274 Should I hit or not?




 Anne--Annemarie introduced herself as the Seventh Imperial Princess of the Empire, and then sat down again. The three people who had been in front of me to protect me sat down again as well. They don't look as surprised as I thought they would be, but maybe they're too surprised to realize it.
 However, as the seventh princess, her position on the throne would be quite low. There are six princesses above her alone. If you add the prince, the number will increase even more. It is not as if there are only princesses.
 The trouble is that no matter how low the order of succession to the throne is, there is no doubt that she is a direct descendant of the emperor. If you treat him strangely, there is a very high possibility that you will get into some kind of trouble. I'm just a blacksmith. In the case of rude revenge, it is not the one who does it, but the one who is done.

 On the other hand, the empire is treating us very well. They sent a direct descendant when they could have sent a spouse or someone else with the necessary status. So, in other words...

It's probably a hostage. ......

 I muttered with a sigh. If the Seventh Empress is a direct descendant of the Seventh Empress, but not a person who would be in serious trouble if she were to disappear, then sending her as a hostage is not a bad move.
 At first glance, sending a hostage from the other side may seem strange, but it was also the case in the previous world, Japan's Warring States Period. In that case, it was usually as a sign of alliance or vassalage. In this case, I think it's the former.
 Anne is smiling when she hears my words. She seems to be calm, but she understands her position calmly. That's the most annoying type.
 But all of this is only if what Anne is saying is true. I glanced at Samija, but she gave a small shake of her head. That meant she couldn't detect the lie. I don't know if she would have lied to me without getting upset at all.
 I sighed again, this time even deeper than before.

Well, I understand that you and the Empire mean us no harm.
Thank you.

 Anne bowed.

"Oh, I just need to confirm one thing.
What is it?
"And by 'we' you mean Helen, of course?"

 Anne's glazed eyes narrowed. She seemed to be smiling, but even if she was smiling, it was that of a beast that has found its prey.
 Helen was staring at my face. Her mouth puckered up for a few moments, but no words came out of it.
 A silence fell over the place. The magic sent a breeze through the fireplace and furnace, causing the flames to rise and the sound of exploding coals to echo through the forge. I thought I heard someone gulp and swallow.

...... Yes, of course. If you harm her, you will have great enmity towards the Empire, right? I've decided that I must avoid that. You don't seem to be actively on the side of the Kingdom, and you shouldn't go out of your way to make enemies.

 Anne's words came after a while, and Helen and I both sighed at the same time. Now Helen had nothing to worry about. She won't have to wear a wig every time she goes into town.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I'm going to make you a weapon, okay?

 Anne looked puzzled. In fact, I could just send her away, since I'm sure she's done with her business, but it's raining now, and she's my guest. Let's just make up what we're going to make and get out of here.

No, preferably one of His Majesty's. ......
"Well, our rule is that the person who will be making the weapon must come here alone. In other words, in this case, the emperor himself has to show up.

 I said, scratching my head. I don't like to make exceptions to rules like this. The mithril rapier that Camilo asked me to use was a special exception, but it had the advantage of allowing me to handle a new material, and it was at Camilo's behest.

I understand.

 Anne stood up quickly. I wondered if she was leaving because she had finished her business. I stood up, too.

I stood up and said, "My sword, please. My two-handed sword.

 Anne bowed her head.