Chapter 26: Negotiating with this Fanboy Prince!
Editing and supervision: LordVTP
Proofreading: Marv
Part 1
The next day, I woke up tired and lacking in sleep.
We went to sleep at a late hour after watching the spectacle of Mandrake breeding.
Megumin had went back to her own room after everyone left, probably feeling too awkward to stay after being caught in my room by the others. .
After I finally dragged myself out of bed, I went downstairs to the kitchen to practice my Advanced Cooking skill.
Surprisingly, no one was up yet. This was a weird case as I'd usually be the last one to wake up.
Even the diligent Iris who had a strict schedule to follow back home wasn't already up and about.
"Hm… I guess I'm the most responsible one here. Geez…"
I said that to myself as I opened the fridge and took out a carton of eggs.
Only for one of the eggs to immediately crack when I opened the carton, the yolk inside bursting out and flying through the air.
"Skriyaahhh!"
It let out a haunting battle cry.
"What the hell?!"
To my knowledge, it was only the vegetables in this world that exhibited such feats as moving on their own, as if they had their own intelligence and innate instincts.
Why the hell was an egg yolk flying around like this?!
The yolk was levitating in the air as the thick and transparent albumen around it took on a long serpent-like form.
And then it lashed out its albumen tail at me like a whip…!
"Whoa!"
I barely dodged the quick attack.
The attack made a large crack on the tiled flooring. This was no ordinary egg yolk!
"Hm? Onii-sama? What's going on? Sorry, I seem to have slept in. I haven't had a good rest like that in a while… Ah, how refreshing."
Iris came into the kitchen yawning and stretching.
"...Eh?"
She saw the yolk hovering in the air, coiling itself to launch another attack at me.
"Onii-sama! Quick! Grab a pot and lid!"
Iris cried as she assessed the situation.
Iris was far from worldly and knowledgeable about the conventions of the masses, but she was still an inhabitant of this world.
Thinking that she knew what she was doing, I grabbed a lidded pot that was sitting on top of the stove.
"What do I do now, Iris?!"
"Open the lid and hold the pot in front of you like a shield!"
I did as I was told.
With my vision obscured as I held the pot in front of me, I didn't see the yolk attack but I felt it slam within the pot.
"Gahh!"
The impact was strong. The momentum caused the pot to hit me on the face.
I dropped the pot and the yolk within it.
"Ah, geez! Don't drop it, onii-sama!"
Iris chastised me as she recovered the fallen pot. She grabbed the lid and sealed it tight.
She picked up the pot and placed it back on the stove. She turned the element on to high-heat.
From within the pot, the yolk was struggling in its prison, but Iris held the lid tight.
I heard sizzling from within as the element turned an incandescent blue and red.
"Um… What the hell was that?"
"Geez, doesn't onii-sama know? The eggs of some powerful monsters will react like this. The spirits of the embryos within the eggs, if they have a strong enough life force and magic power, will develop into phantoms that can lash out in vengeance to the humans who have terminated its young life before it could even hatch out of the egg. These rare eggs will take the form of the egg yolk youkai that onii-sama encountered just now…"
"Stupid! This world is stupid! Why is everything in this world out to kill you?! Even the eggs that haven't been born yet have such destructive power?!"
"This… This doesn't always happen! Only the eggs of powerful monsters who would have legendary potential have the life force and innate magic power to do this! These eggs were cultivated from a legendary Magma Serpent that was slain only a few weeks ago. Normally the eggs of such a high-levelled monster are a delicacy of the highest rarity, but I heard that lately some famous adventurers have been proactive in slaying these monsters and selling their meat and other materials, such as their eggs…"
These famous adventurers were probably the Japanese I hired to take on the famous dungeons.
It seems like they were selling everything they could harvest from the monsters, which includes the eggs.
I remembered how Wiz, when we were dungeon crawling, took the time to skin the slain monsters and even harvested their organs.
The struggle is real.
I took off the pot lid and peered at the egg sizzling within.
"So, what do we do now, Iris?"
"Well, I only know what to do up to this point. Onii-sama is the one with the cooking skill…"
I took out some kitchen utensils and set out to work.
…
…
This was no ordinary egg. It took longer than usual for it to cook.
It was almost as if the remnants of the unborn baby monster's fighting spirit was resisting its own demise.
...Thinking about it more, isn't this really cruel?
Still, the end result made me forget these worries.
"Whooaaa!"
"It's… It's just an ordinary omelette, but what's with this radiance? Uwaa… I can't stop salivating…"
Iris wiped her lips while drool leaked out.
"Now that I think about it, isn't this fridge stocked with high-class ingredients? Even the devil cow sirloin steak from last night is really rare and expensive, you know?"
"This is the pantry of the royal family, onii-sama. Please don't underestimate us!"
Iris puffed out her chest in pride.
I split the omelette in half with a knife.
"...Iris takes one half and your onii-chan gets the other."
"Eh? What about the others, onii-sama?"
Iris looked at me doubtfully as I whispered to her in low tones,
"Iris said it herself. The phenomenon of egg yolk youkai manifestation is very rare. Even if we have a whole carton of Magma Serpent eggs, who knows when we'll get a treat like this again? Look at the portions. Since it was only about one egg's worth, this omelette is very thin! We did all the work capturing and cooking this thing. Does Iris really believe the others who haven't even gotten out of bed yet deserve a share of this?!"
Iris looked at me with dead eyes.
"...Maybe all those things Claire said about onii-sama were right after all."
I was curious about what that white suit bitch could have said about me to my cute little sister, but I ignored that matter for now.
"Well, Iris can do whatever she wants with her share. Iris can share with the others if she wants. But as for me… Thank you for the meal~!"
"By the way, I forgot to mention that ingesting large amounts of egg yolk youkai can lead to certain ailments. Even if it's cooked, the curse of the embryo's ghost still lingers, after all…"
"Ah, maybe we should share it after all~! And if there's a curse or something, wouldn't having Aqua purify the food be better rather than eating it right away? Ah, I think I hear someone coming in! Breakfast is served, everyone~!"
"Onii-sama…"
Part 2
During the rest of the trip, we settled into a predictable routine of travelling during the day and setting up camp when it got too dark to see the road.
We were travelling on the road but since we used a large mobile mansion as our means of shelter, we had to be more conscious of cleaning and maintenance than we would if we were just setting up camp with tents.
At first, Iris would quietly watch us do our chores, but on one occasion, she innocently asked if she could join in.
In response, Darkness said,
"There's no way I can allow Princess Iris to do chores! Please read a book or something while we take care of the menial work!"
"Lalatina is mean! I hate you!"
Even while she was throwing a fit, this child who was raised to be an obedient little princess still followed Darkness's orders as she grabbed a book from a shelf, and retreated to her room.
"Kuh! I can't decide whether I liked that treatment or not!"
Darkness said as she showed a conflicted expression.
Aqua let out an exaggeratedly long sigh as she leaned against the broom she was using to clean the floors. She said,
"Why are we even doing these chores? We're nobles of this country now, of the same level as Lalatina ojou-chan. Why must we be in charge of troublesome cleaning duties like this? Shouldn't this mobile mansion have come with maids and butlers? The mansion was originally a small cube that somehow expands to its current size. I'm sure the maid-san and butler-san can easily fit inside this item. Their bodies will shrink along with the mansion, after all. We won't even need to give up space in the carriage for the extra bodies. While they're inside the cube, we can carry them around during the day. We can even summon a butler-san or two if we need them to do something. How convenient."
