第６７６堀：子供は素直に大人は狡く (Part2)
The cold, hateful gazes from Labyris and the others were piercing.
Ah, so this was the pervert who had snatched Aslin’s sweets and groped her chest.
I see... Duke Fool. "FOOL." A fitting name for a dim-witted duke. His son, Hikky, shared the family name. So, the full name was Hikky Fool. It seemed the idiot son was a genuine, grade-A fool.
Well, "fool" also carries the meaning of a jester, so perhaps it wasn't entirely inaccurate?
"Hii!? W-who are you people!?"
It seemed Hikky remembered Labyris and the others, but it was already too late.
"Die, enemy of women!!"
With that, Labyris and the others unleashed a simultaneous barrage of punches and kicks, sending him flying into the wall.
"And so, that’s how it went. It wasn't an 'assault' on the August royal capital... rather, it was an act of self-defense that successfully resulted in supporting the current royal family."
After sending Hikky and his cronies flying, I explained to King August and Princess Inis just how tyrannical the Duke’s faction had been, and that we had fought only because we had no other choice to protect ourselves.
"...Did you just say 'assault on the royal capital'?"
"No, you must have misheard. If we were actually assaulting the place, there’s no way Princess Inis or Feigel-dono would be standing here safe and sound, would they?"
"...That is true. Inis, the priority now is to bring the situation under control."
"Indeed. While the Duke and his men are still unconscious, let’s get everything settled."
At King August’s words, the elderly Feigel nodded in agreement.
Incidentally, Duke Fool and his cohorts had already been apprehended. The charges were for harming formal guests from other nations involved in intercontinental exchange. I expected the Duke’s faction might complain, but the evidence had been recorded and already handed over to King August.
Above all, the Duke’s faction had been in favor of intercontinental exchange themselves. Yet, harming the very guests of that exchange was nothing but a detriment to August as a whole. King August and his advisors clearly didn't intend to keep such fools in positions of power any longer.
With the evidence in hand, if anyone from the Duke’s faction tried to speak up now, they wouldn't just be starting a civil war in August—they would be branded as enemies of the entire If Continent Alliance. Anyone with a shred of common sense would know to stay quiet.
"Well, in any case, I’ll leave the cleanup to you. Now, please sign these documents."
Despite all the chaos, my original goal was to secure cooperation for the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"...Ah. That was the main point, wasn't it? Let's see... a pledge to participate in meetings and cooperate regarding the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Chancellor, is there any issue with the content?"
"No, there are no issues. Though, 'cooperation' is a broad term, and I worry it might imply full financial support. But given the circumstances, I assume you don't intend to make such unreasonable demands?"
The Chancellor looked at me, seeking confirmation.
"Indeed. As I told Princess Inis, forcing the burden onto a single nation could lead to cracks in our intercontinental exchange. If you feel you’ve caused trouble for Weed, the five great nations, and the others, then do your best to pull August back together."
"...Understood. However, the fact remains that the guests from Weed, the Lancer Magic Academy, the five great nations, and the New Continent risked their lives to help August. We cannot simply pretend that didn't happen. We will certainly find a way to repay this debt."
King August bowed deeply to us as he said this.
The man himself wasn't inherently evil, nor was he incompetent. He was just surrounded by rot, and his progress had been hindered by those dragging him down. It was a mistake no king should make, but he had managed to recover.
Come to think of it, Kagura’s Haiden was much the same as August. As I pondered this, Kagura, who was standing beside me, spoke up in a low voice.
"H-hey... we hardly did anything, you know. Is this really okay?"
"It’s fine. With this, Haiden has gained a favorable connection with August."
For their "cooperation" in resolving the incident, Kagura and her group would receive a formal letter of thanks and a document expressing a desire for friendship with Haiden at a later date. It wasn't about how much work they actually did; being present was what mattered.
Actually, if we’re talking about doing nothing, I barely did anything either.
Well, that’s just how it goes—the cunning adults swoop in and take the spoils at the end.
"More importantly, right now..."
I shifted my gaze to the side, where a parent and child with a significant age gap, reunited after a long time, were standing.
I wonder what will become of those two?
Perhaps this is the real climax of the situation.
It’s already past the 10th of April.
I’ve been busy since changing jobs, but it seems I can still find time to write. During breaks, if there’s no idle chatter, I open my tablet and write. My coworkers ask me off-base questions like, "Are you sending emails?" or "Is that paperwork?"
It’s amazing how little they know.
Well, that’s neither here nor there. "August: The Legend of Duke Fool" — END. Thank you for reading for such a long time.