第１９１掘：魔剣姉妹の処遇 (Part1)
**Dig 191: The Treatment of the Magic Sword Sisters**
**Side: Mist, the Water Magic Sword User**
It has been two weeks and a bit since we parted ways with Yuki and his group, spending our time quietly in our mansion in the royal capital.
There seems to have been some sort of commotion at the royal castle, but since we are officially "not in the capital" right now, we cannot afford to investigate the details too closely. At most, we can only use our household staff to gauge the general atmosphere of the city. We have no connections to infiltrate the royal castle itself. Well, it’s not that we have *none*, but that would only be true if we had allies. Given our massive blunder this time, it’s hard to believe we have any friends left. If we clumsily tried to recruit outside help, our presence would be exposed; if Yuki and his group failed in their dealings with the King, we could easily find ourselves on the execution block.
"Good grief, still no word? ...What do you think, Mist?"
My older sister, Olive, seems unable to bear sitting still in the house for two weeks, pacing around the room and asking me this again.
"As I’ve said many times, there is no doubt from the rumors that it was Yuki and his group who stormed the royal castle."
"Yes, there is only one man who could have charged into the castle with demi-humans in tow."
"However, there have been no reports of their heads being displayed, nor any news of the castle falling. I don't know the details, but they must be negotiating something with the King."
"…Negotiating. What could they possibly be doing that takes this much time?"
"Well, they did say it would involve our situation as well. If Yuki has no intention of toppling the Zilba Empire, then pushing through various demands is bound to take time."
"Honestly, why go through such roundabout ways? With their strength, they could easily suppress the royal castle. There’s that King’s lapdog, Air, but she wouldn't be a match for them either."
"Yes, you are right, Sister. But doing that would only throw the country into chaos. Yuki’s true objective is to make it clear that no one should pick a fight with them."
"…And we were the cause of that, weren't we?"
At those words, my sister hangs her head in dejection.
"Still, why would they go out of their way to protect us? If they just cut us loose, it would surely make their negotiations easier."
"You know that Yuki intends to utilize the Zilba Empire, don't you? …Or at least, that is my assumption."
"Yes, that’s why they are doing this incomprehensible thing of negotiating instead of seizing the castle, right?"
"That is where you are wrong. It isn't actually an incomprehensible action."
"What do you mean?"
"First of all, even if they toppled the royal capital, it wouldn't mean the entire Zilba Empire would submit."
"That is true."
"Exactly. On the contrary, the nobles in the former Zilba territories would likely declare independence one by one or raise the banner of rebellion against Yuki."
"That’s easy enough to imagine."
"That is why they are negotiating. By demonstrating overwhelming power, they force the Empire to acknowledge them, gain a certain level of authority, and keep them from becoming hostile."
"…In other words, negotiation is the most convenient path for Yuki?"
"Yes. Our downfall is likely part of that process. If we were to fall, it would lead to the selection of replacement magic sword users, the redistribution of our territories, and the risk of enemy invasions due to our absence. The same would happen if Yuki simply toppled the capital."
"I see. From that perspective, there is no benefit for Yuki in throwing Zilba into disarray. It is far more efficient to use Zilba as a shield while they move about."
In the end, it is no exaggeration to say that Yuki’s actions are the shortest path to achieving his goals. I don't know his specific objectives, but it seems he wants to move freely across this continent. Therefore, there is nothing more convenient than gaining the backing of Zilba, which has a fair amount of territory and many friendly nations. If they can leave the troublesome matters to the Zilba Empire, and remain treated as honored guests, there is nothing more advantageous for them.
"Even so, if they’ve managed to reach the negotiation stage, shouldn't they have sent us at least one message?"
"Well, that is true, but… the fact that someone as meticulous as Yuki hasn't contacted us suggests that the situation is not yet favorable for us."
Under normal circumstances, we would already be dead, treated as playthings, or if we had barely managed to escape, we would be trapped in a dead end of punishment. Our current state should be considered fortunate. Even if the negotiations fail, at worst, we still have our powerful magic swords to aid our escape.
"…In the end, we have no choice but to wait."
As my sister said this and stared out the window, there was a knock at the door.
"Lady Olive, Lady Mist, a man calling himself Yuki is requesting an audience. His appearance matches the Yuki you described. Shall I show him in?"
Hearing those words through the door, my sister immediately threw it open.
"Show him to the drawing room at once!!"
I stood up from my chair and followed my sister immediately.
"…Were there any Imperial soldiers around that Yuki?"
"No, none. Just three women who appear to be his attendants. One of them is a demi-human without a collar, so please be careful."
Hearing that, I was certain it was Yuki.
"…That demi-human, is she a fox-kin?"
"Eh? Yes, that is correct."
"I… I am not very good with Kaya-san…"
My sister turned slightly pale upon hearing the servant's reply. I recall that Kaya-san was the one who had beaten my sister to a pulp. Moreover, she is a warrior who uses fire, just like my sister, and she completely overwhelmed my sister, who uses a magic sword. It is only natural that she would feel uneasy. In a sense, one could assume she was brought along to keep my sister in check.
And then, when we opened the door to the drawing room…
"Man, I completely forgot about you guys."
There was Yuki, smiling brightly and acting as if it were nothing.
…Had I been overestimating him?
However, as I listened to what he had to say, I realized my judgment hadn't been wrong after all.