第２９０堀：姉御肌の姫 (Part3)
"Ugh, how annoying. I’m not the Queen, so why must I go through such unnecessary procedures?"
"But, Your Highness..."
"On the battlefield, split-second decisions are what matter. I have no use for a general who waits for orders from above—from the Royal Capital, so far away—for every little thing. That’s not a general; that’s just a messenger. A leader, someone who stands at the top, must take responsibility for their own actions, pull those around them forward, and remain at the front. Well, standing on the absolute front line isn't the commander-in-chief's duty, but one must always seek the best possible choice. If you cannot choose for yourself, you are unfit to lead. That is what the Old Master taught us, isn't it?"
"That is a different matter entirely..."
"Is it? Diplomacy of this sort is a kind of war. If we respond the same way as everyone else, we’ll never change. Rather than wasting time on such things, I should be using it to deepen my friendship with my junior and a legendary Dragon Knight. I’m skipping these ritualistic formalities. If a letter like this is enough to get me killed, then so be it. Besides, would Principal Popuri really go through such roundabout methods? If it were her, she’d fly all the way up here and blow the Royal Castle to bits. Wouldn't she?"
"...That old hag would certainly do just that."
*Whoa,* that was an interesting conversation. I’m glad I secretly recorded it.
Actually, I only intended to keep a record of the conversation at first.
Records of discussions in places like this turn out to be surprisingly important.
Of course, I’ve also thoroughly recorded the conversation with Samantha’s father, the Duke.
Still, that Popuri woman has been doing some pretty wild things.
But I suppose the Academy couldn't exist independently if she didn't go to such lengths.
"That’s that, Amanda. It may be a bit impolite, but I’m going to open this letter and read it right here."
"Oh, yes. That’s fine. The Principal told me that if it were Inis-senpai, she would say exactly that."
"See? The Principal intended for this to happen."
"That damn old hag."
"...You truly have no fear, as always. You’re the only one who calls that adorable Principal an 'old hag'."
As the Princess said this, she opened the letter and scanned the contents.
"I have no idea what is 'adorable' about her. Despite her appearance, she is far older than me. Those gestures and that persona are all calculated. Therefore, calling her an old hag is perfectly fine."
"Women have that side to them, to a greater or lesser extent. Shouldn't you be praising her for making the most of that appearance? Hmm, hmm..."
"I do praise her. She is my mentor, after all. But there are simply people you cannot get along with."
"By 'cannot get along with,' do you mean the time the Old Master confessed his feelings to the Principal?"
"““Pfft!””"
That bombshell from the Princess made everyone—the aides, the soldiers, and even the maids—spit out their drinks. It dealt massive damage to us, too. The old man was coughing violently, likely having inhaled his tea.
"...Princess Inis. Is that true?"
"What, Cleena? You didn't know?"
"There are many documents left behind about the battles between my master and the Principal, but I’ve never heard that story."
Cleena was the one who latched onto that. Well, it’s only natural, considering it’s about her foster parent.
"Well, it is an embarrassing story in a sense, so it was probably agreed that we wouldn't answer unless asked. Things worth recording are those that benefit future generations, not things meant to make a laughingstock of people. Now, my apologies. Before continuing this, I have read the letter. I wish to get along well with Dragon Knight Amanda as well. I may rely on your phenomenal mobility in the future. I look forward to working with you."
"Yes!!"
"Good answer. And since he is the leader of the mercenary group, is the man behind you Amanda’s husband?"
"Y-yes. This is my husband, Eoid."
At Amanda’s call, Eoid stood up immediately.
"My name is Eoid. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Inis!!"
"No need to be so stiff. You are my junior as well. 'Inis-senpai' is fine."
"Yes, Inis-senpai."
"Hm, not a bad man. However, it is a relief to know that Amanda already has a partner. I have told Amanda not to let anyone lay a hand on her, but there is always a possibility that some idiot who doesn't know the situation will try something meaningless—or rather, something that would only be a detriment. If any idiots from this country bother you during your stay, contact me. I will protect the happiness of you juniors with everything I have."
"““Thank you very much!!””"
She’s a real big-sister type, isn't she? A different breed from Seraria or Deryu, strictly speaking.
"Dragon Knight Amanda, and her husband Eoid—whenever you visit, if I am present, show them to my room. If I am not, give strict orders for them to be guided to the home of the Court Magic Advisor, Master Faigel. I will issue the official orders and permits later."
"““Yes, Your Highness!!””"
The knight replied and rushed out to relay the orders.
...Issuing the orders later, yet expecting them to be trusted? Is this just how the Princess does things? It’s terrifying.
"Now, setting aside the matter of my junior Amanda, the letter also requested that the members of the mercenary group be granted access to the Royal Library. It didn't explicitly ask for restricted materials, but may I ask the reason?"
She really knows how to get to the point; she must be quite capable.
"Yes, that’s fine. As for why the mercenary group wants to peek at the library, it’s for our livelihood."
"Livelihood?"
"Yes. We call it 'trivia'—what’s edible, what’s worth money, whether there’s hidden treasure somewhere, and so on. By absorbing various knowledge, things we didn't care about before might turn into profit."
"I see. Certainly, there are many documents of that nature. But the truth regarding treasure is often uncertain—or rather, most of it is nonsense, isn't it?"
"Actually, that’s not always the case. We’ve looked through the libraries in Zilba and Enaria, and we found documents in both places that pointed to the same location despite being written separately. That means there is information from multiple sources, which adds credibility. Well, there are many duds, but there are hits as well."
"...Is that so? Gathering information from multiple sources is fundamental. But to discern the existence of treasure from that angle... that is unique to mercenaries who travel between countries. ...That sounds interesting. If you don't mind, may I observe your research?"
"I don't mind."
I sounded casual, but it was the truth.
After Zargis, Ratz, Milly, and Rurua thoroughly investigated Zilba and Enaria, we didn't find the Holy Sword User or the cause of the mana depletion, but we did find mountains of leads on hidden treasures.
Kirika and the others have been investigating those locations to see if there’s any connection to the Holy Sword User or the mana depletion.
Well, so far it’s just been gold and silver, and we haven't found our true objective. We’ve ended up in an all-out war with the Holy Sword User, and we’ve only just barely scratched the surface of the mana depletion mystery.
That’s why we can’t stop our research.
"Good! Then let us head to the library immediately!!"
The Princess stood up again.
And, once again, the old man made her sit back down.
"Your Highness. First, guide your guests to their rooms, and while they are there, write your reply. Actually, the tour of the castle and the library can wait. The first priority is to see Dragon Knight Amanda’s dragon."
"Oh, right. My apologies. I will write the reply immediately, so please wait in the guest room until then. I leave the guidance to you."
"““As you wish.””"
We were led away by the maids, but as we left the room, the Princess was already frantically scribbling with her pen.
...I hope there are no typos. That could cause all sorts of problems for an official document.
Decisiveness is fine, but she’s skipping way too many steps.
The knight and maids beside her were desperately trying to peek at the letter she was writing.
...My condolences.
So far, the conversation has been peaceful, one might say.
I wonder if it will end without any further trouble!
Oh, and the story about the old man and the old hag will be in the next chapter.