第８１５堀：田舎発展物語 挨拶 (Part2)
"It’s a blessing that this land was unfamiliar with monsters to begin with. They’ve accepted the goblins and orcs with such open minds."
As Taiki-kun noted, the absence of monsters here carries significant weight.
"Indeed. Perhaps that is the one thing we owe Hairen for. In a place like this, the monsters might be able to live without being branded as enemies."
"Come to think of it, what has become of Hairen? I recall she was with us during the training to cull the sea monsters."
"She remained behind with Enor to continue their training. Bringing her here would serve no purpose."
She would only tarnish our reputation with another one of her 'Goddess' outbursts. Even Princess Carrie had smiled at Hairen, telling her to focus on her training in Weed. Though the phrasing was gentle—a soft, encouraging nudge to keep her motivated—to my ears, standing nearby, it had sounded more like: *'Stay right there. Do you understand?'*
But, setting aside the matter of Princess Carrie, it was finally time for our introduction.
"Thank you all for welcoming us. Now, we have a few words from the representatives of Weed."
"Eh?"
The villagers were clearly taken aback; they hadn't expected the dignitaries to address them directly. But these things are important. We stepped out from the shadows of the building and walked over to where Baron Jama and his party were standing.
"Oh, look at all the beautiful women."
"They must be princesses. So lovely."
"Incredible..."
The whispers were focused almost entirely on my wives and the likes of Agil. Since Taiki-kun and I weren't wearing anything particularly flashy, we looked like nothing more than attendants. I stood beside Baron Jama, offering a wry smile at the thought.
"Is something the matter?"
"No, it’s just that my wives and the generals seem to be drawing all the attention."
"Haha! Well, they are indeed a stunning group of women. But you, Yuki-sama, are the representative of Weed. Please, the floor is yours."
"Understood."
I stepped up onto the platform, and the eyes of the Jama territory residents converged on me at once. They were brimming with curiosity.
"Yuki-sensei, do your best!"
Mikos’s voice rang out unexpectedly from below the stage. I wasn't so green that I’d lose my nerve now, but I couldn't ignore her encouragement. If the person Mikos brought turned out to be a disappointment, it would reflect poorly on her and, by extension, the Jama family. That was a fate I wanted to avoid. In a village society like this, first impressions are everything. I had to get this right.
I steeled myself and opened my mouth.
"I am Yuki, consort of the nation of Weed, introduced to you by Baron Jama. I am deeply grateful to the Baron, and to all of you for gathering on such a busy day, for this opportunity to speak with the residents of this territory."
"?"
Most of the villagers just tilted their heads. I suppose a formal greeting sounds like gibberish to those unaccustomed to it. Very well, I’d given them the polite version; now for the rest.
"I used some stiff language out of necessity, but to put it simply: I’m Yuki, one of the higher-ups from Weed. I’ve spoken with Baron Jama and we’ve arranged to lease some land, so I’ve come to pay my respects. Britt and I look forward to working with you all! And for everyone who took the time to come out, we’ve prepared a tour of Weed’s architecture, a light meal, and some gifts! Please, enjoy yourselves!"
"..."
A sudden silence fell over the crowd. Had I flopped? Just as that thought crossed my mind...
"Oooooh!"
After a brief beat, a wave of astonishment and cheers erupted.
"Free food!"
"I wonder what the gifts are?"
"I hope it’s nice clothes. The people from Weed are wearing such fine things."
"You idiot, forget that, it’s about the food! The crops Britt and the others bring are supposed to be incredibly delicious!"
My, my. I hadn't expected them to get this worked up just from hearing about it. If they were this excited now, they’d be even more so when they saw the real thing. This was going to be a massive undertaking. With that thought, I began to move.
"Alright everyone, let’s get moving. Follow me!"
"Yeah!"
"Hey! Everyone, just because you’re excited doesn't mean you should cause trouble for Yuki-sensei and the others!"
Mikos stood by my side, taking the lead in guiding the villagers. *Well, well.* It seems Mikos really puts her heart into things when it counts. As I watched her with admiration, Baron Jama, walking a few paces behind, murmured...
"Yes, yes. Everything seems to be going well, Princess Carrie."
"Indeed. I only hope it continues to go this smoothly."
It should have been a reassuring sound, but for some reason, a chill ran down my spine once more. Perhaps it’s rude to call the countryside simple, but they are certainly starved for stimulation. How that will play out, however, remains to be seen.
And Yuki felt a chill.