Protected by Medora, they continue along the forest path and come to a bend in a large tree where the incident occurred.
There was some tension in the group, and Magda and the others gathered around Masha.

I took a step back and watched them closely.
...... so that if someone else shows up again, I'll know immediately.

Fortunately, that idiot seemed to be the only one who did.

'But I'm glad you noticed, darling. I guess I was too focused on the hexenbiest.
I guess I was too focused on the hexenbiest.' A suspicious person is a suspicious person.

An ill-dressed man unintentionally approaching a well-dressed woman is enough to be charged, even if not for assault.
Whether you are a pervert or a pick-up artist, your self-indulgent behavior without consideration for the other party is more than enough reason to be seized.

'It's just that a fly got mixed in with the pretty flowers and caught my eye.
'Oh no, a pretty flower!It's embarrassing!
'...... Medora. Do you know what a Rafflesia is?

I wasn't talking about you, though.
Well, there are many strange and dangerous flowers in the tropics.

'I'm sorry, Masha. I'm having a bad day.

Unable to protect Masha or catch the thugs, Delia sadly grabbed and clutched her dirty dress.
Normally, she's the most trusted person in the world, but today she's not doing so well, or so she thinks.

With her shoulders slumped and a tearful look on her face, she trudges alongside Masha's tank.
With Medora next to her, the slumped shoulders and nodding head of Delia look really small.
From a distance, she might look about the size of Loretta.
No, because Medora is so big, she might even look like Molly, the reliable sister of the sugar factory. It's an illusion. It's a trick art.

'No, it's not! I'm so relieved just thinking about Delia's presence.
'...... dress, I'll take it off.'
I'm not going to do that because it would make Yashiro happy.

No, he will be happy, but!
It's not the time to be happy when Delia is so depressed, 'My boobs are bare! It's not the time to be happy.
No, if that actually happens, I'll be happy for sure!

'Well, there are days like that. There are days when it's not. That's fine.'

Medora pats the nodding Delia on the head.
...... As expected of Delia. How defensive is she that she doesn't dislocate her neck from Medora's surprise attack?
If it had been me, my neck would have been dislocated and I'd have gone 'raw-necked and thumped'.

'I'll protect you to the best of my ability when you're active. We're here for you today. We're here today. You're not in any trouble, so that's good.
'...... Yeah. Thank you for protecting Masha, Medrama.'
'Ha-ha-ha!You call me mama too?I'm so glad you have a beautiful daughter.
'............ I don't need to be pretty anymore.'

Delia regrets that she was so excited by the dress that she could not show her full potential.
But the people around her will not allow such a waste of time.

'No, you can't!You're so cute, Delia!
'Yes, you are. Wear prettier and prettier clothes and show them to me. I'll never get tired of seeing my daughter in her best clothes.

Masha and Medora said, comforting Delia.

'Besides, the next beauty pageant is the one where we'll both be playing in the finals - the Miss Cute finals!

No,......, I know you're trying to cheer me up,......, but I'm not so sure about that.

'Delia, you are loved.'

Ginette whispers softly beside me.
Everyone is watching over Delia, who is depressed because of her failure.

'Delia is always doing her best for someone else. It's hard for her to make enemies.
'That's the wrong word.

Ginette shakes her shoulders, giggling.
So Delia can't make enemies.
It seems that there are a few Omero-like creatures that are Delia's natural enemies, though.

Delia sticks next to Masha, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.
I admire her attitude of trying to do something about her in spite of her inability.
I'm sure Masha is happy with that thought alone.




As I walked another fifty meters after turning the corner of the large tree, the feeling in my feet changed.
The dirt that had been mixed with mud became hard bedrock.
In front of me, I could see a vertical cliff.

If this was the cliff I had fallen from the 30th district, then we were walking southwest after leaving the city gate.

'Yashiro-san.'

Jeannette leaned in close to me and whispered in my ear.
The lords were lined up to greet us - not exactly welcoming - but they were looking at us.

Perhaps they'll try a trick.

'It's too late,' 'What have you been doing,' 'It's taking too long to catch a single thug,' 'Are you sure you can handle such a security system?


And they'll be screaming about guarantees and rights again.
It is probably possible to silence them and win them back.

