343 - The Blue Orb in My Heart
――South Banseime.
A while after noon, Erhart showed his face at the guild. He had returned to report after completing the job he had been commissioned for.
The request had been for patrols around South Banseime. Many soldiers were away, and thus, requests were being issued to the guild's adventurers to make up for the shortage of manpower.
Lyune was working at the counter as a receptionist. When she saw Erhart, she waved her hand.
"Good work on the job."
"Yeah, it's done. More importantly, has any information come in? It's been a while since they departed, but I haven't heard any rumors."
Rumors――naturally, he meant the war in Central. Groundless rumors would reach him, but nothing accurate had reached Erhart's ears.
He wasn't particularly skilled at gathering information to begin with. One of his party members was the one who collected such intel.
However, even that member had yet to obtain any accurate information. Was the war still continuing? Or had they won? Had they lost? Erhart was curious as well.
"As expected, no information has come in. Was it the Valkyries? They seemed to have gathered everything, so it looks like there's no means of communication."
Erhart handed the documents to Lyune and placed a hand on his chin.
"I see. Well, maybe it's not something that ends quickly, but I'm still curious."
The battle that would decide the fate of the continent――that is what it was called. However, as a practical matter, it was a war in a distant place.
The people around him were concerned, but they continued to live their own lives.
While Lyune was talking with Erhart, Marianne rushed into the guild. She was out of breath, drawing the gaze of the staff and adventurers inside the guild.
Marianne caught her breath and spoke with a smile.
"They won! The Allied Forces are victorious. Apparently, they've overthrown the Banseime Kingdom! It seems some of the forces are returning. That's why information finally reached us! It looks like the army has already arrived in Lufence."
Hearing that, the atmosphere inside the guild brightened instantly. Because Lyune hugged him, Erhart was surprised, but given the surrounding atmosphere, he hugged her back and they rejoiced together.
Marianne watched them with a happy expression――.
――In the royal castle of Lufence, one of the Valkyries had gone to see Rianne.
It was not Number Thirty-Four.
Though the black hair and face were the same, Rianne could tell the difference by the subtle variations in hairstyle and clothing.
Number Thirty-Four did not come to see Rianne. If a Valkyrie carrying a wooden box and a letter came to see her, she would notice.
Rianne stood up from her chair and walked down to the Valkyrie. She then accepted the offered wooden box and letter.
However, the letter was from her family home, Fanbayle. Setting the letter aside, Rianne opened the wooden box. Inside was a braided pink string. It was something Rianne had given.
"...There's no meaning in only this returning. That girl was a fool until the very end, wasn't she?"
The Valkyrie before her, her sister, nodded.
"Yes, she was a fool. However, she fulfilled her duty. Please praise her. And she held onto this specifically with great care. I believe she didn't want it to burn away with her. I have her final words... 'I have prepared the outfits for the Chick-sama. Please look in the dresser,' she said."
Rianne was laughing. She laughed, clutching her stomach with both hands because it was so absurd. Then, she approached and opened the dresser where Number Thirty-Four had presumably stored them.
Inside, everything from baby clothes to children's clothes was prepared.
"Truly a foolish girl... worrying so much about things so far in the future..."
Rianne's tear fell onto one of the garments. Wiping her tears, she opened the letter from Fanbayle. It contained content expressing concern for their daughter.
At the same time, it stated that the first wife had been decided as Novem. Rianne laughed.
The Valkyrie looked at Rianne with concern.
"Please do not act out of desperation. Besides, Number Thirty-Four also――"
"――Desperation? I have no time for such things. Besides, I've received that girl's final message. Well, the seat of the first wife has been stolen, but I am still one of the concubines. The possibility of making a comeback from here isn't zero. Well, I think I'll hurry toward Central, though."
The Valkyrie asked.
"Is the preparation of clothes the message?"
Rianne wiped her tears and turned back to the Valkyrie.
"Yes, it's typical of that girl who wanted to see the child's face. It's an urging to see the child――the face of Chick-sama――quickly. Though she cannot see it herself. But you all want to see, don't you?"
At that, the Valkyrie before her straightened her posture.
"――I am Number Seventy-One. I belong to the faction supporting Rianne-san. Please, let that duty be mine!"
Rianne smiled at the Valkyrie, who spoke with a sharp, determined expression.
"I see. I look forward to working with you, Number Seventy-One-san. Now, first, arrange for this dresser to be transported. Carry it with care. Also, prepare to head for Central――"
"Regarding that, Central has become a mountain of rubble. Since the mobile fortress was also destroyed, it seems there is a need to prepare a new capital. They say a location has already been found."
Rianne let out a sigh. There was no time to grieve.
"Do they have any idea how much that mobile fortress cost? Well, as long as we won, it's fine. We can recover as much as we want from now on. Then, shall we head there after a bit of preparation? It's going to be busy. But... a new capital. That sounds interesting."
While Rianne showed motivation, she was also quietly burning with fighting spirit toward Novem.
