99-099
◆ Chapter3.01
Once inside the cave, Leonardo and the others were relieved to see that the harsh cold air had eased.
"What the hell. It's warmer than you imagine.
I've heard that limestone caves don't fluctuate much in temperature over the course of the year.
Chun-Lu's answer was something like that.
I heard that the underground is a place where the temperature is more stable compared to the surface of the earth. This is not necessarily because of the fact that this is Celldesia, but the same is true of the earth world.
The interior of the Sky-Wolf Cave was illuminated by the faint light of the Coppelian spell, Bugs Light. It was tens of meters wide and the ceiling was even higher than that. Although they had just entered through the entrance, it was a vast space.
''Hi grandmother!''
Kanami suddenly opens her legs mid-legged with an unintelligible voice, but she stays on her feet, pulling and shaking.
''Master. My feet are slipping.''
I know exactly what I'm talking about!
That's probably so, I've only just almost fallen down. The actuality that he was able to endure with such an unnatural posture is as expected of a "martial artist", Leonardo shrugged his shoulders and went ahead. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm talking about.
It's pretty damp, though.
While walking on the smooth stone, Leonardo looked around. The space itself was about ten meters wide, but most of it was occupied by a stream of water. I called it a passageway or something like that, but if anything, it would be more accurate to say that there is an eroded walkable portion next to the river that flows through a large underground cavity.
Whether this dungeon was originally designed that way or whether it had become like this after the Great Disasters, Leonardo didn't know because he wasn't a local, but it was a scene that reminded him of the threat of Mother Nature.
The sound of the water was not deafening as the current was not violent. Rather, it was a soothing background sound, echoing low in the huge cave.
Kanami, who was walking in the lead, was going slower than usual, looking back several times. I thought she was worried about Coppelia, but apparently that wasn't the case. The strange movements, the hand on his chin and the gesture of holding his head in his hands, are hilarious. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that you're not in trouble, but you seem to be, so Leonardo asked what he was thinking.
'Kanami, are you curious about Elias?'
Yes.
Leonardo was taken aback by Kanami nodding with a childlike gesture.
''You didn't have to force me to come over if you were curious.
It's true that you can't go in with them, but then you could at least try various other methods. You can't help it, but you could try to persuade him or her to stay at home, for example, by camping out slowly for a night.
''Hmm. But, Erierieri, you were looking kind of scary.
Kanami's answer was a hoot as she kicked the stone at her feet.
'Sort of like you want a fight? It's like I'm taking it out on myself, huh? You had a face, right? That's why I thought it would be good to stay home. It's not a good idea to go into a dark cave with a face like that.
He spun around and said to Coppellia, "Right? Kanami shook up the conversation, but Coppelia only replied in her usual supremely calm tone, "I don't understand, Master.
Leonardo, on the other hand, unlike Coppelia, was almost shocked and impressed.
He hadn't expected Kanami, a miraculous creature whose muscles and reflexes seemed to have acquired intelligence, to be so considerate of others and to try to solve things in this way. He had thought that Kanami, as a being, could only cause sudden trouble. No, he thought so in the present tense.
Maybe Kanami has evolved, you know.
Amazing. This guy could be a big deal.
"Hey, Kanami.
Leonardo was going to say, "You're awesome," but Kanami didn't wait for him. "Koppe is kind of cold...? I exclaimed.
'What? Doesn't Coppelia have a status (bad status)?
Coppelia was also bad.
She cut off Kanami's 'bite me' sign with her bare hands. As a result, Kanami ran forward while imitating crying. Her cries are so fast that they cause a Doppler effect due to the physical strength of the uselessly powerful adventurer.
Since it is a dungeon in a crooked way, I think a little more vigilance is needed, but the local Chunluw told Leonardo, who was looking around at the members in a hurry, "There is no fork in the road for about 30 minutes, and there should be no monsters. The calm expression on his face showed that he was familiar with Kanami's odd behavior.
Leonardo alternated between the darkness ahead and his companions, wondering if that was okay, but Leonardo seemed to be the only one who was worried, and he gave up with a shrug.
Engineers have to switch things up, too.
