kscans

Chapter 181 - The Raid on the Elven Palace and the Discussion Afterward

We were shown to a conference room. The room didn't face the front or inner courtyards, so it was undamaged by the raid. Before that, Mo, Famu, and the others had taken a bath. I wasn't allowed to join them. Reluctantly, I cleaned myself up with laundry magic. There were many things I couldn't accept, but I decided to let loose tonight to make up for it. Augustus sat in the seat of honor at the head of the table, a sour look on his face.

"I will entrust my daughter to Mash, as she wishes,"

he said. It seemed I'd graduated from being called 'you' and was now being spoken to with normal feelings. Though he was the nominal head of the Star Union family, it appeared Marina held the real power, perhaps because he had married into the family. He couldn't go against Marina's words. The magic knights also seemed to act while gauging Marina's expression. The clincher was Patricia. She hadn't hesitated to use her iron fist on anyone, no matter how high their station, but a single glare from Marina had her trembling. I decided I would be careful not to incur her displeasure from now on. If such a situation arose, I resolved to push all responsibility onto Patricia. As I watched her pour tea into the cups on the table, our eyes met.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Help, or rather, I don't see Marina and Mo?"

"Fufufu..., they are getting ready, so please wait just a little longer,"

Patricia said with a smile.

"So, Patricia, what are you going to do now?"

"What I'm going to do... I intend to serve Mo-sama for my entire life, but I wonder what I should do while she is away on adventures..."

she sighed.

"You plan to serve her for life? What about marriage?"

I found myself asking like a concerned uncle.

"I wonder? But if Mo-sama deems it necessary, perhaps she will find a suitable partner for me?"

She seemed so concerned about Mo's partner, yet she was indifferent about her own affairs. If that was the case, Mo would likely bring back a truly random partner.

"You won't look for one yourself?"

"Me? I think I'm the type to fall in love easily, but I'm more interested in other people's love lives. I'm counting on you to take good care of Mo-sama!"

Patricia replied. Next to me, Famu had been staring intently at the amber liquid swaying in her cup. My tea was mixed with mead, while hers was not.

"...Alright. Just one sip,"

I said, offering my cup. She slurped it all down.

"When alcohol is mixed with tea, the taste changes so much. The flavor deepens and it seems sweeter. Above all, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy."

"Hey, if you fall asleep, I'm leaving you behind today."

Seeing Famu like that reminded me of a certain prime minister from a country of tea, but I knew she wouldn't get it, so I kept quiet. Since tea was the main ingredient, I hoped the alcohol content was low. The scent of soap from her bath wafted from her. Looking closely, her hair and droopy ears still seemed a bit damp.

"You're still not dry."

I used wind magic to blow warm air and dry her hair and ears. She squinted, receiving the wind comfortably. This was a result of being able to control the temperature thanks to Mo. After blowing air on them for a while, her ears were fluffy.

Watching our exchange with a faint smile was Maryanne. She was the head of the One-Land family. Now treated as a guest, she sat in a chair next to Augustus. I thought it might look out of place, but her posture was impeccable, and she exuded an air of dignity. It was clear she had received a proper education as a family head. That was something Maryanne had that Mo lacked.

Several things were decided during the discussion. First, as Augustus had said earlier, Mo was permitted to accompany us. Furthermore, they would continue to support Cecily and the others in their enrollment into the magic academy. It also seemed that trade with the Mateo Trading Company would commence. Additionally, I introduced Yanan, and they agreed to consider diplomatic relations with the Earth Dragon Kingdom. This would start with deepening ties with the Star Union family, and then be deliberated by the senate. It seemed the destruction of the mansion would be overlooked. Since it was Mo who had cast the magic, it would be framed as the result of an ugly parent-child dispute, but there was another intention behind this. For the time being, at least, things had been settled in a way that was convenient for us. As we were talking, Marina and Mo entered the room. Mo was dressed in a white, gown-like outfit. Made of a glossy, silk-like material, the garment started with a delicate lace-trimmed bustline, then followed her girlish curves down to her waist. The hem flared out in lace to her feet, further enhancing her loveliness. She also wore a thin silk veil, which filtered the light, casting a soft glow as it gently enveloped her face. As I was captivated by her pure appearance, Mo raised the corners of her rouge-painted lips slightly. That smile made her seem like a different person from the child I had thought she was. She sat in the seat across from me, next to Marina.

"...This is a wedding dress."

"Ah, uh..."

Her tone was so casual, as if nothing had happened, that I could only manage a stupid reply.

"...I want you to praise me."

"W-Well... It's a beautiful dress."

I could feel my cheeks growing hot.

"...I don't want you to praise the dress. I want you to praise me."

"Wait a minute. I'd rather do this when we're alone, if that's okay?"

"...Before I came in, you were flirting with Famu in front of everyone."

"Th-That wasn't my intention... Mo... no, I will do my best to not let Mo's beautiful skin get hurt..."

Her parents were right here. Even if she told me to praise her, I was too nervous to find the words. I had to say something, so I stammered out a reply, and Augustus cleared his throat.

"About the two of you's ceremony..."

I thought he was throwing me a lifeline, but I was wrong. His words made me even more flustered. I hadn't even done anything with Famu or Mizuki yet, so I couldn't just put Mo first. But the reason I had stormed this mansion was to take her. And I had fought, saying I liked her. This was a natural course of events.

