I'm sure there's a lot of stuff in there, but I've swallowed it all up and the ceremony has resumed.
I don't know if I'll be able to digest it, though.

'Then, Estella Creamona, Lord of the Forty-second District. Lucia Suarez, Lord of the 35th District. Mr. Omar Kawaya, representative of Kawaya Engineering. Mr. Omar Kawaya, representative of Kawaya Construction Company, and Mr. Umaro Torbek, representative of Torbek Construction Company, will perform the groundbreaking ceremony. Ladies and gentlemen, please come forward.

A waiter from Estella's place calls the representatives to order.
Because she is Estella's waiter, she calls only Estella. It's the same as the way a common employee doesn't address the president in front of other people.

I wonder if the representative of the 35th district carpenters is named Omar Kawaya.
This is the guy I saw in Lucia's mansion. ...... Both "potty" and "toilet" are toilets, aren't they!
I'm not sure what to say.I'm not sure what to say.


I'm not sure. You look like a shrimp!

Maybe for Masha.
There's ...... a lobster.

'My predecessor's name was Amor Kawaya.
'I'm in love with the toilet!

What?
You're thinking of taking one letter from your father's name?
Are you a funny family?

'I'm good at it~. I've even had my boat repaired by him.
'So you're a carpenter with a close connection to Masha?
'Yeah. Kawaya Corporation is in charge of the port-related business.

If they're the ones Masha trusts, well, I guess we can rest assured.


A simple ceremony hall with simple chairs.
The lords are seated, and we are standing behind them.
It's a ceremony that ends when the four men in front stick their shovels into the earth. There is no need to make it so lavish.

If we built a grand auditorium, there'd be more work to remove before construction.
This is fine.

I see we're standing at .......

'Why are all three of you around me, ......?
'Because I don't want anything to happen to you, darling!
'I'm in the middle of being protected by Medamama~☆'
'I'm tired of the other side, too. Feel free to show me around here.'

Medora, Masha and Javier.
The three guild leaders of the three major guilds, the hunting guild, the sea fishing guild, and the lumberjack guild, are all here.
...... The pressure is incredible.

I'm not sure what to say.
I'm not sure what to make of that.
I'm not sure what to say.
Boobs like marshmallows!
Massive muscles!
Polished tits!

The guild leader has a different status after all.

'Don't go back and forth between muscles and tits, Yashiro.
'Are you talking about your gaze?
'You're moving your whole head,....... Cover up a little.'
'Oh, so Javier is the kind of guy who gets off on showing off his tits.
'I'm not talking about your tits!I'm talking about your s*xuality!
'Quiet, father. We're in the middle of a ceremony.

Imelda tapped Javier on the shoulder with a folded fan.

'And if you're talking about Yashiro's s*xuality, you're talking about her tits after all!
'You should be quiet too.

In such a situation where there are many lords who don't even know each other, a lady of her age shouldn't be shouting 'It's about the tits! Don't yell 'tits!
It's not my fault if you can't get a wife.

'Yashiro-sama.
'Oh no!...... Natalia?

Natalia appeared from behind him.
So give me a sign!I'm scared!

'If you don't keep quiet, I'm going to introduce a "flat-chested month" that will force all the women in the territory to be exposed,' Estella-sama said.
'Yeah, I'm sorry, I won't talk anymore, stop it at all costs.

The power of the lord is scary: ......
A nobleman's anger is terrifying.

It seemed that we had made a little too much noise, and the lords sitting on simple chairs in front of us were glancing back at us.
As expected, the BU members who had fought me so hard were unmoved.
Rather, they seemed to be taken aback. ...... Wow, Gerasie is making an American gesture like 'Oh dear'.
Next time, I'll send Umaro to look into the warehouse that I had another carpenter repair.

'Yashiro, you stand out no matter where you are.


'I know it's because of all the muscle you're attracting, ......, but in this case, I'm doing it on purpose.

Now, how does he see it?
A lot of lords have come to talk to me on their own.
Me, chatting amicably with the three major guild leaders.
--How do they see me?Hm?


'Well then, representatives. Please begin construction.