This limestone cave is quite huge. It keeps them from feeling claustrophobic and oppressive. The group made their way steadily through the darkness without hurrying.
'Lord Elias is like a clear spring sky, but spring is also the season for thunderstorms.
To Leonardo, who was in a position alongside Coppellia and was working on a guarded search for the enemy, Coppellia told him this in a tone that sounded like he was talking to himself.
''What do you mean?''
'Didn't Coppelia ask you for information about Lord Elias?
Well, Leonardo agreed.
Apparently, in Coppelia, his earlier question and answer with Kanami was still ongoing.
'Would that have been a deficient response?
His voice was flat as usual, but it sounded to Leonardo as if he was somehow buried. Her small expression, wrapped in shiny indigo hair, was obscured by her bangs and the shadows of the cave. She was a small girl, beautiful as a work of art in every way.
With the feeling of not being able to name Coppelia, which he felt whenever he looked at her, Leonardo responded, "Coppelia's reply is full of poetic metaphors, isn't it? After I responded, I was dismayed at myself for what a witless man I was.
This isn't junior high school.
'Coppellia's basic vocabulary collection data included weather forecasts and time of year information for each country.
I see...
Memories of talking on the great rock on the night of Aorsoy come back to him.
Coppelia described Kanami as "a woman like a dawn". I don't think that's a mistake.
That unmanned woman who jumps into trouble before anyone else and eventually arrives at a new development by force is truly like the dawn in that sense. It would be an exaggeration to say that she is Eos, the goddess of the dawn - in Greek mythology she is such a beautiful woman that she is said to have "rosy fingers" and so on. I think that would be too much of a compliment to describe Kanami. It's more like Ares, the god of war, who starts overrunning with his chariot, or something like that.
In other words, he's a bad type of salesman. He'll get a big deal, but you never know what kind of promises he's going to make to his customers.
Oh, man, that sucks. Leonardo is talking to himself.
Coppélia said he uses weather and time information in his vocabulary. Weather reports paint a portrait of other people's character.
--What's he, or she, like to you?
The question seems to be a difficult one when you think about it, and one that has many meanings. Like the weather, people come and go. It is not only the sunny side of a person. There are many aspects of human beings. Coppelia, who says Kanami is the dawn, and Coppelia, who likens Elias to the spring thunder, are part of Coppelia.
'Coppelia sees the Master. 'Coppelia sees Sir Elias. I see Sir Leonard.
'What's that "Sir" thing,' said Leonardo, who was up to his throat, but swallowed his words at the sight of Coppellia.
'Its colours are complex and ever-changing. Coppélia tries to understand it and puts it into words. In Coppelia, you will find your portraits. They are of different colours. It blends in with the colours of Coppelia and lights up the area. Coppelia is so--
Cutting off the words, Coppelia dropped the perspective she'd been pointing at the far end of the darkness to her feet and shook her head from side to side with a lost look on her face.
'I'm not sure,'
Okay.
The wishy-washy geek from New York City doesn't have any fancy words to say at a time like this. He just nods gravely and shows "I see," and he's aware that he's the only one who thinks it's grave and that he's really being awkward.
From the tone of her words, I think that Coppélia's "I don't know" is not a negative emotion. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but Leonardo isn't sure either.
They have a portrait of Leonardo in the Coppelia.
I wonder what's inside Leonardo?
Is there a portrait of Coppellia?
Of course there is.
It is the portrait of the girl with the sobering face in the background of a pale cherry-blossom color.
It's not an outsider's smile. It's more of a blank expression, as if she was taken aback. But if you were to stroke her soft cheek with a quill, she would smile with a soft giggle.
I'm out of my mind. A fairy tale.
Leonardo thought to himself.
If only the portrait (or image) of Leonardo in Coppélia were a slick-looking hero, but, well, the engineer from New York understands that the story is not so sweet.
A strange voice came from ahead.
It was Kanami.
It seems to be happy, and a panicked, happy voice can be heard intermittently.
'I knew it was chunky and cute! Just as I imagined it would be, Just Keke!