"I know that Aqua has these power fantasies as she's a self-proclaimed goddess and all, but playing P*k*mon with real people is going too far."
I said to this rotten goddess who looked like she was seriously considering the idea.
"What's a P*k*mon…? Anyways, n… not that I care about such things, but please be mindful that the Dustiness family, along with the Symphonia family, are still the left and right hand of the royal family! Newly formed nobles who don't even have proper familia can't compare! And don't call me 'Lalatina ojou-chan'!"
Darkness said she didn't care about such things, but the way she picked that part out of all the terrible things Aqua said shows she actually cared a whole bunch.
"I'm done polishing the floors. I can start on lunch now if that's what Lalatina-sama wants."
"Don't call me Lalatina-sama either!"
Megumin stood up from her crawling position. She was polishing the areas Aqua had swept up.
She proudly held up the two cloths she was using to polish as if they were trophies.
I forgot that this one grew up having to do all sorts of things around the household, and took pride in doing such troublesome chores.
The enthusiastic Megumin made a productive combo with Aqua, who was talented only in useless things like cleaning and other domestic chores. They made the mansion floors sparkle with their combined talents.
As for me, I was lazily cleaning the windows using Create Water and soap.
"Oi, Darkness, take over for me. I'll supervise Megumin in the kitchen."
I threw my cloth on Darkness's face.
I headed to the kitchen when I heard that Megumin was planning to make lunch.
"Thank you very much! I mean… Pffft! Ew! D-Don't throw that dirty rag on my face! And what do you mean 'supervise'?! Kazuma is just ditching his duties while he goes and flirts with Megumin, is that not true?!"
"Wrong. Oi, that Megumin who uses weird and cheap ingredients is heading to the kitchen right now. If I don't watch over her, maybe she'll make stew out of some rats she caught scurrying around."
"There's no rats here in this mobile mansion befitting the royal family! But I do see Kazuma's point. We can't have Princess Iris eating something weird. Although I am curious about that 'tuna mayo rice' that Aqua mentioned the other night…"
"No, that dish is also something weird. Not that I expect the sheltered Lalatina-chan to know about these things."
"Somehow Kazuma calling me 'Lalatina-chan' is the worst out of all the embarrassing pet names! Just go already! I'll clean the windows for you!"
Darkness grabbed the bucket of soap water from me and repeatedly kicked me on the shins.
"Ow! OK, I'm going, I'm going!"
I headed to the kitchen as Darkness stomped away in an angry fit.
Megumin was wearing an apron and sprinkling some salt into a pot when I arrived.
"Ah, Kazuma. Did you come to help me cook?"
I smiled and went directly behind her and pressed close, my chest making contact with her upper back.
"Kazuma…"
I reached my arms around and…
"What the hell is this?!"
...grabbed the pot that Megumin was attending to.
I carried it away from the stove and dumped the contents into the sink.
"Ehh?! Just when it was starting to boil! Kazuma, what are you doing?!"
"I don't even want to know what that creature in the pot was! Move out of the way, and I'll make something normal!"
"But Iris said she wanted to try something other than gourmet cuisine! I'm showing her what the real adventurer life is like!"
"I wouldn't have any problems if it was the me from before, but I have responsibilities now to this land! Didn't the recent events make Megumin realize that?!"
I took another pot and dumped some pre-diced veggies inside.
"In a lot of ways, Kazuma has changed and I don't think it's for the better! Maybe someday you'll go back to your roots…"
Megumin mumbled sulkily as she removed her apron and went away from the kitchen.
…
…
"Ehhh?! Onii-sama took over the cooking duties again?! But, Megumin-san, you promised that you'd show me the types of food an adventurer eats while they're on the road..."
Iris complained about not eating something that Megumin literally found lying somewhere on the road.
"I already said this before, but I'll be in charge of kitchen duties from now on! Understand?! I don't even want anybody else entering the kitchen! Women don't belong in the kitchen! Now, eat the sandwich I made for you!"
"Hah?! Saying that a women shouldn't be in the kitchen is…! Wait, I have a feeling that I'm not exactly being insulted here, but at the same time I am?"
Megumin said, in between stuffing her face with the fried griffin sandwich I prepared.
"You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm also getting somewhat tired of this kind of food. There are times when it's best to have some familiar comfort food. I know, I'll make some tuna mayo rice!"
Before the others could get excited over Aqua's suggestion, I crossed my arms into an 'X'.
"No, no, no! Why are you complaining when you have the highest quality ingredients here prepared by someone with the Advanced Cooking skill?! Now, eat up already!"
After I berated everyone, they went back to eating their food.
Iris lowered her head in a sulking manner and pouted as she stirred her tentacle squash soup.
"Hey, Onii-sama, can I fight the monsters again today?"
"No, we will take care of the monsters from now on."
"...Can I at least explore the surroundings with Megumin-san?"
"There are no surroundings to be seen here. Beyond here is just dangerous wildlife. Iris should stay here inside where she's safe."
"..."
Iris heaved a sigh and sank down into her seat.
"...Iris said so herself that we have to make sure that negotiations go well."
"I know, but this is the rare occasion when I can…. Nevermind. I'm not very hungry."
Iris stood from her seat and left the dining table.
"..." x 2.
Aqua and Megumin were looking at me with disapproving eyes.
"What? Was any of what I said wrong in any way?"
Megumin shook her head and sighed.
"No, it's not wrong, but this is very unlike Kazuma. The Kazuma from before wouldn't worry about the small details and let his little sister have some fun."
"The me from before didn't need to shoulder the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders! That's the difference! Even before we defeated the Devil King, it didn't matter if I stayed in all day under the kotatsu. It wouldn't change things at all and I'm sure some other cheat user could take care of the Devil King somehow. But now things are different! Our actions have consequences!"
Roused up by my speech, Darkness suddenly stood from her seat. She looked at me with eyes of admiration.
"K… Kazuma! You've changed so much! I'm so proud of you!"
"That's right… Our actions have consequences. I see that now. For example, if I get into another scandal, the busty beauties from the Satou Kazuma fan club will be very disappointed in me…"
"Despicable! I take back what I said! Somehow Kazuma is even scummier than before!"
I recalled the picture of the Satou Kazuma fan club that the king showed me.
In particular, I remembered one particular beauty among the members.
She had a great body and had a dignified air about her. From her clothes, it seemed like she was a priest of some sort.
I looked at Aqua, whose face was covered in dried soup and bread crust.
In comparison to that priest in the photograph...
"For a beautiful priest like that… No, for all those lovely ladies, I must try my best!"
"Kazuma! What did I say about adultery?! How can you talk about busty beauties and fan clubs when your girlfriend is right here?!"
"Who said anything about adultery? Is it considered cheating if I merely admire the female form, if I take notice of how a woman might be considered attractive by the universal aesthetic standards? If I walk past the street while I'm walking with Megumin and see an attractive woman walking past and I turn my head and note 'Ah, she's pretty', is that considered adultery?! If so, then every man in a relationship should be considered an adulterer, am I wrong?!"
"...It won't be considered adultery, but I might cry if you do that."
"Ahaha! I was just joking! Can't Megumin tell that it's just a joke? Geez! Oi, don't look at me like that… Seriously, it's making me feel really bad! Joking aside, I really am taking my duties seriously, and that's why I can't have Iris doing things that are unbefitting of a princess while she's under my watch, OK?!"
