The battle on the riverbank near the western road ended in a great victory
for us.
As I passed through the gates of Krasland, happy that the damage was
minimal, I was approached by Lucy.
"Yuushin, when you return to the barracks, can I ask you for a little help?
We have so many troops that sortied today, so…"
"Of course. I'll just replenish our depleted arsenal and arrange medical care
for our troops first, and I'll be-."
Just as I was saying that, a horse interrupted us. The rider was Krone.
"Wait a minute, Yuushin!? Wasn't I supposed to be in charge of the things
behind the lines?"
Come to think of it, I think I said something like that.
"Could you please not take somebody's job?!"
"Oh, right. Sorry."
For some reason, Krone fuming today when I said I was gonna sort out the
troops. Enough to make me feel pressure in her stare when she said those
lines to me.
I know you're worked up because you can finally do what you're good at,
but please, you don't have to act like you're threatened. I won't get in the
way.
As if taking my silence as a sign that I agreed, Krone passed by us and
headed straight for the stables, where she parked her horse and headed
toward the office.
"Hahaha… sorry. My job got taken."
"I don't mind. After all, Yuushin has done a lot for me, and I also know you
deserve a break."
Then, I was told by Lucy to take the rest of the day off.
And like Krone, she took her horse back to the stables and headed for her
office.
Having nothing better to do, I put my horse back and walked alone down
the path to my room.
"It's been a long time since I've walked here alone."
"Oh my, you were alone? Then, would you mind keeping me company for a
moment?"
Suddenly, a voice calls out from behind, and I turn around, startled.
Present there was Milena, who had been active as a reinforcement unit in
this operation together with Florencia, her sister.
"I know a good restaurant in the city. They serve very tasty food that will
surely relieve you of your fatigue."
"Uh, I'm flattered by the invitation, but what about your sister?"
"Are you talking about Lacy? I sent her to the barracks with the troops.
She's still too young to be given a drink."
Giving off a slightly different atmosphere from the gentle one she had in
front of her sister, Milena invited me to join her, also displaying a woman's
sex appeal to me in full force. If yo u a re ab le to r ead this m essa ge, y ou
are re adi ng fr om an una utho rized ag greg ate si te. R ead at my Wor dPre
ss at st ab bing wi th a syr inge. ho me. b log to su pport me and my tran slat
ions.
The blatant invitation set off alarm bells in my brain, but I decided to accept
it.
"I understand. Please let me join you."
As for why I agreed, I thought this was a good chance to find out what
Milena and the others had in mind when they decided to reinforce us.
I followed her lead into the city, where its walls was beginning to get dyed
orange by the setting sun in the horizon.
◆ ◆
The place to which Milena led me was a cozy restaurant with a relaxed
atmosphere.
But what impressed me in this place was the fact that it seemed to be
oriented toward the common people who wanted a little luxury rather than
for the aristocracy who wanted to splurge themselves, and because of this,
they did not seem to be fussy about manners.
We were taken to a private room as a matter of course, but I wondered if it
had been reserved from the beginning.
"Is there any food you don't like, Mr. Sanada?"
"No, nothing in particular. Though I'm more concerned about you being
okay with me in such a bloody outfit."
"Don't worry about it. This is a showcase of our military service."
That's what Milena had said, but despite the fact that she too has been
killing goblins one after another earlier, there is barely a trace in her clothes
that she went into the battlefield.
In fact, her clothes were barely even stained.
It is unclear how she was doing it, but I should say she is indeed a countess
of a high-class noble family.
Her awareness of her personal appearance alone is setting her apart from
the rest of us.
"Fufufu… first, how about a toast to today's victory?"
"Sure."
We toasted with a glass of aperitif wine and then lightly chatted as we put
our hands on the dishes that had been brought to the table.
The dishes at the restaurant were all delicious, just as Milena had
recommended.
However, as we continued to eat, I began to feel a sense of discomfort.
Recently, the population of Krasland has been increasing. However, the
threat of monsters still looms large.
To solve this, various industries have started to become more active,
resulting to efforts to produce food and other goods to increase somehow,
albeit gradually.
But it is still undeniable that we are in a state akin to wartime.
In such a situation, how can a restaurant for the common people, albeit
upscale, procure such a wide range of ingredients?
"Mr. Sanada, is something wrong?"
Milena asked me, perhaps concerned that I had stopped my hand.
"I was just wondering how this restaurant managed to gather so many
different kinds of ingredients yet also made it available to the general
populace."
"Oh, you mean that?"
As if she caught up with what I was thinking, she continued with a slightly
mischievous smile on her face.
"This restaurant is sponsored by our house, and they obtain the ingredients
through our family connections. In return, we sometimes use it as a secret
negotiating space."
"…then, we coming here today means you want to negotiate with me too?"
I was a little surprised by the unexpected words, but then I realized that it is
normal for upper-class aristocrats to have one or two such stores.
The question is, what is Milena going to talk to me about here?
"You see, I am a little interested in you, Mr. Sanada. Suddenly appearing
and taking up the position of the then Baroness Finlay's adjutant, then
turning her into a hero who defended the city. I hear that you are also a
nobleman now?"
"You did a lot of research. Especially the last one, even though it happened
very recently."
This extraordinary information-gathering ability, the Marquis is really
looking into me, isn't he?
I felt a chill when I thought so, but I tried not to show it and make her
proceed with her story. Th is cha pt er trans lat ion is ma de poss ibl e by sta
bb ing wit h a sy ri nge tra nslati ons. chec k on ly up -to -dat e trans latio s
on my Wor dp ress si te.
"Yes, I've done a lot of research, but I can't find any trace of your arrival in
Krasland. I also looked in the surrounding towns and villages, just to be
sure, but I couldn't find any mention of you at all. How is that possible, I
wonder?"
Milena's eyes, which had been kind until then, became a little sharp.
But since she is blatantly wary of me, I decided to take a bold step in
dealing with her.
"'Well, that's true. Because I don't even know how I got here either."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I wonder if it would be understandable if I said I was "spirited away"? I
was in my house as usual, but suddenly, I fell into a hole and woke up in a
hilly area with no buildings in sight."
Milena looked puzzled at my explanation.
"Outlandish… And you expect me to believe that?"
"I'm afraid it's the truth."
I don't know how she'll take these words, but they should buy me some
time.
In the meantime, I must figure out a way to counter the Zaintert sisters.
"By the way, I have heard that Lady Milena's father has not been feeling
well lately. I wish I could offer him some kind of sympathy."
When I said this, Milena's expression hardened for a moment.
The only change occurred in Milena, who had been wearing a poker face up
to this point.
"Your sympathy is admirable. However, it is no longer needed. Thanks to
the Marquis helping us in this regard, my father is now on the path to
recovery. It would be better to think about yourself first."
"'Indeed, you are right. I will keep your advice in mind."
It would be best not to go into this any further.
However, basing on her reaction alone, it seems that their father is the
Achilles heel for the sisters.
(If we do well, we might be able to put her to our side before the Marquis
can do anything. But we must do it fast, or our chances will drop.)
Anyways, my conversation with Milena here has made it clear that I'm
being targeted by the Marquis.
If I kept doing nothing, I might be chased from my current position, or even
killed if I'm not careful.
The Marquis would certainly show no mercy to anyone once he sees them
as their enemy.
Thankfully, I haven't reached that level of threat yet.
"I apologize for the length of this conversation. I hope we can make time to
talk again sometime."
"I'll look forward to that time."
I responded to Milena's words while also thinking about investigating their
weak point.
I guess it's time to visit another noblewoman's father again.