As I got closer, I saw that Kanami was clinging to the neck of a giant wolf that was two meters long, just as I had imagined. The gray-furred, intelligent-looking giant wolf with a somewhat annoyed expression was wagging its tail modestly.
''Well aren't the wolves in this cave monsters?''
No, it's a monster.
Chun-Lou replied to Leonardo's question, which was suspicious of the fact that a battle had not occurred.
'Then why is it in such a state (friendly)?
Probably.
With a nod of his head, Chunluo begins to speak carefully.
''It must be a 'Sage Wolf' that someone has already trained (tamed). I think the reason why they are acting alone is because their master is near here. If the wolves in this cave encounter each other, a battle will ensue, and if they can be trained after the battle is over, they can be trained.
That's what it seems to be about.
As for Kanami, she shelves the fact that she ran off crying earlier, calling for Coppelia and letting her stroke the wolf's neck. As for the person in question, he's left hugging and rubbing his cheeks.
'Hey Kanami,'
What? Kelonardo. I won't give it to you?
I'm not giving you anything. That wolf is already tamed. It's not Kanami's. It's somebody else's. Don't be so cuddly.
Eww. What a mess!
It wouldn't matter if the fur was good or bad. Leonardo gave him a shove inwardly, but he didn't seem to get through to Kanami. 'Hey kid, where are you from?' He asked the wolf seriously, "What do you mean?
As for the wolf, he seemed to say that he had fulfilled his duty by being petted all over. It wasn't forced by any means, but he quickly slipped out of Kanami's embrace and took a couple of steps and wagged his tail leisurely.
You're a capable wolf. Leonardo was impressed.
His unhurried demeanor gave him a sense of character, and he was much more intelligent and thoughtful than a simple human, say, Kanami.
'A very clever wolf,'
The wolf unexpectedly looked up at the ceiling of the cave, as if thanking Coppelia for such an impression, with a low voice and a word of thanks.
'What's the matter? Was there a bat in there?
'There shouldn't be any flying demonic beasts in this cave...'
It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. No, Coppelia and Leonardo also looked up, although they didn't say a word. They were all lured by the movement of the wolf.
Somewhere there was a small, dry noise, and a moment later they realized that a pebble had fallen on them. Leonardo and the others looked at each other, not knowing what the hell it indicated, but the next thing they knew, a levitating tremor hit the cave.
(An earthquake, Jesus!)
The roar of a huge mass collapsing down echoed through the air.
In the midst of the shock of being swung around and losing all sense of front, back, and left and right, Leonardo quickly grabbed Coppelia's slender wrists and tried to hold her close.
But I don't know how far that could be fulfilled.
But I don't know how far he was able to do it, because Leonardo's consciousness was shut up in the darkness there with the memory of falling into the cold water.
◆ Chapter 3.02
The awakening was accompanied by the usual slight discomfort.
I don't think I'm a bad awake person, but rather the very existence of sleep is unpleasant. It seems irrational to me that I would be disconnected from consciousness and resting. If I'm going to spend twenty-five percent of my life unconscious, why not reduce my life expectancy by twenty-five percent and eliminate my resting time? Krusty thought about that.
He probed his senses, but his left and right hands and both feet seemed to be intact.
It smelled much damp and muffled. When he picked up his upper body, he found that the place was, as expected, an enclosed underground cavity. The ground you touch is not made of earth, but smooth stone. Apparently, this was a limestone cave. The slight flow of water that I felt in my palm foreshadowed the dangerous situation.
The battle with Elias seemed to have ended with the collapse of the ground. Up to that point, my memory is clear. He must have been caught in the collapse that followed and passed out. He had about 15% HP left. Rather than being saved from a close call, I felt more like I had been drained of a good place.
There was a faint light inside the cave. Apparently there was a light source behind a large rock.
When I was suspicious, a silhouetted head poked out of that rock.
''Hey, Kula, you're awake!
The voice was so cheerful that it was unsuitable for the basement.
Krusty stood still for a few moments, then chose his words carefully in response.
'I see you're back, Kanami,'
Wow, I wouldn't be surprised, and I can't believe how far away you are.
I'm in a frame of mind to put some distance between us and emptiness.
