After Estella's speech, the introduction of the guests, and other programs were completed on the stage of the plaza, the audience left the stage and began to move.
The city gates were opened and many people crowded into the gates.
This is a sight rarely seen.

With the attention of the crowd, Javier raises an oversized axe and chops down a huge tree with a trunk as thick as two Javiers.
The sound of the huge tree toppling over with a thud in his stomach was a sight to behold, and the crowd naturally broke into applause.

'Thank you very much, Mr. Javier.

When the facilitator announced this, Javier raised his thick arms and raised his spirits.
The crowd responded to his voice, and the area in front of the forest was engulfed in a whirlpool of loud voices.

The excitement builds and the voltage reaches its peak.

Called by the facilitator, Estella stepped forward in front of the audience with Natalia in tow.
This time, the facilitator is not Natalia. This time it is not Natalia, but another experienced waiter.
Natalia is completely in Estella's shadow, following her around.

And she is mercilessly eliminating anyone who even looks at her with the slightest hint of evil in their eyes.
Of course, he does not touch her.
You can find a lot of people who have been in the business for a long time, but you can find a lot of people who have been in the business for a long time.
I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to talk to such a scary guy on a daily basis. ......

Natalia's seriousness is scary. ......
It's just as well that Magda was afraid of her in the beginning.

Natalia and Medora were the only ones Magda was afraid of and hid from.

'Now then, we are moving to the planned construction site of the port. However, as you can see, we have no countermeasures against hexenbiests. Although we are being cautious, we can't guarantee absolute safety. Therefore, the groundbreaking ceremony will be held only for those who wish to participate.

If you don't want to get hurt by venturing into the deepest part of the outer forest, you should leave here.
The hunting guild led by Medora will protect the participants, but it is not completely safe.
If anything should happen to you, you are on your own from here on out.

After explaining this in a noble, roundabout way, Estella prepared to leave.

It seemed that all the lords were going to participate, but most of the nobles in the dignitaries' seats were turning back.
They tried to powder Estella, but I guess they thought the weather would be bad today.
She was going to go to the deepest part of the forest where Bonacon's vicious beasts roamed.
They'll be too busy protecting themselves to pick up girls, and they won't have the guts to do so.

Also, you can't say, "Let's have dinner sometime" in a place where there are hunter with strong face and strong body.
If you're not careful, you might be mistaken for a hexenbiest and hunted by an annoyed hunter. ...... No, that's not likely. There's also Medora.
But I don't think it's surprising that such an accident could happen.

So, let's go. Please follow the instructions of the members of the hunting guild at all costs. This forest is really dangerous.

As Estella was about to walk away, a man called out to her.

'Is it really possible to maintain a port in such a dangerous place?

Estella, who was about to walk away, stops and turns her body to face the owner of the voice.

'Of course, Mr. Wishart.

That man was that monocle gentleman.
So this is Deyglair Wishart, Lord of the Thirtieth Ward.

'We will construct a complete management system not only during the construction period but also after the completion of the port. We have already established a cooperative system for this purpose, so there is nothing to worry about.
'Isn't there such a thing as 'perfect' in this world?

That's a really nasty thing to say.
There's no way to prove that it's 'safe' at this stage, but you're asking me to show you the proof.

I see, that's why Lucia calls him 'crooked'.

'It is true that there may be parts that are not perfect. However, there are measures that can be taken to keep accidents to a minimum.
'With a less than perfect security system, can this port really be used safely?What do you think, gentlemen?Once the port is completed, this city gate will be used more frequently. At such a time, if a hexenbiest were to enter the city, we could suffer a great deal of damage.

Wishart turned his attention from Estella to the other lords present.
He was probably trying to recruit the numbers to hunt down Estella.

'It would be better if the damage was contained within the forty-two districts, but will that be enough? Surprisingly, District Forty-two has just opened a road leading to District Twenty-nine. Now that there are doubts about the security of that road, even my 30th district, even though it is on a cliff, cannot feel safe at all.

No one said a word, just listened to Wishart's words.
But the atmosphere is definitely getting worse.
They raise anxiety and shout about uncertain dangers. That's what people always do when they want to get an answer that suits them.