If you set a little trap for them, there is a good chance that they will bite.
When the mastermind is out of the picture, we may be able to raise him up and kick him out so that he cannot be involved in the new project in the 42nd district.

......, but that would be a cop-out.

If you don't have any solid evidence, you can put together a list of circumstantial evidence and try to reason with them, but they won't confess like the criminals in mystery stories.
If he had asked someone close to him to act as an intermediary, he would be able to say that he was not acquainted with the thug, even though he had flirted with the Judgment of the Spirits.

As long as you don't know him directly through someone else, you can keep your cover.
You can say you don't know him.
Of course, the words that are not lies cannot be judged by the Judgment of the Spirits.

So, there is no point in hanging him up here.
I can't do more than raise the suspicion that it is very suspicious.
Gray, almost black.
If you can't prove it's black, you can't even punish it.

That's exactly what the unions did to Trubek Industries.

Even if it looks suspicious, they won't let you catch the tail.
They can't hunt you down without absolute proof.

Umaro and the others who had raided the enemy's stronghold on the suspicion of Norton Engineering had certainly seen a glimpse of malice.
Nevertheless, they were unable to catch the tail of it.
Because they misjudged the source of the malice.
Because the mastermind was a cunning bastard who was good at hiding.

That's why we let him swim for a while.
Yeah, like this.

'What's going on, my lord?

As soon as I met up with the group, I broke away from the group and swiftly closed in on Estella without a second glance.
On the way, my path was blocked by Natalia, who intervened in my path.
She bends her left arm and grabs my left shoulder with her elbow against my right side.
Natalia's left arm alone stopped my progress completely. In addition, Natalia's right hand is free, so if I continue to resist, I'll be beaten to a pulp.

Since we hadn't made any arrangements, this was probably a conventional response as the lord's bodyguard.
When I glanced at her, Natalia relaxed slightly, as if she understood my intentions.
The pain disappears from her shoulders, which she had expected to be crushed.

--But she's not free yet.
That's good. Just keep that 'I'm holding you' look.

You almost got yourself killed!What kind of security do you have?Even the hunting guild is not functioning!

He rambled on and on, avoiding Natalia's body and shouting at Estella.
It was your fault.
What are you going to do about it?

And--

'Just when I said the hunting guild would protect us and we'd be fine, there's this mess. And then someone gets hurt. How are you going to make amends, my lord?

He pointed at Estella and denounced her.

He then pointed to Medora and the others, and the lords' gazes turned to them, all of them looking at him with wide eyes.
Medora and Magda's wounds had healed, but they were still bandaged for dramatic effect.

And one more.
There's Delia, her dress stained black and a scratch on her forehead.
The ladylike Delia has an injury on her face. It must have looked like a shocking image to the lords.

Of course, we've told the people on our side that we're going to do something like this.
Medora and the members of the hunting guild just looked down with an apologetic look on their faces.

I'm not trying to rehash what I said earlier, but shouldn't we stop the construction once again, strengthen the security system, and reconsider the guarantee in case of emergency?

--He stopped speaking, pretending to breathe.
His shoulders rise and fall, and his breathing becomes ragged. He exhales angrily, spreading his raging emotions.

In this brief moment, one of the lords made a move.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a grin, and he drew in a short breath.

I've just had a flashy fight, and now I've been victimized and switched sides.
This is a perfect opportunity.
Now I can get that annoying man on my side..." Wishart makes the last movement before he speaks.
His mouth opens and his diaphragm begins to cave in.

Aiming at that moment, he shouts louder than necessary.


'I'm so glad no one is going to say that to me.


The sudden change in the tone of his voice left everyone in the room puzzled.
There was a look of confusion on their faces.
And of course, Wishart.

'What? I can't believe that you would take advantage of such a blatantly timed trouble to develop a theory that suits you...'

He looked at Wishart, whose expression had hardened with his mouth half open, and said in a mocking voice.


'It's like you're confessing that you're the mastermind.


It's obvious what you're up to, Turco. He smiles at her.


In the quiet, strangely tense forest, I could hear Wishart's teeth clacking faintly.




'I'm slightly angry, ......'.

As the lord's attention was drawn to him, his face changed from a smile to a cold blank expression.

