'Crispy and fluffy, yum!
'It's really delicious.
'It's amazing what a little effort like this can do.

It seems to have been generally well received.
......, but that's not it.

It's not a fried takoyaki tasting session.
'You know what I'm talking about,...... overflowing,......, keep talking,...... overflowing,......, it's good.
'Ha ha ha ha ha ...... yes, I ...... ha ha ha ...... am listening to you.'
I'm listening.

You look good, Norma, Nephrite and Paula. I can't even say 'me too' properly about Paula, though.

'Please eat a lot.
'You're making too much too, Jeannette!

For Ginette, who could make takoyaki, deep fried takoyaki was a simple task and she had made it her own in no time at all.
From then on, more and more fried takoyaki were mass-produced in the blink of an eye.

'Hafu hafu ......... It's delicious.

I'm glad Bertina is here.
I wouldn't have thought so when I first came to the sunny pavilion. Even ingredients aren't free.

But I couldn't say such reckless things as 'don't cook' to Ginette or 'don't eat' to Bertina.
It's like telling a frog to fly.

I don't have time to waste by making demands that I can't make.

'Sorry, I'm late. I don't think I'm going to keep you waiting .......'

Estella, who had rushed into the sunlit pavilion, let out a wry smile as she looked around the dining room.
She seems to have grasped the situation completely at a glance.

'Did you write the letter?
'Yeah. I'm on my way to deliver it.'
'At this hour?
'Ricardo and Master Oji have the gatekeepers standing by. They can at least receive the letter. They won't be able to read it tomorrow, though.'
'No, not that one. There are only women serving at your place, right?Isn't that dangerous?

I thought I said the right thing, but Estella gave me a puzzled look.
What the hell.
Even though security in the 42nd district has improved, the other districts are still far away and ruffians are still wandering around.

'So Yashiro even cares about our waitress.
'That's because I know a lot of them.

I've been going to Estella's house a lot.

'Thank you. I'll be sure to thank you.
'No, not thank you or anything. ......'
'But all our waiters are trained in Natalia's knife skills.'
'What's that, some kind of scary martial arts group?
'Besides, I sent them out in teams of three, so they won't be in much danger. ...... Well, it's not absolutely safe, so I'm sorry about that.

'More importantly, the 42nd district is in danger right now,' Estella said with a caring smile.

'Hmm ...... I'll tell everyone about it later. I'll tell everyone about it later. 'Yashiro was worried about you.
'Would you please stop making people out to be good people. You're going to get in trouble later.'
'Make 'em up' .......'
'Don't be ...... smirking. This is a big deal.'
'Oh, right. ...... hmm.'

Oh, man.
He doesn't have a sense of urgency, does he?

You still think you're not going to die, don't you?

No, I'm not going to die.
I just want you to be aware of the fact that it's a big deal that could happen in the worst case.

'By the way, isn't it a bit bright in here?Change the lights. ...... Oh, it's Wendy.'
'...... Excuse me, my lord.'

Wendy, who is standing in a small corner of the room, shrinks even more and bows her head.
'Wow, the lord is bullying his people.

'Oh, you poor thing.
'No, I didn't mean it like that!That's not what I meant, Wendy!
'Yes ...... I know ...... it's my fault I'm glowing.'
'Not bad, not bad!Wendy's light is a gentle light!
'Yes, it is. Wendy, come a little closer to the middle. It's dark around here.'
'Don't use her as a light!You're treating her worse than I am!'



Wendy, who is glowing with all her might.
Next to her, Theron is also making his body smaller. He doesn't seem to have any presence in Wendy's shadow.

'Sorry to keep you waiting, sir.
'I'm back now.

Imelda and Delia walk in together.

'We've brought Mr. Bekko with us.
'We're sorry to keep you waiting, that we are.

Imelda comes to the sunlit pavilion and says, 'I'll go get Mr. Bekko! She left with Delia as her escort.

'You didn't have to call Bekko,' she said.
'I don't think so!Mr. Bekko is the one we need.'
'Mr. Imelda, ...... I'm ...... thrilled that you trust me so much, that I'm thrilled!
'Come on, Mr. Bekko. This is the fried takoyaki!
'Don't tell me you want me to make a food sample now, that you do!Is that why you called me here, that it is!
'Leave it to Yashiro-san to take care of the ward. I'd rather you didn't do anything unnecessary, Becko-san.
'That's a terrible thing to say, that it is!