It's awful!
I don't think so.
To Krusty, it's someone who avoids the sanshas.
It's not someone who will disappear with a spell, so Krusty raised himself up and sat down on a nearby round rock as a chair. It's not a particularly unpleasant opponent, nor is it a stranger, but it's a difficult opponent to deal with.
It seems that the avatar that he handles seems to have changed, and his occupation has changed from "Thief Swordsman" (Swash) to "Martial Artist" (Monk). However, his appearance or rather his impression has not changed much. You'll find that you'll be able to get a lot more out of them. His big mouth, which is always ready to cheer, is still intact.
The Debauchery Tea Party, a group that took the Yamato server by storm. The leader of this group was the legendary female hero, Kanami of the Seven Riku Runaway, the Tourist of Seven Continents.
She is an enigmatic woman who has been the subject of various rumors in the community outside of the game.
Many of them were favorable, such as the legendary leader of the Tea Party, a group of specialists, and the overwhelmingly charismatic Reito, but there were also a few that were filled with malice, perhaps out of jealousy. No, the Tea Party, which denied the clear and attainable "status" of a guild and obtained rare Phantasmal items even on the servers, was subjected to even more intense jealousy than the D.D.D.
However, he didn't even try to know about such maliciousness, let alone ignore it. As the head of a large scale combat (raid) organization, Krusty, who had met many times at the time, was an acquaintance, but this woman is definitely not someone who is influenced by such public rumors.
It's something more unmanageable.
''Somehow people aren't surprised.
When prompted with a look, Kanami said something like, "KR (Keiar) has calmed down, too.
Krusty wondered if he had it coming.
In other words, you are always doing unconventional things, so people won't be surprised by what you do.
'They must have thought it was possible if Kanami-san is capable.
Okay.
Krusty takes a slight distance from Kanami, who laughs, "Ehehehe.
Normally humans don't bother those they are close to.
That's why getting close to them can be a way to reduce the damage.
In a very few cases, people who are close to you are the ones who cause you trouble. The way to reduce the damage is to keep your distance from such people.
It's a rare person, however, as far as Krusty knows, Kanami is a rare person, where neither favoritism nor secession is related to the amount of damage he causes. Rather, she is a kind of natural disaster, where the frequency of involvement is what determines the amount of damage done. The only redeeming feature is that it is not only the damage that is sprinkled around, but also the good fortune? It seems to have nothing to do with the psychological distance between us, either. No, in the first place, the kind of friendliness that Kanami pretends to be around is the kind that doesn't take our side's wishes into account. In a sense, she is a monster that is at a loss for words, as she has already scattered both happiness and misfortune when she met them.
It's a big world, isn't it?
It's a rare species, but it's hard to keep track of.
He's like a polar bear (a rare character) that is difficult to encounter.
In the big world, there are monsters (like my grandfather) who are beyond the control of a youngster like myself, natural disaster people like Kanami, righteous people like Isaac who operate on principle rather than profit and loss, and outstanding people like Shiroe who can devote unlimited resources to solving problems. It wasn't easy, but it was also a reality that gave Krusty a strange sense of satisfaction.
'Kula, why are you here? I thought you were on the Yamato server? We had an earthquake, don't you know what it was? Oh, wait, wait, wait! I'm sorry!
Kanami's questioning of the arrowhead was interrupted by a huge wise wolf, Gumon, who bit at her hem and forced her buttocks into the air. With a flick of his rich gray tail in front of Kanami, as if to tell her to calm down, Motomon pressed the tip of his damp snout against Krusty's palm and laid his massive body at her feet, satisfied.
'Do you know that boy too?'
Yeah.
She's a smart girl. I passed out for a while, but she pulled me out and saved me. He's so smart! He seemed to know where Kra-kun was, too.
Okay.
Krusty scratched behind the ears of the seekers. He was a big dog (?). With his characteristic hawkish attitude, he lies down without opening his eyes, twitching his thick tail as if he doesn't have to worry about it.
'Why are you on the Chinese server (here)? Were you secretly back in the game?