'So, what do you think? Why don't we suspend the construction of the harbor and resume the discussion once again, including the guarantee aspect?The sea will not run away. Besides, the 42nd district is currently undergoing many successful new projects under the leadership of a talented new lord, isn't it?If the completion of the project is delayed a little, it won't lead to financial ruin. If that is the case, there is no need to hurry the completion of the project, is there?What do you think, gentlemen?Don't you think so?

Wishart spread his arms and smiled with his words to the crowd - the lords watching from the sidelines.

In short, if you want to start the work, give us more of your share.
And if you don't, we'll keep interfering like this.

Let's take down .......

This time, thanks to the presence of several clear allies, Estella did not become distraught.
In the past, she would have made a desperate excuse, saying, 'No, no, as I told you many times, we are trying to be as safe as possible,' but now she is keeping her mouth shut and doing as she is told.


So, yes, you just have to have a relaxed attitude like that.

Mahrul, who was standing nearby, gently put his hand on Estella's back.
That must have helped Estella to decide that now was not the time to talk.
In fact, she's probably very upset.
'We talked so much and now we're going back to square one? You know.

As I stared at Estella, her eyes glanced at me.
She knew I was staring at her and seemed a little upset. ...... Don't show your agitation, sweetheart.


This is the first time I've been able to find out what's going on.
Then she turns her gaze to Mahr.

Both Lucia and Mahr nodded their heads silently, and Estella let out a sigh.
Then she looks at me and says, 'Don't overdo it! She nodded her head slowly with a look that seemed to be filled with orders.

He gave me permission to speak, and I clapped my hands loudly by myself.

Wishart turned his head toward me at the sudden sound.
The other lords look at me as well.

Yes, yes.
Look at me.

I've got something to say to you.


Especially for you, Wishart.


'No, that's really great!

Shouts of praise.
Then he steps into the space that had been left vacant while Wishart was speaking.
He steps into the space where Wishart used to stage himself, where the attention of the crowd is focused.

'As expected of the Lord of the Thirtieth District, Lord Wishart, who has the best city gates in all of Broome. He is a man of foresight when it comes to crisis management.

He slowly walks up to Wishart as he speaks.

'The more often the city gates are used, the greater the risk of hexenbiest infestation. That's exactly right.

I affirm Wishart's statement.
Totally agree.
Let's give him a big thumbs up.

'After all, the words of a lord who has guarded the city gate for a long time carry a different weight.

Then, as Wishart had done, he turned his back on Wishart and turned his body toward the crowd.
Then he spreads his arms as if looking up at the sky.
He spreads his arms as if looking up to the sky, as if he could flap his wings to the sky.

'There is no such thing as "perfect" safety. I was shocked. To be honest, I hadn't thought of it that way. No, you're right. That's not easy to say. That's a brave thing to say. I'm sorry. I admire you. Excellent!I'm so happy for you!

My praise flew across the sky and was swallowed up by the clear blue sky and disappeared.
After that, a moment of silence envelops the area.

'...... What are you trying to say?

The praise was so fishy that even Wishart couldn't help but interrupt.
I slowly turned around and said with a big smile on my face.

'I'm just saying it's great, that's all.


Now, let my voice soar into the sky on the wind and reach the ears of those who listen.



'I was shocked to hear that you, who can loudly declare that the guards at the city gates of the 30th district are 'not up to snuff', are a wonderfully impudent lord.





Seeing the best smile in my history, a wild vein appeared on Wishart's forehead.





'I never said anything of the sort!

Wishart immediately came at him, but that was a bad move.
Let me tell you, a man who doubles and triples his words loses his weight.
It is only when a person stands tall and does not hesitate that his words carry weight.

Light words that roll over and over again are not worth listening to.

'Are you going to retract your own statement?You're the current head of the prestigious Wishart family with the largest city gate in all of Allbloom?
'I will not retract anything. In the first place, I have never said that the security of my city gate is not perfect. I will not tolerate you making trivial accusations.
'So you're saying that the city gates of District 30 are fully guarded?
'Of course.
'But... isn't there such a thing as 'perfect' in this world?

These are the words that just came out of your mouth just now.

