第６９５堀：懐かしいかほり (Part2)
"As you say, Yuki-sama. I am ashamed to admit it, but I fear that the people of our continent, in their curiosity, will cause you nothing but trouble."
Amanda aside, Kagura seems to have finally gotten used to this, as the words flowed from her quite smoothly. Is this what it feels like to be a noble, I wonder?
"So, Tora, what do you think about this proposal?"
"I intend to follow the opinion of the Beast God."
*Hmm. While I believe there is a need to discuss the finer details, I have no objections. Naturally, I do not intend to involve myself actively. I am merely here to protect this place. The steering of the nation is something the brat will have to decide for himself.*
"Just as I thought. Old man, it's time to bite the bullet. For better or worse, Tora is only here to protect this place."
"Umm... but still. Our nation exists precisely because the Beast God is here..."
*Brat. There is no need to concern yourself with me. I owe you for the care you have shown me until now, so I will play along with your little charade. However, if you go too far, I will not forgive you. But tell me, Miyabi-dono, what is your intention?*
"Hm? Me? It’s already decided. We shall open the country. The resentment toward the demons is already fading, and it is my husband's wish as well. Furthermore, thanks to Tora, I have learned that Yuki-dono, who brought this proposal, has connections with Lilishe-sama and Faide-sama. If I were to turn down this offer now, I would be nothing but a coward."
Oh, it turns out that having the Beast God spill the beans about me actually came in handy. They believe I have gods backing me up. It’s usually a massive pain to get things to this point.
Even after hearing all that, the old man, Wild, remained deep in thought.
"What are you troubled by?"
"My country, unlike the old woman's, did not close its gates entirely. Many have fled here after being persecuted elsewhere. And yet, the fact that our exchanges have been so thin means..."
"That in terms of public sentiment, outsiders—especially humans—are viewed with disgust?"
"Indeed. Well, not everyone feels that way, but you are aware that rare beastman tribes are often enslaved and sold off, are you not?"
"That is the same for elves. Or rather, it is no different for humans who end up as slaves."
"I understand that. However, this country is a refuge for many who fled with deep-seated hatred. Until now, we kept interactions to a minimum, so it wasn't a problem, but if we were to open up on a large scale... to be honest, I do not know what might happen."
Hmm. What he’s saying is only natural. If we hadn't been saved by Yuki-san and Mauve-san, we might have ended up hating humans, too. Kaya, for instance, had a deep-seated hatred for humans after her village was destroyed. She’s calmed down now, though I suppose that’s partly because she realized it was the work of that idiot minister.
But for ordinary people, all that remains is the cold, hard fact that they were captured and enslaved... Thanks to Yuki-san’s slave-buying business and employment policies in Weed, other countries have started to imitate him, and things have improved somewhat, but the institution of slavery hasn't vanished.
"Well, I am not asking for an answer right this second. I understand your circumstances to an extent, so we can discuss and iron out the details later."
"That is a relie—"
The moment the old man Wild started to say that, a soldier standing behind him raised his voice.
"Your Majesty!! I oppose inviting these kidnappers into our country!!"
"Hey!! You! Do not speak out of turn in the royal presence!! Seize him!!"
The man who appeared to be the captain nearby panicked and tackled the soldier. In the struggle, the soldier's helmet fell off, revealing cat ears. Ah, the same tribe as me.
"My apologies. This one was sold into slavery and has been through quite a lot. Everyone, if you must punish someone, please, punish me instead!!"
Even if he says that, we can't exactly pass judgment here. Besides, the one who has to make the call is the old man, Wild. But ignoring that, the restrained soldier kept shouting.
"Captain!! Your Majesty!! These people cannot be trusted!! Look!! Are they not treating their own kin as slaves?! Look at the collars they wear!!"
"..."
We all tilted our heads in confusion. There are no slaves among the members of Weed. We were freed the moment we first met Yuki-san. As we were thinking this, everyone else turned their attention toward us.
"Ah... Tori, Riel, the chokers..."
"Ah."
Crap. We had asked Yuki-san for pretty chokers to wear instead of slave collars, and we were wearing them right now! Is this misunderstanding our fault? No, but these are just accessories... what should we do?
Even if we stay silent, our scent will give us away. It’s unexpected, yet in a way, it’s only natural. On the bright side, it saves us the trouble of explaining. It’s a situation with both pros and cons.