'I will never forgive those who injured my loved ones. I'll find him and make him pay for what he's done.

Then, he changes his mouth into a smile once more.


He lifts a grin and lets out a chillingly cheerful voice.

'No matter how fast you run, no matter how cleverly you hide, never.

With that, he shifts his gaze to the forest.
That's it.
I don't do anything by looking at the forest.
But seeing the forest gives rise to an assumption.

A trivial trap that will inadvertently cause all but the mastermind to be mistaken.

The trick is good.
Now we just need to lure them in.

'Delia, does the wound hurt?
'............'

Delia shakes her head, her back curled up to hide her dirty dress and her small form.
Her mouth is closed and her eyes are tearful.
Medora pats Delia's head as if she is worried. Gently, as if touching a broken object.

'Take it easy,' she says.
'...... Yeah.'

A small voice replies.
At the same time, Delia gives a small nod.

This time Masha can't pet Delia's head, so she pulls on her clothes and asks her to crouch down.
When Delia crouches down next to the tank, she cradles her head in her arms and strokes her head good-naturedly. As if caring for her.

The lords are watching the scene.
It's about time.

So, I call out to Estella, who is strangely nervous.

'You'll have to help me out then, Estella.
'What?...... Ah, ah. Yeah, yeah. Of course I will.'

The conversation with Estella, in her usual tone, made Natalia leave my side.
Though the restraints had already been released around the time of the 'who would say...' part. She probably thought I was doing something dangerous and stayed close to me.
It's been proven in the first time we met, that the bad guys who are about to reveal their bad deeds will take shortcuts and go for it.

But not anymore.
Nothing's gonna happen here. It can't, now that we've instilled so much caution.

If you try anything on my watch, I'll expose you in a heartbeat.

So if anything's gonna happen, it's gonna happen later.

Okay, so.
I'm going to have to slightly lower the stakes for the hunting guild here.
I've talked to Medora, and she's agreed to take the blame for Magda's injuries because of my carelessness.
The hunting guilds also admitted that they were in the wrong and agreed to cooperate in this operation.

...... Above all, at the moment, 'Oh no, he said I'm important!I'm not sure what to do. It's okay, because she's writhing around happily, letting out mysterious sounds.
The important person I mentioned is mostly Magda, right?

...... But that doesn't mean that the thug is innocent.
If it weren't for that idiot, Delia wouldn't have gotten hurt.
She's a girl, and she's got such a noticeable abrasion. ......

In the midst of the anger, there is a little bit of Medora caught in the back, so don't writhe around with a face like you have a monopoly on such a 'precious one'!
Don't hum the ladybug jingle!That's a completely original, copyright-free wedding song written by me and sung by the Idolmeister for Theron and Wendy's wedding!It's an original song that bears no resemblance to any of the many other songs out there, so you don't have to worry about copyright groups at all!

And don't sing it, it's terrifying!

Just go to ......

'Ricardo. Take responsibility for it.'
'What responsibility do you have for me?
'If you don't want to take me in, marry me.
'I hate it even more!How many years in prison!'

In the midst of the crowd of lords, Ricardo, who had been sitting quietly, stepped forward.
Huh, that position.
So he was in the crowd of lords, standing between Estella and the other lords.

Near Estella are Mahr and Lucia. Javier and Demilly. And Donis and Tracy. Estella's clear allies were surrounding her and protecting her.
And between them and the other lords stood Geraci and Ricardo as a buffer.

Even though Gerasie was under Mahr's orders, Ricardo was trying to protect Estella.

'Ricardo, you ......'.
'What the hell?
'You're like a lazy junior high school boy who wants to talk to the girl he likes in class but can't.'
'Don't send me abuse that doesn't make any sense!

No, because you're exuding that 'I want to talk to her, but she's surrounded by her friends, but I'm curious about her, so I'll just keep glancing at her' kind of unresolvedness.

'You've been protecting Estella, haven't you?

Keep your voice down here.
We talk in private so that the other lords don't overhear.

'...... Well... He's growing up, but he's still new and dangerous.


'If you act like a big brother, he'll give you a sour look again.
'...... That face of his is really annoying. You should warn him too.'
'Yeah~......'
'Don't look so sour!

