第３６７堀：亡き国の話と傍聴者たち (Part2)
"Was it Arne? The princess's friend? I didn't want to resort to such measures, but for the sake of the path to supremacy, you will submit to me. I won't treat you poorly."
"……What?"
"What did you say?"
"Don't mess with meeeee!!"
My blood boiled, and I clumsily swung the sword I was holding, slashing at him, but...
"Hmph. To think you'd try to appeal with force. Well, this makes things easier. Capture the princess. This is what happens when you return evil for good."
I was easily swatted aside, captured just like that, and the Kingdom of Nassa fell.
"……And so, even though they repeatedly demanded marriage and the security of my territory, there was no way I could agree to that."
"And that's how you ended up a slave."
I finished my story and took a breath.
"That's right... So, do you believe me? Or do you think I'm an ingrate?"
Mauve and the others had listened properly, and the man named Yuki and that strange goblin named Steve had listened as well. I had never been able to talk this much before. Usually, people would just call me an ingrate and be done with it.
Now, what would these people think of my story? Even if they didn't believe me, I would train under this Mauve, and surely, someday...
As I was thinking that, Yuki opened his mouth.
"No, honestly. You're too short-tempered."
"Huh?"
It was a response that defied my expectations, but one I couldn't understand.
"Well, it feels like you sacrificed yourself for your friends, your father, and the way your country should be, but surely there were other ways to handle it. Couldn't you have agreed to the marriage to gather evidence?"
"How could I tell my people to sacrifice themselves like that!!"
"Well, now that Dressa has fallen into slavery, the other side is doing whatever they want. It might have been better to have had the status."
"Ugh. Th-that is..."
But that wasn't a certainty, and above all, it was King Noble of Ex who was in the wrong for treating his people that way...
"Well, maybe it's cruel to say this to a child."
"I-I am not a child!!"
"……Whoa, I just heard the classic comeback."
"Shut up. You weird goblin!!"
"That's mean!?"
What is wrong with these people? They listen to me talk seriously, and then this!? Are they planning to make a laughingstock out of me!?
"……!"
"Hey—why are you the one crying when I'm the one who wants to cry!?"
"Yay. You made a girl cry."
"Stop saying stupid things and help me out here!?"
"Yeah, yeah. Crying so easily just proves you're a child."
"……*sniff*. Shut up."
"Well, if you can still talk back, it seems you're not in any real danger."
I couldn't understand Yuki's behavior at all. He didn't seem to be making a fool of me, yet despite listening to my story, he wasn't giving me a straight answer.
"What do you want from me?"
"No, just confirming the timeline, or maybe checking our answers."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Ah, before that, how long ago did the Kingdom of Nassa fall?"
"……Three years ago."
"I see. Does the math add up?"
"What math are you talking about!"
"Well, since we only started moving recently, if we consider a factor of 20, isn't that about right? I'm sure there are reserves, and since you said they were abundant, there should be some leeway."
"Probably. Whether the timing is good or bad, though."
"Who knows, it's hard to judge."
"One of the rumors I heard from Rosetta—why hasn't the fact that you were attacked by monsters been spread?"
"Well, monster swarms are rare around here. If you say someone took down the royal capital of a kingdom, even a small one, people are going to be skeptical, right?"
"Ah, so that's why the story became that the Kingdom of Ex destroyed it. That's easier to understand."
"That's why I'm asking what you're talking about!!"
What is with you people!? You listen to my story and then just ignore me? That's impossible!! Even before I became a slave, I was a princess! I'm much more important than the likes of you!!
"Yuki, you're going to bring her into the fold anyway. Just tell her the situation."
"That's right. Look, she's crying again?"
"I'm not crying!!"
Ugh, seriously, what is wrong with them!? Are they the type of perverts who get a kick out of making women cry?
Well, what do you think of this story? I really tried hard on the Ex side, too. But it's all gone to waste now.
Huh? A spoiler, you say? Oh, come on, it's a story about how I'm going to get thoroughly beaten, isn't it?
By the way, changing the subject, I actually buy quite a few figures. I guess I'm finally a top-tier otaku. Well, mostly Gunpla, though.
So, when I told a friend about it...
"Your genre is things like *Kantai Collection*, *Armor Girls*, *Busou Shinki*, and *Frame Arms*, so rather than figures, aren't those weapons?"
"Th-that's, th-that's ridiculous..."
I was told that, and I felt crushed. But, looking closely, I do display more Gunpla than figures, so I couldn't exactly deny it.
Ah, but my Gunpla are just snap-fits. I can't do the spray painting or putty work. I'd like to try it someday, but if I did, I'd probably die from being too busy.
It suddenly occurred to me, is it okay to post pictures of Gunpla in activity reports? I know it says you can use it like a blog. Or rather, is there a demand for Gunpla activity reports? Or should it be figures?