Chapter 882: Master Infiltrator
The game with Charlotte took place, ostensibly, because of Neia and the others’ passionate requests for a rematch……and we ended up playing it about three times. Hilda accompanied them the second time, I did the third, and Dianne the fourth. Of course, we succeeded in escaping every single time. When it was my turn, I tried observing Charlotte’s movements. She was certainly cautious, and since the knight girls were fired up with the determination not to let her escape again, there were moments where she seemed to be using magic……yet there were still a few mysterious slips-through that made me wonder, 「How on earth did that work?」 But it’s hard to explain exactly how. Apparently wanting to get to the bottom of what was going on, Dianne grew impatient and decided to experience it for herself in the final game. Then, with a glance at Neia and Naris, who were devastated by their defeat, Dianne placed a hand over her mouth and announced her analysis.
“She’s a master of her craft. I’m tempted to suspect an unknown special ability……but it’s not just that. Her basic observational skills and manipulation techniques are exceptional. She knows exactly when others’ concentration wavers, perfectly predicts which directions their attention will drift away from, selects multiple shortest routes to hiding spots, and if that’s absolutely impossible, she outwits them with a wide range of magic……what’s astonishing is that she seems to be doing all that almost unconsciously”
“Unconsciously?”
“If you panic or concentrate, you’ll give off an aura whether you like it or not. We martial artists can sense that instinctively. ……She isn’t giving off any such aura at all. It means she’s performing those actions with a completely calm mind, without any conscious effort to do anything special. It’s probably because she operates in stealth as naturally as breathing, from the moment she wakes up until she goes to sleep. It’s simply not something an ordinary person could ever imitate”
“Even wild animals aren’t that good, are they……?”
“Not at all. Even small birds and rabbits aren’t that good. But she’s specialized solely in hiding to that extent……and her talent has worked in her favor”
She counts them off on her fingers.
“Her basic abilities as an elf, sensory enhancement through empathy with plants and trees. Eyes that see better than most. Simply being small and light is also a talent that shouldn’t be underestimated when it comes to stealth. On top of that, her magic talent is quite high. Even though they were all basic spells, just from what I saw, she used seven different types of special magic useful for stealth with rapid incantations. And that’s probably not even the full extent of her repertoire”
“…………”
“I thought that once I figured out the mechanics……but it’s not that simple. Her arsenal of stealth techniques is far greater than I imagined. Even if I devised countermeasures based on what I just witnessed, she’d likely slip past them effortlessly using countless other methods”
“To make Dianne-san say something like that……”
“All things considered, my world is pretty narrow. An infiltrator whose nature is to think of nothing but escape, not even for a single moment, in any situation is not someone the military can easily produce. In a way, that’s a form of recklessness, after all”
“?”
“For their own peace of mind, intelligence operatives always have a Plan B or other options ready. In a standard operation, Plan B usually involves compromising on objectives or retreating, but when retreat itself is the goal, Plan B typically becomes a desperate, all-out breakthrough. ……The constraint of absolutely never considering violence shuts down that possibility. It’s a way of thinking that most people can’t adopt”
……That’s certainly true. When anyone is being chased and cornered by others, it’s difficult to remain completely free of thoughts like 「I’ll fight back and put an end to this pursuit」 or 「I’ll get one last shot in」. Infiltration and escape are always accompanied by that possibility. To remain completely unshaken, always calm, and without giving off any killing intent in such a situation is no easy feat. In particular, the 「Infiltration Experts」 Dianne-san has encountered in her military career are likely all individuals who, in the end, rely on physical prowess to force a confrontation. However, due to her physical characteristics, Charlotte is viewed with unease and ostracized simply for being there, yet she would never even consider defying her own people……because of this environment, she has spent many years maintaining a unique behavioral pattern, devoting herself entirely to the pursuit of hiding and evading. That is precisely why she is able to consistently meet the high demands of her role, she intimately understands every sign of pursuit from any opponent, preemptively neutralizes them, diverts their attention so they don’t notice her, and escapes without straining her own limited physical abilities. And because she uses escape plans based on her own physical limitations, which absolutely cannot be pushed to the limit, applying those same plans to her successors poses no major problems.
