落とし穴外伝：相談すると (Part1)
**Pitfall Side Story: When You Consult**
**Side: Orelia**
It was my day off. I was lounging in my room at the inn—which served as both our home and the residence of Yuki-sama and his wives—lost in a book, when...
*Knock, knock.*
I went to the door to see who it was, and to my surprise...
"Oh, Yayui? What’s wrong? And Hovis, too?"
For some reason, both Yayui and Hovis were standing there, despite the fact that they should have been off enjoying their own respective days off.
"Did we have plans?"
I tilted my head, trying to recall if we had made any arrangements, but I could only conclude that no such plans existed. Hovis, ever the laid-back soul, chimed in with a breezy tone.
"Nothing like that, really~. It’s just that Yayui-chan said she had something she wanted to talk about~."
"Yayui? Did you find something interesting while you were out shopping?"
Since Yayui had mentioned she was going shopping today, I assumed it was something trivial, but looking at her face, she didn't seem particularly happy.
"...Yayui? Is something the matter?"
"Yeah. There is. So, please, let me talk."
She seemed more serious than I had anticipated, and since I had no reason to turn her away, I invited them inside. Not that it was a rare occurrence; in the early days, we had often...
"It doesn't really feel like it's been that long, does it? When Yuki-sama first brought us here, we were so surprised, and we ended up staying over together~."
"Indeed. I never imagined I’d be living in the same place as Yuki-sama and his wives. I felt so guilty taking up a room by myself that I ended up living with you all instead."
"Yeah, and it was plenty spacious, too."
The three of us nodded in agreement.
After Yuki-sama hired us and we learned of the existence of Luna-sama and the other gods, we swore our loyalty—or rather, our cooperation—and began living under his protection. Of course, I had intended to work hard, as serving Yuki-sama and his wives was a great honor, but there was less to do than I had imagined.
I still helped with the cooking, but Yuki-sama and his wives often did it as a hobby, and their food was delicious. More importantly, with maids like Kirue-sama and Sasari-sama around, our opportunities to step in were limited. We had considered hiring a professional chef, but everyone agreed that replicating Yuki-sama’s cooking was an impossible task.
As a result, cleaning and laundry were made easy thanks to the Dungeon Master’s influence, and we were truly living a life of comfort here. We had unlimited access to high-end washing machines, complete with dryers. That was why I had felt so much guilt initially.
However, people grow accustomed to things. Now, I spend my days relaxing like this, drinking tea and enjoying the company of the wives. Though, unfortunately, the relationship with Yuki-sama that we and the wives all desire has yet to materialize.
But setting that aside, I prepared some tea and turned to the visibly troubled Yayui.
"So, what happened?"
"...It’s about that."
With a grave expression, Yayui slowly explained what had occurred during her shopping trip. She told me about a thief who had been using Yuki-sama’s name. As for the rumors of him being a womanizer...
"Well, Yuki-sama has already admitted to being a womanizer, so..."
"It’s not like it’s a problem~. If anything, I’d want him to be one~. The real issue is~."
"Yes. It is a criminal act committed under Yuki-sama’s name. I cannot forgive it. Lari-san said she would report it to Yuki-sama eventually... but I cannot just overlook this."
Hovis and I shared the same sentiment and nodded in unison.
"You’re right. We cannot overlook an act that tarnishes Yuki-sama’s reputation. That means we need to investigate, but... we can’t just act on our own."
Lari-san was already on the case, and normally, this wasn't our place to interfere. Furthermore, acting recklessly would only cause confusion; we needed permission.
"But going to ask Yuki-sama for permission is..."
He was in a busy period. I wasn't sure if we should bother him with the likes of a swindler using his name, when suddenly...
"Oh, that sounds like an interesting conversation."
With those words, the door opened, and in walked...
" " "Your Majesty!?" " "
Yes, Seraria-sama, the Queen of Weed, had entered the room.
"Pardon the intrusion."
I had no reason to refuse her, so I stood at attention, waiting. She gave a wry smile.
"There's no need to be so formal. Come now, sit back down. And is that tea for me?"
"Oh, yes—wait, I’ll get you some..."
"It’s fine, it’s fine."
She waved her hand dismissively, poured herself a cup, and returned to us. She took a sip and looked at us again.
"So, you’re talking about the trash who’s been borrowing my husband’s name."
She said it with a smile, but I could feel the immense rage simmering beneath it. We were angry, of course, but it was only natural that the Queen, who lived in such harmony with Yuki-sama as his wife, would be furious. It made us feel closer to Seraria-sama, knowing that she, too, felt the sting of her loved one being insulted.
And the first one to let that anger explode was...
"Exactly! It is absolutely unforgivable! Seraria-sama, please, give us permission to execute the disrespectful wretch!"
Unexpectedly, Yayui’s face turned bright red as she made the suggestion.
"Indeed. Such a person deserves the death penalty."
"Then!"
"Wait. I understand your feelings well. My husband, who is so reserved and the very embodiment of goodwill, could never commit fraud. But if we punish them without following judicial procedure, we would only be tarnishing his name further. You understand that, don't you?"
"...Yes."
Yayui, who had been uncharacteristically heated, was easily calmed by Seraria-sama. It was true; if we resorted to vigilantism, it would make a mockery of the nation’s legal system.
"So, you want to conduct an investigation. Is that it?"
"That is correct, but I was worried about whether this was something we should bring to Yuki-sama’s ears..."
"It is a busy time, and there is the matter of the Dark Guild. There is a possibility that someone is pulling the strings from the shadows... Considering that, you should report it properly."
" " "Eh?" " "
We were surprised by her unexpected response, but Seraria-sama continued.
"My husband isn't the type to be surprised by something of this level. Honestly, we could move on our own, but Lari is already working on it, and since Yayui is this angry, and I have you and Hovis here, let’s leave it to you. If anything, this is a problem that should be handled by those closest to him."
"Indeed, it would be problematic to dump this kind of issue on another department."
"Besides, imagine if this spread to the other girls. They’d all be furious and start a manhunt. Think of what would happen to the operations of Weed."
" " "..." " "
I could easily imagine it, and I was left speechless. Just as we and Seraria-sama were angry, the other wives would undoubtedly feel the same. And they were capable of far more than we were.
"It wouldn't do to abuse our authority to move the organization, but they’d likely come up with some sophistry to justify it. After all, it’s to clear my husband’s name. They might even declare it a matter of state and mobilize the entire country. They’d drag the Adventurer’s Guild and the Merchant’s Guild into it, too."
"That sounds like it’s beyond an overreaction, doesn't it~?"
"Yes. It would save face, but fraud like this is common in every country. The punishment is severe, of course, but mobilizing the nation for something like this is an exaggeration. He’d probably just give a wry smile and let it slide, but it would stall national business, and from the perspective of the Dark Guild and their ilk..."
"They’d see it as a perfect way to bring Weed and its alliances to a standstill."