That's right.
Ginette and Bertina weren't the only ones who liked the new dishes. ...... Imelda did too.
Not to eat, but as a collector of food samples.

Well, this is just a status report and a clarification of the situation, so it doesn't matter who's here or not.

'Anyway, now we have all the members we need.

I haven't decided who I'm going to tell, or who I'm going to tell.
We've got everyone who might want to be there to tell us what's going on.

'Right. Let's start by explaining what happened today.
'Yeah, sure. Do you want me to do it?
'Yeah, you got it.
'Okay, then...'

Each of them looked at Estella with a serious expression, albeit with takoyaki in their hands.
Estella stands up and explains the events of the day in a simple manner.
Her reaction to the banquet, her promise to Donis.
And then she talks about Gerasie and the BU guys who showed up at the end.

'That's why we can't bring any more BU lords to our side. ...... is the current situation.'

After a long conversation, Ginette offers Estella an iced tea.
'Thank you,' Estella says, and sits down.

For a moment, no one says anything.
Each of them is probably sorting out the facts they have just heard in their minds.

'Hey, can I have a word?

In the quiet dining room, it was Regina who opened her mouth first.
She raised one small hand and held her glasses with the other hand.

'What is it?
'It's really bright when I look at you from this angle, can you move the light (Wendy)?
'Oh, I'm sorry!You're going to the edge!
'What else can you say that's not important?

Wendy tried to move to the back seat, but I told her it was just a joke and let her stay there.

'Speaking of which, I think ...... Natalia said that there's a way to send messages to people in the distance using the light of the flames. ......'
'What?Don't tell me you're going to use my light to send a message to someone, my lord!
'Oh, no, ...... if you can't send a letter, I was wondering if there was such a way. Haha, just kidding, just kidding.

It's true that there is a way to communicate by hiding the light of the flame according to the law, like Morse code or hand signals.
But in order to use it, the other party has to know how to decipher it.
If you send Morse code to someone who doesn't know anything, he won't understand the meaning.

'Even if you can't send a ...... letter, if Delia shouts loudly, ...... they'll hear you.
'Yes. Even the people who shouldn't be able to hear you can hear you.
'Hmm?You want me to do it?I'm good.'
'Did you hear what I said?You don't have to do it.'

Magda's idea was rejected because it was too secretive.

'It's tough not to be able to work together, isn't it ......?
'It's true, if we can't coordinate, there's a good chance we'll be at odds when the time comes. ...... That would be fatal.'

Norma agrees with Estella.
If you want to work with someone to turn something upside down, you need to be in touch with them, make arrangements, and make sure that everything goes according to the scenario in production.
Take your time to prepare, and when you are ready, do it all at once. This is essential to break the stalemate.

'What about the lord you went to see today?Did he say anything when we parted?

Estella answered Nephrite's question in a straightforward manner.

'I couldn't tell him anything. He just said that he has a duty to protect the people of his district.
'Hey, Estella. Are you declaring that you're abandoning the Forty-two Wards?


'No, Paula. I mean, I can't give priority to District 42.'
'It's not the same. You're a stingy lord, you know that?

Paura is angry.
Estella appeases her, but the hostility in Paula is unlikely to subside for the time being.

'Think about it from the other side.

Imelda says as she gracefully tips her cup of tea, wondering when she had it filled.

'If Estella-san says she's going to sacrifice her people to protect the other districts,.......'
'......, that's ............'.
'You all must be thinking, "These tits! Wouldn't you think?
'People don't think like that!Hey, guys!

Estella was the only one who denied it with all her might.
The rest of them--

'I was thinking in my mind that I might think that depending on the situation .......'
'What are you saying to yourself, Yashiro?You can't speak for all of us, can you?

I don't need to say it, everyone is thinking it.

But I'm sure Tracy will do what's best for us!

Loretta stood up and presented a convenient interpretation.
She clenches her fists and makes a strong argument.

'Tracy-san and Nene-san are friends who worked together at the Sunlit Pavilion!Even if it's only for two short days, the bond we share is indelible!
'No, I understand why you want to think that, but ......'
'Besides, Tracy was crazy about Estella!If Estella says something like 'Save me, my honey', she'll definitely help you!
'No, I won't tell her that!

The reasoning behind Loretta's "absolutely fine" is weak. ......
Imelda countered with such weak evidence.

In the event that you've got a lot more than one of these, you'll be able to get a lot more.
''Then you can go back to work at the Sunlight Pavilion!
''What about the territorial people?''
'Oh ......uh............ that, somehow, with effort ......'

