What we want to know is how much time we have left.
That will determine whether or not we should go out and get some extra resources.

I'm going to step away from the mirror and pass the baton to the right person to contact.
The person in charge, Irene, stepped forward, got down on one knee in front of the mirror, and raised her head.

The knight Irene will report to the king. We have succeeded in obtaining the cooperation of the dragon. I believe it was due in large part to the efforts of my collaborator William.

"Oh, I see! I'm glad to hear that. You're indeed a candidate for my beloved daughter's son-in-law. It looks like I'm still on the right track.

At King Andrew's words, Irene's face turned puzzled.
The reason for this was because the reflection of King Andrew in the mirror was also the reflection of the knights and court magicians who were probably the most important figures in the country.

'Hey, hey, dad! I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.

I'm sure you'll have a great time. I wanted to see that face.

'......, King. You've got to be careful with your jokes.

'I do when I have to. And you're not joking. You like William too...'

'Aaaaah! Stop stop stop stop! Dad, you say one more word and I'll cut you off! I'll never speak to you again!

'Oh, really? You're the one who's mixing public and private, aren't you?

'Shut up! We're talking about the country now! This is not the time to talk about me!

'All right, don't be so angry.

'd*mn...'

The heavyweights behind King Andrew seemed to be watching the two of them with amusement.
From the looks of it, this exchange between father and son must be a regular occurrence.

Perhaps Irene has become a mascot at the meeting of the country's top leaders.
It may be that this is part of King Andrew's calculation, since a laugh is necessary to ease the tension of a heavy meeting.

...... Even if that is the case, I would like to see more thought put into the content.

In addition, there was only one person among the heavyweights in the king's background who was not smiling.
That person is the Commander of the Court Magicians, James, my father.
It's not like he's looking particularly uncomfortable, so he's probably conscientious about the king's thoughts, but he's got that usual pout on his face, so we don't know what he's really thinking.

...... I wonder if I look like that to others.
Maybe I should practice laughing a little.

Now that that's out of the way, it's time for you to move on.
From Irene's side, I urge her softly.

'Miss Irene, tell me about it.

'Oh, I'm sorry, Will. You're right. I had to ask. 'King, I have a question for you.

Irene, who seemed to have remembered, once again faced the king in the mirror with the face of a knight.
This time, Andrew adopts a stern demeanor and responds to her.

What is it, Eileen the Knight? Tell me."

'Yes, sir. Have you engaged the Demon Lord yet?'

'Yes. We've already clashed once. The good news and bad news I told you earlier are based on that.

The good news and bad news is that the Royal Knights have already engaged the Demon Lord.
And then there's the good news and the bad news.

Irene thought for a beat and then replied.

'Then may I ask the bad news first?

'All right. The bad part is that the strength of the Demon Lord in question is unfashionable. First of all, the hardness of that ice armor is unbelievable. Longbows and crossbows can't get through it. Secondly, the super regenerative ability. It can heal minor arrow wounds quickly and naturally. Furthermore, as expected, heat weapons and other auxiliary magic will be canceled as soon as you approach him. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

'...... It's an iron wall. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to use it.

'Almost certainly not. But that's past tense. But that's in the past tense, because you knights, Irene, have done it so well.

King Andrew smiled as he said this.
Irene, on the other hand, nods her head graciously in response.

'Thank you for the words of praise. May I ask what the good news is?

'The good news is, the stalling ( ) went well. Using an artifact that creates a simulated prison, I was able to lock him and some of his men away. It's a one-time treasure, so it won't happen again, but it'll give us a few days.

I was surprised to hear King Andrew's words.
I couldn't help but interrupt him.

'Your Majesty, that 'artifact that creates a pseudo-prison'... are you referring to the 'Jewel of the Extreme Prison'?

'Oh, William, you are very knowledgeable. No way."

King Andrew replied without seeming to be offended.
In fact, the Commander of the Court Magicians behind him, my father, seemed to glare at me for a moment.

'Hey, Will, what's this Kyokugoku no Nanaka? Is it awesome?'

Satsuki, who was standing beside me, asked me secretly in my ear.
I answer Satsuki with the same question in my ear.

It is one of the artifacts that have been handed down from generation to generation in the Kingdom of Grace Road, and it is the most treasured of all the magic items in the national treasury. I'm surprised that you didn't hesitate to dispose of it.

No, they are disposable items to begin with, so it is only natural to dispose of them.
But it is, after all, a relic left behind by history and tradition to this generation.
King Andrew, you are so bold in what you do.

Or perhaps it was someone else's idea...
I looked unknowingly at my father, who had just glared at me.



Irene, on the other hand, thanked him once more graciously and tried to end the conversation.

'I understand the situation, sir. We'll be in touch. Is that okay, Will?

And finally, he asked me for confirmation.
And then the gazes of the heavyweights on the other side of the mirror all converged on me at once.

...... No, no, no, wait.

I'll give Irene a lecture later.
This means that it's up to me or Irene to decide who's in charge.
At least on the outside, Irene's position has to be higher.

As I was pondering how to deal with this troubling situation, I was suddenly interrupted by an unexpected interruption.

'Wait a minute. Why don't you let me have a word with him?

It was a dragon in the form of a girl who demanded that Irene give up her place.
Irene, too, gave up her place without a second thought.

'Andrew, it's been a while. It's been a while since I've seen you, and you've gotten a lot less cute.

The dragon girl stood in front of the mirror, and Andrew, on the other hand, broke into a smile.

'Oh, Ildora! I've missed you. You look almost the same as you did then. It's probably been twenty years since then. Or have you grown a little taller?

'Idiot. In dragon form you'd be a head taller. ...... More importantly, kid, you've been very lax in sending me money this time.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry about that. They told me not to go, so I had no choice. There are things I can do now that I'm king, but worldly ties hold me back in times like these. Forgive me. But my daughter and her guards you sent on a mission were quite impressive, weren't they? Especially...

The Andrew on the other side of the mirror looks at me as if to say so.
In response, the dragon girl grinned at him.

'Yeah, I'm satisfied with that. I mean...'

She used her whole body and clung tightly to my arm.

'I'm already in love with this strong male. He's ruined my body and soul. Andrew, you've been a good friend, but I'm now his property. I just thought I'd let you know.

"....... William, you're surprisingly quick on the uptake. I thought you weren't the type, but you're quite the charmer.

.............
...... What's wrong with this situation?

But there is not much time left for communication (contact).

'Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I think you've misunderstood something. By the way, the effect of the contact is about to expire. I'll report back to you as soon as I have something to report, if that's all right.

"Oh. It's fine to have beautiful women around, but don't make my daughter cry too much, okay? See you.

'And so, Your Majesty...'

Pfft.
The effect of the contact has worn off.

.............

...... I wonder if my social position has been labeled in some tremendous way.
In addition to the king and my father, there were a lot of other important people in the country, and I wonder how they saw me.
When I imagine that, my head starts to hurt.

And then Cyril put his hand on my shoulder with a pat.

'I'm sorry for your loss, William. If you want to cry, I can lend you my chest.

'...... That's a very tempting offer. I'd certainly like to cry. But I'll pass.'

'Well, I'm sorry to hear that.'

Cyril chuckles.

I look up into the far evening sky, at a loss.