"Besides, it might be a good idea to seriously aim for his favor. I want a child soon, after all."
The Valkyrie nodded repeatedly――.
――North Banseime. Adele's office.
Having received the documents explaining the victory report and the current situation, Adele was holding her head in her hands.
"The capital of Central is a mountain of rubble... The mobile fortress was blown away and heavily damaged. Why did it come to this... The capital of Central had history! And the cost of that mobile fortress was incredibly high! That's why I hated those kinds of weapons!"
Facing the teary-eyed Adele, the Valkyrie looked unmotivated. Adele was not Lariel's bride. In other words, she would not bear Lariel's children.
As a result, she was a low-priority target for the Valkyries. The Valkyrie, fiddling with her long black hair with her fingertips, let out a sigh.
"...More importantly, could you please get ready quickly? Since there's a shortage of civil officials, I've been told to call Adele-san."
Adele slammed her hands on her desk repeatedly, making a loud banging sound.
"Why do you have that attitude! Besides, saying it's fine as long as we won is crazy! We should have had a victory with fewer casualties――"
"Ah, that was honestly impossible. Well, the report is summarized here, so please read it."
What the Valkyrie took out of her bag was the report for this occasion. A single sheet of paper was packed tightly with small characters.
And it wasn't a small amount.
"...Is there not a summarized version?"
The Valkyrie replied unmotivatedly.
"We beat Celes. Agrissa appeared and lost to Novem. Novem was confessed to by the Master and surrendered. That's all. Ah, it seems the flow is that some golden dragon was the mastermind, or rather, a powerful enemy."
Adele banged her desk again.
"More details! I don't understand anything when you put it like that!"
The Valkyrie let out a "Ehh~" sound, looking truly displeased――.
"Urban development? As a maid, what use are you if you can't do at least that? From choosing the location to the design, leave it to this Monica. I'll prepare a capital befitting a chicken coward――"
"I'll be honest, I'm fine with prioritizing functionality. But, I think being shabby is just wrong, so I'd like a dignified feel. You know, gold leaf is tough on the budget, but if it looks luxurious, I'd prefer that."
Numerous tents were pitched around us. We, who were surrounding a large desk outside, decided to place the capital in the location Monica had chosen.
Monica spoke mostly in jokes, but the location she chose was indeed a place suitable for a capital. If there was a problem, it would be that the preliminary work and foundation construction were tedious.
Flood control and various other things――there were reasons why a capital had not been placed here until now. However, in a sense, specialists were gathered here.
Novem nodded while looking at me.
"Shall we make a plan that considers not only Lariel-sama's era but also future development? For that, the foundation is important. Leave it to me. Though I've lost most of my power, I, Novem, shall present a capital to Lariel-sama as a gi――"
"That kind of thing isn't great, right? There are plenty of soldiers, and I want to give them work. Look, the other armies have gone back, and it's tough for just us to support over a hundred thousand people."
Miranda watched with a smile as Novem spoke like Septem-san, who had spoiled people too much and made them useless. Novem gave a forced cough.
"We really have to be conscious of the post-war period~. There's the problem of food, but supporting soldiers with no work is harsh. But, that golden dragon."
"Legend Dragon."
When I provided the name accurately, Miranda corrected herself. Because it's pitiful, I want them to remember the name properly. For now, it's positioned as the powerful enemy that stood in the way at the end of this battle.
"Yeah, the magic stones and materials of the Legend Dragon... it'll take time for their value to become known, so there's the issue of money."
Damian pushed up his glasses with his fingertip.
"I think they're amazing as materials, though. It'll probably be a while before we think of how to utilize them."
Old man Ratata looked at some of the materials they had brought.
"...Honestly, only one appeared, so why are there so many materials? There's enough for three or four. Well, if we handle them for a while, it's certain that Damian and I can find out what they're suited for."
Damian didn't seem very motivated.
"Honestly, for me, this lost time is a waste. I want to pursue the ideal woman, so why am I involved in urban development in a place like this?"
I said to Damian.
"Because a portion of the materials we distribute will become your research funds. Find a way to use them so that people will buy them at a high price."
Damian smiled.
"Leave it to me. It's for my research funds. This is an important issue for me as well!"
Having talked him into it, I looked up at the sky. The weather was good today.
Suddenly, my right hand reached for the orb and gripped it, but there was no reaction. It seems it really has returned to being a plain blue orb.
Will it ever revive into a treasure orb again? Or is it better to remain an orb as it is?
...No good. I feel as if I can still hear the voices of the successive heads somewhere.
Then, Shannon was looking at me.
"Lariel, you look lonely. Oops, even if you say it's not true, this Shannon-sama can tell. After all, with these eyes inherited from Great-Great-Grandmother Mireia, I can see through everything!"
Seeing Shannon strike a pose, I laughed. There was no time to be sad. Everything ends when I die.
Until then, I have no choice but to keep walking. I have no choice but to keep moving forward.
