第５５８堀：穏やかな蚊帳の外での緊急事態 (Part1)
### Chapter 558: An Emergency in the Calm Outside the Mosquito Net
**Side: Yuki**
The sun was already beginning to sink below the horizon. The daytime commotion—or rather, the attempted rebellion by a faction of the retainers—had been suppressed in the blink of an eye.
That was only to be expected. It was, after all, the outcome we had orchestrated from the very beginning.
Thanks to that, we had managed to apprehend every single member listed on the roster Turklam had been hoarding, without a single one slipping through the cracks. We had also successfully recovered the dummy Magic Gears. While some of the conspirators tried to offer excuses, claiming they had been deceived, the fact that Turklam had already gone rogue meant no one was willing to lend an ear to their pleas.
Naturally, the situation didn't simply resolve with their arrests. The detainees had begun spilling the beans on the various provocations directed at Findall and the surrounding nations. The biggest issue, however, was the unreasonable detention—or rather, the holding hostage—of the young students who had come to study magic. King Haiden and his ministers were clutching their heads in despair over how they had treated the youths entrusted to their care by other nations.
As a result, a Grand Council was currently underway. There was no end in sight. Poor things; it looked like they’d be pulling an all-nighter. Since this was Haiden’s business and not mine, I couldn't care less.
However, the most critical point—the involvement of the Haire Church—had not been mentioned at all. King Haiden seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and was keeping quiet until the facts were firmly established. For now, the narrative was strictly that this was a simple rebellion carried out by rogue internal elements.
With that, we were relaxing in the guest quarters assigned to us as the individuals who had escorted Princess Carrie. In a way, we were likely a difficult group to handle. If it got out that we had invited the intervention of a third party—Weed—in the middle of this chaos, Princess Carrie might face criticism. But since the current flow of events painted the nation as having been saved by her actions, no one was going to file a report that would throw cold water on that.
"Things are proceeding more smoothly than I thought. Would you like a refill?"
"Indeed. I expected the mastermind to come charging out by now, but... very well, I shall take some."
Ria and Deryu were the ones chatting, enjoying a graceful moment over tea and sweets.
"The beds aren't as hard as I expected. I suppose that’s what you’d expect from a royal castle?"
"Ugh, this is hard. Big Sister Dore..."
"Hiiro, don't be selfish."
"I was just stating the truth!"
Dressa, Hiiro, and Vilia were testing the comfort of the beds, though Hiiro seemed dissatisfied.
"It’s a bit harsh to compare them to the beds in Weed, isn't it?"
"Indeed. Personally, I would like to take off my shoes and relax on some tatami mats, but it doesn't seem like there’s anything like that here."
"If you rolled around on the floor here, you'd just end up covered in dust."
"And there’s no bath to wash it off, either. Not that it’s Haiden’s fault, but—wahahaha!"
"I’d love for you to tell me what exactly was funny about that. Still, I would very much like to introduce tatami and baths to our country."
"Oh, in that case, I shall support you with all my might! I’ll even accompany you to make a direct appeal to His Majesty! Once he sees the look on the Princess's face, he won't be able to say no!"
Princess Stasia and Lord Georgin were already discussing what they should negotiate with Weed. They were being hosted as guests just like us. Although everyone had separate rooms, we had gathered here because we needed to coordinate our own plans. Incidentally, Princess Carrie, Duke Kamishiro, Kagura, and Catherine were currently attending the Grand Council to report on the incident. A return today was unlikely.
"Come to think of it, Yuki-san. Is there any movement from Steve and the others?"
"That’s right. Steve and John were supposed to be monitoring that side, weren't they?"
"No movement so far. The letter was likely just a distraction, so we’re keeping them under surveillance while staying cautious."
"That side," of course, referred to the Haire Church mentioned in the letter found with the Magic Gears. The content was so blatantly self-incriminating that it felt like a trap, so we were keeping a close watch.
"Besides, it hasn't even been a day since we captured Turklam and his lot. It’s doubtful the Haire Church even knows yet. We’re just waiting for now. Plus, word is that one of the Three Great Families is based there. Without clear evidence, we can't just go around raiding houses."
"But we saw Steve-dono and his team's handiwork last night. Surely they wouldn't be discovered?"
"Indeed. That gentleman could likely investigate without anyone ever noticing."
"If we go around doing whatever we want in the capital of another country, we’ll be the ones being watched next. That’s just asking for trouble. What, do you two want me to raid your own homes, too?"
"Certainly not. I would prefer to avoid that."
"Hmm. So that’s why you waited until you had the evidence before storming Turklam’s mansion."
"Exactly. We only moved in once we knew they were black. If you don't follow that procedure, you’re no different from a band of outlaws. You can't raid a house just because you’re suspicious."
That’s right—we are an organization with discipline.
"Is wiretapping okay, then?"
"That wasn't installed in Turklam’s mansion. It was placed on Clay, who we knew was guilty from the start, so that’s fine."
"Oh, right, I forgot. So, is our turn over?"
"Pretty much. The rest is just talk. And first, Haiden has to settle things internally, then deal with Findall, the other nations, and finally us in Weed. We’ll be free for a while."
"Ugh. I haven't had enough of a rampage yet."
Dressa had already scattered soldiers in Baide, sent a Lizardman flying, and crushed Clay in the castle, yet she still wasn't satisfied.
"Dressa. Peace is a good thing, isn't it? Please don't cause trouble for my brother."
"Big Sister Dore, if you want to rampage, you should just go back to Weed and do it with Surakichi-san or Mino-chan."
"If I do it with those two, I’ll be the one getting beaten one-sidedly. Besides, I’m Yuki’s bodyguard; I can't leave his side."
Oh, so she was aware she was a bodyguard. Dressa was growing up. When I first met her, she was a thoughtless slave princess. People really do grow. I had my doubts about using her as a bodyguard at first, but since she was doing her job, it must have been a good experience for her.
"Well, I’m glad to see you’re growing, Dressa. But how does Findall intend to settle this? You aren't planning to call off the ceasefire and attack, are you?"
Findall had originally approached Baide seeking dialogue.
"That’s right. If we can continue to talk, I believe that will be the focus. Well, it will depend on how much Haiden is willing to admit their faults regarding the unfair treatment of the students and their high-handed diplomacy toward Findall and other nations."
"Doesn't sound like it'll be settled easily."
"It’s not easy for a country to admit its own mistakes. It’s clear that the victimized nations will take this opportunity to make unreasonable demands."