I tried changing the title.
Having returned from Rusworth to Rolfis, we decided to rent an empty house in a small village.
It was the kind of place that felt like a small rural village, but recently governance had transferred from Selva to Rolfis, and it was experiencing some minor upheaval.
The reason we were staying in this small village was to deal with Galleria and Rusworth.
Next to the shed-like empty house, a Porter had been set down, and Monica was carrying out repairs alongside the Valkyries.
Or rather—
"What terrible construction! If the Chicken sleeps in a place like this, he'll catch a cold and end up bedridden!"
She held unfamiliar tools in hand and stripped away the walls one after another.
Valkyrie No. 1 received the nails and boards, lining them up neatly.
"This won't do at all. The boards and the nails aren't even complete. Can't we send someone out to buy supplies? Hey, mass-produced models—get running and go buy some!"
No. 1, who shared Monica's blonde twin-tails, puffed out her flat chest and ordered the nearby Valkyries who happened to be walking past.
However, the Valkyries simply tilted their heads with smiles. Their right hands were raised with thumbs pointed downward. They also added a throat-slitting gesture.
"You don't have any command authority. Don't get the wrong idea, you gold-eating waste of a prototype."
And with that, she returned to her work. I was curious about why they got along so poorly, but they were all Automatons originally created by the same ancient people as Monica. Since they shared repurposed cores, that might have been having some kind of effect.
No. 1 clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Maybe I should show them the difference in performance."
Monica, who had started removing the roof, was taking the entire thing apart with unstoppable momentum.
I watched that unfold and—
"Well, I mean, it's not like I can't sleep in the Porter… but if we went to the trouble of renting this place, it'd kind of defeat the purpose."
There had been a town where Galleria and Rusworth once conducted trade, but Rolfis avoided using it due to its poor location.
Most of Selva's lords had been executed, and many more had been exiled from the country. As a result, there were problems with governance.
Among the documents Adele had been processing at Baim's estate, some concerned these very circumstances.
Looking around, I could see villagers casting fearful and resentful glances our way.
I took in that sight.
"Why is that, I wonder? Rolfis has lowered taxes, and things seem to be going well enough."
The taxes were lower than during Selva's rule. Part of that was because they had been outrageously high to begin with, but life should have been easier now. And this was a crucial village connecting Galleria and Rusworth. Road improvements were also being actively pursued here.
The Fourth Generation answered my question.
*'It's simple. People hate having their circumstances change. Put it in extreme terms: if the previous lord was only a little bit bad, the villagers wouldn't accept Rolfis's rule at all. Being governed by Rolfis doesn't necessarily make them happier. It's not just taxes. There's war, customs, and all sorts of other inconveniences. From their perspective, Laiel is the one who stirred up all this trouble.'*
I had thought they would gladly welcome a richer life, but apparently that wasn't the case.
I decided to walk around the village a bit.
It was a small village, but there was still a fair distance to cover on foot. The sun was beginning to set, and the villagers I passed were wiping sweat from their brows as they worked. When I approached, they looked at me warily.
It was true that I had helped in the invasion of Selva.
Thinking it was only natural that they feared me, I continued walking through the village.
Then, the Third Generation looked out over the village and spoke.
*'There it is. The land is fairly fertile, actually. Even with taxes being siphoned off, they could get by just fine. I don't know what the previous lord was thinking, but maybe he was deliberately keeping this village at its current scale.'*
"Deliberately keeping it? Wouldn't it be more profitable to let it develop?"
After confirming there was no one nearby, I asked the Third Generation.
The Third Generation let out a sigh at me.
*'Good grief, you just don't get it, do you? Even within the same country, neighboring forces can invade and plunder. And this place is close to Galleria and Rusworth. If the village grew larger, don't you think it would be the first target? Besides, the bigger the scale, the more work is expected of it. I'd go with a decent-sized village myself, but the previous lord might have intentionally kept it from growing. A smaller village is more maneuverable — that can be convenient sometimes.'*
The Fifth Generation spoke to me.