'I've been guarding that gate for many years now!My abilities and knowledge are different from a new lord who has only been in office for a year or so.
'In other words, you can't be trusted because you're a newbie and a chick with no knowledge.'
'That's what most people would think.
'Even though the hunting guild led by Medora Rossel will be taking over the security of the port?
'............'

You shut up.
Clever, indeed.
......, but stupid.

'The Woodcutter's Guild, led by Stuart Javier, will take care of all the work to keep the monsters away, and you still don't trust many of them?

He took one look at Wishart, whose mouth was tightly shut, snickered, and then looked around at the lords present.
You can find a lot of people who are in their thirties or forties.


In the fifties, there are very few.
Donnis is the oldest of them all.

I mean--

'From the looks of it, many of you are younger than Ms. Medora and Mr. Javier - of course, you're one of them, Mr. Wishart - and you're the young ones, You two heavyweights who have been in positions of responsibility longer than you, who have lived with this forest and confronted the magical beasts of this forest, and you say you can't trust them because they're just chicks?

That's what I mean when I say that I don't trust the safety measures taken with the full cooperation of Medora and Javier, who know this forest and the hexenbiests in this forest better than anyone else.

When I looked at them again, all the lords quickly turned their gaze away and took an attitude of indifference.

Now, you're all that's left, Wishart.

''You're younger than Miss Medora and Mr. Javier, and your term of office as a lord is shorter than the terms of those two guild leaders. '
'......Goo,you......!

Wishaat's eyes are visibly turning red.
His bloodshot eyes glared at me.
I brush it off with a sneer.

'With a less than perfect security system, can the city gates of District 30 really be used safely?What do you think, gentlemen?It's a big city gate with that many people coming and going every day. If any bandits or barbarians were to enter the city, we could suffer a great deal of damage.

As Wishart did so, he turned his back to Wishart and appealed to the lords around him.

'It would be better if the damage was contained within the thirty districts, but will that really be enough? As he said earlier, District 42 has just blazed a trail leading to District 29. Even if the road is well guarded, there is no way to prevent a surprise attack. After all, it seems that there is no such thing as perfect security. If that's the case, even though it's under the cliff, this 42nd district can't be safe at all.

Estella gives me a look that says 'enough', but let me just say one more thing.
It won't take long.

'What do you say there? Why don't we temporarily seal the city gates of the thirty districts and have a meeting to discuss the guarantee aspect once again?There are city gates in other districts as well. It's not like outside merchants will be shut out. And it's the 30th district that had the monopoly on Allbloom's best gates for a long time. You must have a lot of power and connections as well as money.It's unlikely that their finances would be ruined by a little blockade. If that is the case, then there is no need to keep opening the dangerous city gates, is there?What do you think, gentlemen?Don't you think so?
''Don't you dare, my dear!

Wishart's eyes are bloodshot as he grabs me.
--But that hand didn't reach me.

'Isn't that just what you said in the first place?
'So many lords are gathered here. Don't you think it's a bit arrogant to waste all this time on your opinion, Mr. Wishart?

Donnis and Lucia intervened between me and Wishart, blocking their progress.
Of course, Gilberta and Donis's steward are following the Lord in a state of alertness.
If the Lord were to be touched even by a finger, they would be ready to open fire immediately.

Wyschert, who has connections with the upper echelons of society due to his superior location, not to mention his finances, must have a fair amount of power.
Even though he is a noble of the same fifth class, Wishart of the Thirtieth District is distinctly different from other lords.

But Lucia is a woman who isn't afraid of such things, and even if she's outclassed in terms of finances, Donis, who has a higher position as a fourth-grade noble, as defined by the royal family, is also not a man who would be intimidated by Wishart.

The other lords of BU are also fourth class nobles, so they have a higher rank than Wishart, but they're weak under pressure.
Even the lord of the 23rd district, who seemed to be the second most powerful after Donnis, was in the position of being enriched by the tolls from the merchants coming from the 30th district.
He's not going to be able to stand up to Wishart.

The two heretics.
Only Lucia and Donis can do as they please.

Lords of the outer districts?
He's got a look of 'I don't care about that' on his face.
The Thirtieth Ward is too powerful.

Well, it looks like Ricardo and Demilly will stay on our side.

Hmm.