At the waiter's words, Estella and the four others each thrust the shovel in their hands into the soft soil.
At that moment, the audience erupted in applause.

This is the end of the groundbreaking ceremony.

It was quite exhausting for just this one thing.
If it had only been in the 42nd district, it would have gone more smoothly.
If the construction of the public baths had proceeded at this pace, the completion would have been delayed for at least another six months.
Just thinking about it makes me sick.

'This concludes the groundbreaking ceremony for the port. Lords, please return safely with the members of the hunting and lumberjack guilds.

The ushers gave their explanations and returned the lords in order.
Javier leads the way, and Medora is in charge.
This should be enough to protect you against hexenbiests, but not if you are a thug mixed in with ordinary people.
So you have to leave a wide gap between the lord and the ordinary people on your way home.

It's .......

'Come on, Yashiro. Let's go home.'
'Why is Estella here?

You should be responsible for leading the way back and greeting the returning lords at the gate.
The lord who returns before you will be in a state of 'what should I do after this? right?Are you sure, then?

'Let's have a long talk.

Estella tightly crossed her arms to never let go.
You're looking at me as if I'm saying, 'I got through the big stage with a lot of nerves, so let me spoil you.

'I won't let go until you talk to me.
'I won't let go until you do.

No matter how much you lean in, folding your arms without touching your elbows will only make it harder to walk.
This is a great way to get the most out of your time and money.
I'm not sure if you'll be able to find the right one for you.

I'm not sure. I told you to pretend that we don't get along, do you understand?
'Of course. That's why I'm here, to denounce you. Now, come clean!
'I wonder who turned you into such a piece of shit. ......'

It wasn't me, I swear.
His clunker is congenital.
He was born with it, you know.

But, well, that's why he's so easy to deal with.

I thought that if Estella had said to me, 'I'm not going to get along with you,' while I was being friendly with other lords and guild leaders, she would have clearly expressed her dissatisfaction and stared at me with a big puffy face.
This is because, from the outside, it looks like 'I want to talk to you, but I can't because of my position', which makes the relationship between a man and a woman seem more intimate.
I'm sure they would have gone to talk to each other immediately if they hadn't been seen.

I thought that by making people think that, I could make the lords think that Estella is surrounded by troublesome and formidable guardians. ......
I didn't expect them to be so overtly lonely.
Your cheeks are all puffed up. You're Loretta, aren't you?


But well, this is a good thing.


'............'

Wishart was looking at me as I left.
The relationship between Estella, who is contacting me despite her anger, and me, who can't seem to shake it off.

I'm sure that's how he sees me.



"That man brought the new lord together with the three guild leaders and Lucia and the other troublesome lords.



He probably sees Estella as having complete trust in him.
As for the secrecy of the information, since I intervened, it will be seen as 'I ordered her not to disclose the information on purpose'.
Until now, I've had the upper hand in talks in which I didn't participate, but today that advantage has been turned upside down. I can't interfere with the construction any more because of my interests. That's what you're thinking.
Well, they'll still try to interfere, but they won't be able to use the strategy of showing the 'pressure from the higher lords' like they have in the past.



And I've already shown you my weaknesses, haven't I?
If you overlooked it, you're just that bad, and if you bite the bullet, my nail will go deep into his throat.

You can't touch me.
Not this city, not the lord of this city.

'............'

...... It's my job to scam this city and make it taste good.
It's a 'I'll take him down, don't touch him' kind of thing.

...... d*mn. Enemies who say things like that are good guys after all.
Not me, though.
Not at all.

'Look, I don't know what you're thinking about by yourself, but I'm going home.
'Ginette~, take the bug off me~'
'Yes, sir. Giggle.



He pushed Estella, who was clinging to him, to Jeannette and said to himself, 'I want to destroy those I don't like, not protect them.





When we entered the city gate and returned to the 42nd district, Estella announced the closing of the ceremony, and the ceremony ended.
For a while after that, Estella was protected by Lucia and Mahrul as she dealt with the questions from the lords of the other districts.

A new city gate.
And a new port.
Many of them didn't know it, but the New Road was open.

The Forty-Twoth District will function as a new distribution channel in a big way.
I'm sure the lords have many questions they would like to ask.