*'Road maintenance works both ways, you know. In a pinch, enemies can use those same roads to invade quickly. The more the infrastructure develops, the more anxiety it breeds. On top of that, the higher-ups are Rolfis people — we have no idea whether they know what's going on or not. The villagers are probably anxious too.'*
Still, I had learned that even just expanding and developing would rouse some of the villagers to push back.
I was thinking there must be different perspectives on the matter when Shannon came stumbling toward me. No, stumbling wasn't quite right — it was more like walking was just barely faster than running.
Mireia saw Shannon and said,
*'Slower than walking... How helpless. But doesn't that make her adorable?'*
The Seventh Generation, as usual, put her foot in her mouth.
*'Well, she's cuter than her aunt, wouldn't you say... right?'*
From the Jewel, I heard a sound like a gunshot. A "thwack." Then, when everything went silent, the Fifth Generation spoke.
*'...Lyle, go to Shannon.'*
"Y-yes."
I went over to Shannon, who had chased after us, and she was out of breath. Someone must have told her to hurry.
Now, Miranda, Aria, and Clara had already returned to Baim. The commission included escorting merchants all the way to Baim, and the large Porter also carried goods purchased in Galleria and Rusworth.
There was no way all of us could leave.
*(Did Novem put her up to this?)*
"What's wrong?"
I waited until her breathing started to settle, then asked Shannon. She wiped the sweat from her face while looking at me.
"I-ingredients."
"Hm?"
"Sh-she said she needs me to buy some tools she's running low on. But you're the only one who can use the Porter, so she told me to come get you right away."
When I asked what tools were missing and tilted my head, Shannon handed me a memo. It listed everything from ingredients to tools like nails and even lumber.
"Shouldn't we have enough ingredients? I'm pretty sure I brought a large supply."
Even considering May ate a lot, we hadn't overlooked that. That's why I'd brought a hefty amount of ingredients in the first place.
"On top of that, she wants me to gather some information, or something like that."
Or something like that? I'd appreciate some clarity on that part. Ms. Mireia seemed to share that sentiment, looking exasperated.
'Honestly, because Miranda keeps spoiling her. I knew I'd have to train her properly myself.'
The Fifth Generation seemed to be observing Ms. Mireia's expression. And yes, she was exasperated too.
'The creepy way you're saying that is actually kind of scary, you know.'
'How rude. I'm just looking forward to interacting with my great-granddaughter. Look, I'm—'
The Seventh Generation hadn't learned her lesson, apparently.
'Well, I am her great-grandmother after all.'
As Ms. Mireia laughed, the sound of gunfire rang out once more.
Shannon watched my noisy Jewel.
"Hey, it's been glowing really brightly since a little while ago?"
I covered my face with my left hand.
"Don't worry about it. Let's head back and get ready to go shopping."
—Baim, Guild Eastern Branch.
Since Lyle wasn't here, Miranda had come to the Guild. She needed to inform them that they wouldn't be accepting commissions for a while, and she planned to report on completed commissions at the same time.
Aria, who might get swept up by the Guild's smooth-talking staff, had stayed at the mansion to have Adele and the others explain the situation this time.
The person who handled her in a private room was Tahnia.
"There are different sections for the first and third floors, but you're the only one I see in both."
When Miranda said that, Tahnia offered a wry smile.
"That's right. We're short-staffed here too. I'd love a pay raise, wouldn't you? Anyway, congratulations on completing the commission. What will you do for your next one?"
Miranda crossed her legs in her chair and propped her elbow on the desk.
"Ah, we can't take any for a while. I'll be taking personal commissions in Rolfis."
"In Rolfis? Well, you did accept our request when we pushed, so I suppose that's fine... Um, for how long?"
Miranda smiled.
"That depends on Lyle."
She said as much. Tahnia looked troubled.