Krusty easily ignored the question thrown at him by Kanami and asked back the opposite. I don't want to be mean, but I don't feel that giving information to Kanami would be of any benefit to her. This one should be the priority here to gather information.
Whether she knows Krusty's intentions or not, Kanami begins to answer as she thinks of it.
'It's not like I came back without telling you, but it was a Western European server that I came back to. And the reason I retired was because I was going over there. I thought it would be okay to bring it up first since it's so far away, but I didn't get back to you. Oh, I didn't return to work until February. And then there was the whirlwind disaster, right? I don't have this body on my friends list. I couldn't contact them. And then I saved Erierieri from the iceberg because she was frozen, and then I picked up Koppe in the wilderness of flowers...
It seems that Kanami is the reason why the hero of the Ancient Species was in a place like this.
'Oh, Elias, you know, Elias-Hackblade. The blonde Ikemean, you know, the cover character!
I know.
I know "cover" is a word for books, and for games, it should be the jacket or the packaging, but I know what you mean.
We met up with Keronardo at the Ruins of Tekeli and KR was there, but he seems to have gone back to Yamato. Now it's just the five of us with a local girl named Chunluw.
It's perfectly understandable, except that it's hardly an explanation.
"And, you know, there's this guy called 'Genius' - we got into a fight, and we won! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The words Kanami uttered brought a flickering, flickering image.
A woman in gold.
If you can be forgiven for describing the one with the bloody mouth, messy hair, and striped tiger arms and legs as a woman, that is. A cannibalistic you, buried in luxurious ornaments - Krusty laughed slightly, pushing a sharp headache out of habit.
The enemy.
This must be another effect of the presence of Kanami. He may benefit the people around him, unintentionally. Another clue. I don't know what it means or when it will be useful, but it seems I have more enemies. That much I do know.
'What are you smiling about? Kula.
No, I feel like I've heard that story before.
'I see. I can't believe you're talking about something so human, Kula! It's a surprise.
Krusty thought that you have no right to be treated like this, but then he looked at the wagging tail of Gugun and thought about the idea of maturity and changed his statement.
"What kind of person do you think I am?
Here it is.
Looking upward with only her eyes, Kanami put her index finger to her mouth as if to remind herself, and began to speak, "It's kind of like.......
Hard and big.
It's only natural for a guardian.
You mean like a blank expression and a beam of light coming out of your glasses? I mean, you know, like a super robot! Like the terrifying Martian Great Robot!
Krusty stared at Kanami.
If you ask me if I don't have an idea of what's being said, I don't know (although I'm not sure about the Mars Robot). However, if you ask me if I can improve anything by being told that, there's almost no part of it that I can improve, and if I want to improve it, I don't want to be bothered with it. But that doesn't mean it's not helpful, and it's persuasive to the extent that a lot of people probably think it is.
But Kula's lucky to have you. It was like he was trying to be patient so that he wouldn't cause trouble in the past.
Kanami circled her arms and then nodded her head.
'It's nice to see you loose after all these years. You have a weird curse (bad status) on you, but it doesn't matter!
Apparently, the past was thought to be that way.
I guess it's not too far off.
As a concubine, Konoike Haruoaki (Krusty), the option of standing out is forbidden. He was still lax in his surveillance while he was studying abroad, but after he returned to Japan, he was subjected to unpleasant interference from the main family's children at any cost.
The Krusty family has no intention of meddling in their interests (trophies) or participating in the projects that the head family says they want to do. It would be nice if they would leave us alone, but the reality is that it's not going to happen. My grandfather and others (irrational from Krusty's point of view) have placed their expectations on us, but I wonder with a touch of irony if that is a kind of indulgence. They are trying to make the outsider, a concubine, solve the outrageousness of the bloodline that is beyond their control.
Krusty's Elder Tail is in some respects a mimicry. I thought that by pretending to be a bohemian immersed in online games, people would give up on him. Forbidden to devote himself to anything, Krusty's "celebration and debauchery" was Elder Tail.
I am dismayed at myself that even in the midst of that game, I seem to be putting up with a lot of patience so as not to bother people.