'If it's all right with you, may I take a look at the New Road?
'If that's the case, I'll take you there. We'll go out to what used to be the grounds of my house.

Mahrul gracefully stepped in front of the old man lord who was pushing his way in front of Estella.
The old man's face twitched for a moment when he saw Ma'ru.
If he is of that age, he must know about Ma'ru. He's clearly upset.

The lords of that area must have been happy when Gerasie was born.
Not having to deal with Mahrul was nothing but good news.

But Gerasie was so lousy that she caused trouble, and now Ma'ru is coming to the fore.
The lords of the neighboring districts are saying, 'Gerasie's an idiot!I don't know you anymore! I don't care anymore!

'It's quite a sight now that the area around the gates has been decorated.
'Well, is that so? I'd love to see that. Ha, ha, ha.

The old man lord's smile twitches in a big way.
Is it my imagination, or do I look like an ordinary person who has been told to 'come to the office' by a violent gang?

It seems that Ma'ru has taken to calling the entrance and exit to the New Road 'the gate'.
In District 42, they call it the 'entrance' or the 'cave'.
The entrance on the 29th district side is a descending staircase like the entrance to a subway, so such a name may be more appropriate.

The area around the gate has been beautifully transformed by the members of the Civil Engineering Guild of District 29 appointed by Mael.
Bricks have been laid underfoot, beautiful flowers have been planted everywhere, and a small river has been created by drawing in the nearby river.
It is like a beautiful park where you can take a rest.

Although it is inferior to Maol's pride and joy, it is a green park of a high grade where anyone can easily visit.

I wondered if there were any skilled carpenters in the 29th district, but it seems that they specialize in plant-related work and gardening.
By the way, I thought they were not "carpenters" but "members of the civil engineering guild".

They were partly responsible for moving Mael's garden.
There are a lot of trees and stuff in Mael's Garden.

I've been there briefly, and it was spectacular to see the magnificent hedges surrounding the park.
I've been to see it briefly, and it's a magnificent sight, with magnificent hedges surrounding the park. ......, and the hedges were used to prevent the uninformed public from inadvertently walking towards Mahrul's pavilion.
It's a fine art, or perhaps a cautious one.
She's a very respectable young lady. I admire her attitude of not letting anyone enter her territory, even by mistake.

'That's right, gentlemen. Why don't we head there on foot?The streets in the 42nd district are beautifully maintained, and it's very pleasant to walk along them. Let's do that.
'Yes!Let's do that!

Ma'ru suggested, and Donnis was the first one to take up the idea.
You just want to walk with Ma'ru.

The other lords looked uncomfortable, but they looked a bit ...... repulsed by Ma'ru and Donis.
The lords had ridden to this venue in carriages.
I guess they really don't like to walk.

'On the way, I--'

Mahr looked at me as he said that.

'I want to talk to you about something, okay?

She's looking at me.
That scary old lady is looking at me so hard!
What?
What's she going to ask me?

'Hmm. I was just wondering the same thing. I've been wondering about this myself. I was hoping to get an explanation from someone who might know more about the situation.


What are you two doing?
That's scary.

'Maybe it's about that, darling.
'Ah~, that thing...'

Medora and Masha seemed to know what they were talking about.
But Javier is the only one who has a face like 'I know what you're talking about.

What they don't know but Javier does: ......

'You mean the secret bathing place of my sisters?
'Where is it, Yashiro?Tell me!
'Oh no, my hand axe slipped!

I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
...... How did you manage to avoid that?

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. Then, they came to borrow the bath almost every day. ...... Well, I don't mind, because I don't use it at the time. ...... I was hoping that the eldest daughter would learn the word 'refrain'. I was just hoping that your eldest daughter would learn the word 'refrain'.
'Oh, dear, I'm so sorry, Imelda!Come on, sisters!I apologize.


'''' Thanks for everything, Imelda! ''''
'...... Well, use it as much as you like.
'Don't be squeamish.

You have a soft spot for kids too, Imelda.

'Well done, Imelda!I'm going to use that bathing place too. ......'
'Oops, the Devil Axe slipped!
'What's with the evil axe?We don't have one of those?