"Wonderful! I really like this new development, Kazuma!"
Darkness seemed overjoyed and was wiping tears from her eyes as she looked on at me proudly.
"..." x 2.
But for some reason, Aqua and Megumin didn't seem as impressed.
Part 3
During the next several days, Iris obeyed me and stayed within the mobile mansion.
Aside from some shenanigans from Aqua, who got more and more restless as the journey went on, the rest of that time went by uneventfully.
Then, before I knew it…
We finally approached the borders of the city of Elroad.
The guards did some standard security checks but we didn't come across any problems.
The carriage bore the clan crest of the Belzerg family, and Darkness showed her own family's insignia.
With those two things, we were treated well by the guards.
"If the security guys were going to go easy on us in the first place, why didn't we just use the Teleport spell to get here?"
Aqua complained as the tough looking security guards bowed to us in deferrence.
"The king already explained this. There's no means to teleport in and out of the two countries for security reasons. If they give us access even once, our country's mages could potentially find a way to gain unrestricted access to their territory by examining their teleportation methods…"
Megumin explained to Aqua, who started complaining more and more during the last stages of the trip.
"Why is Aqua even complaining? We lived in a luxury mobile mansion this past week. It's not like we had to rough it out in the wilds."
"We only spent about half of the day inside that mobile mansion! The rest of the time we had to spend the day inside a carriage. And because Kazuma wouldn't let our little battle princess take care of the monsters, we had to personally come out and deal with the monsters that blocked the path! It's horrible! No matter what you try to say to me, it was a horrible week!"
"Well, there's no use complaining now. We've already arrived at our destination, haven't we? Aqua can relax for the next few days, so stop complaining already!"
As if completely forgetting about her distress, Aqua excitedly looked out of the side window.
"Wow! Look at those buildings! So tall!"
The city of Elroad had a sizable economic advantage over Belzerg.
As such, their industry and infrastructure were way ahead of what we were used to seeing.
The tall buildings and modern design reminded me of the cities back in my old world.
Walking along the streets, the normal civilians who would be considered commoners back in Belzerg wore expensive clothing and carried themselves in a dignified manner.
Instead of having a considerable gap between the rich and the poor, like in Belzerg's medieval-like caste system, there existed a middle and upper-middle class in Elroad.
There was a popular saying in this country: 'There are no poor people in Elroad, only bad gamblers'.
If you saw a homeless person in the streets of Elroad, that was probably someone who got too greedy and lost all their riches in this country's famous casinos.
In Elroad, as long as you had some smarts and a bit of luck, anyone could strike it rich, or at least live out the rest of their lives comfortably.
Instead of being reincarnated in the war-like Belzerg, where the only ways to get rich was being born into nobility or becoming a successful adventurer or soldier, I wonder if it would have been better if I was sent here in this financially prosperous country.
Nonetheless, even though the people of Elroad were used to a luxurious lifestyle, they were still attracted to the majestic sight of the royal carriage.
Always hungry for attention, Aqua opened the windows and waved to the crowd.
"Helloooo people of Belzerg! Your lovely goddess Aqua-sama is here to bless all of you! Are there any followers of the great Aqua-sama in this crowd? If so, rain down your praises upon me! Don't be shy, for Aqua-sama is kind to all!"
Encouraged by Aqua's showy antics, Megumin couldn't help but greet the crowd as well.
"Fufu. Citizens of Elroad! Hear my call! I am Megumin! Number one mage of Belzerg, the land of fabled heroes! My calling is that of an Arch-Wizard, one who walks the crimson path of roma… I-I mean, explosion! Remember my name, for your bards and minstrels will soon sing of my undying legend!"
...This girl has obviously been waiting for the perfect moment to say that revised speech of hers.
Well, she fumbled the lines for a bit there.
In response to their speech…
"N-No way! I heard the rumors, but those heroes are actually coming to our country to visit?!"
"Thank you, heroes of Belzerg! You saved us all!"
"...Well, not like we needed saving. We weren't being directly attacked by the Devil King forces, were we?"
"...Considering the amount of financial support we gave to Belzerg, didn't it take way too long for that country full of powerful adventurers to finally take down the Devil King? Could it be that they were just stalling, so they could keep leeching money from us…?"
Among the cheers from the crowd, there were an equal amount of critics.
Nonetheless, Aqua and Megumin were enjoying the spotlight, posing to the crowd as they applauded them.
They both looked at me as if they were expecting me to join in.
Well, then.
I'm not one to resist showing off if I have the chance!
When I stuck my head out of the side window, the crowd collectively gasped.
"H-Hey, isn't that Satou Kazuma?"
"Uwaa… The famous pervert? I heard that he seduces noble ladies and makes them do all sorts of wild play in public…"
"I heard that he's actively trying to form a harem even though he already has a lover…"
"That cape of his seems pretty cool, but the person wearing it is still a bit…"
Meanwhile, the crowd's opinion of me didn't seem divided at all.
They all seem to hate me.
And even though I was wearing the Cape of Charming, the effects didn't seem to work in the way I expected it to.
What's the point if they think the cape is cool, but that the guy wearing it is the worst person in the world?
I want a refund!
"W-What are you all doing?! Stop instigating the crowd and let's hurry to the hotel!"
Darkness said from the driver's seat, as she flicked on the reigns and made the horses gallop faster to our destination.
For the duration of our stay, we were invited to stay at the most luxurious hotel in the city.
Since we arrived a day earlier than expected, as Aqua's whining urged Darkness to drive faster, we weren't expected to meet with the prince until the next day.
As that was the case, we decided to explore the capital city of Elroad and spend the night in the hotel before we had to meet with the prince.
We had only planned to drop off our stuff in our hotel rooms and to change out of our travel clothes, but Iris told us that she wanted to stay in her hotel room and rest.
"Onii-sama and the others can explore the city. I'm quite tired from the travel and I want to make a good impression on the prince tomorrow, so I will get a good night's sleep. Thank you for making sure I arrived here safely."
Iris gave us that polite speech and stiffly bowed before heading to her room.
Megumin seemed like she wanted to say something to Iris before she left, but Iris was quick to get away from us.
"Well then, since we got permission from our charge, we should do as she says and explore the city."
Darkness used Iris's command as an excuse to play around in the capital city of the richest country in the world.
"What an indulgent ojou-chan."
"You know, I've been hearing that same joke over and over for a week now. I'm at the point where if I hear the same tired joke again, I might just hit someone."
"S-Sorry, Darkness-san! I know, let's check out this city's bars! I'll treat the ojou-sa… I mean, the totally cool and powerful crusader, Darkness, to a drink!"
Part 4
Once we were done changing into street clothes, we headed out to explore the city.
"That said, do you guys have any idea where we should go?"
"Did Megumin not hear here me? Let's head to the bar! A fancy city like this must have excellent drinking establishments!"
"It's the middle of the day. Why would we go to the bar, you raging alcoholic?!"
Aqua started pouting as I shot down her idea.
"I wanted to try out the cuisine here and compare it to the Belzerg style of cooking, but since we've already had lunch earlier, in the carriage, I'm already quite full..."
Darkness said, as she rubbed her stomach.
I was about to make a joke about how the 'heavy set' Darkness could keep eating no matter what, but I remembered her threat to Aqua and decided not to push my luck.
