落とし穴外伝：正月が終わって
Side: Yuki
"Yuki-san! What are we going to do about the Ioa Kingdom?!"
I had barely registered the shout before Taiki-kun burst into my office.
"Busy right from the start of the new year, aren't we?"
"This isn't about being busy! Why didn't you tell me that King was a woman!?"
"Ah, I didn't exactly intend to keep it a secret. I just assumed you already knew."
I mean, that Fuiara person had such refined, delicate features—the entire physique was clearly female.
"Eh—"
"We were in a situation where we didn't fully understand their culture. If the person themselves is hiding it, pointing it out would cause a massive scandal, wouldn't it? The Ioa Kingdom would collapse from within. I couldn't just blurt it out carelessly."
"Ah... so it’s a 'must be a man' kind of situation?"
"Exactly. Even the butler called them 'Prince' at times, and they were treated as a man, so you couldn't just say it, right? Besides, Taiki-kun, you used Appraisal, didn't you?"
"I did, but I wasn't paying attention to the gender."
"Well, that’s your oversight. And besides, why is it a problem that they’re a woman?"
It might have been a problem for the Ioa Kingdom that their King was actually a woman, but that doesn't mean there’s a problem for Taiki-kun.
"You have me negotiating with the Ioa Kingdom on the surface as part of your strategy, right? And in the middle of that, they’ve come to me with a proposal to take King Fuiara as my bride."
"Ah, I see. Well, to them, you are the trump card against the Demon Lord, a wielder of overwhelming military power and weaponry. They wouldn't want to let you go."
According to the conclusion reached in our previous discussion with the Demon Lord Holly, we are technically still at war with the Demon Lord. We decided that we would occasionally return to the front lines to stage battles.
For the sake of appearances.
So, as far as the Ioa Kingdom is concerned, the war isn't over, and on top of that, they’ve left the fighting entirely to Weed and the Hero, Taiki-sama.
In other words, the current situation depends entirely on the Hero's whims. They must have figured they needed a way to keep him tethered to them.
That’s why...
"I understand their feelings perfectly well, and I’m busy enough with the paperwork for the Ioa Kingdom negotiations as it is. Try to get along, Hero-sama."
"No, no, no! Can't you come up with a plan!?"
Hearing that shout, Fiora and the others stopped their work. *Sigh*, I really hate having more chores piled on me right at the start of the work year.
"Even if you ask for a plan... for them, nothing provides more security than marriage. Unless you have a plan that offers more trust and security than that, it won't work, you know?"
That is how heavy the bond between nations through marriage is. Of course, one might think it’s meaningless when they’re being carried on our backs like this, but...
"In a sense, it means they’re giving you the Ioa Kingdom, right? Isn't that a good thing?"
Yes, if King Fuiara comes to be your bride, that is what it effectively means. Well, it’s also a fact that they have nothing else to offer as compensation.
"Who would want to increase their territory at this point in time!"
"In this world, that’s a situation people would drool over. Heck, even on Earth, you’d be surprised at how legally you can acquire land. Most people would be happy about it."
Territory is increasing legally. That is something to be happy about. Well, there might be some jealousy...
"As for the jealousy from the international community when the land increases, I’ll submit the Demon Lord reports, and if we say we’re sharing the profits, that should handle it. No one wants to jump into a fierce battle zone against monsters anyway. There’s also the fact that you were summoned here, and under normal circumstances, it’s an exclave with no viable shipping routes. Even if they complain, they won't want to maintain it."
It’s the classic "complain all you want as long as you get a cut of the profits" scenario. If someone is persistent, just tell them to provide the manpower, budget, and supplies themselves.
"Nngghh... You knew this would happen, didn't you?"
Taiki-kun muttered this, unable to find a solution that offered more security than marriage.
"Well, I didn't expect the King themselves to come. I thought they’d send a Duke or a daughter. But for them, if they cut ties with us, everything ends. They’d stop at nothing, even sacrificing themselves. It’s proof they don't have the luxury to scheme against us here. Well, not that they could do much even if they did."