“She’s not the kind of person you can just train to be like this, she’s a monster of a different sort”
“……At this rate, I suspect her stealth abilities, rather than her rare 『Eyes』, are what will make her a thorn in the side of those who know her”
“I wonder. To the elves, she’s still practically a child. I doubt many of them have even noticed that kind of talent in an outcast”
Hmm. In any case……I can’t help but feel I’ve ended up with another wild card. Sure, there will likely be situations in the future where we can rely on that ability……but I’d prefer to get by without relying on it as much as possible. Given her temperament, she probably wouldn’t want to be saddled with too many critical tasks……and above all, to others, this ability feels scarier than the fact that she has a dragon on her side.
“We absolutely must keep her a secret from Lord Buster”
“……Do you think we can keep it a secret? Naris is already openly bragging about being on a spy mission for Lord Buster”
“For him, dealing with a dragon alone is dangerous enough, but with her joining in, it’ll become a situation where we can’t guarantee safety at all. ……He’ll have no choice but to take action”
“Action……”
“Just try to imagine for a moment what you would do if you were Lord Buster”
After Dianne said that, I crossed my arms and thought it over. My female slaves are already a monstrous force in their own right, and if they’re given this kind of infiltration capability on top of that, there’ll be no way to defend against them. ……Which means, unless they ban us from Rennesto or assassinate Charlotte, they won’t be able to ensure their safety. Either way, they’d have to be prepared to make enemies of us, but when weighed against the fear of not knowing what might be done to us at any moment……umm. As a choice……it’s not entirely out of the question.
“We should warn Naris and Tetes too. They aren’t foolish enough to create unnecessary trouble”
“……You’re right”
A secret weapon. Not the kind that gives you an advantage by keeping it hidden until a crucial moment, but a 「Secret weapon」 whose very existence must be kept hidden. We may have ended up with one…….
—————————
Since Neia and Naris were looking so downcast, we decided to go to a Noikis restaurant recommended by Naris for lunch. Of course, I’d already confirmed that the stuffed sausage Neia wanted was on the menu.
“Noikis, that’s……”
“The Republic of Noikis. One of the small nations on the shores of Lake Valery. It’s the hometown of the girl Kingfisher has his eye on, and it has a unique system where even a commoner can rise directly to become the head of state”
“Hee……”
A system where a commoner can suddenly become king. ……I can’t even begin to imagine what that’s like.
“So can they actually be a king? Or is it just a figurehead position where they just sit there?”
Beatrice asked, but all I could do was spread my hands and tilt my head in confusion. After an awkward silence, Tetes answered for me.
“You could say it’s possible because Noikis isn’t that big of a country. Even commoners there are reasonably well-educated, so apparently there aren’t many truly clueless, ignorant citizens. Plus, even though anyone can become king, they apparently have to have the support of the people, so well……it doesn’t seem like some completely clueless commoner can just suddenly sit on the throne one day”
“Umm……? But still, if you aren’t born into that position, wouldn’t you be clueless about what a king is supposed to do……?”
“Apparently, the people of that country thought that was absurd, so they abolished it. There was a debate that it was ridiculous for someone to be superior to everyone else who’s been working for decades just because their parent was a king……”
“……That’s a complicated issue”
“Ah……umm, maybe so for Beatrice”
It’s true, it is strange to be superior to everyone else for life just because of who your parents are. I get the logic. But does that really mean anyone can become king? Can people truly accept that? ……Maybe I can only say this because our own king and nobles weren’t terrible people. A craftsman’s child becomes a craftsman. A farmer’s child becomes a farmer. A king’s child becomes a king. Even if it seems like there’s no freedom at first glance, I feel like that’s the easiest way to live. If it’s something your parents did, you should have the opportunities and environment to learn it. Would those who entrusted a job to someone who had absolutely no background in it really be satisfied? As I was pondering this, Dianne gave a wry smile and added.
“Well, even in our Celesta, it’s not absolutely impossible for a commoner to become a Merchant King in a single generation”
“Is that so?”
“If you can establish a truly massive trading house and demonstrate the financial clout and connections to other guilds necessary to support national projects, it’s possible you could be nominated as a Merchant King. After all, this is a country run by major merchants pooling their funds. But, well, almost all the current Merchant Kings are second or third-generation heirs. For a short-lived race, it’s not easy to manage a thriving business while studying politics”
“……I suppose that makes sense”
To rise to prominence as a merchant in a single generation, only to abandon it all to run the country. Emotionally, that must be quite difficult. Just then, Narisu suddenly poked her face in.