The catastrophic woman in front of me was probably just guessing and speaking as it came out of her mouth anyway, but she was still able to unleash this much content to skewer others. It's no wonder that the Tea Party itself was able to achieve a record that could shred their rankings to pieces.
Crusty thought it was not because of his visit to the Nakahara server (click here) that he had loosened his grip on the rankings.
It was because he had come to a world without the Konoike main family (Serdesia).
I'm not free to behave as I please, but I'm sure I can do as I please much better than in that world. I know that this freedom is only temporary, but I want to devour it.
It's like asking a question. It's just like Kyukumon, you can't stand to lie down to find peace, but you don't want to be in chains.
Krusty thought it might be twisted, but he had no intention of changing it, so he stood up, adjusted the position of his glasses and spoke to Kanami.
'I'm glad you feel that way. It seems that I'm getting old and losing my patience. -- Shall we go to the ground to continue our hobby? It seems that they are worried about you. I don't think it's going to go away, even if you can't remember. --reluctantly, but until then, I think we should work together.
Chapter 3.03
"SHUSH!
Miss Reinesia, do you have a cold?
Have you been frightened by the cold wind?
Reinesia denied it with a small wave of her hand to the two young ladies, Appletta and Fevel, who raised their eyebrows in concern.
No, that's not true. No, this house is warm even in winter. I am sure that this is just a rumor from my parents back home about my lack of ability.
Sitting down on the incredibly plush couch that Akiva's craftsmen had created, Reinesia smiled a small smile. There's no need to smile too broadly. I'm sure you'll be able to get through to your fellow earthlings and they'll like you for your elegance and chastity.
In the center of the city of Akiba, where the early summer breeze has just begun to blow, the Aquibai Star Exchange Official Residence (Water Maple Pavilion) rises majestically in the center of the city. At the back of the building, where the scarlet carpet is stepped on, three ladies are gathered in a small and cozy reception room where they are engaged in conversation for the first time in a long time.
Today's guests are Appletta, the Marquis of Leicester's wife, and Fuever, the granddaughter of Baron Sugana. In the bloodline of the Lords of the Free City Alliance Eastal, the three of them belonged to the same generation, so they were the three who made their social debut at the same time at last year's Lords Conference. Since then, they had warmed up their friendship by exchanging letters. That was partly why the visit had been conducted in a friendly atmosphere, and even though it was in the guise of official business, it had been treated like a halfway house for Reinesia.
'How was your visit? What about the city of Akiba?
Raynesia still tried to ask a cautious question, with some trepidation.
The atmosphere of the city of Akiva, for example, is frankly not something Reinesia can handle.
Every day there are explosions here and there, elusive flyers and pamphlets flow out of nowhere, many of the shops have no history and many are gone before you know it, and even so, new store openings are held almost daily.
In the plaza in front of the Guild Hall and in front of the Great Silver Leaf Tree, adventurers dressed in freaky outfits (allegedly armor and magical equipment) are recruiting friends, and then suddenly they sit down and start selling their adventure acquisitions in the street.
It's not a bad thing that this city is a melting pot of insanity, and it's a problem for Reinesia to be asked to take control of it and be responsible for it.
But on the other hand, Reinesia also didn't want her to hate it. The question to the two noblewomen was an expression of those mixed feelings.
''Enough!''
It's lovely!
Whether or not they knew that Reinesia was thinking of this or not, they shook their tightly clenched fists and began to talk with a big smile on their faces.
''What is it? That shocking food.''
'It's sweet. That's more than a cream made of the finest sugar and milk.
The soup is as mellow as the earth in its rich gravy, yet vividly conceived and grounded!
'One bite and you'll melt your heart!
A rich harmony of dried fish and saffa broth!
Mixing their stories together makes no sense at all, but from the maidservant who was assigned to guide them around Akiba, I was able to guess that they were talking about Milk Pudding and Yes House Ramen, both of which they had stopped at in Akiba. Apparently, they had encountered some of Akiba's gourmet food.
Reinesia is a little concerned and inquires.
'Was there anything dangerous or noisy?
Danger?
Too loud?
The two pompous young ladies look at each other and speak as if they were reminiscing.
'If there's one thing that's dangerous, it's the sheer volume of menu items.
