22 Chapter 22: Leaving

Zelphyr and Narberal were currently sat in a large carriage, opposite to each other.

The interior looked more like a royal meeting room rather than a carriage as it had a large table in the middle with soft seats lining the edges.

Zelphyr was once more impressed by the amazing abilities of his subordinates for creating such a thing in such a short amount of time. Not only did it have comfort, it had style and practicality all bundled into one.

"I must remember to thank Master Blacksmith for this carriage, it truly makes the journey easier"

Narberal nodded her head in agreement.

"It makes this unnecessary journey easier for you My Lord"

As a member of Nazarick, Narberal looked at Zelphyr as though he was a deity almost. Therefore, she did not like the idea of her Lord having to travel in a carriage for long periods of time, especially when they could get there faster using their abilities.

Zelphyr was aware of her thoughts but chose to remain silent. After all, if they started dashing across countries within minutes or using gates sporadically, there is a high chance a high levelled being would notice them. Besides, it is bad diplomacy to not use the proper channels when visiting as a member of High Society.

They had decided that Zelphyr was going to visit as a Dragon Lord. This was a title given to a dragon who had reached the highest age category or had some distinction in its strength that made it stand out from other Dragons. It was a title that held a lot of weight and was not given out or claimed by many dragons unless they were foolish or overwhelmingly prideful. Luckily, Zelphyr had the aura and power to back up his claim to be a True Dragon Lord, this will be a big advantage when negotiating as his negotiation partner is merely a descendant of a True Dragon Lord rather than a one themself. Nevertheless, should a True Dragon Lord decide to intervene, Zelphyr had his own trump card. Alas that was a last resort as the potential damage could outweigh the pros. That was one of the main reasons Zelphyr selected Narberal for this mission as she has the skillset to be adaptable. Alongside the world item she had been given.

After all, Zelphyr made sure those going out on missions had a world item with them. Of course this brought the risk of someone stealing it, however he felt it was a small price to pay when comparing the fact that his subordinates may be stolen. Such an easy to prevent event is something Zelphyr does not wish to deal with.

"Narberal, you remember your instructions yes?"

Narberal nodded her head with a serious expression.

"Yes Lord Zelphyr, my role is maid to Lord Zelphyr as well as to keep the pesky low beings away from you"

Zelphyr was pleased by her reply. His intent was to show the difference in strength from the get-go. While he had warned Narberal to hide her disdain for humans, he has allowed her to show her prowess up to the 6th tier if anyone tries to get in their way. This will send a subtle message to his negotiation partner that even the maids of Zelphyr are strong. As the ruler of the Dragon Kingdom is the great-granddaughter of the Brightness Dragon Lord, as a result, she will most likely have the tendencies of a Dragon to respect the strong.

"Exactly, however do not take it too fair. Bad impressions stick with you, any over the top actions now could ruin some of our plans down the line"

Zelphyr wanted his first interaction with the Dragon Kingdom to be one with a positive connotation. While he entertained the idea of sieging the country, such a bold tactic may invite the ire of the Dragon Lords from the Argland Council State. An All-Out War with a state of dragons would be fun, but a severe waste of resources.

Currently, Zelphyr had formed a small team of stealth trained POP and Auras tamed summons led by Aura herself, for the sole reason of finding a resource deposit within the forest. From Carne Village, Zelphyr had received some information on rare plants from Enri. Therefore, Zelphyr wanted to test to see if the 'Banner of Gaia' would work the same way as it did in Yggdrasil. If it did, he would be able to come up with an efficient way of acquiring materials and it would open up a door to a success rule for many years to come.

Their carriage travelled across the rough terrain as though it was nothing. The power of the Sleipnirs were astonishing considering Auras reluctance to trust them with Zelphyrs travel.

Many hours had passed, and they were currently approaching the border between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Dragon Kingdom. As a result, Zelphyr decided that it was best for them to raise their alertness.

Of all of the kingdoms strength, Zelphyr was most in the dark regarding the Dragon Kingdom and the Argland City State. While he could make assumptions, he was no wholly sure on the truth.