You make my mouth turn sour.

'Well, thanks for the help. Estella's guard (alternate).''
''Who's the alternate!You're more like the main force!
'Even though Estella hasn't let down her guard against you!
''No, she's probably already let her guard down!I can sense that she's letting you in.

You're wrong. You're mistaken, you know.

'Don't look so nervous, Obeyashiro.
'Hey, Merle's errand boy.'
'Who's that?I'm the lord, I'm the main man!I'm the lord, I'm the main man! ...... Well, I've still got a lot to learn, so I can't be too proud.

I'm not going to be able to keep up with you, but that 'for now' is going to last for a long time.
When do you think you'll catch up?It won't happen in a hundred years or so, you know.

'Are you constitutionally incapable of tension, anchovy?
'Were you all right there, palm snapper?

Lucia and Donis come over to me.

'I was fine, but ......'.

I turn to look behind me.
If you look towards Masha, you will see Medora and Magda with bandages and Delia with a gash on her forehead.
Delia has been surrounded by some of the toughest men in the hunting guild.
They make it look like an ironclad defense.

'Hey, Estella. Even with Medora there were still some injuries. We might want to have another talk about the security system. It's not reasonable to throw it to the hunting guild and pretend we don't know about it.
'That's ...... right. I agree. Let's discuss it as soon as possible.

He pulled Estella into the circle and spoke to her in a voice that made it clear that he was not blaming her.
Estella admits her mistake and listens to me.

I'm sure you'll find a lot of good lords around me.
I'd like to exclude ...... Ricardo and Geraci, but that's okay for now.

I'm going to lure that man into the circle.

'Why don't you ask Mr. Wishart for his know-how?If it's a city gate in the 30th district, he's probably used to dealing with people like that.
'E......'

Estella's gaze went to Wishart, who looked surprised for a moment.

''If that's the case, why don't you have the gatekeepers of the 30th district dispatched as a training period for a while?The city gates of the Forty-second District are dangerous, so of course we'll pay you handsomely.

If we give Wishart such an opportunity, he'll not only get into the money, but also into the interests of the port.
Knowing this, Estella was unable to respond easily.

'That's an excellent idea.'

--Wishart bites back.
He must know the ins and outs of the city gate.
He knows how to create loopholes, how to build connections, how to bribe the gate guards, everything.

They step in easily because they are confident that they can do it well.
He's confident that he can take control of the situation once he's in it.

'I don't mean to underestimate the power of the hunting guild, but when it comes to humans, it's probably different from hexenbiests. If you are a soldier in our city, you can teach us many things about that.''
'What ......?

When Wishart saw Estella's confusion, he must have thought she was a new lord who was not used to roughing it, a spoiled female lord.
With a lecherous smile on his face, Wishart said in a deliberately hushed voice.

'Unlike Hexenbiests, you can't simply take their lives, not when you're dealing with humans. There will be an opening, and they will take full advantage of it.

He smiled contentedly at Estella, whose large eyes were shaking with confusion, and repeated his words in an attempt to incite even more fear.

'Even that Medora Rossel was injured by a single thug. It seems that Marcia Ashley was able to protect her, but the cost was too great for her to be injured that badly.

Estella's face turned pale.
I just realized something that I hadn't noticed before. I can see that surprise in your hands.
That's why Wishart is on the offensive.

In order to encroach his own power into the interests of the port and the city gates of the 42nd district.

'A reasonable reward is of course necessary, but this is not an expensive purchase. The safety of the people and the city is the most precious thing of all, isn't it, Ms. Clairmona?If so, my 30th district--'
'Masha is ......'

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

In the event that you've got any questions concerning where and how to use the web, you can contact us at the web site.
His cheeks twitched once, lightly.

'Did they target Masha?And Medora-san took a stand and protected her. ......'


'Hmm ......?That's how it would have been explained to you?'
'No, no. I just said there was trouble.'

Wishart's cheeks twitched.
Finally, he seems to have noticed the unsettling atmosphere that surrounds him.
It must have been clear to Wishart as he looked around.
A disturbing gaze directed at him.

No one here knows.
They're all fooled because I provoked the misunderstanding.

