A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

6 – The Tip of the Legendary Tongue

“100. I will only give you 100.”

The leader of the Dragon Knights, Commander William, openly shoots me a displeased look and utters those words.

“That’s more than enough.”

I obediently nodded.

In the original novel, he was the most loyal of the loyalists, who, even when his family was publicly executed by Rendor in a gruesome war that Rendor instigated to take the throne after the emperor’s death, never once gave up the Dragon Knights.

That he would offer 100 dragons was only because it was the emperor’s command. He stated that if all 300 dragons moved to the Laco Mountains, they would not be able to protect the emperor and the capital.

“I don’t trust you.”

Commander William openly growled at me.

“I don’t know why you requested the dragons, but it won’t be because of some excuse to hinder Sultan Saladdin’s ambition.”

“I know you won’t trust me. But it’s really because of that reason.”

“The 100 dragons will return to the capital every week. Divided into three groups, they will rotate and protect Earl Elond’s territory. The guard dragons will stay, of course.”

Commander William revealed his distrust and intention to keep an eye on me. It would be difficult to persuade them if the people who worked every week changed without the presence of the 100 dragons. He had proposed such actions because he didn’t trust me.

And so, the 100 dragons that returned would report in detail to Commander William everything they saw and heard. And if anything suspicious came up, Commander William would order the dragons to kill me in order to protect the emperor.

It was exactly as I had read in the novel, the same words and actions.

“That’s great. Can I also have the dragons deliver some goods while they’re at it?”

But I didn’t act with an evil laugh or subtly threaten. Since I had already intended to use the dragons for delivery, it didn’t matter if they suggested it first. It worked out well for me.

“What?”

“I will transfer some of the goods from the Western Continent to the capital. Since they’re going back and forth, can we attach the goods to the dragons? It’s convenient, after all.”

“…….. Are you saying that you will use the dragons as delivery shuttles?”

“Yes.”

“……. “

“We’ve even come up with a name. Dragon Delivery that arrives the next day if ordered today. We’ll promote it to the nobles in the capital. Since they’re going back and forth every week. Is that okay?”

Commander William’s face showed undeniable bewilderment.

“What… It doesn’t matter.”

“Well, then. That’s satisfactory. Could you give me a ride on the wyvern? I’ve always wanted to try.”

Lord William frowned, wondering what this person had eaten. However, I just smiled at him.

“I’ll create a magnificent empire where the people don’t suffer, and the national treasury doesn’t deplete. Just watch.”

“Don’t speak nonsense and get lost.”

He snapped at me, but I continued to smile and disappeared in front of him.

The wyvern was incredibly fast.

With a hundred wyverns and a guardian dragon, I could reach the Elond territory in the Racosan Mountains in just half a day after leaving the capital.

The first time riding a wyvern, I had to endure vomiting as soon as we arrived. Dragons.

Monstrous creatures covered in impenetrable scales, faster than arrows, and spewing flames at temperatures that could melt steel. If the western continent had thousands of elephant battalions, the eastern continent had these monsters.

The wyvern knights were a cavalry unit that tamed and rode these dragons.

The dragons they rode were typically around 30 meters in length with wings of about 25 meters. Occasionally, there were abnormally large ones among them.

This monstrous being, measuring 70 meters in length with wings spanning 60 meters, was much stronger and more vicious than any other dragon. Such creatures were often given the special name of guardian dragons.

Ordinary humans refused to ride on their backs, only allowing special dragons born to the royal family to carry them. According to the original novel’s setting, this generation’s guardian dragon recognized only Karia as its master and obeyed her commands.

“This, is this real… How can this be real…”

As a hundred wyverns descended from the sky and a giant guardian dragon landed gracefully on the ground, the interpreters from the merchant guild, who were busy working, emerged from the buildings with wide-open mouths.

They weren’t the only ones.

Everyone working in the Elond territory, upon seeing the dragons, panicked and prostrated themselves in fear.

The Wyvern Knights represented the imperial authority itself.

Only the soldiers of the Ironblood Legion seemed unfazed by the sight of the dragons, familiar with them.

“Randor!!”

Of course. Whether it was a dragon or a raft, Princess Karia, completely enamored, rushed to me and hugged me tightly without hesitation.

“Let’s go inside.”

Leading the wyvern chief, interpreters, Karia, and officers of the Ironblood Legion, I entered the building to start a meeting. The wyverns were temporarily placed in tunnels that had been dug for this purpose.

“We’ll be meeting with Sultan Saladin shortly.”

Everyone was surprised at my words.

“The Sultan? Are you talking about Saladin? You’re not planning to wage war using wyverns, are you? We were mobilized to the capital not to invade enemy nations but to prevent a war based on your ambitions!”

At the hostile question from Wyvern Chief Gerard, I nodded.

“Impossible. Gerard, is that even possible? War will be brought to us, not by us.”

“Yes?”

Gerald, the commander, looked at the interpreters with surprise.

“The Sultan must have sent a dove to the Golden Palace.”

“Yes. We captured a messenger pigeon from our merchant guild’s exclusive pigeon coop and sent news to the capital. We have opened up a trade route and want permission to conduct trade through it.”

“Then the Sultan must be leading his elephant army and troops towards us. Using his sorcerers and the march spell, he can surpass the speed of the legion’s advance, passing through three or four cities a day. To him, the land trade route with the Western Guar is like a sweet treat.”