"Well, it feels like it's been a while since the four of us got together and just hung out, so for now why don't we just look around the city together?"
We couldn't help but smile lightheartedly at Megumin's suggestion…
"Oh, that's right! We're all supposed to be friends, aren't we? We bicker so much all the time that sometimes I forget! OK, let's hang out together, my friends!"
...only for Aqua to put a damper on the lighthearted atmosphere with her careless words.
Walking along the street, as we had caused a commotion previously, there were people gawking and pointing at us.
With so many eyes on us, it was tough to enjoy a leisurely walk. At least, that was the case for Darkness and I.
Aqua and Megumin relished the attention and walked with their heads held high as the crowd parted for us everywhere we went.
"Hey, hey, doesn't it seem like those guys over there are checking us out? Those three guys over there wearing rich people clothing, I mean."
Ever the articulate one, Aqua made some careless descriptions about three young men who were ogling the girls.
From the way there were looking, it seemed like they were attracted to the girls beside me.
I almost forget sometimes that if these three were just standing there and didn't say anything, they would be considered 'out of your league' type beauties by outsiders.
And this country of Elroad was filled with those outsiders who didn't know about their problematic nature.
"Hey, hey, if those three gentlemen were to try and pick us up, do you think Kazuma would get jealous, Megumin?"
"Hm… I wonder..."
Megumin's eyes shone mischievously as she gauged my reaction.
That mischievous look turned to shock as I merely shrugged off Aqua's provocations.
"Hah? What can those fellows over there do to lure Megumin away from me? Based on their looks, couldn't you say that I'm slightly better looking than them? And considering that they look like nobility who were spoiled by their sheltered upbringing, couldn't you say that my personality is slightly less nasty compared to theirs?"
"So Kazuma is saying that he's only a slightly better version of those guys, huh? I don't know if I should praise you for your self-awareness or make fun of you for admitting all that…"
"Aqua of all people has no right to talk about self-awareness."
"Oi! What are you implying?! I'm plenty self-aware! For example, I'm aware that I'm a beautiful goddess loved by all!"
Hearing Aqua's loud proclamation, the three nobles looked to each other.
All this while, instead of making their move, they had been quietly observing us.
Curious about what they were talking about, I used the Lip Reading skill.
"...It seems like the rumors are true! Even though those female adventurers are beautiful and are the famous heroes who took part in many legendary battles, there's something a bit off about each one of them, especially the blue haired one!"
"Not only that, I heard that their leader is just as bad, if not worse! Hey, isn't that same leader-san looking at us rather intently right now? You don't think that he's…?"
"F-Forget it! Although it's tempting to try and pick them up since they are very pretty and are famous adventurers, I have a feeling that those ladies are not worth it! Besides, even if we proceed as we usually do with our targets, I'm sure any one of those girls could beat us up… Especially that tall onee-san with those huge, manly muscles..."
After muttering among themselves, they turned around and walked away.
"Hm? Oh, they left. Maybe they weren't planning to pick us up, after all."
Aqua sighed even though her intuition was actually right.
"Hm… Perhaps they were intimidated by our natural beauty?"
"D-Don't say that, Megumin… Oh, my, how embarrassing…"
Darkness, the one who was just described as having 'huge, manly muscles', blushed in a maiden-like manner as she took Megumin's conceited words to heart.
"...Pffft!"
"Hah?! Oi, Kazuma, what's so funny?! ...Wait, weren't you looking at those guys pretty intently not that long ago? Don't tell me Kazuma used the Lip Reading skill and saw those guys insulting us or something?! Is that why you're laughing so hard?! Oi, you bastards, get back here!"
"Eiiiee?!" x 3.
As I said previously, Aqua's intuition is accurate only when it comes to trivial matters like this.
We had to reign her in before she could cause an international incident by clobbering some random nobles.
Part 5
We got tired of each other and split up.
Darkness suggested that we do our own thing after we started bickering in the middle of the street and caused a scene.
Aqua wanted to check out the bars, Darkness wanted to talk to the city guards and knights on patrol, while Megumin wanted to check out the city's Mage Guild.
I was interested in none of those things and only wanted to leisurely sight-see.
What was the point of exploring a new country if you were going to restrict yourself to the same things you'd usually do back home, anyways?
For example, how many bars will that alcoholic goddess visit before she realizes that they are all pretty much the same?
I wandered the streets alone and took in the sights.
Looking at these tall buildings that resembled skyscrapers, I felt a pang of nostalgia.
I had lived in a rather rural area, but there were occasions when I had visited the famous cities of Japan.
There were times when my parents would take the young me to go sightseeing.
There were also those school field trips.
Which reminds me...
On the last school trip I went to in middle school, I more or less spent it trailing behind the group I was assigned to.
Thinking about my dark past...
"...Maybe I shouldn't have seperated from them. I look like a loser walking alone like this. I'm not Yunyun, damnit!"
I couldn't help but randomly yell this in the middle of the street.
"Uwaa… The rumors were true. How scary…"
"Don't look him in the eyes! You'll get pregnant!"
A group of sophisticated looking, young noble ladies were blushing and gossiping among themselves.
"Eeeek! He's looking at me! I'll… I'll get pregnant!"
"Kyaaa!"
They ran away from me as soon as I made eye contact with them.
"..."
How the hell did these troublesome rumors spread all the way to this foreign country, anyway?
Just when I had the urge to correct them, something caught my eye.
"It's my turn! Draw! I play Pot of Indulgence from my hand and draw two cards! Then I set a monster face down and end my turn!"
"...My turn! Draw! I sacrifice Neroid Warrior and Giant Toad Gardna to tribute summon my faithful companion! Come! Beldia the Headless Knight!"
"Ugh! A level 8 monster already?!"
In a corner shop that seemed like it sold games and hobby items, there was quite a crowd gathering around two people playing a familiar looking card game.
This card game, there can be no doubt.
I was already feeling nostalgic before, but seeing this sight made me feel homesick.
For this game to exist here in this world, a meddling Japanese probably did something unnecessary again.
I wanted to come in and take a closer look, but it seemed like some of the people in the crowd recognized me and started getting wary.
I considered just going back to the hotel at this point since I was in a sour mood, but I couldn't just walk away from this nostalgic game.
After all, back in Japan, I was quite famous in that certain game's community for making a notorious deck that is forbidden to play in any competitive event.
Maybe, if that Japanese who introduced this game here in this fantasy world went through the trouble of replicating the original cards…
I pulled out the Vanir-style mask that I keep with me in case I ever needed a quick disguise.
After I went to a nearby store and bought some dark clothes to wear over mine, I walked into the game store while wearing my imperfect, but functional, disguise.
Since there were already people in the crowd wearing some weird cosplay, I didn't stick out even as I was wearing my thieving outfit.
I watched more of the game. The other player couldn't manage to bring down the TCG version of the headless knight we took down some time ago, and eventually lost.
While the monster design and names were changed to conform with real life monsters in this world, the rules were pretty much the same.
Save for the design and names, this card game was an exact rip-off of that certain popular TCG back in Japan.
As the crowd cheered after the match's conclusion, I looked at the merchandise.
There were structure packs and booster packs in display, and some of the rarer cards were individually displayed under a glass casing.
Since I didn't know which cards in here were the equivalent of the cards I used back in Japan to make that notorious deck…
"Eh?! You're buying all of these?!"
I bought one of each of the structure decks and booster packs.