Well...
I could start a fight here and rip Wishart's pride and face to shreds, but ...... Estella's face is on the line as well.
If word gets out that going to the ceremony in District 42 will cause trouble, it will tarnish Estella's face.

It was the money-grubbing wishy-washy Wishy was to blame, and we wanted the fact that the ceremony hosted by Estella had ended without a hitch.

So, I'd like to offer you a special bleeding service (maybe even a big one!). So, I'm going to be generous and forgive you for your unseemly antics.

'Ha-ha-ha!Well, excuse me.

He laughs cheerfully and smiles a carefree smile with a hint of blackness.
A clown's smile.

'I've put a lot of effort into the construction of the port in District 42, and I don't want the work to be interrupted by a minor conflict.

I turned into a clown, waving my arms around as if dancing, and joking as if saying.

So, I was just playing a little word game with you. I hope you don't mind if I offended you.

He gives an innocent wink to Wishart.
Wishaat frowned blatantly.
However, she hides her emotions when she sees the two unorthodox lords standing in front of her, and the 'unreasonable lords who are unlikely to take her side' surrounding her.

'No, me too. I apologize if my words were inadequate and made you feel uncomfortable.

Oh, I didn't say it well enough.

'I was merely concerned that the peace of this city might be threatened. If he's right and the two guild leaders, who are familiar with this forest and magical beasts, cooperate fully, there's no need for an amateur like me to interfere. It was your way out, Miss Creamona.
No. I was speaking not for my own benefit, but for the safety of this entire city. Thank you for your advice.



Estella gave the selfish Wishart a small barb, saying, 'Don't just talk about your own interests,' and pretended that the dispute here had never happened.
I'm sure that spike was sent by Mahr.
Scary. ......

I'm not sure what to say. Let's go to the site where the port will be built.

At Estella's words, a group of people leave the city gate and walk through the forest.

Wishart glared at me for a moment as I walked past him, but I'll let him off the hook.





We, the Ooba Expedition, were entering an unprecedented jungle.
Rumor has it that this jungle is inhabited by a terrifying beast beyond human comprehension...


Crackle!


At that moment, what appeared before Captain Oba's eyes from within the jungle?

'Darling, what are you doing?
'There it is!Hexenbiest!
'There's no such thing as hexenbiests. I'm spreading my Heki to intimidate them.

No, no, there's a hexenbiest right in front of me that's spreading something called Heki.

'Yashiro-kun, you've been quiet since you entered the forest~ Are you scared?Giggling~☆'

That's fine with Masha.
She's got Medora guarding her all the time.
A little carelessness here could be fatal.

And I have people I have to protect.

'Jeannette. And you guys, are you okay?
'We're fine, big brother!If a hexenbiest appears, I'll carry you and run away!
'...... Magda will protect Yashiro no matter what.'

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not talking about the 'are you okay?...... Well, to be honest, I'm really counting on you.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.
'Ugh ......, but I'm wearing a dress today .......'
'I'm here too, so you'll be fine. Well, I don't see anything wrong with it, as long as you keep your guard up.


Norma is very motivated. She doesn't mind if the slit gets cut even deeper with a little hard fighting.
You could just cut it all the way down to the neck, slit.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few.



'I can stop your father from having a seizure at any time.
'Imelda, are you talking about the 'breath'?

Imelda does not answer Loretta's question, but smiles deeper.
It's like the root of breath, you can stop it.

And watch out for the plants, too. I'm not sure if it's a good idea.

I've been parasitized by a memory-eating demon plant before when I briefly entered the forest outside.
...... Maybe I'm being hated by the demon plant.

I'm sure you're right. Your brother is easily trapped by the demon plant's traps, so we'll all protect him.
'Ladybug, you're also easily preyed upon in the flower guild forest, right?
'Mm-hmm. So you're favored by demon plants too, aren't you, Yashiro-san?

No, it's no laughing matter, Jeannette.
That man-eating plant would have completely eaten me up if it weren't for Milly, you know?

'Anyway, it's best to be overly cautious.

Excessive or not, it's best to have nothing.