Karia clenched her fists at my words.

“I swear. Those guys won’t even touch a hair on Landor’s head.”

“Oh, Princess. It would be troublesome if you start a war. Just a peaceful protest will be enough.”

“How can I protest peacefully? If I burn down one of their cities as an example….”

Invincible Karia.

Truly brave and the world’s strongest in military command and combat, but she was useless in times like these. I calmed her down and explained how we could protest peacefully.

“Send the 200,000 iron-blooded legion to the other side of the trade route. Dress them in full battle gear, not for fighting but for show, just like during the victory march in the capital. And let the dragons fly above them, creating an atmosphere of terror. Then, you and the interpreters will be on the guardian dragons, flying down in front of the Sultan.”

The interpreters looked at me with concerned expressions upon hearing my words.

“Do you think the Sultan will stop his ambitions just by seeing 200,000 troops and dragons? If anything, it might provoke his thirst for war instead.”

“That’s true. But the key is not the dragons or the guardians, it’s this.”

I extended my tongue for everyone to see.

The legendary tongue that even the Emperor and the strongest imperial princess had been won over by was presented before everyone.

“We will try to convince him with this.”

I was confident.

“With this, we will defeat his legion and secure the trade rights.”

I knew exactly what to say to the Sultan and which strings to pull.

And three days later.

“Invasion! Your Highness, you must come out!”

We were faced with an enormous elephant legion and even more infantry running towards us, filling the horizon. Their numbers were so overwhelming, like a display of the Sultan’s ambitions.

“Great conqueror! Unifier of the western continent! Eternal ruler, Salakh aat Dim sends a message to the person responsible for the trade route!! Two options will be given! Either hand over the trade route and surrender your pathetic lives in cowardice, or face a dreadful but honorable death at the blades of the Divine Legion! What will you choose!!!”

A messenger from the Sultan approached me and Karia, who were standing in formation on the plain in front of the trade route, and conveyed the Sultan’s words in a threatening tone. I had no doubt that war was about to break out, and I trembled with fear alongside the ten interpreters who were trembling and Karia, who was radiating a formidable aura. Together, we rode on the guardian dragons and approached the Sultan.

Up to this point, it seemed like an inevitable war.

But exactly 30 minutes after I met with the Sultan.

“hahahahaha!!! I like your army!! Good! Defeat the legion! And I will grant you the trade permission! Landor!!! My brother!!!”

I was able to obtain the Sultan’s declaration of brotherhood.

The stunned look on the faces of the ten interpreters and Karia was quite something.

“Commander Gerard, reporting the return.”

Dragon Commander Gerard returned to the capital one week later with 100 dragons. General William, after receiving Gerard’s greeting, quickly took him into the secluded chamber of the Knights where no one else was present.

“Pay your respects. Your Highness, the Great Crown Prince Adran.”

Gerard’s eyes widened as he saw Adran, the Golden Prince, who had been waiting for him in the chamber. He immediately prostrated himself on the floor.

“I greet the Imperial Light.”

“Please rise, Commander Gerard. This is our private space among ourselves. Let’s postpone formalities for now.”

Adran’s words made Gerard cautiously stand up.

“His Highness the Crown Prince wishes to hear about the events in the Raco Mountains. Randolf, what that treacherous man was planning with 100 dragons, what happened in the Raco Mountains while you were there. Report everything clearly.”

“Yes.”

After lowering his head to show his submission, Gerard began his explanation.

“Three days after we arrived in the Raco Mountains, the Eternal Lord Saladin Sultan’s legion arrived at the opposite side of the trade route, the Golden Plains, with 500,000 troops and thousands of elephants.”

Adran’s eyes widened.

“If Sultan Saladin brought a force of that magnitude, there should have been war. But there haven’t been any reports of a war breaking out. Please tell me what happened.”

“Yes. The Sultan offered two choices. To surrender the trade route and cowardly spare their lives, or to choose an honorable death at the hands of the Legion of God as the price for protecting the trade route. Upon hearing this, Randolf took the interpreters and Princess Karia on their dragon of protection and went to face the Sultan. They haven’t returned for four days.”

“Are they dead?”

“No. They returned just this morning before we set off. They brought heaps of gold and treasures provided by the Sultan. And then…”

Adran became impatient as Gerard hesitated to continue his explanation.

“And then? Did they conspire with the Sultan to conquer the eastern continent? If that traitor said so, he must have surely said it.”

“No. It’s hard to believe, but they gained a monopoly trading right on the western continent through the land route. And they received ownership of the Golden Plains to build roads.”

“… How on earth?”

“Randolf talked about how he manipulated the Sultan like a puppet. Would you like me to tell you the story?”

“Please. I wish to hear it.”

With that, Commander Gerard began his explanation.

“When Randolf faced the Sultan, he returned the Sultan’s words to him.”

“What did he say?”

“He boldly gave the Sultan two choices: to take the sword or to take the gold.”

Adran’s expression crumpled at those words.

If he hadn’t misheard, then…

“Isn’t that blackmail?”

That statement was a threat against the Sultan.

Gerald nodded with a bewildered laugh.

“Yes, Your Highness. It is said that the traitor boldly threatened the Sultan during their first encounter.”