/
Gravior Empire’s capital, Argentum, was covered by clouds that seemed like it was heavy with tears.
There were carriages that initially dashed under the large doors, but as they near the center of the town, the crowd thickens, and slowly but surely, the pacing slows. Once you start seeing the imperial castle, the carriage would jostle the waves of crowd, becoming as slow as the pace of a turtle.
Just in case, to prepare for the carriages of the rich people, they’re letting them on the path for streetwalkers, but, after all, they fail to move any quicker (T/Notes literal translation: it is like pouring water on heated stone). For those who have little patience, it would have been faster to quickly leave the carriages and then run, so there were people who speak irritably, but as expected that would be against common courtesy, and somehow they calm themselves after being warned.
“Even so, there are so many people. What kind of festival could it be?”
Looking from a gap in the window, the number of people were like preserved food boiled in soy (T/n: lol can you imagine this?), at the half amazed half surprised tone from Revan, the red dressed 2.5 head sized doll, Chibi Chibi Hiyuki-chan responded with a bitter smile.
“No, no, because it is a city of this scale, the intimacy of the populace is different from Viridis or Ara. It’s because at this time is it the time to go home, and on top of that it’s this sort of weather. Because everyone wants to finish work early and go home that it became this crowded. On the other hand, if the rain were to fall there wouldn’t be so many people walking on the streets.
In this world where dye techniques were yet to be developed, once rain falls on your clothes the dye will fade. And as such, those wearing clothes with superior dye would normally not walk outside when it rains.
“You mean to come at a bad time?”
The beast race don’t have the habit of buying things as some jobs are tied to the time and weather, and since they don’t think of it often, to be making an enquiry during this weather – although speaking of it, the urgency of the beast race and with the way the Imperial Crimson has been utilizing their mobility they’ve been acting in this absurd way – and this negotiation might fail because of that, Revan thought, bitterly regretting it.
The impetus for the events are, the day before, Hiyuki discovered the teleportation device – which is different from a teleportation circle, to allow for minor adjustments in transportation, and it is temporarily stored in the owner, Hiyuki’s space inventory, carried home and installed it there- and concerning the agreement’s treatment,
The contents (the existence of the teleporter, and also its use for free trade)of course would create ripples that would even reach the prime minister of the country. Soon, instead of communicating with documents, there will be conferences, and if possible, to have it held urgently, behind-the-scenes, and then to return with the reply from the prime minister.
“If it’s going to be hush hush, I’m going to participate too.”
“You can’t!!” at Hiyuki who easily said such a thing, King Collard, me, Tengai-sama, Mikoto, the four of us quickly stopped her. As such, it proceeded that the representatives for the countries involved which have the teleportation device, and those with more mobility comparatively will be heading there.
“…Um, Princess. Do you plan to join the conferences in that form?” He enquired Hiyuki who had a little girl’s attitude fitting of her appearance, and is somewhat mysteriously sightseeing on a street in Argentum.
“And so? Since I can’t come directly the only way I can be here is if I compromise by being in this form.” she looked over her shoulder, a rarely unsatisfied expression on her face while she expanded her cheeks. (T/n: like a chipmunk!)
ミnah, it would have been find to not come here, and would have wanted to wait in a dignified manner for the report in the castle.
Revan caught on to the words that almost came out of her mouth.
“Normally if kids are brought along it would have to be consulted beforehand, isn’t it?”
“Then, isn’t it fine to just act as if I’m just a doll and let someone carry me and walk there? If you were to say it’s the Beast Race’s tradition, then they surely could be persuaded, certainly.”
“Based on common knowledge, it’s to a point where the beast race are said to be beings that are naked and armed with a spear, saying ‘Uho uho!‘ while eating a banana,” added Hiyuki.
“You, what do you think the beast race are?!” Once again, Revan had to hold back from yelling with all his might. On one side, the attendants of the beast race had turned their faces away in order to avoid being dragged into the mess.
“I absolutely won’t hug such a doll and head to the meeting. Rather than going to the location, it’s more of wanting to escape from it. ” and, without a word, everyone had refused to do it.
And in that way, through the process of elimination, I had to carry the doll there personally?! Towards the place where the secret discussion with the Empire’s Prime Minister will occur, while carrying a doll of a girl?! What kind of punishment is this?!
At the shoulder of Revan who was quietly hugging this head, Hiyuki who had what seems to be an innocent smile, lightly pat on his shoulder with a ‘pon pon’ sound,
“Well, you can think of it as bringing your little sister for a sightseeing trip, Onii-chan♪”
“If we’re speaking of stepsisters*, I had enough with one.”
“Forget about your previous little sister, and spoil this new sister, onii-chama~” At the words of Revan, Chibi Chibi Hiyuki clung onto Revan’s arm and snuggled against it as she replied.
“Uu-” he knew that she’s only doing it as a joke, but as her cuteness was overwhelming, he hugged her by reflex and succumbed to patting her head.
◆◇◆◇
At the same time, in the lion tribe’s mobile settlement…
Asmina who was meditating for her brother’s safety suddenly received a revelation.
“-tsk!!”
“Is there something wrong, Asmina-sama?”
Ignoring Jisis’s knitted eyebrows, Asmina raised herself to her full height at the strong sense of disturbance.
“It’s dangerous! Danger is heading towards Revan-nii!”
“How could it be!? (T/N:Nandesuto!)”
“A strong opponent is approaching! It feels like if I leave it as it is, my position as a sister will be stolen from me!!!”
“What …for…? (T/N: Nandesuto? – can be interpreted differently based on context but they basically said the same thing with a different tone.)”
