After watching me confidently explain all this, Roroa sighed. "Good grief...
Wouldn't Big Sister Cia pitch a fit if she heard about it?"
Oh...! Yeah, that was for sure. These items could have been said to be the face of
the country.
"W-Well, it's not like I'm selling them off or anything," I said. "I'm putting them to
good use here, so I don't think there's any need to go out of my way to tell Liscia
about it..."
"Um... I think it's probably too late for that," Aisha said apologetically, at which
point I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Huh?"
"Sooouuuma?"
When I turned around, Liscia was standing there with a smile on her face. Behind
her was Juna, with her hands held together as if to say she was sorry.
"Wh-What are the two of you doing here?" I stuttered.
"I said I'd let Roroa have this one, but I never said I wouldn't secretly be following
you," Liscia said, taking a tone that made it sound like she had done nothing wrong
and had the right to be upset with me.
"I'm sorry," Juna added apologetically. "We were supposed to just watch over you
from the shadows..."
They'd been following us all this time?!
Aisha nodded knowingly. "So the presence that I felt really was the two of you."
"Aisha?! If you noticed, you could have told me..."
"Souma!" Liscia barked.
"Y-Yes?!"
From the next little while, it was time for Liscia to lecture me. We would be
causing trouble for the other visitors if we did it in front of the exhibit, so we
relocated to a corner of the garden and she made me kneel in front of her on the
lawn while she lectured me.
What did I think I was doing with national treasures? How dare I, as one who was
summoned as a hero, put the hero's equipment on display like some curiosity? I
needed to have more awareness of my role as king! It went on, and on, and on. Liscia
was too serious for her own good, so she couldn't stand it when I didn't do these
things properly.
"Um... Lady Liscia, it's not as if His Majesty meant any harm," Aisha said.
"He did it for the benefit of this country, so cut him some slack," Roroa added.
"This is Lady Roroa's day to go on a date, so I think you've lectured him enough..."
Juna murmured.
Aisha, Roroa, and Juna stepped in, so the lecture was comparatively short. Yes,
her lectures were usually longer.
"Honestly, I'll let it slide this time, in deference to you three, but... Listen, Souma,"
Liscia snapped. "Some of the nobles that care about authority hate things like this.
That's why you need to consult with me properly before just doing this sort of thing.
If I, as someone from the Royal House of Elfrieden, give permission, you won't
needlessly upset the nobles."
"...Yes, ma'am," I said humbly. "I'm very sorry."
She was so right that there was nothing I could say in response. The reason Liscia
would lecture me for so long was that she truly cared for my well-being. I knew that,
so I gladly accepted it.
Once the lecture was over and done with, Roroa clapped her hands twice. "Now
then, let's get back to that date, shall we?"
"Ah! Sorry, Roroa," Liscia said guiltily. "Sorry for coming along after saying I'd let
you have it to yourselves."
"Hmm, well, it's not like I don't understand how you two feel. Ain't much I can do
about it now that you're here, anyway, so let's go around together." Roroa wrapped
herself around Liscia's arm fawningly. "We've got quite a crowd here, so how's about
some shopping?"
"That sounds good," Liscia nodded. "Why don't we have Souma carry everyone's
bags as a punishment?"
"I-I'm starting to get hungry, you know," Aisha complained.
"Hee hee! Then why don't we go to Cafe Lorelei first?" Juna giggled.
"""Sounds good."""
Before I knew it, our plans for the afternoon had been decided without my being
able to get a word in edgewise.
When faced with these powerful girls, even if I was the king or the hero, I was no
match for them.
"Come on, Souma, let's hurry along," Liscia announced, taking my hand.
"There's more fun to be had yet, Darlin'," Roroa added, grabbing the other one.
Somehow, as they pulled me along by the arms, I felt like I was being shown
exactly what the future balance of power between us was going to look like.
By the way, we discussed the matter of the hero's equipment later, and settled on
displaying it just once a year for a limited time only. It meant less security was
needed, and the event would feel like something special, so that was good.