The Seating Order!!!!!

“Commander. Preparations are complete, so please board the carriage as planned.”

When I stepped out onto the entrance porch, Raul, who had been standing by, called out to me.

The ones waiting behind him seemed to be Roze and Mone.

“Are those two following on horseback?”

I asked because I thought they might be getting into the carriage with me and Shitoen, but they had spurs on their boots. Judging from the whips tucked into the belts at their waists as well, it seemed they would be riding.

“That will be more convenient, won’t it? I can keep them near me too.”

Raul said that coolly. In the end, it seemed Raul was still the only one who had not lowered his guard against the sisters. Well, that cautiousness was one of his good points too.

“Hey, hey, I want to be in the same carriage as Lady Shitoen!”

Crown Prince Arios had escorted Mail so she could board the carriage, but she suddenly said that.

“Huh? With… me?”

Not only did Mail say it, she was already clinging tightly to Shitoen.

“…Um… But if I ride together with everyone from Luminous… then Prince Saryu will…”

Shitoen looked at me in confusion.

Yes.

If that happened, I would be alone in the carriage.

“Th-then how about all five of us ride in the carriage together!”

Crown Prince Arios suggested, but…

If “Shitoen and Mail” sat together on the two-person side, then “Crown Prince Arios, the chancellor, and I” would be squeezed tightly together on the three-person side, and if “Mail and Crown Prince Arios” sat together, then “Shitoen, the chancellor, and I” would be packed in tight.

“However, that would be cramped. Lady Mail, there is the matter of security. Please do not be too selfish.”

I felt relieved when the chancellor cut in.

“Eeh… But I have all sorts of things I want to ask Lady Shitoen about.”

Mail lowered her brows and looked up at Shitoen, whom she was hugging.

“There are things only girls can talk about, right? If we are in the carriage, other people will not hear us, so I can talk about my worries too…”

When she said that, the three men had no choice but to fall silent.

In that case, then,

The two girls would ride in one carriage, the three men in another. One carriage would be the dummy, and…

Aaaaaaaaaah! Damn it!

It was the seats!

In the end, this whole time, I had been agonizing over the seating order!!!!!

“Then I shall ride in the front dummy carriage. How would it be if the second carriage held Princess Shitoen and Lady Mail, while the third carried Crown Prince Arios and Prince Saryu?”

The chancellor offered.

“No, but…”

I hesitated. He was a guest of honor, after all, and the chancellor. To begin with, leaving someone of chancellor rank alone without even an attendant was unthinkable.

“Then I will proceed on horseback. How about Crown Prince Arios and Your Excellency the Chancellor ride together?”

“Please do not trouble yourself. As you can see, I am an old man, so I have grown somewhat tired. If I may ride alone, there could be no greater hospitality.”

When he said that with softened cheeks, what was I supposed to do…? I was exchanging looks with Raul when…

“What are you saying, Chancellor? You must serve until my reign as well. I will not let you say you are tired from something like this. If Mail and Shitoen are to ride in the same carriage, then you and I should board the carriage together. There are things we men may wish to discuss frankly as well.”

“Well, well. You would have me work even into Your Highness the Crown Prince’s reign? How very harsh of you to say so.”

Both Crown Prince Arios and the chancellor laughed jokingly, but…

It also seemed like they were probing each other’s intentions, and it was enough to make me confused.

What was this? Was Luminous really sinking into complete chaos?

…But leaving the chancellor alone when I had no idea what he was thinking was dangerous.

At the very least, Crown Prince Arios seemed to be on our side. It might be better to have them ride together.

All right.

“I will ride on horseback.”

“Understood.”

I told Raul in a low voice, then turned back to everyone.

“This is not according to plan, but I will accompany you on horseback. The first carriage will hold the chancellor and His Highness Crown Prince Arios, the second will hold Shitoen and Lady Mail. The third will be the dummy…”

“To ride in the first carriage would be far too presumptuous. Your Highness Crown Prince, we will be fine at the very rear, yes?”

The chancellor interrupted. One of Crown Prince Arios’s eyebrows twitched sharply upward, and he looked about to say something else, which was troublesome.

“Fine! Then the carriage for Crown Prince Arios and the chancellor will be last! The first carriage will be the dummy! Decided!”

I loudly ordered the members of the order.

“Everyone, mount up! We depart as soon as preparations are complete!”

Next time, I would shove all these hosting events onto my eldest brother!!!!