◆◇◆◇
“That aforementioned special envoy – the beast tribe’s “Beast King”, wasn’t it. It seems like he’s entered the town.”
Warren, the marquis of Gravior ( and also the Prime Minister), is an aquiline-nosed man facing his work desk who temporarily placed down his pen.
The timing when he chose to rest must have been chosen properly. The man, no, someone who should be called a youth, dressed in the merchant’s garb who is sitting sofa for guests, had an air of a thoughtless pale existence, looking up with a ‘speaking of which, he’s there huh…’ expression.
“To be accurate, it’s the ‘Candidate for Beast King’. Then again, there isn’t that much difference between one of the other.” with an expression as if they don’t have the time to think about it, he skimmed through the documents again.
“A plan for an unofficial meeting isn’t it? It would be better to be prepared just in case, isn’t it?”
In a short instant, he looked up from his documents and glared at the other person.
“No, it’s not necessary. Since there’s no way he would be able to reach this mansion. Pretty soon, not even the imperial capital… if there’s more time I wouldn’t even need to resort to a strong measure to sort this out -or did you not have confidence in the outcome?“
“Of course not~ you’ll definitely complete the task, but, if no alibis are made, then wouldn’t their people come looking for me?”
“Fnn. You mean the Emperor’s faction? That bunch of people are always making a fuss whenever there’s a plot. There’s nothing to be done except to face them one by one. If it’s the same thing, it wouldn’t be a waste of time to eliminate them.”
A conference to discuss the life of people also have equal value, afterwards it’s a problem of efficiency.  Inhumane – even if we were to say as such, the manner of speaking as if he so thoroughly look at life lightly, with the youth’s words,  “it’s just how it is”, and once again, he responded as if it doesn’t really matter.
“And I just want to make a final confirmation, it’s fine even if I destroy the ‘Teleportation Device’ right? Even if it seems like it could be very useful.”
“I don’t need it. I don’t have time to deal with such an unnecessary cause of conflict.”
It’s true that a teleportation device which is able to move a large amount of people and things has a certain allure to it. Even amongst the officers whose opinions were taken from had opined that such a thing should be taken back from the Cress Freedom Nation.
However, if it’s clearly military force invading, without a doubt the Cress and their suzerain state, Imperial Crimson will be joining the war.
For a country which location still hasn’t been discovered, Imperial Crimson may be ignored and treated like a paper tiger, but Warren despise the strength of an opponent who managed to increase their territory by that much in just under half a year.
No, rather than the threat posed by the opponent, it’s more of a problem of his own country’s condition.
When the Cress-Centlunar Federation broke apart, even though they managed to take advantage of the confusion to gain territory, it had been a dangerous gamble. If the war had been dragged then they would have not been able to maintain the frontlines. At the actual spot, the Empire has only the remaining strength to hold a large-scale war.
The major power with high social status Gravior which holds a long history and a beautiful tradition is backed by other country.
Even with such a promotional line, from where Warren was it looked like everything was only to keep up appearance, and besides empty descriptive praises, he didn’t hear about anything else.
At the end of the day, there are no things worth praising now which is why there are only glowing from praises of the past isn’t it.
In reality the royalty take from the poor, and between barons, briberies were given, abusing the authority of government officials to fatten one’s own wallet, without working hard for the benefit of the people and then shifting the blame to other countries.
It became a bed of worsening tradition, depravity, laziness, playing on words and shifting blame.
No matter what, these should be destroyed. But if you were to look at Amitia Kingdom, there are some effects in an effort to quickly change a society’s governing. Time is of essence to fix this country.
The emperor who liked new things, even though it is now my task, when he had heard about this, he had wanted to start a free trade agreement with imperial crimson thoughtlessly.
But if this were to happen, the current relationship balance with Holy Aeon Kingdom will be destroyed.
Which is why it became a necessity to cut the idea short before it even reaches the ears of the emperor.
That the representative of Cress Freedom Alliance met an ‘unfortunate accident’ before the unofficial discussions began. From the start with this person had never came here. It will probably be unlikely for us to be blamed officially.
Without it being said there is also a chance that it became known that the person died in a broad interpretation, maybe even the announcement of war – but likely it will not lead to such an outcome, Warren mused.
Imperial crimson had so far not taken any initiative to start a war, and aim to be the one to respond to it. Also, the leader of the country who is only known as “princess” or “Her majesty, is how she is addressed – we learnt by hearsay of someone, the correspondence — rather than using the common play of words of those who are from royalty, the plain words had communicated the business succinctly, furthermore, it wasn’t uninteresting but well-thought and you can feel the care taken in writing it, at the very least you could feel delight from it, – from it, he can feel the reasonableness and integrity of the writer which was similar to himself.
In that case, from here, they can express how regrettable it is in the next territorial negotiations. Probably the both parties will have to compromise.
Cress teleportation device was “attacked by someone” and destroyed.
That will be alright.
To begin with this was something with doesn’t exist, and we’re only making turning the situation back to how it was.
Suddenly, when he realized the youth sitting on the sofa had disappeared.
Raising his eyebrows as he had left without a single greeting, and his sneakiness during this incident, Warren looked out to the skies from the windows.
The skies were thick with clouds, as if the night was covering the streets and from far away, the lightning began to roar. The wind which strengthened as time passed caused the windows to rattle. It’s only a matter of time till it rains.
“We might fall into ruin today…” (t/n: the sentence can also mean it might be stormy today, but I’m using the more dramatic interpretation)
Sighing and whispering this, Warren once again returned to sorting out the documents, extending his hand which held the pen.