'I thought they were attacked by a hexenbiest ......'.
I thought they were attacked by a hexenbiest,.......But he just said ......!

Wishart stopped speaking.
And then he turns his face towards me with a clearly disconcerted expression.

'As expected of Mr. Wishart. You have a wise eye that comes from years of experience, don't you?

He smiles deliberately and applauds deliberately.
And then, so that it is clearly evident, he says with a look of emotion hidden deep in his face.


'How did you know? The thugs were after Masha alone.


You've fallen for it, a**h*le.

You can clearly see the emotion in his smile.




Actually, I didn't give Estella any details.
She just told me there was a problem here.
The information from Imelda to Natalia and from Natalia to Estella was passed on with the details hidden from my intentions.

Then, without knowing the details, all of us who had been in trouble showed up together.
Medora and Magda had bandages on their arms, Delia had mud on her dress and a scratch on her forehead.

Anyone who saw them would think that something terrible had happened.
If that much trouble had happened in this forest, the cause would be a hexenbiest--that's what most people would think.
Where in the world would someone be able to inflict serious injury on the strongest hunter Medora Rossel?
It is more natural to think that he was trying to protect a large number of people and fell behind the hexenbiest, and in fact most of the people present believed so.

Of course, I didn't say that the killer was a human or a 'thug'.
Moreover, I said that I would not forgive anyone who injured Magda or Delia, no matter how quickly they escaped or how cleverly they hid themselves.
The true meaning of my words was a warning to the mastermind who was hiding in the shadows while letting the perpetrators do their evil work, but those who were there didn't know that.
Normally, to run away quickly and hide in the forest is a term that is more appropriate for hexenbiests than for humans. So it's natural for those who were there to believe that.

However, if they knew from the beginning that the killer was a human, it would not be surprising if they thought, 'Oh, he got away with it, he got away with it.

Immediately after that, I looked behind me.
Many people would have thought I saw the forest.
I glared at the forest where the hexenbiest had fled, saying, 'I'll never forgive you.
But to the mastermind who knew from the start that the killer was human, it would have looked like I was looking back at Delia out of concern.
I turned at a perfect angle to make it look that way.

It looks like you fell right into this simple trap, Wishart ......, no, mastermind.

A gap in perception is hard to notice between people.
If the subject of the conversation is hidden, the two parties will complement each other in their own brains and think that they have understood correctly.
If you hear it as a hexenbiest, it will sound like that, and if you hear it as a thug, it will sound like that.
If there is no reason to deny that one's perception is wrong, one will not doubt one's own perception.

'Man, the most important thing is here,' he says, pointing to his chest.
If Estella does that, people will think 'heart', and if I do that, they will think 'tits'.
And no one doubts that perception.

When Jeannette has her hands full of luggage, you can ask her, 'It looks heavy, do you want me to carry one of them? Ginette thinks it's about the luggage, and I can confidently say it's about the boobs.

If I say 'my breasts are swelling' when I have something fun planned, ...... well, enough said.

In other words, people do not always doubt themselves.
They don't even think they are wrong until it is pointed out to them.

That is why they are shocked when someone points it out to them.
That's why you are shocked when it is pointed out to you that the facts you believed in are far different from the world.
The greater the action you took during that time, the greater the impact. The more conspicuous you are. The greater the shock.

Whether that shock manifests itself in shame or hatred is up to you, though.


Wishart was the only one to say that the attacker, who everyone in the room thought was a Hexenbiest, was a "maniac".
Why did he make such a mistake? ......
There are a number of possibilities that may have come to the minds of those present.
A possibility that Wishart could never admit to.


Nevertheless, Estella, the organizer of this ceremony, could not let this go unanswered.
It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.
It would make everyone present think that this port was dangerous.

'Mr. Wishart'.

That's why Estella calls out the man's name in a mysterious tone.
To question a possibility that she knew she could not admit to, even though she knew she could not.
But once you do that, there's no turning back.
If you destroy their face, cast suspicion on them, and corner them, they will brace themselves.
As soon as you step into a position where you can kill them with certainty, they will raise their fangs to turn the tide.
It's called a touch-and-go situation.

Even if you push him that far, Wishart will try to talk his way out of it.
He'll get away with it, get some distance, and do everything he can to crush District 42.


