第９２２堀：絶望か希望か (Part1)
Chapter 922: Despair or Hope?
Despair or Hope?
Side: Kagura
I waited for the gate to open, harboring a subtle sense of unease.
Steve and his team had already occupied the lord’s mansion in the Gusdo Kingdom and completed the installation of the gate.
Yes, the operation was proceeding smoothly, just as planned.
Although the situation had arisen suddenly, there was no way our Weed forces would lose to a mere army that knew nothing but how to march in formation, so I wasn't panicked on that front.
Yet, my heart remained unsettled.
Because…
“...Hey, Kagura. Doesn't this situation feel... familiar?”
“Are you referring to the time you fought against our Findar and Baide?”
“That’s it! That’s the one, Stasia. It really is similar, isn't it?”
Before I could say anything, Stasia had already answered.
Yes, this situation reminded me of that time when we faced absolute despair.
The time during the defense of Baide when I had summoned Yuki as a last-ditch effort to turn the tide.
...The day of destiny that arrived despite the fact that I hadn't believed in miracles at all.
“Well, it is similar, but the situation is far more desperate now. The Gusdo Kingdom has already fallen. In our case, it was still the early stages. Besides, we never intended to annihilate them.”
“That’s true. The war between Findar and Haiden was... well, there was the secret maneuvering of our Haire Church behind the scenes. And that’s where you summoned Yuki with Princess Carrie, right, Kagura?”
“...Yes. That’s right.”
Yes, amidst that desperate situation, I had succeeded in summoning the person of my destiny.
Yuki, who is now my husband.
And the current situation in the Gusdo Kingdom bears a striking resemblance.
“So, why the anxious face? What? Are you wary of the princess just because the situation reminds you of your own?”
“...Can you tell?”
“Of course I can. You have such an anxious look on your face. Right, Mikos, Stasia?”
“I can tell, I can tell. It’s way too obvious.”
“Well, I can understand the sentiment, though.”
Mikos and Stasia chimed in, saying it was painfully obvious.
Ugh. I try so hard not to let my expressions show.
“However, it’s impossible for Yuki-sama to take the princess as a captive this time. The situation isn't like that.”
“Exactly. Besides, you know Yuki-sensei isn't the type to lay his hands on women so easily, right?”
“You’ve experienced firsthand just how much trouble we went through for that, haven't you? Besides, if you don't trust Yuki, Kagura, who will?”
“You’re right. Yeah. Yuki wouldn't do something like that.”
I know. Yuki is incredibly disciplined.
He isn't the type to be loose with women.
But, from a political standpoint...
As I was harboring such anxieties, a hand suddenly rested on my head with a gentle pat.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to lay a hand on the princess of a fallen kingdom. I really can’t handle any more than this.”
“Eh—are you really not going to?”
Yuki and Taiki walked over, exchanging such lighthearted banter.
But seeing the look on Yuki’s face—the expression of someone who truly wanted to avoid any more troublesome situations—put me at ease.
“In that case, Taiki-kun, you should do it. Then I’ll leave everything to you.”
“Absolutely not. I don't even understand the current political climate; there’s no way I could just carelessly get involved.”
“Hm? So it would be fine if the situation were properly sorted out?”
“Don’t try to trap me with that kind of logic. More importantly, we’ve got another troublesome situation on our hands, don't we?”
“That we do. Troublesome indeed.”
...They treated her as nothing more than a nuisance.
Well, in reality, a princess of a fallen kingdom is nothing if not a nuisance, but hearing it stated so clearly made me think that we must have been seen as nothing but nuisances back then, too.
Well, we *were* nuisances, so that’s only natural.
If we had been clumsy, we might have even been the ones to act as if it were natural for reinforcements to work for us, just because we were arrogant enough to summon them...
No, no. Never mind that. We have to be careful about our future actions.
Besides, after all this time, there’s no way Yuki would say he dislikes me! Yuki and I are madly in love!
“Ahem. Well, I understand it’s troublesome. But why gather us all here? I only heard that we were going to storm the lord’s mansion via the gate, but what’s the specific plan after that?”
“First, we need to grasp the situation. We’ll hear it directly from the parties involved. If we’re not careful, we could end up being seen as invaders. Also, we need to confirm the safety of the Sea-Cypho delegation.”
That’s only natural.
So far, we only have the information Steve and his team gathered.
We can’t start until we properly understand the situation.
As I was nodding in agreement, Enola spoke up.
“Hey. Kagura is here as a magic instructor for Sea-Cypho, but is it alright for us to be present? We have nothing to do with Sea-Cypho; we’re just a Haire Church priest and a former Findar princess.”
“It’s fine for both of you to be present. This issue is a Sea-Cypho problem, but it’s also a problem for the New Continent Alliance. I’ll need you to report this to your respective leaders later, so make sure you remember what happens from here on out.”
“Understood.”
“Understood.”
It seems Enola and Stasia will be present to relay the situation to their home countries.
Ugh, it’s a bit much that Yuki has so many wives, but being able to contact the leaders of various nations at any time is quite an advantage.
If that’s the case, then perhaps the Gusdo Kingdom princess... no, that’s enough of that.
First, let’s confirm the current state of affairs!
I firmly shifted my mindset and spoke to Yuki.
“So, it’s fine for them to be present, but what about the safety on the other side? I know Steve and the others have seized the mansion.”
“Even though Steve and his team have secured it, it’s dangerous to be completely at ease. Besides, the enemy army was right in front of them, and the atmosphere was incredibly tense. Since we forcibly seized it, there’s been a bit of a commotion.”
“That’s to be expected. When you and Princess Carrie were rolled up in mats and carried out, Mikos and the others were in quite a state of confusion.”
“My younger brother also said he was quite surprised at the time, not knowing what was happening at all.”
“I was the one being captured, so I was in total chaos myself.”
I truly didn't understand the meaning of it at all.
Why? What was happening? I wondered, regarding the hero I had summoned.
The princess was in the middle of her "dazed princess" act at the time, and I can’t even begin to describe how much my stomach hurt.
No, thinking about it calmly now, it was just a kidnapping, so it’s only natural.
As I was thinking about that, the preparations seemed to be complete, and the goblins approached us.
“The gate is ready. Please, this way.”
They guided us toward the gate.
In addition to the gate to Weed, another one had been opened, so this one must be...
“This is the gate to the lord’s mansion in the port town of Aurelia, opened temporarily.”
“What’s the situation at the mansion?”
“We have already dispatched an infantry company to suppress the area around the mansion. The interior has been fully secured, so there are no particular issues.”
“I see. I’ll hear the details from Steve.”
“Yes. They are also quite confused by the sudden turn of events. Captain Steve said that if the dawn comes while things are like this, the confusion will only increase, so he hopes to resolve the matter during the night.”
“Whether it can be resolved or not depends on them. Alright, everyone, let’s go. Don’t let your guard down.”
“““Yes!”””
We steeled ourselves and passed through the gate. Suddenly, the surroundings turned dark, and we emerged in a place where only the light of torches flickered uneasily.
“Where is this?”
“The garden of the lord’s mansion. There wasn't enough space to install it inside the building.”
Ah, that’s true. Gates are quite large, after all.