Chapter 112
No!!!
Mirne's voice rang out as though it would tear the Maselin royal palace apart.
The aerial fortress Urkon Azgal, created with all her heart and soul, was moving.
"Why is that moving?!"
It was supposed to be incapable of moving, so why was it breaking through the clouds?
The moment Mirne learned that the aerial fortress could not move, she had been overjoyed.
After all, if it could not move, there was no chance of it falling into the Empire's hands.
Besides, it was not truly incapable of moving forever; it simply could not move at present because of design problems.
Once she resolved the pact concerning the dwarves, she could alter its structure at any time.
That was why she had told them to keep focusing on development for now and to do only what they could at present.
"We have to stop it! Using every means at our disposal! We have to stop it!"
Mirne grew frantic.
If Urkon Azgal moved and was discovered by another country, she could somehow cover that up.
She would have to be mindful of the Empire and bow and scrape in various ways, of course.
But the chances of something becoming a major problem over this were exceedingly low.
'Even if it does become a major problem, I just have to show them directly that it isn't a problem at all. In reality, it's still practically an empty shell without any weapons...'
But the core of the aerial fortress was the mere fact that an empty shell like that existed.
The moment its very existence became accepted as legitimate, the game was over.
In any case.
"What on earth happened?! Didn't you say it couldn't move?! Why is it suddenly moving?"
Mirne urgently questioned them the moment she got in touch with the dwarves.
Panic caused by an unexpected situation.
"...We don't know! Why on earth is it moving? No, seriously, why is this thing moving?!"
But the dwarves were in the same boat.
An aerial fortress that was not supposed to move was moving.
Urkon Azgal, which had clearly been judged to have lost all mobility during its construction, was moving.
But they did not know why.
A literally inexplicable situation had arisen.
"No one can stop it?! No one?!"
"There are several ways to stop it, but they are all methods still in the experimental stage...."
"...."
There was no way to stop it right now.
Even if there was one, it might as well not exist.
"So it's heading toward where the Imperial garrison is stationed?"
Mirne watched as the aerial fortress slowly moved toward the place where the Imperial garrison resided.
The place where an Imperial garrison was stationed was treated as Imperial territory.
And anything that entered Imperial territory became the Empire's property.
This simple yet absolute law had come into being because the Kingdom of Maselin had dared to launch a war of conquest.
It was the consequence of the crime of moving without the Empire's permission and trying to covet someone else's land.
But she had never imagined that consequence would create a problem like this.
"Dwarves! At least get the dwarves out! And the various artifacts inside, too... All of them! Smuggle everything out before it enters Imperial territory!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
If they could not stop the aerial fortress, they had to at least protect what was inside it.
It might not compare to the aerial fortress itself, but surely they should quickly take whatever they could.
With that thought, Mirne conveyed her intentions to the dwarves.
"...This is our land, and you're telling us to get off here? Then where are we supposed to live?"
"We told you from the beginning that we don't belong to anyone. So why should we belong to the Kingdom of Maselin?"
"This isn't what we agreed on, Mirne."
The dwarves treated Mirne with an attitude completely different from the one they had shown moments earlier.
"Of course, it is true that the aerial fortress was built with the support of the Kingdom of Maselin... but wasn't this essentially built as an outsourcing project where our interests happened to align?"
"We will hand over everything inside. It is fair to consider those Maselin's property. But... your attempt to take care of us is extremely unpleasant. Are we things?"
One by one, the aerial fortress's belongings were sent to the Maselin royal palace through an unfinished short-range portal.
But the dwarves did not get off.
To them, the aerial fortress was not a fortress in the literal sense of the word.
It was the home they had built with their own hands and the dream of their entire race.
Abandoning that place, descending to the Kingdom of Maselin, and becoming residents of the Kingdom of Maselin?
"So you're saying we would become Imperial citizens? Abandon Maselin?"
"Not abandon it... I'd appreciate it if you understood that circumstances have changed, and therefore our relationship has changed as well."
This was something the dwarves had never even considered.
"...Huh?"
Upon hearing that, Mirne felt her mind go blank.
No, were they really going to respond with this attitude? Did that make any sense?
Didn't they feel absolute affection for me?
Why? Why on earth? Why?
Countless questions arose, but no answers came.
The only thing that continued to rumble and spew out items was the short-range portal.
"...."
That was the dwarves' only answer to Mirne.
++++++
"But if we move into Imperial territory, does that mean we'll belong to the Empire now?"
"What are you talking about? Why would we belong to the Empire? We weren't even part of the Kingdom of Maselin when we were in Maselin!"
"Hmm, that's not wrong."
"But the Empire is different. That was only how things worked in the Kingdom of Maselin. What if the Empire doesn't allow it?"
"Then can't we just move again?"
"How are we supposed to move again?! We didn't do this of our own accord... We will probably have to negotiate with the Empire."
"We can negotiate, can't we!"
As the dwarves sent nearly all their belongings over to the Kingdom of Maselin,
they began discussing what kind of future lay ahead of them.