"Hanzo Captain"

Zelphyr spoke to the air next to him.

After he did, the shadow began to distort as a being expanded into existence from the shadow. A humanoid ninja monster appeared. It's body and face completely concealed in black whilst its glowing red eyes belied it's true nature.

"You called, Lord Zelphyr?"

"Indeed, I would like you and a few other members of the escort team to go ahead and find out the current situation in the Dragon Kingdom. We should be arriving within 6 hours, please have sufficient information by then"

The Hanzo nodded before hopping back into the shadow.

Zelphyr had already sent some spies into the Dragon Kingdom, however the information eh received was of no use as he told them to not delve too deep. This was to ensure they did not get caught, after all, his person of interest, had the ability to use 'Wild Magic'.

Fortunately, from the spies, he had reasoned that Draudillon Oriculus was no exception to the requirements of 'Wild Magic'.

'I would also like to confirm something as well'

Zelphyr thought to himself as his face took up a pensive expression.

From his knowledge, the Dragon Kingdom should be in a bad spot at the moment. Nevertheless, he wanted to know precisely how bad the situation had escalated.

Roughly three hours passed before Zelphyr felt a presence form in his shadow.

"Welcome back"

As he spoke, Narberals alert posture relaxed. Due to her being weaker, she could not specify who the visitor was until her Lord had spoken words of welcome.

"Thank you, My Lord"

The Hanzo Captain knelt down, waiting for permission to report.

"You may report, Narberal, keep an eye on the surroundings please"

Narberal nodded at the request of her Lord and focused her mind on the surrounding areas.

"Sir, it seems the Dragon Kingdom is currently at war with Beastmen. From our findings, it seems they are at an open war with the Beastman kingdom"

A playful smile grew upon his lips, causing Narberal who had opened her eyes slightly at the mention of war, to become entranced slightly. Luckily she caught herself as soon as she saw Zelphyr turn towards her.

"I see, that is good news. It seems we are neither too late or too early. Anything else?"

The Hanzo nodded and continued.

"The ruler is a lady of Dragon Lord descent. It seems she is in the process of seeking outside aid from human kingdoms as well as enlisting Adventurers as combat forces."

"Perfect, you have done well. Please return to your original post. We will have a rest stop in a short while"

Hopping back in the shadow, the Hanzo left with a motivated demeanour having been praised.

'It seems everything is as expected. Currently, her situation is not as bad as I thought, however it seems she is seeking outside help. This works in our favour"

The carriage took a break shortly after the report, before taking off once more to finish the last hour of its journey. The further they got in, the more desperate the atmosphere seemed to get. Towns and small villages seemed to be bustling about with many wearing tired expressions. There were signs of damage on the buildings and the people they passed, showcasing the truth about the hostilities between the two nations.

"It seems this war has spread far deeper into the country than Draudillon Oriculus lets others know"

Currently, they were very close to the capital, yet there were already signs of attacks and raids on the villages that encircled the capital. Furthermore, many of the civilians inhabiting these villages were old people and woman. As a result, Zelphyr believes they have likely signed up for military duty.

"This country will collapse within the year if it doesn't receive aid from the Empire and the Human Kingdoms"

Zelphyr voiced his thoughts to Narberal who just passively stared at the devastation without an ounce of care.

"As expected of Lord Zelphyr, perfect timing that only a Supreme Being could calculate"

Chuckling at her response, Zelphyr turned to look at the capital in the distance. It seemed to be a mighty defense with high walls and many watchtowers, however the aura of dread could not be concealed from a member of Nazarick.

"We are approaching Narbarel. Remember our conversations, and you will be fine"

Narberal nodded her head before clutching onto her weapon. Although it was a friendly diplomatic trip, the Dragon Kingdom was currently at war. Due to this, they were on high alert against visitors, thus Narberal wanted to be prepared to react at any moment, should a lowly swine decide to inconvenience her Lord.

'Lets get this act started'