"You don't have a set timeframe? What are you planning to do this time? Are you going to cozy up to the princess of Rolfis?"
Miranda recalled Lyle's actions. She thought they wouldn't believe her even if she denied it.
"Well, I won't be making a move on the princess. Seems it's against the Walt family code of conduct, or something like that."
"Code of conduct?"
Tahnia thought for a moment, but Miranda, having finished her business, stood up.
"If anything comes up, just contact the mansion."
Saying that, Miranda left the room――.
The town that had once been a trading hub for Galleria, Rusworth, and Selva was in a state of utter disarray.
"There they are!"
"Damn it, that bastard, screwing with us!"
"Kill them on sight!"
The ones making threatening statements were armed. The town, once prosperous, had lost all its vitality.
Its location was awkward—situated in a spot that made it a troublesome place to conduct trade.
Armed men were running through the streets of that very town.
Eva, who had visited the town with me, grimaced at the sight.
"What is this? There's no way I can sing in this kind of situation. Besides, there aren't even any of my kind around!"
The town, devoid of energy and in decline, had no troupe of traveling performers either.
Whether we could even buy the ingredients and materials on my list was questionable, but we decided to go shopping anyway.
Shannon in tow, Eva and I kept an eye on her as we walked through the town.
We strolled through the town and peeked into shops. In one with a poor selection, I bought some food, declined the change, and asked the shopkeeper a question.
"Seems like the town's gotten noisy?"
The shopkeeper, looking exhausted, began to speak in bits and pieces.
"A wanted notice came through from Rusworth. There's been an adventurer using this town for a while now, and apparently they've been moving frequently between Galleria and Rusworth. Seems they were filing false reports with the Guild. Word is they're from Galleria. It's stirred up talk of a trust issue, and the Guild adventurers are up in arms."
The town apparently had a small Guild. An adventurer registered there was apparently involved with both countries.
"Can I take a look at the wanted poster?"
"They're plastered all over the place."
I thanked the shopkeeper, stepped outside, and went searching for the notice. I tore one down and used a Skill—Map Search Field—to track the movements of the people in town.
Shannon looked at me.
"Hey, what are you planning? Let's go back already."
I ignored her words and spotted a response moving unnaturally. It was darting around, evading the aggressive movements of others, and seemed to be trying to escape the town by any means.
Committing that response to memory, I turned to Eva.
Ask Shannon to handle it. I've got something to take care of.
If I approached the person who'd been traveling between the two countries, maybe I could get some leads. Thinking that, I took off running, chasing after the fleeing response.
But just then—
"I found him!"
An adventurer with a bow and arrow took aim at a person running across the rooftops. I hurried to chase after them, but the arrow was loosed, piercing the fleeing person's leg. Tumbling from the roof, they hit the ground and tried to drag themselves away.
Adventurers were gathering around.
I caught up to the fleeing figure. In response, the person wordlessly drew their sword.
From within the Jewel, the Third Generation spoke.
*'Are they hiding something they're that desperate to conceal? This could be the key to getting a foothold in both countries!'*
I disliked agreeing with the excitable Third Generation, but right now, if I wanted to infiltrate or get leverage on the two nations, I needed information.
"Sorry, but you're coming with me."
Drawing my katana, I struck the man's solar plexus hard with the hilt. Hoisting him over my shoulder, I used the blind spots created by the gathered adventurers to make my escape.
Back at the village where we were staying, we surrounded the captured man.
Novem was treating his leg wound, and the man kept his mouth shut, refusing to talk. That's why we put a gag in his mouth. We had already conducted a physical search while he was unconscious.
Inside the Porter, we examined the man's belongings.
Monica was going through his things, but she only looked, not attempting to dig through the contents.
"He doesn't seem to be carrying anything unusual. He appears to be hiding some letters, but is this what's caught your interest?"
What she pulled from his luggage was a water flask. Taking it from Monica, I shook the flask.
There was liquid inside.
"Where's the... oh, so that's it."
