Restart:Untalented Man-Chapter 521: A Visitor from Afar

A week passed, and the reply Riz was hoping for never arrived.

The Sidgean Empire remained indifferent, neither aligning with Barlia nor responding to Ryntum's offer.

It is a lie to say he's not anxious when other countries that decided to entangle with Barlia are making many moves lately.

He felt like something was brewing up behind the scenes and did not like it.

Riz asked for an update on this issue almost every day.

Today is the same.

Unfortunately, another update he got from his foreign ministry is also the same— still nothing from Sidgean.

Compared to his initial vision, Ryntum's progress in the north was painfully slow. Every step forward had to be taken with extreme caution.

If they're being reckless and stir the situation too much, they would risk provoking many sides.

This is not something he wants to see. If he wishes to light up the fuse, it must be done under his condition, in his ideal circumstances.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, a knock echoed through Riz's office.

He looked up, wondering who would come at this hour.

It turned out to be Michael Manfura, his foreign minister. He was mildly surprised but also harboured a flicker of expectation.

"What is it, Michael? Did Sidgean's reply finally arrive?"

Michael shook his head. "Not a reply, Your Majesty. But... they sent a delegation to meet you."

He was visibly surprised. The same goes for Riz. He did not expect that.

Nonetheless, he told Michael to arrange accommodation for those people and will meet them tomorrow.

Regardless of his excitement, he couldn't afford to let them notice it.

Michael nodded. "Of course."

....

Next day.

The meeting is about to begin. Riz patiently wait for the visitor from far away.

Shortly after, the door was open and a middle-aged man appeared in his sight. He dressed very plainly but had an air of superiority around him.

He looks like a troublesome person to deal with.

Riz still smiled warmly, welcoming the guest.

"Dear guest, please have a seat." He gestured toward the chair opposite him.

"Thanks."

For a moment, there is a silence between them.

Breaking the silence, Riz spoke smoothly, "I'm afraid I haven't heard Your Excellency's name yet. Your arrival was quite sudden."

"It's okay. We are at fault for arriving unannounced. My name is..." he paused for a second before saying his name. "Paku."

Riz frowned. Something about this didn't sit right with him.

He feels like the name was just made up on the spur of the moment.

'I'm not being scammed, am I?'

Aside from the sweet words of the politicians, Riz had never fallen for any cheap tricks or fraudulent scams in his life.

Still, in whichever world it is, so long humans existed, there's always a madman crazy enough to lie right in front of the king.

His following words sound more stern, asking Paku to prove his identity.

Paku didn't flinch at the request. Instead, he reached into his coat, pulled out a small, neatly folded document, and placed it on the table.

The first was instantly recognizable. It was the very letter he had sent to Sidgean.

The second, however, was the true test.

Riz scrutinised the second document. His eyes immediately locked onto the wax seal at the top— a crest embossed in deep crimson wax.

It bore the unmistakable insignia of the Sidgean Empire.

There was no mistaking it, this was real. Even though he never had any contact with the empire, he has memorised all the important family crests on the continent.

He has no choice. He was a king after all.

"Alright. This appears to be the real deal."

Riz placed the letter down, "Now then, Mr. Paku, what does the great Sidgean Empire wish to discuss with Ryntum?"

Paku reached into his inner pocket once more. But this time, instead of another letter, he withdrew something else; a scroll.

A thick scroll, bound with a golden ribbon. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

He placed it gently on the table and slid it toward Riz.

Riz's eyebrows lifted. 'A scroll?'

In all his dealings with foreign envoys, not once had he been handed a scroll.

This is a new experience for him.

Riz untied the golden ribbon. The texture of the scroll felt expensive beneath his fingertips.

It's smooth, thick and durable.

Slowly, he rolled it open, revealing rows of neatly written words in deep black ink.

While reading the content, Riz occasionally nods his head.

"So, you want us to completely stop interacting with Duchy of Camble?"

Mr Paku replied, "Yes. We deem Ryntum's initiative to only end the arms supply as superficial at best."

"But that will estrange our relationship with Camble. We took a lot of effort to befriend them."

Mr Paku, unbothered by the concern, simply smiled. "It doesn't matter, Your Majesty. Duchy of Camble won't exist for too long."

"Well, that's some confidence you've got," Riz said, half in praise and half in mockery.

What a bold statement from an empire that struggled to crush a nation multiple times smaller than theirs to the point of losing their two cities.

Riz continued, flipping the scroll to another section. "Also, what do you mean we 'stole your customer'?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, Your Majesty. The merchants keep stopping at your ports instead of ours."

Sidgean Empire possesses an island called Herthet which is very close to the port of Bideford.

Not to mention that Ryntum also obtains a tiny island in the middle of the Leviathan Sea. Merchants have two choices of places to dock.

Facing a low fee charged by Ryntum and a variety of cheap industrial products offered, it is unsurprising that their port become less prosperous.

Riz sneered, "And what exactly do you want me to do? It's their choice where they want to dock. Mr Paku, I can't control their will."

Mr Paku remained composed, though there was a flicker of irritation in his eyes. "But it disrupts the balance."