Javier dodges the blow of the cursed axe with inhuman movements.
...... I wish I could eat it.

I'm sure you'll agree.

Masha corrects our digression.
The one that Masha was pointing to was--oh, I see. That?

So, we left the square in front of the city gate, walked a bit along the street, and came to the front of the public bathhouse.

'This is a public bathhouse, a large bathing facility where anyone can come.

Estella is standing in front of the lords and is explaining.
They all look up at the towering chimney and open their mouths.

Oh, I knew I should have written, 'Behold, this is the technology of Torbeck Engineering', 'The Sunken Pavilion, renovated by Torbeck Engineering, is over there'.

'A bath?The common people take a bath?'
'Yes. In our district, we consider everyone to be our dearest friends and colleagues. That's why we don't have barriers between nobles and commoners.

Estella responded with a smile to some lord who was surprised that a commoner who was not a nobleman would take a bath.

'Would you like to try it out, if you don't mind?You can have the whole place to yourselves for today only.
'No, .......'

Some lord looked around at the people around him with a bitter look on his face.

'Exposing your skin to so many people: ......'
'Well, I guess I'll let you in.
'I'd be interested in that.

Javier and Donis show an interest in the public baths.

'I'd like to go in there too. Do you mind, Estella?
'Of course, Mister.
'Demilly. You can get all the shampoo you need from the watchtower.'
'You know you don't need it, right?You know that, don't you, Oba-kun?

I thought you'd be the type to take what you can get.

'I think I'll take it.
'DD! Too much shampoo will damage your hair follicles.Are you sure?

Washing hair is a common practice among the nobility.
Having a bath is a big advantage. Delia was tilting her head, 'Shampu? Delia was tilting her head.

'Oh, so I can come in too?
'No, no, no, no!Isn't that a bad idea, Ms. Erin?
'It's all right, Mr. Donnerty. The public bathrooms are in separate buildings for men and women. If you're worried about people seeing your wet hair, we can put the carriage in front of the entrance.
'So,......, I see. Then, ...... um.'

What makes you think you can get in with them, you old bastard?
I'll pull out the last hair.

'But I didn't bring a carriage.
'So, so, so, so, my old friend, I'll lend you my carriage ............, no, I'll lend you my carriage.

He couldn't ask her to come home with him.
Is it wrong to be alone with a woman with wet hair in a locked room?

'Well, let's take a look at the New Road and then come back here.
'This is the first time I've taken a bath here too. If it fails to meet your expectations, you will not be pleased, anchovy.'
'Take your complaints to Umaro. The Trubek Corporation built it.'

When I say this, the atmosphere ripples again.
I guess the people who heard and believed the bad reputation of Trubec Engineering are surprised.
The skill of Umaro and the others who built such an extraordinary structure.


After the tour of New Roads, we took a bath in a private bathhouse reserved for guests.
...... Why me too?

Many of the lords left, saying they didn't want to bathe with strangers, but some of the lords we knew took a bath, saying they were interested in what the 42nd district had started.

In the men's bath, there were sculptures of heroic warriors, majestic phantoms, and a snowman.
They were so huge and solemn that if they were standing in an old town somewhere in Europe, tourists would come from all over the world.

Oh, well.
I've been hiding behind Umaro and the others and overlooked it.

Becko's work is out of the ordinary, isn't it?




'You made a hell of a thing, anchovy!
'I was really surprised at how wide it was.



Lucia and Mahr came up to me with happy faces.
My hair is wet. Is that okay, you two?

What, it's safe because it's a sunny day?
It's not a rule!

When Donnis, Demilly and Gerrardsy hustled me into the men's room, I found them asking, "What's that? What's going on here? The combined golem is awesome! I was almost hit by hot water from the wave of questions and commotion that came from the men's baths. ...... Will this situation continue after I leave the baths?

I'm not sure what to do.I've bought a mermaid toy.
'I bought myself a make-believe doll!It's for future practice.

Masha is having a blast with her bath toys.
I can't see ....... I can't see the large figure frolicking next to Masha.

