Volume 6 Chapter 13 It's A Different Kinds Of Relationships, But...
'It's really nice of Rouza-sama to be so kind and wise. You should be thankful for his consideration. Normally, uncouth and ignorant fellows like you have no right to casually exchange words.'
From the imposing tone, I can tell he's got quite a troublesome personality.
As for Gram, how about this?
'I guess you guys are all the "same", but honestly, it's annoying even coming from me. Still, compared to that, it seems like Snake Belly Sword's way of talking might just barely get through.'
Being compared to that is quite something.
'You all must have been thinking rude things just now!'
Even though the Telepathy channel was supposed to be limited to certain people, the ringing of the Azure monk staff loop seems to have read our thoughts as if by magic.
"Haha, my apologies. Those around me tend to be overly protective."
When Rouza grabbed the constantly ringing azure monk staff (Touga?), the sound stopped abruptly. It seems like their master-servant relationship is quite firm.
"Out of curiosity, where did you get that spear from?"
"...I got it at the weapon shop in the royal capital, it was covered in dust and being sold at a bargain."
Originally, it didn't have this black coating, back then it looked pretty much like any other spear around.
'Wait, wait. it was second-hand, but it wasn't on sale that cheap, I don't think. The item itself was good though!'
In response to Rouza's question, Gram desperately tries to justify. Perhaps there's some pride as a weapon involved.
"Hmm... seems like our relationship is quite different from theirs. That's interesting in its own way."
Rouza nods with interest at the exchange between me and Gram.
Meanwhile, Mikage and Aina are tilting their heads at the conversation between me and Rouza. While there's no particular reaction from Rouza's side.
'Oh, I haven't revealed to my friends that I can speak. It would be really helpful if he could pick up on that a bit.'
"...I see. Got it. Actually, I got a bit excited when I met someone similar to Touga. It seems like I was the one lacking consideration. I'm sorry."
'No, it's not necessary for Rouza-sama to apologize──'
Although Touga expressed his dissatisfaction, he fell silent when Rouza firmly gripped the azure monk staff.
At that moment, Aina raised her hand.
"Um, Rouza-san, I have something I'd like to confirm."
"What is it, young lady... or should I say, Princess?"
"I'm just a mere mercenary... not a princess."
"You have much more elegance compared to other girls, so I thought you might be a princess from somewhere."
Aina has the best social skills among us. It's truly impressive how naturally she responds in situations like this. On the other hand, I find myself nervously wondering if Mikage and I are reacting strangely.
When Aina cleared her throat, she spoke again.
"We understand that the traces of the monster in the forest were caused by you all. How do you plan to explain this to the Mercenary Guild and the villagers?"
Aina's words carried more weight than usual. There was something peculiar about them.
"As you may be aware, this could potentially violate the country's laws. Depending on your thoughts, we may have to report this to the appropriate authorities."
As a former royal, it wouldn't be pleasant for other nobles from elsewhere to act recklessly within the Arcus Kingdom. It has caused unnecessary anxiety among the villagers. Understandably so.
"You can rest assured. We are considering all aspects of this situation. We have no intention of sugar-coating our actions. We will honestly convey what we have done."
"Huh?" Both Aina and I raised questioning looks on our faces.
* * *
First and foremost, Rouza apologized to the village head.
"My subordinate caused some trouble in your village during their 'training' process, and I apologize for that. "
To explain, during a long journey, Rouza's guards decided to train their skills in the forest, leaving some 'traces' behind. When hunters arrived after the training, they mistook these traces for the work of unfamiliar monsters.
Rouza understood that a simple explanation might not be enough, so he paid the village head a fee for hiring mercenaries and compensation for the trouble caused. The village head, relieved that there were no actual monsters, accepted Rouza's sincere apology. They handed me documents to inform the guild of the misunderstanding and a letter of appreciation, marking the completion of the request in an unconventional manner.
"It's a fact that we caused unnecessary trouble for the village," as Louza put it.
In this situation, Aina's expression soured slightly, but she reluctantly agreed. She probably decided it was better not to cause a scene rather than make things more complicated. It might also be because she believed that Rouza had no ill intentions.
"──So, that's what happened."
"Thanks. It must have been tough."
As I sipped the tea offered while receiving words of comfort, a calm feeling washed over me, relieving the fatigue from the work that had been weighing on my shoulders.
Upon returning to the royal capital, we first reported to the guild. The document bearing the village head's signature had no issues, and although Karan seemed a bit displeased, the acceptance itself was properly completed. After completing various other tasks, we returned to the clinic as the sun began to set.
After hearing the whole story, Kyunei placed a finger on her cheek and pondered.
"Hey, Aina-chan. Why didn't you ask why Rouza and the others came to this country? Normally, you would have definitely brought it up in the conversation."
When Aina raised her hand, I thought for sure that this question would come up, but instead she mentioned the 'clue' instead. This was something that had been on my mind too.
As Aina caught the attention of me and Kyunei, she took a sip of freshly brewed tea and slowly placed the teacup on the saucer.
"I thought I needed a little more time."
It was no longer necessary to say for whom.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)