Chapter 809: In the shadow of the bustle
Of course, Naris is enjoying the late summer bustle the most. It’s safe to say she generally enjoys everything most outside of battle. She’s striking up conversations with tourists everywhere—in the market, taverns, or hot springs—increasing her circle of acquaintances while gathering information on the cultures and adventures across the Trot Elf territories.
“You……haven’t retired, have you?”
“Well, yeah”
She’s eating lunch at the tavern. Even though it’s daytime, she’s drinking 「Great Icefield」. Well, avoiding alcohol during the day is only a custom in some cultures. But the Great Icefield is pretty strong stuff, so you’d avoid it. ……Well, if it’s Polka, soaking slowly in the sacred spring would sober you up nicely. Even so, unless you’re confident you won’t get drunk, it’s not really a drinking style a woman can pull off.
“What’s your status now?”
“Nothing much, just a regular knight”
“So Gauntlet Knights can just wander around a neighboring country without taking missions and not get expelled?”
“Emm……well, about that”
Naris darted her eyes left and right, crouching low against the counter, beckoning me to her level with a finger. The classic pose for saying something awkward.
“……Actually, I’ve been assigned a spy mission. I’m working hard at it, you know”
“Is that something you should be telling me?”
“It’s fine as long as you keep quiet. ……The mission involves finding out what Tetes-chan is scheming, and also evaluating the actual combat strength of the Smithson Harem”
“Yeah, I knew right away whose orders this came from”
The one with the biggest headache over this is probably Lord Buster. You never know what Tetes is scheming. Even now, with pregnancy as her primary goal, there’s always that nagging suspicion she’s up to something else behind the scenes. The moment any sign of that appears, Naris is to take every possible countermeasure and inform Lord Buster immediately once contact is possible.
“The fact he’s asking Naris specifically shows how desperate he is……or rather, how badly he needs allies, even if they’re weak”
“You’re really rude……I’m actually strong, you know. About ten times your strength”
“Nah, ten times my strength wouldn’t even make her Red Arm material. I can’t even hold my own against frontline guards. You’d need at least twenty-five frontline soldiers to meet Red Arm standards”
“We’re not talking about that kind of detail!”
Thud. I got kicked under the counter, just hard enough to hurt.
“Well, honestly, the Tetes thing is more of a 『If possible』 situation. The main mission is really investigating the Smithson Harem”
“……When did you even get that mission?”
Tetes was held captive right up until we could withdraw from Rennesto, and Lord Buster couldn’t come out because he was holding down his father, Old Eagle.
“I was handed the order slip right as we were leaving Rennesto. Stealing a glance from Tetes-chan”
“…………”
“It said if I did my job properly, I’d get pay equivalent to a Blue Arm……”
“Is that really something you should be saying?”
“Honestly, if you don’t agree soon, the dragons might accuse us of betrayal or bribery when the time comes”
“……True”
As for the investigation, the risk of actual harm is low, and we also want to maintain good relations with Lord Buster. But the dragons—especially serious ones like Emma and Leda—might get furious if they think we’re helping other factions for money.
“But……”
“What is it?”
“……I’m at a loss about how to convince them of our actual combat strength. I’m somewhat avoiding reality here”
“……Well, seven dragons…and three of them are under Riner’s command, after all”
“No, no”
Naris shook her head and sighed.
“I said actual strength, didn’t I? Not the nominal organizational strength, but an estimate of the mobilization power you’d actually have if you clashed with other factions”
“……Oh, you mean Shario and the others don’t count because they won’t fight?”
“I mean, even dragons who’d happily rush out for you without a contract get counted!”
“…………”
“Honestly, you could subjugate the Northwest Plains if you really put your mind to it, let alone just Renfangas”
“I doubt the other dragon riders would let you get away with such an outrageous act”
“It’s not about whether it’s outrageous or not. It’s about which country could win if they made you their enemy”
“……Well……I guess”
It doesn’t feel real at all. But the truth is, there’s probably no power on the continent that could subdue us now. Counting Misty Palace and Crystal Palace, I can mobilize dozens of dragons on my own. That must be a nightmare for anyone who has to seriously consider that.