Irresponsible!
This guy is so irresponsible with his own ideas!

'It's true that 'Operation Estella's Uffun' won't save the people ......'.
'That's a malicious name for an operation, Loretta: ......'
'...... Estella is not milk enough......, let alone powerful enough.'
'That's a malicious misnomer, Magda!

Ignoring Estella's anger, Magda pointed at Jeannette.

'...... is the one you can rely on, manager.'
'What?Me, sir?
'...... If the manager says ...... 'obey me or I'll crush your feet''
'I'm not going to tell you!
'...... Or, if you give all the people in the territory a foot massage, you can take over.
'No, I won't, no foot pressure and no takeover!

Apparently, there is a recurring debate about how to keep an opponent from defecting once you have them on your side.
That's not good enough. Let me calm you down.

'Just so you know, even if Tracy and Donnis do what we want them to do, they won't win the majority vote in the end.

At my point, the area went quiet as if it had been hit by water.

There's no point in discussing how to draw Tracy in here and now.
What's more frightening is the fact that we don't know what Tracy will do.

'I'm more troubled by the situation where he accepts the disadvantages of ...... for Estella's sake, even though the conditions are clearly disadvantageous to Tracy - Ward 27.
'When I give you a blatantly disadvantageous condition, I want you to honestly refuse it because it will mess up your calculations. That's what you're saying.
'Yes, that's right.

There are times when it's more troublesome to be made to feel obliged.
It can ruin things if you intervene when you want people to be quiet.
Or rather, that happens more often than not.

That's why I'd like Tracy and Donis to make an honest judgment about whether it's right or wrong based on their own position. It's easier to guide them that way.'
'Big brother, you're trying to manipulate the lords of the other districts from behind the scenes. ......'
'...... shadow ruler.'
'It's not something like that!

Who would want to control another district?
All we have to do is guide them a little to our advantage.

For example, ......

'Loretta. I'll give you one of the takoyaki I took a bite out of, or one of the clean ones I didn't take a bite out of. Which one do you want?'
'No way, I'd rather have the unbitten one!
'Then, ah~n.'
'Muho!You're going to let me eat it!Then, then, ...... ah~n.'

Put the takoyaki in Loretta's open mouth.
She closed her mouth and chewed. ...... Immediately after, Loretta squirmed.

'It's hot!It's so hot!


'Ah. I put as much mustard as possible in the beautiful one's takoyaki.'
'What are you doing?

In this way, if the opponent is easy to handle, you can move him as you wish.

This is a great way to make sure that you don't end up in a situation where you're going to have to pay a lot of money. ......'

Well, it's not good to play with food.
I made it good. It's just hard enough to make you squirm.

But if it was Jeannette, she might say something like, "Yashiro-san, you can have the beautiful one," right?

Then I'd have to eat the one with mustard.
That's what I'm afraid of.

'In other words, it's best to let Tracy and Donnis do what they think is best.
I'm sure you'll be able to understand what I'm talking about, but I don't think you need to feed her with mustard.
'......But Loretta was interesting earlier.'
'But it's not 'but', Magdacho!I'm not sure what to say. It's not like that.

Donuts were hurriedly brought in for Loretta, who was complaining about the pain and suffering.
Nephrite and the others' eyes lit up.
Well, go ahead and eat them.

'Either way, I'd like to get in touch with you somehow.
'Can't you go and see him?
'The BU is structurally sensitive to people coming and going. I don't think we can sneak in.'
'Then why don't you go to Norma?Unlike us, he doesn't have a known face, right?'
'Nice, Delia!That's right!Why don't Norma or Nephrite or I go?

Paula clapped her hands and wagged her tail.

'I'm always so useless in these situations, I'll do anything.
'Well, I'm willing to do whatever it takes.
''Since Paula and Norma are probably worried about you, I'll go with you.
''What do you mean, Neffery?''

''Send a message to the unidentified messenger at .......
It's not a good strategy. Estella told me why.

'When people from the outer districts meet with the lord, they will stand out, and just such 'suspicious behavior' will cause trouble for Tracy and the others now.
'Is that how it is?
'That's the way it is, unfortunately.
'Aristocrats are more insidious and clingy than you think, Neffery-san.

I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

'So we're stuck with no choice, huh?

Delia said grimly with a doughnut in her mouth.
I guess she hates this kind of entanglement, Delia.
But it works so well, so obnoxiously well.