“None of that matters to me”
“None of it matters, you say……”
“It’s not like we’re going to Noikis or becoming kings, is it? We’re just going to eat the local cuisine, that’s all. Does politics or national borders have anything to do with good food? No!”
“……In a way, that’s refreshing, you know……”
“Talking about politics just ends up being a rant about how dissatisfied you are. It’s the worst possible accompaniment to a meal”
She has a point, though. Even though it’s called Noikis cuisine, it’s still on the shores of Lake Valery, so it’s basically no different from the Valery cuisine I ate that time, the kind where they compete on the size of the small plates. However, Noikis is a region particularly known for its thriving fishing industry, and they pride themselves on their skill with fish dishes.
“Apparently, they don’t actually go all the way to Lake Valery just for the fish itself……but they do hire an elf who’s skilled in freezing magic right here at the restaurant. The freshness is spot-on. They serve everything from whole fish in hot pot to sweet-braised, salt-grilled, herb-grilled, and dried fish and even raw sashimi. Just look at how beautifully this is arranged! Wait, Bear-chan, don’t eat the whole thing in one bite! That’s such a waste!”
“Eh? Are we supposed to eat this all so slowly and daintily from such a tiny plate?”
“Sashimi is one slice at a time! See the little dishes with salt and sauce over here? Just dip it in a little……just a little is fine, you don’t need to soak it in!”
“That’s such a hassle”
Well, eating with her hands is understandable, but Beatrice is still growing, after all. In all sorts of ways. Her eating style is becoming quite hearty.
“I wonder, it has a strange texture”
“It’s a fish called flounder. I’ve eaten it a few times back in the Alfilm era. It was from the sea, though”
Sharon and Almeida seem to be enjoying it quite normally. Apparently, Almeida eats a surprisingly wide variety of fish. Well, I guess I’m the odd one out, having lived so far inland for so long from their perspective.
“The fish’s……head……?”
“Isn’t this what’s commonly called arai?”
Princess Ran is overwhelmed by the raw fish head served on a slightly larger plate, while Fiona glares at us. But then, Charlotte smoothly extends her fork from the side.
“!”
“T, This is called kabutoni……there are actually quite a few edible parts on a fish’s head……”
“Charlotte-san……?”
“Like here, or here. ……You can eat the eyes too, but some people in the Blue Clan don’t like them……so you don’t have to force yourself……”
Charlotte begins to flake the fish apart to make it easier to eat. ……The Blue Clan. Come to think of it, Charlotte’s Blue Clan was known for its thriving fishing industry. They used to have drinking parties by the seaside with fish dishes all the time. She removes the eyeballs as well. In stark contrast to Princess Ran, who hesitates just a little, Fiona reaches for the eyeballs with her spoon without hesitation and pops one into her mouth.
“Sh, She ate it……?”
“If they say it’s edible, then I suppose it is. I’ll try it first……umm. It’s not bad”
“W, Well, since the outside is tasty……you don’t have to eat all the way to the center……hmm, but”
“Hmm. I see”
As always, she’s the type who has absolutely no hesitation about anything people tell her is 「Edible」. I’m the type who hesitates a bit before eating things. Or rather, I don’t eat much fish, and no one’s ever offered me an eyeball before. Meanwhile, Luna silently pops one after another into her mouth, giving a thumbs-up to the cook-cum-waiter (apparently he wears both hats since the shop isn’t very big), while Neia, on the other hand, continues to devour a mountain of sausages with fluid ease. Both of them are eating with such single-minded enjoyment.
“To be able to eat something like this in the middle of the Great Invasion……Rennesto really does have a lot of leeway, doesn’t it……”
“It certainly is a world of difference from Catalina, isn’t it?”
Anzeros and Aurora are also impressed by the unexpected flavors and variety. As for me……I’m doing some research on alcohol with Hilda and Dianne. Well, you see, the dragons are waiting for us back at the mansion. We need to bring them a souvenir.
“This liquor is nice…I wonder what brand it is”
“That’s Ogre Killer. It’s just from Celesta”
“Hmm, but Ogre Killer is actually pretty popular with the dragon girls……I wonder what this is”
“What was that called again……ah, right, Twilight. Apparently it’s a liquor from the Goto Kingdom”
“Oh, a dwarf liquor? For that, the name’s pretty cool, and it has a light, refreshing taste”
“Apparently not all Goto liquors are dwarf liquors. ……But I’m torn. This mead is good too”
It’s not like we’re just having fun, you know. Yeah.