As the cashier took my money and gathered all my cards into a box, a very attractive lady with light brown hair approached me. She said,
"Excuse me, sir, but might you be a beginner?"
She was wearing a face mask that covered her mouth. She seemed to be cosplaying a female shinobi. Her ensemble reminded me of big boss's thieving outfit, somewhat.
"Hm… Well, I guess you could say this is my first time playing this version of the game…"
"This version…? Sorry, what do you mean by that?"
"Oh, nothing. There was a different version of this game back in my country, that's all."
"I see. Well, as a veteran, I feel that I should warn you. I've seen a lot of rich kids blow their money on structure decks and packs, but those things don't have any worthwhile cards. If you have the money, I suggest that you use it for these rare cards on display."
She gestured to the cards behind the glass casing.
As she was talking, I had already started opening the packs.
"Oh, I already got one."
I placed a card onto one pile that would become my deck and sorted the other ones I didn't need onto another pile.
"Eh?! Even though this is just an ordinary booster pack… How are you drawing so many rare cards?! But you're not even using those rare cards?!"
The lady started freaking out as I threw away some cards with a shiny finish onto my trash pile.
"Listen, lady. This game is not all about rarity or attack power or having powerful monsters. Some of the low level monsters that seem like they're worthless at first glance will work well in tandem if you can execute the right combination plays..."
"Yeah, I understand that, but aren't you just choosing a bunch of weak monsters?! And stop throwing away those rare cards, you're killing me here!"
It turns out this lady was called the Rare Hunter around here.
She's addicted to collecting rare cards and was known to spend her paychecks buying the cards behind the display case.
I took pity on her and gave her the pile of rare cards that I didn't want.
"R-Really? You're giving me all this…? Um… Could it be that you want something from me as recompense? L-Like my body, or something like that? I'm not that easy you know… Wait, isn't this the limited edition Golden Dragon that only has ten copies printed in the whole world?! This isn't even supposed to be in that booster pack, how did you…?! Eh?! You're saying I can have this?! U-Um, I have a roommate, so we'll have to be quiet if we're using my place… Or, maybe I can move into your place…?"
"..."
I wasn't trying to seduce her, yet this lady seemed like she was already planning her future together with me.
Part 6
My deck was finally complete.
"Um… Mask-san, are you sure you really want to enter the competition on your very first day? And with that trash, I mean, very questionable deck?"
Rare Hunter-san had this to say as I paid the small fee to enter the tournament.
She had gotten to calling me 'Mask-san', so I entered the tournament with the pseudonym of 'Mask'.
It wasn't very creative but I didn't know what else to call myself, and I wasn't going to be a recurring participant anyway.
"Rare Hunter-san will just have to wait and see. I'll show you that you can't beat the Japanese at their own game."
Saying those cocky words, I followed an usher who led me to the table they were using for the tournament.
I took a seat across from a man wearing a long dark coat and a hat that went down to cover his eyes.
"...So, you're my opponent, huh? Heh, do they just let anybody play these days? I'm sorry, kid, but you're one thousand years too early to defeat me. Nothing personal, but I'll end this in a flash…"
"This is my first game, so please treat me well."
I bowed to this guy who could have given the clan of chuuni magicians a run for their money in terms of chuuni levels.
Faced with my polite response, he was caught off guard and couldn't help but bow as well.
"O-Oh. Um, yes, please treat me well…"
"Are the participants ready? I'll flip a coin… Midnight Flash, please choose heads or tails."
"Pffft!"
I covered my mouth as I heard this guy's chuuni stage name.
He didn't seem to notice that I was laughing at him as he choose heads. The referee flipped the coin and it turned up as tails, meaning that I have the first turn.
We started the duel off by drawing four cards from our deck.
"..."
I couldn't help but look at my drawn hand with a bit of shock.
My luck was working in my favor again, as expected.
My original deck was a game breaker.
It was an incredibly efficient deck that emphasized draw power and restricting your opponent's actions and playmaking, while increasing your own opportunities as much as possible.
While it was an effective deck that produced a historic tournament win-rate, it could hardly be called a fun deck to play with.
Since I wanted to have fun in this tournament more than I wanted to win, I mixed in some gimmick cards that weren't necessarily effective or even viable in a competitive setting.
I had drawn those gimmick cards on my first turn.
But for me to draw this combination on my first hand is…
As expected of my Luck stat.
"I summon Slasher the Magical Knight in face up attack position. When Slasher is normal summoned, I can put a spell counter on him. He gets 300 atk for each spell counter. Then, I set a face down card on the Spell/Trap zone. I end my turn…"
"With that ability… Slasher now has 1900 atk. Not bad. But you're going to have to do better than that to beat me! It's my turn! Draw! Heh, it's just not your lucky day! I banish the spell card Legendary Coronatite Core from my hand in order to special summon… The mechanical beast that's surprisingly popular with the kids… Mobile Fortress Destroyer!"
In just the second turn, another monster that was very familiar to me was summoned to the field.
"I use the Destroyer's effect! Once per turn, I can choose to send one card on my opponent's field to the graveyard! Say goodbye to Slasher the Magical Knight!"
"Uwooh! Destroyer already?! That was fast!"
"Kyaa~! Go for it, Flash-kun!"
The crowd cheered for Midnight Flash as he mounted an impressive assault against me.
However, in response...
"Then, I'll activate my set card. It's the quick-play spell card, Teleport. If there's a face up monster on my field, I can remove it from play for the reminder of the turn. I remove Slasher from the field for the duration of the turn."
I set aside Slasher into the banished zone, opening up my field for a direct attack.
After seeing my counter play to the Destroyer's effect, he let out a chuckle,
"Fufu. So you managed to save your monster. It doesn't matter! I can still attack this turn! I then equip Axe of Horror to my monster, raising it's attack by 1000! With this, my monster has 4000 attack points and can take all of your life points in one turn! It's a one-turn-kill! Destroyer! Attack directly!"
In response to this play, the crowd's cheering got even louder.
"Whoa! It's an OTK! As expected of Midnight Flash who is known for ending his matches in a flash!"
So that's where that corny nickname came from, huh?
In response to his play, however, I took out a monster from my hand and showed it to my opponent.
"I use the quick-play effect of the level one monster, Cream Puff Fairy, from my hand. I don't take any battle damage from your monster's attack. I now send Cream Puff Fairy to the graveyard."
"...Oh."
The crowd's cheering died down immediately as I completely stopped the Destroyer assault with a simple counter play.
"...At the end of the end phase, if I can't discard another Legendary Coronatite Core from my hand or send a 'Norse' monster to the graveyard, I will have to send Mobile Fortress Destroyer to the graveyard. Since I can't perform either of those actions, I send Destroyer to the graveyard. I end my turn..."
It seems like this guy really was planning to end it all in that last turn.
Next, it was my turn.
"I draw. At the start my turn, Teleport's effect will end and Slasher will go back to the field in face-up attack position. However, due to Teleport's activation penalty, Slasher's attack and defence points will go down by 500 when he returns to the field."
"Phew. I don't know what I would have done if I had to take 1900 points of damage head on…"
"Kekeke…. Muwahahahaha!"
"E-Eh…?"
"Thou thinks this is a good thing? Moi will show how clueless art thou!"
"...Um, excuse me, but are you feeling alright?"
Perhaps due to some hidden side effects of the Vanir-style mask I was wearing, my speech pattern started imitating a certain devil who relishes situations like this…
While chuckling to myself, I played a card from my hand.