"Couldn't we just make a contract similar to the one we have now? We get our autonomy recognized, and in return, we provide various goods!"
"But will the Empire agree to that? Won't it try to swallow us up?"
"How could the Empire do that?! We have the aerial fortress, for starters! This is more than enough to serve as a subject for negotiation!"
Soon, the aerial fortress Urkon Azgal would enter Imperial territory.
As far as the dwarves knew, under Imperial law, that would make the aerial fortress Urkon Azgal the property of the Empire.
The dwarves had no intention whatsoever of quietly accepting that.
The value of the things that came from their hands was enormous.
They judged that this was more than enough to serve as a basis for negotiation.
Because that was how things had worked in Maselin.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
After some time had passed,
Urkon Azgal, which had been making rough noises, finally entered the land where the Imperial garrison was stationed.
It had not entered completely.
About half.
The aerial fortress ended up straddling the Kingdom of Maselin on one exact half and the land where the Imperial garrison was stationed on the other.
"...Can this really happen?"
"No, but this is actually the natural outcome. The land where the Imperial garrison is stationed isn't very large to begin with."
"And it was a miracle in the first place that an aerial fortress judged incapable of moving managed to come this far."
"What happens now? Is only half of it the Empire's?"
"Since it already extends onto the Empire's side, shouldn't the Empire take all of it?"
"It's ambiguous."
The dwarves, unable to properly grasp the situation, offered one opinion after another.
Then a bespectacled dwarf brought up a plausible idea.
"Isn't this actually a good thing?"
"What's good about it?"
"Which part?"
Everyone listened closely to the dwarf's opinion that the current situation was better than the previous one.
The bespectacled dwarf pushed his glasses up and continued.
"This means it belongs neither to the Kingdom of Maselin nor to the Empire... So we can do business between the two! Doesn't that mean we can paint on a much larger canvas?"
"...!"
"We can do business with both sides! That's actually better!"
In other words, they could go back and forth between the Empire and Maselin and feel out both sides.
At those words, the dwarves broke into broad grins.
"Right! Now that I think about it, the aerial fortress has been exposed anyway! Since this is the dwarves' kingdom, we can take commissions to our heart's content!"
"Our main stages will be Maselin and the Empire, while as side income, we can make all sorts of accessories for various countries? This is insane!"
"We might earn enough money to drink unlimited beer! And wield enormous influence in all sorts of countries!"
"Excellent!"
As a beer-colored future unfolded before them, the dwarves began to laugh, kekekeke.
Aren't we becoming too powerful? Isn't this situation far too good?
The dwarves began looking at the situation optimistically and started dancing.
"I'm glad to see you all look so happy. Is the path of walking alongside the Empire really that delightful?"
Until a blond, red-eyed man appeared.
"...."
"Th-the Crown Prince."
"...Who did you say?"
"The Crown Prince, the Empire's Little Sun... Bellon Bellos...!"
Blond hair, red eyes, a tall stature, and even the greatsword hanging at his waist.
Everything matched the characteristics of the Empire's Crown Prince.
The dwarves had even observed the Crown Prince several times from the aerial fortress.
They could recognize him at once, without needing to wonder whether his features matched.
"W-We greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"
Just as someone hurriedly bowed and paid his respects first,
"We greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"
Everyone belatedly came to their senses and began bowing in a wave.
"Good manners are a fine thing. But I heard you were having a very interesting conversation just now."
"...."
"Doing business between the Kingdom of Maselin and the Empire is certainly a very good idea. I'm surprised you were able to think of it that way."
Are we being praised? Is he trying to get on our good side?
Just as the dwarves cautiously began to raise their heads,
"If it exists on Imperial land, shouldn't it rightfully belong to the Empire? Since you invaded Imperial territory so arbitrarily... shouldn't you pay a fitting price?"
"As payment... we could provide our goods... at a lower price...."
"Haha. Starting with taxes on this fortress, shall I have you pay various other obligations... with the goods you make?"
"Y-yes, exactly."
"Do you take the Empire for a pushover?"
The dwarves could see the Crown Prince's brow crease slightly.
The anger in his gaze was conveyed to the dwarves without dilution.
Tremble, tremble.
Their bodies began to tremble on their own.
And amid all this, naturally, from behind the Crown Prince—
"Your Highness, please entrust the tax assessment to your servant, Levi Moebius."
"I believe in you."
A knight in golden armor spoke to him while bowing.
'....'
Although they had never seen him before, the dwarves grew even more intimidated by the absurd presence radiating from the golden knight.
"Come to think of it, you said half of it belonged to the Kingdom of Maselin."
The Crown Prince looked at the dwarves, who had been cowed in this way,
"Then if I cut the aerial fortress exactly in half, will it become clear which side you belong to?"
He casually drew his sword and tossed the dwarves a light question.
And that question—
"...."
Was anything but light from the dwarves' perspective.
Which side would they choose?
Under whose banner would they live?
"...We are dwarves of the Empire."
The answer had already been decided.