Appletta's moist, droopy eyes are quietly closed, and she continues with her small hands combined in prayer.
Dear Mr. Reinesia. Have you ever heard of a soup dish (ramen) with four different garnishes, two broths, and three different toppings that you can change the flavor of? In principle, you have to eat twenty-four times to get the full picture.
At the serious voice that seemed to be talking about the defensive situation of the territory, Reinesia also straightened her posture with a lot of energy. Because if she didn't, she'd likely slide off the couch.
'It's more of a bustling city than a noisy one, isn't it?
Huevel smiled, his cheeks tinted with apple color and a triumphant expression.
I have seen more Adventurers in one day than all the Adventurers I have seen since I was born. You adventurers are good for a laugh, and you love music, don't you? Wherever you are in Akiba, there is always a little sound coming from somewhere.
Huevel praised with an enraptured expression.
I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. It's not that I'm worried about it, because I had a
Appletta and Huevel were the daughter of a warlord who could be considered Reinesia's literary friends. The two had been interested in the city of Akiva through their correspondence, and they had always wanted to visit.
I had invited Reinesia to visit, but travel is a difficult thing to do in this world. Not to mention the noblemen who need to leave their farms for their livelihoods, and the nobles who need personnel to set up their formality and security, traveling is a big decision. There is something special about an adventurer going to a remote place that can take weeks to get there without making a single decision.
This visit was finally made possible by the fact that the Silver Sword Adventurer had come forward to be our escort on the outward journey, and that we would be able to meet up with the Council of Lords on the return trip. Of course, the fact that the Marquis of Leicester and Baron Sugana were indulged in the pleas of their daughters was no small factor.
"I'm glad to hear that you like it.
Reinesia expressed her gratitude with a strange sense of joy.
It wasn't Reinesia who built this city, and the Adventurers basically don't listen to us. But we've been living in this city for more than half a year now. We have been touched by the kindness of the adventurers, as well as their unpredictability.
Even though they are correspondent partners, these two ladies are the bloodline of the lord. That influence doesn't necessarily mean that they don't influence the imports brought to Akiva. The adventurers in Akiba are incredibly gourmet, as far as Reinesia is concerned. It is said that many of them spend more than half of their income on gastronomy. They have a stake in Akiba's success.
Not that this was the case, but I didn't want them to dislike the city. Not just for the two of them, but for everyone. This was the first time in Reinesia's life that she had ever been assigned to this city.
'By the way, Miss Reinesia,'
Huevel, who smiled like a flower, changed the subject as if she had been energized.
Reinesia, who had a bad feeling for no reason, stiffened herself on the sofa and asked, "What is it? He nodded his head slightly. Being able to respond with graceful reflexes, no matter when or what the situation was, was one of Reinesia's specialties. This talent, which was both a powerful weapon and armor in aristocratic society, however, did not seem to help Reinesia in the slightest at the moment.
'What happened with Master Krusty?'
Are you hiding it from me?
How's your relationship going?
Are you in bed?
It was Huevell who mixed it up, but Appletta's frontal questioning was more troublesome, too. Raynesia faked a dry laugh with a cough and put a lot of energy into her expression. This is the pose of the Silver Moon Priestess Princess who worries about the twilight of the world - and so on.
Krusty-sama's whereabouts were lost in the whirlwind of the battlefield of the Seven Falls Fortress.
Reinesia dropped her gaze directly to the table.
If they looked into her eyes, they might find out that she wasn't too worried about them.
In fact, wishing for Krusty's safety is surely ridiculous.
He is the kind of person who gets drunk with blood and engages in a big brawl with a large army of goblins. Worrying about a frail "earthling" like Elissa would be of no use to him.
It's a good thing that you've got a strong feeling of annoyance.
It's because those spectacled glasses go missing without permission that they are exposed to these questions. It's not only Appletta and Huevel, of course, but similar inquiries and concerns have been received from others. Forcing Reinesia into a troublesome role, Krusty himself is skipping work somewhere (I'm sure he must be!) The thought of this makes me suddenly angry.
What do you mean "missing"?
I didn't know that. I didn't know that!