'When we get back to the city, I'll check the breasts of everyone who's been parasitized by the demon plant.
'I'll be on the lookout, guys.
'Everyone's tits are being targeted.'
'...... too much caution is just fine.'
'Big brother, your libido is too honest.'
'Oh, Yashiro. Please repent.

It's a kindness!
I only had the faintest of hopes behind my kindness!

'I'm not trustworthy. ......'
'Maybe if I repent my daily behavior, people will trust me~'

Masha shakes her shoulders as she happily chugs the water.

The hunters of the hunting guild are firmly guarding the perimeter of our group.
In the center are the lords.
Around them are the wardens and stewards of each ward.

We, the general participants, are walking a little farther back, but Medora's presence near us is reassuring.
Javier is keeping a watchful eye on the area near the lords.
The other side must be reassured by Javier's presence.

I'm really glad that these two are still active.
However, both guilds have no one to follow the guild leader.
Even the number two is far from the top.

'Medora. Make sure you raise your successor properly.''


'No, no, darling!You can't tell me in front of all these people that you want my child!
'I didn't say that!

I don't care if it's Gustave, Alvaro, or anyone else, just raise it!
If Medora's genes were to be passed on, that would be reassuring, but in that case, a victim would certainly be born.
A victim named Medora's son-in-law.

Isn't world peace only possible through noble sacrifice? ......

'......Yashiro's sacrifice will not be in vain.
'No one will be sacrificed.

Don't say a word of bad luck, Magda.
All right, Medora's looking at me, so I'll put up a Magda barrier.

Medora likes Magda, and when Magda is dressed in a cute outfit, her eyes naturally turn to you.
Medora's successor might be Magda. ...... No, I don't want her to be that muscular, and someone else should take over.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
'If it's a hardware guild, shouldn't it be Norma?
'No, thank you. I don't like meetings where the bigwigs meet face to face and go over their differences. I'd rather be in the field than at the top.
I understand. I'm the same way.
'No, you're already the head of the guild, ......, remember?

It's okay, it's okay.
In Delia's perception, the guild leader is the one who's most active in the field.
I don't think he's going to show up at meetings much.
I wonder if Omero is doing a good job.

'On that note, the sunny pavilion is safe!We have me and Magda!

Your age is almost the same as mine.

'...... When the manager gets old, Magda will take over.'

You're only four years older than me!
I think you'll be a pretty old lady by then.

'...... And when Magda gets too old to move, Loretta will take over.'
'Wait!I'm older than Magda!
'...... I'm fine. I'm sure Loretta is noisy even at her age.
'Oh, I can't deny it completely, but ............ what do you mean by noisy?I'm just energetic, but I'm sure I'm not noisy!
'Loretta. It's noisy.
'Oh, dear!You're always getting on my nerves when I'm like this.

You guys are noisy even in the woods.
What if a hexenbiest comes by?

'Are you the heir ......?

Ginette muttered to herself.
She thinks for a moment, bends her eyebrows in annoyance, but still smiles happily.

'I can't think about it yet, but for now I'd like to stay active until I'm my grandfather's age.
'Then you have a long way to go, don't you?
'Yes. I hope I can be as close to your grandfather as possible by then.

Do you still think you're half a man?
Surprisingly, your grandfather might think he's already surpassed you.

'But the one I'm most worried about is Estella, right?

Nephrite said, looking at Estella's back as she walked at the front of the group.

'I wonder what kind of person will become the lord of District 42 after Estella.

That's still in the distant future.
No one knows what will happen.
Even Estella herself probably doesn't know.

So let's just say what we know for sure at this point.

'Regardless of whether the next lord is a man or a woman, I'm sure he'll be flat-chested.
'That's not the point, that's what we're focusing on!

There's no way to know who he is.

'I don't know what's going to happen, but--'

Ginette looks back towards the city gate, stares at the 42nd district and says.

'I hope it will continue to be a wonderful city.

The forty-second district had been looked down upon as the poorest district in the country.
Now, many lords have gathered there and are focusing on new projects.

District Forty-two has changed.
It will continue to change.

I don't know what kind of city this will be in the future.

I think ...... is right.
If you look around at the young generation around me now, who will be in charge of the 42nd district in the future, you can at least hope that it will become a good city in its own way.



I'll make more money if it becomes a good town too. Yeah.