"From my hand, I play the spell card, Berserker's Spirit!"
"Eh? What does that do?"
"Allow me to explain! Once I discard my entire hand to the graveyard, I can target one monster on my side of the field with 1500 attack points or less! Due to Teleport's effect, Slasher fits that requirement with 1400 attack points!"
"W-What?! Don't tell me that you decreased Slasher's attack on purpose!"
The confident look he had started deteriorating.
To meet the requirement, I discarded my hand, which consisted solely of the card I just drew.
"Berserker Spirit's effect, once the conditions are met, is this: I get to draw; If the card I draw is a monster card, I have to send it to the graveyard, and my targeted monster gains one extra chance to attack this turn! Furthermore, I can keep drawing as long as I draw a monster card! Naturally, Slasher will gain an extra chance to attack for each monster card I draw!"
"E-Eh?! But that's…! Wait, you can't scare me. Sure, you might get an extra attack, but what are the chances that you'll consecutively draw monster cards?!"
"If there's one strong point I have, it's my luck! I draw!"
Thanks to my luck, I drew a monster card.
"Slasher attacks directly!"
"Tch! You got lucky! But the next one will be…!"
"Draw! It's another monster card!"
"E-Eh? W-Wait a minute, this is…!"
"Draw! Monster card!"
"What?! N-No, how can this…!"
"Draw! Monster card!"
"Gahhh! No way!"
I didn't even need to look at the card to know that it was a monster card. I knew that my luck would prevail…!
I believe in the heart of the cards!
"Draw! Monster card! Draw! Monster card! Draw! Monster card!"
"Gahhh! Stop iiittt! Pleeease!"
He was on his knees and begging me to stop, but a weird excitement was filling me and I couldn't help but keep going…!
"Draw! Monster card! Draw! Monster card!"
And then, with my excitement hitting its apex…!
"DURO! MONSTA CARDO!"
"Pleease have mercyyy! I'm sowwyyy!"
"Please stop it already, Mask-san! Midnight Flash-san's life points already dropped to 0 a long time ago!"
"Let go of me!"
Rare Hunter-san and the staff had to remove me from the table.
…
...
Once I calmed down from my Vanir-mask induced frenzy, the store owner approached me.
"I don't care what you do anywhere else, but please don't use this deck in my store ever again..."
"...Yes, I'm sorry for getting carried away."
I haven't even used my actual strategy yet, and still my deck was already banned in this store after my very first match.
Part 7
Since we'd have a busy day tomorrow, we didn't stay up too long and went back to our rooms before it got too late.
The next morning, we woke up early.
After having breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, we waited in the lobby for Iris to come down.
Well, Aqua, Megumin and I were waiting. Darkness stayed with Iris to help her prepare.
Since these two girls here probably have no idea about noble etiquette and fashion, Darkness shooed them away when they tried to offer their help.
"The nerve of that ojou-chan! Saying that she doesn't need my help… Aren't I very glamorous and fashionable?! Look at this beautiful hagoromo and my otherworldly blue hair!"
As if trying to prove a point, Aqua flicked her blue hair.
"I can't really say anything about Aqua's looks, but I assume all the goddesses are beautiful, anyways, so Aqua is not that special. As for the hagoromo, can Aqua really be proud of that? In the end, that's a property of heaven. Furthermore, I'll never understand girls who are proud of the way they look. What's there to be proud of? If you were born pretty, what does that have to do with you as a person? Those who got lucky because of their genes have no right to show off!"
"Why is Kazuma so angry?! Oi, if you're jealous because of my superior genes as a goddess, just say so!"
Megumin separated me from Aqua before I could get even more riled up. Then she said,
"It seems to me that Kazuma said all that because he's insecure about his looks. In turns of looks, Kazuma has nothing to be ashamed of."
"If that's your idea of flattery, Megumin, it's better not to say anything at all. See, Kazuma looks pretty depressed."
Before those two could tease me any further, thankfully, Darkness finally arrived with Iris.
"I'm sorry for the wait, everyone."
Iris said in her usual meek manner.
"..." x 3.
We couldn't help but stare at Iris.
"Hey, do you remember that skill Beldia, the dullahan we fought, used on Darkness? The curse that can kill a person in one week after it's been applied. Do you think I can learn that skill and use it on a certain prince?"
"K-Kazuma?! I thought that you were finally taking our mission seriously for once, but I was wrong?! Wasn't Kazuma saying before that we need to impress the prince and make sure this mission goes well?!"
Darkness said, as I felt a sudden rush of anger after seeing my little sister Iris wearing a beautiful dress for the sake of some random prince.
"Darkness has a point. First we'll get the money, then we can assassinate the prince. If the prince is dead, there won't be anymore talks about an arranged marriage."
"Kazuma… To think that I gained some respect for you lately!"
"Heh. And that's where you went wrong, Darkness… Ouch!"
This time, Megumin couldn't stop me before I could get a good hit in on Aqua, who's been ticking me off more than usual lately.
"...Let's do our best to secure funding from Elroad, everyone."
We stopped fighting as Iris said those mature words.
While Iris was all dressed up, we were wearing our usual gear.
Since we were technically a part of Iris's escort, Darkness said that it wasn't necessary for us to dress up.
"It will be better if Princess Iris sticks out even among famous adventurers, that's what I want to impress upon the prince and his cohorts."
"Darkness surprisingly gave this a lot of thought, huh?"
"Surprisingly, you say?! Why can't Kazuma compliment me without any backhanded insults attached to it?!"
When we went outside, we were met by a representative of the prince.
He had a carriage waiting for us that would take us to the castle.
"Even though it's only a short walk to the castle, these guys are going out of their way to accommodate us. Wouldn't you say that's a good sign that they want to make a good impression on us? If it was me, I'd make the guests go through all sorts of trouble just to reach me. That way I can make a point about how they are below me."
"...Let me handle the negotiations for now, onii-sama."
Iris said in response to what I'd do if I had the upper hand in negotiations.
In reality, we were the ones who were heavily disadvantaged in this situation.
We were practically begging Elroad for money.
Since we couldn't offer them anything in terms of trade or even the protection that Belzerg provided when the war was going on...
"...The more I think about this, what can we even do to convince the prince to renew or even consider further negotiations? No matter how you look at it, we have nothing to offer him."
When I brought this up, Iris fidgeted with her dress.
"I think that my father is planning to use the influence of onii-sama's party to give us an advantage in negotiations. Normally, meetings like this are kept secret, but my father sent us here to travel in the conspicuous traditional royal carriage instead of the more discreet high-speed carriage. Furthermore, when I asked the hotel staff for information, it seems like all the citizens of Elroad know about the details of our negotiation."
Darkness rubbed her chin in deep thought.
"When we left the capital, the crowd cheered for us to do well during the negotiations. The people back home also know about our mission. The king doesn't seem like the type who would let leaks like that get out unless he wants it to. Could it be he's trying to strongarm the prince by using our influence to appeal to the citizens of Elroad?"
"Hah?! So we're being used as propaganda to incite the common masses?! How dare that old man use me like this! I thought he sent me here because of my negotiating skills and overall intellect! ...Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"..." x 4.
The rest of us stared blankly at Aqua.
When we made it to the castle walls, the gates on the rampart walls were raised, allowing us passage. We were led through a beautiful garden grounds.