'Hahahaha!I bought a combined golem and a pompous steamship!
'Well, that's a lot of money, Gerasie.'
'Ugh, sister, ......, I paid for it out of my own pocket, of course.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.
It's in the blood, you know.

'You didn't buy anything, did you?
'Yes. Because the toy in the bath was of good quality, but the one sold in the guardroom was the same shape, but the finish was not so good.

The one floating in the bath was made by me and Norma, but the one currently on sale is made by the guys from the hardware guild.
...... Don't try to tell them apart. If it's the same shape, why not?

I've got an idea of the craftsman, I'll ask him personally later.

May it be Norma, may it be Norma, may it be Norma.

'Oh no, Oba-kun and Stuart are both bad people. If there's such a thing, why didn't you tell me about it earlier?

If there is such a thing, why didn't you tell me about it earlier?

'Tell it to Estella, 'Oji-sama'.
'Estella doesn't say things that make her proud. She's a very reserved girl.'
'Maybe you just forgot to tell her.

Well, I can't be bothered to write a letter saying I've built a public bathhouse.
It's been crowded ever since it was completed, and I guess he thought it would be wrong to just say 'no'.

'Well, I've been in there before!
'I have, too!
'It's a shame I'm so late to the party with these two.

Javier, who came in early after hearing about it from Imelda, and Ricardo, who came in on the day of the opening even though we didn't call him, are looking very proud.
Neither Javier nor Ricardo showed any hesitation in taking a bath with the general public. They're the type, aren't they?

'I often bathe with our young people.
'I also bathe with the hunters sometimes.

Woodcutters and hunters who get muddy in the forest outside sometimes use the guild's baths to clean themselves.
It seems that the first thing apprentices are taught is how to wash and bathe.

'Well, Ricardo is with Medora and .......'
'Of course it's the guys!
'You don't have to be so reserved.'
'It's not a reservation!

Why don't you ask your mom to give you a bath? To the drama, ...... pfft!

'Yashippiyo'.

It seems that Donnis came out of his stupor when he saw Mahr with wet hair.
There's a thin layer of red around his mouth, but he's not blowing a nose, is he?

'Haha ...... Estella-sama ...... precious ...... precious ...... tete tete. ......'

And one pervert like Tracy laying on the floor with too much nosebleed is enough for me.
I didn't want one if I wanted one.
I don't know how Estella got in the tub with that thing.

And Donnis, he's got a serious look on his face.

'That public bathhouse was built by the Torbeck Corporation, wasn't it?
'Yeah. The interior is a different one, though.'
'I see. ...... Good.'

Donnis nodded and walked over to Umaro.

'I want a public bathhouse in the 24th district as well.'
'What?No, no, no, no, you can't!
'Wait, Mister Donati!Let's go to the twenty-ninth district first.
'No, how about the Fortieth Ward first?
'Yes, that's right. Torbek's headquarters is in District 40, so do the district a favor, Torbek.
'No, wait, wait!We have to start construction on the port tomorrow!
'''' Don't worry, you can do it. ''''
'I'm getting heavier expectations than I should!

Umaro breaks away from the crowd of hot and oppressive men and hides behind me.
I guess I can't have three or four jobs at once.
He'll want to concentrate on the construction of the port.

Besides--

'Sorry to hear that, gentlemen!



Ricardo stands in front of Donnis and the others with a smug look on his face.

'We've decided to start with District 41!We've already got Torbek's word!Hey, Torbek.'
'Yes, yes, but don't you have to say that now?

Yeah, yeah.
Ricardo's a bit of a dick. I can't imagine how complicated it would be.
Because he's a little crazy.

'Why the 41st district?He's probably not that important to District 42.'
'What are you talking about, 24th district?The 41st district is the 42nd district's friend!Hey, Estella!
'...... haha'.
'Look!
'Ah, I've seen enough to know that you're not important, Mr. Siegenthaler.'

Estella's smile, it was so brisk.
No, I'm sure Estella is well aware of the importance of District 41.
The three districts from the 40th to the 42nd are cooperating with each other and accommodating each other and it's working well.

But when Ricardo calls us 'friends'...
You know?

