第１３２７堀：そっちの交渉は？ (Part1)
Chapter 1327: How’s the Negotiation on That End?
Side: Ria
I find myself in the waiting room of Last Castle, waiting for Liliana and the others for the first time in a long while.
The first time I was here, it was after we’d defeated that pervert.
After that, I’d come by to have tea or chat with Liliana and Elju.
I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had the chance to visit, so it feels quite fresh.
I look at the furnishings and wonder, *Did they redecorate a bit?*
Normally, this would be the prelude to a tea party with Liliana, Elju, and Leia, but today I’m here as Yuki-san’s guard, so I suppose that will have to wait for another time.
As I’m thinking this, I notice Fiora, Orelia, and the others, their faces stiff with tension.
Curious, I decide to ask them what’s wrong.
"What’s the matter? Everyone looks so tense."
"Ah, well..."
Fiora and the others exchange glances, unsure of how to answer.
Then...
"Ria. This was once the Demon Lord’s castle. In the stories, it’s an impregnable fortress where a mighty Demon Lord reigned, a place where no human could survive. And above all, Fiora and the others are people from the Rogali Continent who actually felt the presence of that Demon Lord. To them, the meaning of standing in this castle is entirely different from what it is to us."
Cleena explains it to me.
"Ah..."
So that’s it.
It is, indeed, the former Demon Lord’s castle.
For the people living on this Rogali Continent, until a few years ago, every conversation was filled with talk of how to storm this very castle and defeat the Demon Lord.
Well, there were plenty of countries fighting over territory, too, I suppose.
"Well, I won’t tell you not to be nervous, but you’ve already met Liliana, haven’t you?"
"Yes, we have, but to be here, in a place spoken of in fairy tales..."
"I’m just nervous in so many ways, I suppose."
"That’s right~."
"Y-yes."
Fiora, Orelia, Hobis, and Yayui are all on edge.
I look toward Cleena, wondering if there’s anything we can do, but she just shakes her head.
"It’s not something you can just get used to on command. Time will solve it. Even you, Ria, were nervous the first time you stepped foot in here."
"I guess I was. I was told I was the trump card, after all."
"Back then, we didn’t know what kind of abilities Dekira possessed. You, as the Hero, were the key. Well, there was no need to worry about that. Oh, I remember now. The reason your tension broke back then was because Dekira’s... Liliana’s pa..."
As if to cut off Yuki-san’s words before he could finish...
"Yuki-san. That’s quite enough of that, isn’t it?"
Liliana appears with a smile.
She’s holding her staff, looking like she’s ready to fire at any moment.
Well, Yuki-san wouldn’t be hurt by that level of magic, and more importantly, there’s no way Liliana would actually attack him, so neither Cleena nor I even bothered to brace ourselves. But Fiora and the others were different.
"W-what are you doing!?"
"P-please calm down!"
"That’s right~! Peace is the best policy~!"
"P-please put down your weapon!"
They all stand in front of Yuki-san in a defensive formation.
Honestly, I was impressed.
They were properly acting as Yuki-san’s shield.
"Hmm. Excellent work as guards."
"Indeed."
Cleena praises their movements as well.
However...
"Um, my apologies. This level of interaction is practically a greeting for us, you see?"
"Yuki is at fault, too. He lacks delicacy when it comes to women."
Liliana offers a wry smile at Fiora and the others’ reaction.
And Leia chides Yuki-san.
It’s true; that last bit was Yuki-san’s fault.
I don’t want to remember that incident either.
"My bad, my bad. Fiora, Orelia, Hobis, Yayui. It’s alright, you can stand down."
"““...Yes.””"
Fiora and the others reluctantly break their defensive stance.
I wonder, is it this place that makes them act like this?
While thinking that...
"Yahoo, Liliana, Leia."
"Hmm. You look well."
"Yes, I’m glad to see you and Cleena-san are doing well, too."
"Yo. Good to see you both looking like your usual selves."
For now, Cleena and I exchange standard greetings with Liliana and Leia.
We have to show them that we aren’t enemies, after all.
The two of them seem to catch our intent and follow our lead.
Though, to be fair, we were already on good terms with them to begin with.
Amidst that, Liliana sits down across from us...
"Now then, once again, welcome, Yuki-dono. As the Queen of the Last Kingdom, I welcome you."
"I appreciate the formal reception."
They exchange greetings as representatives of their respective nations.
Personally, I find it all quite tedious, but I’m told it’s necessary.
And just when I thought the greetings were over...
"Now then, I’d like to discuss the reason for this visit immediately..."
"Indeed. We don’t have an abundance of time, so let’s make this brief."
If they’re going to switch gears like that, wouldn’t it be better to skip the formalities altogether? Or is that the wrong thing to think?
"Regarding the investigation into the rare races, we are still in the negotiation phase. Since there hasn’t been much interaction to begin with, they seem quite wary of what we have to say."
"Well, that’s to be expected. Still, the student exchange program won’t wait. The tests are almost finished, and there are already whispers of moving the schedule forward."
"That is certainly joyous news. However, the negotiations with the rare races will not be finished in time."
"Not in time, you say?"
"Yes."
Liliana states it clearly.
I find it amazing how she can be so blunt about what’s impossible.
"I’m sure you understand this, Yuki-san, but negotiations between races cannot be concluded in a matter of months. Accumulation is key. It takes years, sometimes decades, to build trust."
I understand what she’s saying.
Even if you can make friends on an individual level, it’s a different matter entirely to be trusted by an entire village.
As I’m thinking this, Leia places some documents on the table.
"However, it’s not as if we have no friends among them. We have managed to extract some information from her, so I would like you to alert the other nations accordingly."
"“Her,” you say? A woman?"
"Yes."
"May I look at the documents now?"
"Of course."
Yuki-san picks up the documents and glances through them quickly before handing them to me.
As I look over the papers myself, I see a photograph of someone who appears to be a member of the Gem Race.