第３３５堀：人によっては拷問になる (Part2)
"Yes. I’ve heard that he is a legendary mage who overwhelmed his opponents by manipulating different spells simultaneously!"
"Father, Mother, please don't tease Yuki-sama so much. He’s quite shy, you know."
"Ah, I see. But he’ll have to show this to His Majesty eventually, so he might as well get used to it."
"That’s right. I’ll make sure to push his best points to His Majesty with a strong recommendation."
The conversation with Father and Mother proceeded smoothly, just like that. Perhaps due to his modest nature, Yuki-sama seemed a bit nervous.
"Now then, let's prepare... Oh, that reminds me, where is Sasari?"
"Now that you mention it, you're right. Where did Sasari-chan go?"
"Ah, she is waiting outside, as instructed."
"Outside?"
"I wonder why?"
"Hehehe... Look, Sasari. Father and Mother are calling for you."
Since she couldn't possibly refuse this summons, Sasari opened the door and reluctantly revealed herself. Hanging around Sasari’s neck was a wooden tag that read:
『Single』
Under normal circumstances, she would never listen to such an unreasonable order, but perhaps feeling guilty about what happened yesterday, she wore the tag with a twitching face.
I don't know how it is where Yuki-sama comes from, but at Sasari's age, being "single" is a label that implies one is a spinster. It is a topic that people usually never touch upon. To have her show it herself like that was truly painful to watch.
"…Er, well, you see…"
Father didn't know what to say and looked away. Anything he said might have the opposite effect. Sasari, being a sensible person who could perceive that sense of pity, turned even redder.
"You two were fighting again, weren't you? But this is really going too far. Sasari-chan, you can take that off."
"Th-thank you very much!! O-Ojou-sama, Ojou-sama!!"
*Tch*, Mother is too soft.
"Samantha, I'm sorry. But it’s rare for things to go this far. What exactly happened?"
"Ah, well, um... *mumble mumble*..."
"I see, I see. Well, if it were me, I would have hung you up in the nude."
"M-Mother!?"
"I'm joking. Well, I understand both sides of the story. But you two need to make up properly. Don't drag my son down with things like this. We're already behind on our departure preparations."
" "…Yes." "
And so, it was decided that both parties were at fault. Since this happens often between me and Sasari, we both ended up laughing about it in the end.
"Still, the sample magic sword we were given is truly a threat."
"Yes, dear. If there are many of these in the capital of Roday, it’s a grave situation. I'll leave the arrangements with His Majesty to you. I will go and sound out the Royal Capital's Magic Guard for their cooperation."
Inside the carriage, Father and Mother were confirming their actions in the Royal Capital before watching the video.
"Wait, Mother. If you're talking about the Magic Guard..."
"That's right. I'm taking my daughter, your sister—the eldest daughter of the Huge house, Runo—with me. It would take too long to get permission through official channels. We will begin the search first. Is that alright with you, dear?"
"I'll leave it to you. I will finish the arrangements and explanations quickly to get authorization, then I'll join you. Don't push yourself too hard."
"Yes, I know how to handle that."
"Eh? M-Mother, you're going out there too? I-in that case, Sasari and I should..."
"No. You have been requested directly by Principal Popuri. You must show your face there."
"That's right. If you aren't there, it's highly likely to take even longer. Yuki-dono as well. Do you understand?"
"Yes. However, I am worried about my mother-in-law, so I would like to send someone to accompany her as well."
"That would be helpful. Fufu, though I say it myself, it’s been a while since we’ve had a commotion like this. I hope there’s still some excitement left for me."
"That sounds good. I get to see that side of you again, just like in the old days."
...My, that is some truly nauseating displays of affection. I must learn from them!
"Well, that can wait until we arrive. For now, let's watch the footage of the Duel Festival."
"Ah, that's right. No more stiff talk. Let's enjoy ourselves while we can."
"That's right. Now then, Yuki-sama, let's watch."
"…Yes, let's."
Ah, Yuki-sama is so cool, as expected!! Father and Mother were full of praise, too!! They watched the same scene over and over again!!
"…Just kill me already."
Hm? Did Yuki-sama say something?
It happens rarely, but being put on such a pedestal and having such high expectations placed upon you can sometimes feel like a form of public humiliation. The most troublesome part is that the people involved have absolutely no ill intent. It’s scary, isn't it—the weight of people's goodwill and affection.