'There's a nice little avenue in the 41st district. Public bathrooms are a must.'
'Oh, my, what's this 'lovely young avenue'?
'Oh, Ms. Erin. If you're interested, I'd like you to visit. Lovely Yann Avenue is a 'city that creates beauty' that my 41st district has made a concerted effort to reform.

When did you say you made a concerted effort?

'Huh, .................., I didn't know there was such a thing.

The scary old lady looked at me with a grudge!
'Why don't you tell me? It's written clearly on her face in Mincho type.

Why do I have to report every little thing?

'But it was a revolutionary bath. Something called a water supply. That's good. The water is boiled elsewhere and sent to the bathtub through the tap, so you can soak in comfort. In my house, the bath tub gets so hot that I can't lean on it.
'That's the same at my house, DD, only it would be difficult to install that equipment at home.

Donis and Demilly liked the idea of a bathtub where they could lean back and stretch out their arms and legs.
They would like to have it at home somehow, but they are resigned to the fact that they cannot install a boiler room like those in public baths.

'Then you should imitate the bath at the Sunshine Pavilion. Was it a gun bath?It's a good one, too.
'Yashippi!
''Ooba-kun!
''Details!
''Jinnet~, show the old man and the old woman the bath~''
''Hai~yes.''

''It's too much trouble, so I'll throw it to Jeannette.
...... Don't say unnecessary things, Lucia. I'm not sure what to do.
I'll tell Umaro to put off the public baths in the 35th district until later!

'Ah, ......, I'm finally free.'

Estella comes to stand next to me with a slender expression on her face.

'With a slender chest.
'I don't think I can go easy on you right now. I'm sorry if I hit you too hard.

Don't say horrible things with a knife.
I'm sorry!I apologize. Put the knife away!

I'm sorry.'BU guys, that was loud. ......'
'Masha, Medora, Natalia, Tracy, Marle, Inez, Deborah, Nene, who was messing around with Inez and Deborah's breasts: ......'
'...... Ah yes. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

'The BU's are all thin, so they can be lumped together as BU's, but the girls are too thick to mix.

'The public baths and gun baths are also going to work to our diplomatic advantage.
'I think I'd like a special treat.'
'Yes, we do. We should give Umaro a reward.
'That's me, isn't it?
'Then I'll pet you. Come on.

Huh, ...... doesn't make me happy at all.
But Estella's smile looks weak, as if she is very tired today.
So I'll let you off with this one.

Estella's smiling little hands made me like combing her hair, and I thought about what I was going to do next.
I need to get some rest today.

If it were up to me, I wouldn't let the opposing forces have the time of day.


If he's going to do something, he's going to do it soon.


Such a prediction was not at all pleasant, but it turned out to be correct.





'Yashiro!

Early next morning.
Delia's voice echoed in the sunlit pavilion.

I jumped up, ran out of the room in my nightgown, and ran down the stairs.

'Yashiro-san, what is it?

You pass Jeannette, who was preparing food in the kitchen, and the two of you head for the floor.
When they unlocked the door to the sunlit pavilion, Delia and Norma were standing there.
There are four men tied up and lying at their feet.

...... There were four of them?

'Yashiro was right,' he said.

Delia says with a smile that has regained some of its strength.
I was attacked in my sleep by four roughnecks. ......

'Are you hurt?'

I call out to Delia and Norma, who roll their eyes and begin to stare at the men lying at their feet.

'I don't think they've hurt you that badly. ......'
'No, I don't care about these guys. Delia and Norma, are you alright?'
'Oh, you were worried about us?'
'Of course.

Who would be worried about a total stranger like him?

'I'm fine, I'm fine!Norma was there.'
'To be honest, I'm glad I'm not here.

Norma lazily smokes a cigarette in the garden.
She seems to be more sleepy than tired.

'Delia calmed the three of them down in an instant, and all I did was tie up the last one who tried to escape.

I see.
Delia, you killed three people in an instant. ...... You're amazing.

'That's great, Delia. Thanks to you, I'm saved.'
'Did I help you?
'Yeah. Now the Forty-second District will be safe for a while.'
'Yes!Miss Fanfare!
'It'll clear your name.