The grounds were spacious, so I had to use Farsight to make out the people in the distance who were lined up to greet us.
Among the rows of people in suits was a young man who was most likely the prince.
He seemed to be bouncing around excitedly as he looked through a pair of binoculars.
Oh?
Didn't he seem excited to see us?
"Hey, does Iris know anything about the prince?"
"I haven't met him personally yet, onii-sama, but I did do some research. I asked the hotel staff about him, but, um... "
Iris glanced away awkwardly.
She continued,
"...Well, they called him something like the 'idiot prince'."
Idiot prince…
If that's the case, maybe Aqua will get along with him.
"That hotel staff seemed to be pretty loose-lipped even if they were talking to the princess of another nation. Did they say anything else?"
"Apparently, there used to be a pretty well-liked advisor who counselled Prince Revi in all sorts of matters, but he disappeared quite a while ago… Shortly after the Devil King's defeat, I believe."
I kept what Iris said in mind as we approached the prince and his entourage.
The driver of the carriage got off and helped the girls get out of the carriage.
As we got off, the reception came towards us.
I got a close look at the prince.
...This kid was tall.
He was already as tall as me.
I don't know how to feel about that.
He also had red hair, which was the first time I've seen that on someone of nobility or royal blood…
As we were all out of the carriage, the prince couldn't contain himself anymore and headed straight towards me.
"H-Hello! Thanks for coming all the way here! I'm a big fan of you, Satou-sama! To finally meet you face to face is…!"
...Eh?
I expected to see some spoiled brat who would treat us with a rotten attitude. I didn't expect this treatment at all.
As I couldn't help but feel bewildered, Iris covered for me. She gave a perfect curtsy.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Prince Revi. I am Iris, princess of…"
"Hey, hey! That sword by Satou-sama's side… Isn't that the legendary sword, Chunchunmaru?! Although the name sounds a bit weird, I heard that it was christened by a powerful crimson demon mage, so the weird name is to be expected…"
Hearing the word 'powerful' associated with her, Megumin stepped forwards, completely blocking Iris who was just interrupted.
"Fufu. I don't know why you think the name is weird, but as for the one who named that sword, it is none other than myself…"
"I see! This girl, isn't she a part of Satou-sama's harem? I think I heard something like that. Um, I heard that heroes are quite popular with women, but it seems that even lolis are attracted to Satou-sama, huh?"
"Does this kid want to get socked in the face or something?"
Darkness immediately pulled away Megumin, whose eyes were glowing dangerously red.
I still didn't know what to make of this sudden development, so I didn't say anything more as we were led inside the mansion.
Part 8
"Hey, hey! Satou-sama! Tell me about how you defeated the Devil King! I've read accounts of it, but they don't seem too consistent. One account says that a beautiful Arch-Priest banished the Devil King with a powerful seal. Another one claims that it was a beautiful Arch-Wizard with big breasts who destroyed the Devil King and half the continent along with him with a powerful Explosion. There are all sorts of stories like that, but I don't know what to believe…"
I looked at Aqua and Megumin, who were avoiding my gaze.
Some time ago, there were bookkeeper and historian types that came to visit us and asked for our account of how that battle went down.
It seems that those two let their personal bias come out as they were being interviewed.
"Well, instead of talking about that, um… About what we came here for today…"
"Hey, is it true that Satou-sama is an adventurer who uses many skills from different classes?! Please demonstrate some of those skills right now!"
"Well, that's true, but…"
As we were invited inside for the reception, the prince kept asking questions like this.
I kept trying to stir the conversation back to the topic of the negotiations, but he didn't seem very interested.
Iris has been trying to talk to him, but aside from exchanging some very stiff greetings with her, Prince Revi only seemed interested in talking to me.
"No, no, rather than talk to the weak Kazuma who has the weakest class of adventurer, wouldn't Prince Revi like to talk to Princess Iris instead? As someone born of the noble lineage, she is much more powerful than Kazuma here…"
I get that Darkness is also trying to shift the topic back to negotiations, but she's really pissing me off right now.
Prince Revi looked to Darkness and then to Iris.
Based on his reaction, it didn't seem like he had a good impression of Iris so far.
I thought that this was the first time they met. I didn't know why he was looking at Iris with such distaste.
Rather, negotiations or not, I won't forgive anyone who treats my little sister like that.
"Hmph! What I like about Satou-sama is that even though he's supposedly weak and started out with bad stats, he still found a way to become a famous adventurer! Even among a team of elite members with advanced classes, he still managed to become their leader! I also admire his business acumen. Starting out from nothing and eventually becoming one of the richest people in the world… It's very admirable! Compared to someone of the royal family who inherited all their talents and wealth from their heroic ancestors, of course I would be more interested in a person like Satou-sama!"
He looked at me with sparkling eyes again.
Well, if he admires me for such a reason, I guess it can't be helped.
"So it's these weak, frail looking types who end up admiring Kazuma, huh? Pfft!"
It was a clear mistake bringing the dense Aqua to an important diplomatic mission like this.
I tried to shift the topic again,
"Um… Prince Revi…"
"Just Revi is fine, Satou-sama!"
"Then, Revi, it's nice chatting like this, but we came here for negotiations..."
"In terms of the money, I don't really have any problems giving it to you."
"That easy?!"
We were surprised as Revi nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.
Iris left out a sigh of relief.
It seems like all the pressure that was mounting on her was lightened in that moment.
"But, there must be a catch, right?'
Iris tensed up again at Aqua's careless words.
Revi straightened his body and said,
"I personally believe that Belzerg has already fulfilled their side of our deal by eliminating the threat of the Devil King. I was raised to honor deals, especially business deals, so I don't see the reason why Elroad shouldn't continue to provide support to Belzerg, especially since Belzerg has already proven that their services are reliable. If you had come to me asking to renew the contract before Belzerg has made any significant victories against the Devil King's army, I would have declined you for sure."
Revi's somewhat playful tone suddenly shifted to a professional one.
Like Iris, he was probably trained since a young age. While Iris was trained in martial arts, warfare tactics and leadership, Prince Revi, the heir of the rich country of Elroad, was probably taught about business dealings and how to negotiate.
He went on to say,
"...I admit, ever since a certain incident when one of my trusted advisors suddenly disappeared, this country has been having some financial issues. Since that advisor was left in charge of a lot of projects, when he suddenly disappeared, we didn't know how to handle all the work he was taking on. My father is in a faraway land conducting some important diplomatic business and he left that advisor in charge. But now… Hah…"
He let out a sigh as he sunk down on his seat.
I just noticed that he had bags under his eyes. For such a young boy, he didn't look his age as he scrunched his face in deep worry.
He was ambiguous about that incident involving the advisor, but I understand the need to keep certain things confidential.
When he mentioned that Elroad was barely getting by financially…
There were plenty of food available for the reception, but for the rich Elroad, I honestly expected a more lavish reception.
Now that I had the Advanced Cooking skill, I could tell from looking at the food that the kitchen staff had to cut down on expenses with the ingredients.
Even the high-class wine was diluted with ordinary grape juice.
After hearing what Revi had to say, Iris said,
"Um, so it seems that Prince Revi doesn't mind supporting Belzerg? Knowing Elroad, it's safe to say that this rich nation will soon regain its riches. And in regards to the advisor suddenly leaving, while it's tough to replace someone who was taking on many projects, I'm sure Prince Revi will find a way to deal with that problem. But the problem with Belzerg is that aside from primarily relying on our military expertise to make money, there are also a lot of unemployed soldiers and adventurers who lost their jobs after the war ended…"
Iris tried to explain the situation to Revi, who merely raised his hand to stop her.
