Ripening (4)

The war was not yet over.

To put it bluntly, it would not be strange for war to break out at any time, and there was a high chance that Branne had also crossed over to our side secretly this time.

That was because the Ingrad Wall was still under the Empire’s jurisdiction, and we had been notified that it would continue to be so going forward as well.

In addition, there was no reason to broaden our defensive point, so I had no intention of forcibly demanding that land either.

Since that place was still functioning normally, I believed that Branne had indeed forced her way over.

“Were there any obstacles on your way here?”

“Is there anyone who could obstruct me?”

True, I thought that if a Master made an armed demonstration, they would have no choice but to open the gate on their own. She might be called the ringleader of rebels, but unless one was also a Master, facing a Master itself was close to impossible.

Considering even the phrase “one-person army” was openly going around, I thought ordinary troops would certainly have had difficulty stopping Branne.

In addition, one more familiar woman entered my eyes. It was Galea, who had come before.

“Sir Galea, dressed like that, I almost could not recognize you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

The skin visible beyond her head, which she had slightly lowered in embarrassment, was turning red. If Galea and Branne had both lived as born knights, I could imagine how much effort their current clothing must have required, so I quietly asked,

“Would you like to move seats? I have received all the greetings, so if this place is uncomfortable, I am willing to move.”

“I would be grateful if you did so.”

Branne lowered her head politely and gracefully. Certainly, she felt so different from before that there was no small amount of awkwardness.

But I had been the one to bring it up first, and since I had things to discuss separately with Branne, I immediately rose from my seat and tried to move. Several princesses stared intently at me.

Onellia was among them, but it seemed she did not know that I was not the sort of person to blink even if she looked at me like that.

As I walked ahead, I saw Branne and Galea following me, so I slowed my pace a little to match theirs, and Branne said, “Thank you,” at my action.

Although she was a Master, it seemed walking quickly in a long, trailing dress was uncomfortable.

In addition, Galea appeared even more unused to it and was doing something that might be described as unseemly.

She was lifting the hem of her skirt a great deal and walking with her knees showing. However, rather than laughing at that sight, I simply thought she really was a born knight and asked,

“Is it a little more comfortable to walk like that?”

“It may look somewhat unsightly, but I believe it is enough as long as I am comfortable.”

“That is true. It is enough as long as you are comfortable. Let’s go.”

Like that, Branne, Galea, and Demina as my escort followed, and we were able to leave the banquet hall. As we entered a reception room inside the inner keep, I asked the two of them,

“There must have been severe obstruction on the way here… You have gone through much trouble.”

Branne and Galea were flustered by the sudden change in my manner of speaking, and seeing the two of them, I said,

“In official settings, I decided to use the manner of speech from earlier, and normally, I decided to live in the way I find comfortable. Even my vassals could not break my stubbornness.”

Hearing my words, Demina, who had followed us in, let out a sigh and said to Branne and Galea,

“He is obstinate. If he is a king, he should set an example, but where is there a king who speaks respectfully to his people? Is that not so?”

Leaving behind the two women, who looked at me awkwardly and could not say anything, I said to Demina,

“Do you think the seed of kings, marquises, generals, and ministers is anything special? In the end, they too eat, sleep, shit, and are only a ruling class steeped in self-interest. I only think of them as those who have a lot of power and those who do not.”

At my words, Demina gave up and said, “You are saying that again,” while Branne and Galea looked at me with surprised expressions after hearing my words.

“I did not know that the monarch’s thoughts were such.”

At Branne’s words, I shrugged and told her,

“From the common sense I know… there were many cases where people swaggered about just because they were kings and ended up dead. In addition, because I know the saying that a king exists only because there are people, I intend to rule, but not reign.”

“If that happens, the people who follow you will look down on the king. The nobles’ power will weaken, and authority will be thrown into the ground.”

“So? Is that not allowed?”

“….Why do you try to drag yourself into the gutter?”

“Why do you necessarily think that not reigning means I will enter the gutter?”

“….That is….”

Branne seemed to think about something, and I said to such a Branne,

“I just have to make them follow me on their own. If I am doing well, the people will surely follow me well. If not, and I reveal incompetence, would the people not speak through action? Unless I break down so badly that I cannot even realize that something is going wrong.”

“That and not reigning… do not make sense. The moment you become king, it is already no different from reigning.”

This was not a seat I had called her to for the sake of having a debate, so I thought a troublesome argument had begun. However, what had to be said had to be said.

“If a situation occurs where the people suffer because of me, then I think reigning while covering my eyes and ears and even silencing mouths would only cause harm. At that time, it would be better to step down on my own. They say to leave when people are still applauding, do they not?”

I did not know whether such a saying existed here too, but after hearing my words, Branne had an expression that said she could not understand. She was a creature of this place from birth.