What's that, little erotic lady? That's a good word, 'Miss Fanaticism'.

'Miss Yashiro. What's this?
'Oh, sorry. I'll explain it to you.

I'll explain it to Jeannette, who's still trying to grasp the situation.
Well, I told her yesterday that if I was targeted, the sunlit pavilion might be attacked by surprise, but it seems that the enemy has turned on Delia, just as I thought.

'I'll go wake Magda up.
'...... is already awake.'

When Magda heard that the Sunlit Pavilion might be targeted, she stayed alert all last night.
I'm sure he didn't get enough sleep. I'll let him have a nice nap today.

'Thanks, Magda.
'...... I'm fine. It's just that I'm starting to feel sleepy after all.'

He says, stretching his arms out towards me.
Yes, yes. I'll do whatever you want, hug or piggyback.

I take Magda in my arms and turn to face Delia and Norma who are standing in front of the door.

'Come on in, you guys. Ginette, get him something warm to eat.'
'Yes, sir. I'll also bring something sweet for Delia.'
'Yes!
'Manager, do you want to help?I'm feeling a little inadequate.
'Then, please help me with the side dishes.
'I'll leave it to you.

Norma and Ginette walked into the kitchen with their cigarettes quickly tucked into the trough.

'Yashiro, what do we do with these guys?
'Well, .......'
'I'll go get Estella.
'Oh, there you are, Loretta.'
'Of course, Delia-san!It's impossible for me to be absent when the Sunlit Pavilion is in trouble!

While saying this, Loretta somehow exchanged high fives with Delia and ran out of the sunny pavilion.

'Didn't you say that it might not be today, Yashiro?
'Ah. I told them that too, but they said they were keeping an eye on me because they were worried.

We had normal business hours, so Ginette slept normally, and Magda and Loretta took turns taking naps, just to be on the lookout for intruders.
Now it was my turn to take a nap,......, but I didn't feel like I got much sleep after all.

If we can nail them with this failed raid, we can sleep with our pillows high tomorrow.




A short time later, Estella and Natalia arrived at the sunlit pavilion together.
By that time, Ginette and Norma's joint breakfast had been completed.
Looks delicious: ......

Magda has been asleep in my arms.

'Hmm. Shall I feed you this morning, Yashiro-san?'

Yesterday, as a reward for Estella, I gave her the right to have Ginette suck on her cock, so Estella had Ginette feed her at dinner.
If she had been a different gender, she would have been out of the picture for sure.

If I, whose gender is different from Jeannette's, were to show that face, I would be sent to the confessional or jail, so I'll respectfully decline.

'No, I won't. The jail looks cold.'
'Hmm... It won't come to that.'

'No, no, Estella will come and get you no questions asked.

'So, are these the four underlings?
'Yes. That's all of them.'
'You were right, weren't you?

Wishart saw me as a distraction.
And he's decided to get rid of me.
But it seems Wishart saw what I said and did and decided I was a threat, so he didn't move to assassinate me directly.

If I were to be assassinated this morning, it would be Wishart who would be the one who would be suspicious, as he had lost all face at yesterday's ceremony.
Even without proof, the lords who were gathered there would think so.
All of the fourth and fifth grade nobles.

He also thought it would be a bad idea to simply eliminate me, as I seemed to be close to the three major guild leaders and the lords Lucia and Donis.
In Wishart's eyes, Estella would still look like an unreliable new lord, and it would be perceived that it was the Sea Fishing Guild led by Masha and the 35th District Lords who were leading the construction of this port.
And the hunting guild and the lumberjack guild are backing them up.
In addition, the BU's, who are sure to profit from the completion of the New Road and the port, will also help the 42nd district.


The man who connects them all is Obayashi.


--And that's what he must've looked like.
So he must have thought.

'Don't get rid of him, make him our pawn.

Wishart will be profitable once the port is built.
There's no benefit to canceling the project.
What he's aiming for is to siphon off the profits while keeping the cancellation in sight.
More likely, he wants to get in on the concession.

If that's the case, Wishart's gonna need me.
If he can keep me alive and keep my power at its current level, the port will be complete, and if he is successful, he may be able to take advantage of my large pipe for free.

