第２７８堀：ファンタジー世界の変なゴブリン (Part2)
Even Seraria, the Queen of Weed, doesn't dare cross Eris.
Every single expense, down to the last penny, must be itemized, submitted, and approved by her. Of course, since it’s the hard-earned tax money of Weed’s residents, that’s only natural. But still... the agony of putting together a budget, pouring your heart into the paperwork, only to have it rejected and sent back for revisions—it’s brutal. She shows no mercy.
Ratz, who’s sharp with money, seems to get her documents approved on the first try, but the rest of us usually have to redo them several times. Even Milly and Tori have been reduced to tears over it. Well, it’s easier for those two since they have so many subordinates to handle the grunt work.
The only exception is the Boss. He’s always coming up with spontaneous events, but Eris handles the budget for those herself. I suppose love really does take priority in this world. So, love is the distortion of the world, huh?
"...Steve? Are you listening? I am a divorcee twice over."
"Hah!?"
Hearing the word "batsu" (penalty/divorce mark), my mind went to all sorts of places. But right now, I needed to comfort Zargis. I opened my mouth to speak, but he continued.
"It might surprise you, but I have been married twice, and divorced twice."
"Excuse me?"
A *batsu*—not a penalty, but a divorce? This Zargis? The mad pervert who buries himself in research and creates modified monsters?
"No way. A freak like you couldn't possibly get married."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
"Coming from you, Steve, that is the height of rudeness. Though, I suppose I can understand why you’d say that. But it is the truth."
"You... what?"
This Zargis, despite being divorced, had actually been married? No, stay calm. Keep it together. This is a high-level psychological game. He’s trying to rattle me... what is he planning?
"Well, if you were to ask me if there was love involved, I’d be at a loss."
"What do you mean?"
"Let’s just say it was more about forming ties for the sake of my position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings."
"...Ah."
That’s even worse. A marriage for the sake of power and status?
"It was a request from the women's side, you see. I knew it would be a shackle on my research, but..."
"You accepted?"
"Yes. If I had refused, those women—who were from decent families, mind you—would have been considered useless. It’s a harsh world. Both times, they came to me in the middle of the night. If I had turned them away, they would have been treated as 'damaged goods,' my reputation would have suffered, and they would have had no place left in their own homes."
"Whoa..."
That sounds like a nightmare of a marriage. What I want is a home like the Boss’s—full of smiles and warmth.
"Well, the fortunate thing is that both of them had reliable lovers."
"Lovers?"
"Yes. So, I took them in as my wives and then divorced them. That way, the fault didn't lie with them; it became my responsibility."
"...And what happened to those wives?"
"They returned to their lovers safely, achieving the outcome they desired. Though, people like Kirika, who only see the surface, despise me for it."
"Ah, so that’s why Kirika was giving you those nasty looks."
"Indeed. So, because of all that, I don't have much interest in romance or marriage. It might sound like a luxury to you, Steve."
"...I don't know what to say. My bad."
"Not at all. I shouldn't be the one to say this, but don't rush. If you rush, you’ll end up with people like the ones I dealt with—those who only want to use you for power."
"Thanks for the advice."
Come to think of it, while the Boss’s marriages aren't exactly about power-grabbing, there are plenty of people sent to him specifically to target his abilities or to keep him in check. He handles all that trouble without a complaint. The Boss is something else.
*Beep, beep...*
Right in the middle of our conversation, my call signal went off.
"Ah, sorry. I’ve got a call."
"Did something happen? I haven't received any notification."
"Who knows? It’s just me, so it can’t be anything too major. Probably just asking for a squad of goblins for some errand or another, right?"
"...In that case, good luck."
The caller was the Boss. Probably just asking for more help, as usual.
"Hello?"
*“Oh, Steve. We’ve got a bit of a problem.”*
See? I knew it.