In order to prevent that from happening, I've notified Estella in advance that I'm going to keep her in the dark for a while.

'Can you please explain? Can you explain to me why only one of you knew information that we didn't?

Estella knew that Masha could be attacked.


That's why we put so much effort into guarding them.
But after we said there was an emergency, it was Medora and the others who were injured when we showed up in front of them.
I'm sure they didn't think that was 'good', but they probably figured that Masha wasn't in any danger.

But in fact, Masha was the target.

Estella is puzzled by this.
Surprised, bewildered, with a hint of anger.
Too pure.
Estella, who does not yet have the skill to "deal with" malice, has no choice but to go to the extreme in a situation like this.

So I'll move.
You can shut him up at a different time.

'Don't you understand, Estella?

I'll tell Estella with a smile so fresh, she'll fall in love with me at first sight.

'That must be because I told you to ask Mr. Wishart to teach you.

Estella puzzled.
When there are a lot of unfamiliar people around, Estella has a way of shutting down the hateful words.
The quiet Estella is just a pretty young lady.
You can roll her around as much as you want.

'If it's a hexenbiest that attacked us, wouldn't it be normal to consult the lord of the 41st district instead of the 30th district?But I told you to ask the lord of the 30th district for advice, not the 41st. Why is that?
'Because the Lord of District Forty-One is Ricardo?

...... Yeah.
It's sad to say, but that pretty much explains it. But that's not the case now.
d*mn, you're rather easy to talk to, Estella. Keep acting like a cat lady.

'That must be because the attacker is a man and not a hexenbiest. When it comes to guarding people, the 30 wards are more experienced than the 41 wards in terms of traffic. I'm sure that's why he mentioned the name of the 30th district, isn't it, Wishart-dono?

He turns his face to Wishart.
It's not a crush.
It's not a crush, but a 'throb'.

'By the way, if there were more than one assailant, the number of injured would have been much higher. I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with that.
'Hmm......, that's what I mean.'

Wishy-washy muttered in a very cautious manner.
Of course, no one would believe such a thing.

But here we are, the lords.
These are men who are not allowed to let their emotions get the better of them at times.
If they act on their emotions, it could even lead to war with their own people.
For the lords, it is more important to avoid causing trouble than to seek the truth.
Sometimes the best thing to do is to leave things unanswered and unresolved.

Now is that time.

Even if we corner Wishart now, he will remain ignorant of the thugs, whom he probably does not know directly, and blame us for their rudeness and negligence. and blame us for the fault.
Since there is no way for them to make any concessions, the 30 and 42 districts will remain in a standoff for many years.

There's no advantage in that.

So, Wishart.
Swim.
Sharpen your teeth as best you can.

'You see, you're not thinking clearly, Estella.
'...... Mmm.'

Estella raises her eyebrows as if she's been mocked.

'Nobles should get along with other nobles.'

When I clapped Estella on the shoulder with a pop, her grumpiness rose to a higher level.
You don't like it when people draw a line between you and the nobility like that, do you?
I guess she thought I was mocking her.
You're a good, honest girl.

'In that case, how about I give you some handy advice on the security system?Hmm?'
'No, thank you. I'll make sure everything is in order.

Oh, yeah.
If you don't say firmly 'I'll do it myself', Wishart might take your joke seriously and say 'Shall I teach you? I'll teach you.
Estella will improve the security system in District 42 by herself.
There's no room for intrusion, Mr. Wishart.

'Take care of the security. We're planning to make a fortune on the completion of the port.'
'I know. We'll make it work.'
'Good. Then I'll go home to my lovely Delia.'
'Pretty Delia?

Estella's expression was both shocked and dismayed.
'Well, I'll explain it to you when it's all over.

Wait.'

As he was about to leave Estella, Wishart stopped him.

'What is your name?'

Wishart turned his attention to me.

'I am not worthy of a name. Then.'

He says it in a sarcastic, respectful tone, and leaves with a bow.


Wishart's gaze stabs me in the back.

Yeah, that's it.
You keep your eyes on me.


Don't misjudge your target, Wishart.




'Oh, I ...... am so cute and cute and cute and cute and cute and cute and cute and ......!
'What's going on?