'Then I guess I'll just have to leave it to chance.

Regina looks at me, saying something like that.
It was a very provocative look, as if to say, 'So?What kind of solution do you have? It was as if she was asking me, 'So what kind of solution do you have?

No choice. I'll tell you.

I'll see if I can't get a letter to Tracy.

Estella's brow wrinkles in an obvious way as she says this.

'I'm sure she'll get it if we send it out, but if she finds out that we've sent it out, Tracy-san could be removed from the meeting of lords, you know?
'That's why we have to make sure they don't find out.
'How are we going to do that?No matter where we go, they'll know, right?

The BU's are probably keeping a close eye on letters and people coming and going from the outside.
No matter where you go, they will suspect you as soon as you enter the BU. Worst-case scenario, they may call it a checkpoint and look inside. This is also possible if you position it as an emergency situation and require the lords of the land to set up checkpoints.

'As long as you enter the BU, you can avoid checkpoints. They'll keep a close eye on our comings and goings, but they'll be indifferent to our movements within the BU.
'That's why it's so hard to get into those BU's. ......'
'I'm sure there's a loophole that won't get you past the checkpoints.'

As I said this, I pointed in the direction of New Town.
Norma is the first to notice this, and taps Loretta on the shoulder, who is standing nearby.
Loretta, who was tapped on the shoulder, shouts, 'Ah! She screams.
Even Estella has used it a lot, but she has completely forgotten about its existence.

'If we use DOKERU No.1, we can get past the surveillance, right?
'Ah!That's right!

Finally remembering its existence, Estella takes action.
It can deliver letters directly to Mahrul's house.
Moreover, according to Mahrul's instructions, it has been built in a position where it cannot be found from the outside unless you enter the premises.
If she had told him to shift the location of the letter in anticipation of this, she would have done a great job.

'Anyway, let's ask Ma'ru for help.
'Right. It is said that Tracey and Ma'ru have been close friends for a long time. ...... In a situation like this, it is not unnatural for Tracey to go to Ma'ru, Mr. Erin's sister, for advice.
'Even if it's difficult to call her, I think we can at least ask her to send a letter to Ma'ru. I heard that Gerasie thinks that Ma'ru is 'an ornamental nobleman with no power who has been driven to a remote area'.



Well, I think I'll write to you once to check that out.

'More importantly, I'd like some information about other wards in BU.'
'Such as?
'Location, main industries. Then the power relations with neighboring districts, economic power. And the degree of dependence on BU, I guess.'
'By dependency, do you mean self-sufficiency?
'Yes, that's right. I'd like to know which wards will be in trouble and which wards will be able to survive if BU goes down.
'Well. If you mean the location, I have a map.

Theron, who hadn't made much of a presence so far, stood up and spread out a map of Allbloom on the table in front of us.
We all peek in.
...... Wendy. It's so bright in here, can you step away for a minute?

On the map, District Forty-Two is in the lower right corner.
To the left is District 30, and there is a high cliff between it and District 30.
The same applies to the 29th district, which is located above and to the north of the 42nd district.

'Once again, the territory of BU is really small, isn't it?
'Yes, it is. I guess the only way to survive in such a small area was to form a community and charge a toll tax.

The outer districts ranged from thirty to forty-two. The BU encloses the inside of the BU.
It is said that the outer districts have a large territory so that when magical beasts invade beyond the outer walls, they can be killed before they reach the center.
In other words, the outer districts are like a buffer zone that can take any amount of damage.
In this sense, the BU plays a role like a barrier.

Hexenbiests, ruffians, poor people, ...... frogs, and so on.
The role of the BU is to screen out such beings that the nobles do not want in their territory.
This is what the map really shows.

And it is because of this imposed role that BU has been unable to develop industry.

All the troubles here are caused by the aristocrats in the center.

'Are the city gates of the thirty districts the biggest?
'That's right. More than sixty percent of the people who come from other countries use the city gates of District Thirty.

The Thirtieth District Gate was the first gate I passed through.
As I recall, there was a huge queue at that time too.

'So, less than forty percent of the people use the city gate of District Thirty-five.
'That's the gate I went through when I first came to this city.

Regina's hometown, Bao Kri Air, is said to be a place where people come by boat.
I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

'...... This is also where Magda's parents left from.
'...... I see.

He pointed to the top left corner of the map, the 35th district, which was on the diagonal to the 42nd district.
She looked a little lonely, so I fondled the base of her ear without saying anything.