"We can't decide this on the authority of the Star Union family alone. There is the matter of the elven race and our relationship with the Leafkraut family. In particular, we have crushed the pride of Mo's fiancé, Zeno Leafkraut."

He hadn't brought up the wedding out of excitement.

"Will there be retaliation?"

"We will do our best to mediate. I don't believe there will be anything direct from the elven council of elders. However..."

Augustus trailed off. Even as one of the rulers of this city, was his standing within his own race a separate matter?

"This incident was, I should say, convenient for my daughter, and for the Star Union family. But that means the Leafkraut family's resentment will be directed at you."

A hero from another world had raided the Star Union mansion, destroyed it, and stolen their daughter. And the daughter, too, had fought with her mother and decided to elope with the hero.

"Understood. I stole Mo. The Star Union family does not condone it. That's fine."

It seemed Augustus intended to use this incident as a pretext to break off his daughter's engagement. I wanted to avoid having their resentment directed at Famu and the others, but I had sworn to protect Mo. It was better for me to take it than for it to be directed at her parents, who couldn't travel with her.

"Zeno is strong. Please, do not overestimate your own power."

"By the way, where is Zeno now?"

"The Leafkraut mansion is in the district under the control of the Star Union family. However, he is never there. I hear he is usually exploring dungeons."

"The Crystal Palace?"

That was the common name for the dungeon floating above the city of Miglutt. He shook his head at my words.

"Not a specific dungeon. Also, there is a dungeon that he created."

I made a mental note not to enter such a terrifying place.

"And now, we have a proposal from our side,"

Marina said.

"That said, we have no intention of making a proposal you cannot accept."

She must have noticed me flinch for a moment. She smiled.

"It concerns the rabbit-eared girl with you. How would you feel about leaving her in our care?"

I didn't know how to react. Reeni, who had been nibbling on a rusk-like baked sweet next to Shizuka, turned to look at me.

"Of course, not as a servant. If you wish, we will provide her with an education in the same environment as our daughter."

"Well, but..."

I could vaguely understand Marina's intention. She recognized Reeni as a future wife candidate for me. Her intention to indebt me was the same as the Mateo Trading Company's, but her thinking likely had another motive. That is, as a hostage in case something happened to Mo. And if they gave her an education convenient for the Star Union family, they could influence her even after she grew up. It would be a good thing for Reeni. While we were away on adventures, she would be under the protection of the Star Union family. With that in mind, I had been thinking it would be fine to entrust Reeni to the Star Union family until we came to this city. But now, my thinking had changed. It was because she had grown too attached to Shizuka. I felt guilty about separating them. Besides, arrangements had already been made for her to be looked after by the Mateo Trading Company. I glanced at Claire, and she fluttered her hands, saying, "Don't worry about it."

She probably saw the connection with the Star Union family as a business opportunity. I couldn't make waves now.

"Reeni will follow whatever Mash decides."

Her words stung my chest. I noticed Shizuka was looking at me with an expression on the verge of tears. But she had someone named Kou-kun. If she were reunited with him, the situation would change, and she might not be able to stay with Reeni. I couldn't just find another parental figure for her at that point. I couldn't leave Reeni in an unstable environment.

"Reeni doesn't want to cause trouble for anyone,"

she said.

"You don't have to think about that. And it's okay to cause trouble. We're companions."

"...Okay. Ever since I met Mash, Reeni has had so much fun. I love Shizuka, too."

She nodded hesitantly with a tense expression. Was she sensing my hesitation? Next to her, Shizuka was looking down. A tear dropped onto the table. It had only been about half a month since I met Reeni. But enough time had passed for me to know her.

"Reeni, both I and Shizuka have things we must do. Those are our own circumstances. You can say what you want to do, too."

She fell silent. She seemed to be hesitating, wondering if it was okay to speak. I decided to wait until she started talking on her own.

"Reeni wants to be an adventurer. Mash is weak, so I want to become an adventurer and protect Mash."

Was that really her own will? Wasn't she just saying what she thought I wanted to hear? I glanced at Shizuka, and she looked up and nodded at me.

"Alright. I'll accept that as Reeni's will for now. But I can't take the current Reeni as a party member. You need to grow up a little more."

Reeni nodded.

"Is that acceptable?"

Marina asked. I nodded.

"In that case, we will take her in after all. We can teach her swordsmanship, and if she has an aptitude for magic, we can guide her down that path. Please don't misunderstand, we have no intention of taking her from you. We have no intention of restricting her freedom. We will not stop her from going to see you, nor will we stop you from coming to see her."

"...In that case,"

Shizuka murmured at Marina's words.

"If Reeni is going to live here, maybe I'll live here too. Because even if I'm with Mash, I can't have se—"

Patricia, who had moved behind her at some point, gave her a chop on the head. Her perception was incredible. If you limited it to lewd keywords, her ability far surpassed Famu's. She walked over to me. And for some reason, I got a chop on the head too.

"You're right. It might be better for Shizuka to live here than with Reeni,"

I said, rubbing my head.

"Why?"

she replied, also rubbing her head.

"Get some chastity education. Take this opportunity to become a decent person!"

"You need chastity education just as much as I do, Mash!"

The two of us glared at each other.