When I left Estella and the others and returned to where Masha and the others were, Delia was crouched on the ground holding her head in an amusing way.

It's because Yashiro-kun called her 'cute Delia'☆'.

Ah, so that's why.
No, but it was a necessary thing.

'Delia.
'Nyaaaa!

Cats.
Feline.
Catnip?

I'm sorry to say that I'm embarrassed, but I'm afraid I'm about to be in a situation where I can't joke around, so I keep my voice down and give Delia an earful.

'There may be a move as early as today or tomorrow.
'......n'.

The embarrassment disappears from Delia's face, and she looks up at me with a serious expression.

'I know I'm being reckless again, but I'm counting on you.
'Yeah, I'll leave it to you. I'll protect everyone where I can.

I've asked Delia, who was depressed that she couldn't help with Masha, to do something that only she can do.
I wonder if it was a coincidence that Delia became the right person for the job, or if it was a prank of fate or a result of her daily work.

'But you don't have to be reckless. If you think you're in danger, run away immediately.'
'Yes. But I'll do it.'

I'm a little worried that Delia has too much responsibility.
...... glanced at Norma, she let out a sigh and shrugged her shoulders, 'I can't help it.
He said he would take care of it.

You're a good guy, Norma.

If I glance at her when I'm desperate to see her tits, she'll show them to me and say, 'I can't help it'?

'No, you won't!
'I didn't say anything!
'It's all written on your face!

Seriously?
I'll try to think of some erotic illustrations or details next time.
Maybe they'll be drawn on your face, too!
I'll have Bekko copy it and send it to ......

'Master Yashiro'.

As I was seriously pondering my plan to turn my face into a light novel, Natalia appeared from behind me.
I was startled.
If I were alone in the woods, I would have freaked out right now.

'......, just come here like normal.
'No, I'm just trying to keep a low profile.

If you ask me, from the point of view of the lords, it's as if you're hiding behind me.

'Estella-sama is sulking and bothering me, so I came to inquire about the truth of your earlier action.
'Couldn't you have waited until after the ceremony, he's ......'.
'He started to sulk when he was not informed of the details of the emergency.
'You can't help it, you've got a stinky guy attached to your side.
'I know that's the way it is, but ...... even if there was something more, ...... I'd still be tormented,' he said.
'You're a good impersonator, aren't you? It was fun to see how you could make fun of me in the right way.

In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it for a lot of things.

'When the ceremony is over, I'll give you the right to give Ginette a piece of her favorite cake, so tell her to be patient.
'How can you instantly come up with a bait that Estella-sama will surely take?

Well, we've known each other for quite a while.

'Can you do that for me, Jeannette?
'Yes, sir. If it's all right with you, I'm all yours.
'Then I'll go with you.
'...... Magda, too.'
'Well, I'd like to help, too!
'Yes, yes, me too!
'Oh, you know, you can't have that many at once, you know, ......'
'You can say, "I can't do it!"'
'That's not true ......'.

Don't be so eager to play Natalia's joke.
Ginette's in trouble.

'Then I'm going to confront her with her reward and shut her up.'
'Oh. And while you're at it, tell her to act like she doesn't like me.'
'I think that'll work.'

Natalia says indifferently.

'You've been making little snide remarks for a while now.
'Oh, ......, let's hear the details later, shall we?
'Well, Yashiro-san ......, I'm sure Estella-san is lonely by herself, right?So, you know?

Even if you're lonely, it's no reason to talk bad about me.
Yeah, it's annoying.


I think I'll sit on the ground to calm down .

'Flat'!Oh, I made a mistake. There you go.
There's no such thing as a mistake!

I said the wrong thing when I sat down and I got a lot of flak.
Esthelya is hell-eared.

'...... You two seem to be getting along just fine.'
'Yes.
'Yes.
'......I can't help it, it's Yashiro.'

Natalia and Norma, and Magda, skipping one of them, say terrible things.

'What?I felt like I just got blown away!You can tell by the way they look at you.

Loretta interrupts my vision.
Hey, don't flail your arms. You're a basketball defender. It's annoying.

'Well, I'd better get back. The groundbreaking ceremony is all that's left, so as soon as it's over, we'll leave.'

