第１２１９堀：お礼一つにも一苦労 (Part1)
**Chapter 1219: A Simple Thank You is a Chore**
"Phew... I'm so exhausted."
Mikos slumped onto the ground, her posture completely devoid of grace. Under normal circumstances, I would have scolded her into standing tall and alert, but...
"Release me! Do you have any idea what will happen to you for treating the eldest son of a Viscount family with such insolence? Do you think you'll get away with this?!"
Watching that utter fool, who remained completely oblivious to his own precarious situation, I couldn't bring myself to say a word to Mikos. I understood perfectly well; if I had been the one dealing with that idiot all the way from Haiden, I would be drained to the core, too.
I had observed the interior of the carriage during the journey, and the scene was appalling. To call those men "guards" was a mockery; they had done nothing but extort and harass Mikos. They had even spent the entire trip belittling Yuki. Everyone present knew this, and we, Yuki’s wives, were seething with rage. We were barely suppressing the urge to kick them into oblivion, international incident be damned.
"…Kagura. I’m truly sorry to ask, but could you handle him? Honestly, my ears are rotting."
"Of course. I feel like executing him on the spot myself."
"His conduct is far too beneath that of a knight. Shouldn't he be re-educated?"
"Jessica, don't bother with such a waste of time. We should just wipe him out in an instant," added the guard quartet—Cleena, Samantha, Jessica, and Ria—all equally incensed. Above all, the mere fact that we had to clean up this mess was infuriating.
He was being so loud that I instinctively delivered a kick.
*Thud.*
"Stop your wailing. Don't expose your ugliness any further. You’re damaging Haiden’s standing, and you’re insulting my husband. Do you think your life is worth so little?"
My voice was cold, sounding like it belonged to someone else entirely. That was just how deep my resentment ran. When I thought he might finally quiet down, he didn't even seem to recognize who I was.
"You little brat! You think you'll get away with this?!"
*Ah, I really wish he would stop.*
"I am Kagura, second daughter of the Kamishiro Dukedom. I am a Weed diplomat and the wife of Yuki, the Prince Consort of Weed. Do you truly believe that the eldest son of a Viscount can ignore a royal decree, threaten his escort, and walk away unscathed?"
"..."
I don't usually speak in such terms, but this was the perfect opportunity to crush him using the very "status" he held so dear. Princess Catherine seemed to grasp my intent as well.
"Viscount’s heir. You are no longer in the Kingdom of Haiden; you are in the territory of Weed. We cannot allow someone like you to enter, let alone provide an escort for my master. We shall be sending a formal, stern protest to the Haiden Kingdom."
"You bi—"
I kicked the man again before he could spew more idiocy, then shoved a cloth into his mouth to silence him.
"Ignoring what was just said would be meaningless. I am, after all, a 'former' lord of Haiden. I currently serve as a subject of Weed, entrusted with the care of Baide. You cannot possibly be unaware of what follows those words. Lady Kagura, please handle the rest, including these matters."
"Yes. Leave it to me."
It truly is a mystery why this man acted so foolishly. Well, my job is to handle the procedures for sending him back, just as the Princess requested. It’s simple enough: I just need to compile the documents and evidence regarding his conduct and hand them over to the escort team returning to Haiden.
"Then, I leave it to you."
"Leave it to me. Once I go, he’ll be forced to behave," Enola replied, as composed as ever. Yes, I had specifically asked Enola to handle the escort back to Haiden. Surely, they wouldn't dare be rude to Enola, the "Shrine Maiden of the Spirits." This wouldn't just be a double punch; it would be a triple blow, given the accusations coming from the Haire Church.
"Enola, don't push yourself."
"Of course. Try to endure the loneliness while I'm gone."
"Yeah. I'll endure it, so come back soon."
Hmm, Enola always seems so happy when she talks with Yuki. Conversations with him are always pleasant, but she doesn't carry that stiff, "Bishop-like" air she usually has. She just seems like an ordinary girl. Of course, the soldiers provided by Princess Catherine would be accompanying the escort of those fools. I couldn't help but wonder why we were going through so much trouble...
"Mikos, are you alright?"
"Yuki-sensei..."
Before I knew it, Yuki had moved to comfort Mikos, gently patting her head. Mikos, taking advantage of the affection, was clinging to him with a silly, smitten grin. Ugh, it was infuriating, but I held my tongue—there was no denying she had played a difficult role.
"Still, it’s a shame that people like that still exist."
"I'm sorry."
"Kagura, you don't need to apologize. Besides, Princess Carrie told me she intended to sweep up those kinds of people all at once."
"Well, that’s true, but... come to think of it, Yuki, you agreed to that quite easily. I thought you weren't going to cooperate in rooting out internal enemies who try to use Weed for their own ends?"
That’s right. Yuki’s general stance is that internal issues, especially those concerning governance, should be handled by the nation itself. He doesn't intervene unless it’s absolutely necessary—like the situation with Phiora’s homeland.
"Ah, that’s a misunderstanding, or perhaps just a nuance. If Haiden falls into civil war now, I won't be able to intervene. If that happens, my visit to the Goblin Village will be postponed, right?"
" " "Ah..." " "
Mikos, Solo, and I all let out a sound of realization.
"It’s hard to say, but Haiden still isn't stable. Perhaps because they were eaten away from the inside for so long, they have a lot of foolish relatives. Even regarding the previous incident with the Mad God, it’s not like every single person involved was punished."
"Indeed. So, this is about cleaning house further through this incident?"
"Exactly. And that’s a problem for me, too. Besides, they promised to give me a proper reward for my cooperation. Or rather, that was the Princess's goal all along."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know that there are factions within Haiden who argue that since the various ways Weed has cooperated so far were all just 'coincidences,' there’s no need to offer any special thanks?"
"...Yes, I know that."
We have two types of reports: the official one for public consumption, and the one containing the hidden truths. If we revealed everything from start to finish, we’d be unable to move, but there are plenty of people who only know the official report, or who choose to turn a blind eye to the truth. Those people argue that Weed’s cooperation was merely a product of chance and that no reward is necessary. Their true motive is simply not wanting to hand over any more of the country's wealth to Weed. They feel that since we’ve already taken so much, that’s enough. Well, they’re just short-sighted, but I can understand their fear of losing more.
"But the Royal faction, like the King of Haiden and Princess Carrie, wants to offer a clear, tangible reward. It’s necessary for future intercontinental exchange, after all."