If you can get me to do your bidding, that is.


'So you think the target is Delia, the weak woman Obayashi cares about.
'Yes. Delia looked so pretty yesterday.
'No, ......, I don't think so.'

No, no, no.
She wore a big ribbon on her head, and when she went on stage by mistake, her face turned red and she was upset, and when she got hurt, she turned her head and was about to cry, and no matter how you look at it, Delia yesterday was a fragile, pretty young lady.

'You were so close to Medora, you looked so short.'
'Yeah. I was surprised, too. Delia looked like a child surrounded by Medora and the hunters.'

It's a contrast effect.
If you place a gray of the same intensity in black and white, the gray in the white will appear darker and the black will appear lighter.
When all the people around you are bigger than Delia, Delia looks smaller by contrast.
In addition, yesterday Delia was hunched over.

'They must have thought that a weak Delia would be easy to kidnap and confine.

I'm sure no one in District 42 would think of such a reckless thing.
What you don't know is what you get.
If you tell Omero that there's someone who tried to kidnap Delia, he'll turn over and blow bubbles on behalf of the culprit. He might be so surprised that his heart would stop.

'As for me, who showed signs of concern for the weak Delia who was crying from her injuries, I would not be able to resist if Delia was used as a shield. After all, Delia is a maiden who is ashamed of flowers. You don't want even a scratch on her, do you?She probably took advantage of that and tried to manipulate me to her advantage.
'Haha,......, using Delia as a hostage to manipulate Yashiro?...... That's the kind of plan that makes me sick to my stomach just listening to it.''

Estella's stomach clenched and her cheeks twitched.

'So, what are you going to do?Put all those thugs in jail?'
'No, we'll give them back to them.

They're just a bunch of ruffians from one of the wards that Wishart hired yesterday.
Catching them won't do you any good except cost you food.
These scum will never be rehabilitated, and I don't think Estella will be able to punish them severely enough to make them suffer.
If I'm going to restrain them half-heartedly, punish them appropriately, and release them into the wild, I'd rather adopt a more effective method of use.

'I'll have you do Delia's special exercises all day today and return to your employer. I'll make sure she reports back properly.
'Wow, ......, I'm sorry for your loss.

Estella looks sympathetically at the ruffians lying outside the door.
Loretta is also pale.

'If they continue to disappear, people will think that Obeyashiro protected them, and the threat will not disappear. But--'
'But they'll be shocked if Delia, who was trying to take them hostage, comes back exhausted after being beaten back.
'When dealing with someone you don't understand, there is hesitation in the human heart.



When a strategy that was supposed to work turns out to be an unexpected failure, people are less likely to continue with the same strategy.
In other words, they are less likely to go for the goal of using Obayashi to get into the port's concessions.

'You won't be able to move for a while. He's a perfect hostage for the incomprehensible district that's about to be hit back by a weak Delia.'
'I expect...'

Natalia explains her prediction of Wishart's actions.

'Mr. Wishart must have ordered someone in his entourage, not even his steward, to do this for him to prevent the Judgment of the Spirits. "Kidnap a woman named Delia". He may have had some information that she was a weak woman, but it was only a request through a person. They couldn't investigate the relationship between Master Yashiro and Ms. Delia and carefully plan a strategy, so they just accepted the mission to kidnap Ms. Delia and carried it out - without knowing what kind of woman she was. That's about it, isn't it?

I think you're generally right.

And they're going to be confronted with an unexpected revelation later today.

'There may be more people sniffing around for a while.
'I'll give the people a heads up. Don't give out their personal information.'

Estella promised, and the early morning meeting was dismissed.

Afterwards, I took a quick look at the harbor construction that had begun, took a nap in the early afternoon, and visited Delia in the evening.
The four ruffians were lying on the ground, their faces completely white and bloodless, and at the mere whisper of the word 'Delia', they would say, 'Hiiii!I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! She had developed Omero's disease to the extent that she would cry and get down on her knees.

If I deliver this to Wishart, he'll think twice about it.


He shouldn't do something as dangerous as poking a wasp's nest.