seems like the mouthpiece of a murderer.

"Now can I have a roster of prisoners?

Having finished shaking hands, Joash has demanded so. Besides, the Ethereal Horse is amazed.

"I'm just going to be someone named Vritas this time..."

Before demanding the ransom of all the noble children now in captivity, he had not prepared the roster of prisoners because he was about to start with the negotiation of Vritas, the biggest man.

"Yo ho! With that said, I did"

"Anything inconvenient?

That's what the Ethereal Horse asked Joash, an unfortunate mouthful.

"No. I was just wondering if I should do it all together anyway"

To Joash's answer, the Ethereal Horse wondered if it had done anything wrong. If you ask Eladia, who manages the prisoners, I'm sure she'll have a roster ready soon. But first I had a pre-meeting with one Vritas, so I just have to say no.

When the Ethereal Horse told him that he seemed sorry, Joash flushed it gently without caring.

"Oh, yeah."

At that time, the Ethereal Horse flashed one.

"On this occasion, we will advance a portion of the brokerage fee as an advance."

Besides, Joash makes a surprise face.

"Isn't the brokerage fee a promise of 10% of the ransom?

Even though I still don't know how much ransom I can get from Holmea, it's a strange story to pay in advance here. Yes, Joash pointed out, but the Ethereal Horse insisted on paying the difference later and instructed him to forcefully bring the advance.

After a while, from the haste of a female official named Michena, who brought in a number of bags containing gold coins, it seemed that was an unscheduled action. Until then, he was Joash, who was surprised to see why he was paying the advance, but the Ethereal Horse asked him to check the contents of the bag and convinced him to look at the gold coins that had been packed inside.

I see. Doesn't that mean you're just a dreamer?

Joash, like a child who found something interesting, gave him a licence.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

When Eladiah returned to the lookout room, where she dropped off Joash and Razarev, who were resigning from the Lords' residence after negotiations, there was a pale horse stuck on his desk and a figure of Shemr gently sending the wind with a small fan in his hand.

"Master Soma, what have you done?

Shemr sighed loudly at Eladia asking so.

He said his head was boiled again because he was so nervous.

Then turn to the bitter smile of a snagging Ethereal Horse.

"Absolutely. Grow up a little, my" you under the umbilicus. "

In response to that voice, the pale horse finally cursorily looks up.

"... I don't have a face."

Then when I turned my usual smile to Shemr, I said thank you first.

"But thank you, Shemr. Thank God you're here."

Eladia leaked one sigh to Shemr, who was thankful for the Ethereal Horse and skillfully roughened his nose and arm.

"I should have said a lot to Master Shemr..."

I will have to ask Aoima about negotiating seats in the future, but then naturally Shemr will also be present. This time I was blessed with luck, but if the escort or guardian would have stuck his mouth at will, the story of clumping would have stopped coming together. It was Eladia that I thought I had to teach Shemr properly so that this would never happen again.

But when I look at the laughing Ethereal Horse and Shemr, I feel like this is the only good I have right now. I put the novel to Shemr behind me, and now I've got a pale horse.

"It's brilliant, Master Soma. I can't say it's a full score, but the worst was still avoided."

The Ethereal Horse, who received Eladia's ink, finally stroked his chest down.

But the Ethereal Horse also knew she was scoring me a lot sweeter. Anyway, if you look back at the negotiations with Joash yourself, all you can think about is what you need to reflect on. Now that I think about it, I couldn't think of anything at all then when I said I had as much specification to deal with. All I can say is that I was swallowed up by the atmosphere Joash made, but that's just an excuse too.

The Ethereal Horse, who was so reflective, utters the question that came to his mind.

"What purpose did that Joash guy come for?

"I can't go through this city anymore, so you're not here to complain?

Shemr said, tilting his neck in wonder.

When they bought the wheat, Michena said it was a payback for Jebor, who was blocked off the trade route. Shemr thought it might be the same reason this time, but the Ethereal Horse shakes his head and denies it.

"And for some reason, you pulled light off the way, didn't you? I really think it would have been more sticky if we'd won the city's passage."

If it was really intended to revive the trade route, Joash would have gained nothing and stepped in vain in this negotiation. I didn't think that someone who seemed to have such a one- or two-habit would make it a good idea.

"Haven't you noticed?

With a teacher-like face that sees the godchild who asked a good question, Eladia said.

"That man named Joash probably didn't come on behalf of the Jeboa Merchant Guild"

Besides, the Ethereal Horse raises his bare voice.

"... Huh? What?! Because he said he was improving his relationship with the Jebor Merchant Alliance."

