第４３５堀：いざ魔術国へ (Part1)
**Chapter 435: To the Magic Kingdom**
**Side: Riel**
Things had been moving at a frantic pace since that meeting, and before I knew it, the day had arrived for us to head to the Magic Kingdom as envoys.
I was chosen to accompany Taizo-san, Faide-san, and Eris, acting as a guard. I’m a scout-type, so frontline defense isn't really my forte, but Yuki-san told me to leave the heavy lifting to Jessica the Knight and Ria the Hero, and to focus on observing for any suspicious activity. With that in mind, I figured I’d manage.
Still, there was one thing that didn't quite sit right with me.
"Hey, Eris. Why is Taizo-san going by the name 'Yuki'?"
Yes, for some reason, Taizo-san was set to conduct the negotiations under Yuki-san’s name.
"Hmm? Oh, that’s to ensure we get an audience with Nonoa."
"What do you mean?"
"I think you heard from Faide-san, but the other side sent her specifically because they wanted to investigate Yuki-san. So, if Faide-san claims she brought Yuki-san here in person, they won't be able to refuse a meeting, right? We obviously can't bring the real Yuki-san along."
"Ah, I see."
True, if we did that, the person named Nonoa would definitely come to meet us. As Eris said, bringing the real Yuki-san was out of the question.
"Well, my honest hope is that we can end this through discussion. It seems Faide-san had some misunderstandings about us, and if she realizes that the Dungeon Master has been feeding Nonoa and Nogosh lies, she’ll likely side with us. They wouldn't want to fight us while they have enemies at their own backs, would they?"
"Hmm. Do you think it’ll really go that smoothly?"
"It doesn't matter if it doesn't. The important thing is to bring them to the table. Once Taizo-san uses his skills to isolate them physically, magically, and skill-wise, we can just seize the dungeon located in the Magic Kingdom. Then it’s our win."
"So that’s the plan. Yuki-san is aiming for that."
"Exactly. I don't know if there's a Dungeon Master there, but if we suppress Nonoa, one of their top figures, we can afford to be a bit reckless. Their dungeon might be powerful, but we have the DP we’ve saved up to handle that. If they had more DP than us, they would have already conquered other countries."
"True. Yeah, I feel relieved knowing it’s just the usual routine."
As expected of Yuki-san. It’s always the same: by the time you realize what’s happening, everything is already over.
"That said, we have to protect Taizo-san properly. That man is the embodiment of Japanese bushido; he hates using Doppelgangers, and besides, his special skills can't be inherited by them anyway, so he’s just flesh and blood. Taizo-san is absolutely essential to us and to Yuki-san. We have to protect him no matter what."
"Yeah, you're right. Plus, he’s a newlywed. I heard from Popuri that Hifi-san was really against this, so we have to protect him for that reason, too."
"Indeed. I understand Hifi-san’s feelings well. She would never approve of Yuki-san going out in his own body."
"She definitely wouldn't. I think I’d punch anyone who suggested such a thing."
"I’d punch them too. Especially if it were Yuki-san’s own suggestion. I’d put a collar on him, shove him into his futon, and stay with him forever."
"If we didn't do that, Yuki-san would just run away, wouldn't he?"
Well, that would be fine by me, since I get to 'eat' Yuki-san whenever I want. Wait, no, I need to focus on the job. Even without expecting that, Yuki-san lets me do what I want if I just ask. Being a proud wife is the best.
"By the way, what happened to Comet and Popuri? They said they were coming, right?"
The assembly time was almost here, but I didn't see either of them. Taizo-san and Faide-san had shown their faces briefly before Yuki-san took them away for a final pre-departure meeting with King Selva, but those two hadn't appeared at all. Jessica and Ria were already with Yuki-san as guards, so Cleena and Samantha were covering the workload without breaks.
"Well, I don't know the details, but maybe they’re getting a stern lecture from Hifi-san?"
"That sounds likely. Especially for Comet."
"She is a technician through and through, for better or worse. I’m a bit uneasy about bringing her, but her skills as a technician are incredible, and Yuki-san acknowledges that. We don't know what kind of magic Nonoa might use, so bringing in an expert in that field isn't a mistake. Plus, we have Popuri there to keep her in check."
"Ah, I heard Popuri was bribed with cake?"
"Yes. I negotiated that with twelve whole cakes."
"...Wait, won't those go bad?"
"I’m not giving them all at once. I’ll send them as she requests. I’m just not charging her for them this time."
"I see. But twelve whole cakes... that would take half a year to eat, right?"
"...What are you talking about? That’s a one-month supply."
"Huh!? If you eat that much, you'll get fat! You'll get sick from the nutritional imbalance!"
What is that? Even with simple math, that’s one whole cake every three days!
"Ah, I forgot you’re still new to this, Riel. Once you become ageless, you don't have obvious physical changes. Sure, you can get sick from a poor diet, but now we can identify exactly what’s wrong, and Rurua or Elju’s healing magic can handle it. Look, I’ve been made ageless too."
"No, Eris, you were already an elf with a slow aging process. Mmm, but not getting fat... that’s tempting. I’m still waiting for my chest to grow a bit more..."
"Come to think of it, you did say that. In that case, wouldn't it be best to have Yuki-san knead them a lot? They say it’s different when you’re pregnant and they swell up, though."
"It’s a struggle. I think I’m still growing, but I’m scared of when I’ll hit the wall..."
"Riel, you’re still young, aren't you? You don't need to worry so much yet..."
"Fufu... An elf like Eris wouldn't understand. Wait, share your boobs with me!! You definitely stole my growth!!"
"What are you saying—hey! Stop kneading them!!"
I hate them! I hate these giant bags of milk! We were kneaded at the same time, so why is there such a difference?! Damn it, they’re so soft and squishy! It feels so good, it’s frustrating! I’ll ask Jessica for a lap pillow later. She often lets me do it if I let her touch my ears. It’s addictive, that softness.
"Oh, enough!! Riel, stop messing around..."
Huh? Eris stopped resisting. Why? I’m happy I can squish her chest without restraint, but since we usually play-fight, the lack of resistance feels lonely.
Wondering why, I turned my gaze to where Eris was looking...
*Clank, clank...*