"I already know about Belzerg's situation. It's tough to transition from war to peacetime for any country, but for the country of Belzerg whose citizens only know how to swing a sword around, it's an almost impossible task. I understand that your countrymen don't know how to live in a world where they have to use their brains and smarts to make money instead of spending the whole day hunting goblins… Heh. That's why the barbarians of Belzerg needs our help, right?"
"Ex… Excuse me?"
Iris was taken aback as Revi suddenly displayed a haughty attitude.
"Don't get me wrong. Like I said, I will honor our deal. Like this barbarian princess said, Elroad will surely bounce back in time, so we can afford to give a few welfare checks to Belzerg in the meantime."
Iris looked affronted, but since Revi already agreed to send financial aid, she couldn't say anything more about the matter.
"Oi, saying all that to Iris… Weren't you kissing Kazuma's ass this whole time? He's a citizen of Belzerg too, you know!"
"M… Megumin-san!"
While Iris might have been willing to put up with the treatment, Megumin wasn't having any of it.
"Satou-sama hailed from another country, did he not? He is not like the barbarians raised in Belzerg. What I admire about Satou-sama is that not only is he accomplished in the battlefield, but he also has business acumen. He's not just some brute. The truth is, the people of Elroad has always had prejudice over the warlike Belzerg. But, that country filled with brutes does have its uses. That's why I said that I'd like to offer financial aid, did I not?"
"For a while now, this little brat has been running his mouth…!"
"Yeah, I really don't like how he's making fun of dumb people!"
Along with Megumin, Aqua also started getting really offended for some reason.
"Megumin-san! Aqua-san! We're conducting negotiations right now, so please put up with it! Even if you really want to hit this brat in the groin area like I do, please put up with it!"
Iris was trying to pacify the hotheads but she let out a bit of her own intentions while doing so.
I also didn't like how this kid was implying all sorts of things about Iris.
He even called her a barbarian princess.
But, even I knew how to keep my cool in important situations like this.
I'll just have to use that dullahan's curse skill on this brat after we receive his money.
The other person who was trying to keep their cool, Darkness, said this,
"I'm sorry about my companions. If the prince is willing, we'd like to finalize the details of our renewed contract…"
"Wait, I said that I'd like to honor our deal, but it's not as easy as that."
"...Eh?"
Darkness froze just as she was getting some documents and a pen out.
"Like I said, there are those in this country who are quite prejudiced towards Belzerg. There are those whose opinions shifted after the Devil King's defeat, but there are still a majority who are saying 'why couldn't they have finished the job sooner', and the like."
Among the people who watched our carriage enter the city, there were indeed quite a few people saying such things.
One fellow even proposed that Belzerg had stalled the war on purpose as an elaborate scheme to keep receiving money from Elroad.
"Even my advisors over there are against my wishes to re-establish any deals with Belzerg, whether it be the old deal or a compromised one. So, as you can see, my hands are tied. Sorry."
Letting us believe that he'd go for it only to drop all that in the end…
"B… But, as the crown prince, after the advisor who your father left in charge disappeared, Prince Revi should have the final say in these matters..."
Iris brought up this point, but Revi shook his head again.
"I don't know if you've been talking to the locals or not, so maybe you already know this, but they don't exactly have a good opinion of me. Calling me 'Idiot Prince' and 'Scoundrel Prince' and the like. I've received intel from some spies that there are some radical groups who are planning to riot or even pull a coup if I agree to this deal with Belzerg..."
"Is… Is that so…"
Sensing the despair of the situation, Iris lowered her face in her hands.
Seeing this, Prince Revi looked at Iris in shock.
"Eh? You're not going to get angry at me or anything?"
"Prince Revi said so himself. His hands are tied. As someone who was also born into royalty, I understand that it's a lot of pressure. And I've never had to run an entire nation by myself. I can't judge the Prince Revi who is also struggling right now."
"I-I see..."
Perhaps not expecting that kind of response, Revi started looking at Iris as if he was re-evaluating her.
I thought about everything at hand.
The country of Elroad was always prejudiced towards the neighboring Belzerg due to the difference in cultures.
They were also resentful from having to provide substantial financial aid to Belzerg, but begrudgingly accepted the need to do so.
However, after the defeat of the Devil King, the citizens were divided in two. There were those who were grateful towards Belzerg and saw the country in a new light, and there were those who wanted to cut of all relations to Belzerg now that the threat of the Devil King is gone.
And now, we were here, to renegotiate a whole new contract.
A meeting that should have been kept in secret as there was tension among the populous of Elroad over the subject of a new deal between the nations.
And yet, for some reason, the King of Belzerg made a show of bringing us here, his country's most famous heroes, while riding in an instantly recognizable carriage.
He didn't even have problems with bringing Aqua along, the loudmouth who would surely let her presence be known to everyone.
"...!"
I see.
It was all on purpose.
Darkness was close to the mark, but she didn't know that the prince himself didn't need anymore convincing to finalize a deal.
In the end, it was all up to the citizens of Elroad.
The citizens of Elroad who were thinking that Belzerg was weak and useless for taking so long to beat the Devil King army.
They've probably never witnessed a war zone, which is why they can say those things.
They have certainly never seen the adventurers and soldiers of Belzerg in action.
That's why the king sent us here, a loud and noisy, yet influential party.
Instead of secrecy and diplomatic expertise, he chose to take a gamble on our ability to raise hell.
"It seems like our only option is to convince the people of Elroad that a continued relation with Belzerg is still beneficial to them, right?"
In response to my words, Revi nodded.
"Well, yes, Satou-sama, but the war is over. If Belzerg can't rely on their combat expertise, I don't see how…"
"The war with the Devil King is over, sure, but there are still a lot of dangerous monsters in this world, regardless of the Devil King's existence. Surely, Elroad must have at least a couple of these dangerous monsters."
"Yes… There are indeed monsters like that. Monsters like the Golden Dragon and the Cream Puff Fairy Queen… And there is also the mysterious monster residing within a certain dungeon…"
"Eh? Cream Puff Fairy Queen? Aren't Cream Puff Fairies those delicacies we had in Iris's place that go 'Muuuu!' if you try to eat them? Those little treats have a queen? That thing must be big! We have to hunt it and eat it for sure!"
Out of all the monsters Revi described, Aqua only seemed interested in the Cream Puff Fairy Queen.
"I think I see where Kazuma is going with this. He wants me to blow up those dangerous monsters so that the people of Elroad will look at us favorably, right? Fufu. This is getting exciting…!"
Megumin couldn't help but squirm in her seat at the prospect of blowing up some new monsters in a foreign land.
"A chance to see Satou-sama in action! I don't know if this plan of yours will really succeed or not, but I am looking forward to it!"
Revi was similarly excited.
"As usual… I will act as this party's shield and protect you all from danger. As a noble of Belzerg, it is my duty to…"
"Everyone, let's do our best to show the people of Elroad our abilities as the representatives of Belzerg!"
"Uwoooh! Well said, Iris!"
"...Um, that's what I was about to say, but well said, Princess Iris! Haha…"
Darkness laughed weakly as Iris completely stole her thunder.
Chapter 26 END
Next Chapter: Showing Off to this Skeptic Nation!