第６９７堀：意外な状況 (Part1)
Chapter 697: An Unexpected Situation
Side: Kaya
"Mmm... is it morning already?"
Yesterday, I managed to keep the letter entrusted to me by the Beast God, and the rest of the day passed without any particular trouble. Honestly, if there were any more incidents, it would start to affect the very survival of the nation. They are underestimating us far too much—and the High Elf nation as well. It’s practically inviting a war with the coalition.
"Are Tori and the others still asleep?"
The doppelgangers of Tori and the others are still asleep. That means the real Tori and the rest are likely still in bed at the inn, or perhaps they’re eating and preparing to head over here. I’m on the early shift. Whenever we travel to a country, someone needs to be on duty to return to the doppelgangers early. It’s for security purposes. Well, the doppelgangers can contact us, but it’s just a precaution.
"...Ria is with Yuki, so that’s no problem."
We’ve split our rooms into three, all adjacent to one another. It’s divided by Yuki’s guards and Weed’s key figures, and then the envoys from the other continent. Oh, and for the record, since Kagura and the others are still in their original bodies, security is very tight. I hope they get doppelgangers soon. Being recognized as needing a body double means they’ve been fully accepted as part of Yuki’s inner circle. Yuki takes a long time to let people into his heart; we struggled quite a bit ourselves.
Anyway, putting Kagura’s love life aside, the real issue is how this country will move. Judging by yesterday’s talk, various problems are surfacing. At the dinner party, I met up with Queen Miyabi and Old Man Wild, but it didn’t seem like their discussion had reached a consensus. Well, as Yuki said, it’s not something that can be solved in a day or two. Still, for the Royal Guards to go that far off the rails... it’s a rather dangerous situation.
"...I should tell Yuki we need to leave early."
Soldiers of that caliber couldn't possibly do anything to Yuki or us, but if they provoke the public sentiment and cause internal strife, it would be a disaster. No, in the worst-case scenario, the fires of war could spread to neighboring countries. If that happens, the Logari Continent Coalition will be forced to act. If that happens, naturally, intercontinental exchanges will be postponed. And, leaving aside Yuki who caused this, the real culprits—Rurua and Alstaire of the Ritea Holy Kingdom—would likely suffer from extreme stress.
Rurua was desperately holding it together yesterday, but after returning to her room, she suffered from severe nausea and had to lie down. I wouldn't say it’s entirely Rurua’s fault, but since the trigger was Ritea, she can’t help but feel guilty. On the surface, the responsibility has been pinned on the Demon Lord, but... Rurua is just too kind. For Rurua’s sake, we should leave early. If I persuade him from that angle, Yuki will surely agree. Staying here won’t solve anything anyway.
While I was thinking about this, Tori and the others woke up.
"Ugh... oh, Kaya. Good work."
"...Morning, Tori."
"I think this every time, but we get hungry on this side too, don't we?"
"...It’s strange since we just ate a while ago. But if we don't eat, the doppelgangers will have it rough."
"We can't exactly have the doppelgangers eat alone, either."
"Yeah. They’re probably with Old Man Wild and the others."
"...It’s difficult. It seems like over-consuming is tough on the doppelgangers, too."
Riel is fine because she’ll gobble down food anywhere, but for Tori and me, the combo of eating breakfast right after having already eaten is pretty rough. For those of us who once became a bit "chubby," it’s truly a struggle.
"Unyu... the beds are still so hard."
"That can't be helped."
"Should we just bring our own beds or futons already?"
While we were talking about that, Aslin and the others woke up. They seem dissatisfied with the comfort of the beds, too. Of course, I am as well. But setting those small things aside, I shared what I had been thinking with everyone. The idea was to leave as soon as possible. Since everyone had seen Rurua’s condition and the emotional instability of the soldiers, no one opposed it. They all seemed to agree that since the work was done, we should just head home.
"...Let’s go to Yuki’s. He should be up by now, and we can talk about leaving."
With that, we went to Yuki’s room next door and told him what we had decided.
"...And so, we’re going to leave early."
"I agree. Oh, and don't worry about it, Rurua. Public sentiment is tangled up in this, after all."
"...Yes."
It’s no use. Rurua was comforted by Yuki yesterday, but she’s always been fragile when it comes to things like this. She’s still looking downcast today. I’ll have to encourage her by squeezing her breasts later. That squishy feeling is so soothing.
*“I agree with that as well, but why don’t we take a look around the town first? I’m curious to see just how many problems there are.”*
"Hmm. Going out of our way to invite trouble is... but I suppose it’s a good way to gauge the public sentiment of the citizens here toward us? Well, we can’t do that without King Wild’s permission. Please understand that much."
*“Aye. I understand that.”*
...Muu. The Beast God is doing unnecessary things. But as Yuki said, we need to investigate whether it was just those soldiers or if the entire country is like that. If we just ask Old Man Wild and his people, no one is going to speak up about the problems because no one dares to go against royalty or nobility. If that’s the case, a proper investigation won’t be possible. Well, they’ll probably investigate with that in mind, but there’s a possibility they’ll hide information that’s unfavorable to their own country, which would only increase the danger. We do need to see the scene ourselves...
I suddenly realized something. It’s strange that I’ve become capable of thinking in political terms. Well, it’s only natural given my experiences, but I’m surprised that someone who was just a village vigilante has grown this much.
Anyway, I understood what Yuki was trying to do, so there were no objections. Needless to say, Rurua was left behind with Aslin and the others. If she heard something terrible or saw something tragic, she’d probably faint.
With our future plans decided, we were called for breakfast. When we arrived at the dining table, as expected, Old Man Wild and Queen Miyabi were there.
"Did you rest well yesterday?"
"Yes."
"That is good. Now, what are your plans for today?"
"I have meetings again today. I don’t know how much we’ll be able to settle, but there are many things that must be discussed."
"In that regard, I’d like to ask: how long do you plan to stay, Queen Miyabi?"
"Hm? Ah, I see..."
She tilted her head at Yuki’s question, but she seemed to understand immediately, her face showing she was convinced.
"It’s convenient to travel with you, Yuki-dono. I suppose I’ll finish my meetings with the old man today."
"Sister. What are you..."
"It’s not 'what,' sister. Yuki-dono and his group wish to avoid trouble."
"Ah, I see... I understand. Hmph. Even if I continue talking with my sister now, we still need to investigate the actual state of the country."