"Well, let's make sure the foundation work for the new capital is solid. It's for the future. After that... as long as it has sufficient functionality, it'll be fine. I want to declare the founding of the nation in some form by the time spring passes."
I still can't let my guard down. Some army might take this moment to attack. I want to believe there are no fools, but it wouldn't be funny to be defeated by such a fool.
Then, Monica looked toward me.
"Oops, chicken coward. Rianne-san of Lufence says she'll transport the tools and materials necessary for the construction of the new capital. That's great. Apparently, she's offering congratulations on the first wife being decided."
Monica was smirking.
I looked away. When the talk of the first wife came up――well, she's the Empress, but everyone's gaze gathered on Novem.
Placing a hand on her cheek and tilting her head slightly, Novem directed a provocative gaze toward the surroundings. Since Miranda reacted immediately, I retreated together with Shannon.
"Hey! You do something about this!"
"You idiot! All I can do is be mindful so that everyone doesn't explode. I don't know what happens after they explode! I'm a man who doesn't challenge battles where there's no prospect of winning!"
As I fled with Shannon, I encountered Aria and Eva at the place I escaped to. While thinking it was a rare combination, I saw the two of them talking.
Since they were talking seriously, I peeked at them from behind some cover.
"The first generation's wife? Well, she was an amazing person."
"Details on that part! Please, I have a duty to compile the songs of the clan. I could tell just by looking. The Walt family is interesting! That's why I want to know more! Honestly, it would have been better if Lariel had confessed various things sooner."
It seems they are seriously researching my clan. It's a bit scary that Eva, who usually exaggerates, is being serious.
Then, Shannon, who was hiding with me, spoke.
"Come to think of it, Clara was also thinking about something seriously."
Clara has also started moving. Thinking about that, my heart truly grew heavy. I just hope Clara and Eva don't burn with some strange rivalry.
Then, Shannon looked at me and said.
"It's tough, isn't it? Having so many wives. They increased again, didn't they? Well, keep doing your best from now on. Ah, I'm one of the wives too, but as long as you let me live leisurely every day, I won't complain about anything else."
I pinched Shannon's cheek.
"Hey, I might consider the latter part, but what do you mean by 'increased' in the first part!"
Shannon struggled to remove my right hand from her cheek.
"B-because! Everyone was saying that they can't compete with Novem if they're alone! Ludmila is contacting the King of Jampea, and other inquiries are coming in, so Lariel already knows..."
I released Shannon's cheek and staggered backward.
"I-impossible. There are already over ten of them. Are you idiots! You're idiots, right! You guys actually hate me, don't you?"
Then, Shannon grinned.
"Did you only just realize? That's right... what we're aiming for is the sight of Lariel's spirit wearing down as he withers away!"
"I-I knew it! You, do you really hate me that much!"
While I was making a scene, Vera came to us. She wasn't surprised even after hearing the conversation between me and Shannon.
"You two get along well. Also, I'm returning temporarily, so could you lend me Clara? There's cargo to be moved, and I'd like to use Clara's transport team."
I said to Vera.
"It's fine if you leave half of them. I have uses for them here too. But, now that this has happened, the loss of the Porters really hurts."
If considering only movement speed, the Porters were very fast. If the wheels, the tires, were custom-made, the Porters had power reactors made of magic ore... I've lost precious comrades.
Shannon also grew teary.
"Uuu, Porters... I miss the comfort of those cargo beds."
Currently, life in tents continues. I also miss the Porters' cargo beds. Vera looked at us in our grief.
"...Well, they were like partners you've known for a long time, right? For me, I suppose it would be ships? Then, since I'm returning once, is there anything you want?"
Then, an idea occurred to me. I said to Vera with a smile.
"I want kindness!"
I said that. There are cruel wives who are thinking about increasing my number of wives. I think it's fine for me to seek kindness. Then, Vera began to think with a serious expression.
"Kindness... like tolerance? I wonder if you'd accept a woman like that?"
"...Eh?"
While I was confused, Vera explained.
"Ah, no. I don't want to, but a discussion came up from the guild side that even if you're officially placed under the country's management, it might be better to send someone. You see, Lariel's impression as a womanizer is too strong..."
It's a misunderstanding. A complete misunderstanding. There are many women around me. There certainly are, but I felt that the impression the world has of me is far removed from the actual me.
"...Please decline in that direction."
Vera nodded.
"I understand. I'll tell my father that too. Well, I'll choose the souvenirs on my end, so look forward to it."
As Vera left, Shannon pinched and pulled my trousers.
"What is it?"
"You're absolutely going to end up in a terrible situation. If you don't tell everyone clearly while you still can, it'll become irreversible."
I thought so too. As I gripped the orb, I felt as if I could hear the voices of the predecessors, sounding exasperated and yet enjoying this situation.
"I get it. I'll tell them immediately. L-let's go back."
"Eh, no way. Go back by yourself."
With a smile, I dragged Shannon along and headed toward the battlefield where Novem and Miranda were.