"With those remarks and attitudes, I just set it up for you to misunderstand. He didn't say a word about himself as the representative of the Jeboa Merchant Alliance."

If you ask me, Eladia was right. So he was totally fooled by the forethought that his father was a ten-member member of Jeboa's Merchant Guild and the kind of mouthpiece that has always represented Jeboa.

"Merchants don't lie plainly because they value credibility. But sometimes we don't talk about what we need to do, and we try to misunderstand it."

"So, assuming I assumed that and made a treaty, what would have happened?

"The man will return to Jeboa with it as a souvenir, and the merchant guild will also insist with an unfamiliar face that he was the representative"

To the sagginess of the merchants of Jeboa, the Ethereal Horse leaked a mixed voice of "Wow..." and admiration.

But I'm sorry about that, Shemr.

"Was he trying to fool Soma?!"

Shemr, stripping his fangs and absurding his voice, was still chasing Joash and letting his anger, which had just scratched his neck with that mountain sword, be seen all over his body.

"Please don't, Master Shemr. Whatever the reason, if you kill that man, it'll be the worst thing that ever happened to Jeboa's Merchant Guild!

Originally, the Merchant Guild was an organization where merchants came together to protect themselves from power and violence. If you find out that a member of that guild has been put in your hands, the Merchant Guild will never shut up. He will come to thoroughly crush the Ethereal Horse by all means to show off to others.

"But he worked disrespectfully on Soma!

It is the fashion of Zoan to reward it accordingly in disrespect. Shemr wonders what the problem is with it.

"For the Merchant Guild, being killed at our hands is important in itself. It's just a minor problem."

So Eladia continued with words, shaking her neck sideways weakly.

"Besides, in our words and in the words of the Merchant Guild of Jeboa, the public believes in Jeboa's words. No, I seriously doubt it, but I won't deny it. In this world, the words of the powerful and loud speak, not the right words."

Aside from the story if the Ethereal Horses have as much power as they can against the Merchant Alliance of Jebor, unfortunately it is not even comparable in the Merchant Alliance with the Ethereal Horses.

If that is the case, Shemr will have to curb his anger as well. Still, even if you can understand it with your head, you're still not convinced by your emotions, because you seem unhappy to see it.

"Rest assured, Master Shemr. I'm sure you'll make a world where you can say what's right is right."

When Eladia said so in a voice that included laughter, Shemr opened her eyes small as she was surprised. Then when I smile at the full face, I give a voice bouncing to my expectations toward the pale horse.

"That's right! Good luck with my" You Under the Umbrella "!

"... I'll try just to do it"

The Ethereal Horse had no choice but to laugh bitterly at the story too big, such as making the world. But besides, Shemr wrinkles his nose.

"If you're a man, say, 'Leave it to me! Tell me about it. If you're a soma, you can make it!

The Ethereal Horse, whose unwavering trust and great expectations lit up, speaks to Eladia in an attempt to change the subject.

"If Mr. Joash wasn't the representative of Jeboa's Merchant Guild, what the hell was his intention?

Did the exchange between Ethereal Horse and Shemr smile, Eladia gracefully concealed her licence with her hand, laughing Kusli and then answering.

"Perhaps the purpose was to see Master Soma with that eye"

Besides, Shemru was convinced to "realize the awesomeness of Soma as soon as possible, and don't do it when you come to scout," and snort (nodding) on his own.

But I didn't think the Ethereal Horse, who originally had a low self-esteem, came all the way here just to see himself.

"I don't think that's all..."

So the pale horse remembers.

"With that said, I'm just curious."

When I told Eladia what I cared about in Joash's words and actions, she nodded loudly and showed them.

"You've noticed well. I thought if you overlapped what the man was saying at the beginning, it would probably be what Master Soma thought."

"So he wasn't just trying to fool me, he was trying to get through my fellow merchants?

And when Eladia answered, "I will," the Ethereal Horse had nothing more to look back on than Joash's sagginess.

"By the way, Master Soma. Why, were you suddenly paid an advance?

There was never a single such story in the negotiating meeting either. Eladia, wondering about it, asks, the Ethereal Horse becomes a good face.

"Probably, that guy knows, is it a little fabric stone?

The Ethereal Horse throws it to Eladia when he takes out a single piece of gold coin from a packed bag of gold coins that Joash left behind saying he got too much. Eladia, who received it, dropped her eyes on the gold coin in her hand and squealed a little smaller.

"I see. Is that what you mean"

In the palm of Eladia, who shrugged so, a gold coin engraved with the side of the old man sparkled hard.