「Onee-sama~♪」
「Yes, yes... You're cute... Good grief... sigh」
I was invited into Melchora's room and now turned into a hugging doll on her bed. As to why this has happened, it was because Vannua-san and Earl Astel were in a meeting about what will happen after this, and there I was, waiting for it to end, but I received an invitation to Melchora's room.
I was pushed down in bed by her and completely turned into a hugging pillow. Ah, please stop rubbing yourself to me. Are you supposedly trying to imitate Arena?
「Anou, Melchora-sama?」
「Please call me Mel, I also want you to please stop using honorifics when speaking to me.」
「Yes, but why?」
Aren't you being too docile now? Is the really the same person as that one before? Her Dere is much stronger than her Tsun.
「Why did Mel seek strong men?」
「About that... You see, Father was part of the Fighter Faction for a long time, but father have always said that 「A strong and kind noble is what I seek as a son-in-law」 and that is why I also believe that I will definitely fall in love with that person.」
「By the way, when did you start thinking about that?」
「It was probably around the time when I was 4 years old」
I see, at that stage, were you moved because of that, like a maiden dreaming of such fate, and as a result, you kept on searching for the strongest prince-like person and got slightly twisted because of it?
「But well, most young men aristocrats of this country are definitely weaker than father. If it's in the knight orders, I know there are many strong people, but generally only poor nobles belong to that...」
That means everyone is pretty much the same. But it is really difficult to become strong if you don't have any battle experience and if there is no one to help you when raising your level by fighting against demons, you know? Letting the heir of nobles go out to fight demons would endanger them, especially against the strong monsters.
「But, I finally found that person today. Onee-sama is the one who I want!!」
「But I am a woman you know, I can't become a mother!! 」
「I want Onee-sama as my waifu!!」
「What, is Mel-chan a reincarnator?」
「??」
That childish face resembling Arena sure is adorable, but is it because you were born as a noble that you were able to learn such useless things.
And then finally the heavens have granted my wish, there was a knock on the door. You don't really have to make a grumbling face you know Mel-chan.
「Aidle-sama, Melchora-sama, the meeting of the guild master and the Earl is over. Please come over to the living room」
「Well, shall we go now Mel-chan?」
「...Yes」
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When we reached the living room, the two of them were sitting on long chairs.
「Melchora seems to have totally been captured by you. Hahahaha」
「Melchora-sama, you seem different from usual?」
「Astel-san, she's your daughter right? Aren't you worried about her future? And you, Vannua-san, just shut up!!」
Since Earl Astel told me to ease up and to stop talking with honorifics after those events, I am speaking this way now. I guess he is more comfortable speaking this way because he is in the militant faction. It was usually an unforgivable sin if you speak to aristocrats this way, is what Vannua-san conveyed to me before. That's why I know about it.
「Mel is only 8 years old, if she wants it then she should do it. I want to let her be free for as long as she can. If possible, I would like to find her a partner when she is around 13 to 22. She still has at least 5 more years to enjoy. I will be able to find a strong and fine noble heir from another country if there is no other here I guess」
It seems kind of rushed. Considering my previous life, 13 years old would be a junior high student still wearing a school bag, and not already married. As for me, I don't want to be bound by something like that at this moment.
「So, what happened regarding the clean-up of that?」
The clean-up I've mentioned is about Darius. It was only that. They have probably finished up everything by now.
「Darius has already been sent to the mines, branded with the highest level of slavery since he attempted to take a noble hostage, which is a high grade crime, he has probably left the town by now.」
「I see...」
「And because of that, Aidle-san I would like to thank you for everything other than the request」
「Isn't the request good enough?」
「If it's regarding the battle then that is all prepared, it would be in regards to protecting my daughter which not in the request」
「Isn't it natural for a person to do something like that...」
「Even so, I am personally giving you my thanks, I want to fulfill what you request of me to the limits I am capable of. So is there anything?」
Well... I can't really think of anything spot on, and even though I do have one, it is not on a level that only a noble can help me with... Right, how about that...
「Well I have a few. First is to tell everyone who saw my face to be silent about it, and to forbid them from telling anyone anything regarding that.」
「Why something like this?」
「I want to avoid being center of attention if possible, I know someday that will be impossible, but not for now」
「Is it because of some kind of mission, that you are hiding your identity? Could you probably be a part of royalty from somewhere?」
「I am not, but I am looking for a country that could be trusted with a completely different purpose」
The two people in front of me tilted their heads after hearing my words.
「Is our country not good enough? Why is that?」
「I do not think this is such a bad country. Although, is there something that made you change your mind about the country?」
「You helped in the destruction of the beastman country and turned them into slaves right?」
「...I see where you stand, is that your standard?...」
Well, that's about it, I don't dislike them after being acquainted with them though. But I don't particularly like the country itself.
「I heard that the country of beastmen was destroyed by the surrounding human nations. I am a person from the mountains, and it's really not amusing to share that mission with a country that enslaved beastmen and turned them into national property.」
「Indeed, if you see it from a different perspective other than humans or beastmen, it would really change the status of this country in a bad way. But you see, this country was forced to join that war.」
This noble person is from the Military Faction, he should probably know more details about that. I will report this to Testania-san later, but for now let's listen some more.