“10-man captain Smithson……well, he won’t be a 10-man captain anymore, but I never thought I’d actually find myself thinking, 「Thank God you’re just a lecherous harem guy obsessed with a specific woman」……even though I’m the one involved. If you were the type who just wanted to deflower virgins endlessly, or if your desire for domination was simply out of control, it would’ve been the start of the continent’s dark ages”
“You’re exaggerating”
“Not exaggerating at all. If you had a reason to pursue endless conquest, the world would’ve been hell for the rest of your life. You could literally force your way through anything”
“……Do I look like that kind of guy?”
“It’s not about your personality. Once the direction is set, those around you start racking up points on their own. Even the worst kings usually don’t think they’re doing anything bad. Things just start moving on their own, enemies attack on their own, and before you know it, it spirals out of control”
“Don’t say scary things”
“Actually, there’s a real possibility that could happen. All the important people fear it. ……I want to believe 100-man commander Dianne and Irina-sama are thinking about something”
Naris might seem like just a lighthearted person, but she’s got the brains to think about these things. ……Well, she has over a hundred years of life experience, so I guess it’s only natural.
“So, of course you wouldn’t use the power to mobilize dozens of dragons, but whether to inform Grand Knight Buster of their existence is also a dilemma. Hiding it feels morally wrong, but if he finds out, we can’t just stand by and do nothing……”
Naris clutches her head. She looks just like Tetes before her fall.
“……If things get that dicey, I’m heading to the Western Continent”
I pat Naris’s shoulder and offer a crude solution. Rough, but it’s also something I’ve always wanted to try. You only live once. Living peacefully in my hometown is nice, but if I’m going to do it, seeing the edge of the world sounds good too. Right now, while I’m just having fun with the women I like, there’s no reason to go to a world completely different from this one. But if I have to leave here, that would be a perfect reason to do it. ……And when Naris heard that, she stared at me with this weird look. Sighed.
“……When that time comes, take me with you, okay?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you hesitating?! Of course I want to go too—I’m an adventurer! And besides, I’m supposed to be your female slave now, right?! Isn’t that treatment a bit harsh?!”
“It doesn’t count when you’re not wearing the collar”
“Gununu……well, if it comes to that, I’ll wear it permanently!”
Honestly, when things start getting fishy, I doubt anyone would deliberately go for putting on a collar. But somehow, this less-than-smart approach feels more like Naris, and I can’t help but laugh.
After eating, I go check on the female knight Fiona again. I just hope she’s not reduced to a state of utterly crushed pride. ……Feeling a bit worried, I head to the grassland on the outskirts of town. Surprisingly, quite a few female slaves have gathered to watch. Anzeros, Aurora, Almeida, Sharon, Neia, even Beatrice. Aside from Tetes, who’s still living naked at home, and Naris, who was staggering around earlier, it seems all the Ace Knight-class and above are gathered.
“Some kind of event?”
I ask Aurora, who’s closest.
“When it comes to direct foundational instruction from the famed War God, Dianne-san, even we who are somewhat capable can learn a great deal”
“Hee……”
Is the absolute basics really that different? ……But then again, many of the girls here developed their talents at a young age. Maybe they often skip over things that really should take time. ……Thinking that, I looked at Fiona. What she was holding wasn’t a sword, but a shield. That was rare around here.
“Why a shield……”
“It’s to heighten her defensive awareness. She can’t react to a child’s sword strikes because she isn’t seeing the enemy”
“But with Dianne-san´s sword speed, she wouldn’t be able to react either……”
“She adjusts that skillfully. She strikes at about the same speed as Johnny or Keel”
……But watching her, she frequently gets hit hard on the shoulder or leg when the shield fails to block, collapsing to the ground.
“…However, Dianne-san’s preparatory movements are extremely small……so it feels like she’s moving more than twice as fast”
“So she’s basically a demon”
“Still, blocking with a shield should be far easier than blocking with a sword”
“But getting hit that much must break her spirit……”
I thought, but Fiona stood up the moment the pain subsided, raised her voice, and showed no sign of retreating. Even though the training had already been going on for quite a while, she showed no signs of sulking from a sense of helplessness. Perhaps she really does have strong mental fortitude.
“……Even knowing the spirit spring will heal her quickly, she’s tough”
Almeida murmured with admiration.
“She keeps repeating, 『I won’t let Ran-sama be disgraced』……over and over. Her devotion to Princess Ran must be profound. ……Her stance has improved significantly since the beginning. Who knows? She might just pull it off”
Neia said cheerfully. ……Even if Dianne is a good instructor, isn’t she being a bit too patient?