The flask had liquid inside, but when I felt along the bottom, there was a hidden mechanism. I pulled a letter out through it, and the gagged man began to thrash. Bound in rope from head to toe, he strained desperately, bouncing around inside the Porter.
"Mmm! Mmm-mmm!"
Monica looked at the man.
"Oh my, he's certainly reactive. It looks like this was the right answer. But why did you bring someone like this along? Wouldn't the risk be rather high?"
I checked the contents of the letter.
"Right now, I want whatever information I can get on Galleria and Rusworth. Besides, he's an adventurer who was active in those two countries. He might have something useful. And to top it off, he seems to be making decent money."
Looking at the man, his clothing and equipment included quite a few expensive pieces. His wallet was stuffed with gold coins, and he didn't seem to be hurting for money at all.
However, as I read further into the letter, the man simply lay down without any fight left in him.
"...So that's how it is."
Novem looked my way.
"What's wrong, Master Laiel?"
I handed the letter to Novem. Monica was sulking just a little.
"Tch! If you'd given it to me first, I would've been so happy I'd do a little dance!"
Leaving Monica to her frustration, Novem checked the letter's contents and her eyes widened ever so slightly.
"...So those two countries were actually at war? For real?"
I nodded. May agreed.
"Even if someone said that wasn't serious, I'd say they were lying. You know how there are always those freakishly strong people from time to time?"
Both May and I had witnessed the war between Galleria and Rusworth. Their fierce battles had ultimately ended in a draw in a one-on-one duel.
But it seemed that wasn't the full picture.
The Fifth Generation spoke, sounding exasperated.
"Seriously... those guys, that was all just them playing nice?"
The Third Generation was just as stunned.
"No way. Besides, this letter is more of a windfall than expected, but if it's true, using military force to keep both countries in check might be a bit difficult."
The letter was from Elza, the Queen of Rusworth, addressed to Gracia.
Its contents were as follows:
"Thank you so much for the recent battle. I'm sorry. My subordinates are pushing for a rematch, saying the damage was less than expected. We'd like to launch an invasion within a few months — when would be best for you? Also, that cream you gave me before for skin irritation is working really well."
Along with that, the expected invasion routes had been written out.
It described what scale of forces would invade, what actions they would take, and what kind of countermeasures they wanted prepared.
The Seventh Generation spoke in a voice like he was holding his head in his hands.
"Is this supposed to be a rulebook? All it says is 'we're invading for now, so please figure out the rest.' This is exactly the kind of thing you get from those people who operate beyond all standards..."
Mireia also looked troubled.
"It's not impossible to win by deploying Zayin and Rolfis, but both sides would be severely depleted, which defeats the purpose. Now then, what should we do?"
I couldn't hide my surprise that the adventurer we had captured possessed far more information than we had imagined.
"A rulebook? What is that supposed to mean?"
When I muttered that, the man — perhaps having resigned himself to the situation — threw caution to the wind and reclined lazily on his side.
As I was thinking about how to use this information, the Fourth Generation alone looked intrigued.
"Oh my, this might be my time to shine. There are problems that fighting alone can't solve, after all. Yes, yes, I'm quite fond of things like this."
The Fourth Generation, getting into the swing of things, turned to me.
"Lael, I'd like you to bring as many of the Valkyries as you can. Then, get me letters of introduction for Zayin and Rolfis, and for Baim's... Fidel will do. I want written proof that he did his part in the defensive battle."
I got the letters of introduction written up and was wondering what all this was for when the Fourth Generation spoke.
"How about we offer our services to Galleria and Rusworth! If we can't get in from the outside, we'll just attack from the inside!"
...Isn't that something we're absolutely not supposed to do?
Fourth Generation (-@∀@): "Alright, it's finally my turn! If we can infiltrate from within, they're as good as ours! I've even scored some leverage we can use. From here on out, it's House Walt's turn! www"
Lael |-`).. oO(...Am I being forgotten about?)