「So, how did the war actually break out?」
「Well, the country of beastmen has long been in a bad relationship with human countries. There is definitely a history of looking down on each other, but it never really did get to the point that war would break out. Trade has even been established between both sides, but then a situation which changed everything happened at that one time.」
「And that was?」
「A demon lord was born in the country of beastmen.」
「Aidle-san, that very Demon Lord killed the Beastman King, and half of all the beastmen were corrupted by its influence.」
Is it an actual demon or maybe something like a plague? I wonder what caused it? I thought about these troublesome things.
「The cause of it is unknown, even kings in the past have also suffered the same fate.」
「How were you able notice that?」
「Because a hero would always be summoned in the country of Hallia if such an event happened, the trigger for summoning to function is the demon king itself!」
Indeed, I can understand that there really was a 『Demon King』 that appeared. But the information is still incomplete.
「Why do they know the whereabouts of that demon king that it was in the Beastman Country?」
「It was due to the Miko's Prophecy」
「Miko?」
「There were many churches that support the Heroes, but in Leveilrad, a principality in the mountains, lives a family that has a skill given by the goddess herself, flowing in their bloodline and inherited by a Miko. That was used to find out the whereabouts of the Demon King」
Is that something like a dowsing technique used for demon kings?
「Was that Demon King defeated?」
「I heard that the Heroes have defeated it, I was not in the Beastmen Country when that happened, so I haven't really witnessed it myself...」
So the heroes have defeated it. Has the crisis already been stopped? But that does not explain the weakening of the world trees. I wonder if something else is causing it.
◇――――――――――――――――
「I see. Next is why did the beastmen get turned into slaves? The Beastmen Country has already suffered destruction, and the Demon King was already suppressed, so why did they do something like enslaving them?」
「That is definitely because, all countries are afraid of the remaining beastmen, since they might turn into demons. If they are slaves, they would somehow be able to do something if they demonized.」
「If they put slavery collars on them then they can allow them to live on far away regions and villages. It's not amusing taking their human rights away and force them to work, you know? It's also not good to use those that are innocent as slave labor, right? 」
「Uuu...」
After those words Astel-san was silenced. I guess he knew some dark and murky things that were happening. From that Vannua-san only groaned.
「I don't have anything like an excuse for that, because the demons were almost as strong as dragons, everyone was exhausted and wanted some labor force. I know that something like that cannot be tolerated, but that was their political judgment, something that I cannot change. It is definitely too much to blame every one of them but in case of war, the kingdom has to present some sort of reward for the participants, which is one thing that is commonly understood in the world.」
It somehow sounds like an excuse, but maybe something like this should be directed to the king itself.
「I see, it's fine, it's not something that I can solve by myself anyway, let's get back to the topic at hand. Those knowing my identity as well as my fighting style and prowess, you can silence everyone from that time, right?」
「Un, yes there would be no problems regarding that.」
「Well then, I guess it is time for me to return back to Haval to process my completion requests.」
「Ehh...」
Ah... Because of how things went way out, I forgot to inform Mel-chan.
「...Are you going home?」
Big googly eyes x Teary Eyes x Tears = Extreme Destructive Power!!→ Even though that is extremely cute but it won't work!!
「Astel-san! Let us fight once more. If you can win against me then you can have her back.」
「Yosh! Let's make it so that we won't stop unless the opponent dies.」
「Wait! Waaaaait!」
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「It's a promise! You must absolutely and definitely make sure to come back and visit me again!!」
「Yeah, I'll definitely come back and play again.」
After all, it ended up with me promising to visit again. I am an adventurer and I will be going to various places and countries. The mode of transportation at the moment is only by foot, I want to buy horses soon to increase my travel speed.
「Say hello to Drew-san for me, and if you have the time, please do take some request from Canaria's Guild」
「I refuse!!」
「Hahaha, I'm being hated.」
「If you have troubles involving aristocrats, come over. If my power won't be able to help then my wife working at the capital would definitely be of help.」
「Yah, please do help me at that time」
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And so I left Canaria while being sent off by Astel-san, Vanua-san, Mel-chan, maids and the Knight Order of the Earl. Arena did you have a good time?
「Aidle was aweshome~!!」
「Is that so, then it's fine」
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Earl PoV:
After sending her off, I was talking with Vannua once more. About the white robed adventurer named Aidle.
「There were many things I wanted to say when introducing that girl, but that one sure is a rare case.」
「That is true. Also, Vannua have you been disclosed the status of that girl?」
「Yes, I don't know the full details, but I heard from Drew-san himself that she is way stronger than him」
「I see」
If it's Drew who said that then there is no mistake, however...
「That last movement, when she defended my daughter from Darius, I noticed that she was way too fast even if compared to every person in the kingdom. I couldn't even chase her with my eyes.」
「Same for me...」
「Well, from the way she was talking about anything and regarding the beastmen, I concluded that she is not human.」
「For beastmen, they have their characteristic ears and tail but she has none. Elves are also out, her ear shape didn't match, did it?」
「It feels different, maybe a reincarnator or something」
The both of them were having a wry smile because if they were to do something, they might get the bitter end of it.
「If it was really a reincarnation by the will of the goddess, then it's kind of suspicious right?」
「Surely...」
It's not really a case where they could just laugh over it, but well, what's important is that the city and his daughter were saved. Somehow everything ended in a good way.
_________________________________________________
「Ah! I forgot to warn Vannua-san about that!! ... ... well, it will probably be alright, right?」
Fairies Intuition is always Spot On.