第７７１堀：迎え入れる側から送り出す側へ (Part1)
Chapter 771: From Welcoming to Sending Off
Side: Rurua
"Honestly, how rude!"
I slammed my teacup onto the table as I spoke. Fortunately, the cup didn't shatter; only the tea inside spilled out.
"Now, now, calm down."
"……I have my own thoughts regarding that solicitation, but please, Rurua-san, compose yourself."
As Deryu and Shera spoke, I watched them wipe up the spilled tea. Seeing them helped me regain my composure, and I began to wipe the table myself.
"My apologies. I lost my temper for a moment."
"It’s fine. It would be stranger if you weren't angry."
"They did it on purpose, you know."
"Exactly. That is precisely why it is so infuriating!!"
"They were testing our reactions."
"Yes. They were probing to see if we held any dissatisfaction with Yuki-san or Seraria-san. It was a blatant attempt at recruitment—a solicitation to switch sides."
That’s right. It wasn't just a crude attempt to poach us; they were effectively asking us to harbor treasonous thoughts against our Master and Seraria!
It’s unthinkable. I belong to my Master, and my relationship with Seraria is excellent. We even have children together. They couldn't possibly be unaware of that, yet they asked anyway.
"For me—for us—to abandon our Master, everyone else, and our children... what a foolish thing to suggest..."
"Well, they were likely just testing the boiling point of us 'wives'."
"They have no intention of facing our nation in a head-on conflict, so there won't be a war, which is a relief for the citizens. But to come at us with such underhanded tactics is truly unpleasant."
As Shera said, while it is a relief that there is no war, it is deeply irritating. And the battle from here on out will be...
"……A direct confrontation would have been easier to handle, but it seems that won't be the case going forward. We will need even stronger unity."
"Indeed. They will likely try to crumble us from the weakest points. Well, since they’ve seen that our defenses are solid, who will they target next?"
"Tori-san and her group, or perhaps Aslin and the others. They are former slaves, so the enemy likely assumes there is pent-up dissatisfaction. There will always be those who think they can exploit that."
"In the world of politics, these kinds of exchanges are common, but I never expected them to target us. We are such a close-knit family..."
"They only know us through the reports gathered from other nations. From the outside, it might look like Seraria or Yuki is forcing us to work."
"If we were being forced, it would be natural to think we could be swayed by better treatment, but we are working here of our own volition."
We nodded in agreement at Shera’s words. That’s right; we are working hard at our duties in Weed because we want to.
When I was defeated in the political strife of Litea and on the verge of death, they saved me. Thanks to my Master’s kindness, I am still able to work in medicine today. To be asked, "Are you not dissatisfied? I heard that you, the former Saint, are working in a clinic; surely you deserve better..."—how could I not be angry?
I am doing this because I want to! The Litea Holy Nation exists to heal the people! What is wrong with me, a former Saint of that nation, working in a clinic? Just understand that I have no interest in political strife!! I am going to live with my Master and everyone else forever!!
"……Rurua. Calm down, you’re saying that out loud."
"Ah, yes. My apologies."
Oh dear. I’ve been losing my composure since earlier.
"……For us, this strong bond is our greatest strength, but in a sense, it is also our weakness. When the Master or our family is targeted, we become very emotional."
"If they poke at that, there’s no telling what will happen."
"……They say that a ruler should be ruthless even toward their family and not let personal feelings interfere, but once you have a family like this, it’s not so easy to just compartmentalize."
Perhaps it is correct for a ruler to remain smiling even when their Master and children are insulted, but as a person—and as the Master’s wife—I feel I simply cannot do that.
"That just goes to show how comfortable this place is."
"The place that Yuki-san gave us is truly a place of happiness."
As they said, this place—Weed, which we built together with our Master—is precious to us, and above all, it is comfortable. To us, it is a paradise. It is the home we all must return to.
"For now, we should inform everyone of what happened and urge them to be cautious."
"That would be best. Rurua, you held back on the scene, but you are this angry at home. That shows how serious it is. If Tori and the others are targeted, they might explode on the spot."
"Aslin and the others are good judges of character, so I think they’ll be fine, but we should tell them just in case."
"Aslin and her group are extremely sensitive when it comes to insults against the Master."
"Yes. If someone maliciously asks if they are dissatisfied with Yuki-san, they will definitely get angry."
"If Firia and the others get angry, there’s no guarantee for the opponent's life. Especially Labyris—she’ll go to the absolute extreme."
And so, we decided to explain the situation to everyone once they returned home, but first, we decided to consult with the Master and Seraria.
"……That is what happened, so we are thinking of warning everyone."
"I see. So they’ve finally resorted to such underhanded tactics."
"Well, it’s not entirely unexpected."
The two of them didn't seem particularly panicked upon hearing the report. I had anticipated this kind of thing might happen, but I confessed that it had affected me more than I expected.
"I understand. Well, recruitment based on pointing out treatment is common. I appreciate everyone’s feelings, but I want to avoid any outbursts. Actually, they might even be aiming for that."
"That’s true. It’s entirely possible they are targeting the fact that we love Yuki too much. They want us to get angry so they can demand compensation for the 'damages' we cause. A cowardly tactic, indeed."
They reached the same conclusion as we did. It is a trap—a strategy where they win regardless of the outcome. If we endure it, they can't use the 'provoke them' tactic. If we get angry, they can complain about our behavior. Since they only asked a question on the surface, we would be the ones in the wrong in the eyes of the public. They didn't explicitly insult the Master; they only asked if we had any "dissatisfaction."
"I understand the situation. I think it’s a good idea to talk to Riel, Aslin, and the others."
"I agree. If we tell them in advance, I’m sure they’ll handle it well."
And so, we ended up telling everyone about the dinner party.
"Eh? That happened?"
"We were with the people from the New Continent. Come to think of it, what about Kaya?"
"……Nothing like that happened to me. Perhaps because I’m a demi-human, the folks from the If Continent were just observing. Also, it might be because our original standing is low."
It seems Kaya wasn't approached. As she said, it was likely due to prejudice against demi-humans.
"If I may add, Kaya was in the middle of discussions regarding agricultural products at that time, too."
"Ah, come to think of it, I heard Samantha and the others were surprised, right?"
"Yes. I was surprised. I didn't expect her to speak so efficiently."
"I suspect they thought it would be a loss to try and negotiate with Kaya at that moment."
"Hmm. It was a negotiation table, so they couldn't say anything careless. So, they probably probed Kaya, saw it was impossible, and then targeted Rurua and the others who were scheduled next."
Ah, these three don't really know Kaya’s "work mode." She flies all over the place as a diplomat, after all. We built Weed alongside Kaya, so we know, but despite her appearance, she is quite the operator. Having served as the vice-captain of the vigilante corps, the real Kaya has a talent for bringing everyone together.