Exactly. Other than the peaceful transfer of a country under the guise of marriage, the Ioa Kingdom has nothing else to offer. Perhaps they should have thought about what would happen after the summoning more carefully.
Well, if it had been an individual summoning, maybe ceding territory and becoming a subordinate would have been an option, but the problem is they summoned the entire nation of Weed.
When it comes to a nation, they probably think that if they don't respond appropriately, they’ll be the ones destroyed next, so they can't afford to be careless. Relying on the kindness or clauses of an opponent in international relations is just stupidity—it’s suicidal.
That is precisely why we presented the position of being able to have a say while handing over the country. Of course, from our perspective, having no desire for territory, it’s nothing but a burden, but the other side doesn't know that.
*We have given everything we can.* That seems to be their stance.
"I can't just say, 'I'll take the land'..."
" " "That’s impossible." " "
Before I could answer, Fiora and the others replied in unison. Then, Nina, making a hollow sound as she finished her vegetable juice, opened her mouth.
"Taiki. No, Hero-sama. Just because you receive the land doesn't mean there’s a guarantee they won't attack the Ioa Kingdom, and it would be troublesome if support were cut off. You should know that’s far from a guarantee of safety."
"As Nina-sama says. Taiki-sama, you understand that, don't you?"
"Nngghh..."
Taiki-kun couldn't say anything to the follow-up attack from Prol. Yeah, in this world, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. That’s exactly why he’s selling himself.
Well, selling himself doesn't guarantee safety, but at least it won't result in the King being the villain. The ones who will be blamed are the treacherous Taiki-kun and Weed. History can record that the Ioa Kingdom wasn't the one at fault.
"Then, Yuki-san, you..."
"No, in that situation, no one would accept a marriage with me. The Hero is stronger and was the commander, after all."
"You definitely did that on purpose!"
Well, that’s true. At one point, I even had plans to subjugate the Ioa Kingdom. The Hero was necessary in that subjugation route as the one to reconcile with the opponent.
"You knew that, didn't you?"
"But, you know, how am I supposed to explain this to Airi or Soel..."
"For Airi-san and Soel-san, look."
When I said that and activated the video on my tablet:
*『It’s fine. I will support you as the primary wife.』*
*『Yes. The Hero-sama has saved the country again. It’s a beautiful story. And it’s standard for a princess to arrive. With this, the trading company and Ranks will surely leap forward once more.』*
I’ve already received permission. In the first place, once they lent us Taiki-kun, there was no way the Ranks side would accept no compensation. As for the benefits, they have been promised priority trading status with the Ioa Kingdom and the use of the same land as us.
I didn't know how they would fulfill that promise, but since a bond through marriage is the most standard of standards, the Prime Minister and the Captain of the Royal Guard of Ranks are all in favor of it.
"This is fine, right?"
"Damn it..."
Taiki-kun slumped to his knees, utterly dejected.
"Well, I understand that carrying the weight of people's lives is incredibly tough. Especially when it’s an entire country. We’ll support you as much as we can, so please do it. For the sake of the people of the Ioa Kingdom and the Ranks Kingdom."
That’s right. I’m not doing this to bully Taiki-kun. I’m doing it for the happiness of many people. Yes, Taiki-kun gets a beautiful bride and is living the dream. The citizens are prosperous and saved—it’s a win-win.
"...I understand."
Perhaps finally folding to my persuasion, Taiki-kun trudged away.
"Um, why was the Hero-dono so dejected? No, I understand the situation, but..."
"Perhaps it’s because Taiki-sama is a commoner, just like Yuki-sama?"
"That’s right. Carrying the weight of many people is surprisingly tough~"
"Yes. I understand that very well."
Fiora considers it natural as royalty, while Orelia and the others nod, saying they understand the feeling well.
"Now, to help Taiki-kun, let’s get back to work. I want to move forward with the Dark Guild matter by next week."
Ah, did we even have a New Year’s break?
This time it was Taiki-kun!
Man, everyone, you shouldn't think about such indecent things.
Usually, people say harems are bad or tough, so why is it that when it comes to Yuki, everyone just asks who’s next?
You shouldn't enjoy his reluctance, you know?
*Pfft.*