'............ mfw'.

I know you don't want me to delve into that story right now, but ...... yeah, I hope you find it someday.

'You know, I don't know much about it.'

Nephrite finished his donut and looked at the map.

'There's a gate around here too, isn't there?Are they not in use?'

Symbols indicating city gates are scrawled all over the outer perimeter.
The gates of the forty-two districts are not marked. It must be an old map.

'There is a small port in the 37th district.

Delia says, pointing to the 37th district, which is in the upper right corner of the map, in a position of linear symmetry with the 35th district.
I remember you said there were two ports.
It seems that District 35 is the larger and busier port.

'There's also a city gate in District 38, isn't there?

Paula pointed at the map, and the mark of the city gate was written on it.

'The city gate in District 38 is a gate that the Lumberjack Guild sometimes uses. There are trees that only live near the sea.
'...... is also sometimes used by hunting guilds.

Neither of them are used very often.
As I recall, because of the lumberjacks' guild, it's more expensive to bring in wood from gates outside the forty districts, so they probably only use it when they really need it.

And there are also city gates on the west side of the map, on the opposite side of the map from District 42.

'There's another one in District 33, isn't there?
'That's the gate to the mine. There's a big mine three days away by carriage.

That's new.
I looked at Estella and she explained, 'You can't get ore in Allbloom. Well, I see.

Once again, I realize that there are still many things I don't know.
Even in geography, I have not been able to remember everything.

It's not exactly divided into squares like a grid, so there are some differences. ......
If you want to use a square as a metaphor for Allblem, the top side, in order from left to right, has 35, 36, and 37 sections.
On the right side, from top to bottom, there are 38, 39, 40, and 41 wards.
The bottom, from right to left: 42 wards, with a cliff--30 wards, 31 wards.
The left side, in order from bottom to top, has 32, 33, and 34 wards.
The layout is as follows.

Next to the 35th district are the 34th and 36th districts. In the 38th district, next to the 37th district with a small port, the main industry is the processing of marine products. District 36, which is adjacent to both districts, is a mecca for processed marine products.



The main industry of the 32nd and 31st districts, which are adjacent to the 24th district, is processed soybean products.
The 33rd district is engaged in ore processing and seems to be less dependent on the other districts.

The 39th to 42nd districts, which are blocked by cliffs, do not have any industries of note and have been defunct for many years, and have managed to hold on thanks to the lumberjack guild in the 40th district and the hunting guild in the 41st district.

If you think about it, how did it get this far, the 42nd district?
It's the worst location!

And the number one winner of the outer wards, Ward 30.
It's a known toll tax powerhouse. Well, it's not a country, it's a district.


And BU is also a square.

There are 25 wards in the upper left corner straddling the left and upper sides, 26 wards to the right, and 27 wards in the corner connecting the upper and right sides. The corner district is bent into a "ku" shape.
On the right side, there is ward 28 below ward 27, and ward 29 is at the corner connecting the right side and the bottom.
At the bottom, there is ward 23 to the left of ward 29, and ward 24 to the left. Above that is the 25th district, which makes a full circle.
Each ward in BU is long and narrow. Each district in BU is long and narrow, and many of them are bordered by multiple districts.

Wards 23 and 29 are benefited by the 30 wards, which have the largest city gate.
Twenty-five wards are benefited by the sea.
Almost all the residents of the outer wards from 42 to 38 and the wards below the cliffs use the 27 wards when they go to the center.
It seems that the toll tax is strong in those areas, and in terms of beans, the 24 soybean districts are the most dominant, followed by the 28 red bean districts and the 26 cocoa districts by a considerable margin.

Even so, there is a shortage of farmland and the area is not large enough to support crops.
Is this the result of making the perimeter wider in order to minimize the number of districts that would be destroyed in the event of an emergency? ...... Or did they want to take as much territory as possible in the central district?
Whatever the case, the layout and area of BU is not something that can be called very livable.

'It's an arrangement designed to make the center more livable.
'Well, ......, I guess it is.'

I don't think about the outer districts or the 'BU'.
It's all about building a city for the royalty living in the center.
That's why there are conflicts over small things.
The royalty and the nobility don't even know about it, saying, 'Let the people take care of their own problems.

'Then came the rise of the forty-two districts, which were supposed to be the poorest districts......?
It's not hard to see why they would be impatient--and I may be overly defensive if I say that--but ...... yes, they would have been impatient.