My apologies. I'm sorry, but I couldn't bring myself to write to you as this concerns the Adventurers.
Their version was like a ladylike, thin scream.
Covering up the fact that she hadn't written the letter because it was annoying and troublesome, Reinesia continued in a heavy tone.
'Forgive me for being so pathetic Reinesia.
The small, muttered line was, "Isn't it time to cut the subject short? It was meant to be, but that didn't seem to go over well with the two good-natured men.
'That must have been distressing. Lady Raynesia.''
I don't think Appletta could bear the thought of her beloved knight disappearing into the field of battle.
The worried expressions on their faces make my heart ache.
I don't want you to talk like that. We're not really worried about you. It's just that I'm annoyed that he's gone without notice, and I don't mind at all that he's missing as long as he's contacted me for an update.
No, it wasn't. I don't want you to go AWOL or missing. It's not fair that Reinesia is the only one who has to take care of cumbersome official business. Krusty has to do the hard work. If I hadn't left, none of this would have happened. That is inexcusable.
It's not that I'm worried, but rather that I want to correct the inexcusable. If you're a knight, you should do your duty. I've been thinking this way for a while now, and I'm starting to feel a bit depressed. It's not that I'm a beloved knight as Appletta says, but--
"Eh--?
A huff at the word "cousin," Reinesia saw the silver ring that latched onto Appletta's slender fingers. Then, as she ran her gaze over it for confirmation, she found the same on Huevel's fingertips.
It was hard to believe, but it was true.
Elyssa, who was standing by the window, nodded one nod with her eyes quietly closed. The way she looked at it was as if to say, "Princess, you've noticed a good point.
''Could it be that......... The two of you........
Eh. Huh. Uh...
Silence filled the reception room, which was lit by the golden lights of Akiba at dusk.
Appletta turns bright red between breaths. Next to her, Huever wriggles and writhes with her hand on her cheek. The silver ring on their fingers is an unmistakable sign of their engagement.
'Yes. That's right. The.......... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no......this isn't much of a ring, you know? It's not that he's a great general and great hero like Krusty-sama, but he's one of the nobles of the territory. Yes! It's a result of the steps we've taken in the immediate area.
When you said that, Apletta wolfed down half a pudding.
And apparently they had traveled together.
''Even Huevel was proud of her husband! They say her hair is soft and lovely. They say you're the most powerful man in the territory. On top of that, you even gave me a cape as a gift.
Same here.
'Didn't Appletta have her pick out a hair clip for you? Here it is, Lady Reinesia. 'Your hair looks great with pearls,' she said.
I haven't heard such a report, Raynesia thought, but that wouldn't be the laziness of a maid of honor. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it.
I'm not sure why I'm the only one who's suffered this.
Why am I the only one who has to go through this, Reinesia felt like praying.
Seeing Reinesia's somber expression for a completely different reason than Krusty's disappearance, as expected of the two of them, the conversation stopped for a moment, as if they were remorseful. Relieved at that, Reinesia looked up with a forced smile on her face.
It seemed that such a situation of Reinesia was received in a way that had nothing to do with Reinesia's inner life. Reinesia doesn't understand it, but that is to say, it is a reaction that is described as 'a noble silver princess who endures grief'.
It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has the ability to do this," he said, "I'm sorry, Miss Reinesia. It's a good thing that you're able to do this," she said, "because I'm sure Krusty is not going to be able to kick the enemy out of fear if she's sinking.
(There is no such thing. I'm not going to lose to Krusty. Or that I'm in trouble. Not that he even cares about me at all!
The depressed Reinesia was struck by such frustration and a strange sense of loneliness. I don't know what it is, but it must be the stress of performing official duties alone. It's not a good idea to have a good time, but it's a good idea to have a good time.
Why she had to feel this unreasonable, Princess Reinesia of the Duke of Maihama's family didn't understand why she had to feel this unreasonable at all. From the time she was born until now, she had never felt this kind of feeling at any party, in any party, in any tough lesson, or in any of her dizzying Akiva official duties.
The only thing she could understand was that all the blame lay with Youkai Kokoro Peeps.