I was someone unrelated to this world, and because of that, my educational environment and life were different.

I thought that was the disconnect it brought about. I had not hoped for her to understand, but I had thought she would know how to respect it a little, so it was unexpected.

But did this thought of mine show on my face?

“If I have offended you, please forgive me. It was a highly presumptuous situation and statement, so I had no choice but to question you.”

“Hmm… I understand. My thoughts are probably not ordinary. Still, I like living this way. Honestly, is it not enough if everyone lives smiling?”

“Most lives cannot live the life His Majesty the King speaks of. Only a specific ruling class lives smiling. I too was one of those who enjoyed such privileges, and most humans connected to me were the same. You alone are exceptionally practicing something different.”

“Is that not good? That there is one fellow like me in this world.”

Branne did not answer. Her expression was complicated, but it was not the same expression she had worn when she questioned me. It felt a little softer.

After we sat down like that, I spoke to her as she stood without sitting on the chair in front of me.

“Please sit. I would prefer not to be strict about stiff formalities.”

“….Thank you. Then…”

Soon, Branne sat modestly in the chair. It was an elegant movement. She certainly did not feel like the Branne I had known before.

Was that why…?

“I feel as if something has changed. Was your past appearance the real one? Or is your current appearance closer to the real one?”

“Which appearance would you prefer to be real?”

At Branne’s question, what Galea had said last time crossed my mind. So I thought it bothered me for no reason, and seeing me like that, Branne asked,

“I do not know which appearance of mine would look better, but I am simply myself. Acting according to the situation and time is also a noble’s basic posture.”

It meant that her current appearance could be full of falsehood. But thinking that it did not really matter, I asked a different question.

“Then how much of yourself can you show?”

“I can say that I can show myself as a monarch and as a woman.”

It was a slightly bold manner of speaking, and her words had a nuance that gave a little “room,” but the problem was Galea, who looked surprised after hearing Branne’s words.

“There is someone surprised to hear the words of Lord Branne de Ishtain. It seems unfamiliar.”

Only then did Branne quietly turn back and look at Galea, and in that brief moment, I noticed that Branne’s nape and ears, which were slightly revealed, were dyed red, so I realized that she was pretending to be quite composed.

I thought about teasing her a little, but I pressed down and endured my feelings as I asked,

“I heard that the situation in the Ishtain District is not good.”

“Thanks to your support, we are currently accelerating restoration.”

“You must be busy. Is it all right for you to come away?”

“I consider it one of my roles. Diplomacy too must be treated with importance. Especially if it is a capable neighboring country like Ingrad.”

“It seems you are determined to declare independence no matter what.”

“Even if the Empire does not recognize it, we believe we have already become independent. In addition, we were able to achieve a great victory in one battle.”

Certainly, the damage was not small, but it was a great victory. Since it was a battle achievement large enough to cut off the commander-in-chief’s head, saying more would only make my mouth hurt.

However, the problem was that because of that, a second punitive force was being organized.

“The wind that will blow this time will certainly not be weak.”

“We will endure it.”

Branne had an expression showing she had firmly made up her mind.

“Seeing you makes those words believable, but… well, I will believe you will do well. But you surely did not come simply to offer congratulations. You have a request, do you not?”

With an expression that said what was coming had come, Branne nodded firmly.

“I would like to receive financial support.”

“Funds, you say. Do you not think that will be difficult unless there is compensation like last time?”

I was still wearing the bracelet I had received through Galea before. Branne recognized it, glanced at the bracelet, and then reached her hand toward Galea. At that, Galea took out a document from a small leather bag hidden beneath the hem of her dress and handed it over, and a truly awkward atmosphere spread around us.

Honestly, it was not a particularly good sight.

As an example, just looking at Demina’s expression, which had twisted fiercely, showed how sensitively she viewed it. To put it bluntly, Demina was in charge of escorting me. It seemed she thought that if Galea had harbored a wicked intent and hidden even a weapon, it could have been enough to become a problem.

When killing intent actually burst out, several beastkin waiting outside the door rushed into the reception room with firearms in hand.

Seeing the domain soldiers accurately and swiftly aim at Galea and Branne while waiting for orders with calmly settled gazes, I gestured for them to withdraw and spoke indirectly.

“That is dangerous behavior. You know that, do you not?”

“…It was careless. There was no threat, and I pledge on the name of a ‘Master’ that I had no such intention either.”

Branne apologized politely, but the heavy atmosphere did not easily settle. That was because the killing intent flowing from Demina was far too ominous.

As I was worrying how I should defuse this, the door burst open, and Wijel, along with all the vassals who had been in the banquet hall, rushed inside.

It felt like the matter was growing bigger and bigger.