If the forty-two wards gain strength and the outer wards gain strength as they are pulled along by the forty-two wards, the BU will be under considerable pressure from within and without.

'If the balance of power is upset, the difference between the districts that make profits and those that suffer losses is likely to be tremendous. That's exactly the kind of thing that would bankrupt a community.
'Well, that's what happens when you're barely holding on to such a skewed balance.

Better late than never.
It is unfortunate that the forty-two districts were singled out for this. ...... No, you can't back down with such words.
If the balance can be destroyed by such a small thing, it is better that it be destroyed.

It's just a matter of how to destroy it. ......

'What happens if I say, "Let's make a road between us and the thirty districts"?
'I'm sure the BU will launch an all-out war.

Estella traces her finger over the BU on the map - the twenty-third and twenty-ninth districts.

'These are the districts that are enriched by the tolls from the thirty districts. And the BU is a community that survives by sharing the toll tax. Any action that interferes with that profit will surely be crushed.

In order for people in the outer districts to obtain goods from outside, they must either bring the goods to the outer districts via the 23 and 29 districts, or people in the outer districts must go through the 27 districts to buy them.
In either case, BU will be able to get the toll tax.
If you create a loophole there, it will be a matter of life and death, not just business obstruction.

'But even if we don't do anything, they'll try to destroy us, right?
'...... Are you trying to start a war?

The air in the cafeteria became tense at the disturbing words.

No, I'm not.
So don't give me that 'I'll do it if I have to' look, Delia, Norma, Magda.
Even if it's ......, you should at least look a little tense, Becko. You've got a funny face.

'It's not my intention to be rough. But I think it's a good way to shake things up.'
'Don't shake the sleeping lion too much or he'll bite you.'

That's the advice I get.
I know, I know.
I know that, but I can't say that I ...... 'get it.

'I don't think we can boil it down any further right now.
'Yes, you're right. I'm in too much of a hurry to think straight.

That seemed to be the case for everyone except me and Estella, and no one said a word.

'Let's talk about it again with Lucia.
'Yes. Also, we should ask Mahr's opinion as well.

In the end, it was decided to discuss it again tomorrow.
Neffery and the others declined to participate in the next discussion, saying, 'We can't help you even if we were here.
Instead, they said, 'If there's anything we can do to help you, please let us know,' and left us with encouraging words.
He also said, 'I am glad you told me many things.

After watching them leave in a huff, he said.

'I... I'm valued.

That's what Regina said as she left.
Maybe he was a little curious too. She was out in a crowded place. He was involved in the fireworks, I guess.

At any rate, the party came to an end, and only the employees remained in the sunlit pavilion.
I left Magda, who had reached the peak of her sleepiness, in the hands of Loretta, and I remained alone in the dining room.


...... Now, I don't know where to start.

'It's a difficult situation, isn't it?

A cup of hot tea is placed in front of me.
Ginette's eyebrows raised, but she smiled at me, trying to calm me down.
I'm sure she's been working hard all morning.
I'll take his concern and tea for now.

'Well, it's tough to say. I feel frustrated as if I've been blocked from using my powers.
'Are you all right?
'It's hard to say. ...... Well, I'll talk to Estella again tomorrow. When Natalia comes back, we'll know about Lucia's situation.

Then we'll see if she's okay.
But we have to make sure she's okay.

'No, that's not what I meant.

Ginette puts the tray she was holding on the table and bends forward to look into my face with her hands on her knees.
Her big eyes stare at me.

'It's Yashiro-san, sir.

She bites her lip tightly, her face serious.
I'm not sure what to say.

...... at all.

'You'll be fine.

By the way, Ginette had a separate carriage for the return trip.
I'll make sure you know that.

'I'm not going to do anything rash anymore.
'...... Yes.'

I pinched Ginette's cheek, just as everyone had done to me in the carriage.

'Don't worry too much.

I said to the anxious Ginette, and she pinched my cheek as if she were copying me.

'Then don't make me worry too much.

She pinched my cheek.
....... Return the pinch.

Mu ni mu ni mu ni. ............ What's this?

'Soy sauce, peanut butter, coffee and cocoa.'
'Huh?'
'It would be more profitable to have a friendly relationship with the BU.'

He thinks for a moment, then relaxes his cheeks happily.

'That's right. I'm sure we'll make a lot of money.
'Then we'll do well.
'Yes, sir. I'll support you.

After that, we munched on each other for a while, then went back to my room.
My cheeks felt a little scratchy, but ...... I didn't feel bad.