With a quick word, Natalia disappears and returns to Estella.
That was amazing. I almost lost her for a moment even though I was following her with my eyes.


The buzz in the air is slowly calming down.
There are a lot of lords here, so they won't drag this out forever.
It's not uncommon to find yourself in the line of fire if you don't take care of someone.

'Medora, are you okay?
'Yeah, I'm fine. I'm rather used to this kind of role.'
'Sorry about that.'
'Don't say a word, darling. The stain that needed to be covered was definitely on us. I'm just glad we got the chance to clean it up.

The hunting guild made a mistake.
I'm not sure what to do.
It was an act that hurt the pride of Medora and the others, but they forgave it.

'Besides, it's all right for me as long as those who understand understand me understand me.

That's how Umaro and the others tried to get through the hard times.
Even so, the mind inevitably wears out.

'I'll be expecting a great performance when the big catch comes.
'...... are you going to set it up?'
'It's a long way off. I don't even know if I'll go through with it.'

Launching an attack on the lord of another district could be a big deal that would involve the entire district.
We should avoid ruining the lives of the people living in the thirty wards, not to mention the forty-two wards.

It would be nice if we could just chop off his head, but I hear he's good at getting around.
If you want to stop a bad kid in your class, you can tell the teacher, but the teacher is on the bad kid's side. That could happen.
If you are pressured by someone who is in a higher position than you, you may have no choice but to give in.

Estella can't bear such a burden yet.

'But if they try to do something, we will crush them without mercy. Even if we are mortally wounded, we will surely choke them out.

I'll make sure to nail them down beforehand to prevent that from happening.

'But at the end of the day, all we can do is glare at them and tell them not to drag us down any further. It's not like we can replace the head of the lord.
'Well, yeah. It's the authority of the royal family to stop or appoint a lord.

Lords come from 'houses'.
Estella can take over the lordship from her father at will by the authority of the house. Of course, she'd have to go through the process of changing lords. But she still has the authority to act as the lord.
If you want to deviate from the House, as in the case of the 24th district of Donis, you need to follow the proper procedures and report. It's not parent to child, there.
The next lord candidate, Filman, is the nephew of the current lord, Donis, although they are related.
Deviating from the House requires permission from the royal family, even if you're related.

Of course, when a female lord takes a son-in-law, the royal family will also check.
It is forbidden for an anti-royalist to take the position of a lord who is supposed to be subordinate to the royal family.

Therefore, it is impossible for us to change Wishart to another lord because he is in the way, as it is far beyond our authority.
Even if we could, the most we could do is to cripple the current lord and oust him.
Even if we did that, it would be the son or daughter of the current lord who would become lord.
I don't think he'll be friendly to the 42nd district that ousted his father. No matter how it turns out, relations will deteriorate.

Then it's meaningless.

'He won't act directly. But he'll be indirectly involved, that's for sure.

That type cares about face more than anything.
You can't let a guy like me get away with it, coming out of the woodwork every time I do something.

I ruined his face twice today.
Even Buddha only laughs at you three times.
I can't imagine that a man with such a small capacity would have a wider heart than that.



Not a third time.
That's what you think.

'You're going to nail me, aren't you?
'Oh, yeah. It's a nail fight. It's a game of who can stick it in deeper.'

It's like a turf war.
It's an act of intimidation that says, 'If you step beyond this point, we'll show you no mercy.
If you compare it to a violent group, if you make a move, it will lead to retaliation after retaliation, which will lead to a gang-wide war.Are you going to do it, Kola? Oh?I'm going to hit you. To prevent that from happening, they're arguing with each other.
On the contrary, they are threatening each other in order to prevent conflicts.
It's a good idea to make it easy for people to understand that 'if you mess with us, you won't get away with it', which can lead to self-defense. ...... Sometimes it has the opposite effect, though.

'Don't be too reckless.

Medora says with a worried look on her face.
Yeah, I know.

'I'm the most important person in the world, aren't I?
'Yes!Darling is the cutest!
'That's not the point!


You're the most dangerous thing that's ever happened to me, Medora!
I'm not going to let you get away with it.

No amount of intimidation or restraint is going to work on this guy, for some reason.