"No way, thank you very much," the stout man answered without any hesitation.
The Fourth Imperial Prince wasn't nearly as big and brawny as Gordon. I mean, he was muscular enough, but most of his size came from his prominent stomach. He was the largest and fattest member of the imperial family. To put it simply, Traugott Lakes Aadler was big and round. He also had brown hair, blue eyes, and wore very unattractive glasses. I might've been the most scorned among all the imperial family, but that fellow was probably the most ridiculed.
His older brother had been so tall and slim and handsome, it made you wonder what had gone wrong.
"But Your Highness—"
"Loathe as I am to refuse your entreaty, milady, it is simply impossible. I am currently engaged in the creation of my literary masterpiece."
Trau held out a draft of his writing, which Finne respectfully accepted and skimmed over, then quickly returned without comment. She had just learned the surprising truth: Trau had no literary aptitude. He was much more talented at horseback riding and sword fighting, and certainly more athletic than I was. So why was he so hell-bent on being an author?
As I quietly puzzled over that train of thought, Trau turned his attention to me.
"And you are the renowned Sir Silver, I take it?"
"In the flesh. Pleasure to meet you."
"Might it have been your idea to bring this entreaty to me?"
"Mostly. Having the military dispatched to the South with a sea dragon afoot will cause trouble. I thought you might be willing to travel as the emperor's proxy with only a small security escort."
"That is most perceptive of you. However, as I mentioned, I am in the middle of creating my masterpiece. I cannot be interrupted. Now, I would appreciate it if you let me be."
Trau looked ridiculous and had some ridiculous opinions, but he wasn't stupid. How could he be? He was the younger brother of our eldest sibling, the late crown prince. That meant he was willing to turn down our proposal for the inanest reason possible, despite understanding my objective. Why, why, why?
"Your Highness! For the sakes of all of the people in the southern region and all of the sailors in the imperial navy, please reconsider!"
"I would love nothing more than to fulfill your request, Lady Finne. But I am a member of Adrasia's imperial family, and the people of the southern region are not my subjects. I am under no obligation to them. And as for the sailors, they joined the military of their own volition, after all. We wouldn't achieve much if we acted with perpetual concern for their safety, now would we?"
It was a simple but effective argument. Why was he unable to make use of that wit in his writing?
"Yes, but—"
"Please leave. I have no desire to become involved."
"What about your brothers who are in the southern region now?"
Even after Trau's repeated rejections, Finne stood her ground. Realizing that foreign citizens and sailors wouldn't motivate him, she brought up Leo and me. That proved to be the most effective tactic so far.
"It pains me to think of my own brothers being caught up in the fallout. But Arnold and Leonard are adults. Surely they can fend for themselves."
"What about your younger siblings who aren't adults? If you refuse to help us, you will be forcing us to rely on the ones you ought to be protecting."
Finne was referring to Krista and our youngest brother, and inferring that if Trau refused, we would take our proposal to one of them instead. The moment she said that, Trau glared sharply at her.
"Are you attempting to use my brother and sister to threaten me?"
"You can take my words however you like."
"My dear brother is less of a concern, but Miss Krista is the treasure of our family. I could not bear to see our dear, golden-haired princess plunged into peril, and anyone who dares do such a thing shall incur the disdain of all their fellow human beings."
"O-okay..."
That was a huge exaggeration, and once again didn't make all that much sense. And why was he so unconcerned about his brother? The boy was only ten years old! I barely managed to curb the impulse to sigh out loud.
"Yet, the fact remains that I am also thoroughly committed to the creation of my masterpiece... This is quite a dilemma."
"If you can't decide, you should choose the option that is outside of your comfort zone! Authors with lots of new experiences make the greatest writers. Saving your sister and gaining such experience at the same time would be killing two birds with one stone! Plus, if you take action for the good of the southern region, that will also boost your reputation! I bet many great writers will be enticed by your celebrity and come to pay you a visit. That's worth even more than writing a masterpiece, don't you think?"
When Finne piled on the list of benefits, Trau began to reconsider.
"May I ask you one question, milady?"
"Of course."
"What inspires your determination to go to such lengths to convince me? Is it on account of the conflict for the throne? Or is there perhaps another reason?"
"Does one need a reason to save their loved one from danger?" Finne answered simply and honestly.
Trau looked slightly surprised then replied with a comprehending nod.
"Very noble. Yes, most noble indeed. All right, I accept. Only a disgrace of an author would not be spurred to action by such an elegant and sincere answer. I shall accept the beauty and wisdom of your words as compensation for my cooperation."
With that, Trau lifted his glasses and stood.
I had no clue what had just happened, but apparently Finne's answer had managed to strike a chord within him.
And that was how Finne's persuasive powers secured us the key figure in our plan.
4
"Father! Your dear son has come with a humble request! Please kindly bestow upon me a moment of your time!"
"Traugott, you insolent fool! Don't barge in when I'm in the middle of a meeting! And lower your voice!"
"F-forgive me!"