第９４２堀：甘い物はみんな好き (Part2)
"I get it. I totally get it."
The members of the New Continent diplomatic team, led by Kagura, nodded in agreement.
...And it wasn't just them; everyone else was nodding along, too.
I had felt the same way, after all.
As we were getting caught up in the nostalgia, Seraria spoke up, as if something had just occurred to her.
"Oh, now that things have finally settled down, I just remembered. Yuki, do you think that Emperor Eupia is the real deal?"
Ah, that’s right. I had completely forgotten about that.
But, using common sense, very few people would actually believe that the child claiming to be Emperor Eupia was the genuine article.
I mean, no matter how you look at it, she’s smaller than Aslin.
She’s taller than Hiiro, but still smaller than Aslin.
Her demeanor had been so dignified, fitting for an emperor, that I had stopped worrying about it, but that’s definitely the first thing we should have been questioning.
Is that Emperor Eupia the real one?
And since Yuki has such high-precision appraisal skills, he should know her true identity...
"Emperor Eupia is the real deal."
"As-onee is right, she's the real one."
For some reason, Aslin and Hiiro stated that with absolute confidence.
"Did the two of you hear something from Emperor Eupia herself?"
"Nope. But, you know, she wasn't lying, so..."
"Not lying means it's true. Hiiro's brilliant deduction."
"..."
Well, I don't think they’re lying, but I’d really like some solid evidence. Something you could call proof.
Still, it’s not like I can just say that to them...
"That's right. If my appraisal skill is to be believed, she is definitely the Emperor. It came up as 'genuine'."
Nice. Thanks to that, Yuki, the conversation can move forward.
"So that child really is the real one, then."
"Well, yeah. There’s a chance she’s found a way to trick my appraisal skill, but her age came up as 254. It’s almost certainly correct."
"254!?"
That was a shock.
But Yuki didn't seem surprised in the slightest...
"No, don't we have plenty of people even more incredible than that in our own circle? Like your wife Deryu, or a 500-year-old undead, or the loli-school principal."
"Wait, wait, don't bring me into this. You make me sound like an old hag."
I understand Deryu's point, but come to think of it, if you look at it that way, is it really that strange?
"No, I’m not saying Deryu is an old hag. Everyone here maintains a youthful appearance, so it shouldn't be strange for an emperor to remain a young girl. Though, it seems she’s having a lot of trouble on the diplomatic front because of it."
"Ah..."
I do seem to recall her mentioning something like that.
About how people shouldn't underestimate her just because of her appearance.
"Well, honestly, I don't want to get involved in the reason behind her appearance. I saw it up close and figured it out..."
"Your reaction says it all. It involves the gods, doesn't it?"
"That's right. Emperor Eupia staying small is a 'blessing' from the gods."
"..."
The atmosphere became indescribable.
Honestly, the shadow of the gods seems to be lurking everywhere we go.
"Regardless, the god's protection on Emperor Eupia isn't something we should be meddling with. Our goal is to find out the intentions of the Zurabl Empire and negotiate so that we don't end up in a war with Weed or Sea-Cypho."
"That's true. That is our goal this time. But Yuki, are you really sure about that?"
Seraria seemed half-convinced, but she still wore a troubled expression.
"What do you mean?"
"If the negotiations proceed safely and we manage to sign a treaty, a ceasefire, or an alliance, what are we going to do about Aurelia Port? The situation with Princess Palfil of the Gusdo Kingdom is a thorny problem, isn't it? If we aren't careful and can't intervene, the Gusdo Kingdom might be completely wiped out this time. Are you really okay with that?"
That is indeed a problem.
Originally, if we were dealing with the "vicious and cruel" Zurabl Empire, I would have thought about taking the land back, but with the way things are now...
"The matter of the Gusdo Kingdom isn't something we can conclude right now. So far, we've only heard the Gusdo side of the story; we haven't heard from the Zurabl Empire yet. Besides, Princess Palfil herself has been quite surprised by what she's seen inside the Zurabl Empire during our journey. So, I don't know how things will turn out. Well, even if the Gusdo Kingdom ceases to exist, I think we could at least protect their lives."
"Saving their lives is one thing, but just casting them aside after that is pretty harsh, isn't it?"
"Even so, it's not like we can take care of them forever. It will depend on her own will."
...I wonder what path Princess Palfil, who has lost everything, will choose to take from here on out?
And what intentions does Emperor Eupia, the leader of the Zurabl Empire, have for destroying the Gusdo Kingdom?
Since ancient times, sweets have been a symbol of power and a food that captivates everyone.
Well, it’s also said that they were excellent as preserved rations.
Perhaps, if you have jam and chocolate, you might just be invincible.