第４３８堀：話し合い始まる (Part1)
**Chapter 438: The Discussion Begins**
**Side: Taizo**
I was worried.
Deeply, profoundly worried.
I was about to head into a discussion that would determine the safety of the nation.
Well, I was technically a decoy, but I intended to fulfill that role to the very end, risking my life to support Yuki and the others with everything I had. However...
"Buhyhahahaha...!! Ghee, my stomach hurts!!"
*Thump, thump!!*
The one laughing so hard she was pounding the floor was Comet-dono, a close friend of my wife, Hifi.
"Master, please don't laugh so hard. People will think you're a weirdo. Besides, if there are guards around, they’ll get suspicious."
"But, pfft!! I can't help it!! It’s just too funny!! What, does everything involving Yuki-kun turn into a gag? Pukuku..."
She seemed to be trying to suppress her laughter at Popuri-dono’s words, but it kept leaking out.
I suppose I couldn't blame her, because...
"Comet-san, laughing is fine, but please make sure you’ve checked the floor plan of the castle."
"I know, I know."
At Eris-kun’s prompt, Comet-dono opened her call screen to verify the castle layout. Everyone else was doing the same, observing the state of the castle.
"Let's see... Ria, Jessica. Is this mark Nonoa?"
"Ah, um, was it?"
"Sigh, yes, it is. This particularly large red dot is the target, Nonoa. The other small red dots are soldiers, the blue ones over here are mages, and the gray ones are maids or servants with no combat power. Please, listen to the explanation properly."
We had already finished seizing control of the Magic Kingdom’s capital; we knew the number and movements of the enemy like the back of our hands.
Simply put, there was no point in negotiating anymore.
It was a landslide victory for our side, and the end of the war was near.
...What kind of "Imperial Headquarters announcement" was that? And yet, it was the truth.
In a situation like this, what on earth was I supposed to talk to Nonoa-dono about?
I was at the point of thinking, *Why not just skip the talk and arrest her?*
Judging from the information Steve-kun had gathered yesterday, they looked down on us completely.
A proper discussion was likely out of the question.
Persuading them to behave quietly was effectively impossible.
Wouldn't it be better to just arrest them all at once, including a display of our power, to force them to the table?
As these thoughts circled in my head, a message came in from Yuki-kun.
*“Hello there. It’s almost time for your meeting with Nonoa. Are you ready?”*
"A-ah, yes."
*“Oh? Are you feeling off, Taizo-san?”*
"No, my health is fine. But..."
*“But?”*
"In a situation like this, I don't know what the right thing to say to Nonoa-dono is."
*“Ah, sorry. Yesterday I just gave you the report and was busy turning the Magic Kingdom into a dungeon, so we didn't talk about that.”*
"No, I understand you're busy. But Yuki-kun, what do you think we should do? I don't think they’ll listen to us quietly..."
*“For now, let’s just hear what Nonoa has to say. I want to confirm if it matches what we heard yesterday. Fortunately, with the dungeon transformation, escaping won’t be difficult, so just go along with her pace and draw out her objectives. After that, you can just arrest her.”*
"I see. Was I just overthinking it? So, as long as I follow the original plan, there shouldn't be a problem."
*“Yes. Well, the schedule has shifted, and now that the dungeon is built, the significance of your negotiation has thinned, but you’re the only one who can talk to Nonoa directly and get information. Depending on what you hear, we might change our strategy.”*
"Understood. Leave it to me."
"I'm here too, so I hope it goes well."
"Indeed. I hope so."
I had selfishly assumed the plan was already over, but as Yuki-kun said, a direct negotiation with Nonoa-dono was not something we could skip.
I must have let my guard down because the full encirclement was a success.
Faide-dono was here too, and the important thing was to settle this peacefully if possible.
*No, no, I must do what I have to do.*
*“And you, the corpse rolling around laughing over there—if you don't do your job, you'll be in big trouble later.”*
For some reason, Hifi-san appeared behind Yuki-kun.
Well, she was worried about me, so it wasn't strange for her to be there.
Though her tone was a bit rough.
"I know, I know. I’ll be waiting outside so I can provide support. Leave it to me."
*“Make sure you’re serious. Comet becomes nothing more than a corpse within Taizo-san’s skill range, so she’s positioned in the rear, but that doesn't mean you can slack off.”*
"Don't worry. If I did that, you'd probably kill me."
*“...Understood. I’ll trust you. Taizo-san, please stay safe.”*
"Yes. I’ll be fine. I will definitely return."
As we were talking, there was a knock at the door.
"Taizo-dono, it’s Jessica. Nonoa-dono’s guide has arrived."
The time had finally come.
"I am moving out now. Yuki-kun, I leave the rest to you."
*“Understood. The escort target is moving. Everyone, take your positions as planned!!”*
With those words, the communication cut off.
Now then, I suppose I should go.
When I went to the inn’s entrance guided by Jessica-kun, a person dressed more like a mage than a soldier was standing there.
Perhaps they recognized us, as they saluted and spoke.
"Pardon me, but are you Yuki-dono, the consort of the King of Weed?"
"Yes. I have come to the Magic Kingdom as a representative for Her Majesty, Queen Seraria."
Well, that wasn't true, but since this world didn't have photographs, I was grateful that such a stand-in worked so easily.
I handed over the official letter as proof. It wasn't a fake; Seraria-kun had written it herself.
"I have confirmed it. Now, I would like you to come to the castle, but I apologize—we must ask you to deposit your weapons upon entry. This includes your escorts, of course. It is for safety, so please understand."
Well, that was to be expected.
"Understood. Are there any restrictions on the number of escorts?"
"No, we were told there are eight of you in total, so you may all enter. However, I believe the number of escorts you can bring into the meeting itself will be limited."
"I see. That’s fine. We are ready, so let’s depart immediately."
"Yes, then please follow me."
After that, we entered the castle without any issues after depositing our weapons.
Of course, the weapons we deposited were decoys.
The weapons filled with Narjia-dono’s hobbies were the kind of items that would either be confiscated immediately or cause us to be denied entry altogether. Those were tucked away in our item boxes.
"Please wait here for a moment. A guide will be with you shortly."
"Understood."
The inside of the castle didn't look particularly unusual.
Well, places that looked too extreme would only invite suspicion, so this was probably the norm.
"Now then, Taizo-san. Is the plan for who goes to the meeting still the same?"
"Yes. Comet-dono cannot act within the range of 'that' skill of mine, and the number of escorts I can take will likely be three at most, or two at least. The original plan stands."
If it were three, it would be Jessica-kun, Riel-kun, and Popuri-kun.
If it were two, it would be Jessica-kun and Riel-kun.
That was the plan.
Unfortunately, Popuri-kun was a mage, so there was a constraint that she couldn't be fully utilized within my skill range, which was why she was excluded if the limit was two.
Comet-dono, needless to say, would be in mortal danger within my skill range, so she wouldn't be coming along from the start. Supporting from the rear was better suited for Comet-dono as a mage, after all.