第５６１堀：徹夜明けは辛い (Part1)
### Chapter 561: Pulling an All-Nighter is Rough
**Side: Kagura**
Before I knew it, I was walking through the dim corridors of the castle.
"...Sigh. Was there even any point in me being there?"
It had been three days since we apprehended Tarcram and his cohorts, who had been operating in the shadows of the Heiden royal capital. We had secured the evidence and made a grand public declaration.
Those who had colluded with Tarcram were easily rounded up as well, since they had foolishly tried to resist using dummy summoning orbs. However, the result was that the core of Heiden was in shambles.
Well, that was to be expected. Tarcram had been in charge of financial management, and my former fiancé, Clay, was the captain of Heiden’s pride—the elite magic unit. The number of people involved was significant. While not all of them were subject to punishment, the high-ranking officials involved were now barred from any future political decision-making, and the soldiers involved were being demoted to commoners. In short, about a third of the country’s central administration had vanished. The military was in the same state.
Because of this, the meetings were absolute chaos.
The halls were filled with people trying to fill the seats left vacant by the fallen predecessors or trying to wedge their own collaborators into positions of power.
Naturally, this applied to the Princess and my father as well.
In politics, this was only natural. They were using this opportunity to increase their own influence, eliminate any elements that might hinder the future operation of the country, and create a state where they could push their agenda forward.
But I didn't see the point in me being there.
The report on Tarcram’s crimes had already been delivered, and as a mere student, I shouldn't have been needed, yet I was forced to attend those meetings day after day.
...I was just listening to meetings every single day.
I was so sleepy I could barely function, and I even had to be careful about when I stood up to go to the restroom.
Honestly, I didn't want to be involved in the center of politics like this.
I was honestly impressed that Lady Catherine could handle this kind of thing as if it were second nature.
"Ah, another meeting tomorrow, huh..."
We weren't pulling all-nighters anymore, but the meetings were still set to continue tomorrow.
According to my father, meetings would be the main focus for at least another week.
And I was told I had to attend them.
Why me...?
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Yuki and the others in three days."
I had completely forgotten about them due to the daily meetings.
Actually, it wasn't just Weed; Princess Stasia and General Georgin from Findall were also here, and I had left them completely unattended.
Wait? Is this bad?
But the King had said that the castle maids would handle the guests...
Still, unable to shake my anxiety, I hurried down the hallway toward the room assigned to Yuki and his group.
The sun had already set, and the only light illuminating the darkness came from candles and torches, but the room I was heading toward was brightly lit.
That was the glow of electricity.
Yuki and the others were definitely in there.
I hoped it was just my imagination. I just wanted to give them a quick progress report.
With that thought, I knocked on the door.
"Yes. Come in~"
*Phew.*
Thank goodness. It seemed they were there.
I felt relieved upon hearing the voice and opened the door, only to find...
"Wait a second!? Eoid!! Why did you put a banana peel there!?"
"Eh, no, it's a race, isn't it?"
"You shouldn't be using items like that!?"
"Ehh!? Doesn't Amanda use them too!?"
"That’s different for me!! Eoid, you’re a man!! You should be driving through with your own skill, like Taiki-san or Ruth-san!!"
"That's impossible. This is my first time playing this game!?"
While they were bickering, Eoid and Amanda were holding strange controllers while watching the TV, and behind them, Taiki-sama and his guard, Ruth-san, were watching the match.
"Oh, I thought a maid brought us drinks, but it's Kagura-san."
"Thank you for your hard work with the daily meetings."
"Ah, thank you."
Since Ruth-san bowed, I reflexively bowed back.
Even though our etiquette differed, Ruth-san’s bow was sharp, beautiful, and distinctly aristocratic. That was exactly why I had bowed back without thinking.
"Did you see that, Your Majesty? That is the etiquette of someone who stands above others."
"No, I was originally a commoner. I'm just a handyman hero."
"I am aware of that. However, that is precisely why, if you learn and perfectly execute such etiquette, you can prove that even a commoner can be no less than a noble if given the right education. It is essential to silence the foolish nobles who complain about the establishment of schools for commoners within the ranks..."
"Wait, wait. I don't know about etiquette, but my basic knowledge was overwhelming from the start, right? It was a total victory for Japanese education, wasn't it? Even nobles barely know basic arithmetic; I could push them with that fact alone."
I don't know, listening to them, I realized that they had their own set of struggles over there.
"It is to ensure the fools have no room to grumble. But, this seems like it will drag on, so let us stop here."
"That's true. There are lines that will never cross. So, Kagura-san, why are you here again? Did our turn finally come up in the meetings?"
"No. It’s just... I remembered that I hadn't shown my face in a while..."
I thought about hiding it, but Yuki and the others would see through a clumsy lie, so I told the truth.
"Ah, Kagura-san is busy, too. Everything is fine on this end. Did you have any issues with pro-war factions trying to assassinate you?"
"No, nothing like that. I have this ring, after all."
It was a national treasure-class, high-performance magic item gifted to me by the Spirit, Narjia-sama. With this, there was no way I could be assassinated.
"As for the factions, they lost their power all at once due to this incident. If they move recklessly, they’ll just be purged."
"Well, that’s how it goes. Anyway, I heard from Duke Kamishiro that they’ll be busy with domestic meetings for a week, and then international meetings will follow, so you don't need to worry about us."
Is that so?
Ahaha, that's right. There's no way my father would forget about our guests.
Having said that, I suddenly realized something.
These four were supposed to be at the Kamishiro mansion.
And yet, I didn't see Yuki and the others who were supposed to be there.
"...Um. I don't see Yuki or Princess Stasia and the others. Besides, weren't Taiki-sama and his group supposed to be at the Kamishiro mansion?"
"Ah, I didn't mention that. If you think about it, you'll understand, but we have a Gate, so we moved here easily."
"Ah, I see."
Come to think of it, that was true. Since they could easily come and go with a Gate, of course they would use it.
It was safer to return to their base than to stay in a place where there might be hostile elements.
Taiki-sama and the others had likely come as messengers.
I had been worried that they might have wandered into the castle town without guards or guides, but I was glad that wasn't the case. If any trouble had occurred in the castle town, it could have become the spark for another war.
"Yes!! I’m in 8th place!!"
"...9th place. Amanda, I’m using items from now on."
"Hmph. Even if you use items, Eoid, you won't beat me."
While I was relieved, I heard Amanda and Eoid shouting.
What were they so excited about?
"Hey, you two. If the game is over, greet Kagura-san. She’s here."
"Eh? Ah, Kagura. I'm glad to see you're safe."
"Kagura. Long time no see. It looks like things went well."
"Yes. Thanks to you, Yuki, I was able to make it this far safely. I'm glad you two are doing well, too."
These two were students like me, and apparently, they had been told to accompany Yuki’s journey as part of their training.
What an unreasonable demand. The teacher who gave that order must be a demon.
Because of those circumstances, I felt a sense of sympathy, and we had gotten along well on the way to the Kamishiro house.
But these two also had incredibly high abilities. I had seen them doing combat training with Deryu-san during the trip, and it didn't look like human work.
They were blown away so hard they were sent flying onto the roof of the bathhouse.